cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Illusions of the Hardliners

This chapter describes the illusions that the SED hardliners had about the true state of affairs in East Germany and their futile efforts to prevent any reforms. Erich Honecker and his allies persuaded themselves that the East German people were content to live in the restrictive environment of one-party rule. As evidence for the happy state of affairs, they pointed to the (mandatory) mass demonstrations and the results of the (rigged) elections. They failed to see that by the late 1980s their vision of the GDR’s present and future was rejected not only by the East German people, but also by the rank-and-file members of the SED. Admonitions to intensify the party’s propaganda efforts to keep the doctrine of Marxism-Leninism pure met with little response.
Does Working Memory Mediate the Link Between Dispositional Optimism and Depressive Symptoms

Summary The aim of this study was to explore the interplay between working memory (WM), dispositional optimism, and depressive symptoms in participants across a wide age band (16–79 years) in a nonclinical sample using a computer-based interface. We administered tests of visuospatial WM (processing and recall), dispositional optimism (optimism and pessimism), and self-reported depression. There were two main findings: 1) both optimism and pessimism were independent predictors of a self-rated depression score; 2) WM recall scores predicted both optimism and pessimism. The findings suggest the following pattern: according to the negativity bias, a pessimistic outlook presents as a strong stimulus for attentional allocation, which results in depression. However, a strong WM can counter this pattern, as individuals can allocate attention to the weaker stimulus, which is an optimistic outlook.Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new insurgency: the Port Huron Statement and its times

It’s the decade for 50-year anniversary celebrations of the landmark events of the 1960s. The nostalgic “it was twenty years ago today” approach of the 1980s is gone, but there is still commemorati...
Acquisition, Extinction, and Spontaneous Recovery of a Positively Reinforced Approach Response in the Earthworm, Lumbricus Terrestris

24 earthworms, Lumbricus terrestris, were run in a straight alley for 70 acquisition and 10 extinction trials. A spontaneous recovery trial was given after either a 1-, 3-, or 6-hour post-extinction rest interval. A significant decrease in running times across acquisition was followed by a significant increase during extinction. Interquartile range variability also significantly decreased across acquisition. However, no spontaneous recovery occurred for any of the tested intervals. The differences in methodology between the present similar studies were discussed.
Reducing salesperson job stress and unethical intent: The influence of leader-member exchange relationship, socialization and ethical ambiguity☆

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the role of LMX relationship in the business-to-business ethical decision making process. Drawing on leadership and ethical decision making theory, this paper develops and tests a model that examines the relationships among LMX, work-group socialization, ethical ambiguity, job stress and unethical intention in the salesforce. Design/methodology/approach The sample includes 408 business-to-business salespeople. Structural equation modeling is used to test the study's hypotheses. Findings Findings suggest that LMX relationship quality directly affects ethical ambiguity, work-group socialization and unethical intent. Work-group socialization is related to ethical ambiguity, which affects job stress. Job stress is positively related to unethical intent. Research implications Empirical tests support six of eight hypotheses and suggest managerial implications and directions for future research. Originality/value This paper develops and tests a model that examines the relationships among constructs not previously examined, as they relate to LMX and ethical decision making.
New approach applied to the generation expansion planning considering an AC modeling

The sustained increase of energy demand imposes the need of a gradual and orderly adaptation of power systems, where the generation capacity expansion planning is the fundamental framework involved in making investment decisions. In this sense, the main challenge for planning methodologies is to apply adequate models in order to represent the electrical network in a more reliable way and involving the total technical operational variables from the electrical system. This study introduces a new approach to carry out the generation capacity expansion planning considering the AC power flow modeling. The model obtains investment decisions that takes into account all the decision variables used in the real operation of the system. The obtained methodology will be compared with the classic DC-based model, and results and impacts of the non-linear modeling will be included and reported. The development of this new proposal promises to have a closer relationship with the final investment to be made in the electrical system obtaining a feasible technical result and financial benefits.
An image of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma derived from complex epidermoid cyst in a 65-year-old male

An epidermal cyst is a benign intradermal lesion and may occur anywhere in the body. Carcinoma arising in a preexisting epidermal cyst is uncommon. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of nonmelanoma skin cancer. A 65-year-old male with light skin pigmentation presented with chronic lower back pain secondary to a large “cauliflower-like” mass over his left flank, which started out as a “cheesy tumor” 20 years ago. The patient reported that the mass had recently begun to drain foul-smelling mucous and bloody discharge and was growing in size. This image illustrates the importance of proper comprehensive biannually or annually history and physical examination as screening tools for skin cancer. Primary care physicians are encouraged to educate their patients on the use of sunscreen containing zinc oxide and conducting regular self-examinations. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care.
DIAGNOSIS AND DIFFERENTIATION OF ACUTE MASSIVE AND SUBMASSIVE FROM SUBSEGMENTAL PULMONARY EMBOLISM USING NOVEL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC METHODS

Explore the utility of echocardiography in identifying acute pulmonary embolism (APE) subtypes Using data on patients with CT-confirmed diagnosis of massive/submassive APE (M/S APE), subsegmental APE (SSAPE), and normal controls, we evaluated the utility of the novel early systolic notching (i.e
Accelerating Divestitures Through Minimal Rebranding

A company’s brand represents its identity. For customers and partners, the brand is synonymous with the company itself. The brand is also an extension of the company’s products or services. It often takes years for a company to build a brand, and once it is built, it is very important for the company to maintain its brand equity.
Vaccination with Polynucleotides: A Novel Means of Generating Immunity

Several areas of vaccine research and development have shown promising results recently, including new and improved adjuvants to induce or enhance immune responses against inoculated antigens, formulations to achieve slow release of antigens, and delivery systems to target antigens for the generation of specific types of immune responses, such as cell-mediated or mucosal responses. The genesis of cell-mediated immune responses requires presentation of antigens by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, which is generally accomplished by processing of endogenously expressed antigens (e.g. during a virus infection). Therefore, vaccines designed to elicit such immune responses need to consist of recombinant expression vectors or a means of delivering exogenous proteins into the intracellular MHC class I processing pathway. Extracellular antigens can be targeted for presentation by MHC class I using immunostimulating complexes (Takahashi et al., 1990), saponin adjuvants (Newman et al., 1992), synthetic lipopeptides (Deres et al., 1992), pH sensitive liposomes (Collins et al., 1992), and recombinant fusion proteins (Donnelly et al., 1993), which in some cases has been shown to lead to the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses after administration in vivo. Synthesis of foreign antigens in vivo has been attained using attenuated live viruses or live organisms that have been genetically manipulated to express inserted genes.
Why and how the APEC process is working

Although there has been no grand design, the process of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has made steady progress, much more than the ministers present at its creation in 1989 could possibly have envisaged. It has made progress by proceeding pragmatically. the impetus came from the economies of the Western Pacific that are dependent on trade, and on the maintenance of an open trading system, and accordingly got fed up to the gills with being discriminated against in the markets of the major trading powers. APEC might thus be seen as an exercise in “collective action” to influence more powerful countries and strengthen the multilateral trading system.
Security Analysis of Opportunistic Networks Using Complex Network Properties

An Opportunistic Network (Oppnet) is an enhanced evolution of Mobile ad hoc network, where at any given time a route between source and destination does not exist, yet messages are routed opportunistically via intermediate contacts. We implemented two types of Oppnet deployments, an Open Oppnet and a Selective Oppnet, and analyzed both deployments by studying three Complex Network Properties, namely Average Shortest Distance, Degree Distribution, and Clustering Coefficients. In order to study the robustness of an Oppnet against network attacks, we examined Wormhole attack. According to the simulation results, severity of a Wormhole depends on the nodes location, trajectory and its neighboring nodes. When a worm tunnel was established between a popular node and an aloof node, it caused a noticeable impact on Average Shortest Distance. While in other cases Oppnet remained robust. We also observed that security in a Selective Oppnet is comparatively better than an Open Oppnet.
Research Notes: Distance Learning in Social Work Education: A Preliminary Evaluation

In the summer of 1995, a required MSW course was taught simultaneously to two sections of students at the University of Georgia, 11 on the main campus and 9 at a branch campus. Each section was alternately taught using live instruction or distance learning (two-way interactive television). At the conclusion of the course, students evaluated each method of teaching using Biner’s (1993) instrument for measuring attitudes toward televised courses. Live instruction was rated significantly higher than distance learning. Although distance learning technology has potential for augmenting social work educational resources, it has not yet demonstrated comparable outcomes in terms of student learning.
Fluorescence Probes of Micellar Systems—An Overview

The photophysical background of luminescence probes is described. In general, abrupt changes in the fluorescence spectrum or yield of polar probes with added surfactant lead to estimates of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of micelles. However, such studies are complicated by the often encountered polar probe-surfactant interactions below the CMC’s. Non-polar arenes tend to partition almost completely into micelles with exit rates smaller (<106 s-1) than their fluorescence decay rates (107 − 109 s-1). The fluorescence decay of naphthalene is a composite of fluorescences from probes solubilized in both aqueous and micellar microenvironments. The fluorescence decay from nonpolar arenes in ionic micelles is sensitive to molecular oxygen and counterion quenching. In general, the attractive and repulsive interactions between ionic micelles and charged quenchers strongly mediate the fluorescence quenching of micelle-solubilized probes. The exact location of the latter within the micelle structure is still not resolved.
Pleiotropic effects of moonlighting glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in cancer progression, invasiveness, and metastases

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) may represent the quintessential example of a moonlighting protein. The latter are a new, intriguing class of cell proteins which exhibit multiple activities in different subcellular locales apart from their initially, well-characterized function. As such, apart from its classical role in energy production, membrane-bound GAPDH is required for membrane fusion, endocytosis and, intriguingly, for iron transport. Cytoplasmic GAPDH regulates mRNA stability and is required for ER to Golgi trafficking. Nuclear GAPDH is involved in apoptosis, transcriptional gene regulation, the maintenance of DNA integrity, as well as nuclear tRNA export. Paradoxically, the etiology of a number of human pathologies is dependent upon GAPDH structure and function. In particular, recent evidence indicates a significant role for moonlighting GAPDH in tumorigenesis. Specifically, these include its role in the survival of tumor cells, in tumor angiogenesis, as well as its control of tumor cell gene expression and posttranscriptional regulation of tumor cell mRNA. Each of these activities correlates with increased tumor progression and, unfortunately, a poor prognosis for the afflicted individual.
Understanding Emerging Adults’ National Attachments and Their Reactions to Athlete Activism:

Recently, striking numbers of U.S. professional athletes have protested social injustices during the customary pregame national anthem (e.g., not standing in protest to police brutality). Fans have...
Chapter 2 – Introduction

Neuroscientists are faced with the enormous challenge of dissecting, understanding, and piecing together the intrinsic complexities that occur at each level of the nervous system: from genes to molecules, from neurons to circuits and networks, and from each of these levels to a thinking and behaving organism. This chapter provides a brief synopsis of the developmental disorders that are covered in detail in this section. Each chapter is built upon clinical information and insights from the basic biology of the disorder, starting with chapters introducing the concept of developmental disorders and characterizing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The following chapters describe disorders that occur less often but for which insights into the underlying physiology are being gained. The multifaceted Down syndrome is reviewed, followed by an introduction to the complexity of autism spectrum disorder. To complete the section, Rett syndrome and fragile X-associated disorders are discussed in the succeeding chapters.
Smart Lighting Clinical Testbed Pilot Study on Circadian Phase Advancement

Objective: Lighting is a strong synchronizer for circadian rhythms, which in turn drives a wide range of biological functions. The objective of our work is a) to construct a clinical in-patient testbed with smartI lighting, and b) evaluate its feasibility for use in future clinical studies. Methods: A feedback capable, variable spectrum lighting system was installed at the University of New Mexico Hospital. The system consists of variable spectrum lighting troffers, color sensors, occupancy sensors, and computing and communication infrastructure. We conducted a pilot study to demonstrate proof of principle, that 1) this new technology is capable of providing continuous lighting and sensing in an active clinical environment, 2) subject recruitment and retention is feasible for round-the-clock, multi-day studies, and 3) current techniques for circadian regulation can be deployed in this unique testbed. Unlike light box studies, only troffer-based lighting was used, and both lighting intensity and spectral content were varied. Results: The hardware and software functioned seamlessly to gather biometric data and provide the desired lighting. Salivary samples that measure dim-light melatonin onset showed phase advancement for all three subjects. Conclusion: We executed a five-day circadian rhythm study that varied intensity, spectrum, and timing of lighting as proof-of-concept or future clinical studies with troffer-based, variable spectrum lighting. Clinical Impact: The ability to perform circadian rhythm experiments in more realistic environments that do not overly constrain the subject is important for translating lighting research into practice, as well as for further research on the health impacts of lighting.
Developing Interactive Educational Songs for Introductory Statistics.

This article describes the process used to develop and assess an NSF-funded instructional innovation: an online collection (https://www.CAUSEweb.org/smiles/) of 28 interactive songs of high estheti...
Confident Privacy Decision-Making in IoT Environments

Researchers are building Internet of Things (IoT) systems that aim to raise users’ privacy awareness, so that these users can make informed privacy decisions. However, there is a lack of empirical research on the practical implications of informed privacy decision-making in IoT. To gain deeper insights into this question, we conducted an online study (N = 488) of people’s privacy decision-making as well as their levels of privacy awareness toward diverse IoT service scenarios. Statistical analysis on the collected data confirmed that people who are well aware of potential privacy risks in a scenario tend to make more conservative and confident privacy decisions. Machine learning (ML) experiments also revealed that individuals overall privacy awareness is the most important feature when predicting their privacy decisions. We verified that ML models trained on privacy decisions made with confidence can produce highly accurate privacy recommendations for users (area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 87%). Based on these findings, we propose functional requirements for privacy-aware systems to facilitate well-informed privacy decision-making in IoT, which results in conservative and confident decisions that enjoy high consistency.
Tube Redundancy in Statistical Evaluation of Critical Path Delay of CNFET Circuits in the Presence of Tube variations

Due to limited controllability over the tube growth process, Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors (CNFET) show large variations in their behavior. These variations are primarily caused by variation in CNT diameter and the presence of metallic tubes (m-CNT) in, what it should be, purely semi-conducting (s-CNT) arrays. For proper operation of a CNFET metallic tubes have to be removed, unintentionally reducing transistor strength. This work proposes to use a calculated minimum CNT redundancy at the transistor level to improve functional yield for a given failure rate. We focus our evaluation on a critical path that in reality, due to metallic tube presence, could be a different path in each circuit. We limit the redundancy to a minimum required, to avoid unnecessary increase in the channel area. The calculated minimum number of redundant CNTs are added to each CNFET to achieve only slightly increased statistical critical path delay after m-CNT removal, compared to the ideal critical path delay. We use a statistical approach to improve prediction accuracy for both critical path delay and functional yield. With proposed minimum redundancy we are able to reduce the allowed delay degradation (tolerance) by 15-25% and still have a good functional yield. Results show a reduction of 7-10% in critical path delay variation of ISCAS’85 logic benchmark circuits with >99% functional yield (Yf).
Research Methods in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

Research in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) covers a broad range of topics from basic science to population-level studies. As a movement rooted in evidence-based medicine, ERAS relies on high-quality research to make effective guidelines. Researchers in ERAS should be familiar with the basic principles of study design, outcome measures, and results reporting. While some ERAS topics will be amenable to randomized controlled trials, many ERAS questions are better answered with quasi-experimental or pragmatic study designs. The overall goal of ERAS research is to promote high standards of care with data that are relevant to practice, reproducible, and generalizable to the field.
Contemporary Workup and Management of Asymptomatic Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis

Appropriate management of asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) is increasingly debated given recent improvements in options for aortic valve replacement (AVR). The goal of this review is to provide an updated approach to evaluation and management of patients with asymptomatic severe AS and to discuss the rationale for early AVR. Registry data, retrospective studies, and one small randomized controlled clinical trial suggest a mortality benefit to AVR before symptom onset, although larger randomized trials are needed given potential biases of observational data. Other promising approaches to risk stratification of asymptomatic adults with severe AS include cardiac biomarkers (such as serum B-type natriuretic peptide levels), left ventricular global longitudinal strain, and myocardial fibrosis detected on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Routine close clinical follow-up, periodic imaging, patient education, and shared decision-making are essential in caring for asymptomatic patients with severe AS but there is not yet enough evidence to support early AVR in most patients. Ongoing clinical trials and evaluation of biomarkers will illuminate whether intervention before symptom onset will improve the length or quality of life in adults with severe AS.
The Path Ahead: From Global Pandemic to Health Promotion

The current COVID-19 pandemic represents an acute threat to the health of adults and children across the globe. In addition, it has the potential to worsen the health of future generations through intergenerational health effects. Examples from history, including the Dutch famine (Hongerwinter), suggest that in utero and early life environments may have significant implications for health outcomes throughout the lifespan and are important in determining risk of chronic disease in adulthood. Parental health status, stress, and nutrition appear to affect offspring health and are all affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is critical that we consider the potential impacts of the current pandemic on pregnant women, infants and children and take public health and medical actions to mitigate risk and promote health in future generations.
Oversight of Private Food Safety Auditing in the U.S.: A Hybrid Approach to Auditor Conflict of Interest

Private food safety auditing is a large and rapidly growing global industry. Although no one has comprehensive data on the size of the industry, there are indications that it operates on a scale comparable to that of government food safety regulation. This chapter focuses on one particular problem that undermines public confidence in private food safety auditing: the conflict of interest that arises when auditors are paid by the entities that they audit. Industry insiders and outside observers believe this conflict of interest to be a significant concern that merits attention, and various institutional actors have developed oversight mechanisms to address it. Our focus is on the institutional design of oversight – organizational structures, administrative routines and professional norms. Oversight of food safety auditing exemplifies the concept of hybridization analysed in the introduction to this volume. The system of oversight we survey is characterized by the interplay of public and private actors applying a variety of regulatory instruments developed within national, international and transnational institutions. We present an inventory of regulatory instruments that identifies the actors involved, their motivations and the character of their interactions. Although much of what we describe applies globally, our examples of tort litigation and government recognition focus on particular features of US law, so we have limited the scope of our claims to food safety auditing in the United States. Oversight of private auditing can be provided by a variety of sources, and it can take different forms. We use the term ‘oversight’ in a very broad sense to cover any ongoing effort to ensure or improve quality. This includes promulgating norms and encouraging administrative routines as well as monitoring performance and imposing sanctions. These forms of oversight can come from personnel within organizations (such as trainers and managers), from external private sources (such as audit firms and trade associations) or from the government (such as agencies and courts). Oversight mechanisms thus involve different combinations of institutional actors and regulatory techniques, each of which has comparative strengths and weaknesses. They may provide alternatives to each other or coexist; they may be redundant or complementary. The effectiveness of oversight may depend upon an ultimate overseer, or it may depend upon a network of overseers and oversight mechanisms.
Conducting Meaningful Transition Interviews to Benefit Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) benefit from person-centered transition planning. However, there are few practical guidelines for conducting individualized transition assessm...
Quantitation of Sugars in Street Drug Samples

A gas chromatography method for the quantitation of sugars in street drug samples is presented. After isolation of the sugars from interfering adulterants, and derivatization, they were determined on a 3% OV-17 system.
Plasmid Distribution and Evidence for a Proteinase Plasmid in Streptococcus lactis C2

Five plasmids, distinguishable by their molecular weights (10(6), 2 x 10(6), 5 x 10(6), 10(7), 3 x 10(7), respectively) were isolated from Streptococcus lactis C2. A spontaneous proteinase-negative derivative of this strain lacked the 10(7) plasmid.
Self-catalyzed growth of dilute nitride GaAs/GaAsSbN/GaAs core-shell nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy

Bandgap tuning up to 1.3 μm in GaAsSb based nanowires by incorporation of dilute amount of N is reported. Highly vertical GaAs/GaAsSbN/GaAs core-shell configured nanowires were grown for different N contents on Si (111) substrates using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed close lattice matching of GaAsSbN with GaAs. Micro-photoluminescence (μ-PL) revealed red shift as well as broadening of the spectra attesting to N incorporation in the nanowires. Replication of the 4K PL spectra for several different single nanowires compared to the corresponding nanowire array suggests good compositional homogeneity amongst the nanowires. A large red shift of the Raman spectrum and associated symmetric line shape in these nanowires have been attributed to phonon localization at point defects. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the dominance of stacking faults and twins in these nanowires. The lower strain present in these dilute nitride nanowires, as opposed to GaAsSb nanowires having the same PL emission wavelength, and the observation of room temperature PL demonstrate the advantage of the dilute nitride system offers in the nanowire configuration, providing a pathway for realizing nanoscale optoelectronic devices in the telecommunication wavelength region.
Adaptive eye-camera calibration for head-worn devices

We present a novel, continuous, locally optimal calibration scheme for use with head-worn devices. Current calibration schemes solve for a globally optimal model of the eye-device transformation by performing calibration on a per-user or once-per-use basis. However, these calibration schemes are impractical for real-world applications because they do not account for changes in calibration during the time of use. Our calibration scheme allows a head-worn device to calculate a locally optimal eye-device transformation on demand by computing an optimal model from a local window of previous frames. By leveraging naturally occurring interest regions within the user's environment, our system can calibrate itself without the user's active participation. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed calibration scheme outperforms the existing state of the art systems while being significantly less restrictive to the user and the environment.
Sex-Based Differences in Perceived Pragmatic Communication Ability of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Abstract Objective To identify sex-based differences in self-reported and close other–reported perceptions of communication behaviors in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Between-groups comparison of questionnaire data from men and women with TBI and their close others. Setting University academic department. Participants Adults with medically documented TBI (n=160) and adults without TBI (n=81; control group) (N=241). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure La Trobe Communication Questionnaire, a standardized measure of communication problems in everyday life. Results Participants with TBI endorsed more communication problems than controls ( P P =.20) or in the ratings of close others ( P =.09) in communication behaviors of men with TBI compared with women with TBI. There was no difference between the self-ratings of women with TBI and their close others ( P =.59). However, men with TBI significantly underreported communication problems compared with reports of close others ( P Conclusions Women with TBI might be more accurate than men with TBI in recognizing their own pragmatic communication problems.
The effect of short-term fluctuations in pH on NO−3 uptake and intracellular constituents in Skeletonemacostatum (Grev.) Cleve

Abstract Measurements of uptake rates, intracellular nitrogen pools, and other key intracellular constituents were made during exponential growth in Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve under varying pH levels. An understanding of the overall effects of extracellular pH on the above mentioned cellular parameters is crucial in order to ascertain the degree to which pH must be regulated and monitored in laboratory experiments with marine phytoplankton. It was found that uptake rates and intracellular pool sizes of NO − 3 were directly influenced by the extracellular pH level, whereas, other cellular compounds remained relatively unchanged. Therefore, nitrogen uptake and intracellular nitrogen storage are dependent on key H + and OH − ion transport mechanisms that are associated with phytoplankton metabolism. These findings reiterate the fact that investigators examining nitrogen uptake and assimilatory mechanisms in marine phytoplankton must be conscious of cellular H + and OH − fluxes that contribute to intracellular pH regulation and changes in extracellular pH levels, both of which interact to affect phytoplankton metabolic processes.
Mineralization of low C-to-N ratio corn residue in soils fertilized with NH4+ fertilizer

Abstract The objective of two incubation experiments was to determine the influence of N fertilizer on N and C mineralization from a low C-to-N ratio corn (Zea mays L.) residue applied to soil. Low C-to-N ratio (11.8) corn residue allowed the evaluation of the effects of NH+4 fertilizer on residue decomposition without the additional complication of N stress. Two studies were used to evaluate this problem (difference, and 13C- and 15N-labeled residue). The difference method used unlabeled corn residue with a low C-to-N ratio (11.8) and had incubation treatments of: (i) two residue application rates (0 and 12.5mg residue g−1 soil); (ii) two N fertilizer application rates (0 and 103 μg N g−1 soil); and (iii) three surface soils. Subsamples were obtained from the unlabeled residue treatments every 14 days and analyzed for inorganic N and autoclave extractable-N. A second incubation experiment used double-labeled (13C and 15N) corn residue with the same incubation treatments. The double-labeled residue treatments were sampled at 60. 120 and 180 days and analyzed for organic C. total hydrolyzable-N. amino acid-N. amino sugar-N. hydrolyzable NH+4-N and their 15N- or 13C-containing counterparts. In the three soils when N fertilizer was not applied, residue N and C, and soil N mineralized at similar rates. Residue N mineralization rates were reduced when N fertilizer was applied to soils with a low pH. Soils with a low pH had reduced nitrification rates, which resulted in high NH4+concentrations. Nitrogen fertilizer for all three soils increased non-hydrolyzable-N and decreased residue-derived amino acid-N when compared to unfertilized treatment. These results may be explained by: (i) N fertilizer influencing the mineralization rates of different substrates, with some depolymerization products reacting with amino compounds, reducing hydrolyzable amino acid-N, to form condensation products and resulting in increased amounts of non-hydrolyzable-N and; (ii) NH+4 inhibition of the microbial population.
Testing the supernova neutrino spectrum with the diffuse supernova neutrino flux

I study what can be learned from the observed diffuse supernova neutrino spectrum in the precision phase, at next generation detectors of Megaton scale. Different original neutrino spectra correspond to large differences in the observed spectrum of events at a water Cerenkov detector. For pure water discrimination would be difficult due to the large errors associated with background. With Gadolinium, instead, the reduction of the total error down to 10 −20% level would allow spectral sensitivity, with greater precision than the SN1987A data. The dependence on the power β of evolution of the supernova rate with redshift is below sensitivity.
Effect of Parasitism by Aphelinus spiraecolae (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on Development and Reproduction of Spirea Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The effect of parasitism by Aphelinus spiraecolae Evans & Schauff on development, survival, reproduction, and population growth of different life stages of the spirea aphid, Aphis spiraecola Patch, was assessed in the laboratory. Differences in aphid population growth were related to the life stage attacked. Aphids parasitized as 1st and 2nd instars and 40% of those parasitized as 3rd instars died as 4th instars. Approximately 60% of aphids parasitized as 3rd instars and all parasitized as 4th instars and adults reached maturity and produced a variable number of offspring, with those stung as adults producing more. Parasitized adult aphids stopped producing offspring ≍6 dafter parasitoid attack. Parasitism by A. spiraecolae decreased life span, fecundity, and intrinsic rate of increase of the spirea aphid and increased aphid doubling time at rates dependent on the host stage parasitized. These data indicate that this parasitoid has potential as as a natural enemy of the aphid and should be further evaluated.
Nonlinear algebra and optimization on rings are “hard”

Several general ${\textbf{NP}}$- or ${\textbf{coNP}}$-hardness results are presented for nonlinear algebraic and optimization problems on rings. These results include the following: (1) The problem of determining if a system of nonlinear equations on a ring has a solution is ${\textbf{NP}}$-hard for virtually all of the rings studied in mathematics or computer science. (2) Let S be any nondegenerate ring with a multiplicative identity, and let $ \leqq $ be any linear order on S. Then, the problems of maximizing or of minimizing a linear function on S subject to quadratic constraints are both ${\textbf{NP}}$- and ${\textbf{coNP}}$-hard. (3) Let S be any ordered ring, and let be the associated order. Then, the problems of maximizing or of minimizing a quadratic multiple variable polynomial on S subject to constraints of the form $a \leqq x \leqq b$ are both ${\textbf{NP}}$- and ${\textbf{coNP}}$-hard. Several additional related nonlinear problems for such rings are shown to be ${\textbf{NP}}$-, ${\textbf{co...
On the cross-field diffusion of ions in one- and two-dimensional hybrid simulations of collisionless shocks

It can be demonstrated analytically that under certain geometries used in numerical simulations of collisionless shocks in which there is at least one ignorable spatial coordinate, the transport of particles across the magnetic field is essentially zero. This notion is tested using one- and two-dimensional hybrid simulations (kinetic ions/fluid electrons). We find, as the theorem predicts, the particles treated kinetically are tied to the same field line on which they start.
Liquid chromatography/electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectroscopy (LC/ESI MS/MS) Analysis of 1,2-epoxybutene Adducts of Purine Deoxynucleosides

Calf thymus DNA was reacted with 1,2-epoxybutene (BDO) in phosphate buffered saline at 37 degrees C for 12 h. DNA was ethanol precipitated and hydrolyzed with 1 M HCl to release DNA bases. Adenine (A)-BDO and guanine (Gua)-BDO adducts were analyzed in the ethanol supernatant and DNA hydrolysate using LC/ESI MS/MS. Reaction of BDO with A resulted in the formation of seven A-BDO adducts with MH+ ions at m/z 206. Two of these adducts were observed in the ethanol supernatant. In addition, two formaidopyrimidine (FAPY)-adducts were detected with MH+ ions at m/z 224 in DNA hydrolysate. These data are consistent with formation of regioisomeric N-7 or N-9 adducts which can be released by spontaneous depurination or ring opening. Four other A-BDO adducts were detected in DNA hydrolysate. Similar adducts were observed for Gua. This new methodology permits simultaneous determination of initially formed adducts as well as those arising as a consequence of depurination. The latter adducts provide the opportunity for monitoring exposure to BDO through analysis of N-7 or N-3 adducts excreted in the urine.
Molecular basis of sun-induced premature skin ageing and retinoid antagonism

DAMAGE to skin collagen and elastin (extracellular matrix) is the hallmark of long-term exposure to solar ultraviolet irradiation1–3, and is believed to be responsible for the wrinkled appearance of sun-exposed skin4,5. We report here that matrix-degrading metalloproteinase messenger RNAs, proteins and activities are induced in human skin in vivo within hours of exposure to ultraviolet-B irradiation (UVB). Induction of metalloproteinase proteins and activities occurred at UVB doses well below those that cause skin reddening. Within minutes, low-dose UVB upregulated the transcription factors AP-1 and NF-KB, which are known to be stimulators of metalloproteinase genes6,7. All-transretinoic acid, which transrepresses AP-1 (ref. 8), applied before irradiation with UVB, substantially reduced AP-1 and metalloproteinase induction. We propose that elevated metalloprotein-ases, resulting from activation of AP-1 and NF-KB by low-dose solar irradiation, degrade collagen and elastin in skin. Such damage, if imperfectly repaired, would result in solar scars, which through accumulation from a lifetime of repeated low-dose sunlight exposure could cause premature skin ageing (photoageing).
The inhibitory effects of sodium salicylate on synthesis of factor VII by the perfused rat liver

Abstract The isolated rat liver perfusion system has been used to study the effects of sodium salicylate on the synthesis of a vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor (Factor VII) as well as other liver secretory proteins which are not felt to be vitamin K-dependent: fibrinogen, albumin and antithrombin III. Assuming a definition for units of Factor VII activity (measured with a Factor VII deficient substrate) as 100 units per ml normal rat plasma, control liver perfusions of 10 hours duration showed net cumulative synthesis values of 1580 ± 320 units Factor VII activity/300 cm2 body surface area of the rat liver donor. The addition of different concentrations of sodium salicylate (15 mg or 25 mg) produced a dose related inhibition of Factor VII synthesis. At the higher concentration of sodium salicylate (25 mg) inhibition of Factor VII synthesis was comparable to that observed in perfusions where protein synthesis was completely blocked with puromycin. The synthesis of other liver secretory proteins, albumin, fibrinogen and antithrombin III was not altered by the presence of salicylate. The effect of sodium salicylate on Factor VII synthesis was apparent even when rat liver donors were pretreated with vitamin K and supplemental vitamin K was added directly to the perfusate.
Experimental analysis of individual differences and personality.

In psychological studies individual differences that result in variability in data and thus mask the effects under investigation have been reduced or eliminated in two ways: (1) through the use of large numbers of subjects and statistical manipulations, or (2) through extensive and controlled studies of individual subjects. The latter, behavior-analytic, method is scientifically better because it permits identification of the variables that result in individual differences. This paper advocates the direct study of individual differences and personality rather than indirect study through experimental control procedures. Some data are presented showing that individual differences in response patterns have orderly characteristics. Extension of the experimental analysis of behavior to the study of individual differences and personality is likely to be important both scientifically and for the future growth of behavior analysis.
Synthesis and Analysis of Soft Parallel Robots Comprised of Active Constraints

In this paper, we introduce a new type of spatial parallel robot that is comprised of soft inflatable constraints called trichamber actuators (TCAs). We extend the principles of the freedom and constraint topologies (FACT) synthesis approach to enable the synthesis and analysis of this new type of soft robot. The concepts of passive and active freedom spaces are introduced and applied to the design of general parallel systems that consist of active constraints (i.e., constraint that can be actuated to impart various loads onto the system's stage) that both drive desired motions and guide the system's desired degrees of freedom (DOFs). We provide the fabrication details of the TCA constraints introduced in this paper and experimentally determine their appropriate FACT-based constraint model. We fabricate a soft parallel robot that consists of three TCA constraints and verify and validate its FACT-predicted performance using finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental data. Other such soft robots are synthesized using FACT as case studies.
Calculated trends of OH infrared stretching vibrations with composition and structure in aluminosilicate molecules

Ab initio, molecular orbital calculations have been performed on a variety of hypothetical aluminosilicate molecules to investigate relationships among composition, structure, and infrared spectra of OH. Vibrational analyses of the full-optimized molecular geometries at the 3–21G** level were performed with Gaussian 92 to determine theoretical infrared spectra. Theoretical infrared OH frequencies, ν(OH), shift 10 to 100 cm−1 with ionic substitutions. The inverse correlation of theoretical infrared OH intensities with OH stretching frequencies in these aluminosilicate molecules is similar to that observed for aluminosilicate glasses (Paterson 1982). O-H bond lengths, H-bond distances, and H⊗nd angles correlate with frequency. The dominant factor affecting ν(OH) is the H-bond distance, if this distance is less than 2 A. Beyond H-bond distances of 2 A, structural and compositional effects exert competitive influences on ν(OH).
Comprehensive innovative solution for resident education using the Intranet Journal of Chest Radiology1

Rationale and objectives Because of the rapid increase in clinical workload in academic radiology departments, time for teaching rotating residents is getting more and more limited. As a solution to this problem, we introduced the Intranet Journal of Chest Radiology as a comprehensive innovative tool for assisting resident education Materials and methods The Intranet Journal of Chest Radiology is constructed using Microsoft FrontPage version 2002 (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA) and is hosted in our departmental web server (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA). The home page of the intranet journal provides access to the main features, “Cases of the Month,” “Teaching File,” “Selected Articles for Residents,” “Lecture Series,” and “Current Publications.” These features provide quick access to the selected radiology articles, the interesting chest cases, and the lecture series and current publication from the chest section. Results Our intranet journal has been well utilized for 6 months after its introduction. It enhances residents’ interest and motivation to work on case collections, to search and read articles, and to generate interest in research. Frequent updating is necessary for the journal to be kept current, relevant, and well-utilized. Conclusion The intranet journal serves as a comprehensive innovative solution for resident education, providing basic educational resources and opportunities of interactive participation by residents.
Dynamic-thresholding level set: a novel computer-aided volumetry method for liver tumors in hepatic CT images

Measurement of the volume of focal liver tumors, called liver tumor volumetry, is indispensable for assessing the growth of tumors and for monitoring the response of tumors to oncology treatments. Traditional edge models, such as the maximum gradient and zero-crossing methods, often fail to detect the accurate boundary of a fuzzy object such as a liver tumor. As a result, the computerized volumetry based on these edge models tends to differ from manual segmentation results performed by physicians. In this study, we developed a novel computerized volumetry method for fuzzy objects, called dynamic-thresholding level set (DT level set). An optimal threshold value computed from a histogram tends to shift, relative to the theoretical threshold value obtained from a normal distribution model, toward a smaller region in the histogram. We thus designed a mobile shell structure, called a propagating shell, which is a thick region encompassing the level set front. The optimal threshold calculated from the histogram of the shell drives the level set front toward the boundary of a liver tumor. When the volume ratio between the object and the background in the shell approaches one, the optimal threshold value best fits the theoretical threshold value and the shell stops propagating. Application of the DT level set to 26 hepatic CT cases with 63 biopsy-confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and metastases showed that the computer measured volumes were highly correlated with those of tumors measured manually by physicians. Our preliminary results showed that DT level set was effective and accurate in estimating the volumes of liver tumors detected in hepatic CT images.
Sol-gel fiber-optic absorbance sensor for groundwater contaminants

An evanescent wave fiber optic sensor for the detection of groundwater contaminants is developed. A 62.5 μm fiber core, 15 mm in length, was chemically etched and coated with 20 μm porous silica medium using sol-gel dip-coating method. This lower-refractive index medium causes the light beam to be transmitted by total reflection and the resulting evanescent wave produces a net flow of energy across the reflecting surface in the surrounding medium where it interacts with the surrounding environment. The power intensity of the solgel modified fiber is measured in the 1540 to 1600 nm spectral range. Various amounts of pure hexane and ethanol were used to examine the response of the sensor. A remarkable influence of the absorption of the evanescent waves in the sol-gel modified fiber for hexane and ethanol was observed.
Hyper-labile messenger RNA in polar mutants of the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli☆

Abstract The hyper-labile messenger RNA detected in polar trpE and trpD mutants of the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli corresponds to the region of the mutated gene distal to the nonsense codon. A small region preceding what is believed to be the first structural gene of the trp operon is transcribed.