cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hindered transport in fibrous membranes and gels: Effect of solute size and fiber configuration

Abstract Hindered transport coefficients for a spherical macromolecule in a spatially periodic fibrous medium were calculated using two different methods. The first method is an effective medium approach based on Brinkman's equation and can be readily applied to disordered fibrous media. The second and more rigorous set of calculations makes use of generalized Taylor dispersion theory. Results from these two approaches are compared for two different spatially periodic lattices of bead-and-string fibers, which were chosen to illustrate the effects of inhomogeneity in the distribution of fibers. In addition, ratios of solute radius to fiber radius ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 were considered. Qualitative agreement between the two methods was obtained for each case studied, and quantitative agreement was obtained for volume fractions at which the hindering effects of the fibers were not too severe.
Analyzing a critical-thinking reading lesson

Abstract In this paper the transcript of a critical-thinking reading lesson that was designed for sixth-grade students is analyzed. The analysis was conducted in order to illustrate the relationship between critical thinking and reading comprehension and to show that critical thinking can be infused into everyday classroom instruction using ordinary classroom materials (e.g., selections from basal reading series). The analysis describes the critical thinking dispositions and abilities that were sought from the students and those that they exhibited; it explores the factors that might account for the instances where critical thinking went awry; and it points out pedagogical strategies that a teacher could use to facilitate critical thinking.
Continuity and robustness of programs

Computer scientists have long believed that software is different from physical systems in one fundamental way: while the latter have continuous dynamics, the former do not. In this paper, we argue that notions of continuity from mathematical analysis are relevant and interesting even for software. First, we demonstrate that many everyday programs are continuous (i.e., arbitrarily small changes to their inputs only cause arbitrarily small changes to their outputs) or Lipschitz continuous (i.e., when their inputs change, their outputs change at most proportionally). Second, we give an mostly-automatic framework for verifying that a program is continuous or Lipschitz, showing that traditional, discrete approaches to proving programs correct can be extended to reason about these properties. An immediate application of our analysis is in reasoning about the robustness of programs that execute on uncertain inputs. In the longer run, it raises hopes for a toolkit for reasoning about programs that freely combines logical and analytical mathematics.
Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Should Be Combined With a Hypoxic Cell Radiosensitizer

Purpose To evaluate the effect of tumor hypoxia on the expected level of cell killing by regimens of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and to determine the extent to which the negative effect of hypoxia could be prevented using a clinically available hypoxic cell radiosensitizer. Results and Discussion We have calculated the expected level of tumor cell killing from regimens of SABR, both with and without the assumption that 20% of the tumor cells are hypoxic, using the standard linear quadratic model and the universal survival curve modification. We compare the results obtained with our own clinical data for lung tumors of different sizes and with published data from other studies. We also have calculated the expected effect on cell survival of adding the hypoxic cell sensitizer etanidazole at clinically achievable drug concentrations. Modeling tumor cell killing with any of the currently used regimens of SABR produces results that are inconsistent with the majority of clinical findings if tumor hypoxia is not considered. However, with the assumption of tumor hypoxia, the expected level of cell killing is consistent with clinical data. For only some of the smallest tumors are the clinical data consistent with no tumor hypoxia, but there could be other reasons for the sensitivity of these tumors. The addition of etanidazole at clinically achievable tumor concentrations produces a large increase in the expected level of tumor cell killing from the large radiation doses used in SABR. Conclusions The presence of tumor hypoxia is a major negative factor in limiting the curability of tumors by SABR at radiation doses that are tolerable to surrounding normal tissues. However, this negative effect of hypoxia could be overcome by the addition of clinically tolerable doses of the hypoxic cell radiosensitizer etanidazole.
Minimal flows arising from substitutions of non-constant length

Introduction. One of the simplest ways of constructing interesting mimimal subsets of the symbolic flow on n symbols ([4]) is by means of a substitution: that is, an assignment to each element i of the symbol set, a block O(i) of symbols. A sequence x = XoX,X2"" .is constructed so that XoX , . . . . O(xo)O(Xl) . . . , and the minimal set is the orbit-closure of x under the left shift (or more precisely, the orbit-closure of a bisequence obtained by extending x). This construction is one way of describing the well-known Morse minimal set; for a discussion of this set, see [4] or [8]. More general flows of this type were investigated by Gottschalk in [3]. More recently, Keynes [6], Keane [5], Coven and Keane [2], Coven [I], and Martin [7] have discussed these or similar flows. Two natural cases arise, according as all the blocks O(i) are, or are not, of the same length. The former case is the one in which the structure of the minimal flows has been more completely described. We consider the second case and restrict our attention to substitutions on two symbols. Veech has shown (unpublished) that under certain conditions, the minimal flow arising from a substitution of non-constant length on two symbols is topologically weakly mixing, or equivalently, has non-trivial equicontinuous factors. (This is in contrast to the constant-length case; see, for example, [7].) We consider the converse direction and are able to show that the same conditions are necessary for weak mixing. In particular, we determine (Section 3, Theorem 1) the general form of the structure transformation group, or largest equicontinuous factor, of any flow of this type (and thus, in the course of our discussion, provide a proof of the above-mentioned result of Veech). For notation, and as general references, the reader is referred to [3], [4], and [7]. The author wishes to thank Professor William A. Veech for his generous assistance in this research.
Cultural elites and the institutionalization of ideas

Members of a multidisciplinary elite, specified by their involvement in the cultural definition of a complex, moral issue, “brain death,” are examined in terms of (1) their biographical, demographic, and organizational characteristics; and (2) their substantive contributions to the institutionalization of the concept of “brain death.” Since there are as yet no formal organizations or social roles of “death definers,” particular attention is addressed to participants' social identities, their reasons for involvement with this issue, and their emergent and formal social formations. Their work and social structure are compared with other cultural elites, intellectuals, and scientists. It is argued that the process of redefining death was a dialectical process of organization, production, reception, and response driven by conflict and opposition among the elite, rather than by consensus.
On the spectral dependence of backscatter from cirrus clouds: Assessing CALIOP's 1064 nm calibration assumptions using cloud physics lidar measurements

[1] Recent space-based lidar missions rely on assumptions about the spectral dependence of the backscatter signals from cirrus clouds to calibrate measurements made at 1064 nm. In particular, the calibration procedure employed by the Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) mission assumes that the backscatter color ratio, defined as the ratio of particulate backscatter coefficients at 1064 nm and 532 nm, has a value of 1.00, with an expected standard deviation on the order of 0.04. This work assesses the accuracy of this assumption, and its implications for the CALIPSO 1064 nm calibration scheme, using over 400 h of lidar measurements acquired in the northern hemisphere between 2002 and 2007 by the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). For the strongly scattering cirrus clouds typically used for CALIPSO calibrations, the uncorrected CPL-derived backscatter color ratio is 0.83 ± 0.19. Accounting for computational biases introduced by the CPL assumption of pristine air in the calibration region yields a best estimate cirrus cloud color ratio of 1.01 ± 0.25.
The E. Donnall Thomas Lecture: Normal and Neoplastic Stem Cells

Dr. Irving Weissman was the honored E. Donnall Thomas lecturer at the Tandem BMT Meetings, held on February 10, 2007, at Keystone, Colorado. Dr. Weissman has been a major player, and has provided us with enormous insight into many areas of biology, dating back to his high school days in Montana. He led an enormously productive career at Stanford University where he has taught us many lessons involving our understanding of lymphocyte homing, stem cell biology, both of the hematopoietic system and other types of stem cells, and also now, about cancer stem cells. Dr. Weissman has made enormous contributions to this burgeoning field that has provided us new insights and new opportunities for treatment strategies. In addition to a very productive laboratory career, he is also currently the director of both the Stem Cell Institute, as well as the Cancer Center at Stanford University. The following text is a modified transcribed version of the presentation made by Dr. Weissman.
Analysis of clustering, interphase region, and orientation effects on the electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube–polymer nanocomposites via computational micromechanics

Abstract A multiscale model based on computational micromechanics techniques is developed for determining the effective electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube–polymer nanocomposites containing bundles of SWCNTs at a wide range of SWCNT volume fractions above and below the observed percolation concentrations. The model is applied for both randomly oriented and fully aligned nanotube bundle orientation distributions, with emphasis on the latter in elucidating the relative impact of clustering and nanoscale effects on the effective electrical conductivity of nanocomposites. Nanocomposites consisting of aligned, well-dispersed and clustered/bundled SWCNTs are studied to indicate the influence of clustering on the effective electrical conductivity. A parametric study in terms of interphase thickness and interphase conductivity for both the well-dispersed and clustered arrangements is conducted to allow for the assessment of both the independent influence of the interphase layer and of the combined effects of clustering and interphase regions on the effective electrical conductivity of nanocomposites with aligned SWCNTs. Effective nanotube bundle properties obtained from clustered nanotube arrangements both with and without interphase regions are subsequently applied in an orientation distribution homogenization technique in order to obtain the effective electrical conductivity of nanocomposites consisting of randomly oriented SWCNT bundles. The resulting nanocomposite electrical conductivities are compared with characterization data available in the literature, and are discussed in terms of two mechanisms proposed in the literature for the low volume fraction electrical percolation observed in nanocomposites.
SIMPLE EVALUATION METHOD OF INTRINSIC DIFFUSIVITY FOR MEMBRANE-MODERATED CONTROLLED RELEASE

AbstractThe effect of diffusion boundary layers in an in vitro membrane permeation system on the membrane diffusivity of drugs was investigated based on the three-layer model. A simple method for evaluating the intrinsic diffusivity through the membrane was developed and the intrinsic diffusivity of progesterone and testosterone through a silicone membrane were determined using this approach.
Fast algorithms for computing QR and Cholesky factors of Toeplitz operators

Levinson, Lattice and Schur recursions provide alternative ways of computing reflection coefficients for stationary time series. The authors show that when a Toeplitz correlation matrix is a product of two Toeplitz data matrices, as in the correlation method of linear prediction, then the Levinson recursions can be used to derive the Lattice recursions and the Lattice recursions can be used to derive the Schur recursions. They explore the close relation between QR and Cholesky algorithms in the Toeplitz case, and present the underlying matrix factorization. >
Learning from Elitist Jerks: Creating high‐quality knowledge resources from ongoing conversations

Online-community management is commonly presented as the facilitation of conversation and contributions, especially converting readers to contributors. However, the goal of many discussion communities is to produce a high-quality knowledge resource, whether to improve external task performance or to increase reputation and site traffic. What do moderation practices look like when the community is focused on the creation of a useable knowledge resource rather than facilitating an inclusive conversation? Under what conditions is this style of moderation likely to be successful? We present a case study from online gaming—Elitist Jerks—in which aggressive moderation is used to transform a conversational medium into a high-quality knowledge resource, using the strategy of open censorship. We present a content analysis of moderator comments regarding censored messages. Our analysis revealed differences in types of contributor mistakes and the severity of moderator actions: infractions that interfered with both conversation and resource quality were punished harshly, whereas a set of infractions that supported conversation but undermined resource quality were more respectfully removed. We describe a set of conditions under which moderators should intervene in the conversion of conversation to knowledge resource rather than the conversion of lurkers to contributors.
The in vitro biosynthesis and secretion of glycerol by larval fat bodies of chilled Ostrinia nubilalis

Abstract Fat bodies from diapausing fifth-instar larvae of Ostrinia nubilalis were incubated in vitro at 5 or 23°C in Grace's medium and the glycerol contents of the organ and incubation medium determined. Fat bodies from diapausing larvae chilled 3 weeks at 5°C secreted glycerol into the medium at 5°C at a net rate of approx. 0.75 nmol/mg fat body dry wt/h for at least 96 h while the tissue levels remained essentially constant. Depending upon the experiment, from 6 to 15 times more glycerol was produced in 24 h at 5°C by these fat bodies than by those taken from diapausing unchilled larvae and incubated at either 5 or 23°C. A minimal chilling period of 10–12 days was recognized as necessary for chilled larval fat bodies to demonstrate rates of glycerol synthesis greater than those of unchilled larvae and the lag showed a temporal correlation with changes in haemolymph glycerol concentrations. These results suggest that this response to chilling by O. nubilalis is relatively slow. While incubation, at 23°C, of fat bodies from previously chilled larvae did not result in cessation of glycerol secretion, the rate of its appearance in the culture medium decreased during the 24-h incubation period. Although the ability of chilled fifth-instar larvae to accumulate glycerol is not dependent upon the diapause state results show that clearance of glycerol from the haemolymph by rewarmed O. nubilalis is related to diapause intensity.
Gamma irradiation alters fatigue-crack behavior and fracture toughness in 1900H and GUR 1050 UHMWPE.

Pitting and delamination remain causative factors of polyethylene failure in total knee replacement. Gamma irradiation induces cross linking in ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, which has been shown to improve wear resistance. Irradiation may reduce fracture toughness and fatigue strength, however, and the effects of irradiation are dependent upon the resin, processing technique, and radiation dose. The effects of varying levels of gamma irradiation (0, 33, 66, and 100 kGy) on the fracture toughness and fatigue-crack resistance of UHMWPE, isostatically molded from 1900H and GUR 1050 resins, were examined. Paris law regressions were performed to quantify fatigue-crack propagation rates as functions of change in stress intensity, and J-integral methods were used to quantify the elastic-plastic fracture toughness. The results indicated that gamma irradiation reduced the resistance of both materials to fatigue-crack growth, and that the reductions were radiation dosage and resin dependent. Irradiation at any level was detrimental to the fracture toughness of the 1900H specimens. Irradiation at 33 kGy increased fracture toughness for the GUR 1050 specimens, and substantial reductions were observed only at the highest irradiation level. Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface revealed diamond-like fracture patterns of the nonirradiated specimens indicative of ductile, multilevel fracture. Pronounced striations were apparent on these fracture surfaces, oriented perpendicular to the direction of crack growth. The striations appeared as folds in surface layers of the GUR 1050 specimens. At the highest irradiation levels, the striations were nearly eliminated on the fracture surfaces of the 1900H specimens, and were markedly less severe for the GUR 1050. These results demonstrated that at higher irradiation levels the materials became more brittle in fatigue, with less ductile folding and tearing of the fracture surfaces.
Predictors of Asian American Adolescents’ Suicide Attempts: A Latent Class Regression Analysis

Although suicide-related outcomes among Asian American adolescents are a serious public health problem in the United States, research in this area has been relatively sparse. To address this gap in the empirical literature, this study examined subgroups of Asian American adolescents for whom family, school, and peer relationships exerted differential effects on suicide attempts. Data were drawn from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health dataset and included responses from a national sample of 959 Asian American adolescents (48.0% girls; average age at Wave 2 = 16.43). A latent class regression was used to assess the optimal number of latent classes (i.e., subgroups of participants) that explained the associations between family, school, and peer relationships and subsequent suicide attempts. Three latent classes were identified. Most participants belonged to a latent class in which family, school, and peer relationships were protective factors. However, stronger school relationships and peer relationships were found to be risk factors in two other latent classes. The three latent classes also differed significantly in terms of suicide attempts, gender, and acculturation. The practical implications of this study, particularly for educators and mental health professionals, are discussed.
Intermetallic phases in commercial beryllium

Several specially prepared beryllium--iron alloys and one containing aluminum in addition to iron were investigated by x-ray analysis. The results are used to explain structural changes which take place in commercial beryllium under different conditions of heat treatment. In the aluminum-bearing alloy a cubic phase, isostructural with Be/sub 5/Fe but of larger lattice parameter, was produced. This may be denoted as Be/sub 5/(Fe,Al). It accounts for the cubic phase which several investigators have observed in commercial beryllium after aging. Cubic Be/sub 5/(Fe,Al) goes into solution on heating commercial beryllium above about 850 deg C, but may be reprecipitated on ageing in the temperature range 600 deg to 800 deg C, provided solution treatment has not been too prolonged or at too high a temperature. Following a severe solution treatment, aging results in precipitation of Teitel and Cohen's hexagonal Be/sub 11/Fe phase. Both intermetallic precipitates appear to maintain an ordered relation and coherence with the beryllium matrix. The orientation relationships between the hexagonal matrix, cubic Be/sub 5/(Fe,Al), and hexagonal Be/sub 11/Fe were identified. (auth)
A privacy preserving efficient protocol for semantic similarity join using long string attributes

During the similarity join process, one or more sources may not allow sharing the whole data with other sources. In this case, privacy preserved similarity join is required. We showed in our previous work [4] that using long attributes, such as paper abstracts, movie summaries, product descriptions, and user feedbacks, could improve the similarity join accuracy under supervised learning. However, the existing secure protocols for similarity join methods can not be used to join tables using these long attributes. Moreover, the majority of the existing privacy-preserving protocols did not consider the semantic similarities during the similarity join process. In this paper, we introduce a secure efficient protocol to semantically join tables when the join attributes are long attributes. Furthermore, instead of using machine learning methods, which are not always applicable, we use similarity thresholds to decide matched pairs. Results show that our protocol can efficiently join tables using the long attributes by considering the semantic relationships among the long string values. Therefore, it improves the overall secure similarity join performance.
The siren songs of consumption: An analysis of foreign advertisements in two mainland Chinese newspapers, 1985-1993

This paper examines the content and form of foreign advertisements in two promi- nent Chinese daily newspapers from 1985 to 1993. The study indicates that the quantity of foreign advertising in the Chinese newspapers remained constant during the period under study. With pleasure-seeking and consumption for modernity as their recurring themes, the foreign advertisements mainly focused on advertising consumer goods and employed more attention-getting tactics than Chinese domestic advertisements. This study argues that the rise of consumer culture in China, which involved foreign advertising, signaled the historical rever- sal of the hyper-politicization of communist ideology during the pre-economic reform era, and that the presence of foreign advertising in China epitomized an increasing influx of Western cultural products in that country.
Sparky candide ‐ A behavioral scientist's view (with apologies to Voltaire and Buber)

While a new resurgence of strict behaviorism may seem unlikely, at least one recent article (Owen, 1989) indicates that such behaviorism is not yet dead. This paper is an attempt to hasten that inevitable end.
Automatically classifying case texts and predicting outcomes

Work on a computer program called SMILE + IBP (SMart Index Learner Plus Issue-Based Prediction) bridges case-based reasoning and extracting information from texts. The program addresses a technologically challenging task that is also very relevant from a legal viewpoint: to extract information from textual descriptions of the facts of decided cases and apply that information to predict the outcomes of new cases. The program attempts to automatically classify textual descriptions of the facts of legal problems in terms of Factors, a set of classification concepts that capture stereotypical fact patterns that effect the strength of a legal claim, here trade secret misappropriation. Using these classifications, the program can evaluate and explain predictions about a problem's outcome given a database of previously classified cases. This paper provides an extended example illustrating both functions, prediction by IBP and text classification by SMILE, and reports empirical evaluations of each. While IBP's results are quite strong, and SMILE's much weaker, SMILE + IBP still has some success predicting and explaining the outcomes of case scenarios input as texts. It marks the first time to our knowledge that a program can reason automatically about legal case texts.
Out of Africa: A Report on the 13th World AIDS Conference

The 13th World AIDS Conference held in Durban South Africa from July 9 to 14 2000 had “Break the Silence” as its theme and the silence was broken by songs drums presentations plenaries news reports banners films paintings posters theater and dance. In preparation for the conference hotel personnel received an AIDS101 and wore badges to reflect their achievement. Any report of this conference is biased. Were it to be written by any of the other members of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) let alone someone from a different discipline or nationality a different perspective would emerge. Unlike Rashomon the play that portrays the perspective of three different people of the same event the report given here provides but one perspective. (excerpt)
Neuroprotectin D1 induces dephosphorylation of Bcl-xL in a PP2A-dependent manner during oxidative stress and promotes retinal pigment epithelial cell survival.

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell integrity is critical for the survival of photoreceptor cells. Bcl-xL is a major anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein required for RPE cell survival, and phosphorylation of Bcl-xL at residue Ser-62 renders this protein pro-apoptotic. In this study, we identify serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) as a key regulator of Bcl-xL phosphorylation at residue Ser-62 in ARPE-19 cells, a spontaneously arising RPE cell line in which Bcl-xL is highly expressed. We found that either PP2A inhibitor okadaic acid or depletion of catalytic subunit α of PP2A (PP2A/Cα) by small interfering RNA enhanced Bcl-xL phosphorylation when activated with hydrogen peroxide and tumor necrosis factor α-induced oxidative stress. Disruption of PP2A/Cα exacerbated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. PP2A/Cα colocalized and interacted with S62Bcl-xL in cells stressed with H2O2/tumor necrosis factor α. By contrast, the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid derivative, neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), a potent activator of survival signaling, down-regulated oxidative stress-induced phosphorylation of Bcl-xL by increasing protein phosphatase activity. NPD1 also attenuated the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by knockdown of PP2A/Cα and increased the association of PP2A/Cα with S62Bcl-xL as well as total Bcl-xL. NPD1 also enhanced the heterodimerization of Bcl-xL with its counterpart, pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Thus, NPD1 modulates the activation of this Bcl-2 family protein by dephosphorylating in a PP2A-dependent manner, suggesting a coordinated, NPD1-mediated regulation of cell survival in response to oxidative stress.
A Patient Based Approach for Fluid Structure Interaction in Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Fluid structure interaction (FSI) simulations were conducted to assess the risk of rupture in reconstructed AAA from patients who had contained ruptured AAAs. The goal was to test to ability of our FSI methodology to predict the location of rupture, by correlating the high wall stress regions with the actual rupture location. We also present a parametric study in which the relationship of iliac bifurcation angle and the role of embedded calcifications were studied in respect to the aneurismal wall stress.The patient specific AAA FSI simulations were carried out with advanced constitutive material models of the various components of AAA, including models that describe the wall anisotropy, structural strength based on collagen fibers orientation within the arterial wall, AAA intraluminal thrombus (ILT), and embedded calcifications. The anisotropic material model used to describe the wall properties closely correlated with experimental results of AAA specimens [1].The results demonstrate that the region of rupture can be predicted by the region of the highest wall stress distribution. Embedded wall calcifications increase the local wall stress surrounding calcified spots, and eventually increases the risk of rupture. FSI results in streamlined AAA geometries show that the maximum stress on the aneurismal wall increases as the iliac bifurcation angle increases.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Predicting bank failures: A neural network approach

The purpose of this paper is to present a neural network approach to predicting bank failures and to compare it with existing prediction methods. The task of constructing a prediction model is cast as one of training a network with a set of bankruptcy cases. Empirical results show that neural network is a competitive method among existing ones in assessing the likelihood of bank failures, especially in reducing type I misclassification rate. Issues relating to the potential and limitations of.neural network as a modeling tool are also addressed.
Capsule endoscopy in patients with Crohn's disease: diagnostic yield and safety

Background Capsule endoscopy (CE) is increasingly used in patients with suspected or known Crohn's disease (CD). Objective To determine the diagnostic yield of CE and the distribution of small-bowel (SB) lesions in symptomatic patients with known CD. Design and Setting Retrospective review of CE procedures performed in patients with CD between 2001 and 2005 in a tertiary care center. Patients One hundred thirty-four patients with an established diagnosis of CD and symptoms suggestive of active disease. Interventions Swallowing the capsule. Main Outcome Measurements Diagnostic yield of CE and distribution of SB lesions in patients with CD. Results One hundred forty-six CE procedures were performed on 134 CD patients. Fifty-two (39%) of 134 patients had CE findings diagnostic of active CD (>3 ulcerations), and 17 (13%) had findings suggestive of active CD (≤3 ulcerations). Fifty-seven (42%) patients had normal findings, and 6% had normal but incomplete studies. The distribution of SB lesions was 32% in the duodenum, 53% in the jejunum, 67% in the proximal ileum, and 85% in the distal ileum. CE was comparable to ileoscopy in detecting ileal ulcerations (55% vs 48%), but superior to SB follow-through in detecting CD lesions in the SB (incremental yield of 32%; 95% CI, 9%-54%; P = .0017). Limitations Retrospective study from a single center. Conclusions CE identified SB lesions in approximately half of symptomatic CD patients. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether positive CE findings may affect disease outcomes.
Determinants of net new money flows to the equity mutual fund industry

Abstract This article investigates aggregate money flows to and from the equity mutual fund industry. We show that switching to an industry focus from an individual fund focus dramatically increases explanatory power. Our multivariate specification substantially improved explanatory power beyond that obtained in a recent study by Warther using a univariate model. Of the variables studied which showed significance, the lagged long-term interest rate was negatively related, and contemporaneous stock market performance and contemporaneous personal disposable income were positively related to new money flows. Of our four lagged performance measures, none were significant explainers of subsequent new money flows, a result which adds the robustness Warther called for in rejecting the feedback-trader hypothesis.
Flow Injection Fluorescence Microscopy: A Novel Tool for the Study of Cells through Controlled Perfusion

Abstract Current methods of microscope stage perfusion do not take full advantage of existing technology for precise fluid control. The concept of flow injection, used extensively by analytical chemists, is described and its application to the fluorescence microscopic study of cultured cells is proposed. Using this technique, cells may be exposed to single or multiple reagent zones of almost any profile, sequence, and duration, with computer-controlled precision. A flow injection system is employed in conjunction with a novel perfusion chamber—the fountain cell. The ability of the flow injection system to perfuse cells with a reagent with a reproducibility of 1% RSD is demonstrated. The system was used to monitor changes in calcium levels in baby hamster kidney cells loaded with FURA-2 as a result of stimulation with a precisely timed concentration of ionomycin. The unique feature of the technique is that it allows a series of responses of a given cell to be directly compared to each other.
The Development and Verification of TIPS: An Expert System to Forecast Thunderstorm Occurrence

Abstract A rule-based expert system has been developed to assist military weather forecasters in the prediction of thunderstorms. The knowledge base used by the Thunderstorm Intelligence Prediction System (TIPS) was built by using meteorological principles associated with convective activity. The goal of TIPS is to provide a generalized system that can be used at any geographical location. TIPS was evaluated during the spring and summer months of 1990 for several locations across the United States. Thunderstorm forecasts were derived using 1200 UTC, atmospheric sounding data, and a single forecaster input value. Verification results show that TIPS can assist the weather forecaster in predicting thunderstorm occurrence.
The Relationship Between Self-Worth and Marital Infidelity: A Pilot Study:

Marital infidelity is becoming increasingly common in today's marriages. Prior research identifies numerous factors that may provide impetus for cheating on a spouse. Though self-worth has been inc...
A formation mechanism for hematite-rich spherules on Mars

Abstract Gray crystalline hematite on Mars has been detected in three regions, Sinus Meridiani, Aram Chaos, and Valles Marineris, first by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) onboard the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter, and then confirmed by other instruments. The hematite-rich spherules were also detected by the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity at Meridiani Planum (Sinus Meridiani). Formation mechanisms of the hematite-rich spherules have been discussed widely since then. Here, we argue for an alternative formation mechanism, that is, the spherules originally formed at Valles Marineris due to the interaction of volcanic deposits and acidic hydrothermal fluids, and then were transported to and deposited at Meridiani Planum and Aram Chaos as alluvial/fluvial sedimentary deposits with other materials such as sulfates and rock fragments during the wash-out flows from Valles Marineris to Meridiani Planum and Aram Chaos. Diagenesis of the hematite-rich spherules may have also been a possible mechanism following sediment transport and emplacement. The hypothesis is consistent with available relevant information to date and provides an insight into the understanding of Martian surficial processes.
Anatomic considerations for safe placement of calcaneal pins

Placement of a Steinmann pin in the calcaneus is indicated in various orthopaedic conditions. Planning the point of entry and the direction of transcalcaneal pin insertion is crucial for avoidance of neurovascular injury, tendon injury, and subtalar joint violation. Fifteen cadaveric feet were studied in which transfixing calcaneal pins were inserted in posteromedial and anteromedial sites. The posteromedial site was at a point 3/4 the distance between the palpable tip of the medial malleolus and the heel, with the pin inserted transversely. The anteromedial site was at the sustentaculum tali with the pin inserted transversely angled 25 degrees to 30 degrees inferolaterally. Radiographs were then taken and the specimens were dissected to determine the path of each pin and the safe and danger zones for transcalcaneal pin placement. It was concluded that the posteromedial calcaneal pin site is safer and easier to determine.
A simple differential steady-state method to measure the thermal conductivity of solid bulk materials with high accuracy

Accurate measurements of thermal conductivity are of great importance for materials research and development. Steady-state methods determine thermal conductivity directly from the proportionality between heat flow and an applied temperature difference (Fourier Law). Although theoretically simple, in practice, achieving high accuracies with steady-state methods is challenging and requires rather complex experimental setups due to temperature sensor uncertainties and parasitic heat loss. We developed a simple differential steady-state method in which the sample is mounted between an electric heater and a temperature-controlled heat sink. Our method calibrates for parasitic heat losses from the electric heater during the measurement by maintaining a constant heater temperature close to the environmental temperature while varying the heat sink temperature. This enables a large signal-to-noise ratio which permits accurate measurements of samples with small thermal conductance values without an additional heater calibration measurement or sophisticated heater guards to eliminate parasitic heater losses. Additionally, the differential nature of the method largely eliminates the uncertainties of the temperature sensors, permitting measurements with small temperature differences, which is advantageous for samples with high thermal conductance values and/or with strongly temperature-dependent thermal conductivities. In order to accelerate measurements of more than one sample, the proposed method allows for measuring several samples consecutively at each temperature measurement point without adding significant error. We demonstrate the method by performing thermal conductivity measurements on commercial bulk thermoelectric Bi2Te3 samples in the temperature range of 30–150 °C with an error below 3%.
Interaction between the Msh2 and Msh6 nucleotide-binding sites in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Msh2-Msh6 complex

Indirect evidence has suggested that the Msh2-Msh6 mispair-binding complex undergoes conformational changes upon binding of ATP and mispairs, resulting in the formation of Msh2-Msh6 sliding clamps and licensing the formation of Msh2-Msh6-Mlh1-Pms1 ternary complexes. Here, we have studied eight mutant Msh2-Msh6 complexes with defective responses to nucleotide binding and/or mispair binding and used them to study the conformational changes required for sliding clamp formation and ternary complex assembly. ATP binding to the Msh6 nucleotide-binding site results in a conformational change that allows binding of ATP to the Msh2 nucleotide-binding site, although ATP binding to the two nucleotide-binding sites appears to be uncoupled in some mutant complexes. The formation of Msh2-Msh6-Mlh1-Pms1 ternary complexes requires ATP binding to only the Msh6 nucleotide-binding site, whereas the formation of Msh2-Msh6 sliding clamps requires ATP binding to both the Msh2 and Msh6 nucleotide-binding sites. In addition, the properties of the different mutant complexes suggest that distinct conformational states mediated by communication between the Msh2 and Msh6 nucleotide-binding sites are required for the formation of ternary complexes and sliding clamps.
Sensitivity of snowpack storage to precipitation and temperature using spatial and temporal analog models

Empirical sensitivity analyses are important for evaluation of the effects of a changing climate on water resources and ecosystems. Although mechanistic models are commonly applied for evaluation of climate effects for snowmelt, empirical relationships provide a first-order validation of the various postulates required for their implementation. Previous studies of empirical sensitivity for April 1 snow water equivalent (SWE) in the western United States were developed by regressing interannual variations in SWE to winter precipitation and temperature. This offers a temporal analog for climate change, positing that a warmer future looks like warmer years. Spatial analogs are used to hypothesize that a warmer future may look like warmer places, and are frequently applied alternatives for complex processes, or states/metrics that show little interannual variability (e.g., forest cover). We contrast spatial and temporal analogs for sensitivity of April 1 SWE and the mean residence time of snow (SRT) using data from 524 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across the western U.S. We built relatively strong models using spatial analogs to relate temperature and precipitation climatology to snowpack climatology (April 1 SWE, R2=0.87, and SRT, R2=0.81). Although the poorest temporal analog relationships were in areas showing the highest sensitivity to warming, spatial analog models showed consistent performance throughout the range of temperature and precipitation. Generally, slopes from the spatial relationships showed greater thermal sensitivity than the temporal analogs, and high elevation stations showed greater vulnerability using a spatial analog than shown in previous modeling and sensitivity studies. The spatial analog models provide a simple perspective to evaluate potential futures and may be useful in further evaluation of snowpack with warming.
A healthy understanding of intraflagellar transport.

A microtubule-dependent motility process called intraflagellar transport (IFT) occurs beneath the plasma membrane of cilia and flagella. IFT was first observed in Chlamydomonas, and orthologs of some of the polypeptides involved in IFT have recently been identified in other organisms, including C. elegans and the mouse. In addition to a role in the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella, evidence is reviewed here that indicates defects in the process of IFT may be related to problems with human health. Moreover, recent data suggest the possibility of two new roles for IFT in cell function. The first is in transcriptional control of the genes encoding ciliary and flagellar proteins. IFT could provide a mechanism whereby the cell senses the presence or absence of its cilia or flagella and responds by turning on gene transcription resulting in replacement of the missing organelle. The second role is in signal transduction, whereby cilia act as sensors of the external cellular environment and transduce information about the surroundings into intracellular signals that are sent via IFT to the cell body, thus inducing an appropriate cellular response to the environment.
HIV and H2O: Tracing the Connections Between Gender, Water and HIV

The health consequences for HIV-affected families of insufficient access to safe water and sanitation are particularly dire: inadequate access complicates medication adherence and increases vulnerability to opportunistic infections for persons living with HIV. The gendered nature of water collection and HIV care--with women disproportionately bearing the burden in both areas--presents an unrealized opportunity to improve HIV outcomes through investments in water/sanitation. We synthesize the literature on HIV and water/sanitation to develop a conceptual model that maps the connections between women's double burden of resource collection and HIV care. Drawing on theories of gender and systems science, we posit that there are multiple paths through which improved water/sanitation could improve HIV-related outcomes. Our findings suggest that the positive synergies of investing in water/sanitation in high HIV prevalence communities that are also expanding access to ART would be significant, with health multiplying effects that impact women and entire communities.
Physical Properties of Yeast Prion Proteins Studied with Optical Tweezers

Formation of amyloid fibers plays a vital role in both natural biological processes and neurodegenerative disease. Recently, amyloid formation has been shown to be a general property of proteins and peptides. Their impressive mechanical properties, which are comparable to spider silk, combined with their ease of assembly in synthetic preparations make amyloid fibers particularly suited for nanomaterials applications, including as templates for conducting nanowire formation, as scaffolds for cell growth, and as functionalized biosensors. Prion proteins are a special class of amyloid fiber forming proteins which are self-templating and thereby transmissible as disease vectors. This work combines optical tweezers force spectroscopy with fluorescence imaging to study the physical properties of amyloid fibers formed from polymorphic variants of a 253 amino acid N-terminal fragment (NM) of the yeast prion protein Sup35. Experiments revealed that fibers associated with a “weak” NM prion strain have an approximately 2-fold larger bending stiffness than those associated with a “strong” NM prion strain. We further subjected NM fibers to multiple cycles of forces up to 250 pN resulting in unfolding of individual prion subdomains and rupture of intermolecular interactions. Our results have implications for the physical basis of prion strain diversity and give important insights into the underlying structure of Sup35 prions.
Barotropic and baroclinic ageostrophic winds and completeness of solution for the psi equations

Abstract This paper examines the completeness of the solutions for three-dimensional ageostrophic circulations determined from the quasigeostrophic psi equations (or from the counterpart semigeostrophic psi equations in geostrophic-coordinate space). It is shown that a complete solution should contain two parts: a baroclinic part and a barotropic part. The solution of the psi equations with homogeneous (zero) upper and lower boundary conditions yields only the baroclinic part of the ageostrophic wind field, while the barotropic part can be recovered from the ageostrophic vorticity equation. The barotropic ageostrophic wind field is two-dimensional and nondivergent. It may be subdivided into rotational and harmonic pans, respectively forced by barotropic ageostrophic vorticity and by nonhomogeneous lateral boundary conditions (with nonzero cross-boundary mass flux). Methods for obtaining the complete solution are proposed and examples are given, showing the possible significance of the barotropic ageostrop...
Automobile headlamp alignment by visual aim: photometric correlates of the visual cutoff and aim variability

An automobile headlamp projects a beam pattern that exhibits a relatively abrupt drop off in intensity near the lamp's horizontal axis. This apparent edge is used as a reference line in visual alignment of the headlamp. This laboratory experiment was conducted to identify the photometric parameter that best represents the location of this visual edge; the relationship between edge sharpness and variability of beam pattern alignment was also investigated. Subjects in the experiment vertically aligned each of 14 illumination patterns so that the most salient visual edge of the pattern overlaid a horizontal line on the projection screen. On average, the vertical position chosen as the most prominent edge was closest to the point of largest intensity contrast. The variability in aiming performance was closely related to the peak intensity contrast value of the beam pattern.