cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitrile-Modified Nucleosides as a Probe of Local Nucleic Acid Environments

The nitrile functional group has been extensively investigated as a probe in proteins but not as a probe in nucleosides. The solvent-induced vibrational frequency shift of the nitrile band of 5-cyano-2′-deoxyuridine was examined in THF-H2O mixtures. The nitrile stretching frequency (νC≡N) exhibited moderate solvent sensitivity, undergoing a 9.2 cm-1 blue shift from THF to H2O, and varied linearly with temperature, exhibiting a 1.4 cm-1 red shift from 290 K to 340 K in H2O. The νC≡N of 5-cyano-2′-deoxy-3′,5′-bis-O-(t-BuPh2Si)-uridine underwent a 1.3 cm-1 blue shift when titrated with a base-pairing mimic, 2,6-diheptanamido-pyridine to yield an association constant of 90 M-1. The corresponding C15N labeled nucleoside is currently under investigation by 15N NMR to determine the utility of the C15N moiety as an NMR probe of the local environment of nucleic acids. Both the IR and NMR results will be presented complemented by density functional theory calculations.
LOGISTICS SERVICE PERFORMANCE: ESTIMATING ITS INFLUENCE ON MARKET SHARE

The research examines the relationships among three dimensions of logistics service performance (operational, relational, and cost performance), customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and market share. Perceptions of customers of third party logistics (3PL) providers are used to assess 3PL performance constructs. Of the three dimensions of service performance, relational performance is the single most important factor in engendering customer satisfaction. The research supports the strong relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty identified in previous studies. It also establishes an empirical link between customer loyalty and a measure of market share that is anchored by objective, secondary data.
Generating Chinese Couplets using a Statistical MT Approach

Part of the unique cultural heritage of China is the game of Chinese couplets (duilian). One person challenges the other person with a sentence (first sentence). The other person then replies with a sentence (second sentence) equal in length and word segmentation, in a way that corresponding words in the two sentences match each other by obeying certain constraints on semantic, syntactic, and lexical relatedness. This task is viewed as a difficult problem in AI and has not been explored in the research community. In this paper, we regard this task as a kind of machine translation process. We present a phrase-based SMT approach to generate the second sentence. First, the system takes as input the first sentence, and generates as output an N-best list of proposed second sentences, using a phrase-based SMT decoder. Then, a set of filters is used to remove candidates violating linguistic constraints. Finally, a Ranking SVM is applied to rerank the candidates. A comprehensive evaluation, using both human judgments and BLEU scores, has been conducted, and the results demonstrate that this approach is very successful.
Experiment and theory on methylformate and methylacetate kinetics at high temperatures: Rate constants for H-atom abstraction and thermal decomposition

The shock tube technique was used to study the high temperature thermal decomposition of methylformate (MF) and methylacetate (MA). The formation of H-atoms was measured behind reflected shock waves by using atomic resonance absorption spectrometry (ARAS). The experiments span a T-range of 1194–1371 K at pressures ∼0.5 atm. The H-atom profiles were simulated using a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism for MF and MA thermal decomposition. The simulations were used to derive rate constants for sensitive decomposition and H-abstraction reactions in MF and MA. In methylformate, the most sensitive reactions that determine H-atom profiles are: equation(A) CH3OC(O)H→HCO2+CH3CH3OC(O)H→HCO2+CH3 equation(B) CH3OC(O)H+H→CH3OCO+H2CH3OC(O)H+H→CH3OCO+H2 where H is formed from HCO2 → H + CO2. In methylacetate the most sensitive reactions affecting H-atom formation are: equation(C) CH3OC(O)CH3→CH3+OC(O)CH3CH3OC(O)CH3→CH3+OC(O)CH3 equation(D) CH3OC(O)CH3+H→CH2OC(O)CH3+H2CH3OC(O)CH3+H→CH2OC(O)CH3+H2 Minor sensitivity was observed for the energetically higher lying bond fission, equation(E) CH3OC(O)CH3→CH3+CH3OCOCH3OC(O)CH3→CH3+CH3OCO and H-atom abstraction from MA by CH3 through, equation(F) CH3OC(O)CH3+CH3→CH2OC(O)CH3+CH4CH3OC(O)CH3+CH3→CH2OC(O)CH3+CH4 equation(G) CH3OC(O)CH3+CH3→CH3OC(O)CH2+CH4CH3OC(O)CH3+CH3→CH3OC(O)CH2+CH4 Unlike MF, where H-atoms are formed instantaneously at high-temperatures from (A), in MA, H-atoms form from the CH3 radicals (through CH3 + CH3 → C2H4 + 2H) generated primarily through the C–O bond fission channel (C) with minor contributions from (E). A master equation analysis was performed using CCSD(T)/cc-pv∞z//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) energetics and molecular properties for all thermal decomposition processes in MF and MA. The theoretical predictions were found to be in good agreement with the present experimentally derived rate constants for the bond fissions. TST calculations employing CCSD(T)/cc-pv∞z//MP2/aug-cc-pvtz energies and molecular properties for reactions (B) and (D) (the only sensitive abstraction processes in MF and MA) are in good agreement with the experimental rate constants. The theoretically derived rate constants for these processes can be represented by modified Arrhenius expressions for the bond fissions at 0.5 atm over the T-range 1000–2000 K and for the bimolecular abstractions over the 500–2000 K regime. kA(T)=9.79×1068T-15.95exp(-57,434K/T)s-1kB(T)=5.67×10-19T2.50exp(-3188K/T)cm3molecule-1s-1kC(T)=1.42×1084T-19.60exp(-63,608K/T)s-1kD(T)=1.18×10-18T2.58exp(-3714K/T)cm3molecule-1s-1kE(T)=1.90×1082T-19.30exp(-64,724K/T)s-1 Our theoretical predictions for MA + CH3 give over the T-range 500–2000 K, kF(T)=2.12×10-25T3.93exp(-4440K/T)cm3molecule-1s-1kG(T)=3.40×10-25T3.88exp(-4149K/T)cm3molecule-1s-1 To our knowledge this is the first study providing experimentally derived rate constant values for the primary bond fission and abstraction reactions in MF and MA.
Ultrafast photoluminescence as a diagnostic for laser damage initiation

Using high-sensitivity confocal time-resolved photoluminescence (CTP) techniques, we report an ultra-fast photoluminescence (40ps-5ns) from impurity-free surface flaws on fused silica, including polished, indented or fractured surfaces of fused silica, and from laser-heated evaporation pits. This fast photoluminescence (PL) is not associated with slower point defect PL in silica which has characteristic decay times longer than 5ns. Fast PL is excited by the single photon absorption of sub-band gap light, and is especially bright in fractures. Regions which exhibit fast PL are strongly absorptive well below the band gap, as evidenced by a propensity to damage with 3.5eV ns-scale laser pulses, making CTP a powerful non-destructive diagnostic for laser damage in silica. The use of CTP to provide insights into the nature of damage precursors and to help develop and evaluate new damage mitigation strategies will be presented.
Pharmacological approaches to weight reduction: therapeutic targets.

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by an accumulation of excess adipose tissue and associated with an increased risk of multiple morbidities and mortality. Weight loss prevents or tempers the severity of many obesity-related morbidities. Unfortunately, once adipose tissue accumulates, a system of overlapping neuroendocrine responses prevents it from diminishing. When food intake is limited, counterregulatory mechanisms cause an increase in appetite and a decrease in energy expenditure as protective measures against starvation, and make volitional weight loss by a hypocaloric diet difficult to achieve (1). Pharmacological intervention is, therefore, often necessary to aid in inducing weight loss and maintenance. This review summarizes the current pharmacotherapy for obesity and highlights how our understanding of the complex network of energy regulation may lead to more targeted and effective treatments. Current pharmacotherapy for weight loss Pharmacotherapy should be considered in overweight and obese patients with a body mass index greater than 27 kg/m 2 , particularly in the presence of comorbidites such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension or an increased waist circumference when conservative measures such as behavior therapy, diet, and exercise have not resulted in the desired weight loss (2). A realistic treatment goal is usually loss of 5–10% of initial body weight over a 6- to 12-month period, followed by longterm maintenance of reduced weight. Most cardiovascular risk factors are improved even at this level of modest weight reduction because of the predominant loss of visceral fat leading to disproportionate improvement in the risk of developing complications. The NIH guidelines recommend that if a chosen medication does not lead to a 2-kg weight loss in the first month of treatment, the dose should be adjusted or the medication discontinued. Only two drugs, sibutramine (Meridia, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) and orlistat (Xenical, Hoffman-LaRoche, Nutley, NJ), are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term use. Sibutramine inhibits norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake. Although ineffective as an antidepressant, for which purpose it was originally developed, sibutramine was found to reduce body weight and appetite and increase satiety. More than 10 prospective, randomized, controlled trials of sibutramine have supported its efficacy (3). An analysis of three trials of at least 1-yr duration shows that patients on sibutramine lost 4.3 kg or 4.6% more weight than those taking
Planning in the emergency operations center

Abstract Planning is a deliberate process that often times calls for the integrated efforts of numerous individuals from a variety of disciplines. From my personal experience, nowhere is this more apparent or critical than with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during a disaster or catastrophe. During an EOC activation the planning function is critical to the success of field operations and overall situational awareness. The planning function is conducted within very stringent timeframes and often with limited information. While creating a plan on time is important, making sure the plan is as accurate as possible is essential. One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome in EOC planning is getting the opportunity to actually perform to function. Many times EOCs do not activate for weeks or even months. This constrains those who are charged with actually participating in the planning process. There are avenues that can be taken to address this problem but it all comes down to getting into the environment and doing the work.
Clinical Significance of Crepitations in Elderly Patients Following Acute Hospital Admission: A Prospective Study

Because of a clinical impression that lung crepitations are a common, non-specific sign in acutely ill elderly people, two investigators, blinded to each other's findings and to subject case notes, prospectively examined 207 consecutive elderly [aged 70-98 (mean 77) years] and 75 young patients [24-50 (41) years] acutely admitted to hospital. Crepitations and persistent crepitations (PCs) were commoner in the elderly patients (p less than 0.001) but agreement over their presence/absence was reduced (p less than 0.05). Both investigators agreed PCs were absent in 35% of elderly subjects suffering from conditions classically associated with their presence, and, conversely, were present in 29 elderly subjects in whom no cause for their presence was discovered (14% of the total elderly group or 42% of those with PCs). PCs without obvious cause were unrelated to smoking history and did not predict outcome, length of stay or development of cardiorespiratory complications. In view of poor sensitivity and specificity of crepitations in elderly patients undergoing acute hospital admission we caution against over-reliance on this sign in isolation in these circumstances.
Use of Allele-specific Glycophorin A Antibodies to Enumerate Fetal Erythroid Cells in Maternal Circulation

Glycophorin A (GP A) is the most abundant glycosylated protein on the erythrocytecell surface. It is expressed in an erythroid lineage-specific manner, beginning late.in terminal erythrocyte differentiation and restricted to mature erythrocytes, reticulo-cytes, and bone marrow and circulating erythroblasts. It is commonly used as adefinitive marker of erythroid cell-types. The GP A gene is also the genetic determinantof the MN blood group. There are two common alleles at the GPA locus, GPAM andGPAN, that segregate in the human population at approximately equal frequencies.These alleles are codominant, with heterozygotes expressing approximately equalamounts of each form of the protein on their cell surface.We have used this polymorphism at the GPA locus as the basis for an in vivohuman somatic mutation assay, determining the frequency of variant erythrocyteswith allele-loss phenotypes.1,2 This has necessitated the development of sensitiveimmunocytochemical and flow cytometric techniques for detection of these raremutational events. Besides our experience with rare event detection, our work hasgiven us a unique perspective on the genetics of red cell surface markers. We havefound that these techniques could be easily adapted to the task of enumerating and
Pretreatment with the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall molecule peptidoglycan improves bacterial clearance and decreases inflammation and mortality in mice challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if inflammatory tolerance and enhancement of innate immune function could be induced by the Gram-positive cell wall component peptidoglycan (PGN). Male mice (C57BL6/J or C3H/HeJ, 8–12 weeks of age) were given intraperitoneal injections of 1 mg PGN on 2 consecutive days. The mice were then challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or live Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1 × 10 8 colony-forming units) 2 days after the second pretreatment. Mice pretreated with PGN had diminished plasma concentrations of TNFα and IFNγ and elevated concentrations of IL-10 in response to a subsequent LPS or Pseudomonas challenge when compared to untreated controls. Bacterial clearance was improved in mice pretreated with PGN, and mortality in response to a subsequent Pseudomonas challenge was significantly attenuated. PGN pretreatment of LPS-unresponsive mice (C3H/HeJ) verified that the effect of PGN pretreatment was not due to any LPS contamination. We have previously demonstrated that PGN pretreatment induced resistance to a Gram-positive bacterial challenge. The present study extends those results by showing that exposure to the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall component peptidoglycan also induces cross-tolerance to LPS and non-specifically enhances innate immune function in that PGN-pretreated mice had increased resistance to Gram-negative bacterial challenge.
Order-disorder in Cu-Au alloys. I. Short-range order in an alloy containing 23 atomic per cent Au

Abstract Short-range order parameters have been measured by X-ray diffraction methods for a single crystal of a Cu-Au alloy containing 23 atomic per cent Au. Measurements of the diffuse background intensity have been made throughout the reciprocal lattice unit cell and analyzed by means of a three-dimensional Fourier analysis. Short-range order parameters are given for the first ten shells surrounding a given atom for three temperatures above the critical temperature. Interaction energies are computed from a relation given by Cowley. These results are compared with the results previously reported for the alloy Cu 3 Au.
Audio analgesia: Lack of a cross-masking effect on taste*

The effects of intense acoustic stimulation on the sense of taste were examined in two experiments. In the first, a yes-no psychophysical method was used to obtain psychometric functions for the discriminability of weak solutions of NaCl or sucrose from distilled water. The functions for NaCl were about 10 times steeper than those for sucrose. In the second experiment, suprathreshold concentrations of these substances were used in conjunction with a magnitude-estimation technique. With neither technique were there any systematic differences in the data taken with and without audio analgesia.
Increased microsomal interaction with iron and oxygen radical generation after chronic acetone treatment.

Abstract In vivo administration of acetone influences a variety of reactions catalyzed by rat liver microsomes. The effect of chronic treatment with acetone (1% acetone in the water for 10–12 days) on interaction with iron and subsequent oxygen radical generation by liver microsomes was evaluated. Microsomes from the acetone-treated rats displayed rates of H2O2 generation, an increase in iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and enhanced chemiluminescence upon the addition of t-butylhydroperoxide. The ferric EDTA-catalyzed production of formaldehyde from DMSO or of ethylene from 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyrate was increased 2-fold after acetone treatment. This increase in hydroxyl radical generation was accompanied by a corresponding increase in NADPH utilization and was sensitive to inhibition by catalase and a competitive scavenger, ethanol, but not to superoxide dismutase. In vitro addition of acetone to microsomes had no effect on oxygen radical generation. Associated with the chronic acetone treatment was a 2-fold increase in the microsomal content of cytochrome P-450 and in the activity of NADPH-cytochrome-P-450 reductase. It appears that increased oxygen radical generation by microsomes after chronic acetone treatment reflects the increase in the major enzyme components which comprise the mixed-function oxidase system.
Max Wertheimer's university career in Germany

This paper presents archival and related material bearing on the German university career of Max Wertheimer. It is shown that many factors interacted to shape that career. What drew Wertheimer to psychological science was its potential philosophical relevance, as expounded by his mentors Christian von Ehrenfels and Carl Stumpf. Once his career had begun, however, he faced the challenge of maintaining intellectual independence in a system where patronage counted, and also the problem of producing systematic philosophical work as well as empirical research in psychology at appropriate points in his career. These difficulties, compounded by Wertheimer's highly personal style of thinking and writing, appear to have been at least as inhibiting to Wertheimer's career as was Anti-Semitism. Thanks to unusual circumstances created in part by Kurt Riezler at the University of Frankfurt, Wertheimer became full professor there in 1929 — only to be forced into exile in 1933, on obviously anti-Semitic grounds.
The effect of prior adult experience on components of habitat preference in the apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella).

Numerous authors have suggested that genetic subdivision within a population in a heterogeneous environment is more likely if individuals tend, through prior experience, to breed in the same habitat in which they developed. Under semi-field conditions we demonstrate that prior adult experience alters habitat preference in the apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Tephritidae), a frugivorous parasitic insect thought to have undergone sympatric divergence in host use in historical times. Females exposed to a particular host fruit species — apple (Malus pumila) or hawthorn (Crataegus mollis) — in a field cage oviposited at a higher rate in test fruit of that species than did inexperienced females or females exposed to the other species. Females exposed to a particular host fruit species also tended to remain longer in test trees harboring fruit of that species than did inexperienced females or females exposed to the other species. Prior adult experience thus alters two components of habitat preference in the apple maggot fly: oviposition preference and habitat fidelity. We discuss how these effects of experience on habitat preference should increase the likelihood that individuals mate assortatively and may further increase the likelihood that apple maggot populations become genetically subdivided.
Isotopic evidence for the origin of Mesozoic and Cenozoic granitic plutons in the northern Great Basin

{sup 18}O/{sup 16} ratios of granitic rocks in western North America reflect source-rock lithologies, providing insight into the geology of the deep continental crust. In a 400-km-wide, 800-km-long, east-west transect through the northern Great Basin, the Mesozoic and Cenozoic plutons define three zones: western low {sub 18}O zone (WZ), {delta}{sup 18}O = +6 to +8.5; central high -{sup 18}O zone (CZ), {delta}{sup 18}O = +9 to +13; eastern zone (EZ) (Utah), {delta}{sup 18}O = +7 to +9. The WZ-CZ boundary is analogous to the {delta}{sup 18}O step in the Peninsular Ranges batholith (PRB). A similarly abrupt ({sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr){sub i} step ( 0.710 to the east) defined by Farmer and DePaolo (1983) lies 150-200km east of the WZ-CZ {sup 18}O/{sup 16}O step, dividing the CZ into two subzones: V-type in the west, corresponding to the eastern half of the PRB (but much wider due to regional Cenozoic extension); and S-type to the east. A plausible source for the high-{sup 87}Sr, low-{epsilon}{sub Nd}, S-type subzone is a late Precambrian (miogeoclinal) metasedimentary section, whereas the V-type source appears to be a Phanerozoic volcanogenic (eugeoclinal) accreted terrane. Both source regions have very high {delta}{sup 18}O (+9 to +16) butmore » radically different {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr (and {epsilon}{sub Nd}); thus, the authors would not place the buried edge of the > 1.5 Ga craton beneath the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr step, but farther east near the EZ boundary. The authors instead that this step is a sharp lithologic and age boundary (a suture-zone ) within the giant prism of sediments and volcanics in Nevada.« less
Cancer-related fatigue—mechanisms, risk factors, and treatments

Fatigue is one of the most common adverse effects of cancer that might persist for years after treatment completion in otherwise healthy survivors. Cancer-related fatigue causes disruption in all aspects of quality of life and might be a risk factor of reduced survival. The prevalence and course of fatigue in patients with cancer have been well characterized and there is growing understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms. Inflammation seems to have a key role in fatigue before, during, and after cancer-treatment. However, there is a considerable variability in the presentation of cancer-related fatigue, much of which is not explained by disease-related or treatment-related characteristics, suggesting that host factors might be important in the development and persistence of this symptom. Indeed, longitudinal studies have identified genetic, biological, psychosocial, and behavioural risk factors associated with cancer-related fatigue. Although no current gold-standard treatment for fatigue is available, a variety of intervention approaches have shown beneficial effects in randomized controlled trials, including physical activity, psychosocial, mind-body, and pharmacological treatments. This Review describes the mechanisms, risk factors, and possible interventions for cancer-related fatigue, focusing on recent longitudinal studies and randomized trials that have targeted fatigued patients.
Therapeutic approaches in myositis.

The inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases including dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and inclusion body myositis. Few clinical trials have been conducted in myositis, making it difficult to provide clear recommendations on the treatment of these rare disorders. Although corticosteroids have not been tested in randomized controlled trials, the general expert consensus confirms their first-line use. However, in many patients, corticosteroid toxicity leads to significant disability, or these agents are ineffective, which then requires additional immunosuppression. Intravenous immunoglobulin is a reasonable short-term treatment with proven benefit in a controlled trial, but its long-term effectiveness remains unknown. The evidence for other immunosuppressive therapies has been derived mainly from case reports and open studies. These agents include methotrexate and/or azathioprine, followed by cyclosporine or tacrolimus (particularly for antisynthetase antibody–positive patients) and mycophenolate mofetil (for refractory rash). Newer therapies (eg, rituximab) are encouraging, but results from the largest randomized controlled trial studying this agent are soon to follow. The balance of evidence suggests that immunosuppressive drugs are effective in dermatomyositis and polymyositis, although randomized controlled trials are lacking.
Effect of radiation damping on the spectral response of plasmonic components

We explore the relationship between the near-field enhancement, absorption, and scattering spectra of localized plasmonic elements. A simple oscillator model including both internal and radiative damping is developed, and is shown to accurately capture the near- and far-field spectral features of linear optical antennas, including their phase response. At wavelengths away from the interband transitions of the metal, we expect the absorption of a plasmonic element to be red-shifted relative to the scattering, and the near-field to be red-shifted relative to both.
A comparison of 3 rd generation solar cell efficiencies using thermodynamic transfer functions: Which method is best?

Exceeding the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit for a single junction solar cell has been theorized using various means. Specifically, up- and down-conversion, carrier multiplication and intermediate band transitions have been posited as methods of improving the efficiency. Here, we compare these methods using a thermodynamic approach with a newly devised pseudo-linear system model. This method allows a schematic interpretation of the internal processes of efficiency enhancement techniques. In particular, we demonstrate that down-conversion is thermodynamically preferable to carrier multiplication, and that splitting the sun's spectrum before impinging upon the solar cell is preferable to attempting to do this within the solar cell itself.
Diet and Cancer Prevention Update on National Cancer Institute Initiative

The reduction of cancer mortality to one-half of current levels by the year 2000 has recently been established as a goal by the National Cancer Institute. At least 200,000 lives could be saved each year if this goal is achieved. Diet and lifestyle changes are expected to play a major role in reducing the occurrence of cancer and preventing cancer mortality.
When Prayers Go Unanswered

Many Americans believe God answers prayers, but scholars know little about how individuals handle situations in which they perceive that prayers have gone unanswered. Using data from an in-depth interview project with current and former victims of intimate partner violence, I argue that perceived unanswered prayers cause challenges to belief systems that elicit attribution processes—or cognitive processes through which individuals try to explain the causes of actors’ behavior—whose outcomes are explanations for why God did not answer their prayers. I find that the outcomes of these attribution processes are God-serving justifications, or attributions of God's perceived unanticipated or problematic behavior that define this behavior as appropriate to the situation. God-serving justifications for unanswered prayers fall into three types: (1) appeal to higher loyalties, (2) affirmation of benefits, and (3) denial of the pray-er. I conclude with a discussion of the implications and limitations of the analysis.
Doing Good, Being Good, and the Social Construction of Compassion

Activists and volunteers in the United States face the dilemma of having to negotiate the ideals of American individualism with their own acts of compassion. In this article, I consider how activists and volunteers socially construct compassion. Data from ethnographic research in the breast cancer and antirape movements are analyzed. The processes through which compassion is constructed are revealed in participants' actions and in their identities. It is through their actions (or “doing good”) and their perceptions and presentations of themselves (“being good”) that participants construct compassion as a gendered phenomenon. Together, the processes of doing good and being good raise questions about the extent to which participants' acts of compassion are or can be transformative in a way that promotes the social change which activists and volunteers seek.
Towards mesh adaptivity for geophysical turbulence: continuous mapping approach

Looking forward towards mesh adaptivity for simulating turbulent atmospheric/oceanic flows, we are pursuing advanced algorithms for evaluating vector differential operators cast in time-dependent curvilinear co-ordinates. In this paper, we review our effort to date with the development of a deformable-co-ordinates multi-scale anelastic model designed from the bottom-up relying on strengths of non-oscillatory transport methods. We have shown in earlier works that effective multi-scale adaptive numerical models for high-Reynolds-number meteorological flows can be designed that dispense with rigorous evaluation of the more cumbersome of the vector differential operators, such as the curl or the strain rate. These operators are nonetheless important for budget analyses of the model results, estimating physical uncertainties, driving the mesh adaptivity itself, and extending the model's applicability beyond standard meteorological situations. Here, we discuss selected extensions of the generic explicitly inviscid approach.
Doctors should share their uncertainty with patients and make decisions together

a Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States b Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States c Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States d Cardiac Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
TIPE2 protein serves as a negative regulator of phagocytosis and oxidative burst during infection

Phagocytosis and oxidative burst are two major effector arms of innate immunity. Although it is known that both are activated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and Rac GTPases, how their strengths are controlled in quiescent and TLR-activated cells is not clear. We report here that TIPE2 (TNFAIP8L2) serves as a negative regulator of innate immunity by linking TLRs to Rac. TLRs control the expression levels of TIPE2, which in turn dictates the strengths of phagocytosis and oxidative burst by binding to and blocking Rac GTPases. Consequently, TIPE2 knockout cells have enhanced phagocytic and bactericidal activities and TIPE2 knockout mice are resistant to bacterial infection. Thus, TIPE2 sets the strengths of phagocytosis and oxidative burst and may be targeted to effectively control infections.
The lipid binding pleckstrin homology domain in UNC-104 kinesin is necessary for synaptic vesicle transport in Caenorhabditis elegans.

UNC-104 (KIF1A) is a kinesin motor that transports synaptic vesicles from the neuronal cell body to the terminal. Previous in vitro studies have shown that a Dictyostelium relative of UNC-104 transports liposomes containing acidic phospholipids, but whether this interaction is needed for the recognition and transport of synaptic vesicles in metazoans remains unexplored. Here, we have introduced mutations in the nonmotor domain of UNC-104 and examined whether these mutant motors can rescue an unc-104 Caenorhabditis elegans strain. We show that a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain in UNC-104 is essential for membrane transport in living C. elegans, that this PH domain binds specifically to phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), and that point mutants in the PH domain that interfere with PI(4,5)P2 binding in vitro also interfere with UNC-104 function in vivo. Several other lipid-binding modules could not effectively substitute for the UNC-104 PH domain in this in vivo assay. Real time imaging also revealed that a lipid-binding point mutation in the PH domain reduced movement velocity and processivity of individual UNC-104::GFP punctae in neurites. These results reveal a critical role for PI(4,5)P2 binding in UNC-104–mediated axonal transport and shows that the cargo-binding properties of the distal PH domain can affect motor output.
Compatible probability measures of the outputs of template-based speaker identification classifiers for data fusion

Different approaches have been proposed for speaker identification (SI). Distortion outputs of template-based SI are generally in compatible with probability measures. Frequently, data fusion is used for SI that uses the two kinds of distortion measures, which give rise to incompatibility problems. A technique, which converts the distortion outputs of template-based SI classifiers into compatible probability measures at the same scale for the SI data fusion problem at the measurement level, is presented. In the proposed approach, for each template-based classifier, the stochastic model for each distortion output of the classifier and each speaker, given that the unknown utterance comes from this speaker, is estimated. Then, a posteriori probability of the unknown utterance belonging to each speaker is calculated for each given distortion output. Compatible probability measures of the distortion outputs are obtained based on the posteriori probabilities. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach for SI data fusion at the measurement level.
Investigating Human Impact in the Environment with Faded Scaffolded Inquiry Supported by Technologies.

ABSTRACT Teaching science as inquiry is advocated in all national science education documents and by leading science and science teaching organizations. In addition to teaching science as inquiry, we recognize that learning experiences need to connect to students’ lives. This article details how we use a sequence of faded scaffolded inquiry supported by technologies to engage students meaningfully in science connected to their lives and schoolyards. In this approach, more teacher guidance is provided earlier in the inquiry experiences before this is faded later in the sequence, as students are better prepared to complete successful inquiries. The sequence of inquiry experiences shared in this article offers one possible mechanism for science teaching supported by technologies as an exemplar for translating teaching “science as inquiry” into practice.
A Grounded Theory of Faculty’s Use of Humanization to Create Online Course Climate:

The purpose of this research was to study the way faculty establish course social presence in an online course. The community of inquiry model by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer distinguished the ar...
Energy-delay efficiency of VLSI computations

In this paper we introduce an energy-delay efficiency metric that captures any trade-off between the energy and the delay of the computation.We apply this new concept to the parallel and sequential composition of circuits in general and in particular to circuits optimized through transistor sizing. We bound the delay and energy of the optimized circuit and we give necessary and sufficient conditions under which these bounds are reached. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions under which subcomponents of a design can be optimized independently so as to yield global optimum when recomposed.We demonstrate the utility of a minimum-energy function to capture high level compositional properties of circuits. The use of this minimum-energy function yields practical insight into ways of improving the overall energy-delay efficiency of circuits.
Fumonisin toxicity in turkey poults.

The effects of dietary fumonisin B, were evaluated in young turkey poults. The experimental design consisted of 3 treatments, with 24 female turkey poults allotted randomly per treatment. Day-old poults were fed diets containing 0 mg (feed control), 100 mg, and 200 mg fumonisin B1/kg feed for 21 days. Body weight gains and efficiency of feed conversion decreased linearly with increasing dietary fumonisin. Liver, kidney, and pancreas weights increased linearly with increasing dietary fumonisin, and spleen and heart weights decreased. Serum aspartate aminotransferase levels increased with increasing dietary fumonisin, and serum cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, mean cell volume, and mean cell hemoglobin all decreased. Biliary hyperplasia, hyper- trophy of Kupffer's cells, thymic cortical atrophy, and moderate widening of the proliferating and degenerating hypertrophied zones of tibial physes were present in poults fed diets containing fumonisin B1. Results indicate that fumonisin B1, from Fusarium moniliforme culture material, is toxic in young poults, and the poult appears to be more sensitive to fumonisin than the broiler chick. Poultry rations with high levels of Fusarium con- tamination have been associated with poor perfor- mance, feed refusal, diarrhea, leg weakness, oral le- sions, and/or high mortality. 4,26,27 In many instances, the predominant species involved was Fusarium mo- niliforme. There are also several reports of Fusarium- contaminated grains causing mortality in wild birds. 6,18 Recently, a new group of toxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme that may in part be responsible for these toxicological effects of Fusarium moniliforme-contam- inated grain has been characterized. The toxins are collectively called the fumonisins and include fumoni- sin A1, A2, B1, and B2. 1 Fumonisin B1 (FB1), the major
aItPm: a strategy for integrating IP with ATM

This paper describes research on new methods and architectures that enable the synergistic combination of IP and ATM technologies. We have designed a highly scalable gigabit IP router based on an ATM core and a set of tightly coupled general-purpose processors. This aItPm (pronounced "IP on ATM" or, if you prefer, "ip-attem") architecture provides flexibility in congestion control, routing, resource management, and packet scheduling.The aItPm architecture is designed to allow experimentation with, and fine tuning of, the protocols and algorithms that are expected to form the core of the next generation IP in the context of a gigabit environment. The underlying multi-CPU embedded system will ensure that there are enough CPU and memory cycles to perform all IP packet processing at gigabit rates. We believe that the aItPm architecture will not only lead to a scalable high-performance gigabit IP router technology, but will also demonstrate that IP and ATM technologies can be mutually supportive.
Effect of water on the properties of a glass-polyimide laminate

Effects of accelerated moisture aging on glass-polyimide laminates were investigated using flexural strength measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The degradation rate at 60, 80 and 100° C in water and steam followed first order kinetics. The calculated value of the activation energy for aqueous degradation (E a =16.4 kcal mol−1) indicates that the probable mechanism of attack in water and flowing steam is selective hydrolysis of uncycled “amic acid” groups. This causes a decrease in average molecular weight of the matrix with subsequent breakdown of the polymer-fibre interface. The computed value of the activation energy for a single laminate is used to illustrate the calculation of degradation rates and service lifetime of the same or other laminates under various conditions of temperature and water vapour pressure.
Diagnostic Value of Signs and Symptoms of Mammary Candidosis among Lactating Women

Mammary candidosis in lactating women is not well defined and is most often presumptively diagnosed by signs and symptoms. This study evaluates the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and likelihood ratios of signs and symptoms of mammary candidosis based on the presence of Candida species on the nipple/areola or in the milk. In this prospective cohort study, the nipple/areola skin and milk of 100 healthy breastfeeding mothers were cultured from each breast at 2 weeks postpartum, and mothers were interviewed regarding signs and symptoms associated with mammary candidosis between 2 and 9 weeks postpartum. Positive predictive value for Candida colonization was highest when there were 3 or more signs or symptoms simultaneously or when flaky or shiny skin of the nipple/areola was reported together or in combination with breast pain.
The identification and resolution of semantic heterogeneity in multidatabase systems

Several aspects are given of the Remote-Exchange project at USC, which focuses on the controlled sharing and exchange of information among autonomous, heterogeneous database systems. The spectrum of heterogeneity which may exist among the components in a federation of database systems is examined, and an approach to accommodating such heterogeneity is described. An overview of the Remote-Exchange experimental system is provided. >
The influence of particle size and surface coating of calcium carbonate on the rheological properties of its suspensions in molten polystyrene

The rheological properties of polystyrene melts filled with 30 vol % of CaCO3 particles of varying particle size are described. The influence of surface coating the particles with stearic acid is considered. Generally, the compounds with the uncoated particles exhibit viscosities which increase at ever greater rates as the shear rates decrease. It appears that these compounds exhibit yield values. Elongational flow data also suggest the existence of yield values. Difficulties exist in measurement of normal stresses in compounds with sizeable yield values. The principal normal stress difference at fixed shear stress of the PS/CaCO3 compounds is lower than that of the PS melt. The magnitude of viscosity increases and yield values increase with decreasing particle size. Coating of particles with stearic acid results in major viscosity reductions and decreases in apparent yield values. The surface coating is most effective with the smallest particles. It presumably reduces interaction between particles and the extent of aggregation.
On inference control in semantic data models for statistical databases

Abstract A statistical database (SDB) is a database that is used to provide simple. summary statistics about populations stored in the database and that supports statistical data analysis. When SDB users infer protected information in the SDB from responses to queries, we say that the SDB is compromised. The security problem of SDB is to allow simple summary statistics about protected information in the SDB while preventing compromise. In this paper, we consider the SDB security problem in the context of the Data Abstraction (D-A) model, and investigate the effectiveness of rounding SUM and COUNT query responses for preventing compromise due to structural, dynamic and pre-knowledge inferences in the generalization hierarchy of the D-A model. We first round only SUM query responses, permit updates in a single population, and investigate the effect of users' a priori knowledge of a single protected value. It is shown that compromise is possible, and a necessary and sufficient condition for compromise is given. We then round both SUM and COUNT query responses, and introduce techniques of choosing rounding bases for populations in tree-organized hierarchies that either eliminate or restrict structural and dynamic inferences. Finally, we propose the range response technique which eliminates structural and dynamic inferences in general generalization hierarchies.
Towards a Cognitive Resource Limitations Model of Diminished Expression in Schizotypy

Diminished expression of speech is a pernicious feature of both schizophrenia and schizotypy—defined as the personality organization reflecting a putative genetic schizophrenia liability. As yet, the mechanism underlying diminished expression is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that diminished expression reflects a cognitive resource issue—that is, as cognitive resources are depleted, expression becomes diminished in individuals with psychometrically defined schizotypy. Acoustic analysis of natural speech was procured during experimentally manipulated baseline and high cognitive-load dual tasks and examined in 38 individuals with psychometrically defined schizotypy and 34 controls. For both groups, expression significantly decreased as a function of increased task demands, although there were no group differences in expression or magnitude of change across baseline to high cognitive-load conditions. Participants with self-reported constricted affect showed significant reductions in expression under high-load versus baseline speaking conditions relative to other schizotypal and control participants. Moreover, psychometrically defined schizotypal participants with poor cognitive performance on the high-load task, suggestive of depleted cognitive resources, also showed expressivity reductions compared with other participants. These findings suggest that diminished expression occurs as a function of limited cognitive resources in psychometrically defined schizotypy.
Platelet-Activating Factor Regulates Events at the Vascular Wall

Leukocytes must bind to endothelium and migrate into tissues to defend us (for example, against bacterial infection)—the process of physiological inflammation (Zimmerman et al., 1992b). On the other hand, if the activation of leukocytes occurs at the wrong time or place, then pathological changes result. For example, the activation of neutrophils within the blood stream underlies various forms of vascular injury such as the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and reperfusion injury. Additionally, the accumulation of monocytes, and their conversion to macrophages, in the vascular wall is a key feature of atherosclerosis. We have studied the molecular events that regulate adhesion and activation in an in vitro model of these events.
Violence-related mortality and morbidity of humanitarian workers.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine the rate of violence-related deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations occurring to national and expatriate staff of participating humanitarian organizations; (2) to describe the distribution of all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity of humanitarian workers with regard to possible risk factors. DESIGN: Surveillance study of field-based humanitarian workers; data were regularly collected from headquarters of participating organizations via e-mail and telephone between September 2002 and December 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen humanitarian organizations reported on any death, medical evacuation, or hospitalization of any national or expatriate staff for any cause, in any field location during the study period. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk of violence-related events was calculated as the number of deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations during the study period divided by the total number of field staff for organizations that had staff in those countries where events occurred to the staff of any participating organization. Distribution descriptions are presented as simple proportions. RESULTS: Risk of violence-related deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations was six per 10,000 aid worker person-years. Fifty percent of intentional violence cases were lethal. Intentional violence accounted for 55 percent of all deaths reported, followed by coincidental illness (27 percent) and accidents (15 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Aid worker deaths in this group were more frequently caused by intentional violence than either accidents or coincidental illness. The rate of six intentional violence events per 10,000 person-years can be used as a baseline by which to track changes in risk over time. Language: en