cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Behavioral Perspective on Transmuting Successive Multi-session Web Searches

Multi-session successive information searches are common and could have great implications for effective Web site design. This paper intends to enhance the understanding of successive information searches by observing how the behavioral characteristics of the searchers evolve over sessions. It focuses on a specific type of successive searches called transmuting successive searches, where the searchers learn about and gradually refine their information problems along the course of information searches. The results show that the searchers’ behavioral characteristics indeed exhibit different patterns in different sessions. The results also help validate a theoretical model in explaining successive searches and help revise system requirements for supporting the concerned search behavior.
Copycat Private Labels Improve the Consumer Shopping Experience: A Fluency Perspective

A top priority among retailers is enhancing the consumer’s shopping experience. With the number of private label products increasing at the same time retailers are shedding slower moving products, understanding how private labels impact the consumer’s experience at the retail shelf becomes critical. While one might think that private labels, in particular those that look similar to their national brand counterparts (i.e., copycat private labels), may hinder the shopping experience by making it more difficult for consumers to choose a product, we find the exact opposite. Adopting a fluency perspective, we show that when copycat private labels are included in a shelf set, consumers with high knowledge of the category experience greater choice ease, and as a result they subsequently evaluate their chosen product more favorably. Importantly, the choice ease and evaluations of novice consumers are found to be unaffected. Consequently, this research provides insights for retailers and manufacturers on how and why copycat private labels positively impact an important aspect of the consumer’s shopping experience (i.e., choice ease).
The aetiology of the non-ossifying fibroma of the distal femur and its relationship to the surrounding soft tissues.

AbstractPurposeWe aim to retrospectively evaluate patients with non-ossifying fibroma (NOF) of the distal femur by radiographs, CT and MRI, and to provide a theory describing the reasoning for the distal femur NOF’s location and aetiology.MethodsCharts of patients with NOFs between 2003 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria encompassed a diagnosis of NOF of the distal femur by imaging, and histologically, if available. Radiographs, CT and MRI were used to characterise the relationship of the NOF lesions with the surrounding soft tissues.ResultsThe 68 NOFs from 60 patients were included. By radiograph, 41 (60.3%) of the 68 lesions appeared at the medial and 25 (36.7%) at the lateral aspect of the distal femur. In total, 41 lesions had CT scans, showing 22 NOFs (53.7%) attached to the origin of the medial gastrocnemius, 12 (29.3%) to the origin of the lateral gastrocnemius and four (9.8%) at the attachment of the adductor magnus. Of the CT scans, 93% identified the NOF’s relationship wi...
A Note on Frege's and Russell's Influence on Wittgenstein's Tractatus

I n the Preface to the Tractatus I Wittgenstein acknowledges only Frege and Russell: "I will only mention that I am indebted to Frege's great [grossartigen] works and writings of my friend Mr. Bertrand Russell for much of the stimulation of my thoughts."2 Many important commentators have detected a slant towards Frege. Wittgenstein's reference to Frege's "great works" is, prima facie, stronger than his praise for Russell. This has had a profound influence on generations of commentators. Dummett writes, "The Tractatus pays a profound homage to Frege, homage that is pointedly more intense than that paid to Russell."3 Anscombe writes that "His [LW's] relative estimate of [Frege and Russell] comes out in the acknowledgements he
Exponentially harmonic maps between Finsler manifolds

Exponentially harmonic maps and harmonic maps are different. In this paper, we derive the first and second variations of the exponential energy of a smooth map between Finsler manifolds. We show that a non-constant exponentially harmonic map f from a unit m-sphere $$S^m$$ ( $$m\ge 3$$ ) into a Finsler manifold is stable in case $$|df|^2\ge m- 2$$ , and is unstable in case $$|df|^2< m-2$$ .
Food security and democracy: do inclusive institutions matter?

ABSTRACTFood security and inclusive institutions are increasingly acknowledged as fundamental dimensions of development, given their role in promoting long-run economic growth and stability. We explore the nexus between achievements in democratisation and food security in low- and middle-income countries, through an analysis of a panel of 106 countries observed from 1990 to 2012. We find that democratisation processes are associated with improved food security, and that the former systematically precedes the latter, shaping a temporal dependence path. We argue that the inclusiveness of democratic institutions is important in explaining this relationship.
CO2 reaction with Ca(OH)2 during SO2 removal with convective pass sorbent injection and high temperature filtration

The Kyoto Protocol calls for greenhouse gas emission reductions which could affect the use of coal for producing electricity. Carbon credits are being explored as a method for countries to meet their reduction commitments. Carbon dioxide removal in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems should be considered if and when the concept of carbon credits are implemented. This paper addresses the factors affecting sulfur dioxide removal, including the reaction of carbon dioxide, occurring during convective pass sorbent injection with high temperature filtration for a typical coal-fired power plant. Significant carbonation is found to occur, and the levels are found to depend on injection/filtration temperatures and the residence time on the filter. Ca/S stoichiometry during sorbent injection is found to affect not only the sorbent conversions in the convective pass sorbent injection stage but also the final sorbent conversions in the filtration stage. Even though high sorbent carbonation hinders the sorbent utilization for SO2 removal, slight alterations in CO2 concentration are found to have no significant effects on the SO2 removal of the process.
Hominin Adaptability and Patterns of Faunal Turnover in the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition in the Levant

The Levant is one of the key regions to document hominin dispersal from Africa into Eurasia. The number of dispersals, continuity of populations within the region, and the role of the region as a corridor or as a ‘cul de sac’ are focal questions in understanding the scenario of early hominin adaptability in the Lower Paleolithic, and specifically, during the transition between the Early and Middle Pleistocene.
Oxygen supply to nodules as a limiting factor in symbiotic nitrogen fixation

The rate of nitrogen fixation per unit dry weight of nodules (specific nodule activity) typically increases with increasing rhizosphere pO2 but is not ordinarily limited by photosynthate supply. Therefore, oxygen supply for nodule respiration is the most direct limiting factor of specific nodule activity. Nodule permeability to oxygen varies with temperature and water status, and may be under physiological control. Adequate soil moisture can increase the rate and duration of nitrogen fixation.
Keynote 3: Computing with Membranes: An Overview

Title Computing with Membranes: An Overview Author Oscar H. Ibarra (Professor, University of California) Abstract Membrane computing is a branch of molecular computing that aims to develop models and paradigms that are biologically motivated. It identifies an unconventional computing model, namely a P system, which abstracts from the way living cells process chemical compounds in their compartmental structure. P systems are a class of distributed maximally parallel computing devices of a biochemical type. We present an overview of the area and discuss recent results that answer some interesting and fundamental open questions concerning these systems.
Ballot Fees as Impermissible Qualifications for Federal Office

Introduction 1283 I. A Brief History of Qualifications and Ballots 1286 A. The First Hundred Years 1286 1. Ballots 1286 2. Qualifications 1290 3. Nominating procedures 1294 B. Post-Bellum Changes in the Electoral Process 1296 II. The Modern Statutory Framework 1306 III. Comparing Property Qualifications 1313 A. Equal Protection Limitations on Property Qualifications 1314 B. The Federal Qualifications Clauses 1317 IV. Ballot Fees as Qualifications 1329 A. Fees as Property 1330 B. The Problem of Size 1336 C. Comparing Ballot Fees 1340 Conclusion 1352
Wakening “The Eyes of Dreamers”: Revenge in Carson McCullers’s The Ballad of the Sad Café

This chapter inverts negative associations with revenge to contend that, in Carson McCullers’s The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, acts of retribution function, not to punish, exact loss, and generate misery, but to perpetuate hope and initiate change. Further, the chapter reveals how the author, steeped in the work of Carl Jung, uses suffering that originates from acts of revenge to prompt individuation. Revenge, and the clarity and finality it provides, allows for the possibility of new beginnings. Finally, the chapter argues that for the McCullers’s novella uses the theme of revenge to illustrate how a departure from transference upon an unknowable other initiates communion with a faithful divine.
Multi-Robot Coordination Through Mobile Agent

Robots can protect humans from risk in many applications, such as search and rescue, outer-space exploration, and toxic cleanup. Multi-robot systems have a huge potential to benefit versatile applications through reconfiguring heterogeneous or homogeneous robots in different ways. This paper presents the design and implementation of RoboCoop, a mobile agent-based framework for automatic coordination of multi-robot systems. RoboCoop consists of several modules, such as knowledge base, Input/Output, task procession/execution, and-sensor reading. The agent-based framework utilizes the innate advantages of themulti-threading of each agent, such that each module can run persistently without blocking others. Modules can exchange information and data through inter-agent communication based on the standards of the Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA). The presented framework allows robots to coordinate, manage, and execute tasks automatically. Also, a backup mechanism is developed to ensure the robustness of robot systems. Moreover, it allows customized algorithms and strategies for task allocation, and execution. A box-pushing mission has been studied to validate the performance of the proposed cooperation framework in several folds, such as task allocation, path planning and motion synchronization. In this validation, boxes need to be assigned to a two-robot team for them to push to a designated position. The A* path planning algorithm is used for robots to drive to the box location. While the robot can push small boxes independently, the big boxes require two robots pushing simultaneously such that the box can move straight to the location.
Criticizing Visual Culture Through Fashion Design and Role-Playing

It has always been a professional goal of mine to design lessons that provide meaningful opportunities for students to explore deeper connections with art in their daily lives. As a junior high art...
Military community colleges: an introductory examination

ABSTRACTThis paper provides an introductory examination of a unique niche in higher education: Military Community Colleges. Through an overview that highlights the characteristics of the four milit...
Antisemitism in Contemporary America

Antisemitism is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted of all forms of inter-group hatred. Prejudice and bigotry against Jews have many aspects, combining religious intolerance, economic stereotypes, suspicions of disloyalty, and other factors. But while antisemitism is a persistent and enduring societal blight, it is not static and immutable. Antisemitic beliefs do change over time and the level and nature of prejudicial attitudes and anti-Jewish behaviors do wax and wane. As a complex and dynamic societal feature, the state of antisemitism needs to be closely examined and its contemporary manifestations carefully investigated and assessed.
Self-assembly of 3D nanostructures in electrospun polycaprolactone-polyaniline fibers and their application as scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract The fabrication of synthetic scaffolds that mimic the microenvironment of cells is a crucial challenge in materials science. The honeycomb morphology is one such bio-mimicking structure that possesses unique physical properties and high packing efficiency in a 3-dimensional space. Here, we present a novel method for electrospinning polycaprolactone-polyaniline with continuous, self-assembled, uniform, interwoven nanofibers forming patterns without the use of templates or porogens. By using the approach presented here, unique architectures mimicking the natural mechanical anisotropy of extracellular matrix were created by varying the electric field. Adult human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) cells were successfully cultured on the nanofiber scaffolds without any external growth factors or post-processing of the nanofibers and compared to a commercially available dermal template. Our data indicates that despite identical chemical composition, the physical properties impact cell attachment, alignment and penetration into the scaffold. The mechanical strength of the fibers also plays a role with a distinct preference to fibers with high stiffness and ultimate tensile strength. Thus, by tuning the electric field, fibers with different physical properties and patterns can be fabricated for different applications.
Bayesian probability of agreement for comparing the similarity of response surfaces

For a variety of linear and generalized linear models, there may be interest in evaluating whether the expected response values in two different populations are sufficiently similar to be considere...
Pentraxin 3 Regulates miR-21 Expression and Secretion in Brown Adipocytes During Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation.

Objective This study investigates the role of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in the regulation of inflammatory homeostasis involving anti-inflammatory miR-21 during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in adipocytes. Methods Using PTX3 knockout (PTX3 KO) mouse and primary stromal vascular cell models, this study determined the effect of PTX3 deficiency on the expression and secretion of miR-21 in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and brown adipocytes as well as the rescue effect of recombinant PTX3 on miR-21 during LPS-induced inflammation. Results Among three fat depots, BAT was the major tissue and fully differentiated brown adipocytes were the major cells that expressed miRNA-processing enzymes and produced miRNA. Moreover, brown adipocytes, but not stromal vascular cells, were the LPS-responsive cells in miR-21 production. PTX3 deficiency attenuated LPS-stimulated upregulation of miR-21 in sera and BAT. In wild-type brown adipocytes, LPS stimulation significantly upregulated cellular miR-21. Interestingly, this stimulatory effect of LPS was attenuated, and cellular and secreted miR-21 levels were reduced in PTX3 KO cells upon LPS stimulation. Treatment of recombinant PTX3 reversed the cellular and secreted levels of miR-21 and attenuated an LPS-stimulated increase in the expression of Tnf-α and Mcp1 genes in PTX3 KO adipocytes. Conclusions PTX3 plays an anti-inflammatory role, in part through regulating miR-21 expression and secretion.
The Future College Student

This special issue focused on the “contemporary college student,” but we would be remiss if we did not at least consider the future college student as well. To do so requires us first to consider t...
Urine Based Tests in the Diagnosis of Genitourinary Cancers

This chapter will discuss some of the currently available urine markers for bladder cancer and prostate cancer and the appropriate clinical scenarios in which each test may be used. Given the complexity of urine testing for malignancy, urologists are best equipped to order these tests and interpret the results in the clinical context of each patient. The tests presented here should not be ordered in the primary care setting.
Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials as polymerization catalysts: a review and recent advances

Synthetic polymers are ubiquitous across both the industrial and consumer segments of the world economy. Catalysts enable rapid, efficient, selective, and even stereoselective, formation of desired polymers from any of a host of candidate monomers. While numerous molecular catalysts have been shown to be effective for these reactions, separation of the catalysts from reaction products is typically difficult - a potentially problematic complication that suggests instead the use of heterogeneous catalysts. Many of the most effective heterogeneous catalysts, however, comprise supported collections of reaction centres that are decidedly nonuniform in their composition, siting, and activity. Nonuniformity complicates atomic-scale evaluation of the basis for catalytic activity and thus impedes scientific hypothesis-driven understanding and development of superior catalysts. In view of the fundamental desirability of structural and chemical uniformity at the meso, nano, and even atomic scale, crystallographically well-defined, high-porosity metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted attention as model catalysts and/or catalyst-supports for a wide variety of chemical transformations. In the realm of synthetic polymers, catalyst-functionalized MOFs have been studied for reactions ranging from coordination-mediated polymerization of ethylene to visible-light initiated radical polymerizations. Nevertheless, many polymerization reactions remain to be explored - and, no doubt, will be explored, given the remarkable structural and compositional diversity of attainable MOFs. Noteworthy emerging studies include work directed toward more sophisticated catalytic schemes such as polymer templating using MOF pore architectures and tandem copolymerizations using MOF-supported reaction centres. Finally, it is appropriate to recognize that MOFs themselves are synthetic polymers - albeit, uncoventional ones.
DIRECT OBSERVATION OF SOLAR CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS BY VECTOR TOMOGRAPHY OF THE CORONAL EMISSION LINE POLARIZATIONS

We present the first direct "observation" of the global-scale, 3D coronal magnetic fields of Carrington Rotation (CR) Cycle 2112 using vector tomographic inversion techniques. The vector tomographic inversion uses measurements of the Fe xiii 10747 A Hanle effect polarization signals by the Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) and 3D coronal density and temperature derived from scalar tomographic inversion of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) coronal emission lines (CELs) intensity images as inputs to derive a coronal magnetic field model that best reproduces the observed polarization signals. While independent verifications of the vector tomography results cannot be performed, we compared the tomography inverted coronal magnetic fields with those constructed by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations based on observed photospheric magnetic fields of CR 2112 and 2113. We found that the MHD model for CR 2112 is qualitatively consistent with the tomography inverted result for most of the reconstruction domain except for several regions. Particularly, for one of the most noticeable regions, we found that the MHD simulation for CR 2113 predicted a model that more closely resembles the vector tomography inverted magnetic fields. In another case, our tomographic reconstruction predicted an open magnetic field at a region where a coronal hole can be seen directly from a STEREO-B/EUVI image. We discuss the utilities and limitations of the tomographic inversion technique, and present ideas for future developments.
Imagining Religious Communities. Transnational Hindus and Their Narrative Performances: by Jennifer B. Saunders, Oxford University Press, New York, 2019, xi + 246 pp., US$105.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-019-094122-2

Jennifer B. Saunders, known as a co-editor of Intersections of Religion and Migration (2016), returns in this volume to the work that first put her on the path to such concerns. Her research, initi...
Sensitivity analyses in pragmatic randomized clinical trials

Abstract Sensitivity analyses challenge assumptions made during the design and analysis of a study to ensure results are robust to changes in these assumptions. The pragmatic nature of pragmatic randomized trials (pRCTs), including expanded eligibility criteria, reliance on standard care practices, and use of data collected in the course of routine clinical care, make these studies more susceptible to bias than traditional randomized trials. Therefore, sensitivity analyses can provide vital information to support or refute the results of pRCTs and aid in interpretation of results. Issues such as selection bias, confounding, and misclassification can be addressed in these analyses, often using techniques employed for observational studies. Sensitivity analyses should be pre-specified during trial feasibility assessments and protocol development. This ensures primary data collection studies collect necessary data to complete important sensitivity analyses, raises awareness of what data is lacking in secondary data sources, and promotes less post-hoc unplanned exploratory analysis.
Black or Right: anti/racist campus rhetorics: by Louis M. Maraj, Louisville, Utah State University Press, 2020, 208 pages, $25.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-64642-146-6

Our contemporary era has been characterized by, on the one hand, persistent and increasingly visible legacies of anti-Black violence, and on the other, state-sanctioned celebrations of “diversity,”...
Aristotle 384–322 BC

The classic Greek philosopher known as Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece to a father who was the physician to the local king. At 18 years of age, he joined philosopher Plato’s Academy in Athens where he stayed until Plato’s death in 347 BCE. At that time, the ruler of Greece, Philip II of Macedon, requested him to tutor his son Alexander the Great, which he did for 33 years. Aristotle is often recognized as the World’s first scientist. Tutoring Alexander provided various opportunities for Aristotle one of which was to set up in 335 BCE the Lyceum and its library in Athens, the leading educational facility of the time, where he taught until 323 BCE. Here, he is believed to have authored most of his written works.
Distributing Public Housing Resources

The spatial distribution of scarce public housing presents a complex problem to public decision makers. Conflicting goals, availability of public support facilities, and a host of socioeconomic variables must be considered. In effect, the planner is placed in the position of having to simulate an efficient market for a nonpriced product. A variety of mathematical models have been developed to deal with the problem. This paper presents background, a review of models, and an application of three different approaches using South Carolina data. Problems associated with each approach are identified.
Reverse engineering vector quantizers by training set synthesis

In this paper we present a technique for reverse engineering vector quantizers by synthesizing a training set that has similar statistics to the original training set used in designing the vector quantizer. Most VQ codebooks are designed using the LBG or generalized Lloyd algorithm which is similar to the construction of nonuniform bin histograms. Thus the VQ codebook and the number of training set vectors allocated to each of its codebook vectors is an approximation of the underlying pdf of the training set. This observation is used to synthesize a training set that has a histogram similar to the original training set. This synthesized training set can be used to construct VQs to describe subspaces of the original vector space or spaces transformed by a linear transformation.
Design and implementation of a fault tolerant time triggered CAN system and the related issues

The continuous demand for fuel efficiency requires the use of drive-by-wire technology. Steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire are examples of drive-by-wire technology. CAN is a good protocol for various vehicle modules to communicate over a single bus. With CAN, safety critical messages might not be received and transmitted within certain specified latencies. The need to receive and deliver safety critical messages on time pushed the researchers to come up with a better communication protocol. The time-triggered CAN (TTCAN) system can guarantee deterministic latencies provided there are no faults in the system. TTCAN protocol does not allow retransmission of a message if the message failed to go due to the presence of errors. Thus, if a fault occurs during the transmission of a safety critical message, the message will not be able to go to its destination node. As a result, the safety of the vehicle and the occupants will be compromised. This paper presents the design and implementation of a fault tolerant TTCAN system on the top of a standard CAN system without requiring any modifications within the CAN controller chips. The paper also discusses some issues related to the implementation of the fault tolerant TTCAN system.
Engineering style: toward more efficient communication

It is pointed out that linguistic research has provided new tools for improving stylistic efficiency. These tools are at once more sophisticated than the usual simplistic advice and more likely to yield useful results than even perennial favorite style books. However, to fully make use of them, some perhaps subconscious assumptions about writing may have to be confronted and revised. Improvements in stylistic efficiency come from aligning word order with reader's expectations so as to restrict the reader's interpretive latitude. >
Sialidase activities of cultured human fibroblasts and the metabolism of GM3 ganglioside

Free sialic acid has been found in the cell-conditioned medium of human foreskin fibroblasts. It is proposed that the accumulation of extracellular sialic acid may result from the hydrolysis of GM3 ganglioside on the cell surface of these fibroblasts. Sialidase activities with GM3 ganglioside and sialyllactitol as substrates were demonstrated in cell-conditioned medium, and the levels of their activities correlated positively with cell density. The GM3 sialidase activity at pH 4.5 was 4.1 and 38 pmol/h/ml of medium at sparse and confluent densities, respectively; the corresponding activities with sialyllactitol as the substrate were 12 and 75 pmol/h/ml of medium (pH 4.5). The pH versus activity profiles with GM3 as the substrate suggested the presence of a second sialidase with an optimal activity at pH 6.5 in the conditioned medium of preconfluent cells. This activity was virtually absent in the medium of contact-inhibited cells and could not be assayed with sialyllactitol as the substrate. The turnover of cell surface GM3 was assessed by pulse labeling human foreskin fibroblasts with a radioactive precursor of sialic acid ([1-14C]N-acetylmannosamine) and a radioactive precursor of ceramide ([3,3-3H2]serine). During a chase period of 24 h turnover of the doubly labeled cellular GM3 was observed; there was a loss of about 35% of the 14C-labeled sialic acid without any measureable loss of 3H-labeled ceramide from GM3. We have speculated that the enzyme-catalyzed removal of sialic acid from the GM3 ganglioside on the extracellular aspect of the plasma membrane may be a necessary event involved in the modulation of cell growth.
The Estimation of Phytoplankton Production in the Ocean from Chlorophyll and Light Data1

The relationship was determined between photosynthetic rate at light saturation and chlorophyll content in natural populations and cultures of marine phytoplankton. A mean value of 3.7 g C assimilated/hour/g chlorophyll was obtained from the experimental results and from data present in the literature. A method is described by means of which organic production beneath a unit of sea surface may be estimated from the chlorophyll content of the water, the total daily solar radiation reaching the sea surface, and the extinction coefficient of visible light in the water column. Production values calculated by this method are compared with values obtained by in situ productivity measurements.
Seasonal Production and Bacterial Utilization of Doc in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Heterotrophic picoplankton, including Bacteria and Archaea, form a major, often dominant component of the euphotic zone biomass throughout much of the world ocean. In Antarctic waters however, the bacterial biomass is a much smaller fraction of the total plankton stock, at least during the Austral summer. In the Ross Sea during the 1996-1997 growing season, bacterial abundance reached a peak of 2-3 x 10 cells liter-!, comparable to peak levels in the fertile regions of the world ocean, but bacterial biomass was a paltry 5% of the phytoplankton stock. Bacterial production ranged from <1 to 22% of the daily primary production, averaging 6% during October-April. Bacterial abundance and production were significantly correlated with the accumulation of semilabile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) over the growing season, indicating the importance of this carbon pool as a source of bacterial nutrition. Bacterial production increased prior to any increase in temperature. The semilabile DOC is entirely consumed by the end of the growing season. A microbial carbon budget based on these observations suggests that ca. 30% of the total annual primary production is metabolized by bacteria. Bacterioplankton biomass accumulation and production rates are regulated by the amount of labile dissolved organic carbon produced on seasonal times cales in the upper 150 m of the Ross Sea. This relationship argues for the predominance of bottom-up control of bacterial standing stocks in these waters, possibly in contrast to other Antarctic coastal regions.
The Structure of a Melittin-Stabilized Pore

Melittin has been reported to form toroidal pores under certain conditions, but the atomic-resolution structure of these pores is unknown. A 9-μs all-atom molecular-dynamics simulation starting from a closely packed transmembrane melittin tetramer in DMPC shows formation of a toroidal pore after 1 μs. The pore remains stable with a roughly constant radius for the rest of the simulation. Surprisingly, one or two melittin monomers frequently transition between transmembrane and surface states. All four peptides are largely helical. A simulation in a DMPC/DMPG membrane did not lead to a stable pore, consistent with the experimentally observed lower activity of melittin on anionic membranes. The picture that emerges from this work is rather close to the classical toroidal pore, but more dynamic with respect to the configuration of the peptides.
An 8GHz floating-point multiply

The implementation of the mantissa portion of a floating-point multiply (54/spl times/54b) is described. The 0.124mm/sup 2/ multiplier is implemented using limited switch dynamic logic and operates at speeds up to 8GHz in a 90nm SOI technology. The multiplier dissipates between 150mW and 1.8W as it scales between 2GHz and 8GHz.
Duration of postpartum amenorrhea in successive pregnancies.

Abstract In a previous study concerning mothers who were delivered of babies in 1963, it was shown that although lactation increaud the over-all duration of amenorrhea, a considerable number of women menstruated early despite breast feeding. The hypothesis is advanced that women present a consistent postpartum amenorrhea pattern. For those women who gave birth to a subsequent child prior to December, 1965, data were again collected concerning duration of lactation and postpartum amenorrhea. It was found that women who experienced relatively long amenorrhea with one baby tended to do the same with the next baby, and women who experienced relatively short amenorrhea tended to repeat that pattern. The hypothesis seems to be confirmed.
The causes and treatment of secondary dyspareunia

Abstract 1. 1. The confusion in the study of dyspareunia results directly from a terminologic discordancy and the widespread apathy of the medical profession toward this problem. 2. 2. The causes of secondary dyspareunia are grouped according to the major underlying factors, into anatomic, inflammatory, neoplastic, surgical, and miscellaneous groups. 3. 3. The correct treatment is dependent upon the identification of the underlying cause and the proper evaluation of the so-called intangible factors. 4. 4. Though pathologic changes or structural defects can be demonstrated in most instances, full cognizance must be taken of the psychic factor. 5. 5. The importance of prevention therapy is overlooked. Not only are premarital examination and instruction valuable, but a fuller appreciation by the physician of the need of a discriminatory selection of types of treatment is sorely needed. 6. 6. From the gynecologic point, the most frequent single cause of dyspareunia is the attempt to apply routine surgical methods without individualizing indications.
Energy systems for FAU AUVs [autonomous underwater vehicles]

The AUV research program at Florida Atlantic University (USA) has focused its design efforts on battery powered AUVs, developing both the battery packs and power distribution systems that provide a robust energy system for the AUV. This paper focuses on the development of our energy systems on their 3 AUVs (Ocean Voyager II, Ocean Explorer and Morpheus) in terms of battery pack arrangements and power distribution systems.
eResponder: Electronic Question Responder

With the complexity of systems increasing, support centers are flooded with questions submitted by e-mail, by Web, or by phone. This paper describes eResponder, a system which provides an integrated solution for automatic responses to user questions. eResponder stores question and answer pairs that have previously been asked. These pairs can be used to either provide an immediate response to user questions, or to assist customer service representatives in drafting new responses to similar questions or to yet unanswered questions. Users submit free text questions to the system via one unified interface. When a new question arrives, the system searches its databases for similar questions as well as for relevant answers and finds the most relevant Q&A pair based on both these measures. eResponder provides a relevance feedback mechanism and an answer summarizer to assist CSR’s in creating new responses. The results of an experiment conducted to evaluate the system performance show that the combination of independent question and answer scores yields high precision search results.
Democratic Technologies of Speech: From WWII America to Postcolonial Delhi

This article traces putatively democratic speech and interactional techniques from their development during WWII to their translation into postindependence Delhi community development projects led by Ford Foundation consultants. Moving beyond a focus on high-level development discourse, this article describes the techniques of speech through which development was brought to ground and the ways of speaking that community development promoted in its target populations. The deployment of these techniques in Delhi shows how the promotion of democracy aggressively attacked existing forms of sociality within the city. [speech genres, democracy, technology, development, India]
Delegation in Multi‐Establishment Firms: Evidence from I.T. Purchasing

Recent contributions to a growing theory literature have focused on the tradeoff between adaptation and coordination in determining delegation within firms. Empirical evidence, however, is limited. Using establishment-level data on decision rights over information technology investments, I find that a high net value of adaptation is strongly associated with delegation, as are local information advantages and firm-wide diversification; in contrast, a high net value of within-firm coordination is correlated with centralization. Variation across establishments within firms is widespread: most firms are neither fully centralized nor fully decentralized. Delegation patterns are largely consistent with standard team-theory predictions; however, certain findings, such as a negative correlation between delegation and firm size, call for a consideration of agency costs as well.
A High Speed ADC for Rabbit System Data Acquisition

A new ADC module for use in the Rabbit data aquisition system is described. It offers significantly increased speed while maintaining the resolution required for a variety of high energy particle detectors. The speed increase is achieved by the use of floating point analog to digital conversion.
Tribological and Thermal Effects of Cutting Fluid Application in Machining With Coated and Grooved Cutting Tools

The use of Cutting Fluids (CFs) in machining operations is being increasingly questioned in recent years for environmental and economic reasons, leading to efforts in promoting dry, as well as minimal quantity of lubricant (MQL), machining. However, the tribological effectiveness and thermal aspects of CF action at modern cutting conditions, which not only involve relatively high cutting speeds but also advanced tool coatings and chip-breaking geometric features, need better understanding. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the effects of different CF application methods on various machining performance measures while cutting with commercially available flat-faced, as well as grooved, uncoated and coated cemented tungsten carbide tools. CF effects under dry, flood, and MQL conditions, were gauged through their influence on cutting forces, tool temperatures, tool-chip interfacial contact, and chip morphology during machining of AISI 1045 steel. The results show new trends on the individual cooling and lubricating effects of CF application methods, and the effects of their interactions with the tool coatings and the presence/absence of chip-breaking grooves.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Expression of Tn9-derived chloramphenicol resistance in Bacillus subtilis.

The ability of cells to discriminate between homologous and foreign genes manifests itself differently from one species to the next. Escherichia coli is well known for its ability to express genes from various donor species, including Bacillus subtilis1,2. In contrast, B. subtilis strongly discriminates against the expression of E. coli genes (there have been no corroborated reports of the expression of a wholly intact E. coli gene in B. subtilis) but expresses genes from other Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus3. This apparent asymmetry in the expression of heterologous genes between E. coli and B. subtilis may reflect fundamental differences in the mechanisms of gene expression in these two model systems. Here, we have overcome the inability of B. subtilis to express E. coli chloramphenicol resistance (Cmr) by supplanting the native regulatory element(s) of this Tn9-derived gene with B. subtilis DNA fragments, which represents the first step towards dissecting the nature of this asymmetric barrier to gene expression.
Determination of ketoconazole in the plasma, liver, lung and adrenal of the rat by high-performance liquid chromatography.

An accurate and precise procedure for the rapid analysis of ketoconazole in the lung, liver, plasma and adrenal gland of the rat has been developed. Separation of the drug from endogenous substances was achieved by solid-phase extraction followed by reversed-phase chromatography on a Novapak C18 column using a mobile phase of methanol—acetonitrile-0.02 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) (35:30:35). Depending on the tissue, the recoveries of ketoconazole and clotrimazole, which was used as an internal standard, ranged between 85.0 to 93.6% and 79.3 to 84.1%, respectively. The reproducibility of the assay was between 3 and 4%, depending on the tissue involved. The sensitivity of the procedure permitted the monitoring of ketoconazole levels for up to 24 h in the adrenal and up to 48 h for plasma, lung and liver, following oral administration of 150 mg/kg of the drug to male rats.
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of acute focal cerebral ischemia: comparison of signal intensity with changes in brain water and Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images from rats during acute cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion were analyzed for correspondence with changes in brain water, ...
Thymidylate synthase catalyzed H-transfers: two chapters in one tale.

Examination of the nature of different bond activations along the same catalytic path is of general interest in chemistry and biology. In this report, we compare the physical nature of two sequential H-transfers in the same enzymatic reaction. Thymidylate synthase (TSase) catalyzes a complex reaction that involves many chemical transformations including two different C−H bond cleavages, a rate-limiting C−H−C hydride transfer and a non-rate-limiting C−H−O proton transfer. Although the large kinetic complexity imposes difficulties in studying the proton transfer catalyzed by TSase, we are able to experimentally extract the intrinsic kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) on both steps. In contrast with the hydride transfer, the intrinsic KIEs of the proton transfer are temperature dependent. The results are interpreted within the framework of the Marcus-like model. This interpretation suggests that TSase optimizes the donor−acceptor geometries for the slower and overall rate-limiting hydride transfer but not for th...
Challenges Facing Pediatric Preparedness

This article is part of a collaborative effort by experts in the field of emergency preparedness to complete an overview begun by the late Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, on the current challenges and future directions in pediatric disaster readiness. This particular article, "Challenges Facing Pediatric Preparedness," will review some of the major challenges facing current efforts to enhance pediatric readiness.
Gene expression analysis of amniotic fluid: new biomarkers and novel antenatal treatments.

Over the past thirty years there has been a significant increase in the use of prenatal diagnosis to improve perinatal outcome. Frequently, at least in developed countries, this involves prenatal sonography to image fetal anatomy and detect congenital anomalies. This has led to a primarily surgical approach to fetal and neonatal treatment. While effective, this strategy has revealed little about fetal functional development. Since 2005, our laboratory has explored the hypothesis that valuable fetal developmental gene expression information is present in amniotic fluid (AF). In pilot studies performed using large quantities of amniotic fluid obtained from pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios, we showed that cell-free fetal messenger RNA (cff mRNA) could be successfully hybridized to gene expression microarrays. Comparative analyses of the arrays from different subjects demonstrated that fetal gene expression changes could be detected as a result of fetal sex, gestational age, and disease status [1]. Furthermore, we showed that cff mRNA in AF originated from the fetus and not the placenta, which suggested that AF could be used directly to analyze fetal development and well-being. AF is widely available but generally under-utilized [2]. It is obtained primarily for fetal chromosome analysis and alpha-fetoprotein measurement to diagnose open neural tube defects. AF is an excellent source of material for research, as large quantities of supernatant are obtained for clinical diagnosis and then discarded, samples generally have correlated medical record and karyotype information available, and there is no contamination by maternal nucleic acids [2]. AF provides a way to directly query fetal development from as early as 15 weeks of gestation. We have used cff mRNA in AF to identify new biomarkers of fetal disease, develop new insights into fetal pathophysiology, and to suggest new approaches to fetal treatment.
Bring It On: Proactive Coping with Discrimination

We investigated proactive coping with discrimination among heavy women in both a high impact lab study (101 women) and a daily diary study (62 women). Heavy women assessed greater harm and fewer coping resources for discriminatory, as compared to non-discriminatory, hassles (Study 2). Primary appraisals of harm were important determinants of proactive coping, including primary control (attempts to change the environment) and secondary control (attempts to change the self to fit the environment) directed at discriminatory stressors (Studies 1 and 2). When heavy women used primary control coping efforts, they experienced positive interpersonal outcomes (Study 1) and less negative intrapersonal outcomes (Study 2). We discuss the benefits and limitations of engaging in proactive coping and suggest avenues for future research.
Growth hormone secretory responsiveness to multiple injections of growth hormone-releasing factor in sheep

Abstract Growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) has been shown to be a potent and specific stimulant of growth hormone (GH) secretion in a variety of species. The objective of this series of experiments was to determine whether repeated iv bolus injections of GRF would increase circulating levels of GH, and thus have the potential to stimulate growth in young lambs. In lambs given three injections of hpGRF either one (.065 nmol/Kg) or two hours apart (.016 or .065 nmol/Kg), the GH secretory responses decreased significantly with each subsequent injection. Bolus injections of hpGRF (.016 nmol/Kg) given for three days in 15 Kg lambs resulted in development of refractoriness to subsequent injections. In lambs treated three and six times daily, basal plasma GH and SmC levels decreased progressively over the three day period. Older lambs (30 Kg) also became less responsive to hpGRF given once daily for three days, but the refractoriness was less pronounced than in 15 Kg lambs. In 30 Kg lambs treated once daily with bovine GRF (bGRF, .065 nmol/Kg), GH secretory responsiveness decreased progressively over a five day treatment period. Because of the severe refractoriness to GRF that developed in very young lambs, it was predicted that multiple injections over several weeks might result in suppression of growth. However, growth rate, feed intake and feed efficiency were not altered in 10 Kg lambs treated twice daily for three weeks with .065 nmol/Kg bGRF and there was no evidence of refractoriness to bGRF as determined every seven days. These results suggest that the refractoriness that develops with multiple bolus injections of GRF may not be long-lasting, and therefore will not have a negative impact on growth. However, there was no evidence that at the frequencies tested bolus injections of GRF could stimulate growth in young lambs.