cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Freely-Rotating isn't Enough: A Study of Cyanine Dyes on RNA

Cyanine dyes are commonly attached to the 3' or 5' termini of nucleic acids to study folding and binding using FRET. It has been known for some time now that, to some extent, these dyes stack on the ends of duplex DNA, which complicates the interpretation of FRET. We used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the indocarbocyanine dyes Cy3 and Cy5 attached to the 3' or 5' terminal bases of a 16-base-pair RNA duplex. The resulting trajectories for the inter-dye distance and dye orientation factor (κ2) are then used to predict FRET for the various RNA constructs. The results show that the average value of FRET depends on both the terminal base and the linker position. In particular, 3' attached dyes typically explore a wide region of configuration space, and the relative orientation factor, κ2, has a distribution that approaches that of free-rotators. This is in contrast to 5' attached dyes, which spend a significant fraction of their time in one or more configurations that are effectively stacked on the ends of the RNA duplex. However, even for the relatively free 3' attached dyes, the correlation time of κ2 is still too long to justify the use of a free-rotation approximation.
The usefulness of cognitive restructuring as an adjunct to behavioral marital therapy

This investigation is the first controlled outcome investigation to evaluate the effectiveness of marital therapy which combines cognitive restructuring with commonly used behavioral marital therapy strategies. Twenty-four maritally distressed couples were assigned to one of two experienced marital therapists in one of three experimental conditions: behavioral marital therapy (BMT Alone); cognitive behavior therapy plus behavioral marital therapy (CBT+BMT); or a wait-list condition (WL). The results indicated that, overall, treatment was superior to the WL condition. Couples receiving both BMT Alone and CBT+BMT showed significant pretest to posttest improvements in overall marital adjustment and behavioral indices of change; only couples receiving CBT+BMT demonstrated consistent cognitive changes. However a direct comparison between BMT Alone and CBT+BMT indicated no significant differences between the two treatments. More detailed analyses found that approximately 50% of the couples receiving treatment moved into the nondistressed range of marital functioning by the end of treatment. Overall improvement was maintained at 6-month follow-up. Recommendations for future investigations are provided, encouraging movement toward more customized treatment for each couple.
Socio-economic policy alternatives in national development: A parametric programming analysis†

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the usefulness of a specific mathematical programming model in the design of national development strategies which treat the formulation of economic and social projects in an integrated manner. It is shown by means of a pilot study that parametric linear programming provides a practical means of estimating the tradeoffs between competing economic and social development goals. By quantifying the sacrifices (in terms of alternative goals) necessary to achieve a particular set of policies, this technique allows a planner to examine systematically the relative costs and benefits of candidate policies. It thereby enhances his insights into the nature and extent of conflict among subgoals in a social welfare function and provides the basis for selecting an optimal overall program for achieving the desired combination of goals from among the entire set of possible courses of action defined by the structure and historical development of the overall socio-economic system. The present analysis of the relations among economic and social development alternatives focuses specifically on the interactions among the educational and economic subsystems. This focus was selected both because together these sectors impinge on a large number of the socio-economic goals of nations, as well as because of the important mutual feedback among them.
Fiscal responsibility and the consideration of future consequences

Three studies examined the relationship between individual differences in the consideration of future consequences (CFC; Strathman, Gleicher, Boninger, & Edwards, 1994) and fiscal responsibility. In Studies 1 and 2, low levels of CFC were associated with high levels of self-reported impulsive buying tendencies (Verplanken & Herabadi, 2001) and temporal discounting (Kirby, Petry, & Bickel, 1999). In Study 3, participants allocated a monetary windfall among four options (credit card debt, savings, purchase, trip) under low and high debt levels. Results revealed that those faced with high levels of debt and low in CFC directed money away from options maximizing long-term interests toward more short-term purchase alternatives; debt level did not have a significant effect on the way people high in CFC allocated their windfall.
Agreement Between the GAITRite Walkway System and a Stopwatch–Footfall Count Method for Measurement of Temporal and Spatial Gait Parameters

Abstract Youdas JW, Hollman JH, Aalbers MJ, Ahrenholz HN, Aten RA, Cremers JJ. Agreement between the GAITRite walkway system and a stopwatch–footfall count method for measurement of temporal and spatial gait parameters. Objective To determine the agreement for measurements of stride length, cadence, and walking speed obtained from the GAITRite system and the stopwatch–footfall count technique. Design Criterion standard. Setting Research laboratory in a physical therapy education program. Participants Forty healthy volunteers (13 men, 27 women) without lower-extremity injury. Interventions Participants walked across a GAITRite mat with embedded pressure sensors at their self-selected walking speed. Simultaneously, an examiner used a stopwatch to record the elapsed time necessary to cross the mat and counted the number of complete footfalls. Main Outcome Measures Walking speed, cadence, and stride-length measures were compared between the GAITRite system and the stopwatch–footfall count technique. Results Correlation coefficients comparing both systems were .97 for walking speed, .75 for cadence, and .85 for stride length. Ninety-five percent of the time we would expect the between-methods differences to range between .09 and −.05m/s for walking speed, between −1.5 and −24.3 steps/min for cadence, and between .01 and .37m for stride length. Conclusions This study shows that the GAITRite and stopwatch–footfall count methods lack clinically acceptable agreement for the measurements of cadence and stride length in a group of healthy volunteers walking at their self-selected speeds. Clinicians who require precise measurement of cadence and stride length should consider using the GAITRite system instead of the stopwatch–footfall count technique.
Inputs to a physiologically characterized region of the inferior colliculus of the young adult CBA mouse

Presbycusis is a sensory perceptual disorder involving loss of high-pitch hearing and reduced ability to process biologically relevant acoustic signals in noisy environments. The present investigation is part of an ongoing series of studies aimed at discerning the neural bases of presbycusis. The purpose of the present experiment was to delineate the inputs to a functionally characterized region of the dorsomedial inferior colliculus (IC, auditory midbrain) in young, adult CBA mice. Focal, iontophoretic injections of horseradish peroxidase were made in the 18-24 kHz region of dorsomedial IC of the CBA strain following physiological mapping experiments. Serial sections were reacted with diaminobenzidine or tetramethylbenzidine, counterstained and examined for retrogradely labeled cell bodies. Input projections were observed contralaterally from: all three divisions of cochlear nucleus; intermediate and dorsal nuclei of the lateral lemniscus (LL); and the central nucleus, external nucleus and dorsal cortex of the IC. Input projections were observed ipsilaterally from: the medial and lateral superior olivary nuclei; the superior paraolivary nucleus; the dorsolateral and anterolateral periolivary nuclei; the dorsal and ventral divisions of the ventral nucleus of LL; the dorsal and intermediate nuclei of LL; the central nucleus, external nucleus and dorsal cortex of the IC outside the injection site; and small projections from central gray and the medial geniculate body. These findings in young, adult mice with normal hearing can now serve as a baseline for similar experiments being conducted in mice of older ages and with varying degrees of hearing loss to discover neural changes that may cause age-related hearing disorders.
Acoustic Radiation by Point- or Line-Excited Laminated Plates

This paper presents an elasticity theory solution for computation of acoustic radiation by a point- or line-excited fluid-loaded laminated plate, which may consist of a stack of an arbitrary number of different isotropic material layers, A one-side water-loaded three-layer sandwich plate, which consists of a hard rubber core sandwiched between two steel plates of equal thickness, was used as an example of the laminated plates. The approximated equivalent sandwich plate solutions were compared with the elasticity theory solutions. These results show that the approximated solutions are, as expected, valid only at frequencies much lower than the coincidence frequency. The numerical result also shows that, even at about one-tenth of the coincidence frequency, the approximated solutions suffer substantial error. The differences between the dry-side- and the wet-side-excited radiated fields of a single-layer uniform plate and a sandwich plate were investigated and compared, and found to be significantly different at frequencies above the coincidence frequency.
Nickel nitrosyl complexes in a sulfur-rich environment : The first poly(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate derivatives

Abstract The diamagnetic nickel mononitrosyl complexes (TmR)Ni(NO) (R = But, p-Tol) and (BmR)Ni(PPh3)(NO) (R = Me, But) have been readily prepared from Ni(PPh3)2(NO)Br and the appropriate Na(TmR) or Na(BmR) reagents, respectively. These species constitute the first nickel nitrosyl complexes supported by these ligand systems. An X-ray diffraction study of (Tmp-Tol)Ni(NO) confirmed its pseudo-tetrahedral geometry and the presence of a nearly linear nitrosyl ligand. In contrast, (BmMe)Ni(PPh3)(NO) can be best described as having a trigonal pyramidal geometry, a spatial arrangement unprecedented in nickel nitrosyl chemistry, which is facilitated by the disposition of the BmMe ligand and the presence of a weak intramolecular Ni⋯H–B interaction opposite to the apical triphenylphosphine ligand.
Synthetically Simple, Highly Resilient Hydrogels

Highly resilient synthetic hydrogels were synthesized by using the efficient thiol-norbornene chemistry to cross-link hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer chains. The swelling and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were controlled by the relative amounts of PEG and PDMS. The fracture toughness (Gc) was increased to 80 J/m2 as the water content of the hydrogel decreased from 95% to 82%. In addition, the mechanical energy storage efficiency (resilience) was more than 97% at strains up to 300%. This is comparable with one of the most resilient materials known: natural resilin, an elastic protein found in many insects, such as in the tendons of fleas and the wings of dragonflies. The high resilience of these hydrogels can be attributed to the well-defined network structure provided by the versatile chemistry, low cross-link density, and lack of secondary structure in the polymer chains.
Non-Linear Propagation of Underwater Shock Waves

Comparative measurements at large and small distances have been made on the pressure wave from a small underwater explosion. It is shown that: (1) there is a small departure from the $\frac{1}{r}$ law for the peak pressure, (2) there is no detectable change in shape or "spreading" of the pressure wave with propagation, and (3) the shock front is discontinuous within the limitations of the apparatus. A theory is developed which is in quantitative agreement with (1) and (3) but in disagreement with (2). The theory predicts a small spreading of the profile of the wave which is large enough to have been detected. The theory shows that a spherically diverging wave of any amplitude always becomes discontinuous eventually. In practice the distance over which it must propagate before becoming discontinuous may be enormous.
Towards improved security criteria for certification of electronic health record systems

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) is an electronic health record certification organization in the United States. In 2009, CCHIT's comprehensive criteria were augmented with security criteria that define additional functional security requirements. The goal of this research is to illustrate the importance of requiring misuse cases in certification standards, such as CCHIT, by demonstrating the implementation bugs in an open source healthcare IT application. We performed an initial evaluation of an open source electronic health record system, OpenEMR, using an automated static analysis tool and a penetration testing tool. We were able to discover implementation bugs latent in the application, ranging from cross-site scripting to insecure cryptographic algorithms. Our findings stress the importance that certification security criteria should focus on implementation bugs as well as design flaws. Based upon our findings, we recommend that CCHIT be augmented with a set of misuse cases that check for specific threats against EMR systems and thereby improve this aspect of the certification process.
Development of a Frankfurter Analog From Red Hake Surimi

The development of an essentially fat-free, frankfurter analog from red hake surimi is described. In consumer tests against four commercial brands of frankfurters, the analog competed well with a chicken frankfurter, but neither chicken nor fish achieved the levels of acceptance of beef-containing products. Warner-Bratzler shear measurements revealed significant changes in texture in the fish and chicken frankfurters during a 21day storage period at 2°C. The analog proved to have lower populations of certain microorganisms as compared to the other products tested. There was no spoilage detected in any of the products evaluated after 21 days at 2°C. The nutritional advantages of the analog are discussed.
Lattice gravity and strings

Abstract We are concerned with applications of the simplicial discretization method (Regge calculus) to two-dimensional quantum gravity with emphasis on the physically relevant string model. Beginning with the discretization of gravity and matter we exhibit a discrete version of the conformal trace anomaly. Proceeding to the string problem we show how the direct approach of (finite difference) discretization based on Nambu action corresponds to unsatisfactory treatment of gravitational degrees. Based on the Regge approach we then propose a discretization corresponding to the Polyakov string. In this context we are led to a natural geometric version of the associated Liouville model and two-dimensional gravity.
Improvement of fatigue resistance in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 type ceramics by composition modification

Abstract We have fabricated and characterized ceramics in a number of materials systems that have ferroelectric fatigue resistance several orders of magnitude better than that of unmodified lead zirconate titanate and commercial PZT ceramics. These highly fatigue resistant ceramic systems include donor doped lead stannate zirconate titanate (PSZT) ceramics, perovskites containing no titanium, and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 based ceramics that have been modified by complex substitutions.
Periaqueductal gray neurons exhibit increased responsiveness associated with audiogenic seizures in the genetically epilepsy-prone rat

Abstract The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray is implicated as a component of the neuronal network for audiogenic seizure. This implication is based on immunocytochemical labeling of the proto-oncogene, c- fos , and microinjection studies in the severe substrain of genetically epilepsy-prone rats that exhibits tonic seizures. The present study examines changes in acoustically evoked neuronal responses within the periaqueductal gray in the awake and behaving genetically epilepsy-prone rat as compared to normal Sprague–Dawley rats. Two populations of neuronal response were observed in the periaqueductal gray of both genetically epilepsy-prone and normal rats. Most of the neurons exhibited long latencies (>10 ms) and lower thresholds, and were more responsive to the acoustic stimulus. The remainder of the periaqueductal gray neurons exhibited short latencies ( These patterns of abnormal neuronal firing suggest that periaqueductal gray neurons may be involved in generation of the tonic seizure behavioral component of audiogenic seizure in the genetically epilepsy-prone rat, which will need confirmation in other audiogenic seizure models.
How commonly do US abortion patients report attempts to self-induce?

Objective This study measures the extent to which women who access clinical abortion services in the United States report having ever used misoprostol or other substances to self-induce. Study Design A random sample of 107 US abortion providers was asked to distribute questionnaires to abortion patients. Results Information was gathered from 9493 patients at 95 facilities, and weights were constructed to make the data nationally representative of all US abortion patients. Only 1.2% of women obtaining abortions report having ever used misoprostol on their own to “bring back” their period or end a pregnancy. A similarly small proportion of women, 1.4%, reported using other substances, such as vitamin C or herbs, to attempt to end a pregnancy. Conclusion Media reports of self-induced abortions using misoprostol may be exaggerated, but further research is needed to estimate the incidence of self-induced abortion among women who do not access clinical abortion services.
A predictive thermodynamic model for the bioreduction of acetophenone to phenethyl alcohol using resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Equilibrium conversions were observed in the range of 60.2-76.0% with different initial compositions of reaction media for the bioreduction of acetophenone using resting cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aqueous solutions at 30 degrees C. The reduction of acetophenone in the cells under anaerobic conditions is considered to be coupled with the oxidation of ethanol to acetate in the cytoplasm. A biphasic thermodynamic model is proposed which includes a nonuniform distribution of reagents across the cell membrane, a transmembrane pH gradient, ideal and nonideal solution models, and a basic reaction stoichiometry (ACP + (1/2) EtOH + (1/2)H2O PEA + (1/2)Ac- + (1/2)H+). The intracellular activity coefficients were based on the Lewis-Randall rule for acetophenone, phenethyl alcohol, and H2O and Henry's law for ethanol, acetate anion, and H+. The overall standard Gibbs free energy was estimated to be -0.11 kcal/mol at a pH 7, 25 degrees C, and 1 atm. The intracellular thermodynamic activity coefficients of acetophenone and phenethyl alcohol were predicted to be 471.2 and 866.4, respectively, using the measured initial distribution coefficients and calculated extracellular activity coefficients. The model reflected a zero Gibbs free energy change at calculated conversions within 4% of the measured equilibrium conversions. The analysis verified the effect of the concentration ratio of the substrate acetophenone to the co-substrate ethanol on the conversion efficiency and suggested that the intracellular pH and the pH gradient across the cell transmembrane significantly affect the predicted equilibrium conversion. The intracellular pH of resting, viable cells of Bakers' yeast at the bioconversion conditions was determined experimentally to be 5.77.
Copulatory behaviour of the lizard Anolis sagrei: alternation of hemipenis use

The pattern of use of the hemipenes, the two independently functioning intromittent organs of squamate reptiles, was investigated in the male brown anole, Anolis sagrei. Males demonstrated a significant tendency to use the left and right hemipenes alternately when mated daily for 7 days with different females. The duration of copulation differed significantly among males and was independent of the hemipenis used. Hemipenis use was also examined in two successive copulations separated by different time intervals. After an intercopulatory interval of up to 3 h, males showed a significant tendency to alternate in the use of their hemipenes. This trend was still present following an intercopulatory interval of 24--26 h, but was not detectable following an interval of 72-74 h. Thus, alternation of hemipenis use in male brown anoles declines as the interval between copulations increases, suggesting that males adjust their copulatory posture in relation to the length of the intercopulatory interval. Unlike other amniote vertebrates, squamate rep- tiles (lizards and snakes) possess two independent intromittent organs termed hemipenes (Cope 1900; Dowling & Savage 1960). Only one hemipenis is intromitted into the female's cloaca during copula- tion (Dowling & Savage 1960; Crews 1978; Conner & Crews 1980). Studies of the lizard Anolis caroli- nensis have shown that the copulatory posture assumed by the male determines which of the two hemipenes will be intromitted (Crews 1973a, b, 1978). If the male places his lower body to the left of the female's body and swings his tail to the right under the female's tail, it everts the right hemipenis and vice versa (Crews 1978).
The mechanism of super-rate burning of catalyzed double base propellants*

Previous investigators have offered qualitative explanations for the large, pressure-dependent, burning behavior changes seen in nitrate ester propellants when lead or copper salts are added. The most developed qualitative models are those of Camp and of Powling and co-workers but both exhibit certain discrepancies with experiment. New evidence reported here derives from radiation-assisted burning tests in which the spectral content (particularly ultraviolet) of the impinging radiation was varied; contrary to the original hypothesis of Camp, the UV component of the radiation yielded no special burning rate enhancing effect. Experimental evidence recently presented by the authors shows that the burning rate enhancement by lead or copper compounds is a result of acceleration of the fizz zone reactions; this is accompanied by an increased production of carbonaceous material at the burning surface. Therefore it is hypothesized that the acceleration is due to a shift in equivalence ratio toward the stoichiometric when potentially burnable fuel molecules are instead carried through the fizz zone as solid carbon. A simplified mathematical model of this hypothesis is developed based on representing the equivalence ratio change as a shift from a single normal reaction pathway toward a second, more reactive pathway. This hypothesis successfully explains the appearance of a region of enhanced burning rate and its disappearance at higher pressures but it is shown that sudden disappearance (mesa burning), sometimes seen experimentally, requires a further mechanism whose nature is not yet clear.
Youth Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs): A Response to the Fragmentation of the Educational, Mental Health, and Juvenile Justice Systems

This article discusses one of the newest, specialized law enforcement programs in the United States: Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs) for youths with mental illness. Adapted from adult CIT models, youth CITs are designed to divert and refer for services adolescents with suspected psychiatric disorders, who have a higher prevalence of psychiatric and substance-use disorders (and their co-occurrence), compared with youths who have no mental health problems. As we suggest in the current article, the failure of the school, mental health, and juvenile justice systems to provide seriously distressed youths with coordinated and comprehensive assessment and treatment services has increased the likelihood that they will encounter the police and further penetrate the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. We provide an early look at three programs in diverse geographic areas: Denver, Chicago, and San Antonio. We conclude with observations regarding the need for such programs as well as the challenges that pol...
Exploiting correlation kernels for efficient handling of intra-die spatial correlation, with application to statistical timing

Intra-die manufacturing variations are unavoidable in nanoscale processes. These variations often exhibit strong spatial correlation. Standard grid-based models assume model parameters (grid-size, regularity) in an ad hoc manner and can have high measurement cost. The random field model overcomes these issues. However, no general algorithm has been proposed for the practical use of this model in statistical CAD tools. In this paper, we propose a robust and efficient numerical method, based on the Galerkin technique and Karhunen Loeve Expansion, that enables effective use of the model. We test the effectiveness of the technique using a Monte Carlo-based Statistical Static Timing Analysis algorithm, and see errors less than 0.7%, while reducing the number of random variables from thousands to 25, resulting in speedups of up to 100x.
Collaborative prospective study of the fragile X syndrome: request for participation.

A collaborative prospective study of the fragile X syndrome (fra[X]) has been initiated to refine the estimates of the recurrence risks based on the phenotype of the mother and the family history of the syndrome. The basic unit of data consists of the description of the pregnancy outcome of women known to carry the fra(X) mutation or who are mothers of a fra(X)-positive son. Pregnancy outcome includes both prenatal diagnoses and liveborns. The prospective nature of the data eliminates problems of ascertainment and thereby provides more accurate estimates. The specific aims of the study are both clinically and research oriented: (1) refine the estimates of recurrent risks based on the phenotype of the mother and on family history for use in genetic counseling; (2) determine if recurrence risks depend on the phenotype of the carrier parent; (3) determine if a proportion of affected individuals is due to new mutations; and (4) determine the reproductive fitness of fra(X) carriers. This paper describes the rationale behind this study, the data to be collected, and the sample sizes necessary to test hypotheses. Most importantly, participation in this collaborative study is requested from all professionals who work with the fra(X) syndrome.
Sub-band coding of images with quadtree-guided recursive polynomial decomposition

The authors develop a recursive polynomial transform coder and incorporate it in a 16-band subband coder (SBC). The polynomial coder segments an image into subblocks of different sizes and approximates the pixel intensities in a block with a 2-D polynomial. An orthonormal basis set that spans the space of sampled polynomials is determined, and the coefficients of these basis polynomials are then quantized using entropy-constrained scalar quantizers. The lowest band of the SBC is encoded using the polynomial coder, and the upper bands are encoded using uniform threshold entropy-constrained quantizers. The system is then simulated in software and is shown to have a gain of 1.3 dB in peak-to-peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) at 0.25 bits/pixel over P. Strobach's recursive plane decomposition coder (IEEE Trans. vol.SP-39, p.1380-97, June 1991). >
C-sucrose vs. O-sucrose: Different conformational behavior in methanol solutions containing Ca2+

Abstract NMR chemical shift, 3JHH, 3JCH, nuclear Overhauser enhancement, and optical rotation data suggest that C-sucrose undergoes a conformational change in methanol containing Ca2+, whereas the parent O-sucrose does not.
Biloma and pneumobilia in sickle cell disease.

Spontaneous biloma and pneumobilia developed in a patient with sickle cell disease (SCD) who presented with acute abdominal pain, jaundice, and fever. Bilomas are fluid-filled cysts that develop from a bile leak and are located outside of the biliary system. Pneumobilia is characterized by gas within the biliary system due to an abnormal connection between the biliary tree and adjacent organs, particularly the gastrointestinal tract. Although hepatobiliary complications are common in SCD, we report on biloma and pneumobilia in a young patient with this condition. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:288–290. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The flow field downstream of a hydraulic jump

A control-volume analysis of a hydraulic jump is used to obtain the mean vorticity downstream of the jump as a function of the Froude number. To do this it is necessary to include the conservation of angular momentum. The mean vorticity increases from zero as the cube of Froude number minus one, and, in dimensionless form, approaches a constant at large Froude number. Digital particle imaging velocimetry was applied to travelling hydraulic jumps giving centre-plane velocity field images at a frequency of 15 Hz over a Froude number range of 2–6. The mean vorticity determined from these images confirms the control-volume prediction to within the accuracy of the experiment. The flow field measurements show that a strong shear layer is formed at the toe of the wave, and extends almost horizontally downstream, separating from the free surface at the toe. Various vorticity generation mechanisms are discussed.
Low-energy weak interactions of quarks

Abstract We review the progress that has been made in understanding weak interaction effects in hadrons. Our focus is on the quark model and its role in connecting hadronic processes with the underlying SU(2) L × U(1) weak interaction theory. Open questions, new techniques and future directions are also discussed.
Culture Jamming: A Sociological Perspective

‘Culture jamming’is defined as‘an organized, social activist effort that aims to counter the bombardment of consumption-oriented messages in the mass media’ (Handelman and Kozinets,2004: n.p.). This article seeks to understand culture jamming from a sociological perspective, situating it in the‘expressivist’tradition, which originates with the mid-18th century thinker Rousseau and whose legacy extends to postwar Western counterculture. Culture jamming is seen as an investigation into the apparatus of representation in late modernity, as it relates to both images and discourses of the media and commodity system, and the expression of political will. By providing an incentive for producers to respond to consumer demands for environmental sustainability and an end to labor exploitation, culture jamming may ironically help rehabilitate the market system it often portends to transcend. This may indeed serve to ameliorate certain‘market failures’ of the global system.
Representations of Quantum Tori and G-bundles on Elliptic Curves

We study a BGG-type category of infinite-dimensional representations of H[W]a semidirect product of the quantum torus with parameter q, built on the root lattice of a semisimple group Gand the Weyl group of G. Irreducible objects of our category turn out to be parametrized by semistable G-bundles on the elliptic curve C*/qZ.
Leibniz's Optics and Contingency in Nature

In the late 1670's to early 1680's, Leibniz came to hold that the laws of na- ture are paradigmatically contingent, that they provide the basis for a new argument from design, and that they presuppose the existence of active, goal- directed powers reminiscent of Aristotelian entelechies. In this essay, I argue that the standard view according to which Leibniz forges these signature the- ses in the domain of physics and opportunistically carries them over to the do- main of optics gets things essentially the wrong way around. The crucial nexus of views at the heart of Leibniz's mature philosophical understanding of the laws of nature has its most intelligible roots in his optical derivations, which appear to have paved the way—both historically and conceptually— for the philosophical signiacance he assigns to his discoveries in the domain of physics. Optics the horse, as it were, physics the cart.
A sweeping preconditioner for time-harmonic Maxwell's equations with finite elements

This paper is concerned with preconditioning the stiffness matrix resulting from finite element discretizations of Maxwell's equations in the high frequency regime. The moving PML sweeping preconditioner, first introduced for the Helmholtz equation on a Cartesian finite difference grid, is generalized to an unstructured mesh with finite elements. The method dramatically reduces the number of GMRES iterations necessary for convergence, resulting in an almost linear complexity solver. Numerical examples including electromagnetic cloaking simulations are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Anesthetic Considerations for Amphibians

Abstract The popularity of amphibians in research, zoological exhibits, and as pets is on the rise. With this increased popularity comes a need for veterinarians to develop methods for managing these animals for various diagnostic and surgical procedures. For many of these procedures, the provision of anesthesia is a must. Fortunately, there are a number of different anesthetics available to the veterinary clinician for anesthetizing amphibians, including tricaine methanesulfonate, clove oil, propofol, isoflurane, and ketamine. In addition to the variety of anesthetics at our disposal, there is also a wider range of methods for delivering the anesthetics than are generally available for higher vertebrates, including immersion, topical, and intracoelomic routes of delivery. The purpose of this article is to review the different methods that can be used to successfully manage an amphibian patient through an anesthetic event.
Recent Developments In SSB Modulators

A tutorial review of the principles of single sideband (SSB) electro-optic modulators is presented. Recent developments for broadbanding such modulators by multisection techniques and dual tandem arrangement is described. The discovery and use of crystal rotational orientation effects on the performance of multicrystal configurations is considered. The techniques for the theoretical treatment using coupled-mode equations for both multicrystal arrangements are developed. The results of theoretical calculations are presented in graphical form. These demonstrate the enhanced capabilities in terms of efficient conversion and increased bandwidths. Wherever possible, comparison of theory and experiment will be presented. The enhanced performance at 10.6 μm and at 1.06 μm available high quality crystals will be reviewed. The choice of crystals for each wavelength region is based on the physical properties such as symmetry, dielectric constant, electro-optic coefficient, optical and microwave losses. These parameters are incorporated in the theory and practical considerations of availability and quality required for optimum performance.
Metrics for assessing the quality of value sets in clinical quality measures

Objective: To assess the quality of value sets in clinical quality measures, both individually and as a population of value sets. Materials and methods: The concepts from a given value set are expected to be rooted by one or few ancestor concepts and the value set is expected to contain all the descendants of its root concepts and only these descendants. (1) We assessed the completeness and correctness of individual value sets by comparison to the extension derived from their roots. (2) We assessed the non-redundancy of value sets for the entire population of value sets (within a given code system) using the Jaccard similarity measure. Results: We demonstrated the utility of our approach on some cases of inconsistent value sets and produced a list of 58 potentially duplicate value sets from the current set of clinical quality measures for the 2014 Meaningful Use criteria. Conclusion: These metrics are easy to compute and provide compact indicators of the completeness, correctness, and non-redundancy of value sets.
Automated verification of behavioral equivalence for microprocessors

Presents a new method for verifying, in a fully automated way, that two synchronous sequential circuits have the same input/output behavior. The method applies to designs in which a distinction between data path and control can be made, and in particular to microprocessors. The verification is carried out at the register-transfer level. In contrast with previous methods, our procedure is not limited by the total number of latches in the circuit: it runs in time that is independent of the width of the data path. A price has to be paid for this: the procedure does not always terminate, and may produce false negatives. We argue, however, that these problems should not come up when verifying general purpose microprocessors. We have implemented the procedure in Prolog on an IBM RS/6000 workstation, and have tried it on the Tamarack-3 microprocessor previously verified by J.J. Joyce (1990) with the interactive theorem prover HOL at the University of Cambridge. We have verified the equivalence of several alternative implementations to the original one, in times ranging from 11 to 26 s, and we have detected the errors in several incorrect implementations, in times ranging from 1 to 26 s. >
Ethical Issues Confronted In Pulmonary Clinical Trials

Pulmonary clinical research possesses no unique ethical issues compared with other areas of medicine, but the range of disease states and conditions in pulmonary clinical research are broad. The ethical values guiding clinical research in pulmonary medicine are defined by the Belmont Report (i.e., patient autonomy, justice, and beneficence). This article uses some of the most well-known clinical trials in pulmonary medicine to illustrate these issues and the numerous perspectives that must be considered. Ethical issues covered include introduction of new surgical procedures, placebo controls and drug withdrawal designs, smoking status in trials of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the tensions between community practice, clinical care guidelines, and evidence-based medicine.
Ca2+ channel regulation by a conserved β subunit domain

Abstract The β subunit is a cytoplasmic component that normalizes the current amplitude, kinetics, and voltage dependence of voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. Here, we identify a 30 amino acid domain of the β subunit that is sufficient to induce a stimulation and shift in the voltage dependence of activation of the Ca 2+ channel currents. This domain is located at the amino terminus of the second region of high conservation among all β subunit gene products. Single point mutations within this region on the β 1b subunit modified or abolished the stimulation of Ca 2+ channel currents and the binding of the β subunit to the α 1A subunit. The binding of this domain is also required for the observed changes in kinetics and voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation induced by β subunits.
Perceived Mental Health and Disablement of Primary Care and End-Stage Renal Disease Patients

Objective: To compare perceived current mental health and disablement between primary care and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and to study social support and stress and severity of illness as possible determinants of mental health and disablement. Method: Observational cross-sectional analysis of 414 primary care patients in a rural community health center and 125 ESRD patients inquiring hemodialysis in two community dialysis units. The Duke Health Profile (DUKE) anxiety-depression scale was used to assess mental health; the DUKE disability scale, to indicate disablement; the Duke Social Support and Stress Scale, to measure support and stress; and the Duke Severity of Illness Scale, to rate severity of illness. Results: Perceived current mental health in terms of anxiety and depression symptoms was worse for primary care than for ESRD patients, and perceived current disablement was no different for the two groups. Patients' perception of their health status and of stress from family members were more closely associated with their level of anxiety and depression symptoms than were their diagnostic profiles or overall severity of illness. In turn, their level of anxiety and depression symptoms was the principal correlate of their disablement. Conclusions: The demonstration of strong relationships among anxiety and depression symptoms, disablement, and family stress in these two very different patient populations should stimulate further research and motivate clinicians to evaluate all three parameters as part of routine patient care.
Bleaching of hydroentangled greige cotton nonwoven fabrics without scouring

Previous research had shown that processing greige cotton on a commercial-grade hydroentanglement (HE) system at a water pressure greater than 120 bar resulted in a low-weight hydrophilic nonwoven fabric. With that ability to make hydrophobic greige cotton easily wettable and hence absorbent without the conventional scouring phase, an investigation was conducted to determine whether a fabric made by hydroentangling greige cotton fibers at a high water pressure could be successfully bleached without the traditional scouring. The investigation involved production of greige cotton nonwoven fabrics at a low hydroentangling water pressure of 60 bar and at a high hydroentangling water pressure of 135 bar and their subsequent evaluations before and after scour only, one-stage bleach only, and two-stage scour and bleach. In the results, both the 60 bar and 135 bar fabrics bleached successfully in the two-stage bleaching process and yielded acceptable absorbency and whiteness values. However, when bleached in the ...
Protein phosphokinase reactions in mammalian testis. Stimulatory effects of adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate on the phosphorylation of basic proteins

The soluble fraction of rat testis homogenates is rich in enzymes catalysing the phosphorylation by ATP of many different proteins. The phosphorylation of certain histones, and also of a homogeneous basic protein from guinea-pig seminal-vesicle secretion, is markedly enhanced by 3′:5′-cyclic AMP. Various factors affecting these reactions as catalysed by partially purified testicular enzyme preparations are described, and their possible physiological significance is discussed.
The Ethics and Best Practices of Human Decomposition Facilities in the United States

ABSTRACTTaphonomists working with the recently dead find a lack of standards and best practices to guide them in the ethical treatment of human remains. The research is not covered by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), where the federal guidelines specifically include “live human subjects.” Neither are the human dead covered in the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for animal research. Most universities have no guidelines for research using the recently dead. Medical research has proposed some guidelines (1), however, taphonomic research differs in the longevity of the research and the disposition of the remains. The standards and ethics in working with the recently dead can be guided by the same fundamental principles outlined in the Belmont Report (2)–respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. This paper outlines some of the issues relevant to current decomposition research facilities and suggests guidelines and best practices.
First-Order Logic: Proofs with Quantifiers

This chapter introduces quantifiers and first-order logic. The first few sections demonstrate methods for designing proofs through preliminary versions of the Deduction Theorem for first-order logic, Substitutivity of Equivalences, and transformations into prenex forms. A final section derives features of predicates for equality and inequality, either as primitive predicate constants, or predicates defined from other primitive binary predicate constants. The prerequisite for this chapter is a working knowledge of the Classical Propositional Logic for instance, as in chapter 1
An Assessment of Student Perceptions and Responses to Frequent Low-stakes Testing in Introductory Sociology Classes

Common concerns for many instructors of introductory college courses are that their students do not prepare for or attend class, are minimally engaged, and exhibit poor reading comprehension and writing skills. How can instructors respond to these challenges? Research finds that frequent testing improves the learning outcomes of students. Can it motivate better studying habits and expand their engagement with the class? This article assesses an experimental design comparing student perceptions and responses to low-stakes, daily written exams versus dispersed, high-stakes major exams in two introductory sociology classes. The objective of the experimental design was to test how daily exams incentivize compliance with assigned readings and class attendance as well as enhance students’ experience and engagement within the class. My findings suggest that low-stakes frequent exams are a more effective method to generate these outcomes compared to infrequent high-stakes exams.
6005A Aluminum Dynamic Mechanical Model Considering the Dynamic Recovery Process

Components made of 6XXX aluminum alloy for train compartments are deformed greatly in short time when experiencing crash or impact. The dynamic mechanical behavior of materials is the core for the structure design. Using Instron testing machine, a serial of dynamic tensile tests for 6005A aluminum alloy after T6 heat treatment are carried out with varying strain rate from 0.001 s–1 up to 87 s–1, and from elastic-plastic deformation until fracture. The experimental results show that strain rate has some influence on the plastic flow of 6005A aluminum alloy. While strain rate increases, yield strength became higher and the tensile strength decreases. Johnson-Cook constitutive model of 6005A aluminum alloy is gained based on the true stress-strain curve from tests, and the model has certain inaccuracy due to little consideration of effect of strain rate on yield strength. A modified Johnson-Cook model is proposed considering the dynamic recovery process, which has a more accurate prediction of the flow stress with varying strain rate.
An Online Dictionary with Texts and Pedagogical Tools: The Yurok Language Project at Berkeley

In this paper, I report on an online dictionary project for a highly endangered Native language of North America. This project involves a dynamic lexicon, linked to a corpus of texts and enriched with several associated tools, which is designed to be useful for (and is regularly used by) scholars, language teachers, and language learners. The interest of this project for a broader audience emerges not from lexicographic innovations as such, but from how texts and lexicon are combined and how the interests of diverse user communities are addressed.
Byrd's Arctic flight in the context of model atmospheres

The availability of modern computer models of plausible atmospheric pressure versus altitude for a grid of points over the earth's surface permits a reexamination of Richard Byrd's dead reckoning navigation on his flight in May 1926 from Spitsbergen northwards and his return. Although details of how Byrd converted atmospheric pressure to altitude are ambiguous, the recent atmospheric models probably indicate a small systematic bias that would cause Byrd to overestimate his dead reckoning distance traveled. The same models provide a range of computed winds versus time, altitude, and location, leading to the conclusion that, if Byrd's reported winds during his flight are correct, it was the result of a very unusual and fortuitous circumstance.
A Note on a Cake Cutting Algorithm of Banach and Knaster

1. G. E. Andrews, The death of proof? Semi-rigorous mathematics? You've got to be kidding!, Math. Intelligencer 16 (1994), No. 4, 16-18. 2. J. M. Borwein, P. B. Borwein, and K. Dilcher, Pi, Euler numbers, and asymptotic expansions, Amer. Math. Monthly 96 (1989), 681-687. 3. D. Zeilberger, Theorems for a price: Tomorrow's semi-rigorous mathematical culture, Notices Amer. Math. Soc. 40 (1993), 978-981.