cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender, Psychological Type and Conflict Style Preference.

Research on the effect of gender on interpersonal conflict in organizational settings has revealed contradictory findings. This research attempts to clarify the issue. One hundred and thirty-five experienced first- and mid-level managers responded to questionnaires regarding gender, psychological type, and conflict style preference. Consistent with previous research, results indicated that gender was related to psychological type: male respondents were predominantly “thinkers” and female respondents were predominantly “feelers.” Psychological type influenced conflict management for only one of five conflict style preferences. “Feelers” were more likely to choose an obliging style than were “thinkers.” Similarly, gender influenced conflict style preference for only one of five conflict management choices. Male respondents had a higher obliging score than did female respondents. Overall, however, results indicated that while psychological type may be a more powerful indicator of conflict style preference th...
Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations

Introduction: The Heartbeat of Cultural Revolution 1. Power to the Pussy - We Don't Wannabe Dicks in Drag 2. Altars of Sacrifice - Re-Membering Basquiat 3. What's Passion Got to Do with It ? An Interview with Marie-France Alderman 4. Seduction and Betrayal - The Crying Game Meets The Bodyguard 5. Censorship from Left and Right 6. Talking Sex - Beyond the Patriarchal Phallic Imaginary 7. Camille Paglia - 'Black' Pagan or White Colonizer 8. Dissident Heat - Fire with Fire 9. Katie Roiphe - A Little Feminist Excess Goes a Long Way 10. Seduced by Violence No More 11. Gangsta Culture - Sexism and Misogyny - Who Will Take the Rap 12. Ice Cube Culture - A Shared Passion for Speaking Truth 13. Spending Culture - Marketing the Black Underclass 14. Spike Lee Doing Malcolm X - Denying Black Pain 15. Seeing and Making Culture - Representing the Poor 16. Back to Black - Ending Internalized Racism 17. Malcolm X - The Longed-For Feminist Manhood 18. Columbus - Gone but Not Forgotten 19. Moving into and beyond Feminism - Just for the Joy of It 20. Love as the Practice of Freedom
Hosts of hydrogen in Allan Hills 84001: Evidence for hydrous martian salts in the oldest martian meteorite?

The martian meteorite, Allan Hills (ALH) 84001, contains D-rich hydrogen of plausible martian origin (Leshin et al., 1996). The phase identity of the host(s) of this hydrogen are not well known and could include organic matter (McKay et al., 1996), phlogopite (Brearley, 2000), glass (Mittlefehldt, 1994) and/or other unidentified components of this rock. Previous ion microprobe studies indicate that much of the hydrogen in ALH 84001 as texturally associated with concretions of nominally anhydrous carbonates, glass and oxides (Boctor et al., 1998; Sugiura and Hoshino, 2000). We examined the physical and chemical properties of the host(s) of this hydrogen by stepped pyrolysis of variously pre-treated subsamples. A continuous-flow method of water reduction and mass spectrometry (Eiler and Kitchen, 2001) was used to permit detailed study of the small amounts of this hydrogen-poor sample available for study. We find that the host(s) of D-rich hydrogen released from ALH 84001 at relatively low temperatures (~500 °C) is soluble in orthophosphoric and dilute hydrochloric acids and undergoes near-complete isotopic exchange with water within hours at temperatures of 200 to 300 °C. These characteristics are most consistent with the carrier phase(s) being a hydrous salt (e.g., carbonate, sulfate or halide); the thermal stability of this material is inconsistent with many examples of such minerals (e.g., gypsum) and instead suggests one or more relatively refractory hydrous carbonates (e.g., hydromagnesite). Hydrous salts (particularly hydrous carbonates) are common on the Earth only in evaporite, sabkha, and hydrocryogenic-weathering environments; we suggest that much (if not all) of the “martian” hydrogen in ALH 84001 was introduced in analogous environments on or near the martian surface rather than through biological activity or hydrothermal alteration of silicates in the crust.
FUJIFILM X10 white orbs and DeOrbIt

The FUJIFILM X10 is a high-end enthusiast compact digital camera using an unusual sensor design. Unfortunately, upon its Fall 2011 release, the camera quickly became infamous for the uniquely disturbing "white orbs" that often appeared in areas where the sensor was saturated. FUJIFILM's first attempt at a fix was firmware released on February 25, 2012 if it had little effect. In April 2012, a sensor replacement essentially solved the problem. This paper explores the "white orb" phenomenon in detail. After FUJIFILM's attempt at a firmware fix failed, the author decided to create a post-processing tool that automatically could repair existing images. DeOrbIt was released as a free tool on March 7, 2012. To better understand the problem and how to fix it, the WWW form version of the tool logs images, processing parameters, and evaluations by users. The current paper describes the technical problem, the novel computational photography methods used by DeOrbit to repair affected images, and the public perceptions revealed by this experiment.
Factors affecting the outcome of autologous bone marrow transplantation

Summary Various protocols have been used at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to improve the results of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for hematopoietic malignancies. Results suggest that patients who undergo ABMT while in complete remission (after induction or reinduction treatment) do better than those who undergo ABMT in incomplete remission. In patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma, the addition of etoposide to the total body irradiation/cyclophosphamide conditioning regimen has decreased the relapse rate from 53% to 7%. For patients with refractory or relapsed Hodgkin's disease, the dosages of different drugs can be altered to improve the overall success. Dose escalation of etoposide shows significant promise. Relapse after ABMT and/or toxic complications are the main factors that need to be addressed in the future. Pulmonary toxicity occurs mainly in patients with mediastinal disease. Factors that can decrease relapse rate and toxicity are discussed.
Health Assessment of Wild Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) in East Tennessee

Abstract During the summer of 2010, physical examinations were performed and blood and feces were collected from Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A total of 175 turtles were collected through incidental encounters and canine searches. Blood samples were analyzed using complete blood counts (n = 169) and plasma biochemistries (n = 162). Reference ranges were established for packed cell volume, white blood cell count and differential, total solids, aspartate aminotransferase, bile acids, creatine kinase, uric acid, phosphorus, total calcium, total protein, potassium, and sodium. Fecal examinations and ectoparasite screens were done on 5 and 85 turtles, respectively; no parasites were found during either of these screening processes. Clinical signs recorded during the physical examinations included: no clinical signs (n = 68), oral discharge (n = 4), conjunctivitis (n = 3), fracture (n = 3), and ocular discharge (n = 3). These results serve as baseline parameters for...
Spatial patterns of fishing effort off San Diego: implications for zonal management and ecosystem function

The essence of ecosystem-based management is managing human practices to conserve the ecosystem. Ecologists focus on understanding the ecosystem, but there are fundamental information gaps including patterns of human exploitation. In particular, the spatial distribution of fishing effort must be known at the scales needed for ecologically relevant management. Fishing is a primary impact on coastal ecosystems, yet catch distribution at scales relevant to habitats and processes are not well known for many fisheries. Here we utilized photographic time series, logbook records, and angler surveys to estimate the intensity and spatial pattern of commercial and recreational fishing. Effort was clearly aggregated for most types of fishing, the motivating factors for effort distribution varied among areas, and effort was coupled or uncoupled to habitat depending on the area and type of fishing. We estimated that approximately 60% and approximately 74% of private recreational and recreational charter vessel fishing effort, respectively, were concentrated into two small areas that also included approximately 78% of commercial sea urchin effort. Exploitation and effort were considerably greater in one kelp forest, which has important implications for patterns of kelp persistence, productivity, and ecosystem function. Areas subject to the greatest recreational fishing pressure appeared to have lower diversity. Our results indicate that fine-scale patterns of fishing effort and exploitation have profound consequences for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. 'Ecosystem-based management of nearshore ecosystems depends on an understanding of the fine-scale patterns of exploitation.
A sub-millimetre aperture synthesis array for nonsolar planet detection

The possibility of using aperture synthesis to image other planetary systems at submillimeter wavelengths is considered. The approach requires only a small increase in dynamic range over that already demonstrated by the VLA at longer wavelengths. The values of the relevant parameters are calculated and presented.
Semicrystalline and amorphous fluorine-containing polyimides

Abstract Semicrystalline and amorphous fluorine-containing polyimides were developed with high transition temperatures and good thermal stability. Polyimides derived from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane (4-BDAF) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) were semicrystalline and exhibited a melting point of 472°C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.). Confirmation of the semicrystalline morphology was provided by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Incorporation of 6F dianhydride (2,2′-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride, 6FDA) as a comonomer in the PMDA/4-BDAF polyimide depressed the melting point to 440°C. The polyimides based on 1,1-bis(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (3F diamine, 3FDAM) were soluble and amorphous, probably as a result of the non-coplanar structure. D.s.c. and dynamic mechanical analysis showed a glass transition temperature exceeding 420°C for the PMDA/3FDAM-based polyimide. These fluorinated polyimide systems are currently under investigation as candidates for high-temperature applications.
Measured results on bandgap reference in SiGe BiCMOS

The measured temperature and supply voltage dependences of a bandgap reference (BGR) circuit first published by Gilbert (1996) and implemented in IBM's SiGe BiCMOS process agree well with model predictions. The plot of V/sub BGR/ against temperature exhibits less curvature than predicted elsewhere for SiGe BGRs.
A practical problem with calculating the false-negative rate of Papanicolaou smear interpretation by rescreening negative cases alone.

BACKGROUND Rescreening negative Papanicolaou (Pap) smears alone is the most commonly employed method of determining the false-negative rate (FNR) or the false-negative proportion for a laboratory. Acceptable FNRs have been proposed, and the number of slides needed to be rescreened to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in FNRs has been determined. The authors sought to determine the range of FNRs this method can measure and, by implication, the value of this method. METHODS A literature review and an analysis of the FNRs this method can generate was performed. RESULTS If one assumes that the FNR of review is the same as that of initial screening, the maximum measured FNR is only 25%, even with a true FNR of anywhere from 0–100%. In fact, as a laboratory's FNR increases over 50%, the measured FNR decreases back to zero. This range of FNRs corresponds very closely to the published range of FNRs of 1.6–28%. Because many authorities believe that 5% may be the lowest achievable FNR, the entire possible range of measured FNRs is only 5–25%. In this setting, a statistically significant difference of 20% is meaningless, and a statistically significant difference of 10% can only be achieved by laboratories with an initial FNR of less than 15%, and actual changes in FNR that are much greater than 10%. CONCLUSIONS FNRs determined by review of negative smears without abnormal smears generate unreliable and potentially seriously misleading results. Current methodologies exist for more accurately determining the FNR of Pap smear screening by incorporating abnormal smears into the review process. There is little justification for further review of negative Pap smears alone as a method for determining the FNR of a laboratory. [See editorial on pages 319–21 and contemporary issue on pages 346–50, this issue.] Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 1999;87:351–3. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
A boundary value technique for singular perturbation problems

Abstract A new way to solve singular perturbation problems is introduced. It is designed for the practicing engineer or applied mathematician who needs a practical tool for these problems (easy to use, modest problem preparation, and ready computer implementation). As with other methods, the original problem is partitioned into inner and outer solution differential equation systems. However, asymptotic solution techniques are not employed. The method is distinguished by the following facts: The inner solution problem is solved as a two-point boundary problem, where the terminal boundary conditions are supplied by the solution of the outer solution problem. In turn, the outer solution differential equations are solved as an initial value system, where the initial conditions are supplied by the inner solution at its terminal point. The method is iterative on the terminal point of the inner solution problem. Three numerical examples are included.
Residual fibrous tissue floating in the right atrium after percutaneous pacemaker lead extraction: An unusual complication early detected by intracardiac echocardiography

Extraction of pacemaker leads represents the optimal therapy in patients with endocarditis involving the pacemaker leads. The percutaneous approach is becoming popular. However, complications of percutaneous extraction are not rare and incomplete removal of the vegetations with embolization in the pulmonary arteries has been described. This case report describes for the first time a case of incomplete removal of the fibrous sheath covering the lead, with residual tissue floating in the right atrium after pacemaker/ICD extraction. ICE monitoring was essential for early detection and correct diagnosis of this complication.
Anthropological methods in ethnopharmacology

This paper reviews anthropological methods in ethnopharmacology to advance a critical and biobehavioral perspective for the construction of primary data in the light of indigenous paradigms of health and therapeutics. The unique contributions of anthropology are the conceptual and practical tools that allow one to develop the ethnography of plant use in sufficient depth to correlate with laboratory and clinical investigations of plant constituents and activities. This serves an ethnopharmacology that links bioscientific research to traditional empirical knowledge. Specific methods discussed include: key respondents, participant observation, focus groups, structured and unstructured interviews, survey instruments and questionnaires, lexical and semantic studies, and discourse and content analysis. The accommodation of rapid ethnographic techniques for ethnopharmacologic research is described, and several problem orientations based on assessments of efficacy are offered.
Fruit Quality Measures from a Historical Trial of University of Florida Strawberry Cultivars

The strawberry breeding program of the University of Florida develops varieties that are highly adapted to west-central Florida, where approximately 8,800 acres of strawberries were grown during the 2009–10 season. In order to gain insight into breeding progress over time, two advanced selections and ten released cultivars, from Florida Belle (1975) to Florida Radiance (2008), were compared for various fruit quality traits. Cultivars and selections were arranged in a randomized complete block design at each of two locations (Balm, FL and Dover, FL). Fruit size varied dramatically with a minimum average weight of 16.2 g for ‘Dover’ (1979) and a maximum of 30.8 g for ‘Elyana’ (2008). Regression of average fruit weight on year of release showed an average gain in fruit size of 0.26 g/yr (R2 = 0.44). Improvements in fruit uniformity were also apparent, but gains for internal flesh color were not sustained. There was wide seasonal variability in sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, Brix) and acids (citric, mali...
Analysis of medical screening and surveillance in 21 occupational safety and health administration standards: Support for a generic medical surveillance standard

Twenty-one Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) standards were identified which contain medical service provisions intended to help in the identification and control of harmful health effects of workplace exposures. The utility and effectiveness of these provisions have not previously been evaluated. All 21 standards were reviewed and assigned numerical scores for each of 24 potential medical program elements. Several of these elements were combined to calculate Quality Control, Screening Utility, and Surveillance Utility scores for each standard. Total scores varied greatly, suggesting a lack of consistency and uniformity which was even more obvious when the actual regulatory language was examined. The mean Quality score was only 26% of potential points. Seventeen of 21 standards received less than half the total possible Quality score. When arrayed on a two by two matrix only two standards scored above 50% for both Screening and Surveillance Utility. It was concluded that the medical service provisions in OSHA standards are lacking in consistency and coherence. Two major shortcomings are the lack of quality control elements and the absence of surveillance features which would permit medical program results to be utilized for prevention activities including the identification and control of workplace hazards. A generic occupational medical surveillance standard could address these current weaknesses. Elements of such a generic standard are proposed.
Cross Validation of Prediction Equations for Wechsler Memory Scale-Ill Indexes

Six prediction equations were previously found to predict to Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-3) Immediate Memory Index (IM) and General Memory Index (GM) using two- or three-subtest combinations. The equations were cross-validated on a sample of 214 mixed clinical patients from an entirely different location in the Midwest. The two three-subtest prediction equations (including Logical Memory, Verbal Paired Associates, and either Faces or Family Pictures) better estimated IM and GM than did the two-subtest equations (Logical Memory and Verbal Paired Associates). Correlations for the former equations correlated .97 and .96 with full WMS-3 IM and GM, respectively. In addition, at least 95% of the predicted scores were within two SEMs of obtained IM and GM scores. The two-subtest equations correlated only .89 for IM and .92 for GM. The predicted scores that fell within two SEMs captured 78% and 88% of the cases for IM and GM, respectively. The results provide support for the use of the three-subtest prorated forms of the WMS-3 to estimate IM and GM.
Biotinidase reveals the morphogenetic sequence in cochlea and cochlear nucleus of mice

Hearing loss affects children with biotinidase deficiency, an inherited metabolic disorder in the recycling of biotin. The deficit appears shortly after birth during development of the auditory system. Using a mouse model, we sought to discover where and when biotinidase is expressed in the normal development of the cochlea and cochlear nucleus. In the process, we reconstructed the normal morphogenetic sequences of the constituent cells. Immunolabeling for biotinidase was localized to neurons and other cells of the adult and immature mouse, including the embryonic precursors of these regions dating from the stage of the otocyst. Its distribution was compared to the particular morphological changes occurring at each developmental stage. Biotinidase was localized in cells and their processes at the critical stages in their proliferation, migration, structural differentiation, and innervation, covering the entire span of their development. The prevalence of immunostaining peaked in the adult animal, including hair cells and ganglion cells of the cochlea and neurons of the cochlear nucleus. The findings suggest that biotinidase plays a role in the normal development of the auditory system. Besides the pattern of localization of biotinidase, this study provides the first systematic account of each developmental stage in a mammalian auditory system.
Scientists Identify Exploration Goals for Venus

Since the turn of the millennium, a large proportion of NASA's planetary science missions—including spacecraft and payloads on four orbiting missions and three rovers—has targeted Mars in preparation for future human missions to the red planet. Less studied, however, is Venus.
Introductory education in computer science

Abstract There is room for improvement in the way introductory computer science is taught. In general, most of the available time is spent on teaching programming language syntax and very little on studying examples of good programs. The assertion approach to program verification has in practice resulted in a technique that resembles assembly code programming of more than 30 years ago. This practice has also encouraged the view that each new program is an invention that must be developed from scratch. In addition, the student's attention is largely directed towards the how of the technique and hardly towards learning the proven facts. In this paper, it is argued that the introduction to programming can be improved in several ways: by starting with a systems view that encourages students to study good examples and to reuse existing programs, by judging program quality relative to similar programs and program abstractions, and by building up a coherent body of knowledge that students can apply in program design and implementation.
Reality, locality, and probability

It is frequently argued that reality and locality are incompatible with the predictions of quantum mechanics. Various investigators have used this as evidence for the existence of hidden variables. However, Bell's inequalities seem to refute this possibility. Since the above arguments are made within the framework of conventional probability theory, we contend that an alternative solution can be found by an extension of this theory. Elaborating on some ideas of I. Pitowski, we show that within the framework of a generalized probability theory, reality, locality, hidden variables, and the predictions of quantum mechanics can be maintained together. Although our principal model in this work is a spin system, there are indications that this program can be extended to more general systems.
Periodic Motions With Impacting Chatter and Stick in a Gear Transmission System

In this paper, an impact model with possible stick between the two gears is proposed for gear transmission systems, which includes the piecewise backlash model and the traditional impact model for the first time. The new model presented in this paper possesses a time-varying boundary for two dynamical systems either to switch or to impact. Such a model can catch impacting chatter and stick phenomena in gear transmission systems. Based on the new model, periodic impacting chatter and stick in a gear transmission system can be investigated. For doing so, switching sets on the time-varying boundaries are introduced to define basic mappings. Mapping structures based on basic mappings are developed for characterizing motions in gear transmission systems, and from such mapping structures, periodic motions with impacting chatter and stick in such a gear transmission system are predicted analytically. Numerical simulations are performed for illustration of periodic motions with impacting chatter and stick phenomena.
Experimentally verifying molecular dynamics simulations through fluorescence anisotropy measurements

The fluorescence anisotropy decay of the single tryptophan residue in phospholipase A2 was studied by use of differential polarized phase fluorometry and computer simulations of protein dynamics. The results enable the verification of a simulated dynamic event by direct experimental measurement on the same time scale. When all hydrogen atoms are modeled explicitly, the simulations agree well with the experimental measurements. However, the measurements contradict simulations in which nonpolar hydrogens are incorporated into "extended" or "united" atoms. These simulations predict an anisotropy decay in excess of measured values and appear to seriously underestimate the electrostatic interactions occurring between water and aromatic side chains. The results support the general validity of studying protein dynamics with the molecular-mechanics approach and illustrate a potentially serious deficiency of simulations which do not explicitly model all hydrogen atoms.
How much does a LAN cost, really?

Abstract With the networking of microcomputers becoming more and more popular, most corporations are involved, at one time or another, in the process of evaluating LANs. The purchasing decision for a local area network requires detail analysis of all the costs incurred in installing, maintaining, and operating the network during its estimated useful life. The normally “hidden” network costs (i.e. costs of networking software, special cabling, building renovations, special ductworks, interfaces, supervision, maintenance etc.) are often overlooked. The intent of this paper, therefore, is to discuss in detail the few important but often neglected cost factors that one must considered in estimating network costs.
Pseudo-Cross-Stimulation due to First Degree AV Block

During routine interrogation of a dual chamber pacemaker, atrial pacing stimulus outputs were found to coincide with surface electrogram QRS complexes raising concern for cross-stimulation. Scrutiny of the native rhythm, however, confirmed this to be "pseudo-cross-stimulation" where marked first degree AV block resulted in alignment of atrial stimulus outputs with preceding QRS complexes. Although cross-stimulation is rare, familiarity with cross-stimulation and pseudo-cross-stimulation is important because its recognition will avoid erroneous diagnoses of lead dislodgment or device malfunction.
Freeway Recurrent Bottleneck Identification Algorithms Considering Detector Data Quality Issues

Computer algorithms used to identify recurrent freeway bottlenecks have been studied since the deployment of loop detecting systems. Such algorithms automatically analyze the archived loop detector data and identify potential recurrent bottlenecks and their characteristics, such as location, time of day, and activation rate, for further investigation. In a highway congestion mitigation project, such algorithms can save time and resources for the initial screening of bottlenecks over a large freeway network. These algorithms include rule-based, contour-map-based, and simulation-based methods. However, existing methods require loop detector data with high accuracy and consistency, which is difficult to achieve in prevailing loop detecting systems. This paper proposes a new bottleneck identification algorithm with strong error and noise tolerance. Several simple denoising methods to improve the error resistance of existing algorithms are also proposed. Using statistical error analysis methods, the proposed algorithm and the denoising methods were calibrated and evaluated using field data collected from two distinct freeway corridors (US 12/14 and I-894) in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Ground truth data for this study come from the manual inspection of 287,055 traffic video snapshots in the course of a month. In the evaluation tests, the proposed algorithm can produce quality congestion identification results with fewer false alarms than the existing algorithms, especially when identifying severe bottleneck congestion.
Effect of post oxidation annealing on VCSEL performance

Abstract Wet oxidation is used for current confinement in 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) structure. Annealing of wet oxide in nitrogen environment was done at different temperatures. Significant improvement (approximately 18% increase) in VCSEL optical emission power is observed after annealing for 1 h at 400 °C. From isothermal annealing experiment, it is concluded that the devices annealed at 400 °C has the maximum annealing rate. From the capacitance versus voltage curve it is observed that negatively charged bulk traps and interface states decrease due to annealing.
Dynamic stochastic model for refractive turbulence in wind shear for wind profile measurement

We develop a dynamic stochastic model for refractive turbulence based on a linearization of the Navier-Stokes equations. The model is needed to estimate wind profiles from measurements of point to point propagation of a laser beam. We outline the model, which is meant to be an improvement on Taylor's hypothesis, and explore its implications in terms of the second order steady state statistics.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Association of the α2δ1 Subunit with Cav3.2 Enhances Membrane Expression and Regulates Mechanically Induced ATP Release in MLO-Y4 Osteocytes

Voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) mediate signaling events in bone cells in response to mechanical loading. Osteoblasts predominantly express L-type VSCCs composed of the α1 pore-forming subunit and several auxiliary subunits. Osteocytes, in contrast, express T-type VSCCs and a relatively small amount of L-type α1 subunits. Auxiliary VSCC subunits have several functions, including modulating gating kinetics, trafficking of the channel, and phosphorylation events. The influence of the α2δ auxiliary subunit on T-type VSCCs and the physiologic consequences of that association are incompletely understood and have yet to be investigated in bone. In this study we postulated that the auxiliary α2δ subunit of the VSCC complex modulates mechanically regulated ATP release in osteocytes via its association with the T-type Cav3.2 (α1H) subunit. We demonstrated by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunostaining that MLO-Y4 osteocyte-like cells express the T-type Cav3.2 (α1H) subunit more abundantly than the L-type Cav1.2 (α1C) subunit. We also demonstrated that the α2δ1 subunit, previously described as an L-type auxiliary subunit, complexes with the T-type Cav3.2 (α1H) subunit in MLO-Y4 cells. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of α2δ1 completely abrogated ATP release in response to membrane stretch in MLO-Y4 cells. Additionally, knockdown of the α2δ1 subunit resulted in reduced ERK1/2 activation. Together these data demonstrate a functional VSCC complex. Immunocytochemistry following α2δ1 knockdown showed decreased membrane localization of Cav3.2 (α1H) at the plasma membrane, suggesting that the diminished ATP release and ERK1/2 activation in response to membrane stretch resulted from a lack of Cav3.2 (α1H) at the cell membrane. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Doubly ionized carbon observed in the plasma tail of comet Kudo-Fujikawa.

Comet C/2002 X5 (Kudo-Fujikawa) was observed near its perihelion of 0.19 astronomical unit by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft. Images of the comet reconstructed from high-resolution spectra reveal a quasi-spherical cloud of neutral hydrogen and a variable tail of C+ and C2+ that disconnects from the comet and subsequently regenerates. The high abundance of C2+ and C+, at least 24% relative to water, cannot be explained by photodissociation of carbon monoxide and is instead attributed to the evaporation and subsequent photoionization of atomic carbon from organic refractory compounds present in the cometary dust grains.This result serves to strengthen the connection between comets and the material from which the Solar System formed.
Product Remanufacturing: A Real Options Approach

In this paper, we consider a firm that leases a single product to a service provider under the assumption that this firm can decide when to replace the leased product and remanufacture it. The cost of remanufacturing is assumed to follow a geometric Brownian motion process, which is characterized by its drift and volatility. Under these assumptions, we construct and analyze a basic real options model for product remanufacturing. Specifically, we derive the remanufacturing cost threshold at which the remanufacturing option is exercised. We also perform extensive sensitivity analysis to examine how the remanufacturing cost uncertainty and other factors influence the remanufacturing decision. Furthermore, we present an extension where a remanufacturing subsidy and a disposal fee by the government are considered. The impacts of these economic instruments on the remanufacturing decision as well as on the environment are investigated.
Efficient coding and statistically optimal weighting of covariance among acoustic attributes in novel sounds.

To the extent that sensorineural systems are efficient, redundancy should be extracted to optimize transmission of information, but perceptual evidence for this has been limited. Stilp and colleagues recently reported efficient coding of robust correlation (r = .97) among complex acoustic attributes (attack/decay, spectral shape) in novel sounds. Discrimination of sounds orthogonal to the correlation was initially inferior but later comparable to that of sounds obeying the correlation. These effects were attenuated for less-correlated stimuli (r = .54) for reasons that are unclear. Here, statistical properties of correlation among acoustic attributes essential for perceptual organization are investigated. Overall, simple strength of the principal correlation is inadequate to predict listener performance. Initial superiority of discrimination for statistically consistent sound pairs was relatively insensitive to decreased physical acoustic/psychoacoustic range of evidence supporting the correlation, and to more frequent presentations of the same orthogonal test pairs. However, increased range supporting an orthogonal dimension has substantial effects upon perceptual organization. Connectionist simulations and Eigenvalues from closed-form calculations of principal components analysis (PCA) reveal that perceptual organization is near-optimally weighted to shared versus unshared covariance in experienced sound distributions. Implications of reduced perceptual dimensionality for speech perception and plausible neural substrates are discussed.
Energy Metabolism of Broiler Breeder Hens. 2. Contribution of Tissues to Total Heat Production in Fed and Fasted Hens

In vitro rates of O2 consumption were investigated using excised biopsies from the liver, ileum, magnum, and latissimus dorsi muscle of Hubbard (H) broiler-breeder hens fed four levels of ME intake. Diet had no effect on O2 consumption of any tissue. The overall mean initial O2 consumption (microL of O2 per mg of dry weight per h) for latissimus dorsi, liver, ileum, and magnum tissues were 4.38, 13.33, 10.54, and 8.01, respectively. The Na+ and K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase-dependent respiration (ouabain-sensitive respiration) was 16% of the initial rate for latissimus dorsi, liver, and magnum tissues and 22% for ileum tissues. Fasting heat production of H and Arbor Acre (AA) meat-type hens measured over 3 days following an initial 24-h fast was 219 and 216 kilojoules (kJ) per kg per day (1 kJ = .239 kcal). There were no strain differences in the partitioning of O2 consumption into tissue components of fasted H and AA hens. Fasting metabolism accounted for 75% of the maintenance energy requirement in the hens. The liver, gut, and reproductive tract, which together make up 5 to 6% of BW, account for 26 and 30% of the total energy expenditure in fed and fasted hens, respectively.
Value of PAX8, PAX2, claudin-4, and h-caldesmon immunostaining in distinguishing peritoneal epithelioid mesotheliomas from serous carcinomas

Distinguishing between peritoneal epithelioid mesotheliomas and papillary serous carcinomas involving the peritoneum can be difficult on routine histological preparations, but this differential diagnosis can be facilitated by the use of immunohistochemistry. Recent investigations have indicated that PAX8, PAX2, claudin-4, and h-caldesmon are immunohistochemical markers that can assist in distinguishing between these two malignancies; however, much of the information published on the value of these markers is either insufficient or contradictory. The purpose of this study is to resolve some of the existing controversies and to fully determine the practical value of these markers for assisting in the differential diagnosis between peritoneal mesotheliomas and serous carcinomas. In order to do so, a total of 40 peritoneal epithelioid mesotheliomas and 45 serous carcinomas (15 primary, 30 metastatic to the peritoneum) were investigated. PAX8 and PAX2 nuclear positivity was demonstrated in 42 (93%) and 25 (56%) of the serous carcinomas, respectively, whereas none of the mesotheliomas expressed either marker. Forty-four (98%) of the serous carcinomas exhibited claudin-4 reactivity along the cell membrane, whereas none of the mesotheliomas were positive for this marker. All of the serous carcinomas and mesotheliomas were negative for h-caldesmon. Based on these results, it is concluded that PAX8 and claudin-4 have a higher sensitivity and specificity for assisting in discriminating between peritoneal epithelioid mesotheliomas and serous carcinomas when compared with all of the other positive carcinoma markers that are, at present, recommended to be included in the immunohistochemical panels used in this differential diagnosis. Even though it is highly specific, PAX2 has little practical value in the diagnosis of peritoneal epithelioid mesotheliomas as its sensitivity is low. The h-caldesmon is not useful.
Is there an immune deficit in Whipple's disease?

There is controversy as to the role of immune deficiency, if any, in Whipple's disease. This report summarizes published data in regard to immune function in this disease. Thirty-two publications during the past ten years offer varying amounts of immunological data in 61 patients — 50 males, 6 females, and 5 patients in whom the sex was not reported. There is no evidence for humoral immune deficiency in these patients. Secretory immunoglobulins are within normal limits. Intestinal mucosal plasma cells are decreased before treatment, but are normal after treatment. There are no abnormal deposits of complement or immunoglobulins within the intestinal mucosa. There is no evidence for autoantibody production. These patients invariably have lymphocytopenia prior to treatment and have a decreased percentage of T cells both before and after treatment. There is decreased responsiveness of lymphocytes to the mitogens PHA and Con A, before and after treatment. The cutaneous response to antigens is clearly diminished before treatment, improves somewhat after treatment, but is still significantly less than that seen in normal controls. There may be an increased association with HLA B27, which suggests that an abnormality in the cellular immune system promotes susceptibility to the Whipple bacillus.
Editorial: EIC Farewell and New EIC Introduction

I is my great pleasure to announce that the President of the IEEE Computer Society has appointed Professor Ivan Stojmenovic as the next Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems (TPDS), who will start his term on 1 January 2010. Ivan has a highly distinguished academic career. I am quite sure that he will provide excellent leadership and bring a great deal of technical and managerial experience to TPDS. Please join me in congratulating Ivan on his appointment. His brief biography appears below. As my term as Editor-in-Chief ends, I thought you would be interested in knowing how we are doing in TPDS. I have listed a few statistics for you below from my 2006-2009 term. The acceptance rate is the ratio of the number of accepted papers to the number of submitted papers during a year, but also roughly refl ects the individual acceptance rate of a paper. The statistics for 2009 are not complete yet, but there have been 347 papers submitted this year by August 2009. As you can see from the numbers below, we are a highly competitive journal with a fast turnaround time similar to conferences. However, the added advantage of submitting to our journal is getting detailed reviews and having the possibility of addressing the drawbacks in a paper through a major revision. This does not happen in conferences.
Improved Procedure for Determining Mercury Emissions from Mercury Cell Chlor-Alkali Plants

An analytical procedure for determining the mercury emissions from mercury cell chlor-alkali plants is described. This procedure was developed to correct problems in an analytical procedure promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. This improved analytical procedure was subjected to a collaborative test in which 13 laboratories performed duplicate analyses on 3 solutions that contained mercury concentrations in the range of 2 to 65 micrograms of mercury per milliliter. From this collaborative test the following estimates are made about the precision and accuracy of the improved procedure: the within-laboratory standard deviation is 1.6 µg Hg/ml, the between-laboratory standard deviation is 1.8 µg Hg/ml, and the accuracy is —0.4 µg Hg/ml.
Inhibition of prostaglandin E1-induced activation of adenylate cyclase in human blood platelet membrane

Activation of human blood platelet adenylate cyclase is initiated through the binding of prostaglandin E 1 to the membrane receptors. Incubation of platelet membrane with [ 3 H]prostaglandin E 1 at pH 7.5 in the presence of 5 mM MgCl 2 showed that the binding of the autacoid was rapid, reversible and highly specific. The binding was linearly proportional to the activation of adenylate cyclase. Although the membrane-bound radioligand could not be removed either by GTP or its stable analogue 5′-guanylylimido diphosphate, 150 nM cyclic AMP displaced about 40% of the bound agonist from the membrane. Scatchard analyses of the binding of the prostanoid to the membrane in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP showed that the nucleotide specifically inhibited the high-affinity binding sites without affecting the low-affinity binding sites. Incubation of the membrane with 150 mM cyclic AMP and varying amounts of prostaglandin E 1 (25 nM to 1.0 μM) showed that the percent removal of the membrane-bound autacoid was similar to the percent inhibition of adenylate cyclase at each concentration of the agonist. At a concentration of 25 nM prostaglandin E 1 , both the binding of the agonist and the activity of adenylate cyclase were maximally inhibited by 40%. With the increase of the agonist concentration in the assay mixture, the inhibitory effects of the nucleotide gradually decreased and at a concentration of 1.0 μM prostaglandin E 1 the effect of the nucleotide became negligible. These results show that cyclic AMP inhibits the activation of adenylate cyclase by low concentrations of prostaglandin E 1 through the inhibition of the binding of the agonist to high-affinity binding sites.
Panorama creation using a team of robots

A system is presented which allows a single human to teleoperate a team of camera-equipped robots. This paper emphasizes the image processing required to take a number of views and construct a single panorama which provides a sense of a 3-D environment to the operator who finds it easy to comprehend the environment and to control the team using something as simple as a joystick. Since the cameras have diverse poses, their output images must be distorted to provide smooth alignment. This is accomplished by correspondence finding, triangular tessellation and warping of a portion of each view. The panorama which gives a 180° field-of-view is projected onto a semi-circular array of monitors to provide the operator with a sensation of both forward and peripheral views.
Strength and ductility optimization of Mg–Y–Nd–Zr alloy by microstructural design

Abstract Understanding of essential microstructural features necessary to develop an optimum combination of strength and ductility in magnesium alloys is needed for materials by the microstructural design approach. Microstructural features required to optimize both strength and ductility of Mg–Y–Nd–Zr alloy were investigated by examining different thermo-mechanical processing conditions. Different microstructural states were obtained by either isothermally aging the hot-rolled base alloy or by friction stir processing (FSP) the base alloy and then aging the FSP microstructure. The plastic deformation behavior of different microstructural states was characterized by uniaxial tensile testing, whereas microstructural features were probed using scanning electron microscope, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscope. As expected, precipitate formation within α-Mg matrix increased the alloy strength irrespective of processing condition. Concomitantly, the base alloy experienced a drastic drop in ductility. The presence of twins, coupled with a loss of toughness due to aging heat treatment, resulted in very poor ductility of the alloy. A good combination of strength and ductility was achieved by altering the base Mg–Y–Nd–Zr microstructure through FSP and subsequent aging. In addition to producing refined grains, FSP resulted in twin-free microstructure. The refined microstructure had a near-random texture, where a large fraction of grains was favorably oriented for plastic deformation. In this condition, intragranular precipitation increased the strength while retaining good ductility by activating additional slip systems. These results indicate that an optimum balance of strength and ductility is achieved by engineering a microstructure containing randomly-oriented fine grains, intragranular precipitation and minimal twins within α-Mg matrix. An empirical correlation among ductility, work hardening exponent, and slope of work hardening vs. flow stress curve was established, and will serve as a useful guideline for designing microstructure for the optimization of strength and ductility in magnesium alloys.