cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translation and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the perceived workplace environment scale in Taiwanese information technology professionals.

BACKGROUND The six-item Perceived Workplace Environment Scale (PWES) is a self-report instrument designed to measure employees' perceptions of the extent to which their workplace environment supports employee physical activity. A Chinese version is needed to facilitate workplace physical activity research in Chinese speaking countries. OBJECTIVES This paper describes the translation process and the psychometric properties of the newly translated Chinese version of the PWES (PWES-C). METHODS The PWES in English was translated into Chinese using a modified committee approach with the consideration of cross-cultural equivalence. Psychometric properties were examined by a cross-sectional survey of 466 male and 109 female Taiwanese information technology (IT) professionals from three IT companies in northern Taiwan. RESULTS Content validity of the newly translated PWES-C was supported by a panel of experts. Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.88), and no significant ceiling and floor effects were observed for the PWES-C. Construct validity was supported by examining the factor structure of the PWES-C using a confirmatory factor analysis, and the results suggest a single-factor structure. CONCLUSIONS The PWES-C is a reliable and valid measure of perceived workplace physical activity environments in Taiwanese IT professionals. The scale could be used by employers to document employees' perception of the workplace environment.
Effects of amiloride on taste responses of Drosophila melanogaster adults and larvae.

Abstract Amiloride, a diuretic that blocks epithelial sodium channels, affects taste-cell responses to salts and sweet stimuli in most vertebrates. This suggests that amiloride-sensitive sodium channels mediate taste transduction in these organisms. We have shown that amiloride, when present in the stimulus solution, affects behavioural responses of Drosophila melanogaster adults to sucrose and responses of larvae to sucrose and sodium chloride. We have also shown that the drug does not repel or attract larvae. This suggests that amiloride affects salt and sweet taste perception directly, perhaps by blocking sodium channels, rather than acting as an aversive stimulus that counteracts the effect of sucrose or an attractive stimulus that counteracts the effect of sodium chloride.
Optimal, real-time monitoring of particle size distribution in a fluidized bed

A novel method for tracking particle size distribution dynamics in a fluidized bed yields on-line, real-time measurements of particle size distribution that are representative of actual conditions. These measurements are somewhat corrupted with noise (random error), however, and are available to the computer only at discrete time intervals. An optimal filtering algorithm combines the measurements with predictions from an idealized dynamic model to yield particle size distribution estimates that are not only on-line and real-time, but also virtually continuous and well-behaved.
DARPA programs in high-capacity communications

The paper describes recent and current DARPA programs aimed at creating a robust, high capacity data backbone and a self-organizing backhaul network operating between mobile and aerial platforms.
Neural receptor mechanisms for estrogens and progesterone and the regulation of ovulation and sex-related behavior in mammals

Abstract The roles of estrogen and progesterone for maintenance of the cyclicity characteristic of the mature, reproductively active female are examined in detail for two species, rats and hamsters. In both species, regulation of cycle length, the timing of the receptive period, and the length of the receptive period are shown to be under the control of progesterone. Thus progesterone is the most important of the sex steroids for maintenance of cyclicity. The locus of hormone action is examined and it is shown that estrogen exerts both its negative feedback effects in regulation of the pituitary-gonad axis and its priming effects for receptivity at the level of the hypothalamus. Progesterone blocks ovulation by an effect on the hypothalamus (hamster); however, no localized action could be demonstrated for progesterone synergism with estrogen for induction of receptivity. Hormone retention by target tissues was examined and shown to be sex specific. When estrogen priming was done at “physiological” levels, increased retention was noted for target tissues of the female, while suppression of retention occurred in the male. Progesterone was found to interact with the estrogen-primed system resulting in a suppression of estrogen retention in the female and a mirror-image effect in the male, that is increased retention. Progesterone retention has been demonstrated for the uterus only and the retention is estrogen dependent, increasing with increased amounts of estrogen priming.
Patterns of partners' abusive behaviors as reported by Latina and non‐Latina survivors

This study builds on the existing knowledge of risk factors for lethal intimate partner violence (IPV) and typologies of IPV abusers by exploring patterns of abusive partners' behaviors among known risk factors for intimate partner femicide (i.e., murder of women) and determines if groups of survivors with similar patterns of abusive behaviors exist. The common patterns are then examined for differences among Latina and non-Latina survivors. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with adult English- and Spanish-speaking survivors of past-year physical and/or sexual IPV using a validated risk assessment instrument, the Danger Assessment (DA) Questionnaire. Two-hundred nine IPV survivors participated, 55% Latina. Unique patterns of abusive behaviors perpetrated by an intimate partner or ex-partner across known risk factors for lethal violence were reported. The patterns clustered into five distinct groups: extreme abuser, physical and sexual violence/controlling abuser, forced sex/controlling abuser, threat/controlling abuser, and low-level tactics abuser. Latina and non-Latina survivors reported mean DA scores (13.0 vs. 18.5, respectively) that place them within the “increased danger” and “extreme danger” level, respectively, for lethal violence by an abusive partner. Although both groups were in extreme danger on average, the patterns of abusive behaviors differed. Latina women were more likely to characterize their partner as using forced sex to control the relationship, whereas non-Latina women were more likely to characterize the use of all types of abusive behaviors (i.e., extreme abuser) or threats to kill them (i.e., threat/controlling abuser) to control the relationship. The findings of this study can be used to develop effective individualized safety plans that include culturally and linguistically competent strategies to reduce violence-related morbidity and mortality. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transdermal Delivery of Prodrugs

(1983). Transdermal Delivery of Prodrugs. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 691-706.
A PROMIS fatigue short form for use by individuals who have multiple sclerosis

To derive from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) fatigue item bank, a short form for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), the PROMIS-FatigueMS. A panel of 37 clinicians and 46 individuals with MS ranked the relevance of PROMIS fatigue items to persons with MS. Eight items were selected for the PROMIS-FatigueMS that maximized relevance rankings, content coverage, and item discrimination. The PROMIS-FatigueMS and an existing, 7-item PROMIS fatigue short form (PROMIS-FatigueSFv1.0) were administered to a new sample of 231 individuals with MS. Known groups and content validity were assessed. Scores from the short forms were highly correlated (r = 0.92). Discriminant validity of the PROMIS-FatigueMS scores was supported in known groups comparisons. Scores of neither short form exhibited an advantage in quantitative analyses. The PROMIS-FatigueMS targeted more of the content included in participants’ responses to open-ended questions than did the PROMIS-FatigueSFv1.0. The PROMIS-FatigueMS was derived to have content validity in MS samples. The validity of the measure was further supported by the ability of PROMIS-FatigueMS items to discriminate among groups expected to differ in levels of fatigue. We recommend its use in measuring the fatigue of individuals with MS.
Calcite dissolution in sediments of the Ceara Rise: In situ measurements of porewater O2, pH, and CO2(aq)

In situ electrode measurements of porewater oxygen and pH from four sites on the Ceara Rise in the western Tropical Atlantic unequivocally demonstrate that calcite dissolution driven by metabolic CO2 produced within the sediments is a significant part of the diagenesis of sedimentary calcite, dissolving at least 20% of the calcite rain to the seafloor. The first ever in situ absorbance-based measurements of porewater CO2(aq) support the dissolution estimates based on models of the observed pH distributions and are incompatible with scenarios excluding metabolic CO2-driven dissolution. Our dissolution estimates are consistent with those estimated by an independent study of porewater calcium and alkalinity profiles (Martin and Sayles, 1996) at this location. The consistency of these disparate porewater measurements and our ability to interpret them with simple models of respiration and dissolution implies that no special mechanism is required to describe this process. The calcite dissolution rate constant in the sediments of the deepest station in this study is significantly higher than determined by in situ studies at other locations; values approach those determined by early laboratory measurements. The dissolution rate constant here must be at least two orders of magnitude higher than for calcite in sediments on the Ontong-Java Plateau, based on in situ electrode-measurements there (Hales and Emerson, 1996). The calcite solubility consistent with these data is not compatible with that consistent with the Ontong-Java data. The reason for this difference is currently unresolved, but may be due to the high order of the empirical dissolution rate law assumed in this study.
Monitoring of FRP Strengthened Structures Using a Modified Time of Flight Interferometer

In this paper, we demonstrate a modified time of flight fiber optic sensor interferometer that provides global strain information for large-scale FRP strengthened structures with significantly increased strain sensitivity. With the originally continuous signals being reconstructed from the discretely sampled points using a sinc interpolation function, the sensing resolution of the interferometer is demonstrated to be significantly higher than through direct interrogation. To easily embed the FOS in structures and effectively increase the fiber sensing length, a commercially available prefabricated fiber ribbon is used. The results of bending tests of FRP beams with the embedded ribbon demonstrate the increase in strain sensitivity as well as no detectable loss in strength of the FRP plates due to the embedded fiber ribbons. Results from static loading test of a FRP strengthened beam with embedded fiber ribbons show the feasibility of this technique for self-monitoring FRP retrofits.© 2006 ASME
Welfare States and the Redistribution of Happiness

We use data from the 2002 International Social Survey Programme, with roughly 42,000 individuals nested within 29 countries, to examine the determinants of happiness in a comparative perspective. We hypothesize that social democratic welfare states redistribute happiness among policy-targeted demographic groups in these countries. The redistributive properties of the social democratic welfare states generate an alternate form of “happiness inequality” in which winners and losers are defined by marital status, presence of children and income. We apply multilevel modeling and focus on public social expenditures (as percentage of GDP) as proxy measures of state intervention at the macro-level, and happiness as the specific measure of welfare outcome at the micro-level. We find that aggregate happiness is not greater in the social democratic welfare states, but happiness closely reflects the redistribution of resources in these countries. Happiness is redistributed from low-risk to high-risk individuals. For example, women with small children are significantly happier, but single persons are significantly less happy in the welfare states. This suggests that pro-family ideology of the social democratic welfare states protects families from social risk and improves their well-being at the cost of single persons. Further, we find that the happiness gap between high versus low-income earners is considerably smaller in the social democratic welfare states, suggesting that happiness is redistributed from the privileged to the less privileged.
Lipidemic response of hamsters to rice bran, uncooked or processed white and brown rice, and processed corn starch

ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to evaluate the lipidemic response of rice bran and the possible enhancement of its healthful properties by using raw or processed white or brown rice in place of corn starch. All diets contained 10% total dietary fiber, 15% fat, and 0.5% cholesterol. Weanling male golden Syrian hamsters were fed cellulose control (CC), processed corn starch (PCS), cellulose with processed brown rice (CPBR), rice bran (RB), RB with white rice (RBWR), RB with processed white rice (RBPWR), RB with brown rice (RBBR), and RB with processed brown rice (RBPBR) diets. After three weeks, the PCS diet significantly lowered total plasma cholesterol (TC) compared with the CC, CPBR, RBWR, and RBPBR diets. RB and RBBR diets significantly lowered TC and LDL-C compared with CPBR diet. All the RB-containing and PCS diets significantly lowered liver cholesterol and liver lipid content. Processing white rice increased TDF content 240% and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) 360%, whereas soluble dietary fiber (...
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of benzenethiol adsorbed from the gas phase onto silver film over nanosphere surfaces: determination of the sticking probability and detection limit time.

A chemical warfare agent (CWA) gas detector based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using robust nanostructured substrates and a portable Raman spectrometer is a promising alternative to existing modalities. A gas-dosing apparatus was constructed to simulate chemical gas exposure and provide a platform for quantitative analysis of SERS detection. As a first step toward characterizing SERS detection from the gas phase, benzenethiol (BT) has been chosen as the test analyte. SERS spectra were monitored during BT adsorption onto a silver film over a nanosphere (AgFON) substrate. The SERS detection limit time (DLt) for BT on a AgFON at 356 K is found to be 6 ppm-s (30 mg-s m−3) for a data acquisition time (tacq) of 1 s. The DLt for this kinetically controlled sensor is fundamentally determined by the low sticking probability of BT on AgFONs which is determined to be ∼2 × 10−5 at 356 K. The sticking probability increases with increasing temperature consistent with an adsorption activation barrier of...
Review of Exercise-Induced Muscle Injury: Relevance for Athletic Populations

Exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury is well understood as the product of unfamiliar or strenuous physical activity. Eccentric or lengthening actions are primarily responsible for inducing injury, which subsequently leads to a variety of signs and symptoms. Although significant research supports this finding, most observations are specific to untrained individuals. In addition, many protocols designed both to induce muscle injury and assess performance following the injury are dissimilar from those utilized by physically trained individuals or are impractical in relation to athletic performance or both. Therefore, difficulty may arise when extrapolating information, from the available literature and applying the findings to athletic populations. This review addresses the efficacy of applying our current understanding of exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury to a physically trained population as well as highlights concerns that require future investigation.
Reduction factor for liquefaction potential analysis

A probabilistic method to evaluate liquefaction potential based on uniform cyclic laboratory tests is developed. In this method, a peak shear stress reduction factor and a number of uniform cycles of load are paired to yield probabilities of initial liquefaction equivalent to that from nonuniform earthquake loading. An illustrative analysis is presented for a hypothetical site. The method is then used to analyze a case study of a site known to have liquefied during the 1981 Westmorland, CA earthquake.
Temporal modulation sensitivities of red- and green-sensitive cone systems in dichromats

The temporal modulation sensitivities of protanopes, deuteranopes and normal observers were measured with sinusoidal grating patterns (of spatial frequency 2.5 c/deg) whose contrast was modulated sinusoidally in time. Contrast sensitivity functions obtained from the three types of observers are almost identical. If we accept that in each class of dichromat only one cone type (red-sensitive, R, or green-sensitive, G) supports threshold, and that post-receptoral filters in both classes of observers are the same, the results show that R and G cones have the same temporal properties.
The effect of sodium polyphosphates and of divalent cations on the water holding capacity of pre- and post-rigor chicken breast muscle.

The water holding capacity (WHC) of natural actomyosin (NAM), of both contracted and uncontracted glycerinated myofibrils and of pre- and post-rigor chicken meat was investigated in the presence and/or absence of sodium pyrophosphate (PPi), Kena, CaCl2 and MgCl2. In these experiments PPi caused a small decrease in the WHC of NAM which was further decreased either by Ca or even further by Mg. PPi with or without Ca or Mg had almost no effect on the WHC of glycerinated myofibrils. Pre-rigor meat showed a slight decrease in WHC of PPi which was further decreased with Mg or even further by Ca. With post-rigor meat the WHC increase with PPi was decreased by the addition of Mg or even further decreased by the addition of Ca. The actual WHC of pre-rigor meat was almost twice that of post-rigor meat. Once rigor had occurred no major changes in WHC were observed up to 5 days. Kena caused a slight decrease in the WHC of NAM. Using myofibrils and the meat samples, Kena gave an increase in WHC. The addition of Ca and Mg again tended to decrease this WHC.
Fulvestrant (ICI 182,780)-dependent Interacting Proteins Mediate Immobilization and Degradation of Estrogen Receptor-α *

The antiestrogen fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) causes immobilization of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in the nuclear matrix accompanied by rapid degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In this study we tested the hypothesis that fulvestrant induces specific nuclear matrix protein-ERα interactions that mediate receptor immobilization and turnover. A glutathione S-transferase (GST)-ERα-activating function-2 (AF2) fusion protein was used to isolate and purify receptor-interacting proteins in cell lysates prepared from human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. After SDS-PAGE and gel excision, mass spectrometry was used to identify two major ERα-interacting proteins, cytokeratins 8 and 18 (CK8·CK18). We determined, using ERα-activating function-2 mutants, that helix 12 (H12) of ERα, but not its F domain, is essential for fulvestrant-induced ERα-CK8 and CK18 interactions. To investigate the in vivo role of H12 in fulvestrant-induced ERα immobilization/degradation, transient transfection assays were performed using wild type ERα,ERα with a mutated H12, and ERα with a deleted F domain. Of those, only the ERα H12 mutant was resistant to fulvestrant-induced immobilization to the nuclear matrix and protein degradation. Fulvestrant treatment caused ERα degradation in CK8·CK18-positive human breast cancer cells, and CK8 and CK18 depletion by small interference RNAs partially blocked fulvestrant-induced receptor degradation. Furthermore, fulvestrant-induced ERα degradation was not observed in CK8 or CK18-negative cancer cells, suggesting that these two intermediate filament proteins are necessary for fulvestrant-induced receptor turnover. Using an ERα-green fluorescent protein construct in fluorescence microscopy revealed that fulvestrant-induced cytoplasmic localization of newly synthesized receptor is mediated by its interaction with CK8 and CK18. In summary, this study provides the first direct evidence linking ERα immobilization and degradation to the nuclear matrix. We suggest that fulvestrant induces ERα to interact with CK8 and CK18, drawing the receptor into close proximity to nuclear matrix-associated proteasomes that facilitate ERα turnover.
Social oppression, psychological vulnerability, and unprotected intercourse among young Black men who have sex with men.

Objective Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at extraordinarily high risk for HIV infection. Given their dual minority identity, they experience multiple forms of social oppression-racism, homophobia, and poverty. This study tested a model for how these forces contribute to their sexual risk behavior. Method YBMSM (n = 1,289) from 2 Texas cities completed a 1-time assessment of sexual behaviors and psychosocial variables. Structural equation modeling was used to characterize relationships among variables. Results Experiences of racism, homophobia, and socioeconomic distress were all associated with unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) either directly or indirectly in a manner largely consistent with Diaz's (1997, 1998) model of the effects of social oppression. Racism, homophobia, and socioeconomic distress were each associated with specific psychological vulnerabilities, which were in turn associated with participation in difficult sexual situations (e.g., in a public setting), and then UAI. The effects of racism were largely mediated by depressive symptoms and participation in difficult sexual situations. Homophobia was mediated by depressive symptoms, social support, and internalized homophobia. The effects of socioeconomic distress were partially mediated by decreased social support and greater participation in difficult sexual situations. Socioeconomic distress also had a significant direct effect on UAI not explained by the proposed mediators. Conclusions Social oppression contributes to YBMSM's psychological vulnerabilities, participation in difficult sexual situations, and their UAI. Interventions to reduce sexual risk in YBMSM should address socioeconomic disadvantage, homophobia, and racism, as well as the psychological challenges that social oppression creates for them.
Motion detection and characterization by an excitable membrane: The “bow wave” model

Abstract We present a novel method for detecting and characterizing coherent motion in a set of image frames, using a two-dimensional sheet of locally connected neural elements. Externally applied activity leads to traveling activity waves. Activity waves resulting from points or objects in motion have a characteristic “bow wave” shape, which can be used to establish the existence, direction and speed of the object's motion. This mechanism may be used to model motion detection in biological systems, and may help to explain such psychophysical effects as motion pop-out, robustness of motion signals to noise, and the perception of transparent motion.
The Morphoedaphic Index—Concepts and Practices: The Morphoedaphic Index and Reservoir Fish Production

Abstract The morphoedaphic index MEI (total dissolved solids in mg/liter divided by mean depth in meters), developed by Richard A. Ryder in the mid-1960s as an estimator of potential fish yield in lakes, can be used to predict both fish harvest and standing crop in United States reservoirs. The relation of reservoir sport-fish harvest to the index is curvilinear, with maximum yields expected at index values of 50 to 100. Fish standing crop in 290 reservoirs was also significantly correlated with the MEI; maximum crops would be expected at values of 50 to 200. Predictive value was increased when the sample was divided into four subsets on the basis of the reservoir operational type and water chemistry. The MEI-crop relationships were also curvilinear; predicted crops were highest in hydropower mainstream reservoirs and lowest in nonhydropower reservoirs where sulfate-chloride ions were dominant. Coefficients of determination in the subsets ranged from 0.47 to 0.72. The MEI should be of practical utility to...
Lithium formate ion clusters formation during electrospray ionization: Evidence of magic number clusters by mass spectrometry and ab initio calculations

Small cationic and anionic clusters of lithium formate were generated by electrospray ionization and their fragmentations were studied by tandem mass spectrometry (collision-induced dissociation with N2). Singly as well as multiply charged clusters were formed in both positive and negative ion modes with the general formulae, (HCOOLi)nLi+, (HCOOLi)nLimm+, (HCOOLi)nHCOO−, and (HCOOLi)n(HCOO)mm−. Several magic number cluster (MNC) ions were observed in both the positive and negative ion modes although more predominant in the positive ion mode with (HCOOLi)3Li+ being the most abundant and stable cluster ion. Fragmentations of singly charged positive clusters proceed first by the loss of a dimer unit ((HCOOLi)2) followed by the loss of monomer units (HCOOLi) although the former remains the dominant dissociation process. In the case of positive cluster ions, all fragmentations lead to the magic cluster (HCOOLi)3Li+ as the most abundant fragment ion at higher collision energies which then fragments further to d...
A Monte Carlo approach to scattering off surfaces of triaxial ellipsoids

Abstract We developed a Monte Carlo procedure to calculate the scattering properties of ellipsoidal bodies. Although originally intended for application to Saturn's ring A, the technique can also be applied to surfaces of asteroids modeled as triaxial ellipsoids. A simple coordinate transformation allows the Monte Carlo approach to be quick and efficient. By modifying the well-known acceptance-rejection technique to reflect the dependence of surface albedo on the angle of incidence, we can apply this technique to any surface scattering function. The backscattered brightness and the phase curve at small phase angles can be calculated to a high degree of accuracy in a small amount of computing time. The technique is shown to be accurate for problems that have analytic solutions. Light curve amplitudes of biaxial ellipsoids as a function of the axial ratio are plotted for several scattering laws. The application of this technique to a direct integration approach is also considered.
Ecological management of vertebrate pests in agricultural systems.

ABSTRACT Managing vertebrate pests has been a neglected topic of research in sustainable agriculture. Conventional approaches, often reactionary rather than preventative, have failed to provide sustainable solutions. Indeed, conventional control through density reduction often involves battling natural ecological processes. Agricultural practices may improve habitat quality for vertebrates that then become pests. Density reduction, but without a concomitant reduction in carrying capacity, may stimulate density-dependent reproduction and survival, rapid recolonization, or both; thus, vertebrate pests often show remarkable resilience in recovering from density reduction. Effective management of vertebrate pests in agricultural systems should incorporate knowledge of temporal and spatial dynamics of pest species. We review several approaches for managing vertebrate pests that might be successful in sustainable agriculture. Habitat quality, and thus carrying capacity, for pests might be reduced by modifying c...
Studies of Size-Based Selectivity in Aqueous Ternary Complexes of Americium(III) or Lanthanide(III) Cations

Spectrophotometric and calorimetric titrations were used to determine the equilibrium constants (log10 K 111) and enthalpies of formation (ΔH 111) for aqueous ternary complexes of the form M(La)(Lb) (M = Nd3+, Sm3+, Tb3+, Ho3+, Er3+, or Am3+; La = DTPA5−, DO3A3−, or CDTA4−; Lb = oxalate (Ox), malonate (Mal), or iminodiacetate (IDA)). Inner-sphere ternary complexes were readily formed with the septadentate DO3A (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid) and hexadentate CDTA (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetraacetic acid) ligands, whose binary complexes have residual metal-coordinated water molecules that are readily displaced by the smaller secondary ligands. The stability constants for the formation of lanthanide–CDTA complexes with Ox, Mal, and IDA generally increase with decreasing ionic radius when steric hindrance is minimal, with the trend in the M(CDTA)− formation constants overshadowing any size-based reversal in the stepwise ternary complexation constants. Similar ternary complexes with DO3A showed little increase in thermodynamic stability compared to analogous CDTA complexes and no preference for larger Ln cations. The octadentate DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) ligand proved too large to form ternary complexes to a measurable extent with any of the secondary ligands investigated, despite the presence of one residual inner sphere water molecule.
Cellular pathway(s) of antigen processing in fish APC: effect of varying in vitro temperatures on antigen catabolism.

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine the effects of varying in vitro temperatures during cellular processing of T-dependent antigens by catfish antigen-presenting cells (APC). Strategy involved pulsing of long-term monocyte lines (used as APC) with antigen at different temperatures for various periods of time and then fixing and coculturing with autologous peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) as responders at a permissive temperature (i.e., 27°C). Results showed that APC incubated with antigen at low, nonpermissive, but physiologically relevant, temperatures (11 and 17°C) elicited secondary proliferative responses by autologous PBL. However, responses elicited with APC pulsed at 11 and 17°C required longer exposure to the antigen prior to fixation (i.e., ⩾8 h compared to 5 h, the optimal incubation time at 27°C). Further, there was sufficient cell-associated antigen during a short-term pulsing period (1–2 h) at 11 and 17°C to provide efficient presentation after subsequent incubation of the APC at 27°C for an additional 10 h before fixation. In contrast, APC pulsed with antigen at an extremely low, physiologically irrelevant, temperature (4°C) for extended periods of time did not elicit the proliferation of autologous responders unless antigen pulsing was carried out for 1–2 h and the APC subsequently shifted to 27°C for an additional 10 hr. Antigen uptake assays revealed significant and similar levels of internalized antigen at 11, 17, and 27°C, but not at 4°C. However, intracellular degradation and formation of trichloroacetic acid-soluble antigen catabolites at 11 and 17°C appeared to occur at a slower rate compared to APC at 27°C. Significantly, primary anti-hapten plaque-forming cell responses were also observed with PBL cocultured with APC pulsed with hapten-carrier conjugates at 11, 17, and 27°C. Consequently, the previously observed suppression of primary T-cell responses in fish at low, physiologically relevant, temperatures is not due to impaired antigen processing or presentation.
Mixing Behavior of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter and Its Potential Ecological Implication in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, Florida

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is one of the most important water quality constituents impacting light attenuation in estuaries; its concentration and distribution influence light quality and quantity available to phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation. By combining field surveys (March 2009–January 2011) and laboratory studies, we examined the estuarine mixing behavior of CDOM and potential loss processes affecting mixing behavior in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE), Florida. The CDOM absorption coefficient at 355 nm (a CDOM(355), m−1) varied from 0.5 to 64 m−1, with higher values in the upper estuary and lower values downstream, and increased with increasing freshwater inflow. CDOM exhibited three apparent mixing patterns with respect to hypothetical conservative mixing, with (1) conservative behavior or (2) addition at lower inflow and (3) loss at higher inflow. Laboratory studies indicated that flocculation was not a major loss process and that CDOM was susceptible to photolysis. The concentration of CDOM declined as a function of cumulative solar irradiation with a rate of ∼0.003 m2 mol−1, suggesting a photobleaching half-life for CDOM of about 1 w. Apparent nonconservative mixing of CDOM increased or decreased light attenuation by 15–30 %, depending on freshwater inflow and location in the estuary. Light attenuation in the CRE was controlled primarily by CDOM in the upper estuary and by turbidity in the lower estuary, with the average contribution of CDOM to total light attenuation of 55 % (2–92 %) and turbidity of 23 % (3–79 %). The contribution of chlorophyll a (Chl a) to light attenuation was less than both CDOM and turbidity, accounting for about 12 % on average (2–24 %), regardless of location. These results suggest that any nutrient management scenario aimed at improving water clarity through reduction in Chl a concentration should consider the contributions of color and turbidity as well.
Brainstem modulation of pain during sleep and waking

Moderately painful stimuli applied during sleep evoke motor and neural responses indicative of arousal, but seldom cause awakening. Different reactions occur in response to acute pain stimulation across behavioral states; pain reactions are modulated by the activity of serotonergic and non-serotonergic cells in the raphe magnus (RM). Serotonergic RM cells have state-dependent discharge and may inhibit simple motor withdrawal responses during waking. ON and OFF cells are non-serotonergic RM neurons thought to facilitate and inhibit pain, respectively. These cells display reciprocal spontaneous discharge patterns across the sleep-wake cycle, with ON cells most active during waking and OFF cells most active during sleep. We propose that they also play an important role in modulating the alertness evoked by any brief external stimulus, either noxious or innocuous. ON cells may facilitate alertness during waking and OFF cells suppress arousals during sleep. In the presence of chronic pain, both ON and OFF cell discharge appear to increase. The increase in ON cell discharge may contribute to enhancing pain sensitivity and alertness. Future research is needed to understand why sleep is so adversely affected in chronic pain patients, whereas sleep is minimally disrupted, even by acutely painful stimuli, in humans and animals without chronic pain.
Efficient Episode Mining of Dynamic Event Streams

Discovering frequent episodes over event sequences is an important data mining problem. Existing methods typically require multiple passes over the data, rendering them unsuitable for streaming contexts. We present the first streaming algorithm for mining frequent episodes over a window of recent events in the stream. We derive approximation guarantees for our algorithm in terms of: (i) the separation of frequent episodes from infrequent ones, and (ii) the rate of change of stream characteristics. Our parameterization of the problem provides a new sweet spot in the tradeoff between making distributional assumptions over the stream and algorithmic efficiencies of mining. We illustrate how this yields significant benefits when mining practical streams from neuroscience and telecommunications logs.
Experience with obatoclax mesylate (GX15-070), a small molecule pan-Bcl-2 family antagonist in patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

To the editor: Bcl-2 overexpression is frequently observed in classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL)[1][1] and may confer poor prognosis.[2][2],[3][3] Obatoclax mesylate (GX15-070) is a small-molecule antagonist of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, which activates apoptosis in vitro and exhibits anti-tumor
Systematic Data Loss in HRM Settings: A Monte Carlo Analysis

The accuracy of eight missing data techniques (MDTs) under conditions of systematically missing data was tested using a Monte Carlo analysis. Data were generated from a population correlation matrix, then deleted using several patterns that might be found in a human resource management (HRM) selection validation study. The results indicated that listwise and pairwise deletion were the most accurate methods, followed closely by imputation methods such as regression and hot-deck. Mean substitution was substantially inferior to the other methods tested. Future research that examines different missing data patterns is recommended.
Intervention toolbox to promote immunosuppressant therapy adherence in adult renal transplant recipients.

Abstract Objectives To provide a brief overview of published immunosuppressant therapy (IST) adherence interventions in adult renal transplant recipients (RTRs) and to describe the utility and aspects of an adherence toolbox for adult RTRs. Setting National independent specialty pharmacy. Practice description IST adherence is critical to graft survival after a renal transplant. However, IST nonadherence occurs in a large proportion of adult RTRs. Although effective intervention strategies are needed to improve IST adherence, few intervention studies have been conducted in the adult RTR population. To address this gap in the literature, a randomized controlled trial of a patient-specific behavioral contracts intervention to improve IST adherence among adult RTRs has been implemented. Practice innovation During the behavioral contracts intervention, researchers have developed a toolbox of practical and replicable items and strategies to address forgetfulness and confusion as barriers to IST adherence. Conclusion An adherence toolbox that includes simple, practical, accessible mechanisms and strategies to improve IST adherence may benefit adult RTRs.
Incipient singularities in the Navier-Stokes equations

Infinite pointwise stretching in a finite time for general initial conditions is found in a simulation of the Biot-Savart equation for a slender vortex tube in three dimensions. Viscosity is ineffective in limiting the divergence in the vorticity as long as it remains concentrated in tubes. Stability has not been shown.
Quadrupole magnets for the SSC collider

A 40-mm-bore 211-T/m quadrupole magnet has been designed and tested at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. There are 8 coils of 30 strand cable arranged in two layers in a cos 2 theta distribution, supported by 18-mm-thick collars, preassembled into 146-mm-long packs, and rigidly aligned in a cold-iron yoke. The design, construction details, and test results are given for three 1-m models and the first 5-m model. >
Low Pt content Pt–Ru–Ir–Sn quaternary catalysts for anodic methanol oxidation in DMFC

Abstract In this communication we report our research work on low Pt content Pt–Ru–Ir–Sn quaternary catalysts for use in DMFC anodes. The carbon-supported quaternary metal alloy catalyst was synthesized according to the solution reduction method and was deposited onto a carbon fiber paper or a carbon aerogel nanofoam to form the anode for direct methanol fuel cells. The Pt loading of the electrode is 0.1 mg/cm 2 . The testing results from a three-electrode electrochemical cell show that the simultaneous use of higher Ir (25–35 wt.%) and Sn (10 wt.%) content gives satisfactory stability and higher activity for methanol oxidation than the commercially available E-TEK anode (80%[0.5Pt 0.5Ru]/C on carbon cloth). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Bruner–Emmett–Teller method (BET) measurements were carried out to characterize the composition, structure, morphology, and surface area of the developed catalysts.
LiDAR measurement of sagebrush steppe vegetation heights

Small footprint LiDAR data were used to detect and characterize vegetation in a semi-arid sagebrush steppe environment in southeastern Idaho. Processing the raw data in individual flightlines maintained the high relative accuracy of the data set and allowed for the detection of sub-meter vegetation. First return LiDAR pulse data were used to both determine the ground surface as well as calculate vegetation heights. Surface roughness maps based on vegetation heights were found to best capture the variability of the canopy and accurately distinguish burned and unburned areas. Field validation of a sagebrush presence and absence classification based on a single roughness threshold value indicates an overall accuracy of 86%. The LiDAR-determined vegetation heights are moderately well correlated to those measured in the field, although the LiDAR heights uniformly underestimate the field heights. This underestimation is believed to be due to signal threshold limits within the LiDAR sensor, producing heights corresponding to the interior of the shrub canopy rather than the top.
Predictors of sustained therapeutic change: Some thoughts about conceptualizations

Blatt, Zuroff, Hawley, and Auerbach (2010) assert that psychotherapy research has adopted the implicit but fundamental assumption that “patients at the start of treatment are more alike than differ...
Association of highly compact type II diabetes related islet amyloid polypeptide intermediate species at physiological temperature revealed by diffusion NMR spectroscopy.

Self-association of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is correlated with the development of type II diabetes by the disruption of cellular homeostasis in islet cells through the formation of membrane-active oligomers. The toxic species of hIAPP responsible for membrane damage has not been identified. In this study, we show by pulsed field gradient NMR spectroscopy that the monomeric form of the toxic, amyloidogenic human variant of IAPP (hIAPP) adopts a temperature dependent compact folded conformation that is absent in both the nontoxic and nonamyloidogenic rat variant of IAPP and absent in hIAPP at low temperatures, suggesting this compact form of monomeric hIAPP may be linked to its later aggregation and cytotoxicity. In addition to the monomeric form of hIAPP, a large oligomeric species greater than 100 nm in diameter is also present but does not trigger the nucleation-dependent aggregation of IAPP at 4 °C, indicating the large oligomeric species may be an off-pathway intermediate that has been ...
Energy of polygonal and elliptical dislocation loops

A general expression for the elastic strain energy of an arbitrary N-sided planar polygonal dislocation loop is obtained from the stress field of dislocation segments using isotropic elasticity. This expression can be used to approximate the energy of any curved dislocation loop to any degree of accuracy. For example, the energies of regular polygonal dislocation loops and irregular polygonal dislocation loops inscribed in several ellipses are calculated and, by extrapolating to N = ∞, are shown to agree with the energies of circular and elliptical dislocation loops for which simple analytical expressions are available. The equilibrium shape of elliptical loops and the possibility of reorientation of these loops along a glide cylinder are consistent with experimental results in h.c.p., b.c.c., and f.c.c. crystals and in α-uranium. The effect of anisotropy in h.c.p. metals is calculated for large elliptical loops in the basal plane. Ein allgemeiner Ausdruck fur die elastische Verzerrungsenergie einer beliebigen N-seitigen, planaren, polygonalen Versetzungsschleife wird aus dem Spannungsfeld von Versetzungssegmenten abgeleitet, wobei isotrope Elastizitatstheorie verwendet wird. Dieser Ausdruck kann benutzt werden, um die Energie jeder gekrummten Versetzungsschleife mit beliebiger Genauigkeit naherungsweise zu berechnen. Als Beispiele werden die Energien von regularen und irregularen, polygonalen, in verschiedenen Ellipsen eingeschriebenen Versetzungsschleifen berechnet, und durch Extrapolation zu N = ∞ wird gezeigt, das sie mit den Energien zirkularer und elliptischer Versetzungsschleifen ubereinstimmen, fur die einfache analytische Ausdrucke existieren. Die Gleichgewichtsform von elliptischen Schleifen und die Moglichkeit einer Umorientierung dieser Schleifen langs Gleitzylinder stimmen mit experimentellen Ergebnissen in h.c.p.-, k.r.z.- und k.f.z.-Kristallen sowie in α-Uran uberein. Der Anisotropie-Effekt in h.c.p.-Metallen wird fur grose elliptische Schleifen in der Basisebene berechnet.
Identifying representative drug resistant mutants of HIV reverse transcriptase

Drug resistance is an important cause in the failure of anti-AIDS treatment. Predictions based on genotype data can guide therapy very efficiently compared to phenotype experiments. We have developed a new algorithm using mean shift clustering to reveal the most representative mutants from a drug resistance database based on our unified protein sequence and 3D structure encoding. This algorithm was tested on genotype-resistance data for mutants of HIV reverse transcriptase and successfully chooses around 300 mutants out of 10K from the whole database.
Splitting in Normal and Pathological Populations from the Perspective of Predictive Control Theory: A Reconceptualization

For the purpose of clarification, the defense mechanism of splitting is delimited into normal forms evident in healthy populations and pathological forms common to some psychopathological populations. Normal splitting is defined as a less extreme variant of pathological splitting which tends to evince more palpable splitting of the other-image compared to the self-image, largely as a result of the reasonably stable selfconcept typical of normal populations. Splitting is investigated within the evolutionary context and is presented as possessing adaptive antecedents which facilitate extrapsychic survival as it relates to intrapsychic survival. A new theory of splitting, entitled predictive control theory (PCT), is proposed which conceptualizes splitting as the facilitation of prediction and perceived control under threatening and/or stressful periods. This framework conceptualizes splitting as working with, rather than against, anxiety to facilitate rapid survival actions. The PCT model is examined in both...
The Genus Diogenidium (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) Parasitic in Holothurians in the West Indies

Quatre especes de copepodes cyclopoides du genre Diogenidium vivent comme endoparasites dans les holothuries des Indes Occidentales. Trois de ces especes, D. nasutum Edwards, 1891, D. de f orme Stock, 1968, et D. spinulosum Stock, 1968, sont redecrites; la femelle de D. spinulosum est decrite pour la premiere fois. Une quatrieme espece, D. tectum n. sp., est decrite d'Actinopyga agassizii.
Covariate Adjusted Correlation Analysis via Varying Coefficient Models

. We propose covariate adjusted correlation (Cadcor) analysis to target the correlation between two hidden variables that are observed after being multiplied by an unknown function of a common observable confounding variable. The distorting effects of this confounding may alter the correlation relation between the hidden variables. Covariate adjusted correlation analysis enables consistent estimation of this correlation, by targeting the definition of correlation through the slopes of the regressions of the hidden variables on each other and by establishing a connection to varying-coefficient regression. The asymptotic distribution of the resulting adjusted correlation estimate is established. These distribution results, when combined with proposed consistent estimates of the asymptotic variance, lead to the construction of approximate confidence intervals and inference for adjusted correlations. We illustrate our approach through an application to the Boston house price data. Finite sample properties of the proposed procedures are investigated through a simulation study.