cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spider Diversity in Coffee Agroecosystems: The Influence of Agricultural Intensification and Aggressive Ants

Spiders are a very diverse group of invertebrate predators found in agroecosystems and natural systems. However, spider distribution, abundance, and eventually their ecological function in ecosystems can be influenced by abiotic and biotic factors such as agricultural intensification and dominant ants. Here we explore the influence of both agricultural intensification and the dominant arboreal ant Azteca instabilis on the spider community in coffee agroecosystems in southern Mexico. To measure the influence of the arboreal ant Azteca instabilis (F. Smith) on the spider community inhabiting the coffee layer of coffee agroecosystems, spiders were collected from coffee plants that were and were not patrolled by the ant in sites differing in agricultural intensification. For 2008, generalized linear mixed models showed that spider diversity was affected positively by agricultural intensification but not by the ant. However, results suggested that some spider species were associated with A. instabilis. Therefore, in 2009 we concentrated our research on the effect of A. instabilis on spider diversity and composition. For 2009, generalized linear mixed models show that spider richness and abundance per plant were significantly higher in the presence of A. instabilis. In addition, analyses of visual counts of insects and sticky traps data show that more resources were present in plants patrolled by the ant. The positive effect of A. instabilis on spiders seems to be caused by at least two mechanisms: high abundance of insects and protection against predators.
Resolving macroscale and microscale heterogeneity in virus filtration

Abstract In this paper, we characterize the filtration and deposition profiles of a recombinant analog of Norwalk virus, an important waterborne pathogen, in packed beds of saturated quartz sand under both ‘clean-bed’ and ‘dirty-bed’ conditions. Under clean-bed conditions with NaCl as the electrolyte, the retained Norwalk virus particles decline like a power-law with depth. The power-law decay in retained particle concentration is consistent with the predictions of a recently proposed filtration model which assumes that microscale heterogeneity leads to particle filtration length scales of all sizes; i.e. the filtration is fractal in nature. However, under dirty-bed conditions with either ground water or wastewater as the pore fluid, the deposited Norwalk virus particles profiles are considerably more complex. Analysis of these data using both the traditional filtration model and the fractal filtration model suggests that, under dirty-bed conditions, macroscale heterogeneity dominates virus removal rates.
Fluid flow and chemical reaction kinetics in metamorphic systems: a new simple model

Abstract A new quantitative model is introduced that incorporates chemical reaction kinetics along a generalT-X equilibrium curve with a treatment of fluid flow and diffusion during metamorphism. The resulting differential equation is solved analytically. The analytic solution is then analyzed for general trends. An important result is the establishment of afixed overstepping of equilibrium. The simple formula obtained for the overstepping yields important insights into the link between the nature of the metamorphic heating event and the chemical response of the rocks. The results exhibit a wide variation in the adherence to equilibrium depending on the slope of theT-X equilibrium curve, the heating rate, theΔH of the reaction, the surface area of reactive minerals, the porosity and the intrinsic rate constant. An analysis of the spatial variations of the analytical solution leads to the prediction of what are termed “kinetic isograds”, which differ conceptually from the normal thermodynamic isograd.
Public involvement in technology policy: focus on the pervasive computing environment

This paper examines the role of the general public in informing technology policy, observing that public involvement often occurs only through the electoral process or via feedback after plans have been implemented. Planners and policymakers are not necessarily in touch with the feelings and desires of the public who will be affected by their decisions. For this reason it is important to seek a clearer understanding of the views of citizens who are not typically involved in the planning or design process in order to guide the evolution of technology, as well as to highlight areas where there may be some discrepancy between planners and the needs of everyday users. To broaden the inputs into discussion of emerging problems related to pervasive computing in the State of Hawaii, both information and communication technology specialists (including government policy makers) and members of the general population were invited to participate in a multi-phase study. Differences in perception between specialists and the general public were identified in all phases of research. Specialists were identified as being more focused on near-term issues related to barriers affecting the growth of high-technology industries within the State. Non-specialists showed greater concern for "human" issues, including issues related to the control of technology. Importantly, both groups independently described a need for increased public participation in the process of technological development. Analysis also revealed that both groups found the problem statements generated by non-specialists to be valuable contributions, arguing for their inclusion in the process of problem identification and further supporting the use of participatory planning methods.
Opioid analgesics for persistent pain in the older patient

Naturally occurring opioids have been used as analgesics for thousands of years. From these, semisynthetic and synthetic derivatives have emerged in the search for the ‘perfect’ opioid analgesic, without success. Weak opioid analgesics include codeine and propoxyphene, intermediate-strength opioid analgesics include the agonist-antagonists (e.g., pentazocine and butorphanol) and the partial agonist buprenorphine and the strong opioid analgesics include morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl and meperidine. Propoxyphene, meperidine, agonist-antagonists and partial agonists should be avoided in most elderly patients owing to their unfavorable risk–benefit profiles. The other opioids can be recommended for use in the elderly and appear to be interchangeable (in equianalgesic doses) based upon similar efficacy and tolerability profiles. The aging process alters the pharmacokinetics of nearly all opioid analgesics, mainly due to alternations in the activity of excretory pathways...
Fourier Pytchographic Microscopy

Fourier Ptychographic microscopy is a high resolution and wide field-of-view computational method with the ability to correct intrinsic optical aberrations, perform digital refocusing post-data-acquisition and acquire phase images.
A novel motif mediates the targeting of the Arabidopsis COP1 protein to subnuclear foci.

The constitutive photomorphogenesis 1 (COP1) protein of Arabidopsis thaliana accumulates in discrete subnuclear foci. To better understand the role of subnuclear architecture in COP1-mediated gene expression, we investigated the structural motifs of COP1 that mediate its localization to subnuclear foci using mutational analysis with green fluorescent protein as a reporter. In a transient expression assay, a subnuclear localization signal consisting of 58 residues between amino acids 120 and 177 of COP1 was able to confer speckled localization onto the heterologous nuclear NIa protein from tobacco etch virus. The subnuclear localization signal overlaps two previously characterized motifs, a cytoplasmic localization signal and a putative α-helical coiled-coil domain that has been implicated in COP1 dimerization. Moreover, phenotypically lethal mutations in the carboxyl-terminal WD-40 repeats inhibited localization to subnuclear foci, consistent with a functional role for the accumulation of COP1 at subnuclear sites.
Comparing effects of reward size and action contingency on single neurons of monkey medial vs. lateral orbitofrontal cortex

Introduction The orbitofrontal cortex, based on connectional anatomy, has been divided into more lateral (OFC, areas 11/13) and medial areas (VMPFC, i.e., ventromedial prefrontal cortex, areas 14/25/32). Although these areas are often assigned two different subnetworks for processing emotion and reward, they are both thought to be important for assessing values of stimuli predicting outcomes. We used two related types of behavioral trials to the effect of compare the effects of stimulus-outcome and stimulusaction-outcome contingencies on the information encoded within populations of single neurons in these brain regions.
Performance evaluation of a PVT/ORC (photovoltaic thermal/organic Rankine cycle) system with optimization of the ORC and evaluation of several PV (photovoltaic) materials

Abstract This paper presents a study of a combined PV (photovoltaic) and thermal system that utilizes waste heat at a high temperature to drive an ORC (organic Rankine cycle). Several configurations of the ORC are evaluated for performance with the use of twenty-seven working fluids, with the goal of identifying a combination that both provides the highest operating efficiency and meets design criteria for expanders. A design utilizing an internal heat exchanger and a closed feed fluid heater is found to have the highest performance when operated using alkanes. An analysis based on volumetric flow rate and volume ratio showed n-Butane to be the optimal choice for the proposed application. The optimized ORC is then examined in combination with several PV materials for improvements in efficiency.
The maximum amplitude cost functional in linear systems

Abstract The maximum amplitude cost of a control function u(t) taken to be ess sup g(t, u(t)), where g(t, u) is a given function. (A particular example is g(t, u) = the norm of u.) We consider linear systems with this cost functional. The existence of optimal control is proved, and it is shown that the ess sup is uniformly essential with respect to the optimal controls. Properties of the extended attainable set are discussed and compared with the case of an integral cost. Finally, we show in what sense a cost functional of the form (∝ g(t, u(t)) q ) 1 q approximates the ess sup cost functional.
Inductively coupled plasma etching and processing techniques for type-II InAs/GaSb superlattices infrared detectors toward high fill factor focal plane arrays

A challenge for type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice (T2SL) photodetectors is to achieve high fill factor, high aspect ratio etching for third generation focal plane arrays (FPAs). Initially, we compare the morphological and electrical results of single element T2SL photodiodes after BCl 3 /Ar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) dry etching. Using a Si 3 N 4 hard mask, ICP-etched structures exemplify greater sidewall verticality and smoothness, which are essential toward the realization of high fill factor FPAs. ICP-etched single element devices with SiO 2 passivation that are 9.3μm in cutoff wavelength achieved vertical sidewalls of 7.7μm in depth with a resistance area product at zero bias of greater than 1,000 Ωcm 2 and maximum differential resistance in excess of 10,000 Ωcm 2 at 77K. By only modifying the etching technique in the fabrication steps, the ICP-etched photodiodes showed an order of magnitude decrease in their dark current densities in comparison to the ECR-etched devices. Finally, high aspect ratio etching is demonstrated on mutli-element arrays with 3μm-wide trenches that are 11μm deep.
Insulin patterns prior to and after onset of diabetes.

Abstract In two of three adults in whom responses to an oral glucose load were studied before and after diabetes had appeared, the increases in serum insulin in response to an oral glucose load taken during the diabetic phase were definitely greater than those recorded before the diabetes appeared. Thus, in two patients the ratio of the increment in blood sugar to the increment in insulin recorded after glucose intolerance had appeared was lower than that documented one year earlier during the pre-diabetic phase, indicating an enhanced insulin response. In other words, a true hyperinsulinemia relative to the rise in blood sugar was present in these two persons with newly-discovered diabetes. The enhanced glucose-induced hyperinsulinemia in these newly-discovered diabetic persons indicates that in them the diabetes stemmed from inadequacy of hypoglycemic action of the insulin either because the insulin molecule was defective, pro-insulin was present, insulin action was vitiated by plasma or tissue antagonism, or absorption of glucose was enhanced. The finding of diminished insulin increments in relation to increases in blood sugar following an oral glucose load in one other adult with diabetes of one year's duration or less suggests that this may be another pattern in some diabetic persons. Alternatively, it is possible that the true hyperinsulinemia noted in our other two patients is a transient phase which may disappear within a year. In the one child in this series, fasting and postglucose hyperinsulinemia was present during the prediabetic phase relative to the insulin responses recorded in control studies in nondiabetic children. After diabetes had developed and prior to any therapy, an oral glucose load did not evoke a rise in serum insulin.
Infectious scleritis caused by Bacillus species bacteria

A case of infectious scleritis with recurrent abscess formation developed in a 26-year-old man with a history of Crohn disease. Culture of the abscess contents yielded Bacillus species. An excisional biopsy of the abscess was performed, and the patient was treated with aggressive antibiotic therapy. Infectious scleritis involving Bacillus species bacteria likely has not been previously reported in the literature. Bacillus species bacteria should be considered a posible agent of infectious scleritis.
Minimum Storage Sorting Networks

This paper analyzes how to sort n k-bit numbers in a minimum storage network. The techniques also give new AT2 lower bounds for a VLSI sorting model. The principal results in this paper are as follows. ? Lower bounds are given for the minimum storage (and area) needed to sort n k-bit numbers, and accompanying upper bounds (sorting networks) are presented, which match the lower bounds, up to a constant factor. ? Sharp bounds are derived, which demonstrate that the minimum storage requirements depend quite strongly on the I/O schedule, and on the sorting model. ? AT2 lower bounds are established for a VLSI device that sorts n k-bit numbers where k ≪ log n.
Electron energy loss spectroscopy as a probe of the local atomic environment

Abstract Electron energy loss spectra contain information on how many nearest neighbours an atom has at what distance and in which direction, what kind of site an atom occupies (e.g. octahedral or tetrahedral), and even what valency state an atom is in. This paper reviews several structure analysis techniques based on these principles that have been recently developed at ASU.
Insights into heterogeneous atmospheric oxidation chemistry: Development of a tailor-made synthetic model for studying tropospheric surface chemistry

The synthesis, characterization, and oxidation reaction of a tropospherically relevant terpene bound to a glass surface are reported. Vibrational broadband sum frequency generation (SFG) is used to characterize the various terpene-modified glass surfaces and track their interaction with ozone. SFG spectra indicate that, although orientations of the surface-bound terpenes depend on the linker strategies employed, the C=C double bond is accessible to gas-phase ozone regardless of the strategy applied. Exposure of the terpene-functionalized surface to ppm levels of ozone at 1 atm and 300 K yields an initial reaction probability of approximately 1 x 10 -5 per surface collision, which is significantly higher than the corresponding gas-phase reaction involving 1-methyl-1-cyclohexene (5 x 10 -7 from gas-phase collision theory). The interaction of ozone with a saturated octyl silane-functionalized glass surface leads to a slight molecular reorientation, or tilting, of the terminal CH 3 groups on a much slower time scale. Our work demonstrates that SFG spectroscopy can be used to determine reaction probabilities of heterogeneous atmospheric reactions and bridges the gap between atmospheric chemistry and surface functionalization.
Coping-skills training for the management of anxiety: A critical review

This paper evaluates the research on coping-skills training for the management of anxiety. The training techniques reviewed include anxiety management training, applied relaxation, cue-controlled relaxation, self-control desensitization, and self-statement modification. While many of the studies on these techniques were flawed, the treatments were reported to be successful in reducing situation-specific anxiety reactions. Mixed results were obtained for responses other than those directly treated (generalized effects). Recommendations for future research emphasize the use of sensitive-dependent measures, employment of clinically anxious subjects, and examination of the preventive effects of coping-skills training.
Interactive tools for image segmentation

Interactive tools for segmenting 2-D and 3-D images are presented. These tools allow a user to quickly revise a segmentation result obtained from an automatic method. A thresholding technique is described that finds a unique threshold value for each homogeneous region in an image. The threshold value is found such that variance in the region is minimized under change in the threshold value. Curve- and surface-fitting methods are described that can accurately represent a region boundary in 2-D or 3-D with a parametric curve or a surface, respectively. A curve or a surface is optimized to minimize the number of control points representing a region with a prescribed accuracy. The optimized curve or surface is then revised by moving its control points interactively. Once a curve or a surface is found to accurately enclose a region of interest, it is quantized to produce the final 2-D region contour or 3-D region surface. These interactive tools can be used to revise unsatisfactory results obtained from any automatic segmentation method.
Stakeholder Participation for the Purpose of Helping Ensure Evaluation Validity: Bridging the Gap Between Collaborative and Non-collaborative Evaluations:

Collaborative evaluations, in which program stakeholders participate extensively, typically are conducted for the primary purpose of enhancing the use of evaluation findings, and non-collaborative evaluations, in which stakeholders do not participate extensively, typically are conducted for the primary purpose of generating valid findings. This article shows how the gap can be bridged between these two types of evaluations. The article synthesizes, and elaborates on, a small body of recent research that showed that considerable interaction with stakeholders during the evaluation of small education programs helped achieve the raison d’etre of non-collaborative evaluations-that is, to enhance validity. It is also shown that theories and methods of stakeholder participation for the purpose of enhancing validity, which by and large have been ignored in the collaborative evaluation literature, can improve the quality of collaborative studies.
Electron attraction and chemical bonding

In recent years, electron attraction, real or apparent, has been studied in various areas of science and technology. By simulating the dynamical behavior of the molecules H2, Li72, B112, C122, N142, O162, Li7H, CH4, and H20 in their ground states, and H2 in its first excited state, we show that the inclusion of electron attraction in the simulation yields, in all cases, correct bond lengths, correct vibrational frequencies, and, where significant, correct bond angles, whereas excluding electron attraction never does.
Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT)

In QFT, the feedback design problem has always been that of achieving defined performance over specified range of plant uncertainty, with minimum "cost of feedback". Eigenvalue realization was always considered an incidental problem. Two benchmark problems are presented. The first is a 2×2 highly uncertain nonlinear plant. The second is a 3×7 digital (60 Hz) flight control problem with uncertainty consisting of 36 possible effector failure cases with no failure detection and identification, i.e. a fixed compensation design. Both problems were solved by QFT with satisfactory results.
The adsorption kinetics for CCI4 on teflon

Abstract Measured adsorption isotherms for carbon tetrachloride on Teflon have adsorption kinetics strongly dependent on the temperature. Three “adsorptive” components have been identified. Two of these have activation energies indicative of diffusion into the bulk of the Teflon.
Oral infection of Culicoides variipennis with bluetongue virus: development of susceptible and resistant lines from a colony population.

Four lines of Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett), 3 susceptible and 1 resistant to oral infection with bluetongue virus, were developed through a genetic selection program of selected matings from a parent colony (SONORA strain, 000 line) with an intermediate susceptibility rate of 30%. Three of these 4 lines had mean infection rates of 92, 63, and 2% for a single infective blood meal for their 13, 27, and 15 generations of colony maintenance; data from 2 repeated infective blood meals indicated that the 2 susceptible lines had susceptibility rates of 100% and that the resistant line was highly resistant. The data indicate that at least 2 genetic mechanisms governed susceptibility to oral infection with the virus: the 1st segregated rapidly and appeared to be single gene control with the dominant allele for resistance; a 2nd mechanism controlled the threshold of response. Our information suggests that an arbovirus disease might be controlled by lowering the vector capacity of a vector species without controlling the species itself.
Mass Response to the Lewinsky Scandal: Motivated Reasoning or BayesianUpdating?

This study attempts to account for the vastly different trajectories taken by mass and elite opinion in the wake of the Lewinsky affair. Data from a panel study, collected before and just after the scandal broke, suggest that Clinton's prior popularity indelibly colored mass response to the scandal, thereby constraining citizens' reactions. As would be predicted by theories of "motivated reasoning, " the influence of various considerations (like the credibility and importance of the allegations) on reactions to the scandal was conditional upon prior affect for the president. Such findings are difficult to accommodate within the more rational "Bayesian updating " perspective. These data shed light on mass response to the Lewinsky scandal in particular and citizen reaction to presidential behavior more generally, as well as on the cognitive mechanisms that facilitate motivated reasoning in candidate evaluation.
Maxillary Sinus 3D Segmentation and Reconstruction from Cone Beam CT Data Sets

Purpose Segmentation of the maxillary sinuses for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, visualization and volumetry is sought using an automated algorithm applied to cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) data sets. Materials and Methods Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data sets of three subjects aged 9, 17, and 27 were used in 3D segmentation and reconstruction. The maxillary sinuses were obtained by propagation from one start point in the right sinus and one start point in the left sinus to the whole regions of both sinuses. The procedure was based on voxel intensity distributions and common anatomic structures, specifically each middle meatus of the nasal cavity. A program was written in C++ and VTK languages to demonstrate the surface topological shapes of the maxillary sinuses. Results The developed segmentation algorithm separated maxillary sinuses successfully permitting accurate comparisons. It was robust and efficient. 3D morphological features of the maxillary sinuses were observed from three human subjects. Conclusions Automated segmentation of maxillary sinuses from CBCT data sets is feasible using the proposed method. This tool might be useful for visualization, pathological diagnosis, and treatment planning of maxillary sinus disorders.
Genetic vaccines — a revolution in vaccinology?

Vaccination is the most efficacious medical treatment to prevent human morbidity and mortality due to infectious agents. Although viral vaccines have been used since the 17th century, to date vaccines to only about 25 different human pathogens are available. Traditionally, vaccines were generated by inactivation or attenuation of pathogens, using infectious agents that afflict a different species and are comparatively non-virulent in humans or by modifications of toxins. Considering the multitude of existing and newly emergent infectious agents, novel approaches for vaccine development are needed. Subunit vaccines based on purified proteins or another pathogen have been explored extensively [1, 18, 28, 45, 64, 69] and led to an improved hepatitis B virus vaccine [39] and a recombinant vaccine for immunization of wild live animals to rabies virus [64]. A novel type of subunit vaccine based on plasmid vectors expressing antigens under the control of a suitable promoter has been under intensive investigation for the last 5 years. Such constructs, termed DNA vaccines, polynucleotide vaccines or genetic vaccines, were initially tested for their suitability as gene therapy vehicles. It was shown during these studies that circular vector DNA, upon intramuscular inoculation into mice, is taken up by muscle cells surrounding the inoculation site causing prolonged expression of the transgene [65, 66]. Uptake of DNA by muscle cells did not require precipitation of DNA, formation of liposomes, or any of the other techniques that are needed for successful transfection of cell lines in vitro. Shortly after these initial studies, another group using a vector expressing human growth hormone demonstrated stimulation of an antibody response to the transgene product [59]; thus starting the era of DNA vaccines.
Left atrial inflow propagation rate: a new transesophageal echocardiographic index of preload.

Abstract We postulated that the rate of blood propagating into the left atrium from the left upper pulmonic vein would be a useful measure of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). In 23 adult patients who were critically ill (ie, study group) and receiving mechanical ventilation, color M-mode multiplane transesophageal echocardiography was used to measure left atrial inflow propagation rate (LAIF-PR) as a potential index of PCWP measured by right heart catheterization. LAIF-PR was measured in systole and diastole as the slope of the color M-mode signal entering the left atrium from the left upper pulmonic vein. Correlation with PCWP was good for systolic ( r = −0.847, P r = −0.78, P (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:1057-64.)
Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis by Bovine Milk, Cultured Buttermilk, and Orotic Acid

Abstract The effects of 50μl volumes of buffer, pasteurized, homogenized bovine milk, cultured buttermilk, or orotic acid solution (73 mg/liter) on the incorporation of [1- 14 C] acetate or [5- 3 H] mevalonic acid into cholesterol were determined in 3.5ml rat liver homogenate preparations. Radioactive cholesterol was isolated as the digitonide after saponification of the homogenate followed by extraction of cholesterol with hexane. The digitonide from the control homogenates exposed to [1- 14 C] acetate yielded 3497±545 dpm/mg cholesterol (10 replicates) whereas the digitonides from homogenates containing bovine milk, buttermilk, or orotic acid yielded 56±12 dpm/mg cholesterol (six replicates), 59±13 dpm/mg cholesterol (five replicates), or 151±90 dpm/mg cholesterol (six replicates), respectively. This corresponds to an average inhibition of acetate incorporation into cholesterol of 98.4%, 98.3%, or 95.7%. Homogenates exposed to [5- 3 H] mevalonic acid yielded digitonides from the control with 98,228±9663 dpm/mg cholesterol (seven replicates), from bovine milk with 96,690±6784 dpm/mg cholesterol (seven replicates), and from orotic acid with 100,475±7483 dpm/mg cholesterol (seven replicates). Mevalonic acid incorporation was not affected statistically by the presence of bovine milk or orotic acid. This indicates the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis prior to the formation of mevalonate. Orotic acid concentrations of the bovine milk and buttermilk used were 69 mg/liter and 53 mg/liter, respectively.
Recruitment, retention, and follow-up of graduates of a program to increase the number of family physicians in rural and underserved areas.

Background To help address the geographic and specialty maldistribution of physicians, Jefferson Medical College initiated the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) in 1974. This unique program, which combines a selective medical school admissions policy with a special educational program, has been shown to be successful in increasing the number of family physicians in rural and underserved areas, but it is not known whether they remain in this type of practice. Methods Graduates of the PSAP were tracked longitudinally and compared with their non-PSAP classmates. Information was obtained about the retention of family physicians in rural areas and areas with a physician shortage over the previous five years, the geographic and specialty choices of more recent graduates, and the recruitment of applicants into the program. Results Of the 47 PSAP graduates from the classes of 1978 through 1981, reported on earlier, the number who combined a career in family medicine with practice in a rural area or one with ...
A research program for identifying and measuring water pollutants.

Abstract Major emphasis in this program is placed on developing systems for identifying all significant pollutants in the aquatic environment instead of following the tradition of developing methods to determine environmental levels of pre-selected pollutants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been shown to be broadly applicable to identification of organics, and spark source mass spectrometry and neutron activation analysis show promise for elemental analysis. Highly sensitive and selective methods, such as microwave-induced emission spectrometry, are evaluated for repetitive determination of constituents of known significance. Chemiluminescence and electroanalytical techniques are being investigated for speciation. Application of methods to the solution of real problems is conducted on a limited scale to bridge the gap between research and broad practical application.
Quantifying Damage Accumulation Using State-of-the-Art FFT Method

A 3D microstructure, measured by high-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy, is used as an input to a parallelized viscoplastic Fast Fourier Transform code (VPFFT) to simulate a tensile test. Distributions of strain, damage accumulation, neighbor interactions, and Schmid factor mismatch throughout the microstructure are calculated. These results will form the basis of a direct comparison to microstructure maps that track plastic deformation in the real sample.
Effects of actinomycin D on hormone-induced steroidogenesis by superfused rat adrenal glands☆

Abstract Under in vitro superfusion conditions, actinomycin-D potentiates the steroidogenic effect of ACTH and delays the onset of the refractory state in the rat adrenal gland. Actinomycin-D also reverses the inhibitory effect of cyanoketone which blocks the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. It is postulated that the delayed refractoriness may be due to a slower nuclear action of the hormone resulting in the synthesis of an inhibitory protein.
Doxorubicin-treated H9c2 cells: caution with luminescent ATP and Hoechst 33258 assays

To the Editor: High throughput, plate-based cellular assays are becoming increasingly popular due to rapidity of data generation and the opportunity for a higher number of replicates than possible with older methods. Assays for DNA content based on Hoechst 33258 (H33258) fluorescence (Rago et al. 1990) and ATP content using a kit based on a series of coupled reactions producing chemiluminescence in response to ATP levels (such as Cell Titer-Glo, Promega, Madison, WI) are popular biomarkers used in high throughput assays. We found when using doxorubicin as a toxicant in initial experiments that H33258 fluorescence was extremely low, while ATP content based on luminescence was higher than expected. To investigate the DNA results, eight concentrations of DNA ranging from 0.024 to 3.0 μg/0.1 ml dissolved in water were incubated with doxorubicin at 1 or 5 μM for 4 h prior to addition of the H33258. Fluorescence at 458 nM (with excitation at 358 nM) was measured as per the published protocol (Rago et al. 1990). Water or 1 or 5 μM doxorubicin-only blanks were subtracted from the raw data. Fluorescence results are shown in Fig. 1. If a point in the figure lacks SEM bars, they were too small to appear outside of the data point. At all DNA concentrations, fluorescence was significantly lower (p<0.0002, Mann–Whitney test) with added doxorubicin at 1 or 5 μM compared to fluorescence without doxorubicin, except at the lowest DNA concentration in the 5-μM doxorubicin group. To investigate apparent enhanced ATP content with doxorubicin treatment, H9c2 cardiomyoblasts (ATCC) seeded in 96-well plates were treated with 1 or 5 μM doxorubicin for 24 h. Results of ATP determination (Cell Titer-Glo, Pomega) were found to be higher when doxorubicin was left in the well vs. replacement with serum-free media just prior to the ATP assay (Fig. 2). To explain these results, we hypothesized that doxorubicin is much more avid in its DNA intercalation than H33258, resulting in lower fluorescence when doxorubicin is present. The ATP results with doxorubicin left in the cell media were likely due to fluorescence emission from doxorubicin excited by the white light luminescence from the ATP-coupled reaction, resulting in spuriously high luminescence values (personal communication with technical representative at Promega 2012). We suggest that the use of another cellularity indicator,
Rhetoric by design: Using web development projects in the technical communication classroom

Abstract Technical communication instructors increasingly see the importance of the World Wide Web as a research tool; however, many are uncertain about how to make Web development projects pedagogically valuable. I argue that such projects can play a critical role in establishing a rhetorical focus in technical communication classrooms. The Web development process helps students form a more concrete understanding of the rhetorical situation and its pertinence to technical documents. Moreover, an extended term project requiring student groups to create technical print documents in the course of developing a Web site provides a useful way to foster objectives for students' communicative efforts and, thereby, encourage rhetorical practices suited to the complex communication situations students will experience in the workplace.
The effect of ϵ-amino caproic acid on the gross conformation of plasminogen and plasmin

Abstract Previous studies from several laboratories have demonstrated that the native form of circulating plasminogen, Pga, undergoes a gross conformational alteration upon binding the amino acid, ϵ-amino caproic acid (ϵ-ACA), and its analogues. Sedimentation velocity measurements show that plasminogen b Pgb), prepared by removal of a peptide of Mr 6000–8000 from the amino terminus of Pga as a consequence of its activation to plasmin, possesses a strikingly dissimilar gross conformation when compared to Pga. However, the overall conformation of Pgb is very similar to the Pga· ϵ-ACA complex. Although Pgb retains its full capacity for binding ϵ-ACA, no additional gross conformational alteration results as a consequence of saturating the binding site of Pgb with this amino acid. Similar measurements show that plasmin a (Pga), which is a direct activation product of Pga, displays a native gross conformation which is very similar to native Pga. Pma binds ϵ-ACA in an identical manner to Pga and also undergoes a similar conformational alteration as Pga, as a consequence of this binding. On the other hand, plasmin b (Pga), which is a direct activation product of Pgb, and also results from removal of the above mentioned peptide from Pma, possesses an overall gross conformation similar to Pgb, the Pga·ϵ-ACA complex and the Pma·ϵ-ACA complex. Although Pmb also retains full capabilities for binding ϵ-ACA, there is no further gross conformational alteration as a result of this interaction. These studies illustrate the importance of the amino terminal region of the original Pga in controlling the overall conformation of the molecule as well as controlling the conformation achieved upon saturation of the molecule by ϵ-ACA like molecules.
Emergency transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts

The TIPS procedure can provide for emergent decompression of the portal venous system and cessation of life-threatening hemorrhage from gastroesophageal varices. It is a highly sophisticated procedure that should be done only by very experienced interventional radiologists because of the important complications that can occur and are directly related to the procedure. Knowledge of the technical aspects of the procedure that put the patient at increased risk for procedure-related complications can reduce the likelihood of mishap. Similarly, knowledge of the contraindications for TIPS will improve the screening of patients who clinically are at increased risk of post-procedure complications.
Computational plasticity for composite structures based on mathematical homogenization: Theory and practice

Abstract This paper generalizes the classical mathematical homogenization theory for heterogeneous medium to account for eigenstrains. Starting from the double scale asymptotic expansion for the displacement and eigenstrain fields we derive a close form expression relating arbitrary eigenstrains to the mechanical fields in the phases. The overall structural response is computed using an averaging scheme by which phase concentration factors are computed in the average sense for each micro-constituent, and history data is updated at two points (reinforcement and matrix) in the microstructure, one for each phase. Macroscopic history data is stored in the database and then subjected in the post-processing stage onto the unit cell in the critical locations. For numerical examples considered, the CPU time obtained by means of the two-point averaging scheme with variational micro-history recovery with 30 seconds on SPARC 10 51 as opposed to 7 hours using classical mathematical homogenization theory. At the same time the maximum error in the microstress field in the critical unit cell was only 3.5% in comparison with the classical mathematical homogenization theory.
Reduction of Soluble Aβ and Tau, but Not Soluble Aβ Alone, Ameliorates Cognitive Decline in Transgenic Mice with Plaques and Tangles

Increasing evidence points to soluble assemblies of aggregating proteins as a major mediator of neuronal and synaptic dysfunction. In Alzheimer disease (AD), soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) appears to be a key factor in inducing synaptic and cognitive abnormalities. Here we report the novel finding that soluble tau also plays a role in the cognitive decline in the presence of concomitant Aβ pathology. We describe improved cognitive function following a reduction in both soluble Aβ and tau levels after active or passive immunization in advanced aged 3xTg-AD mice that contain both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Notably, reducing soluble Aβ alone did not improve the cognitive phenotype in mice with plaques and NFTs. Our results show that Aβ immunotherapy reduces soluble tau and ameliorates behavioral deficit in old transgenic mice.
Combining Microfluidics, Electrophysiology, and Fluorescence Detection to Study Drug Transport Across Biomembranes

The goal of this project is to develop a chip-based functional assay for studying multi-drug resistance (MDR) transporter proteins. The proposed assay combines electrophysiology with fluorescence spectroscopy on a microfluidic platform to yield new information about MDR transporter functions and their role in cancers. This apparatus and the information gained will facilitate drug screening for molecules that mediate or bypass MDR transporter mechanisms. Here, we highlight the progress made thus far in developing this chip-based assay.
Dose Optimization in Nuclear Medicine

The practice of diagnostic nuclear medicine involves the use of ionizing radiation, and thus the potential risk associated with such exposure must be weighed against the benefits to the patient. This requires that the right test with the right dose be administered to the right patient at the right time. Therefore the procedure should be performed only if it is deemed most appropriate for the clinical question being asked. If appropriate, the procedure should be performed in the most optimum manner that keeps the radiation dose to the patient as low as possible while providing the patient's clinician with information that is needed to devise a plan of medical management. If this approach is followed, the benefits to the patient will far outweigh the small potential risks associate with the procedure. This article discusses these issues, particularly in the context of cardiovascular nuclear medicine and hybrid imaging including PET/CT and SPECT/CT.
Searching for substandard housing in Alachua county: A case study

Abstract Since manual methods for the inventory and identification of substandard housing are expensive and time consuming, the authors have undertaken, in conjunction with the Alachua County Housing Authority, to develop a computer automated methodology for the inventory and identification of the county's substandard housing from county property tax records. While methodologies for identifying substandard housing from property tax data are not new or unique (Koebel, 1986), this paper presents an approach to the process which does not use traditional regression techniques and instead uses a model that selects substandard units based solely upon the query of individual property parcel data, as collected by the county's property tax appraisers. The process identifies housing units as standard, borderline, suspected substandard, or substandard, and maps (among other variables) the number of substandard units, per section of land. An address listing of substandard properties may also be generated for each of the county's 1000 sections of land. Preliminary field testing of 236 housing units resulted in a 97.6% match with only one parcel indicating a mismatch for nonstandard housing, and upon further manual inspection that parcel was determined to be standard, as predicted by the model. As a result of this model, the Alachua County Housing Authority has achieved its goal of identifying the substandard housing within the county, and can now efficiently and effectively begin to deal with annual changes in substandard housing, thereby identifying areas of increasing property structure deterioration.
Approximate parallel scheduling. Part I: the basic technique with applications to optimal parallel list ranking in logarithmic time

We define a novel scheduling problem; it is solved in parallel by repeated, rapid, approximate reschedulings. This leads to the first optimal logarithmic time PRAM algorithm for list ranking. Companion papers show how to apply these results to obtain improved PRAM upper bounds for a variety of problems on graphs, including the following: connectivity, biconnectivity, Euler tour and $st$-numbering, and a number of problems on trees.
Psychological Contracts and Organizational Identification: The Mediating Effect of Perceived Organizational Support

Understanding the processes through which employees incorporate the organization’s identity into their own identity is critical to building positive employer-employee relationships. We draw primarily on organizational support theory to advance the argument that psychological contract breach is negatively related to organizational identification and positively related to organizational disidentification because it makes employees believe that their organizations do not value their contributions or care about their well-being (reduces perceived organizational support). Results from two studies generally provide support for our hypotheses: in Study 1, perceived organizational support fully mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and organizational identification. In Study 2, Time 2 perceived organizational support fully mediated the relationship between Time 1 relational psychological contract breach (e.g., promises related to training, development, job security) and organizational identification, but not the relationship between transactional psychological contract breach (e.g., promises related to pay and work hours) and organizational identification. Time 2 perceived organizational support partially mediated the relationship between relational psychological contract breach and organizational disidentification, but not the relationship between transactional psychological contract breach and organizational disidentification. We conclude that organizations should be concerned with this erosion of the positive employer-employee relationship (organizational identification) and fostering of a negative employer-employee relationship (disidentification).
Uncertainties of Water Fluxes in Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer Models: Inverting Surface Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration Retrieved from Remote Sensing

Effective hydraulic parameters of soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer (SVAT) models can be derived by inverting observed surface soil moisture, θ obs , and evapotranspiration, ET obs , retrieved from remote sensing. We investigated the uncertainties in simulating the water fluxes of contrasting hydroclimatic scenarios for which it was assumed that θ obs had a RMSE of 0.04 m 3 m −3 (Δθ obs ) and ET obs had a relative error of 20% (ΔET obs ). The correlation of the uncertainties in the simulated water fluxes (ΔWF sim ) with Δθ obs and ΔET obs was derived with the proposed Uncertainty Simulator Algorithm. The results show that ΔWF sim is influenced by climate and increases when the climate is drier. The uncertainty in estimated root-zone θ was found to be correlated with Δθ obs . The prediction of evaporation contained large uncertainties and was correlated with the actual/potential evapotranspiration ratio. The uncertainties in transpiration under dry climates were high and were correlated with ΔET obs ; however, the uncertainty under wet climates was insignificant. The uncertainties in groundwater recharge under dry climates were large but were reduced under wet climates. Furthermore, uncertainties in groundwater recharge were correlated with ΔET obs but not with Δθ obs . In general, the ΔWF sim increases as (i) climate gets drier, (ii) texture gets coarser, or (iii) roots grow deeper. The uncertainty in recharge is explained by soil moisture and transpiration decoupling. Soil moisture decoupling occurs when the information provided by surface θ is no longer representative of root-zone θ. Transpiration decoupling occurs when there is substantially more water storage at depth. We propose methodology to reduce the nonuniqueness of the inverted hydraulic parameters.