cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information Gathering: A Critical Step for Quality in the Design Process

Information gathering is a critical step in the product design process. Designers should collect information to adequately define the problem, generate appropriate alternative solutions, and analyze, evaluate, and select the best solution to meet custom..
Reflective Writing: A Potential Tool to Improve Interprofessional Teamwork with Radiologists.

Rationale and Objectives Studies show that problems with interprofessional collaboration can result in adverse patient outcomes. These problems are common in the field of radiology, where technology has decreased opportunities for direct communication and collaboration with referring physicians. To our knowledge, critical reflection has not been studied as an intervention to better understand one's own and/or others' roles in the context of an interprofessional team, or more specifically, to improve interprofessional collaboration between radiologists and other physicians. Materials and Methods We trialed a reflective journaling assignment in our fourth year medical student general radiology elective. Student journal content was scored by percentage of comments reflecting on elective experiences versus recounting events. Content was categorized as “reflection” using an established measurement tool. Reflective content was evaluated to identify common themes. Results A total of 31 journals (178 entries and 26,749 words) were analyzed. Reflective content accounted for 43% of overall content and was subdivided into three categories: insight into one's own role and responsibilities as an ordering physician (20%), insight into a radiologist's role and responsibilities (12%), and thoughts on improving interprofessional collaboration with radiologists (11%). Conclusions Reflective writing allows students to explore their own role and responsibilities in the context of an interprofessional team and may improve interprofessional teamwork with radiologists.
Electron Transfer Around Photosystem I in Cyanobacterial Heterocyst Membranes

Cyanobacteria are unique amongst the prokaryotes in possessing a higher plant—type of photosynthesis, with two photosystems linked in series. The heterocyst is a specialized cell type occurring in some filamentous strains at a frequency of 5–10%, and is the site of N 2 — fixation under aerobic conditions. During differentiation of the heterocyst, the O 2 -evolving PSII is lost and cyclic electron transfer around PSI predomi nates. The absence of PSII reaction centres and the diminished levels of accessory pigments give membranes isolated from heterocysts excellent properties for spectroscopic studies. Soluble components such as plastocyanin, cytochrome c -553 and PSI acceptors, washed from the membranes during isolation, may be selectively reconstituted. Additionally, the presence of an endogenous uptake hydrogenase which can be utilized experimentally to reduce the plastoquinone pool and the electron transfer chain, make heterocyst membranes a useful system in which to study cyclic electron flow.
Sums (and Differences) of Matrices

It is common in such areas of statistics as linear statistical models and Bayesian statistics to encounter matrices of the form R + STU, where the dimensions (number of rows and/or number of columns) of T are small relative to those of R and where R and possibly T are diagonal matrices or are of some other form that, for example, makes them easy to “invert.” Typically, there is a need to find the determinant, ordinary or generalized inverse, or rank of a matrix of this form and/or to solve a linear system having a coefficient matrix of this form. This chapter includes (in Sections 18.1a, 18.2d–e, and 18.5a) formulas that can be very useful in such a situation. It also includes (in the remainder of Sections 18.1, 18.2, and 18.5 and in Section 18.3) a wide variety of relatively basic results (having a myriad of applications in statistics) on the determinants, ordinary or generalized inverses, and ranks of sums, differences, or linear combinations of matrices and on the solution of a linear system whose coefficient matrix is a sum of matrices.
Transcription initiation region of the srfA operon, which is controlled by the comP-comA signal transduction system in Bacillus subtilis.

srfA is an operon required for the production of the lipopeptide antibiotic surfactin, competence development, and efficient sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. The expression of srfA is induced after the end of exponential growth and is dependent on the products of late-growth regulatory genes comP, comA, and spo0K. To begin to understand the mechanism of srfA regulation, the srfA promoter region was identified and characterized. To examine srfA promoter activity, the srfA promoter was fused to lacZ and inserted into the B. subtilis chromosome as a single copy at the SP beta prophage. The location of the transcription start site of srfA was determined by primer extension analysis and shown to be preceded by a sequence that resembles the consensus promoter recognized by the sigma A form of RNA polymerase. The srfA operon was found to have a sequence corresponding to a long, untranslated leader region of the srfA mRNA (300 bp). A nucleotide sequence and mutational analysis of the promoter identified a region of dyad symmetry required for srfA-lacZ expression. A similar sequence is found in the region upstream of the degQ promoter, transcription from which is also regulated by ComA. This region of dyad symmetry found upstream of these promoters may be the target for ComA-dependent transcriptional activation. Images
An Analysis of the Vegetation within the FAU Preserve as a Basis for Management of Scrub Habitat for Gopherus polyphemus

In Florida, urbanization has caused habitat fragmentation coupled with a major decline in the available habitat for native species. Native scrublands are of particular concern as they are deemed priority habitat by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Florida Atlantic University’s Ecological Preserve—home to a keystone species, the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)— is a prime example of such a fragmented, degraded scrub habitat. Our research focused on how fragmentation affected habitat suitability, as determined by the distribution of tortoise burrows in the preserve. We found significant correlations between higher burrow densities and minimal (< 50 %) shrub and canopy cover. Burrow densities were also higher in areas of greater herbaceous cover and organic soil content. These correlations were in agreement with previous findings reported in the literature. However, 23% of the preserve area was covered with invasive vines that, unless controlled, could further degrade the habitat. Our data suggest how a plan could be developed and implemented for the better management of gopher tortoises in the FAU Preserve.
Area-efficient and low-power implementation of vision chips using multi-level mixed-mode processing

Miniaturized low-power implementation of a vision system is critical in battery-operated systems such as wireless sensor network (WSN), micro-air-vehicles (MAV), and mobile phones. Conventional digital-intensive processing uses the raw image with huge redundancy which degrades the power and speed. This paper reports multi-level mixed-mode processing schemes for efficient VLSI implementation in terms of power, area and speed. In this approach, the processing is distributed in pixel-level, column-level and chip-level processors. Each processor operates in mixed-mode, analog and digital, domains for an optimal use of resources. Three vision chips have been designed and characterized to show the effectiveness of this approach. First, motion detection and feature extraction are implemented in an object-adaptive CMOS image sensor to remove temporal and spatial redundancies for low power operation. Second, a neuromorphic algorithm is implemented for optic flow generation in mixed-mode circuits. Event-driven analog processing units allow low power operation of pre-processing, while the digital processor provides the robustness of backend processing. Finally, background light subtraction is implemented in a 3-D camera for outdoors mobile applications. The reconfigurable pixel array implemented by pixel-merging and super-resolution could achieve faster processing and better background light suppression.
Photoproduction at high energies

Some excellent conference reviews on photoproduction and related subjects have been published [l] at the end of 1969, and we do not attempt to reassess the field. The present summary aims to cover only new preprints (and there have been many!) which have been circulated during the period January 1 to April 30, 1970. The preprints reviewed are listed alphabetically at the end of this review. The preprints were selected from the SLAC List in Particles and Fields. Some arbitrary cuts had to be imposed and in this review we shall discuss papers relating to photoproduction on nucleons at energies above 2 GeV. Photoproduction on nuclear targets and electroproduction are discussed only when the results apply directly to the scope of this summary. The vector-dominance model (VDM) is discussed also only with regard to photoproduction processes. Clearly, the nature of this presentation is such that many important subjects have been omitted, and others are discussed in more detail than they may deserve. In sect. 2 we state some new experimental results and related theoretical analyses of vector mesons photoproduction. Sect. 3 deals with the photoproduction of pseudoscalars and in sect. 4 we review recent contributions on VDM. Some general remarks are summarized in sect. 5.
Abdominal wall lift versus carbon dioxide insufflation for laparoscopic resection of ovarian tumors

Abstract Study Objective: To evaluate and compare changes in pulmonary mechanics and stress hormone responses between abdominal wall lift (gasless) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) insufflation laparoscopic surgery during controlled general anesthesia. Design: Prospective, randomized clinical study. Setting: Operating rooms at a university medical center. Patients: 12 ASA physical status I and II female patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of ovarian tumors. Interventions: Patients were divided into two groups of six each: the abdominal wall lift group and the CO 2 pneumoperitoneum laparoscopic group. Following induction of anesthesia, patients were paralyzed and the trachea was intubated. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in oxygen. Throughout the procedure, patients were mechanically ventilated with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and a respiratory rate of 10 breaths per minute. Measurements and Main Results: During the laparoscopic procedure, arterial blood gases, acid-base balance, pulmonary mechanics, stress-related hormones, and urine output were measured and recorded. In the CO 2 pneumoperitoneum group, arterial CO 2 tension increased (p 2 pneumoperitoneum group than in the abdominal wall lift group. Conclusions: Abdominal wall lift laparoscopic surgery is physiologically superior to CO 2 pneumoperitoneum laparoscopic surgery as seen during the conditions of this study. Abdominal wall lift laparoscopic surgery provides normal acid-base balance and a lesser degree of hormonal stress responses, it maintains urine output, and it avoids derangement of pulmonary mechanics.
Characterizing vertical contaminant distribution in a thick unconfined aquifer, Hanford site, Washington, USA

Drilling-intensive aquifer characterization techniques have been used to obtain depth-discrete water samples from a thick, hydrogeologically continuous unconfined aquifer system; groundwater results indicate that carbon tetrachloride contamination is widespread and extends deeper and at concentrations much higher than detected in monitoring networks at the water table. Carbon tetrachloride, a legacy waste, was used in the plutonium extraction process at the Hanford site in south-central Washington State. Vertical, depth-discrete groundwater samples were collected during well drilling throughout a 28-km2 region to determine the concentration of carbon tetrachloride present as a dissolved phase in the aquifer. Results indicate that high concentrations of carbon tetrachloride, three orders of magnitude above the allowable regulatory limit, are present at depths greater than 25 m beneath the water table. In support of future efforts to remediate the carbon tetrachloride contamination, it is imperative to locate the remaining chemical inventory, determine the vertical as well as the lateral distribution of this contaminant and its physical form. Depth-discrete aquifer characterization throughout the uppermost-unconfined aquifer system is providing this information and improving the understanding of the contaminant distribution and the hydrogeologic framework through which it moves.
IgG response in guinea pigs to Trichinella spiralis infection

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using excretory-secretory antigens was developed to study the dynamics of the IgG antibody response to varying levels of Trichinella spiralis infection in the guinea pig. Four groups of four Hartley guinea pigs each were infected with 1250, 250, 50 or 10 T. spiralis infective muscle larvae. They were bled every 15 days for 6 months and the IgG antibody response determined by ELISA. The time of seroconversion was dose dependent as the larger the dose, the earlier the response occured. Significant differences in antibody response between the dose groups were evident at 30 days post-infection (P < 0.05). Beyond 60 days post-infection, the response was similar in the four groups. The antibody response in the groups infected with 250 and 50 infective larvae was similar, but was significantly different from that of the high (1250) and low (10) dose groups from 30 days post-infection (P < 0.01). Once seroconversion occured, the antibody titer rose to the same level, irrespective of the initial dose. To compare the antibody response according to muscle larvae recovered, the guinea pigs were grouped into four categories: less than 10 larvae; 10–25 larvae, 50–80 larvae, greater than 100 larvae. A significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) was observed at 60 days post-infection when these groups were compared.
Acquisition and extinction of facilitation in the C57BL/6J mouse.

Acquisition, extinction, and transfer of facilitation were explored in a series of experiments with C57BL/6J mice. With a procedure in which an auditory target was followed by food only in the presence of a visual facilitator, Experiments 1—4 showed that the facilitator promoted magazine entries to the auditory target. This enhancement effect was eliminated by training the facilitator as a conditioned inhibitor (Experiments 1 and 3B). Enhancement was also reduced by nonreinforced presentations of the facilitator in a discrimination procedure (Experiment 1) and by simple nonreinforcement of the facilitator (Experiments 2, 3A, and 4). In contrast to the results obtained with a facilitator, simple nonreinforcement of an inhibitor, a visual cue that had signaled when an auditory target would not be reinforced, did not reduce its ability to modulate responding to that target (Experiment 4). However, both the facilitator and the inhibitor were found to transfer their modulatory effects to other targets (Experiment 4). Finally, mice demonstrated no evidence of differential responding on a biconditional discrimination procedure in which one auditory target (A1) was reinforced in the presence of one visual stimulus (L1) but not in the presence of another (L2), and a different auditory target (A2) was reinforced in L2 but not in L1 (Experiment 5). The implications of these results for analysis of the function of a facilitator are discussed.
Building the evidence base for safe and active bicycling: an historical commentary on Rivara et al: epidemiology of bicycle injuries and risk factors for serious injury

It has been 17 years since Rivara et al 1 published their manuscript on the “Epidemiology of bicycle injuries and risk factors for serious injury”. The authors reported on crash circumstances and preventive measures. Using data from their seminal case–control study on bicycle helmet effectiveness, the study reported on crash circumstances, helmet use and injury outcomes to identify prevention opportunities. This study was part of a broader intellectual effort to engage rigorous epidemiological science in the gritty real-world work of injury prevention: identifying modifiable crash risk factors,1 measuring helmet effectiveness2 and putting this knowledge to work in a large controlled community campaign.3 The work of Rivara et al is important for its contributions …
Why Cognitive Grammar Works in the L2 Classroom: A Case Study of Mood Selection in Spanish.

This paper presents a series of experiments that tested the usefulness of teaching Spanish mood using an approach to Cognitive Grammar specifically developed for the foreign language classroom: Operational Grammar. Mood selection is one of the most difficult aspects of learning Spanish as a FL, and it is one of the last features acquired. It is unquestionably complex, involving issues of subordination, alternation, and speaker’s communicative intent. This complexity has been amplified by the traditional approach to mood, which has changed little over the last 50 years. The alternative presented here sees language as a symbolic representation of the speaker’s mental model of the world. Grammar is closely linked to this model as the tool used in class to help learners communicate meaning through form. This enables them to understand how native speakers choose to communicate. Language, then, portrays an outcome of the speaker’s own selection, guided by communicative intent and not as part of a taxonomic set of rules. The empirical study showed that the combination of a cognitive approach to mood with a Processing Instruction methodology had positive effects on how the students identified mood selection in both input and output learning situations.
Comparison of measured and calculated permeabilities for hardened cement pastes

Abstract The experimental and calculated permeabilities of hardened cement pastes were compared. Experimental data for water permeability was obtained from the work of Nyame and Illston in 1980 on neat pastes with water-to-cement ratios ( w c ) between 0.23 and 1.0. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements were performed on equivalently prepared specimens. Then the Katz-Thompson relation was used to calculate permeability. Calculated results track well with experimental data as a function of time, with the experimental value of permeability slightly higher at most times. The correlation between experimental and calculated permeabilities, at all times, are within 1.5 orders of magnitude. The largest differences occurred at late times for the samples with low w c ratio. This calculated permeability is quick, relatively simple and appears to give reasonable results when compared to conventional water intrusion methods.
Assessing the seriousness of research misconduct: considerations for sanction assignment.

Federal and institutional policies recommend the criterion of “seriousness” as a guide for sanction assignment in cases where researchers have been found to have committed research misconduct. Discrepancies in assessments of seriousness for similar acts of misconduct suggest the need to clarify what might be meant by the seriousness of research misconduct and how the criterion can be used to assign sanctions. This essay demonstrates how determinations of seriousness can differ depending on the set of ethical appeals employed and argues that an expanded lexicon for talking about the seriousness of research misconduct would help to promote fairness and consistency in sanction assignment. It concludes with some policy recommendations for those charged with research misconduct sanction assignment and for those who oversee research integrity at institutional levels. This article is derived from the author’s Master’s thesis for the Center for Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Pittsburgh, completed i...
Diffusion of the Chlorine Ion in Potassium Chloride

The diffusion coefficient of the chlorine ion was measured in pure single crystals of potassium chloride and in crystals containing mole fractions of strontium chloride between 2.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ and 4.69\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$. The results were consistent with the assumption that both anion vacancies and vacancy pairs contribute to the diffusion of the chlorine ion. The diffusion coefficient of the chlorine ion in pure potassium chloride was well represented by the equation $D=61 \mathrm{exp} (\ensuremath{-}2.12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 \frac{\mathrm{eV}}{\mathrm{kT}})$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec from 560 to 760\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The anion-vacancy contribution to the chlorine-ion diffusion coefficient in pure potassium chloride was ${D}_{a}=36.5 \mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}\frac{(2.10 \mathrm{eV})}{\mathrm{kT}}]$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec and the mole fraction of Schottky defects was ${n}_{0}=43.9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}\frac{(2.31 \mathrm{eV})}{2kT}]$. The jump activation energy of the anion vacancy was 0.95 eV. The vacancy-pair contribution to the diffusion coefficient of the chlorine ion was ${D}_{p}=8.56\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{3}\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}\frac{(2.65 \mathrm{eV})}{\mathrm{kT}}]$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec. These results are in good agreement with theory. Below 560\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, experimental diffusion coefficients in pure potassium chloride were too large to be interpreted in terms of anion-vacancy and vacancy-pair diffusion. Similar, anomalous behavior was found below 645\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in crystals containing 469 ppm of strontium.
Mapping Warm Molecular Hydrogen with the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)

Photometric maps, obtained with the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), can provide a valuable probe of warm molecular hydrogen within the interstellar medium. IRAC maps of the supernova remnant IC 443, extracted from the Spitzer archive, are strikingly similar to spectral line maps of the H2 pure rotational transitions that we obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) instrument on Spitzer. IRS spectroscopy indicates that IRAC bands 3 and 4 are indeed dominated by the H2 v = 0-0 S(5) and S(7) transitions, respectively. Modeling of the H2 excitation suggests that bands 1 and 2 are dominated by H2 v = 1–0 O(5) and v = 0-0 S(9). Large maps of the H2 emission in IC 443, obtained with IRAC, show band ratios that are inconsistent with the presence of gas at a single temperature. The relative strengths of IRAC bands 2, 3, and 4 are consistent with pure H2 emission from shocked material with a power-law distribution of gas temperatures. CO vibrational emissions do not contribute significantly to the observed band 2 intensity. Assuming that the column density of H2 at temperatures T to T + dT is proportional to T−b for temperatures up to 4000 K, we obtained a typical estimate of 4.5 for b. The power-law index, b, shows variations over the range ~3-6 within the set of different sight lines probed by the maps, with the majority of sight lines showing b in the range 4-5. The observed power-law index is consistent with the predictions of simple models for paraboloidal bow shocks.
Effects of taurine on Ca2+ currents in young embryonic chick cardiomyocytes.

The effects of taurine on L-type and T-type Ca+ channels is isolated 3-days-old embryonic chick heart cells were examined at different intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca]i), using whole-cell voltage clamp techniques. Experiments were performed at room temperature (22°C) and at a holding potential of −40 mV. When [Ca]i was pCa 7, addition of taurine to the bath solution reduced the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa(L))at 0 mV by 56.3±2.8% (n=5, P < 0.01) at 10mM, and by 73.2±2.6% (n=5, P < 0.001) t ±3. At pCa 10, ICa(L)) was unaffected (%, n=5, P < 0.05) by mM taurine and was enhacde by 47.3±2.4% (n = 5, P<0.01) by 20 mM taurine. Control fast and slow time constants of inactivation at pCa 7 (at + 10 mV) were 5.8±2.8 ms and 28.8±1.8 ms (n = 4), respectively; neither constant was modified by taurine. At pCa 10, the control fast and slow time constants were 15.8±1.0 and 67.7±3.8 ms (n = 4); the fast time constant was not affected by 10–20 mM taurine but the slow time constant was slowed by 14.5±2.9% (n = 4, P<0.05) by 10mM taurine and by 66.2±2.8% (n = 4, P<0.001) by 20 mM taurine. The inactivation curve for ICa(L) was not modified by taurine. The voltage for half-maximum inactivation (V12) at pCa 7 was −26.5±4.6 mV (n = 5) in control cardiomyocytes and −29.6±13.2 mV (n = 5) in cardiomyocytes treated with 20 mM taurine; at pCa 10, the V12 was −27.7±5.2 mV (n = 6) in control cardiomyocytes and −24.4±6.4 mV (n = 6) in taurine-treated cardiomyocytes (20 mM). Intracellular application of taurine (20 mM) inhibited ICa(L) by 63.0±2.8% (n = 4, P<0.01), even at pCa 10. In some cells in which only the ICa(L) current was observed under control conditions, addition of taurine (20 mM) inhibited the ICa(L) current but caused a ICa(T) current to appear (at holding potential of −80 mV). These results suggest that taurine has complex actions and may regulate [Ca]i by modulating Ca2+ channels (dependent on [Ca]i).
On fast planning of suboptimal paths amidst polygonal obstacles in plane

Abstract The problem of planning a path for a point robot from a source point s to a destination point d so as to avoid a set of polygonal obstacles in plane is considered. Using well-known methods, a shortest path from s to d can be computed with a time complexity of O(n2) where n is the total number of obstacle vertices. The focus here is in 1. (a) planning paths faster at the expense of setting for suboptimal path lengths and 2. (b) performance analysis of simple and/or well-known suboptimal methods. A method that enables a hierarchical implementation of any path planning algorithm with no increase in the worst-case time complexity, is presented; this implementation enables fast planning of simple paths. Then methods are presented based on the Voronoi diagrams, trapezoidal decomposition and triangulation, which compute (suboptimal) paths in O(n√log n) time with the preprocessing costs of O(n log n), O(n2) and O(n log n), respectively. Using existing navigational algorithms for unknown terrains, algorithms that run in O(n log n) time (after preprocessing) and yield suboptimal paths, are presented. For all these algorithms, upper bounds on the path lengths are estimated in terms of the shortest of the obstacles, etc.
ESTIMATED IRON BALANCE AND PLASMA FERRITIN LEVELS IN VLBW INFANTS

25 VLBW infants (BW 1.3 kg) had plasma ferritin levels (PF), Hgb, Hct, and MCV measured when they reached about 2 kg in weight. 10 of them had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). None of these infants were supplemented with medicinal iron or received iron-fortified formula. Estimated iron balance (EIB) was determined by calculating iron intake from milk ingested, whole blood and packed red cells, and losses from blood drawing. Plasma ferritin was measured by RIA. Their gestational age was 29 ±2.4 wks. Results are expressed in the table as × ± SD. Plasma ferritin levels ranged from 34 to 430 ug/l. There was no significant correlation between oral intake of iron and plasma ferritin levels. However, there was correlation between iron balance and plasma ferritin levels (y=43+1.43×, r:0.58, SEE:18.3, p 0.01). Infants with BPD had higher plasma ferritin levels than those without BPD, which may reflect the more frequent transfusions. These data suggest that in VLBW infants, iron supplementation is not indicated prior to their reaching 2 kg in weight.
Student-teacher relationships matter for school inclusion: school belonging, disability, and school transitions

For students with disabilities, the process of school inclusion often begins with a move from segregated settings into general education classrooms. School transitions can be stressful as students adjust to a new environment. This study examines the adjustment of 133 students with and without disabilities who moved from a school that served primarily students with disabilities into 23 public schools in a large urban school district in the Midwest. These students and 111 of their teachers and other school staff rated the degree that students felt they belonged in their new schools and the quality of their social interactions. Results show that students who experienced more positive and fewer negative social interactions with school staff had higher school belonging. Teachers accurately noted whether students felt they belonged in their new settings, but were not consistently able to identify student perceptions of negative social interactions with staff. Implications for inclusion and improving our educational system are explored.
Mutants of the lactose carrier of Escherichia coli which show altered sugar recognition plus a severe defect in sugar accumulation.

Lactose and melibiose are actively accumulated by the wild-type Escherichia coli lactose carrier, which is an integral membrane protein energized by the proton motive force. Mutants of the E. coli lactose carrier were isolated by their ability to grow on minimal plates with succinate plus IPTG in the presence of the toxic lactose analog β-thio-o-nitrophenylgalactoside (TONPG). TONPG-resistant mutants were streaked on melibiose MacConkey indicator plates, and red clones were picked. These melibiose positive mutants were then streaked on lactose MacConkey plates, and white clones were picked. Transport assays indicated that the mutants had altered sugar recognition and a defect in sugar accumulation. The mutants had a poor apparent K m for both lactose and melibiose in transport. One mutant had almost no ability to take up lactose, but melibiose downhill transport was 58% (V max ) of normal. All of the mutants accumulated methyl-α-d-galactopyranoside (TMG) to only 8% or less of normal, and two failed to accumulate. Immunoblot analysis of the mutant lactose carrier proteins indicated that loss of sugar transport activity was not due to loss of expression in the membrane. Nucleotide sequencing of the lacY gene from the mutants revealed changes in the following amino acids of the lactose carrier: M23I, W151L, G257D, A295D and G377V. Two of the mutants (G257D and G377V) are novel in that they represent the first amino acids in periplasmic loops to be implicated with changes in sugar recognition. We conclude that the amino acids M23, W151, G257, A295 and G377 of the E. coli lactose carrier play either a direct or an indirect role in sugar recognition and accumulation.
Induction of pseudoseizures with intravenous saline placebo.

For a 2-year period, all patients admitted to the inpatient adult EEG videotelemetry unit of the University of Miami School of Medicine underwent attempted event induction with intravenous normal saline placebo. Of 175 patients monitored during that period, 101 underwent attempted placebo saline induction, whereas 58 patients were either in the pediatric age group, were undergoing a repeat hospitalization (i.e., depth electrode monitoring), or refused induction. The final diagnosis in each patient was established after review of the history; physical, interictal, and ictal EEG findings; brain imaging studies; interictal and postictal brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and serum prolactin levels; psychiatric and psychological evaluations; and detailed neuropsychological testing. Final diagnoses were separated into epilepsy alone, pseudoseizures, epilepsy and pseudoseizures, and other (neither epilepsy nor pseudoseizures). No patient with an eventual diagnosis of epilepsy alone was inducible. Forty-one patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy were not inducible. Of 32 patients with an eventual diagnosis of pseudoseizures, 29 were inducible. One of these 29 was also diagnosed with epilepsy. Three patients with an eventual diagnosis of pseudoseizures were not inducible; 90.6% of patients with an eventual diagnosis of pseudoseizures were inducible, i.e., had events identical to those reported by history, after injection of saline placebo. Placebo saline injection is a safe and effective means of distinguishing epilepsy from pseudoseizures.
4H-SIC Vertical Resurf Schottky Rectifiers and Mosfets

This work presents a vertical RESURF structure, which utilizes 2-dimensional depletion in semiconductor to achieve high blocking capability. This approach is then implemented into both 4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers and MOSFETs. Device characteristics are analyzed with numerical simulations and compared with both conventional Schottky rectifiers and Superjunction structure. Design-of-Experiment (DOE) is also used to optimize the trade-off between several design parameters.
Furnished cage system and hen well-being: Comparative effects of furnished cages and battery cages on behavioral exhibitions in White Leghorn chickens.

Abstract The battery cage system is being banned in the European Union before or by 2012, and the furnished cage system will be the only cage system allowed after 2012. This study was conducted to examine the different effects of caging systems, furnished cages vs. battery cages, on bird behaviors. One hundred ninety-two 1-d-old non-beak-trimmed Hy-Line W-36 White Leghorn chicks were reared using standard management practices in raised wire cages. At 19 wk of age, the birds were randomly assigned into battery cages or furnished cages. The battery cages were commercial wire cages containing 6 birds per cage, providing 645 cm2 of floor space per birds. The furnished cages had wire floors and solid metal walls, with perches, a dustbathing area, scratch pads, and a nestbox area with a concealment curtain. Based on the company recommendations, 10 birds were housed per cage, providing a stocking density of 610 cm2 of floor space per bird. Behavioral observations were conducted using the Noldus Observer software package. The birds were observed at 5-min intervals for the entire light period. The birds housed in battery cages had higher posture and behavioral transitions and increased time spent walking and performing exploratory behavior (P
Development of a reconfigurable miniature throwable robot for indoor surveillance

This paper presents an innovative mechanical design of a reconfigurable miniature throwable robot. The robot keeps in spherical shape to buffer shock and to protect inner sub-systems in falling, and it transforms to a two-wheeled mobile robot in surveillance via wireless control. Two generations of the robot have been constructed, and details in mechanical design, principle of transformation and a servo-system for adjusting view level of micro-camera are discussed. Experiments are also presented, and effectiveness of the design has been approved.
Seeking Balance: The Importance of Environmental Conditions in Men and Women Faculty's Well-being

Faculty retention is of increasing importance in the current economic climate. We examined the role of an institution’s environmental conditions (e.g., climate, collegiality, and administration) in faculty well-being (i.e., job satisfaction, intent to leave, emotional and physical health). Women reported significantly lower well-being and a more negative perception of all environmental conditions than men. Intriguingly, for both men and women, the more institutional support perceived by faculty members for work-life integration, the more positive their well-being. Policies that support work-life integration, often viewed as merely a “women’s issue,” may encourage the retention of both men and women faculty members.
The effects of precision constraints in a backpropagation learning network

This paper presents a study of precision constraints imposed by a hybrid chip architecture with analog neurons and digital backpropagation calculations. Conversions between the analog and digital domains and weight storage restrictions impose precision limits on both analog and digital calculations. It is shown through simulations that a learning system of this nature can be implemented in spite of limited resolution in the analog circuits and using fixed point arithmetic to implement the backpropagation algorithm.
Incorporating topography into the multiscale systems for the atmosphere and oceans

Abstract Recently, new hyperbolic systems of equations that can be used to describe smooth flows accurately in both the atmosphere and oceans have been developed. These ‘approximate systems’ are derived by slowing down the speed of the fast waves instead of increasing their speed to infinity as in the primitive equations. The approximate systems have a number of theoretical advantages over the traditional systems. The practical implications of some of these advantages have already been demonstrated for the oceanic case. There is another advantage of the new systems that has not been discussed extensively. A model based on either of the new systems can be used to describe different scales of motion, e.g. the large, medium, or small scale. In addition, a mechanism is provided for a smooth transition between these scales. The incorporation of topography into the approximate systems has also not been discussed. To demonstrate the multiscale nature of the transformed systems in the presence of topography, numerical results from a model based on the approximate system for meteorology are compared with analytic solutions for three topographic scales. Removing the horizontal means of the density and pressure, which was necessary to obtain the proper scaling of the equations in the original papers, reduces the truncation error associated with a transformed system near steep mountains. For example, in the atmospheric case a second-order method requires only approximately 10 points across the base of the mountain to achieve a 1% relative error for any of the three topographic solutions during the relevant time scale of the associated motion.
First Plenary Session: Openness, Privacy and National Security Post 9/11: A Debate

L'article evoque l'impact de la reponse du gouvernement americain aux attaques terroristes du 11 septembre sur l'acces et l'utilisation de l'information. La necessite de la libre circulation de l'information dans une societe democratique se heurte aux risques de voir cette information utilisee par les terroristes. A l'impact sur la legislation (avec le USA Patriot Act) s'ajoutent les effets sur la disponibilite de l'information du Web, sur l'acces a l'information jugee sensible, sur la communaute des renseignements americains et sur les professionnels de l'information.
PTR3, a novel gene mediating amino acid‐inducible regulation of peptide transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have isolated and characterized the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PTR3 gene by functional complementation of a mutant deficient for amino acid-inducible peptide transport. PTR3 is predicted to encode a protein of 678 amino acids that exhibits no similarity to any other protein in the database. Deletion of the PTR3 open reading frame pleiotropically reduced the sensitivity to toxic peptides and amino acid analogues. Initial rates of radiolabelled dipeptide uptake demonstrated that elimination of PTR3 resulted in the loss of amino acid-induced levels of peptide transport. PTR3 was required for amino acid-induced expression of PTR2, the gene encoding the dipeptide/tripeptide transport protein, but was not necessary for nitrogen catabolite repression of peptide import or PTR2 expression. It was determined that PTR3 also modulates expression of BAP2, the gene encoding the branched-amino acid permease. Furthermore, we present genetic evidence that suggests that PTR3 functions within a novel regulatory pathway that facilitates amino acid induction of the PTR system.
Biorthogonally accessed three-dimensional two-photon memory for relational database operations

Memory bandwidth is a bottleneck for very large database machines. Parallel-access three-dimensional two-photon memories have the potential of achieving enormous throughput ~.100 Gbitys! and capacity ~1 Tbitycm 3 !@ Appl. Opt. 29, 2058 ~1990!# and, consequently, are well suited for this application. Our analysis shows that some operations can be completed more than 2 orders of magnitude faster with this type of memory than with a system based on serial-access storage. These particular memories have a further feature of being accessible in orthogonal directions. We show that this property, used in conjunction with a three-dimensional data-organization scheme designed for this approach, leads to improved performance by permitting the user a choice of accessing strategies for a given operation. © 1997 Optical Society of America
Multiple Attachment Representations in Clinical Practice: Case Study of a Six-Year-Old Maltreated Child

Research on attachment predominantly traces the effect of a single or primary attachment and/or attachment style on working models and behavior. However, most children form multiple attachments. This article reviews research on multiple attachment representations in children and considers how such information can usefully be applied to clinical settings. Through the case study of a six-year-old adopted boy with a history of maltreatment, it explores how those internal working models can be assessed in treatment and the clinical value of recognizing different attachment representations and styles. Implications for treatment interventions are explored.
Results related to threshold phenomena research in satisfiability: lower bounds

We present a history of results related to the threhold phenomena which arise in the study of random conjunctive normal form (CNF) formulas. In a companion paper (D. Achlioptas, Theoret. Comput. Sci., this volume) the major ideas used to achieve many of the lower bounds results on the location of the threshold are described in an informal, intuitive manner.
Quantized matter fields and the avoidance of singularities in general relativity

We consider a classical gravitational field minimally coupled to a quantized neutral scalar field possessing mass. We are especially concerned with the effects of particle creation and quantum coherence on the premises and conclusions of the singularity theorems, which imply the inevitability of singularities in classical general relativity. A closed Robertson-Walker geometry is used throughout. Nongravitational interactions are not considered. The source of the gravitational field in the Einstein equations is the expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor of the quantized scalar field. Lacking a general prescription for obtaining a finite operator from the divergent formal expression for the energy-momentum tensor, we confine our attention to situations in which plausible special methods are available. We show that quantum coherence effects in this semiclassical model can result in a violation of the energy conditions which enter into the singularity theorems. Then we exhibit numerical solutions of the coupled Einstein and scalar field equations in which a Friedmann-like collapse is stopped and converted to a Friedmann-like expansion. (In this calculation one mode of the quantum field was assumed dominant.) We conclude that quantum effects of the type considered here can sometimes lead to avoidance of the cosmological singularity, at least on the time scale of one Friedmann expansion.
Control of a single-degree-of-freedom system under principal parametric excitation

We consider the problem of suppressing the vibrations of a structure that is subjected to a principal parametric excitation. The vibration amplitudes resulting from such resonance cannot be fully controlled by conventional techniques, such as the addition of linear damping through velocity feedback or by the implementation of conventional mass absorbers. However, it has been shown that the growth of the response is limited by nonlinearities. In this work, we capitalize on this fact and devise a simple nonlinear feedback law to suppress the vibrations of a cantilever beam when subjected to a parametric resonance. We model the dynamics of the first mode of the beam with a second-order nonlinear ordinary-different equation. The model accounts for viscous damping, air drag, and inertia and geometric nonlinearities. We propose a control law based on cubic position and velocity feedback. We use the method of multiple scales to derive two first-order ordinary- differential equations that govern the time variation of the amplitude and phase of the response. We conduct a stability study and analyze the effect of the control gains on the response of the system. The results show that cubic velocity feedback leads to effective vibration suppression and bifurcation control.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oil-shale pyrolysis: Kinetics and mechanism of oil production

Abstract Literature data on the thermal decomposition of the organic material in Colorado oil shale are analysed. Inclusion of a thermal induction period in the data analysis results in a concise interpretation of the kinetics of oil production in terms of a simple mechanism involving two consecutive first-order reactions. The rate constants and activation energies for these two reactions are deduced.
Feedback reduces the metacognitive benefit of tests.

Testing long-term memory has dual benefits: It enhances learning and it helps learners discriminate what they know from what they do not know. The latter benefit, known as delayed judgment of learning (dJOL) effect, has been well documented, but in prior research participants have not been provided with test feedback. Yet when people study they almost universally (a) get feedback and (b) judge their learning subsequent to receiving the feedback. Thus, in the first three experiments, participants made JOLs following tests with feedback. Adding feedback significantly decreased the dJOL effect relative to conditions taking a test without receiving feedback. In Experiment 4, participants made decisions about which items to restudy (without actually restudying); adding feedback also decreased the accuracy of these decisions. These findings suggest that, in realistic situations, tests enhance self-monitoring, but not as much as previously thought. Judging memory based on prior test performance and ignoring the effects of feedback appears to produce an “illusion of not knowing.”
Laser damage probability studies of fused silica modified by MeV ion implantation

Energetic ions in the MeV regime have pronounced effects on the stress-state and geometry of fused silica. In particular, Polman and co-workers have shown that 4 MeV xenon ions cause substantial changes in thin films and microspheres of fused silica. For example, 2 μm wide trenches in thin films can be partially closed and microspheres substantially distorted. In our study, we investigate implantation into bulk silica and the subsequent response to high intensity ultra violet light. Specifically, we compare the damage threshold of fused silica to intense ultra violet light at 355 nm before and after room temperature ion bombardment and find little change despite clear alteration of the stress-state in the glass. We have also performed molecular dynamics simulations in order to understand the underlying effects that lead to obscuration of optics under laser and ion irradiation.