cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucose uptake by normal and dystrophic rat retinas and ciliary bodies.

Abstract The accumulation of [14C] d -glucose, [14C]3-O-methyl- d -glucose, [3H]thio- d -glucose, and [3H]2-deoxy- d -glucose was investigated in retinas and ciliary bodies isolated from normal Long-Evans rats and rats afflicted with an inherited retinal dystrophy. Rats employed in this study were taken from four age groups, ranging from 15 to 60 days. The accumulation of 2-deoxy- d -glucose and d -glucose in the normal retina decreased between 15 and 60 days. In the dystrophic retina, 3-O-methyl- d -glucose, 2-deoxy- d -glucose, and d -glucose levels decreased significantly during this time period. The decrease in accumulation of d -glucose and 2-deoxy- d -glucose in the dystrophic retina occurred at a much more rapid rate than in the normal retina, the greatest decrease occurring between 15 and 27 days. Acetazolamide, phloretin, and phloridzin significantly increased the accumulation of 3-O-methyl- d -glucose in the retina. Acetazolamide and phloretin significantly decreased the accumulation of thio- d -glucose, while acetazolamide and phloridzin increased the accumulation of d -glucose and 2-deoxy- d -glucose. The accumulation of 2-deoxy- d -glucose and d -glucose decreased significantly in normal ciliary bodies, between 15 and 60 days of age. In the dystrophic ciliary bodies, 3-O-methyl- d -glucose, d -glucose, and 2-deoxy- d -glucose intracellular levels decreased during this time period. The decline in 2-deoxy- d -glucose was much more precipitous between 15 and 27 days in the dystrophic ciliary body than in the normal ciliary body. The percent of d -glucose which was phosphorylated decreased significantly in both normal and dystrophic ciliary bodies, the decrease in the dystrophic tissue occurring earlier than in the normal tissue. Phloridzin and acetazolamide significantly increased the accumulation of thio- d -glucose and d -glucose, while phloretin increased the accumulation of 3-O-methyl- d -glucose and d -glucose in the 60-day normal ciliary body.
The angle criterion

We complete the proof of the angle conjecture on when a pair of orientedm-planes is area-minimizing. The nonzero sum (oriented union)P1+P2 is area-minimizing if and only if the characterizing angles between them satisfy the inequality $$\beta _m \leqq \beta _1 + ... + \beta _{m - 1} .$$
Short-term debt and firm performance in the US restaurant industry: the moderating role of economic conditions

Based on the strategic debt argument, this study hypothesizes that short-term debt generally leads a restaurant firm to poor performance due to the lack of a strategic approach from using short-term debt. The study further examines the moderating role of economic conditions in the relationship between short-term debt and firm performance through a pooled regression analysis with heteroscedasticity-consistent standard errors. The data are from publicly traded US restaurant firms for the period 1990–2009. The findings support the research hypothesis that short-term debt in general has a negative impact on the performance of restaurant firms, while the negative effects are significantly reduced during economic downturns.
Reactive Molecular Dynamics of Shock- and Shear-Induced Chemistry in Energetic Materials for Future Force Insensitive Munitions

We report an approach to large-scale atomistic simulations of chemical initiation processes in shocked energetic materials based on parallel implementation of the ReaxFF reactive force field. Here, we present results of reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of shocked Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) single crystal, a conventional high explosive. We study a planar wall impact to compare mechanical and chemical response at different speeds. The dominant initiation reactions in both systems lead to the formation of NO2. The lagging secondary reactions lead to a formation of water, nitrogen, and other products. By tracking the position of the shock front as a function of time, we have been able to observe how the shock velocity changes in response to the storage and release of chemical energy behind the shock front. We also investigate the effect of shear along different slip systems on chemical initiation. All calculations are performed with massively parallel MD code GRASP enabling multi-million atom reactive MD simulations of chemical processes in many important stockpile materials.
Exploring and Explaining Circuits

I grew up in a suburb near Athens, Greece, to a middle-class family that went through very difficult times. One of my earliest memories is of an attraction to musical instruments, especially pianos, and of my parents pulling me away from them; I was later told that they were afraid I would become a musician, and that I "would starve". To this day, I regret not having learned to play an instrument well. Yet music is very much a part of my life. I credit it, in part, for my interest in radio and audio and, through those, in all things electronic.
Probing thin over layers with variable energy/cluster ion beams

Abstract A series of carbon-coated magnetic recording disks proved ideal for exploring sampling depth and ion formation trends as a function of variations in energy and cluster size (Au x ) of the primary ion beam, and variations in over coat thickness and type. Ion yield from the underlying metal layer increased with increasing energy and decreasing cluster size of the primary ions. The yields varied nearly linearly with over layer thickness. In contrast, M x Cs y depth profiles were unaffected by changes in the primary ion. The samples were fortuitously dosed with dinonyl phthalate, allowing a study similar to prior GSIMS work [I.S. Gilmore, M.P. Seah, J.E. Johnstone, in: A. Benninghoven, P. Bertrand, H.-N. Migeon, H.W. Werner (Eds.), Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on SIMS, Elsevier, Brussels, 2000, p. 801]. Ions prominent in the EI mass spectrum, including even electron ions, were more consistently enhanced at lower energies and higher cluster sizes than the primary ( M + H) + ion. The total secondary ion count was inversely proportional to the film thickness. Secondary electrons, largely originating in the buried metal layer, may be inducing organic ion formation [A.M. Spool, Surf. Interface Anal. 36 (2004) 264].
Incremental objectivity in cyclic shearing deformations

In this paper, an example problem is presented that illustrates the importance of strong objectivity in kinematic algorithms for large-deformation finite element applications. The example problem involves cyclic simple shearing of a hypoelastic material, wherein the increments of stretch and of rotation are of comparable magnitude. It is demonstrated that two kinematic algorithms that are in common use, and which are only weakly objective, give rise to an accumulative error in the normal stress components. The error is surprisingly large, even for very small strain increments. This behaviour arises due to a coupling between the stretch and rotation increments that is exhibited by weakly objective algorithms, and is perhaps especially serious in the context of models for jointed rock and other frictional materials, in which the shear response may depend strongly on the normal components of stress.
On latent heat delay of natural convection

La chaleur latente de fusion dans la phase liquide retarde le mouvement de connection, faisant decroitre la vitesse de transfert de chaleur
Darwin's language may seem teleological, but his thinking is another matter

Darwin's biology was “teleological” only if the term “teleology” is defined in a manner that fails to recognize his contribution to the metaphysics and epistemology of modern science. His use of teleological metaphors in a strictly teleonomic context is irrelevant to the meaning of his discourse. The myth of Darwin's alleged teleology is partly due to misinterpretations of discussions about whether morphology should be a purely formal science. Merely rejecting such notions as special creation and vitalism does not prevent the pernicious effects of teleological reasoning, even at the present time.
Yang-Mills fields on cyclindrical manifolds and holomorphic bundles II

We give complex holomorphic descriptions of Yang-Mills instantons on tubular four manifolds with nontrivial cicle bundles over Riemann surfaces as section.
Rotational Relaxation in Polar Gases. II

Polar gas rotational relaxation time calculation, comparing volume viscosity and energy equation definitions
Semi-implicit formulation of the immersed finite element method

The immersed finite element method (IFEM) is a novel numerical approach to solve fluid---structure interaction types of problems that utilizes non-conforming meshing concept. The fluid and the solid domains are represented independently. The original algorithm of the IFEM follows the interpolation process as illustrated in the original immersed boundary method where the fluid velocity and the interaction force are explicitly coupled. However, the original approach presents many numerical difficulties when the fluid and solid physical properties have large mismatches, such as when the density difference is large and when the solid is a very stiff material. Both situations will lead to divergent or unstable solutions if not handled properly. In this paper, we develop a semi-implicit formulation of the IFEM algorithm so that several terms of the interfacial forces are implicitly evaluated without going through the force distribution process. Based on the 2-D and 3-D examples that we study in this paper, we show that the semi-implicit approach is robust and is capable of handling these highly discontinuous physical properties quite well without any numerical difficulties.
Prostate adenocarcinoma in men younger than 50 years. A retrospective review of 151 patients.

Background. Prostate adenocarcinoma is predominantly a disease of older men. Males younger than 50 years account for 1% of all patients with prostate cancer. The authors retrospectively examined cases of prostate adenocarcinoma in patients younger than 50 years of age to determine the natural history and prognosis of this malignancy in the younger population. Methods. The medical records of 151 patients were reviewed, with particular attention to age and year at diagnosis, race, symptoms at presentation, family history of prostate cancer, histologic grade, clinical and pathologic stage, treatment modality, and clinical outcome. Results. Univariate analyses demonstrated a significant correlation between higher disease stage (P = 0.0001), higher tumor grade (P = 0.0001), earlier year of diagnosis (P = 0.01), symptoms at presentation (P = 0.0001), and race (P = 0.01) with shorter disease-specific survival. However, multivariate analysis revealed that only stage and grade were statistically significant predictors for poor prognosis after controlling for other variables. With a one-unit increase of stage or grade, the risk of death from disease increases 2.2 or 1.9 times, respectively. Conclusion. These data suggest that patients younger than 50 years with prostate cancer present with similar symptomatology, histologic grade, and disease stage as the older population. Patients with disease confined to the prostate have a relatively good disease-specific survival but remain at risk for death even 15 years after diagnosis When carcinoma escapes the confines of the prostate, the prognosis is uniformly poor.
Inelastic scattering of thermal neutrons by nuclear isomers

An attempt to measure the radiationless decay of an isomer has been made by studying the reaction $^{123}\mathrm{Te}^{m}(n,{n}^{\ensuremath{'}})^{123}\mathrm{Te}$. The $^{123}\mathrm{Te}^{m}$ (104 day) was placed in a beam of thermal neutrons. The transfer of the excitation energy of the isomer to the passing slow neutron produces highly monochromatic neutrons at 89 keV. An upper limit for the cross section was determined as 20 mb.
Immortalization of mouse germ line stem cells.

In the mammalian testis, the germ line stem cells are a small subpopulation of type A spermatogonia that proliferate and ultimately differentiate into sperm under the control of both endocrine and paracrine factors. To study the early phases of spermatogenesis at the molecular level, an in vitro system must be devised whereby germ line stem cells can be either cultured for a prolonged period of time or expanded as cell lines. In the study reported here, we chose to immortalize type A spermatogonia using the Simian virus large T-antigen gene (LTAg) under the control of an ecdysone-inducible promoter. While the cells escaped the hormonal control after a finite number of generations and expressed the LTAg constitutively, their growth remained slow and the cells exhibited morphological features typical of spermatogonia at the light microscopic level. Moreover, the cells expressed detectable levels of protein markers specific for germ cells such as Dazl, and specific for germ line stem cells such as Oct-4, a transcription factor, and GFRα-1, the receptor for glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Further analysis confirmed the spermatogonial phenotype and also revealed the expression of markers expressed in stem cells such as Piwi12 and Prame11. Since the cells respond to GDNF by a marked increase in their rate of proliferation, this cell line represents a good in vitro model for studying aspects of mouse germ line stem cell biology.
Modelling of neocortical neural dynamics during human focal seizures

Recent advances in microelectrode array (MEA) recordings have made possible the simultaneous recordings of spiking activity in ensembles of neocortical single neurons during human focal seizures. As a result, a much more detailed picture of seizure initiation and spread has begun to emerge [1]. Here, we combine single neuron spiking and local field potential (LFP) data obtained from 96-MEA recordings with mathematical modelling to characterize the synaptic coupling and parameters required to sustain the neural dynamics observed in the two main types of epileptic seizures identified in the studied patients: spike-wave-complex (SWCs ~2-3 Hz) seizures and gamma-band (40-60 Hz) seizures, respectively. We model the neocortex under a 96-MEA (4mm x 4mm) with Izhikevich type neurons [2,3]. There are 28x28 minicolumns in the model. Each minicolumn is 25μm apart from each other and has 12 excitatory neurons and 4 interneurons. The neurons are synaptically connected up to a radius of 75μm and a synaptic delay of 2ms. (Connectivity drops to zero close to the MEA boundaries). Each neuron is driven by an independent Poisson input simulating background synaptic activities (i.e. high Poisson rates close to a few kHz, but individual Poisson events are of small amplitude). We simulate each of the two types of epileptic seizures by controlling the synaptic strengths amongst neurons and the Poisson drive. Dynamics similar to that in gamma-band seizures (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) were obtained in models that combined strong mutual inhibitory synaptic couplings (gi->i), strong inhibitory to excitatory synaptic couplings (gi->e), and strong Poisson drive to both the pyramidal and interneuronal populations. The resulting single neuron spiking patterns (in both the inhibitory and excitatory cases) remained irregular, despite that they lead to sustained narrow gamma band LFP oscillations, consistent with the observations from the neuronal spiking data recorded from the patients. Dynamics similar to SWC seizures were obtained by decreasing both mutual inhibitory coupling (gi->i ) and inhibitory to excitatory coupling (gi->e), as well as by reducing the Poisson drive to the inhibitory interneuron populations. During each SWC discharge (Figure ​(Figure1),1), we observed the spread of neuronal spiking activity and recruitment of pyramidal cells starting from a focus, accompanied by strong coherent LFP. In the model, the participation of interneurons in SWC generation is minimal due to the weak gi->i,e and low Poisson drive. Our model suggests that gamma-band seizures require strong inhibitory conductance and participation of both excitatory and inhibitory populations, while SWC seizures require weaker inhibitory conductances and are mostly driven by excitatory (pyramidal) neurons. We are working towards a conductance-based network model in which intra and extracellular ionic concentrations are included to explore how disregulation of ionic concentrations can trigger each of the two types of seizures. Figure 1 Neuronal spiking raster plots (gamma-band seizure: left; SWC seizure: right).
A young woman with pancreatitis and odynophagia

A 22-year-old woman presented to the hospital with vomiting and epigastric pain. Few weeks back, she underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was complicated by mild pancreatitis. Following resolution she had gone on vacation and consumed moderate amounts of alcohol. On arrival she was hypotensive and tachycardic. Computed tomography revealed 50% necrosis of the pancreas. She required aggressive management in the intensive care unit. Nine days following admission she remained in severe epigastric pain with …
Odonata species of special concern for Oklahoma, USA

Assessment of conservation status is a necessary step before management plans can be formulated. Historically such assessments have a strong bias toward vertebrates, particularly endothermic terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. birds and mammals). Invertebrates, by contrast, tend to be ignored, and many insect groups, despite being species rich and reasonably well studied, such as the Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies), have not been assessed or have been assessed only at a broad geographic level (e.g. internationally or continentally). Assessment at a state level recognizes that states often are at the front of regional and local conservation and management planning and implementation. On the basis of our extensive surveys across the Great Plains state of Oklahoma in the central USA, as well as our compilation of thousands of museum specimens dating back to 1877, we were able to discern the status and distribution of each of the 161 species of odonates recorded in the state. In doing so we were able to assess a conservation rank, using NatureServe criteria, for each species. We conclude that nine species are critically imperiled (S1) in the state. These species require immediate conservation attention, initially at the level of intensive surveys to delineate the full extent of the geographic range in the state and to determine the population size and habitat needs. We categorized an additional 13 species as imperiled (S2) and placed 18 species on a “watch list” (S3). Species on these two lists will require field surveys as well, and regions of high occurrence of listed species ought to be targeted for such efforts and considered as set-asides for preservation of key members of the odonate fauna in the state.
The phylogenetic position of the bumble bee inquiline Bombus inexspectatus and implications for the evolution of social parasitism

The high alpine European bumble bee Bombus (Thoracobombus) inexspectatus is one of three taxa in which obligate social parasitism has evolved in bumble bees. Until now, the phylogenetic placement of this species has not been analyzed quantitatively because it is rare in nature. Here a specimen of B. inexspectatus is sequenced for five genes to assess its phylogenetic position relative to other bumble bee species. Phylogenetic estimation of B. inexspectatus places this species within the subgenus Thoracobombus, as expected based on morphology. This provides strong support for the acquisition of social parasitism in B. inexspectatus separate from that found in the bumble bees of the subgenus Psithyrus and B. (Alpinobombus) hyperboreus. Furthermore, B. inexspectatus is not the sister taxon of its host but is a near relative, suggesting a loose but not strict adherence to Emery’s rule. B. inexspectatus is a sister taxon to a clade including B. veteranus, a frequent nest usurper that has been suggested to be a facultative social parasite. The phylogenetic placement of all bumble bee social parasites relative to their hosts is discussed.
An Experimental Cognitive Radio for First Responders

Small form factor (SFF) software defined radio (SDR) platform is used to implement an experimental cognitive radio for first responders. The system was demonstrated in the 2007 Software Defined Radio technical conference and product exhibition, and is selected for presentation in the demonstrations and experimentation track in the IEEE DySPAN 2008. Different processing tasks are divided between a TI c64x+ DSP and a Xilinx Virtex IV FPGA while an ARM9 core is used to host Greenhills operating system. To tackle the complexity of development, we used progressive simulation based design. Starting from pure simulation of the system, we substitute the models with real modules step by step to build a fully functional modem. To develop the network of the cognitive radio modems, we deploy the available real modems with simulated primary and secondary users in a central simulation. Three real nodes are presented in our demonstration which perform channel sensing and data transmission.
Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis as a Control Agent for Adult Anopheles gambiae

Unlike the application of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for the control of larval mosquitoes, studies of its effects on adults, for its possible use in attractive toxic sugar baits, have resulted in conflicting results. Five species have shown a decrease in adult survival due to Bti ingestion, whereas adults of Anopheles arabiensis have not. We sought to determine if ingestion of Bti by adults of Anopheles gambiae, a sibling species of An. arabiensis, increases their mortality. Laboratory-reared adults were provided continuously from emergence with water only, a sucrose solution, or a Bti suspension in sucrose solution. After 3 days, the Bti suspension was replaced with untainted sucrose solution. The mosquitoes with only water were all dead by day 3. The survivorships of those in the sucrose and sucrose-Bti treatments were insignificantly different, both with an LT50 (Lethal Time, time until 50% of individuals died) of 25 days. The results support the conclusion that adult survivorship of An. gambiae-complex members is unaffected by the ingestion of Bti in sugar meals.
Gender as a Moderator in Explanations of Adolescent Deviance

Almost without exception, studies that address adolescent delinquency or young adult deviance conclude that males commit more acts of deviance than females. This finding is very likely true, particularly when we consider traditional notions of delinquency and deviance to include such acts as theft, interpersonal aggression, other acts of violence, use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, and so on. Therefore, because males do commit more acts that are contranormative within this traditional concept of deviance and delinquency, questions can be raised as to whether or not the processes that lead to deviance are the same for both males and females, or whether there are other factors that suppress or counteract the processes that influence deviance. Differential effects of the deviance-causing process can be attributed to several dimensions of traditional deviance models.
Lithium may slow progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but further study is needed

To the Editor: In the February 12, 2008 edition of PNAS, Fornai et al. (1) suggest that lithium slows human ALS progression. We have several questions about their study.
THE MAGNITUDE OF PRICING ERRORS IN THE ARBITRAGE PRICING THEORY

In this paper the arbitrage pricing theory (APT) pricing errors for individual securities are estimated employing maximum likelihood factor analysis and Fama-MacBeth style aggregation. Results show that the pricing errors are large and statistically significant and that there is a high degree of variability in pricing errors across securities. This evidence contradicts the prevailing APT intuition that the pricing errors can be ignored as negligible. Pricing errors are also found to be related to residual variance and firm size.
Sample Adsorption on Stainless Steel Sampling Valves

This group frequently uses gas chromatographic techniques for analysis of the mixtures resulting from laser-induced reactions. In the course of recent investigations, some very interesting problems were noted as we introduced samples using a stainless steel gas sampling valve. Some effort was expended in elucidating the problem, which involved the apparent adsorption of samples onto the stainless steel surface of the valve and sampling loop. The samples involved were 2-methoxy-, 2-ethoxy-, and 2-isopropoxyethanol. Initial optimizations of the chromatographic/spectral conditions were stymied by what was initially thought to be sample contamination. Repeated analysis and injection of liquid-phase samples showed that the reagents were pure and that residual was remaining in the valve and sample loop. This note will report our observations and experimental techniques developed to remedy the problem. This information may be useful to others experiencing similar problems.
Physiological considerations of environmental applications of lux reporter fusions

The performance of the bioluminescent reporter bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44, which contains a nahGluxCDABE fusion for naphthalene catabolism and bioavailability was investigated for environmental samples and mixed contaminants. For aqueous extracts from fuel hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, a reproducible bioluminescence response was obtained, which coincided with, but overestimated the presence of naphthalene. Therefore, the strain’s bioluminescence response to mixed contaminants was investigated further. The strain showed a linear correlation between bioluminescence and the amount of JP-4 jet fuel present in an aqueous solution, representing a mixture of compounds including naphthalene. However, some non-inducing organic solvents such as toluene, p-xylene and acetone caused a significant bioluminescence increase as well. The analysis of nah-lux mRNA from cells exposed to toluene revealed that the bioluminescence response was not due to increased nahG-luxCDABE gene expression, whereas increased lux mRNA levels were found with exposure to naphthalene or JP-4 jet fuel. While different mixture combinations of solvents resulted in either additive or intermediate effects, the combination of naphthalene and solvent resulted in a synergistic effect on the bioluminescence response. The addition of n-decanal, a substrate for luciferase, showed that the cells were aldehyde-limited. If aldehyde was added, only the presence of naphthalene caused a significantly increased bioluminescence response over the control. The solvent effects were dependent on the physiological status of the reporter culture and were present in growing, but not in resting cell cultures. It was postulated that the increase in bioluminescence after exposure to solvents was due to changed fatty acid synthesis patterns affecting the aldehyde supply for the bioluminescence reaction. Exposure to toluene resulted in altered membrane fatty acid composition and release of fatty acids from the cells. Exposure to n-alkanes resulted in minor changes in the bioluminescence response, whereas, exposure to heavy metals or cyanide resulted in significant reductions in the overall bioluminescence. These results demonstrate the utility of bioluminescent reporter bacteria for environmental applications, as well as the need for adequate experimental controls in interpreting environmental sensing data. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.
The Yeast Transcription Factor Mac1 Binds to DNA in a Modular Fashion

Mac1 is a metalloregulatory protein that regulates expression of the high affinity copper transport system in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Under conditions of high copper concentration, Mac1 represses transcription of genes coding for copper transport proteins. Mac1 binds to DNA sequences called copper response elements (CuREs), which have the consensus sequence 5′-TTTGC(T/G)C(A/G)-3′. Mac1 contains two zinc binding sites, a copper binding site, and the sequence motif RGRP, which has been found in other proteins to mediate binding to the minor groove of A/T-rich sequences in DNA. We have used hydroxyl radical footprinting, missing nucleoside, and methylation interference experiments to investigate the structure of the complex of the DNA binding domain of Mac1 (called here Mac1t) with the two CuRE sites found in the yeast CTR1 promoter. We conclude from these experiments that Mac1t binds in a modular fashion to DNA, with its RGRP AT-hook motif interacting with the TTT sequence at the 5′ end of the CTR1 CuRE site, and with another DNA-binding module(s) binding in the adjacent major groove in the GCTCA sequence.
Observed response of the Earth's lower thermosphere to a major geomagnetic storm

In response to a geomagnetic storm alert in early June 1991, the incoherent scatter radar at Millstone Hill and the meteor wind radar at nearby Durham, both located at 43°N, 71°W, were activated to observe the effects of the storm on the earth's mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The storm is characterized by Kp indices of 6–8 during the first three days of observations which spanned June 11–14. Winds as large as 120–150 m/s in the zonal component and 100 m/s in the meridional component were measured at 109–115 km altitude, and the maximum zonal wind component on the most disturbed day was roughly twice as large as that observed during relatively more quiet geomagnetic conditions in June 1989. The semidiurnal tidal structure that generally characterizes this region of the upper atmosphere appears to be preserved while the amplitudes are greatly enhanced. The observed winds in the mesophere do not reveal a reaction to the geomagnetic storm, and when combined with the incoherent scatter radar data, show excellent continuity with altitude. The large winds observed at 105–120 km contrast with predictions from general circulation models of the thermosphere.
A review of dry (CO2) reforming of methane over noble metal catalysts

Dry (CO2) reforming of methane (DRM) is a well-studied reaction that is of both scientific and industrial importance. This reaction produces syngas that can be used to produce a wide range of products, such as higher alkanes and oxygenates by means of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. DRM is inevitably accompanied by deactivation due to carbon deposition. DRM is also a highly endothermic reaction and requires operating temperatures of 800–1000 °C to attain high equilibrium conversion of CH4 and CO2 to H2 and CO and to minimize the thermodynamic driving force for carbon deposition. The most widely used catalysts for DRM are based on Ni. However, many of these catalysts undergo severe deactivation due to carbon deposition. Noble metals have also been studied and are typically found to be much more resistant to carbon deposition than Ni catalysts, but are generally uneconomical. Noble metals can also be used to promote the Ni catalysts in order to increase their resistance to deactivation. In order to design catalysts that minimize deactivation, it is necessary to understand the elementary steps involved in the activation and conversion of CH4 and CO2. This review will cover DRM literature for catalysts based on Rh, Ru, Pt, and Pd metals. This includes the effect of these noble metals on the kinetics, mechanism and deactivation of these catalysts.
Comments on ‘Concerning dispersion relations for the magnetotelluric impedance tensor’ by E.Yee and K.V.Paulson.

SUMMARY Yee & Paulson (1988) derive an integral representation and some dispersion relations for a general magnetotelluric impedance tensor measured at a single point on the surface of the 3-D Earth. These results derive from the assumption that the impedance tensor defines a linear system which is causal and passive. We give a more careful discussion of the justification for causality and passivity and show that they do not follow from simple physical arguments; at the very least, there is a substantial gap in the mathematical derivation given by Yee & Paulson (1988). In fact, both conditions can almost certainly fail for physically realizable 3-D conductivities. We present a qualitative analysis of some simple examples which illustrate how this could occur, and give examples of estimated impedance tensors which are clearly not consistent with the passivity condition. We thus conclude that the relevance to real data of many of the results derived by Yee & Paulson must be seriously questioned. Key word: magnetotellurics.
What Is the Influence of a Compulsory Attendance Policy on Absenteeism and Performance

The authors utilized a quasiexperimental design across sections of managerial communication and management information systems classes (N = 212) to test the impact of compulsory attendance policies on student absenteeism and performance. Students in the compulsory attendance policy condition received an attendance policy that punished excessive absenteeism. Students in the other condition received a policy that told students they were expected to attend but offered neither reward nor punishment. Results suggest that the compulsory policy reduced absenteeism. The policy's effect on performance depended on the student's level of prior academic achievement. The authors discuss the findings.
Psychosexual development of children and adolescents with hypospadias

ABSTRACT Introduction Hypospadias is the most common malformation of the penis. Despite the common assumption that hypospadias may affect children's psychosexual development, only a few studies report on the patients’ psychosexual adjustment during childhood and adolescence. Aim A comprehensive, cross-sectional investigation of the psychosexual development of boys operated on for hypospadias in comparison to a healthy control group. Methods Sixty-eight children and adolescents (7–17 years) operated on for hypospadias were examined by means of a standardized interview assessing penile self-perception, gender-role behavior, sexual experiences, and sexual attitude. Scores were compared to an age-matched control group consisting of 68 boys after hernia repair. Predictive values of medical variables as well as the patients’ knowledge of hypospadias were assessed. Main Outcome Measures The Pediatric Penile Perception Score, the Gender-Role Questionnaire by Ijntema and Cohen-Kettenis, and a self-developed questionnaire on first sexual experiences and sexual attitude comprised the standardized assessment instruments. Results Boys with hypospadias did not significantly differ from the control subjects with regard to penile self-perception, gender-role behavior, first sexual experiences, and sexual attitude. Younger age and the patient's knowledge of hypospadias predicted a more positive penile self-perception, while a more pronounced masculine gender-role behavior was best predicted by younger age at final surgery. Conclusions Boys with corrected hypospadias may show a psychosexual development that is similar to healthy children. Puberty could be a critical time for the patients, however, during which they might require regular urological follow-ups and may benefit from age-appropriate information about their penile condition. Moreover, the later corrective surgery is completed, the more likely the patients may become insecure with regard to gender-role behavior. Schonbucher VB, Landolt MA, Gobet R, and Weber DM. Psychosexual development of children and adolescents with hypospadias.
Temperature-Dependent Clustering Behavior of Aethina Tumida Murray in Apis Mellifera L. Colonies

Temperate races of honey bees (Apis mellifera) are able to survive cold temperatures by forming thermoregulatory clusters. Small hive beetles (Aethina tumida), which inhabit honey bee colonies in their native range of sub-Saharan Africa and in their introduced ranges of the United States and Australia, are able to endure temperate climates by entering the bee cluster when cold temperatures persist. We conducted an experiment to address the temporal aspects of the cluster-entering behavior of small hive beetles. We did this by exposing beetle-infested observation bee hives to different ambient temperatures and counting the number of beetles remaining in confinement sites on the hive’s periphery at each temperature. The resulting regression analyses suggest that the beetles enter the cluster more rapidly than they exit it, a behavior possibly linked to a colony’s decision to form and dismantle a cluster.
Food Sources of Carotenoids

Carotenoids are a class of ubiquitous yellow, orange, and red pigments found in nature and regarded as major contributors to the purported health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. They are an important source of vitamin A in many diets and may protect from development of degenerative diseases such as macular degeneration, cancer, and heart disease.
Extracting sparse crack features from correlated background in ground penetrating radar concrete imaging using robust principal component analysis technique

Crack detection is an important application for Ground penetrating radar (GPR) to examine the concrete road or building structure conditions. The layer of rebars or utility pipes that typically exist inside the concrete structure can generate stronger scattering than small concrete cracks to affect detection effectiveness. In GPR image, the signature patterns of regularly distributed rebars or pipes can be deemed as correlated background signals, while for the small size cracks, their image features are typically irregularly and sparsely distributed. To effectively detect the cracks in concrete structure, the robust principal component analysis algorithm is developed to characterize the rank and sparsity of GPR image. For performance evaluations, simulations are conducted with various configurations.
LOSS OF SPARC IN P53-NULL ASTROCYTES PROMOTES MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION AND PHAGOCYTOSIS RESULTING IN DECREASED TUMOR SIZE AND TUMOR CELL SURVIVAL

BACKGROUND: Both enhanced SPARC expression and the loss of p53 tumor suppressor gene are changes that occur early in glioma development. Both SPARC and p53 regulate glioma cell survival by inverse effects on apoptotic signaling. Therefore, during glioma formation, the upregulation of SPARC may cooperate with the loss of p53 to enhance cell survival and inhibit apoptosis. This study determined whether the loss of Sparc in astrocytes that are null for p53 would result in reduced cell survival and tumor formation and increased tumor immunogenicity in an in vivo xenograft brain tumor model. METHODS: p53-null and Sparc-null mice were bred to obtain heterozygotes. These were crossed to obtain p53-null/Sparc-null neonates, which served as the source of p53-null/Sparc-null astrocytes for comparison to genetically-matched, control p53-null/Sparc-WT astrocytes. In vitro, Sparc loss was assessed using colony formation in soft agar, proliferation assay, flow cytometry, and Annexin V analysis. Orthotopic xenograft implantation was used to assess Sparc loss on tumor growth, proliferation, collagen deposition, and macrophage/microglia recruitment. RESULTS: In vitro, Sparc loss in p53-null astrocytes resulted in increased cell proliferation (2.7-fold; p < 0.01), but decreased cell survival (WT = 7.2% vs. null = 18.56% apoptotic cells) and a longer cell cycle recovery (2 days) after serum-withdrawal. Furthermore, Sparc loss suppressed growth in soft agar. Histomorphological analysis of CD68 and PAS ± diastase staining of tumor sections demonstrated that Sparc loss promoted macrophage/microglial activation (day 7 = 1.35-fold and day 50 = 1.93-fold; p < 0.001) and phagocytic morphology, respectively. At 7 days, Sparc-null tumors had decreased tumor cell survival, proliferation (MIB-1 for WT = 7.1% vs. null = 0.1%; p = 0.0345), and reduced tumor size (WT = 0.839 mm2 vs. null = 0.199 mm2; p = 0.0091). In addition, Sparc loss altered collagen deposition (WT = collagen bundles vs. null = long fiber structure). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that Sparc loss significantly reduced the ability of p53-null astrocytes to recover from stress in vitro, and to survive and proliferate in vivo. This inability to grow in vivo was associated with an increase in macrophage/microglial activation and phagocytosis. Therefore, we conclude that the loss of p53 in the early stages of glioma formation may cooperate with the induction of SPARC to potentiate cancer cell survival and escape from immune surveillance. We propose that in the background of p53 loss/mutation, therapeutically suppressing SPARC alone, or in combination with other therapies, should promote the ability of patient's immune system to eradicate the tumor. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Immunobiology & Immunotherapy.
Determination of Cobalt in Urine by Graphite Furnace Atomic Sbsorption Spectrophotometry

Objeective To establish detection of cobalt in urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectro- photo metry.Method After matrix modifier PdCl_2-NH_3H_2PO_4-HNO_3 being added into urine specimen,the cobalt was defected by WFX-110 atomic absorption spectrophotomcter.Results The linear range of cobalt was 0-500μg/L,the correlation coefficient was0.999,recovery rate was 91.2%-98.0%,the relative standard deviation was under 10%,and the detection limit was 2.5μg/L.The results of 18 urine samples obtained from this method were in agreement with that from polarography (t=0.535,P0.05).Conclu- sion The method is sensitive.It has a wide linear range,and the result is accurate.It can be used for detec- tion of cobalt in urine in workplace.
EXPANDING A TIME-SENSITIVE CONVERSATIONAL ARCHITECTURE FOR TURN-TAKING TO HANDLE CONTENT-DRIVEN INTERRUPTION

Turn taking in spoken language systems has generally been push-to-talk or strict alternation (user speaks, system speaks, user speaks, …) with some systems such as telephone-based systems handling barge-in (interruption by the user.) In this paper we describe our time sensitive conversational architecture for turn taking that not only allows alternating turns and barge in, but other conversational behaviors as well. This architecture allows backchanneling, prompting the user by taking more than one turn if necessary, and overlapping speech. The architecture is implemented in a Reading Tutor that listens to children read aloud, and helps them. We extended this architecture to allow the Reading Tutor to interrupt the student based on a non-self-corrected mistake – “content-driven interruption”. To the best of our knowledge, the Reading Tutor is thus the first spoken language system to intentionally interrupt the user based on the content of the utterance. 1. MOTIVATION Rich turn-taking is a ubiquitous feature of human-human spoken dialog. Rather than merely alternate between speakers, people backchannel, take multiple turns, interrupt each other, and finish each others’ sentences (Fox 1993, Sacks et al. 1974, Duncan 1972). In tutorial dialog, rich turn-taking plays a substantial role in pedagogical effectiveness (Fox 1993). For example, the amoung of time that a teacher waits after asking a question before answering her own question affects student learning (Stahl 1994, Rowe 1972) – wait times of more than three seconds lead to better student learning (Tobin 1987, Tobin 1986). In order to expand the capabilities of spoken dialog systems to handle rich turn-taking, we started with a domain with a relatively simple content-based discourse model – oral reading tutoring – that is also interesting and important in its own right. Because of the simple content of the interaction, we are able to focus on other aspects of the dialog – specifically, turn-taking behavior.
Political and Legal Aspects of Pharmacist Prescribing

The appropriateness of pharmacist prescribing is examined, and limits that should be incorporated into legislation are discussed. Arguments that support pharmacist prescribing are that (1) in current practice, pharmacist consultation has evolved into prescribing; (2) there is a need for pharmacists to prescribe; (3) nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants, whose training in clinical pharmacology is conducted by pharmacists, have authority to prescribe in many states; (4) as the need for dispensing functions decreases, new functions must be assumed; and (5) pharmacist prescribing in pilot studies has been safe, effective, and either equal or superior to physician prescribing. Negative aspects of pharmacist prescribing include (1) not all pharmacists are competent to prescribe, (2) pharmacists are not trained in diagnosis, (3) physicians oppose it, (4) it could increase patient-care costs, and (5) pharmacists' access to patient information is not adequate for competent prescribing. Based on these arguments, legislation regulating pharmacist prescribing should contain certain limits: (1) certification to prescribe should be based on demonstrated competence, (2) pharmacists who prescribe must have access to medical records, (3) pharmacists must prescribe within established working relationships with physicians, and (4) pharmacist prescribing should be limited to long-term therapy for chronic disease and therapy for acute self-limiting illnesses that are not diagnostically complex. These limitations have been incorporated into California law. A bill is pending that allows pharmacists, within specified guidelines, to initiate drug treatment.
Positive Valence in Adult Imagination: Development and Psychometric Examination of the Imaginative Involvement Questionnaire

Fantasy proneness, absorption, and daydreaming are all associated with the higher order construct, imaginative involvement. However, there is no measurement instrument that assesses all three toget...
Does being a jerk work? Examining the effect of aggressive risk communication in the context of science blogs

Understanding aggressive risk communication is important because many scientists use this approach and we know little about its effects. Two studies were conducted to assess the effect of exposure to aggressive risk communication by a scientist on respondents’ perceptions of risk communication quality, supportive behavior (i.e. forwarding the communication), risk communicator likability, and overall views about scientists. Perceived aggressiveness (studies 1–2) and expectation violation (study 2) were considered as mediators. Analyses suggest both direct and indirect negative effects of aggressive risk communication in the case of likability but potentially positive effects in terms of evaluating the message quality. Moreover, expectation violation provided one possible explanation for the effect of aggression.
Genomics-assisted characterization of a breeding collection of Apios americana, an edible tuberous legume.

For species with potential as new crops, rapid improvement may be facilitated by new genomic methods. Apios (Apios americana Medik.), once a staple food source of Native American Indians, produces protein-rich tubers, tolerates a wide range of soils, and symbiotically fixes nitrogen. We report the first high-quality de novo transcriptome assembly, an expression atlas, and a set of 58,154 SNP and 39,609 gene expression markers (GEMs) for characterization of a breeding collection. Both SNPs and GEMs identify six genotypic clusters in the collection. Transcripts mapped to the Phaseolus vulgaris genome–another phaseoloid legume with the same chromosome number–provide provisional genetic locations for 46,852 SNPs. Linkage disequilibrium decays within 10 kb (based on the provisional genetic locations), consistent with outcrossing reproduction. SNPs and GEMs identify more than 21 marker-trait associations for at least 11 traits. This study demonstrates a holistic approach for mining plant collections to accelerate crop improvement.