cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COLLEGE STUDENTS’ATTITUDES TOWARD EMPLOYEE DRUG TESTING PROGRAMS

Drug testing programs are becoming increasingly popular, but little is known about attitudes toward various aspects of common testing programs. This study examined college students’attitudes toward several aspects of drug testing programs. Results indicate that testing is seen, under some circumstances, as appropriate and necessary. However, attitudes toward most aspects of testing were characterized by extreme variability. Virtually all aspects of drug testing programs are strongly accepted by some individuals and strongly rejected by others. Furthermore, attitudes toward employee drug testing do not appear to vary as a function of employment experience, qualifications, or political inclinations, and are not strongly related to the individual's exposure to others’drug use. One of the few consistent correlates of approval of employee drug testing was the individual's drug use; self-report frequency of drug use was negatively correlated with the acceptability of employee drug testing.
Overview of the use of antimicrobials for the treatment of bacterial infections in horses

Summary Use of antimicrobial drugs is central to the treatment of primary and secondary bacterial infection in horses. When selecting an antimicrobial to treat confirmed or suspected bacterial infection multiple factors should be considered, including: the likely infectious agent; distribution and dosage of selected drugs; mechanisms of action; and potential side effects. Many of these issues will be covered in subsequent articles in this series. The aim of this paper is to aid the clinician in the rational selection of antimicrobials by reviewing the mode of action, spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, indications and potential side effects of the main classes of antimicrobial drugs. Extralabel use of drugs is common in veterinary medicine due to a lack of licensed products. This increases the importance of a thorough understanding of antimicrobials and their possible adverse effects.
Design and evaluation of a translocation strategy for the fringed darter (Etheostoma crossopterum) in Illinois

The fringed darter (Etheostoma crossopterum) was introduced into two streams where neither the fringed darter nor any other species of the same subgenus occur but that otherwise have suitable habitat. Darters were collected from two streams in the Cache River basin, and a combination of darters from each source stream were moved to the receiving streams, which also were in the headwaters of the Cache River basin (20 males and 40 females to each). Darters were moved in late March 2001 at the beginning of their reproductive season, which continues for approximately 2 months. Fringed darter nests were present within 3 days at both introduction sites and nests were found thereafter until late May at which time searching for nests was terminated. Twenty-five nests were found in 2001 compared with 168 nests in 2002. A total of 8714 eggs were counted in 22 nests during 2001 with a mean of 413 eggs per nest (n=19 nests). In September 2001 and 2002, surveys for juveniles and adults indicated successful recruitment in both streams. Mean size of juvenile darters differed significantly between the two introduction sites in 2001. The design of this study allowed for a rapid, initial assessment of the translocations, aspects of which appeared successful. Moving fishes at the beginning of their reproductive season could increase the chance of successful reproduction and eventual establishment. The protocol for translocation of fringed darters might be applicable to other similar and endangered darters such as Barrens (Etheostoma forbesi), relict (E. chienense), and duskytail darters (E. percnurum). Sampling was conducted in other areas of the Cache River basin in search of additional populations of fringed darters. An updated account is given of the distribution of the fringed darter in Illinois.
Age-Induced Changes in the Microstructure and Selected Properties of Extruded Starch Films Plasticized with Glycerol and Stearic Acid

Aging of normal corn starch films processed by extrusion and stored at 20-22 °C and 50-56% RH was investigated over a period of 120 d. The changes in the structural, thermal, tensile, and water vapor permeability (WVP) properties of the films during aging were studied. The thermoplastic starch (TPS) just after extrusion processing (≈4 h) was nearly amorphous in character. However, aging above the T g produced both B- and V-type crystalline structures in the TPS within 3 d of drying. The relative crystalline content of the TPS increased from 2.6 to 17.7%, depending on the glycerol content. Post-processing, the tensile strengths of the films increased by 39.3-134.1% while the tensile strains decreased by 48-81.1%. The rates of change in tensile strength and strain were faster during the first 30 d but stabilized thereafter. The biphasic transitions in the DSC thermograms suggested phase separation in the TPS. The T g of glycerol-rich domains decreased while those of the starch-rich regions increased during storage. The band-narrowing and changes in peak styles and intensities in the 1400-800 cm -1 region of the Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested increases in the crystalline content of the TPS during aging. The WVP values tended to decrease with time as the crystallinity of starch increased and the free volume in the film network decreased.
Separation of Selected Bile Acids by TLC. IX. Separation on Silica Gel 60 and on Silica Gel 60F254 Aluminum Plates Impregnated with Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), and Mn(II) Cations

Abstract Seven selected bile acids: cholic acid (C), glycocholic acid (GC), glycolithocholic acid (GLC), deoxycholic acid (DC), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC), glycodeoxycholic acid (GDC), and lithocholic acid (LC) were separated using adsorption TLC on aluminum plates precoated with silica gel 60 and on aluminum plates precoated with silica gel 60F254. The plates were impregnated with 1%, 2.5%, and 5% aqueous solutions of the following salts: CuSO4, MnSO4, NiSO4, and FeSO4. The mixtures of n–hexane–ethyl–acetate–acetic acid in the volume compositions: 22:20:5 and 25:20:2 (v/v/v) for both aluminum plates, 22:22:5 (v/v/v) only for #1.05554 plates and 25:20:5 (v/v/v) for #1.05553 plates were used as mobile phases. These mobile phases were not effective for the separation of bile acids on non impregnated silica gel 60 and silica 60F254 aluminum plates at 18°C. The plates impregnated with the salts whose application resulted in ΔRF≥0.05 and RS>1 for all neighboring pairs of examined bile acids were considered th...
Adaptive Steering of Field of View Using Analog Micro-Mirror Arrays in an Adaptive Flat Computational Imaging Sensor Architecture

An adaptive multi-resolution computational imaging system utilizing analog micro-mirror arrays at the pupil of an imaging sensor to steer low resolution multiplexed sub-imagers is presented.
Evaluating Predictors of Program Attrition Among Women Mandated Into Batterer Intervention Treatment

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate pretreatment differences between treatment completers and dropouts among a large sample of women ordered into a 26-week batterer interven...
Sural nerve myelinated fiber density differences associated with meaningful changes in clinical and electrophysiologic measurements

New forms of therapy for diabetic and other neuropathies may prevent, stabilize, or ameliorate loss of nerve fibers. Clinically meaningful changes in mean Neurological Disability Score (NDS), and the associated mean change of electrophysiologic attributes have been described in diabetic polyneuropathy. It is unknown what magnitude of myelinated fiber (MF) density change is associated with these meaningful changes of clinical and electrophysiologic alterations. In 18 diabetics and 5 normal controls associations between the mean NDS, summated (ulnar, peroneal and tibial) compound muscle action potential (sigma CMAP), summated (ulnar and sural) sensory nerve action potential (sigma SNAP), sural SNAP, and MF density in the sural nerve, were assessed using linear regression analyses. Values were corrected for age and sex. For a decrease of: 2 points in the mean NDS (minimum clinically detectable change), MF density decreased by approximately 200 fibers/mm2 (p < 0.001) 1 mV in the mean sigma CMAP (sum of the ulnar, peroneal and tibial CMAP amplitudes), MF density decreased by 160 fibers/mm2 (p < 0.01) 1 microV in the mean sigma SNAP (sum of ulnar and sural SNAP amplitudes), MF density decreased by approximately 70 fibers/mm2 (p < 0.001) 1 microV in the mean sural SNAP, MF density decreased by approximately 150 fibers/mm2 (p < 0.01). Changes in sensory detection thresholds were also associated with a measurable change in the MF density. A quantifiable association exists between the magnitude of change in density of MF, and a meaningful alteration in mean NDS and various electrophysiologic parameters. Knowledge of this is needed to assess the statistical power of a clinical trial in which density of myelinated fibers is an outcome measurement.
Bio-optical signatures and biogeochemistry from intense upwelling and relaxation in coastal California

Abstract The NSF-sponsored Coastal Ocean Processes Wind Events and Shelf Transport (WEST) experiment investigates the interplay between wind-driven transport and shelf productivity; while eastern boundary shelves are characterized by high productivity due to upward fluxes of nutrients into the euphotic zone, wind forcing also represents negative physical and biological controls via offshore transport and deep (light-limiting) mixing of primary producers. Although this interaction has been well documented for eastern boundary systems generally and for California specifically, one of the primary goals of WEST was to characterize more fully the interplay between positive and negative effects of wind stress, which result in the consistently elevated biological productivity in these shelf regions. During 3 month-long summer cruises (2000–2002) we observed extremes in upwelling/relaxation, using both in situ instrumentation and remotely sensed data. Relationships between optical and physical properties were examined, with emphasis on biogeochemical implications. During 2000, the WEST region was optically dominated by phytoplankton and covarying constituents. During 2001 and 2002, periods of more intense upwelling favorable winds, we observed a transition to optical properties dominated by detrital and inorganic materials. In all years, the continental shelf break provided a natural boundary between optically distinct shelf and open ocean waters. During 2002, we obtained discrete trace-metal measurements of particulate iron and aluminum; we develop a bio-optical proxy for acetic-acid leachable iron from backscatter and fluorescence, and demonstrate that particulate iron is not well correlated to traditional upwelling proxies such as macronutrients, temperature, and salinity. We conclude that the shelf break between ca. 100 and 200 m water depth serves as a natural break point between coastal and oceanic water masses in this region, and that the elevated biomass and productivity associated with this eastern boundary current regime is dominated by these iron rich, shallow shelf waters.
Mass measurement accuracy in analyses of highly complex mixtures based upon multidimensional recalibration.

Mass spectrometry combined with a range of on-line separation techniques has become a powerful tool for characterization of complex mixtures, including protein digests in proteomics studies. Accurate mass measurements can be compromised due to variations that occur in the course of an on-line separation, e.g., due to excessive space charge in an ion trap, temperature changes, or other sources of instrument “drift”. We have developed a multidimensional recalibration approach that utilizes existing information on the likely mixture composition, taking into account variable conditions of mass measurements, and that corrects the mass calibration for sets of individual peaks binned by, for example, the total ion count for the mass spectrum, the individual peak abundance, m/z value, and liquid chromatography separation time. The multidimensional recalibration approach uses a statistical matching of measured masses in such measurements, often exceeding 105, to a significant number of putative known species likel...
Synthesis and anti‐tetrabenazine activity of c‐3 analogues of dimethyl‐2‐phenylmorpholines

A series of analogues of 2-phenylmorpholines with alkyl substituents at the C-3 position were synthesized for anti-tetrabenazine (anti-TBZ) testing in mice. The target compounds were prepared by reaction of (2-bromoalkyl) phenyl ketones 21a-h with the appropriate aminoalcohol 20a-b to form morpholinols 22a-h. Hydride reduction of the morpholinols gave aminodiols 23a-h which were cyclized to morpholines 6, 8, 10–12, 14–16, 18 and 19 by acid catalaysis. Compounds 7, 9, 13 and 17 were prepared by reductive formylation. The smaller straight chain substituents of 6, 8, 12 and 15, and the beta branching of the iso-butyl group of 16 were well tolerated; anti-tetrabenazine ED50′s were comparable to compounds 2–5. The α-branched, N-methylated, and side chain aryl derivatives were less active.
The response of double-scintillator fission-fragment detectors to 252Cf

Two different scintillation detectors for the coincidence detection of fission fragments are described. The response of the detectors to 252Cf is given.
Intraspecific Variation in Life History Traits among Two Forms of Ambystoma barbouri Larvae

Variation in available resources (e.g., environment or food) can influence life history variation. Populations of the streamside salamander (Ambystoma barbouri) breed in both streams and ponds and larvae exhibit diverse life history patterns related to the environment within which they develop. Previous experiments demonstrated that environmental factors are largely responsible for differences in larval period, mass and size at metamorphosis between the two forms of A. barbouri; however, it is unclear which environmental factors influence the variation. Under controlled laboratory conditions, we tested if hydrological differences between lotic and lentic habitats contribute to life history divergence in A. barbouri. We reared laboratory born larvae from stream- and pond-collected eggs in laboratory environments with hydrological patterns similar to their natal environments. Ambystoma barbouri stream larvae metamorphosed faster and were smaller in mass and size compared to pond larvae. Although we did not test whether genetic or environmental factors influence larval life history traits, our data provide support that hydrological variation alone may contribute to the life history variation in the two forms of larval A. barbouri.
Fundamental Frequency Characteristics of Infant Non-Distress Vocalization during the First Twenty-Four Weeks.

Fundamental frequency (F 0 ) characteristics of non-distress vocalizations produced by four infants during the first twenty-four weeks of life were examined. This study constitutes the beginning of a longitudinal investigation of phonological development displayed by these children from birth to two years. Vocalization samples were obtained from home and laboratory recordings. Period-by-period F 0 melody plots and descriptive statistics for each utterance were derived from computer analysis. Mean F 0 centred around 335 Hz, with little variation evidenced when data were pooled. Duration, within-utterance range and variability did show developmental change. Individual F 0 fluctuations deviating from the mean were felt to be associated with the infant's state, activity levels, and changing vocal repertoire. Sources of variation among studies of infant F 0 characteristics appear to be related to differences in sampling and measurement techniques.
An examination of the misuse of prescription stimulants among college students using the theory of planned behavior.

The misuse of prescription stimulants (MPS) is an emergent adverse health behavior among undergraduate college students. However, current research on MPS is largely atheoretical. The purpose of this study was to validate a survey to assess MPS-related theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) and determine the relationship between these constructs, MPS-related risk factors (e.g. gender and class status), and current MPS (i.e. past 30 days use) among college students. Participants (N = 978, 67.8% female and 82.9% Caucasian) at a large public university in the southeastern USA completed a survey assessing MPS and MPS-related TPB constructs during fall 2010. To examine the relationship between MPS-related TPB constructs and current MPS, we conducted (1) confirmatory factor analyses to validate that our survey items assessed MPS-related TPB constructs and (2) a series of regression analyses to examine associations between MPS-related TPB c...
A Social Decision Analysis of the Earthquake Safety Problem: The Case of Existing Los Angeles Buildings

In this paper, we propose a framework for conducting a decision analysis for a societal problem such as earthquake safety. The application deals with the formulation and evaluation of alternative policies for the seismic safety problem faced by the city of Los Angeles with regard to its old masonry buildings. A social decision analysis compares the costs and benefits of the alternative policies from the viewpoints of the impacted constituents. The emphasis is on identifying acceptable policy that considers the interests of the impacted constituents and provides incentives for their cooperation. Alternatives ranging from strict regulation to free market are examined. In order to evaluate the trade-offs between additional cost and savings in lives, a direct willingness-to-pay and an economic approach, based on property value differential, are used. Recommendations range from strict regulation for the residential and critical buildings (schools, hospitals, fire stations, etc.) to simply informing the occupants (in the case of commercial and industrial buildings) of the risks involved.
Deadly Drugs and the Doctrine of Double Effect: A Reply to Tully

In a recent contribution to this journal, Patrick Tully criticizes my view that the doctrine of double effect does not prohibit a pharmaceutical company from selling a drug that has potentially fatal side-effects and that does not treat a life-threatening condition. Tully alleges my account is too permissive and makes the doctrine irrelevant to decisions about selling harmful products. In the following paper, I respond to Tully's objections and show that he misinterprets my position and misstates some elements of the doctrine of double effect. I also show how the doctrine constrains some decisions about marketing drugs with potentially fatal side-effects.
Religiosity, Optimism, and Pessimism Among African Americans:

It generally is accepted that religiosity is associated with increased optimism and decreased pessimism. However, the empirical link between religiosity and optimistic and pessimistic expectancy ou...
Structure, Morphology, and Optical Properties of Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Gallium Oxide Thin Films

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films were produced by sputter deposition by varying the substrate temperature (Ts) in a wide range (Ts = 25–800 °C). The structural characteristics and optical properties of Ga2O3 films were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and spectrophotometric measurements. The effect of growth temperature is significant on the chemistry, crystal structure, and morphology of Ga2O3 films. XRD and SEM analyses indicate that the Ga2O3 films grown at lower temperatures were amorphous, while those grown at Ts ≥ 500 °C were nanocrystalline. RBS measurements indicate the well-maintained stoichiometry of Ga2O3 films at Ts = 300–800 °C. The spectral transmission of the films increased with increasing temperature. The band gap of the films varied from 4.96 to 5.17 eV for a variation in Ts in the range 25–800 °C. A relationship between microstructure and optical property...
Gauge fixing for the field theory of the bosonic string

Abstract We give a procedure for the gauge fixing of the Witten theory of the bosonic string. The corresponding gauge-fixed action is invariant under a nilpotent BRST transformation.
Rearing and storage in mung beans reduce medically significant molds by the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), utilized in science classrooms

To examine whether colonies of seed beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, may be a health concern as a source of mold allergens to students and teachers, we compared the amount and type of molds present on adult beetles reared with mung beans and cowpeas, Vigna radiata and Vigna unguiculata, respectively (Family Fabaceae). Specimens were analyzed from two elementary schools, a commercial supplier and a university insectary. A total of nine fungal genera were isolated from live and dead adult beetles, consisting primarily of Aspergillus (a large proportion of which was Aspergillus niger) and Penicillium, with lower, variable numbers of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis, and Trichoderma. Absidia, Geotrichum, and Paecilomyces were additional genera isolated from dead beetles. These molds are medically significant as potential allergens, and others (Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor) can cause secondary infections in people. The mold profile of different beetle colonies are similar i...
The use of gold foil wrapping for radiation protection of the spinal cord for recurrent tumor therapy

Purpose : The development of a technique to provide sufficient radiation protection to previously irradiated spinal cord in such a manner that interstitial brachytherapy can be conducted after resection of a recurrent tumor and decompression of the cord. Methods and Materials : A technique was developed that uses multiple layers of gold foil that are applied around the thecal sac and nerve root sleeves to produce an enveloping radiation shield after resection of recurrent tumor. Once the layers of gold foil are in place, interstitial I 125 seeds are permanently placed in the bed of the tumor resection to prevent any recurrence from microcellular disease. The technique is described and its application in the case of a 28-year-old with a third recurrence of chondrosarcoma after external fractionated radiation therapy at the second to the fourth thoracic segments is reviewed. Results : This technique has been used in this first patient. An additional tumor dose of 120.0 Gy was delivered to the tumor bed while the spinal cord was calculated to receive only 1% of the dose over the life span of the implant. To date, this dose of radiation has prevented tumor recurrence for more than 18 months of follow-up. Conclusion : This technique of multiple layers of gold foil shielding over the spinal cord and nerve roots has the potential to be a useful tool for the shielding of a previously irradiated spinal cord in the setting of resection of recurrent tumor. It may also have a wider application to a number of other radiosensitive tumors where interstitial brachytherapy may be useful to provide additional treatment after external fractionated radiation therapy.
c-myc mRNA Is Down-regulated during Myogenic Differentiation by Accelerated Decay That Depends on Translation of Regulatory Coding Elements

Murine C2C12 myoblasts induced to differentiate into multinucleated myotubes decrease their levels of c-myc mRNA 3-10-fold through posttranscriptional mechanisms that recognize regulatory elements contained in protein-coding sequences in exons 2 and 3 of the mRNA. To determine the mechanism by which these elements mediate c-myc mRNA down-regulation, we examined the regulation of mutant MYC and human beta-globin-MYC fusion mRNAs. Regulation of mRNAs containing MYC exon 2 or 3 is abolished by insertion of an upstream termination codon indicating that regulatory function depends on their translation. Exploiting this translation dependence, we show that pharmacologic inhibition of translation with cycloheximide abolishes the down-regulation of regulated MYC and globin-MYC mRNAs and induces their levels in differentiating C2C12 cells. We exclude the possibility that this induction in mRNA levels results from cycloheximide effects on transcription or processing of parts of the RNA other than the regulatory elements, leading to the conclusion that cycloheximide induction results from mRNA stabilization. We show that the magnitude of cycloheximide induction can be used to estimate turnover rates of mRNAs whose decay is translation-dependent. By using cycloheximide inducibility to examine turnover rates of MYC and globin-MYC mRNAs, we show that the MYC exon 2 and exon 3 regulatory elements, but not MYC 3'-untranslated region or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase coding sequences, mediate accelerated mRNA decay in differentiating, but not undifferentiated, C2C12 cells. We show that these regulatory elements must be translated to confer accelerated mRNA decay and that increased turnover occurs in the cytoplasm and not in the nucleus. Finally, using cycloheximide induction to examine mRNA half-lives, we show that mRNA turnover is increased sufficiently by mechanisms targeting the exon 2 and 3 regulatory elements to account for the magnitude of c-myc mRNA down-regulation during differentiation. We conclude from these results that c-myc mRNA down-regulation during myogenic differentiation is due to translation-dependent mechanisms that target mRNAs containing myc exon 2 and 3 regulatory elements for accelerated decay.
Relation of Grain Size to Sedimentary Processes: ABSTRACT

Sand samples from known environments of deposition along the Gulf and East Coasts of the United States were collected to determine the effects of provenance, tidal range, average wave height, and sand supply on grain-size distributions. More than 300 samples were collected along profiles across 26 different tidal inlets, bays, and beaches. Samples were taken from the dune ridge to the plunge point, and in many places beyond the breaker zone. Additional samples were analyzed from the mouth of Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River. At each sample locality information was collected on (1) the beach profile, (2) sedimentary structures, (3) tidal cycle, (4) average breaker height, and (5) relation to sources of sediment supply. The information gathered was compared with log-probability plots of the size distributions. Probability plots of similar form were grouped to determine how different physical conditions affected the size distribution, and to determine the presence of genetic associations. Specific aspects of the grain-size distributions were found to be uniquely associated with differing depositional environments. The dune, swash zone, plunge zone, and wave-rippled sands exhibit characteristic size distributions even though they included samples from widely divergent provenance, energy, and tidal conditions. Grain-size distributions of samples collected from both the Gulf and East Coasts illustrate the environmental and provenance variations. Localities with high wave energy and limited supply include Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Long Beach, North Carolina, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. These three areas show a limited fine fraction and a large coarse fraction. Other beaches close to a major source of supply and of lower average breaker height include Folly Beach, North Carolina, Forest Beach, South Carolina, Indian Beach, Florida, and Grand Isle, Louisiana. These show a large fine fraction and little coarse material. End_of_Article - Last_Page 484------------
Adjunctive treatment of enchondromas with CO2 laser.

Study Design/Materials and Methods: Fourteen enchondromas, in eight patients, involving the tubular bones of the hand, were treated with curettage, CO 2 laser sterilization of the tumor margins followed by autologous bone grafting. Average follow-up time was 35.4 months (14-106 months). Average patients age was 29 years. Results: At follow-up there were no clinical recurrences, none had pain, and all patients reported satisfactory hand function without limitations. Minimal decrease in range of motion without functional limitation was encountered following excision of two lesions (14%) in one patient. One patient reported an increase in range of motion after excision. Grip strength was only minimally decreased. There was no radiographic evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: The use of CO 2 laser is safe and effective as an adjunct to curettage and bone grafting in the management of relatively large enchondromas of the tubular bones of the hand.
Some asymptotic results on finite vector spaces

In this paper, we apply the vector space cycle index derived by Kung (Linear Algebra Appl. 36 (1981), 141-155) to derive asymptotic expansions of a number of quantities for GL(d, q) and Mat(d, q) as d -> ~, extending to these groups the statistical group theory of Erdos and Turan (Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar.19 (1968), 413-435). Among the quantities we will consider are the number of orbits under the action of GL(d, q) by conjugacy, the fraction of matrices that are diagonalizable, the expected number of distinct polynomials occurring in the rational canonical form (a generalization of the expected number of cycles for the permutation group) and the expected degree of the rth highest degree polynomial.
The Bubble Nebula: far-infrared and radio molecular observations of NGC 7635

The Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635, has been partially mapped at 1 arcmin resolution in the far-infrared and completely mapped at 2.2 arcmin resolution in 115-GHz emission from CO. The infrared results are consistent with the presence of only a small amount of dust within the optical part of the nebula, in agreement with previous work at visual wavelengths. The dust may be fairly uniformly spread through the H II region, although some variation in density is necessary to explain the observed temperature distribution of the dust. The CO emission is weak and the CO column density is very low, consistent with the low obscuration observed in the region. Nevertheless it is surprising that any molecules can exist in the neighbourhood of the luminous exciting star of NGC 7635 and a special geometrical configuration may be necessary.
Nonlinear Balance and Potential-Vorticity Thinking At Large Rossby Number

Two rational approximations are made to the divergence, potential-vorticity, and potential-temperature equations resulting in two different nonlinear balance models. Semi-balance is similar (but not identical to) the nonlinear balance model of Lorenz. Quasi-balance is a simpler model which is equivalent to quasi-geostrophy at low Rossby number and to the barotropic model at high Rossby number. Practical solutions involving methods that work for all Rossby numbers are outlined for both models. A variety of simple initial-value problems are then solved with the aim of fortifying our insight into the behaviour of flows at large Rossby numbers. the flows associated with a potential-vorticity anomaly at very large Rossby numbers differ in significant ways from the corresponding low Rossby number results. In particular, an isolated anomaly has zero vertical radius of influence at infinite Rossby number, while the induced tangential velocity in a horizontal plane containing the anomaly decreases inversely as, rather than inversely as the square of, the radius. the effects of heating and frictional forces are approached from a point of view somewhat different from that recently expressed by Haynes and McIntyre, though the physical content is the same.
Awakening a Sense of Injustice

Rockport is an elite, all boys, day school in the northeast United States. It educates mostly white, wealthy, young men. Student researchers, faculty researchers and I collaborated to study bullying at Rockport using an approach to research known as participatory action research (PAR). In the process we also gained a better understanding of how privilege, especially gendered privilege, was socialized and (re)produced. The participatory research spaces that emerged in our project - grounded in the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators - facilitated critical awareness of self and context that Deutsch (2006) referred to as "awaking the sense of injustice." Over the course of a year, our research at Rockport collected data of local consequence and in doing so, built institutional momentum that has since become a school-wide and ongoing initiative to address bullying. As a result, this work was a form of counter-hegemonic action.
Interferon modulation of cellular microRNAs as an antiviral mechanism.

Plants and invertebrates can use RNA silencing as a protective mechanism in viral infection. Now cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to have an antiviral function in mammalian cells too. Interferon-β is involved in the regulation of a number of cellular miRNAs in human cells, and eight of these are active against sequences on the hepatitis C virus. In addition, modulation of cellular miRNA levels are found to contribute significantly towards the antiviral effects of interferon-β, suggesting that they are a functioning component of the mammalian innate immune response. Plants and invertebrates can use RNA silencing as a protective mechanism in viral infection. Cellular microRNAs can have anti-viral activity also in mammalian cells, in this case by contributing to the antiviral effects of interferon beta against hepatitis C virus. RNA interference through non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) represents a vital component of the innate antiviral immune response in plants and invertebrate animals; however, a role for cellular miRNAs in the defence against viral infection in mammalian organisms has thus far remained elusive1. Here we show that interferon beta (IFNβ) rapidly modulates the expression of numerous cellular miRNAs, and that eight of these IFNβ-induced miRNAs have sequence-predicted targets within the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genomic RNA. The introduction of synthetic miRNA-mimics corresponding to these IFNβ-induced miRNAs reproduces the antiviral effects of IFNβ on HCV replication and infection, whereas neutralization of these antiviral miRNAs with anti-miRNAs reduces the antiviral effects of IFNβ against HCV. In addition, we demonstrate that IFNβ treatment leads to a significant reduction in the expression of the liver-specific miR-122, an miRNA that has been previously shown to be essential for HCV replication2. Therefore, our findings strongly support the notion that mammalian organisms too, through the interferon system, use cellular miRNAs to combat viral infections.
The Natural Histories of Schizophrenic Processes

The natural history of schizophrenia cannot be studied directly, but nevertheless can be inferred and conceptualized as a frame of reference for examining the heterogeneity of the syndrome and for evaluating the impact of treatment, environment, and other factors influencing its course. Alternative diagnostic systems, including DSM-III, imply differing, largely unscrutinized concepts of the natural history and have generated skewed samples and noncomparable longitudinal data. The suggestion is made that sounder future research on the course of schizophrenia will focus upon component processes clustered, for example, in the enduring deficit syndrome.
Managing and enhancing switchgrass as a bioenergy feedstock

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has identifi ed switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a viable perennial herbaceous feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. Although switchgrass bioenergy research was initi- ated by USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE, USA in 1990, switchgrass research has been conducted at this location since the 1930s. Consequently, a signifi cant amount of genetic and agronomic research on switchgrass has been conducted for the Corn Belt and Central Great Plains of the USA that is directly applicable to its use as a biomass energy crop. Simi- lar research must be conducted in other major agroecoregions to verify or modify switchgrass management practices (agronomics) for bioenergy production. The technology to utilize switchgrass for producing ethanol using a cellulosic platform or by pyrolysis to generate syngas is advancing rapidly. Regardless of platform, using switchgrass for ethanol production will require the development of improved bioenergy cultivars or hybrids and improved agronomics to opti- mize production and will introduce competing uses for the land base. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Joint Pixels InSAR for Health Assessment of Levees in New Orleans

The integrity and reliability of levees, earthen dams and flood-control infrastructure are essential components of homeland safety. The development of a potentially affordable satellite-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique for use in a new health assessment framework to monitor, manage and ensure the safety of levees and other systems of flood-control infrastructure is presented in this paper. To estimate the yearly rate of deformation of both the concrete and grass-covered levee structures with sub-wavelength accuracy, a new InSAR technique referred to as joint pixels InSAR (JPInSAR) is proposed. The corresponding results of applying JPInSAR to TerraSAR-X Stripmap data from February 2009 to October 2011 for widespread settlement monitoring in the New Orleans area are presented herein. The presented data processing chain significantly increases the number of pixels where the deformation-rate can be estimated as compared to the number of pixels that can be processed by the classical persistent scatterer technique. Local measurements from GPS and ShapeAccelArrays (SAAs), which were installed in June 2012, will be integrated with the satellite-based InSAR measurements into a global-local network to monitor the response of flood-control levees.
Teaching circuits and electronics to first-year students

This paper discusses the philosophy, implementation, and results of an experimental course in circuits and electronics, which is offered to first-year students at Columbia University. The course includes a strong laboratory component. The results, which are reported, have been excellent.
Initial Comparison of ntPET with Microdialysis Measurements of Methamphetamine-Induced Dopamine Release in Rats: Support for Estimation of Dopamine Curves from PET Data

A recently introduced mathematical method for extracting temporal characteristics of neurotransmitter release from dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data was tested. The method was developed with the hope that by uncovering temporal information about neurotransmitter (nt) dynamics in PET data, researchers could shed new light on mechanisms of psychiatric diseases such as drug abuse and its treatment. In this study, we apply our model-based method, “ntPET”, to 11C-raclopride PET scans of rats in which the dopaminergic response to a microinfusion of methamphetamine in one striatum was assayed simultaneously by microdialysis and PET. Uptake of 11C-raclopride into the untreated contralateral striatum was used as an input to the ntPET model. Direct comparisons of the model-based ntPET analysis and the microdialysis measurements confirmed that ntPET produced dopamine curves that were very similar in timing (takeoff and peak times) to the microdialysis curves. Variances in takeoff and peak times were comparable for the two methods. Neither method detected a false dopamine response to drug in a control animal. The high degree of correspondence between ntPET estimates and microdialysis measurements lends strong support to the idea that temporal information regarding dopamine release exists in dynamic 11C-raclopride PET data and that it can be estimated reliably via ntPET. The method is entirely translatable to human PET imaging.
On the use of neural networks in the generalized likelihood ratio test for detecting abrupt changes in signals

With the advent of efficient algorithms and fast computers for training neural networks, it is now feasible to employ neural network predictors in the generalized likelihood ratio test for the purpose of detecting abrupt nonstationary changes in the dynamics of a time series. We examine some of the special issues involved and present some simulation results validating the new hybrid algorithm.
Novel Synthesis and Structures of Tris-Annelated Benzene Donors for the Electron-Density Elucidation of the Classical Mills−Nixon Effect

A versatile method for the high-yield synthesis of various tris-, bis-, and mono-annelated benzenes (as well as cyclooctatetraene) is based on the Pd-catalyzed coupling of three (or four) ethylenic units comprised of α,β-dibromoalkenes and α‘-alkenyl Grignard reagentsall carried out in a single pot. The particular application to tris(bicyclopentyl)-annelated benzene yields the syn isomer 1s in high purity; X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the aromatic bond alternation relevant to the Mills−Nixon effect. Most importantly, the efficient synthesis of 1s crystals of extraordinary quality allows us (for the first time) to make precise electron-density measurements of the “banana-type” distortion and the ellipticity (π-character) of the various aromatic C−C bondssufficient to identify the electronic origin of the classical Mills−Nixon effect. The unique electron-donor properties of tris-annelated benzenes also relate to their highly reversible one-electron oxidation potentials even in nonpolar solvents.
Architectures and algorithms for on-line failure recovery in redundant disk arrays

The performance of traditional RAID Level 5 arrays is, for many applications, unacceptably poor while one of its constituent disks is non-functional. This paper describes and evaluates mechanisms by which this disk array failure-recovery performance can be improved. The two key issues addressed are thedata layout, the mapping by which data and parity blocks are assigned to physical disk blocks in an array, and thereconstruction algorithm, which is the technique used to recover data that is lost when a component disk fails.
Reference energy extremal optimization: a stochastic search algorithm applied to computational protein design.

We adapt a combinatorial optimization algorithm, extremal optimization (EO), for the search problem in computational protein design. This algorithm takes advantage of the knowledge of local energy information and systematically improves on the residues that have high local energies. Power-law probability distributions are used to select the backbone sites to be improved on and the rotamer choices to be changed to. We compare this method with simulated annealing (SA) and motivate and present an improved method, which we call reference energy extremal optimization (REEO). REEO uses reference energies to convert a problem with a structured local-energy profile to one with more random profile, and extremal optimization proves to be extremely efficient for the latter problem. We show in detail the large improvement we have achieved using REEO as compared to simulated annealing and discuss a number of other heuristics we have attempted to date. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008
Computer-Aided Thermal Design of LSI Packages

Forced convection cooling with direct air impingement on modules mounting LSI hybrid packs is analyzed with one comprehensive thermal mode. A matrix solution for a steady state nodal conductance network is used to predict the temperature rise of the coolant flowing over the module and substrate-to-inlet air temperature differentials. To allow the utilization of a fine nodal mesh to model a hybrid substrate and yet limit the nodal network to a matrix size which can be inexpensively solved by computer, a method is presented to simulate hybrid substrates using equivalent conductances. The problem of determining the forced convection heat transfer coefficient in a module cooling channel where the hermetically sealed hybrid substrates act as protuberances is addressed. Analytical prediction ,of substrate-to-inlet air temperature differences obtained from the thermal model is favorably compared with experimental measurements.
Indoor-outdoor classification with human accuracies: Image or edge gist?

We investigate the utility of human performance data on indoor-outdoor scene categorization in improving the generalization performance of a machine indoor-outdoor classifier. On 50 indoor and 50 outdoor scenes, the human categorization accuracies are obtained for these stimuli rendered as either real images or line drawings. We study two types of features, image gist and edge gist, which are the scene gist features extracted from the original image and the edge map of the image respectively. Using human accuracies on real images and line drawings as constraints on these two sets of features in training a max-margin classifier, we observe 4% improvement in classifying never seen 10000 indoor and 10000 outdoor images. Our experiments also reveal that edge gist characterizes indoor scenes far better than image gist. Therefore, not only human labeling is necessary for machine classification, but how humans err on the labeling is instrumental for learning better generalizing features and machine classifiers.
Robustness of MRAC schemes

A standard model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme is inherently robust with respect to L/sup /spl infin///spl cap/L/sup 2/ disturbances in the sense that all closed-loop signals are bounded and the tracking error is in L/sup /spl infin///spl cap/L/sup 2/. A MRAC scheme with a new adaptive law is inherently robust with respect to disturbances in L/sup /spl infin///spl cap/L/sup 1+/spl alpha//, 0</spl alpha/</spl infin/, with an L/sup 1+/spl beta// tracking error, for /spl beta/=max{/spl alpha/,1//spl alpha/}, /spl alpha//spl ges//spl alpha/.
A Lagrangian stochastic model of surf zone drifter dispersion

[1] Drifter-derived cross-shore and alongshore surf zone diffusivities were previously estimated on an alongshore uniform beach over 1000 s for five Huntington Beach, California, 2006 (HB06) experiment release days. The cross-shore diffusivity Kx had a nonmonotonic time dependence, potentially due to the shoreline or to weaker diffusivity seaward of the surf zone. The alongshore diffusivities Ky were qualitatively consistent with shear dispersion but differed from the classic Taylor laminar theory. Here, modeled and analytic diffusivities for the five release days are derived from a Lagrangian stochastic model (LSM) that uses the drifter-derived bulk (cross-shore averaged) velocity variance and cross-shore-dependent mean alongshore current. The LSM modeled and analytic cross-shore diffusivities are nonmonotonic due to the shoreline and strongly suggest that the observed cross-shore diffusivity is shoreline affected. The LSM typically reproduce well the observed Kx with Lagrangian time scale between 75 and 200 s, consistent with surf zone eddy time scales. HB06 drifter trajectories were too short to observe the analytic long-time Kx limit, and weaker diffusivity seaward of the surf zone may be important at longer times (>1000 s). On all release days, the LSM model and analytic alongshore diffusivity reproduce well the observed Ky with alongshore Lagrangian time scales between 95 and 155 s. The isolated shear-induced diffusivity is very well represented by an analytic theory which incorporates a nonzero Lagrangian time scale. Many of the stochastic model parameters can be specified a priori with reasonable assumptions to predict surf zone dispersion of an initial value problem pollution spill.