cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of appropriateness of service contact personnel dress on customer expectations of service quality and purchase intention: The moderating influences of involvement and gender

Abstract There is a paucity of empirical research that systematically examines the meaning of contact employee dress cues in commercial service settings. We conduct an experiment to test the effects of the appropriateness of service personnel dress on customer expectations of a firm's service quality and intent to purchase banking services. We also explore the moderating effects of involvement and customer gender on the aforementioned relationships. Results show that appropriate (vs. inappropriate) dress resulted in higher service quality expectations and purchase intent. These effects were stronger in low involvement situations and for female customers. The implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions proposed.
The Inheritance of Environmentally Induced Characters in Bacteria.

The problem of environmentally induced characters in bacteria is important both in theoretical and applied bacteriology. It is of special significance in chemotherapy, particularly as regards the development of sulfonamide and other drug-resistant forms. It is also of fundamental importance because of its bearing on microbic heredity. A vast amount of literature is available indicating that bacteria and related organisms can become adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. It is well established that by gradual progressive cultivation of bacteria in media containing increasing amounts of a toxic substance, a tolerant or resistant strain can in most cases be produced. On the other hand very little information is available on some of the fundamental questions which this phenomenon of "adaptation" raises. Can single cell cultures, therefore genetically pure, become adapted to different environments merely by being subjected to them? If so, what are the limits of their adaptive powers? Are the induced characters permanent and transmissible to subsequent generations, or are they of a temporary nature? What is the mechanism of adaptation? Is it a result of the selection to certain individuals occurring in the population, or do the toxic substances act as a direct stimulus upon the hereditary material of the cell, causing a new character or characters to appear?
Immunology. It takes more than two to tango.

In vivo studies of a pair of co-stimulatory molecules in the immune system of mice may further our understanding of allergic reactions and inflammatory immune responses in humans.
Differential calcification rates in the human primary dentition.

Abstract The calcified portions of the crowns of the teeth of seventy-six human foetuses were removed after clearing and staining in situ with alizarin red S. Measurements were taken of the maximum mesio-distal diameter and the vertical depth of the enamel over the cuspal tips. The material investigated covered an age range of 13–18 weeks in utero. Statistical analysis indicated that the primary teeth do not calcify at the same rate either mesio-distally or vertically. The maxillary central incisor calcifies at a faster rate than do the other teeth in both dimensions. In all teeth studied, calcification proceeds faster mesio-distally than vertically. In terms of absolute chronology calcification mesio-distally shows a sigmoid type of growth curve not unlike that characteristic of postnatal skeletal growth.
Occult tonsillar carcinoma in the unknown primary.

Objectives: Evaluate effectiveness of routine tonsillectomy in the assessment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the neck of unknown primary, and evaluate outcomes of this group compared with patients without a primary identified initially. Study Design: A retrospective review of the medical records of 37 patients presenting with an unknown primary tumor over a 10-year period. Methods: Charts were reviewed for age and sex of patients, methods of evaluation and diagnosis, sites of tissues obtained on biopsy, N stage of disease, and presence of extracapsular spread. Recurrence and survival data were collected over a mean follow-up period of 34 months. Results: All primary lesions discovered through pathologic evaluation arose from the tonsil (9/9), and all were detected in patients undergoing tonsillectomy in conjunction with direct laryngoscopy. None of the patients (0/9) with occult tonsillar carcinoma have had recurrence, in contrast to 60% (15/25) of remaining patients. Patients with tonsillar primary lesions demonstrated less extracapsular spread of disease (25%) than patients without tonsillar primaries (67%), despite similar N staging within the two groups. Conclusions : Occult tonsillar carcinoma accounts for the unknown primary more frequently than was previously recognized. Bilateral tonsillectomy is recommended to increase the detection yield and to capture the rare case of bilateral disease. A lower incidence of extracapsular spread and reduced recurrence rates in patients with unknown primary tumors presenting as occult tonsillar carcinoma may contribute to the improved prognosis observed in this group.
Differential Azimuth Moveout

Azimuth moveout, a transformation of prestack seismic data across different offsets and azimuths, can be accomplished with the help of a differential operator. The basis for this construction is a partial differential equation defined in the time-midpoint-offset-azimuth domain and describing the process of continuous data mapping. The 3-D equation generalizes previously published 2-D (commonazimuth) theory. Its role with respect to integral azimuth moveout (AMO) and dip moveout (DMO) operators is analogous to the role of the wave equation with respect to Kirchhoff migration operators. Reflection traveltime surfaces act as wavefronts of the differential AMO equation, and individual points are transmitted along special trajectories called time rays. In practice, differential azimuth moveout can be implemented as a compact, local, accurate, and efficiently computed finite-difference operator. In the prestack data regularization application, the operator is applied iteratively to produce regular output from irregular input.
Evaluation of Truck Lane Restriction on Non-Limited Access Urban Arterials

ABSTRACT The strategy of managing truck traffic through truck lane restriction is very prevalent on limited access highways in Florida and other States. The perceived and real success of truck lane restriction on freeways have led to increasing demands from the public for highway agencies to institute similar measures on non-limited access highways. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of various geometric, traffic, and signalization factors that might affect safety and operational effectiveness of truck lane restriction on non-limited access highways, primarily on urban arterial roadways with significant amount of truck traffic. Because of lack of sufficient sites with truck lane restriction on which to conduct a longitudinal field study, VISSIM simulation software was used to evaluate operational and safety effects of truck lane restriction by varying various parameters related to the restriction. The results of various simulation scenarios showed that restricting trucks to the right lane don't have deleterious effects on both safety and operational roadway performance compared to no restriction at all. In fact, it could improve travel speed on the highway corridor, although not much. However, restricting trucks to the left or center lanes would cause excessive lane changing, reduced travel speed, increased queue length, and delay. The imposition of truck lane restriction of either kind increases speed difference between cars and trucks within lanes. This phenomenon is likely to increase vehicular conflicts in real life but the exact extent of its operational and safety implications need to be studied further in the field.
Inducible ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death during vasodilator therapy of severe heart failure.

Abstract Sudden death is common in patients with severe heart failure, but antiarrhythmic drug therapy has potential risks as well as benefits. Programmed electrical stimulation may offer a means of identifying lower risk patients who are less likely to benefit from antiarrhythmic therapy and who could potentially be spared the risk of adverse drug effects. Therefore 72 consecutive patients referred for management of severe heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction 0.18 ± 0.06) were studied. The mean age was 47 ± 12 years; 45 (61%) patients had idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 24 (33%) had coronary artery disease. Fifty-eight (82%) patients had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Following adjustment of vasodilators and diuretics, programmed stimulation was performed from the right ventricular apex with one, two, and three extrastimuli. Sustained ventricular tachycardia was initiated in nine (13%) patients and all received chronic antiarrhythmic drug therapy. During follow-up of 176 ± 187 days, 1 of 13 patients treated for inducible ventricular tachycardia and 13 of 63 noninducible patients died suddenly ( p = 0.20). The actuarial risk of sudden death in the noninducible patients was 13% at 6 weeks and 30% at 6 months. The only independent predictors of sudden death were pulmonary artery systolic pressure > 55% mm Hg and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure with vasodilator therapy > 16 mm Hg. Of the 63 noninducible patients, 11 (17%) received long-term antiarrhythmic agents due to atrial fibrillation or referring physician preference, and antiarrhythmic therapy was not associated with a lower risk of sudden death in these patients. Thus patients with severe heart failure whose symptoms improve with vasodliators and diuretics remain at high risk for sudden death even if ventricular tachycardia is not inducible by programmed electrical stimulation.
Swiftness and Intensity of Administrative Innovation Adoption: An Empirical Study of TQM in Information Systems

Considerable attention has been directed toward developing a more complete understanding of innovation adoption by Information Systems (IS) departments. Much of this research has focused on the adoption of technological innovations, and limited research has focused on the adoption of administrative innovations. This paper focuses on an administrative innovation that is increasingly becoming popular among IS departments, namely Total Quality Management (TQM) in systems development. A synthesis of the IS innovation and TQM literatures was conducted to identify environmental, organizational, and task-related factors that should relate to both the swiftness and the intensity of TQM adoption. The relationships between the identified variables and TQM adoption were examined using data collected from 123 IS departments in Fortune 1000 firms and large government agencies in the U.S. The results indicate that TQM adoption in systems development is influenced by the host organization's quality orientation and factors internal to the IS department including IS management support for quality, the presence of a separate quality assurance function, and the structural complexity of the IS department. Implications of this study for theory, future research, and practice are discussed.
Self and Other in International Relations Theory: Learning from Russian Civilizational Debates1

One important critique of the “West’s” hegemony in international relations (IR) theory has been this theory’s inability to come to terms with the problem of difference or the Self/Other dialectic. To further highlight the importance of the Self/Other relations, this article proposes to analyze Russian theoretical discourse of relating to Europe and the West. For centuries, Russia has participated in intense interactions among European, Asian and Middle Eastern regions, and it has developed a language and theories for relating to its various Others. Studying Russian debates can assist us in the task of reflecting on problematic epistemological and ethical assumptions behind IR scholarship, as well as suggest some paths to a genuinely diverse and global IR theory. To research both continuity and progression of Russian arguments, I draw cases from imperial and post-Soviet historical periods and analyze their debates—Eurocentrism and Eurasia—in terms of assumptions their participants held about interacting with the Other. Although moving beyond viewing the East/West interaction as something mutually exclusive has been a challenge to Russian thinkers, some of them have found ways to conceptualize the two cultural entities as in dialogue with one another and to learn from opposing perspectives.
TC10 is regulated by caveolin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Background: TC10 is a small GTPase found in lipid raft microdomains of adipocytes. The protein undergoes activation in response to insulin, and plays a key role in the regulation of glucose uptake by the hormone. Methodology/Principal Findings: TC10 requires high concentrations of magnesium in order to stabilize guanine nucleotide binding. Kinetic analysis of this process revealed that magnesium acutely decreased the nucleotide release and exchange rates of TC10, suggesting that the G protein may behave as a rapidly exchanging, and therefore active protein in vivo. However, in adipocytes, the activity of TC10 is not constitutive, indicating that mechanisms must exist to maintain the G protein in a low activity state in untreated cells. Thus, we searched for proteins that might bind to and stabilize TC10 in the inactive state. We found that Caveolin interacts with TC10 only when GDP-bound and stabilizes GDP binding. Moreover, knockdown of Caveolin 1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased the basal activity state of TC10. Conclusions/Significance: Together these data suggest that TC10 is intrinsically active in vivo, but is maintained in the inactive state by binding to Caveolin 1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes under basal conditions, permitting its activation by insulin.
Patient Age and Decisions To Withhold Life-Sustaining Treatments from Seriously Ill, Hospitalized Adults

Patient age may influence decisions to withhold life-sustaining treatments, independent of patients' preferences for and ability to benefit from such treatments. This study found that even after ad...
RNA sequence requirements for NasR-mediated, nitrate-responsive transcription antitermination of the Klebsiella oxytoca M5al nasF operon leader

Abstract In Klebsiella oxytoca, enzymes required for nitrate assimilation are encoded by thenasFEDCBA operon. Nitrate and nitrite induction of nasF operon expression is determined by a transcriptional antitermination mechanism, in which the nasR gene product responds to nitrate or nitrite and overcomes transcription termination at the factor-independent terminator site located in the nasF upstream leader region. Previous studies led to the hypothesis that the NasR protein mediates transcription antitermination through interaction with nasF leader RNA. Here, we report a DNA sequence comparison that reveals conserved 1:2 and 3:4 RNA secondary structures in the nasF leader RNAs from two Klebsiella species. Additionally, we found that specific binding of the NasR protein to nasF leader RNA was stimulated by nitrate and nitrite. We combined mutational analysis, in vivo and in vitro antitermination assays, and an RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assay to define regions in the nasF leader that are essential for antitermination and for NasR-RNA interaction. Formation of the 1:2 stem structure and the specific sequence of the 1:2 hexanucleotide loop were required for both nitrate induction and for NasR-RNA interaction. Mutations in the 1:2 stem-loop region that abolished nitrate induction also interfered with NasR-leader RNA interaction. Finally, nucleotide alterations or additions in the linker region between the 1:2 and 3:4 stem-loops were deleterious to nasF operon induction but not to NasR-leader RNA interaction. We hypothesize that NasR protein recognizes the 1:2 stem-loop structure in the nasF leader RNA to mediate transcription antitermination in response to nitrate or nitrite.
Effect of nef alleles on replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Abstract The effect of multiple alleles of nef of the human immunodeficieney virus type 1 (HIV-1) on virus replication was examined. Nef alleles used include some derived from isolates of virus passaged in tissue culture as well as others obtained by direct cloning of viral DNA from tissues of infected patients. The effect of nef on virus replication was evaluated in the context of a derivative of the HXB2 provirus shown previously to require nef for rapid growth in CD4 + human T cell lines and in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results of the experiments show that in this genetic context all of the studied viruses carrying nef alleles that express stable Nef proteins replicate more rapidly than do their, otherwise isogenic, nef -defective counterparts. Two of the nef alleles derived from primary tissues produce unstable proteins. These studies demonstrate that naturally occurring nef alleles can increase the rate of virus replication in both primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in a CD4 + T cell line. The results also demonstrate that functional variation exists among naturally occurring nef alleles.
Variability challenges to electromigration (EM) lifetime projections

Technology scaling has led to severe degradation of EM performance for advanced interconnects. On one hand, the median time to failure becomes shorter due to the reduction of critical void size and the increase of the Cu mass flow rate. On the other hand the variability increase has led to broader failure time distributions, which can be more detrimental for lifetime projections to very low percentiles at use conditions. In this paper, we present case studies to show that the failure time improvements can be overshadowed by the distribution shape factor degradation. Causes and implementations are also discussed.
Neon: system support for derived data management

Modern organizations face increasingly complex information management requirements. A combination of commercial needs, legal liability and regulatory imperatives has created a patchwork of mandated policies. Among these, personally identifying customer records must be carefully access-controlled, sensitive files must be encrypted on mobile computers to guard against physical theft, and intellectual property must be protected from both exposure and "poisoning." However, enforcing such policies can be quite difficult in practice since users routinely share data over networks and derive new files from these inputs--incidentally laundering any policy restrictions. In this paper, we describe a virtual machine monitor system called Neon that transparently labels derived data using byte-level "tints" and tracks these labels end to end across commodity applications, operating systems and networks. Our goal with Neon is to explore the viability and utility of transparent information flow tracking within conventional networked systems when used in the manner in which they were intended. We demonstrate that this mechanism allows the enforcement of a variety of data management policies, including data-dependent confinement, mandatory I/O encryption, and intellectual property management.
An Introduction to Logistic Regression Analysis and Reporting

Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide researchers, editors, and readers with a set of guidelines for what to expect in an article using logistic regression techniques. Tables, figures, and charts that should be included to comprehensively assess the results and assumptions to be verified are discussed. This article demonstrates the preferred pattern for the application of logistic methods with an illustration of logistic regression applied to a data set in testing a research hypothesis. Recommendations are also offered for appropriate reporting formats of logistic regression results and the minimum observation-to-predictor ratio. The authors evaluated the use and interpretation of logistic regression presented in 8 articles published in The Journal of Educational Research between 1990 and 2000. They found that all 8 studies met or exceeded recommended criteria.
The bending of cell sheets - from folding to rolling

The bending of cell sheets plays a major role in multicellular embryonic morphogenesis. Recent advances are leading to a deeper understanding of how the biophysical properties and the force-producing behaviors of cells are regulated, and how these forces are integrated across cell sheets during bending. We review work that shows that the dynamic balance of apical versus basolateral cortical tension controls specific aspects of invagination of epithelial sheets, and recent evidence that tissue expansion by growth contributes to neural retinal invagination in a stem cell-derived, self-organizing system. Of special interest is the detailed analysis of the type B inversion in Volvox reported in BMC Biology by Hohn and Hallmann, as this is a system that promises to be particularly instructive in understanding morphogenesis of any monolayered spheroid system.
Ontogeny and distribution of cells in B lineage in the American leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

Two-color immunofluorescence techniques were used in order to trace the development and distribution of cells expressing immunoglobulin in Rana pipiens. Evidence is provided which suggests that (i) embryo-larval urogenital tissues are sites of generation of cells in B lineage, (ii) during ontogeny, there is a sequential expression of immunoglobulin isotypes on B cell surfaces, (iii) larvae are able to produce the full range of immunoglobulin clases found in adults, and (iv) at least two subpopulations of lymphocytes exist in Rana pipiens, sIg+ and sIg−; thymocytes and presumably peripheral T cells lack conventional surface immunoglobulin. Some ontogenetic and phylogenetic implications are discussed.
The role of covalently bound fatty acids in the degradation of human gastric mucus glycoprotein

Abstract The undegraded high-molecular-weight glycoprotein of human gastric mucus has been isolated free of noncovalently bound proteins and lipids, as judged by gel filtration, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation, and lipid analysis. Mild alkaline methanolysis of the thoroughly delipidated glycoprotein revealed that, on the average, the native undegraded glycoprotein contains 2.9 mol of acyl linked fatty acids/mg glycoprotein. The low-molecular-weight glycoprotein subunits, obtained after pepsin digestion, contain 2 nmol of acyl linked fatty acids/mg glycopeptide. The highest content of covalently bound fatty acids was found in the fraction of glycoprotein which remained undegraded after pepsin digestion. On the average, 10.2 mol of fatty acids/mg was substituted on this pepsin-resistant glycoprotein. After deacylation with hydroxylamine, the undegraded pepsinresistant glycoprotein became susceptible to proteolytic cleavage. The obtained results suggest that fatty acids covalently bound to gastric mucus glycoprotein are involved in the regulation of proteolytic digestion of mucus glycoprotein in the stomach.
Prospective Assessment of Cholesterol Embolization in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated With Thrombolytic vs Conservative Therapy

Purpose To determine whether subclinical cholesterol embolization is a frequent sequela of thrombolytic therapy. Case reports of catastrophic cholesterol embolization temporally associated with thrombolytic therapy in 19 patients have suggested a causal relationship. Patients and methods : We prospectively followed 60 patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent coronary bypass surgery within 1 month. Twenty-nine received thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction; 31 were treated conservatively. Two muscle biopsy specimens and one skin biopsy specimen were obtained from the vein harvest site at the time of bypass surgery. Paraffin block and frozen sections from each biopsy specimen were analyzed for evidence of cholesterol embolization. Results Cholesterol emboli were found in biopsy specimens from 4 of 29 patients who had undergone thrombolytic therapy (14%) and in 3 of 31 patients who had not undergone thrombolytic therapy (10%, p=NS). Clinical evidence of cholesterol embolization occurred in one patient. Cholesterol emboli were distributed inhomogeneously; they were not observed in any skin biopsy specimen and were never present in more than one muscle biopsy specimen from each patient. Conclusions The prevalence of cholesterol embolization in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytic therapy is not significantly higher than in those treated without thrombolytic therapy. The cholesterol embolization seen in 12% of our patients was mostly subclinical and was probably spontaneous and/or catheterization induced. Isolated case reports of severe cholesterol embolization temporally associated with thrombolytic therapy do not represent a phenomenon that has widespread subclinical occurrence.
Modulation of cocaine-induced activity by intracerebral administration of CXCL12

The role of chemokines in immune function is clearly established. Recent evidence suggests that these molecules also play an important role in the central nervous system as modulators of neuronal activity. The chemokine CXCL12 has been identified in several regions of the adult rat brain including the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area and caudate putamen. CXCR4, a receptor activated by CXCL12, is expressed by dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The present study tested the effects of intracranial injections of CXCL12 on cocaine-induced locomotion and stereotypic activity in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Results demonstrate that intracerebral ventricular administration of CXCL12 (25 ng/4 microl) 15 min prior to cocaine (20 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)) produced a significant potentiation of both ambulatory and stereotypic activity as compared to cocaine alone. The effects of CXCL12 were blocked by administration of the selective CXCR4 antagonist, AMD 3100. Administration of CXCL12 into specific brain regions was performed to further understand the site of action of CXCL12. Bilateral administration of CXCL12 (25 ng/0.5 microl) into the ventral tegmental area 15 min prior to cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.) significantly potentiated cocaine-induced ambulatory activity, whereas microinjections of CXCL12 into the caudate putamen selectively increased stereotypy. Conversely, administration of CXCL12 into the lateral shell of the nucleus accumbens resulted in an inhibition of cocaine-stimulated ambulatory activity. No alterations in ambulatory or stereotypic activity were observed following CXCL12 administration into the core of the nucleus accumbens. These results demonstrate that CXCL12 can modulate the behavioral effects produced by cocaine in a brain region-specific manner.
Combined effects of heat waves and droughts on avian communities across the conterminous United States

Increasing surface temperatures and climatic variability associated with global climate change are expected to produce more frequent and intense heat waves and droughts in many parts of the world. Our goal was to elucidate the fundamental, but poorly understood, effects of these extreme weather events on avian communities across the conterminous United States. Specifically, we explored: (1) the effects of timing and duration of heat and drought events, (2) the effects of jointly occurring drought and heat waves relative to these events occurring in isolation, and (3) how effects vary among functional groups related to nest location and migratory habit, and among ecoregions with differing precipitation and temperature regimes. Using data from remote sensing, meteorological stations, and the North American Breeding Bird Survey, we used mixed effects models to quantify responses of overall and functional group abundance to heat waves and droughts (occurring alone or in concert) at two key periods in the annual cycle of birds: breeding and post-fledging. We also compared responses among species with different migratory and nesting characteristics, and among 17 ecoregions of the conterminous United States. We found large changes in avian abundances related to 100-year extreme weather events occurring in both breeding and post-fledging periods, but little support for an interaction among time periods. We also found that jointly-, rather than individually-occurring heat waves and droughts were both more common and more predictive of abundance changes. Declining abundance was the only significant response to post-fledging events, while responses to breeding period events were larger but could be positive or negative. Negative responses were especially frequent in the western U.S., and among ground-nesting birds and Neotropical migrants, with the largest single-season declines (36%) occurring among ground-nesting birds in the desert Southwest. These results indicate the importance of functional traits, timing, and geography in determining avian responses to weather extremes. Because dispersal to other regions appears to be an important avian response, it may be essential to maintain habitat refugia in a more climatically variable future.
Gas velocity measurements using photothermal deflection spectroscopy.

This paper demonstrates two different ways in which photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) can be used to measure a single spatial component of gas velocity. The first method is a transit-time velocimetry where the time delay between a rapid pump laser pulse and the resulting deflection of the probe laser beam is measured. The velocity is determined directly from the known displacement of the beams and the measured time delay. The second method uses the shape of the PDS signal to obtain velocities: specifically, the shape of the experimental PDS signature is fit to velocity-dependent PDS signatures computed by numerical solution of the energy equation. The fit of the experimental to the computed profiles is good. The above methods employed signal averaging over a number of pump laser pulses in order to improve signal-to-noise ratio. However, velocities can also be measured using a single pump laser pulse in order to obtain 1-msec temporal resolution. One can also obtain simultaneous velocities and relative absorber gas concentrations by using the second method plus measurements of the amplitude of the PDS signal. This is demonstrated using a room temperature laminar flow of nitrogen-diluted ethylene flowing from a jet into room air.
Relation Between Delay Line Phase Noise and Ring Oscillator Phase Noise

The phase noise of a ring oscillator can be obtained by multiplying its open-loop phase noise by a simple shaping function. The shaping function is computed using first principles and is applicable to both flicker-noise-induced and white-noise-induced phase noise, leading to compact equations for ring oscillators. It is also shown that flicker noise upconversion in ring oscillators is primarily a function of the total gate capacitance and inevitable regardless of the risetime and falltime symmetry. Two oscillator prototypes fabricated in 65-nm CMOS technology verify the validity of the results.
“Please extinguish all cigarettes”: The effects of acculturation and gender on smoking attitudes and smoking prevalence of Chinese and Russian immigrants

Abstract Acculturation, assessed in several ways, predicted smoking attitudes among 364 male and female Chinese and Russian immigrants to the US. Four aspects of smoking attitudes, using the Smoking Attitude Scale, as well as smoking prevalence were measured. Acculturation level and gender were predictors of attitudes toward smoking. In general, the more years living in the US and the greater the use of English, the more negative the attitudinal dimension, in particular the interpersonal relations subscale. Acculturated immigrants were less likely to want to befriend, date or marry smokers. However, acculturated Chinese and Russian females held a more positive smoking attitude and were more likely to smoke, similar to native-born American females. Implications for smoking cessation campaigns suggest that ethnicity, acculturation level and gender factors should inform the design and placement of such programs.
Mobile contact tracing and counseling for STI's: there's not an app for that.

Your mobile phone wakes you up as an alarm clock in the morning, serves as a pedometer all day, finds a movie theater or the hottest restaurant in town, pinpoints your destination and gives you dir...
Locating facilities which interact: some solvable cases

The network version of them-median problem with mutual communication (MMMC) is to find the location ofm new facilities on a network withn nodes such that the sum of (a) the cost of interaction between the new facilities andn existing facilities on the network, and (b) the cost of interaction between pairs of new facilities is minimized. The existing facilities are located at nodes of the network and the interaction cost between a pair of facilities is a function of the network distance between the facilities. This problem is shown to be equivalent to a graph-theoretic Node Selection Problem (NSP). We show that many other problems can be formulated as an NSP. We then provide a polynomial time algorithm to solve NSP for the case when the flow graph is Halin. Extensions to other graph families are provided.
Modeling solute redistribution and microstructural development in fusion welds of Nb-bearing superalloys

Abstract Solute redistribution and microstructural evolution have been modeled for gas tungsten arc fusion welds in experimental Ni base and Fe base Nb-bearing superalloys. The multi-component alloys were modeled as a ternary system by grouping the matrix (Fe, Ni, Cr) elements together as the “solvent” to form the γ component of the γ-Nb–C “ternary system”. The variation in fraction liquid and liquid composition during the primary L→γ and eutectic type L→(γ+NbC) stages of solidification were calculated for conditions of negligible Nb diffusion and infinitely fast C diffusion in the solid phase. The proposed model is based on modifications of solute redistribution equations originally developed by Mehrabian and Flemings. Results of the calculations were superimposed on the pseudo-ternary γ-Nb–C solidification surfaces to predict the solidification reaction sequences along with the total and individual amounts of γ/NbC and γ/Laves eutectic-type constituents which form during solidification. Comparison was made to experimentally measured values, and reasonable agreement was found. The model results permit quantitative interpretations of composition–microstructure relations in these Nb-bearing experimental alloys and should provide useful insight into comparable commercial alloy systems as well.
Responses of three mouse species to deterrent chemicals in the monarch butterfly. II. Taste tests using intact monarchs.

Peromyscus melanotis is the only one of three mouse species that eats monarch butterflies at their overwintering sites in Mexico. I tested two hypotheses: 1)P. aztecus avoids monarchs because of a bitter taste aversion to cardiac glycosides (CGs) and an inability to reject CG-rich body parts; 2)Reithrodontomys sumichrasti avoids monarchs principally because of a bitter taste aversion to the CGs. None of the species are sensitive to the toxic effects of ingested CGs. Feeding responses of laboratory-reared mice of each species to monarchs with low, medium and high CG concentrations were compared. BothP. aztecus andR. sumichrasti ate significantly fewer of all three types of monarchs thanP. melanotis. ForP. aztecus andR. sumichrasti, the number of monarchs eaten decreased with increasing CG concentration, whereas forP. melanotis, the number remained constant.Peromyscus melanotis andR. sumichrasti developed a feeding technique for rejecting the CG-laden cuticular material, which reduced the bitterness of ingested monarch material. However,R. sumichrasti displayed the technique significantly less often thanP. melanotis; andP. aztecus never developed it. I conclude that high taste sensitivity to CGs and less versatile food handling preventP. aztecus andR. sumichrasti from overcoming the monarch's chemical defenses.
Total cross sections and thermonuclear reaction rates for 9Be( alpha,n)12C.

The $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$(\ensuremath{\alpha},n${)}^{12}$C reaction determines the rate for neutron-catalyzed helium burning and thus plays an important role in supernovae ejecta under \ensuremath{\alpha}- and n-rich conditions which may lead to the r process. Cross sections for this reaction have been measured for 0.16\ensuremath{\le}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$\ensuremath{\le}1.87 MeV using a 4\ensuremath{\pi} neutron detector, and are used to calculate the thermonuclear reaction rates for temperatures between 0.1 and 10 GK. During these measurements, the thick-target yields were determined for 0.50\ensuremath{\le}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$\ensuremath{\le}2.30 MeV, the stopping powers for \ensuremath{\alpha}'s in beryllium determined for 0.24\ensuremath{\le}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$\ensuremath{\le}2.12 MeV, and the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$(p,p) elastic scattering cross sections measured at ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\theta}}}_{\mathrm{lab}}$=142.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for 2.34\ensuremath{\le}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{p}}$\ensuremath{\le}2.66 MeV.
Comparison of Physical Properties of Fabrics Woven from Open-End and Ring Spun Yarns

It is well established that open-end yarns are different from ring yarns; in particular OE yarns are weaker and more bulky in spite of the higher twist levels used. The introduction of these yarns ...
Feature selection for manufacturing process monitoring using cross-validation

Abstract A novel algorithm is developed for feature selection and parameter tuning in quality monitoring of manufacturing processes using cross-validation. Due to the recent development in sensing technology, many on-line signals are collected for manufacturing process monitoring and feature extraction is then performed to extract critical features related to product/process quality. However, lack of precise process knowledge may result in many irrelevant or redundant features. Therefore, a systematic procedure is needed to select a parsimonious set of features which provide sufficient information for process monitoring. In this study, a new method for selecting features and tuning SPC limits is proposed by applying k -fold cross-validation to simultaneously select important features and set the monitoring limits using Type I and Type II errors obtained from cross-validation. The monitoring performance for production data collected from ultrasonic metal welding of batteries demonstrates that the proposed algorithm is able to select the most efficient features and control limits and thus leading to satisfactory monitoring performance.
Synergistic centrally mediated cardiovascular effects of a kappa opioid agonist and an α2-adrenoceptor agonist

In this study, we determined possible additive and synergistic centrally mediated hypotensive and bradycardic effects of U-62,066E, a nonpeptide kappa opioid agonist acting on the hippocampal formation (HF), and guanabenz, an alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist acting on the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), or the locus coeruleus (LC). The drugs were microinjected at various doses into these areas of alpha-chloralose-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. There were synergistic hypotensive and bradycardic effects between low, noneffective doses of U-62,066E acting on the HF and guanabenz acting simultaneously on the RVLM. Higher doses of each agent, which themselves caused hypotension and bradycardia acting on each brain area alone, did not lead to synergistic effects when the drugs were injected simultaneously into those areas. There were no synergistic effects between U-62,066E acting on the HF and guanabenz acting on the NTS or the LC.
Reevaluation of Mζ energies of Y to Mo

Abstract New values of Mζ energies were obtained using recently revised calibration standards: YM ζ =132.50(4) eV, ZrM ζ =151.65(3) eV, NbM ζ =171.64(5) eV, and MoM ζ =192.54(5)eV.
Government's Role in Protecting Health and Safety

Despite criticism that some public health actions are intrusive, the author argues that it is appropriate for government to promote free and open information for decision making, protect people from harm by others, and facilitate societal action to promote and protect health.
δ18O in mollusk shells from Pliocene Lake Hadar and modern Ethiopian lakes: Implications for history of the Ethiopian monsoon

Abstract Two of the five lacustrine intervals in the largely fluvial Hadar Formation, Afar, Ethiopia, occur in the Sidi Hakoma Member deposited 3.4–3.2 Ma. In a perspective of the δ18O of 11 modern Ethiopian lakes and their shells, the δ18O of the Hadar fossil shells provide a snapshot of the nature of ancient Lake Hadar and Ethiopia’s climate in the Pliocene. Ethiopia’s modern lakes both in the Rift and on the Western Plateau are fed by drainage of Plateau rain with its well established barely negative δ18OSMOW of −1.3‰. Except for the man-made Lake Koka reservoir, all other Ethiopian lakes are isotopically quite positive ranging from +5.4 to +16.0‰, indicating how significant evaporation is in their water budget. Shells from lakes with extant mollusk populations are mostly in isotopic equilibrium with the δ18O and temperature of their lake water. The upper transgressive interval in the Sidi Hakoma Member is the largest one in the Formation beginning at its base with the ‘Gastropod Beds’ beach deposits. Mollusks from shell beds other than the ‘Gastropod Beds’ show more positive and more variable δ18O between shells, with internal variations within shells as much as 7‰. At these times the site must have been underlain by a shallow partially isolated embayment of Lake Hadar which underwent rapid expansions and then contractions by evaporation, within the few year lifetimes of the individual mollusks. The results from the ‘Gastropod Beds’ are of most significance for interpreting the overall paleoclimate at Hadar. Their uniformly negative δ18OPDB shell values that average −6.7‰ represent a much less evaporated stage of Lake Hadar when its δ18OSMOW was 8‰ lower than the spectrum of modern lakes in Ethiopia, and indeed even 3‰ or more lower than average modern Plateau rain. To explain such negative values we hypothesize that the Atlantic-derived air mass component to the Ethiopian monsoon was persistently strengthened during Pliocene summers, which intensified the amount and the negative isotopic character of rainfall onto both the Afar and the Ethiopian Plateaus that drained to Lake Hadar. A similar phenomenon characterized the brief periodic pluvial episodes of the Quaternary, including the latest in the early Holocene, known as the African Humid Period. In contrast to the hot semi-desert steppe conditions of today’s western Afar, the diverse abundant terrestrial fossil fauna at Hadar, including the early hominid Australopithecus afarensis, is explained by the wetter, and probably cooler, summers that persisted throughout the Late Pliocene.
The kinase VRK1 is required for normal meiotic progression in mammalian oogenesis

The kinase VRK1 has been implicated in mitotic and meiotic progression in invertebrate species, but whether it mediates these events during mammalian gametogenesis is not completely understood. Previous work has demonstrated a role for mammalian VRK1 in proliferation of male spermatogonia, yet whether VRK1 plays a role in meiotic progression, as seen in Drosophila, has not been determined. Here, we have established a mouse strain bearing a gene trap insertion in the VRK1 locus that disrupts Vrk1 expression. In addition to the male proliferation defects, we find that reduction of VRK1 activity causes a delay in meiotic progression during oogenesis, results in the presence of lagging chromosomes during formation of the metaphase plate, and ultimately leads to the failure of oocytes to be fertilized. The activity of at least one phosphorylation substrate of VRK1, p53, is not required for these defects. These results are consistent with previously defined functions of VRK1 in meiotic progression in Drosophila oogenesis, and indicate a conserved role for VRK1 in coordinating proper chromosomal configuration in female meiosis.
Artificial neural networks for molecular sequence analysis

Artificial neural networks provide a unique computing architecture whose potential has attracted interest from researchers across different disciplines. As a technique for computational analysis, neural network technology is very well suited for the analysis of molecular sequence data. It has been applied successfully to a variety of problems, ranging from gene identification, to protein structure prediction and sequence classification. This article provides an overview of major neural network paradigms, discusses design issues, and reviews current applications in DNA/RNA and protein sequence analysis.
Optical rotation and viscosity of native and denatured proteins. IV. Fractions of serum albumin and γ-globulin from various sources

Abstract Serum albumin and γ-globulin fractions were separated by the method of Cohn (No. 10) from human blood specimens, and the optical rotation and viscosity of the proteins were studied. The dependence of the specific rotation on pH was determined. Considerable differences were found in both the optical activity and viscosity of the various specimens in cases of pregnancy, and in some diseases.
Upper and lower bounds on the non-linearity of sommation of end-plate potentials☆

Abstract The amplitudes of end-plate potentials are non-linearly related to the number of transmitter packets eliciting the potentials. The form of the non-linearity depends on the time-course of the change in membrane conductance as compared with the membrane time-constant. Approximate solutions for very short and very long time-constants provide upper and lower bounds on the relationship between the peak amplitude of the end-plate potential and the relative number of transmitter packets.
The Regulation of Technology, and the Technology of Regulation

Abstract Regulation may inhibit or stimulate technological change. The relationship depends on the technology of regulation—the design and instrument choice of regulatory policy. This essay examines the history of economic and social regulations over the last three decades, the explanatory power of theories of regulatory politics, the choice of regulatory instruments, the assessment of regulatory impacts, and the influence of each of these on the innovation and diffusion of technology (and of regulation). It concludes with recommendations for the future of regulation and technology.
Numerical stability of explicit Runge–Kutta finite-difference schemes for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Abstract Linearized numerical stability bounds for solving the nonlinear time-dependent Schrodinger equation (NLSE) using explicit finite-differencing are shown. The bounds are computed for the fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme in time and both second-order and fourth-order central differencing in space. Results are given for Dirichlet, modulus-squared Dirichlet, Laplacian-zero, and periodic boundary conditions for one, two, and three dimensions. Our approach is to use standard Runge–Kutta linear stability theory, treating the nonlinearity of the NLSE as a constant. The required bounds on the eigenvalues of the scheme matrices are found analytically when possible, and otherwise estimated using the Gershgorin circle theorem.