cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flood risk perception in lands “protected” by 100-year levees

Under the US National Flood Insurance Program, lands behind levees certified as protecting against the 100-year flood are considered to be out of the officially recognized “floodplain.” However, such lands are still vulnerable to flooding that exceeds the design capacity of the levees—known as residual risk. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, we encounter the curious situation that lands below sea level are considered not “floodplain” and open to residential and commercial development because they are “protected” by levees. Residents are not informed that they are at risk from floods, because officially they are not in the floodplain. We surveyed residents of a recently constructed subdivision in Stockton, California, to assess their awareness of their risk of flooding. Median household income in the development was $80,000, 70% of respondents had a 4-year university degree or higher, and the development was ethnically mixed. Despite the levels of education and income, they did not understand the risk of being flooded. Given that literature shows informed individuals are more likely to take preventative measures than uninformed individuals, our results have important implications for flood policy. Climate-change-induced sea-level rise exacerbates the problems posed by increasing urbanization and aging infrastructure, increasing the threat of catastrophic flooding in the California Delta and in flood-prone areas worldwide.
Cobalt-mediated propargylation/annelation: Total synthesis of (±)-cyclocolorenone

Abstract A recently developed cyclopentenone annelation sequence involving propargylation of ketone derivatives by (RCΞCCR2)Co2(CO)+6 complexes (1) followed by regiospecific hydration and cyclization has been employed in an efficient stereoselective synthesis of the guiane sesquiterpene cyclocolorenone (2).
Pseudorandom generators for space-bounded computations

Pseudorandom generators are constructed which convertO(SlogR) truly random bits toR bits that appear random to any algorithm that runs inSPACE(S). In particular, any randomized polynomial time algorithm that runs in spaceS can be simulated using onlyO(Slogn) random bits. An application of these generators is an explicit construction of universal traversal sequences (for arbitrary graphs) of lengthnO(logn).
Peptide receptors in astroglia: Focus on angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic peptide

Astroglial cells derived from the mammalian central nervous system contain a wide variety of peptide receptors, including specific sites for angiotensin II (AII) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). The AII receptors present in these cells are primarily of the AT1 subtype. The ANP receptors present in these cells consist of a mix of ANP-A and ANP-B sites (“biological receptors”) and also ANP-C sites (“clearance receptors”). Available evidence indicates that activation of AII receptors results in a stimulation of astroglial proliferation, whereas ANP has an antiproliferative effect in these cells. Intracellular pathways which may mediate these effects of AII and ANP on cell proliferation are discussed, including the presentation of novel data on the activation of protein kinase C and of glucose uptake by AII. We also consider the possibility that the opposing actions of AII and ANP on astroglial proliferation may represent another facet of the mutual antagonism between these two peptides, which has been observed throughout mammalian systems. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using Curriculum-Based Measurement for Beginning Writers Within a Response to Intervention Framework

The purpose of this paper is to describe how Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) for beginning writers might be used within a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. First, we describe CBM, and review research on CBM for beginning writers. Next, we discuss how CBM for beginning writers might fit within RTI, including use for universal screening and progress monitoring to identify students in need of more intensive, individualized intervention. We highlight areas needing further research, and end with a case example to illustrate how educators might use CBM within RTI to address the needs of struggling beginning writers.
The gait deviation index: A new comprehensive index of gait pathology

This article describes a new multivariate measure of overall gait pathology called the Gait Deviation Index (GDI). The first step in developing the GDI was to use kinematic data from a large number of walking strides to derive a set of mutually independent joint rotation patterns that efficiently describe gait. These patterns are called gait features. Linear combinations of the first 15 gait features produced a 98% faithful reconstruction of both the data from which they were derived and 1000 validation strides not used in the derivation. The GDI was then defined as a scaled distance between the 15 gait feature scores for a subject and the average of the same 15 gait feature scores for a control group of typically developing (TD) children. Concurrent and face validity data for the GDI are presented through comparisons with the Gillette Gait Index (GGI), Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire Walking Scale (FAQ), and topographic classifications within the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy (CP). The GDI and GGI are strongly correlated (r(2)=0.56). The GDI scales with FAQ level, distinguishes levels from one another, and is normally distributed across FAQ levels six to ten and among TD children. The GDI also scales with respect to clinical involvement based on topographic CP classification in Hemiplegia Types I-IV, Diplegia, Triplegia and Quadriplegia. The GDI offers an alternative to the GGI as a comprehensive quantitative gait pathology index, and can be readily computed using the electronic addendum provided with this article.
Examining different NEMD methods in simulating nanoscale fluid at high shear rates

In this paper, the non-Newtonian behaviour of a simple fluid is simulated via three different non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) algorithms: boundary-driven shear; homogeneous shear; and rev...
''Semiclassical'' bremsstrahlung calculations

The quantum calculation leading to the bremsstrahlung power density which varies as the square root of the plasma temperature T is reasonably successful in predicting the x-ray production when electrons bombard metal targets. It is expected to be useful in other cases where interaction times are small, such as when electrons stream through neutral gases, or when plasmas are sufficiently dense so that the number of particles in a Debye sphere is small. In the case of rarefied plasmas, for which there is no corresponding quantum treatment, common practice is to begin with classical orbit theory and either cut off in impact parameter or in frequency in order to obtain a power density which also varies as T/sup 1/2. We show that all such semiclassical'' treatments for rarefied plasmas are either physically or mathematically inconsistent; that the usual cutoffs in impact parameter do not lead to the expected T/sup 1/2 power density in the temperature range from O.01 eV to 1 keV; and that the spectrum of the power density obtained by cutting off at the de Broglie wavelength contains frequencies in excess of the usual one-photon emission limit. (auth)
Activated hopping, barrier fluctuations, and heterogeneity in glassy suspensions and liquids

Our entropic barrier hopping theory of glassy hard sphere colloidal suspensions is extended to include heterogeneity within a simple trap model framework. The origin of local domains, their size, and the corresponding static barrier fluctuations are attributed to mesoscopic density fluctuations of an amplitude controlled by the bulk compressibility. Based on typical values of the density fluctuation correlation length in dense liquids, the domain size on which correlated hopping occurs is estimated to be 3-4 particle or molecular diameters. Consequences of barrier fluctuations include an increased average relaxation time, faster diffusion, stretched exponential relaxation, diffusion-viscosity decoupling, and a fractional Stokes-Einstein relation. The common origin of the fluctuation effects is the heterogeneity-induced component of the barrier. For colloidal suspensions in the typically studied volume fraction regime the barrier fluctuations have modest consequences, but significantly larger effects are predicted in the putative glassy regime. A statistical dynamical analysis of domain lifetime suggests that for suspensions the relaxation time of mesoscopic collective density fluctuations is at least as long as the single particle hopping time. A general, model-independent analysis of the single molecule incoherent dynamic structure factor for suspensions and thermal liquids has also been performed in the long time and intermediate wavevector regime. The coupling of single particle density and longitudinal stress fluctuations results in a wavevector-dependent apparent diffusion constant and a dynamic correlation length scale which is strongly temperature dependent and directly related to the translation-rotation decoupling factor. This dynamic length is estimated to be 10 times larger than a molecular diameter for tris-naphthyl benzene near the glass transition temperature but shrinks to a molecular size above the crossover temperature that signals the emergence of collective barriers.
Improved Efficiency of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer many advantages in comparison to their Si-based counterparts, including lower cost of raw materials, faster manufacturing time, and the ability to be integrated with flexible substrates. Although many advances have been made in DSSC fabrication over recent years, their efficiency remains lower than commercially available Si photovoltaic cells. Here we report improved efficiency of TiO2 /anthocyanin dye solar cell using aligned arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a counter electrode. Dense vertically oriented CNT arrays are grown directly on the counter electrode using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition and a tri-layer (Ti/Al/Fe) catalyst. The resulting arrays are 30 micrometers in height and have a number density of approximately five hundred million per square millimeter. By directly growing the CNTs on the counter electrode substrate, electrical interface conductance is enhanced. The performance of both as-grown and N-doped (using a nitrogen plasma) CNT arrays is reported. The fabricated DSSCs are tested under AM1.5 light. Increased short circuit current is observed in comparison to graphite and Pt counter electrodes. We attribute this improvement to the large surface area created by the 3D structure of the arrays in comparison to the planar geometry of the graphite and Pt electrodes as well as the excellent electrical properties of the CNTs.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Content, computation, and individualism in vision theory

Since Marr's theory concerns visual states, it is individualistic, presumably, if it taxonomizes visual states without essential reference to the environment of the subject. I will not attempt to settle here whether or not Marr's theory is individualistic in this sense. I will argue, however, that Egan's reasons for thinking that Marr's theory is individualistic rest on a mistaken assessment of Marr's theory. Egan may be right that Morton's (1993) criticisms of her view miss their mark, but that provides her with no support for an individualistic interpretation of Marr's theory. Marr's theory is a computational theory, and computational theories, Egan claims, are concerned only with an articulation of the mechanisms of computation (see, e.g., Egan 1992: 445). These mechanisms operate independently of any semantic or intentional properties, so a theory of the computational mechanisms of the visual system will have no use for any appeals to contents. She argues that all descriptions of computations in the theory can be given formal characterizations; descriptions in terms of contents are therefore superfluous (see Egan 1992: 453-55).
Mössbauer Study of Brownian Motion in Liquids: Colloidal Cobaltous Hydroxy Stannate in Glycerol, Ethanol-Glycerol, and Aqueous-Glycerol Solutions

We have measured the resonant absorption of the 23.9-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays of ${\mathrm{Sn}}^{199m}$ in a colloidal suspension of CoSn${(\mathrm{OH})}_{6}$ in glycerol in the temperature range 110-323 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. We measured the colloidal-particle radii with a scanning electron microscope, and found them to be 650\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}150 \AA{}. We have also studied the fixed-temperature M\"ossbauer line broadening of our glycerol-based colloid, as a function of ethanol and water dilution. We find that the diffusive broadening of the M\"ossbauer line is proportional to the absolute temperature divided by the viscosity. The constant of proportionality is the same within the experimental errors, whether the sample viscosity is changed by varying the sample temperature, or by diluting the sol with ethanol or water. These results are in good agreement with the Singwi-Sj\"olander theory and the Einstein-Stokes relation. For this system we observed a rapid falloff in the recoil-free fraction in the temperature region where diffusive broadening effects were observed, similar to other earlier observations of this effect. Attempts to prepare large-particle sols of FeSn${(\mathrm{OH})}_{6}$ in glycerol were made to try to see a breakdown in the Singwi-Sj\"olander theory. Some evidence for a failing in the theory was found for particle sizes of 1500 \AA{}, but these results were not conclusive, as the sols were always unstable for these large colloidal particles.
Retrospective versus prospective processes in delayed matching to sample

Current views of delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) performance in pigeons postulate the active maintenance (rehearsal) of a representation of the sample stimulus during the delay in­ terval. Honig and Wasserman (1981) termed this type of processing retrospective. In an alter­ native account, prospective processing, a representation of an upcoming comparison (test) stim­ ulus is maintained during the delay interval, rather than a representation of the sample. The present experiments attempted to determine whether processing is retrospective or prospective in DMTS, as well as in delayed simple discrimination (a related procedure). The results of the experiments indicated that although pigeons are capable of retrospective processing, prospec­ tive processing appears to be the process typically used when there are no constraints that would hinder or prevent its use. This finding is contrary to the usual assumption of retro­ spective processing. Short-term or active memory in laboratory animals has been a popular topic in recent years, with the development of memory tasks such as delayed matching to sample (DMTS). Much of the recent research investigating how animals are able to per­ form tasks such as DMTS has favored the interpre­ tation of an active process (rehearsal) of some coded form of an initial sample stimulus (which is no longer present) to bridge the delay between sample and com­ parison stimuli (Grant, 1981; Maki, 1981; Maki &
Quantification of Spice Mixture Compositions by Electronic Nose: Part II. Comparison with GC and Sensory Methods

: The accuracy and efficiency of gas chromatography (GC) and sensory methods in predicting spice mixture compositions were investigated and compared with those of an electronic nose (e-nose) reported in part I of this study. Triangle tests were performed to estimate difference thresholds of spice mixtures. It was found that the prediction errors of the e-nose methods were lower than sensory thresholds. The GC method provided a more accurate but much less efficient prediction.
Measuring the Gy:preventing convection in water calorimetry using a low duty cycle modulated beam

Abstract The most fundamental method for determining the absorbed dose to water by radiation beams is by measuring the consequent temperature increase of the water. Water calorimeters used for this purpose are not irradiated uniformly; thus spatial dose gradients within the calorimeter give rise to significant heat transport effects that interfere with the measurement of the small temperature rise associated with radiotherapy doses (e.g. 240 μK/Gy at a typical dose rate of 1 Gy/min). When subjected to periodic exposure to radiation, the calorimeter response (registered as temperature at a point in the water) reaches steady-state oscillation in which effects due to heat conduction and convection may be studied as a function of modulation frequency, so that appropriate correction factors can be derived for desired operating conditions. Theoretical treatment of the behavior is greatly simplified if experimental conditions can be arranged so that convection is negligible. While this is usually done by refrigerating the calorimeter to 4 °C, where the thermal expansion coefficient of water is zero (thus, buoyancy forces due to density fluctuations effectively vanish), we present evidence suggesting that such conditions can be achieved at room temperature by reducing the duty cycle, or effective “on” time of the radiation at a given shutter frequency. Results are presented here in the form of system transfer functions obtained under conditions of 50 and 3.5% duty cycle. Comparison of these measured transfer functions with the output of a three dimensional finite element model indicates that convection is greatly suppressed in the lower duty cycle case. Experimental uncertainty in these measurements is too large to conclude that convection is eliminated altogether, but more extended runs using this technique should enable a more definitive judgment as to whether the simpler conduction corrections alone can be applied.
Does Teacher Professional Development Affect Content and Pedagogical Knowledge: How Much and for How Long?.

Abstract We examine the impact of teacher professional development on a key aspect of teacher quality—teacher knowledge. Specifically we use English Language Arts teacher content and pedagogy assessments to determine whether the California Professional Development Institutes significantly improve teacher content knowledge and whether teachers retain that knowledge six months after the institutes are completed. The results indicate that teachers vary significantly in pre-institute knowledge on the four assessed domains, that they demonstrate significant knowledge growth between the pre- and post-assessments, but that practical classroom experience hinders knowledge retention as measured six months later. Further, pre-exiting knowledge gaps are not systematically reduced thereby not alleviating the uneven distribution of teacher quality among California elementary schools.
"Liver function tests" are not always tests of liver function

A child with Wilm's tumor and a child with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were each noted to have persistent elevations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Both children underwent thorough evaluation for liver disease and, as a result, experienced delays in treatment of the Wilm's tumor and ITP. Eventually both children were found to have extremely elevated serum creatine kinase (CK). Muscle biopsy confirmed diagnoses of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy in one child, and Becker's muscular dystrophy in the second. Hematologists/oncologists should consider obtaining a serum CK to rule out muscle disease in patients with unexplained elevations of AST, ALT, and LDH.
Discrete, continuous, and stochastic models of protein sorting in the Golgi apparatus.

The Golgi apparatus plays a central role in processing and sorting proteins and lipids in eukaryotic cells. Golgi compartments constantly exchange material with each other and with other cellular components, allowing them to maintain and reform distinct identities despite dramatic changes in structure and size during cell division, development, and osmotic stress. We have developed three minimal models of membrane and protein exchange in the Golgi\char22{}a discrete, stochastic model, a continuous ordinary differential equation model, and a continuous stochastic differential equation model\char22{}each based on two fundamental mechanisms: vesicle-coat-mediated selective concentration of cargoes and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins during vesicle formation and SNARE-mediated selective fusion of vesicles. By exploring where the models differ, we hope to discover whether the discrete, stochastic nature of vesicle-mediated transport is likely to have appreciable functional consequences for the Golgi. All three models show similar ability to restore and maintain distinct identities over broad parameter ranges. They diverge, however, in conditions corresponding to collapse and reassembly of the Golgi. The results suggest that a continuum model provides a good description of Golgi maintenance but that considering the discrete nature of vesicle-based traffic is important to understanding assembly and disassembly of the Golgi. Experimental analysis validates a prediction of the models that altering guanine nucleotide exchange factor expression levels will modulate Golgi size.
Fatty acid inhibition of somatomedin (serum sulfation factor)-stimulated protein and RNA synthesis in embryonic chicken cartilage.

Abstract The effects of fatty acids and serum containing somatomedin on in vitro synthesis of collagen, chondromucoprotein, general proteins and RNA were studied in embryonic chicken cartilage. Somatomedin (5 % rat serum added) stimulated 35SO2−4, [3H]leucine and [3H]tryptophan incorporation into chondromucoprotein-rich and collagen-rich cartilage protein fractions; and [3H]proline incorporation and [3H]hydroxyproline synthesis in the collagen-rich fraction. Somatomedin also stimulated [3H]uridine incorporation into RNA. In the non-stimulated state (no serum added) butyrate and octanoate had little or no effect on amino acid incorporation into protein or uridine incorporation into RNA. In the serum stimulated state, butyrate and octanoate inhibited amino acid incorporation into protein and uridine incorporation into RNA. Such inhibition was observed only with serum containing growth hormone-dependent sulfation factor (somatomedin). Agarose column chromatography of the chondromucoprotein-rich fraction revealed that while somatomedin stimulates synthesis of all proteins of this fraction equally, butyrate inhibits stimulated chondromucoprotein synthesis to a greater extent than certain other cartilage proteins (which are inhibited little, if at all). The data indicate that somatomedin stimulates embryonic chicken cartilage RNA, collagen, chondromucoprotein and general protein synthesis. Fatty acids have little or no effect on unstimulated cartilage macromolecular synthesis. The somatomedin stimulation of RNA, collagen and chondromucoprotein synthesis, and some, but not all of protein synthesis other than collagen or chondromucoprotein, is inhibited by fatty acids.
Introduction to Applied Bayesian Statistics and Estimation for Social Scientists

Gill reviews Introduction to Applied Bayesian Statistics and Estimation for Social Scientists by Scott M. Lynch.
Benchmarking and procrustean noise reduction of entangled mixed states

Understanding quantum noise is essential for accurately creating desired quantum states and for examining a given state's evolution in any protocol. Using spontaneous parametric downconversion, we can create a wide variety of single- and two-qubit polarization states, including nearly perfect Bell states, mixed states (i.e., "noisy" states) and maximally entangled mixed states (MEMS). To characterize these states we use several different measures, including fidelity, "tangle" and linear entropy. In the course of our experiments, we have discovered and numerically investigated an extreme imbalance in the sensitivity of these different two-qubit state measures. We have also experimentally realized a "Procrustean" filtering technique to remove noise from MEMS. For moderate amounts of filtering, the experimental procedure works as desired to increase the tangle and decrease the linear entropy. However, for large amounts of filtering, the process becomes dominated by perturbations in the starting density matrix. The final outcome is a pure (i.e., zero entropy) product state (i.e., zero entanglement).
The internet as an indicator of corruption awareness

Abstract We apply a standard specification of the causes of corruption to a large sample of countries to investigate the effect of internet awareness about corruption on prevalence and perceptions of corruption. The main hypothesis is that greater corruption awareness acts as a corruption deterrent. A unique data set of internet searches on Google and Yahoo is compiled using alternate variations of “corruption”, “bribery” and “country name” keywords to capture internet corruption awareness. Results show that internet hits about corruption per capita correlate negatively with corruption perceptions and corruption incidence. This finding generally holds for different specifications and other robustness checks.
Claiborne Group of Central Texas: Record of Middle Eocene Marine and Coastal Plain Deposition: ABSTRACT

Sediments of the Claiborne Group in central Texas were deposited in a variety of nearshore-marine and coastal-plain environments. Fluctuations of the shoreline during middle Eocene time resulted in vertical stacking of 2,600 ft of sediments from contrasting depositional environments. Shoreline fluctuations probably did not result from simultaneous eustatic changes of sea level. They were caused by migrations of large fluvial, fluvio-deltaic, and interdeltaic complexes on the margins of a gently and perhaps uniformly subsiding basin. As a result of migrations of major sediment depocenters, the Claiborne rock record is characterized by high lateral and vertical variability. Each formation of the Claiborne Group commonly is considered to be the product of a single depositional environment which extended laterally for hundreds of miles. For example, the basal formation of the Claiborne, the Carrizo Sandstone, is generally accepted as having been deposited under fluvial conditions close to the shoreline. This assumption is not borne out by detailed field work. An examination of the Carrizo Formation from Bastrop to Freestone Counties reveals that Carrizo sediments were deposited in fluvial, deltaic, and marine environments. In a single outcrop the Carrizo Sandstone may be shown as having been deposited in both barrier bars and delta distributary channels. Such variability also holds true for sediments from each formation comprising the Claiborne Group. Petrographic analysis indicates that the sediment source remained constant during deposition of the Claiborne Group. The presence of phyllite and schist fragments together with the heavy minerals kyanite, staurolite, garnet, and zircon indicates that the source terrane was dominantly metamorphic. Evidence for volcanic activity is particularly strong in the Carrizo Formation and the uppermost Claiborne Yegua Formation. Volcanic minerals in these formations include bipyramidal quartz, euhedral apatite, and bentonite, indicating that the Claiborne coastline periodically was subjected to wind-transported detritus. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1693------------
Racial and ethnic variations in hepatocellular carcinoma incidence within the United States.

Abstract Background The increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma coupled with this cancer's high mortality is a public health problem. Delineating high-risk populations and cancer patterns can provide valuable information. This is necessary to broaden screening and surveillance guidelines related to early detection and prevention. Methods By using data collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, a population-based cancer registry in the United States, our retrospective cohort study evaluated sex-specific, race/ethnicity-specific, and age-specific variations in hepatocellular carcinoma incidence from 1992 to 2004. Results With men and women combined, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma among Asians was the highest, nearly double that of white Hispanics (11.0 vs 6.8 per 100,000/y), and more than 4 times higher than that of Caucasians (11.0 vs 2.6 per 100,000/y). Although male subjects demonstrated a doubling of cancer rates every 10 years from 30 to 50 years of age, female subjects reached male-comparable rates of cancer 10 to 15 years later and peaked at significantly lower values for all race and ethnic groups. Conclusion Marked differences in the incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma by sex, ethnicity, and age of diagnosis likely represent variations in risk factor distributions (eg, viral hepatitis) and possibly in host genetics or other environmental factors. An individualized approach tailored to specific risk profiles may more effectively identify treatable tumors than more general guidelines.
Structure-function analysis of protease-activated receptor 4 tethered ligand peptides. Determinants of specificity and utility in assays of receptor function.

Thrombin activates protease-activated receptors (PARs) by specific cleavage of their amino-terminal exodomains to unmask a tethered ligand that binds intramolecularly to the body of the receptor to effect transmembrane signaling. Peptides that mimic such ligands are valuable as agonists for probing PAR function, but the tethered ligand peptide for PAR4, GYPGKF, lacks potency and is of limited utility. In a structure-activity analysis of PAR4 peptides, AYPGKF was ∼10-fold more potent than GYPGKF and, unlike GYPGKF, elicited PAR4-mediated responses comparable in magnitude to those elicited by thrombin. AYPGKF was relatively specific for PAR4 in part due to the tyrosine at position 2; substitution of phenylalanine orp-fluorophenylalanine at this position produced peptides that activated both PAR1 and PAR4. Because human platelets express both PAR1 and PAR4, it might be desirable to inhibit both receptors. Identifying a single agonist for both receptors raises the possibility that a single antagonist for both receptors might be developed. The AYPGKF peptide is a useful new tool for probing PAR4 function. For example, AYPGKF activated and desensitized PAR4 in platelets and, like thrombin, triggered phosphoinositide hydrolysis but not inhibition of adenylyl cyclase in PAR4-expressing cells. The latter shows that, unlike PAR1, PAR4 couples to Gq and not Gi.
Systolic Computation Of Multivariable Frequency Response

A systolic organization is presented for the computation of a complex-valued frequency response matrix G (j 0)) = C (j w- A)-1B . By 'sys-tolic organization,' we mean an algorithm intended for software implementation on a programmable systolic/wavefront computer system. Typically, the real-valued state space model matrices A , B , and C are given and the calculation of G must be performed for a very large number of values of the scalar "frequency" parameter co. This, and closely related calculations, arise naturally in the analysis and design of control systems. The algorithm which has been chosen for systolic implementation is an orthogonal version of an algorithm appearing pre-viously in the literature. The matrix A is reduced initially to an upper Hessenberg form and this form is preserved as w varies subsequently in the matrix j wl - A . A systolic QR factorization of this latter matrix [(jl - A) = QT R} is then implemented for effecting the linear system solution (inversion). The critical computational component is CR-1. This computational component's process dependency graph is embedded optimally in space and time through the use of a nonlinear spacetime transformation. The computational period of the algorithm is 0 (n) where n is the order of the matrix A .
Macroautophagy and its role in nutrient homeostasis.

Autophagy, a process by which cells degrade their own components within lysosomes, is a major homeostatic mechanism that favors adaptation and survival under nutrient-deficient conditions. Starvation increases the number and size of autophagosomes in many tissues, suggesting that autophagy is a critical component of the body's response to nutrient deprivation and amino acid/fuel homeostasis. In addition, autophagy has been shown to play a critical role in maintaining amino acid and energy homeostasis in neonates during the transitional hours immediately following birth. The recent identification of functional mammalian orthologues of Atg14 and Atg17 has completed the identification of mammalian orthologues of all of the core yeast autophagy genes. In addition, the recent placement of the Atg1•Atg13•Atg17 complex downstream of mTORC1 has provided at least one pathway by which changes in nutrient availability regulate autophagy.
Using Student Journals to Improve the Academic Quality of Internships.

Abstract Many colleges and universities offer course credit for internships that ideally should help students see how business principles and theories relate to actual practice. This article describes how journal writing can be used to help students integrate what they observed and practiced in the field with what they learned in class, to ensure that they will gain academically from the internship. Instructions to students, review and comment by the faculty, grading, and ideas for expanding the journal assignment are discussedcerns about academic quality (McCaskey, 1988).
Tapered-width micro-cantilever for pull-in voltage control

Novel tapered-width micro-cantilevers are introduced to give more design parameters in design space for controlling and synthesizing their pull-in (actuation) voltages. For a given fabrication process, the pull-in voltage of a micro-cantilever is generally a function of the taper function of width along the length, its initial width, and its length. By controlling these design parameters, a specific pull-in voltage for a micro-cantilever can be obtained. Three types of taper functions, linear, parabolic, and exponential, were selected as the width taper functions of micro-cantilevers in this study. Pull-in voltage as low as 1V is achieved with a fast growing taper function for a micro-cantilever. From the simulation and measurement results it shows that a micro-cantilever with a fast growing width along the length has a smaller pull-in voltage but occupies more area and has a smaller bandwidth.
Stretching DNA to quantify nonspecific protein binding.

Nonspecific binding of regulatory proteins to DNA can be an important mechanism for target search and storage. This seems to be the case for the lambda repressor protein (CI), which maintains lysogeny after infection of E. coli. CI binds specifically at two distant regions along the viral genome and induces the formation of a repressive DNA loop. However, single-molecule imaging as well as thermodynamic and kinetic measurements of CI-mediated looping show that CI also binds to DNA nonspecifically and that this mode of binding may play an important role in maintaining lysogeny. This paper presents a robust phenomenological approach using a recently developed method based on the partition function, which allows calculation of the number of proteins bound nonspecific to DNA from measurements of the DNA extension as a function of applied force. This approach was used to analyze several cycles of extension and relaxation of \ensuremath{\lambda} DNA performed at several CI concentrations to measure the dissociation constant for nonspecific binding of CI ($\ensuremath{\sim}100$ nM), and to obtain a measurement of the induced DNA compaction ($\ensuremath{\sim}10%$) by CI.
MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF NEAR-HOVER INSECT FLIGHT DYNAMICS

Using a dynamically scaled robotic wing, we studied the aerodynamic torque generation of flapping wings during roll, pitch, and yaw rotations of the stroke plane. The total torque generated by a wing pair with symmetrical motions was previously known as flapping counter-torques (FCTs). For all three types of rotation, stroke-averaged FCTs act opposite to the directions of rotation and are collinear with the rotational axes. Experimental results indicate that the magnitude of FCTs is linearly dependent on both the flapping frequency and the angular velocity. We also compared the results with predictions by a mathematical model based on quasi-steady analyses, where we show that FCTs can be described through consideration of the asymmetries of wing velocity and the effective angle of attack caused by each type of rotation. For roll and yaw rotations, our model provided close estimations of the measured values. However, for pitch rotation the model tends to underestimate the magnitude of FCT, which might result from the effect of the neglected aerodynamics, especially the wake capture. Similar to the FCT, which is induced by body rotation, we further provide a mathematical model for the counter force induced by body translation, which is termed as flapping counter-force (FCF). Based on the FCT and FCF models, we are able to provide analytical estimations of stability derivatives and to study the flight dynamics at hovering. Using fruit fly (Drosophila) morphological data, we calculated the system matrix of the linearized flight dynamics. Similar to previous studies, the longitudinal dynamics consist of two stable subsidence modes with fast and slow time constants, as well as an unstable oscillatory mode. The longitudinal instability is mainly caused by the FCF induced by an initial forward/backward velocity, which imparts a pitch torque to the same direction of initial pitch velocity. Similarly, the lateral dynamics also consist of two stable subsidence modes and an unstable oscillatory mode. The lateral instability is mainly caused by the FCF induced by an initial lateral velocity, which imparts a roll torque to the same direction of initial roll velocity. In summary, our models provide the first analytical approximation of the six-degree-of-freedom flight dynamics, which is important in both studying the control strategies of the flying insects and designing the controller of the future flapping-wing micro air vehicles (MAVs).
The rheology and spin coating of polyimide solutions

The rheological properties of five types of concentrated polyamic acid and polyimide solutions are characterized by non-Newtonian shear viscosity η() and primary normal stress coefficient Ψ1() measurements over a wide range of shear rates. Onset of non-Newtonian flow of the polyamic acid solutions was observed in the shear rate range 30 to 400s−1 and of the fully imidized polyimide solution at below 3 × 10−2s−1. Significant viscoelastic properties exemplified by normal stresses were observed in all the solutions. The solution rheology results are discussed in the context of spin coating for the deposition of thin films. The relative magnitude of effects of non-Newtonian flow on the dynamics of spin coating is assessed with a Deborah number characteristic of the flow.
On distributed processibility of datalog queries by decomposing databases

We consider distributed or parallel processing of datalog queries. We address this issue by decomposing databases into a number of subdatabases such that the computation of a program on a database can be achieved by unioning its independent evaluations on the subdatabases. More specifically, we identify two kinds of distributed-processible programs according to the properties of database decomposition. (i) A program is disjoint distributive if it is distributed processible over a decomposition consisting of subdatabases with disjoint domains. A characterization of such programs is given in terms of an easily decidable syntactic property called connectivity. (ii) A program is bounded distributive if it is distributed processible over a decomposition consisting of subdatabases with a fixed size. Three interesting characterizations of such a program are presented, the first by bounded recursion, the second by equivalence to a 1-bounded-recursive program, and the third by constant parallel complexity
Hip fractures in young patients: is this early osteoporosis?

Hip fracture in patients under age 50 is rare, and is often not attributable solely to the energy of injury. Our aim was to determine if trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) is abnormal in young patients with hip fractures. We reviewed all hip fractures treated at our institution between 1979 and 1986 and contacted 20 patients under the age of 50 at the time of injury, all of whom wished to be studied. The mean age at the time of injury was 39 (range 24–47). Subjects were questioned for osteoporosis risk factors, classified by level of energy producing their injury, and then underwent quantitative computed tomography (QCT) bone densitometry of trabecular bone in the lumbar spine. Bone mineral density by QCT was below the mean for age in 90% of the patients, and was greater than 1 SD below the mean in 75%. Mean percentage BMD decrease from age-matched controls was 34% (P<0.005) in women and 19% (P<0.005) in men. There was an inverse correlation in the degree of BMD decrease and the energy level of injury. There was a direct correlation of the severity of BMD decrease and the cumulative number of osteoporosis risk factors. This investigation has found that 1–7 years following hip fracture, otherwise presumedly healthy young patients demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in spinal BMD from age/sex-matched controls. These data do not determine if osteopenia is the cause or the result of injury, nor do we wish to infer that measurement of bone density at one site can predict future fractures at other sites. However, as current thinking supports continuous age-related BMD decrease, this young group of patients with relatively low BMD for their age may be at increased risk for future development of more severe osteopenia. These findings suggest that the significance of hip fractures in young patients may currently be underestimated, and such patients may provide the unique opportunity for early identification of a group at increased risk for developing osteoporosis.
Perceptions, experiences, and shifts in perspective occurring among urban youth participating in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program

Interest in mindfulness as a tool to improve health and well-being has increased rapidly over the past two decades. Limited qualitative research has been conducted on mindfulness and health. This study utilized in-depth interviews to explore the context, perceptions, and experiences of a sub-set of participants engaged in an acceptability study of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) among urban youth. Content analysis revealed that all in-depth interview participants reported experiencing some form of positive benefit and enhanced self-awareness as a result of MBSR program participation. Significant variation in the types and intensity of changes occurring was identified, ranging from a reframing and reduction of daily stressors to transformational shifts in life orientation and well-being. Variations in perceptions of and experiences with mindfulness should be studied in further depth in the context of prospective intervention research, including their potentially differential influence on mental and physical health outcomes.
Promoter-dependent disruption of genes: simple, rapid, and specific PCR-based method with application to three different yeast.

PCR product-based gene disruption has greatly accelerated molecular analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This approach involves amplification of a marker gene (e.g., URA3) including its flanking regulatory (promoter and polyadenylation) regions using primers that include at their 5' ends about 50 bases of homology to the targeted gene. Unfortunately, this approach has proved less useful in organisms with higher rates of non-homologous recombination; e.g., in the yeast Candida glabrata, desired recombinants represent sixfold higher than the published results with conventional PCR-based gene disruption. All 5 C. glabrata and C. albicans mutants had predicted phenotypes of calcofluor hypersensitivity (slt2Delta and RHO1/rho1Delta), cycloheximide hypersensitivity (pdr1Delta), or miltefosine resistance (lem3Delta and lem3Delta/lem3Delta). PRODIGE application to the S. cerevisiae PDR5 gene in strains with and without the Pdr1-Pdr3 transcriptional activators of this gene confirmed that transformant yield and growth rate depend on promoter strength. Using this PDR5 promoter-URA3 recombinant, we further demonstrate a simple extension of the method that yields regulatory mutants via 5-fluoroorotic acid selection. PRODIGE warrants testing in other yeast, molds, and beyond.
Detection of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli in the urban waterways of Milwaukee, WI.

Urban waterways represent a natural reservoir of antibiotic resistance which may provide a source of transferable genetic elements to human commensal bacteria and pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from the urban waterways of Milwaukee, WI compared to those from Milwaukee sewage and a clinical setting in Milwaukee. Antibiotics covering 10 different families were utilized to determine the phenotypic antibiotic resistance for all 259 E. coli isolates. All obtained isolates were determined to be multi-drug resistant. The E. coli isolates were also screened for the presence of the genetic determinants of resistance including ermB (macrolide resistance), tet(M) (tetracycline resistance), and β-lactamases (blaOXA, blaSHV, and blaPSE). E. coli from urban waterways showed a greater incidence of antibiotic resistance to 8 of 17 antibiotics tested compared to human derived sources. These E. coli isolates also demonstrated a greater incidence of resistance to higher numbers of antibiotics compared to the human derived isolates. The urban waterways demonstrated a greater abundance of isolates with co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance than human derived sources. When screened for 5 different antibiotic resistance genes conferring macrolide, tetracycline, and β-lactam resistance, clinical E. coli isolates were more likely to harbor ermB and blaOXA than isolates from urban waterway. These results indicate that Milwaukee’s urban waterways may select for a greater incidence of multiple antibiotic resistance organisms and likely harbor a different antibiotic resistance gene pool than clinical sources. The implications of this study are significant to understanding the presence of resistance in urban freshwater environments by supporting the idea that sediment from urban waterways serves as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance.
Jovanovich adsorption isotherm for heterogeneous surfaces

Abstract The adsorption isotherms for heterogeneous surfaces have been obtained from certain arbitrary but solvable energy distribution functions if the Jovanovich isotherm represents the individual homotattic sites. All synthetic isotherms are exactly analogous to the ones derived in the Langmuir case providing the distribution functions are the same. This fact may appear surprising considering the fundamental differences between the two adsorption equations.