cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ligand-dependent Conformational Plasticity of the Periplasmic Histidine-binding Protein HisJ INVOLVEMENT IN TRANSPORT SPECIFICITY

The periplasmic histidine permease of Salmonella typhimurium is composed of a membrane-bound complex and a soluble histidine-binding protein (the periplasmic receptor), HisJ. Liganded receptor interacts with the membrane-bound complex, inducing ATP hydrolysis and substrate translocation. Preliminary evidence had shown a lack of direct correlation between the affinity of HisJ for a ligand and translocation efficiency, suggesting that the precise form of the receptor is important in determining its interaction with the membrane-bound complex. We have investigated the nature of the conformations assumed by HisJ upon binding a variety of ligands by tryptophan fluorescence enhancement, reaction with a closed form-specific monoclonal antibody, and changes in UV absorption spectra. It is demonstrated that although HisJ binds all the ligands and undergoes a conformational change, it assumes measurably different conformations. We also show that the interaction between HisJ and the membrane-bound complex depends on the nature of the ligand. Transport specificity appears to be defined, at least in part, by the conformation of the bound receptor, manifested either by the effect of a given ligand on the closed structure per se, or by the effect of ligand association on the equilibrium constant relating the open and the closed liganded forms.
Cancer statistics, 1990

The American Cancer Societys Department of Epidemiology and Statistics reports its 24th annual compilation of cancer incidence survival and mortality data for the United States and around the world. (EXCERPT)
A new wavelet transform to sparsely represent cortical current densities for EEG/MEG inverse problems

The present study investigated the use of transform sparseness of cortical current density on human brain surface to improve electroencephalography/magnetoencephalography (EEG/MEG) inverse solutions. Transform sparseness was assessed by evaluating compressibility of cortical current densities in transform domains. To do that, a structure compression method from computer graphics was first adopted to compress cortical surface structure, either regular or irregular, into hierarchical multi-resolution meshes. Then, a new face-based wavelet method based on generated multi-resolution meshes was proposed to compress current density functions defined on cortical surfaces. Twelve cortical surface models were built by three EEG/MEG softwares and their structural compressibility was evaluated and compared by the proposed method. Monte Carlo simulations were implemented to evaluate the performance of the proposed wavelet method in compressing various cortical current density distributions as compared to other two available vertex-based wavelet methods. The present results indicate that the face-based wavelet method can achieve higher transform sparseness than vertex-based wavelet methods. Furthermore, basis functions from the face-based wavelet method have lower coherence against typical EEG and MEG measurement systems than vertex-based wavelet methods. Both high transform sparseness and low coherent measurements suggest that the proposed face-based wavelet method can improve the performance of L1-norm regularized EEG/MEG inverse solutions, which was further demonstrated in simulations and experimental setups using MEG data. Thus, this new transform on complicated cortical structure is promising to significantly advance EEG/MEG inverse source imaging technologies.
A New Procedure for the Solution of Lifting-Surface Problems

A new method for determining the steady and unsteady pressure distributions on lifting surfaces is presented. The method employs a "generalized lift-operator" technique which is found to be a more accurate, versatile, and rapid procedure (requiring less computer time) for inverting the downwash integral equation than the presently used "mode-collocation" method. The generalized lift-operator technique allows the chordwise integration to be carried out analytically, thereby avoiding the difficulties in the presently used method. This new approach has been applied to several two-dimensional, unsteady airfoil problems to demonstrate compatibility with known explicit solutions. Numerical solutions for two rectangular foils of aspect ratio 1 and 2 are also presented. The values show good agreement with experiment and fit in with known trends.
An experimental X-ray detector efficiency function determined using pure submicron spheres: An approach to quantification☆

Abstract A technique for experimentally determining the efficiency function of X-ray detectors in electron beam instruments is described. Submicron spheres of pure materials (elements or stoichiometric compounds) are used as calibration samples because each sphere is a well-known quantity of matter. The detector efficiency can be measured at the energy of a characteristics phton of the sphere material. By depositing spheres of several different elements onto a thin support film, a single sample may be used to measure the detector efficiency at discrete energies throughout a detector's range. The routine application of this technique to determination of the detector efficiency function (DEF) is described. The use of a DEF as the basis of composition determination with X-ray data and its advantages are detailed.
Can Criteria-Based Content Analysis Distinguish Between True and False Statements of African-American Speakers?

The Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) technique is the core component of the Statement Validity Assessment (SVA), an interviewing process that attempts to judge allegations of child sexual abuse for truthfulness. As the nucleus of the SVA, the CBCA has been promoted as a way to detect truth by analyzing the verbal content of such an allegation. However, all conclusions of the CBCA's usefulness as an indicator of truth have been based on European and/or White perspectives, and this is the first study to address the implications of probable differences of verbal content meaning across ethnic groups. The results failed to support the hypotheses that Black speakers' truthful statements contained fewer criteria than Whites' statements, or that CBCA training would only enhance truth detection of White speakers. First, in contrast to earlier work, the present study found that, despite the fact that true and false statements contained criteria to differing degrees, the total number of CBCA criteria in an adult's statement was uncorrelated with truthfulness for statements made by Blacks or by Whites. A discriminant analysis showed that CBCA verbal content criteria did, in fact, have different significance for Whites than for Blacks. Certain CBCA criteria were stronger predictors of truth for one ethnic group than for the other. It is suggested that more research is needed before the CBCA is relied upon in criminal investigations.
Preparing for the next millennium

With scientific literacy now a necessity rather than a luxury, children's science books have taken on a new importance. James Trefil introduces Nature's first children's books supplement with a review of some recent reference volumes*. Where possible, details of availability and price in the United States and the United Kingdom are given throughout the supplement. All readers should check prices before ordering.
Remote sites of structural atrophy predict later amyloid formation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can provide a longitudinal view of neurological disease through repeated imaging of patients at successive stages of impairment. Until recently, the difficulty of manual delineation has limited volumetric analyses of MR data sets to a few select regions and a small number of subjects. Increased throughput offered by faster imaging methods, automated segmentation, and deformation-based morphometry have recently been applied to overcome this limitation with mouse models of neurological conditions. We use automated analyses to produce an unbiased view of volumetric changes in a transgenic mouse model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) at two points in the progression of disease: immediately before and shortly after the onset of amyloid formation. In addition to the cortex and hippocampus, where atrophy has been well documented in AD patients, we identify volumetric losses in the pons and substantia nigra where neurodegeneration has not been carefully examined. We find that deficits in cortical volume precede amyloid formation in this mouse model, similar to presymptomatic atrophy seen in patients with familial AD. Unexpectedly, volumetric losses identified by MR outside of the forebrain predict locations of future amyloid formation, such as the inferior colliculus and spinal nuclei, which develop pathology at very late stages of disease. Our work provides proof-of-principle that MR microscopy can expand our view of AD by offering a complete and unbiased examination of volumetric changes that guide us in revisiting the canonical neuropathology.
Detection of Mycoplasma meleagridis by polymerase chain reaction

A pair of 32 base primers was synthesized based on the DNA sequence data of a Mycoplasma meleagridis (MM) species-specific recombinant, pMM-2. The primers were used in a MM-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a target DNA of approximately 850 bp. Annealing temperatures ranging from 58°C to 61°C could be used for the MM-PCR without loss of specifity. The primers amplified 1 ng of DNA from 17 strains of MM, but not 10 ng of DNA from 16 heterologous species of avian mycoplasma, pUC8 plasmid, lambda phage or calf thymus DNA. The minimum amount of target DNA detected by MM-PCR was 10 fg, which indicated that this procedure was 100000 times more sensitive than dot blot methodology using an MM recombinant DNA probe.
Endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic neoplasms

Background. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death among Americans. Twenty-eight thousand cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed annually and about the same number of patients die of pancreatic cancer every year. Most patients with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed when the tumor is 3 cm or more in diameter. Most pancreatic cancers are metastatic at the time of diagnosis and the median survival is only 18–20 mo. Overall, actual 5-yr survival is about 10% and has not changed much over several decades. Curative surgical resection is currently believed to offer the only chance of long-term survival in these patients. Difficulty in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer remains a major obstacle in improving outcomes in these patients. Screening for pancreatic cancer is currently not recommended. However, recent developments in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and cytological EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) allow early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with histological confirmation. EUS-FNA in conjunction with helical CT also provides reliable preoperative staging of pancreatic tumors. EUS with FNA therefore appears to be a promising tool in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
A Monte Carlo EM Approach for partially observable diffusion processes: theory and applications to neural networks

We present a Monte Carlo approach for training partially observable diffusion processes. We apply the approach to diffusion networks, a stochastic version of continuous recurrent neural networks. The approach is aimed at learning probability distributions of continuous paths, not just expected values. Interestingly, the relevant activation statistics used by the learning rule presented here are inner products in the Hilbert space of square integrable functions. These inner products can be computed using Hebbian operations and do not require backpropagation of error signals. Moreover, standard kernel methods could potentially be applied to compute such inner products. We propose that the main reason that recurrent neural networks have not worked well in engineering applications (e.g., speech recognition) is that they implicitly rely on a very simplistic likelihood model. The diffusion network approach proposed here is much richer and may open new avenues for applications of recurrent neural networks. We present some analysis and simulations to support this view. Very encouraging results were obtained on a visual speech recognition task in which neural networks outperformed hidden Markov models.
Researching “Black” Educational Experiences and Outcomes: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations:

This article delineates how race has been undertheorized in research on the educational experiences and outcomes of Blacks. The authors identify two dominant traditions by which researchers have invoked race (i.e., as culture and as a variable) and outline their conceptual limitations. They analyze how these traditions mask the heterogeneity of the Black experience, underanalyze institutionalized productions of race and racial discrimination, and confound causes and effects in estimating when and how race is “significant.” The authors acknowledge the contributions of more recent scholarship and discuss how future studies of Black achievement might develop more sophisticated conceptualizations of race to inform more rigorous methodological examinations of how, when, and why Black students perform in school as they do.
Conducting‐Polymer Nanotubes for Controlled Drug Release

The ability to create materials with well-controlled structures on the nanometer length scale is of intense interest for a variety of applications,[1,2] including controlled drug delivery[3] and biomedical devices.[4] Preparing nanoscale objects using self-assembly and templated growth techniques has been described in some recent reviews.[2,5] For example, porous membranes can be used to synthesize desired materials within the pores.[4,6] Conducting polymers are of considerable interest for a variety of biomedical applications.[7] Their response to electrochemical oxidation or reduction can produce a change in conductivity, color,[8,9] and volume.[10] A change in the electronic charge is accompanied by an equivalent change in the ionic charge, which requires mass transport between the polymer and electrolyte.[11] When counterions enter a polymer it expands and when they exit it contracts. The extent of expansion or contraction depends on the number and size of ions exchanged.[12] Electrochemical actuators using conducting polymers based on this principle have been developed by several investigators.[13–15] They can be doped with bioactive drugs, and can be used in actuators such as microfluidic pumps.[16,17] The precisely controlled local release of anti-inflammatory drugs at desired points in time is important for treating the inflammatory response of neural prosthetic devices in the central and peripheral nervous systems.[18] Here we report on a method to prepare conducting-polymer nanotubes that can be used for precisely controlled drug release. The fabrication process involves electrospinning of a biodegradable polymer, into which a drug has been incorporated, followed by electrochemical deposition of a conducting-polymer around the drug-loaded, electrospun biodegradable polymers. The conducting-polymer nanotubes significantly decrease the impedance and increase the charge capacity of the recording electrode sites on microfabricated neural prosthetic devices. The drugs can be released from the nanotubes in a desired fashion by electrical stimulation of the nanotubes; this process presumably proceeds by a local dilation of the tube that then promotes mass transport.
Environmental regulations and manufacturers' location choices: Evidence from the Census of Manufactures

Abstract This paper uses establishment-level data from the Census of Manufactures and the Survey of Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures to examine the effect of differences in the stringency of state environmental regulations on establishment location choice. Unlike previous work in this area, which has focused on particular industries or sets of plants and on one or two measures of environmental regulatory stringency, this study explores the relationship between site choice and environmental regulations using a broad range of industries and measures of stringency. It uses a conditional logit model of plant location choice to show that interstate differences in environmental regulations do not systematically affect the location choices of most manufacturing plants.
In a 32-Year-Old Woman With Chronic Neck Pain and Headaches, Will an Exercise Regimen Be Beneficial for Reducing Her Reports of Neck Pain and Headaches?

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract . highlights the findings and application of Cochrane reviews and other evidence pertinent to the practice of physical therapy. The Cochrane Library is a respected source of reliable evidence related to health care. Cochrane systematic reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions—medications, surgery, education, nutrition, exercise—and the evidence for and against the use of diagnostic tests for specific conditions. Cochrane reviews are designed to facilitate the decisions of clinicians, patients, and others in health care by providing a careful review and interpretation of research studies published in the scientific literature.1 Each article in this PTJ series summarizes a Cochrane review or other scientific evidence on a single topic and presents clinical scenarios based on real patients or programs to illustrate how the results of the review can be used to directly inform clinical decisions. This article focuses on a 32-year-old woman with chronic neck pain with headaches.
The Effectiveness of Elite Cues as Heuristics in Proposition Elections

By providing limited information for voters who have neither the time nor the inclination to be more fully informed on a range of political issues, elite cues can serve as effective heuristics. Yet to be truly effective in that role, elite cues should not only persuade; they should facilitate participation. This facilitation should be especially noteworthy in proposition elections, which lack the traditional heuristic of partisan identification. This article uses data from California proposition contests from 1994 to 2000 to explore whether elite cues serve as effective heuristics, either in terms of persuasion or in the facilitation of electoral participation. In the latter case, their effectiveness was confirmed: There was a small but robust relationship between elite cues and participation in proposition elections. However, the persuasive impact of elite cues was mixed, with opposition cues pulling votes away from the propositions and supportive cues having little directional impact.
Antiepileptic drug pharmacokinetics during pregnancy and lactation

The ideal management of women with epilepsy during pregnancy and the postpartum period involves achieving an optimal balance between minimizing fetal and neonatal exposure to the deleterious influences both of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and of seizures. Women with increased seizures during pregnancy tend to have subtherapeutic AED concentrations. Multiple physiologic changes during pregnancy influence drug disposition, including increased volume of distribution, increased renal elimination, altered hepatic enzyme activity, and a decline in plasma protein concentrations. Noncompliance can also be a major factor. The majority of AEDs are characterized by significant increases in clearance during pregnancy. Lamotrigine (LTG) clearance markedly increases throughout pregnancy, to an extent greater than with the older AEDs. Studies during and after birth in mothers taking the older AEDs indicate extensive transplacental transfer and low to moderate excretion into breast milk. Limited studies of the newer AEDs indicate similar extensive transplacental transfer [LTG, oxcarbazepine, topiramate (TPM), zonisamide (ZNS)], and breast milk/maternal plasma concentration ratios less than 1 (LTG, TPM, ZNS). Especially high excretion of levetiracetam into breast milk may occur. Current published guidelines recommend that the ideal AED concentration should be established for each patient before conception and that monitoring of AED concentrations should be performed during each trimester and in the last month of pregnancy. Free concentrations should be measured for phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and primidone. Some authors recommend at least monthly monitoring of AED concentrations, especially for LTG. Future studies of formal pharmacokinetic modeling of AEDs during pregnancy and the postpartum period could provide an important step toward achieving effective drug dosing to maintain therapeutic objectives for the mother but, at the same time, to minimize fetal drug exposure.
Practical histological methods for use with cultured cells

The histology laboratory can face many challenges when small, often critical, specimens of cultured cells are submitted for specialized immunocytochemical studies or special stains. Although clinical pathology labs often receive cell preparations, these usually contain enough cells so that pellets can be formed by centrifugation, and the pellets directly embedded and sectioned. Research labs, however, often need to submit very small samples of cells for experimental studies. We summarize here a number of techniques that currently are available and methods we have developed and/or adapted and used in our laboratory over the years. We describe the utility of multi-chambered slides for cell culture and histologic studies, multi-well cell culture plates, monolayer cell culture on specialized coated cell wells, cell well inserts, and agarose embedding techniques for small cultures of cells and for cultures that require antigen retrieval or multiple antibody localizations. Traditional double embedding techniques, such as the use of agar, are also cited.
Neural networks for bar code positioning in automated material handling

This paper presents an effective method to utilize the specific graphic design of bar codes for positioning objects on conveyor belts without work carriers. A simplified template matching method is utilized to detect the four corners of a bar code. After the four corners are located, an artificial neural network is utilized to acquire the translation, orientation, and vertical depth information of a workpiece for the bar code scanner and robot workstations. This proposed system is successfully implemented in a low cost computer vision system for automated material handling.
Thymocyte negative selection is mediated by protein kinase C- and Ca2+-dependent transcriptional induction of Bim of cell death.

The processes of positive and negative selection in the thymus both determine the population of T cells that will enter the peripheral immune system and eliminate self-reactive T cells by apoptosis. Substantial evidence indicates that TCR signal intensity mediates this cell fate choice: low-intensity signals lead to survival and differentiation, whereas high-intensity signals generated by self-Ag lead to cell death. The molecular mechanism by which these graded signals are converted to discrete outcomes is not understood. Positive selection requires the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, whereas negative selection requires the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim). In this study, we investigated the regulation of Bim expression and the role of Ca(2+) in mediating negative selection. Our results show that transcription is necessary for both negative selection and Bim induction. Surprisingly, we also found that Ca(2+) is necessary for Bim induction. Induction of bim transcription appears to involve protein kinase C, but not calcineurin, JNK, p38 MAPK, or MEK. These results localize the decision point in positive vs negative selection to a step downstream of Ca(2+) signaling and suggest that negative selection signals induce Ca(2+)-dependent bim transcription through PKC.
Gait scoring in dogs with thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries when walking on a treadmill

An inexpensive method of generating continuous data on hind limb function in dogs with spinal cord injury is needed to facilitate multicentre clinical trials. This study aimed to define normal fore limb, hind limb coordination in dogs walking on a treadmill and then to determine whether reliable data could be generated on the frequency of hind limb stepping and the frequency of coordinated stepping in dogs with a wide range of severities of thoracolumbar spinal cord injury. Sixty-nine neurologically normal dogs of different body sizes including seven lame dogs were videotaped walking on the treadmill without prior training and all used the lateral gait of right fore, left hind, left fore, right hind (RF-LH-LF-RH). Severely paraparetic dogs were able to walk on the treadmill for a minimum of 75 seconds, scoring of which generated data representative of function in animals with extremely variable gaits. Fifty consecutive stepping cycles were scored by three observers in 18 dogs with a wide range of disability due to acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury using a stepping score (hind limb steps/fore limb steps ×100), and a coordination score (coordinated hind limb steps/total hind limb steps ×100). Dogs were also scored using a previously validated ordinal open field score (OFS). Inter- and intraobserver agreement was high as assessed with Cronbach’s alpha test for internal reliability. The stepping and coordination scores were significantly correlated to each other and to the OFS. Dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injury can walk on a treadmill without prior training and their hind limb function can be scored reliably using a stepping score and coordination score. The only requirements for data acquisition are a treadmill and appropriately positioned video camera and so the system can be used in multicentre clinical trials to generate continuous data on neurologic recovery in dogs.
The Sensitivity of Latent Heat Flux to Changes in the Radiative Forcing: A Framework for Comparing Models and Observations

A climate model must include an accurate surface physics scheme in order to examine the interactions between the land and atmosphere. Given an increase in the surface radiative forcing, the sensitivity of latent heat flux to available energy plays an important role in determining the energy budget and has a significant impact on the response of surface temperature. The Penman‐Monteith equation is used to construct a theoretical framework for evaluating the climatology of evapotranspiration and the sensitivity of latent heat flux to available energy. Regional Climate Model version 3 coupled to Integrated Biosphere Simulator (RegCM3‐IBIS); RegCM3 with its native land surface model, Biosphere‐Atmosphere Transfer Scheme 1e (RegCM3‐BATS1e); and Flux Network (FLUXNET) micrometeorological tower observations are compared and contrasted using the developed methodology. RegCM3‐IBIS and RegCM3‐BATS1e simulate the observed sensitivity of latent heat flux to available energy reasonably well during the summer on average; however, there are significant variations in the monthly values. Additional information provided by the physically based Penman‐Monteith framework is employed for identifying deficiencies and guiding improvements in models, allowing calibration of both the climatology of evapotranspiration and the sensitivity of latent heat flux to available energy.
Sexuality, Color, and Stigma among Northeast Brazilian Women

Despite its international image as a sexually free-spirited country, local attitudes toward morality of sexual behavior remain complex throughout Brazil, especially in rural areas and the conservative Northeast region. In addition, notwithstanding its official ideology of nonracism, African ancestry as judged through personal appearance (color) constitutes a significant social and economic disadvantage. Using Goffman's idea of “spoiled identity” as a starting point, I show how locals use sexual behavior as a multivocal symbol of moral status in women, and how spoiled sexual reputation interacts with other stigmatized statuses, especially color. I also consider how the acquisition of sexually stigmatized status jeopardizes women's well-being and that of their children. [Brazil, color, gender, sexuality, stigma, women]
Estimates of rheologic properties for flows on the Martian volcano Ascraeus Mons

Morphological measurements on six well-defined volcanic flows near the summit of the Martian volcano Ascraeus Mons were used to calculate the yield strength and viscosity of the lavas. The results are similar to values obtained for flows on other Martian and terrestrial shield volcanoes. Calculated viscosities are generally higher than measured viscosities for basaltic lavas but considerably smaller than rhyolite or dacite viscosities. The estimated rheologic properties of the Martian flows are most consistent with basaltic or basaltic andesite lavas, but some individual flows could consist of more evolved lavas.
EXAMINATION OF THE NECESSITY OF COMPLETE WETTING NEAR CRITICAL POINTS IN SYSTEMS WITH LONG-RANGE FORCES

Cahn's general argument for complete wetting in the vicinity of critical points is critically reviewed. Critical-point wetting does occur in systems with short-range (exponentially decaying) forces. Whenever short-range forces favor wetting, while at the same time there is a tendency towards drying due to weak long-range (algebraically decaying) forces, neither critical-point wetting nor drying takes place. In this case the thickness of the partial wetting layer diverges as the bulk correlation length upon approach of the critical point.
Towards Service Engineering: Service Orientation and Business-IT Alignment

The rapid movement towards service orientation, on both the business and technology fronts, offers unprecedented opportunities for business-IT alignment. As we will argue, to achieve true agility in its service provisioning to meet rapidly changing requirements, an organization needs a multi-dimensional business-IT alignment strategy - alignment via architecture, via governance and via communication - integrated with a service oriented architecture (SOA) paradigm to develop their service-based system. To help engineer such a service-based system with this integrated approach, we have developed a 3-layer, multi-disciplinary BITAM-SOA service engineering schematic. The schematic also serves as a process model for service design and management. This schematic is rooted in the resource-based view theory perspective: business value can be created by IT-enhanced capabilities that can dynamically integrate resources. The strategic, managerial and practical implications of this schematic on service oriented implementations are exemplified and discussed.
Distance Learning and University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms for Online learning

Textbook Details: Distance Learning and University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms for Online learning Howard, C., Schenk, K., & Discenza, R. (Eds.) Information Science Publishing (Idea Group Inc.) 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200 Hershey, PA 17033 Web site: http://www.idea-group.com ISBN: 1-59140-178-X (hardcover) ISBN: 1-59140-221-2 (paperback) ISBN: 1-59140-179-8 (ebook) 16 chapters
Climate Drivers Linked to Changing Seasonality of Alaska Coastal Tundra Vegetation Productivity

AbstractThe mechanisms driving trends and variability of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for tundra in Alaska along the Beaufort, east Chukchi, and east Bering Seas for 1982–2013 are evaluated in the context of remote sensing, reanalysis, and meteorological station data as well as regional modeling. Over the entire season the tundra vegetation continues to green; however, biweekly NDVI has declined during the early part of the growing season in all of the Alaskan tundra domains. These springtime declines coincide with increased snow depth in spring documented in northern Alaska. The tundra region generally has warmed over the summer but intraseasonal analysis shows a decline in midsummer land surface temperatures. The midsummer cooling is consistent with recent large-scale circulation changes characterized by lower sea level pressures, which favor increased cloud cover. In northern Alaska, the sea-breeze circulation is strengthened with an increase in atmospheric moisture/cloudiness inla...
Hazards to Family Relationships from Cell Phone Usage While Driving

The focus of the literature on the problems of cell phone use while driving has been on how driving is more risky while talking on a cell phone, but there are reasons to think that cell phone usage while driving is also risky to the relationships of the parties involved in the phone conversation. The same factors that make driving more risky while using a cell phone (for example, longer reaction times and impaired attention) can also make family communication in that situation more risky. This article provides a speculative theoretical analysis applying cognitive models of the effects of divided attention and distracted communication to suggest why cell phone communication when one of the family members in the conversation is driving can be risky. The analysis is applied to five hypothetical family conversation scenarios that could create difficulties.
Bucking logs to cable yarder capacity can decrease yarding costs and minimize wood wastage

Data from select time and motions studies and a forest model plot, used in a simulation model, show that logging managers planning felling, bucking, and limbing for a cable yarding operation must consider the effect of alternate bucking rules on wood wastage, yarding production rates and cost, the number of choker to fly and total logging costs. Results emphasize then need to consider initial logging activities in terms of effects on cable yarding system efficiencies and wood wastage. Results also emphasize the need to match payload (piece size) to cable yarder capacity. Results suggest that cable yarding costs can be decreased by 20 to 32% by simply bucking logs to yarder capacity.
NutricheQ Questionnaire assesses the risk of dietary imbalances in toddlers from 1 through 3 years of age

Background : Although a nutrient-poor diet may affect children’s growth, especially early in life, few tools to assess dietary imbalances in 1- to 3-year-old children have been developed. Objectives : To investigate the accuracy and test–retest reliability of the NutricheQ Questionnaire in the identification of toddlers with the risk of inadequate intake of micro- and macronutrients in a sample of Italian toddlers. Design : A 3-day weighed food record was performed, and results were compared with outcomes of the NutricheQ Questionnaire in 201 toddlers (training set: 1–3 years old). The accuracy of NutricheQ in the identification of categories of nutritional risk was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Test–retest of the tool was estimated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Cronbach’s alpha statistic, in a validation set of 50 toddlers. Results : The NutricheQ Questionnaire is a valid tool for the identification of toddlers at risk for dietary imbalances. Significant differences in nutrient intake ( p <0.005) were found among the three groups of risk identified by the questionnaire: toddlers included in the high-risk group had a lower intake of key nutrients such as iron, vitamin D and other vitamins, and fibre compared to those included in the low-risk group. NutricheQ is also reliable between administrations, as demonstrated by its test–retest reliability. ICC and Cronbach’s alpha were 0.73 and 0.83, respectively, for Section 1 of NutricheQ, and 0.55 and 0.70 for Section 2. Conclusions : The NutricheQ Questionnaire is a reliable and consistent tool for the assessment of possible dietary risk factors in Italian toddlers. It consistently identifies toddlers with a high probability of having poor iron and vitamin D intake, and other dietary imbalances. Keywords: preschooler; diet; dietary deficiency; micronutrient intake; nutritional questionnaire; iron; vitamin D deficiency (Published: 18 Decedmber 2015) Citation: Food & Nutrition Research 2015, 59: 29686 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v59.29686
The Future of Chemical Engineering Design: Impact of Faculty Makeup and Industrial Needs

Abstract This paper discusses the structure and makeup of chemical engineering faculties in the United States and how current hiring practices and promotion structures may change our ability and willingness to provide undergraduate students with the training industrial concerns expect, especially with regard to process systems engineering concepts. The goals of traditional process or product design courses are broad ones, and often encompass a significant number of the “soft skills” employers consistently mention as relevant. The technical objectives are mainly systems-wide thinking, and algorithm-based rather than physics or chemistry-based. Thus faculty with a basic science background often are less well-trained in process design, process control, and optimization courses. Yet due to a number of factors, university administrators are inclined to hire science-focused faculty, rather than those with an engineering mindset. This paper also discusses the mechanisms by which industry communicates its needs in terms of technical and non-technical training of chemical engineers to university faculties, and concludes with a warning about the direction many of our universities are taking with regard to the academic training of their faculty.
Improving user QoE for residential broadband: Adaptive traffic management at the network edge

Recent increases in network traffic have led to severe congestion in broadband networks. We propose to mitigate this problem with a two-level edge-based solution that incentivizes users to moderate their bandwidth usage based on their actual needs. In the first level, home gateways are given QoE (quality of experience) credits that they can spend to receive more bandwidth at congested times; to ensure fairness, the credits are redistributed to other gateways after they are spent. We show that this scheme guarantees long-term fairness and maximizes users' total satisfaction at the equilibrium. In the second level, each gateway allocates bandwidth among its users and apps according to its own priorities. Gateways can thus customize their bandwidth allocation depending on individual preferences. We develop a prototype of this second-level allocation on commodity wireless routers. We then consider an example scenario and show by simulation and implementation results that our solution outperforms an equal bandwidth allocation, increasing users' overall utility and fairly allocating bandwidth across users.
Development and Evaluation of On-Line Detection Techniques for Polar Organics in Ultrapure Water

An on-line monitor that can perform rapid, trace detection of polar organics such as acetone and isopropanol in ultrapure water (UPW) is necessary to efficiently recycle water in semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The detection of these analytes is problematic due to their high solubility in water, resulting in low partitioning into sensor coatings for direct water analysis or into the vapor phase for detection by vapor phase analyzers. After considering various options, we have evaluated two conventional laboratory techniques: gas chromatography and ion mobility spectroscopy. In addition, optimizations of sensor coating materials and sample preconditioning systems were performed with the goal of a low cost, chemical sensor system for this application. Results from these evaluations, including recommendations for meeting the needs of this application, are reported.
The effect of host age, virus dose and route of inoculation on inapparent infection in mice with Japanese encephalitis virus.

SummaryThe occurrence of inapparent infection or death due to Japanese encephalitis virus has been related to the dose and route of inoculation of virus in young and old mice. The virus strain employed, which had been isolated from naturally infected mosquitoes and used in low passage, predictably produced death on intracranial inoculation at high dilutions with only a rare mouse surviving to develop antibody. In contrast, virus inoculated intraperitoneally, subcutaneously, intravenously, or intradermally produced only occasional deaths and usually at low virus dilutions; yet very small inocula provoked hem-agglutination-inhibiting antibody responses which correlated well with neutralizing and complement-fixing antibodies. Intravenous administration of 108 weanling mouse IC LD50 of virus consistently produced about 75% mortality; intranasal injection of virus killed mice, whereas duodenal inoculation (during laparotomy) or pharyngeal administration did not. A single previous inapparent infection of mice i...
GaAs Circuit Restructuring by Multi-Level Laser-Direct-Written Tungsten Process

Laser-direct-writing processes are employed to fabricate a GaAs digital integrated circuit. The lithography-free techniques deposit and etch conductors and resistors, and remove insulating layers, thus enabling multilevel interconnections. These combined directwrite processes provide the flexibility of clip-lead prototyping on a micrometer scale.
Understanding the Role of Time-Delay on Maintaining Upright Stance on Rotational Balance Boards

Mathematical models of human posture on a rigid surface predict two types of balance instabilities — a static tipping instability and a dynamic instability leading to large oscillations. Although a common technique to improve balance performance is placing patients on balance boards, little research has modeled bipedal posture on rotational boards to better understand the mechanisms underlying improvement. In this study we present a mathematical model of human stance on a single-degree-of-freedom balance board with controllable torsional stiffness and delayed feedback. Through a bifurcation analysis we find that the standard manipulation of decreasing board stiffness can lead to very different instabilities depending on an individual’s neuromuscular time-delay. This dependency limits the ability to use traditional boards for training and identification of balance deficits. We show that implementing a controllable time-delay may be more beneficial and allow for the customization of treatment plans for individual with very different characteristics.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Rethinking Gender and Humour in Nineteenth-Century Iran

AbstractThis article examines two nineteenth-century Persian texts with significant implications for debates about gender relationships in Iran. Informed by a methodology associated with Quentin Skinner, the article questions some far-reaching conclusions made about these texts in previous studies, demonstrating the value of making methodologically transparent approaches to the study of historical texts. Versions of this methodology have been employed to present innovative interpretations of writings by such Western authors as Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. However, the application of this interpretive approach to non-Western texts has been quite limited. I provide evidence of this methodology’s ability to improve our understanding of non-Western texts, particularly when they present hermeneutically rooted polemics. By reinterpreting the texts it examines, the article helps us to develop a better appreciation for the roots of modern Persian gender relations.
Timing is Everything

(1992). Timing is Everything. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 308-309.
When is positron emission tomography really necessary in epilepsy diagnosis

Positron emission tomography can be used for localization of epileptic foci, and preoperative functional mapping. Rapid improvements in magnetic resonance imaging, however, have restricted the need for positron emission tomography to a minority of patients who have unrevealing magnetic resonance imaging scans. Positron emission tomography will continue to be of value in investigations of the pathophysiology of seizure disorders.
Effect of certain plant growth substances on oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria.

Summary2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was shown to be an uncoupling agent for oxidative phosphorylation and to stimulate the respiration of rat liver mitochondria in a phosphate-deficient medium, p-chlorophenoxy-acetic acid was much less potent in producing the above effects. Indole-3-acetic acid, indole butyric acid, and α-naphthaleneacetic acid were inactive. The results are discussed in relation to the metabolism of plant and animal tissues.
Application of Synthetical Safety Evaluation in the Live Working on 10 kV Distribution Line

In view of the safety risks of the 10 kV distribution line live working,such as the complicated surroundings,the site management,etc,the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method(FCEM)is combined to evaluate the potential dangers of live working on the multi-circuit lines in some town of Dongguan.The safety evaluation index system of living working is established in this work and these factors include live working surroundings,live worker quality,live working instruments and protective measures,the site management,and living working management system and so on.Based the safety evaluation index system,the quantitative analysis is done to get the dangerous sources and the safety level of live working on the multi-circuit lines in this town.According to the results of the safety evaluation,the live working on the multi-circuit lines of this town is in a good state,which can provide the references for the evaluation of 10 kV distribution line live working.
Familial Hurthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid: case reports and review of the literature.

Objective To describe case reports of a brother and sister pair with Hurthle cell carcinoma of thyroid. Methods The clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, treatment and clinical course of HCC is described for both patients. Relevant family history is discussed. This is followed by a review of literature regarding genetic basis of familial and sporadic HCC. Results Both cases have striking similarities in their presentation and disease progression. Both had the disease diagnosed in later years of life, had cold nodules for 4-5 years before histological diagnosis, and both had local recurrence following thyroidectomy and postoperative radioiodine ablation. Local recurrence was treated with external radiation in each patient and both of them had persistent elevation of serum thyroglobulin levels with negative diagnostic whole body I-131 scans. Later on pulmonary metastatic disease was documented in each patient. Family history was pertinent for benign nodular thyroid disease in multiple family members. Conclusion HCC is a rare malignancy of thyroid. Genetic basis of familial HCC remains to be elucidated. Our case describes a rare familial occurrence of this malignancy and highlights the importance of obtaining a careful family history in management and surveillance of thyroid cancer.
Prevalence and Surgical Implications of Dural Enhancement at the Porus Acusticus in Vestibular Schwannomas.

ObjectiveDemonstrate the association of radiographic dural enhancement with increased tumor adherence at the porus acusticus, which may influence completeness of resection and facial nerve outcome.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingAcademic referral center.Subjects and MethodsA total of 205 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed vestibular schwannoma (VS) were evaluated. Patients with tumors exhibiting dural enhancement on postgadolinium T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were identified and compared with matched controls. Completeness of resection, intraoperative details, and facial nerve outcomes were analyzed.ResultsExcluding strictly intracanalicular tumors (n = 32, 16%) and those with NF2 (n = 10, 4.9%), the presence of dural enhancement was radiographically confirmed in 16 (9.8%) cases. Paired analysis did not reveal significant baseline differences between cases and controls. Subtotal resection was performed in 5 (31%) of the 16 patients with tumors exhibiting dur...