cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ideal observer for heading judgments

Several aspects of the viewing situation affect the ability to determine heading from optical flow. These include the amount of depth variation and number of texture elements in the scene, the location and amount of the visual field stimulated, and the position of the focus of expansion within the stimulus. Without a quantification of the discrimination information provided by the stimuli presented to the observer, it is impossible to determine how much of an observed change in performance reflects the properties of neural mechanisms and strategies employed by the observer. To enable a better quantification, we developed an ideal observer for the discrimination of heading from random-dot flow fields. Internal noises of the ideal observer were set by the results of single-dot velocity discrimination experiments. We compared human and ideal observer performance in discriminating headings with different patterns of flow (e.g. radial vs laminar) presented on different parts of the retina. Efficiency--the ratio of ideal and human thresholds--was fairly constant for the various flow patterns and retinal eccentricities. This outcome indicates that most of the variation in human observers' ability to estimate heading from the flow patterns and retinal loci considered here is due to changes in the discrimination information provided by the stimulus after measurement by the visual system. In the discussion, we show how the ideal observer can be used to quantify the spatial distribution of heading discrimination information for any observer translation through any scene represented by dots.
A crystal-chemical study of some new rare earth-rhenium oxides

Abstract Several Ln 2 O 3 -ReO 2 systems (Ln = Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Er, Yb and Y) have been studied. New phases have been found and are characterized crystal-chemically. Tetragonal phases of the types Ln 2 ReO 5 and Ln 2 ReO 5.25 are described where Ln = Nd, Sm, and Gd. Other compounds near the Ln 2 ReO 5 stoichiometry (Ln = Gd, Dy, Er, Yb, Y) appear to be monoclinic. In three systems (Ln = Dy, Er, Y) fluorite-like phases have been found. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out for several of the new phases. All were found to be paramagnetic within the temperature range investigated (77°K to 373°K).
Independence of θ and TL surface antigens and killing by thymidine, cortisol, phytohemagglutinin, and cyclic AMP in a murine lymphoma

Summary Thymic like lymphomas bear θ antigen and often TL antigen, and are killed by low concentrations of corticosteroids. These lymphomas are also very sensitive to killing by phytohemagglutinin and thymidine, in contrast to myelomas. Since θ and TL antigens and sensitivity to steroids and phytohemagglutinin change during the maturation of thymus cells to immunocompetent lymphocytes, these properties were studied in lymphoma variants. Variants selected for loss of detectable θ antigen or sensitivity to hydrocortisone, phytohemagglutinin, thymidine, thioguanine, or cyclic AMP still retain the unselected markers. This suggests that, although thymocyte properties appear to be coordinately regulated during differentiation, the expression of each may be altered by a separate mechanism.
Dextran Penetration Through Nonkeratinized and Keratinized Epithelia in Monkeys

The purpose of this study was to determine if polysaccharide dextrans would pass through intact-nonkeratinized and induced-keratinized sulcular epithelia in monkeys. Dextran penetration through normally keratinized oral gingival epithelium also was evaluated in the same gingival specimens. Each of three Rhesus monkeys received a thorough prophylaxis 1 week prior to the experiment. During this week, the monkeys also received daily IV injections of Achromycin. After the antibiotic treatment, the teeth were polished and cleaned with a rubber cup using prophylactic paste for 2 consecutive months, as follows: (1) the right maxillary and mandibular teeth received daily prophylaxes on weekdays and (2) the left maxillary and mandibular teeth received one prophylaxis weekly. These frequencies of plaque removal on one-half of the mouth maintained clinically healthy gingiva and produced keratinization of the sulcular epithelium. At the end of the 2-month prophylaxes, a 5% solution of dextrans derived from Leuconosto...
The identification and enumeration of dendritic cell populations from individual mouse spleen and Peyer's patches using flow cytometric analysis

Dendritic cell (DC) research currently involves pooling of tissues from multiple animals followed by enrichment techniques to obtain sufficient numbers of DCs for analysis. Enrichment techniques take advantage of DC adherence, buoyant density properties, and/or positive or negative selection of cell populations using monoclonal antibodies. However, enrichment techniques may significantly change the maturation and/or activation status of DCs or selectively eliminate one or more subpopulations of DCs. To overcome these drawbacks, we designed a multicolor flow cytometric technique for simultaneous analysis of DC populations from tissues of individual mice. The spleens and Peyer's patches were mechanically and enzymatically digested, then incubated with a panel of six monoclonal antibody-fluorochrome direct conjugate reagents. A BD(R) Biosciences LSR II flow cytometer and FCS Express(R) software were used to identify three subtypes of mature DCs (myeloid, lymphoid, and plasmacytoid), precursor DCs, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, B lymphocytes, and Gr-1(+)/CD8alpha(+) memory T lymphocytes in the spleen. Likewise, we also identified these DC subpopulations and B lymphocytes in the Peyer's patches. The three key parameters in analysis of the DC populations were bi-exponential plotting in data analysis, collection of a minimum of 50,000 total events, and accurate color compensation. This procedure to analyze DCs from individual mice can lead to further understanding of the role of DCs in many other model systems as well as better understanding of how dietary or physiological factors may affect in vivo DC homeostasis.
Utility of SBFT to assess stricturing Crohn disease of small intestine

patients with Crohn’s disease. Methods: This is an ongoing, 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study in patients with Crohn’s disease who are starting therapy with 6-MP. Study subjects are started on 6-MP at a dose of 1.2 mg/kg and, in addition, are randomized to receive either sulfasalazine (SSZ) at a target dose of 4 g/day or an identical appearing placebo. Exclusion criteria include low TPMT enzyme activity, known sulfa allergy, and prior colectomy. Metabolic endpoints (6-MP metabolites, TPMT enzyme activity) and clinical endpoints (quality of life as assessed by IBDQ, Harvey-Bradshaw Index [HBI]) are assessed at weeks 8 and 16. Preliminary week 8 results are presented. Results: To date, 35 patients have met inclusion criteria and started 6-MP with either SSZ or placebo. Of these patients, 19 were withdrawn from the study for the following reasons: allergic reaction to 6-MP (N 9 (26%); 3 on SSZ and 6 on placebo), possible reaction to SSZ (N 6), other reactions (N 2), and non-compliance (N 2). Data for the remaining 16 patients are presented in the table.
The congenital anastomoses between hepatic arteries: angiographic appearance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate congenital anastomoses between hepatic arteries demonstrated on angiography in ten patients and to correlate the anastomosis with types of hepatic arterial anatomy. We evaluated the types of the hepatic arterial anatomy based on Michels’ classification for 720 patients and compared the anatomic types between the patients with the anastomoses (ten patients) and without the anastomoses (710 patients). The diameter of the anastomoses ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 mm (mean, 2.4 mm). Five anastomoses were classified as tortuous type and five as straight type. Based on Michels’ classification for types of hepatic arterial anatomy, eight (80%) of ten patients with the congenital anastomoses were classified as type III (replaced right hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery). The remaining two patients were classified as type IV (replaced right hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery and replaced left hepatic artery from left gastric artery) and type VIIIa (replaced right hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery and accessory left hepatic artery from left gastric artery). Eight (16%) of 48 patients who were classified as type III have the anastomoses. In conclusion, the congenital anastomoses were observed especially in patients with replaced right hepatic artery from superior mesenteric artery.
Mapping of two-dimensional convolution on very long instruction word media processors for real-time performance

Programmable media processors have been emerging to meet the continuously increasing computational demand in complex digital media applications, such as HDTV and MPEG-4, at an afford- able cost. These media processors provide the flexibility to imple- ment various image computing algorithms along with high perfor- mance, unlike the hardwired approach that has provided high performance for a particular algorithm, but lacks flexibility. However, to achieve high performance on these media processors, a careful and sometimes innovative design of algorithms is essential. In ad- dition, programming techniques, e.g., software pipelining and loop unrolling, are needed to speed up the computations while the data flow can be optimized using a programmable DMA controller. In this paper, we describe an algorithm for two-dimensional convolution, which can be implemented efficiently on many media processors. Implemented on a new media processor called the MAP1000, it takes 7.9 ms to convolve a 5123512 image with a 737 kernel, which is much faster than the previously reported software-based convolution and is comparable with the hardwired implementations. High performance in two-dimensional convolution and other algo- rithms on the MAP1000 clearly demonstrates the feasibility of software-based solutions in demanding imaging and video applica- tions. © 2000 SPIE and IS&T. (S1017-9909(00)00203-8)
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAKE FIELDS AND BEAM STABILITY IN SLAB-SYMMETRIC DIELECTRIC STRUCTURES

Several promising schemes for high-gradient acceleration of charged particles in slab-symmetric electromagnetic structures have been recently proposed. In this paper we investigate, by both computer simulation and theoretical analysis, the longitudinal and transverse wake fields experienced by a relativistic charged particle beam in a planar structure. We show that in the limit of an infinitely wide beam the net deflecting wake fields vanishes. This result is verified in the limit of a large aspect ratio (sheet) beam by finite beam analysis based on a Fourier decomposition of the current profile, as well as a paraxial wave analysis of the wake fields driven by Gaussian profile beams. The Fourier analysis forms the basis of an examination of flute instability in the sheet beam system. Practical implications of this result for beam stability and enhanced current loading in short-wavelength advanced accelerators are discussed.
Occurrence of β-Aminoisobutyric Acid in Mytilus edulis

β-Aminoisobutyric acid was isolated from organ extracts of Mytilus edulis. Ion-exchange resins and large-scale paper chromatography were used to isolate minute quantities of the compound. β-Aminoisobutyric acid was identified by paper chromatography in several solvents and by conversion to DNP-β-aminoisobutyric acid and subsequent chromatography of the derivative in several solvents.
The Relation of Psoriasis to Attitude and to Vascular Reactions of the Human Skin1

Previous reports have dealt with the association of life-stress and cutaneous vascular reactions in urticaria (4) and eczema (5). The present paper reports similar investigations in psoriasis. A relation between emotional disturbance and this disease has been mentioned from time to time for many years, but experimental investigation has been lacking.
Use of Micellar Solutions as Draw Agents in Forward Osmosis

Recent advances in membrane technologies have enhanced the viability of water treatment strategies that employ semipermeable barriers. Forward osmosis (FO), which exploits the natural osmotic pressure gradient between a “draw” solution and a “feed” solution to produce potable water, offers a low-energy, low-cost alternative to more conventional treatment methods. Surfactants, because of their tendencies to aggregate into micelles and to adsorb at interfaces, provide intriguing osmotic pressures and offer exploitable properties by which draw solutions can be regenerated. The effectiveness of surfactant-based FO using cellulose triacetate membranes has been assessed in terms of water flux and reverse surfactant diffusion using cetylpyridinium chloride, sodium dodecylsulfate, and Triton X-100. The ratios of water flux to surfactant flux exceeded 600 L mol−1 for all surfactants studied. Surfactant recoveries of over 99 % were achieved by ultrafiltration using regenerated cellulose membranes.
Comparison of competing risks failure time methods and time‐independent methods for assessing strain variations in vaccine protection

In a preventive vaccine efficacy trial of a vaccine for a genotypically and phenotypically diverse pathogen, it is important to assess if and how vaccine protection against infection or disease varies with characteristics of the exposing pathogen. Gilbert, Self and Ashby developed statistical methods for this problem when the outcome data are counts of the number of vaccinated and unvaccinated trial participants infected by each pathogen strain. However, in many vaccine trials time-to-case information is available, and the extent to which this information improves investigation of differential vaccine protection is unclear. We describe how cause-specific proportional hazards models and other popular competing risks failure time techniques can be applied to this problem. This includes new results on the assumptions required for these methods to give valid inferences about strain-specific vaccine efficacy, and a comparison of theoretical and finite-sample properties between these methods and the time-independent methods. Theoretical considerations, a cholera vaccine trial example, and an extensive simulation study of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine trial show that information about failure times does not appreciably improve estimation or testing unless the pathogen has a high attack rate and the relative prevalence of pathogen strains shifts substantially during the trial follow-up period. An important implication is that practically optimal evaluation of strain-specific vaccine efficacy in HIV-1 vaccine trials will not require knowledge of infection times.
Formation of Microcrystals, Micropuddles, and Other Spatial Inhomogenieties in Surface Reactions under Ambient Conditions: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Water and Nitric Acid Adsorption on MgO(100) and CaCO3(101̄4)

In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to image freshly cleaved MgO(100) and CaCO3(1014) as these surfaces undergo reaction with water and nitric acid under ambient conditions of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. The reaction of water and nitric acid results in the formation of hydroxylated and nitrated surfaces, respectively. It is clear from the AFM images that there are spatial inhomogenieties and surface features that form on micrometer and nanometer length scales as these reactions proceed. These features, which include hillocks, patches, microcrystallites, and micropuddles, are due to surface and phase segregation as a result of facile ion mobility in the presence of adsorbed water. In addition, instabilities and oscillations in the AFM images provide an indication of liquid formation and the deliquescence (i.e., a solid to liquid-phase transition) of nitrate salts as a function of relative humidity.
Characterization of in Vitro Transdermal Iontophoretic Delivery of Insulin

AbstractIn-vitro studies were conducted to characterize the transdermal iontophoretic delivery of insulin, thus avoiding potential complications from various biological variations, which may be encountered during in-vivo studies. The proteolytic degradation of insulin in skin homogenates and degradation under the experimental conditions used was investigated. Appropriate adjuvants were incorporated to minimize the potential degradation problems of insulin. 125I-Insulin was observed to penetrate into and accumulate in the skin during the iontophoresis period. It was then released gradually from this depot, as a mixture of intact and 125-I labelled fragments, into the receptor medium. Drug desorption studies supported the theory of skin depot or reservoir formation. It was found that an electric field could be used to facilitate the desorption of drug from the depot. The post-application flux of insulin (or its fragments) from the skin depot formed during iontophoresis was monitored to study the factors aff...
An extension of Kesten's renewal theorem for random walk in a random environment

Kesten showed that for certain random walks in a random environment the distribution of the environment as seen from the vantage point of the random walker converges to a limit distribution for large time. It is shown here that under additional hypotheses Kesten's result continues to hold for almost every typical fixed environment.
Treatment of primary miliary osteoma cutis with incision, curettage, and primary closure

Abstract Background: Primary miliary osteoma cutis is characterized by de novo bone formation in skin without a known associated or pre-existing cutaneous disorder. These lesions often develop on the face and cause cosmetic concern. Objective: Multiple treatments have been attempted, including topical and systemic agents and surgical techniques. The ideal treatment modality should be simple and effective with minimal side effects. Methods: The technique of scalpel incision over visible lesions, curet extraction of bony fragments, and primary suture repair was used to remove multiple lesions of primary miliary osteoma cutis on the cheeks of an affected patient. Results: This surgical technique resulted in a significant reduction of visible and palpable lesions and a smoother surface contour with minimal scarring. Conclusion: This surgical technique offers a simple but effective method for removal of multiple bony fragments in primary miliary osteoma cutis with minimal side effects. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:96-9.)
Sensitive fluorescence HPLC assay for AQ-13, a candidate aminoquinoline antimalarial, that also detects chloroquine and N-dealkylated metabolites.

Abstract A sensitive, specific and reproducible fluorescence high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay has been developed for the separate or simultaneous measurement of AQ-13 (a candidate 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial), chloroquine (CQ), and their metabolites in whole blood. After liquid–solid extraction using commercially available extraction cartridges, these two aminoquinolines (AQs) and their metabolites were separated on C18 (Xterra RP18) columns using a mobile phase containing 60% borate buffer (20 mM, pH 9.0) and 40% acetonitrile with isocratic elution at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min. The assay uses a biologically inactive 8-chloro-4-aminoquinoline (AQ-18) as its internal standard (IS). There is a linear relationship between the concentrations of these AQs and the peak area ratio (ratio between the peak area of the AQ or metabolite and the peak area of the IS) on the chromatogram. Linear calibration curves with correlation coefficients ≥0.997 (r2 ≥ 0.995, p
Reduced basis approximation and error bounds for potential flows in parametrized geometries

In this paper we consider (hierarchical, Lagrange) reduced basis approximation and a posteriori error estimation for potential flows in affinely parametrized geometries. We review the essential ingredients: i) a Galerkin projection onto a low dimensional space associated with a smooth “parametric manifold” in order to get a dimension reduction; ii) an efficient and effective greedy sampling method for identification of optimal and numerically stable approximations to have a rapid convergence; iii) an a posteriori error estimation procedure: rigorous and sharp bounds for the linearfunctional outputs of interest and over the potential solution or related quantities of interest like velocity and/or pressure; iv) an Offline-Online computational decomposition strategies to achieve a minimum marginal computational cost for high performance in the real-time and many-query (e.g., design and optimization) contexts. We present three illustrative results for inviscid potential flows in parametrized geometries representing a Venturi channel, a circular bend and an added mass problem.
Ethnic and Social Class Similarities and Differences in Mothers' Beliefs about Kindergarten Preparation.

This research examines the extent to which a mother’s ethnicity, social class, and immigration status, singly or in interaction, are associated with her beliefs about how best to prepare her child for kindergarten. One hundred and fifty‐six lower‐ and middle‐class Euro‐American, African‐American, non‐immigrant Latina, and immigrant Latina mothers with children beginning kindergarten completed anonymous questionnaires asking mothers about their values as well as demographic information for mothers and their child’s father and maternal grandmother. In this research, ethnicity and immigration status classifications were unambiguous. The social class indicators, education, occupation, and family income, did not relate consistently across the ethnic/immigrant groups. For Euro‐American, non‐immigrant Latina, and immigrant Latina mothers, relationships among social class indicators were generally linear. For African‐American mothers, family income tended to be depressed compared to education and occupation. For ...
Effect of Chelated Trace Metals on Phosphorus Uptake and Storage in Natural Assemblages of Lake Michigan Phytoplankton

Abstract In experiments with natural phytoplankton assemblages from Lake Michigan, additions of chelated trace metals and orthophosphate increased phosphate uptake more than additions of orthophosphate alone. Enhanced phosphate uptake is attributed to the storage of polyphosphate by phytoplankton which can be triggered by high concentrations of trace metals. Similar effects were obtained with a surface phytoplankton assemblage collected in April and with a metalimnetic assemblage collected in September. Microscopic examination showed that polyphosphate formation was enhanced in populations of Melosira islandica and Scenedesmus opoliensis . These results and data from the literature suggest that polyphosphate storage may play an important role in the phytoplankton population dynamics of Lake Michigan, especially in bays and nearshore areas where tributary inputs of phosphorus and trace metals are high. If observed effects operate selectively at the population level, populations that accumulate and store phosphorus in nearshore areas of high phosphorus supply may have a competitive advantage over other populations in the nearshore or when transported to the offshore waters of this phosphorus-limited system.
DNA topoisomerase II from mammalian mitochondria is inhibited by the antitumor drugs, m-AMSA and VM-26

A type II DNA topoisomerase has been partially purified from calf thymus mitochondria by a combination of differential centrifugation and column chromatography. The mitochondrial enzyme was inhibited by amsacrine (m-AMSA) slightly at 0.5 μM, significantly at 5.0 μM, and completely at 50 μM. A similar profile was obtained with teniposide (VM-26) although the latter drug was not quite as potent an inhibitor as the former. P4 unknotting assays of the purified nuclear type II topoisomerase in the presence of m-AMSA and VM-26 indicated that the mitochondrial and nuclear enzymes behaved similarly, although the mitochondrial enzyme appeared to be inhibited more strongly.
Mutation and Modeling Analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Swi6 Ankyrin Repeats

The Swi4−Swi6 family of transcription factors confers G1/S specific transcription in budding and fission yeast. These proteins contain four ankyrin repeats, which are present in a large number of functionally diverse proteins and have been shown to be important for protein−protein interaction. However, no specific sequence has been identified that is diagnostic of an ankyrin repeat-interacting protein. To determine the function of the ankyrin repeats of Swi6, we generated both random and site-directed mutations within the ankyrin repeat domain of Swi6 and assayed the transcriptional function of these mutant swi6 alleles. We found six single mutations, scattered within the first and the fourth repeats, that generate a temperature-sensitive Swi6 protein. In addition, we found that alanine substitutions for the most conserved residues in each repeat were highly deleterious and also confer temperature sensitivity. Most of these swi6 alleles are able to form ternary complexes with Swi4 and DNA, but these compl...
Complications from Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: Impact of Current and Emerging Ablation Technologies

Catheter ablation has emerged as an important therapy for atrial fibrillation. The past decade has seen tremendous growth in the use of this technology, as well as the use of novel sources and methods of energy delivery. As the volume and complexity of catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation have increased, our understanding of the range of procedural complications has also grown. Thromboembolic events, esophageal injury, and phrenic nerve palsy represent some of the potential complications of atrial fibrillation ablation that remain challenging to prevent and manage. In this review, we discuss the strategies for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of complications from catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Rapid recognition and treatment of these complications are critical for the improvement of patient outcomes.
Co-occurring Mental Health Problems and Peer Functioning Among Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review and Recommendations for Future Research

It is well established that children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience co-occurring mental health problems in addition to difficulties in their peer relationships. Although substantial research has focused on the extent to which peer functioning contributes to subsequent co-occurring mental health problems, much less research has considered how co-occurring mental health problems affect peer functioning domains. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the effect of co-occurring mental health problems on the peer functioning of youth with ADHD. The impact of co-occurring externalizing (i.e., oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder) and internalizing (i.e., anxiety, depression) symptoms are reviewed, with a focus on whether these co-occurring symptoms exacerbate, attenuate, or have no effect across peer domains of social skills/competence, peer status, and friendship among youth with ADHD. Drawing from a developmental psychopathology framework, this review then draws attention to relevant causal processes and developmental cascades (including social-cognitive, affective, and family and parenting factors) in offering promising avenues for future work.
A “not so micro” model for a “macro” problem

Comment on Tassone et al, page [1341][1] Tassone and colleagues present a new mouse model for the study of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. A major impediment to the understanding of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is the lack of adequate in vivo and in vitro models for the study of this indolent
Do Experiences Represent

Abstract The paper contains four arguments to show that experiences don't represent. The first argument appeals to the fact that an experience can't occur without what the experience is of; the second appeals to the fact we can have an experience without having any awareness of what it is of, the third argument appeals to the fact that long experiences, such as the experience of being kidnapped, don't represent anything; and the fourth appeals to the fact that experiences often leave physical traces. The author rebuts several arguments for the conclusion that experiences represent. The author also considers some of the pitfalls involved in stipulating that experiences represent in a technical sense of “experience” or “represent”.
Private funding for capital projects

Over the past few years, librarians have come to the realization that it is essential to have private funding to augment public resources for major capital projects. Use of private and public funds can have beneficial effects for the library. The funds can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the project and to help provide for future library programs and services.
Electromagnetic Annihilation of Antiprotons

The familiar model of a nucleon as a Dirac particle with Pauli anomalous magnetic moment is used to obtain cross sections for antiproton annihilation into two photons, two electrons, or two muons. The two-photon lifetime of the $n^{1}S_{0}$ state of the proton-antiproton atom is $\ensuremath{\approx}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}{n}^{3}$ sec.
A Qualitative Exploration of Autonomy and Engagement for Young Women of Color in Community College

Given the nationwide concern about college persistence and graduation rates, this article reviews pertinent literature related to autonomous learning as well as social and academic engagement. It also presents findings of a qualitative study of young community college women of color, an understudied population. The article, part of a larger research project that explores the obstacles faced by young women of color, describes their experiences related to academic and social engagement and self-determination in the community-college setting. Data were collected from 15 focus groups with a total of 61 Latina, Black, and Asian women between the ages of 18 and 24 on three community college campuses in a large northeastern city in the United States. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that young women of color demonstrate a compelling determination to complete college autonomously and, to a lesser degree, are willing to engage socially and academically. The findings prompt the suggestion that academi...
Using Blogs to Stay Current About Electronic Resources

Medical librarians today need to stay current about issues involving the acquisition and utilization of electronic resources, from licensing issues to digital rights, from copyright to open access. From court cases to changes in publishers’ policies, librarians must stay on top of new developments to best serve their user communities; these issues are best followed through electronic updates via the Internet. This column takes a brief look at one source of information, blogs, and provides a short list of some quality examples for locating current developments.
A probabilistic technique for full-chip leakage estimation

In this paper, we propose a probability-based algorithm to estimate full-chip leakage without knowing layout information, under intra-die and inter-die process variations. Through modeling process variations into a random vector, we show that the standard cell leakage can be modeled as an inverse Gaussian random variable and further demonstrate that full-chip leakage can also be approximated to be an inverse Gaussian random variable. Hence, the leakage estimation problem is reduced to the estimation of the mean value and variance of the full-chip leakage. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is over 1000X faster than Monte Carlo simulation while the maximum estimation error is less than 6%.
Trajectory of Declines in Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Older Women: Social Cognitive Influences

Studies examining physical activity behavior suggest that activity levels decline with age. Such declines are particularly problematic among older adults in light of the research suggesting a protective effect of physical activity on numerous physical health outcomes associated with independent living. Despite a growing recognition of the importance of a physically active lifestyle, little is known about the role of demographic and psychosocial variables on this trajectory of change. In this study, the roles played by outcome expectations, self-efficacy, and functional limitations on changes in physical activity levels over a 2-year period in older women were assessed using latent growth curve modeling. Data were obtained from 249 community-dwelling older women (M age = 68.12, n = 81 Black, and n = 168 White). Demographic, health status, and psychosocial data were collected via self-report upon entry into the study. Self-reported physical activity was assessed at baseline and again at 12 and 24 months. As expected, physical activity declined over the 2-year period. Self-efficacy demonstrated an indirect association with the trajectory of decline in physical activity through functional limitations. Importantly, the pattern of relationships appears independent of demographic factors and chronic health conditions.
Contrasting Visions of Global Civil Society for Organization and Policy

Books reviewed in this article: Mary Kaldor, Helmut Anheier, and Marlies Glasius, eds., Global Civil Society Yearbook 2003 John Keane, Global Civil Society? Lester M. Salamon, Helmut K. Anheier, Regina List, Stefan Toepler, S. Wojcieh Sokolowski, and associates, Global Civil Society: Dimensions of the Nonprofit Sector
The Theatrics of Technology: Consuming Obsidian in the Early Cycladic Burial Arena

Fine pressure-flaked obsidian blades are a regular feature of burial assemblages from the Early Bronze I Cyclades. While they tend to be complete and unused, they are essentially the same products as those from contemporary settlements. This changed over time, with the development of a highly skilled knapping technology dedicated to the manufacture of long blades for consumption in funerary ritual. While some of these blades were employed as grave goods, others were withheld for distribution among the living participants of the ceremony. The cores remained in circulation prior to their reuse as pestles for preparing body paints. This chapter investigates this flamboyant technique through the metaphor of theater, offering a reconstruction as to how these episodes of production, distribution, and discard might have been staged and considers the ramifications of the performance, its actors, audience, and directors in the construction and maintenance of social relations among these small island communities.
Success of the high-dose/refuge resistance management strategy after 15 years of Bt crop use in North America

Transgenic maize and cotton expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins were first commercialized in 1996. By 2009, Bt crops were planted on ca. 47.6 Mha in 22 countries worldwide, with the USA and Canada accounting for 54% of this area. Resistance (virulence) development in target insect pests is a major threat to the sustainable use of Bt crops. Four major target pests of Bt crops in the USA and Canada – European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar (both Lepidoptera: Crambidae), tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) – remain susceptible to Bt toxins after 15 years of intensive use of Bt maize and Bt cotton. The success in sustaining susceptibility in these major pests is associated with successful implementation of the ‘high-dose/refuge’ insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategy: (i) Bt crop cultivars express a ‘high dose’, (ii) initial frequency of resistance alleles is very low, and (iii) a refuge is maintained nearby in the environment. Field resistance (including control failure) to a Bt crop has been clearly documented in three situations: fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith] in Puerto Rico, African stem borer [Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] in South Africa, and P. gossypiella in India. Factors associated with these cases of field resistance include: failure to use high-dose Bt cultivars and lack of sufficient refuge. These observations support the claim that implementation of the ‘high-dose/refuge’ IRM strategy has been successful in substantially delaying field resistance to Bt crops.
A Systematic Approach to Studying Fisheries Governance

can policies for governing marine fisheries become more effective? How can we engage in developing a new science of fisheries governance that promotes knowledge accumulation and collective learning? We look into these issues by reviewing the current social-ecological status of marine fisheries, common policy approaches in place to govern them, and key learned lessons and shortcomings. While great efforts have been made towards understanding marine governance in the last 50 years, if we are to meet the current and upcoming challenges facing global fisheries, we need to engage with systematic knowledge accumulation about governance performance. To this end we report on a novel classificatory framework which, while nascent, could offer the potential to help us move in that direction.
SoundSense: scalable sound sensing for people-centric applications on mobile phones

Top end mobile phones include a number of specialized (e.g., accelerometer, compass, GPS) and general purpose sensors (e.g., microphone, camera) that enable new people-centric sensing applications. Perhaps the most ubiquitous and unexploited sensor on mobile phones is the microphone - a powerful sensor that is capable of making sophisticated inferences about human activity, location, and social events from sound. In this paper, we exploit this untapped sensor not in the context of human communications but as an enabler of new sensing applications. We propose SoundSense, a scalable framework for modeling sound events on mobile phones. SoundSense is implemented on the Apple iPhone and represents the first general purpose sound sensing system specifically designed to work on resource limited phones. The architecture and algorithms are designed for scalability and Soundsense uses a combination of supervised and unsupervised learning techniques to classify both general sound types (e.g., music, voice) and discover novel sound events specific to individual users. The system runs solely on the mobile phone with no back-end interactions. Through implementation and evaluation of two proof of concept people-centric sensing applications, we demostrate that SoundSense is capable of recognizing meaningful sound events that occur in users' everyday lives.
Lutetium aluminate: spectroscopic and scintillation properties

The present status of the LuAlO/sub 3/:Ce (LuAP) scintillator is reviewed and its performance compared to that of YAlO/sub 3/:Ce (YAP). The light output of LuAP, at this stage of development, appears to be limited by two factors: insufficient Ce concentration and the presence of a parasitic absorption. Both LuAP and YAP show a dependence of light output on thickness, indicating that YAP also suffers from parasitic absorption. Measurements on undoped material offers a clue to the identity of the "parasite".
High-Density Self-Contained Microfluidic KOALA Kits for Use by Everyone:

Cell-based assays are essential tools used by research labs in a wide range of fields, including cell biology, toxicology, and natural product discovery labs. However, in some situations, the need for cell-based assays does not justify the costs of maintaining cell culture facilities and retaining skilled staff. The kit-on-a-lid assay (KOALA) technology enables accessible low-cost and prepackageable microfluidic platforms that can be operated with minimal infrastructure or training. Here, we demonstrate and characterize high-density KOALA methods for high-throughput applications, achieving an assay density comparable to that of a 384-well plate and usability by hand with no liquid-handling equipment. We show the potential for high-content screening and complex assays such as quantitative immunochemistry assays requiring multiple steps and reagents.
Electrochemical Quantized Capacitance Charging of Surface Ensembles of Gold Nanoparticles

Quantized double layer capacitance charging is observed for monolayers of nanometer-sized monolayer protected gold clusters (Au MPCs) anchored to macroscopic gold electrodes. The clusters were anchored in two ways. One method involves ligand place-exchange binding of an MPC covered with a butanethiolate monolayer to a preformed, self-assembled monolayer of 4,4‘-thiobisbenzenethiol (TBBT) on Au. In the second method, an MPC with a mixed TBBT/heptanethiolate monolayer is prepared; this surface-reactive cluster anchors itself onto a gold electrode surface. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of these MPC monolayers displays a succession of current peaks whose regular spacing on the potential axis is similar to that in DPV of solutions of the same, nonanchored MPCs. AC impedance measurements of the MPC monolayers show capacitance undulations that mirror the DPV results.
Effect of sepsis after burn injury on the dynamics of granulopoiesis in mice

Rational strategies for the treatment of burn injury and infection require an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which immune suppression and pro-inflammatory signals interact. Here we study the dynamics of granulopoiesis in the bone marrow (BM) using a mouse burn/infection model to identify the roles that apoptosis, differentiation, proliferation and release play in the etiology of the immunologic response to burns and superimposed infection. We demonstrate that there is a rapid loss of mature granulocytes (CD11b/sup +/ Ly6G/sup +/) from the marrow during a primarily septic injury using a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA-14). Due to the short timescale involved massive and specific release of granulocytes from the marrow is the most likely mechanism for the observed dynamics. There is also clear evidence of a drop in the bone marrow cellularity for animals with superimposed burn and sepsis. Using a simple population balance approach we demonstrate that a decreased cell residence time in the mature bone marrow pool could explain the observed rapid decline in its size.
Soluble Forms of the Notch Ligands Delta1 and Jagged1 Promote in Vivo Tumorigenicity in NIH3T3 Fibroblasts with Distinct Phenotypes

We previously found that soluble forms of the Notch ligands Jagged1 and Delta1 induced fibroblast growth factor receptor-dependent cell transformation in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. However, the phenotypes of these lines differed, indicating distinct functional differences among these Notch ligands. In the present study, we used allografts to test the hypothesis that NIH3T3 fibroblasts that express soluble forms of Delta1 and Jagged1 accelerate tumorigenicity in vivo. With the exception of the full-length Jagged1 transfectant, all other cell lines, including the control, generated tumors when injected subcutaneously in athymic mice. Suppression of Notch signaling by the soluble ligands significantly increased tumor onset and growth, whereas full-length Jagged1 completely suppressed tumor development. In addition, there were striking differences in tumor pathology with respect to growth kinetics, vascularization, collagen content, size and number of necrotic foci, and invasiveness into the underlying tissue. Further, the production of angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor, also differed among the tumor types. Lastly, both Jagged1- and Delta1-derived tumors contained phenotypically distinct populations of lipid-filled cells that corresponded with increased expression of adipocyte markers. The divergence of tumor phenotype may be attributed to ligand-specific alterations in Notch receptor responses in exogenous and endogenous cell populations within the allographs. Our findings demonstrate distinct functional properties for these Notch ligands in the promotion of tumorigenicity in vivo.
Status epilepticus secondary to breath‐holding and pallid syncopal spells

The diagnosis of breath-holding and pallid syncopal spells, as opposed to epilepsy, is made by a history documenting that most of the spells are provoked by discomfort, startle, or frustration, and a characteristic sequence of signs (crying, apnea, cyanosis and/or pallor) preceding the loss of consciousness and convulsions. Treatment with antiepileptic drugs is ineffective and inappropiate. The following 2 patients' histories are unique because status epilepticus resulted from typical breath-holding and syncopal spells
MDGA: motif discovery using a genetic algorithm

Computationally identifying transcription factor binding sites in the promoter regions of genes is an important problem in computational biology and has been under intensive research for a decade. To predict the binding site locations efficiently, many algorithms that incorporate either approximate or heuristic techniques have been developed. However, the prediction accuracy is not satisfactory and binding site prediction thus remains a challenging problem. In this paper, we develop an approach that can be used to predict binding site motifs using a genetic algorithm. Based on the generic framework of a genetic algorithm, the approach explores the search space of all possible starting locations of the binding site motifs in different target sequences with a population that undergoes evolution. Individuals in the population compete to participate in the crossovers and mutations occur with a certain probability. Initial experiments demonstrated that our approach could achieve high prediction accuracy in a small amount of computation time. A promising advantage of our approach is the fact that the computation time does not explicitly depend on the length of target sequences and hence may not increase significantly when the target sequences become very long.
Employee Attitudes toward Total Quality Management in an Epa Regional Office

Employee attitudes toward implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) are studied in a regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The author condected more than a dozen inter...
What Should Tourism Sustain? The Disconnect with Industry Perceptions of Useful Indicators

The issue of sustainability and tourism has become a more widely studied topic in the past few years. However, little of this research investigates the relationship between the two concepts—sustainability and sustainable tourism—and how sustainability should be measured. Ambiguities in what is meant by sustainable tourism as reflected in the questions of how to make the industry sustainable, what should tourism sustain, and what is sustainable tourism further complicate social discourse. Progress on achieving sustainability is also limited by the need for shared definitions of means and ends among those involved in tourism development. This study provides a tourism industry perspective on what items could be sustained and what indicators should be used to monitor for sustainability policies. From the results in the state of Montana, the question of how sustainable tourism should move forward remains problematic because of differences between what should be sustained and appropriate indicators.