cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Titanium nitride films with high oxygen concentration

Titanium nitride (TiN) films with 10–15% oxygen incorporation were prepared by direct-current reactive sputtering in a mixture of argon and nitrogen with an electronicgrade titanium target. These TiN films were found to exhibit a tensile stress and a grain size of about 200A. No degradation in barrier properties was detected by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, Auger profiling and x-ray diffraction even after a 30 min 560° C argon anneal. These TiN films formed Schottky barrier diodes on n(100)-Si with nearly ideal barrier properties and a barrier height of 0.55 eV. The conduction mechanism in the TiN/p(100)-Si diodes was found to be quasi-ohmic. A work function of 4.5 eV was obtained for these TiN films.
Electrodeposited Co-Pt micron-size magnets with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for MEMS applications

Abstract Co 80 Pt 20 cylindrical magnets (height, h =2 μm and diameter, Φ =5 μm and 10 μm) have been succesfully fabricated by electroplating through resist mask onto Cu(1 1 1) seed layer, at current density of 30 mA/cm 2 . Strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was observed owing to the large magnetocrystalline anisotropy, which yielded high perpendicular coercivity (4.7 kOe or 374 kA/m) and retentivity (6.2 kG or 0.62 T). Large energy product (6.52 MGOe or 52 kJ/m 3 ) was achieved which compares favorably with that of bulk ferrites, rendering these structures potential candidates for hard magnetic componenets in MEMS.
Individual versus group spot price forecasting in the international petroleum market: A case study

This paper utilizes the conventional statistical tests associated with the rational expectations hypothesis so as to compare the relative accuracy of individual versus group forecasting within the organization. In order to maintain comparability between forecasting regimens the study employs like information sets for the two prediction methods. Using the rational expectations tests as criteria, the statistical results show group forecasts inferior to individually produced predictions These findings imply that group-produced forecasting accuracy may be hampered by the psychological interaction associated with consensus behavior. Conversely, we find forecasting accuracy improves when predictions are elicited from individuals in an isolated laboratory-like setting.
Developmental control of α-1–4 glucan phosphorylase in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum☆☆☆

Abstract Glycogen phosphorylase activity is undetectable in vegetative, multiplying cells of wild type and mutant strains of Dictyostelium discoideum but appears during development. The specific activity of this enzyme is undetectable in developing cells until mid-aggregation and reaches a maximum at mid-culmination. Thereafter the enzyme activity begins to decrease and eventually disappears. Appropriate experiments with actinomycin D and cycloheximide suggest that both the appearance and disappearance of glycogen phosphorylase require prior RNA and concomitant protein synthesis. The activity of this enzyme in cells of Dictyostelium discoideum appears therefore to be developmentally regulated. Further studies with mutants of D. discoideum support this view. The enzyme was purified 100-fold from crude extracts and its properties were examined. These results are discussed in the light of what is known about the regulation of polysaccharide metabolism during culmination.
Inertia-Buoyancy Waves in Hurricanes

Abstract This study is an attempt to model spiral rainbands in hurricanes as inertia-buoyancy waves. The model is based on the nonhydrostatic equations that describe, in cylindrical coordinates, linear perturbations on a barotropic vortex imbedded in a uniformly stratified atmosphere. Solutions are obtained by the assumption of imaginary exponential variation in all coordinates except radius algebraic elimination of all the dependent variables except geopotential, and numerical integration to obtain the radial structure. This system supports waves whose frequencies are confined to a passband between the local inertia frequency and the buoyancy frequency and which obtain energy at the expense of the mean flow's kinetic energy by the mechanism proposed by Kurihara (1976). All waves subject to this instability propagate wave energy from low values of their Doppler-shifted frequency toward high values and sustain an eddy flux of angular momentum out of the vortex center. Although the instability may double or...
Partially ordered sets and stratification

Abstract We employ partially ordered sets to describe the stratification of a social system, using rank to define the strata. We present a simple method of computing the matrix corresponding to the Hasse diagram and prove its correctness. This methodology is applied to analyze the hierarchy of countries that have won at least one Olympic medal. Four different definitions of dominance are given, leading to four different hierarchies and Hasse diagrams. We also prove that any of these definitions preserve any ordering based on giving different weights to gold, silver, and bronze medals. We study dominance between adjacent strata and note how the system changes with time. We present a case analysis for Poland as an illustration of the set of data that can be computed for any country.
Leaf Analysis in Citrus: Developments in Analytical Techniques

The complexity and sophistication of instruments for plant tissue analysis continues to advance, both in research laboratory grade instruments as well as for field use. These advances are seen in direct measurement of nutrients and trace elements, as well as indirect measurement, especially as statistical approaches improve through modeling of relationships between direct and indirect methods. This chapter has given an overview of recent advances, often using review articles followed by selected applications to citrus leaf analysis, but also offering other venues for using these analytical tools to aid both research and precision citrus management.
Energetics of Plant Growth Under Anoxia: Metabolic Adaptations of Oryza sativa and Echinochloa phyllopogon

Abstract Unlike most plant species, Oryza sativa L. cv. S-201 and Echinochloa phyllopogon (Stev.) Koss germinate and grow under anaerobic conditions. In both species, the radicle or shoot emerged by day 3 when the seeds were germinated in air or N 2 . Under either condition, shoot and/or root dry weight (d. wt) increased linearly from day 3 to day 7, with a corresponding decrease in seed d. wt. In anaerobically grown O. sativa , d. wt accumulation was reduced to 7% of that in air whereas d. wt lost from the seed was reduced to only 37%. No root growth occurred during anaerobic germination and shoot d. wt accumulation accounted for 10% of the d. wt lost from the seed. In E. phyllopogon , d. wt accumulation during anoxia was 25% of that in air, but loss of d. wt from the seed was 44% of the aerobic rate. In air, 48% of the d. wt lost from the seed was converted to shoot or root d. wt. Like O. sativa, E. phyllopogon does not produce a root under N 2 , but shoot growth accounted for 27% of the d. wt lost from the seed. Thus, either in air or N 2 , E. phyllopogon was more efficient at converting seed reserves to shoot/root structural dry matter than O. sativa . Based on changes in metabolite pools, O. sativa appeared to shift exclusively to fermentation during anaerobic growth. In E. phyllopogon , however, fermentation alone cannot satisfy the energy requirement for growth without O 2 . Rather, fermentation, coupled with limited tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle operation could supply sufficient ATP for growth under anaerobic conditions. An active oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and lipid synthesis were discussed as important mechanisms for converting NADH to NAD, a necessary cofactor for fermentation and TCA cycle activity.
Do Ponds on Golf Courses Provide Suitable Habitat for Wetland-Dependent Animals in Suburban Areas? An Assessment of Turtle Abundances

Abstract Golf courses represent a common type of anthropogenically modified habitat in suburban environments. Golf courses may provide suitable habitat for semi-aquatic animals in suburban areas, yet studies comparing animal abundances in golf course ponds with other pond types in suburban environments are somewhat limited. In this study, we compared turtle abundances in golf course ponds with ponds found in residential areas and ponds found in rural (farm) areas and examined the relationship between turtle abundance and residential land-cover within individual golf courses. We captured turtles in 10 golf course ponds, 5 ponds surrounded by residential development, and 5 ponds located on farms. We estimated abundance and the effects of pond area, pond type (i.e., residential, golf, farm) and percentage of residential development within golf course boundaries. Using binomial mixture models and Bayesian inference, we found that ponds surrounded by residential development had lower abundances of Painted Turt...
THE INVESTMENT IN BLACKNESS HYPOTHESIS

This article examines the determinants and the substantive content of racial socialization strategies among African Americans. Existing studies have established that most Black parents socialize their children to race. However, studies have yet to determine whether assimilation trajectories and commitments to Black social heritage influence racial socialization outcomes. This article addresses this void within the context of a new, assimilation-based theory of adult Black identity—the investment in Blackness hypothesis. Findings from a national probability sample of African Americans suggest that there is a relationship between degree of assimilation into the mainstream and racial socialization strategies among parents. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.
Thymidine Phosphorylase Expression Is Associated With Response to Capecitabine Plus Irinotecan in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Purpose To evaluate the clinical activity and toxicity of capecitabine plus irinotecan as first-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), and to describe the association of expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP), thymidylate synthase (TS), and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) with antitumor activity. Patients and Methods Patients with previously untreated mCRC received irinotecan days 1 and 8 intravenously, and capecitabine days 2 to 15 orally in 21-day cycles. Doses were irinotecan 125 mg/m2 and capecitabine 1,000 mg/m2 bid (n = 15; cohort 1), or irinotecan 100 mg/m2 and capecitabine 900 mg/m2 bid (n = 52; cohort 2). Tissues from primary and metastatic sites were assessed for TP, TS, and DPD gene and protein expression. Results An unacceptable level of GI toxicity in the first 15 patients led to a protocol modification in starting doses. The response rate was 45% (30 of 67 patients). Overall survival was associated with TP expression assessed by immunohistochemistry in ...
NON‐NUCLEAR DAMAGE AND CELL LYSIS ARE INDUCED BY UVA, BUT NOT UVB OR UVC, RADIATION IN THREE STRAINS OF L5178Y CELLS

The potential to induce non-nuclear changes in mammalian cells has been examined for (1) UVA1 radiation (340–400 nm, UVASUN 2000 lamp), (2) UVA + UVB (peak at 313 nm) radiation (FS20 lamp), and (3) UVC (254 nm) radiation (GI5T8 lamp). The effects of irradiation were monitored in vitro using three strains of L5178Y (LY) mouse lymphoma cells that markedly differ in sensitivity to UV radiation. Comparisons were made for the effects of approximately equitoxic fluences that reduced cell survival to 1–15%. Depending on the cell strain, the fluences ranged from 830 to 1600 kJ/m2 for the UVASUN lamp, 75 to 390 J/m2 for the FS20 lamp and 3.8 to 17.2 J/m2 for the G15T8 lamp. At the exposure level used in this study, irradiation with the UVASUN, but not the FS20 or G15T8, lamp induced a variety of non-nuclear changes including damage to cytoplasmic organelles and increased plasma membrane permeability and cell lysis. Cell lysis and membrane permeabilization were induced by the UVA1 emission of the UVASUN lamp, but not by its visible + IR components (>400 nm). The results show that the plasma membrane and other organelles of LY cells are highly sensitive to UVA1 but not to UVB or UVC radiation. Also UVA1, but not UVB or UVC radiation, causes rapid and extensive lysis of LY cells. In conclusion, non-nuclear damage contributes substantially to UVA cytotoxicity in all three strains of LY cells.
Concomitant Administration of Pneumococcal-23 and Zoster Vaccines Provides Adequate Herpes Zoster Coverage

OBJECTIVETo determine whether concomitant administration of zoster vaccine and polysaccharide pneumococcal-23 vaccine (PPV23) provides sufficient protection against herpes zoster infections.DATA SOURCESLiterature was retrieved through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, PubMed (inception-February 2013), and Scopus (inception-February 2013) using the key words herpes zoster, pneumococcal, vaccine, concomitant, simultaneous administration, Pneumovax, Zostavax, and barriers. In addition, reference citations from publications were used.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONAll English-language articles identified from the data sources were evaluated. Two studies evaluating concomitant and nonconcomitant administration of zoster vaccine and PPV23 were included.DATA SYNTHESISCurrent product labeling recommends a 4-week interval between zoster vaccine and PPV23 administration; however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC promote concomitant administration to prevent a missed...
Impact of prescribed fire and other factors on cheatgrass persistence in a Sierra Nevada ponderosa pine forest

Following the reintroduction of fire Bromus tectorum has invaded the low elevation ponderosa pine forests in parts of Kings Canyon National Park, California. We used prescribed burns, other field manipulations, germination studies, and structural equation modelling, to investigate how fire and other factors affect the persistence of cheatgrass in these forests. Our studies show that altering burning season to coincide with seed maturation is not likely to control cheatgrass because sparse fuel loads generate low fire intensity. Increasing time between prescribed fires may inhibit cheatgrass by increasing surface fuels (both herbaceous and litter), which directly inhibit cheatgrass establishment, and by creating higher intensity fires capable of killing a much greater fraction of the seed bank. Using structural equation modelling, postfire cheatgrass dominance was shown to be most strongly controlled by the prefire cheatgrass seedbank; other factors include soil moisture, fire intensity, soil N, and duration of direct sunlight. Current fire management goals in western conifer forests are focused on restoring historical fire regimes; however, these frequent fire regimes may enhance alien plant invasion in some forest types. Where feasible, fire managers should consider the option of an appropriate compromise between reducing serious fire hazards and exacerbating alien plant invasions.
Toward lower cost cellulosic biofuel production using ammonia based pretreatment technologies

In response to growing concerns about energy security, environmental sustainability and societal sustainability, cellulosic biomass refining technologies have been extensively developed in recent years. However, these technologies are not yet fully commercialized. High capital cost and high enzyme cost are two major bottlenecks. Capital cost and operating cost (excluding 33% feedstock cost) account for 34% and 33%, respectively, of the total biofuel production cost with enzyme cost alone representing about 47% of the operating cost. Therefore, reducing both capital cost and enzyme cost is imperative. Over the past eight years, with the support from US Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), we greatly improved our AFEX™ (Trade mark of MBI, International (Lansing, Michigan)) (Ammonia Fiber Expansion)-related processing technologies, leading to a 66% reduction in enzyme loading (current enzyme loading is as low as 7.5 mg protein per g glucan) and a 129% enhancement in ethanol volumetric productivity (>56% reduction in capital cost for enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation).
Reassignment of the Configuration of Salvianolic Acid B and Establishment of Its Identity with Lithospermic Acid B

Salvianolic acid B and lithospermic acid B are the major components of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which is one of the most popular herbal traditional medicines in Asian countries. Salvianolic acid B and lithospermic acid B are reported to have identical structures except for the configurational assignments of two stereocenters. Through chemical correlation between a degradation product of salvianolic acid B and synthetic material, the absolute configuration of salvianolic acid B has been corrected to establish that salvianolic acid B and lithospermic acid B are in fact the same compound.
Electron-phonon interactions in insulating nanoparticles: Eu 2 O 3

The temperature and particle size dependencies of the linewidth of spectral holes burned in the ${}^{7}{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{{F}_{0}}}^{5}{D}_{0}$ transition of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}$ ions in ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ are calculated and compared with experiment. The power-low temperature behavior $\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{7},$ well-known experimentally and theoretically for the bulk, is observed to be strongly weakened to $\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{3}$ for the nanoparticles. A calculation is performed that assumes a two-phonon Raman-scattering mechanism involving the discrete phonon modes of a homogeneous nanoparticle with stress-free boundary conditions. The experimental results are successfully described assuming that the phonon modes broaden with frequency as $\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}.$ A quantitative comparison of the calculations with experiment allows the determination of the linewidth of the phonon resonances of the nanoparticles. The calculations predict that the size dependence of the hole linewidth is $\ensuremath{\sim}{D}^{\ensuremath{-}2.5},$ in close agreement with experiment.
Toxoplasmosis, Pancreatitis, Obesity and Drug Discovery.

Toxoplasmosis, an infectious and inflammatory syndrome, is one of the most important foodborne diseases causing hospitalization and death in U.S.A. Toxoplasma infects nucleated cells including pancreatic and destroys the β cells. Toxoplasma is a Category B classified infection by CDC and NIH, which once infected the organisms reside in tissues in cysts form for the host’s lifelong awaiting reactivation. Congenital toxoplasmosis occurs by transplacental transmission during maternal infection or reactivation of organisms and manifests with spontaneous abortion, or severe physical and mental defects. Currently, there is no safe and effective therapeutic modality against congenital toxoplasmosis or the persistent chronic infection. Here, toxoplasmosis and possible involvement of infection in induction of pancreatitis, and an experimental drug efficacy is discussed
Stat1 Serine Phosphorylation Occurs Independently of Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Requires an Activated Jak2 Kinase

Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) induces both tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of Stat1. Stat1 serine phosphorylation is required for maximal transcriptional activity of Stat1. In this report, we present evidence that Stat1 tyrosine phosphorylation is not a prerequisite for Stat1 serine phosphorylation, although an active Jak2 kinase is required for both phosphorylation events. Stat1 serine phosphorylation occurs with a more delayed time course than tyrosine phosphorylation. The occurrence of serine phosphorylation without tyrosine phosphorylation suggests that serine phosphorylation takes place in the cytoplasm. Experiments performed with cells expressing either dominant-negative or constitutively active Ras protein indicated that the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is probably not involved in IFN-gamma-induced Stat1 serine phosphorylation. Finally, a kinase capable of correct Stat1 serine phosphorylation was detected in partially purified cytoplasmic extracts from both IFN-gamma-treated and untreated cells.
Adaptive postfiltering for quality enhancement of coded speech

An adaptive postfiltering algorithm for enhancing the perceptual quality of coded speech is presented. The postfilter consists of a long-term postfilter section in cascade with a short-term postfilter section and includes spectral tilt compensation and automatic gain control. The long-term section emphasizes pitch harmonics and attenuates the spectral valleys between pitch harmonics. The short-term section, on the other hand, emphasizes speech formants and attenuates the spectral valleys between formants. Both filter sections have poles and zeros. Unlike earlier postfilters that often introduced a substantial amount of muffling to the output speech, our postfilter significantly reduces this effect by minimizing the spectral tilt in its frequency response. As a result, this postfilter achieves noticeable noise reduction while introducing only minimal distortion in speech. The complexity of the postfilter is quite low. Variations of this postfilter are now being used in several national and international speech coding standards. This paper presents for the first time a complete description of our original postfiltering algorithm and the underlying ideas that motivated its development. >
Mass terms in effective theories of high density quark matter

We study the structure of mass terms in the effective theory for quasiparticles in QCD at high baryon density. To next-to-leading order in the ${1/p}_{F}$ expansion we find two types of mass terms: chirality conserving two-fermion operators and chirality violating four-fermion operators. In the effective chiral theory for Goldstone modes in the color-flavor-locked (CFL) phase the former terms correspond to effective chemical potentials, while the latter lead to Lorentz invariant mass terms. We compute the masses of Goldstone bosons in the CFL phase, confirming earlier results by Son and Stephanov as well as Bedaque and Sch\"afer. We show that to leading order in the coupling constant g there is no antiparticle gap contribution to the mass of Goldstone modes, and that our results are independent of the choice of gauge.
Effects of Increased Ged Score Requirements: The Wisconsin Experience

In Wisconsin, the status of the GED as a "high school equivalency diploma" was recently challenged and subsequently higher score requirements were adopted. Currently Wisconsin has the most rigorous score requirements in the United States. This article reports the findings of an ex post facto study which investigated the effects of the increased standards on GED examinees. The study utilized both test and demographic data from a sample of 960 examinees: 480 of whom took the tests before the new standards were implemented and 480 who took the tests after they were operationalized. Statistically significant positive and negative effects were observed regarding academic preparation and performance, GED status, and academic and economic benefits of passing the tests experienced by examinees who took the tests after the higher standards were imposed.
A New Background-correction Method for Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A new method is described and tested for background correction in atomic absorption spectrometry. Applicable to flame or furnace atomizers, the method is capable of correcting back-grounds caused by molecular absorption, particulate scattering, and atomic-line overlap, even up to an absorbance value of 3. Like the Zeeman approach, the new method applies its correction very near the atomic line of interest, can employ single-beam optics, and requires no auxiliary source. However, no ancillary magnet or other costly peripherals are required and working curves are single-valued. The new technique is based on the broadening which occurs in a hollow-cathode spectral line when the lamp is operated at high currents. Under such conditions, the absorbance measured for a narrow (atomic) line is low, whereas the apparent absorbance caused by a broad-band background contributor remains as high as when the lamp is operated at conventional current levels. Background correction can therefore be effected by taking the difference in absorbances measured with the lamp operated at high and low currents. The new technique is evaluated in its ability to correct several different kinds of background interference and is critically compared with competitive methods.
BEAM: An Efficient Peer to Peer Media Streaming Framework

In this paper, we present a swarm based peer to peer media streaming model. In our approach, nodes that serve the maximum content to their peers have a higher utility to the swarm and become candidates for direct relay of stream from the media server. This reward forms a natural incentive for the nodes to contribute to the swarm. Nodes cluster into small groups, called alliances, for a symbiotic association. Alliance members must exchange pieces to have the complete packet. This policy dissuades non-cooperating members in an alliance from their selfish behavior. We study our model using a simulator and present some initial results.
EXCHANGE RATE RISK MANAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION VENTURES

This paper identifies the financial risk factors associated with international construction ven- tures from an integrated perspective. It examines the most effective mitigation measures adopted by con- struction professionals in managing these risks for their construction projects and suggests other means of risk aversion. A case study of forward exchange contracts versus borrowing strategies is presented. The paper is an attempt to present strategies to minimize foreign exchange risk and to better manage foreign exchange dealings.
A Comparative Methodology for Estimating the Capacity of a Freeway Section

The random characteristics of the traffic flow make it essential to have a random component and therefore add a stochastic meaning to the deterministic parameters. This paper aims to improve the conventional deterministic approach to the freeway capacity by estimating parameters of the various probability distribution functions that are likely to represent the probabilistic nature of freeway traffic capacity. Firstly, Maximum Likelihood Estimation method is applied to estimate the capacity distribution function. Then, confidence intervals for the capacity distribution function are calculated using Bayesian statistics techniques that can address the difficult problem of censored data. Finally, a comparative analysis has been conducted between the estimations of deterministic and probabilistic models to come up with a conclusion regarding spatial and temporal characteristics of freeway capacity. The analysis results indicate that including stochasticity in the model estimation results in better representation of observed data and thus improve understanding of real-life situations.
Brain Gets Sick, Too--The Case for Equal Insurance Coverage for Serious Mental Illness

Recent brain research has revealed that the major mental illnesses are organic diseases of the brain. Like other organs of the body, the brain can become ill. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, a psychiatrist whose sister suffers from schizophrenia, has commented that "[t]he evidence that serious mental illnesses are diseases is now overwhelming..." Notwithstanding recent medical findings regarding the organic underpinnings of mental illnesses, private insurers generally do not provide health insurance coverage for the treatment of these brain diseases at the same coverage levels as for other physical illnesses. In fact, "[m]ost private insurers require larger co-payments and set lower reimbursement ceilings for psychiatric disorders." This disparate treatment in insurance coverage for persons suffering from serious mental illnesses is both discriminatory and wrong. This article will explore the problem of discriminatory insurance practices with respect to serious mental illnesses by examining recent brain research, trends in insurance coverages for serious mental illnesses, and judicial and legislative responses to current insurance practices.
Fast focusing using a pinned-contact oscillating liquid lens

A millimetre-scale liquid lens that is harmonically driven and thus has an oscillating shape is demonstrated. By synchronizing the electronic timing of the image capture with the oscillations, a variable focus lens with a response time of 100 Hz is achieved. Simulations suggest that a faster response is possible for smaller lenses based on the same design.
Quantitative Nucleic Acid Amplification Methods for Viral Infections

Background: Over the past 2 decades there have been substantial improvements in the methods used to quantify viral nucleic acid in body fluids and in our understanding of how to use viral load measurements in the diagnosis and management of patients with a number of viral infections. These methods are now integrated into a wide range of diagnostic and treatment guidelines and commonly deployed in a variety of clinical settings. Content: Quantitative nucleic acid amplification methods that are used to measure viral load are described along with key issues and important variables that affect their performance. Particular emphasis is placed on those methods used in clinical laboratories as US Food and Drug Administration–cleared or laboratory-developed tests. We discuss the clinical applications of these methods in patients with HIV-1, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and BK polyomavirus infections. Finally, the current challenges and future directions of viral load testing are examined. Summary: Quantitative nucleic acid amplification tests provide important information that can be used to predict disease progression, distinguish symptomatic from asymptomatic infection, and assess the efficacy of antiviral therapy. Despite the advances in technology, large challenges remain for viral testing related to accuracy, precision, and standardization. Digital PCR, a direct method of quantification of nucleic acids that does not rely on rate-based measurements or calibration curves, may address many of the current challenges.
An optimal degree of physical and chemical heterogeneity for the origin of life

The accumulation of pure, concentrated chemical building blocks, from which the essential components of protocells could be assembled, has long been viewed as a necessary, but extremely difficult step on the pathway to the origin of life. However, recent experiments have shown that moderately increasing the complexity of a set of chemical inputs can in some cases lead to a dramatic simplification of the resulting reaction products. Similarly, model protocell membranes composed of certain mixtures of amphiphilic molecules have superior physical properties than membranes composed of single amphiphiles. Moreover, membrane self-assembly under simple and natural conditions gives rise to heterogeneous mixtures of large multi-lamellar vesicles, which are predisposed to a robust pathway of growth and division that simpler and more homogeneous small unilamellar vesicles cannot undergo. Might a similar relaxation of the constraints on building block purity and homogeneity actually facilitate the difficult process of nucleic acid replication? Several arguments suggest that mixtures of monomers and short oligonucleotides may enable the chemical copying of polynucleotides of sufficient length and sequence complexity to allow for the emergence of the first nucleic acid catalysts. The question of the origin of life may become less daunting once the constraints of overly well-defined laboratory experiments are appropriately relaxed.
Race, Culture, and Pluralism: The Evolution of Dewey's Vision for a Democratic Curriculum.

In this historical study, the author traces the evolution of Dewey’s vision for a democratic curriculum. Prior to 1916, Dewey was a linear historicist, meaning that he conceptualized culture as moving linearly through three distinct stages—savagery, barbarianism, civilization—that corresponded with stages of child development. Dewey’s suggested and enacted curriculum had students retrace the social occupations of the history of the human race. However, in 1916–1923, Dewey updated his views into a cultural pluralist perspective that viewed cultures as different ways of approaching the world that could not necessarily be placed on a single continuum of human development. While retaining elements of his linear historicism, he nevertheless began emphasizing the necessity of cultural diversity and interaction for a healthy deliberative democracy. Based on his updated views of culture and his travels abroad, Dewey revised his suggested curriculum to include the discussion and critical analysis of current issues...
Enteroadherent Escherichia coli as a cause of diarrhea among children in Mexico.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) often exhibits localized adherence or diffuse adherence to HEp-2 cells. We recently provided evidence that HEp-2 cell-adherent or enteroadherent E. coli (EAEC) not belonging to EPEC serogroups was the cause of diarrhea among U.S. travelers to Mexico. In the present study, we looked for EAEC and EPEC in stool specimens from 154 children with acute diarrhea and 137 well children seen at several outpatient clinics in Guadalajara, Mexico. EAEC showing localized adherence (EAEC-L) was isolated from 13.0% of the patients and 0.7% of the controls (P less than 0.0001). EAEC showing diffuse adherence (EAEC-D) was recovered from 20.8% of the patients and 7.3% of the controls (P less than 0.001). EPEC was isolated from 4.5 and 6.7% of the patients and controls, respectively. Among all enteropathogens, only enterotoxigenic E. coli occurred as commonly (21.4%) as EAEC-D and EAEC-L did in children with diarrhea. Of the EAEC-L strains isolated from children with diarrhea, 20% belonged to recognized EPEC serogroups, and 3.1% of EAEC-D strains belonged to recognized EPEC serogroups. This study suggests that EAEC may be an important pediatric enteropathogen in Mexican children with diarrhea and further supports the observation that adherence to HEp-2 cells may be a marker of virulence independent of EPEC serogroup among E. coli strains.
Mitochondrial approaches for neuroprotection.

A potential critical role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases is becoming increasingly compelling. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to a number of deleterious consequences for the cell including impaired calcium buffering, generation of free radicals, activation of nitric oxide synthase, activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition, and secondary excitotoxicity (Beal 1992, 1995). This can lead to both apoptotic and necrotic cell death depending on the severity of the insult. Neurodegenerative diseases have widely disparate etiologies but may share mitochondrial dysfunction as a final common pathway.
Ultrasonic cardiac pacing in the porcine model

Periodic pulses of intense ultrasound energy at 70 kHz with 5-ms duration at 3 MPa SPL applied to the exposed pig myocardium at physiologic rhythms were observed to produce cardiac pacing. Ten animals were successfully paced at pulse width and energy conditions above a certain threshold. Sigmoid strength-duration curves characterizing ultrasound's effectiveness in pacing were observed to resemble those of electrical stimulation. We suggest that bioelectrical stimulatory effects of ultrasound on the heart are a radiation pressure effect and a manifestation of the known myocyte sensitivity to stretch.
"Culture" and the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty: The Prevention Paradox

Summary Many U.S. policymakers support changing the "culture" of poor parents to encourage marriage, work, and religion as a means to end the intergenerational transmission of poverty. In this arti- cle Jens Ludwig and Susan Mayer review and evaluate research on how parental work, mar- riage, and religion affect children's socioeconomic status as adults, as well as on the likelihood that changing these indicators of parental behavior will reduce poverty in the next generation. They conclude that even if policymakers were able to ensure that all children had married, working, and religious parents, the result would be a far smaller reduction in poverty among the children's generation than many people believe. The explanation for this "poverty-prevention paradox," say Ludwig and Mayer, is that the poverty rate in the children's generation depends not only on how many poor children grow up to be poor adults, but also on how many nonpoor children grow up to be poor adults. Reducing the chances that poor children become poor adults will dramatically lower future poverty rates only if most poor adults begin life as poor children. But most poor adults grow up as nonpoor children in the type of "pro-social" households that policymakers are pushing to attain. More- over, little good evidence supports the idea that such parental behaviors as marriage, work, and religious adherence have strong causal effects on children's long-term economic success. The authors argue that encouraging positive social behaviors in the parents of poor children is a worthwhile goal in its own right. But they stress that policymakers should recognize the lim- its of this strategy for reducing poverty among future generations. There may be no substitute for a system of social insurance and income transfers for those children who do wind up poor as adults.
Dynein-dependent nuclear dynamics affect morphogenesis in Candida albicans by means of the Bub2p spindle checkpoint.

Candida albicans , the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, grows with multiple morphologies. The dynamics of nuclear movement are similar in wild-type yeast and pseudohyphae: nuclei divide across the bud neck. By contrast, in hyphae, nuclei migrate 10-20 μm into the growing germ tube before dividing. We analyzed the role of the dynein-dynactin complex in hyphal and yeast cells using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. Cells lacking the heavy chain of cytoplasmic dynein or the p150Glued subunit of dynactin were defective in the position and orientation of the spindle. Hyphal cells often failed to deliver a nucleus to the daughter cell, resulting in defects in morphogenesis. Under yeast growth conditions, cultures included a mixture of yeast and pseudohyphal-like cells that exhibited distinctive defects in nuclear dynamics: in yeast, nuclei divided within the mother cell, and the spindle position checkpoint protein Bub2p ensured the delivery of the daughter nucleus to the daughter cell before cytokinesis; in pseudohyphal-like cells, pre-mitotic nuclei migrated into the daughter and no checkpoint ensured return of a nucleus to the mother cell before cytokinesis. Analysis of double mutants indicated that Bub2p also mediated the pre-anaphase arrest and polarization of pseudohyphal-like cells. Thus, Bub2p has two distinct roles in C. albicans cells lacking dynein: it mediates pre-anaphase arrest and it coordinates spindle disassembly with mitotic exit.
Extension and optimization of the FIND algorithm: Computing Green's and less-than Green's functions

The FIND algorithm is a fast algorithm designed to calculate certain entries of the inverse of a sparse matrix. Such calculation is critical in many applications, e.g., quantum transport in nano-devices. We extended the algorithm to other matrix inverse related calculations. Those are required for example to calculate the less-than Green's function and the current density through the device. For a 2D device discretized as an N"xxN"y mesh, the best known algorithms have a running time of O(N"x^3N"y), whereas FIND only requires O(N"x^2N"y). Even though this complexity has been reduced by an order of magnitude, the matrix inverse calculation is still the most time consuming part in the simulation of transport problems. We could not reduce the order of complexity, but we were able to significantly reduce the constant factor involved in the computation cost. By exploiting the sparsity and symmetry, the size of the problem beyond which FIND is faster than other methods typically decreases from a 130x130 2D mesh down to a 40x40 mesh. These improvements make the optimized FIND algorithm even more competitive for real-life applications.
Self-assessment of physical sexual maturation in boys and girls with delayed puberty

We studied 49 boys and girls with delayed physical sexual maturation during treatment with sex steroids. We found significant agreements, but also some disagreements between physicians' and subjects' Tanner sexual maturity ratings. We found neither effects of treatment with sex steroids nor gender differences, comparing ratings between physicians and patients.
Decision fusion for parallel sequential sensors

Lee and Thomas (1984) have introduced a modified version of Wald's sequential probability ratio test. The modified version retains most of the features of Wald's procedure but is easier to analyze and offers efficient truncation procedures. In this study, we use the Lee-Thomas design to analyze the performance of a bank of M parallel sequential sensors whose decisions are fused. We evaluate the performance of the sensor bank by two criteria: (1) the probability of error; (2) average sample number (ASN) needed to achieve it. Three rules are studied: (1) first-to-decide rule (Niu and Varshney, 1984): once at least one sensor has stopped sampling, we adopt the decision of one of the stopped sensors; (2) all-that-decided rule: once at least one sensor has stopped sampling, we integrate all the decisions of stopped sensors through the 1986 Chair-Varshney decision fusion rule; and (3) all-sensors rule: once at least one sensor has stopped sampling, we combine the available decisions of the stopped sensor and the implied decisions of the remaining sensors. Performance of the three rules is calculated and gains with respect to the performance of a single sensor are quantified.
Black Movements Need Black Theorizing: Exposing Implicit Whiteness in Political Process Theory

The history of racism in the United States has produced a paradox in social movement literature: blackness shaped the character and substance of black antiracist mobilization, but whiteness shapes most analysis of their efforts. Despite frequently using the black Civil Rights Movement for theory development and testing, leading theorists have yet to identify a specific theory of race undergirding their analysis or explaining how racism impacts the trajectory of antiracist social movements. Instead, theorists rely on common white-privileging notions of race that hinder analyses of black movements. I critically analyze political process theory (PPT) from a racial perspective, showing that the dominant critiques of PPT stem from PPT creators’ failure to critically theorize race while analyzing the Civil Rights Movement. Theorists implicitly adopted white-centered perspectives that ultimately undermined PPT’s development. I conclude with a call to simultaneously theorize collective action and the system of in...
Locoregional anesthesia in thyroid and parathyroid surgery

In the last couple of decades, there has been a renewed interest in performing both thyroid and parathyroid operations under locoregional anesthesia. As preoperative studies have enabled better localization of disease in both parathyroids and thyroid disorders, minimally invasive techniques have become popularized and the ability to perform these procedures under locoregional anesthesia has improved. While the vast majority of parathyroid and thyroid operations are still performed under general anesthesia, locoregional anesthesia has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative that can potentially allow for a shorter recovery period, fewer costs, and obviate the potential risks that are inherent with general anesthesia. This chapter will discuss the benefits, risks, and surgical considerations of using locoregional anesthesia in thyroid and parathyroid surgeries.
Mechanical Properties of Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide

We use atomistic simulations to study mechanical properties of monolayer molybdenum disulfide MoS2. Using molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, we investigate the nano-fracture properties of monolayer MoS2 under mixed mode I and II loadings. The MD simulations are used to obtain the critical stress intensity factors of both armchair and zigzag cracks as a function of applied loading phase angle. Our atomistic simulations predict that armchair cracks are tougher than zigzag cracks, and both armchair and zigzag cracks tend to propagate along a zigzag path. Furthermore, we use density functional theory (DFT) to investigate how point defects influence the mechanical properties of nanoribbons. Our DFT simulations show that missing one S atom does not significantly affect the mechanical strength of monolayer MoS2, whereas missing one Mo atom can reduce the maximum strength of single layer MoS2 sheet by about 10%.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Ultrafast X-ray science at the Advanced Light Source

Summary form only given. An important frontier in ultrafast research is the application of femtosecond X-ray pulses to investigate structural dynamics associated with phase transitions in solids, chemical reactions and rapid biological processes. The fundamental time scale for such processes is an atomic vibrational period, /spl sim/100 fs. Since X-rays interact with core electronic levels they can provide direct information about atomic structure. X-ray diffraction, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and related X-ray techniques are widely used at modern synchrotrons providing high-brightness X-ray beams. However, the time resolution available from synchrotrons is nearly three orders of magnitude too slow to probe atomic motion within a single vibrational period. We have recently generated femtosecond synchrotron pulses from the Advanced Light Source (ALS) using ultrashort pulses. Future plans for developing femtosecond X-ray science at the ALS will be discussed.
Gatekeeper Perceptions: Implications for Improving Sales Ethics and Professionalism

An investigation was undertaken to understand how salespeople interact with gatekeepers when attempting to gain an initial appointment with a buyer’s firm. Several unprofessional behaviors were identified as contributing to gatekeepers' negative attitude towards professional salespeople, which in turn affects their decision to deny or grant a salesperson an appointment. Sales management implications are presented.
GPs need better scoring systems that work in primary care.

Newton-Bishop and Lorigan completely miss the point.1 It is a shame that two secondary care professionals were asked to reflect on how primary care can improve the identification of melanomas. GPs’ management of melanoma has been completely disempowered …
Passive Mixing Control of Parallel Jets

Experiments and simulations of unvented parallel planar jets having variable slot widths and velocities are presented. It is shown that, for sufficiently large spacing, a matched momentum flux condition results in an unsteady “flapping” of the two jets. Detectable flapping was found for momentum ratios between 0.5 and 2.5. The extent of the jet mixing with the ambient fluid is investigated by using temperature as a passive scalar. It is found that the flapping motion leads to enhanced mixing with the ambient fluid, and that this mixing increases with jet spacing.