cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transient oxygen transport in hemoglobin layers under conditions of the microcirculation.

In mathematical simulation of oxygen transport the diffusion problem is often simplified by several assumptions including that of local chemical equilibrium and of negligible augmentation of oxygen transport by oxyhemoglobin diffusion. In the present work the applicability of the various assumptions is investigated by numerical solution of the equations governing transient diffusion and reaction in hemoglobin layers. The fluxes, and space and time scales are chosen to cover the range of interest in the microcirculation. The results show that significant improvements in accuracy are possible by treatment of a more complete system of equations, and show the relative importance of the various simplifying assumptions.
Probabilistic structure of two-lane road traffic

Abstract In most predictive models for two-lane road traffic, it is assumed that platoons have no physical dimensions, thus restricting their applicability to light traffic where a platoon cannot be long enough to block the progression of the next one. In this paper a model that can be used for heavy traffic is presented. A queueing theory approach in which vehicles are allowed to have physical dimensions yields the platoon length distribution, the delays to fast vehicles, the headway process and the flow density diagram for both the space and time processes. Unlike in other models, the passing rate is determined from the sight distance characteristics of the road and the opposing traffic flow with an approach similar to the one used for vehicular delays at unsignalized intersections; this improves the predictive capabilities of the model.
Characterization of Ionomer-Compatibilized Blend Morphology Using Synchrotron Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Synchrotron SAXS was used to characterize the morphology of an amorphous ionomer-compatibilized polyester/polyamide blend. This technique was shown to provide very useful information regarding the size of the dispersed domains, the structure of the phase-separated morphology, and the thickness of the blend interface. Two blend series that were investigated include a binary system (polyamide/ionomer) with varying ion contents of the polyester ionomer and a ternary blend (polyamide/polyester/ionomer) with increased loading of an ionomer compatibilizer. The incorporation of ionic functionality, by varying either ion content or ionomer loading, has a significant impact on the sizes of the dispersed domains with both blend systems showing a trend toward smaller domain sizes with an increase in the concentration of ionic functionality. In addition, the 50/50 blend series indicates that the ionic incorporation also leads to a shift in the morphology to a more elongated, cocontinuous structure. While the ionic fu...
Temporal summaries of new topics

We discuss technology to help a person monitor changes in news coverage over time. We define temporal summaries of news stories as extracting a single sentence from each event within a news topic, where the stories are presented one at a time and sentences from a story must be ranked before the next story can be considered. We explain a method for evaluation, and describe an evaluation corpus that we have built. We also propose several methods for constructing temporal summaries and evaluate their effectiveness in comparison to degenerate cases. We show that simple approaches are effective, but that the problem is far from solved.
How Successful Has the Stability and Growth Pact Been? An Empirical Analysis

Summary: Prior to EMU, fiscal policy within the EU was disciplined by the threat of exclusion of the single currency; post-EMU, discipline has been exerted through the provisions of the Stability and Growth Pact. In this paper, we contrast the discipline induced by the two separate regimes on three specific criteria: the probability of violating the 3% deficit limit, the probability of commencing a budgetary consolidation, and the longevity of a budgetary consolidation once undertaken. We find that the runup to EMU did lead to a marked increase in the probability of commencing consolidations. However, once inside EMU, this discipline gradually slipped – with the longevity of consolidations being reduced year on year, and the probability of violating the 3% limit rising year on year. By 2004, the cumulative slippage meant that the initial disciplinary benefits of joining the Euro were completely eroded. Growth accounting analysis reveals that the source of the problem was the reliance on growth to meet budgetary targets and a corresponding failure to build up adequate surpluses at the top of the cycle. Zusammenfassung: Vor dem Beitritt zur EWU wurde die Fiskalpolitik durch den moglichen Ausschluss einer einzelnen Wahrung diszipliniert. Nach dem Beitritt erfolgt diese Disziplinierung durch den Stabilitats- und Wachstumspakt. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz wird die in beiden Regimen ausgeubte Disziplinierung an drei verschiedenen Kriterien uberpruft: der Wahrscheinlichkeit, das 3 %-Kriterium zu verletzen, der Wahrscheinlichkeit, eine Konsolidierung einzuleiten, sowie der Langlebigkeit einmal unternommener Konsolidierung. Im Vorlauf zur EWU stieg die Wahrscheinlichkeit, Konsolidierungen einzuleiten. Waren die Lander jedoch erst einmal aufgenommen, sank die Disziplin deutlich, die Nachhaltigkeit der Konsolidierung nahm ab, und die Wahrscheinlichkeit fur die Verletzung des 3 %-Kriteriums stieg. Im Jahre 2004 waren die disziplinierenden Vorzuge des Beitritts zur EWU aufgebraucht. Die Analyse zeigt, dass die Quelle des Problems darin lag, auf Wachstumseffekte zur Konsolidierung gebaut und keine angemessenen Uberschusse in der Hochphase des Konjunkturzyklus erzielt zu haben.
Unique aspects of women's emotional responses to disability.

Purpose. To improve rehabilitation clinicians' awareness of gender differences in emotional responses to disability as a means of enhancing accuracy and sensitivity in diagnosis and treatment of persons in their care.Method. A prospective survey study using a new grief measure, the Loss Inventory (LI), with a diverse convenience sample of persons undergoing inpatient rehabilitation in the USA. Focused review of the bereavement, depression, and disability literatures related to observed gender differences.Results. Study participants reported grief symptoms in varying intensities. Consistent with all literature reviewed, significant gender differences were found in kind and intensity of grief and depression symptoms reported. Ethnicity also significantly affected responses to disability by LI study participant responses.Conclusions. While persons with disabilities as a whole may not necessarily develop depression, gender is a risk factor for onset of mood problems after illness or injury-related losses. As ...
Modeling the effects of electric fields on nerve fibers: influence of tissue electrical properties

The effects of anisotropy and inhomogeneity of the electrical conductivity of extracellular tissue on excitation of nerve fibers by an extracellular point source electrode were determined by computer simulation. Analytical solutions to Poisson's equation were used to calculate potentials in anisotropic infinite homogeneous media and isotropic semi-infinite inhomogeneous media, and the net driving function was used to calculate excitation thresholds for nerve fibers. The slope and intercept of the current-distance curve in anisotropic media were power functions of the ratio and product of the orthogonal conductivities, respectively. Excitation thresholds in anisotropic media were also dependent on the orientation of the fibers, and in strongly anisotropic media (/spl sigma//sub z///spl sigma//sub xy/>4) there were reversals in the recruitment order between different diameter fibers and between fibers at different distances from the electrode. In source-free regions of inhomogeneous media (two regions of differing conductivity separated by a plane boundary), the current-distance relationship of fibers parallel to the interface was dependent only on the average conductivity, whereas in regions containing the source the current-distance relationship was dependent on the individual values of conductivity. Reversals in recruitment order between fibers at different distances from the electrode and between fibers of differing diameter were found in inhomogeneous media. The results of this simulation study demonstrate that the electrical properties of the extracellular medium can have a strong influence on the pattern of neuronal excitation generated by extracellular electric fields, and indicate the importance of tissue electrical properties in interpreting results of studies employing electrical stimulation applied in complex biological volume conductors.
Presumption against war or presumption against injustice?: The just war tradition reconsidered

How Americans think about war cannot be properly understood apart from reflecting on the American experience of the last half century. And although the language of "just war" on occasion is heard among pundits, politicians, policy analysts, even religious spokes persons, a discernible shift away from classic just-war thinking can be detected in our political and moral discourse as we press into the twenty-first century.1 Particular obstacles impede our understanding of what the just war tradition really is. These impediments are both cultural and theological in nature.2 One might consider, by way of example, how the last fifty years have molded the way in which we think about war and peace, in both the church and the academy. Our national experience as a result of the way World War II ended (at least in the Pacific theater) and our experience in Vietnam in particular have powerfully combined to shape
Quality events: a flexible mechanism for quality of service management

The paper describes a software mechanism, called quality events, that utilizes application- and/or system-level service extensions to provide quality of service (QoS) guarantees to end users. Such extensions offer flexibility in: (1) how application- and/or system-level services are dynamically managed to maintain required quality, (2) when such management occurs, and (3) where this service management is performed. Several adaptive QoS management strategies are implemented with quality events and compared with respect to their ability to meet application-specific QoS requirements. These management strategies have different service adaptation latencies, and different degrees of coordination between services. Significant performance variations observed for these alternative strategies demonstrate the importance of a flexible QoS management mechanism like quality events. Finally, we show that adaptive QoS, and hence resource management strategies can lead to more efficient use of resources, and better qualities of service for certain applications than non-adaptive resource management methods.
Why are Online Catalogs Hard to Use? Lessons Learned from Information=Retrieval Studies

Research in user behavior on online catalogs is in its early stages, but preliminary findings suggest that users encounter many of the same problems identified in behavioral studies of other types of bibliographic retrieval systems. Much can be learned from comparing the results of user behavior studies on these two types of systems. Research on user problems with both the mechanical aspects and the conceptual aspects of system use is reviewed, with the conclusion that more similarity exists across types of systems in conceptual than in mechanical problems. Also discussed are potential sources of the problems, due either to individual characteristics or to system variables. A series of research questions is proposed and a number of potential interim solutions are suggested for alleviating some of the problems encountered by users of information systems.
Ground reflection effects upon radiated and received signals as viewed via image theory

The ground surface affects radiated and received signals of antennas near the surface of ground. By considering spatially extended current distributions, we obtain both positive and negative image results for both horizontal and vertical antennas. We present numerical results for HF with ground surfaces of soil, seawater, and a perfect electrical conductor. To illustrate the angle and frequency-to-height dependence of the constructive and destructive interference, we plot contours (of equal amplitude) of the four different image factors in terms of \theta and height/wavelength ( h/\lambda ). These results provide insight into design considerations involving antennas in the near vicinity of ground.
Child Safety Seats on Commercial Airliners: A Demonstration of Cross-Price Elasticities

The cross-price elasticity concept can be difficult for microeconomics students to grasp. The authors provide a real-life application of cross-price elastic- ities in policymaking. After a debate that spanned more than a decade and included input from safety engineers, medical personnel, politicians, and economists, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced that it would not man- date the use of child safety seats on commercial airliners. The FAA's analysis re- vealed that if families were forced to purchase additional airline tickets, they might opt to drive rather than fly, and driving represents a far more dangerous mode of travel. Given the relatively high cross-price elasticity between automobile travel and air travel, the FAA concluded that the mandatory child safety seat policy failed to pass the cost-benefit test—the policy would lead to a net increase in the number of fatalities. The authors review the FAA's decision-making process and highlight the role of economic analysis in developing public policy.
Rapidly Declining Serum Albumin Values in Newly Hospitalized Patients: Prevalence, Severity, and Contributory Factors

We had noted that a number of hospitalized patients showed abnormally low serum albumin levels within a few days of admission, although the albumin had been normal at admission. Since this rapid decline in albumin could not be accounted for on the basis of starvation, we hypothesized that the changes were due to the increase in intravascular fluid volume which normally occurs with assumption of the recumbent position. Since albumin is often a nutritional screening parameter in hospitalized patients, it is important to ascertain the incidence of such profound changes in albumin as well as to identify possible causes for this change. A survey of 34 concurrent hospital admissions showed that 28 out of 34 (82%) patients had a decline in serum albumin within 5 days of hospitalization. These 28 patients had a decrease of 0.5 +/- 0.09 g/dl. Twenty-five additional patients were studied in order to elucidate causative factors. Twenty out of the 25 showed a decrease in serum albumin within 5 days of admission (mean decrease 0.5 +/- 0.05 g/dl). Hemoglobins in these patients decreased by a mean of 1.1 +/- 0.34 g/dl (p less than 0.01), but BUN and uric acid levels did not change significantly. The one factor common to all patients with declining albumin values was change in posture. All patients were ambulatory at the time of the initial albumin determination but were on bedrest for at least 6 1/2 hours before the second determination. The findings indicate that most hospitalized patients have significant changes in serum albumin levels which occur with change in posture. If the albumin level is to be used as a nutritional indicator, the patient's position at the time of phlebotomy is essential for accurate interpretation of results.
A mathematical analysis of enzyme stabilization by a series‐type mechanism: Influence of chemical modifiers

A series-type enzyme deactivation model is utilized to theoretically analyze and to quantify the effect of chemical modifier concentration on the eventual level of enzyme activity stabilization, alpha(2). An increase in the concentration of phosphate ion and NADP increases alpha(2) for the enzymes studied. One example of each enzyme deactivation is given wherein the introduction of chemical modifiers changes the deactivation mechanism from a single-step to a series-type mechanism, and from a series-type to a single-step mechanism. Simple empirical equations are proposed to quantify the effect of chemical modifier concentration on alpha(2).
The Shwachman-Diamond SBDS protein localizes to the nucleolus

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder characterized by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and bone marrow failure. The gene for this syndrome, SBDS, encodes a highly conserved novel protein. We characterized Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) protein expression and intracellular localization in 7 patients with SDS and healthy controls. As predicted by gene mutation, 4 patients with SDS exhibited no detectable full-length SBDS protein. Patient DF277, who was homozygous for the IVS2 + 2 T>C splice donor mutation, expressed scant levels of SBDS protein. Patient SD101 expressed low levels of SBDS protein harboring an R169C missense mutation. Patient DF269, who carried no detectable gene mutations, expressed wild-type levels of SBDS protein to add further support to the growing body of evidence for additional gene(s) that might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease phenotype. The SBDS protein was detected in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of normal control fibroblasts, but was particularly concentrated within the nucleolus. SBDS localization was cell-cycle dependent, with nucleolar localization during G1 and G2 and diffuse nuclear localization during S phase. SBDS nucleolar localization was intact in SD101 and DF269. The intranucleolar localization of SBDS provides further supportive evidence for its postulated role in rRNA processing.
Global Precipitation Measurement update

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international cooperative program whose objectives are to (a) increase understanding of rainfall processes, and (b) make frequent rainfall measurements on a global basis. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Japanese Aviation Exploration Agency have entered into a cooperative effort for the formulation and development of GPM. This effort represents a continuation of the partnership that developed the highly successful Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Several activities discussed within this paper reflect the maturity of the project formulation activities that have been completed and forms a basis for the anticipated receipt of approval to begin project implementation during the forthcoming year.
A Facile Circular Dichroism Protocol for Rapid Determination of Enantiomeric Excess and Concentration of Chiral Primary Amines

A protocol for the rapid determination of the absolute configuration and enantiomeric excess (ee) of alpha-chiral primary amines with potential applications in asymmetric reaction discovery has been developed. The protocol requires derivatization of alpha-chiral primary amines through condensation with pyridine carboxaldehyde to quantitatively yield the corresponding imine. The Cu(I) complex with 2,2'-bis (diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-dinaphthyl (BINAP--Cu(I)) with the imine yields a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) band in the visible region of the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum upon binding. Diastereomeric host-guest complexes give CD signals of the same signs but different amplitudes, allowing for differentiation of enantiomers. Processing the primary optical data from the CD spectrum with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) allows for the determination of the absolute configuration and identification of the amines, and processing with a supervised multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) allows for the simultaneous determination of the ee and concentration. The primary optical data necessary to determine the ee of unknown samples is obtained in two minutes per sample. To demonstrate the utility of the protocol in asymmetric reaction discovery, the ee values and concentrations for an asymmetric metal-catalyzed reaction are determined. The potential of the application of this protocol in high-throughput screening (HTS) of ee is discussed.
Nice equations for nice groups

Nice trinomial equations are given for unramified coverings of the affine line in nonzero characteristicp with PSL(m,q) and SL(m,q) as Galois groups. Likewise, nice trinomial equations are given for unramified coverings of the (once) punctured affine line in nonzero characteristicp with PGL(m,q) and GL(m,q) as Galois groups. Herem>1 is any integer andq>1 is any power ofp.
Parallelizing XQuery In a Cluster Environment

In this paper, we report on a parallel implementation of XQuery. As XQuery is being used for processing large datasets, and/or for computeintensive applications, efficiency of XQuery implementations is becoming an important issue. Our work has specifically focused on scienti fic data processing and data mining applications. Parallelization of this class of XQuery queries involves a number of challenges, which include data distribution, parallelization of generalized reductions, and translation to an imperative language like C/C++, so as to invoke effi- cient parallel communication libraries. In this paper, we report our solutions towards the above problems. By implementing the techniques in a compiler and generating code based on a C++ SAX parser and the Message Passing Interface (MPI), we are able to achieve efficient parallel execution on a cluster of machines.
Closing the capacity gap in wireless ad hoc networks using multi-packet reception

In this paper, we compute the throughput capacity of random wireless ad hoc networks in which nodes are endowed with multipacket reception (MPR) capabilities. We show that lambda(n) = Theta((R(n))(1-2/alpha)/n1/alpha) bits per second constitutes a tight bound for the throughput capacity of random wireless ad hoc networks using physical model, where alpha > 2 is the path loss parameter in the physical model, n is the total number of nodes in the network, and R(n) is the MPR receiver range. Compared to the original result derived for plain routing by Gupta and Kumar, MPR closes the capacity gap and achieves a capacity gain of at least Theta((log n)alpha-2/2alpha) when R(n) = Theta(radiclog n/n).
Phylogenetic Composition of Rocky Mountain Endolithic Microbial Ecosystems

The endolithic environment, the pore space in rocks, is a ubiquitous microbial habitat. Photosynthesis-based endolithic communities inhabit the outer few millimeters to centimeters of rocks exposed to the surface. Such endolithic ecosystems have been proposed as simple, tractable models for understanding basic principles in microbial ecology. In order to test previously conceived hypotheses about endolithic ecosystems, we studied selected endolithic communities in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States with culture-independent molecular methods. Community compositions were determined by determining rRNA gene sequence contents, and communities were compared using statistical phylogenetic methods. The results indicate that endolithic ecosystems are seeded from a select, global metacommunity and form true ecological communities that are among the simplest microbial ecosystems known. Statistical analysis showed that biogeographical characteristics that control community composition, such as rock type, are more complex than predicted. Collectively, results of this study support the idea that patterns of microbial diversity found in endolithic communities are governed by principles similar to those observed in macroecological systems.
Evaluation of owner experiences and adherence to home-cooked diet recipes for dogs.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate owner experiences and adherence to home-cooked diet recipes for dogs. METHODS Clients of a veterinary teaching hospital clinical nutrition service who had a home-cooked diet recipe formulated for their dogs between March 2011 and December 2013 were given a survey by email, postal mail and telephone. Survey questions addressed motivations, positive and negative aspects of feeding home-cooked diets and current feeding practices. Responses were compared to animals’ medical records to determine adherence. RESULTS Of the 93 owners who were contacted, 53 (57%) completed the survey. Of the 53 respondents, 43 owners (81%) reported that they were still feeding an home-cooked diet or had fed an home-cooked diet until the time of their dogs’ deaths. The most common motivation for feeding a home-cooked diet was suitability for specific medical needs. Of the 30 surveys that included a complete diet history, only four (13%) demonstrated exact adherence to home-cooked diet recipes. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Most respondents liked and continued to feed a home-cooked diet, but few owners adhered to prescribed recipes and many dogs required recipe modifications. It is important to counsel dog owners about benefits and drawbacks of feeding home-cooked diets, importance of recipe adherence and necessity for follow-up after diet formulation with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.
Hepatic free radical production after cold storage: Kupffer cell-dependent and -independent mechanisms in rats.

Abstract Background/Aims: Free radicals are important mediators of reperfusion injury; however, the mechanism(s) of oxyradical production after liver reimplantation are not well understood. A model of cold storage and reperfusion using low-level chemiluminescence to directly measure oxyradical production during reperfusion was developed. Methods: Rat livers were harvested and stored at 4°C in University of Wisconsin cold-storage solution or Euro-Collins solution for 0–48 hours and then flushed and reperfused with warm oxygenated (37°C) Krebs-Henseleit buffer. Liver chemiluminescence was measured using a sensitive photomultiplier tube, and hepatocellular injury was assessed by measuring aspartate aminotransferase release into the perfusate. Results: Chemiluminescence reached a maximum within 5 minutes of reperfusion and then decreased to a baseline within 30 minutes. There was a marked increase in chemiluminescence after only a short period of storage in University of Wisconsin coldstorage solution. Chemiluminescence decreased with longer periods of storage but steadily increased again after 16 hours of storage. Chemiluminescence after 22 hours of storage, but not after 3 hours of storage, was decreased by pretreatment with the Kupffer cell inactivator gadolinium chloride. Conclusions: The data suggest two mechanisms of oxyradical production during cold storage and reperfusion of the rat liver. The later phase seems to be Kupffer cell dependent.
Outsourcing U.S. Jobs Abroad: Why?

Although the United States is the world’s biggest proponent of capitalism and free trade, the time has come to address what global economic pressures have done to America’s labor force. From the Second World War to approximately the late 1990s, the U.S. labor market was robust and “full employment” without inflation appeared to be feasible. However, the rapid spread of global technology provided the means by which all resources, including labor, could be transferred or utilized around the world with ease. From the 1980’s forward, the American government began to favor deregulation, less government regulation on business, as well as more favorable business taxes. From 2000 to the present, the U.S. government “encouraged” the exporting of American jobs to other countries that provided less expensive labor as well as other favorable political and economic incentives. This was done by passing favorable domestic tax legislation for those firms that wished to outsource production. This paper addresses the dilemma that the U.S. economy now faces with high unemployment and its contribution to slow economic growth. Some of the economic, legal, and political factors that have encouraged the outsourcing of jobs are also addressed. A brief review of some of the suggested ways to help reverse U.S. job losses due to outsourcing is also explored.
Catalytic Functions of the Isoprenyl Diphosphate Synthase Superfamily in Plants: A Growing Repertoire

The discovery of artemisinin as an antimalarial agent by Professor Youyou Tu of China was awarded the Noble prize in Physiology and Medicine in 2015. Notably, artemisinin belongs to the terpenoids; more than 55 000 of them have been isolated from nature. Important for both cellular and ecological functions (Gershenzon and Dudareva, 2007), terpenoids are particularly rich in plants. It has been a long-standing question to chemists and biologists alike: how are enormously diverse terpenoids made by plants? One current understanding is that terpene synthases, which convert isoprenyl diphosphates to terpene skeletons, play a central role in generating structural diversity of terpenoids (Chen et al., 2011).
Structural basis for promiscuous PAM recognition in type I-E Cascade from E. coli.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and the cas (CRISPR-associated) operon form an RNA-based adaptive immune system against foreign genetic elements in prokaryotes. Type I accounts for 95% of CRISPR systems, and has been used to control gene expression and cell fate. During CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided interference, Cascade (CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defence) facilitates the crRNA-guided invasion of double-stranded DNA for complementary base-pairing with the target DNA strand while displacing the non-target strand, forming an R-loop. Cas3, which has nuclease and helicase activities, is subsequently recruited to degrade two DNA strands. A protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequence flanking target DNA is crucial for self versus foreign discrimination. Here we present the 2.45 A crystal structure of Escherichia coli Cascade bound to a foreign double-stranded DNA target. The 5'-ATG PAM is recognized in duplex form, from the minor groove side, by three structural features in the Cascade Cse1 subunit. The promiscuity inherent to minor groove DNA recognition rationalizes the observation that a single Cascade complex can respond to several distinct PAM sequences. Optimal PAM recognition coincides with wedge insertion, initiating directional target DNA strand unwinding to allow segmented base-pairing with crRNA. The non-target strand is guided along a parallel path 25 A apart, and the R-loop structure is further stabilized by locking this strand behind the Cse2 dimer. These observations provide the structural basis for understanding the PAM-dependent directional R-loop formation process.
Party Nomination Rules and Campaign Participation

This study examines how political party organizations shape campaign participation in advanced industrialized parliamentary democracies. In some parties, members directly nominate candidates to run for parliament. In others, selection is the sole responsibility of the party leadership. Two countervailing arguments are presented: one stating that member participation will increase incentives to get involved in campaigns; the other contending that democratic nominations expose internal party divisions and depress participation. The hypotheses are tested using cross-national election surveys and original candidate selection data. Participation is measured in two ways: campaign activity and political persuasion. The results suggest that partisans are more likely to participate when leaders, rather than members, select candidates. In addition, the article examines the role of party ideology, size, incumbency, and heterogeneity in shaping participation.
Oral Steroid Therapy for Chronic Middle Ear Perfusion: A Double-Blind Crossover Study:

A prospective, double-blind crossover study design was used in the evaluation of the role of prednisone in the treatment of a chronic middle ear effusion. Sixty children with an effusion--of at least 2 months' duration--randomly received either prednisone or placebo for 2 weeks. One week later they were re-evaluated. If the effusion had resolved, they were followed periodically; if the effusion persisted, they were given the crossover regimen and reevaluated. Sixty percent of the patients' effusions cleared, but there was no statistical difference between the prednisone and placebo groups. The amount of hearing recovery was also the same for both treatment regimens. Subdividing the patients on the basis of effusion duration, unilateral vs. bilateral effusions, or history of ventilation tubes or antibiotics failed to identify a subgroup of individuals who might benefit from a short-term course of oral steroids.
Cohort Rearing and Prolonged Cold-Storage of the Sunflower Strain of Oncopeltus fasciatus

The construction and use of several sizes of cages for experiments or colony rearing of the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas), are described. Large adults are produced by a mean sunflower seed consumption of about 60 mg per bug, of which 1/3 is retained as dry body weight, and smaller adults by limiting consumption to about 30 mg per bug. Water consumption is of the order of 20% of live body weight per day at 30Â°C. Adults can be stored at 14°C for 3 months without food and for at least 5 months with an aqueous (SYE) solution of 50% (w/w) sucrose and 1.25% yeast extract, absorbed in polyester fleece. Survivors, restored to 30 °C with seed, produce enough viable eggs to maintain the colony; egg production is larger if the cold-storage period is shorter, but still lower than that of unstored colonies. First-stage nymphs can be stored for 2 months at 14°C on SYE; mortality is high but survivors grow and reproduce at 30°C on seed. Larger nymphs, like eggs, do not tolerate prolonged cold-storage. During 14°C storage there is little or no seed-feeding, mating, or egg production, but nymphs can still molt at least once. The sucrose intake rate is ca. 20—30 mg/g-day at 30°C but only % as great at 14°C. The rearing system described minimizes labor and various potential problems; frequent servicing is required only during the egg-production stage.
On the Genus Lynchia from Africa (Diptera: Hippoboscidae)

The African species of the genus Lynchia sen. Bequaert 1926 are allotted to 8 groups. A synoptic key to all species, descriptions of 6 new ones, host and distributional records of previously described ones and supplementary notes on L. meda Maa are included.
RF Network Localization Method for Unmanned Robotics Systems

The paper presents a preliminary study towards developing a Global Positioning System (GPS) free localization method, which monitors the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) between several stationary nodes (anchor nodes) and a mobile node to predict the position of the mobile node. The main goals of the paper are to find the optimal localization algorithm and identify the optimal number of anchor nodes that would provide the desired localization precision. It will be shown that the proposed technique is affordable and can be successfully used in electronically noisy environments (e.g., indoor). The study is performed with a 434 MHz RF localization system that should provide less interference than the typical 2.4 GHz systems that commonly experience interference from other domestic technologies. The results reveal the feasibility and shortcomings of these systems for designing a more accurate real-time positioning system.
Quality of Life for Dementia Caregiving Dyads: Effects of Incongruent Perceptions of Everyday Care and Values

Purpose of the study This dyadic study investigated incongruence in care recipients' (CRs') and caregivers' (CGs') perceptions of (a) CRs' involvement in decision making and (b) how much CRs value social relations as predictors of subjective quality of life (QOL) of CRs with mild-to-moderate dementia and their primary family CGs. Design and methods A secondary analysis of cross-sectional, dyadic data from in-person interviews with 205 CRs with mild-to-moderate dementia and their primary family CGs Incongruence was operationalized in two ways: absolute difference and direction of difference. Paired t tests and multilevel modeling were used to analyze differences. Results CGs reported CRs were significantly less involved in decision making and valued social relations significantly less than CRs. Greater incongruence on CRs' values significantly predicted lower QOL of CG and CR. When CGs reported that CRs valued social relationships less than the CR himself/herself reported, CGs' and CRs' QOL was significantly lower compared with QOL for dyads where there was no incongruence on CRs' values. Incongruent perceptions of CRs' involvement in decisions were not a significant predictor of QOL. Implications This study provides evidence for the importance of assessing both CRs' and CGs' QOL, as well as incongruence in their perceptions in domains that may affect both of their QOL.
What ethical issues should general dentists consider when the state of the economy affects decisions regarding referral of patients to specialists

QI am a referral-based specialist and increasingly general dentists have contacted me for advice and consultation after they have attempted to treat patients with complex problems who previously would have been referred directly to me. I suspect this may be due to the downturn in the economy. What are the ethical considerations for general dentists when deciding whether a procedure requires that he or she refer a patient to a specialist, and how does the economic climate affect this?
Metrics on 4-dimensional unimodular Lie groups

We classify left invariant metrics on the 4-dimensional, simply connected, unimodular Lie groups up to automorphism. When the corresponding Lie algebra is of type (R), this is equivalent to classifying the left invariant metrics up to isometry, but in general the classification up to automorphism is finer than that up to isometry. In the abelian case, all left invariant metrics are isometric. In the nilpotent case, the space of metrics can have dimension 1 or 3. In the solvable case, the dimension can be 2, 4, or 5. There are two non-solvable 4-dimensional unimodular groups, and the space of metrics has dimension 6 in both of these cases.
Using Java LeJOS to teach robotics to Java programmers: pre-conference workshop

This workshop describes how the Java LeJOS platform may be used to teach Java programmers how to create robotics applications that allow a robot to interact with its environment. It also illustrates how there is a minimal learning curve for people who are familiar with Java using the Java LeJOS platform to create robotics applications.
A Cell-Autonomous Mammalian 12 hr Clock Coordinates Metabolic and Stress Rhythms.

Besides circadian rhythms, oscillations cycling with a 12 hr period exist. However, the prevalence, origin, regulation, and function of mammalian 12 hr rhythms remain elusive. Utilizing an unbiased mathematical approach identifying all superimposed oscillations, we uncovered prevalent 12 hr gene expression and metabolic rhythms in mouse liver, coupled with a physiological 12 hr unfolded protein response oscillation. The mammalian 12 hr rhythm is cell autonomous, driven by a dedicated 12 hr pacemaker distinct from the circadian clock, and can be entrained in vitro by metabolic and ER stress cues. Mechanistically, we identified XBP1s as a transcriptional regulator of the mammalian 12 hr clock. Downregulation of the 12 hr gene expression strongly correlates with human hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis, implying its importance in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. The mammalian 12 hr rhythm of gene expression also is conserved in nematodes and crustaceans, indicating an ancient origin of the 12 hr clock. Our work sheds new light on how perturbed biological rhythms contribute to human disease.
Involutions of Type G 2 Over Fields of Characteristic Two

We continue a study of automorphisms of order 2 of algebraic groups. In particular we look at groups of type G2 over fields k of characteristic two. Let C be an octonion algebra over k; then Aut(C) is a group of type G2 over k. We characterize automorphisms of order 2 and their corresponding fixed point groups for Aut(C) by establishing a connection between the structure of certain four dimensional subalgebras of C and the elements in Aut(C) that induce inner automorphisms of order 2. These automorphisms relate to certain quadratic forms which, in turn, determine the Galois cohomology of the fixed point groups of the involutions. The characteristic two case is unique because of the existence of four dimensional totally singular subalgebras. Over finite fields we show how our results coincide with known results, and we establish a classification of automorphisms of order 2 over infinite fields of characteristic two.
Consuming Almonds vs. Isoenergetic Baked Food Does Not Differentially Influence Postprandial Appetite or Neural Reward Responses to Visual Food Stimuli

Nuts have high energy and fat contents, but nut intake does not promote weight gain or obesity, which may be partially explained by their proposed high satiety value. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effects of consuming almonds versus a baked food on postprandial appetite and neural responses to visual food stimuli. Twenty-two adults (19 women and 3 men) with a BMI between 25 and 40 kg/m² completed the current study during a 12-week behavioral weight loss intervention. Participants consumed either 28 g of whole, lightly salted roasted almonds or a serving of a baked food with equivalent energy and macronutrient contents in random order on two testing days prior to and at the end of the intervention. Pre- and postprandial appetite ratings and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were completed on all four testing days. Postprandial hunger, desire to eat, fullness, and neural responses to visual food stimuli were not different following consumption of almonds and the baked food, nor were they influenced by weight loss. These results support energy and macronutrient contents as principal determinants of postprandial appetite and do not support a unique satiety effect of almonds independent of these variables.
Vocabulary and Language Model Adaptation Using just One File

This paper investigates unsupervised vocabulary and language model self-adaptation (VLA) from just one speech file using the web as a knowledge source and without prior knowledge of topic or domain beyond optional file metadata. Single-file self adaptation is regularly used for acoustic adaptation, but to date, is rarely used for VLA. The method investigated here uses a first-pass transcript or file metadata to generate web search queries for retrieving texts for adaptation. Various strategies for building queries, retrieving web texts and maximizing out-of-vocabulary (OOV) recovery while constraining vocabulary growth are examined. Significant improvements are demonstrated for transcribing and searching recorded lectures and telephone calls. The proposed method is orthogonal with acoustic adaptation and system combination and integrates well in multi-pass recognition architectures.
Sleep Deprivation Diminishes Attentional Control Effectiveness and Impairs Flexible Adaptation to Changing Conditions

Insufficient sleep is a global public health problem resulting in catastrophic accidents, increased mortality, and hundreds of billions of dollars in lost productivity. Yet the effect of sleep deprivation (SD) on decision making and performance is often underestimated by fatigued individuals and is only beginning to be understood by scientists. The deleterious impact of SD is frequently attributed to lapses in vigilant attention, but this account fails to explain many SD-related problems, such as loss of situational awareness and perseveration. Using a laboratory study protocol, we show that SD individuals can maintain information in the focus of attention and anticipate likely correct responses, but their use of such a top-down attentional strategy is less effective at preventing errors caused by competing responses. Moreover, when the task environment requires flexibility, performance under SD suffers dramatically. The impairment in flexible shifting of attentional control we observed is distinct from lapses in vigilant attention, as corroborated by the specificity of the influence of a genetic biomarker, the dopaminergic polymorphism DRD2 C957T. Reduced effectiveness of top-down attentional control under SD, especially when conditions require flexibility, helps to explain maladaptive performance that is not readily explained by lapses in vigilant attention.
The analysis of synovial fluid in total knee arthroplasties with flexion instability.

AimsPatients with flexion instability after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often present with a recurrent effusion, which may be a haemarthrosis. While the radiographic factors contributing to flexion instability have been elucidated, the clinical diagnosis remains challenging. Our aim, in this study, was to determine the mean white cell count and differential profile in pre-operative aspirations of synovial fluid in a consecutive series of patients undergoing revision TKA for flexion instability.Patients and MethodsBetween 2000 and 2010, 60 patients undergoing aseptic revision TKA for flexion instability were identified. The results of the pre-operative aspiration of synovial fluid were available for 53 patients (88%). These patients were 1:2 matched to 106 patients who underwent aseptic TKA for indications other than flexion instability. The mean age of the patients at revision TKA was 65 years (44 to 82) and 55% were women. The mean follow-up was 4.3 years (2 to 10.2).ResultsIn the flexion instability g...
Methodologies and practices for adoption of a novel national research environment

There are numerous domains of science that have been using high performance computing (HPC) systems for decades. Historically, when new HPC resources are introduced, specific variations may require researchers to make minor adjustments to their workflows but the general usage and expectations remain much the same. This consistency means that domain scientists can generally move from system to system as necessary and as new resources come online, they can be fairly easily adopted by these researchers. However, as novel resources, such as cloud computing systems, become available, additional work may be required in order to help researchers find and use the resource. When the goal of a system's funding and deployment is to find non-traditional research groups that have been under-served by the national cyberinfrastructure, a different approach to system adoption and training is required. When Jetstream was funded by the NSF as the first production research cloud, it became clear that to attract non-traditional or under-served researchers, a very proactive approach would be required. Here we show how the Jetstream team 1) developed methods and practices for increasing awareness of the system to both traditional HPC users as well as under-served and non-traditional users of HPC systems, 2) developed training approaches which highlight the capabilities that a cloud system may offer that are different from traditional HPC systems. We also discuss areas of success and failure, and plans for future efforts.