cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mental Models of Privacy and Security

The mental models method is a mechanism for risk communication that was pioneered in environmental risk communication, and is being used to improve medical risk communication. This paper proposes that mental models as a method of risk communication can be used to improve communication to end users about computer security risks. In fact, there exist at least five mental models that are currently being used to communicate in an atheoretical, and thus arguably suboptimal, manner. Understanding why mental models is sometimes preferable to direct quantifiable risk information requires an introduction to risk perception. There are well-known heuristics of individual risk perception, validated by decades of experimental economics. Thus this work begins with an introduction to risk perception. Then, an introduction to mental models and some familiarity with computer security brings to the fore a set of mental models that are applicable to and already implied in computer security. Each of these models is discussed as being (in)appropriate to computer security. Consistent communication using already extant (but inchoate) mental models is a promising method of risk communication for computer security. Yet continuing to use the mental models as metaphors has risks of its own.
Synthesis, Characterization and Actinide Extraction Behavior of Bridge-Modified Carbamoylmethyl Phosphonates and Phosphine Oxides

Modification of carbamoylmethyl-phosphonates (CMPs), (RO)2P(O)CH2C(O)NR’2, and of octyl(phenyl)-N,N diisobutylcarbamoylmethyl-phosphine oxide (CMPO), (n-C8H17)(Ph)P(O)CH2C(O)N(i-Bu)2, was accomplished by replacing a hydrogen on the central methylene carbon atom with either a primary alkyl group (n-octyl) or a secondary alkyl group (isobutyl). The ability of these modified compounds to extract nitric acid, uranyl ions, plutonium(IV), and americium(III) was evaluated as a function of aqueous nitric acid concentration in a liquid-liquid extraction system. Modifying the central methylene carbon atom appears to have little influence on the amount of nitric acid extracted under comparable extraction conditions. The ability to extract uranyl ions is also unaffected by the methylene modifications. However, in all cases, the ability to extract americium(III) is reduced. Plutonium(IV) is an intermediate case, with the carbamoylmethyl-phosphonate systems showing an effect, but with the carbamoylmethyl-phosphine oxide system being unaffected. These results are interpreted as being a reflection of the steric demands on the metal for a given extraction system.
Judgment on Genocide Prosecution Closing Argument

This Closing Argument summarizes the case presented against President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan before an International Citizens' Tribunal for Sudan presided over by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wole Soyinko of Nigeria joined by a panel of African and North American jurists. The defendant was "charged" with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur under the most current theories of individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law.
Psychology of Women

The psychology of women is a subdiscipline of the field of psychology with the primary goal of understanding and improving the lives of girls and women through improved research, methods of practice, and dissemination of knowledge about sex and gender. The psychology of women does not encompass all theory and research about women; instead, it includes only that which is undertaken from the epistemological perspectives and principles of feminism. This area of psychology was spurred by serious limitations in psychological theory and research that date back to the inception of psychology in the late 1890s. During these early years of psychology, male pioneers in the field, such as Francis Galton and William James, held firm opinions of the temperamental and intellectual inferiority of women (Rosenberg, 1982). Along with most of the general public at the time, these early psychologists presumed that gender differences were large in magnitude, inherited, and immutable. To further illustrate misogyny within the field, women were excluded from many educational and professional opportunities in the early decades of psychology. In one striking example, Mary Whiton Calkins was denied a doctorate from Harvard even though she achieved all requirements for the degree, and she went on to have a distinguished research and teaching career. Keywords: feminist psychology; gender differences; gender attitudes
Conjuring Boundaries: Inferring Past Identities from Religious Artifacts

A detailed examination of commonalities between folk religion beliefs and practices of African American and European American ethnic groups raises intriguing issues. Interpretations concerning the ethnic group association of conjuration artifacts uncovered at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sites in the mid-Atlantic region must be based on a clearer articulation of the interplay of three issues: the general dynamics of ethnic group boundedness; how material culture communicates such ethnic identities; and how conjuration practices support or subvert ethnic group boundaries. A variety of protective and malevolent conjuration practices likely functioned in different ways in intergroup and intragroup settings.
Multiple Objective Approach to Adaptive Control of Linear Systems

This paper applies a new approach to the classical adaptive control problem. The approach is based on the inherent conflict between control and identification as they are competing for the only available resource, namely the input to the plant. The theory developed for general nonlinear time varying systems is applied to linear time-invariant system. The conflicting objective, namely, tracking vs. identification is most naturally posed and partially solved in the domain of Multiple Objective Optimization Theory. The control objective here is minimization of a standard quadratic criterion. The identification criterion is maximization of the Fisher information matrix. The Multiple Objective criterion is the simultaneous minimization of the quadratic criterion and maximization of the information matrix. We demonstrate, for linear time invariant plants with quadratic cost, that Pareto optimal adaptive controller may be obtained where a scalars control the tracking vs. identification tradeoff.
Optically active amines—VIII : Optical rotatory dispersion observations on α- and β-arylalkylamines☆☆☆

Abstract In the ORD curves of (R-α-phenylethylamine, (R)-α-phenyl-n-propylamine, (R-α-phenylneo-pentylamine and (S-α-benzylethylamine and their hydrochlorides, a correlation is shown between their configuration and the sign of the weak, first Cotton effect at about 268 mμ in the region of the phenyl absorption. A second, stronger component of the rotatory dispersion originates in an electronic transition or transitions lying below 220mμ and in general gives the sign to the rotation in the visible part of the spectrum. In some compounds, two contributions of opposite sign are recognizable in the far UV component of the ORD.
The relationship of decongestant use and risk of decompression sickness; a case-control study of Hawaiian scuba divers

Exposure to cold, dehydration, and aging are known to contribute to the development of decompression sickness (DCS) in divers. Hypertension and nicotine usage have also been suggested as risk factors. Vasoconstriction is an underlying mechanism associated with all of these risk factors. Vasoconstriction increases the degree of bubble formation which is believed to be the cause of DCS. Formed bubbles interfere with the production of nitric oxide which modulates vascular tone resulting in vasoconstriction. Divers commonly use sympathomimetic decongestants which induce vasoconstriction to prevent barotrauma of the ears and sinuses while diving and thus theoretically may contribute to the risk for developing DCS. The purpose of this case-control study was to explore the association between decongestant usage and development of DCS in 400 divers treated/evaluated at the University of Hawai'i, John A. Burns School of Medicine between 1983 and 2010. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate differences between cases and controls. In addition to the variable of interest, other co-variables known to have significant influence in the development of DCS were appropriately controlled for during the analyses. In this study population, dehydration (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.1, 7.4), repetitive diving (OR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8, 4.4), and violation of dive profiles (OR = 4.9; 95% CI: 3.1, 7.9) contributed independently and significantly to the development of DCS. The co-variables of cold, gender, obesity, and rapid ascents were not significant contributors to developing DCS in this study. There was a small but statistically insignificant risk associated with decongestant use (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 0.8-2.6; P = .22). The inherent limitations associated with records-based studies may have underestimated this risk. It is important therefore that future research be undertaken to help clarify this concern.
Friendly Spectrally Shaped Radar Waveform With Legacy Communication Systems for Shared Access and Spectrum Management

In this paper, we investigate a friendly spectrally shaped radar waveform design that can be used in a spectral band being utilized by one or more communication systems. We specifically consider legacy communication systems as opposed to cooperative communication systems to address the ever present problem of legacy technologies. This radar waveform is able to share the spectrum with the existing communication systems such that its detection performance is not compromised while trying to help the legacy systems maintain their own symbol error rates (SERs). We show with various scenarios that the spectrally shaped radar waveform outperforms the traditional wideband pulse waveform in terms of detection performance with the communication signals acting as interference to the radar. Moreover, SERs of the legacy systems employing quaternary phase-shift keying modulation in the presence of the shaped radar waveform (acting as interference) outperform SERs of systems under traditional radar pulse interference. These SERs are very close to theoretical noise-only SERs.
High-affinity laminin receptor is a receptor for Sindbis virus in mammalian cells.

Sindbis virus is an alphavirus with a very wide host range, being able to infect many birds and mammals as well as mosquitoes. We have isolated a monoclonal antibody that largely blocks virus binding to mammalian cells. This antibody was found to be directed against the C-terminal domain of the high-affinity laminin receptor, a 67-kDa protein present on the cell surface that binds with high affinity to basement membrane laminin and that is known to be important in development and in tumor invasion. This receptor is believed to be formed from a 295-amino-acid polypeptide that is modified in some unknown way after translation. The primary sequence of this 295-amino-acid protein is highly conserved among mammals. We found the hamster amino acid sequence to be identical to a mouse sequence and to differ at only two amino acids from a human sequence and at two amino acids from a bovine sequence. To verify the importance of the laminin receptor for infection by Sindbis virus, hamster cells were stably transfected with the gene encoding the 295-amino-acid protein under the control of a high-efficiency promoter. Such transfected hamster cells overexpressed the laminin receptor at the cell surface, bound several-fold more Sindbis virions than did the parental cells, and became infected by Sindbis virus with a higher efficiency. In contrast, cells transfected with the antisense gene expressed less laminin receptor on the surface and were less susceptible to the virus. Binding of the virus varied linearly with the amount of laminin receptor on the cell surface, whereas infectivity measured with a plaque assay varied with the 1.4 power of the receptor concentration, suggesting that interaction with more than one receptor aids virus penetration. By these criteria, the laminin receptor functions as the major receptor for Sindbis virus entry into mammalian cells. We also found that the anti-laminin receptor antibody partially blocked Sindbis virus binding to mosquito cells, suggesting that the laminin receptor is conserved in mosquitoes and functions as a Sindbis virus receptor in this host. The wide distribution of this highly conserved receptor may be in part responsible for the broad host range exhibited by the virus, which infects a wide range of mammals and birds as well as its mosquito vector and can infect many different tissues within these hosts. Part of the broad host range of Sindbis virus also appears to result from an ability of the virus to utilize more than one different protein receptor, however, because the major receptor used by the virus to enter chicken cells appears to be a 63-kDa protein that is not the laminin receptor (K.-S. Wang, A. L. Schmaljohn, R. J. Kuhn, and J. H. Strauss, Virology 181:694-702, 1991).
On elastic-electromagnetic mathematical equivalences

SUMMARY Elastic-electromagnetic mathematical equivalences, which here consist of recasting Maxwell’s equations and the constitutive relations for an electromagnetic medium into a form that is mathematically identical with that of the basic equations for elastic waves, are presented. These equivalences allow us, for example, to use a finite-difference modelling code developed for elastic wave propagation to model electromagnetic wave propagation. The reverse process, which consists of using a finite-difference modelling code developed for electromagnetic wave propagation to model elastic wave propagation, is valid only for particular forms of elastic wave equations, such as acoustic wave equations in a 2-D medium (i.e. an infinitely long line source in the cross-line direction and acoustic properties invariant in the cross-line direction).
A Role for Ombuds in Embedded Corporate Social Responsibility Processes

My purpose here is to suggest that the often-overlooked organizational ombudsman (OO) role can and should become an influential component of embedded corporate social responsibility (CSR) processes as defined by Aguinis and Glavas (2013). An OO is an employee who works with individuals and groups to help resolve conflicts inside or outside of an organization and who brings systemic concerns to the attention of organizational leadership (Howard, 2010). An OO does this while maintaining the confidentiality of office visitors, operating from a stance of neutrality and impartiality, remaining independent of formal organizational structures, and not adjudicating disputes or otherwise making policy recommendations regarding conflicts (International Ombudsman Association, 2013; Ziegenfuss & O'Rourke, 2011).
Uncertainty in Prediction of Radionuclide Gas Migration from Underground Nuclear Explosions

Underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) produce radionuclide gases that may seep to the surface over weeks to months. The objective of this research was to quantify the impact of uncertainties in hydrologic parameters (fracture aperture, matrix permeability, porosity, and saturation) and season of detonation on the timing of gas breakthrough. Numerical sensitivity analyses were performed, with barometric pumping providing the primary driving force for gas migration, for the case of a 1 kt UNE at 400-m depth of burial. Gas arrival time was most affected by matrix permeability and fracture aperture. Gases having higher diffusivity were more sensitive to uncertainty in the rock properties. The effect of seasonality in the barometric pressure forcing was found to be important, with detonations in March the least likely to be detectable based on barometric data for Rainier Mesa, Nevada. Monte Carlo realizations were performed with all four parameters varying simultaneously to determine their interrelated effects. The Monte Carlo method was also used to predict the window of opportunity for 133 Xe detection from a 1 kt UNE at Rainier Mesa, with and without matching the model to SF 6 and 3 He data from the 1993 Non-Proliferation Experiment. Results from the data-blind Monte Carlo simulations were similar but were biased toward earlier arrival time and less likely to show detectable 133 Xe. The estimated timing of gas arrival may be used to deploy personnel and equipment to the site of a suspected UNE, if allowed under the terms of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
Novel promoter and alternate transcription start site of the human serotonin reuptake transporter in intestinal mucosa.

Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors are therapies for psychological and bowel disorders, but produce adverse effects in the non-targeted system. To determine whether human SERT transcripts in the intestine are different from the brain, rapid amplification of cDNA ends, primer extension, and RT-PCR assays were used to evaluate SERT transcripts from each region. Potential slc6a4 gene promoter constructs were evaluated with a secreted alkaline phosphatase reporter assay. A novel transcript of the human slc6a4 gene was discovered that predominates in the intestine, and differs from previous transcripts in the 5′ untranslated region. The distinct transcriptional start site and alternate promoter suggest that gastrointestinal SERT can be differentially regulated from brain SERT, may explain why the polymorphism in the previously identified promoter is associated with affective disorders, but not associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, and suggest the intriguing possibility of the development of site-specific therapeutics for SERT regulation in the treatment of multiple disorders.
Image Segmentation and Implications for the Development of a Nature-Based Destination

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to analyze the image of tourist segments for an emerging regional and nature-based destination. The image analysis used a multi-attribute approach with a seven-point Likert scale. The Internet survey sampling comprised six dominant market areas and resulted in 610 respondents and a 45% response rate that was based on the number of people who logged into the website. A factor-cluster segmentation was performed on the image attributes to develop a profile of the three clusters. This study supports the use of image dimensions to segment tourists, because tourist segments perceive psychological/functional dimensions differently. The regional destination should utilize an undifferentiated image strategy consisting of natural attractions with aquatic and birdwatching components to promote the Lake Erie Coastal Region (LECR) and additional strategies focused on each cluster.
The 1,2,3-tridehydrobenzene triradical: 2B or not 2B? The answer is 2A!

The molecular and electronic structure of 1,2,3-tridehydrobenzene was investigated by a variety of computational methods. The two lowest electronic states of the triradical are the 2B2 and 2A1 doublet states characterized by different interactions of the unpaired electrons. Vertically, the two states are well separated in energyby 4.9 and 1.4 eV, respectively. However, due to different bonding patterns, their equilibrium structures are very different and, adiabatically, the two states are nearly degenerate. The adiabatic energy gap between the 2B2 and 2A1 states is estimated to be 0.7−2.1 kcal/mol, in favor of the 2A1 state. Harmonic vibrational frequencies and anharmonic corrections were calculated for both states. Comparison with the three experimentally observed IR transitions supports the assignment of the 2A1 ground state for the triradical with a weakly bonding distance of 1.67−1.69 A between the meta radical centers.
Differential regulation of T cell receptor gamma genes in immature thymocyte populations

Immature thymocytes that lack both Lyt-2 (CD8) and L3T4 (CD4) expression can respond rapidly to stimulation with phorbol ester and calcium ionophore by expressing some gene products characteristic of mature, activated T cells. Here we studied the effect of such short-term stimulation on the number of copies per cell of RNA for components of the T cell receptor complex. Although, upon stimulation, mRNAs for T cell receptor β chain accumulated to higher levels, the cells did not rapidly increase their expression of α-chain transcripts from rearranged or germ-line genes. Transcripts from the C_γ1 (Cγ13.4) and Cγ2 (Cγ10.5) genes were differentially regulated. The rarer Cγ1 transcripts were strongly induced, while the initially abundant C_γ2 transcripts showed a modest decrease in transcripts per cell within 24 h. Thus, the ratio of these two transcripts could be shifted dramatically prior to any significant change in the cellular composition of the population. These results suggest regulatory processes that may contribute to the observed expression of γ products in vitro or in normal development.
Combination of long-acting microcapsules of the D-tryptophan-6 analog of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone with chemotherapy: investigation in the rat prostate cancer model

Abstract The effect of combining hormonal treatment consisting of long-acting microcapsules of the agonist [D-Trp6]LH-RH (the D-tryptophan-6 analog of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) with the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide was investigated in the Dunning R-3327H rat prostate cancer model. Microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH formulated from poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) and calculated to release a controlled dose of 25 micrograms/day were injected intramuscularly once a month. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) (5 mg/kg of body weight) was injected intraperitoneally twice a week. When the therapy was started 90 days after tumor transplantation--at the time that the cancers were well developed-and was continued for 2 months, tumor volume was significantly reduced by the microcapsules or Cytoxan given alone. The combination of these two agents similarly inhibited tumor growth but did not show a synergistic effect. In another study, the treatment was started 2 months after transplantation, when the developing tumors measured 60-70 mm3. Throughout the treatment period of 100 days, the microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH reduced tumor volume more than Cytoxan did, and the combination of the two drugs appeared to completely arrest tumor growth. Tumor weights also were diminished significantly in all experimental groups, the decrease in weight being smaller in the Cytoxan-treated group than in rats that received the microcapsules. The combination of Cytoxan plus the microcapsules was 10-100 times more effective than the single agents in reducing tumor weights. In both experiments, testes and ventral prostate weights were significantly diminished, serum testosterone was suppressed to undetectable levels, and prolactin values were reduced by administration of microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH alone or in combination with Cytoxan. These results in rats suggest that combined administration of long acting microcapsules of [D-Trp6]LH-RH with a chemotherapeutic agent, started soon after the diagnosis of prostate cancer is made, might inhibit the proliferation of androgen-dependent and -independent cells, improve further the therapeutic response, and increase the survival rate.
Classification of massive and gapless phases in bilayer graphene

I here classify of all the fully gapped massive and the gapless phases in bilayer graphene. The effective low-energy theory in bilayer graphene is constructed, and various discrete and continuous symmetries of the noninteracting system is analyzed. Spinless fermions, placed in a quantizing magnetic field, are considered. The quantum anomalous Hall insulator is properly defined. Constructing a particle-hole doubled 16 component Nambu-Dirac spinor, I recognize all the possible fully gapped and the gapless states, which, on the other hand, split the parabolic dispersion into two anisotropic Dirac-like conical ones. A thorough symmetry analysis of all the ordered states is performed. Altogether there are eight insulating and four superconducting phases in bilayer graphene, that can lead to a fully gapped spectrum. Among the gapped superconductors, three are spin singlet, which include uniform $s$-wave and two spatially inhomogeneous, translational symmetry-breaking Kekule superconductors. The triplet pairing exhibits an $f$-wave symmetry. Besides the gapped phases, there are eight semimetallic and eight gapless superconducting states in total, available for fermions to condense into. I also find interesting gapless superconducting states, which break the translational symmetry, dubbed ``gapless Fulde-Farrell-Larkin-Ovchinikov'' superconductors. I also discuss the role of the Coulomb interaction, and propose various experimental tools to determine the nature of the underlying ordered states.
Highly elevated methane in the eastern tropical North Pacific and associated isotopically enriched fluxes to the atmosphere

During the May - June, 2000 Eastern Pacific Redox Experiment (EPREX) we examined the dynamics of methane (CH4) in the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP), a large region of high surface-ocean productivity fueled by coastal upwelling. We discovered that (I) the ETNPcontains by far the largest pool of CH4 yet discovered in the open ocean; (2) CH4 production in the upper half of this subsurface pool is associated with the decomposition of locally produced sinking particulate matter; (3) the deeper half of this pool is from a coastal source; (4) advection and oxidation of the upper pool leads to the heavy CH4 isotopic values seen at midwater in the North Pacific subtropical gyre; and (5) the ETNP is a source of isotopically enriched CH4 to the atmosphere. Our results suggest that other oceanic areas of upwelling-induced anoxia may be sites of significant atmospheric input of isotopically heavy CH 4 •
Control of Machining Processes

This paper reviews the important recent research contributions for control of machining processes (e.g., turning, milling, drilling, and grinding). The major research accomplihsments are reviewed from the perspective of a hierarchical control system structure which considers servo, process, and supervisory control levels. The use and benefits ad advanced control methods (e.g., optimal control, adaptive control) are highlighted and illustrated with examples from research work conducted by the authors
Norms and cut off scores for the autism spectrum disorders diagnosis for adults (ASD-DA) with intellectual disability

Abstract Establishing the cut-off scores for Autism Spectrum Disorder-Diagnostic (ASD-DA) scale for adults with intellectual disability (ID) and autism or PDD-NOS was the primary goal of this investigation. The aim of Study 1 was to determine if the ASD-DA was able to differentiate between adults with ID with and without an autism spectrum disorder, and to determine a total score cut-off for this purpose. The aim of Study 2 was to determine if the ASD-DA was able to differentiate between autism and PDD-NOS in this population. Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were computed for potential cut-off scores and were found to be acceptable. The implications of these data for diagnosing ASD in adults with ID are discussed.
Estrogen raises the sweating threshold in postmenopausal women with hot flashes

Abstract Objective: To determine if estrogen ameliorates hot flashes by raising the core body temperature sweating threshold, by reducing core body temperature fluctuations, and/or by reducing sympathetic activation (as measured by plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol). Design: Laboratory physiological study. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): Twenty-four healthy postmenopausal women reporting frequent hot flashes. Intervention(s): Participants were randomly assigned, in double-blind fashion, to receive 1 mg/d 17β-estradiol orally or placebo for 90 days. Main Outcome Measure(s): Core body temperature, core body temperature fluctuations, mean skin temperature, sternal sweat rate, laboratory hot flash counts (sternal skin conductance), plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol. Result(s): The E 2 group had significant increases in plasma E 2 (8 ± 2 vs. 132 ± 22 pg/mL) and core body temperature sweating threshold (37.98 ± 0.09 vs. 38.14 ± 0.09°C) and decreases in plasma FSH (58.8 ± 8.9 vs. 40.1 ± 7.6 mIU/mL) and hot flashes (1.4 ± 0.5 vs. 0.6 ± 0.6). These changes did not occur in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in any other measure. Conclusion(s): E 2 ameliorates hot flashes by raising the core body temperature sweating threshold, but does not affect core temperature fluctuations or plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol.
The Logic, Experimental Steps, and Potential of Heterologous Natural Product Biosynthesis Featuring the Complex Antibiotic Erythromycin A Produced Through E. coli

The heterologous production of complex natural products is an approach designed to address current limitations and future possibilities. It is particularly useful for those compounds which possess therapeutic value but cannot be sufficiently produced or would benefit from an improved form of production. The experimental procedures involved can be subdivided into three components: 1) genetic transfer; 2) heterologous reconstitution; and 3) product analysis. Each experimental component is under continual optimization to meet the challenges and anticipate the opportunities associated with this emerging approach. Heterologous biosynthesis begins with the identification of a genetic sequence responsible for a valuable natural product. Transferring this sequence to a heterologous host is complicated by the biosynthetic pathway complexity responsible for product formation. The antibiotic erythromycin A is a good example. Twenty genes (totaling >50 kb) are required for eventual biosynthesis. In addition, three of these genes encode megasynthases, multi-domain enzymes each ~300 kDa in size. This genetic material must be designed and transferred to E. coli for reconstituted biosynthesis. The use of PCR isolation, operon construction, multi-cystronic plasmids, and electro-transformation will be described in transferring the erythromycin A genetic cluster to E. coli. Once transferred, the E. coli cell must support eventual biosynthesis. This process is also challenging given the substantial differences between E. coli and most original hosts responsible for complex natural product formation. The cell must provide necessary substrates to support biosynthesis and coordinately express the transferred genetic cluster to produce active enzymes. In the case of erythromycin A, the E. coli cell had to be engineered to provide the two precursors (propionyl-CoA and (2S)-methylmalonyl-CoA) required for biosynthesis. In addition, gene sequence modifications, plasmid copy number, chaperonin co-expression, post-translational enzymatic modification, and process temperature were also required to allow final erythromycin A formation. Finally, successful production must be assessed. For the erythromycin A case, we will present two methods. The first is liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to confirm and quantify production. The bioactivity of erythromycin A will also be confirmed through use of a bioassay in which the antibiotic activity is tested against Bacillus subtilis. The assessment assays establish erythromycin A biosynthesis from E. coli and set the stage for future engineering efforts to improve or diversify production and for the production of new complex natural compounds using this approach.
Role of calcium in regulation of phosphoinositide signaling pathway.

Using primary neuronal cultures we have examined the role of extracellular Ca2+ in a receptor-regulated phosphoinositide turnover. We report that receptor (glutamic acid and acetylcholine)-activated phosphoinositide turnover requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+ (EC50=21.1 µM). The requirement for Ca2+ appears to be at an intracellular level and is highly selective for Ca2+. We also found that several inorganic and organic Ca2+ channel blockers, including La3+ and verapamil, inhibit phosphoinositide turnover. However, the pharmacological profile of these agents in this regard was distinct from their actions at the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. To explain the above requirement for extracellular Ca2+ in agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover and its sensitivity to Ca2+-channel blockers, we propose a hypothetical model suggesting that Ca2+, following IP-3-mediated mobilization, exerts a facilitatory action on the activity of receptor-phospholipase C complex. We further propose that in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ or in the presence of certain Ca2+-channel blockers, refilling of calciosomes is ineffectual or inhibited, causing its depletion and subsequent inactivation of agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover.
Patient satisfaction in the ambulatory setting : Influence of data collection methods and sociodemographic factors

To evaluate the impact of patient characteristics and method of data collection on satisfaction results used for the comparison of practice locations, questionnaires were distributed to 1,208 adult outpatients at five medicine clinics, either onsite or by mail. Patient dissatisfaction with three service domains was measured: communication with the provider, courtesy of the office staff, and timeliness of care. Practice location, survey methodology, and patient characteristics were significant predictors of dissatisfaction, and adjustment for the latter two factors affected the rankings of practices by dissatisfaction rates for all three domains. Further study of the impact of patient characteristics and method of data collection should be conducted before the comparison of unadjusted satisfaction results becomes the accepted standard.
Helping a Small Development Organization Manage Volunteers More Efficiently

Development organizations plan and execute programs that are directed primarily toward promoting human welfare. Because these organizations rely heavily on volunteers to carry out their social missions, efficiently managing their volunteer workforce is important. In this study, we discuss the development of a spreadsheet-based, multicriteria volunteer-scheduling model for a small development organization in a developing South American country. We demonstrate how the model helps to reduce the number of unfilled shifts, decrease total scheduling costs, and better satisfy the volunteers' scheduling preferences, thus supporting the long-term retention and effectiveness of the organization's volunteer workforce.
A model for charge state distributions of heavy coulomb explosion fragment ions

We have conclusively demonstrated the systematic shift of the distributions of final charge states, for Coulomb explosion fragments compared to isotachic monatomic ion beams. This shift includes both an enhanced yield of lower charge states (below the equilibrium mean) concomitant with a decrease in the yield of charge states above the mean and thus essentially preserves the shapes of the distributions. From the trends of the data, it was shown that this shift is attributable to an enhanced electron capture probability for ions emerging from the target foil as spatially correlated diatomic clusters. A simple model was presented relating the charge state distributions measured for molecular-ion impact to the equilibrium distribution measured for the case of impact by a monatomic ion beam. This model describes the apparent nonequilibration of the molecular-ion charge state distributions as a simple consequence of electron capture cross sections dependent upon the internuclear separations of the exiting cluster fragments. Because this separation is large compared to the orbital radius of captured electrons, the enhancement of the electron capture cross sections can be treated as a weak perturbation of the potential at the position of the electron. Such an approximation allows the estimation of this enhancement. Thismore » model, though admittedly overly simplified, resolves the long-standing problem of understanding the distributions of final charge states when heavy diatomic molecular ions exit from solids.« less
Preliminary assessment of potential health hazards associated with barium leached from glazed ceramicware

Ceramic glazes contain several elements which have the potential to leach into food or beverages that are held or stored in ceramicware. Recently, barium salts have been investigated as one of the alternatives to lead in frit formulations for glazes. This preliminary evaluation addresses the potential health hazards associated with barium at levels that might leach from glazed ceramicware. A set of specialty ceramicware, consisting of five teacups and a pitcher, was examined for extractable barium. Exposure to barium that adults (18–44 years) might encounter using the vessels for coffee, tea, or orange juice was estimated. The exposure estimate was derived from values for intakes of the beverages and for the barium migration from glazed ceramicware test samples. An established reference dose (RfD) for barium exposure for the critical effect of hypertension was identified. The potential hazard associated with the leaching of barium from glazed ceramicware varied with the level of use. Consuming beverages i...
Bargaining and Dilemma Games: From Laboratory Data Towards Theoretical Synthesis

Bargaining and dilemma games have developed in experimental economics as fairly separate literatures. More than a few analysts are now persuaded that the patterns of behavior in these games are closely related, and considerable effort is being put into a search for models that bridge the gap between the two types of games. I focus on a handful of models that, when taken together, outline the conceptual issues, and provide a sense of the progress that has already been made.
Sustainable Use of Renewable Resources: Implications of Spatial-Dynamic Ecological and Economic Processes

Sustainable Use of Renewable Resources: Implications of Spatial-Dynamic Ecological and Economic Processes
Development of a quantitative risk assessment model for Salmonella enteritidis in pasteurized liquid eggs

The performance of hazard analyses and the establishment of critical limits by the food industry are both hampered by the inability to directly relate food processing operations from farm-to-table with their public health impact. Using a 'unit operations' and stochastic simulation approach, data on the frequency of pathogens in raw ingredients, predictive microbiology models for growth and inactivation (thermal and non-thermal), and dose-response models for infectivity were integrated to create a quantitative risk assessment model for a Salmonella enteritidis infection from thermally processed liquid whole eggs made into mayonnaise in the home. The risk assessment indicated pasteurization provides sufficient consumer protection from a high incidence of infected birds and from temperature abuse between the farm and the egg breakers. However scenarios showed how inadequate pasteurization temperatures and/or temperature abuse during storage leads to a hazardous product. This dynamic approach to modeling risk should aid in identification and setting critical control points and assessing the impact of altering food formulations or processes.
Metastatic adenocarcinoma in a recent burn scar

Neoplastic lesions arising in recent burn scars are apparently quite rare and we could find no report of such an occurrence in the literature. Nevertheless we recently treated a patient with a metastatic adenocarcinoma from the lung in a 3-month-old burn scar.
High Lung Shunt Fraction in Colorectal Liver Tumors Is Associated with Distant Metastasis and Decreased Survival

Purpose: To assess how intratumoral shunting relates to liver metastasis and to clinical outcome. Materials and Methods: Lung shunt fraction (LSF) was calculated from macroaggregated albumin scan after transcatheter injection of radioactive particles in 62 patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastases evaluated for selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) from May 2007 to August 2012. Assessment was performed of how LSF, liver tumor burden, and systemic chemotherapy relate to survival and the presence of lung metastases. LSF and tumor burden were also assessed in a subset of patients who underwent genetic profiling with SNaPshot analysis. Results: Patients with higher LSF were more likely to have lung metastases and decreased survival, whereas tumor burden was not associated with these outcomes. Patients with genetic mutations had significantly higher LSF than patients with no mutations. Patients who received chemotherapy before SIRT and had low LSF had the longest survival after SIRT. Conclusions: LSF may be a more robust marker of metastasis than tumor size. Increased LSF secondary to vascular shunting within liver metastasis is an indicator of distant lesions and is associated with decreased survival after SIRT. Intratumoral shunting may provide a conduit for circulating tumor cells to access more remote organs, bypassing filtration by liver parenchyma, and may be an important factor in metastasis from colorectal cancer.
The design of a clinical trial when there are two categories of patients

Strategies are investigated for selecting one of two medical treatments when patients may be stratified into two distinct categories on the basis of their expected difference in response to the two treatments. The relative effectiveness of the following three strategies are assessed: (1) separate decisions made independently for the two categories, (2) a single overall decision made on the basis of simple pooling, and (3) the Bayes strategy.
Maltreatment‐Related Fatalities: Issues of Policy and Prevention*

Maltreatment-related child fatalities, despite their relatively infrequent occurrence, constitute a serious social problem. Based on a review of national and unpublished state and local child fatality review team reports, we ascertained some risk factors that set parameters for prevention programs. Children under age four, and in particular those under age two, are at highest risk for maltreatment-related fatalities. Neglect-related deaths occur almost as often as abuse-related ones. Unrelieved crying and toilet training problems are “triggers” for assaults on young children. Males are frequently involved in abuse-related fatalities. People in their mid-twenties, rather than teenage parents are the most frequent perpetrators. About a third of maltreatment-related fatalities were known to child protective services. Implications of these findings, as well as the problem of predicting infrequently occurring events, are discussed in relation to programs of prevention.
Ethical considerations of clinical use of Miranda-like warnings.

Psychiatrists and other psychotherapists are not generally required to provideMiranda-like warnings to their patients. Even so, many psychotherapists issue such warnings before encountering clinical situations that frequently arise in general clinical practice and have potential involvement with the legal system. Ethical considerations of whether to utilizeMiranda-like warnings in common clinical situations such as involuntary hospitalization, the duty to warn and protect, and suspected child abuse reporting, are explored.
Thermodynamics and phase equilibria of the Al–Fe–Gd metallic glass-forming system

Abstract Owing to its importance as a metallic glass-forming system, the ternary Al–Fe–Gd system in its Al-rich corner was examined experimentally to assist in a thermodynamic assessment of this system. X-ray diffraction and TEM–EDS results from annealed specimens confirmed the solid-state equilibria reported previously. Differential thermal analysis of 24 alloys yielded critical temperatures pertaining to the solid–liquid equilibria. A self-consistent thermodynamic database for the Al–Fe–Gd system was developed using the CALPHAD approach. Parameters describing the Gibbs free energy of various phases of the Al–Gd and Al–Fe–Gd systems were manually optimized in this study. Phase equilibria calculations carried out with these parameters showed good agreement with DTA data from this and other studies, as well as thermochemical data reported previously. Several critical issues surrounding metallic glass formation and its subsequent micro-structural evolution upon heating are discussed in light of these results.
E2 Isovector Giant Resonance as Seen through the Capture of Fast Neutrons

The forward-to-backward asymmetry of high-energy photons, emitted in the radiative capture of neutrons with energies up to 20 MeV, was measured for /sup 208/Pb. The asymmetry increases abruptly from small values to large ones near E..gamma.. approx. 23 MeV, supporting the location in that neighborhood of the E2 giant isovector resonance.
Short tandem repeat polymorphic markers for the rat genome from marker-selected libraries

In an effort to generate a genome-wide set of high-quality polymorphic markers for the rat, we used the marker-selection method, which has already been proven useful for the development of markers, especially for the human genome. Small-insert (300-900 bp) rat genomic libraries were constructed with an estimated complexity of three genome equivalents and enriched for short tandem repeat sequences (STRs). The enriched libraries were found to contain 45% (CA)n and 27% (GATA)n, representing at least a 50-fold enrichment over unselected small insert genomic libraries. A subset of 2160 STR-containing clones, primarily of the (GATA)n class of repeats, were sequenced. PCR primers flanking the repeats were synthesized from some of the sequences from the (CA)n and (GATA)n classes of STRs and tested for polymorphism in a panel of eight inbred rat strains. This strategy yielded 147 polymorphic markers, which mapped with high odds to all chromosomes by linkage in three F2 populations. The integration of these STR markers with other rat genetic markers and mapping reagents will facilitate the mapping of disease genes in the rat and the identification of loci associated with complex mammalian phenotypes.
Thermally Responsive Structures for Gastric Pacing and Other Applications

We report on the development of a polymeric layer consisting of an embedded channel network. The channels are filled with a thermally responsive polymer. The embedded thermally responsive polymer is in solid phase in room ambient, but changes to liquid at physiological body temperature (∼37 °C). This phase change results in the polymer structure changing to a more flexible state. An important application of this polymer layer is its use as a thermally regulated support structure for a gastric pacing electrode, to give some rigidity to the electrode body preferable during implantation surgery, while changing to a more flexible state inside the body as the embedded polymer subsequently melts at physiological temperature. The latter is expected to reduce complications caused by a rigid device.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
DEPOLARIZED RAYLEIGH SCATTERING IN LIQUIDS.

Depolarized Rayleigh scattering was investigated in several organic liquids using both grating and interferometer analyzing instruments. Direct experimental measurements were made of the frequency shift of the shear doublet as a function of temperature and scattering angle and of the complete depolarized half-intensity width as a function of temperature at a fixed scattering angle. The values thus obtained were combined to determine the temperature dependence of the coupling parameter for one of the liquids.