cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of analytical methods for the determination of silica in geothermal waters

Abstract The silica concentration of 26 Guatemalan geothermal waters were analyzed colorimetrically (spectrophotometrically) and by atomic absorption. Results by the atomic absorption method were less affected by polymerization and precipitation of silica from supersaturated solutions. Shaking the samples prior to analysis improves the accuracy of the atomic absorption results. The advantages of colorimetric analysis over atomic absorption are better sensitivity and precision. However, for accurate colorimetric results, geothermal samples must be sufficiently diluted in the field, which ensures that no further polymerization occurs and that amorphous silica that may be present will redissolve. If the samples are not diluted in the field they should be diluted in the laboratory and left standing for at least a month to allow the silica to redissolve. If analyzed immediately the diluted samples should be made alkaline and heated overnight in a 90° oven.
The criterion of fracture

Dupre's theory that work of rupture equals increase in surface energy, and Griffith's hypothesis (based upon Dupre's that a crack propagates when strain energy decrease equals or exceeds work required to creat two new surfaces are shown to be incorrect. Work is required for deformation to repture, not for the actual rupture. An alternative criterion, i. e., that crack propagation occurs when strain energy decrease exceeds the increase required for elastic deformation of the “critical domain” to the breaking point, offers the following advantages: (1) continuity between macro- and micro-effects, (2) avoidance of surface energy (unmeasurable for solids), (3) accounting for heat effect, (4) reasonable explanation of unexpectedly high “surface energy” values.
Modeling of Hysteresis and Backlash for a Smart Fin with a Piezoelectric Actuator

This work presents a dynamic model of a smart fin that is activated by a piezoelectric bimorph actuator, which is made by bonding two MFCs. The actuator is completely enclosed within the fin. Earlier research has indicated that the use of a linear model for the fin dynamics does not fully describe the fin. This work presents a more realistic approach to this problem by incorporating additional components into the model. Therefore, a proportional damping matrix is introduced. It is also observed that experimental results exhibit hysteresis and backlash. A Bouc-Wen hysteresis model, combined with four backlash operators, is proposed. These backlash operators are used to model the observed saturation and the non-symmetry of the response. HFSGA is used to identify the optimal set of parameters for the damping matrix constants, the Bouc-Wen model, and the backlash operators. One input case is considered for training the genetic algorithm. The results show that proposed model can predict the hysteresis of the s...
Methylthioadenosine nucleosidase in normal and dystrophic human muscle

Human skeletal muscle homogenate was found to contain a nucleosidase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of 5'-methylthioadenosine, a known inhibitor of many methyl transfer reactions. When the levels of methylthioadenosine nucleosidase in muscle of patients were compared with those of controls, no significant alterations in its activity were noted in patients with various forms of muscular dystrophies, polymyositis and certain denervating diseases.
δ-Catenin Is Required for the Maintenance of Neural Structure and Function in Mature Cortex In Vivo

Delta-catenin is a brain-specific member of the adherens junction complex that localizes to the postsynaptic and dendritic compartments. This protein is likely critical for normal cognitive function; its hemizygous loss is linked to the severe mental retardation syndrome Cri-du-Chat and it directly interacts with presenilin-1 (PS1), the protein most frequently mutated in familial Alzheimer's disease. Here we examine dendritic structure and cortical function in vivo in mice lacking delta-catenin. We find that in cerebral cortex of 5-week-old mice, dendritic complexity, spine density, and cortical responsiveness are similar between mutant and littermate controls; thereafter, mutant mice experience progressive dendritic retraction, a reduction in spine density and stability, and concomitant reductions in cortical responsiveness. Our results indicate that delta-catenin regulates the maintenance of dendrites and dendritic spines in mature cortex but does not appear to be necessary for the initial establishment of these structures during development.
Selection of Mutant Cell Lines Resistant to Infection by Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae

The lytic outcome of natural infection by Chlamydia trachomatis was exploited to select CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells, following chemical mutagenesis, that were deficient in their ability to sustain productive chlamydial infection. Four distinct mutant cell phenotypes with defects in either attachment or postattachment mechanisms that are required for infection by C. trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae were characterized.
Sulfur removal from coal through multiphase media containing biocatalysts

A novel bioprocess using micelle biocatalysts was developed to minimize several disadvantages of conventional microbial coal desulfurization processes. The multiphase biocatalysis process consists of an organic medium (mineral oil or a mixture with n-heptane), a surfactant and an aqueous phase containing Thiobacillus ferrooxidans organisms or their cell-free enzyme extracts. Water-in-oil emulsion and reverse micelle processes have been successful for removing sulfur from bituminous coal. The preliminary results indicated that, in the case of water-in-oil emulsion, the process that used the cell-free enzyme extracts of T. ferrooxidans showed higher sulfur reduction than that containing whole cells, and reverse micells were more effective than water-in-oil emulsion. With a high concentration of bacteria, more than 50% total sulfur removal was achieved through the reverse micelle system. These results indicate that multiphase biocatalysis may have a significant potential for developing biotechnical coal desulfurization processes.
Opportunistic spectrum sharing with multiple cochannel primary transmitters

We present a distributed, collaborative algorithm to enable opportunistic spectrum access for cognitive radios in the presence of multiple cochannel transmitters. A spectrum hole detection and estimation technique based on received signal strength observations is developed, which allows the coexistence of both licensed and unlicensed transmitters. We address the issues of how to perform collaborative spectrum sensing in the presence of multiple cochannel transmitters and how to determine the maximum transmit power that can be used for a given frequency channel by a cognitive radio while avoiding harmful interference to the licensed network. Simulation results are provided to validate the feasibility and performance of the proposed scheme.
Assessing bias associated with geocoding of historical residence in epidemiology research

The use of geocoded historical residence as proxy for retrospective assessment of exposure in early life is increasing in epidemiological studies of chronic health outcomes. Dealing with historical residence poses challenges, primarily due to higher uncertainties associated with data collection and processing. A possible source of bias is connected with the exclusion of subjects, who cannot, for various reasons, be geocoded. We evaluated the potential bias that may arise due to incomplete geocoding, using birth residence data collected as part of a population-based case-control study of breast cancer in western New York state. We found that geocoded and non-geocoded populations did not differ in the distribution of most risk factors compared, and that the geocoding status did not modify the spatial patterns of the study populations. However, the results emphasize the need for epidemiological studies to consider the potential biases that may be introduced by geocoding of historical residence when investigating retrospectively chronic disease and early-life exposure.
Analog vector modulation-based widely tunable frequency photonic beamformer for phased-array antennas

A compact free-space/solid optics photonic controller for phased-array antennas/transducers is introduced which uses the principle of in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) vector modulation via two-dimensional (2-D) spatial light modulators (SLMs). The SLMs are used as distributed optical-gain control devices to implement the vector modulation operation required to generate the desired RF signals with the correct phase and amplitude values.
Long-term quantitative benefits of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis.

background. Although axillary hyperhidrosis is readily treated with botulinum toxin, the time course of benefits is not well established. objective. To quantify the long-term effectiveness of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. methods. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eighteen patients received intradermal injections of either 100 U BTX-A (50 U/ml/axilla) or placebo. Sweating per surface area was quantified monthly for 5 months. results. The BTX-A group had an average reduction in sweat production of 91.6% at 2 weeks (from 5.03 ml/min/m2 to 0.42 ml/min/m2, P < .05). The average reduction over 5 months was 88.2%. At the end of the study, only 1 of 12 BTX-A-treated patients had returned to baseline sweat production. conclusion. These quantitative results demonstrate that BTX-A is a safe and effective treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis and that the benefits last for at least 5 months.
Chromodomains direct integration of retrotransposons to heterochromatin

The enrichment of mobile genetic elements in heterochromatin may be due, in part, to targeted integration. The chromoviruses are Ty3/gypsy retrotransposons with chromodomains at their integrase C termini. Chromodomains are logical determinants for targeting to heterochromatin, because the chromodomain of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) typically recognizes histone H3 K9 methylation, an epigenetic mark characteristic of heterochromatin. We describe three groups of chromoviruses based on amino acid sequence relationships of their integrase C termini. Genome sequence analysis indicates that representative chromoviruses from each group are enriched in gene-poor regions of the genome relative to other retrotransposons, and when fused to fluorescent marker proteins, the chromodomains target proteins to specific subnuclear foci coincident with heterochromatin. The chromodomain of the fungal element, MAGGY, interacts with histone H3 dimethyl- and trimethyl-K9, and when the MAGGY chromodomain is fused to integrase of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Tf1 retrotransposon, new Tf1 insertions are directed to sites of H3 K9 methylation. Repetitive sequences such as transposable elements trigger the RNAi pathway resulting in their epigenetic modification. Our results suggest a dynamic interplay between retrotransposons and heterochromatin, wherein mobile elements recognize heterochromatin at the time of integration and then perpetuate the heterochromatic mark by triggering epigenetic modification.
Understanding Power Measurement Implications in the Green500 List

For decades, performance has been the driving force behind high-performance computing (HPC). However, in recent years, power consumption has become an important constraint as operational costs of a supercomputer are now on par with the acquisition costs of a supercomputer. Even though we face major energy issues in achieving large-scale performance, there is still a lack of a standardized power measurement methodology in the HPC community for energy-efficient supercomputing. In this paper, we report on our experiences in updating the run rules for The Green500 List with a particular emphasis on the power measurement methodology. We use high-performance LINPACK (HPL) to study power measurement techniques that can be applied for large-scale HPC systems. We formulate experiments to provide insight into the power measurement issues in large-scale systems with the goal of improving the readers' understanding of the measurement methodology for the Green500 list.
Magnetoencephalography reveals early activation of V4 in grapheme-color synesthesia.

Abstract Grapheme-color synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which letters and numbers (graphemes) consistently evoke particular colors (e.g. A may be experienced as red). The cross-activation theory proposes that synesthesia arises as a result of cross-activation between posterior temporal grapheme areas (PTGA) and color processing area V4, while the disinhibited feedback theory proposes that synesthesia arises from disinhibition of pre-existing feedback connections. Here we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to test whether V4 and PTGA activate nearly simultaneously, as predicted by the cross-activation theory, or whether V4 activation occurs only after the initial stages of grapheme processing, as predicted by the disinhibited feedback theory. Using our high-resolution MEG source imaging technique (VESTAL), PTGA and V4 regions of interest (ROIs) were separately defined, and activity in response to the presentation of achromatic graphemes was measured. Activation levels in PTGA did not significantly differ between synesthetes and controls (suggesting similar grapheme processing mechanisms), whereas activation in V4 was significantly greater in synesthetes. In synesthetes, PTGA activation exceeded baseline levels beginning 105–109 ms, and V4 activation did so 5 ms later, suggesting nearly simultaneous activation of these areas. Results are discussed in the context of an updated version of the cross-activation model, the cascaded cross-tuning model of grapheme-color synesthesia.
Synthetic Facial Implants

This article presents a range of synthetic implant materials for use in facial plastic surgery. The authors discuss alternatives to autogenous tissue transfer in terms of biocompatibility, technique, complications, controversies, and cautions. The reader is presented information about a range of synthetic implant materials such as silicone, polyester fiber, polyamide mesh, metal, polyethylene, polyacrylamide gel, hydroxyapatite, polylactic acid, collagen, and others.
The impact of polyunsaturated fatty acid-based dietary supplements on disease biomarkers in a metabolic syndrome/diabetes population

Ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been proposed to influence several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease (CHD) and type-2 diabetes (T2D). There is strong evidence that omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs provide protection against CHD and biomarkers of atherosclerosis. In contrast, there is more limited and inconsistent data for T2D. Few studies have examined the impact of n-3 PUFA-containing botanical oils on T2D. Fifty-nine subjects with early-stageT2D or metabolic syndrome participated in an 8-week, randomized, single-blind, parallel intervention study and were provided PUFA-containing oils. Individuals received either corn oil (CO), a botanical oil (BO) combination (borage [Borago officinalis L.]/echium oil [Echium plantagineum L.]) or fish oil (FO). The BO combination was enriched in alpha-linolenic, gamma-linolenic, and stearidonic acids and the FO in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Serum fatty acids and other serum lipids(triglycerides and total, HDL and LDL cholesterol), as well as markers of inflammation (leptin, and C-reactive protein) and glucose regulation (glucose and hemoglobin A1c) were assessed from fasting participants at baseline and after the intervention. Compliance was verified by expected increases in specific PUFAs in each of the three oil arms. Participants in the CO group showed no differences in serum lipids, markers of inflammation or glucose regulation between pre- and post-treatment measures. Supplementation with BO significantly lowered total and LDL cholesterol levels and FO reduced serum triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c and increased HDL-cholesterol. Short-term dietary supplementation with BO and FO improved biomarkers associated with T2D/metabolic syndrome. Clinicaltrial.gov NCT01145066
Structure-permeability relationships in silicone polymers

Permeability coefficients P for He, O2, N2, CO2 CH4, C2H4, C2H6, and C3H8 in 12 different silicone polymer membranes were determined at 35.0°C and pressures up to 9 atm. Values of P for CO2, CH4, and C3H8 were also determined at 10.0 and 55.0°C. In addition, mean diffusion coefficients D and solubility coefficients S were obtained for CO2, CH4, and C3H8 in 6 silicone polymers at 10.0, 35.0, and 55.0°C. Substitution of increasingly bulkier functional groups in the side and backbone chains of silicone polymers results in a significant decrease in P for a given penetrant gas. This is due mainly to a decrease in D, whereas S decreases to a much lesser extent. Backbone substitutions appear to have a somewhat lesser effect in depressing P than equivalent side-chain substitutions. The selectivity of a silicone membrane for a gas A relative to a gas B, i.e., the permeability ratio P(A)/P(B), may increase or decrease as a result of such substitutions, but only if the substituted groups are sufficiently bulky. The selectivity of the more highly permeable silicone membranes is controlled by the ratio S(A)/S(B), whereas the selectivity of the less permeable membranes depends on both the ratios D(A)/D(B) and S(A)/S(B). The permeability as well as the selectivity of one silicone membrane toward CO2 were significantly enhanced by the substitution of a fluorine-containing side group that increased the solubility of CO2 in that polymer.
Computational prediction and experimental validation associating FABP-1 and pancreatic adenocarcinoma with diabetes.

Pancreatic cancer, composed principally of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PaC), is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. PaC-associated diabetes may be a marker of early disease. We sought to identify molecules associated with PaC and PaC with diabetes (PaC-DM) using a novel translational bioinformatics approach. We identified fatty acid binding protein-1 (FABP-1) as one of several candidates. The primary aim of this pilot study was to experimentally validate the predicted association between FABP-1 with PaC and PaC with diabetes. We searched public microarray measurements for genes that were specifically highly expressed in PaC. We then filtered for proteins with known involvement in diabetes. Validation of FABP-1 was performed via antibody immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded pancreatic tissue microarrays (FFPE TMA). FFPE TMA were constructed using148 cores of pancreatic tissue from 134 patients collected between 1995 and 2002 from patients who underwent pancreatic surgery. Primary analysis was performed on 21 normal and 60 pancreatic adenocarcinoma samples, stratified for diabetes. Clinical data on samples was obtained via retrospective chart review. Serial sections were cut per standard protocol. Antibody staining was graded by an experienced pathologist on a scale of 0-3. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess FABP-1 staining and clinical characteristics. Normal samples were significantly more likely to come from younger patients. PaC samples were significantly more likely to stain for FABP-1, when FABP-1 staining was considered a binary variable. Compared to normals, there was significantly increased staining in diabetic PaC samples (p = 0.004) and there was a trend towards increased staining in the non-diabetic PaC group (p = 0.07). In logistic regression modeling, FABP-1 staining was significantly associated with diagnosis of PaC (OR 8.6 95% CI 1.1-68, p = 0.04), though age was a confounder. Compared to normal controls, there was a significant positive association between FABP-1 staining and PaC on FFPE-TMA, strengthened by the presence of diabetes. Further studies with closely phenotyped patient samples are required to understand the true relationship between FABP-1, PaC and PaC-associated diabetes. A translational bioinformatics approach has potential to identify novel disease associations and potential biomarkers in gastroenterology.
Development of an isothermal lubricating layer model for injection pultrusion of electronic prepregs

The current process for manufacturing electronic prepregs uses solvent-based resin systems. Solvents are environmentally unfriendly and contribute to voids in the pre-preg, which are a source of product variability. Prepreg inconsistencies are one of the major sources of scrap on the board shops. To overcome these drawbacks, a solvent-less process is currently being developed in our laboratory. The process is based on the concept of injection pultrusion or continuous resin transfer molding (RTM). The centerpiece of the process is an impregnation die. Glass fabric and resin are fed into the die where fiber impregnation and partial resin cure occurs depending on the material chemo-rheology. The B-staging is finished in an oven located immediately after the die. A key to the success of the process is being able to predict the pulling force. Fabrics used in electronic prepreg manufacturing are relatively fragile; they could be damaged if the pulling force is too high. A model to predict the pulling force, based on the formation of a continuous lubricating layer between the die surface and the moving fabric, has been developed and experimentally tested using model fluids.
Development of a method to produce freeze-dried cubes from 3 Pacific salmon species.

: Freeze-dried boneless skinless cubes of pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and chum (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon were prepared and physical properties evaluated. To minimize freeze-drying time, the kinetics of dehydration and processing yields were investigated. The physical characteristics of the final product including bulk density, shrinkage, hardness, color, and rehydration kinetics were determined. Results showed that freeze-dried salmon cubes from each of the 3 Pacific salmon species can be produced with a moisture content of less that 10% and aw less 0.4 and freeze-drying time of 9 h. Processing yields ranged from 26% to 28.4%, depending on fish species. Shrinkage was less than 12% and rehydration of freeze-dried cubes was rapid. The value-added products developed have the potential to be utilized as ingredients for ready-to-eat soups, as snack food, salad topping, and baby finger-food. Practical Application: Freeze-drying removes water from food products without heating them; therefore, this type of drying process yields very high-quality dried foods. In this study, a freeze-dry process was established to produce small cubes of Alaska pink, sockeye, and chum salmon. The goals were to shorten typical freeze-drying time while producing acceptable product characteristics. The freeze-drying process developed took only 9 h to remove about 97% of the moisture of diced Pacific salmon fillets. The freeze-dried salmon cubes produced can be used as ingredients for dehydrated ready-to-eat soups, as baby finger-foods, or as salad toppings.
Dynamic P-Technique for Modeling Patterns of Data: Applications to Pediatric Psychology Research

Objective Dynamic p-technique (DPT) is a potentially useful statistical method for examining relationships among dynamic constructs in a single individual or small group of individuals over time. The purpose of this article is to offer a nontechnical introduction to DPT. Method An overview of DPT analysis, with an emphasis on potential applications to pediatric psychology research, is provided. To illustrate how DPT might be applied, an example using simulated data is presented for daily pain and negative mood ratings. Results The simulated example demonstrates the application of DPT to a relevant pediatric psychology research area. In addition, the potential application of DPT to the longitudinal study of adherence is presented. Conclusion Although it has not been utilized frequently within pediatric psychology, DPT could be particularly well-suited for research in this field because of its ability to powerfully model repeated observations from very small samples.
Comments on "Adaptive reduced-rank interference suppression based on the multistage Wiener filter"

For original article by M. L. Honig and J. S. Goldstein see ibid., vol.50, no.6, p.986-94, June 2002.
Effects of dopamine antagonists on alfentanil-induced locomotor activity in horses.

Abstract Objective To determine whether specific dopamine receptor antagonists block alfentanil–induced locomotor stimulation in horses. Study design Randomized, prospective, crossover experiment. Animals Eight adult horses (462–604 kg). Methods Doses of dopamine–1 (D1) (NNC 01–0756) and dopamine–2 (D2) antagonists (eticlopride) were selected in a pilot study prior to a three part, blinded, cross–over study. In part 1, horses received 7.5 μg kg −1 eticlopride, 5 μg kg −1 NNC 01–0756 or an equal volume of saline. In part 2, they received both antagonists and in part 3, acepromazine at 0.05 mg kg −1 . Locomotor activity was assessed by counting the steps taken by a marked forefoot per 2 minutes. The D antagonist was injected IV after a 20–minute control period. The horses were observed for 10 minutes before alfentanil (20 μg kg −1 ) was injected IV. Locomotor activity was then monitored for 60 minutes. Statistical analysis was performed on step counts following alfentanil normalised by subtracting the mean control step count from each value recorded after alfentanil. Data were analysed using Friedman tests and Tukey–Kramer comparisons. Results Alfentanil increased locomotor activity for 10 minutes. NNC 01–0756 tended to reduce locomotor activity between 0 and 10 minutes ( p = 0.261), but neither D antagonist suppressed it significantly. The combination of D antagonists induced more step counts than saline or acepromazine ( p = 0.0265) in the 20–40–minute period and more than saline, acepromazine or eticlopride between 40 and 60 minutes ( p = 0.0003). Conclusions Neither D1 nor D2 antagonists inhibited alfentanil–induced locomotor activity. Both drugs appeared to cause locomotor stimulation of their own. Clinical relevance D1 and D2 antagonism did not reduce opioid–induced excitement in horses and is not suitable for reducing the incidence of this unwanted side–effect of opioids.
Prediction of response speed by anticipatory high‐frequency (gamma band) oscillations in the human brain

Response to a stimulus is faster when a subject is attending and knows beforehand how to respond. It has been suggested recently that this occurs because ongoing neuronal activity is spatially and temporally structured during states of expectancy preceding a stimulus. This mechanism is believed to mediate top-down processing, facilitating the early grouping and selection of distributed neuronal ensembles implicated in ensuing sensory-motor processing. To validate this model, it must be shown that some features of this early ongoing neural activity are correlated with subsequent perceptual decisions or behavioral events. We investigated this hypothesis in an electrophysiologic study in 12 subjects carrying out a simple visuomotor reaction-time task. Local field potentials (LFP) at each brain voxel were estimated using a linear distributed inverse solution termed "ELECTRA" for each single trial of each subject. The energy of oscillations for different frequency bands was computed for the period between the warning cue and visual stimuli by applying a time-frequency decomposition to the estimated LFP. A nonparametric correlation coefficient was then calculated between energy of oscillations and reaction times for each single sweep. Gamma band oscillatory activity in a frontoparietal network before stimulus onset significantly correlated with reaction time for a significant amount of subjects. These results provide direct evidence for the role of neural oscillations as a top-down attentional control mechanism that mediates the speed of motor actions.
Myocardial function in sepsis and endotoxin shock

Myocardial function in sepsis and endotoxin shock is reviewed. Clinical, whole animal, and isolated tissue studies are compared to answer the question whether sepsis and/or endotoxin directly damage the myocardium. Myocardial performance is considered relative to control of preload, afterload, and heart rate. Despite the fact that these vary widely in different studies, there is overwhelming evidence that myocardial performance is depressed in both sepsis and endotoxin shock. The depression is dose related, occurs early after large doses of endotoxin but may follow a hyperdynamic phase in sepsis or after low doses of endotoxin. Endotoxin itself does not appear to be the depressant factor; the final depressant substance(s) is unknown. Calcium transport by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is depressed. This defect is more prominent in the endocardium than in the epicardium. Myocardial adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) and norepinephrine stores may be depleted. The septic myocardium has an increased dependence on sympathetic nerve stimulation. There is little evidence that the cause of the myocardial depression is an inadequate coronary blood flow.
Dimensions of Influence in Organizations

Several recent research reports indicate that centralization in complex organizations may not be unidimensional. This article suggests that influence over decision making may be multidimensional, because it is based on the distribution of a variety of resources useful for different issues and because issues are of varying importance to different roles in the organization. Members of hospital staffs were asked for their perceptions of the distribution of influence over a variety of decisions. We are able to distinguish several decision-making structures in which the most influential positions represented three major subdivisions and operative goals of hospitals: Nursing, medical care, and administration. We also demonstrate that total influence may provide an index of the extent to which a decision is perceived as setting organizational policy. The findings indicate three reasons for caution when comparing organizations on a single index of centralization of influence: (1) influence must be distinguished f...
Adaptive polling for information aggregation

The flourishing of online labor markets such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) makes it easy to recruit many workers for solving small tasks. We study whether information elicitation and aggregation over a combinatorial space can be achieved by integrating small pieces of potentially imprecise information, gathered from a large number of workers through simple, one-shot interactions in an online labor market. We consider the setting of predicting the ranking of n competing candidates, each having a hidden underlying strength parameter. At each step, our method estimates the strength parameters from the collected pairwise comparison data and adaptively chooses another pairwise comparison question for the next recruited worker. Through an MTurk experiment, we show that the adaptive method effectively elicits and aggregates information, outperforming a naive method using a random pairwise comparison question at each step.
Cerebrospinal fluid velocity amplitudes within the cerebral aqueduct in healthy children and patients with Chiari I malformation.

Purpose To assess the effects of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bidirectional motion in Chiari malformation type I (CMI), we monitored CSF velocity amplitudes on phase contrast MRI (PC-MRI) in patients before and after surgery; and in healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods 10 pediatric volunteers and 10 CMI patients participated in this study. CMI patients underwent PC-MRI scans before and approximately 14 months following surgery. Two parameters—amplitude of mean velocity (AMV) and amplitude of peak velocity (APV) of CSF—were derived from the data. Measurements were made at the mid-portion of the cerebral aqueduct, and anterior and posterior compartments of the spinal canal at the craniovertebral junction (CVJ). Results AMV and APV within the cerebral aqueduct were greater in preoperative assessments of the CMI patients compared to normal volunteers. Statistical significance was noted when comparing aqueductal AMV between the preoperative values and normal controls (P = 0.03), and before and after surgery in the CMI patients (P = 0.02). Lower values of AMV (P = 0.02) were noted in the anterior CVJ compartment in the patients before and after surgery when compared to the normal volunteers. There were no significant correlations (P = 0.06) noted for the APV at the CVJ between the normal control and patients, before or after surgery. Conclusion In pediatric CMI patients, AMV for CSF within the cerebral aqueduct and anterior CVJ subarachnoid space are significantly elevated preoperatively and normalize following surgery. Given the biphasic CSF motion, measuring amplitude accounts for cranial and caudal flow. It may offer an alternative parameter to assess postsurgical outcome. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:463–470.
Drugs of abuse: data collection systems of DEA and recent trends.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has several different systems for collecting information on drugs of abuse. One is an early warning system, which collects information to provide scientific data and interpretation on drug abuse. Another is the collection of data from evidence submitted to DEA laboratories. This is a review of the significance of the data in each system and an examination of some of the trends observed from the data.
One-Pot Formation of Aromatic Tetraurea Macrocycles

Treating derivatives of m-phenylenediamine having different electron-richness and reactivities with triphosgene in the presence of triethylamine led to aromatic tetraurea macrocycles in high yields. Factors important for efficiently forming these macrocycles include the molar ratio (2:1) between the diamine and triphosgene, reaction temperature (−75 °C), and solvent (CH2Cl2). By controlling the order and rate for adding diamines, tetraurea macrocycles consisting of two different types of monomeric residues have also been obtained in high yields.
Iowan Women Farmers' Perspectives on Alternative Agriculture and Gender

After decades of being seen as "farm wives," an increasing number of women in American agriculture are actively farming and claiming the "farmer" identity. Previous research has demonstrated that women farmers face unique challenges and that women in the alternative agriculture movement value different elements of agricultural work than their male counterparts. This ethnographic study of 11 women farmers in Iowa's alternative agriculture movement seeks to address how these women understand the relationship between their gender and their work. The majority of the women interviewed feel that their gender influences their general farming perspective, but significantly fewer believe their gender affects their approach to farm sustainability. Interviewees pointed to women's problem-solving skills, concerns with health and family, and intuitive relationships to the earth as ways in which their gender impacts their general farming perspective. Interviewees were more likely to indicate their education, coworkers, or participation in farm organizations as influential in shaping their farm's sustainability. In distinguishing between these two areas, women farmers selectively engage and reproduce culturally gendered traits when positioning themselves within alternative agriculture.
Abstract B50: Telomerase expression is upregulated in response to severe oxidative stress

Overcoming cancer health disparities is one of the best opportunities available for lessening the burden of cancer. Telomerase is an enzyme predominantly associated with its ability to extend the ends of chromosomes, or telomeres, and is expressed in 90% of all cancers. Recent findings suggest that telomerase has multiple cellular functions completely independent of its catalytic ability. Some of these functions help promote cell survival in response to severe oxidative stress which in turn should aid in the ongoing battle against cancer health disparities. Telomerase expression has been implicated in aiding a cell9s response to double strand strand breaks in DNA, mitochondria dysfunction, inhibition of apoptosis, and the promotion of cell proliferation. The protein component of telomerase, TERT, is thought to specifically enhance cell viability in response to the hypoxic microenvironment of a tumor. These protective roles of TERT could be vital in promoting cell survival during severe hypoxia. Telomerase expression is upregulated by the kinase Akt, which is in turn induced by the neuregulin/ErbB signaling pathway. Neuregulin is a glycoprotein that is necessary for smooth muscle and neuronal development. Neuregulin activates the ErbB tyrosine kinase family, which promotes cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Recently, neuregulin has been shown to be upregulated in response to serve hypoxia, and may reduce the inflammation response to oxidative stress. The mechanism of neuregulin expression protection is unclear, though microarray data shows that neuregulin expression decreases the expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. Based on these facts, our hypothesis states that neuregulin can regulate the expression of telomerase during severe oxidative stress, and that telomerase expression promotes cell survival during hypoxia. The addition of physiologic levels of neuregulin was able to induce telomerase expression, indicating that telomerase activation could play an important role in the cellular response to oxidative stress. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B50.
Family stresses, strengths, and outcomes after critical injury.

The purpose of this article is to compare the family stresses, strengths, and outcomes after critical injury experienced by motor vehicle accident (MVA) victims and gunshot wound (GSW) victims. A convenience sample of family members (n = 83) of adult patients participated within the first 2 days of critical injury. Results indicated that family members of GSW victims reported significantly more stress, lesser use of coping strategies, and a reduced repertoire of social and community resources than family members of MVA victims. Interventions that develop or mobilize coping strategies and resources are needed to help selected families meet the additional stress of a critical injury.
Sociobiology and the Therapeutic Community

In a 1977 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the controversy surrounding sociobiology was the culmination of arguments raging since publication two years ago of Sociobiology: The New Synthesis by Harvard Zoologist, Edward O. Wilson, a work regarded as definitive in the field (Gustaitis, 1977). This paper will attempt to define the sociobiological system and apply some of the basic principles inherent in that system to the therapeutic community, which is to some extent a microcosm of society, combining the elements of “family” with cultural attributes and survival skills. It will also attempt to suggest some possible areas where modification of the community to correspond with sociobiological theory might lead to a more effective utilization of the community as a therapeutic tool.
A random walk down Main Street

US suburbs have often been characterized by their relatively low walk accessibility compared to more urban environments, and US urban environments have been char- acterized by low walk accessibility compared to cities in other countries. Lower overall density in the suburbs implies that activities, if spread out, would have a greater distance between them. But why should activities be spread out instead of developed contiguously? This brief research note builds a positive model for the emergence of contiguous development along “Main Street” to illustrate the trade-offs that result in the built environment we observe. It then suggests some policy interventions to place a “thumb on the scale” to choose which parcels will develop in which sequence to achieve socially preferred outcomes.
Fitness to stand trial evaluation challenges in the United States: Some comparisons with South Africa

Like the Republic of South Africa, the United States faces serious challenges regarding fitness to stand trial evaluations, including long waitlists for individuals awaiting such evaluations. Some ...
Anticipatory Positive Urine Tests for Bladder Cancer

The aim of this study was to establish the criteria defining an anticipatory positive test for bladder cancer. We reviewed all patients at our institution who underwent urine cytology or UroVysion fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and cystoscopy from 2003 to 2012. Test performance and cancer anticipation was assessed using generalized linear mixed models, mixed-effects proportional hazards models, and cumulative incidence curves using tests performed within 30 days of each other as well as within a lag time of 1 year. Overall, 6729 urine tests (4729 cytology and 2040 UroVysion FISH) were paired with gold-standard cystoscopies. Sensitivity and specificity were 63 and 41% for cytology, and 37 and 84% for UroVysion FISH, respectively. A 1-year lag time allowed for cancer anticipation and neither test improved. Among patients with positive cytology and initially negative cystoscopy, the hazard ratio of developing a bladder tumor at 1 year was 1.83; 76% of these patients developed a tumor within 1 year. Similarly, among patients with a positive FISH and initially negative cystoscopy, the hazard ratio of developing a bladder tumor at 1 year was 1.56; 40% of these patients developed a tumor within 1 year. Urine-based tests for bladder cancer are frequently falsely positive. With further follow-up time, some of these false positive tests are vindicated as true (anticipatory) positive tests, although many will remain false positives. We developed statistical criteria to determine if a test anticipates future cancers or not.
La amenaza inglesa en la novela hispanoamericana, 1841-1982

Desde las primeras epicas y cronicas de la Conquista, la presencia y amenaza subyacente de Inglaterra en Hispanoamerica han sido constantes. Este articulo examina la evolucion de esta historia en cinco novelas hispanoamericanas de 1841-1982. Al final del siglo XX veremos si el problema sigue o si finalmente muere ante la presion de un mundo otra vez en caos y en busqueda de un nuevo comienzo, libre de las cadenas del pasado.
Peaches for Lunch: Creating and Using Visual Variables.

ABSTRACTIn this article, I describe the process of systematically including nonverbal data in medical anthropology research. I demonstrate the process of visualizing and coding videotaped moments of life and show how we can analyze what is being done along with what is being said. I ground my discussion in toddler language socialization and then expand my observations to the realm of language pathologies. Aphasia from strokes, speech difficulties in neurologically based illnesses like Lou Gehrig’s disease, and the variety of communication challenges that face those on the autism spectrum can all be studied in interesting ways by including precise descriptions of nonverbal actions. I discuss the process of recording and coding the data with the software Observer XT 11.5 by Noldus. This method of collecting and analyzing video data can be used for many anthropological questions, in addition to those concerned with communication.
Mathematical Modeling, Stability, Bifurcation Analysis, and Simulations of a Type-3 DFIG Wind Turbine's Dynamics with Pitch Control

In this paper, a type-3 Doubly Fed Asynchronous/InductionGenerator (DFAG/DFIG) wind turbine is considered for higher wind speeds with the pitch control activated. The purpose of the paper is to study the stability of wind turbine's when connected to the grid. The main blocks of the model that have been taken from the literature are described and translated into a system of differential equations with algebraic constraint. Time domain analysis for the system is provided by computing the steady states as functions of the wind speed and the grid parameters, testing eigenvalues sensitivity to the wind speed, and analyzing stability, including bifurcation in parameter space. The existence of a Hopfbifurcation for a practical value of the reactance is found and analyzed. Three groups of simulations are presented, time dependent wind speed, drop-clear terminal voltage, and a drop-clear case in reactance to show the bifurcation effect and thesystem's response to it.
Qur’an in Conversation, by M. Birkel: Waco, TX, Baylor University Press, 2014, 292 pp., $39.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 978-1-4813-0097-1

The Call for Papers for this special issue of the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought sought to produce an issue that will help social work practitioners, educators,...
Validation and model sensitivity of the interfacial area transport equation in condensing flows

Abstract The interfacial area transport equation (IATE) in condensing flows is thoroughly reviewed and validated with available experimental data. The IATE provides a dynamic prediction of flow structure consistent with the two-fluid model and has been studied extensively for adiabatic two-phase flows. However, the IATE still requires attention in flows with phase change. The modeling of the condensation interfacial area term and volume sink term is reviewed along with the void fraction prediction since the IATE is closely related to the void fraction development. The emphasis in this work is to expand the validation of the IATE in condensing flows to higher pressure and higher flow rate conditions as well as evaluating the modeling sensitivity in both the decoupled IATE and the IATE coupled with the void transport equation. Two datasets have been used for validation, both consisting of condensing two-phase flow data in the unheated section of a vertical annulus with conditions spanning a range of pressure, inlet subcooling and mass flux. The analysis shows that the current form of the condensation modeling results in an over-prediction of both condensation mass transfer and interfacial area concentration loss across all conditions. From the decoupled IATE simulation, it is established that the boundary diameter must be used in the Nusselt number correlation in the condensation model to get good predictions of the interfacial area concentration. Moreover, the convection term in the IATE is found to contribute to interfacial area concentration at high mass flux conditions. The coupled IATE simulation model results in better agreement in the predictions of the void fraction and the interfacial area concentration under nearly all conditions with the proposed modifications to the condensation model. Sensitivity studies show the impact of Nusselt number correlation and gas velocity on the prediction of interfacial area concentration. Overall, a coupled simulation is recommended for benchmarking the IATE in phase change flows.