cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The quantitative histochemistry of multiple sclerosis plaques: acid proteinase and other acid hydrolases.

— Sensitive micromethods were used to study the plaques, adjacent white matter and remote, grossly normal white matter from two cases of multiple sclerosis and to compare them with white matter from normal controls. Lipid-free dry wt/unit of volume was found to be similar for plaques and for normal white matter, reflecting a high water content of plaque tissue and establishing a base for comparison of enzyme activities. Elevations of acid proteinase in and around plaques were confirmed, but they were far exceeded by the increases in acid phosphatase; other acid hydrolases (β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase and dipeptidyl arylamidase II) showed no significant or consistent changes. However, an acid lipase-esterase hydrolysing 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate was about 30% as active in plaques as in normal-appearing white matter. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was unchanged except in one plaque, but lactic dehydrogenase was markedly elevated both in plaques and adjacent white matter. The grossly normal white matter of MS patients, although histologically far from normal (showing gliosis, perivascular infiltrations and small plaques), did not differ significantly from controls with regard to the activity of any of the enzymes studied. DNA levels were much reduced in plaques, but comparisons were difficult because of the apparent gliosis in normal white matter. Decreases in dry wt/unit vol, reflecting partial demyelination, could be shown to extend in a gradient to a distance of about 2 mm. from the edge of certain plaques.
Further Studies on the Problem of Reducing the Nicotine Unit Charge of Nicotine

Results of laboratory and field tests show that unit charge of nicotine toxic to aphis is reduced to 1-4800 actual nicotine when ½ per cent (0.5 per cent) sodium oleate is used in spray mixture.
Mapping Determinants in Cucumber Mosaic Virus for Transmission by Aphis gossypii

Determinants have been mapped in the coat protein of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) which influence transmission by the aphid Aphis gossypii. Chimeric RNA 3s were constructed which contain sequences from the efficiently aphid-transmitted strain Fny-CMV and the very poorly aphid-transmissible M-CMV. Analyses of chimeric viruses revealed that two regions in the coat protein were critical for transmission by aphids. The coat proteins of Fny- and M-CMV were previously shown to differ at eight amino acid positions. Amino acid changes were introduced into regions of the coat protein gene of M-CMV shown to be involved in transmission and two amino acid changes were demonstrated as essential for the restoration of aphid transmissibility. Nonconservative changes at positions 129 (Leu to Pro) and 162 (Thr to Ala) modified the coat protein to resemble Fny-CMV at these positions and restored transmissibility by A. gossypii. A change at amino acid position 168 (Cys to Tyr) may influence the efficiency of aphid transmission, but is not essential. A single amino acid change at position 129 (Leu to Pro) did not restore aphid transmissibility to M-CMV. The findings are discussed in relation to the nonpersistent transmission of plant viruses.
Molecular dynamics of spider dragline silk fiber investigated by 2H MAS NMR.

The molecular dynamics of the proteins that comprise spider dragline silk were investigated with solid-state 2H magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR line shape and spin–lattice relaxation time (T1) analysis. The experiments were performed on 2H/13C/15N-enriched N. clavipes dragline silk fibers. The silk protein side-chain and backbone dynamics were probed for Ala-rich regions (β-sheet and 31-helical domains) in both native (dry) and supercontracted (wet) spider silk. In native (dry) silk fibers, the side chains in all Ala containing regions undergo similar fast methyl rotations (>109 s–1), while the backbone remains essentially static (<102 s–1). When the silk is wet and supercontracted, the presence of water initiates fast side-chain and backbone motions for a fraction of the β-sheet region and 31-helicies. β-Sheet subregion 1 ascribed to the poly(Ala) core exhibits slower dynamics, while β-sheet subregion 2 present in the interfacial, primarily poly(Gly-Ala) region that links the β-sheets to disordered 31-hel...
Effective, Sustained Inquiry-Based Instruction Promotes Higher Science Proficiency Among All Groups: A 5-Year Analysis

Student’s performance in science classrooms has continued to languish throughout the USA. Even though proficiency rates on national tests such as National Assessment of Educational Progress are higher for Caucasian students than African-Americans and Hispanics, all groups lack achieving desired proficiency rates. Further, the Next Generation Science Standards detail a new higher benchmark for all students. This study analyzes a professional development (PD) project, entitled Inquiry in Motion, designed to (a) facilitate teacher transformation toward greater quantity and quality of inquiry-based instruction, (b) improve student achievement in science practices and science concepts, and (c) begin to narrow the achievement gap among various groups. This 5-year PD study included 11 schools, 74 middle school teachers, and 9,981 students from diverse, high minority populations. Findings from the quasi-experimental study show statistically significant gains for all student groups (aggregate, males, females, Caucasians, African-Americans, and Hispanics) on all three science Measure of Academic Progress tests (composite, science practices, and science concepts) when compared to students of non-participating teachers. In addition to an increase in overall performance for all groups, a narrowing of the achievement gap of minority students relative to Caucasian students was seen. When combined with other studies, this study affirms that, when facilitated effectively, inquiry-based instruction may benefit all students, for all demographic groups measured.
Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of angiotensin II during rest and exercise in normal healthy subjects

Abstract Ten normal male subjects were studied hemodynamically by cardiac catheterization during infusions of angiotensin II. Arterial levels of free fatty acid, lactate, pyruvate, and glucose were measured. Arterial pressure and the peripheral resistance index rose 31 and 68.8 per cent, respectively (p =
Encouraging College Males to Perform Testicular Self-Examination: Evaluation of a Persuasive Message Based on the Revised Theory of Reasoned Action1

This study evaluated the effect of a persuasive message derived from a revised version of the theory of reasoned action on the performance of testicular self-examination (TSE). Subjects (114 male college students) were randomly assigned to listen to a taped persuasive message challenging unfavorable outcome beliefs (as suggested by the theory of reasoned action), a message on testicular cancer information, or no message. All subjects then completed a questionnaire operationalizing the components of the theory of reasoned action (revised to incorporate self-efficacy). As predicted, there was a significant relationship between exposure to the persuasive message and self-reported TSE performance (χ2(2) = 15.66, p < .0001). Sixty-three (71.23%) of the subjects contacted at a 4-week follow-up reported performing the exam. Of those, 44.23% had heard the theory-based message, 36.54% had heard the informational message, and 19.23% had not been exposed to a message. A path analysis of the relationships among components of the theoretical model provided partial support for the hypothesized causal pathways between message exposure and TSE intention and behavior.
An index for assigning distances between odor-baited spheres on perimeter trees of orchards for control of apple maggot flies

Previously, the distances between odor-baited spheres deployed on perimeter trees of apple orchards for behavioral control of apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae), have been assigned largely arbitrarily. Here, we report a new approach for assigning distances that employs an index incorporating the state of four environmental variables: the size of orchard trees, quality of pruning, cultivar composition, and nature of bordering habitat. The deployment of odor-baited spheres on the perimeters of 12 plots of apple trees (each approximately 0.4 ha) in commercial orchards in 2003 resulted in an apple maggot control which was no different from that achieved by insecticide sprays in adjacent plots in 2003, and no different from that achieved by an arbitrary assignment of distances between odor-baited spheres on perimeter trees in these same plots in 2001 and 2002. However, only 61-67% of spheres were used under the new index approach compared with the previous arbitrary approach, thereby substantially reducing the cost of behavioral control. Our findings are discussed in relation to use of the index for blocks of trees which are large in size and pruned poorly vs. small in size and pruned well, and in relation to the cost-competitiveness of odor-baited perimeter spheres vs. insecticidal sprays for the control of apple maggots.
Dual H- and E-Field Tunable Multiferroic Bandpass Filter at ${\rm K}_{U}$ -Band Using Partially Magnetized Spinel Ferrites

A compact dual H- and E-field tunable multiferroic bandpass filters with low magnetic fields using partially magnetized nickel ferrites were designed, fabricated and characterized. Compared to widely used yttrium iron garnet material with a low saturation magnetostriction, nickel ferrite with a much larger saturation magnetostriction was used in this work, which led to higher frequency tunability under electric field. The multiferroic tunable bandpass filters with a NiFe2O4 ferrite/lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate heterostructure at Ku-band, exhibits an H-field tunable of 5.7% under less than 150 Oe bias magnetic field, and an E-field tunable operating frequency range of 270 MHz (2.1%). These dual H- and E-field tunable bandpass filters using partially magnetized spinel ferrites with low magnetic fields lead to Ku-band compact tunable bandpass filters with low power consumption.
Modern Late Neurologic Rehabilitation: Neuroscience and Motivating Functional Rehabilitation

The potential for late recovery of function following brain damage exists, but rehabilitation programs are usually designed for the early stages of recovery. Neuroscience issues related to late brain reorganization include brain plasticity (including receptor plasticity, the up- or downregulation of synaptic and non-synaptic neurotransmitter receptors), and volume transmission (non-synaptic diffusion neurotransmission in the brain). Special purpose computer-assisted motivating rehabilitation devices aid in the process of late functional recovery. Cost-effective rehabilitation is facilitated by these devices, which allow reduction of hands-on therapist hours, and the ability to carry out rehabilitation programs at home and over the Internet.
Contrast Polarity in Letter Identification

Contrast Polarity in Letter Identification Lauren V. Scharff Albert J. Ahumada Stephen F. Austin State University NASA-Ames Research Center lscharff@sfasu.edu al.ahumada@nasa.gov Question Scharff and Ahumada (2002, 2003) measured paragraph readability and letter identification for light text and dark text. Responses to light text were slower (Figure 1) and less accurate for a given contrast. Is this polarity effect (1) the result of differences in the ON and OFF retinal pathways (Figure 2), or (2) the result of more experience with dark text on light backgrounds?
Health Care Providers' Treatment Approaches to Culturally Diverse Infertile Clients:

This study focuses on the research question of how health providers approach treatment of culturally diverse infertile clients. Findings from in-depth interviews of 28 health providers in a major city in Southern California revealed three types of providers: (1) culturally unaware, (2) culturally nontolerant, and 3) culturally sensitive. Culturally unaware providers failed to recognize different cultural needs and treated all clients in the same way, an approach that eventually led to noncompliance. Culturally nontolerant providers recognized diverse needs, but they were unwilling to tolerate cultural conflicts in treatment or to change treatment protocols. This often resulted in providers terminating treatment or making referrals to a more culturally tolerant provider. Culturally sensitive providers acquired information on cultural beliefs, worked within clients' limitations, and adapted tests and treatment protocols to meet clients' needs. These findings may offer insights into care and treatment approaches used by health providers in a highly technological, specialist-level treatment of culturally diverse clients in an urban setting.
Artificial neural networks can distinguish novice and expert strategies during complex problem solving.

Objective : To determine whether expert problem-solving strategies can be identified within a large number of student performances of complex medical diagnostic simulations. Methods : Self-organizing artificial neural networks were trained to categorize the performances of infectious disease subspecialists on six computer-based clinical diagnostic simulation that used the sequence of diagnostic tests requested as the input data. Six hundred seventy-six student solutions to these problems were presented to these trained neural networks to determine which, if any, of the student solutions represented those of the experts. Results : For each simulation, the expert performances clustered around one dominant output neurode, indicating that there were common problem-specific features associated with the experts' problem-solving performances. When the performances of students who also made correct problem diagnoses were tested on these expert-trained neural networks, 17% were classified as representing expert strategies, indicating that expert performance was a somewhat rare and inconsistent occurrence among the students. Conclusions : The ability to identify a small number of expert-like strategies within a large body of student performances may provide an opportunity to study the dynamics of complex learning at both individual and population levels as well as the emergence of medical diagnostic expertise.
Two-Dimensional Péclet Numbers for Peak Quality Scoring

We have developed a tool we call Two-Dimensional Peclet analysis to help in determining optimum operational parameters for analytical systems that require automated analysis of large numbers of analyte data peaks. In this paper, we derive the technique from moment analysis of the peaks and single-dimensional Peclet theory. Two-Dimensional Peclet analysis allows automated comparison of response peaks with differing shapes and amplitudes to be compared simultaneously in multicomponent mixtures. In addition to peak resolution and fidelity, individual two-dimensional moment components can provide feedback to total mass (zero moment), centroid location in time space (first moment), and two-dimensional spread of data (second moment).
Effect of Peptone on Azotobacter Morphology

Article on pleomorphism in cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii, induced by the addition of Difco peptone to the growth medium.
The AIDS Dementia Complex

Note from Dr. Merle A. Sande?Progressive dementia has been recognized as a complication of human immunodeficiency virus infection almost since the beginning of the epidemic. To many infectious diseases clinicians, however, the AIDS dementia complex remains ambiguous, and the clinical approach to this problem is less clearly defined than that for other infection-associated syndromes. Dr. Richard W. Price and his colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have, to a large extent, been responsible for defining this entity. In this AIDS Commentary they present their views of the current state of knowledge regarding the etiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the AIDS dementia complex.
Influences of Training on Individual Outcomes for High School Sports Officials

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the influences of training on specific quality of work outcomes of job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, and intentions to leave within high school sports officials. Evidence suggests that there is a shortage of high school officials in all categories of high school sport. Via a web-based survey, we explored the effects of training on the individual outcomes under study. Results indicated that the level of training had a significant effect on job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Analyses indicated that officials with less training had higher turnover intentions and lower job satisfaction than officials who had more training. Conversely, officials who engaged numerous training hours had lower pay satisfaction. This exploratory study supports the importance of training high school officials but, more importantly, provides an initial assessment on the reverse effects of training on pay satisfaction.
Sociology of the Brigata: Gendered Groups in Dante, Forese, Folgore, Boccaccio -- From 'Guido, i' vorrei' to Griselda

This paper considers social and group dynamics in early Italian authors — in particular Forese Donati, Dante, Folgore da San Gimignano, and Boccaccio — in order to extrapolate a ‘sociology of the brigata’: not a sociology of the real brigata as experienced in the urban milieu of medieval Italy and as described by chroniclers and social historians, but a sociology of the literary brigata that resides in the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century literary imagination. The literary brigata is distinguished from its real counterpart by the ways in which it can allude to both genders and can even bring together the genders in social groups, creating a non-normative and highly provocative discursive space.
A Spatial Configuration of Occupations.

Abstract A mathematical analysis of the relationships among the six scales of Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) yielded a representation of the six VPI scales in a “best-fitting” plane. The projection of VPI means of occupational groups onto that plane gave a spatial map of occupations in which the degree of relatedness was represented by the distance in the plane. The planar configuration was used to measure several concepts of vocational psychology and to test two initial hypotheses.
Virtual Focus and Depth Estimation From Defocused Video Sequences

In this paper, we present a novel method for virtual focus and object depth estimation from defocused video captured by a moving camera. We use the term virtual focus to refer to a new approach for producing in-focus image sequences by processing blurred videos captured by out-of-focus cameras. Our method relies on the concept of Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) for virtual focus estimation. However, the proposed approach overcomes limitations of DFD by reformulating the problem in a moving-camera scenario. We introduce the interframe image motion model, from which the relationship between the camera motion and blur characteristics can be formed. This relationship subsequently leads to a new method for blur estimation. We finally rely on the blur estimation to develop the proposed technique for object depth estimation and focused video reconstruction. The proposed approach can be utilized to correct out-of-focus video sequences and can potentially replace the expensive apparatus required for auto-focus adjustments currently employed in many camera devices. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through error analysis and computer simulated experiments.
Minimotif miner 2nd release: a database and web system for motif search

Minimotif Miner (MnM) consists of a minimotif database and a web-based application that enables prediction of motif-based functions in user-supplied protein queries. We have revised MnM by expanding the database more than 10-fold to approximately 5000 motifs and standardized the motif function definitions. The web-application user interface has been redeveloped with new features including improved navigation, screencast-driven help, support for alias names and expanded SNP analysis. A sample analysis of prion shows how MnM 2 can be used. Weblink: http://mnm.engr.uconn.edu, weblink for version 1 is http://sms.engr.uconn.edu.
Brazilian Immigration to Ontario

Immigration to Canada from non-traditional donor nations has increased in recent years and is likely to continue to increase in the long-term. This article examines one flow of “new” immigrants: from Brazil to Toronto, Ontario. Their adaptation experiences are analysed from primary data collected from 205 Brazilians interviewed during 1991. A large proportion of the immigrants who arrived after 1987, the year a visa requirement was initiated for Brazilians, gained entry by claiming to be “refugees”. Because of numerous court system delays, this strategy permitted them to work, study and collect social benefits until all their appeals, no matter how spurious, were exhausted. Meantime, many acquired English skills and on-the-job training which enabled them to score high enough on the Canadian immigrant point scale to become legal permanent residents. Results also demonstrate that immigrants from Brazil are relatively well educated and highly motivated to succeed. Although the group included some target earners who will return to Brazil, many have become well integrated into Canadian society and desire to remain permanently.
Probabilistic Inference over RFID Streams in Mobile Environments

Recent innovations in RFID technology are enabling large-scale cost-effective deployments in retail, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and supply chain management. The advent of mobile or handheld readers adds significant new challenges to RFID stream processing due to the inherent reader mobility, increased noise, and incomplete data. In this paper, we address the problem of translating noisy, incomplete raw streams from mobile RFID readers into clean, precise event streams with location information. Specifically we propose a probabilistic model to capture the mobility of the reader, object dynamics, and noisy readings. Our model can self-calibrate by automatically estimating key parameters from observed data. Based on this model, we employ a sampling-based technique called particle filtering to infer clean, precise information about object locations from raw streams from mobile RFID readers. Since inference based on standard particle filtering is neither scalable nor efficient in our settings, we propose three enhancements---particle factorization, spatial indexing, and belief compression---for scalable inference over large numbers of objects and high-volume streams. Our experiments show that our approach can offer 49\% error reduction over a state-of-the-art data cleaning approach such as SMURF while also being scalable and efficient.
Independence of the Endovestibular Potential in Homeotherms

The endolymphatic potential was recorded from various vestibular parts of the labyrinth from which the cochlea (in the case of guinea pigs) or the cochlea, lagena, and sacculus (in the case of pigeons) had been removed. This endovestibular potential of the isolated vestibule declined during anoxia and recovered after anoxia in the same manner as the endovestibular potential of the intact labyrinth. Its non-anoxic level was the same as in the intact labyrinth; i.e., +5 to +8 mv in the pigeon and +2 to +5 mv in the guinea pig. It is, therefore, concluded that the endovestibular potential is independent of the cochlea, stria vascularis, and endocochlear potential.
Caloric Restriction Decreases Survival of Aged Mice in Response to Primary Influenza Infection

Caloric restriction (CR) extends life span of healthy rodents compared to those fed ad libitum. Previous studies have shown positive effects of CR on the immune response of aged mice after influenza immunization. To extend these studies, a mouse model of CR was used to determine if CR could modulate primary responses of aged mice to influenza. Although CR delayed the age-related decrease in mitogen-induced lymphoproliferation of aged mice, in stark contrast, CR decreased survival, increased virus titers, and reduced natural killer cell activity in lungs of aged mice after primary influenza infection. Thus, CR has differential effects on immunity of aged mice, as general indices of immune response are maintained, but primary responses to influenza infection are impaired. This suggests that, although CR may positively affect many long-term parameters of aging, increased susceptibility after primary exposure of aged mice to virus, such as influenza, may not be correctable by CR.
Panel Data Analysis to Identify Covariates of Longevity and Patronage of Community Shuttles in New Jersey

Shuttle services connecting passengers' origins and destinations to transit stations and terminals can play a crucial role in enhancing system ridership. Partially because of federal funding through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, such services have become popular in parts of the country. However, studies on the success of community shuttles have been rare. Almost all past studies were stated-preference studies, or case studies without statistical analysis of actual performance of shuttle services. To provide researchers and practitioners with crucial information on the factors potentially influencing the success of shuttle services, this study examined the longevity, level of service, and passenger volumes of the shuttle services introduced in New Jersey between 2002 and 2004. By using panel data analysis, the authors examined how local financial condition, station lot parking, parking cost, bus connections, and socioeconomic and land use characteristics of service areas in...
Dimension reduction for conditional mean in regression

In many situations regression analysis is mostly concerned with inferring about the conditional mean of the response given the predictors, and less concerned with the other aspects of the conditional distribution. In this paper we develop dimension reduction methods that incorporate this consideration. We introduce the notion of the Central Mean Subspace (CMS), a natural inferential object for dimension reduction when the mean function is of interest. We study properties of the CMS, and develop methods to estimate it. These methods include a new class of estimators which requires fewer conditions than pHd, and which displays a clear advantage when one of the conditions for pHd is violated. CMS also reveals a transparent distinction among the existing methods for dimension reduction: OLS, pHd, SIR and SAVE. We apply the new methods to a data set involving recumbent cows.
Characterization of deposits formed on diesel injectors in field test and from thermal oxidative degradation of n-hexadecane in a laboratory reactor.

Solid deposits from commercially available high-pressure diesel injectors (HPDI) were analyzed to study the solid deposition from diesel fuel during engine operation. The structural and chemical properties of injector deposits were compared to those formed from the thermal oxidative stressing of a diesel fuel range model compound, n-hexadecane at 160°C and 450 psi for 2.5 h in a flow reactor. Both deposits consist of polyaromatic compounds (PAH) with oxygen moieties. The similarities in structure and composition of the injector deposits and n-hexadecane deposits suggest that laboratory experiments can simulate thermal oxidative degradation of diesel in commercial injectors. The formation of PAH from n-hexadecane showed that aromatization of straight chain alkanes and polycondensation of aromatic rings was possible at temperatures as low as 160°C in the presence of oxygen. A mechanism for an oxygen-assisted aromatization of cylcoalkanes is proposed.
Taphonomic bias in analyses of drilling predation: effects of gastropod drill holes on bivalve shell strength

The proportion of bivalve shells with drill holes in fossil assemblages is commonly used as a measure of the intensity of predation by drilling gastropods. Previous studies have assumed that drilled and undrilled bivalve shells have equal preservation potentials. We tested this assumption by measuring the mechanical strength of drilled and undrilled valves of the Recent bivalve Mulinia lateralis. Under compressive loads, drilled valves are significantly weaker than undrilled valves, a difference we attribute to local stress concentrations produced by the presence of the drill hole. Our results suggest that drilled values may break preferentially and hence inferred patterns of predation may reflect taphonomic as well as biological processes
The influence of previous breast cancer upon mammography utilization

Abstract Women with a previous history of breast cancer are at increased risk for developing cancer in the opposite breast. However, the literature is inconsistent regarding whether a previous history of breast cancer is associated positively with mammography utilization. Some studies indicate that women with a previous history of breast cancer are less likely to utilize mammography, although behavioral models of health care theorize that women with a history of breast cancer may be more vigilant regarding the disease. We analyzed responses from 830 women ≥50 years who participated in the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. A significantly greater proportion of women with breast cancer reported had a mammogram in the previous year (73.13%) as compared with women who did not have breast cancer (56.69%). Although a previous history of breast cancer was found to be associated positively with mammography use, women with public sources of health insurance are less likely to report mammography use. Results indicate that women with a previous history of breast cancer appear aware of the necessity for continued screening. However, enabling factors such as type of health insurance continue to exert an influence upon the utilization of mammography.
Stress Transfer by the 2008 Mw 6.4 Achaia Earthquake to the Western Corinth Gulf and Its Relation with the 2010 Efpalio Sequence, Central Greece

We investigate the interaction between transform faults and normal faults in western Greece based on seismological analysis and static stress transfer calcula- tions associated with the 8 June 2008 Mw 6.4 Achaia earthquake. We present a re- located earthquake catalog for the period between June 2008 and January 2010, when two normal-faulting events on 18 (Mw 5.3) and 22 (Mw 5.2) January 2010 occurred at Efpalio (western Corinth gulf). They were located approximately 70 km northeast from the buried right-lateral fault, identified as the causative structure of the Achaia earthquake. The first Efpalio event ruptured a mapped normal fault that trends east- northeast-west-southwest, dipping 55°-60° to the south. We estimate ∼2-fold seismic- ity rate changes in the western Corinth gulf region for the interseismic period (June 2008-January 2010), and we find that inside this interval, the monthly event rate re- mained increased at a 2σ significance level. We calculate a Coulomb stress increase (0.1-0.6 bar) in the Efpalio region using optimally oriented for failure planes, and an ∼0:11 bar Coulomb stress increase at the hypocenters of the January 2010 events when incorporating geologically defined receiver planes. We conclude that the pos- itive static stress changes following the Achaia event promoted the observed spatio- temporal clustering in the Corinth gulf for this specific period. We identify fault unclamping due to normal stress reduction as the physical mechanism in this case. The high seismic-hazard character of the target region (0:24g) in the National Building Code emphasizes the importance of time-dependent earthquake probabilities and stress-mediated fault interaction studies.
Measuring the Spectrum of Mutation Induced by Nitrogen Ions and Protons in the Human–Hamster Hybrid Cell Line ALC

Astronauts can be exposed to charged particles, including protons, alpha particles and heavier ions, during space flights. Therefore, studying the biological effectiveness of these sparsely and densely ionizing radiations is important to understanding the potential health effects for astronauts. We evaluated the mutagenic effectiveness of sparsely ionizing 55 MeV protons and densely ionizing 32 MeV/nucleon nitrogen ions using cells of two human-hamster cell lines, A(L) and A(L)C. We have previously characterized a spectrum of mutations, including megabase deletions, in human chromosome 11, the sole human chromosome in the human-hamster hybrid cell lines A(L)C and A(L). CD59(-) mutants have lost expression of a human cell surface antigen encoded by the CD59 gene located at 11p13. Deletion of genes located on the tip of the short arm of 11 (11p15.5) is lethal to the A(L) hybrid, so that CD59 mutants that lose the entire chromosome 11 die and escape detection. In contrast, deletion of the 11p15.5 region is not lethal in the hybrid A(L)C, allowing for the detection of chromosome loss or other chromosomal mutations involving 11p15.5. The 55 MeV protons and 32 MeV/nucleon nitrogen ions were each about 10 times more mutagenic per unit dose at the CD59 locus in A(L)C cells than in A(L) cells. In the case of nitrogen ions, the mutations observed in A(L)C cells were predominantly due to chromosome loss events or 11p deletions, often containing a breakpoint in the pericentromeric region. The increase in the CD59(-) mutant fraction for A(L)C cells exposed to protons was associated with either translocation of portions of 11q onto a hamster chromosome, or discontinuous or "skipping" mutations. We demonstrate here that A(L)C cells are a powerful tool that will aid in the understanding of the mutagenic effects of different types of ionizing radiation.
Infinite Financial Intermediation

Intermediation is a fundamental fact of finance. Intermediaries like commercial banks, investment banks, stockbrokers, mutual funds, and stock exchanges form the fabric of modern finance. Yet despite all these financial links, entrepreneurs and innovators continue to endeavor towards the possibilities of fundamentally disrupting and disintermediating these existential financial ties, breaking apart from the financial main, and building new financial islands.This Article offers a studied commentary of those financial links and those disengaging endeavors, the ties that thread the fabric of modern finance and the efforts to tear those threads asunder. It presents an examination of the functional evolution of financial intermediation, explains the difficulties of true financial disintermediation by revealing the underappreciated links that remain when traditional links are decoupled, and highlights potential implications and recommendations arising from such a revelation. Building upon a rich literature that spans law, economic, finance, and sociology, it seeks to explain the strong adhesiveness of financial intermediation and explore the looming challenges presented by future financial intermediation. Collectively, this Article provides a different perspective for thinking about financial intermediation and its wide-ranging effects on law, finance, and society.
Use of Adaptive Injection Strategies to Increase the Full Load Limit of RCCI Operation

Dual-fuel combustion using port-injection of low reactivity fuel combined with direct injection of a higher reactivity fuel, otherwise known as Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI), has been shown as a method to achieve low-temperature combustion with moderate peak pressure rise rates, low engine-out soot and NOx emissions, and high indicated thermal efficiency. A key requirement for extending to high-load operation is moderating the reactivity of the premixed charge prior to the diesel injection. One way to accomplish this is to use a very low reactivity fuel such as natural gas. In this work, experimental testing was conducted on a 13L multi-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine modified to operate using RCCI combustion with port injection of natural gas and direct injection of diesel fuel.Engine testing was conducted at an engine speed of 1200 RPM over a wide variety of loads and injection conditions. The impact on dual-fuel engine performance and emissions with respect to varying the fuel injection parameters is quantified within this study.The injection strategies used in the work were found to affect the combustion process in similar ways to both conventional diesel combustion and RCCI combustion for phasing control and emissions performance. As the load is increased, the port fuel injection quantity was reduced to keep peak cylinder pressure and maximum pressure rise rate under the imposed limits. Overall, the peak load using the new injection strategy was shown to reach 22 bar BMEP with a peak brake thermal efficiency of 47.6%.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Irrigation Planning Using Climatological Data

A number of water balance models are available that use climatological data. Several research workers have used models of this type for irrigation planning. It is shown that this method, which, in effect, synthesizes an irrigation program for the entire period of climatological record, is a powerful tool for predicting irrigation requirements and the economic feasibility of supplemental irrigation. Irrigation requirements are often stated in terms of the probability that not more than a certain quantity will be required in a given year. A procedure is considered by which a confidence level may be assigned to such a statement. Figures and tables are provided to enable a research worker to compute the minimum size of sample required so that a probability statement can be made with a specified confidence coefficient.
Tissue Engineering Chambers: Potential Clinical Uses and Limitations

Oxygen delivery is the greatest limiting factor to large-volume tissue engineering. Regenerating post-mastectomy breast tissue requires avascular adipose tissue to be transferred as thin “micro-ribbons” to avoid central necrosis (Khouri et al., 2014). Similarly, scaffold-based constructs lack the central vascularity necessary for large-volume tissue regeneration (Post et al., 2013). The tissue engineering chamber (TEC) induces the recipient bed to regenerate fully vascularized tissue in vivo, thereby providing the oxygen delivery necessary to support large-scale tissue regeneration. In the above article (Morrison et al., 2016), Morrison and colleagues describe the first successful use of TEC to generate well-vascularized, large-volume human adipose tissue in vivo. While TEC-based constructs do not have the same ability as scaffold-based constructs to control the internal structures of regenerated tissues, they still have potential utility in certain clinical scenarios.
The Bub1–Plk1 kinase complex promotes spindle checkpoint signalling through Cdc20 phosphorylation

The spindle checkpoint senses unattached kinetochores and inhibits the Cdc20-bound anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C), to delay anaphase, thereby preventing aneuploidy. A critical checkpoint inhibitor of APC/C(Cdc20) is the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC). It is unclear whether MCC suffices to inhibit all cellular APC/C. Here we show that human checkpoint kinase Bub1 not only directly phosphorylates Cdc20, but also scaffolds Plk1-mediated phosphorylation of Cdc20. Phosphorylation of Cdc20 by Bub1-Plk1 inhibits APC/C(Cdc20) in vitro and is required for checkpoint signalling in human cells. Bub1-Plk1-dependent Cdc20 phosphorylation is regulated by upstream checkpoint signals and is dispensable for MCC assembly. A phospho-mimicking Cdc20 mutant restores nocodazole-induced mitotic arrest in cells depleted of Mad2 or BubR1. Thus, Bub1-Plk1-mediated phosphorylation of Cdc20 constitutes an APC/C-inhibitory mechanism that is parallel, but not redundant, to MCC formation. Both mechanisms are required to sustain mitotic arrest in response to spindle defects.
Preliminary development of a scale to measure attitudes regarding the importance of role modeling in physical activity and fitness behaviors among health, physical education, recreation, and dance professionals

This paper presents a new 16-item scale designed to measure attitudes regarding the importance of role modeling in physical activity and fitness behaviors among Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance professionals. The measure was reviewed for face validity by a panel of experts and preliminary analyses gave as Cronbach alpha of .95 and split-half reliability of .97 for 22 graduate students.
Adaptive Change Detection Methodology for Buried Mine and IED Detection from Space

*† The paper describes an image processing methodology developed to detect buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. The methodology assumes that sequences of aerial images of the same terrain, for instance a dirt road, can be obtained at periodic intervals of time. Corresponding images of the same terrain from two consecutive sequences can be processed to detect if the terrain has changed or been disturbed and may contain buried landmines. The image processing methodology requires registering corresponding images by identifying matching natural landmarks in both images, then calculating and performing scale and perspective transformations so that both images can be superimposed and compared. An adaptive methodology to compare registered images was developed in order to avoid false alarms due to changes in illumination or other small natural changes. The methodology was tested in a laboratory setting using a medium size Cartesian robot to manipulate a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A sand and rock box was placed within the robot workspace volume. Several cylindrical disks of controlled sizes and aspect ratios were used to simulate landmines. Several image sequences were obtained before and after burying the simulated landmines. Extreme care was observed in burying the simulated landmines so that the terrain does not look as if it had been disturbed. The results obtained with this methodology are good. The paper will describe the methodology, testing environment, tests conducted and results obtained.
Research on Interfacing Technology for Digital Protection Based on ECT/EVT

Electronic voltage transducers(EVTs) and electronic current transducers(ECTs) are substituting traditional electromagnetic potential transformers and current transformers.The EVTs and ECTs are interfaced by merging unit(MU) with protection device,so former data acquisition modes are thoroughly changed and new problems are brought into the design of protection devices.After the research on signal processing and conditioning based on EVT and ECT output,by means of phase locked loop(PLL) synchronous phase locked technique and interpolation based sampling calculation method,according to accurate frequency measurement algorithm the real-time adjustment of sampling frequency for digital interfacing with electronic transducers is realized.The results from theoretical analysis and engineering tests show that the proposed method can effectively implement accurate synchronous data acquisition from EVTs and ECTs as required.The proposed method can be applied in the developments and tests of various kinds of digital protection devices.
Latino and Black smokers in the Health and Retirement Study are more likely to quit: the role of light smoking

Older persons are more vulnerable to tobacco mortality and less likely to make quit attempts. Less is known, however, about the role of race and ethnicity on quit rates in the U.S. Using a nationally representative data source of older adults in U.S., we aimed to study racial and ethnic differences in smoking cessation rates. We used data from all waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1992-2012. The HRS is a longitudinal nationally representative survey of adults over the age of 50 in the United States. We followed current smokers at baseline (year 1992) until time to first quit. Race/ethnicity was the main predictor; gender, age, education, marital status, count of chronic medical conditions, depressive symptoms, and drinking at baseline were control variables. Cox regression was used for analysis of time to quit. Hazard ratios of quitting during the first ten (Hazard ratio = 1.51, p < 0.05) and 20 years (Hazard ratio = 1.46, p < 0.05) were larger for Latinos over the age of 50 compared to Whites. In addition, hazard ratios of quitting during the first 20 years (Hazard ratio = 1.19, p < 0.05) were larger for Blacks over the age of 50 compared to Whites. These findings were partially explained by cigarette consumption intensity, such that Latinos were lighter smokers and therefore more likely to quit than Whites. Latinos and Blacks were more likely than Whites to quit smoking cigarettes within 20 years. However, this finding may be explained by cigarette consumption intensity.
Crystal structure of caesium di­hydrogen citrate from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data and DFT comparison

The crystal structure of caesium di­hydrogen citrate, Cs+·H2C6H5O7−, has been solved and refined using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. The coordination polyhedra of the nine-coordinate Cs+ cations share edges to form chains along the a-axis. These chains are linked by corners along the c-axis. The un-ionized carb­oxy­lic acid groups form two different types of hydrogen bonds; one forms a helical chain along the c-axis, and the other is discrete. The hy­droxy group participates in both intra- and inter­molecular hydrogen bonds.
Can post-religious France exist? Abd Al Malik, Frenchness and Islam:

This article explores the work of the writer, rapper and slam poet Abd Al Malik, who shook up the music world with his message of religious tolerance in the midst of the suburb riots in France in 2005 and the Charlie Hebdo attack in 2015. It shows how he builds on his religious conversions and revelations to pose challenging questions about Islam, its interpretations, and its relationship with French society. In his essays and novel, he challenges the readiness of France to accept Muslim culture in its national and cultural identity. In his last novel, he tells the story of a converted Muslim frontrunner in a national presidential election and his reception by the French population. Malik campaigns in favour of a post-religious France through his music and through his literary works. He dismantles the idea that Islam is a religion of people of colour and insists on its multi-ethnicity. His ideal post-religious France would be based on acceptability and inclusivity, love and universalism. Malik insists tha...
Fall-Season Patterns of Turbidity and Sediment Transport in the Korea Strait and Southeastern Yellow Sea

Abstract Suspended-sediment data collected in mid-November of 1980 and 1981 and current meter moorings deployed in September and early October of 1982 suggest an early-fall entrainment and subsequent transport of suspended sediment into the Korea Strait by the South Korean Coastal Current. During transition from summer to winter conditions, suspended-sediment concentrations in the southeastern Yellow Sea range from 5 to 100 mg/1 at the surface and 15 to 250 mg/1 at the bottom in waters that are 20–80 m deep. These concentrations, 1 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than “typical” shelf-depth waters in most other parts of the world, provide the opportunity for enormous sediment transport rates within this coastal mudstream, even under relatively weak currents. The abrupt termination of this inshore band of cold, turbid water as a turbidity front some 25–50 km offshore marks the seaward boundary of the high-transport zone. Landward of the turbidity front, surface waves associated with strong cold-air outbreaks every 7–10 days may destratify the coastal mudstream and entrain additional bottom sediment. Suspended sediments transported into the Korea Strait may accumulate in south-coast embayments, reside in the deep strait, or be carried into the Sea of Japan.