cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Standard Score Analysis: Interpretive software for aiding mental retardation identification

Federal and most state guidelines mandate mental retardation identification based on intelligence and adaptive behavior scores. This paper describes Standard Score Analysis: Mental Retardation (SSA: MR), a computer program that interprets IQ and adaptive behavior scores according to cutoff values, measurement error, and IQ-adaptive behavior correlations. SSA: MR yields probabilities that each score is below its respective cutoff, and that IQ and adaptive behavior scores are simultaneously below cutoffs.
Treatment of Vocal NodulesOptions and Outcomes

This paper provides a review of treatment options and outcomes for vocal fold nodules. Topics addressed in this paper include: (a) frequency of occurrence of vocal nodules; (b) factors affecting tr...
Context and Contradiction: Toward a Political Theory of Conceptual Change

This article addresses several recurring questions regarding the study of the history of political thought. It does so through theoretical exploration and practical application. First, conceptual history, a recent sympathetic alternative to the "Cambridge School" of Quentin Skinner, J. G. A. Pocock, and others, is drawn on in order to outline a general theory of the actual conditions and processes through which politically significant conceptual transformation takes place. Second, by examining concrete examples-especially that of James Rivington, an early American newspaper publisher and Tory leader-the study focuses on the role of contradictions and contextual shifts to suggest how we might begin to better understand the interrelationships between an author, a wide variety of contexts, and the causal force of these contexts.
Techniques and Applications of Experimental Modal Analysis in Modeling and Control

This paper reviews the basic theory of experimental modal analysis and outlines related techniques and applications. Techniques include the selection of an admissible set of transfer functions, curve fitting, and extraction of a time-domain model. Applications include structural modification, substructure assembly, order analysis, modal control, and optimal dynamic testing of mechanical systems.
Oncogenic Evaluation of 3,3′-Dimethoxybenzidine Dihydrochloride in BALB/c Mice

3,3′-Dimethoxybenzidine, a congener of the known carcinogen benzidine, is carcinogenic in the rat and possibly the hamster. This study was undertaken to assess carcinogenicity in an inbred mouse strain. Male and female (840 each) BALB/c mice were given 0, 20, 40, 80, 160, 315, or 630 ppm of 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine dihydrochloride in their drinking water. At the serial sacrifices (13, 26, 39, 52, 78, or 112 weeks on dose), detailed necropsies and histopathologic examinations were performed. There was a decrease in water consumption at the 630 ppm dose level. Compared with controls, the 630 ppm dose produced a decrease in body weight gain of 10.7 and 13.3% in males and females, respectively, at 48 to 52 weeks on test. These weight decrements may be related to low water palatability at the 630 ppm dose level and may not reflect toxicity induced by 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine itself. There was no treatment-related effect upon mortality or pathology. In summary, 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine dihydrochloride was not carc...
Frontonasal malformation as a field defect and in syndromic associations

Abstract Several new “syndromes” have been described that have in common facial findings identical or similar to those seen in frontonasal malformation (FNM), previously termed frontonasal dysplasia. Some of those new syndromes are inherited, whereas FNM is an isolated finding. Thus there is a need for differentiation among those conditions. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify and classify the various reports that describe FNM as it occurs alone and in association with a syndrome.
Macroscopic Hematuria in a Kidney Transplant Recipient: A Rare Cause

Pseudoaneurysm formation in a renal transplant is an uncommon complication of such interventional procedures as percutaneous nephrostomy or renal biopsy; symptoms may be delayed for days or even years. Presentation may vary from incidental discovery to worsening renal insufficiency to life-threatening hemorrhage. We report a case of macroscopic hematuria from a pseudoaneurysm that developed in a kidney transplant recipient after placement of a percutaneous nephrostomy tube. This patient was treated with transcatheter embolization, which is highly effective. A high index of suspicion, along with early diagnosis and transcatheter embolization, are essential for the management of hematuria caused by pseudoaneurysm formation from percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement.
Analysis of Collaborative Meetings in Developing Data Mining Models

Observations of group meetings were used to help our understanding of the Data Mining (DM) process, which can take a year to complete. Over a course of three months, we followed two collaborative groups and observed their weekly meetings, where they devised DM models and explored new ways to analyze and present microarray data. The study furthered the current understanding of the DM activities by revealing its socio-technical aspects, and directed a promising design approach for a more efficient and effective DM system. Field observations of collaborative meetings disclosed that a longitudinal study is, in fact, appropriate and necessary to further understand the DM process and the system.
Theory of the upper critical field in anisotropic superconductors

The upper critical field in superconductors is calculated using a model which incorporates anisotropy in both the Fermi surface and the superconducting pair state. The effects of nonlocality are included to all orders in perturbation theory, giving results valid over nearly the entire temperature range. It is shown that increasing Fermi-surface anisotropy causes H/sub c/2 to become more nearly linear in temperature, whereas even small amounts of pair-state anisotropy cause positive curvature in H/sub c/2(T) near T/sub c/0. All effects of anisotropy are diminished by increasing the impurity scattering rate. The theory is fit to experimental data on NbSe/sub 2/.
An Inverted Horizon Soilscape in Wisconsin

Relationships between soils and their position in the landscape have been well established in most parts of the world. Such relationships are useful when mapping soils and geographically identifying soil classes based on a set of diagnostic soil characteristics and horizons. Human infl uence may alter the pattern, and here we report on a series of soilscapes in Wisconsin, USA that have been strongly infl uenced by soil erosion. The soils are mostly formed in loess over glacial outwash and are classifi ed as Typic Eutrocrepts and Aquollic Hapludalfs on the upper slopes and Endoaquolls in the lower part of the soilscape. Due to soil erosion the present soil surface horizons in the higher part of the soilscape are former Bw (cambic) horizon material, lower soilscape surface horizons are formed in former E horizon material, and in the lowest portion of the soilscape thick dark colored surface horizons have resulted from the accumulation of Ap horizon material eroded from the higher portions of the soilscape. This appears as an inverted horizon soilscape. Peer Reviewed Papers
A Spectroscopic Investigation of the Electronic Structure of Neptunyl Ions

Emission spectra of NpO2Cl42− doped in a Cs2ZrCl6 matrix have been measured between 6000 and 7200 cm-1. An f-f transition has been assigned, and vibronic structure on this origin is reported. These electronic and vibrational energies are compared with previous studies including the theoretical work of Pitzer and co-workers, and the spectroscopic work of Denning and co-workers.
Evaluation of soil heat conductivity with cylindrical test bodies

Different solutions of the temperature increase with time of a heated cylinder are discussed. This increase depends on cylinder geometry, heat conductivity of the medium, and on the ratio of specific heats of cylinder and medium. For compact cylinders and not too fluffy media, the temperature increase is independent of the heat capacity of the medium. This heat capacity, or the thermal diffusivity, cannot be evaluated using compact cylinders, whereas hollow cylinders or plates yield data of the product conductivity × density × specific heat. The heat transfer coefficient of liquids or gases flowing across cylinders shows a certain observed positive value when forced or free flow vanish. These transfer coefficients are explained as being caused by heat flow from the heated cylinder into a quasi-infinite non-moving medium.
Frailty and other predictors of the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common of the conformational neurodegenerative disorders. Current treatments for AD are largely symptomatic and minimally effective. Major problems with previous immunotherapeutical approaches include: the potential of toxicity from autoimmune encephalitis, tau related pathology not being addressed, and the need to effectively clear congophilic angiopathy (CAA). In our current study we developed a novel immunomodulatory therapeutic approach that would use polymerized British amyloidosis (pABri) related peptides with no homology to any human protein; and polymerized -non-fibrillizedAs1-42 peptide (pAs42), to help overcome these limitations of vaccination. Previously, we have shown that pABri can induce behavioral benefits in APP/PS1 Tg mice associated with reductions in As oligomers. Currently, we tested this approach in mice with both plaques and tangle pathology (3xTg mice) and mice with extensive CAA (TgSwDI). Methods:We produced pABri and pAs42 which by electron microscopy form oligomer-like structures, and by circular dichroism analysis are mainly s-sheet. These were used as immunogens in 3xTg mice as well as in TgSwDI mice, using alum as an adjuvant At the age of 17-18 months the mice were subject to locomotor and cognitive behavioral testing, followed by histological and biochemical analysis. Results: Locomotor testing showed no significant differences between any group in both models. On radial arm maze testing the 3xTg showed the pABri vaccinated and wild-type controls to behave similarly and to differ significantly from 3xTg controls (p <0.01). The analysis of TgSwDI showed the pABri and pAs42 vaccinated and wild-type controls differing significantly from the TgSwDI controls (p <0.001). The pABri inoculated animals made low titers of IgM and IgG recognizing the original antigen and oligomerized As42. Animals inoculated with pAs42 had high titers of anti-As peptides plain or oligomerized. All animals remained healthy and without noticeable autoimmune complications for the length of the experiment. Histological and biochemical analysis is on-going in these animals. Conclusions: A novel active immunomodulation approach that targets the shared abnormal conformation found in aggregated/oligomer As and PHF is associated with a mild poly-reactive immune response mainly against oligomeric forms and significant cognitive benefits in both 3xTg and SwDI Tg model mice.
Purification and characterization of the primary acrosomal autoantigen of guinea pig epididymal spermatozoa.

Previous studies showed that sperm auto- and alloantigens participate in guinea pig (GP) fertilization. In an effort to determine how alloantibodies to GP sperm acrosomal contents (AC) inhibit fertilization, we identified acrosomal auto- and alloantigens using Western blots. The predominant autoantigens migrated with Mr 25,000, Mr = 51,000, and Mr = 55,000 under nonreducing conditions. The primary (Mr = 25,000) acrosomal autoantigen, AAI, was purified to homogeneity from AC by gel filtration, cation-exchange chromatography, chromatofocusing, and a final gel filtration. We also purified AA 1 from an acidic glycerol extract of spermatozoa by gel filtration, chromatofocusing, and high-performance liquid chromatography on hydroxylapatite. AA1 is a protein and shares at least one antigenic determinant with a 51,000M, acrosomal component. AAJ is acrosome-specific, as determined by immunoabsorption and by indirect immunofluorescence on testicular cells. By quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, AAJ comprises 6.4% of acrosomal protein in GP spermatozoa. On the basis of its pbysiocbemical properties and localization, we conclude that AA I is a unique sperm autoantigen. Surprisingly, several antibody preparations, including allo- and heteroantibodies with high antiAA1 titers, did not inhibit fertilization in vitro. Thus, the mechanism by which alloantibodies to AC inhibit GP fertilization in vitro is not by binding to AAI.
Diffuse Reflection from a Plane Surface

The angular dependence of the intensity of radiation scattered from plane diffuse surfaces when these surfaces are illuminated by wideband collimated light has been investigated. The angle between the incident and scattered radiation (scatter angle) was held constant, and the surface was rotated so that the normal to the surface remained in the plane defined by this angle. For constant scatter angle, measured intensities exhibit a systematic variation from those predicted by the use of Lambert’s law of diffuse reflection. Peak deviations of the order of 10% were found in the case of an aluminum oxide pressed powder surface. An empirical expression of diffuse reflection, based on a shape factor proposed by Hill, is introduced and found to agree with the experimental data to within 2%. As the scatter angle is varied, the maximum intensity of scattered radiation observed at the specular angle shows poor agreement with that predicted by the classical Fresnel Law of reflection from a plane surface.
Effective operators for p admixtures into the f shell for the rare-earth elpasolites

A two-electron effective operator V 2 is constructed to reproduce, to lowest order of perturbation theory, the effect of p-electron admixtures in configurations of f electrons occurring in rare-earth ions located at octahedral sites in elpasolite crystals. These admixtures can arise from excitations of the type f → p as well as p → f, the latter including electron transfer from neighbouring ligands to the central rare-earth ion. The effective operator is decomposed into nine orthogonal components . For octahedral symmetry their strengths are specified by coefficients that depend on just two parameters. The insensitivity of the crystal splitting of of to some , as found by McCaw and Denning, is related to exceptionally small values of the corresponding reduced matrix elements of . The discrepancies that these authors have found in fitting their experimental data for other levels to the standard one-electron crystal-field Hamiltonian V 1 are examined. The effective operator V 2 is found to reproduce the gen...
Topic and keyword re-ranking for LDA-based topic modeling

Topic-based text summaries promise to help average users quickly understand a text collection and derive insights. Recent research has shown that the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model is one of the most effective approaches to topic analysis. However, the LDA-based results may not be ideal for human understanding and consumption. In this paper, we present several topic and keyword re-ranking approaches that can help users better understand and consume the LDA-derived topics in their text analysis. Our methods process the LDA output based on a set of criteria that model a user's information needs. Our evaluation demonstrates the usefulness of the methods in summarizing several large-scale, real world data sets.
Accomplishments and impact of the NGO, Island Conservation, over 15 years (1994-2009).

Improvements in biodiversity conservation are hampered by the lack of reporting on the effectiveness of conservation techniques and the organizations that implement them. Here we summarize the accomplishments and potential impact of the non-governmental organization, Island Conservation, which eradicates damaging invasive vertebrates from islands. Island Conservation has removed 54 populations of 10 invasive vertebrates from 35 islands totaling over 520 km2. These actions helped protect 233 populations of 181 insular endemic species and subspecies of plants and vertebrates and 258 populations of 54 species and subspecies of seabirds from the threat of local and global extinction. There were no reinvasions. One eradication attempt failed. These conservation actions and their apparent biodiversity impact demonstrate the potential of private organizations to protect biodiversity by eradicating invasive species from islands.
Frequency-domain Equalization Techniques for Multi-h Continuous Phase Modulation

Two receiver architectures are presented for equalization of multi-h continuous phase modulation (CPM). In the first approach, the receiver front end is a matched-filter bank, which is derived from Laurent decomposition of the signal. A circulant-matrix model derived for the samples of the matched filter is used to perform the equalization in frequency domain. The second technique employs a receiver with a simple front end consisting of a low-pass filter and a fractional sampler. We also develop a circulant matrix model for the latter approach, which relates the Laurent pseudo-symbols to each polyphase component at the output of the sampler. A linear frequency-domain equalizer (FDE) is also proposed using this model. In addition to providing the details of these approaches, the paper proposes several simplifications applicable to each of the two cases, and provides a detailed discussion on the performance/complexity trade-off. Bit-error rate (BER) results are presented for the IRIG-106 aeronautical telemetry dual-h CPM waveform.
Communities of Memory: On Identity, Memory, and Debt

I take up the question of political identity as the continuity of a community across time. In particular, I examine what it means to think of a political community as the subject of attribution across generations, that is, what is meant when it is made the bearer of responsibility for the past and a custodian of the future. In doing that, I focus on identity, memory, and responsibility and discuss that cluster of concepts using as an illustrative example the idea of constitutional patriotism and its relationship to the past.
Hall effect measurements on Sb and Ga implanted silicon; Anneal behavior and comparison with other species

Abstract Analyses of n - and p -type silicon samples implanted with 50 keV Ga and 40 keV Sb ions at substrate temperatures of 350°C and room temperature were made by use of Hall effect and sheet resistivity measurements. It was found that the presence of an amorphous layer formed during implantation has a major effect on the anneal characteristics. For Sb and Ga samples implanted at room temperature to doses ≳ 10 14 /cm 2 , a large increase in the number of carriers per cm 2 , N s , was observed after anneal at temperatures of ≈ 550°C. The maximum value of N s was found for anneal temperatures of 550–600°C. This temperature corresponds to the reordering of an amorphous layer as observed in channeling effect measurements. At an anneal temperature of 900°C, the concentration of carriers/cm 3 exceeded the thermal equilibrium solubility value for Sb implantations and was comparable to this value for Ga. In both high dose (≈ 2·10 14 /cm 2 ) 350°C and low dose (≈ 10 13 /cm 2 ) room temperature implantations of both species, the anneal behavior was similar; here anneal temperatures of ≈ 800°C were required to obtain the maximum value of N s and no anneal stage was observed at 550°C.
Radial properties of electron showers

Abstract A MPWC was installed between 1 rad length converter and lead glass shower detector in order to investigate the possibilities of improved hadron rejection and the various implications of spatial resolution. The energy range studied was 3–6 GeV incident pions and electrons.
Extension of absolute frequency measurements to the 84μ range

Laser harmonic frequency measurement application to absolute frequency determination of 84 micron heavy water laser
Vertebral artery duplication and aneurysms: 64-slice multidetector CT findings

Duplication of vertebral artery is a very rare finding. Here, we present a case of vertebral artery duplication, cervical vertebral artery aneurysm and multiple intracranial aneurysms in a 59-year-old woman. This is the first case of vertebral artery duplication with cervical vertebral artery and intracranial aneurysms.
GC-FID- and acyl carbon number-based determination of characteristic groupings of complex triglyceride (Benefat S and other) mixtures.

Techniques for the gas and liquid chromatographic separation of complex mixtures of triglycerides have evolved over the past two decades, as reviewed in detail by Huang et al. (J. Agric. Food Chem....
ON COUPLING THE SWAN AND WAM WAVE MODELS FOR ACCURATE NEARSHORE WAVE PREDICTIONS

A simulation of wind-wave activity for the 1995 Hurricane Luis has been performed using the WAM and SWAN wave models. This study tested the WAM/SWAN interface option present in the SWAN code to det...
Exploring how ESL teachers relate their ethnic and social backgrounds to practice

This study is an exploration of how English as a second language (ESL) teachers relate their ethnic and social backgrounds to instructional practices. Fifty‐seven ESL teachers from inner‐city junior high schools of Los Angeles responded to a questionnaire, interviews and provided self‐written perspectives on how their personal histories mediated their pedagogical practices. The teachers’ narratives were analyzed within the framework of critical reflectivity. Results indicated that teachers of different backgrounds interpreted their roles differently based on a complex interplay of diverse variables. The teachers also deployed diverse approaches and strategies to guide their practices and mediate their roles. The study recommended development of teacher education programs and curricula that incorporate explorations of prospective teachers’ social/ethnic background experiences, perspectives, assumptions, expectations, and attitudes as a way to ascertain how such teachers’ personal histories will shape their...
Constrained Maximization and Resolute Choice

In Morals By Agreement, David Gauthier concludes that under certain conditions it is rational for an agent to be disposed to choose in accordance with a fair cooperative scheme rather than to choose the course of action that maximizes his utility. This is only one of a number of important claims advanced in that book. In particular, he also propounds a distinctive view concerning what counts as a fair cooperative arrangement. The thesis concerning the rationality of adopting a cooperative disposition is, however, logically independent of his substantive view of a fair cooperative scheme and is itself central to the project as a whole. Gauthier's concern is to establish that certain moral principles are those that fully rational, self-interested persons would agree to take as regulative of their dealings with one another – that a contractarian approach, in this sense, can provide an adequate basis for a theory of morality.
Tail Probability of the Supremum of a Random Walk with Stable Steps and a Nonlinear Negative Drift

We study the tail behavior of the supremum of a random walk with stationary ergodic stable increments and a negative drift. In actuarial mathematics, this gives the ruin probability under a stationary, ergodic stream of stable claims and a deterministic total premium process. Our main result asymptotically relates this quantity to a functional based on the integral representation of the increment process in the context of a large class of negative drifts. This result is then applied to two different examples to demonstrate how the magnitude of the exceedance probability of a high threshold for such random walks can vary.
Noise and contrast comparison of visual and infrared images of hazards as seen inside an automobile

The purpose of this experiment was to quantitatively measure driver performance for detecting potential road hazards in visual and infrared (IR) imagery of road scenes containing varying combinations of contrast and noise. This pilot test is a first step toward comparing various IR and visual sensors and displays for the purpose of an enhanced vision system to go inside the driver compartment. Visible and IR road imagery obtained was displayed on a large screen and on a PC monitor and subject response times were recorded. Based on the response time, detection probabilities were computed and compared to the known time of occurrence of a driving hazard. The goal was to see what combinations of sensor, contrast and noise enable subjects to have a higher detection probability of potential driving hazards.
The Notch pathway: democracy and aristocracy in the selection of cell fate

Major advances in the past two years have increased our understanding of the molecular components of the Notch signal-transduction pathway in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Recent studies have begun to address the interaction of other signaling pathways with the Notch pathway. Of particular interest is the integration of signals from the Wingless pathway and from asymmetrically segregating determinants such as numb. Molecular models for Notch-mediated cell-fate selection within groups of developmentally equivalent cells are presented.
A VLSI processor for parallel contour tracing

A custom IC processor that traces contours in black-and-white images is described. The CMOS IC contains a finite state machine, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), an input delay line, and RAM. Each process extracts the edges from a rectangular portion of the input image and traces the edges, producing a description of the contours. A complete tracing system employs an array of these processors. The array architecture allows expansion to handle arbitrarily large images. The processors trace independently, thereby providing fully parallel high-speed operation. Partial contours are generated as a result of the partitioning of the image among the processors. A postprocessor links any partial contours created by the subdivision of the input image. The contour-tracing algorithm and simulation results for compression ratio and number of operations are presented. The architecture and measured performance of the IC are described. >
The Throughput of Hybrid-ARQ in Block Fading under Modulation Constraints

In a seminal paper published in 2001, Caire and Tuninetti derived an information theoretic bound on the through-put of hybrid-ARQ in the presence of block fading. However, because the results placed no constraints on the modulation used, the input to the channel was Gaussian. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of modulation constraints on the throughput of hybrid-ARQ in a block fading environment. First, we consider the impact of modulation constraints on information outage probability for a block fading channel with a fixed rate codeword. Then, we consider the effect of modulation constraints upon the throughput of hybrid-ARQ, where the rate of each codeword varies depending on the instantaneous channel conditions. These theoretical bounds are compared against the simulated performance of HSDPA, a newly standardized hybrid-ARQ protocol that uses QPSK and 16-QAM bit interleaved turbo-coded modulation. The results indicate how much of the difference between HSDPA and the previous unconstrained modulation bound is due to the use of the turbo-code and how much is due to the modulation constraints.
Facework in Chinese service encounters

This study investigates politeness phenomena in Chinese service encounters, contrasting the use of facework in two types of service encounters: state-run vs. privately-owned stores. I argue that politeness is a dynamic process, which involves participants’ perception of a social setting and the assumed interpersonal relationship in a given situation. It is shown that social distance and the type of social relationship play an essential role in Chinese politeness behavior and that the use of facework in service encounters signals a change in discursive practice due to social and economic changes in China.
Spontaneously formed porous and composite materials

In recent years, a number of routes to porous materials have been developed which do not involve the use of pre-formed templates or structure-directing agents. These routes are usually spontaneous, meaning they are thermodynamically downhill. Kinetic control, deriving from slow diffusion of certain species in the solid state, allows metastable porous morphologies rather than dense materials to be obtained. While the porous structures so formed are random, the average architectural features can be well-defined, and the porosity is usually highly interconnected. The routes are applicable to a broad range of functional inorganic materials. Consequently, the porous architectures have uses in energy transduction and storage, chemical sensing, catalysis, and photoelectrochemistry. This is in addition to more straightforward uses deriving from the pore structure, such as in filtration, as a structural material, or as a cell-growth scaffold. In this feature article, some of the methods for the creation of porous materials are described, including shape-conserving routes that lead to hierarchical macro/mesoporous architectures. In some of the preparations, the resulting mesopores are aligned locally with certain crystallographic directions. The coupling between morphology and crystallography provides a macroscopic handle on nanoscale structure. Extension of these routes to create biphasic composite materials are also described.
A noise-whitening approach to multiple access noise rejection .I. Theory and background

Minimum probability of bit error is difficult to achieve in a DS-CDMA receiver. Since multiple-access noise is the sum of many independent random processes, it is reasonable to approximate it by a Gaussian process of the same power spectral density. This leads to the criterion of maximizing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, receivers that maximize SNR in a particular DS-CDMA system model under various constraints are proposed and analyzed. The method proposed here does not require locking and despreading multiple arriving CDMA signals. The maximization of SNR is compared with the minimization of probability of error, when the receiver is constrained to operate bit-by-bit, in the absence of knowledge of the other users' spreading codes, timing, and phase. >
OVERVIEW OF SMALL‐SCALE ELECTRIC GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES, FUEL REQUIREMENTS, AND COSTS

Although field power generation is not new, most applications have greatly exceeded 1 MW. Recent advances in fuel cell and microturbine technology will provide economic power plants in the <300 kW size range. These developments are derivative of research and development efforts focused on vehicular propulsion. Small engines for hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells for electric vehicles are yielding technology that can be applied to stationary power. The fuels of choice for market entry products are natural gas and propane with some minor emphasis on methanol. At least six fuel cell developers are emphasizing power plants in the 2–5 kW range. The early market products will begin to appear in 1999. The four major microturbine developers are introducing products in the 30–75 kW range. These began to enter the market in late 1998. These small power plants should see wide application in the oil and gas industry if the claims for efficiency, reliability, and cost are substantiated by their field operation. Most systems are designed for operation with pipeline quality fuels. Available fuels in the field may have quality issues that will negatively impact both fuel cell and turbine operation. The fuel processing subsystems for fuel cells are especially sensitive to sulfur species and to heavy hydrocarbons, unless designed for their presence. The microturbines operate most effectively on fuels at 3–4 atm; otherwise a cost and efficiency penalty is taken for a gas compressor. Developers are projecting costs in the $500-1000/kw range. It remains to be seen whether product orders will provide a manufacturing volume that will meet these cost targets.
Abstract P4-06-13: Discovering serum biomarkers for predicting accumulation of nanotherapeutics to different tumor and organ microenvironments

Surrogate biomarkers in the circulation for the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect in different tumor and organ microenvironment shall aid in selecting patients who are likely to accumulate higher amount of nanotherapeutics to tumors and thus show better response to the therapeutics. In this study, 4T1 and 3LL murine cancer cell lines, known to have similar sensitivity to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in vitro, were shown to accumulate significantly different quantities of PLD in vivo. PLD accumulation correlated with tumor-specific differences in therapeutic efficacy and vascular permeability, which was modulated by the extent of coverage of tumor-associated endothelial cells by basement membrane. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and its endogenous inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, played a pivotal role in these phenomena. Differences in vascular permeability and PLD accumulation were also organ-specific and significantly correlated with the relative ratio of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in the systemic circulation of the tumor-bearing mice. Our findings support the further development of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 as paired serum biomarkers for predicting accumulation of PLD to tumor and the application of these biomarkers could be expanded to other types of nanotherapeutics utilizing the EPR effect for the personalization of cancer therapy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-06-13.
Scoring docked conformations generated by rigid-body protein-protein docking.

Rigid-body methods, particularly Fourier correlation techniques, are very efficient for docking bound (co-crystallized) protein confor- mations using measures of surface complementar- ity as the target function. However, when docking unbound (separately crystallized) conformations, the method generally yields hundreds of false posi- tive structures with good scores but high root mean square deviations (RMSDs). This paper describes a two-step scoring algorithm that can discriminate near-native conformations (with less than 5 A RMSD) from other structures. The first step includes two rigid-body filters that use the desolvation free en- ergy and the electrostatic energy to select a manage- able number of conformations for further process- ing, but are unable to eliminate all false positives. Complete discrimination is achieved in the second step that minimizes the molecular mechanics en- ergy of the retained structures, and re-ranks them with a combined free-energy function which in- cludes electrostatic, solvation, and van der Waals energy terms. After minimization, the improved fit in near-native complex conformations provides the free-energy gap required for discrimination. The algorithm has been developed and tested using docking decoys, i.e., docked conformations gener- ated by Fourier correlation techniques. The decoy sets are available on the web for testing other discrimination procedures. Proteins 2000;40:525-537.
Citicoline for traumatic brain injury: report of two cases, including my own

Citicoline is an investigational new drug in this country that was provided on a compassionate use basis in two cases of traumatic brain injury after horseback riding accidents. While this report is primarily anecdotal, the behavioral observations in both cases suggested atypical patterns of improvement and perhaps greater recovery than might otherwise have been predicted. The side effect profile of this drug is negligible and previous experimental research has yielded positive findings for treatment after stroke and head trauma, as well as memory loss in aging. Consequently, Citicoline may potentially be very helpful for patients suffering traumatic brain injuries and should, in our opinion, be made available and studied further in this clinical population.
A fault-tolerant implementation protocol for replicated database systems on bus local area networks

This paper proposes a new protocol for implementing a replicated database system on a bus local network. Using the broadcast capability of the bus local network, our protocol handles the database request efficiently with a small number of messages. Unlike existing schemes, our implementation protocol provides high resiliency as well as the fast response time. The system continues to service the requests as long as there is at least one site available, and, even when there is no site failure, the overall performance is better than the primary copy approach which is known to be most efficient. Simulation results are provided to compare the performance.
High-Viscosity Dietary Fibers Reduce Adiposity and Decrease Hepatic Steatosis in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

Viscous dietary fiber consumption lowers the postprandial glucose curve and may decrease obesity and associated comorbidities such as insulin resistance and fatty liver. We determined the effect of 2 viscous fibers, one fermentable and one not, on the development of adiposity, fatty liver, and metabolic flexibility in a model of diet-induced obesity. Rats were fed a normal-fat (NF) diet (26% energy from fat), a high-fat diet (60% energy from fat), each containing 5% fiber as cellulose (CL; nonviscous and nonfermentable), or 5% of 1 of 2 highly viscous fibers-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC; nonfermentable) or guar gum (GG; fermentable). After 10 wk, fat mass percentage in the NF (18.0%; P = 0.03) and GG groups (17.0%; P < 0.01) was lower than the CL group (20.7%). The epididymal fat pad weight of the NF (3.9 g; P = 0.04), HPMC (3.9 g; P = 0.03), and GG groups (3.6 g; P < 0.01) was also lower than the CL group (5.0 g). The HPMC (0.11 g/g liver) and GG (0.092 g/g liver) groups had lower liver lipid concentrations compared with the CL group (0.14 g/g liver). Fat mass percentage, epididymal fat pad weight, and liver lipid concentration were not different among the NF, HPMC, and GG groups. The respiratory quotient was higher during the transition from the diet-deprived to fed state in the GG group (P = 0.002) and tended to be higher in the HPMC group (P = 0.06) compared with the CL group, suggesting a quicker shift from fatty acid (FA) to carbohydrate oxidation. The HPMC group [15.1 nmol/(mg ⋅ h)] had higher ex vivo palmitate oxidation in muscle compared with the GG [11.7 nmol/(mg ⋅ h); P = 0.04] and CL groups [10.8 nmol/(mg ⋅ h); P < 0.01], implying a higher capacity to oxidize FAs. Viscous fibers can reduce the adiposity and hepatic steatosis that accompany a high-fat diet, and increase metabolic flexibility, regardless of fermentability.
A Systematic Study of the Catalytic Behavior at Enzyme–Metal-Oxide Nanointerfaces

Metal-oxide nanoparticles with high surface area, controllable functionality and thermal and mechanical stability provide high affinity for enzymes when the next generation of biosensor applications are being considered. We report on the synthesis of metal-oxide-based nanoparticles (with different physical and chemical properties) using hydrothermal processing, photo-deposition and silane functionalization. Physical and chemical properties of the user-synthesized nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Raman scattering, respectively. Thus, characterized metal-oxide-based nanoparticles served as nanosupports for the immobilization of soybean peroxidase enzyme (a model enzyme) through physical binding. The enzyme–nanosupport interface was evaluated to assess the optimum nanosupport characteristics that preserve enzyme functionality and its catalytic behavior. Our results showed that both the nanosupport geometry and its charge influence the functionality and catalytic behavior of the bio-metal-oxide hybrid system.
Drug Therapy in Pregnancy and Lactation

The use of drugs in pregnant and lactating women requires a thorough understanding of the unique interactions between the mother, fetus/infant, and the pharmacologic agents that are used in therapy. Any agent that is consumed by a woman may have adverse effects on the fetus/infant. This article will summarize those factors that should be considered. There exists a paucity of data and information for most drugs relative to pregnancy and lactation. Conclusions that can be drawn remain speculative, and the use of any drug during pregnancy and lactation requires extreme caution. Factors involved in fetal drug exposure include the dynamic changes of maternal physiology related to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Placental transfer of drug occurs with almost all agents, each to varying degrees. The notion that the placenta provides an impervious barrier must be dismissed. The least understood of factors involving potential fetal harm is teratogenicity. The mechanisms and types of terato...
The Neural Basis of Categorical Face Perception: Graded Representations of Face Gender in Fusiform and Orbitofrontal Cortices

Face gender, like many other things, is perceived categorically: Subjective perceptions are distorted toward the categories, male or female, and the objective gradiency inherent across faces is partially lost. The neural basis of such categorical face perception remains virtually unknown. Participants passively viewed faces whose sexually dimorphic content was morphed monotonically from male to female while neural activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subjective perceptions revealed strong nonlinearity despite monotonic linear changes in face gender, consistent with categorical perception. Neuroimaging results indicated that the lateral fusiform gyrus, bilaterally, and the fusiform face area linearly encoded graded parameters of objective face gender, but these regions correlated substantially less with subjective perceptions (which were nonlinear and affected by categorical perception effects). Such subjective perceptions, however, were represented in the orbitofrontal cortex, but this region correlated substantially less with objective parameters. The attention-independent graded representations of face gender in fusiform and orbitofrontal cortices reveal how objective face parameters are encoded and transformed into subjective categorically warped perceptions in the human brain.
Hooking Up in the College Context: The Event-Level Effects of Alcohol Use and Partner Familiarity on Hookup Behaviors and Contentment

The current study examined hooking up experiences through event-level analyses, including the connections involving alcohol use, the extent of physical contact, and postevaluations of the hookup event. Participants were 828 college students (67.0% female). Of students who reported hooking up sometime within the past year (54.8%), chi-square analyses revealed that they were more likely to have been drinking when they met their partners the night of the hookup. Females who were drinking beforehand and females who met their partners that night were more likely to feel discontent with their hookup decisions. Among participants who consumed alcohol prior to their last hookup, a notable 30.7% of females and 27.9% of males indicated that they would likely not have hooked up with their partners had alcohol not been involved. Further, 34.4% of females and 27.9% of males indicated that they would not have gone as far physically if they had not been drinking. Among participants who reported both drinking beforehand and hooking up with unfamiliar partners, greater number of drinks consumed was associated with more advanced sexual behaviors. The current findings highlight the potential risks associated with alcohol use in the hooking up culture.
The More the Merrier? The Effects of Having Multiple International Election Monitoring Organizations

As the pressure to invite international election monitors rose at the end of the Cold War, states refused to grant the United Nations a dominant role. Thus, today multiple intergovernmental, regional, and international non-governmental organizations often monitor the same elections with equal authority. This article examines the costs and benefits of this complex regime to highlight some possible broader implications of regime complexity. It argues that the availability of many different organizations facilitates action that might otherwise have been blocked for political reasons. Furthermore, when different international election monitoring agencies agree, their consensus can bolster their individual legitimacy as well as the legitimacy of the international norms they stress, and thus magnify their influence on domestic politics. Unfortunately the election monitoring example also suggests that complex regimes can engender damaging inter-organizational politics and that the different biases, capabilities, and standards of organizations sometime can lead organizations to outright contradict each other or work at cross-purposes.
Factors Affecting Lipase Flavor in Butter

Abstract In studies to determine the effect of cream quality, pasteurization temperature, and storage temperature on the development of lipase flavor in butter, raw cream, fresh and aged 24h, was divided into three fractions and heated at 72C, 85C, and 93C, respectively, for 18s. Each fraction of cream was churned into butter, which was divided and stored at −28.9C and 4.4C. Lipase flavor development was measured organoleptically, by acid degree value, and by free fatty acid concentration. Age of the cream significantly affected free fatty acid and acid degree values whereas heat treatment of the cream affected free fatty acids, acid degree values and flavor, and the temperature of storage affected free fatty acids and flavor. Correlation between free fatty acids and acid degree values was .86. There was no correlation between flavor and either free fatty acids or acid degree values.
Future directions in ecosystem based fisheries management: A personal perspective

Abstract This paper provides a personal perspective on the future of ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM). I begin with the question, “if we did single species management well, would EBFM be necessary.” The answer to this is yes, because pure single-species management does not consider impacts on non-target species, trophic interactions among species, and habitat-destroying fishing practices. Pure single-species management conflicts with a range of legislation designed to protect non-target species and habitats within the U.S. and a number of other countries. The most important elements of EBFM are keeping fishing mortality rates low enough to prevent ecosystem-wide overfishing, reducing or eliminating by-catch and avoiding habitat-destroying fishing methods. There is a second phase of EBFM I call “extended EBFM” that consists of considering trophic interactions and area-based management. While there are now models of the trophic interactions for most highly managed ecosystems, and there are area-based management efforts underway in many places, I am not convinced that we are really ready, scientifically and administratively, to apply these forms of EBFM, because they are expensive and require complex trade-offs that are often ill-defined.