cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A domain specific modeling approach for coordinating user-centric communication services

Rapid advances in electronic communication devices and technologies have resulted in a shift in the way communication applications are being developed. These new development strategies provide abstract views of the underlying communication technologies and lead to the so-called user-centric communication applications. One user-centric communication (UCC) initiative is the Communication Virtual Machine (CVM) technology, which uses the Communication Modeling Language (CML) for modeling communication services and the CVM for realizing these services. In communication-intensive domains such as telemedicine and disaster management, there is an increasing need for user-centric communication applications that are domain-specific and that support the dynamic coordination of communication services commonly found in collaborative communication scenarios. However, UCC approaches like the CVM offer little support for the dynamic coordination of communication services resulting from inherent dependencies between individual steps of a collaboration task. Users either have to manually coordinate communication services, or reply on a process modeling technique to build customized solutions for services in a specific domain that are usually costly, rigidly defined and technology specific. This dissertation proposes a domain-specific modeling approach to address this problem by extending the CVM technology with communication-specific abstractions of workflow concepts commonly found in business processes. The extension involves (1) the definition of the Workflow Communication Modeling Language (WF-CML), a superset of CML, and (2) the extension of the functionality of CVM to process communication-specific workflows. The definition of WF-CML includes the meta-model and the dynamic semantics for control constructs and concurrency. We also extended the CVM prototype to handle the modeling and realization of WF-CML models. A comparative study of the proposed approach with other workflow environments validates the claimed benefits of WF-CML and CVM.
STUDIES ON SELENIUM COMPOUNDS. II. METABOLISM OF SELENOMETHIONINE AND SELENOETHIONINE IN RATS.

Abstract dl -[Me- 14 C]Selenomethionine and dl [Et- i - 14 C]selenoethionine were synthesized, and the metabolism of these seleno-amino acids in the livers intact rats was investigated. The time course pattern and the sex difference obsereved in the incorporation of the label from the alkyl groups of the seleno-amino acids into liver protein, phospholipid choline and RNA were found to be very similar to those previously observed in the corresponding sulfur-amino acids. The present study indicates that a similar pathway is involved in the metabolism of both sulfur- and selenium-containing aminio acids.
Scheduler-based defenses against cross-VM side-channels

Public infrastructure-as-a-service clouds, such as Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azure allow arbitrary clients to run virtual machines (VMs) on shared physical infrastructure. This practice of multi-tenancy brings economies of scale, but also introduces the threat of malicious VMs abusing the scheduling of shared resources. Recent works have shown how to mount cross-VM side-channel attacks to steal cryptographic secrets. The straightforward solution is hard isolation that dedicates hardware to each VM. However, this comes at the cost of reduced efficiency. We investigate the principle of soft isolation: reduce the risk of sharing through better scheduling. With experimental measurements, we show that a minimum run time (MRT) guarantee for VM virtual CPUs that limits the frequency of preemptions can effectively prevent existing Prime+Probe cache-based side-channel attacks. Through experimental measurements, we find that the performance impact of MRT guarantees can be very low, particularly in multi-core settings. Finally, we integrate a simple per-core CPU state cleansing mechanism, a form of hard isolation, into Xen. It provides further protection against side-channel attacks at little cost when used in conjunction with an MRT guarantee.
The Effect of Recombination-Defective Meiotic Mutants on Fourth-Chromosome Crossing over in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Crossing over was measured on the normally achiasmate fourth chromosome in females homozygous for one of our different recombination-defective meiotic mutants. Under the influence of those meiotic mutants that affect the major chromosomes by altering the spatial distribution of exchanges, meiotic fourth-chromosome recombinants were recovered irrespective of whether or not the meiotic mutant decreases crossing over on the other chromosomes. No crossing over, on the other hand, was detected on chromosome 4 in either wild type or in the presence of a meiotic mutant that decreases the frequency, but that does not affect the spatial distribution, of exchange on the major chromosomes. It is concluded from these observations that (a) in wild type there are regional constraints on exchange that can be attenuated or eliminated by the defects caused by recombination-defective meiotic mutants; (b) these very constraints account for the absence of recombination on chromosome 4 in wild type; and (c) despite being normally achiasmate, chromosome 4 responds to recombination-defective meiotic mutants in the same way as do the other chromosomes.
TOKEN REINFORCEMENT, CHOICE, AND SELF-CONTROL IN PIGEONS

Pigeons were exposed to self-control procedures that involved illumination of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a form of token reinforcement. In a discrete-trials arrangement, subjects chose between one and three LEDs; each LED was exchangeable for 2-s access to food during distinct posttrial exchange periods. In Experiment 1, subjects generally preferred the immediate presentation of a single LED over the delayed presentation of three LEDs, but differences in the delay to the exchange period between the two options prevented a clear assessment of the relative influence of LED delay and exchange-period delay as determinants of choice. In Experiment 2, in which delays to the exchange period from either alternative were equal in most conditions, all subjects preferred the delayed three LEDs more often than in Experiment-1. In Experiment 3, subjects preferred the option that resulted in a greater amount of food more often if the choices also produced LEDs than if they did not. In Experiment 4, preference for the delayed three LEDs was obtained when delays to the exchange period were equal, but reversed in favor of an immediate single LED when the latter choice also resulted in quicker access to exchange periods. The overall pattern of results suggests that (a) delay to the exchange period is a more critical determinant of choice than is delay to token presentation; (b) tokens may function as conditioned reinforcers, although their discriminative properties may be responsible for the self-control that occurs under token reinforcer arrangements; and (c) previously reported differences in the self-control choices of humans and pigeons may have resulted at least in part from the procedural conventions of using token reinforcers with human subjects and food reinforcers with pigeon subjects.
Electroactive actuation and conductive behavior of polyaniline-impregnated blood compatible nanocomposites

Novel electrically conducting and biocompatible composite hydrogel materials comprising polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles dispersed in a polyvinyl alcohol—g—poly (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) matrix were prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline. The prepared ionic nanocomposites were evaluated for their water-uptake capacity in distilled water and electrolyte solutions. While structural confirmation and crystalline nature of the synthesized graft copolymer was sought by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, respectively, morphology and dimension of PANI particles embedded into the colored optically semi-transparent polymer films were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Electrical conductivity of composite hydrogels containing different percentages of PANI was determined by the LCR meter while the electroactive behavior of composite hydrogel swollen in electrolyte solution was investigated by effec...
IS ADOLESCENT VARICOCELE A PROGRESSIVE DISEASE PROCESS

ABSTRACT Purpose: We determined whether there was evidence of progression in either varicocele grade or testicular volume differentials over time in our adolescent varicocele population. Materials and Methods: A total of 41 boys 7.3 to 19 years old (mean age 13.7, SD 2.5) were seen at sequential visits. At each visit varicocele grade was determined by the attending urologist and ultrasound calculated testicular volume differential was determined by an attending ultrasonographer. A senior staff statistician performed statistical analysis of the sequential data. Results: The varicocele grade data were analyzed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon test and no significant evidence of progression on sequential visits was demonstrated. Similarly, the serial volume differential data were assessed using the paired t test and no significant evidence for progression of testicular volume differentials was demonstrated. Conclusions: In our study population neither varicocele grade nor change in testicular volume differentials increased over time in a statistically significant manner. These results argue against the concept that adolescent varicocele is a progressive disease process.
Working memory and impulsivity predict marijuana-related problems among frequent users

Abstract Background Although marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the US, only a small portion of users go on to develop dependence, suggesting that there are substantial individual differences in vulnerability to marijuana-related problems among users. Deficits in working memory and high trait impulsivity are two factors that may place marijuana users at increased risk for experiencing related problems. Methods Using baseline data from an experimental study that recruited 104 frequent marijuana users ( M = 71.86% of prior 60 days, SD = 22%), we examined the associations of working memory and trait impulsivity with marijuana-related problems. Results Lower working memory, as measured by Trail Making Test B, but not short-term memory capacity, predicted more marijuana-related problems. Higher trait impulsivity scores were independently associated with greater number of problems. Conclusions Results suggest that marijuana users with reduced executive cognitive ability are more susceptible to developing problems related to their use. Trait impulsivity and executive working memory appear to be independent risk factors for experiencing marijuana-related problems.
Molecular-Beam Epitaxy (MBE) growth of chemically ordered Co-Pt and Fe-Pt alloy phases

MBE is a powerful synthesis technique for preparation of ordered intermetallic phases since the high rates of surface diffusion allow in-plane chemical ordering to occur at temperatures far below those which are necessary for ordering in bulk samples. This lifting of kinetic constraints enables the phase diagrams to be explored at low temperatures where bulk ordering processes are often too sluggish for phase equilibria to be reached. Specifically, we describe the preparation of epitaxial films (in the thickness range 100 - 1000 angstrom) of ordered intermetallic phases in the Co-Pt and Fe-Pt intermetallic systems. Such phases are of potential importance for magnetic and magneto-optical storage applications. In particular we discuss growth and chemical ordering in epitaxial Co1-xPtx films near x equals 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 as well as Fe1-xPtx films near x equals 0.5. Depending on growth conditions these phases order spontaneously during growth with resulting changes in the Kerr spectra. Ordering results in large Kerr rotations (approximately 1 degree(s)) in the UV spectral region for the films with x near 0.5.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Arterial Blood Lactate Level and pH as a Predictor of Outcome in Very Low Birth Weight Babies

Arterial Blood Lactate Level and pH as a Predictor of Outcome in Very Low Birth Weight Babies
Use-dependent block of single sodium channels by lidocaine in guinea pig ventricular myocytes

Single sodium channel openings have been recorded from cell-attached patches of isolated guinea pig ventricular myocytes. A paired pulse protocol was used to test the hypothesis that channel openings are required for lidocaine block. While the averaged ensemble current during the test pulse was much reduced, there was no correlation between the appearance of channel openings during the conditioning pulse and the subsequent test pulse. Analysis of single channel records demonstrated that the unit conductance of open channels was not changed by lidocaine. The block of ensemble INa was explained by roughly equal reductions in number of open channel events, and in the average duration of opening for each event. These results suggest that lidocaine binding to Na+ channels is dependent upon voltage, but may occur before channel opening. A lidocaine-modified channel can still open, but will be less likely to remain open than a drug-free channel. These results are consistent with block of a pre-open state of the channel.
Rough-surface polarization effects of infrared emission

The degree of linear polarization of the thermal radiation depends on the surface roughness. A simple facet-surface model is used to describe the rough surface and to evaluate the far-field Stokes parameters are evaluated. The dependence of the polarized emission on the roughness parameter, fractal dimension, and material type is investigated.
Health-related quality of life in functional dyspepsia.

Summary Background : We performed a systematic review of the literature to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with functional dyspepsia with either healthy controls or those with other diseases. Methods : Full-length published manuscripts during 1980–2002 were included if (a) patients had functional dyspepsia, but not uninvestigated dyspepsia; and (b) HRQOL was measured using a validated generic or dyspepsia-specific instruments, but not global assessment alone. Results : Twelve studies were reviewed; six fulfilled the selection criteria. None examined HRQOL among samples of the general population. None used dyspepsia-specific HRQOL instruments. Three studies contained four comparisons of HRQOL between functional dyspepsia patients and controls; two studies examined HRQOL changes in response to therapy. Two studies demonstrated a significant reduction at least in some domains of HRQOL among patients with functional dyspepsia compared to controls, while one study was negative. In general, studies that reported a decline in HRQOL Short Form-36 (SF-36) showed that changes in the physical domain were similar to those on mental domain of the SF-36. Conclusions : There is some evidence for a decrease in HRQOL in patients with moderate to severe functional dyspepsia who seek care for their symptoms; however, more studies are needed. A therapeutic response in functional dyspepsia-related pain or discomfort might result in a corresponding improvement in HRQOL.
A 10b 500MHz 55mW CMOS ADC

Recent work on ADCs targeting sampling rates of hundreds of MHz with resolutions in the range of 10 to 11b has faced speed limitations with a single channel [1] or employed interleaving, but with a relatively high power dissipation [2] or low SNDR [3]. This paper introduces a calibration technique that, together with a high-speed opamp topology, allows a single channel to operate at 500MHz and digitize a 233MHz input with an SNDR of 53dB. This SNDR yields a figure of merit (FOM) of 0.3pJ/conversion-step, the lowest reported for 10 and 11b ADCs running at these frequencies.
Responding Destructively in Leadership Situations: The Role of Personal Values and Problem Construction

This study explored the influence of personal values on destructive leader behavior. Student participants completed a managerial assessment center that presented them with ambiguous leadership decisions and problems. Destructive behavior was defined as harming organizational members or striving for short-term gains over long-term organizational goals. Results revealed that individuals with self-enhancement values were more destructive than individuals with self-transcendence values were, with the core values of power (self-enhancement) and universalism (self-transcendence) being most influential. Results also showed that individuals defined and structured leadership problems in a manner that reflected their value systems, which in turn affected the problem solutions they generated.
Hydrogen Sensor Based on YSZ Electrolyte and Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Electrode

A solid-state electrochemical sensor has been developed for hydrogen leak detection in ambient air. The sensor uses an yttriastabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte with one tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and one Pt electrode. Excellent sensitivity, and response time ≤ 1 s, are reported for hydrogen gas in the concentration range of 0.03 to 5.5% in air. Cross-sensitivity to water vapor and CO 2 are shown to be low. The response to methane, a potentially significant source of interference for such a sensor, is significantly smaller than that for hydrogen. The sensor shows good reproducibility and was unaffected by thermal cycling over the course of this investigation (∼240 h of operation). The effects of ITO electrode thickness and thermal aging, and the sensing mechanism, are discussed. The sensor is intended for monitoring potential hydrogen leakage in vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel.
Patterns of lake occupancy by fish indicate different adaptations to life in a harsh Arctic environment

SUMMARY 1. For six ﬁsh species sampled from 86 lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska, we examinedwhether lake occupancy was related to variables representing lake size, colonisation potential and/orthe presence of overwintering habitat.2. We found the relative importance of each factor for a given species could be related to its ecologyand adult size. The three large-bodied migratory species, least cisco (Coregonus sardinella), broadwhiteﬁsh (Coregonus nasus) and arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus), were inﬂuenced by factors associ-ated with the likelihood of ﬁsh recolonising lakes, including whether the lakes had a stream connec-tion. Of the large-bodied species, least cisco had the highest likelihood of occupancy (0.52 0.05)and models provided evidence that least cisco exhibit both migratory and resident forms.3. Models for small-bodied ﬁsh differed among species, indicating different niches. Ninespine stickle-back (Pungitius pungitius) were the most widespread and ubiquitous of the species captured (occu-pancy probability = 0.97 0.01); they were captured in lakes that freeze to the bottom, suggestingthat they disperse widely and rapidly after the spring freshet, including colonisation of sink habitats.Alaska blackﬁsh (Dallia pectoralis) had a lower occupancy (occupancy probability = 0.76 0.05) witha distribution that reﬂected tolerance to harsh conditions. Slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) had anoccupancy probability of 0.23 0.06, with a distribution indicating its marine origin.4. Based on these patterns, we propose an overall model of primary controls on the distribution ofﬁsh on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Harsh conditions, including lake freezing, limit occupancyin winter through extinction events while lake occupancy in spring and summer is driven by direc-tional migration (large-bodied species) and undirected dispersal (small-bodied species).Keywords: Alaska, Arctic lakes, connectivity, landscape, occupancy modelling
Performance of preschool children on three discrimination shifts

After learning an initial two-dimensional discrimination, preschool children were given reversal (RV), intradimensional (ID), and extradimensional (ED) shifts. RV and ID shifts were learned faster than ED shifts, a finding contradictory to the mediational theory of Kendler & Kendler (1962).
The preparation and structures of the alkaline earth iron oxyhalides

Abstract The title compounds have been synthesized and crystallized in a variety of structure types. Three of these structure types have been identified via single crystal structure determinations. CaFeO 2 Cl is monoclinic; space group Am with a = 8.712(5) A, b = 3.828(1) A, c = 9.999(4) A, β = 103.53(4)°, and Z = 4. Ca 2 FeO 3 Cl is tetragonal; space group P 4 with a = 3.848(2) A, c = 13.65(1) A, and Z = 2. Sr 3 Fe 2 O 5 Cl 2 is also tetragonal; space group I 4/ mmm with a = 3.952(1) A, c = 23.807(3) A, and Z = 2 . In each of these structures, distinct layers can be identified. Mossbauer measurements of single crystals are presented.
Genetic influences on electrical seizure threshold

C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice have been characterized previously as seizure-resistant and seizure-sensitive, respectively, a distinction based primarily upon a differential response to the convulsant effects of various drugs. In the present study, electroconvulsive shock (ECS) was used to assess maximal electroshock threshold (MET) in B6, D2 and hybrid mice. Results revealed that D2 mice have a significantly lower MET compared to B6 mice. There was also a significant gender effect for B6 and F2 mice with females exhibiting a lower MET compared to males. METs for F1 and F2 intercross mice were intermediate between the two parental strains. The difference in variance between F2 and F1 generation mice indicated that about three-quarters of the total variance is due to genetic influence. Taken together, results of this study suggest that the large difference in MET between B6 and D2 mice is a highly heritable trait which may yield to genetic dissection through use of quantitative trait locus mapping.
What is the Puzzle in “The Dividend Puzzle”?

The questions of why firms pay dividends, why investors like dividends, and why investment advisors recommend buying stock that pays dividends regularly are some of the most intriguing problems in financial economics. The author traces the academic path that leads to the poor current understanding of the problem. He argues that the love of dividends is something that investors have been conditioned to feel for centuries, and that only education will change their attitudes. This does not mean that academia will not still try to find economically rational solutions to the dividend puzzle for many years to come.
A Sense of Home: The Impact of Church Participation on African American College Students.

This articles looks at religion to ascertain the social and individual benefits that postsecondary students gain from their involvement. Focusing on public university students, this study examines the influence church participation has on the academic performance, retention, and engagement of African American college students.
Income, Economic Voting, and Long-Term Political Change in the U.S., 1952–1996

This study analyzes the effects of income on voting behavior and the outcome of presidential elections in the U.S. since 1952. The political effects of income have not been examined using appropriate measures and systematic analysis of individual-level data. Our analyses build from political behavior research on economic evaluations and sociological and economic research on trends in income distribution. We first consider the theoretical grounds for expecting income to have shaped voting behavior in the postwar era. Our analysis then shows that while income has had a significant and generally stable impact on voting behavior, cumulative changes in mean household income have had a very large effect on the outcome of presidential elections since the 1950s, with Republican candidates benefiting disproportionately. We find that household income shapes voting behavior indirectly, affecting policy evaluations, which in turn influence vote choice. The mediating roles played by evaluations of social welfare and government size help to explain why past increases in mean income have consistently benefited the Republican party. We discuss the contributions of this study to understanding income as an important but underappreciated source of political change in the U.S.
Pocket PiCoMap: a case study in designing and assessing a handheld concept mapping tool for learners

Our project explores the benefits and challenges of using handheld computers to support learners in creating concept maps (a type of visual outline). By synthesizing research on small user interfaces with guidelines for building desktop learning tools, we identified potential challenges to using handhelds for complex learning tasks and developed new design guidelines to address these issues. We applied these guidelines to the design of Pocket PiCoMap, a learner-centered concept mapping tool for handheld Pocket PCs. As part of a 9-month classroom study, students used both the handheld Pocket PiCoMap and a comparable desktop concept mapping tool called PiViT. The goal of this comparison between handheld and desktop tools was to better understand how the different form factors of these computers impact students' work processes and products. Our results suggest that students can successfully complete complex learning activities using handheld tools, and that specialized supports (called scaffolds) can be used to help students create better concept maps. This study also identifies several areas where handheld learning tools need further improvements, such as helping students organize their work within the confines of small handheld screens, and we discuss ways in which scaffolds might be used to improve future handheld learning tools.
An efficient plating system for rapid isolation of mutants from plant cell suspensions

A plating system for cell suspensions of soybean, SB-1, (Glycine max L. cv. ‘Mandarin’) and Datura innoxia D.I. (Mill) was developed using feeder cells. The characteristics of the system are: a) the efficiency of plating (EOP) is high (0.5–0.6), b) over a range of 10–300 plated clumps the EOP is constant, c) the growth rate of plated cells resembles that of suspension cultures (generation time 24 hr.). Clumps with few or with many cells have similar plating efficiencies. Employing the plating system, a mutant resistant to 8 azaguanine (8AG) was isolated from SB-1 in 7 days and purified and tested within an additional 3 weeks. Feeder plates were used to selectively re-isolate 8 AG resistant and maltose utilizing mutants from a 1000-fold excess of wild type cells. The plating technique also can be utilized to isolate auxotrophic mutants since free amino acids are not produced by the feeder suspension. Other applications of this plating technique are discussed.
Early Constrictive Epicarditis After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

A patient with constrictive pericarditis early after coronary bypass surgery is presented. At reoperation a dense inflammatory process was encountered on the epicardial surface of the heart with minimal pericardial thickening. Crosshatching of the epicardial scar tissue produced an immediate and durable clinical response.
Species-area and species-distance relationships of terrestrial mammals in the Thousand Island Region.

The species-area and species-distance relationships of terrestrial mammals in the Thousand Island Region of the St. Lawrence River are totally consistent with the basic predictions of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography. The power model provides the best fit for the species-area relationship, and the z-value of 0.305 does not differ significantly from Preston's canonical value (0.26). Distance (D) is a normal determinant (Sαe -D 2) of mammalian richness, and 93% of the variability in richness is accounted for by island area and isolation. The high z-values and poor species-distance correlations reported in previous studies of mammalian island biogeography, rather than evidencing non-equilibrium, are predictions consistent with the equilibrium theory for distant archipelagoes or, equivalently, poor immigrators such as mammals.
A geological duration chart

A chart is presented for conveniently determing on an absolute scale intervals of time during the Phanerozoic Eon.
Expansion of a Finite Mass of Gas into Vacuum.

Abstract : A summary is presented of research on the problem of the expansion into vacuum of a finite mass of gas initially at rest and in a uniform state, assuming a perfect and inviscid gas. The cases of plane, cylindrical, and spherical flow are considered.
The Forgotten Regional Organizations: Creating Capacity for Economic Development

Government capacity helps explain variance in public sector organizations’ performance, and measuring capacity helps identify deficiencies that may be addressed in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these organizations. This study examines the capacity of regional economic development districts to leverage federal grant funds in the counties they serve, controlling for additional sources of potential capacity and demand for federal grants. A decade of data reflecting federal grant funding to counties in one state was compiled from the Federal Awards Data System and analyzed using pooled cross-sectional time-series analysis with panel-corrected standard errors. The results indicate that regional economic development districts demonstrate varied but significant capacity to leverage federal grant funds in the counties they serve. The results suggest that similarity in the purpose and structure of regional economic development districts within a state are not enough; we need to better understand the resources within the organization and the mission that determines how those resources are applied.
Paleomagnetically determined rotations in the western Sicilian fold and thrust belt

New paleomagnetic data from the west Sicilian fold and thrust belt indicate large-scale clockwise rotations during tectonic transport. For the platform and seamount paleogeographic units of the fold and thrust belt (Panormide and Trapanese units), there is a general consistency in the magnitude of rotation along strike, suggesting the existence of large coherent structural units. For the Panormide platform, clockwise rotations in the range of 90° to 140° relative to the underlying Iblean parautochthon are recorded along 125 km of outcrop strike. In the case of the Trapanese unit, clockwise rotations in the range of 47° to 70° relative to Iblei are recorded along about 90 km of outcrop strike. Intervening basinal paleogeographic units (Imerese and Sicanian units) show clockwise rotations of similar magnitude; although few reliable data are available from these units. Palinspastic reconstruction of the thrust belt, incorporating the rotations and arguments for the present orientation of the margins of the paleogeographic units, implies that the Panormide platform and Trapanese seamounts were originally elongated more or less north-south relative to the present orientation of Iblei. The two units apparently coalesced to the south and were discontinuous to the north. They and their intervening basins were part of a passive continental margin which occupied a large part of the area that was subsequently rifted to form the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Poliovirus serotype-specific VP1 sequencing primers.

The Global Polio Laboratory Network routinely uses poliovirus-specific PCR primers and probes to determine the serotype and genotype of poliovirus isolates obtained as part of global poliovirus surveillance. To provide detailed molecular epidemiologic information, poliovirus isolates are further characterized by sequencing the ∼900-nucleotide region encoding the major capsid protein, VP1. It is difficult to obtain quality sequence information when clinical or environmental samples contain poliovirus mixtures. As an alternative to conventional methods for resolving poliovirus mixtures, sets of serotype-specific primers were developed for amplifying and sequencing the VP1 regions of individual components of mixed populations of vaccine–vaccine, vaccine–wild, and wild–wild polioviruses.
Carotid Bodies and Expiratory Muscle Recruitment

\ e have reported previously (FASEB J 1989; 3:A401) that specific carotid body stimulation/inhibition tended to recruit/derecruit expiratory muscles in the same direction, and with similar time course, as the diaphragm in unanesthetized dogs (N = 5). One limitation of that study was the presence of pulmonary vagal afferent traffic that could have had an effect on expiratory muscle recruitment independent of the direct carotid body effects. To address this question, we blocked the pulmonary stretch receptor afferent traffic by bilateral cooling ofexteriorized (skin loops) cervical vagi in 3 awake, tracheotomized dogs. Excitatory (NaCN, 3-5 breaths N2) and inhibitory (dopamine, 3-5 breaths O ) stimuli of the carotid bodies during vagal blockade produced effects similar to those seen in nonblocked dogs; recruitment/derecruitment ofexpiratory musdes (triarigularis sterni, transversus abdominis) was in the same direction and had the same time course as changes in the crural diaphragm. We conclude that pulmonary stretch receptor afferents are not required for inspiratory or expiratory muscle recruitment/derecruitment in response to carotid body stimuli.
The plague of Athens: epidemiology and paleopathology.

In 430 BC, a plague struck the city of Athens, which was then under siege by Sparta during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC). In the next 3 years, most of the population was infected, and perhaps as many as 75,000 to 100,000 people, 25% of the city’s population, died. The Athenian general and historian Thucydides left an eye-witness account of this plague and a detailed description to allow future generations to identify the disease should it break out again. Because of the importance of Thucydides and Athens in Western history and culture, the Plague of Athens has taken a prominent position in the history of the West for the past 2500 years.
The Expression of A-Type Lamins as a Regulator of Mechanics of the Nucleus and Cell Mechanotransduction

Mechanotransduction of extracellular stimuli into the chromatin located in the cell nucleus and overall cell mechanics may require the physical support of structures of A-type lamins. Several cellular pathologic phenotypes and phases of stem cell differentiation involve regulation and reorganization of A-type lamins. Here is presented a study of changes in cell mechanics associated to the reorganization of nuclear structures consequent to knockdown of A-type lamins. Transient dysmophism of the cell nucleus is observed during knockdown of A-type lamins, which seems to be driven by inner cellular forces resultant of cytoskeletal and chromatin structural reorganization.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Phagocytosis of latex beads by Biomphalaria glabrata hemocytes is modulated in a strain-specific manner by adsorbed plasma components

Circulating phagocytes of the mollusc Biomphalaria glabrata help determine the fate of invading Schistosoma mansoni larvae. In mediating cytotoxicity against this trematode parasite, phagocytic hemocytes may interact with unidentified plasma components. In this study, positively and negatively charged latex beads were coated with plasma for use in in vitro phagocytosis assays. Hemocytes from S. mansoni-susceptible and -resistant strains of B. glabrata were tested for their ability to internalize beads coated with homologous and heterologous plasma components. Electrophoretic analysis showed that differences in the plasma polypeptides adsorbed to latex beads were charge-related, but no consistent strain-specific differences were detected. Hemocytes from a susceptible strain phagocytosed negatively charged latex pretreated in plasma form a resistant strain of snail at a higher rate than beads treated in plasma from the susceptible strain. Pretreatment of susceptible hemocytes with resistant plasma reduced subsequent phagocytosis of beads coated with resistant plasma, consistent with blocking of receptors on the susceptible hemocytes with resistant strain plasma components. Exogenous lectins detected no differences in the carbohydrates on beads coated with plasma from either snail strain. However, strain differences in endogenous lectins are suggested by differential binding of neoglycoproteins to plasma coated beads. The plasma component(s) responsible for the differential phagocytosis of beads treated in the two plasma strains by hemocytes from the susceptible strain of B. glabrata remain(s) to be identified.
The Influence of Multiple Store Environment Cues on Perceived Merchandise Value and Patronage Intentions

Abstract Research on how store environment cues influence consumers’ store choice decision criteria, such as perceived merchandise value and shopping experience costs, is sparse. Especially absent is research on the simultaneous impact of multiple store environment cues. The authors propose a comprehensive store choice model that includes (1) three types of store environment cues (social, design, and ambient) as exogenous constructs, (2) various store choice criteria (including shopping experience costs that heretofore have not been included in store choice models) as mediating constructs, and (3) store patronage intentions as the endogenous construct. They then empirically examine the extent to which environmental cues influence consumers’ assessments of a store on various store choice criteria and how those assessments, in turn, influence patronage intentions. The results of two different studies provide support for the model. The authors conclude by discussing the results to develop an agenda for addit...
Systematic Evidence-Based Quality Measurement Life-Cycle Approach to Measure Retirement in CHIPRA

Abstract Objective In 2009, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly released an initial child core set (CCS) of health care quality measures for voluntary reporting by state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. CMS is responsible for implementing the reporting program and for updating the CCS annually. We assessed selected CCS measures for potential retirement. Methods We identified a 23-member external advisory group to provide relevant expertise. We worked with the group to identify 4 major criteria with multiple subcomponents for assessing the measures. We provided information corresponding to each criterion and subcriterion, using a variety of sources such as the 2009 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX), state-level Medicaid and CHIP data submitted to the CMS, and summaries of published literature on clinical and quality improvement effectiveness related to the CCS topics. Using this information, the group: 1) used a modified Delphi process to score the measures in 2 anonymous scoring rounds (on a scale of 1 to 9 in each round); 2) voted on whether each measure should be retired; and 3) provided narrative explanations of their choices (which formed the basis of our qualitative findings). Recommendations were reviewed by CMS before promulgation to state programs. Results The Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council on Healthcare Research and Quality (SNAC) recommended that the 4 major criteria be importance, scientific acceptability, feasibility, and usability. The SNAC recommended 3 measures for retirement: access to primary care; testing for strep before recommending antibiotics for pharyngitis; and annual HbA1c testing of children with diabetes. Explanations for suggesting retirement of the measures included: views that the well-visit measures were a better measure of access than the primary care measure; a likely ceiling effect (pharyngitis); and the paucity of clinical evidence and low prevalence (both for HbA1c). CMS recommended that state Medicaid and CHIP programs retire 2 of the recommended measures from the CCS, but retained the access to primary care measure. Conclusions Periodic reassessment of the value of health care quality measures can reduce reporting burden and allow measure users to focus on measures with higher likelihood of leading to improvements in quality of care and child health outcomes.
Ratio of Urine Albumin to Creatinine Attenuates the Association of Dementia With Hip Fracture Risk

Context: Microvascular disease is a leading cause of cognitive impairment. Approximately 50% of people with a hip fracture have cognitive impairment. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that microvascular diseases of the brain (lacunar infarcts and white matter disease [WMD]), kidney (albuminuria [≥ 30 mg/g creatinine] and albumin creatinine ratio [ACR]), and eye (retinal vascular disorders) attenuate the association of cognitive impairment with hip fracture risk. Setting: The Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study. Patients: Three thousand, one-hundred six participants (mean age, ∼79 y; 8.84 y median follow-up) with cognitive testing. Subsets received ACR testing (n=2389), brain magnetic resonance imaging scans (n = 2094), and retinal photography (n = 1098). Main Outcome Measure: Incident hip fracture. Results: There were 488 participants (16%) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 564 (18%) with dementia. There were 337 incident hip fractures, of which 19% occurred in participants with MCI and 26% in ...
The effects of payoffs and prior probabilities on indices of performance and cutoff location in recognition memory

We compared the effects of payoffs and prior probability levels on indices of performance and cutoff location in recognition memory. The performance indices considered were d' from signal-detection theory and two corrections for guessing from simple threshold models. Shifts in cutoff location of comparable size were found for changes in priors and payoffs. The existence of a memory load and the inclusion of feedback did not affect the extent of shifts in cutoff location. Priors affected the corrections for guessing but did not affect d'. These results indicate that d' remains the preferred index of performance and that the corrections for guessing are not criterion-free measures. The problem of finding an index of recognition performance appropriate for comparing recall and recognition is discussed. as are alternative explanations for conservative cutoff placement. This paper deals with two issues: The first issue concerns the effects of payoffs and prior probability levels on indices of recognition memory performance, or memory storage. The second issue, which provided the motivation for the present study, concerns the effects of these variables on cutofflocation. Indices of Performance A criterion-free index of performance is necessary when one is dealing with a recognition memory task. In a typical recognition memory task, subjects first study a group of items. Then their memory is tested by asking them to classify each of a series of items, which includes the studied ("old") items and distractor
Experimental determination of FOH interdiffusion in tremolite and significance to fluorine-zoned amphiboles

Abstract A hydrothermal-analytical procedure has been developed that allows for the quantitative study of anion exchange rates in hydrous silicates. This new procedure has provided the first opportunity to quantitatively investigate the kinetics of halogen-OH exchange reactions at subsolidus conditions. Handpicked, chemically homogeneous tremolite crystals were exposed to either F-rich or F-poor fluids at temperatures ranging from 500–800°C at 200 MPa (2000 bars), and the resulting concentration profiles were measured with either an electron microprobe or an ion microprobe. Critical to this procedure is the use of an aqueous silica-buffering assemblage (either quartz or forsterite + diopside + tremolite) in order to maintain the chemical and physical stability of the exposed crystal surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photomicrographs taken before and after hydrothermal treatment show no evidence of dissolution reactions, consistent with a diffusion-controlled exchange process. For temperatures between 500 and 800°C, the Arrhenius relations for diffusion parallel to the c-crystallographic direction have an activation energy (Q) = 41 (±5) kJ/mole and (D0) = 3.4(−1.9+4.1) × 10−17 m2/s. Transport rates parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis are the same within the estimated uncertainties. Calculations indicate that F metasomatism by volume diffusion in amphiboles is relatively slow and may only play an important role in the evolution of a given hydrothermal system in the absence of faster processes such as chemical reaction. Knowledge of the Arrhenius relationships for FOH interdiffusion allows one to extract information about the maximum duration of metasomatic or thermal events from F-zoned amphiboles. This procedure can be adapted to the study of other halogen-OH exchange reactions provided that the mineral stability is controlled by the dissolution of silica.
Immunochemical characterization of the transglutaminase-catalyzed polymer of activated platelets.

Abstract Platelet proteins which contribute to transglutaminase-catalyzed polymer formation in activated platelets were identified by an immunochemical approach using the Western blot technique. The cross-linked polymer was purified from thrombin- or Ca2+-ionophore A23187-activated platelets by a sucrose density gradient procedure in reducing conditions and in the presence of a non-ionic detergent. Following transblotting of non-crosslinked platelet proteins from a Laemmli-type gel onto nitrocellulose, the platelet protein “lanes” were incubated with unabsorbed antibodies, or antibodies absorbed with purified polymer. Antibodies to native whole platelets as well as specific antibodies were used. The results show that myosin, actin, glycoproteins IIb, IIIa, and tubulin are present in the polymer.
Adjoint-based h-p adaptive discontinuous Galerkin methods for the 2D compressible Euler equations

In this paper, we investigate and present an adaptive Discontinuous Galerkin algorithm driven by an adjoint-based error estimation technique for the inviscid compressible Euler equations. This approach requires the numerical approximations for the flow (i.e. primal) problem and the adjoint (i.e. dual) problem which corresponds to a particular simulation objective output of interest. The convergence of these two problems is accelerated by an hp-multigrid solver which makes use of an element Gauss-Seidel smoother on each level of the multigrid sequence. The error estimation of the output functional results in a spatial error distribution, which is used to drive an adaptive refinement strategy, which may include local mesh subdivision (h-refinement), local modification of discretization orders (p-enrichment) and the combination of both approaches known as hp-refinement. The selection between h- and p-refinement in the hp-adaptation approach is made based on a smoothness indicator applied to the most recently available flow solution values. Numerical results for the inviscid compressible flow over an idealized four-element airfoil geometry demonstrate that both pure h-refinement and pure p-enrichment algorithms achieve equivalent error reductions at each adaptation cycle compared to a uniform refinement approach, but requiring fewer degrees of freedom. The proposed hp-adaptive refinement strategy is capable of obtaining exponential error convergence in terms of degrees of freedom, and results in significant savings in computational cost. A high-speed flow test case is used to demonstrate the ability of the hp-refinement approach for capturing strong shocks or discontinuities while improving functional accuracy.