cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OCCUPATIONAL GROWTH AND THE EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONALLY-RELATED EARNING GAPS

I develop an argument that facilitates understanding of how occupational growth impinges on the relationship between education and earnings. Much of the literature focuses on workers employed at the ends of the occupational hierarchy, whereas my contribution applies to workers positioned all along the occupational hierarchy. I argue that an undersupply of affordable, suitable labor in expanding occupations encourages a division of labor among workers who vary in educational attainment. This division of labor, in turn, leads to greater educationally-related earnings inequality—even among workers who hold similar positions in the occupational hierarchy. Such a development can become pervasive because expanding occupations exist throughout the occupational hierarchy and because educational attainment among workers varies within most occupations. In declining occupations, a different set of conditions pervades, and these conditions facilitate employers' efforts to control their wage-bill by compressing educat...
The roles of ethnic identity, anti-white attitudes, and academic self-concept in African American student achievement

Conventional wisdom in much of the educational and psychological literatures states that the ethnic and racial identity of African American students is related to their academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ethnic identity and anti-white attitudes predicted the academic achievement of African American students at a historically Black university. A hypothesized path model was proposed that included ethnic identity, attitudes toward other ethnic groups, anti-white attitudes, perceptions of caring faculty, academic self-concept, and devaluing academic success. The path analysis model explained 27% of the variance in grade point average and revealed three direct effects on grade point average: (a) academic self-concept (positive), (b) devaluing academic success (negative), and (c) anti-white attitudes (negative). Ethnic identity was indirectly linked with grade point average (GPA) through academic self-concept and devaluing academic success. Tests of two alternative nested models suggest that even in an indirect role, ethnic identity may be more important than anti-white attitudes in a model of African American academic achievement.
Parametric Raman wavelength conversion in scaled silicon waveguides

The benefits of using submicrometer modal-dimension silicon waveguides in realizing high-efficiency parametric Raman wavelength conversion are demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. The combined effects of Raman nonlinearities and free-carrier losses induced by two-photon absorption (TPA) are analyzed using the coupled-mode theory. The analysis indicates that scaling down the lateral dimensions increases the conversion efficiency of the Raman process and reduces the effective lifetime of free carriers and hence ameliorates the free-carrier losses. The feasibility of data conversion is demonstrated by coherent transfer of the analog radio-frequency (RF) signal from Stokes to anti-Stokes channels. The conversion efficiency, and hence signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and bandwidth of the conversion process are found to be limited by the phase mismatch between the pump, Stokes, and anti-Stokes fields. The dispersion properties of submicrometer waveguides are also studied from the point of view of achieving phase matching and enhancing the conversion efficiency.
Perception-action as reciprocal, continuous, and prospective

From the perspective of ecological psychology, perception and action are not separate, linear, and mechanistic processes that refer to the immediate present. Rather, they are reciprocal and continuous and refer to the impending future. Therefore, from the perspective of ecological psychology, delays in perception and action are impossible, and delay compensation mechanisms are unnecessary.
Characterization of PDH beta 1, the structural gene for the pyruvate dehydrogenase beta subunit from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The gene encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) beta subunit (E1 beta) of the PDH complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been cloned, sequenced, disrupted, and expressed. Two overlapping DNA fragments were generated from a yeast genomic DNA library by the polymerase chain reaction with synthetic oligonucleotide primers based on amino acid sequences of the yeast and human E1 beta subunits. The DNA fragments were subcloned and sequenced. The composite sequence has an open reading frame of 1098 nucleotides encoding a putative presequence of 33 amino acid residues and a mature protein of 333 residues with a calculated M(r) = 36,486. Yeast and human E1 beta exhibit 62% sequence identity. The size of the mRNA is approximately 1.5 kilobases. Hybridization analysis showed that the E1 beta gene (PDH beta 1) is localized to chromosome II. Disruption of PDH beta 1 is not lethal under vegetative growth conditions. The null mutant transformed with PDH beta 1 on a unit-copy plasmid produced mature E1 beta and a functional PDH complex.
Who and what should we educate our students to be?An inquiry into the cultivation of multiculturalism in education

A young Chinese immigrant’s aversion to his Chinese origin and his self-identifi cation as purely American gives much food for thought to the author: Whoand what American edu-cation has been aiming to educate its students to be and what is impeding multiculturalism from being cultivated in education. The article points out that American schools have long been serving to Americanize its immigrant population regardless of where they are originally from, ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and religiously, and in spite of the country’s long--standing and ever-growing diversity. Without challenging the structural inequality inherent in “assimilation”, true multiculturalism will not be realized in education.
A periodic Ada control kernel (PACK)

Numerous sources have questioned Ada's sufficiency in efficiently handling systems with predominantly periodic processes, especially when hard deadline scheduling is required. Several possible implementations have been suggested to address this problem. This paper describes a dual MIL-STD-1750A cockpit digital map display system which uses a Periodic Ada Control Kernel (PACK) to directly control execution of numerous periodic processes written in Ada. The PACK runs over the normal Ada Runtime System and controls a relatively large number of concurrently executing periodic (and aperiodic) procedures and provides a more direct interface to Ada-coded Interrupt Service Routines.
Recollection and familiarity in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A global decline in recognition memory

Despite memory failures being a central feature of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI), there is limited research into the nature of the memory impairment associated with this condition. A further understanding could lead to refinement of criteria needed to qualify for this designation and aid in prediction of who will progress to development of clinical Alzheimer's disease. Dual process models posit that recognition memory is supported by the dissociable processes of recollection and familiarity. The present study sought to evaluate recognition memory in a-MCI in the framework of the dual process model. Patients with a-MCI and age- and education-matched controls were tested on three memory paradigms. Two paradigms were modifications of the process-dissociation procedure in which recollection required either memory of word-pair associations (associative) or the font color of words at study (featural). A final paradigm utilized the task-dissociation methodology comparing performance for item and visual spatial source memory. All three tasks revealed that familiarity was impaired to at least the same extent as recollection. As familiarity is thought to be spared in normal aging, its measurement may provide a relatively specific marker for the early pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease.
Quality of Alfalfa Protein Concentrate with Changes in Processing Conditions During Coagulation

Abstract Protein in freshly extracted alfalfa juice was coagulated by heat at 60 or 80°C for 30, 60, 120, 240, or 480s, then freeze dried. Nitrogen content was higher while solubility, nonprotein nitrogen, and ash content were less at a coagulation temperature of 80°C compared to 60°C. Acid detergent fiber, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, and pepsin insoluble nitrogen remained unchanged. Both essential and nonessential amino acid concentrations were higher for alfalfa protein concentrate coagulated at 80°C. Degradability of alfalfa protein concentrate was estimated by in situ procedures with polyester bags suspended in the rumen of lactating cows for up to 48h. Residual dry matter (%) after .5, 24, or 48-h incubation in the rumen were 73, 36, and 12 for alfalfa protein coagulated at 60°C and 85, 52, and 18 for alfalfa protein coagulated at 80°C. Residual nitrogen percents were 89, 44, 15, and 95, 56, 20 according to the same sequence. Rate of nitrogen disappearance (% h −1 ) was 3.7 and 3.2 for alfalfa protein coagulated at 60 and 80°C. Duration of heat at coagulation tended to affect nitrogen disappearance when incubation time in the rumen was prolonged. The correlation coefficient between residual nitrogen and dry matter of alfalfa protein concentrate was .98.
Dynamic aspects of radiorespirometry during the cell cycle of Candida utilis: Some observations in phased culture under carbon-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-limited growth†

Many changes that occur in a cell during the cell cycle can be demonstrated in synchronous cultures and can reveal dimensions of cell metabolism not attainable by the study of balanced growth of asynchronous populations in batch cultures or the steady state in chemostat cultures. The release of 14CO2 from specifically labeled glucose by phased (continuously synchronized) cultures follows a characteristic pattern (profile) that depends upon the stage in the cell cycle and the period of labeling used. Successive profiles throughout a cycle showed differences that were altered under different nutrient-limiting growth conditions. Profiles obtained with glucose-1-14C, glucose-2-14C, glucose-3,4-14C, and glucose-6-14C and phased cells of Candida utilis under N-, P-, and C-limited growth demonstrated the variable character of the metabolic activity that occurred in the cells while contour changes within the profiles across the cycle indicated possible correlations with activities of the hexose monophosphate, Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas, and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways during the cell cycle. The basis of these changes and their use as elementary parameters for study of problems of physiological changes in vivo are considered.
The Effect of Substrate Stiffness on Cardiomyocyte Calcium Currents

The stiffness of myocardial tissue changes significantly during development and at birth, concurrent with significant changes in contractile and electrical maturation of cardiomyocytes. Previous studies by our group have shown that cardiomyocytes generate maximum contractile force when cultured on a substrate with a stiffness approximating native cardiac tissue. The force is correlated with the size of calcium transients, and on very stiff substrates this is due to lower amounts of stored calcium. However, the same relationship with stored calcium does not exist on softer substrates, and we therefore hypothesized that substrate stiffness also modifies calcium currents during cardiomyocyte action potentials. Neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) were isolated and cultured on polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying elastic modulus (1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 kPa). Using whole-cell patch clamping, action potential voltages were recorded in the presence and absence of BDM, a myosin inhibitor, calcium and potassium currents were recorded at voltages between −80 and 40 mV, and calcium current inactivation dynamics were determined. No significant difference was observed in potassium currents. However, the voltage at which a calcium current was at its maximum was shown to decrease with increasing stiffness, and the inactivation time constant was shown to be shorter on stiffer substrates. This can lead to less calcium influx in cells on softer substrates. Interestingly, the calcium current dynamics in NRVM on stiff substrates resemble those in adult rat cardiomyocytes. These results may explain functional differences in cardiomyocytes resulting from changes in the elastic modulus of the extracellular matrix, as observed during embryonic development, in ischemic regions of the heart after myocardial infarction, and during dilated cardiomyopathy.
Personalized Nursing: An Effective Intervention Model for Use with Drug-Dependent Women in an Emergency Room

One hundred and fifty five drug-dependent women in an urban hospital emergency room in Detroit, Michigan, were the subjects for this 3-year exploratory field study. Subjects were women who told the emergency room staff that while they wanted assistance with their presenting health problems, they wanted no assistance with their drug addiction. The women were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control study group. Both groups received a pretest in the emergency room. a posttest between 8 and 12 weeks after their emergency room visit, and a follow-up test 6 months after the posttest. In addition, the experimental women were seen by project nurses, primarily in their homes, for a maximum of eight visits on a once-a-week basis. The experimental women were treated using “Personalized Nursing,” a nursing intervention model, which focused on providing assistance for client-identified concerns. It was hypothesized that interaction with the Personalized Nursing Intervention Model would be associated wi...
Pleasure and Propriety: Teen Girls and the Practice of Straight Space:

Heterosexuality is often perceived by geographers to be a dominant social force in the production of space, yet the ways that heterosexuality achieves this domination have not been scrutinized. In ...
Superparamagnetism and spin-glass freezing in nickel-manganese alloys

An experimental study of the ac susceptibility, magnetization, and thermoremanent magnetization has been made for atomically disordered and weakly ordered ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{3}$Mn. Superparamagnetism with cluster interaction is demonstrated by Curie-Weiss behavior above the susceptibility peak temperature and a Langevin dependence of the magnetization. Blocking is suggested by a weak frequency dependence of the susceptibility peak and an increase in hysteresis below the peak temperature. Spin freezing, which fixes the direction of the local anisotropy, is examined by thermoremanent magnetization measurements.
RNA recognition by the Caenorhabditis elegans oocyte maturation determinant OMA-1.

Abstract Maternally supplied mRNAs encode proteins that pattern early embryos in many species. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a suite of RNA-binding proteins regulates expression of maternal mRNAs during oogenesis, the oocyte to embryo transition, and early embryogenesis. To understand how these RNA-binding proteins contribute to development, it is necessary to determine how they select specific mRNA targets for regulation. OMA-1 and OMA-2 are redundant proteins required for oocyte maturation—an essential part of meiosis that prepares oocytes for fertilization. Both proteins have CCCH type tandem zinc finger RNA-binding domains. Here, we define the RNA binding specificity of OMA-1 and demonstrate that OMA-1/2 are required to repress the expression of a glp-1 3′-UTR reporter in developing oocytes. OMA-1 binds with high affinity to a conserved region of the glp-1 3′-UTR previously shown to interact with POS-1 and GLD-1, RNA-binding proteins required for glp-1 reporter repression in the posterior of fertilized embryos. Our results reveal that OMA-1 is a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein required to repress expression of maternal transcripts during oogenesis and suggest that interplay between OMA-1 and other factors for overlapping binding sites helps to coordinate the transition from oocyte to embryo.
Data reduction and statistical inconsistency in linear inverse problems

Abstract An estimator or confidence set is statistically consistent if, in a well-defined sense, it converges in probability to the truth as the number of data grows. We give sufficient conditions for it to be impossible to find consistent estimators or confidence sets in some linear inverse problems. Several common approaches to statistical inference in geophysical inverse problems use the set of models that satisfy the data within a χ 2 measure of misfit to construct confidence sets and estimates. For example, the minimum-norm estimate of the unknown model is the model of smallest norm among those that map into a χ 2 ball around the data. We give weaker conditions under which the χ 2 misfit approach yields inconsistent estimators and confidence sets. Both sets of conditions depend on a measure of the redundancy of the observations, with respect to an a priori constraint on the model. When the observations are sufficiently redundant, using a χ 2 measure of misfit to selected averages of the data yields consistent confidence sets and minimum-norm estimates. Under still weaker conditions, one can find consistent estimates and confidence intervals for finite collections of linear functionals of the model. In an idealization of the problem of estimating the Gauss coefficients of the magnetic field at the core from satellite data, using a constraint on the energy stored in the field, suitable data averaging leads to consistent confidence intervals for finite collections of the Gauss coefficients.
Mechanisms of free radical chemistry and biochemistry of benzene.

omicron-Tyrosine (omicron-Tyr) was used as a specific biomarker for .OH radicals generated in biosystems. Specificity of omicron-Tyr as an .OH biomarker was based on previous studies in systems exp...
WEAPON EFFECTS AND INDIVIDUAL INTENT TO DO HARM: INFLUENCES ON THE ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE

In order to assess the roles of weapons and offender intentions in the outcomes of potentially violent events, we analyze more than 2,000 incidents described by offenders. We advance the study of weapons effects through a within-person analysis that lets us control for all time-stable characteristics of the offenders. Thus, we address the concern that relationships between type of weapon and incident outcome may be spurious because individuals with a greater propensity to do harm are more likely to use guns. Findings indicate that weapons have independent effects that differ across the stages of an event.
Observing Body Position of Older Adults While Gardening for Health Benefits and Risks

Gardening is a moderate intensity physical activity for older adults. Thus, health benefits are possible, however, body positions while gardening, such as stooping, kneeling, and squatting, may be uncomfortable. The purpose of this study was to characterize both the type of gardening tasks done by older adults and their body positions while performing the tasks so that safe and effective gardening programs for elders could be designed. In this study, 14 older gardeners were observed on two separate occasions and the types of gardening tasks and body positions used during gardening were recorded. Bodily pain during gardening by the older gardeners was self-reported. Seventeen different garden tasks were observed. While conducting these tasks, six body positions were used by 90% of the subjects: gripping, bending, walking, lifting, stretching, and standing. Ten different bodily pains were reported with lower back pain reported the most. These results show that older gardeners use body positions during garde...
The Relationship Between Sexual Arousal Experience and Genital Response

In studies of sexuality, there has been a wide divergence in findings concerning the correlation between the subjective and genital measurements of sexual arousal. The present study is aimed at helping clarify this situation by examining the role of certain factors involved in determining the subjective-genital correlation. Thus, the following study was designed to (1) employ a methodology aimed at improving the correlation between the subjective and genital measurements of arousal in women, and (2) determine the effect of attending to bodily cues upon the subjective-genital relationship. To accomplish this end, 36 female subjects were separated into two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups were given instructions suggesting that they attend to either genital or non-genital body signals of sexual arousal while viewing a series of 10 erotic slides. Subjects in the control group were given no attention instructions. Subjective levels of arousal to the erotic slides were scaled by having subjects set the intensity of sound and light to match their intensity of arousal (cross-modality matching) and by using a rating scale. Genital measures of sexual arousal consisted of measurement of vaginal pulse amplitude. Analyses revealed that group computed correlations were very high and that individually computed subjective-genital correlations were highest in the attention groups. Paying attention to bodily cues has a significant and positive effect on the subjective-genital relationship. Possible explanations for these results are given along with a discussion of the role of methodological variables in influencing the genital-subjective correlation. The finding of high levels of correlation raises doubts on the heretofore made assumption of low subjective-genital correlations for women.
Nature of the Interfaces Between Stoichiometric and Under‐Stoichiometric MoO3 and 4,4′‐N,N′‐dicarbazole‐biphenyl: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study

A combination of density functional theory and experimental measurements via ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies is used to explore the nature of the interface between the stoichiometric molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) or its under-stoichiometric counterpart with oxygen vacancies, and an organic hole-transport layer represented by 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP). Upon adsorption of CBP, special attention is paid to i) the appearance of gap states and the reduction of the molybdenum oxide surface, and ii) the evolution of the work function. Very good agreement is found between theory and experiment. The near alignment of the CBP highest occupied molecular orbital with the Fermi level and the conduction band edge of molybdenum oxide points to facile hole collection or injection.
Immobilization of enzyme on a polymer surface

Abstract We successfully immobilized enzymes onto polymer surfaces via covalent bonds between cysteine groups of the enzyme and dibromomaleimide functionalities present at the polymer surface. In this work, we used nitroreductase (NfsB) as a model enzyme molecule. The polymers were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization, resulting in surfaces with dibromomaleimide groups. NfsB variants were engineered so that each NfsB molecule only has one cysteine group on the enzyme surface. Two different NfsB constructs were studied, with cysteines at the positions of H360 and V424, respectively. A combination of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopies were used to deduce the orientation of the immobilized enzymes on the surface. It was found that the orientation of the immobilized enzymes is controlled by the position of the cysteine residue in the protein. The NfsB H360C construct exhibited a similar orientational behavior on the polymer surface as compared to that on the self-assembled monolayer surface, but the NsfB V424C construct showed markedly different orientations on the two surfaces.
Demographic Diversity of Managers and Employee Job Satisfaction: Empirical Analysis of the Federal Case

As the proportion of racial/ethnic minorities and women in the workforce has increased, there has been the growing concern of integrating them into the mainstream of the organization. This study ex...
Inheritance of posterior choanal atresia.

Posterior choanal atresia (PCA) was observed in a brother and sister and their paternal aunt from a Yemenite family in which several cousin marriages had taken place. Such an occurrence may be compatible with autosomal recessive inheritance. In some cases PCA evidently is an autosomal dominant trait. However, its mostly sporadic occurrence with sex preference suggests that multifactorial determination may play an important role.
Fatherless and Friendless: Factors Influencing the Flow of English Emigrant Servants

The incidence of fatherlessness among English emigrant servants was measured using contracts recorded in London between 1682 and 1686. This incidence was relatively high and systematically related to the servant's age, gender, county of origin, occupation, and father's occupation. Many emigrant servants were youths who had lost their fathers and lacked alternative support in England. Fatherlessness helps explain why the short-run supply of emigrant servants was relatively inelastic, and why some unskilled servants continued to migrate to America in spite of competition from slave labor. Tn 1725 William Moraley's father, a clockmaker in Newcastle, died. He left William only 20 shillings of his substantial estate, which was not enough for William, who had been apprenticed to his father, to complete his apprenticeship with another clockmaker or establish himself in business. With 12 shillings in his pocket, William went to London, where he unsuccessfully sued his mother and step-father to recover more of his father's estate. At a London tavern in 1729, facing poverty and perhaps starvation, he accepted a servant contract. The labor recruiter took William before the Mayor to swear that he was unmarried and obligated to no other indenture and then to a stationer to draw up and sign the indenture. Within the week William was shipped to America.' This story suggests that examining a servant's family circumstances
What do connectionism and social psychology offer each other

Social psychologists can benefit from exploring connectionist or parallel distributed processing models of mental representation and process also can contribute much to connectionist theory in return. Connectionist models involve many simple processing units that send activation signals over connections. At an abstract level, the models can be described as representing concepts (as distributed patterns of activation), operating like schemas to fill in typical values for input information, reconstructing memories based on accessible knowledge rather than retrieving static representations, using flexible and context-sensitive concepts, and computing by satisfying numerous constraints in parallel. This article reviews open questions regarding connectionist models and concludes that social psychological contributions to such topics as cognition-motivation interactions may be important for the development of integrative connectionist model.
A monte-carlo study on the convergence of Multipole-Matched audio Rendering

Multipole-Matched Rendering (MMR) is a novel method to render spatial audio in a sweet spot around a listener's head. It is based on matching multipole expansions of a virtual and several actual sound sources using the Singular-Value Decomposition of a matrix. A critical parameter of the algorithm is the number of radial modes used in the multipole expansion. It is computationally expensive to determine convergence based on actual sound source renderings. This paper shows that in order to detect convergence of the algorithm when increasing the number of radial modes, looking at the difference of the matrix condition numbers of two subsequent computations is sufficient. A Monte- Carlo experiment has been designed to verify this. Results show that using the condition number is a valid and efficient way to determine convergence and additionally give a heuristic estimate on the number of radial modes required for convergence in a typical immersive environment setup.
Cavi Angusti, Mars: Characterization and assessment of possible formation mechanisms

Received 26 August 2002; revised 5 February 2003; accepted 20 February 2003; published 24 May 2003. [1] Cavi Angusti represent a series of large irregular depressions localized in part of the south circumpolar area previously mapped as the Hesperian-aged Dorsa Argentea Formation. Their origin has primarily been interpreted to be due to eolian deflation or subglacial melting. We use MGS MOLA and MOC data to analyze the largest of these features (� 100 � 50 km, and up to about 1500 m deep). These data reveal terraced interiors, centrally located equidimensional and elongated edifices, and lava-flow-like structures that strongly suggest that this basin formed as a result of magmatic intrusion and extrusion, causing heating and melting of a volatile-rich substrate and drainage and loss of the liquid water. Volume estimates and heat transfer calculations are consistent with a mechanism involving a combination of intrusion and extrusion very similar to that observed to be responsible for Icelandic subglacial eruptions and meltwater generation. Mounds and ridges in the floors of other depressions suggest that this mechanism may have operated in at least several other features of the Cavi. Eolian activity, sublimation, and solution are also likely to have played a role in further modification of these features. Meltwater from basin formation appears to have drained laterally and may also have reentered the regional subsurface groundwater system. INDEX TERMS: 6225 Planetology: Solar System Objects: Mars; 5480 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Volcanism (8450); 5462 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Polar regions; 5416 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Glaciation; KEYWORDS: Mars, Cavi Angusti, Dorsa Argentea Formation
A New Approach to Robot Control

State-of-the-art robots do not perform up to their physical speed or load capabilities. Currently, performance is limited by the form of control implemented, which gives rise to speed and load dependent errors and overshoots. In this paper, a new control algorithm is proposed which entails smooth real time reference paths and an adaptive feedforward path-tracking algorithm. The result is high accuracy independent of speed and load. With the trade-off between speed and accuracy eliminated, the full operational capabilities of the axis motors can be exploited. The utility of these principles is shown in a video tape demonstration of a new controller for a Unimation PUMA robot.
Preparation of 2-trialkylsiloxy- substituted 1,3-dienes and their diels-alder/cross-coupling reactions.

2-BF3-substituted 1,3-butadienes with potassium and tetrabutylammonium counterions have been prepared in gram quantities from chloroprene via a simple synthetic procedure. The potassium salt of this new main group element substituted diene has been characterized by 1H, 13C, 11B, and 19F NMR. Diels−Alder reactions of these dienes with ethyl acrylate and methyl vinyl ketone are reported, as well as subsequent Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of those Diels−Alder adducts.
Novel Wideband Directional Dipole Antenna on a Mushroom Like EBG Structure

A new method to design thin wideband directional dipole antennas on electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure is introduced. At the heart of this method is the idea to understand and properly utilize the complex interactions between the dipole impedance and the EBG reflection phase characteristics. Using the proposed technique a thin wideband printed dipole is designed, fabricated and tested. The antenna can satisfy applications, such as Digital Communication System (DCS, 1.71-1.88 GHz), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM, 1.85-1.99 GHz), Personal Communication System (PCS, 1.85-2.05 GHz), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS, 1.92-2.17 GHz) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN, 2.4-2.485 GHz) within VSWR les 2.5:1. Antenna peak gain varies from 5.5 to 8.3 dBi from 1700 to 2500 MHz while the front to back (F/B) ratio is higher than 15 dB for an overall antenna size of 102 mm by 76.4 mm by 5.9 mm.
A Grouping Algorithm for Qualitative Data with A Dichotomous Outcome Variable

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm for grouping the values of qualitative predictor variables while minimizing the loss of information about a dichotomous dependent variable. The algorithm is based on Shannon's measure of uncertainty. Subpopulations corresponding to the predictor values are ranked by their conditional Bernoulli parameter. At each iteration the increase in uncertainty resulting from grouping each pair of adjacent subpopulations is computed, and the pair with the least increase is grouped. Stopping rules based on the number of values remaining, the cumulative loss of information and the Maximum Likelihood Chi-Square Statistic are proposed, A numerical example is included.
Modeling and identification of parallel nonlinear systems: structural classification and parameter estimation methods

Structural classification and parameter estimation (SCPE) methods are used for studying single-input single-output (SISO) parallel linear-nonlinear-linear (LNL), linear-nonlinear (LN), and nonlinear-linear (NL) system models from input-output (I-O) measurements. The uniqueness of the I-O mappings of some model structures is discussed. The uniqueness of I-O mappings of different models tells us in what conditions given model structures can be differentiated from one another. Parameter uniqueness of the I-O mapping of a given structural model is also discussed, which tells us in what conditions a given model's parameters can be uniquely estimated from I-O measurements. These methods are then generalized so that they can be used to study single-input multi-output (SIMO), multi-input single-output (MISO), as well as multi-input multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear system models. Parameter estimation of the two-input single-output nonlinear system model, which was left unsolved previously, can now be obtained using the newly derived algorithms. Applications of SCPE methods for modeling visual cortical neurons, system fault detection, modeling and identification of communication networks, biological systems, and natural and artificial neural networks are also discussed. The feasibility of these methods is demonstrated using simulated examples. SCPE methods presented in this paper can be further developed to study more complicated block-structured models, and will therefore have future potential for modeling and identifying highly complex multi-input multi-output nonlinear systems. >
CD36 peptides that block cytoadherence define the CD36 binding region for Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.

Mature Plasmodium falciparum parasitized erythrocytes (PE) sequester from the circulation by adhering to microvascular endothelial cells. PE sequestration contributes directly to the virulence and severe pathology of falciparum malaria. The scavenger receptor, CD36, is a major host receptor for PE adherence. PE adhesion to CD36 is mediated by the malarial variant antigen, P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), and particularly by its cysteine-rich interdomain region 1 (CIDR-1). Several peptides from the extended immunodominant domain of CD36 (residues 139-184), including CD36 139-155, CD36 145-171, CD36 146-164, and CD36 156-184 interfered with the CD36-PfEMP1 interaction. Each of these peptides affected binding at the low micromolar range in 2 independent assays. Two peptides, CD36 145-171 and CD36 156-184, specifically blocked PE adhesion to CD36 without affecting binding to the host receptor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Moreover, an adhesion blocking peptide from the ICAM-1 sequence inhibits the PfEMP1–ICAM-1 interaction without affecting adhesion to CD36. These results confirm earlier observations that PfEMP1 is also a receptor for ICAM-1. Thus, the region 139-184 and particularly the 146-164 or the 145-171 regions of CD36 form the adhesion region for P. falciparum PE. Adherence blocking peptides from this region may be useful for modeling the PE/PfEMP1 interaction with CD36 and for development of potential anti-adhesion therapeutics.
Is elevated norepinephrine an etiological factor in some cases of Parkinson's disease?

Abstract It is well documented that norepinephrine (NE) releasing neurons in the locus coeruleus, a brainstem nucleus that is a major source of NE for the brain, degenerate during the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). A number of studies also suggest that, as a result, there is less NE released in the brain during disease progression, which may contribute to the pathophysiology and symptomatology of PD. This paper puts forth the novel hypothesis that NE degeneration in PD is preceded by elevated NE signaling, mainly as a result of genetics, and that this elevation is a major etiological factor in the disease. In this scenario, long-term (if not lifelong) elevated NE signaling could eventually invoke compensatory mechanisms that result in noradrenergic, and possibly dopaminergic, cell death. Several lines of evidence are briefly reviewed on the relationship between NE signaling and PD, including studies of: the level of NE; drugs that increase or decrease NE signaling; the relationship between PD and bipolar disorder, hypertension, and obesity, since the latter three conditions may be associated with increased NE signaling; and the relationship between PD and psychological stress, since stress is associated with increased release of NE. Many of these studies support NE degeneration during the disease, although some are consistent with elevated NE signaling during disease progression. Because there are few data on the state of the NE system prior to disease onset, the central point of this paper that NE signaling is elevated prior to development of PD, remains largely hypothetical. If elevated NE signaling really is an etiological factor in this disease, then early identification of susceptible individuals and long-term treatment with NE transmission reducing drugs, may help prevent or slow progression of PD.
Assessing risk of resistance to aerial applications of methyl-parathion in western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

We validated a stochastic model of the evolution of resistance to adulticidal sprays of methyl-parathion in western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, populations in Nebraska. The population dynamics predicted by the model resembled that reported for field populations, and time until control failures occurred closely matched reports by commercial crop consultants. We incorporated uncertainty about the values used for 18 model parameters by replacing default values with random draws taken from a normal distribution. One parameter, the initial resistance allele frequency, was no longer measurable because of the evolution of resistance. We therefore proposed five candidate initial allele frequencies and developed probability distributions for the time to resistance for each by running 1000 simulations with parameters randomly varied. These distributions included variation because of stochastic effects as well as parameter uncertainty. We used Bayesian inference to estimate the candidate frequency most likely, given reported times to field control failures. The initial allele frequency of 10−4 was most likely (29%), 10−3 was less likely (28%), whereas 10−6 was relatively unlikely (5%). Results from sensitivity analysis depended upon how evolution of resistance was measured. When resistance was examined as a genetic phenomenon, the rate of increase of the resistance allele depended almost entirely on genetic factors (LC50 values), the characteristics of the pesticide (residual activity), and the variance associated with emergence of adults. When resistance was measured as failure of methyl-parathion to reduce populations below threshold levels (0.5 gravid females per plant), parameters that contributed to population growth rate (mortality and fecundity) were also important. These data suggest two important phases in resistance evolution in corn rootworms: a genetic phase associated with negative growth rates and rapid changes in resistance allele frequencies and a rebound phase associated with positive growth rates and near fixation of the resistance allele.
Sweetening the US Legislature: The Remarkable Success of the Sugar Lobby

The US sweetener industry comprises the production and processing of sugarcane, sugar beet and corn and, more recently, non-caloric products. The industry has always been protected by federal legislation. Such legislation has had positive and negative impacts on domestic sugar prices, which have remained relatively stable but well above the world price. Jose Alvarez discusses three factors behind that protective status: the industry's economic importance, the large representation of sweetener-producing states in the US Congress, and a powerful and successful lobby. Under current conditions, no change in the status quo should be expected. The major potential contingency on the horizon could be an agreement reached at the World Trade Organization eliminating existing levels of worldwide protection. Free trade negotiations have added new pressures to the US support programme. Time will tell whether or not the domestic success of the US sweetener industry can be duplicated in the international arena.
Solution structure of DinI provides insight into its mode of RecA inactivation.

The Escherichia coli RecA protein triggers both DNA repair and mutagenesis in a process known as the SOS response. The 81-residue E. coli protein DinI inhibits activity of RecA in vivo. The solution structure of DinI has been determined by multidimensional triple resonance NMR spectroscopy, using restraints derived from two sets of residual dipolar couplings, obtained in bicelle and phage media, supplemented with J couplings and a moderate number of NOE restraints. DinI has an α/β fold comprised of a three-stranded β-sheet and two α-helices. The β-sheet topology is unusual: the central strand is flanked by a parallel and an antiparallel strand and the sheet is remarkably flat. The structure of DinI shows that six negatively charged Glu and Asp residues on DinI's kinked C-terminal α-helix form an extended, negatively charged ridge. We propose that this ridge mimics the electrostatic character of the DNA phospodiester backbone, thereby enabling DinI to compete with single-stranded DNA for RecA binding. Biochemical data confirm that DinI is able to displace ssDNA from RecA.
Psychiatric Complications in Dementia

Psychiatric complications are very common in all dementias, which are best conceptualized as neuropsychiatric diseases. The most common complications involve disturbances in emotions (depression, anxiety, apathy, affective lability, irritability, and euphoria), psychosis (delusions and hallucinations), and behavior (restlessness and aggression). These complications are quite heterogeneous and can be difficult to categorize because of fluctuations in symptoms over time and the frequent occurrence of subsyndromal symptoms. Psychiatric co-morbidity is very common in dementia, and most of these symptoms or syndromes are associated with excess functional disability. In addition, psychiatric disturbances in the context of dementia are associated with poorer outcomes, decreased quality of life, increased institutionalization, and caregiver distress. Our understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms in dementia is limited. Screening instruments are available to assist in clinical evaluation and there are a variety of treatment options, both psychopharmacological and psychosocial. This chapter covers the neurobehavioral complications of common dementias not covered elsewhere in this book, specifically Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Immunosuppressive Therapy in Transplantation

This article discusses immunosuppressive medications used in organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Induction, maintenance, and rescue therapy are administered throughout different periods during and after transplantation to modulate the immune system response in the recipient to prevent or treat rejection or graft-versus-host disease. Indications, dosing strategies, required monitoring, complications, adverse events, and concomitant drug interactions associated with immunosuppressive medications are presented. Classes of medications discussed include polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, calcineurin inhibitors, antiproliferative agents, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, and corticosteroids. Medications having significant interactions with immunosuppression are also examined.
Size Distribution of Cubic Particles

For a distribution of particles embedded in an opaque solid, the number of particle profiles observed on a unit test area is related to the number per unit volume by the equation $$ {N_{A}} = {N_{V}}\; \cdot \;\bar{D} (DeHoff and Rhines, 1961) $$ (1) D is the average distance between tangent planes on all particles in the structure. Where the particles are cubes of uniform size but randomly oriented, Eq (1) becomes $$ {N_{A}} = {N_{V}}\; \cdot \;1\;1/2\;a (Myers, 1963) $$ (2) “a” is the cube edge. The profile sections observed have 3, 4, 5, or 6 sides, with 4-sides predominant, comprising, on the average, 48.7% of the total (Myers, 1963). Since some sections will be nearly square, “a” can be estimated closely and Eq (2) used to determine NV.
Safety and Efficacy of Novel Oral Anticoagulants vs Low Molecular Weight Heparin for Thromboprophylaxis in Large-Volume Liposuction and Body Contouring Procedures.

Background Preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains an important topic in the plastic surgery community. However, there is little consensus regarding appropriate VTE prophylaxis for patients undergoing common body contouring procedures. Objectives This study compared the use of two novel oral anticoagulants (Rivaroxaban and Apixiban) vs low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for postoperative chemical prophylaxis in body contouring plastic surgery procedures. Methods A single center retrospective chart review of 1572 patients who underwent body contouring plastic surgery procedures from January 2012 to February 2015 was performed. Major complications associated with chemical prophylaxis were reviewed including hematomas requiring surgical evacuation, acute blood loss anemia requiring transfusions, and thrombotic or hemorrhagic events. Results Drug-related adverse events occurred in 1.27% (n = 20) of patients. The complications encountered by the 454 patients on LMWH consisted of 0.88% (n = 4) with hematomas requiring surgical evacuation, 0.44% (n = 2) with decreased hemoglobin requiring transfusions, and 0.22% (n = 1) with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The complications encountered by 703 patients on with Rivaroxaban consisted of 1.3% (n = 9) with hematomas requiring surgical evacuation, 0.43% (n = 3) with decreased hemoglobin requiring transfusions, and 0.1% (n = 1) with a DVT and pulmonary embolism. The complications encountered by 415 patients on with Apixaban consisted of 0.48% (n = 2) with a DVT. Conclusions Novel oral anticoagulants (Rivaroxaban and Apixiban) are comparable to LMWH for chemical prophylaxis after body contouring procedures with similar rates of drug-related complications. Further investigation is warranted with more clinical cases in order to recommend the use of this medication for routine postoperative chemical prophylaxis after body contouring procedures. Level of Evidence 3![Graphic][1] Therapeutic [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif