cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Permanent, non-leaching antibacterial surfaces—2: How high density cationic surfaces kill bacterial cells

Rational controlled synthesis of poly(quaternary ammonium) compounds has been used to prepare antimicrobial polymer brushes on inorganic surfaces. The systematic variation of several structural parameters of the polymeric brushes allowed us to elicit the minimum surface requirements and a probable mechanism of action for Escherichia coli cell kill. Polymeric brushes were prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), a method that allows the molecular weight of the polymer chains to be precisely controlled as they grow from the target surface. The tertiary amino groups of the polyDMAEMA were then quaternized with alkyl bromides to provide a surface with antimicrobial activity. Dry layer thickness of the polymer brushes was controlled by polymerization time and/or initiator density on the surface. This tunability of surface structure allows the antimicrobial polymer brushes to be tailored rationally. A combinatorial screening tool was developed to elucidate the role of chain length and chain density on cell kill in a single experiment. The results indicate that surface charge density, is a critical element in designing a surface for maximum kill efficiency. The most biocidal surfaces had charge densities of greater than 1-5 x 10(15) accessible quaternary amine units/cm(2). The relevance of this finding to the mechanism of action is discussed.
Intestinal plethora: An early sign of acute posttraumatic hepatic artery-portal vein arteriovenous fistula

Traumatic communications between the hepatic artery or its branches and the portal vein or its tributaries usually are clinically occult until the late sequelae of portal hypertension, such as esophageal and mesenteric varices, ascites, or congestive heart failure, become manifest. The authors describe the early diagnosis of such a lesion by computed tomography. The CT findings included a hepatic hematoma and, more significantly, diffuse thickening of the small and large bowel wall. This thickening represents vascular congestion of the bowel caused by acute portal hypertension prior to the development of decompressing portal collateral circuits. When this CT finding is not associated with other signs of intestinal ischemia or infarction, it should suggest portal hypertension and lead to arteriography for diagnosis and therapy of arterioportal fistula.
Discrete choice models with latent choice sets

Abstract The paper extends discrete choice models by adding an explicit probabilistic representation of the various alternatives considered by the individual in a choice situation. The motivation is to incorporate into a single framework of choice set generation modeling the effects of stochastic constraints or elimination criteria and the influence of attitudes and perceptions on the choice set generation process. The basic idea is to estimate a choice set generation model by using information contained in responses to alternative availability questions. The estimation approach jointly incorporates the information on individual's perceived choice set and the revealed preference information corresponding to the observed choice. The proposed methodology is emprically tested with a travel demand dataset.
Low Profile Vertically Polarized Omnidirectional Wideband Antenna With Capacitively Coupled Parasitic Elements

This communication presents a low profile and electrically small wideband antenna with omnidirectional radiation pattern and vertical polarization. A novel design approach manipulating the topology of a low profile folded monopole antenna with capacitively coupled parasitic elements in the same plane is presented to achieve omnidirectional radiation pattern. The 10-dB return loss fractional bandwidth of 43% is achieved with the dimension of 0.2λLF ×0.2λLF ×0.06λLF where λLF is the wavelength at the lowest frequency of the operation. Unlike the convention wideband λ/4 monopole antennas utilizing inductively coupled parasitic elements, the λ/2 folded monopole antenna allows for positioning the capacitively coupled parasitic elements in the middle of the antenna where maximum electric stored energy is formed. This, together with reducing the lateral dimension of the folded monopole antenna, enables the cancellation of radiated fields from electric currents in the horizontal plane of the proposed antenna, which is essential to achieve vertically polarized omnidirectional radiation. The compact parasitic elements introduce additional resonances that significantly increase the antenna bandwidth. Effects of design parameters on two resonant frequencies and impedance matching to a 50 Ω feed are investigated using the equivalent circuit model of the parasitic element and full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulations. Based on this analysis, a design procedure to optimize the antenna topology is established.
A phase 2 trial of combination therapy with thalidomide, arsenic trioxide, dexamethasone, and ascorbic acid (TADA) in patients with overlap myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) or primary myelofibrosis (PMF)†

BACKGROUND. Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and overlap myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are clonal hematopoietic disorders that share similar clinical features and molecular abnormalities, such as the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) valine to phenylalanine mutation at codon 617 (V617F) and the tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) mutation. There are limited therapeutic options available for these diseases, and single agents have only modest efficacy. In this phase 2 study, the authors combined multiple active agents (thalidomide, arsenic trioxide, dexamethasone, and ascorbic acid [TADA]) to treat patients with these disorders. METHODS. This multicenter trial was conducted from January 2005 to July 2007. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the efficacy of TADA therapy. Patients received the combination for one 12-week cycle followed by maintenance thalidomide for an additional 3 months. Response was assessed using International Working Group criteria. RESULTS. Among 28 enrolled patients, the median age was 66.5 years; 15 patients had MDS/MPN-unclassifiable, 8 patients had chronic myelomonocytic leukemia type 1, and 5 patients had PMF. Approximately 60% of the patients had normal cytogenetics. The JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 5 of 14 tested patients, and TET2 mutations were detected in 2 of 8 tested patients. Almost half of the patients had splenomegaly. With a median on-study follow-up of 5.7 months, 21 patients (75%) completed the entire 12-week course of therapy, and 6 patients (29%) responded to TADA. With a median extended follow-up of 24.1 months for 15 evaluable patients, the median progression-free survival was 14.4 months, and the median overall survival was 21.4 months. CONCLUSIONS. The TADA regimen yielded clinical responses in patients with PMF and MDS/MPN. To the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first trial targeting this patient population. The results indicated that it is reasonable to incorporate multiple novel agents in the treatment of these rare diseases. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Writing Training Information: A Comparison of Books, Online Tutors, and Videotapes

The writing of computer training materials for both home and business markets is a vast and growing industry. Because these new users are making more stringent demands on the kinds of training materials that they receive, technical writers no longer have the luxury of writing only for the system programmer and dealing only with the printed page. The growing need for quality training on computers is offering technical writers in the computer industry the chance to expand their fields of expertise. Three training media are compared—books, online tutorials, and videotape—along these criteria: basic organization, interaction patterns, tools, special development needs, special environmental needs, goals, type of information taught, and suitability as a training medium. Finally suggestions are made about how practicing technical writers can learn about these new media.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Diuretic-Antihypertensive Combination Products. I. Prazosin and Polythiazide

Abstract A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of prazosin and polythiazide in capsules is presented. Prazosin, polythiazide and benzo-phenone (internal standard) were separated by reverse phase chromatography on cyano-bonded phases from four manufacturers using acetonitrile-phosphate buffer mobile phases. Detection was by ultraviolet absorbance at 268 nm. Recoveries from synthetic formulations were 100.2 ± 0.7% for prazosin and 99.7 ± 0.7% for polythiazide. The method may also be used as a stability indicating assay for each drug substance and its impurities.
Applications of Integral Equations in Particle-Size Statistics

We discuss the application of integral equations techniques to two broad areas of particle statistics, namely, stereology and packing. Problems in stereology lead to the inversion of Abel-type integral equations; and we present a brief survey of existing methods, analytical and numerical, for doing this. Packing problems lead to Volterra equations which, in simple cases, can be solved exactly and, in other cases, need to be solved numerically. Methods for doing this are presented along with some numerical results.
X-ray fluorescence microtomography study of trace elements in a SiC nuclear fuel shell

X-ray fluorescence microtomography has been used to measure the trace element spatial distribution in a TRISO SiC shell after exposure to 1.9×1025 neutrons/m2. The bare SiC shell was prepared by laser drilling the TRISO particle and leaching away the core and C. The exposed shell was measured with an X-ray probe having a size of approximately 1×3 μm2 on beamline 2-ID at the Advanced Photon Source. The trace element distribution in the SiC shell was reconstructed after correcting the data for artifacts arising from absorption and experimental restrictions. The trace elements were found in small (<2 μm) regions through the SiC shell and appear to have been introduced during fabrication. X-ray fluorescence microtomography is an ideal tool for this work because it is a penetrating non-destructive probe with good sensitivity to high Z trace elements in a low Z matrix and because it provides a picture of the elemental distribution in the shell.
Toward a unified model of attention in associative learning

Two connectionist models of attention in associative learning, previously used to model human category learning, are shown to have special cases that are essentially equivalent to N. J. Mackintosh’s (1975, Psychological Review, 82, 276298) classic model of attention in animal learning. The models unify formulas for associative weight change with formulas for attentional change, under a common goal of error reduction. Error-driven attentional shifting accelerates learning of new associations but also protects previously learned associations from retroactive interference. The models are fit to data from a recent experiment in human associative learning (J. K. Kruschke 6 N. J. Blair, 2000, Psychonomic Bulletin 6 Review, 7, 636645), which shows that blocking of learning involves learned inattention. The approach also provides a novel and unifying theory of latent inhibition (the preexposure effect) in terms of blocking. The discussion summarizes how the approach accounts for a variety of other ‘‘irrational’’ phenomena in associative learning, including base rate effects, perseveration of attention through relevance shifts, overshadowing, and the extrapolation of rules near exceptions. 2001 Elsevier Science The central role of attention in learning has been emphasized repeatedly in accounts of both human and animal learning. At least as early as Lawrence (1949, 1950), theorists of animal learning have argued that animals learn which cues should be attended to. One type of phenomenon addressed by such attentional learning theories is transfer of learning: When subsequent learning involves cues previously learned to be relevant, the speed of learning is faster than when the
Cloning and Characterization of Two Human VIP1-like Inositol Hexakisphosphate and Diphosphoinositol Pentakisphosphate Kinases

Eukaryotes possess numerous inositol phosphate (IP) and diphosphoinositol phosphate (PP-IPs or inositol pyrophosphates) species that act as chemical codes important for intracellular signaling pathways. Production of IP and PP-IP molecules occurs through several classes of evolutionarily conserved inositol phosphate kinases. Here we report the characterization of a human inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) and diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (PP-IP5 or IP7) kinase with similarity to the yeast enzyme Vip1, a recently identified IP6/IP7 kinase (Mulugu, S., Bai, W., Fridy, P. C., Bastidas, R. J., Otto, J. C., Dollins, D. E., Haystead, T. A., Ribeiro, A. A., and York, J. D. (2007) Science 316, 106–109). Recombinant human VIP1 exhibits in vitro IP6 and IP7 kinase activities and restores IP7 synthesis when expressed in mutant yeast. Expression of human VIP1 in HEK293T cells engineered to produce high levels of IP7 results in dramatic increases in bisdiphosphoinositol tetrakisphosphate (PP2-IP4 or IP8). Northern blot analysis indicates that human VIP1 is expressed in a variety of tissues and is enriched in skeletal muscle, heart, and brain. The subcellular distribution of tagged human VIP1 is indicative of a cytoplasmic non-membrane localization pattern. We also characterized human and mouse VIP2, an additional gene product with nearly 90% similarity to VIP1 in the kinase domain, and observed both IP6 and IP7 kinase activities. Our data demonstrate that human VIP1 and VIP2 function as IP6 and IP7 kinases that act along with the IP6K/Kcs1-class of kinases to convert IP6 to IP8 in mammalian cells, a process that has been found to occur in response to various stimuli and signaling events.
A statistical evaluation of the efficiency of the climatic normal as a predictor

Monthly and annual temperature and precipitation data were studied to determine the most efficient normal for predictive purposes using root mean square error. The number of years over which the normal was calculated was varied, and the value where the minimum error occurred was found to differ considerably from month to month, but there existed some conformity between stations within the same month. A Monte Carlo simulation was developed for the above procedure. The simulation of the station relocation for temperature data at Flemington, New Jersey suggested that the relocation could limit the most efficient length of the climatic normal to a shorter period. The results from a simulation of annual temperature trends at New Brunswick, New Jersey closely agreed with those found with actual data. Thus, the low value found for the most efficient normal is largely due to these trends. Relocations were found to have little effect on the most efficient normal for precipitation data. A modified procedure, varying the number of iterations, showed that RMSE was also dependent on the period of record selected. With this procedure the most efficient normal was found to be between 35 and 40 years for a station with minor relocations, and longer for a benchmark station. In most cases, however, there was little difference between a 10-year normal and the most efficient normal.
Interstitial bodies in the early chick embryo

Chick embryos of graded ages, ranging from freshly laid eggs to one week incubation, were prepared for electron microscopy. Interstitial bodies are expressions of “ground substance” that resemble structureless masses of cytoplasm without enclosing plasmalemma. They measure from 0.1 to ca. 1 μ in diameter. Toward the end of the first day of incubation they are found in the tissue space near to or in contact with the ectodermal boundary (basement) membrane. They seem to contribute to its increasing amorphous component. Microfibrils first appear close to or in contact with the ectodermal boundary membrane and are similarly related to interstitial bodies. At 44 hours interstitial bodies are especially numerous where the neural tube is separating from the ectoderm. Here boundary membranes have become intermittent and interstitial bodies appear to contribute to their repair. By the fourth day interstitial bodies are less numerous. Many appear to break up. Their edges tend to become dispersed into clouds of finely granular material, especially in areas of the tissue space occupied by wisps of microfibrils. The close association of amorphous ground substance and extracellular fibrils persists indefinitely.
Uplink beacon laser for Mars laser communication demonstration (MLCD)

The requirements and design concepts for a ground-based laser assembly for transmitting an uplink beacon to a Mars bound spacecraft, carrying a laser communications terminal, are reported. The effects of the atmosphere are analyzed and drive the multi-beam design.
Kinetics of the reaction between oxygen atoms and propargyl radicals

The kinetics of the reaction between C3H3 (propargyl radical) and O(3P) has been studied using a heatable tubular reactor coupled to a photoionization mass spectrometer. Rate constants were determined in the temperature range 295–750 K, and information on the reaction mechanism was obtained. The reactants were generated homogeneously in the reactor by the simultaneous in situ photolysis of SO2 (the O-atom source) and 1–3 butadiene or propargylbromide (the C3H3 source). Initial conditions were chosen to yield [O] in excess, [O]/[C3H3]o>20. The decay of C3H3 was monitored in time-resolved experiments. The rate constant was found to be independent of temperature, having the value 2.3×10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, and also independent of density in the range used in this study, 6–12×1016 molecule cm−3. The reactivity of C3H3 in this reaction is compared with that of other polyatomic free radicals whose reactions with atomic oxygen have been investigated.
A simple method for multiday imaging of slice cultures

The organotypic slice culture (Stoppini et al. A simple method for organotypic cultures of nervous tissue. 1991;37:173-182) has become the method of choice to answer a variety of questions in neuroscience. For many experiments, however, it would be beneficial to image or manipulate a slice culture repeatedly, for example, over the course of many days. We prepared organotypic slice cultures of the auditory brainstem of P3 and P4 mice and kept them in vitro for up to 4 weeks. Single cells in the auditory brainstem were transfected with plasmids expressing fluorescent proteins by way of electroporation (Haas et al. Single-cell electroporation for gene transfer in vivo. 2001;29:583-591). The culture was then placed in a chamber perfused with oxygenated ACSF and the labeled cell imaged with an inverted wide-field microscope repeatedly for multiple days, recording several time-points per day, before returning the slice to the incubator. We describe a simple method to image a slice culture preparation during the course of multiple days and over many continuous hours, without noticeable damage to the tissue or photobleaching. Our method uses a simple, inexpensive custom-built insulator constructed around the microscope to maintain controlled temperature and uses a perfusion chamber as used for in vitro slice recordings.
Radiation in the atmosphere

Questions of radiative transfer in realistic atmospheres are considered along with aspects related to radiative energy budgets and the solar constants, the radiative properties of atmosphere and surfaces, radiation instruments and measurements, and radiative interactions in dynamical systems. A number of special topics are discussed, taking into account remote sensing, air pollution, and the effect of turbulence on the propagation of light through the atmosphere. It is pointed out that numerous recent studies have been conducted of the properties and effects of atmospheric aerosols.
Air emissions from organic soil burning on the coastal plain of North Carolina

Abstract Emissions of trace gases and particles ≤2.5 microns aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) from fires during 2008–2011 on the North Carolina coastal plain were collected and analyzed. Carbon mass balance techniques were used to quantify emission factors (EFs). PM2.5 EFs were at least a factor of 2 greater than those from forest burning of above-ground fuels because of extended smoldering combustion of organic soil layers and peat fuels. This is consistent with CO2 EFs at the low end of previously reported ranges for biomass fuels, indicating less efficient combustion and enhanced emissions of products of incomplete combustion (PICs). CO EFs are at the high end of the range of previously published EFs for smoldering fuels. The biomass burning tracer levoglucosan was found to compose 1–3 percent of PM2.5 from the organic soil fires, similar to fractions measured in smoke from above-ground fine fuels reported in previous studies. Organic soil fuel loads and consumption are very difficult to estimate, but are potentially as high as thousands of tonnes ha−1. Combined with higher emission factors, this can result in emission fluxes hundreds of times higher than from prescribed fires in above-ground fuels in the southeastern US. Organic soil fuel represents a source of particles and gases that is difficult to control and can persist for days to months, jeopardizing human health and incurring considerable costs to monitor and manage. Extended fires in organic soils can contribute substantially to PM2.5 on CO emission inventories and may not be adequately accounted for in current estimates.
Structure in the Pion-Proton Total Cross Section between 2 and 7 GeV/ c

The total cross sections of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ on protons in the momentum interval 2 to 7 GeV/c have been measured with high precision. The error fluctuations from point to point vary between 10 and 25 \ensuremath{\mu}b. Two new pion-nucleon resonances, one in each of the two isotopic states, have been found at the following mass values: ${M}_{\frac{1}{2}}=2.65\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$ GeV and ${M}_{\frac{3}{2}}=2.85\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$ GeV. A search for other resonances at higher momenta is discussed.
A new technique for the creation of a computerized composite skull model

Abstract Purpose: The goals of this study were to develop a technique for creating a computerized composite skull model and to test its accuracy. The computerized composite skull model is the combination of a 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) bone model with digital dental models. Materials and Methods: A dry skull with intact dentition was used in development of the technique. The creation of the computerized composite skull model was divided into 3 steps. The first step was to create digital dental models. The second step was to create a 3D CT bone model of the craniomaxillofacial skeleton. The last step was to incorporate the digital dental models into the 3D CT skull model, creating a computerized composite skull model. The accuracy of the computerized composite skull model was assessed. Bone-to-bone, tooth-to-tooth, and bone-to-tooth measurements were made on the computerized composite skull model and the dry skull. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression tests were performed. Results: A technique to create a computerized composite skull model was developed. This computerized model not only represented bony structures from CT data but also reproduced dentition from digital dental models. For the bone-to-bone measurements, the mean difference between the computerized composite skull model and the dry skull was 0.5 ± 0.6 mm. For the tooth-to-tooth measurements, the mean difference was 0.1 ± 0.2 mm. For the bone-to-tooth measurements, the mean difference was 0.2 ± 0.3 mm. Conclusions: This study showed the feasibility of creating a computerized composite skull model as well as its accuracy. © 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:222-227, 2003
Global stability of flow in symmetric wavy channels

A two-dimensional global stability analysis is numerically conducted for the basic fully developed steady flow inside symmetric wavy channels. The relative amplitude of channel modulation, defined as ratio of wall modulation amplitude to mean hydraulic diameter, is fixed via the analysis at a large value of 0.15. The relative channel wavelength, defined as the ratio of wall modulation wavelength to mean hydraulic diameter, is varied between 1 and 5. An important feature of the present approach is the detailed consideration of the streamwise conditions imposed on the flow, which allows a tailored restriction of the possible disturbances by modifying the number of channel sections that set the periodicity. Stability of the base flow is determined on the basis of the spectral structure analysis conducted, possible after calculation of the complete eigenvalue spectrum and facilitated by the spectral method employed. Two different destabilization mechanisms have been identified for the geometry studied. For small relative channel wavelengths, with values below approximately 2.7, the flow is destabilized via a Hopf bifurcation produced by a Tollmien-Schlichting wave at Reynolds numbers in the approximated range from 265 to 324. For large relative channel wavelengths, with values above approximately 2.5, a pitchfork bifurcation (or a Hopf bifurcation with very small oscillation frequency), not previously reported in the literature and produced by a symmetric stationary disturbance, is found at Reynolds numbers in the approximated range from 146 to 230.
Involvement and risk

This paper examines the relationship between product class involvement and the ability to handle purchase risk. Adopting the enduring-instrumental model of involvement, this paper examines its relationship with dimensions of risk such as uncertainty, importance, and innovation proneness. It proposes that enduringly involved consumers have a greater ability to handle risk as compared to instrumentally involved consumers. The findings, based on purchase behavior for the personal computer, food processor, and video cassette recorder, generally support the hypothesized relationships between involvement and risk for each of these three products. The implications of these findings for different facets of information seeking and purchase behavior are discussed.
The fine structure of double‐frequency microseisms recorded by seismometers in North America

We performed a frequency-dependent polarization analysis on ambient seismic energy recorded by 1768 USArray Transportable Array (TA) seismometers for the time period of 1 April 2004 through 31 October 2014. The seismic energy has strong seasonal variations in power and polarization at essentially all stations; however, the annual variation is much smaller. One year of data is sufficient to determine the average properties of the ambient seismic wavefield at a particular site. The average power and dominant period in the double-frequency (DF) microseism band, defined here as periods of 2–10 s, vary significantly and coherently across North America. Proximity to a coastline generally leads to increased DF microseism amplitude, but site geology is much more important, with sedimentary basins having especially large DF amplitudes. The western U.S. as a whole has longer dominant DF periods than the central and eastern U.S., with the southeastern U.S. having the shortest dominant DF periods. Power spectral density estimates at many TA stations show a splitting of the DF microseism peak into two distinct subpeaks. This has been observed previously in data recorded by ocean bottom seismometers, with the shorter-period DF peak attributed to the local sea and the longer-period DF peak attributed to more distant, coastally generated microseisms. In the case of the land-based TA data analyzed here, the DF splitting arises from simultaneous microseism generation at various source areas (Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico) with distinct, preferred excitation frequencies. DF microseism source properties derived from global models of ocean wave interaction support this interpretation.
Seeing motion in depth using inter-ocular velocity differences.

An object moving in depth produces retinal images that change in position over time by different amounts in the two eyes. This allows stereoscopic perception of motion in depth to be based on either one or both of two different visual signals: inter-ocular velocity differences, and binocular disparity change over time. Disparity change over time can produce the perception of motion in depth. However, demonstrating the same for inter-ocular velocity differences has proved elusive because of the difficulty of isolating this cue from disparity change (the inverse can easily be done). No physiological data are available, and existing psychophysical data are inconclusive as to whether inter-ocular velocity differences are used in primate vision. Here, we use motion adaptation to assess the contribution of inter-ocular velocity differences to the perception of motion in depth. If inter-ocular velocity differences contribute to motion in depth, we would expect that discriminability of direction of motion in depth should be improved after adaptation to frontoparallel motion. This is because an inter-ocular velocity difference is a comparison between two monocular frontoparallel motion signals, and because frontoparallel speed discrimination improves after motion adaptation. We show that adapting to frontoparallel motion does improve both frontoparallel speed discrimination and motion-in-depth direction discrimination. No improvement would be expected if only disparity change over time contributes to motion in depth. Furthermore, we found that frontoparallel motion adaptation diminishes discrimination of both speed and direction of motion in depth in dynamic random dot stereograms, in which changing disparity is the only cue available. The results provide strong evidence that inter-ocular velocity differences contribute to the perception of motion in depth and thus that the human visual system contains mechanisms for detecting differences in velocity between the two eyes’ retinal images.
Modeling carrying capacity for national parks

Abstract Units of the National Park System are required to develop a general management plan that is consistent with visitor carrying capacities. Newer definitions of carrying capacities for protected areas, such as national parks and wilderness areas, are in terms of the acceptability of natural resource and human impacts as measured by selected biophysical resource and social conditions, rather than the number of visitors. Most methods for evaluating carrying capacity are non-quantitative and lack analytical rigor. Carrying capacity decisions are easier to justify when based on quantitative methods. This paper describes a carrying capacity modeling system that allows park managers to quantitatively determine whether the current state of a park's ecosystem is in compliance with established standards for carrying capacities and, in cases where it is not, to identify the management action having the greatest likelihood of bringing the ecosystem into compliance with those standards. The modeling system uses an ex post adaptive ecosystem management (AEM) model to determine whether the current state of an ecosystem complies with biophysical and social carrying capacities, and an ex ante multiple attribute scoring test of capacity (MASTEC) to identify the best management action for achieving compliance. The AEM model addresses potential errors that can occur when inferring an ecosystem's state from resource/social conditions. Errors occur when a manager decides that an ecosystem is in one state when in reality it is in another state. The consequences of such errors are greater when resource/social conditions are at the extremes. The AEM model minimizes the likelihood of such decision errors by using Bayes’ rule to determine the state of an ecosystem. The MASTEC method allows a park manager to identify the best management action for bringing an incompliant ecosystem into compliance with carrying capacities. It integrates elements of two carrying capacity methods, Limits of Acceptable Change and Visitor Impact Management, and multiple attribute decision-making. The latter characterizes management actions in terms of their multiple biophysical and social attributes. The best management action maximizes the manager's expected utility function subject to stochastic carrying capacity constraints that require the probability that the value of an attribute exceeds its standard to be no less than a reliability level selected by the manager. Several factors limit the ability of national parks to implement the carrying capacity modeling system. Using a spatial decision support tool to implement the modeling system eases some of these limitations.
Quasi passive optical switch based on transition metal oxide device

We propose optical switch architecture based on transition metal oxide material. It use electrical field to change oxygen vacancy distribution and its optical property such as absorption coefficient. We demonstrate the absorption coefficient of such device can be latched in binary state, which is useful for optical networking and interconnect applications.
The impact of functional limitations on long-term outcomes among African-American and white women with breast cancer: a cohort study.

Objectives: We examined the impact of functional limitations and functional decline during the first year following breast cancer diagnosis on the risk of mortality from breast cancer and other causes among African-American and white women, respectively. Design: The Health and Functioning in Women (HFW) cohort study. Setting: Detroit, Michigan, USA. Participants: A total of 162 African-American and 813 white women aged 40–84 years with newly diagnosed breast cancer identified through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System over a 7-month period between 1984 and 1985 and followed for up to 28 years (median 11 years). Outcome measures: Risk of mortality from breast cancer and other causes. Results: Statistically significant increases in the risk of other-cause mortality were found for each unit increase in the number of self-reported functional limitations (HR=1.08, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.14), 0 vs ≥1 functional limitations (HR=1.47, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.91), difficulty in pushing or pulling large objects (HR=1.34, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.73), writing or handling small objects (HR=1.56, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.44), and walking half a mile (HR=1.60, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.14). Functional limitations and functional decline did not explain racial disparities in the survival of this cohort. Functional decline was associated with increased risk of other-cause mortality in women with regional and remote disease but not in women with localised disease. Whereas measures of functional limitation were not associated with breast cancer-specific mortality, each unit of functional decline (HR=1.17, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.31) and decline in the ability to sit ≥1 h (HR=2.06, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.76) were associated with increased risk of breast cancerspecific mortality. Measures of functional decline were associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality in overweight and obese women, but not in women of normal weight. Conclusions: Whereas functional limitations were associated with increased risk of other-cause mortality, functional decline was associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality.
Paralogic hermeneutics: an alternative approach to teaching intercultural communication in a technical writing course

Paralogic hermeneutics offers an alternative conceptual framework for teaching communicative skills that can be used for theoretical discussions about the notion of culture and its characteristics in a technical writing course. In this paper, the author discusses the key ideas and principles of paralogic hermeneutics and examines how those principles can change the ways we talk about intercultural communication in our classes in order to promote students' cultural awareness and cultural literacy.
Human Parechovirus and Neonatal Encephalitis

Clinical presentation, cranial ultrasound (cUS) and MRi findings, and neurodevelopmental outcome of 10 neonates (70% term) with human parechovirus (HPeV) encephalitis are described by researchers at University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands; University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Universitaire de Quebec, Canada.
Visceral abdominal-fat accumulation associated with use of indinavir

Summary Background After the addition of the protease inhibitor indinavir to combination drug regimens for HIV-1 infection, some patients have experienced an increase in abdominal girth with symptoms of abdominal fullness, distension, or bloating. We aimed to find out whether this collection of symptoms was associated with changes in abdominal fat and whether such changes were associated with indinavir use. Methods Abdominal computed tomography was used in ten HIV-1-positive patients who had such abdominal symptoms to measure total adipose tissue (TAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) at the umbilicus (L4 vertebral level). The VAT:TAT ratio in the ten cases was compared with that in ten HIV-1-infected patients who had been using indinavir without abdominal symptoms for at least 6 months and ten HIV-1-infected patients who were not using indinavir. Findings The mean VAT:TAT ratios for the three groups— non-users, symptom-free indinavir users, and symptomatic indinavir users—were 0·40 (SD 0·15), 0·59 (0·18), and 0·70 (0·20), respectively (p=0·004). The VAT:TAT ratio correlated with duration of indinavir use (r=0·47, p=0·01). The mean areas of VAT for the three groups were 106 cm 2
On an Approach to Testing and Modeling Competence.

E. L. Thorndike contributed significantly to the field of educational and psychological testing as well as more broadly to psychological studies in education. This article follows in his testing legacy. I address the escalating demand, across societal sectors, to measure individual and group competencies. In formulating an approach to measuring competence, I draw on measurement research I have done over my career; the Thorndike lecture is to be as much autobiographical as substantive and/or methodological. I present an approach to defining, measuring, and statistically modeling competency measurements. The article unpacks Hartig et al.'s (2008) definition of competence as a complex ability construct closely related to real-life-situated performance. The intent is to make the construct, competence, amenable to measurement. Once unpacked, criteria for building competence measurements are set forth and exemplified by research from business, military, and education sectors. Generalizability theory, a statisti...
CD49f and CD61 identify Her2/neu-induced mammary tumor initiating cells that are potentially derived from luminal progenitors and maintained by the integrin-TGFβ signaling

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/Neu is overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancers and associated with aggressive phenotypes and poor prognosis. For deciphering the role of HER2/Neu in breast cancer, mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Her2/neu transgenic mice that develop mammary tumors resembling human HER2-subtype breast cancer have been established. Several recent studies have revealed that HER2/Neu is overexpressed in and regulates self renewal of breast tumor-initiating cells (TICs). However, in the MMTV-Her2/neu transgenic mouse model, the identity of TICs remains elusive, despite previous studies showing supportive evidence for existence of TICs in Her2/neu-induced mammary tumors. Through systematic screening and characterization, we identified that surface markers CD49f, CD61 and ESA were aberrantly overexpressed in Her2-overexpressing mammary tumor cells. Analysis of these markers and CD24 detected anomalous expansion of the luminal progenitor population in preneoplastic mammary glands of Her2/neu transgenic mice, indicating that aberrant luminal progenitors originated in Her2-induced mammary tumors. The combined markers, CD49f and CD61, further delineated the CD49f(high)CD61(high)-sorted fraction as a TIC-enriched population, which displayed increased tumorsphere formation ability, enhanced tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo and drug resistance to pacitaxel and doxorubicin. Moreover, the TIC-enriched population manifested increased transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling and exhibited gene expression signatures of stemness, TGFβ signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Our findings that self-renewal and clonogenicity of TICs were suppressed by pharmacologically inhibiting the TGFβ signaling further indicate that the TGFβ pathway is vital for maintenance of the TIC population. Finally, we showed that the integrin-β3 (CD61) signaling pathway was required for sustaining active TGFβ signaling and self-renewal of TICs. We for the first time developed a technique to highly enrich TICs from mammary tumors of Her2/neu transgenic mice, unraveled their properties and identified the cooperative integrin-β3-TGFβ signaling axis as a potential therapeutic target for HER2-induced TICs.
Structure and phase transitions in bromine and potassium-mercury intercalated graphite

Abstract High resolution X-ray scattering and electron microscopy results relevant to the in-plane structure of two prototype graphite intercalation compound (GIC) systems, Br2-GIC and KHgx-GIC, are presented. Particular emphasis is given to intercalation kinetics and to structural coherence. Of special interest is the measurement using high resolution X-ray scattering of an intrinsic in-plane intercalate domain size in Br2-GIC larger than 10 000 A. Evidence is presented for the formation of a two-dimensional incommensurate domain wall structure for the Br2 intercalant along the 7-fold direction above Tc = 69.08 °C for stage 4 C28Br2. Evidence is also presented in the same compound for two-dimensional anisotropic melting at Tm = 100.25 °C. Large dislocation-free regions ( 100 A × 500 A ) are observed directly in the lattice fringe images of a stage 1 KHg-GIC sample.
Common mechanism underlies repeated evolution of extreme pollution tolerance

Human alterations to the environment can exert strong evolutionary pressures, yet contemporary adaptation to human-mediated stressors is rarely documented in wildlife populations. A common-garden experimental design was coupled with comparative transcriptomics to discover evolved mechanisms enabling three populations of killifish resident in urban estuaries to survive normally lethal pollution exposure during development, and to test whether mechanisms are unique or common across populations. We show that killifish populations from these polluted sites have independently converged on a common adaptive mechanism, despite variation in contaminant profiles among sites. These populations are united by a similarly profound desensitization of aryl-hydrocarbon receptor-mediated transcriptional activation, which is associated with extreme tolerance to the lethal effects of toxic dioxin-like pollutants. The rapid, repeated, heritable and convergent nature of evolved tolerance suggests that ancestral killifish populations harboured genotypes that enabled adaptation to twentieth-century industrial pollutants.
Modeling Human Colorectal Cancer in Mice for Chemoprevention Studies

New approaches to chemoprevention studies have evolved from a better understanding of the genetics and molecular biology of cancer. Previous research has focused on human cancer cell lines and xenografts of human cancer cells in immunologically compromised mice. Though these experimental approaches have provided much information on cancer cells, they have precluded any insight into the intricate cross-talk between transformed cells and the host in vivo (1,2).
Experimental evaluations of substrate types as barriers to sea urchin ( Strongylocentrotus spp.) movement

Descriptive evidence that sandy surfaces and rock ledges inhibit progress of grazing sea urchins prompted an experimental investigation of physical obstacles to urchin movement in a subtidal area of reef and kelp off southern California in 1980. In laboratory experiments, we found that both red (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) and purple (S. purpuratus) urchins can negotiate sand using their oral spines, although purple urchins are slower and more hesitant to do so. In field experiments, we observed the fates of starved red urchins transported to replicate plots within stands of sand-or rock-based understory kelp (Pterygophora californica). Urchins in rock plots retreated to nearby crevices from where they ate attached kelp. After finding kelp blades, urchins soon disappeared from sand plots because individuals in small groups may have difficulty holding and eating attached kelps on unconsolidated surfaces. In another experiment, red and purple urchins reached kelp on a rock ledge by mounting an artificial ramp. We conclude that by using their tube feet, individuals of both species move best over flat, hard surfaces, although soft substrate may constitute a major barrier only to purple urchins. In the absence of effective predator control, urchins can surmount most sand or rock barriers when water motion subsides. Hence, their ability to coordinate spine movements to negotiate soft substrates may be an adaptation to invade kelp refuges during quiet periods if preferred drift food is unavailable.
The First Amendment And The Ministerial Exemption: Federal Statutory Mandates

On January 11, 2012 the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hosanna Tabor Evangelical Lutheran School v. Equal Opportunity Commission, et al. [1] that the First Amendment free exercise of religion clause requires the recognition of a ministerial exception from the application of the discrimination provisions of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Lower federal courts had long recognized such an exemption in federal anti-discrimination statutes, yet the U.S. Supreme Court had never formally done so. The decision of the Court was unanimous, although separate concurring opinions were filed by Justice Thomas and by Justice Alito, who was also joined by Justice Kagan. Thus, in its decision, the Court has mandated immunity for religious organizations from the laws that prohibit discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace. The Hosanna Tabor decision raises issues of how far such a ministerial exemption extends and to what extent it immunizes religious organizations from liability for other types of statutorily prohibited and tortious conduct. There is concern in some sectors that too broad an exemption would immunize religious organizations under numerous neutral, generally applicable laws, such as those governing sexual abuse, unemployment compensation, employer social Security deductions, and sales taxes, all of which have previously been applied to religious organizations. [1] ____ U.S. ____.