cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental expression of cloned cardiac potassium channels

Cardiac K+ channels are responsible for repolarization of the action potential and are the targets of several antiarrhythmic drugs. This study examines the differential expression of six K+ channel mRNAs during rat heart development. RK1 and RK2 K+ channel transcripts were undetectable prior to 10 days after birth. In contrast, RK4 mRNA was present at equivalent levels from day 14 in utero to 20 days after birth. RK3 and RK5 were detected as early as 14 days in utero. These data indicate that K+ channel expression in the heart is closely regulated and further argue for physiologically distinct roles for K+ channel isoforms.
Heart disease in diabetes--resist the beginnings.

The study by Fang et al. [(1)][1], together with the accompanying editorial by Picano [(2)][2], draws attention to early functional changes of the heart in diabetes. It is tempting to take the story one step further: to consider the consequences of changes in energy substrate supply to the heart.
Negative energy balance increases periprandial ghrelin and growth hormone concentrations in lactating dairy cows

Abstract The reported effects of feeding on growth hormone (GH) secretion in ruminants have been inconsistent, and are likely influenced by energy status of animals. High-producing dairy cows in early lactation and late lactation were used to assess the effects of energy balance on temporal variation of plasma metabolites and hormones. Cows were fed a single diet once daily, and feed was withdrawn for 90min prior to feeding. Beginning at the time of feed withdrawal, plasma samples were collected via jugular catheters hourly for 24h. Concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and GH were measured for all samples, while insulin, glucose, and acylated (active) ghrelin were quantified for four sample times around feeding. As expected, calculated energy balance was significantly lower in early lactation than late lactation cows (−43.5MJretained/day versus 7.2MJretained/day). Following the primary meal of the day, a GH surge was observed in early lactation but not in late lactation cows. This difference was not explained by temporal patterns in non-esterified fatty acid, insulin, or glucose concentrations. However, a preprandial ghrelin surge was observed in early lactation only, suggesting that ghrelin was responsible for the prandial GH surge in this group. Results of a stepwise regression statistical analysis showed that both preprandial ghrelin concentration and energy balance were significant predictors of prandial GH increase over baseline. Adaptations to negative energy balance in lactating dairy cattle likely include enhanced ghrelin secretion and greater GH response to ghrelin.
Magnetic exchange interaction induced by a Josephson current

We show that a Josephson current flowing through a ferromagnet\char21{}normal-metal\char21{}ferromagnet trilayer connected to two superconducting electrodes induces an equilibrium exchange interaction between the magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic layers. The sign and magnitude of the interaction can be controlled by the phase difference between the order parameters of the two superconductors. We present a general framework to calculate the Josephson current induced magnetic exchange interaction in terms of the scattering matrices of the different layers. The effect should be observable as the periodic switching of the relative orientation of the magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic layers in the ac Josephson effect.
Is there a best model structure? III. Testing the goodness of fit☆

Abstract A criterion of goodness of fit is added to the vectorial approach of comparing several models of an environment using Hasse diagrams. Analysis of different alternative goodness of fit criteria show that the number of “test” models can be reduced by using the additional criterion but that goodness of fit cannot uniquely be used to choose a model structure, only to reject the less suitable ones. The concept of partial ordering using Hasse diagrams is reviewed and confirmed to be one of the better ways to judge several model structures. FORTRAN and BASIC programs are available for interactive graphic display.
Experimental design in the clinical evaluation of amalgam restorations.

In a clinical evaluation of marginal deterioration, 475 amalgram restorations were equally distributed in a 6 × 4 × 2 × 3 factorial design, based on alloy, operator, tooth, and number of restored surfaces. All factors except the last had a statistically significant effect after 6, 12 and 18 months. There were no consistent two-way interactions over time.
On becoming an entrepreneur: an evolving typology

This paper examines the perceptions of prospective entrepreneurs in light of the possible influence of the post‐Internet boom awareness and the slowing growth of the economy on their attitudes toward founding a business. The study presents and analyzes the responses and ensuing discussion to questions posed to 54 individuals in three college entrepreneurship courses. Using a controlled Internet discussion board, an interactive dialogue developed among participants. According to the qualitative research findings, a majority of participants in the study perceive there is a slight decline in entrepreneurial activity after the widely publicized failure of new e‐businesses that were created in recent years, and the subsequent slowing of the economy. However, there are several reasons why individuals considering entrepreneurship would continue with their goal of founding a business, including greater control of their destiny, increased satisfaction, more money, and creating a legacy for their family and children. Recommendations are made for further qualitative and empirical research of prospective entrepreneurs in follow‐up to these findings.
Associative and categorical hypotheses of organization in the free recall of adults and children

Abstract Associative and categorical explanations for the organization children and adults display in free recall were tested. It was expected that young children would show output clustering as a function of associations between individual items within categories rather than relationship to the taxonomy itself. Kindergarten, fourth-grade, and tenth-grade subjects were presented with pictures representing the four factorial combinations of high and low interitem association and high and low category relatedness. Each set of pictures could be divided into four taxonomic categories of six items each. Kindergarteners displayed greater category clustering of highly associated items than weak associates. Older subjects showed sensitivity to both organizational dimensions. These data support a hypothesis that young children cluster in recall as a function of associations while older individuals show organizational flexibility which serves to facilitate greater recall.
Information from a pregnant salmon shark Lamna ditropis in the eastern North Pacific with observations on oophagous reproduction

A pregnant salmon shark Lamna ditropis, captured in Alaska in December 2006, held two male and two female oophagous embryos (two per uterus) nourished by a single large 7·5 kg ovary. This discovery provides new data and insights into reproduction of the species and new perspective on the genus Lamna.
Properties of univalent fragments of rabbit antibody isolated by specific adsorption

Abstract A method is described for the isolation of active nonprecipitating fragments of rabbit antihapten antibody by specific adsorption. The fragments, about 1 3 as large as the original molecule, were isolated from a papain hydrolyzate of specifically purified anti-p-azobenzoate antibody. The average equilibrium constant for their interaction with homologous hapten, and the index of heterogeneity were the same, within experimental error, as the values for untreated antibody. Thus the isolation procedure does not fractionate molecules according to their combining affinity. It is also evident that 2 3 of the molecule may be discarded without affecting the structural integrity of the combining site and that electrostatic effects on binding due to the residual bulk of the molecule are negligible. The average number of combining sites per molecule of the isolated fragments, determined by hapten-binding measurements, is 0.9–1.0, providing direct evidence that the active fragments produced by papain are univalent. The specific optical rotation of a dialyzed papain hydrolyzate is approximately the same as that of untreated rabbit γ-globulin, indicating that the fragments are compact molecular units; i.e., are not appreciably unfolded or denatured. This conclusion is supported by the reduction in specific viscosity and the unchanged heat stability which accompanies the hydrolysis.
Temporal control of voltage-clamped membranes: an examination of principles.

The theoretical principles governing both speed and fidelity in the temporal control of voltage-clamped, excitable membranes are developed. A generalized equivalent circuit for voltage-clamping various biological preparations is analyzed. For critical damping response, the amplifier time constant must either be much smaller (as with puffer neuron) or much larger (as with squid axon or eel electroplaque) than the time constant of the membrane-solution-electrode “load”. In the latter case, speed of response can be significantly increased with a new type of feedback designed to decrease the effects of current electrode and solution resistances. This new feedback, in addition, minimizes the lack of fidelity caused by the membrane time varying conductances. The analysis has been verified by experiments on eel electroplaque and with analogues that simulate an excitable membrane.
High-Energy Electron-Electron Scattering

The radiative corrections to the electron-electron scattering to order ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}^{3}$ are calculated for (1) the colliding beam experiment and (2) the experiment in which the target electron is at rest initially. The contributions from high-energy real photons are included. The two-photon exchange diagrams are found to give only negligible contributions to the cross sections after infrared cancellation. The effect due to the possible breakdown of quantum electrodynamics is discussed. A preliminary study on the electron-positron colliding beam experiment involving various interactions is made. The vacuum polarizations involving heavier particles than an electron pair in the closed loop are investigated.
Dendron-Functionalized Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles with Switchable Solubility in Organic and Aqueous Media: Matrices for Homogeneous Catalysis and Potential MRI Contrast Agents

Maghemite nanoparticles protected with a shell of Simanek (melamine) dendrons of three different generations were achieved via multiple-step syntheses. The resulting nanoclusters exhibited switchable solubility in various solvents and were examined as soluble matrices for supporting magnetically recoverable homogeneous Pd catalysts in organic solvents and as potential MRI contrast agents in aqueous media. Successful promotion of Suzuki reactions and the observation of generation-dependent dendritic effects with strong MR relaxivities suggest broad application possibilities for dendron-maghemite nanoparticles across many fields.
Comparative study on the effect of low-dose vitamin E and probucol on the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and the progression of atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

The diet of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits was supplemented with a low dose (0.025% [wt/wt]) of the antioxidant vitamin E or probucol. The effect of 6 months of treatment on the susceptibility of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) to oxidative modification and on established atherosclerotic lesions was studied. Vitamin E administration had no effect on plasma lipid levels; probucol supplementation decreased plasma total cholesterol. Vitamin E levels in plasma and LDL increased threefold in the course of treatment with this antioxidant. Six months of treatment with vitamin E and probucol increased the lag time of conjugated-diene formation of LDL subjected to in vitro oxidation by 54% (P < .001) and 51% (P = .019), respectively. In this LDL-oxidizability assay, only vitamin E reduced the maximal rate of conjugated-diene production (-24%, P < .001). Neither vitamin E treatment nor probucol therapy reduced the amount of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in plasma. Vitamin E treatment reduced the specific LDL apolipoprotein B-100 fluorescence (-10%, P = .035) compared with controls. Probucol was without effect on this index of in vivo LDL oxidation. At the end of the 6-month study, the mean +/- SD percentage area of aorta covered with plaques was 58.7 +/- 10.1% in control animals, 62.7 +/- 12.0% in the probucol-treated animals, and 48.9 +/- 13.8% in the animals treated with vitamin E; these differences were not significant. This study demonstrates that at this low dosage, vitamin E is a more effective antioxidant than probucol.
Less Harmful Acidic Degradation of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Through Titania Nanoparticle Addition

In the last 10 years, biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), have attracted increasing attention for their use as scaffold materials in bone tissue engineering because their degradation products can be removed by natural metabolic pathways. However, one main concern with the use of these specific polymers is that their degradation products reduce local pH, which in turn induces an inflammatory reaction and damages bone cell health at the implant site. Thus, the objective of the present in vitro study was to investigate the degradation behavior of PLGA when added with dispersed titania nanoparticles. The results of this study provided the first evidence that the increased dispersion of nanophase titania in PLGA decreased the harmful change in pH normal for PLGA degradation. Moreover, previous studies have demonstrated that the increased dispersion of titania nanoparticles into PLGA significantly improved osteoblast (bone-forming cell) functions (such as adhesion, collagen synthesis, alkaline phosphatase activity, and calcium-containing minerals deposition). In this manner, nanophase titania-PLGA composites may be promising scaffold materials for more effective orthopedic tissue engineering applications.
Optimal Timing of Surgery in Aortic Regurgitation

Criteria for choosing the optimum time for operation in patients who have aortic regurgitation (AR) have changed in recent years, including a number of notable new components [1,2]. In the 1970s and 1980s, selecting patients for valvular surgery entailed waiting as long as possible until symptoms became substantial [3], which usually meant New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III symptoms that were not controllable with medical management. At that time, the primary surgical option was aortic valve replacement for which the perioperative mortality was high and postoperative problems with ‘‘prosthetic valve diseases’’ were substantial. In stable patients, clinicians watched for measurements of left ventricular (LV) size and function as the primary clinical indicators for surgical timing. In current medical practice, the process of selecting patients is different in a variety of ways. Improved diagnostic methods are available to understand changes in the structure of the aortic valve itself, often including the etiology and mechanism of the dysfunction. Acute cardiac imaging allows a better understanding of a patient’s aortic valve and allows better prediction of the likely future progression of the disease based on natural history studies. Improved quantitation of the severity of the AR is feasible using Doppler echocardiography and other methods. The effects of AR on cardiac function and the potential complications that occur with medical or surgical management can be anticipated. Operative mortality has declined remarkably. For isolated, uncomplicated aortic valve operations at Cleveland Clinic, in-hospital mortality decreased from 2.4% during 1980 to 1989 to 1.7% during 1990 to 1999 and to 1.2% during 2000 to 2005. Surgical options have improved, including more nonprosthetic options such as valve repair. Available prosthetic valves are more durable than in the past. In patients needing isolated primary aortic valve surgery, minimally invasive techniques [4] can be used, avoiding some the discomfort, bleeding, and other temporary disabilities resulting from a full midsternal thoracotomy. Newly developed percutaneous [5–7] and robotic [8] methods have already been used in limited numbers of patients, and their future role is hopeful. Accordingly, the threshold for valve surgery has been progressively reduced. It is now reasonable to do valve surgery for AR in some asymptomatic patients. The clinician must carefully consider each patient individually, including his or her current state of health and fitness, all noncardiology problems, and the available resources for medical treatment, surgery, and recovery. Decisions for surgery or medical management should be based on a comparison between the likely outcomes of immediate surgery and the natural history of the disease if surgery is delayed.
International Trade and Shift-Share Analysis: A Response to Dinc and Haynes:

In this article, in response to the Dinc and Haynes comment, the authors correct their published formulation of the import/export disaggregated dynamic shift-share analysis used to characterize differential metropolitan employment growth rates in the United States. The empirical results of the analysis and the inferences drawn from them in their 1997 EDQ article remain valid. The authors contrast the formulation they used with that suggested by Dinc and Haynes, pointing out the differential treatment of productivity in each. They maintain that separating productivity gains from the trade-related components is preferable to the Dinc and Haynes assumption of proportional gains, because successful exporting sectors are more apt to post superior productivity growth rates than are import-vulnerable sectors. The authors show that the results of the two versions are otherwise equivalent.
Convergent and Divergent Thinking, Test Anxiety, and Curiosity.

AbstractInterrelationships between two motivational variables, test-anxiety and curiosity, and two cognitive variables, convergent and divergent thinking were tested using the measures of convergent and divergent thinking of J. P. Guilford and two self-report true-false scales of test-anxiety and curiosity. Ss were 212 undergraduates, 175 female and thirty-seven male. Based on findings and implications from earlier research, negative relationships of convergent and divergent thinking with test-anxiety, and positive relationships with curiosity were predicted. All correlations for the total group were found to be significant at the .05 level, those with anxiety higher than those with curiosity. Thus, there was support for the view that test-anxiety is negatively related and curiosity positively related to both convergent and divergent thinking. The results were discussed in terms of previous research, and educational implications.
The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA): An innovative strategy for assessing carcinogen use

Abstract The state of Massachusetts enacted the Toxic Use Reduction Act (TURA) in 1989. The law requires that users of toxic chemicals evaluate and plan for pollution prevention. Data indicate that shipment of toxic chemicals as product have been reduced by over 30% and that releases of toxics have declined over 80% during the first ten years of reporting. Analysis of the data for several chemicals designated as “carcinogens” based on their potential negative environmental and human health effects was conducted. These chemicals include arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, and lead compounds . Communities were grouped as low, medium-low, medium-high, and high income levels as determined by the respective communities’ median income from census data for the year 2000. The results indicate that usage is disproportionate throughout the state when grouped by income level. The need for chemical policies and procedures such as the TURA in growing urban centers will be discussed. Further, recommendations to ensure that there are not a disproportionate share of toxics usage, storage, and emissions in localized settings will be presented.
A rejoinder to Levasseur and dean on ‘the dole humor myth’

(1997). A rejoinder to Levasseur and dean on ‘the dole humor myth’. Southern Communication Journal: Vol. 62, Social Influence in Changing Times, pp. 153-157.
The relation of rhinitis to recurrent cough and wheezing: a longitudinal study.

Summary Background Recurrent cough can be a clinical manifestation of rhinitis. However, it remains unclear if the association between rhinitis and recurrent cough among children is independent of asthma. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine, in a large longitudinal cohort, whether rhinitis is significantly associated with recurrent cough alone, wheezing alone, or the combination of both symptoms during childhood. Methods We investigated determinants of recurrent cough, with or without wheezing, using longitudinal data from the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. Among the 1246 subjects originally enrolled, 1024 children completed at least one questionnaire between the ages of 6 and 18 years and were included in the present study. In any survey, wheezing was defined as at least one wheezing episode during the past year and recurrent cough as two or more coughing episodes lasting at least 1 week without a cold during the past year. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine significant risk factors. Results After adjusting for sex, skin test reactivity and parental asthma, both rhinitis (OR=2.47 CI=1.84, 3.30) and sinusitis (OR=1.54 CI=1.11, 2.14) were associated with an increased risk of recurrent cough plus wheezing. The OR associated with rhinitis were significantly reduced for subjects reporting only recurrent cough or only wheezing (OR=1.43, CI=1.03, 1.99; and OR=1.30, CI=1.07, 1.58, respectively). Recurrent cough and wheezing, when examined independently, showed different patterns of risk factors. Conclusion We found rhinitis to be an independent risk factor for both recurrent cough and wheezing during childhood. Different pathways may be involved in the association of rhinitis with recurrent cough and wheezing.
The Effects of Fatigue from Repeated Trunk Extensions on Trunk Muscle Activity

Asymmetric trunk postures and trunk dynamics have been implicated as risk factors for occupational low back disorders. Muscle fatigue has also been cited as an ergonomic issue, though not directly linked to an increased risk of low back injury. This paper investigates the effect of trunk extensor muscle fatigue on muscle activity levels during symmetric and asymmetric trunk extension exertions. The results show that muscle fatigue alters both flexor and extensor muscle activity patterns in asymmetric trunk extensions earlier than in sagittally-symmetric trunk extensions. This quickened fatigue response to asymmetric trunk motions could be a contributor to the increased risk of low back injury seen in occupational tasks that include asymmetric trunk lifting.
SU-E-J-171: Surface Imaging Based Intrafraction Motion Assessments for Whole Brain Radiotherapy

Purpose: To quantify and characterize intrafraction motion for whole brain radiotherapy treatments in open face masks using 3D surface imaging. Methods: Fifteen whole brain patients were monitored with 3D surface imaging over a total of 202 monitoring sessions. Mean translations and rotations were calculated over each minute, each session, and over all sessions combined. The percentage of each session that the root mean square (RMS) of the linear translations were outside of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm were determined for each patient. Correlations between mean translations per minute and time and between standard deviation per minute and time were evaluated using Pearson's r value. Results: The mean RMS translation averaged over all patients was 1.45 mm +/− 1.52 mm. The patients spent an average of 18%, 10%, 6%, and 3% of the monitoring time outside of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm RMS tolerances, respectively. The RMS values averaged over all patients were 1.31 mm +/− 0.98 mm, 1.52 +/- 1.04, and 1.30 mm +/− 0.71 mm over the 1th, 5th, and 10th minutes of monitoring, respectively. Neither, the RMS values (p = 0.15) or the standard deviations of the RMS values (p = 0.16) showed significant correlations with time. Conclusion: The patients were positioned within 2 mm of isocenter, which was the initial set-up tolerance, for the majority of their treatments. The average position changed by < 0.3 mm over 10 minutes of monitoring. Short term movements, reflected by the standard deviations, where on the order of 1 mm. This immobilization system provides adequate immobilization over a course of treatment for whole brain radiotherapy. This system may also be suitable for head and neck or stereotactic radiosurgery treatments as well.
A decoupling algorithm for fluid-structure interaction problems based on optimization

Abstract Simulating fluid-structure interactions is challenging due to the tight coupling between the fluid and solid substructures. Explicit and implicit decoupling methods often either fail or require relaxation when densities of the two materials are close. In this paper, a fluid-structure interaction problem is formulated as a least squares problem, where the jump in velocities of the two substructures is minimized by a Neumann control enforcing the continuity of stress on the interface. A decoupling optimization algorithm is discussed, which requires few nonlinear solves at each time step, and numerical results are presented.
Occupational Mobility and Depression Among the Foreign-Born in the United States

This paper used the 2003 New Immigrant Survey (n = 2,305) to examine the relationship between occupational mobility before and after migration and depression among immigrants. There were two measures of occupational mobility, change in occupational prestige and educational match. For both measures, upward and downward mobility were associated with higher depression. This association was only present among women; for men, there were no significant relationships between the occupational mobility measures and depression. The findings suggest that immigrant occupational mobility may not solely represent the acquisition or reduction of material resources. Instead, occupational mobility may encompass immigrants' unique stressors and post-migration working environments that produce a range of psychosocial influences on mental health. Gender differences also suggest immigrant women face unique stressors that arise from adjusting to both the working and domestic spheres.
Neural interfaces at the nanoscale

Bioelectrical neural interfaces provide a means of recording the activity from the nervous system and delivering therapeutic stimulation to restore neurological function lost during disease or injury. Although neural interfaces have reached clinical utility, reducing the size of the bioelectrical interface to minimize damage to neural tissue and maximize selectivity has proven problematic. Nanotechnology may offer a means of interfacing with the nervous system with unprecedented specificity. Emergent applications of nanotechnology to neuroscience include molecular imaging, drug delivery across the BBB, scaffolds for neural regeneration and bioelectrical interfaces. In particular, carbon nanotubes offer the promises of material stability and low electrical impedance at physical dimensions that could have a significant impact on the future on neural interfaces. The purpose of this review is to present recent advances in carbon nanotube-based bioelectrical interfaces for the nervous system and discuss research challenges and opportunities.
Combined tension‐torsion creep experiments on polycarbonate in the nonlinear range

Constant stress creep and recovery experiments were performed in the nonlinear range under combined tension and torsion on a tubular specimen of polycarbonate. Nonlinear viscoelasticity theory was employed to describe the test results. It was found that the first three orders of stress terms and a power function of time adequately described the experimental results. The modified superposition principle satisfactorily predicted the recovery following creep. Recovery was almost complete in several days following two hours of creep.
Adaptive Feed Forward Beam-Loading Compensation Experience at the Spallation Neutron Source Linac

When initial beam studies at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) indicated a need for better compensation of the effects of beam-loading, a succession of rapid-prototyping and experimentation lead to the development of a simple yet successful adaptive feed forward (AFF) technique within a few weeks. We describe the process and first results.
Ultrasonography-guided peripheral intravenous catheter survival in ED patients with difficult access.

Abstract Objectives We determined the survival and complications of ultrasonography-guided peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters in emergency department (ED) patients with difficult peripheral access. Methods This was a prospective, observational study conducted in an academic hospital from April to July of 2007. We included consecutive adult ED patients with difficult access who had ultrasonography-guided peripheral IVs placed. Operators completed data sheets and researchers examined admitted patients daily to assess outcomes. The primary outcome was IV survival >96 hours. As a secondary outcome, we recorded IV complications, including central line placement. We used descriptive statistics, univariate survival analysis with Kaplan Meier, and log-rank tests for data analysis. Results Seventy-five patients were enrolled. The average age was 52 years. Fifty-three percent were male, 21% obese, and 13% had a history of injection drug use. The overall IV survival rate was 56% (95% confidence interval, 44%-67%) with a median survival of 26 hours (interquartile range [IQR], 8-61). Forty-seven percent of IVs failed within 24 hours, most commonly due to infiltration. Although 47 (63%) operators reported that a central line would have been required if peripheral access was unobtainable, only 5 (7%; 95% confidence interval, 2%-15%) patients underwent central venous catheterization. Only 1 central line was placed as a result of ultrasonography-guided IV failure. We observed no infectious or thrombotic complications. Conclusion Despite a high premature failure rate, ultrasonography-guided peripheral IVs appear to be an effective alternative to central line placement in ED patients with difficult access.
An Assessment of Scales Measuring Constructs in Tests of Criminological Theory Based on National Youth Survey Data

Researchers have utilized the National Youth Survey (NYS) data to test a variety of theoretical explanations of criminal behavior. Here, the authors offer an assessment of scales used in tests of criminological theory based on NYS data. The authors conducted this assessment to provide results informing future tests of theory. Their analyses focus on understanding the extent to which scales representative of different theories are actually based on the same item content. They test for two distinct processes that may explain this phenomenon. In the first process, scales measuring a given construct are attributed to different theories. In the second process, scales measuring different constructs are based on the same items. Results show that both of the processes described above contribute to the use of the same NYS items in scales that are attributed to different theories. To inform future tests of theory, the authors identify the sections of the NYS where each of these processes are most prevalent, in effe...
Electrical properties and sulfur tolerance of La0.75Sr0.25Cr1−xMnxO3 under anodic conditions

Complex metal oxides with composition of La0.75Sr0.25Cr1� xMnxO3 ðx ¼ 0:4; 0:5; 0:6Þ (LSCM) have been synthesized and examined as anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). LSCM compositions show excellent tolerance to both reduction and oxidation but the crystal structure transforms from hexagonal in air to orthorhombic in H2. The volume change associated with this phase transformation is only about 1%, thus having little effect on other properties. The total electrical conductivity increases with the content of Mn, whereas the resistance to sulfur poisoning increases with the content of Cr. Fuel cells using LSCM as the anode show very good performance when pure hydrogen is used as the fuel. However, they do not appear to be stable in fuels containing 10% of H2S. r 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Horizontal Gene Transfer and the Evolution of Microvirid Coliphage Genomes

ABSTRACT Bacteriophage genomic evolution has been largely characterized by rampant, promiscuous horizontal gene transfer involving both homologous and nonhomologous source DNA. This pattern has emerged through study of the tailed double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) phages and is based upon a sparse sampling of the enormous diversity of these phages. The single-stranded DNA phages of the family Microviridae, including φX174, appear to evolve through qualitatively different mechanisms, possibly as result of their strictly lytic lifestyle and small genome size. However, this apparent difference could reflect merely a dearth of relevant data. We sought to characterize the forces that contributed to the molecular evolution of the Microviridae and to examine the genetic structure of this single family of bacteriophage by sequencing the genomes of microvirid phage isolated on a single bacterial host. Microvirids comprised 3.5% of the detectable phage in our environmental samples, and sequencing yielded 42 new microvirid genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the genes contained in these and five previously described microvirid phages identified three distinct clades and revealed at least two horizontal transfer events between clades. All members of one clade have a block of five putative genes that are not present in any member of the other two clades. Our data indicate that horizontal transfer does contribute to the evolution of the microvirids but is both quantitatively and qualitatively different from what has been observed for the dsDNA phages.
Media Regulation: Governance and the Interests of Citizens and Consumers, by Peter Lunt and Sonia Livingstone. London, UK: Sage, 2012. 216 pp. $44.00 paper. ISBN 9780857025708 paper.

Development of communication technologies goes hand in hand with changes in the public sphere. With the latter being a delicate and crucial matter, regulating technologies has been a much-debated i...
Macroecology: The Division of Food and Space Among Species on Continents

Analyses of statistical distributions of body mass, population density, and size and shape of geographic range offer insights into the empirical patterns and causal mechanisms that characterize the allocation of food and space among the diverse species in continental biotas. These analyses also provide evidence of the processes that couple ecological phenomena that occur on disparate spatial and temporal scales—from the activities of individual organisms within local populations to the dynamics of continent-wide speciation, colonization, and extinction events.
Environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer mortality in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been classified as a human lung carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), based both on the chemical similarity of sidestream and mainstream smoke and on slightly higher lung cancer risk in never-smokers whose spouses smoke compared with those married to nonsmokers. We evaluated the relation between ETS and lung cancer prospectively in the US, among 114,286 female and 19,549 male never-smokers, married to smokers, compared with about 77,000 female and 77,000 male never-smokers whose spouses did not smoke. Multivariate analyses, based on 247 lung cancer deaths, controlled for age, race, diet, and occupation. Dose-response analyses were restricted to 92,222 women whose husbands provided complete information on cigarette smoking and date of marriage. Lung cancer death rates, adjusted for other factors, were 20 percent higher among women whose husbands ever smoked during the current marriage than among those married to never-smokers (relative risk [RR]=1.2, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=0.8-1.6). For never-smoking men whose wives smoked, the RR was 1.1 (CI=0.6-1.8). Risk among women was similar or higher when the husband continued to smoke (RR=1.2, CI=0.8-1.8), or smoked 40 or more cigarettes per day (RR=1.9, CI=1.0-3.6), but did not increase with years of marriage to a smoker. Most CIs included the null. Although generally not statistically significant, these results agree with the EPA summary estimate that spousal smoking increases lung cancer risk by about 20 percent in never-smoking women. Even large prospective studies have limited statistical power to measure precisely the risk from ETS.
Big Data: New Tricks for Econometrics

Abstract Computers are now involved in many economic transactions and can capture data associated with these transactions, which can then be manipulated and analyzed. Conventional statistical and econometric techniques such as regression often work well, but there are issues unique to big datasets that may require different tools. First, the sheer size of the data involved may require more powerful data manipulation tools. Second, we may have more potential predictors than appropriate for estimation, so we need to do some kind of variable selection. Third, large datasets may allow for more flexible relationships than simple linear models. Machine learning techniques such as decision trees, support vector machines, neural nets, deep learning, and so on may allow for more effective ways to model complex relationships. In this essay, I will describe a few of these tools for manipulating and analyzing big data. I believe that these methods have a lot to offer and should be more widely known and used by econom...
MGS Radio Science electron density profiles: Interannual variability and implications for the Martian neutral atmosphere

density of 7.3–8.5 � 10 4 cm � 3 is also measured during solar moderate conditions at Mars. Strong wave number 2–3 oscillations in peak heights are consistently observed as a function of longitude over the 2 Martian years. These observed ionospheric features are remarkably similar during aphelion conditions 1 Martian year apart. This year-to-year repeatability in the thermosphere-ionosphere structure is consistent with that observed in multiyear aphelion temperature data of the Mars lower atmosphere [Clancy et al., 2000; Smith, 2004]. Coupled Mars general circulation model (MGCM) and Mars thermospheric general circulation model (MTGCM) codes are run for Mars aphelion conditions, yielding mean and longitude variable ionospheric peak heights that reasonably match RS observations. A tidal decomposition of MTGCM thermospheric densities shows that observed ionospheric wave number 3 features are linked to a nonmigrating tidal mode with semidiurnal period (s = 2) and zonal wave number 1 (s = � 1) characteristics. The height of this photochemically determined ionospheric peak should be monitored regularly. INDEX TERMS: 5435 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Ionospheres (2459); 5409 Planetology: Solid Surface Planets: Atmospheres—structure and dynamics; 6225 Planetology: Solar System Objects: Mars; KEYWORDS: ionosphere, Mars, thermosphere
A VLSI architecture for the order recursive estimation of higher order statistics

To achieve real-time performance in estimating the higher order statistics directly from the incoming time-series data, it is necessary to (a) design faster algorithms by reducing any inherent computational redundancy, and (b) apply parallel processing and pipelining. The authors present a VLSI implementable parallel architecture that computes in order recursive fashion estimates of all the higher order moments and cumulants up to the fourth order, at one of their non-redundant domains of support. The system consists of a tri-array and a farm of processors producing the moment terms and fourth order cumulants respectively. They have applied a systematic array synthesis methodology that guarantees the optimality of both arrays, as well as the appropriate interface between them, so that intermediate data movement and delays are minimized while achieving maximum output throughput. >
Unknown-tolerance analysis and test-quality control for test response compaction using space compactors

For a space compactor, degradation of fault detection capability caused by the masking effects from unknown values is much more serious than that caused by error masking (i.e. aliasing). In this paper, we first propose a mathematical framework to estimate the percentage of observable responses under unknown-induced masking for a space compactor. We further develop a prediction scheme which can correlate the percentage of observable responses with the modeled-fault coverage and with an n-detection metric for a given test set. As a result, the quality of a space compactor can be measured directly based on its test quality, instead of based on indirect metrics such as the number of tolerated unknowns or the aliasing probability. With the prediction scheme above, we propose a construction flow for space compactors to achieve the desired level of test quality while maximizing the compaction ratio.
The Personal is Political: Private Interactions Can Support Public Goods

The public goods game is the classic laboratory paradigm for studying collective action problems. Each participant chooses how much to contribute to a common pool that returns benefits to all participants equally. The ideal outcome occurs if everybody contributes the maximum amount, but the self-interested strategy is not to contribute anything. Lab experiments robustly find that contributions decline over time, recreating the 'tragedy of the commons'. But in reality, public goods provisioning does not occur in a vacuum. Our group interactions are superimposed on a network personal (pairwise) relationships. These pairwise relationships can be used to enforce good behavior in the public sphere (provided that public goods behavior is common knowledge): I can refuse you help in our pairwise interactions if you are not doing your part for the group. Thus private interactions can potentially support public cooperation in large groups, without the need to rely on destructive costly punishments. I will present experimental evidence on situations in which these productive pairwise encounters do and do not succeed in supporting contributions in the public goods game.
Zombies, Boys, and Videogames: Problems and Possibilities in an Assessment Culture

In many ways, the zombie seems to be a suitable trope for the challenges students, teachers, and parents may face as they confront and respond to imposed standards and curricula. More specifically, this chapter extends the zombie metaphor to examine the challenges two adolescent male learners and their mother faced as their New York public middle and high schools adopted national standards and imposed curricular modifications. Through the perspective of the stakeholders (the two students and their mother), assessment-driven changes ironically challenged good pedagogy and generated hysteria. In light of the qualitative data, this chapter suggests that videogames can provide a model for productive, collaborative, and creative change that promises to be relevant and meaningful to educators and students.
Role of Surgery in a Multidisciplinary Approach

Surgical therapy is an essential therapeutic option in all malignancies. Using it in the context of systemic and local regional treatments can provide the best chance for cure, disease control, and palliation. Careful evaluation of the patient by a multi-disciplinary team can determine the optimal sequencing of treatment. The risks and benefits of surgery should be determined in relationship with the other treatments. The combination of nuclear systemic therapy with surgery is a novel treatment strategy that may have great potential and warrants further testing.
Design and Validation of an LDV-Based Structural Health Monitoring in "Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration"

A structural dynamics-Neural Network-based health monitoring system has been developed for planetary subsurface exploration, and demonstrated in the Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration project. To design a quick, non-invasive, and autonomous procedure for this application, Neural Networks, Laser Doppler Vibrometer sensors, and other devices were investigated and utilized. The developed system was tested and validated during the 2004-2006 Devon Island field tests. The Haughton Crater region of Devon Island, Canada, simulates many of the surface, and subsurface conditions to be found on Mars.
Materials for a hypogeous mycoflora of the Great Basin and adjacent cordilleras of the Western United States II. Two subemergent species Cortinarius saxamontanus, sp. Nov., and C. magnivelatus, plus comments on their evolution

Cortinarius magnivelatus and C. saxamontanus, sp. nov., two species of subemergent taxa from the Western United States, are described and illustrated. Two hypotheses on the evolution of these subem...
SUBSTITUTION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW TRACT DIAMETER WITH BODY SURFACE AREA

Measurement of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) diameter is a key parameter in the calculation of stroke volume, aortic valve area and mitral valve area on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We had observed that the numeric value for body surface area (BSA) reported in m2 frequently
The Dynamics of Emotion and Activism: Grief, Gender, and Collective Identity in Revolutionary Nicaragua

This article argues for a multidirectional and gendered understanding of the causal relationship between emotion and collective identity. Based on interviews and participant observation with core members of a Nicaraguan mothers' organization, I identify four ways in which emotion and identity are causally linked: emotion-based identity, therapy, affective bonds, and change in collective identity leading to change in grieving style. These indicate a dynamic relationship between emotion and collective identity. Furthermore, to understand emotion-based collective identity and perceptions of the emotional benefits of participation, this relationship must be understood through gendered cultural expectations about emotion.
The Diametrically Loaded Cylinder For The Study Of Nanostructured Aluminum-Graphene And Aluminum-Alumina Nanocomposites Using Digital Image Correlation

Non-contact methods for characterization of metal matrix composites have the potential to accelerate the development and study of advanced composite materials. In this study, diametrical compression of small disk specimens was used to understand the mechanical properties of metal matrix micro and nano composites. Analysis was performed using an inverse method that couples digital image correlation and the analytical closed form formulation. This technique was capable of extracting the tension and compression modulus values in the metal matrix nanocomposite disk specimens. Specimens of aluminum and aluminum reinforced with either Al2O3 nanoparticles or graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were synthesized using a powder metallurgy approach that involved room temperature milling in ethanol, and low temperature drying followed by single action compaction. The elastic and failure properties of MMNC materials prepared using the procedure above are presented.