cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An exploratory study of inducing positive expectancies for psychotherapy.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine whether explicit presentation of outcome data about the effectiveness of psychotherapy among older adults increased positive expectancy for treatment. Method: The study included an ethically diverse sample of 50 adults over age 60 who screened positive for depression and agreed to participate in the BRIGHTEN Program, an interdisciplinary geriatric mental health program. Prior to treatment initiation, we presented participants with outcome data about psychotherapy, asked participants to rate and respond to the data, and asked participants about prior experience with mental health treatment. These data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Results: Higher importance ratings for the outcome data were significantly associated with starting psychotherapy (r = 0.30, p = 0.04). Depression severity predicted importance assigned to the outcome data (s = 0.36, p = 0.03), more severely depressed participants rated the outcome data as more important. Qualit...
Measurement of nanomechanical properties of metals using the atomic force microscope

The capability of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to quantitatively measure the nanoscale mechanical properties of metals via nanoindentation is illustrated with three single‐crystal metals–chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten. Three distinct regions with differing elastic moduli are found: (1) a low modulus for the outermost surface layer whose thickness scales with the degree of hydrocarbon surface contamination, (2) a much higher modulus at a depth and thickness corresponding to the native oxide layer; and (3) an intermediate modulus at larger depths corresponding to the bulk modulus of the metal. In all cases, the modulus of the oxide is significantly larger than the bulk metal. Furthermore, the AFM can be used to ‘‘depth profile’’ the oxide layer giving new information about the sharpness of the oxide/metal interface.
Effects of Isoxazole Herbicides on Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase and Porphyrin Physiology

The biochemical and physiological effects of 10 isoxazoles were investigated. The amount of protoporphyrin IX caused to accumulate by the compounds correlated well with their herbicidal activity. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (Protox) was inhibited competitively in the proximity of the catalytic site. However, the Protox I50 values of the methyl esters and acid chloride derivatives were lower than expected on the basis of their in vivo herbicidal activity. The results suggest that some tolerance mechanism, other than differential absorption and translocation, may protect the plants against these compounds. The molecular properties of 9 isoxazoles and 2 other well-known inhibitors of different herbicide groups were compared to those of protoporphyrinogen (Protogen). The most active compounds have similar bulk, electronic, and energy properties that approximate half of the Protogen molecule. Furthermore, these compounds have atoms/groups on the ring that generate distinct negative electrostatic potential field...
Isolation of oligo(U)-containing heterogeneous nuclear RNA from control and 5,6-dichloro-1-β-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole-treated HeLa cells

Abstract Most (54–79%) of the heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) which contains oligo(U) sequences was specifically retained on columns of poly(A) Sepharose and separated from hnRNA which lacked oligo(U) sequences. The isolation of oligo(U)-containing hnRNA was maximized by treating the hnRNA with HCHO prior to chromatography. This permitted an initial characterization of the oligo(U)-containing hnRNA. Experiments suggest that HCHO denatured the hnRNA and rendered the oligo(U) sequences accessible to poly(A) Sepharose. In denatured hnRNA, the percentage of molecules which contained an oligo(U) sequence increased with the size of the hnRNA; 32–57% of the large hnRNA [8–13 kilobases (kb) long] contained an oligo(U) sequence while only 11–14% of the 2-kb-long hnRNA contained an oligo(U) sequence. The number of oligo(U) sequences per molecule was also measured in denatured hnRNA of varying length. While the largest hnRNA class analyzed (13 kb) was found to contain the highest percentage of oligo(U)-containing molecules (57%), the 8- and 2-kb-long hnRNA fractions contained a greater total number of oligo(U)-containing molecules. The percentage of hnRNA molecules which contained an oligo(U) sequence, the number of oligo(U) sequences per molecule, and the size of the oligo(U) sequence were similar in both control hnRNA and the fraction of hnRNA (~30%) which is resistant to inhibition by 5,6-dichloro-1-β- d -ribofuranosylbenzimidazole.
Identification of candidate Klf4 target genes reveals the molecular basis of the diverse regulatory roles of Klf4 in the mouse cornea.

PURPOSE. Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of the mouse cornea. In the current study, wild-type (WT) and Klf4-conditional null (Klf4CN) corneal gene expression patterns were examined, to gain understanding of the molecular basis of the Klf4CN corneal phenotype. METHODS. Expression of more than 22,000 genes in 10 WT and Klf4CN corneas was compared by microarrays, analyzed using BRB ArrayTools (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD) and validated by Q-RT-PCR. Transient cotransfections were used to test whether Klf4 activates the aquaporin-3, Aldh3al, and TKT promoters. RESULTS. Scatterplot analysis identified 740 and 529 genes up-and downregulated by more than twofold, respectively, in the Klf4CN corneas. Cell cycle activators were upregulated, whereas the inhibitors were downregulated, consistent with the increased Klf4CN corneal epithelial cell proliferation. Desmosomal components were downregulated, consistent with the Klf4CN corneal epithelial fragility. Downregulation of aquaporin-3, detected by microarray, was confirmed by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. Aquaporin-3 promoter activity was stimulated 7- to 10-fold by cotransfection with pCI-Klf4. The corneal crystallins Aldh3A1 and TKT were downregulated in the Klf4CN cornea, and their respective promoter activities were upregulated 16- and 9-fold by pCI-Klf4 in cotransfections. The expression of epidermal keratinocyte differentiation markers was affected in the Klf4CN cornea. Although the cornea-specific keratin-12 was downregulated, most other keratins were upregulated, suggesting hyperkeratosis. CONCLUSIONS. Functionally diverse candidate Klf4 target genes were identified, revealing the molecular basis of the diverse aspects of the Klf4CN corneal phenotype. These results establish Klf4 as an important node in the genetic network of transcription factors regulating the corneal homeostasis.
Controlled Formation of GaAs pn Junctions During Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy of GaAs

Abstract Interface formation in HVPE GaAs was investigated through the growth of multilayer test structures with alternately doped and undoped layers and subsequently, pn diode devices. Two growth procedures were used in device formation: continuous growth of all layers, and a growth interruption with simultaneous equilibration of new gas flows for subsequent layers. These junctions were probed using SIMS to determine the doping profiles and impurity incorporation near the interfaces and throughout the bulk of the layers. The junction I – V characteristics were measured with and without illumination to correlate the junction properties with the measured photovoltaic performance. It was discovered that the use of a growth interruption leads to doping transitions up to 6x narrower than samples grown without interruption. The growth interruption leads to an interfacial Si spike that is not observed in the uninterrupted samples during growth of GaAs doped with silane. This spike does not appear to degrade either the material quality or pn junction quality, and pn diodes grown with interruption have exhibited enhanced device efficiencies under solar simulation compared with devices grown without interruption, reaching efficiencies of up to 9.2% without the use of antireflective coatings.
Modeling germ cell differentiation

Endowed with the task of transmitting the genetic information to the next generation, germ cells are without doubt critical cells for any species that multiplies through sexual reproduction. Recognizing the vital importance of germ cells to species survival, in many lower organisms including Drosophila Melanogaster, Xenopus Laevis and the Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) germ cell formation is rigidly programmed. In these species, germ cell specification occurs through the localization of so-called “germ plasm” to the posterior pole of the unfertilized egg (Baughman and Geijsen, ; Jin and Xie, ; Strome and Lehmann, 2007). Following the first cleavage divisions, cells that receive the germ plasm are destined to become the germline stem cells. Such a pre-determination model of germ cell specification assures that germ cells are set-aside during the earliest steps of embryonic development, protecting them from the lineage specification and differentiation events that craft the body plan of the embryo. In egg-laying species, which have limited control over the embryo's extra-embryonic milieu, the specification of germ cells through pre-localized germ-plasm may protect the germline against environmental influences. The inheritance of germ plasm in lower organisms is sufficient to install a germ cell identity, but the specific mechanisms by which this occurs remain unknown.
δ-Catenin/NPRAP: A New Member of the Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Signaling Complex That Promotes β-Catenin Turnover in Neurons

Through a multiprotein complex, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) phosphorylates and destabilizes beta-catenin, an important signaling event for neuronal growth and proper synaptic function. delta-Catenin, or NPRAP (CTNND2), is a neural enriched member of the beta-catenin superfamily and is also known to modulate neurite outgrowth and synaptic activity. In this study, we investigated the possibility that delta-catenin expression is also affected by GSK-3beta signaling and participates in the molecular complex regulating beta-catenin turnover in neurons. Immunofluorescent light microscopy revealed colocalization of delta-catenin with members of the molecular destruction complex: GSK-3beta, beta-catenin, and adenomatous polyposis coli proteins in rat primary neurons. GSK-3beta formed a complex with delta-catenin, and its inhibition resulted in increased delta-catenin and beta-catenin expression levels. LY294002 and amyloid peptide, known activators of GSK-3beta signaling, reduced delta-catenin expression levels. Furthermore, delta-catenin immunoreactivity increased and protein turnover decreased when neurons were treated with proteasome inhibitors, suggesting that the stability of delta-catenin, like that of beta-catenin, is regulated by proteasome-mediated degradation. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that delta-catenin overexpression promoted GSK-3beta and beta-catenin interactions. Primary cortical neurons and PC12 cells expressing delta-catenin treated with proteasome inhibitors showed increased ubiquitinated beta-catenin forms. Consistent with the hypothesis that delta-catenin promotes the interaction of the destruction complex molecules, cycloheximide treatment of cells overexpressing delta-catenin showed enhanced beta-catenin turnover. These studies identify delta-catenin as a new member of the GSK-3beta signaling pathway and further suggest that delta-catenin is potentially involved in facilitating the interaction, ubiquitination, and subsequent turnover of beta-catenin in neuronal cells.
Increased phosphorylation of a specific protein in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes.

Abstract The phosphorylation of proteins from murine splenic lymphocytes was studied. When the phosphorylation of proteins in extracts from Concanavalin A (ConA)-treated lymphocytes was compared with that of resting lymphocytes, there was only one detectable difference between them. A protein of 135 000 mol. wt was highly phosphorylatable in extracts from ConA-treated cells while phosphate incorporation into this protein was slight in extracts from untreated cells. This effect could be observed 12 h after ConA treatment and was maximal during S phase. This soluble protein was also phosphorylated in intact lymphocytes.
Possibility of Ω − -Hyperonic Atoms and the Electric Quadrupole Moment of the Ω − Particle

The only relatively long-lived fundamental particle which may possess an electric quadrupole moment is the ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ hyperon, since it has spin 3/2. We consider the possibility that ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ hyperons may be captured into atomic orbits at some future date. If this possibility should be realized (in spite of great technical difficulties), then it may be possible to determine simultaneously the electric quadrupole moment ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ and the magnetic dipole moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ of the ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ hyperon. In the present paper, we have calculated the fine structure of the ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{b}$ atom for reasonable values of ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\ensuremath{\Omega}}$. The $n=11$, $l=10\ensuremath{\rightarrow}n=10$, $l=9$ transition has been considered, since there is some indication from an experiment on antiprotonic atoms that the capture of the ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ by the nucleus will take place from a hydrogenic state with $n$ of the order of 10 for lead, and $l\ensuremath{\sim}n\ensuremath{-}1$. It is shown that for ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\Omega}}=2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}26}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, the quadrupole splittings should be resolvable experimentally. The magnetic dipole splittings have also been calculated.
A Comparison of College Students and Narcotic Addicts on a Risky-Cautious Dimension

College students made individual decisions on risky and cautious value engaging situations, following which they indicated the assumed or predicated decisions (1) for other college students, (2) for addicts, and (3) for the response they would most admire. Narcotic addicts also made their own decisions on the same problems. The students' results supported Brown's (1965) assumption that persons tend to see themselves as relatively more risky or cautious than others, depending upon the values engaged. Generally, the valued responses (most admired) were the most extreme in the direction of the values engaged. The student's own decisions were next in order, followed by the predicted responses for other students and for addicts, which were less extreme in the direction of the values engaged. The predicted responses for addicts were interpreted in terms of stereotype-directed response patterns. Comparisons between the actual decisions made by the students and by the addicts suggest that the addicts were less se...
Interconversion between (3,1) and (4,0) Isomers of Ru2(L)4X Complexes where L is 2-Anilinopyridinate or 2-(2,4,6-Trifluoroanilino)pyridinate Anion and X = Cl− or C≡CC5H4N−

A reaction between the (4,0) isomer of Ru2(ap)4Cl and LiC≡CC5H4N leads to a (3,1) isomer of Ru2(ap)4(C≡CC5H4N)2 1 (ap = anilinopyridinate anion), whereas a reaction involving the (3,1) isomer of Ru2(F3ap)4Cl and TBACl·H2O leads to (4,0) Ru2(F3ap)4Cl 2 (F3ap = 2-(2,4,6-trifluoroanilino)pyridinate anion). To our knowledge, these are the first documented examples for isomeric conversion involving diruthenium compounds with tetracarboxylate-type structures. The structural, electrochemical, and spectroscopic properties of 1 and 2 were examined. The reversible Ru25+/6+ process of (3,1) [Ru2(F3ap)4Cl]+ is located at 0.62 V in CH2Cl2, 0.1 M TBAP but shifts to 0.29 V upon formation of (3,1) Ru2(F3ap)4Cl2 in CH2Cl2 containing chloride from added TBACl·H2O and shifts even further to E1/2 = 0.10 V after generation of (4,0) Ru2(F3ap)4Cl2 in solution. The 190 mV potential difference between the Ru26+/5+ redox couples of (3,1) Ru2(F3ap)4Cl2 and (4,0) Ru2(F3ap)4Cl2 in chloride-containing media can be compared to a smalle...
PlayPals: tangible interfaces for remote communication and play

PlayPals are a set of wireless figurines with their electronic accessories that provide children with a playful way to communicate between remote locations. PlayPals is designed for children aged 5-8 to share multimedia experiences and virtual co-presence. We learned from our pilot study that embedding digital communication into existing play pattern enhances both remote play and communication.
A comparison of two voting models to forecast election into The National Baseball Hall of Fame

We present a comparison of two voting models to forecast election into The National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Although both voting models provide similar predictions on which eligible players should be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, we believe that the voting model that uses individual performance variables rather than a single performance index is marginally better because it allows the data to determine the relative importance of the individual performance variables included in the single performance index. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Failure-Time Remapping in Compound Aftershock Sequences

Compound aftershock sequences are of special interest because the decay of secondary aftershocks contains information about the mechanisms that generate all earthquakes. If earthquakes nucleate as a result of accelerating slip, growing cracks, or any similar failure process, then the rate of decay of aftershock sequences is a direct result of that failure process, as influenced by local material properties. The aftershocks are then triggered by the mainshock, moved closer to failure, and concentrated on the curved part of loading curve, occurring earlier than they would have if the mainshock had not occurred. Secondary aftershocks, which are themselves triggered by an aftershock, are promoted toward failure twice and consequently should decay differently than primary aftershocks do. The theory behind this concept is developed, explored with numerical models, and tested with a study of the aftershocks of the Hector Mine earthquake of 1999. Because the Hector Mine mainshock occurred during the aftershock sequence of the Landers 1992 earthquake, failure-time remapping predicts a slightly different temporal distribution for the Hector Mine aftershocks than they would have had without the influence of the Landers mainshock. This prediction is testable. In this work, three different types of aftershock decay relations are applied to 94 spatial subsets of aftershocks and evaluated with two different statistical measures. Remapped aftershock decay models were superior for almost all the cases studied, regardless of the type of aftershock decay model used or the statistical measure. These results confirm previous work suggesting that the majority of aftershocks are not caused by their mainshock, only promoted toward failure, and most earthquakes nucleate through a failure process such as velocity-dependent friction or stress corrosion cracking. Manuscript received 15 July 2002.
Animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: From basic mechanisms to gene therapy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle-wasting disorder. It is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the dystrophin gene. Currently, there is no cure. A highly promising therapeutic strategy is to replace or repair the defective dystrophin gene by gene therapy. Numerous animal models of DMD have been developed over the last 30 years, ranging from invertebrate to large mammalian models. mdx mice are the most commonly employed models in DMD research and have been used to lay the groundwork for DMD gene therapy. After ~30 years of development, the field has reached the stage at which the results in mdx mice can be validated and scaled-up in symptomatic large animals. The canine DMD (cDMD) model will be excellent for these studies. In this article, we review the animal models for DMD, the pros and cons of each model system, and the history and progress of preclinical DMD gene therapy research in the animal models. We also discuss the current and emerging challenges in this field and ways to address these challenges using animal models, in particular cDMD dogs.
Effect of Selenium Supplementation of Cows on Maternal Transfer of Selenium to Fetal and Newborn Calves

A trial was conducted to determine the effect of maternal supplementation of Se on transfer of Se to the fetus during late gestation. Holstein cows were randomly assigned at dry-off to receive no Se or 3 mg/d of supplemental Se as selenite delivered via an intraruminal bolus. Supplementation significantly increased concentrations of Se in blood of dams at parturition. Similarly, calves of cows that were supplemented with Se had higher Se in blood and liver. Colostral concentrations of Se were increased by maternal Se supplementation; Se increased in the casein fraction. The Se concentrations in blood, plasma, and liver of calves were positively correlated with the Se concentrations in plasma of the dam at parturition. Concentrations of Se in colostrum and in calf liver also were closely correlated. Concentrations of Se in calf liver at d 42 were closely correlated with concentrations of Se in liver at birth. Maternal supplementation of Se increased Se reserves in the liver of the newborn and in colostrum. Carryover effects of Se supplementation of dams were evident in calves at 42 d of age.
Response of planar and cylindrical ion counters to a corona ion source

Because of the environmental and economic applications of small air ions near HVDC power lines, it is desirable to have accurate and reliable ion counters. A parallel-screen small air ion source using corona discharge was constructed for evaluating two aspiration ion counters in the range 5000 to 1,000,000 cm with positive and negative ions. A planar electrode ion counter and a cylindrical electrode ion counter were exposed to the ion source. Comparisons were made between predicted theoretical ion densities and those measured by two instruments. For a theoretical ion density of 10000 cm/sup -3/ and a calibration-region spacing of 10 cm, both ion counters measured ion concentrations up to two times larger than the theoretical ion concentration in the calibration region. With the same theoretical ion density but with a calibration-region spacing of 30 cm, the planar ion counter measured within about 10% of the theoretical ion density. >
Have Gun Will Shoot? Weapon Instrumentality, Intent, and the Violent Escalation of Conflict

The weapon instrumentality hypothesis suggests that guns contribute to the escalation and lethality of violence. But the relationship between guns and violence might be spurious if the aggressor's violent tendencies or the aggressor's situation-specific intent to harm is the common cause of the presence/use of a gun and the violent outcome. To examine such rival explanations, we draw on interviews with 100 men imprisoned for an aggravated assault or homicide that stemmed from an interpersonal conflict. Each respondent described a matched pair of conflicts: the violent conflict that led to incarceration and a similar nonviolent conflict from the same time period. The matched pair design allows us to control for both potential sources of spuriousness: violent tendencies and situation-specific intent to harm. The results suggest that guns contribute to the violent escalation of conflict, but the impact of guns attenuates substantially after accounting for situation-specific intent to harm.
Application of Multivariate Analysis and Geographic Information Systems Pattern-Recognition Analysis to Production Results in the Bakken Light Tight Oil Play

Even after the drilling of several thousand horizontal Bakken wells in Montana and North Dakota, geologists and engineers question whether their companies are using the appropriate completion and stimulation parameters for their reservoir in their particular location. Answers to this fundamental question can be difficult to come by using univariate statistical techniques. Thus, more advanced and integrated methods of analysis may be needed to achieve sound interpretations. The purpose of this paper is to apply multivariate statistical modeling in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) pattern recognition work to update and expand previous Bakken data-mining efforts. The investigation began by updating Bakken Formation data using both proprietary and public information. The different data sets were loaded into a common database and put through quality control sanity checks. Production proxies, such as maximum oil rate in the first 12 producing months, were selected and merged with the other data. Final data sets were then subjected to analysis in both an open-source statistical analysis environment and a commercial (GIS) application. The integration of the two analysis and interpretation methods highlighted the importance of using well location as a proxy for reservoir quality when working with data sets that lack such measurements. The use of multivariate statistical analysis allowed modeling the impact of particular completion and stimulation parameters on the production outcome by averaging out the impact of all other variables in the system. This work is believed to be unique in its combination of multivariate statistics and GIS pattern recognition to address questions of well optimization in unconventional reservoirs and that is its application. It is significant in that it expands the scope of prior studies that did not take full advantage of multivariate statistical methods.
Melatonin : a major regulator of the circadian rhythm of core temperature in humans

The circadian rhythm of core body temperature (BTc), with maxima during the day and minima at night, is normally coupled with the sleep-wake cycle. Pineal melatonin secretion occurs contemporaneously during the nighttime hours and is mediated by the activation of beta-adrenergic receptors during darkness. The hypothesis that nocturnal melatonin secretion may be involved in the regulation of the human circadian BTc rhythm was examined. The temporal relationship between melatonin and the circadian BTc rhythm was characterized in 12 young women, normally entrained to the light-dark cycle. Melatonin levels were manipulated through the administration of exogenous melatonin (2.5 mg, orally) during the daytime (n = 6) or suppression of endogenous nocturnal melatonin secretion by the beta-adrenergic antagonist atenolol (100 mg; n = 6) in double blind placebo-controlled experiments conducted during 2 consecutive days. Serum melatonin levels and BTc were monitored at 20- and 10-min intervals, respectively. In a nightshift worker the temporal relationship between the circadian rhythm of melatonin and BTc was investigated before and after entrainment to a reversed wake-sleep cycle. Our data show that in normally entrained subjects, the time course and amplitude of nocturnal melatonin secretion were temporally coupled with the decline of BTc (r = 0.97; P less than 0.00001). The same occurred in the nightshift worker, both during the dissociation and after entrainment to the reversed sleep-wake cycle. Compared with placebo, administration of melatonin significantly reduced daytime BTc (P less than 0.01), and the suppression of melatonin (by atenolol) attenuated the nocturnal decline of BTc (P less than 0.01). Cosinor analysis showed that the amplitude of the circadian BTc rhythm was reduced by about 40% in response to both daytime melatonin administration (P less than 0.05) and nocturnal melatonin suppression (P less than 0.02). In conclusion, circadian rhythms of melatonin and BTc are inversely coupled. The demonstrated hypothermic properties of melatonin are accountable for the generation of at least 40% of the amplitude of the circadian BTc rhythm. Manipulation of melatonin levels might be clinically useful to resynchronize the BTc rhythm under conditions of BTc rhythm desynchronization.
Forecast performance assessment of a kinematic and a magnetohydrodynamic solar wind model

[1] Performance evaluation of operational models guides forecasters on use of their products, focuses model developers in making improvements, and informs other modelers considering use of the output for forcing data. Two operational solar wind models, the Enlil magnetohydrodynamic model, and the Wang-Sheeley-Arge kinematic model, were executed daily in 2007–2011 from solar photosphere magnetograms compiled from the Global Oscillation Network Group telescope system. The original (uncorrected) magnetic field specification and a zero point-corrected (ZPC) version were used as inner boundary conditions (IBCs) in separate 7 day forecast executions. Forecasts of solar wind radial speed (Vsw) and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) polarity were compared with observations from the Advanced Composition Explorer satellite. Forecast verification metrics were computed by forecast day, year, and uncorrected or corrected IBCs. High speed events (HSEs) and IMF polarity changes (IPCs) predicted and observed were compared. Neither model exhibited a significant systematic error except in 2009, when both failed to represent the slow solar wind. Using the ZPC initial conditions resulted in smaller forecast-observation differences in the years with greater Vsw variance. This was due to in part to reduced variance in the Vsw predictions from the ZPC IBCs. Differences were nil or worse in the other years. The time-varying component of the forecast-observation differences was smallest at forecast days 3 to 5, followed by a sharp rise. Impact of ZPCs on IMF polarity predictions was small. HSE prediction performance depended on detection algorithm used. Both models under predicted the number of forecast periods having IPCs.
Capitalism, chaos, and Christian healing: Faith Tabernacle Congregation in southern colonial Ghana, 1918-26

In 1918, Faith Tabernacle Congregation was established in southern colonial Ghana. This Philadelphia-based church flourished in the context of colonialism, cocoa, and witchcraft, spreading rapidly after the 1918–19 influenza pandemic. In this context, several healing cults also proliferated, but Faith Tabernacle was particularly successful because the church offered its members spiritual, social, and legal advantages. The church's leadership was typically comprised of young Christian capitalist men, whose literacy and letter writing enabled the establishment of an American church without any missionaries present. By 1926, when Faith Tabernacle began its decline, at least 177 branches had formed in southern Ghana, extending into Togo and Cote d'Ivoire, with over 4,400 members.
LPC-synthesis mixture: a low computational cost speech enhancement algorithm

The purpose of this paper is to develop a speech enhancement algorithm to reduce unwanted noise in a speech signal. The output of this enhancement system is a linear combination of the actual speech input to the system and a synthesized speech signal. The synthesized signal is generated using the LP coefficients and an estimate of the excitation from the current speech. The mechanical sound of the LP signal is further reduced by using an excitation signal based on the actual human excitation, not an artificially generated signal. This algorithm attempts to improve speech quality by emphasizing the speech signal rather than removing the background noise. The goal of the algorithm is to produce enhanced speech at telecommunications quality with little computational overhead.
Double Gires-Tournois interferometer negative-dispersion mirrors for use in tunable mode-locked lasers.

We report the implementation and operation of novel superhigh-reflectivity negative-dispersion dielectric mirrors for use in tunable ultrafast laser systems. The mirror structure is divided into two distinct regions: an underlying superhigh-reflectivity dielectric quarter-wavelength stack and an overlying negative-dispersion section consisting of only a few layers and forming simple multiple Gires–Tournois interferometers. The example that we present was designed for operation from 800 to 900 nm and has a near-constant group-delay dispersion of -40 fs2 and a peak reflectivity greater than 99.99%. We show a comparison of the predicted and the measured mirror performance and application of these mirrors in a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser tunable from 805 to 915 nm.
Everything you always wanted to know about training: guidelines derived using the affine precoding framework and the CRB

In this paper, affine precoding is used to investigate the tradeoffs that exist while using the transmitter resources on training versus information symbols. The channel input is a training vector superimposed on a linearly precoded vector of symbols. A block-fading frequency-selective multi-input multi-output (MIMO) channel is considered. To highlight the tradeoffs between training and data symbols, the Fisher information matrix (FIM) is derived under two circumstances: the random parameter vector to be estimated contains 1) only fading channel coefficients and 2) unknown data symbols as well as the channel coefficients. While strategy 1 corresponds to the receiver structure in which the channel is estimated initially and the channel measurement is utilized to retrieve the data symbols, strategy 2 corresponds to the structure in which channel and symbol estimations are performed jointly. The interesting outcome of the study in this paper is that minimizing the channel Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) for strategies 1 and 2 under a total average transmit power constraint leads to different affine precoder design guidelines.
Estimating the economic benefits of DFT

Economic analyses based on cost alone are not sufficient for determining whether to include design for testability in complex or high-volume products. Cost avoidance and benefit terms should also be considered. The article proposes cost model components (as opposed to a complete cost model) that quantify cost avoidance and benefits terms for straightforward applications of scan design. For a large volume, complex IC such as the Texas Instruments TMS320C80, also known as the MVP, these components show how testability features have resulted in large revenue returns, both recurring and nonrecurring. Furthermore, there are other benefit and cost avoidance components that could be added beyond those discussed here. So the actual revenue increase may be larger than this analysis suggests. Note that all calculations and model parameter values given throughout the article are examples only and are not related to actual calculations witnessed in manufacturing.
Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of the Oncidiinae (Maxillarieae, Orchidaceae)

Subtribe Oncidiinae comprises a vegetatively heterogeneous assemblage of species that has persistently been incapable of organization. Anatomy was considered to be a possible means to resolve the perplexity of relationships amongst the constituent taxa. The consistent occurrence of a foliar hypodermis, homogeneous mesophyll, conical silica bodies in stegmata, and ubiquitous fibre bundles in leaves provides a matrix for linking the taxa, as do the parenchymatous pith and O-thickened endodermal cell walls in roots. However, the strict consensus of the 40 genera studied was completely unresolved, suggesting that vegetative characters alone are insufficient to assess the relationships amongst these taxa, a conclusion also reached for the remainder of Maxillarieae. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 152, 91–107.
Use of coded-wire and visible implant elastomer tags for marine stock enhancement with juvenile red snapper Lutjanus campechanus

As part of a stock enhancement research project in the Gulf of Mexico, we evaluated optimal tag placement sites, retention, and detection in hatchery-reared juvenile red snapper Lutjanus campechanus (46–110 mm standard length) with coded-wire tags (CWT) and visible implant elastomer tags. Coded-wire tags were implanted in nose cartilage, left cheek muscle, the nape, dorsal musculature, and the caudal peduncle. Three weeks after tagging, all implant locations tested showed tag retention over 97% except for those implanted in the dorsal musculature (90%). No additional tag loss was found between 3 and 6 weeks after tagging regardless of implant location or fish size. We selected the nape musculature for larger-scale tagging because of high tag retention and ease of tagging. Retention of CWTs in the nape after 6 months was 99% (n = 285). Visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags were implanted in muscular and fin tissue of juvenile snapper and retention rates were ≥95% (after 6 weeks) for all implant locations except for anal fin muscles (87% tag retention). In a separate study, 6 months after tagging, fish size-at-tagging and the number of VIE marks implanted in the caudal fin significantly influenced tag retention (two-way analysis of variance, P = 0.026). After experimental stock enhancement releases, divers 17–20 m deep, found that VIEs in caudal fins were highly visible, but those in the nose area were difficult to see due to pigmentation over the tags and fish orientation. Tag color influenced tag visibility and red and orange elastomer tags were the most visible among eight colors tested (red, orange, yellow, green, pink, black, blue, and purple). Divers commonly confused green elastomer tags for yellow, and sometimes confused red, pink and orange. No color confusion occurred when similar colors were observed side-by-side however.
Choices for Health Education: TV or the Teacher?

(1980). Choices for Health Education: TV or the Teacher? Health Education: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 31-32.
Flying characteristics at ultra-low fly height in presence of van der Waals force: a comparative study

In this paper, the flying characteristics of several air bearing designs, e.g., Seagate, INSIC, DSI, have been studied at ultra low fly heights with a Seagate air bearing program. The results showed the significant effect of vdW force on air bearing static fly height, touch down and take-off velocities, especially at ultra-low fly heights. It clearly demonstrated the necessity of performing the full Lifshitz calculation on a realistic layered model of HDI for accurate van der Waals force (vdW force) calculation. The magnitude of the vdW force and its distribution on these air bearing surfaces are described in detail and are highly air bearing geometry dependent. Its relevance to the reliability of the head-disk interface at ultra-low fly height is discussed.
Benchmarking Marketing Capabilities for Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Abstract Market-based organizational learning has been identified as an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. One particular learning mechanism, benchmarking, is a widely used management tool that has been recognized as appropriate for identifying and enhancing valuable marketing capabilities. However, despite widespread admonitions to managers, the benchmarking of marketing capabilities as a route to sustainable competitive advantage has received scant empirical attention. The authors empirically examine the potential business performance benefits available from benchmarking the marketing capabilities of top-performing firms. The results suggest that benchmarking has the potential to become a key learning mechanism for identifying, building, and enhancing marketing capabilities to deliver sustainable competitive advantage.
Developmental Exposure to Lead Causes Persistent Immunotoxicity in Fischer 344 Rats

Lead has been shown to exert toxic effects during early development. In these in vivo and ex vivo experiments, the effect of lead on the immune system of the developing embryo was assessed. Nine-week-old female Fischer 344 rats were exposed to lead acetate (0,100,250, and 500 ppm lead) in their drinking water during breeding and pregnancy (exposure was discontinued at parturition). Offspring received no additional lead treatment after birth. Immune function was assessed in female offspring at 13 weeks of age. Dams in lead-exposed groups were not different from controls with respect to the immune endpoints used in these experiments; however, in the offspring, lead modulated important immune parameters at modest exposure levels. Macrophage cytokine and effector function properties (tumor necrosis factor-a and nitric oxide production) were elevated in the 250 ppm group, while cell-mediated immune function was depressed, as shown by a decrease in delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in the 250 ppm group. Interferon-7 levels were decreased in the 500 ppm treatment group. Serum levels of IgE were increased in rats exposed to 100 ppm lead. These results indicate that exposure of mothers to moderate levels of lead produces chronic immune modulation in their F344 rat offspring exposed in utero. Since the mothers were not susceptible to chronic immune alterations, a developmental bias to the immunotoxic effects of lead is indicated. The differences observed are consistent with the possibility that lead may bias T helper subset development and/or function, resulting in alterations in the balance among type 1 and type 2 immune responses. O 199S Society of Toxicology.
The Immunomodulatory Proteins B7-DC, B7-H2, and B7-H3 Are Differentially Expressed across Gestation in the Human Placenta

Placental trophoblast cells form a cellular barrier between the potentially immunogenic fetus and maternal leukocytes. Trophoblasts subvert maternal immunity by producing surface-bound and soluble factors that interact with maternal leukocytes. Here, we describe the distribution of three members of the expanding family of B7 immunomodulatory molecules: B7-DC, B7-H2, and B7-H3. B7-DC and B7-H3 inhibit antigen-stimulated lymphocyte activation while B7-H2 serves in a regulatory capacity, often promoting a Th2 immunophenotype. First trimester and term placentas, purified trophoblast cells, choriocarcinoma cell lines, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were analyzed for B7 family RNA and protein expression. Transcripts and proteins for all three B7s were present throughout gestation but were differentially expressed within the trophoblast and the stroma. Whereas B7-DC was prominent on the syncytiotrophoblast of early placenta, it was absent from the trophoblast at term. In contrast, B7-H2 and B7-H3 were prominent on the extravillous trophoblast throughout gestation. Lastly, stromal cells, including macrophages and endothelial cells, differentially expressed B7-DC, B7-H2, and B7-H3, depending on gestational age. Thus, all three of these newly discovered B7 proteins are differentially positioned at the maternal-fetal interface such that they could steer maternal leukocytes away from a harmful immune response and toward a favorable one.
Characterization of Downstream Ras Signals That Induce Alternative Protease-dependent Invasive Phenotypes

Invasive and metastatic cells require protease expression for migration through the extracellular matrix. Metastatic NIH 3T3 fibroblasts transformed by different activated ras genes showed two different protease phenotypes, rasuPA+/CL- and rasCL+/uPA- (Zhang, J-Y., and Schultz, R. M. (1992) Cancer Research 52, 6682-6689). Phenotype rasuPA+/CL- is dependent on expression of the serine-type protease urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and the phenotype rasCL+/uPA- on the cystine-type protease cathepsin L (CL) for lung colonization in experimental metastasis. The existence of multiple invasive phenotypes on ras-isoform transformation implied the activation of alternative pathways downstream from Ras. We now show that c-Raf-1, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)-1, and ERK-2 are hyperphosphorylated, and the ERK activity is high in both the uPA- and CL-dependent ras-transformed invasive phenotypes. Levels of c-Jun and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activity are also high in the uPA-dependent phenotype, but they are almost undetectable in the CL-dependent phenotype. The uPA Ras-response element is a PEA3/URTF element, and mobility shift assays show a strong PEA3/URTF protein band in the uPA-dependent phenotype. This band is competed by a consensus AP-1 DNA sequence and by antibodies to PEA3 and c-Jun. Thus, the uPA-invasive phenotype appears to require the activation of Ets/PEA3 and c-Jun transcription factors activated by the ERK and JNK pathways, while the CL-invasive phenotype appears to require ERK activity with suppression of JNK and c-Jun activities. These postulates are supported by the introduction of a dominant negative c-Jun, TAM67, into cells of phenotype rasuPA+/CL-, which down-regulated the high uPA mRNA levels characteristic of this phenotype to basal levels and up-regulated basal levels of CL mRNA to levels similar to those observed in cells of phenotype rasCL+/uPA-. We conclude that the JNK pathway acts as a switch between two distinct protease phenotypes that are redundant in their abilities to grow tumors and metastasize.
POSTCOLONIALISM, ACCULTURATION, AND THEWRITING CENTER

Peer tutoring in the university writing center exists to help students become better writers, especially students without a strong background in academic writing. When viewed through the lens of postcolonial theory, however, tensions arise between postcolonialism’s focus on preserving a student’s identity and the writing center’s pedagogical imperative to change the writer—ostensibly for the better. Tutors can inadvertently urge students to acculturate themselves into academic discourse— permanently altering the way students think and write. But how could we, as writing center peer tutors, not help students become better writers because we fear their assimilation into the dominant culture? At the same time, how can we help students adapt to academic discourse without destroying their identities?In this essay, I use two case studies from my experience as a writing center tutor at Georgetown University in an attempt to address these difficult questions. The two selected cases illuminate two important concepts explored in this paper: first, postcolonial thought and its implications for writing center pedagogy; second, the implications of implementing this pedagogy and its accompanying tutoring practices. The students in the case studies have extensive problems with writing mechanics, along with other associated problems—a lack of confidence in or frustration with their writing, a pattern of incomprehensible sentences, and, most significantly, an inability to recognize problems with their writing. These are challenging obstacles to overcome, and my experiences illustrate the difficulties encountered when trying to help these clients. As I will demonstrate, my approach occasionally—and unconsciously—integrated elements of postcolonial theory, which I had been studying in class at that time. My failure to do so consistently, however, shows the need for a systematic postcolonialtutoring approach.
Update on CECR1 molecular diagnostics: new mutations in the deficiency of ADA2 (DADA2) and the North American polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) cohort

Results 14/19 patients were homozygous or compound heterozygous for rare or novel missense mutations in the coding region of CECR1. In 5 patients, we have detected only one likely disease-associated mutation; further analysis is necessary to identify a possible genomic deletion or a second mutation in the non-coding region of CECR1. We have found three rare missense mutations that were not previously associated with DADA2: A357T, G358R, and L249P. More importantly, we have identified four novel mutations that cause DADA2: T129P, K55del, N370K and N423K. The R169Q mutation is a founder mutation in the Dutch population, while the G47R mutation is a founder mutation in the Middle Eastern and Pakistani populations. In the PAN cohort, we identified 6/92 patients with mutations in CECR1. Three patients carry biallelic homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations, and three patients are carriers for a single mutation in CECR1. Four rare variants are reported in Ensemble or ExAC, but they have not been previously associated with PAN: P106S, F355L, V349I, and T65M. We have identified one novel mutation in the cohort with PAN: E328K.