cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Rhetoric| Toward Social Justice Activism Critical Rhetoric Scholarship

Although critical rhetoric scholarship foregrounds voices of oppressed communities and challenges systemic power imbalances, its doxastic and performative potential to affect social justice has lagged behind its conceptual (and, more recently, methodological and empirical) development. One reason is because that scholarship has privileged rhetoricians performing criticism as the end goal rather than using their criticism to conduct activism scholarship by engaging in and studying critically social justice interventions. This essay articulates a social justice activism approach to critical rhetoric scholarship that involves rhetoricians intervening collaboratively with oppressed communities and activist groups to make unjust discourses more just, and studying and reporting those endeavors.
An Overview of the ABIM Cardiovascular Disease Maintenance of Certification Examination.

In the earlier part of the 20th century, the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) was created as a physician-led, nonprofit, independent evaluation organization with the purpose of establishing uniform standards and helping the public obtain evidence-based care by qualified physicians. In 1936
Culture Jamming: Using Literacy Skills to Navigate Cultural Messages on the Internet

The Internet is saturated with information that is of low-to-no quality. Yet, with lightening speed a great deal of this information goes viral without being vetted or confirmed. It’s easy to get caught up in excitement of a juicy piece of gossip or in the mindlessness of YouTube videos. Unfortunately, there is another, darker, side to this information coin – the inordinate amount of information that is salacious and malicious to the point of being damaging. If such information is ever retracted, disproved or corrected, the damage has been done and the evidence remains digitally archived for eternity. How can Internet users become more competent and intelligent users of information, to the point of becoming culture jammers who critique popular culture in an effort to challenge the status quo and resist dominant cultural practices? (Carducci, 2006; Harris, 2004; Lasn, 2005; Sandlin, 2007; Sandlin & Milam, 2008). An approach to reaching this level of critical media consumption is to impart literacy skills to Internet users. Specifically, information literacy (Elmborg, 2006; Eisenberg et al., 2004), digital literacy (Bawden, 2008; Bawden & Robinson, 2002), and cultural literacy (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Overall, 2009) would facilitate the average Internet user’s ability to seek, find, and use appropriate information, which in turn would facilitate more thoughtful dialogues and learning. Literacy skills would facilitate a shift from the rote crowdsourcing of information on the Internet to substance based community inquiry processes (Bruce & Bishop, 2008; Bruce & Casey, 2012; Bruce & Davidson, 1996).
X-ray and Optical Variations in the Classical Be Star gamma Cas

gamma Cas (B0.5e) is known to be a unique X-ray source because ot its moderate L_x, hard X-ray spectrum, and light curve punctuated by ubiquitous flares and slow undulations. Its X-ray peculiarities have led to a controversy concerning their origin: either from wind infall onto a putative degenerate companion, as for typical Be/X-ray binaries, or from the Be star per se. Recent progress has been made to address this: (1) the discovery that gamma Cas is an eccentric binary system (P = 203.59 d) with unknown secondary type, (2) the accumulation of RXTE data at 9 epochs in 1996-2000, and (3) the collation of robotic telescope B, V-band photometric observations over 4 seasons. The latter show a 3%, cyclical flux variation with cycle lengths 55-93 days. We find that X-ray fluxes at all 9 epochs show random variations with orbital phase. This contradicts the binary accretion model, which predicts a substantial modulation. However,these fluxes correlate well with the cyclical optical variations. Also, the 6 flux measurements in 2000 closely track the interpolated optical variations between the 2000 and 2001 observing seasons. Since the optical variations represent a far greater energy than that emitted as X-rays, the optical variability cannot arise from X-ray reprocessing. However, the strong correlation between the two suggests that they are driven by a common mechanism. We propose that this mechanism is a cyclical magnetic dynamo excited by a Balbus-Hawley instability located within the inner part of the circumstellar disk. In our model, variations in the field strength directly produce the changes in the magnetically related X-ray activity. Turbulence associated with the dynamo results in changes to the density distribution within the disk and creates the observed optical variations.
Recent Developments in the Field of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Intrinsic Disorder-Based Emergence in Cellular Biology in Light of the Physiological and Pathological Liquid-Liquid Phase Transitions.

This review deals with two important concepts—protein intrinsic disorder and proteinaceous membrane-less organelles (PMLOs). The past 20 years have seen an upsurge of scientific interest in these p...
Genetic and Phenotypic Odyssey: Voyage of the Grain Amaranths from the Americas to the Old World

The grain amaranths consist of three species, Amaranthus hypochondriacus L., Amaranthus cruentus L., and Amaranthus caudatus L., which were domesticated in the Americas in pre-historic times. European botanists from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries described grain amaranths observed over a vast region of Asia where they were cultivated for grain and as a potherb, a smaller region in Africa, where they were mostly cultivated as an ornamental and as a potherb, and also in Europe, where they were cultivated as an ornamental and a commercial source of dyes. These botanists recorded that the grain amaranths were under intensive cultivation for grain in two regions of the Indian subcontinent: (1) in the north in the Himalayas and adjoining foothills and plains and (2) in the extreme south surrounding the cities of Coimbatore, Salem, and Madura. So entrenched were the grain amaranths in the culture of the people who cultivated them, botanists at the time presumed that these amaranth species were native to the region. Comparison of the Asian grain amaranths with their American counterparts led twentieth century botanists to conclude that the Asian grain amaranths were, in fact, a subset of their American counterparts and had been introduced into Asia through human contact. Jonathan D. Sauer conducted a fully revised taxonomy of the grain amaranths and concluded that the Asian amaranths were probably introduced from the Americas in the sixteenth century. Others have speculated, on the basis of limited evidence, that the Asian amaranths are among a number of plant species domesticated in the Americas that were introduced to Asia through pre-Columbian contact.
Toxicology Testing in a Newborn ICU: Does Social Profiling Play a Role?

OBJECTIVE A rising incidence in maternal drug use during pregnancy has led to a concomitant rise in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Despite evidence that drug use during pregnancy affects all demographic groups equally, authors of recent studies have suggested that minority women are tested for drug use more than their counterparts. In this study, we aimed to assess whether toxicology testing of neonates was associated with maternal characteristics. METHODS Retrospective cohort study reviewing charts of neonates born at an urban academic center between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, who underwent toxicology testing. Demographics from tested neonates were taken from mothers’ self-reported data and compared with sociodemographics of all mothers with deliveries in 2018, including age, race, marital status, and zip code. Indication for toxicology testing as recorded by ordering clinician was also collected. There were no standardized guidelines for toxicology testing during this study period. RESULTS Of 6438 births in 2018, toxicology testing was sent on 86 neonates (1.3%). Mothers of neonates with testing were younger (P CONCLUSION Maternal age, race, marital, and socioeconomic status were associated with toxicology testing on neonates, although data suggest that drug use affects all demographic groups. Current practice at our institution may overtest some groups. Evidence-based, standardized guidelines are urgently needed to reduce bias and repercussions of toxicology testing of neonates.
Cancer associated fibroblast subpopulations with diverse and dynamic roles in the tumor microenvironment

Close interactions between cancer cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have repeatedly been reported to support tumor progression. Yet, targeting CAFs has so far failed to show a real benefit in cancer treatment, as preclinical studies shown that such strategy can enhance tumor growth. Accordingly, recent paradigm-shifting data suggest that certain CAF subpopulations could also show tumor inhibitory capabilities. The present review aims to provide an in-depth description of the cellular heterogeneity of the CAF compartment in tumors. Through combining information from different cancer types, here we define 4 main CAF subpopulations that might cohabitate in any tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, a model for the evolution of CAFs during tumor development is introduced. Moreover, the presence of tumor inhibitory CAFs in the TME as well as their molecular characteristics are extensively discussed. Finally, the potential cellular origins of these distinct CAF subpopulations are reviewed. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at establishing a broad but comprehensive classification of CAF subpopulations. Altogether, the present manuscript aims to provide with the latest developments and innovative insights that could help refine therapeutic targeting of CAFs for cancer treatment.
An Overview of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a potentially very debilitating problem that frequently co-occurs with intellectual disabilities. This chapter defines the problem, its scope, how problems are expressed and treatments used for the condition among persons with intellectual disabilities.
Quantum Theory of Multiwave Mixing in a Squeezed Vacuum

A squeezed vacuum is generated by squeezed light with a bandwidth much larger than the natural linewidth of the atom. Gardiner1 studied the decay of two-level systems in such a vacuum. To a good approximation, he found that the Maxwell-Bloch equations are modified simply by having different in-phase and in-quadrature relaxation rates. Resonance fluorescence and semiclassical multiwave mixing have been studied in such a vacuum.2,3
Rabbit uterine contractile activity increase following coitus

Abstract Rabbit uterine contractile activity changes following coitus were monitored with extraluminal contractile force transducers (ECFT's). Circular muscle contractile activity (but not that of longitudinal) initially increased following coitus. Subsequent increases in contractile force and frequency were recorded from both myometrial layers but for a longer period from longitudinal muscle than from circular muscle.
New Millennium Program (NMP)

First page of article Keywords: new millennium program (NMP); earth observing 1 (EO1)
Pseudospectral Iterated Method for Differential Equations with Delay Terms

New efficient numerical methods for hyperbolic and parabolic partial differential equations with delay terms are investigated. These equations model a development of cancer cells in human bodies. Our goal is to study numerical methods which can be applied in a parallel computing environment. We apply our new numerical method to the delay partial differential equations and analyse the error of the method. Numerical experiments confirm our theoretical results.
An Evolutionary Genetic Framework for Heritable Disorders

Natural selection is expected to drive the frequencies of heritable, fitness-harming states to very low levels, yet many heritable disorders – and especially mental disorder – are common in the human population. These two statements are sometimes interpreted to imply that disorders have not been under natural selection, but this need not be the case. Evolutionary genetics provides three broad classes of models, none of them mutually exclusive, for understanding why disorder risk alleles have persisted in the human population despite natural selection. Keywords: mental disorders; genetics; evolution; mutation-selection; balancing-selection; schizophrenia
Modeling of Paleoclimates

Publisher Summary This chapter describes observations and modeling of paeloclimates. The Earth's climate has always been changing and will continue to change. New observational techniques, accurate radiometric dating methods, and comprehensive sampling strategies have evolved. The key ingredients to the progress include the large variety of paleoclimatic indicators, the increasing accuracy of dating, the expanding geographic coverage of measurements, and the application of statistical techniques for extracting the climatic signal from the other signals- and noise-contained in geologic records. The climate model has proved to be an invaluable tool for the quantitative testing of theories and for predicting or suggesting phenomena that can subsequently be studied with observations. One important goal of current climate modeling efforts is to estimate the climate of the future, the climate that might result from the increased levels of carbon dioxide. Paleoclimate modeling contributes to these goals in at least three ways. The paleoclimatic record contains information of specific interest, such as past levels of carbon dioxide concentration. It is suggested that if climate models can accurately simulate past climates and past climatic changes, then the verification of the models can provide at least one basis for estimating the probable reliability of estimates of future climates.
In vitro determination of the effect of indoleglycerol phosphate on the interaction of purified TrpI protein with its DNA-binding sites.

Abstract Expression of the trpBA gene pair of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is regulated by the endogenous level of indoleglycerol phosphate (InGP) and the trpI gene product. The TrpI protein binds to the -77 to -32 region of the trpBA promoter. This region is divisible into two sites: site I, which is protected by TrpI in the presence and absence of InGP; and site II, which is protected by TrpI only in the presence of InGP. Recently, the trpI gene was subcloned into an expression vector and the protein was overproduced in Escherichia coli. The TrpI protein was purified to 80 to 95% purity. The molecular weight of native TrpI protein is estimated to be 129,000 by gel exclusion chromatography, and therefore it is likely a tetramer composed of 31,000-dalton monomers. Gel retardation assays with the purified TrpI protein demonstrated that InGP increases the affinity of TrpI for sites I and II approximately 17- and 14-fold, respectively. Binding of TrpI to site I is site II independent. However, the protein has low intrinsic affinity for site II and its binding to site II is site I dependent. Therefore, binding of TrpI to site II probably requires its interaction with a second TrpI molecule at site I.
Convergence Properties Of A Constrained 2-D Adaptive Digital Filter

A new adaptive 2-D digital filter is presented in which the filter is deterniined by a 1-D FIR prototype, and hence the computational complexity of the coefficient up-date algorithm has an order of complexity O(M), rather than O(M/sup 2/). This new adaptive 2-D filter is particularly attractive for applications in real-time image processing for robotics and computer vision where constrained adaptive filter may be quite useful, and where reduced computational complexity is essential for real-time operation.
The postglacial history of three Picea species in New England, USA

Given the difficulty of separating the three Picea species—P. glauca, P. mariana, and P. rubens (white, black, and red spruce)—in the pollen record, little is known about their unique histories in eastern North America following deglaciation. Here we report the first use of a classification tree analysis (CART) to distinguish pollen grains of these species. It was successfully applied to fossil pollen from eight sites in Maine and one in Massachusetts. We focused on the late glacial/early Holocene (14,000 to 8000 cal yr B.P.) and the late Holocene (1400 cal yr B.P. to present)—the two key periods since deglaciation when Picea has been abundant in the region. The result shows a shift from a Picea forest of P. glauca and P. mariana in the late glacial to a forest of P. rubens and P. mariana in the late Holocene. The small number of P. rubens grains identified from the late glacial/early Holocene samples (<5%) suggests that that species was either absent or rare at most of the sites. The occurrence and distribution of the three species do not reveal any geographic or temporal trend during late glacial time, but the data suggest that they were distributed in local patches on the landscape. The results of this study indicate that the recent population expansion of Picea (1000 to 500 cal yr B.P.) was likely the first time since deglaciation that P. rubens was abundant in the region.
Time course of visual inhibition during voluntary saccades.

Partial inhibition of vision occurs during voluntary saccadic eye movements. This paper reports its time course, measured by detection of a target flashed at various times in relation to the saccade. One value of stimulus luminance was chosen which was nearly always detected by the fixating eye, but hardly ever by the moving eye. A dot pattern was presented to the fovea in 6-μsec flashes of this luminance under photopic viewing conditions. Photographic records of each saccade made by the subject and each stimulus flash permitted analysis of the precise time of occurrence of the flash in relation to the saccade. Under these conditions, curves from three subjects showed that detection decreases to 50% for a flash occurring about 20 msec before the onset of the saccade and reaches a minimum such that vision of the flash is almost completely absent when it occurs during the saccade. Detection then begins to improve, reaching the 50% point again for a flash occurring about 75 msec after the onset of the eye movement. Results are compared with other studies which employed different viewing conditions, and the use of the data to support a notion of partial central inhibition is evaluated.
Raman and infrared spectra, conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, vibrational assignment and ab initio calculation of bromoacetone

Raman (3200—10 cm−1) and infrared (3500—20 cm−1) spectra were recorded for gaseous and solid bromoacetone (1-bromopropan-2-one), CH2BrC(O)CH3. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid was recorded and qualitative depolarization values were obtained. These data were interpreted on the basis that the molecule exists predominantly in a gauche conformation of C1 symmetry (dih ∢ BrCCO = 111.8°) in the vapor. In the liquid a second conformer having a trans structure (bromine atom oriented trans to the methyl group) with Cs point group symmetry is also present, and the trans form is the only conformer present in the annealed solid. From a study of the Raman spectrum of the liquid with variable temperatures the trans conformer was determined to be more stable than the gauche form by 385 ± 61 cm−1 (1.09 ± 0.17 kcal mol−1). A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for both conformers. From ab initio Hartree-Fock gradient calculations with the 4—31G*/MIDI-4* basis set, optimized geometries for both the gauche and trans conformers were obtained. Similar calculations were also carried out for fluoroacetone and chloroacetone utilizing the 6—31G* basis set with electron correlation with secondorder perturbation. The conformational stabilities, barriers to internal rotation and observed fundamental vibrational frequencies for both the gauche and trans conformers of bromoacetone are compared with those calculated with the STO-3G* basis set. The results are discussed and compared with the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
The End Correction in the Determination of Gas Viscosity by the Capillary Tube Method

The voluminous data obtained for air from experiments on capillary tubes as flow meters have been used to test the formulae involving end-corrections, proposed by Brillouin and by Fisher. A measure of the validity of a given formula is obtained by assuming the value of the coefficient of viscosity and comparing the mass or gas transpired per second, as found experimentally, with the mass computed from the formula in question. The tubes employed in the tests ranged in size from very long lengths, where the end-effect was practically negligible, down to short lengths that they behaved as orifices.Under this very exacting test, Fisher's equation for the end-correction is shown to be wholly unsatisfactory and to lead to impossible results. Brillouin's formula however reproduces the observed data fairly well. The agreement becomes excellent if the latter formula is slightly modified by the introduction of a constant, similar to the "orifice coefficient", to take account of the form of the ends of the tube. Finally a criterion is given for determining the negligibility of the end-correction within any desired limits of accuracy.
Trick, Treat, or Toy: Children Are Just as Likely to Choose Toys as Candy on Halloween

This study investigated whether children would choose toys over candy when offered both on Halloween. Seven households gave trick-or-treaters a choice between comparably sized toys and candies. The subjects (N = 284) were between 3 and 14 years of age. Children were just as likely to choose toys as candy. There were no gender differences. The implication of this study is that children will not be disappointed by toy treats on Halloween. In practice, nutrition professionals should encourage adults to create holiday traditions that do not rely on unhealthful foods.
Effects of amiprilose hydrochloride on the components of human skin equivalents

Amiprilose hydrochloride has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of a number of hyperproliferative cell types including psoriatic skin cells. In the present study, the effects of amiprilose hydrochloride on human tissue equivalents were examined by incubating a) dermal equivalents, b) skin equivalents in the process of epidermalization, and c) mature skin equivalents, with varying concentrations of the drug. In all three models amiprilose hydrochloride concentrations of 0.1% (wt/vol) and lower were not toxic to fibroblasts and keratinocytes and did not interfere with the differentiation of the skin equivalent and the developing skin equivalent. When tested in dermal equivalents, concentrations of amiprilose hydrochloride between 0.1 and 0.5% resulted in changes in fibroblast morphology with development of large intracellular vacuoles, and concentrations greater than 5% were toxic. In mature skin equivalents, in addition to changes in fibroblast morphology, amiprilose hydrochloride in concentrations of 1 to 10% affected the epidermis. When 0.5% amiprilose hydrochloride was present in the developing skin equivalent during differentiation, the epidermal keratinocytes were also affected. Thus the morphology of basal keratinocytes was modified, the differentiation was incomplete, and the dermalepidermal attachment was compromised. These studies suggest the possibility of an extracellular mechanism of action of amiprilose hydrochloride and delineate acceptable dosage ranges for the potential drug.
Lively Notes on Nocturnal Singers

Introducing night songs and the crickets and katydids that make them, Himmelman aims to help people appreciate these extraordinary singers.
Identification of the Binding Region of the [2Fe-2S] Ferredoxin in Stearoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Desaturase: Insight into the Catalytic Complex and Mechanism of Action†

Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase (Delta9D) catalyzes the O(2) and 2e(-) dependent desaturation of stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (18:0-ACP) to yield oleoyl-ACP (18:1-ACP). The 2e(-) are provided by essential interactions with reduced plant-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Fd). We have investigated the protein-protein interface involved in the Fd-Delta9D complex by the use of chemical cross-linking, site-directed mutagenesis, steady-state kinetic approaches, and molecular docking studies. The treatment of the different proteins with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide revealed that carboxylate residues from Fd and lysine residues from Delta9D contribute to cross-linking. The single substitutions of K60A, K56A, and K230A on Delta9D decreased the k(cat)/K(M) for Fd by 4-, 22-, and 2400-fold, respectively, as compared to wt Delta9D and a K41A substitution. The double substitution K56A/K60A decreased the k(cat)/K(M) for Fd by 250-fold, whereas the triple mutation K56A/K60A/K230A decreased the k(cat)/K(M) for Fd by at least 700 000-fold. These results strongly implicate the triad of K56, K60, and K230 of Delta9D in the formation of a catalytic complex with Fd. Molecular docking studies indicate that electrostatic interactions between K56 and K60 and the carboxylate groups on Fd may situate the [2Fe-2S] cluster of Fd closer to W62, a surface residue that is structurally conserved in both ribonucleotide reductase and mycobacterial putative acyl-ACP desaturase DesA2. Owing to the considerably larger effects on catalysis, K230 appears to have other contributions to catalysis arising from its positioning in helix 7 and its close spatial location to the diiron center ligands E229 and H232. These results are considered in the light of the presently available models for Fd-mediated electron transfer in Delta9D and other protein-protein complexes.
Generalized wave envelope analysis of sound propagation in ducts with stepped noise source profiles and variable axial impedance

A finite difference formulation is presented for sound propagation in a rectangular two-dimensional duct without steady flow. Before the difference equations are formulated, the governing Helmholtz equation is first transformed to a form whose solution tends not to oscillate along the length of the duct. This transformation reduces the required number of grid points by an order of magnitude. Example solutions indicate that stepped noise source profiles have much higher attenuation than plane waves in a uniform impedance liner. Also, multiple stepped impedance liners are shown to have higher attenuation than uniform ducts if the impedances are chosen properly. For optimum noise reduction with axial variations in impedance, the numerical analysis indicates that for a plane wave input the resistance should be near zero at the entrance of a suppressor duct, while the reactance should be near the optimum value associated with the least-attenuated mode in a uniform duct.
Optimal Temperature Distribution in a Three-Dimensional Triple-Layered Skin Structure Embedded with Artery and Vein Vasculature

In recent years there has been interest in research related to hyperthermia combined with radiation and cytotoxic drugs to enhance the killing of tumors. When heating the tumor tissue, the crucial problem is keeping the temperature of the normal tissue surrounding the tumor below a certain threshold so as not to cause damage to the tissue. Hence, in order to control the process, it is important to obtain a temperature field of the entire treatment region. In this article, we develop a numerical method for obtaining an optimal temperature distribution in a triple-layered skin structure embedded with two countercurrent, multilevel blood vessels: artery and vein.
Cell growth assay using the ultrasonic flexural plate-wave device

The ability to easily monitor the rate of cell growth has many useful applications such as characterizing cell lines to optimize growth conditions and compound screening to test for cytotoxicity. As a cell growth sensor, the ultrasonic flexural plate-wave device offers a convenient assay that is non-invasive, continuous, and capable of full automation for high throughput screening. The flexural plate-wave (FPW) device is a microfabricated sensor consisting of a thin silicon nitride membrane with aluminum and zinc oxide transducers at both ends. These interdigitated transducers send and receive acoustic plate waves that propagate along the membrane. Applications of the device include mass sensing, achieved by measuring the frequency shift caused by mass loading of the membrane, and pumping of liquids and gases. We have conducted studies that established the biocompatibility of the FPW device materials with cell cultures. In addition, biological samples were exposed to the ultrasonic agitation of the device and no damaging effects were found. Experiments were performed using the FPW device to sense cell growth for mammalian suspension (non- adherent) cells. Results show a good correlation between change of cell number and frequency.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
GTP-binding proteins mediate transmitter inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium channels.

The modulation of voltage-dependent calcium channels by hormones and neurotransmitters has important implications for the control of many Ca2+-dependent cellular functions including exocytosis and contractility1–7. We made use of electrophysiological techniques, including whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones, to demonstrate a role for GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) as signal transducers in the noradrenaline- and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-induced inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium channels8–11. This action of the transmitters was blocked by: (1) preincubation of the cells with pertussis toxin (a bacterial exotoxin catalysing ADP-ribosylation of G-proteins12); or (2) intracellular administration of guanosine 5′-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP-β-S), a non-hydrolysable analogue of GDP that competitively inhibits the binding of GTP to G-proteins13. Our findings provide the first direct demonstration of the G-protein-mediated inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium channels by neurotransmitters. This mode of transmitter action may explain the ability of noradrenaline and GABA to presynaptically inhibit Ca2+-dependent neurosecretion from DRG sensory neurones4,5.
CODING, CHANNEL CAPACITY, AND NOISE RESISTANCE IN COMMUNICATING WITH CHAOS

Recent work has considered the possibility of utilizing symbolic representations of controlled chaotic orbits for digital communication. We argue that dynamically a coding scheme usually leads to trajectories that live on a nonattracting but noise-resisting chaotic saddle embedded in the chaotic attractor. We present analyses and numerical computation which indicate that the channel capacity of the chaotic saddle has a devil-staircase-like behavior as a function of the noise-resisting strength. The implication is that nonlinear digital communication using chaos can yield a substantial channel capacity even in a noisy environment. [S0031-9007(97)04462-1]
The impact of disposition to privacy, website reputation and website familiarity on information privacy concerns

This study examines the impact of disposition to privacy, perceived reputation of a website, and personal familiarity with the website on a person's privacy concerns about the website. It also analyzes the key attributes of disposition to privacy and its antecedents. Using a survey, the study finds the direct impact of disposition to privacy, website reputation, and personal familiarity on website-specific privacy concerns. The impact of privacy experience on disposition to privacy is also confirmed. The moderating effects of website reputation and personal familiarity on disposition to privacy are not supported, suggesting that the three antecedents exert their impact on privacy concerns independently. The study extends the information privacy literature through the analysis of the roles of contextual factors (reputation and familiarity) in the relationship between disposition to privacy and website-specific privacy concerns. It also moves forward studies on individual disposition to privacy, calling for more attention to this critical concept.
Privacy-preserving item-based Collaborative Filtering using semi-distributed Belief Propagation

Recommender systems are increasingly employed by e-commerce websites to suggest items to users that meet their preferences. Collaborative Filtering (CF), as the most popular recommendation algorithm, exploits the collected historic user ratings to predict ratings on unseen items for users. However, traditional recommender systems are run by the commercial websites, and thus users have to disclose their personal rating data to the websites in order to receive recommendations. This raises the privacy issue, as user ratings can be used to reveal sensitive personal information. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving item-based CF recommender system using semi-distributed Belief Propagation (BP), where rating data are stored at the user side. Firstly, we formulate the item similarity computation as a probabilistic inference problem on the factor graph, which can be efficiently solved by applying the BP algorithm. To avoid disclosing user ratings to the server or other user peers, we then introduce a semi-distributed architecture for the BP algorithm, where only probabilistic messages on item similarity are exchanged between the server and users. Finally, an active user locally generates rating predictions by averaging his own ratings on items weighted by their similarities to unseen items. As such, the proposed recommender system preserves user privacy without relying on any privacy techniques, e.g., obfuscation and cryptography. Further, there is no compromise in recommendation performance compared to the centralized counterpart of the proposed algorithm. Through experiments on the MovieLens dataset, we show that the proposed algorithm achieves superior accuracy.
Inverse Heat Conduction Using Measured Back Surface Temperature and Heat Flux

In the high-energy laser heating of a target, the temperature and heat flux at the heated surface are not directly measurable, but they can be estimated by solving an inverse heat conduction problem based on the measured temperature and/or the heat flux at the accessible (back) surface. In this study, the one-dimensional inverse heat conduction problem in a finite slab is solved by the conjugate gradient method, using measured temperature and heat flux at the accessible (back) surface. Simulated measurement data are generated by solving a direct problem, in which the front surface of the slab is subjected to high-intensity periodic heating. Two cases are simulated and compared, with the temperature or heat flux at the heated front surface chosen as the unknown function to be recovered. The results show that the latter choice (i.e., choosing back surface heat flux as the unknown function) can give better estimation accuracy in the inverse heat conduction problem solution. The front surface temperature can be computed with high precision as a by-product of the inverse heat conduction problem algorithm. The robustness of this inverse heat conduction problem formulation is tested by different measurement errors and frequencies of the input periodic heating flux.
The Synthesis of 5,6-Disubstituted Bicyclo[2.1.1]hexenes and 2,3-Dihalotricyclo[2.1.1.05,6]hexanes

Abstract Now that benzvalene (I), the highly strained structural isomer of benzene has become a readily available compound2, it is possible to investigate its chemistry as well as the chemistry of compounds derived from it that were previously unknown or obtainable only with great difficulty. For example, there are relatively few methods known for synthesizing bicyclo[2.1.1]hexenes (II)3 or tricyclo[2.1.1.05,6]hexanes (III)4. We report herein the straightforward synthesis of compounds with these ring systems and their not so straightforward reactions and rearrangements.
INNER-CITY CHILDREN WITH IN UTERO COCAINE EXPOSURE (COC) DO NOT DIFFER FROM CONTROLS (CON) IN PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY † 64

INNER-CITY CHILDREN WITH IN UTERO COCAINE EXPOSURE (COC) DO NOT DIFFER FROM CONTROLS (CON) IN PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY † 64
Purification and characterization of chorion peroxidase from Aedes aegypti eggs.

Previous study has shown that a peroxidase is present in the mature eggs of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and the enzyme is involved in the formation of a rigid and insoluble chorion by catalyzing chorion protein crosslinking through dityrosine formation. In this study, chorion peroxidase was solubilized from egg chorion by 1% SDS and 2 M urea and purified by various chromatographic techniques. The enzyme has a relative molecular mass of 63,000 as estimated by SDS–PAGE. Spectral analysis of the enzyme revealed the presence of the Soret band with a λmax at 415 nm, indicating that chorion peroxidase is a hemoprotein. Treatment of the native enzyme with H2O2 in excess in the absence of reducing agents shifted the Soret band from 415 to 422 nm, and reduction of the native enzyme with sodium hydrosulfite under anaerobic conditions changed the Soret band from 415 to 446 nm. These results show that the chorion peroxidase behaves similarly to other peroxidases under oxidative and reductive conditions, respectively. Compared to other peroxidases, the chorion peroxidase, however, is extremely resistant to denaturing agents, such as SDS and organic solvents. For example, chorion peroxidase remained active for several weeks in 1% SDS, while horseradish peroxidase irreversibly lost all its activity in 2 h under the same conditions. Comparative analysis between mosquito chorion peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase showed that the specific activity of chorion peroxidase to tyrosine was at least 100 times greater than that of horseradish peroxidase to tyrosine. Chorion peroxidase is also capable of catalyzing polypeptide and chorion protein crosslinking through dityrosine formation during in vitro assays. Our data suggest that the characteristics of the chorion peroxidase in mosquitoes closely reflect its functions in chorion formation and hardening.
Aeroelastic control with self-straining actuators: continuum models

The problem of flutter suppression using self-straining actuators has been analyzed using the full continuum model of Goland-Ashley and the time-domain solution thereof developed. The theory yields a necessary condition for flutter to occur as well as a formula for the divergence speed. Aeroelastic modes are shown to be the roots of the determination of a 3 X 3 matrix, which involves the Theodorsen function which has the entire negative real axis including zero as an essential singularity line. Computer calculations are presented for the numerical values of the Goland model where the first pitching mode flutters. It is shown that the flutter speed increases as the twisting control gain alone increases (no bending control). There is a critical value of the gain beyond which the pitching mode is stable but the bending flutters but the flutter speed increases as the pitching control gain is increased. The situation is reversed for the bending control. Here the flutter speed actually decreases as the bending control gain increases (no pitch control). There is a critical value for the gain beyond which the pitching mode ceases to flutter but the bending mode--actually the `clamped/rolling' mode--flutters but the flutter speed decreases as the gain is increased. The effect is similar whatever the value of the pitching control gain. It is noted that increasing control gain may decrease flutter speed in highest-order modes.
Evidence supporting a single electron transfer pathway in the cannizzaro reaction

Abstract Radical species are observed by EPR spectroscopy in the Cannizzaro reaction involving various substituted benzaldehydes with NaOh in THF/HMPA (9:1). The radical species have been identified as the aldehyde radical anions corresponding to the particular aldehyde studied.
Dorsal stream activity and connectivity associated with action priming of ambiguous apparent motion

Theories proposing a bidirectional influence between action and perception are well supported by behavioral findings. In contrast to the growing literature investigating the brain mechanisms by which perception influences action, there is a relative dearth of neural evidence documenting how action may influence perception. Here we show that action priming of apparent motion perception is associated with increased functional connectivity between dorsal cortical regions connecting vision with action. Participants manually rotated a joystick in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction while viewing ambiguous apparent rotational motion. Actions influenced perception when the perceived direction of the ambiguous display was the same as manual rotation. For comparison, participants also rotated the joystick while viewing non-ambiguous apparent motion and in the absence of apparent motion. In a final control condition, participants viewed ambiguous apparent motion without manual rotation. Actions influence on perception was accompanied by a significant increase in alpha and beta band event related desynchronization (ERD) in contralateral primary motor cortex, superior parietal lobe and middle occipital gyrus. Increased ERD across these areas was accompanied by an increase in gamma band phase locking between primary motor, parietal, striate and extrastriate regions. Similar patterns were not observed when action was compatible with perception, but did not influence it. These data demonstrate that action influences perception by strengthening the interaction across a broad sensorimotor network for the putative purpose of integrating compatible action outcomes and sensory information into a single coherent percept.
Diasporic pugilists and fighting for national belonging: Haroon Khan and the 2010 Commonwealth Games

The 2010 Delhi Games, anticipated as a chance to prove the administrative acumen of Britain's former colony, became a debate about infrastructural failures and Indian governmental incompetence. Within this charged atmosphere of postcolonial rivalry, Haroon Iqbal Khan's decision to represent Pakistan was regarded with suspicion in the British press. His subsequent success at the Games resulted in his popular repatriation by the press. Considering Khan's portrayal in the British sporting media within the history of British Asian representation, I argue that the Khan case demonstrates that the widely reported and publicly debated membership decisions on the part of British Asian athletes are framed in terms of the athletes' ‘personal choice’, and as evidence of their successful assimilation. Despite their celebrity status, they are subject to the same contingent national belonging of other diasporic Asians in Britain. Their ‘Britishness’ itself is contingent upon sporting success, even as their success is cl...
Attachment orientations, marriage, and the transition to parenthood

Abstract This study examined how a major life stressor—the transition to parenthood—impacts marital satisfaction and functioning in persons with different romantic attachment orientations. As hypothesized, if highly ambivalent women entered the transition perceiving low levels of spousal support, they experienced significant declines (pre-to-postnatal changes) in perceptions of spousal support and marital satisfaction, and their husbands reported significant declines in support giving and marital satisfaction. Changes in both spouses’ satisfaction were mediated by pre-to-postnatal changes in wives’ perceptions of spousal support. That is, highly ambivalent women who perceived less prenatal support reported significant declines in perceived support over time, which in turn predicted significant declines in their marital satisfaction. These results highlight the critical role that perceptions of support assume when highly ambivalent women encounter a major life stressor.
Nonlinear charge transport in photorefractive semiconductor quantum wells

Nonlinear electron transport and hot carriers in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells produce interesting and beneficial effects on the formation of photorefractive gratings, including nonlocal space-charge screening and the prevention of grating slow-down at high fields.
Parallel Reproducible Summation

Reproducibility, i.e. getting bitwise identical floating point results from multiple runs of the same program, is a property that many users depend on either for debugging or correctness checking in many codes [10] . However, the combination of dynamic scheduling of parallel computing resources, and floating point nonassociativity, makes attaining reproducibility a challenge even for simple reduction operations like computing the sum of a vector of numbers in parallel. We propose a technique for floating point summation that is reproducible independent of the order of summation. Our technique uses Rump’s algorithm for error-free vector transformation [7] , and is much more efficient than using (possibly very) high precision arithmetic. Our algorithm reproducibly computes highly accurate results with an absolute error bound of $n \cdot 2^{-28} \cdot macheps \cdot \max _i |v_i|$ at a cost of $7n$ FLOPs and a small constant amount of extra memory usage. Higher accuracies are also possible by increasing the number of error-free transformations. As long as all operations are performed in to-nearest rounding mode, results computed by the proposed algorithms are reproducible for any run on any platform. In particular, our algorithm requires the minimum number of reductions, i.e. one reduction of an array of six double precision floating point numbers per sum, and hence is well suited for massively parallel environments.
Formal selection of measures for a composite index of NICU quality of care: Baby-MONITOR

To systematically rate measures of care quality for very low birth weight infants for inclusion into Baby-MONITOR, a composite indicator of quality. Modified Delphi expert panelist process including electronic surveys and telephone conferences. Panelists considered 28 standard neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) quality measures and rated each on a 9-point scale taking into account pre-defined measure characteristics. In addition, panelists grouped measures into six domains of quality. We selected measures by testing for rater agreement using an accepted method. Of 28 measures considered, 13 had median ratings in the high range (7 to 9). Of these, 9 met the criteria for inclusion in the composite: antenatal steroids (median (interquartile range)) 9(0), timely retinopathy of prematurity exam 9(0), late onset sepsis 9(1), hypothermia on admission 8(1), pneumothorax 8(2), growth velocity 8(2), oxygen at 36 weeks postmenstrual age 7(2), any human milk feeding at discharge 7(2) and in-hospital mortality 7(2). Among the measures selected for the composite, the domains of quality most frequently represented included effectiveness (40%) and safety (30%). A panel of experts selected 9 of 28 routinely reported quality measures for inclusion in a composite indicator. Panelists also set an agenda for future research to close knowledge gaps for quality measures not selected for the Baby-MONITOR.