cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graded Bit-Error-Correcting Codes With Applications to Flash Memory

Flash memory is a promising new storage technology. Supported by empirical data collected from a Flash memory device, we propose a class of codes that exploits the asymmetric nature of the error patterns in a Flash device using tensor product operations. We call these codes graded bit-error-correcting codes. As demonstrated on the data collected from a Flash chip, these codes significantly delay the onset of errors and therefore have the potential to prolong the lifetime of the memory device.
Debate as a Tool in Teaching Economics: Rationale, Technique, and Some Evidence

The debate format as discussed here is built around the theory that the teacher can increase the benefits of the traditional lecture format by using debate as a complementary tool and by fully integrating the two formats. The aim of the authors' integrative approach runs on two levels: one is to make debate a streamlined, integral part of course activities and the other is to promote both short-term learning and long-term goals of cultivating critical thinking and an inquisitive mind. Some evidence from the survey tends to substantiate the authors' expectations about short-term goals. Students found the debate format helpful in their learning and understanding of course material, improving comprehension of economic problems and issues, and reported that it enabled them see the relevance of economics. Their assessments of long-term objectives, although broadly favorable, were less consistent.
Serine protease inhibitors of North American leeches.

Abstract 1. 1. Serine protease inhibitors in extracts from three North American leeches, Nephelopsis obscura, Erpobdella punctata and Hemopis marmorata have been separated by anion exchange chromatography and the activity pattern against human granulocyte elastase and porcine chymotrypsin and trypsin determined. 2. 2. All three leech species contained a major peak with anti-trypsin activity, but Hemopis was unique in that the trypsin inhibitor was equally active against chymotrypsin. 3. 3. Nephelopsis was rich in anti-elastase activity of two types, one which was also active against chymotrypsin, and one which was a specific elastase inhibitor. 4. 4. Erpobdella contained inhibitors against elastase and chymotrypsin but with major activity against the latter.
Performance of an open-cycle desiccant cooling system using advanced desiccant matrices

Abstract The design and off-design performance of an open-cycle cooled-bed desiccant cooling system, using advanced desiccant matrices, is presented. The performance of the cooled-bed dehumidifier, the principle component of the cooling system, is simulated using a numerical model that includes the heat and mass transfer resistance within the desiccant. Sorption rates predicted by the model are first compared to the result of experimental tests in order to validate the model. The numerical model is then used to investigate the performance of a cooled-bed cooling system, operating in the recirculation mode, at variable indoor and outdoor conditions. The effect of regeneration temperature on the performance of the cooled-bed system is also documented.
Adaptive Acoustical-Environmental Assessment for the Focused Acoustic Field-05 At-sea Exercise

Variabilities in the coastal ocean environment span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. From an acoustic viewpoint, the limited oceanographic measurements and today's ocean modeling capabilities cannot always provide oceanic-acoustic predictions in sufficient detail and with enough accuracy. Adaptive Rapid Environmental Assessment (AREA) is a new adaptive sampling concept being developed in connection with the emergence of the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN) technology. By adaptively and optimally deploying in situ measurement resources and assimilating these data in coupled nested ocean and acoustic models, AREA can dramatically improve the ocean estimation that matters for acoustic predictions and so be essential for such predictions. These concepts are outlined and preliminary methods are developed and illustrated based on the Focused Acoustic Forecasting-05 (FAF05) exercise. During FAF05, AREA simulations were run in real-time and engineering tests carried out, within the context of an at-sea experiment with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, on the eastern side of the Corsican Channel
A STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE FORCED RESPONSE OF FINITE, NEARLY PERIODIC ASSEMBLIES

This note in an extension of a reference to more elaborate periodic structures consisting of multi mode bays. These systems feature several frequency passbands, and thus are representative of many periodic engineering system, e.g., bladed disk assemblies
Social work ethics: Historical and contemporary perspectives

This paper discusses the status of ethics within the social work profession. An historical perspective is presented as well as a consideration of the place of ethics in social work today. The philosophy of the profession, its values, codes of ethics, and ethical theory to resolve ethical conflicts experienced in practice are overviewed in this developmental context and are considered from the standpoint of practice and education. An agenda for the future is suggested.
Effect of carbohydrates on calcium absorption in premature infants.

Premature infants are susceptible to disease related to deficient dietary calcium intake. Studies in adults suggest carbohydrates can enhance calcium absorption. However, little is known about how carbohydrates affect calcium absorption in premature infants due to a lack of direct in vivo studies. We adapted the triple lumen perfusion method for use in premature infants to compare calcium absorption 36 mmol/L (1.44 g/L) in the absence and presence of either 70 g/L lactose or glucose polymers. 44Ca was added to determine endogenous calcium losses. Fourteen infants were studied (gestational age: 31 +/- 0.4 wk; study weight: 1590 +/- 105 g; mean +/- SEM). Calcium absorption from the glucose polymer solution was greater than that from the control and lactose solutions (0.17 +/- 0.05 mumol.min-1.cm-1 versus 0.04 +/- 0.04 and 0.008 +/- 0.045 mumol.min-1.cm-1, respectively). Calcium absorption correlated positively with water and carbohydrate absorption. The rate of carbohydrate absorption was greater from the glucose polymers than from the lactose solution (0.40 +/- 0.10 mg.min-1.cm-1 versus 0.22 +/- 0.06, respectively). Based upon 44Ca absorption, endogenous calcium loss appeared to account for less than 1% of total calcium flux. We conclude that glucose polymers, but not lactose, enhance calcium absorption in the premature infant, a fact that may be useful in formula design.
New method for recording electrical characteristics of the monocellular electroplax.

Abstract 1. A new and improved method has been developed for recording the electrical characteristics of a monocellular electroplax preparation. By means of a switching device, transmembrane potentials across the two faces of the electroplax may be recorded separately; also the transcellular potential may be determined. 2. The depolarizing action of acetylcholine and related compounds is much stronger and more rapid in onset than appeared from previous work. 3. The block of the propagated spike by acetylcholine and related compounds is associated with the simultaneous development of a transcellular potential and a depolarization of the membrane. 4. Earlier results showing competition between tetracaine and carbamylcholine for the acetylcholine receptor have been confirmed.
Optical growth of highly viscous organic/sulfate particles

Light extinction by atmospheric particles is strongly dependent on their chemical composition and water content. Since light extinction directly impacts climate, optical measurements of atmospherically relevant aerosols at varying relative humidities (RH) are needed. Recent studies have highlighted the possibility that some atmospheric aerosols are glassy under ambient conditions. Here, the particle optical growth factor, fRHext, was measured for liquid and glassy particles using cavity ring-down aerosol extinction spectroscopy. The particles were composed of ammonium sulfate (AS), 1,2,6-hexanetriol, sucrose, raffinose, and mixed particles containing AS and either sucrose or raffinose. Both sucrose and raffinose can be glassy at room temperature. For the pure organics, the highly viscous sucrose and raffinose particles have similar optical growth curves to the liquid 1,2,6 hexanetriol particles. However, for particles composed of sucrose or raffinose mixed with AS, optical growth depends on the AS weight-percent, which in turn controls the phase state of the AS and ultimately the water uptake.
Designing amphotropic smectic liquid crystals based on phosphonium salts for partial ordering of solutes as monitored by NMR spectroscopy.

The ordering parameters of selected solutes from NMR spectroscopic measurements have been assessed in the thermotropic and amphotropic smectic liquid-crystalline phases of a wide structural range of phosphonium salts with three equivalent long n-alkyl chains, one shorter chain, and various anions. The nature of the added liquids that convert the salts to amphotropic phases—alcohols and other small organic molecules—and their concentrations have been determined. These factors are correlated with the NMR-derived parameters in order to understand how the phases can be optimized to maximize information about the solutes. The various salts cover a range of liquid crystallinity from −40 to 100 °C. The phosphonium salts are easily aligned in the strong magnetic fields of the spectrometers. In several of the systems, a coexistence of isotropic and anisotropic phases is observed over a wide range of temperatures. The order parameters of the amphotropic liquid-crystalline phases vary from high to very low values, a...
Association and affect as determinants of displaced aggression

Abstract Subjects were angered by an instigator and then given a choice of two targets of aggression: one was a friend of the anger instigator and the other not. In addition, subjects were given a choice of more versus less intense aggression against these two targets. Angered subjects chose to give more intense aggression—regardless of whether the target was associated with the anger instigator. Thus, release of affect (opportunity to aggress intensely) predominated over association as a determinant of displacement.
Comparison of MCMC Methods for Estimating Stochastic Volatility Models

This article investigates performances of MCMC methods to estimate stochastic volatility models on simulated and real data. There are two efficient MCMC methods to generate latent volatilities from their full conditional distribution. One is the mixture sampler and the other is the multi-move sampler. There is another efficient method for latent volatilities and all parameters called the integration sampler, which is based on the mixture sampler. This article proposes an alternative method based on the multi-move sampler and finds evidence that it is the best method among them.
Twenty-year follow-up of adults traumatized during childhood in Armenia

Abstract Background: Most children who experience trauma recover and display resilience; however, there are few long-term follow-up studies of traumatized children and fewer still have examined factors that may lead to resilience. This study is a 20-year follow-up of adults who experienced an earthquake as children. Methods: Nineteen of 25 adults who experienced the earthquake in Armenia in 1988 and participated in the initial study approximately two years later (Time 1) were reinterviewed in 2008 (Time 2). Forty-four Armenian adults aged 22–37 who had not experienced the earthquake comprised the comparison group. All participants at Time 2 were administered the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) and the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (RI) and also received a clinical interview. Results: The earthquake group had clinically elevated SCL-90-R GSI, PSDI, PST and subscale scores for all but one subscale and had significantly more subscale clinical elevations than the comparison group. All earthquake survivors at Time 2 scored from 1 to 46 on the RI with 4 having probable PTSD. No comparison subjects had experienced an A1 trauma. Limitations: The small number of subjects in this follow-up, our inability to follow the comparison group in the original study and the measures used at the two time points limits the applicability of the results. Conclusions: Most of the earthquake survivors experienced anxiety disorders at follow-up but not high levels of PTSD or depression. Clinical interviews identified resilient factors that may have helped these subjects maintain functional and adaptive capacities despite clinical elevations on the SCL-90.
Cytochemical and electrophoretic studies of haemoglobin synthesis in the fat body of a midge, Chironomus thummi

Abstract The fat body of developing mid- and late fourth instar larvae of a midge, Chironomus thummi , has been investigated by means of the benzidine reaction for the localization of haemoglobin within cells. In the subepidermal fat body the reaction deposits of the haemoglobin pseudo-peroxidase activity appear predominantly in the intracisternal cavities of ER and the Golgi, and later, in the pharate pupal stage, in small dense granules (0.5–1 μm in. diameter). All the major protein bands of fat body extracts, which are resolved in electrophoresis, give the benzidine reaction and show incorporation of 14 C-amino levulinic acids, in this case a specific marker for haemoglobin synthesis. In addition, labelled proteins show identical electrophoretic mobility as the haemoglobins of the haemolymph, suggesting that haemoglobins are synthesized in the fat body. Two types of fat body cells seem to differ with respect to their role in haemoglobin metabolism.
Gain-of-Function Pyrin Mutations Induce NLRP3 Protein-Independent Interleukin-1β Activation and Severe Autoinflammation in Mice

Summary Missense mutations in the C-terminal B30.2 domain of pyrin cause familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), the most common Mendelian autoinflammatory disease. However, it remains controversial as to whether FMF is due to the loss of an inhibitor of inflammation or to the activity of a proinflammatory molecule. We generated both pyrin-deficient mice and "knockin" mice harboring mutant human B30.2 domains. Homozygous knockin, but not pyrin-deficient, mice exhibited spontaneous bone marrow-dependent inflammation similar to but more severe than human FMF. Caspase-1 was constitutively activated in knockin macrophages and active IL-1β was secreted when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide alone, which is also observed in FMF patients. The inflammatory phenotype of knockin mice was completely ablated by crossing with IL-1 receptor-deficient or adaptor molecule ASC-deficient mice, but not NLRP3-deficient mice. Thus, our data provide evidence for an ASC-dependent NLRP3-independent inflammasome in which gain-of-function pyrin mutations cause autoinflammatory disease.
Gentian Violet: A 19th Century Drug Re-Emerges in the 21st Century

Gentian violet (GV) has a long and varied history as a medicinal agent. Historically used as an antibacterial and antifungal, recent reports have shown its utility as an antitypranosomal, antiviral and anti-angiogenic agent. The objective of this article is to summarize evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of GV use in dermatology. Recent discoveries have found novel targets of GV, namely NADPH oxidase in mammalian cells and thioredoxin reductase 2 in bacterial, fungal and parasitic cells. These discoveries have expanded the use of GV in the 21st century. Given that GV is well tolerated, effective and inexpensive, its use in dermatology is predicted to increase.
Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid for detection of ruptured cerebral aneurysm using spectrophotometry and signal processing techniques

An accurate quantification of bilirubin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will provide a simple, sensitive and rapid mechanism for detecting subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and for its differentiation from a traumatic spinal tap. Derivative analysis of the spectrophotometric data provides a model for determining bilirubin in CSF where the primary contaminant is Methemoglobin. Bilirubin values are determined in the range 0-9mg/dl within a methemoglobin concentration of 4.6g/dl using the derivative analysis method. The algorithm is also implemented on test samples in which the bilirubin value is constant (4.6mg/dl) and the methemoglobin varies between 0-9g/dl. The performance of the derivative analysis method is compared to the modified minimum distance method developed in reference one. We suggest a combination of these methods for accurate bilirubin estimation in CSF/hemoglobin. This will provide the foundation for the development of a portable user friendly device for diagnosis of SAH.
Early Time Buildup Data Analysis for a Complex Reservoir

An analysis technique is presented that examines early time pressure data. Such a technique is useful when the middle time region of data, customarily required for the Horner analysis, is distorted by reservoir complexities such as gas cap, water intrusion, interbedded shales, natural fractures, etc. 7 refs.
Enhancing employability in engineering and management students through soft skills

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between campus and industry among the management and engineering students to enhance their employability. It equips students and faculty with creative tools and techniques to acquire soft skills and provides a new perspective to the discipline of soft skills. Design/methodology/approach – The paper designs an interview questionnaire containing both open and close-ended questions to elicit responses from faculty, students, recruiters, and directors of educational institutions. Findings – The study found that there must be effective coordination among faculty, students, industry and directors of educational institutions for enhancing employability skills among students. It places emphasis on the role of Training and Placement Officer (TPO) in the educational institutions for better employability and calls for promotion of finishing schools to enhance employability. Research limitations/implications – The article relies on limited survey and interview ...
Particulate matter in California: part 1--Intercomparison of several PM2.5, PM10-2.5, and PM10 monitoring networks.

Abstract It will be many years before the recently deployed network of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 [H9262]m (PM2.5) Federal Reference Method (FRM) samplers produces information on nonattainment areas, trends, and source impacts. However, data on PM2.5 and its major constituents have been routinely collected in California for the past 20 years. The California Air Resources Board operated as many as 20 dichotomous (dichot) samplers for PM2.5 and coarse PM (PM10–2.5). The California Acid Deposition Monitoring Program (CADMP) collected 12-h-average PM2.5 and PM10 from 1988 to 1995 at ten urban and rural sites and 24-h-average PM2.5 at five urban sites since 1995. Beginning in 1994, the Children’s Health Study collected 2-week averages of PM2.5 in 12 communities in southern California using the Two-Week Sampler (TWS). Comparisons of collocated samples establish relationships between the dichot, CADMP, and TWS samplers and the 82-site network of PM2.5 FRM samplers deployed...
Exploring the relationship between exercise-induced arousal and cognition using fractionated response time.

Although a generally positive effect of acute exercise on cognitive performance has been demonstrated, the specific nature of the relationship between exercise-induced arousal and cognitive performance remains unclear. This study was designed to identify the relationship between exercise-induced arousal and cognitive performance for the central and peripheral components of a response time task at two different levels of task difficulty. Sixteen male participants performed both simple and choice response time tasks at eight different arousal levels (from 20% to 90% heart rate reserve). Performance on the simple and choice response time tasks was examined after fractionating the response time into its central component, premotor time, and peripheral components, motor, and movement time. A priori trend analysis was used to test both linear and quadratic relationships. Results indicated that exercise-induced arousal has a positive influence on the peripheral components of response time tasks; however, it has a limited impact on the central components of these tasks.
NICMOS flight hardware 256 X 256 MCT detector array configuration

Features of the flight hardware version of the NICMOS 256 X 256 mercury-cadmium- telluride (MCT) detector array for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are presented and described. Detector flowdown requirements for flight production are reviewed and discussed. Detector cross section and array architecture features are analyzed in relation to quantum efficiency and crosstalk behavior. Features of the charge integration scheme employed are analyzed in assessing dynamic range.
PGE2 Signaling Through the EP4 Receptor on Fibroblasts Upregulates RANKL and Stimulates Osteolysis

Periprosthetic osteolysis is the most common cause of aseptic loosening in total joint arthroplasty. The role of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and osteoclast promoting factors including RANKL in the pathogenesis of osteolysis has been well characterized. However, the PGE2 receptor (EP1, EP2, or EP4), and cell type in which it is expressed, which is responsible for PGE2 induction of RANKL during wear debris–induced osteolysis, has yet to be elucidated. To address this, we used mice genetically deficient in these EP receptors to assess PGE2 and wear debris responses in vitro and in vivo. Wear debris–induced osteolysis and RANKL expression were observed at similar levels in WT, EP1−/−, and EP2−/− mice, indicating that these receptors do not mediate PGE2 signals in this process. A conditional knockout approach was used to eliminate EP4 expression in FSP1+ fibroblasts that are the predominant source of RANKL. In the absence of EP4, fibroblasts do not express RANKL after stimulation with particles or PGE2, nor do they exhibit high levels of osteoclasts and osteolysis. These results show that periprosthetic fibroblasts are important mediators of osteolysis through the expression of RANKL, which is induced after PGE2 signaling through the EP4 receptor.
Accumulation of ion beam induced disorder in strontium titanate

Abstract Damage accumulation has been investigated in single crystal SrTiO 3 (1 0 0) irradiated with 1.0 MeV Au 2+ by using in situ Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry (RBS/C). Samples were irradiated at temperatures of 170, 300 and 350 K with ion fluences ranging from 0.05 to 0.60 Au 2+ /nm 2 . The in situ RBS/C analysis indicates that the relative disorder in both Sr and Ti sublattices shows a strong sigmoidal dependence on ion dose. After an ion fluence of 0.30 Au 2+ /nm 2 at 170 K, the buried region at the damage peak (∼60 nm) becomes fully amorphous, which corresponds to a dose of ∼0.39 dpa. For irradiation at 300 and 350 K, ion fluences of 0.40 Au 2+ /nm 2 (∼0.52 dpa) and 0.45 Au 2+ /nm 2 (∼0.59 dpa) are necessary to achieve an amorphous state at the damage peak, respectively.
Emission temperatures from the decay of particle unstable complex nuclei

The relative populations of particle-unstable states of intermediate-mass fragments were measured for the $^{14}\mathrm{N}$+Ag reaction at E/A=35 MeV with a position-sensitive hodoscope. These measurements were compared to the predictions of statistical calculations which include the sequential decay of heavier particle unstable nuclei. The best overall agreement between the calculated and measured excited-state populations was obtained with calculations which assume emission temperatures of about 3--4 MeV for the primary distributions of the particle unstable intermediate-mass fragments. However, a detailed comparison between calculated and measured excited state populations assuming ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{em}}$=4 MeV reveals significant discrepancies for about one-third to one-half of the measured quantities. Calculations that include rotational effects do not satisfactorily account for this discrepancy. These results suggest the possibility of a breakdown in the assumption of local thermal equilibrium at freezeout.
Probability models of wastewater treatment plant operation

This paper represents a bried report upon the question of failure in a wastewater treatment plant. Typically the engineer designs a wastewater treatment plant to remove a fixed percentage of constituents of the wastewater. For example, the design may be to remove 90% (each) of the volatile suspended solids (VS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Phosphorous as P. In evaluating proposed wastewater treatment plants, the implicit assumption is that plants will operate at their design level. Tbis study originated as an effort to examine actual operating data from a wastewater treatment facility for the purpose of comparing performance data with anticipated design standards. In particular, we set out to utilize probability models as representatives of plant performance. This may prove to be valuable for several purposes. First, one may be able to associate specified probability models with specific types of treatment processes. Secondly, explicit means would be available for comparing alternative treatment techniques in terms of alternative probability models. Third, the utilization of probability models for treatment plant operations may provide a more systematic basis for the use
Finite fluctuations and multiple steady states far from equilibrium

The role of finite fluctuations in transitions between nonequilibrium steady states in nonlinear systems is investigated. Attention is focused on a model biochemical system for which the usual deterministic chemical kinetics predicts a far-from-equilibrium region of multiple steady states. A stochastic approach to chemical kinetics is adopted to study explicitly the effect of fluctuations around the coexisting stable states on a predicted hysteresis in the transition between those states. A numerical solution of the stochastic master equation for the system yields results which differ qualitatively from predictions of the purely macroscopic theory. Possible implications of these results are considered, and several important aspects of the computational scheme are discussed in some detail.
Cooperative bases of control: Toward an interactionist conceptualization

Abstract While control is a prominent concept in sociology—to the point that it is being considered as the central concept—cooperation has remained a basis for fundamental situated action. This article proposes a merging of cooperation and control by emphasizing the fundamental processes of various cooperative activities, ranging from the immediate face-to-face exchanges to more enduring structural and institutional relationships that encase multiple exchanges. I discuss four social forms of control—instrumental, ceremonial, interpersonal, and categorical—as representing increasingly more complex forms of coordinated control and by implication, more complex affinities with social control. Each form will be discussed in order to demonstrate how social control and cooperation are aligned.
Boron contents of serpentinites and metabasalts in the oceanic crust: Implications for the boron cycle in the oceans

Abstract Serpentinization of peridotite rocks in the oceanic crust is accompanied by boron enrichment. Hydrothermally altered basalts in the oceanic crust show no comparable increase in boron. In high-temperature reactions of basaltic rocks and sea-water, boron is preferentially partitioned into the liquid phase; basaltic rocks exposed on the ocean floor undergo low-temperature weathering by sea-water resulting in the addition of boron. Juvenile boron-containing solutions may be responsible for serpentinization. Such solutions may also be important in maintaining the boron concentration of the oceans, since boron is removed from sea-water both by clay minerals entering the oceans and by alteration of submarine igneous rocks.
Agricultural Trade Issues among Pacific Ocean Countries: Discussion

Both papers presented in this session provide useful background information, and I find myself in substantial agreement with them as far as they go. However, neither paper directly addressed the theme of the session. After making several comments on the papers presented, I will comment on several important agricultural trade issues among Pacific Basin countries not treated in either paper. Hathaway provides a useful review of trends in world agricultural trade flows and shares over the last four decades, but only tangentially discusses Pacific Basin trade issues. I concur with his identification of the developing countries and centrally planned economies as two of the most important determinants of future directions in international agricultural trade. He lists relative growth rates of population and real per capita income as important variables which drive the system. However, there are two related issues which he ignores. First is the ability to pay or balance of payments constraint of both developing countries and centrally planned economies. An important study by Valdes and Huddleston is in progress at the International Food Policy Research Institute on the likelihood of agricultural exports from developing countries being able to generate the foreign exchange to pay for their projected food import needs. We need a great deal more research on understanding the import decision-making process in both types of countries. Second, in developing countries food is a wage good which bulks large in both the consumer's market basket and in aggregate national income. Therefore, any change in food prices causes a significant change in real per capita income, thereby shifting the internal demand for food and, in turn, demand for agricultural imports. Similarly,
Experimental Investigation of Free Convection in a Vertical Rod Bundle—A General Correlation for Nusselt Numbers

Free convection in two vertical, enclosed rod bundles has been experimentally investigated for a wide range of Rayleigh numbers. A uniform power dissipation per unit length is supplied to each rod, and the enclosing outer cylinder is maintained at constant temperature. Nusselt numbers for each rod, as well as an overall value for each bundle, have been obtained as a function of Rayleigh number. Comparison of the results for air and water as the working fluid indicate that, for a fixed Rayleigh number, an increase in the Prandtl number produces a reduction in the Nusselt number. This is contrary to what has been reported for vertical cavities and is attributed to curvature effects. Furthermore, the data reveal the interesting fact that it is quite possible for the individual rods in the bundle to exchange energy with the working fluid via different but coexisting regimes at a given power dissipation. Also, as the Rayleigh number is increased, the rods each tend to assume nearly the same heat transfer coefficient. Finally, a correlation for the overall convective Nusselt number is developed in terms of Rayleigh number and geometric parameters.
Scientific formats for object-relational database systems: a study of suitability and performance

Commercial database management systems (DBMSs) have historically seen very limited use within the scientific computing community. One reason for this absence is that previous database systems lacked support for the extensible data structures and performance features required within a high-performance computing context. However, database vendors have recently enhanced the functionality of their systems by adding object extensions to the relational engine. In principle, these extensions allow for the representation of a rich collection of scientific datatypes and common statistical operations. Utilizing these new extensions, this paper presents a study of the suitability of incorporating two popular scientific formats, NetCDF and HDF, into an object-relational system. To assess the performance of the database approach, a series of solution variables from a regional weather forecast model are used to build representative small, medium and large databases. Common statistical operations and array element queries are then performed using the object-relational database, and the execution timings are compared against native NetCDF and HDF operations.
The North American City Revisited: Urban Quality of Life in Canada and the United States

An international comparative urban analysis requires an effort to reconcile not only the variables, but also the units of observation from each country. In a multivariate analysis, failure with regard to the former jeopardizes the validity of the results while failure with regard to the latter risks a priori bias in the interpretation of the results. This comparative, multivariate analysis of urban quality-of-life variables from Canada and the United States calls into question the distinctiveness of the Canadian City in the North American City debate because of such potential bias. As a point of departure from past research, not only is an attempt made to harmonize the set of urban quality-of-life variables with regard to definition, year, and geography, but also to control for the definitional, geographic, and hierarchical differences between the Canadian and U.S. urban systems. Such efforts reveal the Canadian City is indeed distinct from the U.S. City, but also distinct from the North American City, wh...
Precision measurements of dielectric permittivity of common thin film materials at microwave and terahertz frequencies

Two different types of instrumentation have been utilized to characterize thin film samples. New techniques have been developed so that the dielectric permittivity values can be determined accurately at microwave as well as at millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies. A specially designed slotted cavity for X-band microwave measurement has been employed with a vector network analyzer to overcome the phase shift not large enough to evaluate the real part of dielectric permittivity. Also, dispersive Fourier transform spectroscopy (DFTS) with an improved movement step has been implemented to determine the real part of permittivity from about 60 GHz to 1,000 GHz.
Performance evaluation of ultra wideband technology for construction resource location tracking in harsh environments

Abstract Emerging wireless remote sensing technologies offer significant potential to advance the management of construction processes by providing real-time access to the locations of workers, materials, and equipment. Unfortunately, little is known regarding the accuracy, reliability, and practical benefits of an emerging technology, effectively impeding widespread adoption. This paper evaluates a commercially-available Ultra Wideband (UWB) system for real-time, mobile resource location tracking in harsh construction environments. A focus of this paper is to measure the performance of the UWB technology for tracking mobile resources in real-world construction settings. To assess tracking accuracy, location error rates for select UWB track signals are obtained by automatically tracking a single entity using a Robotic Total Station (RTS) for ground truth. Furthermore, to demonstrate the benefits of UWB technology, the paper provides case studies of resource tracking for analysis of worksite operations. The work demonstrates the applicability of UWB for the design of construction management support tools.
Can the use of humor in psychotherapy be taught

Objective Despite an abundance of literature detailing the potential benefits of the use of humor in therapy, humor is rarely taught to psychiatric residents as a method of therapeutic intervention. This communication attempts to explain how current understanding of attachment theory and neuroscience may assist psychiatric faculty and supervisors in their teaching of humorous therapeutic interventions.
Telephone Instruction: An Alternative Educational Delivery System for Teacher In-Service.

Telephone Instruction was compared to face-to-face instruction for a university-based one hour graduate credit course, The Creative Classroom. Subjects consisted of 137 classroom teachers who voluntarily enrolled in the course: 97 telephone-instructecl participants, 40 face-to-face participants and 30 contrast group subjects who received no instruction. Demographic data was used to establish group equivalency. The F ratio revealed a significant difference between mean scores on a posttest that measured cognitive outcomes of the course (p - .05). Th e telenetwork scores were significantly higher than the face-to-face or contrast group scores.
Surface Export of GAPDH/SDH, a Glycolytic Enzyme, Is Essential for Streptococcus pyogenes Virulence

Streptococcal surface dehydrogenase (SDH) (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)) is an anchorless major multifunctional surface protein in group A Streptococcus (GAS) with the ability to bind important mammalian proteins, including plasmin(ogen). Although several biological properties of SDH are suggestive of its possible role in GAS virulence, its direct role in GAS pathogenesis has not been ascertained because it is essential for GAS survival. Thus, it has remained enigmatic as to "how and why" SDH/GAPDH is exported onto the bacterial surface. The present investigation highlights "why" SDH is exported onto the GAS surface. Differential microarray-based genome-wide transcript abundance analysis was carried out using a specific mutant, which was created by inserting a hydrophobic tail at the C-terminal end of SDH (M1-SDHHBtail) and thus pre- venting its exportation onto the GAS surface. This analysis revealed downregulation of the majority of genes involved in GAS virulence and genes belonging to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism and upregulation of those related to lipid metabo- lism. The complete attenuation of this mutant for virulence in the mouse model and the decreased and increased virulence of the wild-type and mutant strains postcomplementation with SDHHBtail and SDH, respectively, indicated that the SDH surface export indeed regulates GAS virulence. M1-SDH HBtail also displayed unaltered growth patterns, increased intracellular ATP concentra- tion and Hpr double phosphorylation, and significantly reduced pH tolerance, streptolysin S, and SpeB activities. These pheno- typic and physiological changes observed in the mutant despite the unaltered expression levels of established transcriptional regulators further highlight the fact that SDH interfaces with many regulators and its surface exportation is essential for GAS virulence. IMPORTANCE Streptococcal surface dehydrogenase (SDH), a classical anchorless cytoplasmically localized glycolytic enzyme, is exported onto the group A Streptococcus (GAS) surface through a hitherto unknown mechanism(s). It has not been known why GAS or other prokaryotes should export this protein onto the surface. By genetic manipulations, we created a novel GAS mutant strain expressing SDH with a 12-amino-acid hydrophobic tail at its C-terminal end and thus were able to prevent its surface ex- portation without altering its enzymatic activity or growth pattern. Interestingly, the mutant was completely attenuated for viru- lence in a mouse peritonitis model. The global gene expression profiles of this mutant reveal that the surface exportation of SDH is mandatory to maintain GAS virulence. The ability of GAS as a successful pathogen to localize SDH in the cytoplasm as well as on the surface is physiologically relevant and dynamically obligatory to fine-tune the functions of many transcriptional regula- tors and also to exploit its virulence properties for infection.
The relationship of actual height loss with health-seeking behaviors and risk factors in perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Purpose To explore whether there is a difference in the perceived height and actual height in the perimenopausal or menopausal woman and discover the difference's effect on osteoporosis health-seeking preventive behaviors and risk factor awareness. Data Sources Sixty-three perimenopausal and menopausal women, aged 45–70 years, who presented three Midwestern clinics for their annual physical exam. Data were collected with The Osteoporosis Questionnaire, which included the Osteoporosis Risk Questionnaire, Health- O-Meter height measuring stick, tape measure with inch-rule for arm span measurements, and balance scale for weight. Conclusions There were a significant relationship between actual height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r= 0.41595, p=0.0007) and a trend for a relationship between adjusted height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r=0.2407, p=0.0574). Implications For Practice Due to the great expense of current testing for bone mass density loss, the results of this study may help clinicians more readily identify markers for increased risk of osteoporosis through simple height measurements and osteoporosis risk factor assessments during annual visits.
Mentor Relationships in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training: Results of a National Survey

Mentor relationships play an important role in the development and promotion of professional identity among psychologists, yet empirical study of mentor-prot relationships in psychology graduate education is nearly nonexistent. In this study, we provide a contemporary picture of mentor relationships in clinical psychology doctoral programs. We mailed a survey instrument regarding mentor relationships to 1,000 recent doctorates in clinical psychology; nearly 800 responded. Two thirds of respondents reported having a faculty mentor during graduate school. More PhDs reported having a mentor than PsyDs, as did graduates of university-based departments of psychology compared to graduates of schools of professional psychology. Men and women were equally likely to be mentored and to be satisfied with mentor relationships. Ninety-one percent of mentored graduates evaluated the mentor relationship positively, and mentored graduates were significantly more satisfied with their doctoral program. We discuss implicati...
Situation awareness via abductive reasoning from Semantic Sensor data: A preliminary report

Semantic Sensor Web enhances raw sensor data with spatial, temporal, and thematic annotations to enable high-level reasoning. In this paper, we explore how abductive reasoning framework can benefit formalization and interpretation of sensor data to garner situation awareness. Specifically, we show how abductive logic programming techniques, in conjunction with symbolic knowledge rules, can be used to detect inconsistent sensor data and to generate human accessible description of the state of the world from consistent subset of the sensor data. We also show how trust/belief information can be incorporated into the interpreter to enhance reliability. For concreteness, we formalize Weather domain and develop a meta-interpreter in Prolog to explain Weather data. This preliminary work illustrates synthesis of high-level, reliable information for situation awareness by querying low-level sensor data.
Contextual and intrapersonal predictors of adolescent risky sexual behavior and outcomes

The present study was designed to test a model of contextual and intrapersonal predictors of adolescent risky sexual behaviors and of sexually transmitted infection diagnoses. Using Waves I and II from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors estimated a structural model in which intrapersonal factors such as adolescents' attitudes about sex, perceived parental norms, knowledge about sexual health, and birth-control self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of contextual factors such as parent-adolescent relationship quality, school connectedness, and exposure to AIDS and pregnancy education on a number of risky sexual behaviors and outcomes: early sex initiation, sex under the influence of substances, condom use at last intercourse, and having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Different patterns of direct and mediated effects emerged for each sexual outcome. Results are discussed in terms of the complex interplay between environment and individual and in terms of how, when, and with whom to intervene in order to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes.
Statins stimulate arachidonic acid release and prostaglandin I2 production in rat liver cells

Statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate limiting step in cholesterol synthesis. They are, therefore, used clinically to lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis. Statins have beneficial effects on multiple organ systems. Some of these effects are found in the absence of significant changes in cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and have many of the same beneficial effects of statins. Four statins (mevastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin) have been tested in rat liver cells for their effect on arachidonic acid (AA) release and prostaglandin I2 production induced in the presence of lactacystin and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Each statin stimulated release of AA and induced prostaglandin I2 production. Mevalonate, the product of HMG-CoA reductase, did not reduce the stimulation observed in the presence of simvastatin indicating that HMG-CoA reductase activity is not involved. In view of the multiple biologic properties of AA, the AA released as a result of the action of the statins may play a role in some of the pharmacological effects attributed to these drugs.
Quantitative Proteomics and Biomarker Discovery in Human Cancer

“Early diagnosis and prevention is a key factor in reducing the mortality and morbidity of cancer. However, currently available screening tools lack enough sensitivity for early diagnosis. It is important to develop noninvasive techniques and methods that can screen and identify asymptomatic patients who have cancer. Biomarkers of cancer status can also serve as powerful tools in monitoring the course of cancer, and in determining the efficacy and safety of novel therapies. Thus, discovery of novel specific biomarkers are needed that may provide informative clues for early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Recently, remarkable progress has been made in the development of new proteomics technology. The progress that has been made in this field is helpful in identifying biomarkers that can be used for early diagnosis of cancer and improving the understanding of the molecular etiological mechanism of cancer. This article describes the current state of the art in this field.”
Transition State Analysis of Enantioselective Brønsted Base Catalysis by Chiral Cyclopropenimines

Experimental 13C kinetic isotope effects have been used to interrogate the rate-limiting step of the Michael addition of glycinate imines to benzyl acrylate catalyzed by a chiral 2,3-bis(dicyclohexylamino) cyclopropenimine catalyst. The reaction is found to proceed via rate-limiting carbon–carbon bond formation. The origins of enantioselectivity and a key noncovalent CH···O interaction responsible for transition state organization are identified on the basis of density functional theory calculations and probed using experimental labeling studies. The resulting high-resolution experimental picture of the enantioselectivity-determining transition state is expected to guide new catalyst design and reaction development.