cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Closed-form inverse kinematic joint solution for humanoid robots

This paper focuses on developing a consistent methodology for deriving a closed-form inverse kinematic joint solution of a general humanoid robot. Most humanoid-robot researchers resort to iterative methods for inverse kinematics using the Jacobian matrix to avoid the difficulty of finding a closed-form joint solution. Since a closed-form joint solution, if available, has many advantages over iterative methods, we have developed a novel reverse decoupling mechanism method by viewing the kinematic chain of a limb of a humanoid robot in reverse order and then decoupling it into the positioning and orientation mechanisms, and finally utilizing the inverse transform technique in deriving a consistent joint solution for the humanoid robot. The proposed method presents a simple and efficient procedure for finding the joint solution for most of the existing humanoid robots. Extensive computer simulations of the proposed approach on a Hubo KHR-4 humanoid robot show that it can be applied easily to most humanoid robots with slight modifications.
Use of Alternative Food Plants Exclusively by Adult Male Froghoppers (Homoptera: Cercopidae)1

Male-specific associations of adult froghoppers (Homoptera: Cercopidae) with alternative food plant hosts is reported. Four accounts from the field and one from the literature are presented: Iphirhina quota on Bourreria costaricensis (Boraginaceae), Huaina inca on Solanaceae sp., Prosapia simulans and Prosapia sp. (near 1 bicincta) on Ilex haberi (Aquifoliaceae), and Prosapia bicincta on Ilex cornuta and Ilex opaca. In three cases host use is limited to adults while in two cases use is limited to only adult males. In four cases adults feed on plants that differ taxonomically, structurally and ecologically from hosts normally utilized by all life stages. These associations are not considered aggregations per se because froghoppers are not clustered and because these associations cannot be explained by the usual criteria supporting the adaptiveness of insect aggregations. Indirect evidence suggests that these unusual hosts may be unavailable to nymphs and not sought by females. This passive lack of opportunity by nymphs and females, in tandem with an active selection/attraction by males, is a plausible explanation for the existence of male-specific hosts. RESUMEN Se reportan asociaciones machos-especlficas de los cercopidos adultos (Homoptera: Cercopidae) con plantas hospederas. Se presentan cuatro casos de campo y uno de la literatura: Iphirhina quota sobre Bourreria costaricensis (Boraginaceae), Huaina inca sobre Solanaceae sp., Prosapia simulans y Prosapia sp. (relacionado a ? bicincta) sobre Ilex haberi (Aquifoliaceae), y Prosapia bicincta sobre Ilex cornuta e Ilex opaca. En tres casos el uso del huesped esta' limitado a los adultos mientras en dos casos el uso esta' limitado a los adultos machos. En cuatro casos los adultos se alimentan de plantas que se diferencian taxonomica, estructural y ecologicamente de los hospederos que utilizan normalmente en todos los estados de vida. Estas asociaciones no estan consideradas como agregaciones per se porque los adultos no se agrupan y porque no pueden ser explicadas por los criterios usuales que apoyan la adaptividad de agregaciones de insectos. Evidencia indirecta sugiere que estos hospederos inusuales pueden estar indisponibles para las ninfas y no ser buscados por las hembras. Esta pasiva falta de oportunidad para las ninfas y hembras, en combinacion con la activa seleccion/ atraccion por los machos, es una explicacion posible para la existencia de hospederos macho-especificos.
HISTAMINE-INDUCED HYPOTENSION DUE TO MORPHINE AND ARFONAD IN THE DOG.

Summary The challenge of intact and histamine-depleted dogs with morphine and trimethaphan has shown that the circulatory changes induced by these drugs for the most part are due to the release of endogenous histamine. Certainly, morphine appears to possess no significant, intrinsic ability to provoke systemic arterial hypotension. Approximately three-fourths of this potency which is demonstrated by trimethaphan injections occurs via this mechanism and the remaining quarter may be a ganglioplegic action.
The Demise of the Avant Garde: Notes on the Sociology of Recent American Art

In a closed and stable society, innovation is likely to be rather feared than welcomed; in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was sometimes used as a synonym for ‘revolution’; in an open society like our own, innovation is considered a virtue. In discussing the present condition of art, I want to strip innovation of its value connotations and to consider the search for the new as an historical condition of modern art, but not one that makes it either better or worse than the more stable arts of the past. I suggest a biological metaphor as a guide: in the evolution of species, innovation is not necessarily advantageous. If the conditions of the environment are stable, it is likely that mutants in a species will be selectively eliminated. Conversely, in a changing environment, the appearance of new characters better adjusted to the new conditions will improve the adaptation of the species and be favored by the selective process.
MODAL SHIFT IN EASTERN GERMANY -- TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS OF POLITICAL CHANGE.

The economic and political reunification of Germany in 1990 unleashed a transportation revolution in Eastern Germany. After forty years of public transport dominance under socialism, auto ownership and use skyrocketed with the transition to capitalism. In only three years, ridership on public transport fell by almost 50%, and auto registrations per 1,000 population rose by almost 60%. The main reason for the sudden shift in modal split is the large increase in real per-capita incomes of Eastern Germans. Their purchasing power rose dramatically thanks to massive financial aid from Western Germany and access to hard currency for the first time. In addition, the relative cost of auto use has fallen sharply since reunification because public transport fares rose ten-fold, while gasoline prices and auto prices fell. The massive shift from public transport to the auto has caused severe problems of pollution, safety, equity, and congestion in Eastern German cities, partly because of the suddenness of the modal shift. Urban transport policy in Eastern Germany should adopt some of the strategies used for years in Western Germany to tame the automobile, while at the same time allowing high levels of auto ownership. Such strategies include auto-free zones, traffic calming, extensive bicycle pathways, vehicle emission standards, and parking restrictions. Finally, large investments will have to be made in Eastern Germany's dilapidated roadway and public transport infrastructure.
Laminar flow heat transfer in a semi-circular tube with uniform wall temperature

Abstract Constant property, laminar flow heat transfer in a semi-circular tube with uniform wall temperature has been analyzed. The results define the lower bound of heat transfer augmentation in circular tubes with twisted-strip inserts. Two thermal boundary conditions, corresponding to two extremes of the fin effect of the inserts encountered in practical applications, are considered. Numerical solutions employing finite-difference formulations have been carried out. For a hydrodynamically fully developed flow, the friction factor of (15.823/Re)Dh agrees with the analytical solution reported in the literature. Results for thermally developing flow heat transfer are presented graphically, and equations (28) and (29) describe the solutions for Num as a function of Gz for the two boundary conditions. The asymptotic Nusselt numbers for the two cases are 5.626 and 4.631.
Pharmacokinetics of busulfan: correlation with veno-occlusive disease in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation

Busulfan is an alkylating agent that is widely used in preparative regimens for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We developed a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the determination of plasma busulfan concentrations in 30 patients who received oral doses of 1 mg/kg. Concentrations were fit by a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order absorption. The pattern of absorption and elimination varied widely between patients, with peak concentrations ranging from 1.2 to 10.4 μmol/l (mean, 4.25±2.49). The climination half-life ranged from 58 to 433 min (harmonic mean, 140 min). The AUC contributed by a single oral dose ranged from 606 to 5,144 μmol-min/l (mean, 2,012±1,223). Patients were evaluated for the development of veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a treatment complication that occurs in 20% of patients undergoing BMT and causes 10% of transplantation-related deaths. All six patients who developed VOD had an AUC greater than the mean, and five of them had an AUC that was >1 SD above the mean. The occurrence of VOD was highly correlated with an increased AUC (>1 SD above the mean) (X2=18;P<0.0001). Using multivariate logistic regression, no other statistically significant pharmacokinetic predictor of VOD was found. The tenfold variability in the busulfan AUC and the statistical association of increased AUC with the development of VOD suggest a possible role for therapeutic monitoring in this setting.
Mixed methods for stationary Navier-Stokes equations based on pseudostress-pressure-velocity formulation

In this paper, we develop and analyze mixed finite element methods for the Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations. Our mixed method is based on the pseudostress-pressure-velocity formulation. The pseudostress is approximated by the Raviart-Thomas, Brezzi-Douglas-Marini, or Brezzi-DouglasFortin-Marini elements, the pressure and the velocity by piecewise discontinuous polynomials of appropriate degree. It is shown that these sets of finite elements are stable and yield optimal accuracy for the Stokes problem. For the pseudostress-pressure-velocity formulation of the stationary Navier-Stokes equations, the well-posedness and error estimation results are established. By eliminating the pseudostress variables in the resulting algebraic system, we obtain cell-centered finite volume schemes for the velocity and pressure variables that preserve local balance of momentum.
Multimedia Services for Highway Infrastructure Management

Photographic logging systems used by highway agencies provide engineers with information in the analysis of traffic accidents, design improvements, and highway pavement management. However, there exist limitations for such systems in the areas of accessibility, search capability of the image library, and synchronization video data with traditional engineering site data. More important, there are situations in which multiple users may need to examine the video footage at the same time. This capability cannot be provided by current systems. The analog nature of the video signals also presents difficulties in integrating the visual information with other types of data. This paper introduces a type of multimedia service that can be applied in a state highway department environment for highway infrastructure management. This multimedia-based information system utilizes state-of-the-art technologies in digital video, high-speed networking, and video server. This paper discusses the requirements of high-speed networking systems and presents a new computer network that has the potential to become a dominant technology for the transmission of multimedia data. In addition, design concerns regarding the video server and its structure are also discussed. A data-synchronization algorithm is also presented on how to dynamically display digital video frames with traditional engineering data sets that contain information such as as-built data, pavement condition and performance, traffic safety, geometric features, and other infrastructure data.
Impurity transport in the collisional regime for large poloidal variations

Impurity transport is studied in a toroidal plasma column with large poloidal variations of the plasma parameters (comparable to the variation of the magnetic field) near the edge. It is found that the highly collisional nature of the edge plasma can lead to such variations of density and electrostatic potential. The impurity transport coefficients are significantly modified by this effect, becoming non-linear in the gradients.
Integrating flux balance analysis into kinetic models to decipher the dynamic metabolism of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 sequentially utilizes lactate and its waste products (pyruvate and acetate) during batch culture. To decipher MR-1 metabolism, we integrated genome-scale flux balance analysis (FBA) into a multiple-substrate Monod model to perform the dynamic flux balance analysis (dFBA). The dFBA employed a static optimization approach (SOA) by dividing the batch time into small intervals (i.e., ∼400 mini-FBAs), then the Monod model provided time-dependent inflow/outflow fluxes to constrain the mini-FBAs to profile the pseudo-steady-state fluxes in each time interval. The mini-FBAs used a dual-objective function (a weighted combination of “maximizing growth rate” and “minimizing overall flux”) to capture trade-offs between optimal growth and minimal enzyme usage. By fitting the experimental data, a bi-level optimization of dFBA revealed that the optimal weight in the dual-objective function was time-dependent: the objective function was constant in the early growth stage, while the functional weight of minimal enzyme usage increased significantly when lactate became scarce. The dFBA profiled biologically meaningful dynamic MR-1 metabolisms: 1. the oxidative TCA cycle fluxes increased initially and then decreased in the late growth stage; 2. fluxes in the pentose phosphate pathway and gluconeogenesis were stable in the exponential growth period; and 3. the glyoxylate shunt was up-regulated when acetate became the main carbon source for MR-1 growth.
Three-dimensional analysis of tokamaks and stellarators

The NSTAB equilibrium and stability code and the TRAN Monte Carlo transport code furnish a simple but effective numerical simulation of essential features of present tokamak and stellarator experiments. When the mesh size is comparable to the island width, an accurate radial difference scheme in conservation form captures magnetic islands successfully despite a nested surface hypothesis imposed by the mathematics. Three-dimensional asymmetries in bifurcated numerical solutions of the axially symmetric tokamak problem are relevant to the observation of unstable neoclassical tearing modes and edge localized modes in experiments. Islands in compact stellarators with quasiaxial symmetry are easier to control, so these configurations will become good candidates for magnetic fusion if difficulties with safety and stability are encountered in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project.
The Direct Analysis of Semi-volatile Organic Compounds by Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry

We present results for direct on-line detection of semi-volatile compounds in air using membrane introduction ion trap mass spectrometry. Brief sampling periods of 10 seconds to 3 minutes produced linear and reproducible data for concentrations ranging from parts-per-trillion to parts-per-billion by volume. The method uses a composite membrane made by plasma deposition of a thin polydimethylsilicone layer on a microporous polypropylene support fiber. Charge exchange ionization was used for a variety of semi-volatile compounds and produced enhanced responses when compared to electron ionization. Among the semi-volatile species studied are dimethyl methylphosphonate, malathion, nitrobenzene, methyl salicylate, 2-chlorophenol, cyclohexanol, diethyl malonate and naphthalene. We also demonstrate direct analysis of semi-volatile compounds in aqueous solution with the composite membrane by the detection of 2-chlorophenol in water using both electron ionization and proton transfer chemical ionization. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunofluorescent evidence for a transient association of actin with phagosomes in BHK 21 cells.

Abstract The association of actin with latex phagosomes in BHK 21 cells, a normal fibroblastic cell line, was studied using fluorescent antibody to anti-DNase I. DNase I binds specifically to actin and in fixed, acetone-extracted BHK cells much of the immunofluorescent staining is restricted to microfilament bundles. A concentrated rim of actin specific fluorescence is observed about newly formed phagosomes. After long ingestion periods or a chase, most latex phagosomes appear as black holes devoid of any actin specific fluorescence. The data indicate that actin polymerization about phagosomes in fibroblasts is a transient event persisting for approximately 2 min.
Agricultural structure, agricultural policy, and environmental quality: Some observations on the context of agricultural research in North America

Abstract This paper discusses how the context of agricultural research in North America is shaped by the structure of agricultural production, by agricultural policy, and by the nature of agricultural research institutions. Our principal concerns are: (1) the historical influences of agricultural research on the structure of agricultural production and on resource management in North American agriculture, and (2) the constraints on agricultural research institutions in developing technologies which will facilitate the husbanding of agroecosystems. We argue that the autonomous role of agricultural research in shaping the structure of agriculture and in causing degradation of agricultural resources is often overestimated; for example, the principal dynamics of change in North American agriculture were apparent well before the surge of productivity-oriented agricultural research after World War II. We also suggest that the nature of North American agricultural structure and historical and contemporary agricultural policies have decidedly influenced the context of agricultural research and have led to a number of major barriers to more beneficent management of agricultural resources. The distinctive characteristics of North American agricultural research institutions are emphasized, particularly those characteristics such as the decentralized nature of agricultural research in conjunction with the often invisible power of professional scientific organizations that limit the ability of research institutions to develop innovative approaches to agricultural resource management. Nonetheless, we argue that the major burden of environmental protection in agriculture cannot be placed on agricultural research institutions, since these institutions will have relatively little leverage over the key forces — the nature of agricultural structure and deleterious public agricultural policies — which lead to degradation of agroecosystems.
Community perspectives on public health biobanking: an analysis of community meetings on the Michigan BioTrust for Health

Biobanks raise challenges for developing ethically sound and practicable consent policies. Biobanks comprised of dried bloodspots (DBS) left over from newborn screening, maintained for long-term storage, and potential secondary research applications are no exception. Michigan has been a leader in transforming its DBS collection, marketing its biobank of de-identified samples for health research use. The Michigan BioTrust for Health includes approximately 4 million unconsented retrospective samples collected as early as 1984 and prospective samples added since the fall of 2010 with blanket parental consent. We engaged Michigan citizens to ascertain public attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about the BioTrust and informed consent. A convenience sampling of 393 participants from communities around the state of Michigan (oversampling for minority populations) participated in meetings addressing newborn screening, the BioTrust and informed consent, yielding quantitative and qualitative survey and discussion data. Participants affirmed the principle of voluntary informed participation in research and advocated for greater public awareness of the existence of the BioTrust. Most expressed support for the use of DBS for research and a desire for greater involvement in granting permission for research use. Opinions varied as to which specific research uses were acceptable. Participants indicated a desire for greater engagement, public awareness, and more active decision making on the part of biobank participants and parents. Diversity of opinion over which research areas were deemed acceptable problematizes the blanket consent model that currently applies to the BioTrust’s prospective DBS collection and that could become the new norm for research using de-identified data under proposed changes to the Common Rule.
Impact of reduced renal function on prognosis in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease: a prospective cohort of Shinken Database 2007.

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) frequently have impaired renal function, but the prevalence and influence of renal dysfunction on their prognosis in Japan remain uncertain. With a prospective study comprising all the new patients who had visited our hospital between 2004 and 2007 (n=6562), we investigated the prevalence of renal dysfunction and its influence on the prognosis of CAD patients. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated by using the GFR equation used for the Japanese population. Of those, 797 patients with CAD and blood tests available were analyzed (median follow-up periods of 693 days). Patients were further classified into four subgroups according to estimated GFR value (eGFR): normal (90⩽eGFR, 12.2%), mildly impaired (60⩽eGFR<90, 58.3%), moderately impaired (30⩽eGFR<60, 23.6%) and severely impaired renal function (eGFR<30, 5.9%). The 2-year survival and cardiovascular event (cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or readmission for heart failure)-free rates were significantly different among the four subgroups: 98.9, 97.7, 89.3 vs. 67.8%, respectively (P<0.001 for trend), and 100, 98.8, 89.0 vs. 70.0%, respectively (P<0.001 for trend). The age- and gender-adjusted mortality increased significantly in moderately impaired (hazard ratio (HR) 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.383–7.017) and in severely impaired subgroups (HR 10.1, 95% CI 4.244–24.178) compared with those with eGFR of 60 or more. After adjustment for baseline differences, eGFR was independently associated with death and cardiovascular events (HR 0.983 and 0.981, 95% CI 0.968–0.998 and 0.965–0.998, respectively). In conclusion, our study identified the prevalence and association of eGFR with prognosis in Japanese patients with CAD, suggesting that strict care for not only CAD but also renal dysfunction is needed for further prevention of cardiovascular events.
Educational Attainment and the Lesbian Wage Premium

This paper provides insight into the wage gap between lesbians and heterosexual women. Using data from the 2000 Decennial Census, we find a lesbian premium that equals approximately 10% for women without a bachelor’s degree, and is nearly non-existent for women with higher levels of education. These findings are consistent with proposition that the gap between lesbians’ and heterosexual women’s commitment to the labor market narrows at higher levels of education. We also find that controls for industry and occupation exert only a small effect on the gap between lesbian and heterosexual women’s wages.
Reproductive energetics of the virginia opossum compared with some eutherians

Abstract 1. 1. Metabolic rates (MR) of 8 lactating opossums and their litters were measured by respirometry. 2. 2. MR was 92% higher throughout lactation when compared to nonreproductive adults. 3. 3. Total resting metabolic cost for an opossum nursing throughout pouch life was estimated at 400 kcal. 4. 4. Comparison of total energetic costs or of efficiencis during gestation and lactation in several mammals does not support assumptions of the inferiority of the marsupial reproductive strategy.
The Epidemiology of Migration and HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Southern Africa has both a rapidly growing HIV epidemic and high levels of population mobility. The common assumption about the role of migration in the spread of HIV is that migrant men become infected while away and return home to infect their rural partners. I argue, however, that, at this late stage of South Africa's epidemic, the role of migration is more complex, and that there is evidence for the bi-directionality of HIV transmission within couples.
The Practical Work of : An Ethnomethodological Inquiry

While previous methodological studies have suggested that coding is a useful technique for analyzing qualitative data, there is a stark lack of discussion about the incongruities that inevitably arise as researchers accomplish the actual work of coding. This article explores the complexities of the coding process, and how incongruities get resolved as researchers accomplish the practical work of coding. Three primary themes emerged from this study: , , and . These three activities are grounded in the naturally evolving work of coding, and are rendered visible through an ethnomethodological investigation into this work.
A Multi-Dimension Method for Brain Tissue Segmentation

The paper presents a novel method of multi-dimension brain tissue segmentation. Firstly, the ventricle extraction and strip-skull are adopted by level set method and regions merging with tags. Secondly, the noise of the spinal fluid is eliminated through improved level set method. Finally, the gray matter and white matter are extracted through covered background method and the brain tissue is segmented. The method is generally applies to image 2D and 3D segmentation, The accuracy, commonality and practicality are proved by the results in the experiments.
Screening for chlamydial infection. A model program based on prevalence.

Background: Chlamydial infection accounts for substantial health care costs. The high frequency of asymptomatic infections necessitates screening to detect affected persons. Selective screening using risk assessment criteria attempts to target limited resources to women at increased risk. However, most risk assessment criteria have not accounted for prevalence of infection. Objectives: To describe currently available screening options, to demonstrate the relationship between prevalence and probability of infection, and to propose a model program incorporating clinic prevalence in selective screening decisions. Study Design: A simple model demonstrating the relationship between clinic prevalence, a risk score based on risk assessment, and probability of infection was developed using basic clinical epidemiological principles. Results: The probability of infection can be estimated from the clinic prevalence and risk score. If the estimated probability of infection exceeds previously established test thresholds, laboratory testing is warranted. As the clinic prevalence increases, the risk score necessary to justify laboratory testing decreases. Thus, the cutoffs for risk assessment criteria should be adjusted to account for clinic prevalence. In the proposed model program, the availability of resources, such as the number of tests available to a screening program, can be accommodated by appropriate adjustment of thresholds for laboratory testing. Conclusion: The prevalence-based chlamydial screening program may provide a pragmatic strategy for areas with limited resources.
Efficient direct sampling MCEM algorithm for latent variable models with binary responses

While latent variable models have been successfully applied in many fields and underpin various modeling techniques, their ability to incorporate categorical responses is hindered due to the lack of accurate and efficient estimation methods. Approximation procedures, such as penalized quasi-likelihood, are computationally efficient, but the resulting estimators can be seriously biased for binary responses. Gauss-Hermite quadrature and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) integration based methods can yield more accurate estimation, but they are computationally much more intensive. Estimation methods that can achieve both computational efficiency and estimation accuracy are still under development. This paper proposes an efficient direct sampling based Monte Carlo EM algorithm (DSMCEM) for latent variable models with binary responses. Mixed effects and item factor analysis models with binary responses are used to illustrate this algorithm. Results from two simulation studies and a real data example suggest that, as compared with MCMC based EM, DSMCEM can significantly improve computational efficiency as well as produce equally accurate parameter estimates. Other aspects and extensions of the algorithm are discussed.
Regional Brain Responses in Nulliparous Women to Emotional Infant Stimuli

Infant cries and facial expressions influence social interactions and elicit caretaking behaviors from adults. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that neural responses to infant stimuli involve brain regions that process rewards. However, these studies have yet to investigate individual differences in tendencies to engage or withdraw from motivationally relevant stimuli. To investigate this, we used event-related fMRI to scan 17 nulliparous women. Participants were presented with novel infant cries of two distress levels (low and high) and unknown infant faces of varying affect (happy, sad, and neutral) in a randomized, counter-balanced order. Brain activation was subsequently correlated with scores on the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System scale. Infant cries activated bilateral superior and middle temporal gyri (STG and MTG) and precentral and postcentral gyri. Activation was greater in bilateral temporal cortices for low- relative to high-distress cries. Happy relative to neutral faces activated the ventral striatum, caudate, ventromedial prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortices. Sad versus neutral faces activated the precuneus, cuneus, and posterior cingulate cortex, and behavioral activation drive correlated with occipital cortical activations in this contrast. Behavioral inhibition correlated with activation in the right STG for high- and low-distress cries relative to pink noise. Behavioral drive correlated inversely with putamen, caudate, and thalamic activations for the comparison of high-distress cries to pink noise. Reward-responsiveness correlated with activation in the left precentral gyrus during the perception of low-distress cries relative to pink noise. Our findings indicate that infant cry stimuli elicit activations in areas implicated in auditory processing and social cognition. Happy infant faces may be encoded as rewarding, whereas sad faces activate regions associated with empathic processing. Differences in motivational tendencies may modulate neural responses to infant cues.
Probing the physics of high-z galaxies with the VLT

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A National Study of Science Curriculum Effectiveness With High Ability Students

This study assessed student growth on integrated science process skills after being taught a 20-36 hour science unit. The prototypical unit, Acid, Acid Everywhere, was implemented in 15 school dist...
Identification of glucose oxidase activity as the primary source of hydrogen peroxide production in ligninolytic cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The primary enzymatic activity involved in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by extracts of ligninolytic cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated. Glucose supported the highest level of oxygen-dependent H2O2 production by cell extracts compared to a number of other substrates tested. No H2O2 production was observed anaerobically under N2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracts from ligninolytic cultures followed by diaminobenzidine/horseradish peroxidase staining procedure showed that only one protein band exhibited glucose-dependent H2O2 production. This protein band was not seen in extracts of non-ligninolytic cultures or in the extracellular fluid of ligninolytic cultures. Extracts of cells grown with either xylose, succinate or cellobiose showed the presence of only one glucose-dependent H2O2-producing band, with electrophoretic mobility similar to that observed in extracts of glucose-grown cells. Both glucose oxidase activity and lignin degradation were triggered in response to nitrogen (N) or carbohydrate starvation, and were repressed in media containing high levels of N (24 mM) or carbohydrate (56 mM), or on addition of exogenous N sources such as glutamate to the low N medium (2.4 mM N). The results indicate that glucose oxidase activity is the primary source of H2O2 in ligninolytic cultures of P. chrysosporium and that nutritional parameters which affect lignin degradation have a parallel effect on glucose oxidase activity.
A Macroergonomic Approach to Distributed Team Performance

With the structure of teams in organizations increasing in complexity to include both co-located and distributed team members, explicit linkages between theory and practice are critically needed to mitigate the negative effects that computer-mediated interaction may have on distributed team performance. Following a macroergonomic approach, this paper focuses on describing how theories from organizational psychology can address some of the challenges faced by this small, but growing, subset of teams. Specifically, theories in motivation, group dynamics, and decision making can be applied to offer practical guidelines to foster the development of positive team attitudes (e.g., cohesion, trust) and behaviors (e.g., goal-setting, self-regulation), and successful decision making performance in distributed teams.
Bead‐spring models of entangled polymer melts: Comparison of hard‐core and soft‐core potentials

Two bead-spring models of flexible chains for generic coarse graining of entangled polymer melts, the excluded volume Kremer–Grest (KG) model and the modified segmental repulsive potential (mSRP) combined with a weakly repulsive potential, are compared. For chains containing an equivalent number of entanglements, we compare the chain characteristics of the KG and mSRP polymer models by determining the ratios of the entanglement lengths , the required total number of particles to capture comparable entanglement phenomena , and the time scaling ratios τmSRP/τKG. Our findings show that systems using the mSRP polymer model require half the number of particles and relax four times faster compared to the KG polymer model. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Isomers of conjugated linoleic acid modulate human preadipocyte differentiation.

Abstract Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) reduce fat deposition in several mammalian species. Among the proposed mechanisms for this effect are reduced preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. We measured proliferation and differentiation of cultured human preadipocytes treated with CLAs. Preadipocytes were differentiated with insulin, hydrocortisone, transferrin, and 10% fetal bovine serum, with isobutyl-methylxanthine included for the first 2 d. The differentiation medium contained 200 μM oleic acid (C18:1), 50 μM cis-9,trans-11-CLA (9,11-CLA), or 50 μM trans-10,cis-12-CLA (10,12-CLA); the negative control medium contained no added fatty acid, and the cells did not differentiate. Cell number increased three to four times during the 17 d of differentiation, but was 30–35% lower in the CLA-treated cells than in the negative control cells. Compared with the negative control cells, differentiation was increased in the cells treated with C18:1 (increased Oil Red O–stained material [OROSM], triacylglyc...
Integrated Design and Construction of Tall Buildings

Contemporary tall buildings frequently incorporate distinctive architectural designs that require unique and innovative design of structural, mechanical, lighting, electrical, and other building systems. In addition, the massive scale of tall building systems creates critical interrelationships and dependencies among these systems. Construction of tall buildings is impacted by the building architecture and systems and may require special construction materials, equipment, techniques, or processes that necessitate close collaboration between the contractor and the design team. Moreover, issues such as efficiency and economy of operation and maintenance of tall buildings during their life-spans offer incentives for the design and construction team to think critically beyond the construction phase and incorporate features and materials that increase the return on the developer’s investment. Further, the increased sensitivity to the environment and our limited natural resources influence not only the design, but construction material and techniques used in the development of tall buildings. Thus, design and construction of tall buildings is a multidisciplinary challenge bringing together the architect, architectural engineering consultants including the structural engineer, mechanical engineer, and lighting engineer , and the contractor from the conception and planning of the project to completion of construction of the building. This collaboration requires general knowledge and understanding of the different disciplines by each professional involved in the process. This paper presents a number of strategies for the successful execution of tall buildings. Teamwork and integrated design and construction for comprehensive and efficient outcomes are particularly highlighted with emphasis on the role of the different parties involved in the planning through to the operation of tall buildings.
Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase Gene (glpQ) of Borrelia lonestari Identified as a Target for Differentiating Borrelia Species Associated with Hard Ticks (Acari:Ixodidae)

A glpQ ortholog was identified in DNA from Borrelia lonestari-positive Amblyomma americanum, providing further evidence that B. lonestari is more closely related to the relapsing fever group spirochetes than to borreliae that cause Lyme disease. This finding provides a basis for developing diagnostic assays to differentiate species of borrelia transmitted by hard ticks.
Understanding Biology in Religious Experience: The Biogenetic Structuralist Approach of Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg

What are the biological bases of religious experience? Are there biological constraints upon or determinants of religious narratives and practices? How does understanding the biology of religious experience inform the ongoing reconstruction of religious rituals and myths? In The Mystical Mind, Eugene d’Aquili and Andrew Newberg address these central questions and others from a distinct perspective called biogenetic structuralism. They propose a model of how brain activity gives rise to mystical experiential states, examine how neurobiological responses to rhythmic behavior form religious ritual, and point toward the development of a megatheology, or a theological system appealing to the widest scope of religious world-views. This paper is a critical review of d’Aquili and Newberg's exciting work.
Who is violent?: factors associated with aggressive behaviors in Latin America and Spain

The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the strength of the association between: 1) aggressive behaviors and 2) attitudes and self-efficacy for alternatives to violence, in different cities of the Region of the Americas and Spain. Results were based on a cross-sectional house-hold survey of a sample of the population aged 18 to 70 years. The survey was conducted in eight metropolitan areas of Latin America and Spain: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Cali, Colombia; San Jose, Costa Rica; San Salvador, El Salvador; Caracas, Venezuela; and Madrid, Spain. Each sample of approximately 1,200 respondents per city was stratified by clusters and was proportional in terms of socioeconomic position and population density. In all cities and for all targets of aggression studied, people who reported using aggression were less likely to feel confident that they could solve conflicts without violence, and they were more likely to hold attitudes supporting violence. Young persons were also more likely to commit aggression against all the targets. In addition, aggression toward nonfamily members was found most frequently among young men who reported binge drinking, who either carried a firearm or would have liked to carry one, or who perceived the police as inefficient. Additional studies need to be done in each country to describe more specific attitudes associated with aggression within each subculture. Future prevention programs should focus on modifying attitudes that support violence, increasing self-efficacy in solving problems without using violence, supporting the development of a police system that people can trust, regulating firearms and access to alcohol, and raising people's education levels.
Cytokines in chronic respiratory diseases

Cytokines are small, secreted proteins that control immune responses. Within the lung, they can control host responses to injuries or infection, resulting in clearance of the insult, repair of lung tissue, and return to homeostasis. Problems can arise when this response is over exuberant and/or cytokine production becomes dysregulated. In such cases, chronic and repeated inflammatory reactions and cytokine production can be established, leading to airway remodeling and fibrosis with unintended, maladaptive consequences. In this report, we describe the cytokines and molecular mechanisms behind the pathology observed in three major chronic diseases of the lung: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis. Overlapping mechanisms are presented as potential sites for therapeutic intervention.
Enterprise Zones for Former Military Bases: Some Empirical Evidence from California's LAMBRA Program

LAMBRA is an enterprise zone program created by the state of California to encourage commercial reuse of deactivated military bases. This paper reports results of an exploratory study of LAMBRA’s influence on b usiness decisions to locate or expand at former installations . The study first interviewed local program managers in site visits, who reported that they had perceived limited economic impact of the LAMBRA program. Businesses at the LAMBRA locations then were surveyed. Statistical analysis of the surveys showed that few businesses at the sites had taken advantage of LAMBRA. The study presents recommendations for policy and future research.
Geometry of Basins of Attraction and Heteroclinic Connections in Coupled Bistable Systems

The fundamental principle of bistability is widely used across various disciplines, including biology, chemistry, mechanics, physics, electronics and materials science. As the need for more powerful, efficient and sensitive complex-engineered systems grow, networks of coupled bistable systems have gained significant attention in recent years. Modeling and analysis of such higher-dimensional systems is usually focused on finding conditions for the existence and stability of typical invariant sets, i.e. steady states, periodic solutions and chaotic sets. High-dimensionality leads to complex patterns of collective behavior. Which type of behavior is exhibited by a network depends greatly on the initial conditions. Thus, it is also important to study the geometric structure and evolution of the basins of attraction of such patterns. In this manuscript, a complete study of the basins of attraction of a ring of bistable systems, coupled unidirectionally, is presented. 3D visualizations are included to aid the discussion of the changes in the basins of attraction as the coupling parameter varies. The results are broad enough that they can be applied to a wide range of systems with similar coupling topologies.
Does the morphology of beaver ponds alter downstream ecosystems

Differences among lake morphologies often explain variation in characteristics of lentic ecosystems. Although beaver ponds also vary in morphology, previous studies have not examined the effects of such variation on downstream ecosystems. This study evaluated downstream effects of multiple beaver ponds in the Colorado Rocky Mountains during one low and one high-flow year. Beaver pond morphology was described as the natural log transformed ratio of beaver dam height (which determines hydraulic head) to pond surface area and related to pond spillover phytoplankton and characteristics of the ecosystem downstream (nutrient concentrations, limiting nutrients, periphyton, benthic organic matter (BOM), and benthic invertebrate consumers). Nitrate concentration increased systematically downstream of beaver ponds, but only in the low flow year when groundwater influences predominated. Effects of beaver ponds on soluble reactive phosphorus concentration depended on pond morphology, increasing downstream of small ponds with high dams, but only during the low-flow year. In situ experiments showed that neither beaver activity nor pond morphology predicted periphyton-limiting nutrients downstream. Both periphyton biomass and BOM decreased downstream of small ponds with high dams but pond morphology did not predict abundance of invertebrate grazers or detritus-feeding consumers. While suspension feeding invertebrates increased downstream from small ponds with high dams, variation in chlorophyll a from water spilling over beaver dams did not follow a similar pattern. We conclude that the effects of beaver ponds on downstream nutrients, resources and consumers are rarely systematic, but instead depend on variation in pond morphology and on annual hydrologic variation.
The Cellular Chaperone Heat Shock Protein 90 Facilitates Flock House Virus RNA Replication in Drosophila Cells

The assembly of viral RNA replication complexes on intracellular membranes represents a critical step in the life cycle of positive-strand RNA viruses. We investigated the role of the cellular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in viral RNA replication complex assembly and function using Flock House virus (FHV), an alphanodavirus whose RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, protein A, is essential for viral RNA replication complex assembly on mitochondrial outer membranes. The Hsp90 chaperone complex transports cellular mitochondrial proteins to the outer mitochondrial membrane import receptors, and thus we hypothesized that Hsp90 may also facilitate FHV RNA replication complex assembly or function. Treatment of FHV-infected Drosophila S2 cells with the Hsp90-specific inhibitor geldanamycin or radicicol potently suppressed the production of infectious virions and the accumulation of protein A and genomic, subgenomic, and template viral RNA. In contrast, geldanamycin did not inhibit the activity of preformed FHV RNA replication complexes. Hsp90 inhibitors also suppressed viral RNA and protein A accumulation in S2 cells expressing an FHV RNA replicon. Furthermore, Hsp90 inhibition with either geldanamycin or RNAi-mediated chaperone downregulation suppressed protein A accumulation in the absence of viral RNA replication. These results identify Hsp90 as a host factor involved in FHV RNA replication and suggest that FHV uses established cellular chaperone pathways to assemble its RNA replication complexes on intracellular membranes.