cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Giving Voice to Registered Nurses’ Decisions to Work

The purpose of this paper was to give voice to the concerns of registered nurses (RNs) who wrote comments on a survey about RNs' intent to work. Each comment (n = 472) was analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes describe RNs' reflections on working: (a) competing priorities, (b) balancing priorities, (c) practice deterrents, and (d) collegial support encourages nurses to stay in practice. Understanding these reflections gives insight into the complexity of decisions to work and the RNs' struggle to practice. With this insight, RNs may consider decisions about their work throughout their job trajectories that may foster a more fulfilling nursing career.
Gifts, donations, and loose coupling: responses to changes in academic entrepreneurship among bioscientists in Japan

This article delineates how local actors accomplish the adaptation of a global structure and how the social relations in which actors are embedded affect their negotiation of new practices. Specifically, the article draws on interviews and archival research to examine legal and institutional change regarding academic entrepreneurship in Japanese bioscience. In the late 1990s, Japan began to imitate the United States’ method of promoting academic entrepreneurship. New legislation regulating university-industry ties constrained and even prohibited university scientists’ previous practices of informal collaboration with firms. This article shows how Japanese scientists reappropriated the new rules to continue working with firms in ways that would keep established relationships and work arrangements intact. Previously, Japanese scientists maintained informal, trust-based relationships with firms: scientists received “donations” from firms and, in return, provided the “favor” of intellectual property rights. After the introduction of formal rules, scientists tried to avoid breaching their gift-exchange-like relationships with collaborating firms by neglecting, partially following, or working around the new rules to keep giving favors to firms. By tracing the ways Japanese bio-scientists worked around the new system, I thus show how the social ties and practices that local actors are embedded in affect how they think about their work and their relationships: how previous practices and relationships “pull” loosely-coupled practices.
Analysis of the Multistep Process of Carcinogenesis Using Human Fibroblasts

Normal human cells in culture have never been neoplastically transformed by carcinogen exposure. One possible explanation is that the life span of such cells is too short for them to acquire the necessary changes. To test this hypothesis, we needed normal human cells with a greatly extended or an infinite life span. We transfected the v-myc gene and a selectable marker into normal human fibroblasts, identified a drug-resistant clone expressing v-myc protein, and passaged the progeny of the clone until they senesced. A few cells continued to proliferate and gave rise to a diploid, infinite life span cell strain, MSU-1.0, that has normal growth control and is nontumorigenic in athymic mice. Analysis showed that one more genetic change, in addition to unregulated expression of the v-myc gene, was involved in generating MSU-1.0 cells. They spontaneously gave rise to a variant strain, designated MSU-1.1, that grows more rapidly and is less dependent on exogenous growth factors. Analysis showed that at least two additional changes were involved in generating this cell strain. It has a stable karyotype composed of 45 chromosomes, including two markers. Transfection of specific oncogenes was used to determine the number and nature of additional changes required to transform MSU-1.1 cells into malignant cells. Analysis indicated that two changes were involved, but no change in karyotype. Exposure of MSU-1.1 cells to a single carcinogen treatment, followed by selection for cells with the characteristics of oncogene-trans-formed MSU-1.1 cells also yielded malignant human cells. We conclude that malignant transformation of normal human fibroblasts requires six or seven genetic changes, some of which involve suppressor genes.
Nowhere zero flows in line graphs

Abstract Cai an Corneil (Discrete Math. 102 (1992) 103–106), proved that if a graph has a cycle double cover, then its line graph also has a cycle double cover, and that the validity of the cycle double cover conjecture on line graphs would imply the truth of the conjecture in general. In this note we investigate the conditions under which a graph G has a nowhere zero k-flow would imply that L(G), the line graph of G, also has a nowhere zero k-flow. The validity of Tutte's flow conjectures on line graphs would also imply the truth of these conjectures in general.
Studies in Historical Replication in Psychology IV: An Inquiry into the Psychological Research and Life of Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) is well known as an early twentieth century writer, but less well known is her involvement in automatic writing research. Critics of Stein’s literary works suggest that her research had a significant influence on her poetry and fiction, though Stein denied any influence. A partial replication of Stein’s 1896 study was conducted with the goal of addressing three historical questions: (1) What contributed to Stein’s involvement in automatic writing research?; (2) To what extent did Stein believe that she experienced automatic writing?; and (3) To what extent did her automatic writing research influence her later literary works?
Persistence of the Entire Epstein-Barr Virus Genome Integrated into Human Lymphocyte DNA

The entire Epstein-Barr virus genome is integrated into Burkitt tumor cell DNA at the terminal direct repeat sequence of the virus. There is no homology between the GC-rich (G, guanine; C, cytosine) terminal repeat and the AT-rich (A, adenine; T, thymine) cell sequences with which it has recombined. More than 15 kilobases of cell DNA have been deleted and 236 base pairs are duplicated at one virus-cell junction site.
Perception/production relationships in the development of the vowel duration cue to final consonant voicing.

The purposes of this study were to assess: (a) the development of identification and discrimination in children for the vowel duration cue to final consonant voicing and (b) the perception/producti...
Intimate Geopolitics: Religion, Marriage, and Reproductive Bodies in Leh, Ladakh

Bodies not only are territory but also make territory. Recent scholarship interrogates the utility of hierarchical scale, attends to everyday practice and geopolitical strategy, and thinks through geographies of religion in terms of intersectionality and embodiedness. I build on these developments by reading them through the lens of territory and territoriality to explore how babies and reproductive bodies are caught up in geopolitical projects and religious narratives in the Leh district of India's contested Jammu and Kashmir State (J&K). J&K's Ladakh region has experienced the politicization of religious identity over the course of the twentieth century, culminating in the Buddhist majority's social boycott of Ladakhi Muslims and the subsequent territorialization of marriage and reproduction as sites of geopolitical possibility. This research explores the territorial logic manifest in a pronatal campaign and a ban on religious intermarriage, as well as the ways that people respond to this logic. The res...
The surgical treatment of periprosthetic elbow fractures around the ulnar stem following semiconstrained total elbow arthroplasty.

Background: Limited information exists related to the treatment of periprosthetic fractures of the ulna after semiconstrained elbow arthroplasty. Our goals were to characterize the clinical and radiographic features of periprosthetic fractures around the stem of a loose ulnar component and to determine the outcomes after surgical treatment. Methods: Between 1980 and 2008, thirty consecutive periprosthetic fractures around the ulnar stem were treated surgically at our institution. Eighteen fractures occurred after primary arthroplasty, and twelve occurred after revision arthroplasty. The mean time between the index arthroplasty and the fracture was eight years. All ulnar components were loose. Ulnar bone loss was moderate in fourteen elbows and severe in sixteen. Surgical reconstruction included revision of the ulnar component in all cases. Fracture fixation was achieved with a longer stemmed implant only in two elbows. Strut allografts were used in twenty elbows, with additional impaction graft augmentation in eight of them. Three additional elbows were revised with impaction grafting alone, and five were reconstructed with an allograft ulnar prosthetic composite. Seven patients were lost to follow-up, one died, and one was managed with conversion to a resection arthroplasty following a deep infection. The remaining twenty-one patients were followed for a mean of 4.9 ± 2.6 years. Results: At the time of the most recent follow-up, eighteen patients reported no pain or mild pain and three patients reported moderate pain. The mean arc of elbow flexion and extension was 112°. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 82 points (with fifteen good or excellent results and six fair or poor results). Fracture-healing was achieved in the twenty-one followed patients. Complications included three deep infections, one superficial infection, one case of ulnar component loosening, and one case of transient dysfunction of both the median and radial nerves. Conclusions: Periprosthetic ulnar fractures around the stem of a loose ulnar component after total elbow arthroplasty usually combine implant loosening and severe bone loss. Revision of the ulnar component may require additional strut allografts, allograft-prosthetic composites, or impaction grafting. Satisfactory outcomes were seen after the majority of revisions; however, deep infections and component loosening continue to be serious complications. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A Branch-and-Reduce Approach to Global Optimization

This paper presents valid inequalities and range contraction techniques that can be used to reduce the size of the search space of global optimization problems. To demonstrate the algorithmic usefulness of these techniques, we incorporate them within the branch-and-bound framework. This results in a branch-and-reduce global optimization algorithm. A detailed discussion of the algorithm components and theoretical properties are provided. Specialized algorithms for polynomial and multiplicative programs are developed. Extensive computational results are presented for engineering design problems, standard global optimization test problems, univariate polynomial programs, linear multiplicative programs, mixed-integer nonlinear programs and concave quadratic programs. For the problems solved, the computer implementation of the proposed algorithm provides very accurate solutions in modest computational time.
Gauge-theory predictions for deep-inelastic polarized-electron-nucleon scattering asymmetries

Asymmetries between the deep-inelastic scattering of right- and left-handed electrons by nucleons predicted by three distinct models of weak and electromagnetic interactions are compared. We find that even a left-right--symmetric model, for which neutral currents conserve parity in lowest order, predicts sizeable asymmetries as a result of radiative corrections. Asymmetry measurements are contrasted with atomic-physics parity-violation searches and the relevance of our results for an ongoing experiment is discussed.
Calcium Entry Blockers in the Treatment of Hypertension: Current Status and Future Prospects

Calcium entry blockers will be increasingly used for the treatment of hypertension. The currently available calcium entry blockers are similar in antihypertensive efficacy but differ in their effects on the atrioventricular node and the degree of peripheral vasodilatory action. The new generation of dihydropyridine calcium entry blockers exhibits more specific vasodilatory actions with a less negative inotropic effect, which may affect their use in patients with congestive heart failure. The responsiveness to these drugs is little affected by race or age. Because of their mild natriuretic action, the concomitant use of dietary sodium restriction or diuretics may be less necessary. Short-term administration of calcium entry blockers preserves or improves renal function; however, their long-term effect has not been documented. Calcium entry blockers have not exhibited protection against coronary heart disease, but experimental evidence supports the continued search for cardioprotection. Calcium entry blockers are important drugs for the treatment of hypertension; the second generation may provide additional benefits because of its more specific pharmacologic actions.
Choice of treatment versus treatment of choice

(1988). Choice of treatment versus treatment of choice. Journal of Child Psychotherapy: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 47-60.
How to derive a protein folding potential? A new approach to an old problem.

the database. When applied to the representative dataset of proteins and with the energy function taken in pairwise contact approximation, our potential scored somewhat better than existing ones. However, the discrimination of the native structure from decoys is still not strong enough to make the potential useful for ab initio folding. Our results suggest that the problem lies with pairwise amino acid contact approximation and/or simplified presentation of proteins rather than with the derivation of potential. We argue that more detail of protein structure and energetics should be taken into account to achieve energy gaps. The suggested method is general enough to allow us to systematically derive parameters for more sophisticated energy functions. The internal control of validity for the potential derived by our method is convergence to a unique solution upon addition of new proteins to the database. The method is tested on simple model systems where sequences are designed, using the preset ‘‘true’’ potential, to have low energy in a dataset of structures. Our procedure is able to recover the potential with correlation r 1 91% with the true one and we were able to fold all model structures using the recovered potential. Other statistical knowledge-based approaches were tested using this model and the results indicate that they also can recover the true potential with high degree of accuracy.
On the use of acoustic birefringence to determine components of plane stress

Abstract To assess the integrity of a structure containing a (known) flaw, it is necessary to know the stresses acting on the flaw. Many common structural elements (e.g. beams and plates) are subjected to either true plane stress or generalized plane stress. For either of these cases, there are three in-plane stresses (one shear stress and two normal stresses) to be determined in general. In this paper, we consider the application of the acoustic birefringence method to generalized plane stress states, where the thickness-averaged values of the shear and normal stresses are sought. It is shown that the times-of-flight are thickness-averaged effects, whereas the polarization directions depend upon local values of stress. Consequently, when the symmetric (axial) component of the stresses dominates the antisymmetric (bending) component, the acoustic birefringence method can be used to determine all three stresses, if the boundary conditions are known. For unknown boundary conditions, the normal stresses can be determined to within arbitrary functions. Problems arise in using the normal incidence technique when either the shear stress vanishes, or the symmetric (membrane) components of generalized plane stress do not dominate the bending components. In the former case, the thickness-averaged difference in normal stresses can be obtained, provided that the birefringence in the unstressed state is known. In the latter case, the (averaged) difference in normal stresses can be obtained by measuring time-of-flight differences of off-axis SH-waves propagating in the planes of material symmetry of the plate.
A site of action of novobiocin in inhibiting renal tubular transport of drugs in the chicken.

Abstract Using the systems of renal transport and metabolism, the morphinemorpine-3-ethereal sulfate (MES) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT)-5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5HIAA) models, a site of action of novobiocin was determined to be on the peritubular side of the renal tubular cell and involved specific inhibition of the organic anion transport system. These conclusions were based on the following observations. Novobiocin blocked the transport of both MES and 5HIAA when these metabolites were administered by intravenous infusion, but novobiocin had no blocking effect when MES and 5HIAA were formed intrarenally from intravenously administered morphine and 5HT respectively. Furthermore, novobiocin had no effect on the transport or metabolism of morphine and 5HT. Tetraethylammonium and catechol transport was not affected, while para-aminohippuric acid transport was blocked by novobiocin. The spectrum of blocking activity and site of action of novobiocin were similar but not identical to that of probenecid.
anisotropy of Earth's inner core

In an effort to confirm inner core anisotropy, we conducted a systematic search for PKP ray paths with various angles from the Earth's spin axis. In particular, we studied paths nearly parallel to the spin axis (polar paths) and those nearly parallel to the equatorial plane (equatorial paths). Data for earthquakes and explosions were collected from Worldwide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN), Long Range Seismic Measurements (LRSM), and Global Digital Seismograph Network (GDSN). Absolute times (DF, BC) and differential times (BC-DF, AB-DF) as well as waveform data were examined. For all polar paths, differential times of BC-DF consistently yield residuals of 1.5 to 3.5s larger than equatorial paths. Absolute DF time residuals exhibit anomalies of the same magnitude (1 to 4s) with DF being early along polar paths while BC residuals have no obvious correlation with the differential time anomalies. DF phases appear multi-pathed for polar paths and are relatively simple for equatorial paths. These results coupled with previous studies suggest an axisymmetric anisotropy at the top of the inner core.
Translation initiation of IS50R read-through transcripts.

Abstract IS50R (and Tn5) normally transposes at a low frequency, partly because cells containing this insertion sequence synthesize low levels of the transposase protein. Since the 5′ end of the transposase gene is located next to the outer end of IS50R (and thus close to flanking host sequences), transposition into actively transcribed genes could result in the production of read-through transcripts that would encode the transposase. We have found that these read-through transcripts are made, but are translated poorly. We isolated mutations that increase translation initiation of transposase from read-through transcripts. Most of these mutations destabilize a potential RNA secondary structure in the ribosome binding site that could form in read-through transcripts, but not in normal transcripts. In vitro RNA secondary structure analysis has confirmed the predicted RNA secondary structure and the effects of mutations. We have shown that RNA secondary structure is the major factor limiting transposase expression from read-through transcripts.
Single-Neuron Correlates of Atypical Face Processing in Autism

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show abnormal processing of faces. A range of morphometric, histological, and neuroimaging studies suggest the hypothesis that this abnormality may be linked to the amygdala. We recorded data from single neurons within the amygdalae of two rare neurosurgical patients with ASD. While basic electrophysiological response parameters were normal, there were specific and striking abnormalities in how individual facial features drove neuronal response. Compared to control patients, a population of neurons in the two ASD patients responded significantly more to the mouth, but less to the eyes. Moreover, we found a second class of face-responsive neurons for which responses to faces appeared normal. The findings confirm the amygdala’s pivotal role in abnormal face processing by people with ASD at the cellular level and suggest that dysfunction may be traced to a specific subpopulation of neurons with altered selectivity for the features of faces.
Abstract 3290: REGN910, a fully-human, Ang2-specific monoclonal antibody, inhibits tumor growth as a monotherapy and dramatically potentiates the effects of VEGF Trap (aflibercept)

Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis via blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has proven to be beneficial in several solid tumors. However, anti-VEGF therapies are not curative; thus, there is a significant opportunity to improve efficacy through combination therapy with agents that target other essential angiogenic pathways. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), a ligand for the endothelial cell-specific receptor Tie2, is selectively expressed in remodeling blood vessels such as those found in tumors. Furthermore, genetic and pharmacologic data indicate that Ang2 is essential for angiogenesis in several settings. These properties make Ang2 an attractive target for specific inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. We generated a fully-human, Ang2-specific IgG1 monoclonal antibody (REGN910) using VelocImmune technology. REGN910 binds human Ang2 with very high affinity (KD ∼ 18 pM), and potently blocks its interaction with Tie2 (IC50 ∼ 50 pM), thereby inhibiting downstream signaling. In contrast, REGN910 exhibits no binding to Ang1, a Tie2 ligand that is broadly-expressed in normal tissues, and has no effect on Ang1/Tie2 signaling. In tumor xenograft models, REGN910 significantly inhibited the growth of several tumor types in a dose-dependent manner, including PC3 (prostate), Colo205 (colorectal) and A431 (epidermoid carcinoma). Furthermore, the combination of REGN910 plus the potent VEGF blocker aflibercept (VEGF Trap) inhibited tumor growth significantly better than the single agents in both the Colo205 and MMT models, promoting significant regression of Colo205 tumors. Consistent with the potent effect of this combination on tumor growth, REGN910 plus aflibercept reduced Colo205 tumor vascularity and tumor perfusion much more dramatically than the single agents, as monitored by histological and micro-ultrasound analyses. Thus, REGN910 significantly potentiates the effect of VEGF blockade on the function of tumor blood vessels, even in a tumor model (Colo205) that is very sensitive to anti-VEGF therapy. These results indicate that REGN910 is a promising candidate to selectively inhibit tumor angiogenesis, both as a single agent and in combination with anti-VEGF therapies. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3290. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3290
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Factor Structure and Association with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescent Inpatients

Research suggests that difficulties in emotion regulation are an important correlate of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adults. Research examining this link in adolescents is limited by the lack of comprehensive instruments to assess difficulties in emotion regulation. Against this background, the aims of the current study were to (a) confirm the six-factor structure of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 23(4), 253–263, 2004) in a sample of adolescent inpatients (N = 218); (b) explore the relation between different aspects of emotion dysregulation and lifetime NSSI while controlling for psychopathology and sex; and (c) assess the clinical utility of the DERS in detecting lifetime NSSI status. Fit indices obtained through Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that the six-factor structure of the DERS fit the data adequately and that most items loaded strongly on their respective latent factor. All six latent factors were significantly correlated with each other, with the exception of lack of emotional awareness and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavioral when distressed. Regression analyses revealed that only the limited access to emotion regulation strategies subscale accounted for a significant portion of the variance in NSSI when controlling for other aspects of emotion dysregulation, sex, and psychopathology. Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis indicated that the DERS limited access to emotion regulation strategies subscale score has moderate diagnostic accuracy in detecting the presence of NSSI. The optimal cut-off score was 21.5 when detecting NSSI among inpatient adolescents. Results provide further support for the relation between emotion regulation difficulties and NSSI. The DERS appears to be a useful measure of detecting NSSI in clinical samples of adolescents.
The PLUS accelerator

Our plan is to demonstrate a workstation accelerator (called PLUS) that not only executes the current speech recognition systems in real time, but that will also support the increasing computational demands of speech recognition systems for the next few years. The accelerator will also be useful for other compute bound applications. The accelerator will be replicated and made available to other sites.
microRNA regulation of fruit growth.

The mechanism of how plant growth is controlled during the reproductive phase is not well understood. Now a study reveals a new miRNA-dependent module integrating auxin signalling and developmental pathways to promote Arabidopsis fruit morphogenesis.
A Quantitative Analysis of Breast Densities Using Cone Beam CT Images

Duct patterns are formed by desmoplastic reactions as most breast carcinomas are. Hence, it has been suggested that the denser a breast is, the higher the likelihood to develop breast cancer. Consequently, breast density has been one of the suggested parameters to estimate the risk to develop breast cancer. Currently, the main technique to evaluate breast densities is through mammograms. However, mammograms have the disadvantage of displaying overlapping structures within the breast. Although there are efficient techniques to obtain breast densities from mammograms, mammography can only provide a rough estimate because of the overlapping breast tissue. In this study, cone beam CT images were utilized to evaluate the breast density of sixteen breast images. First, a breast phantom with known volumes representing fatty, glandular and calcified tissues was designed to calibrate the system. Since cone beam CT provides 3D-isotropic resolution images throughout the field of view, the issue of overlapping structures disappears, allowing greater accuracy in evaluating the volumes of each different part of the phantom. Then, using cone beam CT breast images, the breast density of eight patients was evaluated using a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm that differentiates between fatty, glandular and calcified tissues. The results demonstrated that cone beam CT images provide a better tool to evaluate the breast density of the whole breast more accurately. The results also demonstrated that using this semi-automatic segmentation algorithm improves the efficiency of classifying the breast into the four classifications as recommended by the American College of Radiology.
Deterioration of beit alpha and slicing cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) during storage in ethylene or air: Responses to suppression of ethylene perception and parallels to natural senescence

Abstract ‘Manar’ beit alpha and ‘Thunder’ and ‘Sweet Marketmore’ fresh-market slicing cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit were harvested at an immature stage of development (commercial maturity) and subsequently exposed to either air or 1.0 μl l−1 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) prior to storage in air or 10 μl l−1 ethylene at 15 °C. Fruit exposed to 10 μl l−1 ethylene exhibited rapid and acute cellular breakdown reminiscent of other members of the Cucurbitaceae exposed to ethylene. Symptoms were evident following as few as 4 d of ethylene exposure and included fruit softening, mesocarp watersoaking, epidermal sloughing and limited loss of epidermal green color. As one index of cellular deterioration, exposure of ‘Manar’ cucumber to ethylene induced a rapid and significant decline (40%) in total cell wall uronic acid (UA) content compared with losses of about 5–6% in fruit treated with 1-MCP prior to ethylene exposure or in fruit receiving only 1-MCP. Molecular mass downshifts in both water and chelator-soluble pectins (CSP) were markedly accelerated in fruit receiving only ethylene, becoming evident after only 4 d of exposure. In contrast, control fruit receiving neither 1-MCP nor ethylene showed greatly reduced rates of uronic acid loss and pectin depolymerization, with significant declines in molecular mass not being noted until after 16 d of storage at 15 °C. Prior treatment of cucumber fruit with 1-MCP delayed fruit deterioration and pectin depolymerization. Pectin depolymerization was also suppressed in 1-MCP-treated fruit receiving continuous ethylene exposure throughout storage and was substantially lower than rates of depolymerization noted for control fruit. Inhibition of ethylene responsiveness in the fresh-market slicing cucumbers ‘Thunder’ and ‘Sweet Marketmore’ revealed marked differences in cultivar response to the ethylene antagonist. During storage without supplemental ethylene, prior exposure to 1-MCP resulted in significant retention of firmness and surface color in ‘Sweet Marketmore’. In contrast, 1-MCP had minimal effects on these attributes in ‘Thunder’, largely due to higher firmness and color retention of the control fruit in general. Parallels between ethylene-induced deterioration and natural senescence of cucumber fruit are discussed.
Synthesis and characterization of (Zn,Mg)O:P/ZnO heterostructures

Zn 0.9 Mg 0.1 O/ZnO heterostructures were grown on both sapphire and bulk ZnO substrates via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Electron-beam deposited 100nm Au and Ti/Au (20nm/80nm) were used as the p -Ohmic contact and n -Ohmic contact, respectively. Post-annealing at above 450°C of the contacts showed improved ohmic characteristics. I-V dependences showed good rectifying diode-like behaviors with threshold voltage of 1.36V and 2.16V for the devices fabricated on sapphire and ZnO substrates, respectively. 0.01at%Al-doped n-ZnO (n ~10 19 cm -3 ) was deposited on MgO buffer layer via PLD. The electrical and optical properties strongly depend on the growth temperature, working pressure and laser energy. Room temperature photoluminescence showed band edge emission at ~377nm with very low deep level emission. The intensity of the band edge emission increased with growth temperature and deposition laser energy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results also showed that the root-mean-square (RMS) roughness increases with growth temperature and oxygen partial pressure. The full-width-at-half maximum (FWHM) for the ZnO (0002) peak is of 0.26-0.64°.
Simultaneous Transmission Mode Collision-Induced Dissociation and Ion/Ion Reactions for Top-Down Protein Identification/Characterization Using a Quadrupole/Time-of-Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometer

Simultaneous transmission mode collision-induced dissociation (CID) and ion/ion proton transfer reactions have been implemented on a quadrupole/time-of-flight (TOF) tandem mass spectrometer. Reagent anions were trapped in a pressurized quadrupole collision cell by applying appropriate dc voltages while multiply protonated protein precursor ions were injected into the collision cell at energies sufficient to give rise to CID. Intact precursor ions as well as fragment ions underwent ion/ion proton transfer reactions during their passage through the collision cell and on to an orthogonal acceleration TOF mass analyzer. The resulting product ion spectrum was then submitted to deconvolution to yield a “zero-charge” spectrum, which was then matched against in silico produced spectra derived from a protein database. Dramatic improvements in the scores associated with correct matches were obtained relative to CID data without the benefit of ion/ion reactions for proteins as large as carbonic anhydrase (29 kDa). T...
A powerful new model for the point source sky

I report further developments of the Wainscoat et al. (1992) (hereafter WCVWS) model of the point source sky. The newest version of this model now predicts cumulative or differential source counts, and integrated surface brightness of the sky due to smeared point sources, in any direction, for any infrared filter with passband within the range 2.0–35.0 µm. The realistic representation of the Galaxy (disk, spiral arms and local spur, molecular ring, bulge, halo) and the extragalactic sky has been improved, guided by CO surveys of local molecular clouds. The newest version of the model is very well-validated by IRAS source counts; works well at B and V, even in the plane; and operates successfully in the far-ultraviolet (FUV). Applications discussed are: interpreting the new TMGS near-infrared survey of the plane; confusion in sky surveys; and seeking cosmological background radiation.
Development of Finite Element Analysis Lab Module in the Second Course of Solid Mechanics

Many universities have started introducing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) at an earlier point in the curriculum. However, there is a wide diversity of university backgrounds, course content and sequence, pedagogical objectives and approaches, etc. This paper describes the development of FEA lab modules in the second course of solid mechanics in our specific context. Students in this course were introduced to FEA earlier in the first course of statics and solid mechanics. They had learned the basic steps in FEA for axially loaded and planar truss structures. In the second course, the FEA was extended to the planar cases. One of the objectives was to make the students aware of the descretization and numerical errors of the FEA. Hence there was a particular focus on element displacement fields and how they influence element behavior in comparison with an actual structure behavior. The lab modules were designed to be complementary to the class room learning. Approximate nature of the FEA was taught via the lab modules on descretization errors and numerical errors. The descretization error was demonstrated in the first part of the lab wherein different types of elements for planar problems were compared. One cantilever beam problem was solved with different types of elements and the results were compared with the theoretical value. Numerical error was studied in the second part of the lab wherein the effect of the element shape quality on the results was studied. A systematic study of the effect of mesh distortion was undertaken. ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) macros were developed to change the mesh distortion quickly in a controlled fashion. A study of convergence of the results followed in the third part of the lab. A reasonable convergence was obtained for a plate with a central hole for which the theoretical results are known. Once the students grasped the need of convergence, a real life problem was attempted in the fourth part of the lab. The actual results are not known in the real life and a reasonable convergence needs to be established for acceptable results and for subsequent analysis and design. Design of a seat belt buckle was undertaken. A Pro/E CAD model was imported into ANSYS. The students used the subset of the CAD model to build their FE model considering only the relevant part, the symmetry and the mid plane. At the end of the semester, the students used the FEA tools for a real life design problem with a firm grasp of the approximate nature of the method.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Validity of the Personality Assessment Screener in Veterans Referred for Psychological Testing

Screening for psychopathology is desirable in many settings where routine administration of full assessment batteries is not practical or cost efficient. The Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) is a 22-item self-report subset of Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) items that was designed to screen for respondents who would be likely to achieve a clinically significant PAI profile. In this study, the PAS demonstrated classification rates in a sample of veterans referred for psychological evaluations that were similar to those described in initial validation studies. In addition, the three-item Negative Affect element of the PAS demonstrated impressive reliability and sensitivity given its brevity. These results support the use of the PAS as a screening tool to indicate clinically significant PAI profiles among veterans.
The Fourier transforms of curves and filaments and their application to low-resolution protein crystallography

A numerical method for computing the Fourier transform of an arbitrary space curve is described. The method is applicable to all sufficiently smooth curves and relies on the local geometric parameters describing a curve. The numerical results for a helical curve are compared with the exact analytical theory for the transform of a helix. It is shown that the transform of a filamentary density distribution radially symmetric around a curve is equivalent to the transform of that curve scaled by an appropriately defined weight function. These filamentary density distributions in conjunction with the numerical transform evaluation method can be used for simulating low-resolution diffraction data for protein crystals. Crystallographic structure factors obtained from a filament model representing a simple three-helix-bundle protein are compared with those calculated from conventional coordinate models. At low resolution, the filamentary representation provides an excellent approximation of the structure factors obtained from the standard coordinate model, but requires far fewer independent parameters.
Comparison of two methods for selecting minimum stimulation levels used in programming the Nucleus 22 cochlear implant.

Minimum stimulation levels for active electrodes in a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant were set at threshold (clinical default value) and raised levels (M=+2.04 dB) to determine if raised levels would improve recipients' understanding of soft speech sounds with the SPEAK speech coding strategy. Eight postlinguistically deaf adults participated in a 4-phase A1B1A2B2, test design. Speech recognition was evaluated with consonant-vowel nucleus-consonant (CNC) words in quiet and sentences in noise, both presented at 50, 60, and 70 dB SPL during 2 weekly sessions at the end of each phase. Group mean scores were significantly higher with the raised level program for words and phonemes at 50 and 60 dB SPL and for sentences at 50 and 70 dB SPL. All participants chose to use the raised level program in everyday life at the end of the study. The results suggest that clinical use of a raised level program for Nucleus 22 recipients has the potential to make soft sounds louder and, therefore, more salient in everyday life. ...
A measurement-based approach for implanting SQA and SCM practices

In recent years an increasing number of software organizations have launched initiatives to improve their software process. Unfortunately, most of them have been unable to move beyond diagnosis and action planning, turning those plans into real and practical actions. This paper focuses on two software process areas, software quality assurance (SQA) and software configuration management (SCM), and proposes a set of generic tools to assist in the implantation of specific practices for them. SQUID (Software QUality In the Development Process), a measurement-based methodology for specifying, monitoring and evaluating the software product quality during development, is adapted and used to manage the quality of implanting specific tools, such as guides, checklists and templates for SQA and SCM practices. We describe the results of a preliminary application conducted, showing how the proposed adaptation helps in formalizing and normalizing the implantation process, setting tangible goals and evaluating the results more precisely.
A perspective on the fundamental quality of GPS radio occultation data

Abstract. Radio occultation (RO) is a promising source of observation for weather and climate applications. However, the uncertainties arising from imperfect retrieval algorithms may weaken the overall confidence in the data and discourage their use. As an alternative approach of assessing the quality of RO data while avoiding the nuisance of retrieval errors, this study proposes to use minimally processed data (measurement) instead of derived RO data. This study compares measured phase paths with their model counterparts, simulated with an effective ray tracer for which the refractive indices along the complete ray path linking the transmitter and the receiver are realistically specified. The comparison of phase measurements with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data made in the observation space shows that the RO measurements are of sufficient accuracy to uncover regional-scale systematic errors in ECMWF's operational analysis and the 45-year reanalysis (ERA40), and to clearly depict the error growth of short-term ERA40 forecasts. In the southern hemispheric stratosphere, in particular, the RO measurements served as a robust reference against which both of the two analyses were significantly biased in opposite directions even though they were produced by the same center using virtually the same set of data. The measurement and ECMWF analyses showed a close agreement in the standard deviation except for the regions and heights that the quality of the ECMWF data is controversial. This confirms the high precision of RO measurements and also indicates that the main problem of the ECMWF analyses lies in their systematic error.
Inversion for the Radon line transform in higher dimensions

Twistor theory is used to develop a new procedure for inverting the Radon line transform in three or more dimensions. First, the inversion problem is reduced to a ∂–problem on the complement of real projective space in complex projective space. The ∂–problem in turn is solved by means of an explicit integral formula.
Bradykinin antagonist dimer, CU201, inhibits the growth of human lung cancer cell lines by a “biased agonist” mechanism

All small cell (SCLCs) and many non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have neuroendocrine features including production of neuropeptides and cell surface receptors creating autocrine and paracrine growth loops. Neuropeptides bind to a family of 7-transmembrane receptors and activate heterotrimeric G proteins consisting of Gαq and Gα12,13. Substance P derivatives (SPDs) induced apoptosis and inhibited growth of lung cancer cells by discoordinately inhibiting Gαq and stimulating Gα12,13. However, these SPDs had low potency and short half-lives. In this report we show that a bradykinin antagonist dimer, CU201, inhibited the growth of SCLC and NSCLC cell lines with or without multidrug-resistant proteins and was 10-fold more potent with a longer plasma half-life than SPDs. Bradykinin agonists in either monomeric or dimeric form and monomeric bradykinin antagonist have no effect on lung cancer cell growth. The dimeric linking moiety of the two molecules was created, requiring a sufficient number of carbon chains to provide critical spacing between the two antagonists. CU201 inhibited intracellular Ca2+ release in response to bradykinin, indicating blockage of the Gαq signal, and stimulated c-Jun kinases, indicating stimulation of the Gα12,13 pathway. CU201-induced apoptosis was preceded by unique changes in apparent nuclear DNA binding and by c-Jun kinase and caspase-3 activation. At the concentration at which CU201 inhibited the growth of the cancer cells, it had no effect on the growth of normal lung cells in vitro. CU201 and similar compounds offer hope of becoming a new form of targeted therapy for tumors with neuroendocrine properties.
Estrogen Receptor Alpha as a Mediator of Life-History Trade-offs

Trade-offs between competitive and parental strategies often are mediated by sex steroids. The mechanisms underlying steroid signaling and metabolism may therefore serve as targets of disruptive selection that leads to alternative behavioral phenotypes. White-throated sparrows exhibit two color morphs that differ in both competitive and parental behavior; white-striped (WS) birds engage in more territorial singing, whereas tan-striped (TS) birds provision nestlings more often. Although WS birds have higher levels of plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol than do TS birds, experimental equalization of these hormones does not abolish morph differences in singing. Neural sensitivity to sex steroids may differ between the morphs because the gene for estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) has been captured by a chromosomal rearrangement found only in the WS birds. We recently showed that expression of this gene differs between the morphs and may drive the behavioral polymorphism. First, the ERα promoter region contains fixed polymorphisms that affect transcription efficiency in vitro. Second, in a free-living population, local expression of ERα depends strongly on morph and predicts both territorial singing and parental provisioning. Differential ERα expression is particularly striking in the medial amygdala; WS birds have three times more ERα mRNA than do TS birds. This difference persists during the non-breeding season and is unaffected by exogenous T treatment. Finally, preliminary data generated by RNA-seq confirm that ERα expression in MeA is both differentially expressed and correlated with territorial singing. Together, these results suggest that ERα may be a target of disruptive selection that leads to alternative behavioral strategies. Our future directions include a more detailed analysis of the ERα promoter regions to determine the molecular basis of differential expression as well as gene network analyses to identify genes connected to ERα.
Using growth models to relate acquisition of nicotine self-administration to break point and nicotinic receptor binding

Abstract Growth modeling can be used to characterize individual and mean acquisition trajectories for drug self-administration. Individual characteristics can also be incorporated into the growth model, providing a powerful tool for investigating the relationship between acquisition and other behavioral and biological measures. We illustrate the utility of this method by examining the relationship between acquisition of nicotine self-administration and (1) break point on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, and (2) the density of brain nicotinic receptors ( B max ). Daily infusion rates from male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were modeled with break point or B max as time-invariant covariates. Use of this model led to two novel findings regarding individual differences in acquisition. First, greater rates of change in infusions early in acquisition were related to higher break points; this relationship was mediated by a similar effect of increasing the number of responses required to obtain nicotine. Second, animals displaying more resistance to increases in the response requirement during acquisition, as indicated by a smaller drop in the rate of nicotine self-administration, generally had fewer nicotinic receptors at the end of the experiment. The relationships revealed demonstrate the usefulness of growth models in the quantitative analysis of individual differences in drug self-administration behavior.