cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FORAMINIFERA IN THE ALBEMARLE ESTUARINE SYSTEM, NORTH CAROLINA: DISTRIBUTION AND RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

This study investigated the surface and subsurface distributions of foraminifera (both live populations and dead assemblages) throughout the Albemarle Estuarine System (AES) to determine the utility of the modern foraminiferal assemblages as models for paleoenvironmental interpretations in this estuarine and barrier island system. Thirty-seven species were recognized in the dead assemblages from 49 stations; 19 species comprised the living populations. Cluster analysis of the dead assemblages defined five biofacies: the calcareous foraminiferal nearshore marine and inlet biofacies, and the dominantly agglutinated foraminiferal estuarine shoal, estuary, inner estuary, and marsh biofacies. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of three cores from the central Albemarle basin, based on the distribution of dead surface foraminiferal assemblages, recognized the inner estuarine and estuarine biofacies. Radionuclide tracers ( 210 Pb and 137 Cs) provided the geochronologic framework for each core. The westernmost core was capped by the inner estuarine biofacies overlying the estuarine biofacies, indicating either accumulation of a seasonal ephemeral layer of sediment from a lower brackish, upstream environment or increased freshwater discharge since the 1990’s as a result of increased tropical storm and hurricane activity. The two easternmost cores indicated that, in the early 19 th century, Albemarle Sound populations included calcareous foraminiferal species. These taxa were adapted to the higher salinities that resulted from several inlets that were open adjacent to the AES prior to 1828. Taphonomic processes (test transport, test dissolution, mechanical test breakage) are active but, with the exception of test dissolution in a relatively restricted geographic area, they do not significantly alter surficial foraminiferal assemblages in the transition into subfossil assemblages. Thus, foraminiferal distributions are useful for characterizing modern estuarine environments and for interpreting paleoenvironmental changes in sediments deposited over the past few hundred years in coastal North Carolina.
Streakline visualization of the structures in the near wake of a circular cylinder in sinusoidally oscillating flow

Abstract A numerical investigation of three-dimensional sinusoidally oscillating flow around a circular cylinder was conducted to examine mushroom-type structures in the near wake that are manifestations of the Honji instability. The focus of this paper is to examine the flow structure through the analysis of the streaklines in the flow. Through the use of streakline visualizations and their correlation with vorticity in the flow field, the onset and development of the mushroom-type structures is followed. The parameter value range is 0.1
A Statistical Analysis of Adverse Impact of Employer Decisions

Abstract Federal law prohibits discrimination in employment decisions against persons 40 years old and older. This article uses data from an actual case to illustrate several methods of showing adverse impact, a legal doctrine under which only the effects of the employer's acts are at issue and not the motives with which they were done. The strengths and weaknesses of the Fisher exact test of significance, a Bayesian analysis, and a method of paired observations inspired by the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon statistic are assessed. One important conclusion from this analysis is that it is useful to have several different kinds of analysis bearing on the same issue. To the extent that the analyses agree, credibility is added to each.
Implementation of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Programs in Nursing Homes: A Brief Report

The purpose of this article was to investigate nursing homes' (NHs') readiness to implement a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) program as required by Section 6102 of the Affordable Care Act. Nursing home administrators (NHAs) in 3000 NHs (response rate, 67%) were surveyed using a 70-item questionnaire to assess: (1) current facility approaches to quality, (2) NHA's self-assessed knowledge of QAPI techniques; and (3) the use of QAPI techniques. The Online Survey, System for Certification and Administrative Reporting data and the Area Resource File were also used to examine and compare facility and market characteristics. As rated on a scale of 1 to 10, NHs are more likely to use quality assurance (rating, 7.2) and least likely to use total quality management (rating, 4.1). Few NHAs use tools for QAPI such as flow charts (23%), Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles (13%), or run charts (9%). A gap in knowledge of quality improvement tools has been identified signifying that the new QAPI regulations may pose an issue for NHAs who possibly lack the knowledge and technical expertise to implement a comprehensive QAPI program.
X-ray diffraction of UC-UC2 and UC-UN alloys at elevated temperatures

Abstract Unit-cell dimensions of U-C-N alloys were measured at temperatures of 760 to 2250 °C with an X-ray diffractometer. Lattice dimensions of the face-centered cubic phase in both the UC-UC2 and UC-UN solutions are found to be linear functions of the UC mole fraction. In carbon saturated body-centered tetragonal α-UC2 between 1000 and 1400 °C, a small but distinct decrease in rate of volume change (slope) occurs with increasing temperature. The data suggest that the C/U ratio in α-UC2 at 1000 °C and below is 1.97± 0.03, a value in excess of that prevailing in carbon-saturated α-UC2 at higher temperatures.
Word Warping for Offline Handwriting Recognition

We present a novel method of offline whole-word handwriting recognition. We use automatic image morphing to compute 2-D geometric warps that align the strokes of each word image with the strokes of word images of training examples. Once the strokes of a given word are aligned to a training example, we use distance maps to compare how similar the two words are. Like 1-D Dynamic Programming (DP) methods, our warp-based method is robust to limited variation in word length and letter spacing. However, due to its 2-D nature, our method is also more robust than 1-D DP methods in handling variations caused by additional inconsistencies in character shape and stroke placement. Although we use DP for coarse alignment, the novel contribution of this paper is not 2-D DP, but morphing to automatically discover an actual 2-D mesh-based warp, followed by the use of distance maps to compute similarity between words. Early results are encouraging. On two datasets (1,000 training and 1,000 test words each), we get 88.77% and 89.33% recognition accuracy for in-vocabulary words. These are increases of 7.89% and 17.16% above the results of a 1-D DP approach.
Adsorption and coadsorption of CO and H2 on Fe(111) probed by TEAS

Thermal energy atom scattering (TEAS), as developed by Comsa and coworkers, has been widely used to study a variety of processes on smooth, close packed metal surfaces such as Pt(111). The He beam specular reflectivity of these surfaces is very high, and absorbates or defects usually have a relatively large scattering cross section. For TEAS to have a wider applicability, studies on more corrugated surfaces should be undertaken. We report here studies of CO and H2 adsorption and coadsorption on the open Fe(111) surface. The He specular intensity drops rapidly and smoothly with CO exposure on the Fe(111) surface. In contrast to CO/Pt(111), the diffuse scattering of He from CO on Fe(111) is not a negligible fraction of the intensity. The surface exhibits a finite reflectivity even at high CO coverages. An effective scattering cross section of 56A2 was derived from a fit of the reflectivity data to a model taking this diffuse scattering into account. For H2 exposure to the Fe(111) surface, the He specular reflectivity decreases less abruptly, with distinct slope changes as coverage increases. Angular and temperature dependent measurements suggest distinct adsorption sites for the dissociatively adsorbed hydrogen. When CO and H2 are coadsorbed, the order of adsorption affects the final composition and coverage in the overlayer. If the surface is first saturated with CO, H2 will not adsorb, as evidenced by constant TEAS signal. When H2 is adsorbed first, even to saturation coverage, CO will adsorb, displacing H2 from the surface. Evidence is obtained for CO and H2 segregation on the surface at intermediate coverages.
The Protective Signaling of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 Is Mediated by Sustained, β-Arrestin-1-dependent ERK Phosphorylation

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGlu1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that enhances the hydrolysis of membrane phosphoinositides. In addition to its role in synaptic transmission and plasticity, mGlu1 has been shown to be involved in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration. In this capacity, we have reported previously that in neuronal cells, mGlu1a exhibits the properties of a dependence receptor, inducing apoptosis in the absence of glutamate, while promoting neuronal survival in its presence (Pshenichkin, S., Dolinska, M., Klauzinska, M., Luchenko, V., Grajkowska, E., and Wroblewski, J. T. (2008) Neuropharmacology 55, 500–508). Here, using CHO cells expressing mGlu1a receptors, we show that the protective effect of glutamate does not rely on the classical mGlu1 signal transduction. Instead, mGlu1a protective signaling is mediated by a novel, G protein-independent, pathway which involves the activation of the MAPK pathway and a sustained phosphorylation of ERK, which is distinct from the G protein-mediated transient ERK phosphorylation. Moreover, the sustained phosphorylation of ERK and protective signaling through mGlu1a receptors require expression of β-arrestin-1, suggesting a possible role for receptor internalization in this process. Our data reveal the existence of a novel, noncanonical signaling pathway associated with mGlu1a receptors, which mediates glutamate-induced protective signaling.
FURTHER EXPERIENCES WITH INTRATHECAL PHENOL FOR THE RELIEF OF PAIN.

Abstract The intrathecal administration of phenol, which is a relatively simple procedure and relatively free of significant complications, has proved to be a useful adjunct in the treatment of chronic severe pain, especially pain secondary to inoperable malignancy. It has been particularly useful in (1) bathing the lower sacral rootlets bilaterally in perineal and perianal pain, (2) relieving severe pain in frankly terminal and debilitated cancer victims who are not relieved by narcotics, and (3) relieving unilateral upper abdominal and thoracic pain. Since 1961 a modified technique has been used to treat 31 patients with intrathecal phenol for the relief of chronic pain. In the 1958–1961 series, 87 patients had been treated, and the results of the two groups are compared. Qualitatively better results were obtained with the more recent group. These improved results are attributed to: 1. (1) The almost exclusive use of solutions of phenol in anhydrous glycerine in preference to solutions of phenol in Pantopaque (iophendylate). 2. (2) The use of a multiple injection technique. Significantly better results were achieved in the relief of pain secondary to cancer than in pain of non-cancer origin. Complications have included mild weakness and bladder difficulty; late scarring may make subsequent surgical rhizotomy difficult. Only 2 of the last 31 patients required subsequent chordotomy.
Detection of radioactive materials using surface proximity antennas

The objective of this study is to detect and identify radioactive materials using surface proximity antennas. To do so, we first developed a simulation model of earth as seen in Fig 1a. We have then designed microstrip patch antennas propagating (-z-direction) towards earth surface to understand the effects of earth and buried objects on the antenna performance (Fig. 1b). Various types of objects (pec, radioactive materials, glass, etc.) were placed at different depths and simulations were carried out to detect changes in antenna parameters such as return loss. It was seen that buried objects does affect the antenna performance changing with the type of the object. We have searched for frequencies in the spectrum and considered antenna array systems to increase the detectability of the problem. Figure 2a shows the antenna return loss comparison for three different cases; a) without the object, b) object located right beneath the surface, and c) object located 20cm beneath the surface. In Figure 2b, we present electric field distribution. The hot spot represents the region where the object is located. At the time of the presentation, we will provide antenna design details, and simulation results for various antenna topologies and operating frequencies.
Detection of Foreign Atom Sites by Their X-Ray Fluorescence Scattering

The position of a solute atom in a lattice can be detected by the nature of its x-ray fluorescence excitation during a diffraction process.
The "worth" of routine spirometry in a cystic fibrosis clinic.

In our cystic fibrosis clinic, all patients older than 6 years perform spirometry at each visit just before being seen by the health care team. Upon review, we determined that our perceived rationale for this practice was that the medical history fails to detect deterioration in a sizable minority of patients whose pulmonary decline can be detected by spirometry. Furthermore, the literature and our own experience indicates that physical examination frequently will not detect changes in pulmonary status until the changes are advanced. As part of an ongoing quality/cost assessment, we decided to challenge our rationale for performing routine spirometry. Using standard methodology, we developed a six-item Likert style questionnaire, the purpose of which was to assess perceived changes in pulmonary symptoms since the last clinic visit. The questionnaire had an acceptable degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), although the question about sputum production showed the least correlation with responses to other items. We administered the questionnaire to 103 consecutive different patients and examined the association between reported changes in symptoms and actual changes in spirometric outcomes. Overall, there was a statistically significant, but clinically weak association between symptom scores and change in FEV1, r2 = 0.16, P or = 10% from one clinic visit to the next. Depending on the method used to place symptom scores into categories indicating that pulmonary symptoms were "worse," "same," or "better" than at the last clinic visit, 40-60% of these 23 patients indicated they felt the "same" or "better." We conclude that spirometry is a justifiable part of all clinic visits for patients with cystic fibrosis, assuming that one would want to detect and treat declines in pulmonary status before they become advanced.
Correction for Zhu et al., PLC-γ1 Signaling Plays a Subtype-Specific Role in Postbinding Cell Entry of Influenza A Virus

Volume 88, no. 1, p. [417–424][1], 2014. Page 418, Materials and Methods, “shRNA knockdown,” lines 5 and 6: “5′ CCAGTGACCTCAACAGGAAGAttcaagagaTCTTCCTGTTGAGGTCACTGG 3′,” should read “5′ AGAGAAACATGGCCCAATACTttcaagagaAGTATTGGGCCATGTTTCTCT 3′.” This does not affect the original
Nitric Oxide Inhibits Angiotensin II-induced Activation of the Calcium-sensitive Tyrosine Kinase Proline-rich Tyrosine Kinase 2 without Affecting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Transactivation *

In a previous study, we showed that nitric oxide donors and N-acetylcysteine, either alone or in combination, inhibited the activation of several mitogen-activated protein kinases by angiotensin II in rat cardiac fibroblasts (Wang, D., Yu, X., and Brecher, P. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 33027-33034). In the present study, we have focused on the mechanism by which nitric oxide exerts this effect on the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). We contrasted the effects of nitric oxide on ERK activation by angiotensin II and epidermal growth factor (EGF), since the transactivation of the EGF receptor has been implicated as a response to angiotensin II. We found that nitric oxide inhibited ERK activation by angiotensin II but did not inhibit the relatively slight but significant transactivation of the EGF receptor by angiotensin II. The tyrphostin AG1478, known to inhibit EGF receptor phosphorylation, also inhibited the angiotensin II and EGF-induced activation of ERK, the phosphorylation of the EGF receptor, and the subsequent association of Shc and Grb2. Nitric oxide did not affect either EGF receptor phosphorylation or Shc-Grb2 activation induced by either Ang II or EGF. However, the activation of the calcium-sensitive tyrosine kinase PYK2, which occurred in response to angiotensin II, but not EGF, was inhibited by nitric oxide. The data suggested that PYK2 activation may be an important inhibitory site in signaling pathways affected by nitric oxide.
Radiotherapy: Secondary malignancies after prostate cancer treatment.

The 5-year follow up data from a study on localized prostate cancer has shown high rates of bladder, lung, and rectal cancers in men treated with external beam radiotherapy compared with radical prostatectomy. At 10 years of follow-up, only excess lung cancer risk was significant, and the authors conclude that increased secondary malignancy risk with radiation should be included in initial treatment decisions and counseling. In my opinion, younger men subjected to radiation might suffer more in the long-term than if they had undergone surgery.
Adipsia in chickens

Abstract Adipsia in chickens was produced with electrolytic lesions in the anterior hypothalamic area. Water was available to the chickens; however, they only pecked at it as though it were food, but they did not drink. After many months of such behavior, the chickens lost all interest in the water and did not touch it. As long as the chickens were force-hydrated through a tube, they ate dry food in normal amounts. Unlike adipsic dogs which rejected plain water but consumed milk or water “baited” with meat broth, chickens rejected milk and 10% glucose. Possible causes of this adipsia are discussed.
Electrospun polyvinyl alcohol ultra-thin layer chromatography of amino acids.

Electrospun crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was prepared and used as stationary phase for ultrathin layer chromatographic (UTLC). The nanostructured stationary phase shows greatly enhanced efficiency compared to conventional HPTLC plate. An example of using PVA-UTLC plate for the analysis of hydrolysis products of aspartame in diet coke, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, is included.
Power Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of the ankle in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Ankle involvement is frequent in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, but accurate evaluation by physical examination is often difficult because of the complex anatomical structures of the ankle. Over the last decade, ultrasound (US) has become a practical imaging tool for the assessment of articular and periarticular pathologies, including joint synovitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesitis in rheumatic diseases. Progress in power Doppler (PD) technology has enabled evaluation of the strength of ongoing inflammation. PDUS is very useful for identifying the location and kind of pathologies in rheumatic ankles as well as for distinguishing between inflammatory processes and degenerative changes or between active inflammation and residual damage. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the US assessment of ankle lesions in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, focusing on the utility of PDUS.
Signs of significance [digital displays]

Because they're so important, signs need to be very clear. Simplicity means that you don't risk having the style of the presentation conflict with the underlying message. Blandness means you avoid contamination or distortion of the message. So a simple, bland sign should be perfectly legible and perfectly boring. If you're careful and clever, you can work in some design as well. In this article, I focus on the purely electronic displays, typically implemented with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or light-emitting panels. The evolution of the electronic digital display provides a fascinating example of graphic design cooperating with technology. Digital displays also demonstrate the practical importance of economy: not only must they be easy to read but they must also be economical to make and buy.
Maternal inflammation in spontaneous term labor.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association between peripheral markers of maternal inflammation and the onset of term labor. Study Design A nested case-control study was performed with serum that had been collected at routine visits from a cohort of 607 term nulliparous women. Cases (n = 20) labored spontaneously within 48 hours of enrollment, and control subjects (n = 80) labored spontaneously ≥14 days after enrollment. Maternal serum cytokines were determined with the use of standard multiplex protocols. Median levels of interleukin-1, -4, -6, -8, and -10, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor–α were compared with the use of the Mann-Whitney U test. Correlations between cytokine levels and maternal factors were performed (Spearman's rho). Results Median interleukin-1 and -6 and tumor necrosis factor–α levels were significantly higher in cases vs control subjects (0.76 vs 0.31 pg/mL [ P P = .03]; 0.81 vs 0.51 pg/mL [ P = .02], respectively). Latency until delivery was inversely correlated with interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor–α (−0.28 [ P P = .01]), but not with interleukin-6. Conclusion Maternal proinflammatory markers increase before spontaneous term labor.
THE THEORY OF DIFFUSION IN CELL MODELS : II. SOLUTION OF THE STEADY STATE FOR THREE DIFFUSING SUBSTANCES.

The differential equations describing diffusion in cell models have been extended to include the simultaneous penetration of water and two salts. These equations have been solved for the steady state. Values for the concentrations in the steady state which may be computed from the equations compare favorably with the experimental values obtained by Osterhout, Kamerling, and Stanley. Moreover, it has been shown elsewhere that the solution for the steady state is essential to a discussion of the volume change or "growth" of phase C in the models and, by analogy, in living cells.
Measurements of Filament Height in Hα and EUV 304 Å

In this study, we present the three-dimensional (3D) configuration of a filament observed by STEREO and the Global High Resolution H-alpha Network (GHN) in EUV 304 A and Hα line center, respectively. This was the largest filament located close to the active region NOAA 10956 that produced a small B9.6 flare and two Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on 19 May 2007. The 3D coordinates of multiple points traced along this filament were reconstructed by triangulation from two different aspect angles. The two STEREO (A and B) spacecraft had a separation angle α of 8.6 degree on 19 May 2007. The “true” heights of the filament were estimated using STEREO images in EUV 304 and Hα images, respectively. Our results show that EUV emission of the filament originates from higher locations than the Hα emission. We also compare the measured reconstructed heights of the filaments in EUV with those reported in previous studies.
Adenosine Inhibits Growth of Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells Possible Role of A2b Receptor

Abstract Abnormal growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) is frequently associated with hypertension and atherosclerosis, and homeostasis within a normal vessel is maintained by the balanced generation of both vasoconstrictors and vasodilators. Moreover, several endogenous vasoconstricting factors induce SMC growth, whereas several vasodilators inhibit SMC growth. Inasmuch as adenosine is a potent vasodilator, it is possible that it too could inhibit SMC growth. Hence, the effects of adenosine (10 −8 to 10 −3 mol/L), 2-chloroadenosine (a stable analogue of adenosine; 10 −8 to 10 −3 mol/L), and 8-bromo-cAMP (10 −8 to 10 −3 mol/L) on fetal calf serum (FCS; 2.5%)–induced growth of rat aortic SMC were evaluated. Growth was analyzed by assaying DNA synthesis (thymidine incorporation in SMC pulsed for 4 hours with 1 μCi/mL [ 3 H]thymidine) and cell proliferation (change in cell number). Growth-arrested SMC were treated with 2.5% FCS in the presence and absence of adenosine, 2-chloroadenosine, or 8-bromo-cAMP for 24 hours for DNA synthesis or 4 days for cell proliferation. All three substances inhibited DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with adenosine, 2-chloroadenosine was more potent in inhibiting growth. The inhibitory effects of 2-chloroadenosine were reversed by KF17837 (a specific A 2 receptor antagonist) but not by DPCPX (a specific A 1 receptor antagonist). Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of 2-chloroadenosine were not mimicked by CGS21680 (an A 2a receptor agonist), and the effects of N 6 -cyclopentyladenosine (CPA; an A 1 receptor agonist) were not markedly more potent than those of 2-chloroadenosine, suggesting that the inhibitory effects of adenosine are possibly mediated via A 2b receptors. These studies provide evidence that adenosine inhibits SMC growth and suggest that a decrease in local levels of adenosine may initiate SMC growth and contribute to the vascular remodeling process observed in hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Inconvenient glow: cliometrics and the "golden age" of capitalism

This paper aims to criticize the recent cliometrics literature on the so-called “golden age” of capitalism. The works of Nicholas Crafts, Gianni Toniolo, and Barry Eichengreen are reconstructed in order to reveal the main characteristics of this research program. Its narrow quantitative focus, its reliance on theoretical propositions borrowed from neoclassical economics, and its auspicious interpretation of the postwar reconstruction are the main focus of the criticism presented. Finally, the cliometricians’ attempt to historicize the “golden age” and de-historicize the following decades is related to the ideological understanding of the recent decades as a period of “great moderation.” JEL Classifiction: N00, N01, N10, N40.
Prediction of the oscillating incompressible aerodynamics of a loaded airfoil cascade by a locally analytical method

A complete first order model is developed to predict the oscillating incompressible aerodynamics of an airfoil cascade, including the effects of steady loading. The cascade steady and unsteady flow fields are analyzed by considering a periodic flow channel. The velocity potential is separated into steady and unsteady harmonic components each of which is described by a Laplace equation. An analytical solution in individual grid elements of a body fitted computational grid is then determined, with the complete solution obtained by assembling these local solutions. The capabilities and validity of this model and solution technique are demonstrated by considering the steady and unsteady aerodynamics of both theoretical and experimental cascade configurations.
Interictal afterdischarge in focal penicillin epilepsy: block by thalamic cooling.

Abstract Interictal spikes recorded from a penicillin focus in the precruciate cortex of urethane-anesthetized cats were followed by brief afterdischarge oscillations that occurred at a delay of 170 to 220 ms from the interictal spike and consisted of as many as five cycles at 16 to 22s. The origin of this afterdischarge was investigated by cooling different subcortical sites and thus blocking them reversibly. At none of the sites did cooling result in a block of the interictal spike whereas cooling of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus resulted in block of the afterdischarge. Other subcortical sites had either no or less reliable effects on it. We conclude that afterdischarge but not the interictal spike depends on thalamic input, either as a generator of the rhythm or as a trigger for a cortically maintained oscillation.
Nocturnality in Dinosaurs Inferred from Scleral Ring and Orbit Morphology

Variation in daily activity patterns facilitates temporal partitioning of habitat and resources among species. Knowledge of temporal niche partitioning in paleobiological systems has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining reliable information about activity patterns from fossils. On the basis of an analysis of scleral ring and orbit morphology in 33 archosaurs, including dinosaurs and pterosaurs, we show that the eyes of Mesozoic archosaurs were adapted to all major types of diel activity (that is, nocturnal, diurnal, and cathemeral) and provide concrete evidence of temporal niche partitioning in the Mesozoic. Similar to extant amniotes, flyers were predominantly diurnal; terrestrial predators, at least partially, nocturnal; and large herbivores, cathemeral. These similarities suggest that ecology drives the evolution of diel activity patterns.
Evaluation of binaural functions in bilateral cochlear implant users.

Binaural abilities are difficult to assess, yet important to understand, in the course of rehabilitating bilateral cochlear implantees. One purpose of this research was to develop a binaural assessment methodology using direct electrical input to the cochlear implant, ‘‘direct connect assessment’’, pre-processed by appropriate headrelated transfer functions (HRTFs) to simulate the binaural cues for spatial release from masking and sound localization. A second purpose was to create and evaluate new, modified rules for adaptively measuring the speech reception threshold in noise with the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT) for use with cochlear implant subjects. A third purpose was to develop a new sound localization protocol whose difficulty is adjusted to the sound localization ability of the individual cochlear implant subject. These new protocols were combined with the direct connect method and evaluated in acoustic hearing subjects and cochlear implant subjects. HINT thresholds and sound localization scores m...
General Strain Theory in Taiwan: A Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach

Agnew’s general strain theory (GST) [Agnew R (2001) Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38:319–361; Agnew R (2006a) Pressured Into Crime: An Overview of General Strain Theory. LA:Roxbury] has been the focus of considerable academic attention and has become an important criminological theory [Cullen et al. (2006) Taking Stock: The Status ofCriminological Theory. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction]. However, most previous empirical studies have employed Western samples (e.g., US sample) to test this theory, which hinders the generalizability of GST. Although some studies have used Eastern samples to evaluate GST, these studies are only cross-sectional, which makes drawing any causal relationship problematic, and a cross-sectional study cannot uncover the more dynamic relationship between strain, negative emotion, and delinquency. Furthermore, depression has become epidemic around the world [World Health Organization 2001, http://www.who.int/whr/2001/en/whr01_en.pdf) and many previous studies that test GST focus only on anger. This makes depression a crucial element in testing GST. The present study uses longitudinal data (Taiwan Youth Project) and a latent growth model (LGM) to investigate strain, depression, and delinquent acts among adolescents (12–15 years old). The results generally support GST propositions: both strain and depression increase delinquency, and depression mediates the strain–delinquency relationship. Some cultural-specific influences were also discovered.
Influence of the Ratio of Degrees Brix to Percent Acid on Consumer Acceptance of Processed Modified Grapefruit Juice

A batch of frozen concentrated grapefruit juice (GJ) was reconstituted to 10° Brix with water and adjusted with sucrose, citric acid and/or deacidified GJ to produce five experimental samples with Brix:acid ratios from 7–15. Consumers from four large U.S. cities evaluated the samples for flavor, preference and five other quality attributes. Flavor means varied within an acceptable range. Preference was for samples in the 8.4 to 11.1 ratio range. Nonusers preferred 11.1 ratio juice and rated the three lowest ratio juices lower than users. As ratio increased, consumer perception of sweetness increased and decreased for tartness, bitterness, and aroma. All samples were judged somewhat too tart and bitter (except at 15 ratio) and not quite sweet enough.
Synthesis and Characterization of Indium Oxide Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of indium oxide, a transparent conducting oxide with a band gap close to GaN, were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of a pure indium metal target. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that nanocrystalline indium oxide particles with a mean diameter of 6.6 nm with a cubic crystal structure were formed. Photoluminescence spectroscopy shows a strong emission peak at 3.78 eV with a weak size dependence.
Sacrifices of Self

We emerge from certain activities with an altered sense of self. Whether returning from a warzone or from an experience as common as caring for an aging parent, one might remark, “I’m not the same person I was.” I argue that such transformations are relevant to debates about what morality requires of us. To undergo an alteration in one’s self is to make a special kind of sacrifice, a sacrifice of self. Since projects can be more or less morally obligatory to the extent that they require more or less sacrifice, we must incorporate these unique sacrifices into any accounting of the contours and limits of moral obligation. But sacrifices of self pose a special difficulty for any such accounting, precisely because of their transformative nature. Unlike most other sacrifices, they cannot be analyzed entirely in terms of wellbeing. Using real-world case studies and examples, I argue for the existence of two types of sacrifice of self, involving changes in identity and moral agency. I argue that sacrifices of self require particular attention because they may be extra difficult to compare with other costs and with moral gains.
Fugue for MMX [parallel programming]

When I was an undergraduate in a hardware architecture course, one of my instructors compared programming for parallel processors with writing a symphony. At the time parallel processors were largely theoretical, and there were none around for me to play with. Now MMX adds more instruments to the orchestra. This article documents some of my early experiences with programming a simple compositing routine for MMX and the lessons I've learned from it. The program deals with pixels comprised of red, green, blue, and alpha (coverage) components, and with the assumption that the RGB components have already been multiplied by their own alpha component. I implement the most common image compositing operation, the Porter-Duff over operator.
Orientation of Asymmetric Stem Cell Division by the APC Tumor Suppressor and Centrosome

Stem cell self-renewal can be specified by local signals from the surrounding microenvironment, or niche. However, the relation between the niche and the mechanisms that ensure the correct balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation is poorly understood. Here, we show that dividing Drosophila male germline stem cells use intracellular mechanisms involving centrosome function and cortically localized Adenomatous Polyposis Coli tumor suppressor protein to orient mitotic spindles perpendicular to the niche, ensuring a reliably asymmetric outcome in which one daughter cell remains in the niche and self-renews stem cell identity, whereas the other, displaced away, initiates differentiation.
IRB review of psychiatric medication discontinuation and symptom-provoking studies

Federal regulations governing human subjects research call for additional protections for the "mentally disabled." However, there is currently no consensus definition of mental disability or guidelines for how these research subjects should be protected. This ambiguity complicates the work of institutional review boards (IRBs) charged with the review and approval of protocols involving psychiatric medication discontinuation and symptom provocation. It is particularly important for these studies to be reviewed within the larger context of the research program in which they are conducted. The author proposes a process for IRB review of these studies, which includes the implementation of additional safeguards for subjects determined by the IRB to be vulnerable. Recommendations also are made for training psychiatric clinical investigators in issues related to research bioethics.
Error minimizing algorithms for nearest neighbor classifiers

Stack Filters define a large class of discrete nonlinear filter first introduced in image and signal processing for noise removal. In recent years we have suggested their application to classification problems, and investigated their relationship to other types of discrete classifiers such as Decision Trees. In this paper we focus on a continuous domain version of Stack Filter Classifiers which we call Ordered Hypothesis Machines (OHM), and investigate their relationship to Nearest Neighbor classifiers. We show that OHM classifiers provide a novel framework in which to train Nearest Neighbor type classifiers by minimizing empirical error based loss functions. We use the framework to investigate a new cost sensitive loss function that allows us to train a Nearest Neighbor type classifier for low false alarm rate applications. We report results on both synthetic data and real-world image data.
Haemin protects Met-tRNAf binding activity of isolated reticulocyte ribosomes from inactivation by protein kinase.

Haemin protects Met-tRNAf binding activity of isolated reticulocyte ribosomes from inactivation by protein kinase
Network-on-Chip aware scheduling of hard-real-time tasks

As real-time systems continue to integrate more and more functionality, powerful multi-core architectures are the only viable solution to meet their computational demands under reasonable energy budgets. Dramatic increases in the number of cores on multi-core architectures have led to scalability issues. Modern platforms are moving away from designs with shared caches and shared buses to designs with private caches on cores and high-bandwidth Networks-on-Chip (NoC) for communication. On such architectures, worst-case execution times of real-time tasks depend on the physical location of cores and interference on the NoC. In this paper, we present a dynamic-priority policy for scheduling memory accesses on the NoC and a location-aware partitioning policy that takes explicit advantage of this NoC scheduling policy to improve the efficiency of task allocation. We demonstrate that this combination achieves significant improvement in task set schedulability and NoC utilization.
Protein methylation inhibits Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles.

We have examined the effect of membrane methylation on the Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity of canine cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles using S-adenosyl-L-methionine as methyl donor. Methylation leads to approximately 40% inhibition of the initial rate of Nai+-dependent Ca2+ uptake. The inhibition is due to a lowering of the Vmax for the reaction. The inhibition is not due to an effect on membrane permeability and is blocked by S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, an inhibitor of methylation reactions. The following experiments indicated that inhibition of Na+-Ca2+ exchange was due to methylation of membrane protein and not due to methylated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) compounds (i.e., phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine (PMME) or phosphatidyl-N,N'-dimethylethanolamine (PDME]: (1) We solubilized sarcolemma and reconstituted activity into vesicles containing no PE. The inhibition by S-adenosyl-L-methionine was not diminished in this environment. (2) We reconstituted sarcolemma into vesicles containing PMME or PDME. These methylated lipid components had no effect on Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity. (3) We verified that many membrane proteins, probably including the exchanger, become methylated.
Efficacy of 19-Nor-1,25-(OH)2D2 in the prevention and treatment of hyperparathyroid bone disease in experimental uremia

Efficacy of 19-Nor-1,25-(OH) 2 D 2 in the prevention and treatment of hyperparathyroid bone disease in experimental uremia. Background The control of parathyroid hyperplasia and high circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels is crucial in preventing secondary hyperparathyroidism (SH) in renal failure. Parathyroid gland enlargement and elevated levels of PTH are major contributors to increase bone resorption, a feature of renal osteodystrophy. Methods These studies assessed the efficacy of the 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 analog, 19-Nor-1,25(OH) 2 D 2 (19-Nor), in the prevention (protocol I) and treatment (protocol II) of SH and renal osteodystrophy in uremic rats. In protocol I, normal and uremic rats were fed a high phosphorus diet for 2 months; uremic rats were administered intraperitoneal injections of either vehicle or 19-Nor (200ng three times a week). In protocol II, normal and uremic rats were fed a high phosphorus diet for 4 months; 2 months after the onset of uremia, rats were administered either intraperitoneal vehicle or 19-Nor (200ng three times a week). Serum PTH and bone histology were used to assess the degree of SH. Results 19-Nor was effective in preventing (protocol I) and suppressing (protocol II) the significant SH induced by uremia and further enhanced by a high phosphorus diet. In protocol I, bone histology in uremic controls showed a threefold increase in the cancellous bone mass compared to normal rats. This expansion in unmineralized bone was accompanied by 5-, 1.5-, and 7-fold increases in eroded surface, mineralization lag time (MLT), and bone formation rate (BFR/BS), respectively. Moreover, cortical bone porosity in untreated uremic rats increased 267-fold compared to normal animals. 19-Nor ameliorated these changes in cancellous and cortical bone. In protocol II, the reported indices worsened even further. In contrast, 2 months of 19-Nor treatment improved bone histology by reducing cortical bone porosity, woven bone formation, MLT, and BFR/BS. Conclusion In an experimental model of chronic renal failure (CRF), 19-Nor prevents SH and ameliorates the histomorphometric changes induced by uremia and high phosphorus diet. In addition, 19-Nor suppresses serum PTH and improves bone histology in uremic rats with established severe SH. Further studies in patients with CRF are necessary to define the clinical applicability of 19-Nor on bone histology in humans.
Uncle Wuffle's Advice on Job Talks

Giving a job talk has multiple aims. Most important of these: to get a job. But, it also makes sense to think about a job talk as (a) practice that will improve your skills for future job interviews, making it more likely that you will eventually get a job, even if not this one, (b) a kind of initiation ritual into the profession, and (c) a way to broaden your academic network and make new friends. It is your chance to persuade your peers (and perhaps your future colleagues) that you are a promising/accomplished scholar, a potentially good colleague, and a good teacher—not necessarily in that order. Priorities attached to these desiderata will vary from department to department (with major differences to be expected between research-oriented departments and those with a more liberal arts focus), but even within any given department, different members of the department will undoubtedly attach different weights to each of these three concerns. Such relevant information will be conveyed in a job talk.
The Argument of the Protagoras

It is widely assumed that the arguments tendered by Sokrates in the Protagoras involve serious logical fallacies. My contention is that this view is mistaken, and I shall argue that Sokrates makes no significant logical errors in this dialogue. I shall begin with a few general assertions about the dialogue as a dramatic whole, since I believe that a grasp of the general theme and character of the dialogue is essential for understanding the argumentation.
Automating analysis of large-scale botnet probing events

Botnets dominate today's attack landscape. In this work we investigate ways to analyze collections of malicious probing traffic in order to understand the significance of large-scale "botnet probes". In such events, an entire collection of remote hosts together probes the address space monitored by a sensor in some sort of coordinated fashion. Our goal is to develop methodologies by which sites receiving such probes can infer---using purely local observation---information about the probing activity: What scanning strategies does the probing employ? Is this an attack that specifically targets the site, or is the site only incidentally probed as part of a larger, indiscriminant attack?Our analysis draws upon extensive honeynet data to explore the prevalence of different types of scanning, including properties such as trend, uniformity, coordination, and darknet avoidance. In addition, we design schemes to extrapolate the global properties of scanning events (e.g., total population and target scope) as inferred from the limited local view of a honeynet. Cross-validating with data from DShield shows that our inferences exhibit promising accuracy.
Characterization and recent modification of a compact 10 GHz ECRIS for atomic physics experiments and spectroscopic investigations

A compact 10 ECR ion source (200 mm long, 170 mm diameter) has been developed and tested. The complete magnetic structure made from permanent magnet material is comprised of four ring magnets producing an asymmetric axial magnetic field and a hexapole magnet with a maximum radial field of 0.94 T inside the plasma chamber. The coupling of the microwave to the plasma shows efficient ECR plasma heating at microwave power levels around 10 watts. Charge state distributions for various elements with intensities up to 320 e/spl mu/A and their dependence on operation parameters will be presented as well as VUV spectra in the wavelength region down to 15 nm.
Work Schedules and Family Life in Two-Earner Couples

This study of work schedules in two-earner couples explores the implications of dual schedules for the family life of both working spouses. In particular, it tests Pleck's (1977) notion that work demands are permitted to intrude into family life among men more than they are among women. The study is based on data from the 1977 Quality of Employment Survey. In summary, it found that among two-earner families clear sex differences exist in levels of work schedule demands but not in the degree of responsiveness of family life to those demands.
A General Two-Dimensional Hidden Markov Model and its Application in Image Classification

In this paper, we propose a general two-dimensional hidden Markov model (2D-HMM), where dependency of the state transition probability on any state is allowed as long as causality is preserved. The proposed 2D-HMM model can capture, for example, dependency among diagonal states, which can be critical in many image processing applications. A new expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm suitable for estimation of the new model is derived, where a novel general forward-backward (GFB) algorithm is proposed for recursive estimation of the model parameters. A new conditional-independent subset-state sequence structure decomposition is proposed for the 2D Viterbi algorithm. The new model can be applied to many areas such as trajectory classification and image segmentation. Application to aerial image segmentation shows the superiority of our model compared to the existing 2D-HMM model.