cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microfluidic proportional flow controller

Precise flow control in microfluidic chips is important for many biochemical assays and experiments at microscale. While several technologies for controlling fluid flow have been implemented either on- or off-chip, these can provide either high-speed or high-precision control, but seldom could accomplish both at the same time. Here we describe a new on-chip, pneumatically activated flow controller that allows for fast and precise control of the flow rate through a microfluidic channel. Experimental results show that the new proportional flow controllers exhibited a response time of approximately 250 ms, while our numerical simulations suggest that faster actuation down to approximately 50 ms could be achieved with alternative actuation schemes.
Interactions of a human salivary proline-rich glycoprotein nonapeptide functional domain with model surfaces

The homeostasis of the tooth's hydroxyapatite-like surface is primarily maintained by a proteinaceous film called the acquired enamel pellicle (AEP). Human saliva contains a family of proline-rich proteins (PRPs) which are among the first biomolecules to adsorb to the tooth's surface, and consequently are deemed essential to AEP formation and function. One particular member of the PRPs, the proline-rich glycoprotein (PRG), has several areas of conserved sequence. One of these regions, G(1)-P(2)-P(3)-P(4)-H(5)-P(6)-G(7)-K(8)-P(9), or PRG9, occurs twice and has several proline residues occurring in different types of physico-chemical environments. An investigation into the static and dynamic adsorption processes of this peptide onto model surfaces (i.e. non-siliconized and siliconized germanium plates) was accomplished in this study. PRG9 was found to adsorb tightly to the non-siliconized germanium plates at near-monolayer thicknesses in both the static and the dynamic flow experiments. However, the peptide...
Ichthyotic‐Appearing Skin Changes Associated with Childhood Morphea, Systemic Sclerosis, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus/Scleroderma Overlap

Ichthyotic-appearing skin changes have been associated with autoimmune disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis in adults. We report three children with ichthyotic-appearing skin changes that may be an early feature reflecting underlying dermal sclerosis. Detection of these subtle skin changes may be predictive of more widespread cutaneous involvement, ultimately prompting earlier treatment.
An Experimental Investigation of Unsteady and Steady Circulation Control for an Elliptical Airfoil

c K = . The experimental results demonstrate that unsteady circulation control with phase shifts of 45° and 90° at an appropriate frequency (102.4 Hz ) near the baseline vortex shedding frequency of the uncontrolled model and duty cycle ( 50% ) can improve lift generation in comparison with steady blowing and with reduced mass flow rates. However, the noise generated by the present actuators is significant, and unsteady circulation control produce considerably more noise than its steady counterpart for similar lift. Finally, substantial noise reduction is demonstrated via appropriate phase shift operation of the valves. Nomenclature
Nonlinear analysis on vertical distribution of suspended load

Abstract In turbulent two-phase flows, the vertical distribution of suspended load has complex features under the actions of turbulence and gravity. The nonlinear dynamics and fractal features are investigated, and the nonlinear distribution is calculated. Some shortcomings of classical theories have been overcome.
AN APPROACH TO THE RELIGIOUS GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES: PATTERNS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN 19521

(1961). AN APPROACH TO THE RELIGIOUS GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES: PATTERNS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IN 1952. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 139-193.
The Role of Atomic Collisions in Space Phenomena

Collisions involving electrons, photons, and atomic systems are important in upper atmospheric and astrophysical phenomena and in the exploration of space. Some of these types of reactions are enumerated and described. Examples are given of their significance with respect to diffusion in the atmosphere; radio communications and radar tracking; the excitation and study of the airglow and aurorae; the Van Allen radiation belts; estimation of densities, composition, and temperatures of nebulae and stellar atmospheres; the mapping of hydrogen in interstellar space; and the erosion of space vehicles and planets. Some of the work at the Georgia Institute of Technology on ion mobilities, ion-molecule reactions, ionization, and charge transfer is described.
Design of a low-cost nano-manipulator which utilizes a monolithic, spatial compliant mechanism

Abstract This paper presents the design of a novel, low-cost nano-manipulator which uses a six-axis compliant mechanism which is driven by electromagnetic actuators. The mechanism's monolithic, planar geometry is easily fabricated via planar manufacturing processes, enables compact packaging and incorporates a flexure mechanism for achieving small transmission ratios. The manipulator tolerates ±1 mm actuator misalignment with less than 0.1% full-scale position error. Measurements over a 100 nm × 100 nm × 100 nm work volume show resolution better than our measurement capability of 5 nm and open-loop parasitic errors less than 5 nm. Measurements over a 100 μm × 100 μm × 100 μm work volume show open loop errors less than 0.2% full-scale. The mechanism's equilateral symmetry and planar geometry make it possible to limit thermal drift in position and orientation to less than 23 nm and 4 μrad over a 30 min start up period. The nano-manipulator, built at US$ 2000 cost (excludes electronics), is used as an ultra-precision fiber optic aligner.
Activated Carbon and Ion Exchange Treatments for Removing Phenolics and Phytate from Peanut Protein Products

Commercial defatted peanut flour and laboratory defatted peanut meal contained 1.5 and 1.7% phytate, 1756 and 2033 μg g−1 total phenolic acids and 50 and 120 μg g−1 neutral phenolics, respectively. Laboratory peanut protein isolate contained undetectable amounts of neutral phenolics, 810 μg g−1 total phenolic acids and about 1% phytate. The ion exchange treatment removed ≥85% of the phytate and the ion exchange and activated carbon treatments removed 92 and 82%, respectively, of the total phenolic acids from peanut protein isolate. p-Coumaric acid was the major phenolic acid, accounting for 40–68% of the total phenolic acids in all peanut protein products.
Estimates for the topological degree and related topics

This is a survey paper on estimates for the topological degree and related topics which range from the characterizations of Sobolev spaces and BV functions to the Jacobian determinant and nonlocal filter problems in Image Processing. These results are obtained jointly with Bourgain and Brezis. Several open questions are mentioned.
Selenium-Binding Protein 1 expression in ovaries and ovarian tumors in the laying hen, a spontaneous model of human ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective. Reduced Selenium-Binding Protein 1 (SELENBP1) expression was recently shown in multiple cancers. There is little information on the expression and function of SELENBP1 in cancer progression. In order to develop a better understanding of the role of SELENBP1 in ovarian cancer, our objective was to determine if SELENBP1 is expressed in the normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in the egg-laying hen, a spontaneous model of human ovarian cancer. Methods. SPB1 mRNA expression in normal ovary ( n =20) and ovarian tumors ( n =23) was evaluated by RT-PCR. Relative levels of mRNA were compared by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in selected samples. SELENBP1 protein expression was evaluated by 1D Western blot and immunohistochemistry with a commercial anti-human SELENBP1 antibody. Results. SELENBP1 mRNA and protein was expressed in 100% of normal and ovarian tumors and qRT-PCR confirmed decreased mRNA expression in 80% of ovarian tumors. SELENBP1 was primarily localized in surface epithelial cells of normal ovaries. In ovaries containing early tumor lesions, SELENBP1 expression was reduced in the surface epithelium near the tumor and was expressed in tumor cells, while more distant regions with normal histology retained SELENBP1 expression in the surface epithelium. Conclusions. We have shown for the first time that SELENBP1 is expressed in both normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in the hen and that SELENBP1 expression is altered in the vicinity of the tumor. Furthermore, SELENBP1 expression in normal ovarian surface epithelium and in ovarian tumors parallels that previously reported for ovarian cancer in women .
Synthetic studies of polyene macrolides, synthesis of a C29–37 fragment for amphotericin B and nystatin

Abstract An enantioselective synthesis of a C29–37 fragment common to both amphotericin B 1 and nystatin 2 is described from ethyl 3(S)-hydroxybutanote.
High-resolution crosswell imaging of a west Texas carbonate reservoir: Part 4 - Reflection imaging

Reliable crosswell reflection imaging is a challenging task, even after the data have been wavefield-separated in the time domain. Residual, strong coherent noise is still present in the data. Stacking is complicated by the wide range of reflection incidence angles available for imaging. With wavelengths of a few feet, small misalignments as a result of velocity or geometric errors produce destructive interference and degrade the quality of the stacked image. We present an imaging sequence that addressed these complications and allowed us to produce high-quality stacked images for both P- and S-waves from a large-volume crosswell data set. A very good tie was achieved at both wells. Heterogeneities imaged from well to well included very thin beds [less than 5 ft (1.5 m) thick] within the reservoir, pinchouts, and a major angular unconformity-the Grayburg/San Andres-that could not be observed reliably with any other technique (log correlation, surface seismic imaging, or tomography). In fact, the produced crosswell reflection images exhibit dramatically higher resolution and continuity than the P-wave traveltime tomogram.
Solubilization of genistein in poly(oxyethylene) through eutectic crystal melting.

Solid–liquid phase diagrams of binary crystalline blends of genistein with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were established experimentally and theoretically based on the combined Flory–Huggins free energy of liquid–liquid phase separation and the phase field free energy pertaining to crystal solidification. The liquidus lines obtained self-consistently were found to agree well with trends of depressed crystal melting transitions in genistein/PEO and genistein/PEG blends, exhibiting eutectic phase behavior. Of particular importance is the lowering of the eutectic temperature of the genistein/PEO blend by about 60 °C upon switching to the genistein/PEG system. The occurrence of interspecies hydrogen bonding between genistein molecules and both PEO and PEG chains, albeit weak, was noticed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The improved solubility of genistein in PEG can be attributed not only to lowering of the molecular weight of PEG utilized, but also to its terminal hyd...
Using computational manipulatives to support story construction by early and emergent readers

Our objective is to give emergent readers an engaging, interactive learning experience to help develop their reading and early writing skills. To this end, we have created a software tool to help these learners develop better sight word recognition and reading ability. Our iPad application allows users to combine word tiles into sentences and stories and hear the results spoken aloud. It provides a creative way for children to interact with text. This paper describes the designs of both the student-facing and teacher-facing parts of our system.
The anatomy of the peripheral nerve and its ensheathing artery in the horseshoe crab, Xiphosura (Limulus) polyphemus.

The remarkable relationship between elements of the circulatory and nervous systems in Xiphosura (Limulus) polyphemus has been investigated by light and electron microscopy. The arterial wall consists of sheets of fibrocytes which alternate with fibrous lamellae. Each fibrous lamella, which is presumably derived from fibrocytes, may be divided into three zones: (a) two amorphous or finely granular regions which lie adjacent to fibrocytes and in which are embedded small filaments, and (b) a central fibrous zone whose constituent filaments are randomly oriented and posses an axial periodicity of 500 A. Unlike the blood vessels of the leech and earthworm, those of Limulus are not lined by endothelial cells. At irregular intervals, near the lumenal side of the artery, are groups of two or three striated muscle cells. The peripheral nerve trunk may be composed almost entirely of large axons or may contain both large and small ones. In the latter case, the small axons are centrally located within the trunk while the large ones are peripheral. In all cases, the large axons are always individually enclosed by one or more Schwann cells. The small axons, on the other hand, are encompassed by processes of glial cells. Thus the relation of the axons to glial elements in Limulus differs from that found in other invertebrates.
METAL-SEMIMETAL TRANSITIONS IN THE EXTENDED HUBBARD MODEL ON THE FCC LATTICE : IMPLICATIONS FOR SUPERCONDUCTING FULLERIDES

We present results from a Hartree-Fock analysis of the extended Hubbard model on the face-centered-cubic lattice. For positive U there are three metallic states at half-filling. As a result of frustration, the ordinary single-band metallic state undergoes a second-order transition (with increasing U) to a spin-density-wave semimetal at small V and to a charge-density-wave (CDW) semimetal at larger V. The semimetals give way to insulators at larger U. In an earlier paper we have shown that a similar CDW semimetal exists for U0, a state that is stabilized by V and becomes superconducting at low temperatures. In the positive U case, the CDW semimetal would require additional retarded interactions (that are always present) to become superconducting. Combining these results, a phase diagram is obtained showing that the CDW semimetal occupies a substantial region of the parameter space. Next, we extend our mean-field analysis away from half-filling in the negative-U case to study the behavior of the CDW-superconducting state across the metal-insulator transition. We find that the superconducting transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ has a minimum slightly above half-filling. In either direction ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ increases rapidly as the CDW is weakened and acquires maximum values at the semimetal-metal transition where the direct CDW gap vanishes. Implications for alkali fullerides are discussed.
Polarimetric imaging of underwater targets

Underwater imaging is challenging because of the significant attenuation of light due to absorption and scattering of light in water. Using polarization properties of light is one of the options for improving image quality. We present results of imaging of a polarized target in open ocean (Curacao) and coastal (NY Bight) waters. The target in the shape of a square is divided into several smaller squares, each of which is covered with a polarizing film with different polarization orientations or transmission coefficients was placed on a mirror and imaged under water by a green-band full-Stokes polarimetric video camera at the full range of azimuth angles against the Sun. The values of the Stokes vector components from the images are compared with the modeled image of the target using radiative transfer code for the atmosphere-ocean system combined with the simple imaging model. It is shown that even in clear water the impact of the water body on the polarized underwater image is very significant and retrieval of target polarization characteristics from the image is extremely challenging.
Capitalism and the competition for Swazi labour, 1945–1960

In May 1947 the Native Recruiting Corporation (NRC), the labour recruiting arm of the Transvaal Chamber of Mines in Swaziland, retired its District Superintendent, J.E. Horsfall, and replaced him with a new man previously posted in Basutoland, F.A. Lesrend Whittle. ' The new District Superintendent was brought in to reorganise and vitalise the NRC operation in the district, which included Swaziland and portions of the eastern Transvaal and northern Natal, an operation which was falling further and further behind in its goals. Whittle was given a two-fold mandate. He was to cut costs, principally by placing company recruiters on salary, gradually terminating the schedule of capitation fees (generally ranging from ?1. 1Os. to ?2 per recruit) which had prevailed since before World War I. Second, he was to increase 'output' numbers of recruits which had been lagging, sometimes declining, since the late 1930s. Increased labour demands attendant on the postwar opening of the new goldfields in the eastern Orange Free State made even a steady or modestly increasing rate of output unacceptable. 2 Whittle took a year to break himself in to his new tasks and to observe the efforts of his various recruiters in the field. Then between January and July 1948 he wrote a letter to each agent, enumerating each station's output annually back to 1936 (for totals see Table 1), and detailing the inadequacy of each one's efforts and results. The tone of the letters ranged from correct to politely contemptuous. He remarked, for instance, to J.C. McSeveney at Piet Retief,
Economic, psychological, and sociological determinants of voluntary turnover

Abstract Economists, psychologists, and sociologists have all contributed to the understanding of voluntary labor turnover. We argue for an integrated explanatory model which incorporates variables from each perspective. Such a model is presented and then estimated. Data from a cohort of 135 recently hired registered nurses employed by a university hospital are analyzed to assess the effects of the various explanatory variables on turnover during one year of employment. Turnover is measured by organization records for 12 months following the administration of the questionnaire designed to measure the independent variables. The integrated model portrays the work conditions, environmental conditions, and employee characteristics as primarily affecting turnover by impacting on the intervening variables of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and intent to stay. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression and logistic regression are used in the analysis. The data indicate support for sociological, economic, and psychological determinants of voluntary turnover. These findings are discussed from the perspective of Etzioni's claims about the importance of the moral dimension for explaining economic behavior such as turnover.
Experimental infections of various animals with strains of the genus Tetrahymena

SYNOPSIS. A comparative study of five species of Tetrahymena, including thirteen strains, was made to ascertain their ability to act as facultative parasites. A variety of experimental hosts, including both vertebrates and invertebrates, were inoculated with axenic cultures of protozoa. Infections were numerous in both larval and adult insects. Tissues of living vertebrates were invaded by one species of Tetrahymena through artificially produced wounds.
CHARACTERIZATION OF PENILE ANDROGEN RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN MICROPENIS DUE TO HYPOGONADOTROPIC HYPOGONADISM

AbstractPurpose: The recommendation to treat micropenis with androgen early in infancy and childhood is based on the fact that the normal penile androgen receptor decreases in concentration 2 to 3-fold in early adulthood. Hypothetically the early administration of androgen takes advantage of elevated penile androgen receptor concentration, resulting in optimal penile growth. We verify that there are similar patterns of androgen receptor expression in micropenis and the normal penis.Materials and Methods: We used a strain of mice with micropenis due to congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HPG). Affected mice and normal controls were sacrificed before puberty, and during puberty and early and late adulthood (15, 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively). At autopsy the penis was removed, weighed, pooled and processed for protein extraction. Androgen receptor concentration was determined by Western blot analysis.Results: In controls penile androgen receptor expression increased 2-fold from before puberty (0.49 ...
Synthesis and LCST behavior of thermally responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/layered silicate nanocomposites

Stimuli responsive polymeric hydrogel composites were synthesized by room temperature copolymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide and methylene bisacrylamide (crosslinking monomer) in an aqueous suspension of Na-montmorillonite. Hydrogels containing 3.5 weight% of montmorillonite exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) similar to unmodified PNIPAM hydrogel (approximately 32 C), and underwent a reversible 60--70% volume shrinkage when heated from ambient temperature to above the LCST. However, hydrogels containing 10 weight% montmorillonite did not exhibit a measurable LCST, and underwent considerably less shrinkage when heated. A solvent exchange reaction was used to replace the water with an acrylic monomer, which was polymerized in-situ to create a delaminated montmorillonite/polymer nanocomposite.
Stochastic Optimal Control and Estimation Methods Adapted to the Noise Characteristics of the Sensorimotor System

Optimality principles of biological movement are conceptually appealing and straightforward to formulate. Testing them empirically, however, requires the solution to stochastic optimal control and estimation problems for reasonably realistic models of the motor task and the sensorimotor periphery. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of incorporating biologically plausible noise into such models. Here we extend the linear-quadratic-gaussian framework—currently the only framework where such problems can be solved efficiently—to include controldependent, state-dependent, and internal noise. Under this extended noise model, we derive a coordinate-descent algorithm guaranteed to converge to a feedback control law and a nonadaptive linear estimator optimal with respect to each other. Numerical simulations indicate that convergence is exponential, local minima do not exist, and the restriction to nonadaptive linear estimators has negligible effects in the control problems of interest. The application of the algorithm is illustrated in the context of reaching movements. A Matlab implementation is available at www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~todorov.
Gender and Racial Differences in the Looking and Talking Behaviors of Mothers and Their 3-Year-Old Prematurely Born Children

This study examined the relationship of child gender and maternal race to the looking and talking interactions of fifty-four 3-year-old prematurely born children and their mothers. More gender differences occurred for looking than for talking, whereas racial differences were stronger for talking than for looking. Transitional probabilities between looking situations suggested that gender differences occurred because girls were more likely to respond when their mothers were looking at them than were boys. Transitional probabilities between talking situations suggested that racial differences occurred because non-White mothers (African Americans and Native Americans in this study) were less likely to respond when their children were talking to them than were White mothers. The only significant interaction of gender by race was with White mothers who were more likely to respond when their girls were talking. When analyses were repeated, controlling for the effects of intelligence quotient, gestational age, neurobiologic risk score, and socioeconomic status (SES), gender differences for looking situations became smaller, whereas racial differences for talking situations became larger. Gender and ethnicity differences for looking and talking interactions cannot be explained by simple differences in health status or SES. These differences may possibly be related to the differential brain functions and hormonal effects of boys and girls, as well as to differential socialization that influences gender identity and gender roles. They also may be related to the higher incidence of language delays in non-White children and to differences in sociocultural norms and parenting between White and non-White mothers.
Thrombin induces increased expression and secretion of angiopoietin-2 from human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Angiogenesis is required for tumor growth and metastasis. It has recently been suggested that thrombin is a potent promoter of angiogenesis. We therefore examined the possibility that thrombin could be inducing the expression of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), necessary for remodeling. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with or without thrombin (1 U/mL) for 1 to 24 hours and then examined for messenger RNA (mRNA) by Northern analysis. Enhanced mRNA expression (about 4-fold over baseline) was noted at 4 hours. Enhanced expression of Ang-2 mRNA was secondary to enhanced transcription (about 4-fold), with no effect on stabilization. Enhanced Ang-2 mRNA transcription was inhibited by H7 and PD98059, indicating the requirement of serine/threonine kinases as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Up-regulation of mRNA was associated with enhanced Ang-2 protein synthesis and secretion as assayed by immunoblot. Thrombin-induced secreted Ang-2 inhibited the binding of recombinant 35S–Ang-1 to its Tie-2–Fc receptor, demonstrating functionality. Hirudin reversed this effect, demonstrating thrombin specificity. Thus, thrombin-induced tumorigenesis and metastasis is associated with enhanced Ang-2 protein synthesis and secretion via enhanced transcription of Ang-2. This could help explain how thrombin promotes angiogenesis.
Temporal patterns of sex pheromone titers and release rates in Holomelina lamae (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

Six hydrocarbon components (2-methylhexadecane,n-heptadecane, 2-methylheptadecane, 2-methyloctadecane,n-nonadecane, and 2-methylnonadecane) were identified in sex-pheromone gland extracts and in airborne collections ofHolomelina lamae. Low variability in the ratio of components among individuals indicates tight regulation of blend composition. Minor changes were evident in the quantity and ratio of the blend as a function of time of day. Based on gland extracts, the total quantity of the six components increased from day 1 (X = 6299 ng) to day 4 (X = 7498 ng) and subsequently decreased. No significant correlations were found between total gland contents and wet or dry weights of moths. Emission rates ofH. lamae females were determined from pheromone adsorbed onto Porapak Q. Quantities released peaked shortly after the onset of calling and decreased rapidly as calling continued. Peak release rates ranged from 13 to 350 ng/10 min, and from 37 to 835 ng/60 min. Noncalling females did not emit detectable quantities of pheromone. Based on release rates and the rate of pulsation of the abdominal tip, the average amount released per pulse is not constant. The mean ratio of components released (0.78∶7.45∶ 84.80∶2.84∶2.59∶1.53) was not very different from the ratio of components in gland extracts of 2-day-old females (0.70∶4.19∶90.12∶ 1.65∶1.91∶1.42). We propose that the blend is atomized rather than volatilized from the gland, thus retaining nearly the same ratios in the female's effluvium as in her gland.
An inverse small molecule screen to design a chemically defined medium supporting long-term growth of Drosophila cell lines.

Drosophila cell culture is used as a model system with multiple applications including the identification of new therapeutic targets in screens, the study of conserved signal transduction pathway mechanisms, and as an expression system for recombinant proteins. However, in vitro methods for Drosophila cell and organ cultures are relatively undeveloped. To characterize the minimal requirements for long-term maintenance of Drosophila cell lines, we developed an inverse screening strategy to identify small molecules and synergies stimulating proliferation in a chemically defined medium. In this chemical-genetics approach, a compound–protein interaction database is used to systematically score genetic targets on a screen-wide scale to extract further information about cell growth. In the pilot screen, we focused on two well-characterized cell lines, Clone 8 (Cl.8) and Schneider 2 (S2). Validated factors were investigated for their ability to maintain cell growth over multiple passages in the chemically defined medium (CDM). The polyamine spermidine proved to be the critical component that enables the CDM to support long-term maintenance of Cl.8 cells. Spermidine supplementation upregulates DNA synthesis for Cl.8 and S2 cells and increases MAPK signaling for Cl.8 cells. The CDM also supports the long-term growth of Kc167 cells. Our target scoring approach validated the importance of polyamines, with enrichment for multiple polyamine ontologies found for both cell lines. Future iterations of the screen will enable the identification of compound combinations optimized for specific applications—maintenance and generation of new cell lines or the production and purification of recombinant proteins—thus increasing the versatility of Drosophila cell culture as both a genetic and biochemical model system. Our cumulative target scoring approach improves on traditional chemical-genetics methods and is extensible to biological processes in other species.
Effects of Switch Training on the Communication of Children with Autism and Severe Disabilities.

The use of simple augmentative and alternative communication systems for physically able individuals with autism and severe disabilities has not been sufficiently explored. Individuals with severe physical disabilities have used switches primarily to gain control over their environment, yet these switches have the potential to also serve as communication strategies. Thus, investigation of switch training for communicative purposes is warranted. This action-oriented study examined the effects of switch training on the communication of four functionally nonverbal students with severe disabilities and autism. Several elements of communication were investigated: (a) number of communicative interactions, (b) number of spontaneous communicative interactions, (c) percentage of independent communicative interactions, and (d) number of verbalizations. Results indicated that switch training was an effective strategy for helping the students communicate a simple message. The benefits of switch use and implications f...
Diethylstilbestrol-elicited accumulation of cyclic AMP in incubated rat hypothalamus.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17β-estradiol elicit significant increases in levels of endogenous and [14C\cyclic AMP in [14C\adeninelabeled hypothalami from immature female rats, but only after incubation of the hypothalami with these estrogenic agents for 40–50 min. Estriol has no effect. The 2-fold accumulation of cyclic AMP elicited by low concentrations (20 μM) of DES appears dependent on catecholamine-related mechanisms, since it is prevented by either alphaor beta-adrenergic antagonists. Higher concentrations (100 μM) of DES elicit a 3-fold accumulation of [14C\cyclic AMP which is only partially blocked by adrenergic antagonists, haloperidol, or the adenosine antagonist, theophylline. These phenomena appear to be specific for the hypothalamus since incubation of cerebral cortical slabs with estrogens resulted in no significant increases in the levels of cyclic AMP. The slow time course in whole hypothalami and the complete lack of effects of low concentrations of estrogenic agents in chopped hypothal...
Patent Pools: Licensing Strategies in the Absence of Regulation

Purpose – This chapter examines the licensing behavior of patent pools when they are unconstrained by antitrust rules. Design/methodology/approach – Patent pools allow competing firms to combine their patents and license them as a package to outside firms. Regulators today favor pools that license their patents freely to outside firms, making it difficult to observe the unconstrained licensing strategies of patent pools. This chapter takes advantage of a unique period of regulatory tolerance during the New Deal to investigate the unconstrained licensing decisions of pools. Archival evidence suggests that – in the absence of regulation – pools may not choose to license their technologies. Findings/originality/value – Eleven of twenty pools that formed between 1930 and 1938 did not issue any licenses to outside firms. Three pools granted one, two, and three licenses, respectively, to resolve litigation. Six pools issued between 9 and 185 licenses. Archival evidence suggests that the pools studied in this chapter used licensing as a means to limit competition with substitute technologies.
The Center Still Holds: Liberal Internationalism Survives

Recent research, including an article by Charles Kupchan and Peter Trubowitz in this journal, has argued that the United States' long-standing foreign policy orientation of liberal internationalism has been in serious decline because of rising domestic partisan divisions. A reanalysis of the theoretical logic driving these arguments and the empirical evidence used to support them suggests a different conclusion. Extant evidence on congressional roll call voting and public opinion surveys, which is often used to support the claim that liberal internationalism has declined, as well as new evidence about partisan divisions in Congress using policy gridlock and cosponsorship data from other studies of American politics do not demonstrate the decline in bipartisanship in foreign policy that conventional wisdom suggests. The data also do not show evidence of a Vietnam War or a post–Cold War effect on domestic partisan divisions on foreign policy. Contrary to the claims of recent literature, the data show that g...
A queueing model for optimal segmentation of a token-ring local area network

As nodes are added to a token-ring LAN and compete for the token, the system may experience intolerable congestion or even become unstable. Following Husselbaugh (1995), we use a simple M/GI/1 queueing model to analyse whether a LAN with symmetric traffic should be segmented into subnetworks connected by a bridge. Our model accurately represents traffic as a function of the number of nodes in each segment and explicitly considers the trade off between reduced congestion and the cost of a bridge. We compare our model to the multi-class polling models in the literature on token-ring LANS.
Biomedical prevention: what is the current status?

Biomedical HIV prevention strategies for primary or secondary prevention of HIV transmission can be seen as an adjunct to behavioral prevention approaches. These interventions include vaccination, female controlled vaginal microbicides, male circumcision, treatment of sexually transmitted infections that cause genital ulceration, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). This article reviews results from recent randomized controlled trials of novel biomedical prevention approaches and discusses interpretation of the results. The only intervention consistently demonstrating reductions in HIV transmission was adult male circumcision in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results of PREP trials will be available in the next several years.
The Aging Pandemic: Demographic Changes in the General and End-Stage Renal Disease Populations

The aging of the US population, and Western society populations in general, has been of concern to demographers and health planners for a number of years. The implications of this demographic shift include both increased economic and health care burdens for the United States. The growth of the end-stage renal disease population in the 1980s and 1990s suggested massive increases in this very expensive and frail population. However, recent incidence rates suggest that future growth may not be as great as thought just a few years ago.
The Influence of Nearest Seed Neighbors on Seed Removal in Deciduous Forests

Abstract In the temperate deciduous forests of the northeastern United States, the majority of the dominant tree species disperse their seeds during the fall, causing a heterogeneous mixture of seeds to be present at a specific location at one time. Because these seeds vary in size and palatability to small mammals, some seed species, such as Quercus acorns, may alter the risk of removal of neighboring, less preferred species. The presence of a neighboring seed could attract seed predators, elevating the risk that a neighboring seed will be removed (apparent competition), or it could divert the attention of seed predators away from a neighboring seed (apparent mutualism). We evaluated the effects of nearest seed neighbors on the survival of 5 different tree species. Using logistic regression we determined whether the species or abundance of nearest neighbors caused changes in the risk of removal. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find any affect of neighboring seed species on the removal rates of o...
The Seasonal Heat Budget of the North Pacific: Net Heat Flux and Heat Storage Rates (1950–1990)

Abstract A new estimate of the heat budget for the North Pacific Ocean is presented in this paper. The seasonal net heat flux and heat storage rates were calculated for the North Pacific Ocean from 1950 to 1990 on a spatial resolution of 5° × 5°. Temperature profiles from the National Ocean Data Center were used to calculate the heat storage rates. Satellite remotely sensed solar irradiance and ship marine weather reports from the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set were used to calculate the net surface heat flux. Heat storage rates were calculated as the time rate of change of the heat content integrated from the surface down to the isotherm that was 1°C less than the coldest locally observed wintertime sea surface temperature, which was defined as the locally observed wintertime ventilation isotherm. The monthly climatology of the 5° × 5° resolution net heat flux was balanced by the heat storage rate for most regions of the North Pacific. To achieve this balance the net heat flux was calculated usi...
Probability Plots and Modern Statistical Software

Probability plots play a key role in the statistical analysis of one-dimensional samples, emphasizing summarization and visualization. As modern workstations with increased power and agile graphics facilities have become widely available, modern statistical software packages are also increasingly emphasizing visualization and graphical exploratory data analysis. One would expect to see in such packages adequate, if not extensive, implementation of probability plotting methods. Nonetheless, the normal Q-Q plot, being a popular tool for assessing the normality of a sample, is the only type usually found (if at all). In this article we briefly review the basic types of probability plots and we make a suggestion as to what may form the base for the development of a general probability plotting procedure. We propose a variant of the P-P plot, instead of the more popular Q-Q plot, as the former enjoys better interpretability and it is more amenable to generalization. In a workstation based computational environment, the functionality and interpretability of P-P plots are even more amenable to improvement.
Regulation of zinc Homeostasis in Yeast by the Zap1 Transcriptional Activator

The array of roles that zinc plays in cellular biochemistry is an amazing example of the utility of metal ions in biology. Zinc is required for the activity of over 300 enzymes including alcohol dehydrogenase, Cu/Zn Superoxide dismutase, carbonic anhydrase, and carboxyproteases (Vallee and Auld, 1990). Moreover, zinc plays an important structural role in many proteins by aiding correct folding of specific subdomains. Certainly the best-known class of proteins that require zinc in this capacity are transcription factors that contain zinc-dependent DNA-binding motifs such as zinc fingers and zinc clusters. These types of proteins are ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms. For example, almost 2% of the genes in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiaecontain zinc-dependent DNA binding domains (Bohm et al., 1997; Schjerling and Holmberg, 1996). When the zinc-dependent enzymes are also considered, perhaps as many as 5% of all yeast proteins require zinc for some aspect of their function.
When did Francisco I. Madero Decide on Revolution

A surprisingly frank letter from Francisco I. Madero, political figurehead of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, to New York publisher William Randolph Hearst casts new light on the difficult question of when Madero finally opted for revolution to topple the 35-year dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911). The letter was dated April 25, 1911, when Madero was with insurrectionary troops fighting at Ciudad Juarez. It contained Madero's responses to some written questions on his role in the Revolution submitted by Hearst through Sonunerfield, an American consular official in Mexico. Madero's answers were to form the basis for a news story in the Hearst newspapers.
Characteristics of low-loss low-crosstalk polarization-maintaining fibers

Polarization-maintaining fibers are used in coherent optical communication systems and optical fiber sensors. To produce coherent optical communication systems, it is important to improve transmission loss of the fibers up to the leve1 of usual single-mode fibers. To use polarization-maintaining fibers for coiled fiber sensors such as a fiber optical gyroscope, it is necessary to improve the polarization stability against bending.
Needs of Prevention Awareness and Health Knowledge on Rabies in Urban and Rural Residents

Objective To explore the prevention awareness and health knowledge needs on rabies in the urban and rural residents.Methods Totally 240 initial patients with animal injury and their accompanying family members in July 2011 were enrolled in the study.A self-designed questionnaire for rabies prevention awareness and health knowledge needs was adopted.Results For the urban and rural residents,"Rabies is a highly lethal disease" was known in 214 cases,accounting for 89.17%.The disposal of reexposure was known in only 62 cases,accounting for 25.83%.Urban and rural residents were different in the health knowledge needs of dog injury after exposure.Urban residents were more concerned about food taboos during the period of vaccination(82.05%) and rural residents were more concerned about the adverse effects of vaccines on the body(78.57%).Conclusion urban and rural residents remain a higher level of awareness of rabies but a lower level of the animal injury prevention knowledge.The level of the related awareness is high.The demand for knowledge,health education work after animal injury is far from meeting the needs of residents,so the relevant departments should strengthen the propaganda and education on rabies prevention and control knowledge through a variety of ways.
538 SUCCESS, LENGTH OF STAY, AND HOSPITAL COSTS OF INFANTS < 90 DAYS WHO HAD IMAGING-ASSISTED LUMBAR PUNCTURES AFTER INITIAL FAILED ATTEMPTS.

Purpose Lumbar puncture (LP) is a routine procedure performed on infants Methods To identify patients less than 90 days of age who were referred to interventional radiology for LP after at least one failed previous attempt, PCMC9s radiology database was queried, from August 2002 through July 2005. Patient medical records were subsequently reviewed. PCMC9s administrative database was queried for the same time period to establish a control group of all hospitalized infants Results 1,547 patients had a successful LP performed during hospitalization, from 08/2002-07/2005. 62 patients (4%) were evaluated for imaging-assisted LP after a failed previous attempt. The ultimate success rate in radiology was 95.2%. 7 patients underwent ultrasound of the thecal sac with no LP attempt secondary to identification of limited fluid below the conus; re-evaluation with ultrasound resulted in success of LP in all 7 patients. Median LOS for the imaging assisted group was longer compared to the control group [70 (IQR 54-117) hrs vs 42 (IQR 57-92) hrs p = .003]. Median cost of hospitalization for the imaging=assisted group was higher compared to the control group [$4,799 (IQR $3,643-$7,271) vs $3,731 ($2,843-$6,364), p = .002]. Conclusions Imaging assistance with either ultrasound or fluoroscopy yields a high success rate for LP in patients that had a previously failed attempt. However, LOS and cost of hospitalization are significantly higher. System-based analysis identifying the contributors, both clinical and technological, to LOS and cost will facilitate standardized intervention strategies to more efficiently manage patients
Design of the Bus Controller of Distributed Control System for the Medium and Small Enterprise

The controller of a new distributed control system, which is suitable for the medium and small enterprise, is designed in this paper. The article introduces the framework of the control system, and develops the hardware system of the controller. The cen-tral control CPU adopts high-performance embedded processor. To simplify the bus interface, SMBus is adopted to realize the inter-connection between CPU board and other function card.
A New View on the Dropout of the Primary and Middle School Students in Agricultural and Pastoral Areas of Tibet:Analysis from the Perspective of Happiness of Study

The students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Tibet get the national preferential policy of "san bao"(promising provide free food,accommodation and textbooks)early,there is the earliest area where has implemented the free compulsory education.However,the problem of primary and middle school students'dropout is still noticeable.According to the questionnaire,the reason of students'dropout mainly lies in the lack of happy in school.Thus,thoroughly solve the students'dropout can not only relies on economy measure,but also it needs to find the breakthrough point from the students'happiness level in study.All of the educational activities in school should make students'studies happy,by that,the school dropout problem which has a long history in Tibetan education can be radically solved.
Continuous whole-system monitoring toward rapid understanding of production HPC applications and systems

Monitoring can provide meaningful system and application profiling in production.Visual and analytical characterizations can inform usage and procurement decisions.Resource utilization scoring provides simple but informative characterizations.Continuous, synchronous, high-fidelity, whole-system monitoring is required. A detailed understanding of HPC applications' resource needs and their complex interactions with each other and HPC platform resources are critical to achieving scalability and performance. Such understanding has been difficult to achieve because typical application profiling tools do not capture the behaviors of codes under the potentially wide spectrum of actual production conditions and because typical monitoring tools do not capture system resource usage information with high enough fidelity to gain sufficient insight into application performance and demands.In this paper we present both system and application profiling results based on data obtained through synchronized system wide monitoring on a production HPC cluster at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). We demonstrate analytic and visualization techniques that we are using to characterize application and system resource usage under production conditions for better understanding of application resource needs. Our goals are to improve application performance (through understanding application-to-resource mapping and system throughput) and to ensure that future system capabilities match their intended workloads.