cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The “Tunneling-Time Problem” for Electrons

The very concept of the motion of an electron during the time interval between its preparation in a given state and the subsequent “collapse” of the time-evolved state during a measurement is widely regarded as a meaningless one within conventional quantum mechanics. Despite this, a large number of theoretical papers, including several reviews (e.g., Hauge and Stovneng 1989; Landauer and Martin 1994), have been devoted to various characteristic times associated with the motion of a particle interacting with a potential barrier. Most of the approaches involve, at least implicitly, some relatively straightforward extension of the fundamental postulates of standard quantum theory. These will be referred to as “conventional” approaches to distinguish them from those based on alternatives to quantum theory, such as Bohmian mechanics. In this paper, the approach based on Bohm’s theory is compared to several “conventional” methods that do not involve such radical departures from orthodoxy. In section 2, the characteristic times of interest are defined in words and the underlying reason for the difficulty in translating these words into unique, universally accepted mathematical expressions discussed. In Section 3, Bohmian mechanics is applied to the derivation of expressions for the mean dwell, transmission, reflection and arrival times. The systematic projector approach of Brouard et al. (1994) is considered in Section 4 where it is shown that none of the infinite number of possibilities for the mean transmission time that are generated by this method can be equal to the (unique) result from Bohmian mechanics. In Section 5, “conventional” probability current approaches are criticized from the point of view of Bohm’s theory. In Section 6, the quantum clock of Salecker and Wigner (1958) is applied to the calculation of the mean and mean-square dwell time. The results for the free particle case (no barrier) are particularly illuminating. Concluding remarks are made in Section 7.
A mathematical theory of imperfect communication: Energy efficiency considerations in multi-level coding.

Is perfect error correction always worth the trouble? A framework is presented for the analysis of error detection and correction in multi-level systems of communication that takes into account degrees of freedom attended and ignored by different levels of analysis. It follows from this analysis that for a multi-level coding system, skipped or incomplete error correction at many levels can save energy and provide equally good results to perfect correction. This has relevance to approximate computing, and to questions of the robustness of machine learning applications. The finding also has significance in natural systems, such as neuronal signaling, vision, and molecular genetics, which are readily characterized as relying on multiple layers of inadequate error correction.
Embedded Finite Elements for Modeling Axonal Injury

The purpose of this paper is to propose and develop a large strain embedded finite element formulation that can be used to explicitly model axonal fiber bundle tractography from diffusion tensor imaging of the brain. Once incorporated, the fibers offer the capability to monitor tract-level strains that give insight into the biomechanics of brain injury. We show that one commercial software has a volume and mass redundancy issue when including embedded axonal fiber and that a newly developed algorithm is able to correct this discrepancy. We provide a validation analysis for stress and energy to demonstrate the method.
Childhood Metabolic Biomarkers Are Associated with Performance on Cognitive Tasks in Young Children.

Objective To evaluate the hypothesis that metabolic measures (fasting glucose, insulin, and Homeostatic Model of Assessment for Insulin Resistance [HOMA-IR] levels) are inversely associated with performance on cognitive tasks using data from young (4- to 6-year-old), typically developing, healthy children. Study design Data were obtained from children participating in the Healthy Start study, a pre-birth cohort in Colorado. HOMA-IR, glucose, and insulin values were centered and scaled using the study sample means and SD. Thus, they are reported in number of SD units from the mean. Fully corrected T scores for inhibitory control (Flanker task), cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort test), and receptive language (Picture Vocabulary test) were obtained via the National Institutes of Health Toolbox cognition battery. Results Children included in this analysis (n = 137) were 4.6 years old, on average. Per 1-SD unit, fasting glucose (B = −2.0, 95% CI −3.5, −0.5), insulin (B = −1.7, 95% CI −3.0, −0.4), and HOMA-IR values (B = −1.8, 95% CI −3.1, −0.5) were each significantly and inversely associated with inhibitory control (P Conclusions Our data suggest that metabolic health may impact fluid cognitive function in healthy, young children.
Comparing alcohol cue-reactivity in treatment-seekers versus non-treatment-seekers with alcohol use disorder.

Background: Recent studies have examined the distinction between treatment-seekers and non-treatment-seekers with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with a focus on treatment development.Objectives: To adv...
Estimated intelligence moderates Cognitive Processing Therapy outcome for posttraumatic stress symptoms

Although patient intelligence may be an important determinant of the degree to which individuals may comprehend, comply with, and ultimately benefit from trauma-focused treatment, no prior studies have examined the impact of patient intelligence on benefit from psychotherapies for PTSD. We investigated the degree to which educational achievement, often used as a proxy for intelligence, and estimated full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) scores themselves moderated treatment outcomes for two effective psychotherapies for PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). Participants, 126 treatment-seeking adults with PTSD (52% male; mean age = 43.9, SD = 14.6), were equally randomized to CPT and WET; PTSD symptom severity was measured at baseline and 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, and 60-weeks following the first treatment session. Multilevel models revealed that participants with higher FSIQ scores experienced significantly greater PTSD symptom reduction through the 24-week assessment in CPT but not WET; this effect did not persist through the 60-week assessment. Educational achievement did not moderate symptom change through either 24- or 60-weeks. Individuals with higher FSIQ who are treated with CPT may experience greater symptom improvement in the early stages of recovery.
156 Catalyzing advancements in injury prevention research: development of the New Jersey safety and health outcomes (NJ-SHO) data warehouse

Purpose Few existing injury data sources contain information spanning the pre-to-post-injury period, inhibiting research into underlying risk factors for and long-term outcomes of those injuries. We describe the development and capabilities of the NJ-SHO warehouse—a unique and comprehensive data source that integrates various state-level administrative databases to support critical, high-priority research questions in injury prevention. Methods We obtained full identifiable data from six statewide administrative databases: (1) driver licensing; (2) Administration of the Courts traffic-related citations; (3) police-reported crashes; (4) birth certificates; (5) death certificates; and (6) hospital discharges (emergency department, inpatient, outpatient) as well as (7) childhood electronic records from all 200K NJ residents who were patients of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia healthcare network, and (8) numerous census tract-level indicators. We undertook an iterative process to develop and execute a probabilistic linkage using LinkSolv 9.0 software for 2004–2018 and evaluated the quality of the linkage process using several metrics. Results/Conclusions The NJ-SHO includes 82.8M records for 20.3M NJ residents over the 15-year study period. We will discuss (1) development of the NJ-SHO and our approach to intentionally structure the warehouse so it contains rich individual-level childhood data spanning the pre-to-post-injury period for leading injury mechanisms (e.g., motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, firearms, self-injurious behaviors); (2) linkage evaluation results, which demonstrate that our linkage was of high quality; (3) several unique features of the warehouse—including determination of race and ethnicity, geocoding of residential addresses, coding of injury severity, and identification of multiple events for an individual (e.g., crashes, hospitalizations); and (4) an ongoing effort to link the NJ-SHO to NJ Medicaid/Medicare data. Significance of Contributions The resulting NJ-SHO warehouse is one of the most comprehensive and rich injury data warehouses to date. It is fully primed to support collaborative studies on a host of high-priority injury topics.
Channels modestly impact compartment‐specific ATP levels during Bacillus subtilis sporulation and a rise in the mother cell ATP level is not necessary for Pro‐σK cleavage

Starvation of Bacillus subtilis initiates endosporulation involving formation of mother cell (MC) and forespore (FS) compartments. During engulfment, the MC membrane migrates around the FS and protein channels connect the two compartments. The channels are necessary for postengulfment FS gene expression, which relieves inhibition of SpoIVFB, an intramembrane protease that cleaves Pro-σK , releasing σK into the MC. SpoIVFB has an ATP-binding domain exposed to the MC cytoplasm, but the role of ATP in regulating Pro-σK cleavage has been unclear, as has the impact of the channels on MC and FS ATP levels. Using luciferase produced separately in each compartment to measure relative ATP concentrations during sporulation, we found that the MC ATP concentration rises about twofold coincident with increasing cleavage of Pro-σK , and the FS ATP concentration does not decline. Mutants lacking a channel protein or defective in channel protein turnover exhibited modest and varied effects on ATP levels, which suggested that low ATP concentration does not explain the lack of postengulfment FS gene expression in channel mutants. Furthermore, a rise in the MC ATP level was not necessary for Pro-σK cleavage by SpoIVFB, based on analysis of mutants that bypass the need for relief of SpoIVFB inhibition.
Determining How Critical Zone Structure Constrains Hydrogeochemical Behavior of Watersheds: Learning From an Elevation Gradient in California's Sierra Nevada

Concentration-discharge (C-Q) relations can provide insight into the dynamic behavior of the Critical Zone (CZ), as C-Q relations integrate the spatial distribution and timing of watershed hydrogeochemical processes. This study blends geomorphologic analysis, C-Q relations and reactive-transport modeling using a rich dataset from an elevation gradient of eight watersheds in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California. We found that the CZ structure exerts a strong control on the C-Q relations, and on the hydrogeochemical behavior of headwater watersheds. Watersheds with thin regolith, a large stream network, and limited water storage have fast mean transit times along subsurface flow lines, and show limited seasonal variability in ionic concentrations in streamflow (i.e. chemostatic behavior). In contrast, watersheds with thicker regolith, a small stream network and more water storage have longer transit times along subsurface flow lines, and exhibit greater chemical variability (i.e. chemodynamic behavior). Independent estimates of mean transit times and water storage from other isotopic, hydrologic and geophysical studies were consistent with results from modeling C-Q relations. The stream chemistry and its variability were controlled by lateral flow within the regolith, and no mixing with deep groundwater was needed to explain the observed chemical variability. This study opens the possibility to estimate water-storage capacity and mean transit times, and thus drought resistance in watersheds, by using quantitative modeling of C-Q relations.
Outcrop and thin section scale descriptions of Silurian carbonates within the Hiawatha National Forest, Mackinac County, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA

Silurian carbonate outcrops within the southern part of the St. Ignace District of the Hiawatha National Forest (Mackinac County, Michigan) were examined to develop a local description of the exposed geology. The bedrock geology consists of the Manistique Group (dominantly the Cordell Formation) and the Engadine Group (Rockview Formation, Rapson Creek Formation, and Bush Bay Formation). Building on observations and differentiation from previous investigations, outcrops were selected to describe the macroscopic characteristics of these formations in attempt to develop a local description that would be more useful compared to confusing regional descriptions for researchers and forest officials. In Mackinac County, the Cordell Formation is a dark-to-light gray, chert-rich dolostone with abundant corals, stromataporoids, brachiopods, and echinoids. The Rockview Formation is a dark gray-to-white, chert-poor dolostone with microbiolite laminations, and brachiopod molds. The Rapson Creek Formation is a light gray-to-white, chert-free dolostone with abundant stromatoporoids. The Bush Bay Formation is light reddish brown to white in color, chert-poor, crystalline dolostone with abundant echinoids, brachiopods, and corals.
MICZ-Kepler: Dynamics on the cone over SO(n)

We show that the n-dimensional MICZ-Kepler system arises from symplectic reduction of the “Kepler problem” on the cone over the rotation group SO(n). As a corollary we derive an elementary formula for the general solution of the MICZ-Kepler problem. The heart of the computation is the observation that the additional MICZ-Kepler potential, |ϕ|2/r2, agrees with the rotational part of the cone’s kinetic energy.
Biomarkers of Length of Stay on an Inpatient Eating Disorder Unit

Length of stay on an inpatient unit for treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) is widely variable. Although previous research has used anthropometric and clinical variables and duration of illness to predict length of stay, there has been limited investigation of the predictive ability of biomarkers. Biomarkers, including those collected through a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and appetite hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, are impacted by disease presence and may play an etiological role in AN. Using a series of regression models, we evaluated the associations of these putative biomarkers with length of inpatient stay in 46 females receiving treatment on an inpatient eating disorder unit. Active ghrelin levels at inpatient admission positively predicted length of stay and alkaline phosphatase at discharge was significantly positively correlated with length of stay. This research provides further evidence supporting both biological and psychological components of AN, identifying potential biomarkers that could aid in prospective prediction of treatment needs. Further research is necessary to replicate and extend these findings across treatment settings.
Predicting Resilient Modulus of Cementitiously Stabilized Subgrade Soils Using Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, and Gaussian Process Regression

Abstract Artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and Gaussian process regression (GPR) were developed in this study for predicting resilient modulus (Mr) values of cementitou...
Biopsy of an intracardiac paraganglioma in a dog using a fluoroscopically guided endovascular technique.

A 10-year-old female spayed mixed breed dog was evaluated for diarrhea and vomiting. Diagnostic imaging demonstrated the presence of an intracardiac mass. A modified Seldinger technique was used to access the right jugular vein, and an endomyocardial biopsy forceps was introduced through a sheath to obtain several biopsies. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated a paraganglioma. The dog underwent 1 fraction of radiotherapy and l-asparaginase chemotherapy and was discharged. The dog developed a pulmonary thromboembolism 2 days after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the owner elected humane euthanasia. Although long-term assessment of treatment response was unable to be performed, this novel diagnostic option could be considered for similar cases due to success in obtaining a histopathologic diagnosis, which is essential in developing a disease-specific treatment plan. This report also describes the use of radiotherapy for primary treatment of an intracardiac neoplasm, which can be a consideration in the future.
Reflections of an Engineering Education Scholar on Integrated Approaches to STEM Education

The chapters in this book present a wide away of integrated approaches to STEM education from across the globe. In this chapter, I offer reflections on these approaches from the perspective of an engineering education scholar who contributed to the development of an integrated curriculum in science, engineering, and mathematics for first-year college students studying engineering and science. Reflections include some of the goals of integrated approaches to STEM education including integrative learning, design thinking, critical thinking, and teamwork as well as insights on challenges associated with assessment of these goals.
Disrupting the Empire and Forging IR: The Role of India’s Early Think Tanks in the Decolonisation Process, 1936–1950s

Unlike their Western counterparts, the roles and history of non-Western think tanks have been little studied. The first Indian think tank, the Indian Institute of International Affairs (IIIA), has ...
Material Forces in the Context of Biotissue Remodelling

Remodelling of biological tissue, due to changes in microstructure, is treated in the continuum mechanical setting. Microstructural change is expressed as an evolution of the reference configuration. This evolution is expressed as a point-to-point map from the reference configuration to a remodelled configuration. A “preferred” change in configuration is considered in the form of a globally incompatible tangent map. This field could be experimentally determined, or specified from other insight. Issues of global compatibility and evolution equations for the resulting configurations are addressed. It is hypothesized that the tissue reaches local equilibrium with respect to changes in microstructure. A governing differential equation and boundary conditions are obtained for the microstructural changes by posing the problem in a variational setting. The Eshelby stress tensor, a separate configurational stress, and thermodynamic driving (material) forces arise in this formulation, which is recognized as describing a process of self-assembly. An example is presented to illustrate the theoretical framework.
Evaluation of Chemical Coating Processes for Axaf

The need existed at MSFC for the development and fabrication of radioisotope calibration sources of cadmium 109 and iron 55 isotopes. This was in urgent response to the AXAF program. Several issues persisted in creating manufacturing difficulties for the supplier. In order to meet the MSFC requirements very stringent control needed to be maintained for the coating quality, specific activity and thickness. Due to the difficulties in providing the precisely controlled devices for testing, the delivery of the sources was seriously delayed. It became imperative that these fabrication issues be resolved to avoid further delays in this AXAF observatory key component.
Alternative Approaches to Healing

Nature Cures . The History of Alternative Medicine in America. James C. Whorton. Oxford University Press, New York, 2002. 384 pp. $30, £22.95. ISBN 0-19-514071-0. Whorton offers a context for current controversy on the role of unconventional medicine in health care by discussing the past two centuries of interactions between mainstream medicine and its numerous unorthodox competitors.
Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test: Basic†

This is a distribution-free method for comparing two empirical distributions, based on the largest vertical distance between the two cumulative distribution functions. The Kolmogorov test is a special case where one distribution function is known, and hence is a test of goodness-of-fit. Various properties, including power, are discussed. Keywords: distribution-free; nonparametric; goodness-of-fit; power; quantile; distribution function
Partnership Accounting and Taxation: A Disconnect

New businesses are often formed as general partnerships, because partnerships are the default entity when the partners have take no effort to form a different kind of entity. However even if it is not a default entity, people may deliberately find themselves with a partnership when their adviser puts them in an LLC/LLP, FLP or FLLC/FLLP, limited partnership or general partnership. In some cases, this will leave the general partner with unlimited liability, or create the necessity of an addition entity to try to avoid the problems just created. Assuming, however, that no one forms a corporation to act as general partner, we at the very least are forced to deal with partnership taxation, which probably was sold because using partnership taxation was so simple and intuitive. Partnership taxation is neither easy nor intuitive. In fact, it may be creating hugh problems that we, has practitions, as well as the clients need to become aware.Partnerships can be formed by simple oral agreements. In fact, some partnerships may be formed, even without the specific intent, simply because individuals agree on how they will work together to make money. Partnerships are formed when two or more individuals each contribute property and services and both have a joint profit motive. Of course, even though a partnership can be formed by an oral agreement, it is wise to have a written partnership agreement. In addition, the decision to form a partnership may not result in the ease that was expected. In fact, the expectation that partnerships are easy may get partnerships, their partners and professional advisers in trouble.Although partnerships do not pay taxes, they do file information returns to provide verification that the partners report correct amounts from the partnership on their own tax returns. When partnerships are formed, it may not be apparent what information must be kept for tax purposes, especially since the information is often vastly different than the information generally used in accounting for the partnership books. If this tax information is not kept, it becomes next to impossible for someone to correctly prepare the partnership tax return. Let alone have to reconstruct it sometime later when the information is required.This paper discusses the disconnect between the information used in accounting for the books of a partnership versus the information required for partnership tax reporting. The paper is relevant to anyone who is making a decision about the formation of a partnership or who is advising in a legal, tax, or accounting capacityBothers who may form a partnership. It is also relevant for those accounting for the books or preparing tax returns for existing partnerships.
Unsupervised change analysis using supervised learning

We propose a formulation of a new problem, which we call change analysis, and a novel method for solving the problem. In contrast to the existing methods of change (or outlier) detection, the goal of change analysis goes beyond detecting whether or not any changes exist. Its ultimate goal is to find the explanation of the changes.While change analysis falls in the category of unsupervised learning in nature, we propose a novel approach based on supervised learning to achieve the goal. The key idea is to use a supervised classifier for interpreting the changes. A classifier should be able to discriminate between the two data sets if they actually come from two different data sources. In other words, we use a hypothetical label to train the supervised learner, and exploit the learner for interpreting the change. Experimental results using real data show the proposed approach is promising in change analysis as well as concept drift analysis.
A Bubble Raft Model to Study Sintering by Plastic Flow

The geometrical changes observed during the sintering of solid particles can be accounted for by a variety of atomic mechanisms, including various diffusional fluxes implicit in the geometry of the model systems, and shear processes involving pure slip of dislocations and climb or cross-slip controlled creep.
pi N scattering in a large-Nc sigma model.

We review the large-[ital N][sub [ital c]] approach to meson-baryon scattering, including recent interesting developments. We then study [pi][ital N] scattering in a particular variant of the linear [sigma] model, in which the couplings of the [sigma] and [pi] mesons to the nucleon are echoed by couplings to the entire tower of [ital I]=[ital J] baryond (including the [Delta]) as dictated by large-[ital N][sub [ital c]] group theory. We sum the complete set of multiloop meson-exchange [pi][ital N][r arrow][pi][ital N] and [pi][ital N][r arrow][sigma][ital n] Feynman diagrams, to leading order in 1/[ital N][sub [ital c]]. The key idea, reviewed in detail, is that large [ital N][sub [ital c]] allows the approximation of [ital loop] graphs by [ital tree] graphs, so long as the loops contain at least one baryon leg; trees, in turn, can be summed by solving classical equations of motion. We exhibit the resulting partial-wave [ital S] matrix and the rich nucleon and [Delta] resonance spectrum of this simple model, comparing not only to experiment but also to [pi][ital N] scattering in the Skyrme model. The moral is that much of the detailed structure of the meson-baryon [ital S] matrix which hitherto has been uncovered only with Skyrmionmore » methods can also be described by models with explicit baryon fields, thanks to the 1/[ital N][sub [ital c]] expansion.« less
Task graph transformation to aid system synthesis

The increasing complexity of real-time embedded systems along with the short time-to-market for most of their applications have led designers to develop increasingly sophisticated algorithms and tools for system-level synthesis. At this level, coarse-grained tasks, such as discrete cosine transforms, are assigned and scheduled on general-purpose processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Hardware-software co-synthesis forms in important sub-problem of system-level synthesis in which price and power are frequently optimized under real-time constraints. This paper proposes a pre-processing step to aid system-level synthesis and is independent of both the targeted cosynthesis tool and its underlying algorithm. Experimental results show that using this methodology can reduce system price (power) by up to 84% (67%) and 12% (16%) on average while reducing co-synthesis tool run-time by 29%.
From J. S. Bach to John Dillinger: Music in Government Documents

Abstract Government publications in the humanities are often overlooked by scholars as a reference resource. However, publications in this area are as rich and varied as those of the rest of the federal government's publishing program. This is especially true in the area of music where many publications are major references written by leading experts in the field. This article presents a broad overview of the diverse agency publications available in music and attempts to show the wide variety of subject matter they encompass.
Side information source coding: low complexity design and source independence

Correlated sources X and Y are drawn i.i.d. according to probability mass function (pmf) p(x,y). In the side information source code (SISC) configuration: p(x,y) is known a priori to both the encoder and the decoder; the encoder knows X but not Y; the decoder knows Y but not X; the encoder encodes X and transmits the description of X to the decoder; the decoder reconstructs X using the source description and side information Y. The universal linked side information source code (ULSISC) configuration modifies the SISC configuration by assuming that p(x,y) is unknown a priori and that a asymptotically negligible amount of communication is allowed from the decoder to the encoder. We combine SISC design with ULSISC theory to build the codes for applications where the source statistics are unknown at design time. Experimental results compare ULSISC and SISC performance.
The use of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in distinguishing prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma

Abstract In order to differentiate between a prolactin-secreting adenoma and a nonneoplastic etiology for galactorrhea, a single stimulatory dose of 500 μg of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was employed to assess the prolactin (PRL) response of 50 women. The results were compared to those obtained in 19 control subjects (10 with subsequent surgical removal of a PRL-secreting adenoma and nine women stimulated in the early follicular phase). All patients were grouped according to normal or elevated serum PRL, and normal, equivocal, or abnormal findings by tomography of the sella turcica. Patients with a normal baseline PRL had a normal PRL response to TRH of at least 200% above baseline. This normal response was independent of findings by tomography of the sella turcica. A highly significant difference in response (p
Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice By Sharan B. Merriam & Laura L. Bierema

As a professor who has taught adult education courses at the graduate level for more than 30 years, I have read many books that provide foundational information about adult learning. In fact, the c...
Palliative care for AIDS: challenges and opportunities in the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy.

In contrast to the first decade of the AIDS epidemic, the past decade has seen an increasing separation between AIDS care and palliative care services. While this may be due in part to the perception that AIDS is no longer a uniformly fatal illness, AIDS in fact remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality for young adult populations in the United States, particularly among certain racial-ethnic minorities. Death rates have remained steady since the dramatic decreases noted in the mid-1990s, and causes of death now increasingly include co-morbidities such as hepatitis B, C, end-organ failure, and various malignancies. Moreover, as AIDS has been transformed into a more manageable, chronic disease in the era of 'highly active antiretroviral therapy' (HAART), the opportunities for palliative care interventions have only increased. Patients with AIDS continue to experience a high burden of pain and other chronic symptoms, over a longer period of time, with a disease course marked by more cumulative e...
Colorimetric Measurement of Triglycerides Cannot Provide an Accurate Measure of Stored Fat Content in Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster has recently emerged as a useful model system in which to study the genetic basis of regulation of fat storage. One of the most frequently used methods for evaluating the levels of stored fat (triglycerides) in flies is a coupled colorimetric assay available as a kit from several manufacturers. This is an aqueous-based enzymatic assay that is normally used for measurement of mammalian serum triglycerides, which are present in soluble lipoprotein complexes. In this short communication, we show that coupled colorimetric assay kits cannot accurately measure stored triglycerides in Drosophila. First, they fail to give accurate readings when tested on insoluble triglyceride mixtures with compositions like that of stored fat, or on fat extracted from flies with organic solvents. This is probably due to an inability of the lipase used in the kits to efficiently cleave off the glycerol head group from fat molecules in insoluble samples. Second, the measured final products of the kits are quinoneimines, which absorb visible light in the same wavelength range as Drosophila eye pigments. Thus, when extracts from crushed flies are assayed, much of the measured signal is actually due to eye pigments. Finally, the lipoprotein lipases used in colorimetric assays also cleave non-fat glycerides. The glycerol backbones liberated from all classes of glycerides are measured through the remaining reactions in the assay. As a consequence, when these assay kits are used to evaluate tissue extracts, the observed signal actually represents the amount of free glycerols together with all types of glycerides. For these reasons, findings obtained through use of coupled colorimetric assays on Drosophila samples must be interpreted with caution. We also show here that using thin-layer chromatography to measure stored triglycerides in flies eliminates all of these problems.
Examining Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Behaviours Among Public Sector Organisations in the USA

Climate change has become a more salient issue on the US policy agenda at all levels of government. Increasing empirical evidence and identification of its potential risks to human populations have increased media, public, and policy-maker interest. There is a gap, however, in our knowledge of sub-national decision-making which suggests several questions: Are community leaders deciding to take action in response to climate change action, and, if so, what is the solution focus – mitigation or adaptation? Our study addresses this gap in the literature by reporting the results of a national survey of local, regional, and state decision-makers whose organisations will be addressing community responses to the threat of climate change. We find that, in general, these agencies are not engaged in climate change policy, nor is the issue on their agendas. Among organisations considering policy responses, there is variation between types of agency and type of solution, mitigation versus adaptation.
Formation processes of framboidal pyrite

Abstract Pyrite framboid formation may be the result of four consecutive processes: (1) nucleation and growth of initial iron monosulfide microcrystals; (2) reaction of the microcrystals to greigite (Fe 3 S 4 ; (3) aggregation of uniformly sized greigite microcrystals, i.e., framboid growth; and (4) replacement of greigite framboids by pyrite. The uniform morphology, uniform size range, and ordering of the microcrystals in individual framboids, as well as the range of observed framboid structures from irregular aggregates to densely packed spherical aggregates and polyframboids, are consequences of these processes. Using DLVO theory (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek), we have evaluated the stability of colloidal, iron monosulfide suspensions with ionic strengths typical of marine and lacustrine waters. In addition to van der Waals attractive and double-layer repulsive forces, a term is included to account for the ferrimagnetic properties of greigite. Numerical models predict that magnetically saturated greigite particles >0.1 μm in diameter will rapidly aggregate in either marine or fresh water. The aggregation model is in agreement with the sequence of greigite formation followed by pyrite framboid formation established in a previous experimental study (Sweeney and Kaplan, 1973) and is consistent with the occurrence of framboids composed of other magnetic minerals, e.g., greigite, magnetite, and magnesioferrite. Based on the temperature-dependent magnetic properties of greigite and aging experiments in hydrothermal solutions, this mechanism for framboid formation via precursor greigite could operate to temperatures of ∼200°C, consistent with the occasional occurrence of pyrite framboids in the paragenesis of metalliferous ore deposits.
Women, Leadership, and Power Revisiting the Wicked Witch of the West.

By examining the cultural images present in the popular musical Wicked, cultural norms and biases toward women in leadership and women’s leadership practices are explored. The discussion rests on conceptions of male and female leadership ‘styles’, how power is obtained and utilised within organisational settings and how resistance and reproduction play key roles in how women as leaders are accepted.
A NEW MODEL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF SETTLEMENT OF DRILLED PIERS

A variational model for the analysis of axially loaded piers is presented. A closed-form solution technique employing an iterative procedure, is developed to obtain the displacement and forces in the pier along its axial direction. The method is suitable for similar analyses of pile foundations. It is shown that displacements and the load distribution along the axis of the pier compare well with a more sophisticated finite element solution. Furthermore, the new model complements the well-known Reese model 1 employing t-z curves for the analysis of settlement of axially loaded piers. This new formulation using continuum mechanics principles, distributes the work done by the applied load as compressive strain energy in the pier, and as shear strain energy in the soil, as well as, the compressive strain energy in the soil surrounding the pier and at the bottom of the pier.
Biomechanical properties of high-density polyethylene for pterional prosthesis

The pterional approach is the most popular surgical technique in aneurysm and skull base tumor removal. Reconstruction of the temporal contour deformity due to craniotomy requires graft implantation. Porous high-density polyethylene (PHDPE) as a craniofacial and pterional implant material recently became available. However, material properties of the pterional implant are not yet known. In order to measure the biomechanical properties of PHDPE, we implemented the tensile test, the three-point bending test and the water displacement method for density measurement. Elastic modulus varies from 227 to 307 MPa. Density range is 0.68 and 0.7 depending on the size of pores. The data can be used to study the character of the porous high-density polyethylene implant, how it resists stress or fatigue in combination with conventional plating systems.
Interfacing to the foot: apparatus and applications

We describe a system that we have developed to capture detailed, multimodal gesture expressed at the foot. It is embodied in a pair of shoes, each of which measures 16 degrees of freedom (tactile, inertial, positional). No tethers or wires are attached to the shoes; data is directly telemetered wirelessly off each foot to a remote base station and host computer, yielding full state updates at 50 Hz. This system, having evolved over 3 years, has been used for real-time expressive performance by a diverse set of artists, including gymnasts, jugglers, and dancers. Ongoing work is exploring the extraction of high-level podiatric gesture.
Explaining differences in saturation levels for Affymetrix GeneChip® arrays

The experimental spike-in studies of microarray hybridization conducted by Affymetrix demonstrate a nonlinear response of fluorescence intensity signal to target concentration. Several theoretical models have been put forward to explain these data. It was shown that the Langmuir adsorption isotherm recapitulates a general trend of signal response to concentration. However, this model fails to explain some key properties of the observed signal. In particular, according to the simple Langmuir isotherm, all probes should saturate at the same intensity level. However, this effect was not observed in the publicly available Affymetrix spike-in data sets. On the contrary, it was found that the saturation intensities vary greatly and can be predicted based on the probe sequence composition. In our experimental study, we attempt to account for the unexplained variation in the observed probe intensities using customized fluidics scripts. We explore experimentally the effect of the stringent wash, target concentration and hybridization time on the final microarray signal. The washing effect is assessed by scanning chips both prior to and after the stringent wash. Selective labeling of both specific and non-specific targets allows the visualization and investigation of the washing effect for both specific and non-specific signal components. We propose a new qualitative model of the probe-target hybridization mechanism that is in agreement with observed hybridization and washing properties of short oligonucleotide microarrays. This study demonstrates that desorption of incompletely bound targets during the washing cycle contributes to the observed difference in saturation levels.
Reliable Late-Pleistocene Stratigraphic Ages and Shorter Groundwater Travel Times from14C in Fossil Snails from the Southern Great Basin

Both aquatic and land snails are common in the geologic record, but their utility in dating is greatly restricted by their well-documented tendency to yield14C dates inconsistent with true14C ages. In this study, we examine the use of14C ages from (1) small, previously unstudied, terrestrial snails to date hosting spring deposits and from (2) cooccuring aquatic snails to constrain groundwater travel times during the last glacial period. Our study area in the southern Great Basin encompasses Yucca Mountain, site of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository, where information on the age and extent of past high water tables and on groundwater flow times is crucial to several licensing issues. Our results show that shells of small terrestrial snails belonging toValloniasp. yield14C dates consistent with14C ages of associated carbonized wood. These results imply that these taxa can provide reliable14C age control on the broadly distributed deposits in which they have been described. In contrast, cooccurring aquatic snails from fossil spring deposits yield14C ages generally greater than the control age. This is because the aquatic shells often formed in spring waters that had an initial14C deficiency. However, the magnitude of the deficiency is much less than that observed in nearby modern springs, arguing for much higher average14C contents in late Pleistocene groundwaters in these basins. If representative, this implies shorter groundwater travel times through aquifers in southern Nevada during late-glacial time.
Preeclampsia: a view through the danger model

Classical thinking suggests that the immune system undergoes activation on the basis of discrimination between 'self' and 'non-self'. Accordingly, the fetus activates the mother's immune system because the fetus is in part 'non-self'. Thus, successful pregnancy depends on constraint of maternal immunity. Preeclampsia is an outcome of lost constraint. Instead, the danger model suggests that normal pregnancy, regardless of the expression of 'non-self' antigens, does not activate the maternal immune system unless that pregnancy expresses danger signals. Thus, preeclampsia stems from stress or abnormal cell death in pregnancy-related tissues. This compels expression of specific danger signals and potential activation of anti-fetal immunity, which secondarily feeds the syndrome. Study of preeclampsia from this perspective may bring forth novel mechanisms and indicators of vascular and metabolic dysfunction during pregnancy.
Hydrostatic pressure effect on the transformations of amorphous La3Si

Abstract Measurements of the relative resistance versus temperature at different hydrostatic pressures up to 30 kbar for amorphous La3Si have been carried out. The results show that there is a metastable phase only at low pressures and that pressure decreases the crystallization temperature of the stable state (or final phase) from both the amorphous and meta-stable phases. If the pressure is sufficiently high, the transformation from the amorphous to a stable state might occur at room temperature.
Taking food and agriculture studies to the streets: community engagement, working across disciplines, and community change

One of the most attractive aspects of food and agricultural studies for scholars is the level of public interest in the subjects of our research. Such interest means that food and agriculture scholars often become public scholars, asked to comment on issues of great interest to the public. In addition, food and agriculture scholars often have the opportunity to partner more directly with community organizations to perform community-based research. Such studies take many forms, but community members often take a lead role, helping plan the study as well as participate in data collection and analysis. Community based research may be very rewarding, but scholars involved in such research need to deal with a lack of control that inevitably goes along with it. This article gives examples of such research and discusses the public role of food and agriculture studies in general, in particular highlighting what can be learned from public responses to a 2009 shortage of Eggo waffles.
Clear cell carcinoma of the cervix: a multi-institutional review in the post-DES era.

Objective To conduct an outcome analysis of patients with cervical clear cell carcinoma (CCCC) in the post-DES era.
PbTi0 3 film processing and characterization

Thickfilm technology has been used to prepare PbTiO 3 films. DC electrical conduction mechanism has been studied with the films and a diplacive second order phase transition is reported here. Compositional analysis and surface morphology of the films have been done by X-rays and S.E.M. Room temperature refractive index and permittivity studies in the millimeter wave lengths have been reported.
The molecular genetics of colorectal neoplasia

The Commemorative Essays for the 50th year of GASTROENTEROLOGY provide a historical perspective on advances and accomplishments in understanding gastrointestinal diseases. The history of the molecular genetics of colorectal neoplasia undoubtedly occupies the smallest portion of the last half century that the Essays cover, because the entire body of knowledge has accumulated in less than a decade. Nonetheless, clinical application of this knowledge to impact on the incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer is now at hand.
Risk factors associated with anal sphincter tear difference among midwife, private obstetrician, and resident deliveries

To identify risk factors that account for the difference in anal sphincter tear (AST) among midwife, private obstetrician, and resident deliveries. We performed a retrospective review of our obstetrical database and used logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for AST. The relationship between delivery technique and AST was evaluated by comparing AST increase between vaginal deliveries without and with an episiotomy among the three categories of providers. After adjusting for risk factors, private obstetricians (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.27–2.56) and residents (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.20–2.15) had a higher rate of AST during vaginal delivery than midwives. Episiotomy increased the odds of AST by four-fold for midwives, two-fold for private obstetricians, and eight-fold for residents. Although midwife and resident’s delivery methods were associated with more AST, neither experienced this complication more frequently than private obstetricians. This suggests that midwives and residents probably misdiagnosed some AST.
A yeast MAPK cascade regulates pexophagy but not other autophagy pathways

Autophagy is important for many cellular processes such as innate immunity, neurodegeneration, aging, and cancer. Although the signaling events triggering autophagy have been studied, little is known regarding the signaling mechanisms by which autophagy is redirected to achieve selective removal of cellular components. We have used the degradation of a peroxisomal marker to investigate the role of protein kinases in selective autophagy of peroxisomes (pexophagy) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that the Slt2p mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and several upstream components of its signal transduction pathway are necessary for pexophagy but not for pexophagosome formation or other nonselective and selective forms of autophagy. Other extracellular signals that activate this pathway do not trigger pexophagy on their own, suggesting that this MAPK cascade is necessary but not sufficient to trigger pexophagy. We propose that pexophagy requires the simultaneous activation of this MAPK pathway and a hexose-sensing mechanism acting through protein kinase A and cyclic adenosine monophosphate.