cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Assessment of Competitive Procurement on Alabama Highway Projects with Texas Comparisions

Public agencies generally let construction contracts to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder. In following this practice, agencies recognize there are higher risks of cost growth in awarding to either unusually low bids or to certain "claim-conscious" bidders. Despite this awareness, there are few documented studies supporting or quantifying the presence of these perceived competitive procurement risks. This research undertakes that specific task. First, bids and bidders on a sample of Alabama highway projects are grouped into risk categories by information available at the project bid opening—well in advance of any potential contract award— and without considering actual project performance data. Second, the cost growth experiences of these projects are statistically analyzed based upon these risk groupings. The results indicate that cost growth on Alabama highway projects is significantly more likely when projects are awarded to unusually low bids or to certain bidder types. A similar study perform...
Use of a Laser Imaging System for Agricultural Spray Analysis

ABSTRACT AFORTRAN-77 program was written to analyze raw data from an optical imaging probe and a forward light scattering probe manufactured by Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. The program incorporates the ability to average and modify data files, smooth the size class boundaries and provides a variety of output statistics including graphic displays. A method of combining output spectra from more than one probe was developed. On-line bookkeeping methods were developed to maintain a large data base of drop size information and self-diagnostic procedure ensures the integrity of the data output if program modifications are made.
An in-depth examination of the excretion of albumin and other sensitive markers of renal damage in mild hypertension.

In an in-depth examination to better define the renal effects of mild hypertension, we used urinary proteins to indicate damage to the glomerulus (albumin), tubular reabsorption capability (retinolbinding protein), and turnover of tubular tissue (alanine aminopeptidase and N-acetyl-β- d -glucosaminidase) in a group of 18 people with mild hypertension not associated with diabetes and a control group (n = 12). The participants' activity was controlled on a high normal salt diet for 3 days followed by a low salt diet for 4 days. Two distinct patterns of albumin excretion were evident in the hypertensive group: 22% had elevated, highly variable excretion patterns, and the rest had tightly grouped values below 16 mg/g creatinine, 16 μg/min, or 16 mg/L, with the lowest within-person biological variability given by albumin calculated as a ratio to creatinine. Albumin and NAG excretion primarily correlated with systolic blood pressure and the best correlations were given by ratios to creatinine. A marked decrease in salt excretion of 71% (to 50.8 mEq/day) resulted in significant (P d -glucosaminidase (P
Alpha-Particle Reaction Cross Sections at 40 MeV

We have measured the nonelastic cross section ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}$ for 40-MeV alpha particle for 19 target elements ranging in atomic, weight $A$ between 9 and 232. The results have been compared with the predictions of the optical model ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{I}$. The ratio $\frac{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}}{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{I}}$ deviates from unity in a systematic fashion being less than 1 for the lightest elements and greater than 1 for the heaviest. Superimposed on this trend, $\frac{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{R}}{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{I}}$ dips by 18% for elements where the nuclear charge is near 28. A similar effect had been noted earlier in proton-reaction cross-section data but not in deuteron-reaction cross-section data.
Effects of projection-view distributions on image quality of calcifications in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstruction

We are investigating factors affecting the detection of microcalcifications in digital breast tomography (DBT). In this study, we analyzed the effects of projection-view (PV) distribution on spatial blurring of calcifications on the tomosynthesized slices (X-Y plane) and along the depth (Z) direction. DBT scans of a breast phantom with simulated microcalcifications were acquired with a GE prototype system at 21 angles in 3° increments over a ±30° range. Six subsets of 11 PVs were selected from the full set to simulate DBT of different angular ranges and angular increments. SART was applied to each subset to reconstruct the DBT slices. The FWHMs of the line profiles of calcifications within their in-focus DBT slices and FWHMs of the inter-plane artifact spread function (ASF) in the Z-direction for the different PV distributions were compared. The results indicate that DBT acquired with a large angular range or a reasonable number of PVs at large angles yield superior ASF with smaller FWHM in the Z-direction. PV distributions with a narrow angular range have stronger inter-plane artifacts. In the X-Y focal planes, the effect of PV distributions on spatial blurring depends on the directions. The normalized line profiles of the calcifications reconstructed with the different PV distributions are similar in the X-direction. The differences in the FWHMs between the different PV distributions are less than half a pixel. In the Y-(x-ray tube motion) direction, the normalized line profiles of the calcifications reconstructed with DBT acquired with a narrow angular range or a reasonable number of PVs at small angles have less blurring in terms of smaller FWHMs of the line profiles. PV distributions with a wide angular range have stronger in-plane artifacts in the Y-direction. Further study is underway to compare different reconstruction techniques and parameters. The information will be useful for optimization of DBT for detection of microcalcifications.
Spatial and Fractal Characterization of Soil Chemical Properties and Nutrients across Depths in a Clay-Loam Soil

Researchers assessed the spatial distribution of soil chemical properties and nutrients at four depths in a clay loam soil cropped to corn and soybean at Freeman farm of Lincoln University. Soil samples were taken at depths of 0–10, 10–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm in a 4.05-ha field and analyzed for acidity or basicity (pH), cation exchange capacity (CEC), total carbon (TC), organic matter (OM), base saturations on the CEC, ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Results showed that coefficients of variation (CV) ranged between 5 and 30%, except for TC, NO3−, and Zn, which had greater CVs. Soil chemical properties and nutrients responded to exponential, linear, Gaussian, and spherical variogram models with nugget-to-sill ratios ≤ 1.0 and effective ranges from 4 to 56 m. Fractal analysis showed that CEC in all depths belonged to the 1.99 ≥ D3 ≥ 1.90 group, which suggests great di...
Composition and classification of clasts in the St. Mesmin LL chondrite breccia

Abstract Seven samples of the unique St. Mesmin meteorite have been analyzed by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis for Na, Ca, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, In, Sm, Yb, Ir and Au. St. Mesmin is unique in being the only ordinary chondrite known to contain an unmelted xenolith of another ordinary chondrite. Data for two host matrix samples and three light clasts are consistent with their classification as LL chondrite material. The composition of the large dark xenolith confirms earlier evidence that it is an H chondrite; volatile abundances are consistent with it being highly shocked, petrologic type-4 material. In an olivine microporphyry, siderophile abundances are mostly about 0.13 times LL abundances, an apparent indication of metal loss during the shock melting which produced the clast. As in other regolithic chondrites, the dark host has higher contents of highly volatile elements than do the light clasts. We suggest that this results from a combination of differences in intensity of preexisting metamorphism as well as a redistribution of volatiles during regolith gardening. The H-group xenolith in St. Mesmin is a relatively recent addition to the parent body (
Thermal Radiative Transport Enhancement via Electromagnetic Surface Modes in Microscale Spherical Regions Bounded by Silicon Carbide

A Green function approach is used with the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to develop a qualitative theoretical model of radiation heat transfer across an evacuated microscale spherical geometry bounded by silicon carbide. The appropriate scalar Green function is presented by employing an impedance boundary condition to describe the electromagnetic spherical interface condition and thus capture the surface modes. This work shows that the spherical boundary can result in spectral conditions for surface mode excitation that depend not only on the dielectric function, but on the sphere radius as well. The surface modes are shown to enhance the radiation significantly and are attributed to surface phonon polariton modes excited at the interface, and surface modes excited by the mechanism of total internal reflection.
Nonlinear multi-body dynamic modeling of seat-occupant system with polyurethane seat and H-point prediction

Abstract Hip joint location (H-point) is an important design specification used by car seat manufacturers. Since most modern car seats are full-foam, the H-point location is primarily dependent on quasi-static behavior of foam which is a highly nonlinear and viscoelastic material. In this work, the seat–occupant dynamic model is developed in the form of a planar multi-degree of freedom system that also incorporates nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of flexible polyurethane foam. The foam force is modeled as an additive sum of nonlinear elastic and linear viscoelastic effects. The viscoelastic force is modeled as a convolution integral with a sum of exponentials kernel. The interface between the occupant and the seat at the seat-back and at the seat-bottom is modeled using Coulomb friction type laws. A system identification procedure, based on linear least squares fitting and ARMA modeling, is developed to identify the parameters from data collected in quasi-static foam experiments. The resulting nonlinear integro-differential algebraic model of the seat–occupant system is used to simulate the response of the system and determine the H-point for the occupant. A few parametric studies related to the effect on H-point of different foam types and inertia properties of the occupant are also reported. Such a model can be very useful for investigating the effects on H-point location of design changes in the seat foam. It can also be used to determine the forces at the occupant–seat interface and thus in studies related to occupant's comfort.
Verticalization of behavior elicited by dopaminergic mobilization is qualitatively different between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice.

Behavioral effects of dopaminergic stimulation were evaluated in C57BL/6J mice and compared to the effects occurring in DBA/2J mice, an inbred strain with reduced densities of striatal dopamine receptors. Effects of apomorphine (0.5–64 mg/kg) alone and in combination with cocaine (30 mg/kg) were assessed using a time-sampling technique that classified climbing and leaning in separate categories. Locomotion was also assessed in a separate experiment. Climbing occurred in DBA/2J mice only at doses of apomorphine that were 16 times higher than the smallest effective dose in C57BL/6J mice; nevertheless, relative to baseline values, effects were fairly comparable. By contrast, whereas DBA/2J mice showed dose-dependent leaning under apomorphine, C57BL/6J mice exhibited little leaning even at doses not producing climbing, and only after the highest apomorphine dose was leaning significantly increased. Apomorphine was equipotent in inducing gnawing across strains, although somewhat less efficacious in DBA/2J mice. When given alone, cocaine produced significant climbing, but not leaning or gnawing, in either strain. Whereas cocaine potentiated apomorphine-induced climbing and gnawing in both strains, apomorphine-induced leaning was not consistently changed by cocaine in either strain. These effects were not indirectly due to hyperkinesia, since neither apomorphine alone nor apomorphine and cocaine in combination was stimulant; apomorphine alone reduced locomotor activity and attenuated cocaine-induced hyperkinesia. The present data do not support a unitary, purely quantitative, account of insensitivity to dopaminergic stimulation based upon low densities of striatal dopamine receptors in DBA/2J mice. Rather, this constellation of results is suggestive of qualitative interstrain dissimilarities in dopaminergic responsiveness that could reflect organizational differences in receptor populations.
Traveling Reaction Zone Method for Preparation of Textured Ceramic Superconductor Thick Films

Textured thick films of superconducting Y b{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}x} (YBCO) have been prepared on ceramic substrates using a traveling reaction zone method. The technique utilizes the rapid reaction between Y{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 5} and BaCuO{sub 2} to form YBCO as the film passes through a steep temperature gradient furnace. The films consist of a single continuous superconducting phase with strong c-axis orientation normal to the translation direction of the film.
Shifting the bioinformatics computing paradigm: A case study in parallelizing genome annotation using MAKER and Work Queue

Next generation sequencing technologies have enabled various entities, ranging from large sequencing centers to individual laboratories, to sequence organisms of choice and analyze them on demand. Sequencing and analysis, however, is only part of the equation: to learn about a certain organism, scientists need to annotate it. Each of these problems is highly parallel at a basic level of computation; however, only a few applications support single parallelization frameworks such as MPI. Because of the overall increasing demand for computational analysis and the inherent parallelism available in these problems, applications should easily run on clusters, clouds, and/or grids (even simultaneously); this would enable labs of various sizes to harness the computing power available to them without forcing them to invest in a particular type of batch system. Here we describe modifications made to one particular tool, MAKER. MAKER is a tool for genome annotation that is provided as both a serial application and as an MPI application. We make modifications to enable it to run without MPI and to utilize a wide variety of distributed computing platforms. Further, our proposed parallel framework allows for easy explicit data transfer, which helps overcome a major limitation of bioinformatics tools that generally rely on a shared filesystem. The distributed computing framework we chose to utilize can be used, even during early stages of development, to run bioinformatics tools on clusters, grids, and clouds. We present an evaluation of our modifications using the Caenorhabditis japonica genome comprising 180 megabases of data and achieve a speedup of 45× using 50 workers.
The Shifting Pattern of Food Security Support: Food Stamp and Food Bank Usage in North Carolina:

From the mid-1990s to 2000, there was a decline in the number of food stamp recipients. That trend has recently reversed itself. Over the same time, food bank output has consistently increased. Research has not shown whether hunger is decreasing or whether there is a change in how food security is provided. To address this question, this study examined the combined monthly food outflow patterns of 193 emergency food providers (EFPs) in central North Carolina from 1995 to 2000. Through surveys and regression analysis, the authors find that although administrators felt that increased EFP usage was due to economic stress and population growth, the data instead show an inverse relationship with the number of public assistance recipients and a positive relationship with food stamp recipients. Although these results cannot explain individual behavior, they raise continued concerns over the growing role of nonprofits in providing food security.
Incipient processes in the corrosion of mild steel in 90°C hypersaline geothermal brine

Abstract Mild steel (AISI 1009 and 1018) specimens were exposed for ca. 20 h to Salton Sea, hypersaline, geothermal brine at ca. 90°C. The incipient growth of the precipitated scale and iron corrosion products were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction and electron microprobe techniques. In brine at its natural pH of 5.7, several distinct phases appear on the steel surfaces, the most important being iron-rich amorphous silica. The silica deposit grows in irregular patches, and corrosion of the substrate occurs between the patches. Subsequent acidification of the brine for short periods does not disturb the protective layers of silica but greatly increases the rate of corrosion of surface areas not covered by silica. Oxidation of mild steel in acidified brine is quite different. Rather than iron compounds, deposits of both metallic lead and PbCO 3 , the latter in unusual crystalline needles, and an unidentified copper compound dominate the surface coverage at low pH.
On the excitation of Lyman β and Balmer α radiation by electron-impact dissociation of methane

The cross sections for the excitation of Ly-beta and H-alpha when methane is dissociated by electron impact have values of 17.1 by 10 to the -19th power sq cm and 26.0 by 10 to the -19th power sq cm, respectively, at an electron impact energy of 100 eV. These results are in disagreement with the implications of recent polarization measurements of H-alpha radiation that suggest negligible H(3p) excitation in the dissociation of CH4 by electron impact.
Kinetic comparisons of trimer-generating pectate and alginate lyases by reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography

Abstract Reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography has been applied to the kinetic analysis of trimer-generating pectate lyases secreted by Clostridium populeti, Lachnospira multiparus , and two different strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi . A trimer-generating alginate lyase secreted by a marine bacterium was also analyzed and compared. A common feature of these enzymes is the initial formation of trimer, tetramer, pentamer, and larger oligouronates. Dimer can be formed from the later eliminative cleavage of pentamer and larger oligouronates. A general depolymerizing process involving an endolytic, followed by an exolytic mechanism, has been ascribed to these enzymes, with subtle differences noted with respect to the quantities of products formed with time.
The IARC october 2009 evaluation of benzene carcinogenicity was incomplete and needs to be reconsidered

I have been familiar with the toxicological and epidemiological literature on benzene since I was a member of the NIOSH Benzene Task Force in 1975. I also am familiar with the procedures of IARC Monographs meetings from past participation, and as observer I applied this experience to the Monograph 100 F review. In October of 2009, a Working Group (WG) of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) met in Lyon, France to evaluate the available evidence for site-specific cancer to humans for 33 chemical agents and related occupations previously categorized by IARC as human carcinogens. Generally, review and discussion of the epidemiological cancer literature related to benzene was limited due to the enormous amount of material needing to be covered since the last full monograph meeting on benzene in 1981, and because 32 other chemicals and occupations were also being evaluated. Moreover, among the 33 chemicals and occupations reviewed, there was some inconsistency in the use of studies for evaluating various cancers. In some situations, consideration could have been given to the inclusion of relevant unpublished, but readily available study results. Discussion and synthesis of the animal cancer studies and mechanistic data related to specific cancers also were limited. IARC's conclusion that there is sufficient evidence for benzene to cause acute non-lymphocytic leukemia only was based on an incomplete review. IARC should schedule another monographs meeting dedicated to a complete and full review and discussion of all potential cancers related to exposure to benzene and to benzene-containing mixtures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:157–164, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Enhanced Phonon-Energy Coupling: Dramatic Reduction of Leakage Current of Silicon Oxide

We study in detail a newly discovered effect, phonon-energy-coupling enhancement (PECE) effect, produced by rapid thermal processing (RTP). It includes two aspects: (1) Strengthening Si-D bonds and Si-O bonds and (2) Change of energy band structure and effective mass due to thermal shock. It is shown that not only Si-D bonds but also Si-O bonds have been strengthened dramatically, leading to enhancement of robustness of the oxide structure and the oxide/Si interface. For thick oxides (>3 nm), the gate leakage current has been reduced by two orders of magnitude and the breakdown voltage has been improved by ~30% due to phonon-energy coupling. For ultrathin oxides (2.2 nm), the direct tunneling current has been reduced by five orders of magnitude, equivalent to that of HfO2, probably due to the increased effective mass and barrier height.
Racotumomab - a novel anti-idiotype monoclonal antibody vaccine for the treatment of cancer.

Racotumomab is a murine gamma-type anti-idiotype monoclonal antibody that specifically induces an antibody response against Neu-glycolyl GM3 ganglioside (NeuGcGM3), which is overexpressed in several solid tumors. It is adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide for intradermal administration as a cancer vaccine (racotumomab-Alum, known commercially as Vaxira). Racotumomab is currently being evaluated for a number of cancer indications, including melanoma, breast and lung cancer. In early clinical trials, racotumomab demonstrated high immunogenicity and low toxicity and it advanced to further clinical testing as a treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). On the basis of promising results in a phase II/III study, racotumomab was launched in 2013 in Cuba and Argentina as an intradermal injection for the treatment of patients with advanced stage NSCLC.
Crossover transition in bag-like models

We formulate a simple model for a gas of extended hadrons at zero chemical potential by taking inspiration from the compressible bag model. We show that a crossover transition qualitatively similar to lattice QCD can be reproduced by such a system by including some appropriate additional dynamics. Under certain conditions, at high temperature, the system consist of a finite number of infinitely extended bags, which occupy the entire space. In this situation the system behaves as an ideal gas of quarks and gluons.
Embodiment: a conceptual glossary for epidemiology

Embodiment. This construct and process are central to ecosocial theory and epidemiological inquiry. Recognising that we, as humans, are simultaneously social beings and biological organisms, the notion of “embodiment” advances three critical claims: (1) bodies tell stories about—and cannot be studied divorced from—the conditions of our existence; (2) bodies tell stories that often—but not always—match people’s stated accounts; and (3) bodies tell stories that people cannot or will not tell, either because they are unable, forbidden, or choose not to tell. Just as the proverbial “dead man’s bones” do in fact tell tales, via forensic pathology and historical anthropometry, so too do our living bodies tell stories about our lives, whether or not these are ever consciously expressed. This glossary sketches some key concepts, definitions, and hypotheses relevant for using the construct of “embodiment” in epidemiological research, so as to promote not only rigorous science but also social equity in health.
The stabilization of supported gold clusters by surface defects

The chemical and electronic properties of surfaces to a large extent are controlled by defects. Defects facilitate the adsorption of gases and serve as reactive sites for chemical reactions. Furthermore, surface defects are a key to the nucleation, growth, and stability of metal clusters on metal oxide surfaces. This paper summarizes recent studies to assess the role of defects on Au cluster nucleation, growth, and stability on SiO2 and mixed TiOx–SiO2 thin films. For a SiO 2 thin film, Au clusters sinter at elevated temperatures and pressures; however, introduction of defects on a SiO2 surface as TiOx islands or as substitutional Ti dramatically decreases the rate of Au cluster sintering. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Are father surrogates a risk factor for child maltreatment

Most research on the effect of father figures in the home on the incidence of child maltreatment has been cross-sectional and has focused on sexual abuse. This prospective study's purpose is to determine if the presence of a father surrogate in the home affects the risk of a subsequent child maltreatment report. In a longitudinal sample of at-risk children, North Carolina's Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect was used to determine the maltreatment history of children from birth to age 8 years. Children who had a father surrogate living in the home were twice as likely to be reported for maltreatment after his entry into the home than those with either a biological father (odds ratio = 2.6, 95 % confidence interval = 1.4-4.7) or no father figure in the home (odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-3.5).
Commentary on an analysis of the existing resources in relation to education and treatment of diabetes in four European Countries: Estonia, Finland, Ireland, and Lithuania

With diabetes at pandemic proportions worldwide (Hjelm, Mufunda, Nambozi, & Kemp, 2003), including throughout Europe (International Diabetes Federation [IDF], 2004a), both the human cost and the economic impact of diabetes are of great concern to all health care professionals. Nurses in particular can play a crucial role in caring for and educating patients with diabetes, with profound effects on both improving patient outcomes and decreasing the economic costs of diabetes (McDonald, Tilley, & Havstad, 1999; IDF, 2004b). However, evidence exists that patients may receive inadequate care because the health professionals caring for them lack the necessary up-to-date knowledge of diabetes care, a field that is changing rapidly as new treatments and counseling techniques are introduced (Chan & Zang, 2007). Burton et al. are addressing this knowledge gap through an innovative international project designed to provide online education for nurses about diabetes care, with the possibility of later using course content in regular courses. Nurses from schools in four countries are involved in planning and implementing this program: Estonia, Finland, Ireland, and Lithuania. The online courses will include content focused on counseling and education methods, as well as diabetes management, and will be delivered in each of the four languages used in the partner countries. Multiple teaching methods will be used in the online course, including lecture, Web-based learning assignments, interactive exercises, individual and group work, and online discussion. In preparation for the development of this curriculum, Burton et al. asked each of the partner schools to complete a
Prevalence of anemia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: what is the right number?

Abstract Background The reported prevalence of anemia after malabsorptive bariatric surgery has varied from 5% to 64% in the post–Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) population, owing to the small study sample sizes and generally poor follow-up in surgical referral practices. The present study estimated the prevalence of anemia in the post-RYGB population and determined whether an integrated healthcare system with a shared electronic medical record could improve postoperative follow-up. Methods The medical records from 1009 sequential patients who had undergone RYGB from 2000 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. All anemia data within the healthcare system's electronic medical record were accessible. Results Of the 1009 medical records, 720 contained ≥1 year of follow-up data concerning anemia. Anemia had developed or worsened in 259 patients, for a prevalence of 36% in the present sample. The anemia was moderate to severe (hemoglobin Conclusion The results of the present study have shown that in a large population of patients undergoing RYGB, the prevalence of anemia was great enough to justify more intensive long-term screening. We hope the findings from the present report influence the national screening standards for this patient population.
Novel High-Throughput Detection Method To Assess Bacterial Surfactant Production

A novel biosurfactant detection assay was developed for the observation of surfactants on agar plates. By using an airbrush to apply a fine mist of oil droplets, surfactants can be observed instantaneously as halos around biosurfactant-producing colonies. This atomized oil assay can detect a wide range of different synthetic and bacterially produced surfactants. This method could detect much lower concentrations of many surfactants than a commonly used water drop collapse method. It is semiquantitative and therefore has broad applicability for uses such as high-throughput mutagenesis screens of biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains. The atomized oil assay was used to screen for mutants of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a that were altered in the production of biosurfactants. Transposon mutants displaying significantly altered surfactant halos were identified and further analyzed. All mutants identified displayed altered swarming motility, as would be expected of surfactant mutants. Additionally, measurements of the transcription of the syringafactin biosynthetic cluster in the mutants, the principal biosurfactant known to be produced by B728a, revealed novel regulators of this pathway.
Asthma Mitigation Strategies: Professional, Charitable, and Community Coalitions

Background Asthma symptoms, severity, and mortality are known to be affected by personal, family, and neighborhood social factors. Many groups have become involved in asthma research, education, and activism in the past 20 years. This study explores the approaches to asthma taken by community-based organizations compared with those taken by other organizations that have a focus on asthma. Methods Priorities in asthma research and intervention were assessed through interviews with representatives of urban community-based participatory research (CBPR) coalitions; interviews with staff from charities focused on asthma, allergy, or lung diseases; interviews with physicians and scientists studying and treating asthma; participation in community forums; and participant observation of urban asthma coalitions. Interviews and data analysis were conducted in 2008. Results There are marked differences in priorities and approaches to asthma among experts in the field, organizations and coalitions at the national and local levels, and other stakeholders in asthma research and activism. CBPR coalitions are more likely than asthma-focused organizations to explore environmental and community-level structural factors that exacerbate asthma or complicate its management, while disease-focused organizations, especially physician specialty groups, place more emphasis on individual-level factors. CBPR coalitions have been particularly strong in producing the data needed to demonstrate that individual communities are affected by pollution hot spots or that local neighborhoods lack geographic access to affordable medical care, and in providing this data to improve local policy-making. Conclusions Because of its focus on structural rather than individual factors, CBPR has helped to broaden the debate on asthma beyond clinical care and education into social and environmental justice.
Assessment of carbonic anhydrase IX expression and extracellular pH in B-cell lymphoma cell line models

The expression of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) and its relationship to acidosis in lymphomas has not been widely studied. We investigated the protein expression of CA IX in a human B-cell lymphoma tissue microarray, and in Raji, Ramos and Granta 519 lymphoma cell lines and tumor models, while also investigating the relationship with hypoxia. An imaging method, acidoCEST magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was used to estimate lymphoma xenograft extracellular pH (pHe). Our results showed that clinical lymphoma tissues and cell line models in vitro and in vivo had moderate CA IX expression. Although in vitro studies showed that CA IX expression was induced by hypoxia, in vivo studies did not show this correlation. Untreated lymphoma xenograft tumor pHe had acidic fractions, and an acidity score was qualitatively correlated with CA IX expression. Therefore, CA IX is expressed in B-cell lymphomas and is qualitatively correlated with extracellular acidosis in xenograft tumor models.
The rationale for early detection and treatment of brain tumors in survivors of childhood cancer

Survivors of childhood cancer have a relatively high risk of developing second cancers. The incidence of brain tumor in these patients approaches 1% at 10 years, over 80-fold that in the general population. This high incidence increases the likelihood that early detection of brain tumors in survivors of childhood cancer is feasible. By analogy with other epithelial cancers, detection and treatment of brain tumors at a pre-neoplastic or pre-malignant stage may render screening and treatment cost effective for certain high-risk populations. Our animal studies with a clinically appropriate model of this condition suggest that there is a pre-neoplastic, pre-malignant brain tumor lesion that is potentially both detectable and effectively treated. The possibility of detecting such a treatable antecedent to brain tumors provides the rationale for genomic and proteomic screening of tumor tissue, CSF, plasma and urine in this animal model, of tumor tissue and body fluids of patients with known brain tumors at various stages, and of body fluids of survivors of childhood cancer.
A dynamic central scheduler load balancing mechanism

One of the major design goals in distributed systems is to minimize the mean job response time, an important measurement of system performance. This paper presents a central scheduler load balancing mechanism (CSLB). A threshold policy (with two variable threshold values) is used to reduce network traffic overhead. A simple timer is implemented to allow both periodic and instantaneous load balancings. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by simulations for various parameters. The comparison between the proposed algorithm and a previous work is given. >
The Influence of Habitat Type and the Presence of an Invasive Wetland Plant (Phalaris arundinacea) on Capture Rates of Sympatric Rare and Common Gartersnake Species (Thamnophis butleri and Thamnophis sirtalis)

Abstract Research that investigates the impact of invasive plants on reptiles, particularly snakes, is sparse. Butler's Gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri) is a rare snake, endemic to the upper midwestern United States. Little research has focused on the habitat selection of this snake, which is often sympatric with the Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis). The highly invasive wetland grass Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass [RCG]) has become established or dominant throughout much of the geographic distributions of these snakes. The impacts of this invasive grass on the habitat selection of T. butleri and T. sirtalis have not previously been examined. During 2 yr of drift fence surveys at three survey sites and five habitats sampled in southeastern Wisconsin, we captured 243 adult T. butleri and 311 adult T. sirtalis. Thamnophis sirtalis was found more often in RCG than T. butleri, which appeared to have more specific habitat needs and most often occurred in upland habitats, particularly grassland, ...
High precision point-to-point maneuvering of an experimental structure subject to friction via adaptive impulsive control.

Two adaptive impulsive control techniques designed to eliminate steady state error for a rigid body system subject to friction, and undergoing a point-to-point maneuver are implemented. Pulse width and pulse amplitude pulse width modulations are explored. It is shown that the results of the pulse amplitude modulation never generates limit cycles and has lower steady-state error than the pulse width modulation.
AN INVESTIGATION OF TREATING ADIABATIC WALL TEMPERATURE AS THE DRIVING TEMPERATURE IN FILM COOLING STUDIES

In film cooling heat transfer analysis, one of the core concepts is to deem film cooled adiabatic wall temperature (Taw ) as the driving potential for the actual heat flux over the film-cooled surface. Theoretically, the concept of treating Taw as the driving temperature potential is drawn from compressible flow theory when viscous dissipation becomes the heat source near the wall and creates higher wall temperature than in the flowing gas. But in conditions where viscous dissipation is negligible, which is common in experiments under laboratory conditions, the heat source is not from near the wall but from the main hot gas stream; therefore, the concept of treating the adiabatic wall temperature as the driving potential is subjected to examination. To help investigate the role that Taw plays, a series of computational simulations are conducted under typical film cooling conditions over a conjugate wall with internal flow cooling. The result and analysis support the validity of this concept to be used in the film cooling by showing that Taw is indeed the driving temperature potential on the hypothetical zero wall thickness condition, ie. Taw is always higher than Tw with underneath (or internal) cooling and the adiabatic film heat transfer coefficient (haf ) is always positive. However, in the conjugate wall cases, Taw is not always higher than wall temperature (Tw ), and therefore, Taw does not always play the role as the driving potential. Reversed heat transfer through the airfoil wall from downstream to upstream is possible, and this reversed heat flow will make Tw > Taw in the near injection hole region. Yet evidence supports that Taw can be used to correctly predict the heat flux direction and always result in a positive adiabatic heat transfer coefficient (haf ). The results further suggest that two different test walls are recommended for conducting film cooling experiments: a low thermal conductivity material should be used for obtaining accurate Taw and a relative high thermal conductivity material be used for conjugate cooling experiment. Insulating a high-conductivity wall will result in Taw distribution that will not provide correct heat flux or haf values near the injection hole.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Quantitative genetic analysis of thermal dissipation in Arabidopsis.

Feedback deexcitation is a photosynthetic regulatory mechanism that can protect plants from high light stress by harmlessly dissipating excess absorbed light energy as heat. To understand the genetic basis for intraspecies differences in thermal dissipation capacity, we investigated natural variation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We determined the variation in the amount of thermal dissipation by measuring nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence in Arabidopsis accessions of diverse origins. Ll-1 and Sf-2 were selected as high NPQ Arabidopsis accessions, and Columbia-0 (Col-0) and Wassilewskija-2 were selected as relatively low NPQ accessions. In spite of significant differences in NPQ, previously identified NPQ factors were indistinguishable between the high and the low NPQ accessions. Intermediate levels of NPQ in Ll-1 × Col-0 F1 and Sf-2 × Col-0 F1 compared to NPQ levels in their parental lines and continuous distribution of NPQ in F2 indicated that the variation in NPQ is under the control of multiple nuclear factors. To identify genetic factors responsible for the NPQ variation, we developed a polymorphic molecular marker set for Sf-2 × Col-0 at approximately 10-centimorgan intervals. From quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping with undistorted genotype data and NPQ measurements in an F2 mapping population, we identified two high NPQ QTLs, HQE1 (high qE 1, for high energy-dependent quenching 1) and HQE2, on chromosomes 1 and 2, and the phenotype of HQE2 was validated by analysis of near isogenic lines. Neither QTL maps to a gene that had been identified previously in extensive forward genetics screens using induced mutants, suggesting that quantitative genetics can be used to find new genes affecting thermal dissipation.
Mapping of Strains In Bundles Of Skin Collagen Microfibrils

Collagen is believed to be one of the principal load bearing components of skin. This implies that deformation of collagen microfibrils play an important role in determining the extent of skin deformation under applied loads. We have developed a novel technique for generating internal strain maps of bundles of collagen microfibrils in the skin. The technique relies on digital image correlation (DIC) of second harmonic images of bundles of collagen fibrils obtained under different deformations. Applying the technique to mouse skin demonstrated a significant heterogeneity of deformation in the underlying collagen microfibrils. This technique can be used to evaluate the contribution of collagen to the biomechanical properties of skin in aging, disease, as well as in wound healing.
In their own words: a model of healthy aging.

Many previous studies have assessed the aging process by measuring clinical and functional variables. To supplement that quantitative understanding, we asked older people what constitutes their health and contributes to it. Using grounded theory-type methods, we analyzed semi-structured interviews with 22 study subjects, who were randomly selected from among those whose reported perceived health differed from that predicted by a regression model constructed from data from a randomized trial of a primary care intervention. We focused on disparate cases to identify factors that best discriminate between more and less healthy aging. Interview questions targeted perceptions of health; well-being; valued abilities, activities, and relationships; social support; control; sense of coherence; and personal outlook. A model of healthy aging emerged. To these older people health meant going and doing something meaningful, which required four components: something worthwhile to do, balance between abilities and challenges, appropriate external resources, and personal attitudinal characteristics (e.g., positive attitude vs. "poor me"). By reframing healthy aging in older people's own terms, this model encourages interdisciplinary support of their desired goals and outcomes rather than only medical approaches to deficits and challenges.
Role of docosahexaenoic acid in maternal and child mental health

Mental health problems in women and children represent a significant public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. The role of nutrition as a cost-effective approach in the prevention and management of these conditions has received recent attention, particularly nutrients such as iron, zinc, and n–3 (omega-3) fatty acids, which play a role in brain structure and function. The objective of this article was to review current evidence on the relation between n–3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and maternal and child mental health disorders. Human studies published in English were identified from Medline databases (1966 to June 2008) by using key search terms and review articles. A summary of the role of DHA in the human brain is followed by a review of human studies, both observational and intervention trials, that examine the relation between n–3 fatty acids such as DHA and depression and child mental health disorders. Observational studies support a direct association between poor n–3 fatty acid status and increased risk of maternal depression and childhood behavioral disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, evidence from intervention trials is weak. Most of the studies reviewed had small sample sizes and were conducted in clinically diagnosed samples, with no placebo-controlled groups. Little is known about the benefits of DHA in the prevention of maternal depression and ADHD. Large, well-designed, community-based prevention trials are needed.
Reconstitution, Activities, and Structure of the Eukaryotic RNA Exosome

Summary The RNA exosome is a multisubunit 3′ to 5′ exoribonuclease complex that participates in degradation and processing of cellular RNA. To determine the activities and structure of the eukaryotic exosome, we report the reconstitution of 9-subunit exosomes from yeast and human and reconstitution of 10- and 11-subunit exosomes from yeast. Comparative biochemical analysis between purified subunits and reconstituted exosomes using AU-rich, polyadenylated (poly[A]), generic, and structured RNA substrates reveals processive phosphorolytic activities for human Rrp41/Rrp45 and the 9-subunit human exosome, processive hydrolytic activities for yeast Rrp44 and the yeast 10-subunit exosome, distributive hydrolytic activities for Rrp6, and processive and distributive hydrolytic activities for the yeast 11-subunit exosome. To elucidate the architecture of a eukaryotic exosome, its conserved surfaces, and the structural basis for RNA decay, we report the X-ray structure determination for the 286 kDa nine-subunit human exosome at 3.35 A.
Creative problem solving: A CLARION theory

Psychological theories of problem solving have largely focused on explicit processes that gradually bring the solver closer to the solution step-by-step in a mostly explicit and deliberative way. This approach to problem solving is typically inefficient or ineffective when the problem is too complex, ill-understood, or ambiguous. In such a case, a ‘creative’ approach to problem solving might be more appropriate. We propose a computational psychological model implementing the Explicit-Implicit Interaction theory of creative problem solving (i.e., the CLARION theory of creative problem solving) that centers on the interaction of implicit and explicit processing. The model based on the CLARION theory has been used to simulate a variety of empirical psychological data sets.
IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO EFFECTS OF POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE ON PLATELET ADHESIVENESS IN HUMAN BLOOD

Abstract Intravenous infusion of 500 ml. 6% polyvinylpyrrolidone (P.V.P. (Mw 40,000) in isotonic saline solution over a 2-hour period significantly diminished platelet adhesiveness in eight subjects from 27% before infusion to as low as 10% at the end of the infusion. 5 hours after the end of the infusion, platelet adhesiveness was still significantly reduced (16%). The addition of P.V.P. to citrated blood in vitro significantly decreased platelet adhesiveness. Both in vivo and in vitro, the platelet-count was not significantly altered by P.V.P. The in-vivo change in platelet adhesiveness is similar to that reported by others with dextran-a plasma expander that differs chemically from P.V.P.
Inequalities between L-2 and L-infinity norms of strictly proper stable transfer functions

In this paper we shall derive two inequalities between the L2 and L? norms of stable transfer functions defined by H(s) = C(sI - A)-1B and show that ||H||F ? ?2Tr(-A)||H||? and for a single input or single output transfer function ||H||2 ? 1.172(d1 2 + 2d2)1/4 ||H||? where det(sI - A) = sn + d1sn-1 + d2sn-2 + ...