cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Mythic and Interpretive Analysis in the Investigation of Hearing Loss on the Family Farm

Despite knowing about the dangers of hearing loss, farmers typically choose not to protect their hearing. Examining the myth of farm life, this study aims to discern whether rhetorical myths influence farmers’ decisions to wear hearing protection. Researchers conducted 40 interviews with farmers regarding farm life and hearing loss. Results suggest that farmers typically do not use hearing protection; their answers reflect the myths of sacrifice and safety. Analysis demonstrates that knowledge of the relationship between myth and practice should impact future attempts to change farmers’ behaviors. Key Words: Agrarian, Agriculture, Hearing Loss, Informant-directed Interviews, Myth, Risk, Content Analysis, and Critical Interpretive
Most of the tight positional conservation of transcription factor binding sites near the transcription start site reflects their co-localization within regulatory modules

Transcription factors (TFs) form complexes that bind regulatory modules (RMs) within DNA, to control specific sets of genes. Some transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) near the transcription start site (TSS) display tight positional preferences relative to the TSS. Furthermore, near the TSS, RMs can co-localize TFBSs with each other and the TSS. The proportion of TFBS positional preferences due to TFBS co-localization within RMs is unknown, however. ChIP experiments confirm co-localization of some TFBSs genome-wide, including near the TSS, but they typically examine only a few TFs at a time, using non-physiological conditions that can vary from lab to lab. In contrast, sequence analysis can examine many TFs uniformly and methodically, broadly surveying the co-localization of TFBSs with tight positional preferences relative to the TSS. Our statistics found 43 significant sets of human motifs in the JASPAR TF Database with positional preferences relative to the TSS, with 38 preferences tight (±5 bp). Each set of motifs corresponded to a gene group of 135 to 3304 genes, with 42/43 (98%) gene groups independently validated by DAVID, a gene ontology database, with FDR < 0.05. Motifs corresponding to two TFBSs in a RM should co-occur more than by chance alone, enriching the intersection of the gene groups corresponding to the two TFs. Thus, a gene-group intersection systematically enriched beyond chance alone provides evidence that the two TFs participate in an RM. Of the 903 = 43*42/2 intersections of the 43 significant gene groups, we found 768/903 (85%) pairs of gene groups with significantly enriched intersections, with 564/768 (73%) intersections independently validated by DAVID with FDR < 0.05. A user-friendly web site at http://go.usa.gov/3kjsH permits biologists to explore the interaction network of our TFBSs to identify candidate subunit RMs. Gene duplication and convergent evolution within a genome provide obvious biological mechanisms for replicating an RM near the TSS that binds a particular TF subunit. Of all intersections of our 43 significant gene groups, 85% were significantly enriched, with 73% of the significant enrichments independently validated by gene ontology. The co-localization of TFBSs within RMs therefore likely explains much of the tight TFBS positional preferences near the TSS.
Unique heating curves generated by radiofrequency electric-field interactions with semi-aqueous solutions.

Aqueous and nanoparticle-based solutions have been reported to heat when exposed to an alternating radiofrequency (RF) electric-field. Although the theoretical models have been developed to accurately model such a behavior given the solution composition as well as the geometrical constraints of the sample holder, these models have not been investigated across a wide-range of solutions where the dielectric properties differ, especially with regard to the real permittivity. In this work, we investigate the RF heating properties of non-aqueous solutions composed of ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycine betaine with and without varying amounts of NaCl and LiCl. This allowed us to modulate the real permittivity across the range 25–132, as well as the imaginary permittivity across the range 37–177. Our results are in excellent agreement with the previously developed theoretical models. We have shown that different materials generate unique RF heating curves that differ from the standard aqueous heating curves....
Angular Effects on Single-Event Mechanisms in Bulk FinFET Technologies

Angular single-event (SE) mechanisms and experimental upset data for 14-/16-nm bulk fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) technologies are presented and analyzed. The discrete structure of FinFETs introduces unique geometrical and orientation dependences for angular SE mechanisms and SE upset (SEU) responses of FinFET circuits. Geometric analyses and 3-D technology computer-aided design results effectively explain the angular mechanisms behind experimentally observed SE crosssectional responses. Results show that angular SEU crosssectional characteristics can be attributed to the proportional contributions of charge deposition regions in the fin structure and the subfin bulk substrate.
Silicone wristbands compared with traditional polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure assessment methods

Currently there is a lack of inexpensive, easy-to-use technology to evaluate human exposure to environmental chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This is the first study in which silicone wristbands were deployed alongside two traditional personal PAH exposure assessment methods: active air monitoring with samplers (i.e., polyurethane foam (PUF) and filter) housed in backpacks, and biological sampling with urine. We demonstrate that wristbands worn for 48 h in a non-occupational setting recover semivolatile PAHs, and we compare levels of PAHs in wristbands to PAHs in PUFs-filters and to hydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) biomarkers in urine. We deployed all samplers simultaneously for 48 h on 22 pregnant women in an established urban birth cohort. Each woman provided one spot urine sample at the end of the 48-h period. Wristbands recovered PAHs with similar detection frequencies to PUFs-filters. Of the 62 PAHs tested for in the 22 wristbands, 51 PAHs were detected in at least one wristband. In this cohort of pregnant women, we found more significant correlations between OH-PAHs and PAHs in wristbands than between OH-PAHs and PAHs in PUFs-filters. Only two comparisons between PAHs in PUFs-filters and OH-PAHs correlated significantly (rs = 0.53 and p = 0.01; rs = 0.44 and p = 0.04), whereas six comparisons between PAHs in wristbands and OH-PAHs correlated significantly (rs = 0.44 to 0.76 and p = 0.04 to <0.0001). These results support the utility of wristbands as a biologically relevant exposure assessment tool which can be easily integrated into environmental health studies.
A Balanced Investment Portfolio For Equitable Health And Well-Being Is An Imperative, And Within Reach.

Health investments, defined as formal expenditures to either produce or care for health, in the US are extremely inefficient and have yet to unlock the country’s full potential for equitable health...
Performance consequences of social capital in online communities: The roles of exchange and combination, and absorptive capacity

Abstract Many organizations support online communities of practice (OCOPs) as part of their knowledge management strategies. Despite some prior investigation of the potential benefits of OCOPs, the effects of OCOPs on behaviors and performance outcomes are not well understood. Drawing on social capital theory and absorptive capacity literature, this paper addresses three research questions: (1) How does social capital influence exchange and combination behaviors in online communities of practice? (2) How do exchange and combination behaviors affect the performance of individuals and the OCOP? (3) How does absorptive capacity moderate the impact of exchange and combination behaviors on individual and OCOP performance? The empirical study is based on online survey data from 253 participants in OCOPs and qualitative analysis of online postings. The results indicate that cognitive and structural capital facilitate exchange and combination behaviors in OCOPs, but relational capital does not. Moreover, exchange and combination behaviors facilitate the performance of individuals as well as the OCOP, and a higher level of absorptive capacity enhances these effects. The findings are discussed in detail, along with their theoretical and practical implications, and directions for future research.
Flexibility, the Dominant Characteristic of Effective Helpers: A Factor Analytic Study.

This article reports a factor analytic study of eight personality variables thought to be essential to effective helpers.
Novel screening protocol for precise phenotyping of salt-tolerance at reproductive stage in rice

The present study reports an unequivocal and improved protocol for efficient screening of salt tolerance at flowering stage in rice, which can aid phenotyping of population for subsequent identification of QTLs associated with salinity stress, particularly at reproductive stage. To validate the new method, the selection criteria, level and time of imposition of stress; plant growth medium were standardized using three rice genotypes. The setup was established with a piezometer placed in a perforated pot for continuous monitoring of soil EC and pH throughout the period of study. Further, fertilizer enriched soil was partially substituted by gravels for stabilization and maintaining the uniformity of soil EC in pots without hindering its buffering capacity. The protocol including modified medium (Soil:Stone, 4:1) at 8 dS m−1 salinity level was validated using seven different genotypes possessing differential salt sensitivity. Based on the important selection traits such as high stability index for plant yield, harvest index and number of grains/panicle and also high K+ concentration and low Na+– K+ ratio in flag leaf at grain filling stage were validated and employed in the evaluation of a mapping population in the modified screening medium. The method was found significantly efficient for easy maintenance of desired level of soil salinity and identification of genotypes tolerant to salinity at reproductive stage.
There is a lack of preventive care and treatment interventions for urinary incontinence in hospitalised adults

Commentary on: Artero-Lopez C, Marquez-Hernandez V, Estevez-Morales M, et al . Inertia in nuursing care of hospitalised patients with urinary incontinence. J Clin Nurs 2018;27:1488–1496. UI is often under-reported and under-treated. Its prevalence increases with age, as do some risk factors including confusion and dependence on others for ambulation.1 These factors may be present when, or develop while, adults are admitted to hospital. Little attention has focused on hospital UI care until recently. Artero-Lopez and colleagues2 investigated the role clinical inertia (defined for this study as, ‘any action inherent …
Strength in numbers: The quest for asthma genes.

Abstract The common variants that influence the architecture of complex human diseases such as asthma have extremely small effects that can only be captured by very large studies. A group of geneticists and statisticians from the University of Chicago relied on the UK Biobank (a publicly available repository of genetic and phenotypic data collected on approximately 500,000 individuals from across the United Kingdom) to identify both shared and distinct genetic risk factors for childhood- and adult-onset asthma and thus assess whether these are the same or distinct diseases. Using a bold analytical approach that combined genome-wide association studies (GWAS), tissue enrichment patterns for expressed GWAS loci, and genotype-imputed gene expression data, the authors identified loci with both age of onset-specific effects and shared effects, and biological pathways and tissues potentially linking genetic variation to asthma pathogenesis.
Solving PDEs on manifolds represented as point clouds and applications

Abstract This paper serves as a review of our series work of solving partial differential equations (PDEs) on manifolds represented as point clouds and using their solutions to conduct geometric understanding of point clouds. We first review our two systemic methods of discretizing PDEs including the moving least square method and the local mesh method. These methods of approximating differential operator on manifold-structured point clouds are based only on local approximation using nearest neighbours and achieve high order numerical convergence of the desired equations including diffusion and nondiffusion types of equations. We further discuss extensions of these methods to approximate the committor function for understanding dynamic systems and to solve PDEs on manifolds represented as incomplete inter-point distance information by combining with low-rank matrix completion theory. As direct applications, we use solutions of PDEs on manifold-structured point clouds as bridges to link local and global information. With this strategy, we discuss a few key applications essential to geometric understanding for point clouds, including skeletons extraction from point clouds, the conformal structures construction from point clouds, and nonrigid intrinsic registration among point clouds.
Organisational and costing aspects to prevent wildlife strikes on airports: A case study of Spanish airport security managers

Abstract Most cited research regarding wildlife strikes on airports state that this causes economic losses of approximately USD1.2 billion annually to the global air transport sector. Airport security managers address this problem by deploying several well-known countermeasures, including outsourcing wildlife control services (WCS) to perform preventive actions. Among these actions, the use of raptors plays an important role due to their effectiveness in dispersing wildlife. This paper aims to characterise the organisational and cost aspects of such services to provide a baseline reference, by applying a case study analysis methodology on Spanish civil and military air transport data, crossing strike records, the number of flight operations per airport, and WCS bidding for the years 2010 to 2016. The case study highline how the damages due to wildlife strikes are expected to cost a minimum of EUR 9 million and a maximum of EUR 44 Million to Spanish air transport industry, meanwhile the investment in prevention services for such hazard cost almost EUR 2.5 Million to airport safety managers, including airport falconry with a median cost of EUR 6666 per raptor requested. This can also be expressed as a median cost service for each airport ranging from EUR 0.023 to 0.036 per passenger, what may establish a baseline reference for future research to determine new WCS efficiency indicators and the fundaments to reject a budget reduction on airport wildlife control services in contrast with the damage cost when such hazards happens.
RNA Regulators in Leukemia and Lymphoma

Posttranscriptional regulation of mRNA is a powerful and tightly controlled process in which cells command the integrity, diversity, and abundance of their protein products. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are the principal players that control many intermediary steps of posttranscriptional regulation. Recent advances in this field have discovered the importance of RBPs in hematological diseases. Herein we will review a number of RBPs that have been determined to play critical functions in leukemia and lymphoma. Furthermore, we will discuss the potential therapeutic strategies that are currently being studied to specifically target RBPs in these diseases.
The Qualitative Value of Social Support for Liver Transplantation.

Last week, I had to respect the decision of my patient’s family to withdraw ventilatory support on a patient who was 3 months post liver transplant with a functional liver and a reversible disease ...
Cross-cultural flexibility: Validation of the traditional Mandarin, simplified Mandarin, and Japanese translations of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory

Abstract Drawing from Eastern ideologies including Buddhism and Taoism and grounded in Relational Frame Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) promotes wellbeing by helping individuals alter the function of internal experiences, encouraging them to engage in a psychologically flexible set of skills in response to unwanted thoughts, feelings, and experiences (representing the Hexaflex model: awareness of the present moment, acceptance, self-as-context, defusion, contact with values, committed action) rather than engaging in rigid and inflexible responses (inattentive unawareness, experiential avoidance, self-as-content, fusion, lack of contact with values, inaction). Recent work developed the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI), offering a method of assessing and tracking all 12 dimensions of the Hexaflex model separately. Given ACT's conceptual ties to Eastern ideologies, the current study sought to develop translations of the MPFI in three Asian languages (traditional Mandarin, simplified Mandarin, and Japanese): (1) to allow for the scale's clinical use in those languages and (2) to allow clinical researchers to examine ACT mechanisms in non-English speaking populations. Toward that end, 2091 respondents (69% female, M = 32.4 years old, SD = 10.2 years) from 5 cultural groups across 4 countries and 4 languages completed a 30–35 min online survey. Confirmatory Factor Analyses supported the measurement invariance and factor structure of the MPFI across all cultural groups and languages, the MPFI subscales demonstrated excellent internal consistencies across all languages, and the subscales continued to show convergent patterns of correlation with indices of wellbeing and psychological distress across all languages. Implications will be discussed.
Effect of visible light sticks for collecting of adult caddisflies (Trichoptera): A preliminary field study

Local residents along the Uji River, Kyoto, Japan, may be exposed to seasonal invasions of adult caddisflies. Ultraviolet (UV)-blocking materials are believed to be an effective pest management tool because adult caddisflies are often attracted to light sources that emit large amounts of UV light. To clarify the effect of the visible spectrum, we collected adult caddisflies using blue, green, and yellow light sticks that did not emit UV light. Traps were operated from 18:30 (sunset: 18:22) on September 2, 2016 to 06:00 (sunrise, 05:31) on September 3, 2016. We collected 382 adults representing eight species of caddisflies. Green light sticks attracted the most numerous individuals (189 adults, seven species), followed by blue (134 adults, seven species), then yellow (59 adults, five species). Paduniella tanidai Nishimoto was the dominant species (331 adults). These results suggest that adult caddisflies are attracted not only to the UV spectrum but also the visible spectrum.
Trepanation of the Outer Table as a Treatment for Scalping Injuries: Historical Perspective and Modern Applications.

Complex cranial wounds represent complex surgical problems. In modern times, these are mostly due to accidental trauma. During the period of the American Frontier, violent scalping was a common practice. Innovative techniques were utilized to improve outcomes for this condition that still have relevance in today's practice. We provide a historical perspective with vignettes that identify survivors of violent scalping from the American Frontier as well as the surgical techniques used to treat them. The techniques identified were then modified for modern practice and applied to a complex cranial wound. A review of primary and secondary historical sources was carried out. Nine separate incidences of violent scalping were identified from this period. Successful treatment relied on exposure of the diploe leading to granulation tissue formation and eventual scalp coverage. This was accomplished as a byproduct of the violence of the scalping or as an application of the technique first described by Augustin Belloste in 1696. Application of this technique in a modern setting may allow for improved wound healing. Trepanation of the outer table to aid in healing and closure of complex cranial wounds has a long history of successful practice and can be successfully applied to modern practice.
Single-cell analysis of cellular state heterogeneity in human localized prostate cancer.

254Background: Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men worldwide. The development of cancer from prostate tissue involves complex interactions of tumor cells with surrounding ep...
Public Accountability: Understanding Sentiments towards Artificial Intelligence across Dispositional Identities

Artificial Intelligence (Al) and Machine Learning (ML) have been influential across many industries. Companies, nearly every day, are finding new means and methods of benefiting from these technologies. Despite this prevalence, individuals still report a significant level of distrust towards Al and its applications. To rehabilitate the relationship between Al and its consumers, developers must expose these new technologies to consumers and include them in the process of critiquing and assisting in the improvement of such technologies. The goal of this work is to introduce a new initiative towards an Ethical Al society. Participants are given the opportunity to learn about modem applications of Al and the space to reflect on these technologies. It is found that across the exampled technologies, differences of opinions are significantly correlated to specific dispositional identities, such as gender and computing experience. Furthermore, trends of trust across the general public are compared to that of students enrolled in a computer science course. These results depict vastly differing opinions across technologies which validate the need for public exposure and critique. This work highlights the need for researchers and developers to investigate opinions across dispositional identities, including race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. The study has shown to be beneficial, with over 70% of individuals reporting having learned about a new application of Al.
Binary Capacitor Voltage Control-based MMC with a Hybrid Arm Design for Low Nominal DC Voltage Applications

The main technical challenge of multilevel converters for low nominal voltage is to abate hardware and control complexity and concomitantly aggrandize DC-AC power- conversion quality and efficiency. In the modular multilevel converter (MMC), the half- or full-bridge sub-modules with the arm inductor can derive various sub-module capacitor voltage control approaches. This paper proposes a new MMC concept utilizing the above MMC’s advantage to address the challenge effectively. The proposed binary capacitor voltage control and circulating current control regulate the sub-module capacitor voltages at the power-of-two reference values and the converterarm voltages at the multilevel reference values through a Lyapunov stability-based cost-function optimization approach exploiting the binary numeral system and the proposed hybrid arm design. Therefore, the proposed MMC improves the DC-AC power conversion quality and efficiency by synthesizing a sinusoidal AC voltage with a significantly large number of voltage levels while extensively reducing hardware and control complexity for low nominal DC voltage applications. A simulation study is presented to demonstrate the steady-state and dynamic performance of the proposed MMC under several conditions.
Effect of Mode-mixity on the Fracture Toughness of Ti-6al-4v/fm-5 Adhesive Joints

Using several different fracture tests, the fracture toughness of a chromic acid anodized titanium (Ti-6A-4V)/polyimide (FM-5) adhesive system was evaluated. Mode I, mode II, and mixed mode (I and II) tests were conducted using double cantilever beam (DCB), end notch flexure (ENF), and mixed mode flexure (MMF) geometries. Interfacial type failures were observed in the ENF and MMF specimens as a result of the mode II loading inherent in these tests. Pure mode I loading, as is the case with symmetric DCB specimens, resulted in cohesive failures with a fracture energy around 2500 J/m2 on as-received specimens. The asymmetric DCB specimens had fracture energy values around 2000 J/m2, the MMF specimens close to 1970 J/m2, and ENF specimens around 1300 J/m2. All the above measurements were made on as-bonded (unaged) specimens. Titanium/FM-5 bonds supplied by the Boeing Company were then aged in one of three different environments for 2 and 6 months respectively. The environments included: 177degC in air and 2 psia, and 204degC in air. Following the aging, DCB, ENF, and MMF tests were conducted on the specimens. The results showed that aging in all three environments resulted in decreases in fracture energy for the above specimen testing configurations. The largest drop (20 percent) in fracture toughness was noted in specimens aged for 6 months in air at 204degC. An unusual finding from this study, in contrast to what other researchers have seen on other systems, was that increasing mode II loading resulted in significant reductions in toughness. Crack path selection and interaction with the woven glass scrim within the bonded specimens may be responsible for the lower mode II fracture energies. From the tests conducted, failure envelopes were developed to predict failure energy and type for use in designing structural joints.
Trajectories of collaborative scientific conceptual change: middle school students learning about ecosystems in a cscl environment

The dissertation aims to achieve two goals. First, it attempts to establish a new theoretical framework—the collaborative scientific conceptual change model, which explicitly attends to social factor and epistemic practices of science, to understand conceptual change. Second, it report the findings of a classroom study to investigate how to apply this theoretical framework to examine the trajectories of collaborative scientific conceptual change in a CSCL environment and provide pedagogical implications. Two simulations were designed to help students make connections between the macroscopic substances and the aperceptual microscopic entities and underlying processes. The reported study was focused on analyzing the aggregated data from all participants and the video and audio data from twenty focal groups’ collaborative activities and the process of their conceptual development in two classroom settings. Mixed quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied to analyze the video/audio data. The results found that, overall participants showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest on system understanding. Group and teacher effect as well as group variability were detected in both students’ posttest performance and their collaborative activities, and variability emerged in group interaction. Multiple data analyses found that attributes of collaborative discourse and epistemic practices made a difference in student learning. Generating warranted claims in discourse as well as the predicting, coordinating theory-evidence, and modifying knowledge in epistemic practices had an impact on student’s conceptual understanding. However, modifying knowledge was found negatively related to students’ learning effect. The case studies show how groups differed in using the computer tools as a medium to conduct collaborative discourse and epistemic practices. Only with certain combination of discourse features and epistemic practices can the group interaction lead to successful convergent understanding. The results of the study imply that the collaborative scientific conceptual change model is an effective framework to study conceptual change and the simulation environment may mediate the development of successful collaborative interactions (including collaborative discourse and epistemic practices) that lead to collaborative scientific conceptual change.
Update on macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin, ketolide, and oxazolidinone resistance genes

This Minireview summarizes the changes in the field of bacterial resistance to macrolide, lincosamide, streptogramin, ketolide, and oxazolidinone (MLSKO) antibiotics since the nomenclature review in 1999. A total of 66 genes conferring resistance to this group of antibiotics has now been identified and includes 13 new rRNA methylase genes, four ATP-binding transporter genes coding for efflux proteins, and five new inactivating enzymes. During this same time period, 73 new genera carrying known rRNA methylase genes and 87 new genera carrying known efflux and/or inactivating genes have been recognized. The number of bacteria with mutations in the genes for 23S rRNA, L4 and L22 ribosomal proteins, resulting in reduced susceptibility to some members of the group of MLSKO antibiotics has also increased and now includes nine different Gram-positive and 10 different Gram-negative genera. New conjugative transposons carrying different MLSKO genes along with an increased number of antibiotics and/or heavy metal resistance genes have been identified. These mobile elements may play a role in the continued spread of the MLSKO resistance genes into new species, genera, and ecosystems.
The CD1 family: a third lineage of antigen-presenting molecules.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the CD1 structure and function in humans and other mammals, and the manner in which the CD1 family may contribute to the overall maintenance of specific immunity. CD1 has been studied at the serologic, protein, and molecular levels in humans and in several other species including rodents, rabbit, and sheep. Although functional studies of CD1 have so far only been reported using human cells, the stage is now set for the development of animal models for the in vivo exploration of CD1 function. The chapter also presents genetics and molecular biology of the CD1 family, the CD1 proteins: characterization of a family of MHC-related molecules, serologic definition of CD1, biochemical, and immunochemical studies of CD1 proteins, tissue distribution and cellular expression of CD1 proteins, and the immunological function of CD1 proteins. Group 1 CD1 proteins are antigen-presenting molecules in the same sense as the classical MHC class I and II molecules. Although MHC-restricted T cells are predominant in most immune responses, it still remains possible that CD1-restricted responses may take on a substantial importance in certain anatomic sites or in the setting of specific diseases or infections, as CD1 differs from MHC-encoded antigen-presenting molecules in a number of ways. These include their patterns of cellular and tissue expression, the predicted structures of their membrane distal domains, and the chemical nature of the antigens presented. Therefore, an appreciation of how the CD1 system contributes to immunity may well enhance the human ability to manipulate the immune system in predictable and useful ways.
Faster SEQUEST Searching for Peptide Identification from Tandem Mass Spectra

Computational analysis of mass spectra remains the bottleneck in many proteomics experiments. SEQUEST was one of the earliest software packages to identify peptides from mass spectra by searching a database of known peptides. Though still popular, SEQUEST performs slowly. Crux and TurboSEQUEST have successfully sped up SEQUEST by adding a precomputed index to the search, but the demand for ever-faster peptide identification software continues to grow. Tide, introduced here, is a software program that implements the SEQUEST algorithm for peptide identification and that achieves a dramatic speedup over Crux and SEQUEST. The optimization strategies detailed here employ a combination of algorithmic and software engineering techniques to achieve speeds up to 170 times faster than a recent version of SEQUEST that uses indexing. For example, on a single Xeon CPU, Tide searches 10 000 spectra against a tryptic database of 27 499 Caenorhabditis elegans proteins at a rate of 1550 spectra per second, which compares ...
Gender Differences in Associations with Deviant Peer Groups: Examining Individual, Interactional, and Compositional Factors

Researchers have long known that boys are more likely to have deviant peers than are girls. Yet, little research has tried to explain why boys and girls differ in their decision to associate with deviant peers. With the salience of deviant peers well established as a robust predictor of delinquency, we address the question, are the predictors of association with deviant peers different for boys and girls? In our examination of family and community processes, individual effects, and peer group composition factors, we find that the predictors of association with deviant peers differ by gender. In addition, our findings suggest gender divergences in the causes of both deviant peer association and deviant peer pressure. We discuss the implications of our research for both theoretical development and appropriate model estimation.
On the effect of image states on resonant neutralization of hydrogen anions near metal surfaces

Abstract We directly assess the role of image state electronic structures on the ion-survival by comparing the resonant charge transfer dynamics of hydrogen anions near Pd(1 1 1), Pd(1 0 0), and Ag(1 1 1) surfaces. Our simulations show that image states that are degenerate with the metal conduction band favor the recapture of electrons by outgoing ions. In sharp contrast, localized image states that occur inside the band gap hinder the recapture process and thus enhance the ion-neutralization probability.
Ranitidine-Associated Interstitial Nephritis and Fanconi Syndrome

Ranitidine is an H2 blocking agent widely used in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Although acute interstitial nephritis has been described in association with a related drug, cimetidine, this complication secondary to ranitidine has been reported only once before. We describe a patient who presented with acute renal failure and features of Fanconi syndrome in association with the use of ranitidine. Renal biopsy showed acute interstitial nephritis. The patient had renal tubular acidosis with alkaline urine, aminoaciduria, renal glycosuria, uricosuria, and phosphaturia. There was a marked disparity between the degree of elevation of urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations in the serum that was attributable to diminished urea generation, since simultaneous measurement of inulin, creatinine, and urea clearances showed that they were comparably reduced. Urinary nitrogen loss in the form of aminoaciduria contributed significantly to decreased urea generation. Both acute renal failure and Fanconi syndrome resolved after treatment with prednisone.
Amorphization induced by subnanosecond laser pulses in phase-change optical recording media

We have investigated the dynamics of amorphization induced in phase-change optical recording media by focused laser pulses of subnanosecond duration. We initiated localized amorphism by using a focused laser beam to melt the phase-change material and completed the change by rapid cooling by means of thermal diffusion. These studies were conducted by use of real-time reflectivity measurements with a pump-and-probe technique in which both pump and probe pulses had a duration of ∼510 ps. Our transient-reflectivity measurements indicate that the process that leads to amorphism has three distinct stages, namely, rapid melting, solidification, and slow relaxation.
Accuracy Analysis And Improvements To The Hewlett-Packard Laser Interferometer System

An account is given on how to analyze the measurement accuracy of a laser interferometer system. Each component of the system accuracy budget is discussed, including the magnitude of these components. Two important components of this budget; atmospheric affects and optics thermal drift are discussed in more detail. The effects of these two error components have been significantly reduced on the Hewlett-Packard laser interferometer systems by the use of Wavelength Tracking Compensation and a new interferometer.
The idea of humanity in Jewish tradition: from “the image of God” to the Jews of China

本文探讨的是经典犹太传统文化中人性观的建构。文章首先从中世纪对“以上 帝的形象”这一词语的阐释出发，回顾了圣经中“以上帝的形象”造人的历史，继 而讨论了这些传统对理解犹太人与非犹太人的关系，特别是非犹太人的人性观所具 有的意义。文章的后半部分考察了塑造犹太流散文化的跨文化适应和交流现象，对 犹太人-非犹太人之间的关系进行了不同的建构。该部分集中讨论了犹太人与非犹 太人混合的一个极端事例，即中世纪时期中国开封的犹太人社团。 关键词: 人性 文化适应 犹太人与非犹太人 中国犹太人 流散 圣经 This paper explores the construction of the idea of “Humanity” in classical Jewish tradition and culture. The first half of the paper traces the history of the idea from the Biblical notion of human beings created “in the image of God” through medieval interpretations of that phrase, and the implications of those traditions for conceptualizing Jewish‐gentile relations, and in particular, the “humanity” of gentiles. The second half of the paper treats a very different construction of Jewish‐gentile relations by looking at the phenomenon of inter‐cultural adaptation and exchange as it has shaped Jewish diasporic culture; this discussion focuses upon one extreme case of Jewish‐gentile syncretism, the medieval Kaifeng Jewish community in China.
AIDS, morality and the human condition: an unequal calculus of life and death: a review of Nicoli Nattrass, The Moral Economy of AIDS in South Africa

Nicoli Nattrass (2004) The Moral Economy of AIDS in South Africa, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0521548640, 224 pages. My presence here embodies the injustice of AIDS because, on a co...
Trace fluoride determination with specific ion electrode

Abstract A method is described for determining 10 -5 –10 -4 M fluoride in a variety of solutions potentiometrically with a fluoridc-specific electrode, by a standard addition method. Any change of ionic strength or the nature of the solution that might alter activity coefficients or junction potentials is minimized. The relationship between potential and fluoride concentration thus follows the Nernst equation, and the unknown concentration can be calculated. Experimental data are given for solutions of sodium choride, sodium nitrate, acidified sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and phosphoric acid. Metal ions (e.g., Al 3+ , UO 2 2+ , Fe 3+ , Th 4+ ) that interfere by forming complexes with fluoride can be precomplexed with phosphoric acid. The relative error is estimated at 10%, and the relative standard deviation is less than 5% over the concentration range 10 -5 –10 -4 M fluoride.
Effects of phaseollin on membrane leakage in red beet vacuoles and tonoplast vesicles

Abstract Acting in a manner similar to that of glyceollins I and III, phaseollin appears to inhibit proton transport in red beet tonoplast vesicles. In the presence of 80 μM phaseollin, proton transport in tonoplast vesicles was inhibited by >90%. This inhibition appears to be due to increased conductance across the tonoplast membrane and not to inhibition of tonoplast ATPase. Moreover, phaseollin was shown to cause molecules, e.g. β-anthocyanidin, to leak across the vacuolar membrane.
Ethylidyne formation rates on the Pt(111) surface

Abstract The isothermal rates of ethylidyne formation from adsorbed ethylene have been characterized on a Pt(111) surface from 230 to 280 K using transient near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (T-NEXAFS). These studies establish the feasibility of T-NEXAFS as a method for measuring surface reaction rates in the 10 −2 to 10 −5 monolayer/s range. Since direct measurements of surface concentrations are used to establish the rates of the surface reaction no desorbing products are required for characterization of the isothermal reaction rates. The ethylidyne formation rates are first order in ethylene coverage. A substantial isotope effect is observed, perhydroethylene reacts about twice as fast as perdeuteroethylene. The activation energies are 14.4±0.7 kcal/mol (perhydro) and 16.7±1.0 kcal/mol (perdeutero) for the alehydrogenation of adsorbed ethylene.
Hydrocarbon gas in sediment from the shelf, slope, and basin of the Bering Sea

Abstract Hydrocarbon gases (methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene, isobutane and n-butane) are present in low concentrations in the top two meters of sediment from the shelf, slope and basin of the Bering Sea. Methane is most abundant and its concentration increases with depth in the sediment. Average concentrations of methane recovered from these sediments are between about 4000 and 5000 nl per 1 of interstitial water. Ethane, ethene, propane and propene are present in almost all samples, but the concentrations of these gases are about two orders of magnitude lower than the concentration of methane. The average ratios of ethane to ethene are usually greater than one in shelf sediment, about one in slope sediment, and usually less than one in basin sediments. These hydrocarbon gases are probably derived from low-temperature chemical and biochemical processes operating at or near the sea-floor. At one location on the shelf, hydrocarbon gases suggest the possibility of petroleum at depth.
High mobility of SDBS-dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes in saturated and unsaturated porous media

Abstract Knowledge of the mobility of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in porous media is very important to assess their impacts on the environment. In this study, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to explore the transport mechanisms of sonication shortened, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) dispersed single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) in both saturated and unsaturated sand columns. Laboratory columns packed with quartz sand with different combinations of moisture content and grain-size distribution were used to examine the breakthrough behavior of the SDBS-dispersed SWNTs. Bubble column experiments were also conducted to study the interactions between the SDBS-dispersed SWNTs and the air–water interface. Packed-column experimental results showed that the SDBS-dispersed SWNTs were highly mobile for most of the experimental conditions tested. The surface deposition of the SWNTs in the sand columns was low because all the interactive surfaces were negatively charged. Physical trapping was not observed for the SWNTs in the saturated porous media of different grain-size distributions because the SWNTs might orient parallel to the streamlines in flow to reduce their retention. Retention of the SWNTs in unsaturated porous media occurred only at a very low moisture content (
Guidelines for Developing a Safety Culture to Support the Implementation and Use of Technology

Research suggests that human error contributes to unsafe practices and accidents more than two-thirds of the time in technologically advanced industries, such as aviation. Therefore, we sought to determine the factors that contribute to unsafe practices in these industries by reviewing the available literature regarding safety and safety culture. We found an overwhelming number of studies that suggest that a poor organizational safety culture is a significant contributor to errors and accidents. We also found that there was a lack of consistency between what the literature prescribes in terms of promoting safety and what organizations actually practice. As organizations are using more complex technologies, the need to develop a safety culture that encourages the safe implementation and use of technologies is apparent. As such, we developed guidelines to assist in the development of a safety culture that encourages safe practices at all levels of the organizations. We hope that the information provided wil...
Uniform, high-gain AlGaAs/In/sub 0.05/Ga/sub 0.95/As/GaAs P-n-p heterojunction bipolar transistors by dual selective etch process

AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs P-n-p heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have been fabricated using a dual selective etch process. In this process, a thin AlGaAs surface passivation layer surrounding the emitter is defined by selective etching of the GaAs cap layer. The InGaAs base is then exposed by selective etching of the AlGaAs emitter. The resulting devices were very uniform, with current gain varying by less than +or-10% for a given device size. Current gain at a given emitter current density was independent of device size, with gains of over 200 obtained at current densities above 5*10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/. >
Orthogonal line packings of PG2m − 1(2)

Abstract Baker (Discrete Math., 15 (1976), 205–211) has shown that there exists a packing of the lines of each odd dimensional projective space over the field of two elements as a corollary to a theorem asserting the existence of a 2-resolution of the Steiner quadruple system of planes in an even dimensional affine space over the field of two elements. Two packings are orthogonal if any two of their spreads have at most one line in common. A variation of the previous construction gives alternate packings so that, for example, the existence of orthogonal packings of PG2m − 1(2) when three does not divide 2m − 1 can be demonstrated.
An Enhanced Cutting Force Model for Face Milling With Variable Cutter Feed Motion and Complex Workpiece Geometry

An enhanced model for the prediction of static cutting forces in face milling is presented. The key features of the model include the ability to handle complex work-piece geometry, two-dimensional cutter feed paths, multiple pass machining, and effects of machine set-up errors. A two-dimensional boundary representation scheme is used to describe the workpiece geometry which may contain holes, slots, and other complex geometrical features. Variable cutter feed paths are represented by a combination of linear and circular arcs. In view of this and the complex workpiece geometry, a new algorithm for cutter-workpiece engagement determination is developed. Several sources of machine set-up error such as spindle and cutter axis tilt, and cutter center offset runout are modeled and their individual as well as combined effects on key machining process variables such as the axial and the radial depth of cut illustrated. Results of model verification experiments are reported for different workpiece geometry and cutter feed paths. A comparison of the predicted and measured forces shows good agreement.
Measurement of wall shear stress distal to a tri-leaflet valve in a rigid model of the aortic arch with branch flows.

Flush mounted hot film anemometer probes were used to measure wall shear stress magnitudes on the inside and outside walls of a rigid model of the human aortic arch. The effects of the presence of an Ionescu-Shiley tri-leaflet bioprosthetic heart valve at the entrance of the aortic arch and the side flows through arteries located in the mid-arch region on wall shear stress magnitudes were determined. It was found that the presence of the tri-leaflet valve leads to an elevation of wall shear stress (relative to the same flow without a valve) over the entire aortic arch region by as much as 50 percent. The valve influence extended to about 180 deg from the entrance to the aorta on the inside wall and even further on the outside wall based on extrapolation of available data. Peak wall shear stress magnitudes measured on the outside wall were in the range of 1.5—4.0 N/m2 (15—40 dynes/cm2 ) over the length of the aortic arch and took on their highest values in the mid-arch region. Inside wall values were of comparable magnitude. It was observed that the presence of the aortic valve and side flow from the top of the aortic arch reduced wall shear stress reversal in the arch region.
Studies on amine hydrothiocyanates. IV. Thermal decomposition studies using TG

Abstract The thermal decomposition of piperidine hydrothiocyanate, piperazine hydrothiocyanate, and the dihydrothiocyanates of ethylenediamine and 1,3-diaminopropane has been studied using TG. Piperidine hydrothiocyanate decomposes in a single step while the dihydrothiocyanates follow more complicated decomposition patterns yielding H2S and half of the organic moiety first. The second step involves the loss of H2S and the remainder of the organic moiety. In each case, complex polymeric materials result. Piperazine hydrothiocyanate also decomposes in two steps, the first involving the loss of half of the piperazine and the second involving the loss of piperazine and H2S. Kinetic parameters have been determined for all these reactions.