cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ghana: Prospects for Secondary School GIS Education in a Developing Country

While GIS education is booming and even emerging in secondary schools in developed countries, in developing countries, dearth of equipment, supplies, and trained personnel remain major impediments. Unstable power compounds the problem further and restricts computer access mostly to Internet cafes in urban areas. This is the situation in Ghana, where awareness of the value of GIS as a decision-making tool is matched with very little application. GIS education is just beginning and currently limited to the country’s major universities. We discuss the challenges and prospects of introducing GIS education in Ghana’s secondary schools and conclude that fundamental challenges, including recognition of the importance of GIS, the weak national ICT infrastructure, the cost of computer hardware and software, and an education tradition that places more value on postgraduate education, are significant obstacles that must be overcome.
Detecting Compton Reflection and a Broad Iron Line in MCG-5-23-16 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer

We report the detection with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer of a Compton reflection signature in the Seyfert galaxy MCG-5-23-16. RXTE also resolves the Fe K-alpha fluorescence line with FWHM ~48,000 km s^{-1}. This measurement provides the first independent confirmation of ASCA detections in Seyfert galaxies of broad Fe K-alpha lines that are thought to be the signature of emission from the inner regions of an accretion disk orbiting a black hole. Under the assumption that reflection arises from an isotropic source located above a neutral accretion disk, and using a theoretical model that accounts for the dependence of the reflected spectrum on inclination angle, we derive a 90% confidence range for the disk inclination of i = 50 to 81 degrees. The large inclination is consistent with that expected from the unified model for MCG-5-23-16 based on its Seyfert 1.9 classification. If we assume that the high-energy cutoff in the incident spectrum lies at energies larger than a few hundred keV, then the equivalent width of the Fe K-alpha line is much larger than predicted for the amount of reflection. This implies either an enhanced iron abundance, a covering factor of reflecting material > 0.5, or a cutoff in the incident spectrum at energies between ~60 and ~200 keV.
Abstract 16391: Constitutively Active GSK-3β Attenuates Cardiac Aging Through Ulk1-Dependent Stimulation of Autophagy

Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) at S9 increases during aging or cellular senescence. However, it is unknown whether the phosphorylation is beneficial or detrimental, and mechanisms through which GSK-3β affects aging remain to be elucidated. Autophagy, which protects organs against aging, decreases with aging. We hypothesize that GSK-3β mediates its effects via Ulk1, a regulator of autophagy, and studied unphosphorylatable/constitutively active (CA) GSK-3βS9A knock-in mice (βKI) and GSK-3βS9A/Ulk1+/- bigenic mice (Bigenic) up to 24 months (M) of age. From 6M to 24M, left ventricular (LV) weight/body weight (LVW/BW, mg/g) increased in wild-type mice (WT, 3.2±0.2 vs 3.8±0.2) but decreased in βKI (3.2±0.3 vs 2.4±0.1), and was lower (p<0.005) in βKI than in WT at 24M. Cardiac myocyte cross-sectional area (CSA, μm2) was smaller in βKI than in WT at 24M (376±5 vs 501±8, p<0.001). The LVW/BW was higher (3.5±0.2, p<0.001) and the CSA was bigger (527±4, p<0.001) in Bigenic than in βKI at 24M. These data suggest that CA GSK-3β attenuates aging-related cardiac hypertrophy via Ulk1. Cardiac fibrosis (%) increased at 24M in WT (3.5±0.2 vs 1.1±0.1, p<0.001), but was less in βKI (2.4±0.1) than in WT (p<0.001) or Bigenic (5.5±0.6, p<0.001). The TUNEL-positive nuclei (%) increased at 24M in WT (0.17±0.02 vs 0.03±0.01, p<0.001), but there were fewer in βKI (0.04±0.01) than in WT (p<0.005) or Bigenic (0.19±0.03, p<0.005). These data demonstrate that CA GSK-3β decreases aging-associated cardiac fibrosis and apoptosis via Ulk1. The LV end-systolic elastance (mmHg/μl) decreased in WT (5±1 vs 16 ±2, p<0.005) but not in βKI, while the LV chamber stiffness constant (μl-1) increased in WT (0.13±0.0 vs 0.04±0.01, p<0.001) but not in βKI, and these effects of CA GSK-3β were abolished in Bigenic. These data suggest that CA GSK-3β preserves cardiac function via Ulk1. The numbers of autophagosomes and autolysosomes, determined using tandem fluorescent mRFP-GFP-LC3 transgenic mice (tfLC3), were significantly higher in βKI/tfLC3 mice than in tfLC3 or βKI/tfLC3/Ulk1+/- mice, indicating that CA GSK-3β activates autophagy via Ulk1. In conclusion, S9 phosphorylation of GSK-3β is detrimental during aging, and CA GSK-3β beneficially enhances Ulk1-dependent autophagy.
Hepatitis C and alcohol

Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who drink heavily are likely to suffer more severe liver injury, promoting disease progression to cirrhosis and increasing their risk for liver cancer. Some research, although not conclusive, suggests that even moderate drinking may spur liver damage in HCV-infected patients. Research areas that have the greatest potential for developing more effective treatment options include HCV virology, immunology, animal models, and the mechanisms of liver injury.
The Impact of the Branched-Chain Ketoacid Dehydrogenase Complex on Amino Acid Homeostasis in Arabidopsis

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) Leu, Ile, and Val are among nine essential amino acids that must be obtained from the diet of humans and other animals, and can be nutritionally limiting in plant foods. Despite genetic evidence of its importance in regulating seed amino acid levels, the full BCAA catabolic network is not completely understood in plants, and limited information is available regarding its regulation. In this study, transcript coexpression analyses revealed positive correlations among BCAA catabolism genes in stress, development, diurnal/circadian, and light data sets. A core subset of BCAA catabolism genes, including those encoding putative branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase subunits, is highly expressed during the night in plants on a diel cycle and in prolonged darkness. Mutants defective in these subunits accumulate higher levels of BCAAs in mature seeds, providing genetic evidence for their function in BCAA catabolism. In addition, prolonged dark treatment caused the mutants to undergo senescence early and overaccumulate leaf BCAAs. These results extend the previous evidence that BCAAs can be catabolized and serve as respiratory substrates at multiple steps. Moreover, comparison of amino acid profiles between mature seeds and dark-treated leaves revealed differences in amino acid accumulation when BCAA catabolism is perturbed. Together, these results demonstrate the consequences of blocking BCAA catabolism during both normal growth conditions and under energy-limited conditions.
Human platelet phosphorylase.

Abstract Human platelets contain phosphorylase activity similar in some respects to that of skeletal muscle. Sucrose gradient analysis of partially purified phosphorylase revealed a phosphorylase b dimer with apparent molecular weight of 177 000, S 20, w = 8.9 S; a phosphorylase a dimer with apparent molecular weight 177 000, s 20, w = 8.9 S; and a phosphorylase a tetramer with apparent molecular weight of 326 000, s 20, w = 13.5 S. AMP-independent phosphorylase activity (phosphorylase a ) in vitro could be varied from 2.3% to 90% of total activity by suitable incubation or dialysis with MgATP, NaF or EDTA. Of interest is the observation of an active phosphorylase a dimer (AMP-independent). Phosphorylase a dimer was the predominant form of phosphorylase a with the experimental condition employed. A kinetic analysis of phosphorylase b revealed a sigmoidal AMP-dependence curve with 1 2 ν max = 6·10 −5 M . Phosphorylase a had an apparent K m for glycogen and orthophosphate of 0.2 and 0.7 mM, respectively. ATP and ADP served as noncompetitive inhibitors with respect to glycogen and competitive inhibitors with respect to orthophosphate. The apparent K i for ATP and ADP with respect to orthophosphate was 0.82 and 2.9 mM, respectively. The apparent K i for ATP and ADP with respect to glycogen was 2.5 and 3.5 mM, respectively.
Attenuation of the editing activity of the Escherichia coli leucyl-tRNA synthetase allows incorporation of novel amino acids into proteins in vivo.

The fidelity of translation is dependent on the specificity of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs). The aaRSs that activate the hydrophobic amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine employ a proofreading mechanism that hydrolyzes noncognate aminoacyl adenylates and misaminoacylated tRNAs. Discrimination between structurally similar amino acids by these AARSs is believed to operate by a double-sieve principle, wherein a separate editing domain governs hydrolysis on the basis of the size and hydrophilicity of the amino acid side chain. Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) relies on its editing function to correct misaminoacylation of tRNA^(Leu) by isoleucine and methionine. Thr252 of Escherichia coli LeuRS has been shown previously to be important in defining the size of the editing cavity. Here we report the isolation and characterization of three LeuRS mutants with point mutations at this position (T252Y, T252L, and T252F). The proofreading activity of the synthetase is significantly impaired when an amino acid bulkier than threonine is introduced. The rate of misaminoacylation of tRNA^(Leu) by isoleucine and valine increases with the increasing size of the amino acid substituent at position 252, and the noncognate amino acids norvaline and norleucine are inserted efficiently at the leucine sites of recombinant proteins under conditions of constitutive overexpression of the T252Y mutant in E. coli. In addition, the unsaturated amino acids allylglycine, homoallylglycine, homopropargylglycine, and 2-butynylalanine all support protein synthesis in E. coli hosts harboring the mutant synthetase. These results demonstrate that programmed manipulation of the editing cavity can allow in vivo incorporation of novel protein building blocks.
Convenient iterative synthesis of an octameric tetracarboxylate-functionalized oligophenylene rod with divergent end groups

Oligo(p-phenylene) rigid rod 10 is synthesized via a functional group−tolerant molecular doubling approach. Preparative chromatographic methods, protecting groups, boronic acid isolations, and Grignard or organolithium reagents are not used. The convenient synthesis of well-defined, polar-functionalized oligophenylene rigid rods could afford ready access to a variety of useful electronic organic materials.
Imaging Genomics of Glioblastoma: State of the Art Bridge Between Genomics and Neuroradiology

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system. Recently, researchers concluded that the "one-size-fits-all" approach for treatment of GBM is no longer valid and research should be directed toward more personalized and patient-tailored treatment protocols. Identification of the molecular and genomic pathways underlying GBM is essential for achieving this personalized and targeted therapeutic approach. Imaging genomics represents a new era as a noninvasive surrogate for genomic and molecular profile identification. This article discusses the basics of imaging genomics of GBM, its role in treatment decision-making, and its future potential in noninvasive genomic identification.
Survivin overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with p53 dysregulation.

Background: Survivin is a recently described anti-apoptotic protein that is suppressed by wild-type p53 and is overexpressed in 41–70% of hepatocellular carcinomas from Asia. Two alternatively spliced transcripts have also been described: anti-apoptotic survivin-ΔEx3 and non—anti-apoptotic survivin-2B. Survivin splice variant expression has not been studied in HCC, and little is known about survivin expression in hepatocellular carcinomas arising in other parts of the world, where risk factors are often different than they are in Asia.
Are the health attributes of lycopene related to its antioxidant function

A variety of epidemiological trials have suggested that higher intake of lycopene-containing foods (primarily tomato products) or blood lycopene concentrations are associated with decreased cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer risk. Of the carotenoids tested, lycopene has been demonstrated to be the most potent in vitro antioxidant leading many researchers to conclude that the antioxidant properties of lycopene are responsible for disease prevention. In our review of human and animal trials with lycopene, or lycopene-containing extracts, there is limited support for the in vivo antioxidant function for lycopene. Moreover, tissue levels of lycopene appear to be too low to play a meaningful antioxidant role. We conclude that there is an overall shortage of supportive evidence for the "antioxidant hypothesis" as lycopene's major in vivo mechanism of action. Our laboratory has postulated that metabolic products of lycopene, the lycopenoids, may be responsible for some of lycopene's reported bioactivity.
Multinational, Freshwater Biomonitoring Programs in the Developing World: Lessons Learned from African and Southeast Asian River Surveys

Biomonitoring programs are widely used in developed countries. They also offer many advantages in assessing ecological consequences of perturbations in developing countries, including reducing the equipment-operation, maintenance, and training costs associated with physicochemical monitoring. Three case histories of river biomonitoring using freshwater organisms (fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, diatoms, zooplankton) are described that involve (1) documentation of environmental effects from long-term, large-scale applications of insecticides to control insect-vectors of river blindness (onchocerciasis) in 11 West African countries; (2) water quality assessments and restoration planning in and around national parks in three East African countries; and (3) evaluation of overall ecological health of the Lower Mekong River in four Southeast Asian countries. As in developed countries, benthic macroinvertebrates are the organisms most widely used in biomonitoring in developing countries. Conflicting opinions of system resilience and whether expected changes are within natural variation may result in differences in underlying hypotheses proposed, study designs implemented, and study execution; each may lead to uncorrectable bias. Direct transfers of approaches used from developed to developing countries are often appropriate; however, techniques dependent on pollution-tolerance values are often region specific and not transferable. Typically expressed concerns about applications of biomonitoring in developing countries include poor coordination among agencies; lack of legislation, identification keys, and trained personnel; and incomplete information on how tropical rivers function. Problems are real but solvable, as evident from accomplishments in several multicountry programs in developing countries. Developed countries requiring coordinated monitoring of international rivers may benefit from examining successful programs under way in developing countries.
The Constable's New Clothes: Effects of Uniforms on Perceptions and Problems of Police Officers1

Popular beliefs concerning the effect of clothing styles on behavior have had important policy ramifications. For instance, in the interest of developing better police-community relations, numerous police departments have considered changing from a traditional police uniform to a more “civilian” style of dress. Effects of such an alteration were examined in the laboratory and in the field. No positive effects of the uniform change were found. Compared to officers wearing a blazer-style uniform, officers wearing traditional uniforms were perceived as more honest, more active, more helpful, more competent, more “good”, more valuable, faster, and as possessing better judgment. Data on arrests for resisting arrest and assaults on a police officer were obtained from a police department which adopted, then 8 years later abandoned, a civilian style blazer uniform. No effect of the uniform change on the number of assaults on police officers and arrests for resisting arrest was found, contrary to previous reports.
Sparse high-dimensional fractional-norm support vector machine via DC programming

This paper considers a class of feature selecting support vector machines (SVMs) based on L"q-norm regularization, where q@?(0,1). The standard SVM [Vapnik, V., 1995. The Nature of Statistical Learning Theory. Springer, NY.] minimizes the hinge loss function subject to the L"2-norm penalty. Recently, L"1-norm SVM (L"1-SVM) [Bradley, P., Mangasarian, O., 1998. Feature selection via concave minimization and support vector machines. In: Machine Learning Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference (ICML98). Citeseer, pp. 82-90.] was suggested for feature selection and has gained great popularity since its introduction. L"0-norm penalization would result in more powerful sparsification, but exact solution is NP-hard. This raises the question of whether fractional-norm (L"q for q between 0 and 1) penalization can yield benefits over the existing L"1, and approximated L"0 approaches for SVMs. The major obstacle to answering this is that the resulting objective functions are non-convex. This paper addresses the difficult optimization problems of fractional-norm SVM by introducing a new algorithm based on the Difference of Convex functions (DC) programming techniques [Pham Dinh, T., Le Thi, H., 1998. A DC optimization algorithm for solving the trust-region subproblem. SIAM J. Optim. 8 (2), 476-505. Le Thi, H., Pham Dinh, T., 2008. A continuous approach for the concave cost supply problem via DC programming and DCA. Discrete Appl. Math. 156 (3), 325-338.], which efficiently solves a reweighted L"1-SVM problem at each iteration. Numerical results on seven real world biomedical datasets support the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to other commonly-used sparse SVM methods, including L"1-SVM, and recent approximated L"0-SVM approaches.
Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2: A Risk Marker or a Risk Factor?

Multiple cardiovascular biomarkers are associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ) appears to be relatively unique in its high specificity for and the causal pathway of plaque inflammation. In both primary and secondary prevention study populations, Lp-PLA 2 was consistently associated with higher cardiovascular risk, and the risk estimate appears to be relatively unaffected by adjustment for conventional CVD risk factors. Risk ratios were similar, whether the mass concentration or activity of the enzyme was measured. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence for the clinical utility of Lp-PLA 2 , both as a risk marker and as a risk factor involved in the causal pathway of plaque inflammation and the formation of rupture-prone plaque.
Measurement and Modeling of Denitrification in Sand-Bed Streams under Various Land Uses.

Although many studies have measured denitrification in stream sediments, few have utilized these data with local water column and sediment measurements to develop a predictive model for NO₃⁻ uptake. In this study, sediment denitrification was measured from cores in five streams under various land uses in south-central Minnesota using denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) assays and amplification of the nirS gene via real-time, quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Hydraulic and environmental variables were measured in the vicinity of the sediment cores to evaluate the influence of fluid flow and chemical variables on denitrification activity. Potential denitrification rates measured using DEA assays ranged from 0.02 to 10.1 mg N m⁻² h⁻¹, and the abundance of the denitrifier gene nirS was positively correlated with these measurements (R² = 0.79, P < 0.001) for most of the streams studied. A predictive model to determine NO₃⁻ uptake via denitrification was derived, implementing dimensional analysis of variables that mediate denitrification in sand-bed streams. The proposed model explained 75% of the variability in DEA rates. The results of this study show that denitrification is most dependent on the distribution of sediment organic matter, interstitial pore space, and stream hydraulic characteristics, including shear velocity at the sediment–water interface and stream depth.
From 3-Hz P Waves to 0 S 2 : No Evidence of A Slow Component to the Source of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

In the hours following the 2011 Honshu event, and as part of tsunami warning procedures at the Laboratoire de Geophysique in Papeete, Tahiti, the seismic source of the event was analyzed using a number of real-time procedures. The ultra-long period mantle magnitude algorithm suggests a static moment of 4.1 × 1029 dyn cm, not significantly different from the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) value obtained by W-phase inversion. The slowness parameter, $$\Uptheta = -5.65, $$ is slightly deficient, but characteristic of other large subduction events such as Nias (2005) or Peru (2001); it remains significantly larger than for slow earthquakes such as Sumatra (2004) or Mentawai (2010). Similarly, the duration of high-frequency (2–4 Hz) P waves in relation to seismic moment or estimated energy, fails to document any slowness in the seismic source. These results were confirmed in the ensuing weeks by the analysis of the lowest-frequency spheroidal modes of the Earth. A dataset of 117 fits for eight modes (including the gravest one, 0 S 2, and the breathing mode, 0 S 0) yields a remarkably flat spectrum, with an average moment of 3.5 × 1029 dyn cm (*/1.07). This behavior of the Tohoku earthquake explains the generally successful real-time modeling of its teleseismic tsunami, based on available seismic source scaling laws. On the other hand, it confirms the dichotomy, among mega-quakes (M 0 > 1029 dyn cm) between regular events (Nias, 2005; Chile, 2010; Sendai, 2011) and slow ones (Chile, 1960; Alaska, 1964; Sumatra, 2004; and probably Rat Island, 1965), whose origin remains unexplained.
Knowledge discovery in digital libraries of electronic theses and dissertations: an NDLTD case study

Many scholarly writings today are available in electronic formats. With universities around the world choosing to make digital versions of their dissertations, theses, project reports, and related files and data sets available online, an overwhelming amount of information is becoming available on almost any particular topic. How will users decide which dissertation, or subsection of a dissertation, to read to get the required information on a particular topic? What kind of services can such digital libraries provide to make knowledge discovery easier? In this paper, we investigate these issues, using as a case study the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), a rapidly growing collection that already has about 800,000 Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) from universities around the world. We propose the design for a scalable, Web Services based tool KDWebS (Knowledge Discovery System based on Web Services), to facilitate automated knowledge discovery in NDLTD. We also provide some preliminary proof of concept results to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach.
Social Support in Mexican American Childbearing Women

Because the Mexican American population in the United States is increasing, nurses will inevitably come into contact with members of this cultural group. Social support is essential for women to adapt to the demands of the perinatal period, and Mexican American childbearing women face particular challenges in obtaining social support. In this article, traditional roles and social support in Mexican American families are described, the challenges of delivering prenatal care within these traditions are discussed, and strategies for nursing intervention are offered.
Hydrothermal synthesis and properties of Ce1−xLaxO2−δ solid solutions

Abstract The structure, thermal expansion coefficients, ionic and electronic conductivities of Ce1−xLaxO2−δ (x=0–0.30) solid solutions, prepared for the first time hydrothermally, were investigated. The uniformly small particle size (25–50 nm) of the hydrothermally prepared materials allows sintering of the samples into highly dense ceramic pellets at 1300–1400°C, a significantly lower temperature, compared to that at 1600–1650°C required for ceria solid electrolytes prepared by solid state techniques. The solubility limit of La2O3 in CeO, was determined to be around 20 mol.%. The maximum conductivity, δ600°C ∼6.4×10−3 S/cm with Ea=0.73 eV, was found at x=0.15. The thermal expansion coefficients, determined from high-temperature X-ray data are 11.7±0.6×10−6 K−1 for the CeO2, and, increase with increasing La substitution (15.0×10−6 K−1 at x=0.20).
THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OF THE OPTIMUM DEPRECIATION PROCEDURE

The purpose of the research was to determine the economic advantage of the accelerated depreciation procedures allowed by Revenue Procedure 67–40. This income tax procedure allows relatively free choice of depreciation method at any point in the asset's life. This choice affects two decisions. First, the decision to acquire a particular asset and second, if acquired, the depreciation method to be used for income tax purposes. A deterministic computer simulation was used to calculate the economic advantage of the new optimum procedure compared to the sum-of-the-years-digits method. The economic advantage is measured by the present worth of the depreciation tax shield. The independent variables are cost of capital, economic life, estimated salvage value, and income tax rate. The results of the simulation show that the added economic advantage of the new optimum depreciation procedure is small and is unlikely, in practical situations, to change the acquisition decision. The desirability of the new procedure for income tax purposes if the asset is acquired is less clear because the costs of using the new procedure are difficult to measure.
A Confidence Measure for Model Fitting with X-Ray Crystallography Data

Structure determination from X-ray crystallography requires numerous stages of iterative refinement between real and reciprocal space. Current methods that fit a model structure to X-ray data therefore utilize a refined experimental electron density map along with a scoring function that characterizes the fit of the density map to structure. Additional information (e.g., from an energy function or conformational statistics) may supplement this score. In this paper, we derive a novel confidence measure for fitting model fragments into X-ray crystallography data. Given any set of conformations under consideration (e.g., a set of sidechain rotamers, or backbone fragments), and a scoring function for those conformations (e.g., least squares fit of the associated model density maps), we give a general-purpose method for assessing the confidence of the best-fit model. For the commonly used least-squares measure of fit, our method analyzes the statistics of the matching scores and estimates the probability that the best-fit conformation is the correct underlying model. To our knowledge, ours is the first method for computing such a confidence measure. To demonstrate the practical utility of our method, we study the problem of sidechain placement and show that our confidence measure can be used to detect and correct incorrect conformational predictions. Over nine proteins with density maps of varying resolutions, the Pearson correlation between predictive accuracy (of least-squares fit) and our confidence measure is quite high, about .89. We show that our approach can guide the use of stereochemical restraints when confidence is low in predictions. We also propose a Bayesian data fusion scheme that integrates our confidence measure to weight the contributon of each source of data, which could potentially be used for combining experimental, modeling, and empirical data in automated structure determination.
Contour Guided Dissemination for Networked Embedded Systems

Networked Embedded Systems have come to occupy an important role in emerging applications. Nodes in such a system are interconnected by a mesh topology. Despite the availability of multiple shortest paths between pairs of nodes, simulation results revealed that these paths cannot be effectively exploited by spreading the messages over the paths in a uniform method. We define the union of all the shortest paths between a pair of nodes as a contour. We present results that characterize the structure of contours when each node communicates directly with eight immediate neighbors. Heuristic rules that effectively disseminate messages over the available paths are presented. Simulation results demonstrate that the new method for dissemination ensures that nodes in a contour, which are at the same distance from the source, handle roughly the same number of messages. In the future, such techniques can be extended to general topologies.
ECT Studies of Gas−Solid Fluidized Beds of Different Diameters

The bed dynamic behavior in three gas−solid fluidized beds, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3 m in diameters, is studied using the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT). The ECT employs the neural network multicriteria optimization image reconstruction technique. The time-averaged solids concentrations obtained by the ECT are generally in good agreement with those obtained by the optical fiber probe. The 0.1 m ID fluidized bed exhibits the spiral motion of rising bubbles in the bubbling regime. However, for the 0.3 m ID fluidized bed, more than one spiral motion of bubble swarms is observed in the bubbling regime. The small fluidized bed exhibits the round-nosed slug motion. The ECT studies reveal a radial symmetry of the time-averaged solids concentration distribution for the turbulent regime. Furthermore, the ECT provides the time-averaged and transient properties of the bubble/void phase and the emulsion phase. For a large fluidized bed, the standard deviations of the fluctuations of the cross-sectional averaged so...
Adequate Nutrition May Get You Home: Effect of Caloric/Protein Deficits on the Discharge Destination of Critically Ill Surgical Patients.

Background: Macronutrient deficit in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes. We hypothesized that increased caloric and protein deficit is also associated with a lower likelihood of discharge to home vs transfer to a rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility. Materials and Methods: Adult surgical ICU patients receiving >72 hours of enteral nutrition (EN) between March 2012 and May 2014 were included. Patients with absolute contraindications to EN, <72-hour ICU stay, moribund state, EN prior to surgical ICU admission, or previous ICU admission within the same hospital stay were excluded. Subjects were dichotomized by cumulative caloric (<6000 vs ≥6000 kcal) and protein deficit (<300 vs ≥300 g). Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared using Wilcoxon rank and χ2 tests. To test the association of macronutrient deficit with discharge destination (home vs other), we performed a logistic regression analysis, controlling for plausible confounders. Results...
The synthesis of [2‐3H2] taurine and [2‐3H2] hypotarine

The synthesis of [2-3H2]-2-aminoethanesulfonate [2-3H]-taurine by the reduction of cyanomethanesulfonic acid with tritium gas is described. The conversion of [2-3H]-taurine and its 14C and 35S isotopic forms to 2-aminoethanesulfinate (hypotaurine) was accomplished by converting taurine to its corresponding sulfonyl chloride and reducing the latter with metallic zinc.
An ab initio method for approximation of the frozen molecular fragment

An ab initio method for calculation on many-electron molecular systems with the approximation of the inactive part of a molecule by frozen molecular fragment is presented. In the following method the SCF calculations are performed in two series. First the molecular orbitals resulting from the first SCF calculation (modest basis set) are localized. In the second SCF run, the basis set is extended for the active part of the molecule, while molecular orbitals of the inactive part, selected from the localized set, are kept frozen. The results are in good agreement with the extended basis set calculation.
The economics of choice in the allocation of Federal grants: An empirical test

In this paper, we have provided strong evidence in favor of the Niskanen model of bureaucratic behavior and against the ‘public interest’ hypothesis by considering the selection process used by HUD in awarding Urban Development Action Grants. Specifically, we did not find that any distress measures specified in regulations dealing with the program were statistically significant in explaining the awarding of grants. The only consistently significant factors of those considered were the level of private commitment to the project and the ratio of private funds committed to total amount requested. We argue that use of these variables, especially the latter, as primary selection criteria by HUD bureaucrats reflects their desire to enhance their budgetary environment by making what the market perceives to be the best investments available to them, avoiding risk and spreading available UDAG funds as widely as possible.
Inhibition of termite cellulases by carbohydrate-based cellulase inhibitors: Evidence from in vitro biochemistry and in vivo feeding studies

Abstract Efficacy of three prototype termite cellulase inhibitors, cellobioimidazole (CBI), fluoromethylcellobiose (FMCB) and fluoromethylglucose (FMG) was investigated using biochemical and feeding assays. Optimal conditions for measuring endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase activities were first determined. The three inhibitors were then tested under optimal conditions against enzyme fractions that represented endogenous (foregut/salivary gland/midgut) and symbiotic (hindgut) cellulases. In vitro , CBI and FMCB both inhibited exoglucanase and β-glucosidase activity (I 50 s in nM and mM range, respectively). Feeding assays showed significant impacts on both survivorship and feeding stimulation by FMCB and CBI. Enzymatic measurements on feeding assay survivors showed impacts on all three cellulase activities by CBI and lesser impacts by FMG and FMCB. Validative bioassays with the sugars glucose, maltose and cellobiose showed no feeding stimulation or mortality as occurred in feeding inhibitor bioassays. These results indicate efficacy for two cellobiose-based inhibitors, FMCB and CBI, suggesting potential for these inhibitors as novel termite control agents.
Meinwald-type rearrangement of monosubstituted epoxides to methyl ketones using an [Al porphyrin]+[Co(CO)4]− catalyst

A Meinwald-type rearrangement of monosubstituted epoxides to methyl ketones using a well-defined aluminum porphyrin catalyst is reported. This reaction shows good functional group tolerance under mild reaction conditions to selectively give methyl ketones in excellent yields.
Comparison of predictive methods for Henrys Law Coefficients of organic chemicals

Abstract Predictive methods proposed in the literature for estimating Henrys Law Coefficient (HLC) of organic chemicals are reviewed and compared. Five different models developed from the following methods are discussed: solubility–vapor pressure method; group/bond contribution method; linear solvation energy relationship method; and, molecular connectivity method. The models reviewed cover over 450 chemicals belonging to several different chemical families. Experimental variability and inter-laboratory variances of measured HLC data are summarized to establish acceptance limits for the predictive models. The five predictive models are compared and evaluated on the basis of quality of predictions and predictive errors for a common set of 150 chemicals.
The production of warts by suggestion as a cultural phenomenon.

Abstract A cultural situation is described in which the onset of warts (veruccae), a virus disease, can be brought about by autosuggestion based upon expectancy and practice. There are implications of this phenomenon for increased understanding of the bodily mechanisms involved in resistance to illness, immunity, and malignancy, among other vital processes. Study of the production of warts by hypnotic suggestion is indicated under appropriate ethical, professional, and experimental conditions.
RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLDS ADMITTING A CONFORMAL TRANSFORMATION GROUP

Abstract Let M be a Riemannian manifold with constant scalar curvature K which admits an infinitesimal conformal transformation. A necessary and sufficient condition in order that it be isometric with a sphere is obtained. Inequalities giving upper and lower bounds for K are also derived.
Short-term recognition memory for spatially isolated items

With from three to six digits presented prior to a recognition probe, the only evidence for a von Restorff effect existed in faster reaction times to probes of the isolated stimulus with sets of size 6.
The Influence of Thinking Styles on Responses to Supportive Messages

Cognitive-experiential self-theory suggests that individuals with different thinking styles may respond differently to various forms of support during times of stress or difficulty. This possibility was examined in an experiment in which 365 participants read a hypothetical scenario in which they were experiencing a problematic situation, and a friend offered one of three forms of support (advice, emotional support, or emotional support plus advice). The results of the study indicated that highly rational participants tended to respond to advice more positively than less rational participants. In addition, highly experiential participants tended to rate emotional support as higher in quality than less experiential participants.
Transit Ridership Model Based on Geographically Weighted Regression

This paper describes the development of a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to explore the spatial variability in the strength of the relationship between public transit use for home-based work (HBW) trip purposes and an array of potential transit use predictors. The transit use predictors considered include demographics and socioeconomics, land use, transit supply and quality, and pedestrian environment. The best predictors identified through model estimation include two global variables (regional accessibility of employment and percentage of households with no car) and three local variables (employment density, average number of cars in households with children, and percentage of the population who are black). The models were estimated on the basis of the 2000 Census Transportation Planning Package data for Broward County, Florida. Model testing indicates the GWR model has improved accuracy in predicting transit use for HBW purposes over linear regression models. The GWR model also indicates that the effects of the independent variables on transit use vary across space. The research points to future research to explore different model structures within a geographic area.
Control of a Natural Infestation of the Pharaoh Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with a Com Grit Bait of Fenoxycarb

The insect growth regulator fenoxycarb was very effective against a natural infestation of the Pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis (L.). A large building (7,841 m2) containing four separate wings was used to evaluate two concentrations of fenoxycarb (0.5 and 1%) in oil on a corn grit bait. Raid Max Ant Bait was used as a standard for comparative purposes. A separate wing was used for each treatment. One wing received no bait and functioned as a control Our study demonstrated that 0.5% fenoxycarb in peanut butter oil was more effective than a 1% fenoxycarb bait and Raid Max Ant Bait; this treatment completely eliminated the ants <6 wk after treatment. Reinfestation in the 0.5% fenoxycarb-treated wing occurred 24 wk after treatment and only at two sites in the area treated. Although Raid Max eliminated the ants <6 wk after treatment, reinfestation occurred at 12 and 14 wk after treatment. Raid Max baits were applied again at 12 and 14 wk; no ants were detected in this wing after the 14-wk treatment.
Childhood Hemorrhagic Stroke: An Important but Understudied Problem

Hemorrhagic stroke in children occurs more frequently than is commonly appreciated. There are important differences in the factors associated with hemorrhagic stroke in children when compared with adults. These differences likely play a role in the different outcomes, which tend to worsen with age. In this review, we describe the estimated frequency, clinical presentation, acute management of hemorrhagic stroke, and an overview of rehabilitation techniques. We identify key topics for future basic and clinical research. Findings from future studies will help improve our ability to optimize treatment for and long-term rehabilitation of these patients.
Attenuation of pulmonary fibrosis in mice by aminophylline.

Abstract Cyclic nucleotides have been shown in vitro to regulate fibroblast proliferation and/or collagen production. We have reported previously that propranolol, which decreases the cAMP/cGMP ratio. potentiates the amount of fibrosis produced in a damaged lung. The purpose of this study was to determine if elevations in the cAMP/cGMP ratio may attenuate collagen production by fibroblasts following lung damage. Lung injury was induced in mice by either butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (350 or 400mg/kg intraperitoneally) or bleomycin (4 units/kg intratracheally). The mice were treated with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, aminophylline (20 /kg twice daily), prior to induction of lung injury and for the duration of the study. Cyclic nucleotide changes in the lung were also determined during lung injury, with and without aminophylline. The administration of aminophylline, which increased the cAMP/cGMP ratio, resulted in attenuation of the increase in total lung collagen normally seen after injury, while having no effect on collagen levels in the undamaged lung. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that elevation of whole lung cAMP/cGMP ratio early in the damage and repair process correlates with decreased hydroxyproline deposition.
Two-dimensional electrical characterization of ultrashallow source/drain extensions for nanoscale MOSFETs

Abstract State-of-the-art semiconductor devices require accurate control of the full two-dimensional dopant distribution. In this work, we report results obtained on 2D electrical characterization of ultra shallow junctions in Si using off axis electron holography to study two-dimensional effects on diffusion. In particular, the effect of a nitride diffusion mask on lateral diffusion of phosphorous is discussed. Retardation of lateral diffusion of P under the nitride diffusion mask is observed and compared to the lateral diffusion of P under an oxide diffusion mask. The ultra shallow junctions for the study were fabricated by a rapid thermal diffusion process from heavily P doped spin-on-dopants into a heavily B doped Si substrate. These shallow junctions are needed for fabricating source/drain extensions in nanoscale MOSFETs. One-dimensional electrical characterization of the junction was carried out to determine the electrical junction depth and compared to the metallurgical junction depth from SIMS analysis.
Numerical stability analysis of floating-point computations using software model checking

Software model checking has recently been successful in discovering bugs in production software. Most tools have targeted heap related programming mistakes and control-heavy programs. However, real-time and embedded controllers implemented in software are susceptible to computational numeric instabilities. We target verification of numerical programs that use floating-point types, to detect loss of numerical precision incurred in such programs. Techniques based on abstract interpretation have been used in the past for such analysis. We use bounded model checking (BMC) based on Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) solvers, which work on a mixed integer-real model that we generate for programs with floating points. We have implemented these techniques in our software verification platform. We report experimental results on benchmark examples to study the effectiveness of model checking on such problems, and the effect of various model simplifications on the performance of model checking.
Human Growth and Body Form in Recent Generations

IN A discussion of the physical anthropology of white Americans, Kluckhohn (1955) mentions the desirability of making fresh analyses of the statistical data recorded by some of the earlier anthropometrists. The present paper is such an attempt, based on modern concepts of physical growth, body composition, posture and physique. In some human groups, measurable changes in body build have undoubtedly occurred during the past several decades, and the abundant evidence of these changes has recently been reviewed by Kaplan (1954). One of the best studies of these phenomena is the excellent monograph of Bowles (1932) on the anthropometry of Harvard fathers and sons. These data are to be utilized again here. Bowles' study also included samples of mothers and daughters from four women's colleges in the eastern United States, but this material is too meager for our present purposes. Unfortunately, somatic measurements taken on college students are only indications of the outcome of growth. These dimensions are only indirect hints as to the metamorphoses which took place earlier. It is therefore necessary to implement our analysis with findings on the physical growth of other human groups-especially when individual children have been repeatedly observed and measured over a period of years. As a preliminary to a review of Bowles' data, we shall first consider the recent trends of growth and final body size in a few human populations. The next topic is the use of anthropometry for locating specific sites of growth in the body. Finally, we shall deal with Bowles' Harvard series itself: the methods used in measuring it, and the interrelations among posture, body composition, shape, and size in the paternal and filial generations. The main thesis of this paper is that a decreased frequency of disturbances of growth has been chiefly responsible for the recent somatic enlargement of Harvard families. In local regions of the body, tissues with the largest specific contributions to total body size have undergone the greatest absolute enlargement in the Harvard sons. The evidence for this hypothesis lies in the great consistency of changes in posture, the sizes of local body regions, and in the fat content and muscularity of the organism.