cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Analysis of Screening Experiments with Microarrays

Microarrays are an important exploratory tool in many screening experiments. There are multiple objectives for these experiments including the identification of genes that change expression under two or more biological conditions, the discovery of new cellular or molecular functions of genes, and the definition of a molecular profile that characterizes different biological conditions underlying, for example, normal or tumor cells. The technology of microarrays is first described, followed by some simple comparative experiments and some of the statistical techniques that are used for their analysis. A very important question arising in the design of screening experiments with microarrays is the choice of the sample size and we describe two approaches to sample size determination. The first approach is based on the concept of reproducibility, and the second uses a Bayesian decisiontheoretic criterion to make a trade-off between information gain and experiment costs. Finally some of the open problems in the design and analysis of microarray experiments are discussed.
A Response to Gupta et al. (2019) Regarding the MoT3 Wheat Blast Diagnostic Assay.

This is a response to a recent Letter to the Editor of Phytopathology, in which Gupta et al. (2019) caution against the indiscriminate use of the MoT3 diagnostic assay that distinguishes isolates o...
The impact of seasonality on multi-scale feature extraction techniques

A key component in constructing a broad-scale, gridded population dataset is fine resolution geospatial data accurately depicting the extent of human activity. Analogous datasets are often develope...
Functional and health promotion predictors of PROMIS® scores in people with multiple sclerosis.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of perceived functional abilities and health promotion activities on subsequent symptom experience among those who have lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) for many years. Methods This longitudinal mailed survey study examined Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP) scores and MOS SF 36 scores as predictors of PROMIS® Pain Interference, Pain Intensity, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, and Applied Cognition Abilities Scores among 260 adults with MS. The community dwelling sample was initially recruited from the mailing list of the MS Society in a large southwestern state. Respondents were predominantly female, with an average age of 67 years. They had been diagnosed an average of 30 years. Forty percent reported relapsing remitting MS, and 41% have the more severe progressive form of the disease. Results HPLP and SF 36 Role Physical, Role Emotional, and Social Function scores assessed in 2013 were moderately correlated (r > .30) with PROMIS® Fatigue and PROMIS® Cognitive Abilities scores measured in 2014 and were somewhat predictive of PROMIS® Pain and Sleep Disturbance scores (r > .20). These results were replicated in an analysis using data from Years 2016 and 2017. Conclusions Findings suggest that those who report higher levels of health promotion activities and greater functional ability may experience lower levels of fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance and higher levels of cognitive abilities in the subsequent year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Advanced Glycation End Products: Building on the Concept of the “Common Soil” in Metabolic Disease

The role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in promoting and/or exacerbating metabolic dysregulation is being increasingly recognized. AGEs are formed when reducing sugars nonenzymatically bind to proteins or lipids, a process that is enhanced by hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic environments characteristic of numerous metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes, and its complications. In this mini-review, we put forth the notion that AGEs span the spectrum from cause to consequence of insulin resistance and diabetes, and represent a "common soil" underlying the pathophysiology of these metabolic disorders. Collectively, the surveyed literature suggests that AGEs, both those that form endogenously as well as exogenous AGEs derived from environmental factors such as pollution, smoking, and "Western"-style diets, contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes. Specifically, AGE accumulation in key metabolically relevant organs induces insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which in turn provide substrates for excess AGE formation, thus creating a feed-forward-fueled pathological loop mediating metabolic dysfunction.
LIMB SYMMETRY IS NOT ENOUGH: ESTABLISHMENT OF HEIGHT NORMALIZED HOP DISTANCES WITHIN HEALTHY YOUTH ATHLETES:

Background:Most experts recommend utilizing single leg hop tests to help determine an athlete’s readiness to return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). A limb symmetry...
A thermodynamic perspective on enhanced enzyme diffusion.

We are well into the 21st century and even the most fundamental aspects of protein biophysics continue to perplex us. For example, counter to any expectation, proteins are excellent conductors (1); globular proteins, the once hallowed paradigm of structural biology, are now believed to sample their unfolded ensemble multiple times over their lifetime due to their unexpectedly small folding equilibrium constants (2); and proteins, often naively depicted as solitary biological actors capable of forming static multimeric assemblies, are now thought to form large transient phase-separated condensates (3). Equally surprising is the observation, counter to any macroscopic hydrodynamic expectation, that catalytic proteins (enzymes) exhibit enhanced diffusion upon catalysis (4). The latter is the focus of “Master curve of boosted diffusion for 10 catalytic enzymes” by Jee et al. (4), where the effect of diffusion enhancement of 10 enzymes is probed by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Diffusion coefficients are deduced by correlating photon arrivals. Fluorescently labeled proteins (shown as red dots, Left ) are allowed to freely diffuse across an inhomogeneously illuminated confocal volume. Shown in blue ( Left ) is the overlap between the illuminated (excitation) region and the detected volume. Photon arrivals, { t 1 , t 2 , ⋯ } , encode the number of molecules emitting photons, their distance from the center of the spot, their diffusion coefficients, photophysical artifacts, and other parameters ( Middle ). In principle, this information can be decoded directly from the photon arrivals (8, 9), though traditionally, in a process reminiscent of the Hanbury–Twiss … [↵][1]1Email: spresse{at}asu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The Relationship Between Voice Onset Time and Increase in Vocal Effort and Fundamental Frequency

Purpose Prior work suggests that voice onset time (VOT) may be impacted by laryngeal tension: VOT means decrease when individuals with typical voices increase their fundamental frequency (f o) and ...
China's Growth Recession & Policy Response

Global demand for manufactured goods has fallen in the wake of the world-wide financial crisis and ensuing G-7 consumption slowdown. This drop in demand has pushed China’s economy to the brink of a “growth recession” – conventionally defined as a period of weak economic growth and rising unemployment. To combat this, China’s government has utilized a combination of policy tools aimed at (1) FISCAL: Promoting domestic investment through public infrastructure development; (2) MONETARY: Loosening credit, particularly to state-owned enterprises; and (3) OTHER: Extending export rebates and incentivizing real estate transactions. There are several indications of an economic slowdown in China (see figures below). Recent reports of labor market penetration problems and plant closings in thousands of textile, apparel, hardware, and electronics firms, suggest that urban unemployment may rise above last official estimates of 4.2%
The New Limits of a Deracialized Campaign: How Polarization and the Black Lives Matter Movement Have Made Deracialized Campaigns Ineffective in Appealing to Black Voters.

In this study, I will explore how political contexts shape the efficacy of deracialized and racialized campaigns. To accomplish this goal, I will begin by reviewing literature on how black voters respond to candidates who make deracialized and racialized campaign appeals. Through this review, I will argue that as blacks become more racially conservative in the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s their preference for deracialized candidates increased. However, given changes in the current political context, blacks will again display strong preferences for candidates who they perceive as aiding the black community. To test this hypothesis, I will explore the connection between perceived racially liberal ideology and vote choice in Presidential Elections between 1980 and 2016 using the American National Election Study. I will also assess whether perceptions of racialization predict vote choice in recent competitive Democratic presidential primaries. Overall, I find that blacks in recent years are much more motivated to turnout and supportive of Democratic candidates who they believe are racially liberal. Moreover, they are more supportive in Democratic presidential nominees who they perceive as being racially liberal. This finding is further corroborated with the use of a survey experiments administered to a large sample of black respondents.
Procedure Implementation Through Demodulation and Related Tricks

In writing a computer program, the programmer often uses procedures or subroutines to carry out frequently-occurring subsidiary tasks. These tasks range from simple bookkeeping and updating to the seeking of the generalization of two given formulas. Problems that one wishes to solve with the assistance of an automated theorem-proving program likewise often involve subsidiary tasks and the corresponding need for procedures (or their equivalent) to accomplish them. It is reasonable to conjecture that employment of procedures either requires the use of external programs or requires substantial modification of the existing theorem-proving program itself. In this paper we give examples that show that neither is the case. Demodulation is the key to implementing the procedures that accomplish such frequently-occurring tasks.
DNA Methylation by DNA Methyltransferase 1 Is Critical for Effector CD8 T Cell Expansion

Transcriptional silencing mediated by DNA methylation is a critical component of epigenetic regulation during early embryonic development in animals. However, the requirement for DNA methylation during activation and differentiation of mature CD8+ T cells into effector and memory cells is not clear. Using cre-mediated deletion of DNA methyltransferase 1 ( Dnmt1 ) at the time of CD8+ T cell activation, we investigated the obligation for maintaining patterns of DNA methylation during the generation of Ag-specific effector and memory CD8+ T cells in response to acute viral infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Dnmt1 −/− CD8+ T cells failed to undergo the massive CD8+ T cell expansion characteristic of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection, leading to >80% reductions in Ag-specific effector CD8+ T cells at the height of the response. Despite this, Dnmt1 −/− CD8+ T cells efficiently controlled the viral infection. Interestingly, the number of Ag-specific Dnmt1 −/− memory CD8+ T cells was moderately reduced compared with the reductions seen at day 8 postinfection. Our data suggest that ablation of Dnmt1 and subsequent DNA methylation affect the finite proliferative potential of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells with moderate effects on their differentiation to effector and memory CD8+ T cells.
Effect of Dietary Restriction on the Age-Dependent Changes in the Expression of Antioxidant Enzymes in Rat Liver

The effects of aging and dietary restriction on the expression of several enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) that are involved in free radical detoxification were studied in liver tissue from male Fischer F344 rats. The expression (i.e., activities and mRNA levels) of superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn) and catalase decreased with age in liver. Dietary restriction (40% restriction of energy intake) increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (24 to 38%) and catalase (64 to 75%) in liver at 21 and 28 mo of age. Glutathione peroxidase activity in liver of diet-restricted rats was significantly higher (37%) at 28 mo of age than that of rats fed ad libitum. The age-related changes in the relative levels of mRNA for superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase paralleled the changes in the activities of these enzymes in rats fed ad libitum or rats fed the restricted diet. Thus, the changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase with age and dietary restriction appear to arise from changes in the levels of mRNAs coding for these enzymes. Free radical damage, as measured by thiobarbituric acid-reactive material and lipofuscin accumulation, was lower in diet-restricted rats than in rats fed ad libitum.
Upright, supine, or bipositional reflux: patterns of reflux do not affect outcome after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.

Introduction This study was undertaken to determine if the body position in which gastroesophageal reflux occurs before fundoplication—i.e., pattern of reflux—affects symptoms before or after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
Evaluation of Classical and Fuzzy Logic Controllers for Wind Turbine Yaw Control

This paper presents the performance comparison of two different controllers for wind turbine yaw control. The two controllers evaluated are a classical proportional-derivative (PD) controller and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The controllers were separately used to operate the teetered rotor wind turbine presently being commissioned at the University of Texas at El Paso. Without an adequate dynamics model, the performance of the PD controller is not sufficient to ensure proper response in the steady state. In addition, the tuning process for selecting the optimum gains of the PD controller is an ad-hoc procedure depending on the wind condition. In contrast, the nonlinear nature of the FLC provides superior response to the control requirements regardless of the wind condition. Field experience gained from this experiment gives adequate confidence to apply the FLC for wind turbine yaw control.
IRAS observations of a large circumstellar dust shell around W Hydrae

IRAS observations at 60 and 100 microns reveal a large 30-40-arcmin (about 1-pc) diameter dust shell centered on the oxygen-rich red giant W Hya. Except for SNRs, this is the largest mass-loss envelope, in apparent diameter, known around any evolved star, including PN. W Hya's radiation field, stronger than the interstellar radiation field in the outer envelope, is sufficient to heat dust grains with IR emissivity proportional to lambda exp -1.2 to temperatures of about 40 K implied by the ratio of intensities at 60 and 100 microns.
Service Providers' Attitudes Toward LGBTQ Youth

This study examined mental health service providers' attitudes toward LGBTQ youth in an agency setting (n = 100) using the Homonegativity Scale, the Personal Comfort Assessment Tool, and the Gay Affirmative Practice Scale. The results of this study indicate that job category is associated with mental health agency employees' attitudes toward LGBTQ youth. Most notably, respondents from the Management/Supervisory category reported less homonegative attitudes toward LGBTQ youth than respondents from the Administrative/Clerical/Support job category. A post hoc regression analysis revealed that homonegative attitudes predict gay affirmative practice for this sample. Implications for policy and practice are explored.
INCIDENCE OF SELECTED CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS IN IOWA

Ray S (Dental Health Center 14th Ave. and Lake St. San Francisco Calif. 94118). Incidence of selected congenital malformations in Iowa. Amer J Epidem 94:572-584 1971. -- Congenital malformations diagnosed among 57909 live births and 777 late fetal deaths occurring in Iowa in 1963 were ascertained from hospital records certificates of live birth death and fetal death and records of the State Crippled Childrens Service. Anencephaly spina bifida hydrocephaly cleft lip cleft palate congenital heart disease Downs syndrome hypospadias congenital hip-dislocation reduction of deformities talipes equinovarus and polydactyly were selected for special analysis. Except for central nervous system (CNS) anomalies and talipes the incidence of these malformations tended to be high compared with other studies in which ascertainment was believed to be fairly complete. Sex ratios conformed to patterns previously reported. The incidence of some malformations was higher in births to women over 35 years of age than in births to younger women whereas the opposite was observed for other malformations. For the majority of malformations under consideration more than one-third of the cases were associated with other anomalies. First year survival rates were lowest for those infants with CNS anomalies or cardiac defects and highest for those with polydactyly hypospadias and congenital hip dislocation. (authors)
Both cell substratum regulation and hormonal regulation of milk protein gene expression are exerted primarily at the posttranscriptional level.

The mechanism by which individual peptide and steroid hormones and cell-substratum interactions regulate milk protein gene expression has been studied in the COMMA-D mammary epithelial cell line. In the presence of insulin, hydrocortisone, and prolactin, growth of COMMA-D cells on floating collagen gels in comparison with that on a plastic substratum resulted in a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in the relative rate of ..beta..-casein gene transcription but a 37-fold increase in ..beta..-casein mRNA accumulation. In contrast, whey acidic protein gene transcription was constitutive in COMMA-D cells grown on either substratum, but its mRNA was unstable and little intact mature mRNA was detected. Culturing COMMA-D cells on collagen also promoted increased expression of other genes expressed in differentiated mammary epithelial cells, including those encoding ..cap alpha..- and ..gamma..-casein, transferrin, malic enzyme, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase but decreased the expression of actin and histone genes. Using COMMA-D cells, the authors defined further the role of individual hormones in influencing ..beta..-casein gene transcription. With insulin alone, a basal level of ..beta..-casein gene transcription was detected in COMMA-D cells grown on floating collagen gels. Addition of prolactin but not hydrocortisone resulted in a 2.5- to 3.0-fold increase in ..beta..-casein gene transcription, but both hormones weremore » required to elicit the maximal 73-fold induction in mRNA accumulation. The posttranscriptional effect of hormones on casein mRNA accummulation preceded any detectable changes in the relative rate of transcription. Thus, regulation by both hormones and cell substratum of casein gene expression is exerted primarily at the post transcriptional level.« less
RATIONALE AND DESIGN OF THE ACCESS SPECIFICATION LANGUAGE RASP

In this paper we describe the formal specification language RASP for expressing fine-grained access control constraints in information systems. The design of the language is motivated by a number of IS case studies which demonstrate the complexity of the access constraints which arise if minimal (need-to-know) access is to be strictly enforced. RASP supports modularity, parameterization, role acquisition, constraint expressions and a symmetrical approach to role transitions and attribute transitions. No existing access control specification language supports all of these complex, realistic requirements.
Age-Related Sarcopenia in Humans Is Associated with Reduced Synthetic Rates of Specific Muscle Proteins

Sarcopenia of aging is not explained entirely on the basis of age-associated reduced physical activity. Progressive neuromuscular changes and diminishing anabolic hormone levels are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. Decline in muscle mass indicates a decline in muscle protein content. Recent studies demonstrated an age-related decline in synthesis rate of mixed muscle proteins, myosin heavy chain and mitochondrial protein. Reductions in myosin heavy chain and mitochondrial protein synthesis rates have been correlated with age-associated decrements in muscle strength and aerobic exercise tolerance, respectively. These changes have been reported as early as 50 y of age and are related to the decline in insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-sulfate. The declining ability to remodel these important muscle proteins may therefore play a role in the development of muscle wasting, metabolic abnormalities and impaired physical functioning seen in old age.
Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting

Background. Standard options for the invasive management of proximal disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery include coronary artery bypass grafting with a left internal mammary artery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Methods. We describe a surgical technique for bypass of the left anterior descending coronary artery with a left internal mammary artery without median sternotomy and without cardiopulmonary bypass. Thoracoscopy is used to harvest the internal mammary artery, whereas the mammary-coronary artery anastomosis is performed under direct vision through a limited anterior thoracotomy. Results. We have performed this procedure successfully in 3 patients with minimal morbidity and shortened hospital stay. Average operative time was 3 hours and postoperative hospital stay averaged less than 48 hours. Conclusions. Although experience is limited and follow-up is very short, with further experience, this less invasive surgical technique may become a viable option for the management of proximal left anterior descending disease.
Expression of 5α-reductase in bacteria as a trp E fusion protein and its use in the production of antibodies for immunocytochemical localization of 5α-reductase ☆

A cDNA encoding a full-length rat 5 alpha-reductase was isolated using female rat liver mRNA and the polymerase chain reaction, and fused to the Escherichia coli trp E gene in a pATH expression vector. The trp E-5 alpha-reductase fusion protein expressed in bacteria and a synthetic oligopeptide corresponding to the C-terminus of rat 5 alpha-reductase were used as antigens to produce rabbit polyclonal antibodies to 5 alpha-reductase. Antibodies to the 5 alpha-reductase portion of the fusion protein and to the peptide were purified by affinity chromatography. Antibodies against the 5 alpha-reductase fusion protein reacted with a single component of rat liver microsomes with M(r) 26,000 on Western blots, consistent with the size of 5 alpha-reductase predicted from its cDNA, and with a M(r) 23,000 component on Western blots of detergent extracts of rat ventral prostate nuclei; other rat ventral prostate cellular fractions (mitochondrial, microsomal, cytosol) bound little or no antibody. Antibody against the synthetic peptide reacted with a M(r) 26,000 component of rat liver microsomes as well as with several components in various cellular fractions of rat ventral prostate. With anti-5 alpha-reductase fusion protein antibodies, specific immunocytochemical staining was observed in the epithelial cell nuclei of the rat ventral prostate, seminal vesicle, epididymis and other accessory sex glands. This nuclear staining was specific, since antibodies from non-immunized rabbits did not give nuclear staining and preincubation of the anti-5 alpha-reductase fusion protein antibodies with the trp E-5 alpha-reductase fusion protein eliminated nuclear staining. Incubation of antibodies with trp E (without the 5 alpha-reductase fusion) had no effect on nuclear staining. Specific staining was not detected in the cytoplasm of these epithelial cells. Little or no specific staining was observed in stromal cells in these rat tissues. Human prostate was also immunocytochemically stained with this antibody. Specific staining was found in both epithelial and stromal cell nuclei.
Studying reaction time with nonaging intervals: An effective procedure

The nonaging-intervals procedure, in which momentary probability of stimulus occurrence remains constant, is preferable in principle to varied or constant intervals for double-stimulation experiments on reaction time (RT). However, elevation of RT has uniformly been found at short waiting intervals on single-stimulation baseline tasks. Effects attributable to the first stimulus on double-stimulation tasks would thus be confounded. The required level baselines were obtained for both simple and choice reactions by combining the transit-signal method with nonaging intervals. Possible reasons for this success were the elimination of timekeeping error and psychological refractoriness. Results with precued full response information show the expected decline of RT with increase of precue-to-stimulus interval. Suggestions are given for the use of nonaging intervals for studying the attentional demands of movements and the influence of level of momentary probability on basic RT effects.
Modeling the contribution of sugars, ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid and amino acids to non-enzymatic browning of potato chips

The contribution of potato constituents to color development in fried chips was evaluated using model systems. Soluble constituents of potato slices were removed using water and ethanol. Leached slices were infiltrated with pH 6.2 solutions containing sucrose, reducing sugars (glucose and fructose), ascorbic, chlorogenic and amino acids (asparagine and glutamine) in quantities typical for potatoes. Infiltrated slice composition was evaluated by HPLC. Slices were fried and the color measured. Reducing sugars showed linear association with L * and hue angle and quadratic relationship with chroma of chips. Ascorbic acid affected chip color at low reducing sugar levels (40 mg/100g tuber); sucrose also contributed to chip color development.
Keynote: On-Line Social Systems with Long-Range Goals

Many systems involve the allocation of rewards for achievements, and these rewards produce a set of incentives that in turn guide behavior. Such effects are visible in many domains from everyday life, and they are increasingly forming a designed aspect of participatory on-line sites through the use of badges and other reward systems. We consider several aspects of the interaction between rewards and incentives in the context of collective effort, including a method for reasoning about on-line user activity in the presence of milestones and badges; and a graph-theoretic framework for analyzing procrastination and other forms of behavior that are inconsistent over time. The talk includes joint work with Ashton Anderson, Dan Huttenlocher, Jure Leskovec, and Sigal Oren
A millimeter-wave 0.18-μm BiCMOS dual-band power amplifier

A 0.18-μm SiGe BiCMOS concurrent dual-band power amplifier (PA) was developed. The PA can work in concurrent dual-band mode at 25.5 and 37 GHz as well as single-band mode at 25.5 or 37 GHz. The measured results show that, in the single-band mode, the dual-band PA exhibits gain of 21.4 and 17 dB, maximum output power of 16 and 13 dBm, and maximum power added efficiency (PAE) of 10.6 % and 4.9 % at 25.5 and 37 GHz, respectively. In the dual-band mode, the maximum output power is 13 and 9.5 dBm at 25.5 and 37 GHz, respectively, and the total maximum PAE is 7.1 %. The concurrent dual-band PA has a chip size of 1.3 × 0.68 mm 2 and consumes a dc current of 120 mA from a 3-V supply voltage.
Structure of turbulent bubbly jets-I. Methods and centerline properties

The structure of dilute bubbly turbulent round jets, injected vertically upward in still water, was studied both theoretically and experimentally. All measurements were nonintrusive, including mean and fluctuating phase velocities, bubble number intensities, bubble-size distributions and calibration of the motion of individual bubbles. Predictions from three analyses were compared with measurements: (1) locally homogeneous flow analysis, where velocity differences between the phases were neglected; (2) deterministic separated flow analysis, where relative velocity was considered but bubble/turbulence interactions were ignored; and (3) stochasic separated flow analysis, where both relative velocity and bubble/turbulence interactions were considered using random-walk methods. This paper describes theoretical and experimental methods, flow structure near the source and mean properties along the jet axis. Effects of relative velocity were important almost everywhere in the flow; therefore, only the separated flow models yielded satisfactory predictions of bubble velocities along the axis. A companion paper treats mean and fluctuating properties in other regions of the flow.
An Exploratory Study of Home Healthcare Robots Adoption Applying the UTAUT Model

The home healthcare initiative is aimed to reduce readmission costs, transportation costs, and hospital medical errors, and to improve post hospitalization healthcare quality, and enhance patient home independency. Today, it is almost unimaginable to consider this initiative without information technology. Home healthcare robots are one of such emerging technologies. Several robots have been developed to facilitate home healthcare such as remote presence robots e.g., RP2 and Paro. Most previous research in this area has focused on technology and implementation issues of home healthcare robots, but ignored the factors that influence their adoption. To address the limitation, the current research applied and extended the UTAUT model to the home healthcare domain. The model was tested using survey questionnaire. The empirical results not only confirmed the effects of some constructs from the original UTAUT model but also identified perceived security as a new factor that directly affects usage intention of home healthcare robots. In addition, effort expectancy did not show a direct effect but an indirect effect through performance expectancy on usage intention. Several practical and theoretical implications are also discussed.
Turbofan duct liner design/optimization : A statistical method

A statistical method for design optimization of acoustic liners for turbofan inlets is developed. This approach is motivated by the observation that the performance of acoustic treatment is dependent on the details of the source. For broadband noise the source is inherently random and for tonal noise in most cases the precise source structure is uncertain. The source is defined by many trials of randomly selected modal powers and modal phases, and with an efficient model of duct propagation, statistical descriptions of realized attenuation are generated with repeatable mean and standard deviation. The method is demonstrated for optimization of acoustic treatment for tonal noise, for broadband noise at specific frequencies, and for spectral attenuation. Comparisons of optimized linings with linings developed in a published experimental program are used to investigate performance predictions.
Binding of histone to DNA.

Abstract The reconstitution of nucleohistone has been studied using a novel analytical approach. We have exploited measurements of the surface tension of histone solutions both in the presence and absence of DNA to calculate the amount of histone bound per gram of DNA as a function of protein concentrations in a variety of ionic strength solutions. F1, F2b and F3 histones were used in these investigations. The nature of the histone-DNA binding isotherms depend significantly on the ionic strength of the medium, type of the histone fraction and the extent of DNA hydration. For F2b and F3 fractions at low ionic strengths, moles of histone present in a mole of saturated DNA-histone complex were calculated. From the measurement of surface tension of F2b histone solutions in the presence and absence of chromatin at 0.01 and 0.10 ionic strengths, the extent of additional binding of F2b histone by native nucleohistone was calculated.
Fabrication and characterization of improved Ag/PS hollow-glass waveguides for THz transmission

This study involves the fabrication and characterization of improved quality silver (Ag)/polystyrene (PS) thin-film-coated hollow-glass waveguides for the low-loss transmission of terahertz radiation via modified dynamic liquid phase deposition techniques. High-quality PS thin films were deposited from aqueous PS solutions, and the spectral response of fabricated samples was measured from λ=1-100 μm. Fabricated samples exhibited highly defined spectral responses throughout this entire range indicative of PS films of excellent quality. The spectra of experimental samples were compared to the theoretical and bulk PS spectra in the near-IR and far-IR regions. The thickness of deposited PS thin films was found to depend on total sample length and to vary from approximately 10-16 μm for sample lengths ranging from 115 to 140 cm. Such PS film thicknesses are adequate for low-loss delivery from approximately 2-4 THz. Furthermore, film thickness was found to vary minimally along the waveguide length regardless of total sample length.
Signaling Responses to Alkyllysophosphatidic Acid: The Activation of Phospholipases A2and C and Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Human Platelets☆

Abstract The profile of biochemical responses following stimulation of human platelets with 1-alkyl-2-lyso- sn -glycero-3-phosphate (ALPA), a derivative of platelet-activating factor (PAF), was investigated. In the presence of extracellular Ca 2+ , ALPA evoked a dose-dependent increase and sustained elevation of the intracellular free Ca 2+ concentration and stimulated the formation of phosphatidic acid. Platelets released free [ 3 H]arachidonic and [ 3 H]oleic acid at maximal rates between 5 and 15 s following ALPA stimulation. However, in platelets labeled with myo-[ 3 H]inositol, ALPA induced [ 3 H]phosphoinositide breakdown and formation of [ 3 H]inositol phosphates with slower kinetics. Intracellular Ca 2+ mobilization and the release of free fatty acids and inositol phosphates were not inhibited by pretreatment of platelets with pertussis toxin (PTX) or the PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2086. Following platelet stimulation with ALPA, tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins with apparent molecular masses of 65–95, 110–130, and 145–170 kDa was increased in a time-dependent manner, while phosphorylation of 40- to 45-kDa proteins was decreased. One of the platelet proteins phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in response to ALPA was found to be PLC-γ1. Exogenous [ 3 H]ALPA was metabolized primarily to [1- 3 H]alkyl-2,3-diacylglycerol. The metabolic conversion of [ 3 H]ALPA involved a dephosphorylation reaction, and the formation of the dephosphorylated product, [1- 3 H]alkyl-monoglycerol, was detected within 5 s. These data demonstrate that an ether-linked lysophosphatidic acid can activate human platelets by a PTX-insensitive mechanism which does not involve the PAF receptor. Upon stimulation of platelets, ALPA induces the activation of phospholipases A 2 and C, and tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins including PLC-γ1. These signal transduction responses in platelets are accompanied by rapid metabolism of ALPA.
Team teaching: a resource guide for nurse educators

Abstract The shortage of qualified nursing faculty and the decreased financial budgets have prompted nursing programs to find innovative methods that promote an efficient use of instructional resources. Team teaching is one approach that programs are using to provide quality educational experiences without limiting course options. Literature regarding how to effectively implement team teaching in nursing education is limited. This article provides nurse educators with a resource guide to use when assigned to a team-taught course.
The curiosity of abused preschool children in mother-present, teacher-present, and stranger-present situations

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine differences in the curiosity behavior of abused preschool children in three situations: with their mothers, a teacher, and a female stranger; (b) to determine whether these children would exhibit more curiosity when exposed to novel versus familiar objects; and (c) to examine several adult behaviors that are theoretically related to children's curiosity. Twenty-three 2-to 5-year-old abused low socioeconomic children participated in a warm-up session with their mothers followed by three procedurally equivalent sessions during which the child, the mother, the teacher, and a stranger were exposed to 6 novel and 6 familiar play objects. Regardless of the social situation, the children and the adults explored the familiar objects more than the novel objects. The children explored the novel objects significantly less in the stranger-present situation than in the other situations. Finally, the pattern of adult findings indicated that abusive mothers were less likely to encourage curiosity in their children than were teachers or strangers. These results were related to past research with white, middle-class, nonabused children.
A role for the myoglobin redox cycle in the induction of endothelial cell apoptosis.

Abstract This study investigates the potential role of the ferric/ferryl redox cycle of myoglobin (Mb) in the development of endothelial cell injury. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were incubated with ferric Mb (0.5–100 μM) in the presence or absence of low steady states of H 2 O 2 (3–4 μM) generated by glucose oxidase (GOX). The reaction of ferric Mb with H 2 O 2 generated ferryl Mb as monitored spectrophotometrically. Ferryl Mb formation correlated with the induction of apoptosis as indicated by morphological criteria, caspase 3 activation, phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization, and nuclear condensation by Hoechst 33342 staining. The addition of ascorbate or catalase inhibited the formation of ferryl Mb and the onset of apoptosis, whereas apoptosis was enhanced in cells depleted of intracellular glutathione by pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine. Mb and Mb/GOX suppressed cell cycle progression, but only Mb/GOX produced significant cell loss revealed by the accumulation of sub G1 events. These results suggest a role for the Mb redox cycle in the induction of endothelial cell apoptosis, which may be relevant in the pathophysiology of diseases characterized by the release of Mb from damaged muscle.
Evaluating Cottonseed Meal Protein for Chick Growth by Enzymatic Release of Amino Acids

Abstract IN A previous study by Ingram, Riesen, Cravens and Elvehjem (1949) it was found that a good measure of the biological value of the protein of soybean oil meal for chick growth could be obtained by subjecting the meal to enzymatic hydrolysis and then measuring the amounts of certain amino acids that were liberated in a given period of time. The soybean oil meal samples were first subjected to acid hydrolysis and the amino acid content determined microbiologically. After enzymatic hydrolysis similar determinations were carried out and the percentage of the amino acids liberated by the enzymes calculated. Good correlation was found between these values and the growth supported by the same soybean meal samples in chicks. The studies reported here were undertaken to determine if this in vitro technique would also accurately measure the relative biological value of different cottonseed meal samples. Since the work of Olcott and Fontaine . . .
Ecologies of complexity: Tropical environments, African trypanosomiasis, and the science of disease control in British colonial Africa, 1900-1940.

Tropical Africa was one of the last regions of the world to experience formal European colonialism, a process that coincided with the advent of a range of new scientific specialties and research methods. The history of British attempts to understand and control African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle), following the intense human epidemics that broke out between 1895 and 1910, reveals hitherto ignored scientific research in the fields of ecology, epidemiology, and tropical medicine that helped produce a new understanding of the "ecology of disease." Often generated within a transnational and interdisciplinary context, this knowledge increasingly assumed that vector-borne diseases in tropical environments were highly complex, dynamic, and interrelated phenomena. Thus while many people continued to hope that trypanosomiasis could be eradicated, research results made this prospect seem unlikely, if not impossible.
Cult Cinema by Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton. Walden, MA and Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011

A central paradox exists in contemporary society. People are told to be unique and individualistic, but when someone asserts differences the culture abandons that uniqueness, opting to embrace soci...
The Ethical Perils of Knowledge Acquisition

At first blush, there would seem to be few ethical problems with knowledge acquisition in a law enforcement context. For that context is one of public safety and criminal justice, both worthy ends,...
A short vas deferens limiting successful laparoscopic testicular descent

Objective To highlight the problem of the short vas deferens in a single stage or staged laparoscopic orchidopexy. Patients and methods From October 1992 to February 1996, 23 patients (mean age 4.9 years, range 12 months to 12 years) underwent a laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy. During the second stage (open surgery), a short vas deferens was found in three patients; two testes were located retrovesically and one was in the internal inguinal ring. Two testes could not be brought into the scrotum, but only to the inguinal region, and one testis was placed in the scrotum but under tension. Results The patients were followed for 12, 19 and 28 months; the testis under tension became fully atrophic. One of the two testes that could not be placed further than the inguinal canal developed marked hypotrophy, while the other 'survived'. Conclusion A laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy should not used in patients with a very short vas deferens; patients with such a short vas deferens are extremely rare.
The impact of the family on home-based work

This article reports on a study of 899 families with at least one member engaged in home-based work. Six work characteristics are examined in relation to family structure and gender of the home-based worker: business ownership, occupation of the home-based work, amount of income generated, location of the work space, number of hours worked, and availability of help with the work. Women in single-parent and full-nest families are found to do the most restructuring of work time and space and women home-based workers generate less income from the work than do men. Male home-based workers experience less conflict between family and work scheduling, are more likely to have an exclusive work space, and tend to have help with the home-based work.
Staff management in correctional institutions: Comparing DiIulio's “control model” and “employee investment model” outcomes in five jails

In this study of five podular direct-supervision jails we test whether facilities with characteristics related to an “employee investment model” for management of corrections, as opposed to a “control model,” experience the positive personnel outcomes claimed by DiIulio for prisons operated in the “control” manner. We analyze outcome measures such as job enrichment, job satisfaction, workplace stress (supplemented with data on role conflict, organizational commitment, training, and turnover) and find only limited support for the supposed benefits of the DiIulio management model in the contemporary jail. In fact, we discover some evidence that investment in personnel is beneficial to the jail organization.
A retro-lentiviral system for doxycycline-inducible gene expression and gene knockdown in cells with limited proliferative capacity

Currently, there is no reliable system for regulated gene expression and regulated gene knockdown in cells with finite lifespan. In this manuscript, we describe a vector system, consisting of a retrovirus for the delivery of rtTA, and a lentivirus for the delivery of either a transgene or a miR-shRNA for the modification of primary cells. Primary rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC) modified by these vectors for the inducible expression of Gaussia luciferase or DsRed Express demonstrated greater than 100-fold induction of the transgene expression with doxycycline. The system works reliably in both sequential and simultaneous infection modes, with about 95% of the sells selected with two antibiotics being inducible in each mode. The lentiviral vector for gene knockdown allows for the direct cloning of shRNA oligos using alpha-complementation, and for the monitoring of induction of RNA interference with fluorescent reporter, mCherry. The gene knockdown vector was validated by knocking down β-actin expression in PMVECs, with two of the four constructs showing 59 and 75% knockdown, respectively, compared to uninduced controls. The vectors described here were successfully used for the modification of various primary and established cell lines for regulated gene expression and regulated knockdown.
Early classification of multivariate time series using a hybrid HMM/SVM model

Early classification of time series has been receiving a lot of attention as of late, particularly in the context of gene expression. In the biomedical realm, early classification can be of tremendous help, by identifying the onset of a disease before it has time to fully take hold, or determining that a treatment has done its job and can be discontinued. In this paper we present a state-of-the-art model, which we call the Early Classification Model (ECM), that allows for early, accurate, and patient-specific classification of multivariate time series. The model is comprised of an integration of the widely-used HMM and SVM models, which, while not a new technique per se, has not been used for early classification of multivariate time series classification until now. It attained very promising results on the datasets we tested it on: in our experiments based on a published dataset of response to drug therapy in Multiple Sclerosis patients, ECM used only an average of 40% of a time series and was able to outperform some of the baseline models, which needed the full time series for classification.
Overshadowing by food of stimulus control by a keylight in a two-element serial compound

Pigeons were given successive discrimination training in which pecking during a choice period when the key was white was either reinforced or not, depending upon the prior presence or absence of a discriminative stimulus, which was a two-element serial compound. The compound consisted of a keylight and food, with food presented second or first in a forward or backward pairing for different groups of pigeons. In Experiment 1, the sequence was an S+ indicating reinforced trials, while in Experiment 2, the sequence was an S− indicating nonreinforced trials. Following acquisition of discriminated operant behavior, a sequence generalization test was administered during which all possible orders of the two stimuli were presented on test trials prior to the onset of the choice period. The results showed that food overshadowed stimulus control by the color of the light on the key on the sequence-generalization test, independently of whether food was presented first or second during training and independently of whether food was associated with reinforcement or nonreinforcement. The similarity of results for the two experiments suggests that overshadowing occurs independently of whether the compound is a discriminative stimulus for reinforcement or nonreinforcement. Simultaneous presentation of elements of a compound stimulus is not necessary for overshadowing because the phenomenon was captured with sequentially presented stimuli.