cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viewing E-Learning Productivity from the Perspective of Habermas' Cognitive Interests Theory

In the throes of an educational transformation from a print culture to a digitized culture, educators face an important challenge of how to define e-learning productivity. This article reviews the meanings of learning productivity from the selective literature and points out the need to conceptualize learning productivity in an e-learning environment. It draws on Habermasâ€™ Cognitive Interests Theory as the conceptual foundation. The proposed framework for e-learning productivity describes three distinct orientations: instrumental, communicative, and emancipatory. The common notion of e-learning productivity often focuses mainly on instrumental objectives that are measured in terms of higher achievement, better test scores, more satisfaction, less cost, and so forth. Yet, this article argues that the notion of e-learning productivity should also encompass the aspects of reaching common understanding, building team consensus, and achieving critical reflection, self-actualization, and emancipation from constraints, because all of these are relevant aspects in todayâ€™s technologically rich learning environment.
Prevention of pineal-mediated reproductive responses in light-deprived hamsters by partial or total isolation of the medial basal hypothalamus

The influence of total or partial isolations of the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) on pineal-mediated gonadal responses was studied in adult male hamsters. Light deprivation, due to exposure of hamsters to light: dark cycles of 1∶23 (in hours) or blinding, led to involution of the testes, seminal vesicles and coagulating glands and to a statistically insignificant depression in bioassayable pituitary follicle stimulating hormone. The effects of darkness and the pineal on the pituitary-gonadal axis were completely prevented by total or anterior hypothalamic disconnections; posterior disconnections negated the responses in less than one-half the animals. The following tentative explanations for the results were discussed: 1. the hypothalamic cuts interrupted pathways which pass through the hypothalamus and transmit photic information between the eyes and the pineal gland, thus rendering the pineal unresponsive to photoperiodic stimuli; 2. the surgical manipulations within the hypothalamus caused a “central sympathectomy” which interfered with sympathetic control of pineal biosynthetic activity; 3. the hypothalamic cuts interrupted axons of extra-MBH pineal responsive neurons that are inhibitory to gonadotropin-regulating cells within the MBH; 4. the hypothalamic cuts severed axons of extra-MBH neurons which determine the sensitivity of gonadotropin-regulating cells within the MBH, thus rendering the latter neurons unresponsive to the pineal influence.
An Impulse Response Comparison of Wide Bandpass Amplifiers

The impulse response characteristics of six wide bandpass amplifiers were compared. Each amplifier was a cascade of six single-tuned stages of maximally-flat amplitude, synchronous-tuned or flat-delay types. All of the amplifiers had the same midband gain, so that the bandwidths were in proportion to the gainbandwidth factor of the tuning scheme employed. The flat-delay amplifiers exhibited faster recovery from impulsive excitation than either the maximally-flat amplitude amplifiers with their greater 3-db bandwidths, or the synchronoustuned amplifier with its greater stage damping. A brief discussion of amplifier design is included.
Driving citations and aggressive behavior.

Background: Anger and driving have been examined in a number of studies of aggressive drivers and in drivers with road rage using various psychological and environmental study variables. However, we are not aware of any study that has examined the number of driving citations (an indication of problematic driving) and various forms of anger not related to driving. Method: Using a cross-sectional approach in a consecutive sample of 331 respondents (68% female), we surveyed participants about the number of past driving citations, not necessarily convictions, and 21 aggressive behaviors using the Aggressive Behavior Questionnaire. Results: The number of driving citations demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with the number of aggressive behaviors in the 21-item Aggressive Behavior Questionnaire. There were no differences between men and women. As for specific aggressive behaviors, the number of driving citations was statistically significantly related to punching a wall when angry, causing and...
Hypoaminoacidemia caused by imipramine but not by clenbuterol is dissociable from hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia

Abstract The effects of the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (20 mg/kg) and the β-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (0.5 mg/kg) on the serum concentrations of tyrosine, tryptophan, glucose and insulin were compared 30 min after intraperitoneal injection. The drugs had nearly identical effects on serum tyrosine, which was reduced to 73% of control by both drugs, and on tryptophan, which was reduced to 72% by imipramine and to 66% by clenbuterol. In contrast, whereas clenbuterol raised serum glucose to 174% and insulin to 379% of control, imipramine had no significant effects on either glucose or insulin. The results clearly demonstrate that the effects of imipramine on blood amino acid levels are dissociable from effects on glucose and insulin. We conclude, therefore, that hypoaminoacidemia caused by imipramine is not mediated by stimulating insulin release.
Research and Application of Responsive Big Data Visualization Based on HTML5

Research the responsive visualization technology of big data based on HTML5. Big data has 4 special points: volume, velocity, variety and value. Our purpose is to mine the value of big data with the visualization technology. There are many platforms such as desktop and mobile platform, and each kind of device may have different resolution, based on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript technology, research the responsive visualization technology to fit all platforms, then we can mine meaningful data of the mass data, guide the development of related forecasting and strategy.
Hyaluronan-CD44 Interaction with Rac1-dependent Protein Kinase N-γ Promotes Phospholipase Cγ1 Activation, Ca2+ Signaling, and Cortactin-Cytoskeleton Function Leading to Keratinocyte Adhesion and Differentiation *

Abstract In this study we have investigated hyaluronan (HA)-CD44 interaction with protein kinase N-γ (PKNγ), a small GTPase (Rac1)-activated serine/threonine kinase in human keratinocytes. By using a variety of biochemical and molecular biological techniques, we have determined that CD44 and PKNγ kinase (molecular mass ∼120 kDa) are physically linked in vivo. The binding of HA to keratinocytes promotes PKNγ kinase recruitment into a complex with CD44 and subsequently stimulates Rac1-mediated PKNγ kinase activity. The Rac1-activated PKNγ in turn increases threonine (but not serine) phosphorylation of phospholipase C (PLC) γ1 and up-regulates PLCγ1 activity leading to the onset of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. HA/CD44-activated Rac1-PKNγ also phosphorylates the cytoskeletal protein, cortactin, at serine/threonine residues. The phosphorylation of cortactin by Rac1-PKNγ attenuates its ability to cross-link filamentous actin in vitro. Further analyses indicate that the N-terminal antiparallel coiled-coil (ACC) domains of PKNγ interact directly with Rac1 in a GTP-dependent manner. The binding of HA to CD44 induces PKNγ association with endogenous Rac1 and its activity in keratinocytes. Transfection of keratinocytes with PKNγ-ACCcDNA reduces HA-mediated recruitment of endogenous Rac1 to PKNγ and blocks PKNγ activity. These findings suggest that the PKNγ-ACC fragment acts as a potent competitive inhibitor of endogenous Rac1 binding to PKNγ in vivo. Most important, the PKNγ-ACC fragment functions as a strong dominant-negative mutant that effectively inhibits HA/CD44-mediated PKNγ phosphorylation of PLCγ1 and cortactin as well as keratinocyte signaling (e.g. Ca2+ mobilization and cortactin-actin binding) and cellular functioning (e.g. cell-cell adhesion and differentiation). Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that hyaluronan-CD44 interaction with Rac1-PKNγ plays a pivotal role in PLCγ1-regulated Ca2+ signaling and cortactin-cytoskeleton function required for keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion and differentiation.
Micromechanical fracture analysis of amylose

Abstract Amylose films were prepared with two distinctly different microstructures, and these specimens were subsequently tensile-tested at different levels of moisture content. Measurement of the strain energy release rate, G l , was approached from three separate methods. Two of these methods, the J integral and stress intensity analyses, are based on bulk tensile properties. The third method involves direct calculation of the work expended in producing the microplastic zone at the crack tip. Birefringence measurements were used in mapping the magnitude and shape of the plastic zones. Although the semicrystalline material would not lend itself to the bulk tensile analyses, G l values were obtained via the optical analysis. For disordered amylose, G l values derived from this optical analysis were found to correlate with those obtained from bulk measurements, and the fracture toughness was found to be comparable to that of other engineering polymers. Surprisingly, moisture content within the range investigated herein has no great effect on the strain energy release rate. This insensitivity is attributed to active interaction between the absorbed water and amylose macromolecules.
Alkyl chlorides as hydrogen bond acceptors

Abstract To gain an understanding of the role of an alkyl chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor, geometries and interaction energies were calculated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory for complexes between ethyl chloride and representative hydrogen donor groups. The results establish that these donors, which include hydrogen cyanide, methanol, nitrobenzene, pyrrole, acetamide, and N-methylurea, form X H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds (X = C, N, O) of weak to moderate strength, with ΔE values ranging from −2.8 to −5.3 kcal/mol.
Methods to Accelerate Ray Tracing in the Monte Carlo Method for Surface-to-Surface Radiation Transport

Two different algorithms to accelerate ray tracing in surface-to-surface radiation Monte Carlo calculations are investigated. The first algorithm is the well-known binary spatial partitioning (BSP) algorithm, which recursively bisects the computational domain into a set of hierarchically linked boxes that are then made use of to narrow down the number of ray-surface intersection calculations. The second algorithm is the volume-by-volume advancement (WA) algorithm. This algorithm is new and employs the volumetric mesh to advance the ray through the computational domain until a legitimate intersection point is found. The algorithms are tested for two classical problems, namely an open box, and a box in a box, in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) geometries with various mesh sizes. Both algorithms are found to result in orders of magnitude gains in computational efficiency over direct calculations that do not employ any acceleration strategy. For three-dimensional geometries, the WA algorithm is found to be clearly superior to BSP, particularly for cases with obstructions within the computational domain. For two-dimensional geometries, the VVA algorithm is found to be superior to the BSP algorithm only when obstructions are present and are densely packed.
Wake Vortex Encounter Aircraft and Underwing Pod Loads

THE NRC CT-133 aircraft has been used for wake turbulence research, over a period of five years. More recently, underwing sensor pod development has been completed, for the conduct of jet aircraft emission flight research, with the intention of being able to fully measure various aspects of emissions holistically, over the whole of the aircraft wake regimes. Critical airworthiness issues included the loads that the aircraft and pods would be subjected to, in the wake turbulence regimes of wakes, and the trailing-pair wake vortex regime in particular. NRC CT-133 wake turbulence data without the pods has been analysed and transformed to the pod CG locations, and resulting reactions derived for the pod mounting rack attachment bolt locations, the critical loading points. The resulting pod mounting rack attachment bolt loads have been parametrically related for wake turbulence parameters. When installed, the pods were fitted with accelerometers and accelerations measured, from which loads have been derived. These loads have been compared with those estimated for wake vortex encounter data without the pods. The pods mounting bolts loads were within the airworthiness safety limit
The unique binding mode of cellulosomal CBM4 from Clostridium thermocellum cellobiohydrolase A.

Abstract The crystal structure of the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) 4 Ig fused domain from the cellulosomal cellulase cellobiohydrolase A (CbhA) of Clostridium thermocellum was solved in complex with cellobiose at 2.11 A resolution. This is the first cellulosomal CBM4 crystal structure reported to date. It is similar to the previously solved noncellulosomal soluble oligosaccharide-binding CBM4 structures. However, this new structure possesses a significant feature—a binding site peptide loop with a tryptophan (Trp118) residing midway in the loop. Based on sequence alignment, this structural feature might be common to all cellulosomal clostridial CBM4 modules. Our results indicate that C. thermocellum CbhA CBM4 also has an extended binding pocket that can optimally bind to cellodextrins containing five or more sugar units. Molecular dynamics simulations and experimental binding studies with the Trp118Ala mutant suggest that Trp118 contributes to the binding and, possibly, the orientation of the module to soluble cellodextrins. Furthermore, the binding cleft aromatic residues Trp68 and Tyr110 play a crucial role in binding to bacterial microcrystalline cellulose (BMCC), amorphous cellulose, and soluble oligodextrins. Binding to BMCC is in disagreement with the structural features of the binding pocket, which does not support binding to the flat surface of crystalline cellulose, suggesting that CBM4 binds the amorphous part or the cellulose “whiskers” of BMCC. We propose that clostridial CBM4s have possibly evolved to bind the free-chain ends of crystalline cellulose in addition to their ability to bind soluble cellodextrins.
p53 and Pten control neural and glioma stem/progenitor cell renewal and differentiation

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly lethal brain tumour presenting as one of two subtypes with distinct clinical histories and molecular profiles. The primary GBM subtype presents acutely as a high-grade disease that typically harbours mutations in EGFR, PTEN and INK4A/ARF (also known as CDKN2A), and the secondary GBM subtype evolves from the slow progression of a low-grade disease that classically possesses PDGF and TP53 events. Here we show that concomitant central nervous system (CNS)-specific deletion of p53 and Pten in the mouse CNS generates a penetrant acute-onset high-grade malignant glioma phenotype with notable clinical, pathological and molecular resemblance to primary GBM in humans. This genetic observation prompted TP53 and PTEN mutational analysis in human primary GBM, demonstrating unexpectedly frequent inactivating mutations of TP53 as well as the expected PTEN mutations. Integrated transcriptomic profiling, in silico promoter analysis and functional studies of murine neural stem cells (NSCs) established that dual, but not singular, inactivation of p53 and Pten promotes an undifferentiated state with high renewal potential and drives increased Myc protein levels and its associated signature. Functional studies validated increased Myc activity as a potent contributor to the impaired differentiation and enhanced renewal of NSCs doubly null for p53 and Pten (p53(-/-) Pten(-/-)) as well as tumour neurospheres (TNSs) derived from this model. Myc also serves to maintain robust tumorigenic potential of p53(-/-) Pten(-/-) TNSs. These murine modelling studies, together with confirmatory transcriptomic/promoter studies in human primary GBM, validate a pathogenetic role of a common tumour suppressor mutation profile in human primary GBM and establish Myc as an important target for cooperative actions of p53 and Pten in the regulation of normal and malignant stem/progenitor cell differentiation, self-renewal and tumorigenic potential.
Sigma-1 receptor activation prevents intracellular calcium dysregulation in cortical neurons during in vitro ischemia.

Sigma receptors are putative targets for neuroprotection following ischemia; however, little is known on their mechanism of action. One of the key components in the demise of neurons following ischemic injury is the disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis. Fluorometric calcium imaging was used to examine the effects of sigma receptor activation on changes in intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca 2+ ] i ) evoked by in vitro ischemia in cultured cortical neurons from embryonic rats. The sigma receptor agonist, 1,3-di- o -tolyl-guanidine (DTG), was shown to depress [Ca 2+ ] i elevations observed in response to ischemia induced by sodium azide and glucose deprivation. Two sigma receptor antagonists, metaphit [1-(1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)-cyclohexyl)-piperidine] and BD-1047 ( N -[2–3,4-dichlorophenyl)-ethyl]- N -methyl-2-(dimethylamino)ethylamine), were shown to blunt the ability of DTG to inhibit ischemia-evoked increases in [Ca 2+ ] i , revealing that the effects are mediated by activation of sigma receptors and not via the actions of DTG on nonspecific targets such as N -methyl-d-aspartate receptors. DTG inhibition of ischemia-induced increases in [Ca 2+ ] i was mimicked by the σ-1 receptor-selective agonists, carbetapentane, (+)-pentazocine and PRE-084 [2-(4-morpholinethyl) 1-phenylcyclohexanecarboxylate hydrochloride], but not by the sigma-2-selective agonist, ibogaine, showing that activation of sigma-1 receptors is responsible for the effects. In contrast, DTG, carbetapentane, and ibogaine blocked spontaneous, synchronous calcium transients observed in our preparation at concentrations consistent with sigma receptor-mediated effects, indicating that both sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors regulate events that affect [Ca 2+ ] i in cortical neurons. Our studies show that activation of sigma receptors can ameliorate [Ca 2+ ] i dysregulation associated with ischemia in cortical neurons and, thus, identify one of the mechanisms by which these receptors may exert their neuroprotective properties.
Molten salts near a charged surface: integral equation approximation for a model of KCl

A study has been made of the electrical ‘double layer’ structure of molten salts, in particular a model of molten potassium chloride, using an integral equation approximation. This is in contrast to most statistical mechanical treatments of the double layer, which have concentrated on aqueous elecrolyte solutions. The results are compared with the output of computer simulations. In addition to the structural information contained in the density profiles, the calculations yielded charge profiles, the mean electrostatic potential and the double layer capacitance.
African American Resiliency: Examining Racial Socialization and Social Support as Protective Factors:

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative importance of racial socialization and social support in the resiliency of African Americans. It was hypothesized that social support and racia...
Indentation fracture of low-dielectric constant films: Part I. Experiments and observations

Advanced microelectronic interconnection structures will need dielectrics of low permittivity to reduce capacitive delays and crosstalk, but this reduction in permittivity typically necessitates an increase in the porosity of the material, which is frequently accompanied by reduced mechanical reliability. Failure by brittle fracture remains a typical manufacturing and reliability hurdle for this class of materials. Part I of this two-part work explores the instrumented indentation and indentation fracture responses of a variety of organosilicate low-dielectric constant (low-κ) films. Three different chemical varieties of low-κ material were tested. The influence of film thickness on the fracture response is also explored systematically. Correlations are made between instrumented indentation responses and differing modes of fracture. It is demonstrated that the elastic response of the composite film + substrate systems can be simply tied to the fraction of the total indentation strain energy in the film. These results are then used in the companion paper, Part II [D.J. Morris and R.F. Cook, J. Mater. Res.23, 2443 (2008)], to derive and use a fracture mechanics model to measure fracture properties of low-κ films.
Homogenization of heterogeneous tissue scaffold: A comparison of mechanics, asymptotic homogenization, and finite element approach

Actual prediction of the effective mechanical properties of tissue scaffolds is very important for tissue engineering applications. Currently common homogenization methods are based on three available approaches: standard mechanics modeling, homogenization theory, and finite element methods. Each of these methods has advantages and limitations. This paper presents comparisons and applications of these approaches for the prediction of the effective properties of a tissue scaffold. Derivations and formulations of mechanics, homogenization, and finite element approach as they relate to tissue engineering are described. The process for the development of a computational algorithm, finite element implementation, and numerical solution for calculating the effective mechanical properties of porous tissue scaffolds are also given. A comparison of the results based upon these different approaches is presented. Parametric analyses using the homogenization approach to study the effects of different scaffold materials and pore shapes on the properties of the scaffold are conducted, and the results of the analyses are also presented.
Weight loss on a low-fat diet : consequence of the imprecision of the control of food intake in humans

This study examined the degree to which hu- mans compensate for a reduction in dietary fat by increasing energy intake. Thirteen females were randomly assigned to either a low-fat diet (20-25% of calories as fat) or a control diet (35- 40% fat) for 1 1 wk. After a 7-wk washout period, the conditions were reversed for another 1 1 wk. Energy intake on the low-fat diet gradually increased by 0.092 kJ/wk resulting in a total caloric compensation of35% by the end ofthe 1 1-wk treatment period. This failure to compensate calorically on the low-fat diet resulted in a deficit of 1.22 kJ/d and a weight loss of 2.5 kg in I 1 wk, twice the amount ofweight lost on the control diet. These results demonstrate that body weight can be lost merely by reducing the fat content ofthe diet without the need to voluntarily restrict foodintake. AmfClinNutr l99l;53:ll24-9.
Modulation of aromatase activity as a mode of action for endocrine disrupting chemicals in a marine fish

The steroidogenic enzyme aromatase catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens and therefore plays a central role in reproduction. In contrast to most vertebrates, teleost fish have two distinct forms of aromatase. Because brain aromatase activity in fish is up to 1000 times that in mammals, fish may be especially susceptible to negative effects from environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that impact aromatase activity. In this study, the effects of estradiol (E2), ethynylestradiol (EE2), octylphenol (OP), and androstatrienedione (ATD) on reproduction and aromatase activity in brains and gonads from the marine fish cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus) was investigated. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between changes in aromatase activity and reproductive output in a marine fish, as well as compare aromatase activity to two commonly used indicators of EDC exposure, plasma vitellogenin (VTG) and gonadosomatic index (GSI). Results with E2, EE2, and ATD indicate that aromatase activity in cunner brain and ovary are affected differently by exposure to these EDCs. In the case of E2 and EE2, male brain aromatase activity was signficantly increased by these treatments, female brain aromatase activity was unaffected, and ovarian aromatase activity was significantly decreased. Treatment with the aromatase inhibitor ATD resulted in significantly decreased aromatase activity in male and female brain, but had no significant impact on ovarian aromatase activity. Regardless of test chemical, a decrease or an increase in male brain aromatase activity relative to controls was associated with decreased egg production in cunner and was also correlated with significant changes in GSI in both sexes. E2 and EE2 significantly elevated plasma VTG in males and females, while ATD had no significant effect. Treatment of cunner with OP had no significant effect on any measured endpoint. Overall, results with these exposures indicate EDCs that impact aromatase activity also affect reproductive output in spawning cunner.
Myths and Politics in Organizational Contexts

Myth systems and politics help to establish the internal context of organizational settings, and thus are quite important processes contributing to more meaningful interpretations of events and phenomena in organizations. Both processes have been studied, albeit, independently. In the present article, the argument is made that the integration of these two processes provides a potentially richer understanding of the dynamic processes of intraorganizational contexts, which is critical to effective organizational change. Examples are used to illustrate specific points and suggestions for research and practice are proposed.
Enabling alternating phase shifted mask designs for a full logic gate level: design rules and design rule checking

The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors lists F2 (/spl lambda/=157 nm) optical lithography and extreme ultraviolet next generation lithography as the two most feasible lithography solutions for the 70 nm technology node. It is likely that both of these solutions will be late, forcing ArF (/spl lambda/=193 nm) lithography to operate at unprecedented resolution levels. Theoretically, alternating phase shifted masks ("altPSM") can achieve the resolution required to manufacture 70 nm logic products with ArF lithography equipment, but technical and logistical challenges associated with the broad implementation of altPSM require novel and invasive EDA solutions which have caused the industry to shy away from altPSM in the past. One of the biggest such challenges is the creation of robust design rule checking (DRC) tools which can predict whether a given layout has a valid, manufacturable altPSM solution. This paper takes a detailed look at the technical and practical issues associated with altPSM design rules and DRC.
Estimation of aerosol concentration from elastic scattering LIDAR data

West Desert Test Center (WDTC) at Dugway Proving Ground uses measurement, modeling and simulation capabilities to characterize and referee customer standoff biological and, to a lesser extent, chemical detection systems. The WDTC LIDAR model of aerosol clouds uses a Mie scattering model and associated joint aerosol cloud distribution function N(a,r), where a is the particle radius and r is the position vector of the particle. We make the key simplifying assumption that the two parameters a and r are statistically independent. Justification for this well-mixed assumption is that aerosol particles with dimensions of less than a few microns remain in the atmosphere for a long time, typically days. Large particles are removed by gravity segregation. For the associated inverse problem, the LIDAR elastic scattering equation is formally inverted to yield an estimate of the aerosol particle concentration /spl rho//spl circ/(r). Inversion requires knowledge of boundary conditions along an arc of constant range R=R/sub f/. Given a seed value on the arc from a point detector, a two-frequency algorithm is shown to correctly populate all values on the arc R=R/sub f/, leading to near-real-time accurate inversions over the entire LIDAR sweep. Numerical results in a noise background and a representative choice of numerical parameters are given.
The Relevance of Research Study Phase to Disclosure of Off-Label Drug Availability

Off-label use of drugs is widespread in medical practice, accounting for 21% of all prescribed drugs in the United States (Stafford 2012). Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations allow physi...
LOCAL GROWTH CONTROL AT THE BALLOT BOX: REAL EFFECTS OR SYMBOLIC POLITICS?

Growth control regulations are pervasive in local jurisdictions throughout the United States; yet there is still much uncertainty about their effectiveness in slowing down or halting growth. Moreov...
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECT OF EARLY LIFE TRAUMA ON HYPOTHALAMIC–PITUITARY–ADRENAL AXIS FUNCTIONING

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the modifying effect of gender on the association between early life trauma and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis response to a pharmacologic challenge and a social stress task in men and women. Participants (16 men, 23 women) were the control sample of a larger study examining HPA axis function. Individuals with major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychotic or eating disorders were excluded. Methods: In two test sessions, subjects received 1 µg/kg of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) intravenously and participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Primary outcomes included plasma cortisol and corticotropin levels measured at baseline and more than five time points following the challenges. Predictors included gender and early life trauma, as measured by the Early Trauma Index. Using factor analysis, the domains general trauma, severe trauma, and the effects of trauma were established. Using regression, these constructs were used to predict differential HPA reactivity in men and women following the challenges. Results: The three factors accounted for the majority of the variance in the ETI. Following the CRH challenge, women had higher overall corticotropin response as dictated by the area under the curve analysis. There were no significant associations between trauma and neuroendocrine response to the TSST. Conclusions: CRH challenge results indicate that gender differences in the impact of early trauma may help explain the differential gender susceptibility to psychopathology following adverse childhood events. This may help explain gender differences in some stress-sensitive psychiatric disorders. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of ammonia concentration on rumen microbial protein production in vitro

1. The effect of ammonia concentration on microbial protein production was determined in continuous-culture fermentors charged with ruminal contents obtained from steers fed on either a protein-free purified diet, a maize-based all-concentrate diet, or a forage–concentrate (23:77) diet. Urea was infused into the fermentors to maintain various concentrations of ammonia in the incubating mixtures.2. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, microbial protein yield measured as tungstic acid-precipitable N (TAPN) increased linearly with supplementary urea until ammonia started to accumulate in the incubating ingesta. Increasing the ammonia concentration beyond 50 mg NH3-N/l had no effect on microbial protein production.3. The molar proportions of volatile acids produced were not affected by the level of urea supplementation. Total acid production was decreased slightly under N-limiting conditions, but not to the same extent as microbial protein production.4. Estimated yield of microbial dry matter/mol ATP produced averaged 15·6 when non-limiting N as urea was provided with the purified diet.5. These results suggest that addition of non-protein N supplements to ruminant rations are warranted only if the prevailing concentration of ruminal ammonia is less than 50 mg NH3-N/l ruminal fluid.
Gravitational Effects on Near Field Flow Structure of Low Density Gas Jets

Experiments were conducted in Earth gravity and microgravity to acquire quantitative data on near field flow structure of helium jets injected into air. Microgravity conditions were simulated in the 2.2-second drop tower at NASA Glenn Research Center. The jet flow was observed by quantitative rainbow schlieren deflectometry, a non-intrusive line of site measurement technique for the whole field. The flow structure was characterized by distributions of angular deflection and helium mole percentage obtained from color schlieren images taken at 60 Hz. Results show that the jet flow was significantly influenced by the gravity. The jet in microgravity was up to 70 percent wider than that in Earth gravity. The jet flow oscillations observed in Earth gravity were absent in microgravity, providing direct experimental evidence that the flow instability in the low density jet was buoyancy induced. The paper provides quantitative details of temporal flow evolution as the experiment undergoes a change in gravity in the drop tower.
Silicon Raman Laser, Amplifier, and Wavelength Converter

In silicon, direct electronic transitions leading to light emission have a low probability of occurrence due to the momentum mismatch between upper and lower electronic levels. Until recently, this had prevented the realization of the long waited silicon optical amplifier and laser. Raman scattering, which describes the interactions of light with vibrational levels, can be used as a way to bypass the indirect band structure of silicon and to obtain amplification and lasing. The Raman approach is very appealing because device can be made in pure silicon with a spectrum that is widely tuneable though the pump laser wavelength. While a new research topic, amplifiers with pulsed gain of 20dB and CW gain of 3 dB have already been demonstrated. Using parametric Raman coupling, wavelength conversion from 1550nm to 1300nm has been achieved. A distinguishing feature of silicon Raman devices, compared to fiber devices, is the electronic modulation capability. By integrating a p-n junction with the silicon gain medium, electrically switched lasers and amplifiers have already been demonstrated. These have many exciting applications. For example, the laser can be directly modulated to transmit data, and can be part of a silicon optoelectronic integrated circuit. At the same time, electrically switched amplifiers represent loss-less optical modulators.
TIL: a type-directed optimizing compiler for ML

The goal of the TIL project was to explore the use of Typed Intermediate Languages to produce high-performance native code from Standard ML (SML). We believed that existing SML compilers were doing a good job of conventional functional language optimizations, as one might find in a LISP compiler, but that inadequate use was made of the rich type information present in the source language. Our goal was to show that we could get much greater performance by propagating type information through to the back end of the compiler, without sacrificing the advantages afforded by loop-oriented and other optimizations.We also confirmed that using typed intermediate languages dramatically improved the reliability and maintainability of the compiler itself. In particular, we were able to use the type system to express critical invariants, and enforce those invariants through type checking. In this respect, TIL introduced and popularized the notion of a certifying compiler, which attaches a checkable certificate of safety to its generated code. In turn, this led directly to the idea of certified object code, inspiring the development of Proof-Carrying Code and Typed Assembly Language as certified object code formats.
Direct Testing of a Three-Dimensional Model of the Planetary Boundary Layer Against Experimental Data

Abstract Results from a detailed three-dimensional model of the atmospheric boundary layer are compared with observational data in a case of nonprecipitating convection in a tropical boundary layer. The model is a slightly improved version of the one developed by Sommeria (1976) in collaboration with J.W. Deardorff. The experimental data come from the NCAR 1972 Puerto Rico experiment which provided a good set of aircraft turbulence measurements in the fair weather mixed layer over the tropical ocean. The comparison involves statistical properties of the turbulent field as well as some structural features in the presence of small clouds.
Ecological Succession in the Honey Bee Gut: Shift in Lactobacillus Strain Dominance During Early Adult Development

In many vertebrates, social interactions and nutrition can affect the colonization of gut symbionts across generations. In the highly social honey bee, it is unknown to what extent the hive environment and older worker individuals contribute to the generational transmission of core gut bacteria. We used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the effect of nest materials and social contact on the colonization and succession of core hindgut microbiota in workers. With only brief exposure to hive materials following natural eclosion, gut bacterial communities at 3 and 7 days contained phylotypes typically found in the guts of mature adults regardless of treatment. Continuous exposure to nest materials or direct social interactions with mature adults did not affect the diversity or abundance of gut bacterial communities at the scale examined. Similarly, a common pollen supplement fed by beekeepers during pollen dearth had no effect. A consideration of unique OTUs revealed extensive microbial succession independent of treatment. The dominant Lactobacillus strain at 3 days was largely replaced by a different strain at day 7, revealing the colonization signature of a pioneer species. Similar but less pronounced patterns were evident in less abundant OTU's, many of which may influence community succession via alteration of the gut environment. Our results indicate that the process of bacterial community colonization in the hindgut is resilient to changes in the nutritional, hive, and social environment. Greater taxonomic resolution is needed to accurately resolve questions of ecological succession and typical proportional variation within and between core members of the gut bacterial community.
Texture analysis to assess structural modifications induced by radiotherapy

Texture analysis is an emerging tool employed in Radiotherapy (RT) to improve tumor characterization for planning and to evaluate treatment effects. In the treatment of Head and Neck Cancer, parotid glands can receive high dose that may compromise gland functionality and structure. Texture analysis was here applied on CT images of Head and Neck to evaluate changes in parotid gland structure during RT. CT images at the beginning, at the intermediate stage and at the end of RT were considered and in each time point different features (i.e. mean intensity, variance, entropy, homogeneity, local entropy, fractal dimension and volume) were extracted within parotid volume. A general decrease in tissue complexity and heterogeneity was found, with different time trend for textural features. This is explainable by different biological mechanisms associated to the variation of each index. Volume and mean intensity variation are also correlated with some pre-treatment dosimetric parameters, indicating a relationship between the dose plan and the structural variation estimated after RT.
Field-Cage Studies of Native Egg Predators of the Pink Bollworm In Southern California Cotton

Native egg predators of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) were studied in field cages in cotton during the summer of 1970 in the Coachella Valley, CA. The percent of egg masses attacked, egg consumption within egg masses attacked, and overall egg consumption by the predators were studied for different densities of the same predator species, for different predators at the same density, and for different locations of egg masses on the plants. Chrysopa carnea Stephens, Geocorus pallens Stal, and Nabis americoferus Carayon showed potential as pink bollworm egg predators; Notoxus calcaratus Horn and Spanogonicus albofasciatus (Reuter) showed little promise; and Geocorus punctipes (Say) and Orius tristicolor (White) were intermediate.
Discussion on the Comprehensive Analyzing and Managing System for SCR Denitration Catalyst

Regarding the present situation of little SCR denitration operation experience and the deficiencies in operation optimization technologies and the related supporting softwares in China, by borrowing the foreign catalyst managing experience, a comprehensive catalyst analyzing and managing system based on the C/S structure is developed with independent intellectual property rights. In this system, a database of SCR catalyst characteristics is established and the functional modules for catalyst updating cycle estimation and updating plan evaluation are developed. With the system, explorations on effective catalyst management are conducted and overall contents, approaches and processes related to the catalyst management are developed so as to narrow the gap between China and other countries in this field and provide guidance for the improvement in the SCR denitration catalyst managing system of power plants.
Zebrafish alpha-crystallins: protein structure and chaperone-like activity compared to their mammalian orthologs.

PURPOSE The vertebrate small heat shock proteins alphaA- and alphaB-crystallin contribute to the transparency and refractive power of the lens and may also prevent the aggregation of non-native proteins that would otherwise lead to cataracts. We previously showed that zebrafish (Danio rerio) and human alphaB-crystallin have diverged far more in primary structure and expression pattern than the orthologous alphaA-crystallins. In this current study we further compare the structure and function of zebrafish and mammalian alpha-crystallins. METHODS Near UV CD spectroscopy was used to analyze the tertiary structure and thermal stability of recombinant zebrafish alpha-crystallins. The chaperone-like activities of zebrafish and human alpha-crystallins were compared by assaying their ability to prevent the chemically induced aggregation of several target proteins at temperatures between 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C. RESULTS Zebrafish and human alphaA-crystallin showed very similar tertiary structures, while the alphaB-crystallin orthologs showed differences related to the presence of additional aromatic amino acids in the zebrafish protein. The denaturation temperatures of zebrafish crystallins were lower than those of mammals. The chaperone-like activities of the two zebrafish alpha-crystallins were highly divergent, with alphaA-crystallin showing much greater activity than alphaB-crystallin. CONCLUSIONS alphaA-crystallin serves a similar physiological function in both zebrafish and mammals as a lens specific chaperone-like molecule. The reduced chaperone-like function of zebrafish alphaB-crystallin and its lack of extralenticular expression indicates that it plays a different physiological role from its mammalian ortholog. Future comparative studies of alpha-crystallin from closely related vertebrate species can help identify specific structural changes that lead to alterations in chaperone-like activity.
Strategic Management: Setting Strategie Direction

INTRODUCTION We begin with the analysis of how the stakeholder concept can be used to make Strategic management decisions. Strategic management is a continuous process, and even though discrete points in time must be chosen for the purpose of making a decision, it must be done year-round, not just during the yearly “planning meetings.” I will examine the issue of how direction can be set using the stakeholder concept, and in particular make clear that the concept is useful in looking at the role of an organization in society. The concept of “enterprise strategy” will be used to examine this societal issue. The concept of “stakeholder audit” will build on the enterprise strategy of a firm to enrich the understanding of corporate and business level strategy. SETTING DIRECTION IN ORGANIZATIONS One of the major contributions of the implementation of Strategic management has been that executives can examine where the firm is headed, what the nature of its businesses will be and how changes in direction can be made. In the early days of Strategic management this examination of direction was made via long and involved processes which contained lots of Steps and made nice flow Charts resulting in binders of data which were for the most part never used.
A Desert Culture Site Near Two Guns, Northern Arizona

A Desert Culture-affiliated site was collected near Two Guns, Arizona. Projectile points, knives, cutter-scrapers, primary decortication flakes, ground stone, and utilized flakes of chert, obsidian...
An initial study of ambient noise in synchrophasor measurements

The characteristics of ambient noise in synchrophasor measurements are investigated for different random load models. A theoretical discussion is provided relating the power spectral density (PSD) and probability density function (PDF) of the random load variations with the observed ambient noise in the synchrophasor measurements. The PSD and the PDF of ambient noise from actual synchrophasor measurements from the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) system were studied. Ambient noise was also simulated using a linearized simulation platform representing the WECC system. Both the theoretical and simulated results show that the ambient noise is approximately Gaussian when only wide-sense-stationary condition is met irrespective of the underlying distributions of the random load variations. In addition, the results show that the visibility of system modes in the noise spectrum remains unaffected for a wide-range of statistically different white, filtered white, and pink random load models.
Visual and Auditory Cues Support Place Field Activity of Hippocampal Units in the Rat

The firing rates of hippocampal units vary as a function of the animal’s position in space. For example, on an elevated radial maze a particular cell might show enhanced activity on one arm. In intact rats, if the maze is rotated within the environment, the place field of the cell persists with respect to the environment and not to the maze. Lesions of the fornix or entorhinal cortex reduce the robustness of place field activity and severely disrupt persistence with respect to the environment.