cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Employer-Sponsored and Self-Sponsored Participation in Collaborative Visioning Theory, Evidence, and Implications

Planners and community leaders around the nation use collaborative processes to create and advance shared visions of the future, yet these processes' biases are rarely discussed. Using data from a survey of stakeholders who participated in one metropolitan region's recent collaborative visioning process, this article compares participants sponsored at least in part by their employers during the year-long process (employer-sponsored) with those who participated entirely on their own time (self-sponsored). Although the two groups were similar in many respects, the research correctly anticipates differences in motivation and significantly lower levels of satisfaction and attendance among self-sponsored participants. These findings are consistent with the theory that the self-sponsored experience higher net personal costs of participation than do the employer-sponsored. This provides a theoretical basis for understanding and predicting how sponsorship affects self-interest when citizens participate in public ...
The Carnegie Hubble Program: The Leavitt Law at 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm in the large Magellanic cloud

The Carnegie Hubble Program is designed to improve the extragalactic distance scale using data from the post-cryogenic era of Spitzer. The ultimate goal is a determination of the Hubble constant to an accuracy of 2%. This paper is the first in a series on the Cepheid population of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and focusses on the period-luminosity (PL) relations (Leavitt laws) that will be used, in conjunction with observations of Milky Way Cepheids, to set the slope and zero point of the Cepheid distance scale in the mid-infrared. To this end, we have obtained uniformly sampled light curves for 85 LMC Cepheids, having periods between 6 and 140 days. PL and period-color relations are presented in the 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm bands. We demonstrate that the 3.6 μm band is a superb distance indicator. The cyclical variation of the [3.6]–[4.5] color has been measured for the first time. We attribute the amplitude and phase of the color curves to the dissociation and recombination of CO molecules in the Cepheid's atmosphere. The CO affects only the 4.5 μm flux making it a potential metallicity indicator.
Chernobyl: a radiobiological perspective

The author discusses the global impact of Chernobyl in relation to health effects. Taken the full perspective, the impact of Chernobyl from a radiological aspect depends on two major radiobiological factors. The most significant factor is the determination of the actual radiation dose absorbed into tissues. The second major factor to be considered in the radiation risk factor.
Telling good stories in different languages: Bilingual children’s styles of story construction and their linguistic and educational implications

There are many ways to tell a story, but whether a story is good or bad depends on whether or not the listener/reader can comprehend all that the speaker/writer wants to convey in his or her story. This study examines the characteristics of stories that native speakers of given languages consider to be good. Forty English-Japanese bilingual children ages six to twelve were asked to narrate a picture storybook in both English and Japanese. Also involved in the study were 16 adult native Japanese speakers and 16 adult native English speakers who evaluated the stories produced by the bilingual children. An analysis of narratives receiving high ratings from evaluators shows that most stories considered good in English or Japanese should be lengthy stories with a large and varied vocabulary, and should be told in the past tense. In addition to those similarities in effective stories told in the two languages, we also found dissimilarities between “good” stories in English and “good” stories in Japanese. English evaluators felt that relating a series of events in chronological order is only one part of a good story. Providing evaluative comments (i.e., statements or words that tell the listener/reader what the narrator thinks about a person, place, thing, or event) is an indispensable part of telling good stories. So, in stories in English, aside from the standard expectation of a sequential series of events, providing the listener with emotional information is considered equally important. On the other hand, Japanese speakers accepted stories that emphasize a temporal sequence of action with less emphasis on nonsequential information, especially evaluative descriptions, and which effectively use passive forms and subject-referencing markers to enable a clear chronological sequence of events. Because the standards of what makes a good story may differ in the home and school languages/cultures, and because of the complex nature of such differences as shown in this study, it seems advisable that schools intervene and support the development of bilingual children’s skills in the use of the mainstream culture’s standards.
Crystallization and differentiation in abyssal tholeiites and gabbros from mid-oceanic ridges

Abstract Tholeiitic gabbros from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 24°N were found to show remarkable differentiation, producing high-iron, high-titanium gabbros and aplite in later stages. Crystallization of olivine and plagioclase from abyssal tholeiite magma approximately follows cotectic relation in the system olivine-plagioclase-pyroxene.
Type Appraisal: III. Relationships of First Lactation Production and Type Traits with Lifetime Performance

Abstract Phenotypic and genetic correlations were estimated between 48 type appraisal traits and first lactation milk production to determine the importance of appraisal traits in a breeding program from 5,024 records from the New York type appraisal program. Most phenotypic correlations among the type traits were near zero. Depth of udder was the appraisal trait having the highest correlation with first lactation milk (.27) and fat (.23). Multiple correlations of all appraisal traits with first lactation milk and fat were .44 and .40. Correlations with lifetime variables were calculated from 2,068 records meeting time qualifications. Of the first lactation variables, milk yield had the highest correlation with lifetime milk (.34), and fat yield had the highest correlation with number of lactations (.21). All appraisal traits combined were as effective as production variables in predicting number of lactations. Genetic correlations suggested that bulls that sire daughters with high production tend to sire daughters with weaker udder attachments. High genetic correlations between first lactation production and lifetime performance support the utility of selection on first lactation production.
SOIL PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS USING X-RAY ABSORPTION

Low strain dynamic shear modulus property is generally used to subclassify soil strata, determine elastic settlements under geotechnical structures, and characterize the dynamic nature of soils. Several methods to interpret the dynamic shear modulus of sands from in situ friction cone test results have been developed. These methods used calibration chamber test data of clean sands. Therefore, these methods are not valid for interpreting the shear modulus of cemented sands. Introduced here is an interpretation method to estimate the shear modulus of cemented sand. Thirty-seven friction cone penetration tests (CPTs) were conducted on artificially cemented sand specimens of relative densities ranging from 45 percent to 85 percent and confining pressures ranging from 100 to 300 kPa in a laboratory stress-straincontrolled calibration chamber. Cementation levels of 1 and 2 percent were used in preparing cemented specimens. Resonant column tests were also conducted on the same sand with identical cementation lev...
Regarding heroin: British and American approaches

Where the British substance abuse counselors stress harm education, Americans emphasize abstinence and punishment over prevention efforts. A contrast in the dual approaches has become evident through a social work department international exchange program. This paper focuses on heroin use and argues that much can be learned from both positive and negative experiences surrounding its control.
Role of intrinsic muscles and tracheal motion in modulating laryngeal receptors.

Abstract Recording from the superior laryngeal nerve discloses a respiratory modulated activity even in the absence of airflow and pressure changes in the larynx. The present study evaluates the relative contribution of intrinsic laryngeal muscle activity and transmitted tracheal movement on the respiratory modulation of laryngeal mechanoreceptors. Seventy-four receptors were studied in 22 anesthethized spontaneously breathing dogs. The modulation of 31 receptors depended solely on laryngeal muscle activity since it was abolished by cold block of laryngeal nerves. Twelve receptors were primarily activated by tracheal movement since tracheal stabilization alone reduced or abolished their modulation. The respiratory modulation of the remaining 31 receptors was found to be dependent on both laryngeal muscle activity and tracheal movements. Lidocaine (2%) was applied to the receptor field of 13 endings; the results indicate that while some receptors are located superficially (blocked within 1 min) others are located in deeper structures (not affected in 30 min). These receptors may be involved in the precise coordination of laryngeal muscle activity and could play a role in the regulation of breathing pattern and airway patency due to their pressure sensitivity.
DEPOSITION OF 0.02–0.2 μm PARTICLES IN THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY TRACT: EFFECTS OF VARIATIONS IN RESPIRATORY PATTERN

Abstract Experimental studies which quantify deposition of particles smaller than 0.5 μ m diameter are few, and there is a paucity of experimental data clarifying deposition fraction (DF) for particles in the ultrafine (less than 0.1 μ m) size range. We have measured the DF for 5 size fractions (0.024–0.24 μ m) of a non-hygroscopic heterodisperse aerosol in the human respiratory tract. The aerosol was inhaled during steady state breathing from a chamber by normal male volunteers. Aerosol size distribution and concentration in inhaled and exhaled air were measured using an electrical aerosol analyzer. Initial studies were performed using a controlled respiratory pattern of 1 litre tidal volume (TV) at 12 breaths per minute, and a flow pattern modified from a recording of natural breathing. In subsequent studies, a fixed flow pattern was devised to facilitate study of the variations in TV and inspiratory pause (IP). Using the fixed flow pattern, a pause time of 0s, and TV of 1, the mean DF ranged from 0.49 for the 0.024 μ m particle to 0.12 for the 0.24 μ m particle, and from 0.68 to 0.32 when the IP was 2.5s. For the 2 litre TV, mean DF ranged from 0.63 for the 0.024 μ m particle to 0.36 for the 0.24 μ m particle. DF in the initial studies resembled DF measured with the fixed flow, 1 TV, 2.5s IP. This is because residence time for these two patterns was similar. The data demonstrate that deposition increases as particle size falls below 0.1 μ m, and increases with increasing tidal volume and increasing inspiratory pause time. The observations agree with and validate predictions of earlier mathematical deposition models.
Hepatic catecholestrogen synthases: differential effect of sex, inducers of cytochromes P-450 and of antibody to the glucocorticoid inducible cytochrome P-450 on NADPH-dependent estrogen-2-hydroxylase and on organic hydroperoxide-dependent estrogen-2/4-hydroxylase activity of rat hepatic microsomes.

Abstract Formation of catecholestrogens (CE) by rat hepatic microsomes was re-examined because as recently shown; (1) CE formation can be catalyzed by an NADPH-dependent estrogen-4-hydroxylase (E-4-H (NADPH) ) and by a peroxidatic, organic hydroperoxide-dependent estrogen-2/4-hydroxylase (E-2/4-H (OHP) ), in addition to the established NADPH-dependent estrogen 2-hydroxylase (E-2-H (NADPH) ); and (2) the indirect radiometric and the COMT-coupled radioenzymatic assays, used in many previous studies, may fail to provide an accurate measure, in particular, of 4-OH-CE. Using a direct product isolation assay, hepatic microsomes of both male and female rats were shown to express E-2/4-H (OHP) activity with properties similar to those of peroxidatic activity in other tissues. The activities of E-2/4-H (OHP) and E-2-H (NADPH) were affected differently by 5 out of 7 inducers of cytochromes P -450 administered in vivo . Phenobarbital and dexamethasone caused a 4- and 2–3-fold increase in E-2-H (NADPH) activity, respectively, but only a 38 and 20% increase in E-2/4-H (OHP) activity. Ketoconazol and β-napthoflavone caused a modest increase in E-2-H (NADPH) activity but a decrease in OHP-dependent activity. Clofibrate decreased peroxidatic activity by 50% and NADPH-dependent activity by approximately 20%. Both activities were increased by ethanol but decreased by isoniazide, an agent which induces the same form of cytochromes P -450 as ethanol. Polyclonal antibody against P -450 p , a form of P -450 induced by glucocorticoids, inhibited E-2-H (NADPH) but not E-2/4-H (OHP) activity of untreated and of dexamethasone- and phenobarbital-treated rats. This study establishes that CE formation may occur in liver via the peroxidatic pathway and indicates that this pathway depends on forms of P -450 different from those mediating E-2-H (NADPH) activity. It also confirms and extends previous observations of the involvement of multiple, constitutive and induced forms of cytochrome P -450 in NADPH-dependent 2-hydroxylation in liver.
Plain strain soil–structure interaction model for a building supported by a circular foundation embedded in a poroelastic half-space

Abstract A simple theoretical model for soil–structure interaction in water saturated poroelastic soils is presented, developed to explore if the apparent building–foundation–soil system frequency changes due to water saturation. The model consists of a shear wall supported by a rigid circular foundation embedded in a homogenous, isotropic poroelastic half-space, fully saturated by a compressible and inviscid fluid, and excited by in-plane wave motion. The motion in the soil is governed by Biot's theory of wave propagation in fluid saturated porous media. Helmholtz decomposition and wave function expansion of the two P-wave and the S-wave potentials is used to represent the motion in the soil. The boundary conditions along the contact surface between the soil and the foundation are perfect bond (i.e. welded contact) for the skeleton, and either drained or undrained hydraulic condition for the fluid (i.e. pervious or impervious foundation). For the purpose of this exploratory analysis, the zero stress condition at the free surface is relaxed in the derivation of the foundation stiffness matrix, which enables a closed form solution. The implications of this assumption are discussed, based on published comparisons for the elastic case. Also, a closed form representation is derived for the foundation driving forces for incident plane (fast) P-wave or SV wave. Numerical results and comparison with the full-scale measurements are presented in the companion paper, published in this issue.
A calcium model with random absorption: A stochastic approach

Absorption of calcium, or any mineral, by the body is subject to the random fluctuations typical of diffusion through membranes. In this paper we consider the absorption of calcium from the gut as a white noise process added to the deterministic model of Sen & Mohr (1990, J. theor. Biol. 142, 179–188). The first two moments for the amount of calcium in the extracellular fluid (ECF) have been derived using the Ito Calculus. A confidence interval for the total amount of calcium in the ECF is constructed. The equations for the first two moments of the fraction of dose calcium in the ECF are also given. Suggestions are made for the collection of experimental data in a form which should be helpful in investigating the magnitude of the stochastic effect.
Thermodynamics of minerals and melts

This is a rather exciting time to be reviewing the topic of the thermodynamics of minerals and melts. The subject is in a state of flux. The reasons for this are both conceptual and technical and arise from the fact that the disciplines of geochemistry and petrology have now matured to recognize that equilibrium thermodynamics is inadequate for describing the mechanism of a geochemical process. To appreciate these details requires irreversible thermodynamics, or better still kinetics, and in most cases some consideration of the fluid dynamics of the system under study. These subjects build upon equilibrium thermodynamics in that adequate descriptions of the energetics of geochemical processes depend on knowing the extent to which the system deviates from the equilibrium state. In a sense this realization marks the dawning of the age of chemical affinity. To apply kinetics to geologic systems one needs excellent standard state thermodyanmic data, comprehensive solution models and large scale computational ability. Technically, research on the thermodynamics of minerals and melts has advanced (perhaps unwittingly) to meet this need in that we have seen over the last five years (1) an order-of-magnitude increase in the quantity and quality of thermodynamic data for silicate melts and glasses, (2) the use of spectroscopic methods to infer structural properties and thereby allow the construction of models for configurational entropies of melts and solids, and (3) the use of sophisticated computational algorithms to model multicomponent phase equilibria and extract sets of consistent thermodynamic data for geologic systems. The conceptual advances in this field have been just as revolutionary. Quantum and statistical mechanics now play their appropriate fundamental role in the description of the thermodynamic properties of geologic materials. Though we are far from the ability to predict the equation of state of a complex mineral or melt solution, it is now possible to say a great deal about the theoretical functional form of expressions describing the energetics of mixing. Let us hope this marks the close of the age of Margules parameters!
Lithoptysis in a marathon runner

A 42-year-old administrator coughed up about 12 varying-sized stones over a three-week period. His cough was frequent, severe, and nonproductive of sputum. Hemoptyses of small blood clots usually accompanied lithoptysis
Implementation of a second generation sound power test for production testing of earthmoving equipment

Caterpillar has developed an automated sound power measurement system that measures the noise of construction equipment before it leaves the assembly plant. This paper describes the test system and gives the results of verification tests conducted at various manufacturing plants around the world. The new system allows Caterpillar to quickly and accurately acquire the data necessary to ensure that their products meet noise requirements.
Dilute Ising chains with spin S

Randomly diluted one-dimensional Ising chains of spin S are studied by breaking the systems down to noninteracting finite segments. Exact closed-form expressions are obtained for the specific heat and perpendicular susceptibility of S=1/2 chains and numerically exact results are given for spins up to 5/2.
Gas transport properties of poly(2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl cyclobutane carbonate)

Gas transport properties of semicrystalline films of poly(2,2,4,4-tetramethyl cyclobutane carbonate) (TMCBPC) were studied. Permeability coefficients for He, O2, N2, CH4, and CO2 at 35°C for pressures between 1 and 20 atm are reported as well as sorption isotherms for N2, CH4, and CO2 at the same conditions. The permeability coefficients for TMCBPC are larger than corresponding values for the aromatic bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) and tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate (TMPC), even though the TMCBPC films are semicrystalline. These results are explained on the basis of the larger free volume available for permeation in this polymer. Significant TMCBPC plasticization by CO2 was also observed and this causes typical time-dependent behavior. The plasticization process starts at very low pressures compared with the behavior of aromatic polycarbonates PC and TMPC. This early onset of plasticization seems to be related also to the larger free volume in the amorphous phase of TMCBPC which favors high gas sorption. The diffusion coefficients for TMCBPC are also larger than those reported for the aromatic polycarbonates PC and TMPC. Ideal gas separation factors were found to follow the usual trend; that is, as permeability increases, the ideal separation factor decreases. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Further results on global stabilization of uncertain nonlinear systems by output feedback

For a family of uncertain nonlinear systems dominated by a triangular system that satisfies linear growth condition with an output dependent growth rate, we prove that global robust stabilization can be achieved by smooth output feedback. This conclusion has incorporated and generalized the recent output feedback stabilization results, for instance, the work (IEEE Trans. Automat. Control 2002; 47:2068–2073) where the same conclusion was already shown to be true for planar systems, and the work (Proceedings of the 42nd IEEE, CDC, 2003; 1544–1549) where the growth rate is required to be a polynomial function of the system output. There are two key ingredients in the present contribution. One of them is the introduction of a rescaling transformation with a dynamic factor that is tuned on-line through a Riccati-like differential equation, which turns out to be extremely effective in dealing with the system uncertainty. The other one is the development of a recursive observer design algorithm making it possible to assign the robust observer gains in a step-by-step fashion. Both a smooth state feedback controller and a robust observer are explicitly constructed for the rescaled system using only the knowledge of the bounding system. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of Paramecium Macronuclear DNA Using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis

We have analyzed the macronuclear DNA of Paramecium tetraurelia using orthogonal-field-alternation gel electrophoresis. The mean size of the linear macronuclear DNA molecules is approximately 450 kb. Less than 6% of the macronuclear DNA is larger than 800 kb. Using pulse times of 20, 40, 60 and 90 s we show that the macronuclear fragment containing the A type variable surface antigen gene migrates reproducibly as a 320-kb linear DNA. Over the same pulse times we describe the unusual migration of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) of P. tetraurelia. At pulse times of 20 and 40 s the rDNA migrates at limit mobility (300 and 500 kb, respectively) whereas with 60- and 90-s pulse times, 2 components of rDNA are observed; 1 fraction independent of pulse time migrating at limit mobility, and a 2nd component migrating between 100-kb and 400-kb linear markers. Based upon previous electron micrographic studies of Paramecium rDNA as well as data presented here we conclude that the majority of Paramecium rDNA molecules are a circular DNA form.
Degrees of disruption: projected temperature increase has catastrophic consequences for reproduction in a tropical ectotherm

Although climate change models predict relatively modest increases in temperature in the tropics by the end of the century, recent analyses identify tropical ectotherms as the organisms most at risk from climate warming. Because metabolic rate in ectotherms increases exponentially with temperature, even a small rise in temperature poses a physiological threat to tropical ectotherms inhabiting an already hot environment. If correct, the metabolic theory of climate warming has profound implications for global biodiversity, since tropical insects and arachnids constitute the vast majority of animal species. Predicting how climate change will translate into fitness consequences for tropical arthropods requires an understanding of the effects of temperature increase on the entire life history of the species. Here, in a comprehensive case study of the fitness consequences of the projected temperature increase for the tropics, we conducted a split-brood experiment on the neotropical pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, in which 792 offspring from 33 females were randomly assigned at birth to control- and high-temperature treatments for rearing through the adult stage. The diurnally varying, control treatment temperature was determined from long-term, average daily temperature minima and maxima in the pseudoscorpion's native habitat. In the high temperature treatment, increasing temperature by the 3.5 °C predicted for the tropics significantly reduced survival and accelerated development at the cost of reduced adult size and a dramatic decrease in level of sexual dimorphism. The most striking effects, however, involved reproductive traits. Reared at high temperature, males produced 45% as many sperm as control males, and females failed to reproduce. Sequencing of the mitochondrial ND2 gene revealed two highly divergent haplogroups that differed substantially in developmental rate and survivorship but not in reproductive response to high temperature. Our findings suggest that reproduction may be the Achilles’ heel of tropical ectotherms, as climate warming subjects them to an increasingly adverse thermal environment.
Student Interest and Engagement in the Classroom: Relationships with Student Personality and Developmental Variables

Student interest and student engagement have been found to be important communication-related traits linked to student classroom outcomes, including student learning and student retention. Employing student identity development as well as personality constructs, this interdisciplinary study takes a student trait approach to better understand how best to foster both student interest and engagement in the classroom. Degree of identity exploration was found to be a positive predictor of student cognitive interest in course content. The personality construct need for cognition was found to be a positive predictor for both student interest and student engagement with course content. Implications for future research, including scale development, are discussed.
The weakest memory-access order

Abstract In 1979 Lamport explained that a multiprocessor that allows out-of-order memory access may obtain incorrect results. In the present article, a conceptual framework is developed for understanding this problem, and the problem is defined in terms of this framework. Then the problem is solved in the weakest manner possible, and the weakest order is related to prior access-order solutions. At the heart of the underlying conceptual framework is a model of asynchronous multiprocess computation, which includes a model of asynchronous interprocess communication.
The state of the excimer laser for coronary intervention in the drug-eluting stent era

Abstract Objectives This study aims to determine how excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) performs in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era. Background For more than 20years, ELCA has been used for coronary intervention. With developments in the coronary intervention field, the role of ELCA is in question. Methods The study includes 119 patients with 124 lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with ELCA in our institution from January 2004 to May 2011. Results The main indications for ELCA use were saphenous vein graft (SVG) (45 lesions), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (7 lesions), chronic total occlusion (CTO) (32 lesions), in-stent restenosis (ISR) (15 lesions), and calcified de-novo lesions (25 lesions). High success rates were recorded for the SVG, AMI, CTO, ISR, and calcified lesion indications (91.1%, 85.7%, 93.8%, 86.7%, and 80%; respectively). ELCA related complications were reported in 10 patients (8%); four dissections, three no-reflow phenomena, two perforations, and one thrombus formation. Conclusion ELCA is an alternative solution with acceptable performance in the treatment of complex coronary lesions not ideally suitable for balloon angioplasty.
Nonlinear control of rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition under uncertainty

Abstract This article focuses on nonlinear control of a rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCV'D) process in the presence of significant model uncertainty and disturbances. Initially, a detailed mathematical model of the RTCVD process is presented consisting of a nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) which describes the time evolution of the wafer temperature across the radius of the wafer, coupled with a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs), which describe the time evolution of the concentrations of the various species. Then, the synthesis of a nonlinearoutput feedback controller based on the RTCVD process model by following a control methodology for nonlinear parabolic PDE systems introduced in ( Baker and Christofides, 1998 ) is discussed. The controller uses measurements of wafer temperature at four locations to manipulate the power of the top lamps in order to achieve uniform temperature, and thus, uniform deposition of the thin film on the wafer over the entire process cycle. The nonlinearoutput feedback controller is successfully implemented through computer simulations and is shown to attenuate significant model uncertainty end disturbances and to outperform a proportional integral (PI) control scheme.
Phenotypic characterization ofBeneckea anguillara biotypes I and II

Twenty-five strains of marine bacteria pathogenic for fish, which had been shown by means of in vitro DNA/DNA hybridization to comprise two biotypes of the speciesBeneckea anguillara, were subjected to a phenotypic characterization. A numerical analysis of the data segregated the strains into two phenotypically distinct clusters coincident with the biotypes established by DNA homology studies. The two biotypes were distinguishable fromPhotobacterium and other species ofBeneckea by a number of unrelated phenotypic properties.
Discerning unfairness where others may not: Low self-control and unfair sanction perceptions

Criminologists have long recognized that whether one perceives a sanction as fair or unfair influences the deterrent success of sanctions and the legitimacy afforded to legal authority. Unfortunately, although several scholars have claimed that individual characteristics influence how sanctions are interpreted, very little research has explored the individual factors that influence how one perceives sanctions to be fair/unfair. In this study, we take Gottfredson and Hirschi's notion of self-control and use it to explain, in part, whether an individual perceives a sanction as fair/unfair. We also examine how sanction perceptions and low self-control influence the perceived anger that may result from being singled out for sanctioning and whether self-control conditions the relationship between perceptions and anger. Our results suggest that individuals with low self-control are more likely to perceive sanctions as unfair, that unfair sanctions and low self-control lead to perceived anger for being singled out for punishment and that self-control conditions the effect of unfair sanction perceptions on perceived anger. Future directions are outlined.
Generalized Kolmogorov Inequalities for Martingales

The classical cebysev inequality leads to an inequality for martingales which is often called the Kolmogorov inequality. It is shown here that many generalized cebysev inequalities for random variables lead in a similar way to martingale inequalities, and that the corresponding martingale inequality is sharp when the cebysev inequality is.
Efficient Algorithms for Selecting Features with Arbitrary Group Constraints via Group Lasso

Feature structure information plays an important role for regression and classification tasks. We consider a more generic problem: group lasso problem, where structures over feature space can be represented as a combination of features in a group. These groups can be either overlapped or non-overlapped, which are specified in different structures, e.g., structures over a line, a tree, a graph or even a forest. We propose a new approach to solve this generic group lasso problem, where certain features are selected in a group, and an arbitrary family of subset is allowed. We employ accelerated proximal gradient method to solve this problem, where a key step is solve the associated proximal operator. We propose a fast method to compute the proximal operator, where its convergence is rigorously proved. Experimental results on different structures (e.g., group, tree, graph structures) demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Elevated troponin I levels in acute liver failure: is myocardial injury an integral part of acute liver failure?

Although rare instances of cardiac injury or arrhythmias have been reported in acute liver failure (ALF), overall, the heart is considered to be spared in this condition. Troponin I, a sensitive and specific marker of myocardial injury, may be elevated in patients with sepsis and acute stroke without underlying acute coronary syndrome, indicating unrecognized cardiac injury in these settings. We sought to determine whether subclinical cardiac injury might also occur in acute liver failure. Serum troponin I levels were measured in 187 patients enrolled in the US Acute Liver Failure Study Group registry, and correlated with clinical variables and outcomes. Diagnoses were representative of the larger group of >1000 patients thus far enrolled and included 80 with acetaminophen-related injury, 26 with viral hepatitis, 19 with ischemic injury, and 62 others. Overall, 74% of patients had elevated troponin I levels (>0.1 ng/ml). Patients with elevated troponin I levels were more likely to have advanced hepatic coma (grades III or IV) or to die (for troponin I levels >0.1 ng/ml, odds ratio 3.88 and 4.69 for advanced coma or death, respectively). Conclusion: In acute liver failure, subclinical myocardial injury appears to occur more commonly than has been recognized, and its pathogenesis in the context of acute liver failure is unclear. Elevated troponin levels are associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. Measurement of troponin I levels may be helpful in patients with acute liver failure, to detect unrecognized myocardial damage and as a marker of unfavorable outcome. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:1489–1495.)
Provenance of the protective property of p21.

in the current issue of American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology , the study by Yu et al. ([26][1]) significantly advances an important line of investigation initiated by these investigators in 1996 ([17][2]) and which steadfastly interrogated the functional significance of the induction of
Endothelial-Dependent Vascular Effects of Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in the Perfused Rat Mesenteric Artery and Aortic Ring

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) exhibit vasoactivity. To examine the role of the endothelium in mediating the vascular responses to insulin and IGF-I, we exposed both isolated intact rat mesenteric arteries and rat aortic rings to these growth factors in the presence and absence of endothelium. Perfusion of rat mesenteric arteries with insulin, IGF-I, or IGF-II resulted in the potentiation of arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced vasoconstriction. Of these growth factors, IGF-I was the most potent, with a significant effect at 0.6 nM and maximal effects at 6.0 nM, followed by IGF-II and insulin. Endothelial denudation or addition of cycloheximide prevented the growth-factor effects. Tissue cGMP levels in the mesenteric artery were minimally affected by growth factors. Insulin and IGF-I vascular effects were not inhibited by BQ123, an endothelin (ET) antagonist that blocked ET-1 enhancement of AVP response. Perfusion of mesenteric arteries with IGF-I for 1 h did not alter vessel ET-1 or ET-1 mRNA contents. Addition of indomethacin markedly inhibited the IGF-I effect on AVP contraction. Thus, the mesenteric vascular effect of insulin and IGF-I is not associated with ET-1 release but appears to link to an increased release of an endothelial-derived contracting factor or the decreased production of an endothelial-derived relaxing factor from the cyclooxygenase pathway. In contrast to their action in the mesenteric artery, insulin (exceeding 100 nM) and IGF-I (1-30 nM) attenuated AVP- and norepinephrine-induced contraction in rat aortic rings. Endothelial-denudation abolished this effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Accuracy of side-chain prediction upon near-native protein backbones generated by Ab initio folding methods.

The ab initio folding problem can be divided into two sequential tasks of approximately equal computational complex- ity: the generation of native-like backbone folds and the positioning of side chains upon these backbones. The prediction of side-chain confor- mation in this context is challenging, because at best only the near-native global fold of the protein is known. To test the effect of displace- ments in the protein backbones on side-chain prediction for folds generated ab initio, sets of near-native backbones (I 4ACa RMS error) for four small proteins were generated by two methods. The steric environment surrounding each residue was probed by placing the side chains in the native conformation on each of these decoys, followed by torsion-space optimi- zation to remove steric clashes on a rigid back- bone. We observe that on average 40% of the x1 angles were displaced by 40° or more, effec- tively setting the limits in accuracy for side- chain modeling under these conditions. Three different algorithms were subsequently used for prediction of side-chain conformation. The average prediction accuracy for the three meth- ods was remarkably similar: 49% to 51% of the x1 angles were predicted correctly overall (33% to 36% of the x112 angles). Interestingly, when the inter-side-chain interactions were disre- garded, the mean accuracy increased. A consen- sus approach is described, in which side-chain conformations are defined based on the most frequently predicted x angles for a given method upon each set of near-native back- bones. We find that consensus modeling, which de facto includes backbone flexibility, im- proves side-chain prediction: x1 accuracy im- proved to 51-54% (36-42% of x112). Implica- tions of a consensus method for ab initio protein structure prediction are discussed. Pro- teins 33:204-217, 1998. r 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
American Society of Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire 2014: RRT

The Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire (NQ&Q) remains an extremely popular session for attendees of the Annual Kidney Week Meeting of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Once again, the conference hall was overflowing with audience members and eager quiz participants. Topics covered by the expert discussants included electrolyte and acid-base disorders, glomerular disease, end-stage renal disease/dialysis, and transplantation. Complex cases representing each of these categories along with single best answer questions were prepared and submitted by the panel of experts. Prior to the meeting, program directors of U.S. nephrology training programs and nephrology fellows answered the questions through an internet-based questionnaire. During the live session, members of the audience tested their knowledge and judgment on a series of case-oriented questions prepared and discussed by experts. They compared their answers in real time using audience response devices with the answers of the nephrology fellows and training program directors (TPDs). The correct and incorrect answers were then discussed after the audience responses and the results of the questionnaire were displayed. As always, the audience, lecturers, and moderators enjoyed this educational session. This article recapitulates the session and reproduces its educational value for the readers of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Enjoy the clinical cases and expert discussions.
Chronic Alcohol-Induced microRNA-155 Contributes to Neuroinflammation in a TLR4-Dependent Manner in Mice

Introduction Alcohol-induced neuroinflammation is mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β). Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) pathway induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation is involved in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced neuroinflammation. Inflammation is a highly regulated process. Recent studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial role in fine tuning gene expression and miR-155 is a major regulator of inflammation in immune cells after TLR stimulation.
Function of T4D Structural Dihydrofolate Reductase in Bacteriophage Infection

Various properties of the bacteriophage structural dihydrofolate reductase (DFR) have been examined to determine its function during phage infection. It has been found that a binding site for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), most likely on the DFR present in the phage tail plate, is required for phage viability. Attachment of adenosine diphosphoribose, an analogue of NADPH, to this site prevents phage adsorption and injection. This adenosine diphosphoribose inhibition can be competitively reversed by the addition of NADPH or oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. It is suggested that, during phage infection, the host bacterial cell might leak compounds functionally similar to the pyridine nucleotides. These compounds have been shown to nonenzymatically change the conformation of the phage tail plate DFR which is apparently necessary for successful injection.
Caulobacter crescentus as a Whole-Cell Uranium Biosensor

We engineered a strain of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus to fluoresce in the presence of micromolar levels of uranium at ambient temperatures when it is exposed to a hand-held UV lamp. Previous microarray experiments revealed that several Caulobacter genes are significantly upregulated in response to uranium but not in response to other heavy metals. We designated one of these genes urcA (for uranium response in caulobacter). We constructed a reporter that utilizes the urcA promoter to produce a UV-excitable green fluorescent protein in the presence of the uranyl cation, a soluble form of uranium. This reporter is specific for uranium and has little cross specificity for nitrate (<400 μM), lead (<150 μM), cadmium (<48 μM), or chromium (<41.6 μM). The uranium reporter construct was effective for discriminating contaminated groundwater samples (4.2 μM uranium) from uncontaminated groundwater samples (<0.1 μM uranium) collected at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center. In contrast to other uranium detection methodologies, the Caulobacter reporter strain can provide on-demand usability in the field; it requires minimal sample processing and no equipment other than a hand-held UV lamp, and it may be sprayed directly on soil, groundwater, or industrial surfaces.
Marginal mandibulectomy: Oncologic and nononcologic outcome

Abstract Background and Objectives: Marginal mandibulectomy (MM) has been shown to provide an oncologically sound technique with preservation of function and cosmesis. We reviewed our experience with MM and analyzed oncologic and nononcologic complications. Patients and Methods: Retrospective review of patients, with clinical and/or radiological evidence of tumor attached to the mandible without cortical erosion, who underwent vertical, horizontal, or oblique marginal mandibulectomy. Data collection included demographics; tumor characteristics; clinical and radiologic relation to the mandible; surgical technique, with attention to neck dissection and facial artery ligation; radiation therapy; osteoradionecrosis (ORN); fractures; and recurrence. Results: Twenty-five patients underwent MM. Primary tumors included oral cavity (22), oropharynx (1), and metastatic neck tumor abutting the inferior/lateral border of the mandible (2). Two patients had local recurrence. Both had close soft tissue margins. Local control rate was 92%. Of 11 patients who had postoperative radiation to the primary site, 4 (36.4%) developed ORN, resulting in fractures in the mandibulectomy site in 2 of them. Two other patients developed early postoperative fractures: 1 patient had had previous radiation, and 1 patient had neck dissections with bilateral facial artery ligation and periosteal stripping. This poor technique led to necrosis of the remaining anterior mandible even before starting radiotherapy. Salvage segmental mandibulectomy was required in both patients. Conclusions: MM provides an oncologically sound approach to tumors abutting the mandible. Careful attention to preservation of the remaining periosteum and facial arteries will prevent immediate postoperative complications. However, ORN is an important long-term complication that should be taken into account. (Am J Otolaryngol 2003;24:61-63. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.)
Are Women More Ethical? Recent Findings on the Effects of Gender Upon Moral Development

This study investigates the effect of gender upon moral development. Prior moral development research on the gender difference is substantial but ambiguous, but little research has examined public-sector employees. This study compares the moral development of 299 male and female members of the U.S. Coast Guard. The study uses Kohlberg's moral development framework to operationalize levels of moral judgment, and it employs Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT) as a measurement instrument. The study found that Coast Guard women scored 4.5 points higher than males scored on the DIT, a statistically significant difference. The essay discusses criticisms of Kohlberg, including Gilligan's argument that Kohlberg ignores the female perspective. Implications for public-sector ethics are discussed and a path for future research is offered. Are women more ethical than men? Over the last twenty years, this controversial and flagrant question has been asked more and more by social scientists and ethicists. Since the advent of modern moral development theory, researchers have developed and fine tuned empirical methods for examining individual levels of moral judgment and ethical behavior. With such tools in hand, they identify variables that may affect moral development. For example, researchers determine that age, education, and life experience are primary determinants of moral development and ultimately ethical behavior (Rest 1986 and 1993). Gender as a determinant of moral development has been studied extensively, but with arguable and less conclusive results.
Neutron-induced latchup in SRAMs at ground level

Neutron-induced single-event latchup has been studied in SRAMs manufactured by several different vendors. These SRAMs span different cell designs (six-transistor and four-transistor cells), technology generations (0.25 /spl mu/m to 0.14 /spl mu/m) and power supplies (5 V to 1.5 V). While some technologies appear to be latchup-free in neutron environments, others have neutron-induced latchup failure-in-time (FIT) rates as high as 300 FIT/Mbit at room temperature and maximum rated voltage. Latchup FIT rates increase dramatically with temperature. The observed latchup rates can lead to very high failure rates in systems with large amounts of memory, and cannot be circumvented using error correction.