cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of quantitative genetic variation in multiple dimensions

A fundamental question for both evolutionary biologists and breeders is the extent to which genetic correlations limit the ability of populations to respond to selection. Here I view this topic from three perspectives. First, I propose several nondimensional statistics to quantify the genetic variation present in a suite of traits and to describe the extent to which correlations limit their selection response. A review of five data sets suggests that the total variation differs substantially between populations. In all cases analyzed, however, the “effective number of dimensions” is less than two: more than half of the total genetic variation is explained by a single combination of traits. Second, I consider how patterns of variation affect the average evolutionary response to selection in a random direction. When genetic variation lies in a small number of dimensions but there are a large number of traits under selection, then the average selection response will be reduced substantially from its potential maximum. Third, I discuss how a low genetic correlation between male fitness and female fitness limits the ability of populations to adapt. Data from two recent studies of natural populations suggest this correlation can diminish or even erase any genetic benefit to mate choice. Together these results suggest that adaptation (in natural populations) and genetic improvement (in domesticated populations) may often be as much constrained by patterns of genetic correlation as by the overall amount of genetic variation.
Socially and Individually Optimal Control of Arrivals to a GI/M/1 Queue

We study the problem of controlling the arrivals to a single-server queue with general interarrival-time distribution and exponential service-time distribution a GI/M/1 system. Control is exercised by accepting or rejecting arriving customers or by charging entering customers a toll or entrance fee. An entering customer receives a reward, representing his utility of service. The rewards vary randomly from customer to customer. There is a holding cost, which is a convex function of the number of customers in the system. We compare socially and individually optimal entering policies when the decision horizon is finite, specifically, when the system must close after n future arrivals. There may be a terminal reward or cost, incurred as a function of the number of customers present at the end of the horizon, representing, for example, the holding cost incurred until all of them are served. We show that a socially optimal policy is less likely to accept a customer than an individually optimal policy, and both policies are less likely to accept as the number of customers already present increases, the horizon length increases, or the discount rate decreases. It is shown that, contrary to intuition, the optimal congestion toll cannot be monotonic in the number of customers present. These properties carry over to the infinite horizon, both with and without discounting, except that in the latter case, in which the criterion is long-run average net benefit, the toll can be monotonic. Implications for the study of rush-hour or peak-load phenomena in various congestion systems are briefly discussed.
FEAR IN ACADEMIA : CONCERN OVER UNMERITED ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Abstract Many aspects of sexual harassment in the workplace and in academia have been extensively documented. However, little research has addressed the effects that an increased public awareness of sexual harassment has had on employees of organizations, including college and university instructors. Fifty-six faculty members at a small university were given a questionnaire investigating whether they worried about being unjustly accused of sexually harassing students. Sixty-six percent indicated at least some concern about being accused, with 44% stating that they had changed the manner in which they worked with students because of that concern. Also discussed are gender differences and possible implications for academia.
Facing Faculty Fears about Embracing the Ebook: Communication Strategies for Liaison Librarians

Carol Cramer and Ellen Daugman of Wake Forest University discussed faculty attitudes toward ebooks in the library collection. Cramer and Daugman shared communication strategies based on their experience balancing the print book preferences of some faculty with the budgetary and collection development needs of the library.
The challenge of constructing, classifying and representing metabolic pathways

Scientists, educators, and students benefit from having free and centralized access to the wealth of metabolic information that has been gathered over the decades. Curators of the MetaCyc database work to present this information in an easily understandable pathway-based framework. MetaCyc is used not only as an encyclopedic resource for metabolic information but also as a template for the pathway prediction software that generates pathway/genome databases for thousands of organisms with sequenced genomes (available at www.biocyc.org). Curators need to define pathway boundaries and classify pathways within a broader pathway ontology to maximize the utility of the pathways to both users and the pathway prediction software. These seemingly simple tasks pose several challenges. This review describes these challenges as well as the criteria that need to be considered, and the rules that have been developed by MetaCyc curators as they make decisions regarding the representation and classification of metabolic pathway information in MetaCyc. The functional consequences of these decisions in regard to pathway prediction in new species are also discussed.
Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccinations in a low-income, public health clinic population

Abstract Objective The Public Health Center Vaccine Survey (PHCVS) examines the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccinations in a largely low-income, urban, public health clinic population in Los Angeles County, USA. Design A cross-sectional survey of vulnerable individuals at risk for severe influenza infection was conducted in one of the nation's largest local public health jurisdictions. Subjects A total of 1541 clinic patients were recruited in the waiting rooms of five large public health centers in Los Angeles County from June to August, 2010. Results Among prospective respondents who met eligibility criteria, 92% completed the survey. The majority was black or Latino and most were between the ages of 18 and 44 years. More than half were unemployed; two-thirds had no health insurance; and nearly one-half reported having a high school education or less. About one-fifth reported they had received the H1N1 vaccine during the previous flu season. In comparative analyses, negative beliefs about vaccine safety and efficacy were highly predictive of H1N1 vaccination. Blacks were less likely than non-black respondents to report receiving the H1N1 vaccine (OR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.6–1.0). Blacks were also less likely than other respondents to agree that vaccines can prevent disease (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.3–0.5), that vaccines are safe (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4–0.6), and that they trust doctors/clinicians who recommend vaccines (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4–0.7). Conclusions Study findings provide a useful risk profile of vulnerable groups in Los Angeles County, which may be generalizable to other urban jurisdictions in the United States. They also describe real world situations that can be used to forecast potential challenges that vaccine beliefs may pose to national as well as local influenza pandemic planning and response, especially for communities with limited access to these preventive services.
Dynamic compressive properties of composites at interior ballistic rates of loading—Experimental method

Abstract An experimental method has been developed to investigate the dynamic effects on material behavior in a gun launch environment. A test fixture with a designed crashing mechanism generates a loading condition resulting from gun pressure. Methods of data acquisition and reduction have also been developed using a streak camera and a film digitization technique. The system is calibrated and verified by testing aluminum samples and fairly good results are obtained. Finally, polymer composite laminates with layup constructions of interest are tested. Strain rate effects on the compressive strength are discovered at the interior ballistic rates of loading.
Composting toilets as a sustainable alternative to urban sanitation - A review

In today’s flush based urban sanitation systems, toilets are connected to both the centralized water and wastewater infrastructures. This approach is not a sustainable use of our water and energy resources. In addition, in the U.S., there is a shortfall in funding for maintenance and upgrade of the water and wastewater infrastructures. The goal of this paper was to review the current knowledge on composting toilets since this technology is decentralized, requires no water, creates a value product (fertilizer) and can possibly reduce the burden on the current infrastructure as a sustainable sanitation approach. We found a large variety of composting toilet designs and categorized the different types of toilets as being self contained or central; single or multi chamber; waterless or with water/foam flush, electric or non-electric, and no-mix or combined collection. Factors reported as affecting the composting process and their optimum values were identified as; aeration, moisture content (50–60%), temperature (40–65 C), carbon to nitrogen ratio (25–35), pH (5.5–8.0), and porosity (35–50%). Mass and energy balance models have been created for the composting process. However there is a literature gap in the use of this knowledge in design and operation of composting toilets. To evaluate the stability and safety of compost for use as fertilizer, various methods are available and the temperature–time criterion approach is the most common one used. There are many barriers to the use of composting toilets in urban settings including public acceptance, regulations, and lack of knowledge and experience in composting toilet design and operation and program operation.
Recommendations Forestalled or Forgotten? The National Commission on the Public Service and Presidential Appointments

Nearly two decades after the first Volcker Commission issued its report on the federal public service, the presidential appointment and confirmation process remains long, cumbersome, intensive, and embarrassing. As the evidence presented in this essay suggests, the process may attract people who are motivated more by personal rewards than by the intrinsic value of public service. Although recent administrations have displayed little enthusiasm for reforming the federal appointment process, the best hope for change may reside in future presidents’ desire to assert tight political control over executive departments.
Characterization of Dual Leucine Zipper-bearing Kinase, a Mixed Lineage Kinase Present in Synaptic Terminals Whose Phosphorylation State Is Regulated by Membrane Depolarization via Calcineurin

The biochemistry and regulation of dual leucine zipper bearing kinase (DLK), a member of the mixed lineage kinase or MLK subfamily of protein kinases, was examined in the nervous system. DLK transcript expression in the nervous system was predominantly neuronal. DLK protein was present in synaptic terminals where it was associated with both plasma membrane and cytosol fractions. Within these two fractions, DLK had differing characteristics. Cytosolic DLK existed in both a phosphorylated and dephosphorylated state; DLK associated with plasma membrane existed in the dephosphorylated state only. On nonreducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cytosolic DLK migrated at 130 kDa, while membrane associated DLK migrated with an apparent Mr >/= 260,000. Similarly, DLK transiently expressed in COS 7 cells autophosphorylated in vivo and migrated at approximately 260 kDa when separated by nonreducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In cotransfection experiments, FLAG-tagged DLK or a FLAG-tagged truncated DLK mutant (F-Delta520) was coimmunoprecipitated with Myc-tagged DLK and formed complexes under nonreducing conditions consistent with the conclusion that DLK formed covalently associated homodimers in overexpressing COS 7 cells. In aggregating neuronal-glial cultures, depolarization of plasma membrane lead to dephosphorylation of DLK. Treatment of aggregates with 5 nM or 200 nM okadaic acid lead to a shift in electrophoretic mobility consistent with phosphorylation of DLK. Treatment with cyclosporin A, a specific inhibitor of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase 2B (calcineurin), had no effect on DLK phosphorylation under basal conditions. However, cyclosporin A completely inhibited DLK dephosphorylation upon membrane depolarization.
Mental changes observed in 152 psychotic and non-psychotic patients during INH medication.

SUMMARY One hundred fifty-two patients, suffering from tuberculosis have been observed in regard to mental changes during INH medication of whom 149 had been mentally ill before INH treatment, three developed acute psychosis during INH medication. Of the 149, 17 per cent improved mentally during the treatment course and two of them (1.5 per cent) deteriorated. Three, who had been mentally normal before INH treatment, became so again after discontinuation of the drug, one only after electroshock treatment and another remained in good mental health also after reinstitution of INH. All were observed for a period from two months to two years.
The synthesis of keratinosomes during epidermal wound healing.

Employing suction-induced subepidermal blisters as a model of epidermal wound healing, the formation of keratinosomes in a differentiating epidermis has been studied. Keratinosomes appear at 24 hr after wounding. They are more fully developed at 36 hr, preceding the formation of the horny layer at 48 hr. At that time a horny layer becomes visible and keratinosomes can be seen both intra- and extra-cellularly at the granular horny cell interface.
A Two-Color Input, Two-Color Output Image Intensifier Panel

The design and construction of a two-color input, two-color output image intensifier panel are described. The solidstate panel is so constructed that it can be independently excited by either a visible image or a near-infrared image on the input. The visible input image excites one of the colors in the output image while the infrared input image excites the other color of the output image. The characteristics of the panels are given in terms of input and output light levels, spectral response and gain. Photographs are given which show the output image for visible input only, infrared only, and the two combined.
Revisiting “Information Delivery in the Evolving Electronic Library”: The Information Cycle Network (ICN) Then and Now

In 1992, the “electronic library” was beginning to entice researchers into the sense that the delivery of information resources could be vastly improved by the ongoing technological innovations of full-text formats and the emergence of the Internet. However, the more common experience for delivery of information resources was a frustrating process tied significantly to print resources owned by individual libraries. This paper takes a look back at this discussion and compares the current reality in the delivery of information resources to what was envisioned and hoped for in the “electronic library” in 1992. It argues that great strides have been made in improving easy and effective delivery of information resources in, primarily, electronic form, but the hybrid nature of libraries today still dictate a need for much of the same attention to delivery of print resources as there was in 1992.
Competing Global Representations Fail to Initiate Binocular Rivalry

A longstanding debate in binocular rivalry literature is whether the perceptual competition in rivalry occurs at an early or late stage of visual processing. Central to this debate is the determination of the source of the competition. Overwhelming evidence exists that local interocular differences can lead to binocular rivalry, but it is not yet clear whether interocular conflicts at the global level are sufficient to generate binocular rivalry. The current study adopted a novel stimulus that enabled the introduction of dramatic global differences between the two eyes with compatible local elements. Results show that global differences between the two eyes' images do not result in rivalry if local elements are compatible. The implication of these findings is that the registration of competing interocular information, necessary to generate binocular rivalry, is performed at an early stage of visual processing prior to global analysis of the image.
Signal Coordination Benefits for Pedestrians

The potential benefits of reducing pedestrian delay through signal coordination are examined through field data from 10 intersection approaches. The approaches had cycle lengths ranging from 60 to 90 s, walking lengths from the upstream signals ranging from 87 to 105 m, and varying levels of midblock traffic generation. Significant platooning of pedestrians, due to upstream signals, was found on the approaches. This pedestrian platooning could greatly increase or decrease pedestrian delay at the downstream signals, depending on the signal coordination plan. For low green times, the effect of pedestrian platooning on delay was found to be greater than that generally recognized for the automobile mode. Three techniques are described for determining appropriate signal offsets to benefit pedestrians. The first two techniques use average speed and would benefit pedestrians who have speeds that are equal to or greater than the average speed. The third technique determines the delay to be expected from any offse...
Detection of viable Yersinia pestis by fluorescence in situ hybridization using peptide nucleic acid probes.

Abstract A successful method has been developed for the detection of live Yersinia pestis , the plague bacillus, which incorporates nascent RNA synthesis. A fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assay using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes was developed specifically to differentiate Y. pestis strains from closely related bacteria. PNA probes were chosen to target high copy mRNA of the Y. pestis caf1 gene, encoding the Fraction 1 (F1) antigen, and 16S ribosomal RNA. Among Yersinia strains tested, PNA probes Yp -16S-426 and Yp -F1-55 exhibited binding specificities of 100% and 98%, respectively. Y. pestis grown in the presence of competing bacteria, as might be encountered when recovering Y. pestis from environmental surfaces in a post-release bioterrorism event, was recognized by PNA probes and neither hybridization nor fluorescence was inhibited by competing bacterial strains which exhibited faster growth rates. Using fluorescence microscopy, individual Y. pestis bacteria were clearly differentiated from competing bacteria with an average detection sensitivity of 7.9 × 10 3 cells by fluorescence microscopy. In the current system, this would require an average of 2.56 × 10 5 viable Y. pestis organisms be recovered from a post-release environmental sample in order to achieve the minimum threshold for detection. The PNA-FISH assays described in this study allow for the sensitive and specific detection of viable Y. pestis bacteria in a timely manner.
Coded-sequence self-encoded spread spectrum over Rayleigh fading channel

In recent work we have proposed an novel modulation technique namely coded-sequence self-encoded spread spectrum (CS-SESS) that derives its spreading codes from the random information source rather than using traditional pseudorandom (PN) code generators. It is shown that the memory in CS-SESS modulated signals can deliver a 4.7dB gain in AWGN channels. In this paper, we propose to analyze the performance of CS-SESS under Rayleigh fading channel that employs iterative detection to exploit the inherent time diversity in CS-SESS modulation. We present the theoretical analysis to show its agreement with simulation results. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively mitigate the channel fading effects by utilizing the overall diversity gain beyond the coding gain. Chip interleaving is used to improve the correlation detection performance in fading channel, which in turn can attain significant performance improvement of around 4.7dB gain at BER of around 10−5 when compared to an chip interleaved PN-coded spread spectrum system.
Conduction in multiply connected thermally anisotropic domains

Abstract Employing a piecewise continuous eigenfunction procedure, solutions are obtained for the conduction of heat in multiply connected thermally anisotropic rectangular domains. Since the eigenfunction sets arising from the procedure are complete but nonorthogonal, two auxiliary procedures are employed to establish the appropriate orthogonality properties for the various boundary types. In particular, depending on the boundary conditions treated, the employment of a multiply connected version of either an auxiliary Sturm-Louiville problem or the Gram Schmidt process is utilized. To illustrate the solution procedure as well as the potential importance of material anisotropy, a numerical experiment is included.
Caenorhabditis Vulgaris Sp.N. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae): a Necromenic Associate of Pill Bugs and Snails

Caenorhabditis vulgaris sp.n. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae), a necromenic associate of pill bugs (Armadillidium vulgare and Armadillidium nasatum) and snails (Oxychilus sp.), is described. C. vulgaris is known from two locations, both in the northeastern United States. It is gonochoristic, with males & females equally abundant. Its associations with pill bugs and snails are as dauer juveniles and appear not to be deleterious to the host animal. These associations are not a requisite part of the C. vulgaris life-cycle; cultures of C. vulgaris can be maintained indefinitely if grown on a bacterial lawn. C. vulgaris can be distinguished from other species of Caenorhabditis based on reproductive, molecular and morphological criteria.
Evaluation of data on calorific content values determined during ASTM round robin testing of RDF-3

Abstract The potential application of refuse-derived fuel, in particular RDF-3, as an alternative or supplemental fuel is dependent upon its acceptance as an article of commerce. ASTM Committee E-38 on Resource Recovery, and its Subcommittee on Energy, E-38.01, have been actively engaged in the development of concensus standards for this purpose especially since April 1974; standard procedures for the characterization of RDF-3 are being developed. These procedures are based on those ASTM methods used in coal analysis. The procedures developed will insure a meaningful purchase—sales relationship between the buyer and seller. A variety of chemical and physical test procedures were studied by as many as 12 laboratories. A total of 28 editorial draft standards have been prepared. Of this number, 13 have appeared as accepted methods in the Annual Books of ASTM Standards while the remainder are either under evaluation or under some phase of ASTM balloting. The National Bureau of Standards, in cooperation with ASTM subcommittee E38.01, has undertaken a technical review of a selected group of chemical properties of RDF-3. The property of principal interest is the calorific content and is expressed as the higher heating value. In order to properly characterize this property, critical evaluation of methods to determine total moisture, residual moisture, and ash is also necessary. Intra-laboratory (within-laboratory) and inter-laboratory (between-laboratory) variations in determinations for moisture, ash, and higher heating value are discussed. A comparison of these results with those for round robin data for coal is also made. The result is identification of the levels of precision for intea-laboratory and inter-laboratory agreement.
The random Ising model on cacti lattices

The author studies the random bond Ising model on pseudolattices containing triangles. By using the star-triangle transformation, the problem can be mapped onto a Bethe lattice where the solution to the random bond problem is well known. The solution is examined for the dilute ferromagnet in detail. It is shown that the transition temperature goes to zero at the percolation concentration as one would expect.
Glycinamide Ribonucleotide Transformylase Undergoes pH-dependent Dimerization

Abstract Glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GART) exhibits closely packed dimers in all crystal forms (pH 6.75), but was demonstrated to be monomeric in solution under conditions of optimal catalytic efficiency (pH 7.5). We undertook a study of the pH-dependent behavior of GART in solution to determine whether side-chain ionization is responsible for the observed difference in association state. In the pH range 6.8 to 7.5, dimeric GART reversibly dissociates into a monomeric form as demonstrated by dynamic light scattering. The data give a best fit to a cooperative three-proton transfer mechanism: 2M + 3H + ⇌MH 2 2+ + MH + ⇌DH 3 3+ A comparison of normalized data obtained from difference UV-absorption spectroscopy with the dynamic light scattering data indicates that two or more tyrosine residues per monomer undergo a local conformational change concomitant with dimerization. Fluorescence studies show that the environment of one or both of the tryptophan residues distal to the dimer interface are also perturbed by dimerization. Fitting of the normalized titration curves yields an apparent p K a =7.16(±0.02) and a subnanomolar K D for the transition. Examination of the dimer interface in the crystal structure indicates that there are two histidine residues, H54 and H73, that are likely responsible for the pH-dependent dimerization. There are also two tyrosine residues, Y67 and Y78, which are adjacent to the interface and which may be exposed during dimerization. Our study indicates that under physiological pH conditions, GART exists as a mixture of monomer and dimer in solution. Taken together, the fact that the monomer-dimer transition displays a sharp pH dependence, and the fact that the enzyme activity is maximal under conditions where it is fully monomeric, suggest that enzyme activity may be modulated by subtle pH changes in the cell.
Crystal and magnetic structure of CaCo 1.86 As 2 studied by x-ray and neutron diffraction

Neutron and x-ray diffraction measurements are presented for powders and single crystals of ${\mathrm{CaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. The crystal structure is a collapsed-tetragonal ${\mathrm{ThCr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$-type structure as previously reported, but with 7(1)% vacancies on the Co sites corresponding to the composition ${\mathrm{CaCo}}_{1.86(2)}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. The thermal expansion coefficients for both the $a$ and $c$ axes are positive from 10 to 300 K. Neutron diffraction measurements on single crystals demonstrate the onset of A-type collinear antiferromagnetic order below the N\'eel temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=52$(1) K with the ordered moments directed along the tetragonal $c$ axis, aligned ferromagnetically in the ab plane and antiferromagnetically stacked along the c axis.
Acholeplasma laidlawii membranes: an electron spin resonance study of the influence on molecular order of fatty acid composition and cholesterol.

Abstract The effects on membrane structure of including various fatty acids and cholesterol in the growth medium of Acholeplasma laidlawii were investigated by the use of spin-labeled fatty acids. Although the order-mobility parameters varied significantly at some temperatures with the nature of the fatty acid incorporated, the value measured at the growth temperature was only slightly affected by changes in the fatty acid composition of the membranes. The data confirm previous assertions that despite a high level of incorporation of fatty acids of various chain lengths or degree of unsaturation, A. laidlawii regulates its overall membrane fluidity within close limits at the growth temperature. Incorporation of cholesterol increased the degree of order at all temperatures. The coexistence of two lipid phases, one protein-dependent, could be observed in membranes. The order-mobility parameter of spin probes proved less satisfactory for the observation of a gel to liquid crystal transition of the membrane lipid than the partition parameter of a fatty acid spin probe. Order parameters measured by fatty acid spin probes were somewhat higher than those measured by the analogous 2H nmr probes.
S-Palmitoylation and Ubiquitination Differentially Regulate Interferon-induced Transmembrane Protein 3 (IFITM3)-mediated Resistance to Influenza Virus

The interferon (IFN)-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is a cellular restriction factor that inhibits infection by influenza virus and many other pathogenic viruses. IFITM3 prevents endocytosed virus particles from accessing the host cytoplasm although little is known regarding its regulatory mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that IFITM3 localization to and antiviral remodeling of endolysosomes is differentially regulated by S-palmitoylation and lysine ubiquitination. Although S-palmitoylation enhances IFITM3 membrane affinity and antiviral activity, ubiquitination decreases localization with endolysosomes and decreases antiviral activity. Interestingly, autophagy reportedly induced by IFITM3 expression is also negatively regulated by ubiquitination. However, the canonical ATG5-dependent autophagy pathway is not required for IFITM3 activity, indicating that virus trafficking from endolysosomes to autophagosomes is not a prerequisite for influenza virus restriction. Our characterization of IFITM3 ubiquitination sites also challenges the dual-pass membrane topology predicted for this protein family. We thus evaluated topology by N-linked glycosylation site insertion and protein lipidation mapping in conjunction with cellular fractionation and fluorescence imaging. Based on these studies, we propose that IFITM3 is predominantly an intramembrane protein where both the N and C termini face the cytoplasm. In sum, by characterizing S-palmitoylation and ubiquitination of IFITM3, we have gained a better understanding of the trafficking, activity, and intramembrane topology of this important IFN-induced effector protein.
Using smartphones to collect time–activity data for long-term personal-level air pollution exposure assessment

Because of the spatiotemporal variability of people and air pollutants within cities, it is important to account for a person’s movements over time when estimating personal air pollution exposure. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of using smartphones to collect personal-level time–activity data. Using Skyhook Wireless’s hybrid geolocation module, we developed “Apolux” (Air, Pollution, Exposure), an AndroidTM smartphone application designed to track participants’ location in 5-min intervals for 3 months. From 42 participants, we compared Apolux data with contemporaneous data from two self-reported, 24-h time–activity diaries. About three-fourths of measurements were collected within 5 min of each other (mean=74.14%), and 79% of participants reporting constantly powered-on smartphones (n=38) had a daily average data collection frequency of <10 min. Apolux’s degree of temporal resolution varied across manufacturers, mobile networks, and the time of day that data collection occurred. The discrepancy between diary points and corresponding Apolux data was 342.3 m (Euclidian distance) and varied across mobile networks. This study’s high compliance and feasibility for data collection demonstrates the potential for integrating smartphone-based time–activity data into long-term and large-scale air pollution exposure studies.
Energy-Recording Microdensitometer

An inverse densitometric circuit is described which employs the technique of voltage-transfer curve translation to provide a direct linear measure to photographic-energy profiles. An antilog D scale (reciprocal-transmittance scale) linear to ±0.05 antilog D units over a basic antilog D range of 12 is obtained. Neutral-density filters are used to compound the basic sensitivity increment and obtain a total light-level range in excess of 1 to 103. An optical system is described which provides an instrument resolving power of 500 lines/mm.
Heterocoagulation. VI. Interactions of a monodispersed hydrous aluminum oxide sol with polystyrene latex

Abstract The stability of binary dispersions consisting of an aluminum hydrous oxide sol and an anionic polystyrene (PS) latex or of the same anionic PS latex in a mixture with a cationic polystyrene latex was studied at constant ionic strength as a function of pH, and of the ratio of the particle number concentration. The aluminum hydrous oxide sol contained spherical particles of narrow size distribution (modal diameter 0.57 μm), whereas the anionic and cationic latex particles had modal diameters of 0.38 and 0.42 μm, respectively. The rate of coagulation was followed by the low-angle laser scattering. The experimental stability constants were compared with the theoretical values calculated using the Hogg, Healy, and Fuerstenau model as well as the recently derived expression, based on the two-dimensional Poisson-Boltzmann equation. In the range of slow coagulation the latter model gave a better agreement with the experimental data.
Purification of preparative quantities of group B Streptococcus type III oligosaccharides

Many bacterial capsular polysaccharides are regularly repeating units of oligosaccharides. Bacterial oligosaccharides have been used in neoglycoconjugate vaccines and as reagents in the study of specific antibody binding. Unfortunately, separation methods have not been adequate for the purification of preparative quantities of bacterial oligosaccharides. Here we describe a size-exclusion procedure that resulted in the resolution of group B Streptococcus type III oligosaccharides composed of 4-25 sugars.
Properties of platinum films by liquid-source MOCVD in H 2 and O 2

A preliminary evaluation of Pt films, deposited at rates of 0.4-7 nm/min by a potentially manufacturable liquid-source MOCVD technique, was carried out with respect to microstructure, step coverage, and electrical properties. The Pt films (12-140 nm) were deposited on various substrates (thermal-SiO 2 /Si, native-oxide/Si, TiN/SiO 2 /Si) via the pyrolysis of trimethyl methyl cyclopentadienyl platinum [(CH 3 ) 3 CH 3 CpPt]. The substrate temperature regimes through which Pt deposition occurred, were 175-250°C and 300-450°C in H 2 and O 2 ambient, respectively. The growth mechanisms of the Pt films, deposited under H 2 and O 2 ambient, were inferred from the observed growth rate, texture evolution, grain size, and estimated nucleation density. Additionally, the step-coverage of Pt deposited on TiN at T sub of 375°C in O 2 was 80%. Moreover, the resistivity of a 30 nm Pt film was 22.8 w z -cm.
Discovering the variables that influence new home‐buyer service satisfaction

While home builders traditionally think of customer service in terms of upgrades and mortgage options, home buyers are thought to view the quality of service on a much broader basis. Previous research has identified five dimensions of service quality: appearance, reliability, timeliness, knowledge, and empathy. Home-buyer satisfaction with service quality is then the result of home builders providing services that are perceived as meeting or exceeding buyer expectations. Although much research has been done regarding home-buyer satisfaction with service quality, there is still a gap between builders' and home buyers' perception of the quality of service. Builders need to identify and understand home-buyer needs in order to constantly improve service quality. This paper describes an exploratory study that focused on customer satisfaction with service quality. The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between various factors on home-buyer expectations and their perceptions of service quality. Demographics considered in this study included age, gender and household income, while transaction characteristics included purchase price, number of occupants and house size. Characteristics such as higher income, higher purchase price, and larger house size appeared to value dimensions such as reliability most highly. Characteristics such as lower income, lower purchase price and smaller house size appeared to value dimensions such as empathy and appearance most highly. Gender, age and household size did not have significant associations with expectations or relative importance, but age and household size were associated with actual perceptions of service dimensions. Understanding the influence of these variables on customer satisfaction with service quality can positively impact home builders through improved reputation and increased local referrals.
A universal query mechanism for similarity retrieval based on shape information in image databases

A universal query mechanism (UQM) for shape-based similarity retrieval in image/video database is proposed. In UQM, we investigate statistically common and salient features among multi-instance query samples to reflect user's definition on shape similarity. For two-dimensional binary shape images, Zernike moments (ZMs) adopted by MPEG-7 are computed as the normal shape descriptors. To get un-biased description by the ZMs, we proposed to locate the minimum bounding circle (MBC) for shape content, which accommodates major shape information in images inside while excludes erroneous noises outside. A fast algorithm to locate the MBC for shapes in image has been developed. The best functionality of the proposed UQM is that, excluding simplicity, new feature sets could be plugged directly into system to improve, while free of degradation in the retrieval performance. Simulations demonstrate that, the UQM-retrieved candidates from thirty thousand images in database really match subjective definitions on shape similarity as the complicated boosting query can do.
An Empirical Assessment of Realized A-Risk when Testing Hypotheses'

The effect on the realized a-risk of a pilot sample variance to estimate o2 in the sample size formula for testing a population mean is examined. Two types of populations-normal and positively skewed, two values for nominal a-risk-.05 and .10, and two pilot sample sizes-10 and 20, were considered. For the underlying normal population, the distribution of realized a-risk did not seem to follow a readily discernable probability model. Nonetheless, the mean of the distribution appeared to be extremely close to the value of the specified a-risk, independent of the pilot sample size, indicating that a^ is an unbiased estimator of a in repeated sampling. On the other hand, the variability in the distribution was not nearly as tight as might be expected. This clearly suggests that using the pilot sample variance to estimate o2 on a one-time basis rather than repeated sampling may produce an extreme value for the realized a-risk which is much larger than specified. For the positively skewed finite population, the...
Microscopy of living epithelial cells upon the intact ocular lens in culture.

Abstract Epithelial cells on cultured lenses have been observed in the living state, for the first time, by both phase contrast and interference-contrast microscopy. Our observations show that within 48 h after explantation the cells undergo a transformation in shape from polygons to spindles. By 72–87 h post-isolation the spindle shaped cells round up to varying degrees and many of them undergo mitosis.
Ethical conflict resolution based on an ethics of relationships for brain injury rehabilitation

An ethics of relationships for brain injury (BI) rehabilitation is described based on three principles: (1) human relationships are important; (2) human relationships are as important as individual survival; (3) human relationships are important enough to extend throughout the family of humankind. Within the context of this ethics of relationships, ethical conflict resolution (ECR) is offered as a process to address disagreements among those involved in BI rehabilitation. ECR provides a means to arrive at moral decisions in situations in which people disagree about the appropriate course of action because of differing values. ECR recognizes that, although disagreements in BI rehabilitation settings can be associated with multiple other factors, including disturbed self-awareness, emotions, communication, and interpersonal dynamics, such disagreements may also be value-based, either in whole or part. ECR invites the professional team to identify the value-based portion of these disagreements and provides a...
Intelligent Fuzzy Control for Biogas in Hydrophobic Polymer System

In this paper, intelligent Fuzzy control system has been applied for biogas processes in a hydrophobic permeable polymer that is proposed to be used in landfills as a medium for biogas collection. Once having experimental information about biogas transport in the polymer within different variables, the information could be modeled by fuzzy system. When fuzzy controller is built with its fuzzy rules and operators, then the work is saved with its specifications in the Matlab workspace. The fuzzy controller is then available to be used in the fuzzy controller block in a Simulink diagram and then using it in a simulation for control. Fuzzy logic controls collection processes by adapting valve for required gas outflow with time at the collection ports.
A stochastic optimality theory of preparedness and plasticity

Many now consider “instinct” and “learning” opposite poles of a unidimensional continuum. An alternative model with two independently varying parameters predicts different selective pressures. Behavioral adaptation matches the organism's utilizations of stimuli and responses to their ecological validities: the mean validity over evolutionary time specifies the optimal initial potency of the prepared association; the variance specifies the optimal prepared plasticity.
Abstract B21: Factors associated with mammography use among foreign-born women and changes over time

Background: Disparities in mammography screening remain a problem for immigrant women, while the foreign-born population has been increasing for decades in the United States. Recent studies indicate that factors associated with mammography use may have changed. Little research has been done to analyze the changing patterns of factors associated with mammography use among immigrant women. Purpose: To address these knowledge gaps, this study (1) compares age-adjusted mammography rates among immigrants by certain characteristics in 2000 and 2008; and (2) examines the factors associated with recent mammography use among immigrant women at these two time points. Methods: National Health Interview Survey 2000 and 2008 data were used to calculate population-based descriptive statistics adjusted for survey design. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with recent mammography use among immigrant women. Results: The mammography rates rose from 60.18% in 2000 to 65.47% in 2008 among foreign-born women. Immigrants having poor access to health care, those who recently immigrated, younger immigrants, and those with low education had the lowest mammography rates at both time points. After adjusting for covariates, lack of access to health care persistently contributes to the lower percentage of mammography screening among immigrants. Longer residency in the U.S. was associated with a higher chance of receiving mammography among immigrants in 2000 but not in 2008. In contrast, age 50–64 compared to age 65 or older was associated with a higher chance of receiving mammography among immigrants in 2008 but not in 2000. Conclusion: Mammography rates have improved over time among immigrant women and some disparities are decreasing, however, lack of health care access remains an important barrier to breast cancer screening for this population. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):B21.
Orientational anisotropy induced by the interaction of a laser with a permanent electric dipole : an FMD simulation

Abstract Field applied molecular dynamics (FMD) computer simulation is used to show the presence of a novel orientational anisotropy generated by the first order interaction of a permanent molecular electric dipole moment with the electric field of a circularly polarised laser at visible (terahertz) frequencies. The anisotropy appears in orientational second order rise transients and laser-applied time correlation function components, despite the fact that the laser frequency is far higher than the characteristic reorientational frequencies of the molecule and despite the fact that Langevin-Kielich functions for this process cannot be defined.
Low-Energy Theorem for γ → 3 π

A low-energy theorem relating $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3\ensuremath{\pi}$ to ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is derived by using anomalous Ward identities and by using Schwinger's proper-time technique. We discuss the theoretical significance of this low-energy theorem. In particular, the theorem is meaningful only if the partially conserved axial-vector current anomaly is in fact responsible for the decay ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2\ensuremath{\gamma}$.
Reduced-rate block truncation coding of images using error diffusion

We consider a simple modification to classical block truncation coding (BTC) that may permit the use of larger block sizes for some applications. although BTC is favored for its simple encoding and decoding, its disadvantage is the relatively low compression ratio achieved. Bit rates on the order of 1 bit/pixel require large block sizes, which generally produce unacceptable degradation. However, these undesirable effects can be reduced considerably by incorporating error diffusion, which is a technique used in halftoning, into the BTC encoding stage. >
High-capacity assay to quantify the clonal heterogeneity in potency of mesenchymal stem cells.

Background The regenerative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is contingent on their content of multipotent progenitors [1]. Despite its importance to the efficacy of MSC therapies, the clonal heterogeneity of MSCs remains poorly defined. To address this deficiency, the current study presents a novel high-capacity assay to quantify the clonal heterogeneity in MSC potency and demonstrates its utility to resolve regenerative properties as a function of potency. Human bone marrow was the source of MSCs in this study. The versatility and accessibility of marrow-derived MSCs make them a standard for many therapeutic applications.
School Desegregation in Racially Stratified Communities—A Problem of Congruence:

This article is a comment on the rest of the issue. The papers in this volume were originally Symposium Papers presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, November 30, 1977. They all have to do with the topic, Informal Social Organization in Desegregated Schools: Patterns and Processes of Adaptation and Realignment.