cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Traditional Prognostics, Molecular Pathology: A New Breast Cancer Taxonomy and 21st Century Personalized Prognostic and Predictive Assays

Personalized Medicine, by the utilization of powerful gene expression technologies, is rapidly revolutionizing the clinical management of treatment decisions in patients with breast cancer. In addition to powerful traditional clinicopathologic metrics the new technologies offer the personalized assessment of individual patient tumor samples. By accurately quantitating gene expression and integrating these precise measurements into powerful biostatistical models, the risk of distant recurrence and the potential benefit of chemotherapy may be assessed for individual patients and their health-care providers. This personalized medical information allows for actionable, individualized treatment decisions. In addition to a detailed review of the traditional clinicopathologic metrics, this chapter will review current molecular assessment technologies as well as review landmark trials that use these tools in a prespecified manner in clinical validation trials and that demonstrate their clinical utility in the management of individual patient treatment decisions.
Comprehensive well-to-wheel analysis for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

The US electric power infrastructure is a strategic national asset that is underutilised most of the time. With changes in the operational paradigm, it could generate and deliver the energy to fuel the majority of the US light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the economics of the electricity industry, and reduce the dependency on foreign oil. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimates the regional percentages of the energy requirements that could be supported by the existing infrastructure.
Strip of the Month: June 2014

Electronic fetal monitoring is a popular technology used to establish fetal well-being. Despite its widespread use, terminology used to describe patterns seen on the monitor has not been consistent until recently. In 1997, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Research Planning Workshop published guidelines for interpretation of fetal tracings. This publication was the culmination of 2 years of work by a panel of experts in the field of fetal monitoring and was endorsed in 2005 by both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. In 2008, ACOG, NICHD, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine reviewed and updated the definitions for fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns, interpretation, and research recommendations. The following is a summary of the terminology definitions and assumptions found in the 2008 NICHD workshop report. Normal values for arterial umbilical cord gas values and indications of acidosis are defined in Table 1. View this table: Table 1. Arterial Umbilical Cord Gas Values ### Assumptions From the NICHD Workshop ### Definitions #### Baseline FHR
Swallowing Disorders and Rehabilitation in Patients with Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer and the treatments employed to eradicate it may lead to functional repercussions such as dysphagia. Surgical resection of laryngeal cancer may lead to predictable patterns of dysphagia, while nonsurgical treatments may lead to less predictable outcomes. The assessment and treatment of dysphagia in this population is critical for achieving optimal success. In this chapter, expected dysphagia phenotypes and methods of rehabilitation will be highlighted.
Lanthanide transport, storage, and beyond: genes and processes contributing to XoxF function in Methylorubrum extorquens AM1

Lanthanides are elements that have been recently recognized as "new life metals" in bacterial metabolism, yet much remains unknown regarding lanthanide acquisition, regulation, and use. The lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase XoxF produces formaldehyde, which is lethal to Methylorubrum extorquens AM1 if allowed to accumulate. This property enabled a transposon mutagenesis study to expand knowledge of the lanthanide-dependent metabolic network. Mutant strains were reconstructed and growth studies were conducted for over 40 strains detailing the involvement of 8 novel genes in lanthanide-dependent and independent methanol growth, including a fused ABC-transporter, aminopeptidase, LysR-type transcriptional regulator, putative homospermidine synthase, mxaD homolog ( xoxD ), porin family protein, and genes of unknown function previously published as orf6 and orf7 . Using genetic and biochemical analyses, strains lacking individual genes in the lanthanide transport cluster were characterized and named lut for l anthanide u tilization and t ransport ( META1_1778 to META1_1787 ). Consistent with previous reports, we corroborated that a TonB-ABC transport system is required for lanthanide transport to the cytoplasm. However, an additional outer membrane transport mechanism became apparent after longer growth incubations. Additionally, suppressor mutations that rescued growth of the ABC-transporter mutants were identified. Transcriptional reporter fusions were used to show that like iron transport, expression from the TonB-dependent receptor promoter, lutH , is repressed when lanthanides are in excess. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis was used to visualize the localization of lanthanum in wild-type and TonB-ABC transport mutant strains and showed for the first time, that M. extorquens AM1 stores cytoplasmic lanthanides in mineral form.
Longitudinal study of age of menarche in association with childhood concentrations of persistent organic pollutants.

Abstract Background Age at female puberty is associated with adult morbidities, including breast cancer and diabetes. Hormonally active chemicals are suspected of altering pubertal timing. We examined whether persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are associated with age at menarche in a longitudinal study. Methods We analyzed data for females enrolled at age 6–8 years in the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program from California and Ohio. Participants were followed annually 2004–2013 and provided serum (mean age 7.8 years) for measurement of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), organochlorine pesticide (OCP), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations. Age of menarche was assigned based on parental and participant reported dates and ages of menarche. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for menarchal onset were calculated with Cox proportional regression. Body mass index (BMI), potentially on the causal pathway, was added to parallel analyses. Results Age of menarche was later with higher summed PCB levels (median 11.9 years in quartile 1 [Q1] versus 12.7 in quartile 4 [Q4]) and OCP levels (12.1 years versus 12.4, respectively). When adjusting for all covariates except BMI, higher POP concentrations were associated with later age at menarche (Q4 versus Q1 aHRs: PBDEs 0.75 [95% CI 0.58, 0.97], PCBs 0.67 [95% CI 0.5, 0.89], and OCPs 0.66 [95% CI 0.50, 0.89]). Additional adjustment for BMI attenuated aHRs; PCB aHR approached the null. Conclusion Findings revealed later onset of menarche with higher concentrations of certain POPs, possibly through an association with BMI. Altered pubertal timing may have long lasting effects on reproductive health and disease risk, so continued attention is important for understanding the biological processes affected by hormonally active chemicals.
Refugees and the System: Social and Cultural Capital during U.S. Resettlement

Using Pierre Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of social and cultural capital, this phenomenological study explored how access to cultural resources and social networks impacted refugees’ mental health during their U.S. resettlement. Interviews with six refugees and five staff members of local refugee agencies revealed two themes and eight subthemes. The main themes were (i) resources that achieved stability, and (ii) refugees’ acquisition of cultural resources required to thrive as citizens in their host country. Implications for counselors who work with refugees around the world and for future research are discussed.
Stabilization of the n = 3 Ruddlesden−Popper Phases: Sr4Mn3-xFexO10-δ and Sr4-yCayMn3O10-δ

Sr4Mn3O10, which crystallizes in space group Cmca, is not a Ruddlesden−Popper (RP) phase. The partial substitution of either Mn by Fe or Sr by Ca leads to a stable n = 3 RP phase with tetragonal symmetry (I4/mmm). The minimum amount of Fe or Ca needed to obtain a stable RP phase is x = 0.40 for Sr4Mn3-xFexO10-δ and y = 2.85 for Sr4-yCayMn3O10-δ. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction electron microscopy indicate that about 50% of the grains have well-ordered n = 3 structure for both series of RP phases, while the rest of the grains show significant intergrowth between the n = 2 and n = 3 structures. Sr4Mn2.6Fe0.4O10-δ and Sr1.15Ca2.85Mn3O10-δ are semiconductors and exhibit spin-glass like transitions at low temperature.
“Kind of interrupting”: teachers of young children understanding mathematics learning and linguistic diversity

This article examines the shared experiences and understandings teachers draw on to teach children with an awareness of linguistic diversity. To do so, we analyzed interviews from Turkey and the Un...
Review of Russia’s Crony Capitalism: The Path from Market Economy to Kleptocracy by Anders Åslund

Anders Aslund provides a comprehensive description of the main political and economic events of Vladimir Putin's 20 years at the helm of the country. In politics, Aslund shows how Putin skillfully maneuvered to destroy democracy in Russia. I argue that the "cultural backlash" by older generations played perhaps an even more important role. I also show that the young generations hold rather liberal values, thus providing hope for the future. In economics, Aslund focuses on large state corporations, assets of Putin's cronies, and macroeconomic policies, with only general statements about the country's institutional weakness. I complement Aslund's analysis by a more detailed examination of the impact of institutions and briefly survey fiscal federalism and informal economic activities—issues without which the workings of the Russian economy are hard to understand.
Optimal Resource Allocation for Statistical QoS Provisioning in Supporting mURLLC Over FBC-Driven 6G Terahertz Wireless Nano-Networks

The new and important service class of massive Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (mURLLC) is defined in the 6G era to guarantee very stringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, such as ultra-high data rate, super-high reliability, tightly-bounded end-to-end latency, etc. Various 6G promising techniques, such as finite blocklength coding (FBC) and Terahertz (THz), have been proposed to significantly improve QoS performances of mURLLC. Furthermore, with the rapid developments in nano techniques, THz wireless nano-networks have drawn great research attention due to its ability to support ultra-high data-rate while addressing the spectrum scarcity and capacity limitations problems. However, how to efficiently integrate THz-band nano communications with FBC in supporting statistical delay/error-rate bounded QoS provisioning for mURLLC still remains as an open challenge over 6G THz wireless nano-networks. To overcome these problems, in this paper we propose the THz-band statistical delay/error-rate bounded QoS provisioning schemes in supporting mURLLC standards by optimizing both the transmit power and blocklength over 6G THz wireless nano-networks in the finite blocklength regime. Specifically, first, we develop the FBC-driven THz-band wireless channel models in nano-scale. Second, we build up the THz-band interference model and derive the channel capacity and channel dispersion functions using FBC. Third, we maximize the ϵ-effective capacity by developing the joint optimal resource allocation policies under statistical delay/error-rate bounded QoS constraints. Finally, we conduct the extensive simulations to validate and evaluate our proposed schemes at the THz band in the finite blocklength regime.
Fare Calculation and Vehicle Communication Modules for Paratransit Systems

Abstract This paper discusses the design and development of fare calculation and vehicle communication hardware and software for Carnegie-Mellon University’s experimental R ide- S hared V ehicle P aratransit S ystem. Key components include (1) a new electronic taxi meter which functions as a remote display for computer calculated fares and which has back-up metering capabilities for use when the computer or radio malfunctions; and (2) a Data Base Management System which performs fare calculations and which will eventually provide real-time monitoring capabilities for the RSVP System. The RSVP computer-based fare calculation technique is compared to existing mechanical taximeters and zone fare structures. Design issues are analyzed in terms of hardware engineering, software engineering, and system integration. Descriptions of Control Center hardware, Vehicle hardware, and RSVP operating procedures are presented. An assessment of current progress is provided, and some directions for future development are indicated.
Probing the Mechanism by which Proteins Designed De Novo Function in Living Cells

One goal of synthetic biology is the design of a collection of novel proteins to create an artificial proteome. The Hecht lab made initial progress toward this goal by producing a library of stable novel proteins that are not similar to any naturally occurring proteins, but nonetheless function in vivo. The E. coli strain ΔserB, which cannot grow on minimal media due to the chromosomal deletion of phosphoserine phosphatase (which is essential for the biosynthesis of serine), was transformed with a library of de novo designed proteins and screened for growth. Four novel proteins, named SynSerB1, 2, 3, and 4, were found to rescue this strain on minimal media. Since the pure SynSerB proteins do not perform the reaction that wild-type SerB performs in the cell, we suspect that the SynSerB proteins may function by altering the expression of an endogenous protein. Assaying the transcriptome of cells expressing SynSerB3 revealed an overexpression of the histidine operon, including HisB, a phosphatase that can ut...
Behavioral Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the conduct of research to guide the development of more useful and usable computer systems. Experimental research in human-computer interaction involves varying the design or deployment of systems, observing the consequences, and inferring from observations what to do differently. For such research to be effective, it must be owned—instituted, trusted and heeded—by those who control the development of new systems. Thus, managers, marketers, systems engineers, project leaders, and designers as well as human factors specialists are important participants in behavioral human-computer interaction research. This chapter is intended as much for those with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, or management as for human factors researchers and cognitive systems designers. It is argued in this chapter that the special goals and difficulties of human-computer interaction research make it different from most psychological research as well as from traditional computer engineering research. The main goal, the improvement of complex, interacting human-computer systems, requires behavioral research but is not sufficiently served by the standard tools of experimental psychology such as factorial controlled experiments on pre-planned variables. The chapter contains about equal quantities of criticism of inappropriate general research methods, description of valuable methods, and prescription of specific useful techniques.
Resurgence and trans-series in Quantum Field Theory: the $\mathbb{C}{{\mathbb{P}}^{N-1 }}$ model

This work is a step towards a non-perturbative continuum definition of quantum field theory (QFT), beginning with asymptotically free two dimensional non-linear sigma-models, using recent ideas from mathematics and QFT. The ideas from mathematics are resurgence theory, the trans-series framework, and Borel-Ecalle resummation. The ideas from QFT use continuity on ${{\mathbb{R}}^1}\times \mathbb{S}_L^1$ , i.e., the absence of any phase transition as N → ∞ or rapid-crossovers for finite-N, and the small-L weak coupling limit to render the semi-classical sector well-defined and calculable. We classify semi-classical configurations with actions 1/N (kink-instantons), 2/N (bions and bi-kinks), in units where the 2d instanton action is normalized to one. Perturbation theory possesses the IR-renormalon ambiguity that arises due to non-Borel summability of the large-orders perturbation series (of Gevrey-1 type), for which a microscopic cancellation mechanism was unknown. This divergence must be present because the corresponding expansion is on a singular Stokes ray in the complexified coupling constant plane, and the sum exhibits the Stokes phenomenon crossing the ray. We show that there is also a non-perturbative ambiguity inherent to certain neutral topological molecules (neutral bions and bion-anti-bions) in the semiclassical expansion. We find a set of “confluence equations” that encode the exact cancellation of the two different type of ambiguities. There exists a resurgent behavior in the semi-classical trans-series analysis of the QFT, whereby subleading orders of exponential terms mix in a systematic way, canceling all ambiguities. We show that a new notion of “graded resurgence triangle” is necessary to capture the path integral approach to resurgence, and that graded resurgence underlies a potentially rigorous definition of general QFTs. The mass gap and the Θ angle dependence of vacuum energy are calculated from first principles, and are in accord with large-N and lattice results.
Mulan: Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend, with Related Texts

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Shiamin Kwa and Wilt L. Idema Year: 2010 Pages: 170 Publisher: Hackett ISBN: 978-1-60384-196-2 (hard cover).
Effect of Ethionine on the Ribonucleic Acid, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and Protein Content of Escherichia coli

Abstract Smith, Robert C. (Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.), and W. D. Salmon. Effect of ethionine on the ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid, and protein content of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 89:687–692. 1965.—The addition of ethionine to cultures of Escherichia coli K-12 W6, a methionine-requiring auxotroph, led to inhibition of the rate of increase in optical density when the ratio of ethionine to methionine was 200:1. When the ratio was 600:1, the increase in optical density became linear. When ethionine was substituted for methionine in the medium, the optical density of the culture increased, and there was a parallel increase in protein content. There was no cell division in these cultures. The rate of synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in a culture containing ethionine was similar to that of a culture deprived of methionine, but the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid in a culture with ethionine was about twice that of a culture deprived of methionine. No detectable radioactivity from ethionine-ethyl-1-C14 was incorporated into RNA. Ethionine-ethyl-1-C14 was readily incorporated into the protein fraction.
Eeg developmental stages

Data in the literature show that in humans the fraction of the total electroencephalographic (EEG) energy that appears in the alpha frequencies rises from about zero at birth to about 70% in adults. This rise is shown to occur mainly in 5 stages, the ages of which correlate with those of stages of increase in brain weight. Supporting the correlation are data on gender dimorphism in humans in both brain weight and EEG development, as well as limited data on development in kittens, rats, mice, and guinea pigs.
On the solution self-assembly of nanocolloidal brushes: insights from simulations

The synthesis of novel nanoparticles with exceptional properties continues to stimulate the search for advanced applications in fields as diverse as solar energy harvesting and polymer reinforcement. It is widely recognized that to practically exploit the promised benefits it is necessary to guide the assembly of the various nanoparticles into well-defined supra-molecular structures. Towards this goal, we report Monte Carlo simulation results for the self-assembly of spherical nanoparticles in implicit solvent. The nanoparticles interact solely via dispersive interactions, modeled as square-well potentials. To control the morphology of the self-assembled aggregates, side chains are grafted on specific locations on the nanoparticle surface (i.e., on the equator, on the tropics, on the entire tropical region, or uniformly on the nanoparticle surface). The results are discussed in terms of average cluster size, probability of observing aggregates of given size, and aggregate radius of gyration and asphericity as a function of the aggregate size. The parameters of interest are the solution conditions and the nanoparticle volume fraction (always in the dilute regime). As shown in previous reports (e.g., Striolo 2007 Small 3 628), the nanoparticles form insoluble agglomerates in the absence of the side chains. When the side chains are long and uniformly distributed on the nanoparticles, these remain individually dispersed in solution. More importantly, when the side chains are grafted on selected locations on the nanoparticles, these self-assemble, yielding structures composed of up to 7-10 nanoparticles. The number of grafted side chains is the parameter that predominantly determines the average aggregate size, while the aggregate morphology can be tuned by appropriately controlling the distribution and length of the grafted side chains.
Hydrogen-atom abstraction from alkenes by OH, ethene and 1-butene

Abstract Absolute rate coefficients for the reactions of the hydroxyl radical with ethene ( k 1 ), ethene- d 4 ( k 2 ), 1-butene ( k 3 ), and 1-butene- d 8 ( k 4 ) were measured over the temperature range 650–901 K. The rate coelTlcient data, in the units cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , are fitted to the Arrhenius equations k 1 ( T ) = (3.36 ±0.64) × 10 −11 exp[-(5955 ± 287) cal mol −1 / RT ], k 2 ( T ) = (5.85 ± 1.54) × 10 −11 exp[-(7816±407) cal mol−1/ RT ], k 3 ( T ) =(3.74±0.63) × 10 −11 exp[-(2217±243) cal mol-1/ RT ], and k 4 ( T )= (3.56 ± 0.25) × 10 −11 exp [-(2730 ± 98) cal mol −1 / RT ], in which the stated error limits are 2σ values. These data are compared with previous results, and kinetic isotope effects are discussed.
Formation control of mobile robots subject to wheel slip

Multi-robot formation control has been studied in the literature assuming ideal surface that can provide sufficiently large friction as needed. However, in reality the friction is constrained by terrain characteristic and slip occurs due to insufficient friction. In this paper we investigate the effect of slip on the formation control problem of wheeled mobile robots (WMR). We explicitly model the slip-traction characteristic and integrate it into the WMR dynamics. Input output linearization technique is applied to each WMR such that the entire formation is subject to stable l - ψ control.
A high-pressure reaction chamber for in situ EXAFS spectroscopy of catalysts

Abstract The construction of an X-ray penetrable reaction chamber, capable of withstanding operating conditions of 160 °C and 68 atm has enabled the in situ EXAFS observation of a functioning copper and zinc oxide catalyst for methanol synthesis. X-ray transparent windows were fabricated from carbon fiber cloth and a high-temperature resin. The rate of methanol production from carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide was monitored by gas chromatographic analysis of the cell effluent. The EXAFS study revealed a gradual disappearance of a CuO interaction while the hydrogen-reduced catalyst was producing methanol and indicated that the principal component of the working catalyst was highly dispersed Cu(O).
Equilibrium Partitioning of Chlorinated Solvents in the Vadose Zone: Low foc Geomedia

A series of gas (vapor)-advecting water-unsaturated column experiments using a low organic content (f(oc)) silica sand was conducted to determine mass distributions of chlorinated-volatile hydrophobic organic compounds (C-VHOCs) in a natural sorbent system. C-VHOCs used were trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), chlorobenzene (CB), and 1,3-dichlorobenzene (DCB). Four volumetric water contents (theta(w) = 0.07, 0.12, 0.17, 0.20) and several influent gas-phase C-VHOC (solute) concentrations were considered. The method of temporal first moments was applied to complete breakthrough curve data to determine total C-VHOC gas-phase retardation and associated gas-phase C-VHOC mass fraction. Results were compared to an equilibrium partitioning advective-dispersive formulation of total gas-phase retardation. Literature-derived values of Henry's law constants and independent measurements of gas/water interface areal extent and interface phase adsorption allowed quantification of C-VHOC mass fractions in the aqueous and gas/water interface phases. Unaccounted C-VHOC mass, derived from comparison of measured C-VHOC retardation to independent phase prediction, was attributed to solid-phase sorption. Results indicate that for all conditions tested, gas/water interfacial adsorption exhibited only a small effect on C-VHOC vapor retardation (accounting for < or = 10% of the total C-VHOC distributions). Solid-phase association was the dominant uptake mechanism, accounting for 46-91% of the total C-VHOC mass in the porous system. Evaluation of the solid-phase C-VHOC uptake results in terms of a modified form of the Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) isotherm equation provided strong evidence supporting the mechanism of pore-filling in this natural, low f(oc) sorbent.
Optical iridectomy for corneal opacities in Peter's anomaly

Three children were born with partial corneal opacity and anterior segment anomalies but no cataract (Peter's anomaly type 1). In each affected eye, the corneal scar was off center and encroached on the visual axis. Glaucoma (if present) was controlled medically or surgically, after which an optical iridectomy was performed in each eye (in lieu of a penetrating keratoplasty). After surgery, in all patients the pupil extended beyond the corneal opacity and the corneal opacity decreased slightly. All could fixate and follow around the opacity. Optical iridectomy should be considered in selected cases of congenital corneal opacities.
Benthic lead fluxes in San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Porewater concentration gradients indicate relatively large benthic fluxes of Pb from sediments in the San Francisco Bay estuary. Gradients in total dissolved (<0.45 μm) Pb concentrations in sediment porewaters, which range from 0.07–19.2 nM, parallel gradients in ammonia and dissolved Fe in sediment cores from the bay. Corresponding Fickian diffusive fluxes range from 2.6 × 10−9 moles m−2 d−1 to 3.1 × 10−8 moles m−2 d−2 in anoxic surface (<2 cm) sediments along the periphery of the estuary. These indicate the net diffusive benthic flux of Pb from sediments in San Francisco Bay (3–31 moles d−1) is at least an order of magnitude greater than the fluvial input of dissolved Pb to the estuary (0.2 moles d−1) during low flow periods. Moreover, estimates of the total benthic Pb flux, which were based on Hammond et al. (1985) irrigation benthic flux model, are two- to six-fold greater (6–186 moles d−1) than the estimates of diffusive fluxes. Therefore, the total benthic flux of Pb from the bay's sediments may be within an order of magnitude of the total anthropogenic flux of Pb to the San Francisco Bay estuary (965–8,410 moles d−1).
Effects of reserpine and guanethidine on venous reflexes.

The effects of reserpine and guanethidine on reflex venoconstriction were studied in a group of open-chest anesthetized dogs by the major vessel occlusion technique described by Bartelstone. Guanethidine (10 mg./Kg. intravenously) blocked reflex venous constriction following carotid occlusion and central vagal stimulation within, five minutes after injection in five dogs. Reserpine (0.5 mg./Kg. intravenously) required 50 to 110 minutes to abolish these venopressor reflexes in five animals. Pretreatment with either reserpine (0.5 mg./Kg. intraperitoneally on two consecutive days in four dogs) or guanethidine (10 mg./Kg. intravenously on two days in four dogs) also abolished reflex venoconstriction. These results indicate that reserpine and guanethidine are capable of blocking reflex venoconstriction, and it is suggested that this action may contribute to their effects in the treatment of hypertension.
Moore’s Paradox, Direct Doxastic Voluntarism, and Atheist Distrust

The concept of belief is analyzed and then discussed within the context of the current climate of atheist distrust in America. To begin, Moore’s Paradox, and its relationship to an important claim made by Wittgenstein regarding false beliefs, is explored. Next, the definition of belief that results from affirming Wittgenstein’s claim is outlined and subsequently defended from an attempted refutation constructed by John N. Williams. The defended definition of belief, which regards direct doxastic voluntarism as false, is then used to argue that atheists do not directly choose to not believe in any gods so as to evade moral responsibility. Direct doxastic voluntarism is the notion that human beings have direct and voluntary control over their beliefs, and it is commonly regarded as false (Booth 2007, 115-130). In this paper, I will refute John N. Williams’s attempt to invalidate a claim made by Ludwig Wittgenstein that, if successfully invalidated, would give credence to the doctrine of direct doxastic voluntarism. Therefore, by defending Wittgenstein’s claim, which is based on Moore’s Paradox, I am indirectly defending the stance that direct doxastic voluntarism is false. Next, in an effort to use philosophical theory as a form of social activism, I will explore the implications of refuting Williams by examining how the falsity of direct doxastic voluntarism affects people that identify as atheists or non-believers. To be more specific, I will argue that while the unfavorable reputation of atheists in America should be reconsidered for numerous reasons, one specific reason that deserves more attention is that an atheist’s lack of direct control over her lack of belief in God should eliminate the worry that atheists choose to not believe in God so as to escape the moral codes commonly offered by religions. To begin on this complex journey of theory and application, I will first describe Moore’s Paradox and how it is essential to this discussion. Background: Moore’s Paradox Ludwig Wittgenstein was apparently impressed by G.E. Moore’s discovery of a type of absurdity that arises from phrases such as the following: “It is raining but I don’t believe that it is raining” (Malcolm 1984, 56). Wittgenstein went on to coin the term “Moore’s Paradox” for this brand of absurdity in his book entitled Philosophical Investigations. After analyzing Moore’s discovery, Wittgenstein concluded, “If there were a verb meaning ‘to believe falsely’, it would not have any significant first person indicative” (Wittgenstein 1958, 190). Put in simpler terms, Wittgenstein concluded that one cannot reasonably make the assertion, “I falsely believe that p.” 1 Thompson: Moore’s Paradox, Direct Doxastic Voluntarism, and Atheist Distrust
Transport-Based Imaging in Random Media

This paper generalizes well-established derivations of the radiative transfer equation from first principles to model the energy density of time-dependent and monochromatic high frequency waves pro...
A humanistic approach to user services

Behavioral objectives of user services in general do not include humanistic goals. User services are the personal extension of the computing center. The computing center need not be depicted as a mechanical brain attended to by a robot-like staff. A transformation from this traditional user characterization can be achieved by adherence to humanistic priorities. A discussion of the typical user services' roles and their transformations are presented. These guidelines can lead to a more successful diffusion of computer technology into the user community.
The Pore-Domain of TRPA1 Mediates the Inhibitory Effect of the Antagonist 6-Methyl-5-(2-(Trifluoromethyl)Phenyl)-1H-Indazole

The transient receptor potential ion channel TRPA1 confers the ability to detect tissue damaging chemicals to sensory neurons and as a result mediates chemical nociception in vivo. Mouse TRPA1 is activated by electrophilic compounds such as mustard-oil and several physical stimuli such as cold temperature. Due to its sensory function inhibition of TRPA1 activity might provide an effective treatment against chronic and inflammatory pain. Therefore, TRPA1 has become a target for the development of analgesic drugs. 6-Methyl-5-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1H-indazole (Compound 31) has been identified by a chemical screen and lead optimization as an inhibitor of chemical activation of TRPA1. However, the structures or domains of TRPA1 that mediate the inhibitory effect of Compound 31 are unknown. Here, we screened 12,000 random mutant clones of mouse TRPA1 for their sensitivity to mustard-oil and the ability of Compound 31 to inhibit chemical activation by mustard-oil. In addition, we separately screened this mutant library while stimulating it with cold temperatures. We found that the single-point mutation I624N in the N-terminus of TRPA1 specifically affects the sensitivity to mustard-oil, but not to cold temperatures. This is evidence that sensitivity of TRPA1 to chemicals and cold temperatures is conveyed by separable mechanisms. We also identified five mutations located within the pore domain that cause loss of inhibition by Compound 31. This result demonstrates that the pore-domain is a regulator of chemical activation and suggests that Compound 31 might be acting directly on the pore-domain.
Exploration of Optimization-based Surface Textures for High Efficiency Thin-fFilm Si Solar Cells

We explore light-absorption behavior of thin-film silicon for normal-incidence, using surface textures to enhance absorption. Using an optimization algorithm, our optimized surface texture enhances absorption (900-1100nm) by 2.7x over the general Lambertian model.
Simulation of the global response of a friction stir weld using local constitutive behavior

The local and global mechanical responses of friction stir welded AA-2024 were studied experimentally and modeled using the finite element technique. A technique employing tensile testing and digital image correlation was used to obtain the full field strain distribution in transversely loaded welds, as well as the local constitutive behavior of the various weld regions. Two-dimensional, plane stress and plane strain, finite element models of the welded specimen were constructed using the local constitutive properties as input data and the local and global responses in tension were simulated. Nearly plane stress conditions were found to exist in the specimen as demonstrated by the correspondence between experimental results and the predictions of the 2-D models. These findings were further corroborated by use of a 3-D finite element model. The 3-D model was also used to examine the constraint developed in specimens of various widths.
Possible change in noradrenergic receptor sensitivity following methylphenidate treatment: Growth hormone and MHPG response to clonidine challenge in children with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity

Abstract Growth hormone (GH) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenelethylene glycol (MHPG) response was measured hourly for 4 hours in 8 children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADD+H) following an acute single-dose of clonidine. The clonidine challenge was repeated before, during, and one day after 12 weeks of treatment with methylphenidate (MPH). Before MPH treatment, the plasma growth hormone (GH) rose to 31.3 ± 4.6 (Mean ± SE) ng/ml; during MPH treatment, the GH peak was only 14.8 ± 3.2 ng/ml; one day after discontinuation of MPH, GH rose to only 20.8 ± 3.9 ng/ml. MHPG release was inhibited by clonidine in all treatment conditions but tended to be more decreased during MPH treatment. Some children with ADD+H may have hypersensitivity of the post-synaptic alpha-1 noradrenergic receptor which is diminished by MPH treatment. The extent to which these effects are pharmacological or represent a change in receptor sensitivity requires further study.
π•−π• Bonding Interactions Generated by Halogen Oxidation of Zirconium(IV) Redox-Active Ligand Complexes

The new complex, [Zr(pda)2]n (1, pda2- = N,N'-bis(neo-pentyl)-ortho-phenylenediamide, n = 1 or 2), prepared by the reaction of 2 equiv of pdaLi2 with ZrCl4, reacts rapidly with halogen oxidants to afford the new product ZrX2(disq)2 (3, X = Cl, Br, I; disq- = N,N'-bis(neo-pentyl)-ortho-diiminosemiquinonate) in which each redox-active ligand has been oxidized by one electron. The oxidation products 3a-c have been structurally characterized and display an unusual parallel stacked arrangement of the disq- ligands in the solid state, with a separation of approximately 3 A. Density functional calculations show a bonding-type interaction between the SOMOs of the disq- ligands to form a unique HOMO while the antibonding linear combination forms a unique LUMO. This orbital configuration leads to a closed-shell-singlet ground-state electron configuration (S = 0). Temperature-dependent magnetism measurements indicate a low-lying triplet excited state at approximately 750 cm-1. In solution, 3a-c show strong disq--based absorption bands that are invariant across the halide series. Taken together these spectroscopic measurements provide experimental values for the one- and two-electron energies that characterize the pi-stacked bonding interaction between the two disq- ligands.
Improving Effectiveness of Measurements for Seed Resistance to Maize Weevil

Grain harvested from a southeastern United States-adapted, full-season corn, Zea mays L., hybrid, which was allowed to open-pollinate, was separated into 3 kernel sizes (large, medium, and small) and tested at 3 sample weights (15, 25, and 35 g) each under 4 infestation levels (10, 20, 30, and 40) of adult Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky. Seed size did not affect resistance measurements because it appeared that samples of constant weight tended to self-correct for total seed surface area, an important factor affecting oviposition, when seed size varied. Samples infested with only 10 weevils exhibited large sampling errors, which were attributed to the high probability of obtaining few or no female weevils in randomly drawn samples of low weevil number per sample. Both sample weight loss per adult and number of progeny per adult provided consistent measures of resistance and a good separation of treatment means. These 2 characteristics were highly correlated (r = 0.97) which indicated that either would provide an adequate measure of resistance. Based on the experimental results, use of at least 20 adult weevils to infest test samples containing at least 1 g of seed/weevil should produce reliable results when infesting with unsexed weevils.
MBA Attitudes Toward Business: What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us or Help Us

MBA students are often treated as a blank sheet of paper on which the MBA program and its faculty etch and imprint the knowledge and philosophy of business success. Implicit in this thinking is that students are willing neophytes in this ritualistic process without a perceptual screen shaping and molding the content being espoused by legions of business philosophers—both academic and professional. The author sheds light on the attitudinal states of the MBA students who occupy those many seats, engage in class discussions, analyze cases, and finally are knighted as Masters of the Universe. Quite surprisingly, MBA students have diverse attitudes toward the business community. In a sample of 866 MBA students representing 27 MBA programs around the United States, the research suggests that these students do not embrace all aspects of business practices. Students are biased, skeptical and, on certain issues, downright critical of the community they are about to join.
Adventitious Root Initiation in Kleingrass in Relation to Seedling Size and Age

Verde and 79-35 were superior to Selection 75 in primary root length, number of adventitious roots, and length of longest adventitious root (data averaged over all sampling days). Because seedling age in kleingrass is apparently more important than seedling mass in influencing adventitious root initiation, selecting for rapid seedling growth will not necessarly shorten the interval between planting and development of the first adventitious root
Energetic and time costs of foraging in harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

Western harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, preferentially utilize low vegetational cover pathways. Energetic costs for foraging ants were less than 0.1% of caloric rewards of harvested seeds, suggesting that reduction of energetic cost is not a major benefit of this preference. Walking speed was significantly faster on lower cover routes, increasing net return rates from equidistant artificial food sources. Undisturbed foragers on low cover routes traveled farther, increasing their total foraging area without increasing foraging time. These results suggest that in animals with low costs of locomotion relative to energetic rewards, time costs are more important than direct energetic costs in influencing foraging decisions. In baited experiments with equidistant food sources, preferential use of low cover routes resulted in a large increase in net energetic gain rate, but only a slight increase in energetic efficiency. Under natural conditions, net energetic gain rates were constant for foragers using low and high vegetational cover routes, but foragers using low cover paths had lower efficiencies. This suggests that net energetic gain rate is a more important currency than energetic efficiency for foraging harvester ants.
Insertion reactions of t-Bu(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2

Abstract The complex t-Bu(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )FE(CO) 2 has been treated with triphenylphosphine in refluxing THF to produce t-BuCO(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO)(PPh 3 ). The large steric bulk of the t-butyl group suggests that this reaction should be faster than the reaction involving the methyl group, and a kinetic investigation illustrates this to be the case. The same steric bulk predicts that the reaction with SO 2 should be slow, and indeed we have been unable to effect the related SO 2 insertion reaction. Attempts to prepare the corresponding t-Bu(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )W(CO) 3 led to formation of the related isobutyl complex.
The Injustice of Some Attacks: A Response to Stephen Strehle

Despite Stephen Strehle's criticisms, the ‘just war’ tradition can be a useful and appropriate way of thinking through the ethical problems of war. If it remains grounded in the memory of human suffering, including the suffering of the enemy, then it is a flexible framework, open to new developments, which can guide ethical reflection. In fact, the just war tradition is a good example of the appropriate relation of religion to politics. Religious traditions must neither dictate political options directly, nor be separated from them entirely, but must engage the political sphere ‘indirectly’, via reasoned argumentation. Four elements of this indirect relation are described.
Genetic algorithms for pattern recognition analysis and fusion of sensor data

A genetic algorithm (GA) for pattern recognition analysis of optical sensor data has been developed. The GA selects feature sets based on their principal component (PC) plots. A good PC plot can only be generated using features whose variance or information is primarily about class differences. Hence, the principal component analysis routine in the fitness function of the GA acts as an information filter, significantly reducing the size of the search space since it limits its search to features whose PC plots show clustering on the basis of the class. In addition, the GA focuses on those classes and/or samples that are difficult to classify as it trains using a form of boosting. Samples that consistently classify correctly are not as heavily weighted as samples that are difficult to classify. Over time, the algorithm learns its optimal parameters in a manner similar to a perceptron. The pattern recognition GA integrates aspects of strong and weak learning to yield a 'smart' one-pass procedure for feature selection and pattern classification.
Information diffusion among agents: : implications for humanitarian operations

The basis for this article is an information-processing view of the UN's cluster approach. We use agent-based modeling and simulations to show that clusters, if properly utilized, encourage better information flow and thus facilitate effective response to disasters. The article intends to turn the attention of the humanitarian community to the importance of sharing information and the role of cluster leads in facilitating humanitarian aid. Our results indicate that if cluster leads act as information hubs, information reaches its target faster, enabling a prompt humanitarian response. In addition, we show that information quality is critical for effective resource utilization-if cluster leads filter information, it moves faster. We also found evidence that the willingness to exchange information plays a larger role in transmitting information than that of an information hub, particularly during later stages of response operations.
Physiological Reactivity During Parent-Adolescent Discussions: Associations with Scaffolding Behaviors and Relationship Quality

Parents and adolescents commonly discuss stressful experiences. However, little is known about the features of these conversations that may have implications for health. One hundred five adolescents and their parents engaged in conversations about two challenging events, with parental contributions to the discussions coded for four scaffolding behaviors (reiterations, negations, move alongs, and new interpretations). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured in both participants at baseline and throughout the conversation. Parent-reported relationship quality was also assessed. For both parents and adolescents, negative scaffolding behaviors were associated with increased physiological reactivity, whereas positive scaffolding behaviors were associated with decreased reactivity. Furthermore, children in higher quality parent-child relationships showed greater reactivity to reiterations and lower reactivity to new interpretations, but those in lower quality relationships demonstrated the opposite patterns. Specific aspects of parent-child interactions appear to contribute to physiological responses to challenging events, which in turn may have implications for health.
Growth of epitaxial GexSi1 − x for infrared detectors by UHV/CVD

Abstract We report the application of UHV/CVD (ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition) to the growth of heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) infrared detector structures. The HIP structure is essentially a Schottky barrier junction formed between a degenerately doped germanium-silicon absorbing layer and an undoped or lightly doped silicon layer. This device places stringent demands on the background doping concentration and morphology of the epitaxial layers. C(V) profiling shows that acceptably low doping of the silicon layer is obtained only after a cleanup run. Surface morphology of the Ge x Si 1 − x absorbing layer is degraded by the formation of thickness undulations, especially at the large boron concentrations required. By appropriate changes to the growth procedure, we have been able to fabricate working detectors with good electrical characteristics.