cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Tantric Context of Ratnākaraśānti’s Philosophy of Mind

The conflicting positions of the two early eleventh century Yogācāra scholars, Ratnākaraśānti and his critic Jnānaśrīmitra, concerning whether or not consciousness can exist without content (ākāra) are inseparable from their respective understandings of enlightenment. Ratnākaraśānti argues that consciousness can be contentless (nirākāra)—and that, for a buddha, it must be. Mental content can be defeated by reasoning and made to disappear by meditative cultivation, and so it is fundamentally distinct (bheda) from the nature of consciousness, which is never defeated and never ceases. That mental content is thus separable from the nature of consciousness is unimaginable to Jnānaśrīmitra, who argues that all mental content cannot be so defeated, nor can it disappear completely, and who concludes that Ratnākaraśānti’s commitment to this idea can be based on nothing but faith (śraddhā). Contra Jnānaśrīmitra, I will suggest that Ratnākaraśānti’s view is based not only on faith, but is also driven by a certain (often implicit) theory of buddhahood, the implications of which he is committed to working out. Because Ratnākaraśānti’s theory of buddhahood is developed in part in his tantric work, our understanding of his position benefits from our reading it in this context, wherein buddhahood and the most effective techniques for attaining it are explored.
Case 21: A Possible Solution to a Difficult Laryngeal Mask Airway Placement

A 40-year-old ASA 1 female with a Mallampati class 2 airway is scheduled for cystoscopy and biopsy of the bladder under general anesthesia. She weighs 80 kg and is 165 cm in height. Her only complaint is hematuria. This is her first hospital admission and first general anesthetic. She refuses a spinal or epidural. You induce general anesthesia with propofol 150 mg. The placement of soft reusable laryngeal mask airway (LMA) with the Brain technique proves impossible as the LMA will not pass the junction with the posterior pharynx. You attempt to insert the LMA with other different techniques, including rotating the LMA 180 degrees, to no avail. Unfortunately, no other LMA’s are available.
Intermediate-Term Hip Survivorship and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Periacetabular Osteotomy: The Washington University Experience.

UpdateThis article was updated on February 7, 2018, because of a previous error. On page 219, in Figure 1, the text that had read “122 Preserved Hips (WOMAC Pain Score 70 and THA)” now reads “122 Preserved Hips (WOMAC Pain Score 70 and No THA)”.An erratum has been published: J
Heteroatom and Side Chain Effects on the Optical and Photophysical Properties: Ultrafast and Nonlinear Spectroscopy of New Naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b′]difuran Donor Polymers

The photophysical and electronic properties of four novel conjugated donor polymers were investigated to understand the influence of heteroatoms (based on the first two member chalcogens) in the polymer backbone. The side chains were varied as well to evaluate the effect of polymer solubility on the photophysical properties. The donor–acceptor polymer structure is based on naptho[1,2-b:5,6-b′]difuran as the donor moiety, and either 3,6-di(furan-2-yl)-1,4-diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole or 3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1,4-diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole as the acceptor moiety. Steady-state absorption studies showed that the polymers with the furan moiety in the backbone displayed a favorable tendency of capturing more solar photons when used in a photovoltaic device. This is observed experimentally by the higher extinction coefficient in the visible and near-infrared regions of these polymers relative to that of their thiophene counterparts. The excitonic lifetimes were monitored using ultrafast dynamics, and the results...
Deploying Total Quality Managementat the University of Pennsylvania

Perm’s 4,000-member faculty is internationally distinguished, as is its student body of over 22,000, about half at the graduate level. All of Penn’s professional schools are accorded top status by their peers. The University educates leaders in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as in Business, Medicine, Communications, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts and Architecture, Law, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work.
5 – An Introduction to Neural Oscillators

Publisher Summary Neurons and neural regions communicate to other cells and regions through a variety of means. The simplest means that is seen in early development is through gap junctions. The transport of ions or potential is done via diffusion resulting in a coupling term that depends on the difference between the two coupled entities. The most common communication is via chemical synapses. Other ways of communication are via pooled substances that can accumulate in the extracellular space such as ions (Ca2+, K+) and second messengers (such as, NO, cAMP). This chapter discusses a number of properties of chains of oscillators that have local connectivity and depend only on phase-differences. These arise from the averaging reduction and have been used to understand the central pattern generator of the lamprey. Periodically forced chains have been exploited to provide information on the structure of the lamprey spinal cord central pattern generator.
Regulation of Pancreatic Exocrine Function by Manganese

The pancreas is a heterogenous organ consisting of clusters of endocrine cells that are dispersed throughout the exocrine tissue. The endocrine cells secrete insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and a variety of other peptides into the blood. The exocrine tissue consists of acinar cells that synthesize digestive enzymes and duct cells that produce bicarbonate rich fluid. Under normal physiological conditions numerous factors interact to enable the endocrine and exocrine pancreas to respond to a meal in a highly coordinated manner that contributes to the digestion and subsequent assimilation of ingested food. This regulation involves an interplay between neurotransmitters, nutrients, gastrointestinal hormones, and islet cell hormones acting through a variety of second messengers. Because of the relative richness of the pancreas in manganesel, it has been suggested that this divalent cation may also participate in the regulation of pancreatic function. This hypothesis is supported by several types of observations. Thus, manganese is taken up from the systemic circulation by the pancreas, and the concentration of manganese in the pancreatic duct is greater than in the blood2. Second-generation manganese-deficient animals may exhibit ultrastructural damage or complete atrophy of the pancreatic acinar ce113,4. These animals also exhibit beta cell dysfunction that is manifested by decreased insulin secretion and synthesis, and enhanced insulin degradations5.
Rapid Inhibition Profiling Identifies a Keystone Target in the Nucleotide Biosynthesis Pathway

Understanding the mechanism of action (MOA) of new antimicrobial agents is a critical step in drug discovery but is notoriously difficult for compounds that appear to inhibit multiple cellular pathways. We recently described image-based approaches [bacterial cytological profiling and rapid inducible profiling (RIP)] for identifying the cellular pathways targeted by antibiotics. Here we have applied these methods to examine the effects of proteolytically degrading enzymes involved in pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, a pathway that produces intermediates for transcription, DNA replication, and cell envelope synthesis. We show that rapid removal of enzymes directly involved in deoxyribonucleotide synthesis blocks DNA replication. However, degradation of cytidylate kinase (CMK), which catalyzes reactions involved in the synthesis of both ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides, blocks both DNA replication and wall teichoic acid biosynthesis, producing cytological effects identical to those created by simu...
Effects of Chlorine in Ash on the Corrosion Performance of Ni-Based Alloys in a Simulated Oxy-Fuel Environment

Alloy materials can be severely degraded by corrosive gases and coal ash in service of coal power plants at high temperature. To better understand alloy corrosion in coal power plants, it is necessary to study the effect of each constituent from coal combustion on alloy corrosion. Chlorine-containing compounds in coal are corrosion-accelerating agents. The concentration of chlorine increases a lot in the gas environment of oxy-fuel combustion due to the absence of airborne nitrogen gas acting as a diluent. The role of chlorine in ash corrosion is investigated in simulated oxy-fuel environments. Long time tests over 3000 h were performed on various alloys at 750 °C. The degradation depth, weight change, and microstructural characteristics of oxide scales on Ni-based alloys are reported after exposure at 750 °C in an oxy-fuel combustion environment for over 3000 h. Synchrotron nanobeam X-ray analysis was performed to evaluate the phase and chemical composition of the oxide layers on the alloy surface. Nanob...
Direct and Indirect Effects of Nebraska Motor Vehicle Drivers’ Characteristics on Inattentive Driving at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

This research investigated the direct and indirect effects of the characteristics of motor vehicle drivers in Nebraska, including their socioeconomic characteristics, safe driving knowledge, and at...
Genetic divergence and the number of hybridizing species affect the path to homoploid hybrid speciation

Hybridization is often maladaptive and in some instances has led to the loss of biodiversity. However, hybridization can also promote speciation, such as during homoploid hybrid speciation, thereby generating biodiversity. Despite examples of homoploid hybrid species, the importance of hybridization as a speciation mechanism is still widely debated, and we lack a general understanding of the conditions most likely to generate homoploid hybrid species. Here we show that the level of genetic divergence between hybridizing species has a large effect on the probability that their hybrids evolve reproductive isolation. We find that populations of hybrids formed by parental species with intermediate levels of divergence were more likely to mate assortatively, and discriminate against their parental species, than those generated from weakly or strongly diverged parental species. Reproductive isolation was also found between hybrid populations, suggesting differential sorting of parental traits across populations. Finally, hybrid populations derived from three species were more likely to evolve reproductive isolation than those derived from two species, supporting arguments that hybridization-supplied genetic diversity can lead to the evolution of novel “adaptive systems” and promote speciation. Our results illustrate when we expect hybridization and admixture to promote hybrid speciation. Whether homoploid hybrid speciation is a common speciation mechanism in general remains an outstanding empirical question.
Supporting Students With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: State of the Field:

Emotional Disturbance (ED) is one category under which a student can be evaluated and determined eligible to receive special education and related services. Students who experience ED are at greate...
Interactive contexts increase informativeness in children's referential communication.

Adults adjust the informativeness of their utterances to the needs of their addressee. For children, however, relevant evidence is mixed. In this article we explore the communicative circumstances under which children offer informative descriptions. In Experiment 1, 4- and 5-year-old children and adults described a target event from a pair of almost identical events to a passive confederate listener who could either see or not see the referents. Adults provided disambiguating information that picked out the target event but children massively failed to do so (even though 5-year-olds were more informative than 4-year-olds). Furthermore, both children and adults were more likely to mention atypical than typical disambiguating event components. Because of the contrastive nature of the task, the listener's visual access had no effects on production. Experiment 2 was a more interactive version of Experiment 1 where participants played a guessing game with a "naive" listener. In this context, children (and adults) became overall more informative, and the difference between child groups disappeared. We conclude that the informativeness of children's event descriptions is heavily context-dependent and is boosted when children engage in a collaborative interaction with a "true" interlocutor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Abstract TP177: The Concept of Interdisciplinary Stroke Clinic With Physical Therapy: A Single Institution Experience

Background: Stroke survivors need therapy services to recover; however, coordination of therapy may not occur over time. An interdisciplinary stroke clinic (ISC) can improve communication and ident...
Can I teach students with Autism Spectrum Disorder?: Investigating teacher self-efficacy with an emerging population of students

Currently, 1 in 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2015) and this growing population of learners has been noted as one of the most challenging groups to teach. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief teachers hold about their instructional capabilities, has been shown to differ according to contextual factors, such as the type of students teachers face. The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instrument that can used to measure teachers' self-efficacy for effectively working with students with ASD. Study 1 involved the development and evaluation of a new instrument, the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Students with Autism Scale (TSEAS) with a sample of general and special education teachers in the U.S. (N = 120). Study 2 involved a cross-validation of the measure with teachers in Australia (N = 85). Results indicated that the scale represented a unidimensional construct in both studies. Self-efficacy for teaching students with ASD was distinct from, though positively related to, general teaching self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and self-regulation. Using a student-specific teaching self-efficacy measure might provide more useful information for supporting teachers' beliefs for teaching students with ASD.
Fabric Defect Detection Using Activation Layer Embedded Convolutional Neural Network

Loom malfunctions are the main cause of faulty fabric production. A fabric inspection system is a specialized computer vision system used to detect fabric defects for quality assurance. In this paper, a deep-learning algorithm was developed for an on-loom fabric defect inspection system by combining the techniques of image pre-processing, fabric motif determination, candidate defect map generation, and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). A novel pairwise-potential activation layer was introduced to a CNN, leading to high accuracy of defect segmentation on fabrics with intricate features and imbalanced dataset. The average precision and recall of detecting defects in the existing images reached, respectively, over 90% and 80% at the pixel level and the accuracy on counting the number of defects from a publicly available dataset exceeded 98%.
Effect of Topical Lidocaine on Tracheal Cough Reflex: Animal Studies Using a New Endotracheal Tube Design

A new endotracheal tube design is described. The design facilitates the repeated injections of lidocaine into the trachea between the tube cuff and the larynx. The lidocaine solution is confined to this area and systemic absorption is slow. Studies of the tracheal cough reflex were done in nine dogs. The lidocaine solution attenuated (2 mg/kg) and suppressed (4 mg/kg) the cough reflex. The lidocaine (4 mg/kg) injection effectively suppressed coughing following extubation in the awake animal. A maximum blood level of 1.6 μg/ml was found in one dog receiving 4 mg/kg.
Two-loop analysis of vector-current propagators in chiral perturbation theory

We perform a calculation of the isospin and hypercharge vector-current propagators (ΔV33μν(q2) and ΔV88μν(q2)) to two loops in chiral perturbation theory. The analysis is carried out with straight-forward Feynman diagram methods by making appropriate use of external vector sources. Counterterms from the O(q6) chiral lagrangian, required to absorb divergences and scale dependence encountered at the two-loop level, are constructed. Our final results are finite, covariant, and scale-independent. Several applications are described, including a comparison of the two-loop isospin vector spectral function with data and the construction of new chiral sum rules.
Recent advances in understanding cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a devastating disease with a poor survival rate. It is resistant to therapy in part due to its unique tumor microenvironment, characterized by a desmoplastic reaction resulting in a dense stroma that constitutes a large fraction of the tumor volume. A major contributor to the desmoplastic reaction are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs actively interact with cancer cells and promote tumor progression by different mechanisms, including extracellular matrix deposition, remodeling, and secretion of tumor promoting factors, making CAFs an attractive target for PDA. However, emerging evidences indicate significant tumor-suppressive functions of CAFs, highlighting the complexity of CAF biology. CAFs were once considered as a uniform cell type within the cancer stroma. Recently, the existence of CAF heterogeneity in PDA has become appreciated. Due to advances in single cell technology, distinct subtypes of CAFs have been identified in PDA. Here we review recent updates in CAF biology in PDA, which may help develop effective CAF-targeted therapies in the future.
Action Evaluation Hardware Accelerator for Next-Generation Real-Time Reinforcement Learning in Emerging IoT Systems

Internet of Things (IoT) sensors often operate in unknown dynamic environments comprising latency-sensitive data sources, dynamic processing loads, and communication channels of unknown statistics. Such settings represent a natural application domain of reinforcement learning (RL), which enables computing and learning decision policies online, with no a priori knowledge. In our previous work, we introduced a post-decision state (PDS) based RL framework, which considerably accelerates the rate of learning an optimal decision policy. The present paper formulates an efficient hardware architecture for the action evaluation step, which is the most computationally-intensive step in the PDS based learning framework. By leveraging the unique characteristics of PDS learning, we optimize its state value expectation and known cost computational blocks, to speed-up the overall computation. Our experiments show that the optimized circuit is 49 times faster than its software implementation counterpart, and six times faster than a Q-learning hardware accelerator.
Performance of acid mine drainage sludge as an innovative catalytic oxidation source for treating vehicle-washing wastewater

This study introduces iron sludge recovered from acid mine drainage (AMD) waste, as advanced oxidation processes, that is, AMD/H2O2 (Fenton’s reagent) to treat vehicle-washing wastewater. Vehicle-w...
The Functional Framework

We first introduce some background. Let Y, Z be two Banach spaces endowed with norms \(\left \Vert \cdot \right \Vert { }_{Y}\) and \(\left \Vert \cdot \right \Vert { }_{Z}\), respectively. We denote by Y ↪Z if Y ⊆ Z and there exists a constant C > 0 such that \(\left \Vert u\right \Vert { }_{Z}\leq C\left \Vert u\right \Vert { }_{Y},\) for u ∈ Y ⊆ Z. In particular, this means that the injection of Y into Z is continuous.
“Engineering Resilience” Into Split-Second Shoot/No Shoot Decisions: The Effect of Muzzle-Position:

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of engineering resilience into the split-second decision environment police officers face during potential deadly force encounters. Using a ...
Valid and Reliable Measure of Adherence to Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding.

Abstract Objective To examine the validity and psychometrics of sDOR.2-6y, a 12-item measure of adherence to the Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online respondents in central Pennsylvania. Participants 117 parents (94% female, 77% White, 62% in ≥1 income-based assistance program) of preschoolers aged 2–6 years (28% moderate/high nutrition risk). Main Outcome Measures The sDOR.2-6y and Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler (NutriSTEP), a measure of child nutrition risk and other validated measures of eating behavior and parent feeding practices. Analysis Relationships were evaluated with Pearson r, t tests, ANOVA, or chi-square. Factor structure was investigated using principal components analysis with varimax rotation. Binary logistic regression and general linear model controlling for low-income status compared with sDOR.2-6y and NutriSTEP scores. Linear regression predicted NutriSTEP and Satter Eating Competence Inventory 2.0 scores from sDOR.2-6y. Results The sDOR.2-6y ranged from 16–32 (mean, 25.9 ± 3.3; n = 114). Parents of youth at nutrition risk had lower sDOR.2–6y scores (P = 0.004). Each 1 point sDOR.2-6y increase decreased nutrition risk odds by 21% (95% confidence interval, 0.675–0.918; P = 0.002). The sDOR.2-6y scores were higher with less restriction and pressure to eat (both P Conclusions and Implications The sDOR.2-6y accurately and reliably indicated adherence of low-income mothers to sDOR. Larger, diverse samples for future studies are recommended.
Regio-Random Clemmensen Reduction of Biodegradable Polyesters for Photochemically Triggered 3D Printing

A zinc/acetic acid-mediated Clemmensen reduction coupled with sonication affords a time-dependent regio-random reduction of degradable poly(propylene maleate) oligomers to poly(propylene fumarate-c...
Distribution power system state estimation based on Gaussian mixture model-Neural network

The main problem in the state estimation of distribution power system is that there are many nodes but few measuring points such that they are unobservable. With the construction and development of distribution network, most measuring devices of distribution power system have covered all nodes, but uploading their measured values to the power dispatching center in real time will take up a lot of communication resources, and once the data cannot be uploaded due to network congestion and other problems, the state estimation will be impossible to calculate. In this paper, the load Gaussian mixture model is established, and the load model under different scenarios is constructed. Obtain the load data from the smart meter, train the load model, and upload the model parameters to the power dispatching center where the neural network is trained with data such as node injection power generated by each node load model. Finally, the trained neural network is used to calculate the voltage and amplitude of each node. When some measure data is missing, the measure data generated by the compound model of the node stored in the power dispatching center is used as pseudo-measure for state estimation. The smart meter will update the training model regularly according to the change of node load, which helps to improve the robustness of the system. Compared with the traditional method of using power prediction as a pseudo-measurement, this method has the advantages of fast computing speed, high computing accuracy, small consumption of communication resources and strong robustness.
Body composition assessment after pediatric liver transplant

Background and Objectives Children with chronic liver disease experience altered growth and development due to the disruption of metabolic function. Pediatric liver transplantation generally restores metabolic function and results in growth recovery; yet, some children who have undergone liver transplant continue to be malnourished, have increased adiposity and may develop obesity as a long-term outcome. Increases in fat mass are associated with adverse developmental and metabolic outcomes that could be addressed through nutritional intervention. The ability to describe weight gain post-transplant would allow clinicians to assess nutritional status beyond anthropometrics. Several body composition assessment technologies are applicable to children, including air displacement plethysmography, dual x-ray absorptiometry and total body potassium, but are not portable or suitable for the clinic setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the quality of weight gain in post liver transplant children between the ages of 2 and 17 using multiple assessment tools and to determine whether multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis and ultrasound will accurately describe body composition and quality of weight gain. Methods Ten children (n=10) with a median age of 9.5 years were recruited from the liver transplant program at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. Anthropometric measurements, multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, air displacement plethysmography, and ultrasound measurements were conducted. Comparisons of z-scores for weight, height and BMI at the time of transplant and 6 and 12 months post-transplant were made by paired t-tests. The relationship between body composition methods was assessed using Wilcoxon signed rank test of the differences. The relationship between body composition methods and ultrasound measurements of muscle and adipose thickness was estimated by Spearman’s rank correlation rho. Intra-rater reliability was evaluated using deviance (absolute difference from mean). Results Mean percent body fat by air displacement plethysmography was 18.4% (±3.3) and 19.0% (±3.9) by multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (p > 0.99). Positive differences in mean z-score comparisons from transplant indicate an increase over each time period: mean change in weight z-score at 6 months was 0.08 and 0.38 at 12 months; mean change in height z-score at 6 months was -0.56 and 0.09 at 12 months; mean z-score change in BMI at 6 months was 0.24 and 0.31 at 12 months. The combined muscle and adipose thickness measures by ultrasound were not a significant predictor for percent body fat determined by air displacement plethysmography or multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Ultrasound measures for biceps and quadriceps were not a significant predictor for segmental mass measures determined by multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Conclusions Percent body fat, fat mass and fat free mass measures determined by air displacement…
Association of neighborhood deprivation with pulmonary function measures among participants in the Gulf Long-Term Follow-up Study.

Abstract Introduction Individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to be an important determinant of lung function. Neighborhood level SES factors may increase psychological and physiologic stress and may also reflect other exposures that can adversely affect lung function, but few studies have considered neighborhood factors. Objective Our aim was to assess the association between neighborhood-level SES and lung function. Methods We cross-sectionally analyzed 6168 spirometry test results from participants in the Gulf long-term Follow-up Study, a large cohort of adults enrolled following the largest maritime oil spill in US history. Outcomes of interest included the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; mL), the forced vital capacity (FVC; mL), and the FEV1/FVC ratio (%). Neighborhood deprivation was measured by linking participant home addresses to an existing Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and categorized into quartiles. Individual-level SES measures were collected at enrollment using a structured questionnaire and included income, educational attainment, and financial strain. We used multilevel regression to estimate associations between ADI quartiles and each lung function measure. Results Greater neighborhood deprivation was associated with lower FEV1: βQ2vsQ1: −30 mL (95% CI: −97, 36), βQ3vsQ1: −70 mL (95% CI: −135, −4) and βQ4vsQ1: −104 mL (95% CI: −171, −36). FVC showed similar patterns of associations with neighborhood deprivation. No associations with the FEV1/FVC ratio were observed. Conclusion Neighborhood deprivation, a measure incorporating economic and other stressors, was associated with lower FEV1 and FVC, with magnitudes of associations reaching clinically meaningful levels. The impact of this neighborhood SES measure persisted even after adjustment for individual-level SES factors.
Development of a Generic Knowledge-Based Risk Assessment System

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) programs have appeared which contribute significantly to the field in which they are applied. Risk assessment and risk management (RA/RM) is an ideal candidate for such a program, and researchers at the Center for Intelligent Systems of Vanderbilt University are investigating the application of AI techniques to RA/RM, specifically within the context of a knowledge-based system, or expert system. Knowledge-based systems are one of the better known fruits of AI research and offer many benefits. Chief among these are the ability to make expert knowledge available to non-experts, the ability to explore “what it” scenarios safely, improved communication channels, and methods of handling uncertainty. This paper describes the development of a generic knowledge-based risk assessment system. By identifying an underlying representation common to many risk assessment fields (a network), the same architecture and construction techniques embodied in this generic system may be used in numerous individual applications. The system architecture and design principles, as well as the benefits they will provide, are described.
Does Gratitude Enhance Experience of the Present

How does gratitude promote well-being? In this chapter I explore the first “how” of gratitude. Does gratitude support subjective well-being by enhancing one’s experience of the present? I submit that gratitude enhances experience in the present in two ways: by increasing the frequency of pleasant experiences, and by enhancing the enjoyment of positive events. Gratitude might increase the frequency of positive affect because grateful people are more likely to notice benefits, gratitude might lower the threshold for the appreciation of simple pleasures, and gratitude focuses one on the benefits they have and away from goods that they lack. Furthermore, grateful cognition and behavior has been shown to produce increased positive affect, thus increasing the frequency of positive emotional experiences. Gratitude might enhance the enjoyment of pleasant events because people tend to enjoy gifts more than mere goods, and gratitude might counteract adaptation to benefits. Because the experience of positive affect is one of the most important components of happiness, gratitude might increase well-being by amplifying the good in one’s experience of the present.
Mean Reversion of Volatility Around Extreme Stock Returns: Evidence from US Stock Indexes

This paper examines mean reversion processes in volatility structure of stock markets after extremely high or low stock returns. The stock market volatility is reflected in three aspects, overall volatility, volatility momentum, and volatility concentration, and they are measured by three basic statistical measures, variance/standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis, respectively. The results of this study illustrate remarkable reversions in volatility momentum, concentration, and level between periods of pre and post-extremely high stock returns. Evidence of this study also supports some strong volatility reversions after extremely negative stock returns. The findings are helpful to investing professionals and financial policy makers to expand their understanding of different aspects of volatility structure and their change cycles. The knowledge may enhance effectiveness of portfolio managers in risk management after busts of stock price bubbles.
Senile web patterns in Uloborus diversus (Araneae: Ulboridae).

Elderly females of the spider Uloborus diversus (Uloboridae) spin webs which are different in various respects than those spun earlier in their lives. “Senile” virgins' webs differed from those of “senile” non-virgins' in several characteristics and in some ways resembled those of first instar nymphs.
The 3-I Career Advising Process and Athletes With Foreclosed Identity

Student-athletes who identify more strongly with their athletic role than their academic life may neither encounter nor embrace the chance to explore career options. Their lack of exposure or inter...
Molecular cloning and expression of a novel glycolipid sulfotransferase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Sulfated trehalose glycolipids are among the most characteristic cell wall molecules of virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They comprise a family of trehalose-2-sulfate esters with an array of acyl fatty acids at various positions of the trehalose moiety. Although their structure has been well characterized, most of the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis, such as sulfotransferases, are unknown. It is demonstrated here by metabolic labelling with 35S abundant incorporation into sulfolipids of M. tuberculosis strains, in comparison to Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mycobacterium smegmatis. The most abundant sulfolipid, sulfolipid I, is present in virulent strains H37Rv and Erdman, but absent in attenuated H37Ra. Sulfotransferase assays with the donor substrate 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-[35S]phosphosulfonate and whole cell lysates of H37Ra resulted in the synthesis of four major sulfolipids (I, II, IV and VI). A search for sulfotransferase gene sequences in M. tuberculosis yielded gene Rv1373, a 981 bp gene slightly homologous (24% identity) to eukaryotic aryl-sulfotransferases. Rv1373 was cloned by PCR and expressed as a 39 kDa recombinant his-tagged protein. The recombinant M. tuberculosis aryl-sulfotransferase exhibited activity towards the cerebroside glycolipids glucosyl- and galactosylceramide. No activity was detected with sulfatide (3′-sulfated galactosylceramide), suggesting that sulfation of galactosylceramide may occur at C-3 of the galactose. Treatment of sulfated products with ceramide glycanase resulted in the release of 35S-labelled material showing that sulfation was at the saccharide moiety (galactose or glucose) of the ceramide. Assays with the M. tuberculosis aryl-sulfotransferase and total H37Ra glycolipids showed one major product corresponding to sulfolipid IV. These results demonstrate that Rv1373 encodes a novel glycolipid sulfotransferase with activity towards typical ceramide glycolipids and mycobacterial trehalose glycolipids.
Infectious AIDS – Stretching the Germ Theory Beyond Its Limits

The hypothesis that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS was advanced in 1984, based only on circumstantial evidence. To this date, the primary evidence are correlations between the presence of antibody against HIV and AIDS. But these correlations are biased by proponents of the HIV hypothesis in favour of HIV. They ignore HIV-free AIDS and they base correlations on selected studies because there are no national HIV-AIDS statistics. The HIV-AIDS hypothesis has made the following predictions: (I) AIDS would ‘explode’ from the original risk groups into the general population via sexual transmission of HIV (2) Health care workers would contract AIDS from their patients, scientists from propagating HIV, and prostitutes from their clients. (3) The 150 chimpanzees that have been experimentally inoculated with HIV, and the 15,000 American hemophiliacs who have been iatrogenically inoculated before 1984, would develop AIDS. (4) Antiviral immunity and vaccines would protect against AIDS. (5) HIV would cause AIDS by killing T-cells. (6) AIDS would occur only in people infected by HIV. But none of these predictions proved to be correct. Recent studies show that HIV is a passenger virus instead of the cause of AIDS: (1) AIDS occurs at unpredictable intervals after infection; (2) HIV may be active, passive, or totally absent from otherwise identical AIDS cases. Indeed, AIDS does not meet one of the classical criteriy of infectious disease: (1) Equal distribution between the sexes; (2) disease following infection within days or weeks, the time microbes take to become either immunogenic or pathogenic or both; (3) the presence of a common active microbe. Therefore it is proposed that American and European AIDS is caused by the long-term consumption of recreational drugs and the anti-HIV drug AZT This hypothesis is testable and provides a rational basis for AIDS control.
Do DNA rearrangements occur in neuronal development? Clues from an inherited human disease

Abstract The discovery of extensive rearrangements in the DNA belonging to the immunoglobulin gene loci has lead to speculation that other gene loci may undergo this kind of alteration. Genes that produce a set of diverse but related gene products would represent likely candidates. Synaptogenesis, memory storage and olfactory perception are neural processes that could be mediated by DNA rearrangement. These processes conceivably require more informational content than could be encoded in the 100 000 or so genes found within the mammalian genome if the DNA were static in structure and involved only non-recombinant changes in gene expresssion. New genes, however, can arise from preceding ones by splicing, transposing and reconstructing DNA sequences, thereby investing cells with different and restricted sets of genetic information. Although no cases of gene rearrangement have been reported in nerve cells, the human disease ataxia-telangiectasia provides some interesting albeit circumstantial evidence for possible DNA engineering during neural development.
The in vivo synthesis of acyl- and ether-bonded phospholipids in Heliothis virescens☆☆☆

Abstract Fatty acids and fatty alcohols serve as precursors in the formation of alkyl, and alk-1-enyl bonds in the phospholipids of the tobacco budworm [ Heliothis virescens (F)]. The insects are capable of interconverting the two precursors. Fatty acids of 16 or 18 carbons are preferred in acyl-bond formation, and fatty alcohols of 18 carbons are preferred in ether-bond synthesis. Alk-1-enyl glyceryl ethers appear to be derived from the saturated alkyl glyceryl ethers by dehydrogenation. The ether-bonded components are associated principally with the ethanolamine phosphoglycerids. Very little or no ether synthesis occurs in the choline, serine, or inositol phosphoglycerides.
v-Src rescues actin-based cytoskeletal architecture and cell motility and induces enhanced anchorage independence during oncogenic transformation of focal adhesion kinase-null fibroblasts.

The ability of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to integrate signals from extracellular matrix and growth factor receptors requires the integrity of Tyr397, a major autophosphorylation site that mediates the Src homology 2-dependent binding of Src family kinases. However, the precise roles played by FAK in specific Srcinduced pathways, especially as they relate to oncogenic transformation, remain unclear. Here, we investigate the role of FAK in v-Src-induced oncogenic transformation by transducing temperature-sensitive v-Src (ts72v-Src) into p53-null FAK+/+ or FAK–/– mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF). At the permissive temperature (PT), ts72v-Src induced abundant tyrosine phosphorylation, morphological transformation and cytoskeletal rearrangement in FAK–/– MEF, including the restoration of cell polarity, typical focal adhesion complexes, and longitudinal F-actin stress fibers. v-Src rescued the haptotactic, linear directional, and invasive motility defects of FAK–/– cells to levels found in FAK+/+ or FAK+/+-[ts72v-Src] cells, and, in the case of monolayer wound healing motility, there was an enhancement. Src activation failed to increase the high basal tyrosine phosphorylation of the Crk-associated substrate, CAS, found in FAK–/– MEF, indicating that CAS phosphorylation alone is insufficient to induce motility in the absence of FAK- or v-Src-induced cytoskeletal remodeling. Compared with FAK+/+[ts72v-Src] controls, FAK–/–[ts72v-Src] clones exhibited 7–10-fold higher anchorage-independent proliferation that could not be attributed to variations in either v-Src protein level or stability. Re-expression of FAK diminished the colony-forming activities of FAK–/–[ts72v-Src] without altering ts72v-Src expression levels, suggesting that FAK attenuates Srcinduced anchorage independence. Our data also indicate that the enhanced Pyk2 level found in FAK–/– MEF plays no role in v-Src-induced anchorage independence. Overall, our data indicate that FAK, although dispensable, attenuates v-Src-induced oncogenic transformation by modulating distinct signaling and cytoskeletal pathways.
Surface composition of solar selective black chrome films as determined by SIMS

Abstract The composition of electro-deposited black chrome solar absorbing films has been investigated via secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Positive and negative SIMS show a number of (OH) − bearing ions which have been related to a near-surface region dominated by CrO(OH) and Cr(OH) 3 compounds. Depth concentration profiles indicate that the hydroxide content decreases and the metallic chromium fraction increases with depth into the film. The studies further refine the chemical and microstructural model for the black chrome coating from which its solar selective optical properties can be derived.
Amplification of diacylglycerol activation of protein kinase C by cholesterol.

The combined effects of cholesterol, a major cell membrane component, and the lipid second messenger diacylglycerol on the activity of protein kinase C (PK-C) and the structure of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine bilayers were investigated using specific PK-C assays and 2H NMR. Whereas the classical activation of PK-C was observed as an effect of diacylglycerol, in the absence of this second messenger, cholesterol did not affect PK-C activity. A novel effect of amplified PK-C activation was observed in the presence of both cholesterol and diacylglycerol concentrations within the physiological range of each of these components. 2H NMR results suggest that this phenomenon is due to cholesterol- and diacylglycerol-induced increased propensity of the lipids to adopt nonbilayer phases, effectively destabilizing the bilayer structure. The magnitude of the effect was a function of cholesterol concentration, implying that laterally separated cell membrane domains with distinct cholesterol concentrations have the capacity to differ in their sensitivity to extracellular stimuli.
The misuse of biology in demographic research on racial/ethnic differences: A reply to van den oord and rowe

In an article in the August 2000 issue of Demography titled “Racial Differences in Birth Health Risk: A Quantitative Genetic Approach,” van den Oord and Rowe attempted to study the genetic and environmental factors contributing to the black/white gap in infant birth weight. Their findings indicate that this difference may be explained by shared environmental influences rather than by fetal genes. Yet the authors insisted in their conclusions that a strong genetic component still must play a role in determining the racial gap in birth weight, if only through maternal effects. The incompatibility between the authors’ findings and their conclusions is due largely to a weakness in their conceptualization of the relationship between race and biology. Their insistence that racial groups represent discrete genetic entities, coupled with a failure to account for interactions between biological and environmental processes, illustrates the methodological and ethical problems that threaten future interdisciplinary research on racial/ethnic disparities in health.
Frustrated quantum critical theory of putative spin-liquid phenomenology in 6H-B-Ba(3)NiSb(2)O(9).

A recently discovered material, $6H\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}\mathrm{B}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{3}{\mathrm{NiSb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{9}$ was found to display unusual low-temperature phenomenology, interpreted as a quantum spin liquid with spin $S=1$ on a triangular lattice. We study a spin $S=1$ exchange model on an $AB$ stacked triangular lattice near its quantum paramagnet-to-spiral transition, driven by easy-plane single-ion anisotropy. We demonstrate that the frustrated inter- and intralayer exchanges induce contour lines of low-energy excitations that lead to a broad crossover regime of linear-temperature dependence of the specific heat. Based on this and various other predictions, we argue that the observed phenomenology can be understood in terms of a conventional picture of a proximity to this frustrated critical point.
Distribute and Match - The DM Switch for High Speed Packet Switching Networks

High speed switch is one of the key components in modern networks. In this paper, we propose the Distribute and Match (DM) switch, a novel switch that achieves 100% throughput while maintaining packet order without requiring speedup of the switching fabric. The DM switch has two switching stages, where the first stage distributes the packets to the middle nodes and the second stage forwards packets either according to a matching algorithm or based on reservation. The DM switch achieves good performance because the matching algorithm is usually capable of forwarding packets with small delay up to medium load, while under high load, the DM switch activates the reservation mode and can sustain high throughput. Our simulation confirm that the DM switch achieves overall better performance than other compared implementable switches.
VDR regulation of microRNA differs across prostate cell models suggesting extremely flexible control of transcription

The Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and is of therapeutic interest in cancer and other settings. Regulation of microRNA (miRNA) by the VDR appears to be important to mediate its actions, for example, to control cell growth. To identify if and to what extent VDR-regulated miRNA patterns change in prostate cancer progression, we undertook miRNA microarray analyses in 7 cell models representing non-malignant and malignant prostate cells (RWPE-1, RWPE-2, HPr1, HPr1AR, LNCaP, LNCaP-C4–2, and PC-3). To focus on primary VDR regulatory events, we undertook expression analyses after 30 minutes treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3. Across all models, 111 miRNAs were significantly modulated by 1α,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Of these, only 5 miRNAs were modulated in more than one cell model, and of these, only 3 miRNAs were modulated in the same direction. The patterns of miRNA regulation, and the networks they targeted, significantly distinguished the different cell types. Integration of 1α,...
Reduction of [ML(alkyne)2(η-C5R‘5)]+ (M = Mo or W, L = MeCN or CO, R‘ = H or Me, C5R‘5 = C5HPh4): Characterization of Radical Intermediates in the Reductive Coupling of Coordinated Alkynes

The complexes [M(NCMe)(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)]+ (M = Mo or W, R = Me or Ph; R‘ = H or Me, C5R‘5 = C5HPh4) undergo one-electron reduction to [M(NCMe)(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)], which rapidly lose acetonitrile to give the 17-electron complexes [M(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)]. The stability of [M(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)] depends on R and R‘; for R = Ph, the radical is sufficiently stable so that its reduction to the 18-electron anion [M(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)]- is detected in the cyclic voltammogram. Chemical reduction of [Mo(NCMe)(PhC2Ph)2(η-C5HPh4)]+ with [Co(η-C5H5)2] gives the air-sensitive solid [Mo(PhC2Ph)2(η-C5HPh4)], characterized as an alkyne-based radical by ESR spectroscopy, which gives [Mo(NCMe)(PhC2Ph)2(η-C5HPh4)]+ when treated with [Fe(η-C5H5)2]+ in acetonitrile. The carbonyl cations [M(CO)(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)]+ (M = Mo, W) undergo two sequential one-electron reductions, the first of which is reversible and gives the 19-electron species [M(CO)(RC2R)2(η-C5R‘5)]. The 19-electron radical [Mo(CO)(PhC2Ph)2(η-C5Me5)] has been characterized in sol...