cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics and mechanism of ethylene hydrogenation poisoned by CO on silica-supported monodisperse Pt nanoparticles

Abstract The influence of particle size on the poisoning of ethylene hydrogenation by CO was studied over a series of catalysts composed of nearly monodisperse Pt nanoparticles (1.7–7.1 nm) encapsulated in mesoporous silica (SBA-15). The turnover frequency at 403 K in the presence of 0.5 Torr CO was ∼2 × 10−2 s−1 (compared with ∼102 s−1 in the absence of CO). The apparent activation energy in the absence and presence of 0.2 Torr CO was ∼10 and 20 kcal mol−1, respectively. The pressure dependency changes significantly in the presence of CO; reaction orders in hydrogen were 1/2 in the presence of CO at 403 K and noncompetitive with regard to co-adsorption with C2H4. In the absence of CO at similar temperatures, H2 adsorption was primarily irreversible (first-order dependence), and H2 and C2H4 compete for the same sites. Ethylene orders at 403 K were first order in the presence of 0.2 Torr CO and remained unity with increasing CO pressure. At similar reaction conditions in the absence of CO, ethylene had an inhibitory effect (negative reaction order) on the overall hydrogenation reaction. The change in C2H4 and H2 kinetics suggests strong competitive adsorption between C2H4 and CO for the same type of site, whereas H2 apparently adsorbs on distinct surface sites due either to steric hindrance or H2-induced CO desorption. Incorporation of a quasi-equilibrated CO adsorption step into a noncompetitive Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism predicts the experimentally observed pressure dependencies and a doubling of the apparent activation energy. Hydrogenation of ethylene in the presence of 1 Torr CO was examined under reaction conditions at 403 K by infrared spectroscopy; the only surface species identified under reaction conditions was linear-bound CO. The hydrogenation of ethylene on clean Pt catalysts was structure-insensitive and remains insensitive in the presence of CO; rates decreased only by a factor of two with increasing particle size.
Method for determining the irreversible strain limit of Nb3Sn wires

We define a rigorous and reliable method for determining the irreversible strain limit of Nb3Sn wires. The critical current (Ic) is measured as a function of applied longitudinal strain (e), Ic(e), at one magnetic field and a temperature of 4.0 K. The sample is loaded and partially unloaded at progressively higher strain levels to determine the irreversible strain limit, eirr, which is defined as the maximum loaded strain where Ic is still reversible. Our method uses a polynomial fit of the loaded Ic(e) to derive the Ic residuals for the loaded and unloaded points that are analyzed to determine the limit of irreversibility. The effect of varying the amount of strain unloading is also studied. The possibility and problems of using the strain dependent n-value (which indicates the steepness of the electric field–current, E–I, curve) to determine eirr are discussed. The method presented here to determine eirr has proven to be repeatable for many types of commercial Nb3Sn wires. This method can also be more generally used to determine eirr for any brittle low-temperature or high-temperature superconducting material.
Isolation of the outer envelope from Borrelia burgdorferi.

Summary Borrelia burgdorferi consists of an inner protoplasmic cylinder, containing the genome and cytoplasmic elements, surrounded by a number of axial filaments, all completely encased within a multiple-layered outer envelope structure (OE). In this study, a sodium dodecyl sulfate-mediated technique was used to isolate the OE from Borrelia burgdorferi in an attempt to better understand this structure in terms of its antigenic reactivity to Lyme disease patient sera. Electron microscopic evidence suggested that the OE product was relatively free of other spirochete cellular components. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the electrophoretic pattern of the OE was consistent with that of the remaining protoplasmic cylinder (PC) and whole spirochete controls. Antigenic deteminants in the OE were recognized by sera from Lyme disease patients in Western blots. Chemical analysis of the OE revealed a composition of 45.90% protein, 50.75% lipid and 3.33% carbohydrate. The OE comprised 16.5% by lyophilized dry weight of the whole spirochete. Antigenic determinants located within or associated with this structure are likely to play a significant role in the development of immunity in the infected host.
Diagnosis and management of patients with thyroid nodules.

Fewer than 5% of all adults will have a palpable thyroid nodule, but this is still a large number of individuals who require evaluation. Although most thyroid nodules are a result of a benign disease process (more than 95%), the possibility of thyroid cancer is always a consideration. Important aspects of history taking with a patient in whom a thyroid nodule has been noted include age, gender, family history of thyroid or endocrine disease, prior low dosage head and neck radiation, recent hoarseness, dysphagia, and symptoms of hypermetabolism. Key features of evaluation by physical examination are the size and location of the thyroid abnormality, the degree of firmness of the nodule, the presence of other nodules in the thyroid, palpable cervical lymph nodes, vocal cord paresis or paralysis, and tachycardia and/or tremor. The major categories of thyroid abnormality in such patients include cysts, adenomas, thyroiditis, and cancer. Although radionuclide scans, ultrasound examination and computer tomography have all been employed in the assessment of thyroid nodules, and thyroid stimulating hormone assay is useful for confirming a euthyroid state, fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has proved to be the most efficient diagnostic tool. The findings from FNAB allow avoidance of operative treatment for a large portion of these patients with palpable thyroid nodules, but a diagnosis of "follicular neoplasm" on FNAB usually requires operation, despite the fact that many such patients do ultimately prove to have a benign lesion. The extent of operation in patients undergoing surgery will depend on the diagnostic findings before operation, but unilateral thyroid lobectomy is the minimum procedure when surgery is required.
Elementary School Children' s Concept of Tonality

The study was conducted over a five-year period simultaneously with a study of children's vocal ranges. Data were drawn from 1,062 testings of 496 children, including 40 who comprised three longitudinal (L) groups. Results were derived from ascending and descending major scale patterns and a child-selected song. The concept of tonality (scales and songs) is a "learned" concept, not related at a significant level to voice range. The sample population performed better on song singing; the L groups performed better on scale singing. Consistent teaching of both tasks is required in order for children to develop a concept of tonality in their elementary years. Individual differences among the three L groups were noted. The study indicated that performance testing avoids verbalization problems encountered by receptivelinterpretive testing. Positive responses of children to non-Western musics may be due to the lack of differentiation among tonal systems or to other factors that are more easily discerned: loudness, timbre, or rhythm. This study tested elementary school children's concept of tonality through singing songs and major scales. The study was conducted over a five-year period for two reasons: (1) to develop a large sample over a continuous period of time in a setting that ensured a continuous music program, and (2) to extract from the sample special longitudinal groups (L groups) comprised of children tested for five consecutive years. This method enabled comparisons of the groups with the sample. Methodology had been tested previously in a pilot study that indicated that the procedures also could yield evidence of vocal ranges and choices of song literature as reported in a corollary study (Wassum, 1979). The term tonality as used in this study is best defined as loyalty to a tonic
Using satellite microwave sensors to develop climate data records

[1] NOAA Workshop on Climate Data Records From Satellite Passive Microwave Sounders: AMSU/MHS/SSMT2; College Park, Maryland, 2–3 March 2011; The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Data Record (CDR) program (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdr/index.html) is an effort to create long-term homogeneous records of satellite measurements and derived products. As part of this effort, scientists at two related projects that focus on passive microwave sensors with the goal of hydrological applications—one led by a National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service/Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) team and one led by the City College of New York (CCNY)—held a joint workshop with the following objectives: To allow the CDR teams to interact with satellite data and product users and other CDR developers on relevant aspects of sensor characteristics and intercalibration that will lead to mature CDRs; To provide a formal mechanism for input by subject matter experts, in particular, sensor scientists and engineers; and> To move toward a community consensus approach for NOAA microwave sounder CDRs.
Glucocorticoids in Alzheimer's disease. The story so far.

The inflammatory hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease states that specific inflammatory mechanisms, including the cytokine-driven acute-phase response, complement activation and microglial activation, contribute to neurodegeneration. If the hypothesis is correct, anti-inflammatory treatment aimed at suppression of these mechanisms could slow the rate of disease progression. Towards this goal, a multicentre trial of prednisone in Alzheimer’s disease is under way and pilot studies of other anti-inflammatory regimens are being conducted.
Classical Cepheid Masses: U Aquilae

We have obtained medium-resolution spectra (λ/Δλ ~ 20,000) of the hot binary companion to the classical Cepheid U Aql with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These have been used to determine the orbital velocity amplitude. Combining this with the orbital velocity amplitude of the Cepheid from the ground-based orbit and the mass of the companion inferred from its spectral type, we measure a mass of the Cepheid of 5.1 ± 0.7 M☉. We discuss the full sample of Cepheids for which we have determined masses with HST (S Mus, V350 Sgr, Y Car, and U Aql) and also SU Cyg (mass from IUE). The HST masses are in agreement with the luminosities predicted by recent evolutionary tracks with moderate overshoot. This comparison, however, may be altered by reassessment of Cepheid distances based on Hipparcos parallaxes.
The organization of DNA segments undergoing repair synthesis during pachytene

DNA regions undergoing programmed repair synthesis during pachytene were isolated and used as a probe for analyzing the organization of these regions. Segments that are the sites of nick-repair activity are referred to as “PsnDNA”. These segments are distributed at intervals ranging from 30–350 kilobase pairs (kbp) within about half the genome. The other half of the genome, which consists of DNA molecules longer than 350 kbp under defined conditions of extraction, lacks these segments. PsnDNA sequences range in length from about 150–300 base pairs (bp) and are arranged in larger “P.DNA” units measuring 0.8–3.0 kbp. P.DNA units have three identifiable regions. Each end region consists of a PsnDNA sequence and the middle region contains sequences that do not share homology with PsnDNA and have a much lower repeat number. Pachytene nicking of PsnDNA sequences is polar with respect to the orientation of individual DNA strands. Most of the PsnDNA sequences are present at the 5′ ends of the single strands generated in vivo by endonuclease action. Nicking is probably repeated at each PsnDNA site during early and midpachytene, and both members of a duplex are nicked within any single P.DNA region.
SEA-CNN: scalable processing of continuous k-nearest neighbor queries in spatio-temporal databases

Location-aware environments are characterized by a large number of objects and a large number of continuous queries. Both the objects and continuous queries may change their locations over time. In this paper, we focus on continuous k-nearest neighbor queries (CKNN, for short). We present a new algorithm, termed SEA-CNN, for answering continuously a collection of concurrent CKNN queries. SEA-CNN has two important features: incremental evaluation and shared execution. SEA-CNN achieves both efficiency and scalability in the presence of a set of concurrent queries. Furthermore, SEA-CNN does not make any assumptions about the movement of objects, e.g., the objects velocities and shapes of trajectories, or about the mutability of the objects and/or the queries, i.e., moving or stationary queries issued on moving or stationary objects. We provide theoretical analysis of SEA-CNN with respect to the execution costs, memory requirements and effects of tunable parameters. Comprehensive experimentation shows that SEA-CNN is highly scalable and is more efficient in terms of both I/O and CPU costs in comparison to other R-tree-based CKNN techniques.
Test compression and hardware decompression for scan-based SoCs

We present a new decompression architecture suitable for embedded cores in SoCs which focuses on improving the download time by avoiding higher internal-to-ATE clock ratios and by exploiting hardware parallelism. The bounded Huffman compression facilitates decompression hardware tradeoffs. Our technique is scalable in that the downloadable RAM-based decode table and accommodates for different SoC cores with different characteristics such as the number of scan chains and test set data distributions.
Assessing Internal Consistency in Counseling Research

In counseling research, reliability is an extremely important concept. Reliability of scores refers to how consistent scores remain across time, instruments, and conditions. The most commonly repor...
Trends on Terror: The Analysis of Political Violence

Both the public and the academic response to terrorism has been ahistorical, exaggerated, and closely associated with congenial political postures; moreover, the academic perspective is conditioned by the nature of individual philosophy. The books under review examine the subject from several points of view, in which the conventional means of social scientists have been wielded to mixed advantage. Since there are no agreed definitions, no accepted limits to the subject, and no very effective academic approach, the situation seems unlikely to improve dramatically in the near future.
On the Use and Abuse of Thorstein Veblen in Modern American Sociology, II: Daniel Bell and the ‘Utopianizing’ of Veblen's Contribution and Its Integration by Robert Merton and C. W. Mills

Abstract. The analyses and applications of Thorstein Veblen's social theory by Daniel Bell, Robert Merton, and C. Wright Mills are criticized. Bell's analysis is deficient because it distorts Veblen's proposal for economic reconstruction and because it treats him as a hopelessly Utopian theorist. Merton's use of Veblen's theory of status emulation by linking it with latent and manifest functions is a noteworthy accomplishment; yet Merton's utilization of Veblenian concepts is too sparing and essentially apolitical. Only the treatment of Veblen's theories by Mills is theoretically systematic and sufficiently political in tone. The significant import of Veblen's work for an indigenous critical theory resides in his theories of social value, status emulation, conflict and cultural lag.
A Review of the Effectiveness of Assertiveness Training in the Treatment of Alcohol Abusers

Assertiveness skills training is frequently a component of current behavioral treatments of alcohol abuse. Although the results of several uncontrolled and controlled evaluations generally suggest the efficacy of using assertiveness training, methodological problems in this research prevent firm conclusions. Thus, before conditions under which assertive skills training with alcohol abusers are most effective can be delineated, additional evaluation correcting these problems is needed.
Women and cardiovascular risk

Cardiovascular disease mortality rates have decreased in men during the past 20 years, but have steadily increased in women. In the United States, >500,000 women die of coronary artery disease (CAD) every year. Although many factors can influence an individual's risk for CAD, some factors are unique to women, including reproductive status. Menopause is associated with significant elevations in serum cholesterol levels and a 3-fold increase in the risk of CAD. It has been suggested that these changes result from a reduction in the level of estrogen. However, recent data from prospective clinical trials have not found any evidence that hormone replacement therapy protects against cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, several studies have shown that, in women, lipid lowering with statin therapy can reduce coronary events. On the strength of these findings, the Beyond Endorsed Lipid Lowering with Electron-Beam Computed Tomography Scanning (BELLES) trial-a 1-year, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study-has been specifically designed to determine the benefits of aggressive statin therapy on the progression of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.
Outside-In Signals Delivered by Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Regulate Platelet Function

Abstract — Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix proteins. These enzymes are implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological events characterized by extracellular matrix remodeling. Recent studies suggest that MMPs may have a signaling capacity, but direct evidence supporting this concept is lacking. In the present study, we demonstrate that outside-in signals delivered by exogenous MMP-1 (interstitial collagenase) markedly increase the number of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in platelets. Active MMP-1 also targets β 3 integrins to areas of cell contact and primes platelets for aggregation. Examination of the endogenous enzyme demonstrated that activated platelets process latent MMP-1 into its active form. Neutralization of MMP-1 activity with MMP inhibitors or specific blocking antibodies markedly attenuates agonist-induced phosphorylation of intracellular proteins, movement of β 3 integrins to cell contact points, and intercellular aggregation. The finding that MMP-1 is rapidly activated in platelets and controls functional responses identifies a new role for this metalloproteinase as a signaling molecule that regulates thrombotic events.
Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa for Major Elective Surgery in a Patient with Factor VII Deficiency, Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and Hydronephrosis

We described a case of obstructive uropathy due to retroperitoneal fibrosis associated with congenital factor VII deficiency. Nephrectomy and ileoureter reconstruction was performed uneventfully using recombinant factor Vlla perioperatively. There was no excessive bleeding or thrombosis. Key Words: Recombinant factor Vlla-rFVlla-Retroperitoneal fibrosis-Factor VII deficiency.
LAS RUINAS DE ARENAL: Preliminary report on a subregional major center in the western Belize Valley (1991–1992 excavations)

Las Ruinas de Arenal is a small “major” Lowland Maya center located at the southwest edge of the upper or western Belize Valley. This paper presents a preliminary description of Las Ruinas in formal, spatial, and temporal terms and reports the results of two short seasons of archaeological investigations carried out there in 1991 and 1992. Some aspects of the site's likely cultural, historical, and sociopolitical significance also are discussed.
The Influence of Hydroxyl Position on Oxysterol/Phospholipid Monolayer Phase Behavior: Experimental Results and Model

Oxysterols are naturally produced by enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes. Increased oxysterol concentration has been correlated with cell age, membrane thinning in model systems, and several pathologies. It has been previously reported that mixed phospholipid monolayers containing 25-hydroxycholesterol exhibit anomalous phase behavior compared to similar cholesterol containing monolayers. We present a systematic series of Langmuir monolayer and fluorescence microscopy studies which focus on the role of the positions of the hydroxyl moieties in difunctional oxysterols. The oxysterols 20, 22, 25, and 27 hydroxycholesterol were selected and mixed with DMPC for compositions from 10 - 90 mole percent oxysterol (increments of 10 percent were chosen). In all of these systems phase behavior was consistent with the 25-hydroxycholsterol/DPPC system. Specifically, an upper and lower miscibility phase transition were observed in all systems for oxysterol concentrations less than 40 mole percent and a discontinuity in the pressure-area isotherm directly tracked the lower miscibility transition pressure. Likewise the area-expansion due to the presence of the oxysterols was confirmed. We present a model for oxysterol behavior within lipid monolayers based on the presence and location of the two hydroxyl groups on the oxysterols. Consistent with our model we find the lower transition pressure increases with increasing distance between the two hydroxyl moieties. Pressure-area isotherms, fluorescence microscopy, analysis of domain size distribution, phase fraction measurements, isobaric cuts, and phase diagrams will be used to support our model of phospholipid/oxysterol interactions.
A Candidate Reference Measurement Procedure for Quantifying Serum Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D2 Using Isotope-Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The inaccuracy of routine serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements hampers the interpretation of data in patient care and public health research. We developed and validated a candidate reference measurement procedure (RMP) for highly accurate quantitation of two clinically important 25-hydroxyvitamin D metabolites in serum, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2] and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3]. The two compounds of interest together with spiked deuterium-labeled internal standards [d3-25(OH)D2 and d6-25(OH)D3] were extracted from serum via liquid-liquid extraction. The featured isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS method used reversed-phase chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive ion mode. A pentafluorophenylpropyl-packed UHPLC column together with isocratic elution allowed for complete baseline resolution of 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 from their structural C-3 isomers within 12 min. We evaluated method trueness, precision, potential interferences, matrix effects, limits of quantitation, and measurement uncertainty. Calibration materials were, or were traceable to, NIST Standard Reference Materials 2972. Within-day and total imprecision (CV) averaged 1.9 and 2.0 % for 25(OH)D3, respectively, and 2.4 and 3.5 % for 25(OH)D2, respectively. Mean trueness was 100.3 % for 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D2. The limits of quantitation/limits of detection were 4.61/1.38 nmol/L for 25(OH)D3 and 1.46/0.13 nmol/L for 25(OH)D2. When we compared our RMP results to an established RMP using 40 serum samples, we found a nonsignificant mean bias of 0.2 % for total 25(OH)D. This candidate RMP for 25(OH)D metabolites meets predefined method performance specifications (≤5 % total CV and ≤1.7 % bias) and provides sufficient sample throughput to meet the needs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vitamin D Standardization Certification Program.
A multiunit dynamic simulation framework

A framework to simulate multiunit processes is discussed. The method uses VAX/VMS routines to spawn unit software as subprocesses and coordinates the simulation through a shared data file. Each unit contains its own memory of the inputs and outputs and reads and writes only the data pertaining to itself. The framework is very flexible in that units can easily be added and it is independent of the complexity of the units. >
Using Information to Manage Uncertainty During Organ Transplantation

People living with a chronic illness can experience uncertainty about their physical conditions, identities, and relationships. One way individuals cope with this uncertainty is through managing information related to their illness. We conducted in-depth interviews with 38 pretransplant and posttransplant patients and analyzed the transcripts using grounded theory techniques. Participants reported that they managed their uncertainty related to transplantation by seeking and avoiding specific information and by strategically handling personal and social information. Participants also described a number of challenges associated with their information use. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for literature on information management, uncertainty in illness, and organ transplantation. In addition, we highlight practical implications for medical professionals as well as transplant patients and their loved ones, and we suggest that future research might usefully address what role uncertainty appraisal plays for people coping with chronic illness.
Even modest hypoalbuminemia affects outcomes of colorectal surgery patients.

Abstract Background A small decrease in the serum albumin from the normal level is a common condition in preoperative laboratory tests of colorectal surgery patients; however, there is limited data examining these patients. We sought to identify outcomes of such patients. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to evaluate all patients who had modest levels of hypoalbuminemia (3 ≤ serum albumin Results A total of 108,898 patients undergoing colorectal resection were identified, of which 16,962 (15.6%) had modest levels of preoperative hypoalbuminemia. Postsurgical complications significantly associated ( P Conclusions Modest hypoalbuminemia is a common preoperative condition in patients undergoing colorectal resection. Our analysis demonstrates that modest hypoalbuminemia has associations with increased postoperative complications, especially pulmonary complications.
Essential dimension as a well-defined number of degrees of freedom of finite-convolution operators appearing in optics

Inversion of a finite-convolution operator is known to be an ill-posed problem. However, although the complete solution cannot be recovered to within any specified accuracy, certain components of the solution can be accurately determined. We present an estimate of the number of such components, termed here the essential dimension of the finite-convolution operator, that is dependent on the noise levels in the data, the desired accuracy in the solution, and the singular values of the finite convolution. We then show that the required singular values may be easily and accurately approximated so that the essential dimension is easily estimated and indicate its superiority over previously proposed measures of ill conditioning for this problem.
Depression: Just Say NO

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder that has a twofold higher prevalence in women compared with men. The underlying mechanism of this “gender gap” in depression remains elusive. Now, Hu and colleagues provide new insight into the role of the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) in
Thermal Properties and Phase Transition of 2ZrO2●P2O5 Studied by In Situ Synchrotron X‐ray Diffraction

High-temperature in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction experiments were carried out to investigate the phase transition mechanism of Zr2P2O9 (2ZrO2·P2O5 or “Z2P”). Linear thermal expansion coefficients were calculated for the low-temperature phase (α-Z2P) and the high-temperature phase (β-Z2P) from temperature-dependent changes in lattice parameters. The crystal structures of α- and β-Z2P were determined as a function of temperature by performing Rietveld crystal structure refinements. The structural changes at the phase transition are accompanied by an increase in the average atomic distance between neighboring Zr atoms. The occurrence of shorter metal–metal distances in α-Z2P is interpreted to result from stronger interactions between partly occupied valence orbitals of the d0 metal atoms. The bond valence method was used to calculate the valence sums of the atoms of α- and β-Z2P, respectively, considering also contributions resulting from covalently bonded atoms. As the bond strength between the metal atoms in Z2P decreases with the transition into the high-temperature phase, notably, the metal–metal interactions are regarded to constitute a prerequisite for the stabilization of the α-phase over the energetically favored β-phase.
Pore mutants of HERG and KvLQT1 downregulate the reciprocal currents in stable cell lines

We previously reported a transgenic rabbit model of long QT syndrome based on overexpression of pore mutants of repolarizing K+ channels KvLQT1 (LQT1) and HERG (LQT2).The transgenes in these rabbit...
Improving ChIP-seq peak-calling for functional co-regulator binding by integrating multiple sources of biological information

Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) is increasingly being applied to study genome-wide binding sites of transcription factors. There is an increasing interest in understanding the mechanism of action of co-regulator proteins, which do not bind DNA directly, but exert their effects by binding to transcription factors such as the estrogen receptor (ER). However, due to the nature of detecting indirect protein-DNA interaction, ChIP-seq signals from co-regulators can be relatively weak and thus biologically meaningful interactions remain difficult to identify. In this study, we investigated and compared different statistical and machine learning approaches including unsupervised, supervised, and semi-supervised classification (self-training) approaches to integrate multiple types of genomic and transcriptomic information derived from our experiments and public database to overcome difficulty of identifying functional DNA binding sites of the co-regulator SRC-1 in the context of estrogen response. Our results indicate that supervised learning with naive Bayes algorithm significantly enhances peak calling of weak ChIP-seq signals and outperforms other machine learning algorithms. Our integrative approach revealed many potential ERα/SRC-1 DNA binding sites that would otherwise be missed by conventional peak calling algorithms with default settings. Our results indicate that a supervised classification approach enables one to utilize limited amounts of prior knowledge together with multiple types of biological data to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the identification of DNA binding sites from co-regulator proteins.
POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE SEX-RATIO DISPARITY OF THE ENDANGERED HOUSTON TOAD (BUFO HOUSTONENSIS)

Abstract Sex ratios are difficult to determine for anurans with short, seasonal breeding cycles. However, it is important to obtain accurate sex-ratio estimates of the reproductively mature individuals within a population, because a naturally biased sex ratio decreases effective population size. A population of Houston toads (Bufo houstonensis) was used as a model to examine sex ratios for an anuran with short breeding cycles. During March 2001–August 2004, 157 B. houstonensis were captured by drift fence-pitfall traps and breeding-pond surveys. A significantly male-biased sex ratio was evident for both capture methods, indicating a naturally occurring bias within the population. A mathematical simulation model tested the hypothesis that the bias could be a consequence of different ages at first reproduction. Results from the simulations indicated populations of adult Houston toads are likely male-biased because of the difference in age at first reproduction.
Misinterpretation of SNAP Participation, Diet, and Weight in Low-Income Adults.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food insecurity, dietary quality, and obesity among US adults" by Binh T. Nguyen and colleagues in the July 2015 issue, accompanied by a reply from the authors.
The End of Financial Marginalization Is in Sight: Here's the Roadmap

innovations / volume 10, number 1-2 © 2015 Kathleen McGowan and Priya Jaisinghani We now have the tools and knowledge to radically reshape financial infrastructure to be ultra-inclusive, to spur the proliferation of diverse financial products that help the poor weather financial shocks and seize opportunities, to enable governments to operate more transparently and efficiently, and to foster new models of service delivery that can scale sustainably. Realizing this vision, however, will take deliberate, coordinated action by policymakers and regulators, and far more collaboration between the financial services industry and government than exists today. Above all, it will mean recognizing that ending “economic untouchability,” to quote Indian Prime Minister Modi, is an imperative for societies committed to shared prosperity and accountable governance. Today, some two billion people around the world manage their already precarious financial lives without the help of tools the world’s banked population uses to make retail purchases, buy a home, access health care, educate their children, and save for emergencies and retirement. Not surprisingly, most of this unbanked population live in developing economies, are disproportionately poorer than their countrymen, and more likely than not are women. Furthermore, despite recent World Bank data indicating that account ownership globally has increased over recent years, the types of financial products available often do not meet the urgent needs of the poor to even out highly variable incomes and reach longer-term goals.1 Thus, the oft-cited figure of two billion unbanked worldwide undoubtedly masks a far greater number of underbanked—the individuals and institutions poorly served by the financial products that are available to them. Until it becomes profitable to bank the poor, financial inclusion will remain illusory. Creating a market for commercially viable financial services relevant and affordable to the poor requires investing in shared infrastructure and aligning economic incentives so that serving the poor isn’t just possible but profitable. To make this happen, governments and their partners in the development community must redefine which
The Ground Game in the 2012 Presidential Election

Relatively little research has examined the effects of campaign-led field activity in a competitive election. In this article, we leverage a unique data set containing the location of every Barack Obama and Mitt Romney field office and county-level data on the presidential vote to understand how communication with voters in the field may have affected the outcome of the 2012 presidential election. We find that the presence of Obama field offices was associated with greater Obama vote share at the county level, although we cannot detect a similar relationship for Romney field offices. We conduct additional robustness tests to address the potential limitations of these observational data. Ultimately, we conclude that even if Obama’s field organization out-performed Romney’s, the aggregate impact of Obama’s field organization was not large enough to determine the outcome of the 2012 presidential election.
Working in Higher Ed IT: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Work culture has changed over the past 50 years. In the 1960s, men went to work, women stayed home or had gender-specific jobs like secretaries and teachers until they had children of their own. The cliche, gold watch, was known as a retirement gift for those men who had served the same business until retirement. Managers were trained to find holes in a person's work history and stay away from those jumping from job to job every few years. Today's work culture has had a paradigm shift as younger generations have different values and ideas about their work culture. Employees of today have different expectations for their time spent working, and they stay in a job as long as they are providing something of value and learning. Once they have mastered the skills and knowledge from a job, they move on to another job that will teach them new skills and knowledge.A higher education job with an information technology services (ITS) team can be very challenging and very rewarding, but how long does an employee stay? What are the signs that they need to try something new or different? As employees, we put an emotional investment into our jobs, and the thoughts of leaving a job usually bring fear. If the time has come when employees are not engaging in their work, then it may be time to be brave, tune up the resume, and take a different road-amazing things could happen!
Individual differences in biofeedback performance: EEG alpha, skin resistance and EMG.

Understanding individual differences in biofeedback performance may help elucidate the mechanisms of biofeedback and aid in identifying the treatment of choice in clinical settings. Although many studies have attempted to relate biofeedback performance and personality measures (e.g., Ray, 1974). one fundamental problem has received little attention, namely, the extent to which an individual's success in biofeedback is task-specific vs consistent across physiological responses. The present study examined biofeedback performance across three biofeedback tasks. The 36 participants, 18 males and 18 females, ages 13 to 59 yr., received three biofeedback sessions, one each for electromyogram (EMG) reduction, bi-directional EEG alpha control, and bi-directional skin resistance control, with the order of the sessions counterbalanced. For EMG, a BIT Model 401 device measured frontalis EMG and provided audio feedback. After a 5-min. baseline the participants attempted to reduce EMG for 24 min. For EEG alpha, BFT Model 115 and 215c devices measured integrated EEG alpha from 01 referenced to A1 and provided audio feedback. After a 5-min. baseline, the participant attempted successively to increase and decrease EEG alpha across two 12-min. segments. The procedure was identical for skin resistance. A BFT Model 701 device monitored skin resistance from finger electrodes on the dominant hand and provided pitch-proportional audio feedback. There was significant reduction of EMG from the first one-half of training, 24.4 pV (peak-tepeak), to the second, 19.4 pV (F1.a = 46.40, p < .001). There was no significant self-regulation of skin resistance over-all, with means of 20.0 KQ during resistance increase vs 19.9 KR during resistance decrease (F < 1.00). There was self-regulation of EEG alpha with means of 5.33 pV during EEG alpha increase vs 4.83 pV during EEG alpha decrease (FI.~, = 7.25, 9 < .01). There were no significant correlations across participants between biofeedback performance measures for the three biofeedback tasks. These results complement findings (e.g., Suter, 1977) that biofeedback effects tend to be limited to the physiological response in the feedback loop and suggest that brief periods of different types of biofeedback training do not each produce phys~ological changes along a unitary cortical-somatic dimension of activation-inhibition.
A Continuum Plasticity Model for the Constitutive Behaviour of Foamed Metals

A yield surface is proposed that can be fit to the plastic flow properties of a broad class of solids which exhibit plastic compressibility and different yield points in tension and compression. The yield surface is proposed to describe cellular solids, including foamed metals, and designed to be fit to three simple experimental results: (1) the compressive stress-strain response (including densification), (2) the difference between the tensile and compressive yield points and (3) the degree of compressibility of the foam, as measured by the lateral expansion during a uniaxial compression test. The model is implemented using finite elements and used to study the effects of plastic compressibility on two problems: the compression of a doubly notched specimen and indentation by a spherical indenter.
Surface Induced Dissociation: Dissecting Noncovalent Protein Complexes in the Gas phase

ConspectusThe quaternary structures of proteins are both important and of interest to chemists, because many proteins exist as complexes in vivo, and probing these structures allows us to better understand their biological functions. Conventional structural biology methods such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance provide high-resolution information on the structures of protein complexes and are the gold standards in the field. However, other emerging biophysical methods that only provide low-resolution data (e.g. stoichiometry and subunit connectivity) on the structures of the protein complexes are also becoming more important to scientists. Mass spectrometry is one of these approaches that provide lower than atomic structural resolution, but the approach is higher throughput and provides not only better mass information than other techniques but also stoichiometry and topology.Fragile noncovalent interactions within the protein complexes can be preserved in the gas phase of MS under g...
Aeroacoustics Control of a Turbulent Mach 1.3 Jet Using Adjoint-Based Optimization

Past work has shown that adjoint-based optimization can identify perturbations that make unsteady free shear flows substantially quieter. These perturbations are interesting because they offer the opportunity to study noise mechanisms and because they themselves constitute successful noise-reducing controls. Here we apply these techniques to an experimentally validated simulation of a Mach 1.3 pressure-matched turbulent jet. The noise is successfully suppressed. Changes in both the turbulence and acoustic fields are analyzed, including with a proper orthogonal decomposition. The principal effect of the control is the suppression of particularly loud intermittent events. Despite the significant reduction, only small changes in the jet structure are observed.
Lack of vertebrate herbivory in playa wetlands

The role of vertebrate herbivory in playa wetlands dominated by common cattail (Typha latifolia) was investigated in six playas on the Southern High Plains of Texas. Standing crop biomass of cattail varied (P 0.10) reduce biomass of cattail. Therefore, the importance of herbivory relative to other energy pathways (e.g., detrital food chain) is considered to be minor. Although vertebrate populations (e.g., waterfowl) in playas are considered to be large, wildlife feeding habits in uplands surrounding playas results in a negligible impact on cattail biomass.
Teaching Students with Intellectual Disability to Use a Self-Questioning Strategy to Comprehend Social Studies Text for an Inclusive Setting.

Using a modified system of least prompts, two classroom teachers taught three participants with moderate intellectual disability to generate questions about United States history. After reading bri...
Effeets of etiocholanolone‐indueed fever on plasma antipyrine half‐lives and metabolie elearanee

The plasma half-life and metabolic clearance rate of antipyrine, a drug metabolized by hepatic microsomal enzymes, were determined in 33 normal volunteers during a basal state and during fever induced with a single intramuscular injection of etiocholanolone. Of the 14 normal volunteers who achieved significant fever (fever index greater than 50), in 11 plasma antipyrine half-life was prolonged after a single oral dose of 10 mg/kg and antipyrine metabolic clearance rate was decreased. There was no significant change of these mean values in 19 normal volunteers who failed to develop significant fever (fever index smaller than 50). Therefore, under the conditions of this study plasma antipyrine half-life was prolonged, probably due to impaired hepatic metabolism, during etiocholanolone-induced fever, although no correlation was observed between the magnitude of fever and the extent to which plasma antipyrine half-life was prolonged. Failure to obtain such a correlation may be attributable to the very small range of temperature elevation, extending from 37.9 degrees C to 39.2 degrees C, in the group of 14 subjects achieving significant etiocholanolone-induced fever (fever index greater than 50). A higher dose of antipyrine (18 mg/kg) suppressed induction of fever by etiocholanolone; antipyrine is the only orally administered drug thus far shown to be effective in repressing etiocholanolone-induced fever.
Governing green stormwater infrastructure: the Philadelphia experience

ABSTRACTMany cities throughout the world are adopting green infrastructure techniques to reduce stormwater and sewer overflows into waterways, which is particularly problematic for places experiencing more frequent and severe rain events. Governance of green stormwater implementation is proving to be as important as the techniques themselves. Building on the climate and sustainability governance literature, we argue that effective governance requires planning across city departments, experimentation and a strategy for organisational learning. We employ a case study of Philadelphia, the first city in the United States to attempt an entirely green approach to meeting federal regulations to examine issues of governance that emerged and how they were addressed. The case study draws on interviews with fourteen public and private sector actors involved in implementation, a site visit to observe the installations and to discuss the approach with a key planner, and grey literature. We find that silos can be broke...
3465 The durability of different solutions injected submucosally in a porcine model.

During endoscopic mucosal resection and polypectomy of sessile lesions an injected submucosal fluid cushion isolates the tissue prior to resection and reduces thermal injury, perforation, and hemorrhage. Aim: To investigate the efficacy of five different solutions in creating a durable submucosal esophageal fluid cushion in a pig model. Methods: Five groups of 5 pigs were studied. In each pig, six submucosal injections of 5 cc of a test solution were performed within the lower third of the esophagus. The time required for the elevated mucosa to flatten completely was recorded after each injection. The solutions used were: normal saline (NS), NS+epinephrine (NSE), dextrose 50% (D50), 10% glycerine/5% fructose in NS (G), and 1% rooster comb hyaluronic acid (HA). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). NS was used as the standard solution for comparative analysis. Results: The mean and median times (minutes) for each solution to dissipate are provided in the table below. Conclusions: 1. This study provides important and practical information on the durability of available solutions used to create a submucosal fluid cushion during endoscopic mucosal resection and polyectomy of sessile lesions. 2. Hyaluronic acid appears to be the ideal solution for a lasting submucosal cushion during prolonged procedures. 3. Dextrose 50% is superior to normal saline and serves as a practical alternative in terms of availabilty and cost.
THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENGAGEMENT IN MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS AND SELF‐ESTEEM AMONG AFFLUENT ADOLESCENT GIRLS

This study examined the influence of growth-fostering mentoring relationships on the self-esteem of adolescent female students from affluent communities. Studies have demonstrated that this population of students is susceptible to psychological distress and self-esteem problems, due to perfectionistic strivings and achievement pressures. Specifically, we hypothesized that growth-fostering mentoring relationships (e.g., with teachers and school staff) would be positively associated with self-esteem. Moreover, we expected that this association would be mediated by engagement in purposeful activities. The authors surveyed 207 girls from two independent secondary schools and found support for the mediation hypothesis. Using an ordinary least squares regression approach, the association between growth-fostering mentoring relationships and self-esteem was mediated by youth engagement in purposeful activities. Implications for future research and practice in schools are discussed.