cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On saving pumping power in hydronic thermal distribution systems through the use of drag-reducing additives

Abstract A feasibility study has been conducted to determine whether surfactant drag-reducing additives might be used in hydronic heating and cooling systems for buildings in order to decrease the pumping power required to circulate the fluids. An analysis of the possible match between additives and system characteristics was undertaken in this context. The question of the level of drag reduction and degradation in - and downstream of — discrete components such as fittings and valves was also investigated, together with the question of possible heat transfer reduction in heat exchangers. Preliminary experimental results indicate that pumps, valves, and fittings will not introduce serious difficulties, and that the heat transfer reduction may be controlled. Estimates were obtained to determine the potential energy and cost savings that could be achieved. Issues of maintenance, compatibility, and safety are also discussed, and some recommendations for the implementation of the additives are made. This analysis leads us to believe that the use of surfactant drag-reducing additives in hydronic systems could be implemented at small cost, and would lead to savings in pumping power of the order of 50%.
Development and Installation of Networked Undersea Measurement Systems using the Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (ATCA)

This paper reports the development, design, and installation of the first major undersea system to be based on the emerging Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (ATCA). ATCA provides a modern, open- standard electronics platform for highly reliable network- centric systems. The ATCA system, installed in 2005 off the coast of Alaska, provides data acquisition and networking for thousands of low-noise, precision measurement sensors.
Strategies for repair of congenital heart defects in infants without the use of blood

Eleven infants and children with a body weight of less than 10 kg (median weight, 6.8 kg) whose parents were Jehovah's Witnesses underwent repair (n = 10) or palliation (n = 1) of congenital heart defects without the use of blood products and with (n = 9) or without (n = 2) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In 1 neonate (weight, 3.2 kg) with critical aortic stenosis, moderate hypothermia and a 3.5-minute period of inflow occlusion and circulatory arrest allowed an aortic valvotomy; in another patient (weight, 7.0 kg) with tricuspid and pulmonary atresia, transposition of the great arteries, and persistent left superior vena cava, a bilateral bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt procedure was performed without CPB. Use of heparin-bonded tubing allowed reduction of the initial dose of heparin sodium to 1 mg/kg. Tissue perfusion and oxygenation on bypass were adequate, as evidenced by a mean lowest pH of 7.38 ± 0.09 and a mean lowest venous oxygen tension of 65.0 ± 36.2 mm Hg. Although the mean postoperative hematocrit (Hct) was lower than the mean preoperative Hct ( p F test), the Hct within 2 hours after CPB was restored to a value (mean Hct, 27.5% ± 1.0%) between the preoperative Hct (mean value, 42.7% ± 3.5%) and the lowest Hct on CPB (mean value, 18.4% ± 1.4%). The Hct at discharge was 31.8% ± 1.1%. The median postoperative blood loss was 9 mL/kg. There was no perioperative mortality. The median stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital was 2 days and 6 days, respectively. We conclude that repair of congenital heart defects with the use of CPB can be safely conducted in select infants with a body weight of 5 kg or more. In symptomatic neonates or infants with a lower body weight, initial palliative procedures circumvent the use of CPB and allow secondary correction of the defect at a later time.
Conditional JAG1 Mutation Shows the Developing Heart Is More Sensitive Than Developing Liver to JAG1 Dosage

Mutations of Jagged 1 (JAG1), a ligand in the Notch signaling pathway, cause Alagille syndrome (AGS). AGS is an autosomal dominant, multisystem disorder with variable expressivity, characterized by bile duct paucity and resultant liver disease in combination with cardiac, ocular, skeletal, and facial findings. JAG1 mutations in AGS include gene deletions and protein truncating, splicing, and missense mutations, suggesting that haploinsufficiency is the mechanism of disease causation. With limited exceptions, there is no genotype-phenotype correlation. We have studied a JAG1 missense mutation (JAG1-G274D) that was previously identified in 13 individuals from an extended family with cardiac defects of the type seen in patients with AGS (e.g., peripheral pulmonic stenosis and tetralogy of Fallot) in the absence of liver dysfunction. Our data indicate that this mutation is “leaky.” Two populations of proteins are produced from this allele. One population is abnormally glycosylated and is retained intracellularly rather than being transported to the cell surface. A second population is normally glycosylated and is transported to the cell surface, where it is able to signal to the Notch receptor. The JAG1-G274D protein is temperature sensitive, with more abnormally glycosylated (and nonfunctional) molecules produced at higher temperatures. Carriers of this mutation therefore have >50% but <100% of the normal concentration of JAG1 molecules on the cell surface. The cardiac-specific phenotype associated with this mutation suggests that the developing heart is more sensitive than the developing liver to decreased dosage of JAG1.
Variations in neuromuscular electrical stimulation's ability to increase reach and hand opening during voluntary effort after stroke

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) has shown potential as a mechanism to augment functional arm and hand movement after stroke. However, neuroprostheses that combine voluntary effort and FES must account for co-activation patterns (synergies) that limit movement. The goal of this study is to explore the conditions under which voluntary effort and FES can be combined to achieve useful reach and hand opening in different subjects. Subjects performed a reach and hand opening task where different levels of voluntary effort and FES were applied to produce reach and hand opening while measuring the resulting hand opening and distance from a target. Initial results indicate that there are significant variations between participants and how much effort can be exerted while still eliciting effective reach and hand opening.
Liquid-quenched amorphous superconductors

Abstract Since the first amorphous superconducting alloy obtained by liquid quenching was reported in 1975, a systematic search for new alloy compositions has been carried out. Thirteen alloys are now known to be superconductors; their transition temperatures range from 1.5 to 9.0 K.
Purification and partial characterization of vitellin from the eggs of the hard tick, Dermacentor variabilis

Abstract The major yolk proteins were purified from the eggs of the hard tick, Dermacentor variabilis using gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Two vitellin proteins were identified and designated vitellin A (480 kilodaltons; kDa) and vitellin B (370 kDa). The isolectric points were pH 6.1 and 6.25, respectively. The absorption maxima for both proteins were 280 and 400 nm. The buoyant density of vitellin A was 1.281 g/ml and vitellin B 1.278 g/ml. The vitellins were hemoglycolipoproteins as indicated by selective staining of polyacrylamide gels, carbohydrate analyses and lipid analyses. Under reducing conditions (SDS-PAGE), vitellin A had eight major polypeptides at 135, 110, 98, 80, 67, 50, 45, and 35 kDa. Vitellin B was identical to vitellin A with the addition of a 93 kDa subunit. The only carbohydrate detectable in the proteins was mannose. The neutral lipids detected in both proteins were cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, free fatty acids and their methyl esters, and cholestrol. The only detectable phospholipid in both proteins was phosphatidylethanolamine. The purified vitellins were immunologically identical to female hemolymph proteins but not to host hemoglobin. Antivitellin antibodies to vitellin were used to identify possible locations of vitellogenin in the organs of ovipositing females.
Novel Biocomposites from Native Grass and Soy Based Bioplastic: Processing and Properties Evaluation

Indian grass fiber reinforced soy based biocomposites were fabricated by using twin-screw extrusion and injection molding technology. The thermal and mechanical properties and the morphology of the biocomposites were evaluated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), a universal testing system (UTS), and an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Raw Indian grass fiber improved the tensile and flexural properties as well as the heat deflection temperature (HDT), but did not improve the impact strength of the biocomposites. The impact fracture of the raw Indian grass fiber reinforced biocomposites was found to occur on the outer surface of the fiber, due to intrinsic differences in the morphological structure between the outer and inner surfaces of the grass fiber. Treatment of the Indian grass fiber with an alkali solution significantly improved the tensile, impact, and flexural strengths of its reinforced soy based biocomposites, presumably due to the homogeneous dispersion of fibers in the ...
Confidence and memory: Assessing positive and negative correlations

The capacity to learn and remember surely evolved to help animals solve problems in their quest to reproduce and survive. In humans we assume that metacognitive processes also evolved, so that we know when to trust what we remember (i.e., when we have high confidence in our memories) and when not to (when we have low confidence). However this latter feature has been questioned by researchers, with some finding a high correlation between confidence and accuracy in reports from memory and others finding little to no correlation. In two experiments we report a recognition memory paradigm that, using the same materials (categorised lists), permits the study of positive correlations, zero correlations, and negative correlations between confidence and accuracy within the same procedure. We had subjects study words from semantic categories with the five items most frequently produced in norms omitted from the list; later, subjects were given an old/new recognition test and made confidence ratings on their judgements. Although the correlation between confidence and accuracy for studied items was generally positive, the correlation for the five omitted items was negative in some methods of analysis. We pinpoint the similarity between lures and targets as creating inversions between confidence and accuracy in memory. We argue that, while confidence is generally a useful indicant of accuracy in reports from memory, in certain environmental circumstances even adaptive processes can foster illusions of memory. Thus understanding memory illusions is similar to understanding perceptual illusions: Processes that are usually adaptive can go awry under certain circumstances.
Allometric Relationships and Sexual Dimorphism in Captive Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

Morphometric data were collected on 30 captive killer whales ( Orcinus orca , 10 males, 20 females) from 1984 to 1996 at SeaWorld parks to document allometric relationships and sexual dimorphism. All nine characters examined exhibited negative allometric linear relationships with total length. Proportional sexual dimorphism was apparent only in length of flipper and height of dorsal fin among larger males. Absolute sexual dimorphism was detected in all categories. Anterior and posterior length of flippers for males were best approximated by a piecewise linear-regression model that suggested a greater rate of growth in larger males. That may have been the result of onset of an adolescent growth spurt for males and perhaps is necessary to maintain hydrodynamic stability. Girth measurements (girth at anterior origin of dorsal fin, girth at axilla, girth at genital slit) regressed on total length were linear for males and smaller females ( 500 cm apparently was due to pregnancies. A piecewise linear-regression described growth of dorsal fins of males. The growth coefficient was greater in larger males. Additionally, adult males had greater dorsal fin ratios (heightibase length) than females. The relationship of distance from blowhole to tip of dorsal fin regressed on total length was significant. This morphometric has applications for estimating length of killer whales during photogrammetric studies of wild animals.
Analysis of Local Address Scanning by Puppetnets

Puppetnets are created when a web server hosts a page that when loaded simultaneously by many users causes malicious behavior; there are a wide variety of means by which puppetnets can cause mischief. This paper analyzes the behavior and effectiveness of puppetnets for Internet reconnaissance-methodical means of discovering live IP addresses-as a prelude to another attack. We consider local reconnaissance, in which the client reconnoiters addresses in its local IP neighborhood. We focus on mod eling critical facets that impact coverag-the fraction of addresses analyzed-as a function of time. We prove that certain scanning strategies are superior to others, and de velop formulae that describe the inefficiencies due to lack of coordination. Finally we use the model to estimate how global Internet coverage grows as a function of time, under generous assumptions about the size of puppetnet and length of script execution. We see that even a strategy that focuses on exploring blocks of adjacent live addresses may take days to map a significant fraction of the Internet address space.
LiCl and CCK inhibit gastric emptying and feeding and stimulate OT secretion in rats

Systemic injection of the nauseogenic agent LiCl is known to increase neurohypophyseal secretion of oxytocin (OT) in rats. The present results indicated that the induced OT secretion was related exponentially to the inhibition of food intake. A similar relation between OT secretion and food intake also was observed after systemic injection of the peptide hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). However, the effects of each agent on food intake lasted much longer than the observed increases in OT secretion. In contrast, both LiCl and CCK produced a dose-dependent inhibition of gastric emptying in rats that was closely related temporally to the inhibition of food intake. The similarity of these three responses to LiCl and CCK suggests that both agents stimulate common central mechanisms, apparently involving both magnocellular and parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, whereby these neuroendocrine, behavioral, and autonomic functions are integrated.
Defining the Requirements for the Next Generation Asynchronous Computer Mediated Communications System for Use in Online Education: A Faculty Perspective

Distance education courses at all academic levels and throughout all disciplines are increasingly being offered by educational institutions. Over 1300 colleges and universities offer degree programs using an online modality. The literature contains several thousand articles comparing online to face-to-face education or discussing various pedagogical strategies for online education. Despite this widespread acceptance, the online learning environment is still quite immature. The software constituting the environment has largely been developed in an ad hoc fashion. Design decisions were largely based on the limitations inherent in the technology rather than user needs and requirements. The development and implementation of most commercial learning management systems have followed a one-size-fits-all approach. This rather casual methodology is inadequate for the broad range of courses now being offered online. This paper is a follow-up of work presented at FIE 2005 in which the development of a requirements specification for an effective asynchronous computer mediated communications system from the student's perspective was reported. This research employed a similar Delphi Process using eight experienced online instructors. An initial list of 39 potential characteristics for the ideal environment, brainstormed by the expert panel in the first round of the process was refined to 37 criteria split into five broad categories.
Finite element tree crown hydrodynamics model (FETCH) using porous media flow within branching elements: A new representation of tree hydrodynamics

[1] Estimating transpiration and water flow in trees remains a major challenge for quantifying water exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere. We develop a finite element tree crown hydrodynamics (FETCH) model that uses porous media equations for water flow in an explicit three-dimensional branching fractal tree-crown system. It also incorporates a first-order canopy-air turbulence closure model to generate the external forcing of the system. We use FETCH to conduct sensitivity analysis of transpirational dynamics to changes in canopy structure via two scaling parameters for branch thickness and conductance. We compare our results with the equivalent parameters of the commonly used resistor and resistor-capacitor representations of tree hydraulics. We show that the apparent temporal and vertical variability in these parameters strongly depends on structure. We suggest that following empirical calibration and validation, FETCH could be used as a platform for calibrating the "scaling laws" between tree structure and hydrodynamics and for surface parameterization in meteorological and hydrological models.
SPATIAL VARIATION OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONCENTRATIONS AND STABLE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION IN 1-HA PLOTS OF FOREST AND PASTURE IN COSTA RICA: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NATURAL ABUNDANCE TECHNIQUE

The goal of this study was to examine spatial variation of soil organic C and its stable isotopic composition (δ13C) in 1-ha plots of mature rain forest and a cattle pasture dominated by C4 grasses in Costa Rica. Soil samples were taken from 80 mapped locations per plot and analyzed for organic C and δ13C. The range of values for soil C concentrations was similar between forest and pasture, although the mean values were higher in the forest. δ13C was narrowly constrained in the forest (from −27.96 to −26.09‰) but varied from −15.09 to −28.59‰ in the pasture. Variograms revealed spatial autocorrelation of soil C and δ13C in the pasture and organic C concentration in the forest soil. The large range and spatial variability of δ13C in the pasture site may be due to varying contributions of C3 and C4 vegetation to the soil C pool, which may limit the usefulness of the natural abundance technique as a precise tracer of soil C dynamics in this pasture.
Collective Processes in Strongly Coupled Dusty Plasmas

where is the dust charge state, d is the intergrain spacing where is the dust density), is the dust thermal energy, and is the plasma screening length. Strongly coupled dusty plasmas in which the grains form highly organized lattice structures, referred to as Coulomb crystals or “plasma crystals,” have recently been produced in the laboratory by a number of experimental groups. In addition, strongly coupled dusty plasmas may occur in laboratory rf plasmas used for processing and have been observed in thermal plasmas. While the grains are charged negatively by the plasma electron and ion collection currents in the recent Coulomb crystal experiments, we have theoretically investigated a different type of Coulomb crystal with positively charged grains when photoelectron emission is the dominant charging current. We discuss this scheme for forming a Coulomb lattice of positively charged dust grains in both moderate and high pressure gases. It has been shown within the context of standard plasma theory that the presence of highly charged dust grains in a plasma can lead to new low frequency dust acoustic waves and instabilities. When the dust is strongly coupled, with the strong spatial correlation of the dust grains can affect the dispersion relation of such modes. We discuss the dispersion relation for dust acoustic waves in a strongly coupled dusty plasma, and compare with available experimental results.
Arctic ozone depletion observed by UARS MLS during the 1994-95 winter

During the unusually cold 1994-95 Arctic winter, the Microwave Limb Sounder observed enhanced chlorine monoxide (ClO) in late Dec and throughout Feb and early Mar. Late Dec ClO was higher than during any of the previous 3 years, consistent with the colder early winter. Between late Dec 1994 and early Feb 1995, 465 K (about 50 hPa) vortex-averaged ozone (03) decreased by about 15%, with local decreases of about 30%; additional local decreases of about 5% were seen between early Feb and early Mar. Transport calculations indicate that vortex-averaged chemical loss between late Dec and early Feb was about 20% at 465 K, with about 1/4 of that masked by downward transport of O3. This Arctic chemical O3 loss is not readily detectable in MLS column O3 data.
Performance Evaluation of a Prototype Micro-CT System

Small animal imaging is becoming an important screening tool for laboratory animals with transplanted diseases. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is one of the most popular choices for small animal imaging because of its high spatial resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, we have built a cone-beam micro-CT system based on a Faxitron micro-specimen radiographic system. The system consists of a microfocal X-ray source, a rotary stage with object holder, and a CsI-coupled CMOS detector. The presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) was measured and a geometric calibration procedure for this prototype system was performed. The projection data of mice were obtained and corrected based on the parameters obtained by geometric calibration procedure. Results of the studies show promising applicability to small animal imaging and also to investigating new image reconstruction algorithms.
Major Innovation as a Dynamic Capability: A Systems Approach*

Major innovation (MI), composed of both radical and really new innovation, is an important mechanism for enabling the growth and renewal of an enterprise. Yet it is poorly managed in most established firms, and success stories are rare. This conceptual article draws on systems theory, recent advances in dynamic capabilities theory, and the management of innovation literature to offer a framework for building an MI dynamic capability. The framework is composed of seven elements that together form a management system rather than a process-based approach to nurturing radical innovation. These system elements are (1) an identifiable organization structure; (2) interface mechanisms with the mainstream organization, some of which are tightly coupled and others of which are loose; (3) exploratory processes; (4) requisite skills and talent development, given that entrepreneurial talent is not present in most organizations; (5) governance and decision-making mechanisms at the project, MI portfolio, and MI system levels; (6) appropriate performance metrics; and (7) an appropriate culture and leadership context. It is argued that dynamic capabilities for phenomena as complex as MI must be considered in a systems fashion rather than as operating routines and repeatable processes as the literature currently suggests. A set of propositions is offered regarding how each element should play out in this parallel management system. Finally, each element's role in the major innovation system is justified in terms of four criteria required by systems theory: (1) The system is identifiable, and its elements are interdependent; (2) the effect of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts; (3) homeostasis is achieved through interaction and networking with the larger organization; and (4) there is a clear purpose in the larger system in which the MI management system is embedded. Examples are given to demonstrate these criteria. Systems theory offers a new way of thinking about dynamic capability development and management.
From Shakespeare to Defoe: malaria in England in the Little Ice Age.

Present global temperatures are in a warming phase that began 200 to 300 years ago. Some climate models suggest that human activities may have exacerbated this phase by raising the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Discussions of the potential effects of the weather include predictions that malaria will emerge from the tropics and become established in Europe and North America. The complex ecology and transmission dynamics of the disease, as well as accounts of its early history, refute such predictions. Until the second half of the 20th century, malaria was endemic and widespread in many temperate regions, with major epidemics as far north as the Arctic Circle. From 1564 to the 1730s—the coldest period of the Little Ice Age—malaria was an important cause of illness and death in several parts of England. Transmission began to decline only in the 19th century, when the present warming trend was well under way. The history of the disease in England underscores the role of factors other than temperature in malaria transmission.
Equilibrium Explanation of Bargaining and Arbitration in Major League Baseball

Arbitration in Major League Baseball can be explained by baseball clubs’ lack of information regarding their players’ risk attitudes. Different player risk attitudes yield different contract zones of potential settlements. Profit-maximizing baseball clubs must sacrifice some potential settlements to minimize their expected payments to players. Mixed strategies in arbitration offers by players and settlement offers by clubs yield an equilibrium in a game with asymmetric information. The history of arbitration outcomes is explained by the predicted selection of cases for arbitration.
Web-based expert system for class schedule planning using JESS

Making a class schedule for next semester that suits a student's interests and meets overall graduation requirements within a time frame is not always easy. The changing requirements, transferable units of different schools, the availability of classes and other factors can often cause mistakes in the scheduling process. An automated tool can help students to identify scheduling mistakes and compare available options. This paper introduces a web-based expert system, called class schedule planner (CSP). CSP encapsulates class-scheduling knowledge and gives intelligent scheduling advises to students. CSP has a set of Web forms to collect inputs from the users and then translates the request into facts. It uses JESS (Java expert system shell) as a tool to process the facts and rules to generate feasible schedules for the students. Integration of data from various sources into JESS facts and rules is done by CSP controller and XML translator. The translated result from JESS is integrated with the Web presentation using JSP (Java server page). The unique technical contribution of this work is that unlike most other expert systems that require static expert knowledge this expert system allows dynamic management of knowledge in real time using Web interface.
Getting light through cementitious composites with in situ triboluminescent damage sensor

Triboluminescent damage sensors comprising highly efficient triboluminescent materials could allow simple, real-time monitoring of both the magnitude and location of damage. The inability to effectively capture and transmit the triboluminescent optical signals generated within opaque composites like concrete has, however, limited their damage monitoring applications. The in situ triboluminescent optical fiber sensor has been developed to enable the detection and transmission of damage-provoked triboluminescent emissions without having to position triboluminescent crystals in the host material. Flexural tests were performed on mortar and reinforced concrete beams having the in situ triboluminescent optical fiber sensor integrated into them. The intrinsic triboluminescent signals generated in the beams under loading were successfully transmitted through the optical fibers to the photomultiplier tube by side coupling. Successful side coupling will make a truly distributed in situ triboluminescent optical fib...
Commentary: enforcement works.

Comments: Refers to - "High Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Programs in Connecticut and New York Reduce Hand-Held Phone Use". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Annals of Emergency Medicine February 2012 (Vol. 59, Issue 2, Pages 141-142) Language: en
Regulation of TNF-induced oxygen radical production in human neutrophils: role of δ-PKC

In human neutrophils, TNF-elicited O(2)(-) production requires adherence and integrin activation. How this cooperative signaling between TNFRs and integrins regulates O(2)(-) generation has yet to be fully elucidated. Previously, we identified delta-PKC as a critical early regulator of TNF signaling in adherent neutrophils. In this study, we demonstrate that inhibition of delta-PKC with a dominant-negative delta-PKC TAT peptide resulted in a significant delay in the onset time of TNF-elicited O(2)(-) generation but had no effect on Vmax, indicating an involvement of delta-PKC in the initiation of O(2)(-) production. In contrast, fMLP-elicited O(2)(-) production in adherent and nonadherent neutrophils was delta-PKC-independent, suggesting differential regulation of O(2)(-) production. An important step in activation of the NADPH oxidase is phosphorylation of the cytosolic p47phox component. In adherent neutrophils, TNF triggered a time-dependent association of delta-PKC with p47phox, which was associated with p47phox phosphorylation, indicating a role for delta-PKC in regulating O(2)(-) production at the level of p47phox. Activation of ERK and p38 MAPK is also required for TNF-elicited O(2)(-) generation. TNF-mediated ERK but not p38 MAPK recruitment to p47phox was delta-PKC-dependent. delta-PKC activity is controlled through serine/threonine phosphorylation, and phosphorylation of delta-PKC (Ser643) and delta-PKC (Thr505) was increased significantly by TNF in adherent cells via a PI3K-dependent process. Thus, signaling for TNF-elicited O(2)(-) generation is regulated by delta-PKC. Adherence-dependent cooperative signaling activates PI3K signaling, delta-PKC phosphorylation, and delta-PKC recruitment to p47phox. delta-PKC activates p47phox by serine phosphorylation or indirectly through control of ERK recruitment to p47phox.
Mitochondrial respiratory electron carriers are involved in oxidative stress during heat stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the present study we sought to determine the source of heat-induced oxidative stress. We investigated the involvement of mitochondrial respiratory electron transport in post-diauxic-phase cells under conditions of lethal heat shock. Petite cells were thermosensitive, had increased nuclear mutation frequencies, and experienced elevated levels of oxidation of an intracellular probe following exposure to a temperature of 50°C. Cells with a deletion in COQ7 leading to a deficiency in coenzyme Q had a much more severe thermosensitivity phenotype for these oxidative endpoints following heat stress compared to that of petite cells. In contrast, deletion of the external NADH dehydrogenases NDE1 and NDE2, which feed electrons from NADH into the electron transport chain, abrogated the levels of heat-induced intracellular fluorescence and nuclear mutation frequency. Mitochondria isolated from COQ7-deficient cells secreted more than 30 times as much H2O2 at 42 as at 30°C, while mitochondria isolated from cells simultaneously deficient in NDE1 and NDE2 secreted no H2O2. We conclude that heat stress causes nuclear mutations via oxidative stress originating from the respiratory electron transport chains of mitochondria.
Accelerometry cut points for physical activity in underserved African Americans

Despite their increased use, no studies have examined the validity of Actical accelerometry cut points for moderate physical activity (PA) in underserved (low-income, high-crime), minority populations. The high rates of chronic disease and physical inactivity in these populations likely impact the measurement of PA. There is growing concern that traditionally defined cut points may be too high for older or inactive adults. The present study aimed to determine the self-selected pace associated with instructions to “walk for exercise” and the corresponding accelerometry estimates (e.g., Actical counts/minute) for underserved, African American adults. Fifty one participants (61% women) had a mean age of 60.1 (SD = 9.9) and a mean body mass index of 30.5 kg/m2 (SD = 6.0). They performed one seated task, one standing task, and three walking tasks: “strolling”; “walking for exercise”; and “walking in an emergency.” The average pace for strolling, walking for exercise, and walking in an emergency were 1.62 miles per hour (mph; SD = .51), 2.51 mph (SD = .53), and 2.86 mph (SD = .58), respectively. The average Actical counts/minute for the five activities were: 4 (SD = 15), 16 (SD = 29), 751 (SD = 591), 2006 (SD = 1095), and 2617 (SD = 1169), respectively. Regression analyses showed that the predicted counts/minute for a pace of 2.0 mph (which is used as the criterion for moderate exercise in this study) was 1075 counts/minute (SEM = 73). The cut point associated with subjectively determined moderate PA is similar to those previously published for older adults and extends the use of adjusted cut points to African American populations. These results indicate that accurate cut points can be obtained using this innovative methodology.
Article A communication requirement within a biochemistry course

Communication skills are paramount for any college graduate. Too often classes in the sciences are so intent on exposing students to more and more “facts” that written and oral components are rarely incorporated. At Clemson University there is a campus-wide effort to incorporate written and oral components into all courses. which has drawn the attention of Time magazine [l]. Below I will describe how these components are incorporated into a juniorlsenior level biochemistry course for majors. This course is the first semester of a three-course sequence. All students will have already had a single semester biochemistry course required of all life-science and pre-professional health science majors. A typical enrollment is 20-30 students, all of whom are biochemistry majors. The class meets for 75 min twice a week for a total of 29 sessions. Students taking the course are all biochemistry majors who have already taken the General Education courses in composition but may or may not have taken the Public Speaking and Technical Writing courses required for graduation. During the semester six individual short papers and one major written group project are required, as is an oral presentation from each group. The six short papers are 1-2 pages in length. The first four papers can be on anything related to biochemistry in the news. The students find an article, usually in the popular press, and submit a written description of the article. Students are required to attach a copy of at least the first page of the article to discourage “paraphrasing”. These short papers are graded on grammar as well as content. Usually, students do not take the grammar component seriously until the first paper is returned. Despite the written and oral information given on the first day of class about the importance of the grammatical component, a common statement is “I thought this was a biochemistry course, not an English course”. Subsequent papers improve considerably. The purpose of these first four papers is to remind students that biochemistry is around them every day and is not just confined to the classroom.
Spectrophotometric Identification of Eggshell Pigments and Timing of Superficial Pigment Deposition in the Japanese Quail

SummaryThe eggshell pigments of wild-type and mutant white egg Japanese quail have been identified by spectrophotometric analysis of eggshell solutions, solutions of wild-type superficial pigment, and extracts of uterine tissue. Ooporphyrin and biliverdin both contribute to wild-type eggshell pigmentation but ooporphyrin alone seems responsible for the slight pigmentation of mutant white eggshells. In wild-type quail, deposition of superficial eggshell pigment begins between the second and third hours prior to oviposition and is accompanied by an abrupt reduction of ooporphyrin content in uterine tissue extracts.
Unsupervised Approaches for Automatic Keyword Extraction Using Meeting Transcripts

This paper explores several unsupervised approaches to automatic keyword extraction using meeting transcripts. In the TFIDF (term frequency, inverse document frequency) weighting framework, we incorporated part-of-speech (POS) information, word clustering, and sentence salience score. We also evaluated a graph-based approach that measures the importance of a word based on its connection with other sentences or words. The system performance is evaluated in different ways, including comparison to human annotated keywords using F-measure and a weighted score relative to the oracle system performance, as well as a novel alternative human evaluation. Our results have shown that the simple unsupervised TFIDF approach performs reasonably well, and the additional information from POS and sentence score helps keyword extraction. However, the graph method is less effective for this domain. Experiments were also performed using speech recognition output and we observed degradation and different patterns compared to human transcripts.
Salmonella Gastroenteritis in the First Three Months of Life: A Review of Management and Complications

Salmonellosis in older children and adults is usually a self-limited disease, but the risk of complications in infants is not well-defined. We performed a retrospective review of 52 patients. 90 days of age or less, seen at the St. Louis Children's Hospital between 1975 and 1981 with stool cultures positive for salmonella. Sixteen were 30 days old or less (neonates), 21 were 31- 60 days of age, and 15 were 61-90 days old. Among patients in whom blood cultures were done initially, bacteremia was most frequent in neonates: 5/11 (45%), compared to 2/18 (11%) in older infants. All seven infants presenting with bacteremia received 10 or more days of antibiotic therapy: yet complications (osteomyelitis, fatal meningitis or chronic diarrhea) developed in three of five neonates and one of two older infants. Complications also developed in seven of 22 patients who initially had negative blood cultures, including two infants in whom sepsis later developed and two infants who required intravenous hyperalimentation because of chronic diarrhea and malnutrition. The group of 23 patients who did not have blood cultures all did well. Salmonellosis is not necessarily a self-limited infection in young infants. Even in the absence of bacteremia, clinicans would appear to be justified in using antimicrobial therapy in infants 3 months of age or les with salmonella gastroenteritis, particularly neonates of older infants with symptoms of dysentery or failure to thrive.
Modeling of ion acceleration through drift and diffusion at interplanetary shocks

A test particle simulation designed to model ion acceleration through drift and diffusion at interplanetary shocks is described. The technique consists of integrating along exact particle orbits in a system where the angle between the shock normal and mean upstream magnetic field, the level of magnetic fluctuations, and the energy of injected particles can assume a range of values. The technique makes it possible to study time-dependent shock acceleration under conditions not amenable to analytical techniques. To illustrate the capability of the numerical model, proton acceleration was considered under conditions appropriate for interplanetary shocks at 1 AU, including large-amplitude transverse magnetic fluctuations derived from power spectra of both ambient and shock-associated MHD waves.
Does social networking service usage mediate the association between smartphone usage and social capital

This study examined the effect of smartphone and social networking service (SNS) usage on various aspects of social capital, including trust, organizational participation, political participation, and network resources. The study further examined whether SNS usage moderates the relationship between smartphones and social capital. A cross-sectional survey data (N = 339) from a random sample of university students was gathered. The results demonstrated that smartphone and SNS usage have direct effects on all social capital dimensions. In addition, the intensity of smartphone usage has an indirect effect on various social capital dimensions, except organizational participation. These results provide evidence that smartphone and SNS usage is not intrinsically harmful to one’s social capital and may in fact broaden social capital among its users.
Human Cardiac Myosin: Electron Microscopic Observations

Solutions of human cardiac myosin contain macromolecules which were visualized in the electron microscope by the shadow-casting technic. The dominant particle was observed to be rod-shaped, to have a globular expansion at one end, and to have a mean length of about 1500 A. The molecule of human cardiac myosin was found to be morphologically similar to myosin molecules from canine cardiac muscle and rabbit skeletal muscle.
Views of treatment decision making from adolescents with chronic illnesses and their parents: a pilot study

Objective Shared decision making may increase satisfaction with health care and improve outcomes, but little is known about adolescents’ decision-making preferences. The primary purpose of this study is to describe the decision-making preferences of adolescents with chronic illnesses and their parents, and the extent to which they agree. Design Survey. Setting and participants Participants were 82 adolescents seen at one of four paediatric chronic illness subspecialty clinics and 62 of their parents. Main variables Predictor variables include sociodemographics, health parameters, risk behaviour, and physical and cognitive development. The main outcome variable is preferences for decision-making style. Results and conclusions When collapsed into three response categories, nearly equal percentages of adolescents (37%) and parents (36%) preferred shared decision making. Overall, the largest proportion of adolescents (46%) and parents (53%) preferred passive decision making compared to active or shared decision making. Across five response choices, 33% of pairs agreed. Agreement was slight and not significant. Improved general health perceptions (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59–0.99) and improved behaviour (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.56–0.99) were significantly associated with parents’ preferences for less active decision making. Older age was significantly associated with agreement (OR 1.58, 95% CI = 1.09–2.30) between parents and adolescents. The paucity of significant predictor variables may indicate physicians need to inquire directly about patient and parent preferences.
Market timing using strategists’ and analysts’ forecasts of S&P 500 earnings per share

Abstract This paper examines the bias in and usefulness of top-down and bottom-up consensus forecasts of earnings per share for the S&P 500 Index provided by market strategists and analysts to I/B/E/S. These forecasts exhibit a significant optimism bias that decreases over the 12 months up to release of actual earnings per share. The bias is significantly more pronounced for the bottom-up forecasts of analysts. Unlike the findings for country timing, we demonstrate that a stock market timer using switching rules based on the consensus forecasts of S&P 500 earnings or the directional switch in the consensus or in the number of switchers cannot generate a free lunch.
Are Internet and Paper-and-Pencil Personality Tests Truly Comparable?: An Experimental Design Measurement Invariance Study

Recently, the use of technology in assessment for personnel selection has increased dramatically. An important consideration is whether test scores obtained via Internet administration are psychometrically equivalent to those obtained by the more traditional paper-and-pencil format. Our results suggest that there is comparability of scores for many personality constructs, including conscientiousness. However, invariance was not found for some scales between persons allowed to choose formats and those not given a choice of formats. As testing-format preference may be related to membership in federally protected demographic groups, this latter finding was somewhat troubling. Additionally, we illustrate the use of an experimental laboratory design to investigate possible causes of a lack of measurement invariance in Internet and paper-and-pencil comparisons.
The effects of noise on polarimetric SAR data

Polarimetric SAR data can provide a great deal of information about the scattering behavior of the surface under observation. Polarimetric SAR systems often measure the scattering matrices of the areas under observation in linear polarizations (H and V). From the scattering matrix commonly used forms such as the covariance matrix and the Stokes matrix can be easily derived. Other measures derived from polarimetric SAR data include correlation coefficients between scattering matrix terms and the mode and variance of phase differences between scattering matrix terms. The effects of additive system noise on these measurements is not often considered in the literature on this subject. In this paper, the effects of additive system noise on measurements derived from polarimetric SAR data are examined. It is shown how first-order noise effects can be removed and how second-order noise effects can be reduced for some measurements. Some commonly occurring characteristics of polarimetric SAR data which may be attributed to noise, such as the pedestal on a polarization signature, or a broadening in the distribution of the HH-VV phase difference over an area, or a reduction in the magnitude of a correlation coefficient, are identified. The appearance of azimuth ambiguities in polarimetric SAR data is also addressed. >
Georges Bizet: Carmen : The musical languages of Carmen

All pieces of music develop in dialogue with many others. Far from being self-contained, a composition produces meaning through its use of codes transmitted and reproduced within a variety of repertories, its generic affiliations, the social contexts in which it is written and received, as well as through the strategic arrangement of its particular parts. This is true even of the most apparently autonomous of instrumental movements: its medium, formal procedures and aesthetic premises all have social histories, engaging associations that can neither be predicted in advance nor – even with the best of formalist intentions – kept altogether silent. But it is more obviously true of a work such as Carmen , which operates in large part on the basis of its transgressive mixture of codes, genres and styles. Bizet's first audiences recognized this transgressive mixture and responded accordingly (see Chapter 6). But because we no longer possess their expectations with respect to genre, we now tend to hear the opera as an unruptured entity: whether listening to the placid lyricism of Micaela or the third-hand Cuban strains of the “Habanera,” we hear only … Carmen . Thus, before embarking on a reading of the opera itself, I want to sketch out some of the principal musical discourses it engages and juxtaposes. Opera-Comique Carmen belongs to the genre of opera-comique , and it must be read in part in terms of the conventions of that genre, even though Bizet virtually imploded the opera-comique with this work.