cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling on benchmark dose calculations for TCDD-induced biochemical responses.

In risk assessment, noncancer risk is currently estimated using a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) from an experimental dose–response study, divided by uncertainty factors, to estimate a presumably safe level of human exposure. A benchmark dose approach, in which an effective dose (ED) resulting in a specified percentage increase over background for effects is estimated by empirical modeling, has been proposed as a replacement for the NOAEL methodology. The aim of this analysis is to compare methods for estimation of body burden resulting in a 1 or 10% maximum increase over background (BB01 or BB10) for biochemical responses following exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. In one method, an ED resulting in a prespecified increase in response over background was estimated using average daily doses and an empirical Hill model. The ED was then converted to an equivalent body burden by a simple kinetic model assuming steady-state conditions, half-life of TCDD in the rat, and 100% absorption of TCDD. Alternatively, a mechanistic physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of TCDD in the rat was used to predict body burdens for administered doses. These PBPK-modeled body burdens were then used directly by the Hill model to calculate a BB01 or BB10. In general, the body burden values derived from EDs were within five-fold of BB01 or BB10 calculated from the PBPK model. BB01 and BB10 values from both methods were within two orders of magnitude of current human general population exposure to all dioxin-like compounds.
Cyclic AMP Directly Activates NasP, an N-Acyl Amino Acid Antibiotic Biosynthetic Enzyme Cloned from an Uncultured β-Proteobacterium

The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent biosynthesis of N-acylphenylalanine antibiotics by NasP, an environmental DNA-derived N-acyl amino acid synthase, is controlled by an NasP-associated cyclic nucleotide-binding domain and is independent of the global cAMP signal transducer, cAMP receptor protein. A 16S rRNA gene sequence found on the same environmental DNA cosmid as NasP is most closely related to 16S sequences from β-proteobacteria.
Impact Loads Identification in Standoff Metallic Thermal Protection System Panels

This article describes two experimental approaches for the identification of transient impact loads applied to a metallic composite thermal protection system (TPS) panel. The critical nature of the TPS to the survival of the vehicle and crew warrants the development of a technique that can detect, quantify, and locate transient impact loads. This information will provide an opportunity to identify specific panels that are more or less prone to damage from transient impacts. Furthermore, a historical database of impact loads encountered can be retained for use in the development of statistical models that relate impact loading to panel life. The two techniques presented herein are a physics-based approach, where the panel is assumed to behave as a rigid body at low frequencies, and an inverse frequency response approach, where the system impedance matrix is measured, from which the loads acting on the panel can be estimated using the measured response. The validity of approaches is verified experimentally, and it is shown that the inverse frequency response method is capable of detecting, locating, and quantifying transient impact loads to a high degree of accuracy.
A Statistical Analysis of Cross-Track Errors in a Navigation System Utilizing Intermittent Fixes

A model is developed relating navigational instrument errors to the actual cross-track error of an aircraft. At a set of equispaced points, fixes on precisely known landmarks are obtained whose accuracy is assumed independent of the length of the flight. An optimum procedure is developed for utilizing these fixes to calibrate the compass on board the aircraft. Finally, the accuracy of arriving at a predetermined destination after the last checkpoint is evaluated. Because of the complexity of the problem, numerical calculations using the IBM 650 were used. Two interesting conclusions were reached: 1) for a fixed spacing between fixes the accuracy of arriving at the destination is improved as the length of the flight (and therefore the number of fixes taken) is increased, and 2) for a fixed length of flight, the accuracy of arriving at the destination is almost independent of the number of fixes.
What the Numbers Really Mean: African-American Underrepresentation at the Doctoral Level.

In this literature review, African-American representation at the doctoral level from the period spanning the 1970s through the mid-1990s was explored. The most important finding is that although t...
Mechanical properties of boron-doped single crystal silicon microstructures

High aspect ratio single crystal silicon resonant beams oriented with angles of 0, 11.25, 22.5, 33.75, and 45 degrees to the Si 100 direction were fabricated by using high density plasma etching and dissolved wafer techniques. The silicon was doped with boron with a concentration of >= 5 X 1019 cm-3. The moduli of elasticity of the boron doped silicon were calculated from the measured resonant frequencies of the fabricated cantilever beams. They were approximately 1.56, 1.60, 1.66, 1.81 and 1.92 X 1012 dyne/cm2 with respect to the five different orientations mentioned above. These values are smaller than those calculated theoretically for intrinsic single crystal silicon. The built-in stresses in the clamped-clamped bridges were also found to be orientations. The stress variation is attributed to the variation of the modulus of elasticity and the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between silicon and the glass substrate to which the beam anchors are bonded.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Variations in Patterns of Sexual Risk Behavior among Seattle-Area MSM Based on their HIV Status, the HIV Status of their Partner and Partner Type

We evaluated sexual risk behavior in 368 Seattle-area MSM recruited in the 2008 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance survey. We found significant concordance between participants’ self-reported HIV status and that of their sexual partners. Persons unaware of partners’ HIV status were more likely to report only oral sex. Those aware were less likely to report non-concordant unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Participants reporting themselves HIV-positive were more likely than those self-reporting HIV-negative status to report non-concordant UAI and several other sexual risk behaviors. The level of non-concordant UAI did not materially differ by whether their partner was a main or casual partner.
Prediction of non-recurrent short-term traffic patterns using genetically optimized probabilistic neural networks

Recognizing non-recurrent events in short-term traffic flow evolution is of ultimate importance in advanced transportation systems. The present paper proposes a methodological framework for the recognition and prediction of complex and irregular traffic flow patterns; an advanced nonlinear analysis is conducted in order to recognize patterns with respect to the statistical characteristics of their evolution. Following, patterns are predicted using a genetically-optimized probabilistic neural network. Results indicate the existence of three basic types of temporal patterns: (a) stable, (b) unstable, (c) non-recurrent (unique). Moreover, the developed probabilistic network provides accurate one-step ahead pattern predictions. The proposed model infers knowledge on the occurrence of patterns and transitions and can be a significant source of information in order to improve on short-term predictability of traffic flow.
The Robotic Decathlon: Project-Based Learning Labs and Curriculum Design for an Introductory Robotics Course

This paper presents a series of novel project-based learning labs for an introductory robotics course that are developed into a semester-long Robotic Decathlon. The last three events of the Robotic Decathlon are used as three final one-week-long project tasks; these replace a previous course project that was a semester-long robotics competition. The course assessment shows that this new approach enhances student learning with respect to the standard lecture/test style of teaching, and that the three shorter final project tasks make the course easier to manage and more enjoyable for the students.
On control concepts to prevent fuel starvation in solid oxide fuel cells

Several methods to prevent fuel starvation in solid oxide fuel cells are developed and investigated. Fuel starvation can occur during transients, if fuel is consumed in the fuel cell faster than it can be supplied by the fuel processing and delivery system. It is demonstrated through simulation that fuel depletion can occur in the fuel cell if no corrective action is employed. Fuel starvation can be prevented by the use of rate limiters, reference governors, and modifications to the fuel-flow controller. The various methods to prevent fuel depletion within the fuel cell are developed and compared. Analysis indicates that reference governors can avoid hydrogen depletion with much less of an impact on transient load following capability than rate limiters. Hence, various reference governors ranging in level of fidelity were developed and compared for performance. It was further demonstrated that with knowledge of the fuel preprocessor response, it is possible to manipulate the fuel flow to minimize reformer flow dynamics, minimizing the need to govern the fuel cell transient capability.
How clear-sky polarization varies with wavelength in the visible-NIR

Because of the increasing variety of applications for polarization imaging and sensing, there is a growing need for information about polarization phenomenology in the natural environment, including the spectral distribution of polarization in the atmosphere. A computer model that has been validated in comparisons with measurements from our all-sky polarization imager has been used here to simulate the spectrum of clear-sky polarization at a many locations around the world, with a wide variety of underlying surface-reflectance and aerosol conditions. This study of the skylight polarization spectral variability shows that there is no simple spectrum that can be assumed or predicted without knowledge of the atmospheric aerosol properties and underlying surface reflectance.
Time cells in the hippocampus: a new dimension for mapping memories

Recent studies have revealed the existence of hippocampal neurons that fire at successive moments in temporally structured experiences. Several studies have shown that such temporal coding is not attributable to external events, specific behaviours or spatial dimensions of an experience. Instead, these cells represent the flow of time in specific memories and have therefore been dubbed 'time cells'. The firing properties of time cells parallel those of hippocampal place cells; time cells thus provide an additional dimension that is integrated with spatial mapping. The robust representation of both time and space in the hippocampus suggests a fundamental mechanism for organizing the elements of experience into coherent memories.
>200 nm gain-bandwidth hybrid silicon laser array using quantum well intermixing

Using a single epitaxial structure, multiple CW operational DFB lasers with backside photodetectors, emitting over a 200 nm range from 1250–1450 nm are integrated on silicon. Four bandgaps spread over >100 nm were realized using quantum well intermixing for increased spectral gain.
Limitations of adenosine in assessing the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways

Abstract Adenosine has been shown to reliably confirm the success of accessory pathway catheter ablation by producing transient atrioventricular (AV) block during atrial and ventricular pacing. This is due to the insensitivity of accessory pathway conduction to adenosine (with the rare exception of accessory pathways with decremental conduction properties). However, 4 of 204 consecutive patients who underwent successful accessory pathway ablation (as shown by adenosine-induced transient AV block) had recurrent AV reciprocating tachycardia involving a second, previously nonmanifest accessory pathway. In each case, the second accessory pathway was localized to a site disparate from the original pathway. No pathway showed decremental anterograde or retrograde conduction properties. In 2 patients, adenosine initially did not show the presence of the second concealed accessory pathway, because the refractory period of the accessory pathway was longer than the pacing cycle length used to assess ventriculoatrial conduction. Only when the refractory period of this second accessory pathway was shortened by infusion of isoproterenol did adenosine reveal the presence of the pathway during follow-up electrophysiologic study. In another patient, a non-decremental accessory pathway was shown to be sensitive to adenosine. In the remaining patient, the second accessory pathway may have been transiently injured during the initial study, thereby simulating adenosine sensitivity. Therefore, it is concluded that (1) adenosine is a highly, but not completely, effective method for immediately assessing the efficacy of accessory pathway catheter ablation; (2) concomitant infusion of isoproterenol during adenosine administration is necessary to recognize the presence of accessory pathways with prolonged refractory periods; and (3) assessment of the presence of accessory pathway conduction with adenosine after ablation should preferably be performed at the longest possible, paced cycle length.
Dietary protein source and serum estradiol concentrations of rats during pregnancy, lactation and post-lactation

Abstract The influence of a diet containing soy protein on the hormonal status of twenty-two female parous Sprague-Dawley rats was followed prospectively through pregnancy, lactation and post-lactational recovery. The objective of the study was to determine effect of dietary protein on serum estradiol (E 2 ), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), total (TCa) and ionized calcium (ICa), and inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations. The animals were maintained throughout the 8 week study on either a casein or soy protein (20% of energy) diet. Serum E 2 concentrations rose earlier in the casein group compared to the soy protein group during pregnancy. Both groups showed a significant decrease in serum E 2 concentrations at term (day 20 of pregnancy). Serum E 2 concentrations were not significantly different between the soy protein group and the casein group during lactation. For both groups, serum E 2 concentrations increased steadily until a maximum at day 18 and then declined at day 21 of lactation. During post-lactation, serum E 2 concentrations were similar to the highest concentrations observed during lactation, i.e., a rebound effect which greatly exceeded pre-estrus concentrations for both groups. Serum TP and ALB concentrations increased during pregnancy, decreased at term, remained low during lactation and then increased significantly during post-lactation for both groups. Serum TCa concentrations increased during pregnancy, decreased at term, rebounded at the start of lactation, fell until day 15 of lactation, and remained low through post-lactation for both groups. Serum ICa remained constant throughout the reproduction periods; however, serum ICa was significantly higher in the soy protein group compared to the casein group during pregnancy, early lactation, and post-lactation. Serum Pi concentrations were elevated but constant throughout pregnancy for both groups. During lactation Pi decreased significantly compared to pregnancy and was significantly higher at the end of lactation in the soy protein group. Pi remained low during post-lactation for both groups. In summary, serum E 2 concentrations were generally lower during pregnancy and higher during lactation in the soy protein group versus the casein group, when protein was maintained at the recommended level of intake for rats.
Street-Level Policymaking: Characteristics of Decision and Policy in Public Welfare

The Oahu branch of the Public Welfare Division in the Hawaii Department of Social Services and Housing is examined to extend and refine the theory on street-level bureaucracy, specifically in terms of the policy-relevant choices exercised by street-level bureaucrats. From analysis based upon interviews and observation, the author concludes that policy obscurity and situational ambiguities contributed to the construction of numerous and distinctive regimens of pragmatic choices. The author also concludes that these choices are of a scale of significance beyond what is conventionally called discretion. Three types of street-level policymaking, the intervener, the withdrawn, and the student, are analyzed, and the source and content of the policy of each is examined. Each policymaking regimen represents a distinctive response to the setting of official policy and the operational pressures of doing public assistance work. Implications are then drawn for the theory of street-level bureaucracy, street-level poli...
Expression of different-size transcripts from the clpP-clpX operon of Escherichia coli during carbon deprivation.

Transcription of the clpP-clpX operon of Escherichia coli leads to the production of two different sizes of transcripts. In log phase, the level of the longer transcript is higher than the level of the shorter transcript. Soon after the onset of carbon starvation, the level of the shorter transcript increases significantly, and the level of the longer transcript decreases. The longer transcript consists of the entire clpP-clpX operon, whereas the shorter transcript contains the entire clpP gene but none of the clpX coding sequence. The RpoH protein is required for the increase in the level of the shorter transcript during carbon starvation. Primer extension experiments suggest that there is increased usage of the ς32-dependent promoter of the clpP-clpX operon within 15 min after the start of carbon starvation. Expression of the clpP-clpX operon from the promoters upstream of the clpP gene decreases to a very low level by 20 min after the onset of carbon starvation. Various pieces of evidence suggest, though they do not conclusively prove, that production of the shorter transcript may involve premature termination of the longer transcript. The half-life of the shorter transcript is much less than that of the longer transcript during carbon starvation. E. coli rpoB mutations that affect transcription termination efficiency alter the ratio of the shorter clpP-clpX transcript to the longer transcript. The E. coli rpoB3595 mutant, with an RNA polymerase that terminates transcription with lower efficiency than the wild type, accumulates a lower percentage of the shorter transcript during carbon starvation than does the isogenic wild-type strain. In contrast, the rpoB8 mutant, with an RNA polymerase that terminates transcription with higher efficiency than the wild type, produces a higher percentage of the shorter clpP-clpX transcript when E. coli is in log phase. These and other data are consistent with the hypothesis that the shorter transcript results from premature transcription termination during production of the longer transcript.
Design and Analysis of the Randomized Response Technique

About a half century ago, in 1965, Warner proposed the randomized response method as a survey technique to reduce potential bias due to nonresponse and social desirability when asking questions about sensitive behaviors and beliefs. This method asks respondents to use a randomization device, such as a coin flip, whose outcome is unobserved by the interviewer. By introducing random noise, the method conceals individual responses and protects respondent privacy. While numerous methodological advances have been made, we find surprisingly few applications of this promising survey technique. In this article, we address this gap by (1) reviewing standard designs available to applied researchers, (2) developing various multivariate regression techniques for substantive analyses, (3) proposing power analyses to help improve research designs, (4) presenting new robust designs that are based on less stringent assumptions than those of the standard designs, and (5) making all described methods available through open...
Fractional Laser Resurfacing: Why All the Fuss?

Dr. Dover has received funds for research from Solta, Lumenis, and Cutera and is a consultant to Solta and Lumenis.
Gene Expression Profiling of Flagellar Disassembly in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Flagella are sensory organelles that interact with the environment through signal transduction and gene expression networks. We used microarray profiling to examine gene regulation associated with flagellar length change in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Microarrays were probed with fluorescently labeled cDNAs synthesized from RNA extracted from cells before and during flagellar assembly or disassembly. Evaluation of the gene expression profiles identified >100 clones showing at least a twofold change in expression during flagellar length changes. Products of these genes are associated not only with flagellar structure and motility but also with other cellular responses, including signal transduction and metabolism. Expression of specific genes from each category was further characterized at higher resolution by using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT–PCR). Analysis and comparison of the gene expression profiles coupled to flagellar assembly and disassembly revealed that each process involves a new and uncharacterized whole-cell response to flagellar length changes. This analysis lays the groundwork for a more comprehensive understanding of the cellular and molecular networks regulating flagellar length changes.
Poverty, Paternal Involvement, and Adolescent Well-Being:

In this article, we explore the role that parents play in family processes in poor and nonpoor two-parent families and the extent to which paternal participation varies across family income. Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children, we observe patterns of poverty over time in childhood and adolescence and examine whether father involvement buffers the effects of poverty on long-term outcomes of adolescents. We measure emotional and behavioral dimensions of parenting and contrast levels of father involvement with levels of mother involvement in their relations with adolescents across poverty experiences. Fathers in poor and welfare families are less involved with youth in adolescence and the greater the persistence of poverty, the less involvement by fathers. Although we document some buffering effects of fathers in poor families, mother involvement plays a more important role in protecting low-income youth from adverse outcomes.
The Segmental Ridge-Split Procedure

This report details surgical procedures for ridge expansion by means of splitting the crest of an edentulous ridge. Atrophic bony ridges present a unique challenge to the dental implant surgeon. In the past, onlay grafts of bone harvested from the hip, maxillary tuberosity, symphysis of the chin, or external oblique ridge have all been used with success in reconstruction of atrophic ridges. However, bone onlay grafting procedures require a secondary surgical site, which exhibits typical postoperative morbidity associated with bone harvesting performed with chisels and burs. Additionally, onlay grafts often require a healing period of 6 months to a year before dental implants can be placed, and the onlay graft sometimes fails to fuse to the augmented site. The segmental ridge-split procedure provides a quicker method wherein an atrophic ridge can be predictably expanded and grafted with bone allograft, eliminating the need for a second surgical site.
Range tomography: combining the practicality of boolean tomography with the resolution of analog tomography

The objective of early network tomography approaches was to produce a point estimate for the performance of each network link (Analog tomography). When it became clear that the previous approach is error-prone in practice, research shifted to Boolean tomography where each link is estimated as either "good" or "bad". The Boolean approach is more practical but its resolution is too coarse. We propose a new tomography framework that combines the best of both worlds: we still distinguish between good and bad links (for practicality reasons) but we also infer a range estimate for the performance of each bad link. We apply the Range tomography framework in two path performance metric functions (Min and Sum) and propose an efficient algorithm for each problem. Together with simulations, we have also applied Range tomography in three operational networks allowing us to identify the location of bad links and to estimate their performance during congestion episodes. We also compare the proposed method with existing Analog and Boolean tomography algorithms.
Storage allocation policies for time-dependent multimedia data

Multimedia computing requires support for heterogeneous data types with differing storage, communication and delivery requirements. Continuous media data types, such as audio and video, impose delivery requirements that are not satisfied by conventional physical storage organizations. In this paper, we describe a physical organization for multimedia data based on the need to support the delivery of multiple playout sessions from a single rotating-disk storage device. Our model relates disk characteristics to the different media recording and playback rates and derives their storage pattern. This storage organization guarantees that as long as a multimedia delivery process is running, starvation will never occur. Furthermore, we derive bandwidth and buffer constraints for disk access and present an approach to minimize latencies for non-continuous media stored on the same device. The analysis and numerical results indicate the feasibility of using conventional rotating magnetic disk storage devices to support multiple sessions for video-on-demand applications.
Pericardioperitoneal shunt: An alternative treatment for malignant pericardial effusion

The treatment of 37 consecutive cases of symptomatic malignant pericardial effusion over a period of 13 years was retrospectively analyzed. The most common diagnoses were lung cancer (59%) and breast cancer (11%). In the most recent 4 patients, the Denver pleuroperitoneal shunt was used to drain the pericardial effusion into the peritoneal cavity. In each case, the procedure was performed under local anesthesia, and the patient was discharged 2 to 4 days later without complications. Three of the patients subsequently died of the disease process without evidence of cardiac failure or tamponade during 6-month follow-up. The more traditional means of pericardial drainage, the subxiphoid approach (14 patients) and the anterior thoracotomy approach (19 patients), were associated with higher postoperative morbidity (21% and 53%, respectively) and mortality (7% and 42%, respectively). Because of the small number of patients treated by pericardioperitoneal shunting, a significant difference was demonstrated only in the length of hospital stay (shunt, 2.8 +/- 0.5 days; subxiphoid, 11.2 +/- 4.6 days; thoracotomy, 14.9 +/- 6.1 days). Median survivals were essentially the same (shunt, 3.5 months; subxiphoid, 2.7 months; thoracotomy, 1.2 months). It is apparent that the pericardioperitoneal shunt, although a much simpler procedure, can accomplish similar palliation effectively in the treatment of malignant pericardial effusion.
Signal analysis of total internal reflection fluorescent speckle microscopy (TIR‐FSM) and wide‐field epi‐fluorescence FSM of the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions in living cells

Summary Fluorescent speckle microscopy (FSM) uses low levels of fluorescent proteins to create fluorescent speckles on cytoskeletal polymers in high-resolution fluorescence images of living cells. The dynamics of speckles over time encode subunit turnover and motion of the cytoskeletal polymers. We sought to improve on current FSM technology by first expanding it to study the dynamics of a non-polymeric macromolecular assembly, using focal adhesions as a test case, and second, to exploit for FSM the high contrast afforded by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIR-FM). Here, we first demonstrate that low levels of expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) conjugate of the focal adhesion protein, vinculin, results in clusters of fluorescent vinculin speckles on the ventral cell surface, which by immunofluorescence labelling of total vinculin correspond to sparse labelling of dense focal adhesion structures. This demonstrates that the FSM principle can be applied to study focal adhesions. We then use both GFP-vinculin expression and microinjected fluorescently labelled purified actin to compare quantitatively the speckle signal in FSM images of focal adhesions and the actin cytoskeleton in living cells by TIR-FM and wide-field epifluorescence microscopy. We use quantitative FSM image analysis software to define two new parameters for analysing FSM signal features that we can extract automatically: speckle modulation and speckle detectability. Our analysis shows that TIR-FSM affords major improvements in these parameters compared with wide-field epifluorescence FSM. Finally, we find that use of a crippled eukaryotic expression promoter for driving low-level GFP-fusion protein expression is a useful tool for FSM imaging. When used in time-lapse mode, TIR-FSM of actin and GFP-conjugated focal adhesion proteins will allow quantification of molecular dynamics within interesting macromolecular assemblies at the ventral surface of living cells.
Bacterial spot of tomato and pepper caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria in the western mediterranean region of Turkey.

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria, causal agent of bacterial spot of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was isolated from tomato and pepper plants in greenhouse production in the Province of Antalya, in southwestern Turkey. Disease incidence was less than 4% of plants observed in 2001 and ranged from 1 to 20% in 2002. Eleven seedling-producing companies and 26 greenhouses that produce tomato and pepper were surveyed during the rainy seasons of 2001 and 2002. The increase in disease incidence in 2002 is an indication that this disease is becoming more prevalent on tomato and pepper plants grown in greenhouses in southwestern Turkey. A gram-negative bacterium producing yellow-pigmented colonies on nutrient agar was consistently isolated from brown, circular spots on leaflets of tomato and sweet pepper seedlings. Five isolates were pathogenic on commercial cultivars of tomato and pepper when bacterial suspensions (108 CFU/ml) were infiltrated into the intercellular...
Solving the (Real) Other Minds Problem

People care about others’ thoughts, feelings, and intentions but can have considerable difficulty reading others’ minds accurately. Recent advances in understanding how people make such inferences provide significant insight into when people are likely to be reasonably accurate mind readers and when they are not. People tend to reason about others’ mental states by starting with their own and only subsequently adjusting that egocentric default to accommodate differences between themselves and others. Such adjustments tend to be insufficient, rendering final estimates egocentrically biased. When more information about others is available, people tend to rely on existing stereotypes or other expectations to intuit others’ mental states. Systematic errors resulting either from excessive egocentrism or inaccurate expectations can lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and social conflict, but these biases also suggest useful strategies for improving mind reading in everyday life. Anyone who has spent time within shouting distance of a philosopher has heard of the Other Minds Problem. The problem itself is simple – people directly experience their own but not others’ mental states and therefore cannot conclude with certainty that other people have any mental states at all. But like many philosophical problems, this one seems to be a problem only for philosophers themselves. The average person gets over this version of the other minds problem sometime around the age of 5 (Callaghan et al., 2005) and from that point on makes rapid and routine inferences about others’ thoughts, feelings, intentions, motivations, attitudes, impressions, and goals. Such inferences about mental states can then be used to make predictions about another person’s behavior, such as whether another person is likely to vote in an election, donate time to a charity, or accept one’s marriage proposal. This mind-reading tendency, once formed, is so pervasive that people even see mental states in all sorts of other agents, from gods to gadgets to geometric shapes (Epley, Waytz, & Cacioppo, 2007; Guthrie, 1993; Heider & Simmel, 1944). Seeing mental states in other agents seems to be absolutely no problem at all. The real other minds problem for most people in their everyday lives is seeing others’ mental states accurately.
Sensor network-based multi-robot task allocation

We present DINTA, distributed in-network task allocation - a novel paradigm for multi-robot task allocation (MRTA) where tasks are allocated implicitly to robots by a pre-deployed, static sensor network. Experimental results with a simulated alarm scenario show that our approach is able to compute solutions to the MRTA problem in a distributed fashion. We compared our approach to a strategy where robots use the deployed sensor network for efficient exploration. The data show that our approach outperforms such an exploration-only algorithm. The data also provide evidence that the proposed algorithm is more stable than the exploration-only algorithm.
Mutations in Escherichia coli dnaA which suppress a dnaX(Ts) polymerization mutation and are dominant when located in the chromosomal allele and recessive on plasmids.

Extragenic suppressor mutations which had the ability to suppress a dnaX2016(Ts) DNA polymerization defect and which concomitantly caused cold sensitivity have been characterized within the dnaA initiation gene. When these alleles (designated Cs, Sx) were moved into dnaX+ strains, the new mutants became cold sensitive and phenotypically were initiation defective at 20 degrees C (J.R. Walker, J.A. Ramsey, and W.G. Haldenwang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:3340-3344, 1982). Detailed localization by marker rescue and DNA sequencing are reported here. One mutation changed codon 213 from Ala to Asp, the second changed Arg-432 to Leu, and the third changed codon 435 from Thr to Lys. It is striking that two of the three spontaneous mutations occurred in codons 432 and 435; these codons are within a very highly conserved, 12-residue region (K. Skarstad and E. Boye, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1217:111-130, 1994; W. Messer and C. Weigel, submitted for publication) which must be critical for one of the DnaA activities. The dominance of wild-type and mutant alleles in both initiation and suppression activities was studied. First, in initiation function, the wild-type allele was dominant over the Cs, Sx alleles, and this dominance was independent of location. That is, the dnaA+ allele restored growth to dnaA (Cs, Sx) strains at 20 degrees C independently of which allele was present on the plasmid. The dnaA (Cs, Sx) alleles provided initiator function at 39 degrees C and were dominant in a dnaA(Ts) host at that temperature. On the other hand, suppression was dominant when the suppressor allele was chromosomal but recessive when it was plasmid borne. Furthermore, suppression was not observed when the suppressor allele was present on a plasmid and the chromosomal dnaA was a null allele. These data suggest that the suppressor allele must be integrated into the chromosome, perhaps at the normal dnaA location. Suppression by dnaA (Cs, Sx) did not require initiation at oriC; it was observed in strains deleted of oriC and which initiated at an integrated plasmid origin.
Homovanillic Acid Measurement in Clinical Research: A Review of Methodology

Despite its serious limitations, measuring the concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) in body fluids is perhaps the most direct method currently available to assess the changing activity of central dopamine (DA) neurons in living humans. The concentrations of HVA in body fluids are determined not only by the activity of central DA neurons but also by a number of unrelated factors such as the other sources of HVA and the elimination of HVA from the body. This article reviews many factors that help to determine the concentrations of HVA in body fluids and therefore must be considered in studies employing HVA as a possible index of central DA neuronal activity. The need for further methodological work is indicated to improve the use of body fluid HVA measurements in clinical research.
A Tale of Two TAGs Dialogue and Democracy in the Superfund Program

Taking recent scholarship on democratic practices in environmental decision making as a starting point, this article examines the politics of two Superfund sites. The article explores the potential of technical assistance grants to encourage citizen participation and democratic processes in regulatory implementation. The article argues that although such grants can facilitate citizen participation in technically complex decisions, the degree of democracy present depends greatly on the willingness of the legally empowered decision-making agency to allow citizen groups to influence the process. The article also suggests the counterintuitive possibility that effective citizen participation may be more likely at large, technically complex Superfund sites and stresses the need to maintain avenues of citizen influence that operate outside of the normal regulatory public participation mechanisms.
Upward Wave Activity Flux as a Precursor to Extreme Stratospheric Events and Subsequent Anomalous Surface Weather Regimes

Abstract It has recently been shown that extreme stratospheric events (ESEs) are followed by surface weather anomalies (for up to 60 days), suggesting that stratospheric variability might be used to extend weather prediction beyond current time scales. In this paper, attention is drawn away from the stratosphere to demonstrate that the originating point of ESEs is located in the troposphere. First, it is shown that anomalously strong eddy heat fluxes at 100 hPa nearly always precede weak vortex events, and conversely, anomalously weak eddy heat fluxes precede strong vortex events, consistent with wave–mean flow interaction theory. This finding clarifies the dynamical nature of ESEs and suggests that a major source of stratospheric variability (and thus predictability) is located in the troposphere below and not in the stratosphere itself. Second, it is shown that the daily time series of eddy heat flux found at 100 hPa and integrated over the prior 40 days, exhibit a remarkably high anticorrelation (−0.8)...
SU‐AA‐350‐01: Student Meeting

The annual AAPM student meeting welcomes current and prospective trainees in medical physics. Speakers will address issues of importance to trainees, including the impact of the 2012/2014 residency requirement for the ABR, and what the AAPM is doing to increase the number of residency positions. Breakfast will be provided. Come and meet your fellow students, and have a great start to the AAPM meeting!
Ice Crystal Production by Mountain Surfaces

Abstract Evidence is presented for a process of ice crystal generation in supercooled orographic clouds in contact with snow-covered mountain surfaces. Comparisons of the crystal concentrations at the surface with aircraft sampling indicate that the “anomalous” crystals originate at the interface of the cloud with the surfaces. Crystal concentrations at the surface, over the temperature range −5° to −23°C, were found to be roughly 100 times higher than in the main body of the clouds. Occasionally, the effects extends to altitudes as much as 1 km above the ground in the clouds studied, and indications are that even greater depths of clouds might be influenced over extended mountain ranges. The mechanism of ice crystal generation involved has not yet been firmly established; several possibilities are discussed in the paper. The phenomenon can be expected to have significant implications for the characteristics of low-altitude orographic clouds with respect to their propensity to produce precipitation; radia...
Reconstitution of neutral amino acid transport systems from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Amino acid transport systems for alanine and leucine have been reconstituted into artificial lipid vesicles. Purified plasma membrane vesicles from Ehrlich ascites cells were dissolved in 2% sodium cholate, 1 mM dithiothreitol, 0.5 mM EDTA, a mixture which solubilized approximately 50% of the membrane protein. This solubilized protein fraction was further purified by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitations, gel filtration, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. A fraction containing approximately 15 Coomassie blue staining bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels was obtained. This material was reconstituted into liposomes, and preliminary results demonstrated transport of alanine and leucine dependent on a sodium gradient. In addition, an electrogenic gradient mediated by valinomycin-induced potassium diffusion seemed to stimulate alanine uptake further.
A thin tailored composite wing box for a civil tiltrotor transport aircraft

A design optimization study of a composite wing box for the civil tiltrotor transport aircraft based on a reduced wing maximum-thickness-to-chord ratio is considered. The wing box is designed for minimum structural weight subject to local constraints, as well as global constraints based on wing primary natural frequencies and overall buckling strength. The six loading conditions correspond to airplane, helicopter, and conversion flight modes. The continuous design variables include the ply orientation angle and thickness in each skin panel, the web thicknesses of the spars and ribs, and the cross-sectional areas of spar caps and stringers. The number of stringers is a discrete design variable. The structural analysis is based on FEM, and the optimization solution is based on the method of modified feasible directions. The results reveal that it is possible to minimize the structural weight, and arrive at a set of feasible wing designs, based on the number of stringers used, at a reduced maximum thickness/ratio; the loads corresponding to the airplane mode along with the wing torsion natural frequency have the greatest influence on the design. (Author)
Amino Acids in the Biosynthesis of Penicillin

Several investigations have been concerned with amino acids as sources of nitrogen for the production of penicillin. Foster et al. (1943) were apparently the first to test individual amino acids as sole sources of nitrogen for penicillin production by Penicillium notaturn in surface cultures, finding that nitrate nitrogen was superior to amino acids. In subsequent experiments with submerged cultures, these workers (1946) noted that glutamic acid was superior to asparagine or glycine as a nitrogen source for one mold strain tested. With another strain, however, various single amino acids did not promote penicillin formation in the basal medium, either with or without additional sources of nitrogen. Large increases in penicillin yield obtained in media containing corn steep liquor were found by White et al. (1945) to be at least partially due to arginine, histidine and glutamic acid. When a mixture of these compounds, in concentrations of 30 mg., 30 mg., and 400 mg. per 100 ml., respectively, was added to a basal medium containing glucose, lactose and mineral salts, yields assaying 80-90 per cent of that obtained in corn steep media resulted. This finding suggested that amino acids might be involved in the biosynthesis of penicillin: "It would appear that in some way this mold is perhaps able to convert one or several of the amino acids to a part of the penicillin molecule through its metabolic processes." It was further shown that hydrolyzed corn steep liquor is unsatisfactory for penicillin production, in comparison with hydrolyzed proteinfree liquor, the large increase in free amino acids resulting in conditions unfavorable for penicillin formation. Halpern et al. (1945) reported increased penicillin production upon the addition of proline or glutamic acid to synthetic media. Aspartic acid could be substituted for glutamic acid, and the addition of arginine also had a slight stimulatory effect. A number of
Ontogeny of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2

This study examined the temporal expression of angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) during renal, heart, lung, and brain organogenesis in the mouse. We demonstrate that kidney ACE2 mRNA levels are low on embryonic day (E) 12.5, increase fourfold during development, and decline in adulthood. In extrarenal tissues, ACE2 mRNA levels are also low during early gestation, increase in perinatal period, and peak in adulthood. The lung shows the highest age-related increase in ACE2 mRNA levels followed by the brain, kidney, and heart. ACE2 protein levels and enzymatic activity are high in all organs studied during gestation and decline postnatally. Ang II decreases ACE2 mRNA levels and enzymatic activity in kidneys grown ex vivo. These effects of Ang II are blocked by the specific Ang II AT1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist candesartan, but not by the AT2 receptor (AT2R) antagonist PD123319. We conclude that ACE2 gene and protein expression and enzymatic activity are developmentally regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Ang II, acting through AT1R, exerts a negative feedback on ACE2 during kidney development. We postulate that relatively high ACE2 protein levels and enzymatic activity observed during gestation may play a role in kidney, lung, brain, and heart organogenesis.
Physiological Arousal and Juvenile Psychopathy: Is Low Resting Heart Rate Associated with Affective Dimensions?

A wealth of past research has examined the relationship between low physiological arousal and violence or antisocial behavior. Relatively little research; however, has examined the relationship between low physiological arousal and psychopathic traits, with even less having been conducted with juveniles. The current study attempts to fill this gap by evaluating juveniles’ physiological arousal using resting heart rate and their levels of psychopathic traits. Results suggest that there is indeed an inverse relationship between resting heart rate and the affective traits of psychopathy (Uncaring, Callousness, and Unemotionality) as well as Thrill or Sensation Seeking in males. No significant relationship was found in females. Implications of the findings as well as study limitations and future directions are discussed.
Review of physics education research in America

The overview of physics education research(PER) in America is introduced in this paper.The research contents of PER include the theories and methods of physics education.The research objects are the aspects and the relations of physics teaching.Researchers advance many new methods and modes to improve the teaching quality,find the difficulties and the problems in learning physics courses,encourage students' enthusiasm,deepen their understandings,and make progress their abilities to analyze and solve scientific questions.