cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Errors and Uncertainties: Their Sources and Treatment

There are numerous sources of error and uncertainty in modeling and simulation. Some of these sources arise because of inherent randomness existing in the system of interest, while others arise due to incomplete knowledge on the part of the person conducting the modeling and simulation activity. Other sources arise due to the fact that all models are imperfect reflections of reality. Finally, when models are sufficiently complex to require approximate numerical solutions (for example, when they take the form of partial differential equations), then the numerical approximations provide an additional source of error and uncertainty. This chapter discusses these different sources of error and uncertainty as well as methods to characterize and treat them. Techniques for rolling up these different uncertainty sources into a total prediction uncertainty are briefly discussed.
A note on the cutoff values of alternative fit indices to evaluate measurement invariance for ESEM models

This research examines the performance of the previously proposed cutoff values of alternative fit indices (i.e., change in comparative fit index [ΔCFI], change in Tucker–Lewis index [ΔTLI], and ch...
An Examination of Compensatory Effort in a Vigilance Task Using Transcranial Doppler Sonography

This study uses a novel neuroergonomic approach to determine whether blood flow to the frontal cortex is sensitive to task demands and indicative of compensatory effort regulation that may occur in...
An Unlikely Success: Peru’s Top-Down Participatory Budgeting Experience

This article focuses on the unlikely success of Peru’s top-down participatory budget experience. As part of democratization and decentralization efforts in the early 2000s, Peruvians mandated participatory budgeting in all subnational governments. The article suggests that, while success is constrained in many ways, Peruvians can point to two important accomplishments: 1) engaging a significant number of civil society organizations in debating public resources; and 2) an increased focus on “pro-poor” projects. The article concludes that the current challenge in Peru is to improve the process and engage an even more diverse array of participants. Only then will the process have real potential to improve local governance.
Trajectories of Viral Suppression in People Living With HIV Receiving Coordinated Care: Differences by Comorbidities.

BACKGROUND In March of 2013, the Los Angeles County (LAC) Division of HIV and STD Programs implemented a clinic-based Medical Care Coordination (MCC) Program to increase viral suppression (VS) (<200 c/mL) among people living with HIV (PLWH) at high risk for poor health outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate trajectories of VS and to assess whether these trajectories differed by stimulant use, housing instability, and depressive symptom severity as reported by PLWH participating in MCC. METHODS Data represent 6408 PLWH in LAC receiving services from the MCC Program and were obtained from LAC HIV surveillance data matched to behavioral assessments obtained across 35 Ryan White Program clinics participating in MCC. Piecewise mixed-effects logistic regression with a random intercept estimated probabilities of VS from 12 months before MCC enrollment through 36 months after enrollment, accounting for time by covariate interactions for 3 comorbid conditions: housing instability, stimulant use, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS The overall probability of VS increased from 0.35 to 0.77 within the first 6 months in the MCC Program, and this probability was maintained up to 36 months after enrollment. Those who reported housing instability, stimulant use, or multiple comorbid conditions did not achieve the same probability of VS by 36 months as those with none of those comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that MCC improved the probability of VS for all patient groups regardless of the presence of comorbidities. However, those with comorbid conditions will still require increased support from patient-centered programs to address disparities in VS.
Acute Respiratory Decompensation Requiring Intubation in Pregnant Women with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

There is a current paucity of information about the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of pregnant novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in North America. Data from China suggest that pregnant women with COVID-19 have favorable maternal and neonatal outcomes, with rare cases of critical illness or respiratory compromise. However, we report two cases of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 in the late preterm period admitted to tertiary care hospitals in New York City for respiratory indications. After presenting with mild symptoms, both quickly developed worsening respiratory distress requiring intubation, and both delivered preterm via caesarean delivery. These cases highlight the potential for rapid respiratory decompensation in pregnant COVID-19 patients and the maternal-fetal considerations in managing these cases.
Reversing Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies to improve expression Quantitative Trait Loci associations

Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies discover SNP effects mediated by gene expression through a two-stage process: a typically small reference panel is used to infer SNP-expression effects, and then these are applied to discover associations between imputed expression and phenotypes. We investigate whether the accuracy of SNP-expression and expression-phenotype associations can be increased by performing inference on both the reference panel and independent GWAS cohorts simultaneously. We develop EMBER (Estimation of Mediated Binary Effects in Regression) to re-estimate these effects using a liability threshold model with an adjustment to variance components accounting for imputed expression from GWAS data. In simulated data with only gene-mediated effects, EMBER more than doubles the performance of SNP-expression linear regression, increasing mean r2 from 0.3 to 0.65 with a gene-mediated variance explained of 0.01. EMBER also improves estimation accuracy when the fraction of cis-SNP variance mediated by genes is as low as 30%. We apply EMBER to genotype and gene expression data in schizophrenia by combining 512 samples from the CommonMind Consortium and 56,081 samples from the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium. We evaluate performance of EMBER in 36 genes suggested by TWAS by concordance of inferred effects with effects reported independently for frontal cortex expression. Applying the EMBER framework to a baseline linear regression model increases performance in 26 out of 36 genes (sign test p-value .0020) with an increase in mean r2 from 0.200 to 0.235.
Bedside Mediastinotomy for Tension Pneumomediastinum with Tamponade in COVID-19.

Tension pneumomediastinum is a rare but life-threatening cause of tamponade. Mechanical ventilation is a described source of tension pneumomediastinum. Here, we present a case of a 72-year-old man who developed cardiovascular collapse from tension pneumomediastinum in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019–related acute respiratory distress syndrome. We successfully performed bedside mediastinotomy and mediastinal tube placement under local anesthetic to alleviate his hemodynamic instability. Bedside mediastinotomy can be used to relieve tension pneumomediastinum in this setting.
THE EFFECTS OF INCREASING INSOLE STIFFNESS ON FOOT AND ANKLE MECHANICS IN WALKING GAIT

The energetic pattern of the foot–ankle system is critical in human walking gait. While some of the mechanical energy was dissipated due to foot segment deformation in walking stance phase. Increas...
Temporal regulation of green and red cone specification in human retinas and retinal organoids

Abstract Trichromacy is unique to primates among mammals, enabled by specification of blue (short/S), green (medium/M), and red (long/L) cones. During retinal development in humans and Old World monkeys, cones make a poorly understood choice between M and L cone subtype fates. Two nonexclusive models have been proposed: a stochastic model, in which a regulatory DNA element randomly loops to either the M- or L-opsin promoter to drive expression, and a temporal model, in which cone subtypes are generated in a developmental progression. Here we present data that support a temporal mechanism for M and L cone specification. M-opsin is expressed prior to L-opsin during fetal retinal development. Natural variation in the ratios of M and L cone subtypes is associated with a polymorphism in the NR2F2 gene, a mediator of retinoic acid (RA) signaling. RA-synthesizing enzymes are highly expressed in early development and then decrease, suggesting high RA signaling early. Human retinal organoids grown in standard culture conditions were enriched for L cones, whereas early addition of RA yielded M cone-rich organoids. Our data suggest that M cones are generated before L cones and that RA signaling induces M cones and suppresses L cones early during development. These studies advance human retinal organoids as a model to study developmental processes unique to humans and primates. One sentence summary Temporal specification of human cones
Positive thermal expansion facilitates the formation of argentophilic forces following an order–disorder phase transition

Argentophilic forces are formed in a coordination complex based on silver(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate and 4-stilbazole as a ligand. The forces are absent at low temperature and form as a result of an order–disorder phase transition that occurs upon heating. Colossal positive thermal expansion also precedes the phase transition.
Proteomic and Bioinformatic Analysis of Decellularized Pancreatic Extracellular Matrices

Tissue microenvironments are rich in signaling molecules. However, factors in the tissue matrix that can serve as tissue-specific cues for engineering pancreatic tissues have not been thoroughly identified. In this study, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis of porcine decellularized pancreatic extracellular matrix (dpECM). By profiling dpECM collected from subjects of different ages and genders, we showed that the detergent-free decellularization method developed in this study permits the preservation of approximately 62.4% more proteins than a detergent-based method. In addition, we demonstrated that dpECM prepared from young pigs contained approximately 68.5% more extracellular matrix proteins than those prepared from adult pigs. Furthermore, we categorized dpECM proteins by biological process, molecular function, and cellular component through gene ontology analysis. Our study results also suggested that the protein composition of dpECM is significantly different between male and female animals while a KEGG enrichment pathway analysis revealed that dpECM protein profiling varies significantly depending on age. This study provides the proteome of pancreatic decellularized ECM in different animal ages and genders, which will help identify the bioactive molecules that are pivotal in creating tissue-specific cues for engineering tissues in vitro.
Role for Autoinducer-2 in the Development of Commensal Streptococcal Biofilms

This chapter focuses on the role of the candidate interspecies signaling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2), which is produced by the activity of the enzyme LuxS. It discusses its contribution to the development of dental plaque. A number of studies have been conducted on the impact of AI-2 and LuxS on dental plaque development. While investigations of the role(s) of AI-2 are still in their infancy, it is clear that the activity of LuxS and AI-2 moderates certain phenotypic characteristics of oral commensal and oral pathogenic bacteria. Particular notice in this chapter is given to LuxS-and AI-2-mediated interactions between the commensals Streptococcus oralis 34 and Actinomyces oris T14V, which are two initial colonizers of dental plaque. LsrB-like ribose transport periplasmic binding protein, in concert with LsrB, enhances biofilm formation through the recognition and uptake of AI-2. Of relevance to the oral streptococci and this chapter, a cursory examination of streptococcal genomes indicates that various Streptococcus spp. express RbsB-like protein. Thus, membrane-bound receptors and/or transport proteins may facilitate accumulation of AI-2 and intracellular signaling in streptococci. This chapter discusses studies of S. oralis 34 and A. oris T14V and their implication in future studies of AI-2-mediated communication. An interesting aspect of Sorbarod studies was that the data suggested that colocalization of S. oralis 34 and A. oris T14V facilitates the uptake and/or sequestering of AI-2 by one or both species.
"Expelled to Nowhere": School Exclusion Laws in Massachusetts

Chapter 71, section 37H1/2 of the Massachusetts General Laws allows school principals to suspend any student charged with a felony and to expel that student if he or she is convicted or found to be delinquent. Students expelled from one school in Massachusetts have no right to attend any other school in the state. Therefore, expulsion has the potential to bring a student’s educational career to an end. This Note argues that chapter 71, section 37H1/2 of the Massachusetts General Laws is unconstitutional under both the Federal and Massachusetts Constitutions because it violates students’ right to a “minimally adequate education.” Further, this Note argues that the Massachusetts legislature should adopt House Bill 178, “An Act Relative to Students’ Access to Educational Services and Exclusion from School,” which strikes an appropriate balance between school safety and educational opportunity.
Business Skills for the Intermediate to Advanced Student

Book reviewed in this article: In Print: Reading Business English Rod Revell and Simon Sweeney. Business Across Cultures: Effective Communication Strategies Laura M. English and Sarah Lynn. Business Communications: International Case Studies in English Drew Rodgers.
Ho:YAG laser pumped by 1.9-/spl mu/m diode lasers

A 21-/spl mu/m Ho:YAG laser end pumped by 1.9-/spl mu/m diode lasers has generated nearly 0.7-W CW output power. Laser operation was maintained even with Ho:YAG heat sink temperatures in excess of 60/spl deg/C. >
The History of) Criminal Justice as a Morality Play (Book Review)

Stephanos Bibas's new book, The Machinery of Justice, looks back to colonial-era criminal justice as an ideal of sorts. Criminal trials in that time were a "participatory morality play," in which ordinary members of the community played a crucial role. In Bibas's view, the subsequent professionalization of the criminal-justice system, as well as related developments like the introduction of plea bargaining, have led to widespread contemporary distrust of the system. The present essay reviews Bibas's book and suggests additional reasons besides professionalization why the morality-play model broke down in the nineteenth century. Taking these additional considerations into account, the prospects for reviving the morality-play model may be even dimmer than Bibas recognizes, although a number of his proposed reforms nonetheless appear attractive.
Abstract 379: TARBP1, a member of the SPOUT methyltransferase family, is involved in human carcinogenesis

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA It has recently been recognized that protein methylation plays a critical role in many biological processes, and its deregulation has been observed in various kinds of diseases, including cancer. To date, a number of protein methyltransferases have already been reported to be associated with human carcinogenesis. Although many protein methyltransferases belong to the SET-domain containing protein family or the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, a series of other methyltransferase families have also been discovered by bioinformatics-based approaches. On the contrary, physiological functions of these methyltransferases, especially, the significance in human disease like cancer, still remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that expression levels of TARBP1 (TAR RNA-Binding Protein 1), a member of the SPOUT methyltransferase family, are significantly up-regulated in many types of cancer tissues compared to corresponding non-tumor tissues. In addition, knockdown of TARBP1 resulted in the suppression of cancer cell growth, indicating that TARBP1 seems to regulate the proliferation of cancer cells. Since expression levels of TARBP1 in normal tissues are significantly low, TARBP1 may be a good new target for anti-cancer therapy. Citation Format: Makoto Nakakido, Yusuke Nakamura, Ryuji Hamamoto. TARBP1, a member of the SPOUT methyltransferase family, is involved in human carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 379. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-379
Self-calibration technique for pipe-lined algorithmic A/D converters

An area efficient self-calibration technique for pipe-lined A/D converters is presented. It consists of trimming the reference voltage to each stage by means of a tunable MOSFET attenuator. This simplifies the calibration circuit in each stage and shift most of the calibration task to a hardware that is shared by all stages.
Les Paul at 91

Guitar legend Les Paul continues to perform to enthusiastic audiences as a nonagenarian whose age and impairments impact his playing technique. This essay describes the exemplary sociocultural relations that permit Paul, a person with disabilities largely a function of advanced age, to continue his career as a productive, respected, and affectionately esteemed member of a community.
Heavy ion reactions at E/A ≥ 10 mev/nucleon

The energy dependence of heavy ion reactions above 10 MeV/nucleon is discussed. At higher projectile velocities,fragmentation and preequilibrium processes are becoming increasingly more important. Coincidence experiments performed with 16o ions at 20 MeV/nucleon indicate that the simple participant spectator model does not yet apply at this energy even though results from single particle inclusive measurements show great similarities when compared to data taken at relativistic energies.
Honoring the Sensate Bond Between Disparate Subjectivities in Psychotherapy

Ideas of empathy and genuineness are accepted by practitioners of psychotherapy as a basis for whatever else we do. In taking these ideas almost for granted, there can be a risk of overlooking key phenomenological dimensions of the subjective process to which they correspond. Levinas’ exposition of the multilayered dimensions of proximity between disparate subjectivities safeguards us against substituting understanding for the kind of embodiment he calls “for-the-other” (Levinas, 1974/1998, p. 79). In working through his description, we attempt to reveal the subjective tendencies already operating within us implicitly—tendencies that expose us to the other to the point of the impossibility of turning away. In more fully inhabiting this powerful dimension of our subjectivity, we enter into a proximity with our patients that has the power to nourish the psychological hunger that fuels their emotional pain. In the final pages of this article, we offer some thoughts, including a clinical example, of the tangi...
Vestibular Schwannoma Management: An Evidence-Based Comparison of Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Microsurgical Resection

Background: The best management of vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients is controversial. Methods: A comparison of surgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery based on recent studies using evidence-based medicine standards. Level 1 evidence is derived from randomized clinical trials, whereas levels 2, 3, 4, and 5 refer to prospective cohort studies, case-control series, case series, and expert opinions, respectively. Results: The vast majority of studies on VS management are either retrospective caseseries or opinions (level 4 and 5 evidence). Five retrospective case-control series (level 3 evidence) have shown improved cranial nerve outcomes, better cost effectiveness, and less impact on patients’ activities of daily living for patients having radiosurgery. One prospective cohort study (level 2 evidence) found outcomes were superior for patients having radiosurgery compared to surgical resection with regard to facial movement, hearing preservation and quality of life measures. No randomized clinical trial has been performed to compare these two techniques. Conclusion: The best quality of evidence (levels 2 and 3) show superior outcomes for VS patients having stereotactic radiosurgery compared to surgical resection allowing a grade B recommendation for this approach. Unless long-term follow-up shows frequent tumor progression at currently used radiation doses, radiosurgery should be considered the best management strategy for the majority of VS patients.
The Voice of Conscience: The Church in the Mind of Martin Luther King, Jr.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD: WYATT TEE WALKER INTRODUCTION 1. The Roots Factor: The Church as a Second Home 2. The True Ekklesia: Toward a Definition of the Church 3. : A Balm in Gilead: The Black Church as Mission and Movement 4. An Uncertain Sound: The Ambivalent Soul of the White Church 5. Unrestricted Freedom: The Church and the World House 6. To Be Maladjusted: A Kingian Model for Church Renewal AFTERWORD: DAVID G. BUTTRICK NOTES INDEX
Adapting Pfair scheduling for symmetric multiprocessors

We consider the implementation of a Pfair realtime scheduler on a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP). Although SMPs are in many ways well-suited for Pfair scheduling, experimental results presented herein suggest that bus contention resulting from the simultaneous scheduling of all processors can substantially degrade performance. To correct this problem, we propose a staggered model for Pfair scheduling that strives to improve performance by more evenly distributing bus traffic over time. Additional simulations and experiments with a scheduler prototype are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the staggering approach. In addition, we discuss other techniques for improving performance while maintaining worst-case predictability. Finally, we present an efficient scheduling algorithm to support the proposed model and briefly explain how existing Pfair results apply to staggered scheduling.
X-ray-edge studies and photoemission of Mn x Sn 1 − x Mo 6 S 8

X-ray-absorption and -photoemission studies were carried out on the manganese-doped Chevrel-phase compound ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Sn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mo}}_{6}$${\mathrm{S}}_{8}$ for x=0.1, where a maximum superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ occurs. With use of synchrotron radiation and x-ray fluorescence, near-edge-absorption and extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectra were obtained at the K edge of Mn in the doped compound. The results indicate that each manganese atom, surrounded by eight sulfur atoms, substitutes for tin at the center of a large cavity in ${\mathrm{SnMo}}_{6}$${\mathrm{S}}_{8}$. The manganese-sulfur nearest-neighbor distance is found to be 2.02\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 A\r{}, somewhat less than 2.26 A\r{} for Sn in ${\mathrm{SnMo}}_{6}$${\mathrm{S}}_{8}$. The probable charge of manganese is found to be 4+ and, considering the valence-electron-charge model of charge transfer, this explains the observed maximum in ${T}_{c}$. The photoemission experiments yield an energy distribution curve for the valence band which is in good agreement with band theory.
Design and implementation of a reduced rule fuzzy logic PID controller

This paper investigates the design and implementation of a reduced rule PID fuzzy logic controller. Fuzzy logic PD and PI controllers are effective for many control problems but lack the advantages of the fuzzy PID controller. Fuzzy controllers use a rule base to describe relationships between the input variables and output. Implementation of a detailed rule base increases in complexity as the number of input variables grow. For example, a PID controller with three inputs needs 343 (7*7*7) rules if each input has 7 fuzzy sets. The implementation of a controller with such a large rule base is a tedious task. We propose a reduced rule fuzzy logic PID controller which takes advantage of the properties of the fuzzy PI and PD controllers. The effectiveness of the reduced rule PID fuzzy controller is illustrated with numerical examples.
Flaming and thrashing: an examination of tone in electronic mail

Most e-mail users have experienced some sort of computerized verbal abuse, ranging from less-than-gentle-reminders to full-blown obscenities. This paper explores tone and language usage in electronic mail. Specifically, it focuses on definitions and characteristics, situations which spawn flaming and thrashing, and ways that hostile tone can affect working relationships. Flaming can be particularly destructive in the educational arena, where relationships tend to be close and intense. In addition, for instructors who use e-mail in the classroom, this paper includes suggestions for maintaining a civil tone and avoiding abusive outbursts.
The July 1986 Oceanside (ML = 5.3) earthquake sequence in the Continental Borderland, Southern California

An earthquake of M_L = 5.3 occurred at 32°58.7′N, 117°51.5′W southwest of Oceanside in San Diego County at 13:47 13 July 1986 (UT). This main shock was followed by an extensive aftershock sequence, with 55 events of M_L ≧ 3.0 during July 1986. The epicenters of the main shock and aftershocks are located at the northern end of the San Diego Trough-Bahia Soledad fault zone (SDT-BS) where it changes strike from northwest to a more westerly direction through a left offset or a bend in the fault. The northwest-striking SDT-BS is one of three strike-slip fault systems that constitute the offshore Agua Blanca fault system. The spatial distribution of the aftershocks indicates a unilateral 7- to 9-km long rupture to the east-southeast away from the epicenter of the main shock. The focal mechanism of the main shock also has an east-southeast striking and south-dipping plane with mostly reverse movement on it. Focal mechanisms of the M_L ≧ 3.0 aftershocks show both reverse and strike-slip movement. The reverse focal mechanisms indicate that this sequence may have occurred on a thrust fault that provides for a left stepping offset or a bend in the San Diego Trough fault as movement is transferred to the west along the Santa Cruz-Catalina Island escarpment. Some of the aftershocks that are located to the southeast of the main shock and have strike-slip focal mechanisms suggest activation of the northwest-trending San Diego Trough fault. A stress inversion of the focal mechanism data shows that the maximum principal stress determined from the focal mechanisms of the main shock and 22 aftershocks that occurred within 36 hours of the main shock has an azimuth of S30°W plunging 18°. The maximum principal stress determined from 30 aftershocks that occurred from 15 July to 2 October 1986 has an azimuth of S20°W, plunging 18°. The φ-values (the measure of the relative sizes of the principal stresses) are approximately 0.07 and 0.1, respectively, indicating that the intermediate and minimum principal stress are of similar magnitude. The results of the stress inversion, and the focal mechanisms that showed reverse faulting, suggest that the Inner Continental Borderland offshore from Oceanside is not currently a pure-strike-slip tectonic regime but rather a strike-slip mixed with reverse faulting regime. When the 52 aftershock focal mechanisms are divided into four groups and the stress inversion is repeated, the change in stress can be described as a progressive counter-clockwise rotation of 14° of the orientation of the maximum principal stress to a more southerly direction, with the greatest change in stress orientation observed shortly after the main shock. The abundance of aftershocks may be related to the large temporal variation in stress orientation that, in turn, may have resulted from the small stress drop of the main shock.
A research based approach to predictive simulation in disaster management

The presentation will describe an innovative collaborative research effort between a university, industry and government agency to research and develop a series if simulation based decision aids. This simulation decision aid, tool, known as SimSeries is designed to be a reliable and research based tool to support decision making and risk mitigation for multiple types of natural and manmade disasters. The first phase of the project objective focus on three areas: (1) Establishment of a theoretically sound framework for a modeling data sources and constructing a series of simulation systems using a hierarchical approach (2) Using this theoretical basis to develop a suite of robust, dynamic simulation tools to support mitigation, training, preparation, and response, and (3) Convert the system into exportable programs that have the ability to interface with existing exercise simulation products. A strong theoretical foundation is critical in the development of SimSeries as this will impact the confidence, accuracy, repeatability and scientific merit associated with the system as well as future models that are constructed using the principles outlined in the methodology. SimSeries will be used to support states, municipalities, private companies, and federal agencies in disaster mitigation and training. The second phase of our project will focus on ensuring that the simulations provide the needed information to support preparedness and mitigation strategies. Agent based simulation approach will be used to do optimization for evacuation routes, first aid, agency network coordination, distribution of lifeline utilities and shelters. Creating an environment to simulate near-real time disaster events will be the third phase of our project. The discrete event simulation, predictive models, agent-based modeling, mitigation plans and GIS will be integrated to form the final platform. The presentation provides an overview of the initial phases of the research. The preliminary platforms that have been developed offer a user friendly system that is robust, flexible and provides valuable information to support decision making.
Powdery Mildew of Field-Grown Tomato in Florida

Powdery mildew was observed affecting mature, field-grown, fresh-market tomatoes in southeastern Florida (St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward counties). Outbreaks were noted in May of 1996 and throughout the spring of 1997. Affected leaves were generally yellow and, in some cases, developed a purplish cast. Whitish areas of fungal growth were often seen in the middle of lesions, but were less prominent than that reported for powdery mildew of field tomato in Hungary (2). Microscopic examination revealed that conidia were produced in chains, contained no fibrosin bodies, and were not dimorphic. Conidial measurements were 33.2 × 15.6 μm, based on 21 samples of five conidia taken from five different fields. These measurements were similar to those for an Erysiphe sp. causing powdery mildew of greenhouse tomato in New York (1). Greenhouse-grown tomato plants, cv. Sunny, in the fourth-true-leaf stage were inoculated with conidia scraped from lesions gathered in commercial fields. A single-edged razor bl...
Axial-Vector Sum Rules for He 3

This paper presents and discusses two sum rules for the axial-vector form factor for the ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$-${\mathrm{H}}^{3}$ isodoublet, the conventional Weisberger-Adler sum rule, and a new plane-wave sum rule. Both sum rules are well satisfied. A method of improving the impulse-approximation estimate of pion-cross-section differences is presented, and the various disintegration cuts and anomalous thresholds inherent in a nuclear dispersion relation are discussed.
Electrically conductive gold nanowires on DNA scaffolds

An electroless-microwave method is described here in order to synthesize electrically conductive gold nano-wires on a DNA. The electrical characterization shows that the gold wires were formed on the DNA. The nanowires were continuous, having low contact resistance, and exhibited the Ohmic behavior of electrodes. These nanowires were found to be in a few micrometers long having the diameter of 10-15 nm in solution and 20-30 nm in immobilized DNA with resistivity comparable to pure metal. The nanowires fabricated here could be used as building blocks for functional nanodevices, sensors, and optoelectronics.
The two to four-cell embryos as source tissue of the tetrapeptide preventing ovulations in the hamster†

A tetrapeptide compound, derived from oviductal contents at 40 hours post-coitus, prevents ovulation when injected subcutaneously into cyclic hamsters (Kent, '73). The present experiments were designed to determine whether the source of the tetrapeptide is from the ova, embryos, oviducts or semen. Oviducts were either untouched or ligated at the ovarian or uterine end to limit contents to embryos, semen or ova and the contents then recovered at 40 hours pc and injected into cyclic hamsters. The results indicate that the source of the tetrapeptide is the embryos.
Partially correlated phase smearing

Abstract Under the appropriate circumstances the effect of partially correlated phase smearing on the sum and difference de Haas-van Alphen frequencies generated through magnetic interaction can be treated as if the phase distribution of the two interacting oscillations were fully correlated.
Exchange rate-based stabilization in Latin America

Abstract This paper examines the use of the exchange rate as a nominal anchor for achieving price stability in Latin America. It will explore the impact of exchange rate anchoring on the real sector by analyzing five stabilization programs. The paper will identify conditions that make exchange rate-based stabilization successful and those that lead to its failure. It will also demonstrate that while the income effect can be instrumental in describing consumption booms associated with exchange rate-based stabilizations, the popular view based on the credibility hypothesis fails to explain key events associated with such programs.
Phospholipid regulation of a cyclic AMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE4) from U937 cells.

Abstract The regulation of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) by various phospholipids was explored using PDE4 partially purified from U937 cells. Preincubation (5 min, 4°C) of the large molecular weight PDE4 denoted “Peak 2 PDE4” with mixed phosphatidic acids (PAs) produced a 2-fold increase in its V max without changing its K m (∼2 μM) for cyclic AMP. This “activation” was not limited to PAs with specific fatty acid substituents: Synthetic PAs containing saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids 16–20 carbons long produced similar effects. Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) and phosphatidylserines (PSs) also induced PDE4 activation, whereas phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and diacylglycerol did not. Antibodies to a peptide region near the PDE4 catalytic site specifically inhibited PA-induced activation. The data demonstrate that anionic phospholipids can act as non-essential activators of a leukocyte PDE4, and suggest biochemical crosstalk between phospholipid-dependent and cyclic AMP-dependent signalling pathways in human leukocytes.
Granular semiconductor/pyroelectric media as a tunable plasmonic crystal

We show that pyroelectric/semiconductor granular systems might effectively operate in terahertz range of frequencies due to coupling between electromagnetic waves and movable electron and/or hole islands, which should exist in such media. The optical properties of the system are similar to uniaxial crystals but, in contrast to usual crystal, the main parameters of the system can be easily tuned by an external electric and magnetic field. Such granular systems may find application as tunable selective absorbers and detectors of terahertz radiation.
Hindrances to the Development of an Ethnic Economy among Mexican Migrants

To immigrants who cherish the goal of building an ethnic economy, a community divided by differences in legal status and class backgrounds can be an impediment. Mexicans, the largest Hispanic group and major contributor of unauthorized labor flows to the United States, face difficulties in Chicago because migratory processes and larger politico-economic forces foster cleavages within their entrepreneurial sector. Despite their long-term presence, Mexican-owned firms in Chicago are small and lack integration with regional markets. While low educational levels and lack of skills contribute to their limited growth, conflicts of interests among local business-owners regarding the presence of undocumented workers also impede their development. By focusing on the issues that divide an immigrant business class, we can better understand the success or lack of success of different immigrant groups.
CSTutor: a pen-based tutor for data structure visualization

We present CSTutor, a sketch-based interface designed to help students understand data structures. It currently supports Linked Lists, Binary Search Trees, AVL Trees, and Heaps, and creates an environment in which a user's sketched diagram and code are combined seamlessly. In each of the data structure modes, the user can naturally sketch a data structure on the canvas just as they would on the white board. CSTutor analyzes the user's diagrams in real time, and automatically generates code in a separate code view to reflect any changes the user has made. Additionally, the code can also be edited and any new code changes animate the data structure drawn on the canvas. The connection between the data structure drawn on the canvas and the code implementation is intended to bridge the gap between the conceptual diagram of a data structure and the actual implementation. We also present the results of a perceived usefulness survey. The results of the study indicate that the majority of students would find CSTutor helpful for learning data structures.
Data analytic methods for latent partially ordered classification models

Summary. A general framework is presented for data analysis of latent finite partially ordered classification models. When the latent models are complex, data analytic validation of model fits and of the analysis of the statistical properties of the experiments is essential for obtaining reliable and accurate results. Empirical results are analysed from an application to cognitive modelling in educational testing. It is demonstrated that sequential analytic methods can dramatically reduce the amount of testing that is needed to make accurate classifications.
Validation of smoking abstinence in newly diagnosed cardiovascular patients

Three methods of assessing smoking status among newly diagnosed cardiovascular (CV) patients were compared: self-reports, collateral reports (spouse, friend, etc.), and saliva cotinine assays. Self-reported smoking status was assessed as the average number of cigarettes smoked per day at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months into treatment, and at a 6-month posttreatment follow-up. The majority of patients had quit smoking within 6 months prior to participating in the program. All participants were informed at the onset of the study and at the time of each assessment that their self-reports of smoking abstinence would be validated through collateral reports and possibly saliva cotinine analyses. Less than 5% (13 of 274) of the subjects' self-reports showed discrepancies with collateral reports. Analyses of saliva cotinine assays in a subsample of subjects, however, indicated that 16% (13 of 81) of the saliva cotinine tests were discrepant with the collateral reports. Thus, the saliva cotinine analyses picked up an additional 11% false negatives, as compared to collateral reports. It is concluded that the use of collateral reports as an index of smoking status may be an overestimate of actual quit rates. The overall discrepancy rate for this study, however, was fairly low and suggests that patients' self-reports may be reliable when they have already quit on their own and/or are notified in advance of verification procedures.
Effects of β-funaltrexamine and naloxonazine on single-trial morphine-conditioned place preference and locomotor activity

Abstract The current study assessed the ability of the selective irreversible μ-opioid receptor antagonists β-funaltrexamine (βFNA) and naloxonazine (NALZ) to alter the locomotor and rewarding effects of a single intravenous injection of morphine using the conditioned place preference (CPP) model. In the first experiment, rats were conditioned with a single injection of morphine (10 mg/kg iv) paired with one compartment of a CPP apparatus and then were tested for CPP at either 1 or 7 days after conditioning. Rats showed hypoactivity following acute morphine on the conditioning trial and showed CPP when tested either 1 or 7 days later. In the next experiments, rats were pretreated with βFNA (20 mg/kg sc, 20 h before conditioning), NALZ (15 or 30 mg/kg sc, 24 h before conditioning) or saline and then were conditioned with a single injection of morphine (10 mg/kg iv) or saline. Pretreatment with NALZ alone, but not βFNA, significantly decreased locomotor activity; neither antagonist alone produced a significant shift in preference for either compartment of the CPP apparatus. Pretreatment with either βFNA or NALZ blocked completely morphine-induced hypoactivity, but neither antagonist had a significant effect on morphine CPP. These results indicate that μ-opioid receptors are more critically involved in acute morphine-induced hypoactivity than in acute morphine reward.
Opsin photoisomerases in the chick retina and pineal gland: characterization, localization, and circadian regulation.

PURPOSE. The chick retina and pineal gland exhibit circadian oscillations in biochemical and physiological processes in vivo and in vitro, which entrain to 24-hour light- dark cycles. However, the phototransduction mechanisms responsible for entrainment are largely unknown. The present study characterizes two candidate opsinlike genes that may play a role in entrainment of the clocks in these tissues. METHODS. Bioinformatics, cladistic techniques, and in situ hybridization and Northern blot analyses were conducted to characterize, localize, and determine the circadian expression of the candidate opsinlike genes in the retina and pineal gland. RESULTS. Two candidate photosensors and/or photoisomerases were predominantly distributed within the pineal gland and retina: the retinal pigmented epithelium-derived rhodopsin homologue (peropsin, gRrh) and retinal G-protein- coupled receptor opsin (RGR opsin, gRgr). Northern blot and in situ analyses revealed mRNA expression for both opsins in the pineal gland, retina, and brain tissue. The mRNA for both genes within the pineal gland and retina is regulated on a circadian basis such that they are highest in late subjective day. Digoxigenin in situ analyses showed retinal gRgr message within the inner nuclear layer (INL) and retinal ganglion cell layer (RGL), whereas gRrh message was distributed predominantly in the RGL. In the pineal gland, gRgr message was sparsely distributed among pinealocytes in follicles, but not within the follicles themselves, whereas gRrh was localized in interstitial areas indicative of astrocytic and/or endothelial origin. CONCLUSIONS. The presence of two putative photoisomerases within the pineal gland and in retinal layers associated with biological clock function provides two candidate opsinlike genes that may serve in the visual cycle regulation of the circadian clock.
Enhancement of surface ligand display on PLGA nanoparticles with amphiphilic ligand conjugates

Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles are widely recognized as efficacious drug delivery vehicles, yet the rational engineering of nanoparticle surfaces in order to improve biodistribution, reduce clearance, and/or improve targeting remains a significant challenge. We have previously demonstrated that an amphiphilic conjugate of avidin and palmitic acid can be used to modify poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particle surfaces to display functional avidin groups, allowing for the facile attachment of biotinylated ligands for targeting or steric stabilization. Here, we hypothesized that the incorporation, density, and stability of surface-presented avidin could be modulated through varying the lipophilicity of its fatty acid conjugate partner. We tested this hypothesis by generating a set of novel conjugates incorporating avidin and common fatty acids. We found that conjugation to linoleic acid resulted in a ~60% increase in the incorporation of avidin on the nanoparticle surface compared to avidin-palmitic acid, which exhibited the highest avidin incorporation in previous studies. Further, the linoleic acid-avidin conjugate yielded nanoparticles with enhanced ability to bind biotinylated ligands compared to the previous method; nanoparticles modified with avidin-linoleic acid bound ~170% more biotin-HRP than those made with avidin-palmitic acid and ~1300% more than particles made without conjugated avidin. Most critically, increased ligand density on anti-CD4-targeted nanoparticles formulated with the linoleic acid-avidin conjugate resulted in a 5% increase in binding of CD4(+) T cells. Thus we conclude that the novel avidin-linoleic acid conjugate facilitates enhanced ligand density on PLGA nanoparticles, resulting in functional enhancement of cellular targeting.
A 6-Month Pilot Study of Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Life Satisfaction with a Sample of Three Generations of Women

This pilot study assessed possible changes in Life Satisfaction across three generations of women after a 6-mo. physical activity intervention. The primary purpose of the study was to test the study design and discover critical issues that should be controlled for or changed in a follow-up study. A quasi-experimental design was used to assign randomly a convenience sample of participant triads into two groups: a home-based group (n = 27) and a control group (n = 9). Daughters were premenarcheal (n = 13, M = 10.1 yr., SD = 1.5), mothers were premenopausal (n = 13, M = 37.2 yr., SD = 4.2), and grandmothers were postmenopausal (n = 11, M = 61.5 yr., SD = 4.4). Life Satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Participation in physical activity was measured using the Physical Best Physical Activity Questionnaire and a pedometer to count the number of steps taken per day. Compared with the control group, participants in the home-based group generally increased physical activity but their s...
Predictors of self-assessed health, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in nursing home residents at week 1 postrelocation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if person factors, situation factors, and cognitive appraisal predict health outcomes during the first week postrelocation in older adults relo...
Validation of gel-free, label-free quantitative proteomics approaches: Applications for seed allergen profiling

Plant seeds provide a significant portion of the protein present in the human diet, but are also the major contributors of allergenic proteins that cause a majority of the reported cases of food-induced anaphylaxis. New varieties of grains and nuts as well as other seeds could be screened for allergen content before they are introduced as cultivars for food production using mass spectrometry-based quantitation approaches. Here, we present a practical comparison of gel-free and label-free methods, peak integration and spectral counting, using a linear trap mass spectrometer. The results show that both methods are linear and reproducible with protein standards from 5-200 ng, however, bioinformatic analysis for spectral counting is much simpler and therefore more amenable to high-throughput sample processing. We therefore applied spectral counting towards the analysis of transgenic peanut lines targeting the reduction of a prominent allergen. Spectral count analysis of an Ara h 2 (conglutin-7) RNA-silenced line confirmed reduction of this allergen as well as Ara h 6 (conglutin), which was further confirmed by quantitative immunoblotting. Other collateral changes include an increase in Ara h 10 (oleosin 1) in one of the three lines, a decrease in conarachin as well as increased 13-lipoxygenase and Ahy-3 (arachin) in two of three lines.