cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Natural Gas Exsolution on Specific Storage in a Confined Aquifer Undergoing Water Level Decline

The specific storage of a porous medium, a function of the compressibility of the aquifer material and the fluid within it, is essentially constant under normal hydrologic conditions. Gases dissolved in ground water can increase the effective specific storage of a confined aquifer, however, during water level declines. This causes a reduction in pore pressure that lowers the gas solubility and results in exsolution. The exsolved gas then displaces water from storage, and the specific storage increases because gas compressibility is typically much greater than that of water or aquifer material. This work describes the effective specific storage of a confined aquifer exsolving dissolved gas as a function of hydraulic head and the dimensionless Henry's law constant for the gas. This relation is applied in a transient simulation of ground water discharge from a confined aquifer system to a collapsed salt mine in the Genesee Valley in western New York. Results indicate that exsolution of gas significantly increased the effective specific storage in the aquifer system, thereby decreasing the water level drawdown.
Processing Temperature and Moisture Content Effects on the Texture and Microscopic Appearance of Cooked Fowl Meat Gels

New aseptic processes are being used and refined to produce convenient, shelf stable liquid products containing meat particles. These processes utilize high temperature, short time thermal treatments to minimize food quality change; however, little research has been conducted on the effects of this process on the texture of meat from mature hens traditionally used for canning. The objective of this study was to examine textural and structural changes in meat structure due to different high temperature (HT) heat treatments and meat moisture contents were examined by use of electron microscopy and torsion analyses. Cooked gels of different moisture contents (71.2 to 74.8%) were formulated from spent fowl breast meat and exposed to processing temperatures of 120 or 124 C. The HT processing resulted in stronger (tougher) meat gels that were more deformable (more chewy) than gels that were not processed by HT. Water added prior to cooking was not retained in samples that were cooked and then processed at 124 C, but was retained in the samples processed at 120 C. Electron micrographs showed a more organized and open gel structure in the samples with higher moisture content and lower temperature (120 C) processing compared to the lower moisture and higher (124 C) temperature treatments.
Current therapy for hepatitis C or D or immunodeficiency virus concurrent infection with chronic hepatitis B.

Concurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis delta virus (HDV), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) appears to increase the risk of progressive liver disease including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is a 10% prevalence of HCV infection in chronic HBV or HDV infection. Serological evidence of previous exposure to HBV is found in more than 80% of HIV-positive patients in the high risk group. Notably, the most recently acquired virus tends to suppress the pre-existing virus. In chronic HBV infection acquired perinatally or in early childhood, usually HCV is dominant and may suppress or even displace HBV and HDV. Less frequently, HBV or HDV suppresses HCV. It is generally agreed that the dominant virus should be identified in order to make appropriate treatment decisions. Studies with standard interferon (IFN) to treat patients with HCV dominantly dual HBV/HCV infection have showed only limited virological response. But high dose of IFN has been demonstrated with better response rate. Combined ribavirin with standard or pegylated IFN therapy could achieve a sustained HCV clearance rate comparable with those infected with HCV alone. On the contrary, patients with HBV dominantly dual viral infection might indicate more appropriate addition of lamivudine to IFN than ribavirin. Additionally, patients with concurrent infection of HBV and HDV, IFN seems to be the only effective agent. However, the efficacy of IFN is related to the dose. High dose of IFN [9 MU tiw (thrice per week)] and longer treatment duration (at least 2 years) have been shown to achieve adequate virological response. In patients with concurrently infected HBV and HIV, anti-HBV therapy should be considered for all patients with evidence of liver disease, irrespective of the CD4 cell count. In patients not requiring antiretroviral therapy, HBV therapy should be preferentially based on IFN, adefovir, or telbivudine. In contrast, in patients with CD4 cell counts <350 cells/μl or those already on antiretroviral therapy, agents with double anti-HBV and anti-HIV activity are preferred. At present, the evidence of therapeutic efficacy is not sufficient to make a recommendation in treating patients with dual HBV/HCV or HBV/HDV or HBV/HIV infection. Further studies of the well-designed, larger scale are needed to elucidate the role of different regimens or combination in the treatment of dual viral infection.
Estimating Plant-Available Water Using the Simple Inverse Yield Model for Claypan Landscapes

Plant-available water (PAW) is one of the fundamental soil factors affecting crop yield, yet quantitative determination of plant-available water capacity (PAW c ) at a field scale has been challenging. A simple inverse yield model (SIYM) has been devised and shown to be successful in estimating PAW c at a field scale for well-drained soils by matching simulated corn (Zea mays L.) yield with measured yield. For other soils, however, SIYM is yet to be tested. Our objective was to evaluate SIYM performance in estimating PAW c for poorly-drained claypan-soil landscapes. Soil PAW c to a depth of 1.2 m (PAW 1-2 ) was measured at 19 and 18 sampling locations for two claypan-soil fields, Fields 1 and 2, respectively. Corn yield maps of the two fields (nine site-years between 1993 and 2003) were used with the model to estimate PAW c . Yield reduction associated with low precipitation and high vapor-pressure deficit during corn reproductive stages, and large yield variation in dry years were indications available water was the main yield-limiting factor. The regression r 2 values between SlYM-estimated PAW c and the measured PAW 1,2 were 0.43 for Field 1 and 0.31 for Field 2 with estimating errors of 18 and 50 mm, respectively. In Field 2, SIYM estimated markedly lower PAW c compared with the PAW 1,2 at the most-eroded backslope areas, where claypan characteristics were most prevalent. The SIYM-PAW c estimates would be more informative in assessing soil productivity because they are based on crop-water relations and not solely on soil texture.
Description of interacting channel gating using a stochastic Markovian model.

Single-channel recordings from membrane patches frequently exhibit multiple conductance levels. In some preparations, the steady-state probabilities of observing these levels do not follow a binomial distribution. This behavior has been reported in sodium channels, potassium channels, acetylcholine receptor channels and gap junction channels. A non-binomial distribution suggests interaction of the channels or the presence of channels with different open probabilities. However, the current trace sometimes exhibits single transitions spanning several levels. Since the probability of simultaneous transitions of independent channels is infinitesimally small, such observations strongly suggest a cooperative gating behavior. We present a Markov model to describe the cooperative gating of channels using only the all-points current amplitude histograms for the probability of observing the various conductance levels. We investigate the steady-state (or equilibrium) properties of a system ofN channels and provide a scheme to express all the probabilities in terms of just two parameters. The main feature of our model is that lateral interaction of channels gives rise to cooperative gating. Another useful feature is the introduction of the language of graph theory which can potentially provide a different avenue to study ion channel kinetics. We write down explicit expressions for systems of two, three and four channels and provide a procedure to describe the system ofN channels.
Experimental study of the effect of wind on the stability of water ice on Mars

Abstract We have studied the effect of wind velocity on the sublimation rate of pure water ice under martian conditions. Measurements were made for wind velocities ranging from 0.7 to 11.4 m s −1 , a typical range observed by the meteorological instruments on the surface of Mars, and at − 15 ° C a value typical of the daily high temperature for most of the year at the Pathfinder landing site. At this temperature, and for a low-humidity environment (relative humidity around 1%) sublimation rates increase following a linear trend of equation E S = 0.68 + 0.025 V ( E S is the sublimation rate in mm h −1 and V is the wind speed in m s −1 ). In high relative humidity (30–35%) atmospheres, the effect of wind velocity is negligible, and the sublimation rate remains nearly constant at 0.33 ± 0.04 mm h −1 . Pure forced convection theory did not provide a satisfying description of the data in terms of the range of values and their wind speed dependency. Therefore, a new semi-empirical expression for the sublimation rate that combines free and forced convection was developed using analogy with heat transfer models. Using this expression, sublimation rates of ice as a function of wind velocity for any temperature can be calculated. In general, temperature is more important that wind speed and atmospheric humidity in determining the rate of sublimation of ice on Mars.
Sample size calculation for comparing time-averaged responses in k-group repeated-measurement studies

Many clinical trials compare the efficacy of K (>=3) treatments in repeated measurement studies. However, the design of such trials has received relatively less attention from researchers. Zhang and Ahn (2012) derived a closed-form sample size formula for two-sample comparisons of time-averaged responses using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach, which takes into account different correlation structures and missing data patterns. In this paper, we extend the sample size formula to scenarios where K (>=3) treatments are compared simultaneously to detect time-averaged differences in treatment effect. A closed-form sample size formula based on the noncentral @g^2 test statistic is derived. We conduct simulation studies to assess the performance of the proposed sample size formula under various correlation structures from a damped exponential family, random and monotone missing patterns, and different observation probabilities. Simulation studies show that empirical powers and type I errors are close to their nominal levels. The proposed sample size formula is illustrated using a real clinical trial example.
Towards Autonomic Distribution of Existing Object Oriented Programs

By harnessing computational power of distributed heterogeneous resources, it is possible to build a large scale integrated system so that a centralized program is partitioned and distributed to those resources in a way that results in both efficient execution of the program and maximized resource utilization. However, building such a system is a staggering challenge because of the associated complexities and required user intervention. This paper proposes an autonomic distributed architecture that statically analyzes the existing Java application, partitions it to self-managed components that handles the complexities related to distribution and coordination without user involvement. An efficient static analysis mechanism is implemented that identifies run time program instances and their dependencies in terms of a graph. It is observed that such a view of the program is essential towards self optimization and self management.
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in a cell line (molt-4) derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Abstract A terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase having a sedimentation coefficient of 3–4S has been found associated with the chromatin from a cell line (Molt-4) derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
A Case of Nonfatal Sodium Fluoride Ingestion

A nonfatal case of sodium fluoride ingestion is presented. The quantity of sodium fluoride ingested is unknown. Initial serum and urine samples were taken 24 h after ingestion and contained 3.4 and 21.3 mg/L fluoride, respectively. At that time the patient was essentially asymptomatic, but it is clear that he survived a plasma concentration greater than that usually considered lethal, 3 mg/L serum fluoride. The case illustrates the lack of correlation between plasma fluoride concentration and toxic effects and the importance of obtaining a history of fluoride ingestion.
Effect of inhibition of cholesterol synthetic pathway on the activation of Ras and MAP kinase in mesangial cells.

Abstract Intermediary metabolites of cholesterol synthetic pathway are involved in cell proliferation. Lovastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, blocks mevalonate synthesis, and has been shown to inhibit mesangial cell proliferation associated with diverse glomerular diseases. Since inhibition of farnesylation and plasma membrane anchorage of the Ras proteins is one suggested mechanism by which lovastatin prevents cellular proliferation, we investigated the effect of lovastatin and key mevalonate metabolites on the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) and Ras in murine glomerular mesangial cells. The preincubation of mesangial cells with lovastatin inhibited the activation of MAP kinase stimulated by either FBS, PDGF, or EGF. Mevalonic acid and farnesylpyrophosphate, but not cholesterol or LDL, significantly prevented lovastatin-induced inhibition of agonist-stimulated MAP kinase. Lovastatin inhibited agonist-induced activation of Ras, and mevalonic acid and farnesylpyrophosphate antagonized this effect. Parallel to the MAP kinase and Ras data, lovastatin suppressed cell growth stimulated by serum, and mevalonic acid and farnesylpyrophosphate prevented lovastatin-mediated inhibition of cellular growth. These results suggest that lovastatin, by inhibiting the synthesis of farnesol, a key isoprenoid metabolite of mevalonate, modulates Ras-mediated cell signaling events associated with mesangial cell proliferation.
Probability of reciprocation in repeated prisoner's dilemma games

Both social cooperation and self-control require reciprocation. In social cooperation situations a single person's cooperative act, if not reciprocated by others, would be unreinforced both immediately and in the long term. Similarly, a single act of self-control (refusing a single cigarette, for example), if not followed up by other such acts, would also be unreinforced immediately and in the long term. The present experiments varied probability of reciprocation in a prisoner's dilemma-like game that could resemble a social cooperation or a self-control situation. Participants earned points by playing against a computer. The computer offered the participant a choice between 5 or 6 points (‘cooperation’ by the computer) or between 1 or 2 points (‘defection’ by the computer). The participant's choice of the lesser alternative (‘cooperation’) or the greater alternative (‘defection’) on the current trial led, respectively, to cooperation or defection by the computer on the next trial with a probability (probability of reciprocation, PR) which could vary. When PR was greater than 63%, consistent cooperation maximized the participant's earnings. When PR was less than 63%, defection maximized earnings. Three conditions were studied: PR signaled by spinners; PR unsignaled; PR unsignaled with participants believing that they were playing with another person, not the computer. With PR = 100% (‘tit-for-tat’) and PR = 50%, the modal participant maximized earnings under all three conditions. With PR = 75%, participants maximized earnings only when PR was signaled. These results indicate that differences between people's tendency to cooperate with other people (social cooperation) and their tendency to cooperate with their own future interests (self-control) may lie in differences in subjective PR. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Random jitter extraction technique in a multi-gigahertz signal

In this paper, we propose a simple technique for estimating the standard deviation of a Gaussian random jitter component in a multi-gigahertz signal. This method may utilize existing on-chip single-shot period measurement techniques to measure the multi-gigahertz signal periods for the estimation. This method does not require an external sampling clock, nor any additional measurement beyond existing techniques. Experimental results show that this extraction method can accurately estimate the random jitter variance in a multi-gigahertz signal even with the presence of a few hundred-hertz sinusoidal jitter components.
Experiment on a Two-Filament Twisted Structure

In this paper, we examine the experimental results on the specific modulus of a two-filament twisted wire. We then compare the experimental data with the predictions based on two different approaches. We also discuss the discrepancies between them.
Changes in Jupiter’s zonal velocity between 1979 and 2008

Abstract We show that the peak velocity of Jupiter’s visible-cloud-level zonal winds near 24°N (planetographic) increased from 2000 to 2008. This increase was the only change in the zonal velocity from 2000 to 2008 for latitudes between ±70° that was statistically significant and not obviously associated with visible weather. We present the first automated retrieval of fast (∼130 m s −1 ) zonal velocities at 8°N planetographic latitude, and show that some previous retrievals incorrectly found slower zonal winds because the eastward drift of the dark projections (associated with 5-μm hot spots) “fooled” the retrieval algorithms. We determined the zonal velocity in 2000 from Cassini images from NASA’s Planetary Data System using a global method similar to previous longitude-shifting correlation methods used by others, and a new local method based on the longitudinal average of the two-dimensional velocity field. We obtained global velocities from images acquired in May 2008 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Longer-term variability of the zonal winds is based on comparisons with published velocities based on 1979 Voyager 2 and 1995–1998 HST images. Fluctuations in the zonal wind speeds on the order of 10 m s −1 on timescales ranging from weeks to months were found in the 1979 Voyager 2 and the 1995–1998 HST velocities. In data separated by 10 h, we find that the east–west velocity uncertainty due to longitudinal fluctuations are nearly 10 m s −1 , so velocity fluctuations of 10 m s −1 may occur on timescales that are even smaller than 10 h. Fluctuations across such a wide range of timescales limit the accuracy of zonal wind measurements. The concept of an average zonal velocity may be ill-posed, and defining a “temporal mean” zonal velocity as the average of several zonal velocity fields spanning months or years may not be physically meaningful. At 8°N, we use our global method to find peak zonal velocities of ∼110 m s −1 in 2000 and ∼130 m s −1 in 2008. Zonal velocities from 2000 Cassini data produced by our local and global methods agree everywhere, except in the vicinity of 8°N. There, the local algorithm shows that the east–west velocity has large variations in longitude; vast regions exceed ∼140 m s −1 . Our global algorithm, and all of the velocity-extraction algorithms used in previously-published studies, found the east–west drift velocities of the visible dark projections, rather than the true zonal velocity at the visible-cloud level. Therefore, the apparent increase in zonal winds between 2000 and 2008 at 8°N is not a true change in zonal velocity. At 7.3°N, the Galileo probe found zonal velocities of 170 m s −1 at the 3-bar level. If the true zonal velocity at the visible-cloud level at this latitude is ∼140 m s −1 rather than ∼105 m s −1 , then the vertical zonal wind shear is much less than the currently accepted value.
Cosolvency effect of SF6 on the solubility of poly(tetrafluoroethylene‐co‐19 mol % hexafluoropropylene) in supercritical CO2 and CHF3

Cloud-point data to 280°C and 2800 bar are reported for a binary mixture of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-19.3 mol % hexafluoropropylene) (FEP 19 ) in fluoroform (CHF 3 ) and for ternary mixtures of FEP 19 -CHF 3 -sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and FEP 19 -CO 2 -SF 6 . FEP 19 does not dissolve in CHF 3 at a temperatures less than 235oC due to strong dipolar CHF 3 -CHF 3 interactions relative to FEP 19 -CHF 3 cross interactions. However, FEP 19 dissolves in CO 2 if the temperature is greater than 185oC and the pressure is in excess of 1000 bar. When SF 6 is added to either FEP 19 -CO 2 or FEP 19 -CHF 3 mixtures, the cloud-point curve is shifted to lower pressures and temperatures due to the increase in favorable dispersion interactions with nonpolar FEP 19 . The magnitude of the shift in cloud-point pressure per amount of SF 6 added to solution decreases in a nonlinear manner with increasing amounts of SF 6 . The Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state can model the binary FEP 19 -SCF data if the FEP 19 -CO 2 and FEP 19 -CHF 3 binary interaction parameters are allowed to vary with temperature. However, a poor representation is obtained for the ternary phase behavior.
Effect of Iron-Deficiency Anemia on Percent Blood Volume in Growing Rats

In determining iron bioavailability as iron gained in hemoglobin relative to intake, blood volume is calculated for the iron-deficient animals at the initiation of a feeding trial and again on the iron-repleted animals at the termination of the trial. However, the effect of iron deficiency on percent blood volume in the rats commonly used in iron repletion studies has not been determined. In experiment 1, we noted the relationship between body weight and blood volume in 18 randomly selected healthy male rats with a weight range of 95-278 g. In experiment 2, the in vivo disappearance of Evans blue dye from the plasma of 17 rats and the precision of the dye dilution method for estimating known volumes of heparinized rat blood were studied. From this information, linear regression equations were developed to more accurately estimate blood volume in vivo. In experiment 3, we studied blood volume relative to body weight in 122 weanling male rats at four levels of anemia. These animals were fed a low iron diet and bled to achieve anemia in 7 days. In the subsequent repletion interval, the rats were fed diets supplemented with ferrous sulfate for periods of 0, 5, 10 or 15 days, after which hemoglobin and blood volume were determined, and the animals were killed. Though body weight and blood volume were linearly correlated (r = 0.78), no such association existed between body weight and percent blood volume (r = 0.058). Blood volume held constant at 7.5 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- SE) percent of body weight in weanling prepubescent rats of 30-45 days of age regardless of iron status.
Taken Hostage: The Iranian Hostage Crisis and America's First Encounter With Radical Islam – By David Farber

The 1970s did not constitute a halcyon time in American history. In addition to the resignation of a president under the imminent threat of impeachment, the era brought an ignominious end to a disa...
DMP1 and DSPP: Evidence for Duplication and Convergent Evolution of Two SIBLING Proteins

Since first being proposed as a tandem gene family in 2001, the relatedness of the 5 SIBLING proteins (BSP, DMP1, DSPP, MEPE, and SPP1/OPN) has predominantly depended on arguments involving shared intron/exon properties as well as conserved protein biochemical properties (e.g. unstructured and acidic) and specific peptide motifs (e.g. phosphorylation and integrin-binding RGD). This report discusses the evidence that an ancient DMP1 gene underwent a simple duplication in the common ancestor of mammals and reptiles and then separately evolved into DSPP-like paralogs in the 2 classes. Genomic sequence analyses show that different copies of the original DMP1 duplication process were selected by mammalian and reptilian (anole lizard) classes to acquire genetically different but biochemically similar phosphoserine-rich repeat domains by convergent evolution. Mammals, for example, expanded phosphoserine motifs encoded exclusively using motifs containing AGC/T serine codons while the reptile line's repeats also used TCN-encoding serine codons. A similar analysis of the origins of the other 4 SIBLINGs will require even more detailed analysis as genome sequences of various fish and amphibia become available.
Potassium Tolerance Test as an Aid in Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency

The typical signs and symptoms of Addison's disease rarely become manifest until extensive damage has been done to the adrenal cortex. It is not the well-defined adrenal cortical failure that tests the diagnostic acumen of the physician, but the borderline case. A procedure to discern early hypoadrenia would be of inestimable value. At present there are a few procedures which have been advocated as an aid for the early diagnosis of hypoadrenia. Wilder (1) described a diagnostic test for the determination of adrenal cortical failure which is based on the concentration of the urinary chloride after the intake of sodium, potassium and water has been controlled for a period of 3 days. However, its value in early cases of hypoadrenia is questionable, since it must be done in a hospital and it frequently makes a patient who has Addison's disease severely ill.
Effect of Retroviral Endostatin Gene Transfer on Subcutaneous and Intraperitoneal Growth of Murine Tumors

Background: Inhibiting tumor angiogenesis is a promising new strategy for treating cancer. Difficulties with the stability, manufacture, and long-term administration of recombinant antiangiogenic proteins have prompted investigators to use gene therapy to generate these proteins in vivo. We investigated whether transfer of the gene encoding the angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin into the murine liver cell line NMuLi could inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Methods: NMuLi cells were transduced with retroviral vectors containing the murine endostatin gene. The presence and function of endostatin in transduced cell supernatants were confirmed by competitive enzyme immunoassay and endothelial cell proliferation assays. Nude mice were given a subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection with NMuLi cells, control transduced cells (NEF-null), or endostatin-transduced clones (NEF-Endo1 to 4) and were monitored for tumor growth. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Supernatants from the clone secreting the lowest amount of endostatin (NEF-Endo4, 28 ng/mL) inhibited endothelial cell proliferation by 6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0% to 12%), and those from the clone secreting the highest amount (NEF-Endo1, 223 ng/mL) inhibited endothelial cell proliferation by 20% (95% CI = 13% to 27%). Increased levels of endostatin were detected in tumor lysates, but not serum, of mice given a subcutaneous injection of NEF-Endo1 cells. After 63 days, mice given a subcutaneous injection of parental NMuLi or NEF-null cells had tumor volumes of 2400 mm 3 (95% CI = 1478 mm 3 to 3300 mm 3 ) and 2700 mm 3 (95% CI = 2241 mm 3 to 3144 mm 3 ), respectively, compared with mean tumor volumes of less than 30 mm 3 in mice given an injection of NEF-Endo clones, a statistically significant difference (P<.001). After 123 days, all 16 mice given an intraperitoneal injection of parental NMuLi or NEF-null cells had died, compared with only three (9%) of 32 mice given an injection of NEF-Endo clones. Conclusions: Retroviral endostatin gene transfer leads to secretion of functional endostatin that is sufficiently active to inhibit tumor growth. Further studies of retroviral endostatin gene transfer for the treatment of cancer are warranted. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2001;93: 1014–20]
Assessing hierarchical differences in job-related attitudes and turnover among retail managers

A model of organizational turnover is expended from previously reported models to include an extraorganizational antecedent and comparison across two different hierarchical levels of management. Role ambiguity, role conflict, and work-family conflict were used as antecedents of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to leave, and actual turnover. The basic model of turnover was supported in both levels of management. In addition, several additional relationships that have been found in previous studies were tested. Implications of these results for retail managers are discussed.
DESIGNING SYSTEMS FOR THE CREATION AND EVALUATION OF DYNAMIC PERIPHERAL SOUNDSCAPES: A USABILITY STUDY

Sonifications have proven useful as stand-alone displays and in bimodal audio-visual displays. Audio is powerful in a peripheral display due to its unobtrusive and omnidirectional nature. This study examined the creation and usability of peripheral auditory displays or ‘soundscapes’ composed of ecological sounds. A system was created for dynamically generating soundscapes from a data source according to a threshold-based model. In this model, a percentage change in the data is mapped to an ecological sound that is played whenever that threshold has been met or exceeded. The system allows for the creation of soundscapes of arbitrary complexity, providing mechanisms for fading, relative gain, and random timing. With the system, a reference soundscape was developed for sonifying the stock market. This display was then presented to stock trader test participants as part of a usability evaluation.
Using physical signaling to support collaborative mobile search

Often when people search the web from their phones, they do so collaboratively. We present a mobile application that supports in-person collaborative search by allowing users to physically signal a willingness to share. While the core application provides standard mobile search functionality, users rotate their devices to landscape orientation to indicate (to the device and others) they are entering a collaborative mode. We study two uses of collaborative mode, one where users rate results to create a group list, and another where screens and actions are shared across devices.
Eligibility for statin therapy by the JUPITER trial criteria and subsequent mortality.

Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Using Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) reported reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality with statin treatment in patients with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and average cholesterol levels who were not eligible for lipid-lowering treatment on the basis of existing guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of eligibility and mortality in a general population sample on the basis of eligibility for statin treatment using the JUPITER criteria. The study group consisted of 30,229 participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, an observational study of US African American and white participants aged ≥45 years, enrolled in their homes from 2003 to 2007 and followed biannually by telephone. Among 11,339 participants age eligible for JUPITER and without vascular diagnoses or using lipid-lowering treatment, 21% (n = 2,342) met JUPITER entry criteria. Compared with JUPITER participants, they had similar low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CRP levels, were more often women, were more often black, had metabolic syndrome, and used aspirin for cardioprotection. Over 3.5 years of follow-up, the mortality rate in REGARDS participants eligible for JUPITER was 1.17 per 100 patient-years (95% confidence interval 0.94 to 1.42). Compared with those otherwise JUPITER eligible who had CRP levels
Improved Quality and Diagnostic Confidence Achieved by Use of Dose-Reduced Gadolinium Blood-Pool Agents for Time-Resolved Intracranial MR Angiography

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Time-resolved MRA with the use of bolus injection of paramagnetic agents has proved valuable in neurovascular imaging. Standard contrast agents have limited blood-pool residence times, motivating the development of highly protein-bound blood-pool agents with greater relaxivity and longer intravascular residence, affording improved image quality at lesser doses. This study represents the first comparison of blood-pool agents to standard agents in time-resolved cerebral MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred datasets were acquired at 1.5T by use of a standardized, time-resolved MRA protocol. Patients received either unit dosing of a standard extracellular agent at 0.1 mmol/kg or a blood-pool agent at 0.03 mmol/kg. Peak arterial and venous enhancement phases were identified and subsequently scored qualitatively by use of a 4-point Likert scale, with attention to 6 vascular segments: 1) intracranial ICA; 2) MCA M1; 3) MCA M2; 4) MCA M3; 5) deep cerebral veins; and 6) dural venous sinuses. RESULTS: Fifty MR angiographies were acquired with each agent. No significant differences were found between agents in generation of uncontaminated arteriograms. Blood-pool agents, at 67% dose reduction, were of significantly greater quality across most vascular segments, including ICA (P = .019), M2 (P = .003), and M3 (P CONCLUSIONS: Blood-pool agents provide superior demonstration of most intracranial vessels in time-resolved MRA compared with standard agents, at reduced doses. The greater relaxation enhancement and more favorable dosing profile make blood-pool agents superior to standard agents for use in cerebral time-resolved MRA.
Students' conceptions of natural selection and its role in evolution: Cases of replication and comparison

The work of Bishop and Anderson (1990) plays a major role in educators' understanding of evolution education. Their findings remind us that the majority of university students do not understand the process of evolution but that conceptual change instruction can be moderately effective in promoting the construction of a scientific understanding. The present article details two studies that represent an effort to focus on and define the limits of the Bishop and Anderson (1990) study. Study A describes a close replication of the work of Bishop and Anderson (1990) using the same conceptual-change teaching module to teach a unit on evolution to students enrolled in a biology course for nonmajors. Study B, a case of comparison, used the same evaluation instrument used in Bishop and Anderson (1990) and Study A, but high school students were the participants and the instruction was based on the inquiry approach to science. Like Bishop and Anderson (1990), Study A showed that the amount of prior instruction and students' beliefs in evolution were not found to be large factors in students' use of scientific conceptions. Unlike the original study, the students in Study A showed only a meager increase in their use of scientific conceptions for evolution. In Study B, students in the experimental group showed significant increases in their use of scientific conceptions. These findings suggest a need to investigate more closely the teachers' theories of learning, their reliance on instructional conversations, and the amount of time devoted to the topic of evolution as we study conceptual change in this area.
Measuring membrane protein stability under native conditions

The thermodynamic stability of proteins is typically measured at high denaturant concentrations and then extrapolated back to zero denaturant conditions to obtain unfolding free energies under native conditions. For membrane proteins, the extrapolations are fraught with considerable uncertainty as the denaturants may have complex effects on the membrane or micellar structure. We therefore sought to measure stability under native conditions, using a method that does not perturb the properties of the membrane or membrane mimetics. We use a technique called steric trapping to measure the thermodynamic stability of bacteriorhodopsin in bicelles and micelles. We find that bacteriorhodopsin has a high thermodynamic stability, with an unfolding free energy of ∼11 kcal/mol in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine bicelles. Nevertheless, the stability is much lower than predicted by extrapolation of measurements made at high denaturant concentrations. We investigated the discrepancy and found that unfolding free energy is not linear with denaturant concentration. Apparently, long extrapolations of helical membrane protein unfolding free energies must be treated with caution. Steric trapping, however, provides a method for making these measurements.
On the Mechanisms of Dissolution of Bunsenite [NiO(s)] and Other Simple Oxide Minerals

Rates of proton-promoted dissolution of bunsenite [NiO(s)] are coupled to titrations for adsorbed protons at the dissolving surface. The results confirm the finding of G. Furrer and W. Stumm (Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta50,1847, 1986) that the rate order with respect to protons at pH < ZPC is given by the metal valence; rate orders are close to 2 for NiO(s) and BeO(s) dissolution even though these minerals are structurally distinct. The rate-controlling step is hydration and detachment of a surface complex, and in acidic solutions this complex resembles the hydrated metal. We extend this model by speculating that the proton stoichiometry reflects the hydrolysis of surface species and varies with solution pH. This hypothesis leads to rate orders with respect to protons that are nonintegers and that decrease with increasing pH to the ZPC. This dissolution behavior will be observed for oxide solids containing metals that hydrolyze at pH values significantly below the ZPC, such as Al2O3, and may account for the low rate orders observed for complicated mixed-oxide solids. This model predicts that the reactivities of partly hydrolyzed surface complexes are greater than those of the fully hydrated metals, and therefore establishes close consistency between the processes of metal removal from a dissolving surface and ligand exchange around the corresponding metal in solution.
eIF5 and eIF5B together stimulate 48S initiation complex formation during ribosomal scanning

48S initiation complex (48S IC) formation is the first stage in the eukaryotic translation process. According to the canonical mechanism, 40S ribosomal subunit binds to the 5'-end of messenger RNA (mRNA) and scans its 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) to the initiation codon where it forms the 48S IC. Entire process is mediated by initiation factors. Here we show that eIF5 and eIF5B together stimulate 48S IC formation influencing initiation codon selection during ribosomal scanning. Initiation on non-optimal start codons--following structured 5'-UTRs, in bad AUG context, within few nucleotides from 5'-end of mRNA and CUG start codon--is the most affected. eIF5-induced hydrolysis of eIF2-bound GTP is essential for stimulation. GTP hydrolysis increases the probability that scanning ribosomal complexes will recognize and arrest scanning at a non-optimal initiation codon. Such 48S ICs are less stable owing to dissociation of eIF2*GDP from initiator tRNA, and eIF5B is then required to stabilize the initiator tRNA in the P site of 40S subunit. Alternative model that eIF5 and eIF5B cause 43S pre-initiation complex rearrangement favoring more efficient initiation codon recognition during ribosomal scanning is equally possible. Mutational analysis of eIF1A and eIF5B revealed distinct functions of eIF5B in 48S IC formation and subunit joining.
Sonography of the Surgical Abdomen in Children

The introduction of the graded-compression sonographic technique and continued advances in ultrasound technology have increased the use of sonography in evaluating the child who has a suspected surgical abdomen. Sonography is used to characterize the nature of the many conditions associated with acute abdominal symptoms and signs and to differentiate between those requiring urgent surgical intervention and those that do not. This article reviews the sonographic evaluation of common important surgical conditions of the abdomen in children. Indications for performing sonography, sonographic features of common lesions, and the sonographic techniques best suited to making a diagnosis are addressed.
Microtubule depolymerization induces traction force increase through two distinct pathways

Traction forces increase after microtubule depolymerization; however, the signaling mechanisms underlying this, in particular the dependence upon myosin II, remain unclear. We investigated the mechanism of traction force increase after nocodazole-induced microtubule depolymerization by applying traction force microscopy to cells cultured on micropatterned polyacrylamide hydrogels to obtain samples of homogeneous shape and size. Control cells and cells treated with a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor showed similar increases in traction forces, indicating that the response is independent of FAK. Surprisingly, pharmacological inhibition of myosin II did not prevent the increase of residual traction forces upon nocodazole treatment. This increase was abolished upon pharmacological inhibition of FAK. These results suggest two distinct pathways for the regulation of traction forces. First, microtubule depolymerization activates a myosin-II-dependent mechanism through a FAK-independent pathway. Second, microtubule depolymerization also enhances traction forces through a myosin-II-independent, FAK-regulated pathway. Traction forces are therefore regulated by a complex network of complementary signals and force-generating mechanisms.
The Educative Effects of Ballot Initiatives on Voter Turnout

Scholars have begun examining what Progressive reformers called the educative effects of direct democracy, especially the effect ballot initiatives have on voter turnout. Research based on aggregate-level voter age population (VAP) turnout data indicates that ballot measures increase turnout in low-information midterm elections but not in presidential elections. We analyze the impact of ballot initiative use on voter turnout from 1980 through 2002 using voter eligible population (VEP) turnout rates. Cross-sectional time-series analysis reveals that (a) ballot initiatives increase turnout in midterm as well as presidential elections and (b) the turnout effect in midterm and especially presidential elections is considerably larger than previously thought. On average, turnout in presidential elections increases by 0.70% with each initiative on the ballot, whereas turnout in midterm elections increases by 1.7%, all else equal. Given the closeness of the Electoral College contests, it is possible that the mobi...
Waves in Excitable Neural Fields

Chapter 7 develops the theory of waves in excitable neural fields, where the fundamental network element is a local population of cells rather than a single neuron. It is shown how many of the PDE methods and results from the analysis of waves in reaction–diffusion equations considered in Chap. 2 can be extended to the nonlocal equations of neural field theory. First, the existence and stability of solitary traveling fronts and pulses in one-dimensional excitatory neural fields are considered. In the case of traveling pulses, it is necessary to include some form of local negative feedback mechanism such as synaptic depression or spike frequency adaptation. Two approaches to analyzing wave propagation failure in inhomogeneous neural media are then presented: one based on averaging methods and the other on interfacial dynamics. Finally, wave propagation in stochastic neural fields is analyzed, and oscillatory waves in two-dimensional neural media are briefly discussed.
Software Comes to Matter: Toward a Material History of Computational Design

Introduction A metaphor of weightlessness and immateriality dominates computational discourses about design. Digital information, it is often assumed, travels seamlessly through invisible networks in its disembodied binary form—existing merely as a symbolic entity. Despite recent appeals to design’s materiality, particularly in discourses about digital fabrication in architecture, material formations are generally considered an effect of these ethereal transactions. Thus, the materiality of digital information, its (often messy) substrates—such as wires, voltages, disks, and drives, as well as the socio-technical processes involved in their definition and production—are black-boxed: hidden from view. This article explores the intellectual and material history of numerically controlled machines, and of the software that drove them, and shows that a new theoretical understanding of materials and geometry as computable, linked to the emergence of software and numerically controlled machines, emerged from the Cold War era entanglement of military, industrial, and academic interests. I show how in their quest to automate machine tools, the first numerical control researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) codified the cognitive and bodily roles of machine tool operators, as well as the properties of materials and machines, thus uncovering new questions of data storage, management, and exchange. Confronting these questions, numerical control researchers developed new languages for geometric and material inscription—software—that were crucially informed by the physical constraints imposed by available storage media, such as punched paper tape. From this negotiation between symbolic abstractions and material systems, new programming techniques and, crucially, the first theory of computer-aided design emerged.1 Thus, software started to become both a vehicle for and an expression of a technical and conceptual reconfiguration of design, linked to the manipulation of materials, engineering efficiency, and militaristic control. I intend to show that software, understood as an organized set of declarative statements with both semantic and operational values, can itself be seen as a design theory encoding this reconfiguration.
ConGenR: rapid determination of consensus genotypes and estimates of genotyping errors from replicated genetic samples

ConGenR (available at http://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/research-outreach/facilities/leecg/publications-and-software ) is an R based conservation genetics script that facilitates rapid determination of consensus genotypes from replicated samples, determines overall (successful amplifications/amplification attempted) and individual sample level (proportion of samples with successful amplifications at n loci) amplification success rates, and quantifies genotyping error rates. ConGenR is intended for use with codominant, multilocus microsatellite data generated primarily through noninvasive genetic sampling and processed with a multi-tubes approach. ConGenR handles input that can be easily exported from GENEMAPPER, a program commonly used to score allele sizes. Amplification success and genotyping error rates can be evaluated by sample class (i.e., any identifiable and meaningful subdivision of samples; e.g., sex, season, region, or sample condition), offering insights into processes driving amplification success and genotyping error rates. Additionally, amplification success and genotyping error rates are calculated by locus, expediting the identification of problematic loci during pilot studies.