cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
n-6 Linoleic Acid Induces Epigenetics Alterations Associated with Colonic Inflammation and Cancer

The farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR) protects against inflammation and cancer of the colon through maintenance of intestinal bile acid (BA) homeostasis. Conversely, higher levels of BA and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are risk factors for inflammation and cancer of the colon. In the United States, n-6 linoleic acid (LA) is the most commonly used dietary vegetable fat. Metabolism of n-6 fatty acids has been linked to a higher risk of intestinal cancer. The objectives of this study were to investigate in colonic mucosa the effects of a high-fat diet rich in LA (n-6HFD) on CpG methylation of Fxr and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 (Ptsg-2) genes, and the impact on the expression of tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis Coli (Apc) and proliferative cyclin D1 (Ccnd1) genes. Weaned C57BL/6J male mice were fed for 6 weeks either an n-6HFD containing 44% energy (44%E) from 22% safflower oil (SO, 76% LA by weight) or a 13% energy (13%E) control diet (Control) from SO (5% by weight). Mice fed the n-6HFD had reduced (60%) Fxr promoter CpG methylation and increased (~50%) Fxr mRNA. The expression of FXR-target ileal bile acid-binding protein (Ibabp), small heterodimer protein (Shp), and anti-inflammatory peroxisome proliferator-activated-γ1 genes was increased. The n-6HFD reduced Ptgs-2 CpG methylation, increased the expression of Cox-2, and increased Apc CpG methylation in colonic mucosa. Accordingly, reduced expression of Apc was coupled to accumulation of c-JUN and Ccnd1, respectively cofactor and gene targets for the β-catenin/Wnt signaling pathway. Finally, the n-6HFD reduced the expression of histone deacetylase-1 while favoring the accumulation of acetylated histone 3. We conclude that an n-6HFD epigenetically modifies Fxr, leading to the activation of downstream factors that participate in BA homeostasis. However, epigenetic activation of Ptsg-2 coupled with silencing of Apc and accumulation of C-JUN and Ccnd1 may increase the risk of inflammation and cancer of the colon.
Crop Diversification As Climate Change Adaptation: How Do Bangladeshi Farmers Perform?

This research is based on the theoretical framework of risk in rural agricultural economy where farmers consider climate change as idiosyncratic risk of production. Under the inter-temporal househo...
Mechanical Unloading and Heart Remodeling Features

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used in the everyday clinical practice to either ‘bridge’ end-stage heart failure (HF) patients to heart transplantation or as a permanent (‘destination’) therapy. Myocardial remodeling driven by excess pressure and volume load is believed to be responsible for the vicious cycle of progressive myocardial dysfunction in chronic HF [1]. This mechanistic model led to the hypothesis that LVAD support would disrupt this cycle and, by providing profound volume and pressure unloading, allow for a reversal of stress-related compensatory responses of the overloaded myocardium [2–4]. This in turn would lead to subsequent structural and functional “reverse remodeling” at organ and tissue levels [2–4].
The morphology of experimentally produced charcoal distinguishes fuel types in the Arctic tundra

Wildfires in the Arctic tundra have become increasingly frequent in recent years and have important implications for tundra ecosystems and for the global carbon cycle. Lake sediment–based records a...
Data-consistent inversion for stochastic input-to-output maps

Data-consistent inversion is a recently developed measure-theoretic framework for solving a stochastic inverse problem involving models of physical systems. The goal is to construct a probability measure on model inputs (i.e., parameters of interest) whose associated push-forward measure matches (i.e., is consistent with) a probability measure on the observable outputs of the model (i.e., quantities of interest). Previous implementations required the map from parameters of interest to quantities of interest to be deterministic. This work generalizes this framework for maps that are stochastic, i.e., contain uncertainties and variation not explainable by variations in uncertain parameters of interest. Generalizations of previous theorems of existence, uniqueness, and stability of the data-consistent solution are provided while new theoretical results address the stability of marginals on parameters of interest. A notable aspect of the algorithmic generalization is the ability to query the solution to generate independent identically distributed samples of the parameters of interest without requiring knowledge of the so-called stochastic parameters. This work therefore extends the applicability of the data-consistent inversion framework to a much wider class of problems. This includes those based on purely experimental and field data where only a subset of conditions are either controllable or can be documented between experiments while the underlying physics, measurement errors, and any additional covariates are either uncertain or not accounted for by the researcher. Numerical examples demonstrate application of this approach to systems with stochastic sources of uncertainties embedded within the modeling of a system and a numerical diagnostic is summarized that is useful for determining if a key assumption is verified among competing choices of stochastic maps.
Effects of Interference on Beamforming-Enabled Vehicular Networks in Multipath Propagation Environments

This paper characterizes the impact of interference on vehicular communications employing beamforming links between transmitters and receivers operating within a multipath propagation environment. Different road scenarios, such as an intersection and a roundabout are considered to determine the performance characteristics of the vehicle communication link. By employing the results for different antenna array elements and by varying distance, we analyse the bit error rate (BER) of vehicles operating in multipath propagation environments with an interferer within the vicinity of an communication link.
3D Chemical Reactors: In‐Situ Materials Synthesis to Advance Vat Photopolymerization

Vat photopolymerization (VP) is one of the most remarkable additive manufacturing techniques today, and has been used for a variety of applications, from materials research to product manufacturing. The main challenge with VP is the limited choice of compatible materials, which motivates significant interest in VP material development. We provide a brief overview of the materials that are currently accessible via VP and highlight recent advances in the field. We also provide perspective on expanding the library of materials compatible with VP using in‐situ material synthesis.
Patent Pools, Competition, and Innovation—Evidence from 20 US Industries under the New Deal

Patent pools have become a prominent mechanism to reduce litigation risks and facilitate the commercialization of new technologies. This article takes advantage of a window of regulatory tolerance under the New Deal to investigate the effects of pools that would form in the absence of effective antitrust. Difference-in-differences regressions of patents and patent citations across 20 industries imply a 14% decline in patenting for each additional patent that is included in a pool. An analysis of the mechanism by which pools discourage innovation indicates that this decline is driven by technologies for which the creation of a pool weakened competition in R&D. (JEL K21, L24, L41, O31)
Latina/o Transfer Students and Community Cultural Wealth: Expanding the Transfer Receptive Culture Framework

Existing research regarding the post-transfer experiences of Students of Color who transfer from the community college to a four-year college or university is limited. However, we know less about w...
Association of Occupational and Physical Therapy With Duration of Prescription Opioid Use After Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Medicare Enrollees.

Abstract Objective To establish whether nonpharmacologic interventions, such as occupational and physical therapy, were associated with a shorter duration of prescription opioid use after hip or knee arthroplasty. Design This retrospective cohort study used data from a national 5% Medicare sample database between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015. Setting Home health or outpatient. Participants Adults 66 years or older with an inpatient total hip (n=4272) or knee (n=9796) arthroplasty (N=14,068). Interventions We dichotomized patients according to whether they had received any nonpharmacologic pain intervention within 1 year after hospital discharge (eg, occupational or physical therapy evaluation). Using Cox proportional hazards, we treated exposure to nonpharmacologic interventions as time dependent to determine if skilled therapy was associated with duration of opioid use. Main Outcome Measures Duration of prescription opioid use. Results Median time to begin nonpharmacologic interventions was 91 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 74-118d) for hip and 27 days (95% CI, 27-28d) for knee arthroplasty. Median time to discontinue prescription opioids was 16 days (hip: 95% CI, 15-16d) and 30 days (knee: 95% CI, 29-31d). Nonpharmacologic interventions delivered with home health increased the likelihood of discontinuing opioids after hip (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30) and knee (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.17) arthroplasty. A sensitivity analysis found these estimates to be robust and conservative. Conclusions Occupational and physical therapy with home health was associated with a shorter duration of prescription opioid use after hip and knee arthroplasty. Occupational and physical therapy can address pain and sociobehavioral factors associated with postsurgical opioid use.
Efficient Hardware-assisted Out-place Update for Persistent Memory

Shadow paging can guarantee crash consistency for Persistent Memory (PM). However, shadow paging requires the use of an address mapping table to track shadow pages, and frequent accesses to this table introduce significant performance overhead. In addition, maintaining crash consistency at the granularity level of a page causes a large amount of unnecessary write traffic. This paper proposes a novel hardware-assisted fine-grained out-place-update scheme at the granularity level of a cacheline to efficiently support crash consistency for PM. Our design fully leverages the Address Indirection Table (AIT) available in commodity PM to implement remapping. To ensure the atomicity and durability of AIT updates, we propose two policies: eager persisting and lazy persisting. We also employ overflow log to handle the eviction of speculative AIT cache entries upon an overflow in the AIT cache. Evaluation results based on multicore workloads demonstrate that our proposed scheme can improve the transaction throughput over the state-of-the-art design by 24.0% on average.
Fixing Stories: Local Newsmaking and International Media in Turkey and Syria

News 'fixers' are translators and guides who assist foreign journalists. Sometimes key contributors to bold, original reporting and other times key facilitators of homogeneity and groupthink in the news media, they play the difficult but powerful role of broker between worlds, shaping the creation of knowledge from behind the scenes. In Fixing Stories, Noah Amir Arjomand reflects on the nature of news production and cross-cultural mediation. Based on human stories drawn from three years of field research in Turkey, this book unfolds as a series of narratives of fixers' career trajectories during a period when the international media spotlight shone on Turkey and Syria. From the Syrian Civil War, Gezi Park protest movement, rise of authoritarianism in Turkey and of ISIS in Syria, to the rekindling of conflict in both countries' Kurdish regions and Turkey's 2016 coup attempt, Arjomand brings to light vivid personal accounts and insider perspectives on world-shaking events alongside analysis of the role fixers have played in bringing news of Turkey and Syria to international audiences.
Chapter 9 Effect of Electrochemical Gradients on Active H+ Transport in an Epithelium

Publisher Summary This chapter reveals that unlike transport through passive channels, ion flow through pumps is determined not only by electrochemical gradients but also by the free energy of a coupled metabolic reaction. The direction of movement of the ion depends on the balance between the electrochemical gradient and the metabolic force. The study of the interaction between these two types of forces in epithelia poses special problems dictated largely by the complex cellular architecture of these tissues. Epithelial cells are joined together by junctions that might be tight or leaky to ion flow in different epithelia. Hence, externally applied electrochemical gradients are reflected at each of these barriers depending on the conductance of the membrane and the relation among the various conductive elements of the tissue as a whole.
Knowledge Discovery in Databases and Data Mining

This paper gives an overview on some approaches of knowledge discovery in databases (KDD). First, the types of information exploited in a KDD process and the characteristics of this process are summarized. Then we descibe a classification of KDD-patterns. Types of languages to build subgroups of objects and the role of domain knowledge are discussed. Finally, the architecture of modular KDD systems is presented and topics of efficiency are treated.
Urinalysis and Other Bodily Fluids

The chemical analysis of urine and other body fluids is an integral part of laboratory medicine today. Clinical chemistry measurements are made in laboratories ranging from large medical research/teaching centers to small rural physicians' offices, and with varying degrees of sophistication in all parts of the world. Indeed, the use of chemical tests at home is currently an important part of monitoring chronic conditions such as diabetes, and this aspect of chemical testing is expected to expand. This article traces the historical methods of urine testing to provide information on health and disease, from crude visual examination in ancient times to modern techniques using sophisticated chemical instrumentation. The information obtained is useful in the diagnosis of disease, in monitoring the course of the treatment of disease, and in helping to maintain wellness in normal populations. The chemical tests most widely used in urinalysis are described in some detail along with a discussion of the development of commercial tests leading to the evolution of the diagnostics industry. Chemical tests on other bodily fluids are briefly summarized.
Pore Size Distribution

( ) The Hor®ath-Kawazoe HK model is a widely used method for determining pore-size distribution in a microporous material from a single adsorption isotherm. The original model, howe®er, suffers from conceptual flaws. The total interaction energy of the adsorbate is underestimated since the adsorbate-adsorbate interaction is incorrecty calcu( lated. New corrected HK models proposed here for three pore geometries slit, cylindri) cal, and spherical can o®ercome these defects. Two other impro®ements ha®e also been made in the new models. These assume that a filled micropore is composed of layers of adsorbate molecules which interact only with the molecular layers in the immediate ®icinity. A better estimate of adsorbate-adsorbate-adsorbent interaction is obtained by utilizing actual distances between interacting molecules. The a®erage interaction energy is calculated by a population-weighted a®erage of the energy potential of the layers rather than by integration. This a®erage potential approaches a nonzero ®alue at large pore size, unlike that in the original model. Pore-size distributions predicted by the corrected HK models agreed significantly better with crystallographic data compared to the original model for both microporous and mesoporous sorbents.
Personal Global Connectivity and Consumer Behavior

Abstract This paper aims to examine the relationship between global connectivity and consumer behavior in the city of Shanghai, China. Using Structural Equation Modeling analysis, we found that personal global connectivity has the strongest direct effect and significant indirect effect on global consumption by mediating other exogenous variables such as age, educational attainment, and income. The direct effects of education and income disappear when global connectivity is controlled, while the negative effect of age remains.
Enhancing the introductory computer science curriculum: C++ or Java?

Java is a better choice than C++ to teach introductory programming courses for three primary reasons. First of all, it is easier to learn since many programming concepts can be better taught in it rather than C++. Because the language represents an advanced step of computing technology, programming principles can be conveyed in a much easier fashion in Java than in C++. Secondly, Java's documentation is very useful and well organized. The language offers a good chance for the student to become acquainted with real-life programming situations and its nature is straightforward and friendly. Thirdly, while many features of C++ are rather confusing to the beginner, Java proposes a nice approach to many problems. Debugging in C++ can take a very long time and draw the student away from the purpose of the CS 1 course while Java debugging reinforces the concepts taught in the first course and sets the path for further knowledge acquisition.
Spatiotemporal Properties of an Evoked Population Activity in Rat Sensory Cortical Slices

We have examined the spatiotemporal properties of ensemble activity, an evoked all-or-none polysynaptic activity in rat neocortical slices. Ensemble activity occurred in cortical slices bathed in n...
Isolation and Characterization of Host-Independent Bdellovibrios

Abstract A reliable method has been developed for the isolation of host-independent (H-I; i.e., “saprophytic”) strains of Bdellovibrio from host-dependent (H-D; i.e., “parasitic”) cultures. The technique involves growing streptomycin-resistant (Smr) H-D cultures on streptomycin-susceptible (Sm8) host cells. A lysate containing large numbers of the Smr H-D cells and some remaining Sm8 host cells is transferred to a selection medium which contains the antibiotic. The Sm8 host cells in the lysate are killed, and the Smr H-I strains develop in broth within 3 to 6 days. By use of this method, it has been possible to isolate H-I strains from 16 different H-D Bdellovibrio strains studied. The frequency of occurrence of host independence is in the range of one H-I colony per 106 to 107 plaque-forming units of H-D bdellovibrios. The H-I cultures are nonfermentative, do not reduce nitrate, are strongly proteolytic, are oxidase-positive, and do not utilize 14 different carbon compounds as sources of energy for growth. Most H-I cultures are catalase-positive upon initial isolation from H-D lysates, but some cultures lose this enzyme upon subsequent transfers through host-free media. Most H-I bdellovibrios are pleomorphic, consisting of vibrio- to spiral-shaped cells typically measuring 0.3 to 0.4 μm in width and 1 to 10 μm in length. All H-I bdellovibrios have a cytochrome a and c component (H-I A3.12 differs from the other strains in the location of the peaks of the cytochrome spectrum). All are sensitive to oxytetracycline and (except for strain H-I A3.12) to the vibriostatic pteridine 0/129; most bdellovibrios, except for H-I A3.12, are generally uniformly resistant or susceptible to a given antibiotic. Bdellovibrio and Vibrio spp. have common cytochrome difference spectra and susceptibilities to oxytetracycline and to the vibriostatic pteridine 0/129. All H-I bdellovibrios examined produce an exocellular protease which digests heat-killed host cells. Bdellovibrios possessing predatory and bacteriolytic properties could be reselected from H-I bdellovibrio cultures growing in the presence of living host cells. Attempts to select for bacteriolytic isolates from Vibrio and Spirillum spp. were unsuccessul.
Malignant transformation of hepatic adenomas

Hepatic adenomas are benign neoplasms of the liver that occur in several well-defined clinical settings, but principally that of excess hormone exposure. They have a small but poorly characterized risk of malignant degeneration. The clinical presentation and pathological findings were reviewed for all hepatic adenomas resected between January 1, 2003 and July 1, 2006. Immunohistochemistry for p53, β-catenin and α-fetoprotein (AFP) were performed on those cases with malignant transformation and exon 3 of β-catenin was amplified and sequenced. A total of 17 hepatic adenomas were resected and 3 showed malignant transformation. All three cases were in women with an age range of 23–33 years. The clinical presentations were vague abdominal pain. Histologically, the malignant transformation occurred within otherwise typical hepatic adenomas. Two of three cases showed patchy atypia throughout the hepatic adenoma. The hepatocellular carcinoma arose as distinct nodules directly within the adenomas, effectively ruling out synchronous lesions. The hepatocellular carcinomas were unifocal in two cases and multifocal in one case with the greatest dimensions of the hepatocellular carcinoma being 2.5, 2.2, and 1 cm. Immunostains for AFP and β-catenin were negative in both the hepatic adenomas and areas of hepatocellular carcinoma. p53 immunostaining was positive within the areas of malignant transformation in one case. No mutations or deletions were seen in exon 3 of the β-catenin gene for either the adenomas or the carcinoma. In conclusion, two of the cases that developed hepatocellular carcinomas showed cytological atypia in the background adenoma. The hepatocellular carcinomas arose as distinct nodules within the adenomas. No common molecular pathway of hepatocellular carcinogenesis was observed by examining AFP, β-catenin, and p53 immunostains and no β-catenin mutations or deletions were found.
Zinc-induced reduction in melphalan cytotoxicity: Heterogeneity of response of cloned human tumor cells

Previous studies with cultured human normal fibroblasts indicated that pretreatment of the cells with zinc for 12 h prior to exposure to the alkylating agent melphalan increased survival by seven- to ninefold over survival values obtained in cultures treated with drug only. Comparable pretreatment of cells derived from a variety of human tumors resulted in an increase in survival of 1.7-fold or less. To determine whether the limited responsiveness to zinc represented a general property of tumor cells (which would be characterized by a lack of highly zinc-responsive subpopulations contained within the parental tumor populations), a series of clones was prepared from the A101D human melanoma line and the A549 human alveolar cell carcinoma line. Cells from each clone were then challenged with melphalan with and without zinc pretreatment. Twenty-five percent of the tumor clones exhibited increased resistance to melphalan following pretreatment with zinc (range of 2.1- to 5.2-fold increase in survival), indicating that the parental tumor lines were highly heterogeneous in regard to inducibility to a state of reduced sensitivity to melphalan. There was no evidence of a relationship between zinc-induced reductions in toxicity and induced elevations in total intracellular glutathione content, indicating that the primary effect of zinc is not directed toward elevating intracellular levels of glutathione.
PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER VERSUS CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST : MOVING FROM DEBATE TO ACTION ON THE FUTURE OF ADVANCED PSYCHIATRIC NURSING

The psychiatric nursing literature recently has included a proliferation of discussions regarding the nature and direction of change impacting the future of advanced practice psychiatric nursing. The debate has focused most commonly on the role of the clinical nurse specialist versus the role of the nurse practitioner. The debate has produced little in the way of outcomes other than an entrenchment of positions. The stalemate in psychiatric nursing is producing a slow but steady surrender of the boundaries of psychiatric nursing to other fields of nursing. Although advanced practice psychiatric nurses disagree on what to become and what to be called, people with conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric disorders are being treated increasingly by family nurse practitioners. The time for debate has ended. Unless consensus regarding what constitutes the domain of psychiatric nursing is reached soon, the discussions will be moot because few clients will remain to be treated. This article began as a discussion between colleagues. The two authors teach at a regional state university, but they share diverse opinions regarding the substance and nature of advanced practice psychiatric nursing. These diverse views led to discussions that have implications not only for faculty practice, but for curricular design, and for decisions regarding how to best educate future nurses. The discussion developed into a presentation at the 20th Southeast Conference of Clinical Nurse Specialists. It was presented as a point-counterpoint discussion regarding this debate; one author advocated the perspective of traditional clinical nurse specialist and one advocated the perspective of a psychiatric nurse practitioner role. We conclude with a projected model of a merged role, with delineation of traditional clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner that must be blended for the new role.
Sedimentation characteristics of bacterial ribonucleoprotein obtained at different periods during the cell-division cycle.

A large proportion of the ribonucleic acid of bacteria occurs in the form of ribonudeoprotein particles. In growing Escherichia coli, these particles (ribosomes) are distributed among a number of different classes having sedimentation coefficients of approximately 20 S, 30 S, 50 S, 70 S and 100 S. The sedimentation coefficient of the largest particle varies between 70 S and 100 S depending on the magnesium concentration. At low concentration (10^(-4) M) the 70-S and 100-S particles, dissociate into 30-S and 50-S particles.
Biochemical characterization of human epidermal retinol dehydrogenase 2

The mRNA encoding a putative human enzyme named Epidermal Retinol Dehydrogenase 2 (RDH-E2) was found to be significantly elevated in psoriatic skin [Y. Matsuzaka, K. Okamoto, H. Tsuji, T. Mabuchi, A. Ozawa, G. Tamiya, H. Inoko, Identification of the hRDH-E2 gene, a novel member of the SDR family, and its increased expression in psoriatic lesion, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 297 (2002) 1171–1180]. This finding led the authors to propose that RDH-E2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through its potential role in retinoic acid biosynthesis and stimulation of keratinocyte proliferation. However, enzymatic activity for RDH-E2 has never been demonstrated. RDH-E2 is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily of proteins, and is most closely related to the group of SDRs comprised of both NAD+- and NADP+-dependent enzymes with activities toward retinoid and steroid substrates. In this study, we began the characterization of RDH-E2 protein in order to determine whether it might play a role in retinoic acid biosynthesis. The results of this study show that, similarly to other SDR-type retinol dehydrogenases, RDH-E2 appears to be associated with the membranes of endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, RDH-E2 expressed in Sf9 insect cells as a fusion to the C-terminal His6-tag and purified using Ni2+-affinity chromatography recognizes all-trans-retinol and all-trans-retinaldehyde as substrates and exhibits a strong preference for NAD+/NADH as cofactors. Specific activity of RDH-E2 toward all-trans-retinoids is much lower than that of other retinoid-active SDRs, such as human RoDH4 or RDH10. The preference for NAD+ suggests that RDH-E2 is likely to function in the oxidative direction in vivo, further supporting its potential role in the oxidation of retinol to retinaldehyde for retinoic acid biosynthesis in human keratinocytes.
K-Dependent superconducting gap anisotropy in the a–b plane and its implications

Abstract We present angle-resolved photoemission data showing the k-dependent superconducting gap anisotropy of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ in the a–b plane. Except caveats from experimental uncertainties regarding the BiO states, the data is qualitatively inconsistent with the extended s-wave order parameter Δ(k)~Δ 0 (cosk x a + cosk y a), but is qualitatively consistent with either d-wave order parameter Δ(k)~Δ 0 (cosk x a-cosk y a) or other order parameters with mixed symmetries such as s + id.
Paris: An approach to integrated high‐speed private networks

This paper describes a design of a high-speed packet switching system for integrated voice, video and data communications. The system makes use of a simplified network architecture in order to achieve the low packet delay and high nodal throughput necessary for the transport of voice and video. A prototype of this system has been implemented and is now being tested under a variety of packet traffic loads. We have demonstrated that this system provides a cost-effective solution for private integrated networks.
Combustion Characteristics of Carbon: Influence of the Zone I−Zone II Transition on Burn-Out in Pulverized Coal Flames

Transition of reaction from Zone II to Zone I during char combustion in a pulverized coal (pc) flame is shown to result in significant and discontinuous drop, jointly, in temperature and in reaction rate, with a correspondingly significant increase in burn-out time. In the particular case studied, as example, the estimated increase in burn-out time is by a factor of at least 3. The reduction in reaction rate is partly due to a (300 °C) drop in temperature, but it is jointly due to the doubling of the (operational) activation energy associated with the Zone transition. The probability of such Zone transition on particles in pc flames is controlled by the thermal balance that, at the end of combustion, is shown to depend critically on the “seen” wall temperature. In the case of a boiler, particles seeing the relatively cold walls may “extinguish”, and this is a possible or probably cause of increased loss-on-ignition (LOI) that is increasingly being reported for pc combustion in boilers.
Genome‐Wide Approach to Finding Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Susceptibility Genes in Humans

Familial aggregation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is now widely recognized, however, susceptibility genes have not yet been identified. Our approach to find susceptibility genes has been to collect families with AAAs and to perform DNA linkage analyses to identify regions on the human chromosomes that are linked to AAAs and could harbor susceptibility genes for AAAs. We identified 233 families with at least two individuals diagnosed with AAAs. These families had 653 AAA patients and an average of 2.8 cases per family. When evaluating mode of inheritance, 167 (72%) families were consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance, whereas 58 (25%) families were consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance and in 8 families the familial aggregation could be explained by autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. Blood samples from 235 affected relative pairs (ARPs) and their unaffected relatives were collected for DNA isolation and the DNA used for genotyping with highly variable microsatellite markers. We included covariates in the statistical analyses to allow for genetic heterogeneity. The results for chromosomes 19g13 and 4q31 were significant with sex, number of affected first-degree relatives, and their interaction as covariates. These chromosomal regions contain many plausible candidate genes, and the future research will include more detailed analyses of these positional candidate genes.
The influence of program and commercial type on political advertising effectiveness

An experimental study was conducted with 283 members of civic groups and college students to determine to what extent the type of television program surrounding a political commercial and the type of political commercial influence the effectiveness of those commercials. Results indicated that commercial type had a significant effect on candidate evaluation, issue recall, and vote likelihood. The study also reveals that some types of political commercials are more likely to increase vote likelihood when placed in specific types of television programming.
Computerized occlusal analysis: An evaluation of the sensors

Dentists traditionally depend on their experiences to evaluate occlusion. A computerized system, that enables an objective analysis of dental occlusion has been developed and is currently available. A key component of the system is the disposable sensor. This research tested the sensors' validity and reliability in detection of known interceptive occlusal contact and discovered that the sensors were valid when used just twice.
Applicability of Personality Disorder Criteria to Hospitalized Adolescents: Evaluation of Internal Consistency and Criterion Overlap

ABSTRACT Objective The authors examined the applicability of personality disorder criteria to adolescent inpatients by evaluating internal consistency and criterion overlap. Method Thirty-eight adolescents and 28 adults were assessed with the Personality Disorder Examination. Within -category cohesiveness (internal consistency) of the criteria was evaluated by examining intercriterion correlations as well as coefficient α. In addition, between -category criterion overlap was evaluated by examining "intercategory" intercriterion correlations between all pairs of disorders. Separate analyses were conducted for adolescents and adults, and the groups were compared. Results Internal consistency appeared to be lower in adolescents, as measured by intercriterion correlation and coefficient α, with the largest differences being identified for most cluster B disorders. Intercategory analysis indicated that criterion overlap may be greater among adolescents. Conclusions Overall, this psychometric analysis suggests that there may be limitations to the DSM s approach to categorizing personality disorders. For both adolescents and adults, modest degrees of within-category cohesiveness (internal consistency) and between-category criterion overlap were observed. Comparatively, personality disorder criteria in adolescents tended to have lower internal consistency and less discriminant validity. The data raise questions about the construct validity of these disorders—or the applicability of these criteria—within this age group.
Ferroelectric transition in Pb1-xGexTe: Extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure investigation of the Ge and Pb sites.

Extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements have been made on the Ge and Pb edges of ferroelectric Pb/sub 1-//sub x/Ge/sub x/Te disordered alloys. Our results show that Ge atoms are displaced approximately 0.8 A from the cell center both below and above the transition, implying that the ferroelectric transition involves long-range ordering of the dipoles. We have also measured the displacement of the Pb sublattice relative to the Te sublattice, thus showing evidence for a simultaneously order-disorder and displacive transition.
A Tight Binding Study of Strain-Reduced Confinement Potentials in Identical and Non-Identical InAs/GaAs Vertically Stacked Quantum Dots

Strain and electronic structure of InAs/GaAs quantum dot molecules made up of identical and non-identical vertically stacked quantum dots are compared using the sp3d5s* nearest neighbor empirical tight binding model. Hydrostatic and biaxial strain profiles strongly impact the local band edges and electronic structure for both identical and non-identical dots. Strain in the lower dot is significantly different as compared to the upper dot in the non-identical system in contrast to the identical system where it is almost the same in both dots. Therefore structural detailed differences are of critical importance and cannot be neglected. Qualitatively, the electronic structure is similar in identical and non-identical dot systems for small separations (below 6 nm) and it is significantly different for large separations. The molecular orbitals convert to the dot-localized atomic orbitals at large dot separations in the non-identical system. Non-idealities such as strain and size variations induce an energy splitting in the considered dot ground states. Larger dissimilarity of dots increases e1-e2 and decreases the optical gap of system. This favors the possible use of such system in the construction of the long wavelength optical laser.
Using an effective grading method for preventing plagiarism of programming assignments

The two main purposes of this paper are: 1) to discuss four commonly-used grading methods (which we shall call methods A, B, C, and D) employed with programming assignments and 2) to present by way of recommendation two experimental methods (which we shall call methods X and Y) which support our thesis that positive prevention of cheating on programming assignments through the use of an appropriately-designed grading method is far more effective than the other approaches in general use.
Transitions in the surface energy balance during the life cycle of a monsoon season

In this observational/diagnostic study, we illustrate the time history of some important parameters of the surface energy balance during the life cycle of a single monsoon season. This chronology of the surface energy balance portrays the differential equilibrium state from the preonset phase to the withdrawal phase. This includes an analysis of the time history of base variables such as soil moisture, ground temperature, cloud cover, precipitation and humidity. This is followed by an analysis of the components of the surface energy balance where we note subtle changes in the overall balances as we proceed from one epoch of the monsoon to the next. Of interest here is the transition sequence: preonset, onset, break, revival, break, revival and withdrawal during the year 2001. Computations are all illustrated for a box over central India where the coastal effects were small, data coverage was not sparse and where the semi-arid land mass changes drastically to a lush green area. This region exhibited large changes in the components of surface energy balance. The principal results pertain to what balances the difference among the incoming short wave radiation (at the earth’s surface) and the long wave radiation exhibited by the ground. That difference is balanced by a dominant sensible heat flux and the reflected short wave radiation in the preonset stage. A sudden change in the Bowen ratio going from>1 to <1 is noted soon after the onset of monsoon. Thereafter the latent heat flux from the land surface takes an important role and the sensible heat flux acquires a diminishing role. We also examine the subtle changes that occur in the components of surface energy balance between the break and the active phases. The break phases are seen to be quite different from the preonset phases. This study is aimed to illustrate the major importance of moisture and clouds in the radiative transfer computations that are central to the surface energy balance during each epoch. These sensitivities (of moisture and clouds) have major consequences for weather and climate forecasts
The personal portable profile project

This presentation will demonstrate the Personal Portable Profile (P3) system, capturing the characteristics of a user profile from one computer and copying them to a second computer. This is accomplished through an auto-run program stored on a UD-RW flash drive device. Such a system will be useful for those with disabilities by allowing them to easily set the interaction characteristics of any computer they encounter to their "home" settings.
Issues in the modification of American sign language for instructional purposes.

The use of manual communication and sign languages for language education of autistic, deaf retarded, and mentally retarded individuals is receiving increasing attention by educators. Modifications of sign systems for this purpose emphasize simplicity, redundancy, and English word order. Effective utilization of manual communication for these populations requires a better understanding of the physical and linguistic bases of sign languages than now exists. Preliminary evidence from studies of oralonly, manualonly, and oralmanual modes of communication suggests that flexibility in utilizing all modes is the most effective teaching method. The present paper will consider the possible utilization of modifications of the American Sign Language for use in three general areas: (1) instruction of deaf students in the classroom, (2) communication between hearing parents and young deaf children, and (3) communication with individuals with handicaps other than deafness.
Hybrid State Plane Coordinate System for Transforming a Citywide Survey Control Network to Surface Values: Case Study for Frisco, Texas

The city of Frisco, Tex., published state plane coordinates were “ground scaled” into surface coordinates for the purpose of establishing a hybrid coordinate system to be easily used by surveyors. Nineteen city monuments were found and collected by GPS observation using real-time kinematic (RTK) connected to the Texas RTK Cooperative Network. The network creates a virtual reference station near the GPS roving receiver, allowing the surveyor to use the rover unit by itself without the need for setting up a base station on the project site. Using a GPS manufacturer’s standard protocol, localizing ground-scaled GPS vectors to the city’s hybrid values yielded acceptable horizontal (H) and vertical (V) residuals over a 233 km2 network. Two out of 19 monuments observed explained maximum residual error ( H=0.029 m , V=0.082 m ) with no significant differences in the mean ΔN and ΔE between published grid, hybrid, and surface coordinates (P=0.77) . This paper will illustrate and discuss the procedures and results ...
Generalized finite element analysis of three-dimensional heat transfer problems exhibiting sharp thermal gradients

Abstract In this paper, heat transfer problems exhibiting sharp thermal gradients are analyzed using the classical and generalized finite element methods. The effect of solution roughness on the ability of the methods to obtain accurate approximations is investigated. Convergence studies show that low order (linear and quadratic) elements require strongly refined meshes for acceptable accuracy. We propose a generalized FEM with global–local enrichments for the class of problems investigated in the paper. In this procedure, a global solution space defined on a coarse mesh is enriched through the partition of unity framework of the generalized FEM with solutions of local boundary value problems. The local problems are defined using the same procedure as in the global–local FEM, where boundary conditions are provided by a coarse scale global solution. Coarse, uniform, global meshes are acceptable even at regions with thermal spikes that are orders of magnitude smaller than the element size. Convergence on these discretizations was achieved even when no or limited convergence was observed in the local problems. Two approaches are proposed to improve the boundary conditions prescribed on local problems and their convergence. The use of the corresponding improved local solutions as enrichments for the global problem extends the range of target error level for the enriched global problem. The two-way information transfer provided by the proposed generalized FEM is appealing to several classes of problems, especially those involving multiple spatial scales. The proposed methodology brings the benefits of generalized FEM to problems where limited or no information about the solution is known a priori.
Polynomial manipulation with APL

A simple but effective method for the manipulation of polynomials of several variables in APL is presented. The method is especially advantageous in situations where more sophisticated symbolic computing systems such as SAC-1 and MACSYMA are not available. The method is shown to successfully solve a problem not readily resolved by other means.
The Web and conflict of interest.

The role of ethics-oriented Web resources in scientific education and research has grown remarkably, as noted in an item in NetWatch (“Weighing in on bioethics,” 23 Apr. p. 551). This brief piece presented a helpful description of the University of Pennsylvania Health System Bioethics Internet Project. As Project Director of that site, I would like to clarify, however, the following statement attributed to me: “Some bioethics sites are funded by large companies, but the center is independent. In bioethics, conflict of interest is everything.” In fact, in an interview, I noted that our site has been funded by several grants and contracts and that we actively seek relationships with companies and foundations that have an interest in bioethics. While I stressed the importance of lines of accountability and disclosure of funding for medical and scientific Internet materials, I in no way suggested that corporate funding taints bioethics on the Internet. I did not describe our Web site or center as “independent.” No Internet site, bioethics center, or scientific lab can exist without support, and all funding comes attached to the purposes and contexts of the funding organization. Conflict of interest is important, and much of the work of bioethics consists of debating and making explicit conflicts of interest in science and medicine. However, support from industry need not lead to conflict of interest in bioethics. Responsible research and education is possible only when leaders form responsible partnerships with those whose interests they share, and disclose those partnerships fully.
Critical care perspective: Videolaryngoscopy after endotracheal intubation: Implications for voice

Summary Endotracheal intubation is the standard treatment for respiratory failure. The accepted length of time between intubation and either extubation or conversion to tracheostomy has progressively lengthened, often to more than 22 days. Problems of translaryngeal intubation are caused by tube size, tube tip irritation, cuff pressure, torque of the endotracheal tube, and “push-pull” phenomena related to mechanical lever-arm connections to ventilators. In the critical care setting, noninvasive videolaryngoscopic techniques are utilized to document pathology in patients after endotracheal intubation and post-extubation. Deleterious effects on the vocal folds resulting in disorders of phonation and in tussive impairment have previously been underestimated. Irritative, edematous, compressive, inflammatory, ischemic, and substanceloss changes of the vocal apparatus are nearly universal and carry significant short- and long-term implications for both voice and airway.
Manufacture of low fat Mozzarella cheese using exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures

Abstract Exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures, consisting of single strains of Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1C and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus MR-1R, were used to make three trials of low fat (6% fat) Mozzarella cheese. Our aim was to determine whether observations made using small [10-kg (22-lb) capacity] vats with manual stretching of curd could be replicated using pilot-scale [454-kg (1000-lb) capacity] double-O vats with mechanical stirring and stretching of the curd. A control cheese was made using S. thermophilus TA061 and Lactobacillus helveticus LH100 as starter cultures that did not produce exopolysaccharides. Cheese was measured for moisture content and meltability at d 1. Cheese made with the exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures had 2% higher moisture contents and exhibited slightly higher meltability. Because of changes in the procedure to manufacture low fat cheese that were necessary when the mechanized vats were used, the cheeses made in the double-O vats were slightly lower in moisture than cheeses previously made in the hand-stirred laboratory-scale vats.