cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The flavonoid constituents of normal and virus-infected peach and cherry leaves.

Abstract 1. 1. Normal and virus-infected peach and cherry leaves have been examined for their flavonoid constituents. Glycosides of kampferol and quercetin and esters of p -coumaric and caffeic acids were identified in peach leaves; p -coumaric acid was identified after alkaline hydrolysis of a cherry leaf extract. 2. 2. Normal and virus-infected leaves show qualitative similarity, but the normal leaves show less of all and very much less of some constituents than infected leaves. 3. 3. Virus-infected cherry leaves contain, per unit of dry weight, about three times as much kampferol and quercetin as normal leaves, and nearly twice as much caffeic acid.
Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of fracture growth in alloys

Abstract A two-dimensional grid containing over 100 000 atoms is used to simulate high strain rate growth in a Cu-Ni Monel alloy. Interatomic interactions are modeled by an appropriate Lennard-Jones potential with spline cut-off. A starter notch is introduced in a quenched sample, an external expansion is imposed, and crack initiation and propagation are demonstrated. The code is developed in Fortran-90 for usage on massively parallel computers and actual simulations are performed on a MasPar MP-1. The atomic positions are spatially decomposed on each processor, data are shared with adjacent processors, and atoms are transfered as they move.
School-age special education outcomes of infants and toddlers investigated for maltreatment

Abstract Examination of a nationally representative, longitudinal study of infants and toddlers investigated for maltreatment reveals disproportionate representation of teen mothers, fair/poor health, poverty, and being African-American. Infants are more likely to have special needs reported, subst`ance abusing caregivers, low-quality home environment, out-of-home placement, physical neglect, and substantiated maltreatment. At school-age, approximately one-fifth of all investigated infants and toddlers have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), indicating special education placement. Early characteristics associated with having an IEP include poverty, boys, fair/poor health, and low language scores. Hispanic children and those investigated for physical or sexual abuse were less likely to have an IEP. At school-age, infants had lower Woodcock–Johnson-III math subtests scores, whereas toddlers had lower reading comprehension performance.
Sexual Behavior in Female Transsexuals and Lesbians

Abstract This study was designed to look at the role sexual arousal and behavior play in confirming or resolving gender identity confusion, and at how female‐to‐male transsexuals (FTs) and lesbians (Ls) differ in this area. Detailed interview data on sexual behavior from a clinical sample of 15 FTs compared to a matched research sample of 15 Ls are presented. The mean age for the FTs group was 21 years, 10 months and 23 years, 8 months for the Ls group. The two groups were matched by age, educational background and parental socioeconomic status. The results indicated that the majority of women in both groups had had sexual experience with men as well as women. All clearly preferred women as partners, but the FTs fantasized being men in encounters with women, while the Ls were completely identified women. The Ls sample tended to go through a heterosexual phase before they had their first relationship with another woman, which was typically not until approximately age 20. However, the FTs tended to have the...
Scheduling arrivals to a stochastic service mechanism

We consider the problem of scheduling the arrivals of a fixed number of customers to a stochastic service mechanism to minimize an expected cost associated with operating the system. We consider the special case of exponentially distributed service times and the problems in general associated with obtaining exact analytic solutions. For general service time distributions we obtain approximate numerical solutions using a stochastic version of gradient search employing Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis estimates of the objective function gradient obtained via simulation.
Thromboxane-induced neutrophil adhesion to pulmonary microvascular and aortic endothelium is regulated by CD18.

Thromboxane (Tx) A2 generation and subsequent selective pulmonary sequestration of neutrophils (PMNs) is characteristic of several forms of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Therefore, we examined PMN-dependent adhesion to cultured pulmonary microvessel and aortic endothelium (EC) in response to U46,619 (Tx mimic). Nonstimulated PMNs were two fold more adherent to pulmonary microvessel HC than to aortic EC (P < 0.01). PMN pretreatment with Tx mimic (10−6 M) increased adhesion to both types of EC (P < 0.01). The Tx mimic-induced adhesion was blocked by receptor antagonists to Tx (SQ29,548) and to leukotrienes (FPL55,712), and by the anti-CD18 mAb TS1/18 (P < 0.01, all cases). Baseline PMN adhesion also was modulated by Tx, leukotrienes, and CD18, for both EC types. These results indicate pulmonary microvessel EC is intrinsically more adhesive for both nonstimulated and stimulated PMNs than aortic EC and that Tx mediates PMN-dependent adhesion by coupled interaction of Tx and LT receptors via CD 18 activation.
An algorithm for finding canonical sets of ground rewrite rules in polynomial time

In this paper, it is shown that there is an algorithm that, given by finite set E of ground equations, produces a reduced canonical rewriting system R equivalent to E in polynomial time. This algorithm based on congruence closure performs simplification steps guided by a total simplification ordering on ground terms, and it runs in time O(n3).
Application-aware cross-layer virtual machine resource management

Existing resource management solutions in datacenters and cloud systems typically treat VMs as black boxes when making resource allocation decisions. This paper advocates the cooperation between VM host- and guest-layer schedulers for optimizing the resource management and application performance. It presents an approach to such cross-layer optimization upon fuzzy-modeling-based resource management. This approach exploits guest-layer application knowledge to capture workload characteristics and improve VM modeling, and enables the host-layer scheduler to feedback resource allocation decision and adapt guest-layer application configuration. As a case study, this approach is applied to virtualized databases which have challenging dynamic, complex resource usage behaviors. Specifically, it characterizes query workloads based on a database's internal cost estimation and adapts query executions by tuning the cost model parameters according to changing resource availability. A prototype of the proposed approach is implemented on Xen VMs and evaluated using workloads based on TPC-H and RUBiS. The results show that with guest-to-host workload characterization, resources can be efficiently allocated to database VMs serving workloads with changing intensity and composition while meeting Quality-of-Service (QoS) targets. For TPC-H, the prediction error for VM resource demand is less than 3.5%; for RUBiS, the response time target is met for 92% of the time. Both significantly outperform the resource allocation scheme without workload characterization. With host-to-guest database adaptation, the performance of TPC-H-based workloads is also improved by 17% when the VM's available I/O bandwidth is reduced due to contention.
Crop identification using harmonic analysis of time-series AVHRR NDVI data

Harmonic analysis of a time series of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advanced very high resolution radiometer normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data was used to develop an innovative technique for crop type identification based on temporal changes in NDVI values. Different crops (corn, soybeans, alfalfa) exhibit distinctive seasonal patterns of NDVI variation that have strong periodic characteristics. Harmonic analysis, or Fourier analysis, decomposes a time-dependent periodic phenomenon into a series of constituent sinusoidal functions, or terms, each defined by a unique amplitude and phase value. Amplitude and phase angle images were produced by analysis of the time-series NDVI data and used within a discriminant analysis to develop a methodology for crop type identification. For crops that have a single distinct growing season and period of peak greenness, such as corn, the majority of the variance was captured by the first and additive terms, while winter wheat exhibited a bimodal NDVI periodicity with the majority of the variance accounted for by the second harmonic term.
X-band Electron Spin Relaxation Times for Four Aromatic Radicals in Fluid Solution and Comparison with Other Organic Radicals

X-band electron spin relaxation times of BDPA (1:1 α,γ-bisdiphenylene-β-phenylallyl), galvinoxyl 2,6-di-tert-butyl-α-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-oxo-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene)-p-tolyloxy, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and thianthrene radicals in fluid solution were measured by electron spin echo and inversion recovery at ambient temperature. Tumbling correlation times are estimated to be in the range of 20–30 ps. In this fast tumbling regime T 1 ~ T 2. Relaxation times are compared with previously reported values for symmetrically substituted triarylmethyl, semiquinone, and nitroxide radicals. The concentration dependence of spin lattice relaxation for neutral BDPA in toluene is about 103 times greater than for anionic trityl radicals in water. T 1 decreases in the order carbon-center BDPA > galvinoxyl > DPPH > thianthrene. The dominant relaxation mechanisms are proposed to be a local mode for BDPA, spin rotation, local mode and modulation of anisotropic proton hyperfine coupling for galvinoxyl, modulation of anisotropic nitrogen hyperfine for DPPH, and spin rotation plus modulation of anisotropic proton hyperfine coupling for thianthrene.
TLR-Mediated B Cell Defects and IFN-α in Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) B cells have impaired responses to TLR7 and TLR9 agonists including poor cell proliferation, loss of cytokine production, and failure to produce IgG or IgA. We show that TLR7- or 9-activated B cells from CVID subjects with >0.5% peripheral isotype-switched CD27+ B cells (group 2) have increased mature Cγ1 and Cγ2 heavy-chain mRNA transcripts compared to subjects who have <0.5% isotype-switched cells (group 1). While TLR-stimulated CVID plasmacytoid dendritic cells for all subjects had impaired IFN-α production, TLR7 or TLR9 stimulation in the presence IFN-α normalized isotype-switched CD27+ B cells, enhanced activation-induced cytidine deaminase mRNA, and significantly improved IgG production only for group 2 subjects. IFN-α also upregulated TLR7 and TLR9 mRNA expression comparable to normal levels in B cells of group 2 subjects, indicating that the loss of IFN-α could be a significant component of the B-cell defect for these subjects.
Local and Regional Economic Development Planning and the Role of Community Development Practitioners

Changing national and international economies have altered local options for economic development. Traditional industrial economic development efforts offer limited opportunity as a growth strategy. Rural communities, especially, face economic difficulties because of a downturn in agriculture and the migration of manufacturing to low-wage, off-shore markets. This paper presents the results of a regional planning district commission survey that suggests local and regional governments are not responding to the changing economic options with broad-based development strategies. While some commissions are involved in traditional industrial recruitment activities, few are involved with strategies that recognize and build on local and regional strengths for alternative types of economic growth. The paper also discusses the role of community development practitioners in promoting broad-based local and regional economic development.
Age-dependent cost-utility of pediatric cochlear implantation

Objectives: Cochlear implantation (CI) has become the mainstay of treatment for children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Yet, despite mounting evidence of the clinical benefits of early implantation, little data are available on the long-term societal benefits and comparative effectiveness of this procedure across various ages of implantation—a choice parameter for parents and clinicians with high prognostic value for clinical outcome. As such, the aim of the present study is to evaluate a model of the consequences of the timing of this intervention from a societal economic perspective. Average cost utility of pediatric CI by age at intervention will be analyzed. Design: Prospective, longitudinal assessment of health utility and educational placement outcomes in 175 children recruited from six U.S. centers between November 2002 and December 2004, who had severe-to-profound SNHL onset within 1 year of age, underwent CI before 5 years of age, and had up to 6 years of postimplant follow-up that ended in November 2008 to December 2011. Costs of care were collected retrospectively and stratified by preoperative, operative, and postoperative expenditures. Incremental costs and benefits of implantation were compared among the three age groups and relative to a nonimplantation baseline. Results: Children implanted at 36 months of age, respectively. Medical and surgical complication rates were not significantly different among the three age groups. In addition, mean lifetime costs of implantation were similar among the three groups, at approximately $2000/child/year (77.5-year life expectancy), yielding costs of $14,996, $17,849, and $19,173 per QALY for the youngest, middle, and oldest implant age groups, respectively. Full mainstream classroom integration rate was significantly higher in the youngest group at 81% as compared with 57 and 63% for the middle and oldest groups, respectively (p < 0.05) after 6 years of follow-up. After incorporating lifetime educational cost savings, CI led to net societal savings of $31,252, $10,217, and $6,680 for the youngest, middle, and oldest groups at CI, respectively, over the child’s projected lifetime. Conclusions: Even without considering improvements in lifetime earnings, the overall cost-utility results indicate highly favorable ratios. Early (<18 months) intervention with CI was associated with greater and longer qualityof-life improvements, similar direct costs of implantation, and economically valuable improved classroom placement, without a greater incidence of medical and surgical complications when compared to CI at older ages. (Ear & Hearing 2013;01;0–0)
Aspects of reinforcement through UCS offset in classical aversive conditioning

Abstract GSR conditioning with a UCS-CS interval of 700 msec. and a CS-UCS interval of 3300 msec. respectively in two experiments was compared for two groups of 20 Ss trained with a long (2300 msec.) and a short (200 msec.) shock as UCS. The aim was to clarify in part the roles of delay, direction, and amount, aspects of offset reinforcement which had been completely confounded in a previous study. Comparisons with control groups run at 5000-msec. and 10000-msec. UCS-CS intervals respectively in Experiments I and II indicated conditioning with both the 700-msec. UCS-CS and the 3300-msec. CS-UCS intervals. The lack of significant differences between the short- and long-UCS conditions in both experiments was taken to indicate that: (a) direction was important and possibly crucial; (b) delay and amount were equally important under forward direction; (c) delay and amount probably interacted with direction, the first two aspects being important only when the third was forward.
Introduction: Beyond the Debates of the Seventies

The present issue of Cultural Anthropology represents a fulfillment of a promise which began in 1977 with the formation of the Anthropology Department at Emory University. A great deal rests on the initial choices made in the setting up of a new department, and in our case the situation at the beginning would prove to be paradigmatic: there was one cultural anthropologist (Barlett) and one biological anthropologist (Smith). Even then, it was a department devoted to parity between those two great subfields of our discipline. This policy was and remains determined by the particular nature of Emory University. The presence in our community of Yerkes Primate Research Center, the Centers for Disease Control, and a distinguished medical school argues forcibly for the presence of a strong biological component in our anthropology program. At the same time, Emory's traditional commitment to distinction in the humanities, and the emphasis on interpretive and critical methods in the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts, the theological community, the Philosophy Department, and related programs demands equally strongly that cultural anthropology be present as well. At first making a virtue of necessity, those of us involved in developing Emory's anthropology program chose to use this situation to our advantage by turning the institution into a forum for confronting one of the major problems in the field of contemporary anthropology, that is, the relationship between cultural and biological approaches to the study of humanity. Within anthropology, this relationship, I need hardly stress, has not always been a friendly one: where outright hostility does not prevail, there tends at best to be a cool and distant tolerance of each subfield by the other, each privately waiting, one suspects, for the other to either see things its way or else just go away. Almost all of us had spent time in departments riven by the ideological disputes in the anthropology of the sixties and seventies, and we very much hoped to live and work in a department which, even more so because of its small size, would be as free as possible from fragmentation and mutual distrust or indifference. We therefore agreed to organize the future growth of the department in such a way that the cultural and biological components would at all times be equally represented, and that neither would attempt or be allowed to dominate the other.
Isolated Interstitial Nodal Spaces May Facilitate Preferential Solute and Fluid Mixing in the Rat Renal Inner Medulla

Recent anatomic findings indicate that in the upper inner medulla of the rodent kidney, tubules, and vessels are organized around clusters of collecting ducts (CDs). Within CD clusters, CDs and som...
Mechanical output of the cat soleus during treadmill locomotion: In vivo vs in situ characteristics

Abstract To study the mechanical output of skeletal muscle, four adult cats were trained to run on a treadmill and then implanted under sterile conditions and anesthesia with a force transducer on the soleus tendon and EMG electrodes in the muscle belly. After a two-week recovery period, five consecutive step cycles were filmed at treadmill speeds of 0.8, 1.3 and 2.2 m s −1 . Locomotion data in vivo included individual muscle force, length and velocity changes and EMG during each step cycle. Data for an average step cycle at each speed were compared to the force-velocity properties obtained on the same muscle under maximal nerve stimulation and isotonic loading conditions in situ . Results indicate that the force and power generated at a given velocity of shortening during late stance in vivo were greater at the higher speeds of locomotion than the force and power generated at the same shortening velocity in situ . Strain energy stored in the muscle-tendon unit during the yield phase in early stance is felt to be a major contributor to the muscle's enhanced mechanical output during muscle shortening in late stance.
Rearranging the universe: Reengineering, reinventing, and recycling

Technical services at Stanford University Libraries is in the process of instituting major changes in its organization and in the way it receives and processes materials. These changes depend on outsourcing, more use of current technology, and decentralizing many processes. To achieve change, we have relinquished many long-held assumptions and routines. This paper describes the first of the major changes we are instituting, in the monographic receiving area, and looks forward to the changes coming in the future.
Evaluation of spunbonded polyethylene row covers as a method of excluding insects and viruses affecting fall-grown squash in Florida.

A lightweight floating row cover, used alone and in combination with a white-on-black polyethylene mulch, was evaluated under the hot, humid conditions of the fall growing season in Florida as a method of controlling aphid-borne mosaic viruses, whitefly-induced leaf silvering, and insects directly damaging zucchini squash. Yields increased dramatically with the use of covers, especially if covers were left in place for at least 1wk after plants began to bloom. Covers excluded pickleworm, Diaphania nitidalis (Stoll); melonworm, Diaphania hyalinata (L.); sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and several colonizing aphid species. Except for B. tabaci , insects colonized newly uncovered plants slowly, remaining at low densities for up to 2 wk after removal of covers. Few winged aphids landed in water pan traps placed over covers, which may explain why aphids and aphid-vectored viruses remained at low levels even when covers were torn. Incidence of potyviruses and silverleaf was greatly reduced by use of row covers, but symptoms of viral infection developed 1-2 wk after removal. If used over an entire planting, high levels of inoculum presumably would not develop, and viral infection might be delayed even longer.
Dispersion in developing velocity fields

Convective diffusion in laminar flows which develop from rest and in the velocity entrance region of tubes, is studied. Criteria for the validity of the simple dispersion model are established by comparison of analytical results with numerical experiments. It is found that the extent of dispersion is less in developing velocity fields than in those which are fully developed. This occurs because dispersion is enhanced by differences in the velocity of the fluid particles on a plane perpendicular to the main direction of flow. Such differences are greatest when the flow is fully developed.
Eurocentric elements in the idea of “surrender-and-catch”

The notion of "surrender-and-catch ''1 is Kurt H. Wolff's intellectual and moral response to our time, which is characterized by the unprecedented possibility of the man-made annihilation of humankind (Wolff, 1976: 24, 31-32; 1977: 398). Since the late 1980s the possibility of total destruction has been significantly reduced owing to the political changes in the relationship between the East and the West. This significant change, however, does not invalidate a concern with problems of social development originating from the rampant growth of instrumental rationality at the cost of disharmony between the intellectual and the moral. In the present paper I am primarily concerned with eurocentric elements in the notion of "surrender-and-catch," a notion which according to Wolff is based on a "universal" human faculty and experience. I will first discuss the basic nature of this notion by focusing on its fusion of the universal and the unique. This is necessary in order to demonstrate an inconsistency in the notion which is accounted for by its Eurocentric elements. Secondly, I will focus on Enlightenment epistemology, which leads to an ontological difference between Western and "non-Western. ''2 Thirdly, I will analyze the Eurocentric elements of "surrender-and-catch." This analysis also includes an examination of the myth of the "autonomous" reason of the European Enlightenment, which is the foundation of the notion of "surrender-andcatch." "Surrender" refers to a suspension of received notions - one' s tradition to its maximum, neither accepting nor rejecting them. "Catch" is any intellectual-emotional outcome of such a suspension. According to Wolff, "surrender-and-catch" means a radical intellectual-moral use of reason, recovering meaning, thus improving society.
Targeting information-processing deficit in schizophrenia: a novel approach to psychotherapeutic drug discovery

Current observations indicate that dysfunction of neuronal circuitry dynamics contributes to the abnormal information processing in the brain in schizophrenia. It is presumed that disrupted auditory gating, abnormal P300-evoked potentials and deficits in mismatch negativity in schizophrenic patients indicate impaired processing of information. Recently, abnormalities in neuronal synchrony and oscillatory activity have been postulated as the mechanisms that underlie the distorted perception and cognitive dysfunction associated with schizophrenia. These novel observations might reveal the pathophysiology of the disorder, and indicate potential targets for antipsychotic drug therapy. Neuronal circuitry dynamics, such as network oscillations and sensory-gating processes, are conserved phylogenetically, which provides excellent opportunities for designing translational biomarkers. Whether preclinical, experimental compounds that impact on network oscillations and sensory processing (such as agonists and modulators of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) elicit the same neurophysiological events in schizophrenic patients and, subsequently, improve perception and cognitive functions will be determined when these drug candidates are available clinically.
Effect of altered contractility on the linearity of regional left ventricular end-systolic relations in intact hearts

Abstract The purpose of these studies was to determine the effect of altered regional contractility on the linearity of regional left ventricular end-systolic relations. Significant change in the shape of these relations would limit their application as load-independent indices of regional contractility. In a paced, open-chest pig heart preparation ( n = 7), the left ventricular end-systolic pressure-segment length relation (ESPLR) and pressure-wall thickness relation (ESPTR) were obtained over a wide range of end-systolic pressures (134 ± 9 to 70 ± 6 mm Hg). Regional inotropic state was varied with intracoronary calcium and verapamil. The shapes of the ESPLR and ESPTR were characterized by using linear and quadratic models. Both provided a good fit, although the quadratic model showed a slight concavity to the segment length and thickness axes (second-order coefficient p p 100 ) shifted to the left ( p 100 ) to the right ( p p 100 ( p 100 ( p 100 and T 100 determined by the quadratic fit were nearly identical to those for the linear fit, and both showed similar significant shifts with altered contractility. There was no significant change in the shape of the quadratic fit (as assessed by the second-order coefficient) with different contractile states. It is concluded that the curvilinearity of the ESPLR and ESPTR under physiologic conditions is slight and appears to be independent of the contractile state. Furthermore, a linear model of regional end-systolic relations can be used to assess regional left ventricular function in intact hearts.
Small Intestinal Submucosa As A Tunica Albuginea Graft Material

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluated the morphological, immunological and functional response to small intestinal submucosa grafting of the tunica albuginea to determine its potential as a grafting material for penile surgery.Materials and Methods: Male New Zealand White rabbits underwent a sham procedure (6) or tunical excision and grafting with small intestinal submucosa (6). The erectile response to the intracavernous vasoactive agents sodium nitroprusside plus a papaverine, phentolamine and prostaglandin E1 combination (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Missouri) was evaluated 45-day postoperatively. The area under the graft was evaluated for stromal collagen and smooth muscle content by Masson’s trichrome stain. Protein expression of smooth muscle specific α-actin and the inflammatory markers inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods. Total RNA was extracted from the corpora cavernosum underlying the small intestinal submucosa ...
Landscape services: An urban agricultural sector

Landscape services employment has grown significantly in the USA over the last 20 years in contrast to the continuing decline in employment in production agriculture. However, tracking growth in landscape services is complicated by the lack of data and outdated or inappropriate classification systems. This article establishes basic definitions and reviews existing national data on landscape services. Based on this review and experience collecting data on landscape services in Hawaii, recommendations are made for changing Standard Industrial and Occupational Classification systems to enable better future analysis.
A note on the equality of bulk and inversion-layer capacitance at threshold

Abstract Analyses of the MOSFET have shown that there exists at least an approximate equality between bulk capacitance and inversion-layer capacitance at the threshold of strong inversion, but no physical explanation for this relationship has been put forward. The physical picture offered below shows that within the limits of the customary approximations and assumptions, these two capacitances are precisely equal at threshold.
Transistor sizing for low power CMOS circuits

A direct approach to transistor sizing for minimizing the power consumption of a CMOS circuit under a delay constraint is presented. In contrast to the existing assumption that the power consumption of a static CMOS circuit is proportional to the active area of the circuit, it is shown that the power consumption is a convex function of the active area. Analytical formulation for the power dissipation of a circuit in terms of the transistor size is derived which includes both the capacitive and the short circuit power dissipation. SPICE circuit simulation results are presented to confirm the correctness of the analytical model. Based on the intuitions drawn from the analytical model, heuristics for initial transistor sizing on critical and noncritical paths for minimum power consumption are developed. Further, fast heuristics to perform transistor sizing in CMOS circuits for minimizing power consumption while meeting the given delay constraints are presented.
The Obamachine: Technopolitics 2.0

ABSTRACT The proliferation of online campaign content has brought an end to an era of broadcast media dominance over U.S. national politics and has resulted in the drastic reconstruction of the traditional fundraising mechanisms of American politics. Since the mid-1990s, there have been growing discussions on Internet activism and how new media has impacted participatory democracy and social justice in the United States. The increased usage of the Internet in political campaigning has also impacted some of the foundational ways that politics has historically been conducted in the United States. This article analyzes a framework posited by Andrew Chadwick, which conceptualizes the ways in which e-democracy is transformative for political engagement. Further, this article argues that during the 2008 presidential campaign, president-elect Barack Obama attained unprecedented success through the utilization of the Internet as a primary vehicle for his political campaign. Obama's innovative approach to U.S. pol...
The altitudinal distribution of snow algae on an Alaska glacier (Gulkana Glacier in the Alaska Range)

The altitudinal distribution of a snow algal community was investigated on an Alaska glacier (Gulkana Glacier in the Alaska Range) from 1270 to 1770 m a.s.l.. Seven species of snow and ice algae (Chlorophyta and cyanobacteria) were observed on the glacier surface. These species were Chlamydomonas nivalis, Mesotaenium berggrenii, Ancylonema nordenskioldii, Cylindrocystis brebissonii, Raphidonema sp., and two Oscillatoriaceae cyanobacteria. The altitudinal distribution of snow algae was different among the species: Cd. nivalis was distributed on the middle to upper area, M. berggrenii; A. nordenskioldii, and one Oscillatoriaceae cyanobacterium on the middle to lower area; Raphidonema sp. on the middle area; and Cyl. brebissonii and one Oscillatoriaceae cyanobacterium on the lower area. The total cell concentration and the cell volume biomass of the snow algae ranged from 4·4 × 103 to 9·9 × 105 cells ml−1 and from 33 to 2211 µl m−2 respectively. The cell volume biomass changed with altitude; the biomass increased with altitude below 1600 m a.s.l., and decreased above 1600 m a.s.l. The community structure showed that A. nordenskioldii dominated on the lower part of the glacier, and that Cd. nivalis dominated on the upper part. The species diversity was relatively high at the lowest and middle sites. The pH was 4·7 to 5·3 for snow and 4·9 to 5·7 for ice on the glacier. The altitudinal distribution of snow algae is discussed in terms of the physical and chemical condition of the glacier surface, and is compared with that on a Himalayan glacier. A larger biomass in the snow area on the Alaska glacier than that of the Himalayan glacier is likely due to less frequent snow cover in summer in Alaska. Small amounts of filamentous cyanobacteria on the Alaska glacier may allow washouts of unicellular green algae by running melt water and may cause a different pattern of altitudinal distribution of algal biomass on the ice area from the Himalayan glacier. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatio-temporal dynamics of brain mechanisms in aversive classical conditioning: high-density event-related potential and brain electrical tomography analyses.

Social cognition, including complex social judgments and attitudes, is shaped by individual learning experiences, where affect often plays a critical role. Aversive classical conditioning-a form of associative learning involving a relationship between a neutral event (conditioned stimulus, CS) and an aversive event (unconditioned stimulus, US)-represents a well-controlled paradigm to study how the acquisition of socially relevant knowledge influences behavior and the brain. Unraveling the temporal unfolding of brain mechanisms involved appears critical for an initial understanding about how social cognition operates. Here, 128-channel ERPs were recorded in 50 subjects during the acquisition phase of a differential aversive classical conditioning paradigm. The CS+ (two fearful faces) were paired 50% of the time with an aversive noise (CS upward arrow + /Paired), whereas in the remaining 50% they were not (CS upward arrow + /Unpaired); the CS- (two different fearful faces) were never paired with the noise. Scalp ERP analyses revealed differences between CS upward arrow + /Unpaired and CS- as early as approximately 120 ms post-stimulus. Tomographic source localization analyses revealed early activation modulated by the CS+ in the ventral visual pathway (e.g. fusiform gyrus, approximately 120 ms), right middle frontal gyrus (approximately 176 ms), and precuneus (approximately 240 ms). At approximately 120 ms, the CS- elicited increased activation in the left insula and left middle frontal gyrus. These findings not only confirm a critical role of prefrontal, insular, and precuneus regions in aversive conditioning, but they also suggest that biologically and socially salient information modulates activation at early stages of the information processing flow, and thus furnish initial insight about how affect and social judgments operate.
Creating a Comprehensive Treatment Plan for Hereditary Angioedema

Management of hereditary angioedema (HAE) has changed dramatically in recent years because of the availability of several HAE-specific medications. This paradigm shift in therapy provides the opportunity to dramatically improve the care of HAE patients, but has increased the complexity of treatment. Patient education and communication with health care providers is crucial. Early treatment of HAE attacks has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, highlighting the importance of rapid and reliable treatment. This review summarizes the current evidence for best practices in HAE management, and suggests practical steps toward developing a comprehensive treatment plan.
Thermo-optical switches using coated microsphere resonators

We report optical switching by a silica microsphere optical resonator coated by a conjugated polymer. Microspheres were fabricated by melting the tip of an optical fiber and coated by dipping in a 1 mg/ml toluene solution of poly(2,5-dioctyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (DOOPPV). The resonator properties were characterized by evanescently coupling 1.55 μm light propagating along a stripline-pedestal anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide into optical whispering gallery modes (WGMs). WGM linewidths less than 2 MHz were measured, corresponding to cavity Q > 108. WGM resonant frequency shifts as large as 3.2 GHz were observed when 405 nm pump light with a power density of ∼100 mW/cm2 was incident on the microsphere. The time constant of the observed frequency shifts is approximately 0.165 seconds, leading us to attribute the frequency shift to thermo-optic effects. Such a system should be capable of thermo-optically switching at speeds on the order of 10 kHz.
Optically Labeled 100Gbit/s packet signals passing through 8 straight-line OWSS nodes and 240km fiber

We have experimentally demonstrated optically labeled 100 Gbit/s packet signals passing through 8 straight-line OWSS nodes and 240 km transmission fiber for the first time. The BER performance for the optical packet signals after transmission and switching has been evaluated.
An Empirical Investigation of Discounting in Cross-Domain Language Models

We investigate the empirical behavior of n-gram discounts within and across domains. When a language model is trained and evaluated on two corpora from exactly the same domain, discounts are roughly constant, matching the assumptions of modified Kneser-Ney LMs. However, when training and test corpora diverge, the empirical discount grows essentially as a linear function of the n-gram count. We adapt a Kneser-Ney language model to incorporate such growing discounts, resulting in perplexity improvements over modified Kneser-Ney and Jelinek-Mercer baselines.
The GCN2 eIF2α Kinase Is Required for Adaptation to Amino Acid Deprivation in Mice

The GCN2 eIF2alpha kinase is essential for activation of the general amino acid control pathway in yeast when one or more amino acids become limiting for growth. GCN2's function in mammals is unknown, but must differ, since mammals, unlike yeast, can synthesize only half of the standard 20 amino acids. To investigate the function of mammalian GCN2, we have generated a Gcn2(-/-) knockout strain of mice. Gcn2(-/-) mice are viable, fertile, and exhibit no phenotypic abnormalities under standard growth conditions. However, prenatal and neonatal mortalities are significantly increased in Gcn2(-/-) mice whose mothers were reared on leucine-, tryptophan-, or glycine-deficient diets during gestation. Leucine deprivation produced the most pronounced effect, with a 63% reduction in the expected number of viable neonatal mice. Cultured embryonic stem cells derived from Gcn2(-/-) mice failed to show the normal induction of eIF2alpha phosphorylation in cells deprived of leucine. To assess the biochemical effects of the loss of GCN2 in the whole animal, liver perfusion experiments were conducted. Histidine limitation in the presence of histidinol induced a twofold increase in the phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and a concomitant reduction in eIF2B activity in perfused livers from wild-type mice, but no changes in livers from Gcn2(-/-) mice.
Using e-collaboration to improve management education: three scenarios

This paper explores the potential impact of collaborative technologies in improving management education. The first goal is to expose students to tools and practices that not only assist them with their current studies, but also serve to reinforce individual and team competencies that can facilitate their entry into the workforce. In their positions as future managers they will be expected to not only be familiar with common business practices but also to understand the implications of information technology for business; in this case with emphasis on tools and techniques that can help businesses flourish in the networked economy. With an ever-increasing recognition that e-learning tools are important for (re-)training employees, these three scenarios offer examples of how business schools might expand the boundaries of e-collaboration to help their students. These experiments have been conducted in management programs. In the first two scenarios, students use collaborative platforms in some of their daily work. The third experiment is based on a student-centred design of a learning portal. Our experience reinforces a certain number of hypotheses influencing the impact of collaborative technologies in management education. To begin with, information systems are often flawed mirrors of the managerial system that they are designed to represent. Secondly, the potential value of collaborative technologies is strongly influenced by organizational contexts, both in and between the university and the business community. Thirdly, the effectiveness of collaborative technologies depends to a large degree upon the depth and coherence of learning objectives fixed for learning and work places. Finally, improving the effectiveness of collaborative technologies requires aligning the design of learning environments with the corporate cultures and visions we are trying to reproduce.
Runtime incremental parallel scheduling (RIPS) on distributed memory computers

Runtime Incremental Parallel Scheduling (RIPS) is an alternative strategy to the commonly used dynamic scheduling. In this scheduling strategy, the system scheduling activity alternates with the underlying computation work. RIPS utilizes the advanced parallel scheduling technique to produce a low overhead, high quality load balancing, as well as adapting to irregular applications. The paper presents methods for scheduling a single job on a dedicated parallel machine.
Regulation of the Entry into Host Cytoplasm and Cell-to-Cell Spread of Listeria Monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen. Although the absolute number of reported cases is relatively low (approximately 2000 cases per year in the United States), the severity of infection in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and their offspring has led to increased awareness and concern in recent years.1 Nevertheless, murine listeriosis has received a greater share of attention over the years due to the utility of L. monocytogenes as a model pathogen to study cell-mediated immunity. Indeed, much of our current understanding of cell-mediated immunity has its roots in studies on the immune response to L. monocytogenes. 2–4 It should be pointed out, however, that the murine infection is usually initiated by intravenous infection whereas the oral route is the normal route of infection in humans. Nevertheless, the murine system provides a highly reproducible model with which to observe aspects of both bacterial pathogenesis and host response.
Epidemiology of mixed, stress, and urgency urinary incontinence in middle-aged/older women: the importance of incontinence history.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is common and the relationship among its subtypes complex. Our objective was to describe the natural history and predictors of the incontinence subtypes stress, urgency, and mixed, in middle-aged and older US women. We tested our hypothesis that UI subtype history predicted future occurrence, evaluating subtype incidence/remission over multiple time points in a stable cohort of women. We analyzed longitudinal urinary incontinence data in 10,572 community-dwelling women aged ≥50 in the 2004–2010 Health and Retirement Study. Mixed, stress, and urgency incontinence prevalence (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010) and 2-year cumulative incidence and remissions (2004–2006, 2006–2008, 2008–2010) were estimated. Patient characteristics and incontinence subtype status 2004–2008 were entered into a multivariable, transition model to determine predictors for incontinence subtype occurrence in 2010. The prevalence of each subtype in this population (median age 63–66) was 2.6–8.9 %. Subtype incidence equaled 2.1–3.5 % and remissions for each varied between 22.3 and 48.7 %. Incontinence subtype incidence predictors included ethnicity/race, age, body mass index, and functional limitations. Compared with white women, black women had decreased odds of incident stress incontinence and Hispanic women had increased odds of stress incontinence remission. The age range 80–90 and severe obesity predicted incident mixed incontinence. Functional limitations predicted mixed and urgency incontinence. The strongest predictor of incontinence subtype was subtype history. The presence of the respective incontinence subtypes in 2004 and 2006 strongly predicted 2010 recurrence (odds ratio [OR] stress incontinence = 30.7, urgency OR = 47.4, mixed OR = 42.1). Although the number of remissions was high, a previous history of incontinence subtypes predicted recurrence. Incontinence status is dynamic, but tends to recur over the longer term.
Polynomial Fitting Techniques for IRT Inspection

This paper discusses the use of polynomial surface fitting techniques for the infrared thermography (IRT) evaluation of the graphite epoxy composite laminate. The composite laminate had 12 inserted Teflon films in different layers so as to simulate delamination defects. Based on the initial IRT inspection, it was determined that the raw IR images were not able to detect all 12 defects. In order to improve the detection capability and remove the heating pattern, a fitted heating pattern was generated by using the polynomial surface fitting method. Then, this pattern was deleted by applying the subtract function. It was demonstrated that this applied method not only removed the non-uniform heating effect, but also preserved all defect information and enhanced the thermal contrast of the raw IR images.
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Later Alcohol-Related Problems: Investigating the Roles of Revictimization, PTSD, and Drinking Motivations Among College Women:

The current study sought to examine whether symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adolescent sexual assault (ASA), and drinking motivations (e.g., drinking to regulate emotional experiences) mediate the relationship between a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and subsequent alcohol-related problems among college women. Participants were 579 female students at a Midwestern university. Participants were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study that investigated risk and resiliency factors related to sexual revictimization. Using a serial mediation model, the current study found that the proposed constructs mediated the relationship between CSA and subsequent alcohol-related problems via two separate paths. In one path, CSA was associated with PTSD, which in turn predicted drinking to regulate emotional experiences, which then was related to alcohol-related problems in adulthood. In the second path, CSA was related to ASA, which in turn predicted drinking to regulate emotional exper...