cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amino acid sequencing by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using trifluoro-dideuteroalkylated peptide derivatives: C. The primary structure of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes

Abstract The carboxypeptidase inhibitor from potatoes has been used to demonstrate the utility of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of the primary structure of such large polypeptides. Two mixtures of oligopeptide fragments, obtained by limited acid hydrolysis and enzymatic digestion of this polypeptide, were transformed into the corresponding mixtures of O-trimethyl-silylated trifluoro-dideuteroethyl polyamino alcohols which were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The resulting mass spectral and retention index data allowed the identification of 61 oligopeptide fragments which were assembled by the computer by positioning all 39 amino acid residues in a unique sequence (with the exception of the assignment of the primary amide groups of Asn and Gln).
Alpha particle response characterization of CdZnTe

The coplanar-grid as well as other electron-only detection techniques are effective in overcoming some of the material problems of CdZnTe and, consequently, have led to efficient gamma-ray detectors with good energy resolution while operating at room temperature. The performance of these detectors is limited by the degree of uniformity in both electron generation and transport. Despite recent progress in the growth of CdZnTe material, small variations in these properties remain a barrier to the widespread success of such detectors. Alpha-particle response characterization of CdZnTe crystals fabricated into simple planar detectors is an effective tool to accurately study electron generation and transport. We have used a finely collimated alpha source to produce two-dimensional maps of detector response. A clear correlation has been observed between the distribution of precipitates near the entrance contact on some crystals and their alpha-response maps. Further studies are ongoing to determine the mechanism for the observed response variations and the reason for the correlation. This paper presents the results of these studies and their relationship to coplanar-grid gamma-ray detector performance.
Radial Basis Functions, Discrete Differences, and Bell-Shaped Bases

In this paper, we introduce the notion of a normalized radial basis function. In the univariate case, taking these basis functions in combinations determined by certain discrete differences leads to the B-spline basis. In the bivariate case, these combinations lead to a generalization of the B-spline basis to the surface case. Subdivision rules for the resulting basis functions can easily be derived.
Comparison of subregional breast density with whole breast density

The purpose of this paper is to compare subregional breast density and whole breast density and their association with breast cancer risk The film mammograms of 278 cases and 834 age and ethnicity-matched controls were digitized and analyzed using single-energy x-ray absorptiometry (SXA) The subregion was a 3-cm diameter circle centered in the breast The whole and subregional densities are found to be highly correlated (r2=0.7) The 4:1 quartile odds ratio after controlling for other significant risk factors (age, BMI, family history and age at first live birth) was 3.6 (95 CI 2.1-5.4) and the 2.4 (95 CI 1.5-3.7) for the whole and subregional breast density, respectively Further studies are underway to optimize the placement of the ROI and combined multiple regions.
Relative Frequencies as Probabilities: An Experiential Learning Approach

This paper explores the use of relative frequencies as probabilities to facilitate student experiential learning by conducting classroom surveys on family size, and analyzing the frequency distributions resulting from the surveys. Results suggest that when asked to state their family size, most students stated a family size of 3 or 4 members, which is consistent with the mean family size values reported by the Census Bureau. Instructors may try this approach, using their own convenient survey questions that students can easily relate to, and draw their own conclusions.
Chronic HIV Infection Is Associated with Upregulation of Proinflammatory Cytokine and Chemokine and Alpha Defensin Gene Expression in Colorectal Mucosa

Abstract HIV may induce gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal immune dysregulation similar to inflammation observed in ulcerative colitis (UC). Colorectal biopsies from healthy controls (N=12) and from participants with HIV (N=20) or UC (N=9) were subjected to real time (RT)-PCR for selected cytokines, chemokines, antimicrobial peptides, Toll-like receptors, and inflammatory signaling and epithelial barrier proteins. HIV long terminal repeat relative copy number (RCN) in HIV participant biopsies was quantified by RT-PCR. Mean interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA levels did not differ significantly between HIV and UC participants (p=0.48) but were significantly higher relative to control mRNA levels only for HIV participants (p=0.03). Mean IL-8 and human defensin (HD) 5 mRNA levels were similar between HIV and UC participants (p=1.0 and p=0.35, respectively) and were significantly greater in both groups relative to controls (p<0.05 for all). Human beta-defensin (HBD)-2 mRNA levels were higher in UC relative to HIV and control ...
Prenatal Stress and Risk for Schizophrenia

Evidence from several complementary types of studies suggests that prenatal exposure to maternal distress can increase a person's risk of developing schizophrenia. This includes (a) indirect evidence, from both human and animal studies, that prenatal stress can affect postnatal behavior and brain chemistry, and ( b ) more direct evidence, from several studies that have found that people with schizophrenia are more likely than controls to have been in utero when their mothers were exposed to stressful events.
Technical Improvements in Quantitative In Vitro Microdialysis Sampling of Carbohydrates

The use of quantitative in vitro microdialysis has far-reaching applications to monitor a wide variety of bioprocesses without complex sample preparation procedures. On-line in vitro microdialysis sampling followed by high performance anion exchange chromatography and pulsed electrochemical detection was employed to monitor carbohydrate enzyme kinetics. A key improvement to the microdialysis perfusate delivery system is reported to enhance reproducibility, accuracy, and recovery. A computer-programmable pump designed for precision fluid delivery, with flow rates in the nano- and microliter per minute range that did not require perfusate reloading, was used in place of the commonly used syringe pump. Peak-to-peak noise levels were reduced by three orders of magnitude and recoveries at low flow rates (less than 1 µL/min) were greater than 90% for glucose. In addition, accurate and reproducible delivery allows for on-line dilution for flow rates across two orders of magnitude.
caTissue Suite to OpenSpecimen

Display Omitted Flexibly-tiered application accommodates diverse adoption and user requirements.High-throughput entry and display of robust, hierarchical biospecimen data.Focused development to meet workflow and research needs reported by user feedback.Scalable for multi-site collection, processing, tracking, and quality assurance.OpenSpecimen evolved from NCI-developed biobanking standards and best practices. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid? (caBIG?) program established standards and best practices for biorepository data management by creating an infrastructure to propagate biospecimen resource sharing while maintaining data integrity and security. caTissue Suite, a biospecimen data management software tool, has evolved from this effort. More recently, the caTissue Suite continues to evolve as an open source initiative known as OpenSpecimen. The essential functionality of OpenSpecimen includes the capture and representation of highly granular, hierarchically-structured data for biospecimen processing, quality assurance, tracking, and annotation. Ideal for multi-user and multi-site biorepository environments, OpenSpecimen permits role-based access to specific sets of data operations through a user-interface designed to accommodate varying workflows and unique user needs. The software is interoperable, both syntactically and semantically, with an array of other bioinformatics tools given its integration of standard vocabularies thus enabling research involving biospecimens. End-users are encouraged to share their day-to-day experiences in working with the application, thus providing to the community board insight into the needs and limitations which need be addressed. Users are also requested to review and validate new features through group testing environments and mock screens. Through this user interaction, application flexibility and interoperability have been recognized as necessary developmental focuses essential for accommodating diverse adoption scenarios and biobanking workflows to catalyze advances in biomedical research and operations. Given the diversity of biobanking practices and workforce roles, efforts have been made consistently to maintain robust data granularity while aiding user accessibility, data discoverability, and security within and across applications by providing a lower learning curve in using OpenSpecimen. Iterative development and testing cycles provide continuous maintenance and up-to-date capabilities for this freely available, open-access, web-based software application that is globally-adopted at over 25 institutions.
Spectral lines in hot dense matter

Abstract An algorithm is presented for the computation of photoabsorption cross sections at arbitrary temperature and matter density. The “average atom” model is refined to give an approximaate account for the different ionization stages. The broadening of spectral lines is accounted for in a simple approximation. Calculations are presented for the beryllium and germanium plasmas in the frequency region of spectral lines.
Schur techniques in invariant imbedding methods for solving two-point boundary value problems

Schur-type techniques for the solution of various types of Riccati equations by means of associated generalized eigenvalue/eigenvector problems are discussed. In the case of symmetric Riccati equations various aspects of an associated generalized Hamiltonian or symplectic structure are considered. The same generalized eigenvalue/eigenvector methodology carries through to the solution of nonsymmetric Riccati equations and is illustrated by application to invariant imbedding methods for solving two-point boundary value problems. Implicit differential equation problems are shown to give rise to "generalized" Riccati equations in both the symmetric and nonsymmetric case.
LATHYRISM: EVIDENCE FOR ROLE OF THE NEUROEXCITATORY AMINOACID BOAA

Lathyrism, a form of motoneuron disease induced by excessive consumption of th legume Lathyrus sativus (chickling pea), presents as signs of pyramidal tract involvement. Primate feeding studies show that beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (BOAA), a potent neuroexcitatory aminoacid in the chickling pea, induces corticospinal dysfunction similar to that seen in animals consuming a fortified diet of this legume. BOAA, a potent agonist of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, is likely to be causally associated with lathyrism in man.
Evaporative mass transfer in turbulent forced convection duct flows

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine the mass transfer characteristics for evaporation from partially filled pans of distilled water recessed in the floor of a flat rectangular duct through which turbulent air flow was passed. During the course of the experiments, parametric variations were made of the Reynolds number of the air flow, the streamwise length of the pan, and the distance between the top of the pan and the water surface (hereafter referred to as the step height). For all of the operating conditions of the experiments, the measured Sherwood numbers were well correlated with the Reynolds number provided that the step height was used as the characteristic dimension. Guided by analytical considerations, a second correlation was constructed which provides Sherwood number predictions for operating conditions corresponding to pans longer than those used in the present experiments. By making use of the analogy between heat and mass transfer, it was shown how Nusselt numbers can be obtained from the Sherwood number correlations.
Modulation of Breast Cancer Cell Adhesion by Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Triglycerides, which are major constituents of dietary fat, contain a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. One newly recognized function of unsaturated fatty acids is modulation of cell adhesion to components of the extracellular matrix. Alterations in cell adhesiveness or cell adhesion molecule expression accompany the onset of a number of diseases including arthritis, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Cell adhesion is necessary for the metastatic spread of cancer cells to new organs. Circulating cancer cells adhere to endothelial cells and the underlying subendothelial basement membrane as an initial step in the process of invading target organs during metastasis. Several recent studies have provided convincing evidence that unsaturated fatty acids and their metabolites influence adhesion of cultured human cancer cells to individual components of the basement membrane. These unsaturated fatty acid effects appear to be dependent in some instances on the expression of specific cell surface adhesion molecules. Unsaturated fatty acids influence the development of metastases in animal tumor models by largely unexplored mechanisms; the possibility that cell adhesion is involved in this process has not been thoroughly investigated. Future studies of unsaturated fatty acid effects on cell adhesion molecule expression in breast cancer patients should reveal the clinical relevance of the studies reviewed here.
The trophic tapestry of the sea

Oceanic ecosystems are the largest habitats on Earth, and living biomass in these systems is dominated by planktonic microorganisms. Microbial ecologists have long sought to understand the role of environmental selection in shaping the diversity of planktonic microorganisms. The oceans have proven a dauntingly complex arena to conduct such studies. Marine ecosystems are immense and remote and hence chronically undersampled. Moreover, the enormous diversity of planktonic microorganisms challenges our most sophisticated computational capabilities. Only recently, through creative applications of new technologies have oceanographers begun to overcome some of these hurdles. In this issue of PNAS, Lauro et al. (1) use a comparative genome approach to provide insight into how environmental pressures have shaped microorganism lifestyles. The study highlights key differences in the genomes of two oceanic bacteria: Sphingopyxis alaskensis, an abundant α-proteobacterium adapted to low-nutrient oceanic environments, and Photobacterium angustum, a γ-proteobacterium that grows optimally in nutrient-enriched seawater. By examining the genetic underpinnings that differentiate these microorganisms the study uses the lens of molecular biology to view lifestyle features of ocean microbes.
Rotational inelasticity in high-energy H2H2 collisions☆

Rotational cross sections for transitions in the H2-H2 system have been calculated for energies up to about 2.0 eV and for rotor levels up to j = 11 in the effective potential approximation. The cases of para H2-para H2, ortho H2-ortho H2 and ortho H2-para H2 are considered. Correlations and trends in the cross sections have been examined, and it is shown that the high-energy collisions are dominated by coupling effects. The results of this analysis also suggest that the collision process may be profitably viewed as a diffusion of probability among the levels.
Hemodialysis of doxepin and desmethyldoxepin in uremic patients.

The disposition of doxepin and its active metabolite desmethyldoxepin was investigated in five uremic patients undergoing hemodialysis. The hemodialysis system yielded a mean extraction efficiency of 7.6% for doxepin and 13.9% for desmethyldoxepin. Mean dialysis clearances were 10.8 and 18.1 ml/min for doxepin and desmethyldoxepin, respectively. The drug and metabolite recovery constituted a very small fraction of the body store, i.e., less than 1%. Hemodialysis did not significantly alter the plasma half-life of doxepin, 14.6 +/- 4.3 h, or of desmethyldoxepin, 25.4 +/- 5.5 h. The nondialyzability of both compounds could be attributed to the compounds' protein binding and volume of distribution. The dialysis experiments show that modification of the usual dosage regimen is not necessary during hemodialysis or on dialysis days. The dialysis parameters confirm that hemodialysis is not likely to be of value in the management of acute doxepin poisoning.
Novel techniques in electron microscopy

Emerging techniques in electron microscopy promise to yield a wide range of new information about the nervous system. Aided by the development of detectors, electron optics, energy filters, computer automation and preparative methods, electron tomography now provides three-dimensional structures over a scale ranging from single receptor molecules to synapses and neurons. To relate structure to function, a variety of correlative methods are being developed, including protein tags observable both by light microscopy of living cells and, subsequently, by electron microscopy. It is also becoming possible to measure functionally important ions like Ca(2+) in cellular compartments at a scale of about 10 nm by exploiting new advances in electron energy loss and X-ray spectroscopic imaging.
Gated Integration of Transient Signals in 1/ f Noise

The Mueller optical calculus is used to model common spectrometric experimental schemes. The effects of source and preamplifier noise on the precision of the measurement are investigated, and the effect of gate width variation for gated integration of Gaussian signal peaks in the presence of white or 1/f type noise is evaluated. The results indicate that, for integration of a transient absorbance signal, the choice of gate width depends upon the type of noise, but not its source. For a transmittance (or emission) type of experiment, both the type and the source of the noise determine the gate width to be used for integration of the signal.
The electronic spreadsheet as a didactic learning enhancement

Abstract A variety of quantitative techniques (such as capital budgeting or linear programming) may be understood more fully by students when they are able to work through relatively simple applications of the techniques by hand. Unfortunately, such manual computations are inherently susceptible to arithmetic errors. The authors propose that students use the electronic spreadsheet to work out these types of problems during their initial learning stage. An advantage of the electronic spreadsheet for this purpose is the automatic calculation of data by the program thereby eliminating the usual arithmetic errors. As long as appropriate formulas are correctly entered into the spreadsheet, the results should be correct. The method presented by the authors does not yield general solutions to capital budgeting or to linear programming problems. Rather, the methodology requires the student to think through the solution process while removing some of the usual drudgery and potential inaccuracies of manual solutions.
Insertion selectivity of antimicrobial peptide protegrin-1 into lipid monolayers : Effect of head group electrostatics and tail group packing

The ability to selectively target the harmful microbial membrane over that of the host cell is one of the most important characteristics of the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This selectivity strongly depends on the chemical and structural properties of the lipids that make up the cell membrane. A systematic study of the initial membrane selectivity of protegrin-1 (PG-1), a β-sheet AMP, was performed using Langmuir monolayers. Constant pressure insertion assay was used to quantify the amount of PG-1 insertion and fluorescence microscopy was employed to observe the effect of PG-1 on lipid ordering. Charge and packing properties of the monolayer were altered by using lipids with different head groups, substituting saturated with unsaturated lipid tail group(s) and incorporating spacer molecules. PG-1 inserted most readily into anionic films composed of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and lipid A, consistent with its high selectivity for microbial membranes. It also discriminated between zwitteranionic phospholipids, inserting more readily into phosphatidylcholine (PC) monolayers than those composed of phosphatidylethanolamine, potentially explaining why PG-1 is hemolytic for PC-rich human erythrocytes and not for the PE-rich erythrocytes of ruminants. Increased packing density of the monolayer by increased surface pressure, increased tail group saturation or incorporation of dihydrocholesterol diminishes the insertion of PG-1. Fluorescence microscopy shows that lipid packing is disordered upon PG-1 insertion. However, the presence of PG-1 can still affect lipid morphology even with no observed PG-1 insertion. These results show the important role that lipid composition of the cell membrane plays in the activity of AMPs.
Secondary electron emission from beams of polystyrene latex spheres

Polystyrene latex spheres suspended in a carrier gas of nitrogen are accelerated through a nozzle‐skimmer system into a vacuum chamber and ionized in a crossed electron beam. Measurements of the particle beam current as a function of the primary electron energy and current give information on the secondary electron emission yield of the spheres and on the energy distribution of the secondaries. The positively charged spheres provide their own retarding potential for the energy scan of the secondaries. For 260‐eV primaries the distribution in energy of the secondaries from polystyrene peaks between 1 and 2 eV. At 5 eV it has fallen to about 40% of its peak value. The yield per incident primary of secondaries (or scattered primaries) whose energy is greater than 5 eV is unity. Some advantages and limitations of the method are discussed.
GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation is responsible for the absence of GSTP1 expression in human prostate cancer cells.

GSTP1 CpG island hypermethylation is the most common somatic genome alteration described for human prostate cancer (PCA); lack of GSTP1 expression is characteristic of human PCA cells in vivo . We report here that loss of GSTP1 function may have been selected during the pathogenesis of human PCA. Using a variety of techniques to detect GSTP1 CpG island DNA hypermethylation in PCA DNA, we found only hypermethylated GSTP1 alleles in each PCA cell in all but two PCA cases studied. In these two cases, CpG island hypermethylation was present at only one of two GSTP1 alleles in PCA DNA. In one of the cases, DNA hypermethylation at one GSTP1 allele and deletion of the other GSTP1 allele were evident. In the other case, an unmethylated GSTP1 allele was detected, accompanied by abundant GSTP1 expression. GSTP1 CpG island DNA hypermethylation was responsible for lack of GSTP1 expression by LNCaP PCA cells: treatment of the cells with 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases, reversed the GSTP1 promoter DNA hypermethylation, activated GSTP1 transcription, and restored GSTP1 expression. GSTP1 promoter activity, assessed via transfection of GSTP1 promoter- CAT reporter constructs in LNCaP cells, was inhibited by Sss I-catalyzed CpG dinucleotide methylation. Remarkably, although selection for loss of GSTP1 function may be inferred for human PCA, GSTP1 did not act like a tumor suppressor gene, as LNCaP cells expressing GSTP1, either after 5-aza-C treatment or as a consequence of transfection with GSTP1 cDNA, grew well in vitro and in vivo . Perhaps, GSTP1 inactivation may render prostatic cells susceptible to additional genome alterations, caused by electrophilic or oxidant carcinogens, that provide a selective growth advantage.
The complex tone test: implications for the assessment of auditory laterality effects.

Abstract The results obtained from 24 right-handed subjects on a dichotic pitch recognition test were analyzed with respect to the magnitude, stability and incidence of right hemisphere advantage indicating that complex pitch discrimination yields perceptual asymmetries comparable to those observed for speech perception, but in the opposite direction. The effects of stimulus competition on the magnitude of laterality effects were also examined and a nearly threefold difference in the magnitude of the laterality measure was demonstrated as a function of acoustic features of the stimuli. The problem of attributing the magnitude of any perceptual asymmetry to a degree of lateralization of cortical function is discussed.
Viability and initial kinetic parameters for dry yeast inocula in batch fermentations

Abstract A simple method for estimating viability of dry yeast inocula and the initial kinetic parameters, μm (h−1) and νm (h−1), for batch fermentations was developed based on broth assays during the exponential growth phase. Ethanol concentrations of shake-flask broths, determined by assay or calculated from mass loss, were fitted with an exponential growth/production equation as a model. Medium (400 ml, 200 g l−1 sucrose) was inoculated with commercial dry yeast products (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and fermented at 25°C. Some were presaturated with CO2 for mass loss measurements. A lag period of approximately 15 min was observed before the yeast started producing ethanol. Initial kinetic parameters were similar to published values.
Fluid structure from diffraction experiments

Abstract A novel method of computing the partial radial distribution function of a fluid from realistically incomplete and noisy diffraction data, supplemented by some known features of the fluid structure, is proposed and tested. With the singular value decomposition algorithm for matrix inversions, the new method seems to be very stable and effective.
Nest desertion by a cowbird host: an antiparasite behavior or a response to egg loss?

Natural selection can favor songbirds that desert nests containing eggs of the parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). However, the high variability in desertion of parasitized nests within species is perplexing in light of the typically high costs of parasitism. Because nest desertion can also be a response to partial clutch predation, we first asked if Bell’s vireos (Vireo bellii) deserted nests in response to the presence of cowbird eggs (antiparasite response hypothesis) or to egg removal by predators and female cowbirds (egg predation hypothesis). Second, we asked whether variation in nest desertion was due to intrinsic differences among individuals or to variation in nest contents. We monitored a large number of nests (n ¼ 494) and performed a clutch manipulation experiment to test these hypotheses. The number of vireo eggs that remained in a nest was a strong predictor of desertion both within and among pairs. Neither the presence of a single cowbird egg, which leads to nest failure for this host, nor the number of cowbird eggs received in a vireo nest influenced nest desertion. Furthermore, vireos did not desert experimental nests when we immediately exchanged cowbird eggs for vireo eggs but deserted if we removed vireo eggs and replaced them with cowbird eggs the following morning. Desertion of parasitized nests by Bell’s vireos can be almost entirely explained as a response to partial or complete clutch loss and does not appear to have been altered by selection from brood parasitism. Key words: Bell’s vireo, brown-headed cowbird, egg predation, evolutionary lag, host‐parasite coevolution, Molothrus ater, Vireo bellii. [Behav Ecol]
"Oh-No! Banjo": a case study in alternative game controllers

Alternative video game control devices have played a role in the success of music/rhythm games, as well as the success of video gaming consoles like the Nintendo Wii. This paper provides a brief background of alternative game controllers with respect to education and describes the process of creating "Oh-No! Banjo"---a banjo videogame controller and accompanying game created for Rochester Institute of Technology's experimental seminar course in Alternate Game Interfaces. The experimental controller and game received accolades in the press and offers a "roadmap" for others seeking pursue similar innovations.
Writing software for the clinic

Medical physicists often write computer programs to support scientific, educational, and clinical endeavors. Errors in scientific and educational software can waste time and effort by producing meaningless results, but errors in clinical software can contribute to patient injuries. Although the ultimate goal of error-free software is impossible to achieve except in very small programs, there are many good design, implementation, and testing practices that can be used by small development groups to significantly reduce errors, improve quality, and reduce maintenance. The software development process should include four basic steps: specifications, design, implementation, and testing. A specifications document defining what the software is intended to do is valuable for clearly delimiting the scope of the project and providing a benchmark for evaluating the final product. Keep the software design simple and straightforward. Document assumptions, and check them. Emphasize maintainability, portability, and reliability rather than speed. Use layers to isolate the application from hardware and the operating system. Plan for upgrades. Expect the software to be used in unplanned ways. Whenever possible, be generous with RAM and disk storage; hardware is cheaper than development and maintenance. During implementation, use well-known algorithms whenever possible. Use prototypes to try out ideas. Use generic modules, version numbering, unique file names, defensive programming, and operating system and language/compiler defaults. Avoid binary data files and clever tricks. Remember that real numbers are not exact in a computer. Get it right before making it faster. Document the software extensively. Test continuously during development; the later a problem is found, the more it costs to fix. Use a written procedure to test the final product exactly as a typical user would run it. Allow no changes after clinical release. Expect to spend at least an additional 50% of the initial development effort on testing, fixing errors, and getting the software into routine operation.
Juvenile exposure to acoustic sexual signals from conspecifics alters growth trajectory and an adult personality trait

Animal personalities have become an established concept in animal behaviour. Despite this, the potential influence of early life experiences on adult personality is often overlooked. Juvenile exposure to environmental cues such as conspecific signalling or predator cues may provide relevant information regarding the make-up of the forthcoming environment. Individuals might be able to use these cues to adjust developmental trajectory and adult personality to prevent a personality–environment mismatch. Using the field cricket Gryllus integer, we show that individuals reared in the presence of conspecific acoustic sexual signals alter both growth rate and an adult personality trait. Males reared in the presence of acoustic sexual signals were less aggressive and less likely to become dominant relative to those reared in the absence of acoustic signals. Additionally, acoustic treatment interacted with juvenile body mass: large juveniles reared in the presence of acoustic signals were larger than small juveniles reared in the presence of acoustic signals and larger than all juveniles reared in silence. We discuss the potential adaptive significance of the observed developmental and personality differences.
Neutralizing windows-based malicious mobile code

Mobile code---executable programs that get copied from computer-to-computer via e-mail, web browsers, etc.---is a popular way to stage malicious attacks against users. The Windows operating system is often the target of such attacks, in part because of its ubiquity and in part because of the vast functionality it provides. Some of this functionality, like executable e-mail attachments and scripting, provides opportunity for mobile code to cause significant damage to a host system. One obvious solution is to disable such features in Windows. However, many users find such features a convenient and productive way to conduct their business. Thus, techniques that can protect against mobile code without sacrificing functionality are needed.But even disabling functionality such as scripting will not provide complete security; it only catches the most sophomoric exploits. All operating systems, including Windows, are vulnerable to malicious use at their lowest level of operation: executing compiled code. Mobile programs, just like local programs, can access operating system components in ways that damage a users' data or render their computer useless. These programs can be written in system-level languages such as C and assembly, which are capable of compiling OS components directly into their binaries and writing directly to interrupt vectors. Disabling such functionality will mean an operating system that simply doesn't work.This paper investigates techniques to protect Windows-based systems from malicious mobile code while minimizing functionality loss. Our solution involves writing a layer of protective code that is able to detect mobile code running on a system and then monitors its behavior. Behaviors deemed benign are allowed to execute; behaviors deemed malicious are either shutdown, quarantined or logged (so that restoration procedures can be constructed). We describe new techniques for identifying. monitoring and neutralizing malicious mobile code. We demonstrate the techniques by testing our "vaccine" against a number of the most notorious Windows viruses and worms. Further, we demonstrate how our solution maintains functionality while minimizing false positives during execution of benign programs.
Reactions to social security retirement reform proposals in the United States

For some time the actuarial imbalance between revenues and benefit payments in the Social Security retirement programme in the United States has been a concern for decision makers, professional analysts, and the public. In response to this actuarial imbalance, President George W. Bush proposed in 2004 that changes be made in the method whereby Social Security benefits are determined and that individual investment accounts be established under the rubric of Social Security. The debate over the issue was intense, but it was effectively stilled by the middle of 2005. The probable legacy of the 2004-05 debate is that limits have been placed upon future options to deal with the Social Security programme's financial difficulties. This article identifies those constraints which, together, constitute the new public policy “template” for future debates relating to the Social Security retirement programme in the United States.
Burke and War: Rhetoricizing the Theory of Dramatism

While rhetoricians are familiar with Kenneth Burke's epigram Ad bellum purificandum, little attention has been paid to why the “purification of war” would be Burke's purpose in A Grammar of Motives. Yet the Grammar, with its theory of dramatism, was written throughout a conflict Burke called “the mightiest war the human race will ever experience.” This article recovers Burke's wartime writings and explores the impact of World War II on his intellectual development. Arguing that Burke's dialectical project was conceived as a specific, hortatory response to the absolutism of total war, it recontextualizes Burkean themes of ambiguity, transcendence, dialectic, and action as it “rhetoricizes” dramatism, placing it within its original cultural/material conversational parlor.
A new active constrained layer configuration with enhanced boundary actions

In this paper, a new active constrained layer (ACL) configuration is proposed to improve the active action transmissibility of the current ACL treatment. Introducing edge elements, the active action from the piezoelectric cover sheet can be transmitted to the host structure more directly. Results from this study illustrate that, compared to the current ACL, the proposed new configuration can significantly improve the active action transmissibility while retaining a similar level of passive damping ability. In other words, it could be a more effective active - passive hybrid system. It is also shown that the new arrangement is more robust: it can outperform both the purely active and passive systems throughout a much broader design space than the current ACL.
Local Environments and Lithium Adsorption on the Iron Oxyhydroxides Lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and Goethite (α-FeOOH): A 2H and 7Li Solid-State MAS NMR Study

2H and 7Li MAS NMR spectroscopy techniques were applied to study the local surface and bulk environments of iron oxyhydroxide lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH). 2H variable-temperature (VT) MAS NMR experiments were performed, showing the presence of short-range, strong antiferromagnetic correlations, even at temperatures above the Neel temperature, TN, 77 K. The formation of a Li+ inner-sphere complex on the surface of lepidocrocite was confirmed by the observation of a signal with a large 7Li hyperfine shift in the 7Li MAS NMR spectrum. The effect of pH and relative humidity (RH) on the concentrations of Li+ inner- and outer-sphere complexes was then explored, the concentration of the inner sphere complex increasing rapidly above the point of zero charge and with decreasing RH. Possible local environments of the adsorbed Li+ were identified by comparison with other layer-structured iron oxides such as γ-LiFeO2 and o-LiFeO2. Li+ positions of Li+-sorbed and exchanged goethite were reanalyzed on the basis of the corr...
Mucosal Immunity in Infants Immunized with H. Influenze Type B(Hib) Conjugate Vaccines ♦ 47

Mucosal Immunity in Infants Immunized with H. Influenze Type B(Hib) Conjugate Vaccines ♦ 47
Apparent bias in river water inoculum following centrifugation.

Abstract We collected four measures of viable bacterial concentration (heterotrophic plate count, total coliform, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli) and three measures of well color development in Biolog GN2 microtiter plates from water samples that were collected on two or three separate occasions from a fixed site on 19 different streams throughout Oregon. Our goal was to determine whether concentrating the water sample with centrifugation prior to analysis would change the in situ composition of the culturable bacterial assemblage. Each sample was split and one subsample was centrifuged while the other subsample served as a control. A shift in the proportion of each group of culturable bacteria toward more fecal coliform bacteria was observed following centrifugation. In samples with the lowest initial heterotrophic bacterial densities (under 50 CFU/100 ml), the observed concentration following centrifugation was much lower than expected. However, samples that had high initial heterotrophic bacterial densities (over 1000 CFU/100 ml) had concentrations at or above expected values following centrifugation, but were biased toward a higher proportion of coliform bacteria. Bacteria in centrifuged subsamples utilized more sole-carbon substrates on Biolog GN2 microtiter plates and showed a shorter lag time prior to tetrazolium color development than their uncentrifuged counterparts. Future research that focuses on characterizing and accounting for the bias associated with centrifugation of water samples held for less than 24 h is recommended.
Upper extremity pain after spinal cord injury

Objective: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) may complain of upper extremity (UE) pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of UE pain as well as its association with functional activities. Types of treatments that SCI patients received for UE pain and the benefits of these treatments were also identified. Study design and methods: A questionnaire of demographic variables and measures of UE pain intensity, location, treatment, and interference with functional activities was mailed to 170 persons with SCI. Data was analyzed by descriptive and comparative statistics. Results: Of the 130 persons who responded, 76 (58.5%) (38 paraplegic, 38 tetraplegic patients) reported UE pain: 71% had shoulder pain, 53% wrist pain, 43%hand pain, and 35% elbow pain. Pain interfered with transfers in 65% (36/55) of the patients who were doing them. Of ten functional activities, pain was more likely to be associated with pressure reliefs, transfers, and wheelchair mobility. Sixty-three per cent sought medical treatment for pain, and of those, 90% received either physical therapy, pharmacological treatment or massage. Although only 27% had wheelchair or home modification or joint protection education, these approaches were helpful for almost all and very helpful or extremely helpful in 26.6% and 63.6% of the patients, respectively. Conclusion: UE pain is a common problem in individuals with SCI and has impact on daily activities. UE pain prevention and management programs are needed for SCI patients.
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant With Coal Gasification and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

The United States has extensive coal resources; thus, it is important to consider coal as a fuel for electric power production. This work presents a theoretical study of a novel high-efficiency coal-fired power plant. In the proposed combined cycle power plant, the Conoco coal gasification process is linked with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and state-of-the-art gas turbines. The overall efficiency of such a plant can be around 60 percent, considering realistic heat, pressure, and other losses in the different components of the plant. If an additional steam turbine is incorporated, the overall efficiency can be increased to about 62 percent.
1069 THE UNPRESCRIBED USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN CHILDREN ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL

We have previously reported that approximately 7% of childrer who present for medical care with common respiratory illnesses are already being treated with unprescribed antibiotics. The purpose of the present study is to determine the incidence of antibiotic abuse(self-medication with unprescribed antibiotics) in children with more serious febrile illnesses. It is anticipated that we will have 400 patients by 4/85. To date we have collected information and urine samples at the time of admission from 104 febrile patients. 8 of 104 (7.69%) children were found to have antibacterial activity in the urine as determined by bioassay. Of the 8 positive specimens only 2 were from children whose care takers admitted to antibiotic abuse. One received erythromycin and the other penicillin. Sources of antibiotic were sibling's erythromycin and amoxicillin from a previous illness. Data related to 1) duration of illness, 2) patient age, 3) symptom categories (URI, Pneumonia, Asthma, Gastroenteritis, Sepsis, Fever), 4) similar illness in the past, 5) presence of siblings, 6) primary care taker's marital status, 7) and employment were analyzed statistically. The incidence of abuse was significantly higher in the asthmatics (P .01) and no correlation was demonstrated to incidence of abuse and other mentioned variables. We conclude that antibiotic abuse is a significant problem and questioning was not a reliable abuse direction technique. The incidence of abuse in this study is similar to previously reported incidence in outpatients from a different geographical area.
A multiaxial cyclic plasticity model for non-proportional loading cases

Abstract The hardening behavior of metals to non-proportional loading and ratchetting effects is investigated here using the proposed model presented by Voyiadjis and Basuroychowdhury (1998) . The backstress evolution equations are modified here in order to account for non-proportionality of loading. The same general form of the kinematic hardening formulation defined previously by Voyiadjis and Basuroychowdhury (1998) is used here. The material constant, β ( i ) , is now expressed in a functional form, β (i) , to account for the variation in the loading direction. Numerical results are obtained using the proposed model for a series of plastic strain controlled cyclic tests due to multiaxial cyclic tests performed at room temperature on thin-walled tubural specimens of Type 316 stainless steel. The results are compared with the experimental values obtained by Tanaka, et al. (1985) . The drift correction due to the finite increments of stress or strain is corrected using an efficient approach that corrects the backstress only. The model is also tested for cyclic creep which occurs due to a non-zero mean stress. The cyclic creep occurs initially and saturates reaching a stable cycle.The modified proposed kinematic hardening rule and the associated bounding surface are used in conjunction with a robust plasticity model for metals. The hardening dependence on the plastic strain path is also investigated in this work.
Executive MBA students’ information skills and knowledge

This study explores Executive MBA (EMBA) students’ information-seeking skills and knowledge in academic and workplace environments to improve on library instruction. The authors’ research consisted of a survey and 12 qualitative interviews, sampled from two University of New Mexico EMBA cohorts. The themes that emerged included EMBA's specific skills and knowledge of their own industry's information, difficulty in finding new information, several barriers, and lack of transferability. By discussing adult learning theory and focusing on transferability, we can help students acknowledge and transfer their information skills and knowledge between academics and work.
Bioapplication of nanosemiconductors

Advances in semiconductor nanocolloids have provided a new set of materials with unique optical and electrical properties, which recently have grabbed biologists and biomedical engineers' attention for applications such as biolabels, biosensors, and image-contrast agents. These nanosemiconductors have also been used to fabricate devices for applications such as drug delivery and medical therapeutics. In this review, we introduce some of the latest examples of semiconducting nanostructures that have been applied successfully to problems in biotechnology, with a special focus on biosensing and bioimaging. We first describe how to take advantage of the optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots in these two research fields. In addition, we give a brief introduction to biosensors based on field-effect transistors (FETs) made of one-dimensional semiconductor nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Finally, we discuss the future development of semiconductor nanomaterials in the biological field.