cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Placing an Upper Bound on Preseismic Velocity Changes Measured by Ambient Noise Monitoring for the 2004 Mw 6.0 Parkfield Earthquake (California)

Abstract There are basically three ways that have been demonstrated to reliably measure seismic velocity changes in the crust of the Earth—repeating events, controlled sources, and ambient noise. Each has its complementary benefits. Repeating events and controlled sources provide measurements at discrete points in time and space with high signal‐to‐noise ratios. But to achieve a sufficient signal‐to‐noise ratio for ambient noise it has been necessary to average over long periods of time and/or numbers of station pairs. Often 30 days has been the average, but researchers have experimented with one‐day averages to capture short‐term velocity variations at the expense of reduced measurement precision. Coseismic and postseismic velocity changes have been established for many earthquakes. But measuring a clear preseismic signal has continued to elude us. One of the main reasons is due to insufficient temporal sampling for repeating events and controlled sources making the findings inconclusive as to the existence of a preseismic signal because of a lack of data. The benefit of ambient noise monitoring is that it provides continuous measurements in the preseismic period and offers hope to alleviate this problem. This paper improves the measurement precision for one‐day ambient noise monitoring by averaging over the three station components to construct the full nine‐element Green’s tensor. Doing so, I am able to measure a 95% confidence limit for an upper bound on preseismic velocity changes to be 0.0265%. I also compare my results constructing the Green’s function by the correlation of the coda of the correlation of ambient noise.
Technology Enhances Social-Emotional Intelligence in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have poor social-communication, odd behavioral patterns, and exhibit limited to superior cognition. Many have a narrow range of interests and sensory differences. High functioning children are described as quirky, socially awkward, hyper-verbal, or little professors. Typically they have strengths in visual-perceptual abilities and rote memory. This chapter explores how the narrow range of interests and strength in visual-perceptual processing is harnessed through technology, to address their social and emotional deficits. HeartMath’s emWave and Inner Balance app (a stress-management tool) in conjunction with SymTrend (web-based software) are utilized to convey the abstract world of physiological and mental states, and feelings. Individuals improved social-emotional intelligence, self-awareness, theory of mind, and stress management. This preliminary work shows promising results utilizing technology as a teaching tool for individuals diagnosed with ASD.
An Analysis on Coverage Rate of 7-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination among Children in Ningbo

Objective To know the coverage rate of 7- valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination( PCV7) among children in Ningbo. Methods Children born from 2008 to 2011 were collected through information management system of expanded program on immunization( EPI) in Ningbo. Those who had been inoculated against PCV7 were selected and their coverage rate was analyzed. Results A total of 5 935 among 376 345 children had been inoculated against PCV7 and the coverage rate was 1. 58%. The rates of first- dose vaccination( 2. 67%) and whole course vaccination( 2. 11%) of urban children were significantly higher than those in rural area( 0. 62% and 0. 52%,P 0. 05). The rates of males( 1. 74% and 1. 40%) were significantly higher than those of females( 1. 41% and 1. 13%,P 0. 01),the rates of locals( 2. 62% and 2. 19%) were significantly higher than those of migrants( 0. 92% and 0. 68%,P 0. 01). There were statistical differences among the rates of different birth years( P 0. 01). The inoculation time and inoculation methods of first needle were obviously different among children with different birth years. Children with later born time had earlier first needle and more inoculation times. Conclusion The rates of coverage and whole course vaccination of PCV7 in Ningbo are low. Immunization propaganda should be strengthened to improve the coverage rate of PCV7.
Effect of white rot basidiomycetes on chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of oat straw and alfalfa stems

Five white rot basidiomycetes were evaluated for their potential to improve ruminal degradation of oat straw and alfalfa stems. Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PC), Scytinostroma galactinum (SG), Phlebia tremellosa (PT), Phellinus pini (PP), and Pholiota mutabilis (PM) were incubated on oat straw and alfalfa stems for 30 d at 28 degrees C and 90% relative humidity. Detergent fiber and total fiber components (neutral sugars, uronic acids, Klason lignin [KL], and ester- and ether-linked non-core lignin phenolics), core lignin nitrobenzene oxidation products, and IVDMD were determined. Electron microscopy of KMnO4-stained and cellulase/colloidal gold-labeled sections was used to monitor fungal activity. Large losses of DM were noted for all fungal species on both substrates. Lignin (KL and ADL) was removed (P less than .05) from oat straw by PC and PT treatment, but no net loss of lignin was observed for fungal treatment of alfalfa stems. Cell-wall polysaccharides were removed from both substrates by fungal activity. Only PC increased (P less than .05) IVDMD of oat straw, and SG, PT, PP, and PC treatment decreased (P less than .05) IVDMD of alfalfa stems, presumably because the fungi removed the most readily fermentable polysaccharides. Transmission electron microscopy using KMnO4 staining showed a nonselective white rot attack. Cytochemical studies using colloidal gold-labeled exo- and endocellulases were used to map the location of cellulose in the cell wall before and after decay by the white rot fungi. All the white rot fungi tested had eroded and thinned cell walls. Residual cell walls were well-labeled; both endo- and exocellulose-colloidal gold identified the cellulosic wall material that remained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Slipperiness of Stability: Contracting for Flexible and Triangular Employment Relationships in the New Economy

Our era has been called the "age of flexibility." The need for flexibility is what is said to be driving the new economy, and in turn, driving new policies, new regulatory approaches, and more experimentation with alternative forms of governance. The questions that policy makers must first ask when faced with claims about the necessity, legality, and desirability of flexibility is: flexible in what way and compared to what other possibilities? The range of flexible arrangements in the labor market that have developed in recent years is vast.In this article, written for the law review symposium, The Role of Contract in the Modern Employment Relationship, Professor Lobel considers the many meanings and implications of the concept of stability in employment relations. In particular, the article examines flexibilization which involve the use of a third party labor intermediary for the supply of workers to a firm. The Article argues for the need for new laws and adequate guidelines for today's flexible staffing arrangements. The article uncovers the range of taxonomies and categories that have developed in the flexible staffing industry. The article sets forth the argument that the complexity and variety that characterize the industry is not accidental, but a product of legal and economic struggles for recognition of flexible employment arrangements as legitimate practices in the new economy. The article analyzes the recent efforts by courts, administrative agencies, and legislative commissions to define the legal parameters of the various new flexible employment arrangements. Drawing on comparative insights, as well as the problems and inconsistencies among recent cases, the article demonstrates the inadequacies of the existing common law doctrine in addressing these new challenges and suggests alternative doctrines and policies that would be better suited to achieve the necessary balance between flexibility and fairness. It shows how the flexible employment arrangements in the new market are simultaneously efficiency-driven and developed through continuous political and legal action. While the employment agency industry is potentially a welfare-enhancing sector in certain environments, it also produces new forms of mistreatment of workers in the absence of adequate regulatory incentives. These new economic structures necessitate the development of a new normative model that allows certain forms of market flexibility yet maintains the social norms that continue to inform fair employment policies.
Neurocognitive Symptoms and Hyperparathyroidism

Anecdotally, many patients do complain of neurocognitive symptoms prior to surgery and some percentage do report marked improvement afterwards. However, the results of research that has investigated the association between neurocognitive symptoms and hyperparathyroidism have been mixed. Some studies have found significant improvement in both psychiatric and cognitive symptoms after surgery while others have found no clear benefit. At this time there is a lack of clear evidence to justify the use of neurocognitive symptoms as an indication for parathyroidectomy.
Base Impulses: Sex Work and the Military in Trinidadian Literature on World War Two

This essay explores sexual culture and its legacies around the American military base at Chaguaramas, Trinidad, a base that brought 25,000 US soldiers to a country of half a million people during World War Two. It illuminates the resources and constraints of literary memory of gender and sexuality in that period as represented in texts written in the last 25 years. Against the backdrop of calypsos like “Rum and Coca Cola” and “Jean and Dinah,” and De Boissiere’s novel Rum and Coca-Cola, the essay focuses on texts by J.L.F. Waldron, Robert Antoni, David Chariandy, and Tony Hall. It explores how calypso, theater, and fiction (including realism, detective fiction, the carnivalesque, myths of female vampires, and anti-romance) shape and shift the terms of memory, reassessing previous narratives of gender, erotics, family, nation, and empire.
Zappos.Com, Inc., and the Warehouse Decision

Amazon.com had purchased Zappos in 2009 and was making significant investments in warehouse infrastructure. By early summer 2012, Zappos, a dominant player in the crowded online retail apparel and footwear arena must decide whether to retain its warehouse complex in Kentucky, which it had maintained since 2002, or turn over the operations to Amazon. Should Zappos continue to operate as an entity external to its parent company? Or would advancements and changes in the market be disruptive enough to force Zappos to change in order to remain competitive? Excerpt UVA-S-0227 Rev. May 19, 2015 Zappos.com, Inc., and the Warehouse Decision In 1999, Nick Swinmurn partnered with venture capitalist Tony Hsieh to launch online footwear retailer Zappos.com, Inc. Hsieh soon left his angel fund to become the company's CEO. Despite an entrenched brick-and-mortar retail-footwear sector and numerous online competitors, Zappos was able to gain a foothold in the market by emphasizing superior customer service, most noticeably in its 365-day return policy and offer of free shipping both ways. By 2012, Zappos, with Hsieh still at the helm, had become a dominant player in the crowded online retail apparel and footwear business. Reporting sales of $ 2 billion, Zappos was a force to be reckoned with as it competed with Nike, Foot Locker, and Nordstrom; yet challenges and opportunities loomed ahead. Amazon.com, Inc., had purchased Zappos in 2009 and was making significant investments in warehouse infrastructure. Many observers predicted that Amazon could, within a matter of a few years, offer the holy grail of online retailing: same-day delivery. For Zappos, which had operated more or less autonomously from Amazon since its purchase, this possibility presented both an incredible opportunity and a potential challenge. In early summer 2012, Zappos had a decision to make: retain its warehouse complex in Kentucky, which it had maintained since 2002, or turn over the operations to Amazon. This warehouse location, which by 2012 had expanded to two buildings, was critical to Zappos' operations because it enabled one-day delivery to East Coast locations. The Zappos culture of highly engaged employees and focus on customer service was as strong at the Kentucky warehouses as it was at the warehouse and corporate offices on the West Coast. By turning over operations of the Kentucky warehouse complex to Amazon, Zappos would be leveraging Amazon's warehousing and delivery expertise as well as avoiding a future scenario whereby Amazon became a key competitor with faster delivery times than Zappos could manage alone. . . .
Direct Synthesis of Polymer Vesicles on the Hundred‐Nanometer‐and‐Beyond Scale Using Chemical Oscillations

The direct synthesis of block copolymer vesicles on the scale of tens to hundreds of nanometers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization as an effect of chemical oscillations is reported. RAFT polymerization is successfully accomplished between polyethylene glycol containing a RAFT agent (PEG-CTA) and ethyl acrylate monomer in the presence of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (B-Z) reaction in oscillatory mode. The self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ethyl acrylate) unimers gives rise to spherical micelles. The self-assembled micelles reorganize and transform to vesicles. All the chemistry of polymerization, self-assembly and self-organization, of macromolecules takes place in a single pot using only a few simple raw materials in aqueous solution.
Lücken-Füller: Ein Nachsatz

Der gewahlte Zuschnitt des Fachgebiets Medienmanagement basiert auf einer Reihe von Entscheidungen, die festlegen, welche Gebiete ich aus der Bearbeitung bewusst ausgeschlossen habe, wie etwa den Bereich der fiktionalen Medienprodukte von Romanen, uber Spielshows und Serien im Fernsehen sowie Horspiele im Radio bis zu Computerspielen und Spielfilmen. Ebenfalls bewusst ausen vor gehalten habe ich das Thema Marke und Markierung sowie den Versuch, einen Vorschlag fur einen verbindenden Theorierahmen auf Basis der allgemeinen Theorie sozialer Systeme zu entwickeln. In diesem Sinne ist das Lehrbuch um Lucken herum geschrieben, die aber wenigstens als solche bewusst adressiert werden sollen.
AN INFRARED EXTINCTION CELL OF NOVEL DESIGN

The extinction of infrared radiation in the atmosphere may be attributed to molecules, molecular clusters, and aerosol particles. Reliable parameterization of the infrared extinction must take into account contributions of each of these species over the wide range of relative humidities and temperatures which occur in the atmosphere. Extinction by larger aerosol particles (r ± 0.01 μm) and the dependence of the extinction on relative humidity is reasonably well understood. The contributions being made by very small particles (particles too small to be modeled by using their bulk optical parameters) and molecular clusters are poorly known. An infrared extinction cell currently under construction in University of Missouri laboratory is described. The cell is a windowless, multiple-pass cell capable of obtaining path lengths approaching 1 kilometer. The design of the cell allows measurements to be made in both the subsaturated and supersaturated relative humidity regions. The contemplated initial studies include absorption by water vapor at high supersaturations (super-saturation ratios approaching 2), absorption by ion and H 2 SO 4 acid molecular clusters, and absorption by ultrafine aerosol particles. These studies are closely correlated with ongoing theoretical and simulation chamber studies being carried out in this laboratory.
Multi-Dimensional Human Workload Assessment for Supervisory Human–Machine Teams:

Humans commanding and monitoring robots’ actions are used in various high-stress environments, such as the Predator or MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles. The presence of stress ...
Comparing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Neural Generative Dependency Models

Recurrent neural network grammars generate sentences using phrase-structure syntax and perform very well on both parsing and language modeling. To explore whether generative dependency models are similarly effective, we propose two new generative models of dependency syntax. Both models use recurrent neural nets to avoid making explicit independence assumptions, but they differ in the order used to construct the trees: one builds the tree bottom-up and the other top-down, which profoundly changes the estimation problem faced by the learner. We evaluate the two models on three typologically different languages: English, Arabic, and Japanese. While both generative models improve parsing performance over a discriminative baseline, they are significantly less effective than non-syntactic LSTM language models. Surprisingly, little difference between the construction orders is observed for either parsing or language modeling.
Accelerators for Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing

This virtual roundtable discussion examines accelerators for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC).
Chapter 11 – Contracts

A contract is an agreement between two or more parties that is legally binding and enforceable in a court of law. Performance in accordance with the agreement is an obligation or duty under the law. A failure to perform is a breach for which the law offers a remedy. All contracts consist of three essential elements: an offer, an acceptance, and some form of consideration. A failure to form a valid contract when intended, or inadver­tently committing a business to obligations, can be catastrophic.
Effectiveness of nudges on small business tax compliance behavior

There has been a surge of basic and applied interest in exploring how small changes in decision contexts might be used to improve heuristic decision-making, “nudging” decision-makers toward choices that increase individual and social utility. The present study tested the impact of three types of nudges on tax compliance among delinquent businesses (n=3,130) in the state of Pennsylvania: (1) sending reminder letters that almost identically matched original tax delinquency notices, (2) sending redesigned reminder letters that simplified text and layout, increased the salience of critical information, and included an “Act Now” urgency statement, and (3) sending redesigned reminder letters with handwritten notes on the envelope. Redesigned reminder letters significantly increased the number of business owners who responded and the amount of delinquency paid within 15 days of receiving the notices. The addition of a handwritten note on the outside of the envelope did not additionally increase response rates or payment amount. Although the effect sizes observed in this study were small, the potential impact is large given the number of delinquent businesses and the average amount of taxes owed in Pennsylvania.
Multiclass Weighted Associative Classifier with Application-Based Rule Selection for Data Gathered Using Wireless Sensor Networks

The twenty-first century has seen an explosion in the amount of data that is available to decision-makers. Wireless Sensor Networks are everywhere continuously collecting and feeding data to various systems. Translating these enormous amounts of data into information and making decisions quickly and effectively is a constant challenge that decision-makers face. Decision Support Systems that analyze data using different approaches are constantly evolving. There are many techniques that analyze these large datasets collected from Wireless Sensor Networks. Associative Classifier is one such technique which combines Associative Rule Mining along with Classification to find different patterns generated from large datasets. A common challenge associated with sensor data is that it is unstructured and heterogeneous. In this research, a Multiclass Weighted Associative Classifier with Application-based Rule Selection is proposed which translates unstructured and heterogeneous data into a set of rules that enable decision-makers in any domain to make decisions.
Supervised Optimum Path Forest Algorithm for Fault Diagnosis of Photovoltaic Array

When the photovoltaic (PV) system fails, the power generation efficiency is greatly reduced or even leads to incidents, that is why the fault diagnosis of the PV system is very necessary. This paper proposed an optimum-path forest (OPF) photovoltaic arrays fault diagnosis method. According to the characteristics of the photovoltaic panel, seven factors were selected as the characteristic parameters for studying the fault diagnosis of PV system. Then, combined with the actual measurement data and the simulated measurement data, the complete graphs and the minimum spanning trees were obtained in turn, and finally the OPF classifier was obtained which was used for fault diagnosis and classification. At the same time, this paper also compared the OPF algorithm with other algorithms such as Linear SVM, Fine KNN, Linear discriminant and Boosted Trees that showed the OPF algorithm has very high speed and accuracy and is more suitable for fault diagnosis of PV system in practical application. In addition, this paper also optimized the traditional OPF method which improves the speed of classification. Finally, the actual fault detection of PV system was built and achieved good fault diagnosis effect.
Electrophysiological Mapping and Source Imaging

In this chapter, we present the physical and physiological basics behind EEG and MEG signal generation and propagation. We first start by presenting the biophysical principles that explain how the coordinated movements of ions inside and outside neuronal cells result in macroscale phenomena at the scalp, such as electric potentials recorded by EEG and magnetic fields sensed by MEG. These physical principles enforce EEG and MEG signals to have specific spatial and temporal features, which can be used to study brain’s response to internal and external stimuli. We continue our exploration by developing a mathematical framework within which EEG and MEG signals can be computed if the distribution of underlying brain sources is known, a process called forward problem. We further continue to discuss methods that attempt the reverse, i.e., solving for underlying brain sources given scalp measurements such as EEG and MEG, a process called source imaging. We will provide various examples of how electrophysiological source imaging techniques can help study the brain during its normal and pathological states. We will also briefly discuss how combining electrophysiological signals from EEG with hemodynamic signals from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) helps improve the spatiotemporal resolution of estimates of the underlying brain sources, which is critical for studying spatiotemporal processes within the brain. The goal of this chapter is to provide proper physical and physiological intuition and biophysical principles that explain EEG/MEG signal generation, its propagation from sources in the brain to EEG/MEG sensors, and how this process can be inverted using signal processing and machine learning techniques and algorithms.
A pilot randomized clinical trial of Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia to reduce problematic cannabis use among trauma-exposed young adults.

Abstract Background Insomnia symptoms may be an important etiological factor for substance use disorders; however, whether improving sleep leads to reductions in problematic substance use among at-risk populations remains unclear. Method As such, the current pilot study used a randomized controlled design to test the effects of Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia (BBTI) against a waitlist control among a sample of trauma-exposed young adults with elevated insomnia symptoms who regularly use cannabis (N = 56). Results: Intent-to-treat multilevel modeling analyses indicated that BBTI may be more efficacious than waitlist control in reducing self-reported insomnia symptoms, with large effects three months post-treatment (d = 1.34). Further, our initial evidence suggested that BBTI resulted in reductions in cannabis-related problems with medium to large effects at three months post-treatment (d = 0.75). The current pilot analyses indicated BBTI also reduced cravings to use cannabis to reduce negative emotions in response to trauma cues with a large effect size. Conclusion This pilot study suggests BBTI may be efficacious not only in improving insomnia symptoms among cannabis users but also in reducing cannabis-related problems and cravings over three months. Future research should replicate these results in a larger, fully powered sample with improved follow-up rates designed to test temporal mediation using multimethod assessments of insomnia symptoms and problematic cannabis use. Overall, BBTI may be a promising intervention for trauma-exposed cannabis users to improve sleep and reduce cannabis-related problems.
Extracting equilibrium constants from kinetically limited reacting systems.

It has been known for some time that slow kinetics will distort the shape of a reversible reaction boundary. Here we present a tutorial on direct boundary fitting of sedimentation velocity data for a monomer‐dimer system that exhibits kinetic effects. Previous analysis of a monomer‐dimer system suggested that rapid reaction behavior will persist until the relaxation time of the system exceeds 100 s (reviewed in Kegeles and Cann, 1978). Utilizing a kinetic integrator feature in Sedanal (Stafford and Sherwood, 2004), we can now fit for the koff values and measure the uncertainty at the 95% confidence interval. For the monomer‐dimer system the range of well determined koff values is limited to 0.005 to 10−5 s−1 corresponding to relaxation times (at a loading concentration of the Kd) of ≈70 to ≈33,000 s. For shorter relaxation times the system is fast and only the equilibrium constant K but not koff can be uniquely determined. For longer relaxation times the system is irreversibly slow, and assuming the system was at initial equilibrium before the start of the run, only the equilibrium constant K but not koff can be uniquely determined.
The Effect of Basis Set Superposition Error (BSSE) on the Convergence of Molecular Properties Calculated with the Correlation Consistent Basis Sets

It is shown that, in many cases, the convergence behavior of molecular properties computed with the correlation consistent basis sets (both standard and augmented sets) is significantly improved if basis set superposition error (BSSE) is taken into account. The effects are most pronounced for pure van der Waals systems like the helium or argon dimers. For these systems the uncorrected D e , r e , and ω e behave very irregularly with increasing basis set size, with the convergence behavior being dramatically improved by use of the counterpoise procedure. Even for strongly bound diatomics like N 2 , HF, and HCl, the counterpoise correction often significantly improves the convergence behavior of r e and ω e . Similar behavior is observed in the weakly bound molecular complexes, ArHF, HCO − , and (HF) 2 , as well as for the more strongly bound HCO molecule. For HCO − , because of the pronounced lengthening of the CO bond upon molecular formation, the deformation energy must also be taken into account.
Bootstrapping a location service through geocoded postal addresses

We analyze the feasibility of boostrapping a location service through geocoded postal addresses rather than the common wardriving technique. A location service that contains the MAC addresses and geographic position of wireless LAN access points enables positioning services for WLAN devices and location-aware networking protocols. This work thus compares the accuracy of access point position estimates obtained based on RF signal strengths readings (wardriving) with the accuracy of the geocoded postal address. The results show similar accuracy for geocoding in comparison to typical wardriving studies, with significantly reduced effort if postal addresses of access point positions are known.
Enzymatic Modification of Proteins IV. ARGINYLATION OF BOVINE THYROGLOBULIN

Abstract Bovine thyroglobulin is an acceptor for arginine in the reaction catalyzed by arginyl-transfer RNA-protein transferase. The product formed with 14C-arginine has been shown to contain 2 eq of radioactive arginine per mole of thyroglobulin. The following evidence suggests that arginine is transferred to 2 NH2-terminal aspartic acid residues. First, the incorporated arginine was reactive with fluorodinitrobenzene; and second, the two principal radioactive peptides obtained after digestion with pepsin were isolated and their structures established as Arg-Asp-Ile-Phe and Arg-Asp, respectively. The data also indicate that bovine thyroglobulin contains at least one and possibly two chains which possess the NH2-terminal sequence Asp-Ile-Phe-.
Direct synthesis of AgInO2

Potential applications as transparent conducting oxides have made the study of ternary metal oxides based on the delafossite structure very attractive. The well known and understood thermal instability of noble metal oxides, and therefore the associated problems with high-temperature solid-state techniques to yield pure complex oxides based on noble metals, clearly illustrates the need for low-temperature alternatives. For the first time, synthesis of 3R-AgInO2 at low temperature (175 8C) and pressure (,10 atm) was achieved by a single-step hydrothermal technique. Particle size of the orange crystallites ranged from 3 to 7 mm.
Beyond the E-Value: Stratified Statistics for Protein Domain Prediction

E-values have been the dominant statistic for protein sequence analysis for the past two decades: from identifying statistically significant local sequence alignments to evaluating matches to hidden Markov models describing protein domain families. Here we formally show that for “stratified” multiple hypothesis testing problems—that is, those in which statistical tests can be partitioned naturally—controlling the local False Discovery Rate (lFDR) per stratum, or partition, yields the most predictions across the data at any given threshold on the FDR or E-value over all strata combined. For the important problem of protein domain prediction, a key step in characterizing protein structure, function and evolution, we show that stratifying statistical tests by domain family yields excellent results. We develop the first FDR-estimating algorithms for domain prediction, and evaluate how well thresholds based on q-values, E-values and lFDRs perform in domain prediction using five complementary approaches for estimating empirical FDRs in this context. We show that stratified q-value thresholds substantially outperform E-values. Contradicting our theoretical results, q-values also outperform lFDRs; however, our tests reveal a small but coherent subset of domain families, biased towards models for specific repetitive patterns, for which weaknesses in random sequence models yield notably inaccurate statistical significance measures. Usage of lFDR thresholds outperform q-values for the remaining families, which have as-expected noise, suggesting that further improvements in domain predictions can be achieved with improved modeling of random sequences. Overall, our theoretical and empirical findings suggest that the use of stratified q-values and lFDRs could result in improvements in a host of structured multiple hypothesis testing problems arising in bioinformatics, including genome-wide association studies, orthology prediction, and motif scanning.
Do traditional measures of water quality in swimming pools and spas correspond with beneficial oxidation reduction potential

Objectives.Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) is a more direct measure of water quality in swimming pools and spas than free chlorine. However, ORP is not considered in some state pool codes, incl...
Induction by transforming growth factor-β1 of epithelial to mesenchymal transition is a rare event in vitro

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is proposed to inhibit the growth of epithelial cells in early tumorigenesis, and to promote tumor cell motility and invasion in the later stages of carcinogenesis through the induction of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a multistep process that is characterized by changes in cell morphology and dissociation of cell–cell contacts. Although there is growing interest in TGF-β1-mediated EMT, the phenotype is limited to only a few murine cell lines and mouse models. To identify alternative cell systems in which to study TGF-β1-induced EMT, 18 human and mouse established cell lines and cultures of two human primary epithelial cell types were screened for TGF-β1-induced EMT by analysis of cell morphology, and localization of zonula occludens-1, E-cadherin, and F-actin. Sensitivity to TGF-β1 was also determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation, flow cytometry, phosphorylation of Smad2, and total levels of Smad2 and Smad3 in these cell lines and in six additional cancer cell lines. TGF-β1 inhibited the growth of most nontransformed cells screened, but many of the cancer cell lines were insensitive to the growth inhibitory effects of TGF-β1. In contrast, TGF-β1 induced Smad2 phosphorylation in the majority of cell lines, including cell lines resistant to TGF-β1-mediated cell cycle arrest. Of the cell lines screened only two underwent TGF-β1-induced EMT. The results presented herein show that, although many cancer cell lines have lost sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effect of TGF-β1, most show evidence of TGF-β1 signal transduction, but only a few cell lines undergo TGF-β1-mediated EMT.
Evidence that tubulin forms an integral membrane skeleton in molluscan gill cilia

Controlled extraction of intact gill tissue, isolated cilia or reconstituted membrane vesicles with Nonidet P-40 at greater than 4 times the critical micelle concentration, or with octyl glucoside at the critical micelle concentration, delipidates the membrane, leaving a membrane remnant or skeleton of membrane tubulin and associated proteins. This skeleton consists of a disordered reticular protein network in reconstituted membrane vesicles and a similar but more compact sleeve in cilia of extracted tissue. The membrane skeleton is closely apposed to the axoneme and is attached to the outer doublets by fine radial bridges having a 20-24 nm longitudinal periodicity, supporting earlier observations made utilizing a lipophilic cross-linking agent. Higher concentrations of detergent solubilize the membrane tubulin-protein complex, producing 5-10 nm particulate material of low sedimentation coefficient. Dilution of an octyl glucoside solution to below the critical micelle concentration results in disappearance of the particles and reformation of the membrane, indicating that the particles are protein-detergent micelles and not denatured protein. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals no comparable-sized natural particles in the ciliary membrane proper. The reticular material of the membrane skeleton contains tubulin, demonstrated on Lowicryl K4M thin sections by a rabbit polyclonal antibody to sea-urchin egg cytoplasmic tubulin, using gold-labelled secondary antibody. Minimal cross-reactivity is detected prior to Triton-delipidation, suggesting that most membrane tubulin antigenic sites are buried within the bilayer and that the tubulin is not simply adsorbed to the lipid bilayer.
Telecommunication systems engineering

From the Publisher: This classic graduate- and research-level texty by two leading experts in the field of telecommunications is essential reading for anyone workign today in space and satellite digital communicatiions and those seeking a wider background in statistical communication theory and its applications. Ideal for practicing engineers as well as graduate students in communication systems courses, the book clearly presents and develops theory that can be used in the design and planning of telecommunication systems operating with either small or large performance margins. The book includes in its coverage a theory for use in the design of one-way and two-way phase-coherent and communication systems; and analysis and comparison of carrier and suppressed carrier synchronization techniques; treatment of the band-pass limiter theory; unification of phase-coherent detection with perfect and noisy synchronization reference signals. Convolutional codes, symbol synchronization, and noncoherent detection of M-ary signals are among the otehr subjects addressed in this comprehensive study. Dr. Lindsey, who is with the Communication Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, and Dr. Simon, who is with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, include at the end of each chapter a comprehensive set of problems that demonstrate the application of the theory developed. Unabridged Dover (1991) republication of the edition published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1973.265 line illustrations. 3 photographs. References at chapter ends. Problems. Index. xviii + 574pp. 5 3/8 x 8 1/2. Paperbound.
The relative importance of climate change and shrub encroachment on nocturnal warming in the southwestern United States

Author(s): He, Y; D'Odorico, P; De Wekker, SFJ | Abstract: Many regions of the world are affected by a major land cover change resulting from the encroachment of woody plants and the conversion of grasslands into shrublands. In the southwestern United States, such a change in vegetation cover has been found to increase the winter nighttime temperature, thereby contributing to a positive feedback between shrub encroachment and microclimate in areas encroached by cold-sensitive shrubs. Temperature measurements show that winter minimum temperatures are on average ~2K higher in shrubland than in adjacent grassland sites. It is unclear how the nighttime warming induced by shrub encroachment compares with regional climate trends. We address this question by analysing both the historical and future regional temperature trends in central New Mexico. The estimated regional increase in minimum winter temperature ranges from 1 to 4K per century using observations and climate models. Thus, the warming resulting from shrub encroachment is equivalent to a change in regional climate over a time period of century scale, which suggests that shrub encroachment has an overall important effect on the regional climate.
Engaging Teens with Asthma in Designing a Patient-Centered Mobile App to Aid Disease Self-Management.

Abstract Background: Despite the growing market of e-health disease self-management tools, few studies have reported the presence of teen patients in all phases of product design. While rates of American teens using mobile Internet grow, an opportunity to deliver disease self-management targeted for teen patients exists. Building on findings from previous investigations with teens with asthma, we explored teens' insights on the development of a patient-centered asthma management application (app). Materials and Methods: Two existing asthma apps were used by 16 teen asthmatics for 7–10 days. At the end of the trial period, in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant to gather insights about the user experience. Results: Participants requested more asthma-related content that educates them about their condition. Suggested improvements to currently available apps included a longer list of selectable symptoms to track, medication tracking, and more compelling interface features. Conclusions: Part...
Fertility, life cycle stage and female labor Force participation in Rhode Island: A retrospective overview

Considerable historical evidence indicates a long term increase in female labor force participation in the United States during the twentieth century. However, there are only limited data available for analyzing this secular trend in any depth. Comprehensive retrospective data for a representative sample of 1,578 once-married Rhode Island women are utilized to examine the changing historical relationships between female work participation in selected life cycle intervals and educatonal attainment. The data indicate that there has been a recent convergence of labor force rates between better and less educated women, in some instances reversing the traditional pattern of higher labor force rates for less educated women. This convergence reflects primarily an extraordinary in-crease in labor force participation for women with at least twelve years of school at all stages of the childbearing period. Also highlighted is the close relationship between labor force participation in one life cycle interval and probability of participation in subsequent intervals. It is found that working or not working in one life cycle is a useful predictor of subsequent work participation. Also, a greater tendency for more recent cohorts of women to re-enter the labor force after childbearing is noted.
Construction engineering and project management I: a construction process simulation web service

This paper explores the potential of construction process simulation as a web service. This web service, or web based application, exploits the high accessibility characteristic of the web, to support easier information exchange and peer collaboration. Two concepts are discussed and presented. One web based prototype called "Interactive Simulation System (ISS)" allows a user unfamiliar with simulation concepts to evaluate construction process productivity (Kim 2000). A second prototypical web service called Web CYCLONE is built upon CYCLONE (Halpin 1973; Halpin and Riggs 1992) methodology and provides the power of simulation to all user levels, novice or professional. The framework of Web CYCLONE is a three-leveled structure, namely novice, intermediate and advanced level, in that each level caters to user needs depending upon the level of sophistication of the user. An asphalt paving operation simulation model is used to demonstrate each prototypical system.
Thrombolytic therapy versus primary angioplasty: Which offers the best outcome after myocardial infarction?

The best technique for reestablishing blood flow after myocardial infarction has been the subject of heated debate for more than a decade. An the answer is still elusive. Which option is the safest? Which salvages the most heart tissue? Dr Faxon explains the pros and cons of both thrombolysis and angioplasty and discusses the "90 rule," which helps determine the optimal reperfusion strategy for each individual patient.
Interface morphologies in polyolefin fiber reinforced concrete composites.

Morphologies of fiber-matrix interface in polyolefin fiber reinforced concrete composite (FRC) and fiber surface were observed by using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). Interfacial roughness, alternate bulges and grooves with breadth varying from less than 1 μm up to 20 μm, oriented along interface longitudinal direction. Fibrils and fiber chips, with either end or both ends, were anchored in matrix. No patch of fiber material stuck on the interface, after fiber was peeled away from interface, was found. Fiber surface was roughened along fiber axial direction during mixing in cementitious mix and abraded again during pullout. It is concluded that the interfacial roughness was formed due to fiber surface roughness, and the bond between polyolefin fiber and concrete matrix is mainly mechanical.
Mutation of the Five Conserved Histidines in the Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Hemoprotein Domain NO EVIDENCE FOR A NON-HEME METAL REQUIREMENT FOR CATALYSIS

Abstract Five conserved histidine residues are found in the human endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) heme domain: His-420, His-421, and His-461 are close to the heme, whereas His-146 and His-214 are some distance away. To investigate whether the histidines form a non-heme iron-binding site, we have expressed the H146A, H214A, H420A, H421A, and H461A mutants. The H420A mutant could not be isolated, and the H146A and H421A mutants were inactive. The H214A mutant resembled the wild-type enzyme in all respects. The H461A mutant had a low-spin heme, but high concentrations of l-Arg and tetrahydrobiopterin led to partial recovery of activity. Laser atomic emission showed that the only significant metal in NOS other than calcium and iron is zinc. The activities of the NOS isoforms were not increased by incubation with Fe2+, but were inhibited by high Fe2+ or Zn2+ concentrations. The histidine mutations altered the ability of the protein to dimerize and to bind heme. However, the protein metal content, the inability of exogenous Fe2+ to increase catalytic activity, and the absence of evidence that the conserved histidines form a metal site provide no support for a catalytic role for a non-heme redox-active metal.
Do Adjusting-Amount and Adjusting-Delay Procedures Produce Equivalent Estimates of Subjective Value in Pigeons?

The current experiment examined whether adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures provide equivalent measures of discounting. Pigeons' discounting on the two procedures was compared using a within-subject yoking technique in which the indifference point (number of pellets or time until reinforcement) obtained with one procedure determined the value of the corresponding variable in the yoked condition with the other procedure. Behavior on each procedure was well described by a hyperbolic discounting function. Results revealed no systematic differences in the degree of discounting as measured by the discounting rate parameter of the hyperbola in Experiment 1, which used 20-mg pellets. These results were replicated in Experiment 2 using smaller, 14-mg pellets, which potentially yield more precise measurement of indifference points on the adjusting-amount procedure. The finding that estimates of the k parameter in the hyperbolic discounting function obtained with one procedure did not differ systematically from estimates obtained from the same subjects with the other procedure represents strong support for the hypothesis that the same process underlies the discounting of delayed rewards on both adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures.
Periodicity in residual dipolar couplings and nucleic acid structures.

The periodicity in nucleic acid duplex structures is shown to be correlated to the periodicity in residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) in the form of an “RDC wave”. This “RDC wave” is characteristic of the alignment of the duplex in the magnetic field, and hence fitting of the data allows the duplex global orientation (ϑ, Φ) to be extracted. Further, because the “RDC wave” is fit as a data set of a corresponding secondary structure element, the degeneracy problem is greatly reduced. Consequently, with the global orientation (ϑ, Φ) determined, local bond vector conformations are defined. The fit is demonstrated in the examples of the imino RDCs of the negative regulator of splicing RNA fragment (NRS23) and for the C1‘H1‘ RDCs of the Dickerson dodecamer.