cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Men's Behavior and Women's Interest in Blue-Collar Jobs

Several factors have limited women's inroads into skilled blue-collar jobs. With questionnaire and interview data from employees at a large utility firm, this paper examines whether men's reactions to women who worked temporarily in plant jobs discouraged women from permanently returning to such jobs. Women who held male blue-collar plant jobs during a strike of unionized male workers experienced hostility, sexual harassment, paternalism, and functional differentiation from their male coworkers and supervisors. Although none of our measures of these male behaviors directly discouraged women against transferring to plant jobs, they did have a minor indirect effect on how much they liked their strike job, which in turn influenced their interest in transferring to plant jobs. These results suggest that male coworkers' reactions and the quality of women's relationships with male coworkers—while they affect women's daily work experiences in blue-collar jobs—are less a barrier to women's interest in male blue-collar jobs than is often presumed.
Connection of renewable energy sources through grid constraint points using HVDC power transmission systems

The use of HVDC as an effective means of transmitting electrical energy now has a 50 year history since the first modern schemes were developed. Technological advances have resulted in HVDC becoming a reliable and efficient means of power transmission, both in competition with, and complementary to, AC transmission schemes. This paper will consider the opportunities and also some of the challenges involved in a range of HVDC scheme configurations. This will cover overhead transmission schemes, submarine cable schemes and back- to - back schemes. The paper also considers the specific issues involved in the design of a multi-terminal HVDC system. In each case the key issues in the planning, design and execution of the schemes are discussed. The paper will consider the most recent schemes in design and construction, such as the 1800MW Al Fadhili station in Saudi Arabia, the long distance 3000MW ±500kV Three Gorges - Shanghai project and 4000MW ±660kV Ningdong - Shangdong projects in China. All of these projects bring new challenges to the design engineers and require considerable study of the interaction between the HVDC schemes and the AC transmission networks.
No honor among snails: Conspecific competition leads to incomplete drill holes by a naticid gastropod

Abstract Incomplete drill holes in shelled invertebrate prey produced by predatory gastropods are often interpreted as failed attacks, and the frequency of incomplete drill holes in a sample is thought to provide insight into the effectiveness of prey defensive adaptations. Here, we conduct an experimental test of the hypothesis that differences in the frequencies of incomplete drill holes do not necessarily indicate anything about the prey and can instead be triggered by disturbance competition among conspecific drilling gastropods. Our test employed the western Atlantic naticid gastropod Neverita delessertiana and its venerid bivalve prey Chione elevata. The experiment consisted of an isolation treatment, where predators fed in the absence of conspecifics, and a competition treatment, where predators fed in groups of three. Competitive interactions, which included grappling, prey theft, and cannibalism, were found to be important in determining the presence of incomplete drill holes, as this trace was absent in the isolation treatment but present in the competition treatment, with the frequency of incomplete drill holes increasing in interactions among larger gastropods. These results suggest that interpretations of both field and fossil data must consider the role of competitive disruption as an additional mechanism underlying long-term patterns in the frequency of incomplete drill holes in the fossil record.
Arabidopsis POT1 associates with the telomerase RNP and is required for telomere maintenance

POT1 is a single-copy gene in yeast and humans that encodes a single-strand telomere binding protein required for chromosome end protection and telomere length regulation. In contrast, Arabidopsis harbors multiple, divergent POT-like genes that bear signature N-terminal OB-fold motifs, but otherwise share limited sequence similarity. Here, we report that plants null for AtPOT1 show no telomere deprotection phenotype, but rather exhibit progressive loss of telomeric DNA. Genetic analysis indicates that AtPOT1 acts in the same pathway as telomerase. In vitro levels of telomerase activity in pot1 mutants are significantly reduced and are more variable than wild-type. Consistent with this observation, AtPOT1 physically associates with active telomerase particles. Although low levels of AtPOT1 can be detected at telomeres in unsynchronized cells and in cells arrested in G2, AtPOT1 binding is significantly enhanced during S-phase, when telomerase is thought to act at telomeres. Our findings indicate that AtPOT1 is a novel accessory factor for telomerase required for positive telomere length regulation, and they underscore the coordinate and extraordinarily rapid evolution of telomere proteins and the telomerase enzyme.
Hemoglobin alterations in the gamma-irradiated Spanish goat.

Abstract 1. 1. Blood samples from control and gamma-irradiated Spanish goats were characterized for hemoglobin. 2. 2. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of a hemoglobin, designated C, in 52 per cent of the irradiated animals which was not observed in any of the controls. 3. 3. This hemoglobin was electrophoretically distinguishable from goat fetal hemoglobin. 4. 4. An inverse relationship was observed between total hemoglobin and hemoglobin C, indicating that the appearance of hemoglobin C is an indirect response to irradiation via an induced anemia.
Testing models of the arrangement of DNA inside bacteriophage λ by crosslinking the packaged DNA

Abstract Bis-psoralens can make crosslinks between two adjacent segments of a condensed DNA molecule. We have used bis-psoralen crosslinking as a covalent means of preserving structural features of DNA packaged inside bacteriophage λ. A single bis-crosslink prevents normal electron microscopic spreading of intact λ DNA: after deproteinization the molecules appear as tangled rosettes which are presumably due either to trapped knots or supercoils. However, restriction nuclease digestion of the crosslinked DNA yields fragments that spread normally. The location of crosslinks can be studied by their appearance in such a digest as X-shaped molecular features. Significant crosslinking frequencies are found between all six possible pairs of the four largest Bgl II fragments of λ DNA. Little or no evidence is seen for crosslinked loops within individual fragments. These results are inconsistent with two previously suggested models of intraphage DNA packaging. Determination of the positions of crosslinks within restriction fragments yields a pattern of DNA contacts too complex for any simple analysis. The finding of hints of periodicity in the sites of crosslinks, preferential crosslinking of some restriction fragments, and the occurrence of one particularly efficient crosslinking reaction between two restriction fragments appear to rule out purely random packaging arrangements.
A chemical refrigerant

For the past several decades wet ice has been the common coolant used to maintain whole blood at 4 to 10 C during transit. This practice was introduced by the military during the early part of World War II, when whole blood was shipped from the United States to the War Zone.1 The data presented herein, collected during recent field studies, show that a chemically produced refrigerant provides a satisfactory substitute for wet ice. A noteworthy advantage of this type coolant is that it may be produced independent of electrical current; especially important during disaster and power failure. The purpose of this paper is to further augment earlier work by McPeak and Camp.2 The refrigerant was made from 12 pounds of a highly soluble crystalline, nitrogenous synthetic compound (CONH2) mixed with 2,500 ml of water.
Optimum source frequency in vibration production technology

A method for determining the source frequency to use in vibration production technology is presented. Vibration production technology is a simple, economic, and efficient way to increase oil production in some oil fields, and the source frequency is an important parameter in this technology. We use a finite element method to solve the coupled wave propagation problem in underground porous media and a modal decomposition method to solve the dynamic ordinary differential equations given by the finite element method. Then a direct search algorithm is used to solve the optimum source frequency problem. Detailed formulae are derived for the proposed method, and the numerical result of an applied example demonstrates the usage of the method.
Deep policy: Conscious evolution in the Forest

Anthropocentric and individualistic foundations result in forest management policy based on linear, single‐dimensional, marginal analysis detrimental to the well‐being of the forest ecosystem. Recent theories from the fields of ethics, economics, and policy analysis find that nonlinear, multidimensional analysis is possible, provided one can divorce oneself from anthropocentric and individualistic tendencies. Deep policy is introduced as a policy perspective that encourages questioning the fundamental values upon which policy decisions are made, just as deep ecology encourages a similar questioning of ecological values. An experiment is proposed for forest management in the Pacific Northwest, in which a self‐realizing Forest Board demonstrates punctuated equilibrium in forest management policy.
OUTBURST FLOODS FROM GLACIER-DAMMED LAKES: THE EFFECT OF MODE OF LAKE DRAINAGE ON FLOOD MAGNITUDE

Published accounts of outburst floods from glacier-dammed lakes show that a significant number of such floods are associated not with drainage through a tunnel incised into the basal ice—the process generally assumed—but rather with ice-marginal drainage, mechanical failure of part of the ice dam, or both. Non-tunnel floods are strongly correlated with formation of an ice dam by a glacier advancing from a tributary drainage into either a main river valley or a pre-existing body of water (lake or fiord). For a given lake volume, non-tunnel floods tend to have significantly higher peak discharges than tunnel-drainage floods. Statistical analysis of data for floods associated with subglacial tunnels yields the following empirical relation between lake volume V and peak discharge Qp : Qp = 46V0.66 (r2 = 0.70), when Qp is expressed in metres per second and V in millions of cubic metres. This updates the so-called Clague–Mathews relation. For non-tunnel floods, the analogous relation is Qp = 1100V0.44 (r2 = 0.58). The latter relation is close to one found by Costa (1988) for failure of constructed earthen dams. This closeness is probably not coincidental but rather reflects similarities in modes of dam failure and lake drainage. We develop a simple physical model of the breach-widening process for non-tunnel floods, assuming that (1) the rate of breach widening is controlled by melting of the ice, (2) outflow from the lake is regulated by the hydraulic condition of critical flow where water enters the breach, and (3) the effect of lake temperature may be dealt with as done by Clarke (1982). Calculations based on the model simulate quite well outbursts from Lake George, Alaska. Dimensional analysis leads to two approximations of the form Qp ∝ Vqf(hi, θ0), where q = 0.5 to 0.6, hi is initial lake depth, θ0 is lake temperature, and the form of f (hi, θ0) depends on the relative importance of viscous dissipation and the lake's thermal energy in determining the rate of breach opening. These expressions, along with the regression relations, should prove useful for assessing the probable magnitude of breach-type outburst floods.
So you want brooks in your classroom

Fred Brooks' seminal book, "The Mythical Man-Month" (MMM) is a firmly established classic in software engineering. Many of us feel compelled to use this work to help our students appreciate and put into practice the fundamental software engineering concepts contained between its covers. This often amounts to using "passive" lesson plans such as required readings followed by lectures and exams; these rarely fully satisfy our learning objectives. Rather, students often have mixed reactions to MMM with the result that it has little impact on their attitudes and practices, both in and out of the classroom. This paper outlines a more active approach to incorporating MMM into the classroom, one that we have refined over 6 years, at multiple universities and in both graduate and undergraduate courses. It includes learning objectives, a lesson plan, sample materials, an implementation discussion, and an evaluation of the approach's impact.
Markers of increased risk for failure of adjuvant therapies

Abstract Mortality from breast cancer has been declining in the Western World since 1985. Arguably, widespread application of effective adjuvant systemic therapy has been a considerable contributing factor. Data from individual trials and the Oxford Overview Meta-analyses demonstrate that both endocrine and chemotherapy are associated with significant and substantive proportional reductions in annual hazard rates of relapse and death. These statistics raise the question: Should all patients be treated with all therapies in order to ensure an ongoing sharp decline in breast cancer mortality? The answer to this question depends on the perspectives of the patient, her caregiver, and her society towards the relative toxicities and benefits of therapy. If a patient is willing to accept toxicities for any benefit, then the answer is yes. However, if a woman is willing to forego some benefit to avoid the toxicities of therapy, then the clinician should carefully use well-validated prognostic and predictive factors to help the patient select her most acceptable treatment plan.
Reversed-Phase Chromatographic Separation of Benzo[A]Pyrene Metabolites with β-Cyclodextrin as a Mobile Phase Modifier

Abstract β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) was investigated as a mobile phase modifier for the separation of fourteen metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene. A wide range of β-CD concentrations was employed, and the chromatographic properties of four different classes of metabolites were compared in methanol-water, acetonitrile-water, and methanol-acetonitrile-water mobile phases with and without β-CD. The chromatographic bands for all the metabolites sharpened with β-CD in the mobile phase. The resolution for four classes of metabolites improved with β-CD in the binary and ternary mobile phases. The monohydroxyl-benzo[a]pyrenes used in this study were structurally similar and difficult to separate with methanol-water. However, with β-CD in the mobile phase, overall improvement in the separation of the monohydroxyl-benzo[a]pyrenes was achieved. Substantial improvement was obtained for the separation of 6-hydroxyl-benzo[a]pyrene from 12-hydroxyl-benzo[a]pyrene with β-CD in methanol-water and for 2-hydroxyl-benzo[a]pyrene from ...
Preferential repair by squamous epithelium of thermal induced injury to the proximal stomach in patients undergoing ablation of Barrett's esophagus

Abstract Background: The presence of extensions of squamous epithelium into the proximal stomach in patients undergoing routine upper endoscopy has recently been described. The factors that may favor development of squamous epithelium within the proximal stomach remain unknown. Methods: Patients with Barrett's esophagus who agreed to undergo ablation of Barrett's epithelium by using multipolar electrocoagulation were included. Patients were treated with a high dose of a proton pump inhibitor. The columnar-appearing mucosa was systematically treated. Occasionally, thermal injury was inadvertently induced in the proximal stomach. On endoscopy performed 4 to 6 weeks after treatment, the presence of squamous epithelium extending into the proximal stomach was documented. The use of Lugol's stain assisted in confirming the squamous nature of the abnormal tissue, which was confirmed histologically by cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. Results: The 12 patients included in the study had a mean length of Barrett's epithelium of 3.8 ± 0.7 cm. Patients were treated with omeprazole, mean dose 66 ± 6.0 mg, and had a mean percent total time that the pH was less than 4 of 1.9 ± 0.8. The mean length and width of gastric squamous extensions were 1.7 ± 0.2 cm and 0.8 ± 0.1 cm, respectively. None of the squamous extensions into the stomach were documented before mucosal ablation. The extensions stained positively for cytokeratin 13 and negatively for cytokeratin 8, thereby confirming their squamous nature. Conclusions: Thermal injury to the proximal stomach in patients undergoing ablation of Barrett's epithelium and profound acid suppression results in repair by squamous epithelium. Recognition of this lesion is essential because it may lead to confusion as to the location of the esophagogastric junction in subsequent endoscopic evaluations. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;53:711-6.)
Capsule Commentary on Ursua et al., Awareness, Treatment and Control of Hypertension Among Filipino Immigrants

The study by Ursua et al.1 investigates the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among New York City (NYC) Filipino immigrants (FI). The results highlighted that most of the immigrants who were found to be hypertensive at their screen (72.1 %) were aware of their diagnosis, and over half (56.5 %) were on treatment, but less than a quarter had well-controlled blood pressure. This is lower than other NYC residents (NYC Health And Nutrition Examination Survey). In particular, control was much lower (47.1 % vs. 21.7 %).2 There are a myriad of studies that show disparities in health and health outcomes for minority and disadvantaged populations. The next step after identification is to tease out unique characteristics for specific populations, to root out the causes of disparities and try to intervene. This study found that awareness and treatment rates among young and middle-aged FI are very low, and that the elderly FI, a population with very high prevalence of hypertension,3 and those living in United States for >15 years are more likely to be on treatment. While insurance status was not associated with likelihood of being on treatment, it nearly doubled the odds of blood pressure being well controlled. This study did not look at the impact of access to regular medical care on hypertension control. Future studies need to examine the importance of various factors, both genetic and cultural, that might influence health behaviors and outcomes. Developing effective interventions to improve health stems from understanding the influence of various factors on health. What are the FI cultural beliefs about diet, exercise or weight control? Do new immigrants prefer nontraditional health providers? Who influences the FI culture in NYC? Are there problems with access to health care? Do FI have access to healthy food? Is there a gap in the understanding of the importance of hypertension on long-term outcomes? It is time to move beyond demonstrating that disparities exist and to explore the underlying causes. Tailoring effective interventions rests upon understanding these influences.
PREDICTING CERTIFIED NURSE-MIDWIVES' COUNSELING AND PRESCRIBING PRACTICES OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

Purpose: Test the adequacy of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain the influences that attitudes and beliefs, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control have on certified nurse-midwives' (CNMs') intentions to counsel and prescribe emergency contraception (EC) to women; examine EC knowledge, counseling, and prescribing practices of CNMs. Research Question: What is the effect of attitudes and beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on CNMs' intentions to counsel women about and prescribe EC? Hypothesis: Midwives' prescribing and counseling practices will be influenced by constructs of the TPB. Significance/Background: EC is a safe and effective method to reduce unintended pregnancy. Few studies have been dedicated to understanding CNMs' prescribing and counseling patterns of EC. Methods: This study was guided by a descriptive correlational design and used an electronic survey for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to test the adequacy of the TPB to explain CNMs' intentions to counsel and prescribe EC. Findings: The TPB was found to be a valid theoretical framework for predicting intention of CNMs to counsel and prescribe EC to women and provided insights to the multiple influences on CNMs' intention to counsel and prescribe EC to women. CNMs are overwhelmingly in favor of EC as a means to reduce unintended pregnancy. Discussion: Policies within CNM practice settings such as those requiring a provider visit may reduce access to EC for women.
Weibull and Gamma Renewal Approximation Using Generalized Exponential Functions

When the inter-renewal time follows the Weibull or the Gamma distribution, the analytical renewal function (RF) usually is not tractable, and approximation method has been used. Instead of approximating RF directly, this article proposes the generalized exponential function to approximate the underlying Weibull or Gamma distributions, and then solves for the RF using Laplace transform. Parameters for generalized exponential function can be obtained by solving a simple optimization problem. The method can obtain accurate RF approximations where the inter-renewals follow Weibull or Gamma distributions, yet analytical RF is still desirable. Comprehensive analysis shows that the new model is mathematically accurate and computationally convenient to approximate the Weibull RF given its shape parameter β ∈ [1, 5]. For the Gamma distribution, the proposed model can achieve good approximations when the Gamma shape parameter k ∈ [1, 10]. These are the typical ranges of shape parameters when modeling the product re...
Contrast Sensitivity in a Dynamic Environment: Effects of Target Conditions and Visual Impairment

Contrast sensitivity was determined as a function of target velocity (0 degrees - 120 degrees/s) over a variety of viewing conditions. In Experiment 1, measurements of dynamic contrast sensitivity were determined for 24 male and 24 female observers as a function of target velocity for letter stimuli of 2 sizes and 2 durations. Significant main effects were found for target velocity, target size, and target duration, but significant interactions among the variables indicated especially pronounced adverse effects of increasing target velocity for small targets and brief durations. In Experiment 2, the effects of simulated cataracts on dynamic contrast sensitivity were determined for 10 male and 10 female observers. Although the simulated impairment had no effect on traditional acuity scores, dynamic contrast sensitivity was markedly reduced under all conditions but especially with the smaller targets and at higher velocities. Results are discussed in terms of dynamic contrast sensitivity as a useful composite measure of visual functioning that may provide a better overall picture of an individual's visual functioning than does traditional static acuity, dynamic acuity, or contrast sensitivity alone. The measure of dynamic contrast sensitivity may increase understanding of the practical effects of various conditions, such as aging or disease, on the visual system, or it may allow improved prediction of individuals' performance in visually dynamic, situations, such as driving and sports.
Recovery in main memory database systems for engineering design applications

Abstract An engineering design database organizes the descriptions of complicated artefacts and requires high performance. The availability of large, relatively inexpensive main memories would enable the advent of high-performance engineering design databases that have all the data in main memory. The challenge in the design of such databases is to provide fast transaction processing by different access methods and to provide a rapid restart after a failure, ensuring that transactions are atomic and durable in spite of main memory's volatility. A recovery scheme for high-performance databases with large main memory is presented. It achieves noninterference and a fast restart through incremental checkpointing and log compression.
Drug pharmacokinetics and the carbon dioxide breath test

The interrelationship of the pharmacokinetics of a drug and the expiration of carbon dioxide formed as a metabolite have been studied. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug that affect the usefulness of the carbon dioxide excretion as a measure of liver function were examined by means of computer simulations. The parent drug extraction ratio, fraction demethylated, volume of distribution, and absorption rate of an oral dosage form all contribute to the carbon dioxide breath test result. A drug that would be a useful substrate when the carbon dioxide breath test is used as a probe for changes in liver function should be at least 50% metabolized by demethylation, have a hepatic extraction ratio of 0.2-0.5, and be administered in a form that is rapidly absorbed.
Magnetism and fermiology of κ -(BEDT-TSF) 2 FeCl 4

Magnetization studies reveal that the ground state of {kappa}-(BEDT-TSF){sub 2}FeCl{sub 4} is J = 1/2 with weak antiferromagnetic correlations. Quantum oscillation studies indicate that the effective masses of the quasiparticles are considerably enhanced with respect to those of isostructural {kappa}-(BEDT-TSF){sub 2}GaCl{sub 4}. We attribute the mass enhancement to spin fluctuation effects involving the Fe magnetic moments within the inorganic layer. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the Amazon Basin

As a part of the NASA's Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment 2A mission, the cycle of atmospheric CO2 over the Amazon Basin was examined using measured vertical profiles of CO2 concentrations in the canopy and aloft, and direct measurements of CO2 emissions from soils. The results provide a detailed picture of daily exchanges of air between the tropical forest (0-30) and the atmospheric boundary layer (30-2000 m). A comparison of atmospheric CO2 distributions over forests, wetlands, and rivers shows that the lower atmosphere over forests functions separately from that over rivers or wetlands during the night and to some extent during the day; the basic diurnal cycle of CO2 over wetlands is much weaker than over forests, and the cycle is almost absent over rivers. This result is consistent with expectations based on the biogeochemistry of organic carbon in these systems.
MULTIVARIABLE CONTROL OF FLEXLAB USING EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINED MODELS

The motivation for this paper is to report on the evolution and development ofFlexlab, a facility which was introduced and described in a 1997 paper by Bart A. Blinn and R. Dennis Irwin. While some of the general features of the lab are repeated here, the main emphasis of this paper is to report on multivariable results which were unavailable in the last publication.
APPLICATIONS OF A FAST, TIME ACCURATE FULL POTENTIAL ScHEhlE TO A STATICALLY FLEXIBLE WING IN 1% TRANSONIC REGIME

A new CFD/aeroelastic method has been developed. unsteady full potential code to calculate aerodynamic forces of flexible wings in the transonic flight regime. incorporate aeroelastic structural deflections into the geometry definition and the subsequent grid generation phase for aerodynamic analysis has done through boundary condition treatment at the instantaneous surface location. This method is based on a robust
Comparative infectiousness of three passerine bird species after experimental inoculation with Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum has been isolated from various species of free-living birds, and we therefore tested the hypothesis that bird species other than the main host, the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), could play a role in the epidemiology of the infection. We compared the disease course in the house finch, American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) and house sparrow (Passer domesticus) after inoculation into the conjunctival sac with M. gallisepticum, and also the degree to which the three species were infectious to other naive house finches. Severity of clinical signs was least in house sparrows, intermediate in American goldfinch and the highest in house finch. House sparrows were only mildly infectious to naive house finches for a short time, whereas American goldfinches remained infectious for up to 49 days post inoculation, although by then there were no physical signs of disease. We conclude that since American goldfinches can be infectious without showing any conjunctivitis, and since they ofte...
Flexible control in processing affective and non-affective material predicts individual differences in trait resilience

Trait resilience is a stable personality characteristic that involves the self-reported ability to flexibly adapt to emotional events and situations. The present study examined cognitive processes that may explain individual differences in trait resilience. Participants completed self-report measures of trait resilience, cognitive flexibility and working memory capacity tasks, and a novel affective task-switching paradigm that assesses the ability to flexibly switch between processing the affective versus non-affective qualities of affective stimuli (i.e., flexible affective processing). As hypothesised, cognitive flexibility and flexible affective processing were unique predictors of trait resilience. Working memory capacity was not predictive of trait resilience, indicating that trait resilience is tied to specific cognitive processes rather than overall better cognitive functioning. Cognitive flexibility and flexible affective processing were not associated with other trait measures, suggesting that these flexibility processes are unique to trait resilience. This study was among the first to investigate the cognitive abilities underlying trait resilience.
Subcellular Localization of μ-Opioid Receptor Gs Signaling

In membranes obtained from μ-opioid receptor (MOR) expressing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (MOR-CHO), the MOR-selective agonist sufentanil produced a concentration-dependent stimulation of guanosine 5′-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate binding to Gsα that was abolished by blocking MOR with naloxone. This unequivocally demonstrates the long-debated functionality of the previously described association of MOR with Gsα. Several complementary observations indicate the relevance of caveolae to MOR-coupled Gsα signaling. 1) In MOR-CHO membranes, sufentanil stimulated the translocation of Gsα into Triton-insoluble membrane compartments. 2) Sufentanil enhanced the coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) of Gsα and adenylyl cyclase (AC) with caveolin-1 (a marker for caveolae) from the Triton-insoluble membrane fraction of spinal cord and MOR-CHO. 3) MOR blockade (via naloxone) or Gs inactivation (via cholera toxin) abolished both the increased trafficking of Gsα into the Triton-insoluble membrane fraction of MOR-CHO and the augmented co-IP from spinal cord membranes of Gsα and AC with caveolin-1. This indicates that these events occurred subsequent to activation of MOR and Gsα. Strikingly, lesser-phosphorylated Gsα, which preferentially couple to MOR (Mol Brain Res 135:217–224, 2005; Mol Pharmacol 72:753–760, 2007; Mol Pharmacol 73:868–879, 2008), are concentrated in caveolae, underscoring their relevance to MOR Gsα signaling. MOR-stimulated trafficking of Gsα and AC into caveolae and the likelihood of increased MOR Gsα coupling within caveolae could suggest that they contain the downstream effectors for MOR Gsα AC signaling.
GangSim: a simulator for grid scheduling studies

Large distributed grid systems pose new challenges in job scheduling due to complex workload characteristics and system characteristics. Due to the numerous parameters that must be considered and the complex interactions that can occur between different resource allocation policies, analytical modeling of system behavior appears impractical. Thus, we have developed the GangSim simulator to support studies of scheduling strategies in grid environments, with a particular focus on investigations of the interactions between local and community resource allocation policies. The GangSim implementation is derived in part from the Ganglia distributed monitoring framework, an implementation approach that permits mixing of simulated and real grid components. We present examples of the studies that GangSim permits, showing in particular how we can use GangSim to study the behavior of VO schedulers as a function of scheduling policy, resource usage policies, and workloads. We also present the results of experiments conducted on an operational Grid, Grid3, to evaluate GangSim's accuracy. These latter studies point to the need for more accurate modeling of various aspects of local site behavior.
The impact of spike timing variability on the signal-encoding performance of neural spiking models

It remains unclear whether the variability of neuronal spike trains in vivo arises due to biological noise sources or represents highly precise encoding of temporally varying synaptic input signals. Determining the variability of spike timing can provide fundamental insights into the nature of strategies used in the brain to represent and transmit information in the form of discrete spike trains. In this study, we employ a signal estimation paradigm to determine how variability in spike timing affects encoding of random time-varying signals. We assess this for two types of spiking models: an integrate-and-fire model with random threshold and a more biophysically realistic stochastic ion channel model. Using the coding fraction and mutual information as information-theoretic measures, we quantify the efficacy of optimal linear decoding of random inputs from the model outputs and study the relationship between efficacy and variability in the output spike train. Our findings suggest that variability does not necessarily hinder signal decoding for the biophysically plausible encoders examined and that the functional role of spiking variability depends intimately on the nature of the encoder and the signal processing task; variability can either enhance or impede decoding performance.
The Social Brain: Neural Basis of Social Knowledge

Social cognition in humans is distinguished by psychological processes that allow us to make inferences about what is going on inside other people—their intentions, feelings, and thoughts. Some of these processes likely account for aspects of human social behavior that are unique, such as our culture and civilization. Most schemes divide social information processing into those processes that are relatively automatic and driven by the stimuli, versus those that are more deliberative and controlled, and sensitive to context and strategy. These distinctions are reflected in the neural structures that underlie social cognition, where there is a recent wealth of data primarily from functional neuroimaging. Here I provide a broad survey of the key abilities, processes, and ways in which to relate these to data from cognitive neuroscience.
Current theories for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Over the past decade, the prevailing view for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has centred on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide that accumulates in vulnerable brain areas in the disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the build up of Aβ in the brain causes damage to neurons, leading to dysfunction and loss of neurons, and the clinical phenotype of the amnestic dementia characteristic of AD. All known mutations that result in autosomal dominant forms of early-onset familial AD cause increased production of Aβ42, a form of Aβ that is particularly relevant in AD. Other proteins that are crucial to the pathogenesis of AD are the presenilins 1 and 2, which are intimately involved with Aβ production and when mutated in familial forms of AD cause increases in Aβ42. Currently, challenges in AD research include determining the earliest pathological effects of Aβ42, how the important AD risk factor apolipoprotein E affects the disease process, whether presenilin is the elusive γ-secretase, and how levels of Aβ can be effectively reduced therapeutically.
Yeast-Derived Sigma C Protein-Induced Immunity Against Avian Reovirus

Abstract Avian reoviruses (ARVs) can result in disease and economic losses in the poultry industry. Vaccines against ARV may not provide full protection and can cause adverse reactions. The coding sequence of the sigma C protein from strain S1133 of avian reovirus was expressed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sigma C protein expression was demonstrated by Western blotting, and the protein was evaluated for its ability to protect specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens against challenge with the virulent S1133 strain. Serologic and challenge-infection data showed the efficacy of the recombinant vaccine administered orally each week for 3 consecutive wk. Sigma C protein induced antibody, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Percentage (%) protection induced by the low dose (125 μg purified yeast-expressed sigma C protein/chicken) or the high dose (250 μg purified yeast-expressed sigma C protein/chicken) was 64 and 91, respectively. The commercial vaccine administered once or twice provided 82% pr...
Sleep in populations of Drosophila melanogaster

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a diurnal insect active during the day with consolidated sleep at night. Social interactions between pairs of flies have been shown to affect locomotor activity patterns, but effects on locomotion and sleep patterns have not been assessed for larger populations. Here, we use a commercially available locomotor activity monitor (LAM25H) system to record and analyze sleep behavior. Surprisingly, we find that same-sex populations of flies synchronize their sleep/wake activity, resulting in a population sleep pattern, which is similar but not identical to that of isolated individuals. Like individual flies, groups of flies show circadian and homeostatic regulation of sleep, as well as sexual dimorphism in sleep pattern and sensitivity to starvation and a known sleep-disrupting mutation (amnesiac). Populations of flies, however, exhibit distinct sleep characteristics from individuals. Differences in sleep appear to be due to olfaction-dependent social interactions and change with population size and sex ratio. These data support the idea that it is possible to investigate neural mechanisms underlying the effects of population behaviors on sleep by directly looking at a large number of animals in laboratory conditions.
Third person null subjects in Hebrew, Finnish and Rumanian: an accessibility-theoretic account

Hebrew (past and future tenses) and Standard Finnish exhibit limitations on third person pro-drop, although their first and second person pro-drop follows the well-known Spanish/Italian pattern. This paper aims to show that only a detailed theory of discourse anaphora, such as the one proposed by Ariel (1990, 2001), can account for the distribution of third person pro-drop in Hebrew and Finnish; accounts proposing a syntactic analysis of the phenomenon cannot explain the whole range of data. A comparison between Hebrew and Finnish reveals a difference in the distribution of third person null subjects: Finnish appears to be significantly more restrictive than Hebrew. These two languages are also compared to Rumanian, a typical pro-drop language, which shows almost free third person pro-drop across the board.
Cost-Based Policy Mapping for Imitation

Imitation represents a powerful approach for programming and autonomous learning in robot and computer systems. An important aspect of imitation is the mapping of observations to an executable control strategy. This is particularly important if the behavioral capabilities of the observed and imitating agent differ significantly. This paper presents an approach that addresses this problem by locally optimizing a cost function representing the deviation from the observed state sequence and the cost of the actions required to perform the imitation. The result are imitation strategies that can be performed by the imitating agent and that as closely as possible resemble the observations of the demonstrating agent. The performance of this approach is illustrated within the context of a simulated multi-agent environment.
Phosphorylation of the Spo0B Response Regulator Phosphotransferase of the Phosphorelay Initiating Development in Bacillus subtilis

The initiation of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis is regulated by the phosphorelay, a complex signal transduction system consisting of kinases and response regulators. The key component of a phosphorelay is the phosphotransferase, which recognizes two response regulators and transfers a phosphoryl group between them. In this reaction, the phosphoryl of one response regulator is transferred to a histidine on the phosphotransferase before phosphorylating an aspartate of the second response regulator. The phosphorylated histidine on the Spo0B phosphotransferase was found to be His30. Site-directed mutation of His30 to alanine destroyed its phosphotransferase activity in vitroand strains constructed with this mutation were unable to sporulate. None of the other 10 histidines of Spo0B was implicated in the phosphotransferase reaction. A structurally vulnerable site, histidine 23, was also identified through the mutational study. The His30 of Spo0B resides in a domain with little sequence homology to functionally equivalent domains in the phosphorelays of other bacterial and yeast systems, suggesting that the two types of phosphotransfer domains evolved convergently.
Investigation of mixing and diffusion processes in hybrid spot laser?MIG keyhole welding

In hybrid laser‐MIG keyhole welding, anti-crack elements can be added into the weld pool through a filler metal in anticipation of compensating mass loss, preventing porosity formation and improving compositional and mechanical properties of the welds. Understanding the mixing and diffusion of the filler metal in the molten pool is vital to achieve these desired objectives. In this study, mathematical models and associated numerical techniques have been developed to investigate the mixing and diffusion processes in hybrid laser‐MIG keyhole welding. The transient interactions between droplets and weld pool and dynamics of the melt flow are studied. The effects of key process parameters, such as droplet size (wire diameter), droplet generation frequency (wire feed speed) and droplet impinging speed, on mixing/diffusion are systematically investigated. It was found that compositional homogeneity of the weld pool is determined by the competition between the mixing rate and the solidification rate. A small-size filler droplet together with high generation frequency can increase the latitudinal diffusion of the filler metal into the weld pool, while the large-size droplet along with the low generation frequency helps to get more uniform longitudinal diffusion. Increasing the impinging velocity of the filler droplet can improve the latitudinal diffusion of the filler metal. However, a high impinging velocity can cause a lower diffusion zone in the upper part of the welds. This study provides a good foundation for optimizing the hybrid laser‐MIG keyhole welding process to achieve quality welds with desired properties.
Locally advanced anaplastic pancreatic adenocarcinoma with initial response to FOLFIRINOX and rapid progression after five months

Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma (APC) is a rare, aggressive variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Surgery is the preferred treatment whenever possible, however APC is often unresectable at presentation and prognosis remains poor. We present a case of APC which showed a marked initial response to FOLFIRINOX with decreased size and increased cystic change, however then rapidly progressed with innumerable hepatic metastases after five months of FOLFIRINOX treatment. Although there is limited data on use of FOLFIRINOX in locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma, it remains an attractive option in comparison to radiotherapy and 5-fluorouracil.
Making the Most out of 15 Minutes Reality TV's Dispensable Celebrity

Reality TV invites new considerations for theorizing celebrity as a cultural commodity whose economic value is based on potential exchange. In this article, I argue that reality TV's construction of a new stratum of celebrity value—ordinary people performing “the real”—supports claims that the industry is moving toward a “flexible” model of economic organization. The production of reality TV expands the labor stock to include nonunionized, nonpaid or low-paid contestants playing themselves, while also displacing unionized actors from production opportunities. Moreover, reality TV's D-level celebrity generates novelty out of audience self-reflexivity with minimal risk and temporal flexibility. Celebrity value, as a mechanism to gather audiences, undergoes a new form of dispensable synergy that shelters the larger system of celebrity valorization from the dual problems of scarcity and clutter.
Continuity of Care for Children in Foster Care

Objective. To compare the continuity of care experienced by children who are in foster care with that of children who are not in foster care and are covered under Medicaid managed care and Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS). Methods. This retrospective cohort study used Medicaid claims/encounter data from Washington state. A total of 903 children who were in foster care and continuously enrolled in Medicaid for 24 months (1998–1999) were matched by age, gender, and rural/urban residence to 903 Medicaid managed care enrollees and 903 FFS beneficiaries who were not in foster care. Indices of the continuity of primary care experienced were calculated for each patient, and differences in continuity among the cohorts were assessed by running 3 multiple linear regression models for all possible pairings of cohorts, controlling for age, gender, rural/urban residence, and total number of primary care visits. Results. Foster care status was associated with decreased continuity of care relative to nonfoster managed care status (β = −0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.15 to −0.09). Nonfoster FFS status was associated with lower continuity than managed care (β = −0.09; 95% CI: −0.12 to −0.06) and slightly higher continuity than foster care status (β = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.06). Conclusion. Although not dramatically different, continuity seems somewhat lacking for children in foster care. It is unclear to what degree the observed difference is confounded by the managed care/FFS distinction. As the enrollment of children in foster care into managed care plans has been controversial, efforts to promote the consistency of contact with providers while maintaining the flexibility afforded by FFS coverage seem warranted.
High School Substance Use as a Predictor of College Attendance, Completion, and Dropout: A National Multicohort Longitudinal Study.

National data from Monitoring the Future were used to examine patterns and predictors of college attendance. Samples of American 12(th)-grade students from 1977-2003 were followed for seven years (modal ages 18-25; N=10,020). College attendance and graduation patterns varied considerably over historical time and based on family background. Substance use during high school predicted a greater likelihood of never attending (for cigarettes, illegal drugs), of graduating from a 2-year rather than a 4-year school (for cigarettes), and of dropping out versus graduating from a 4-year school (for cigarettes, marijuana, and other illegal drugs). High school binge drinking predicted lower college dropout, but only in models also controlling for cigarette, marijuana, and other illicit drug use. This study provides a needed overview of adolescent predictors of patterns of college attendance among American young adults over the past three decades. Language: en