cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A numerical algebraic geometry approach to regional stability analysis of polynomial systems

We explore region of attraction (ROA) estimation for polynomial systems via the numerical solution of polynomial equations. Computing an optimal, stable sub-level set of a Lyapunov function is first posed as a polynomial optimization problem. Solutions to this optimization problem are found by solving a polynomial system of equations using techniques from numerical algebraic geometry. This system describes KKT points and singular points not satisfying a regularity condition. Though this system has exponentially many solutions, the proposed method trivially parallelizes and is practical for problems of moderate dimension and degree. In suitably generic settings, the method can solve the underlying optimization problem to arbitrary precision, which could make it a useful tool for studying popular semidefinite programming based relaxations used in ROA analysis.
Linguistic Accuracy of Textbook Grammar.

oral proficiency is possible with today's French textbooks. He analyzes twenty-two elementary French texts according to their objectives and their treatment of certain aspects of phonology, morphology, and syntax. Noting gaps, inconsistencies, and misrepresentation of information, he concludes (p. 18) that "any serious move toward oral proficiency in French will require important changes in textbooks." His conclusions are borne out by my investigation of grammar explanation in college second language textbooks.1I Using as an area of comparison the French determiner system (i.e., articles, possessives, and demonstratives), I assess the linguistic accuracy and clarity of presentation of eleven representative texts according to six linguistically based criteria.2 The determiner system is chosen because it is a cornerstone of French
Testing for equivalence of variances using Hartley's ratio

Hartley's test for homogeneity of k normal-distribution variances is based on the ratio between the maximum sample variance and the minimum sample variance. In this paper, the author uses the same statistic to test for equivalence of k variances. Equivalence is defined in terms of the ratio between the maximum and minimum population variances, and one concludes equivalence when Hartley's ratio is small. Exact critical values for this test are obtained by using an integral expression for the power function and some theoretical results about the power function. These exact critical values are available both when sample sizes are equal and when sample sizes are unequal. One related result in the paper is that Hartley's test for homogeneity of variances is no longer unbiased when the sample sizes are unequal. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 38: 647–664; 2010 © 2010 Statistical Society of Canada
Effect of culture medium composition on pheromone receptor levels in Achlya ambisexualis.

Abstract Sexual reproduction in the eukaryotic fungi Achlya is controlled by two steroid pheromones. Antheridiol is the steroid released by female cells that induces male sexual differentiation. The antheridiol-induced response of male cells has been shown to be influenced by the composition of the culture medium. The present study was designed to determine if the composition of the culture media might also affect the levels of antheridiol binding protein in the cytosol of male cells. The mycelial content of cytosolic steroid pheromone binding sites in Achlya ambisexualis E87 males was measured at daily intervals during 6 days of suspension culture in media containing different nitrogen sources. Levels of binding sites increased during the first 2 days in culture to a plateau that was maintained for the next 2–3 days. During the first 3 days in culture, levels were much lower in mycelia cultured in an enriched medium containing lactalbumin hydrolysate compared to mycelia cultured in defined media containing glutamic acid as the nitrogen source. The level of binding sites increased rapidly when mycelia were transferred from an enriched medium to a nutrient-free salt solution and decreased when mycelia were transferred from a defined to an enriched medium. The relative differences in cytosolic binding measured by in vitro radioligand saturation analysis were confirmed by in vivo uptake studies. It is concluded that the mycelial content of antheridiol binding sites can be experimentally manipulated by variations in the composition of the culture medium and/or the time period of incubation in the medium.
A model of electrical excitation of the mammalian auditory-nerve neuron

A model of the mammalian auditory-nerve neuron has been developed based on the classical work of Frankenhauser and Huxley [(1964) J. Physiol. 171, 302-315], modified by McNeal [(1976) IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. BME-23, 329-336], and Reilly et al. [(1985) IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. BME-32, 1001-1011], and fine tuned to represent physiological data obtained from single auditory-nerve fiber experiments in squirrel monkeys. The model is capable of reproducing neural action potential waveforms due to electrical stimulation, and can reliably predict action potential thresholds and strength-duration curves. This paper explains the derivation of the mathematical model and the effects of varying certain independent parameters including fiber diameter, length of the nodes of Ranvier, internodal length, and myelin thickness. The model parameters were selected according to the anatomical findings of Liberman and Oliver [(1984) J. Comp. Neurol. 223, 163-176], and Liberman (Pers. Commun.). The length of the unmyelinated termination of the auditory-nerve that survives after aminoglycoside damage to the inner ear has not been experimentally determined. Therefore, it was investigated as an independent variable in the model. An unmyelinated terminal length of 10.0 micron was found to most accurately describe the experimental neural strength-duration curves obtained from aminoglycoside-deafened squirrel monkeys. The parameter that had the next most significant effect on the model was fiber diameter which affects all conduction pathways, across the membrane and through the fiber. Finally the results of the model are compared with behavioral data obtained from patients and monkeys implanted with cochlear prostheses. In the companion paper [(1987) Hear. Res. 31, 267-286] predictions of the model are quantitatively compared with single-neuron data from squirrel monkeys.
Respiration of the avian aorta in relation to spontaneous atherosclerosis

1. 1. Oxygen uptake (QO2) was higher in the thoracic than abdominal segment of the aorta, particularly in immature (3–4 months old) White Leghorns. 2. 2. Spontaneous atherosclerosis was more severe in the abdominal than thoracic segments of the aorta, particularly in adults (1–2 years old). 3. 3. Significant but low positive correlations (0·4–0·6) were found between QO2 and atherosclerosis, particularly in the abdominal aorta of the adult. 4. 4. The data suggest that low arterial QO2 may predispose to atherosclerosis, but that QO2 is elevated during atherogensis.
Multiple shoot regeneration from root organ cultures of Populus alba x P. grandidentata

Excised roots of various ages from ‘Crandon’ and ‘Hansen’ clones of Populus alba x P. grandidentata were tested for their regeneration capacity. Sixty-day-old excised roots that contained root tips were found to be most suitable. The highest number of shoots (an average of 111 shoots/root segment with ‘Crandon’ and 98 with ‘Hansen’) was obtained by adding 22μM and 14μM zeatin to the medium, respectively. The two clones of hybrid poplar responded similarly to growth regulator treatments; however, the number of shoots produced was greater from the root organs derived from ‘Crandon’ clones. Regenerated shoots were rooted in basal Woody Plant Medium without any growth regulators. Successful transplantation into soil and growth was achieved with all plants.
Spatial distribution of fungal and bacterial biomass in southern Ohio hardwood forest soils: scale dependency and landscape patterns

Abstract The scale dependency and landscape patterns of fungal and bacterial biomass, soil pH, organic C and moisture were examined in four hardwood forests in southern Ohio. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in microbial biomass and soil chemistry among four forests (regional scale), among three contiguous watersheds within each forest (local scale), along gradients of moisture within watersheds (topographic scale) and upslope and downslope of individual red oaks (individual tree scale). Fungal and bacterial biomass varied significantly along gradients of moisture within watersheds while only bacterial biomass varied among sites and fungal biomass among watersheds. Fungal-to-bacterial biomass (F-to-B) ratio varied only among forests. Soil chemical properties varied at all scales examined except among watersheds. Hierarchical modeling of microbial patterns independent of scale revealed that while bacterial biomass and organic C are constrained by soil moisture present at the time of sampling and soil chemistry, fungal biomass is constrained by measures of long-term moisture patterns and soil texture. The resultant models also revealed that strong scale-independent models of bacterial biomass and organic C could be produced by scaling-up results from sampling points to the region, whereas this was not possible for fungal biomass and F-to-B ratio due to poor resolution at the local scale.
Understanding the new and evolving profile of adverse drug effects in schizophrenia

This article has reviewed the emerging side-effect profiles of second-generation antipsychotic medications. Although these medications have favorable extrapyramidal side-effect profiles, clinicians must be aware of their propensity to cause weight gain, glucose and lipid abnormalities, and cardiac and sexual side effects. If clinicians are proactive about warning patients about these side effects and appropriately monitoring them, further morbidity and mortality may be prevented in this patient population. Initial choices of medication should be made based on the relative side-effect profiles in light of a particular patient's medical status. In the future, new treatments may be developed, with even fewer side effects.
Successful left ventricular assist after a first and second heart operation

Progressive coronary artery disease and recurrent symptoms developed in a 57-year-old man. Nine years earlier he had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting and was supported with a centrifugal left ventricular assist device. He underwent redo coronary artery bypass and again required left ventricular assistance. The patient recovered and was discharged on the 15th postoperative day. He is doing well 1 year after operation and has good left ventricular function.
Negative Cross-talk between Salicylate- and Jasmonate-mediated Pathways in the Wassilewskija Ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants often respond to attack by insect herbivores and necrotrophic pathogens with induction of jasmonate-dependent resistance traits, but respond to attack by biotrophic pathogens with induction of salicylate-dependent resistance traits. To assess the degree to which the jasmonate- and salicylate-dependent pathways interact, we compared pathogenesis-related protein activity and bacterial performance in four mutant Arabidopsis thaliana lines relative to their wild-type backgrounds. We found that two salicylate-dependent pathway mutants (cep1, nim1-1) exhibited strong effects on the growth of the generalist biotrophic pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, whereas two jasmonate-dependent pathway mutants (fad3-2fad7-2fad8, jar1-1) did not. Leaf peroxidase and exochitinase activity were negatively correlated with bacterial growth, whereas leaf polyphenol oxidase activity and trypsin inhibitor concentration were not. Interestingly, leaf total glucosinolate concentration was positively correlated with bacterial growth. In the same experiment, we also found that application of jasmonic acid generally increased leaf peroxidase activity and trypsin inhibitor concentration in the mutant lines. However, the cep1 mutant, shown previously to overexpress salicylic acid, exhibited no detectable biological or chemical responses to jasmonic acid, suggesting that high levels of salicylic acid may have inhibited a plant response. In a second experiment, we compared the effect of jasmonic acid and/or salicylic acid on two ecotypes of A. thaliana. Application of salicylic acid to the Wassilewskija ecotype decreased bacterial growth. However, this effect was not observed when both salicylic acid and jasmonic acid were applied, suggesting that jasmonic acid negated the beneficial effect of salicylic acid. Collectively, our results confirm that the salicylate-dependent pathway is more important than the jasmonate-dependent pathway in determining growth of P. syringae pv. tomato in A. thaliana, and suggest important negative interactions between these two major defensive pathways in the Wassilewskija ecotype. In contrast, the Columbia ecotype exhibited little evidence of negative interactions between the two pathways, suggesting intraspecific variability in how these pathways interact in A. thaliana.
Analytical reachability results for a class of nonlinear systems with ellipsoidal initial sets

Existing reachability theory and optimal control theory are applied to a class of nonlinear systems with ellipsoidal initial reachability sets, reflecting information typically provided by industry-standard optimal estimation methods. Analytical expressions for position-and velocity-extrema are developed, yielding necessary conditions for reachability as well as tools for significant reduction in reachability computation requirements. Similar relations for position and velocity reachability set surface computation are also developed and the computation implications discussed. Several examples are worked to illustrate results, and finally directions for future work are discussed.
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Human Diseases: Introducing the D2 Concept

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) lack stable tertiary and/or secondary structures under physiological conditions in vitro. They are highly abundant in nature and their functional repertoire complements the functions of ordered proteins. IDPs are involved in regulation, signaling, and control, where binding to multiple partners and high-specificity/low-affinity interactions play a crucial role. Functions of IDPs are tuned via alternative splicing and posttranslational modifications. Intrinsic disorder is a unique structural feature that enables IDPs to participate in both one-to-many and many-toone signaling. Numerous IDPs are associated with human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, amyloidoses, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Overall, intriguing interconnections among intrinsic disorder, cell signaling, and human diseases suggest that protein conformational diseases may result not only from protein misfolding, but also from misidentification, missignaling, and unnatural or nonnative folding. IDPs, such as α-synuclein, tau protein, p53, and BRCA1, are attractive targets for drugs modulating protein-protein interactions. From these and other examples, novel strategies for drug discovery based on IDPs have been developed. To summarize work in this area, we are introducing the D 2 (disorder in disorders) concept.
Selective Video Encryption Of A Distributed Coded Bitstream Using LDPC Codes

Selective encryption is a technique that is used to minimizec omputational complexity or enable system functionality by only encrypting a portion of a compressed bitstream while still achieving reasonable security. For selective encryption to work, we need to rely not only on the beneficial effects of redundancy reduction, but also on the characteristics of the compression algorithm to concentrate important data representing the source in a relatively small fraction of the compressed bitstream. These important elements of the compressed data become candidates for selective encryption. In this paper, we combine encryption and distributed video source coding to consider the choices of which types of bits are most effective for selective encryption of a video sequence that has been compressed using a distributed source coding method based on LDPC codes. Instead of encrypting the entire video stream bit by bit, we encrypt only the highly sensitive bits. By combining the compression and encryption tasks and thus reducing the number of bits encrypted, we can achieve a reduction in system complexity.
Against Virtue: A Deontological Critique of Virtue Theory in Medical Ethics

The essays in this volume provide many lists of virtues in different cultures and different times. Those lists include the ‘virtues’ of cunning, hatred of enemies, condescension, skill, obedience to husbands, whimsicality, and filial piety as well as gentleness, meekness, compassion, and humaneness. That in itself should suggest that there are serious problems to be solved in developing a full and sound theory of virtue in medical ethics. Ferngren and Amundsen, in the first essay in this volume, make clear the dramatic contrast between the classical Homeric virtues in Greek thought and the major gentle virtues of the Christian tradition. The Homeric hero possessed the character of cunning, courage, self-reliance, loyalty, love of friends, hatred of enemies (as well as courtesy, generosity, and hospitality) while the Pauline virtues included much gentler fare: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. It might, in fact, be argued that all that is wrong with the ethics of medicine is that health care professionals have adopted the Homeric list while patients have been expected to adopt the Pauline character.1 The very term patient conveys the notion of meekness and long-suffering passivity. Developing a theory of virtue for an ethic of medicine will be much more difficult and controversial than is often realized.
The duration of lactation in feral coypus (Myocastor coypus)

The frequency of consecutive reproductive stages in a post mortem sample of 423 lactating coypus was used to estimate the mean post partum interval (Dpp) and the mean duration of lactation (D1). The estimates required a number of assumptions but the most important involved the validity of making time specific inferences from an “age” series. Variation statistics could not be calculated using conventional techniques and the jacknife method of estimation was used to obtain variances of the means and 95 % confidence intervals. Dpp was estimated as 21 ± 0–8 weeks. Some observations of retrapped wild animals showed that some animals conceived at an oestrus which occurred within a day or two of parturition. Dl was estimated in four different ways, three of which were quite closely related: these averaged 8–4 ± 10 weeks. But the fourth estimate, which is equally valid, was 70 weeks. A weighted average of the four estimates was 7–7 weeks with 95 % confidence limits of c. ± 10. The average suckling period of five captive females was 10–9 weeks. The most likely interpretation of the 42 % difference between this value and the estimate for wild females is attenuation as a result of a reduced nutrient intake in the feral population. DL is substantially longer than predicted from an expression relating maternal weight to DL in other mammals. This may be part of a maternal care strategy that centres on protection of space, and possibly of a food supply for milk production, rather than on defence of the young.
Thermal self-limiting effects in the long-term AC stress on n-channel LDD MOSFETs

A model of lightly doped drain n-MOSFET degradation in drain current under long-term AC use conditions which includes a self-limiting effect in the hot-electron induced device degradation is proposed for lifetime projections. Experimental results on LDD n-MOSFETs (W=50 mu m) are presented which show the maximum drain current degradation as a function of the average substrate current under the various AC stress and use conditions (f=0.4 MHz, 1 MHz, 2 MHz, and 4 MHz) for different drawn gate lengths. The maximum drain current degradations were 0.3% mu A, 0.2%/ mu A, and 0.15%/ mu A of the substrate current for drawn gate lengths of 0.8 mu m, 1.0 mu m, and 1.5 mu m, respectively, at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C. The proposed model also includes and predicts the strong temperature dependence. >
Listening Comprehension Anxiety: Students' Reported Sources and Solutions

The anxiety that accompanies the listening comprehension (LC) task is dificult to detect, but potentially one of the most debilitating, because in order to interact verbally the listener must first understand what is being said. With the instructional emphasis on input pm cessing, LC anxiety merits closer examination. Research shows that in order to be effective lis- teners, learners must be able to actively and strategically participate in the listening process within a lowanxiety classroom environment. Recognizing the effect of anxiety on listening is the first step; the next is to uncover the sources of LC anxiety and propose solutions. 7his study presents the sources and solutions to LC anxiety as reported by foreign language students and discusses the pedagogical implications that relate to the results. In the field of education, listening has long been recognized as the most frequently used language skill in the classroom (Taylor 1964) and has been shown to contribute to acade mic success more than reading skills or acade mic aptitude (Conaway 1982). Consequently, many researchers have focused on making listening comprehension (LC) an integral and active part of the foreign language (FL) class-
Short-time existence theory toward stability for nonlinear parabolic systems

We establish existence of classical solutions for nonlinear parabolic systems in divergence form on \({\mathbb{R}^n}\), under mild regularity assumptions on coefficients in the problem, and under the assumption of Holder continuous initial conditions. Our analysis is motivated by the study of stability for stationary and traveling wave solutions arising in such systems. In this setting, large time bounds obtained by pointwise semigroup techniques are often coupled with appropriate short time bounds in order to close an iteration based on Duhamel-type integral equations, and our analysis gives precisely the required short time bounds. This development both clarifies previous applications of this idea (by Zumbrun and Howard) and establishes a general result that covers many additional cases.
Oncology Pain in Veterinary Patients

Cancer, cancer pain, and the undertreatment of cancer pain are epidemic in both the human and veterinary medical field. Concerns over recognition, assessment, and treatment of oncologic pain in our veterinary patients are multiplied when one realizes the interaction of the primary tumor, the pain itself, and even cancer treatments with fatigue, disability, dyspnea, weakness, impaired gastrointestinal motility, cognition, and urinary/defecation issues. The patient's overall health status, as well as owner psychological and spiritual distress, plays a large part in quality-of-life decisions. We will discuss classification and assessment of cancer pain, quality-of-life issues, and therapies for managing cancer pain, including pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and interventional techniques. The goal will be establishment of a new oncologic treatment pyramid or scale for veterinary patients, one that will guide clinicians mechanistically into thinking through the anamnesis, physical examination, and assessment of the whole patient, and on toward diagnostics and treatments available for companion animals with cancer.
Mineralogy of Bones

Medical geology encompasses many scientific endeavors with global activities and impact, but it also includes aspects that are very personal and individual. Local environment is sampled through what is ingested and inhaled whether or not it is salubrious, marginal, or downright unhealthy. Human bodies react to the remarkable range of natural and man-made chemicals that they are exposed to every day. It is common knowledge that a range of nutrients is required, but some of the chemicals can be hazardous to our health. This chapter focuses on bones, and specifically the mineral portion in these tissues, the component essential to the functions of these organs. These discussions illustrate several attributes of the emerging field of medical geology. The scientific information outlined herein is drawn from a diversity of disciplines and expertise, from biophysical and biochemical sciences, from physicians and dentists, and from geologists, mineralogists, and engineers. This knowledge enables us to address the many individual and collective roles that minerals play in the body. A disorder that affects people on every continent, osteoporosis, is presented as an example of how information on minerals can be applied. It is only one of the possible targets of opportunity where mineralogical/geological expertise has, and continues to have, the potential to ameliorate suffering and promote better global and personal health. Selected classic and recent references are included to whet the appetite of those who will make contributions to our knowledge in the future.
Effects of unipolar stimulation on voltage and calcium distributions in the isolated rabbit heart

The effect of electric stimulation on the polarization of cardiac tissue (virtual electrode effect) is well known; the corresponding response of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+] i ) and its dependence on coupling interval between conditioning stimulus (S1) and test stimulus (S2) has yet to be elucidated. Because uncovering the transmembrane potential (V m)–[Ca2+] i relationship during an electric shock is imperative for understanding arrhythmia induction and defibrillation, we aimed to study simultaneous V m and [Ca2+] i responses to strong unipolar stimulation. We used a dual-camera optical system to image concurrently V m and [Ca2+] i responses to unipolar stimulation (20 ms ± 20 mA) in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. RH-237 and Rhod-2 fluorescent dyes were used to measure V m and [Ca2+] i , respectively. The S1–S2 interval ranged from 10 to 170 ms to examine stimulation during the action potential. The [Ca2+] i deflections were less pronounced than changes in V m for all S1–S2 intervals. For cathodal stimulation, [Ca2+] i at the central virtual cathode region increased with prolongation of S1–S2 interval. For anodal stimulation, [Ca2+] i at the central virtual anode area decreased with shortening of the S1–S2 interval. At very short S1–S2 intervals (10–20 ms), when S2 polarization was superimposed on the S1 action potential upstroke, the [Ca2+] i distribution did not follow V m and produced a more complex pattern. After S2 termination [Ca2+] i exhibited three outcomes in a manner similar to V m: non-propagating response, break stimulation, and make stimulation. Changes in the [Ca2+] i distribution correlate with the behavior of the V m distribution for S1–S2 coupling intervals longer than 20 ms; at shorter intervals S2 creates more heterogeneous [Ca2+] i distribution in comparison with V m. Stimulation in diastole and at very short coupling intervals caused V m–[Ca2+] i uncoupling at the regions of positive polarization (virtual cathode).
POST KEYNESIAN PERSPECTIVES AND COMPLEX ECOLOGIC–ECONOMIC DYNAMICS

This paper considers the implications of complex ecologic–economic dynamics for three broad, Post Keynesian perspectives: the uncertainty perspective, the macrodynamics perspective and the Sraffian perspective. Catastrophic, chaotic and other complex dynamics will be seen as reinforcing the conceptual foundations of Keynesian uncertainty. Predator–prey models will be seen as deeply linked to Post Keynesian macrodynamic models. Finally, certain cases in ecologic–economic systems will be seen as generating such Sraffian, capital theoretic conundra as reswitching. Ecologic–economic models considered besides predator–prey will include fisheries, forestry, lake dynamics and global climatic– economic dynamics.
Training residents in clinical teaching skills: a resident-managed program

A resident-managed program to improve teaching skills and examine residents' perceptions of teaching was conducted for internal medicine residents at Maine Medical Center. A modification of the Fewett (1982) teaching model was applied as an adjunct to an ongoing resident teaching program. Twenty-six of 29 residents voluntarily participated in a series of workshops over a 6 month period. A low attrition rate and high level of acceptance of the format were observed. Teaching programs are manageable by a senior resident and can be of potential benefit.
Dynamic microfunnel culture enhances mouse embryo development and pregnancy rates

background: Despite advances in in vitro manipulation of preimplantation embryos, there is still a reduction in the quality of embryos produced leading to lower pregnancy rates compared with embryos produced in vivo. We hypothesized that a dynamic microfunnel embryo culture system would enhance outcomes by better mimicking the fluid-mechanical and biochemical stimulation embryos experience in vivo from ciliary currents and oviductal contractions. methods and results: Mouse embryos were cultured in microdrop-static control, microfunnel-static control or microfunneldynamic conditions with microfluidics. All groups tested had greater than 90% total blastocyst development from zygotes after 96 h culture. Blastocyst developmental stage was significantly enhanced (P , 0.01) under dynamic microfunnel culture conditions as evidenced by an increased percentage of hatching or hatched blastocysts (Microdrop-control 31%; Microfunnel-control 23%; Microfunnel-pulsatile 71%) and significantly higher (P , 0.01) average number of cells per blastocyst (Microdrop-control 67+ 3; Microfunnel-control 60+ 3; Microfunnel-pulsatile 109+ 5). Blastocyst cell numbers in dynamic microfunnel cultures (109+ 5) more closely matched numbers obtained from in vivo grown blastocysts (144+ 9). Importantly, dynamic microfunnel culture significantly improved embryo implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates over static culture to levels approaching that of in utero derived preimplantation embryos. conclusions: The improved pregnancy outcomes along with the simple and user-friendly design of the microfluidic/microfunnel system has potential to alleviate many inefficiencies in embryo production for biomedical research, genetic gain in domestic species and assisted reproductive technologies in humans.
Waking Up on the Right or Wrong Side of the Bed: Start-of-Workday Mood, Work Events, Employee Affect, and Performance

We examine how start-of-workday mood serves as an “affective prime” that relates to how employees see work events, how they feel subsequent to events, and how this felt affect relates to objective performance. Using experience sampling and both archival and coded performance, we tested these relationships in a call center. We found that start-of-workday mood relates to employee perceptions of customer affective display and employee affect subsequent to events (i.e., calls). Positive affect subsequent to events relates to coded performance quality, whereas negative affect subsequent to events relates to productivity. We find evidence that affect subsequent to events is a mediator. Employees are rarely able to check their feelings at the door to their workplace, nor are they unaffected by the events they encounter during the workday. These two factors, start-of-workday mood and work events, may both relate to how employees feel and ultimately perform at work. Mood is defined as a shorter-term, diluted response to general environmental stimuli; that is, mood is typically not associated with one particular stimulus (Tellegen, 1985). However, unlike disposition, mood varies over time and often within and between days. Each day, employees may bring different moods to work, and the moods they start their day with may frame the way they interpret work experiences and how they feel subsequent to such work experiences. A person who starts his or her day in a “good mood” may experience a work event differently than when he or she is in a “bad mood.” Moreover, start-of-workday mood and the way employees feel after encountering work events may have an impor
SPIDER: a schema mapPIng DEbuggeR

A schema mapping is a high-level declarative specification of how data structured under one schema, called the source schema, is to be transformed into data structured under a possibly different schema, called the target schema. We demonstrate SPIDER, a prototype tool for debugging schema mappings, where the language for specifying schema mappings is based on a widely adopted formalism. We have built SPIDER on top of a data exchange system, Clio, from IBM Almaden Research Center. At the heart of SPIDER is a data-driven facility for understanding a schema mapping through the display of routes. A route essentially describes the relationship between source and target data with the schema mapping. In this demonstration, we showcase our route engine, where we can display one or all routes starting from either source or target data, as well as the intermediary data and schema elements involved. In addition, we demonstrate "standard" debugging features for schema mappings that we have also built, such as computing and exploring routes step-by-step, stopping or pausing the computation with breakpoints, performing "guided" computation of routes by taking human input into account, as well as tracking the state of the target instance during the process of computing routes.
Problems with the Current Definitions of the Standard Deviation of Wind Direction

Abstract Much of the ongoing debate about how to define the standard deviation of wind direction can be attributed to the widespread implementation of a faulty method of defining it in wind-measuring instrumentation in the previous decade. In this paper, the basis of the debate is explained, and the suggestion made that the standard deviation be defined in such a way that it has a useful interpretation. A number of situations are described in which the notion of a circular standard deviation is not appropriate.
Development and Plasticity in the Central Nervous System

Throughout this chapter I will be talking about plasticity in the central nervous system. Although the concept is central to both biological and psychological development, the term plasticity has been used in so many different ways that it has lost much of its meaning For example, almost any change in behavior or in an organism’s response to stimuli can be taken as an example of plasticity. Here, I will try to define the term in a way that makes sense for people in the neurosciences as well as in psychology, then I will give some specific examples of the kinds of plasticity that can be seen in both the developing and mature nervous system. Over the last decade, despite the problem of how to define the term adequately, there has been a major revolution in ideas about how the nervous system functions, how it develops, and what actually represents “plasticity.”
RHETORIC AS RITUAL: THE SEMIOTICS OF THE ATTIC FUNERAL ORATION

The Athenians were unique among the ancient Greeks in the burial of their war dead. These they interred not, like the other Greeks, on the battlefield where they fell, but in a common grave in thei...
Urethral recurrence after cystectomy: Current preventative measures, diagnosis and management

To summarise the current literature on the diagnosis and management of urethral recurrence (UR) after radical cystectomy (RC), as UR after RC is rare but associated with high mortality. With the recently increased use of orthotopic bladder substitution and the questionable benefit of prophylactic urethrectomy, identification of patients at high risk of UR, management of the remnant urethra, and treatment of UR become critical questions. A review of the PubMed database from 1980 to 2014 was performed to identify studies evaluating recurrent urothelial cancer of the urethra after RC. The search terms used included 'urethral recurrence', 'cystectomy' or 'cystoprostatectomy'. Selected studies provided information on the type of urinary diversion performed, the incidence of UR, and the time to UR. Incidence of UR after RC ranges from 1% to 8% with most recurrences occurring within the first 2 years after surgery. Increased risk of UR is associated with involvement of the prostate, tumour multifocality, bladder neck involvement, and cutaneous diversion. The median overall survival after UR ranges from 6 to 54 months and the 5-year disease-specific survival after UR is reported to be between zero and 83%. UR remains a relatively rare event. Current literature suggests that urethral wash cytology may be useful in patients with intermediate- to high-risk of recurrence to enable early detection of non-invasive disease, which may be amenable to conservative therapy before urethrectomy.
Disease Risks of Occupational Exposure to Sewage

A need exists for assessment of the potential health risks to the public from waters receiving waste discharges. Some insight concerning such risks may be gained from a review of studies of persons exposed on an occupational basis to wastewater, i.e., those working at wastewater treatment plants and in sewers. The most complete investigation in the literature was a retrospective study of Berlin sewer workers reported in 1954. This investigation revealed less evidence of occupational disease hazards than a number of more limited studies which showed increased antibody levels to leptospirosis, frequent gastrointestinal illness, and increased parasitic infections, such as Endamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides , and Trichurus trichiura . Studies on airborne transmission from wastewater have thus far focused on bacterial levels near waste treatment facilities and not on health effects.
Nanoscale Site Isolation of Different Emitters for White Emission

This talk will introduce the approach of using nanoscale site isolation between different emitting species to realizing white emission. One system was based on block copolymers and the other involved polymer nanoparticles.
Magnetic Retrieval of Ferrous Labels in a Capture-Recapture System for Honey Bees and Other Insects

A new capture-recapture method is described for study ing the distribution and flight range of honey bees and other insects. Recapture success is contingent upon the probability that insects. labeled with ferrous tags, will pass within effective range of permanent magnets that capture the tags. Foraging honey bees were captured initially at feeding stations and tagged with numbered ferrous metal labels (diam 2.3 mm; thickness 0.25 mm; weight 11 mg). The entrance of the hive was equipped with a magnetic trap. Tagged bees entering the hive were held by the magnets for a few seconds until they pulled free from the labels that remained as evidence of recapture. About 90–95% of the labels attached to bees captured 2672 m from the hive were recovered from the trap within I hr after initial capture. This method was used extensively to study the distribution and flight range of hundreds of hives used for pollination purposes.
Electrodeposited Cu-In-Ga-Se Thin Films for CIGS-Based Solar Cells

Cyclic voltammogram studies were performed on H2SeO3, CuSO4, In2(SO4)3, GaCl3, H2SeO3 + CuSO4 + In2(SO4)3 and H2SeO3 + CuSO4 + In2(SO4)3 + GaCl3 to understand the electrodeposition mechanism. The reduction potential from the cyclic voltammogram studies indicates that the first deposited layer is Cu from the Cu-In-Se and Cu-In-Ga-Se solution mixture. The subsequent deposition of the In and Ga layer is more favorable on the first-deposited Cu layer.
Personality Predicts Utilization of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction During and Post-Intervention in a Community Sample of Older Adults

Abstract Objectives: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a promising intervention for older adults seeking to improve quality of life. More research is needed, however, to determine who is most willing to use the four techniques taught in the program (yoga, sitting meditation, informal meditation, and body scanning). This study evaluated the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and use of MBSR techniques both during the intervention and at a 6-month follow-up. The hypothesis was that those with higher levels of openness and agreeableness would be more likely to use the techniques. Methods: Participants were a community sample of 100 older adults who received an 8-week manualized MBSR intervention. Personality was assessed at baseline by using the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Use of MBSR techniques was assessed through weekly practice logs during the intervention and a 6-month follow...
Investigate on present situation life drinking waterin Huhehaot city

Objective To know the sanitary situation of the centralized water supply and secondary water supply in the city of Hohhot.Method To investigate the sanitation of eleven centralized water supply and some of the secondary water supply in the city of Hohhot.Results The sanitary situation of drinking water in this city was generally consistent with the National drinking water standards.But the qualified rate of free residual chlorine in the outlet water and pipe water were 72.73%and 67.39%,a bit of low.None of the Waterproof material using in the Secondary water supply facilities was been match with the national regulations about Wading products Health licensing documents.Conclusion The monitoring results show that mere were many security risks in the city of Hohhot on the health status of drinking water.So the government and the relevant departments should attach great importance to the sanitary situation of drinking water in this city.
Open-chest cardiac massage. The possible rebirth of an old procedure.

PreviewFor the last 30 years, the emergency medical response to a patient in cardiac arrest has been cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), incorporating closed-chest cardiac massage. However, open-chest cardiac massage predates CPR as treatment for cardiac arrest and may offer advantages in some cases. Dr Heller examines the two methods and compares their efficacy.
Neural encoding of single-formant stimuli in the cat. II. Responses of anteroventral cochlear nucleus units

1. We have studied responses of anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) units to single-formant stimuli (SFS), in an effort to make quantitative comparisons with responses observed in auditory-nerve ...
Neurostimulation and functional brain imaging.

Recent advancements in functional neuroimaging have furthered our understanding of the normal and pathological brain. These non-invasive imaging modalities have allowed us to study the human brain ...
Ample and Nef Line Bundles

This chapter contains the basic theory of positivity for line bundles and divisors on a projective algebraic variety.
Clay Minerals and Ceramics

The study of ceramics and the clays used to produce ancient earthenwares fill detailed and discursive publications in archaeology. Geoarchaeology chiefly concerns itself with those aspects of ceramics and clays wherein it can make the most pertinent contributions in geology, petrology, and mineralogy, to name the most obvious areas. As an aluminosilicate mineral, clay is practically ubiquitous. As a marine sediment, it floors the deepest portions of the world’s oceans (Thomsen 1877). Because of its geological commonplace, clay is the potter’s equivalent of ore for the metallurgist.
Competitive receptor-binding assays of 111In-DANBIRT targeting of Leukocyte-function associated antigen-1 in a systemic inflammation rat model to inhaled ozone exposure.

1142 Objectives Determine LFA-1 receptor-binding characteristics of radiolabeled DANBIRT using radioisotopic dilution methods in isolated leukocytes from control and ozone-exposed rats using 68Ga-DANBIRT and 111In-DANBIRT. Methods All experiments were done using Sprague Dawley male rats. For the first experiment, rats were exposed to filtered air (n=4) and ozone [1 ppm (n=4)] for 4 hours. Whole blood was collected 24 hours post-exposure and incubated for 10 minutes with 68Ga-DANBIRT. For the second experiment, radioisotopic dilution methods were performed with 1:1, 1:10, 1:100 and 1:1000 log-fold serial dilution concentrations of DANBIRT. Whole blood was collected and incubated for 1 hour with 111In-DANBIRT. Leukocyte isolation was performed for neutrophil and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) separations post-incubation with radiolabeled DANBIRT (Standard Specific Activity of 625mCi/pM). Cell morphology and sample purity were assessed by light microscopy. Sample smears and cytospin slides were stained using Wright-Giemsa. Results Leukocyte isolation methods successfully showed the purity of samples, with predominance of immature neutrophils (65%) and PBMCs (58%) in ozone-exposed rats with no morphologic changes. In vivo data showed an increased uptake of 68Ga-DANBIRT in neutrophils with a decreased uptake in PBMCs post-ozone exposure. Radioisotopic dilution methods evidence a saturation of binding sites in our isolated neutrophil samples starting at a 1:10 log-fold serial dilution from our initial concentration of 111In-DANBIRT (Figure 1). Conclusions Neutrophil and PBMC isolation methods helped demonstrate competitive receptor binding in leukocytes; showing an increased percentage of immature neutrophils, which illustrates an acute immune response in the ozone exposed group. Radiosotopic dilution methods evidence competitive binding in leukocytes. Competitive binding is increased when concentration increases, due to a mass effect of radiolabeled DANBIRT at equal or higher concentrations of 6.36e5pM. Previous studies using 111In-DANBIRT have demonstrated its potential as a SPECT/CT molecular imaging probe capable of visualizing inflammation found in models of cardiovascular injury. These correlative results demonstrate competitive and specific LFA-1 receptor binding especially in neutrophils, which will guide future studies using competitive binding concentrations in other vascular injury models. RESEARCH SUPPORT: Data was generated in the Keck-UNM Small-Animal Imaging Resource Shared Resource Center supported by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, the UNM Cancer Center, and UNM College of Pharmacy. Grant numbers: NIH P30CA118100-06 & ES0014639.