cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental evaluation of forward error correction on multicast audio streams in wireless LANs

This paper describes an experimental study of a proxy service to enhance interactive multicast audio streams when transmitted across wireless local area networks. The architecture of the proxy is presented, followed by results of a performance study conducted on a mobile computing testbed. The main contribution of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of forward error correcting codes on improving the quality of audio channels for collaborating mobile users.
Écrire l'histoire ou écrire pour l'histoire? Writing, Translation, and Gender in the Autobiography of Victorine de Chastenay

Abstract Women have long played important roles as translators of literary texts, yet their literary activities in this field have not received the full critical attention they merit. This article examines Victorine de Chastenay's autobiographical depiction of her status as an author and translator in nineteenth-century France through the lens of gender and genre, paying particular attention to the activity of translation with regard to the division of 'masculine' and 'feminine' literary genres. What is the relation among translation, literary creation 'proper', women's creativity, and the domain of intellectual activity? This essay teases out the tensions present between translation, a permissible, imitative feminine literary practice, and literary creation, a practice fraught — for women — with transgressive connotations. It examines the ways such constraints affected Mme de Chastenay's literary reputation and exemplified the generic restrictions set for women writers in nineteenth-century France.
Coded moderator approach for fast neutron source detection and localization at standoff

Abstract Considering the need for directional sensing at standoff for some security applications and scenarios where a neutron source may be shielded by high Z material that nearly eliminates the source gamma flux, this work focuses on investigating the feasibility of using thermal neutron sensitive boron straw detectors for fast neutron source detection and localization. We utilized MCNPX simulations to demonstrate that, through surrounding the boron straw detectors by a HDPE coded moderator, a source-detector orientation-specific response enables potential 1D source localization in a high neutron detection efficiency design. An initial test algorithm has been developed in order to confirm the viability of this detector system׳s localization capabilities which resulted in identification of a 1 MeV neutron source with a strength equivalent to 8 kg WGPu at 50 m standoff within ±11°.
Organische Phosphorverbindungen XXIX. Eine neue Methode zur Darstellung von dialkylaminomethylsubstituierten Phosphonig‐ und Phosphinsäuren der allgemeinen Formel R2NCH2PH(O)OH und (R2NCH2)2P(O)OH [1]

A new method for the preparation of dialkylaminomethyl-phosphonous and-phosphinic acids, R2NCH2P(O)H(OH) and (R2NCH2)2P(O)OH, is described. This involves reaction of hypophosphorous acid with hydroxymethyl-dialkyl-amines or a mixture of formaldehyde and a secondary amine. and The crystalline acids form monohydrates which are stable up to the melting points of the acids. The IR. and 31P-NMR. spectra are reported.
Flavor thresholds and Λ in the modified minimal-subtraction scheme

A discussion of the modified minimal-subtraction ($\stackrel{-}{\mathrm{MS}}$) prescription in QCD is presented. Effects of flavor thresholds on ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}(\ensuremath{\mu})$ and ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\stackrel{-}{\mathrm{MS}}}$ are examined. Two parametrization options are described. In the first approach, distinct mass scales ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\stackrel{-}{\mathrm{MS}}}^{({N}_{F})}$ associated with ${N}_{F}$, the effective number of flavors, are introduced. In the second scheme, a standard ${N}_{F}$-independent ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\stackrel{-}{\mathrm{MS}}}$ is adopted but the functional form of $\ensuremath{\alpha}(\ensuremath{\mu})$ is slightly modified.
Green tea polyphenols control dysregulated glutamate dehydrogenase in transgenic mice by hijacking the ADP activation site

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of l-glutamate and, in animals, is extensively regulated by a number of metabolites. Gain of function mutations in GDH that abrogate GTP inhibition cause the hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia syndrome (HHS), resulting in increased pancreatic β-cell responsiveness to leucine and susceptibility to hypoglycemia following high protein meals. We have previously shown that two of the polyphenols from green tea (epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG)) inhibit GDH in vitro and that EGCG blocks GDH-mediated insulin secretion in wild type rat islets. Using structural and site-directed mutagenesis studies, we demonstrate that ECG binds to the same site as the allosteric regulator, ADP. Perifusion assays using pancreatic islets from transgenic mice expressing a human HHS form of GDH demonstrate that the hyperresponse to glutamine caused by dysregulated GDH is blocked by the addition of EGCG. As observed in HHS patients, these transgenic mice are hypersensitive to amino acid feeding, and this is abrogated by oral administration of EGCG prior to challenge. Finally, the low basal blood glucose level in the HHS mouse model is improved upon chronic administration of EGCG. These results suggest that this common natural product or some derivative thereof may prove useful in controlling this genetic disorder. Of broader clinical implication is that other groups have shown that restriction of glutamine catabolism via these GDH inhibitors can be useful in treating various tumors. This HHS transgenic mouse model offers a highly useful means to test these agents in vivo.
SERVICE LEARNING IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICALITIES, AND PRACTICE CONUNDRUMS

This article reviews research-based knowledge about service learning in social work education. Student learning outcomes common to both service learning and social work education are examined, and the research-based literature on service learning in social work is analyzed. Service-learning practice issues in social work education are described: creating learning activities distinct from those required in field practica, managing conflicts of interest among students employed in the field, minimizing professional ethics violations, and assisting students who observe unprofessional practice behaviors. Recommendations for planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning projects in social work education are provided to strengthen scholarship in this area.
Satisfaction with a New Job after Unemployment: Consequences of Job Loss for Older Professionals.

Etude aupres de particiants a un groupe d'entraide pour chomeurs (de plus de 40 ans) des consequences de la perte d'un emploi pour eux. Estimation de la satisfaction que peut procurer un nouvel emploi apres une periode de chomage
Vasodepressive effects of the venous effluent following canine liver allotransplantation

Abstract Homotransplantation of the liver necessarily entails variable periods of hepatic anoxia. Hypoxia or direct hepatic trauma at the time of transplantation results in accumulation of toxic metabolites and the release of a vasoactive substance which is capable of producing profound and sustained hypotension. Only minor alterations in serum electrolytes, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase are present in the venous effluent gathered from the revascularized liver graft. Serum transaminase levels were in general less elevated when the donor liver was perfused hypothermically and the duration of hepatic ischemia was short. Injection of the plasma fraction from the venous effluent of the revascularized liver graft, with exclusion of the dog's liver vasculature, resulted in sustained hypotension. Acidotic effluent and bacteria in the effluent were not universally productive of hypotension. The formation of a vasoactive substance from disintegration of liver cells, either due to trauma, anoxia or acidosis, may be responsible for this hypotension. This problem may be partially obviated by diversion of the accumulated blood in the newly vascularized transplanted liver for a protracted period of time before recirculation in the recipient is permitted.
The impact of personal dispositions on information sensitivity, privacy concern and trust in disclosing health information online

Reluctance to provide personal health information could impede the success of web-based healthcare services. This paper focuses on the role of personal dispositions in disclosing health information online. The conceptual model argues that individuals' intention to disclose such information depends on their trust, privacy concern, and information sensitivity, which are determined by personal dispositions-personality traits, information sensitivity, health status, prior privacy invasions, risk beliefs, and experience-acting as intrinsic antecedents of trust. The data (collected via a lab experiment) and the analysis shed light on the role of personal dispositions. This could assist in enhancing healthcare websites and increase the success of online delivery of health services.
Standard state thermodynamic properties of completely dissociated hydrochloric acid and aqueous sodium hydroxide at extreme temperatures and pressures.

Standard state thermodynamic properties for completely dissociated hydrochloric acid were fixed by ionic additivity, using the data from other strong electrolytes perrhenic acid, sodium perrhenate,...
Band structure of semiconductors under high stress

We pursue a nonperturbative approach to the calculation of the electronic structure of crystals under high strain, in which all input parameters are determined from just selected properties of the unstrained crystal. The method is applied to calculate the band structure of diamond- and zinc-blende-type semiconductors under strain, with particular application to Ge, Si, and GaAs. The strain dependence in the absence of spin-orbit interactions of the energies and matrix elements of selected transitions are presented for the three crystals. Although most of the calculated quantities display linear variations with strain, there are a number of notable exceptions as well, where nonlinear behavior is predicted.
Neural decision directed segmentation of silicon defects

A system is proposed for recognizing four types of defects present in silicon wafer images. After preprocessing, the system applies four segmentation algorithms, one per defect type. Approximate posterior probabilities from a multilayer perceptron classifier aid in fusing the segmentors and making the final defect classification. Numerical results confirm the feasibility of our approach.
The Mariner-Mars Data Automation System

This paper describes the Data Automation System used on board the Mariner-Mars probe. The system, which accounted for one-third of the total electronic components in the spacecraft, gathered information from six scientific experiments and a television camera and prepared the data for transmission to earth. The Mariner Mars Data Automation System is a high-density, low-power, solid-state electronic system. A description of the system operation, the data conversion techniques employed, and the circuitry used to implement the system are presented. A description of the unique hardware developed for this system is also given.
Assessment of Uncertainty in Equivalent Sand-Grain Roughness Methods

The equivalent sand-grain roughness model is an empirical model initiated by Schlichting for predicting skin friction and heat transfer for turbulent flows over rough surfaces. For the equivalent sand-grain roughness model, rough surfaces with various features are compared to data from Nikuradse concerning flow in pipes with varying sizes of sieved sand glued to the wetted surface. Rough surfaces are assigned a value of equivalent sand-grain roughness height based on comparisons with Nikuradse’s fully rough data. Recent literature on the equivalent sand-grain roughness method has involved seeking correlations for equivalent sand-grain roughness height based on roughness metrics such as height, shape, and density. The Sigal-Danberg parameter has demonstrated the most promise for correlating the available equivalent roughness height data to geometric surface information. The Sigal-Danberg parameter was recently modified to include the mean surface elevation as an important parameter. While the modified Sigal-Danberg parameter provides a unified correlation for the equivalent sand-grain roughness height, the new formulation does not improve the scatter of the experimental data around the correlation. An uncertainty analysis is presented to evaluate the uncertainty of equivalent sand-grain roughness height predictions using the unified correlation. The analysis begins by estimating the uncertainties in the experimental measurements of Schlichting, and the uncertainty propagation is evaluated through each step of the equivalent sand-grain method development. The uncertainty associated with using empirical equations and conceptual uncertainties not associated with experimental measurements are also discussed. The result is an improved understanding of and uncertainty quantification for skin friction and heat transfer predictions made using equivalent sand-grain roughness methods.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Contextual analysis of legal systems and their impact on trade and foreign direct investment

Differences among nations in legal tradition play a role in foreign direct investment decisions by multinational firms. How large a role and to what degree these factors impact the success of foreign direct investment are important issues for examination. A principal question is whether macro-differences in legal systems are causal for international investment on a stand-alone basis or subordinate to multiple other legal variations and societal considerations. This article examines the historical roots and nature of varying legal systems, traditions, and cultures that continue to affect international business. The study analyzes other major conditions which surround the legal environment in investment target countries such as system transparency, degree of corruption, adequate enforcement, and issues of bias related to foreign-owned firms. In addition, firms may have varying strategic objectives for foreign direct investment which may not be driven by short term profitability.
Leaning toward a better understanding of CRT in women.

Cardiac resynchronization-defibrillation therapy (CRT-D) is now a well-established treatment for patients with symptomatic heart failure unresponsive to optimized pharmacological therapy, including an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker and a beta-adrenergic
Generation of Fault Tests for Linear Logic Networks

In this note we study the problem of fault detection in linear logic networks. We introduce the concept of error vectors that indicate how the effect of a fault propagates through a network. These vectors allow one to identify redundancies in the network as well as calculate the output of the network given a fault and an input. Problems related to fault diagnosis and the detection of multiple faults are also considered.
Regulating activation of transplanted cells controls tissue regeneration

Current approaches to tissue regeneration are limited by the death of most transplanted cells and/or resultant poor integration of transplanted cells with host tissue. We hypothesized that transplanting progenitor cells within synthetic microenvironments that maintain viability, prevent terminal differentiation, and promote outward migration would significantly enhance their repopulation and regeneration of damaged host tissue. This hypothesis was addressed in the context of muscle regeneration by transplanting satellite cells to muscle laceration sites on a delivery vehicle releasing factors that induce cell activation and migration (hepatocyte growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2) or transplantation on materials lacking factor release. Controls included direct cell injection into muscle, the implantation of blank scaffolds, and scaffolds releasing factors without cells. Injected cells demonstrated a limited repopulation of damaged muscle and led to a slight improvement in muscle regeneration, as expected. Delivery of cells on scaffolds that did not promote migration resulted in no improvement in muscle regeneration. Strikingly, delivery of cells on scaffolds that promoted myoblast activation and migration led to extensive repopulation of host muscle tissue and increased the regeneration of muscle fibers at the wound and the mass of the injured muscle. This previously undescribed strategy for cell transplantation significantly enhances muscle regeneration from transplanted cells and may be broadly applicable to the various tissues and organ systems in which provision and instruction of a cell population competent to participate in regeneration may be clinically useful.
Mechanisms and significance of spike-timing dependent plasticity.

Hebb's original postulate left two important issues unaddressed: (i) what is the effective time window between pre- and postsynaptic activity that will result in potentiation? and (ii) what is the learning rule that underlies decreases in synaptic strength? While research over the past 2 decades has addressed these questions, several studies within the past 5 years have shown that synapses undergo long-term depression (LTD) or long-term potentiation (LTP) depending on the order of activity in the pre- and postsynaptic cells. This process has been referred to as spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP). Here we discuss the experimental data on STDP, and develop models of the mechanisms that may underlie it. Specifically, we examine whether the standard model of LTP and LTD in which high and low levels of Ca2+ produce LTP and LTD, respectively, can also account for STDP. We conclude that the standard model can account for a type of STDP in which, counterintuitively, LTD will be observed at some intervals in which the presynaptic cell fires before the postsynaptic cell. This form of STDP will also be sensitive to parameters such as the presence of an afterdepolarization following an action potential. Indeed, the sensitivity of this type of STDP to experimental parameters suggests that it may not play an important physiological role in vivo. We suggest that more robust forms of STDP, which do not exhibit LTD at pre–before–post intervals, are not accounted for by the standard model, and are likely to rely on a second coincidence detector in addition to the NMDA receptor.
Histologic features of low- and intermediate-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (typical and atypical carcinoid tumors) of the lung

Abstract Background Determining the differential diagnosis between typical (TCs) and atypical carcinoid tumors (ACs) is imperative, as the distinction between TCs and ACs is currently based on histologic criteria that are not always correlated with the unfavorable clinical outcomes. Patients and methods We conducted a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with carcinoid tumors between 1990 and 2005 at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. We reviewed the slides for the following pathologic features: infiltrative growth; pleural, blood, or lymphatic vessel invasion; tumor stroma; presence of active fibroblastic proliferation; chromatin pattern; presence of nucleolus; and nuclear pleomorphism. We also evaluated the necrotic patterns. Finally, we evaluated three methods for calculating the number of mitoses: randomly selected, the most mitotically active in 10 high-power fields (HPFs), or overall mean mitotic count. Results Our cohort consisted of 80 patients (68 with TCs and 12 with ACs). Older age ( P = 0.002), pathologic stage III or IV disease ( P = 0.04), active fibroblastic proliferation ( P = 0.041), and comedo-like necrosis ( P = 0.001) were significantly associated with tumor recurrence or patient's death. Among the three mitotic counting methods, the overall mean number of mitoses was significantly correlated with recurrence-free survival ( P Conclusions Using an overall mean number in counting mitoses and detecting comedo-like necrosis is important for classifying lung carcinoid tumors.
Orthogonal frequency coding for SAW tagging and sensors

Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based sensors can offer wireless, passive operation in numerous environments, and various device embodiments are used for retrieval of the sensed data information. Single sensor systems typically can use a single carrier frequency and a simple device embodiment because tagging is riot required. In a multisensor environment, it is necessary to both identify the sensor and retrieve the sensed information. This paper presents the concept of orthogonal frequency coding (OFC) for implications to SAW sensor technology. The OFC offers all advantages inherent to spread spectrum communications, including enhanced processing gain and lower interrogation power spectral density (PSD). It is shown that the time ambiguity in the OFC compressed pulse is significantly reduced as compared with a single frequency tag having the same code length, and additional coding can be added using a pseudo-noise (PN) sequence. The OFC approach is general and should be applicable to many differing SAW sensors for temperature, pressure, liquid, gases, etc. Device embodiments are shown, and a potential transceiver is described. Measured device results are presented and compared with coupling of modes (COM) model predictions to demonstrate performance. Devices then are used in computer simulations of the proposed transceiver design, and the results of an OFC sensor system are discussed.
Inventory based allocation policies for flexible servers in serial systems

Motivated by an industry example, we study a two-station serial system in which we allocate flexible servers in order to maximize throughput. We investigate two cases which are different in the way that servers work together when at the same station; namely collaboratively or non-collaboratively. For the collaborative case we prove the optimal policy to be such that the servers work together at a single station at any point in time. In addition to the policy being state-dependent, it also follows a switching-curve structure. In the non-collaborative case, on the other hand, it may be optimal to allocate servers to different stations. Some numerical examples and results regarding policy assignments, switching curves, and system throughput are presented.
Compression-molded biocomposite boards from red and white wine grape pomaces

Biocomposite boards from red wine grape pomace (WGP; Pinot Noir) or white WGP (Morio Muscat) were investigated on the basis of crosslinking and thermal compression mechanisms. We used an orthogonal experimental design to optimize the formulations by examining the effects of binder type, pomace-to-binder (P/B) ratio, and hydrophobic and crosslinking agents on the mechanical properties, water sensitivity, and biodegradability of the board. The optimized formulations were as follows: (1) for red WGP boards, soy flour (SF) or soy protein isolate (SPI) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA; 1 : 1) as binders at a P/B ratio of 19 : 1 with 1% stearic acid (SA) and 1% epichlorohydrin and (2) for white WGP boards, SF or SPI–PVA (1 : 1) as binders, with a P/B ratio of 4 : 1, and 1% SA. The red WGP boards showed a high break strength and modulus of elasticity with a moderate percentage strain value, whereas the white WGP boards had a high flexibility and biodegradability. After burial in soil for 30 days, the red and white WGP boards degraded by about 50 and 80%, respectively. Microstructure studies indicated that the use of binders and other functional agents resulted in a compact fracture surface of the WGP biocomposite boards. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of a Stochastic Integrate-and-Fire Neural Encoding Model

We examine a cascade encoding model for neural response in which a linear filtering stage is followed by a noisy, leaky, integrate-and-fire spike generation mechanism. This model provides a biophysically more realistic alternative to models based on Poisson (memoryless) spike generation, and can effectively reproduce a variety of spiking behaviors seen in vivo. We describe the maximum likelihood estimator for the model parameters, given only extracellular spike train responses (not intracellular voltage data). Specifically, we prove that the log-likelihood function is concave and thus has an essentially unique global maximum that can be found using gradient ascent techniques. We develop an efficient algorithm for computing the maximum likelihood solution, demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting estimator with numerical simulations, and discuss a method of testing the model's validity using time-rescaling and density evolution techniques.
Piezoelectric-transducer-controlled tunable microwave circuits

This paper introduces a new method to tune microwave circuits of phase shifters, filters, resonators, and oscillators, controlled by a piezoelectric transducer (PET) with computational and experimental results. An optimized PET-controlled phase shifter is demonstrated to operate up to 40 GHz with a maximum total loss of 4 dB and phase shift of 480/spl deg/. PET-controlled tunable bandpass filter, ring resonator, and one-dimensional photonic-bandgap resonator show a very wide tuning bandwidth of 17.5%-28.5% near 10 GHz with little performance degradation. A new PET-controlled or voltage-controlled dielectric-resonator oscillator (DRO) is demonstrated with a tuning bandwidth of 3.7% at the center frequency of 11.78 GHz. The tuning bandwidth is slightly less than that of a mechanical tuning using a micrometer-head-controlled tunable DRO with a tuning bandwidth of 4.7%. The new tuning method should have many applications in monolithic and hybrid microwave integrated circuits.
A mobile automated mammography system

Automated processing of mammograms has been studied for several years. Until the last few years much of the efforts have produced marginal results due to the limitations of inexpensive hardware. Even with the advanced hardware no one has yet taken an entire mammogram and determined whether it is normal or abnormal. We outline a method here to attempt to do just that. As the mammogram is scanned we use image enhancement software to obtain the best contrast and greyscale levels for the image. Because we need to identify both small microcalcifications and relatively large masses we use a multiresolution technique to process the mammograms. We chose the wavelet transform as our multi-resolution tool. Once we have the features from each octave we use them as input to a modular neural network with each octave processed separately at the first stage and then the output brought together at the second stage. We have chosen the ALOPEX training algorithm over backpropagation as it has shown to give better performance in these type of applications.
Fast Ionization Wave Development in Atmospheric-Pressure Air

Pulsed-discharge development in a point-to-plane geometry is investigated with subnanosecond temporal resolution. A short high-voltage pulse with a duration of 400 ps and peak voltage U = 224 kV was applied to a discharge gap of 1-30 mm. The discharge propagated in atmospheric-pressure air. Ultrahigh overvoltage (5-50 times) generates runaway electrons in the front of ionization wave and increases the plasma channel diameter and velocity of ionization wave propagation. Formation of homogeneous atmospheric-pressure nonequilibrium plasma has been demonstrated.
An Ecological View of Attachment Theory: Implications for Counseling

Counselors who take an ecological perspective on family relationships may be more effective in their consultation, prevention, and direct service roles. The author summarizes current research on the nature of parent and child attachments and on the importance of monitoring children's environments. Implications of this research, which represents a unique juxtaposition of attachment theory and parenting practices, are suggested for counselors and counselor educators to consider in their prevention, training, and service efforts.
Automated medical image modality recognition by fusion of visual and text information.

In this work, we present a framework for medical image modality recognition based on a fusion of both visual and text classification methods. Experiments are performed on the public ImageCLEF 2013 medical image modality dataset, which provides figure images and associated fulltext articles from PubMed as components of the benchmark. The presented visual-based system creates ensemble models across a broad set of visual features using a multi-stage learning approach that best optimizes per-class feature selection while simultaneously utilizing all available data for training. The text subsystem uses a pseudo-probabilistic scoring method based on detection of suggestive patterns, analyzing both the figure captions and mentions of the figures in the main text. Our proposed system yields state-of-the-art performance in all 3 categories of visual-only (82.2%), text-only (69.6%), and fusion tasks (83.5%).
Crystal Structure of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 DNA Polymerase

Herpesviruses are the second leading cause of human viral diseases. Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2 and Varicella-zoster virus produce neurotropic infections such as cutaneous and genital herpes, chickenpox, and shingles. Infections of a lymphotropic nature are caused by cytomegalovirus, HSV-6, HSV-7, and Epstein-Barr virus producing lymphoma, carcinoma, and congenital abnormalities. Yet another series of serious health problems are posed by infections in immunocompromised individuals. Common therapies for herpes viral infections employ nucleoside analogs, such as Acyclovir, and target the viral DNA polymerase, essential for viral DNA replication. Although clinically useful, this class of drugs exhibits a narrow antiviral spectrum, and resistance to these agents is an emerging problem for disease management. A better understanding of herpes virus replication will help the development of new safe and effective broad spectrum anti-herpetic drugs that fill an unmet need. Here, we present the first crystal structure of a herpesvirus polymerase, the Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 DNA polymerase, at 2.7 A resolution. The structural similarity of this polymerase to other α polymerases has allowed us to construct high confidence models of a replication complex of the polymerase and of Acyclovir as a DNA chain terminator. We propose a novel inhibition mechanism in which a representative of a series of non-nucleosidic viral polymerase inhibitors, the 4-oxo-dihydroquinolines, binds at the polymerase active site interacting non-covalently with both the polymerase and the DNA duplex.
Depressive Symptoms, Depletion, or Developmental Change? Withdrawal, Apathy, and Lack of Vigor in the Geriatric Depression Scale

Purpose of the Study: Researchers have posited a depletion syndrome among older adults that resembles “depression without sadness.“ Disengagement-related theories such as socio-emotional selectivity and gerotranscendence also describe an adaptive narrowing of the older person’s social world and decreasing investment in activities and social relationships. This study has dual goals of confirming the existence of a “Withdrawal/Apathy/[Lack of] Vigor” (WAV) dimension of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and exploring its properties for evidence that it may be descriptive of either depletion or disengagement-related change in older adults. Design and Methods: Data were obtained through a mailed survey of members 65 and older at a health maintenance organization. Respondents returned 327 completed surveys and 163 “decline” postcards. Principal-components analysis obtained a 6-item WAV factor for further analyses. Results and Implications: High endorsement rates for the items in WAV and its bivariate correlations with age and health problems suggest WAV may be congruent with disengagement or depletion and may lead to over-identification of depression in older adults. Interpretation of the GDS and similar measures may be improved by use of subscale scores and consideration of age and health status of the respondent.
An approach for assessing engineering risk from shale gas wells in the United States

In response to a series of “energy crises” in the 1970s, the United States government began investigating the potential of unconventional, domestic sources of energy to offset imported oil. Hydraulic fracturing applied to vertical tight sand and coal bed methane wells achieved some degree of success during a period of high energy prices in the early 1980s, but shale gas remained largely untapped until the late 1990s with the application of directional drilling, a mature technology adapted from deepwater offshore platforms that allowed horizontal wells to penetrate kilometers of organic-rich shale, and staged hydraulic fracturing, which created high permeability flowpaths from the horizontal wells into a much greater volume of the target formations than previous completion methods. These new engineering techniques opened up vast unconventional natural gas and oil reserves, but also raised concerns about potential environmental impacts. These include short-term and long-term impacts to air and water quality from rig operations, potential migration of gas, fluids and chemicals through the ground, and effects on small watersheds and landscapes from roads, pads and other surface structures. Engineering risk assessment commonly uses integrated assessment models (IAMs), which define sources of risk from features, events and processes. The risk from each system element is assessed using high-fidelity models. Output from these is simplified into reduced-order models, so that a large, integrated site performance assessment can be run using the IAM. The technique has been applied to engineered systems in geologic settings for sequestering carbon dioxide, and it is also applicable to shale gas, albeit with some modifications of the various system elements. Preliminary findings indicate that shale gas well drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques are generally safe when properly applied. Incident reports recorded by state environmental agencies suggest that human error resulting from the disregard of prescribed practices is the greatest cause of environmental incidents. This can only be addressed through education, regulations and enforcement.
Genetic diversity and population structure in Malus sieversii, a wild progenitor species of domesticated apple

Malus sieversii (Lebed.) M. Roem. is a wild progenitor species of the domesticated apple. It is found across a mountainous region of central Asia and has been the focus of several collection expeditions by the USDA-ARS-National Plant Germplasm System. This study used microsatellite variation at seven loci to estimate diversity and differentiation within M. sieversii using several complimentary approaches. Multilocus genotypes were amplified from 949 individuals representing seedling trees from 88 half-sib families from eight M. sieversii populations collected in Kazakhstan. Apportioning of genetic variation was estimated at both the family and site level. Analyses using a hierarchical model to estimate F st showed that differentiation among individual families is more than three times greater than differentiation among sites. In addition, average gene diversity and allelic richness varied significantly among sites. A rendering of a genetic network among all sites showed that differentiation is largely congruent with geographical location. In addition, nonhierarchical Bayesian assignment methods were used to infer genetic clusters across the collection area. We detected four genetic clusters in the data set. The quality of these assignments was evaluated over multiple Markov Chain Monte Carlo runs using both posterior likelihood and stability of the assignments. The spatial pattern of genetic assignments among the eight collection sites shows two broadly distributed and two narrowly distributed clusters. These data indicate that the southwestern collection sites are more admixed and more diverse than the northern sites.
Jurassic magnetostratigraphy, 2. Middle-Late Oxfordian of Aguilon, Iberian Cordillera, northern Spain

Abstract A reproducible magnetic polarity pattern has been obtained from four overlapping stratigraphic sequences of ammonite-rich gray pelagic limestones, spanning part of the Middle and Late Oxfordian (G. transversarium toE. bimammatum ammonite zones). Progressive thermal demagnetization removed a present field overprint. Fold tests, both between- and within-outcrops, are positive. The mean direction of magnetization is 322°, 45° (α95 = 6°), which implies a paleolatitude of 26°N. Frequent changes of polarity were observed. The magnetostratigraphic sequence contains the ammonite zones, subzones, and horizons of the Tethyan faunal realm. Using the reference horizons provided by this detailed ammonite zonation, the polarity zones can be readily correlated among all sections. The composite polarity pattern is predominantly of reversed polarity, punctuated by a number of relatively shorter duration normal polarity intervals. In order to compare this sequence to that of the marine magnetic anomalies, we have revised the age estimates for the pre-M25 marine magnetic normaly pattern according to the most recent time scale. Based on those ages, the sedimentary record at Aguilon suggests a much greater frequency of polarity changes than does either model derived from the two sets of marine magnetic anomalies of this time. This sedimentary record probably is a truer approximation of the actual geomagnetic polarity history because of the continuity of sedimentation in these sections and the inherent ambiguities involved in determining a polarity pattern from the very low amplitudes that everywhere characterize this part of the marine record.
Administrative Practice in Human Services: Future Directions for Curriculum Development

Administrative practice in human services programs has distinctive characteristics that distinguish itfrom business administration and public administration. A specialized curriculum that includes ...
Synthesis of glycoproteins in brain: identification, purification and properties of a synaptosomal sialyl transferase utilizing endogenous and exogenous acceptors.

— Synaptosomes from guinea-pig cerebral cortex contain a fetuin: sialyl glyco-protein: glycosyl transferase; evidence is presented which indicates that both a sialyl transferase; evidence is presented which indicates that both a sialyl transferase and endogenous acceptors were located in the synaptosome ‘ghost’ fractions. Following solubilization of synaptosomes with Triton X-100 and the use of fetuin minus NANA as acceptor, 25 per cent of the transferase was recovered after centrifugation and column chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and G-200 with a 64·0-fold purification. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 6·3, required no divalent metal cation for activity, and exhibited high activity with either fetuin minus sialic acid, prothrombin minus sialic acid, Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein minus sialic acid, or orosomucoid minus sialic acid as acceptor; neither BSM nor PSM minus NANA functioned as an effective acceptor. The fetuin:sialyl transferase using fetuin minus sialic acid and CMP-sialic acid as substrates a and b, respectively, gave the following kinetic constants when using the Cleland bisubstrate model: Ka= 35μM; Kb= 3 μM; Kia, = 25 μM; Kib= 25μM; and V1= 92 pmoles. min−1.mg−1 of protein. The following divalent cations inhibited the reaction: Ba2+ > Hg2+ > Pb2+ > Cu2+.
Evaluation of an Electronic Critical Drug Interaction Program Coupled with Active Pharmacist Intervention

Background:Failure to detect significant drug interactions may result in adverse outcomes. While proper screening and management of drug interactions can prevent the majority of adverse events, studies indicate that current practice is suboptimal. In the last quarter of 2001, physicians and pharmacists in Kaiser Permanente Colorado, a group model health maintenance organization, developed an electronic critical drug interaction alert program (CDIX). Electronic screening was coupled with active intervention to prevent dispensing of critically interacting drug combinations.Objective:To assess the impact of CDIX on the co-dispensing ol critically interacting drug combinations.Methods:A physician and team of outpatient pharmacists and clinical pharmacy staff developed a condensed list of critical drug interactions (8 drug combinations) to be included in the evaluation of CDIX. Monthly electronic outpatient pharmacy data were collected 20 months before and 37 months after CDIX implementation, with no lag perio...
Algorithmic applications to social networks, secretary problems and differential privacy

This dissertation is a study in the applications of algorithmic techniques to four specific problems in the domains of social networks, online algorithms and differential privacy. We start by looking at the structure of directed networks. In [Gupte, Shankar, Li, Muthukrishnan, and Iftode, 2011] we define a measure of hierarchy in directed online social networks, and using primal-dual techniques, present an efficient algorithm to compute this measure. Our experiments on different online social networks show how hierarchy emerges as we increase the size of the network. We study the dynamics of information propagation in online social networks in [Gupte, Hajiaghayi, Han, Iftode, Shankar, and Ursu, 2009]. For a suitable random graph model of a social network, we prove that news propagation follows a threshold phenomenon, hence, high-quality information provably spreads throughout the network assuming users are greedy. Starting from a sample of the Twitter graph, we show through simulations that the threshold phenomenon is exhibited by both the greedy and courteous user models. In chapter 4, we turn our attention from social networks to online algorithms. The specific problem we tackle is to select a large independent set from a general independence set systems when elements arrive online and we are in the random permutation model. Using a random sampling oracle, we give an algorithm which outputs a set of size Ω(s/ log n log log n), where s is size of the largest set. This gives a O (log n log log n ) approximation algorithm, which matches the lower bound within log log n factors. The last problem we discuss is a scheme for the private release of aggregate information [Gupte and Sundararajan, 2010]. Such a scheme must resolve the trade-off between utility to information consumers and privacy of the database participants. Differential privacy [Dwork, McSherry, Nissim, and Smith, 2006] is a well-established definition of privacy. In this work, we present a universal treatment of utility based on the standard minimax rule from decision theory. Under the assumption of rational behavior, we show that for every fixed count query, a certain geometric mechanism is universally optimal for all minimax information consumers. Additionally, our solution makes it possible to release query results at multiple levels of privacy in a collusion-resistant manner.
Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest

Resuscitated cardiac arrest continues to carry a poor prognosis despite advances in medical care. One such advance, therapeutic hypothermia, is neuroprotective and has been demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes in patients who remain unresponsive despite return of spontaneous circulation after arrhythmogenic cardiac arrest. Two landmark randomized controlled trials, both reported in 2002, led to endorsements by major American and European guidelines for therapeutic hypothermia as a viable treatment option for the prevention of adverse outcomes related to anoxic encephalopathy. Since then, significant research has been conducted to better understand the optimum strategies to maximize the neuroprotective effects of hypothermia. However, dissemination of therapeutic hypothermia guideline recommendations into clinical practice has been slow and incomplete. In this review article, we discuss the historical background and physiologic rationale for therapeutic hypothermia, review the recent literature supporting this intervention, and outline practical considerations.
Seasonal Radar and Meteorological Observations Associated with Nocturnal Insect Flight at Altitudes to 900 Meters

Nocturnal aerial insect flight activities between 30 and 900 m above ground level were monitored with 3-cm scanning radar during the spring, summer, and fall seasons of 1988 and 1989 in the Brazos River Valley of Burleson County near College Station, TX. Surface meteorological parameters were measured continuously with weather station instrumentation, and radiosondes carried aloft by weather balloons were used to measure upper-air temperatures and wind conditions. Aerial volume density patterns and flight behaviors observed with radar varied nightly because of the many biological and meteorological variables involved, but certain seasonal characteristics of insect flight behavior became apparent during the course of the research. Nightly local dispersal flights at dusk were the norm, especially during the summer. Large numbers of insects were typically airborne for 1 to 2 h beginning about one-half hour after sunset with some of them reaching altitudes of 800 m or more where wind speeds were typically greater than 30 km/h. Several apparent long-range migration-type insect movement events were observed in which insects were concentrated in layers in high-speed, low-level wind jets that were apparently associated with nocturnal upper-air temperature inversions. Migration-type movement of insects tended to be south to north in the spring and early summer and north to south in the fall.
Unusual Phosphoryl Donor Properties of OP(MeNCH2CH2)3N

The title compound (4) in which transannular bridgehead−bridgehead bonding is absent, reacts with phosphoryl and silyl chlorides to give the isolable salts [ZOP(MeNCH2CH2)3N]Cl where Z = Ph2P(O), 6(Cl); PhP(O)Cl, 7(Cl); 1/2PhP(O), 8(Cl); MeSiCl2, 14(Cl); and SiCl3, 15(Cl). Spectroscopic evidence for [ROP(MeNCH2CH2)3N]+ cations, where R = H, 16; Me, 17; Et, 18, and the isolation of the regioisomeric cations [OP(MeNCH2CH2)3NR]+ (R = Me, 19; Et, 20; n-Pr, 21; n-Bu, 22) as their iodide salts is also reported. In the presence of Cl3PO, PCl5, or SOCl2, 4 gives the [ClP(MeNCH2CH2)3N]+ cation (26) which is also formed when P(MeNCH2CH2)3N is oxidized with C2Cl6. The more sterically hindered analogue of 4, namely OP(i-PrNCH2CH2)3N (28) (whose synthesis is reported herein), reacts with MeI and EtI to afford the isolable salts [OP(i-PrNCH2CH2)3NR]I [R = Me, 29(I); Et, 30(I)]. Cations 29 and 30 display 1H and 13C NMR spectra at room temperature that are consistent with a quaternization-induced rigidity of the cage tha...
Influence of Winter Cover Crop Suppression Practices on Seasonal Abundance of Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Cover Crop Regrowth, and Yield in No-Till Corn

Rye ( Secale cereale L.), used as a winter cover crop, was killed by paraquat or by mowing with a bushog. In the early stages of subsequent no-till corn, abundance of armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth), was lower in the mowed treatment compared with the sprayed treatment in three of five fields and did not differ in another field. Over the duration of the first armyworm generation, cumulative armyworm-days in the sprayed treatment were greater than in the mowed treatment in three of five fields and did not differ in another field. Mowing the cover crop was 40% less expensive than spraying. Competition from rye regrowth in the mowed treatment did not diminish yields. Corn silage yields were increased by mowing ( P = 0.07), and the average increase in net benefit from mowing the cover crop compared with spraying was 91–113/ha. Cover crop mowing may be an economical and effective means of managing armyworm populations in no-till corn.