cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Saloons in the Wild West and Taverns in Mesopotamia

Two serendipitous occurrences occurred during a comparative study among the archaeological ruins of a handful of diverse, nineteenth-century boomtown saloons in northern Nevada’s Virginia City. The first involved an experiment to retrieve DNA from a tobacco pipestem recovered from one of these establishments; the pipestem is associated with late nineteenth-century stratigraphic deposits from an African American saloon. The DNA profile indicates that a woman used the pipe, evoking questions about gender roles in Virginia City’s saloons. The second incident involved an examination of an image from a Near Eastern cylinder seal from the third millennium BC. The image depicted men and women taking part in communal drinking and presents some of the earliest recorded forms of drinking in ancient Mesopotamia. Other, second millennium BC documentation from that region describe laws associated with women and drinking houses in urban centers such as Babylon. This influenced interpretations about the various levels of interaction between men and women in public drinking over the course of literate history. These events — one based on scientific methods and the other based on a text-aided approach to archaeology — induced a gender-based research agenda that complements studies of the antiquity of public drinking houses. This paper describes that agenda, presents case studies that represent different points on the timeline of public drinking, and advocates an archaeological approach that fuses scientific and humanistic research methods.
Exploring the Boundary-Heightening Experiences of Black Male Teachers: Lessons for Teacher Education Programs

This article uses a phenomenological approach to explore the organizational dynamic of boundary heightening for 27 Black male teachers, across 14 schools, in one urban school district. Black male t...
Don't throw away: Identifying the Factors Influence Clothing Disposal Methods among Chinese Consumers

The purpose of the study is to identify the impact of the motivational factors on Chinese consumers' clothing disposal methods. An online survey was used to collect data in China. Participants were recruited through email survey link and the social media app. A total of 401 usable responses were collected and used in the main analysis. A series of multiple regression analyses were applied to examine the influence of predicting factors on clothing disposal methods. The study points out that disposal methods are influenced by a variety of factors. Ability and opportunity were found to have impact on most of the disposal methods. Consumers who are more environmental conscious would be more likely to pass down their clothing to others, instead of reusing or reselling those items. Upon the results of this study, implications can be provided. To encourage more textiles and clothing recycling behavior among Chinese consumers, enhancing their environmental knowledge and building more opportunities for them would be beneficial to deter increase textile waste.
Effect of iron limitation on the isotopic composition of cellular and released fixed nitrogen in Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract Most biological nitrogen transformations have characteristic kinetic isotope effects used to track these processes in modern and past environments. The isotopic fractionation associated with nitrogen fixation, the only biological source of fixed nitrogen (N), provides a particularly important constraint for studies of nitrogen cycling. Nitrogen fixation using the ‘canonical’ Mo-nitrogenase produces biomass with a δ15N value of ca. −1‰ (vs. atmospheric N2). If the ‘alternative’ V- and Fe-only nitrogenases are used, biomass δ15N can be between −6‰ and −7‰. These biomass values are assumed to be relatively invariant and to reflect the cellular level expressed isotope effect of nitrogen fixation. However, field and laboratory studies report wide ranges of diazotrophic biomass δ15N (from −3.6‰ to +0.5‰ for Mo-based nitrogen fixation). This variation could be partly explained by the release of dissolved organic N (DON) that is isotopically distinct from biomass. The model nitrogen fixer Azotobacter vinelandii secretes siderophores, small molecules that aid in Fe uptake and can comprise >30% of fixed nitrogen. To test whether siderophores (and other released N) can decouple biomass δ15N from the isotope effect of nitrogen fixation we measured the isotopic composition of biomass and released N in Fe-limited A. vinelandii cultures fixing nitrogen with Mo- and V-nitrogenases. We report that biomass δ15N was elevated under Fe limitation with a maximum value of +1.2‰ for Mo-based nitrogen fixation. Regardless of the nitrogenase isozyme used, released nitrogen δ15N was also 2–3‰ lower than biomass δ15N. Siderophore nitrogen was found to have a slightly higher δ15N than the rest of the DON pool but was still produced in large enough concentrations to account for increases in biomass δ15N. The low δ15N of siderophores (relative to biomass) is consistent with what is known from compound specific isotope studies of the amino acids used in siderophore biosynthesis, and indicates that other amino-acid derived siderophores should also have a low δ15N. The implications for studies of nitrogen fixation are discussed.
Electromagnetic heating control via high-frequencyresonance of a triple-layer laminate

Beamed energy transport requires the use of heat exchangers to collect the thermal energy produced from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation. To explore the high-frequency effects of wave–geometry interactions on this heat transfer, we consider a central dielectric layer, possessing a temperature-dependent loss factor, surrounded by two fluid channels filled with a lossless dielectric fluid. Considering an asymptotically thin domain, we derive a diffusion–reaction equation, assuming no flow in the fluid. We show that the high-frequency effects generate a new energy balance leading to a previously unknown steady-state solution. A characterization of the steady-state-dependent parameters is performed in an effort to determine a mechanism to control the nonlinear heating. Diffusive effects are shown to produce regions of the power response where steady-state solutions are replaced by traveling-wave solutions. These regions are also location to the greatest heating efficiency. Analytical approximations to the wave speed and location of these regions are found using boundary layer theory.
Increasing Parent Involvement in Communication Intervention: A Case Study.

ABSTRACTAutism researchers often use mand training paired with direct trial instruction (DTI) as an effective way to increase communication skills for young children with autism. However, these met...
A Floatable Piezo-Photocatalytic Platform Based on Semi-Embedded ZnO Nanowire Array for High-Performance Water Decontamination

Photocatalytic degradation attracts considerable attention because it is a promising strategy to treat pollutants from industrial and agricultural wastes. In recent years, other than the development of efficient photocatalysts, much effort has been devoted to the design of reliable and inexpensive photocatalytic platforms that work in various environment conditions. Here, we describe a novel photocatalytic platform that is able to float and freely move atop water while performing photodegradation. Compared to common platforms, such as slurry reactors and immobilized photoreactors, the proposed platform is advantageous in terms of easy recycling and energy saving. Furthermore, the special configuration resulting from a two-step synthesis route, semi-embedded photocatalysts, addresses some of the remaining challenges, for instance, the contamination from the loose photocatalysts themselves. For the probe pollutant, methylene blue (MB), a reproducible and remarkable degradation activity of the platform, is observed and the effect of two primary factors, including surface area of the catalyst and mass transfer rate, is investigated. Besides, the piezo-photocatalysis effect, serving as an additional functionality, is confirmed to further improve the degradability of the platform, which offers an additional 20% of degraded MB. At last, the promising result of the degradation toward crude oil reveals the possibility of the platform to be used in gasoline pollution treatment.
Residual excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea treated with positive airway pressure therapy

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) commonly report residual excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) despite treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP). The present study aimed to determine whether patients presenting with subjective sleepiness after treatment with PAP therapy had objective evidence of residual sleepiness. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 29 adults with OSA on PAP therapy who underwent a standardized evaluation for EDS. Patients were evaluated with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and attend an in-lab polysomnogram (PSG) with PAP followed by a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Our cohort consisted of 23 men (79%) and 6 women (21%) with a mean age of 40.7 years. All patients were subjectively sleepy with an ESS score of > 10 and met minimal PAP usage of 4 h a night for at least 70% of nights with a residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≤ 10. On MSLT, 31% of patients had an average sleep onset latency (SOL) 11 min. After optimizing PAP therapy and sleep in patients with OSA and residual EDS, the majority were found to have objective findings of an abnormally short SOL on MSLT. This is further evidence that there is a distinct OSA phenotype that will have persistent EDS despite appropriate treatment of their sleep-disordered breathing. Objective testing to quantify the degree of sleepiness is recommended for OSA patients with residual EDS.
Role perceptions of attorneys and caseworkers in child abuse cases in juvenile court.

A four-county Indiana survey of the vast majority (approximately 90%) of the attorneys and public agency caseworkers involved in court actions on child abuse cases revealed considerable conflict over each other's role. The survey replicated the method used in previous research, which had yielded distinctly positive and negative results. The author discusses particularities of the four-county area and suggest ways to clarify roles and ameliorate the problem. Language: en
Experimental verification of shear analogy approach to predict bending stiffness for softwood and hardwood cross-laminated timber panels

Abstract Lower grade material of three previously untested species (Eastern White Pine, Red Maple, and White Ash) were fabricated in Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels and tested to determine their mechanical properties. The results were compared to the ANSI/APA PRG-320 production standard for CLT. Both of the hardwood species met requirements for the V2 species group, but the softwood species did not. Next, the bending stiffness results were compared to bending stiffness predictions from the Shear Analogy approach as described in the US CLT Handbook. The Shear Analogy approach underpredicted the bending stiffness of the softwood CLT by less than 5%, and underpredicted the bending stiffness of the hardwood CLTs by about 25%. The difference in the hardwood prediction was reduced to about 15% by using published elastic moduli ratios. Average hardwood elastic moduli ratios for use with the Shear Analogy Method were proposed.
Fracking and Federalism: Support for an Adaptive Approach That Avoids the Tragedy of the Regulatory Commons

New York State is currently engaged in the process of crafting a regime to regulate a controversial gas extraction technique called hydrofracking. The breadth and scale of hydrofracking’s potential impacts present state and local officials with novel and uncertain environmental and regulatory challenges. These challenges provide a unique opportunity to test some of the assumptions underlying academic discussions of environmental federalism. Congress exempted hydrofracking and its roughly thirty affiliated and component processes from key portions of federal
Correction of Q Factor Effects for Simultaneous Collection of Elemental Analysis and Relaxation Times by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

A new method for measurement of elemental analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of unknown samples has been discussed here as a quick and robust means to measure elemental ratios without the...
Laser-Induced Damage to Silicon Photosensor Arrays

Laser-induced damage in two types of silicon photosensor array has been studied. The samples were MOS CCD time delay integration (TDI) sensors with a 2048x96 element array of pixels and CID photodiode arrays of 512x1 pixels. The laser source was a Q-switched 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser (10 Hz rep rate, 10 ns pulses with a 250 A‚Âµm spot radius). Tests for morphological and electrical damage to the CCD arrays have been reported previously. In new experiments, the micro-damage morphology is examined and correlated with both the observed electrical degradation and newly observed stress effects. We report the observation of surface deformation and lattice defects due to laser-induced stresses in the SiO2 and poly-silicon thin films on the silicon substrate. Measurements of damage for the CID arrays show them to be more resistant to laser damage than MOS structures such as CCD arrays. In addition, electrical degradation of these arrays was observed which affected the video output signal from the devices.
Heavy-Contact Sport Participation and Early Adolescent Delinquency:

Sports is one of the most popular youth activities, yet a consensus has not been reached as to whether playing sports facilitates or deters youths’ delinquency. This study uses longitudinal data on...
FACS protocol for direct comparison of cell populations isolated from mice.

Summary A FACS protocol is described that eliminates isolation and staining artifacts to allow accurate comparison between cell populations isolated from organs obtained from disparate mouse groups. This protocol was validated by characterizing the estrogen receptor positive cells within the mammary gland of transgenic mice with different genotypes at different stages of the estrous cycle. We include protocols necessary to batch stage animals within the cycle to proceed directly to FACS, which provides optimal RNA yields for RNA-seq. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ludwik et al. (2020) .
Marketplace of Ideas, Privacy, and Digital Audiences

The availability of almost limitless sets of digital information has opened a vast marketplace of ideas. Information service providers like Facebook and Twitter provide users with an array of personal information about products, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. While this data enriches the lives of those who share content on the internet, it comes at the expense of privacy. Social media companies disseminate news, advertisements, political messages, while also capitalizing on consumers’ private shopping, surfing, and travel habits. Companies like Cambridge Analytica, Amazon, and Apple rely on algorithmic programs to mash-up and scrape enormous amounts of online and otherwise available personal data to micro-target audiences. By collecting and then processing psychometric data sets, commercial and political advertisers rely on emotive advertisements to manipulate biases and vulnerabilities that impact audiences’ shopping and voting habits. The Free Speech Clause is not an absolute bar to the regulation of commercial intermediaries who exploit private information obtained on the digital marketplace of ideas. The Commerce Clause authorizes passage of law to regulate internet companies that monetize intimate data and resell it to third parties. Rather than applying strict scrutiny to such proposed regulations as one would to pure speech, judges should rely on intermediate scrutiny to test statutes limiting the commercial marketing of data. Legislative reforms are needed to address the substantial economic effects of massive, commercial agglomeration of data files containing histories, daily routines, medical conditions, personal habits, and the like. To address this logarithmically expanding cyber phenomenon, Congress should temporally restrict the retention and trade in private data. Internet intermediaries should not be immune from such a restriction on private data storage. For such a policy to be effective, safe harbor provisions shielding internet intermediaries should be modified to allow for civil litigation against internet companies that refuse a data subject’s request to remove personal information no longer needed to accomplish the transaction for which it was originally processed.
Tobacco Smoke and CYP1A2 Activity in a US Population with Normal Liver Enzyme Levels

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common among 30% of American adults. Former and current smokers are at higher risk for NAFLD compared to never smokers. The ratio of urine caffeine metabolites to caffeine intake—namely, urine caffeine metabolite indices—has previously been used as a proxy for CYP1A2 activity, which is one of the main liver metabolizing enzymes. CYP1A2 activity is associated with NAFLD progression. No studies to our knowledge have examined the associations of liver enzymes, smoking intensity, and secondhand smoke (SES) with CYP1A2 activity (using caffeine metabolite indices) across smoking status. We analyzed national representative samples from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Interestingly, even within a normal range, several liver enzymes were associated with caffeine metabolite indices, and patterns of many of these associations varied by smoking status. For instance, within a normal range, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in never smokers and bilirubin in current smokers were inversely associated with 1-methyluric acid and 5-acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil (URXAMU). Furthermore, we observed a common pattern: across all smoking statuses, higher AST/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) was associated with 1-methyluric acid and URXAMU. Moreover, in current smokers, increased lifelong smoking intensity was associated with reduced caffeine metabolite indices, but acute cigarette exposure as measured by SES levels was associated with increased caffeine metabolite indices among never smokers. In summary, commonly used liver enzyme tests can reflect the CYP1A2 activity even within a normal range, but the selection of these enzymes depends on the smoking status; the associations between smoking and the CYP1A2 activity not only depend on the intensity but also the duration of tobacco exposure.
The Role of Obesity in Motor Vehicle Injuries and Fatalities in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review.

Purpose:A systematic review done to evaluate obesity as a risk factor for injuries and mortality in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) in the pediatric population, as there has not been a systematic re...
Characterization and computational simulation of human Syx, a RhoGEF implicated in glioblastoma

Abstract Structural discovery of guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) protein complexes is likely to become increasingly relevant with the development of new therapeutics targeting small GTPases and development of new classes of small molecules that inhibit protein-protein interactions. Syx (also known as PLEKHG5 in humans) is a RhoA GEF implicated in the pathology of glioblastoma (GBM). Here we investigated protein expression and purification of ten different human Syx constructs and performed biophysical characterizations and computational studies that provide insights into why expression of this protein was previously intractable. We show that human Syx can be expressed and isolated and Syx is folded as observed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and actively binds to RhoA as determined by co-elution during size exclusion chromatography (SEC). This characterization may provide critical insights into the expression and purification of other recalcitrant members of the large class of oncogenic — Diffuse B-cell lymphoma (Dbl) homology GEF proteins. In addition, we performed detailed homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations on the surface of a physiologically realistic membrane. These simulations reveal novel insights into GEF activity and allosteric modulation by the plekstrin homology (PH) domain. These newly revealed interactions between the GEF PH domain and the membrane embedded region of RhoA support previously unexplained experimental findings regarding the allosteric effects of the PH domain from numerous activity studies of Dbl homology GEF proteins. This work establishes new hypotheses for structural interactivity and allosteric signal modulation in Dbl homology RhoGEFs.
What is the volatility of an Asian option

We propose a simple approximation for pricing Asian options on an underlying asset with an implied volatility smile by substituting an appropriately adjusted volatility into a Black-Scholes pricer which takes a constant volatility. For Asian options with strikes close to the at-the-money point, the adjustment is independent of the shape of the volatility smile at leading order in an expansion in log-strike, which makes it robust against calibration errors. The smile adjusted valuation becomes exact for Asian options with continuous time averaging in the short maturity limit in the local volatility model.
Neuropsychological profiles IV: Traumatic brain injury, substance-related disorders, normal pressure hydrocephalus, metabolic and toxic disorders

This chapter focuses on traumatic brain injury, substance-related disorders, normal pressure hydrocephalus, metabolic disorders and toxic disorders. Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is most common among young adults and children, the elderly comprise the third group at greatest risk, especially after age 65. Negative outcomes following TBI are more frequent in older adults, including longer recovery time, need for extended care, and even death. In young adults, TBI is most frequently sustained during an automobile accident, whereas in older adults it most commonly follows a fall. Substance-related disorders include those related to the use of a drug (including alcohol), to the side effects of a prescription or over-the-counter medication, or to exposure to toxins. Patients with milder neuropsychological sequelae may be diagnosed with Substance-Induced Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Older adults are at increased risk for substance-related disorders associated with the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications. While substance abuse in younger adults often reflects intentional behaviors aimed at altering psychological state, there is evidence that abuse in older adults often reflects substance misuse, the maladaptive use of substances due to misunderstanding or errors. Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a disorder in which the production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain ventricles exceeds absorption, resulting in distention of the ventricles and reduced blood flow to periventricular white matter. Common causes of NPH are subarachnoid hemorrhage, severe head trauma, and central nervous system infection such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Sustaining Development as We Know It: Limits to Downward Accountability in Post-2015 International Development Policy

A review of the literature on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) published during the past fifteen years demonstrates that accountabilities have constituted one of this global framework’s weaknesses. In response, we develop four dimensions of accountability in global development governance and apply them to the emerging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the MDGs’ successors. We focus on the extent to which the SDGs change accountabilities of bilateral donors and multilateral aid organizations to national recipient governments and to local beneficiaries. We find that compared to the MDGs, national governments had markedly more influence on the content of the SDGs. At the same time, despite UN-sponsored efforts to seek input from the public, post-2015 agenda-setting in global development governance continues being determined by policy elites. We conclude with a call for strengthening and institutionalizing downstream accountabilities as building blocks for global transparency and international aid effectiveness.
Development of the Extremely Low Probability of Rupture (xLPR) Code

10 CFR 50 Appendix A General Design Criteria (GDC) 4 requires that primary piping systems exhibit an extremely low probability of rupture in order to exclude dynamic effects associated with postulated primary pipe ruptures. The Leak-Before-Break (LBB) methodology, as described in NRC Standard Review Plan (SRP) 3.6.3, was developed to meet this goal. Per SRP 3.6.3, active degradation mechanisms are not permitted in systems approved for LBB and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) are currently experiencing Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC). For the long term, NRC began a cooperative research program with the Electric Power Research Institute to develop a probabilistic assessment tool that quantitatively assesses the probability of primary piping system rupture. This paper provides an overview of the xLPR program, focusing on the cooperative structure used for model development and results from the proof-of-concept pilot study.
Endless Journey: Integration and the Provision of Equal Educational Opportunity in Denver's Public Schools: A Study of Keyes v. School District No. 1

Denver was the first non-Southern City to undergo extensive litigation over the desegregation of its schools. In this context, it has become a mirror for the way America deals with its most pressing social problem: the integration of minorities into the educational, political and economic mainstream through equal educational opportunity. This study examines the difficulties of implementing a desegregation plan that would result in a unitary public school system and developing a plan that would provide an equal educational opportunity to the large hispano minority. We concentrate upon the implementation efforts after 1976 when Judge Richard Matsch was assigned to the case. The liability phase and the initial implementation efforts have been chronicled in detail elsewhere.
Ethanolamine, but not Phosphoethanolamine, Potentiates the Effects of Insulin, Phosphocholine, and ATP on DNA Synthesis in NIH 3T3 Cells

NIH 3T3 fibroblasts express a phospholipase D activity hydrolyzing phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) which produces ethanolamine (Etn) in response to a variety of growth regulating agents. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of Etn on mitogenesis and to determine whether these effects require its metabolism to phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) or PtdEtn. To increase conversion of Etn to PEtn, an Etn-specific kinase derived from Drosophila was highly expressed in NIH 3T3 cells. Overexpression of this Etn kinase resulted in large (10–12.5-fold) increases in PEtn formation, but only in modest (1.2–1.7-fold) increases in PtdEtn synthesis. In both vector control and Etn kinase overexpressor cells, Etn had biphasic effects on insulin-induced DNA synthesis with maximal (≈ 2-fold) potentiating effects being observed at 0.5–1 mM concentrations, followed by an inhibitory phase at higher Etn concentrations. In the Etn kinase overexpressor lines, the inhibitory phase was elicited by lower Etn concentrations and it was partially blocked by 5 mM choline due to decreased formation of PEtn. In both vector control and Etn kinase overexpressor cells, phosphocholine (PCho) and insulin synergistically stimulated DNA synthesis; their effects were further enhanced by physiologically relevant (5–60 μM) concentrations of Etn by a mechanism independent of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Concentrations of Etn > 50 μM also enhanced the effects of both PCho and the synergistic effects of PCho plus ATP; however, in the latter case 20 μM Etn was inhibitory. The magnitude of both the potentiating and inhibitory effects of Etn on PCho-induced as well as PCho + ATP-induced DNA synthesis were similar in the vector control and Etn kinase overexpressor cells; they were associated with stimulation and inhibition, respectively, of p42 MAP kinase activity. The results indicate that in NIH 3T3 cells Etn exerts significant effects on DNA synthesis which, except inhibition of insulin-induced DNA synthesis by higher concentrations of Etn, do not correlate with the metabolism of Etn to PEtn or PtdEtn.
Fast reconstruction for accelerated multi-slice multi-contrast MRI

Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols typically include multiple acquisitions of the same region of interest under different contrast settings. This paper presents an efficient algorithm to jointly reconstruct a set of undersampled images with different contrasts. The proposed method has faster reconstruction time and better quality as measured by the normalized root-mean-square error (RMSE) compared to the existing methods consisting of multi-contrast Fast Composite Splitting Algorithm (FCSA-MT), Multiple measurement vectors FOCal Underdetermined System Solver (M-FOCUSS), and total variation regularized compressed sensing (SparseMRI). To efficiently solve the £2, 1-regularized optimization problem, our proposed algorithm adopts the Split Bregman (SB) technique to divide the problem into sub-problems. We efficiently compute a closed-form solution to each of the sub-problems by implementing a 3D spatial gradient operator as element-wise multiplication in k-space. As demonstrated by the in vivo results, the proposed algorithm (SB-L21) offers 2x, 32x, and 66x faster reconstruction with lower RMSE averaged across all contrasts and slices compared to FCSA-MT, M-FOCUSS, and SparseMRI, respectively.
Multiple objective scheduling of HPC workloads through dynamic prioritization

We have developed an efficient single queue scheduling system that utilizes a greedy knapsack algorithm with dynamic job priorities. Our scheduler satisfies high level objectives while maintaining high utilization of the HPC system or collection of distributed resources such as a computational GRID. We provide simulation analysis of our approach in contrast with various scheduling strategies of shortest job first; longest waiting jobs first; and large jobs first. Further, we look at the effects of system size on the total workload response time and find that for real workloads, the relationship between response time and system size follows an inverse power law. Our approach does not require system administrators or users to identify a specific priority queue for each of their jobs. The proposed scheduler performs an exhaustive parameter search for a priority calculation per job to balance high level objectives and provide guaranteed performance jobs in a workload. The system administrator needs only tune the prioritization parameters (knobs) and the system scheduler will behave accordingly, such as reducing wait time for jobs that are above average size with small runtimes. We demonstrate that our approach works very well on workloads that have many independent tasks. We evaluate our scheduler on a realistic mixed scientific data processing workload and with a realistic HPC workload trace from the parallel workloads archive.
Pensions and Intertemporal Choice: Evidence from the U.S. Military

Abstract : We study a choice made by over 20,000 U.S. military personnel annually between the High-3 and Redux retirement plans. Compared to High-3, Redux offers a $30,000 current lump sum payment in exchange for lower future annuity payments. Despite break-even discount rates between 10% and 25%, about 40% of individuals chose Redux. The likelihood of choosing Redux is decreasing with the break-even discount rate and is related to individual demographics. The implied personal discount rates from this choice are around 9.2%, much lower than found previously. Offering this choice has already saved the government over $2 billion in future retirement payments.
Crawling Predicts Infants’ Understanding of Agents’ Navigation of Obstacles

We investigated whether crawling versus noncrawling infants interpret an agent's movements around an obstacle as goal-directed. Infants (6–9 months) were habituated to a self-propelled circle jumping over an obstacle to reach a goal. When the obstacle was removed, infants who crawled (n = 13) showed longer looking time to the familiar but now nonrational jumping path versus a novel but rational straight-line path. Noncrawlers (n = 17) did not discriminate. Looking preference was independent of age and speed of habituation. These findings support the claim that infants’ processing of agency emerges early and applies to all agents, but stress the role of experience in the development of action interpretation.
Informatic system for a global tissue-fluid biorepository with a graph theory-oriented graphical user interface.

The Richard Floor Biorepository supports collaborative studies of extracellular vesicles (EVs) found in human fluids and tissue specimens. The current emphasis is on biomarkers for central nervous system neoplasms but its structure may serve as a template for collaborative EV translational studies in other fields. The informatic system provides specimen inventory tracking with bar codes assigned to specimens and containers and projects, is hosted on globalized cloud computing resources, and embeds a suite of shared documents, calendars, and video-conferencing features. Clinical data are recorded in relation to molecular EV attributes and may be tagged with terms drawn from a network of externally maintained ontologies thus offering expansion of the system as the field matures. We fashioned the graphical user interface (GUI) around a web-based data visualization package. This system is now in an early stage of deployment, mainly focused on specimen tracking and clinical, laboratory, and imaging data capture in support of studies to optimize detection and analysis of brain tumour–specific mutations. It currently includes 4,392 specimens drawn from 611 subjects, the majority with brain tumours. As EV science evolves, we plan biorepository changes which may reflect multi-institutional collaborations, proteomic interfaces, additional biofluids, changes in operating procedures and kits for specimen handling, novel procedures for detection of tumour-specific EVs, and for RNA extraction and changes in the taxonomy of EVs. We have used an ontology-driven data model and web-based architecture with a graph theory–driven GUI to accommodate and stimulate the semantic web of EV science. Keywords: biorepository; exosome; extracellular vesicle; medical research database; ontology; graph theory (Published: 22 September 2014) Citation: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2014, 3 : 24247 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jev.v3.24247
Voluntary Control of Patterns of EEC Parietal Asymmetry: Cognitive Concomitants

This experiment addressed two questions: is training for EEG parietal asymmetry using pattern biofeedback accompanied by predictable cognitive concomitants? and 2 are the cognitive concomitants of training for simultaneous bilateral activation of the hemispheres a simple additive combination of the two asymmetry patterns, or do they represent a unique to cognitive gestalt not readily predictable from the two asymmetry training conditions? Bilateral parietal EEG was recorded from 20 right handed subjects and filtered for 8–13 Hz activity. The four possible EEG patterns were quantified on line. All subjects received 12 min of EEG symmetry training (LαoffRαon -Integration) and 12 min each of EEG asymmetry training (LαoffRαon and LαonRαoffDifferentiation). Significant regulation of all three patterns was obtained. Analysis of post feedback questionnaires revealed that LαoffRαon. regulation was associated with significantly more verbal cognitions, while the L αoffRαon pattern was associated with more visual cognitions, EEG symmetry regulation (LαoffRαon) produced a third pattern of cognitions different from both asymmetry conditions. The data suggest that feedback stabilized cortical patterning is associated with predictable cognitive concomitants and that puttern biofeedback procedures can be used to uncover the relationships between brain processes and subjective experience.
Seasonal effects of temperature and salinity on the partial pressure of CO 2 in seawater

The exchange of CO2 between the atmosphere and the sea is of major importance to our understanding of the climatic consequences of anthropogenic CO2. Because the solubility of CO2 and the dissociation of carbonic acid in seawater are modulated by temperature and salinity, the detection of long-term changes in the oceanic carbonate system, first requires that the comparatively large short-term variations in the partial pressure of CO2 should be characterized. We present here the first direct observations of seasonal variations in the partial pressure of CO2 in the subtropical gyres of the North and South Pacific Ocean. These variations compare well with the variations predicted from observed changes in temperature and salinity using empirical equations which do not require the determination of alkalinity or total inorganic carbon, and the agreement is improved by the inclusion of air–sea exchange in the model calculations. Thus we predict that specific alkalinity within the two gyres remains extremely constant, which is confirmed by carbonate equilibrium calculations based on our measurements of total inorganic carbon.
Evidence for quantum kinks in the layer-by-layer growth of solid 4He on graphite

Abstract We have made measurements of the layer-by-layer growth of solid 4 He from the superfluid onto a graphite substrate, and at temperatures below 0.95 K we have observed remarkable and unexpected behavior which we believe is evidence of quantum kinks.
Rotational Diffusion of Monodisperse Liquid Crystal Droplets

We have prepared monodisperse suspensions of nematic liquid crystal droplets in water. The droplets are stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol, a polymer that induces planar anchoring of the liquid crystal molecules at the surface of the droplets. The resultant particles exhibit strong optical anisotropy while having a spherical shape. As a consequence, the light scattering from the particles contains a strong depolarized component. We report a simple application of this feature by performing dynamic light scattering experiments to measure the rotational diffusion of colloidal spheres in a dilute suspension.
An application of the micropolar fluid model to the calculation of a turbulent shear flow

Abstract The problem of plane or axisymmetric stagnation-point flow of a micropolar fluid over a flat plate is considered. A new boundary condition, motivated by an analogy with phenomenological theories of turbulence, is proposed. Numerical solutions to the above-mentioned problem are obtained which appear to have the characteristics of turbulent shear flows.
Emerging drug targets for pain treatment

Pain is a global health challenge. For decades, we have been primarily relying upon opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain management. However, adverse effects related to opioid and NSAID use are severe and often lead to forced drug discontinuation and inadequate pain relief. Despite decades of research, currently available pharmacotherapies for pain still fall short of clinical needs. Fortunately, with our increased understanding of the neurobiology and pathophysiology of pain, new drug targets have been emerging, which may lead to novel therapeutic strategies. This perspective will briefly review the theoretical development and experimental evidence of four emerging drug targets for pain treatment: transient receptor potential ankyrin (TRPA) 1 channel, cannabinoid CB(2) receptors, GABA(A) subtype receptors, and imidazoline I(2) receptors. Sustained efforts on these novel drug targets will increase the appreciation for these targets and expedite the development of lead compounds to reach clinical stage, which will undoubtedly strengthen our pharmacotherapeutic armaments against various debilitating painful conditions.
The Miniature1 Seed Locus of Maize Encodes a Cell Wall Invertase Required for Normal Development of Endosperm and Maternal Cells in the Pedicel.

Collective evidence demonstrates that the Miniature1 (Mn1) seed locus in maize encodes an endosperm-specific isozyme of cell wall Invertase, CWI-2. The evidence includes (1) isolation and characterization of ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mn1 mutants with altered enzyme activity and (2) a near-linear relationship between gene/dose and invertase activity and the CWI-2 protein. In addition, molecular analyses showed that the cDNA clone incw2 maps to the Mn1 locus and differentiates the six ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mn1 mutants of independent origin into two classes when RNA gel blot analyses were used. We also report two unexpected observations that provide significant new insight into the physiological role of invertase and its regulation in a developing seed. First, a large proportion of total enzyme activity (~90%) was dispensable (i.e., nonlimiting). However, below the threshold level of ~6% of wild-type activity, the endosperm enzyme controlled both the sink strength of the developing endosperm as well as the developmental stability of maternal cells in the pedicel in a rate-limiting manner. Our data also suggest an unusually tight coordinate control between the cell wall-bound and the soluble forms of invertase, which are most likely encoded by two separate genes, presumably through metabolic controls mediated by the sugars.
Transmittance of cultured crystalline quartz in the vacuum ultraviolet before and after electron irradiation

The transmittance of cultured crystalline quartz has been measured in the vacuum uv from 2000 A to its cutoff wavelength. For most samples this cutoff wavelength is approximately 1450 A, but some samples had very low transmittances to wavelengths as long as 1600 A. Furthermore, in the spectral region from 1450 A to 2000 A, all the samples had nonuniform transmittances as a function of position on the sample. Most of these nonuniformities are quite pronounced close to the cutoff wavelength but disappear or are very small at 2000 A. After irradiation with 1-MeV electrons, the transmittances of the good, fairly uniform, samples were practically unchanged. However, areas of some of the less uniform samples became quite black to the eye and practically nontransmitting in the vacuum uv. In most cases, blackened and nonblackened areas, on the same sample, had quite sharp boundaries, on the order of 1 mm or less. The blackened areas had excess aluminum and alkali impurities as determined by paramagnetic electron resonance measurements. A short comparison is made between cultured crystalline quartz and various types of fused silica.
Generalized Square-Root Information Consider Covariance Analysis for Filters and Smoothers

A new form of consider covariance analysis for studying incorrectly modeled square-root information filters and smoothers is presented and demonstrated. The value of this technique is its ability to compute the true estimation error covariance when the estimator has an incorrect dynamic model, an incorrect measurement model, or an incorrect statistical model. The new analysis casts systems with a wide range of possible modeling errors into a special form and exploits square-root techniques to provide both generality and compactness. A consider covariance analysis can improve filter or smoother design or characterize an existing estimator’s true accuracy, and it greatly reduces computational burden compared with alternative Monte Carlo-based methods of analyzing an estimator’s sensitivity to mismodeling. Applicable modeling errors include incorrect initial state covariance, colored or correlated noise statistics, unestimated disturbance states, and erroneous system matrices. Several simple examples are dev...
Composition of Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers by Gel Permeation Chromatography

Abstract An ultraviolet detector was added to the GPC making it possible to determine both molecular weight distribution and composition of butadiene-styrene copolymers as a function of molecular weight. After calibration, several types of commercial and experimental copolymers were analyzed. SBR was found to have a very uniform composition over most of the range of molecular weight. However, the styrene content decreased at the high end of the distribution. Representative samples of anionically polymerized copolymers were also examined. In general, the composition of these polymers varied more than SBR. Usually, the styrene content was high at low molecular weight and decreased as molecular weight increased. Several experimental copolymers that were first metalated and then grafted with styrene were studied. Incomplete grafting as well as the presence of low molecular weight homopolystyrene was readily detected. This appears to be a particularly sensitive method for studying composition of copolymers.
Characterization of a low copy repetitive element S232 involved in the generation of frequent deletions of the distal short arm of the human X chromosome

There are several copies of related sequences on the distal short arm of the human X chromosome and the proximal long arm of the Y chromosome which were originally detected by cross hybridization with a genomic DNA clone, CRI-S232. Recombination between two S232-like sequences flanking the steroid sulfatase locus has been shown to cause frequent deletions in the X chromosome short arm, resulting in steroid sulfatase deficiency. We now report the characterization of several S232-like sequences. Restriction mapping and sequence analysis show that each S232 unit contains 5 kb of unique sequence in addition to two elements, RU1 and RU2, composed of a variable number of tandem repeats. RU1 consists of 30 bp repeating units and its length shows minimal variation between individuals. The RU2 elements in the hypervariable S232 loci on the X chromosome consist of repeating sequences which are highly asymmetric, with about 90% purines and no C's on one strand. The X-derived RU2 elements range from 0.6 kb to over 23 kb among different individuals, accounting entirely for the observed polymorphism at the S232 loci. Although the repeating units of the RU2 elements in the nonpolymorphic S232 loci on the Y chromosome share high sequence homology with those on the X chromosome, they exhibit much higher intrarepeat sequence variation. S232 homologous sequences are found in great apes, old world and new world monkeys. In chimpanzees and gorillas the S232-like sequences are polymorphic in length.
Oral status and well-being of home delivered meal recipients

The relationship between oral health status and well-being of community dwelling frail elders was studied through questionnaires delivered to and filled out by 592 elders receiving home delivered meals. Oral status covered oral function, dental problems, oral hygiene practices and appliance use in the sample. Oral status was measured in a sub sample of 50 subjects given an oral examination, using the criteria above and soft tissue status. Plaque, calculus, and caries were measured in dentate subjects of the sub sample. Well-being was measured using standardised scales. The results indicate that oral status was related to well-being status.
SUBTRACTIONS IN A DISPERSIVE APPROACH TO INTERNAL SYMMETRY BREAKING.

It is shown how the subtractions, in a dispersive approach to SU(3) and SU(2) breaking, reproduce the results of the tadpole model, under the assumption of certain widely used forms for the medium-strong interaction.
The Spectacle of The Prisoner

The “Spectacle of The Prisoner” examines the British television series The Prisoner through the writings of Guy Debord. The Prisoner illustrates Debord's proposed method of detournement as a means to critique the society of the spectacle. Yet the ultimate fate of The Prisoner, articulated both within its narrative and in its ultimate commodification as a “cult” text, demonstrates the futility of resistance within the society of the spectacle.