cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of skill-based pay with traditional job evaluation techniques

Skill-based pay plans pay for the skill of the individual, not the job actually performed. They give increased pay for mastering new skills and require an individual rating of job skills which are weighted to determine the compensation of an individual. Skill-based pay plans have many alleged advantages over more traditional job evaluation approaches. Claims of skill-based plans being legally defensible were analyzed using the Equal Pay Act and found to have some potential legal problems. Conversely, traditional job evaluation plans have been successfully used to defend against allegations of unfairness in compensation.
Theoretical and experimental investigations of finish machining with a rounded edge tool

Abstract It is important to consider the effect of tool edge geometry in finish machining where the feed rate is small and on the same order of magnitude as tool edge dimension. In this paper, both theoretical and experimental investigations are performed in finish machining with a rounded edge tool. The experimental set-up is introduced first, followed by a brief description of a recently developed, new analytical model of chip formation and a commercially available finite element (FE) model. Multiple criteria, including the cutting force, the thrust force, the chip thickness, and the tool-chip natural contact length, are employed to compare experimental results with theoretical predictions from both the analytical and FE models. A good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results has been found. The analytical results show that tool-chip friction along the tool rake face and on the round tool edge decreases with increasing cutting speed and feed rate. The FE results show that large strain, high strain rate, and high temperature exist in the tertiary deformation region near the tool round edge. Particularly, the maximum temperature occurs on the round tool edge in finish machining with small feed rates.
A critique of some approximate theories of multicomponent diffusion in liquid systems

Abstract Various approximate theories of diffusion in multicomponent liquid systems are based upon the existence of kinetically independent mechanisms, one for each diffusing species. The principles of irreversible thermodynamics are used to show that such theories cannot generally be valid even as approximations except for the trivial case of thermodynamically ideal systems. Multicomponent diffusion processes are thus generally coupled. Consistent models must involve more than kinetically independent one-body processes.
Residual effectiveness of insect growth regulators applied to carpet for control of cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) larvae.

Three insect growth regulators, fenoxycarb, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen, formulated as total release aerosols, were tested for their residual effectiveness on carpet in bioassays with cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), larvae. All treatments except methoprene produced significant mortality for the 7-mo duration of the test. In general, fenoxycarb and the higher rates of pyriproxyfen reduced adult flea emergence by > 80%.
Performance Metric for Multi-aperture Computational Imaging Sensor

Determining the effective MTF, SNR and Sensor geometries of multi-aperture computational imaging architectures will allow the National Image Interpretability Rating Scale to be applied to computational imagers. An approach for determining these values is presented.
Ionic and electron–hole conduction in BaZr0.93Y0.07O3−δ by 4-probe dc measurements

Abstract Porous samples of composition of BaZr 0.93 Y 0.07 O 3− δ were fabricated. Electrical conductivity of porous samples was measured using a 4-probe dc method over a p O 2 range from 7.3 × 10 −6 to 1 atm and over a temperature range from 500 to 800 °C. The results showed that the electrical conductivity increases with increasing p O 2 , a characteristic of electron–hole conduction. Above p O 2 of 0.01 atm, the measured total conductivity was fitted to σ t = σ i + f p O 2 1 / 4 , where σ i is the ionic conductivity and f p O 2 1 / 4 is the electronic (hole) conductivity. The activation energies were estimated to be ∼0.57 ± 0.15 and ∼1.01 ± 0.04 eV for oxygen ion and electron–hole conduction, respectively. The oxygen ion transference number ranged between ∼0.01 and 0.7 over the p O 2 and the temperature ranges investigated. Electrical conductivity measurements were also carried out in H 2 O-containing atmospheres. It was observed that at a temperature below ∼550 °C, the predominant ionic conduction was due to protons.
Transport of Poly(Amidoamine) Dendrimers across Caco-2 Cell Monolayers: Influence of Size, Charge and Fluorescent Labeling

Purpose To investigate the transport of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers with positive, neutral and negatively charged surface groups across Caco-2 cell monolayers.
Developing a measure of risk adjusted revenue (RAR) in credit cards market: Implications for customer relationship management

Abstract Current models of customer lifetime value (CLV) consider the discounted value of profits that a customer generates over an expected lifetime of relationship with the firm. This practice can be misleading in the financial services markets because it ignores the risk posed by the customer (such as delinquency and default). Specifically, in the credit card market, the correlation between revenue and risk is positive. Therefore, firms need to adjust a customer’s profits for the associated risk before developing a measure of customer lifetime value. We propose a new measure, risk adjusted revenue (RAR), that can incorporate multiple sources of risk and demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed measure in correctly assessing the value of a customer in the credit card market. The model can be extended to compute risk adjusted lifetime value (RALTV). We use the RAR metric to understand the effectiveness of different modes of acquisition, and of retention strategies such as affinity cards and reward cards. We find that both reward- and affinity-cardholders generate higher RAR than non-reward and non-affinity cardholders respectively. The ordering of different modes of acquisition with respect to RAR (in decreasing order) is as follows: Internet, direct mail, telesales, and direct selling.
Altering the natural frequencies of cantilevered piezoelectric membranes using negative capacitance circuits

A negative capacitance circuit has been designed to change the effective natural frequency of a fixed-free piezoelectric strip attached to a non piezoelectric substrate. Experiments have investigated the extent to which resonances can be shifted using a redesigned negative capacitance circuit. The design replaces the resistive element in the feedback loop with a capacitor, effectively causing the behavior of the circuit to become frequency independent. A PVDF film was mechanically excited and the voltage generated from the piezoelectric effect fed to the circuit. This paper summarizes the theoretical model and describes ongoing experimental work.
On the Strong (A)-Rings of Mahdou and Hassani

A (commutative unital) ring R with only finitely many minimal prime ideals (for instance, a Noetherian ring) is reduced and a strong (A)-ring if and only if R is an integral domain. Thus, the smallest reduced ring which has Property A but is not a strong (A)-ring is $${\mathbb{Z}_{2} \times \mathbb{Z}_{2}}$$ . A Noetherian ring R is a strong (A)-ring if and only if Ass R (R) has a unique maximal element.
A new potential AED, carisbamate, substantially reduces spontaneous motor seizures in rats with kainate-induced epilepsy.

Purpose Animal models with spontaneous epileptic seizures may be useful in the discovery of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of carisbamate on spontaneous motor seizures in rats with kainate-induced epilepsy.
The Phenomenology of Constant Capital and Fictitious Capital

This paper shows how Marx extended his value theory beyond a mechanistic summing up of labor values to include the effect of scarcity, financial shocks, and technical change. This theory had a subjective and an objective dimension. I demonstrate how Marx's crises theory takes account of scarcity and financial shocks and that this theory is superior to the algebraic falling profit rate theory usually attributed to Marx. I explain why Marx used the category of constant capital as an obscure indicator of scarcity because of the political influence of the Malthusians.
Acute hypoxia activates human 8–12 Hz physiological tremor

Hypoxia causes arousal. Therefore, we hypothesized that hypoxia activates the human somatomotor system and should augment tremor. We determined the effects of hypoxia, PET(O2) = 45+/-2.2 mm Hg, hypocapnia, and the hypocapnic-hypoxic interaction on finger tremor during elastic loading. A total of 12 healthy male volunteers were studied during five conditions: eupnea, hypocapnic hypoxia, eucapnic hypoxia, hypocapnic normoxia, and eucapnic normoxia. Acceleration power spectra were computed to quantify 8-12 Hz tremor. Hypoxia significantly augmented 8-12 Hz physiological tremor (P=0.002). Furthermore, six subjects (50%) exhibited significantly more tremor during hypocapnic hypoxia (hH) than during eucapnic hypoxia (eH). We conclude that acute hypoxia augments 8-12 Hz physiological tremor, and hypocapnia further augments this tremor in some subjects. As such, hypoxic tremor is activated physiological tremor, and entrainment of spinal alpha-motoneuron activity may be the final common pathway.
113. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy and symptom profiles of offspring diagnosed with schizophrenia

Maternal inflammation during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk for schizophrenia in offspring, as well as more severe brain abnormalities in case offspring. Nevertheless, no study has examined whether maternal inflammation during pregnancy is related to worsened symptoms among schizophrenia offspring, which the present study sought to determine. Subjects were 36 cases diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) who were offspring from a large birth cohort study. Psychiatric diagnoses were determined through semi-structured interviews and medical records review. Positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms were assessed with semi-structured interviews. Levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were ascertained from archived prenatal sera (2nd/3rd trimesters). Higher levels of maternal IL-6 and TNF-α were related to increases in negative symptoms among SSD offspring, although TNF-α findings only approached significance. Results appeared driven by affective flattening scores, as increases in TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly related to increases in affective flattening, but only approached significance for apathy and alogia. Conversely, lower IL-1β levels were related to increases in anhedonia. Findings suggest that maternal inflammation during pregnancy is associated with more severe symptoms in SSD offspring, particularly for symptoms that may have more specificity for SSD than other disorders, such as affective flattening. Lower IL-1β levels were related to increases in offspring anhedonia, which is a symptom that commonly occurs in multiple disorders, including depression.
Reversible modulation of serine protease activity by phosphonate esters

Abstract Temporary modification of serine hydrolase activity with 4-nitrophenyl phenacyl and 4-nitrophenacyl methylphosphonates occurs with self-catalyzed intramolecular reactivation of chymotrypsin, trypsin, thrombin and plasmin
Bursting into the Nucleus

An increase in extracellular Ca(2+) induces the nuclear localization of the Crz1 transcription factor and the activation of target genes in yeast. A recent study indicates that nuclear entry occurs in short stochastic bursts that are unsynchronized within the population of cells. The frequency but not the amplitude of the bursts is controlled by Ca(2+). Modulation of the frequency of the burst coordinates aspects of expression of Crz target genes.
Survival of Escherichia coli in cowpats in pasture and in laboratory conditions.

Aims: To compare survival of Escherichia coli and faecal coliforms (FC) in bovine faeces deposited in a pasture or incubated in a controlled laboratory environment at temperatures within the same range. Methods and Results: Faecal samples from three cow herds were deposited as shaded and nonshaded cowpats in a field and incubated in a laboratory for one month at 21·1, 26·7 and 32·2°C. Both FC and E. coli concentrations increased as much as 1·5 orders of magnitude both in the field and in the laboratory during the 1st week and subsequently decreased. In shaded cowpats, the die-off of E. coli and FC was significantly slower, and the proportion of E. coli in FC was significantly larger as compared with nonshaded cowpats. The die-off was faster in the field than in the laboratory at similar temperatures. Conclusions: FC and E. coli die-off rates were substantially lower in laboratory conditions than in the field within the same range of temperatures. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study underscores the importance of field data on survival of manure-borne FC and E. coli, and indicates that laboratory die-off rates have to be corrected to be used for field condition simulations.
Alanine is a precursor in the biosynthesis of fumonisin B1 by Fusarium moniliforme.

The biosynthesis of fumonisin B1 byFusarium moniliforme was studied in liquid culture. Stable isotope labeled alanine was added as a precursor to static and shaken cultures ofF. moniliforme. Incorporation of13C and2H labeled L-alanine into fumonisin B1 was measured by GC-MS. Under static culture conditions, 20.8 µg ml−1 of FB1 were produced with a 5.5% level of incorporation of intact, labeled alanine into fumonisin B1. Under shake culture conditions, much higher levels of fumonisin B1 were produced with levels reaching 159–240 µg ml−1 by 21 days after culture initiation. A lower level of alanine incorporation, from 1.1–1.4%, was observed under these conditions. Under shake conditions, incorporation of labeled alanine was reduced because of the rapid metabolism of these cultures combined with the high level of fumonisin B1 production resulted in rapid turnover of the added, labeled alanine and reduced percentage of incorporation. The evidence presented indicates that alanine is incorporated intact into fumonisin B1.
Optical nonlinearities and the ultrafast phase transition of VO 2 nanoparticles and thin films

ABSTRACT Z-scan and pump-probe measurements with ultra-fast 800 nm laser pulses were used to compare the ultrafast third-order optical nonlinearities of VO 2 nanoparticles and thin films in both semiconducting and metallic states. It is found that when the samples are hold at temperatures above 67 uC in their metallic state, both nanocrystals and thin films present a positive intensity-dependent nonlinear index of refractio n. In this metallic state the nanocrystals exhibit a satur-able optical nonlinearity and enha ncement of the nonlinear effect s larger than those found in thin films. Below the transi-tion temperature, the optical nonlinearities are more co mplex, since they arise from alterations in the VO 2 that arise both from the phase transition and from unrelated third-order nonlinear effects. Under these conditions, thin films exhibit a complete reversal to a negative nonlinear index of refraction while the nanocrystals, remarkably, show a smaller but still positive index. Pump-probe measurements on vanadium dioxide nanocrystals and thin films show they both exhibit an ultrafast response, undergoing the phase transition induced by a single laser shot in less than 120 fs. The speed of the solid-solid transformation, along with the striking reversal of the nonlinear properties across the phase transition, puts vanadium dioxide in a unique category among nonlinear materials. Keywords: Nonlinear optics, phase transition, vanadium dioxide, nanoparticles, ultrafast, switching
Advanced Automotive Engine Thermal Management: Simplified Diesel Engine Model and Experimental Validation

Diesel engines fulfill diverse demands in urban and rural areas throughout the world. While the advantages of compression ignition engines are superior to other internal combustion engines in torque generation and fuel efficiency, some diesel exhaust emissions pose health and environmental problems. Emission reduction techniques generally diminish one type of tailpipe gas yet often sacrifice engine performance and may even raise other emission levels. For instance, exhaust gas recirculation can reduce NOx emissions. However, the dilution of the combustion charge with hot inert exhaust gas hinders the engine’s power characteristics. To solve this problem, an EGR cooler allows the exhaust gases to be cooled prior to mixing with intake air allowing a denser cylinder charge for combustion. The effective application of cooled EGR requires a smart thermal management system. In this paper, a real time empirical and analytical model will be introduced to estimate the diesel engine’s overall performance. The simplified model considers the engine’s combustion chemistry, as well as the thermal, emissions, and rotational dynamics. Representative numerical and experimental test results are presented and discussed to validate the model. Eventually, an on-board computer controller will use this model to regulate the EGR valve’s functionality and the smart thermal system.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Sleep-disordered breathing and school performance in children

Objective. To assess the impact of sleep-associated gas exchange abnormalities (SAGEA) on school academic performance in children. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Urban public elementary schools. Participants. Two hundred ninety-seven first-grade children whose school performance was in the lowest 10th percentile of their class ranking. Methods. Children were screened for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome at home using a detailed parental questionnaire and a single night recording of pulse oximetry and transcutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide. If SAGEA was diagnosed, parents were encouraged to seek medical intervention for SAGEA. School grades of all participating children for the school year preceding and after the overnight study were obtained. Results. SAGEA was identified in 54 children (18.1%). Of these, 24 underwent surgical tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (TR), whereas in the remaining 30 children, parents elected not to seek any therapeutic intervention (NT). Overall mean grades during the second grade increased from 2.43 ± 0.17 (SEM) to 2.87 ± 0.19 in TR, although no significant changes occurred in NT (2.44 ± 0.13 to 2.46 ± 0.15). Similarly, no academic improvements occurred in children without SAGEA. Conclusions. SAGEA is frequently present in poorly performing first-grade students in whom it adversely affects learning performance. The data suggest that a subset of children with behavioral and learning disabilities could have SAGEA and may benefit from prospective medical evaluation and treatment.
Reconstruction of umbilicus in bladder exstrophy

A surgical method for reconstruction of the umbilicus in patients with bladder exstrophy is described. The technique is based on the surgical principle of eventual tubularization of a skin strip buried in the subcutaneous space.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS FOR REVERSAL DISTANCE AND BREAKPOINT REUSE IN GENOME REARRANGEMENTS

Identifying syntenic regions and quantifying evolutionary relatedness between genomes by interrogating genome rearrangement events is one of the central goals of comparative genomics. However, identification of synteny blocks and the resulting assessment of genome rearrangements are dependent on the choice of conserved markers, the definition of conserved segments, and the choice of various parameters that are used to construct such segments for two genomes. In this work, we performed an extended sensitivity analysis of synteny block generation using alternative sets of markers in multiple genomes. A simple approach to synteny block aggregation is used, which depends on two principle parameters: the maximum gap (max gap) between adjacent blocks to be merged, and the minimum length (min len) of synteny blocks. In particular, the dependence on the choice of conserved markers and max gap/min len aggregation parameters is assessed for two important quantities that can be used to characterize evolutionary relationships between genomes, namely the reversal distance and breakpoint reuse. We observe that the number of synteny blocks depends on both parameters, while the reversal distance depends mostly on min len. On the other hand, we observe that relative reversal distances between mammalian genomes, which are defined as ratios of distances between different pairs of genomes, are nearly constant for both parameters. Similarly, the breakpoint reuse rate was found to be almost constant for different data sets and a wide range of parameters. Breakpoint reuse is also strongly correlated with evolutionary distances, increasing for pairs of more divergent genomes. Finally, we demonstrate that the role of parameters may be further reduced by using a multi-way analysis that involves markers conserved in multiple genomes, which opens a way to guide the choice of a correct parameterization.
Measuring Participation: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Experience

Abstract Bode RK, Hahn EA, DeVellis R, Cella D, on behalf of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Social Domain Working Group. Measuring participation: the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System experience. Objectives To describe the lessons learned in the initial development of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System social function item banks. Design Development and testing of 2 item pools within a general population to create item banks that measure ability to participate and satisfaction with participation in social activities. Setting Administration via the Internet. Participants General population members (N=956) of a national polling organization registry participated; data for 768 and 778 participants were used in the analysis. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Measures of ability to participate and satisfaction with participation in social activities. Results Fifty-six items measuring the ability to participate were essentially unidimensional but did not fit an item response theory model. As a result, item banks were not developed for these items. Of the 56 items measuring satisfaction with participation, 14 items measuring social roles and 12 items measuring discretionary activities were unidimensional and met item response theory model assumptions. Two 7-item short forms were also developed. Conclusions Four lessons, mostly concerning item content, were learned in the development of banks measuring social function. These lessons led to item revisions that are being tested in subsequent studies.
US-Thailand Bilateral Safety-first Portfolio Optimisation around the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis

We examine bilateral US- and Thailand-based equity portfolios around the 1997 baht crisis using an extreme value framework for safety-first (SF) portfolio optimisation, with comparisons to the Markowitz mean-variance minimum variance portfolio (MVP). The optimal SF portfolio is invested 100 per cent in the US regardless of the periods considered when returns are denominated in USD, but 80 per cent in the US in the post-crisis period when returns are denominated in THB. The MVP for USD denominations is 85 per cent invested in the US regardless of the period, in contrast to 100 per cent for SF, suggesting more investment in the US when USD returns and safety considerations are paramount. In contrast, there are minimal differences between the MVP and SF for THB denominations, particularly post crisis when there are no differences. The baht crisis seems to have shifted investments toward the US for those with an interest in safety first and USD returns, but had minimal effect on the portfolio composition for ...
Origin of chromitite layers in the Muskox intrusion and other stratiform intrusions: A new interpretation

A mechanism of origin for chromitite layers in stratiform intrusions is described, based on the same physicochemical principles as an earlier explanation but formulated in a geologically very different way. By this new mechanism, the concentrated chromite is precipitated from chromite-saturated picritic tholeiite liquid when this liquid is blended with earlier liquid of the same type that has differentiated to relatively siliceous compositions.
Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Fiber-mat Architecture on the Unsaturated Flow in Liquid Composite Molding:

In liquid composite molding technologies such as RTM, this study of the inlet-pressure history for the constant flow-rate 1-D flow experiment reveals that the measured pressure profile, which droop downwards as in earlier studies on the unsaturated flow, is at a variance with the linear pressure profile predicted by the physics used for state-of-the-art LCM mold filling simulations. The droop along with the error in the inlet-pressure predictions increase with an increase in the fibermat compression. The effect of fiber-mat architecture on the droop in the inletpressure profiles is studied and significant droops are observed for various stitched mats as compared to the woven mats. This study repudiates the long-held view that mere presence of cylindrical or elliptical tows in the woven or stitched fiber-mats automatically leads to the unsaturated flow characteristic of dual-scale porous media; rather the presence of continuous uninterrupted macrochannels along the flow direction for preferential channel-f...
The Sugar Phosphotransferase System of Vibrio fischeri Inhibits both Motility and Bioluminescence

Magnesium-dependent induction of Vibrio fischeri flagellar (Mif) biogenesis depends upon two diguanylate cyclases, suggesting an inhibitory role for cyclic di-GMP. Here, we report that cells defective for the sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) exhibited a magnesium-independent phenotype similar to that of mutants of the Mif pathway. Unlike Mif mutants, PTS mutants also were hyperbioluminescent.
Eskimo hunting groups, social kinship, and the possibility of kin selection in humans

Abstract Contemporary Eskimo whaling crews show very high coefficients of kinship, with the consequent possibility of kin selection, even though the spoken rules of crew membership are in terms of social kinship.
Effect of air pollution on the volatile oil from leaves of pinus ponderosa

Abstract The composition of the essential oil from the leaves of photochemical air pollution injured and healthy Pinus ponderosa trees was determined. Methyl chavicol, a product of the carbohydrate-shikimic acid metabolism, was strikingly lower in the injured trees. However, no significant differences were observed in the monoterpenoids.
Hyperoxia stimulates endothelin-1 secretion from endothelial cells; modulation by captopril and nifedipine.

PURPOSE. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative condition that can result in severe visual impairment and blindness in preterm babies. Two conditions seen very early in radioimmunoassay (ROP) are vasoconstriction and vaso-obliteration. A potent vasoconstrictor secreted by endothelial cells is endothelin-1 (ET-1). Premature birth results in a relative systemic hyperoxia, compared to the in utero oxygen milieu. We tested the hypothesis that hyperoxia increases ET-1 expression as a possible mechanism for vasoconstriction in the retinal vasculature. METHODS. Bovine retinal endothelial cells and adrenal capillary endothelial cells were isolated and maintained in culture. Cells were exposed to control or hyperoxic culture conditions for 24 h, with and without addition of captopril and nifedipine. Media was collected and assayed for ET-1 by ROP. In addition, cell counts and secreted LDH assays were performed. RESULTS. Conditioned media from cultured bovine retinal and adrenal endothelial cells e...
Distribution Deviation of Large Aggregates from Uniformity in Waste Containment Concrete. I: Quantitative Model Formulation

Even distribution of aggregate particles in matrices is the target of random mixing processes that are used in the preparation of construction materials to enhance the postplacement uniformity of characteristics. This is particularly important for waste containment barrier concrete where strength, durability, and minimal permeability are desirable. An index, herein referred to as the deviation index (DI) was developed and applied to the cross-sectional areas and volume elements of concrete containing large aggregate to describe distribution deviations of large aggregate particles from perfectly even volumetric distribution. The Poisson distribution and the goodness of fit test were used to describe deviations. Experimental results were obtained from concrete batching tests, designed and performed to compare two mixing methods (rodding and vibration) and a control. The results show no significant uneven distribution as the χ2 values are less than 19.6 at 5% significance level. Within the bounds of these lo...
Comparing DNA integration site clusters with scan statistics.

Motivation: Gene therapy with retroviral vectors can induce adverse effects when those vectors integrate in sensitive genomic regions. Retroviral vectors are preferred that target sensitive regions less frequently, motivating the search for localized clusters of integration sites and comparison of the clusters formed by integration of different vectors. Scan statistics allow the discovery of spatial differences in clustering and calculation of false discovery rates providing statistical methods for comparing retroviral vectors. Results: A scan statistic for comparing two vectors using multiple window widths is proposed with software to detect clustering differentials and compute false discovery rates. Application to several sets of experimentally determined HIV integration sites demonstrates the software. Simulated datasets of various sizes and signal strengths are used to determine the power to discover clusters and evaluate a convenient lower bound. This provides a toolkit for planning evaluations of new gene therapy vectors. Availability and implementation: The geneRxCluster R package containing a simple tutorial and usage hints is available from http://www.bioconductor.org. Contact: ude.dscu@yrrebcc Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Experimentation and Knowledge A Pragmatic Perspective

Two primary attributes of knowledge producing activities are identified: tightness of control and richness of reality. These attributes are taken generally to be in opposition to one another at the same level of knowledge. Hence, ultimately researchers must make a trade-off between them. The more of one or both of these attributes a knowledge-producing activity yields, however, the more knowledge a project generates. This leads to the concept of iso-episteme curves—curves of equal units of knowledge that reflect the trade-offs made between reality and control. The results of any experiment can be plotted on an iso-episteme curve and then used to address issues such as improving research methodologies, setting publication policies, and increasing knowledge by means of programs of research.
Remote Batch Invocation for Compositional Object Services

Because Remote Procedure Calls do not compose efficiently, designers of distributed object systems use Data Transfer and Remote Facade patterns to create large-granularity interfaces, hard-coded for particular client use cases. As an alternative to RPC-based distributed objects, this paper presents Remote Batch Invocation (RBI), language support for explicit client-defined batches. A Remote Batch statement combines remote and local execution: all the remote code is executed in a single round-trip to the server, where all data sent to the server and results from the batch are communicated in bulk. RBI supports remote blocks, iteration and conditionals, and local handling of remote exceptions. RBI is efficient even for fine-grained interfaces, eliminating the need for hand-optimized server interfaces. We demonstrate RBI with an extension to Java, using RMI internally as the transport layer. RBI supports large-granularity, stateless server interactions, characteristic of service-oriented computing.
JETS FROM STELLAR TIDAL DISRUPTIONS BY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

The tidal disruption of a star by a supermassive black hole provides us with unique information for otherwise dormant galactic nuclei. It has long been predicted that the disruption will be accompanied by a thermal 'flare', powered by the accretion of stellar debris. Recently, we proposed that a modest fraction of the accretion power can be channeled into a relativistic jet. We showed that, even if the jet is not pointing at our direction, the interactions of the jet with the interstellar medium can power a bright radio-IR transient. Recent transients discovered by Swift have all the expected characteristics of a new-born jet powered by the tidal disruption of a star. The evidence is strong that we are witnessing a most direct verification of the our proposal with the transient jet pointing directly at us. Upcoming radio transient surveys can independently discover numerous disruptions, complimenting searches at other wavelengths. Tidal disruptions can probe the physics of jet formation under relatively clean conditions, in which the flow parameters are independently constrained.
Role of the Hospital-Based Microbiology Laboratory in Preparation for and Response to a Bioterrorism Event

Many hospital-based clinical microbiology laboratories were called upon by local first responders (law enforcement, hazardous-material teams, and emergency medicine service personnel) to perform testing on powdery and miscellaneous environmental substances during the anthrax outbreak of September
Misreporting Corporate Performance

This paper develops a model of the causes and consequences of misreporting of corporate performance. We model why and when managers of public companies will choose to misreport and to invest in creating opportunities for misreporting. Even managers who cannot sell their shares in the short run might misreport in order to improve the terms upon which the company would be able to issue equity to finance new projects or stock acquisitions. When managers are free to sell some of their holdings in the short-run, incentives to misreport and the incidence of misreportin g i n c r e a s e t o a n e x t e n t d e p e n d i n g o n the fraction of their holdings that managers may sell and on their ability to sell without the market knowing about it. Investments in misreporting have real economic costs and lead to distortions in capital raising decisions, with firms that misreport raising too much equity and firms that do not misreport raising too little. Lax accounting and legal rules increase investments in opportunities to misreport and the incidence of misreporting and, as a result, reduce ex ante share value. Our analysis provides a range of testable predictions concerning the periods, industries, and type of firms in which misreporting is likely to occur. The analysis also has implications for corporate governance and executive compensation.
Operant conditioning of head-waving in Aplysia. I. Identified muscles involved in the operant response

A basic goal in the neurosciences is to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying associative learning. The 2 major forms of associative learning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In recent years considerable progress has been made towards a cellular analysis of classical conditioning in a number of different preparations. In contrast, the cellular mechanisms underlying operant conditioning are poorly understood. Since the marine mollusc Aplysia has proved to be a powerful preparation for studying cellular and molecular mechanisms of a variety of forms of learning, including classical conditioning, we asked whether Aplysia might also be capable of exhibiting operant conditioning. In previous experiments we found that a naturally occurring behavior, the head-waving response of Aplysia, could be operantly conditioned (Cook and Carew, 1986). In the present paper we have carried out a quantitative analysis of the horizontal and vertical components of the head-waving response at the level of individual muscle groups. We have identified a discrete, bilateral band of neck muscles, the lateral columellar muscles (LCMs), whose electromyographic (EMG) activity is significantly correlated with the horizontal component of head-waving, the component modified by operant conditioning. Since head-waving is a complex behavioral response involving a variety of different muscle groups, using a restricted system such as the LCMs as an analog of the head-waving response will greatly facilitate a cellular analysis of operant conditioning in Aplysia.
Rehabilitation Treatments for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

The prevalence of chronic pain in the adult population ranges from 2 to 40%, with a median point prevalence of 15% (Manchikanti et al. 2009; Lihavainen et al. 2010). Amongst chronic pain the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain is high, affecting one in four adults (Walsh et al. 2008). Musculoskeletal pain can arise from a variety of common conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, surgery, low back pain, and bone fracture. It is estimated that among US adults, nearly 27 million have clinical osteoarthritis, 5.0 million have fibromyalgia, 4–10 million have carpal tunnel syndrome, 59 million have had low back pain in the past 3 months, and 30.1 million have had neck pain in the past 3 months (Lawrence et al. 2008). Chronic persistent low back and neck pain is seen in 25–60% of patients, 1-year or longer after the initial episode. A 1-year prevalence study of musculoskeletal pain in the Quebec working population found that for both men and women, back pain was the most frequent musculoskeletal symptom that had disturbed their activities during the past year (Leroux et al. 2005). Low back pain is the most prevalent of musculoskeletal conditions; it affects nearly everyone at some point in time and about 4–33% of the population at any given point (Woolf and Pfleger 2003).
Initial investigations into the hormonal basis of spermatogenesis

MacLeod J, Pazianos A, Ray B. The restoration of human spermatogenesis and of the reproductive tract with urinary gonadotropins following hypophysectomy. Fertil Steril 1966;17(1):7-23. "No precedent was available in the male for the amount of [human menopausal gonadotropin] to be given in order to initiate spermatogenesis, if the latter could be done at all." "In this experiment, the evidence is strongly in favor of FSH activity being exerted first at the level of the spermatogonium, inducing mitosis and proliferation of this cell."
Patient reported outcomes after splenectomy in patients with symptomatic splenomegaly

CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a comprehensive ERP in major AWR was not associated with any adverse effects. Multimodal perioperative pain management, oral opioid receptor blockade and early feeding strategies resulted in accelerated intestinal recovery, shorter hospitalizations and fewer readmissions. The use of our ERP appears to result in improved outcomes in patients undergoing complex open AWRs.
Dispersion Deployment and Compensation for Optical Steganography Based on Noise

The system tolerance to the dispersion of optical steganography and the deployment of dispersion to enhance secure transmission has been experimentally demonstrated and theoretically studied. Since the stealth signal is carried by amplified spontaneous emission noise, which has a much wider bandwidth compared with the laser carrier, the stealth channel is more sensitive to dispersion and has less tolerance to the uncompensated dispersion. On the other hand, the dispersion effect in the stealth channel can be employed to hide the stealth signal in the time domain. The extra dispersion at the transmitter and the receiver functions as a key pair for the optical encryption and the optical steganography.
Physical Attractiveness on Cognitive Evaluations of Saleswomen’s Performance

The present study examines the role of physical attractiveness in the causal attribution process of saleswomen’s performance. Sex-role stereotyping and attribution theory provide the theoretical framework for examining the influence of physical attractiveness in the evaluation process. Specifically, we develop hypotheses of how physical attractiveness, sex role stereotyped products and performance information affect: (I) causal attributions used to explain saleswomen’s performance, (2) expectations for future performance, and (3) decision confidence. Contrary to the practitioner literature, our experimental results support recent research showing that physical attractiveness plays a limited role in evaluator causal attributions and expectations for future performance of saleswomen. However, physical attractiveness appears to have a significant influence on evaluator decision confidence.
Improved fixation for histological demonstration of glycogen and comparison with chemical determination in liver.

SummaryGlycogen of rat liver was well preserved throughout histological blocks and was not displaced in the cells when pieces of liver were fixed in ice-cold picro-alcohol-formalin. After fixation, liver sections were stained by the Bauer-Feulgen method and the optical density of each section was measured on a Photovolt electronic photometer. Chemical determinations were made of the glycogen contained in other pieces of the same livers. The livers of rats undergoing progressive starvation from 6 to 48 hours showed good correlation between the chemically and histologically determined glycogen concentrations.
Diffusion and Farming Advice: A Test of Some Current Notions

A study of water manageimienlt practices in a CaliforIIia coImmnlllIlity could Inot coInfirmIi the Beal and Bohlen model for the diffusion of innovatioins. Cost, lack of salieince, complexity, insufficient visibility of results, and inapplicability of "innovationi on the installimieint plan" are mentioned as possibly accoultiing for this result. Perceptions of the influence structure ill the community by agency personnel, as reflected in the attributes of farmiel-s they sought for backing programs, are showvn to ble partly discordant with the farmners' ownl preferences for advice givers. Social scientists, it is concluded, should put greater emphalsis on (liffereinces among innovationls and communities.
Influence of feeding frequency on body weight and glucose tolerance in the pig.

SummaryPigs were pair-fed one or four meals per 48 hr for 5.5 months. Meal frequency did not influence body weight gain, body composition, glucose tolerance or plasma glucose, cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Pigs fed less frequently exhibited elevated malic enzyme activity in adipose tissue.
The obesity pay gap: gender, body size, and wage inequalities—a longitudinal study of Chinese adults, 1991–2011

Sociocultural values promoting Western body-type ideals have proliferated over the past 20 years. An important question is whether the same obesity wage penalties seen in the United States, such as wage reductions for obese individuals, are emerging in China as ideals of beauty change to reflect Western ones. We hypothesize that Westernisation will exacerbate the impact of body size on wages for years to come, particularly for urban non-manual workers whose workplaces call for extensive interpersonal relations with employers, colleagues, and customers. This study examines the economic outcomes for individuals aged 18–55, focusing on 6600 female and 8488 male participants in the longitudinal 1991–2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey. Linear fixed-effects regression models estimate the net effect of body mass index (BMI) on wages, as well as the marginal effect of BMI on wages, by survey year. All analyses control for demographic backgrounds and household fixed effects, and are stratified by gender. The results show that normal-weight women with non-manual jobs in 2011 made 2.79–2.95 times more than they had in 1991, while overweight women made 2.66–2.76 times more, and obese women made only 2.57–2.63 times more. The results also indicate that women with non-manual jobs have been subject to wage disparities since 2000. Specifically, the wage disparity for heavier women living in urban areas with non-manual jobs increased significantly after 2000, while current male obesity rates may have been propelled by social acceptance of larger body sizes among men, particularly for manual workers living in rural areas.
Physical Sciences: Infrared Photometry of Markarian 231

SEVERAL lists of galaxies with ultraviolet continua have been published by Markarian1–3 and Markarian and Lipovetsky4. Approximately 10% of these objects are spectroscopically similar to Seyfert galaxies. Sargent5 has pointed out that Markarian's method of searching with an objective prism tends to select those Seyfert galaxies where the nuclei, with their characteristic blue colours, contribute most of the light. Thus, the Seyfert galaxies on Markarian's lists tend to have more luminous nuclei than the classical Seyferts.
Detection and Characterization of Rare Circulating Endothelial Cells by Imaging Flow Cytometry

Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are angiogenic cells that appear in increased numbers in the peripheral circulation either as a result of vascular injury or in response to angiogenic stimuli. Elevated levels of CECs have been correlated with various disease states, indicating the use of CECs as a biomarker of disease. Flow cytometry is a widely accepted method for detecting and quantitating CECs. Flow cytometry provides statistical information on large numbers of cells but no information on morphological characteristics. Imaging flow cytometry combines traditional flow cytometry and microscopy, providing a streamlined, multiparameter approach to characterize the biological properties and morphology of large numbers of cells, and is particularly amenable for rare event analysis such as CECs. This approach for identifying and characterizing CECs allows the morphological characterization of large numbers of live, nucleated, single CECs, and alleviates the need for prior enrichment.
My Top 10 Graph Theory Conjectures and Open Problems

This paper presents brief discussions of ten of my favorite, well-known, and not so well-known conjectures and open problems in graph theory, including (1) the 1963 Vizing’s Conjecture about the domination number of the Cartesian product of two graphs [47], (2) the 1966 Hedetniemi Conjecture about the chromatic number of the categorical product of two graphs [28], (3) the 1976 Tree Packing Conjecture of Gyarfas and Lehel [23], (4) the 1981 Path Partition Conjecture of Lovasz and Mihok [8], (5) the 1991 Inverse Domination Conjecture of Kulli and Sigarkanti [34], (6) the 1995 Queens Domination Conjecture [15], (7) the 1995 Nearly Perfect Bipartition Problem [9], (8) the 1998 Achromatic-Pseudoachromatic Tree Conjecture [10], (9) the 2004 Iterated Coloring Problems and the Four-Color Theorem [30], and (10) the 2011 γ-graph Sequence Problem [16].
Die erlaubten Fragen stellen

Mein Vater, der jetzt nach mehr als 30 Jahren als Grundschullehrer im Ruhestand ist, hat vor kurzem angefangen, Bridge zu spielen. Damit begab er sich in die Gesellschaft von Millionen Menschen auf der ganzen Welt, die dem gleichen Spiel fronen. Es gibt Bridgeklubs, in denen man von Angesicht zu Angesicht spielt, unzahlige Websites, auf denen man online mit anderen spielen kann, und zahlreiche Bridge-Apps zum Spielen auf dem Computer oder Smartphone.
Consuming wellness, producing difference: The case of a wellness center in India:

Over the past decade, there has been a discernible rise in the number of wellness centers and fitness studios in urban cities in India. These centers are spatial manifestations of the rise in a par...