cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomic complexity and plasticity of Burkholderia cepacia

Burkholderia cepacia has attracted attention because of its extraordinary degradative abilities and its potential as a pathogen for plants and for humans. This bacterium was formerly considered to belong to the genus Pseudomonas in the γ-subclass of the Proteobacteria, but recently has been assigned to the β-subclass based on rrn gene sequence analyses and other key phenotypic characteristics. The B. cepacia genome is comprised of multiple chromosomes and is rich in insertion sequences. These two features may have played a key role in the evolution of novel degradative functions and the unusual adaptability of this bacterium.
Effect of chiral constraints on dense nuclear matter

Abstract We first discuss calculations in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model which show that the mass of the σ-meson, mσ, decreases with increasing density at the same rate as nucleon effective mass m ∗ N , i.e. m ∗ σ (ρ)/m σ = m ∗ N /m N . We next discuss linear response theory in which Δ-particle, nucleon-hole insertions are put into pion lines; then masses of all the mesons seem to decrease with increasing density. To the extent that all of the masses scale in the same way, the common scale can be taken out of the hamiltonian, giving a new hamiltonian which involves only vacuum masses. The nucleon effective mass is calculated in the Dirac-Brueckner Hartree-Fock formalism, with inclusion of nucleon one-loop terms. The latter tend to keep m ∗ N /m N large , ∼0.9 . Finally, a full DBHF calculation is carried out, including the nucleon one-loop term and density dependent meson masses. With inclusion of the latter, conventional mechanisms in nuclear physics for saturation disappear and a density dependent two loop term ΔUσ(ρ) must be introduced. We motivate its introduction by empirical as well as formal arguments. In the discussion it is pointed out that the scaled meson masses can be considered, for a convenient density, as renormalization points.
Could the Ebola virus matrix protein VP40 be a drug target

Filoviruses are filamentous lipid-enveloped viruses and include Ebola (EBOV) and Marburg, which are morphologically identical but antigenically distinct. These viruses can be very deadly with outbreaks of EBOV having clinical fatality as high as 90%. In 2012 there were two separate Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda that resulted in 25 and 4 fatalities, respectively. The lack of preventive vaccines and FDA-approved therapeutics has struck fear that the EBOV could become a pandemic threat. The Ebola genome encodes only seven genes, which mediate the entry, replication, and egress of the virus from the host cell. The EBOV matrix protein is VP40, which is found localized under the lipid envelope of the virus where it bridges the viral lipid envelope and nucleocapsid. VP40 is effectively a peripheral protein that mediates the plasma membrane binding and budding of the virus prior to egress. A number of studies have demonstrated specific deletions or mutations of VP40 to abrogate viral egress but to date pharmacological inhibition of VP40 has not been demonstrated. This editorial highlights VP40, which is the most abundantly expressed protein of the virus and discusses VP40 as a potential therapeutic target.
Heat and water mass transfer modeling in polyimide based advanced composites

Abstract In this work, analytical and numerical models were utilized to analyze the absorption of water in polyimide resins. Past studies showed that the presence of water or other fluids often had deleterious effects on the long term performance of composite materials. Therefore, the issue of concern addressed here was the hydrophilic nature of polyimide resins and its impact on polyimide utilization as matrix resins in fiber reinforced composites designed for aircraft parts. To fully understand and characterize the behavior of the polyimide resins, it was necessary to evaluate the water concentration and thermal profiles that might be encountered during service conditions. Consequently, several models of heat and mass transfer were developed to investigate the absorption of water in these materials. Initially, analytical models based on Fickian diffusion assumptions were developed, with deviations from this ideal behavior expressed by various changing boundary conditions. As analytical models could not provide a solution to complex nonFickian cases, finite differential methods were applied to develop numerical models that accounted for concentration dependent coefficients of diffusion, as well as periodic boundary conditions relevant to hygrothermal cycling. Such models were found to provide excellent agreement with the experimental data. Additionally, thermal profiles for the simulation of an airplane engine core cowl were also calculated. Overall, this work provided the means to understand the hygrothermal conditions within a polyimide composite during laboratory simulated service conditions.
Differentiation and uteroglobin gene expression by novel rabbit endometrial cell lines

Abstract A clear understanding of the mechanism of differentiation of mammalian endometrial epithelia would significantly improve our knowledge of embryo implantation and placentation. An ideal model for such studies would be immortal endometrial epithelial cell lines which express a well characterized, steroid-responsive, differentiation specific gene in vitro. We characterized two cell lines which are temperature-sensitive for differentiation. At the non-permissive temperature (39.5°C), in presence of ovarian steroids, these cells express the gene coding for uteroglobin, a steroid-dependent, immunomodulatory/antiinflammatory protein in the rabbit. In addition, when cultured on artificial basement membrane (MatrigelTM), in presence of ovarian steroids both cell lines developed organized, tubular structures with lumens, reminiscent of an intact endometrium and secreted 33-fold more uteroglobin than the untreated controls. Thus, these immortal cell lines provide a unique model to study endometrial epithelial cell differentiation and steroid hormone action in vitro.
Evolution and Protein Packaging of Small Molecule RNA Aptamers

A high-affinity RNA aptamer (Kd = 50 nM) was efficiently identified by SELEX against a heteroaryldihydropyrimidine structure, chosen as a representative drug-like molecule with no cross reactivity with mammalian or bacterial cells. This aptamer, its weaker-binding variants, and a known aptamer against theophylline were each embedded in a longer RNA sequence that was encapsidated inside a virus-like particle by a convenient expression technique. These nucleoprotein particles were shown by backscattering interferometry to bind to the small-molecule ligands with affinities similar to those of the free (nonencapsidated) aptamers. The system therefore comprises a general approach to the production and sequestration of functional RNA molecules, characterized by a convenient label-free analytical technique.
Constrained shrinking dimer dynamics for saddle point search with constraints

In this paper, we study the constrained shrinking dimer dynamics (CSDD) which leads to numerical procedures for locating saddle points (transition states) associated with an energy functional defined on a constrained manifold. We focus on the most generic case corresponding to a constrained stationary point where the projected Hessian of the energy onto the tangent hyperplane of the constrained manifold has only one unstable direction and demonstrate, in this case, the local stability of the CSDD. We examine various numerical implementation issues and consider some interesting applications of CSDD including the computation of periodic centroidal Voronoi tessellations, generalized Thomson problems about particle/charge distribution on the unit sphere, and the critical nuclei morphology in binary phase transformations.
Dynamical generation of maximally entangled states in two identical cavities

The generation of entanglement between two identical coupled cavities, each containing a single three-level atom, is studied when the cavities exchange two coherent photons and are in the $N=2,4$ manifolds, where $N$ represents the maximum number of photons possible in either cavity. The atom-photon state of each cavity is described by a qutrit for $N=2$ and a five-dimensional qudit for $N=4$. However, the conservation of the total value of $N$ for the interacting two-cavity system limits the total number of states to only 4 states for $N=2$ and 8 states for $N=4$, rather than the usual 9 for two qutrits and 25 for two five-dimensional qudits. In the $N=2$ manifold, two-qutrit states dynamically generate four maximally entangled Bell states from initially unentangled states. In the $N=4$ manifold, two-qudit states dynamically generate maximally entangled states involving three or four states. The generation of these maximally entangled states occurs rather rapidly for large hopping strengths. The cavities function as a storage of periodically generated maximally entangled states.
Interpretation of hospitality across religions

Abstract Given the inter-religious locus of modern tourism and importance of host–guest interaction, current study explores how religion is involved in constructing hosts’ understanding of hospitality and hospitable behavior in private, public, and commercial settings. Utilizing hermeneutic phenomenology as a methodological framework, we resorted to in-depth interviews with 30 participants representing Buddhist, Christian and Muslim faiths and did document analysis of respective holy texts. Regardless of religious beliefs, hosts in this study understand hospitality first as their relations to their own communities and only then as associations with outsiders. This communal understanding of hospitality is supported by religious teachings. Findings reveal that interpretation of hospitality and hospitable behavior in private and public domains vary according to religious values while commercial hospitality, somewhat influenced by religion, is mostly understood as a money-making venture. The results are discussed in respect to definitional characteristics of hospitality, the host–guest paradigm, and global processes.
New perspectives on adolescent motivated behavior: Attention and conditioning

Adolescence is a critical transition period, during which fundamental changes prepare the adolescent for becoming an adult. Heuristic models of the neurobiology of adolescent behavior have emerged, promoting the central role of reward and motivation, coupled with cognitive immaturities. Here, we bring focus to two basic sets of processes, attention and conditioning, which are essential for adaptive behavior. Using the dual-attention model developed by Corbetta and Shulman (2002), which identifies a stimulus-driven and a goal-driven attention network, we propose a balance that favors stimulus-driven attention over goal-driven attention in youth. Regarding conditioning, we hypothesize that stronger associations tend to be made between environmental cues and appetitive stimuli, and weaker associations with aversive stimuli, in youth relative to adults. An attention system geared to prioritize stimulus-driven attention, together with more powerful associative learning with appetitive incentives, contribute to shape patterns of adolescent motivated behavior. This proposed bias in attention and conditioning function could facilitate the impulsive, novelty-seeking and risk-taking behavior that is typical of many adolescents.
IgG in murine intestinal secretions. Aging effect and possible physiological role.

To assess the role of, and age-associated alterations in, intraluminal IgG in the intestine, total IgG and subclass distribution in small intestinal perfusates and pilocarpine-stimulated intestinal secretions were measured under non-fasting conditions in three groups of BALB/c mice: 2–3, 12–14, and over 24 months old. Total intraluminal IgG and its subclasses (i.e. IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b) increased with age. However, the binding capacities of natural intraluminal IgG antibody (Ab) for outer membrane antigen (Ag) from normal habitant bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterobacter agglomerans) were markedly reduced in the aged lavage samples as compared with such binding in samples from the other two age groups. The striking similarity to serum in the magnitude of the increase of intraluminal IgG and also in the distribution patterns of its subclasses in the small intestinal perfusates from also age groups suggests that the serum is a major source of the IgG. The intraluminal IgG may play some role in humoral immune protection under physiologic conditions of the gut lumen.
Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency with Diffuse Bronchiectasis and Cirrhosis of the Liver

The medical literature has emphasized repeatedly the association of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency with panacinar emphysema and cirrhosis of the liver. Previous reports have linked bronchiectasis with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. The present case confirms this association and adds the presence of an hepatic abnormality characteristics of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency to complete the syndrome. The patient's phenotype was found to be MDuarteZ. It has been suggested that patients with diffuse bronchiectasis should be screened for alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. We would add that a complete assessment of hepatic function, including liver biopsy, should be carried out in those individuals with reduced levels of alpha1-antitrypsin.
The effect of point defects on the dissolution of zinc oxide in sodium hydroxide solutions

Abstract The dissolution behavior of sintered zinc oxide in aqueous solutions of NaOH has been studied as a function of varying concentrations of lithia, alumina, and chromia as solid state dopants. Both the pure and doped zinc oxide samples were found to obey the shrinking particle model of dissolution, and there was a lack of dependence of the dissolution rate on agitation speed. An activation energy of 48.1 kJ/mol (11.5 kcal/mol) was obtained for the undoped ZnO material. It is proposed that the desorption of surface hydroxyl complexes constitutes the rate controlling step. Additions of up to 1.0 mol percent Cr2,O3 and Al2O3 decreased the dissolution rate. An opposite effect was observed for the addition of Li2O. Dopant-induced changes in zinc oxide surface chemistry have been used to interpret the observed difference in the effects of the higher-valent and lower-valent dopants. Zinc oxide is an n-type semiconductor with an equivalent amount of zinc interstitials and quasi-free electrons. Doping with alumina and chromia results in an increase in negatively charged point defects (quasi-free electrons), reducing adsorption of OH− species on the zinc oxide surface and thereby decreasing dissolution. Doping with lithia increases the concentration of positively charged point defects (zinc interstitials), thus facilitating surface hydroxylation and dissolution.
Autoionization resonances in the outer regions of atoms and molecules as probed with synchrotron radiation

Abstract Strong resonances that occur when electrons from shallow levels are excited into partially filled Subshells are investigated with the aid of photoelectron spectrometry and synchrotron radiation. Results are discussed for resonances involving the Ga 3d, Mn 3p, and Pb 6s levels of free atoms and the inner valence levels of the N2O molecule.
A low-calorie beverage supplemented with low-viscosity pectin reduces energy intake at a subsequent meal.

Abstract: The addition of fiber to foods and beverages has been linked with greater satiety and reduced energy intakes at the next meal. However, measures of satiety can be influenced by the time interval between beverage consumption and the next meal. The objective of this study was to determine how the time interval between consumption and a subsequent test meal impacts the satiating power of a low-calorie beverage supplemented with low-viscosity pectin fiber. Forty-two participants (20 men, 22 women) each participated in 4 study sessions. Study preloads were 2 low-calorie beverages (355 mL, 8 kcal) containing either 0 g fiber (no fiber) or 8 g low-viscosity fiber (added fiber). These preloads were consumed either 90 min before lunch or 15 min before lunch. Every 15 min, participants rated hunger, desire to eat, fullness, and thirst using 100-mm visual analogue scales. A test lunch was served and plate waste was measured. Beverages with added fiber reduced energy intakes at lunch relative to those without fiber. A short delay (15 min) between beverage consumption and a subsequent meal was associated with higher satiety ratings and reduced energy intakes, regardless of fiber content. The addition of low-viscosity pectin to low-calorie beverages reduced energy intakes at the next meal, presenting a possible tool for intake regulation. A short time interval between consumption of a low-calorie beverage and a meal also increased satiety and decreased food intake, reflecting the short-lived effect of volume. Practical Application: Consumption of a low-calorie beverage supplemented with 8 g of low-viscosity pectin fiber reduced energy intakes at the next meal. However, beverages consumed 15 min prior to the test meal were associated with higher satiety and lower subsequent energy intakes than beverages consumed 90 min prior to the test meal, regardless of fiber content. Timing of preload consumption has an important impact on measures of satiating power.
Functional analysis of bacteriophage f1 intergenic region

Abstract The bacteriophage fl genome contains an intergenic region (IG) 508 nucleotides long that does not code for any known protein. By using chimeric plasmids harboring different portions of this region as well as neighboring parts of the fl genome, we have identified three functional domains: (1) the proximal part of gene II, responsible for the prevention of fl and f2 adsorption and penetration (IP2 phenotype); (2) a part in the middle of the IG responsible for the fl “functional origin of replication;” and (3) a sequence at the gene IV/IG junction important for particle morphogenesis. We have shown that these regions cab be inserted into separate sites of a plasmid and function independently of one another.
Chemical Control of Onset of Egg Production

Abstract DELAYING sexual maturity in replacement flocks by means of restricted feeding or lighting has long had its advocates. Among the advantages claimed by some, and denied by others, are better body weight when production begins, higher total and more sustained egg production, and larger egg size. (See comments by Platt, 1955; Milby and Sherwood, 1956; Fuller, 1958; Couch, 1959.) It is not the purpose of this paper to debate further the merits or demerits of this management technique; rather it is to suggest that the drug Nicarbazin* may be used to simulate retardation of sexual maturity without restricting feed or light. It has been shown that feeding Nicarbazin at certain levels can temporarily inhibit egg formation in laying birds without depressing body weight or feed intake, and that apparently normal reproductive function is restored shortly after the drug is withdrawn (Sherwood et al., 1956; Baker et al., 1957; Weiss, 1960).
Simulation of glasses and glass-forming liquids after two decades : some perspectives

Abstract We comment on the current status of molecular dynamics and ion dynamics computer simulation studies with respect to advances in understanding of glass formation from viscous liquids, and suggest a classification of current glass and viscous liquid problems in terms of their accessibility to study by computer simulation methods, giving examples in each class. In class C are the problems which are accessible with modest computing facilities and one case, in which the fragility of alternative polymorphic forms of vitreous SiO2 is assessed, is treated in some detail.
Age of menopause and menopausal symptoms in HIV-infected women.

The objective of this study was to examine the median age of menopause, factors associated with postmenopausal status, and the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in HIV-infected women. We surveyed 120 HIV-infected women between 40 and 57 years old who attended an inner city infectious diseases clinic. Ninety-five percent of the women surveyed were African American and almost half of the women (44%) had used methadone, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, or a combination of these drugs within the past 6 months. Eighty-seven percent had smoked cigarettes at least some time during their life and 45% drank alcohol between the ages of 40 and 49 years old. Thirty women were postmenopausal (having no menstrual periods in the previous 12 consecutive months), 31 were perimenopausal (having 1–11 periods within the previous 12 months), and 59 were premenopausal (having 12 or more periods within the previous 12 months). The median age of menopause was 50 years old (95% confidence interval = 49, 53). In a multivariate model, m...
Causal essentialism and mereological monism

Several philosophers have recently defended Causal Essentialism—the view that every property confers causal powers, and whatever powers it confers, it confers essentially. I argue that on the face of it, Causal Essentialism implies a form of Monism, and in particular, the thesis I call ‘Mereological Monism’: that there is some concretum that is a part of every concretum. However, there are three escape routes, three views which are such that if one of them is true, Causal Essentialism does not imply any form of Monism at all. I survey the costs associated with taking these escape routes along with the costs associated with accepting Mereological Monism.
Teaching cryptography using hands-on labs (abstract only)

Teaching cryptography is essential in undergraduate information assurance (IA) education as it is an indispensable component in the IA knowledge domain and plays a key role in ensuring information confidentiality, integrity and availability. Hands-on method in cryptography is a good approach to achieve this as it engages students in real-world settings, which will inspire creativity of students and train them to adapt cryptographic solutions to emerging areas. We design a collection of labs which allow students to gain hands-on experiences with cryptographic algorithms, especially increasing student awareness of possible threats and attacks to various cryptographic techniques. The developed hands-on exercises tied with each cryptography topic teach students both cryptographic algorithm and vulnerabilities. In each exercise students experience cryptographic techniques and its possible threats and attacks. In other words, students learn and understand both strength and weakness of each cryptography technique. Our labs cover topics of encryption, digital signature, key management, etc. These labs can be "plugged" into courses at different levels from CS1 to senior courses such as network security, security management, etc. Our approach enriches experiential learning materials in cryptography. Our effort contributes to cryptography courseware development and IA education in terms of hands-on exercises. The hands-on labs can be adopted in various levels of undergraduate Computer Science (CS) and IA courses. Hands-on labs are available at http://cryptolabs.info/.
Health, national character and the English diet in 1700

Abstract By 1750, the ‘roast beef of Old England’ had become a byword. Half a century earlier, however, debate raged about the appropriate diet for the English temperament, a term laden with medical as well as political implications. John Evelyn’s Acetaria (1699, 2nd ed. 1706) valorized a rural society that subsisted mostly on vegetables, while the physician Martin Lister’s preface to his edition of the Roman cookery book of Apicius (1705) praised the imperial Roman diet and its use of sauces and spices as healthful. The Grub Street writer William King satirized Lister in The Art of Cookery (1708), claiming that a pre-Roman British diet of grilled meats was the most suited to the English character. But the politics of meat-eating was complex: Evelyn’s emphasis on vegetables had earlier been endorsed by the radical Thomas Tryon, while the Royal Society stalwart Edward Tyson argued that although the human body seemed best suited for a vegetable diet, human free will trumped nature.
Students drop out of STEM fields due to poor grades

College students planning to major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields often drop out of those fields because of poorer than expected grades, according to a recent study. Conducted by Ralph Stinebrickner of Berea College in Kentucky and Todd Stinebrickner of the University of Western Ontario, the study is a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper published in June 2013.
A Path to Passion: Connecting Personality, Psychological Conditions, and Emotional Engagement

The focus of this study was emotional engagement, or a strong emotional attachment to one's work (Kahn, 1990). The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship among five factors of personality (need for stability, extraversion, originality, accommodation, and consolidation); psychological conditions of engagement; person–work fit, and the emotional engagement of human resource senior leaders, managers, and generalists. Structural equation modeling was completed separately for each of the three job categories. The results supported significant direct relationships among personality factors and emotional engagement but suggested that meaningfulness, availability, and person–work fit also moderate these relationships. This study makes three main contributions to the literature on the topic. First, although previous research (May, Gilson, & Harter, 2004; Rothmann & Rothmann, 2010) investigated engagement in general, this study spotlighted emotional engagement. Second, this study drew a path leading from personality to emotional engagement, moderated by psychological engagement conditions. Third, this study focused on human resource professionals, who hitherto had received scant coverage in the literature. This study proposes an emotional engagement formula that accounts for a large portion of the variability in emotional engagement (58% for managers, 61% for generalists, and 62% for senior leaders).
A comparison of exercise type and intensity on the noninvasive assessment of skeletal muscle mitochondrial function using near-infrared spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to measure muscle oxygen consumption (mVO2) using arterial occlusions. The recovery rate of mVO2 after exercise can provide an index of skeletal muscle...
Uncertainties associated with global effects of atmospheric CO2

Abstract Although the evidence is quite clear that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is at least to a large degree a result of fossil fuel burning, and it is equally clear that this increase will result in some change in the global climate, there are quantitative uncertainties that require additional understanding before full assessments can be made. There are quantitative uncertainties in the natural carbon cycle as well as uncertainties in the behaviour of the various reservoirs when perturbed by man. There are questions about the terrestrial biosphere and about the rate at which the oceans can assimilate and store carbon. There are uncertainties in regard to the climate change that can result from increased atmospheric CO2. Progress in modelling the atmosphere must continue to narrow these uncertainties before the impacts of climate change on man can be adequately determined. The future demands for fossil fuels are uncertain. The growth of the developing world will be closely linked to fossil energy for the next five to eight decades, and rates of growth in these world segments are dependent on many ill-defined quantities. Only the observed increase in the atmospheric concentration and the present (and recent past) rate of production of CO2 from fossil fuels provide data without uncertainties.
A stereotaxic platform for micro-electrode studies in chronic animals

Abstract A simple stereotaxic platform has been designed which permits repeated micro-electrode recording from subcortical regions in the brains of chronic animal preparations simultaneously with the recording of other forms of bio-electric activity.
In Vivo Effects of Direct Current in the Mandible

The application of low level direct current (3 to 5 mua in situ, that is, 50 mua/cm2), within the mandible of mature Beagle dogs results in an increased osteogenesis at the cathode (negative electrode) when compared to responses about nonactive (control) packs within the same dog. The increased osteogenesis suggests a stimulation of cellular activity rather than the electrophoretic migration of cells. Significant differences observed between platinum-iridium and stainless-steel electrodes seem to suggest that faradaic results play little or no role in the osteogenic response at the platinum-iridium cathode. Conversely, at all other electrodes, faradaic reactions compete to some extent with an osteogenic response. Careful consideration of current density and electrode composition must be taken into account when direct current stimulation is to be used.
Practical guidelines for clinicians who treat patients with amiodarone

Amiodarone has become an important drug for the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, in short-term inpatient and outpatient settings. It may also have a role in affecting outcome in patients at high risk for arrhythmic events and sudden death; its place among available therapies is being established in clinical trials.
Children's perceptions of male and female principals and teachers

This study examined the influence of male and female school principals on first graders' perceptions of school principals and teachers. Participants were 190 male and female first graders who were shown four videotapes depicting all combinations of male and female teachers and principals. Results showed that children were accurate in their labeling of the videotapes regardless of whether the roles presented were stereotypical or counterstereotypical, and regardless of the sex of their principal. On rating scales, children with female principals were more nonstereotypical than children with male principals. Maternal employment was unrelated to their perceptions of teachers and principals. The results suggest that first-grade children do not hold overly stereotypic views and that the presence of both sexes as models for the role of school principal can have a noticeable positive effect on children's perceptions.
Cleland's ligaments: an anatomic study.

The anatomy and function of Cleland's ligaments— thought by the authors to require clarification because of the conflicting anatomic descriptions in the literature— are reviewed. A statistical representation of the structure of these ligamentous bundles was derived from the study of 16 fixed human cadaveric digits and five fresh cadaveric digits, all from different patients. The results demonstrate a large variation in anatomy. However, this anatomic heterogeneity is not indicative of an equally varied function. In general, it was found that the majority of Cleland's ligaments traversed a great distance adherent to the skin before actually inserting in the dermis. Over one-third of the dorsal fibers demonstrated a multiplanar organization, fanning out before inserting into the skin. In contrast, the ventral fibers did not fan out before inserting into the skin. Excision of these ventral fibers revealed a separate “ledgelike” plane of fibers arising from the fibrous flexor sheath and running in a straight line perpendicular to the long axis of the digit. A branch of the digital nerve was found to pierce this ligamentous layer in the majority of digits studied. Unlike those of previous reports, the results of the present study suggest that the ligaments have a constant function of anchoring the skin of the digit on both the dorsal and ventral aspects, thereby preventing the displacement of skin during flexion of the digits. All previous studies failed to make this conclusion. The anatomic relationship to the digital neurovascular bundle also suggests that Cleland's ligaments may stabilize the digital vessels during flexion. In conclusion, Cleland's ligaments are highly functional structures and are essential for normal cutaneous stability during digital movements. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 109: 566, 2002.)
Leadership power discrepancies and worker morale: A test of ecological dissonance theory

The present study attempted to develop a new measure of ecological dissonance (Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989) for an organization and to assess its relationship with measures of alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. Questionnaires were administered to 94 faculty members at Mississippi State University. It was hypothesized that respondents experiencing greater ecological dissonance would also show higher alienation scores, lower involvement scores, and lower satisfaction scores with regard to their jobs; it was also hypothesized that the ecological dissonance levels would vary among the four influence systems (department head, dean, provost, and president of university) and would affect morale to different degrees. Correlational analyses indicated significant correlations between the measures of ecological dissonance, alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. A regression analysis revealed that the ecological dissonance generated within the department head’s influence system was the best predictor of morale. Additionally, a repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the four influence systems differed significantly in ecological dissonance. The results supported the hypotheses and ecological dissonance theory.
Physical Exposure Assessment in a Large Prospective Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders Study

This paper describes a battery of physical exposure assessment methods used in a large prospective upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders study. Different from some previous prospective studies, this study collects health and physical exposure data for each study subject rather than at a group level. Subjects are recruited from different job categories based on their hand activity exposure categories. Multiple exposure assessment methods are used to measure job physical exposures such as force, repetition, and work posture. This will allow us to compare the sensitivity of different exposure assessment methods in predicting the risk for upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. Procedures have also been taken to monitor inter-observer reliability for some observational analyses. During the first year of the study, baseline exposure measurements have been collected from 607 volunteers at 11 different worksites. Follow-up measurements have also been collected in these worksites. Whenever a participant ha...
Initial results on the Ag|CdO {222} interface: Atomic scale interfacial chemistry and sequencing of ordered cadmium/oxygen planes

The bonding between metal-ceramic interfaces is dependent upon the crystallographic structure and chemical composition of this heterophase interface [1-4]. In the case of metal/metal oxide interfaces, the chemistry of the interface can control the properties of the bulk material. The terminating plane of a metal oxide at a heterophase interface may be a mixed cation-oxygen, pure oxygen, or pure cation plane. For example, ab initio calculations indicate that oxygen atoms in a terminating {002} plane of MgO bond to either Ag or Ti atoms in a metallic overlayer, while the composition of the terminating MgO {002} plane remains unchanged [1,3]. High resolution electron microscopy (HREM) is used to determine the crystallographic structures of metal/metal oxide interfaces [57]. Our recent studies of the copper/magnesium oxide (222} heterophase interface -produced by internal oxidation of Cu(Mg) alloys -using conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM), HREM, and atom-probe field-ion microscopy (APFIM) have demonstrated the atomic scale sharpness and chemical nature of the {222} terminating planes [8-10], In particular, it is found that magnesium oxide precipitates have a cube-on-cube orientation relationship with the copper matrix, are octahedrally-shaped, and are bound by {222} planes. APFIM results demonstrate directly that the interfaces are atomically sharp, and the sequence of {222}-type planes across the interface is CulOIMg... and not CulMglO ....
Adaptive parameter identification and State-of-Charge estimation of lithium-ion batteries

Estimation of the State of Charge (SOC) is a fundamental need for the battery, which is the most important energy storage in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the Smart Grid. Regarding those applications, the SOC estimation algorithm is expected to be accurate and easy to implement. In this paper, after considering a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit-equivalent model for the battery, the nonlinear relationship between the Open Circuit Voltage (VOC) and the SOC is described in a lookup table obtained from experimental tests. Assuming piecewise linearity for the VOC -SOC curve in small time steps, a parameter identification technique is applied to the real current and voltage data to estimate and update the parameters of the battery at each step. Subsequently, a reduced-order linear observer is designed for this continuously updating model to estimate the SOC as one of the states of the battery system. In designing the observer, a mixture of Coulomb counting and VOC algorithm is combined with the adaptive parameter-updating approach and increases the accuracy to less than 5% error. This paper also investigates the correlation between the SOC estimation error and the observability criterion for the battery model, which is directly related to the slope of the VOC- SOC curve.
Decentralized-Detection Based Mobile Multi-Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Networks

Due to the communications and energy constraints, we propose the decentralized-detection based schemes for Mobile Multi-Target Tracking (MMTT) in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). Our developed WSN consists of a symmetric-tree structure and a set of target detection and estimation strategies, which achieve the optimal error-exponent decay in detecting the number of the tracked targets. The increase in the target-number estimate accuracy also yields the high target-position estimate accuracy. We apply the Decentralized Probability Hypothesis Density (DPHD) filtering algorithm in deriving the global optimal threshold-levels for our proposed strategies to maximize the estimating accuracy for the positions of the tracked targets. The obtained extensive evaluation analyses validate and evaluate our proposed decentralized-detection structure of WSN and our developed target tracking strategies.
China's Exports and Imports of Agricultural Products under the WTO

An American economic geographer specializing in the agricultural sector of China's economy presents a study of that country's trade in agricultural products. The paper is focused on patterns of change in the regional distribution of agricultural and aquacultural exports and imports before and after China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. Drawing on research during the course of a field trip in July 2008 and utilizing data compiled by China's Customs Bureau, the author provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's trade with 10 major world regions through the year 2007. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F14, F40, O13, Q17. 1 figure, 4 tables, 32 references.
Tethers as Debris: Simulating Impacts of Tether Fragments on Shuttle Tiles

The SPHC hydrodynamic code was used to simulate impacts of Kevlar and aluminum projectiles on a model of the LI-900 type insulating tiles used on Space Shuffle Orbiters The intent was to examine likely damage that such tiles might experience if impacted by orbital debris consisting of tether fragments. Projectile speeds ranged from 300 meters per second to 10 kilometers per second. Damage is characterized by penetration depth, tile surface-hole diameter, tile body-cavity diameter, coating fracture diameter, tether and cavity wall material phases, and deformation of the aluminum backwall.
Pointing, naming, and talk about objects: referential behaviour in children and mothers*

This study investigates the relationship of children’s communicative pointing and maternal language to the child’s acquisition of object labels. Ten children with a high proportion of nouns (a High Referential group) were matched for vocabulary level with 10 children with fewer nouns and a more varied lexicon (a Low Referential group). The frequency of children’s communicative pointing during play and the proportion of maternal talk used to label and describe objects during independent observations of mother-child interaction were coded from videotaped observations at 14 and 20 months. At 14 months there were no differences between the two groups in either pointing or maternal language. Both communicative pointing and maternal talk about objects, however, increased significantly for the High Referential group at 20 months. At 20 months, children in the High Referential group pointed out objects to their mothers more than three times as often as children in the Low Referential group. There was no change over time in communicative pointing and maternal talk about objects for children and mothers in the Low Referential group. At 20 months, there was a significant positive correlation between communicative pointing and maternal talk about objects for children in the High Referential group.
Using the Internet as a Pleasure Travel Planning Tool: An Examination of the Sociodemographic and Behavioral Characteristics among Internet Users and Nonusers

A critical prerequisite for the formulation of effective travel marketing strategies in the next decade must include an understanding of the influence exerted through the Internet. The increasing presence of the Internet as an instrument for advertising travel destinations and travel-related services highlights its importance as a factor in travelers'decision-making processes. This exploratory investigation examined travelers who requested on-line infor mation about a potential vacation destination using the Internet. Results of this investiga tion suggest that Internet "users," when compared with "nonusers," are more educated, have higher household incomes, use commercial lodging accommodations while travel ing, tend to travel by air, and spend more money on travel-related expenses on a per diem basis. Implications for target marketing strategies designed for travel destination areas, services, and facilities are discussed.
Measurement of thickness dilation in polymer films

Mesure sur des films de polycarbonate de bisphenol-A et d'elastomeres de siloxane avec un appareil thermostatique, une camera video et un micrometre. Dilatation isotropique par absorption de dioxyde de carbone. Precision correcte des mesures pour une pression comprise entre 0 et 1000 psi
The ATLAS B-physics Program

The large b quark production cross-section at the LHC will allow sensitive tests of possible new physics contributions. The ATLAS B-physics program includes the new physics search, such as measurement of the CP violating phase ϕ s of the B s 0 system, searching for anomalous rates of the rare B-decay channel: B s 0 → μ + μ − , as well as precise tests of QCD by studying of the production mechanisms of b b ¯ pairs, beauty baryon polarization, and lifetime measurement in the earlier stage of the data taking. The strategy of ATLAS for B-physics strongly depends on the ATLAS trigger system decision which will be different in the different luminosity periods. This article gives an overview of ATLAS B-physics studies for low and high luminosity periods, including description of ATLAS trigger with an emphasis on the B-physics selections.
Influence of synthetic double-stranded ribonucleic acid, poly I:C, on Friend leukemia in mice.

SummaryStudies were carried out to measure the effect on Friend leukemia in BALB/c mice of synthetic double-stranded RNA, Poly I:C (rI:rC), given in different prophylactic and therapeutic regimens. The effect of Poly I:C was strongly influenced by the time of initiating treatment, the amount of drug given, and the number and frequency of doses administered. Necrosis and hemorrhage of the spleen were among the principal pathologic effects of Friend leukemia in mice and these were markedly reduced in those instances in which drug treatment decreased splenomegaly. When administered prior to virus, cortisone greatly increased splenomegaly in Friend leukemia both alone and in combination with Poly I:C. The effect of Poly I:C administration before virus was strongly dose-related and a significant beneficial effect was obtained when the amount of drug was reduced to 4 μg. In toto, Poly I:C was not strikingly beneficial in altering the events in experimental Friend leukemia. The complex and multifaceted relations...
Subtypes of Cognitive Impairment in Depressed Older Adults

The authors examined the cognitive profiles of 104 older adults with major depression and empirically identified three subgroups with distinct patterns of cognitive impairment. The entire sample demonstrated memory impairment relative to age-standardized scores, distributed equally across the three cognitive subgroups. One-third of subjects displayed either executive impairment or attentional deficits. The subgroup with executive dysfunction had greater behavioral disability. Identification of executive impairment in depressed older adults may facilitate intervention for disturbances in planning, sequencing, organizing, and abstracting. Demonstrating the presence of subtypes of cognitive impairments in older adults may provide the basis for further investigation of mechanisms of late-life depression and the pathophysiology of antidepressant response. The association of behavioral disability with executive dysfunction can initiate an inquiry into the biology of functional impairment ultimately linking biological research to studies of treatment effectiveness.
Delay in seeking rehabilitation after cerebrovascular accidents.

Abstract In this study of delay in seeking rehabilitation for hemiplegia, we used the data on the application forms for 612 patients with CVA who applied to a rehabilitation center in Maryland. Short delay in applying was associated with those 75 years and older, females, nonwhites, and those without a living spouse. The findings by income group were less consistent. Long delay in applying was associated with severe disability on admission, although the findings were not conclusive. The pattern of delay was compatible with the hypothesis that socio-economic problems, rather than a positive desire for rehabilitation, formed the major reason for applying for care. A study of the physician's and the community's attitudes towards strokes and rehabilitation is needed to supplement this study and to assist in the direction of programs aimed at reducing delay.
Tension Headache Patients Versus Controls: A Study of EMG Parameters

SYNOPSIS Tursky's (1976) set of pain descriptors for the intensity and reactivity dimensions were psychophysically scaled by patients with either tension, migraine, combined migraine and tension or cluster headaches and by a group of non-headache sufferers. The reactivity descriptors consistently discriminated headache from non-headache subjects and tended to be aligned consistent with the severity of the pain experienced in the various kinds of headaches.
Plasma-vacuum interface problems in magnetohydrodynamics

Abstract A review of ideal MHD theory pertaining to thermonuclear confinement problems is presented, starting with fundamental questions concerning the spectrum and ending with optimization studies of high-β tokamaks.