cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron propagator calculations show that alkyl substituents alter porphyrin ionization energies.

The effect of alkyl substituents on the four lowest vertical ionization energies of porphyrins is determined with ab initio electron propagator calculations on porphine and octamethylporphyrin. With the use of the partial third-order approximation, predicted ionization energies are in close agreement with recent photoelectron spectra. These data and the associated Dyson orbitals, which describe changes in electronic structure that accompany photoionization, enable assignment of photoelectron spectra and determination of alkyl-induced shifts. Hyperconjugation is most evident in the Dyson orbitals associated with the third and fourth ionization energies of octamethylporphyrin and is least prominent in the Dyson orbital of the second ionization energy. There is a positive correlation between the shift in an ionization energy produced by alkyl substitution and the degree of hyperconjugation in the associated Dyson orbital. Alkyl substitutions, therefore, may be employed to adjust the ionization energies of po...
Studies on the determination of urinary estrogens: The elimination of impurities in urinary estrogens by physico-chemical means☆

Abstract Urinary extracts were purified by Engel's method and countercurrent distribution, chromatography, and redistribution. Methods of estimating impurity levels and quenching were developed. Optimum conditions of sensitizing extracts were determined for use of a correction equation based on decrease of fluorescence of estrogen and constancy of that of impurities.
Habituation and dishabituation mediated by the peripheral and central neural circuits of the siphon of Aplysia.

The siphon withdrawal response evoked by a weak tactile (water drop) or light stimulus is mediated primarily by neurons in the siphon. Central neurons (abdominal ganglion) contribute very little since the response amplitude and latency are not changed following removal of the abdominal ganglion. Similarly, habituation and dishabituation of this withdrawal response are not different after removal of the abdominal ganglion, indicating that the peripheral neural circuit in the isolated siphon can mediate habituation itself, and thus has many of the properties attributed to central neurons. Responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the siphon nerve habituate, depending upon the stimulus intensity and interval. These habituated responses may be dishabituated by tactile or light stimulation of the siphon. These results show that each neural system, peripheral and central, has an excitatory modulatory influence on the other. Normally adaptive siphon responses must be shaped by the integrated activity of both of these neural systems.
Choice and context: Testing a simple short-term choice rule

Psychological studies of animal choice show that the immediate consequences of choice strongly influence preference. In contrast, evolutionary models emphasize the longer-term fitness consequences of choice. Building on recent work by Stephens & Anderson (2001, Behavioral Ecology 12, 330–339), this study presents two experiments that address this conflict. Stephens & Anderson developed an alternative choice situation based on patch-leaving decisions and compared this to the binary choice, or self-control, situation typically used in psychological studies. They hypothesized that the same short-term choice rule could account for choice in both situations, maximizing long-term gains in the patch situation, but typically producing shortsighted results in the self-control case. Experiment 1 used captive blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, to test this ‘same rule’ hypothesis. The results do not support this hypothesis, suggesting that if a single rule applies, it is probably a more complex rule. Stephens & Anderson also hypothesized that a rule based on the delay to the next meal could explain why the intertrial interval has little effect in binary choice studies, even though the analogous travel time strongly affects patch-leaving decisions. When an animal leaves a patch, it experiences a delay consisting of the travel time plus time spent searching in the patch until food is obtained. Experiment 2 tested the hypothesis that travel time and search time combine additively, behaving like a single delay. Using treatments that created the same combined delay via different combinations of travel and search time, we found no evidence of nonadditivity, suggesting that these two components may indeed be treated as a single delay.  2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Management of central venous catheter-related atrial thrombus in a preterm neonate

Summary The management of a 1200 g preterm infant with a large mobile septic right atrial thrombus attached to the tip of a central venous catheter is presented. The thrombus was successfully removed from the right atrium under direct vision utilizing vena caval inflow occlusion technique.
Cardiovascular malformations in Oryzias latipes embryos treated with 2,4,5‐trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5‐T)

Exposure of fertilized Oryzias latipes eggs to concentrations of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid up to 14 ppm had no gross developmental effects. Exposure to concentrations above 14 ppm resulted in multiple malformations of the heart and blood vessels. Embryos failed to hatch when exposed to concentrations above 25 ppm.
Unsteady aspects of corneal thickness control.

Abstract Unsteady-state calculations of rabbit corneal thickness dynamics show that the stromal hydration changes slowly in response to the normal sleep/wake variations in tear osmotic pressure. Consequently, the corneal thickness never varies very far from thatthickness which it would attain were the tear tonicity held constant at a value between those characteristic of the open eye and the closed eye. This intermediate “time-average” tonicity exceeds that of the stromal fluid, and it is shown that, in the normal eye, the consequent osmotic driving force across the epithelium, averaged over time, can generate sufficient flow out across this cell layer to balance completely stromal imbibition across the endothelium. The implications of this result as regards the role of active deturgescent transport are discussed, and some directions for synthesizing current hydration control concepts are indicated.
Cold extrusion and cold drawing of polymeric rod: The influence on subsequent tensile and compressive mechanical properties

Abstract Nylon 6-6, polycarbonate and high density polyethylene were extruded and drawn through a 40% reduction die in one pass at room temperature. Certain mechanical properties of the extrudate were measured by subsequent tension and compression tests. For both forming processes and for all three polymers, the tensile true stress-true strain curve is raised compared with the behavior of the original material while the comparable compressive curve is lowered. It was also found that the onset of tensile instability was extended to larger tensile strains when these polymers were first cold worked by extruding or drawing. The elastic modulus was increased when PC was extruded or drawn while this property exhibited a decrease, due to cold working, for both other polymers. All three materials exhibited pronounced directional effects when subjected to compressive loading both parallel to and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the extrudate. In a qualitative manner this seems to correlate with greater chain alignment brought about by the forced flow through the die throat. Exploratory temperature measurements indicate that a maximum rise of 20 deg F resulted for this severe reduction of area; this would not cause the glass transition temperature of the PC and Nylon to be exceeded.
Poorest Nations and Development Co-operation: In search of an elusive ethic

Sadig Rasheed argues that strong commitment to international development co-operation is visibly faltering, precisely at the historical juncture when such commitment and creative vision on strengthened global partnership are most needed. He proposes a reinstatement of the North-South dialogue that moves beyond an uncritical monologue on the virtues and benefits of globalization and free markets, focusing on Africa as the ‘priority of the priorities’.
On the extraction of volatiles from lunar regolith using solar power

Recent lunar spacecraft missions have confirmed the presence of water and miscellaneous volatiles within the craters of the Moon’s South Pole. If harvested, these resources have the potential to provide an incredible cost saving to the space program. Challenges include extreme conditions and lack of solar power in the permanently shadowed areas. The proposed concept involves the transfer of beamed power from solar concentrators to extract the volatiles from the regolith within the shadowed craters of the Moon. The present paper focuses on the analysis of heat transfer from the regolith surface, irradiated by the light beam. This analysis is needed for the determination of solar power required for the extraction of volatiles. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept and validate the heat transfer analysis, experiments involving laser irradiation of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant mixed with water have also been conducted.
Site-directed mutagenesis to fine-tune enzyme specificity

We have used a combination of a genetic selection and oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to introduce a series of amino acid replacements for a single residue into Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. The mutant enzymes mischarge supF tRNA(Tyr), with glutamine, to varying degrees depending on the polarity of the side chain introduced but apparently not depending on the size or shape of the side chain. These results indicate that repulsive charge-charge interactions may be important for specific recognition of nucleic acids by proteins and illustrate how a mutant, derived from genetic selection, may be further modified in activity by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis.
Natural killer cells regulate murine cytomegalovirus-induced sialadenitis and salivary gland disease.

The transmission of herpesviruses depends on viral shedding at mucosal surfaces. The salivary gland represents a major site of persistent viral replication for many viruses, including cytomegalovirus. We established a mouse model of salivary gland dysfunction after acute viral infection and investigated the cellular requirements for the loss of secretion. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection severely impaired saliva secretion independently of salivary gland virus levels. Lymphocytes or circulating monocytes/macrophages were not required for secretory dysfunction. Dysfunction occurred before glandular inflammation, suggesting that a soluble mediator initiated the disruption of acinar cell function. Despite genetic differences in innate resistance to MCMV, NK cells protected the host against acinar atrophy and the loss of secretions under conditions of an exceedingly low virus inoculum. NK cells also modulated the type of glandular inflammation after infection, as they prevented an influx of Siglec-F+ polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Therefore, beyond their recognized role in controlling MCMV replication, NK cells preserve organ integrity and function and regulate the innate inflammatory response within the gland.
RINGLET motion correction for 3D MRI acquired with the elliptical centric view order.

A new rigid-body motion correction algorithm is described that is compatible with 3D image sets acquired with the elliptical centric (EC) view order. With this view order, an annular ring of k-space data is acquired in the ky-kz plane during any short time interval. Images for tracking motion can be reconstructed in the yz-plane from any ring of the acquisition data. In these tracking images, a point source (such as an external marker) shows a characteristic bull's-eye pattern that permits motion monitoring and correction. The true position of the point object is located at the center of the bull's-eye pattern. Cross correlation can be performed to automatically track the positions of markers reconstructed from adjacent rings of k-space. To increase the marker signal, the markers are encased in inductively coupled RF coils. Rigid-body motion in the yz-plane is calculated directly with the Euclidean group for rotation and translation, and corrected by rotating and applying phase shifts to any corrupted rings of data. In the current work we present a theoretical analysis of this method, as well as results of volunteer and controlled phantom experiments that demonstrate its initial feasibility. Although the EC view order has mainly been used for MR angiography (MRA), it can also be used for most 3D acquisitions.
Inverse optimal design of the radiant heating in materials processing and manufacturing

Combined convective, conductive, and radiative heat transfer is analyzed during heating of a continuously moving load in the industrial radiant oven. A transient, quasi-three-dimensional model of heat transfer between a continuous load of parts moving inside an oven on a conveyor belt at a constant speed and an array of radiant heaters/burners placed inside the furnace enclosure is developed. The model accounts for radiative exchange between the heaters and the load, heat conduction in the load, and convective heat transfer between the moving load and oven environment. The thermal model developed has been used to construct a general framework for an inverse optimal design of an industrial oven as an example. In particular, the procedure based on the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear least squares optimization algorithm has been developed to obtain the optimal temperatures of the heaters/burners that need to be specified to achieve a prescribed temperature distribution of the surface of a load. The results of calculations for several sample cases are reported to illustrate the capabilities of the procedure developed for the optimal inverse design of an industrial radiant oven.
Surface-induced polarization at a chiral-nematic-substrate interface.

A novel linear electro-optic effect is observed in a surface-stabilized chiral nematic cell above the Fr\'eedericksz transition threshold field. The slow dynamic response indicates that this effect arises from the interfacial region which elastically couples to the bulk, rather than directly from the bulk. Moreover, evidence suggests that the primary effect is a spontaneous electric polarization very near the interface. Other possible contributions to this effect are discussed.
The importance of sociological research in the care of the terminally ill

Social scientists are not the first group that one thinks of when considering the contributions made towards the welfare of the dying patient. Most people would think that the nurse or doctor occupies the most vital position to the patient. This is perhaps true. However, I would argue that the sociologist is instrumental to the effective function of the health team. It is in areas such as the social structure of death, the exact nature of relationships within the health matrix, and the organization of health provision for the terminally ill patient that sociologists contribute most. They are, I believe, essential to help health-care professionals carry out their work in the most effective way possible.
Lung disease and PKCs

The lung offers a rich opportunity for development of therapeutic strategies focused on isozymes of protein kinase C (PKCs). PKCs are important in many cellular responses in the lung, and existing therapies for pulmonary disorders are inadequate. The lung poses unique challenges as it interfaces with air and blood, contains a pulmonary and systemic circulation, and consists of many cell types. Key structures are bronchial and pulmonary vessels, branching airways, and distal air sacs defined by alveolar walls containing capillaries and interstitial space. The cellular composition of each vessel, airway, and alveolar wall is heterogeneous. Injurious environmental stimuli signal through PKCs and cause a variety of disorders. Edema formation and pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) result from derangements in endothelial, smooth muscle (SM), and/or adventitial fibroblast cell phenotype. Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer are characterized by distinctive pathological changes in airway epithelial, SM, and mucous-generating cells. Acute and chronic pneumonitis and fibrosis occur in the alveolar space and interstitium with type 2 pneumocytes and interstitial fibroblasts/myofibroblasts playing a prominent role. At each site, inflammatory, immune, and vascular progenitor cells contribute to the injury and repair process. Many strategies have been used to investigate PKCs in lung injury. Isolated organ preparations and whole animal studies are powerful approaches especially when genetically engineered mice are used. More analysis of PKC isozymes in normal and diseased human lung tissue and cells is needed to complement this work. Since opposing or counter-regulatory effects of selected PKCs in the same cell or tissue have been found, it may be desirable to target more than one PKC isozyme and potentially in different directions. Because multiple signaling pathways contribute to the key cellular responses important in lung biology, therapeutic strategies targeting PKCs may be more effective if combined with inhibitors of other pathways for additive or synergistic effect. Mechanisms that regulate PKC activity, including phosphorylation and interaction with isozyme-specific binding proteins, are also potential therapeutic targets. Key isotypes of PKC involved in lung pathophysiology are summarized and current and evolving therapeutic approaches to target them are identified.
North Korea: The Leader of the Pack

Pyongyang has seemed interested in engagement, but U.S. strategy toward North Korea has been politically controversial. Barring the unforeseen, a two‐year window of opportunity exists to pursue rea...
Derangements, permanents, and Christmas presents

(1991). Derangements, Permanents, and Christmas Presents. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 98, No. 7, pp. 617-620.
Left Ventricular Tei Index in Children: Comparison of Tissue Doppler Imaging, Pulsed Wave Doppler, and M-Mode Echocardiography Normal Values

The Tei index has been found to be useful for analyzing systolic and diastolic global ventricular function in a wide variety of congenital and acquired cardiac abnormalities. However, there are some discrepancies between reports as to the normal values for the Tei index obtained by the different echocardiographic techniques and by different investigators. We conducted a prospective study to determine the normal range of left ventricular Tei index (LVTX) values in a broad sample of children using tissue Doppler imaging, pulsed wave Doppler, and M-mode echocardiography. In all, 289 children with normal echocardiogram findings (age 1 day-18 years, body surface area 0.08-2.4 m 2 , heart rate 46-182/min) were studied. The LVTX was calculated by all 3 methods in each patient during a single echocardiographic examination. The normal LVTX values (mean ± SD) for the 3 techniques were: LVTX-Doppler tissue imaging=0.38 ± 0.06; LVTX-pulsed wave Doppler=0.36 ± 0.07; and LVTX-M-mode echocardiography=0.29 ± 0.08. LVTX-Doppler tissue imaging and LVTX-pulsed wave Doppler values were only slightly but statistically significantly different ( P P
Stereoselective synthesis of the C1–C12 segment of iriomoteolide-1a: a very potent macrolide antitumor agent

Abstract A stereoselective synthesis of the C1–C12 segment of the potent cytotoxic macrolide, iriomoteolide 1a, has been accomplished. The key steps involve an enzymatic kinetic resolution of a β-hydroxy amide, a Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling to construct a substituted allylsilane, a highly and stereoselective conjugate addition of lithium dimethylcopper to an α,β-acetylenic ester and an elaboration of the C6–C7 trans-olefin geometry by a Julia-Kocienski olefination.
Cellular immunotherapy for ovarian cancer.

Background: Ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, and although initially responsive to surgery and chemotherapy, has a high rate of recurrence and mortality. Cellular immunotherapy may offer the prospect of treatment to prevent or delay recurrent metastatic disease. Objective: To provide an overview of current innovations in cellular immunotherapy for ovarian cancer, with an emphasis on dendritic cell vaccination and adoptive T-cell immunotherapy. Methods: Three key areas are explored in this review: first, an appraisal of the current state of the art of cellular immunotherapy for treatment of ovarian cancer; second, a discussion of the immunological defenses erected by ovarian cancer to prevent immunological attack, with an emphasis on the role of tumor-associated regulatory T cells; and third, an exploration of innovative techniques that may enhance the ability of cellular immunotherapy to overcome ovarian tumor-associated immune suppression. Results/conclusion: Ovarian cancer is ...
Achievement outside the Classroom: The Role of Nonacademic Activities in the Lives of High School Students.

The impact of nonacademic activities on the lives of high school students was examined through interviews and participant observation. The sample consisted of 30 mildly handicapped students from special education and 30 average students from regular education. Findings indicate that regular education students were more likely than special education students to be seriously involved in activities outside of school. Boys were more likely to have outside interests than girls, but girls appeared to be more realistic in their plans to pursue their interests as future careers. Individual case studies suggest that nonacademic activities provide an alternative path to achievement and self-esteem for many young people who are not high achievers in school.
The structure of a redundant enzyme: a second isoform of aspartate beta-semialdehyde dehydrogenase in Vibrio cholerae.

Aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASADH) is an essential enzyme that is found in bacteria, fungi and plants but not in humans. ASADH produces the first branch-point metabolite in the biosynthetic pathways that lead to the production of lysine, threonine, methionine and isoleucine as well as the cell-wall precursor diaminopimelate. As a consequence, ASADH appears to be an excellent target for the development of novel antibiotics, especially for Gram-negative bacteria that require diaminopimelate for cell-wall biosynthesis. In contrast to the Gram-negative ASADHs, which readily formed well diffracting crystals, the second isoform of aspartate-β-semi­aldehyde dehydrogenase from Vibrio cholerae (vcASADH2) was less well behaved in initial crystallization trials. In order to obtain good-quality single crystals of vcASADH2, a buffer-optimization protocol was used in which the initial purification buffer was exchanged into a new condition derived from a pre-crystalline hit. The unliganded structure of vcASADH2 has been determined to 2.2 A resolution to provide additional insight into the structural and functional evolution of the ASADH enzyme family. The overall fold and domain organization of this new structure is similar to the Gram-negative, Gram-positive and archeal ASADH structures determined previously, despite having less than 50% sequence identity to any of these family members. The substrate-complex structure reveals that the binding of l-­aspartate-β-semialdehyde (ASA) to vcASADH2 is accommodated by structural changes in the amino-acid binding site and in the helical subdomain that is involved in the dimer interface. Structural alignments show that this second isoform from Gram-negative V. cholerae most closely resembles the ASADH from a Gram-positive organism and is likely to bind the coenzyme in a different conformation to that observed in the other V. cholerae isoform.
Offshore wind measurements using Doppler aerosol wind lidar (DAWN) at NASA Langley Research Center

The latest flight demonstration of Doppler Aerosol Wind Lidar (DAWN) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is presented. The goal of the campaign was to demonstrate the improvement of DAWN system since the previous flight campaign in 2012 and the capabilities of DAWN and the latest airborne wind profiling algorithm APOLO (Airborne Wind Profiling Algorithm for Doppler Wind Lidar) developed at LaRC. The comparisons of APOLO and another algorithm are discussed utilizing two and five line-of-sights (LOSs), respectively. Wind parameters from DAWN were compared with ground-based radar measurements for validation purposes. The campaign period was June - July in 2013 and the flight altitude was 8 km in inland toward Charlotte, NC, and offshores in Virginia Beach, VA and Ocean City, MD. The DAWN system was integrated into a UC12B with two operators onboard during the campaign.
Lung cancer-induced blindness

Early investigations into the pathogenesis of vision loss in cancer patients noted the higher incidence with small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL), a neoplasia with suspected neuroendocrine origins [2-5,12,20,25,56,63,64]. The cause and effect relationship between the cancer and retinal deterioration was recognized, but the processes involved were not understood. Research eventually identified a sub-group of paraneoplastic retinopathy patients who exhibited indications of retinal hypersensitivity through their production of autoantibodies reactive with a single photoreceptor protein. The discovery of a small cell lung cancer culture actively expressing this same retinal autoantigen, provided tangible evidence to define a molecular basis for at least one type of paraneoplastic retinopathy. The identification of this immunologic anomaly illustrates how blindness can occur in some cancer patients, through the serendipitous initiation of ocular hypersensitivity, with vision loss developing as a cancer-induced autoimmune retinopathy.
Using Classic Social Media Cases to Distill Ethical Guidelines for Digital Engagement

Through systematic case analyses of much-discussed social media cases, both negative aspects and best practices of social media use are revealed. Ethical theory is applied to these cases as a means of analysis to reveal the moral principles associated with each case. Four cases are analyzed, ranging from bad to arguably innovative. Based upon comparing the moral principles upheld or violated, descriptive ethics are used to infer normative ethical guidelines to govern the use of social media. Fifteen ethical guidelines derived from the cases and normative moral theory are offered as a way to begin a discussion that leads to a deeper understanding of ethics in the burgeoning realm of digital engagement.
Are family ownership and control in large firms good, bad, or irrelevant?

Family ownership and control play an important role in large firms in Asia. There is a puzzle regarding the relationship between concentrated family ownership and control on the one hand and firm performance on the other hand. Three positions suggest that such concentration may be good, bad, or irrelevant for firm performance. This article reports two studies to shed further light on this puzzle. Study 1 uses 744 publicly listed large family firms in eight Asian countries (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) to test competing hypotheses on the impact of family ownership and control on firm performance. On a country-by-country basis, our findings support all three positions. On an aggregate, pooled sample basis, the results support the “irrelevant” position. Using 688 firms in the same eight countries, Study 2 endeavors to answer why Study 1 obtains different results for different countries. We theorize and document that Study 1 findings may be systematically associated with the level of (minority) shareholder protection afforded by legal and regulatory institutions. Study 2 thus provides critical insights on a cross-country, institution-based theory of corporate governance.
Cascadability and functionality of all-optical low-birefringent nonlinear optical loop mirror: experimental demonstration

We verify both experimentally and theoretically the cascadability and the Boolean complete functionality of the low-birefringent nonlinear optical loop mirror (low-bi NOLM) operating with all inputs at the same wavelength. We achieve a low switching energy by using a low-birefringent (Δn∼3.5×10-6), polarization-maintaining fiber to achieve a longer interaction length between two orthogonally polarized pulses. We experimentally demonstrate switching in the cascaded operation of two low-bi NOLM's using picosecond pulses from an erbium-doped fiber laser. This has the potential to have a bit rate of 100 Gb/s. After the two cascaded low-bi NOLM's, the performance is a peak switching contrast of 36:1 and a timing window of 1.7 pulse widths with a switching energy of 9 pJ. In addition, we demonstrate the and and the xor/not operations with the low-bi NOLM showing Boolean completeness. The and operation has a switching contrast of 84.5:1, and the xor/not has a switching contrast of 11.5:1. Finally, we study the gate numerically and find good agreement between experiments and simulations.
Online parameter estimation of a robot’s motion model

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms rely heavily on a good motion model to provide critical information about the robot's current pose. Most of these algorithms assume that the distribution defining a robot's motion will remain stationary over the period of operation, and as such use a fixed model for the duration of a trial. This does not easily allow for changes in the robot's motion model due to surface changes, wear and tear, and battery life. Also, if new robots of a similar class are to be used, a new motion model may need to be constructed from scratch. In this paper, we introduce a method that allows the robot to automatically learn its motion model, given a rough estimate of its model or the model from a robot of similar class. We validate our method by demonstrating that it learns a new motion model when a robot crosses a threshold onto a different surface. We also demonstrate our method can estimate the motion model for a new robot given the motion model of a robot of similar class.
The Invention of Television as a Cause of Homicide: The Reification of a Spurious Relationship

Among the studies cited by several medical associations as a guide for warning parents about the pernicious effects of television is Brandon Centerwall's (1992) analysis of the effect of the invent...
Bacillus anthracis edema and lethal toxin have different hemodynamic effects but function together to worsen shock and outcome in a rat model.

INTRODUCTION To better define the contribution of edema toxins (ETx) and lethal toxins (LeTx) to shock with Bacillus anthracis, recombinant preparations of each were investigated alone or together in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS Lethal dose ranges (0%-100% lethality) of ETx (200-800 microg/kg as a 24-h infusion) were higher than those of LeTx (12.5-200 microg/kg) (P<.0001). However, compared with LeTx, similarly lethal ETx doses produced earlier and greater reductions in mean blood pressure (MBP) and increased, rather than decreased, heart rate (HR) (P<.05 for all). Combining either similar weight or lethal doses of ETx and LeTx increased the hazard ratio for death (log +/- standard error) similar to the sum calculated with the toxin's effects alone (2.6+/-1.1 observed vs. 2.9+/-1.0 calculated for similar weight and 3.1+/-1.0 vs. 3.9+/-1.5 for similar lethal doses; P=.5 for both). Early (< or =10 h) and late during infusion, ETx and LeTx together also altered MBP and HR in patterns consistent with the sum of their individual effects. CONCLUSIONS ETx was approximately 10 times less lethal than LeTx but produced greater hypotension and added to the latter's harmful effects. These findings suggest that it may be appropriate for antitoxin therapies for B. anthracis to target both ETx and LeTx.
Water relations of the desert scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis.

1. Total water-loss rates for Hadrurus arizonensis (0.028% wt/h at 30 °C in dry air) are comparable to rates for Old World species and are well below rates for other desert arthropods under similar conditions. 2. Cuticular and respiratory transpiration constitute the two major avenues of water loss, cuticular water loss predominating at temperatures up to approximately 38 °C and respiratory transpiration predominating at temperatures above 40 °C. 3. The cuticular transpiration/temperature curve exhibits a two-plateau configuration with abrupt increases in cuticular permeability occurring between 35 and 40 °C and between 65 and 70 °C 4. Cuticular water-loss values in dead scorpions exceed those of total water loss in living scorpions. The increased cuticular permeability after death is interpreted as evidence for the existence of an active cuticular water-retaining mechanism. 5. Water-loss rates are significantly reduced at lower saturation deficits; however, scorpions are unable to absorb significant quantities of water from near-saturated atmospheres or moist substrates, regardless of their hydration state. 6. The importance of water conserving versus water regaining mechanisms are discussed in relation to the total adaptations of these animals to hot, dry environments.
What was it like? Being in the pioneer class at UC Merced

A unique collaboration between residence life and other student affairs units addressed the need for experienced students on a campus where most students were freshmen.
Connectionist password quality tester

Computer security has always been an issue, more so in recent years due to global network access. In this paper, we present a simple connectionist algorithm for testing the quality of computer passwords. A popular method of evaluating password quality is to test it against a large dictionary of words and near-words. Our algorithm is an approximate realization of this method. The large dictionary of words is stored in a network in distributed form. All stored words are stable; however, spurious memories may develop. Although there is no easy way to determine exactly which non-word strings become spurious, nor even exactly how many spurious memories form, numerical simulations reveal that the network works well in distinguishing words and near-words from structureless strings. Thus, to evaluate a password, one would present it to the network and, if the network labeled it a memory, the password would be considered bad.
Is it abuse? Deaf female undergraduates' labeling of partner violence

The current study investigated the labeling of abuse experiences in a sample of 97 Deaf female undergraduate students, exploring the following questions: What is the prevalence of violent behaviors experienced by Deaf female undergraduates in their past-year relationships, what proportion of these relationships are identified as "abuse," and what scripts and strategies do Deaf female undergraduates utilize to label their experiences of partner violence? Results indicated that over half of the sample chose not to label past-year experiences of psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion as abuse, even when these experiences included severe violence. Implications for the Deaf education system will be discussed.
GALILEO'S CONFIRMATION OF A FALSE HYPOTHESIS: A PARADIGM OF LOGICAL ERROR IN DESIGN

Abstract Galileo's classic analysis of a cantilever beam is explicated, and the contemporary persistence of the fundamental error he made in it is discussed. The incorrect hypothesis that Galileo set forth as his first proposition about the behavior of the beam is examined in the context of his pioneering analysis, as is the process whereby the erroneous basic assumption led to a result that was confirmed. The example of Galileo and the cantilever beam is presented as a paradigm for human error in engineering analysis and design, and it is argued that familiarity with such a paradigm among the community of engineering educators and practitioners can help reduce design erors and failures.
Effects of portable computing devices on posture, muscle activation levels and efficiency

Very little research exists on ergonomic exposures when using portable computing devices. This study quantified muscle activity (forearm and neck), posture (wrist, forearm and neck), and performance (gross typing speed and error rates) differences across three portable computing devices (laptop, netbook, and slate computer) and two work settings (desk and computer) during data entry tasks. Twelve participants completed test sessions on a single computer using a test-rest-test protocol (30min of work at one work setting, 15min of rest, 30min of work at the other work setting). The slate computer resulted in significantly more non-neutral wrist, elbow and neck postures, particularly when working on the sofa. Performance on the slate computer was four times less than that of the other computers, though lower muscle activity levels were also found. Potential or injury or illness may be elevated when working on smaller, portable computers in non-traditional work settings.
The spatio-temporal pattern of Delphacodes kuscheli (Homoptera: Delphacidae) abundance in central Argentina

Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah is the vector of maize rough dwarf virus, that affects maize production in central Argentina. The spatial and temporal abundance pattern of the insect vector was studied from October 1992 to November 1994, within endemic and non-endemic areas of the crop disease. Insect density was estimated every 7–15 days during spring and summer (maize season) or monthly during autumn and winter from high (6 m) and low (1.5 m) sticky traps placed at eight sampling stations along a 300 km transect. Each year, D. kuscheli density increased from October, peaked in December, to decrease afterwards and disappear in May. Density was lower in the nonendemic area and higher in the endemic one. The average absolute difference of density between sampling station pairs increased with the distance between the sampling stations (R2=0.85), and the correlation of density changes decreased with the distance between the sampling stations (R2=0.78), suggesting that the population dynamics were affected more by local than by regional factors. There was a significant correlation (with a 36 days lag) between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (calculated from 15 days maximum value composites images of NOAA-11 meteorological satellites) and D. kuscheli abundance. Based on this regression model, and using the time series of the satellite derived NDVI values, maps of the distribution and abundance of D. kuscheli within the study area for the spring and summer of 1992 were produced.
An Efficient Posterior Regularized Latent Variable Model for Interactive Sound Source Separation

In applications such as audio denoising, music transcription, music remixing, and audio-based forensics, it is desirable to decompose a single-channel recording into its respective sources. One of the current most effective class of methods to do so is based on nonnegative matrix factorization and related latent variable models. Such techniques, however, typically perform poorly when no isolated training data is given and do not allow user feedback to correct for poor results. To overcome these issues, we allow a user to interactively constrain a latent variable model by painting on a time-frequency display of sound to guide the learning process. The annotations are used within the framework of posterior regularization to impose linear grouping constraints that would otherwise be difficult to achieve via standard priors. For the constraints considered, an efficient expectation-maximization algorithm is derived with closed-form multiplicative updates, drawing connections to nonnegative matrix factorization methods, and allowing for high-quality interactive-rate separation without explicit training data.
An Enterprise Perspective of Software Offshoring

Enterprises engaged in software offshoring are reticent about their involvements. This paper presents a view of software offshoring from an enterprise perspective based on the author's extensive globalization experience. It addresses the wide spread fear of decline of software development in developed countries due to offshoring by presenting a case study of a large scale software development offshored to China. Aspects include motivation, benefits, risks, decision making, requirements, architecture, process management, project management, and security. The case study shows that offshoring helped to enhance market, increase capacity, access to special skills while most of the software engineering roles were kept in the developed countries. The reader may also get a glimpse of the software skills valued by an enterprise. The paper concludes with what worked and what did not work in the case study.
High-order accurate simulations of unsteady flow past plunging and pitching airfoils

This paper presents simulations of unsteady flow past plunging and pitching airfoils using a high-order spectral difference (SD) method. Both third-order and fourth-order SD methods are employed on unstructured quadrilateral grids for the plunging airfoil at a low Reynolds number. The vortex shedding pattern of an airfoil in an oscillating plunge motion becomes asymmetric at a sufficiently high frequency. The SD method is able to capture this effect and reveal a fine structure that closely replicates the experimental photograph. Interestingly, our simulations also predict that the degree of this asymmetry increases with Reynolds number. Unsteady flow at a higher Reynolds number past a pitching airfoil is studied using the fifth-order SD method. Our predictions show very good agreements with the available experimental data. The developed high-order accurate SD algorithms could enable high-order accurate simulations of unsteady flow past flapping Micro-Air-Vehicles (MAVs).
2-D mathematical modeling for a large electrochromic window—Part I

Abstract Electrochromic (EC) devices show a promise to be the next major advance in the energy-efficient window technology. However, the development of higher value (performance and cost) EC windows is the key to promote the applications of these energy saving devices. To that end, computer modeling may play a powerful role in providing in-depth understanding in EC device design, performance enhancement, material selection and development of EC layers. In this work, we describe a 2D time-dependent finite element based solver, established to simulate large area Li ion electrochromic devices. The results of 2D-model development and corresponding simulations are presented utilizing literature-based material properties. The capability of the model is demonstrated in handling a very large width-to-thickness aspect ratio and examining the impacts of a voltage change due to the spreading resistance and a diffusivity variation inside electrodes on device performance and lithium ion transport kinetics.
Gradient calculations for dynamic recurrent neural networks: a survey

Surveys learning algorithms for recurrent neural networks with hidden units and puts the various techniques into a common framework. The authors discuss fixed point learning algorithms, namely recurrent backpropagation and deterministic Boltzmann machines, and nonfixed point algorithms, namely backpropagation through time, Elman's history cutoff, and Jordan's output feedback architecture. Forward propagation, an on-line technique that uses adjoint equations, and variations thereof, are also discussed. In many cases, the unified presentation leads to generalizations of various sorts. The author discusses advantages and disadvantages of temporally continuous neural networks in contrast to clocked ones continues with some "tricks of the trade" for training, using, and simulating continuous time and recurrent neural networks. The author presents some simulations, and at the end, addresses issues of computational complexity and learning speed. >
Mixed-effect hybrid models for longitudinal data with nonignorable dropout

Summary Selection models and pattern-mixture models are often used to deal with nonignorable dropout in longitudinal studies. These two classes of models are based on different factorizations of the joint distribution of the outcome process and the dropout process. We consider a new class of models, called mixed-effect hybrid models (MEHMs), where the joint distribution of the outcome process and dropout process is factorized into the marginal distribution of random effects, the dropout process conditional on random effects, and the outcome process conditional on dropout patterns and random effects. MEHMs combine features of selection models and pattern-mixture models: they directly model the missingness process as in selection models, and enjoy the computational simplicity of pattern-mixture models. The MEHM provides a generalization of shared-parameter models (SPMs) by relaxing the conditional independence assumption between the measurement process and the dropout process given random effects. Because SPMs are nested within MEHMs, likelihood ratio tests can be constructed to evaluate the conditional independence assumption of SPMs. We use data from a pediatric AIDS clinical trial to illustrate the models.
Genomic analyses facilitate identification of receptors and signalling pathways for growth differentiation factor 9 and related orphan bone morphogenetic protein/growth differentiation factor ligands

Recent advances in genomic sequencing allow a new paradigm in hormonal research, and a comparative genomic approach facilitates the identification of receptors and signalling mechanisms for orphan ligands of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) superfamily. Instead of purifying growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) receptor proteins for identification, we hypothesized that GDF9, like other ligands in the TGFbeta family, activates type II and type I serine/threonine kinase receptors. Because searches of the human genome for genes with sequence homology to known serine/threonine kinase receptors failed to reveal uncharacterized receptor genes, GDF9 likely interacts with the known type II and type I activin receptor-like kinase (ALK) receptors in granulosa cells. We found that co-treatment with the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II receptor (BMPRII) ectodomain blocks GDF9 activity. Likewise, in a GDF9-non-responsive cell line, overexpression of ALK5, but none of the other six type I receptors, conferred GDF9 responsiveness. The roles of BMPRII and ALK5 as receptors for GDF9 were validated in granulosa cells using gene "knock-down" approaches. Furthermore, we demonstrated the roles of BMPRII, ALK3 and ALK6 as the receptors for the orphan ligands GDF6, GDF7 and BMP10. Thus, evolutionary tracing of polypeptide ligands, receptors and downstream signalling molecules in their respective 'subgenomes' facilitates a new approach for hormonal research.
Simulation-Based Game Learning Environments: Building and Sustaining a Fish Tank

This paper describes an approach, where an exploration-based simulation environment for conducting and observing science experiments is combined with a game environment to provide a learning environment that supports learning with understanding and transfer. We describe the components of the learning environment that includes active controls to create an "inspectable" simulation, and a formative assessment scheme that aids monitoring and learning for novice learners. A preliminary experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of the simulation environment. In future, we will extend this environment by linking it to our teachable agent system, Betty's Brain, and develop a simulation-based "game" environment that includes a sequence of challenges to further motivate the student and expand their learning abilities.