cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It Is All About Perspective: An Exploration of Mitigating Selective Exposure with Aspect Indicators

Selective exposure, the preferential seeking of confirmatory information, can potentially exacerbate fragmentation of online opinions and lead to biased decisions. We tested whether features that allowed users to better distinguish information about different issue aspects would encourage them to take different perspectives, thereby moderating the negative influence of pre-existing beliefs on information seeking. Using an information aggregator that provided drug related comments, we conducted an experiment to study the impact of aspect indicators (indicating whether the comment was about effectiveness or side effects) on moderating selective exposure. We found that, when participants were asked to decide between medications for high-risk diseases, and had preexisting biased beliefs in their effectiveness (one medication was less effective than the other), without aspect indicators they exhibited selective exposure to both types of comments (effectiveness and side effects) and were biased to choose the medication in confirmation of their pre-existing beliefs. With aspect indicators, we found reduced selective exposure to information about side effects of the medications, and as a result their overall decision bias was mitigated. However, the effect of aspect indicators in reducing selective exposure was moderated by the decision contexts, including the perceived risk of the diseases and whether the aspect was perceived to be critical to the decision.
Evolution of Raindrop Size Distribution by Coalescence, Breakup, and Evaporation: Theory and Observations

Abstract The evolution of raindrop size distribution by coalescence, collisional breakup, and evaporation is studied using the Low and List parameterization for collisions. The authors consider two models of the development of raindrop size distribution; model 1 is a spatially homogeneous, time-dependent model, and model 2 is a ID (vertical) time-dependent model. The authors present the governing equations for the drop size distribution, balance equations for the rainwater content and rainfall rate, and scaling relationships. The authors demonstrate that the two models are intimately related. For model 1, the authors find that under the action of coalescence and breakup the size distribution attains a steady equilibrium form with three peaks at small drop sizes and an exponential tail at large drop sizes with a slope of approximately 65 cm−1. Under the action of coalescence, breakup, and evaporation. the evolution of a size distribution with a high enough rainwater content can be divided into two phases. ...
Making progress during a stall in the simplex algorithm

Abstract All the standard methods for avoiding cycling in the simplex algorithm use row selection rules for resolving degeneracy. The method proposed in this paper does not. Instead, the Gass-Saaty parametric method applied to the objective (cost) form is used to choose the incoming column. The pivot-row choice among blocking rows, i.e., those tied for pivot, is arbitrary. A simple anticycling device is used which avoids dual degeneracy of the parametrized objective with “probability one”. Tests were run on nine highly degenerate practical test problems ranging in size from small to large. Using MINOS software, the standard simplex method required 31,195 iterations, of which 20,504 (or 66%) were blocked pivots. Using the parametric scheme required 13,812 iterations, of which 67% were blocked. The reduction in the number of iterations for this set of highly degenerate test problems was 56%. The CPU-time reduction was 48%.
The role of carbon monoxide in the NO-carbon reaction

The enhancement of the NO/carbon reduction reactions by carbon monoxide has been demonstrated for carbons of widely varying nature (coal char, phenolic resin-derived char and graphite). The evidence supports enhancement of NO reduction via a carbon-surface-catalyzed reaction such as NO + CO → 1/2N2 + CO2. This reaction appears to be characterized by an activation energy of around 116 kJ/mol, and by zero order with respect to CO, in the range of CO pressures examined here (up to order 500 ppm). This suggests that an oxide stripping reaction, e.g., CO + C(O) → CO2 + C*, cannot be invoked in its usual form, to explain the rate enhancement. The reaction appears to be first order with respect to NO, at high temperatures and at NO concentrations of above roughly 100 ppm, but kinetic analysis is complicated by the fact that the NO−carbon reaction itself does not have a unique order at low temperatures. It is also shown that kinetic analysis can be greatly complicated in the presence of other oxidizing gases or s...
Two numerical methods for an inverse problem for the 2-D Helmholtz equation

Two solution methods for the inverse problem for the 2-D Helmholtz equation are developed, tested, and compared. The proposed approaches are based on a marching finite-difference scheme which requires the solution of an overdetermined system at each step. The preconditioned conjugate gradient method is used for rapid solutions of these systems and an efficient preconditioner has been developed for this class of problems. Underlying target applications include the imaging of land mines, unexploded ordinance, and pollutant plumes in environmental cleanup sites, each formulated as an inverse problem for a 2-D Helmholtz equation. The images represent the electromagnetic properties of the respective underground regions. Extensive numerical results are presented.
Fourier ptychographic imaging

We will discuss the recent progresses of the Fourier ptychographic imaging approach. We will demonstrate its applications in gigapixel microscopy, quantitative phase imaging, spectrum multiplexing, 3D holographic imaging, structured illumination microscopy, super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, and photographic imaging.
CANOPY TREE TURNOVER IN OLD‐GROWTH MESIC FORESTS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA

I studied the dynamic nature of old-growth, eastern U.S. forests by addressing the following questions: (1) How much do stand density, basal area, and size structure vary over time within several old-growth remnants? (2) How do mortality and growth rates vary with stem size? (3) How much does the importance of individual species vary over time and space? (4) At what rate do snags and stumps form and deteriorate? In 1990–1991, I resampled canopy stems within several old-growth remnants in the southern Appalachians, in Hueston Woods State Park, Ohio, and in the Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Areas, Pennsylvania. I had previously sampled those sites in 1976–1977 using the point-centered quarter method. I remeasured the same trees and measured new trees if the old ones had died or if a new stem closer to the point than the old stem for that quarter had grown to ≥25 cm in diameter at breast height. Density and basal area changes were small. Density changes equaled −0.33%, −0.52%, and 0.00%/yr for the sou...
Simultaneous assay for mRNA (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase and mRNA(2'-O-nucleoside)methyltransferase of purified vaccinia (WR) virions.

Abstract A simple technique was developed to permit the simultaneous assay of mRNA-(guanine-7-)methyltransferase and mRNA(2′-O-nucleoside)methyltransferase of vaccinia (WR) virions. The blocked and capped 5′-terminus (m7GpppNm) of vaccinia mRNA was labeled using S-adenosyl- l -[methyl-3H]methionine. Crotalux atrox venom nucleotide pyrophosphatase was used to cleave specifically the capped 5′-terminus of the mRNA, yielding pm7G and 5′pNm-. The acid-precipitable material obtained from the nucleotide pyrophosphatase-treated sample provided an index of the mRNA(2′-O-nucleoside)methyltransferase activity, whereas the difference between the acid-precipitable material from an untreated compared to a pyrophosphatase-treated sample provided an index of mRNA(guanine-7-)methyltransferase activity. This technique permitted simultaneous assay of both methyltransferases without the necessity for extensive enzyme purification.
Construction of a Recombinant cDNA of Echovirus 6 That Established a Persistent in Vitro infection

Abstract cDNA clones of lytic acute and nonlytic persistent strains of echovirus 6 were used to construct a recombinant cDNA. The 3′ region of the infectious wild-type cDNA genome, which extended from VPg to the end of the noncoding region, was exchanged with the cDNA fragment representing the same region of the persistent vital genome. Sequence analyses indicated that there was one mutation in the 3C protease and eight mutations in the 3D polymerase. Transfection of the recombinant cDNA into WISH cells resulted in cellular survival and synthesis of viral RNA. The viral RNA was retained in the transfected cell line after cultivation for 7 months. Supernates, collected from cell cultures at 1, 3, and 7 months after transfection with the recombinant cDNA, transmitted the vital RNA to uninfected cells. The results indicated that the recombinant cDNA established a persistent echovirus 6 infection that was transmissible by nonlytic virus particles.
Blindness as a Consequence of a Paraneoplastic Syndrome in a Woman with Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary

Abstract Background. Paraneoplastic syndromes are rare conditions associated with cancer that result in serious disease states at unique sites. In 1982, a report of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation associated with nonocular cancers which resulted in blindness was reported. We present a case of a woman with recurrent ovarian cancer who developed this paraneoplastic syndrome. Case. A 55-year-old woman had been diagnosed in 1990 with an ocular melanoma of her right eye and in 1994 with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. With recurrence of ovarian cancer, new eye lesions were identified in both eyes. After enulcleation of her right eye, an ocular melanoma and diffuse bilateral melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) were found. The sight in her left eye continued to deteriorate as other signs of BDUMP occurred in the eye. Within 1 month of diagnosis, the patient was blind. She subsequently succumbed to progression of ovarian cancer. Conclusion. Recurrent ovarian cancer is usually an intraabdominal disease that results in gastrointestinal dysfunction. This case illustrates a rare paraneoplastic syndrome associated with ovarian cancer that mimics metastatic disease to the eye, but has a different pathophysiology.
Project Assistance versus Budget Support: An Incentive-Theoretic Analysis of Aid Conditionality

Foreign aid is conveyed predominantly in the form of project assistance, rather than general budgetary support for the recipient government. Most theoretical explanations of this phenomenon center on the possibility of a divergence of preferences, or opinions, between donor and recipient. Projects or conditional transfers, rather than “cash”, may then be ways by which donors align the recipients’ incentives more closely with their own preferences. This paper proposes an alternative, complementary, explanation, based on information asymmetries between voters in donor nations, and their aid agency administrators. If voters are uncertain about the “type” of their administrator agent, who is better informed about the efficacy of alternative policies, then project assistance may be chosen, even when budget support provides a more efficient alternative.
PROVIDING AND SUPPORTING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TOOLS FOR A LARGE ORGANIZATION

The Texas Instruments Systems Group has developed a comprehensive infrastructure containing some unique features for providing and supporting systems engineering (SE) tools. This group has about 700 systems engineers in four cities connected by data networks. An SE design automation group acquires and provides standard software tools under a single budget. Software is provided on PC's from servers and on UNIX workstations. An arrangement allowing access to either PC or UNIX programs from a single desktop machine is under way. Current standard tools are CAE Soft radar programs, Designer, Foresight, Framemaker, Maple V, Mathcad Plus, MATLAB, LabVIEW, PV-WAVE, QFD Designer, SLATE, and SPW. Software manuals are loaned through libraries or directly. About 600 volumes are in four libraries. Some unique problems arose and were overcome. On-site SE-specific support is provided, and over a half dozen methods are used to communicate with SE's. Current issues include interoperability and interfaces and standard tool methods.
Zone Electrophoresis in Filter Paper of Serum I131 After Radioiodide Administration.

Summary and conclusions1. Serum from 6 patients who had received radioiodide or I131-labeled thyroxine was studied by zone electrophoresis in filter paper, at pH 8.6. Most of the I131 had a mobility intermediate between the alpha1- and alph2-glabulins, and a small proportion had the mobility of albumin. No differences were detected between thyroxine added to serum (in vivo) and the thyroid hormone secreted by a normal thyroid gland, by a Graves' disease thyroid gland, and by a functioning thyroid carcinoma. 2. Two patients had received very large doses of radio-iodide and their serum contained large amounts of butanol-insoluble I131, whereas in the other patients the serum I131 was largely butanol soluble, and behaved like thyroxine on paper chromatography. These two forms of serum I131 had similar mobility on zone electrophoresis, but could be differentiated by fractional precipitation of the serum proteins with phosphate buffer. The radioiodine, therefore, was probably attached, in each instance, to a d...
The effect of the electron bombardment of NaCl substrates on the epitaxial growth of gold and silver films

Abstract The effect of the electron bombardment of NaCl substrates on the epitaxial growth of gold and silver films was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. The results indicate that anion surface vacancies are created during low energy electron bombardment; these vacancies, in turn, promote nucleation and subsequent epitaxial growth of vapor-deposited films. Nucleation is interpreted in terms of the attraction of metal atoms to the surface vacancies and the subsequent formation of a rigid cluster in an epitaxial orientation. These clusters then grow by the accretion of deposited atoms to form epitaxial islands which eventually coalesce with near-perfect register to form a continuous film characterized by a high degree of epitaxy and low defect densities.
Reliabilities of the Magical Thinking Test and an Animism Questionnaire, and the Relationship between the Tests:

Summary.-Internal consistency and temporal stability of the "M" Scale, few to moderate numbers of animistic responses to the AQ animism measure, and little or no relation between the two measures were noted. Stenger (1952) developed the Magical Thinking Test ("M Scale) to measure the belief that a person's thoughts themselves can change the world. He reported a split-half reliability estimate of .90 for the test. Dennis (1953) had college students indicate whether different objects were living or not as an index of animistic thinking. Animistic responses were manifested by university students of different levels, disciplines, and institutions. Approximately 40% of the students gave what were considered to be animistic responses. Also, Crannell ( 1954) developed a multiple-choice animism questionnaire (AQ) from the items used by Dennis (1953) and administered this questionnaire to college undergraduates in psychology and zoology. Approximately one-third of the students gave animistic responses. No reliability estimate was reported for the AQ. Milton (1960) obtained low negative correlations between the "M Scale and the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the Differential Aptitude Test and between the "M Scale and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. He interpreted these negative correlations as indicating negligible relations between magical thinking and intelligence and critical thinking. He concluded that these results, showing primitive childish thinking, were consistent with the animistic thinking reported by Crannell (1954) and Dennis (1953). No empirical examination of this association has been reported. The objectives of this study were to obtain reliability estimates of the "M Scale and the AQ and to examine empirically the posited relation between magical chinking *is-a-vir animism as represented in the "M" Scale vis-a-vis the AQ. The "M Scale and the AQ were administered to two undergraduate educational psychology classes and one graduate educational psychology class twice, separated by a 4-wk. interval, during the summer of 1967. The two testings were conducted to provide stability reliability estimates, and the first testing and second testing were conducted to provide two internal consistency reliability estimates.
Mammalian Synthetic Gene Networks

Synthetic gene networks enable the programming of living cells to perform novel behaviors. Mammalian synthetic gene networks have largely been used as research tools to probe cellular function and more recently to engineer therapeutic capabilities. To create these networks researchers have developed a vast array of DNA -encoded parts that can serve as sensors, computational regulators, and actuators. Many of these gene circuit components have varying temporal characteristics and sensitivities making them well - suited for engineering systems that can act on different time scales and at different molecular concentrations. These components have been combined to create increasingly complex gene circuits. Major challenges for engineering mammalian synthetic gene networks include further improving scalability and predictability. Recent technological advancements in site - directed genome engineering and programmable DNA binding domains will likely aid in addressing these issues. Other important future directions will include incorporating new regulators that act at the levels of chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation and the division of computational loads among different cell types with population - based computing.
False recency and false fame of faces in young adulthood and old age.

Studies of age differences in face recognition have shown age-related increases in false-alarm errors: elderly persons exceed young adults in judging new faces to be old. To distinguish among theoretical accounts of this finding, we compared young and elderly subjects in two recognition tasks: (1) that of judging whether faces were recent or nonrecent, and (2) that of judging whether faces were famous or nonfamous. The major independent variable was prior presentation of faces—including nonrecent and nonfamous foils—1 week before the test. Falserecent judgments in response to nonrecent faces and falsefamous judgments in response to nonfamous faces were higher among the elderly. Moreover, these age-related differences in false-alarm rates were larger for faces viewed 1 week previously than for entirely new faces. The findings suggest that, compared to young adults, older individuals rely relatively more on perceived familiarity, and relatively less on recollection of context, in making recognition decisions.
Optimization of the Lariat Ether Carboxylic Acid Host Structure for Ferrioxamine B: Demonstration of a Second Coordination Shell Chelate Effect

Host−guest supramolecular assembly formation constants involving the second-sphere complexation of the siderophore ferrioxamine B (FeHDFB+) by a lariat ether carboxylic acid host (Ln+2COOH) in wet chloroform were obtained from liquid−liquid extractions at pH values above and below the host pKa (∼5.3). The host−guest formation constants, Ka, determined at pH = 3.2 for the assemblies {FeHDFB+,Ln+2COOH,ClO4-} (n = 4, 7, 10, 15) in wet chloroform are similar to those of the parent crown ether, benzo-18-crown-6. At pH = 9.3, the lariat ethers are ionized, and this results in a more stable assembly, {FeHDFB+,Ln+2COO-}, as measured by the host−guest formation constant, Kapp. This enhanced stability is shown to be a function of the lariat ether sidearm chain length (n = 4, 7, 10, 15) and is corroborated by molecular modeling calculations. Additionally, molecular modeling and extraction data demonstrate that there is an optimum lariat ether sidearm chain length with respect to host−guest assembly stability as meas...
Preparation and wear resistance of electrodeposited Ni–W/diamond composite coatings

Abstract Ni–W/diamond composite coatings were obtained by electrodeposition from a Ni–W plating bath containing suspended diamond particles. The influences of plating parameters including diamond concentration in the plating bath and stirring rate on the coating composition, deposition rate, morphology, microhardness and wear behavior of electrodeposited Ni–W/diamond composite coatings were evaluated and compared with that of electrodeposited Ni–W coatings. This study reveals that diamond particles can be successfully codeposited and uniformed distributed in the electrodeposited Ni–W matrix. The maximum level of incorporation of diamond particles, about 21.1 vol.%, is obtained at a bath loading of 1 g/L and at a stirring rate of 180 rpm. The incorporation of diamond particles alters the chemical composition of electrodeposited Ni–W matrix, increases the microhardness of the coatings and significantly increases the wear resistance of the coatings.
The stability of steady state accommodation in human infants

Retinal image quality in infants is largely determined by the accuracy and the stability of their accommodative responses. Although the accuracy of infants' accommodation has been investigated previously, little is known about the stability of their responses. We performed two experiments that characterized the stability of infants' steady state accommodation. Analyses were performed in the time domain (root mean square [RMS] deviation) and in the frequency domain (spectral analysis). In Experiment 1, accommodation responses were recorded for a period of 3 s from the left eye of four groups of infants (8-10, 11-13, 14-19, and 20-30 weeks of age) and eight prepresbyopic adults while they focused on a small toy placed at a dioptric viewing distance of 1.0 D (at 1 m). In Experiment 2, accommodation responses were recorded for a period of 14 s from the left eye of a group of 8- to 12-week-old infants and six prepresbyopic adults while they focused on a cartoon image placed at three different dioptric viewing distances (1.25, 2.0, and 3.0 D). The data, collected using a photorefractor sampling at 25 Hz, showed two important characteristics. First, the RMS deviations and the power were quantitatively similar across different infant age groups, and they were significantly larger in infants than in adults. Second, the overall and relative power also increased with the dioptric viewing distance both in infants and adults. At all three dioptric viewing distances, the measures of power were larger in infants than in adults. These data demonstrate that infants' accommodative responses contain instabilities that are qualitatively very similar to those observed in adults. However, the larger RMS deviations suggest that infants are likely to experience larger fluctuations in retinal image quality than adults.
Details on the half‐life of polymeric free radicals

A model is presented that is based on the experimental conditions prevailing during photopolymerization in a free falling stream. When some simplifying assumptions are applied it is possible to correlate quantities which are potentially measurable, such as yield of reaction and number- and weight-average molecular weights, with the spread of times elapsing between subsequent addition steps. In other words, the average time elapsed can be refined to a time distribution curve. In the model, the time elapsed between initiation and forcible termination is subdivided into t time elements. During each of these it is assumed that exactly one of the following must occur: the growth of the free radical to one larger by one monomer unit, natural termination without any change of size, or nothing. The sum of the probabilities of those events, called, respectively, s, f, and i, is, of course, exactly 1. Considering forcible termination of all polyradicals still surviving after t time elements, one can calculate size and weight distribution curves.
Compressive phase retrieval

The theory of compressive sensing enables accurate and robust signal reconstruction from a number of measurements dictated by the signal's structure rather than its Fourier bandwidth. A key element of the theory is the role played by randomization. In particular, signals that are compressible in the time or space domain can be recovered from just a few randomly chosen Fourier coefficients. However, in some scenarios we can only observe the magnitude of the Fourier coefficients and not their phase. In this paper, we study the magnitude-only compressive sensing problem and in parallel with the existing theory derive sufficient conditions for accurate recovery. We also propose a new iterative recovery algorithm and study its performance. In the process, we develop a new algorithm for the phase retrieval problem that exploits a signal's compressibility rather than its support to recover it from Fourier transform magnitude measurements.
Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone Analog TA-0910 Suppresses Alcohol Intake in Alcohol Drinking African Green Monkeys

In previous studies, we found that single injections of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog TA-0910 dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake and preference in alcohol-preferring (P) and Fawn-Hooded (FH) rats over a 24-hr period of continuous access to alcohol and water. However, several consecutive daily injections of TA-0910 resulted in the development of tolerance to these effects. In the present study, we found that in a 5-hr limited-access schedule in which monkeys could select an aqueous alcohol solution (7.5% v/v) or tap water, single doses of TA-0910 (0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mg/kg), similar to those found effective in P and FH rats, reduced consumption of alcohol. In this protocol, tolerance to the attenuating effects of TA-0910 on alcohol intake was not evident after five consecutive once-daily doses of 0.5 mg/kg. Furthermore, it was shown that a single dose of 0.75 mg/kg TA-0910 did not significantly influence 24-hr water intake when water was the only available fluid, but did reduce the intake of a preferred solution of saccharin. These findings suggest that activation of brain thyrotropin-releasing hormone systems reduces alcohol intake in primates and that tolerance to this effect is not evident within 5 days under a limited access schedule.
Epilepsy surgery in patients with normal or nonfocal MRI scans: integrative strategies offer long-term seizure relief.

Purpose Excisional surgery achieves seizure freedom in a large proportion of children with intractable lesional epilepsy, but the outcome for children without a focal lesion on MRI is less clear. We report the outcome of a cohort predominantly of children with nonlesional intractable partial epilepsy undergoing resective surgery. Methods We studied 102 patients with nonlesional intractable partial epilepsy who underwent excisional surgery. The epileptogenic region was identified by integrating clinical exam and video-EEG data complemented by ictal SPECT (n = 40), PET (n = 10), extraoperative subdural monitoring (n = 80), and electrocorticography (n = 22). All patients had follow-up greater than 2 years, 76 patients had 5-year follow-up, and 43 patients had 10-year follow-up. Results A total of 66 resections were unilobar; 36 were multilobar. One patient died of causes unrelated to seizures or surgery. At 2-year follow-up, 44 of 101 patients were seizure-free, 15 experienced >90% reduction, 17 had >50% reduction, and 25 were unchanged. At 5-year follow-up, 35 of 76 patients were seizure-free, 12 experienced >90% reduction, 12 had >50% reduction, and 17 were unchanged. At 10-year follow-up, 16 of 43 patients were seizure-free, 13 experienced >90% reduction, 7 had >50% reduction, and 7 were unchanged. Outcomes correlated with the presence of convergent focal interictal spikes (p Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that excisional surgery is successful in the majority of children with nonlesional partial epilepsy. A multimodal integrative approach can minimize the size of resection and alleviate the need for invasive EEG monitoring. Focal interictal spikes and completeness of resection predict good outcome. The benefits of surgery are long-lasting.
Reinforcement schedule preference of a raccoon (Procyon lotor)

A raccoon, given a choice to respond for food pellets on either a FI 30-sec schedule or a FR schedule, the response requirement of which was systematically varied, preferred the FR schedule only when the rate of reinforcement on the FR schedule exceeded the rate of reinforcement on the FI schedule by a factor of two. The highly efficient responding of the raccoon on the FI schedule was noted as encouragement for using this species more frequently in operant learning paradigms.
Vulnerability to Climate Change of Nature-Based Tourism in the Nepalese Himalayas

Given their unique natural attractions, including the highest mountain range in the world, the Nepalese Himalayas have long been a Mecca for trekkers and mountaineers. Nature-based tourism in the N...
Reduction of bovine pulmonary hypertension by normoxia, verapamil and hexaprenaline

In calves with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, resistance was reduced by 40±3% with normoxia, 19±4% with verapamil, and 60±1% with hexoprenaline. It is possible that the increased resistance during normoxia is due partly to vasoconstriction rather than solely to vascular thickening, and that the vasoconstriction is due to an abnormality in calcium metabolism by the hypertensive vasculature.
Hydroxide based decomposition pathways of alkyltrimethylammonium cations

Abstract A systematic study that altered the number of β-hydrogen atoms susceptible to Hofmann elimination and introduced increased steric hindrance of substituted (ethyl, n-propyl, isobutyl, and neopentyl) alkyltrimethylammonium cations was performed. The mechanism of the thermal decomposition of these four ammonium cations in deuteroxide form was studied using evolved gas analysis (EGA) because of their potential importance in alkaline membrane fuel cells or electrolyzers. The products of the decomposition reactions are in many cases the expected Hofmann elimination products (trimethylamine and olefins), however, as the number of β-hydrogen atoms decrease or they become more sterically encumbered (from the addition of adjacent methyl groups), nucleophilic attack of hydroxide on the methyl groups increases in relative importance. The use of deuterated water and deuteroxide in our study shows that deprotonation of the tetraalkylammonium ions establishes a rapid equilibrium between the nitrogen ylide species that is formed by methyl group deprotonation and water that scrambles deuterium into the methyl groups of the amine. The results of this work show that at high temperature and low water content tetraalkylammonium hydroxide salts are relatively unstable in membranes.
Some Observing System Simulation Experiments with a Hybrid 3DEnVAR System for Storm-Scale Radar Data Assimilation

AbstractA hybrid three-dimensional ensemble–variational data assimilation (3DEnVAR) algorithm is developed based on the 3D variational data assimilation (3DVAR) and ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) programs with the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS). The method uses the extended control variable approach to combine the static and ensemble-derived flow-dependent forecast error covariances. The method is applied to the assimilation of simulated data from two radars for a supercell storm. Some sensitivity experiments are performed to answer questions about how flow-dependent covariance estimated from the forecast ensemble can be best used in the hybrid 3DEnVAR scheme. When the ensemble size is relatively small (with 5 or 10 ensemble members), it is found that experiments with a weaker weighting value for the ensemble covariance leads to better analysis results. Even when severe sampling errors exist, introducing ensemble-estimated covariances into the variational method still benefits the analysis. For...
Caveolar structure and protein sorting are maintained in NIH 3T3 cells independent of glycosphingolipid depletion.

Glycosphingolipids have been proposed to be critical components of clustered lipids within cell membranes that serve as rafts for the attachment and sorting of proteins to the cell membrane. Density gradient centrifugation was used to isolate and to ascertain the lipid composition of caveolin-enriched membranes. These membranes demonstrated a significant enrichment of sphingolipids and cholesterol containing up to 20 and 30%, respectively, of the cellular glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide. A specific inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase, d-threo-1-phenyl-2-palmitoyl-3-pyrrolidino-propanol, was used to test the hypothesis that glycosphingolipids are required for the sorting of proteins to caveolae. When NIH 3T3 cells were depleted of their glucosylceramide based glycosphingolipid mass, the caveolar structure remained intact as determined by electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. The caveolar proteins caveolin and annexin II sorted normally to caveolae, as determined by immunoblotting and confocal microscopy. When the GPI-linked protein B61 was inducibly expressed in these cells, sorting to caveolar membranes occurred normally, even in the presence of glucosylceramide depletion. These observations suggest that protein sorting to caveolae in fibroblasts occurs independently of glycosphingolipid synthesis.
Wiggling Subcutaneous Lumps

Diagnosis: Furuncular myiasis due to Dermatobia hominis larvae. Myiasis is the invasion of living tissue by the larvae of several species of flies. In Central and South America, human furuncular myiasis is usually caused by the human botfly, D. hominis [1]. The fertile female fly captures a bloodsucking arthropod (e.g., a mosquito) and attaches eggs to its abdomen and legs. When this egg-carrying mechanical vector lands on a mammalian host, larvae emerge from the eggs and enter the skin of the prospective host. As a larva grows, the site of infestation will show a small, raised, erythematous, furuncular lesion that will evolve into a pruritic and tender nodule that can elicit the sensation of motion (figure 1). The lesion has a central pore that allows the larva to respire from spiracles on its posterior end. It takes 6-12 weeks for the larva to mature fully and to emerge from the skin of its host [2]. The larvae of D. hominis can be removed through the application of lateral pressure, surgical excision, suction with a venom extractor [3], and suffocation with mineral oils [4], petroleum jelly [5], bacon [6], glue, nail polish, or chewing gum. It is difficult to remove the larva because anchoring spines (figure 2B and 2C) counteract the forces used to extract it.
High-altitude meteors and meteoroid fragmentation observed at Jicamarca

One of the most exciting-but somewhat controversial-recent developments in the meteor physics community has been identification of fragmentation signatures in perhaps the majority of meteoroids observed by many of the High Power Large Aperture (HPLA) radars. The identification of fragmentation has been based detailed radio science interpretation of head- and trail-echo properties. Now we report on observations of high altitude (140 - 180 km) meteors observed at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO). Though there have been a few reports of high altitude meteors observed both optically and with radar, the community has remained somewhat skeptical with suspicions of sidelobe contamination being perhaps the most common objection. We report results from two sets of April 2010 (and some summer 2012) observations at JRO during which an uncoded 20 μsec pulse was used for meteor observations. This observing mode parallels that used with the Arecibo 46.8 MHz radar that has similar sensitivity to JRO in 1/64-panel interferometry mode thus allowing some direct comparisons. Our findings include meteoroid fragmentation results that are similar to those from the Arecibo VHF radar and lead to the conclusion that fragmentation is not only observed at Jicamarca but that k⊥B scattering adds an interesting radio science dimension to the issue. We additionally report on surprisingly common high-altitude meteor events that offer insight into sputtering as a source of the meteor ionization and perhaps indicate the unique importance of the magnetic field geometry in these head-echo observations. In presenting the high-altitude meteor results, we note the careful calibration of the JRO 50 MHz radar we performed in order to exclude sidelobe contamination and other possible error sources. The calibration procedure utilized satellite returns with great success as reported in a separate presentation.
Fashion in the Classroom II: Instructor Immediacy and Attire.

Results of a 2 (immediacy conditions) X 3 (attire conditions) experimental study indicated lesser effects of attire on person perceptions when studied in a live interaction context as opposed to responses to photographs, as has been typical in previous studies. Influence of attire was largely limited to ratings of instructor extroversion, while immediacy influenced perceptions of extroversion, composure, character, competence, homophily, and learning. There was no statistically significant interaction between attire and immediacy; i.e., there was no indication that strategic choice of attire bolsters student ratings of non‐immediate instructors, or that “non professional” attire hurts judgements of immediate instructors.
Convergence of Molecular and Macroscopic Continuum Descriptions of Ion Hydration

Using computer simulations we study the boundary between explicit molecular and macroscopic continuum dielectric descriptions of ion hydration. The continuum model reasonably describes electrostatic potential fluctuation contributions to the hydration free energy, but fails to capture first-order potential contributions in the uncharged state. Once this contribution is accounted for, cationic and anionic free energies become indistinguishable with increasing size, in agreement with continuum model predictions. The ion radius at which the hydration free energies converge scales as the square root of the absolute charge (υ = 0.54 ± 0.04) and compares to the length scale ion−water dipole interactions equal the thermal energy.
Anterior cervical discectomy for one- and two-level cervical disc disease: the controversy surrounding the question of whether to fuse, plate, or both.

Since the introduction of anterior approaches to the cervical spine for the surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease, controversies have developed regarding the necessity of fusion following anterior cervical discectomy, the use of allografts instead of autologous bone for fusion, and, recently, the employment of anterior cervical plating systems in addition to fusion for uncomplicated disc disease. We reviewed seven clinical papers dealing with these issues; these articles surveyed a total of 1153 patients. Several observations can be made from these reviews. First, there is little or no difference in clinical outcome following single-level anterior discectomy, whether a fusion is performed or not, regardless of whether the operation was for soft discs or osteophytes. Second, most patients who underwent two-level discectomies had outcomes comparable to patients who underwent surgery at one level, regardless of whether they were fused or not. Data from four prospective randomized clinical studies in addition to multiple nonrandomized or retrospective studies support these conclusions. Although the incidence of complications such as persistent postoperative posterior cervical and shoulder pain and kyphotic deformities is higher in unfused patients (and is quite significant in some series), the advantages conferred by interbody fusion such as biomechanical stability, decreased incidence of kyphotic deformity, and decreased pain are offset by graft and donor-site morbidity. Specific indications for fusion include multi-level discectomies, significant straightening of the cervical spine, failed prior fusions, and trauma. It has been demonstrated that comparable fusion rates can be achieved with allografts rather than harvested autologous bone. The advantages of autografts over allografts are relatively slight in most patients who undergo anterior fusion for one- or two-level disc disease, although patients with impaired healing, significant osteopenia, or concomitant microvascular disease, such as chronic smokers, may benefit from autologous bone. The use of allografts avoids donor-site morbidity in patients without these problems. Anterior cervical plates are useful for cases of instability requiring fusion (such as trauma); these implants may decrease reoperation rates and the incidence of delayed instability in select cases. However, the cost-effectiveness of their generalized use for uncomplicated cervical disc disease has not been demonstrated. In conclusion, a general statement regarding the optimal surgical treatment for cervical disc herniations using anterior approaches is difficult to make with this limited review. Surgeons’ experience and familiarity with a particular approach are probably the most important factors in ensuring successful outcomes.
Stability of the Absolutely Continuous Spectrum of Random Schrödinger Operators on Tree Graphs

The subject of this work is random Schrodinger operators on regular rooted tree graphs with stochastically homogeneous disorder. The operators are of the form H λ (ω)=T+U+λ V(ω) acting in l2( ), with T the adjacency matrix, U a radially periodic potential, and V(ω) a random potential. This includes the only class of homogeneously random operators for which it was proven that the spectrum of H λ (ω) exhibits an absolutely continuous (ac) component; a results established by A. Klein for weak disorder in case U=0 and V(ω) given by iid random variables on . Our main contribution is a new method for establishing the persistence of ac spectrum under weak disorder. The method yields the continuity of the ac spectral density of H λ (ω) at λ=0. The latter is shown to converge in the L 1-sense over closed Borel sets in which H 0 has no singular spectrum. The analysis extends to random potentials whose values at different sites need not be independent, assuming only that their joint distribution is weakly correlated across different tree branches.
Confronting the direct search of low mass dark matter from CoGeNT data with antiproton PAMELA data

If the excess events from the CoGeNT experiment arise from elastic scatterings of a light dark matter off the nuclei, crossing symmetry implies nonvanishing annihilation cross sections of the light dark matter into hadronic final states inside the Galactic halo, which we confront with the antiproton spectrum measured by the PAMELA Collaboration. We consider two types of effective interactions between the dark matter and the quarks: (1) contact interactions from integrating out heavy particles and (2) long-range interactions due to the electromagnetic properties of the dark matter. The lack of excess in the antiproton spectrum results in tensions for a scalar and, to a lesser extent, vector dark matter interacting with the quarks through the Higgs portal.
Deliberate Practice Improves Pediatric Residents’ Skills and Team Behaviors During Simulated Neonatal Resuscitation

Objective. To evaluate the skills and team behavior of pediatric residents during resuscitation with a high-fidelity mannequin before and after a deliberate practice intervention. Methods. Each month residents participate in two 90-minute videorecorded sessions (2-3 weeks apart) in an “off-site” delivery room during their neonatal ICU rotation. Teams responded to a scenario that required 5 skills (positive pressure ventilation, chest compressions, endotracheal intubation, umbilical vein catheterization, and epinephrine administration). Skills were scored for technique and timeliness and team behaviors for communication, management, and leadership. A 2-hour focused intervention was given between sessions. Results. In all, 33 residents (11 teams) completed the sessions. Gaps in procedural skills noted during the first session were corrected. Timeliness for completion of skills remained below expectations. Improvements in team behaviors were noted. Conclusions. Deliberate practice improved procedural skills ...
A Peer-Assisted Learning System ('PALS') approach to teaching basic sciences. A model developed in basic medical pharmacology instruction

This paper describes the development of an activelearning approach to basic science instruction. In this model, students learn facts and concepts with minimal input from subject matter experts. Analysis of examination performance reveals a favorable outcome for this teaching-learning paradigm. During this era of promoting active learning methodologies in higher education, the PALS method offers an alternative to the passive-learning, through lecture-listening and note-recording, approach traditionally used to teach basic sciences.The author invites readership comments and is willing to share teaching materials, exam questions and evaluation instruments upon request.
SVseq: an approach for detecting exact breakpoints of deletions with low-coverage sequence data.

Motivation Structural variation (SV), such as deletion, is an important type of genetic variation and may be associated with diseases. While there are many existing methods for detecting SVs, finding deletions is still challenging with low-coverage short sequence reads. Existing deletion finding methods for sequence reads either use the so-called split reads mapping for detecting deletions with exact breakpoints, or rely on discordant insert sizes to estimate approximate positions of deletions. Neither is completely satisfactory with low-coverage sequence reads. Results We present SVseq, an efficient two-stage approach, which combines the split reads mapping and discordant insert size analysis. The first stage is split reads mapping based on the Burrows-Wheeler transform (BWT), which finds candidate deletions. Our split reads mapping method allows mismatches and small indels, thus deletions near other small variations can be discovered and reads with sequencing errors can be utilized. The second stage filters the false positives by analyzing discordant insert sizes. SVseq is more accurate than an alternative approach when applying on simulated data and empirical data, and is also much faster. Availability The program SVseq can be downloaded at http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~jiz08001/ Contact jinzhang@engr.uconn.edu Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
In the Eye of the Beholder: Quantifying Individuals' Preferences and Biases Using Peer Nominations.

Peer nominations are used widely in psychological and sociological research to examine intergroup dynamics, even though this assessment tool suffers from thorny methodological problems: Gender, ethnic, age, and trait compositions vary across subsamples, subjects differ in the number of nominations they make, and the issue of sampling without replacement is often ignored. To overcome these problems, the authors have developed a differential index for the peer nominations procedure, with the number of individuals chosen above or below chance as the unit of measure. The index is specifically designed for use with individuals (as opposed to subgroups like classrooms), so that group means, confidence intervals, and standard deviations are readily determined, opening the door to research designs that go beyond null hypothesis testing. Here, we introduce the index and illustrate its unique capabilities in a study examining preference and bias reciprocity among fourth-grade students.