cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coherence analysis of envelope-following responses (EFRs) and frequency-following responses (FFRs) in infants and adults ☆

Abstract The frequency-following response (FFR) and the envelope-following response (EFR) were recorded in 1-month-old infants and in adults to examine the development of temporal coding. The stimuli were amplitude-modulated (AM) tones. A modulation frequency of 80 Hz was used in infants; modulation frequencies of 40 and 80 Hz were used in adults. The effects of intensity, carrier frequency, and modulation frequency on these responses were studied. Responses were analyzed using magnitude-squared coherence. The effect of intensity on the growth of FFR- and EFR-coherence were similar in infants and adults. In addition, the growth functions were not affected by the carrier frequency or the modulation frequency of the stimulus. FFR thresholds did not differ across age groups. ‘Best frequency’ (i.e., infant 80 Hz and adult 40 Hz) EFR thresholds were the same for infants and adults at 500 and 1000 Hz, but infant EFR thresholds were poorer than adult thresholds at 2000 Hz. Thus, although FFRs and EFRs are primarily adult-like at 1 month of age, there are some age differences in the EFR that deserve further study.
Cyclophosphamide-induced spermatogenic effects detected in the F1 generation by behavioral testing

Fischer 344 male rats were treated with cyclophosphamide (10 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) for 5 weeks and subsequently mated to females previously treated with saline or cyclophosphamide. The F1 progeny of the cyclophosphamide-treated males exhibited behavior deficits when compared to controls. These data could indicate a chemically induced genetic effect manifested by behavioral alterations.
RAPID INHIBITION OF ROOT GROWTH IN WHEAT ASSOCIATED WITH ALUMINUM UPTAKE AS FOLLOWED BY CHANGES IN MORIN FLUORESCENCE

Acidic soils limit the land available for crop production and increase the cost of production in many regions of the United States and the world. The use of Aluminum (Al)-resistant germplasm is one means of reducing the impact of acidic soils and development of such germplasm is limited by our understanding of the processes that confer resistance. This study sought to associate changes in root growth rate with Al entry into the tissue of two cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) differing in sensitivity to Al. Changes in the spectral characteristics of morin were characterized to determine if a dual excitation or emission assay for Al could be developed. It was not possible to develop such a protocol. However, an assay based on changes in fluorescence intensity of morin was adopted from the work of Vitorello and Haug. Addition of Al to a total concentration of 5 μM resulted in a 50% decrease in root elongation rate with the Al-sensitive cultivar, Scout, but little change in root elongation with the Al...
Dispersion relations for complex reflectivities

A simplified derivation of the dispersion relations connecting the phase and amplitude of the normal optical reflectivity of a vacuum-matter interface is presented. The non-Kramers-Kronig form of the expression for reflectivity in terms of phase is shown to be a consequence of the fact that amplitudes are determined only up to a multiplicative constant by the phase. The phase, however, is uniquely determined by the amplitude.
Estimating internal migration from incomplete data using model multiregional life tables.

A principal feature of current methods of estimating demographic measures from incomplete data is the use of model life tables that approximate the mortality of a region for which reliable mortality data are unavailable. Observed decennial rates of survivorship may be used to identify out of a set of such model life tables one that best matches the observed data. This paper introduces the concept of a modelmultiregional life table and outlines a procedure for selecting an appropriate one using place-of-birth-by-residence data.
Alterations of group Ia-motoneuron monosynaptic EPSPs in aged cats.

Abstract The fashion in which the aging process affects synaptic transmission was explored in old cats. The synapses between Ia-afferent fibers and spinal cord alpha-motoneurons were studied employing intracellular recording techniques. The amplitude and time course of Ia-motoneuron monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (Ia-EPSPs) recorded from motoneurons of the gastrocnemius medialis motor pool were determined in adult (1–3 years of age) and in old (14–15 years of age) cats. These Ia-EPSPs were evoked by the stimulation of the gastrocnemius medialis nerve in pentobarbital-anesthetized cats. No statistically significant change was found in the amplitude of these synaptic potentials in the old cats compared with the adult controls. In contrast, their time course was markedly modified; both rise-time and half-width were significantly longer in the old cats. In addition, the rate-of-rise of these Ia-EPSPs was significantly slower in the old cats. No breaks or inflections were observed on the rising phase of the potentials in the adult cats, whereas they were present in a subpopulation of potentials in the old cats. There was also a reduction, in the old cats, in the conduction velocity of the peripheral portion of the Ia-afferent fibers. These data indicate that Ia synaptic transmission is considerably affected during old age. It is suggested that these effects in aged cats may be due to modifications in presynaptic as well as postsynaptic processes.
Making Process Visible: A Grammatical Approach to Managing Design Processes

This paper presents a novel framework for managing design processes using a formal grammar as the theoretical foundation to represent, manipulate and execute design processes. The grammatical approach allows designers to represent a complex activity concisely with a small number of higher-level tasks and to explore alternative processes within a space of feasible alternatives. These capabilities allow the engineers to visualize the design process so that they can fully understand the alternative methods before making any design decisions. The framework, called MIDAS, includes separate layers for process specification and execution. Using the process specification layer, designers can capture the overall design process and each designer can understand his or her task with respect to the whole design process. In the process execution layer, design tasks are executed according to the information in specification layer so that designers can be informed of the current design status, alternative design methods, and their impacts in a whole design process. The framework has the potential to improve design productivity by accessing, reusing, and revising previous processes for a similar design. We use a gearbox design process to demonstrate the framework.
Effects of bacterial inactivation methods on downstream proteomic analysis.

Abstract Inactivation of pathogenic microbial samples is often necessary for the protection of researchers and to comply with local and federal regulations. By its nature, biological inactivation causes changes to microbial samples, potentially affecting observed experimental results. While inactivation-induced damage to materials such as DNA has been evaluated, the effect of various inactivation strategies on proteomic data, to our knowledge, has not been discussed. To this end, we inactivated samples of Yersinia pestis and Escherichia coli by autoclave, ethanol, or irradiation treatment to determine how inactivation changes liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry data quality as well as apparent protein content of cells. Proteomic datasets obtained from aliquots of samples inactivated by different methods were highly similar, with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.822 to 0.985 and 0.816 to 0.985 for E . coli and Y . pestis , respectively, suggesting that inactivation had only slight impacts on the set of proteins identified. In addition, spectral quality metrics such as distributions of various database search algorithm scores remained constant across inactivation methods, indicating that inactivation does not appreciably degrade spectral quality. Though overall changes resulting from inactivation were small, there were detectable trends. For example, one-sided Fischer exact tests determined that periplasmic proteins decrease in observed abundance after sample inactivation by autoclaving (α = 1.71 × 10 − 2 for E . coli , α = 4.97 × 10 − 4 for Y . pestis ) and irradiation (α = 9.43 × 10 − 7 for E . coli , α = 1.21 × 10 − 5 for Y . pestis ) when compared to controls that were not inactivated. Based on our data, if sample inactivation is necessary, we recommend inactivation with ethanol treatment with secondary preference given to irradiation.
Unattended operation of an autonomous seaplane for persistent surface and airborne ocean monitoring

The Flying Fish unmanned seaplane, shown capable of self-managed sequences of independent flight during testing with the first generation vehicle, has been updated with the creation of second generation research vehicle that incorporates solar-energy harvesting. The new Flying Fish possesses a unique capability set that lends itself to mission concepts involving long term deployment approaching perpetual operation. As a unique flight system capable of operating from any sufficiently large body of water, generating and flying self-initiated flight plans, and collecting solar energy for infrastructure-independent operation it leads the way for the development of fully unattended flight operations on the ocean. For a system such as Flying Fish to operate without user intervention for long periods it must possess robust and fully-featured planning faculties. It must be able to develop accurate predictions of energy collection and loss in order to ensure energy survivability. It must be able to plan flights based on high-level mission input, or at least to assemble and execute appropriate flight plans from available mission parameters. Such a system would require system wide management software and would have to have a powerful suite of flight sensors. The implementation of these features in the second generation Flying Fish will be presented. This paper will also discuss the additional technologies and features that still need to be developed to realize a perpetual flying unattended ocean monitoring buoy, including: management of scientific payloads to best conduct unattended science and robust sense-and-avoid capabilities to safely negotiate obstacles on the open ocean. Missions and applications will be used to highlight capabilities and challenges and to motive this research.
An Anisotropic PML Absorbing Media for the FDTD Simulation of Fields in Lossy and Dispersive Media

ABSTRACT A uniaxial anisotropic perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing material is presented for the truncation of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) lattices for the simulation of electromagnetic fields in lossy and dispersive material media. It is shown that by properly choosing the constitutive parameters of the uniaxial media both propagating and evanescent waves can be highly attenuated within the PML medium. This resolves the concern that the original Berenger's formulation for a PML medium does not attenuate evanescent waves. FDTD formulations for the uniaxial PML method are presented for lossy and dispersive medium. Based on this formulation an equivalent modified representation of Berenger's split equations is also derived. Through numerical examples, it is demonstrated that the uniaxial PML method provides a nearly reflectionless absorbing boundary for the FDTD simulation of evanescent and propagating waves encountered in highly dispersive and lossy medium.
Urban Cats: Their Demography, Population Density, and Owner Characteristics in Baltimore, Maryland

A door-to-door questionnaire survey of 430 households in two areas of Baltimore showed significant differences in cat ownership that were attributable to racial composition. Overall, 29.9% of white...
THE DEAD STILL AMONG US: VICTORIAN SECULAR RELICS, HAIR JEWELRY, AND DEATH CULTURE

By the time the nineteenth century reached its close, it was already possible to look back at Victorian death culture with nostalgia. With the rise of secularism, the slide toward what Diana Fuss has called the death of death had begun. No longer was it common practice to hold onto the remains of the dead. Rarely would a lock of hair be kept by, to be worn as jewelry, nor did one dwell on the deathbed scene, linger upon the lips of the dying to mark and revere those last words, record the minutiae of slipping away in memorials, diaries, and letters. Rooms of houses were increasingly less likely to hold remains; no one had died in the beds in which the living slept. Walter Benjamin, who wrote often about what was lost in the nineteenth century, sees the turning away from death as going hand in hand with the disappearance of the art of storytelling. Writing in the early 1930s, he called his contemporaries “dry dwellers of eternity” because “today people live in rooms that have never been touched by death” (Illuminations 94). Avoiding the sight of the dying, Benjamin argues, one misses the moment when life becomes narrative, when the meaning of life is completed and illuminated in its ending. He privileges the shared moment of death, when relatives, and even the public, gather around the dying to glean final words of wisdom, to know perhaps, in the end, the whole story. Historian of death Philippe Aries describes a Christian account of the final ordeal of the death bed, when in the moment of death the salvation or damnation of the dying is determined, thus changing or freezing, for good, the meaning of the whole life. Scholars of nineteenth- and twentieth-century death culture tend, on the whole, to agree that towards the end of the century, a process that began earlier reached a completion – that the death of the other not only became less of a shared experience among a community, but last things such as final words and remains were increasingly to be pushed to the back of consciousness and hence to the lumber room of meaning and importance.
Prolonged Emergency Department Length of Stay as a Predictor of Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Intracranial Hemorrhage

Objectives. Extended time in the emergency department (ED) has been related to adverse outcomes among stroke patients. We examined the associations of ED nursing shift change (SC) and length of stay in the ED with outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods. Data were collected on all spontaneous ICH patients admitted to our stroke center from 7/1/08–6/30/12. Outcomes (frequency of pneumonia, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge, NIHSS score at discharge, and mortality rate) were compared based on shift change experience and length of stay (LOS) dichotomized at 5 hours after arrival. Results. Of the 162 patients included, 60 (37.0%) were present in the ED during a SC. The frequency of pneumonia was similar in the two groups. Exposure to an ED SC was not a significant independent predictor of any outcome. LOS in the ED ≥5 hours was a significant independent predictor of discharge mRS 4–6 (OR 3.638, 95% CI 1.531–8.645, and P = 0.0034) and discharge NIHSS (OR 3.049, 95% CI 1.491–6.236, and P = 0.0023) but not death. Conclusions. Our study found no association between nursing SC and adverse outcome in patients with ICH but confirms the prior finding of worsened outcome after prolonged length of stay in the ED.
Granular micromechanics based micromorphic model predicts frequency band gaps

Granular materials are typically characterized by complex structure and composition. Continuum modeling, therefore, remains the mainstay for describing properties of these material systems. In this paper, we extend the granular micromechanics approach by considering enhanced kinematic analysis. In this analysis, a decomposition of the relative movements of interacting grain pairs into parts arising from macro-scale strain as well as micro-scale strain measures is introduced. The decomposition is then used to formulate grain-scale deformation energy functions and derive inter-granular constitutive laws. The macro-scale deformation energy density is defined as a summation of micro-scale deformation energy defined for each interacting grain pair. As a result, a micromorphic continuum model for elasticity of granular media is derived and applied to investigate the wave propagation behavior. Dispersion graphs for different cases and different ratios between the microscopic stiffness parameters have been presented. It is seen that the model has the capability to present band gaps over a large range of wave numbers.
An experimental investigation of the beliefs-of-relatedness source of halo

This research investigated halo in students' ratings of hypothetical “paper professors” by experimentally studying one likely source: raters' assumptions regarding teaching attribute co-occurrence. Using a laboratory analog of the rating process, a 3 × 2 × 2 repeated measures factorial design was used to manipulate the following factors: (a) the Assumed Correlation of attribute pairs (low, moderate, and high), (b) the Actual Correlation of attribute pairs ( r = 0, r = 1), and (c) the Rating Time (initial judgments, and final recall). Seventy-five participants read 72 preset paragraphs describing six fictional professors (each paragraph describing a low, moderate, or high “standing” on each of 12 attributes) and were requested to make retrospective ratings from memory after providing initial judgments. The dependent variable was the obtained correlation of targeted attribute pairs. Some support for the beliefs-of-relatedness source of halo was found. The discussion focuses on the value of a cognitive processing model to explain halo as a byproduct of our information processing system.
On the Prevalence of Linear versus Nonlinear Thinking in Undergraduate Business Education: A Lot of Rhetoric, Not Enough Evidence

The purpose of this research is to examine the undergraduate learning goals of business programs and determine if these goals are skewed in the directions posed by critics of undergraduate business education. The underlying theme of many critiques is that nonlinear-thinking processes are underrepresented in undergraduate business curricula, whereas linear-thinking processes are overrepresented. The learning goals of 208 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International-accredited business programs were coded into two goal categories: linear thinking and nonlinear thinking. The results support the contention that nonlinear-thinking processes have a lesser presence in the typical undergraduate business program’s curriculum. These findings are consistent across research and teaching universities.
Little and often? Maintaining continued performance in an automated T-maze for mice.

Abstract Operant and maze tasks in mice are limited by the small number of trials possible in a session before mice lose motivation. We hypothesized that by manipulating reward size and session length, motivation, and hence performance, would be maintained in an automated T-maze. We predicted that larger rewards and shorter sessions would improve acquisition; and smaller rewards and shorter sessions would maintain higher and less variable performance. Eighteen C57BL/6J mice (9 per sex) acquired (criterion 8/10 correct) and performed a spatial discrimination, with one of 3 reward sizes (.02, .04, or .08 g) and one of 3 session schedules (15, 30, or 45 min sessions). Each mouse had a total of 360 min of access to the maze per night, for two nights, and averaged 190 trials. Analysis used split-plot GLM with contrasts testing for linear effects. Acquisition of the discrimination was unaffected by reward size or session length/interval. After-criterion average performance improved as reward size decreased. After-criterion variability in performance was also affected. Variability increased as reward size increased. Session length/interval did not affect any outcome. We conclude that an automated maze, with suitable reward sizes, can sustain performance with low variability, at 5–10 times faster than traditional methods.
On supporting high-throughput routing metrics in on-demand routing protocols for multi-hop wireless networks

Researchers have proposed routing metrics other than hop count, such as ETX (expected transmission count) and ETT (expected transmission time), to find routes with high throughput. These metrics are inherently suitable to be used in source routing protocols such as DSR, because link state information needs to be collected for the calculation of the shortest path. In this paper, we propose an efficient and generalized approach called accumulated path metric (APM) for supporting high-throughput metrics (HTMs) in on-demand routing protocols. One advantage of APM is that it is able to find the shortest path, in terms of a particular metric, without collecting topology information and without running a shortest-path algorithm. This will significantly simplify the existing design of supporting HTMs in DSR. We present a proof of the correctness of APM. Moreover, we address the problem of duplicate RREQ (route request) transmissions with existing HTM schemes and present a broadcast ordering (BO) technique to suppress unnecessary RREQ transmissions. We study the performance of APM and BO in both AODV and DSR, and the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Prediction of Grinding Force Distribution in Wheel and Workpiece Contact Zone

A novel method is reported for predicting the distribution of normal and tangential grinding forces in wheel and workpiece contact zone or along their contact arc. This work was motivated by the need to obtain the maximum force acting on individual active abrasive grains for establishing the probability of grain fracture and pullouts due to this force. Horizontal and vertical forces measured in the transient cut-in or cut-out stage of a grinding pass are utilized in this method to predict the horizontal and vertical forces acting on each portion of the contact arc. And then these forces are subsequently converted to tangential and normal forces per unit length along the arc to obtain the force distribution. To illustrate the application of this method, forces measured in the transient cut-out stage in the grinding of tungsten carbide with electroplated diamond wheels were employed to predict the force distribution, which was further applied to predicting the transient grinding power at the cut-in and cut-out stages. The predicted power was found to match very well with the measured power.
Use of electrolytically generated hydrogen as a purge gas for the isolation of volatile organic compounds from groundwater

Abstract A device has been developed for use in determining parts per billion concentrations of volatile organic compounds in groundwater. This device is suitable for field use either as a self-contained, portable instrument or as an unattended monitor. The device consists of an immersible electrolysis cell in which hydrogen is generated. This hydrogen efficiently purges volatile organic compounds from water. Those volatile organic compounds are carried by the purge gas to a photoionization detector where their total concentration is measured. The significant advantages of this apparatus for use in the determination of volatile organic compounds include: 1) measurements are made in a hydrogen matrix which is free of interfering species present in water; 2) detection limits for volatile organic compounds are several orders of magnitude lower when compounds are purged from water than when they are measured in the headspace above water; 3) operation of this device does not require use of reagents or utilitie...
A qualitative analysis of success stories from Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership institute participants.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to detect and document common themes among success stories, along with challenges, as related by participants in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute. Four-member teams from 18 Michigan and Indiana school districts participated in semiannual Institute workshops over a 3-year period and were tasked with implementing Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHPs). METHODS: Qualitative methods were used to generate themes from interviews. Data were gathered through a combined survey/interview process related to programmatic successes, evidence of success, and implementation challenges. One participant from 11 of 18 participating school districts completed the survey/interview. RESULTS: Each participant reported at least 1 success that had a positive effect on students and/or staff, many of which were related to the federally mandated wellness policy. With some notable exceptions, success was based on subjective judgments rather than systematically collected data. Unanimous expression of time constraints and being overworked in their current positions constituted major challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Institute required only process evaluation, some participants collected outcome data, a task that is important in validating the benefits of CSHPs. Most districts were not able to hire the recommended coordinator to ensure implementation of health program planning initially developed during the institute. Encouragingly, at the time of data collection many teams were still acting to ensure health programming remained a priority. Nevertheless, without the network of social support provided by the Institute, some respondents struggled to maintain momentum.
Distraction of the frontal bone outside the cranial plane: A rabbit model

Distraction of the frontal bone outside the cranial plane using the Ilizarov principle was performed in 17 22-week-old New Zealand white rabbits. Five rabbits had frontal bone osteotomy only and were in the control group; 5 rabbits were placed in the sham control group and had frontal bone osteotomy plus application of a customized headgear appliance; and 7 rabbits were placed in the experimental group, which underwent frontal bone osteotomy application of the headgear and distraction. The frontal bone was elevated 1 mm every other day for a period of 8 weeks, and the animals were then killed. Cephalometry was performed both preoperatively and at the end of the 8-week period. Histological examination of the skulls was also performed. The experimental group showed a significantly elevated frontal bone compared to the sham control group (p < 0.05). Callous bone filled the distracted segment, which united the frontal bone with the cranial plane. Therefore, frontal bone advancement by distraction osteogenesis is possible using this rabbit model.
Why the incidence of shirking varies across employers

Abstract Existing models of shirking are not consistent with the underlying behavior of employers and employees. In these models, either shirking does not occur in equilibrium or it may occur but the offending employee is immediately dismissed. These conclusions conflict with evidence that shirking is sometimes ignored by firms for many years. To resolve this conflict, the author models the interaction between employer and employees as a finite repeated game, and introduces the quasi-fixed costs of dismissing and replacing an employee. Shirking is distinguished from more serious malfeasant behavior by the criterion of imposing current period costs on the employer that are less than the cost of dismissing and replacing a shirking employee. When both the employer and the employees are rational and there are no informational asymmetries, shirking is not deterred by threat of dismissal. Introducing informational asymmetries leads to an equilibrium where shirking is deterred, to a great extent, by the dismissal threat. Comparative static analysis of the model yields testable implications on the incidence of shirking across firms, and contributes to our understanding of other labor market issues.
Relating organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes to intermolecular adhesion forces

Organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and its relation to foulant--foulant intermolecular adhesion forces has been investigated. Alginate and Suwannee River natural organic matter were used as model organic foulants. Atomic force microscopy was utilized to determine the adhesion force between bulk organic foulants and foulants deposited on the membrane surface under various solution chemistries. The measured adhesion force was related to the RO fouling rate determined from fouling experiments under solution chemistries similar to those used in the AFM measurements. A remarkable correlation was obtained between the measured adhesion force and the fouling rate under the solution chemistries investigated. Fouling was more severe at solution chemistries that resulted in larger adhesion forces, namely, lower pH, higher ionic strength, presence of calcium ions (but not magnesium ions), and higher mass ratio of alginate to Suwannee River natural organic matter. The significant adhesion force measured with alginate in the presence of calcium ions indicated the formation of a crossed-linked alginate gel layer during fouling through intermolecular bridging among alginate molecules.
Postoperative Perineal Hernia

Perineal hernia is an uncommon complication following major pelvic surgery. The estimated incidence of herniation is 0.2%-3.5% following abdominoperineal resection. Symptomatic patients may undergo repair by a transabdominal, transperineal, combined abdominoperineal, or laparoscopic approach. Controversy continues with regard to the method of repair with many surgeons employing the use of mesh or local muscular flaps to buttress the pelvic floor. Recurrence rates are moderate but are also limited by small number of cases reported in the literature.
Student performance and attitudes under formative evaluation by teacher, self and peer evaluators

This study investigated the effects of teacher, self and peer evaluation on preservice teachers’ performance, knowledge and attitudes. Earlier research by the same authors revealed that students made significant improvements in their lesson plans under all three of these conditions, but the teacher-evaluation improved significantly more than the two student-evaluation groups. Therefore, relevant training and practice in the evaluation process were added in this study. All three groups made significant improvements from draft to final version of their plans, and the differences between the teacher-evaluation group and the two student-evaluation groups were non-significant. The authors attribute the stronger performance of the student-evaluation groups to their training on the evaluation task. Students’ overall attitudes were significantly more positive toward teacher evaluation than toward peer evaluation, but did not differ significantly between these two groups and the self-evaluators. Several suggestions are discussed for further improvements in the training of self and peer evaluators.
Discovery of Microorganisms and Enzymes Involved in High-Solids Decomposition of Rice Straw Using Metagenomic Analyses

High-solids incubations were performed to enrich for microbial communities and enzymes that decompose rice straw under mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions. Thermophilic enrichments yielded a community that was 7.5 times more metabolically active on rice straw than mesophilic enrichments. Extracted xylanase and endoglucanse activities were also 2.6 and 13.4 times greater, respectively, for thermophilic enrichments. Metagenome sequencing was performed on enriched communities to determine community composition and mine for genes encoding lignocellulolytic enzymes. Proteobacteria were found to dominate the mesophilic community while Actinobacteria were most abundant in the thermophilic community. Analysis of protein family representation in each metagenome indicated that cellobiohydrolases containing carbohydrate binding module 2 (CBM2) were significantly overrepresented in the thermophilic community. Micromonospora, a member of Actinobacteria, primarily housed these genes in the thermophilic community. In light of these findings, Micromonospora and other closely related Actinobacteria genera appear to be promising sources of thermophilic lignocellulolytic enzymes for rice straw deconstruction under high-solids conditions. Furthermore, these discoveries warrant future research to determine if exoglucanases with CBM2 represent thermostable enzymes tolerant to the process conditions expected to be encountered during industrial biofuel production.
Flavor changing suppression in technicolor

Abstract ΔS = 2 effects are suppressed by a factor ( α w 2π ) 2 ϑ 2 C while allowing for Cabibbo mixing. A model realizing this mechanism has no severe flavor changing problems. μ → e γ is suppressed while K → e + μ − is not. Charged pseudo-Goldstone masses are first order rather than second order in the weak coupling. And there are two stable pseudo-Goldstone bosons.
Procedures for facilitating integration of autistic children in public school settings

Abstract The present study focuses on procedures for facilitating the social and psychological integration of autistic and autistic-like children into an elementary school. The effect on the attitudes and positive behavioral initiations of regular-class students toward their autistic peers were assessed as a function of (a) information about handicapped persons and controlled experiences with autistic children, and (b) autistic students' social skill training. Results revealed that regular-class students who had both received information about exceptionalities and participated in controlled experiences with autistic children had the most positive attitude and made the greatest number of positive behavioral initiations toward the handicapped subjects. In addition, most frequently, the regular-class students' behavioral initiations were aimed toward those autistic children who had received social skill training. Implications are drawn for placement of increasing numbers of severely handicapped children and youth in age-appropriate public school settings.
Long-term safety and efficacy of circumferential ablation with pulmonary vein isolation.

Circumferential Ablation with PV Isolation. Background: Each of the two main approaches to catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF, segmental and circumferential) is associated with moderate long-term efficacy. Objective: To report the long-term outcomes of a modified technique that combines circumferential ablation with pulmonary vein (PV) isolation, determined by a circular mapping catheter and to determine the relationship between complete PV isolation and long-term efficacy. Methods: The patient population was composed of 64 consecutive patients (47 men [73%]; age 59 ± 11 years) with AF who underwent catheter ablation. AF was paroxysmal in 29 (45%) and nonparoxysmal in 35 (55%). Each patient was followed for a minimum of 12 months. Results: After a mean follow-up of 13 ± 1 months, the long-term single-procedure success rate was 45% (n = 29) with an additional 4 % (n = 3) of patients demonstrating improvement. With repeat procedures in 19 patients, the overall long-term success rate was 62% (n = 40) with 9% (n = 6) demonstrating improvement. All the patients who underwent repeat ablations had recovered PV conduction. Incomplete PV isolation was the only independent predictor of failure. A major complication occurred in four (6%) patients, including three patients with vascular complications and one with cardiac tamponade. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the long-term single-procedure efficacy of circumferential ablation with PV isolation in a cohort of patients with predominantly nonparoxysmal AF approaches 50%. Repeat procedures involving re-isolation of the PVs result in a significant improvement in outcomes. Complete electrical isolation of the PVs has a significant impact on the long-term efficacy of the procedure.
Prototype All-Solid Lithiated Smart Window Devices

smart window devices WINDOW^ GLASS STRUCTUREG. Seward, R.B. Goldner, K. Wong, T. Haas, An electrochromic smart window glass G.H. Foley, R. Chapman and S. Schulz structure, illustrated in Figure 1, consistsof 2 transparent conducting (TC) layersElectro-Optics Technology Center sandwiching an electrochromic (EC) layer andTufts University, Medford, Massachusetts a counterelectrode (CE) layer which are02155 USA separated by an ion-conducting (1C) layer.The 3 inside layers essentially comprise anABSTRACT electro-optically active battery. The EClayer is a mixed electron-ion conductor, andThe optical transmissivity (and for the devices we have been developing at especially the reflectivity) of a multilayer Tufts the EC layer cathodically "colors" - electrochromic smart window glass i.e., by double injection of electrons and structure1 can be reversibly modulated by an charge-compensating Li+ the layer transforms electrical current pulse; and the modulation from a transparent "bleached" electronic is spectrally selective. This is important insulator in the delithiated state to a for building and vehicle windows and for "colored" electronically conducting metal in other electro-optical applications. Discussed the lithiated state, with the electronic is the state of development of each of the conductivity an increasing function of layers for, and the state of development of, electron and ion insertion. The CE layer prototype all-solid electrochemically should also be a mixed electron-ion reversible, 5-layer smart window devices, conductor, but it should either color These devices employ: a lithium-insertable rf anodically (i.e., "colors" during double sputter-deposited polycrystalline WO3 film electron-ion extraction) or it should remain that exhibits reflection modulation as the in a transparent state during electron/ion electrochromic layer; a lithium-insertable rf extraction or insertion. This is indicated sputter deposited In2O3 film or a thermally by the simplified chemical reaction equations deposited V^O^ film as the counterelectrode (1) and (2) : layer; an rf sputter deposited LiNbO3 film asthe ion conducting (solid electrolyte) layer; Applied (1) and rf sputter deposited ITO (Sn-doped In2O3) Field or undoped In2O3 films as the transparent (EC) + xM + xe~ > MX(EC) conducting layers. The devices exhibit useful (insulating/bleached) (metallic/colored) operating characteristics and indicate that robust and economical practical smartwindow glass could soon become a commercial Applied (2) reality. Field
Aberrant somatic hypermutation and lymphomagenesis

Many non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) arise from B lymphocytes with chromosomal translocations that result in constitutive activation of oncogenes. In certain cases of NHL, mutations occur in regulatory regions of proto-oncogenes, and these may represent another mechanism for oncogene deregulation,
Genetic variations alter physiological responses following heat stress in 2 strains of laying hens.

ABSTRACT Heat stress (HS) is a major problem experienced by the poultry industry during high-temperature conditions. The ability to manage the detrimental effects of HS can be attributed to multiple factors, including genetic background of flocks. The objective of the present study was to determine the genetic variation in HS effects on laying hens’ physiological homeostasis. Ninety 28-wk-old White Leghorn hens of 2 strains were used: a commercial line of individually selected hens for high egg production, DeKalb XL (DXL), and a line of group-selected hens for high productivity and survivability, named kind gentle bird (KGB). Hens were randomly paired by strain and assigned to hot or control treatment for 14 d. Physical and physiological parameters were analyzed at d 8 and 14 posttreatment. Compared with controls, HS increased hen's core body temperature (P
Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials.

We present a novel method for three-dimensional optical data storage that has submicrometer size resolution, provides a large contrast in index of refraction, and is applicable to a wide range of transparent materials. Bits are recorded by use of a 0.65-N.A. objective to focus 100-fs laser pulses inside the material. The laser pulse produces a submicrometer-diameter structurally altered region with high contrast in index of refraction. We record binary information by writing such bits in multiple planes and read it out with a microscope objective with a short depth of field. We demonstrate data storage and retrieval with 2-microm in-plane bit spacing and 15-microm interplane spacing (17 Gbits/cm(3)). Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy show structural changes confined to an area 200 nm in diameter.
Environment of the secondary component of epsilon Aurigae

Demarque and Morris1 have made some very interesting comments on my suggestion that the secondary component of Epsilon Aurigae may consist of a collapsar surrounded by a disk of solid particles which is responsible for the eclipses of the system2. I will discuss several of the points which they have raised.
Anisotropic mechanical properties of amorphous Zr-based foams with aligned, elongated pores

Abstract Equal-channel angular extrusion is used to consolidate a blend of amorphous Zr56.3Nb5.1Cu15.6Ni12.9Al10.0 and crystalline W powders into dense composites. Chemical dissolution of the crystalline phase results in amorphous foams with elongated pores, aligned at a 22–28° angle with respect to the extrusion direction, whose compressive properties are studied for various orientations. As the angle between the pore long direction and the applied stress direction increases from 0° to 68°, there is a significant decrease in loading stiffness and peak stress, as expected from predictive analytical models; however, the observed increase in stiffness and peak stress observed when the pores are oriented 90° to the direction of loading is not predicted by all of the models. Foams with pores aligned 24–68° to the direction of loading show increased plastic bending in individual walls and accumulation in microscopic damage without failure, leading to increased compressive ductility and absorbed energy over other orientations.
An Investigation of Scalable SIMD I/O Techniques with Application to Parallel JPEG Compression

The problem inherent with any digital image or digital video system is the large amount of bandwidth required for transmission or storage. This has driven the research area of image compression to develop more complex algorithms that compress images to lower data rates with better fidelity. One approach that can be used to increase the execution speed of these complex algorithms is through the use of parallel processing. In this paper, we address the parallel implementation of the JPEG still-image compression standard on the MasPar MP-1, a massively parallel SIMD computer. We develop two novel byte alignment algorithms which are used to efficiently input and output compressed data from the parallel system, and present results which show real-time performance is possible. We also discuss several applications, such as motion JPEG, that can be used in multimedia systems.
Shades of beauty : Examining the relationship of skin color to perceptions of physical attractiveness

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the relationship between skin color and level of perceived physical attractiveness. Previous research suggested that skin color plays an important role in how we perceive an individual's physical attractiveness. The current study was conducted to determine how influential the role of race is on perceptions of physical attractiveness. In this study, 79 subjects were asked to evaluate images of potential endorsers to be used in an upcoming advertising campaign. The images were those of females of varying skin tones. Data were then collected and analyzed to determine whether skin tone and level of skin color can in fact influence the physical attractiveness stereotype.
New species and combinations in Sabazia (Heliantheae, Galinoginae)

The genusSabazia is expanded to include the genusTricarpha, Calea palmeri, and several newly described taxa,S. tridacoides var.tridacoides and var.latifolia, S. palmeri var.lancifolia, andS. longiradiata. Comparative studies of several morphological features suggest thatSabazia is most clearly related toSelloa andGalinsoga. Karyological data reinforce this observation: inSelloa andGalinsoga x = 8 whereas inSabazia x = 4 andn = 4, 8, 16, or 24. Several species ofCalea are very similar toSabazia in floral features and may be of close phyletic affinity, but most species ofCalea differ conspicuously, suggesting more remote relationships. Other taxa in the Galinsoginae apparently fairly closely allied toSabazia includeOteiza andTridax.
An extinct species of tooth‐billed pigeon (Didunculus) from the Kingdom of Tonga, and the concept of endemism in insular landbirds

The tooth-billed pigeon Didunculus strigirostris lives on three islands in Western (Independent) Samoa. A larger, extinct species, Didunculus placopedetes, is described from bones recovered in late Quaternary cave deposits on 'Eua, Kingdom of Tonga. Also referred to D. placopedetes are bones from archaeological sites on the larger Tongan island of Tongatapu and the smaller, lower islands of Lifuka, Ha'ano, 'Uiha and Ha'afeva. As with so many other landbirds in Polynesia, the extinction of D. placopedetes occurred since the arrival of people and presumably was due to human impact. The peopling of Tonga is why the genus Didunculus is considered to be endemic to Samoa. The biogeographic implications of the new data on Didunculus are not unique; human activities have reduced or eliminated the natural range of nearly every genus and species group of Polynesian landbird. The reduced ranges of surviving taxa have created a situation (herein called ‘pseudo-endemism’) where a taxon that seems today to be endemic to a restricted area (often one or two islands) was much more widespread at first human arrival. As the prehistoric record of insular birds improves in the Pacific and elsewhere, the list of pseudo-endemic taxa will continue to grow.
Heparanase promotes tumor infiltration and antitumor activity of CAR-redirected T-lymphocytes

Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected T lymphocytes (CAR-T cells) has had less striking therapeutic effects in solid tumors than in lymphoid malignancies. Although active tumor-mediated immunosuppression may have a role in limiting the efficacy of CAR-T cells, functional changes in T lymphocytes after their ex vivo manipulation may also account for the reduced ability of cultured CAR-T cells to penetrate stroma-rich solid tumors compared with lymphoid tissues. We therefore studied the capacity of human in vitro-cultured CAR-T cells to degrade components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In contrast to freshly isolated T lymphocytes, we found that in vitro-cultured T lymphocytes lack expression of the enzyme heparanase (HPSE), which degrades heparan sulfate proteoglycans, the main components of ECM. We found that HPSE mRNA is downregulated in in vitro-expanded T cells, which may be a consequence of p53 (officially known as TP53, encoding tumor protein 53) binding to the HPSE gene promoter. We therefore engineered CAR-T cells to express HPSE and showed their improved capacity to degrade the ECM, which promoted tumor T cell infiltration and antitumor activity. The use of this strategy may enhance the activity of CAR-T cells in individuals with stroma-rich solid tumors.