cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reverse Engineering Methods for Digital Restoration Applications

In this paper we discuss the challenges of processing and converting 3D scanned data to representations suitable for interactive manipulation in the context of virtual restoration applications. We present a constrained parametrization approach that allows us to represent 3D scanned models as parametric surfaces defined over polyhedral domains. A combination of normal- and spatial-based clustering techniques is used to generate a partition of the model into regions suitable for parametrization. Constraints can be optionally imposed to enforce a strict correspondence between input and output features. We consider two types of virtual restoration methods: (a) a paint restoration method that takes advantage of the normal-based coarse partition to identify large regions of reduced metric distortion suitable for texture mapping and (b) a shape restoration approach that relies on a refined partition used to convert the input model to a multiresolution subdivision representation suitable for intuitive interactive manipulation during digital studies of historical artifacts.
Do Not Forget Susac Syndrome in Patients With Unexplained Acute Confusion

Background To report 2 patients with Susac syndrome presenting with acute confusion and abnormal neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, both of whom were initially misdiagnosed. Susac syndrome is a rare, though likely underdiagnosed, endotheliopathy defined clinically by the triad of encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions (BRAOs), and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The classic clinical triad may not be fully developed at initial presentation, even at the time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrates characteristic central corpus callosum lesions. Methods We describe the patient's clinical course, investigations, management, and follow-up. Results A 57-year-old woman had acute onset of confusion and was initially thought to have multiple strokes. MRI demonstrated restricted diffusion involving the splenium of the corpus callosum and CSF showed elevated protein levels. Audiometry showed asymmetric bilateral SNHL. Fluorescein angiography showed multiple bilateral BRAOs. Patient received corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). At 1-month follow-up, patient's confusion had resolved. The second patient was a 32-year-old man who had acute onset of confusion. CSF demonstrated pleocytosis and elevated protein. MRI demonstrated restricted diffusion involving the corpus callosum. Patient was discharged and rehospitalized 20 days later where he was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Patient presented a third time with vision loss. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated bilateral BRAOs. Audiometry noted bilateral SNHL. He received IVIG and discharged on a prednisone taper and mycophenolate mofetil. At 1-month follow-up, patient's confusion had resolved. Conclusions We report 2 patients evaluated within 1 month of each other who presented with acute confusion and were eventually diagnosed with Susac syndrome. Susac syndrome should be considered in young patients with otherwise unexplained acute onset of confusion with MRI and CSF changes as described previously.
The Changing Epidemiology of Foodborne Diseases

The epidemiology of foodborne diseases in the United States have changed in recent decades as new pathogens have emerged, the food supply has changed, and the number of people with heightened susceptibility to foodborne diseases has increased. Emerging pathogens are those that have recently increased or are likely to increase within 2 decades. Emergency is often the consequence of changes in some aspect of the social environment. The global economy, for example, has facilitated the rapid transport of perishable foods, increasing the potential for exposure to foodborne pathogens from other parts of the world. Other factors altering foodborne disease patterns are the types of food that people eat, the sources of those foods, and the possible decline in public awareness of safe food preparation practices. Aging, extension of life expectancy for the chronically ill through medical technology, and the AIDS epidemic have increased the public health impact of foodborne diseases because they increase the proportion of the population susceptible to severe illness after infection with a foodborne pathogen. The evolving epidemiology of foodborne diseases must be monitored and understood to implement appropriate prevention technologies.
Excellence in finishing: modifications for the perio-restorative patient

Abstract Orthodontic finishing is a continual challenge for the orthodontist. In some situations, it seems that the teeth simply "fall together" into their correct relationship with little effort on the part of the clinician. However, in other patients, it takes considerable effort and skill to achieve an excellent occlusal result after appliance removal. Futhermore, the increase in adult patients has brought a new challenge to the orthodontist. How should the teeth be positioned if the patient will require minor or major restoration of the teeth after orthodontic treatment? How should the clinician finish the occlusion if the patient has had significant periodontal bone loss before orthodontic therapy? How can the esthetics of a debilitated adult dentition be improved to resemble the nonworn, nonrestored, nonperiodontally involved adolescent dentition? These questions will be addressed in this article that identifies the occlusal, periodontal, and esthetic parameters for orthodontic finishing in the adolescent dentition, and provides useful guidelines for finishing in the adult perio-restorative patient.
Toward a postmodern psychology.

Abstract During the present century psychological science has been largely guided by a modernist world‐view. The modernist perspective, as represented in the arts, sciences, and cultural life, is centrally concerned with locating foundational forms. This romance with essentials is manifest in psychology's assumption of a basic, knowable subject matter; universal psychological processes; truth by (empirical) method; and research as progressive. Yet, in broad sectors of the intellectual world — and elsewhere — one detects a defection from modernism and the emergence of a postmodern perspective. Dominant within postmodernism is a thoroughgoing perspectivism. All attempts at foundations are viewed, then, as reflections of particular perspectives, themselves without justification except by recourse to other perspectives. Postmodernism not only raises critical questions regarding the modernist project in psychology, but opens new vistas for study. Cultural critique and the construction of new and more practical...
Electric and magnetic surface polariton mediated near-field radiative heat transfer between metamaterials made of silicon carbide particles

Near-field radiative heat transfer between isotropic, dielectric-based metamaterials is analyzed. A potassium bromide host medium comprised of silicon carbide (SiC) spheres with a volume filling fraction of 0.4 is considered for the metamaterial. The relative electric permittivity and relative magnetic permeability of the metamaterial are modeled via the Clausius-Mossotti relations linking the macroscopic response of the medium with the polarizabilities of the spheres. We show for the first time that electric and magnetic surface polariton (SP) mediated near-field radiative heat transfer occurs between dielectric-based structures. Magnetic SPs, existing in TE polarization, are physically due to strong magnetic dipole resonances of the spheres. We find that spherical inclusions with radii of 1 μm (or greater) are needed in order to induce SPs in TE polarization. On the other hand, electric SPs existing in TM polarization are generated by surface modes of the spheres, and are thus almost insensitive to the size of the inclusions. We estimate that the total heat flux around SP resonance for the metamaterial comprised of SiC spheres with radii of 1 μm is about 35% greater than the flux predicted between two bulks of SiC, where only surface phonon-polaritons in TM polarization are excited. The results presented in this work show that the near-field thermal spectrum can be engineered via dielectric-based metamaterials, which is crucial in many emerging technologies, such as in nanoscale-gap thermophotovoltaic power generation.
Lincoln's Example: Executive Power and the Survival of Constitutionalism

In the wake of the Bush administration's use of executive power since 9/11, Abraham Lincoln's executive actions during the Civil War have received more attention than usual. Typically associated with the idea that constitutions should recede in favor of the rule of one during crisis situations, Lincoln's actions have been used on one side as the implicit and even explicit basis of presidential claims to increased power and on the other side as the example par excellence of what presidents should not do. Taking issue with this conventional interpretation and continuing the more recent scholarly recovery of Lincoln's profound concern for constitutionalism, I explicate the principles that guided Lincoln's use of executive power during the Civil War. By drawing out the importance of political necessity as the basis for “prerogative” over and against both popular approval and unlimited constitutional powers, I show how this principle also provides an alternative perspective and even an antidote to the current scholarly debate concerning whether constitutions are better preserved by “Jeffersonian” or “Hamiltonian” prerogative. Lincoln's example also shows us that we should not legalize, regularize, or institutionalize those powers that may be necessary to avert a crisis. Perhaps most importantly, Lincoln's statesmanship teaches us that constitutions can moderate and limit discretionary executive power only if the people learn an attachment to their Constitution that does not come naturally to them.Benjamin A. Kleinerman is assistant professor in the Department of International Studies at the Virginia Military Institute (kleinermanba@vmi.edu). His current research focuses on the relationship between executive power and constitutionalism. The author thanks Bernard J. Dobski, Steven Kautz, and M. Richard Zinman for commenting on earlier versions of this manuscript, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 and transforming growth factor-β stimulate cystine/glutamate exchange activity in dental pulp cells.

Abstract Introduction The growth factors insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) are protective to dental pulp cells in culture against the toxicity of the composite materials Durafill VS and Flow Line (Henry Schein Inc, New York, NY). Because the toxicity of these materials is mediated by oxidative stress, it seemed possible that the protective effects of IGF-1 and TGF-β were through the enhancement of an endogenous antioxidant mechanism. Methods We used cultured dental pulp cells to determine the mechanism of the protective effects of IGF-1 and TGF-β, focusing on the glutathione system and the role of cystine/glutamate exchange (system xc-). Results We found that the toxicity of Durafill VS and Flow Line was attenuated by the addition of glutathione monoethylester, suggesting a specific role for the cellular antioxidant glutathione. Supporting this hypothesis, we found that IGF-1 and TGF-β were protective against the toxicity of the glutathione synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine. Because levels of cellular cystine are the limiting factor in the production of glutathione, we tested the effects of IGF-1 and TGF-β on cystine uptake. Both growth factors stimulated system xc–mediated cystine uptake. Furthermore, they attenuated the glutathione depletion induced by Durafill VS and Flow Line. Conclusions The results suggest that IGF-1 and TGF-β are protective through the stimulation of system xc–mediated cystine uptake, leading to maintenance of cellular glutathione. This novel action of growth factors on dental pulp cells has implications not only for preventing toxicity of dental materials but also for the general function of these cells.
Rapid competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a monoclonal antibody reacting with a 15-kilodalton tegumental antigen of Schistosoma mansoni for serodiagnosis of schistosomiasis.

Abstract A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CELISA) for antibody detection was developed by using a monoclonal antibody which reacts with a 15-kDa tegumental antigen of the adult worm of Schistosoma mansoni. This monoclonal antibody was not able to react with antigens of Schistosoma japonicum or Schistosoma haematobium in enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) and indirect immunofluorescence tests. The assay was performed in a period of 1 h using an adult worm crude extract antigen. To evaluate the CELISA, a total of 73 serum samples was analyzed: 35 were from S. mansoni-infected patients, 23 were from individuals with parasitic infections other than schistosomiasis, and 14 were from healthy individuals. All serum samples from healthy individuals and from patients infected with other parasites were negative, as were two (6%) samples from patients infected with S. mansoni. EITB analysis showed that 32 of 33 CELISA-positive samples were positive in the EITB but with different patterns of reactivity. A 15-kDa protein reacted with 60% of serum samples, and a 60-kDa protein showed the highest level of reactivity (85%). The two samples from patients infected with S. mansoni that were negative in the CELISA reacted with 70-, 60-, 50-, 47-, and 38-kDa proteins. One sample, positive in CELISA, did not react with proteins of the antigenic extract.
[Epsilon] -- DjC: A Disjoint Clique Approach for Data Driven Approximate Bounded Loss Data Collection in Sensor Networks

In this paper we present a data-driven approach for the problem of approximate data collection in sensor networks within the disjoint clique framework. The objective is to obtain estimations of attribute values from sensor nodes within certain error bounds while spending minimal amount of energy. Chu et al.~\cite{chu-icde06} showed that a disjoint clique model is a natural and effective way of exploiting temporal and spatial correlations in the attribute values. However their approach assumes the prior knowledge of probabilistic models representing the sensor data. This often seems to be a tedious task in real world deployments. This paper presents a data driven solution using disjoint clique model which does not assume any such prior knowledge. Using a preliminary experimental evaluation on a real life and a synthetic dataset, we show that the proposed data driven approach is feasible and is easy to deploy.
Selecting a working fluid to increase the efficiency and flow rate of an EHD pump

The ultimate flow rate and velocity of an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pump with a given length and depth are determined by the material properties of the working fluid. High dielectric constant, and low viscosity lead to high flow velocities, while low conductivity and mobility promote high efficiency. A fundamental model of EHD pumping is formulated to account for the material properties of the working fluid, and is applied to several experimental pumps reported earlier, with generally good agreement. An example of the use of this model to select a working fluid for a typical pump suggests several new liquids suitable for EHD pumping. >
Meshed multipath routing with selective forwarding: an efficient strategy in wireless sensor networks

Due to limited functionalities and potentially large number of sensors, existing routing strategies proposed for mobile ad hoc networks are not directly applicable to wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we present a meshed multipath routing (M-MPR) protocol with selective forwarding (SF) of packets and end-to-end forward error correction (FEC) coding. We also describe a meshed multipath searching scheme suitable for sensor networks, which has a reduced signaling overhead and nodal database. Our performance evaluations show that (1) M-MPR achieves a much improved throughput over conventional disjoint multipath routing with comparable power consumption and receiver complexity; (2) to successfully route a message using FEC coding, selective forwarding (SF) consumes much less network resources, such as channel bandwidth and battery power, than packet replication (or limited flooding).
Critical Role of HIF-1α in Keratinocyte Defense against Bacterial Infection

Skin, the first barrier against invading microorganisms, is hypoxic, even under baseline conditions. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α, the principal regulator of cellular adaptation to low oxygen, is strongly expressed in skin epithelium. HIF-1α is now understood to play a key role in the bactericidal capacity of phagocytic cells such as macrophages and neutrophils. In the skin, keratinocytes provide a direct antibacterial activity through production of antimicrobial peptides, including cathelicidin. Here, we generate mice with a keratinocyte-specific deletion of HIF-1α and examine effects on intrinsic skin immunity. Keratinocyte HIF-1α is seen to provide protection against necrotic skin lesions produced by the pathogen group A Streptococcus. RNA interference studies reveal that HIF-1α regulation of keratinocyte cathelicidin production is critical to their antibacterial function.
Antifibrillatory action of the narcotic agonist fentanyl.

Abstract Morphine, an opiate alkaloid with mixed mu- and delta-agonist properties, raises the ventricular fibrillation threshold in anesthetized dogs by altering autonomic tone. To elucidate further underlying structure-activity relationships, the effect of fentanyl, a nonalkaloid, mu-selective agonist in wide clinical use, was studied. Fentanyl (30 μg/kg) was given intravenously to 27 chloralose-anesthetized dogs, and ventricular fibrillation threshold was measured by means of the single-stimulus technique. In the baseline state fentanyl raised the ventricular fibrillation threshold by 14%. When the dogs were subjected to hemorrhagic stress, this effect was amplified to 29% ( p p
Distributed and dynamic task reallocation in robot organizations

Task reallocation in a multi-robot organization is a process that distributes a decomposed global task to individual robots. This process must be distributed and dynamic because it relies on critical information that can only be obtained during mission execution. The paper presents a representation for this challenging problem and proposes an algorithm that allows member robots to trade tasks and responsibilities autonomously. Preliminary results show that such an algorithm can indeed improve the efficiency of organizational performance and construct a locally optimal (hill climbing) task allocation during mission execution.
Equilibrium melting of flexible linear macromolecules

The extensive literature on equilibrium melting of flexible linear macromolecules has been reviewed during the last year. The discussion in this paper is based on experiments on actual, large, extended chain crystals and extrapolations on metastable crystals. A series of 32 complete sets of melting temperatures, heats of fusion, volume changes on fusion, and entropies of fusion have been collected. These data are compared to melting data on rigid macromolecules and small macromolecules. Only a relatively simple model of rotational isomerism is needed to understand the entropy of fusion of flexible linear macromolecules which is 8-12 J/K/mole of rigid backbone units whenever there is no mobility in the crystal at the time of melting. This is much less information on detailed conformational analysis than is generally assumed to be necessary to interpret melting. Instead, it is of importance to consider for the discussion of melting also the change in packing fraction on fusion, which is high for crystals with planar zig-zag conformation, and low for helices. Both types of crystals lead to similar packing fractions in the melt. Higher packing fractions, both in the melt and crystal, are found for polyesters, polyamides, and polyoxides. The heats of fusion which make up the third group of melting parameters considered are more connected with molecular size (surface area) and cohesive energy density than mobility, so that larger mobile backbone units and higher cohesive energy densities lead to higher melting temperatures. A further addition to the heat of fusion comes from the presence of high energy rotational isomers in the melt, which again increases the melting temperature. Further refinement of this initial discussion is possible, but all aspects of melting must be taken into account rather than concentrating on single aspects as has been done in the past.
A Dispersive Ultra-Violet Absorption Sensor for Nitric Oxide Detection

There is a growing need for gas sensors that can monitor the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in harsh reacting environments. In this study, we explore the entitlement of a simple fiber-optic coupled ultra-violet absorption sensor for determining the concentration of nitric oxide in a gas cell and downstream of an atmospheric flame. By monitoring the v=0 0 vibrational transition in the A 2+ X 2 electronic manifold of NO, the gas cell measurements show that the absorption process is insensitive to other common combustion reactants and products at room temperature. However, in an atmospheric flame, the smaller NO number density instigates a significant loss in the signal-to-noise ratio of the NO absorption spectra. Nevertheless, a correlation between NO concentration and optical absorbance was observed.
Epidemiology and Control of Infant and Early Childhood Malaria: A Competing Risks Analysis

Background. Against increasing malaria problems in most tropical countries, very little is known about the socio-epidemiological determinants of this condition. Methods. Using extensive information on a representative sample of 9774 newborns followed for 2 years and multi-state hazards models, this study investigates jointly the determinants of paediatric mortality from malaria and other causes. Results. Malaria contributes to one out of every 10 infant deaths. Malarial mortality covaries with dwelling conditions, antenatal care attendance, parity, infant feeding practices, intercurrent infections, and child's immunization status. Lack of antenatal care, lack of immunization in childhood and sub-standard living conditions of overcrowding are the malor risk factors of malarial and non-malarial mortalities, even after correcting for unobserved heterogeneity. Conclusions. These findings suggest that the impact of malaria on infant and early childhood health and survival might be much more important than usually thought. Antenatal care attendance, improved housing conditions and childhood immunization practices are potentially cost-effective strategies for malaria control. The competing risks analysis formulated here is offered as a suitable means of analysing cause-specific mortality differentials
Bridging Environments in the Elementary Classroom

As elementary classrooms become increasingly diverse, teachers need to incorporate instructional content and methods that will spark students' interests and make learning experiences relevant to their daily lives. The authors, here, discuss the concept of a “hybrid space,” which seeks to make learning meaningful by bridging content with students' existing knowledge and backgrounds. They discuss how teachers can facilitate student sharing of their knowledge in a safe and well-respected environment that will promote their understanding of how what they are learning is relevant to their own lives. These environments can be created by integrating student interests with real-life contexts, engaging in cross-disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning, and facilitating meaning discourses among students around their own experiences.
Hierarchies of forcing axioms I

We prove new upper bound theorems on the consistency strengths of SPFA(θ), SPFA(θ-linked) and SPFA(θ+-cc). Our results are in terms of (θ,Γ)-subcompactness, which is a new large cardinal notion that combines the ideas behind subcompactness and Γ-indescribability. Our upper bound for SPFA(&#120096;-linked) has a corresponding lower bound, which is due to Neeman and appears in his follow-up to this paper. As a corollary, SPFA(&#120096;-linked) and PFA(&#120096;-linked) are each equiconsistent with the existence of a Σ21-indescribable cardinal. Our upper bound for SPFA(&#120096;-c.c.) is a Σ22-indescribable cardinal, which is consistent with V=L. Our upper bound for SPFA(&#120096;+-linked) is a cardinal κ that is (κ+, Σ21)-subcompact, which is strictly weaker than κ+-supercompact. The axiom MM(&#120096;) is a consequence of SPFA(&#120096;+-linked) by a slight refinement of a theorem of Shelah. Our upper bound for SPFA(&#120096;++-c.c.) is a cardinal κ that is (κ+, Σ22)-subcompact, which is also strictly weaker than κ+-supercompact.
Loss and Depression in Cohabiting and Noncohabiting Custodial Single Parents

Differences in depression and factors that contribute to depression were examined using a sample of 627 divorced mothers and 101 divorced fathers who participated in the National Survey of Families and Households. Findings indicated that custodial mothers had less contact with friends and were more depressed than custodial fathers, regardless of cohabiting status, and noncohabiting mothers had significantly less income than noncohabiting fathers. No group differences were found for income change, role satisfaction, or personal mastery. Regression analysis revealed that household income, income change, household size, contact with friends, personal mastery, and role satisfaction significantly accounted for 42% of the variance in explaining depression. The findings suggest that custodial mothers and fathers are more alike than different in the ways that they experience depression and that role satisfaction and personal mastery are important buffers against depression for both mothers and fathers.
A Roadside ITS Data Bus Prototype for Intelligent Highways

Intelligent transport systems (ITSs) usually include three principal elements: vehicle, driver, and road (or, more generally, the environment). The use of ITS data bus (IDB) has been proposed to build sharable standard interfaces for in-vehicle information systems. Despite broadband communication technologies, such as dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), which have been developed to provide high-quality roadside-vehicle communication services for intelligent highways, the existing IDB model has not paid enough attention to the demands of information exchanges between the roadside and onboard units. In this paper, a new model of the roadside IDB (RIDB) is proposed to improve the existing IDB architecture. The physical layer, data-link layer, and application layer of the new model are also discussed. A prototype system of the RIDB, which is based on the wireless 802.11b protocol, has been developed in a test site. The experimental results demonstrated that the RIDB is feasible to provide high-quality roadside-vehicle and roadside-roadside communication services. Other potential applications of the IDB, such as probe cars and intersection collision prevention, are also discussed. The RIDB proposed in this paper is potentially useful for the construction of an intelligent transport infrastructure.
Restructuring the Undergraduate Laboratory Instructional Process

There is little doubt that a laboratory experience can be a beneficial component of the undergraduate engineering learning process. Observing physical demonstrations of textbook and lecture information can enhance a student’s perception of a concept and produce clarity of key issues. Unfortunately, limitations often exist that constrain the developing laboratories and sometimes reducing the student’s experience to little more than performing “cookbook” experiments and copying previous lab reports; an exercise that benefits neither the instructor nor the student. This paper summarizes an alternative approach for undergraduate laboratory instruction that relies on the undergraduate students working in teams to design and conduct experiments. The instructor acts as mentor to a process that ensures a quality laboratory exercise without being the sole responsible party. The students’ learning is increased and the laboratory experience is enhanced due, in part, to the experiments being designed by students and ...
Horizontal and vertical integration of physicians: a tale of two tails.

Purpose Researchers recommend a reorganization of the medical profession into larger groups with a multispecialty mix. We analyze whether there is evidence for the superiority of these models and if this organizational transformation is underway. Design/methodology approach We summarize the evidence on scale and scope economies in physician group practice, and then review the trends in physician group size and specialty mix to conduct survivorship tests of the most efficient models. Findings The distribution of physician groups exhibits two interesting tails. In the lower tail, a large percentage of physicians continue to practice in small, physician-owned practices. In the upper tail, there is a small but rapidly growing percentage of large groups that have been organized primarily by non-physician owners.
Revived and Discouraged: Evaluating Employment Barriers for Section 3 Residents With Criminal Records

Section 3 was established in the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act of 1968 to provide employment for public housing residents in distressed communities while rebuilding underserved neighborhoods. As a provision that recipients of HUD funding must comply with, Section 3 reporting agencies are having trouble securing employment for ex-offenders. This is problematic since low-income ex-offenders unable to secure stable employment are more likely to recidivate. Research evaluating the specific barriers to employment for Section 3 residents with criminal records and policy recommendations are sparse although the problem is prevalent in communities nationwide. This study uses San Antonio, Texas as an example for conducting a policy review to identify the barriers to employment for Section 3 ex-offenders. The results of the qualitative analysis indicate that at the national level, HUD and the Section 3 provision do not create barriers to employment but state and local policies and practices do.
Influence of Adult Females on within-Shelter Distribution Patterns of Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Abstract : The spatial distribution of a mixed-age group of German cockroaches within four adjoining shelters is investigated. Experimental variables are female density and female reproductive state. There is an inverse relationship between overall population aggregation and female density if the females lack oothecae. If oothecae are present, aggregation increases with density, with a more intense aggregation if the females carry immature rather than mature oothecae. The inter- and intracomponent aggregation relationships underlying these patterns are examined. Cyclic production of aggregation pheromone and possible production of a repellent by adult females are suggested. This has implications in respect to the evolution of interrelated behavioral characteristics.
Counterimmunoelectrophoresis: A Method for the Determination of Bacterial Polysaccharide Antigens

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis has proven to be a valuable tool for the rapid early detection of bacterial antigens (polysaccharides) in various body fluids. The method presented here should be easily adaptable for many clinical laboratories. Actual materials and methods for patient testing are described. Also included are methods for quality control, addressing bacterial antigen preparation for use as a control, and the assessment of antisera sensitivity using the technique of nephelometry.
Controlling the Morphology of Metal-Promoted Higher Ordered Assemblies of Collagen Peptides with Varied Core Lengths

Self-assembling peptides have become an important subclass of next-generation biomaterials. In particular, materials that mimic the properties of collagen have received considerable attention due to the unique properties of natural collagen. Previous peptide-based designs have been successful in generating structures with morphological properties that were primarily determined by the type of self-assembling mechanism. Herein we demonstrate the metal ion-promoted, supramolecular assembly of collagen-based peptide triple helices into distinct morphologies that are controlled by defining the number of Pro-Hyp-Gly repeating units. We synthesized and characterized collagen-based peptides that incorporated either 5, 7, 9, or 11 Pro-Hyp-Gly repeating units. We found that the number of repeating units, and the resulting stability of the collagen triple helix, is intimately linked with the types of assemblies formed. For instance, collagen peptides that did not form a stable triple helix, such as NCoH5, did not participate in supramolecular assembly with added metal ions. Collagen peptides that formed stable triple helices, such as NCoH11, resulted in microsaddle structures with metal-promoted assembly, whereas a highly cross-linked, three-dimensional mesh formed with NCoH7, albeit at a higher metal ion concentration. These data provide evidence that triple helix formation is required for efficient metal-triggered assembly to the observed microstructures.
Potential Benefits to Commercial Propulsion Systems from Pressure Gain Combustion

A study was conducted to analyze the potential fuel burn benefits of pressure gain combustion technology applied to commercial aircraft. The propulsion systems of modern, large aircraft consist of either turboprop or turbofan engines with annular combustors; airflow through these combustors typically experiences a stagnation pressure drop around 4% which at the system level reduces the engine performance. Use of Pressure Gain Combustion can replace the pressure drop with a pressure rise around 15-20%. Properly used in a modern turbofan, this rise in fluid total pressure can reduce aircraft fuel consumption from 4-9%.
Direct Simulation of Acoustic Scattering by Aircraft Wings and Bodies

This paper extends a recently introduced method to study the scattering of acoustic waves by body surfaces and flow. A special decomposition of the acoustic wave into its incident and scattered parts is used on the whole computational domain. An incident pressure is specified and the associated particle velocities are computed in the absence of the scattering solid. Then the scattered field is calculated taking into account not only the presence of the body but also flow nonuniformity. The solid boundary treatment is handled by the Impedance Mismatch Method (IMM). Use is made of Dispersion Relation Preserving (DRP) schemes for the spatial discretization and a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is used for the time integration. The boundary points use Tarn and Webb's nonreflecting boundary conditions. Several acoustic scattering problems are solved including acoustic scattering by a two-dimensional cylinder and a Rankine oval, and scattering by a sphere. The programs are written in Fortran 90 and use the MPI library for parallel communications.
Semigroups and resolvents of bounded variation, imaginary powers andH ∞ functional calculus

Let −A be a linear, injective operator, on a Banach spaceX. We show that ∃ anH ∞ functional calculus forA if and only if −A generates a bouned strongly continuous holomorphic semigroup of uniform weak bounded variation, if and only ifA(ζ+A) −1 is of uniform weak bounded variation. This provides a sufficient condition for the imaginary powers ofA, {A−is} seR, to extend to a strongly continuous group of bounded operators; we also give similar necessary conditions.
Acceleratimg development of agroproduct processing industry in the economic zone on the west side of the Straits

Agroproduct processing industry is an important aspect of developing modern agriculture on the west side of the Straits.Based on the economic and social background of accelerating agroproduct processing industry development,the great significance of accelerating agroproduct processing industry development for building an economic zone on the west side of the Straits is analyzed,its current situation is expounded and the countermeasures are proposed.
Becoming a God hunter towards conversion in a Brooklyn tongue-speaking church

Based on over four years of ethnographic research in an Afro-Caribbean Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, this article focuses on the process of becoming a religious seeker, or what I call a God hunter, towards conversion to a Pentecostal tongue-speaking church. Becoming a God hunter requires knowing the causes that explain religious seekership, the invariable sequence of interrelated events that are part of the process. It also requires gaining insight into motives at each stage in the process where potential converts arrive at their final decision to search for a religious group. This requires moving beyond a single set of essential variables, like crisis, or providing normative explanations to the motivation to become a religious seeker. Rather, this work explains the series of steps in a sequence of events that have a long and complex story in which individuals arrive at a point of convergence and decide to embark on a religious search. This article challenges the concept of crisis, used in both old and ...
A density functional theory study of novel catalysts for the “green” synthesis of aziridines

Abstract Density functional theory calculations were used to elucidate the mechanism of aziridination involving ethylene and model catalytic nitrenoids, Cl M NH Cl (M Ti Zn). Using the BP86/CEP-31G(d) level of theory, the Gibbs free energy changes for each reaction step were calculated, and transition states were found for the proposed mechanisms. It was concluded that the metal plays a key role in determining the reaction pathway. The “late” 3d metals Zn and Cu undergo a two-step mechanism while the “middle” 3d metals (Ni, Co, Fe) undergo a three-step mechanism including an additional isomerization. Surprisingly, these middle 3d metals also exhibit two competitive pathways: the “imide” pathway and the “amide” pathway. Overall, this research suggests that the model catalysts are promising candidates for olefin aziridination under mild conditions and worthy of further investigation.
Abstract 3592: BaP induces chromosome missegregation through mitotic spindle defects in normal lung epithelial cells

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. Cancer results from an accumulation of multiple genetic events leading to genomic instability that is a crucial early event in carcinogenesis. Aneuploidy is the most frequently identified genomic abnormality in cancer. We have previously reported a significantly higher level of aneuploidy in smokers who developed lung cancer as compared to smoker controls. Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P], a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, is a pulmonary carcinogen and one of 60 different carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. In this study, we hypothesize that B(a)P disrupts mitotic spindle assembly that impairs the fidelity of mitosis leading to chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy. To test our hypothesis, we use confocal imaging in combination with traditional molecular biology techniques to dissect the precise mechanism by which B[a]P induces chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy. Mitotic spindle defects in the form of chromosome lags and bridges, monopolar and multipolar spindles, were assessed in normal lung epithelial cells after treatment with 10μM B[a]P for 6 hrs. Spindle defects were assessed at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after treatment. Immunofluorescence revealed abnormal mitosis in the prometaphase through the telophase stage of mitosis. Our result show that B[a]P exposure induced abnormal spindles in the form of monopolar (14%) and multipolar (4%) spindles. High resolution confocal images further revealed that B[a]P exposure led to misoriented mitotic spindles with an abnormal spindle angle [-38 0 ] relative to normal plane [18 0 ]. Chromosome lagging at both metaphase (17%) and anaphase (9%) has also been recorded in response to B[a]P exposure, observations that result from defects in the mitotic apparatus and kinetochores. Furthermore, we assessed the extent of B[a]P induced genetic instability [in the form of double strand DNA breaks] using gama-H2AX in order to elucidate the underlying mechanism associated with accumulated genetic damage and chromosome missegregation. Our data indicate that B[a]P results in accumulation of mitotic abnormalities and gama-H2AX foci (22%) peaks at 48 hr compared to other time points. Taken together, our data show that B[a]P potently induces mitotic abnormalities by disrupting kinetochore microtubules. The induction of mitotic abnormalities by B[a]P leading to chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy, would unravel a novel targetable molecular mechanism of cigarette smoke induced lung tumorigenesis. Citation Format: Jose T. Thaiparambil, Randa El-Zein. BaP induces chromosome missegregation through mitotic spindle defects in normal lung epithelial cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3592.
Correlated evolution between targets of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection across squamate reptiles

Sexual selection reflects the joint contributions of precopulatory selection, which arises from variance in mating success, and postcopulatory selection, which arises from variance in fertilization success. The relative importance of each episode of selection is variable among species, and comparative evidence suggests that traits targeted by precopulatory selection often covary in expression with those targeted by postcopulatory selection when assessed across species, although the strength and direction of this association varies considerably among taxa. We tested for correlated evolution between targets of pre- and postcopulatory selection using data on sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and testis size from 151 species of squamate reptiles (120 lizards, 31 snakes). In squamates, male-male competition for mating opportunities often favors large body size, such that the degree of male-biased SSD is associated with the intensity of precopulatory selection. Likewise, competition for fertilization often favors increased sperm production, such that testis size (relative to body size) is associated with the intensity of postcopulatory selection. Using both conventional and phylogenetically based analyses, we show that testis size consistently decreases as the degree of male-biased SSD increases across lizards and snakes. This evolutionary pattern suggests that strong precopulatory selection may often constrain the opportunity for postcopulatory selection and that the relative importance of each selective episode may determine the optimal resolution of energy allocation trade-offs between traits subject to each form of sexual selection.
The Tokyo RoundParticularistic Interests and Prospects for Stability in the Global Trading System

During the 1950s and 1960s the United States absorbed many of the costs of an open trading regime for its trading partners in Europe and Japan. However, as U.S. power has declined its leaders have become more concerned with specific national economic interests, making their behavior more similar to the behavior of policy makers in other states. This has led to a differentiated trading regime with some sectors characterized by greater liberality and others by more closure. The outcome of the Tokyo Round reflects this differentiation. The tariff reductions and the codes on civil aircraft, customs valuation, import licensing, and standards all contribute to a more open, nondiscriminatory, market-dominated regime. On the other hand, the treatment of agriculture, less-developed countries, and safeguards reinforces a discriminatory, government-dominated pattern of behavior and does little to increase trade. The codes dealing with subsidies and government procurement will probably increase trade but only at the cost of violating unconditional most favored nation treatment. Such a regime, based solely upon particular economic interests, is not inherently unstable despite its inconsistent application of rules and norms. It could, however, be destroyed by an external shock because of the absence of a hegemonic leader prepared to defend the general stability of the regime.
Developing a model of health behavior change to reduce parasitic disease in Vietnam

Worldwide more deaths occur due to conditions that can be ameliorated by behavior change. Changing health behaviors using models popularized in non-western countries has not proven particularly successful. The purpose of this study was to test variables elicited during qualitative interviews and cultural conversations to develop a model of health behavior change from the ground up in Vietnam. Village leaders and women representatives from the Women's Committee were trained as health advocates to facilitate changes in health practices that led to parasitic and infectious diseases. The health advocates visited 156 families to assess household conditions and assist women head-of-households in applying new behaviors to water treatment, personal hygiene, proper latrining and proximity of animals to humans. Predictors that were tested were self-efficacy, social desirability, internal and external control, and outcome expectations. The correlational and regression design resulted in self-efficacy alone predicting both home hygiene and family health with a large effect size. Social desirability appears to play a different role than in western culture studies. Outcome expectations and control were not predictive. A cultural analysis of the results is included.
Performance analysis of filter sensing board for measuring the battery online impedance

This paper presents the performance analysis of filter sensing board for extracting ac ripple information to estimate the battery impedance for the sinusoidal ripple current charging technique. The charging ac ripple content is extracted from the battery voltage and current by filtering the dc component using an op-amp filter circuit while producing a 90° phase angle in order to transform the a-p frame for calculating the battery impedance. The digital signal processor based board has computational burden due to the many transformations and calculation steps with limited ADC sensing range between 0 to 3 V at 12 bit resolution. Additionally, in the software approach it is observed that the gain and phase angle of sensor output is changing with respect to the AC input ripple frequency. In this paper, we propose a filter sensing circuit board to reduce the transformation and computation burdens for measuring the AC impedance. In this proposed method, the impedance is calculated via a dSPACE interface with a ± 10 V ADC sensing range at 16 bit resolution. This paper also verifies the variation of phase delay between the sensor input and output at different frequencies by using the proposed 16-channel analog filter circuit. A prototype ac load is used as an experimental test bed considering the equivalent battery internal impedance model for measuring the accuracy of the filter sensing board. Finally, the performance of this proposed approach is verified by comparing the experimental result with the simulation and the commercial frequency response analyzer results.