cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification and properties of bacteriophage T4 capsid-formation gene products

The previously unidentified products of the remainder of those genes ( Y -genes) known to be essential for bacteriophage T4 capsid formation (genes 21, 31 and 40 ) have been identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate/urea/acrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. Characteristics of this gel system, which differs from the standard gel system and has superior resolution of low molecular weight proteins, are described. Protein identifications have been confirmed by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing sodium dodecyl sulfate/urea/acrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. P31 ( M r approx. 16,000) and P40 ( M r approx. 14,000) are early proteins which are apparently not cleaved during head assembly, nor incorporated into either the mature phage head or prohead (τ-particles); P31 appears to be greatly overproduced by certain T4 mutants. P21 ( M r approx. 26,000) is a late protein incorporated in large amounts into τ-particles, but is cleaved during head maturation. Properties of these three proteins which appear to have morphogenetic rather than structural roles in capsid formation, are correlated with known properties of their structural genes. It appears that essential T4 head formation gene products in the capsid are limited to P20, P23 * , and P24 * .
Valuing Families: Social Work Practice with Families from a Strengths Perspective

Social work and social workers have long been concerned with families. Historically, most approaches to social work with families have focused on individual pathology and problem solving or have considered problems of a family member to be symptoms of family dysfunction. In contrast, other approaches to social work have focused on growth, function, and healing. This article describes both problem-focused and growth-focused approaches to practice and presents a strengths approach to practice that values families and builds resilience. Assumptions of the strengths approach are discussed and applied to work with families through a case example.
The Experience of Feeling Unsure for Women at End-Of-Life

The purpose of this study was to answer the research question, What is the structure of the lived experience of feeling unsure? The participants were 9 women at end-of-life. The Parse research method, a phenomenological- hermeneutic method, was used to discover the structure of feeling unsure. Through the process of extraction- synthesis three core concepts were identified: disquieting apprehensiveness, pressing on, and intimate sorrows. Thus, the lived experience of feeling unsure for these 9 women is disquieting apprehensiveness arising while pressing on with intimate sorrows. The structure provides knowledge about feeling unsure and its connection to health and quality of life. Feeling unsure will be discussed in relation to the principles and concepts of human becoming and in relation to how it can inform nursing practice and future research.
Insider econometrics: A roadmap with stops along the way

Abstract For the past twenty five years, economists have been building theories of the optimal management of firms. For example, economic models suggest that under some conditions, piece rate pay raises performance, and under other conditions, promotions tournaments raise performance. Some of these theories have been tested, others have not. Economists are now using new empirical research tools, that we label “insider econometrics,” to test the impact of management practices on productivity: to model how much productivity changes; to model why management practices raise productivity; and to examine which firms benefit and why from alternative management practices. The methodology we describe is “insider” because it uses inside knowledge and data from within firms. It is “econometrics” because the methodology is often the application of treatment effects methods to modeling changing management practices within firms. However, the methods and challenges of insider econometrics are unique, and we identify several key features that are important in undertaking empirical studies of workers' productivity. Now that more firms are keeping data on employees, it is time to improve our analysis of the empirical study of the productivity of workers within firms.
Gaze as a Function of Conversation and Degree of Love

Summary The possibility that Rubin's findings of greater mutual gazing between strong than weak lovers and between strangers could be attributed to the occurrence of more conversation in strong love conditions was tested. Ss were selected from an undergraduate population. Ten strong love couples, determined through the use of Rubin's love scale, were compared to 10 pairs of unacquainted Ss for the amount of mutual eye contact, as well as conversation time and time spent in pure gazing without conversation. It was found that lovers did converse more with each other than with strangers. However, they also spent more time in pure gazing during periods of silence, lending credence to Rubin's results. The methodological implications of using videotape for eye contact studies were also discussed.
Viscous Properties oftable Microparticulated Dairy Proteins and Sucrose1

Abstract Slurries of whey protein concentrate (WPC) or sodium caseinate (Na-CN) mixed with sucrose (36% T.S.) were subjected to microparticulation by a high shear homogenizer operated at 27,000rpm for 2, 4, and 6min to facilitate gel formation. After microparticulation treatment, the milk protein and sucrose slurries were evaporated at 85°C for 60min under a partial vacuum (20 to 45mm of Hg) to form composite gels. Particle sizes and viscoelastic properties were determined before microparticulation treatment. Microparticulation reduced the particle size of WPC-sucrose slurries from an average size of 330 to 188nm after 4min and NaCN-sucrose slurries from 270 to 35nm after 2min. The WPC-sucrose composites were gel-like, but NaCN-sucrose composites did not gel. Viscoelastic properties of heated WPC-sucrose composites were liquid-like, exhibiting significant reduction in storage modulus and complex viscosity. Microparticulation reduced particle sizes, which resulted in softer gels as time of shearing increased.
Aphasie and tactile—Perceptual deficits of disabled readers

Abstract As part of a psychoeducational battery, 36 children, referred for reading and/or other learning difficulties, were administered the Aphasia Screening Test. the Tactile Finger Recognition Test, and the Finger-tip Number Writing Perception Test from the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery for Older Children. The children were divided into two groups: 18 determined on the basis of a severe discrepancy to be eligible for learning disabilities services in the area of reading (RD) and 18 determined to be ineligible for such services (NRD). Statistical comparisons of the two groups revealed the RD group to display significantly more impairment on the Aphasia Screening Test and the Finger-tip Number Writing Perception Test.
Blending Borders of Language and Culture: Schooling in La Villita.

This article examines the efforts of a school in a Mexican community in Chicago to help children and parents capitalize on the language and culture of their 2 worlds. It builds on the concepts of border crossings and hybridity, metaphors used to describe the sociocultural and linguistic reality of people living transnationally. Some US communities though far from Mexico, nevertheless experience a border resulting from urban segregation in housing and schooling. The article develops the concept of blending borders to characterize approaches employed by educators who seek to build on the funds of knowledge of Latino families for instruction and community building.
Characterization of Chloramphenicol Resistance in Beta-Hemolytic Escherichia coli Associated with Diarrhea in Neonatal Swine

Ninety beta-hemolytic Escherichia coli isolates associated with diarrhea in neonatal pigs from multiple farms in Oklahoma were investigated for known associated disease serotypes, virulence factors, ribotypes, and antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes. Fifteen different serotypes were observed, with 58% of isolates belonging to groups that produce one of three major enterotoxins: O149, O147, and O139. Thirty percent of the swine E. coli isolates possessed a combination of F4 fimbriae and the heat-labile toxin and heat-stable toxin B enterotoxins. Seventy-three percent of the E. coli isolates were resistant to five or more antibiotics. Interestingly, 53% of swine E. coli isolates exhibited resistance to chloramphenicol (CHL), an antibiotic whose use in food animals has been prohibited in the United States since the mid-1980s. The cmlA gene, which encodes a putative CHL efflux pump, was detected by PCR in 47 of the 48 CHL-resistant isolates, and 4 of these also possessed the cat2 gene, which encodes a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. The one CHL-resistant isolate that did not contain either cmlA or cat-2 possessed the flo gene, which confers resistance to both florfenicol and CHL. To determine whether CHL-resistant swine E. coli isolates represented dissemination of a clonal strain, all 90 isolates were analyzed by ribotyping. Seventeen distinct E. coli ribogroups were identified, with CHL resistance observed among the isolates in all except one of the major ribogroups. The identification of the cmlA gene among diverse hemolytic enterotoxigenic E. coli strains demonstrates its broad dissemination in the swine production environment and its persistence even in the absence of CHL selection pressure.
A low-temperature thin-film electroplated metal vacuum package

This paper presents a packaging technology that employs an electroplated nickel film to vacuum seal a MEMS structure at the wafer level. The package is fabricated in a low-temperature (<250/spl deg/C) 3-mask process by electroplating a 40-/spl mu/m-thick nickel film over an 8-/spl mu/m sacrificial photoresist that is removed prior to package sealing. A large fluidic access port enables an 800/spl times/800 /spl mu/m package to be released in less than three hours. MEMS device release is performed after the formation of the first level package. The maximum fabrication temperature of 250/spl deg/C represents the lowest temperature ever reported for thin film packages (previous low /spl sim/400/spl deg/C). Implementation of electrical feedthroughs in this process requires no planarization. Several mechanisms, based upon localized melting and Pb/Sn solder bumping, for sealing low fluidic resistance feedthroughs have been investigated. This package has been fabricated with an integrated Pirani gauge to further characterize the different sealing technologies. These gauges have been used to establish the hermeticity of the different sealing technologies and have measured a sealing pressure of /spl sim/1.5 torr. Short-term (/spl sim/several weeks) reliability data is also presented.
CDC42 and FGD1 Cause Distinct Signaling and Transforming Activities

Activated forms of different Rho family members (CDC42, Rac1, RhoA, RhoB, and RhoG) have been shown to transform NIH 3T3 cells as well as contribute to Ras transformation. Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) (also known as Dbl family proteins) that activate CDC42, Rac1, and RhoA also demonstrate oncogenic potential. The faciogenital dysplasia gene product, FGD1, is a Dbl family member that has recently been shown to function as a CDC42-specific GEF. Mutations within the FGD1 locus cosegregate with faciogenital dysplasia, a multisystemic disorder resulting in extensive growth impairments throughout the skeletal and urogenital systems. Here we demonstrate that FGD1 expression is sufficient to cause tumorigenic transformation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Although both FGD1 and constitutively activated CDC42 cooperated with Raf and showed synergistic focus-forming activity, both quantitative and qualitative differences in their functions were seen. FGD1 and CDC42 also activated common nuclear signaling pathways. However, whereas both showed comparable activation of c-Jun, CDC42 showed stronger activation of serum response factor and FGD1 was consistently a better activator of Elk-1. Although coexpression of FGD1 with specific inhibitors of CDC42 function demonstrated the dependence of FGD1 signaling activity on CDC42 function, FGD1 signaling activities were not always consistent with the direct or exclusive stimulation of CDC42 function. In summary, FGD1 and CDC42 signaling and transformation are distinct, thus suggesting that FGD1 may be mediating some of its biological activities through non-CDC42 targets.
Power Systems State Estimation Accuracy Enhancement Through the Use of PMU Measurements

In electrical power engineering, the accuracy of the state estimation of phasor angles can be improved by the use of phasor measurement units (PMUs). Traditionally, voltage phase angles are determined by state estimation. The paper addresses two possible methods for examining the impact of PMU measurements in state estimation. The PMU measurements use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to measure phase, and the measurement is very accurate. An index of accuracy is proposed and used to quantify the impact of PMUs on power system state estimation. An illustrative example is given
A fuzzy hill-climbing algorithm for the development of a compact associative classifier

Classification, a data mining technique, has widespread applications including medical diagnosis, targeted marketing, and others. Knowledge discovery from databases in the form of association rules is one of the important data mining tasks. An integrated approach, classification based on association rules, has drawn the attention of the data mining community over the last decade. While attention has been mainly focused on increasing classifier accuracies, not much efforts have been devoted towards building interpretable and less complex models. This paper discusses the development of a compact associative classification model using a hill-climbing approach and fuzzy sets. The proposed methodology builds the rule-base by selecting rules which contribute towards increasing training accuracy, thus balancing classification accuracy with the number of classification association rules. The results indicated that the proposed associative classification model can achieve competitive accuracies on benchmark datase...
TUNEL as a test for sperm DNA damage in the evaluation of male infertility

Both the inter- and intraobserver variability and interassay variability was small (10%). DNA damage in the controls was 11.9 6.8% vs. 29.5 18.7% in patients (P .001). The cut-off value of 19.25% maximized the observed sensitivity (64.9%) and specificity (100%) of the assay. The distribution of DNA damage in the patients was as follows: 14.9% (29 of 194) with DNA damage between 0% and 10%; 22.7% (44 of 194) between 10% and 20%; 8.8% (17 of 194) between 20% and 30%; and 17.5% (34 of 194) between 30% and 40%. Finally, 27.3% (53 of 194) had TUNEL values 40%. CONCLUSIONS We report a detailed standardization of the TUNEL assay for clinical use, as well as reference ranges for DNA damage in normal healthy donors and infertile men. A cut-off of 19.25% with observed 100% specificity established in our program can differentiate infertile men with DNA damage from healthy men. This test can be offered to infertile patients who are idiopathic, have severe oxidative stress-related abnormal semen quality, and contribute to the infertility problem of the couple who are considering assisted reproductive techniques. UROLOGY 76: 1380‐1386, 2010. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.
Progressive Aggregation of Alpha-Synuclein and Selective Degeneration of Lewy Inclusion-Bearing Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinsonism

Summary Aggregated alpha-synuclein inclusions are found where cell death occurs in several diseases, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple-system atrophy. However, the relationship between inclusion formation and an individual cell's fate has been difficult to study with conventional techniques. We developed a system that allows for in vivo imaging of the same neurons over months. We show that intracerebral injection of preformed fibrils of recombinant alpha-synuclein can seed aggregation of transgenically expressed and endogenous alpha-synuclein in neurons. Somatic inclusions undergo a stage-like maturation, with progressive compaction coinciding with decreased soluble somatic and nuclear alpha-synuclein. Mature inclusions bear the post-translational hallmarks of human Lewy pathology. Long-term imaging of inclusion-bearing neurons and neighboring neurons without inclusions demonstrates selective degeneration of inclusion-bearing cells. Our results indicate that inclusion formation is tightly correlated with cellular toxicity and that seeding may be a pathologically relevant mechanism of progressive neurodegeneration in many synucleinopathies.
Asymptomatic Nasal Carriage of Mupirocin-Resistant, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a Pet Dog Associated with MRSA Infection in Household Contacts

Recurrent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in a patient with diabetes and in his wife is described. Culture of nares samples from the family dog grew mupirocin-resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration >1024 microg/mL) MRSA that had a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis chromosomal pattern identical to the MRSA isolated from the patient's nares and his wife's wound. Further recurrence of MRSA infection and nasal colonization in the couple was prevented only after successful eradication of MRSA from the family dog's nares.
Alternating‐current method of measuring magnetic polarization of rocks

A method of accurately measuring the residual magnetization of small cubical specimens by the use of an alternating-current detector is described. The specimen is rotated inside of a multilayer coil and the voltage induced in the coil is measured by a high-gain amplifier. The limit of measurement is calculated from the noise-level computed for the amplifier and the voltage induced in the coil, on the assumption that the moment of the specimen can be represented as a dipole. A moment of 1 × 10−8 CGS unit per cc can be detected. The method eliminates the uncertainties of a magnetometric method and is considerably more sensitive than direct-current detectors. Measurements have been made on feebly polarized sediments of the oceanic bottom.
Information Technology Capability, Internal Control Effectiveness, and Audit Fees and Delays

ABSTRACT: We examine the role of firm IT capability in contributing to internal control and external audit in the post-SOX environment. Specifically, we measure the effectiveness of both the overall internal control and the five components of internal control as defined by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission's Internal Control—Integrated Framework (COSO 1992). Our findings support the concern that accounting professionals have regarding the impact of the use of IT on business risks and controls relevant to the audit. Specifically, IT capability directly mitigates audit fee increases, but not audit delay increases, indicating high IT capability signals lower business risks associated with the use of IT and reduces the auditor's risk premium. Further, IT capability has pervasive impacts on both the effectiveness of internal control and the components of effective internal control, which in turn further restrain audit fee and audit delay increases. Overall, our results sugges...
Silencing Climate Change in Utah Through Extremist Rhetoric and Stakeholder Processes: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This paper utilizes Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore the dimensions of domination and freedom within two significant public forums on climate change in Utah: (1) the resolution HJR 12 passed in the Utah State Legislature in 2010 and (2) the Blue Ribbon Committee on Climate Change (BRAC) process organized in 2006. The resolution HJR 12 reflects an extremist or inflammatory rhetoric point of view, while BRAC presents itself as a beacon of bureaucratic rationality, efficiency, and hierarchy. Forums such as these are force-feeding Americans subtly and not so subtly with divisive discourse and restrictive visions that pollute American politics and weaken the nation's capacity to address and solve its most challenging problems. HJR 12 exemplifies the role interpretive control plays in silencing those who disagree. The BRAC process illustrated how bureaucracy and rationalization may constrain future vision and action, reinforce current power structures, and encourage extreme rhetoric further down the road. This analysis uncovers the idealization of rational power underlying both forums. This idealization creates an unstable ground where powerplays, poorly disguised as rational policy making, dominate while silencing other voices. Scholars, government bureaucracies at all levels, and the American public wishing to deal with today’s complex challenges must purposefully address destructive assumptions associated with idealized rational processes, while recognizing the important role uncertainty, values, worldviews, and interests play in encouraging or discouraging policy change.
Analysis of Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Properties of Selected Cowpea Varieties Tested in Bovine Peripheral Blood

Cowpea is an important grain legume with a dual purpose function as a food and feed resource. Cowpea contains phenolic compounds that are beneficial to human and animal health. We evaluated the phenolic content, condensed tannin content and antioxidant capacities of methanol extracts of seed and leaf of seven varieties commonly used in food and animal feed. The total phenolic content and condensed tannins were quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu and Vanillin-HCL method respectively. The effects of cowpea phenolic extract on total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity was evaluated in vitro in bovine blood. Overall, the methanol extracts of the leaves contained high concentrations (p<0.0001) of total phenolic content (290.51±38.02 mg GAE/g) compared to seed extracts (118.10±71.96 mg GAE/g), although high antioxidant capacity was observed in both extracts. In addition, a positive correlation was found between total phenol and tannins content and antioxidant capacity of the extracts. Treatment with cowpea phenolic extract increased (p<0.0001) the total antioxidant capacity in cow blood (5.33±0.27 mM UAE) relative to controls (1.62±0.10 mM UAE). The enzymatic activities of GSH-Px and SOD were also increased. Our findings, suggest the potential of cowpea polyphenols to reduce oxidative stress in livestock production. Results of the present study showed that leaf and seeds of cowpea possess rich amounts of natural antioxidants and can be further explored for their possible use as a natural additive in food or use in pharmaceutical industries and in animal feed.
Monistic Ideals, Plural Values, and the Limits of Philosophy

There cannot be a complete prescription for a good society and any set of values that are projected as a blueprint for a society will require revision, amendment and compromise, as well as limitations and extensions in their application to social and political reality. Limits to both the speed and the scope of social change must be justified in light of the large number of values, including many tacit values, that are operational or necessary for the functioning of any society. This paper explores, in particular, the tradeoff between the four values of individual freedom, consent of the governed, free markets, and economic development as well as tradeoffs between equality and justice. The limits of philosophy are drawn when such conceptual analysis seeks to arrive at resolutions of the conflict among plural values. The recurrent thesis has been that the priority among values held at the time and under the circumstances of decision-making, as well as the empirical facts available to decision-makers, provide the reasons for a decision among conflicting values.
Corporate Moral Failure: A Systems Perspective

I motivate and sketch a new cross-disciplinary research project to improve our understanding of unethical corporate behavior. Systems-theoretic analysis, developed largely by Nancy Leveson (MIT) and Sidney Dekker (Lund University) based on work by Jens Rasmussen (Riso National Laboratory, Denmark) and James Reason (Manchester University), has achieved new insights into how large complex socio-technical systems fail, significantly revising our understanding how and why industrial accidents happen. In particular, systems-theoretic analysis has transformed our understanding of the role of individuals in causing industrial accidents. This paper launches a research program using systems-theoretic analysis to re-conceptualize corporate moral failure and develop a new theoretical framework to improve our understanding of the nature of corporate moral failures and the role of individuals in causing them.
Genetic Processes and Procedures

The molecular and cellular processes in prokaryotes were reviewed in Chapter 1. In this chapter some of the special techniques used to study prokaryote genetics are discussed. After a review of the types of genetic exchange that can occur there is an introduction to some of the techniques fundamental to modern genetics: DNA sequencing, DNA hybridization, and DNA splicing.
Voices in Education: Charter Schools

Charter schools may represent the very heart of the current debates surrounding the democratic mission of public education in the United States. From the first state law in Minnesota to establish c...
Comparison Of The Block Island Species Of Microtus With M. Pennsylvanicus

Block Island is a small continental island, about 11 square miles in area, located approximately 15 miles northeast of Montauk Point, L. I., N. Y., and southwest by south of Point Judith, R. I. (see figure 1). Several years ago it was suggested that the Microtus inhabiting the island were sufficiently different morphologically from the field mice on the neighboring mainland (Microtus pennsylvanicus) to warrant species status for the island mice (Microtus provectus) (Bangs, 1908). Recent work has shown that the two populations are not sexually isolated to a degree which prevents the production of F1 hybrids (Wheeler, 1952) and in view of these findings, it seemed essential to reexamine Microtus from both localities not only to confirm and more thoroughly analyze the differences already indicated by Bangs (1908) but to determine whether other differences do exist which would indicate genetic divergence to any degree. The insular species, Microtus provectus, has been described, first of all, as somewhat larger than the mainland Microtus. In view of this, the present investigation includes a statistical analysis of the body size of mice from both insular and mainland populations in addition to a comparison of body lengths of mature specimens within each population. Since other size differences associated with the skull were also suggested (Bangs, 1908), the experimental data in this paper include size comparisons of some of the individual skull bones and comparisons of various measurements made on the skulls as a whole. MATERIAL AND METHODS
Bestimmung von Argon in durch Kathodenzerstäubung hergestellten SiO2-Schichten mittels Röntgenfluorescenzanalyse

Mittels Rontgenfluorescenz last sich der Argongehalt in gesputterten SiO2-Schichten mit Schichtdicken von 100–1500 A quantitativ ermitteln. Das Nichtvorhandensein eines Argonstandards wird mit Hilfe eines „synthetischen Standards“ aus KCl uberwunden. Die Nachweisgrenze liegt unter den benutzten Bedingungen bei 10−7 g Ar. Argongehalte von 1–3 Mol-% wurden in den SiO2-Schichten gefunden.
Metabolism of Multiple Aromatic Compounds in Corn Stover Hydrolysate by Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

Lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates hold great potential as a feedstock for microbial biofuel production, due to their high concentration of fermentable sugars. Present at lower concentrations are a suite of aromatic compounds that can inhibit fermentation by biofuel-producing microbes. We have developed a microbial-mediated strategy for removing these aromatic compounds, using the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris. When grown photoheterotrophically in an anaerobic environment, R. palustris removes most of the aromatics from ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated corn stover hydrolysate (ACSH), while leaving the sugars mostly intact. We show that R. palustris can metabolize a host of aromatic substrates in ACSH that have either been previously described as unable to support growth, such as methoxylated aromatics, and those that have not yet been tested, such as aromatic amides. Removing the aromatics from ACSH with R. palustris, allowed growth of a second microbe that could not grow i...
Single Gene and Syndromic Causes of Obesity: Illustrative Examples.

Obesity is a significant health problem in westernized societies, particularly in the United States where it has reached epidemic proportions in both adults and children. The prevalence of childhood obesity has doubled in the past 30 years. The causation is complex with multiple sources, including an obesity promoting environment with plentiful highly dense food sources and overall decreased physical activity noted for much of the general population, but genetic factors clearly play a role. Advances in genetic technology using candidate gene approaches, genome-wide association studies, structural and expression microarrays, and next generation sequencing have led to the discovery of hundreds of genes recognized as contributing to obesity. Polygenic and monogenic causes of obesity are now recognized including dozens of examples of syndromic obesity with Prader-Willi syndrome, as a classical example and recognized as the most common known cause of life-threatening obesity. Genetic factors playing a role in the causation of obesity will be discussed along with the growing evidence of single genes and the continuum between monogenic and polygenic obesity. The clinical and genetic aspects of four classical but rare obesity-related syndromes (ie, Prader-Willi, Alstrom, fragile X, and Albright hereditary osteodystrophy) will be described and illustrated in this review of single gene and syndromic causes of obesity.
Developing a Comprehensive U.S. Transit Accessibility Database

This paper discusses the development of a national public transit job accessibility evaluation framework, focusing on lessons learned, data source evaluation and selection, calculation methodology, and examples of accessibility evaluation results. The accessibility evaluation framework described here builds on methods developed in earlier projects, extended for use on a national scale and at the Census block level. Application on a national scale involves assembling and processing a comprehensive national database of public transit network topology and travel times. This database incorporates the computational advancement of calculating accessibility continuously for every minute within a departure time window of interest. This increases computational complexity, but provides a very robust representation of the interaction between transit service frequency and accessibility at multiple departure times.
Polymer surface treatment to reduce RDL leakage and solve delamination issue: YE: Yield enhancement/learning

IC backend chip scale package Re-Distribution Layer (RDL) routing space is getting smaller and pattern density is getting higher while device technology has been scaling down continuously. However, smaller routing space will induce higher leakage current due to higher occurrence of metal residue remaining. Higher metal density will also induce poor 2 polymer films adhesion and cause higher failure rate of component level reliability test in high temperature and humidity (u-HAST). Hereunder, a new enhanced-plasma methodology was developed to replace the ordinary single plasma to reduce RDL leakage current and improve 2 polymer films adhesion to have a more robust reliability performance by avoiding moisture permeating into 2polymer films interface in high humidity and temperature circumstance.
Cell Therapy in Parkinson's Disease: Understanding the Challenge

For more than 35 years cell therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) has focused on replacement of lost nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system function responsible for motor symptoms in PD. In animal models and clinical trials a variety of cell-based therapies have been tested, including cells as DA pumps, fetal DA neurons, and DA neurons derived from stem cells. At present, transplantation of fetal DA neurons continues to represent the “gold standard” cell therapy for PD, yet the entire spectrum of outcomes ranging from enduring benefit to no effect persists for this approach. In this review we (1) address the positive effects of what is possible and lessons learned to forward optimization of the approach, (2) examine the implications of basal ganglia “basics” for cell therapy, and (3) discuss parallels between the history of levodopa and cell transplantation therapy that may be useful to consider in this time of renewed clinical interest.
The Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Chemosensory Perceptionof Common Beverages

This study aimed to determine whether a smoking restriction prior to sensory evaluation affects sensory perception and liking of beverages that represent sweetness (sweetened cocoa), saltiness (vegetable juice), sourness (orange juice), and bitterness (black coffee). Smokers were asked to either abstain from smoking for 2 h or to smoke a cigarette 5 min prior to sensory evaluation of beverages. As a control, non-smokers participated in this study. Smokers who smoked 5 min prior to tasting beverages rated black coffee as significantly more bitter than did those who either abstained from smoking for 2 h or non-smokers. No effect of cigarette smoking was found either in intensity of other taste qualities and flavor or in the liking of the four types of beverages. This study provides empirical evidence that cigarette smokers should abstain from smoking for 2 h prior to sensory evaluation of bitter-tasting beverages such as black coffee.
Enclosure Transform for Interest Point Detection From Speckle Imagery

We present a fast enclosure transform (ET) to localize complex objects of interest from speckle imagery. This approach explores the spatial confinement on regional features from a sparse image feature representation. Unrelated, broken ridge features surrounding an object are organized collaboratively, giving rise to the enclosureness of the object. Three enclosure likelihood measures are constructed, consisting of the enclosure force, potential energy, and encloser count. In the transform domain, the local maxima manifest the locations of objects of interest, for which only the intrinsic dimension is known a priori . The discrete ET algorithm is computationally efficient, being on the order of $O(MN)$ using $N$ measuring distances across an image of $M$ ridge pixels. It involves easy and few parameter settings. We demonstrate and assess the performance of ET on the automatic detection of the prostate locations from supra-pubic ultrasound images. ET yields superior results in terms of positive detection rate, accuracy and coverage.
Rapid generalization in phonotactic learning

Speakers judge novel strings to be better potential words of their language if those strings consist of sound sequences that are attested in the language. These intuitions are often generalized to new sequences that share some properties with attested ones: Participants exposed to an artificial language where all words start with the voiced stops [b] and [d] will prefer words that start with other voiced stops (e.g., [g]) to words that start with vowels or nasals. The current study tracks the evolution of generalization across sounds during the early stages of artificial language learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants received varying amounts of exposure to an artificial language. Learners rapidly generalized to new sounds: In fact, following short exposure to the language, attested patterns were not distinguished from unattested patterns that were similar in their phonological properties to the attested ones. Following additional exposure, participants showed an increasing preference for attested sounds, alongside sustained generalization to unattested ones. Finally, Experiment 3 tested whether participants can rapidly generalize to new sounds based on a single type of sound. We discuss the implications of our results for computational models of phonotactic learning.
Detecting multi-spin interactions in the inverse Ising problem

Abstract While the usual goal in Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of Ising models is the efficient generation of spin configurations with Boltzmann probabilities, the inverse problem is to determine the coupling constants from a given set of spin configurations. Most recent work has been limited to local magnetic fields and pair-wise interactions. We have extended solutions to multi-spin interactions, using correlation function matching (CFM). A more serious limitation of previous work has been the uncertainty of whether a chosen set of interactions is capable of faithfully representing real data. We show how our confirmation testing method uses an additional MC simulation to detect significant interactions that might be missing in the assumed representation of the data.
Femoral Head and Neck Fractures in the Young Patient (<65)

Described by the Pauwels classification, femoral neck fracture workup must include evaluation of concomitant injuries and presence of dislocation.
Genetic and pharmacological antagonism of NK 1 receptor prevents opiate abuse potential.

Development of an efficacious, non-addicting analgesic has been challenging. Discovery of novel mechanisms underlying addiction may present a solution. Here we target the neurokinin system, which is involved in both pain and addiction. Morphine exerts its rewarding actions, at least in part, by inhibiting GABAergic input onto substance P (SP) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), subsequently increasing SP release onto dopaminergic neurons. Genome editing of the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) in the VTA renders morphine non-rewarding. Complementing our genetic approach, we demonstrate utility of a bivalent pharmacophore with dual activity as a μ/δ opioid agonist and NK1R antagonist in inhibiting nociception in an animal model of acute pain while lacking any positive reinforcement. These data indicate that dual targeting of the dopaminergic reward circuitry and pain pathways with a multifunctional opioid agonist-NK1R antagonist may be an efficacious strategy in developing future analgesics that lack abuse potential.
Sample Size Calculation

Expanding on the discussion of sample size as noted in Chap. 14, this chapter covers the importance of sample size estimation in clinical trials involving invasive operative and nonoperative procedures. It focuses on the key elements for sample size determination that includes acquiring a reliable estimate of the treatment effect and variability, the type of endpoint to be analyzed, treatment allocation, and expected recruitment and retention rates, as well as other parameters influencing sample size. Common pitfalls related to sample size estimation affecting the success of a clinical trial are also discussed. Additionally, multiple examples of sample size calculation regarding clinical trials for invasive and nonoperative procedures are detailed along with some conventional guidelines used today in the estimation of sample size.
The Effects of Mass Surveillance on Journalists’ Relations With Confidential Sources

This qualitative study explores how national security journalists communicate online using digital security technologies to evade potential surveillance by government authorities. This study follows a panopticism framework, which states that those under real or perceived observation will alter their behavior to be more subservient to authority. Through a series of seven in-depth interviews with journalists, using a constant comparative method, journalists who participated in this study reported that the way they work has changed under a real or perceived threat of mass government surveillance, making their work more difficult and potentially damaging their communications with sources. Many potential interview subjects refused to participate on the record because of the sensitivity and potential risks involved in the discussion of the subject matter.
Predictors of Academic Success in 9- to 11-Year-Old Homeless Children: The Role of Executive Function, Social Competence, and Emotional Control.

Widening achievement gaps between homeless and highly mobile (HHM) youth and their peers highlight the need for research to understand effects of risk and adversity on development to promote resilience and positive adaptation. Youth living under the poverty line experience more risk and adversity, leading to difficulty in multiple domains including academic achievement. Effortful control has been established as a protective factor among young HHM children; however, the impact of other factors including social competence and emotional control on functioning in early adolescence remains less clear. The current study examined effortful control, social competence, and emotional control in adaptive processes in 86 children, aged 9 to 11, living in an emergency homeless shelter. Consistent with expectations, emotional control and social competence each contributed to academic achievement, above and beyond effortful control and IQ. Emotional control moderated effortful control on reading ability. Implications of...
MALIGNANT DEGENERATION IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS: A CASE REPORT.

A case of carcinoma of the colon complicating chronic ulcerative colitis of long duration in a 31-year-old patient has been presented. It has been stated once more that there is a much higher incidence of cancer in patients with this disease than in the normal population. The incidence becomes extremely great as the duration of the disease increases. The virulence of malignant disease in chronic ulcerative colitis has been stressed and the poor prognosis emphasized. It is the authors’ considered opinion that the patient with ulcerative colitis should have periodic proctoscopic and roentgenologic examinations and that surgery should be performed whenever localized changes are revealed on roentgenologic examination after the patient has harbored the disease for 5 years or more.
Classic Mixed Models

This section we will develop models for problems requiring a mix of continuous and integral variables, as well as a variety of constraints. Traditionally these models have been called mixed integer programs (MIP).
The contribution of the flag leaf and the lower parts of the leaves and inflorescence in the production of dry matter and composition holds the grain for three genotypes of oats.

Tow field experiments have been conducted, during winter season (2015 – 2016) at the agricultural experiments and researsh station (3 km sothern west Al-samawa) of the college of Agriculture – University of Al-Muthanna, Where it was ten inflorescences conduct transaction in the expulsion of 50% for each expermental unit stag and when reach this stage of transactions conducted a comparsion and removing flag leaf awn and remove the lower leaves and shading of inflorescence, to study the contribution of flag leaf, other leaves, parts of spike and tips in production of dry matter and composition of grain yield for wheat and oat crop. The experiment has been carried out by using the Split plot with R.C.B. desgin to three replications. Results show the control treatment gave high mean grain yield (5.402 g plant), biological yield (12.473 g plant) and harvest index (49.560 %). Removing of flag leaf, tip and other leaves treatments have led to lower of no. of grains per spike, weight of grain, grain yield, biological yield and percentage of protein. Shadowing of spike treatment has gaven decreasing in yield components and increasing to percentage of protein. Percentage of the contribution of flag leaf, other leaves, tips and spike (13.587 , 25.064 , 23.837 and 34.17) % respectively.
Improving ATR system performance through sequences of classification tasks

Complex ATR tasks are often decomposed into the identification of sub-targets, that is, objects are sorted and identified as one particular target type and then those targets are further identified. For instance, a field of view may be partitioned into natural and man-made objects. After which, the man-made objects are screened to identify a particular object of interest. These tasks combine classifiers which operate in isolation of each other, yet in fact, perform as a classification sequence. This work examines this scenario, building the ATR task as a sequence of target identifications. Two sequences will be highlighted: Believe the Negative (BN) and Believe the Extremes (BE). In a BN sequence, the second classification system only operates if a target is identified from the first classification system. In a BE sequence, the second classification system only operates if there is no identification from the first classification system. Performance of these classification sequences will be compared to classification systems operating separately. Further, sequence augmentation will be examined to demonstrate how the ATR task may still be completed when information is missing on the primary target. This missing information may represent atmospheric blurring, alternate field of view, or other disturbances. An example of the performance of the sequences under simulated, theoretical levels of missing information is examined, and formulas are presented to describe the optimal performance of these systems when augmented and un-augmented. In conclusion, this work demonstrates utility in how these sequences fuse target information in order to complete an ATR task.
Happiness, Power, and Conspicuous Consumption: Do You Want Louis Vuitton MoreWhen You Are Happy or Unhappy?

Luxury market has been growing steadily as consumers’ demand for luxury is increasing. Particularly, luxury consumption market has been expanding from high-status, wealthy population to a broad population. Status or power is considered to be one of the most important drivers of luxury or conspicuous consumption and consumers with less status and power than the traditional target market of luxury brands purchase luxury goods to gain status and power. The problem is that this tendency will deteriorate their financial state of low social status consumers. Therefore, the purpose of current research is to test the hypothesis that happiness can act as a psychological buffer to intervene the vicious circle of deprived power and pursuit of conspicuous consumption.
A Systems Analysis of White Collar Training

There is a TV ad for a computer company that is very instructive. The actor who we know as Radar from MASH answers the phone of a business at what appears to be closing time. An unseen customer apparently asks about prices since, after a few key strokes on a console, the actor answers about a price being in effect until a particular date. When the phone rings again the former Radar transfers himself with another few key strokes and effects a working class voice to answer a question about a shipping date. To a third call, the actor switches himself to research, effects a stuffy accent and answers yet another question. Finally, he puts on his hat and leaves after a grateful salute to the machine. This ad is ostensibly about the power of technology and is designed to sell a particular brand of computer. Appropriately configured, of course, any number of machines could function in this manner, so we see another feature of this situation as much more interesting. Here is an employee, who is actually utilizing the power of his company’s technology and who can function within a complex, multifaceted, organization in a comfortable and efficient manner. As psychologists we have two questions: where did they get this guy, and more important, where could they get some more?