cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulated hearing loss as a baseline for the assessment of auditory function in cochlearly impaired listeners

An overview is presented of results obtained in listeners with real and simulated impairments. Spectral processing is assessed by psychoacoustical tuning curves and growth-of-masking functions; temporal processing is assessed by temporal integration and gap detection thresholds. When comparisons are made to normal listeners tested in the quiet, impaired listeners generally show deficits on all these tasks. When the comparisons are made to simulated impairments, some impaired listeners show no deficits, whereas others still show deficits. These results indicate that abnormal intensity perception is responsible for some, but not all, of impaired listeners' apparent deficits in spectral and temporal processing. In many cases, however, it appears that spectral and temporal processing, per se, are altered in the impaired auditory system. >
Maternal Frontal EEG Asymmetry and Chronic Stressors Moderate the Link between Child Conduct Problems and Maternal Negativity

Frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry is associated with individual differences in positive/negative emotionality and approach/avoidance tendencies. The current study examined the moderating role of maternal resting frontal EEG asymmetry on the link between child behavior problems and maternal harsh parenting within the context of differing degrees of chronic family stressors (father unemployment, single parenthood, caring for multiple children, and household chaos). The sample included 121 mother–child pairs. Results showed that stressors and frontal EEG asymmetry together moderated the link. Child problem behaviors were moderately associated with greater maternal negativity for mothers with right frontal asymmetry, or mothers who experienced more stressors. However, no association existed between child behavior problems and maternal negativity for mothers with few stressors and left frontal asymmetry. The findings implicate transactions between household stress and a psychophysiological indicator of maternal emotional reactivity and mothers' approach/avoidance tendencies in the etiology of parental negativity toward challenging child behaviors.
Identifying capacity loss due to operational work methods

A new semiconductor manufacturing line costs in excess of /spl Theta/ to build and equip. Because of these high costs, it is imperative that all components of capacity loss be identified and understood. Traditionally, much emphasis has been placed on understanding the contribution of tool non-availability to capacity loss. There has been considerable attention paid by engineering and maintenance to identifying and improving these loss components. However, significant capacity loss can also occur when a production operator is not available to attend a tool in a timely fashion to load and unload lots. This paper discusses an analysis that identifies and quantifies the capacity loss caused by operator unavailability for a specific tool set, i.e., CVD tungsten and HDP deposition tools. A multiobservational study was used as the specific technique to examine the performance of the tool set. The analysis included an examination of operator head count, activity, and coverage. The study showed a significant loss because of operator non-availability and identified specific work methods that contributed to this loss. The results were then used to suggest modifications to these work methods to reduce the amount of capacity lost.
Graph reductions, binary rank, and pivots in gene assembly

We describe a graph reduction operation, generalizing three graph reduction operations related to gene assembly in ciliates. The graph formalization of gene assembly considers three reduction rules, called the positive rule, double rule, and negative rule, each of which removes one or two vertices from a graph. The graph reductions we define consist precisely of all compositions of these rules. We study graph reductions in terms of the adjacency matrix of a graph over the finite field F"2, and show that they are path invariant, in the sense that the result of a sequence of graph reductions depends only on the vertices removed. The binary rank of a graph is the rank of its adjacency matrix over F"2. We show that the binary rank of a graph determines how many times the negative rule is applied in any sequence of positive, double, and negative rules reducing the graph to the empty graph, resolving two open problems posed by Harju, Li, and Petre. We also demonstrate the close relationship between graph reductions and the matrix pivot operation, both of which can be studied in terms of the poset of subsets of vertices of a graph that can be removed by a graph reduction.
Regulation of nitrogenase activity in Bradyrhizobium japonicum/soybean symbiosis by plant N status as determined by shoot C : N ratio

Regulation of nitrogenase is not sufficiently understood to engineer symbioses that achieve a high N 2 fixation rate under high levels of soil N. In the present hydroponic growth chamber study we evaluated the hypothesis that nitrogenase activity and the extent of its inhibition by NO 3 - may be related to both N and carbohydrate levels in plant tissues. A wide range of C:N ratios in various plant tissues (8.5 to 41.0, 1.9 to 3.7, and 0.8 to 1.8, respectively, in shoots, roots, and nodules) was generated through a combination of light and CO2 levels, using two soybean genotypes differing in C and N acquisition rates. For both genotypes, N concentration in shoots was negatively correlated to nitrogenase activity and positively correlated to the extent of nitrogenase inhibition by NO 3 - . Furthermore, nitrogenase activity was positively correlated to total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) and C:N ratio in shoot and nodules for both genotypes. Nitrogenase inhibition by NO 3 - was negatively correlated to TNC and C:N ratio in shoots, but not in nodules for both genotypes. At the onset of nitrogenase inhibition by NO 3 - , C:N ratio declined in shoots but not in nodules. These results indicate that both C and N levels in plant tissues are involved in regulation of nitrogenase activity. We suggest that the level of nitrogenase activity may be determined by (1) N needs (as determined by shoot C:N) and (2) availability of carbohydrates in nodules. Modulation of the nitrogenase activity may occur through sensing changes in plant N, i.e. changes in shoot C:N ratio, possibly through some phloem translocatable compound(s).
A role for molecular chaperone Hsc70 in reovirus outer capsid disassembly.

After crossing the cellular membrane barrier during cell entry, most animal viruses must undergo further disassembly before initiating viral gene expression. In many cases, these disassembly mechanisms remain poorly defined. For this report, we examined a final step in disassembly of the mammalian reovirus outer capsid: cytoplasmic release of the central, δ fragment of membrane penetration protein μ1 to yield the transcriptionally active viral core particle. An in vitro assay with reticulocyte lysate recapitulated the release of intact δ molecules. Requirements for activity in this system were shown to include a protein factor, ATP, and Mg2+ and K+ ions, consistent with involvement of a molecular chaperone such as Hsc70. Immunodepletion of Hsc70 and Hsp70 impaired δ release, which was then rescued by addition of purified Hsc70. Hsc70 was associated with released δ molecules not only in the lysate but also during cell entry. We conclude that Hsc70 plays a defined role in reovirus outer capsid disassembly, during or soon after membrane penetration, to prepare the entering particle for gene expression and replication.
Sprouting by tracts descending from the midbrain to the spinal cord: The result of thoracic funiculotomy in the newborn, 21-day-old, and adult rat

Abstract The effect of age at the time of spinal lesion on the response of the tracts descending from the ventromedial portion of the midbrain was examined. Degeneration resulting from sequential lesions (T6 hemisection, then electrolytic midline mesencephalon lesion) administered 7 to 9 months apart was studied in sections of spinal cord stained by the Fink-Heimer technique. There was an increased density of the projection field which was demonstrated two and three segments rostral to a midthoracic funiculotomy in newborn, 21-day-old, and adult rats. Unexpectedly, the increased density was similar in the three age groups. No sprouting was demonstrated in the cervical cord. In all age groups the projection remained confined to its normal terminal fields. There was no statistically significant difference in area on the two sides destroyed by the midbrain lesion and no shrinkage in the upper thoracic gray matter in any age group as demonstrated by planimetric measurements of sections. In animals which sustained lesions as infants, there was a massive reduction in area of the lateral white matter including that occupied by the rubrospinal tract. Therefore, in rats with lesions administered in infancy, a comparable (to adult) amount of sprouting may have been from fewer axons. Two possible explanations for these results are considered. First, there may be proportionately more sprouting per axon in the animals with first lesions at birth. On the other hand, the amount of sprouting per axon may be similar in both age groups if only some axons sprout in animals with first lesions as adults.
Abrupt increase in Greenland snow accumulation at the end of the Younger Dryas event

THE warming at the end of the last glaciation was characterized by a series of abrupt returns to glacial climate, the best-known of which is the Younger Dryas event1. Despite much study of the causes of this event and the mechanisms by which it ended, many questions remain unresolved1. Oxygen isotope data from Greenland ice cores2–4 suggest that the Younger Dryas ended abruptly, over a period of about 50 years; dust concentrations2,4 in these cores show an even more rapid transition (≲20 years). This extremely short timescale places severe constraints on the mechanisms underlying the transition. But dust concentrations can reflect subtle changes in atmospheric circulation, which need not be associated with a large change in climate. Here we present results from a new Greenland ice core (GISP2) showing that snow accumulation doubled rapidly from the Younger Dryas event to the subsequent Preboreal interval, possibly in one to three years. We also find that the accumulation-rate change from the Oldest Dryas to the Bo11ing/Allerod warm period was large and abrupt. The extreme rapidity of these changes in a variable that directly represents regional climate implies that the events at the end of the last glaciation may have been responses to some kind of threshold or trigger in the North Atlantic climate system.
Minimum-uncertainty angular wave packets and quantized mean values.

Uncertainty relations between a bounded coordinate operator and a conjugate momentum operator frequently appear in quantum mechanics. We prove that physically reasonable minimum-uncertainty solutions to such relations have quantized expectation values of the conjugate momentum. This implies, for example, that the mean angular momentum is quantized for any minimum-uncertainty state obtained from any uncertainty relation involving the angular-momentum operator and a conjugate coordinate. Experiments specifically seeking to create minimum-uncertainty states localized in angular coordinates therefore must produce packets with integer angular momentum. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Metabolic engineering for the production of clinically important molecules: Omega‐3 fatty acids, artemisinin, and taxol

Driven by requirements for sustainability as well as affordability and efficiency, metabolic engineering of plants and microorganisms is increasingly being pursued to produce compounds for clinical applications. This review discusses three such examples of the clinical relevance of metabolic engineering: the production of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention of cardiovascular disease; the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid, an anti-malarial drug precursor, for the treatment of malaria; and the production of the complex natural molecule taxol, an anti-cancer agent. In terms of omega-3 fatty acids, bioengineering of fatty acid metabolism by expressing desaturases and elongases, both in soybeans and oleaginous yeast, has resulted in commercial-scale production of these beneficial molecules. Equal success has been achieved with the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid at low cost for developing countries. This is accomplished through channeling the flux of the isoprenoid pathway to the specific genes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Efficient coupling of the isoprenoid pathway also leads to the construction of an Escherichia coli strain that produces a high titer of taxadiene-the first committed intermediate for taxol biosynthesis. These examples of synthetic biology demonstrate the versatility of metabolic engineering to bring new solutions to our health needs.
Water in Cavity−Ligand Recognition

We use explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations to estimate free energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes along the cavity−ligand association coordinate for a set of seven model systems with varying physicochemical properties. Owing to the simplicity of the considered systems we can directly investigate the role of water thermodynamics in molecular recognition. A broad range of thermodynamic signatures is found in which water (rather than cavity or ligand) enthalpic or entropic contributions appear to drive cavity−ligand binding or rejection. The unprecedented, nanoscale picture of hydration thermodynamics can help the interpretation and design of protein−ligand binding experiments. Our study opens appealing perspectives to tackle the challenge of solvent entropy estimation in complex systems and for improving molecular simulation models.
Grassland songbird survival and recruitment in agricultural landscapes: implications for source-sink demography.

Population growth and decline are particularly sensitive to changes in three key life-history parameters: annual productivity, juvenile survival, and adult survival. However, for many species these parameters remain unknown. For example, although grassland songbirds are imperiled throughout North America, for this guild, only a small number of studies have assessed these parameters. From 2002 to 2006, in the agricultural landscape of the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York, USA, we studied Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) and Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) demography on four grassland treatments: (1) early-hayed fields cut before 11 June and again in early- to mid-July; (2) middle-hayed fields cut once between 21 June and 10 July; (3) late-hayed fields cut after 1 August; and (4) rotationally grazed pastures. We assessed whether these treatments affected adult apparent survival (/) and recruitment ( f ), how sensitive these parameters were to the presence of nonbreeders and local dispersal, and the populations' ability to persist in these four habitats. On average, birds using late-hayed fields had .25% higher apparent survival than those on the more intensively managed early-hayed, middle-hayed, and grazed fields. Overall male / was 35% higher than female /, and Savannah Sparrow / was 44% higher than Bobolink /. Across all analyses and treatments, apparent survival estimates were 0.58-0.85 for male and 0.48-0.71 for female Savannah Sparrows, and 0.52-0.70 for male and 0.19-0.55 for female Bobolinks. For males of both species, potential nonbreeders decreased the precision of and lowered apparent survival estimates by 25%; female estimates showed little variation with the inclusion of nonbreeders. Inclusion of local dispersal observations increased apparent survival estimates and, in many cases, increased precision, though the effect was stronger for Savannah Sparrows than for Bobolinks, and also stronger for males than for females. High Savannah Sparrow apparent survival rates resulted in stable or near stable populations (k ' 1), particularly in late-hayed and grazed fields, while low Bobolink apparent survival rates resulted in strongly declining populations (k , 1) in all treatments.
On the relationship between band broadening and the particle-size distribution of the packing material in liquid chromatography: theory and practice.

Abstract The influence of the particle size distribution (PSD) on the band broadening and the efficiency of packed columns is investigated on both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Each of the classical contributions to mass transfer kinetics, those due to longitudinal diffusion, eddy dispersion, and solid–liquid mass transfer resistance are measured and analyzed in terms of their expected and observed intensity as a function of the PSD of mixtures of the commercially available packing materials, 5 and 3 μm Luna-C 18 (2) particles (Phenomenex, Torrance, CA, USA). Six 4.6 mm × 150 mm columns were packed with different mixtures of these two materials. The efficiencies of these columns were measured for a non-retained and a retained analytes in a mixture of acetonitrile and water. The longitudinal diffusion coefficient was directly measured by the peak parking method. The solid–liquid mass transfer coefficient was measured from the combination of the peak parking method, the best model of effective diffusion coefficient and the actual PSDs of the different particle mixtures measured by Coulter counter experiments. The eddy diffusion term was measured according to a recently developed protocol, by numerical integration of the peak profiles. Our results clearly show that the PSD has no measurable impact on any of the coefficients of the van Deemter equation. On the contrary and surprisingly, adding a small fraction of large particles to a batch of small particles can improve the quality of the packing of the fine particles. Our results indirectly confirm that the success of sub-3 μm shell particles is due to the roughness of their external surface, which contributes to eliminate most of the nefarious wall effects.
Modeling Methods and Conceptual Design Principles for Reconfigurable Systems

Reconfigurable systems can attain different configurations at different times thereby altering their functional abilities. Such systems are particularly suitable for specific classes of applications in which their ability to undergo changes easily can be exploited to fulfill new demands, allow for evolution, and improve survivability. This paper identifies the main factors that drive the need for reconfigurability and proposes methods for modeling reconfigurable systems. A survey of 33 different reconfigurable systems is also presented to provide broader insights and general design guidelines for reconfigurable systems.
Decimal Time: Misadventures of a Revolutionary Idea, 1793–2008

This article traces the idea of decimalized systems of time reckoning, from their first articulated designs and implementation in the French revolution to our day. The paper analyzes how decimal time was the product of a broader rationalizing project that successfully reformed weights and measures (with the invention of the decimal metric system) and money (with the introduction of the franc as a decimal currency), but failed in bringing the chronological and calendrical reform into fruition. Finally, some hypotheses are suggested to explain why contrary to the global success of the metric system and decimal currency, plans for a fully decimalized time system were never accepted.
Trauma and substance cue reactivity in individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and cocaine or alcohol dependence.

Although the high comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders has been firmly established, no laboratory-based studies have been conducted to examine relationships between the two disorders. Using cue reactivity methodology, this study examined the impact of personalized trauma-image cues and in io drug cues on drug-related responding (e.g. craving) in individuals with PTSD and either crack cocaine (CD) or alcohol dependence (AD). CD and AD groups displayed reactivity to both trauma and drug cues when compared to neutral cues, including increased craving. However, the AD group was more reactive than the CD group to both classes of cues. The CD participants were more reactive to trauma-image cues if drug-related material was included in the image while the AD participants were reactive to the trauma cues regardless of drug-related content. It is hypothesized that PTSD-related negative emotion may play a relatively more important role in the maintenance of AD when compared to CD. Evidence that substance dependent individuals with PTSD report increased substance craving in response to trauma memories is offered as a potential contributing factor in the poorer substance abuse treatment outcomes previously documented in this comorbid population. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Heidegger, Nietzsche, Jünger, and the Interpretation of the Contemporary Age

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle l'interpretation heideggerienne de l'epoque contemporaine passe par une interpretation de la philosophie de Nietzsche, dans le sens de l'apogee de la modernite, qui elle-meme passe par la mediation d'une certaine lecture des oeuvres de Junger
Design of Normal Strength Concrete Mixtures with Recycled Concrete Aggregates

This paper investigates the design of normal strength concrete mixtures that use recycled concrete aggregates as replacement for virgin natural aggregates. Three mix design methods utilizing direct weight replacement, equivalent mortar replacement, and direct volume replacement are compared based on concrete workability, compressive strength, and elastic modulus. A total of 42 mixes were made with different aggregate replacement amounts. It was determined that the concrete workability changes significantly depending on the replacement method used, with the direct volume and equivalent mortar methods resulting in the best and worst workability, respectively. The compressive strength and elastic modulus of the mixes with recycled concrete aggregates showed little variation from concrete with natural aggregates.
Tapping Deep Pockets: The Role of Resources and Social Capital on Financial Capital Acquisition by Biotechnology Firms in Biotech–Pharma Alliances

Strategic alliances with pharmaceutical firms allow small biotechnology firms to acquire needed financial capital in exchange for sharing new, cutting-edge technologies. This study draws from aspects of resource-based view and social capital theory to examine the factors that influence the extent of financial capital biotech firms acquire when forming an alliance with pharmaceutical firms. Using a sample of 184 alliances from the period 1995–2000, we found that alliances where the pharmaceutical firm has greater management control are associated with greater acquisition of financial capital by the biotech firm. We also found that the credibility of the pharmaceutical firm is positively associated with the extent of financial capital acquired by the biotechnology firm and that the number of patents that the biotech firm has is negatively associated to the financial capital the biotech firm receives. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory, research, and management practice.
Interstitial incorporation of plutonium into a low-dimensional potassium borate.

The molten boric acid flux reaction of PuBr3 with KBO2 at 200 °C results in the formation of large light-yellow crystals of K[B5O7(OH)2]·H2O:Pu4+. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments on the Pu-doped K[B5O7(OH)2]·H2O demonstrate two features: (1) K[B5O7(OH)2]·H2O:Pu4+ adopts a one-dimensional borate chain structure with void spaces between the chains. (2) The doping plutonium atoms do not reside on the potassium sites. The latter are not fully occupied. Both laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and energy-dispersive spectrometry analyses indicate that plutonium atoms are uniformly distributed in crystals of K[B5O7(OH)2]·H2O with an atomic K:Pu ratio of approximately 65:1 measured by LA-ICP-MS. UV–vis–NIR spectra taken from both freshly made and one day old crystals show that the plutonium present within the crystals is predominantly characterized by Pu(IV). A small amount of Pu(III) is also present initially, but slowly oxidized to Pu(IV) via interaction with oxy...
Rural-Urban Migration and Working-Class Consciousness: The Spanish Case

It is proposed that cross-national differences in the pattern of social and economic change will be linked to different effects of migration. In the case of the Spanish industrial working class, the concentration of native and migrant workers in new industrial suburbs appears to be one source of class consciousness. There is also an indication that migrants themselves become increasingly class conscious as they remain longer in the city. This result is interpreted in terms of their initial high aspirations for mobility within the city, which are frustrated by an increasingly rigid urban class structure and the special obstacles to mobility among workers of rural origin. For the Catalan workers were, at all events since 1920, the most highly paid workmen in Spain outside the Basque country. They had no better reason than any other body of workers in Europe to aim at revolution. But they were recruited to a great extent from the half-starving and embittered agricultural laborers of the south and east and penned up in the most unruly and excitable city in Europe (Brenan, 185). The rapid industrialization of Spain since 1960 has again brought significant numbers of migrants into the major urban centers of Catalunya, Madrid, the Basque region, and the Levante (about 1-1/2 million between 1960 and 1970; FOESSA, 580). The working class of those regions has revived politically after its defeat in the Civil War, and is again in open and militant opposition to the regime. My purpose here is to identify the relationship between these two phenomena, rural-urban migration and worker militancy, as they are found in the 1970s. The problem cannot be treated as. simply as in the 1930s, when Andalusian migrants brought to the city an anarchist tradition of revolutionary conflict (cf. the application of a theory of "political migration" in Hamilton). Today's migrants are a *This research was supported by NSF Dissertation Research Grant GS 32-343. The author is indebted for useful comments to Arthur Stinchcombe, Juan Linz, David Phillips, Ruben Katzman, and several anonymous referees.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Predictors of Self-Rated Health Findings from the Survey of Older Floridians

The present study examined how self-rated health was influenced by sociodemographic characteristics, physical health indicators, and sociocultural resources among four racial/ethnic groups of older...
The distribution and mass of iron in the intracluster space of rich clusters of galaxies

It is shown that intracluster (IC) iron, whose presence is deduced from observations of an X-ray emission feature in the spectra of some X-ray clusters, could not have sedimented in the cluster core in a Hubble time. It is therefore concluded that the iron and gas are likely to be similarly distributed. Estimates of the total IC iron mass are given, and the possibility that the iron has been convected to the IC space by galactic winds from the visible cluster galaxies is briefly considered.
Characterization of a bacteriophage lysin (Ply700) from Streptococcus uberis

The antibacterial properties of bacteriophage lytic enzymes may be of importance in future mastitis control programs. A prophage was isolated from a strain of Streptococcus uberis (ATCC 700407) following exposure to mitomycin C. Partial sequencing of the phage DNA revealed a putative lysin based on sequence similarity to other streptococcal phage lysins. The putative lysin (Ply700) was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli, and chromatographically purified. Addition of the purified Ply700 to bacterial suspensions of S. uberis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus dysgalactiae caused a rapid, calcium-dependent lysis while there was little activity against Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, or E. coli. Killing of S. uberis in milk by Ply700 (50 microg/ml) was confirmed by plate count assay. Activity was related to the initial concentration of bacteria in that 31% killing (P<0.05) was observed with an inoculating dose of approximately 4500 cfu/ml, while 81% killing (P<0.01) was observed when the inoculum was reduced to approximately 600 cfu/ml. In contrast, complete sterilization was observed in parallel cultures suspended in assay buffer indicating that factors in milk are able to neutralize the lysin. Functional characterization of the C-terminal domain, as a component of a GFP fusion protein, revealed its calcium-dependent ability to bind to S. uberis. The C-terminal domain may have utility in targeting S. uberis while it remains to be determined if the lysin by itself has sufficient potency in milk for effective use in the control of S. uberis mastitis.
Light-emitting diode as radio-frequency detector - Development of RFI-free electromagnetic field sensor

A unique RFI-free electromagnetic field sensing technique using an LED as an RF detector is described. A double heterojunction (AlGaAs/GaAs) LED is used as an RF rectifier coupled to an EM probe; it delivers proportional light output with significant efficiency even at low (rectified) drive currents. DC biasing of the LED to the threshold of conduction can be achieved by an optically powered photodiode pair. Use of fibre-optic links from the detector to the receiver and in the optically powered bias arrangement eliminates the possibilities of RF1. Presented here are the sensitivity and frequency response of a test probe measured over 3–30 MHz under near-field conditions.
The Death Domain of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 Is Necessary but Not Sufficient for Golgi Retention in Endothelial Cells

The Death Domain of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 Is Necessary but Not Sufficient for Golgi Retention in Endothelial Cells
The Potential of Photo-Talks to Reveal the Development of Scientific Discourses

This study explores the potential of a photo-elicitation technique, photo-talks (Serriere, 2010), for understanding how young girls understand, employ and translate new scientific discourses. Over the course of a nine week period, 24 kindergarten girls in an urban girls’ academy were observed, videotaped, photographed and interviewed while they were immersed into scientific discourse. This paper explicitly describes how their emerging discursive patterns were made visible through this methodological tool. The findings are presented in vignettes in three themes uncovered during our analysis which are the following: Presented the recollection of the scientific Discourse, Described the understanding of scientific Discourse, and Created an opportunity for the translation into everyday discourse. Science educators can benefit from this methodological tool as a reflective tool with their participants, to validate and/or complicate data. Additionally, this methodological tool serves to make discourse patterns more visible by providing a visual backdrop to the conversations thus revealing the development as it is occurring in young children.
Improved efficiencies of multi-sized quantum dot doped solar cells

A typical third generation quantum dot solar cell consists of quantum dots of the same size. Effect of variation in the size of the quantum dots within the solar cell was considered in this research with the aim of improving their power conversion efficiencies. Simulations using the ‘optical absorption model’ were carried out for predicting the short circuit current densities of multi-sized solar cells. Comparison of simulated results with the published experimental research indicated a fairly good agreement. Simulations performed with multi-sized quantum dots doped inside Silicon, Gallium Arsenide, and Titanium dioxide substrates showed a potential improvement in the power conversion efficiencies of up to 22.35 %, 12.41%, and 13.5% as compared to 15 %, 6 %, and 1.7 % respectively (with single size quantum dot doping).
The influence of phonetic complexity on stuttered speech.

The primary purpose of this study was to re-examine the influence of phonetic complexity on stuttering in young children through the use of the Word Complexity Measure (WCM). Parent–child conversations were transcribed for 14 children who stutter (mean age = 3 years, 7 months; SD = 11.20 months). Lexical and linguistic factors were accounted for during the analysis. Results indicate that phonetic complexity, as measured by WCM, did not exhibit a significant influence on the likelihood of stuttering. Findings support previous data that suggest stuttering in preschool-age children does not appear significantly related to phonetic complexity of the production.
Bringing down the master's house with the master's tools

Londa Schiebinger. (1999). Has feminism changed science? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Pp. 252. ISBN 0–674–38113–0 (cloth), US$27.95.
12. Sexually Transmitted Infections in Association With HPV Seroconversion in a Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Women

aimed to determine the prevalence and associations of TV infection using a newly FDA-approved, highly sensitive and specific nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) urine-based assay in youth. Methods:Weenrolled 483 consecutive, sexually-active 13-25 yearold (mean 18.2 2.1 yrs.) youth (58% female; 58% Hispanic; 19% black) seeking medical care at either an urban pediatric emergency department, an inner-city school-based health center, or a college health service. Most participants sought care for sickness, injury, or a physical exam. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing sexual behaviors, and STI history and symptoms. A first-fraction voided urine sample was tested for TV using the APTIMA Trichomonas vaginalis assay (GenProbe, Inc). One hundred fifty-six (32%) participants were also tested using a NAAT for chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (GC) as part of clinical care. Results: Fifty percent of participants reported 2 or more sexual partners in the past year; 28% hadmore than 5 lifetime partners; 34% did not use a condom at last intercourse. Of the women, 55% did not use hormonal contraception. Ninety-two of 483 (19%) had ever been diagnosed with an STI (15% CT, 2% GC, 1% TV, 2% herpes [HSV]). Eighteen percent had anal sex, 9% had same-sex partners, 1.4% received money for sex, 18% of women reported douching, and 47% reported vaginal discharge, malodor, or pruritus. We found no cases of TV in the 202 men screened. Of the 281 women, we found 6 cases of TV with a prevalence of 2.1% (95% CI: 0.4-3.8). Of the 156 men and women tested, prevalence of CT was 11% (95% CI: 6-16); 10% in women; 14% inmen. Prevalence ofGCwas 3.2% (95%CI: 0.4-5.9); 3.3% in women; 2.8% in men. Infection with TV in women was associated with non-use of either condom or hormonal birth control at last intercourse (80% of TV cases [TV ] vs. 14% of non-cases [TV ], p .01), having 2 or more partners in the past year (100% of TV vs. 41% of TV-, p .01), ever received money for sex (17% of TV vs. 0.7% of TV-, p .01), douching (22% of TV vs. 2.3% of TV-, p .04), past diagnosis of HSV (17% of TV vs. 2.2% of TV-, p .03), and having same sex partners (33% of TV vs. 9% of TV-, p .05). Conclusions: Although participants’ sexual history and CT and GC rates indicate that we screened a high-risk sample of both male and female youth, nomenhadTVwhereaswomenhad similar prevalence of TV to that of GC. This suggests important gender-based epidemiologic differences in TV infection in youth. In adolescent women, unexpected associations with TV infection include past diagnosis of HSV and having same sex partners, likely resulting from the greater persistence of TV infection in women. Sources of Support: GenProbe, Inc.
A qualitative analysis of a model for the transmission of varicella-zoster virus

Abstract Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a herpesvirus which is the known agent for causing varicella (chickenpox) in its initial manifestation and zoster (shingles) in a reactivated state. The standard SEIR compartmental model is modified to include the cycle of shingles acquisition, recovery, and possible reacquisition. The basic reproduction number R0 shows the influence of the zoster cycle and how shingles can be important in maintaining VZV in populations. The model has the typical threshold behavior in the sense that when R0⩽1, the VZV disappears from the population, and when R0>1, the virus persists over time and so chickenpox and shingles remain endemic.
The effect of wear on the cheek teeth and associated dental tissues of the lizard Uromastix aegyptius (Agamidae)

Serial coronal sections of the teeth and their surrounding tissues in the agamid lizard, Uromastix aegyptius, were examined with the light microscope in order to determine how these structures change as the teeth wear. Because new teeth are added only at the posterior end of the tooth row and older teeth are not replaced, the series of sections included the youngest as well as the oldest teeth. Two types of changes occur as the teeth become older: bone under the teeth changes from cancellous to compact, and the pulp chamber of the tooth is obliterated. Although the labial surface of the dentary lacks a periosteal covering and some of the bone lacks any covering at all, it remains functional throughout the life of the animal.
Derivative recovery techniques for C° plate problems

An enhanced L2 projection method for recovering accurate derivatives such as moments, or shears, from finite element solutions for C° plates is presented. In the enhanced global and local projections, the square of the residuals in the equilibrium equations is included. Results are compared with those of standard global and local projection methods. Numerical examples show that in the global projection, the enhanced technique improves the accuracy of projected solution significantly. In the local projection, the enhanced projection technique circumvents the numerical ill‐conditioning which occurs in some meshes, and usually recovers derivatives with better accuracy. These techniques are effective for both thin and thick plate problems, and can provide more reliable error estimates for mesh adaptivity.
College Women’s Experiences of Dating Violence in Casual and Exclusive Relationships

Using a sample of female college students involved in a current dating relationship, we investigate the nature of violence in these intimate relationships to better understand the concept of violence mutuality. To do so we explore womens’ experiences with violence as both perpetrators and victims and examine the prevalence, chronicity, and severity of violence experienced by young women. We also examine whether there are differences in experiences of violence for women in casual versus exclusive dating relationships. Our findings suggest that when violence is present in a dating relationship it is likely to occur within a mutually violent relationship where women are both victims and perpetrators of violence. More importantly, within these mutually violent relationships, women reported being more likely to perpetrate violence at higher rates than they experience as victims. We find no notable differences in experiences with violence among those in casual versus exclusive relationships. The methodological limitations and policy implications of our findings are discussed.
Copper ATRP Catalysts with Quadridentate Amine Ligands: The Effects of Steric and Electronic Tuning on the Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate

A series of nine linear quadridentate ligands with amine, pyridine, and quinoline donor groups of different steric and electronic demand were prepared for complexation with CuX and CuX2 halide salts. Select Cu(II) complexes were reacted with either AgPF6 or NaBPh4 to generate dicationic di-PF6 salts and monocationic halo-BPh4 complexes, respectively. These Cu complexes with different oxidation states, counterions, and chelate ligands were screened as catalysts for the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in toluene or anisole solution at 80 °C. Catalysts were generated in situ or were isolated prior to subsequent introduction to the reaction media. Copper metal was added to all polymerizations of precomplexed catalyst systems (i.e., all Cu(II) complexes and those prepared ahead of time from CuBr). Molecular weight vs percent monomer conversion and kinetics plots are provided to illustrate the level of control that was achieved under various conditions. PDIs of poly(meth...
Cytokine Stimulation Induces Nox2-Dependent ROS Production and Decreases Muscle Function

Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a hallmark of many diseases, such as inflammatory myopathies. Recent evidence suggests elevated cytokine activity increases ROS production resulting in muscle weakness; however, the specific source of ROS production has yet to be fully elucidated. Redox sensitive probes, targeted to NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) (p47-roGFP) and the mitochondria (mito-roGFP), were used to assess the sub-cellular site of ROS production in the presence of various cytokines. In addition, we assessed the effect of cytokine induced ROS production on skeletal muscle function. Cytokine stimulation increased p47-roGFP oxidation approximately 15%, but had no effect on mito-roGFP oxidation. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Nox2 resulted in decreased Nox2-dependent ROS production while genetic overexpression of SOD2 had no effect on mitochondrial or Nox2-mediated ROS production. Following cytokine administration, skeletal muscle function decreased by 30% and genetic inhibition of Nox2-activity partially rescued muscle function. Genetic inhibition of mitochondrial-ROS provided no protection against decreased muscle function following cytokine stimulation. Collectively, these data indicate that elevated cytokine activity resulted in increased ROS production at specific sub-cellular sites, negatively affecting muscle function. Our data highlight the importance of understanding the source of ROS production in response to physiological and/or pathological stimuli such that targeted therapeutic approaches can be developed to combat the deleterious effects of oxidative stress.
Structures and properties of linear Cn molecules

Abstract Total energies, bond lengths, charge distributions, electronic configurations, and cohesive energies are calculated for linear Cn clusters, n = 2–6. The calculations are done at the single determinant Hartree-Fock level using both double-zeta and double-zeta plus polarization basis sets.
Learning similarity measures based on random walks

We describe a novel learnable proximity measure based on personalized PageRank (also known as "random walk with reset"). Instead of introducing one weight per edge label, as in most prior work, we introduce one weight for each edge label sequence. We show that this approach is advantageous for a number of real-world tasks, including querying graph databases, recommendation tasks, and inference in large, noisy knowledge bases.
Nonlocal conserved currents for two-dimensional chiral theories

We derive an infinite set of conserved nonlocal currents for two-dimensional chiral models with fields assuming values in an arbitrary Lie group G. Explicit formulas are presented for the Minkowski metric, but with slight changes described in the text the analogous results are valid for the Euclidean case as well. The Poisson-bracket algebra of conserved charges is further analyzed for G = SU(2). We expose the geometric structure of chiral models, and outline the relation between models described in this paper and chiral theories corresponding to lower-dimensional homogeneous spaces.
Poor sleep quality and obstructive sleep apnea in patients with GERD and Barrett's esophagus.

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) reduces sleep quality. Whether Barrett's esophagus (BE) affects sleep differently is unknown. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often coexists with GERD and may disrupt sleep; whether GERD reduces sleep quality independently of OSA is unknown. Our aims were to compare the effect of GERD and BE on sleep quality, and assess the impact of OSA on this association. Methods Validated questionnaires for GERD symptoms, sleep quality, and OSA risk were prospectively administered to subjects undergoing upper endoscopy. GERD was defined by erosive esophagitis and/or reflux symptoms >1/week. BE was defined histologically. Controls had normal endoscopy and were asymptomatic. Poor sleep quality was defined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score >5. Risk of OSA was defined by a positive Berlin Questionnaire. The risk poor sleep quality in GERD, BE, and controls was evaluated in multivariate models. Key Results 83 GERD, 63 BE, and 75 controls were included. OSA and poor sleep quality were significantly more frequent in GERD (65% and 60%) but not BE (52% and 46%) compared with controls (48% and 39%). Controlling for age, race, gender, smoking, body mass index, and hypertension, the risk of poor sleep quality was significantly increased in GERD compared with controls (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–6.80), significance was lost after adding OSA to the model (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 0.87–5.85). Conclusions & Inferences GERD but not BE increases the risk of poor sleep quality. This association is not independent of OSA.
Atmosphere-ocean conditions jointly guide convection of the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation: Satellite observations

The water-vapor and air-temperature profiles from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), in combination with surface wind from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) and rainfall and sea surface temperature (SST) from Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), are used to document surface conditions and vertical moist thermodynamic structures of the 2003-2006 Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO) over the Indo-Pacific warm pool. The composite based on Wheeler and Hendon's intraseasonal oscillation index reveals that Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), SST, and surface convergence lead convection in both northward and eastward directions. The preconditioning of CAPE is much earlier than that of SST, implying that the atmosphere internal processes precondition CAPE. On the other hand, the ocean positively feeds back to the atmosphere from bottom up, forming a smooth transition from boundary layer moistening, shallow convection at lower or middle level, to the deep convection all through the troposphere. The preconditioning of the boundary layer moist (dry) anomalies to the subsequent positive (negative) rainfall maximum is as far as 60-90 degrees in longitude (15 degrees in latitude) and quarter-to-half cycle in time. In contrast, this boundary layer preconditioning is virtually undetected from conventional NCEP reanalysis. Finally, the implications of these new findings on the frictional "convective interaction with dynamics'' (CID) theory of intraseasonal oscillation are also discussed.