cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classroom communication apprehension: Does being male or female make a difference?

This study investigated college students’ classroom communication apprehension (CCA) to determine if differences exist for male and female students and students with male and female instructors. The Class Apprehension Participation Scale (CAPS) (Neer, 1987) was completed by 307 students enrolled in small communication classes at two Western universities. Analysis of variance indicated female students are more apprehensive than male students, but students are not significantly less apprehensive with female instructors as compared to male instructors. The results also indicated no significant interaction between sex of student and sex of instructor.
Angiotensin-(1–7) abrogates mitogen-stimulated proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts

Previous studies showed that angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] attenuates cardiac remodeling by reducing both interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. Although a high affinity binding site for Ang-(1-7) was identified on cardiac fibroblasts, the molecular mechanisms activated by the heptapeptide hormone were not identified. We isolated cardiac fibroblasts from neonatal rat hearts to investigate signaling pathways activated by Ang-(1-7) that participate in fibroblast proliferation. Ang-(1-7) reduced (3)H-thymidine, -leucine and -proline incorporation into cardiac fibroblasts stimulated with serum or the mitogen endothelin-1 (ET-1), demonstrating that the heptapeptide hormone decreases DNA, protein and collagen synthesis. The reduction in DNA synthesis by Ang-(1-7) was blocked by the AT((1-7)) receptor antagonist [d-Ala(7)]-Ang-(1-7), showing specificity of the response. Treatment of cardiac fibroblasts with Ang-(1-7) reduced the Ang II- or ET-1-stimulated increase in phospho-ERK1 and -ERK2. In contrast, Ang-(1-7) increased dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP1 immunoreactivity and mRNA, suggesting that the heptapeptide hormone increases DUSP1 to reduce MAP kinase phosphorylation and activity. Incubation of cardiac fibroblasts with ET-1 increased cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin synthase (PGES) mRNAs, while Ang-(1-7) blocked the increase in both enzymes, suggesting that the heptapeptide hormone alters the concentration and the balance between the proliferative and anti-proliferative prostaglandins. Collectively, these results indicate that Ang-(1-7) participates in maintaining cardiac homeostasis by reducing proliferation and collagen production by cardiac fibroblasts in association with up-regulation of DUSP1 to reduce MAP kinase activities and attenuation of the synthesis of mitogenic prostaglandins. Increased Ang-(1-7) or agents that enhance production of the heptapeptide hormone may prevent abnormal fibrosis that occurs during cardiac pathologies.
The chronic illness acceptance questionnaire: Confirmatory factor analysis and prediction of perceived disability in an online chronic illness support group sample

Abstract Chronic illnesses and health conditions are among the most frequently diagnosed illnesses and costly in health care systems worldwide. Patients seek “simultaneous” medical care for multiple chronic illnesses and related symptoms. In this study, a measure of Acceptance commonly utilized in chronic pain populations (Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire) was adapted for application with patients with heterogeneous and often co-morbid chronic illness diagnoses. The online chronic illness support group sample participants (N=413) ranged in age from 20–84 years [Mean age=53.18 (12.39)] and were diagnosed with 1–7 (M=2.36; SD=1.39) chronic illnesses. The Chronic Illness Acceptance Questionnaire (CIAQ) showed adequate-to-good fit to the data. For the two factor CFA model, the RMSEA=0.078 (90% CI=0.071–0.085). The items of the two parallel measures appear to tap similar acceptance dimensions or subscales – Willingness and Activity Engagement. Additionally, the two CIAQ subscales significantly predicted illness-related disability ratings in this sample. Taken together, results suggest further study may yield ecologically valid approaches to ACT based assessment and intervention in medical settings wherein patients seek treatment for multiple health concerns.
Information technology, social values, and ethical responsibility: a select bibliography

The bibliography, which includes more than 600 entries, is a collection of contemporary and classic sources on information technology, ethics, and society. Addressing both social and ethical issues related to information technology, the bibliographic work is organized into two main parts: information technology and social values; information technology and ethical responsibility.
Crime News in Newspapers - A Case-Study in Tamil-Nadu, India

As part of a large‐scale study of juvenile delinquency and public perceptions and attitudes regarding youthful misconduct in India, two English‐ and one Tamil‐language newspapers in Tamil Nadu, Ind...
Wave-Equation Wavefront Migration

The wave-equation wavefront migration (WWM) is a potentially efficient form of wave equation migration, where the finite-difference stencil is only applied around the leading portion of the wavefront. WWM has the accuracy of wave-equation migration, fewer aliasing and migration artifacts, and can potentially be much faster than the standard reverse-time migration. The potential drawbacks are the memory intensive operation of storing the Green’s function at each grid point, and that only a few of the earliest arrivals are used in downward imaging condition. In this report, we tested WWM on the 2-D SEG/EAGE salt model, a 2-D line in the Gulf of Mexico, and a 3-D synthetic model. Migration images show that the 2-D wavefront reverse-time migration gives results that are comparable in accuracy to the standard reverse time migration. The preliminary result for 3-D wavefront reverse time migration is encouraging.
Newspaper advertisement characteristics and consumer preferences for apples: A mimic model approach

A structural latent variable model is used to simultaneously determine the affect of newspaper advertisement characteristics on consumer preferences for apples and on demand for apple varieties. The advertisement characteristics considered included size, color, and logos. The estimated apple preference variable is an important explanatory variable in apple variety demand. Model specifications that exclude the variable tend to overstate own-price demand elasticities. Ad size has a positive impact on Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala sales, but a negative impact on Red Delicious sales. Color ads, though, were only found to significantly influence Red Delicious sales. The use of a logo had no impact on apple sales. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Consumer Product Design Projects for Human Factors Classes

Consumer product design projects are described as they have been used at Tufts University so that student teams may practice human factors design in a realistic, verifiable context. Experience over the years with engineering and psychology students supports this educational approach and the realworld observation that most human factors data is of general relevance but limited applicability to the design problems and that human factors engineering is an integrated activity. Language: en
The future of vaccination as a treatment strategy in dermatological diseases

Vaccination approaches are increasingly explored as means for both prevention and therapy of skin diseases. These development are boosted by the rapidly accumulating knowledge of the molecular and cellular bases of these disease and the antigens involved, on the one hand, and of the components and mechanisms of cellular and humoral immune responses, on the other. In a number of cases these newly developed vaccination strategies are already tested in clinical trials. Although most of them are still in very early stages of the development, it is foreseeable that vaccination will emerge as an important option for prevention and treatment of infectious skin diseases as well as of cancer, allergies and maybe, auto-immune disorders.
Modal element method for potential flow in non-uniform ducts: Combining closed form analysis with CFD

An analytical procedure is presented, called the modal element method, that combines numerical grid based algorithms with eigenfunction expansions developed by separation of variables. A modal element method is presented for solving potential flow in a channel with two-dimensional cylindrical like obstacles. The infinite computational region is divided into three subdomains; the bounded finite element domain, which is characterized by the cylindrical obstacle and the surrounding unbounded uniform channel entrance and exit domains. The velocity potential is represented approximately in the grid based domain by a finite element solution and is represented analytically by an eigenfunction expansion in the uniform semi-infinite entrance and exit domains. The calculated flow fields are in excellent agreement with exact analytical solutions. By eliminating the grid surrounding the obstacle, the modal element method reduces the numerical grid size, employs a more precise far field boundary condition, as well as giving theoretical insight to the interaction of the obstacle with the mean flow. Although the analysis focuses on a specific geometry, the formulation is general and can be applied to a variety of problems as seen by a comparison to companion theories in aeroacoustics and electromagnetics.
Modification of quantity and quality of safflower oil through plant breeding

Less than 20 years have passed since safflower was established commercially in the southwestern area of the United States. Already hybrid varieties are available, oil and protein contents have been raised greatly, and oil quality has been modified sufficiently to constitute another oil crop for American agriculture. It is hoped that the next 20 years will be equally productive in terms of improvements and modifications of the oil and protein of this crop.
Human exposure to dioxin from municipal solid waste incineration

Abstract Public fear of dioxin and cancer has heightened the controversy surrounding municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration. This paper provides a new perspective on MSW incineration as a source of human exposure to dioxin by comparing background dioxin level with incinerator-emitted dioxin and furan levels. Results indicate that despite the somewhat elevated air concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) near modern, operating MSW incinerators, background intake accounts for 99.3% of total exposure to PCDDs and PCDFs by the maximally exposed individual living near a typical, modern MSW incinerator.
Progress on Predicting the Breadth of Droplet Size Distributions Observed in Small Cumuli

AbstractA modeling framework representing variations in droplet growth by condensation, resulting from different saturation histories experienced as a result of entrainment and mixing, is used to predict the breadth of droplet size distributions observed at different altitudes within trade wind cumuli observed on 10 December 2004 during the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) field campaign. The predicted droplet size distributions are as broad as those observed, contain similar numbers of droplets, and are generally in better agreement with the observations when some degree of inhomogeneous droplet evaporation is considered, allowing activation of newly entrained cloud condensation nuclei. The variability of the droplet growth histories, resulting primarily from entrainment, appears to explain the magnitude of the observed droplet size distribution widths, without representation of other broadening mechanisms. Additional work is needed, however, as the predicted mean droplet diameter is too large relat...
Frequency limitations of the two-point central difference differentiation algorithm

A two-point central difference algorithm is often used to calculate the derivative of a function. This estimate is only valid over a limited frequency range. Therefore, the algorithm can be modeled as an ideal differentiator in series with a low-pass filter. The filter cutoff frequency is a function of the time between the points. We discuss the accuracy and limitations of using this algorithm on human saccadic eye movement data. To calculate the velocity of saccadic eye movements the algorithm should have a cutoff frequency of 74 Hz or above.
Investigation of negative index in dispersive, chiral materials via contra-propagating velocities under second-order dispersion (GVD)

Negative refractive index arises typically in metamaterials via multiple routes. One such avenue is the condition where the Poynting vector of the electromagnetic wave is in opposition to the group velocity in the material. An earlier work along this route in a chiral material led to the well-known result of requiring very large (non-realizable) chirality. Thereafter, a combination of chirality together with first-order dispersion was examined using plane wave electromagnetic analysis. To arrive at the conclusions in that approach, the three wave velocities (energy, group and phase) were derived under first-order dispersion in permittivity, permeability and chirality. Negative index in this approach was established under the condition of contra-propagating group and phase velocities. Regions of negative index were found analytically by assuming standard dispersive models (such as Condon). In this paper, we will re-visit the negative index problem under higher-order dispersion. In addition, we will re-examine the plane wave propagation model under parametric dispersion where each material parameter (e, μ, κ) is dispersively expanded up to the second order in frequency. Such a physical effect may be traced to group velocity dispersion (GVD) in the material. Field solutions are then obtained under the GVD effect, and extended to the evaluation of the energy, phase and group velocities.
A general and robust strategy for the synthesis of nearly monodisperse colloidal nanocrystals

Colloidal nanocrystals exhibit a wide range of size- and shape-dependent properties and have found application in myriad fields, incuding optics, electronics, mechanics, drug delivery and catalysis, to name but a few. Synthetic protocols that enable the simple and convenient production of colloidal nanocrystals with controlled size, shape and composition are therefore of key general importance. Current strategies include organic solution-phase synthesis, thermolysis of organometallic precursors, sol-gel processes, hydrothermal reactions and biomimetic and dendrimer templating. Often, however, these procedures require stringent experimental conditions, are difficult to generalize, or necessitate tedious multistep reactions and purification. Recently, linear amphiphilic block co-polymer micelles have been used as templates to synthesize functional nanocrystals, but the thermodynamic instability of these micelles limits the scope of this approach. Here, we report a general strategy for crafting a large variety of functional nanocrystals with precisely controlled dimensions, compositions and architectures by using star-like block co-polymers as nanoreactors. This new class of co-polymers forms unimolecular micelles that are structurally stable, therefore overcoming the intrinsic instability of linear block co-polymer micelles. Our approach enables the facile synthesis of organic solvent- and water-soluble nearly monodisperse nanocrystals with desired composition and architecture, including core-shell and hollow nanostructures. We demonstrate the generality of our approach by describing, as examples, the synthesis of various sizes and architectures of metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent colloidal nanocrystals.
The Dark side of the Universe

I will begin by reviewing the evidence for dark matter in the Universe, as well as the candidates for dark matter. At most 20% of the dark matter in galaxies can be in the form of MACHOs (Massive Compact Halo Objects); the remainder appears to be some unknown exotic component. The most sensible candidates from the point of view of particle physics are axions and WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), where WIMPs may be supersymmetric particles. Three recent claims of possible detection of WIMP dark matter are tantalizing and will be discussed: the DAMA annual modulation, the HEAT positron excess, and gamma-rays from the Galactic Center. In addition, I will discuss the dependence of signals in detectors on the mass distribution in the Galactic Halo. In particular, the Sagittarius stream can be a smoking gun for WIMP detection.
Necrosis and bacterial infection in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) following hypoxia.

Apparently sterile lesions developed in the skin and musculature of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) six days after fish were severely stressed by an oxygen depletion associated with a phytoplankton die-off in an 8.9 ha pond. Lesions were characterized by hemorrhage and necrosis. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated from either the lesions or internal organs of all moribund fish necropsied the day after lesions were first found. As the water quality improved the health of the fish improved. Water quality data collected before and after the oxygen depletion, and associated fish mortality, are presented.
Factor V Leiden and Ischemic Stroke Risk: The Genetics of Early Onset Stroke (GEOS) Study

Background Factor V Leiden (FVL) has been associated with ischemic stroke in children but not in adults. Although the FVL mutation is associated with increased risk for venous thrombosis, its association with ischemic stroke in young adults remains uncertain. Therefore, we examined the association between FVL and ischemic stroke in participants of the Genetics of Early Onset Stroke (GEOS) study. Methods A population-based case control study identified 354 women and 476 men 15 to 49 years of age with first-ever ischemic stroke and 907 controls. Participant-specific data included vascular risk factors, FVL genotype and, for cases, the ischemic stroke subtype by modified Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke criteria. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for the entire population and for subgroups stratified by risk factors and ischemic stroke subtype. Results The frequency of the FVL mutation was similar between ischemic stroke patients (3.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5%-5.1%) and nonstroke controls (3.8%; 95% CI 2.7%-5.2%). This frequency did not change significantly when cases were restricted to patients with stroke of undetermined etiology (4.1%; 95% CI 2.6%-6.4%). Conclusions Among young adults, we found no evidence for an association between FVL and either all ischemic stroke or the subgroup with stroke of undetermined etiology.
Customer delight and work engagement

Purpose – The purpose of the current research is to evaluate how customer contact level and customer service-based role conflict influence the relationship between customer emotions and work engagement, while simultaneously evaluating psychological capital as an outcome of work engagement. Customer service research highlights the impact of employee attitudes and behaviors on customer satisfaction. More recently, this relationship has been examined in reverse, evaluating how customer emotions influence the employee. Unfortunately, previous research has not evaluated variables that inhibit the impact of customer emotions on the employee. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from frontline employees across high and low customer contact service contexts. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – This research provides empirical evidence that employee-perceived customer delight impacts employee work engagement. However, through a process of feedback,...
Are bidentate ligands really better than monodentate ligands for nanoparticles

Coordinating ligands are widely used to vary the solubility and reactivity of nanoparticles for subsequent bioconjugation. Although long-term colloidal stability is enhanced by using bidentate coor...
An optical see-through multi-focal-plane stereoscopic display prototype enabling nearly correct focus cues

Conventional stereoscopic displays render 3D scenes from a single pair of 2D images at a fixed distance to the viewer. Therefore conventional stereoscopic displays force an unnatural decoupling of the accommodation and convergence cues, which may contribute to various visual artifacts and have significant effects on depth perception accuracy. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of an optical see-through depth-fused multi-focal-plane binocular stereoscopic display. The prototype is capable of rendering nearly-correct focus cues for a large volume of 3D objects extending into a depth range from 0 to 3 diopters and a diagonal field of view of 40 degrees at a flicker-free speed. With the optimized optical system including a freeform prism eyepiece and a see-through compensator, the prototype system demonstrates high image quality while having minimal degradation to the see-through view.
Cloning and characterization of a bifunctional RelA/SpoT homologue from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Abstract A 2.2 kb relA/spoT homologue was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genomic DNA by PCR-amplification. The Mtb gene encodes a protein of 738 amino acid residues, and is flanked upstream by an ORF that is highly similar to the apt gene, and downstream by an ORF that is highly similar to the cypH gene. This dual function Mtb homologue belongs to the relA/spoT family of genes that mediate the stringent response by regulating the synthesis and degradation of guanosine 3′,5′-bis(diphosphate) (ppGpp) and pppGpp. In vitro biochemical data indicate that purified RelMtb is a ribosome- and tRNA-independent ATP:GTP/GDP/ITP 3′-pyrophosphoryltransferase. Additionally, purified RelMtb is an Mn2+-dependent, ribosome and tRNA-independent, (p)ppGpp 3′-pyrophosphohydrolase. These reactions were also assessed in vivo in E. coli deleted in both the relA and spoT genes, which generates a (p)ppGpp0 phenotype. RelMtb can suppress this phenotype and can generate more (p)ppGpp than relA in the wild type E. coli control.
Intracellular sodium ion concentration changes in the early amphibian embryo and the influence on nuclear metabolism

Abstract During early cleavage the total sodium and potassium concentrations of the R. pipiens embryo remain relatively constant at 70 mM and 100 mM, respectively, per kg dry weight. As the blastocoel forms, intracellular sodium decreases to about 40 mM with no significant change in intracellular potassium. The sodium which leaves the cells can be recovered in the blastocoel fluid. As a result of the redistribution of sodium, the Na K ratio in the blastocoel fluid resembles that of the adult plasma. Thus, prior to gastrulation, the cells lining the blastocoel become exposed to the medium in which differentiated cells normally function, and the intracellular Na K ratio approaches adult cell values. Studies with isolated late blastula stage nuclei indicate that 14C-labelled tryptophan uptake into both the protein and acid-soluble pool is maximal at extranuclear sodium concentrations of about 40 mM but markedly reduced at 70 mM sodium concentrations. One of the factors permitting nucleo-cytoplasmic interactions at the beginning of gastrulation may be a decrease in the cytoplasmic sodium ion concentration.
Collective variable-based calculations in NAMD

The computational power of parallel clusters and supercomputers, and of the macromolecular simulation softwares typically used has been rapidly increasing in the recent years. One of the consequences is the higher demand for methods to analyze the dynamics and conformational space of biomolecular complexes. Several free energy calculation and enhanced sampling techniques have been developed in the past years, but only rarely they have been implemented altogether within a consistent “toolkit”. Here, we introduce a new generalized interface for all those methods which rely on the definition of a set of collective variables. The code, implemented as a collective variables C++ module for NAMD (version 2.7), allows researchers in this field to choose quickly the optimal setup for their calculations, and (if necessary) extend its functionality with an extremely small effort, unprecedented in the codes currently available. Also, the module is highly autonomous from the other NAMD source files, and can be easily adapted to other simulation programs as well. The set of features and their options will be introduced. Applications using the methods implemented so far (umbrella sampling, steered MD, adaptive biasing force and metadynamics) and make specific use of their combined advantages, will also be presented.
Evolution of Si0.8Ge0.2 quantum dots during Si encapsulation

Abstract Surface structure, determined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), surface morphology, determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface composition, determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of 20.0 nm Si0.8Ge0.2 quantum dots formed at 800 °C and encapsulated with 0–10 nm of Si at 500 °C and 800 °C are presented. It is observed that the quantum dot surface morphology changes during the Si encapsulation at 800 °C by the smoothing of the quantum dots. The height of the quantum dots decreases faster than can be accounted for from the amount of Si deposited, indicating that there is movement of material out of the quantum dots during the encapsulation process. Encapsulation at 500 °C results in a retention of the quantum dot surface morphology with increased Ge segregation compared to Si encapsulation at 800 °C. We conclude that the changing surface morphology at 800 °C is not the result of Ge segregation but due to intermixing resulting from the tensile strain of Si depositing on SiGe.
Synthesis of [β,β,γ,γ,δ,δ,δ,–2H7]‐n‐butylbenzene

A convenient preparation of [β,β,γ,γ,δ,δ,δ–2H7]-n-butylbenzene has been achieved by base-catalyzed isotopic exchange of 4-phenyl-2-butanone followed by application of Vedejs' procedure for Clemmensen reduction in a deuteriated medium.
Majority Voting and Corporate Control: The Rule of the Dominant Shareholder

This paper incorporates a model of corporate control into a general equilibrium framework for production economies with incomplete markets. The classical objective of value maximization is extended, but is indeterminate. Instead, firms are viewed as being subject to shareholder control via some decision mechanism. As long as this decision mechanism is responsive to a unanimous preference by shareholders, shareholder control is consistent with but stronger than value maximization. Next, the particular institution of majority voting by shareholders is examined. It is shown that for generic economies, a majority rule equilibrium for a firm implies that production is optimal for the largest, or dominant, shareholder. Finally, a more realistic control mechanism is considered in which majority voting by shareholders is constrained by a group of shareholders, or Board of Directors, who control the voting agenda. The result is that shareholders not on the Board have no influence on the equilibrium production choice of the firm.
Anatomy of a mining-induced fault zone

A mining-induced fault zone that formed in the East Rand Proprietary Mine, Boksburg, South Africa, during the sloping of a large, highly stressed pillar is associated with two large seismic events that occurred within 17 days of each other; each event caused appreciable rock-burst damage in the neighboring stopes. The zone consists essentially of two high-angle normal faults intersecting at about 30°, across which shear displacements of as much as 10 cm were measured. In detail, the fault zone comprises two approximately planar shear zones, each of which strikes subparallel to the stope working faces at the time of the seismic events, and which encompass areas of at least 500 and 600 m 2 , respectively. The shear zones are themselves made up of smaller, en echelon shear planes, which are connected by subsidiary conjugate shears and extension fractures. These shear planes become diffuse and are replaced by extension and bedding-plane fractures at the boundaries of the fault zone. Microscopically, the shear planes are seen to contain a layer of finely comminuted gouge material within which fluxion structure may be developed. The wall rock adjacent to the gouge is a microbreccia formed by shattered quartz grains and larger areas of rock, cut by conjugate shear and extension fractures across which some comminution has also occurred. The microscopic observations suggest the following sequence of events resulting in the formation of the fault zone: (1) development of extension cracks in the region of planes of maximum shearing stress, (2) coalescence of extension cracks to form conjugate shear planes, and (3) rapid movement along the more favorably oriented of these shear planes to form the major gouge zone and feather fractures. Dynamic analyses of the attitudes of the microfractures and macrofractures define the stress field operating at the time of the seismic event. There is a striking similarity between the fault zones and natural faults, both in macroscopic and microscopic form and in the development of cataclastic rock types.
Association of denture use with sleep-disordered breathing among older adults.

Objective This study investigates the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and denture use. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older adults. Information about denture use was obtained using a questionnaire. Ambulatory sleep recording in subjects' homes was performed using Embletta PDS (Medcare, Iceland). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 58 subjects completed the study. The mean apnea hypopnea (AHI) index was 15.1+/-16.1. Twenty-two subjects (38%) used dentures and most removed them before sleep. There was significant association between denture use and AHI > or = 15 per hour of sleep (odds ratio [OR]=6.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.71, 23.22; P=.006). Conclusions This preliminary study found an association between sleep-disordered breathing and denture use, which may represent a proxy for a relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and edentulism. Given the common occurrence of both conditions among older adults, the observed relationship warrants a more detailed investigation of the mechanisms whereby loss of teeth leads to upper airway closure during sleep.
Computational proteomics analysis of binding mechanisms and molecular signatures of the HIV-1 protease drugs

Objective: Computational proteomics analysis of biomolecular interactions is proposed to determine molecular signatures of the HIV-1 protease inhibitors. A comparative microscopic analysis is conducted for a panel of inhibitors which exemplify a diversity of the HIV-1 PR binding mechanisms, from the active site inhibition to intervening with the protease folding and dimerization. Methods and materials: Replica-exchange Monte Carlo simulations with the conformational ensembles of the HIV-1 PR dimer and monomer structures enable a molecular analysis underlying diversity of the HIV-1 PR binding mechanisms. Results: We have investigated the molecular basis underlying diversity of the HIV-1 PR binding mechanisms. The molecular basis of the HIV-1 PR active site and dimerization inhibition mechanisms has been analyzed for an active site tripeptide inhibitor and a tetrapeptide inhibitor, which can act as both a dimerization inhibitor and a competitive active site inhibitor. We have also simulated a structural mimicry mechanism of the HIV-1 PR folding inhibition and dimerization, according to which the folding inhibitor targets the conserved HIV-1 PR regions by mimicking the interaction network of the active dimer. Conclusions: We have shown that binding interfaces of the studied dimerization and folding HIV-1 PR inhibitors may enable structural mimicry with the hot spot residues of the HIV-1 PR dimer. The proposed structural models of intervening with the HIV-1 PR dimerization and folding support the mechanism of structural mimicry, which may alleviate drug resistance effects.
Negotiating the Micro-Macro Divide Thought Leadership From Organizational Communication for Theorizing Organization

Scholars of organization tend to apportion organizational phenomena into two distinct levels: micro and macro. In organization studies, efforts to overcome the problems resulting from the micro-macro split focus on locating appropriate microfoundations or engaging in multilevel theorizing, but these approaches ultimately reinforce rather than transcend the divide. In response, I argue that communicative constitution of organization (CCO) theory provides thought leadership that can both reconceptualize the micro-macro relationship and generate novel theoretical directions, with specific attention to three widely employed theories of organization: the knowledge-based theory of the firm, stakeholder theory, and Carnegie School decisional theory. Conceptions of organizing and organization offered by CCO thus hold the potential to foster strengthened relationships between organizational communication and organization theory.
Local stability of FAST TCP

The stability properties of FAST TCP is studied based on a discrete-time model. We prove that FAST TCP is locally asymptotically stable for an arbitrary network in the absence of feedback delay. When feedback delay is present, we derive a sufficient condition for local asymptotic stability for the case of a single link. The condition suggests that local stability depends on delays only through their heterogeneity.
Campbell and Rubin: A Primer and Comparison of Their Approaches to Causal Inference in Field Settings

This article compares Donald Campbell's and Donald Rubin's work on causal inference in field settings on issues of epistemology, theories of cause and effect, methodology, statistics, generalization, and terminology. The two approaches are quite different but compatible, differing mostly in matters of bandwidth versus fidelity. Campbell's work demonstrates broad narrative scope that covers a wide array of concepts related to causation, with a powerful appreciation for human fallibility in making causal judgments, with a more elaborate theory of cause and generalization, and with a preference for design over analysis. Rubin's approach is a more narrow and formal quantitative analysis of effect estimation, sharing a preference for design but best known for analysis, with compelling quantitative approaches to obtaining unbiased quantitative effect estimates from nonrandomized designs and with comparatively little to say about generalization. Much could be gained by joining the emphasis on design in Campbell with the emphasis on analysis in Rubin. However, the 2 approaches also speak modestly different languages that leave some questions about their total commensurability that only continued dialogue can fully clarify.
JavaScript: Designing a Language in 10 Days

The evolution and use of JavaScript, a language developed in 10 days back in 1995, is really just getting started. The featured Web extra is a video interview with Mozilla's Chief Technology Officer (and JavaScript's creator), Brendan Eich.
DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS OF VOLTERRA TYPE AND EXTENSION OF LYAPUNOV'S METHOD

In this paper, the stability properties of nonlinear difference equations of Volterra type is discussed. For this purpose some comparison Theorems are developed, then using these results the stability of the nonlinear difference equations of Volterra type is investigated.
Art Media and the Sense Modalities: Tactile Pictures

It is widely assumed that the art media can be individuated with reference to the sense modalities. Different art media are perceived by means of different sense modalities, and this tells us what properties of each medium are aesthetically relevant. The case of pictures appears to fit this principle well, for pictures are deemed purely and paradigmatically visual representations. However, recent psychological studies show that congenitally and early blind people have the ability to interpret and make raised-line drawings through touch. This shows that pictures are not essentially visual representations. The view that pictures are essentially visual follows from influential views of the nature of depiction and of the nature of vision that are mistaken. By rooting out the mistake, we learn something about pictures, something about vision, and something about the doctrine that art media are individuated by the sense modalities.
AN EARLY EOCENE ARCTOSTYLOPID (MAMMALIA: ARCTOSTYLOPIDA) FROM THE GREEN RIVER BASIN, WYOMING

Arctostylopids are an enigmatic group of small, herbivorous early Cenozoic mammals (Cifelli et al., 1989; Cifelli and Schaff, 1998) initially described as members of the endemic South American order Notoungulata (Matthew, 1915). Cifelli et al. (1989) considered the resemblances between arctostylopids and notoungulates to be convergent, placing the family in a new order to recognize their distinctiveness. Similarities of the arctostylopid tarsus to the anagalidan Pseudictops were noted by Cifelli et al. (1989) and Cifelli and Schaff (1998), but in both cases, the order's higher level affinities were left unresolved. With regard to possible anagalidan relationships, it should be noted that Meng et al.'s (2003) recent analysis of anagalidan and gliroid interrelationships does not even consider the possibility of a relationship between arctostylopids and anagalidans. The group has most recently been placed in the ungulate mirorder Eparctocyona, along with artiodactyls, whales, and a number of taxa traditionally placed in the paraphyletic order "Condylarthra" (McKenna and Bell, 1997). Prior to the present work, arctostylopids were known from the early Paleocene to early Eocene of Asia (e.g., Matthew and Granger, 1925; Zhai, 1978; Zheng, 1979) and the late Paleocene of North America (Matthew, 1915; McKenna, 1980; Rose, 1981; Cifelli et al., 1989; Cifelli and Schaff, 1998). The first appearance of arctostylopids in North America in the late Paleocene Tiffanian North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA) is coincident with the appearance of other Asian taxa, particularly Dinocerata (Rose, 1981). While arctostylopids are relatively abundant in some Asian faunas, they remain extremely rare in North America. Cifelli et al. (1989) reported eight specimens of Arctostylops steini-until now the only North American representative of the family-seven from the Tiffanian and Clarkforkian of the Clarks Fork Basin of northwest Wyoming and a molar trigonid from the Clarkforkian near Togwatee Pass in northwestern Wyoming (McKenna, 1980). At least one additional specimen is now known (Bloch, 1999), but A. steini is still one of the most infrequently encountered North American late Paleocene mammals. To some extent, this rarity may account for the lack of a previous early Eocene record in North America. However, the number of mammalian specimens from the early Eocene Wasatchian NALMA vastly outnumbers that from the late Paleocene of the Tiffanian and Clarkforkian NAL-
E-cigarettes versus NRT for smoking reduction or cessation in people with mental illness: secondary analysis of data from the ASCEND trial

People with mental illness have higher rates of smoking than the general population and are at greater risk of smoking-related death and disability. In smokers from the general population, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been shown to have a similar effect on quit rates as nicotine replacement therapy, but little is known about their effect in smokers with mental illness. Secondary analysis of data from the ASCEND trial involving 657 dependent adult smokers motivated to quit, randomised to 16 mg nicotine e-cigarette, 21 mg nicotine patch, or 0 mg nicotine e-cigarette, with minimal behavioural support. Using self-reported medication use and the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System, we identified 86 participants with mental illness and analysed their cessation and smoking reduction outcomes. For e-cigarettes alone, and all interventions pooled, there was no statistically significant difference in biochemically verified quit rates at six months between participants with and without mental illness, nor in smoking reduction, adverse events, treatment compliance, or acceptability. Rates of relapse to smoking were higher in participants with mental illness. Among this group, differences between treatments were not statistically significant for cessation (patch 14% [5/35], 16 mg e-cigarette 5% [2/39], 0 mg e-cigarette 0% [0/12], p = 0.245), adverse events or relapse rates. However, e-cigarette users had higher levels of smoking reduction, treatment compliance, and acceptability. The use of e-cigarettes for quitting appears to be equally effective, safe, and acceptable for people with and without mental illness. For people with mental illness, e-cigarettes may be as effective and safe as patches, yet more acceptable, and associated with greater smoking reduction. Australian New Zealand Clinical trials Registry, number: ACTRN12610000866000 .
Real Space Analysis of Excitonic Interactions and Coherence Length in Helical Aggregates

The effective exciton coherence length in molecular aggregates is calculated using a nonlocal, real-space representation of the linear optical response. Simulations of polarized absorption and linear dichroism demonstrate that the spectra depend on local properties of the molecular aggregate segment where the exciton coherence is delocalized. This allows us to limit the calculations to small segments of a large aggregate, avoiding the complexity of computing long-range coherences.
Antidepressant effect of lithium.

Abstract The efficacy of lithium in the acute manic phase of manic-depressive disorder is well established. 1 There is also evidence indicating a prophylactic effect for this ion in manic-depressive disorder. 2 The efficacy of lithium carbonate in the acute depressive phase is uncertain. Early observations tended to discount any antidepressant effect of lithium; 3 however, recent evidence derived from controlled trials, although conflicting, tends to suggest that an antidepressant effect may occur in some patients. 4,5 Fieve, 6 in comparing lithium and imipramine response, concluded that the antidepressant effect of lithium was mild. Dyson and Mendels, 7 first in an uncontrolled study and later in a controlled study comparing lithium with desipramine, 5 concluded in the later study that lithium showed marked antidepressant properties equivalent to desipramine. As part of our investigative program with lithium, we undertook a single-blind evaluation of the efficacy of lithium carbonate in depressive illness.
T-Cadherin-Mediated Cell Growth Regulation Involves G2 Phase Arrest and Requires p21CIP1/WAF1 Expression

Members of the cadherin family have been implicated as growth regulators in multiple tumor types. Based on recent studies from our laboratory implicating T-cadherin expression in mouse brain tumorigenesis, we examined the role of T-cadherin in astrocytoma growth regulation. In this report, we show that T-cadherin expression increased during primary astrocyte physiologic growth arrest in response to contact inhibition and serum starvation in vitro, suggesting a function for T-cadherin in astrocyte growth regulation. We further demonstrate that transient and stable reexpression of T-cadherin in deficient C6 glioma cell lines results in growth suppression. In addition, T-cadherin-expressing C6 cell lines demonstrated increased homophilic cell aggregation, increased cell attachment to fibronectin, and decreased cell motility. Cell cycle flow cytometry demonstrated that T-cadherin reexpression resulted in G2 phase arrest, which was confirmed by mitotic index analysis. This growth arrest was p53 independent, as T-cadherin could still mediate growth suppression in p53−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts. T-cadherin-expressing C6 cell lines exhibited increased p21CIP1/WAF1, but not p27Kip1, expression. Lastly, T-cadherin-mediated growth arrest was dependent on p21CIP1/WAF1 expression and was eliminated in p21CIP1/WAF1-deficient fibroblasts. Collectively, these observations suggest a novel mechanism of growth regulation for T-cadherin involving p21CIP1/WAF1 expression and G2 arrest.
Anomalous behavior of magnesium ion on Sephadex G-10☆

Abstract Magnesium salts were chromatographed on Sephadex G-10 and Bio-Gel P-2 with pH 7.0, 0.010 M potassium phosphate as the principal eluting buffer. The elution volume and chromatographic profile of the magnesium ion was affected by a variety of factors including the nature of the anionic counter-ion, the ionic strength of the salt solution applied, and the nature and concentration of co-applied anions and cations. The most striking feature of the behavior of magnesium ion during chromatography on Sephadex G-10 is that under certain conditions it disproportionates into two peaks, one with an elution volume typical of a small ion with complete access to the gel and the other typical of a larger ion.
Speeding up elliptic cryptosystems using a new signed binary representation for integers

Two new signed binary representations are presented that simplify hardware or software necessary in elliptic curve cryptosystems. Simplified algorithms are presented for computing the new binary representations. This speeds up elliptic cryptosystems. The algorithms are useful for smart card and digital signature verification applications. The first algorithm computes a new representation for an integer d and speeds up the computation of d/spl times/P, where P is a point on an elliptic curve. The second algorithm computes a new representation for two integers g and h and speeds up the computation of (g/spl times/P)+(h/spl times/Q), where P and Q are points on an elliptic curve.
On the transient motion of a contained rotating fluid

This paper considers the transient motion of a viscous fluid in a container rotating with constant angular velocity. The principal objective is to study the manner in which an arbitrary initial state of motion becomes a rigid rotation. In order to concentrate on the effects of viscosity, only the spherical container is studied here in great detail. A general theory will be presented in a subsequent publication.Several sources of non-uniform behaviour make the analysis difficult and complex. In particular, there are three important time scales, viscous boundary layers, boundary-layer resonances at critical latitudes and intricate side-wall effects. The basic aproach consists of an expansion procedure by means of which the general inviscid solution is corrected for viscous effects and is made uniformly valid in time through the critical spin-up phase. Uniform validity is effected through the elimination of secular terms with unacceptable growth rates arising from the asymptotic perturbation series.The interior (inviscid) motion leads to a non-self-adjoint partial differential equation eigenvalue problem with many intriguing properties. The general expansion theorem, orthogonality relationships, and viscous decay factors are deduced and used to solve the arbitrary intial-value problem. It is shown that the depth averaged circulation about circular contours, x2 + y2 = r2, is extracted from the fluid in the spin-up time scale T = L(Ωv)½. This is accomplished by a secondary non-oscillatory convective motion produced by suction into the Ekman layer. The excess circulation not eliminated in this way excites inviscid inertial oscillations which are also caused to decay by the boundary layers in the same time scale. Some very small residual effects decay in the ordinary viscous diffusion time, but all the essential processes are concluded in the much shorter interval. All modal oscillations in a sphere are determined and several specific calculations of frequency and decay rate are made and compared with experimental data. Perhaps the most important of these concerns the mode corresponding to rigid internal motion about another axis which can be produced by impulsively changing the rotation axis of the container. Agreement between theory and experiment is very good in all cases compared thus far.