cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
XAFS study of Co(II) sorption at the α-Al2O3-water interface

Aqueous Co(II) sorption onto alpha-Al2O3 at pH 8.1 and surface concentrations (Gamma) of 0.16 to 11.3 mu mol m(-2) has been studied by XAFS spectroscopy. At low Gamma, Co adsorbs in a monodentate fashion or in a bridging bidentate fashion and is present as small oligomers. A Co(OH)(2)-like phase forms at high Gamma.
Towards Large-Scale Histopathological Image Analysis: Hashing-Based Image Retrieval

Automatic analysis of histopathological images has been widely utilized leveraging computational image-processing methods and modern machine learning techniques. Both computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) and content-based image-retrieval (CBIR) systems have been successfully developed for diagnosis, disease detection, and decision support in this area. Recently, with the ever-increasing amount of annotated medical data, large-scale and data-driven methods have emerged to offer a promise of bridging the semantic gap between images and diagnostic information. In this paper, we focus on developing scalable image-retrieval techniques to cope intelligently with massive histopathological images. Specifically, we present a supervised kernel hashing technique which leverages a small amount of supervised information in learning to compress a 10 $\thinspace$ 000-dimensional image feature vector into only tens of binary bits with the informative signatures preserved. These binary codes are then indexed into a hash table that enables real-time retrieval of images in a large database. Critically, the supervised information is employed to bridge the semantic gap between low-level image features and high-level diagnostic information. We build a scalable image-retrieval framework based on the supervised hashing technique and validate its performance on several thousand histopathological images acquired from breast microscopic tissues. Extensive evaluations are carried out in terms of image classification (i.e., benign versus actionable categorization) and retrieval tests. Our framework achieves about 88.1% classification accuracy as well as promising time efficiency. For example, the framework can execute around 800 queries in only 0.01 s, comparing favorably with other commonly used dimensionality reduction and feature selection methods.
The interface between the practice of medical genetics and human genetic research: what every genetic counselor needs to know.

Genetic counselors have historically used human genetic research as an advanced information resource for their patients. Most commonly, this has been via access to information provided by gene identification studies in advance of commercial testing. More recently genetic counselors have been participating in human genetic research studies as part of the investigative team. This review provides a framework to help genetic counselors in research and clinical practice understand the historical perspectives, ethical principles, and federal regulations that govern the current practice of human subject research. Special consideration is given to∼the IRB process and unique issues in human genetic research. This overview is intended to help improve the ability of genetic counselors to act as advocates for their patients.
Synthesis, Structure, and Solution NMR Studies of Cyanide-Copper(II) and Cyanide-Bridged Iron(III)-Copper(II) Complexes.

A range of small molecules, such as cyanide, are known to bind and/or inhibit the active site of the heme-copper oxidase enzymes. As such, model studies are aimed at elucidating ligand binding mode...
Structure-function relationships within peripheral nerves in diabetic neuropathy: the hydration hypothesis

To define the quantitative relationship between peripheral nerve structure and function imposed by endoneurial oedema in the diabetic state, we determined values for sural nerve hydration structure as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and for neurological function with scores for nerve conduction properties (NCV-score), neuropathic symptoms (NS-score), and examination signs (NE-score). The coefficient of sural nerve hydration was elevated to 30±6% (p<0.05) in 79 symptomatic neuropathic diabetic subjects with an average of 15 years of diabetes mellitus, compared to a value of 25±3% in 72 non-diabetic control subjects. In contrast, in 75 asymptomatic diabetic subjects with an average of 6 additional years of diabetes, the mean hydration coefficient was only 28±5% (p<0.05). A nerve hyperhydration state was identified with a prevalence of 25% within the asymptomatic group characterized by nerve hydration greater than the 95th percentile, early changes in nerve electrophysiology and neurological examination, but with no symptomatology of neuropathy. Stratification of the symptomatic neuropathic group by worsening nerve electrophysiology, demonstrates a coincident deterioration in neurological examination (RR=5.39 at maximum NCV-score), and neuropathy symptomatology (RR=4.80 at maximum NE-score). The present data are consistent with the hypothesis that endoneurial oedema initiates deterioration sequentially in nerve electrophysiology, followed by abnormal findings on neurological examination, preceding the patient's final perception of symptomatic stocking-glove peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
Social anxiety, alcohol expectancies, and self-efficacy as predictors of heavy drinking in college students

Burke and Stephens (1999) [Burke, R.S., Stephens, R.S. Social anxiety and drinking in college students: A social cognitive theory analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 19, (1999) 513-530.] proposed a social cognitive theory of heavy drinking in college students. According to this theory, alcohol expectancies for social facilitation and self-efficacy for refusing heavy drinking in anxiety-producing social situations moderate the relationship between social anxiety and drinking. In the current study, a significant three-way interaction was observed among social anxiety, expectancies, and self-efficacy when amount and frequency of drinking was the dependent variable. As predicted by the model, socially anxious college students with low self-efficacy for avoiding heavy drinking in social situations and high positive expectancies for social facilitation reported more alcohol consumption than other socially anxious individuals.
Oral Manifestations of Infectious Mononucleosis

T H E RESPONSE of the tissues of the oral cavity to systemic diseases has long been known by practitioners of the healing arts. The aim of the present study is to document and describe the prominent clinical alterations of the soft tissues that occur in the head and neck during the course of infectious mononucleosis. Since this systemic disease characteristically affects some tissues of the head and neck, the dentist's awareness of these particular alterations may enhance his diagnostic ability.
THE SPECIFICITY OF EAVESDROPPING ON SAGEBRUSH BY OTHER PLANTS

Wild tobacco growing in a field near experimentally clipped sagebrush became more resistant to herbivores than tobacco plants near unclipped sagebrush. Here, we asked whether eavesdropping on sagebrush is a common phenomenon. Do three other forb species that grow near sagebrush experience less herbivory when their sagebrush neighbors are clipped experimentally? Similarly, we asked if sagebrush becomes more resistant when conspecific neighbors are clipped. We found that levels of damage to leaves of lomatium, lupine, and valerian were unaffected by experimental clipping of neighboring sagebrush. These three forbs share many generalist herbivores with sagebrush, as does wild tobacco. Sagebrush individuals near clipped neighbors experienced approximately half the leaf loss to herbivores over the summer as plants with unclipped neighbors. Most of this herbivory was caused by generalist grasshoppers and mammals. Success of a chrysomelid beetle that specializes on sagebrush was unaffected by clipping neighboring sagebrush. These results indicate that communication between sagebrush and tobacco is not a unique phenomenon since sagebrush also responded when neighbors were clipped. In contrast, other plant species generally respond less strongly to cues than does tobacco, indicating that not all species respond to relatively high levels of jasmonate in their environments. Eavesdropping may be restricted to those species, like tobacco, that are strongly inducible and to those species, like sagebrush, that release high concentrations of cues.
Rapid development of tolerance to the hyperthermic effect of β-endorphin, and cross-tolerance between the enkephalins and β-endorphin

Abstract The intracerebroventricular administration of β-Endorphin (β-En) in mice produced a prompt rise in body temperature lasting more than 8 h. A second dose produced a slightly lesser peak rise in body temperature than that after the first dose, but the effect lasted less than 6 h. Development of tolerance after a single dose was maximal at about 48 h after an effective priming dose, but was not detectable 8 days later. At least 10 ng β-En/mouse was required for the development of tolerance; 0.1–1 ng β-En/mouse produced hyperthermia that did not results in tolerance 24 h later. Doses of β-En larger than 10 ng/mouse up to 100 ng/mouse produced proportionally more hyperthermia and tolerance. The development of tolerance after a single dose was blocked by the simultaneous administration of naloxone in conjunction with the priming dose of β-En. Mice primed 24 h earlier with μg doses of leucine or methionine enkephalin or D-Alanine2-Methionine-enkephalinamide produced a dose dependent reduction of the hyperthermic effect of β-En. Leucine enkephalin was the most potent of the enkephalins to produce cross-tolerance to the effect of β-En, followed by D-Alanine2-Methionine enkephalinamide. Results are discussed in terms of probable mechanisms of action of the endogenous opioid peptides to produce tolerance and dependence.
ZnO nanobridges and nanonails

Wurtzite ZnO nanobridges and aligned nanonails have been synthesized by thermal vapor transport and condensation method. The nanobridges have two rows of c-axis ZnO nanorods epitaxailly grown on the edges of the {0001} plane of the ZnO nanobelt. Some variations of the nanobridges have also been observed. The ZnO nanonails, with crystalline cap and small diameter shafts, grow along the c-axis. The shape of the nanonail cap and shaft varies. The nanobridges have very low concentration of indium in the structure and the nanonails are pure ZnO. These materials have potential in applications such as optoelectronics, etc.
A Force and Displacement Self-Sensing Piezoelectric MRI-Compatible Tweezer End Effector With an On-Site Calibration Procedure

This paper describes a self-sensing technique for a piezoelectrically driven magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible tweezer style end effector, suitable for robot assisted MRI guided surgery. Nested strain amplification mechanisms are used to amplify the displacement of the piezo actuators to practical levels for robotics. By using a hysteretic piezoelectric model and a two port network model for the compliant nested strain amplifiers, it is shown that force and displacement at the tweezer tip can be estimated if the input voltage and charge are measured. One piezo unit is used simultaneously as a sensor and an actuator, preserving the full actuation capability of the device. An on-site calibration procedure is proposed that calibrates the combined electromechanical model without requiring specific loading conditions on the inner piezoelectric actuators. Experimental validation shows an average of 12% error between the self-sensed and true values.
Legal Protection From Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation: Findings From Litigation

Since 1964 with the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the courts have held that although Title VII prohibits discrimination because of sex, sex has been construed to mean gender, but gender and sexual orientation are different. Traditionally sexual discrimination has been interpreted to protect women in male/female encounters. Thus protection for homosexuals based on sexual orientation has not been covered. However, there are some interesting aspects to the concept of discrimination due to sexual orientation, including defining same-sex harassment as being harassment, equal opportunity harassment, and sexual stereotypes. In addition, how homosexuals may be protected under state laws, unions, company policy, and the constitution is discussed as well as protection for public sector employees. An analysis of 98 litigated cases alleging discrimination based on same sex or sexual orientation harassment led to the development of a logit model predicting future case outcomes based on case characteristics. These are type of harassment, physical contact, type of employees, and whether there was equal opportunity harassment. Implications from the study are that the issues of protection from discrimination are complex and one cannot necessarily assume that this type of discrimination is not protected. Recommendations for more effective managerial actions are provided.
Meaning, Method and Social Science: A Realist Account

It is not unusual for Muslim social scientists to complain about the pressure to conform to non‐Islamic frameworks for understanding social phenomena because these typically Western patterns of rationality miss important elements of an Islamic social world and self‐understanding. This being true, the reasoning goes, what is provided is a distorted understanding of the Muslim social world and inadequate policies framed on a distorted understanding. M.A. Choudhury accurately characterizes this situation for economics, but it is applicable to the social sciences in general.
Toxicity of sodium pentafluorostannite. A new anticariogenic agent. III. 30-Day toxicity study in rats.

Abstract For 30 days, groups of 12–19 Wistar rats (divided according to sex) were dosed daily by gavage with distilled water or with 20, 100, or 175 mg/kg sodium pentafluorostannite. On Days 14 and 29, blood was collected from five rats in each group to determine hemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume. On Days 15 and 30, rats were sacrificed, blood collected, and serum urea nitrogen (BUN), direct and total bilirubin, SGOT activity, inorganic phosphorus, calcium and glucose concentrations were determined. A necropsy was performed on each rat, its organs weighed, and sections prepared for microscopic examination. After 15 and 30 days, growth was depressed in a dose-related manner. Serum glucose concentration was also lowered. Microscopic findings in organs were generally unremarkable except for degenerative changes of the proximal tubular epithelium of the kidneys in 15–20% of the animals in the 175-mg/kg groups. Animals that died spontaneously displayed signs suggestive of cardiac failure, including congestion of the liver, spleen, lungs and/or kidneys. In addition, most had moderate to severe renal tubular necrosis.
Supercritical Fluid Tuning of Reactions Rates: the Cis−Trans Isomerization of 4-4‘-Disubstituted Azobenzenes

Remarkable tuning of reaction rates has been achieved for the isomerization of several dye molecules in supercritical fluid solvents using both small pressure changes and small additions of cosolvents. Rates of the thermal cis−trans relaxation were measured spectroscopically following irradiation for three dyes in supercritical carbon dioxide and ethane, pure and with several polar and protic cosolvents. The results are explained in terms of local density and composition enhancements, as well as by a change of mechanism due to strong hydrogen bonding. This study demonstrates the versatility of supercritical fluid solvents both to examine reaction mechanisms and as a means to tune rates.
Adaptive Control of Separated Flow

Adaptive closed-loop control is used to optimize the lift-to-drag ratio of post-stall separated flow over a NACA 0025 airfoil using multiple amplitude-modulated (AM) or burst-modulated (BM), zero-net-mass-flux (ZNMF) actuators that cover the central 33% span of the airfoil. A simplex optimization approach uses the lift and drag measured by a strain-gauge balance for feedback and searches for the optimal AM or BM actuation parameters in a closed-loop fashion. An energy penalty function based on the electrical power consumption of the actuators is added to the cost function to study the tradeoff between the aerodynamic performance and the power requirement. In the baseline post-stall separated flow over the airfoil, two dominant characteristic frequencies are identified via flow visualization and hot-wire anemometry: the convective instability of the separated shear layer and the global instability of the vortex shedding in the wake. Closed-loop control increases the lift-to-drag ratio by a factor of 2-3 via small-amplitude AM and BM forcing of nonlinear interactions between these instabilities.
Application of discriminant analysis with clustered data to determine anthropogenic metals contamination

Environmental site assessments involve, among other things, characterization of the nature and extent of contamination. In general, environmental assessors are interested in empirical methodologies that can be applied to a broad range of environmental media (e.g., soils, sediments, etc.) and situations. To date, no unified guidance has been adopted, and site investigations usually involve a tiered process with multiple analyses. We propose a multivariate analysis methodology utilizing discriminant analysis with clustered chemical concentrations as a novel application to environmental site assessments that determine, in relative order of magnitude, contaminated chemicals. Finite mixture models are presented as a means to assess latent chemical clusters with some basis in statistical inference. The methodology is illustrated with a typical localized data set containing total metal and metalloid (i.e., chemical) concentrations, extracted from bulk soil collected from reference and site-related locations, obtained from a former military installation in the southeast United States. The illustration is particularly applicable because site-related soils inherently possessed higher background chemical levels than reference soils, which biased conventional analyses. However, contrasting chemical compositions were inferred within site-related samples illustrating the versatility of the proposed methodology. Using these results along with known information regarding the history of contamination at the site, a qualitative and quantitative assessment of contaminated chemicals was made. Results are intended for illustration purposes only and are discussed within the context of environmental site assessment.
Predicting age of sexual debut in adolescent girls

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between biologic, demographic, and family context variables and the age of initiation of intercourse among adolescent girls. METHODS: Data were analyzed from a longitudinal study of girls recruited from an urban adolescent medicine clinic. At intake, all subjects received the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, to establish a screening IQ score. Mothers' highest level of education and age when she had her first child were recorded. Parental monitoring (direct, with peers, and indirect) and the Family Environment Scale were utilized to assess the social environment. Subjects were asked the age of first consensual intercourse, and categorized as early (14 or less), average (15-16) and later (17 or older). The relationship of age of debut with demographic and family context variables was analyzed using a logistic regression. RESULTS: At intake the 174 subjects had a mean age of 14.5 years. 127 were known to be sexually experienced by the end of the study; 22% initiated younger than 15, 62% between ages 15-16, and 16% ages 17 or older. An additional 22 were seen at age 17 or older and reported they were not sexually active. This latter group was included in the “later” initiators. The final logistic model revealed that girls who reported their families were more expressive, had a greater moral religious emphasis, had more direct monitoring, and whose mothers had greater education, were older when they initiated intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: Developmental and contextual factors made important contributions to age of initiation of intercourse in this longitudinal study. Factors that are modifiable, such as parental monitoring and communication, should prove to be an effective target for intervention in protecting the adolescent from early engagement in high risk behaviors.
Gateway to the diseased brain

The blood-brain barrier constitutes a major obstacle to effective treatment of diseases affecting the central nervous system. A new strategy to target specifically the endothelium of diseased brain may allow the development of more effective gene-based therapies (pages 1215–1218).
Drosophila homologs of baculovirus inhibitor of apoptosis proteins function to block cell death

Abstract Apoptotic cell death is a mechanism by which organisms eliminate superfluous or harmful cells. Expression of the cell death regulatory protein REAPER (RPR) in the developing Drosophila eye results in a small eye owing to excess cell death. We show that mutations in thread (th) are dominant enhancers of RPR-induced cell death and that th encodes a protein homologous to baculovirus inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs), which we call Drosophila IAP1 (DIAP1). Overexpression of DIAP1 or a related protein, DIAP2, in the eye suppresses normally occurring cell death as well as death due to overexpression of rpr or head involution detective . IAP death-preventing activity localizes to the N-terminal baculovirus IAP repeats, a motif found in both viral and cellular proteins associated with death prevention.
Budgeting for Collection Development: A Suggestion

Towards the middle of The Name of the Rose Adso of Melk realizes that “not infrequently books speak of books.… In the light of this reflection, the library seemed all the more disturbing to me. It was then the place of a long, centuries‐old murmuring, an imperceptible dialogue between one parchment and another, a living thing, a receptacle of powers not to be ruled by a human mind, a treasure of secrets emanated by many minds, surviving the death of those who had produced them or had been their conveyors.” With these thoughts in mind Adso asks his mentor William of Baskerville “what is the use of hiding books, if from the books not hidden you can arrive at the concealed ones?” William replies that “over the centuries it is no use at all. In a space of years or days it has some use.…” To which Adso, dumbfounded, asks “and is a library, then, an instrument not for distributing truth but for delaying its appearance?”
Does respiratory sinus arrhythmia serve a buffering role for diastolic pressure fluctuations

Though many consider the magnitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia as an index of cardiac vagal control, its physiological origins remain unclear. One influential model postulates that the systolic...
Myocardial Stunning after Electroconvulsive Therapy

Excerpt Myocardial stunning (1, 2), a prolonged but reversible myocardial contractile dysfunction, has not been reported after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We describe a patient with myocardial...
Beam quality in field emitter arrays

The emerging field of vacuum microelectronics offers exciting possibilities in miniature coherent radiation sources, flat panel displays, and ultra-fast logic circuits. The crucial component is the electron emitter, which consists of an array of sharp tips from which electrons undergo field emission according to the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) relation. In this paper, we present a theoretical analysis of the beam emittance and of the beam brightness expected from a field emitter array. Scaling laws for these quantities are constructed that take into account of the electric field enhancement factors that accompany the sharp tips, and they are derived in a manner consistent with the FN relation. These scaling laws can immediately be used once the following parameters are given: the width and height, as well as the packing density, of the field emitter array, the anode-cathode (A-K) spacing, the A-K voltage drop, and the FN coefficients A, and B. The space-charge limited regime will also be explored.
Arabic Language Modeling with Finite State Transducers

In morphologically rich languages such as Arabic, the abundance of word forms resulting from increased morpheme combinations is significantly greater than for languages with fewer inflected forms (Kirchhoff et al., 2006). This exacerbates the out-of-vocabulary (OOV) problem. Test set words are more likely to be unknown, limiting the effectiveness of the model. The goal of this study is to use the regularities of Arabic inflectional morphology to reduce the OOV problem in that language. We hope that success in this task will result in a decrease in word error rate in Arabic automatic speech recognition.
Low-power CMOS with subvolt supply voltages

We first present a circuit taxonomy along the space and time dimensions, which is useful for classifying generic low-power techniques, followed by an analysis of optimal power supply and threshold voltages and transistor sizing for minimizing the energy-delay product of a class of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) digital circuits.
High-Temperature Dielectric Constant of NaCl and KBr

A dispersion of the dielectric constant and associated dielectric loss has been observed in sodium chloride and potassium bromide at high temperatures and radio frequencies. Interpretation of the data in terms of the Debye theory of dipolar relaxation suggests that vacancy pairs are responsible for the phenomenon. The concentration of dipoles is, however, one or two orders of magnitude larger than the expected concentration of vacancy pairs. Eine Dispersion der Dielektrizitatskonstante und der damit verbundene dielektrische Verlust wurden in Natriumchlorid und Kaliumbromid bei hohen Temperaturen und Radiofrequenzen beobachtet. Eine Deutung der Daten nach der Debyeschen Theorie der dipolaren Relaxation legt es nahe, das Leerstellenpaare fur das Phanomen verantwortlich sind. Die Konzentration der Dipole ist jedoch ein bis zwei Grosenordnungen groser als die erwartete Konzentration der Leerstellenpaare.
The Dalcroze Approach to Music Education: Theory and Applications

The methods of the Dalcroze approach to music education—eurhythmics, solfege, and improvisation—have had a profound influence on modern music education. In particular, the overt training in kinesthetic abilities, and the assertion that the relationship between music and movement is an intimate one, is at the heart of Dalcroze's approach to instruction. The empirical research on kinesthesia in education and on the Dalcroze approach to music education is only starting to explore the many facets of this way of teaching, but the existing research is encouraging. This article will provide accounts of eurhythmics, solfege, and improvisation, giving emphasis to what types of activities might occur in these three facets of the Dalcroze approach to music education. Following this, the sense of kinesthesia will be discussed in relation to Dalcroze's approach. Finally, empirical and philosophical studies of the Dalcroze approach will be briefly summarized.
Assessment of rotator cuff tendon integrity with single detector polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

In this study, we perform PS-OCT imaging of discarded human rotator cuff tendon. Imaging at the surgical cut and torn end were preformed and compared with histopathology.
The Correction for Guessing: A Further Analysis of Angoff and Schrader.

This study reexamines results reported by Angoff and Schrader (1981, 1984) regarding formula directions and rights directions for standardized tests. In that study, it was concluded that the two scoring directions were essentially equivalent. In this study, methodological concerns are discussed and additional data analyses undertaken. Among the methodological concerns discussed are the potential problems in using volunteers for the College Board phase of the study and the likelihood of treatment contamination in the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) phase. Estimates of success rates of the rights directions group on items omitted and not reached by the formula group, were beyond chance levels by 0.6 % to 13.0 % for the College Board tests and at or below chance levels for the GMAT. Alternative interpretations of the data and suggestions for additional research are proposed.
“Jacobins” at Princeton: Student riots, religious revivalism, and the decline of Enlightenment, 1800–1817

This essay considers how American Enlightenment moralists and Evangelical religious revivalists responded to “Jacobinism” at the College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University, from 1800 through 1817. At this time, disruptive student activities exemplified alleged American “Jacobin” conspiracies against civil society. The American response to “Jacobins” brought out tensions between two different competing intellectual currents at the College of New Jersey: a revival of Christian religious principles led by Princeton trustee Reverend Ashbel Green and, in contrast, the expansion of Samuel Stanhope Smith's system of moral education during his tenure as college president from 1795 through 1812. As a moralist, Smith appealed to Scottish Common Sense philosophy in teaching the instinctive “rules of duty” as a way to correct unrestrained “passions” and moderate “Jacobin” radicalism. In doing so, Smith developed a moral quasi-relativism as an original feature of his moral philosophy and contribution to American Enlightenment intellectual culture. Green and like-minded religious revivalists saw Princeton student uprisings as Smith's failure to properly address irreligion. This essay shows the ways in which “Jacobinism” and then the emerging age of religious revivalism, known as the Second Great Awakening, arrived at the cost of Smith's “Didactic Enlightenment” at Princeton.
Rsk‐mediated phosphorylation and 14‐3‐3ε binding of Apaf‐1 suppresses cytochrome c‐induced apoptosis

Many pro-apoptotic signals trigger mitochondrial cytochrome c release, leading to caspase activation and ultimate cellular breakdown. Cell survival pathways, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, promote cell viability by impeding mitochondrial cytochrome c release and by inhibiting subsequent caspase activation. Here, we describe a mechanism for the inhibition of cytochrome c-induced caspase activation by MAPK signalling, identifying a novel mode of apoptotic regulation exerted through Apaf-1 phosphorylation by the 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (Rsk). Recruitment of 14-3-3ɛ to phosphorylated Ser268 impedes the ability of cytochrome c to nucleate apoptosome formation and activate downstream caspases. High endogenous levels of Rsk in PC3 prostate cancer cells or Rsk activation in other cell types promoted 14-3-3ɛ binding to Apaf-1 and rendered the cells insensitive to cytochrome c, suggesting a potential role for Rsk signalling in apoptotic resistance of prostate cancers and other cancers with elevated Rsk activity. Collectively, these results identify a novel locus of apoptosomal regulation wherein MAPK signalling promotes Rsk-catalysed Apaf-1 phosphorylation and consequent binding of 14-3-3ɛ, resulting in decreased cellular responsiveness to cytochrome c.
Socioeconomic Status and Women's Smoking Behavior: A Literature Review

Objectives: This paper presents a literature review that examines the relationship between socioeconomic status and women’s smoking behavior in the United States. Methods: A literature search was conducted among national and international peer-reviewed literature in the following databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), MEDLINE, and PsycARTICLES. A manual search was performed to obtain relevant articles within selected journals. Results: Of the 9 reviewed studies, 5 indicated that a low education level is a causal factor which has a significant relationship with smoking behavior among women. 6 of the reviewed studies provided evidence that household income level plays an important role in women’s cigarette smoking. Finally, 2 of the reviewed studies indicated that women’s smoking behavior is influenced by their marital status. Conclusion: The findings from this literature review indicate that future smoking prevention efforts targeting women might benefit from incorporating education, household income, and marital situation into multi-component programs that focus on the differences in socioeconomic status.
All-digital out-phasing modulator for a software-defined transmitter

An all-digital out-phasing transmitter suitable for software-defined radio (SDR) is presented. It uses a phase-locked loop followed by two digital phase rotator blocks embedded in two delay-locked loops. The chip is fabricated in a 90 nm CMOS process with total active area of 3 mm2, and tested for GSM and WCDMA standards. The whole transmitter excluding phase-to-digital converter (PDC) consumes 55 mA, and current consumption of the PDC is 70 mA.
Fourier and filterbank analyses of signal-dependent noise

Owing to the lack of resolution of the measurement and the randomness inherent in the signal and the measuring devices, the measurement noise is often signal-dependent. Although the statistical modeling of filterbank, wavelets, and short-time Fourier coefficients enjoys immense popularity, transform-based estimation of signal is difficult because the effects of signal-dependent noise permeate across multiple coefficients and subbands. In this work, we show how a general class of signal-dependent noise can be characterized to an arbitrary precision in a Haar filterbank and Fourier representation. The structure of noise in the transform domain admits a variant of Stein's unbiased estimate of risk conducive to processing the corrupted signal in the transform domain, and estimators involving Poisson processes are discussed.
Performance comparison between optoelectronic and VLSI multistage interconnection networks

The performance characteristics of optoelectronic and VLSI multistage interconnection networks are compared. The bases of the comparison include speed, bandwidth, power consumption, and footprint area. The communication network used in the comparison is a synchronous packet-switched multistage interconnection network built from 2*2 bit-serial switching elements. CMOS technology was used in the VLSI implementation, and it is assumed that the entire network resides on a single chip. Regular free-space optical interconnects are used in the optoelectronic implementation. The results show that for large networks optoelectronics offers higher speed and lower area than VLSI. Based on the assumed technology parameters, optoelectronics outperforms VLSI in bandwidth for network sizes above 256. >
The role of mitochondrial respiration in physiological and evolutionary adaptation

Aerobic mitochondria serve as the power sources of eukaryotes by producing ATP through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The enzymes involved in OXPHOS are multisubunit complexes encoded by both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Thus, regulation of respiration is necessarily a highly coordinated process that must organize production, assembly and function of mitochondria to meet an organism's energetic needs. Here I review the role of OXPHOS in metabolic adaptation and diversification of higher animals. On a physiological timescale, endocrine-initiated signaling pathways allow organisms to modulate respiratory enzyme concentration and function under changing environmental conditions. On an evolutionary timescale, mitochondrial enzymes are targets of natural selection, balancing cytonuclear coevolutionary constraints against physiological innovation. By synthesizing our knowledge of biochemistry, physiology and evolution of respiratory regulation, I propose that we can now explore questions at the interface of these fields, from molecular translation of environmental cues to selection on mitochondrial haplotype variation.
Asymmetric effects of luminance and chrominance in the watercolor illusion

When bounded by a line of sufficient contrast, the desaturated hue of a colored line will spread over an enclosed area, an effect known as the watercolor illusion. The contrast of the two lines can be in luminance, chromaticity, or a combination of both. The effect is most salient when the enclosing line has greater contrast with the background than the line that induces the spreading color. In most prior experiments with watercolor spreading, the luminance of both lines has been lower than the background. An achromatic version of the illusion exists where a dark line will spread while being bounded by either a darker or brighter line. In a previous study we measured the strength of the watercolor effect in which the colored inducing line was isoluminant to the background, and found an illusion for both brighter and darker achromatic outer contours. We also found the strength of spreading is stronger for bluish (+S cone input) colors compared to yellowish (-S cone input) ones, when bounded by a dark line. The current study set out to measure the hue dependence of the watercolor illusion when inducing colors are flanked with brighter (increment) as opposed to darker outer lines. The asymmetry in the watercolor effect with S cone input was enhanced when the inducing contrast was an increment rather than a decrement. Further experiments explored the relationship between the perceived contrast of these chromatic lines when paired with luminance increments and decrements and revealed that the perceived contrast of luminance increments and decrements is dependent on which isoluminant color they are paired with. In addition to known hue asymmetries in the watercolor illusion there are asymmetries between luminance increments and decrements that are also hue dependent. These latter asymmetries may be related to the perceived contrast of the hue/luminance parings.
Maximal and Cohesive vector spaces

Let N denote the natural numbers. If A ⊆ N , we write Ā for the complement of A in N . A set A ⊆ N is cohesive if (i) A is infinite and (ii) for any recursively enumerable set W either W ∩ A or ∩ A is finite. A r.e. set M ⊆ N is maximal if is cohesive. A recursively presented vector space (r.p.v.s.) U over a recursive field F consists of a recursive set U ⊆ N and operations of vector addition and scalar multiplication which are partial recursive and under which U becomes a vector space. A r.p.v.s. U has a dependence algorithm if there is a uniform effective procedure which applied to any n -tuple ν 0 , ν 1 , …, ν n−1 of elements of U determines whether or not ν 0 , ν 1 …, ν n−1 are linearly dependent. Throughout this paper we assume that if U is a r.p.v.s. over a recursive field F then U is infinite dimensional and U = N . If W ⊆ U , then we say W is recursive (r.e., etc.) iff W is a recursive (r.e., etc.) subset of N . If S ⊆ U , we write (S )* for the subspace generated by S . If V 1 and V 2 are subspaces of U such that V 1 ∩ V 2 ={ } (where is the zero vector of U ), then we write V 1 ⊕ V 2 for ( V 1 ∪ V 2 )*. If V 1 ⊆ V 2 ⊆ U are subspaces, we write V 2 / V 1 for the quotient space.
Bayesian analyses of longitudinal binary data using Markov regression models of unknown order

We present non-homogenous Markov regression models of unknown order as a means to assess the duration of autoregressive dependence in longitudinal binary data. We describe a subject's transition probability evolving over time using logistic regression models for his or her past outcomes and covariates. When the initial values of the binary process are unknown, they are treated as latent variables. The unknown initial values, model parameters, and the order of transitions are then estimated using a Bayesian variable selection approach, via Gibbs sampling. As a comparison with our approach, we also implement the deviance information criterion (DIC) for the determination of the order of transitions. An example addresses the progression of substance use in a community sample of n=242 American Indian children who were interviewed annually four times. An extension of the Markov model to account for subject-to-subject heterogeneity is also discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
JETS: Language and System Support for Many-Parallel-Task Computing

Many-task computing is a well-established paradigm for implementing loosely coupled applications on large-scale computing systems. However, few of the model's existing implementations provide efficient, low-latency support for the execution of tightly coupled applications as atomic tasks. Thus, a vast array of parallel applications cannot readily be used effectively within many-task workloads. In this work, we present JETS, a middleware component that provides high performance support for many-\emph{parallel}-task-computing (MPTC). JETS is based on a highly concurrent approach to parallel task dispatch and on new capabilities now available in the MPICH2 MPI implementation and the ZeptoOS Linux operating system. JETS represents an advancement over the few known examples of multi-level many-parallel-task scheduling systems by more efficiently scheduling many \emph{short-duration} parallel application invocations, by overcoming the challenges of coupling the user processes of each application invocation via the messaging fabric, and by concurrently managing many application executions in various stages. We report here on the JETS architecture and its performance on both synthetic benchmarks and the NAMD molecular dynamics application.
Localization of the sites of conduction abnormalities in a mouse model of myotonic dystrophy.

Heart Block in a Mouse Model of Myotonic Dystrophy. Introduction: A mouse strain lacking functional myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) has recently been developed. DMPK-/- mice exhibit muscular and conduction abnormalities consistent with the disease; however, the site of abnormal cardiac conduction is unknown. Methods and Results: Nine homozygous DMPK-/- mice and seven age matched wild-type (WT) controls underwent in vivo electrophysiologic studies using an endocardial 2-French catheter. Baseline intervals as well as Wenckebach and 2:1 cycle lengths were measured to assess AV and ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction. Effective refractory periods (ERP) and functional refractory periods were determined during atrial and ventricular premature stimulation. His-bundle recordings were obtained on all the studied animals (16/16). DMPK-/- mice bad significantly prolonged PR (48.1 ± 5.5 vs 40.9 ± 3.9 msec, P = 0.010) and AH (36.7 ± 4.0 vs 31.6 ± 4.8 msec, P = 0.037) intervals compared to WT controls. HV intervals were very significantly prolonged as well (14.7 ± 2.0 vs 10.3 ± 0.8 msec; P < 0.0001). Three of 9 DMPK-/- and I of 7 WT mice exhibited VA block. Atrial ERP was reached before AV node ERP in 2 (22%) of 9 of the knockout mice and 5 (71%) of 7 of the controls (P = 0.06). Only one mouse (DMPK-/-) exhibited infra-Hisian block on premature atrial stimulation. Conclusion: In this mouse model of myotonic dystrophy, AV conduction abnormalities were localized to the supra-Hisian and infra-Hisian conduction tissues, with a higher predilection to the latter, a finding similar to the human form of the disease.
Gender Beliefs and the Meaning of Work Among Okinawan Women

This qualitative research examines the work experiences and gender beliefs of 22 Okinawan women who were young adults during the Battle of Okinawa. In-depth interviews were conducted with Okinawan women, including a subsample of women widowed in World War II, and the work experiences and gender beliefs of widows and nonwidows are compared. Women's orientation to breadwinning is found to shape the gender beliefs that they hold. Widows who defined their work as breadwinning maintained traditional gender beliefs, in compensation for their gender boundary–crossing work experience. Nonwidows who saw their work as supplementary to their husbands' income, however, adopted liberal gender beliefs.
The past, present, and future of Wikipedia

An open question is how big Wiki pedia should become. How many ideas are worthy of an article? Per haps all of the notable subjects have already been covered, and the number of new contributors should be kept small. Wales has argued in recent years that the challenge to Wikipedia going forward is to shift the focus from volume to quality of content. Here we examine the size of Wiki pedia and how it has evolved over the years. A future column will explore the issue of quality.
Very low off Current Behavior in high Performance a-Si:H TFT

The off currents in high performance a-Si:H TFT’s were measured below 10−12 A. The Ioff-Vgs behavior is similar to that of a poly-Si TFT, in which the current increases rapidly with negative gate bias under a large drain bias while it stays almost constant under a small drain voltage. It seems the thermally-assisted tunneling via localized states occurs near the drain region as in the case of poly-Si TFT, although the current level is quite different. The off current change after negative bias stress at room temperature can be explained by the defect creation, but defects can be reduced by negative stress at 180 °C according to the defect pool model.
Pelvic Relaxation—Anatomical Considerations

The anatomy of the pelvic floor and anal canal, although nicely illustrated in most texts on anatomy, is actually poorly understood. The confusion has resulted in multiple interpretations of basic morphology. Most simply, the pelvic floor is responsible for continence and for defecation, but alterations in either lead to complex and confusing presentations in an ever increasing number of patients. In this article, we detail the anatomy as we best understand it and relate form to the primary function of the area, maintaining continence and facilitating defecation.
Effect of α-difluoromethylornithine on L-phenylalanine mustard-induced cytotoxicity and DNA interstrand cross-linking in a human cell line in vitro

Abstract We compared l-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM)-induced cytotoxicity and DNA cross-linking with and without a 42-h preincubation with the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, 1 mm) in a human lymphoma cell line. The combination showed increased toxicity with a D 0 ratio of 1.6. L-PAM-induced DNA protein cross-linking as measured by alkaline elution was not altered by a DFMO pretreatment. DNA interstrand cross-linking was increased when L-PAM-treated cells were pretreated with DFMO. The differences occurred between 12 and 24 h following the L-PAM treatment. Peak protein cross-linking occurred 6 h following L-PAM removal with or without DFMO pretreatment. While peak interstrand cross-linking occurred 6 h following L-PAM removal, the DFMO-pretreated cells maintained higher cross-link levels longer than did control cells. The increase in interstrand cross-linking seen in DFMO-pretreated cells was maintained at several different L-PAM doses. The increased cytotoxicity could not be accounted for by the increased cross-linking alone. We have postulated that DFMO pretreatment results in a delay in the appearance of a cross-link removal system. The differences seen between results using these human cells and previous reports using rodent cells are discussed.