cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Augmenting memory for student learning: Designing a context‐aware capture system for biology education

The Memex Metadata for Student Portfolios (M2) project is using mobile technology to augment student memory and improve student learning. We have constructed a student-targeted Context Awareness Framework (CAF) and we are developing a metadata scheme that integrates the CAF with a variety of mobile technologies. In particular, we are exploring the use of Microsoft SenseCams, which capture images and sensory data approximately every 90 seconds and can extend student memory, enabling for an enriched learning experience for undergraduate biology students. We are exploring the use of SenseCams along with other mobile devices (e.g., a GIS and Tablet PC) for biology students conducting scientific field work such as specimen identification. The development of our CAF and metadata scheme also support the development of e-portfolios that can extend student memory and maintain useful records of educational activities. This paper presents research and development activities underlying the M2 project, including research methods, evaluation activities, and next steps.
Understanding what they do with what they know

This work seeks to understand what "they" (Web advertisers) actually do with the information available to them. We analyze the ads shown to users during controlled browsing as well as examine the inferred demographics and interests shown in Ad Preference Managers provided by advertisers.In an initial study of ad networks and a focused study of the Google ad network, we found many expected contextual, behavioral and location-based ads along with combinations of these types of ads. We also observed profile-based ads. Most behavioral ads were shown as categories in the Ad Preference Manager (APM) of the ad network, but we found unexpected cases where the interests were not visible in the APM. We also found unexpected behavior for the Google ad network in that non-contextual ads were shown related to induced sensitive topics regarding sexual orientation, health and financial matters.In a smaller study of Facebook, we did not find clear evidence that a user's browsing behavior on non-Facebook sites influences the ads shown to the user on Facebook, but we did observe such influence when the Facebook Like button is used to express interest in content. We did observe Facebook ads appearing to target users for sensitive interests with some ads even asserting such sensitive information, which appears to be a violation of Facebook's stated policy.
Does knowledge secure warrant to assert

This paper fortifies and defends the so called Sufficiency Argument (SA) against Classical Invariantism. In Sect. 2, I explain the version of the SA formulated but then rejected by Brown (2008a). In Sect. 3, I show how cases described by Hawthorne (2004), Brown (2008b), and Lackey (forthcoming) threaten to undermine one or the other of the SA’s least secure premises. In Sect. 4, I buttress one of those premises and defend the reinforced SA from the objection developed in Sect. 3.
Phase I trial of arginine deprivation therapy with ADI-PEG 20 plus docetaxel in patients with advanced malignant solid tumors

Purpose: This phase I study examined the toxicity and tolerability of pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced solid malignancies. Experimental Design: Eligible patients had histologically proven advanced solid malignancies, with any number of prior therapies, Zubrod performance status 0–2, and adequate organ function. Patients received ADI-PEG 20 weekly intramuscular injection ranging from 4.5 to 36 mg/m 2 and up to 10 doses of docetaxel (75 mg/m 2 ) every 3 weeks. Primary endpoints were safety, toxicity, and a recommended phase II dose. Circulating arginine levels were measured before each cycle. Tumor response was measured as a secondary endpoint every 6 weeks on study. Results: Eighteen patients received a total of 116 cycles of therapy through four dose levels of ADI-PEG 20. A single dose-limiting toxicity (grade 3 urticarial rash) was observed at the 1st dose level, with no additional dose-limiting toxicities observed. Hematologic toxicities were common with 14 patients experiencing at least one grade 3 to 4 leukopenia. Fatigue was the most prevalent toxicity reported by 16 patients. Arginine was variably suppressed with 10 patients achieving at least a 50% reduction in baseline values. In 14 patients with evaluable disease, four partial responses (including 2 patients with PSA response) were documented, and 7 patients had stable disease. Conclusions: ADI-PEG 20 demonstrated reasonable toxicity in combination with docetaxel. Promising clinical activity was noted, and expansion cohorts are now accruing for both castrate-resistant prostate cancer and non–small cell lung cancer at a recommended phase II dose of 36 mg/m 2 . Clin Cancer Res; 1–7. ©2015 AACR.
The influence of adsorption of native and modified antibodies on their activity.

Immobilization of biomolecules to solid phase materials has been widely used in many areas (e.g., purification, analytical chemistry, and catalysis). The interfacial properties of immobilized antibodies on pretreated silica and hydrogel surfaces were explored by comparing native and modified antibodies with respect to their surface activity. The antibody was modified by exposing it to a low pH solution prior to immobilization. Both physical adsorption and covalent immobilization methods were studied. It was found that the surface activity of the modified antibody is higher than that of the native antibody on two silica surfaces. The results of this study demonstrate that the adsorption properties of the antibodies play an important role in their covalent immobilization on certain types of solid supports.
A membrane-bound glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase from Thalassiosira pseudonana regulates acyl composition of glycerolipidsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.

To what extent fatty acyltransferases control fatty acid composition in glycerolipids is largely unknown. To gain some insight into this process, we characterized a membrane-bound glycerol-3-phosph...
Control system for spincasting 8-m borosilicate honeycomb mirrors

The process for spincasting 8 meter borosilicate honeycomb mirrors requires us to heat 14 tons of glass in a complex mold to 1170 °C while spinning the entire furnace at 6.8 rpm. After casting, the honeycomb blank must be cooled through the annealing temperature range at 0.2 °C per hour. The glass will be in the furnace for an eight week period. We describe here the computer control system to read the 600 N-type thermocouples and control the 270 8-kilowatt heaters used in the spincasting furnace. The control system uses a proportional — integral — derivative (PID) algorithm to regulate the furnace temperature to a few degrees over the entire casting cycle. Considerable design effort has gone into assuring that a component failure or a control system error does not turn an 8 meter nilrror into an expensive patio ornament. Errors are avoided by four strategic steps: fault avoidance, fault detection, fault containment and fault recovery. Examples are provided in each of these categories. System redundancy begins with three on-board 68000-family VME-bus computers which control overlapping areas of the furnace. Redundancy extends down through the temperature measurement and power control systems with many modular, interleaved, and optically isolated subsystems. Data logging and system monitoring are achieved with a Sun 3/280 workstation running IRAF in the control room. Rotation of the furnace is controlled by two 40 HP DC servomotors with speed regulation to 0.1%. The oven control system contains over 300 circuit cards, dozens of subracks and power supplies, more than 3000 connectors of at least 10 different types. there are more than 20 miles of wire and cable, most with multiple conductors, ranging from fiber optics thinner than a hair to power cables more than an inch thick. Results are presented from a subset of this control system which has been used to cast three 3.5 meter honeycomb mirrors in 1.988 and 1989.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator score reliability across studies: A meta-analytic reliability generalization study

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was submitted to a descriptive reliability generalization (RG) analysis to characterize the variability of measurement error in MBTI scores across administrations. In general, the MBTI and its scales yielded scores with strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates, although variation was observed.
Transformation yielding, plasticity and crack-growth-resistance (R-curve) behaviour of CeO2-TZP

Transformation yield and plasticity, transformation zone sizes at crack tips and rising crack-growth-resistance (R-curve) behaviours were studied in a commercial-grade ceria partially stabilized zirconia polycrystalline material (CeO2-TZP). The yield stresses measured in three-point bending decreased from 390 to 176 MPa when the sintering temperature was varied from 1425 to 1525° C. The corresponding total plastic strain to fracture increased with decreasing yield stress. Crack-tip transformation zones in precracked, annealed and loaded single-edge-notch-bend specimens decreased significantly in size with increasing transformation yield stress; however, the R-curves were relatively insensitive to the yield stresses or the transformation zone sizes. The measured zone sizes and R-curves were examined in terms of both crack shielding and plastic yield strip zone models.
Instruction in membrane separation processes

Abstract Instruction in membrane technology is an important aspect of curriculum development in the separations area. Teaching of this topic can be done in undergraduate lecture and/or laboratory courses and on the graduate level. This paper addresses the development of a graduate course that focuses on membrane processes. The course effectively ties together theory, design and applications using a well-balanced approach. Course development and instructional materials are discussed.
Modeling of consciousness

Abstract Nonlinear dynamical modeling of interaction between automatic and conscious processes in the human brain is considered. A possible connection of consciousness with the strings theory is indicated.
Thermal and optical emission and capture rates and cross sections of electrons and holes at imperfection centers in semiconductors from photo and dark junction current and capacitance experiments

Abstract Photo and dark current and capacitance transient experiments are described which can provide highly accurate and unique data of the electronic properties of impurity centers in semiconductors such as energy level, multiplicity of charge state, thermal and optical emission rates, thermal capture rates, thermal and optical cross sections and the dependences of the rates and cross sections on sample temperature, static electric field and photon energy. These experiments are grouped into four categories in the discussion according to the temperature (below and above freeze-out or negligible and finite thermal rates) and presence or absence of optical excitation at the impurity center. Each category is subdivided into a number of cases according to the method used to set the initial charge state of the impurity center prior to the measurements. Methods of setting the initial state include electrical switching of the bias voltage and optical excitation using either interband or band to impurity monochromatic light. Experimental examples are given for many of the experiment methods discussed.
Impact of Three-Tier Pharmacy Benefit Structures on Consumer Attitudes, Pharmacy, Medical Utilization and Costs

Three-tier pharmacy benefit plans are the dominant structure in prescription drug coverage today. In these plans three copayments exist. The lowest copayment is for generics, the middle copayment is for preferred brands and the highest copayment is for non-preferred brands. The premise of these plans is that by shifting the burden of cost onto the consumer, consumers will be more judicious in their prescription purchasing behavior. This review article outlines the empirical evidence regarding the utility of three-tier plans in changing consumer’s prescription purchasing behavior. The results from a few key studies appear to suggest that three-tier plans reduce prescription drug spending for health plans while significantly increasing the cost-sharing amount for consumers. While the increased cost sharing created higher levels of dissatisfaction among three-tier plan members, it appears that they modify their behavior in accordance with these plans by switching to lower cost formulary alternatives. The factors that appeared to affect these behaviors included provider opinion and the comparability of the formulary and non-formulary alternatives. However, there are a myriad of factors that could influence the decision to switch from one drug to another (one example is switching for purely clinical reasons), and thus a clear link between the implementation of three-tier plans and switching behavior is hard to establish. What still remains unanswered is the impact of three-tier plans on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, low-income individuals and individuals with chronic disease who may be most adversely affected by the implementation of such policies. These individuals may discontinue or reduce appropriate utilization of their medications that could lead to adverse outcomes. Adequate follow-up for these vulnerable populations who are enrolled in a three-tier plan needs to be conducted to ensure appropriate medication use.
Lack of specificity in skin biopsy specimens to assess for acute graft-versus-host disease in initial 3 weeks after bone-marrow transplantation.

Abstract Acute graft-versus-host disease is a serious and common complication after allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation, occurring in more than 20% of HLA antigen–identical sibling transplants and unrelated donor transplants. Bone-marrow transplantation is considered standard therapy for several hematologic malignancies and several nonhematologic disorders. In this retrospective study, we searched our institutional dermatopathology database between January 1998 and November 2002 for patients in whom skin biopsy specimens were examined less than 3 weeks after bone-marrow transplantation. A total of 40 slides from 38 patients were examined for the presence of the histologic features characteristic of acute graft-versus-host disease. Specimens of skin biopsies examined in the study varied from 3 to 21 days, with a mean of 12 days, status post-bone-marrow transplantation. The histologic findings of the 40 slides we examined were nonspecific and could be accounted for by a number of diagnoses. In summary, we propose that skin biopsies need not be preformed before 3 weeks status post-bone-marrow transplantation if the sole purpose is to rule out acute graft-versus-host disease.
Visualization of intrarenal catecholamine-containing elements: Fluorescence histochemistry and electron microscopy

Fluorescence histochemistry and electron microscopy were used to study catecholamine-containing elements in rat and cat kidneys. There were fluorescent nerve plexuses associated with the arterial system of the renal cortex from which nerves extended into the medulla forming dense networks in the vascular bundles of the outer part of the medulla. Also, there were small cells found singly and in clusters which emitted the blue fluorescence characteristic of catecholamine-containing cells. These cells were associated with the periarterial nerve plexuses and were frequently encountered in the cat medullary vascular bundles. Electron microscopy of the cat renal medulla revealed processes with the structure of typical adrenergic terminals and other processes that resemble small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cell processes.
Catabolism of myo-inositol to precursors utilized for de novo glycerolipid biosynthesis.

: Systemic injection of [2-3H]myo-inositol into frogs resulted in the incorporation of more than half of the label into glycerolipid classes other than phosphoinositides in retinal rod outer segment membranes. Following methanolysis and differential extraction of isolated lipid classes, radioactivity was recovered primarily in the aqueous phase. After phospholipase C hydrolysis of the total membrane lipids, 97% of the radioactivity was extractable with organic solvents, and 70% of the label in lipids was in 1,2-diglycerides. These results indicate that the label was incorporated primarily into the glyceryl moiety of the membrane glycerolipids. Intraocular injection of frog eyes or in vitro incubation of frog retinas with [2-3H]myo-inositol resulted in the incorporation of radioactivity almost exclusively into phosphoinositides in rod outer segment membranes. Incubation of retinas with [U-14C]glucuronic acid did not result in the formation of labeled retinal lipids. These results suggest that myo-inositol can be catabolized systemically to precursors utilized for glycerolipid biosynthesis in the retina.
Glacier-Volcano Interactions in the North Crater of Mt Wrangell, Alaska

Glaciological and related observations from 1961 to 2005 at the summit of Mt Wrangell (62.008 N, 144.028 W; 4317 m a.s.l.), a massive glacier-covered shield volcano in south-central Alaska, show marked changes that appear to have been initiated by the Great Alaska Earthquake (Mw ¼ 9.2) of 27 March 1964. The 4 � 6 km diameter, ice-filled Summit Caldera with several post-caldera craters on its rim, comprises the summit region where annual snow accumulation is 1-2 m of water equivalent and the mean annual temperature, measured 10 m below the snow surface, is -208C. Precision surveying, aerial photogrammetry and measurements of temperature and snow accumulation were used to measure the loss of glacier ice equivalent to about 0.03 km 3 of water from the North Crater in a decade. Glacier calorimetry was used to calculate the associated heat flux, which varied within the range 20-140 W m -2 ; total heat flow was in the range 20-100 MW. Seismicity data from the crater's rim show two distinct responses to large earthquakes at time scales from minutes to months. Chemistry of water and gas from fumaroles indicates a shallow magma heat source and seismicity data are consistent with this interpretation.
Obsessions of Child Murder: Underrecognized Manifestations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common illness that remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Distressing obsessions of violence are a frequent manifestation of OCD, related to overattribution of meaning to passing thoughts, a sense of overresponsibility, and concurrent confessing rituals to decrease related anxiety. These intrusive thoughts can include infanticidal or filicidal obsessions in new parents. There is little to no evidence to suggest that these thoughts pose a significant risk of harm, which is reflected in related professional treatment guidelines. In this study, we sought to examine the recognition and risk management preferences among psychiatry professionals and trainees regarding a case example description of filicide obsessions as a manifestation of OCD. A questionnaire regarding a case marked by filicide obsessions was emailed to psychiatrists and psychiatry residents. Respondents provided their preferred and differential diagnoses, reporting their perceptions of risk and optimal case management. Of the 43 respondents, only 62 percent considered OCD in the differential diagnosis. Those considering OCD in the differential diagnosis assessed risk of harm as being lower than did those who did not consider it (3.7 versus 6.6; F(1,36) = 12.18; p < .005). Despite this result, the majority of respondents included involuntary admission (60%) and reports to child welfare authorities (68%) among their preferred management strategies. This survey supports our contention that greater awareness of OCD and understanding of management strategies is needed among psychiatrists and trainees. As well, a greater awareness of the low risk of violence associated with this population is necessary to avoid penalizing individuals with OCD-related aggressive and infanticidal obsessions.
Neonatal hemolysis and risk of bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction

The pathologic phenotype of severe hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn infant is primarily due to excessive bilirubin production and/or impaired conjugation, resulting in an increased bilirubin load. This may, in turn, increase an infant's risk for the development of bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND). The highest-risk infants are those with increased bilirubin production rates due to hemolysis. Several immune and non-immune conditions have been found to cause severe hemolysis, and these are often exacerbated in those infants with perinatal sepsis and genetic predispositions. Therefore, identification of these infants, with novel technologies, is paramount in reducing the incidence of BIND and the long-term neurologic sequelae for these at-risk infants.
Conscience-based exemptions for medical students.

Just as physicians can object to providing services due to their ethical and/or religious beliefs, medical students can have conscience-based objections to participating in educational activities. In 1996, the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association (AMA) introduced a resolution calling on the AMA to adopt a policy in support of exemptions for students with ethical or religious objections. In that report, students identified abortion, sterilization, and procedures performed on animals as examples of activities that might prompt requests for conscience-based exemptions (CBEs). In response to the student initiative, the Council on Medical Education recommended the adoption of seven “principles to guide exemption of medical students from activities based on conscience.” The House of Delegates adopted these principles in their entirety.
Neuronal differentiation from postmitotic precursors in the ciliary ganglion.

In the chick ciliary ganglion, neuronal number is kept constant between St. 29 and St. 34 (E6–E8) despite a large amount of cell death. Here, we characterize the source of neurogenic cells in the ganglion as undifferentiated neural crest-derived cells. At St. 29, neurons and nonneuronal cells in the ciliary ganglion expressed the neural crest markers HNK-1 and p75^(NTR). Over 50% of the cells were neurons at St. 29; of the nonneuronal cells, a small population expressed glial markers, whereas the majority was undifferentiated. When placed in culture, nonneuronal cells acquired immunoreactivity for HuD, suggesting that they had commenced neuronal differentiation. The newly differentiated neurons arose from precursors that did not incorporate bromodeoxyuridine. To test whether these precursors could undergo neural differentiation in vivo, purified nonneuronal cells from St. 29 quail ganglia were transplanted into chick embryos at St. 9–14. Subsequently, quail cells expressing neuronal markers were found in the chick ciliary ganglion. The existence of this precursor pool was transient because nonneuronal cells isolated from St. 38 ganglia failed to form neurons. Since all ciliary ganglion neurons are born prior to St. 29, these results demonstrate that there are postmitotic neural crest-derived precursors in the developing ciliary ganglion that can differentiate into neurons in the appropriate environment.
A robust and efficient power series method for tracing PV curves

Estimating the voltage collapse point of a power grid is an important problem in power flow analysis. In this paper, we propose a novel power series method (PSM) for tracing the power-voltage (PV) curve and estimating the collapse point. By expanding the power flow equation into power series, a new point on the PV curve can be accurately extrapolated based on a previously solved point. Both forward stepping and backward stepping are proposed so that the proposed PSM can trace both the upper and lower halves of the PV curve. The collapse point is estimated as the intersection of the two half curves. Compared with the conventional continuation method, our PSM is numerically more robust. Compared with the conventional embedding method, our PSM offers superior accuracy and low computational cost.
Association of chronic alcohol consumption and increased susceptibility to and pathogenic effects of pulmonary infection with respiratory syncytial virus in mice

Chronic alcohol abuse by human beings has been shown to be associated with increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections and severity of inflammatory responses associated with pulmonary infection. On the basis of the higher likelihood of exposure to respiratory viruses, people who abuse alcohol would logically be susceptible to respiratory viral infections. To test this hypothesis, mice were provided alcohol in drinking water for 13-16 weeks with the Meadows-Cook protocol and infected intranasally with respiratory syncytial virus. At various times after infection, severity of infection was determined by evaluation of cellular and cytokine composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and histologic evaluation of inflammation. Infection was associated with neutrophil infiltration in both groups, but the proportion and number of neutrophils in BALF were significantly greater in the alcohol consumption group than in the control group. Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in BALF in the alcohol consumption group were increased. Interferon (IFN)-gamma concentrations were lower in the alcohol consumption group at later times of infection. Pulmonary inflammation was cleared by 3-5 days after infection in the control group. In contrast, pulmonary inflammation was evident in the alcohol consumption group after 7 days of infection, and some mice showed severe inflammation with hemorrhage and edema. IFN-alpha/beta was evident in BALF at low concentrations in the alcohol consumption group for several days after infection, and increased mRNA for IFN-alpha/beta was also evident in the alcohol consumption group. This was accompanied by the presence of virus in this group at these times of infection. Chronic alcohol consumption increased severity of pulmonary infection with a virus that naturally infects hosts by an aerosol route. Infection of mice that had consumed alcohol chronically was more severe in terms of increased proinflammatory cytokine production, inflammation, and a failure to clear the virus from the lungs.
The Estimation–Production Paradigm for Exercise Intensity Self-Regulation

The estimation–production paradigm is a set of exercise test procedures designed to assess the validity of using RPE to prescribe and self-regulate exercise intensity. The paradigm is intended to evaluate an individual’s ability to accurately self-regulate exercise intensity according to a specified target RPE or target RPE range. The target RPE is produced and maintained by self-regulating exercise intensity. The target RPE is prescribed using the data derived from a pre-participation GXT also referred to as the estimation trial. In a subsequent exercise training bout called the production trial, the individual is instructed to produce the target RPE by self-adjusting exercise intensity in order to attain the target level of exertion. In an assessment of prescription congruence, physiological responses such as VO2 and HR corresponding to the target RPE are compared between estimation and production trials. This cross-trial comparison is used to determine the validity of exercise intensity self-regulation using a target RPE. Evidence for prescription congruence has been shown for adults and children performing various exercise modalities using both the Borg and OMNI Scales. The primary purpose of this laboratory experiment is to use an estimation–production paradigm to determine an individual’s ability to self-regulate exercise intensity using a target RPE range.
Deficient IFN Signaling by Myeloid Cells Leads to MAVS-Dependent Virus-Induced Sepsis

The type I interferon (IFN) signaling response limits infection of many RNA and DNA viruses. To define key cell types that require type I IFN signaling to orchestrate immunity against West Nile virus (WNV), we infected mice with conditional deletions of the type I IFN receptor (IFNAR) gene. Deletion of the Ifnar gene in subsets of myeloid cells resulted in uncontrolled WNV replication, vasoactive cytokine production, sepsis, organ damage, and death that were remarkably similar to infection of Ifnar 2/2 mice completely lacking type I IFN signaling. In Mavs 2/2 6Ifnar 2/2 myeloid cells and mice lacking both Ifnar and the RIG-I-like receptor adaptor gene Mavs, cytokine production was muted despite high levels of WNV infection. Thus, in myeloid cells, viral infection triggers signaling through MAVS to induce proinflammatory cytokines that can result in sepsis and organ damage. Viral pathogenesis was caused in part by massive complement activation, as liver damage was minimized in animals lacking complement components C3 or factor B or treated with neutralizing anti-C5 antibodies. Disease in Ifnar 2/2 and CD11c Cre + Ifnar f/f mice also was facilitated by the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-a ,a s blocking antibodies diminished complement activation and prolonged survival without altering viral burden. Collectively, our findings establish the dominant role of type I IFN signaling in myeloid cells in restricting virus infection and controlling pathological inflammation and tissue injury.
Ateles geoffroyi (Black-handed spider-monkey)

The autosomal pair placed in No. 11 position has a characteristic secondary constriction near its centromere.
Integrating Trait and Social-Cognitive Views of Personality: Neuroticism, Implicit Stress Priming, and Neuroticism-Outcome Relationships

The trait perspective of personality emphasizes the broad role of traits in outcome prediction, whereas the social-cognitive perspective emphasizes the importance of if-then intrapsychic associations. Three studies (N = 188) were conducted to reconcile these alternative views of personality in the context of stress-related behaviors. Implicit priming tasks were used to quantify the extent to which stress primes activated thoughts of aggression (Studies 1 and 2) or eating (Study 3), and trait levels of neuroticism were also assessed. Neuroticism did not consistently predict stress-related implicit associations, consistent with the independence of these predictors. Of more importance, such implicit associations predicted problematic outcomes (e.g., physical aggression), but only to the extent that relevant individuals were also high in neuroticism. The results highlight an interface of trait and social-cognitive views of personality and do so in the context of understanding stress-reactivity processes, a topic of importance to multiple literatures.
EST Databases as a Source for Molecular Markers: Lessons from Helianthus

Expressed sequence tag (EST) databases represent a potentially valuable resource for the development of molecular markers for use in evolutionary studies. Because EST-derived markers come from transcribed regions of the genome, they are likely to be conserved across a broader taxonomic range than are other sorts of markers. This paper describes a case study in which the publicly available cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) EST database was used to develop simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for use in the genetic analysis of a rare sunflower species, Helianthus verticillatus, as well as the more widespread Helianthus angustifolius. EST-derived SSRs were found to be more than 3 times as transferable across species as compared with anonymous SSRs (73% vs. 21%, respectively). Moreover, EST-SSRs whose primers were located within protein-coding sequence were more readily transferable than those derived from untranslated regions, and the former loci were no less variable than the latter. The utility of existing EST databases as a means for facilitating population genetic analyses in plants was further explored by cross-referencing publicly available EST resources against available lists of rare or invasive flowering plant taxa. This survey revealed that more than one-third of all plant-derived EST collections of sufficient size could conceivably serve as a source of EST-SSRs for the analysis of rare, endangered, or invasive plant species worldwide.
The Problems of U.S. International Telecommunications Industry

The paper discusses several major perturbations in the U.S. owned international telecommunications industry which have arisen as a result of rapid technological progress. The impact on the industry of the introduction of wideband submarine cables and of the enactment of the Comsat Act are discussed. The problems that the industry faces in the areas of technology, policies and objectives, and organization and operation are analyzed. The underlying conflicts and the various aspects of competition and monopoly within the industry are also considered. The paper concludes that the U. S. international telecommunications industry as presently structured cannot fully and effectively respond to the requirements of the rapidly changing environment in which it operates.
Nonverbal emotion displays, communication modality, and the judgment of personality

The goal of this research was to investigate the impact of nonverbal expressive cues on the attribution of the Big Five personality traits. Expressive cues of fear, disgust, happiness, and sadness were elicited in a sample of 22 encoders while watching films, narrating, and posing. Encoders’ personalities were rated by themselves and unacquainted raters who watched the encoders, and blind judges rated the traits of a typical student. Expressive cues influenced the raters’ attribution of personality, but this influence was weakest when the encoders expressed happiness (vs. negative emotions) and when they were narrating an emotional experience (when the cues were least potent). Negative and strong expressive cues interfered with the application of a normative, and more accurate, judgment strategy.
Immune responses and HIV: a little order from the chaos.

HIV is evolution gone mad and bad. The virus infects a person and rapidly diversifies to become a huge swarm of viruses, each equipped differently to resist the onslaught of diverse T cells and antibodies. We can't expect to predict details of the struggle between virus and immunity, right? Wrong—maybe we can make some predictions, say two new landmark studies with potentially huge consequences for AIDS vaccine design.
Selective Detection of Neurotransmitters by Fluorescence and Chemiluminescence Imaging

In recent years, luminescence imaging has been widely employed in neurochemi- cal analysis. It has a number of advantages for the study of neuronal and other biological cells: (1) a particular molecular species or cellular constituent can be selectively visualized in the presence of a large excess of other species in a heterogeneous environment; (2) low concentration detection limits can be achieved because of the inherent sensitivity associated with fluorescence and chemiluminescence; (3) low excitation intensities can be used so that long-term observation can be realized while the viability of the specimen is preserved; and (4) excellent spatial resolution can be obtained with the light microscope so subcellular com- partments can be identified. With good sensitivity, temporal and spatial resolution, the flux of ions and molecules and the distribution and dynamics of intracellular species can be meas- ured in real time with specific luminescence probes, substrates, or with native fluorescence. A noninvasive detection scheme based on glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) enzymatic assay combined with microscopy was developed to measure the glutamate release in cultured cells from the central nervous system (CNS). The enzyme reaction is very specific and sensitive. The detection limit with CCD imaging is down to µM levels of glutamate with reasonable response time. We also found that chemiluminescence associated with the ATP-dependent reaction between luciferase and luciferin can be used to image ATP at levels down to 10 nM in the millisecond time scale. Similar imaging experiments should be feasible in a broad spectrum of biological systems.
A multi-analytical approach for the identification of aloe as a colorant in oil–resin varnishes

Aloe plants have been widely documented in artists’ treatises dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century as a source of colorant to achieve lustrous golden glazes on tin- and silver-foiled objects and warm-toned finishes on musical instruments, such as violins. Aloe extracts contain characteristic anthraquinone and phenolic components which impart a distinctive orange tone and fluorescence to mixtures containing them. Because of the low concentration of colorant in the coatings and its probable degradation by high temperature during manufacture, the identification of aloe in heated oil–resin mixtures represents an analytical challenge. For this reason, the possible presence of aloe in glazes and coatings has been largely overlooked. This paper describes various analytical approaches to the identification of aloe in historic samples, from comparison with results obtained from reference standards and mock-up samples. Complementary analytical techniques including thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, laser desorption–mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-mass spectrometry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering were used. Different chemical markers were identified by the individual methods and the advantages and limitations of each technique for the identification of aloe in oil–resin varnishes are discussed.
Motion Synthesis of a Self - Steered Mobile Robot

Until the late 1950's there was an almost exclusive use of graphical methods in the kinematic analysis and synthesis of mechanisms. With the increasing availability of high-speed digital computers there was a major reawakening of interest in a field con-sidered by many to be mature and dormant. Today the birth of advanced robotic systems has heightened the interest in applications of kinematic analysis and synthesis. This paper discusses the application of kinematics to the path planning model of a three wheeled, self-steering, mobile robot. The problem is formulated through a kinematic analysis of the path curvature and the synthesis of a set of equivalent linkages. The equivalent linkages facilitate a direct relationship between the path and the robot steering control mechanism. This is accomplished through the kinematic param-eters displacement, velocity and acceleration. The mathematical model is presented in a generalized format with the robot represented as a rigid body. Examples are shown which solve the problem of moving the robot through a crowded environment and arriving at its destination in a predetermined orientation.
Genome Sequencing of a Genetically-Tractable Pyrococcus furiosus Strain Reveals a Highly Dynamic Genome

The model archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally near 100°C on carbohydrates and peptides. Its genome sequence (NCBI) was determined 12 years ago. A genetically tractable strain, COM1, was very recently reported, and here we describe its genome sequence. Of 1,909,827 bp in size, it is 1,571 bp longer (0.1%) than the reference NCBI sequence. The COM1 genome contains numerous chromosomal rearrangements, deletions, and single base changes. COM1 also has 45 full or partial insertion sequences (ISs) compared to 35 in the reference NCBI strain, and these have resulted in the direct deletion or insertional inactivation of 13 genes. Another seven genes were affected by chromosomal deletions and are predicted to be nonfunctional. In addition, the amino acid sequences of another 102 of the 2,134 predicted gene products are different in COM1. These changes potentially impact various cellular functions, including carbohydrate, peptide, and nucleotide metabolism; DNA repair; CRISPR-associated defense; transcriptional regulation; membrane transport; and growth at 72°C. For example, the IS-mediated inactivation of riboflavin synthase in COM1 resulted in a riboflavin requirement for growth. Nevertheless, COM1 grew on cellobiose, malto-oligosaccharides, and peptides in complex and minimal media at 98 and 72°C to the same extent as did both its parent strain and a new culture collection strain (DSMZ 3638). This was in spite of COM1 lacking several metabolic enzymes, including nonphosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and beta-glucosidase. The P. furiosus genome is therefore of high plasticity, and the availability of the COM1 sequence will be critical for the future studies of this model hyperthermophile.
Huntington's disease: a clinical review

Huntington disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system characterized by unwanted choreatic movements, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances and dementia. Prevalence in the Caucasian population is estimated at 1/10,000-1/20,000. Mean age at onset of symptoms is 30-50 years. In some cases symptoms start before the age of 20 years with behavior disturbances and learning difficulties at school (Juvenile Huntington's disease; JHD). The classic sign is chorea that gradually spreads to all muscles. All psychomotor processes become severely retarded. Patients experience psychiatric symptoms and cognitive decline. HD is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by an elongated CAG repeat (36 repeats or more) on the short arm of chromosome 4p16.3 in the Huntingtine gene. The longer the CAG repeat, the earlier the onset of disease. In cases of JHD the repeat often exceeds 55. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms and signs in an individual with a parent with proven HD, and is confirmed by DNA determination. Pre-manifest diagnosis should only be performed by multidisciplinary teams in healthy at-risk adult individuals who want to know whether they carry the mutation or not. Differential diagnoses include other causes of chorea including general internal disorders or iatrogenic disorders. Phenocopies (clinically diagnosed cases of HD without the genetic mutation) are observed. Prenatal diagnosis is possible by chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Preimplantation diagnosis with in vitro fertilization is offered in several countries. There is no cure. Management should be multidisciplinary and is based on treating symptoms with a view to improving quality of life. Chorea is treated with dopamine receptor blocking or depleting agents. Medication and non-medical care for depression and aggressive behavior may be required. The progression of the disease leads to a complete dependency in daily life, which results in patients requiring full-time care, and finally death. The most common cause of death is pneumonia, followed by suicide.
Design and analysis of a proactive application management system (PAMS)

Management of large-scale network-centric systems (NCS) and their applications is an extremely complex and challenging task due to factors such as centralized management architectures, lack of coordination and compatibility among heterogeneous network management systems, and the dynamic characteristics of networks and application bandwidth requirements, just to name a few. The goal of this research is to develop a hierarchical framework to achieve end-to-end intelligent proactive network management system that can be used to manage large-scale network-centric systems and their applications. This framework provides the ability to write management programs to manage any required function or property (performance, high assurance, fault, quality of service, etc.) of the network-centric systems and their applications during all the phases of their operations. Our ultimate objective is to consider the management of network-centric systems and applications starting from the design phase and forward rather than being afterthought process. In this paper, we present a framework to develop proactive and adaptive management services and an implementation of a proactive application management system (PAMS) based on that framework. Our implementation approach utilizes delegated mobile agents to implement the management functions required by any network-centric system and/or application. We also present experimental results and evaluation of the management services offered by the PAMS prototype.
Gender within the IT major – a retrospective study of factors that lead students to select an IT major

Though the job market for information technology (IT) related skills remains strong, many students, especially females, avoid IT majors. This study identifies four major influences on students' choice of major: social influences, interesting work, extrinsic rewards, and cognitive beliefs (computer self-efficacy and anxiety). Surveying over 200 IT students from four universities in the USA, this study examines the relative importance of these factors for males and females. While findings suggest many similar influences for male and female IT majors, men were more influenced by the technology itself and women by social factors. In addition, women had significantly lower computer self-efficacy and higher computer anxiety than men. The conclusions of this research suggest that colleges, employers, and others interested in enrolment in IT majors, and especially female enrolment, focus on enhancing awareness of the field as well as reaching students in high school and in the early years of college.
Neurotransmitters producing and modulating opaline gland contraction in Aplysia californica

1. Opaline release in Aplysia provides a simple model system for examining the biochemical and electrophysiological mechanisms underlying glandular secretion and its modulation. The opaline gland is a large multivesicular structure, which is innervated by at least three large identified motor neurons located within the right pleural ganglion (28). In this paper we have investigated the roles of dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (ACh), and serotonin (5-HT) in this simple neural system. 2. DA infusion produces a gland contraction that is similar to the response produced by neural activity in the previously identified opaline motor neurons. 3. The gland response to DA infusion is not affected by blocking synaptic transmission in the gland, suggesting that DA acts directly on muscle cells surrounding the gland and not through interposed interneurons. 4. In addition to its effect of producing contractions of the gland, DA enhances the size of subsequent neurally evoked gland contractions and increases the size of excitatory junctional potentials (EJPs) recorded from the opaline gland. Thus DA may have an additional modulatory role in opaline release. 5. DA antagonists such as fluphenazine and haloperidol inhibit the gland response to DA and also block the gland contraction produced by neural activity in the identified motor neurons. In addition, the DA antagonists reversibly block the EJPs recorded from the gland cells. Compounds known to block the effects of ACh or 5-HT have no effect on the dopamine-induced gland contractions, the contractions produced by firing the motor neurons, or the EJPs evoked by motor neuron stimulation. These results suggest that DA may be the neurotransmitter used by the identified opaline motor neurons. 6. ACh produces a decrease in pressure recorded from the lumen of the opaline gland that can be blocked by hexamethonium. 7. While 5-HT does not directly produce a contraction, treatment of the gland with the transmitter increases the size of subsequent gland responses produced either by DA infusion or activity in the opaline motor neurons. This enhancement has a relatively slow onset and long duration and persists for more than 15 min after the serotonin is washed out. In 60% of the experiments 5-HT also increased the size of the EJPs recorded from the opaline gland. The results suggest a modulatory role for serotonin in opaline secretion similar to the one it plays in other neural systems in Aplysia.