cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the AGU Fall Meeting

[1] The Fall Meeting is AGU's flagship meeting and is the largest Earth and space sciences meeting in the world. The high quality of this meeting is due to the joint efforts of the Fall Meeting Program Committee, the professional AGU meetings staff, AGU members who serve as session chairs, and AGU members who submit abstracts and attend the meeting. The Fall Meeting in 2010 was attended by more than 19,000, including 31% from outside the United States. Attendance at the Fall Meeting has been growing at a steady rate of approximately 6–8% per year over the past decade.
Crossing disciplinary boundaries: Applying financial portfolio theory to model the organization of the self-concept

Abstract Portfolio theory (from the field of finance) provides an explicit means for understanding the relationship between individual components of a complex system and their relationship to the overall structure and behavior of that system over time. This paper models the self-concept as a portfolio (self-portfolio) composed of multiple self-schemas of differing degrees of evaluative valence. The self-schemas are organized according to their mean level of activation over time and their associated variability of activation over time. Using simulation data (Study 1) and also daily self-ratings provided by a sample of college students (n = 65) collected via the internet over a 60 day interval (Study 2), the organizational structure of the individual self-schemas and their mean levels of variability in activation over time are shown to give rise to the overall evaluative valence of the self-concept and the way in which it changes over time. Implications of applying models from outside of psychology to study phenomena of interest to scientific psychology are discussed.
On similarity of operators

In this paper we give a general expression for operators on a Hilbert space which are similar to an operator of a certain type such as a contraction, a unitary operator, a dissipative operator, an operator with nuclear imaginary component, etc. Theorem 1 covers these types and many others. Theorem 2 is concerned with those operators whose spectrum lies in the open upper half-plane. By an operator we always mean a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space !$. As usual H > 0 means that H is a positive operator, i.e., (Hx, x) 2 0 f or all x E &. We write H > 0 to indicate that H is positive and invertible. The spectrum of an operator B is denoted bY 4B).
Making use is more than a matter of task analysis

I am pleased and honored that such an impressive group of commentators considered my book Making Use (Carroll, 2000) worthy of discussion and analysis. I would not expect, nor even prefer really, to have everyone agree with me. What would bother me, what would bother any author, is to not be read at all. Dan Diaper’s critical review and the commentaries by David Benyon/Catriona Macaulay, Tom Carey, and Fabio Paterno, will help to make that less likely! Many important themes are raised in Diaper (2002) review and in the commentaries. In this response I want to concentrate on refining a few of the main issues and distinctions. First, I briefly consider contrasts in values. I think that preferences for scenario-based design versus traditional task analytic methods reflect differences in the underlying world views and values of designers and researchers. To some extent, therefore, the issues in this discussion are not just technical, but paradigmatic and moral. Second, I consider the state of design practices in HCI and its implications for where onus lies in contemporary methodological argumentation and for what sorts of data are pertinent and required to address outstanding methodological issues. Finally, I consider the question of how task analysis, in the sense of structured task decomposition, might be reconstructed in the emerging paradigm of scenario-based design.
Parent, peer, and executive function relationships to early adolescent e-cigarette use: a substance use pathway?

Introduction Little is known about influences on e-cigarette use among early adolescents. This study examined influences that have been previously found to be associated with gateway drug use in adolescents: demographic (age, gender, ethnicity, free lunch), social contextual influences of parents and peers, and executive function deficits (EF).
Inelastic Scattering of 19-Mev Protons by O 16

The NaI scintillation spectroscopy of the proton groups from the inelastic scattering of 19-Mev protons by ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ yielded levels in ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ at 6.14, 7.02, 8.87, 9.85, 10.34, 11.08, 11.51, 12.02, 12.53, 13.06, and possibly 13.39 Mev, with an error of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}30 kev. The levels at 8.87 and 11.08 Mev are probably ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ in character and are found to decay by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays cascading through the states at 6 and 7 Mev. The relatively weakly excited level at 12.02 Mev is probably accompanied by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray emission. Differential cross sections for most inelastic groups are also given.
Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of P-A-I-N

Rules to clarify MMPI profiles into four types (P-A-I-N) observed commonly in chronic pain patient populations were tested to determine if resulting average profiles matched computer-algorithm derived prototypes. Close matches were obtained, suggesting that the rules could be used in the ordinary pain clinic setting to look for type x treatment interactions. Seven clinical variables differentiated the types. Type P and N were most different from one another, and Types A and I represented poles on an optimism-pessimism dimension.
The reciprocal effects of pain intensity and activity limitations: implications for outcomes assessment in clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES To examine the reciprocal effects of pain intensity and limitations in physical functioning over time. METHODS This study presents findings from a reanalysis of a 7-center trial conducted in Ontario, Canada, included 209 adults with chronic knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis. Patients were randomized to receive 28 days of therapy with an active solution (1.5% w/w diclofenac sodium in dimethyl sulfoxide) or 1 of 2 control solutions containing no diclofenac. The key outcome measures used in the current analyses were administered throughout the study period and assessed pain intensity, perceived activity limitations, and a composite score measuring both domains. A structural cross-lagged regression approach was used to determine the reciprocal effects of pain and activity limitations over time. RESULTS In both study groups, participants (N=209) experienced significant reductions in mean pain intensity and activity limitations from baseline to weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 (P<0.001 for both variables). Similarly, there were significant reductions in the activity limitations outcome at weeks 1 and 4 for the active versus control group (P<0.05 for both). Higher levels of perceived activity limitations predicted more future pain at all time points. Cross-lagged associations in which pain predicted subsequent perceived activity limitations were not significant at any time point. All 3 outcome measures evidenced similar responsiveness to the treatment. CONCLUSION These analyses showed that a decrease in activity limitations results in a decrease in pain intensity. However, changes in pain intensity had no effect on subsequent activity limitations in the study sample. None of the 3 outcome variables emerged as being more responsive to treatment than the others.
The Bottom Heat Loss of a Solar Pond in the Presence of Moving Ground Water

The bottom heat loss from a solar pond in the presence of moving ground water was determined under steady state conditions. A simplified pond model was used which restricts the results to long, narrow, shallow ponds. The analysis was based on the steady two-dimensional energy equation utilizing an effective thermal conductivity. The ground was modeled as a porous soil consisting of two distinct regions; one above the water table and one below where the ground water was assumed to flow in the horizontal direction. Solutions were obtained by the finite-difference direct method utilizing matrix concepts. The bottom heat loss is represented by a conductance coefficient whose values are plotted as a function of Peclet number, water table level, and the thermal conductivity ratio of the two distinct soil regions. The results indicate that the heat loss rate significantly increases as the water table level moves closer to the pond bottom. At water table levels close to the pond bottom, the heat loss rate increases significantly with increasing Peclet number.
Processing Parameter Influence on Texture and Microstructural Evolution in Cu-Nb Multilayer Composites Fabricated via Accumulative Roll Bonding

A combination of accumulative roll bonding and rolling is used to fabricate bulk sheets of multilayer Cu-Nb bimetallic composites. Alterations in the processing sequence are made in comparison with prior studies in order to expand the processing window available for bimetallic multilayer composites. Cu-Nb composites with layer thicknesses ranging from 45 μm to 10 nm with accompanying total strains of 3.8 to 12.21 are characterized via neutron diffraction, electron back scatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. These characterization methods provide microstructural information such as layer morphology and grain morphology as well as orientation information such as texture and interface plane normal distribution. The evolution of these microstructural characteristics is collected as a function of increasing strain. These results can provide guidance, inputs, and validation for multiscale predictive models that are being developed on materials with interfacially-driven properties. Finally, synthesis pathways are presented that allow the fabrication of nanoscale multilayer composites with predominant interfacial structures. These fabricated materials are ideal for exploring the relative importance between inter-phase interfacial density and atomic interfacial structure in determining material properties.
Microbiology: Adaptation by target remodelling

Bacteria direct their movement in response to certain chemicals by controlling the rotation of whip-like appendages called flagella. The sensitivity of the response can be adjusted at the signal's target, the flagellar motor. See Letter p.233 Chemotaxis, the process used by bacteria to move in response to a chemical stimulus, is driven by a flagellar rotary motor that is exquisitely sensitive to intracellular levels of the signalling protein CheY-P within a narrow operating range. However, there is a large cell-to-cell variation in steady-state CheY-P concentration, prompting speculation as to whether Escherichia coli could possibly control its steady-state CheY-P concentration with sufficient precision to engage the flagellar motor when required. Howard Berg and colleagues have found an answer to this paradox. The bacterium seems to avoid the problem in a counter-intuitive way, by constantly adjusting the number of CheY-P target proteins in the motor. Such adaptive remodelling at the output end of a control process goes against the principles of good engineering practice, yet is likely to be common to many biological machines.
Current issues in techniques of prostate brachytherapy

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most common malignancy diagnosed among men in the United States today. Brachytherapy permits conformal radiotherapy and dose escalation, and it offers the convenience of a single-day outpatient procedure which is very attractive to patients with a busy life-style. The reported potency preservation rates with brachytherapy are superior to both external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and surgery. The older retropubic techniques have been replaced by ultrasound or CT-guided transperineal techniques. Prostate brachytherapy may be temporary or permanent, and the planning techniques for either approach are similar. This review briefly discusses the advantages and limitations of each. Temporary techniques may be used with low dose rate or high dose rate applications. The basic steps include assessing prostate volume by any diagnostic modality (CT or ultrasonography), determining total activity needed to encompass the gland and deliver the appropriate minimum peripheral dose, and determining the pattern of placement of the seeds within the gland. Preplanning may be done either by ultrasound or by CT. The operative technique requires the visualization of the prostate in three dimensions and is performed using combination of ultrasound and fluoroscopy or fluoroscopy in two axes. The New York Hospital technique employs CT-based preplanning along with ultrasound and fluoroscopy during the operative procedure. Special circumstances that necessitate neoadjuvant hormonal therapy include interference from the pubic arch and large volume glands. An analysis of patients with stage T2a disease treated at the New York Hospital-Queens, from 1990-1995, reveals an actuarial clinical freedom from relapse of 79% at 5 years and a 5-year biochemical freedom from relapse of 64% which is comparable to that reported for similar risk groups of disease by other centers. Potency is preserved in greater than 80% of patients in our series. Patient selection criteria include the pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, tumor grade (Gleason), stage of disease, and presence or absence of bilateral positive biopsies and/or perineural invasion. Based on our review of the literature and our clinical results, we have divided patients with prostate cancer into good, intermediate and poor risk groups. We recommend brachytherapy as the sole procedure for good risk patients, and a combination of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy for the intermediate risk group. Future avenues for research include a search for improved imaging techniques and possibly newer isotopes.
Extra-anatomic renal revascularization in patients with renal artery stenosis and abdominal aortic occlusion

Abstract Thirteen patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis and total abdominal aortic occlusion underwent extra-anatomic surgical renal revascularization without aortic replacement. Renal artery stenosis was present unilaterally (n = 2), bilaterally (n = 7), or in a solitary kidney (n = 4). Surgical renal revascularization was indicated for treatment of severe hypertension in all patients and for preservation of renal function in 10 patients. The level of abdominal aortic occlusion was suprarenal (n = 3), perirenal (n = 2), or infrarenal (n = 8). All patients had extensive collateral vascular supply to the lower extremities with absent (n = 7) or mild (n = 6) claudication. Surgical renal ervascularization was achieved with hepatorenal bypass (n = 6), mesenterorenal bypass (n = 4), or splenorenal bypass (n = 3). None of the patients underwent concomitant aortic replacement. There were no operative deaths. Postoperatively, hypertension was improved in 10 patients, unchanged in 2 patients, and worse in 1 patient. Renal function was improved in 8 patients, stable in 2 patients, and worse in 3 patients. After surgical renal revascularization, no patient required aortic replacement, while 1 patient underwent extra-anatomic revascularization of the lower extremities. We conclude that some patients with renal artery stenosis and abdominal aortic occlusion can be managed by surgical renal revascularization alone without a more extensive and potentially hazardous aortic replacement. In these patients, extra-anatomic techniques can allow safe and successful surgical renal revascularization while avoiding surgery on the diseased aorta.
Medicine for Sin as Prescribed in the Penitentials

During the past century the textual criticism and literary history of the Penitentials have received considerable attention, but the investigation of their actual function in social and church life has only begun. Yet the field is inviting. The Penitentials have, for instance, notable legal and economic aspects; they offer considerable information on ascetic practices, they have a bearing on ritual developments; and the relation of their relaxations, compositions and commutations of penance to the development of Indulgences is itself an important question. It is not the purpose of the present article to investigate any of these, but to suggest still another angle of approach. I wish to present some elementary considerations toward the answer to a question which is perhaps more basic than any of those just suggested. The question may be stated thus: What did the Penitentials contribute, and what were they designed to contribute, to the cure of souls? The cure of souls ( cura animarum ) means of course the general ministry of religion in the care, and only incidentally the healing, of souls. But the penitent was regarded as one morally diseased and ill, and his treatment is, in the Penitentials, repeatedly, even habitually, referred to as the task of the moral physician. His sins are the symptoms of disease. The penalties enforced are “medicamenta,” “remedia,” “fomenta” —measures designed to restore his moral and spiritual health.
Nonlinear Adsorption of Uranyi: Analytical Modeling of Liner Migration

This paper is concerned with establishing the breakthrough time for leachate to migrate out of waste facilities containing large quantities of low-level, radioactive uranium. The impoundments have clay liners which adsorb uranyl cations dissolved in the leachate. A nonlinear isotherm, derived from a consideration of the phenomenological basis and chemical kinetics of the adsorption process, is used in conjunction with a time-dependent, one-dimensional species transport equation to develop a mathematical expression for the retarded migration time interval. The nonlinear transport equation is identical to one occurring in theoretical gas dynamics for the description of shock waves, and whose solution is well-known. Results indicate that large breakthrough time-interval errors can arise if a linear isotherm is used to model the adsorption process, particularly if leachate concentrations along the floor of the pit are near saturation. Conversely, at dilute concentrations, computations based on the linear isotherm underpredict the time interval required for the onset of leakage. The underprediction is acceptable from an engineering viewpoint because environmental protection afforded by the liner is not overstated.
Characterizing large correlated fluctuations of macromolecular conformations in torsion-angle space using the multivariate wrapped-Gaussian distribution

We describe a multivariate wrapped-Gaussian distribution that can be used to model statistical distributions expressed in periodic angular variables even in the presence of significant angle-angle correlations. Using amino acid and peptide examples, we show how this distribution can be used to characterize accurately conformational fluctuations in torsion-angle space. The method permits more accurate characterization of large-scale peptide and polymer fluctuations than the standard harmonic or quasiharmonic method. This can be used to increase the efficiency of Monte Carlo sampling and simulated annealing in torsion-angle space.
Detection of subnanogram amounts of RNA in polyacrylamide geis in the presence and absence of protein by staining with silver

Abstract The new ultrasensitive photochemically derived silver stain described for polypeptides in polyacrylamide gels (Merril et al., Science 211 , 1437–1438 (1981)) also stains nucleic acid in polyacrylamide gels. Reovirus genome double-stranded (ds) RNA segments were clearly detected in gels at about 0.03 ng/mm 2 with the silver staining technique when either purified virions or isolated, purified dsRNA was analyzed. The silver stain was about 10 to 30 times more sensitive than ethidium bromide for detecting reovirus dsRNA.
Mask-Assisted Seeded Growth of Segmented Metallic Heteronanostructures

Controlling the deposition of exotic metals in the seeded growth of multimetal nanostructures is challenging. This work describes a seeded growth method assisted by a mask for synthesis of segmented binary or ternary metal nanostructures. Silica is used as a mask to partially block the surface of a seed and a second metal is subsequently deposited on the exposed area, forming a bimetallic heterodimer. The initial demonstration was carried out on a Au seed, followed by deposition of Pd or Pt on the seed. It was found that Pd tended to spread out laterally on the seed while Pt inclined to grow vertically into branched topology on Au. Without removal of the SiO2 mask, Pt could be further deposited on the unblocked Pd of the Pd–Au dimer to form a Pt–Pd–Au trimer. Mask-assisted seeded growth provides a general strategy to construct segmented metallic nanoarchitectures.
Structure and orientation of NH3 on clean and oxygen-precovered Al(111)

Abstract On clean Al(111) bonding of molecular NH 3 occurs via the N atom with a wide distribution of tilt angles of the molecular axis with respect to the surface normal and with random azimuthal orientation. Fractional monolayers of chemisorbed oxygen induce a high degree of local azimuthal orientation of the H atoms in adsorbed NH 3 , in the absence of long-range order.
INTRODUCING RACE AS A VARIABLE INTO THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF KENYA DEBATE: AN INCENDIARY IDEA

The debate on the nature and development potential of 'indigenous' capitalism in Kenya seemed to have petered off indecisively in the 1980s. At that time some form of socialism was still an option for some of the debaters. Following the seemingly-global acceptance of free-enterprise as the developmental model of choice, however, the Kenya debate has been resurrected but in a different intellectual guise. In line with the revival (especially in the United States) of culture and ethnicity as determinants of economic prosperity, some non-Kenyan authors have faulted the 1980s literature for leaving out Kenyan-Asian capitalists, the principal protagonists of local entrepreneurship, who, it is argued accounted for Kenya's outstanding development performance in the high-growth years before independence in 1963, and the onset of economic regress under the Moi government in the early 1 980s, by dint of their industry and cultural heritage. Without giving in to the undeserved Asian-bashing which this thesis has provoked in some Kenya-African political circles, this article provides evidence that credit for Kenya's economic achievements is more widespread and more race neutral. So is credit for the corruption and crass mismanagement that has characterized the Moi years. Considering the low intellectual pay-off and the high political dangers inherent in careless introduction of race and culture as operating variables to explain growi, the article advocates greater attention to analytical concepts that show more promise in accounting for inter-ethnic differences in material prosperity. These include law-based governance, a stable macroeconomic environment, and the strengthening of'social capital' at community level. THE DEBATE ON whether indigenous capitalism in Kenya could underwrite the economic transformation of the country, with or without the support of international capital, was all rage in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Michael Chege, a Kenyan, is Director of the Center for African Studies, University of Florida Gainesville, Florida USA. He previously worked with the Ford Foundation in Eastern and Southern Africa. 1. See the chapters by Michael Cowen, Colin Leys, Raphie Kaplinsky, and John Henley in Martm Fransman (ed.), Industty and Accumulation in Africa (Heinemann, London, 1982), pp. 142-231; the contributions on agrarian capitalism in Kenya by Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, Michael Cowen, Shadrack Gutto, Apollo Njonjo and Mukaru Nganga in Review of African Political Economy, 20 (1981); and Bjorn Beckrnan, 'Imperialism and Capitalist Transformation: critique of a Kenya debate', Review of African Political Economy, 19 (1980). Revisiting the debate ten years on, Colin Leys makes the case for giving more attention to the political calculations of African capitalists in 'Learning from the Kenya Debate', in David E. Apter and Carl G. Rosberg (eds.), Political Development and the New Realism in Sub-Saharan Africa (University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 1994), pp. 220-43.
Combustion derived ultrafine particles induce cytochrome P-450 expression in specific lung compartments in the developing neonatal and adult rat

Vehicle exhaust is rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and can be a dominant contributor to ultrafine urban particulate matter (PM). Exposure to ultrafine PM is correlated with respiratory infections and asthmatic symptoms in young children. The lung undergoes substantial growth, alveolarization, and cellular maturation within the first years of life, which may be impacted by environmental pollutants such as PM. PAHs in PM can serve as ligands for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) that induces expression of certain isozymes in the cytochrome P-450 superfamily, such as CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, localized in specific lung cell types. Although AhR activation and induction has been widely studied, its context within PM exposure and impact on the developing lung is poorly understood. In response, we have developed a replicable ultrafine premixed flame particle (PFP) generating system and used in vitro and in vivo models to define PM effects on AhR activation in the developing lung. We exposed 7-day neonatal and adult rats to a single 6-h PFP exposure and determined that PFPs cause significant parenchymal toxicity in neonates. PFPs contain weak AhR agonists that upregulate AhR-xenobiotic response element activity and expression and are capable inducers of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 expression in both ages with different spatial and temporal patterns. Neonatal CYP1A1 expression was muted and delayed compared with adults, possibly because of differences in the enzyme maturation. We conclude that the inability of neonates to sufficiently adapt in response to PFP exposure may, in part, explain their susceptibility to PFP and urban ultrafine PM.
Heavy metal bioaccumulation and effects on waterhyacinth weevils, Neochetina eichhorniae, feeding on waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes.

Both aquatic and terrestrial habitats frequently are subject to contamination by toxic heavy metals, yet very little is known about the influence of heavy metals absorbed by plant tissues upon the phytophagous insect fauna feeding upon these plants. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of plant-absorbed metals upon the feeding, mortality, and body burdens of lead, cadmium, and copper in the water hyacinth weevil, Neochetina eichhorniae, imported for the biological control of water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes).
Use of simulated annealing for optimization of alignment parameters in limited MRI acquisition volumes of the brain.

Studies suggest that clinical outcomes are improved in repeat trigeminal neuralgia (TN) Gamma Knife radiosurgery if a different part of the nerve from the previous radiosurgery is treated. The MR images taken in the first and repeat radiosurgery need to be coregistered to map the first radiosurgery volume onto the second treatment planning image. We propose a fully automatic and robust three-dimensional (3-D) mutual information- (MI-) based registration method engineered by a simulated annealing (SA) optimization technique. Commonly, Powell's method and Downhill simplex (DS) method are most popular in optimizing the MI objective function in medical image registration applications. However, due to the nonconvex property of the MI function, robustness of those two methods is questionable, especially for our cases, where only 28 slices of MR T1 images were utilized. Our SA method obtained successful registration results for all the 41 patients recruited in this study. On the other hand, Powell's method and the DS method failed to provide satisfactory registration for 11 patients and 9 patients, respectively. The overlapping volume ratio (OVR) is defined to quantify the degree of the partial volume overlap between the first and second MR scan. Statistical results from a logistic regression procedure demonstrated thatmore » the probability of a success of Powell's method tends to decrease as OVR decreases. The rigid registration with Powell's or the DS method is not suitable for the TN radiosurgery application, where OVR is likely to be low. In summary, our experimental results demonstrated that the MI-based registration method with the SA optimization technique is a robust and reliable option when the number of slices in the imaging study is limited.« less
Genetic evidence for the involvement of Fcγ receptor III in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis pathogenesis

Immune complexes and classical complement pathway play vital roles in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). To analyze the role of immune complex receptors in EAMG, FcgammaRIII knockout (KO) mice were immunized with AChR and were found out to be resistant to EAMG induction. This was associated with reduced neuromuscular junction deposits, lymph node cell (LNC) IL-6 production and serum complement levels. EAMG resistance of anti-C1q Ab-administered mice was also associated with reduced LNC IL-6 production and neuromuscular junction deposits, indicating C1q involvement in EAMG resistance. The data provide the first direct genetic evidence for Fcgamma receptor involvement in EAMG pathogenesis.
Activity and stability studies of MoO2 catalyst for the partial oxidation of gasoline

Abstract The present investigation is focused on the performance of molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ) as a catalyst for the partial oxidation of isooctane. Metallic character and high oxygen mobility exhibited by this oxide appear to enhance its catalytic activity, which can be explained in terms of the Mars–van Krevelen mechanism. An oxygen-to-carbon ratio (O/C) of 0.72 seems to stabilize the catalytic performance, which could reach H 2 yields of 78% and carbon conversions of 100%, at 700 °C and 1 atm, after 20 h on stream. In addition, the catalyst was tested for sulfur tolerance using thiophene as model sulfur compound. Our findings indicate that the catalytic activity is barely affected even at sulfur concentrations as large as 500 ppm, after 7 h on stream. Finally, the catalyst performance was compared to that of a nickel catalyst using premium gasoline as fuel. MoO 2 displayed a stable performance whereas the Ni catalyst deactivated due to coke formation.
Isolation and characterization of three unusual membrane glycopeptides present in rat intestinal endoplasmic reticula.

Abstract Three glycopeptides have been isolated from the mucosal homogenates of the rat small intestine without using proteolysis. These glycopeptides appear to be localized exclusively in the membranes of the endoplasmic reticula. Although they have similar molecular weights of about 2550 and have similar amino acid compositions, they differ in the carbohydrate constituents. The major glycopeptide has 2 mol glucose per polypeptide chain while the two other glycopeptides contain 1 mol fucose, mannose and galactose with either 1 or 2 mol glucose. No hexosamine or sialic acid was detected in any of the glycopeptides. An unusual physical property was found associated with these glycopeptides. Below pH 6.5 they formed a precipitate which prevented them from diffusing through a dialysis membrane and allowed them to be rapidly purified following solubilization from the membrane. These glycopeptides appear to represent a new group of heretofore uncharacterized membrane constituents which may play a role in some function specific for the endoplasmic reticula.
Perceived customer showrooming behavior and the effect on retail salesperson self-efficacy and performance

The increasing product commoditization and price transparency afforded by online retail channels have left many brick and mortar stores bearing the costs associated with being used as a physical showroom without reaping the rewards of the final sale. As customers continue to take advantage of retail stores to gather information and turn to competing channels for purchasing, the role of the retail salesperson has shifted and retailers have been left without a clear understanding of how to manage this change in the retailing landscape. In this research, we first define “showrooming” – and investigate individual (i.e., salesperson)-level experiential consequences of perceived showrooming. We find negative relationships between perceived showrooming and salesperson self-efficacy and salesperson performance, which are positively moderated by salesperson coping strategies and cross-selling strategies. Our findings suggest that the negative effects of showrooming can be combated though specific salesperson behaviors and strategies. Further, exploratory findings at the store level reaffirm a negative relationship between perceived showrooming behaviors and performance. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and offer specific managerial actions to address showrooming.
Composite fast-slow MPC design for nonlinear singularly perturbed systems

The design of a composite control system for nonlinear singularly perturbed systems using model predictive control (MPC) is described. Specifically, a composite control system comprised of a “fast” MPC acting to regulate the fast dynamics and a “slow” MPC acting to regulate the slow dynamics is designed. The composite MPC system uses multirate sampling of the plant state measurements, i.e., fast sampling of the fast state variables is used in the fast MPC and slow-sampling of the slow state variables is used in the slow MPC. Using singular perturbation theory, the stability and optimality of the closed-loop nonlinear singularly perturbed system are analyzed. A chemical process example which exhibits two-time-scale behavior is used to demonstrate the structure and implementation of the proposed fast–slow MPC architecture in a practical setting. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 1802–1811, 2012
The impact of obesity on surgical staging, complications, and survival with uterine cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group LAP2 ancillary data study.

Abstract Objective To determine the association of body mass index (BMI) on complications, recurrence, and survival in GOG LAP2, a randomized comparison of laparoscopic versus open staging in clinically early stage uterine cancer (EC). Methods An ancillary data analysis of GOG LAP2 was performed. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson chi-square test and continuous variables using the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests by BMI group. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate independent prognostic factors on survival. Statistical tests were two-tailed with α =0.05, except where noted. Statistical analyses utilized R programming language. Results 2596 women were included. BMI (kg/m 2 ) groups were p =0.021), grade ( p p =0.005) differed by BMI. Obese women were less likely to have high risk (HR) disease (+lymph nodes/ovaries/cytology) or tumor features that met GOG99 high intermediate risk (HIR) criteria ( p p =0.151) and recurrence ( p =0.46) did not vary by BMI. Hospitalization >2days, antibiotic use, wound infection, and venous thrombophlebitis were higher with BMI ≥40. BMI ( p =0.016), age ( p p =0.033), and risk group ( p p =0.79), but age ( p =0.032) and risk group ( p Conclusion Obese women have greater surgical risk and lower risk of metastatic disease. BMI is associated with all-cause but not disease-specific mortality, emphasizing the detrimental effect of obesity (independent of EC), which deserves particular attention.
Finding Minimum-Cost Circulations by Successive Approximation

We develop a new approach to solving minimum-cost circulation problems. Our approach combines methods for solving the maximum flow problem with successive approximation techniques based on cost scaling. We measure the accuracy of a solution by the amount that the complementary slackness conditions are violated. We propose a simple minimum-cost circulation algorithm, one version of which runs in On3lognC time on an n-vertex network with integer arc costs of absolute value at most C. By incorporating sophisticated data structures into the algorithm, we obtain a time bound of Onm logn2/mlognC on a network with m arcs. A slightly different use of our approach shows that a minimum-cost circulation can be computed by solving a sequence of On lognC blocking flow problems. A corollary of this result is an On2log nlognC-time, m-processor parallel minimum-cost circulation algorithm. Our approach also yields strongly polynomial minimum-cost circulation algorithms. Our results provide evidence that the minimum-cost circulation problem is not much harder than the maximum flow problem. We believe that a suitable implementation of our method will perform extremely well in practice.
Pneumonia Due to Drug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae

Pneumonia is a major infectious disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with Streptococcus pneumoniae the predominant pathogen in community-acquired cases, accounting for 20% to 50% of bacterial cases. Although pneumococcal resistance to β-lactams is now common worldwide, high-dose parental penicillin G, many other parental β-lactams and some oral β-lactams continue to be efficacious. The new Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute susceptibility breakpoints for parental penicillin G for nonmeningeal infections (≤2 μg/mL, susceptible; 4 μg/mL, intermediate; ≥8 μg/mL, resistant) introduced in 2008 facilitate appropriate reporting and use of penicillin G. Pneumococcal vaccine usage in children from 2000 has led to significant decreases in morbidity and mortality due to S. pneumoniae in all age groups, and the increase in resistant serotypes, such as 19A, appears to be decreasing following the introduction of an expanded valence vaccine in 2010. Judicious use of antimicrobial agents is the best long-term approach in order to reduce S. pneumoniae resistance.
Year in Review 2014: Airway Clearance

The respiratory therapist has had integrated adjuncts to improve mucus clearance for decades. However, there is a lack of literature describing the impact of these interventions on specific patient populations, resulting in an inability to make recommendations about the use of devices and techniques. The purpose of this article is to review recent literature regarding airway clearance therapies in a manner that is most likely to have interest to the readers of Respiratory Care.
Forest/environment relationships in Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Forest compositional patterns in Yosemite National Park, California, were related to environmental factors through numerical classification of forest types, arrangement of forest types along elevational and topographic gradients, and development of regression models relating basal area of common tree species to environmental variables. The eight forest types are differentiated primarily by elevation zone and secondarily by topographic setting. Lower montane forests (1200–1900 m) were divided into the Abies concolor/Calocedrus type occurring primarily on mesic sites and the Pinus ponderosa/Calocedrus type predominantly on xeric sites. Upper montane forests (1900–2500 m) included the Abies concolor/Abies magnifica type on mesic sites, the Abies magnifica/Pinus type on somewhat more xeric sites, and Juniperus occidentalis/Pinus jeffreyi woodlands on granitic domes. Subalpine forests (2500–3300 m) embraced three types: Tsuga mertensiana/Pinus forests on mesic sites, monotypic Pinus contorta forests on drier sites, and Pinus albicaulis/Pinus contorta groves at treeline. Regression models consistently included elevation and soil magnesium content as explanatory variables of species basal area totals. The two Abies spp. were negatively correlated with soil magnesium levels, whereas other montane species (e.g. Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus lambertiana, and Pinus ponderosa) exhibited positive correlation with soil magnesium. Topography and soil physical properties were only infrequently incorporated into species regression models.
Evaluation of Marking Techniques, Mark Retention, and Mortality Due to Marking of Burying Beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

ABSTRACT The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, was listed as an endangered species in 1989 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The recovery plan outlines the need for self-sustaining populations with at least 500 individuals, which requires mark and recapture sampling methods for measurement. To estimate populations, a marking technique must be used that will stay intact during the study and not adversely affect the beetle's behavior. Four marking techniques (bee tags, enamel paint, elytron-clipping, and elytron-cauterizing) have been used in studies involving the marking of N. americanus studies. In our study, we used two surrogate species, Nicrophorus marginatus F. and Nicrophorus orbicollis Say, to test these different marking techniques. There were no significant differences in mortality rates among the four techniques for mature or teneral beetles. Bee tags had a significantly higher retention rate than paint in day-to-day activities and during reproductive cycles. In a fiel...
Error probabilities for inference of causal directions

A main message from the causal modelling literature in the last several decades is that under some plausible assumptions, there can be statistically consistent procedures for inferring (features of) the causal structure of a set of random variables from observational data. But whether we can control the error probabilities with a finite sample size depends on the kind of consistency the procedures can achieve. It has been shown that in general, under the standard causal Markov and Faithfulness assumptions, the procedures can only be pointwise but not uniformly consistent without substantial background knowledge. This implies the impossibility of choosing a finite sample size to control the worst case error probabilities. In this paper, I consider the simpler task of inferring causal directions when the skeleton of the causal structure is known, and establish a similarly negative result concerning the possibility of controlling error probabilities. Although the result is negative in form, it has an interesting positive implication for causal discovery methods.
Characterization of a Novel Gene, wosA, Regulating FlhDC Expression in Proteus mirabilis

In this study, we describe wosA, a Proteus mirabilis gene identified by its ability to increase swarming motility when overexpressed. At various times during the swarming cycle, the increased expression of wosA resulted in a 4- to 16-fold upregulation of the transcription of flhDC, encoding the master regulator of the flagellar cascade. In turn, the expression of flaA, encoding flagellin, was substantially increased in wosA-overexpressing strains. The overexpression of wosA also resulted in constitutive swarmer cell differentiation in liquid medium, a normally nonpermissive condition. However, in wosA-overexpressing strains, the onset of swarming was not altered. A null wosA allele resulted in a slight decrease in swarming motility. The expression of wosA was growth phase dependent during growth in liquid and on agar plates during swarmer cell differentiation. Increasing the viscosity of liquid medium by the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone induced swarmer cell differentiation and resulted in a fourfold increase in wosA transcription. A fliL mutation that results in constitutive swarmer cell elongation also increased wosA transcription. In this study, we discuss the possible role of the wosA gene product in signal transduction from solid surfaces to induce swarmer cell differentiation, possibly via alterations in the motor switch complex. This study also suggests that despite constitutive swarmer cell differentiation in wosA-overexpressing strains, there are additional regulatory and/or environmental conditions that may control the onset of swarming migration.
Large-scale parallel processing systems

Abstract Parallel processing is an area of growing interest to the computer science and engineering communities. This paper is an introduction to some of the concepts involved in the design and use of large-scale parallel systems. Parallel machines that are classified as SIMD (synchronous) and MIMD (asynchronous) systems, composed of a large number of microprocessors, are explored. Parallel algorithms are examined, using image smoothing, recursive doubling and contour tracing as examples. Single stage and multistage networks are discussed. The single stage Cube, PM21, Four Nearest Neighbor and Shuffle-Exchange networks are presented, and the multistage Cube network is described. Case studies of three microprocessor-based systems are given as examples of parallel machine designs, specifically the MPP SIMD machine, the Ultracomputer MIMD system, and the PASM SIMD/MIMD machine.
An Attribution Theory of Sex Discrimination

Sex discrimination in organisations operates at two distinct levels. On one hand, women experience difficulty entering certain occupations/organisations. This type of discrimination has been labelled access sex discrimination. This form of discrimination relies heavily on stereotyping. One form of stereotyping—sex characteristic stereotypes—refers to widely held beliefs that men and women are different in terms of their personalities and capabilities. The existence of these differences is used to justify the position that women are not capable of successful performance in certain occupations. A second form of stereotyping—sex role stereotypes—refers to widely held beliefs concerning the appropriateness of behaviour. This form of stereotyping implies that while women could enter certain occupations as they have the capabilities, they should not.
Combined ultrasound biometry, serum markers and age for Down syndrome risk estimation

Objective To compare Down syndrome screening efficiency of the standard serum triple analyte screen to that of a four-component screen consisting of ultrasound biometry and serum markers in the second trimester. Methods The Down syndrome screening efficiency of the triple screen, i.e. alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (E3), hCG and maternal age, was compared with the four-marker algorithm, i.e. humerus length, nuchal thickness, AFP and hCG plus maternal age. A quadrivariate Gaussian algorithm was used to calculate individual Down syndrome odds. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves plotting sensitivity against false-positive rate were constructed for each algorithm and the areas under the curves were compared to determine which was superior. Sensitivity and false-positive rates at different Down syndrome risk thresholds were also compared. Results There were 46 cases of Down syndrome (1.9%) with 2391 normal singleton pregnancies in a referral population in which triple screen, fetal biometry and karyotype had been done. The gestational age range for the study was 14–24 completed weeks. The median maternal age for the study group was 35.0 years (14.0–46.0 years). The areas (SE) under the ROC curves were 0.75(0.04) and 0.93(0.02) for the standard triple and the four-marker screen, respectively (P < 0.001). At a 10% false-positive rate, detection was 45.7% for the triple and 80.4% for the four-marker screen. Condusions A new algorithm combining humerus length and nuchal thickness measurement with serum AFP, hCG and maternal age substantially improved Down syndrome screening efficiency compared with the traditional triple screen. The model appears promising and should be evaluated in an independent data set.