cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical utility of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of ischemic stroke

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) detects small changes in water diffusion that occur in ischemic brain. This study evaluated the clinical usefulness of a phase-navigated spin-echo DWI sequence compared with T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2W MRI) in patients with cerebral ischemia and assessed apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) changes over time. ADC values and T2 ratios of image intensity were measured from the region of ischemia and from the corresponding contralateral brain region. The clinical histories of patients with DWI scans obtained over the course of 1 year were reviewed to ascertain whether DWI aided in clinical diagnosis or management. Of 103 scans obtained a mean of 10.4 days after symptom onset, DWI detected six lesions not seen on T2WI and discriminated two new infarcts from old lesions. DWI was most useful within 48 hours of the ictus. The evolution of ADC values and T2 ratios was evaluated in 26 cases with known symptom onset times. ADC values were low at less than 1 week after stroke onset and became elevated at chronic time points. T2 ratios were near normal acutely, increasing thereafter. DWI was superior to T2W MRI in detecting acute stroke, whereas both techniques assisted in determining lesion age.
Constitutive nuclear import of latent and activated STAT5a by its coiled coil domain

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5a (STAT5a) is a critical transcription factor for a number of physiological processes including hematopoiesis and mammary gland development. Cytokines such as growth hormone, prolactin, erythropoietin, and interleukin-2 stimulate the activation of STAT5a by tyrosine phosphorylation. Tyrosine phosphorylation confers a conformational change and the ability to bind specific target DNA. To execute its function as a signaling molecule and transcription factor, accurate cellular localization of STAT5a is essential. This study explores the nuclear trafficking of STAT5a both before phosphorylation and after tyrosine phosphorylation. With the use of live cell imaging we demonstrate the continuous shuttling of STAT5a in and out of the nucleus. Evaluation of a series of mutations and deletions identifies a region within the coiled coil domain of STAT5a that is critical for nuclear import of both unphosphorylated and tyrosine-phosphorylated forms. The mechanism that regulates transport of STAT5a through nuclear pore complexes into the nucleus is therefore independent of tyrosine phosphorylation. However, after tyrosine phosphorylation, STAT5a accumulates in the nucleus because of its retention by DNA binding. These findings should provide a foundation for further studies that involve targeting the activity of STAT5a.
Mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) and wheat starch blends with methylenediphenyl diisocyanate

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and wheat starch are biodegradable polymers derived from renewable sources. A previous study showed that thermally blending starch and PLA in the presence of methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) enhanced the mechanical properties of the blends. In this work, blends of PLA with various levels of wheat starch and MDI were hot mixed at 180°C then hot-pressure molded at 175°C to form test specimens. The blends were characterized for mechanical properties, fracture microstructure, and water absorption. Pure PLA had a tensile strength of 62.7 MPa and elongation of 6.5%. The blend with 45% wheat starch and 0.5 wt % MDI gave the highest tensile strength of about 68 MPa with about 5.1% elongation. The blend with 20% starch and 0.5 wt % MDI had the lowest tensile strength of about 58 MPa with about 5.6% elongation. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that storage modulus increased and tan δ decreased as starch level increased, but almost leveled off when starch level reached 45% or higher. Water absorption of the blends increased significantly with starch content. Yet the blend, if water proofed on its surface, has potential for short-term disposable applications. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1257–1262, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10457
Field Independence/Dependence in Second-Language Acquisition Research*

Field independence/dependence (FI/D) has been hypothesized to be an important variable in second-language acquisition (SLA); however, interpretations of empirical research on the role of FI/D vary. This paper establishes the significance of FI/D-SLA research by reexamining the construct of FI/D and its measurement and clarifying its role in language testing and good language-learner theories.
TU‐A‐218‐08: Spectrally Neutral X‐Ray Attenuators

Purpose: To develop a step wedge with constant beam quality for all steps. This would allow single‐shot sensitometry with image receptors like CR that vary their response adaptively, depending on exposure conditions. Methods: Appropriately chosen thicknesses of two different filter materials can produce x‐ray spectra with nearly identical shapes but different fluence rates. To demonstrate, a 70 kVp x‐ray spectrum from IPEM Report 78 was numerically filtered with 29.8 mm of Al to yield a half‐value layer of 7.1 mm, which is spectrum RQA5 from IEC Standard 62220–1 (2003). A second spectrum was calculated with the previously determined thickness of aluminum reduced by 7 mm. The resulting spectrum was filtered with 112 mm of PMMA, which gave the best‐fit match to the shape of the RQA5 spectrum. Seven additional spectra were generated starting from the RQA5 spectrum with paired decrements in Al thickness of 1 mm and increments in PMMA thickness of 16 mm. The shapes of the resulting spectra were compared, and their HVLs and ratios of fluence rates were calculated. Results: The shapes of the resulting spectra are nearly identical. The HVLs of the resulting spectra vary monotonically from 7.100 mm of Al for the 7 mm Al filter to 7.111 mm of Al for the 112 mm PMMA filter. The fluence rate decrement per step is 0.74592 ± 0.00002. Fluence rates normalized to the value for the 7 mm Al filter range from 1.0 to 0.1285. Conclusions: Combining a range of filter pairs like the ones described above into a step wedge would allow exposure of a detector with a range of intensities at the same beam quality in a single shot. The concept of a constant beam quality step wedge has been presented. Practical implementation of the concept remains to be demonstrated.
Troponin activity of different types of muscle fibers.

Abstract The troponin activity of myosin B from fast-twitch red (R), fast-twitch white (W), and slow-twitch intermediate (I) fibers of guinea pig skeletal muscle was determined, using soleus, semimembranosus proprius, the red part of the vastus lateralis, flexor digitorum longus, medial gastrocnemius, flexor hallucis longus and the white part of the vastus lateralis. The activity is expressed as moles of trypsin-sensitive calcium-binding capacity per gram of myosin B protein. The troponin activity of different skeletal muscles of the same animal differs greatly. The soleus shows the lowest value, and the white part of the vastus lateralis, the highest. A relationship of troponin activity to histochemical fiber type was demonstrated. Intermediate and red fibers have lower troponin activities than white fibers. The discrepancy noted between troponin activities in different fiber types and % ECTA inhibition of Mg-activated ATPase activities may indicate varying proportions of different types of troponin in the different fiber types.
Nanotechnology for bone materials.

It has been established that for orthopedic-related research, nanomaterials (materials defined as those with constituent dimensions less than 100 nm in at least one direction) have superior properties compared to conventional counterparts. This review summarizes studies that have demonstrated enhanced in vitro and in vivo osteoblast (bone-forming cells) functions (such as adhesion, proliferation, synthesis of bone-related proteins, and deposition of calcium-containing mineral) on nanostructured metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites thereof compared to currently used implants. These results strongly imply that nanomaterials may improve osseointegration, which is crucial for long-term implant efficacy. This review also focuses on novel drug-carrying magnetic nanoparticles designed to treat various bone diseases (such as osteoporosis). Although further investigation of the in vivo responses and toxicity of these novel nanomaterials pertinent for orthopedic applications are needed, nanotechnology clearly has already demonstrated the ability to produce better bone implants and therefore should be further investigated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Hiring and developing minority faculty at research universities

Emphasizing the importance of creating more programs and investing more funding toward the goal of developing minority faculty at research universities.
Electronic states at the interface of Ti–Si oxide on Si(100)

The requirement for high K dielectrics for Si devices includes both a low interface state density and a band alignment that blocks both electrons and holes. Titanium dioxide materials are known to exhibit dielectric constants of 80 or higher depending on the crystal structure and, as such, are prime candidates for gate dielectrics. We employ an ultrathin layer of SiO2 prior to the formation of a Ti oxide to limit the density of defect states. The electronic structure is observed during the stepwise growth of the oxide using x-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. Measurements indicate Ti oxide states at approximately 2 eV below the Si valence band maximum suggesting that the TiO2 conduction band aligns with the Si conduction band. The results indicate nearly flat bands in the silicon consistent with a low interface state density.
Reverse stripping soft decision decoding for general Gaussian fading broadcast channel

Recently, Tse and Yates have shown that for a general fading Gaussian broadcast channel with channel states known by the receivers only, binary expansion superposition (BES) signaling with hard decision decoding (HDD) comes within a constant gap to the channel capacity. In this work, we extend the achievability strategy of Tse and Yates by considering the use of soft-decision decoding (SDD) for the BES constellation. Multi-stage reverse stripping at each receiver permits partial cancelation of the less-significant-bit(LSB) interference and facilitates a decomposition of the fading channel into parallel effective channels between the binary input and its log likelihood ratio (LLR) at the receiver, which simplifies the design for capacity-approaching codes suitable for iterative decoding. We observe that for the degraded AWGN broadcast channel and for the non-degraded intermittent AWGN channel, the inner bound achievable by BES signaling with SDD can come within one bit of the capacity boundary for moderate to high SNR levels.
Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane: Is a Distinction between Direct and Indirect Pathways Meaningful?

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) at high-temperature, millisecond contact times (T > 900 °C, τ = 1−50 ms) is a technologically interesting reaction pathway for the production of synthesis gas or hydrogen. While many studies on CPOM over noble metal catalysts have been published in the past 10 years, much debate persists as to whether or not synthesis gas is produced via indirect or direct pathways. Here, we report results from a study into the reaction mechanism of CPOM over Pt catalysts. Catalyst contact times were varied, and product concentrations were correlated with in situ temperature profiles measured throughout the catalyst bed. The results give convincing evidence that the reaction proceeds in two stages: initial direct oxidation to CO and H2O at τ < 2 ms, followed by steam reforming of methane. Water gas shift plays only a minor role in all experimental conditions. H2 is produced predominantly via indirect oxidation, while CO is produced predominantly via direct oxidation. The resu...
Bacterial chemotaxis in a two-dimensional attractant gradient

The motion of a population of chemotactic bacteria in a radial exponential gradient of attractant in a cylindrical container has been calculated using a mathematical model suggested by Keller and Segel. Numerical solutions for the equations of bacterial migration have been found which give for all times the cell density at distances from the center of the cylinder. The ultimate distribution of bacteria is a simple stationary exponential function of the distance. Experiments to verify the theoretical predictions are suggested.
Long-term outcome after arterial ischemic stroke in children and young adults

Objective: To compare long-term outcome of children and young adults with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) from 2 large registries. Methods: Prospective cohort study comparing functional and psychosocial long-term outcome (≥2 years after AIS) in patients who had AIS during childhood (1 month–16 years) or young adulthood (16.1–45 years) between January 2000 and December 2008, who consented to follow-up. Data of children were collected prospectively in the Swiss Neuropediatric Stroke Registry, young adults in the Bernese stroke database. Results: Follow-up information was available in 95/116 children and 154/187 young adults. Median follow-up of survivors was 6.9 years (interquartile range 4.7–9.4) and did not differ between the groups ( p = 0.122). Long-term functional outcome was similar ( p = 0.896): 53 (56%) children and 84 (55%) young adults had a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0–1). Mortality in children was 14% (13/95) and in young adults 7% (11/154) ( p = 0.121) and recurrence rate did not differ ( p = 0.759). Overall psychosocial impairment and quality of life did not differ, except for more behavioral problems among children (13% vs 5%, p = 0.040) and more frequent reports of an impact of AIS on everyday life among adults (27% vs 64%, p p Conclusion: There were no major differences in long-term outcome after AIS in children and young adults for mortality, disability, quality of life, psychological, or social variables.
Topical glucocorticosteroids modulate the expression of CRABP I and II in human skin differently

Epidermal cells express two retinotic acid-binding proteins (CRABP I and II). Because CRABP II protein is strongly induced by topical retinoic acid, the respective roles of the two proteins in the pharmacological activity and toxicity of topical retinoids deserve particular attention. Since topical steroids diminish the irritation induced by retinoic acid (RA), whereas retinoic acid may counteract the atrophogenic effects of steroids, the possible interplay of both compounds in the expression of CRABP I and II appeared worth studying. We have analyzed the effects of topical application of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the retinoic acid-induced altered expression of CRABP I and II in normal human skin, at the protein and mRNA levels. We found that CRABP II protein and mRNA were strongly increased upon retinoic acid application: this induction was significantly inhibited by concomitant application of triamcinolone acetonide; a more potent steroid, difluocortolone valerate, was also found to diminish normal endogenous expression of CRABP II. In contrast, CRABP I protein was decreased by topical retinoic acid, and the down modulating effect of retinoic acid was counteracted by triamcinolone acetonide.
Participation in patient self-management programs.

Objective Participation in evidenced-based arthritis self-management programs (SMPs) has not been well documented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation rate and participant characteristics in a closed cohort of subjects in a geographic region where arthritis SMPs have been offered multiple times and continuously for 2 decades. Methods Data were from osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis subjects participating in the Arthritis, Rheumatism, and Aging Medical Information System (ARAMIS) who resided in the San Francisco (SF) Bay area who had responded to questions about ever participating in an SMP. Differences between participants and nonparticipants were examined by t-tests and chi-square tests. Results Questions added to the Health Assessment Questionnaire were returned by 1,176 patients; 618 resided in the SF Bay area. Of the SF Bay area sample, 41.9% had participated in an SMP. Small group SMPs, which had been offered multiple times, in diverse settings, continuously over the past 2 decades, were attended by the highest proportion (28%) of participants. Characteristics of participants and nonparticipants in the SF Bay area were similar (∼70 years old, 15 years of education, and the majority had OA [∼72%]). However, a higher proportion of participants were white (88% versus 82%; P = 0.046) and female (82% versus 73%; P < 0.05). Conclusion When arthritis SMPs were offered multiple times in diverse settings and continuously over many years, >40% of the cohort was reached. More research is needed with larger samples and different geographic regions to identify participation rates in more diverse populations.
Induction of peroxisomal β-oxidation in the rat liver in vivo and in vitro by tetrazole-substituted acetophenones: Structure-activity relationships

LY171883, a leukotriene D4 antagonist in the tetrazole-substituted acetophenone structural class, previously was demonstrated to cause peroxisome proliferation in rodents. In the present studies, several analogs were tested to determine if there are structural requirements for the induction of peroxisomal beta-oxidation in the rat liver in vivo and in cultured rat hepatocytes. Liver weight and serum triglycerides also were measured in vivo. The increases in peroxisomal beta-oxidation caused by the tetrazole-substituted acetophenones in vivo ranged from negligible to greater than 17-fold and there was good agreement with the structure-activity relationships found in cultured hepatocytes. N-methylation of the acidic nitrogen of the tetrazole blocked the peroxisomal effects, indicating that the free acid was required for activity. The length of the alkyl chain linked to the tetrazole also influenced the activity of the compounds. However, the more important determinant of peroxisomal activity may be the spatial orientation of the acidic tetrazole with respect to the planar backbone of the molecule. The data indicate there is a target site for peroxisome proliferation in the liver that is able to distinguish between structurally similar analogs. This site appears to be distinct from the leukotriene receptor since both inducers and noninducers of peroxisomal beta-oxidation were shown previously to be potent leukotriene antagonists.
An Intermediate-Scale Lysimeter Facility for Subsurface Bioremediation Research

Abstract A lysimeter facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, originally constructed to investigate leaching from low-level radioactive waste, was converted for use as an intermediate-scale facility for subsurface bioremediation research. The six experimental lysimeters are 2.5 m diameter by 4 m deep. The number and size of the lysimeters allow for replicate experiments and extensive sampling of the soil under controlled conditions. The facility provided containment of the contaminated soil, leachate, and microorganisms; positive control of the water table within the lysimeter; the ability to aerate the subsurface; multiple means of adding nutrients, electron acceptors, and electron donors to the subsurface; instrumentation for monitoring oxygen level, temperature, and moisture level; and means for obtaining samples of groundwater, soil, and liquid and gas samples from the soil pores. The flexibility of the facility allows for simulation of a wide range of subsurface bioremediation technologies. Startup...
Better Off Jobless? Scarring Effects of Contingent Employment in Japan

Previous research fails to address whether contingent employment benefits individuals' careers more than the alternative they often face: being without a job. Using work history data from Japan, this study shows that accepting a contingent job delays individuals' transition to standard employment more than remaining jobless. Moreover, having a contingent job, rather than having no job, leads Japanese men to have lower occupational status after they transition back to standard employment. I argue that in a highly segmented labor market like Japan's, the strict separation of labor pools for standard and contingent jobs makes being labeled as a contingent worker particularly detrimental. Meanwhile, the legacy of Japan's welfare corporatism alleviates the stigma of unemployment, making individuals better off jobless than having a contingent job. This research thus demonstrates the importance of labor-market contexts in shaping the scarring effects of contingent work arrangements.
Impostorism is Associated with Greater Psychological Distress and Lower Self-Esteem for African American Students

The impostor phenomenon (IP) is a feeling of incompetence and inadequacy despite evidence to the contrary. Feelings of impostorism are associated with poor psychological functioning, including psychological distress and low self-esteem. Though particularly salient in college students, samples of African American college students have rarely been studied. The present study seeks to address this gap by investigating impostorism’s associations with psychological distress and self-esteem in an African American college student sample. We hypothesized that higher impostorism predicts higher psychological distress, and that higher impostorism predicts lower self-esteem. One hundred and twelve participants completed online measures of impostorism, psychological distress, and self-esteem. Using simple linear regression analyses, the results supported both hypotheses – higher impostorism predicted higher psychological distress and higher impostorism predicted lower self-esteem. The findings may be useful for mental health professionals working with African American college students to decrease the impact of imposter feelings on self-esteem, psychological distress, and academic performance.
CRT calibration techniques for better accuracy including low-luminance colors

We present a new CRT characterization technique that improves the accuracy of the characterization. This is achieved by optimizing the linear transformation matrix of the two stage model in the uniform CIE/L*a*b* space. We also introduce an approach to improve the characterization performance for low luminance colors. These methods are used to calibrate two CRT monitors and better accuracies are obtained compared to existing methods, especially for low luminance colors. We present a systematic way to adjust the white point of the monitor using hardware settings. This allows us to adjust the monitor white accurately without losing any digital counts which is the case if a software approach is used. We propose a novel search algorithm to achieve very high accuracy calibration for experiments where a limited number of colors has to be displayed. We apply this search algorithm to the case of monochrome image display application and verify the performance our method.
Reactions of Palladium Germylene Complexes: Formation of Sulfide Bridges

Reactivity of three novel Pd germylene species is presented. (Et 3 P) 2 PdGe[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (1) and (dppe)PdGe[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (6) react with COS to give the sulfide bridged species (Et 3 P) 2 Pd(μS)Ge[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (2) and (dppe)Pd(μS)Ge-[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (7) (dppe = (diphenylphosphino)ethane). (Ph 3 P) 2 PdGe[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (4) reacts with COS to give the disulfide bridged complex (Ph 3 P) 2 Pd(μS) 2 Ge[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (5) resulting in Pd-Ge bond cleavage. This phosphine dependent reactivity is explored. Crystal structures of 2, 5, 7, and the dimeric form of complex 2, {(Et 3 P)-Pd(μS)Ge[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 } 2 (8), are reported. In the presence of excess germylene, complexes 2 and 5 are shown to partially regenerate their parent palladium germylene complexes, 1 and 4, respectively, via photolysis or heating.
Exercise Demonstrating a Genetic-Environment Interaction

Using inexpensive equipment and a limited number of subjects, this exercise demonstrates, through a factorial design, an interaction between genetics and environment. It also provides experience in direct observation of behavior. Inbred albino and pigmented mice are individually observed in a bright or dim open field; students record activity and defecation. Under dim light, albino and pigmented mice both show high levels of activity; under bright light, the activity of albino mice is suppressed but that of pigmented mice is little affected. Albinoss defecate more than pigmented under both lighting conditions. Significant results are usually obtained with as few as four mice in each of the four groups.
The great recession and changes in faculty expected retirement age

The great recession of 2008 has shifted retirement plans of workers in general. This paper examines the changes in expected retirement age following the great recession of 2008 of a subset of the labor force—university faculty who are near retirees and participate in a defined contribution retirement plan. We find evidence consistent with the life-cycle model which predicts changes in expected retirement age when there are unexpected changes in retirement wealth. For the faculty who expected to delay planned retirement, the average delay is 4 years. Regression estimates indicate a longer time horizon moderates the delay in expected retirement. We also find evidence that expected wealth at retirement amplifies the delay in expected retirement age while current value of retirement wealth moderates the delay in planned retirement.
Contributions of recent and past sexual partnerships on incident human papillomavirus detection: acquisition and reactivation in older women

Understanding the fraction of newly detected human papillomavirus (HPV) infections due to acquisition and reactivation has important implications on screening strategies and prevention of HPV-associated neoplasia. Information on sexual activity and cervical samples for HPV DNA detection using Roche Linear Array were collected semiannually for two years from 700 women ages 35 to 60 years. Incidence and potential fraction of HPV associated with new and lifetime sexual partnerships were estimated using Poisson regression. Cox frailty models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for potential risk factors of incident HPV detection. Recent and lifetime numbers of sexual partners were both strongly associated with incident HPV detection. However, only 13% of incident detections were attributed to new sexual partners, whereas 72% were attributed to 5 or more lifetime sexual partners. Furthermore, 155 of 183 (85%) incident HPV detections occurred during periods of sexual abstinence or monogamy, and were strongly associated with cumulative lifetime sexual exposure [HR: 4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0-8.4). This association increased with increasing age. These data challenge the paradigm that incident HPV detection is driven by current sexual behavior and new viral acquisition in older women. Our observation that most incident HPV infection was attributable to past, not current, sexual behavior at older ages supports a natural history model of viral latency and reactivation. As the more highly exposed baby-boomer generation of women with sexual debut after the sexual revolution transition to menopause, the implications of HPV reactivation at older ages on cervical cancer risk and screening recommendations should be carefully evaluated.
The Effect of Fast Neutron Bombardment on the Electrical Properties of Germanium

Lattice disorder in bulk Ge produced by collisions of fast neutrons with lattice atoms introduces a net excess of electron traps or acceptor states, which appear to have an energy distribution in the forbidden band. Bombardment of N-type Ge causes the conductivity to decrease, initially at a uniform rate, to a minimum value and then to increase. Examination of the data shows that initially about 3.2 conduction electrons are removed per incident fast neutron. The minimum value of the conductivity is higher than the value calculated assuming complete homogeneity and thermal equilibrium. Hall effect measurements prove that after the minimum is passed the material has been converted to P-type by fast neutron bombardment. The conductivity of P-type Ge increases with bombardment. The rate of increase decreases monotonically indicating an approach to saturation. The initial rate of carrier introduction in P-type Ge appears to be temperature dependent, being greater at higher temperatures (\ensuremath{\sim}0.8 carrier per incident neutron at 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C), and smaller than the rate of carrier removal for N-type Ge which is apparently temperature independent in the temperature range investigated (-79\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C to 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C). The effect of lattice disordering on the electrical properties of Ge may be removed by careful vacuum annealing at 450\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C while a portion of this effect readily anneals at room temperature.
Hand on the wheel, mind on the mobile: an analysis of social factors contributing to texting while driving

Abstract In an era defined by social technology, mobile phones provide constant connection to others. However, they also present a very dangerous situation when people choose to use their mobile phones while driving. In particular, exchanging text messages while driving has resulted in numerous accidents and fatalities. The purpose of this study is to examine social factors that lead people to text while driving. Specifically, using a multivariate logistic regression analysis of data from a 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center, variables for general mobile talk, driving while talking on a mobile, using the Internet on a mobile, sexting, and various motivations for texting were examined to determine factors that increase the likelihood of texting while driving. The findings suggest that people engage in mobile multiplexing (i.e., communication using two or more media on the mobile) while driving. Additionally, exchanging text messages in public, and consequently texting while driving, has become normaliz...
Effects of pH Alterations and Hypoxia on Isolated Human Intestine

Effects of hypoxia and pH alterations on the spontaneous contractions and responses to cholinergic stimuli or KCl were investigated in isolated human intestines. The longitudinal strip of human intestine showed spontaneous contractions. The spontaneous contraction was abolished by hypoxia with nitrogen gas substitution (95% N2 and 5% CO2) but not by substitution with acidic (pH 6.53) or alkaline (pH 7.75) solution. Contractile responses to acetylcholine (ACh) were not altered by treatment with hypoxia or pH alterations. KCl (10 mM)-induced contraction was inhibited by hypoxia but not by pH alterations. Transmural electrical stimulation elicited a transient contraction that was blocked by tetrodotoxin or atropine. Contractions induced by electrical stimulation at a low frequency (5 Hz) was not altered by hypoxia or pH alterations. The metabolic pathway related to energy generation and utilization for the spontaneous contraction and KCl-induced contraction seems to be more dependent on oxygen supply than that for ACh-induced contraction. The contractile mechanism in human intestine seems to be resistant to pH alterations.
OMOS: A Framework for Secure Communication in Mashup Applications

Mashups are new Web 2.0 applications that seamlessly combine contents from multiple heterogeneous data sources into one integrated browser environment. The hallmark of these applications is to facilitate dynamic information sharing and analysis, thereby creating a more integrated and convenient experience for end-users. As mashups evolve into portals designed to offer convenient access to information on critical domains, such as banking, shopping, investment, enterprise mashups, and Web desktops, concerns to protect clients' personal information and trade secrets become important, thereby motivating the need for strong security guarantees. We develop a security architecture that provides high assurance on the mutual authentication, data confidentiality, and message integrity of mashup applications. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of OpenMashupOS (OMOS), an open-source browser independent framework for secure inter-domain communication and mashup development.
Release and monitoring of a potential biological control agent, Lixadmontia franki, to control an invasive bromeliad-eating weevil, Metamasius callizona, in Florida

Abstract Metamasius callizona is an invasive bromeliad-eating weevil that has been destroying native bromeliads in Florida. A potential biological control agent, Lixadmontia franki, was released at four sites on six occasions. Five releases for each site were made throughout 2007–2008 and a 6th round of releases was made in spring 2009. Monitoring followed each release. Monitoring following the first release resulted in an F2 fly recovery which demonstrated that L. franki is capable of surviving and reproducing in Florida. Since then, no other recoveries have been made. The absence of further recoveries may be because no other flies survived to parasitize the sentinel weevil larvae, or flies did survive but either did not parasitize sentinel weevil larvae or did but the parasitism went unnoticed. Climate and elevation differences between the fly’s native range and Florida or limited nectar sources may have limited the fly’s ability to survive. Poorly located and/or too few traps or traps with less attractiveness than wild bromeliads may have caused a failure to capture flies that did survive. The loss of sentinel weevil larvae may have resulted in the loss of parasitized larvae. Recommendations are given for future release and monitoring methods.
Sleeping characteristics of adults undergoing outpatient elective surgery: a cohort study.

Abstract Study objective To describe sleeping patterns of adults before and after outpatient surgery. Design Observational cohort study Setting Outpatient surgical facility Patients 127 consenting adults, including 92 surgery patients and 35 community controls. Interventions Participants' sleep was measured for two days before and 2 days after outpatient surgery. Measurements Sleep was measured using actigraphy; additional measurements were made of anxiety (STAI), pain and energy (VAS), recovery (PHRI), and sleep history. Main results Approximately 23% of patients experienced clinically significant sleep impairment after surgery, a more difficult recovery, increased pain, and lower energy. In contrast, only 2.9% of the community control group experienced clinically significant sleep impairment during the same time period. Also, patients in the surgery group experienced significantly more True Wake Time postoperatively than did control patients ( p = 0.029). The surgery group also experienced more Night Awakenings >5 minutes than the control group ( p = 0.006), but not more overall Night Awakenings ( p = 0.106). Finally, of the patients in the surgery group, those who had higher state anxiety in the holding area also had more difficulty sleeping over the 4-day monitoring period (True Sleep Time was lower, 352 ± 187 vs . 229 ± 225, p = 0.009). Conclusions A moderate proportion of adults experience postoperative sleeping problems.
Comparison of body weight and gene expression in amelogenin null and wild-type mice

Amelogenin (AmelX) null mice develop hypomineralized enamel lacking normal prism structure, but are healthy and fertile. Because these mice are smaller than wild-type mice prior to weaning, we undertook a detailed analysis of the weight of mice and analyzed AmelX expression in non-dental tissues. Wild-type mice had a greater average weight each day within the 3-wk period. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), products of approximately 200 bp in size were generated from wild-type teeth, brain, eye, and calvariae. DNA sequence analysis of RT-PCR products from calvariae indicated that the small amelogenin leucine-rich amelogenin peptide (LRAP), both with and without exon 4, was expressed. No products were obtained from any of the samples from the AmelX null mice. We also isolated mRNAs that included AmelX exons 8 and 9, and identified a duplication within the murine AmelX gene with 91% homology. Our results add additional support to the hypothesis that amelogenins are multifunctional proteins, with potential roles in non-ameloblasts and in non-mineralizing tissues during development. The smaller size of AmelX null mice could potentially be explained by the lack of LRAP expression in some of these tissues, leading to a delay in development.
Darwin, thy name is system

Combine a hint of fear, a sense of foreboding and a thirst for self-preservation with the necessity to keep pace with rapidly increasing capabilities and complexities of the semiconductor manufacturing process and you have the perfect recipe for provoking an explosive evolutionary leap of design and test practices. Are we poised at a critical point of divergence from tradition and convention? Is there a developmental path which at once decreases new product time-to-market, time-to-full yield entitlement and production test costs, while simultaneously increasing yields, product quality levels and engineering reuse? Darwin, thy name is system
An eigen analysis of the interdecadal changes in the structure and frequency of ENSO mode

The mechanisms of interdecadal changes of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modes are examined through an eigen analysis of a simple coupled ocean-atmosphere model. It is shown that the observed interdecadal climate shift can effectively modify the strength of two major coupled feedbacks for the ENSO mode, namely, the zonal advection and thermocline feedbacks. These modifications lead to quantitative changes of the leading coupled mode in its frequency, growth rate, and spatial pattern, which are consistent with the observation.
The genetics of politics: discovery, challenges, and progress

For the greater part of human history, political behaviors, values, preferences, and institutions have been viewed as socially determined. Discoveries during the 1970s that identified genetic influences on political orientations remained unaddressed. However, over the past decade, an unprecedented amount of scholarship utilizing genetic models to expand the understanding of political traits has emerged. Here, we review the ‘genetics of politics’, focusing on the topics that have received the most attention: attitudes, ideologies, and pro-social political traits, including voting behavior and participation. The emergence of this research has sparked a broad paradigm shift in the study of political behaviors toward the inclusion of biological influences and recognition of the mutual co-dependence between genes and environment in forming political behaviors.
Boron reduction performance of reverse osmosis seawater desalination process

Abstract In recent years, seawater desalination systems using reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been constructed to settle the lack of drinking water. RO desalination membranes have high rejection for most of solutes in seawater. Japanese drinking water standards for the water quality of the permeate can be achieved except for boron. Therefore, the boron rejection needs to be considered in the design of the RO process and during the operation of the plant. Luckily, there is a simple and easy method to estimate boron concentration. In this paper, we report measured boron permeabilities and their relation to salt permeabilities using cross-linked polyamide membranes. Chemical degradation of the membranes affected these permeabilities to different degrees. Boron concentrations in the permeate were then calculated using a computer program that was based on the boron permeabilities calculated from the measured salt permeabilities. Results obtained were compared with actual data taken at a RO plant of Toray Industries, Inc., Ehime. The model data fitted the experimental result, well. It was also found that a relationship existed in the permeate between salt and boron concentrations and that the boron concentration can be obtained from measurement of the salt concentration.
Improved sliced velocity map imaging apparatus optimized for H photofragments.

Time-sliced velocity map imaging (SVMI), a high-resolution method for measuring kinetic energy distributions of products in scattering and photodissociation reactions, is challenging to implement for atomic hydrogen products. We describe an ion optics design aimed at achieving SVMI of H fragments in a broad range of kinetic energies (KE), from a fraction of an electronvolt to a few electronvolts. In order to enable consistently thin slicing for any imaged KE range, an additional electrostatic lens is introduced in the drift region for radial magnification control without affecting temporal stretching of the ion cloud. Time slices of ∼5 ns out of a cloud stretched to ⩾50 ns are used. An accelerator region with variable dimensions (using multiple electrodes) is employed for better optimization of radial and temporal space focusing characteristics at each magnification level. The implemented system was successfully tested by recording images of H fragments from the photodissociation of HBr, H2S, and the CH2OH radical, with kinetic energies ranging from 3 eV. It demonstrated KE resolution ≲1%–2%, similar to that obtained in traditional velocity map imaging followed by reconstruction, and to KE resolution achieved previously in SVMI of heavier products. We expect it to perform just as well up to at least 6 eV of kinetic energy. The tests showed that numerical simulations of the electric fields and ion trajectories in the system, used for optimization of the design and operating parameters, provide an accurate and reliable description of all aspects of system performance. This offers the advantage of selecting the best operating conditions in each measurement without the need for additional calibration experiments.
Fixing geometric errors on polygonal models: a survey

Polygonal models are popular representations of 3D objects. The use of polygonal models in computational applications often requires a model to properly bound a 3D solid. That is, the polygonal model needs to be closed, manifold, and free of self-intersections. This paper surveys a sizeable literature for repairing models that do not satisfy this criteria, focusing on categorizing them by their methodology and capability. We hope to offer pointers to further readings for researchers and practitioners, and suggestions of promising directions for future research endeavors.
Generalized fuzzy k-means algorithms and their application in image compression

This paper presents the development of generalized fuzzy k-means algorithms and their application in image compression based on vector quantization. The development of generalized fuzzy k-means algorithms is based on the search for partitions of the feature vector space other than those generated by existing fuzzy k-means algorithms. These alternative partitions can be obtained by relaxing one of the conditions imposed on the membership functions. The clustering problem is formulated as a constrained minimization problem, whose solution depends on the selection of a constrain function that satisfies certain conditions. The solution of this minimization problem results in a broad family of generalized fuzzy k-means algorithms, which include the existing fuzzy k-means algorithms as a special case. Moreover, the proposed formulation results in the minimum fuzzy k-means algorithms, which are computationally less demanding than the existing fuzzy k-means algorithms. A broad family of admissible constrain functions result in an extended family of fuzzy k-means algorithms, which at the limit provide the fuzzy k-means and minimum fuzzy k-means algorithms. The resulting algorithms are used in image compression based on vector quantization.
Veratryl alcohol oxidase activity of a chemically modified cellulase protein

Abstract A cellulase, cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) from Trichoderma reesei was chemically modified by covalent attachment of pentaammine ruthenium (III) without loss in hydrolytic activity. Data suggest that such a modification endowed CBH I with oxidoreductase activity. The modified enzyme was able to carry out hydrogen peroxide-dependent oxidation of veratryl alcohol, a substrate for lignin peroxidase, at a rate of 0.148 μmol substrate oxidized min −1 μmol −1 enzyme. The effects of pH, temperature, and substrate concentration on the oxidation reaction were examined. The optimal temperature was determined to be 45°C, and the optimal pH was 4.3. The K m and V max for veratryl alcohol were determined to be 3.519 mM and 52.27 μM min −1 , respectively. Tartrate at concentrations as low as 0.10 mM was found to inhibit the reaction.
Overcoming x-ray tube small focal spot output limitations for high resolution region of interest imaging

We investigate methods to increase x-ray tube output to enable improved quantum image quality with a higher generalized-NEQ (GNEQ) while maintaining a small focal-spot size for the new high-resolution Micro-angiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) Region of Interest (ROI) imaging system. Rather than using a larger focal spot to increase tube-loading capacity with degraded resolution, we evaluated separately or in combination three methods to increase tube output: 1) reducing the anode angle and lengthening the filament to maintain a constant effective small focal-spot size, 2) using the standard medium focal spot viewed from a direction on the anode side of the field and 3) increasing the frame rate (frames/second) in combination with temporal filter. The GNEQ was compared for the MAF for the small focal-spot at the central axis, and for the medium focal-spot with a higher output on the anode side as well as for the small focal spot with different temporal recursive filtering weights. A net output increase of about 4.0 times could be achieved with a 2-degree anode angle (without the added filtration) and a 4 times longer filament compared to that of the standard 8-degree target. The GNEQ was also increased for the medium focal-spot due to its higher output capacity and for the temporally filtered higher frame rate. Thus higher tube output, while maintaining a small effective focal-spot, should be achievable using one or more of the three methods described with only small modifications of standard x-ray tube geometry.
12.2: Invited Paper: Colloidal Quantum Rods and Wells for Lighting and Lasing Applications

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as “quantum dots” (QDs), represent an example of a disruptive technology for display and lighting applications. Their high luminescence efficiency and tunable, narrow emission are nearly ideal for achieving saturated colors and enriching the display or TV color gamut. Our contribution will discuss the next generation of inorganic nanostructures with electronic structure optimized for achieving emission characteristics beyond traditional near-spherical QDs. For example, nano-heterostructures with spherical CdSe QDs epitaxially integrated into CdS quantum rods combine high luminescence efficiency with giant extinction coefficients, large Stokes shifts, and linearly polarized emission. Such a set of characteristics can be ideal for LCD backlighting. The other class of emitters includes colloidal quantum wells (QWs) whose ensemble luminescence is significantly narrower than emission spectra of the best QD samples. Moreover, we show that colloidal QWs produce amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) with pump-fluence thresholds as low as 6 μJ/cm2 and gain as high as 600 cm−1, on par with the best values for any solution-processed material.