cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conditional asymptotic inference for the kernel association test.

Motivation The kernel association test (KAT) is popular in biological studies for its ability to combine weak effects potentially of opposite direction. Its P-value is typically assessed via its (unconditional) asymptotic distribution. However, such an asymptotic distribution is known only for continuous traits and for dichotomous traits. Furthermore, the derived P-values are known to be conservative when sample size is small, especially for the important case of dichotomous traits. One alternative is the permutation test, a widely accepted approximation to the exact finite sample conditional inference. But it is time-consuming to use in practice due to stringent significance criteria commonly seen in these analyses. Results Based on a previous theoretical result a conditional asymptotic distribution for the KAT is introduced. This distribution provides an alternative approximation to the exact distribution of the KAT. An explicit expression of this distribution is provided from which P-values can be easily computed. This method applies to any type of traits. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated via extensive simulation studies using real genotype data and an analysis of genetic data from the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Numerical results showed that the new method can control the type I error rate and is a bit conservative when compared to the permutation method. Nevertheless the proposed method may be used as a fast screening method. A time-consuming permutation procedure may be conducted at locations that show signals of association. Availability and implementation An implementation of the proposed method is provided in the R package iGasso. Contact kai-wang@uiowa.edu.
Computational Physics : An Introduction

Computers are playing an increasingly important role in the lives and education of physicists. Several areas in physics have problems which cannot be treated exactly or analytically and must be solved numerically. Computational physics allows developing models of physical phenomena and understanding things at depths greater than possible otherwise. It enables learning physics with computers. This paper provides a brief introduction to computational physics.
Ontogeny of skeletal and cardiac muscle mitochondria oxygen fluxes in two breeds of chicken

From its earliest days of domestication, the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) has been selectively bred for specific traits. Decades of genetic selection have resulted in significant dissimilarities in metabolism and growth between breeds, in particular fast-growing broilers and highly productive layers. A chicken develops the capacity to elevate metabolism in response to decreases in ambient temperature upon hatching, including well-developed methods of regulating thermogenesis. However, a differential timing between incipient endothermic capacities of broiler and layer strains exists. Although both broiler and layer chicks show the hallmark rapid attainment of endothermic capacity of precocial birds, endothermic capacity of broilers matures faster than that of layers. Here we characterized changes in morphology and mitochondria physiology during the developmental transition as the animals become endothermic. Changes in body mass occurred at a faster rate in broilers, with hatching embryos showing significant increases over embryonic body mass, while layers did not exhibit significant differences in mass until after hatch. Heart and liver both exhibited rapid growth upon hatching that occurred with little change in body mass in both breeds. Skeletal and cardiac mitochondrial respiration capacity in broilers increased from the embryonic stage through hatching. Oxidative phosphorylation was more tightly coupled to ATP production in broilers than layer muscles during external pipping. By selecting for faster growth and higher meat yield, the physiological transition from ectothermy to endothermy was also affected: differences in whole-animal, tissue, and organelle responses are evident in these two divergent breeds of chicken.
Short-Term Outcomes and Factors Associated With Adverse Events Among Adults Discharged From the Emergency Department After Treatment for Acute Heart Failure.

Background Although 80% of patients with heart failure seen in the emergency department (ED) are admitted, less is known about short-term outcomes and demand for services among discharged patients. Methods and Results We examined adult members of a large integrated delivery system who visited an ED for acute heart failure and were discharged from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2014. The primary outcome was a composite of repeat ED visit, hospital admission, or death within 7 days of discharge. We identified multivariable baseline patient-, provider-, and facility-level factors associated with adverse outcomes within 7 days of ED discharge using logistic regression. Among 7614 patients, mean age was 77.2 years, 51.9% were women, and 28.4% were people of color. Within 7 days of discharge, 75% had outpatient follow-up (clinic, telephone, or e-mail), 7.1% had an ED revisit, 4.7% were hospitalized, and 1.2% died. Patients who met the primary outcome were more likely to be older, smokers, have a history of hemorrhagic stroke, hypothyroidism, and dementia, and less likely to be treated in a facility with an observation unit. In multivariable analysis, higher comorbidity scores and history of smoking were associated with a higher odds of the primary outcome, whereas treatment in a facility with an observation unit and presence of outpatient follow-up within 7 days were associated with a lower odds. Conclusions We identified selected hospital and patient characteristics associated with short-term adverse outcomes. Further understanding of these factors may optimize safe outpatient management in ED-treated patients with heart failure.
Understanding Diabetes-Related Distress Characteristics and Psychosocial Support Preferences of Urban African American Adults Living With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Study:

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand diabetes-related distress (DRD) characteristics and identify psychosocial support preferences of urban African American adults living with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods A 2-phase, mixed-methods sequential explanatory study design was used to gather data. In phase 1, a purposive sample of participants (N = 155) was recruited and asked to complete a written survey. The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17) was used to assess DRD, including subscales-emotional burden (EB), regimen distress (RD), interpersonal distress (ID), and physician distress (PD). In phase 2, a subset of phase 1 participants (N = 23) volunteered to attend 1 of 4 gender-stratified follow-up focus groups to contextualize the quantitative survey results. Results Survey findings indicate that on average, participants had moderate levels of DRD (aggregate), RD, and EB but had low ID and PD. During follow-up focus groups, participants described RD and EB as their primary distress types and emphasized that clinicians should prioritize the mental health aspects of T2DM similarly to its physical aspects. Participants expressed a desire for culturally appropriate peer support groups as a psychosocial support resource for distress coping and specifically requested the development of gender-stratified groups and groups for young adults. Conclusions Results support the need to screen for and address diabetes-related distress among African American patients with T2DM. Findings also inform the development of culturally appropriate psychosocial support resources to facilitate diabetes-related distress coping.
Overexpression of hexokinase 2 reduces mitochondrial calcium overload in coronary endothelial cells of type 2 diabetic mice

Coronary microvascular rarefaction, due to endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, is one of the causes of increased morbidity and mortality in diabetes. Coronary ECs in diabetes are more apoptotic due ...
Non-intertwined graphitic domains leads to super strong and tough continuous 1D nanostructures

Abstract A systematic study on mechanics of carbon nanofibers (CNF) in relation to their microstructure is presented. The CNFs were fabricated via pyrolysis of polymeric nanofibers. In order to develop super-strong and super-tough one-dimensional nanomaterials, processing steps were aimed at reducing defects, e.g., poor graphitic alignment. The degree of graphitization was optimally controlled to benefit from strong sp2 C-C bonds while avoiding strength-compromising interactions between graphitic domains. The peculiar feature in CNFs was the discontinuity and rather uniform dispersion of turbostratic domains within the amorphous carbon, an apparent cause of crack pinning, and crack path deflection, thus strengthening/toughening. Hence, our CNFs exhibited superior strength compared to other emerging high-performance continuous fibers, such as CNT and graphene fibers. The best processing condition led to record high average strength of 6.3 ± 0.8 GPa (7.7 GPa maximum), 66% higher than previous reports. Moreover and contrary to most engineering materials, the high strength was achieved at no cost to ductility. The CNF exhibited significant ductility of 3.0 ± 0.7%, with energy-to-failure as high as 86 J/g, the highest reported for graphitic fibers. The research on simultaneously strong and tough CNF provides a promising pathway to develop the next generation of nanoscale reinforcements for lightweight and safety-critical structural applications.
Fear and the Forms of Anxiety

Fear affects every human being, and at one time or another it leaves its mark on each of us. It locks into our minds experiences that we can often easily recall and that sometimes erupt into consciousness through our dreams. Fear is the most toxic of all the emotions. Intense fear can even kill: Animals, including human beings, are sometimes literally frightened to death.
Cellular Automaton Shading for Building Envelopes

This chapter collects the key findings of the pioneering concept of a CAbased shading system for building envelopes, CASS for short. CASS can be considered as a realistic approach to realization of the architect’s dream of an adaptive skin of a building which could dynamically change its appearance according to varying external conditions or the inhabitants’ will. Since CASS is based on identical modular units it has potential of being relatively robust and inexpensive.Most importantly it takes visual advantage of CA’s emergent properties which result in new, intriguing, organic aesthetics. The practical approach focused on tangible and “buildable” results make this material particularly suitable for designers and building engineers — groups that usually are not well addressed in CA research. Additionally, this paper presents an alternative approach to CA which may contribute to the mainstream research in the field.
BODY WEIGHT CHANGES AND CORRESPONDING PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSES SEEN IN SYRIAN HAMSTERS AND MONGOLIAN GERBILS FED AFLATOXIN B1

ABSTRACT Syrian hamsters and Mongolian gerbils were fed 1, 10 or 12.8 ppm aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Food consumption was measured daily and animal weights weekly. The experimental groups showed a slower rate of weight gain as well as reduced food efficiency when compared to the control animals. These results and corresponding pathological findings were compared to similar responses of other investigations on the effects of AFB1. The Mongolian gerbil appeared to be more resistent to aflatoxicosis when growth rates and hepatohistopathologic changes were evaluated.
Molecular Beam Epitaxy-Grown Wide Band Gap II–VI Semiconductors for Intersubband Device Applications

Abstract This chapter reviews the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of wide band gap II–VI semiconductor quantum structures and their applications in intersubband (ISB) photonic devices. It consists of three parts, with the first part dedicated to the growth and characterization of quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs). The QWIPs were made from ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown lattice matched on InP substrates and work in the two important mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral regions—the long wave IR (LWIR) and medium wave IR (MWIR) regions. The second part describes the realization of short wavelength ISB absorption in the material system through band structure engineering. By using coupled quantum wells and optimizing the MgSe barrier layer thickness, ISB absorption in the optical communication wavelength of 1.55 μm has been achieved. The third part summarizes our effort on the growth and characterization of ZnO/ZnMgO QWs. Mid-IR ISB absorption was observed for the first time in ZnO-based quantum structures, making them promising for ISB devices as well.
Predicting Smoking Behaviors among Junior High School Students in Ghana

Despite the rising rate of smoking in sub-Sahara African countries, measures to control the tobacco epidemic have been limited to developed countries. The purpose of the present study was to recommend predictive models for determining predictors of smoking tendencies among junior high school students in Ghana. The 2009 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) served as the data source. The GYTS is a school-based survey designed to enhance the ability of countries to monitor tobacco use among youth and to guide the implementation and evaluation of tobacco control and prevention programs. Logit model and forward selection were used to choose predictive variables for smoking tendencies and behaviors. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, Area under the curve (AUC) and C-Index were validation tools used to assess the predictive power of recommended models. Results showed promising potential for different predictive models: where students smoked, having friends who smoked, having people smoke in their presence, chewing tobacco products, and a student’s sex significantly predicted their smoking tendencies.
Modelling Neural Mechanisms of Visuomotor Coordination in Frog and Toad

Frogs and toads provide interesting parallels to the way in which humans can see the world about them, and use what they see in determining their actions. What they lack in subtlety of visually-guided behavior, they make up for in the amenability of their behavior and the underlying neural circuitry to experimental analysis. We provide an overview of problems involved in modelling neural mechanisms of frog and toad visuomotor coordination; and then present a number of background models “in search of the style of the brain.” We then review three specific models of neural circuitry underlying visually-guided behavior in frog and toad. They form an ‘evolutionary sequence’ in that each model incorporates its predecessor as a subsystem in such a way as to explain a wider range of behavioral data in a manner consistent with current neurophysiology and anatomy. The models thus form stages in the evolution of Rana computatrix, an increasingly sophisticated model of neural circuitry underlying the behavior of the frog.+ Finally, we provide a quick tour of a number of studies which have developed from these basic models.
MP61-20 PUBECTOMY WITH URINARY RECONSTRUCTION EFFECTIVELY IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE AND FUNCTION IN MEN WITH UROSYMPHYSEAL FISTULA AFTER PROSTATE CANCER THERAPY

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:Urosymphaseal fistula (UF) is a rare but debilitating complication of prostate cancer (CaP) treatment. Little is known about this complex clinical entity or best managem...
Kraus operator formalism for quantum multiplexer operations for arbitrary two-qubit mixed states

The dynamics of open quantum systems are described using a set of operators called Kraus operators. In this paper, we show how to find system parameters for a closed system of two qubits undergoing quantum multiplexer operations such that Kraus operators can be written for a single open qubit system (the target qubit) when the initial density matrix of the joint system is in any arbitrary mixed state. The strategy used is to extend the single-qubit open system to a larger two-qubit closed system, which can evolve using unitary dynamics. The constructed two-qubit system is evolved using quantum multiplexer operations, and system parameters are derived to implement the operation. To derive the parameters, we use a reduced Hamiltonian technique wherein the qubit of interest (the target) evolves only in subspaces of the second qubit (the control). The main advantage of our scheme is that it is not restricted to separable product states and/or local unitary evolution of the joint system.
Mars 2020 Wind Velocity Measurement Interferences at High Reynolds Numbers

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer will be dedicated to getting meteorological data from Mars during NASA’s Mars 2020 rover mission. High-quality Mars atmosphere measurements are required in ...
The Impacts of Consumer Personality Traits on Online Video Ads Sharing Intention

Despite the increasing importance of advertisement sharing, research on the characteristics of people sharing advertisements with others is limited. This study examines the impacts of personality t...
Low Gilbert damping and high thermal stability of Ru-seeded L10-phase FePd perpendicular magnetic thin films at elevated temperatures.

Bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy materials are proposed to be a promising candidate for next-generation ultrahigh density and ultralow energy-consumption spintronic devices. In this work, we experimentally investigate the structure, thermal stability, and magnetic properties of FePd thin films seeded by an Ru layer. An fcc-phase Ru layer induces the highly-ordered L10-phase FePd thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (Ku ∼10.1 Merg/cm3). The thermal stability of FePd samples is then studied through the annealing process. It is found that a Ku ∼6.8 Merg/cm3 can be obtained with an annealing temperature of 500 °C. In addition, the Gilbert damping constant α, an important parameter for switching current density, is determined as a function of the testing temperature. We observe that α increases from 0.006 to 0.009 for the as-deposited FePd sample and from 0.006 to 0.012 for the 400 °C-annealed FePd sample as the testing temperature changes from 25 °C to 150 °C. These results suggest that Ru-seeded FePd provides great potential in scaling perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions below 10 nm for applications in ultralow energy-consumption spintronic devices.
A novel approach for next generation water-use mapping using Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite data

Evapotranspiration (ET) is needed in a range of applications in hydrology, climatology, ecology, and agriculture. Remote sensing-based estimation is the only viable and economical method for ET est...
Development of a mechanically matched silk scaffolded 3D clear cell renal cell carcinoma model

Development of a 3D, biomaterials-based model for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) would be advantageous for understanding disease progression in vitro. This study demonstrated the development of lyophilized silk scaffolds that mechanically match the experimentally determined Young's modulus for ex vivo ccRCC samples and normal kidney tissue. Scaffolds fabricated from silk solutions ranging from 3 to 12% (w/v) were evaluated through mechanical testing. Following mechanical characterization of ccRCC samples, it was demonstrated that 6% silk scaffolds mechanically matched ccRCC samples. No impact of pathological grade and stage on the calculated ccRCC modulus was observed and all tumors evaluated mechanically matched the 6% silk scaffold formulation. Stratifying tissue specimens based upon histological observations (e.g. evidence of high levels of collagen deposition) resulted in no significant differences between groups. To investigate the impact of a mechanically matched culturing environment on in vitro ccRCC disease characteristics a model ccRCC cell line, 786-O, was utilized. Scaffolded 786-O cells demonstrated increased lipid droplet accumulation, a hallmark of ccRCC, compared to standard two-dimensional (2D) culture conditions. Additionally, scaffolded 786-O cells demonstrated increased expression of genes associated with ccRCC aggressiveness (ex. VEGFA, TNF, and IL-6) or immune markers under investigation as therapeutic targets (ex. PDL1, CTLA4). Comparison with 786-O cells grown on non-mechanically matched scaffolds demonstrated that these improved ccRCC characteristics were driven by scaffold modulus. Overall, our findings support the use of silk scaffolds in replicating physiologic tumor behavior for clear cell renal cell carcinoma and provide a platform for investigating disease progression.
The Contour to Classification Game

The Contour to Classification game is a browser-based game that teaches middle school students basic concepts in supervised learning. The game is an online variant of the Neural Network game that was presented at AAAI Fall Symposium Teaching AI in K-12 track in 2019. We share preliminary findings from implementing the online version of the original Neural Network game in a pilot research study and describe the game’s evolution to the Contour to Classification game. The new game uses a simulation of a neural network to engage students, through digital drawing and selection interactions, in the classification of images. The players act as nodes in a multi-step process of compositing salient smaller features to form larger features and ultimately a partial contour of an object that is used to make a prediction. After evaluating the prediction, information is sent back through the network in processes mimicking back propagation and gradient descent. Additional rounds of the game can be played to witness how the network evolves and gets “better” at classifying images from contours. Through this game, we aimed for students to learn the structure, components, and functioning of a neural network, and the processes involved in supervised learning. The Contour to Classification game supports online student learning by providing the image classification experience using purely visual inputs to each layer. We will conclude with a discussion of if and how the evolving design addresses classroom needs and scaling considerations.
Koopman Operators for Estimation and Control of Dynamical Systems

A common way to represent a system's dynamics is to specify how the state evolves in time. An alternative viewpoint is to specify how functions of the state evolve in time. This evolution of functi...
Brain Source Imaging in Preclinical Rat Models of Focal Epilepsy using High-Resolution EEG Recordings.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) has been traditionally used to determine which brain regions are the most likely candidates for resection in patients with focal epilepsy. This methodology relies on the assumption that seizures originate from the same regions of the brain from which interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) emerge. Preclinical models are very useful to find correlates between IED locations and the actual regions underlying seizure initiation in focal epilepsy. Rats have been commonly used in preclinical studies of epilepsy1; hence, there exist a large variety of models for focal epilepsy in this particular species. However, it is challenging to record multichannel EEG and to perform brain source imaging in such a small animal. To overcome this issue, we combine a patented-technology to obtain 32-channel EEG recordings from rodents2 and an MRI probabilistic atlas for brain anatomical structures in Wistar rats to perform brain source imaging. In this video, we introduce the procedures to acquire multichannel EEG from Wistar rats with focal cortical dysplasia, and describe the steps both to define the volume conductor model from the MRI atlas and to uniquely determine the IEDs. Finally, we validate the whole methodology by obtaining brain source images of IEDs and compare them with those obtained at different time frames during the seizure onset.
Auditory-Nerve Representation of Voice Pitch

In a recent series of papers (Sachs and Young, 1979; Young and Sachs, 1979; Voigt et al., 1983; Sachs et al., 1983; Miller and Sachs, 1983a) we have considered the encoding of vowels and stop consonants in the firing patterns of populations of auditory-nerve fibers. In those papers we have emphasized the encoding of speech features related to vocal tract configuration; e.g., formant frequencies and general spectral shape. In this paper we will emphasize aspects of our experimental results which relate to the encoding of the fundamental frequency of glottal excitation, i.e., voice pitch. The mechanisms underlying the perception of the pitch of complex sounds has long been a focus for auditory physiology and psychopcoustics (see de Boer, 1976 for review). Our discussion here will relate to auditory-nerve correlates of two mechanisms which have received most attention. The present study was done with anesthetized cats (Nembutal).
SecurityEmpire: Development and Evaluation of a Digital Game to Promote Cybersecurity Education

SecurityEmpire is a new multiplayer computer game to teach cybersecurity concepts to high school students. We describe the design and implementation of SecurityEmpire, explain how it teaches security concepts, share preliminary evaluative data from students and teachers, and describe our experiences with developing, fielding, and evaluating this educational game. SecurityEmpire challenges each user to build a green energy company while engaging in sound information assurance practices and avoiding security missteps. Sound information assurance practices include: not clicking on unsafe links, encrypting auction bids, authenticating software downloads, performing integrity checks of system software, keeping antivirus protection up-to-date, and choosing strong passwords. In contrast with traditional teaching methods, educational games hold promise for greater student engagement and learning. We pilot tested an initial version of the game in computer science classes at partner high schools and in an undergraduate gaming class at our university. The preliminary data suggest that the game is engaging and increases awareness of cybersecurity practices.
Left atrial myxoma with bacteremia

The third recorded case, the first diagnosed before death, of a left atrial myxoma with associated bacteremia and tumor infection is presented. Physical examination and the apex cardiogram revealed a double systolic impulse at the apex of the heart. An explanation of this abnormal finding is proposed, based in part on observations made in the operating room before and after removal of the tumor. When differentiated from an atrial wave, this systolic notch may be useful in leading to the diagnosis of a left atrial tumor.
Polarization measurements in p-d elastic scattering: The structure of 1/2 +1→ 1/2 +1

The polarization structure of the reaction 1 2 + 1 → 1 2 + 1 elastic scattering, with parity conservation and time reversal invariance, is exhibited in a very compact way using the optimal transversity frame. The relationship between observables and amplitude products is reduced to six small matrices. Sets of experiments are proposed which determine the amplitudes. It is shown that the presently available set of polarization measurements needs to be enlarged considerably for such an amplitude determination. It is illustrated how such analyses can greatly expedite and simplify the economical planning of programs of polarization experiments.
Isolation and characterization of autolysis-defective mutants of Staphylococcus aureus created by Tn917-lacZ mutagenesis.

Abstract Two autolysis-defective mutants (Lyt-1 and Lyt-2) of Staphylococcus aureus have been isolated by transposon Tn917-lacZ mutagenesis. The mutants exhibited normal growth rate, cell division, cell size, and adaptive responses to environmental changes. No autolytic activities were detected in a crude autolytic enzyme preparation from the Lyt- mutants. The rate of autolysis of whole cells and cell walls in the mutants were negligible, but mutant cell wall preparations were degraded by crude enzyme preparations from the wild-type strain. Zymographic analyses of enzyme extracts from the mutants showed a single autolytic enzyme band, compared with more than 10 autolytic enzyme bands from the parent strain. Analyses of intracellular and exoprotein fractions gave results similar to those in experiments with total-cell extracts. Southern blot analysis indicated the insertion of a single copy of the transposon into the chromosome of Lyt mutants. Isogenic Lyt mutants constructed by phage phi 11 transduction showed similar phenotypes. Because both Lyt- mutants had Tn917-lacZ inserted in the appropriate orientation, it was possible to determine gene activity under various conditions by measuring beta-galactosidase activity. The gene activity was found to be induced by low pH, low temperature, and high sucrose and high sodium chloride concentrations. From these data, we propose that the mutation lies in either a master regulatory gene or a structural gene which is responsible for the synthesis or processing of a majority of the autolytic enzyme bands.
The Role of Person-Environment Interactions in Increased Alcohol Use in the Transition to College

Aims Even among those at risk for problematic alcohol use, there is variability in developmental trajectories of drinking and related problems. This prospective study examined the role of person-environment interactions in increased drinking during the transition to college. Design The authors followed a sample of recent high school graduates to test whether protective environmental factors could delay increases in drinking among those high in trait-level risk factors. Setting Participants completed Web-based surveys. Participants A sample of 1,784 students in the incoming class of 2004 at a large public United States university completed high-school and first-semester-of-college assessments. Measurements Participants completed self-report measures of alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, perceived awareness and caring from parents and other adults, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. Findings In the transition to college, high sensation seekers from more protective high school parental environments increased their alcohol use and problems more than did other students. Increases in alcohol problems were also high among more impulsive students from less protective environments. Whereas high sensation seekers drank equivalently in college regardless of high school perceived awareness and caring, those who had greater high school perceived awareness and caring did not experience as many alcohol-related problems in college. Conclusions Differences in drinking trajectories may be a function of person-environment interactions. Risk associated with high sensation seeking may be masked among adolescents in protective environments, but its emergence in the college transition predicts increases in alcohol use and related problems. Language: en
AT 21—The JBBM Comes of Age: Assessment and Outlook

ABSTRACTPurpose: As the Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing (JBBM) completes 21 years of publication and comes of age, the purpose of this article is to take stock of the research published in its pages and assess its contributions to the field of Business-to-Business Marketing. Furthermore, the editorial stance of JBBM is explicated along with its bases. Finally, some thoughts are offered regarding its future.Methodology/approach: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are used in the evaluation of research articles published in JBBM over the last 21 years. Starting with a narrative describing the origins of the journal and the change of publisher, the output of the journal, authorship patterns and the affiliations of the authors, content of the articles, special issue foci, and citation patterns are examined.Findings: The results of our analyses indicate that the steady output indicates maturity and stability of the journal. Co-authorship is the more dominant mode and authors represent 30 coun...
The Semantics of Propositional Contexts

In this paper we investigate the semantic properties of contexts. We describe the syntax and semantics of the propositional logic of context. This logic extends classical propositional logic in two ways. Firstly, a new modality, ist (κ, Φ), is introduced. It is used to express that the sentence, Φ, holds in the context κ. Secondly, each context has its own vocabulary, i.e. a set of propositional atoms which are defined or meaningful in that context. The main results of this paper are a proof that our logic is decidable and comparison of our semantics to Kripke semantics.
DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS OF LEAF PLASTICITY IN THE HETEROPHYLLOUS AQUATIC PLANT HIPPURIS VULGARIS

We wanted to characterize leaf development and the timing and location of leaf developmental changes that occur in a heterophyllic aquatic plant in response to an inducing stimulus, using ABA as the developmental tool. Secondly, we wanted to apply this study of alternative modes of leaf development to some basic questions of leaf development in all plants
Quantifying the inference power of a drug screen for predictive analysis

A model for drug sensitivity prediction is often inferred from the response of a training drug screen. Quantifying the inference power of perturbations before experimentation will assist in selecting drugs screens with higher predictive power. In this article, we present a novel approach to quantify the inference power of a drug screen based on drug target profiles and biologically motivated monotonicity constraints. We have tested our algorithm on synthetically and experimentally generated datasets and the results illustrate the suitability of the proposed measure in estimating information gained from an experimental drug screen.
Geological and geochemical characterization of the Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation, Maverick Basin, south Texas: A future shale gas resource?

As part of an assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in the northern Gulf of Mexico onshore Mesozoic section, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) evaluated the Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation of the Maverick Basin, south Texas, as a potential shale gas resource. Wireline logs were used to determine the stratigraphic distribution of the Pearsall Formation and to select available core and cuttings samples for analytical investigation. Samples used for this study spanned updip to downdip environments in the Maverick Basin, including several from the current shale gas-producing area of the Pearsall Formation. The term shale does not adequately describe any of the Pearsall samples evaluated for this study, which included argillaceous lime wackestones from more proximal marine depositional environments in Maverick County and argillaceous lime mudstones from the distal Lower Cretaceous shelf edge in western Bee County. Most facies in the Pearsall Formation were deposited in oxygenated environments as evidenced by the presence of biota preserved as shell fragments and the near absence of sediment laminae, which is probably caused by bioturbation. Organic material is poorly preserved and primarily consists of type III kerogen (terrestrial) and type IV kerogen (inert solid bitumen), with a minor contribution from type II kerogen (marine) based on petrographic analysis and pyrolysis. Carbonate dominates the mineralogy followed by clays and quartz. The low abundance and broad size distribution of pyrite are consistent with the presence of oxic conditions during sediment deposition. The Pearsall Formation is in the dry gas window of hydrocarbon generation (mean random vitrinite reflectance values, Ro = 1.2–2.2%) and contains moderate levels of total organic carbon (average 0.86 wt. %), which primarily resides in the inert solid bitumen. Solid bitumen is interpreted to result from in-situ thermal cracking of liquid hydrocarbon generated from original type II kerogen that was prevented from expulsion and migration by low permeability. The temperature of maximum pyrolysis output (Tmax) is a poor predictor of thermal maturity because the pyrolysis (S2) peaks from Rock-Eval analysis are ill defined. Vitrinite reflectance values are consistent with the dry gas window and are the preferred thermal maturity parameter. A Maverick Basin Pearsall shale gas assessment unit was defined using political and geologic boundaries to denote its spatial extent and was evaluated following established USGS hydrocarbon assessment methodology. The assessment estimated a mean undiscovered technically recoverable natural gas resource of 8.8 tcf of gas and 3.4 and 17.8 tcf of gas at the F95 and F5 fractile confidence levels, respectively. Significant engineering challenges will likely need to be met in determining the correct stimulation and completion combination for the successful future development of undiscovered natural gas resources in the Pearsall Formation.
Arsenic in streams, stream sediments, and ground water, fairbanks area, alaska

Arsenic concentrations of less than 5 ppb to as large as 1,260 ppb in stream waters and from 5 ppm to 4,000 ppm in stream sediments were found in the Pedro Dome-Cleary Summit area, Alaska. Waters from three of 20 wells sampled had arsenic concentrations exceeding the U.S. Public Health Service recommended limit of 50 ppb. The high arsenic levels are a consequence of arsenic enrichment in the rocks of the area. Placer and lode-gold mining may increase the arsenic content of the waters by exposing arsenic-containing rocks to surface waters and by increasing the load of arsenic-rich sediments in the streams. Finding these disturbingly large concentrations of arsenic in the waters of the Fairbanks area was the major result of this work, inasmuch as a subsequent study (to be published) revealed arsenic concentrations as large as 10 ppm in domestic wells and prompted an extensive study by Federal and State agencies of the health hazard posed by these arsenic-rich waters.
DOES TUBULARIZED INCISED PLATE HYPOSPADIAS REPAIR CREATE NEOURETHRAL STRICTURES

AbstractPurpose: Boys in whom hypospadias was repaired by tubularized, incised plate urethroplasty were evaluated to determine whether dorsal incision of the urethral plate results in strictures of the neourethra.Materials and Methods: Postoperative followup of the initial 72 patients was reviewed and then attempts were made to contact these boys for delayed assessment more than 1 year after surgery. Periodic neourethral calibration was routinely done during year 1 postoperatively and at delayed followup. Urethroscopy was performed for a decreased urinary stream or during anesthesia for other procedures. Uroflowometry was done at the delayed assessment of toilet trained boys.Results: The urethra was calibrated in 85% of the patients with no strictures noted. Urethroscopy in 10% of the boys demonstrated a healthy appearing neourethra. Uroflowometry was possible in 34% of the toilet trained patients with all results within the 95% confidence levels of standard curves for age.Conclusions: The dorsal relaxing...
Ultrastructural cytology of pea leaves and roots infected by pea seedborne mosaic virus.

Eleven isolates of pea seedborne mosaic virus (PSbMV) from U.S. seedlots were compared by thin-section electron microscopy to appraise the cytopathological diversity among isolates. Nine isolates uniformly induced formation of typical pinwheel inclusions, two of these also inducing tonoplast aggregates (TA) in a few cells. One isolate produced principally TA, accompanied in a few cells by pinwheel inclusions. The remaining isolate induced formation of dense bodies and laminated aggregates like those reported for bean yellow mosaic virus (Kamei et al., 1969). Other cytological abnormalities induced by one or more PSbMV isolates included extensive masses of convoluted endoplasmic reticulum, aggregates of viruslike particles, and crystalline inclusions consisting of ultrastructural hexagons. Symptoms induced by the eleven isolates in seedlings from which they originated fell within the range previously reported for this virus (Hampton, 1972). Root parenchyma cells from PSbMV-infected plants contained few inclusions, but instead contained extensive masses of viruslike particles that occupied most of the cytoplasmic volume in some cells. Samples of purified virus prepared separately from infected root and leaf tissues were morphologically indistinguishable.
Modeling the effects of ultraviolet radiation on estuarine phytoplankton production: impact of variations in exposure and sensitivity to inhibition.

Abstract Spectral ultraviolet (UV) irradiance, water column attenuation and biological weighting functions for inhibition of phytoplankton photosynthesis have been measured for the Rhode River, a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Together, these measurements can be used to estimate UV effects on water column production, but each factor shows a significant range of variability even just considering summer time conditions. A sensitivity analysis of UV inhibition is described which assesses the effect of this variation for different combinations of 28 irradiance spectra, 8 biological weighting functions (BWFs) and 16 water column irradiance profiles. Over all combinations, production averaged about 84% relative to potential production in the absence of UV effects. For a few combinations, relative production was as low as 67%, or as high as 97%, but for most combinations the range was 75–95%. Variations in the sensitivity of the phytoplankton assemblage, i.e. the BWF, and optical properties, represented by a transparency ratio of biologically effective UV to photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), had large effects on water column production. A simple relationship for UV inhibition of water column production is developed based on inhibition at the surface and the ratio of UV and PAR transparency.
Relationships between tumour necrosis factor, eicosanoids and platelet‐activating factor as mediators of endotoxin‐induced shock in mice

1. The toxicity of intravenous recombinant human tumour necrosis factor (rhTNF), a TNF fragment (TNF114-130), endotoxin and combinations of rhTNF or TNF114-130 were tested in mice. Neither rhTNF nor TNF114-130 was lethal alone, but when combined with a non-lethal dose of endotoxin, rhTNF provoked dose-dependent mortality, as did higher doses of endotoxin alone. 2. Both the toxicity and the vasopermeability changes induced by endotoxin alone were blocked by the platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist BN52021, indomethacin or the dual cyclo-oxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor BW755C. 3. The lethality of the combined low dose endotoxin/rhTNF challenge was unaffected by pretreatment with BN52021, indomethacin or BW755C, or by treatment at 6 h intervals with BN52021 or BW755C. 4. The results of these studies suggest that TNF, a putative, early mediator of septic or endotoxin shock, cannot by itself mimic all of the effects of bacterial endotoxin in the model used in this study. Apparently, TNF works synergistically with other mediators whose release is stimulated by endotoxin. 5. The results also suggest that the mechanism of shock production by the rhTNF/endotoxin combination in mice is not dependent on the early stimulation of eicosanoid or PAF synthesis by rhTNF.
Helium Ion Charged Particle Therapy for Choroidal Melanoma

Nine patients with choroidal melanomas were treated with helium ion charged particle irradiation. No patient demonstrated tumor enlargement, and most lesions followed for more than five months have demonstrated tumor shrinkage. The most effective method of choroidal melanoma management is unclear. Heavy charged particle irradiation may be more applicable and have less ocular morbidity associated with it in either radioactive plaques or photocoagulation.
NIETZSCHE, THE CROSS, AND THE NATURE OF GOD

In this essay, I treat of a type of moral objection to Christian theism that is formulated by Friedrich Nietzsche. In an effort to provoke a negative moral-aesthetic response to the conception of God underlying the Christian tradition, with the ultimate aim of recommending his own allegedly ‘healthier’ ideals, Nietzsche presents a number of distinct but related considerations. In particular, he claims that the traditional theological interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus expresses the tasteless, vulgar, and morally objectionable character of God, thus rendering Him unworthy of belief. In response to Nietzsche's worries, I first of all argue that his account of the origins of the belief in God is both prima facie implausible and historically false. At the same time I recognize that Nietzsche is expressing, in his typically bombastic manner, a genuine and widely held worry about what the crucifixion, as an event in salvation history, says about the nature of God. In response to this worry, I draw on the work of Wilhelm Dilthey in order to support the contention that the concept of divine transcendence, which underlies Nietzsche's concern, has its proper place within the Greek metaphysical tradition, rather than in Christian faith. Building on the work of Franz Rosenzweig and Jurgen Moltmann, I outline a conception of God that more accurately reflects the claim that the cross is the definitive revelation of the divine nature while at the same time foreclosing on the possibility of the kind of response that Nietzsche articulates.
Integration of remote sensing (LIDAR, electromagnetic conductivity) and geologic data toward the condition assessment of levee systems

Remote sensing technologies are used to collect data that measure properties of materials that comprise the earth's surface, subsurface, and man-made features such as levees constructed of these materials. Scientists use, manipulate, and analyze these data to make inferences about levee materials as well as identify local areas where intensive field investigation resources might most efficiently be spent. In this current study, airborne LiDAR and electromagnetic (EM) conductivity data have been processed and integrated with other digital data to identify specific areas within a levee system where anomalies exist. Preliminary results support the idea that changes in material type and the presence of man-made, levee-perforating structures do cause recognizable effects on recorded EM conductivities. Planned site investigations at identified EM anomalous areas will focus the efforts of field crews to determine the causes and significance of anomalies. As the field season progresses and data from in situ testing of levee materials are analyzed, relationships between material types and the EM data will be represented in graphics. Results of the study will be used to calibrate a model with which levee systems can be assessed for compliance with certain design specifications as well as predicting performance during flood events.