cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of DIF Estimates and Power in Unbalanced Designs Using the Mantel–Haenszel DIF Detection Procedure:

This study examined how much improvement was attainable with respect to accuracy of differential item functioning (DIF) measures and DIF detection rates in the Mantel–Haenszel procedure when employing focal and reference groups with notably unbalanced sample sizes where the focal group has a fixed small sample which does not satisfy the minimum DIF sample size requirement specified by the testing programs, while the reference group sample size far exceeds the minimum requirement. Results showed equivalent or better results with such unbalanced but large samples than with some of the currently used minimum DIF sample size conditions. DIF investigation, therefore, does not necessarily need to cease when the focal group does not meet the minimum sample size requirement. Some analytic explanations and guidelines for DIF investigations with unbalanced sample sizes are also provided.
A Virginia Tech MFT ethics class reflects on the shootings at Virginia Tech

The authors of this article include the professor and most of the students in a doctoral course on marriage and family therapy ethical and professional issues that met the semester that a disturbed student shot and killed 32 Virginia Tech students and faculty before killing himself. In this article, we reflect through short essays on issues related to the tragedy, ethics, and recovery.
Effect of temperature on survival, growth and feed intake of postlarval spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus

Ten-week growth of postlarval spiny lobsters (initial live weight 0.22 g) was greater (P<0.01) for animals reared at 30°C (final live weight 1.62±0.14 g) than for animals reared at 24, 27 or 33°C (final weights 0.60±0.04, 1.18±0.04 and 0.92±0.16 g, respectively). Suppressed growth among lobsters held at 24°C was due to prolonged intermolt periods and reduced size increments with each molt. Lobsters reared at 33°C had lower survival, smaller molting increments and lower feed conversion than lobsters held at 30°C. Data indicate that optimal growth of postlarval Panulirus argus occurs at water temperatures of 29–30°C, with optimal feed conversion occurring at slightly lower temperatures.
Live Cell Response to Mechanical Stimulation Studied by Integrated Optical and Atomic Force Microscopy

To understand the mechanism by which living cells sense mechanical forces, and how they respond and adapt to their environment, a new technology able to investigate cells behavior at sub-cellular level with high spatial and temporal resolution was developed. Thus, an atomic force microscope (AFM) was integrated with total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and fast-spinning disk (FSD) confocal microscopy. The integrated system is broadly applicable across a wide range of molecular dynamic studies in any adherent live cells, allowing direct optical imaging of cell responses to mechanical stimulation in real-time. Significant rearrangement of the actin filaments and focal adhesions was shown due to local mechanical stimulation at the apical cell surface that induced changes into the cellular structure throughout the cell body. These innovative techniques will provide new information for understanding live cell restructuring and dynamics in response to mechanical force. A detailed protocol and a representative data set that show live cell response to mechanical stimulation are presented.
Models of health and models of interaction in the practitioner-client relationship in acupuncture.

The doctor–patient relationship has been widely studied in biomedicine. However, little research has focused on similar provider–client relationships in holistic healthcare forms. Based on ethnographic research with acupuncture clients and practitioners, the authors found that participants used specific models of health to understand and develop subsequent models of interaction, and in doing so, provided a clear critique of biomedicine. This article offers a brief overview of major models of healthcare, including biomedical, biopsychosocial, and holistic. The authors present current models of interaction that have been used to understand the biomedical doctor–patient relationship, and discuss the utility of both sets of models as they relate to the ethnographic observations. Although a particular model of health (biomedical or holistic) does not necessitate a particular model of health interaction (paternalism, consumerism, or collaboration), participants' attempts to tie these 2 realms together are impor...
FGFR3 Expression during Development and Regeneration of the Chick Inner Ear Sensory Epithelia

Several studies suggest fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) plays a role in the development of the auditory epithelium in mammals. We undertook a study of FGFR3 in the developing and mature chicken inner ear and during regeneration of this epithelium to determine whether FGFR3 shows a similar pattern of expression in birds. FGFR3 mRNA is highly expressed in most support cells in the mature chick basilar papilla but not in vestibular organs of the chick. The gene is expressed early in the development of the basilar papilla. Gentamicin treatment sufficient to destroy hair cells in the basilar papilla causes a rapid, transient downregulation of FGFR3 mRNA in the region of damage. In the initial stages of hair cell regeneration, the support cells that reenter the mitotic cycle in the basilar papilla do not express detectable levels of FGFR3 mRNA. However, once the hair cells have regenerated in this region, the levels of FGFR3 mRNA and protein expression rapidly return to approximate those in the undamaged epithelium. These results indicate that FGFR3 expression changes after drug-induced hair cell damage to the basilar papilla in an opposite way to that found in the mammalian cochlea and may be involved in regulating the proliferation of support cells.
Stress concentration at irregular surfaces of anisotropic half-spaces

An analytical method is presented to derive the stresses in anisotropic half-spaces with smooth and irregular surface morphologies. The half spaces can be subjected to body forces, surface tractions, and uniform far-field stresses. The general solution is expressed in terms of three analytical functions using the analytical function method of anisotropic elasticity. These three functions are then determined using a numerical conformal mapping technique and an integral equation method. Numerical examples are presented for the stress concentration at irregular surfaces induced by a uniform far-field horizontal stress. The elastic half-spaces are assumed to be transversely isotropic or isotropic, and their surface morphologies are constructed by the superposition of multiple long and symmetric ridges (mounds) and valleys (depressions). For isotropic media, the stress concentration depends only on the half-space surface geometry. It is found here that for anisotropic media, the half-space surface geometry, as well as the orientation of the planes of material anisotropy, have a great effect on the stress concentration. The degree of material anisotropy, on the other hand, has little influence on the stress concentration.
The Current-Limiting Power Fuse

FUSES may be used on large central station and industrial systems in locations where a high interrupting capacity is required. The conventional fuse may clear a short circuit in a half cycle or several cycles. Associated apparatus is subjected to electromagnetic forces produced by the high momentary currents. Good engineering practice dictates that all disconnecting switches, contactors, motor starters, etc., shall have short-time current ratings at least equal to the initial root-mean-square fault current which the system is capable of producing at the point of installation. Where these currents are extremely high, a saving in size and expense of such apparatus can be effected if the required short-time current rating can be reduced. Many attempts have been made and accomplishment has been achieved by the use of a fuse which consistently limits the initial peak current to a fraction of that available in the circuit. The purpose of this paper is to describe the new fuse.
European and U.S. Accreditation Standards and Globalization: View from a U.S. Regional Public Business School

Business schools around the world are seeking partner relationships that will support the growing need for well-educated business professionals. The dilemma for many U.S. regional business schools is the trade-off between establishing international partnerships while ensuring educational integrity through quality assurance. This assurance can be measured by standards set by various international accreditation agencies. This article uses a case analysis to track one regional business school’s approach to bridging the perceived paradox of globalization and accreditation. The article explores issues of transfer credit, short-term and long-term relationships, and the differences between international affiliations and international partnerships. It provides candid insight into the difficult decisions faced by a regional public business school that could readily provide application for public, private, and small- to mid-size business schools facing similar issues.
Lessons learned from a year's worth of benchmarks of large data clouds

In this paper, we discuss some of the lessons that we have learned working with the Hadoop and Sector/Sphere systems. Both of these systems are cloud-based systems designed to support data intensive computing. Both include distributed file systems and closely coupled systems for processing data in parallel. Hadoop uses MapReduce, while Sphere supports the ability to execute an arbitrary user defined function over the data managed by Sector. We compare and contrast these systems and discuss some of the design trade-offs necessary in data intensive computing. In our experimental studies over the past year, Sector/Sphere has consistently performed about 2--4 times faster than Hadoop. We discuss some of the reasons that might be responsible for this difference in performance.
Ultrasound Characterization of Bone Demineralization

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment of bone may permit an assessment of bone properties currently not available by bone densitometry techniques. To explore the effects of the quantity of bone mineral on acoustic parameters, we carried out an in vitro study of the impact of demineralization on attenuation of ultrasound in trabecular bone. Ten fresh cubes of trabecular bone obtained from bovine distal femurs were progressively demineralized using formic acid solution. The progression of demineralization was controlled by monitoring the specimen bone mineral density (BMD) using dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). At five stages of demineralization—0% (baseline), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (all mineral removed)—the US properties of the specimens were assessed (Walker Sonix UBA 575+). The US parameters investigated were broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and ultrasound attenuation in bone (UAB). Both DXA and QUS measurements were made along the three orthogonal axes of each cube. Our results demonstrated significant variability in both BUA and UAB along the three principle axes of the cubes whereas BMD did not differ in the different directions. A strong but nonlinear correlation was found between BMD and US attenuation. A reduction in BMD to 50% of the baseline values resulted in BUA (UAB) reduction to 25% and 19%, respectively. A random effect model analysis supported a multiplicative relationship between BMD and the US parameters. US attenuation is a sensitive indicator of bone mineral changes with nonlinear dependence on bone mineral loss. Bone collagen structure reinforced by hydroxyapatite crystal accounts for fundamental US characteristics. Ultrasound attenuation associated with trabecular orientation is basically dominated by the mineral spread in a collagen framework.
The N-terminal ERK-binding Site of MEK1 Is Required for Efficient Feedback Phosphorylation by ERK2 in Vitro and ERK Activation in Vivo

An ERK2-binding site at the N terminus of MEK1 was reported to mediate their stable association. We examined the importance of this binding site in the feedback phosphorylation of MEK1 on Thr(292) and Thr(386) by ERK2, the phosphorylation and activation of ERK2 by MEK1, and the interaction of MEK1 with ERK2 and Raf-1. Deletion of the binding site from MEK1 reduced its phosphorylation by ERK2, but had no effect on its phosphorylation by p21-activated protein kinase-1 (PAK1). A MEK1 N-terminal peptide containing the binding site inhibited MEK1 phosphorylation by ERK2. However, it did not affect MEK1 phosphorylation by p21-activated protein kinase or myelin basic protein phosphorylation by ERK2. Deletion of the N-terminal ERK-binding domain of MEK1 also reduced its ability to phosphorylate ERK2 in vitro, to co-immunoprecipitate with ERK2, and to stimulate ERK2 activation in transfected cells, but it did not alter the association with endogenous Raf-1. Using ERK2-p38 chimeras and an ERK2 deletion mutant, a MEK1-binding site of ERK2 was localized to its N terminus.
Decreased TRH receptor mRNA activity precedes homologous downregulation: assay in oocytes

Ligand-induced decrease in cell-surface receptor number (homologous downregulation) is often due to rapid receptor internalization. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), however, causes a slow downregulation of TRH receptors (TRH-Rs), with a half-time of approximately 12 hours, in GH3 rat pituitary cells. The mechanism of TRH-R downregulation was studied by monitoring TRH-evoked depolarizing currents in Xenopus oocytes injected with GH3 cell RNA as a bioassay for TRH-R messenger RNA (mRNA) activity. In GH3 cells, TRH caused a rapid decrease in TRH-R mRNA activity to 15 percent of control within 3 hours. Because the half-life of TRH-R mRNA activity in control cells was approximately 3 hours, the rapid decrease in mRNA activity was not due to inhibition of mRNA synthesis alone and may represent a post-transcriptional effect.
Mid-ventricular obstruction: A variant of obstructive cardiomyopathy

In two patients with clinical and catheterization findings of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, the level of intraventricular obstruction was found to be in the mid-ventricular area rather than at the junction of the inflow and outflow tracts. One patient died suddenly shortly after unsuccessful outflow tract myectomy. In vivo recognition of this probably rare variant form of obstructive cardiomyopathy rests mainly on the angiograhic appearance of the left ventricle and on the recording of pressures in multiple sites of the left ventricular cavity. Surgical relief of the obstruction in these patients is not likely to be obtained by a transaortic left ventricular outflow myectomy but may require either papillary muscle resection by the transatrial or transventricular approach or mid-ventricular septectomy, or both.
An efficient incremental LR parser for grammars with epislon productions

This paper describes the implementation of an extension to Celentano's [2] incremental LR Parsing Algorithm that allows epsilon rules in the grammar.
Bronchogenic carcinoma in HIV-positive patients: findings on chest radiographs and CT scans.

The radiographic manifestations of bronchogenic carcinoma in HIV-positive individuals may resemble or accompany changes of inflammatory disease. To provide information that is useful in the differential diagnosis, we studied the findings on plain radiographs and chest CT scans in 30 HIV-positive patients with proven bronchogenic carcinoma and correlated the radiographic features with the presence or absence of thoracic opportunistic infection.Thirty HIV-positive individuals had bronchogenic carcinoma diagnosed at our institution between 1986 and 1993. Fourteen (47%) of the 30 had AIDS at the time of cancer diagnosis. All but one of the patients were men, and the median age at diagnosis was 48 years (range, 32-66 years). Most (90%) had a history of smoking. Eighteen (60%) of the 30 had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, or both. We retrospectively reviewed all available chest radiographs (n = 27) and chest CT scans (n = 25) for tumor size and location, adenopathy, pleural ...
Precision in quantitative CT: Impact of x-ray dose and matrix size

A study was performed to determine whether recommended technique factors for post-processing dual-energy (DE) quantitative computed tomography are optimum in terms of precision and x-ray dose. In particular, possible dose reduction as a result of an upgrade of the CT scanner to more efficient detectors was explored. Series of images of an anthropomorphic phantom containing a human vertebra, a tissue-simulating lumbar simulator with various marrow inserts, and a polyethylene cylinder were generated. Recommended DE x-ray technique factors as well as factors resulting in about two times, one-half, and one-fourth the x-ray dose were employed. The effects of reconstruction with different matrix sizes was studied. Standard deviations of the CT numbers within regions of interest in individual images (noise) and standard deviations of mean CT numbers, single-energy (SE), and DE measurements for series of images (reproducibilities) were computed. It was found that the low-energy component of the DE technique was optimum, but the high-energy component could be reduced by a factor of 2 with negligible loss in precision. This translates into a dose reduction of 36% relative to the recommended DE technique. Vertebral inhomogeneities were responsible for more than 65% of the standard deviations in individual images of the vertebra even at the lowest doses. For all of the techniques, the noise in images of all objects decreased as the x-ray dose increased and as the matrix size decreased. Reproducibility of mean values, however, did not necessarily improve, and aberrant results such as improvement in reproducibility with a reduction in dose were sometimes observed. It is hypothesized that this may be due to variations in the actual kVp for each image in a series.
Free radical theory of aging: Effect of dietary lipids on lipofuscin accumulation in the hippocampus of rats

The fatty acid composition of central nervous system lipids is largely independent of the dietary fat except for docosahexanoic acid (22:6ω3) and its precursors, mainly linolenic acid (18:3ω3). Ingestion of these lipids increases peroxidizability of neuronal phospholipids by displacing 22:5ω6 with 22:6ω3. Since lipofuscin (age pigment) is formed by oxidative polymerization of lipid and protein it seemed likely that increases in dietary 22: 6ω3 and/or peroxidizability of the dietary lipids might enhance lipofuscin accumulation. To evaluate these possibilities groups of male Charles River CD strain rats were fed a commercial diet, or semi-synthetic diets containing either 5%w (percent by weight) lard, 20%w olive oil, or 20%w safflower oil for periods up to 28 months of age; the amount of 22:6ω3 in lard is small, but considerably more than that of 22:6ω3 plus its precursors in olive oil or safflower oil. At 24 months of age the lipofuscin content of hippocampal neurons of rats fed the lard diet was significantly greater than for the control, olive oil or safflower oil groups; there was no significant difference between the latter two groups. Thus lipofuscin accumulation in hippocampal neurons was associated with increases in neuronal content of 22:6ω3 and not with the gross peroxidizability of the dietary lipid.
Identifying Perspectives at the Document and Sentence Levels Using Statistical Models

In this paper we investigate the problem of identifying the perspective from which a document was written. By perspective we mean a point of view, for example, from the perspective of Democrats or Republicans. Can computers learn to identify the perspective of a document? Furthermore, can computers identify which sentences in a document strongly convey a particular perspective? We develop statistical models to capture how perspectives are expressed at the document and sentence levels, and evaluate the proposed models on a collection of articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The results show that the statistical models can successfully learn how perspectives are reflected in word usage and identify the perspective of a document with very high accuracy.
Partially formed native tertiary interactions in the A-state of cytochrome c.

Considerable insight into protein structure, stability, and folding has been obtained from studies of non-native states. We have studied the extent of native tertiary contacts in one such molecule, the A-state of yeast iso-1-ferricytochrome c. Previously, we showed that the interface between the N and C-terminal helices is completely formed in the A-state. Here, we focus on interactions essential for forming the heme pocket of eukaryotic cytochromes c. To determine the extent of these interactions, we used saturation mutagenesis at the evolutionarily invariant residue leucine 68, and measured the free energy of denaturation for the native states and the A-states of functional variants. We show that, unlike the interaction between the terminal helices, the native interactions between the 60s helix and the rest of the protein are not completely formed in the A-state.
Stochastic finite elements: Where is the physics?

The micromechanics based on the Hill-Mandel condition indicates that the majority of stochastic finite element methods hinge on random field (RF) models of material properties (such as Hooke’s law) having no physical content, or even at odds with physics. At the same time, that condition allows one to set up the RFs of stiffness and compliance tensors in function of the mesoscale and actual random microstructure of the given material. The mesoscale is defined through a Statistical Volume Element (SVE), i.e. a material domain below the Representative Volume Element (RVE) level. The paper outlines a procedure for stochastic scale-dependent homogenization leading to a determination of mesoscale one-point and two-point statistics and, thus, a construction of analytical RF models.
Numerical Simulation of GaN Growth in a MOCVD Process

This paper describes a model for the growth of gallium nitride in a vertical impinging metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor. With trimethylgallium (TMGa) and ammonia (NH3 ) carried by hydrogen (H2 ) as precursors, the flow, temperature and concentration profiles are predicted by numerical modeling, which is performed using a commercial CFD software package CFD-ACE+. The growth rate is predicted based on detailed reaction mechanisms given in the literature, and related studies are carried out to verify the reliability and adaptability of the chosen chemical kinetics. A detailed mathematical model is developed first, and the complete chemical mechanisms are introduced. Then, the dependence of the growth rate and uniformity of the deposited layers on operating conditions, such as reactor operating pressure, susceptor temperature, inlet velocity and concentration of the precursors, is investigated to gain greater insight into the reactor performance and characteristics. Based on the simulation results, discussion is presented in this paper to offer the possibility of better control of the GaN film growth process, and to ultimately lead to an optimization of the process, with respect to production rate and film quality.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Fabrication and analysis of planar dielectric elastomer actuators capable of complex 3-D deformation

A new design for a dielectric elastomer actuator with geometrically confining reinforcements is presented. The resulting structures enable complex 3-dimentional motion without the need of the membrane prestretch. An in situ imaging system is used to capture the complex deformation pattern to evaluate the surface curvatures. The deformation mode is analyzed analytically using the bi-laminate theory to explore the actuator performance and further develop analytical model amenable for control strategies. A finite element material model is also developed to couple the applied electric field to the resulting deformation. The model is used to analyze more complex deformation patterns. The proposed confining reinforcements would enable the development of flexible wings for agile aerial robotics and compliant continuum robotics, utilizing the proposed deformation mechanisms to provide controllable many degrees of freedom.
High-temperature deformation of dry diabase with application to tectonics on Venus

We have performed an experimental study to quantify the high-temperature creep behavior of natural diabase rocks under dry deformation conditions. Samples of both Maryland diabase and Columbia diabase were investigated to measure the effects of temperature, oxygen fugacity, and plagioclase-to-pyroxene ratio on creep strength. Flow laws determined for creep of these diabases were characterized by an activation energy of Q = 485 +/- 30 kJ/mol and a stress exponent of n = 4.7 +/- 0.6, indicative of deformation dominated by dislocation creep processes. Although n and Q are the same for the two rocks within experimental error, the Maryland diabase, which has the lower plagioclase content, is significantly stronger than the Columbia diabase. Thus the modal abundance of the various minerals plays an important role in defining rock strength. Within the s ample-to-sample variation, no clear influence of oxygen fugacity on creep strength could be discerned for either rock. The dry creep strengths of both rocks are significantly greater than values previously measured on diabase under "as-received" or wet conditions. Application of these results to the present conditions in the lithosphere on Venus predicts a high viscosity crust with strong dynamic coupling between mantle convection and crustal deformation, consistent with measurements of topography and gravity for that planet.
A high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetric study of the interaction of melittin with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine fused unilamellar vesicles.

Abstract High-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry has been used to examine the interaction of bee venom melittin with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine fused unilamellar vesicles. Experiments were performed under conditions for which melittin in solution is either monomeric (in low salt) or tetrameric (in high salt). It was found that under both sets of conditions melittin abolishes the pretransition at a relatively high lipid-to-protein molar incubation ration, R i (about 200) and that at intermediate values of R i , it broadens the main transition profile and reduces the transition enthalpy. This provides evidence which suggests that melittin is at least partially inserted into the apolar region of the bilayer. Evident at low values of R i are two peaks in the lipid thermal transition profiles, which may arise from a heterogeneous population of lipid vesicles formed through fusion induced by melittin, or by lipid phase separation. For those profiles which exhibited only one peak, transition enthalpies, normalized to those of the lipid in the absence of the protein, are plotted vs. the bound protein-to-lipid molar ratios for the experiments performed under the conditions which give monomeric and tetrameric melittin in solution. These plots yield straight lines, the slopes of which give the number of lipid molecules each protein molecule excludes from participating in the phase transition. These were found to be 9.9 ± 0.7 and 4.1 ± 0.5 for monomeric and tetrameric melittin, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of possible models for the binding of melittin to phospholipid vesicles. For simple hexagonal packing of lipid molecules, incorporation as an aggregate is favored when melittin is tetrameric in solution, whereas incorporation as a monomer is favored when melittin is monomeric in solution. For low-salt solutions, evidence is obtained for the contribution of free melittin to lipid fusion, perhaps by the formation of protein bridges between apposed vesicles.
Dewey Dell in Faulkner's AS I LAY DYING

In scholarly examinations of patriarchy and womanhood in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, critics have examined Addie, her husband Anse, and sons Darl, Cash, Vardaman, and Jewel. Less attention a...
Mapping of the nick site on conjugative plasmid pVT745 by interrupted mating

Conjugal transfer of plasmid DNA initiates and terminates at a specific non-coding site called the origin of transfer (oriT). Previous analysis of conjugative plasmid pVT745 from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans suggested that oriT was located adjacent to the operon responsible for initiation of ssDNA transfer. The location of oriT was confirmed by assaying both subclones of the region as well as a pVT745 deletion derivative for mobilization. The precise DNA nick site (nic) and polarity of DNA transfer were identified by use of interrupted mating assays, a technique originally used for the mapping of bacterial chromosomes. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the pVT745-specific nick region was similar to the consensus nick sequence of the IncP family albeit the actual cleavage site differed. Functionality of nic was confirmed by point mutations.
Parameter Estimation and Tracking in Physical Layer Network Coding

In this paper, we present an algorithm for joint decoding of the modulo-2 sum of the bits transmitted from two unsynchronized transmitters using Physical Layer Network Coding (PLNC). We address the problems that arise when the boundaries of the signals do not align with each other and when the channel parameters are slowly varying and are not known to the receiver at the relay node. Our approach first estimates jointly the timing and fading gains of both the signals, and uses a state-based Viterbi decoding scheme that takes into account the timing offsets between the interfering signals. We also track the amplitude and phase of the channel which may be slowly varying. Simulation results demonstrate the sensitivity of the detection performance at the relay node to the relative offset of the timings of the two user's signals as well as the advantage of our algorithm over previously published algorithms.
Release of pre-formed free fatty acids from adipose tissue: acceleration by cyclic AMP.

Segments of rat epididymal fat pads were pre-incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing epinephrine for 30 or 60 min. The discharge of free fatty acids (FFA) which accumulated within the tissue segments during this pre-incubation into albumin-containing media was measured during a subsequent re-incubation in which quinacrine or quinidine was added to prevent additional lipolysis. FFA released from the tissues into the medium during re-incubation could be accounted for by an equal decline in FFA remaining in the tissues after re-incubation. The addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, theophylline and the combination of theophylline and cyclic AMP to the re-incubation media accelerated the discharge of FFA from the tissues while insulin reduced it. The total recovery of FFA (i.e., the sum of FFA released into the medium and FFA retained by the tissue) was not affected by the above agents. Hypophysectomy was without affect on the discharge of FFA. These data suggest that the egress of FFA from adipose...
The influence of a cyano-substituent on an alkyliron isomerization reaction

Abstract The complex CpFe(CO)PPh3)(σ-CH2CH2CN) cleanly undergoes an isomerization reaction to Cpfe(CO)PPH3)(σ-CH(CH3)CN) when heated in solution at 95°C. The electron-withdrawing cyano group thus stabilizes a secondary alkylmetal complex in preference to the isomer containing a primary carbon to iron bond.
Spinal roots in Werdnig-Hoffmann disease

The spinal nerve roots were studied in two siblings with Werdnig-Hoffmann disease (WHD). An invasion by fibrous astrocytes was consistently seen along the atrophic ventral roots, more extensively in the older sibling. The parallel glial processes extended in discrete buadles and were always enclosed by a basal lamina. Loss of unmyelinated axons and probable glial extension along unmyelinated fibers were also seen. The astrocytic processes with abundant microtubules and prominent junctional devices resembled those of the subpial region, which appeared to have gained access into the ventral roots following axonal degeneration. The present observations suggest that such glial migration, although apparently unique in WHD, is a secondary phenomenon and fails to resolve the issue as to whether neuronal degeneration or an injury to the nerve roots is the primary event in this disorder.
PURIFIED DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN IN THE ULTRACENTRIFUGE AND IN THE ELECTROPHORESIS APPARATUS.

Ultracentrifugation studies of diphtheria antitoxin showed that: 1. Purified antitoxin of high activity obtained from horse plasma without enzymatic treatment has exactly the same sedimentation constant as the globulin fraction obtained in a similar way from normal horse plasma s20water = 6.9 x 10–13. 2. Purified antitoxin obtained with trypsin digestion of the toxin-antitoxin complex has a sedimentation constant of s20water = 5.5 ± 0.1 x 10–13, a diffusion constant of D20water = 5.76 x 10–7, and a molecular weight of about 90,000. Electrophoresis experiments demonstrated that: 1. The trypsin-purified antitoxin has an isoelectric point not far from pH 7.0. 2. The reversible spreading noticed at about pH 7.3 cannot be attributed to heterogeneous preparation. 3. The large increase in the γ-globulin fraction occurring during immunization consists either of antitoxin of various degrees of activity or of some inert protein in addition to the antitoxin.
Opioid and nonopioid analgesic drug effects on colon contractions in monkeys.

Opioid drugs administered postoperatively for pain relief cause increased frequency of nonpropulsive phasic contractions but decreased to absent propulsive migrating contractions in the colon, thus importantly influencing the duration of postoperative ileus. Ketorolac is thought to permit earlier return of bowel function postoperatively compared to morphine. Four monkeys had sets of three strain gauge force transducers implanted on the right and left colon at laparotomy. After recovery, animals were fasted overnight and had colon contractions recorded. After a 1-hr baseline period, 200 μg/kg morphine sulfate or 1 mg/kg ketorolac tromethamine was injected intramuscularly and recording continued. Each animal received four injections of each drug. Records were analyzed visually for frequency of phasic and migrating contractions. There was no difference in the frequency of phasic or migrating contractions after injection of ketorolac. Morphine, as expected, increased the frequency of phasic and decreased the frequency of migrating contractions in the colon. Ketorolac does not affect the frequency of colon contractions.
GLOBAL GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALIES

A general formula for global gauge and gravitational anomalies is derived. It is used to show that the anomaly free supergravity and superstring theories in ten dimensions are all free of global anomalies that might have ruined their consistency. However, it is shown that global anomalies lead to some restrictions on allowed compactifications of these theories. For example, in the case of O(32) superstring theory, it is shown that a global anomaly related to π7(O(32)) leads to a Dirac-like quantization condition for the field strength of the antisymmetric tensor field. Related to global anomalies is the question of the number of fermion zero modes in an instanton field. It is argued that the relevant gravitational instantons are exotic spheres. It is shown that the number of fermion zero modes in an instanton field is always even in ten dimensional supergravity.
Industrial robustness: understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate-tolerant mutant strain of Clostridium thermocellum.

Background: An industrially robust microorganism that can efficiently degrade and convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol and next-generation fuels is required to economically produce future sustainable liquid transportation fuels. The anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate microorganism for such conversions but it, like many bacteria, is sensitive to potential toxic inhibitors developed in the liquid hydrolysate produced during biomass processing. Microbial processes leading to tolerance of these inhibitory compounds found in the pretreated biomass hydrolysate are likely complex and involve multiple genes. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we developed a 17.5% v/v Populus hydrolysate tolerant mutant strain of C. thermocellum by directed evolution. The genome of the wild type strain, six intermediate population samples and seven single colony isolates were sequenced to elucidate the mechanism of tolerance. Analysis of the 224 putative mutations revealed 73 high confidence mutations. A longitudinal analysis of the intermediate population samples, a pan-genomic analysis of the isolates, and a hotspot analysis revealed 24 core genes common to all seven isolates and 8 hotspots. Genetic mutations were matched with the observed phenotype through comparison of RNA expression levels during fermentation by the wild type strain and mutant isolate 6 in various concentrations of Populus hydrolysate (0%, 10%, and 17.5% v/v). Conclusion/Significance: The findings suggest that there are multiple mutations responsible for the Populus hydrolysate tolerant phenotype resulting in several simultaneous mechanisms of action, including increases in cellular repair, and altered energy metabolism. To date, this study provides the most comprehensive elucidation of the mechanism of tolerance to a pretreated biomass hydrolysate by C. thermocellum. These findings make important contributions to the development of industrially robust strains of consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms. Citation: Linville JL, Rodriguez M, Land M, Syed MH, Engle NL, et al. (2013) Industrial Robustness: Understanding the Mechanism of Tolerance for the
Evaluating the usability of usage controls in electronic collaboration

Currently, collaborations often require non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). NDAs can be time-consuming and expensive to negotiate and enforce. Usage controls could be an atractive alternative or adjunct to NDAs. Usage controls enable the distributor of a file to limit how recipients of that file may use it. However, existing usage controls (e.g., PDF's) often are software-based and easy to break. They may not interoperate, and their impact on collaborative workflows is typically unknown. We designed and implemented operating system and Web server and browser modifications that allow hardware-based usage controls to be easily added to existing software-based ones. This paper describes and evaluates our system's user interfaces. In a user study, untrained users role-played design engineers in two similar collaborative scenarios with or without usage controls. Users found the interfaces easy to use, and usage controls had insignificant impact on the completion times and accuracy of the assigned tasks. These results suggest that our usage control approach can add security to collaborative workflows with minimal training and performance penalties.
A nanoelectromechanical tunable laser

The ability to tune the frequency of an oscillator is of critical importance and is a fundamental building block for many systems, be they mechanical or electronic1,2. However, this very important function is still highly inadequate in optical oscillators, particularly in semiconductor laser diodes3,4. The limitations in tuning a laser frequency (or wavelength) include the tuning range and the speed of tuning, which is typically milliseconds or slower. In addition, the tuning is often not continuous and may require complex synchronization of several electrical control signals. In this Letter, we present a new tunable laser structure with a lightweight nanoelectromechanical mirror based on a single-layer, high-contrast subwavelength grating. The high-contrast subwavelength grating reflector enables a drastic reduction of the mirror mass, which increases the mechanical resonant frequency and hence tuning speed5. This allows for a wavelength-tunable light source with potential switching speeds of the order of tens of nanoseconds and suggests various new areas of practical application, such as bio- or chemical sensing6,7,8, chip-scale atomic clocks9 and projection displays10,11.
Computer Decision Support Tools in Primary Care

Computer Decision Support Tools (CDSTs) can support clinicians at various stages of the care process and improve healthcare, but implementation of these tools has been difficult. In this study we examine the need for, the use of, and barriers and facilitators to the use of a CDST from a human factor perspective. Results show that there is a need for CDSTs, and that physicians do use well-developed CDSTs. However, there are also barriers against the use, such usability issues and problems fitting them into the clinical workflow.
Imaging performance of the Tachyon Time-of-Flight PET camera

Tachyon, a single-ring “demonstration” Time-of-Flight (TOF) PET scanner has been developed to measure the improvement in image quality as a function of the timing resolution. The design of the detector module is optimized for timing by coupling the 6.1×25 mm2 of 6.1×6.1×25 mm3 LSO scintillator crystals onto a 1-inch diameter Hamamatsu R-9800 PMT with super-bialkali photocathode. We characterized the imaging performance of the system. The results show that Tachyon achieved a coincidence timing resolution of 314ps +/−20ps fwhm over all crystal-crystal combinations, better than any PET camera that has been reported on. Phantom experiments based on the NEMA NU 2-2007 standard were performed to evaluate the basic imaging performance of the scanner including noise equivalent count rates and image resolution.
Homing Behavior and Survival of Pygmy Rabbits After Experimental Translocation

Habitat fragmentation is hypothesized to influence movements of animals between isolated habitat fragments and to affect survival of animals moving between fragments. Translocation experiments can provide quantitative information on movements and survival. We assessed potential barriers to dispersal and survival of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis), a species of conservation concern that is hypothesized to be sensitive, after translocation, to fragmentation of its sagebrush habitats. We measured homing tendency and estimated survival of pygmy rabbits after short-distance (1–2 km) experimental translocations at sites in southeastern Oregon. We captured, radio-tagged, and translocated 59 pygmy rabbits across 3 landscape categories of habitat fragmentation. We used logistic regression to compare among landscapes the odds of homing, after accounting for sex and displacement distance of individuals. We used known-fate models in program MARK to estimate survival rates of rabbits after translocation. Fifteen percent of translocated pygmy rabbits successfully homed to within 150 m of their original capture locations. Individuals translocated across fragmented landscapes with patchy cover of big sagebrush were the most likely to home, whereas rabbits translocated across relatively continuous big sagebrush cover bisected by a road were least likely to home. We also found that pygmy rabbits that homed had higher survival rates than those that did not return to their hoirie areas, and rabbits that settled near roads had lower survival rates than those that did not settle near roads. The proximity of the largest patch of big sagebrush also had a positive influence on the survival of rabbits after translocation. Our results indicate that fragmentation does not necessarily impede movements nor does it necessarily reduce survival.
Ranking of Doctoral Programs of Health Education: Methodological Revisions and Results.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to replicate the Notaro, O'Rourke, and Eddy study to rank doctoral programs in health education, incorporating comments from professionals in health education to enhance the ranking study methods. This study used a multiple set of variables weighted by scholars and leaders in the field of health education. These variables included articles published; journal editorships; external funding of research; student activity; student/faculty ratio; mentoring and placement of doctoral students; and student support. Twenty-four of the 39 doctoral programs in health education participated in this study. Seventeen programs had at least 1 variable ranked in the top 10, and all but 1 program had at least 2 variables ranked in the top 20. Correlation analysis of the 7 variables provided additional insights. As in the Notaro, O'Rourke, and Eddy study, the faculty variables were not statistically significantly related to the student variables. Consistent with the literature, programs...
Maskless Grayscale Lithography Using a Positive-Tone Photodefinable Polyimide for MEMS Applications

The novel use of a positive-tone photosensitive polyimide for the rapid production of grayscale features using a maskless lithography system is demonstrated. The removal rate of the polyimide, HD-8820, is characterized as a function of exposure dose. A broad contrast curve is found that is suitable for grayscale lithography. Three-dimensional polyimide structures up to 22 μm thick are demonstrated, and the surface roughness after the final cure is Ra = 4.4 nm, which is suitable for many microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, including many optical applications. Tensile testing of 63 polyimide samples shows excellent mechanical properties for four different polyimide thicknesses produced with grayscale lithography. The modulus of elasticity is found to be 1.92 GPa, the yield strength to be 103 MPa, the fracture strength to be 133 MPa, and the percent elongation to be 51%. The test results show that the mechanical properties are consistent and do not change due to a partial exposure to UV light. The entire fabrication sequence, from computer-aided design file to cured structure, can be performed in less than 4 h, making this a fast low-cost method of producing polymer MEMS devices with excellent mechanical properties.
Transcriptome study of differential expression in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified common SNPs, rare copy number variants (CNVs) and a large polygenic contribution to illness risk, but biological mechanisms remain unclear. Bioinformatic analyses of significantly associated genetic variants point to a large role for regulatory variants. To identify gene expression abnormalities in schizophrenia, we generated whole-genome gene expression profiles using microarrays on lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from 413 cases and 446 controls. Regression analysis identified 95 transcripts differentially expressed by affection status at a genome-wide false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05, while simultaneously controlling for confounding effects. These transcripts represented 89 genes with functions such as neurotransmission, gene regulation, cell cycle progression, differentiation, apoptosis, microRNA (miRNA) processing and immunity. This functional diversity is consistent with schizophrenia's likely significant pathophysiological heterogeneity. The overall enrichment of immune-related genes among those differentially expressed by affection status is consistent with hypothesized immune contributions to schizophrenia risk. The observed differential expression of extended major histocompatibility complex (xMHC) region histones (HIST1H2BD, HIST1H2BC, HIST1H2BH, HIST1H2BG and HIST1H4K) converges with the genetic evidence from GWAS, which find the xMHC to be the most significant susceptibility locus. Among the differentially expressed immune-related genes, B3GNT2 is implicated in autoimmune disorders previously tied to schizophrenia risk (rheumatoid arthritis and Graves' disease), and DICER1 is pivotal in miRNA processing potentially linking to miRNA alterations in schizophrenia (e.g. MIR137, the second strongest GWAS finding). Our analysis provides novel candidate genes for further study to assess their potential contribution to schizophrenia.