cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA IN NERVE: I. SQUID GIANT AXON

The action of a number of agents, which may be classified as "stabilizers" and "unstabilizers" on the electrical oscillations and after-potentials in the squid giant axon has been examined. The effects on the spike, "positive overshoot," and "potassium potential" were also observed, but where possible concentrations were employed which left these phenomena unaltered. Veratrine augmented the oscillations and the negative after-potential, particularly with repetitive stimulation. Yohimbine caused a small long lasting positive after-potential and depressed the oscillations, effects also enhanced with repetitive activity. Cocaine and procaine suppressed the oscillations and the negative after-potential but DDT was completely inert. An elevation in the medium calcium depressed the oscillations and the naturally occurring negative after-potential; negative after-potentials induced with veratrine were increased by calcium. A decrease in the potassium augmented the oscillations and the negative after-potential. A hypothesis is presented in which these effects are interpreted in terms of potassium concentration at the fiber surface as regulated by a labile permeability and metabolism. This is discussed in relation to the available evidence for these factors. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the author's indebtedness to Dr. D. E. S. Brown, Director, and to his staff at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research for the cooperation and special facilities provided during the initiation of this work. Dr. T. Baylor of Princeton University very kindly provided the camera and film used in Bermuda.
Philosophers assess randomized clinical trials: The need for dialogue

Abstract In recent years a growing number of professional philosophers have joined in the controversy over ethical aspects of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Morally questionable in their utilitarian approach, RCTs are claimed by some to be in direct violation of the second form of Kant's Categorial Imperative. But the arguments used in these critiques at times derive from a lack of insight into basic statistical procedures and the realities of the biomedical research process. Presented to physicians and other nonspecialists, including the lay public, such distortions can be harmful. Given the great complexity of statistical methodology and the anomalous nature of concepts of evidence, more sustained input into the interdisciplinary dialogue is needed from the statistical profession.
3.3 Millimeter limb brightening measurements during the 30 June 1973 total solar eclipse

Solar limb brightening measurements at a wavelength of 3.3 mm were made during the 30 June 1973 total solar eclipse from a site at Lake Rudolf, Kenya. The results show that at this wavelength there is a limb brightening of about 20%, occurring within one half arc min of the limb.
Innervated radial thernar flap for sensory reconstruction of fingers

A radial thenar flap, which is supplied by the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery and innervated by the superficial branch of the radial nerve, was used in four patients for sensory reconstruction of the fingers. Two patients had degloving injuries of the hand and two had amputation injuries of the thumb. Three of the cases underwent free-flap transfers, and one case underwent a reverse-flow island flap. The size of these flaps was about 3×5 cm except in one case, where a 15×5 cm flap combined with a radial forearm flap was used. Sensory reinnervation was excellent and donor site morbidity was minimal in all four cases. An innervated radial thenar flap from the ipsilateral hand offers an alternative choice to reconstruct large palmar defects of the fingers.
On the Impossibility of Interaction-Free Quantum Sensing for Small I/O Bandwidth

A method for (nearly) interaction-free measurement (IFM) specifies the design of a quantum optical sensing system that is able to determine with arbitrarily high likelihood if an obstructing body has been inserted into the system, without moving or modifying its optical components, and uses at most an arbitrarily small multiplicative factor of the input intensity to do the sensing when the obstructing body is present. Kwiat et al. (1995, Phys. Rev. Lett.74, 4763?4766) have given a method for IFM. We give a precise mathematical formulation of IFM and as an example, we use this formulation to specify the IFM method of Kwiat et al. We similarly define (nearly) interaction-free sensing (IFS), except that we impose an upper bound on the intensity to do the sensing (which again is an arbitrarily small multiplicative factor of the input intensity) whether or not the obstructing body is present. A quantum optical method for IFS (but not IFM) may be used to do I/O with bandwidth reduced by an arbitrarily small multiplicative factor of the bandwidth required for conventional optical or electronic I/O methods (i.e., without using quantum effects). We prove that there is no method for IFS with unitary transformations. Hence we conclude that I/O bandwidth can not be significantly reduced by such quantum methods for sensing. This is one of relatively few known proofs of the non-existence of a class of quantum devices (e.g., for instantaneous communication and EPR) and apparently the first for a quantum device relevant to computational I/O bandwidth. We use an interesting proof method, where we first show that no unitary transformation can do quantum amplification detection: that is, significantly increase the amplitude on detection of a small amplitude basis state. Then we show that the existence of a method for IFS implies a unitary quantum amplification detection method, which is impossible.
Indications for microsurgical reconstruction of congenital hand anomalies by toe-to-hand transfers

Background The indications for microsurgical toe-to-hand transfers in congenital hand surgery have not been defined as clearly as for posttraumatic reconstruction of thumb and finger amputations. The purpose of this study was to develop simple guidelines for referral of children with congenital absent digits for consideration of microsurgical reconstruction with toe-to-hand transfers, based on the morphological or radiographic anatomy of the hand anomaly, not on embryological classifications.
Furosemide-induced changes in plasma and blood volume of horses.

The effect of furosemide administration (1 mg/kg body weight, i.v.) on plasma and blood volumes in 6 intact and 4 splenectomized horses was measured using Evans blue dye dilution, hematocrit, and hemoglobin and plasma total solids concentrations. Body weight decreased by 33.6 +/- 3.3 and 33.7 +/- 0.8 g/kg 4 h after furosemide administration to intact and splenectomized mares, respectively. Plasma volume, estimated by Evans blue dye dilution, was reduced by 8.3 +/- 3.3% (mean +/- SE) 4 h after furosemide administration. The reduction in plasma volume was first detectable 5-10 min after furosemide administration and was greatest 15-30 min (13.0 +/- 0.8%) after dosing. This study demonstrates that furosemide produces significant and rapid reductions in plasma volume in horses. These decreases in plasma volume only partially resolve 4 h after furosemide administration.
A methodological and empirical critique of psychotherapy outcome meta-analysis

Abstract Several objections are raised that question the usefulness and applicability of the meta-analytic technique with respect to psychotherapy outcome research. Smith, Glass and Miller's (1980) optimistic appraisal of the outcome field is reassessed in view of both the methodological problems with meta-analysis and a reanalysis of two recent outcome meta-analyses. It is shown that the large effect sizes obtained are primarily a function of research that emphasizes behavioral methods as opposed to psychodynamic approaches. Effect size is shown to be a labile and manipulable measure.
Design and performance of a three phase double level metal 160 × 100 element CCD imager

Our successful experience with four-phase overlapping gate CCD's using double-level aluminum metallization with anodized aluminum isolation (1) suggested applications of this process to a three-phase design in order to increase circuit density. For example, a three-phase CCD area imager would have 78% more resolution elements than a four-phase imager with the same minimum geometries and overall array size. It should be noted that this trend does not extend simply to two-phase designs: they achieve directionality of transfer by the equivalent of a four-phase layout with pairs of adjacent electrodes clocked together or by additional, typically implanted, geometries whose size and critical placement preclude use of minimum electrode size.
Heat Transfer in Laser Annealing of Semiconductor Films

Melting and solidification of a silicon film by continuous wave laser beam irradiation has been studied. The silicon film melting and recrystallization is controlled by the temperature distribution in the semiconductor. Calculations have been carried out for a range of laser beam parameters and material translational speeds. The results for the melt pool size have been compared with experimental data. The temperature field development has also been monitored with localized transient reflectivity measurements.
Socratic Self-examination and Its Application to Academic Advising

Nussbaum (1998) proposed that Socratic activity is a worthwhile pursuit with regard to academic advising relationships. While it offers the promise of certain benefits, such as the development of critical thinking skills, Socratic activity arguably cannot be universally applied to all advising relationships. In presenting and analyzing issues related to the Socratic method, I offer support for a model of quasi-Socratic activity in advising as first identified by Hagen (1994). Referred to as “beneficial dialectic,” it can function from a more contextual standpoint than the traditional Socratic questioning method because through it advisors can consider factors such as level of student development, learning environments, and individual proclivities.
Comments on ''Bose condensation in supercritical external fields''

We agree that our previous analysis does not apply to a spinless particle in an external Coulomb field. We explain why it continues to apply in toto for a spinless particle in a short-range external field. We describe in qualitative terms the correct quantization for the Coulomb case, which has not previously appeared in the literature.
Bamboo germplasm screening with nuclear restriction fragment length polymorphisms

Bamboo species are difficult to identify because flowering material is seldom available and taxonomy is of necessity based on vegetative characters. To evaluate the utility of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in bamboo systematics and germplasm screening, a library of random genomic probes from a Phyllostachys nigra PstI library was constructed. Probes from the library were used to screen bamboo germplasm consisting mostly of temperate bamboos of the genus Phyllostachys. RFLP variation was abundant, and species-specific patterns were readily obtained. Chloroplast DNA showed little variation among the bamboo accessions analyzed.
Developing Instructional Technology Products Using Effective Project Management Practices.

DELIVERING a successful instructional technology (IT) product depends on more than just having an extremely creative instructional solution or following an instructional systems design (ISD) model. Proper planning, direction, and execution of the project are require, as well. We present a model of management that encompasses the ISD process. Five general phases of the project life cycle are presented and their relationship to the ISD process explained. We discuss how to effectively organize the work of instructional design projects in preparation for design, development, and deploying of the finished work. We also present a process for evaluating the risks or success factors of the project and how to manage changes throughout the project that may threaten the project's success. Additionally, this article examines how to manage the scope, schedule, costs, and human resources associated with instructional design projects. We explain and provide examples of communications plans, checklists, analysis matrices, and other practical tools that are of help to the designer/manager.
Metabolic assessment of a novel chronic myelogenous leukemic cell line and an imatinib resistant subline by 1H NMR spectroscopy

The goal of this study was to examine metabolic differences between a novel chronic myelogenous leukemic (CML) cell line, MyL, and a sub-clone, MyL-R, which displays enhanced resistance to the targeted Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was carried out on cell extracts and conditioned media from each cell type. Both principal component analysis (PCA) and specific metabolite identification and quantification were used to examine metabolic differences between the cell types. MyL cells showed enhanced glucose removal from the media compared to MyL-R cells with significant differences in production rates of the glycolytic end-products, lactate and alanine. Interestingly, the total intracellular creatine pool (creatine + phosphocreatine) was significantly elevated in MyL-R compared to MyL cells. We further demonstrated that the MyL-R cells converted the creatine to phosphocreatine using non-invasive monitoring of perfused alginate-encapsulated MyL-R and MyL cells by in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy and subsequent HPLC analysis of extracts. Our data demonstrated a clear difference in the metabolite profiles of drug-resistant and sensitive cells, with the biggest difference being an elevation of creatine metabolites in the imatinib-resistant MyL-R cells.
Evaluation of sun glint models using MODIS measurements

Abstract To understand the performance of various sun glint models, we have carried out comparison studies with measurements from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for several popular sun glitter models, including the Cox–Munk models, Ebuchi–Kizu models, Breon–Henriot models, etc., over the open oceans using MODIS data at the near-infrared (NIR) (859 nm) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands (1240 and 2130 nm). Sun glint models with and without a wind direction dependence were evaluated. To obtain the MODIS-measured glint reflectance from the total reflectance at the top of the atmosphere, we performed atmospheric corrections to remove the effects of atmospheric absorption as well as radiance contributions from molecules (Rayleigh scattering) and aerosols. We have selected 12 MODIS sun glint scenes over various open ocean regions for this study. Our results indicate that overall, the Cox–Munk [1] model with the wind direction dependence has the best performance in terms of correlation coefficients with the MODIS measurements. The Breon–Henriot [8] model performed similarly as from the Cox–Munk model as two models are in fact very close. Findings from these evaluations can improve our ability to accurately remove the sun glint contamination in MODIS imagery and produce robust satellite ocean color and atmosphere products.
Relating complex terrain to potential avalanche trigger locations

Abstract More winter recreationists are venturing into “extreme” terrain each year, and avalanche fatalities in that terrain are increasing. The slope-scale spatial variability of snow stability and how it relates to this complex terrain is critically important but poorly understood. In this study, we use terrain parameters to model potential trigger locations (PTLs) of slab avalanches, which are defined based on a minimum slab thickness overlying a persistent weak layer or the presence of a weak layer on the snow surface which could be subsequently buried. In a sample of seventeen couloirs from Lone Mountain, Montana, field teams tracked and mapped persistent weak layers and slabs with probe and pit sampling. We used terrain parameters derived from a one-meter digital elevation model to explore the relationships between PTLs and terrain, and our results show strong statistical relationships exist. However, results varied widely from couloir to couloir, suggesting that the relationships between terrain and PTLs in each couloir are unique and highly complex. For these steep alpine couloirs, parameters relating to wind deposition, wind scouring, and sluffing are most strongly associated with PTLs. The influences of these and other terrain parameters vary, depending on broader-scale terrain characteristics, prior weather patterns, and seasonal trends. With an understanding of the broader scale influences and physical processes involved, we can use terrain to optimize stability test locations, explosive placements, or route selection. The unique nature of each couloir means that simple rules relating terrain to PTLs will not apply, although couloirs in the same cirque generally share similarities. This study will help to improve practical decision-making as well as future modeling efforts.
Trajectory of overall health from self-report and factors contributing to health declines among cancer survivors

Purpose This study aims to quantify trajectories of overall health pre- and post-diagnosis of cancer, trajectories of overall health among cancer-free individuals, and factors affecting overall health status.
Atmospheric wet deposition of trace elements to Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

Abstract The atmospheric wet depositional fluxes of selected trace elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr) were examined at two mid-Atlantic sites, which were located on the shore of the Delaware (Lewes) and Chesapeake (Stillpond) Bays from September 1995 to August 1996. Sampling was carried out on a weekly integrated basis, using “clean” techniques developed especially for trace elements. Monthly integrated depositional fluxes showed large variability in space and time for most of the measured elements, with similar ranges of variation for both sites. A good correlation ( r 2 =0.80 , Fe/Al=0.59) between Al and Fe fluxes at both sites suggests their major origin from the earth's crust (resuspended regional soils). Based on the enrichment factor calculation, it is suggested that at least half of the Cr and Mn and more than 90% of the Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni are from non-crustal (presumably anthropogenic) sources. Seasonal variations of Al, Fe and Mn appear to be mainly controlled by local/regional agricultural activities, whereas Pb and Cd fluxes are largely dictated by precipitation amounts. Factors controlling fluxes of other elements (Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr) are not clearly distinguished due to large episodic inputs of local/regional contamination sources. A comparison of annual trace element fluxes during 1991–1996 reveals a factor of 2–4 higher fluxes of Zn, Cu and Ni during 1995–1996 at both sites, indicating regional (i.e., mid-Atlantic region) increase of the fluxes during the sampling period. The similar annual fluxes and trends at both sites suggest that these data can be employed to estimate atmospheric wet flux of trace elements to mid-Atlantic coastal waters (including Chesapeake/Delaware Bays and mid-Atlantic Bight).
A general likelihood-ratio formula for random signals in Gaussian noise

It is shown that the likelihood ratio for the detection of a random, not necessarily Gaussian, signal in additive white Gaussian noise has the same form as that for a known signal in white Gaussian noise. The role of the known signal is played by the casual least-squares estimate of the signal from the observations. However, the "correlation" integral has to be interpreted in a special sense as an Ito stochastic integral. It will be shown that the formula includes all known explicit formulas for signals in white Gaussian noise. However, and more important, the formula suggests an "estimator-correlator" philosophy for engineering approximation of the optimum receiver. Some extensions of the above result are also discussed, e.g., additive finite-variance, not necessarily Gaussian, noise plus a white Gaussian noise component. Purely colored Gaussian noise can be treated if whitening filters can be specified. The analog implementation of Ito integrals is briefly discussed. The proofs of the formulas are based on the concept of an innovation process, which has been useful in certain related problems of linear and nonlinear least-squares estimation, and on the concept of covariance factorization.
Caspase-10 is an initiator caspase in death receptor signaling

A role for caspase-10, previously implicated in the autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome, in death receptor signaling has not been directly shown. Here we show that caspase-10 can function independently of caspase-8 in initiating Fas- and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-receptor-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, Fas crosslinking in primary human T cells leads to the recruitment and activation of caspase-10. Fluorescent resonance energy transfer analysis indicates that the death-effector domains of caspase-8 and -10 both interact with the death-effector domain of FADD. Nonetheless, we find that caspase-8 and -10 may have different apoptosis substrates and therefore potentially distinct roles in death receptor signaling or other cellular processes.
Roger W. Shuy, The language of confession, interrogation, and deception. (Empirical linguistics series.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998. Pp. vii, 205.

This book hooks the reader (linguist and non-) through real-life, high-stakes cases and a very readable style. Shuy brings his scholarship and humanity to this work as he introduces us to the communicative event of the confession within the culture of the law enforcement community in the United States. His examples show us how linguists can apply their knowledge and skills. He also speaks to the law enforcement community, and to the interested non-linguist.
Low-stress ultra-thick SU-8 UV photolithography process for MEMS

Patterning thick SU-8 with conventional photolithography facilities is important for fabricating various MEMS structures. However, the fabrication of thick SU-8 MEMS has experienced severe problems such as cracks, distortions, or delaminations during the fabrication process and/or postservices, due to the large internal stress generated during the photolithography process. In this work, an in-depth finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to investigate the causes and effects of the internal stresses. Analytical results show that the post-exposure bake (PEB) temperature is the main factor in developing the resulted internal stress. Under the guidance of analytical results, an optimized UV photolithography process for the fabrication of ultra-thick low-stress SU-8 patterns is developed with conventional (simple) equipment. A low PEB temperature of 55°C reduces the internal stresses by more than 70% compared to those fabricated with the recommended procedure. Experimental results indicate that cracks, distortions, and delaminations are eliminated from the fabricated SU-8 structures using the newly developed procedure. In addition, the patterned SU-8 has a Young's modulus of 2.5 GPa and an ultimate strength of 50 MPa, which is about 50% higher than previous reported values.
Modeling long distance dependence in language: topic mixtures versus dynamic cache models

Standard statistical language models use n-grams to capture local dependencies, or use dynamic modeling techniques to track dependencies within an article. In this paper, we investigate a new statistical language model that captures topic-related dependencies of words within and across sentences. First, we develop a topic-dependent, sentence-level mixture language model which takes advantage of the topic constraints in a sentence or article. Second, we introduce topic-dependent dynamic adaptation techniques in the framework of the mixture model, using n-gram caches and content word unigram caches. Experiments with the static (or unadapted) mixture model on the North American Business (NAB) task show a 21% reduction in perplexity and a 3-4% improvement in recognition accuracy over a general n-gram model, giving a larger gain than that obtained with supervised dynamic cache modeling. Further experiments on the Switchboard corpus also showed a small improvement in performance with the sentence-level mixture model. Cache modeling techniques introduced in the mixture framework contributed a further 14% reduction in perplexity and a small improvement in recognition accuracy on the NAB task for both supervised and unsupervised adaptation.
Research on Tenant Placement Based on Business Relations

Multi-tenancy supporting becomes a basic characteristic of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) operation. In multi-tenancy environment, tenant placement problem is critical for balance the database server workload. In this paper, we discuss how the cross-tenant data access affects the workload and how to optimize resource utilization in tenant placement process. This paper comes up with a SaaS tenant data lifecycle framework to capture the placement determinant factors. According to the framework, a formal placement algorithm is presented based on a formal model of tenant data and a resource estimation method. As a result of the formalization, several suggestions for data center host to minimize the workload of database servers are presented.
Caracterização física e química de frutos de abacate visando a seu potencial para extração de óleo

Vinte e quatro variedades de abacate provenientes da colecao de abacateiros, situada no Nucleo Experimental de Campinas e pertencente ao Centro de Fruticultura do Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC), foram analisadas quanto as proporcoes dos componentes dos frutos (polpa, casca e caroco) e quanto aos teores de lipideos e umidade da polpa fresca. Determinaram-se, na maioria das variedades, o perfil de acidos graxos dos oleos extraidos da polpa e, em algumas das variedades, a composicao quimica dos carocos dos frutos. As variedades mais indicadas para serem cultivadas, visando a utilizacao industrial dos frutos para a extracao de oleo, baseando-se nos teores de lipideos encontrados na polpa fresca e estabelecidos acima de 18%, foram: Anaheim, Carlsbad, Collinson, Fuerte, Gloria, Hass, Itzamna, Mayapan, Ouro Verde e Wagner. O periodo de colheita dessas variedades estendeu-se por sete meses, iniciando em maio e terminando em novembro. Houve correlacoes lineares negativas, altamente significativas, entre as proporcoes de polpa com caroco e casca dos frutos, entre os teores de umidade e lipideos nas polpas e entre os teores de umidade e amido nos carocos dos frutos. Ocorreram grandes variacoes na composicao de acidos graxos constituintes do oleo das polpas e na composicao quimica das sementes.
Selective inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase relative to neuropathy target esterase and acetylcholinesterase: toxicological implications.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) plays an important role in nerve function by regulating the action of endocannabinoids (e.g., anandamide) and hydrolyzing a sleep-inducing factor (oleamide). Several organophosphorus pesticides and related compounds are shown in this study to be more potent in vivo inhibitors of mouse brain FAAH than neuropathy target esterase (NTE), raising the question of the potential toxicological relevance of FAAH inhibition. These FAAH-selective compounds include tribufos and (R)-octylbenzodioxaphosphorin oxide with delayed neurotoxic effects in mice and hens plus several organophosphorus pesticides (e.g., fenthion) implicated as delayed neurotoxicants in humans. The search for a highly potent and selective inhibitor for FAAH relative to NTE for use as a toxicological probe culminated in the discovery that octylsulfonyl fluoride inhibits FAAH by 50% at 2 nM in vitro and 0.2 mg/kg in vivo and NTE is at least 100-fold less sensitive in each case. More generally, the studies revealed 12 selective in vitro inhibitors for FAAH (mostly octylsulfonyl and octylphosphonyl derivatives) and 9 for NTE (mostly benzodioxaphosphorin oxides and organophosphorus fluoridates). The overall in vivo findings with 16 compounds indicate the expected association of AChE inhibition with acute or cholinergic syndrome and >70% brain NTE inhibition with delayed neurotoxic action. Surprisingly, 75-99% brain FAAH inhibition does not lead to any overt neurotoxicity or change in behavior (other than potentiation of exogenous anandamide action). Thus, FAAH inhibition in mouse brain does not appear to be a primary target for organophosphorus pesticide-induced neurotoxic action (cholinergic or intermediate syndrome or delayed neurotoxicity).
Collision avoidance in satellite clusters

A collision avoidance methodology for satellite clusters is developed and simulated. A set membership algorithm is used to monitor and predict guaranteed position uncertainty ellipsoids over time. Distances between ellipsoids can be calculated on-line in order to evaluate when and how fast a collision may occur. The algorithm assumes guaranteed knowledge of an initial state (relative position and velocity) error, sensor error, and forcing function. The forcing function is variable depending on orbital parameters and faults. A probability of collision is evaluated using the resulting ellipsoid information. Results show that satellite clusters with a close proximity will require a back-up system that is accurate and gives measurement updates at least every few minutes.
SunSmart: evaluation of a pilot school-based sun protection intervention in Hispanic early adolescents

The incidence of melanoma is rising among Hispanic populations in the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a pilot sun safety educational intervention conducted from 2006 to 2012 on Hispanic early adolescents in a high ultraviolet environment. Nineteen schools with high Hispanic enrollment were recruited from urban neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The analytic sample was restricted to students identifying as Hispanic or Latino (n = 777). A mixed effects linear model was used to test mean changes from pre- to posttest on students' sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Significant improvements were observed across several cognitive outcomes related to sun protection, including knowledge of and attitudes toward sun protection and self-efficacy to wear sunscreen. However, changes in sun protective behaviors were not achieved. Although some improvements were observed, future studies should identify the factors that motivate sun protection in this population and develop tailored prevention strategies, as improving the sun safe behaviors of Hispanic youths may aid in reducing the risk of melanoma in adulthood in this population.
Creating innovative writing instruction for Computer Science graduate students

This paper describes the Academic Writing Course offered in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Satan Barbara. We conceived the course to go farther than a generic writing course, and developed an innovative curriculum that specifically addresses the rigorous demands on Computer Science graduate students to produce research papers for acceptance at the best conferences. We focus on how the course design and execution address the challenges we observe in student writing, including the selection of content for a text, the organization of the content, the use of appropriate details and transitions, the discussion of data, rhetorical positioning, and readability, as well as the daunting process of drafting, redrafting, and editing. We also provide a qualitative assessment of the coursepsilas impact based on feedback from student and faculty evaluations that suggests that students who attend the course are not only better writers but more effective collaborators with faculty advisors, and thus experience a smoother overall composing, editing, and submission process.
The road to freedom: Quantitative developmental methodology in the third millennium

In this article we ask three questions. First, what is the relationship between substantive psychological research and research in the area of applied quantitative, statistical methods? Second, what is the development that applied quantitative methodology will undergo in the foreseeable future? Third, will this development affect the future of psychological research? The answers to these questions are cast in terms of six trends and three anticipated problems. The trends are: (1) increase in the number of available statistical methods; (2) substantive thinking triggers the development of new statistical methods; (3) statistical methods become increasingly flexible; (4) computers do the thinking; (5) there will be new paradigms such as the person-oriented perspective; and (6) statistical methods will be custom-tailored to substantive questions. The general tenor of the discussion of these trends is that the number of possibilities will increase and the researcher will be freed from method-specific constrai...
Identification of Novel Human Damage Response Proteins Targeted through Yeast Orthology

Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae show that many proteins influence cellular survival upon exposure to DNA damaging agents. We hypothesized that human orthologs of these S. cerevisiae proteins would also be required for cellular survival after treatment with DNA damaging agents. For this purpose, human homologs of S. cerevisiae proteins were identified and mapped onto the human protein-protein interaction network. The resulting human network was highly modular and a series of selection rules were implemented to identify 45 candidates for human toxicity-modulating proteins. The corresponding transcripts were targeted by RNA interference in human cells. The cell lines with depleted target expression were challenged with three DNA damaging agents: the alkylating agents MMS and 4-NQO, and the oxidizing agent t-BuOOH. A comparison of the survival revealed that the majority (74%) of proteins conferred either sensitivity or resistance. The identified human toxicity-modulating proteins represent a variety of biological functions: autophagy, chromatin modifications, RNA and protein metabolism, and telomere maintenance. Further studies revealed that MMS-induced autophagy increase the survival of cells treated with DNA damaging agents. In summary, we show that damage recovery proteins in humans can be identified through homology to S. cerevisiae and that many of the same pathways are represented among the toxicity modulators.
Minnows as a Classroom Model for Human Environmental Health

Understanding human environmental health is difficult for high school students, as is the process of scientific investigation. This module provides a framework to address both concerns through an inquiry-based approach using a hypothesis-driven set of experiments that draws upon a real-life concern, environmental exposures to lead (Pb2+). Students learn how scientists use model organisms to understand basic biological concepts, and how these models relate to human and environmental health. Students observe how Pb2+ alters fish behaviors. Because many levels of biological organization are involved, this module has application for multiple units within general and advanced biology classes. Beginning with what is known about Pb2+ toxicity, students develop testable hypotheses about how it may affect behavior, apply this knowledge to human populations, and identify the “next experiment.”
Medical Disorders in the Schizophrenic Patient

Objective:The primary purpose of this review of medical disorders in the schizophrenic patient is to provide the clinician interested in Consultation/ Liaison psychiatry and psychosomatic issues a comprehensive and current review of the subject.Method:The authors used the Index Medicus and Medline to find recent review articles and research articles related to medical disorders in the schizophrenic patient. Also, the authors described their clinical experience in Consultation/Liaison psychiatry working with schizophrenic patients in a large, tertiary-care academic medical center.Results:The authors divided their review into: 1) mortality and morbidity in schizophrenia, 2) differential diagnosis, 3) specific comorbidity management problems, 4) caring for schizophrenics on medical/surgical wards, and 5) antipsychotic drugs in the medical setting. Schizophrenia remains an important subject for Consultation/Liaison psychiatrists.Conclusions:Schizophrenia and its protean manifestations confound the care of the...
Harnessing the potential of entertainment-education telenovelas

The enormous economic, political and social problems of the developing world call for creating effective, equitable, and socially responsible mass media programs that will solve human problems and benefit society. The present article investigates the use of the entertainment-education strategy in mass communication, especially focusing on the potential of telenovelas in addressing problems of national development. We trace the diffusion of the entertainment-education telenovelas from Mexico to other developing countries, and distill the lessons learned to date about the conditions (for instance, the physical and human resources) needed in a country to successfully design and implement the entertainment-education strategy. The entertainment-education strategy Political revolutions, economic uncertainties, impending environmental catastrophes, infectious diseases, and unsupported population growth are but a few of the enormous challenges that face developing countries in the 1990s. The rapid political, social, and economic transitions in Second and Third W orId nations are producing a critical demand for creating effective, equitable, and socially acceptable mass communication systems that will benefit society. The use of the media to solve human problems and improve the quality of life depends on the successful implementation of mass communication strategies that promote development. The entertainment-education strategy in mass communication represents an innovative approach to addressing problems of development. Entertainment-education is defined as the process of putting educational content in entertainment messages in order to increase knowledge about an issue, create favorable attitudes, and change overt behavior concerning the
Fungus-farming insects: Multiple origins and diverse evolutionary histories

About 40–60 million years before the advent of human agriculture, three insect lineages, termites, ants, and beetles, independently evolved the ability to grow fungi for food. Like humans, the insect farmers became dependent on cultivated crops for food and developed task-partitioned societies cooperating in gigantic agricultural enterprises. Agricultural life ultimately enabled all of these insect farmers to rise to major ecological importance. Indeed, the fungus-growing termites of the Old World, the fungus-growing ants of the New World, and the cosmopolitan, fungus-growing beetles are not only dominant players in natural ecosystems, but they are also major agriculture, forestry, and household pests (1). Not surprising, much is known about the extermination of these pest insects, but only recently have genetic techniques been applied to elucidate the evolutionary histories of these unique nonhuman agricultural systems. In a recent issue of PNAS, Aanen et al. (2) present such an evolutionary analysis for fungus-growing termites and their cultivated fungal crops, complementing similar analyses recently completed for fungus-growing ants (3–6) and fungus-growing beetles (7–9) (Fig. 1 a – c ). Aanen et al. 's methodology followed the same two-part analysis anthropologists have taken to unravel the histories of human agricultural societies and their various crops. First, they assessed the patterns of relatedness between cultivated crops and wild, undomesticated varieties; patterns revealed which crops were derived from common ancestral stocks and thus the number of independent domestication events. Second, they determined the relationships between independent farmer societies to infer common origins of agricultural practices. Even in the absence of a fossil (or archaeological) record, a juxtaposition of these two phylogenetic histories can reveal surprising details of agricultural evolution. Fig 1. Evolutionary histories of fungiculture in termites, ants, and beetles. ( a – c ) Comparison of the patterns of evolutionary diversification in the insect farmers (left cladograms) and their cultivated fungi (right …
Modeling arbitrary polynomial bispectra in one and two dimensions

The authors propose a novel model, called a system with multiplicity (SWM), which is a refinement of the model proposed by Sakaguchi and Sakai (1989), to represent arbitrary polynomial bispectra. It is shown that an arbitrary polynomial bispectrum of a 1-D signal can always be realized using an SWM with FIR (finite impulse response) components. An algorithm is then developed for the identification of SWM that will match a given polynomial bispectrum. The authors address the problem of simultaneously matching an arbitrary polynomial bispectrum and a rational power spectrum function using an SWM. It is shown that this can always be accomplished by including another LSI component that is driven by a Gaussian input to the system. Experimental results for matching an estimated bispectrum as well as simultaneously matching a polynomial bispectrum and a power spectrum of some 1-D signals are presented. It is shown that in two dimensions an arbitrary polynomial bispectrum cannot always be uniquely modeled using an SWM with 2-D FIR components having different extents. >
AKAP5 and AKAP12 Form Homo-oligomers

Background: A-kinase-anchoring proteins, AKAPs, constitute a family of scaffolds that play an essential role in catalyzing the spatial-temporal, dynamic interactions of protein kinase A, protein kinase C, tyrosine kinases, Gprotein- coupled receptors and ion channels. We studied AKAP5 (AKAP79; MW ~47 kDa) and AKAP12 (gravin, SSECKS; MW ~191 kDa) to probe if these AKAP scaffolds oligomerize. Results: In gel analysis and sodium-dodecyl sulfate denaturation, AKAP12 behaved with a MW of a homo-dimer. Only in the presence of the chaotropic agent 8 M urea did gel analysis reveal a monomeric form of AKAP12. By separation by steric-exclusion chromatography, AKAP12 migrates with MW of ~840 kDa, suggestive of higher-order complexes such as a tetramer. Interestingly, the N-(1-840) and C-(840-1782) terminal regions of AKAP12 themselves retained the ability to form dimers, suggesting that the structural basis for the dimerization is not restricted to a single “domain” found within the molecule. In either sodium dodecyl sulfate or urea, AKAP5 displayed a relative mobility of a monomer, but by co-immunoprecipitation in native state was shown to oligomerize. When subjected to steric-exclusion chromatography, AKAP5 forms higher-order complexes with MW ~220 kDa, suggestive of tetrameric assemblies. Conclusion: Both AKAP5 and AKAP12 display the capacity to form supermolecular homo-oligomeric structures that likely influence the localization and function of these molecular scaffolds.
The circadian factor Period 2 modulates p53 stability and transcriptional activity in unstressed cells

Human Period 2 (hPer2) is a transcriptional regulator at the core of the circadian clock mechanism that is responsible for generating the negative feedback loop that sustains the clock. Its relevance to human disease is underlined by alterations in its function that affect numerous biochemical and physiological processes. When absent, it results in the develop- ment of various cancers and an increase in the cell's susceptibility to genotoxic stress. Thus we sought to define a yet-uncharacterized checkpoint node in which circadian components integrate environmental stress signals to the DNA-damage response. We found that hPer2 binds the C-terminal half of human p53 (hp53) and forms a stable trimeric complex with hp53's negative regulator, Mdm2. We determined that hPer2 binding to hp53 prevents Mdm2 from being ubiquitinated and targeting hp53 by the proteasome. Down-regulation of hPer2 expression directly affects hp53 levels, whereas its overexpression influences both hp53 protein stability and transcription of targeted genes. Overall our findings place hPer2 directly at the heart of the hp53-mediated response by ensuring that basal levels of hp53 are available to precondition the cell when a rapid, hp53-mediated, transcriptional response is needed.
Public Opinion towards Digital Billboards in the United States: An Analysis of Recent Polls

This study built on the results of a prior meta-analysis of public opinion toward billboards to identify relevant issues and examine the available evidence on the American public’s view of digital billboards. In general, consistent with the Taylor and Franke (2005) meta-analysis, the results show favorable public opinion toward digital billboards as well as the major provisions of the Highway Beautification Acts.
Satellite observations of currents and waves in space plasmas

Plasma processes occurring in the magnetosphere are examined in the light of recent observations of currents and waves with satellite-born magnetic experiments. In particular, results from the Viking and AMPTE/CCE satellites indicate that geomagnetic field lines that guide stationary Birkland currents can also support resonant Alfven waves. The relationship of these waves to the current systems and their source in the magnetosphere is still under investigation. It is emphasized that Birkland currents and Alfven waves are fundamental to an understanding of the earth's plasma environment.
Vehicle Road Sign Controller System: A Man-Machine Interface to Reduce Collisions

The latest studies show a critical increase in the number of traffic incidents that threaten several thousands of lives every year. Many factors can cause such incidents, but statistically, human errors are among the most significant. Drivers have limited brain processing capabilities that can get overwhelmed based on many factors that relate to the driver age, health situation, consciousness level, etc. In this paper, a new system called Vehicle Road Sign Controller is presented, that will help drivers focus on driving while it takes care of delivering all the needed traffic information from road signs. This system has three levels of interaction with the driver: notifying of road sign information by way of visual and auditory cues, prompting which will alert the driver in case of a sign is, or about to be, disobeyed, and controlling which will control the behavior of the driver based on road signs.
Use of sub-renal capsule transplantation in developmental biology

The sub-renal capsule graft site for in vivo growth and development of developing organs can be used to great advantage in the "rescue" of organ rudiments from "embryonic" or "birth" lethal mutant mice, which permits examination of the full impact of gene knockout in all phases of development from morphogenesis to adult functional differentiation. Another use of the sub-renal capsule graft site is the examination of normal and "chemically perturbed" development of human fetal organs. Tissue recombinants composed of various types of epithelium and mesenchyme, when grafted under the renal capsule undergo normal development and in 3-4 weeks achieve full adult functional cytodifferentiation. The investigator can control many of the developmental parameters of the graft such as endocrine status of the host and treatment of the host with a variety of biologically active agents to assess their effects on development and differentiation.