cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cassava as a food

This review has attempted to examine information pertaining to the role of cassava (Manihot esculenta) as a major food source for a large part of the world population, particularly the countries of South America, Africa, and Asia, where it is primarily a major source of energy for 300 to 500 million people. Its cultivation, usually on small farms with little technology, is estimated to cover on an annual basis about 11 million hectares providing about 105 million tons, more than half of which is consumed by humans. The importance of cassava as an energy source can be seen by its growing demand in the European economic community countries where it forms up to 60% of the balanced diets for swine. Cassava is one of the crops that converts the greatest amount of solar energy into soluble carbohydrates per unit of area, thus 1 kg of moisture-free cassava meal may yield up to about 3750 kcal which would mean that a yearly production of 15 tons of cassava meal per hectare would yield some 56 million kcal. The major limitations of cassava as food appear to be its poor protein content and quality and the rapid post harvest deterioration of its roots which usually prevents their storage in the fresh state for more than a few days. However, in addition to its use for culinary purposes, cassava finds application in industrial products such as an adhesive for laundry purposes, for manufacturing paper, alcohol, butanol, dextrin, adhesive tape, textile sizing, and glue.
Supervisor-Supervisee Role Differences and Consistency of Behavior in Supervisory Conferences

This study investigated (a) differences in verbal interaction between supervisors and supervisees during the supervisory conference, (b) differences in verbal interaction between early and later co...
A note onH = log2m

When teaching elementary concepts on information theory a problem keeps reoccurring which, if only for pedagogical reasons, deserves discussion.
Minimizing mass transfer effects in granular iron batch tests using GEM reactors

The glass encased magnet (GEM) batch reactor was designed to permit reactivity studies of granular iron with good mixing, and minimal abrasion. This study compared the GEM reactor with two conventional batch test designs (for granular iron studies). In the GEM reactor experiments, the reduction of 4-chloronitrobenzene with Connelly granular iron was found to proceed at about twice the maximum rate of the reaction mixed by orbital shaking or rolling, indicating that mass transfer was minimized in the GEM tests. In addition, the reproducibility of GEM tests was superior, possibly due to abrasion or other variations to the grain surfaces that occurred in the other types of tests. The biases and uncertainties in kinetic parameters estimated from the shaker and roller experiments were shown to be significant compared to the GEM derived parameters.
Identification of stable normalization genes for quantitative real-time PCR in porcine articular cartilage

Expression levels for genes of interest must be normalized with an appropriate reference, or housekeeping gene, to make accurate comparisons of quantitative real-time PCR results. The purpose of this study was to identify the most stable housekeeping genes in porcine articular cartilage subjected to a mechanical injury from a panel of 10 candidate genes. Ten candidate housekeeping genes were evaluated in three different treatment groups of mechanically impacted porcine articular cartilage. The genes evaluated were: beta actin, beta-2-microglobulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, hydroxymethylbilane synthase, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase, peptidylprolyl isomerase A (cyclophilin A), ribosomal protein L4, succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein subunit A, TATA box binding protein, and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein—zeta polypeptide. The stability of the genes was measured using geNorm, BestKeeper, and NormFinder software. The four most stable genes measured via geNorm were (most to least stable) succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein, subunit A, peptidylprolyl isomerase A, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, beta actin; the four most stable genes measured via BestKeeper were glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, peptidylprolyl isomerase A, beta actin, succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein, subunit A; and the four most stable genes measured via NormFinder were peptidylprolyl isomerase A, succinate dehydrogenase flavoprotein, subunit A, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, beta actin. BestKeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder all generated similar results for the most stable genes in porcine articular cartilage. The use of these appropriate reference genes will facilitate accurate gene expression studies of porcine articular cartilage and suggest appropriate housekeeping genes for articular cartilage studies in other species.
Updating Distance Maps When Objects Move

Using a discrete distance transform one can quickly build a map of the distance from a goal to every point in a digital map. Using this map, one can easily solve the shortest path problem from any point by simply following the gradient of the distance map. This technique can be used in any number of dimensions and can incorporate obstacles of arbitrary shape (represented in the digital map) including pseudo-obstacles caused by unattainable configurations of a robotic system. This paper further extends the usefulness of the digital distance transform technique by providing an efficient means for dealing with objects which undergo motion. In particular, an algorithm is presented that allows one to update only those portions of the distance map that will potentially change as an object moves. The technique is based on an analysis of the distance transform as a problem in wave propagation. The regions that must be checked for possible update when an object moves are those that are in its "shadow", or in the shadow of objects that are partially in the shadow of the moving object. The technique can handle multiple goals, and multiple objects moving and interacting in an arbitrary fashion.
Nonlinear disturbance decoupling for a nonholonomic mobile robotic manipulation platform

A mobile manipulator is at the present time a widespread term to refer to robot systems built from a robotic manipulator arm mounted on a mobile platform. A mobile manipulation system offers a dual advantage of mobility offered by a mobile platform and dexterity offered by the manipulator. In this work, the tracking and nonlinear disturbance decoupling problems are studied. We show that this system posses the necessary geometric structure for complete disturbance decoupling between the outputs and disturbances. Simulation results obtained for the mobile manipulator show good performance in the presence of significant disturbances using the designed nonlinear controller.
Developmental Differences in the Sensitivity of Spontaneous and Miniature IPSCs to Ethanol

Background: Ethanol (EtOH) consumption by juveniles and adolescents is an important public health problem. Recent studies have indicated that adolescent animals are less sedated by EtOH than adult animals and experience less motor impairment. Thus, human adolescents may be able to consume more EtOH prior to sedation, putting them at greater risk for EtOH addiction and other negative consequences of EtOH use. However, the mechanisms underlying this developmental difference are unknown. One contributing factor may be gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor–mediated inhibition, which is known to produce sedation. We have shown that evoked, GABAA receptor–mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) are less powerfully enhanced by EtOH in neurons from juvenile or adolescent animals than in those from adult animals; however, the mechanisms of this developmental difference in sensitivity are unknown. Methods: Using whole-cell recording, we tested the response of spontaneous and miniature GABAA receptor-mediated IPSCs (sIPSCs and mIPSCs) to EtOH in rat hippocampal slices from animals representing two distinct developmental stages: adolescent and adult. Results: We found significantly greater EtOH-induced enhancement of the frequency of sIPSCs in cells from adult animals compared to those from adolescent animals. Although EtOH also increased the frequency of mIPSCs, this effect was not age dependent. EtOH did not significantly affect the kinetics of mIPSCs. Conclusions: We conclude that the sensitivity of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory processes to EtOH increases with development from the adolescent period to adulthood, and that this is likely mediated by developmental changes in the effect of EtOH on interneuron excitation.
Annotations and Functional Analyses of the Rice WRKY Gene Superfamily Reveal Positive and Negative Regulators of Abscisic Acid Signaling in Aleurone Cells

The WRKY proteins are a superfamily of regulators that control diverse developmental and physiological processes. This family was believed to be plant specific until the recent identification of WRKY genes in nonphotosynthetic eukaryotes. We have undertaken a comprehensive computational analysis of the rice (Oryza sativa) genomic sequences and predicted the structures of 81 OsWRKY genes, 48 of which are supported by full-length cDNA sequences. Eleven OsWRKY proteins contain two conserved WRKY domains, while the rest have only one. Phylogenetic analyses of the WRKY domain sequences provide support for the hypothesis that gene duplication of single- and two-domain WRKY genes, and loss of the WRKY domain, occurred in the evolutionary history of this gene family in rice. The phylogeny deduced from the WRKY domain peptide sequences is further supported by the position and phase of the intron in the regions encoding the WRKY domains. Analyses for chromosomal distributions reveal that 26% of the predicted OsWRKY genes are located on chromosome 1. Among the dozen genes tested, OsWRKY24, -51, -71, and -72 are induced by abscisic acid (ABA) in aleurone cells. Using a transient expression system, we have demonstrated that OsWRKY24 and -45 repress ABA induction of the HVA22 promoter-β-glucuronidase construct, while OsWRKY72 and -77 synergistically interact with ABA to activate this reporter construct. This study provides a solid base for functional genomics studies of this important superfamily of regulatory genes in monocotyledonous plants and reveals a novel function for WRKY genes, i.e. mediating plant responses to ABA.
A Comparison of Normal and Stressed‐Time Conditions on Scoring of Quality and Quantity Attributes

SUMMARY Data reported indicate that tasting under a time stress may he slightly advantageous when subjects are asked to judge a quantity difference; hut that for judging quality differences, tasting with no time stress is superior for most tasters. The Brunswick probabilistic theory is discussed in the light of these experiments, which tend to verify applicability of the theory. The linear dependency of tasters' use of scales for quantity evaluation, and to some extent for quality evaluation (if not under stress), is demonstrated.
Relationship Between Protein Complotypes and DNA Variant Haplotypes: Complotype-RFLP Constellations (CRC)

Abstract ABSTRACT: From the study of 52 families and 15 homozygous typing cells, 234 MHC complement haplotypes were characterized for features in the DNA of the complotype region: C2/Sst I (2.75, 2.70, 2.65, and 2.40 kb), BF/Taq I (6.6 and 4.5 kb), C4 5′/ Bgl II (15 and 4.5 kb), C4 5′/ Taq I (7.0, 6.4, 6.0 and 5.4 kb) and C4 3′/ Xba I/ Bam H I (11 and 4+7 kb) restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP’s), by the presence or absence of C4A, C4B, CYP21A and CYP21B genes and by duplications. Nineteen (of over 1000 theoretically possible) complotype-RFLP constellations (CRC’s) were found. The 9 CRC’s with two C4 and CYP21 genes were designated A through I. CRC’s Bdup and Ddup were like B and D but had duplicated C4B-CYP21B genes. The remaining CRC’s had deletions of C4 and/or CYP21 genes and were designated Bdel, Cdel and the like. Individual complement alleles and complotypes were not randomly distributed among the CRC’s. Some complotypes, such as SC01, SC02 and FlC30, were restricted to only 1 CRC; others, such as SC31, FC31, and SC30, were found in several CRC’s. Some of the CRC’s contained a single complotype, others contained several. Remarkably, there are about 30 CRC-specified complotypes with frequencies of .01 or higher and 14 of .02 or higher. A number of evolutionary origins of complement alleles and complotypes are suggested by the relationships among CRC’s. Approximate normal frequencies of the undeleted CRC’s were A = .27, B = .19, Bdup = .02, C = .17, D = .07, Ddup = .02, E = .06, F = .05, and G = .02. Thus, CRC’s without deletions accounted for 88% of normal complotypes. Since the frequency of Bdel, with a deletion of C4A, was .12, 10 CRC’s accounted for all observed normal caucasian MHC haplotypes.
Mlp1 Acts as a Mitotic Scaffold to Spatially Regulate Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Proteins in Aspergillus nidulans

During open mitosis several nuclear pore complex (NPC) proteins have mitotic specific localizations and functions. We find that the Aspergillus nidulans Mlp1 NPC protein has previously unrealized mitotic roles involving spatial regulation of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) proteins. In interphase, An-Mlp1 tethers the An-Mad1 and An-Mad2 SAC proteins to NPCs. During a normal mitosis, An-Mlp1, An-Mad1, and An-Mad2 localize similarly on, and around, kinetochores until telophase when they transiently localize near the spindle but not at kinetochores. During SAC activation, An-Mlp1 remains associated with kinetochores in a manner similar to An-Mad1 and An-Mad2. Although An-Mlp1 is not required for An-Mad1 kinetochore localization during early mitosis, it is essential to maintain An-Mad1 in the extended region around kinetochores in early mitosis and near the spindle in telophase. Our data are consistent with An-Mlp1 being part of a mitotic spindle matrix similar to its Drosophila orthologue and demonstrate that this matrix localizes SAC proteins. By maintaining SAC proteins near the mitotic apparatus, An-Mlp1 may help monitor mitotic progression and coordinate efficient mitotic exit. Consistent with this possibility, An-Mad1 and An-Mlp1 redistribute from the telophase matrix and associate with segregated kinetochores when mitotic exit is prevented by expression of nondegradable cyclin B.
Understanding changes in belief and attitude toward information technology usage: a theoretical model and longitudinal test

User beliefs and attitudes are key perceptions driving information technology usage. These perceptions, however, may change with time as users gain first-hand experience with IT usage, which, in turn, may change their subsequent IT usage behavior. This paper elaborates how users' be liefs and attitudes change during the course of their IT usage, defines emergent constructs driving such change, and proposes a temporal model of belief and attitude change by drawing on expectation-disconfirmation theory and the extant IT usage literature. Student data from two longitudinal studies in end-user computing (computer-based training system usage) and system development (rapid application development software usage) contexts provided empirical support for the hypothesized model, demonstrated its generalizability across technologies and usage contexts, and allowed us to probe context-specific differences. Content analysis of qualitative data validated some of our quantitative results. We report that emergent factors such as disconfirmation and satisfaction are critical to understanding changes in IT users' beliefs and attitudes and recommend that they be included in future process models of IT usage.
Memory Performance and Scalability of Intel's and AMD's Dual-Core Processors: A Case Study

As chip multiprocessor (CMP) has become the mainstream in processor architectures, Intel and AMD have introduced their dual-core processors to the PC market. In this paper, performance studies on an Intel Core 2 Duo, an Intel Pentium D and an AMD Athlon 64times2 processor are reported. According to the design specifications, key derivations exist in the critical memory hierarchy architecture among these dual-core processors. In addition to the overall execution time and throughput measurement using both multiprogrammed and multi-threaded workloads, this paper provides detailed analysis on the memory hierarchy performance and on the performance scalability between single and dual cores. Our results indicate that for the best performance and scalability, it is important to have (1) fast cache-to-cache communication, (2) large L2 or shared capacity, (3) fast L2 to core latency, and (4) fair cache resource sharing. Three dual-core processors that we studied have shown benefits of some of these factors, but not all of them. Core 2 Duo has the best performance for most of the workloads because of its microarchitecture features such as shared L2 cache. Pentium D shows the worst performance in many aspects due to its technology-remap of Pentium 4.
Going As Far As We Can Go: The Jesus Proposal For Stretching Genes and Cultures

The Christian perspective on morality is examined under the rubric of “being like Jesus” and the “Jesus proposal for morality.” The Peace People of Northern Ireland are examples of this proposal. Among the features of Christian moral thinking that are emphasized are: Jesus' concern for the future, the transformation that the future requires, human nature interpreted in terms of how it can undergo transformation, and self-giving love as the core of this transformation. Attention is given to the ways in which Jesus both radicalized and relativized the moral conventions of his day. Dialogue with sociobology comes into play when Jesus is viewed as a proposal for cultural evolution and a kind of biocultural mutation. Gerd Theissen's scholarship on Jesus' moral perspectives is given special attention.
Cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-induced Acute Renal Failure in the Rat: Enzyme Histochemical Studies

Enzyme histochemical techniques were utilized to examine the progression and extent of proximal tubular injury during the development of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP)-induced acute renal failure. Acute renal failure was induced in male rats by the intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg CDDP/kg body weight. At 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr following treatment, renal function was assessed and tissue was collected for renal morphologic and enzyme histochemical studies. The enzymes examined were γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, sodium-potassium ATPase (nitrophenyl phosphatase), acid phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, and lactic dehydrogenase. By 24 hr, the activity of acid phosphatase was reduced throughout the proximal tubule, with the greatest decrease occurring in the P3 segment of the proximal tubule located in the outer stripe of the outer medulla. Changes in the histochemical staining of the remaining enzymes were not cons...
Integrating Knowledge in Search of Biologically Relevant Genes

Gene selection aims at detecting biologically relevant genes to assist biologists' research. The cDNA Microarray data used in gene selection is usually "wide". With more than ten thousand genes, but only less than a hundred of samples, many biologically irrelevant genes can gain their statistical relevance by sheer randomness. Moreover, even for genes that are biologically relevant, biologists often prefer the "trigger" to the "fire". Addressing these problems goes beyond what the cDNA Microarray can offer and necessitates the use of additional information. Recent developments in bioinformatics have made various knowledge sources available, such as the KEGG pathway repository and Gene Ontology database. Integrating different types of knowledge for gene selection could provide more information about genes and samples. In this work, we propose a novel framework to integrate different types of knowledge for identifying biologically relevant genes. The framework converts different types of external knowledge to its internal knowledge, which can be used to rank genes. Upon obtaining the ranking lists, it aggregates them via a probabilistic model and generates a final ranking list. Experimental results from our study on acute lymphoblastic leukemia demonstrate the novelty and efficacy of the proposed framework and show that using different types of knowledge together can help detect biologically relevant genes.
Automated feature-based range registration of urban scenes of large scale

We are building a system that can automatically acquire 3D range scans and 2D images to build geometrically and photometrically correct 3D models of urban environments. A major bottleneck in the process is the automated registration of a large number of geometrically complex 3D range scans in a common frame of reference. In this paper we provide a method for the accurate and efficient registration of a large number of complex range scans. The method utilizes range segmentation and feature extraction algorithms. Our algorithm automatically computes pairwise registrations between individual scans, builds a topological graph, and places the scans in the same frame of reference. We present results for building large scale 3D models of historic sites and urban structures.
Study of three laser systems for treatment of superficial varicosities of the lower extremity

Three separate laser modalities were investigated in the treatment of superficial varicosities/telangiectasias of the lower extremities. Sixteen patients were treated and followed for 12 months. The superpulse CO2, the pulsed focally specific CO2, and the Nd:YAG laser transmitted through a diffusing sapphire tip were able to produce cosmetically satisfactory permanent obliteration of vessels after a 12-month follow-up interval. These results were a significant improvement over six-month results indicating a long fading time for laser treatment of leg veins.
Disproportionate-share hospital payment reductions may threaten the financial stability of safety-net hospitals.

Safety-net hospitals rely on disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) payments to help cover uncompensated care costs and underpayments by Medicaid (known as Medicaid shortfalls). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) anticipates that insurance expansion will increase safety-net hospitals’ revenues and will reduce DSH payments accordingly. We examined the impact of the ACA’s Medicaid DSH reductions on California public hospitals’ financial stability by estimating how total DSH costs (uncompensated care costs and Medicaid shortfalls) will change as a result of insurance expansion and the offsetting DSH reductions. Decreases in uncompensated care costs resulting from the ACA insurance expansion may not match the act’s DSH reductions because of the high number of people who will remain uninsured, low Medicaid reimbursement rates, and medical cost inflation. Taking these three factors into account, we estimate that California public hospitals’ total DSH costs will increase from $2.044 billion in 2010 to $2.363–$2.503 bi...
Validating the Injury Severity Score (ISS) in Different Populations: ISS Predicts Mortality Better Among Hispanics and Females

INTRODUCTION: The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is the most commonly used measure of injury severity. The score has been shown to have excellent predictive capability for trauma mortality and has been validated in multiple data sets. However, the score has never been tested to see if its discriminatory ability is affected by differences in race and gender. OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed at validating the ISS in men and women and in three different race/ethnic groups using a nationwide database. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients age 18-64 y in the National Trauma Data Bank 7.0 with blunt trauma was performed. ISS was categorized as mild (25). Logistic regression was done to measure the relative odds of mortality associated with a change in ISS categories. The discriminatory ability was compared using the receiver operating characteristics curves (ROC). A P value testing the equality of the ROC curves was calculated. Age stratified analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 872,102 patients had complete data for the analysis on ethnicity, while 763,549 patients were included in the gender analysis. The overall mortality rate was 3.7%. ROC in Whites was 0.8617, in Blacks 0.8586, and in Hispanics 0.8869. Hispanics have a statistically significant higher ROC (P value Language: en
Enzymatic N-terminal Addition of Noncanonical Amino Acids to Peptides and Proteins

A chromatographic assay was used to identify ten noncanonical amino acids that can be appended to the N terminus of peptides and proteins by the L,F-transferase of Escherichia coli. A model protein substrate, E. coli dihydrofolate reductase, was modified with p-ethynylphenylalanine and conjugated to azide–biotin and azide–polyethylene glycol–fluorescein probes (see scheme).
The Shoulder and Elbow Joints and Right and Left Sides Demonstrate Similar Joint Position Sense

Proper orientation of the shoulder and elbow is necessary for accurate and precise positioning of the hand. The authors' goal was to compare these joints with an active joint position sense task, while also taking into account the effects of joint flexion angle and arm dominance. Fifteen healthy subjects were asked to replicate presented joint angles with a single degree of freedom active positioning protocol. There were no significant differences in angular joint position sense errors with respect to joint (shoulder vs. elbow) and side (left vs. right). However, when considering linear positioning, errors were lower for the elbow, due to a shorter lever arm. Also, as flexion angles increased toward 90°, there was a consistent pattern of lower errors for both joints.
Life Closure with the Roy Adaptation Model

The author of this paper examines the initial conceptualization of death and dying theory within the context of the Roy adaptation model (RAM) and compares it with current knowledge development. An evolved RAM with its philosophic assumptions provides a framework by which to add existential components of spirituality, life meaning, and purposeful existence that were absent in the original work on death and dying.
Effects of Components of Sanitation on Nutritional Status: Findings from South Indian Settlements

The provision of sanitary facilities to a community neither guarantees they will be used nor that they will provide health benefits if they are used. This study, conducted in three urban communities in Madras, India, follows pre-school children over the course of approximately one year to determine the relative effects on growth of sanitation factors. These factors were defined as being under the control of children, those controlled by parents, and factors not under the direct discretionary control of any family member. Data were also collected on other variables suspected to affect nutritional or health status. A statistical technique was used that accounts for the effects of non sanitation-related variables. Children from 18 to 36 months of age benefit most from their own and their parents sanitary behaviour. Older children benefit from availability of resources for hygiene. Children under 18 months of age tend to be unaffected by any of the sanitation-related variables considered.
OESTROUS REACTIONS IN FEMALE RATS UNITED WITH CASTRATE PARABIONTS

Several investigators working with parabiotic rats have shown that certain definite results can be obtained from such experiments, though there is a large amount of existing data with regard to vaginal smears and ovarian histology which appear to have but little semblance of consistency among them. The writer has made a histological study of the genital tissues from twenty-four pairs of female parabiotic rats, and has found definite facts concerning ovarian structure and oestrous cycles to be described later in this paper. It seems that a presentation of these findings at this time may serve to clarify some of the present misunderstanding concerning results for parabiosis experiments. Martins (’29) has described experiments in which young female rats were united with castrate female littermates, with resultant long periods of oestrus in both members of the pairs. No statement is made, however, as to whether or not these animals had attained maturity previous to parabiotic union. Zacherl (’27), using a sim...
Second Life® as a Clinical Conference Environment: Experience of Students and Faculty

Abstract The purpose of this article is to discuss the students' and faculty members' experience of using Second Life® during a psychiatric mental health clinical conference. The clinical conference is explained, as well as the process in which students were oriented to the use of Second Life. The students' and faculty members' experience, obstacles encountered, and lessons learned are also presented.
Influence of Herbicide Tolerant Soybean Production Systems on Insect Pest Populations and Pest-Induced Crop Damage

Conventional soybean weed management and transgenic herbicide-tolerant management were examined to assess their effects on soybean insect pest populations in south Georgia in 1997 and 1998. Soybean variety had very little impact on the insect species observed, except that maturity group effects were observed for stink bug, primarily Nezara viridula (L.), population densities on some sampling dates. Stink bugs were more abundant on the early maturing varieties in mid-season. Velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner, potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), and grasshoppers Melanoplus spp. were more numerous on either conventional or herbicide-tolerant varieties on certain dates, although these differences were not consistent throughout the season. Soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), and whitefringed beetles, Graphognathus spp., demonstrated no varietal preference in this study. Few weed treatment differences were observed, but if present on certain sampling dates, then pest numbers were higher in plots where weeds were reduced (either postemergence herbicides or preplant herbicide plus postemergence herbicide). The exception to this weed treatment effect was grasshoppers, which were more numerous in weedy plots when differences were present. In postemergence herbicide plots, there were no differences in insect pest densities between the conventional herbicides (e.g., Classic, Select, Cobra, and Storm) compared with specific gene-inserted herbicide-tolerant materials (i.e., Roundup and Liberty). Defoliation, primarily by velvetbean caterpillar, was different between soybean varieties at some test sites but not different between herbicide treatments. We did not observe differences in seasonal abundance of arthropod pests between conventional and transgenic herbicide-tolerant soybean.
Development of 18F-labeled picolinamide probes for melanoma PET imaging

349 Objectives The aim of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the 18F-picolinamide probes (18F-P3BZA and 18F-P4BZA) for the imaging of malignant melanoma. Methods 18F-fluoropicolinamides were prepared by radiofluorination reactions using no-carrier-added 18F-fluoride and evaluated in vivo by biodistribution studies and micro-positron emission tomography (microPET) imaging in C57BL/6 mice bearing B16F10 murine melanoma tumors. Results 18F-fluorination of the corresponding bromopicolinamide precursors was achieved in yields of 10-20% (decay corrected on the basis of 18F-fluoride). The total synthesis time was less than 1 hour. The radiochemical purity of the 18F-labeled probes was more than 98% and the specific activity was 100-150 GBq/µmol. Noninvasive microPET and direct tissue sampling experiments demonstrated that the probes had melanin-specific tumor targeting in subcutaneous B16F10 melanoma xenografts, which yielded a tumor-to-blood ratio of approximately 20:1 at 1 h and greater than 30:1 at 2 h. Quantitative microPET imaging studies showed that 18F-P3BZA had tumor uptake of 11.8 ± 2.2, 13.2 ± 2.4, and 14.6 ± 3.2 %ID/g at 0.5h, 1 h, and 2 h postinjection, respectively. Of note, the 18F-P3BZA demonstrated good in vivo stability as evidenced by the low bone uptake in biodistribution studies. Conclusions The new 18F-picolinamide probes were synthesized with high specific activity via one-step 18F-fluorination within a short time frame. The probes exhibited high tumor uptake and metabolic stability, as well as favorable in vivo pharmacokinetics. These findings suggest that 18F-fluoropicolinamides could be promising imaging agents for the detection of melanoma
Discovering Semantic Relationships between Concepts from MEDLINE

This paper presents an approach for detecting unapparent links between two concepts from MEDLINE. Given two topics A and C, for example, two biomedical concepts "fish oil" and "raynauds", we attempt to find the best concept chain and evidence trail that connect them across documents. The technique begins with developing concept profiles for each input topic, and then grouping relevant concepts by semantic types, and finally generating ranked concept chains and evidence trails connecting topics. Biomedical corpus from MEDLINE is used to evaluate the performance of the system and demonstrates the effectiveness of the algorithm. The system provides a handy user interface for initializing the environment, customizing semantic types of interest, and viewing "bridge" concepts connecting topics.
The Transmigration of the Crocodile

ERHAPS the greatest tribute that can be paid to Shakespeare's Cleopatra is that Antony was not her last conquest. The army of Shakespearian critics, past and present, includes a volunteer battalion of admirers large enough to rival the throng enthralled by La Belle Dame Sans Merci. The deification of Cleopatra originated in the romantic criticism of the nineteenth century, and, although the romantic point of view has been generally abandoned in our own century, paradoxically the cult has continued to grow in influence and popularity. It is amusing to find that even the most realistic of modern critics tacitly accept the basic assumptions of the romantic position. This is indeed a compliment to the lady's charms. Throughout the nineteenth century, conventional morality and the romantic elevation of woman struggle for supremacy in critical studies of the character of Cleopatra. The struggle does not result in a clear-cut victory for either side; on the contrary, a number of attitudes of varying complexity emerge. In the eighteenth century, Dr. Johnson had singled out Cleopatra as the only thoroughly developed character in the play, distinguished by "her feminine arts, some of which are too low. . .".' This latter statement is not merely a gratuitous moral reprimand; it is an integral part of Johnson's general disapproval of the play. Most nineteenth-century critics, however, found it difficult to accept so brief and sweeping a dismissal of the play and its characters. They were unwilling to accept the major premise of Johnson's criticism-that Antony and Cleopatra was simply not a good play. First, it was written by Shakespeare, whose ranking position in literature went almost unquestioned by these critics; and second, as (ostensibly) a drama of noble love and tragic sacrifice, it was peculiarly attractive to the romantic temperament. Where the critic's moral judgment intervened, this instinctive admiration might be tempered or even nullified by a sober condemnation of Cleopatra's failings. Coleridge, for example, considers Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare's "most wonderful" play, but stigmatizes Cleopatra as inspired by a passion "which springs out of the habitual craving of a licentious nature. . .".' Sometimes morality won a complete victory, with curious results. Cleopatra was converted into a heroine endowed with the Tennysonian virtues. Furness, the editor of the Variorum edition, simply refuses to believe that any breach of morality may be attributed to Cleopatra. She is, for him, the ideal Victorian
Regiospecific Acylation of Cycloplatinated Complexes:Scope, Limitations, and Mechanistic Implications

A series of platinum complexes based on the tridentate cyclometalating ligand derivatives 6-arylamino-2,2′-bipyridine, 6-phenoxy-2,2′-bipyridine, 6-phenylthio-2,2′-bipyridine, 6-benzyl-2,2′-bipyridine, and 6-benzoyl-2,2′-bipyridine were synthesized, and their acylation reactions were studied. Acylation of platinum complexes based on 6-(4-R-phenylamino)-2,2′-bipyridine derivatives (R = CH3O, CH3, Cl, COOEt) tolerates both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents on the aryl ring that are para to the amino group. However, platinum complexes based on 6-(3-R′-phenylamino)-2,2′-bipyridine (R′ = CH3, Cl, Br) did not undergo the acylation reaction under the same conditions. Interestingly, the acylation of the platinum complexes based on 6-(3-fluorophenylamino)-2,2′-bipyridine proceeded smoothly, and the results indicate that the acylation is regiospecific and occurs at the metalated carbon. Complexes based on 6-phenoxy-2,2′-bipyridine, 6-phenylthio-2,2′-bipyridine, and 6-benzyl-2,2′-bipyridine are...
Complexity of multi-party computation functionalities

The central objects of secure multiparty computation are the “multiparty functions” (or functionalities) that it seeks to securely realize. In this chapter we survey a set of results that constitute a Cryptographic Complexity Theory. This theory classifies and compares multiparty functions according to their secure computability and reducibility to each other. The basic questions studied, under various notions of security and reducibility, include: • Which functionalities are securely realizable (or are “trivial” – i.e., can be reduced to any functionality)? • Which functionalities are “complete” – i.e., those to which any functionality can be reduced? • More generally, which functionalities are reducible to which? Outside of triviality and completeness, this question is relatively less explored. Reductions yield relative measures of complexity among various functionalities. In the informationtheoretic setting, absolute complexity measures have also been considered. In particular, we discuss results regarding which functions have t-private protocols (in which security is required against a passive adversary corrupting t out of n players) and how this set changes as t increases from 1 to n. We treat separately the results on two-party functionalities, for which the cryptographic complexity is much better understood. In particular, we present unified combinatorial characterizations of completeness and triviality for secure function evaluation using notions of isomorphism and the common information functionality (called the kernel) of a given functionality. Beyond completeness and triviality, we also discuss results on general reducibility, and, in the computationally bounded setting, the connection between these reductions and computational hardness assumptions. We briefly discuss results on reactive functionalities, which are much less studied than non-reactive (secure function evaluation) functionalities. Finally, we conclude with a selection of open problems. ∗Department of Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles. hmaji@cs.ucla.edu. †Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, mmp@uiuc.edu. Supported by NSF grants CNS 07-47027 and CNS 12-28856. ‡Department of Computer Science, University of Montana. mikero@cs.umt.edu. Supported by NSF grant CCF-1149647
The Diffusion of Intermunicipal Cooperation in the United States: A National Study of Local-to-Local Budget Transfers from 1972 to 2007

In recent decades local governments have begun cooperating more frequently, hurdling collective action problems and countering their traditionally competitive relationships to seek common ends. Scholars of local governance have studied how and why these collaborations emerge. However, a significant gap in the literature exists regarding how these collaborations have increased over time. This research project proposes to examine this question through a quantitative analysis of local-level budget data over a 35 year period, and posits that mechanisms of policy diffusion (including emulation, learning, and competition among localities) are central to explaining this phenomenon. I suggest that as some localities experiment with cooperative agreements and succeed, leaders in other localities take note, learn from successful cooperation, and begin their own collaborative experiments. The model tests whether the density of cooperative municipalities in an area increases the likelihood of other localities in the same area cooperating.
Incidence, Prevalence and Risk Factors for Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes is a worldwide disease. In the United States nearly 10 million persons are affected and the prevalence is increasing. Considerable advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and determinants of non-insulin-dependent diabetes have occurred in recent years. Genetic and environmental determinants are associated with the development of diabetes, but the mode of inheritance of the genetic determinants is unknown. Obesity, particularly if it is centrally distributed and of long duration, is the most prominent environmental risk factor for non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Although it has long been suspected as an etiological factor, evidence that physical activity is a predictor of the disease is now emerging. The adoption of a western lifestyle and improvements in socioeconomic conditions are at least partially responsible for the very high rates of diabetes among several ethnic and racial groups, although the specific components of these changes that contribute to development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes are still uncertain. Other factors that worsen insulin resistance are likewise predictive of the development of disease. An understanding of the risk factors for non-insulin-dependent diabetes may lead to more specific intervention, and possibly to prevention of this disease.
Food Virology: Advances and Needs

Food has been recognized as a vehicle for transmission of viruses for more than 100 years. Milk was identified as a vehicle for the transmission of poliomyelitis in 1914 (Jubb 1915). However, in the mid-1950s, hepatitis A transmission by shellfish was first reported in Sweden (Roos 1956) and then in the United States (Mason and McLean 1962). It was not until animal cell culture was developed, that the study of viruses in food could readily develop as a science. This allowed for the propagation of many of the enteric viruses and their detection in foods. Most of the early work centered on (1) shellfish because it was a known vehicle for hepatitis A transmission and (2) the use of treated wastewater for food crop irrigation. Dean Cliver was probably the first person that could call himself a food virologist. His career began in 1962 at the Food Research Institute, which started at the University of Chicago and later moved to the University of Wisconsin (Cliver 2010). His career saw the development of cell cultures to study viruses in foods and then to the age of molecular detection of viruses in foods. The focus of viruses in foods was originally on enteroviruses because they could readily be grown in cell cultures. Eventually rotavirus and hepatitis could be cultured, but it was not until molecular methods such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were developed that the importance of norovirus and rotavirus in foodborne illness was fully appreciated. Today it is well documented in numerous epidemiological studies that noroviruses are the major cause of foodborne illness in the United States (Lopman et al. 2012). This has resulted in a rapid growth of the field of food virology in recent years.
Dynamic Thermal Analysis Characterizations of Electron-Beam Cured Adhesives

Continuous scans of modulus versus temperature utilizing the DuPont Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) has provided a comparison of the high temperature service capabilities of radiation-cured experimental formulations of a vinyl-modified epoxy resin, Shell Epocryl-12. These scans were compared to data obtained when the same materials were applied as adhesives on aluminum test panels, radiation-cured with an electron beam, and lap shear strength tested at discrete temperatures. The DMA instrument utilizes a thin rectangular specimen for the analysis, so specimens can be cut from blocks or from flat sheets. In this case the specimens were cured as sheets of resin-saturated graphite-fibers. The same order of high temperature stability was obtained by each method. However, the DMA method provided a more complete characterization of temperature performance in a much shorter test time and thus, it can be very useful for quick analyses of formulation and processing variables in many types of materials optimization studies. The paper will present details of this study with illustrations of the comparisons.
Presentation formats of other comprehensive income after accounting standards update 2011-05

Abstract Using S&P 500 entities, this study examines presentation formats of “Other Comprehensive Income” after ASU 2011-05. This study finds that 92 percent of entities presented in two separate but consecutive statements after ASU 2011-05 and 94 percent of the entities that presented in a statement of changes in shareholders' equity before ASU 2011-05 switched to two separate but consecutive statements after ASU 2011-05. This reflects the practitioners' view that presenting net income and other comprehensive income together in a single continuous statement may create confusion among financial statement users, but is inconsistent with the FASB's initial position that only allowed a single continuous statement. Thus, pros and cons of both formats should be further evaluated by standard-setters so that a more useful presentation format can be adopted by more entities. This study also documents that presentation formats do not seem to be associated with the specific industries and the propensity to report negative other comprehensive income after ASU 2011-05.
A Story of Teaching Using Inquiry

This chapter tells my story of learning how to teach mathematics using inquiry and becoming a facilitator of professional development (PD) workshops on inquiry-based learning (IBL) for teachers of kindergarten to graduate school. I am an associate professor at Westfield State University in Massachusetts and an integral part of the project “Discovering the Art of Mathematics” (DAoM). In this chapter, I describe a salsa rueda activity used to teach mathematics via inquiry to liberal arts students who often are not interested in or even fear mathematics. I present a vignette of a PD workshop activity designed to teach participants in an inquiry-based way how to teach using inquiry. The chapter also summarizes results of students’ beliefs and attitudes surveys as evidence of the effectiveness of IBL. I close with plans for future work and a reflection on the challenges I face as I step into a leadership role.