cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fostering Creativity for Leadership and Leading Change

Creativity is about more than imagining or making something that has not previously existed. Though most of us perceive of the concept of creativity actualized as creation, creativity is really much broader—it is that force in each of us that begins with a yearning to answer an unanswered (or ill-answered) question by imagining more than one correct new answer. Being comprehensively creative then concludes when an answer is realized. Often this concluded answer has to do with changing something that was true before we thought and acted creatively, in order to make a new or additional truth. In such cases, being creative is most fundamentally about advancing change in or about something. This paper examines the differences between imagining, thinking, and acting creatively and about how each is related to leadership and change.
DNA polymerase activity in aged clones of Paramecium tetraurelia.

Abstract DNA polymerase activity was assayed in Paramecium tetraurelia as fission age increased. Activity was found to remain constant during aging. Total polymerase activity was also assayed as a function of culture conditions. As the culture passes mid and late log phase, cells begin starving, and DNA polymerase activity decreases. Since DNA polymerase activity changes in response to culture conditions but does not change during aging (even though aged clones show altered DNA metabolism) it is suggested that the amount of DNA polymerase is not the only means of regulation of DNA metabolism in aged paramecia. Modification of polymerase fidelity is considered.
Pre‐service Teachers' Beliefs about Knowledge, Mathematics, and Science

This study examines the beliefs of K-8 preservice teachers during a content methods course. The goals of this course included exposing the preservice teachers to student-centered instructional methods for math and science and encouraging the development of lessons that would integrate mathematics and science. Prior research suggested that one must consider preservice teachers' epistemic beliefs (Cady, Meier, & Lubinski, 2006a) as it influences their interpretation of the teacher education program. In this study, preservice teachers' epistemic beliefs were identified, their beliefs about mathematics and science teaching and learning were identified and compared, and their descriptions of lessons that integrated mathematics and science were assessed. Findings suggest that preservice teachers made decisions based on an external locus of control and harbored greater anxiety about teaching math as compared to teaching science. They also indicate that the integration of mathematics and science in lesson plans was contrived.
High dynamic range image sensor architectures

Digital photographers continuously demand more performance from their equipment. Digital camera performance is defined by a set of parameters including dynamic range, noise, frame rate, resolution, and color. Amongst these parameters dynamic range is becoming increasingly more important. This is true because the human eye typically has a wider dynamic range than a digital camera. In this paper we define dynamic range as the ratio of the maximum to the minimum signal that can be detected. At the heart of all digital cameras is either a CCD or a CMOS image sensor (CIS). The dynamic range of the sensor typically limits the dynamic range of the camera. In this paper we review five CIS architectures that are designed to improved dynamic range. We start by reviewing standard CCD and CIS architectures and then present a simple sensor model. Using this model we show how signal to noise ratio (SNR) can be used to evaluate different wide dynamic range (WDR) sensor architectures. Then we sequentially review five different wide dynamic range techniques. The first WDR technique is multiple gains, and the second technique is non-linear pixel response. The third technique is variable exposure, and the forth technique is well capacity recycling. The fifth and final technique is time to saturation. For each of these techniques we present the pixel level circuitry and its advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, all of these techniques are compared based on SNR and implementation complex. We discuss how implementation complexity affects signal processing in a digital camera, and other parameters in the sensor such as quantum efficiency and read noise. We conclude with a few summary comments.
Endogenous serotonin acts on 5-HT2C-like receptors in key vocal areas of the brain stem to initiate vocalizations in Xenopus laevis.

Serotonin initiates various rhythmic behaviors in vertebrates. Previously we have shown that serotonergic neurons innervate the central vocal pathway in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). We also discovered that exogenous serotonin applied to isolated brains in vitro activates fictive vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors. In this study, we examined the location of 5-HT2C-like receptors and determined whether endogenously released serotonin also initiates vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors in male Xenopus brains. To this end, we first identified the specific location of 5-HT2C-like receptors using immunohistochemistry. We next examined which of the populations of neurons that express 5-HT2C-like receptors are functionally relevant for initiating fictive vocalizations by applying a 5-HT2C receptor agonist to brains transected at various levels. Of four populations of immunopositive neurons, we showed that 5-HT2C-like receptors located in two areas of the brain stem vocal circuit, the raphe nucleus and motor nucleus IX-X, initiate fictive vocalizations. We next showed that endogenous serotonin can also activate fictive vocalizations by increasing the extracellular concentration of endogenous serotonin using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The SSRI-induced vocal initiation is also mediated by activation of 5-HT2C-like receptors because blockade of these receptors prevents fictive vocalization. The results suggest that in vivo release of serotonin initiates male vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors in the brain stem vocal nuclei.
The cultural roots of isolationism and internationalism in American foreign policy

This article examines the question: why have Americans supported both internationalist and isolationist foreign policies at various points in history? It argues that part of the answer to this question can be found in the structure and nature of American political culture. American political culture frames the terms in which the programmes and plans debated by political leaders ‘make sense’ to the ordinary people whose consent is fundamental to the making of a democratic foreign policy. The article offers an account of the central components of American political culture that are shown to frame four core cultural orientations towards foreign affairs: Liberal Internationalism, America-as-Model, Nativism and Triumphalism. Two dimensions, Liberal Internationalism and America-as-Model, are illustrated through a discussion of contemporary arguments in favour of and opposed to the 1848 Mexican—American War. The article then offers suggestions of how the four categories of American foreign policy orientations can be applied in cases beyond the Mexican—American conflict. Both isolationism and internationalism are shown to be core components of American political culture. They are, as a consequence, eternal features of American foreign policy.
Torsional oscillations of low mode

Standing wave torsional oscillations of wavenumber 1/2 and 1 hemisphere−1 are studied using an improved fit to Mount Wilson magnetograph data. These oscillations are seen to be in phase with each other and with the magnetic activity cycle, and seem best represented as a flexing of the differential rotation curve. Superposing them gives a differential rotation which at solar minimum is slightly flattened at the equator but considerably (∼ 5%) steepened at the poles, and also tends to produce a travelling wave with wavenumber 1 hemisphere−1 that moves from pole to equator as the cycle progresses.
Behavioral support intervention for uncontrolled hypertension: a complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis.

BACKGROUND The complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis addresses noncompliance with intervention and missing end-point measures in randomized controlled trials. OBJECTIVES To conduct a CACE analysis for the Peer Coach and Office Staff Support Trial examining the intervention's effect among "compliers," defined as subjects who would have received an effective dose of the intervention had it been offered, and to compare with an intention-to-treat analysis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND SUBJECTS A randomized controlled trial of 280 African American patients aged 40-75 with sustained uncontrolled hypertension from 2 general internal medicine practices. MEASURES Change in 4-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk (primary) and in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (secondary) from the baseline to the end of the 6-month intervention. RESULTS Of 136 intervention subjects, 68% were compliers who had significantly more end points measured (86% vs. 34% for CHD risk; 99% vs. 57% for SBP) and lower baseline CHD risk (5% vs. 7.5%) and SBP (139 vs. 144 mm Hg) compared with noncompliers. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the effect of offering the intervention was nonsignificant for 4-year CHD risk (P=0.08) but significant for SBP (P=0.003). CACE analyses showed that receipt of an effective dose of the intervention resulted in a 1% greater reduction in 4-year CHD risk (P<0.05) and at least 8.1 mm Hg greater reduction in SBP compared with compliers in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Among compliers, an effective dose of peer coach and office-based support resulted in significant reductions in 4-year CHD risk and SBP. More intensive interventions are likely to be required for noncompliers.
The role of water in the thermodynamics of drug binding to cyclodextrin

Abstract The thermodynamic parameters, Δ B G ∘ , Δ B H ∘ , Δ B S ∘ , and Δ B C p , of the drugs flurbiprofen (FLP), nabumetone (NAB), and naproxen (NPX) binding to β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and to γ-cyclodextrin (γCD) in 0.10 M sodium phosphate buffer were determined from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements over the temperature range from 293.15 K to 313.15 K. The heat capacity changes for the binding reactions ranged from −(362 ± 48) J · mol −1 · K −1 for FLP and −(238 ± 90) J · mol −1 · K −1 for NAB binding in the βCD cavity to 0 for FLP and −(25.1 ± 9.2) J · mol −1 · K −1 for NPX binding in the larger γCD cavity, implying that the structure of water is reorganized in the βCD binding reactions but not reorganized in the γCD binding reactions. Comparison of the fluorescence enhancements of FLP and NAB upon transferring from the aqueous buffer to isopropanol with the maximum fluorescence enhancements observed for their βCD binding reactions indicated that some localized water was retained in the FLP–βCD complex and almost none in the NAB–βCD complex. No fluorescence change occurs with drug binding in the larger γCD cavity, indicating the retention of the bulk water environment in the drug–γCD complex. Since the specific drug binding interactions are essentially the same for βCD and γCD, these differences in the retention of bulk water may account for the enthalpically driven nature of the βCD binding reactions and the entropically driven nature of the γCD binding reactions.
DERMATOGLYPHICS IN FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

An exposure of the fetus to deleterious agents during the period of formation of epidermal patterns may result in abnormalities of dermatoglyphics. To test the validity of this assertion the dermatoglyphics of 4 male and 13 female unrelated black children with fetal alcohol syndrome were studied. In all cases the diagnosis was based on characteristic clinical stigmata and a history of maternal heavy drinking during pregnancy. Since the number of male patients in the study was inadequate for any group comparisons, only the dermatoglyphics of female patients were compared to those of 100 black female controls from the New York area. Significant differences between the patients and normal subjects were observed. The patients had (1) a lower frequency of whorls (13.1 versus 31.3) and a higher frequency of ulnar (73.8 versus 58.5) and radial (6.2 versus 1.7) loops (P<.005), and (2) a higher a-b ridge count (82.3 ± 3.01 versus 74.27 ± 1.10). No differences were found in the total finger ridge count, the width of the atd angle, and palmar and hallucal patterns. One patient had simian lines and another had Sidney lines on both hands. Because of the relatively small number of patients in the study, it is impossible to be definitive about the observed differences. However, if these observations could be confirmed in a larger sample of patients, the dermatoglyphics may serve as a useful marker in the fetal alcohol syndrome.
Symmetry patterns in the mass spectra of dual string models

Abstract We develop techniques for analyzing the rotation and gauge group representation content of string models. We explicitly construct all rotation group representations at low mass levels. We then obtained simple approximate formulas for the degeneracy of any given rotation or gauge group representation in the limit of very high mass. We also derive generating functions that give exactly the degeneracy of a representation at any mass level. Finally, we numerically study these results in several cases, and then abstract from the numerical data some simple empirical rules relating different representations.
Analysis of time-to-event and duration outcomes in neonatal clinical trials with twin births☆

When conducting neonatal trials in pre-term and/or low-birth-weight infants, twins may represent 10–20% of the study sample. Frailty models and proportional hazards regression with a robust sandwich variance estimate are common approaches for handling correlated time-to-event data or duration outcomes that are subject to censoring. However, the operating characteristics of these methods for mixes of correlated and independent time-to-event data are not well established. Simulation studies were conducted to compare frailty models and proportional hazards regression models with a robust sandwich variance estimate to standard proportional hazards regression models to estimate the treatment effect in two-armed clinical trials. While overall frailty models showed the best performance, caution must be exercised as the interpretation of the parameters differs from the marginal models. Data from the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development sponsored PROPHET trial are used for illustration.
Evaluating user and system models: applying scaling techniques to problems in human-computer interaction

A user's mental model of a system should be an important determinant of performance and as well as a means of understanding why particular user errors occur. In particular, experienced users' models should be in closer agreement with the system than less experienced users' models, and deviations of expert models from the system should correspond to difficulties in performance and suggest ways that system usability could be improved. The present study explored the utility of scaling techniques for defining and comparing user and system models. The results support the assertion that with experience users' mental models approach the system model. However, even experienced users had significant deviations from the system model, leading to predictions of where experts would have difficulty using the system and suggestions for improving usability.
Fixing the broken graduate education experience.

The current academic culture needs to change its mission, which is narrowly focused on training PhDs to be the next generation of academic tenure-track scientists.
The “load-thru” (LT) de-embedding technique for the measurements of mm-wave balanced 4-port devices

The differential-mode behavior of a balanced 4-port device can be characterized by simple 2-port measurements if baluns are placed at both the input and the output. But the traditional insertion loss technique is not able to fully de-embed the baluns. Therefore, we propose the “load-thru” de-embedding technique which uses the differential-mode characteristics of a balun to fully extract the complete differential-mode behavior of the DUT. Theoretical analysis and mm-wave measurement verifications are provided.
Intelligent Alert Systems for Error and Conflict Detection in Supply Networks

Abstract Supply network collaboration requires seamless information integration to achieve good overall performance. Due to the huge amount of transaction data generated from distributed data sources, supply network information systems are highly error/conflict-prone. Detection of errors and conflicts in supply networks, however, is difficult for decision makers because of information overloading. Therefore, it is critical to develop a system that can automatically detect errors and conflicts among distributed data sources as early as possible. As a solution, this research proposes an intelligent agent-based alert system. First, typical errors and conflicts in supply networks are defined and classified. For automated error and conflict detection, the alert system consists of agents in three layers. To explain the effectiveness of the system, a business case of handling a capacity conflict among production, distribution, and sales is presented. During a five-month test with three products, the system detected 228 errors and conflicts, which might not be detected by human users. The system helps decision makers quickly indicate errors and conflicts and resolve them promptly to minimize the loss and enhance collaboration performance.
Cocaine produces low dose locomotor depressant effects in NBR and F344 rats.

Abstract Recently, cocaine has been shown to produce a significant locomotor depressant effect in mice at doses of 0.1–3.0 mg/kg. These low doses are below those associated with the well-described locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine, and represent a highly potent effect of this drug. It was postulated that these low doses of cocaine which depress locomotor activity do so via inhibition of serotonin uptake, resulting in potentiation of serotonergic activity. One important means of validating and extending novel findings is to determine the species generality of an effect. Thus the present study examined the effects of low doses of cocaine on locomotor activity in two rat strains, the NBR and F344. Cocaine produced low dose locomotor depressant effects in both rat strains. However, NBR rats showed a three-fold greater sensitivity to the depressant effects of cocaine relative to F344 rats, with ED50 values being 0.73 and 2.2 mg/kg for the two strains, respectively. As the dose of cocaine increased, activity for rats of both strains returned to baseline, but at the highest doses, large increases in locomotor activity were found only in the NBR rats. These results extend the conditions over which low doses of cocaine have been shown to depress locomotor activity to an additional mammalian species, namely rats, and confirm that significant genetic differences exist in the extent and expression of this effect.
Jealousy in a small-scale, natural fertility population: the roles of paternity, investment and love in jealous response

article i nfo Evolutionary scientists have predicted a universal sex difference in response to different forms of infidelity, with men expected to be more upset than women by a sexual infidelity when both a sexual transgression and an emotional transgression occur. Although this finding has proven to be robust, the vast majority of studies have occurred in industrialized countries and student populations. Here I present the first test of the jealousy hypothesis among a small-scale, natural fertility population, the Himba of Namibia. In this population, the majority of both men and women report greater distress over a sexual infidelity, with men reaching an almost unanimous consensus (96%). Despite the skew for both men and women, there is a significant sex difference in the direction predicted by the evolutionary hypothesis, providing further support for this view. The increased risks of both pregnancy and paternity loss that occur in this natural fertility population may help to explain why these results differ from previously studied populations. More broadly, these data suggest that both the type and the intensity of jealousy expressed may be facultative responses and that further investigation of correlates related to life history trade-offs, forms of investment, and the sexual division of labor can help us to understand the inter-cultural variation in jealous response.
Constraining claims about theories of semantic memory: More on unitary versus multiple semantics

Abstract In Caramazza, Hillis, Rapp, and Romani (1990) we proposed that the various patterns of impaired performance that have been used to motivate proposals of modality-specific semantics can, instead, be accommodated by an amodal unitary semantics account—the Organised Unitary Content Hypothesis (OUCH). Chertkow, Bub, and Caplan (1992), based on their study of the performance of seven patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type, reported data that are supposedly problematic for OUCH. Here we respond by showing that Chertkow and colleagues have misinterpreted our proposal on a number of points and that, in fact, the “problematic” results can be easily accounted for within OUCH. Chertkow et al. made the further claim that their results favour an alternative model of semantic processing, according to which the processing of perceptual-functional semantic information is distinguished from the processing of associative semantic information. We argue here that until Chertkow et al. specify a number of cri...
Status of the Wolf spider genus Trochosa (Araneae: Lycosidae) in Kansas

Spiders belonging to the genus Trochosa C.L. Koch 1848 (Araneae: Lycosidae) are small to medium-sized hunting spiders (5.8-13.0 mm) with rather stout legs (Fig. 1). Although somatic characters are of some importance in species identification, members of this genus closely resemble one another and can be definitively identified only by examination of the genitalia under a dissecting microscope (Fig. 2).
High performance transparent thin film transistors based on indium gallium zinc oxide as the channel material

The fabrication of high performance amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transparent thin film transistors (TTFT) and their bias stress stability is presented. N-channel enhancement mode devices were fabricated with an extracted field effect mobility of ~ 11-15 cm2 V-1s-1, on/off current ratios > 107, subthreshold gate voltage swing of 0.20-0.25 V/decade, low off-state currents and good saturation. Low and tunable threshold voltages of 1-2 V were achieved. We conclude that a charge trapping mechanism at the semiconductor/dielectric interface is responsible for the threshold voltage shift after a gate bias stress. The threshold voltage is recovered when the bias is removed.
Benchmark determination of Shuttle Orbiter entry aerodynamic heat-transfer data

Entry aerodynamic heat-transfer data were determined from the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The convective heating rate data result from a rigorous mathematical analysis of one-dimension al, transient heat conduction within the orbiter thermal protection system (TPS) and reradiation from its surface during entry. Temperatures measured at the TPS surface during orbiter entry provide a surface boundary condition for the analysis. The rigorous mathematical treatment provides for a "benchmark" determination of in-flight convective heat-transfer rates. The source of the entry thermal data, the mathematical analysis technique, and the TPS thermal models are discussed. Typical convective heating rate data from the STS-1 mission are presented. cp GMT k NBS q #conv #rerad STS T Ts t x XI L e X p Nomenclature specific heat Greenwich mean time thermal conductivity National Bureau of Standards heating rate convective heating rate reradiated heating rate (eaT*) Space Transportation System temperature surface temperature = depth dimension - nondimensional body length = emissivity = thickness = density a . = Stephan-Boltzmann constant
40. Peripheral administration of d-cycloserine, but not norepinephrine, restores appropriate cognitive function following systemic bacterial endotoxin exposure

Evidence indicates that the ionotropic NMDA and AMPA glutamate neurotransmitter receptors are critically involved in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory processes. Other reports indicate that inflammation attenuates NMDA-dependent LTP, leads to diminished hippocampal NMDAR NR1 subunit and hippocampal BDNF mRNA expression, and results in a decrease in the number of NMDARs within the dentate gyrus. Administration of the NMDA partial agonist d -cycloserine facilitates a faster recovery of recognition memory function and reinstates traumatic brain injury-induced reduction of BDNF in the CA1 subregion of the hippocampus. Affecting a different glutamate receptor, administration of exogenous IL-1beta also down-regulates the surface expression and Ser831 phosphorylation of the AMPAR GluR1. Further, this effect is abrogated via blockade of IL-1R by either anti-IL-1beta antibody or IL-1ra. Norepinephrine, binding beta-adrenergic receptors and subsequently activating the PKA and CaMKII pathways, induces transient phosphorylation of Ser831 sites of the GluR1 subunit containing AMPARs. Therefore, for the current studies, we administered peripheral d -cycloserine, or norepinephrine, to explore potential NMDAR/glycineB-, or AMPAR-mediated restoration of hippocampus-dependent fear conditioning processes following systemic LPS exposure. The results thus far indicate that peripheral administration of d -cycloserine, but not norepinephrine, restores appropriate cognitive function following systemic bacterial endotoxin exposure, though d -cycloserine administration failed to restore hippocampal BDNF expression levels diminished following LPS exposure.
Race and the “I Have a Dream” Legacy Exploring Predictors of Positive Civil Rights Attitudes

In the study reported here, the author had two objectives: (1) to test the relationship between racial attitudes toward Blacks and attitudes toward civil rights and (2) to find predictors of positive civil rights attitudes. Using multivariate regression modeling, the author finds that there is a positive relationship between racial attitudes toward Blacks and attitudes toward civil rights. The model also suggests a positive relationship between ideological proximity, or how close one feels to Blacks, and attitudes toward civil rights. In addition, the author finds that political party identification, age, education, gender, racial identification, and region of residence are all significant predictors of positive civil rights attitudes. The final model has an explained variance of 19%, thus calling for additional research in this area.
Analysis of Metallocene−Methylalumoxane Methide Transfer Processes in Solution Using a 19F NMR Spectroscopic Probe

The metallocenes (C6F5C5H4)CpZrMe2 (1, Cp = C5H5) and (C6F5C5H4)2MMe2 (2a, M = Zr; 2b, M = Hf) were treated with B(C6F5)3 and, separately, with commercial methylalumoxane (MAO, depleted of excess M...
Protective host immune responses to Salmonella infection

Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi are the causative agents of human typhoid fever. Current typhoid vaccines are ineffective and are not widely used in endemic areas. Greater understanding of host-pathogen interactions during Salmonella infection should facilitate the development of improved vaccines to combat typhoid and nontyphoidal Salmonellosis. This review will focus on our current understanding of Salmonella pathogenesis and the major host immune components that participate in immunity to Salmonella infection. In addition, recent findings regarding host immune mechanisms in response to Salmonella infection will be also discussed, providing a new perspective on the utility of improved tools to study the immune response to Salmonella infections.
Incentive compensation for corporate venture personnel

Abstract Case studies of the experience of eight major corporations with venture manager compensation plans, ranging from standard corporate treatment to grants of stock in the individual ventures, are analyzed. The cases illustrate the conflict that arises between two basic compensation principles, equality and equity, when applied to corporate ventures. Short-term versus long-term and individual versus group compensation issues are also examined. From this analysis, guidelines are suggested for choosing an appropriate incentive plan structure for corporate venture personnel.
Comparison of trend analyses for Umkehr data using new and previous inversion algorithms

Ozone vertical profile Umkehr data for layers 3-9 obtained from 12 stations, using both previous and new inversion algorithms, were analyzed for trends. The trends estimated for the Umkehr data from the two algorithms were compared using two data periods, 1968-1991 and 1977-1991. Both nonseasonal and seasonal trend models were fitted. The overall annual trends are found to be significantly negative, of the order of -5% per decade, for layers 7 and 8 using both inversion algorithms. The largest negative trends occur in these layers under the new algorithm, whereas in the previous algorithm the most negative trend occurs in layer 9. The trend estimates, both annual and seasonal, are substantially different between the two algorithms mainly for layers 3, 4, and 9, where trends from the new algorithm data are about 2% per decade less negative, with less appreciable differences in layers 7 and 8. The trend results from the two data periods are similar, except for layer 3 where trends become more negative, by about -2% per decade, for 1977-1991.
Preference as a function of the correlation between stimuli and reinforcement outcomes

Abstract Pigeons' preferences for stimuli that were to varying degrees correlated with outcomes were studied in two experiments using a concurrent-chain procedure. The pigeons chose between two terminal links, each ending with food reinforcement and with blackout on half of the trials. In the first experiment, one terminal link (nonpredictive or unreliable link) provided stimuli completely uncorrelated with the outcomes while the other terminal link (predictive or reliable link) provided stimuli that were, to varying degrees, correlated with these outcomes. All pigeons showed increasing preferences for the predictive link as the reliability of the stimuli in that link increased. In the second experiment, stimuli in both terminal links were differentially correlated with the outcomes. The pigeons again preferred the more reliably correlated terminal link. The relation between these results and the delay-reduction hypothesis and conditioned reinforcement account is noted. The behavioral value of predictive stimuli may lie in their permitting the organism to more effectively apportion its time between interim activities and terminal responses.
Stable sulfur isotopes as probes for ancient life in the solar system

Secular changes in the stable sulfur isotope composition of seawater sulfate on Earth range from approximately 25 to 30 per mil (CDT). Minimal fractionation has been observed for the direct assimilation of seawater sulfate by plants into the two sulfur containing protein amino acids, methionine and cysteine. Similarly, sulfur isotope fractionation appears to be minimal with increasing trophic level. Thus, in theory, secular changes in the stable sulfur isotope composition of sulfur containing amino acids in ancient marine organisms should mimic that of seawater sulfate. The presence of sulfur containing amino acids elsewhere in the solar system and a comparison of their respective stable sulfur isotope values to those of sulfate containing minerals of similar ages may provide an alternative approach for determining the occurrence of past extraterrestrial life.
Nonlinear behavior study in digital bang-bang PLL

A simple high-performance nonlinear digital PLL is fabricated in 90 nm CMOS with operating range of 0.5 to 3.25 GHz and 1.24 ps jitter. New insights into the PLL behavior are discussed. The classical “20Log” in-band phase noise tracking does not hold for the type of nonlinear digital loops.
An Updated genome annotation for the model marine bacterium Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3

When the genome of Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 was published in 2004, it represented the first sequence from a heterotrophic marine bacterium. Over the last ten years, the strain has become a valuable model for understanding the cycling of sulfur and carbon in the ocean. To ensure that this genome remains useful, we have updated 69 genes to incorporate functional annotations based on new experimental data, and improved the identification of 120 protein-coding regions based on proteomic and transcriptomic data. We review the progress made in understanding the biology of R. pomeroyi DSS-3 and list the changes made to the genome.
Neural Control of the Kidney: Past, Present, and Future

This article provides a chronological perspective on the development of knowledge concerning the neural control of renal function and is divided into three parts: the past, the present, and the future.
Home visiting for adolescent mothers: Effects on parenting, maternal life course, and primary care linkage

PURPOSE Adolescent mothers are at risk for rapidly becoming pregnant again and for depression, school dropout, and poor parenting. We evaluated the impact of a community-based home-visiting program on these outcomes and on linking the adolescents with primary care. METHODS Pregnant adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, predominantly with low incomes and of African American race, were recruited from urban prenatal care sites and randomly assigned to home visiting or usual care. Trained home visitors, recruited from local communities, were paired with each adolescent and provided services through the child’s second birthday. They delivered a parenting curriculum, encouraged contraceptive use, connected the teen with primary care, and promoted school continuation. Research assistants collected data via structured interviews at baseline and at 1 and 2 years of follow-up using validated instruments to measure parenting (Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory) and depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression). School status and repeat pregnancy were self-reported. We measured program impact over time with intention-to-treat analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE). RESULTS Of 122 eligible pregnant adolescents, 84 consented, completed baseline assessments, and were randomized to a home-visited group (n = 44) or a control group (n = 40). Eighty-three percent completed year 1 or year 2 follow-up assessments, or both. With GEE, controlling for baseline differences, follow-up parenting scores for home-visited teens were 5.5 points higher than those for control teens (95% confidence interval, 0.5–10.4 points; P = .03) and their adjusted odds of school continuation were 3.5 times greater (95% confidence interval, 1.1–11.8; P <.05). The program did not have any impact on repeat pregnancy, depression, or linkage with primary care. CONCLUSIONS This community-based home-visiting program improved adolescent mothers’ parenting attitudes and school continuation, but it did not reduce their odds of repeat pregnancy or depression or achieve coordination with primary care. Coordinated care may require explicit mechanisms to promote communication between the community program and primary care.
Cigarette trafficking in five northeastern US cities

Background Cigarette taxation is effective in reducing tobacco use in the USA. However, these benefits are reduced when taxes are unpaid. Cigarette trafficking (ie, the illegal importation of cigarettes into a high-tax jurisdiction from a lower-tax jurisdiction) is well documented in high-tax places like New York City (NYC), but the extent of trafficking in other northeastern cities is relatively unknown. Objective To estimate the extent of cigarette trafficking in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Providence and Washington, DC, and project the benefits of reducing cigarette trafficking for recouping lost taxes and reducing smoking in these cities. Methods Littered cigarette packs were collected from a random sample of Census tracts in five US cities. Data collection yielded 1439 total littered packs. The share of cigarette packs bearing proper local, known non-local, foreign or unknown, or no tax stamp was calculated for each city. These data were used to estimate tax revenue recovery if cigarette trafficking could be eliminated. We also estimated the extent to which eliminating cigarette trafficking would reduce cigarette consumption. Results Overall, 58.7% of packs did not have a proper local tax stamp, and 30.5–42.1% were attributed to trafficking. We estimate that eliminating cigarette trafficking would result in declines in youth smoking prevalence ranging from negligible in low-tax cities like Philadelphia to up to 9.3% in higher-tax NYC. We estimate that these five cities could recoup $680–729 million annually in cigarette tax revenue if cigarette trafficking was eliminated. Conclusions Reducing cigarette trafficking would increase the effectiveness of tobacco taxes in reducing smoking and generate additional tax revenue, particularly in higher-taxed cities. Federal action to reduce cigarette trafficking, such as a track-and-trace system, is needed.
The Shocking Story of Azimilide

Initially tested for the secondary prevention of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in survivors of cardiac arrest,1 the effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy has recently been validated for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in high-risk patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.2,3 Despite an improvement in survival (30% relative risk reduction) comparable to that of β-blockers4 or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors,5 ICD therapy remains limited by impairment in quality of life in some of its recipients. As may be expected, the psychosocial consequences of device implantation, including anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, and sexual and employment problems, have been linked to the frequency of ICD discharges.6 In a recent publication, Godemann et al7 demonstrated a 3-fold increase in panic disorders and agoraphobia in patients with ≥2 ICD shocks annually. When severe enough, these symptoms necessitate psychiatric intervention8 or, in extreme cases, even device explantation. See p 3646 Enhancements in detection algorithms have reduced the rate of inappropriate shocks for supraventricular arrhythmias,9 and the empirical programming of antitachycardia pacing (ATP) has proved effective in reducing the frequency of shocks for conversion of ventricular tachycardia (VT). Nevertheless, ATP has been routinely programmed only in patients with slower VTs, despite recent data suggesting its effectiveness as an initial therapy in faster VTs up to 250 bpm. In the PainFREE Rx (Does PA c IN g F ast VT RE duc E Shock Rx ) trial, this strategy of “aggressive” programming resulted in a significant improvement in quality of life without compromising patient safety,10 further confirming the negative impact of recurrent shocks on psychosocial functioning. Regardless of programming preferences, ATP therapy is ineffective in some patients, particularly those with polymorphic VT or ventricular fibrillation (VF). Radiofrequency catheter ablation of recurrent symptomatic monomorphic VT is an alternative form …
Productivities of microbial decomposers during early stages of decomposition of leaves of a freshwater sedge

SUMMARY 1. We examined standing-senescing, standing-dead and recently fallen leaf blades of Carex walteriana in fens of the Okefenokee Swamp to determine the nature of the microbial decomposers in the early stages of decomposition, measuring both standing crops and productivities ([3H]leucineprotein method for bacteria, [14C]acetateergosterol for fungi). 2. Fungal standing crops (ergosterol) became detectable at the mid-senescence stage (leaves about half yellow-brown) and rose to 14–31 mg living-fungal C g−1 organic mass of the decaying system; bacterial standing crops (direct microscopy) were ± 0.2 mgC g−1 until the fallen-leaf stage, when they rose to as high as 0.9 mgC g−1. 3. Potential microbial specific growth rates were similar between fungi and bacteria, at about 0.03–0.06 day−1, but potential production of fungal mass was 115–512 μgC g−1 organic mass day−1, compared with 0–22 μgC g−1 day−1 for bacteria. Rates of fungal production were about 6-fold lower on average than previously found for a saltmarsh grass, perhaps because much lower phosphorus concentratiofis in the freshwater fen limit fungal activity. 4. There was little change in lignocellulose (LC) percentage of decaying leaves, although net loss of organic mass at the fallen, broken stage was estimated to be 59%, suggesting that LC was lost at rates proportional to those for total organics during decay. Monomers of fungal-wall polymers (glucosamine and mannose) accumulated 2- to 4-fold during leaf decay. This may indicate that an increase found for proximate (acid-detergent) lignin could be at least partially due to accumulation of refractory fungal-wall material, including melanin. 5. A common sequence in decaying aquatic grasses is suggested: principally fungal alteration of LC during standing decay, followed by a trend toward bacterial decomposition of the LC after leaves fall and break into particles.
The effect of live and web-based education on the accuracy of blood-loss estimation in simulated obstetric scenarios.

Objective: Visual estimation of blood loss has been shown to be inaccurate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a didactic training program on the accuracy of the estimation of blood loss and to compare the effectiveness of training provided by a web-based vs live session.
EZH2-miR-30d-KPNB1 pathway regulates malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour cell survival and tumourigenesis

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs), which develop sporadically or from neurofibromatosis, recur frequently with high metastatic potential and poor outcome. The polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is an important regulator for various human malignancies. However, the function of EZH2 in MPNSTs is unknown. Here we report that the EZH2–miR-30d–KPNB1 signalling pathway is critical for MPNST tumour cell survival in vitro and tumourigenicity in vivo. Up-regulated EZH2 in MPNST inhibits miR-30d transcription via promoter binding activity, leading to enhanced expression of the nuclear transport receptor KPNB1 that is inhibited by miR-30d targeting of KPNB1 3′ UTR region. Furthermore, inhibition of EZH2 or KPNB1, or miR-30d over-expression, induces MPNST cell apoptosis in vitro and suppresses tumourigenesis in vivo. More importantly, forced over-expression of KPNB1 rescues MPNST cell apoptosis induced by EZH2 knockdown. Immunohistochemical analyses show that EZH2 and KPNB1 over-expression is observed in human MPNST specimens and is negatively associated with miR-30d expression. Our findings identify a novel signalling pathway involved in MPNST tumourigenesis, and also suggest that EZH2–miR-30d–KPNB1 signalling represents multiple potential therapeutic targetable nodes for MPNST. Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A strong conditional mutualism limits and enhances seed dispersal and germination of a tropical palm

Seed predation and seed dispersal can have strong effects on early life history stages of plants. These processes have often been studied as individual effects, but the degree to which their relative importance co-varies with seed predator abundance and how this influences seed germination rates is poorly understood. Therefore, we used a combination of observations and field experiments to determine the degree to which germination rates of the palm Astrocaryum mexicanum varied with abundance of a small mammal seed predator/disperser, Heteromys desmarestianus, in a lowland tropical forest. Patterns of abundance of the two species were strongly related; density of H. desmarestianus was low in sites with low density of A. mexicanum and vice versa. Rates of predation and dispersal of A. mexicanum seeds depended on abundance of H. desmarestianus; sites with high densities of H. desmarestianus had the highest rates of seed predation and lowest rates of seed germination, but a greater total number of seeds were dispersed and there was greater density of seedlings, saplings, and adults of A. mexicanum in these sites. When abundance of H. desmarestianus was experimentally reduced, rates of seed predation decreased, but so did dispersal of A. mexicanum seeds. Critically, rates of germination of dispersed seeds were 5 times greater than undispersed seeds. The results suggest that the relationship between A. mexicanum and H. desmarestianus is a conditional mutualism that results in a strong local effect on the abundance of each species. However, the magnitude and direction of these effects are determined by the relative strength of opposing, but related, mechanisms. A. mexicanum nuts provide H. desmarestianus with a critical food resource, and while seed predation on A. mexicanum nuts by H. desmarestianus is very intense, A. mexicanum ultimately benefits because of the relatively high germination rates of its seeds that are dispersed by H. desmarestianus.
Mobile user-experience design trends

The course presents essential concepts of mobile user-experience design and reviews mobile UX trends in Asia, the US, and Europe, including case studies of developing designs for China, a near failure of user-centered mobile UX design, and cross-cultural issues of mobile UX design for phones and tablets.Participants in this course will learn the following: new terms, concepts, and issues to understand mobile user-centered design, guidelines, personas, and use-scenarios; latest trends and challenges of design of mobile user-interface components (metaphors, mental models, navigation, interaction, and appearance; practical trade-offs from studying competitive analyses and case-study results.Benefits of the course include: increased understanding of key issues, challenges, philosophies, and principles; increased awareness of current and cutting-edge products and services; and increased knowledge of how to use your skills, expertise, and experience.