cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Analysis of RNA Granule Formation and Selectivity Mediated by Multivalent Interactions

RNA granules serve as intermediates in RNA trafficking targeting RNAs encoding specific proteins to particular subcellular locations. RNA granules contain various components such as RNAs, RNA binding proteins, molecular motors, and components of the protein synthetic machinery. RNA have large valence for low affinity multivalent interactions, maintaining molecular connectivity during rapid remodeling of the granule. Therefore, the specific molecular composition and connectivity in a granule is fluid, sensitive to local intracellular environment. Modeling multivalent interactions in granules is challenging because of a combinatorial complexity in the number of potential molecular complexes and very rapid changes in structure. Recently we introduced a hybrid modeling approach (Falkenberg et. al, 2013) appropriate when the overall properties of the multi-molecular complex are of greater importance than the specific interactions of individual molecular components. One type of RNA granule is the A2RE granule, which contains multiple different RNA molecules, including those with A2 response elements (A2RE). Multiple RNAs are linked together in the same granule by a heptavalent scaffold TOG and a bivalent adaptor protein A2. Selectivity is defined as a preferential assembly of granules with A2RE RNAs. We perform modeling studies titrating the concentrations of various proteins, varying site pair affinities, and RNA valence. We hypothesize that there are key parameters that control granule formation, and conclude that there is an optimum concentration range for the adaptor molecule A2 that optimizes granule assembly and selectivity.
ESR Study of the plasma polymerizations of trimethylsilane and methane

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) was used to study, at the molecular level, the plasma polymerization of trimethylsilane (TMS) and methane. Direct ESR analysis of the plasma coated Al substrate required the use of a novel ESR technique. TMS plasma deposit on Al showed a single broad resonance line near g = 2.003. The signal was stable in vacuum and decayed on exposure to air, with a significant fraction persisting for days. Results show that this signal arises from silicon dangling bonds. Identical TMS signals were observed from films prepared by the DC cathodic or the AF glow discharge method but their decay rates were different. In contrast, the deposition of methane produced two distinct types of carbon-based signals depending upon the method of deposition. TMS or CH4 films deposited by the DC cathodic method showed slow signals decay and high refractive indices value. While the use of Al as the substrate showed plasma-coating radicals, only substrate radicals were observed when PE was used as the substrate. The nature of radicals formed depends not only on the deposition method used but also on the substrate type.
Evolution of Powerful Extended Radio Sources

Powerful extended radio sources are observed out to relatively large redshift. They may be used to study the properties and redshift evolution of the gaseous environment in the vicinity of each source, the active galactic nucleus (AGN), and the source size. This information may then be used to study and constrain cosmological and cosmogonical models. It is interesting to note that the rate of change of quantities with redshift allows constraints to be placed on global cosmological parameters and on models of structure formation and evolution that are completely independent of those inferred using the cosmic microwave background or local dynamical studies, and thus provide an important complement to these studies. The method does require that we understand the physics of the sources well enough to account for intrinsic source evolution. The physics of powerful extended radio sources that propagate supersonically appears to be relatively straight-forward. We have used the radio properties of the sources to deduce the ambient gas density, the beam power of the AGN, the characteristic time a particular AGN is on, and a characteristic source size that allows the sources to be used to probe global cosmological parameters. We plan to use the radio properties of the sources to deduce the ambient gas temperature, which will be combined with the ambient gas density to constrain cosmogonical models, that is, models of structure formation and evolution.
Implementation of CDSEM contour extraction on OPC verification

CDSEM metrology is a powerful tool to obtain silicon data. However, as our technology nodes advance shrink to 14nm and below, the CD measurement data from CDSEM can hardly provide sufficient information for OPC verification (OPCV) and the related silicon verification. On the other hand, the abundant information from CDSEM images has not been fully utilized to assist our data analysis. In this context, contour extraction emerges as the best method to obtain extensive information from CDSEM images, especially for 2D structures. This paper demonstrates that contour extraction bridges the gap between the needs of 2D characterization and the limited capability of CDSEM measurement. The extracted contour enables automatic identification of litho-hotspots using OPCV tools, especially for non-CD related hotspots. Statistical silicon data extraction and analysis on complex geometries is viable with extracted contours. The silicon data can then be feedback to the evolution of non-CD OPCV checks, where simple CD measurement is inadequate. Effective CD can also be calculated from the obtained 2D information, with which Bossung curves can be built and provide complementary information.
When Shadows Become Interreflections

Shadows and interreflections are present in all real scenes and provide a rich set of photometric cues for vision. In this paper, we show how shadows and interreflections are intrinsically related. Shadows tend to occur in those parts of a scene in which interreflections have the largest gain. We provide several basic results concerning this relationship in terms of the interreflection modes of a scene. We show that for a given scene, the interreflection mode having the largest gain is a physically realizable radiance function. We derive bounds on the gain of this mode and discuss how this mode is related to shadows. We analyze how well an n-bounce model of interreflections approximates an infinite-bounce model and how shadows affect this approximation. Finally, we introduce a novel method for inferring surface color in a uni-chromatic scene. The method is based on the relative contrast of the scene in different color channels.
SDI+: A Novel Algorithm for Segmenting Dermoscopic Images

Malignant skin lesions are among the most common types of cancer, and automated systems for their early detection are of fundamental importance. We propose SDI+, an unsupervised algorithm for the segmentation of skin lesions in dermoscopic images. It is articulated into three steps, aimed at extracting preliminary information on possible confounding factors, accurately segmenting the lesion, and post-processing the result. The overall method achieves high accuracy on dark skin lesions and can handle several cases where confounding factors could inhibit a clear understanding by a human operator. We present extensive experimental results and comparisons achieved by the SDI+ algorithm on the ISIC 2017 dataset, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages.
Mycobacterium abscessus infections in lung transplant recipients: 15-year experience from a single institution.

Purpose To evaluate our institutional experience with Mycobacterium abscessus infections occurring in lung transplant recipients (LTR). Methods We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively collected institutional adult lung transplant database from 2001 to 2015 to identify patients with M. abscessus or Mycobacterium chelonae/abscessus infection before or after transplantation. Untreated, colonized patients were excluded from the study. Electronic health records of nine out of 516 lung recipients (1.74%) with clinical infection were reviewed to determine outcomes. Results Seven patients acquired the infection after transplantation. Indications for transplantation were: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (in 6), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (in 2), and cystic fibrosis (in 1). Five patients (55.5%) underwent bilateral lung transplantation; one patient required bilateral re-transplantation for complications from infection. M. abscessus was isolated from the respiratory tract with a median time of 7.5 months (range: 3 days to 13 months) from transplantation. All patients were treated using a multidrug regimen, with durations ranging from 3 days to 12 months. Complications from infection included death in one patient, bronchial anastomotic dehiscence in one patient, delayed bronchial occlusions in two patients, and osteomyelitis of the knee in one patient. Median survival time from transplantation was 39 months (range: 11-96 months) and from the date of first positive culture was 58 months (range: 3-91 months). Five patients (55.5%) were cured but two had re-infections >1 year later. Conclusions Mycobacterium abscessus infection in LTR is rare and can lead to severe complications. Eradication is difficult and usually requires prolonged combination antibiotic therapy and occasionally surgical management.
Importance of Calcium Phosphates in the Development of Calcium Urolithiasis

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) and calcium phosphate (CaP) are the two most common crystalline constituents of urinary stones and CaOx is their major component.1–9 Appropriate urinary supersaturation is necessary for crystallization. But mammalian urine is normally insufficiently supersaturated for homogeneous nucleation of CaOx. As a result, suggestions have been made that some urinary elements such as macromolecules or crystals act as the substrate for heterogeneous nucleation of CaOx. CaP is often considered a promoter of CaOx crystallization in the urine because, A. it is common in both urine and urinary stones, B. it frequently occurs together with calcium oxalate (CaOx), C. it is occasionally present at the nidus of CaOx-CaP stones, and D. it can support nucleation of CaOx in vitro. The possibility of CaP nucleating CaOx crystals and promoting the formation of CaOx stones will be explored in this chapter.
The impact of attitude resolve on population wide attitude change

Attitudes play a critical role in informing resulting behavior. Extending previous work, we have developed a model of population wide attitude change that captures social factors through a social network, cognitive factors through a cognitive network and individual differences in influence. All three of these factors are supported by literature as playing a role in attitude and behavior change. In this paper we present a new computational model of attitude resolve which incorporates the affects of player interaction dynamics that uses game theory in an integrated model of socio-cognitive strategy-based individual interaction and provide preliminary experiments.
Emergency MRI utilization trends at a tertiary care academic medical center: baseline data.

Rationale and Objectives This study evaluates utilization trends of emergency department (ED)-ordered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations in an adult academic medical center over a 5-year period (2001–2005). Materials and Methods MRI examinations from the ED-ordering location were identified by searching the radiology information system (RIS). Overall MRI volume and ED patient encounters were also assessed during the same period. Each examination was assessed by type of examination, examination completion time, and primary and secondary clinical indications by reviewing the RIS and medical record. Results During the study period, 1,900 ED-ordered MRI examinations were performed on 1,020 patients. During the same period, 62,823 total MRI examinations were performed, and the total ED patient volume was 420,840. ED-ordered MRI volume increased 391% over the study period (125 to 614 examinations/year), whereas total MRI volume increased only 38.9% and ED patient volume in our institution actually decreased by −9%. MRI examinations of the brain, magnetic resonance angiography of the head and neck, and spinal MRI were the most commonly ordered tests. Clinical indications were analyzed. Peak times of ED-ordered examination completion were between 4:00 PM and 11:00 PM. A total of 15.5% of examinations required overtime or callback of MRI technologists for completion. Conclusions Multiple reasons are suggested that may increase utilization (perceived need for diagnostic certainty, as well as medico-legal and patient-driven factors). Whether this increase in MRI utilization resulted in improved patient outcomes is unclear and should be studied further. Implications for radiologist coverage and resident training are discussed.
The Three-Body Problem: Moon — Earth — Sun

The problem of three interacting point-like masses continues to be at the center of physics. The latest version consists of three quarks making up a proton or a neutron; but there are also two hydrogens and one oxygen as the constituents of a water molecule, or an atom of helium built with one alpha particle and two electrons. Behind these modern examples are all the famous instances from celestial mechanics, particularly the most obvious as well as the most difficult of them all, the motion of the Moon in the combined gravitational field of the Earth and the Sun. Since chaos made its first though hardly recognized appearance in this context, and the case is far from closed, an abbreviated discussion of this special problem seems both instructive and topical.
An Overview of an Emerging Area of Research into the Religious and Spiritual Lives of Public School Teachers

Thirty-three articles addressing empirical research on the religious and/or spiritual lives of K-12 public school teachers were closely reviewed for this chapter. The chapter categorizes the research articles into five themes: (1) spiritual well-being; (2) the prevalence and benefits of spiritual practices: calling, efficacy, and sustenance; (3) teachers’ views and examples of how religion and spirituality are manifest in classrooms; (4) educating “others”; and (5) science and curricular views. The chapter evaluates the merits of the various research articles, assessing the strengths and critiquing the limitations of the quantitative and qualitative studies. It concludes with an appeal for greater theory development for how the inner lives of teachers influence their educational decisions and practices, offers a number of intriguing unanswered research questions and methodological recommendations, and identifies a few promising future directions of study. Based on the current state of scholarly work in the field, the chapter challenges teacher education to include greater attention to the inner lives of practicing and future teachers, to prepare educators to be more knowledgeable of the legal and ethical issues that arise when addressing religion or spirituality and education, to be better prepared to accommodate the religious and spiritual orientations of their students, and to discern how their religious or spiritual worldviews may influence their professional lives.
A Gaussian Latent Variable Model for Large Margin Classification of Labeled and Unlabeled Data

We investigate a Gaussian latent variable model for semi-supervised learning of linear large margin classifiers. The model’s latent variables encode the signed distance of examples to the separating hyperplane, and we constrain these variables, for both labeled and unlabeled examples, to ensure that the classes are separated by a large margin. Our approach is based on similar intuitions as semi-supervised support vector machines (S3VMs), but these intuitions are formalized in a probabilistic framework. Within this framework we are able to derive an especially simple Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm for learning. The algorithm alternates between applying Bayes rule to “fill in” the latent variables (the E-step) and performing an unconstrained least-squares regression to update the weight vector (the M-step). For the best results it is necessary to constrain the unlabeled data to have a similar ratio of positive to negative examples as the labeled data. Within our model this constraint renders exact inference intractable, but we show that a Lyapunov central limit theorem (for sums of independent, but non-identical random variables) provides an excellent approximation to the true posterior distribution. We perform experiments on large-scale text classification and find that our model significantly outperforms existing implementations of S3VMs.
Fairness in the Field: The Ethics of Resource Allocation in Randomized Controlled Field Experiments:

Many in the international development community have embraced the randomized controlled field experiment, akin to a biomedical clinical trial for social interventions, as the new “gold evidential s...
Natural Biopolymer-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators via Fast, Facile, Scalable Solution Blowing

Here, we fabricated nanofiber (NF)-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) from natural biopolymers using the industrially scalable solution blowing. This technique eliminates severe restrictions on solutions to be used and allows one to achieve biocompatible devices. Here, solutions of soy protein and lignin were blown into continuous monolithic NFs of hundreds of nanometers in diameter. The technique we employed yields large-area NF mats within tens of minutes and has never been employed to form TENGs. Furthermore, in contrast to electrospun and meltblown fiber mats, solution-blown NF mats are much fluffier/porous, which is beneficial for achieving higher voltages by means of triboelectricity. In particular, triboelectricity generated by our biopolymer-based TENGs revealed that they hold great promise as sustainable and environmentally friendly self-powered devices for biomedical applications with the highest efficiency in their class. Moreover, these are the first nanotextured plant-derived biopolym...
Social Change in a Material World

Social Change in a Material World offers a new, practice theoretical account of social change and its explanation. Extending the author’s earlier account of social life, and drawing on general ideas about events, processes, and change, the book conceptualizes social changes as configurations of significant differences in bundles of practices and material arrangements. Illustrated with examples from the history of bourbon distillation and the formation and evolution of digitally-mediated associations in contemporary life, the book argues that chains of activity combine with material events and processes to cause social changes. The book thereby stresses the significance of the material dimension of society for the constitution, determination, and explanation of social phenomena, as well as the types of space needed to understand them. The book also challenges the explanatory significance of such key phenomena as power, dependence, relations, mechanisms, and individual behavior. As such, it will appeal to sociologists, geographers, organization studies scholars, and others interested in social life and social change.
Random Forest Refinement of Pairwise Potentials for Protein-Ligand Decoy Detection

An accurate scoring function is expected to correctly select the most stable structure from a set of pose candidates. One can hypothesize that a scoring function's ability to identify the most stable structure might be improved by emphasizing the most relevant atom pairwise interactions. However, it is hard to evaluate the relevant importance for each atom pair using traditional means. With the introduction of machine learning (ML) methods, it has become possible to determine the relative importance for each atom pair present in a scoring function. In this work, we use the Random Forest (RF) method to refine a pair potential developed by our laboratory (GARF; Zhang , Z. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2018 , 14 , 5045 ) by identifying relevant atom pairs that optimize the performance of the potential on our given task. Our goal is to construct a ML model that can accurately differentiate the native ligand binding pose from candidate poses using a potential refined by RF optimization. We successfully constructed RF models on an unbalanced data set with the "comparison" concept, and the resultant RF models were tested on CASF-2013 ( Li , Y. J. Chem. Inf.Model. 2014 , 54 , 1700 ). In a comparison of the performance of our RF models against 29 scoring functions, we found that our models outperformed the other scoring functions in predicting the native pose. In addition, we created two artificially designed potential function sets to address the importance of the GARF potential in the RF models: (1) a scrambled probability function set, which was obtained by mixing up atom pairs and probability functions in GARF, and (2) a uniform probability function set, which shares the same peak positions with GARF but has fixed peak heights. The results of accuracy comparison from RF models based on the scrambled, uniform, and original GARF potential clearly showed that the peak positions in the GARF potential are important while the well depths are not. All code and data used in this work are available at https://github.com/JunPei000/random_forest_protein_ligand_decoy_detection .
Abstract 2628: Non-canonical Wnt signaling in late-stage PDAC

Pancreatic cancer has a disproportionate death-to-incidence rate largely resultant from late stage diagnoses, leading to advanced cancers which have metastasized and have increased resistance to common chemotherapeutics. This malignant progression is characterized by the increase of many molecular markers, and developing novel therapeutics targeting these late stage markers is essential for improving patient prognoses. We have identified several proteins within the non-canonical Wnt pathway that are upregulated in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), and we are exploring the mechanisms driving upregulation and the resulting alterations to cell signaling. Analysis of microarray data from human derived organoids (from 6 normal pancreas samples and 38 tumor samples) revealed that two receptors in the Wnt pathway, Frizzled 2 (FZD2) and Frizzled 6 (FZD6), have increased expression levels in late-stage PDAC. The temporal increase of these non-canonical, planar cell polarity altering receptors suggests a previously underappreciated role for Wnt signaling in the progression of pancreatic cancer. The increase of these two receptors in tumor tissue was confirmed through analysis of RNA-sequencing of patient samples, including 179 tumor and 171 normal samples. Interestingly, after analyzing patient overall survival and progression free survival we found that, out of the ten members of the Frizzled receptor family, higher levels of FZD2 and FZD6 result in the worst patient prognoses. Additionally, retrospective analysis of gene expression data from Moffitt et al. suggests that FZD2 and FZD6 are higher in the aggressive “basal-like” sub-category of pancreatic cancer. To begin to understand the mechanism for these changes we have used a panel of PDAC cell lines, grown in both traditional and 3-dimensional culture. We have found that decreasing levels of FZD2 and FZD6, through stable sh-RNA knockdown, results in cells which are less motile (observed via Transwell and scratch assays) and are also less capable of anchorage independent growth. Also, cell lines with increased levels of FZD2 result in cells migrating through 3D-matrix as small cell clusters rather than as single cells, which has also been observed in partial-epithelial to mesenchymal transition cell lines. Taken together, non-canonical Wnt signaling in PDAC, mediated by FZD2 and/or FZD6 receptors, results in phenotypic alterations which are consistent with those often observed during cancer progression. These changes may help explain why patients with increased expression of FZD2 and FZD6 have worse prognoses and may also warrant more exploration into specific Frizzled inhibitors. Citation Format: Payton D. Stevens, Adam Racette, Rochelle L. Tiedemann, Bart O. Williams. Non-canonical Wnt signaling in late-stage PDAC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2628.
Inclusive Library Service to Individuals with Mental Illnesses and Disorders

What does it mean to have a mental illness? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is a condition affecting a person’s mood, emotions, or thinking and can interfere with a person’s ability to relate to others and function in their daily life. Mental illness of any kind affects approximately 18% of the United States adult population—around 45 million people, as of 2016. Why does this matter to librarians and other information professionals? Librarians are likely to unknowingly encounter someone with mental illness, as one cannot simply look for violent or disruptive behavior in every case. This article briefly examines the literature to highlight what is being done in both public and academic libraries to meet the information needs of individuals with mental illness or any type of mental health issue. It suggests ways to improve service to and advocate for the information needs of these invisibly disabled patrons.
Encouraging participation in mathematics classes

No matter what mathematics topic one is teaching, one should aim to involve every student productively with a goal of achieving conceptual understanding of the content covered. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), "The need to understand and be able to use mathematics in everyday life and in the workplace has never been greater (NCTM 2000, p. 4). In the National Research Council document, EVERYBODY COUNTS: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education (National Academy Press, 1989, p. 60), it is stated that "Teachers must involve students in their own learning." In Beyond Crossroads (AMATYC, 2006), the Standards for Pedagogy call for instructional strategies that will promote students' active learning. The document goes further to state that "For today's students, learning is participatory - knowing depends on practice and participation" (p. 53). And the big question (and indeed the challenge) is: what do teachers need to do to get students to participate actively in mathematics classes?
Evaluating Effects of a Critical Micronutrient (24-Methylenecholesterol) on Honey Bee Physiology

Although poor nutrition is cited as one of the crucial factors in global pollinator decline, the requirements and role of several important nutrients (especially micronutrients) in honey bees are not well understood. Micronutrients, viz. phytosterols, play a physiologically vital role in insects as precursors of important molting hormones and building blocks of cellular membranes. There is a gap in comprehensive understanding of the impacts of dietary sterols on honey bee physiology. In the present study, we investigated the role of 24-methylenecholesterol-a key phytosterol-in honey bee nutritional physiology. Artificial diets with varying concentrations of 24-methylenecholesterol (0%, 0.1%. 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% dry diet weight) were formulated and fed to honey bees in a laboratory cage experiment. Survival, diet consumption, head protein content, and abdominal lipid contents were significantly higher in dietary sterol-supplemented bees. Our findings provide additional insights regarding the role of this important sterol in honey bee nutritional physiology. The insights gleaned from this study could also advance the understanding of sterol metabolism and regulation in other bee species that are dependent on pollen for sterols, and assist in formulation of a more complete artificial diet for honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
The Nucleotide-Free State of the Cannabinoid CB2/Gi Complex

In this issue of Cell, two papers report agonist-bound cryo-EM structures of the cannabinoid receptor, CB2, in complex with Gi. Importantly, beyond providing information that could help distinguish CB2 ligand binding from CB1, these structures support the existence of a nucleotide-free state during G-protein signaling.
Externalizing behavior and stress system functioning in infants exposed to early adversity: A multi-system exploration

Children who experience early adversity often show alterations across multiple stress response systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Changes in the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol (a marker of HPA axis functioning) and alpha-amylase (a marker of ANS functioning) may increase their probability of developing behavior problems. The goal of this study is to examine how these analytes may interact to predict externalizing behavior in infants exposed to early stress. Participants included 179 parents and their 6- to 20-month old infants recruited from a low-income neighborhood. Parents reported on their infants' externalizing behaviors and collected saliva samples from their children at wake-up and bedtime over three days. Diurnal cortisol and alpha-amylase were modeled using latent difference scores. Four models were tested examining the effects of cortisol and alpha-amylase morning values and slopes, as well as their interactions, on externalizing behavior. Results showed a significant interaction effect of cortisol and alpha-amylase morning values, such that low morning cortisol was associated with decreased externalizing behavior when morning alpha-amylase was high but not low. These findings highlight the importance of examining multiple systems when characterizing the physiological correlates of externalizing behavior among infants experiencing adversity.
What Is Law? A Coordination Model of the Characteristics of Legal Order

Legal philosophers have long debated the question, what is law? But few in social science have attempted to explain the phenomenon of legal order. In this article, we build a rational choice model of legal order in an environment that relies exclusively on decentralized enforcement, such as we find in human societies prior to the emergence of the nation state and in many modern settings. We demonstrate that we can support an equilibrium in which wrongful behavior is effectively deterred by exclusively decentralized enforcement, specifically collective punishment. Equilibrium is achieved by an institution that supplies a common logic for classifying behavior as wrongful or not. We argue that several features ordinarily associated with legal order—such as generality, impersonality, open process, and stability—can be explained by the incentive and coordination problems facing collective punishment.
Multidimensional Left Canavati Fractional Landau Inequalities

Based on author’s first ever found multivariate fractional Taylor’s formula ([2], Chap. 12), we develop and prove several multivariate left side Canavati fractional uniform Landau type inequalities. It follows [4].
The Flying Geese Metaphor: Export-Oriented Manufactures in Mexico

South R. B. The flying geese metaphor: export-oriented manufactures in Mexico, Regional Studies. Prior to the onset of the North American Free Trade Agreement (1994), most export-oriented manufactures (maquiladoras) in Mexico were agglomerated along the US border manufacturing low value-added products. By 2006 the majority of maquiladoras were located off-border with notable growth in higher value-added manufacturing. The evolving geography of export-oriented industrialization has been the subject of descriptive narratives that purportedly model manufacturing trends. This study reviews these models positing the flying geese metaphor provides an explanation for Mexico's transitioning maquiladoras. The study focuses on the metaphor's underlying themes, sectoral and spatial trends, and finds increasing product sector segmentation by value-added and location. Among the paper's contributions is the incorporation of statistical significance that differentiates explanation from description, thereby adding analyt...
Structural Characterization of Single-Stranded DNA Monolayers Using Two-Dimensional Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

DNA-covered materials are important in technological applications such as biosensors and microarrays, but obtaining structural information on surface-bound biomolecules is experimentally challenging. In this paper, we structurally characterize single-stranded DNA monolayers of poly(thymine) from 10 to 25 bases in length with an emerging surface technique called two-dimensional sum frequency generation (2D SFG) spectroscopy. These experiments are carried out by adding a mid-IR pulse shaper to a femtosecond broad-band SFG spectrometer. Cross peaks and 2D line shapes in the 2D SFG spectra provide information about structure and dynamics. Because the 2D SFG spectra are heterodyne detected, the monolayer spectra can be directly compared to 2D infrared (2D IR) spectra of poly(thymine) in solution, which aids interpretation. We simulate the 2D SFG spectra using DFT calculations and an excitonic Hamiltonian that relates the molecular geometry to the vibrational coupling. Intrabase cross peaks help define the orie...
Who's so Afraid of the Eleventh Amendment

This Article argues that critics have exaggerated the impact and importance of the Eleventh Amendment cases. This is not to deny that revived judicial security for states' rights has become the signature issue of the Rehnquist Court. We examine whether the subject deserves the enormous importance that many, including a number of commentators and several Justices, have given it. We conclude that it does not. A series of doctrines, both internal and external to the Eleventh Amendment, allow the federal government to achieve its policy objectives. Preventing private plaintiffs from suing states for retrospective money damages poses at most a minor barrier to national goals when damages actions against state officers and injunctive actions realistically against state governments are readily available to accomplish all federal ends, and when the national political branches may widen the liability of state officers, or completely overcome sovereign immunity by joining a private lawsuit or using other federal powers such as the Spending or Treaty Clauses. Overstatement of the effects of the Eleventh Amendment cases has obscured more interesting questions about the subject. If state sovereign immunity has such little practical effect, why has the Court invested so much of its time and resources in the Seminole Tribe line of rulings? We suggest that the Court's real lodestar here is not federalism, but separation of powers. That is, perhaps the Court is not so much interested in protecting states as it is (a) in centralizing the enforcement of federal law in the executive branch and (b) in pressing Congress to make clear cost-benefit decisions on the use of lawsuits to enforce federal policy. Seminole Tribe and its progeny have the effect of giving the administration greater discretion to decide whether states should be liable for money damages for violations of federal law, thus increasing democratic accountability, and of prodding the legislative branch to essentially pay the states to waive sovereign immunity.
Uranium in Selected Endorheic Basins as Partial Analogue for Spent Fuel Behavior in Salt

If uranium (U) behavior with respect to the components of certain endorheic (closed) basin subsurface, playa, or terminal lake brines were quantitatively understood, the ability to predict the long-term redistribution of emplaced U among analogous components of salt formations may be enhanced. Tests that determine the nature of U interactions with pure mineral and organic matter surfaces are important, but studying the natural systems available could give indications of long-term stabilities of processes, and of preferential processes. For example, some metals present in trace quantities, such as U, may be coprecipitated in the oxidized zone with an evaporite mineral that may afterward undergo diagenesis, especially if conditions become more reducing. During diagenesis, the trace metal may be remobilized, but scavenged by sulfides or organic particulates, leaving the evaporite mineral depleted of its trace metal content. A survey of the literature shows some trace metal behavior in closed basins has been studied. However, information on U consists of only a few abundance determinations for some evaporite systems. Obtaining and interpreting natural analogue data for the U and Th decay series in selected endorheic basin environments is suggested.
Exploring the Impact of the Marriage Amendments: Can Public Employers Offer Domestic Partner Benefits to Their Gay and Lesbian Employees?

The article focuses on an issue that is shaping up to be the new front in the same-sex marriage wars: whether applying the terms of the more broadly-constructed amendments to public employers will bar them from offering domestic partner benefits to their gay and lesbian employees. The first part of the article offers an overview of domestic partner benefits plans and discusses the manner in which they are currently being threatened by the more broadly-constructed marriage amendments. The second part takes a close look at the litigation in National Pride at Work v. Michigan. This case represents the first time that a state court of last resort has agreed to consider the scope of a public employer's authority to offer domestic partner benefits to its gay and lesbian employees when the marriage amendment in the state may preclude the employer from doing so. The litigation in National Pride at Work illustrates the interpretive difficulties that may arise when public employers in these states condition the receipt of partner benefits on the existence of the gay or lesbian relationship. In the last part of the article, I identify the primary concepts that are at stake in the relevant sections of these amendments - "recognition," "status," and "similarity to marriage" - and offer an analysis of these terms that will help courts in the event that they are called upon to interpret them. In the course of the analysis, I find that a public employer's decision to premise the dispensation of partner benefits on the existence of the employee's relationship violates the prohibition against recognizing a status for unmarried individuals. This fact notwithstanding, the crux of my analysis focuses on the similarity provision: if the status recognized by the state does not fall within the scope of the similarity prohibition laid out by the amendment, then the domestic partner benefits plan should be upheld.
Ternary complementary sets for orthogonal pulse based UWB

Ternary complementary set based UWB signaling employing a set of orthogonal chip pulses is proposed. Each user transmits the same information bit over a set of parallel channels each characterized by an orthogonal pulse and a spreading sequence from a ternary complementary set. Ternary complementary sets assigned to two users are mutually uncorrelated in the complementary sense. Hence, the multipath interference as well as multiple access interference are mitigated. Furthermore, sequence length selection is significantly more flexible than for corresponding binary signaling techniques. Thus, the proposed signaling is in particular suitable for adaptive high rate systems. Construction methods for ternary mutually orthogonal complementary sets are also included.
A connectivity based partition approach for node scheduling in sensor networks

This paper presents a Connectivity based Partition Approach (CPA) to reduce the energy consumption of a sensor network by sleep scheduling among sensor nodes. CPA partitions sensors into groups such that a connected backbone network can be maintained by keeping only one arbitrary node from each group in active status while putting others to sleep. Nodes within each group swap between active and sleeping status occasionally to balance the energy consumption. Unlike previous approaches that partition nodes geographically, CPA is based on the measured connectivity between pairwise nodes and does not depend on nodes' locations. In this paper, we formulate node scheduling as a constrained optimal graph partition problem, and propose CPA as a distributed heuristic partition algorithm. CPA can ensure k-vertex connectivity of the backbone network for its partition so as to achieve the trade-off between saving energy and preserving network communication quality. Moreover, simulation results show that CPA outperforms other approaches in complex environments where the ideal radio propagation model does not hold.
Mission-level space situational awareness

Complex space systems typically provide the operator a means to understand the current state of system components. The operator often has to manually determine whether the system is able to perform a given set of high level objectives based on this information. The operations team needs a way for the system to quantify its capability to successfully complete a mission objective and convey that information in a clear, concise way.
Probabilistic Forecasting of the Dst Index

The Dst index can be predicted by an autoregressive moving average filter that transforms the solar wind electric field and dynamic pressure into changes in the index. Integration of these changes gives Dst. The maximum lead time possible is less than 60 minutes. Longer lead times are probably unobtainable due to the stochastic nature of IMF Bz. In this paper we use photospheric observations of the solar magnetic field to predict Dst. Our technique uses the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (W-S-A) model to forecast the time variations of solar wind speed, IMF polarity, and IMF strength at Earth four days in advance. Since the waveform of Bz is incalculable from solar observations we make use of air mass climatology. In this technique the cumulative probability distribution is determined as a function of time relative to a stream interface. During the declining phase of the solar cycle persistent coronal holes create high speed streams. The interface between these streams and slower speed solar wind ahead provides a reference time that can be used to organize the cumulative probability distributions determined from historic data (climatology). We then use the predicted arrival of an interface and the associated cumulative distributions to predict the probability that |Dst| will fall within a range of values. This technique works best for small to moderate storms occurring during the declining phase of the solar cycle. CMEs are not predictable by this model hence we do not expect this approach to work as well at solar maximum.
Coughing and bed sheet wrapping.

We read with interest and expectation the proposal by Lavigne et al for an alternative to the reinforced suggestion bedsheet wrapping technique for the management of psychogenic cough. Their conclusion is based on a behavioral technique used in only four cases, in which cougher and parent count the number of coughs per half hour at varying intervals; then goals are negotiated to gradually lower the coughs per half hour to zero by persuasion and, in one instance, by adding monetary rewards. Three patients improved in about 2 weeks.
Analysis of autoxidized fats by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. VII. Volatile thermal decomposition products of pure hydroperoxides from autoxidized and photosensitized oxidized methyl oleate, linoleate and linolenate

To clarify the sources of undesirable flavors, pure hydroperoxides from autoxidized and photosensitized oxidized fatty esters were thermally decomposed in the injector port of a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system. Major volatile products were identified from the hydroperoxides of methyl oleate, linoleate and linolenate. Although the hydroperoxides from autoxidized esters are isomerically different in position and concentration than those from photosensitized oxidized esters, the same major volatile products were formed but in different relative amounts. Distinguishing volatiles were, however, produced from each type of hydroperoxide. The 9- and 10-hydroperoxides of photosensitized oxidized methyl oleate were thermally isomerized in the injector port into a mixture of 8-, 9-, 10- and 11-hydroperoxides similar to that of autoxidized methyl oleate. Under the same conditions, the hydroperoxides from autoxidized linoleate and linolenate did not undergo significant interconversion with those from the corresponding photosensitized oxidized esters. The compositions of the major volatile decomposition products are explained by the classical scheme involving carboncarbon scission on either side of alkoxy radical intermediates. Secondary reactions of hydroperoxides are also postulated, and the hydroperoxy cyclic peroxides from methyl linoleate (photosensitized oxidized) and methyl linolenate (both autoxidized and photosensitized oxidized) are suggested as important precursors of volatiles.
The optimization of capacity and efficiency when coupling fused silica open tubular columns in gas chromatography

There are a number of parameters which have to be chosen depending on the analysis being done in gas chromatography. While the choice of stationary phase material is based on the solutes to be separated, the thickness is dependent on the concentration and the volatility of the components to be analyzed. This study undertakes a coupled column phase ratio optimization by connecting a short piece of a particular column prior to a normal length of an analytical column. Various columns of different dimensions (phase ratio), but of the same stationary phase material (methyl silicone), are coupled together by a deactivated glass press-fit connector, and the efficiency and capacity are measured. The coupling of fused silica open tubular columns is optimized in efficiency by matching or decreasing the phase ratio of successive columns. Capacity optimization is accomplished by increasing the phase ratio of consecutive columns. Capacity and efficiency optimization are opposing each other; therefore, if some efficiency can be sacrificed a substantial increase in capacity is possible.
Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy techniques.

Tracheostomy is one of the oldest surgical procedures, with descriptions in the ancient Hindu book of medicine, the Rig Veda, circa 1500 BC [1]. Tracheostomy was a rarely practiced procedure until the great European diphtheria pandemics in the 1850s, when it was employed as a treatment for upper airway obstruction [2]. Chevalier Jackson is credited with standardizing tracheostomy procedure in 1909 and his operative technique remains little changed to this day. In the early part of the twentieth century, upper airway obstruction from diphtheria became less common with the advent of antibiotics and antitoxin, and tracheostomy usage began to wane. By the mid 1940s, however, the need for airway access for suctioning polio patients in tank respirators created renewed interest in the procedure [3]. With the
Factor V deficiency and menstruation: A gynecologic challenge

Background: Menorrhagia is a well-known complication of factor V deficiency. Case: A 13-year-old girl with factor V deficiency presented with acute hemorrhage on day 4 of menses. Laboratory assessment revealed a hemoglobin of 36 g/L. The ultrasound appearance of a large Ioculated cystic mass was consistent with substantial intraperitoneal bleeding. Stabilization with blood products was followed by GnRH agonist therapy. Medical management was instituted effectively. Continued compliance with medication is essential to prevent recurrences. Conclusion: Factor V deficiency is rare. Coagulation disorders of this nature pose a challenge to gynecologists involved in patient management at the time of menses.