cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal properties of rhodopsin: insight into the molecular mechanism of dim-light vision.

Rhodopsin has developed mechanisms to optimize its sensitivity to light by suppressing dark noise and enhancing quantum yield. We propose that an intramolecular hydrogen-bonding network formed by ∼20 water molecules, the hydrophilic residues, and peptide backbones in the transmembrane region is essential to restrain thermal isomerization, the source of dark noise. We studied the thermal stability of rhodopsin at 55 °C with single point mutations (E181Q and S186A) that perturb the hydrogen-bonding network at the active site. We found that the rate of thermal isomerization increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude in the mutants. Our results illustrate the importance of the intact hydrogen-bonding network for dim-light detection, revealing the functional roles of water molecules in rhodopsin. We also show that thermal isomerization of 11-cis-retinal in solution can be catalyzed by wild-type opsin and that this catalytic property is not affected by the mutations. We characterize the catalytic effect and propose that it is due to steric interactions in the retinal-binding site and increases quantum yield by predetermining the trajectory of photoisomerization. Thus, our studies reveal a balancing act between dark noise and quantum yield, which have opposite effects on the thermal isomerization rate. The acquisition of the hydrogen-bonding network and the tuning of the steric interactions at the retinal-binding site are two important factors in the development of dim-light vision.
Polarized phase shift mask: concept, design, and potential advantages to photolithography process and physical design

In this paper we introduce the concept and design of a novel phase shift mask technology, Polarized Phase Shift Mask (P:PSM). The P:PSM technology utilizes non-interference between orthogonally polarized light sources to avoid undesired destructive interference seen in conventional two-phase shift mask technology. Hence P:PSM solves the well-known 'phase edge' or 'phase conflict' problem. By obviating the 2nd exposure and 2nd mask in current Complementary Phase Shift Mask (C:PSM) technology, this single mask/single exposure technology offers significant advantages towards photolithography process as well as pattern design. We use examples of typical design and process difficulties associated with the C:PSM technology to illustrate the advantages of the P:PSM technology. We present preliminary aerial image simulation results that support the potential of this new reticle technology for enhanced design flexibility. We also propose possible mask structures and manufacturing methods for building a P:PSM.
Effect of Oral Magnesium Supplementation on Selected Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Non—Insulin-Dependent Diabetics

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of oral magnesium supplementation on risk factors for end-organ disease in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). DESIGN A 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. SETTING Outpatient center of an academic family medicine residency program. PATIENTS Twenty-eight patients (age range, 28 to 84 years; 57.1% black; 85.7% women) with NIDDM controlled by diet and/or an oral hypoglycemic, with a serum cholesterol levels over 5.20 mmol/L (200 mg/dL). INTERVENTION Following a 2-week placebo run-in period, each patient was randomized to receive either sustained-release magnesium chloride (Slo-Mag), 384 mg/d, or an identical-appearing placebo for 6 weeks. After a 2-week interim washout period, each patient was then treated with the alternative regimen for an additional 6-week period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The systolic and diastolic blood pressure and levels of serum glucose, low-density and high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, triglycerides, and serum and total erythrocyte magnesium were measured at the beginning, midpoint, and end of each 6-week treatment phase. RESULTS Systolic blood pressure fell an average of 7.4 mm Hg (P < .05) with treatment. There was no significant change in diastolic blood pressure or levels of serum glucose, low-density and high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, triglycerides, or serum and erythrocyte magnesium. CONCLUSIONS Oral magnesium supplementation in the doses and duration studied is modestly effective in reducing systolic blood pressure in patients with NIDDM but has little impact on other important biochemical parameters related to diabetes-associated end-organ disease.
Adaptive data placement for staging-based coupled scientific workflows

Data staging and in-situ/in-transit data processing are emerging as attractive approaches for supporting extreme scale scientific workflows. These approaches improve end-to-end performance by enabling runtime data sharing between coupled simulations and data analytics components of the workflow. However, the complex and dynamic data exchange patterns exhibited by the workflows coupled with the varied data access behaviors make efficient data placement within the staging area challenging. In this paper, we present an adaptive data placement approach to address these challenges. Our approach adapts data placement based on application-specific dynamic data access patterns, and applies access pattern-driven and location-aware mechanisms to reduce data access costs and to support efficient data sharing between the multiple workflow components. We experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on Titan Cray XK7 using a real combustion-analyses workflow. The evaluation results demonstrate that our approach can effectively improve data access performance and overall efficiency of coupled scientific workflows.
Planning in the IBM Corporation

A planning and control system for an organization (be it corporate or govermental) reflects the heritage of the organization, the style and philosophy of its management and the inherent characteristics of the larger environment in which the organization functions. IBM management deals with a continuing flow of complex products (hardware and software) characterized by a rapidly advancing technology. These products are used in diverse ways to solve problems across the entire spectrum of human activity and in every part of the world. The system described here rests on a few basic principles: (a) The ‘doer’ is the planner. Operating unit management is responsible for developing and implementing its plans. Within any unit, planning is further decentralized to the plant and laboratory levels, (b) Given this decentralization, there must be widespread understanding at all levels of management as to individual roles and responsibilities in the planning and control processes; (c) Top management must maintain a continuing focus both on the strategic direction of the business and the commitment to, and control against, the plan of record.
Removal of cadmium from a liquid effluent by ion flotation

The removal of Cd using sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as collector was studied by ion flotation at laboratory scale. The effect of frothers (iso-propanol and methyl-isobutyl-carbinol (MIBC) and ionic strength (NaCl and Na2S04) were also studied, as well as characterization of the sublate by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the surface tension of the initial solutions. In the presence of SDS, the maximum recovery obtained at a stoichiometric metal to collector ratio of 1: 3 was 99.1 %, however a large volume of wet foam was produced. The best recovery (89.2%) with a dry foam was obtained at a stoichiometric ratio of 1:2. The introduction of frothers (iso propanol and MIBC) in the system produced the highest recovery of Cd at a concentration of 0.1% v/v, where the flotability was 98.8% and 97.7% for iso-propanol and MIBC respectively. An increase in magnitude of ionic strength from 4.7 × 10−4moles.dm−3to 4.7 × 10−1moles.dm−3 significantly decreased Cd removal. Surface tension testwork indicates a decrease in flotability of Cd as surface tension drops. The SEM/EDS studies showed that the morphology of the suhlate and the foam depends on the physico-chemical conditions of the system.
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin reduces myocardial hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor expression during chick embryo development.

BACKGROUND Previous research has demonstrated that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces cardiomyocyte growth arrest, thinner ventricle walls, and reduced number and size of coronary arteries during chick embryogenesis. Coronary vascular development is believed to be mediated, in part, by myocardial oxygen gradients and a subsequent increase in hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) expression. We investigated whether TCDD inhibition of coronary development was associated with altered myocardial oxygen status and reduced cardiac HIF-1α and VEGF-A. METHODS Chick embryos were exposed to 15% or 20% O2 for 24 hr from incubation days 9–10 or were injected with control (corn oil) or 0.24 pmol TCDD/gm egg on day 0. On day 9, embryos were injected with control (0.9% NaCl) or EF5, a tissue hypoxia marker, and cardiac binding of EF5 was determined by immunohistochemistry on day 10. In addition, embryo hearts were analyzed for VEGF-A mRNA by in situ hybridization and quantitative RT-PCR, and for HIF-1α mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS Cardiac binding of EF5 was significantly increased in embryos exposed to 15% O2, compared to embryos exposed to 20% O2. In contrast, TCDD-exposed embryos exhibited significantly reduced binding of EF5 in the heart, compared to controls. Similarly, cardiac expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A were increased following hypoxia and tended to be decreased following TCDD exposure. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the myocardium may be a target of TCDD toxicity, resulting in reduced myocardial hypoxia, and HIF-1α and VEGF-A expression believed necessary for normal coronary development. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
User modeling for personalized universal appliance interaction

One of the driving applications of ubiquitous computing is universal appliance interaction. It is the ability to use arbitrary mobile devices-some of which we traditionally think of as computers (e.g. handhelds and wearables), and some of which we do not (e.g. cell phones)-to interact with arbitrary appliances such as TVs, printers, and lights. We believe that universal appliance interaction is best supported through the deployment of appliance user-interfaces (UIs) that are personalized to a user's habits and information needs. We are building a UI deployment system for universal appliance interaction to support various personalization features based on predicting a user's behavior. It is our belief that we can achieve these features in our system by modeling user actions using machine learning (ML) algorithms. The initial step in building such a system that relies on ML for prediction is to show that there are patterns in user appliance interaction. In this paper, our goal is to present evidence demonstrating these patterns.
Using importance-performance analysis to evaluate training

The importance-performance analysis (IPA) is a tool that can provide timely and usable feedback to improve training. IPA measures the gaps between the importance and how “good” (performance) a class is perceived by a student and is presented on a 2x2 matrix. The quadrant in which data land in this matrix aids in determining potential future action. This article focuses on integrating IPA into Kirkpatrick's (1959) four-level framework of evaluation. Examples and suggestions for improving training are discussed.
Pelvic Exenteration Affords Safe and Durable Treatment for Locally Advanced Rectal Carcinoma

Treatment of locally advanced rectal carcinoma (LARC) often involves exenterative surgery, which can be associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. To assist in patient selection for radical surgery, we sought to determine clinicopathologic factors influencing recurrence and disease-free survival (DFS) of LARC. Consecutive patients with LARC undergoing exenterative surgery were retrospectively identified in our institutional database. Factors evaluated included age, sex, primary versus recurrent tumors, neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, resection margin status, recurrence, time to recurrence, and survival. The primary outcome was DFS. Secondary outcomes were overall survival and perioperative morbidity. A total of 72 patients were identified; median age was 52 years, and median follow-up time was 30 months. The overall complication rate was 43%; rates were similar among the patients with primary (47%) or recurrent (37%) LARC. Primary or recurrent tumor status was the only factor significantly predictive of outcome after exenteration. Local recurrence rates were lower in the primary group (primary 22%, recurrent 52%, P = .05). A significant difference in 5-year DFS was found between primary and recurrent tumor (52% vs. 13%; P < .01). The median time to recurrence was longer in the patients with primary LARC (17 months vs. 8 months; P < .01). The complication rates for pelvic exenteration remain high, but the morbidity can typically be managed without a clinically important increase in hospitalization. In primary LARC, an aggressive surgical approach provides most patients 5-year DFS. Select patients with recurrent LARC will also benefit from pelvic exenteration.
Genotypes of Brassica rapa respond differently to plant-induced variation in air CO2 concentration in growth chambers with standard and enhanced venting

Growth chambers allow measurement of phenotypic differences among genotypes under controlled environment conditions. However, unintended variation in growth chamber air CO2 concentration ([CO2]) may affect the expression of diverse phenotypic traits, and genotypes may differ in their response to variation in [CO2]. We monitored [CO2] and quantified phenotypic responses of 22 Brassica rapa genotypes in growth chambers with either standard or enhanced venting. [CO2] in chambers with standard venting dropped to 280 μmol mol−1 during the period of maximum canopy development, ~80 μmol mol−1 lower than in chambers with enhanced venting. The stable carbon isotope ratio of CO2 in chamber air (δ13Cair) was negatively correlated with [CO2], suggesting that photosynthesis caused observed [CO2] decreases. Significant genotype × chamber-venting interactions were detected for 12 of 20 traits, likely due to differences in the extent to which [CO2] changed in relation to genotypes’ phenology or differential sensitivity of genotypes to low [CO2]. One trait, 13C discrimination (δ13C), was particularly influenced by unaccounted-for fluctuations in δ13Cair and [CO2]. Observed responses to [CO2] suggest that genetic variance components estimated in poorly vented growth chambers may be influenced by the expression of genes involved in CO2 stress responses; genotypic values estimated in these chambers may likewise be misleading such that some mapped quantitative trait loci may regulate responses to CO2 stress rather than a response to the environmental factor of interest. These results underscore the importance of monitoring, and where possible, controlling [CO2].
Analysis of normal somite development.

Abstract We describe how the first 6 somite pairs form, using the third somites as examples. This history is based upon time-lapse movies of carbon-marked embryos and histological studies by light and electron microscopy of embryos fixed in situ with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. At head-process stage a continuous sheet of mesoblast occupies the regions of the future third somites. Mesoblast cells attach either to hypoblast or to overlying neural plate which is already a simple pseudostratified columnar epithelium. Prospective somite cells are those attached to the neuroepithelium, and they extend laterally exactly as far as the neural plate does. By head-fold stage, regression of the node down the midline is shearing the sheet of mesoblast into right and left halves. Somite cells hang from the bottom of the neural plate. As the neural plate condenses toward the midline, attached somite cells are compacted. When the somite segments, somite cells are tightly apposed to one another, and, in addition to junctions binding their basal ends, new junctions appear between their apical ends. This leads to reorganization into the typical somite rosette configuration. Spaces filled with extracellular materials form around the whole somite.
High-speed mapping of grown-in defects and their influence in large-area silicon photovoltaic devices

A scanning system for mapping defects, and for measuring their influence on the photovoltaic of Si solar cells, is described. The system uses optical scattering patterns to identify the nature of defects. The local density of the defects is statistically determined from the integrated scattered light. The optical system can also measure the reflectance and the light-induced current which is then used to yield maps of the internal photoresponse of the device.
Functional Nanostructured Plasmonic Materials

Plasmonic crystals fabricated with precisely controlled arrays of subwavelength metal nanostructures provide a promising platform for sensing and imaging of surface binding events with micrometer spatial resolution over large areas. Soft nanoimprint lithography provides a robust, cost-effective method for producing highly uniform plasmonic crystals of this type with predictable optical properties. The tunable multimode plasmonic resonances of these crystals and their ability for integration into lab-on-a-chip microfluidic systems can both be harnessed to achieve exceptionally high analytical sensitivities down to submonolayer levels using even a common optical microscope, circumventing numerous technical limitations of more conventional surface plasmon resonance techniques. In this article, we highlight some recent advances in this field with an emphasis on the fabrication and characterization of these integrated devices and their demonstrated applications.
Capturing the Fervor of Cognitive Psychology's Emergence.

Giving students a sense of the fervor surrounding cognitive psychology's rapid emergence between 1950 and 1970 is difficult when examining the discrete events presented in cognitive psychology textbooks. The following small-group activity requires students to tabulate the references in Neisser (1967) by decade of publication. The resulting frequency histogram visually portrays the explosive growth of cognitive research in the 1960s, provides students with a richer sense of cognitive psychology's recent history, and reflects Neisser's monumental achievement of publishing his seminal book.
Studies on the mechanism of cellular sensitization to ultraviolet radiation by halogenated pyrimidines. I.

Studies on the effect of ultraviolet radiation on various halogenated and nonhalogenated derivatives of pyrimidines showed that the mechanism whereby halogenated pyrimidlnes sensltlze cells to ultraviolet radiatlon is not related solely to photochemical events such as dimer formation or hydration of the 5,6- double bond. The influence of pH on the response of 2'-deoxyuridine and thymidine ln the frozen state to uitravlolet radiation was striking. Data are tabulated. (C.H.)
White matter lesions, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, and dementia

The authors performed quantitative and qualitative image analysis on a sample of the elderly population of Cache County, Utah, relating neuroimaging findings to Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores and the presence of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele. Neuroimaging measures included white, gray, and hippocampal volumes; a ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR); and qualitative ratings of white matter lesions (WMLs) in the periventricular (PV) and centrum semiovale (CS) regions. Subjects included 85 persons with possible and probable Alzheimer disease (AD), 21 with vascular dementia (VaD), 30 with cognitive symptoms classified as mild/ambiguous (M/A), a heterogenous group of 39 non-AD or VaD subjects but diagnosed with some form of neuropsychiatric disorder ("Mixed Neuropsychiatric" group), and 20 normal control subjects aged 65 years or older. Controlling for age, sex, and length of disease, the authors found that AD and VaD subjects differed significantly from control subjects on WMLs, but only the VaD subjects significantly differed from M/A subjects. The two dementia groups also displayed, as expected, significant cerebral atrophy. The WMLs generally increased with age and severity of dementia. PV WMLs were significantly but only modestly associated with white matter volume loss and greater impairment on the MMSE. Modest correlations were also present between the quantitative measures of cerebral structure and MMSE performance. However, when degree of cerebral atrophy was controlled by using the VBR measure, WML effects on MMSE performance became nonsignificant, with the only significant relationship remaining being that between hippocampal volume and MMSE performance. There were no significant qualitative or quantitative findings related to presence of the epsilon4 allele and MMSE performance. The role of WMLs in aging and dementia is discussed.
Political Constructivism in Rawls's Political Liberalism

In Political Liberalism, John Rawls employs a distinctive method of “political constructivism” to establish his well-known principles of justice, arguing that his principles are suited to bridge the ineradicable pluralism of liberal societies and so to ground an “overlapping consensus.” Setting aside the question of whether Rawls's method supports his principles, I argue that he does not adequately defend reliance on this particular method rather than alternatives. If the goal of Rawls's “political” philosophy is to derive principles that are able to overcome liberal pluralism, then another and simpler method should be employed. The “method of convergence” would develop liberal principles directly from the convergence of comprehensive views in existing societies, and so give rise to quite different moral principles.
ASSA13-16-1 The Influence of CETP –629C/A Polymorphism on Atorvastatin Treatment Efficacy and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Objective We aim to investigate the polymorphism of Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene –629C/A among the coronary heart disease (CHD) Han population of the Tianjin area, to evaluate the influences of genetic factors on atorvastatin therapeutic effects and clinical outcomes in pharmacogenomics and provide theoretical basis for individual treatment. Methods We studied 332 patients with angiographically confirmed CHD from October 2010 to July 2011 in the Tianjin Chest Hospital. The CETP gene promoter polymorphism at position –629 was determined by restricted fragment length polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP) method. Meanwhile the serum CETP levels was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Lipid levels were determined at baseline and after 12 months of treatment with 20 mg/d atorvastatin in all patients. Clinical follow-up were performed for more than 1 year (range 12 to 23 months), major adverse cardiac events (MACE, including death, non-fatal infarction, revascularization, and stroke) were analysed. The Kaplan-Meier log-rank test was used to compare MACE-free survival between diffient genetypes. Results 1. The frequencies of variant –692A allele was 0.408, AA genotype showed reduced CETP levels and higher HDL-C levels, compared to CC, CA genotype, it did not reach statistical significance ( F = 0.893, P = 0.411 and F = 1.279, P = 0.282, respectively). Although there was a negative trend correlation between serum HDL-C and CETP levels, it did not reach statistical significance ( r = –0.151, P = 0.081). 2. After 12months therapy of atorvastatin, CC genotype was shown to be associated with higher LDL-C, LP (a) reduction and HDL-C elevation in reponse to atorvastatin compared with CA and AA genotype. LDL-C levels decreased 35.4% in CC homozygotes, 18.84% in CA heterozygotes and 8.15% in AA homozygotes ( P = 0.001). HDL-C levels increased 14.37% in CC homozygotes, 10.48% in CA heterozygotes and 6.64% in AA homozygotes, however the changes of HDL-C levels in three genotypes showed no significant difference ( P = 0.470). 3. There was a 7.83% incidience of MACE after a mean follow-up of (18.66 ± 5.99) months, 3(0.90%) cases suffered death, 7(2.11%) cases non-fatal infarction, 13(3.92%) cases revascularization and 3(0.90%) cases stroke. The cumulative MACE free survival rates were 92.4%, 85.3% and 65.0% in CC, CA and AA genotypes, respectively (Log-rank P = 0.444). Conclusions Our results suggest that variant AA genotype showed higher HDL-C levels and reduced CETP levels, however CC genotype show a better benefit of statin therapy associated with reduction in LDL-C and LP(a) levels, long-term clinical prognosis were not affected by three genotypes.
Mutational analysis of heptad repeats in the membrane-proximal region of Newcastle disease virus HN protein

For most paramyxoviruses, syncytium formation requires the expression of both surface glycoproteins (HN and F) in the same cell, and evidence suggests that fusion involves a specific interaction between the HN and F proteins (X. Hu et al., J. Virol. 66:1528-1534, 1992). The stalk region of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) HN protein has been implicated in both fusion promotion and virus specificity of that activity. The NDV F protein contains two heptad repeat motifs which have been shown by site-directed mutagenesis to be critical for fusion (R. Buckland et al., J. Gen. Virol. 73:1703-1707, 1992; T. Sergel-Germano et al., J. Virol. 68:7654-7658, 1994; J. Reitter et al., J. Virol. 69:5995-6004, 1995). Heptad repeat motifs mediate protein-protein interactions by enabling the formation of coiled coils. Upon analysis of the stalk region of the NDV HN protein, we identified two heptad repeats. Secondary structure analysis of these repeats suggested the potential for these regions to form alpha helices. To investigate the importance of this sequence motif for fusion promotion, we mutated the hydrophobic a-position amino acids of each heptad repeat to alanine or methionine. In addition, hydrophobic amino acids in other positions were also changed to alanine. Every mutant protein retained levels of attachment activity that was greater than or equal to the wild-type protein activity and bound to conformation-specific monoclonal as well as polyclonal antisera. Neuraminidase activity was variably affected. Every mutation, however, showed a dramatic decrease in fusion promotion activity. The phenotypes of these mutant proteins indicate that individual amino acids within the heptad repeat region of the stalk domain of the HN protein are important for the fusion promotion activity of the protein. These data are consistent with the idea that the HN protein associates with the F protein via specific interactions between the heptad repeat regions of both proteins.
The Mount Kare Python and His Gold: Totemism and Ecology in the Papua New Guinea Highlands

Lying between the Huli and Paiela peoples of the Papua New Guinea highlands, Mt. Kare, the site of a gold rush from 1988 to 1990, presently inspires millenarian speculations about an imminent cosmic revolution. Mt. Kare was traditionally a ritual site where pigs were sacrificed to Taiyundika, a totemic python, to promote the fertility of plant, animal, and human species. Today it is where gold is mined in pursuit of unprecedented riches and millenarian transformations. Although sacrifices are no longer conducted at Mt. Kare, the python still has some salience for Paielas, who consider the gold to be the flesh of the totemic python. Blending Christianity with traditional cosmology, Paielas interpret the finding of the gold as a millenarian sign. As an ancestral figure who guarantees the continuing fertility of the earth in exchange for pork sacrifices, the python stands at the core of Paiela constructions of nature and humanity's position within it. Paiela totemism is explored for what it can teach us about an indigenous symbolic ecology and how “local knowledge” or a “cognized model” can inflect capital-intensive resource development at a time of ostensible globalization. The ecology of Mt. Kare gold mining must be sensitive to intercultural processes and how global flows (of ideologies, technologies, and capital) are mediated by vernacular constructions. [Papua New Guinea, mining, totemism, symbolic ecology, place]
High-Dose Melphalan and Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Patients with AL Amyloidosis: An 8-Year Study

In this large case series of patients with AL amyloidosis, hematologic remission, improved 5-year survival, and reversal of amyloid-related disease occurred in a substantial proportion of selected ...
Data selection strategies for digital VCR long play mode

This paper provides methods for implementing a long play mode on compressed digital VCRs, similar to 4 and 6 hour modes on analog VCRs. Data selection strategies for forming a reduced rate compliant bitstream are described. >
Moral dilemmas: ethics in a senior seminar

The purpose of this paper is to describe the ethics module in a senior seminar for petroleum engineering students. The objective of the ethics module is to improve oral and written communication skills by asking the student to discuss the ethical aspects of a moral dilemma. Each student must select a character from a complex situation that has been designed to present a range of moral dilemmas for a large number of characters. The student must select one ethical issue and discuss it relative to one or more ethical codes. Rubrics are used to evaluate student performance.
Teaching comparative metabolism using a graphic computer model, Virtual Tissue

The systems approach to teaching and understanding metabolism promotes a functional understanding of metabolite flow through pathways at the enzymatic, cellular, tissue, and whole body levels. However, most courses are taught from a reductionist point of view ([5][1]) in which the focus is on
Thermal Contraction of β‐Eucryptite‐. (Li2O.Al2O3.2SiO2) by X‐Ray and Dilatometer Methods

The axial thermal-expansion coefficients of β-eucryptite have been measured and correlated with the volume expansion of an aggregate measured dilatometrically. A mechanical analogy to the structure of β-eucryptite is suggested which may explain the pronounced thermal contraction in the c direction.
FINITE DEFORMATIONS OF WRINKLED MEMBRANES

La theorie du champ de tension peut etre incluse dans la theorie ordinaire des membranes elastiques en modifiant la fonction energie de deformation pour tenir compte du plissement. On etablit cette theorie generale pour des plaques isotropes, qui sont initialement plates ou developpables, non soumise a une pression normale. Pour les deformations a symetrie axiale d'une membrane en torsion et initialement cylindrique, les equations de la deformation de la region plissee sont completement resolues. On en deduit la solution approchee a deux problemes aux valeurs limites, l'un impliquant une torsion pure, l'autre un resserrement
CMOS quaternary latch

A new CMOS current-mode quaternary threshold logic latch circuit is presented. This circuit accepts and requantises quaternary logical currents during a SETUP clock mode and latches the input value during the HOLD clock mode. Using logical current increments of 10 mu A, the quaternary latch has been simulated to have a worst-case, three logic level transition, total SETUP and HOLD time of about 40 ns, and single level transition total SETUP and HOLD time of about 10 ns.
Corporate failure for manufacturing industries using firms specifics and economic environment with logit analysis

The purpose of this paper was to determine whether a model utilizing a number of economic variables in combination with financial ratios results in a model superior to the traditional models including the financial ratios alone. A sample of 110 manufacturing companies which had become bankrupt between 1990 and 1997 were identified from the F & S Index and matched to 110 non‐failed companies on the basis total assets, financial statement date and four digit industry code. The proposed model predicted correctly 87.82 and 87.50 percent of the estimation and holdout samples, respectively. The significance of the coefficients in each year’s model was evaluated by using the t‐statistic corresponding to each coefficient’s value. The overall models are significant at ∝‐level of 0.05.
On representation theory and the cohomology rings of irreducible compact hyperkähler manifolds of complex dimension four

In this paper, we continue the study of the possible cohomology rings of compact complex four dimensional irreducible hyperkahler manifolds. In particular, we prove that in the case b2 = 7, b3 = 0 or 8. The latter was achieved by the Beauville construction. c
Story Segmentation of Broadcast News in English, Mandarin and Arabic

In this paper, we present results from a Broadcast News story segmentation system developed for the SRI NIGHTINGALE system operating on English, Arabic and Mandarin news shows to provide input to subsequent question-answering processes. Using a rule-induction algorithm with automatically extracted acoustic and lexical features, we report success rates that are competitive with state-of-the-art systems on each input language. We further demonstrate that features useful for English and Mandarin are not discriminative for Arabic.
Episodic Gonadotropin Secretion in the Mature Fowl: Serial Blood Sampling from Unrestrained Male Broiler Breeders (Gallus domesticus)

Abstract Forty-week-old male broiler breeders were used in two experiments. Males were reared as recommended by the breeder, housed in individual cages, and cannulated to facilitate blood sampling. In experiment 1, blood samples were collected at 10- min intervals for 4 h commencing the day of cannulation (Day 0) and for 12 h on each of Days 1 and 2. In experiment 2, blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals for 8 h on Day 1. After centrifugation, plasma was stored at −20°C until LH, FSH (experiment 1 and 2), testosterone, and corticosterone (experiment 1) concentrations were determined by RIA. Different statistical methods used to identify hormone secretion profiles revealed a characteristic pulsatile pattern of LH and FSH in plasma. However, LH pulses were more frequent and had greater amplitude than FSH pulses. Less than 32% of the FSH pulses were associated with LH episodes. Conversely, the association between LH and testosterone pulses averaged 83% in birds with testis weight greater than 10 g...
Waveform Relocated Earthquake Catalog for Southern California (1981 to June 2011)

We determine a new relocated catalog, HYS_catalog_2011, for southern California from 1981 through June 2011. About 75.3% of the hypocenters are calculated with absolute and differential travel‐time picks, and 24.7% could be relocated only by using absolute travel‐time picks with 3D or 1D velocity models. The total catalog consists of more than 502,000 earthquakes in the region extending from Baja California in the south to Coalinga and Owens Valley in the north. The catalog consists of three M 7.1, M 7.2, and M 7.3 mainshocks; their foreshocks and aftershocks; and background seismicity caused by tectonic and other processes in the southern California crust. Hypocenters in the new relocated catalog exhibit tighter spatial clustering of seismicity than does the routinely generated catalog, and the depth distribution is tighter and reflects the thickness of the seismogenic zone more accurately. Compared to the standard catalog, the relocated hypocenters are more easily related to other data sets, such as mapped late Quaternary faults.
Extra‐pair paternity in waved albatrosses

We estimated the rate of extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs) in waved albatrosses (Phoebastria irrorata) on Isla Espanola, Galapagos, Ecuador, using multilocus minisatellite DNA fingerprinting. Waved albatrosses are socially monogamous, long-lived seabirds whose main population is on Espanola. Aggressive extra-pair copulation (EPC) attempts have been observed in the breeding colony during the days preceding egg-laying. Our genetic analyses of 16 families (single chicks and their attending parents) revealed evidence of EPFs in four families. In all cases males were the excluded parent. These data suggest that waved albatrosses have an unusually high rate of EPF relative to taxa with similar life histories. Future behavioural observations will determine the extent to which forced vs. unforced EPCs contribute to this high EPF rate.
An inter-layer view of multiaccess communications

The literature on multiaccess communications has traditionally treated "network-layer" issues such as source burstiness, network delay, and buffer overflow, apart from "physical layer" issues such as channel modeling, coding, and detection. The recent work of Telatar and Callager (1995) sought to bridge this unfortunate division. We extend this line of inquiry by examining a multiaccess communication scenario where users' packets arrive randomly into separate queues and transmission rates are allocated from the information-theoretic multiaccess capacity region based on the respective users queue states. In the symmetric case, a longer-queue-higher-rate allocation strategy is shown to minimize the average system delay of packets. Such a policy can be interpreted in the coding context as adaptive successive decoding.
A fuzzy logic approach to the summarization of database information

An approach to the summarization of database information using fuzzy logic is presented. The general form of a summary is QYs are F where Q is a fuzzy linguistic quantifier, Y is a class of objects and F is a property of the class or a summary that applies to the class quantified by Q. The truth of such a proposition can be determined for each tuple. Bounds on such descriptions can be defined in terms of a most general specification constituent description and a most specific generalization constraint description. A genetic algorithm technique is used to obtain a near optimal summary that fits a given set of tuples.
The Popol Vuh and the Dominican Religious Extirpation in Highland Guatemala: Prologues and Annotations of Fr. Francisco Ximénez

In 2006, the Newberry Library in Chicago announced its digitization of the ancient Maya-K’iche’ myth, the Popol Vuh. While digitization ensures the preservation of the document and easier access for researchers, it is also significant in that it marks a new stage in the long historical trajectory of the manuscript itself. The Popol Vuh, or “Maya Bible,” is the most studied indigenous document of Mesoamerica. Contemporary scholarship has considered it, among all the early colonial documents, to best reflect a pre-Hispanic native voice. It provides a breadth and depth of detail concerning Maya religion, cosmology, and society, and its contents have been generalized to apply to virtually all of the ancient Maya religions. Additionally, the text has been used as a source for numerous ethnohistorical studies, and its mythological context has profoundly influenced most Guatemalan literature from the early nineteenth century to the present. More important, the Popol Vuh has become a symbol of Guatemalan national “indigenousness” and was officially declared Guatemala’s national book in 1971.
Facet-ensemble method for wave scattering from rough surface

The scattering of electromagnetic and acoustic waves by rough surfaces is studied when either the Dirichlet or the Neumann boundary condition prevails. The facet-ensemble method is used to compute the field scattered by rough surfaces. In this method, the scattering surfaces are modeled by an ensemble of flat facets and, consequently, the scattered field is expressed as a sum of specularly reflected and diffracted fields. The reflected field can be calculated by applying the laws of reflection and refraction. The uniform theory of diffraction (UTD) is used to solve the diffracted field from convex wedges on the surface. The surface models examined are periodic in one instance and random Gaussian in the other. The comparison between results from the facet-ensemble method and experimental data is good for both types of surfaces. >
Housing and neighborhoods and a new national household panel

This paper considers the potential value of a new household panel to help understand issues related to housing and neighborhood conditions in the United States. The key scientific and policy issues that a panel study would be particularly valuable for addressing are primarily descriptive and include evaluating durations of exposures to housing and neighborhood conditions, and understanding factors determining household mobility that in turn determines the conditions that households experience and neighborhood compositions. For these purposes a national household panel has important advantages over existing data sources, and we offer several suggestions for key data elements to collect to maximize the information available for research in this area. We are agnostic about whether the creation of a new national household panel would be more valuable than devoting resources to enhancing the existing Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).
Diffuse Sclerosing Variant of Papillary Carcinoma

Diffuse sclerosing variant of papillary carcinoma accounts for approximately 5% of papillary carcinomas. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by extensive sclerosis, lymphocytic infiltration and psammoma body formation. Most reports suggest that the mean age at presentation is younger than for other differentiated thyroid carcinomas, with approximately 20% of cases presenting in the pediatric age range. This variant of papillary carcinoma appears to concentrate radioiodine, and produce thyroglobulin, as well as the classic form of well differentiated papillary carcinoma.
INTRODUCTION: What Lies Ahead for the Asset Management Industry

Having benefited from strong multidecade structural tailwinds, the asset management industry faces tricky challenges ahead. Some relate to the environment in which it operates, including the extent to which this is changing due to both structural and policy forces. Others speak to the importance of being more inclusive and engaging better with a demographically and socially evolving client base. And all involve integrating much better the enormous strides made in information technology, the Internet, social media, predictive analytics, and behavioral finance. To navigate all this well—and it is far from a simple task—the industry requires a more robust combination of agility and resilience. To do so, it will also need to incorporate insights from the research community, existing and new, on a much more timely basis.
On-target rapid prototyping

On-target rapid prototyping supports prototyping with hardware that is much closer to production hardware. It is useful for development and testing of algorithms and ideas during the development process and can be deployed in the field environment. It can also be a path to production code generation. (6 pages)
The Hypothesis of a Hierarchy of Effects: A Partial Evaluation:

A widespread hypothesis in advertising is that a “hierarchy of effects” follows upon an individual's perception of an advertising message and before he buys (Attention→Interest→Desire→Action). Publ...
Glycogen Depletion and Repletion in the Chick

Abstract Carcass glycogen was degraded by chicks at a faster rate than liver glycogen during the first 72 hr of a 120 hr fast. Degradation of both sources of glycogen proceeded at a slower rate during the final 48 hr. Carcass glycogen was repleted at a greater rate than liver glycogen.
Parsing the Unspeakable in the Context of Trauma

The unspeakable is an ancient, highly serviceable rhetorical device classically associated with romantic love, the sacred, and the sublime. Formally, its identifying feature is the explicit admission of the inadequacy of language in a given case. The lover insists that words cannot describe the beauty of the loved one. The religious poet runs changes on the inability of language to do justice to the divine. The majestic mountain range cannot be adequately described in human speech.
Bleeding Disorders in PregnantPatients with Rheumatic Diseases

SUMMARY Although the bleeding disorders that occur in patients with rheumatic diseases are not different during pregnancy than at other times, their diagnosis and management are often different during pregnancy. Inidiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, for instance, antiplatelet antibodies may cross the placenta and cause life-threatening thrombocytopeniain the fetus while the mother is asymptomatic. Management of this disease has changed significantly in the past 5 years with the use of intravenous gammaglobulin which appears to lessen the degree of fetal as well asmaternal thrombocytopenia when administered during the peripartumperiod. The utilization of plasmapheresis and plasma infusions for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura has salvaged both themother and the fetus in a disease which was fatal in more than 60 per centof patients prior to their use. The outcome of pregnancy in this patientpopulation has markedly improved with this treatment. The stimulus forthe production of factor VIII inhibitors in the postpartum period is stillnot understood, but guidelines for management have changed, with theincreased likelihood of decreasing the antibody and inducing tolerancewith regimens including factor VIII, immunosuppressive agents and intravenous gammaglobulin in those patients who require treatment. Thediagnosis of von Willebrand’s disease during pregnancy is difficult because of the physiologic increase in von Willebrand factor during pregnancy; in this instance family studies may help in the diagnosis of thisrelatively common, autosomal dominant inherited disorder. Management now includes treatment with desmopressin as well as cryoprecipitate replacement therapy.
Hyperkalemia after triamterene in diabetic patients.

Eleven patients with maturity-onset diabetes mellitus and 6 normal subjects were studied to determine whether they would develop abnormal serum potassium or glucose levels in response to triamterene, to an acute glucose load, or to an acute glucose load during triamterene therapy. The response in each case depended on the presence of diabetes and the degree of glucose intolerance before triamterene. The normal subjects and mild diabetic patients showed no change in pattern of response to glucose load after triamterene, while the moderate diabetic patients displayed certain metabolic changes under the same experimental conditions. Triamterene caused a minor, reversible increase in serum potassium in all subjects but an increase in fasting blood sugar only in the moderate diabetic patients. In all groups there was a decline in creatinine clearance after 7 days on triamtercne. In addition, the moderate diabetic patients developed hyperkalemia during an intravenous glucose tolerance test while on triamterene therapy. Only one of the moderate diabetic patients developed hyperkalemia during an oral glucose tolerance test. Possible mechanisms for these effects are discussed and the use of triamterene in diabetes mellitus is assessed.
Second harmonic conversion in cubic silicon carbide

In recent years considerable research has been focused on the study of cubic silicon carbide (β-SiC) for electronic applications.1 It has displayed considerable potential for use in electronic instrumentation which must operate at elevated temperatures or in environments where there are high levels of Ionizing radiation. The first study of second harmonic generation and other nonlinear optical properties of an epitaxial film of β-SiC is described. Silicon carbide is a crystal with a zinc blende structure and a lattice constant of 4.3595 A. It belongs to a 43m symmetry group and is similar in this respect to GaAs and other Ill—V semiconductors. Since β-SiC belongs to the cubic group of crystals, it Is isotropic; i.e., SiC has no intrinsic birefringence. This lack of birefringence suggests that phase matching in SiC is not possible.2,3