cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching technical writing through student peer-evaluation

Individual students in two different sections of an undergraduate civil engineering laboratory were tasked with preparing three professional-quality laboratory reports. The teaching assistant and/or instructor used established criteria to grade the first two reports prepared by students in one section. The first two reports prepared by students in the other section were peer evaluated by assigned fellow students within the same laboratory section using identical grading criteria. The peer evaluated section had a higher class average than the teaching assistant/instructor graded section on the fist two reports. The third report prepared by students from both sections was graded by a professional educator/architect without knowledge of a student's class section. The peer evaluation students also had a higher class average on the third report, suggesting that the peer evaluation process may have positively contributed to those students' writing skills.
Parts per quadrillion level ultra-trace determination of polar and nonpolar compounds via solvent-free capillary microextraction on surface-bonded sol-gel polytetrahydrofuran coating and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection.

Abstract Sol–gel polytetrahydrofuran (poly-THF) coating was developed for high-sensitivity sample preconcentration by capillary microextraction (CME). Parts per quadrillion (ppq) level detection limits were achieved for both polar and nonpolar analytes through sample preconcentration on sol–gel poly-THF coated microextraction capillaries followed by gas chromatography (GC) analysis of the extracted compounds using a flame ionization detector (FID). The sol–gel coating was in situ created on the inner walls of a fused silica capillary using a sol solution containing poly-THF as an organic component, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) as a sol–gel precursor, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, 5% water) as a sol–gel catalyst, and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) as a deactivating reagent. The sol solution was introduced into a hydrothermally-treated fused silica capillary and the sol–gel reactions were allowed to take place inside the capillary for 60 min. A wall-bonded coating was formed due to the condensation of silanol groups residing on the capillary inner surface with those on the sol–gel network fragments evolving in close vicinity of the capillary walls. Poly-THF is a medium polarity polymer, and was found to be effective in carrying out simultaneous extraction of both polar and nonpolar analytes. Efficient extraction of a wide range of trace analytes from aqueous samples was accomplished using sol–gel poly-THF coated fused silica capillaries for further analysis by GC. The test analytes included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aldehydes, ketones, chlorophenols, and alcohols. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the use of a poly-THF based sol–gel material in analytical microextraction. Sol–gel poly-THF coated CME capillaries showed excellent solvent and thermal stability (>320 °C).
Asset/liability management under uncertainty for fixed-income securities

Short-sighted asset/liability strategies of the seventies left financial intermediaries — banks, insurance and pension fund companies, and government agencies — facing a severe mismatch between the two sides of their balance sheet. A more holistic view was introduced with a generation ofportfolio immunization techniques. These techniques have served the financial services community well over the last decade. However, increased interest rate volatilities, and the introduction of complex interest rate contingencies and asset-backed securities during the same period, brought to light the shortcomings of the immunization approach. This paper describes a series of (optimization) models that take a global view of the asset/liability management problem using interest rate contingencies. Portfolios containingmortgage-backed securities provide the typical example of the complexities faced by asset/liability managers in a volatile financial world. We use this class of instruments as examples for introducing the models. Empirical results are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the models, which become increasingly more complex but also afford the manager increasing flexibility.
Effects of time-limited vs unlimited compensation on pain behavior and treatment outcome in low back pain patients

Abstract A common theme in the pain literature is that worker's compensation reinforces pain behavior and adversely influences treatment outcome of chronic pain patients. This study compared 110 chronic low back pain males divided into three groups: 44 receiving no compensation, 27 receiving time-limited worker's compensation, and 39 receiving unlimited social security disability benefits. All patients participated in a multimodal treatment program (e.g. nerve blocks, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, relaxation training, biofeedback). Physician ratings of pain behavior and self-report measures of pain characteristics, activity level, and medication intake were gathered pretreatment; self-report measures were collected again approximately one year following treatment. The results showed disability patients to have a higher percentage of physician rated symptom dramatization and pain behavior and a greater usage of medication compared with the non-compensation and time-limited worker's compensation patients. At follow-up, no between group differences were found on measures of pain intensity, medication usage and activity. In general, however, more worker's compensation and non-compensation patients who were initially not working had returned to work at the time of follow-up compared with the disability patients. These results suggest that time-limited compensation may not affect treatment outcome or interfere with return-to-work chances while unlimited compensation may adversely influence the probability that patients will return to work. These findings support the notion that worker's compensation patients receiving time-limited financial benefits do not necessarily represent a ‘problem’ subgroup of chronic pain patients.
Production of α-Amylase in Fed-Batch Cultures of vgb+ and vgb− Recombinant Escherichiacoli: Some Observations

Synthesis and excretion of Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase is analyzed in fed-batch cultivations of Escherichia coli JM103[pMK79] and E. coli JM103[pMK57], the former strain containing the plasmid-encoded Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gene (vgb) and the latter strain being devoid of this gene. Fed-batch operation is observed to be substantially superior to batch operation as concerns the alpha-amylase production rate and the extent of excretion of the enzyme. Faster feeding of a nutrient medium (LB or M9) discourages synthesis of alpha-amylase. While synthesis of alpha-amylase in the vgb(-) strain is discouraged when oxygen availability is reduced, the reverse is the case with the vgb(+) strain, the promotion of alpha-amylase synthesis in the latter strain being linked to the synthesis of VHb. Increased availability of the principal carbon source (glucose) in a defined medium leads to overproduction of both alpha-amylase and VHb under oxygen limitation, which may be responsible for the segregational instability observed with the vgb(+) strain. The very high extents of excretion of alpha-amylase attained in fed-batch cultures are encouraging for downstream processing of the recombinant protein.
How do you foster medication adherence for better acne vulgaris management

Suboptimal medication adherence is one of the major reasons for treatment failure among patients with acne vulgaris. Motivating patients to adhere to treatment, especially during the maintenance phase, remains a challenge. Although the literature on medication adherence in the acne vulgaris patient population is sparse, the available literature on patients with dermatologic and nondermatologic disorders suggests that a multifactorial approach, combining nonpharmacologic interventions and effective, well tolerated, and simplified drug regimens, appears to be associated with the greatest success. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the patient for underlying affective disorders (e.g., depression) that can undermine adherence. The dermatologist can play a major role in enhancing patient adherence by prescribing adherence-enhancing therapeutic regimens and by forming a therapeutic alliance with patients.
CLINDAMYCIN EFFECTIVE IN THERAPY OF STREPTOCOCCAL PHARYNGITIS

Benzathine penicillin (BP) is considered to be the most effective therapy for removal of Streptococcus (S.) pyogenes from the pharynx. The following study was undertaken to determine whether oral clindamycin (CL) was equally effective for this purpose. This possibility was suggested by published observations made in private practice in which CL was compared with other oral antibiotics. 939 clinic patients with throat cultures positive for S. pyogenes were randomly selected for treatment with intramuscular BP, oral CL or oral phenoxymethyl penicillin (PMP). 621 returned for a follow-up culture and brief history on at least one scheduled visit. 307 returned for all scheduled visits at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after initiation of therapy. Data from the first 2 follow-up cultures indicate that CL and BP had similar failure rates (8% and 9% resp.) and that PMP was less efficacious than either of the other 2 antibiotics (p<.01). Late cultures indicate that CL is not as efficient as BP or PMP in preventing recurrences. This latter finding differs from all others in the literature, is not due to age, sex, weight, quantity of S. pyogenes in original culture or dosage of CL, and is unexplained. Oral CL is effective in removing S. pyogenes from the pharynx and may be as effective as BP.
Peak-to-average power ratio reduction in space–time coded MIMO-OFDM via preprocessing

In this paper, we propose a trellis exploration algorithm based preprocessing strategy to lower the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of precoded MIMO-OFDM. We first illustrate the degradation in PAPR due to optimal linear precoding in MIMO-OFDM systems. Then we propose two forms of multi-layer precoding (MLP) schemes to reduce PAPR. In both schemes, the inner-layer precoder is designed to optimize system capacity/BER performance. In the first MLP scheme (MLP-I), a common outer-layer polyphase precoding matrix is employed. In the second MLP scheme (MLP-II), data stream corresponding to every transmit antenna is precoded with a different outer-layer polyphase precoding matrix. Both outer-layer precoders are custom designed using the trellis exploration algorithm by applying the aperiodic autocorrelation of OFDM data symbols as the metric to minimize. Simulation results indicate that both MLP schemes show superior PAPR performance over conventional MIMO-OFDM with and without precoding. In addition, MLP better exploits frequency diversity resulting in BER performance gains in multi-path environments. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Building on our accomplishments.

ABSTRACT Background and Overview There are at least five forces—knowledge, finances, diversity, faculty and government—that have the potential to change the current model of dental education significantly in the new century. The author explores these forces and attempts to project their future impact on dental education and the profession. Conclusions Our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of oral diseases will increase, though likely not enough to facilitate the elimination of either dental caries or adult-onset periodontitis. A mandatory year of additional formal education in the form of a postgraduate residency will become necessary. Current trends in the sources of revenue supporting dental education will continue, and dental education will face a financial crisis. The changing ethnic and racial diversity of the United States and the dental work force will require curricular changes to prepare students to meet the oral health needs of diverse populations. The current shortage of full-time dental faculty members will continue, and dental schools will need to redefine what it means to be a faculty member. Finally, the continuing decline in the dentist:population ratio and a peak in the actual number of active dentists will cause government to again question the adequacy of the dental work force. Practice Implications Academic dentistry faces a new century with new challenges, all of which have implications for current and future dental practitioners. The extent to which these challenges are successfully met will depend on the degree to which those with a vested interest in a thriving profession come together for the mutual benefit of all.
Reflections on the Career of Edward Schreiber

Ed Schreiber’s life was taken suddenly and tragically on the morning of November 11, 1991 as he was driving to work on the Bronx River Parkway. He was on his way to Queens College, an institution with which he had had a long and valuable association. Ed was born in Brooklyn in 1930. He attended the New York State College of Ceramic Engineering at Alfred University where he received his B.S. degree Magna Cum Laude in 1956 and his Ph.D. degree in 1963. As a graduate student, Ed was inspired by both Taro Takahashi and Orson Anderson.
Translational Researchers’ Perceptions of Data Management Practices and Data Curation Needs: Findings from a Focus Group in an Academic Health Sciences Library

How translational researchers use data is becoming an important support function for librariesto understand. Libraries’ roles in this increasingly complex area of Web librarianship are often unclearly defined. The authors conducted two focus groups with physicians and researchers at an academic medical center, the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, to gain a better understanding of the current state of data use and data management practices among translational researchers. Data management practices varied widely among departments, disciplines, and research centers, but common areas of concern important to Web librarianship included privacy, data access, and data stewardship. The results provided qualitative information about creating, managing, maintaining, and validating data in clinical and research environments, and challenges working with clinical research data in universities. These results inform current practices around data access, data sharing, and privacy of research participant data. Librari...
PAKE on the Web

Unlike existing password authentication mechanisms on the web that use passwords for client-side authentication only, password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocols provide mutual authentication. In this article, we present an architecture to integrate existing PAKE protocols to the web. Our integration design consists of the client-side part and the server-side part. First, we implement the PAKE client-side functionality with a web browser plug-in, which provides a secure implementation base. The plug-in has a log-in window that can be customized by a user when the plug-in is installed. By checking the user-specific information in a log-in window, an ordinary user can easily detect a fake log-in window created by mobile code. The server-side integration comprises a web interface and a PAKE server. After a successful PAKE mutual authentication, the PAKE plug-in receives a one-time ticket and passes it to the web browser. The web browser authenticates itself by presenting this ticket over HTTPS to the web server. The plug-in then fades away and subsequent web browsing remains the same as usual, requiring no extra user education. Our integration design supports centralized log-ins for web applications from different web sites, making it appropriate for digital identity management. A prototype is developed to validate our design. Since PAKE protocols use passwords for mutual authentication, we believe that the deployment of this design will significantly mitigate the risk of phishing attacks.
Low cycle fatigue of two nickel-base aligned eutectics

Abstract The strain-controlled low cycle fatigue behavior of two advanced nickel-base eutectics, AG-170 and Nitac 14B, was studied at 825 °C in argon. Heat treatment to alter the γ/γ′ distribution was the principal experimental variable. Testing consisted of continuous cycling (0.2 Hz) and cycling with the imposition of a 120 s hold at the maximum tensile strain. Both alloys obeyed the Coffin-Manson relation under all test conditions. Aging had no effect on fatigue life in continuous cycling. As-directionally solidified (as-DS) Nitac 14B displayed a reduction in fatigue resistance with hold time, whereas aged Nitac 14B and aged AG-170 fell in the same scatterband with a hold time as with continuous testing. The lack of a hold time effect on aged material is attributed to the development of a compressive mean stress and a decrease in fiber damage owing to the aging treatment. The low cycle fatigue resistances of AG-170 and Nitac 14B are compared with those of several current nickel-base superalloys.
Patterning effect and correlated electrical model of post-OPC MOSFET devices

Accurate simulation of today's devices needs to account for real device geometry complexities after the lithography and etching processes, especially when the channel length shrinks to 65-nm and below. The device performance is believed to be quite different from what designers expect in the conventional IC design flow. The traditional design lacks consideration of the photolithography effects and pattern geometrical operations from the manufacturing side. In to order obtain more accurate prediction on circuits, an efficient approach to estimate nonrectangular MOSFET devices is proposed. In addition, an electrical hotspot criterion is also proposed to investigate and verify the manufacturability of devices during patterning processes. This electrical rule criterion will be performed after the regular Design Rule Check (DRC) or Design for Manufacturing (DFM) rule check. Photolithography and industrial-strength SPICE model are taken into consideration to further correlate the process variation. As a result, the correlation between process-windows and driving current variation of devices will be discussed explicitly in this paper.
Activation of non-metallic substrates for metal deposition using organic solutions

Abstract Non-metallic substrates, such as plastics or oxides, need to be activated before electroless metal deposition. In this paper, a novel process of using metal Pd and Pd–Cu ion loaded organic solutions for surface activation of non-metallic substrates is described. The organic media used are strong polarizing and low ionic conducting solutions of the type commonly used in the solvent extraction industry. Different types of non-metallic substrates, including polyester, alumina and carbon nanotubes, have been evaluated, and it was shown that a uniform and complete Cu coating can be electrolessly deposited after activation in metal ion loaded organic solutions.
Assistive technology as a predictor of general or alternate assessment among elementary-aged students with autism spectrum disorders.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 specifically mandates that all students participate in the general assessment process or some form of alternate assessment as a measure of school accountability for student academic progress. Although levels of communication difficulties, intellectual impairment, and specific diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are correlated with increased probability of participating in alternate assessment methods, very little empirical research has focused on identifying predictors for students’ assessment modality. Archival data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS; 2005) were used to examine variables that predict whether elementary school students with ASD participated in the general or alternate assessment. Results indicated that receptive and expressive communication abilities appear to influence participation in the general vs. alternate assessment in tandem with access to assistive technology. Students with ASDs were approximately 2....
Exchange Coupled Composite Media

Exchange coupled composite (ECC) media consisting of both magnetically hard and soft regions within the same grain have been proposed for 1 Tb/in2 perpendicular magnetic recording. Compared to conventional perpendicular media, a composite structure can effectively decrease the switching field of the media without a loss in thermal stability. This paper reviews the recent work on composite media including two spin and complete micromagnetic models for ECC media, exchange spring media, synthetic antiferromagnet ECC media, and experimental results in support of these theories. The figure of merit (defined as xi = 2E/(MsHsV), where DeltaE, Ms, Hs, and V are energy barrier, saturation magnetization, switching field, and grain volume of the media, respectively) of composite media is found to be 2 ~ 3 times that of conventional media. Therefore, grain volume can be decreased and the impact of the magnetic recording ldquotrilemmardquo reduced. The switching mechanism of composite media is discussed and its properties such as angular dependence of switching field and thermal attempt frequency is studied and compared with conventional media. Results for micromagnetic simulation of recording on ECC media are shown together with a brief discussion of write head design for ECC media.
Morphophonological structure and agrammatic regular/irregular past-tense production

One criticism of both singleand dual-route models of regular/irregular inflection is that the proposal that irregulars are stored fails to account for regularities in the structure of irregular forms (see Embick & Marantz, 2005). Far from showing the sort of arbitrary variation allowed by storage, most irregular forms are phonologically similar to their stems and, in many cases, to regularly inflected forms (e.g., many English irregular past forms end in the affixes –d or –t: made, left, slept). This has led many to conclude that nearly all irregular forms are generated via affixation and stem Readjustment rather than storage and retrieval (Chomsky & Halle, 1968; Halle & Marantz, 1993). On such views, English past-tense forms vary along two dimensions: (i) whether their affixes are phonologically realized or phonologically null (‘‘zero affixes’’), and (ii) whether or not the stem undergoes Readjustment following affixation. Overtly affixed and Readjusted past forms are irregulars such as slept, made; overtly affixed and non-Readjusted past forms are simply regulars. Zero-affixed and Readjusted past forms are irregulars like gave, sang; zero-affixed and non-Readjusted past forms are irregulars identical to their stems (e.g., hit). In English, zero-affixed irregulars constitute a large percentage of irregular past-tense forms. Could the proposed agrammatic preference for English irregular forms (e.g., Ullman et al., 2005) reflect a preference for zero affixes over overt affixes? Most studies of English regular and irregular past tense have not distinguished overtly affixed and zero-affixed irregulars, but Ullman et al. (2005) report that an anterior aphasic patient produced 80% of zero-affixed forms correctly, while producing only 50% of overtly affixed forms correctly (cf. 20% of regulars correct). Given the general proposal that agrammatic aphasia reflects impaired phonological spellout of morphosyntactic features (Fix, 2005), we hypothesized that past-tense forms with overt affixation (including both regulars and overtly affixed irregulars) should be more difficult for agrammatic speakers than forms with zero affixation. Method
Inhibition of Chloroplast Reactions with Phenylmercuric Acetate

Phenylmercuric acetate is a selective inhibitor of the photosynthetic activities of isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts. At 5 mum concentration of phenylmercuric acetate, photophosphorylation is inhibited. At 33 mum phenylmercuric acetate, ferredoxin is inactivated. Ferredoxin-NADP oxidoreductase is 50% inhibited at 100 mum phenylmercuric acetate. Photosystem II reactions are 50% inhibited at 150 mum phenylmercuric acetate and very much higher cooncentrations-500 mum-are needed to approach complete inhibition. Phenylmercuric acetate inhibition of photosystem II appears to be selective, blocking a site between the 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea sensitive site and the site inactivated by high concentrations of tris buffer.
α-Synuclein Structures Probed by 5-Fluorotryptophan Fluorescence and 19F NMR Spectroscopy

α-Synuclein, the main protein component of fibrillar deposits found in Parkinson's disease, is intrinsically disordered in vitro. Site-specific information on the protein conformation has been obtained by biosynthetic incorporation of an unnatural amino acid, 5-fluorotryptophan (5FW), into the recombinant protein. Using fluorescence and ^(19)F NMR spectroscopy, we have characterized three proteins with 5FW at positions 4, 39, and 94. Steady-state emission spectra (maxima at 353 nm; quantum yields ≈ 0.2) indicate that all three indole side chains are exposed to the aqueous medium. Virtually identical single-exponential excited-state decays (τ ≈ 3.4 ns) were observed in all three cases. Single ^(19)F NMR resonances were measured for W4, W39, and W94 at −49.0 ± 0.1 ppm. Our analysis of the spectroscopic data suggests that the protein conformations are very similar in the regions near the three sites.
Practice of prosthodontics: Past, present, and future

Abstract 1. Throughout our society there is a widespread and increasing trend toward specialization in all phases of life. 2. As a result of increased “know-how, ” more efficient production methods, and other factors, specialization should result in more and better products or services at less cost. 3. A high degree of medical specialization has developed because of the desire of both the profession and the patients. 4. From a practical standpoint, medical specialization has been made possible by the development of specialty board certification, group practice, and health insurance. Similar trends are evident within dental practice. 5. The demand for medical and dental services has been increasing, but the supply of these services has not been increasing rapidly enough. 6. The health professions must be careful not to price their services out of the reach of either the patients or the nation. On the other hand, professional services must be recompensed fairly or otherwise both quality and quantity of services rendered will decline. 7. Professional specialization should provide more and better medical and dental services at less cost. 8. There is an urgent need for a vast increase in the number of board-certified prosthodontists who, because of their increased “know-how” and because of specialized practice, should provide more and better prosthodontic services in areas of high demand at less cost to the patient but with appropriate recompense for services rendered.
Aspects of phonon spectra for classical Gaussian core models

Calculations have focused on several key aspects of phonon spectra for the stable lattice structures of the Gaussian core model. These structures include the linear array $(D=1)$, the close-packed triangular lattice $(D=2)$, and the low-density face-centered and high-density body-centered-cubic lattices $(D=3)$. In each dimension, compressing the system isotropically eventually causes strong depression of phonon frequencies for wave vectors approaching the Brillouin zone boundary, and this depression moves inward toward the $\mathbf{k}$-space origin with increasing compression. Phonon spectra for uniformly shear-strained triangular lattices illustrate the development of mechanical instability for those systems, also with increasing compression. For $D=3$, the unstrained face-centered-cubic lattice exhibits an upper density limit of mechanical stability owing to development of a ``soft'' long-wavelength transverse mode and the unstrained body-centered-cubic lattice displays an analogous lower density limit due to a corresponding ``soft'' long-wavelength transverse mode; furthermore, those upper and lower limiting densities satisfy the basic Gaussian core model duality relation. Finally, these various phonon characteristics are tied to the negative thermal expansions possessed by the model and to the density-dependent potential energy landscape as it relates to the melting transition.
Biota-to-sediment accumulation factors for TCDD and TCDF in worms from 28-day bioaccumulation tests

Sediments from waterbodies near highly urbanized, industrial areas were analyzed for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDD/TCDF) contamination. Using a dredged material evaluation test, Nereis virens worms were exposed to the contaminated sediment for 28 days and then analyzed for TCDD/TCDF to evaluate the potential bioaccumulation of these contaminants. Levels of TCDD/TCDF in N. virens increased as sediment contamination increased. Average TCDD/TCDF biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF) based on the tissue TCDD/TCDF concentration, tissue lipid content, sediment TCDD/TCDF concentration, and sediment total organic carbon (TOC) from nine sites with varying dioxin contamination were calculated. These average BSAFs were used to predict the uptake of TCDD/TCDF in N. virens exposed to sediments from a tenth site.
High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of inositol phosphate isomers employing a reversed-phase column and a micellar mobile phase

Abstract Surfactants have been employed in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the separation of ionic and non-ionic compounds. We have developed a method employing a reversed-phase column and a mobile phase containing a surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (HDTMA + OH − ), for the separation of several inositol phosphate positional isomers. Various parameters were studied for their effect on the chromatographic capacity factor ( k ′). They included the concentration of HDTMA + OH − , the pH of the bulk micellar suspension and the addition of inorganic salts to the mobile phase. Resolution of the inositol monophosphates was controlled by a mixed mechanism, where the predominant elements were electrostatic forces and the formation of micelles. The elution of the inositol polyphosphate isomers was obtained by increasing the amount of a non-polar solvent, in agreement with an ion-pairing process. This method represents an alternative to ion-exchange HPLC. If offers a practical advantage when detection of radiolabeled samples by in-line radioactive flow detectors is required, because low-quenching solvents with good miscibility with scintillant fluids are employed. The analysis of various chromatographic conditions, the system reproducibility and its application to the analysis of biological samples are described.
Ion—molecule reactions in mixtures of hydrogen sulfide with ammonia and water

Abstract The ion chemistry of H2SNH3 and H2SH2O mixtures has been studied using ion cyclotron resonance techniques. The major bimolecular ion—molecule reactions occurring in each mixture have been identified, and the relative rate con- stants for reactions of the primary ions have been measured the cyclotron ejection method. Absolute rate constants have been determined from relative rates by reference to the rate constants for reactions occurring in the pure gases. A method has been devised for identifying parent—daughter relationships, and for measuring relative rate constants for reactions obscured by overlapping peaks in the mass spectrum.
Responses of terrestrial insects to hypoxia or hyperoxia

Oxygen is critically important for catabolic ATP generation but is also a dangerous source of reactive oxygen species. Insects respond to short-term exposure to hypoxia or hyperoxia with compensatory changes in spiracular opening and ventilation that reduce variation in internal Po2. Below critical Po2 values (Pc), nitric oxide and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-mediated pathways induce long-term responses such as compensatory tracheal growth, suppressed development, and acclimation of ventilation. Pc values are strongly affected by activity and ontogeny, due to changes in the ratio of tracheal conductance to metabolic rate. Although growth rates and development are suppressed by significant hypoxia in all species studied to date, adult body size is only affected in some species. Severe hyperoxia causes major oxidative stress and reduces survival, while moderate hyperoxia increases development times and body sizes in some species by unknown mechanisms.
Network analysis of functional auditory pathways mapped with fluorodeoxyglucose: associative effects of a tone conditioned as a Pavlovian excitor or inhibitor

The purpose of this study was to examine how opposite learned associative properties of the same auditory stimulus are represented by the pattern of network interactions between auditory system structures. [14C(U)]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) autoradiography was used to compare mean auditory system activity interregional correlations resulting from the presentation of a tone trained as either a Pavlovian conditioned excitor or inhibitor. Rats were trained with reinforced trials of the conditioned excitor (A+) intermixed with non-reinforced trials of a tone-light compound (AX−). For the Conditioned Excitor group, the tone was the excitor (A+), while for the Conditioned Inhibitor group the tone was the inhibitor (X−). After conditioning, both groups were injected with FDG and presented with the same tone. Structural equation models, constructed from the anatomical connections between auditory regions and their interregional correlations in FDG uptake, were used to calculate path coefficients representing the network interactions. The opposite associative significance of the tone was reflected as functional changes in the interactions between parallel auditory pathways. Direct covariance effects through lemniscal pathways from the ventral cochlear nucleus were similar in absolute magnitude but differed in sign between the Excitor and Inhibitor network models. Extra-auditory influences on the dorsal cochlear nucleus were greater for the tone-inhibitor, reflecting possible interactions of this nucleus with extra-auditory regions. The different associative effects of the tone suggest that central auditory pathways can code not only the physical qualities, but also the associative significance of auditory stimuli. These findings demonstrate that neural network interactions differentiate the associative effects of tones in the brain. It is proposed that associative learning is a distributed property of neural networks and that such a property can be understood by considering the interactions between component parts of the network.
Is the place cell a "supple" engram?

This short note, which honors Nobelists O'Keefe and the Mosers, asks how the patterning of inputs to a single place cell regulates its firing. Because the combination of inputs to a single CA1 place cell is very large, the generally accepted view is rejected that inputs to a place cell are relatively restricted, near identical repetition upon re-presentation of the environment. The alternative proposed here is that when any 100 excitatory inputs are fired activating a subset combination, which is a large number, selected from the 30,000 synapses, this leads to CA1 cell firing. The selection of the combination of inputs is a very large number it nonetheless leads to the conclusion that even though the same cell dutifully fires when the animal is in an identical location, the inputs that fire the place cell are nonetheless obligatorily non-identical. This CA1 input combinatorial proposal may help us understand the physiological underpinnings of the memory mechanism arising from supple synapses (Routtenberg (2013), Hippocampus 23:202–206). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fluids and Combustion Facility-Combustion Integrated Rack

This paper describes in detail the concept of performing Combustion microgravity experiments in the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) of the Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) on the International Space Station (ISS). The extended duration microgravity environment of the ISS will enable microgravity research to enter into a new era of increased scientific and technological data return. The FCF is designed to increase the amount and quality of scientific and technological data and decrease the development cost of an individual experiment relative to the era of Space Shuttle experiments. This paper also describes how the FCF will cost effectively accommodate these experiments.
Score tests for epistasis models on quantitative traits using general pedigree data.

Efficient score tests for a two-locus model for quantitative traits are proposed for general pedigrees. Two search strategies, simultaneous search and conditional search, are considered. These tests are attractive alternatives to the likelihood ratio test for their asymptotic equivalency to their respective likelihood ratio tests and efficiency in computation. The finite-sample properties of these tests are investigated through simulations. Extensions to more complicated models and to other search strategies are discussed.
From sugar cane to swords: Hope and the extensibility of the gift in Fiji

L'espoir est devenu depuis peu un important sujet d'etude en anthropologie et en theorie sociale. L'auteur analyse l'espoir exprime par les efforts visant a faire valoir les principes du don dans d'autres entreprises sociales ou theoriques. Il decrit et compare deux types differents d'espoir, qu'il appelle « espoir dans les fins » et « espoir dans les moyens ». L'expose se concentre sur deux extensions de la notion de don chez les indigenes des Fidji: l'analyse recemment faite par John D. Kelly et Martha Kaplan du « don » de canne a sucre par un cultivateur fidjien d'origine indienne a un grand chef indigene en 1944, et les efforts du Ministere du Tourisme fidjien, au milieu des annees 1990, pour apprendre aux vendeurs de souvenirs une maniere proprement « fidjienne » de prendre contact avec les touristes. A partir de cette comparaison, l'auteur affirme que « l'espoir dans les fins » occulte « l'espoir dans les moyens ».
STUDIES ON HUMAN PLASMA α2-MACROGLOBULIN-ENZYME INTERACTIONS EVIDENCE FOR PROTEOLYTIC MODIFICATION OF THE SUBUNIT CHAIN STRUCTURE

Human plasma α2-macroglobulin is an inhibitor of circulating proteases that function in hemostatic and inflammatory reactions but the biochemical nature of its interaction with these enzymes is not well defined. This investigation has found that α2-macroglobulin is comprised of subunit chains of 185,000 molecular weight as analyzed by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. Trypsin, thrombin, plasmin, and plasma kallikrein in amounts completely bound to α2-macroglobulin attacked one region in the subunit chain producing a single derivative with a molecular weight of 85,000 indicating that hydrolysis occurred at or near the center of the parent chain. The proteolytic derivative was also identified in an α2-macroglobulin preparation from plasma incubated with the plasminogen activator, urokinase. α2-macroglobulin functionally capable of binding enzyme appeared to be required both for limiting tryptic hydrolysis and for confining the concentration dependent increase in the derivative chain to the 1st min of incubation since acid-denatured α2-macroglobulin that failed to bind trypsin was extensively degraded. Three derivative chains resulted from the interaction of α2-macroglobulin with chymotrypsin demonstrating the presence of at least two chymotrypsin susceptible regions in the precursor chain. Reduction of the α2-macroglobulin-enzyme mixture was required for the identification of the derivative subunit chains establishing that these cleavage products were covalently linked to the parent molecule by disulfide bridges. Thus, α2-inacroglobulin acts as a substrate for circulating proteases, a finding which may also pertain to the mechanism of action of other plasma enzyme inhibitors.
Identification of novel light-induced genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

The transmission of information about the photic environment to the circadian clock involves a complex array of neurotransmitters, receptors, and second messenger systems. Exposure of an animal to light during the subjective night initiates rapid transcription of a number of immediate-early genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Some of these genes have known roles in entraining the circadian clock, while others have unknown functions. Using laser capture microscopy, microarray analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR, we performed a comprehensive screen for changes in gene expression immediately following a 30 minute light pulse in suprachiasmatic nucleus of mice. The results of the microarray screen successfully identified previously known light-induced genes as well as several novel genes that may be important in the circadian clock. Newly identified light-induced genes include early growth response 2, proviral integration site 3, growth-arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 45 beta, and TCDD-inducible poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Comparative analysis of promoter sequences revealed the presence of evolutionarily conserved CRE and associated TATA box elements in most of the light-induced genes, while other core clock genes generally lack this combination of promoter elements. The photic signalling cascade in the suprachiasmatic nucleus activates an array of immediate-early genes, most of which have unknown functions in the circadian clock. Detected evolutionary conservation of CRE and TATA box elements in promoters of light-induced genes suggest that the functional role of these elements has likely remained the same over evolutionary time across mammalian orders.
Recognizing words, pictures, and concepts: A comparison of lexical, object, and reality decisions

A series of five experiments addressed the question of whether pictures and the words that name them access a common conceptual representation. In the first three experiments the processing of words in the lexical decision task was compared with the processing of pictured objects in a formally analogous task which we called the object decision task. The results showed that the lexical and object decision tasks produce approximately similar response latencies and are similar in their sensitivity to a set of experimental manipulations (e.g., frequency effects, interference effects, semantic facilitation from related words or pictures). In two additional experiments the processing of words was compared with that of pictures in a mixed reality decision task in which a decision about whether a word or picture represents a real thing is to be made independent of the surface form. The results indicated that subjects were unable to make amodal decisions of this sort; the response latencies in reality decision were markedly longer than those in either a pure lexical or pure object decision and there was little conceptual transfer across repetitions of different surface forms. Overall, the results of the five experiments suggest that the major component in a lexical or object decision is a form-specific memory representation of the word or visual object.
Lack of potassium-anion interaction in diet selection by captive meadow voles.

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test whether selective avoidance of high-potassium diets by captive meadow voles (Rodentia: Microtus pennsylvanicus ) depends on the anions with which potassium is associated. Voles were presented simultaneously with a) low- and high-potassium diets formulated with either potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, or a mixture of potassium chloride and potassium citrate; or b) paired combinations of high-potassium diets containing different anions. In the first part of the experiment, voles preferntially selected the low-potassium diets, with the degree of selectivity virtually completely independent of the associated anion. These results confirm previous suggestions that potassium avoidance may be a component in diet selection by herbivores, especially during spring and summer. There is only weak indication that anion content affects selection of diets with fixed potassium content.
Sustainability: an economic perspective

The economic perspective of sustainability focuses on the trade off of current consumption for future consumption. This was the question that faced the economists of the late 19th century such as Malthus who noticed growth in the population outpaced that of food. Yet, Malthusian prediction of famine and disaster did not come to pass due to technological innovation. There was a substitution of created capital (machines) for natural capital (labor and land). Thus, whether created- and natural capital are substitute or complementary goods is key to sustainability. Many economists believe we can maintain current consumption and that technological innovation will take care of the needs of future generations. However other economists believe that created capital and natural capital are complementary goods; as we consume more created capital, we will also have to consume more natural capital. The relationship between natural and created capital has an impact on what policies and incentives we consider for the preservation of opportunities for future generations. If they are substitutes, current efforts need to focus on development of new technologies which will allow us to do more with less. If they are complements we need to consider efforts of preservation and conservation. We understand that we cannot have our cake and eat it too. The debate is whether we emphasize finding a new way to bake more cake, or carefully consume the cake we have.
Identity Construction, Self Perceptions, and Criminal Behavior of Incarcerated Women

Using symbolic interactionism and labeling as theoretical frameworks, identity status formation has been studied primarily with students in school environments, and very little is known about how people in other situations perceive themselves. This research examined how 104 young women convicted of felony offenses viewed their personal and social identities, and explored whether previous criminal behavior predicted how women saw themselves at this point in their lives. Having a prior conviction and being involved in drug use and sales predicted the likelihood that women would see themselves as criminals, but property crime did not. Implications of the findings were discussed.
Maternal serum creatine kinase does not predict tubal pregnancy

Purpose: Our purpose was to validate prospectively the predictive value of maternal serum creatine kinase in the evaluation of ectopic pregnancy. Methods: Fifty-one consecutive pregnant first-trimester patients who presented for suspected abnormal pregnancy were enrolled. Maternal serum samples were obtained and assayed for creatine kinase. Patients were subsequently evaluated for abnormal pregnancy by serial quantitative hCG levels, transvaginal ultrasonography, and surgery when appropriate. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated comparing intrauterine to extrauterine (ectopic) pregnancy. Results: Of 51 patients, 18 had an ectopic pregnancy, 16 had a spontaneous abortion, and 17 had an ongoing intrauterine pregnancy. The ROC curve revealed that maternal serum creatine kinase had no ability to predict ectopic pregnancy. Conclusions: Maternal serum creatine kinase is not a reliable predictor of tubal pregnancy.