cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying Behavioral Strategies for Student Engagement Using a Robotic Educational Agent

Adaptive learning is an educational method that utilizes computers as an interactive teaching device. Intelligent tutoring systems, or educational agents, use adaptive learning techniques to adapt to each student's needs and learning styles in order to individualize learning. Effective educational agents should accomplish two essential goals during the learning process - 1) monitor engagement of the student during the interaction and 2) apply behavioral strategies to maintain the student's attention when engagement decreases. This paper focuses on the second objective of reengaging students using various behavioral strategies through the utilization of a robotic educational agent. Details are provided on the overall system approach and the forms of verbal and nonverbal cues used by the robotic agent. Results derived from 24 students engaging with the robot during a computer-based math test show that, while various forms of behavioral strategies increase test performance, combinations of verbal cues result in a slightly better outcome.
Characterization of corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure for thermochemical conversion.

Abstract Corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure were characterized to evaluate their acceptability for thermochemical conversion. The energy densities of ground corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure after totally drying were 3402, 11,813 and 10,374 MJ/m3, compared to 37,125 MJ/m3 for coal. The contents of volatiles in corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure were 77.4, 82.6 and 82.8%, respectively, on a dry and ash-free basis compared to 43.6% for coal. About 90% of the volatiles in corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure were released at pyrolysis temperatures of 497, 573 and 565 °C, respectively. The combustion of corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure were completed at 620, 840 and 560 °C, respectively. The heat values of the biomass and air mixture for stoichiometric combustion were 2.64, 2.75 and 1.77 MJ/kg for dried corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure, respectively, as compared to 2.69 MJ/kg for coal. Combustion of 1 kg of dry corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure generated 5.33, 6.20 and 5.66 Nm3 of flue gas, respectively, compared to 8.34 Nm3 for coal. Simulation showed that gasification of 1 kg of dried corn stover, distiller grains and cattle manure at 850 °C and ER of 0.3 generated 2.02, 2.37 and 1.44 Nm3 dry syngas at a heating value of about 4.5 MJ/Nm3, compared to 3.52 Nm3 at 5.8 MJ/Nm3 for coal. The molecular ratio of H2 to CO in the biomass-derived syngas was close to 1.0, compared to about 0.5 for the coal-derived syngas.
Sources of Intellectual Inefficiency.

This study examined the relationships among IQ, education, and intra-subtest scatter on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale in a sample of schizophrenic patients. It was predicted that scatter would be greatest in Ss having high IQ and low educational level and in those having a low IQ and high educational level. Results failed to support these hypotheses, but indicated that Comprehension, Similarities, and Vocabulary subtest scores of high-IQ Ss had significantly more scatter than those of low-IQ Ss. Also, Ss of high educational level showed significantly more scatter on Information than Ss of low educational level. The implications of these results were discussed in terms of possible response patterns of Ss high in IQ and education.
General expression for laser beam spreading

ABSTRACTAtmospheric turbulence effects on laser beam propagation have been limited to the cases of very shortexposure in the near -field and far -field and to the case of very long exposure. However for typical valuesof wavelength, aperture diameter, and pathlength, the Fresnel number can be on the order of unity. Thus neither the near- nor far -field condition is appropriate. In addition, pulse duration times can range fromnonoseconds to seconds, thus neither the short nor long exposure limit is, in general, applicable. Since the limiting conditions do not apply to typical scenarios, a general interpolation expression for laser beamspreading, valid for arbitrary values of the Fresnel number and pulse duration, has been developed. This expression gives the proper limiting results in the near- and far -field, short exposure cases and longexposure case and entirely reasonable results in the intermediate cases.IntroductionCalculations of laser beam spreading due to atmospheric turbulence have been previously limited io thecases of the short exposure limit in the near -field and far -field and the long exposure limit. Fried
Maternal Attitudes and the Non‐Achievement Syndrome

This study investigated the relationship between the mother-child relationship and academic achievement. The population consisted of 45 male achievers and underachievers from a local suburban high school and their mothers. The nature of the mother-child relationship was measured by the Mother—Child Relationship Evaluation. Generally it was found that mothers of achievers were more accepting of their children than were mothers of underachievers. Further, achievers and underachievers differed in the ability to perceive accurately the maternal attitudes. These findings were interpreted in terms of the etiology of underachievement as described by Roth and Meyersburg in the Non-Achievement Syndrome. These dynamics involve maternal rejection and the attempts of the underachiever to maintain a dependent relationship with the parents, and the avoidance of adolescent independence via underachievement.
Protein kinase Cγ mediates ethanol withdrawal hyper-responsiveness of NMDA receptor currents in spinal cord motor neurons

1 The present studies were designed to test the hypothesis that neuronal-specific protein kinase Cγ (PKCγ) plays a critical role in acute ethanol withdrawal hyper-responsiveness in spinal cord. 2 Patch-clamp studies were carried out in motor neurons in neonatal rat spinal cord slices. Postsynaptic currents were evoked by brief pulses of 2 mMN-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) in the presence of bicuculline methiodide 10 μM; strychnine 5 μM and tetrodotoxin 0.5 μM. 3 Both ethanol depression and withdrawal hyper-responsiveness of NMDA-evoked currents are dependent on increases in intracellular Ca2+. Blocking intracellular increase in Ca2+ by 30 mM 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) not only decreased the ethanol-induced depression of NMDA-evoked currents (33±5% in control vs 20±3% in BAPTA, P<0.05) but also eliminated acute ethanol withdrawal hyper-responsiveness. 4 Immunohistochemistry studies revealed that neonatal spinal cord motor neurons contain an abundance of nuclear PKCγ. 5 Exposure to ethanol (100 mM) induced PKCγ translocation from the nucleus to cytoplasm in motor neurons. Pretreatment with the γ-isozyme-specific peptide PKC inhibitor, γV5-3, blocked ethanol-induced translocation and also blocked withdrawal hyper-responsiveness. 6 The results show that PKCγ mediates ethanol withdrawal hyper-responsiveness in spinal motor neurons; the results may be relevant to some symptoms of ethanol withdrawal in vivo. British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 301–307. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706033
Fostering a Commitment to Social Action: How Talking, Thinking, and Feeling Make a Difference in Intergroup Dialogue

Intergroup dialogue is designed to foster commitment to action. This article analyzes papers written by students in 52 intergroup dialogue courses (N = 739) to test a theoretical model of how intergroup dialogue is expected to encourage frequency of acting to educate others and to collaborate with others. The theoretical model posits that dialogue pedagogy fosters distinctive communication processes, which influence psychological processes that, in turn, relate to action (Nagda, 2006; Sorensen, Nagda, Gurin, & Maxwell, 2009). Statistical analyses of the number of references to each of these concepts that were coded in the students’ papers provide substantial support for the model. Dialogue pedagogy, communication processes, and psychological processes all influenced how much students wrote about action, and the influence of these concepts conforms to the theoretical model. Results also show that educating others was written about more by students in race/ethnicity dialogues than in gender dialogues, at le...
Information flow between a workstation controller and its robotic sub-system

Abstract An analysis of information flow in a generalized machining workstation is presented. This includes the development of task-level commands by the workstation controller and the flow and interpretation of data through the workstation to the robot controller. The initial part of this work includes the development of a control scheme for an automated small-batch machining workstation. The data and physical interfaces are defined as well as the functional description. Based on this work, a modular, hierarchical control scheme is developed. A robotic sub-system model and command decomposition is then developed, and the information required for a task-planning robot function is analyzed.
Thermo-mechanical structure of the southern part of the Indian Shield and its relevance to Precambrian basin evolution

Abstract The thermal and mechanical structures of the southern part of the Precambrian Indian Shield have been estimated using available heat flow data and shear stress profiles from olivine rheology. These and other geological, geochronological and geophysical data including deep seismic studies (DSS) profiles of Proterozoic Cuddapah basin on South Indian Shield, are utilized to examine thermal models for the evolution of Precambrian intracratonic, platform basins on the Archean lithosphere of Indian Shield. Evidence of mantle perturbations and cycles of thermal events are documented to be important in the Cuddapah basin's evolution. Haxby et al.'s (1976) thermal model has been shown to explain the Cuddapah basin's flexuring and magnitude of subsidence.
A Historical Review of Ethnological and Archaeological Analyses of Mortuary Practice

Abstract For over a century, anthropologists have analyzed death-related phenomena to acquire knowledge concerning religion, social organization, and economic cooperation. There have been notable epistemological shifts in this inquiry by socioculturalanthropologists, with a “time lag” prior to concomitant archaeological shifts in explanation of similar phenomena. This article reviews many sociocultural and archaeological contributions to the development of a theory of mortuary practice. It is felt that although many advances in method have been made by modern archaeologists in terms of mortuary practice, they have been restricted by an exclusive British functionalist approach. Finally, it is suggested that incorporation of structuralist theory and examinations of the entire trajectory of death-related behavior may be an aid to archaeologists.
Failures in cognitive‐behavior therapy for children

This article discusses treatment failures in child therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and its disorders. The theoretical foundations and principles of CBT are discussed first, followed by a summary of the treatment outcome literature. Also discussed is how treatment failure is defined and gauged in CBT, as well as factors implicated in treatment failure. A case illustration highlights these factors, which resulted in the child not advancing positively in treatment. The article concludes with key practice recommendations.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Larval Shellfish Pathogen Vibrio tubiashii Type Strain ATCC 19109

ABSTRACT Vibrio tubiashii is a larval shellfish pathogen. Here, we report the first closed genome sequence for this species (ATCC type strain 19109), which consists of two chromosomes (3,294,490 and 1,766,582 bp), two megaplasmids (251,408 and 122,808 bp), and two plasmids (57,076 and 47,973 bp).
Selective facilitation of the serotonin1B receptor causes disorganization of thalamic afferents and barrels in somatosensory cortex of rat

Alteration of serotonin (5-HT) levels influences developing thalamocortical afferents (TCAs) in primary somatosensory cortex (SI) of rats and mice. The 5-HT(1B) receptor, present on TCAs during the first postnatal week, may be involved in these effects. The present study asked whether administration of 5-nonyloxytriptamine (NNT), a selective 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist, affects TCA organization in rat SI. Littermates were injected five times daily (5x/day), with either 0.1 mg/kg NNT or vehicle from birth to postnatal day 6 (P-6). Animals were killed on P-6, and their brains were processed for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), cytochrome oxidase (CO) histochemistry, cresyl violet, or demonstration of TCAs by placement of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3'' 3'-tetra-methylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Di-I) on thalamocortical radiations. At P-6, NNT treatment decreased 5-HT levels slightly compared with controls, although this difference was not statistically significant. In NNT-treated rats, the Di-I-labeled vibrissae-related pattern showed a range of effects, from fusion of patches related to mystacial vibrissae in treated animals to a less distinct vibrissae-related pattern in SI barrelfield compared with controls. Staining for CO and Nissl stain in layer IV of SI showed a similar range of abnormalities. These results indicate that the agonist action of NNT at the 5-HT(1B) receptor causes TCA disorganization in rat barrel field cortex in the absence of elevated 5-HT.
Nitrogen distribution within a sympodial branch of cotton

Abstract Although nitrogen (N) partitioning within the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plant has been documented, little is known about the distribution within a sympodial branch in relation to the development of individual bolls. Field studies were conducted on a Captina silt loam (Typic Fragiudults) to investigate the N distribution within a representative sympodial branch at main‐stem node 10. The dry matter, percentage N and total N were determined at 7‐day intervals during branch development for individual leaves, petioles, bolls, and the branch. The dry weight of the main‐stem leaf, and the first three sympodial leaves along the branch peaked at 21, 28, 35, and 42 days, respectively, which coincided with the time of maximum total‐N content. Peak N content for the main‐stem leaf was 63 mg, and declined progressively with 60% of the total N exported within 42 days. However, individual sympodial leaves exhibited only a slight decrease in total‐N content despite the increasing N requirement of the subten...
Thermal relaxation of lithium dendrites

The average lengths of lithium dendrites produced by charging symmetric Li0 batteries at various temperatures are matched by Monte Carlo computations dealing both with Li+ transport in the electrolyte and thermal relaxation of Li0 electrodeposits. We found that experimental (T) variations cannot be solely accounted by the temperature dependence of Li+ mobility in the solvent but require the involvement of competitive Li-atom transport from metastable dendrite tips to smoother domains over ΔE‡R ∼ 20 kJ mol−1 barriers. A transition state theory analysis of Li-atom diffusion in solids yields a negative entropy of activation for the relaxation process: ΔS‡R ≈ −46 J mol−1 K−1 that is consistent with the transformation of amorphous into crystalline Li0 electrodeposits. Significantly, our ΔE‡R ∼ 20 kJ mol−1 value compares favorably with the activation barriers recently derived from DFT calculations for self-diffusion on Li0(001) and (111) crystal surfaces. Our findings suggest a key role for the mobility of interfacial Li-atoms in determining the morphology of dendrites at temperatures above the onset of surface reconstruction: TSR ≈ 0.65 TMB (TMB = 453 K: the melting point of bulk Li0).
A simple technique to improve the AMSR-E spatial resolution at C-band

A simple method for improving the spatial resolution of the spaceborne microwave radiometer AMSR-E was proposed, based on the smoothing filter-based intensity modulation technique (SFIM), which is usually applied so as to enhance the Landsat Thematic Mapper resolution. This method was validated on two test areas characterized by the presence of relatively homogeneous vegetation, with rivers, open waters, urban, and coastlines, namely the Amazon River basin and the Victoria Lake in Africa. Finally, a test on northern Italy was carried out in order to improve the spatial resolution of soil moisture maps obtained at C-band.
Iron deposition in cranial bone marrow with sickle cell disease: MR assessment using a fat suppression technique

Thirteen patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) undergoing transfusion therapy and 8 control patients were examined by magnetic resonance imaging to discriminate bone marrow change due to iron deposition from hematologic marrow hyperplasia. Using T1-weighted spin echo images, only two subjects showed extremely low signal intensity marrow compatible with iron deposition. However, using T2-weighted fast spin echo images with fat suppression, cranial bone marrow in SCD patients with transfusion therapy showed considerably lower signal than that of controls. The main cause of marrow signal decrease in SCD patients with transfusion therapy was considered to be iron deposition due to repeated transfusion therapy rather than red marrow hyperplasia.
Modeling of neutral plasma in a divertor in the fluid-kinetic transition

The neutrals in a tokamak divertor in the so-called “detached” mode of operation may be in a kinetic regime (long mean free path) in some regions and in a fluid regime (short mean free path) elsewhere. For example, a kinetic description is necessary in the thin ionization front, while the cold neutrals in front of the divertor plate are adequately described by fluid equations. The paper describes a way to model this by coupling existing Monte Carlo neutral transport and plasma fluid codes. This is explored with a simple analytical model.
Cognitive and Everyday Functioning in Older and Younger Adults With and Without HIV

The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine cognitive performance differences in older and younger adults with and without HIV, and (2) determine if such differences were related to a laboratory measure of instrumental activities of daily living. Ninety-eight HIV-positive (69 younger, 29 older) and 103 HIV-negative (84 younger, 19 older) adults were evaluated on a number of cognitive measures. Controlling for a number of confounders, age by HIV status interactions were found on two cognitive measures, indicating poorer cognitive performance for those aging with HIV. Poorer performance on these cognitive measures corresponded with poorer performance on the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living test. These findings suggest that as adults age with HIV, they may be at risk for cognitive declines that would impair their ability to engage in activities important for maintaining independent living.
Spectral Embedding Based Probabilistic Boosting Tree (ScEPTre): Classifying High Dimensional Heterogeneous Biomedical Data

The major challenge with classifying high dimensional biomedical data is in identifying the appropriate feature representation to (a) overcome the curse of dimensionality, and (b) facilitate separation between the data classes. Another challenge is to integrate information from two disparate modalities, possibly existing in different dimensional spaces, for improved classification. In this paper, we present a novel data representation, integration and classification scheme, Spectral Embedding based Probabilistic boosting Tree (ScEPTre), which incorporates Spectral Embedding (SE) for data representation and integration and a Probabilistic Boosting Tree classifier for data classification. SE provides an alternate representation of the data by non-linearly transforming high dimensional data into a low dimensional embedding space such that the relative adjacencies between objects are preserved. We demonstrate the utility of ScEPTre to classify and integrate Magnetic Resonance (MR) Spectroscopy (MRS) and Imaging (MRI) data for prostate cancer detection. Area under the receiver operating Curve (AUC) obtained via randomized cross validation on 15 prostate MRI-MRS studies suggests that (a) ScEPTre on MRS significantly outperforms a Haar wavelets based classifier, (b) integration of MRI-MRS via ScEPTre performs significantly better compared to using MRI and MRS alone, and (c) data integration via ScEPTre yields superior classification results compared to combining decisions from individual classifiers (or modalities).
Blind Separation of Delayed and Convolved Sources

We address the difficult problem of separating multiple speakers with multiple microphones in a real room. We combine the work of Torkkola and Amari, Cichocki and Yang, to give Natural Gradient information maximisation rules for recurrent (IIR) networks, blindly adjusting delays, separating and deconvolving mixed signals. While they work well on simulated data, these rules fail in real rooms which usually involve non-minimum phase transfer functions, not-invertible using stable IIR filters. An approach that sidesteps this problem is to perform infomax on a feedforward architecture in the frequency domain (Lambert 1996). We demonstrate real-room separation of two natural signals using this approach.
PHOSPHATE NUTRITION OF THE AQUATIC AGIOSPERM, MYRIOPHYLLUM EXALBESCENS FERN1

Growth and tissue phosphorus concentrations were measured in algal-free Myriophyllum exalbescens Fern. plants grown in nutrient solutions with phosphate maintained at concentrations from 0.1–100 µm. No major growth differences were observed over 5 weeks. Tissue phosphorus concentrations (dry-wt basis) ranged from 0.062–1.38% with no apparent signs of phosphorus deficiency or toxicity. This species can store large quantities of phosphorus which it then uses when external sources are low. A method is described for obtaining algal-free vegetative segments of M. exalbescens based on a difference in tolerance to sodium hypochlorite between it and algae.
The Public Pension Quadrilemma: The Intersection of Investment Risk and Contribution Risk

Pension plans for state and local government employees seek to achieve four main financing goals: maintain sufficient funds to pay benefits; keep contribution costs low for sponsoring governments and employees; stabilize contributions from year to year, to assist in budgeting; and stabilize costs from generation to generation, a precept known as intergenerational equity. Pension plan stakeholders generally believe that as an article of faith, a plan can satisfy these goals with prudent management.
Gastric-type extremely well-differentiated adenocarcinoma arising in the blind pouch of a bypassed stomach, presenting as colonic pseudo-obstruction

Gastric carcinoma after gastric bypass is rare. Extremely well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (EWDA) of the stomach is a rare variant that has been mostly reported in Japan. We present a case of a 68-year-old man with EWDA arising in the bypassed stomach that presented as a colonic pseudo-obstruction (CPO). Several imaging, endoscopic and pathologic studies performed in the course of 2 months were non-diagnostic. An iatrogenic duodenal perforation during a diagnostic procedure led to an emergent exploratory laparotomy in which the dilated colonic segment was resected. Pathologic examination showed metastatic EWDA in the colonic wall. Post-operative complications led to the patient's demise. At autopsy the primary tumor was identified in the blind pouch of the bypassed stomach. A literature review on gastric EWDA and carcinomas arising in bypassed stomachs is discussed. EWDA of the stomach is rare, difficult to diagnose, and shows an aggressive clinical course discordant with its near-benign histology. Gastric cancer arising in a bypassed stomach is uncommon; when it occurs it is usually diagnosed at advanced stage. Surveillance of the blind pouch is not currently recommended. Malignant infiltration of the colonic wall should be included in the differential diagnosis of CPO of unclear etiology.
Effects of Free Stream Turbulence on the Viscous Flow Field of a Compressor Cascade.

Turbulence measurements have been made to document the flow through a linear compressor cascade with tip gap, with and without a turbulence generating grid upstream of the blade row. Measurements were made with and without a turbulence generating grid at 7 measurement locations to study the effects of the grid generated turbulence on the viscous flow regions. Measurements within the tip leakage vortex revealed that with the presence of grid generated turbulence, the size and strength of the tip leakage vortex has been increased. Effects of the grid on the turbulence field are highly complex, showing regions of increased and decreased turbulence levels. Measurements taken in the wake of the blades show turbulence levels decreasing in the presence of grid generated turbulence due to both inviscid and viscous effects. The inviscid effect is due to blade blocking whereby the velocity fluctuations normal to the surface of the blade are suppressed due to the non penetration condition. Viscous mixing and entrainment effects are seen at the edge of the wake, and are a result of the non-slip condition seen on the surface of the blades.
Experimental characterization of the effective propagation constant of dense random media

A new technique for measuring the effective propagation constant of dense random media is presented. This technique involves two major steps: (1) measurement of the mean bistatic scattered field of a cluster of the random medium confined in a spherical boundary and (2) characterization of the complex permittivity for a homogeneous dielectric sphere having identical radius and bistatic scattered field as those of the spherical cluster of the random medium. Using this measurement technique, not only the effective propagation constant of complex dense random media for which an analytical solution does not exist can be characterized, but it can also be used to establish the validity region of the existing models. The sensitivity analyses of the proposed algorithm show that the imaginary part of the effective propagation constant can be measured very accurately. It is also shown that the effective complex permittivity of media with very low dielectric contrast or volume fractions can be characterized accurately. Measurements of the effective propagation constant of different dense random media comprised of homogeneous spherical particles of different packing densities are reported and compared with the existing analytical models.
Microsatellite primers in the foundation tree species Pinus edulis and P. monophylla (Pinaceae).

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the foundational tree species Pinus edulis to investigate population differentiation of P. edulis and hybridization among closely related species. Methods and Results: Using a hybridization protocol, primer sets for 11 microsatellite loci were developed using megagametophyte tissue from P. edulis and scored for polymorphism in three populations of P. edulis and a single P. monophylla population. The primers amplified simple and compound di-, tri-, and pentanucleotide repeats with two to 18 alleles per locus. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the utility of the described primers for studies of population differentiation within and among P. edulis populations as well as across putative hybrid zones where P. edulis may coexist with sister species.
MMM-PHC: A Particle-Based Multi-Agent Learning Algorithm

Learning is one way to determine how agents should act, but learning in multi-agent systems is more difficult than in single-agent systems because other learning agents modify their behavior. We introduce a particle-based algorithm called MMM-PHC. MMM-PHC promotes convergence to Nash equilibria in matrix games using the ideas of maxim in strategies and partial commitment. Partial commitment is implemented by restricting policies to a simplex. Simulations show that MMM-PHC performs on a larger class of games than WoLFPHC.
Comprehensive Impact Assessment in Planning Education and a Course Syllabus

Impact assessment skills are used in a variety of ways in planning practice, reflecting expansion in society's concern with externalities associated with growth and development, improved methods for predicting impacts, and wider acceptance of impact mitigation as a goal of growth management. This article reviews the status of impact assessment in planning pedagogy and describes a new way of teaching this subject. At present, few planning education programs address development impact assessment in a comprehensive way. Instead, most curricula either have courses dedicated to teaching methods related to a few categories of impacts, such as environmental or fiscal, or treat impact assessment in passing in courses that cover broader subjects. Here I argue that a comprehensive impact assessment course can have several advantages, and I present the design of such a course and report on initial classroom experience with it. The course combines instruction on causal relationships between characteristics of the bui...
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Env7 Is a Novel Serine/Threonine Kinase 16-Related Protein Kinase and Negatively Regulates Organelle Fusion at the Lysosomal Vacuole

Membrane fusion depends on conserved components and is responsible for organelle biogenesis and vesicular trafficking. Yeast vacuoles are dynamic structures analogous to mammalian lysosomes. We report here that yeast Env7 is a novel palmitoylated protein kinase ortholog that negatively regulates vacuolar membrane fusion. Microscopic and biochemical studies confirmed the localization of tagged Env7 at the vacuolar membrane and implicated membrane association via the palmitoylation of its N-terminal Cys13 to -15. In vitro kinase assays established Env7 as a protein kinase. Site-directed mutagenesis of the Env7 alanine-proline-glutamic acid (APE) motif Glu269 to alanine results in an unstable kinase-dead allele that is stabilized and redistributed to the detergent-resistant fraction by interruption of the proteasome system in vivo. Palmitoylation-deficient Env7C13-15S is also kinase dead and mislocalizes to the cytoplasm. Microscopy studies established that env7Δ is defective in maintaining fragmented vacuoles during hyperosmotic response and in buds. ENV7 function is not redundant with a similar role of vacuolar membrane kinase Yck3, as the two do not share a substrate, and ENV7 is not a suppressor of yck3Δ. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses strongly support ENV7 as an ortholog of the gene encoding human STK16, a Golgi apparatus protein kinase with undefined function. We propose that Env7 function in fusion/fission dynamics may be conserved within the endomembrane system.
Effect on Performance of Composition of Li-Ion Carbon Anodes Derived from PMAN/DVB Copolymers

The effects on electrochemical performance of the nitrogen content of disordered carbons derived from polymethacryonitrile (PMAN)-divinylbenzene (DVB) copolymers were examined in galvanostatic cycling tests between 2 V and 0.01 V vs. Li/Li+ in lM LiPF 6 /ethylene carbonate (EC)-dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The first-cycle reversible capacities and coulombic efficiencies increased with increase in the level of nitrogen for samples prepared at 700°C. However, the degree of fade also increased. Similar tests were performed on materials that were additionally heated at 1,000° and 1,300°C for five hours. Loss of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen occurred under these conditions, with none remaining at the highest temperature in all cases but one. The pyrolysis temperature dominated the electrochemical performance for these samples, with lower reversible and irreversible capacities for the first intercalation cycle as the pyrolysis temperature was increased. Fade was reduced and coulombic efficiencies also improved with increase in temperate. The large irreversible capacities and high fade of these materials makes them unsuitable for use in Li-ion cells.
The effect of memory load on cortical activity in the spatial working memory circuit.

Accumulating evidence from electrophysiology and neuroimaging studies suggests that spatial working memory is subserved by a network of frontal and parietal regions. In the present study, we parametrically varied the memory set size (one to four spatial locations) of a delayed-response task and applied time-resolved fMRI to study the influence of memory load upon the spatial working memory circuit. Our behavioral results showed that performance deteriorates (lower accuracy and longer reaction time) as memory load increases. Memory load influenced cortical activity during the cue, delay, and response phases of the delayed-response task. Although delay-related activity in many regions increased with increasing memory load, it also was significantly reduced in the middle frontal gyrus and frontal eye fields and leveled off in the parietal areas when memory load increased further. Delayrelated activity in the left posterior parietal cortex was also lower during the error trials, in comparison with the correct trials. Our findings indicate that the delay period activity in the spatial working memory circuit is load sensitive and that the attenuation of this signal is the neural manifestation of performance limitation in the face of excessive memory load.
Early pragmatic language difficulties in siblings of children with autism: Implications for DSM-5 Social Communication Disorder?

Background We evaluated early pragmatic language skills in preschool-age siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and examined correspondence between pragmatic language impairments and general language difficulties, autism symptomatology, and clinical outcomes.
Ultra-compact imaging spectrometer for remote, in situ, and microscopic planetary mineralogy

The ultra-compact imaging spectrometer is a miniature imaging spectrometer that has been designed for compatibility with operation in a Martian environment. The spectrometer can be mated to a variety of front optics, both telescopic and microscopic. With a miniature telescope, it can serve as a rover mast instrument that surveys the surrounding area from a distance of ∼1 m to infinity and produces full spectral data (500 to 2500 nm) of a wide panoramic scene in order to find the most mineralogically promising targets for further analysis and for directing subsequent rover activities. With a microscopic front lens, it can serve as an analytical tool for determining types of minerals in a rock and their spatial relations at a scale of tens of micrometers in order to make detailed interpretations of geological history. A realization of the instrument, adapted for operation in the Earth’s atmosphere, has been produced and tested both in the laboratory and in the field. The results prove the ability of the instrument to detect and map minerals of interest in both modes of operation.
Individual and Situational Factors Related to the Experience of Flow in Adolescence

A fundamental issue pursued by researchers in positive psychology involves defining what constitutes a good life and understanding how individuals can create one. From the perspective of flow theory, “a good life is one that is characterized by complete absorption in what one does” (Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi in Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford, New York, 2002). Born out of a desire to understand intrinsically motivated activity, flow refers to a state of optimal experience characterized by total absorption in the task at hand: a merging of action and awareness in which the individual loses track of both time and self, The flow state is experientially positive, and out of the flow experience emerges a desire to replicate the experience. Over the past three decades, Csikszentmihalyi and colleagues have developed theoretical constructs and empirical research tools to better understand the nature, origins, and consequences of this state of optimal experience called flow. In this chapter, we describe the flow model and then present data analyses in which we explore the personal traits and contextual conditions associated with the experience of flow among adolescents in the United States. We demonstrate the utility of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) for exploring flow using a complex data set characterized by repeated measures.
Abundance of a Native Moth Homoeosoma electellum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Activity of Indigenous Parasitoids in Native and Agricultural Sunflower Habitats

Insect herbivores have been assumed to be more abundant in agricultural habitats than in native habitats; however, this hypothesis is rarely tested explicitly by comparing field populations of domesticated plants and their wild ancestors. This study examined the abundance of the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst), and its parasitism by natural enemies in agricultural and native sunflower habitats. Nutrient levels and plant population factors in the two habitat types were measured to identify factors associated with the patterns of herbivory and parasitism. Adult male and larval H. electellum were consistently more abundant in agricultural habitats. In contrast, parasitism of H. electellum was 6–10 times higher in native sunflower habitats than in agricultural habitats. Also, fewer parasitoid species were found in agricultural habitats, and parasitism by individual parasitoid species was reduced by 90%. Larval densities per flower head were higher on agricultural plants, but parasitoids failed to respond to the higher densities. The relationship between flower age and larval infestation differed between agricultural and wild flowers; larval age tracked agricultural flower age, but on wild flowers, larvae moved from older to younger flowers. Among the three nutrients sampled, only nitrogen was positively correlated with habitat differences. These results indicate that patterns of trophic interactions varied by habitat type and were related to plant phenotypic changes and environmental habitat factors such as crop domestication, nitrogen fertilization, and plant phenology.
Intrinsic mineralization defect in Hyp mouse osteoblasts

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is caused by inactivating mutations of PEX, an endopeptidase of uncertain function. This defect is shared by Hyp mice, the murine homologue of the human disease, in ...
A Cellular Automata Model for Nitriding of Nanocrystalline Iron

In this study, a numerical model was developed to investigate the effects of grain refinement on the efficiency of nitrogen diffusion during the nitriding process. A cellular automata (CA) model without considering the effects of grain boundaries was built to simulate the nitriding process. The results from the numerical model were compared and validated by experimental data in the literature. Then, nanoscale grain boundaries were integrated into this CA model. The nitriding efficiency in materials with different grain sizes was investigated. The results demonstrate that nanocrystallization can significantly increase the nitrogen diffusion efficiency and thus make low temperature (300°C) nitriding possible.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
THE ROLE OF DIELECTRIC CONTINUUM MODELS IN ELECTRON TRANSFER: THEORETICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS.

Condensed phase physical and chemical processes generally involve interactions covering a wide range of distance scales, from short-range molecular interactions requiring orbital overlap to long-range coulombic interaction between local sites of excess charge (positive or negative monopoles). Intermediate-range distances pertain to higher-order multipolar as well as inductive and dispersion interactions. Efforts to model such condensed phase phenomena typically involve a multi-tiered strategy in which quantum mechanics is employed for full electronic structural characterization of a site of primary interest (e.g., a molecular solute or cluster), while more remote sites are treated at various classical limits (e.g., a molecular force field for discrete solvent molecules or a dielectric continuum (DC) model, if the solute is charged or has permanent multipole moments). In particular, DC models have been immensely valuable in modeling chemical reactivity and spectroscopy in media of variable polarity. Simple DC models account qualitatively for many important trends in the solvent dependence of reaction free energies, activation free energies, and optical excitation energies, and many results of semiquantitative or fully quantitative significance in comparison with experiment have been obtained, especially when detailed quantum chemical treatment of the solute is combined self consistently with DC treatment of the solvent (e.g., as more » in the currently popular PCM (polarized continuum model) approaches). « less
Resilient Sealing Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

This report describes the development of ''invert'' glass compositions designed for hermetic seals in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Upon sealing at temperatures compatible with other SOFC materials (generally {le}900 C), these glasses transform to glass-ceramics with desirable thermo-mechanical properties, including coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) over 11 x 10{sup -6}/C. The long-term (>four months) stability of CTE under SOFC operational conditions (e.g., 800 C in wet forming gas or in air) has been evaluated, as have weight losses under similar conditions. The dependence of sealant properties on glass composition are described in this report, as are experiments to develop glass-matrix composites by adding second phases, including Ni and YSZ. This information provides design-guidance to produce desirable sealing materials.
Thermal Stratification in Simulations of Warm Climates: A Climatology Using Saturation Potential Vorticity

AbstractThe spatial and temporal distribution of stable and convectively neutral air masses is examined in climate simulations with carbon dioxide levels spanning from modern-day values to very high levels that produce surface temperatures relevant to the hottest climate of the past 65 million years. To investigate how stability with respect to slantwise and upright moist convection changes across a wide range of climate states, the condition of moist convective neutrality in climate experiments is assessed using metrics based upon the saturation of potential vorticity, which is zero when temperature profiles are moist adiabatic profiles along vortex lines. The modern climate experiment reproduces previously reported properties from reanalysis data, in which convectively neutral air masses are common in the tropics and locally at higher latitudes, especially over midlatitude continents in summer and ocean storm tracks in winter. The frequency and coverage of air masses with higher stabilities declines in ...
Urbanization and Political Participation: The Case of Japan*

Research has shown that place of residence (urban-rural) has an ambiguous influence on political participation. Japan is one of several major nations in which rural people participate politically more than their urban counterparts. An analysis of urban-rural political attitudes in Japan shows some of the roots of the tendencies in participation. While urban residents are more psychologically involved in national politics, they also tend toward greater pessimism and have lower feelings of the vote being a duty than do their rural counterparts. In contrast, rural voters are highly dutiful in orientation, as well as being strongly involved in local politics and more concerned than urban residents about having their political needs represented. A Coleman effect parameter analysis of the urban-rural attitudes and political participation shows that the attitudes do in fact account for differences in political participation in local politics. But the attitudinal tendencies are less important for national political participation, and it is possible that the older social influence interpretation of Japanese urban-rural differences is most applicable to sectoral trends in this case.
Low Energy Electron Attachment to the Adenosine Site of DNA

To evaluate the role of adenosine in low energy electron (LEE) induced DNA strand breaks, theoretical investigations of the LEE attachment induced C-O σ bonds and N-glycosidic bond breaking of 2'-deoxyadenosine-3',5'-diphosphate (3',5'-dAMP) were performed at the B3LYP/DZP++ level of theory. The results indicate that, although adenine-rich oligonucleotides are capable of capturing the near 0 eV electron to form the electronically stable radical anions in the gas phase, it is unlikely to undergo either C-O σ bond cleavage or the glycosidic processes due to the low electron detachment energy (VDE) of 3',5'-dADP(-) unit (0.26 eV). Instead, these radical anions should directly yield an electron detachment product in the gas phase. In the presence of polarizable surroundings, due to the large increase of the electron detachment energy (VDE increases to 1.59 eV), the adenine-centered radical anions could directly lead to strand breaks in the adenine-rich DNA single strands through either σ bond or N-glycosidic bond breaking. The values of activation energy for rupture of the C(5')-O(5') σ bond (22.5 kcal/mol), the N-glycosidic bond (20.2 kcal/mol), and the C(3')-O(3') σ bond (13.2 kcal/mol) indicate that C(3')-O(3') σ bond breaking should dominate. Moreover, along with the previous research, the predicted ratio of the activation energy barrier of the C(5')-O(5') σ bond breakage in 3',5'-dXDP(-) (X = G, A, T) partly explains the observation in the femtosecond time-resolved laser spectroscopic experiment that the C(5')-O(5') σ bond breaking only occurs in dGMP(-) and dTMP(-) not in dAMP(-). This study completes the series of LEE-induced DNA single strand breaking investigations for the four basic DNA units 3',5'-dXDP (X = G, A, T, C). The obtained results are vital for elucidating the experimental observations. Combined with the previous studies, the information revealed in this study is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of the interactions between the LEE and the DNA stands.
Self-initiated helping behaviors and recovery in severe mental illness: Implications for work, volunteerism, and peer support.

Objective Despite recent interest in peer support workers in recovery-oriented services, little is known about how helping behaviors may affect recovery from severe mental illness outside of formal peer support roles. The current study is a mixed-methods approach to understanding naturalistic helping behaviors and their relationship with recovery outcomes among persons with serious mental illness. Methods Forty-six participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders completed a narrative interview and standardized measures of recovery, symptoms, hope, patient activation, quality of life, medication adherence, insight, and illness management. Interviews were coded using emergent, thematic analysis. The study compared individuals who (unprompted) mentioned helping behaviors in their interview to those who did not on recovery-related outcomes. Results Sixteen participant narratives (35%) described self-initiated helping behaviors. Themes included a desire to tell others their story, teach others recovery-promoting skills, become a peer support worker, give back to society, and be more active family members. Those who discussed helping others in narrative interviews scored significantly higher on measures of recovery, illness management, patient activation, hope, quality of life, medication adherence, and insight and scored significantly lower on measures of overall symptoms, as well as negative, positive, and cognitive symptoms, than did those who did not discuss helping behaviors. The groups did not differ on hostility or emotional discomfort symptoms. Conclusions and implications for practice Findings indicate associations between helping others and improved scores on measures of recovery outcomes. Potential implications include focusing on meaningful work/volunteerism and expanding roles for peer support in recovery-oriented services.