cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transdermal Xenobiotics in Newborn Skin

Newborn infants are regularly exposed to a wide variety of topical agents, including treatments for rashes, antimicrobial agents, solvents, and skin barriers or moisturizers. Premature and hospitalized infants are also exposed to topical iodine for antisepsis and to topical analgesic agents. The fact that most of these agents have not been specifically evaluated for use in infants has recently been recognized as a major public health concern. The epidermis of preterm infants is not fully developed, constituting an incomplete barrier to systemic absorption of topical agents. Thus, substances applied to the skin can have adverse systemic effects. Povidine–iodine and steroid creams have been associated with thyroid and hypothalamic–pituitary axis suppression, respectively, in premature infants. Application of topical EMLA (Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics) for analgesia has been implicated in methemoglobinemia in premature infants. Exposure to natural latex in gloves and medical equipment may sensitize ...
Extraction of Free Energy Parameters from Dynamic Single-Molecule Force-Extension Measurements

Dynamic single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) provides a powerful approach for probing the free energy landscape that governs how molecules fold into complex 3D architectures, bind to each other, and undergo conformational transitions. In SMFS experiments, a gradually increasing force is applied to a single molecule or complex and the resulting force-extension behavior is recorded until rupture of the system. The analysis of force-extension measurements to recover the intrinsic energy landscape of the system is an outstanding challenge in SMFS. In this talk, I will describe the development of new theoretical models for extracting the height and location of activation energy barriers and their intrinsic transition rates from SMFS measurements [1, 2]. These models improve on the current state-of-the-art by accounting for both the finite stiffness of the pulling device and the non-linear stretching behavior of the molecular handles connecting the device to the system under study. I will end the talk by reporting the results of steered molecular dynamics simulations in which we successfully applied our theoretical models to extract the free energy parameters of representative ligand-receptor unbinding transitions.
Application Of Signal-To-Noise Concepts To Optical Power Spectra

A summary is presented of current work on applying the optical power spectrum to measurements of photographic images. Conclusions are that the technique is useful for characterization information content of images and is predictably sensitive to focal errors and contrast degradation.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Who Should Bring Home the Bacon? How Deterministic Views of Gender Constrain Wage Preferences

Despite increased participation of women in the workforce and the rise of dual-income households, we find that many women still prefer to earn less than their spouses, which is consistent with the average preference of men to earn more. We develop and measure a new construct, gender determinism, tapping the extent to which someone believes gender categories dictate individual differences and behaviors. We show that stronger beliefs in gender determinism predict greater adherence to traditional social roles of men as breadwinners and women as caretakers and result in individual behavior that promotes these roles. These findings build on implicit person theory and essentialism to show that beliefs about how strongly a social category determines behavior influence the actual behavior of individuals resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy reinforcing the belief system. This new measure is also a conceptual addition to extant research in its focus on the perceived immutability of gender roles rather than focus...
Bonding Energies and Long-Range Order in the Trialuminides

The degree of long-range order in the trialuminides is determined by X-ray powder diffraction techniques. Long-range order exists to their melting points. For the binary trialuminides Al{sub 3}Ti, Al{sub 73}Ti{sub 27}, and Al{sub 3}Sc, the degree of long-range order is nearly perfect and is a measure of the lack of mixing of the aluminum atoms onto the sublattice occupied by either Ti or Sc. A calculation of the bond energy between neighboring pairs of atoms from the ordering (melting) temperature is made following the Bragg-Williams mean field theory approach. These bond energies compare favorably with more sophisticated calculations. Bond energies are found to be larger than the energy difference between the crystal structure forms DO{sub 22}, Ll{sub 2}, and DO{sub 23}, and therefore, more relevant to understanding the mechanical and chemical behavior of the trialuminides. Ordering or melting temperatures of these intermetallics reflect the strong Al-metal near-neighbor pair potentials and may provide insights to their brittle properties. 11 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.
Observation of spin-polarized-electron tunneling from a ferromagnet into GaAs.

Experimental evidence is presented for the tunneling of polarized electrons from the apex of a ferromagnetic Ni tip into GaAs(110). The polarization is found to be negative and of highest magnitude at very low injection energies, which shows that highly polarized minority 3d electrons are preferentially extracted from the Fermi level of the tip.
Mechanisms Regulating Feed Intake, Energy Expenditure, and Body Weight in Poultry

To achieve energy balance and maintain a constant BW, changes in feed intake and energy expenditure must be coordinated and tightly regulated. This may not hold true for some poultry species intensively selected for such economically important traits as growth and meat production. For example, the modern commercial broiler breeder does not adequately control voluntary feed intake to meet its energy requirements and maintain energy balance. As a consequence, feeding must be limited in these birds to avoid overconsumption and excessive fattening during production. It is important to determine a genetic basis to help explain this situation and to offer potential strategies for producing more efficient poultry. This review summarizes what is currently known about the control of feed intake and energy expenditure at the gene level in birds. Highly integrated regulatory systems have been identified that link the control of feeding with the sensing of energy status. How such systems function in poultry is currently being explored. One example recently identified in chickens is the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway that links energy sensing with modulation of metabolic activity to maintain energy homeostasis at the cellular level. In the hypothalamus, this same pathway may also play an important role in regulating feed intake and energy expenditure commensurate with perceived whole body energy needs. Genes encoding key regulatory factors such as hormones, neuropeptides, receptors, enzymes, and transcription factors produce the molecular components that make up intricate and interconnected neural, endocrine, and metabolic pathway networks linking peripheral tissues with the central nervous system. Moreover, coordinate expression of specific gene groups can establish functional pathways that respond to and are regulated by such factors as hormones, nutrients, and metabolites. Thus, with a better understanding of the genetic and molecular basis for regulating feed intake and energy expenditure in birds important progress can be made in developing, evaluating, and managing more efficient commercial poultry lines.
Endothelial cells contribute to generation of adult ventricular myocytes during cardiac homeostasis

Cardiac tissue undergoes renewal with low rates. Although resident stem cell populations have been identified to support cardiomyocyte turnover, the source of the cardiac stem cells and their niche remain elusive. Using Cre/Lox-based cell lineage tracing strategies, we discovered that labeling of endothelial cells in the adult heart yields progeny that have cardiac stem cell characteristics and express Gata4 and Sca1. Endothelial-derived cardiac progenitor cells were localized in the arterial coronary walls with quiescent and proliferative cells in the media and adventitia layers, respectively. Within the myocardium, we identified labeled cardiomyocytes organized in clusters of single-cell origin. Pulse-chase experiments showed that generation of individual clusters was rapid but confined to specific regions of the heart, primarily in the right anterior and left posterior ventricular walls and the junctions between the two ventricles. Our data demonstrate that endothelial cells are an intrinsic component of the cardiac renewal process.
Unsteady two-dimensional and axisymmetric compressible boundary layers

Abstract The response of laminar compressible boundary layers to fluctuations of the skin of the body or the outer flow are studied via asymptotic expansions in powers of the amplitude parameter and the frequency of the oscillation. Oscillating outer pressure disturbances for compressible flows are considered for the first time and their effect to the energy equation and heat transfer is estimated. The analysis holds for both two dimensional and axisymmetric configurations.
Use of oral antibiotics in studies of ingestive behavior in rats.

Abstract The occurrence of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in animal colonies is a problem encountered in many laboratories. Sixteen female albino rats were used to investigate the effects on food and water intake of the oral antibiotics most often used to treat CRD. Four concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.25, and 0.50%) of Tetracycline hydrochloride (TH) and Sodium sulfamethazine (SS) were presented at different times mixed with food or water. The animals were permitted to choose between each drugged and normal food or water combination for 4 days. Both drugs seriously affected fluid intake when placed in solution. When mixed with food, only SS produced a preference-aversion function and increased total daily food and water intake regardless of concentration. The presence of TH in the food had no effect on food choice or on total daily food intake at any concentration.
Quantum Cascade laser for elastic-backscattering LIDAR measurement

We present an experimental demonstration for an elastic-backscattering LIDAR system measurement using a Quantum Cascade laser (QCL). The laser emits a peak power of above 13W at 80K and with a wavelength of 4.5µm.
Collaborative technology: providing agility in response to extreme events

The past two years have shown both the power of nature and the complexity of preparing for and responding to extreme events. Response efforts have demonstrated serious management, coordination, and problem solving issues. This paper provides an overview of the US Federal Government's current approach to emergency management. It discusses some of the pitfalls with this approach and proposes using collaborative technology to assist in providing agility in response to extreme events. It concludes with the outline of a research project that will provide the opportunity to evaluate the use of collaborative technologies in disaster response and mitigation.
Doing Fake Masculinity, Being Real Men: Present and Future Constructions of Self among Black College Men

Through a qualitative analysis of twenty-nine black college men at a large research university, this project explores how black masculinity is physically, behaviorally, and materially constructed from idealized images resulting in a contextually adaptive sense of self. The findings suggest that black masculinity, specifically the thug image, is symbolically affirmed or denied through a particular type of raced, gendered, classed, and sexualized discourse within black public social spaces. Moreover, these data show that maintaining this construction of black masculinity promotes bodily self-doubt or insecurity and inauthentic intra- and interracial interactions. In contrast, black manhood is thought to involve more genuine interactions, regardless of the social location. Unlike doing masculinity, the idealized notion of being men allows young black men to project a future construction of self that seemingly resolves their feelings of inauthenticity or bodily insecurity.
Carbon−Carbon Bond Fragmentation in Aminoalcohol Radical Cations. Kinetics, Thermodynamic Correlations, and Mechanism

A detailed study of the kinetics, thermodynamics and mechansim of carbon−carbon bond fragmentation in a series of aminoalcohol radical cations is presented. The compounds that provide the basis for this investigation are derived from the parent structure, erythro-2-(phenylamino)-1,2-diphenylethanol, by substitution at the para position of the N-phenyl with methoxy, methyl, (hydrogen), chloro, and cyano groups (compounds 1a−e, respectively). The rates for C−C bond fragmentation for radical cations 1a−e•+ in CH3CN solution were determined by laser flash photolysis and vary from 3.9 × 104 (1a) to 7.4 × 106 s-1 (1e). The activation parameters for bond fragmentation in 1c−e•+ are characterized by low activation enthalpies and relatively large, negative activation entropies. The bond fragmentation rates increase with the peak potential for anodic oxidation of the neutral aminoalcohols, Ep(1). Correlation of the free energy of activation for bond fragmentation (ΔGBF⧧) with FEp(1) (F is the Faraday constant) impl...
Villous structure in different parts of the cotyledon in placentas of insulin-dependent diabetic women: A morphometric study

Placentas from 13 insulin-dependent diabetic mothers and 10 non-diabetics were compared by means of photographic planimetry. The material was investigated in fresh state and obtained from three well-defined areas within a cotyledon, central, intermediate and lateral regions. Length and area of the villi in each region were calculated. The non-diabetics showed a consistent organization of the cotyledon, with increasing villous length towards the periphery. The surface areas increased with increasing length. In placentas of diabetic mothers, this organization was disrupted. The villi were of even length throughout the cotyledon. The average length of a villus in the diabetic group did not differ from the average length in the control group. Despite this fact, the average surface area in the diabetic was greater than that in the controls. This increased surface area was due to increased branching of peripheral villi in the diabetic group.The degree of blood glucose control of the diabetic mothers was assesse...
Assessing floodplain forests: using flow modeling and remote sensing to determine the best places for conservation.

ABSTRACT: Mature and diverse floodplain forests are among the world's most diminished ecosystems and conservationists need a rapid method to identify the best remaining examples of these systems. Because large rivers and their dynamics bind the floodplain together, the method must go beyond simple inventory of remnant patches to evaluate flood processes and identify constraints in the surrounding watersheds. We develop such a method for a three million hectare watershed in New England using a combination of data types to evaluate key attributes of floodplain systems. Riparian and floodplain communities were modeled using a GIS analysis of river valley topography and riverine processes, and floodplain forest occurrences were identified in a classification and regression (CART) analysis. Current flooding was verified using overlays of remotely sensed imagery of spring and fall water levels. We evaluated the intactness of the floodplain occurrences using ratios of upstream dam storage to annual runoff, the l...
Quantum friction and fluctuation theorems

We use general concepts of statistical mechanics to compute the quantum frictional force on an atom moving at constant velocity above a planar surface. We derive the zero-temperature frictional force using a nonequilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relation, and we show that in the large-time, steady-state regime, quantum friction scales as the cubic power of the atom's velocity. We also discuss how approaches based on Wigner-Weisskopf and quantum regression approximations fail to predict the correct steady-state zero-temperature frictional force, mainly due to the low-frequency nature of quantum friction.
Volume‐based shape index attribute illuminates subtle (sub‐seismic?) karst

For a 3-D seismic volume, we determine a Shape Index to describe the geometric shape of a calculated surface at every point within the volume. With this Shape Index, we can tell whether the local surface is in the form of a dome, bowl, ridge, valley, or saddle. We apply this technique to a data set from the Central Basin Platform of West Texas and can illuminate subtle karst features that influence production but are unobservable on other seismic displays.
The influence of informational and performance messages on intentions to perform health behaviours

This study examined the influence of informational and performance messages on intentions to perform disease detection and health promotion behaviours. It was hypothesized that performance messages would increase intentions to perform detection behaviour more than informational messages, and that this effect would disappear with health promotion behaviours. To examine this hypothesis, participants were required to read either an informational or performance message about either a disease detection or health promotion behaviour. After reading the message, the participants' affective responses to the message, perceptions of how difficult the behaviour was to perform, and intentions to perform the message were recorded. The results indicated that performance messages about detection behaviours were associated with more positive affective responses and more intentions to perform the behaviour than informational messages.
Abstract 5535: Development of peptidomimetic inhibitors of the ERG transcription factor in prostate cancer.

Transcription factors play a key role in the development of a number of cancers, and therapeutically targeting them has remained a challenge. In prostate cancer, the ETS transcription factor ERG is recurrently rearranged and likely plays a critical role in prostate oncogenesis. Here we identified a consensus peptide from a phage library which interacts specifically with the DNA binding domain of ERG. The interactive interface was mapped to 9-residues in the 3rd α-helix of the ETS domain, which is critical for ERG activity as a transcription factor. The peptides were found to efficiently disrupt ERG-mediated protein-protein interactions, transcription, DNA damage, and cell invasion. Furthermore, a retroinverso peptidomimetic suppressed tumor growth, intravasation, and metastasis in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that transcription factors have specific residues that are important for protein-protein interactions, that may be amenable to therapeutic targeting. Citation Format: Xiaoju Wang. Development of peptidomimetic inhibitors of the ERG transcription factor in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5535. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5535 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Hemothorax in a Child An Unusual Cause of Chest Pain

The pediatrician should search carefully in a child with chest pain for evidence in the history or physical examination of an organic cause. Hemothorax is one of the pathologic processes that can present with this symptom. The differential diagnosis of hemothorax in children is reviewed.
The enhancement of images containing subsampled chrominance information

In image communication systems, subsampling, can be used to decrease the transmission rate of images. One common technique is to subsample the chrominance information. This process, however, introduces visible color artifacts. This paper develops an algorithm for enhancing the subsampled image data, thereby eliminating the artifacts.
Methods and principles of fixation by freeze-substitution.

Freeze-substitution is based on rapid freezing of tissues followed by solution ("substitution") of ice at temperatures well below O degrees C. A 1 to 3 mm. specimen was thrown into 3:1 propane-isopentane cooled by liquid nitrogen to -175 degrees C. (with precautions). The frozen tissue was placed in substituting fluid at -70 degrees C. for 1 week to dissolve ice slowly without distorting tissue structure. Excess substituting agent was washed out, and the specimen was embedded, sectioned, and stained conventionally. For best morphological and histochemical preservation, substituting fluids should in general contain both chemical fixing agent and solvent for ice, e.g., 1 per cent solutions of osmium tetroxide in acetone, mercuric chloride in ethanol, and picric acid in ethanol. Preservation of structure was poorer after substitution in solvent alone. Evidence was obtained that the chemical agent fixes tissue at low temperatures. The chemical mechanisms of fixation are probably similar to those operating at room temperature: new chemical cross-linkages, which contain the fixing agent, join tissue constituents together. This process is distinguished from denaturation by pure solvents. Freeze-substitution has many advantages, particularly the preservation of structure to the limit of resolution with the light microscope, and the accurate localization of many soluble and labile substances.
Acquainted with Grief: the Atonement and Early Feminist Conceptions of Theodicy

This paper explores the relationship between the problem of evil and a kenotic view of the Atonement evidenced not just by feminist theologians, but by analytic philosophers of religion. (“Kenosis”, from the Greek κένωσις, “emptiness,” generally refers to the emptying of the self, and more specifically refers to the passion of Christ, during which Christ suffered on behalf of humanity.) I will argue that, although kenosis provides an interesting story about the ability of Christ to partake in human suffering, it faces debilitating problems for understanding divine concurrence with evil in the world. Most significantly, I will argue that the potential tensions between divine justice (in holding wrongdoers responsible) and divine love (for those who suffer) can be loosened by looking at ‘redemptive accounts’ of theodicy in the scholarship of women writing in the early modern period in philosophy, particularly Mary Hays (1759–1843), and Catharine Macaulay (1731–1791). Their work collectively confirms the problem of concrete evil (that is, not just that evil must be logically possible in order for God to create the best possible world, but that atrocious harms are pernicious to a perfectly existing necessary being) and yet offers a unique theodicy grounded in the saving power of the Atonement and restorative power of Christian service. Their arguments are all the more compelling for having been written in response to egregious civil rights abuses and rampant domestic violence of their day. If the Atonement is the divinely-ordained method for gaining insight into the redemptive power of divine grace, then rather than speculating about the metaphysical nature of the divine, this paper will question how we can understand divine perfection in light of evil in the world, especially if the Atonement of Christ involves kenosis.
Internal/Structures Containing Transcriptase-Related Proteins in Top Component Particles of Mammalian Orthoreovirus

The structure of mammalian orthoreovirus top component particles, which are profoundly deficient in the content of double-stranded RNA genome, was determined at 30 A resolution by transmission cryoelectron microscopy and threedimensional image reconstruction. Previously undetected, ordered densities, appearing primarily as pentameric flowers in the reconstruction, were seen to extend 65 A inwardly from the inner capsid at the icosahedral fivefold axes. Identically positioned but lower density elements were observed in two types of partially uncoated top component particles obtained by limited proteolysis. The levels of three inner-capsid proteinsÐl1, l 3, and m2Ðwere reduced in concert with the internal densities during proteolytic uncoating. Since l3 contains the catalytic regions of the viral RNA polymerase and since both l1 and m2 appear to play roles in transcription or mRNA capping, the internal structures are concluded to be complexes of the viral transcriptase-related enzymes. The findings have implications for the mechanisms of transcription and mRNA capping by orthoreovirus particles. © 1998 Academic Press
Canopy architecture of a walnut orchard

A detailed dataset describing the canopy geometry of a walnut orchard was acquired to support testing and comparison of the predictions of canopy microwave and optical inversion models. Measured canopy properties included the quantity, size, and orientation of stems, leaves, and fruit. Eight trees receiving 100 percent of estimated potential evapotranspiration water use and eight trees receiving 33 percent of potential water use were measured. The vertical distributions of stem, leaf, and fruit properties are presented with respect to irrigation treatment. Zenith and probability distributions for stems and leaf normals are presented. These data show that, after two years of reduced irrigation, the trees receiving only 33 percent of their potential water requirement had reduced fruit yields, lower leaf area index, and altered allocation of biomass within the canopy.
Educating Inner-City Patients with Asthma: A Compelling Opportunity for Volunteer Service by Health Science Center Students

Patient education is one of the four major components of the long-term care of asthma and is essential for successful management (1). For inner-city patients, especially African Americans and Hispanics, inadequate management, including patient education, is common and clearly associated with poor outcomes (2–9). In recognition of the unnecessary morbidity and mortality due to asthma, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines were originally published in the summer of 1991 with several updates, including an update on selected topics in 2002 (1). Even with these widely disseminated, excellent, landmark expert panel reports, poor management continues well into the new century, including inadequate patient education. A striking reduction in emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations is seen when innercity patients are managed by the principles of the NIH Guidelines, including intensive and repetitive patient education (1,4,5,10). Although many inner-city patients do not receive optimal care, numerous asthma experts across the United States. do provide excellent comprehensive care. In addition, many communities have partnered with national organizations to provide asthma educational efforts in public school systems (11,12). We believe that it is quite likely that numerous health science centers have students who regularly volunteer to serve inner-city patients with a variety of chronic diseases. For example, Rush–St. Luke’s Medical Center has the Rush Community Service Initiatives Program, and the author describing this program points out the sense of social responsibility of many medical students (13). In our local city/county health department system, a pediatric allergist (A.K.E.) has provided state of the art care for patients with asthma for many years. Beyond individual patient care, ‘‘Asthma Fairs’’ have been conducted with asthma expert volunteers providing patient education to large numbers of patients. Subsequent to the ‘‘Asthma Fairs’’ in the inner city health department clinic (Health Loop/Cawthon Clinic) of A.K.E., one of us (T.H.S.) has conducted small asthma education classes for children and parents/grandparents monthly to twice monthly since the summer of 2000. This volunteer effort involves 1 hr of education in a conference room with from one or two children and
A practical built-in current sensor for I/sub DDQ/ testing

This paper describes a new built-in current sensor (BICS) design, comprised of a MAGFET current sensor, stochastic sensor, self-calibration tool, counter, and scan chain. By indirectly measuring the current, the sensor avoids the unacceptable drawbacks of past BICS designs. Test chips fabricated in 180 nm and 250 nm technology demonstrate that the sensor can be used for IDDQ testing of large, high-performance, deep submicron circuits. This sensor should extend practical IDDQ testing to the 35 nm technology generation.
Molecular dynamics simulations of membrane proteins under asymmetric ionic concentrations.

A computational method is developed to allow molecular dynamics simulations of biomembrane systems under realistic ionic gradients and asymmetric salt concentrations while maintaining the conventional periodic boundary conditions required to minimize finite-size effects in an all-atom explicit solvent representation. The method, which consists of introducing a nonperiodic energy step acting on the ionic species at the edge of the simulation cell, is first tested with illustrative applications to a simple membrane slab model and a phospholipid membrane bilayer. The nonperiodic energy-step method is then used to calculate the reversal potential of the bacterial porin OmpF, a large cation-specific β-barrel channel, by simulating the I-V curve under an asymmetric 10:1 KCl concentration gradient. The calculated reversal potential of 28.6 mV is found to be in excellent agreement with the values of 26–27 mV measured from lipid bilayer experiments, thereby demonstrating that the method allows realistic simulations of nonequilibrium membrane transport with quantitative accuracy. As a final example, the pore domain of Kv1.2, a highly selective voltage-activated K+ channel, is simulated in a lipid bilayer under conditions that recreate, for the first time, the physiological K+ and Na+ concentration gradients and the electrostatic potential difference of living cells.
Targeting Political Advertising on Television

We study the targeting of political advertising by congressional candidates on television. Targeting strategies for television dier from targeting strategies for direct mail advertising or get out the vote eorts because candidates cannot target voters individually. Instead, candidates must target television programs with viewers most similar to the desired target voters. Thus, for targeted advertising to have value, the audiences for television programs must dier in mean
New Wave Effects in Compressing Plasma

A new mechanism is predicted whereby waves in compressing plasma first grow and then abruptly transfer energy to particles or fields.
Grassroots Involvement in Interest Group Decision Making

Interest groups' increased use of centrally managed mass communications technologies has reduced opportunities for social networking among group members. This study examines the relationship between organizational democracy, or rank-and-file participation in decision making, and two indicators of social network opportunities: existence of local chapters and extent of direct-mail usage. Control variables include membership incentives, organizational resources, group age and size, and competition with other groups for members. Multivariate analyses of two interest group survey data sets, using ordinal logit, indicate that social network organizations are no more likely to involve their members in decision making than are centralized direct-mail organizations. The variables that are significantly related to grassroots involvement in organizational decision making include purposive and solidary membership incentives as well as some organizational resources, size, and age. Implications for further study of org...
Impact of Process and Temperature Variations on Network-on-Chip Design Exploration

With the continuing scaling of CMOS technologies, process variation is becoming a key factor highly impacting system-level power and temperature. Traditional methods of assuming a uniform temperature and no process variation can lead to gross inaccuracies even for system-level design, thus it is critical to consider the effects of process variation and temperature variation during early design exploration. In this paper, we describe the implementation of an architecture- level early-stage design space exploration tool that incorporates the effect of process and temperature variation for network-on-chips(NoC). The tool is used to study the impact of process and temperature variations on power and energy-delay-product-per-flit metrics for different NoC architectures, and our simulation results show that design choices are influenced by the effects of process and temperature variation, thus demonstrating the importance of considering, and enabling the high- level impact analysis of process and temperature variation early in the design flow.
Economic value of carbon storage in U.S. National Wildlife Refuge wetland ecosystems

Abstract The Third National Climate Assessment released in 2014 provides further evidence of global warming and mitigation options including carbon sequestration or storage. In this paper, we report on the quantity and economic value of carbon stored in wetlands ecosystems found in four U.S. National Wildlife Refuges. Our results suggest that wetlands in National Wildlife Refuges provide substantial carbon storage benefits to the U.S. and world.
Chemoprevention Indication Score: a user-friendly tool for prevention of breast cancer - pilot analysis.

Abstract Background Despite the results of prospective randomized placebo controlled studies, endorsement from various professional societies, and approval by the FDA, the chemoprevention of breast cancer is limited. This is attributable to the perceived risks of complications with tamoxifen. Individualized risk–benefit calculation regarding the use of tamoxifen is burdensome for practical clinical use. We propose a Chemoprevention Indication Score (CIS) that is easy to compute and reliable to identify women suitable for chemoprevention. Material and methods Chart-review of all patients attending a university-based high-risk breast clinic identified the women offered chemoprevention and those who accepted it. Age, Gail risk score, past medical history and physician's reasons for not offering tamoxifen were recorded. CIS was developed weighing risks and benefits of tamoxifen; high, moderate and low indication score categories were defined for recommendation of tamoxifen. CIS was validated by cross-tabulating with the rate of physician recommendation of tamoxifen and by agreement with Gail's risk–benefit index. Results Between 2004 and 2006,105 women attended the high-risk clinic. Median (interquartile) age was 47 (42–53) yrs; 142(90%) were Caucasian. Median (interquartile) Gail score was 2.3 (1.0–3.2). Forty-eight (46%) women were offered tamoxifen while 15(14%) complied. Tamoxifen was offered to 1 of 5(20%) women with low; 32 of 82(39%) women with moderate and 15 of 18(83%) women with high CIS [ p =0.0008]. The McNemar's test for agreement between CIS ( p p Conclusion Inability to identify appropriate candidates has been a great barrier towards acceptance of chemoprevention for breast cancer. The CIS can be used for individual risk–benefit analysis for recommendation of breast cancer chemoprevention. However, CIS needs to be validated on a larger scale with methodologically more rigorous studies before proposing generalized use in the community.
Firm Failure and Financial Crisis: The Experience of South Korea

In this paper we try to analyze the link between some industrial policies in South Korea and the 1997 financial crisis. We argue that while the industrial policies have greatly promoted the development of many local industries, they also have encouraged local firms to become over-optimistic, to over-invest, and to over-produce. That increases the risks the firms are facing. When a bad time occurs, many of the firms will face difficulty. When a sufficiently large number of them have difficulty, their troubles become the troubles of the economy.
Are Future Teachers Aware of the Gap between Research and Practice and What Should They Know

While many in education are aware of the gap between research and practice, one might wonder if preservice teachers in general and special education are aware that a gap exists in their chosen profession? What should teachers, parents, and policy makers expect of educational research? What are the professional contexts for the use of research in education and how do these professional contexts differ from those in impressively effective professions. Lastly, what should all teachers know about the difference between research and craft knowledge of teaching? These and related questions are addressed in the following paper. Implications are discussed.
Sociology of School Boards: A Social Capital Perspective

School boards have received little attention in sociology of education. Drawing on organizational sociology, a model of school board social capital is proposed that treats brokerage (external ties) and closure (internal ties) as the key dimensions of board functioning. The model brings together insights from limited research on school boards concerning members' internal and external ties and recasts them as the building blocks of a unifying theoretical framework. It also proposes specific performance outcomes at the district level. The model is tested using the data from a representative sample of Pennsylvania districts. The analysis not only explores brokerage and closure patterns among school boards, but also examines their implications for academic outcomes. Findings suggest that eighth grade reading and mathematics performance are highest in districts, where boards exhibit high levels of both brokerage and closure, and lowest in districts, where brokerage and closure are both low.
Human Metapneumovirus Is Capable of Entering Cells by Fusion with Endosomal Membranes

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a member of the Paramyxoviridae family, is a leading cause of lower respiratory illness. Although receptor binding is thought to initiate fusion at the plasma membrane for paramyxoviruses, the entry mechanism for HMPV is largely uncharacterized. Here we sought to determine whether HMPV initiates fusion at the plasma membrane or following internalization. To study the HMPV entry process in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells, we used fluorescence microscopy, an R18-dequenching fusion assay, and developed a quantitative, fluorescence microscopy assay to follow virus binding, internalization, membrane fusion, and visualize the cellular site of HMPV fusion. We found that HMPV particles are internalized into human bronchial epithelial cells before fusing with endosomes. Using chemical inhibitors and RNA interference, we determined that HMPV particles are internalized via clathrin-mediated endocytosis in a dynamin-dependent manner. HMPV fusion and productive infection are promoted by RGD-binding integrin engagement, internalization, actin polymerization, and dynamin. Further, HMPV fusion is pH-independent, although infection with rare strains is modestly inhibited by RNA interference or chemical inhibition of endosomal acidification. Thus, HMPV can enter via endocytosis, but the viral fusion machinery is not triggered by low pH. Together, our results indicate that HMPV is capable of entering host cells by multiple pathways, including membrane fusion from endosomal compartments.
Thermodynamics of Pb(II) and Zn(II) binding to MT-3, a neurologically important metallothionein

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to quantify the thermodynamics of Pb(2+) and Zn(2+) binding to metallothionein-3 (MT-3). Pb(2+) binds to zinc-replete Zn7MT-3 displacing each zinc ion with a similar change in free energy (ΔG) and enthalpy (ΔH). EDTA chelation measurements of Zn7MT-3 and Pb7MT-3 reveal that both metal ions are extracted in a tri-phasic process, indicating that they bind to the protein in three populations with different binding thermodynamics. Metal binding is entropically favoured, with an enthalpic penalty that reflects the enthalpic cost of cysteine deprotonation accompanying thiolate ligation of the metal ions. These data indicate that Pb(2+) binding to both apo MT-3 and Zn7MT-3 is thermodynamically favourable, and implicate MT-3 in neuronal lead biochemistry.
Catching the Red Priest: Using Historical Editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica to Track the Evolution of Reputations

In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of using the chronology of changes in historical editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica (EB) to track the changes in the landscape of cultural knowledge, and specifically, the rise and fall in reputations of historical figures. We describe the dataprocessing pipeline we developed in order to identify the matching articles about historical figures in Wikipedia, the current electronic edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica (edition 15), and several digitized historical editions, namely, editions 3, 9, 11. We evaluate our results on the tasks of article segmentation and cross-edition matching using a manually annotated subset of 1000 articles from each edition. As a case study for the validity of discovered trends, we use the Wikipedia category of 18th century classical composers. We demonstrate that our data-driven method allows us to identify cases where a historical figure’s reputation experiences a drastic fall or a dramatic recovery which would allow scholars to further investigate previously overlooked instances of such change.
Fortress America As Created By NAFTA And Its Impact On Foreign Direct Investments

The inauguration of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 1994 created an outstanding economic opportunity for all three members. It contains an ambitious schedule for elimination of all trade barriers in the NAFTA community. The free trade agreement encourages NAFTA members to share and complement each others resources, and to use comparative advantages and enhanced economies of scale to maximize efficiency and productivity. Accordingly, the insider MNCs can generate competitive advantage against outsider MNCs in their trading bloc and globally. If NAFTA could create such a positive economic impact for insider MNCs and negative economic impact for outsiders, how do foreign MNCs respond to this trading bloc? Particularly, how does the fortress America, as created by NAFTA, impact the foreign direct investment strategies of outsider MNCs? The analysis of investment patterns by foreign MNCs since implementation of the NAFTA indicates an increase in their foreign direct investments in the NAFTA community, particularly in Mexico. This increase in FDI by foreign MNCs could be explained in three ways: First, it is due to the fear of fortress America as MNCs invested in the NAFTA bloc to penetrate the regions open market. Second, investors are looking to capitalize on the tangible financial attractions of modern-day Mexico, namely its location as a Latin America gateway, affordable primary resources, and increasingly competitive open market conditions. Third, the MNCs who had capital and global plans for such intensive foreign investments had already permeated North America.
Biological Monitoring of Urine for Exposure to Toxic Metals

Urine is the most commonly used biological medium for monitoring exposure to toxic metals. A properly collected and analyzed urine sample can provide important information about metal exposure and effects of exposure on renal function. Urine can be obtained using noninvasive procedures and thus permits collection of practically an unlimited number of samples with little discomfort or risk to the individual being monitored. This makes urine highly acceptable for monitoring purposes to both the individuals being monitored and to the monitors.
Coordinated-Control Interface Modes for Interconnected AC/DC Power Systems in HVDC Projects

Two kinds of coordinated-control interface mode,the electrical connection mode and fiber connection mode,for interconnected AC/DC power systems in HVDC projects are introduced in this paper,and their advantages and disadvantages are analyzed too.It is pointed out that the electrical connection mode is now adopted by most of the operating HVDC projects in China as it is simple and easy to implement,but there is shortcoming in its operation as it takes so rough adjustable modulation strategy with gears that it has certain defects in flexibility,rapidity and reliability.The analysis in this paper shows that the fiber connection mode can overcome the shortcoming of the former,and thus will be adopted in the being constructed HVDC projects more widely.
Development of Molecular Methods for Detection of Infectious Viruses in Treated Wastewater

Enteroviruses, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and other enteric viruses can survive wastewater treatment processes, even after chlorination, and are found in the final effluents. These viruses can be detected by cell culture techniques with observations for cytopathic effect (CPE). Recently molecular detection of viral nucleic acids has been used. Most viruses found in wastewater are RNA viruses and RT-PCR is a rapid and sensitive method to detect these single-strand RNA enteric viruses. This methodology does not distinguish between infectious and non-infectious viruses. Viruses inactivated in the treatment process can be detected but do not pose a public health threat. Methods are needed to quickly distinguish the infectious viruses from inactivated viruses, both of which may be present in effluents. In this project we investigated the use of a method that combines cell culture and molecular detection. If a sample contains viruses that replicate in cell culture even without CPE, the proof of replication can be demonstrated by the detection of a replicative form (RF) in cell culture that is only present during replication of infectious RNA viruses. A negative sense strand of RNA is generated from the viral positive strand virus, and these two are found primarily bound in a replicative form. This RNA was specifically detected by RT-PCR, including the positive and negative strands. This assay was developed and explored for the detection of low levels of CVB3 and HAV laboratory strains first and then for low levels of wild-type enteroviruses isolated from sewage samples. As few as four infectious units of wild-type enteroviruses, contained in 2.0 ml of water concentrate prepared from 600 ml of treated wastewater effluent, could be detected within two days. Treated wastewater effluents were collected weekly over an 18 months period, and viruses were concentrated with a developed method. About 7% of the final effluent wastewater samples were found positive for infectious enterovirus with the developed RF method, although only 1% of the samples were positive by presence of cytopathic effect. This method avoids the use of two complete cycles of cell culture to detect infectious virus, while confirming infectivity with a molecular method. This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series ISBN: 9781780404295 (eBook) ISBN: 9781843397229 (Print)
Toward Improved Solar Irradiance Forecasts: Comparison of Downwelling Surface Shortwave Radiation in Arizona Derived from Satellite with the Gridded Datasets

The downwelling surface shortwave radiation derived from geostationary satellite imagery was compared with the available datasets for the Southwestern United States. The averaged root mean square errors for our instantaneous estimates ranged from 95.0 to 122.7 W m−2, which is lower than those derived from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) products were used to compare the hourly mean solar insolation. The three hourly mean downwelling surface shortwave radiation was evaluated by comparing the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) and the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) products. Our estimates show the better performance than MERRA, NARR and CERES datasets because of coarse resolution that limits determining the solar dimming due to small clouds.