cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What's in a Grade? School Report Cards and the Housing Market

This paper investigates whether the housing market responds to the information incorporated in state-administered school grades. We study whether school grades affect families' residential locations and house prices. Using detailed data on repeated sales of individual residential properties in the state of Florida, we find evidence that there is an independent effect of these grades on house prices and residential location, above and beyond the estimated effects of test scores and the other components of the school grades. Because these grades have a large stochastic component, however, we find that over time the estimated effects of the grades has diminished.
Shape shifting pain: chronification of back pain shifts brain representation from nociceptive to emotional circuits

Chronic pain conditions are associated with abnormalities in brain structure and function. Moreover, some studies indicate that brain activity related to the subjective perception of chronic pain may be distinct from activity for acute pain. However, the latter are based on observations from cross-sectional studies. How brain activity reorganizes with transition from acute to chronic pain has remained unexplored. Here we study this transition by examining brain activity for rating fluctuations of back pain magnitude. First we compared back pain-related brain activity between subjects who have had the condition for ∼2 months with no prior history of back pain for 1 year (early, acute/subacute back pain group, n = 94), to subjects who have lived with back pain for >10 years (chronic back pain group, n = 59). In a subset of subacute back pain patients, we followed brain activity for back pain longitudinally over a 1-year period, and compared brain activity between those who recover (recovered acute/sub-acute back pain group, n = 19) and those in which the back pain persists (persistent acute/sub-acute back pain group, n = 20; based on a 20% decrease in intensity of back pain in 1 year). We report results in relation to meta-analytic probabilistic maps related to the terms pain, emotion, and reward (each map is based on >200 brain imaging studies, derived from neurosynth.org). We observed that brain activity for back pain in the early, acute/subacute back pain group is limited to regions involved in acute pain, whereas in the chronic back pain group, activity is confined to emotion-related circuitry. Reward circuitry was equally represented in both groups. In the recovered acute/subacute back pain group, brain activity diminished in time, whereas in the persistent acute/subacute back pain group, activity diminished in acute pain regions, increased in emotion-related circuitry, and remained unchanged in reward circuitry. The results demonstrate that brain representation for a constant percept, back pain, can undergo large-scale shifts in brain activity with the transition to chronic pain. These observations challenge long-standing theoretical concepts regarding brain and mind relationships, as well as provide important novel insights regarding definitions and mechanisms of chronic pain.
NMDA receptor-mediated activation of medullary pro-nociceptive neurons is required for secondary thermal hyperalgesia

There is now direct evidence that a class of neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) exerts a net facilitatory influence on spinal nociception. The present experiments were designed to test whether activation of these neurons, referred to as “on-cells”, is required as part of a positive feedback loop leading to secondary hyperalgesia in acute inflammation produced by topical application of mustard oil. Activity of a characterized RVM neuron and paw withdrawals to heat (plantar surface) were recorded in barbiturate-anesthetized rats. Following three baseline trials, mustard oil was applied to the skin above the knee. Cell activity and paw withdrawal latencies were monitored for an additional 45 min. Application of mustard oil produced an increase in on-cell discharge that was associated with a substantial decrease in withdrawal latency of the ipsilateral paw. Blocking on-cell activation using local infusion of the NMDA-receptor antagonist AP5 into the RVM prevented hyperalgesia. Secondary thermal hyperalgesia following mustard oil was also associated with a significant decrease in the firing of “off-cells”, a cell population thought to exert a net inhibitory influence on nociception. Depression of off-cell firing was unaffected by AP5 microinjection. The firing of “neutral cells”, which have no documented role in nociceptive modulation, was unchanged following mustard oil and also unaffected by AP5 infusion in the RVM. Brainstem descending controls are receiving increasing attention in efforts to understand hyperalgesia and persistent pain states. The present experiments demonstrate that a novel, NMDA-mediated activation of on-cells is required for secondary thermal hyperalgesia in acute inflammation.
Memory: The Incomplete Unhappening of Differentiation

The signals that regulate the differentiation of central and effector memory T cells remain unclear. In this issue of Immunity, Pepper et al. (2011) and Marshall et al. (2011) implicate the differential expression of transcription factors in driving memory subtypes.
Central nervous system lymphoma associated with mycophenolate mofetil in lupus nephritis.

Lymphomas, both within and outside the central nervous system, are uncommon among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe a 58-year old Korean woman with SLE who presented with acute headache and confusion in the setting of prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) therapy used to treat focal proliferative and membranous lupus nephritis. Three-dimensional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed two peripherally (‘ring’) enhancing lesions within the basal ganglia, bilaterally, with associated mass effect and subfalcine herniation. A brain biopsy revealed an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma. This is the first description of CNS lymphoma in a patient treated with MMF for lupus nephritis. While intracerebral lymphoma in the immunocompromised patient with lupus is rare, this disorder should be considered in the differential diagnosis of new-onset neurological symptoms among such patients.
Litigating insurance coverage for mental disorders.

The absence of adequate insurance coverage for mental disorders is a major factor in sustaining a dual system of psychiatric care in this country. Insurance policies generally restrict coverage to a limited number ofdays ofhospitalization and a dollar ceiling on outpatient treatment, in contrast to nearly full coverage for most medical disorders. Only patients with acute illnesses susceptible to short-term care or ample private resources are treated in the private sector. The remainder, including most of the chronic mentally ill, are relegated to often-overburdened public-sector facilities. Efforts to persuade state legislatures to require that insurance companies provide equivalent coverage for physical and mental disorders have run into opposition from the insurance lobby, employers, and, in some cases, unions, out of fear that higher insurance costs might result. In fact, the insurance industry recently attempted to strip states of the right to mandate any coverage for mental health and other services, an initiative that was turned back by the United States Supreme Court (1). With legislative efforts to achieve parity for the treatment of mental disorders stalled, some policyhold-
Solubilities and solution thermodynamics of several substituted melamines

Abstract A model for predicting solubility is proposed that involves summing two equilibrium processes which represent each step in the solution mechanism of a solid. In this model, hydrocarbon solubility is utilized as the measure of the crystalline energies. Fourteen of the sixteen substituted melamine analogs used in this study were synthesized and their solubilities were determined as a function of temperature. Partition coefficients were measured between isooctane and water and differential scanning calorimetry experiments were performed. The thermodynamic quantities associated with the dissolution process were determined. This information was used to compare the proposed model with a model that uses the melting point as a measure of the energetics in the crystalline state. The results suggest that the melting point may not always reflect appropriately the crystalline energies due to the possibility of hydrogen bonding or other specific interactions in the melt. The melting point has also been shown to be less sensitive than hydrocarbon solubility to changes in molecular structure, suggesting that the melting point is more difficult to interpret qualitatively. Hydrocarbon solubility appears to be a reliable alternative to the melting point for measuring the crystalline energies.
Bacterial Contamination in Poultry Houses and its Relationship to Egg Hatchability

Abstract HIGH density housing utilizing wire floors has been shown to have application for commercial layers (Bressler, 1961, and Bressler and Maw, 1966). In preliminary experiments, Bressler et al. (1967) demonstrated the feasibility of maintaining Leghorn breeders at high density on wire floors without encountering fertility or hatchability problems. Eggs from flocks on wire routinely had less gross bacterial contamination than eggs from conventional litter floor houses. Previous studies on egg shell contamination have employed inoculation of the shell bacterial cultures and their subsequent recovery from the egg contents. McNally (1954) reported a significant correlation between bacterial penetration of the shell and the temperature and humidity during storage. Graves and McLaury (1962) showed that in addition to temperature and humidity, vapor pressure also had significant correlation with bacterial penetration. The mechanism of shell penetration of Salmonella has been studied by Williams and Whitemore (1967). Gross contamination of the egg shell with…
Generalized Multiple-Model Adaptive Estimation Using an Autocorrelation Approach

In this paper a generalized multiple-model adaptive estimator is presented that can be used to estimate the unknown noise statistics in filter designs. The assumed unknowns in the adaptive estimator are the process noise covariance elements. Parameter elements generated from a quasi-random sequence are used to drive multiple-model parallel filters for state estimation. The current approach focuses on estimating the process noise covariance by sequentially updating weights associated with the quasi-random elements through the calculation of the likelihood function of the measurement-minus-estimate residuals, which also incorporates correlations between various measurement times. For linear Gaussian measurement processes the likelihood function is easily determined. For nonlinear Gaussian measurement processes, it is assumed that the linearized output sufficiently captures the statistics of the likelihood function by making the small noise assumption. Simulation results, involving a two-dimensional target tracking problem using an extended Kalman filter, indicate that the new approach is able to correctly estimate the noise statistics
Recent Insights Into the Coordinate Regulation of Body Water and Divalent Mineral Ion Metabolism

Traditionally, arginine vasopressin modulation of renal water, sodium, and urea excretion has been considered somewhat in isolation from factors that control divalent mineral ion homeostasis. Similarly, previous considerations of divalent mineral ion metabolism have focused mainly on the role of hormones, eg, parathyroid hormone and various forms of vitamin D, as principal modifiers of renal calcium handling. Recent data, however, have now suggested the existence of novel linkages that coordinate control of water and divalent mineral ion homeostasis. This article summarizes these data and highlights the fundamental roles of the extracellular calcium polyvalent cation-sensing receptor (CaR) as an integrator of water and divalent mineral ion homeostasis on a cellular, organ-specific, and whole-body basis. Organs where CaRs may integrate water and divalent mineral ion metabolism include endocrine tissues that express CaRs, the brain, various nephron segments of the kidney, bone, and the gastrointestinal tract. These new data suggest that considerable regulatory overlap exists between water and divalent mineral ion homeostasis.
The mutation β99 Asp‐Tyr stabilizes Y—A new, composite quaternary state of human hemoglobin

Carbonmonoxy hemoglobin Ypsilanti (beta 99 Asp-Tyr) exhibits a quaternary form distinctly different from any structures previously observed for human hemoglobins. The relative orientation of alpha beta dimers in the new quaternary form lies well outside the range of values observed for normal unliganded and liganded tetramers (Baldwin, J., Chothia, C., J. Mol. Biol. 129:175-220, 1979). Despite this large quaternary structural difference between carbonmonoxy hemoglobin Ypsilanti and the two canonical structures, the new quaternary structure's hydrogen bonding interactions in the "switch" region, and packing interactions in the "flexible joint" region, show noncovalent interactions characteristic of the alpha 1 beta 2 contacts of both unliganded and liganded normal hemoglobins. In contrast to both canonical structures, the beta 97 histidine residue in carbonmonoxy hemoglobin Ypsilanti is disengaged from quaternary packing interactions that are generally believed to enforce two-state behavior in ligand binding. These features of the new quaternary structure, denoted Y, may therefore be representative of quaternary states that occur transiently along pathways between the normal unliganded, T, and liganded, R, hemoglobin structures.
Strategies to Motivate Students for Program Assessment

Accountability in higher education has increased, with more institutions requiring standardized tests. These tests are high stakes for institutions, but low-stakes test for students, who seldom experience consequences for their performance. This study describes how one psychology department improved students' scores on the Psychology Area Concentration Achievement Test. Results were compared between three motivation conditions: no incentive, a monetary incentive, and a motivational Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. The presentation gave students information about the assessment, encouraged them to do well, and informed them that faculty would discuss scores while evaluating the psychology program. Results showed that test scores were significantly higher and correlated significantly with grade point average for students exposed to the motivational presentation. The motivational PowerPoint presentation seemed to have reduced the number of underachieving students and provided more accurate assessment data,...
A Fluorogenic Probe for the Catalyst-Free Detection of Azide-Tagged Molecules

Fluorogenic reactions in which non- or weakly fluorescent reagents produce highly fluorescent products can be exploited to detect a broad range of compounds including biomolecules and materials. We describe a modified dibenzocyclooctyne that under catalyst-free conditions undergoes fast strain-promoted cycloadditions with azides to yield strongly fluorescent triazoles. The cycloaddition products are more than 1000-fold brighter compared to the starting cyclooctyne, exhibit large Stokes shift, and can be excited above 350 nm, which is required for many applications. Quantum mechanical calculations indicate that the fluorescence increase upon triazole formation is due to large differences in oscillator strengths of the S0 ↔ S1 transitions in the planar C2v-symmetric starting material compared to the symmetry-broken and nonplanar cycloaddition products. The new fluorogenic probe was successfully employed for labeling of proteins modified by an azide moiety.
Clinical epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease: assessing sex and gender differences

With the aging of the population, the burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is rapidly expanding. More than 5 million people in the US alone are affected with AD and this number is expected to triple by 2050. While men may have a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia, women are disproportionally affected with AD. One explanation is that men may die of competing causes of death earlier in life, so that only the most resilient men may survive to older ages. However, many other factors should also be considered to explain the sex differences. In this review, we discuss the differences observed in men versus women in the incidence and prevalence of MCI and AD, in the structure and function of the brain, and in the sex-specific and gender-specific risk and protective factors for AD. In medical research, sex refers to biological differences such as chromosomal differences (eg, XX versus XY chromosomes), gonadal differences, or hormonal differences. In contrast, gender refers to psychosocial and cultural differences between men and women (eg, access to education and occupation). Both factors play an important role in the development and progression of diseases, including AD. Understanding both sex- and gender- specific risk and protective factors for AD is critical for developing individualized interventions for the prevention and treatment of AD.
Thermodynamics of the second-stage dissociation of n-(2-acetamido)iminodiacetic acid in water from 5 to 55°c

Abstract The thermodynamic second dissociation constants of the protonated form of N -(2-acetamido)iminodiacetic acid were determined at 12 temperatures from 5–55°C by measurement of the electromotive force using a cell without liquid junction, with hydrogen and silver—silver bromide electrodes. At 25°C, p K 2 is 6.844. The standard changes in Gibbs energy, enthalpy, entropy and heat capacity were derived from the change of the p K 2 values with temperature. At 25°C, Δ G ° = 9335 cal mol -1 , Δ H ° = 2928 cal mol -1 , Δ S o = -21.5 cal K -1 mol -1 , and Δ C ° p = -34 cal K -1 mol -1 . The results are interpreted and compared with those of structurally related compounds.
Different memory T cell phenotypes are elicited by Ad5 and rare adenoviruses

Background The anamnestic potential of memory T cells are pivotal components of the adaptive immune response. Analyzing memory T cells elicited by different vaccine vectors is crucial for the identification of novel vaccine modalities against HIV. Methods
Minimal gauge origin of baryon triality and flavorful signatures at the LHC

Abstract Baryon triality ( B 3 ) is a Z 3 discrete symmetry that can protect the proton from decay. Although its realization does not require supersymmetry, it is particularly appealing in the supersymmetry as an alternative to the popular R-parity. We discuss the issues in gauging B 3 , and present the minimal supersymmetric model with B 3 as the remnant discrete symmetry of a TeV scale U ( 1 ) gauge symmetry. A flavor-dependent U ( 1 ) charge is necessary to achieve this, and it results in very distinguishable and flavorful predictions for the LHC experiments. We find a complementarity between a 2-lepton sneutrino resonance and a 4-lepton Z ′ resonance in the supersymmetry search when a certain condition is satisfied. In addition, we introduce baryon tetrality ( B 4 ), which would play an equivalent role if there are four fermion generations.
The effects of individual and group contingencies on reading performance of special education students

Abstract The effects of individual and group contingencies on the reading performance of 10 special education students were examined in a counterbalanced multiple-baseline design with experimental manipulations introduced at random. During the Baseline condition no consequences for accuracy in programmed reading were in effect. With the Group Contingency, pupils earned points based on accuracy and exchanged them for activity backup reinforcers based on the average performance of the group. During the Individual Contingency arrangement, the same point totals were awarded by yoking pupils to the group behavioral criteria. The results indicated superior accuracy (from 2 to 25%) with the Group Contingency by all 10 pupils. Student preferences as to the two contingency arrangements indicated a slight preference for the Group Contingency phase. A lack of negative peer comments was noted over the duration of the experiment. Results were also discussed in terms of ease of implementation of the group contingencies within an ongoing token economy in a classroom setting. Tentative reasons for the differing results of the present study and others were presented.
Influence of Anise Oils on the Palatability of Calf Starters

Summary Two imitation anise oils and U.S.P. anise oil were used in cafeteria experiments which involved a wide range of basal starters. In each of four experiments, anise oil significantly depressed palatability. Anise oil was more detrimental in one experiment than in the others. In one experiment U.S.P. anise oil and one of the imitations lowered palatability highly significantly more than did another imitation. Two pounds of imitation anise oil per ton of starter lowered palatability highly significantly more than did one-half pound per ton.
Partial oxidation of CH4 to HCHO over a MoO3‐SiO2 catalyst: A kinetic study

There is considerable economic incentive to convert methane into formaldehyde, which is used in the manufacture of insulating materials and adhesives. This paper discusses the kinetics of a one-step oxidation of methane with molecular oxygen over a MoO3-SiO2 catalyst. The space velocity was varied between 2,500 and 10,000 h−1 (at NTP) over a range of temperatures from 848 to 923 K. Selectivities to formaldehyde between 30 and 89% were observed in the 0–5% methane conversion range, the other principal products being CO, CO2, and H2O. Kinetic analysis indicates that methane is directly oxidized to CO2 and HCHO, with HCHO being further oxidized to CO. The reactions were all found to be zero order in oxygen concentration, with methane and formaldehyde oxidation following overall first-order rate laws. Kinetic rate constants have been determined and there is good agreement between model predictions and experimental data.
State Fragmentation: Toward a Theoretical Understanding of the Territorial Power of the State*

In existing theories of revolution, the state is narrowly defined as an administrative entity, and state breakdown simply refers to the disintegration of a given political regime. But this narrow definition cannot deal with this question: Why, in a revolutionary situation, do some states become fragmented and others remain unified? I would therefore argue for the broadening of the concept of state breakdown to include the territorial power of the state and to treat the latter as a key analytical dimension in the study of state fragmentation. The dynamics of territorial state power involve the control of critical territories and valuable resources associated with the spatial position of a given state in the interstate system. A strong territorial state is able to maintain its organizational coerciveness and territorial integrity, whereas a weak territorial state is vulnerable to fragmentation. The overall state crisis derives from the accumulated effects of geopolitical strain by which territorialfragmentation unfolds. In the world as we have known it until now, nothing about states has been more apparent than the instability of their territorial boundaries. Change in the size and shape of individual states has always been associated with the rise and fall of state powers. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, an event that surprised most social scientists, questions about how the state relinquishes control over territory have generated a new round of intellectual searching for further explanations of state breakdown. When we examine the case of the Soviet Union (1991) and compare it with the case of the Iranian revolution against the Pahlavi regime (1979), which also surprised area specialists, we can find the unfolding of two patterns that distinguish state breakdown. First, the change in Iran represented the transfer of governing power between elite groups, but Iran's territorial sovereignty remained fixed; second, the change in the Soviet Union involved not only a collapse of the incumbent government, but also the disintegration of state territory into multiple sovereign states. In addition, there were other events of the 1990s that raised interesting theoretical questions: Why did Yugoslavia become dismembered, contradicting the popular assumption that a federation, or decentralized system, would inhibit the nation-state's disintegration?1 And why, on the contrary, did a highly centralized China survive an enormous political turmoil, going against all the predictions of its demise? In general, then, why are some states' territories fragmented when they get embroiled in what Tilly (1993) terms "revolutionary situations?" Why, when other states break down,
Environmental tradeoffs of stover removal and erosion in Indiana

: When considering the market for biomass from corn stover resources, the consequences of soil erosion and soil quality issues are important considerations. Removal of stover can be beneficial in some areas, especially when coordinated with other conservation practices, such as vegetative barrier strips and cover crops. However, benefits are highly dependent on several factors, namely if farmers see costs and benefits associated with erosion and the tradeoffs with the removal of biomass. Although typically considered an internal cost, the implication is important to policy and contracting for biomass. This paper uses results from an integrated RUSLE2/WEPS model to incorporate six different regime choices, covering management, harvest, and conservation, into a simple profit maximization model to show these tradeoffs explicitly. The results of this work show how different costs for erosion, biomass, and conservation management will affect behavior. If the private costs of erosion are low and no conservation requirement exists, biomass removal will significantly increase erosion, but only in some areas. Alternatively, when erosion prices are high, farmers will parallel socially optimal levels of erosion, and conservation management practices can be incentivized through access to a market for stover. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Automated reaction mapping

Automated reaction mapping is a fundamental first step in the analysis of chemical reactions and opens the door to the development of sophisticated chemical kinetic tools. This article formulates the reaction mapping problem as an optimization problem. The problem is shown to be NP-Complete for general graphs. Five algorithms based on canonical graph naming and enumerative combinatoric techniques are developed to solve the problem. Unlike previous formulations based on limited configurations or classifications, our algorithms are uniquely capable of mapping any reaction that can be represented as a set of chemical graphs optimally. This is due to the direct use of Graph Isomorphism as the basis for these algorithms as opposed to the more commonly used Maximum Common Subgraph. Experimental results on chemical and biological reaction databases demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithms.
THE KERNEL LEVINE EQUIPERCENTILE OBSERVED-SCORE EQUATING FUNCTION

In the framework of the observed-score equating methods for the nonequivalent groups with anchor test design, there are 3 fundamentally different ways of using the information provided by the anchor scores to equate the scores of a new form to those of an old form. One method uses the anchor scores as a conditioning variable, such as the Tucker method and poststratification equating. A second way to use the anchor scores is as the middle link in a chain of linking relationships, such as chain linear equating and chain equating. The third way to use the anchor scores is in conjunction with the classical test theory, such as Levine observed-score equating and the newly created hybrid Levine equipercentile equating and poststratification equating based on true anchor scores. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that with real data, under certain conditions, hybrid Levine equipercentile equating and poststratification equating based on true anchor scores outperform both poststratification equating and chain equating.
The attentional blink impairs localization but not enumeration performance in an “enumerating-by-pointing” task

Earlier we reported that observers can rapidly and accurately enumerate up to six items when using an “enumerating-by-pointing” method, which is better than the typical subitizing limit of four (Haladjian & Pylyshyn, 2011). We have been exploring possible reasons for this increase. The present study examines the role of increased encoding time (without increasing actual viewing time) by testing whether two presentations of the same stimulus separated by a variable interval improves enumeration performance. Additionally, this allowed us to test if the second presentation of the stimulus was sensitive to the attentional blink.
Moving belt metal detector

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed a prototype metal detection survey system that will increase the search speed of conventional technology while maintaining high sensitivity. Higher search speeds will reduce the time to clear roads of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) and to locate unexploded ordnance (UXO) at Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, thus reducing remediation costs. The new survey sensor system is called the moving belt metal detector (MBMD) and operates by both increasing sensor speed over the ground while maintaining adequate sensor dwell time over the target for good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reducing motion-induced sensor noise. The MBMD uses an array of metal detection sensors mounted on a flexible belt similar to a tank track. The belt motion is synchronized with the forward survey speed so individual sensor elements remain stationary relative to the ground. A single pulsed transmitter coil is configured to provide a uniform magnetic field along the length of the receivers in ground contact. Individual time-domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) receivers are designed to sense a single time-gate measurement of the total metal content. Each sensor module consists of a receiver coil, amplifier, digitizing electronics and a low power UHF wireless transmitter. This paper presents the survey system design concepts and metal detection data from various targets at several survey speeds. Although the laboratory prototype is designed to demonstrate metal detection survey speeds up to 10 m/s, higher speeds are achievable with a larger sensor array. In addition, the concept can be adapted to work with other sensor technologies not previously considered for moving platforms.
Cylindrical quasi-Gaussian beams

Making use of the complex-source-point method in cylindrical coordinates, an exact solution representing a cylindrical quasi-Gaussian beam of arbitrary waist w0 satisfying both the Helmholtz and Maxwell’s equations is introduced. The Cartesian components of the electromagnetic field are derived stemming from different polarizations of the magnetic and electric vector potentials based on Maxwell’s vectorial equations and Lorenz’s gauge condition, without any approximations. Computations illustrate the theory for tightly focused and quasi-collimated cylindrical beams. The results are particularly useful in beam-forming design using high-aperture or collimated cylindrical laser beams in imaging microscopy, particle manipulation, optical tweezers, and the study of scattering, radiation forces, and torque on cylindrical structures.
Dietary Immunostimulants Enhance Nonspecific Immune Responses in Channel Catfish but Not Resistance to Edwardsiella ictaluri

Abstract Enhancement of nonspecific immunity previously has been shown in fish administered immunostimulants by injection, bath immersion, or feeding. The purpose of this study was to determine if feeding a diet with 0.2% β-glucan or 2.7% of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae would enhance nonspecific immunity and resistance against Edwardsiella ictaluri infection in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Peritoneal exudate cell migration and phagocytosis were measured by in vitro chemotaxis and chemiluminescence assays, and mortality rates of fish exposed to E. ictaluri by bath immersion were determined. Fish fed β-glucan had enhanced macrophage and neutrophil migration and phagocytosis, but not enhanced resistance to E. ictaluri infection. Peritoneal exudate cells from S. cerevisiae-fed fish had enhanced phagocytic activity. Fish fed S. cerevisiae had mortality rates comparable to the fish fed the control diet. The enhancement of nonspecific immune functions of macrophages and neutrophils by feeding β-glu...
Measuring Molecular Order in Poly(3-alkylthiophene) Thin Films with Polarizing Spectroscopies

We measured the molecular order of poly(3-alkylthiophene) chains in thin films before and after melting through the combination of several polarized photon spectroscopies: infrared (IR) absorption, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). The data from the various techniques can be uniformly treated in the context of the dielectric constant tensor e for the film. The combined spectroscopies allow determination of the orientation distribution of the main-chain axis (SE and IR), the conjugated π system normal (NEXAFS), and the side-chain axis (IR). We find significant improvement in the backbone order of the films after recrystallization of the material at temperatures just below the melting temperature. Less aggressive thermal treatments are less effective. IR studies show that the changes in backbone structure occur without significant alteration of the structure of the alkyl side chains. The data indicate that the side chains exhibit signifi...
Neuronal membrane conductance activated by amyloid β peptide: importance of peptide conformation

Abstract Whole-cell voltage-clamp recording and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were used to assess the importance of amyloid β peptide (A β) conformation for eliciting homeostatically disruptive membrane conductances in embryonic rat hippocampal neurons. A β that assumed a random coil conformation when freshly dissolved in water did not alter cell resting (‘leak’) membrane conductances. In contrast, after several days incubation (‘aging’), the same peptide samples became capable of activating a large, rapid onset and potentially toxic increase in leak membrane conductance that coincided temporally with a transition in peptide conformation from random coil to β-sheet. Interestingly, this membrane activity was not mimicked with chemically equivalent A βs that immediately adopted a β-sheet conformation in water (‘pre-aged’). These findings suggest that, under conditions that allow for a gradual transition of random coil A β to β-sheet structures, peptide conformation may be an important determinant of the toxic consequences of A β-mediated membrane conductances.
Kernel principal component analysis for stochastic input model generation

Stochastic analysis of random heterogeneous media provides useful information only if realistic input models of the material property variations are used. These input models are often constructed from a set of experimental samples of the underlying random field. To this end, the Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) expansion, also known as principal component analysis (PCA), is the most popular model reduction method due to its uniform mean-square convergence. However, it only projects the samples onto an optimal linear subspace, which results in an unreasonable representation of the original data if they are non-linearly related to each other. In other words, it only preserves the first-order (mean) and second-order statistics (covariance) of a random field, which is insufficient for reproducing complex structures. This paper applies kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) to construct a reduced-order stochastic input model for the material property variation in heterogeneous media. KPCA can be considered as a nonlinear version of PCA. Through use of kernel functions, KPCA further enables the preservation of higher-order statistics of the random field, instead of just two-point statistics as in the standard Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) expansion. Thus, this method can model non-Gaussian, non-stationary random fields. In this work, we also propose a new approach to solve the pre-image problem involved in KPCA. In addition, polynomial chaos (PC) expansion is used to represent the random coefficients in KPCA which provides a parametric stochastic input model. Thus, realizations, which are statistically consistent with the experimental data, can be generated in an efficient way. We showcase the methodology by constructing a low-dimensional stochastic input model to represent channelized permeability in porous media.
Meandering of underfit streams

Abstract The regime slope adjustment from an alluvial river to an underfit stream with markedly decreased discharge is analyzed. Underfit streams in ample river valleys are usually characterized by a distinct meandering pattern. Such a feature is explained by the development of a stream slope flatter than the river valley slope in response to the discharge reduction. A regime equation which relates channel slope to the discharge, bedload and bed sediment size is developed. From this equation, the bedload/discharge ratio (or bedload content) for an alluvial channel reach of constant slope and sediment size varies as a direct function of the discharge. The bedload/discharge ratio decreases more rapidly as the discharge decreases toward the threshold for bedload movement. A channel reach is usually supplied by tributaries of smaller discharges. Following a marked decrease in discharge, the bedload/discharge ratio in the water-sediment mixture supplied to the reach usually decreases faster than that required to maintain the constant slope. In response to the deficiency in bedload content, the underfit stream eventually develops a flatter slope, i.e. a meandering pattern, in addition to other adjustments.
Longitudinal change in happiness during aging: the predictive role of positive expectancies.

This study employed hierarchical linear modeling to document the time course of happiness across 20 years from average ages of 66 to 86 among 717 members of the Terman Study of the Gifted. In addition, the study examined the role of positive expectancies about aging, assessed at an average age of 61, in enhancing happiness in aging. The results showed a small decline in happiness over time. Higher age was associated with less happiness at baseline and with a greater decline in happiness. At the same time, the general level of happiness in this sample was moderately high, with a large majority of respondents relatively happy into later aging. Moreover, positive expectancies about aging, assessed at an average age of 61, predicted greater happiness at ages 70, 75, and 80. These results held controlling for prior happiness, as well as for prior self-rated health and income.
Charged particle multiplicities at BRAHMS

This report presents the measurement of charged particle multiplicity densities dN/dη in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions as function of η and the centrality of the collisions. This distributions were extracted from data collected by the BRAHMS collaboration during the first RHIC run with gold ions at sNN=130GeV. The analysis method is described and, results are compared to some model predictions.
Approximate private information retrieval

We present efficient protocols for the 1-out-of-n single-server Computationally-Private Information Retrieval (CPIR) problem for l-bit strings. In particular, our results achieve simultaneously polylogarithmic extra storage, communication, and Client and Server local computational complexities, improving the best current bounds. Most designs for CPIR exploit the communication vs. computation trade-off, whereas ours exploit instead trade-offs between accuracy and the metrics mentioned above. The work is of a theoretical nature. In a nutshell, our polylogarithmic claims show that it is possible to substantially reduce the mentioned complexity measures at the expense of accuracy of the results. The main indirect (practical) implication of this work is to show that CPIR is actually viable for very large databases. We also present some open questions and future directions.
Mori's Program for the Kontsevich Moduli Space

We run Mori's program for the Kontsevich space of stable maps and give modular interpretations of all the intermediate spaces appearing in the process. In particular, we show that the closure of the twisted cubic curves in the Hilbert scheme is the flip of over the Chow variety.
The effect of some phenolic compounds on the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from tobacco tissue cultures

Abstract Anodic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracts of cultures of tobacco tissue Nicotiana tabacum W-38 revealed the presence of two 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases (6PGD). The slow and the fast anodic migrating zones were designated I and II, respectively. After purification, enzymes from both zones exhibited no major differences in their affinity towards 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) or NADP + , and were found to have approximately the same pH optima and MWs (69 000–72 000). The coumarins scopoletin and esculetin showed some inhibitory effect on each isozyme at 0.4 mM. Below 0.3 mM, however, esculetin stimulated the activity of zone I when lower amounts of 6PG ( S 0.25 ) were used. The glucosylated compounds, scopolin and esculin, were much more inhibitory towards the 6PGDs than their respective aglycones. Ferulic, p -coumaric and caffeic acids seemed to have an inhibitory effect dependent on 6PG concentration. A larger inhibition was observed in each case at the lower 6PG levels used. Zone I activity appeared to be inhibited to a greater degree than zone II activity by 0.4 mM p -coumaric acid with low 6PG. Of the phenolic compounds tested, chlorogenic acid was most effective, completely inhibiting the enzyme activity at 0.4 mM. Of the non-phenolic compounds investigated, glucose 1,6-diphosphate inhibited both isoenzymes of 6PGD at lower 6PG concentrations. On the other hand, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate activated both isoenzymes up to 200% of their original activity.
Highly efficient optical coupler using hybrid photonic crystal structures

We report a 94% coupling efficiency between silica waveguide (SWG) and planar photonic crystal (PPC). This is achieved using a tapered PPC with a hybrid photonic crystal structure. The hybrid structure combines triangular and rectangular crystals.
A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on Selected Physical Properties of Aminosilicones

A number of physical properties of aminosilicones have been determined experimentally and predicted computationally. It was found that COSMO-RS predicted the densities of the materials under study to within about 4% of the experimentally determined values. Vapor pressure measurements were performed, and all of the aminosilicones of interest were found to be significantly less volatile than the benchmark MEA material. COSMO-RS was reasonably accurate for predicting the vapor pressures for aminosilicones that were thermally stable. The heat capacities of all aminosilicones tested were between 2.0 and 2.3 J/(g·°C); again substantially lower than a benchmark 30% aqueous MEA solution. Surface energies for the aminosilicones were found to be 23.3–28.3 dyne/cm and were accurately predicted using the parachor method.
Stability of Helix-Rich Proteins at High Concentrations

A number of techniques, including circular dichroism, FTIR, front face fluorescence, and UV absorption spectrophotometries, dynamic light scattering, and DSC, were used to directly measure the colloidal and conformational stability of proteins in highly concentrated solutions. Using bovine serum albumin (BSA), chicken egg white lysozyme, human hemoglobin A0, and bovine fibrinogen as model proteins, the thermal transition temperatures of proteins in dilute and concentrated solutions were compared. At 10 °C, no significant differences in both secondary and tertiary structures were detected for proteins at different concentrations. When temperature was introduced as a variable, however, hemoglobin and fibrinogen demonstrated higher transition midpoints (Tms) in concentrated rather than in dilute solutions (ΔTm ∼ 2−10 °C). In contrast, lysozyme and BSA in concentrated solutions exhibit a lower Tm than in dilute solutions (ΔTm ∼ 2−20 °C). From these studies, it appears that a variety of factors determine the e...
Algorithm 597: sequence of modified Bessel functions of the first kind

This FORTRAN subroutine calculates sequences of modified Bessel functions of the first kind, I/sub n+a/(x), n = 0, 1, ..., NB - 1 or e/sup -x/I/sub n+a/(x), n = 0, 1, ..., NB - 1, where 0 less than or equal to a < 1, and 0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to EXPARG or 0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to XLARGE, as appropriate. The method is based on the backward-recurrence algorithm of Miller as modified by Olver. Olver's contribution is an efficient method for determining the proper starting point for backward recurrence to meet a requested accuracy. The scheme uses a modified forward recurrence to perform Gaussian elimination on a set of simultaneous linear equations related to the usual backward-recurrence equations. The distance of the forward sweep, that is, the proper starting point for the backward recurrence, is determined dynamically from estimates of the corresponding error in the solution to the linear system. Backward substitution in these equations then returns the necessary function values with guaranteed error bounds. 7 references, 1 table.
Transactional Theories but Individual Assessment: A Frequent Discrepancy in Family Research

Spiegel's (20) distinction between studies of relations and studies of transactions are reviewed and applied to the tendency of current research to assess transactional theory using methods that are focused on individual elements. Several of the complexities of transactional research are reviewed with a call for the utilization of methods that are more commensurate with the level of theory under test.
Tungsten—carbene—alkene complexes

Abstract Reaction of (CO)5W[C(OCH3)C6H4-p-CH3] with 3-buten-1-ol gives a butenyloxy carbene complex (CO)5W[C(OCH2CH2CHCH2)C6H4-p-CH3], 2. On heating to 38 °C in benzene, 2 decomposes to 1-(4-methylphenyl)-2-oxabicyclo[3.1.0] hexane, 4. An intermediate tetracarbonyltungsten—carbene—alkene complex 5 was detected by NMR during the course of the decomposition of 2 to cyclopropane 4. In the decomposition of 2 an initial induction period followed by an autocatalytic decomposition was observed. Reaction of (CO)5W[C(OCH3)C6H4-p-CH3] with allylamine produced a 1:1.2 mixture of isomers of (CO)5W[C(NHCH2CHCH2)C6H4-p-CH3], 9Z and 9E. Thermolysis of the mixture of 9Z and 9E produced a stable tetracarbonyltungsten—carbene—alkene complex, 11.
The Promises and Problems of Games and Simulation

Many educators see the wave of the future in computer games and simulation. Lumsden gives an appreciation of the kind of games and simulations available and illustrates with specific detail how powerfully instructive some of these can be. He also makes a plea for scientific evaluation.