cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motivating online performance

This study investigated the effects of goal setting on Internet searches and examined the relationship between Internet self-efficacy and search task performance. Participants searched the Internet and listed the names of the industrial-organizational psychologists they found. Control participants were instructed to “do their best” to find as many names as possible, and experimental participants were assigned the goal of 70 names. As expected, participants in the goal condition worked longer than did those in the control condition. Furthermore, the data generally supported the hypothesis that individuals with goals would produce more results than their non-goal-directed counterparts. Compared to control participants, however, those with goals did not visit a smaller proportion of non-task-related web sites as predicted. Finally, the anticipated positive correlation was found between Internet self-efficacy and the number of correct search results produced. It is concluded that goal setting may be an effect...
Passive detection of gamma ray shadows from small-scale soil surface anomalies

[1] We exhibit theoretical and experimental evidence that some surface anomalies can be passively detected from their shadowing of low-level gamma rays emitted from natural soil. Surface objects on the order of decimeter size with high electron density cause variable attenuation in several bands of gamma ray energies, while some surface holes cause other detectable changes in the gamma background. Using a broadly collimated portable 7.6 × 7.6 cm cylindrical NaI (Tl) scintillation detector, we characterize the small-scale (on the order of meter scale or less) homogeneity of gamma rays at the soil surface in the context of detectability of objects and holes. We suggest that passive detection of anomalies below the surface may have impractically low count rates due to the greater collimation needed.
On the nature of micro-entrepreneurship: evidence from Argentina

We analyse the nature of micro-entrepreneurship in Argentina. We focus on whether the sector resembles its counterpart in industrialized countries, characterized by the risk-taking nature of the entrepreneurial activity, or if it is the result of labour market distortions and disguised unemployment, as in the dual economy hypothesis. Our results suggest a segmentation of the micro-entrepreneur sector. Both young uneducated and middle aged highly educated salaried workers have the highest likelihood of becoming entrepreneurs. However, the first segment has a high probability of becoming own-account workers, while the probability of becoming micro-entrepreneurs with employees is strictly increasing in both age and education. Moreover, the probability of entrepreneur failure (as measured by the transition to the salaried sector) has an inverted U shape, implying that both high and low skill individuals are more likely to remain entrepreneurs.
State government purchases in a federalist economy

This paper empirically examines the impact of state government purchasing preference laws on expenditures and revenue of individual states. Purchasing preferences allow firms located within a state to win state contracts without being the low bidder. We find that states with purchasing preference laws spend 3% more in real terms per capita than other states. Evidence is found indicating that the preferences require revenue increases to fund them (the tax base does not rise sufficiently), and that there is some apparent taxpayer resistance to these preferences. This evidence is consistent with a coalition model of state government behavior because it indicates there is significant redistribution of income between groups within the state.
Real-time decision detection in multi-party dialogue

We describe a process for automatically detecting decision-making sub-dialogues in multi-party, human-human meetings in real-time. Our basic approach to decision detection involves distinguishing between different utterance types based on the roles that they play in the formulation of a decision. In this paper, we describe how this approach can be implemented in real-time, and show that the resulting system's performance compares well with other detectors, including an off-line version.
Applications of Membrane Technologies for Therapeutic Apheresis

: Membrane technologies have been applied for therapeutic apheresis. Membrane plasma separation and plasma fractionation are the most common, and hemodialysis and hemofiltration are also used for the combination methodologies of plasma exchange. This article describes the structure, performance, and application of membranes used for apheresis.
Are practice trials required for hop tests

Single-legged hop tests are commonly used in clinic and research settings to obtain information on functional performance of the injured leg. When performing these tests, it is typical to provide a few practice trials before performing actual test trials. However, the importance of practice trials and how it affects performance during actual test trials are not known. This study investigated the effect of practice trials on single-leg hop performance using a marker-based kinematic tracking approach in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and athletic controls. Thirteen subjects with ACL reconstruction and thirteen uninjured healthy subjects performed the single hop for distance test for both legs. Three practice and five test trials were performed on each leg. Single-leg hop distance scores and hop indices (i.e., side-to-side hop distance ratios) obtained from practice and test trials were compared. There were significant differences in the mean hop distance between practice and test trials (P 0.05). There were also significantly high correlations between practice and test trials (P<0.01) and the agreement between practice and test scores was very good (ρc=0.88-0.98). The findings suggest that subjects indeed improve their performance during test trials; however, the improvements had an inconsequential effect on the side-to-side hop distance ratios. Therefore, if the examiner is interested only in side-to-side ratios, then practice trials can be minimized or even avoided to improve efficiency and minimize time and costs associated with additional trials.
Balancing Dynamic Strength of Gears Operated at Reduced Center Distance

This paper presents an analytical study on using hob offset to balance the dynamic tooth strength of spur gears operated at a center distance smaller than the standard value because of design needs. The study was limited to the offset values that assure the pinion and gear tooth will neither be undercut nor become pointed. The analysis presented in this paper was performed using a revised version of the NASA gear dynamics code DANST. The dynamic stress of the pinion and gear are affected significantly by varying hob offset values. The significant difference in the tooth stress of the pinion and gear can be minimized by selecting a suitable hob offset. The best offset value to balance the dynamic stresses of the gear and the pinion, subject to different operating conditions, are analyzed. The operating speed of the transmission has a significant influence on the amount of hob offset required to equalize the dynamic stresses in the pinion and gear. In the gears studied, the optimum hob offset was found to fluctuate mostly within a range at any speeds. For gears that must operate over a range of speeds, an average offset value may be used.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Gals on the slab: Fetishism, re‐animation, and the dead female body

Abstract The simultaneous presence and absence signified by the dead body constitutes a very powerful, and resistant, text. This paper examines the representation of the dead female body in a range of fiction and films, and explores the extent to which these silent and absent bodies might be said to speak louder, and exert a greater presence, in death than in life. The power and appeal of these bodies is further explored in relation to the arguably fetishistic impluse underlying the desire to possess, and somehow re‐animate, them, as readily controllable substitutes for the ‘real’ women they once embodied.
Exploring the role of copy number variants in human adaptation

Over the past decade, the ubiquity of copy number variants (CNVs, the gain or loss of genomic material) in the genomes of healthy humans has become apparent. Although some of these variants are associated with disorders, a handful of studies documented an adaptive advantage conferred by CNVs. In this review, we propose that CNVs are substrates for human evolution and adaptation. We discuss the possible mechanisms and evolutionary processes in which CNVs are selected, outline the current challenges in identifying these loci, and highlight that copy number variable regions allow for the creation of novel genes that may diversify the repertoire of such genes in response to rapidly changing environments. We expect that many more adaptive CNVs will be discovered in the coming years, and we believe that these new findings will contribute to our understanding of human-specific phenotypes.
Processing light verb constructions

Henry gave Elsa a kissgivekissgivea kissWe test two approaches to light verb constructions: (1) joint predication in light verb constructions is stored as pre-specified, and their high frequency predicts less processing cost. (2) Joint predication in light verb constructions is built in real-time. The entailed extra-syntactic composition predicts greater cost.Results from a cross-modal lexical decision task show delayed, higher reaction times for light verb constructions, supporting (2), which is consistent with a linguistic architecture that has partly autonomous lexico-semantic storage and processing.
Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic structures of Rhodotorula glutinis as revealed by electron micrographs of serial sections.

The fine structure of the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis was studied in electron micrographs of serial sections of a resting cell. The nucleus contains a prominent membrane bounded structure which is tentatively identified as the nucleolus. Poorly defined areas of low electron density were also observed within the membrane bounded nucleus. The cytoplasm contained lipoidal inclusions, mitochondria and intracytoplasmic membranes. Apparent connections between the mitochondria, plasma membrane, and nuclear membrane were observed. The significance and nature of the intracytoplasmic structures is discussed.
Sampling strategies for rare variant tests in case-control studies.

Advances in sequencing technology allow assessing the impact of rare variation on common disorders. For this purpose, methods combine rare variants across a gene and compare an aggregate statistic between cases and controls. However, sequencing many individuals is costly. Hence, it is necessary to identify case samples that are most likely to result in powerful tests under realistic model assumptions. Power can be increased by selecting cases that are highly likely to carry risk variants. As rare variants that contribute to the heritability of a disease co-segregate among affected family members, selecting cases that have affected family members may increase the power of rare variant tests considerably. Here I compare sequencing random cases to cases ascertained to have affected family members. I quantify the power of the different approaches and provide criteria for sample selection under different models of inheritance. Under a model of multiplicative gene–gene interaction, a sample of random cases has to be 2–16-fold larger to achieve the same power as a sample of cases ascertained to have affected family members. However, in traits with high heritability this power gain can be reduced or even reversed under models of additive gene–gene interaction. Hence study designs should depend on the studied disease's heritability and on the available sample size. I also show that selecting cases that share both chromosomes identical by descent with an affected sibling at candidate regions can result in a further power gain.
Overview of superplastic forming research at ford motor company

In an effort to reduce vehicle weight, the automotive industry has switched to aluminum sheet for many closure panels. Although the application of aluminum is compatible with existing manufacturing processes and has attractive qualities such as low density, good mechanical properties, and high corrosion resistance, it has less room-temperature formability than steel. The expanded forming limits that are possible with superplastic forming can significantly improve the ability to manufacture complex shapes from materials with limited formability. Aluminum closure panels produced by superplastic forming have been used by Ford Motor Company for over a decade. However, applications have been limited to low-volume, specialty vehicles due to the relatively slow cycle time and the cost penalty associated with the specially processed sheet alloys. While there has been substantial research on the superplastic characteristics of aluminum alloys, the bulk of this work has focused on the development of aerospace alloys, which are often too costly and perhaps inappropriate for automotive applications. Additionally, there has been a limited amount of work done to develop the technologies required to support the higher production volumes of the automotive industry. This work presents an automotive perspective on superplastic forming and an overview of the research being performed at Ford Motor Company to increase the production volume so superplastic forming can be cost competitive with more traditional forming technologies.
Some Thoughts on Material Agency, Urban Practices, and Collecting Strategies

The concept of material agency can and should apply to museum collection strategies. Drawing on studies of preservationist homeowners who, in restoring their homes, discover the agency of previous builders and occupants in shaping the house's material qualities, this study proposes a broad concept of “habitability” to guide collecting and for actualizing the agency of older objects. A second area of inquiry examines domestic technologies designed to help humans with daily tasks. Some of these include “smart appliances” and robotics that become increasingly “normalized” through habitual use. [domestic consumption, preservation, smart appliances, designer intention, object assemblage]
HIV Entry and Envelope Glycoprotein-mediated Fusion

HIV entry involves binding of the trimeric viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120/gp41 to cell surface receptors, which triggers conformational changes in Env that drive the membrane fusion reaction. The conformational landscape that the lipids and Env navigate en route to fusion has been examined by biophysical measurements on the microscale, whereas electron tomography, x-rays, and NMR have provided insights into the process on the nanoscale and atomic scale. However, the coupling between the lipid and protein pathways that give rise to fusion has not been resolved. Here, we discuss the known and unknown about the overall HIV Env-mediated fusion process.
The differences in particle structures and recrystallization behaviors between DC and CC AA5052 aluminum alloys

Abstract The recrystallization behaviors of direct chill cast (DC) and continuous cast (CC) AA5052 hot bands and cold-rolled hot bands with and without preheating at 454 °C for 4 h were compared. The particle structures of DC and CC AA5052 hot bands and preheated hot bands were investigated. It was found that the differences in recrystallization behaviors between DC and CC AA5052 hot band materials were related to the differences in particle structures between DC and CC AA5052 materials. CC AA5052 hot band contained more Mg 2 Si particles than DC AA5052. Particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) occurred and resulted in weak recrystallization textures for CC hot band and its cold-rolled hot band. At the same time, DC AA5052 hot band and its cold-rolled hot band recrystallized faster due to the enhanced stored energy of the Mg-rich solid solution. If DC and CC AA5052 hot bands were preheated at 454 °C for 4 h before cold rolling, the Mg 2 Si particles dissolved, and thus the DC and CC materials had similar particle structures and similar recrystallization behaviors for the cold-rolled preheated DC and CC materials. Therefore, preheating CC AA5052 hot band decreased the structural differences that caused different behaviors in subsequent processing between DC and CC AA5052 materials.
The capacity of Markov channels with noiseless output and state feedback

In this paper, we derive a single-letter expression for the capacity of the finite-state channel (FSC) with delayed output and state feedback by formulating the problem in a stochastic control framework. The resulting capacity expression can be evaluated using dynamic programming. Although the considered channel is a special case of the one investigated by Tatikonda and Mitter, our approach is somewhat different and the resulting capacity expression is significantly simpler. This single-letter characterization of the capacity is the first step in investigating posterior matching-like transmission schemes for the case of FSCs.
Demineralized bone alters expression of Wnt network components during chondroinduction of post-natal fibroblasts

Abstract Objective: The Wnt family of secreted proteins, their receptors (Fzd proteins) and antagonists (secreted Fzd-related proteins, or Sfrp) regulate chondrocyte differentiation and chrondrogenesis during embryonic development. Here, the hypothesis that the Wnt regulatory network contributes to chondrocyte differentiation of post-natal cells was tested in an in vitro model of chondroinduction by demineralized bone powder (DBP). Design: Human dermal fibroblasts (hDFs) were cultured in porous, three-dimensional (3D) collagen sponges with or without chondroinductive DBP. In some experiments, lithium chloride (LiCl), an agonist of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, was added to the culture media. Sponges were cultured for intervals (0.5–21 days) before processing for molecular, histologic, and biochemical analyses. Expression of wnt , fzd , and sfrp genes was characterized by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Fibroblasts' contacts with DBP were documented by histology. Accumulation of proteoglycan in extracellular matrix was evaluated by histology (metachromasia in toluidine blue-stained sections) and quantitative immunoassay (chondroitin 4-sulfate ELISA). Results: Expression of 15 wnt , fzd , and sfrp family members was detected in hDFs by RT-PCR. A subset of those genes ( wnt2b , wnt5b , wnt10b , fzd6 , fzd7 ) showed altered expression in hDFs exposed to DBP for 3 days. wnt and fzd gene expression was not altered before hDFs contacted the DBP within the collagen sponge. Human DFs cultured in plain collagen sponges and treated with LiCl accumulated significantly more metachromatic matrix than NaCl-treated controls on day 10, and showed a trend towards increased matrix chondroitin-4 sulfate content. Conclusions: These data suggest that changes in Wnt signaling contribute to chondroinduction of post-natal fibroblasts by DBP. This is the first evidence that Wnt components, which are essential regulators of pre-natal chondrocyte differentiation, may also influence post-natal chondrocyte differentiation induced by DBP.
Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene encoding enolase from Cunninghamella elegans

A polyclonal antibody was raised against microsomes prepared from Cunninghamella elegans and used to screen a C. elegans cDNA library. A cDNA clone from this screen was obtained, which corresponds to the C. elegans enolase gene. A single open reading frame (ORF) of 1311 bases was found, which encodes a protein of mol. wt 46882.9. The gene was found to start with an unusual initiation codon TCG, not a standard ATG codon. This was demonstrated first by ORF analysis of the determined sequence and was further confirmed by alignment of the protein with other published enolase sequences. The enolase gene was sub-cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli using the expression vector pQE30. Purified recombinant protein from this sub-clone showed the predicted molecular size in SDS—PAGE gel separations. Enolase enzyme activity was also detected that indicating the TCG initiation codon was correct. The C. elegans enolase was found to cluster with other fungal enolases in a phylogenetic analysis. Bacterial enolases and those of animals were separated in different clusters.
The effect of ionizing radiation on signal transduction: antibodies to EGF receptor sensitize A431 cells to radiation.

Abstract What determines the degree of cell-resistance or sensitivity to ionizing radiation is not yet known. As a corollary to the ability of ceramide to induce apoptosis, some questions arise as to whether malignant cells escape apoptosis because of their inability to mount a ceramide response to inducers of apoptosis. To shed more light on the molecular mechanisms of tumor cell response to radiation, we tested whether exposure to ionizing radiation (of 200–1000 cGy) is associated with changes in ceramide levels in A431 tumor epithelial cells and whether the ability of ceramide to induce apoptosis is inhibited by protein kinase C (PKC) activation. Our studies demonstrate an immediate decrease in cellular levels of ceramide in response to radiation, while sphingosine levels increase. Under the same conditions the cellular 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) levels decrease as well, being accompanied by the translocation of PKC α from the membrane to the cytoplasm. Elevation of membrane PKC levels by 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) treatment had no effect on cell survival after irradiation, while treatment with EGF during and after irradiation augmented cell survival. Moreover, monoclonal antibodies to the EGF receptor (EGFR) sensitize cells to radiation by facilitating radiation-induced apoptosis. It is thus plausible that in human Squamous carcinoma cells, radiation activates predominantly the EGFR to induce resistance, while both sphingomyelin and PKC signal transduction pathways are deactivated and demonstrate no significant role in the modulation of the sensitivity or the resistance of A431 cells to ionizing radiation.
Modeling of magnetron injection locking characteristics

Summary form only given. Phase-locking is utilized today in many important applications, ranging from small scale devices such as cardiac pacemakers to large scale devices such as radar. In the development of high power microwave sources, phase-locking of relativistic magnetrons has also been extensively studied. Conditions for phase-locking usually involve the well-known Adler's relation, which predicts the amount of input power required for phase-locking. A phase-locking model has been developed from circuit theory to qualitatively explain the various regimes observed in magnetron injection-locking experiments. The experiments utilize two continuous wave oven magnetrons; one functions as an oscillator and the other as a driver. The model includes both magnetron-specific electronic conductance and frequency pulling parameter. Both time and frequency domain solutions are developed from the model, allowing investigations into the growth and saturation as well as the frequency response of the output signal. This simplified model recovers qualitatively many of the phase-locking frequency characteristics observed in the experiments
PROBLEMS AND STRATEGIES IN SERVICES MARKETING

This article compares problems and strategies cited in the services marketing literature with those reported by actual service suppliers in a study conducted by the authors. Discussion centers on s...
Opinions of Human Resource Professionals on Candor of Reference-Givers:

This study surveyed the views of 131 human resource professionals regarding the candidness of information given during the reference-checking process. Analysis indicated that most reference-givers ...
A golgi study of the optic tectum of the tegu lizard, Tupinambis nigropunctatus

The dendritic patterns of cells in the optic tectum of the tegu lizard, Tupinambis nigropunctatus, were analyzed with the Ramon-Moliner modification of the Golgi-Cox technique. Cell types were compared with those described by other authors in the tectum of other reptiles; particular comparisons of our results were made with the description of cell types in the chameleon (Ramon, 1896), as the latter is the most complete analysis in the literature. The periventricular gray layers 3 and 5 consist primarily of two cell types — piriform or pyramidal shaped cells and horizontal cells. Cells in the medial portion of the tectum, in an area coextensive with the bilateral spinal projection zone, possess dendrites that extend across the midline. The latter cells have either fusiform or pyramidal shaped somas. The central white zone, layer 6, contains fibers, large fusiform or pyramidal shaped cells, fusiform cells, and small horizontal cells. The central gray zone, layer 7, is composed predominantly of fusiform cells which have dendrites extending to the superficial optic layers, large polygonal cells, and horizontal cells. The superficial gray and white layers, layers 8–13, contain polygonal, fusiform, stellate, and horizontal elements. Layer 14 is composed solely of afferent optic tract fibers. Several differences in the occurrence and distribution of cell types between the tegu and the other reptiles studied are noted. Additionally, the laminar distribution of retinal, tectotectal, telencephalic, and spinal projections in the tegutectum can be related to the distribution of cell types, and those cells which may be postsynaptic to specific inputs can be identified. The highly differentiated laminar structure of the reptilian optic tectum, both in regard to cell type and to afferent and efferent connections, may serve as a model for studying some functional properties of lamination common to cortical structures.
Mass bounds in the Fritzsch-Mandelbaum composite model

Abstract Several neutral and fractionally charged scalar bosonic states in the Fritzsch-Mandelbaum composite model are examined. They are found to be similar to the lepto-quark gauge bosons and the neutral boson gauging B - L symmetry in the extended color group SU(4) of SO(10). Bounds on the mass of the charged bosons in both cases are derived by considering the decay K0L→μ+e−.
Evolution of Body Size in the Woodrat over the Past 25,000 Years of Climate Change

Microevolutionary changes in the body size of the bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) since the last glacial maximum were estimated from measurements of fecal pellets preserved in paleomiddens from the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau of the United States. The changes closely track regional temperature fluctuations simulated by the Community Climate Model of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and also those estimated from deuterium isotope ratios of plant cellulose recovered from paleomiddens. Body size decreased during periods of climatic warming, as predicted from Bergmann9s rule and from physiological responses to temperature stress. Fossil woodrat middens, by providing detailed temporal sequences of body sizes from many locations, permit precise quantification of responses to climatic change that have occurred in the past and may occur in the future.
Patterns of healthcare use and employment among people with disabilities.

Abstract Background Employment rates among people with disabilities are low. Poor health is often cited as a barrier to work. Disability or a lack of disability-related resources may interfere with the ability to secure and maintain work. Objective This paper presents an exploratory examination of the association between variation in service use and employment. Methods The paper uses data from North Carolina Medicaid recipients age 18–64 who were eligible in fiscal year 2007 due to receipt of Supplemental Security Income (n = 60,190). Logistic regression was used to model employment as a function of variation in healthcare use, with conditional models stratifying by days of service use and unconditional models run by quantile of service use. Results People with the least service use ( Conclusions Among Medicaid enrollees with disabilities who use outpatient services, amount of service use is negatively associated with employment and variation in use is positively associated with employment. Future research involving more extensive administrative data, primary data collection, and the use of mixed methods would improve understanding of these findings.
Double strand breaks can initiate gene silencing and SIRT1-dependent onset of DNA methylation in an exogenous promoter CpG island.

Chronic exposure to inducers of DNA base oxidation and single and double strand breaks contribute to tumorigenesis. In addition to the genetic changes caused by this DNA damage, such tumors often contain epigenetically silenced genes with aberrant promoter region CpG island DNA hypermethylation. We herein explore the relationships between such DNA damage and epigenetic gene silencing using an experimental model in which we induce a defined double strand break in an exogenous promoter construct of the E-cadherin CpG island, which is frequently aberrantly DNA hypermethylated in epithelial cancers. Following the onset of repair of the break, we observe recruitment to the site of damage of key proteins involved in establishing and maintaining transcriptional repression, namely SIRT1, EZH2, DNMT1, and DNMT3B, and the appearance of the silencing histone modifications, hypoacetyl H4K16, H3K9me2 and me3, and H3K27me3. Although in most cells selected after the break, DNA repair occurs faithfully with preservation of activity of the promoter, a small percentage of the plated cells demonstrate induction of heritable silencing. The chromatin around the break site in such a silent clone is enriched for most of the above silent chromatin proteins and histone marks, and the region harbors the appearance of increasing DNA methylation in the CpG island of the promoter. During the acute break, SIRT1 appears to be required for the transient recruitment of DNMT3B and subsequent methylation of the promoter in the silent clones. Taken together, our data suggest that normal repair of a DNA break can occasionally cause heritable silencing of a CpG island–containing promoter by recruitment of proteins involved in silencing. Furthermore, with contribution of the stress-related protein SIRT1, the break can lead to the onset of aberrant CpG island DNA methylation, which is frequently associated with tight gene silencing in cancer.
Calculating the contribution of herpes simplex virus type 2 epidemics to increasing HIV incidence: treatment implications.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. There is considerable biological and epidemiological evidence that HSV-2 infection increases the risk of acquiring HIV infection and may also increase the risk of transmitting HIV. Here we use a mathematical model to predict the effect of a high-prevalence HSV-2 epidemic on HIV incidence. Our results show that HSV-2 epidemics can more than double the peak HIV incidence; that the biological heterogeneity in susceptibility and transmission induced by an HSV-2 epidemic causes HIV incidence to rise fall and then rise again; and that HSV-2 epidemics concentrate HIV epidemics creating a “core group” of HIV transmitters. Our modeling results imply that findings from HSV-2 intervention trials aimed at reduction of HIV incidence will be variable and that positive findings will be obtained only from trials in communities in which HIV incidence is steeply rising. (authors)
Endurance training increases gluconeogenesis during rest and exercise in men.

The hypothesis that endurance training increases gluconeogenesis (GNG) during rest and exercise was evaluated. We determined glucose turnover with [6,6-2H]glucose and lactate incorporation into glu...
Reducing communication in algebraic multigrid using additive variants

Algebraic multigrid (AMG) has proven to be an effective scalable solver on many high performance computers. However, its increasing communication complexity on coarser levels has shown to seriously impact its performance on computers with high communication cost. Moreover, additive AMG variants provide not only increased parallelism as well as decreased numbers of messages per cycle but also generally exhibit slower convergence. Here we present various new additive variants with convergence rates that are significantly improved compared to the classical additive algebraic multigrid method and investigate their potential for decreased communication, and improved communication-computation overlap, features that are essential for good performance on future exascale architectures.
Mixed-conifer understory response to climate change, nitrogen, and fire

California's Sierra Nevada mountains are predicted to experience greater variation in annual precipitation according to climate change models, while nitrogen deposition from pollution continues to increase. These changes may significantly affect understory communities and fuels in forests where managers are attempting to restore historic conditions after a century of altered fire regimes. The objective of this research was to experimentally test the effects of increasing and decreasing snowpack depth, increasing nitrogen, and applying prescribed fire to mixed-conifer forest understories at two sites in the central and southern Sierra Nevada. Understory response to treatments significantly differed between sites with herb biomass increasing in shrub-dominated communities when snowpack was reduced. Fire was a more important factor in post-treatment species richness and cover than either snowpack addition or reduction. Nitrogen additions unexpectedly increased herbaceous species richness. These varied findings indicate that modeling future climatic influences on biodiversity may be more difficult than additive prediction based on increasing the ecosystem's two limiting growth resources. Increasing snowpack and nitrogen resulted in increased shrub biomass production at both sites and increased herb production at the southern site. This additional understory biomass has the potential to increase fuel connectivity in patchy Sierran mixed-conifer forests, increasing fire severity and size.
Quantitative Modeling of Virus Evolutionary Dynamics and Adaptation in Serial Passages Using Empirically Inferred Fitness Landscapes

We describe a stochastic virus evolution model representing genomic diversification and within-host selection during experimental serial passages under cell culture or live-host conditions. The model incorporates realistic descriptions of the virus genotypes in nucleotide and amino acid sequence spaces, as well as their diversification from error-prone replications. It quantitatively considers factors such as target cell number, bottleneck size, passage period, infection and cell death rates, and the replication rate of different genotypes, allowing for systematic examinations of how their changes affect the evolutionary dynamics of viruses during passages. The relative probability for a viral population to achieve adaptation under a new host environment, quantified by the rate with which a target sequence frequency rises above 50%, was found to be most sensitive to factors related to sequence structure (distance from the wild type to the target) and selection strength (host cell number and bottleneck size). For parameter values representative of RNA viruses, the likelihood of observing adaptations during passages became negligible as the required number of mutations rose above two amino acid sites. We modeled the specific adaptation process of influenza A H5N1 viruses in mammalian hosts by simulating the evolutionary dynamics of H5 strains under thefitness landscape inferred from multiple sequence alignments of H3 proteins. In light of comparisons with experimentalfindings, we observed that the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation is strongly affected not only by the tendency toward increasingfitness values but also by the accessibility of pathways between genotypes constrained by the genetic code.
Effect of a fish oil diet on the composition of rat neutrophil lipids and the molecular species of choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids

When rats were fed a corn oil versus a corn oil-fish oil diet the overall phospholipid content and composition as well as the subclass distribution of the choline- and ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids from neutrophils were not altered. The serine-containing glycerophospholipids were characterized by high levels of stearic and oleic acids. When fish oil was added to the diet it replaced some of the arachidonate in both the inositol- and the serine-containing glycerophospholipids. In the corn oil-fed animals, 25.2 and 33.6 mole %, respectively, of the molecular species of 1,2-diacyl- and 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine contained arachidonate. The values for 1,2-diacyl and 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine were, respectively, 41 and 55.8 mole %. When half of the 5% corn oil in the diet was replaced by fish oil, there was a 53, 38, 27, and 25% reduction, respectively, in the level of arachidonate in these four lipid subclasses. The amount of 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid incorporated into these four subclasses was always less than the decline in arachidonic acid. This was due, in part, to the acylation of small amounts of 22-carbon (n-3) acids into these lipids. Molecular species analysis demonstrated that 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid paired with the same components at the sn-1 position, and in the same ratio, as did arachidonic acid. The amounts of 16- and 18-carbon saturated and unsaturated fatty acid at the sn-2 position were not altered by dietary change. Collectively, these findings suggest that 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acids are metabolized in a similar way by neutrophils. These studies also support the concept that neutrophils contain two metabolic pools of phospholipids. One pool is altered by dietary fat change while the pool containing 16- and 18-carbon acids is resistant to change when fish oil is included in the diet.
The Patron-Client Concept and Macro-Politics: Prospects and Problems

In order to make sense of the endless complexities of social life, social scientists conceptualize the empirical world in terms of interlocking systems and subsystems of roles and behavior, holding some of these spheres constant so that others can be studied and understood. This is a necessary and desirable aspect of social scientific enterprise. It may well be, however, that too many aspects of human interaction are held constant by the conventional ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ distinctions that dominate the study of developing nations. Although we have a growing body of data about the attitudes, values, and behaviors of the individuals who comprise the mass publics of such nations, we have relatively little systematic information about how this micro-level analysis feeds into and affects the processes and actors that are visible at the national level of political life. Most countrycentered macro-studies, in turn, make few, if any, systematic references to variables extending beyond national boundaries into the international environment. Such criticism seems to call for a more extensive analysis across systems—analysis which not only takes into account the attributes of individuals and of national institutions, but which also links these units to one another and to a variety of other sub- and supra-national structures and processes as well.
Design and Synthesis of Potent Quillaja Saponin Vaccine Adjuvants

The success of antitumor and antiviral vaccines often requires the use of an adjuvant, a substance that significantly enhances the immune response to a coadministered antigen. Only a handful of adjuvants have both sufficient potency and acceptable toxicity for clinical investigation. One promising adjuvant is QS-21, a saponin natural product that is the immunopotentiator of choice in many cancer and infectious disease vaccine clinical trials. However, the therapeutic promise of QS-21 adjuvant is curtailed by several factors, including its scarcity, difficulty in purification to homogeneity, dose-limiting toxicity, and chemical instability. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of chemically stable synthetic saponins. These novel, amide-modified, non-natural substances exhibit immunopotentiating effects in vivo that rival or exceed that of QS-21 in evaluations with the GD3-KLH melanoma conjugate vaccine. The highly convergent synthetic preparation of these novel saponins establishes new avenues for discovering improved molecular adjuvants for specifically tailored vaccine therapies.
Antimicrobial polymers containing melamine derivatives. I. Preparation and characterization of chloromelamine-based cellulose

A reactive melamine derivative, 2-amino-4-chloro-6-hydroxy-s-triazine (ACHT), was synthesized through the controlled hydrolysis of 2-amino-4,6-dichloro-s-triazine. The reaction was characterized with Fourier transform infrared study and elemental analysis. ACHT could react with cotton cellulose at room temperature with a cold-pad-batch treatment process. Upon chlorination reactions, the amino group of covalently bound ACHT could be transformed into an N-halamine structure, providing potent, durable, and rechargeable antimicrobial activities against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The chlorination mechanism and the structure–property relationship of the treated samples were further examined. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3818–3827, 2004
Dysphagia Lusoria and Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery

5 44-year-old man with a history of recurrent postpranial dysphagia presented with a 2-hour history of inabilty to swallow. Esophagoduodenoscopy revealed a porion of food lodged in the proximal esophagus that was uccessfully pushed into the stomach by the endoscope. o other intrinsic esophageal abnormalities were noted, nd all laboratory values were within normal limits. An sophagogram revealed a notching of the upper esophaus from extrinsic compression (A, arrow). Chest CT ith reconstructed views revealed an aberrant origin of he right subclavian artery arising from the aorta distal to he normal left subclavian artery (B, arrow), and an exrinsic compression of the esophagus (C, thin white arow) by the aberrant right subclavian artery (C, thick hite arrow). The patient was taken to the operating oom for ligation of the aberrant vessel and reconstrucive bypass surgery. The first part of the right subclavian rtery was successfully ligated after a median sternotomy pproach and a right common carotid-subclavian artery ypass (B, thin white arrow carotid) was performed to estore blood flow to the right arm. The postoperative ourse was unremarkable and the patient was discharged ome on postoperative day 5. He remains symptom-free year after resection. Dysphagia lusoria from extrinsic esophageal compresion by an aberrant right subclavian artery was first decribed by Bayford in 1794 as lusus naturae, meaning reak or jest of nature. Aberrant right subclavian arteries ccur in about 1% of the population with the majority howing no symptoms. Abnormal involution of the
Transformation optics approach to the extreme control of light

Recently, enormous efforts have been devoted to developing principles, designs, and numerical validation schemes for transformation medium devices in various physical fields. As an example, transformation media applications in particular those for cloaking physical fields, are ranging from a broad family of electromagnetic devices across the entire electromagnetic spectrum to elastodynamics, quantum mechanics and acoustics. This paper is reviewing our recent studies in the area of transformation optics applications [1–4].
Using the 'protective environment' framework to analyse children's protection needs in Darfur

A major humanitarian concern during the continuing crisis in Darfur, Sudan, has been the protection of children, although there has been little in the way of comprehensive analysis to guide intervention. Founded on a situational analysis conducted between October 2005 and March 2006, this paper documents the significant threats to children's well-being directly linked to the political conflict. It demonstrates the role of non-conflict factors in exacerbating these dangers and in promoting additional protection violations, and it uses the ‘protective environment’ framework (UNICEF Sudan, 2006a) to identify systematic features of the current environment that put children at risk. This framework is shown to provide a coherent basis for assessment and planning, prompting broad, multidisciplinary analysis, concentrating on preventive and protective action, and fostering a systemic approach (rather than placing an undue focus on the discrete needs of ‘vulnerable groups’). Constraints on its present utility in emergency settings are also noted.
39.4: Development of Full Color Passive PLED Displays by Inkjet Printing

The solution processibility of polymer OLED materials allows for the development of a full color display by inkjet printing RGB subpixels. We report on the development of a two-inch diagonal (80 dpi) passive matrix display using multi-nozzle inkjet tools. Both the aqueous PEDOT buffer layer and organic solvent-based PLED inks were deposited by inkjet printing. This paper will discuss some of the technical issues surrounding inkjet printing OLED displays. Images of the all-print passive matrix PLED display are presented.
The Poplar Glycosyltransferase GT47C is Functionally Conserved with Arabidopsis Fragile Fiber8

Xylan is the major hemicellulose in dicot wood. Unraveling genes involved in the biosynthesis of xylan will be of importance in understanding the process of wood formation. In this report, we investigated the possible role of poplar GT47C, a glycosyltransferase belonging to family GT47, in the biosynthesis of xylan. PoGT47C from the hybrid poplar Populus alba x tremula exhibits 84% sequence similarity to Fragile fiber8 (FRA8), which is involved in the biosynthesis of glucuronoxylan in Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis of glycosyltransferase family GT47 in the Populus trichocarpa genome revealed that GT47C is the only close homolog of FRA8. In situ hybridization showed that the PoGT47C gene was expressed in developing primary xylem, secondary xylem and phloem fibers of stems, and in developing secondary xylem of roots. Sequence analysis suggests that PoGT47C is a type II membrane protein, and study of the subcellular localization demonstrated that fluorescent protein-tagged PoGT47C was located in the Golgi. Immunolocalization with a xylan monoclonal antibody LM10 revealed a nearly complete loss of xylan signals in the secondary walls of fibers and vessels in the Arabidopsis fra8 mutant. Expression of PoGT47C in the fra8 mutant restored the secondary wall thickness and xylan content to the wild-type level. Together, these results suggest that PoGT47C is functionally conserved with FRA8 and it is probably involved in xylan synthesis during wood formation.
An efficient algorithm for processing distributed queries using partition dependency

Presents an efficient algorithm for processing distributed queries with the existence of partition dependencies. For a given query, the algorithm first partitions the referenced relations into a number of non-exclusive subsets such that the join operation(s) associated with the relations in the subset can be locally processed without data transfer. Each subset is associated with a set of processing sites and can be used to generate an execution plan for the given query. Then, the algorithm determines a set of referenced fragmented relations that are not in the subset, such that only the fragments (instead of the whole relation) need to be replicated at the processing sites. The other referenced relations are duplicated at each of the processing sites. Among the alternatives, the algorithm picks the plan that gives the minimum response time for the query. Experimental results show that our algorithm improves the performance of distributed query processing significantly.