cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategies that promote high quality care in Indonesia.

Objectives To investigate factors predicting the quality of care received using a nationally representative dataset from Indonesia.
Statistical Bias Functions and Informative Hypothetical Surveys

In recent years there have been many attempts to use survey methods with hypothetical provision and payment mechanisms to elicit valuations for environmental goods. The usefulness of these estimates rests on the presumption that hypothetical provision' questions can "reliably" elicit the same values that would be elicited by questions that ask for an economic commitment when provision and payment actually occurs. The word "reliably" has typically been interpreted to mean "accurately," in the sense that hypothetical and actual provision scenarios elicit the same answers. An alternative and
Direct Digital Control of a Nuclear Power Reactor

Duplicated digital computers will directly manipulate thle reactivity devices of the KANUPP 137 MWe HWR to match the reactor power output to the turbine demand. This paper describes the system design and testing, with emphasis on the methods of signal conditioning, the choice of sampling and control calculation frequencies, and the transformation of analog control algorithms to recursive form.
NSF budget: A separate piece

In the final moments before packing up for the July 4 recess, the House of Representatives passed President Reagan's substitute budget proposal. However, a handwritten note, scribbled across one of the proposal's pages, removed the National Science Foundation's entire budget plus the research budgets for three federal agencies—including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—from the enacted legislation. The June 26 move appears to be a deliberate attempt by Republicans to shake loose the NSF budget from the omnibus budget bill so that NSF will require separate authorization. The handwritten note called for striking a portion of the Reagan budget proposal and inserting different material, the Washington Post reported. Deletions included NSF's budget and the research budgets for NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A revised budget for DOE was reinserted.
Frequency stability of wafer-scale film encapsulated silicon based MEMS resonators

Abstract The stability of resonant frequency for single wafer, thin-film encapsulated silicon MEMS resonators was investigated for both long-term operation and temperature cycling. The resonant frequencies of encapsulated resonators were periodically measured at 25 ± 0.1 °C for >9000 h, and the resonant frequency variation remained within the measurement uncertainty of 3.1 ppm and 3.8 ppm for the two designs of resonators measured. Also, the resonators were temperature cycled for 680 cycles between −50 °C and 80 °C, measuring the resonant frequency each time the temperature reached 30 °C. Again, the change in resonant frequency was seen to remain within the measurement uncertainty. This demonstrates stability of resonant frequency for both long-term operation of more than a year and large number of temperature cycles, emphasizing the stability of both the resonator and the package.
A model of social network development in organizations

(1986). A model of social network development in organizations. Central States Speech Journal: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 8-18.
Optical and RF stabilization of a coupled cavity colliding pulse mode-locked laser via four-wave mixing

Monolithic passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers are attractive as sources of high repetition rate pulses for many applications, particularly for high bit rate time division multiplexed communication systems, optoelectronic sampling systems, ultrafast A/D converters and for microwave signal generation [1]. However, due to lack of a stable frequency source in the cavity and with no synchronization from an external clock these passively mode-locked lasers suffer from large timing jitter [2].
Implementation of RRKM theory for highly flexible transition states with a bond length as the reaction coordinate

Abstract A method is described for using a bond length reaction coordinate in the variational implementation of RRKM theory for unimolecular dissociations having a highly flexible transition state. The method described is similar in form to a previously described implementation in which the reaction coordinate was chosen, instead, to be the distance separating the centers-of-mass of the two dissociating fragments. The results of calculations of the number of available states as a function of reaction coordinate for these two different reaction coordinates are compared for the dissociation of NCNO into NC and NO.
Capital Controls and Emerging Markets

Capital inflows to emerging markets in recent years have generated opportunities for economic development and problems for economic management. The exchange market crisis in Mexico and the lingering negative impact on the Mexican economy have led to renewed calls for greater official participation and control of international capital movements. In fact, many developing countries have imposed controls designed to reduce or alter the composition of capital inflows. In this paper we review familiar arguments about capital controls and attempt to evaluate a new distortion that might justify government interventions in international capital markets. The idea is straightforward. Emerging markets inherited distorted domestic credit markets from a model of economic development that placed the state in the centre of financial intermediation. Liberalization of these domestic markets is proceeding but far from complete. During the transition, incentives can emerge that make capital inflows welfare reducing. Free deposit insurance is an obvious distortion. But less obvious chains of implicit insurance can also cause problems. We argue that fixed exchange rates and solvency can be a deadly combination for governments with a history of heavy involvement with domestic financial markets. Copyright @ 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. All rights reserved.
Event-by-event bottomonia suppression in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Using the screened Cornell potential and the next-to-leading order perturbative QCD to determine, respectively, the properties of bottomonia and their dissociation cross sections in a quark-gluon plasma, we have studied in a 2+1 ideal hydrodynamics the effect of initial fluctuations on bottomonia production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We have found that while initial fluctuations hardly affect the yield of the 1S ground state bottomonium, their effect on that of excited bottomonium states is not small. Compared to the case with smooth initial conditions, the survival probabilities of excited bottomonium states are reduced at low transverse momentum in the case of large initial fluctuations while they are increased in the case of small initial fluctuations as a result of the smearing effect introduced in solving the hydrodynamic equations. The observed suppression of excited bottomonia relative to the ground state bottomonium of an average transverse momentum of 6.25 GeV/c by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaborations can, however, be described at present with both smooth and fluctuating initial conditions.
The impact of parental availability on Swazi students’ school achievement: a nine year longitudinal study

Abstract This paper constitutes a major part of the third phase of a longitudinal study in Swaziland investigating the short- and long-term effects of parental absence on primary children’s school achievement. In 1998, 42 of the original sample of 80 students who entered grade one in 1990 were found remaining in the educational system but varied in their educational attainment. While girls had a higher drop-out rate than boys, males repeated grades at a higher rate. Father absence from the home had a negative influence on boys’ participation in and successful completion of school. Generally, the study found school achievement to be highly impacted by social variables rather than academic ability for both boys and girls.
Giardia lamblia: Evaluation of roller bottle cultivation

A modified “outside-in” roller bottle with a high ratio of surface area to volume was used to cultivate Giardia lamblia. Yields were high, more so when bottles were rotated at 6 rph (9.3 ± 4.0 × 108 trophozoites/bottle) than at 12 rph (4.2 ± 1.9 × 108 trophozoites/bottle). The method was more efficient than stationary tube culture with respect to utilization of culture medium; trophozoite concentration after roller bottle culture (1.7 ± 0.8 × 106 trophozoites/ml) was significantly higher (by a factor of 2.8) than concentrations obtained from stationary tube culture (0.6 ± 0.4 × 106 trophozoites/ml, P < 0.002). Increased yields from roller bottle culture were not accounted for by a reduction in mean trophozoite generation time (roller culture, 10.7 ± 1.2 hr; stationary tube culture, 10.3 ± 0.6 hr) but may be related to prolongation of the period of log phase growth or increased trophozoite survival. Trophozoite yields expressed per unit surface area were significantly higher from roller bottle culture (7.2 ± 3.1 × 105 trophozoites/cm2) than from stationary tubes (1.9 ± 1.0 × 105 trophozoites/cm2, P < 0.002). Attempts to cultivate G. lamblia in spin culture using polystyrene beads (Biosilon) as a microcarrier were unsuccessful, trophozoite growth being inhibited rather than promoted. Roller bottle culture of G. lamblia, however, is efficient, economical, and less laborious than stationary tube culture, particularly when more than 108 trophozoites are required.
Use of the chemical potential to improve energies from approximate wave functions

An equation derived from density functional theory is used to improve energies calculated from approximate wave functions. The examples used are perturbed particle in a box and harmonic oscillators. The equation depends on the constancy of the chemical potential in these systems. The results are quite promising.
Eye trauma management--OIF clinical considerations.

Abstract : Deployed ophthalmologists in combat support hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan, backed by subspecialty care in military medical centers across the country, are continuing to provide eye trauma care to deployed troops and injured civilians via a complex aero-medical evacuation system. Whenever possible this involves cooperation with local resources to provide civilian trauma care and follow-up. In contrast to Iraq which had a developed medical system before this conflict, the deployed ophthalmologist in Afghanistan represents the highest level of surgical eye care in the country and thus must employ a full range of skills to provide local eye trauma care to injured civilians, in addition to coalition combat wounded.
Alternating stilbene copolymers with negative birefringence

Abstract A new alternating copolymer of stilbene and N-(2-methylphenyl) maleimide) [I] was prepared and exhibited a strong negative birefringence in cast polymer films. The negative birefringence is proposed to result from the sterically crowded backbone which restricts the free rotation of the ortho -methyl phenyl substituent of the enchained maleimide monomer and forces the phenyl ring to exist normal to the plane of the imide ring. Alternating copolymers of styrene with I and stilbene with N-phenylmaleimide did not exhibit similar negative birefringence properties.
Electronically Configurable Molecular-Based Logic Gates

Logic gates were fabricated from an array of configurable switches, each consisting of a monolayer of redox-active rotaxanes sandwiched between metal electrodes. The switches were read by monitoring current flow at reducing voltages. In the “closed” state, current flow was dominated by resonant tunneling through the electronic states of the molecules. The switches were irreversibly opened by applying an oxidizing voltage across the device. Several devices were configured together to produce AND and OR logic gates. The high and low current levels of those gates were separated by factors of 15 and 30, respectively, which is a significant enhancement over that expected for wired-logic gates.
The impact of catecholamines in patients with or without beta-blockers on the ventricular fibrillation cycle length and ventricular fibrillation cycle length variability.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of epinephrine, norepinephrine, or placebo on the ventricular fibrillation cycle length (VFCL) and the variability of VFCL (cvVFCL) measurements in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients with or without beta-blockers. Methods: Forty-three patients scheduled for their 6-week post-ICD placement noninvasive electrophysiologic study were included in the study at the Arrhythmia Procedure Laboratory at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation was approved by the Hartford Hospital Institutional Review Board. Results: After 2 seconds of continuous VF, 7 consecutive VFCLs were measured from the ICD device recording printout using a 0.5 mm scale ruler under magnification at baseline and after the infusion of catecholamines (epinephrine or norepinephrine at 2 mcg/min) or matching placebo at steady state. The average VFCL and the cvVFCL were determined for each study phase. Subgroup analysis based on chronic beta-blocker use was performed. No between-group differences were noted for epinephrine, norepinephrine, or placebo group for baseline (P = 0.538) or postinfusion VFCL (P = 0.749) or for baseline (P = 0.561) or postinfusion cvVFCL (P = 0.623) Regardless of catecholamine group randomization, longer pre- and postinfusion VFCL were noted in those receiving beta-blockers (P = 0.157, P = 0.019) but no differences in cvVFCL were noted (P = 0.216, P = 0.474) versus those without beta-blockers, respectively. Conclusion: Moderately dosed epinephrine or norepinephrine does not affect either VFCL or the variability of VFCL after short duration of ventricular fibrillation. Chronic cardioselective beta-blockade prolongs VFCL without any impact on coefficient of variation of VFCL.
Peak-Load Pricing of a Transportation Route with an Unpriced Substitute

Abstract This paper considers two routes to work, which could be two bridges, a freeway and a tollroad, or roadway travel and subway travel. Both routes are subject to pure bottleneck-and-queue congestion. If peak-load pricing can be imposed on both routes, the first-best solution is attained. However, if one route is unpriced, then the other route should have a second-best time-varying toll that is negative at the tails of the rush hour, positive near the peak of the rush hour, and zero on average. If the two routes have the same capacities, and if the parameter g is 1, then two-thirds of the total traffic should use the priced route, and the efficiency gain of second-best pricing is two-thirds of the efficiency gain of first-best pricing.
Could microbial symbionts of arthropod guts contribute significantly to nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems

Fixed nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most terrestrial ecosystems and has been assumed to be supplied almost entirely by free-living bacteria as well as by bacteria living in association with plants. The survival and growth of many arthropods on diets with extremely high carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios suggest that these arthropods are not obtaining sufficient nitrogen from their diets but must be obtaining additional nitrogen from some other source(s). Estimates of N(2) fixation have suggested that symbiotic microbes of some arthropod hindguts could be obtaining this additional nitrogen as a result of nitrogen fixation. With the recent availability of antibody and nucleic acid probes, the presence of the enzyme that reduces dinitrogen gas to ammonia (nitrogenase) as well as the presence of its transcripts can be detected and localized with great sensitivity. A preliminary survey of a few detritivores indicates that nitrogen-fixing microbes of diverse forms are widespread in arthropod hindguts. In calculating nitrogen budgets, the possible contributions of nitrogen fixation by symbionts in arthropod guts, however, has been largely ignored. N(2) fixation in arthropod guts, with rates as high as 10-40 kg/ha/year being possible, may represent a significant contribution both to the growth of arthropods and to their ecosystem functions of processing carbon and nitrogen.
Galactopoietic Effects of a (1-30)NH2 Analog of Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Dairy Cows

Two experiments were conducted to determine the galactopoietic effects of an analog of growth hormone-releasing factor. Specific replacements were made in the AA sequence of growth hormone-releasing factor to produce a growth hormone-releasing factor analog with enhanced stability in vivo. In Experiment 1, 24 Holstein cows were infused i.v. with 0, .33, 1, or 3 mg/d of growth hormone-releasing factor analog for 20 d. Infusion of the analog increased mean serum concentrations of somatotropin, IGF-I, and NEFA. The analog also increased milk yield as much as 44% relative to that of controls. In Experiment 2, 24 Holstein cows were infused i.v. with 0, .11, .33, or 1 mg/d of analog for 60 d. Infusion of analog increased serum concentrations of somatotropin, IGF-I, and NEFA in a dose-dependent manner. At 1 mg/d, the analog increased SCM yield 28% throughout the infusion period relative to the 0 mg/d controls. In summary, a growth hormone-releasing factor analog increased milk yield and serum concentrations of somatotropin and IGF-I. Furthermore, this galactopoietic activity was mediated through the somatotropic axis.
High purity 14CH4 generation using the thermophilic acetotrophic methanogen Methanothrix sp. strain CALS-1.

Abstract Methane-oxidizing activity in natural samples is typically measured by amending14CH4 to the sample and then following the accumulation of14CO2. Current biological techniques to synthesize14CH4 yield significant quantities of14CO that when oxidized to14CO2 would artificially inflate the measured methane-oxidizing activity of a sample. We present here a new method to biologically produce highly-pure14CH4 usingMethanothrix sp. Strain CALS-1 which produces very little CO. Using this method,14CH4 was produced at nearly 100% efficiency and at a high specific activity (2.2 GBq · mmol−1) equal to the parent compound, [2-14C] sodium acetate. Furthermore, only trace quantities of H2 and CO were produced with only one molecule of CO produced for every 17 000 molecules of CH4. When compared to the standard CH4 generation method, this technique produced 97% purer CH4.
“From Where I Stand:” African American Teacher Candidates on Their Decision to Teach

Multiple studies explore the issue of the absence of teachers of color in the profession at large. Few studies, however, address the issue from the angle of the teacher candidate of color. With so ...
Tomorrow I’ll be me: The effect of time perspective on the activation of idealistic versus pragmatic selves

It is widely accepted that the self-system is dynamic and consists of multiple selves that emerge under different contexts. The present research describes two types of diverging self-conceptions, the idealistic and pragmatic selves. Building on a synthesis of construal level theory with research on the self, we propose that a more distal time perspective activates an idealistic versus a pragmatic self. Self-activation, in turn, influences the preference between two major motives: maximizing identity versus instrumental benefits. A series of five studies supported this conceptualization by demonstrating that: (a) distal rather than proximal time perspective enhances the preference for identity over instrumental benefits; (b) people construe themselves as relatively more idealistic than pragmatic when primed with a distal than proximal time perspective, and (c) self-activation mediates the effect of time perspective on preference. The studies also investigate boundary conditions and process measures that shed light on the interface between time, self, and preference. The final section discusses the theoretical implications for the literatures on construal level, self, and justice and the practical implications for organizational behavior, political psychology, and human decision-making.
Effect of signaling reinforcement on resistance to change in a multiple schedule

This study evaluated the effect of a signal on resistance to change using a multiple schedule of reinforcement. Experiment 1 presented pigeons with three schedules: a signaled delay to reinforcement schedule (a two-link chain schedule with a variable-interval 120-s initial link followed by a 5-s fixed-time schedule), an unsignaled delay schedule (a comparable two-link tandem schedule), and an immediate, zero-delay variable-interval 125-s schedule. Two separate disruption procedures assessed resistance to change: extinction and adding a variable-time 20-s schedule of reinforcement to the inter-component interval. Resistance to change tests were conducted twice, once with the signal stimulus (the terminal link of the chain schedule) present and once with it absent. Results from both disruption procedures showed that signal absence reduced resistance to change for the pre-signal stimulus. In probe choice tests subjects strongly preferred the signal stimulus over the unsignaled stimulus and exhibited no reliable preference when given a choice between the signal stimulus and immediate stimulus. Experiment 2 presented two equal signaled schedules where, during resistance to change tests, the signal remained for one schedule and was removed for the second. Resistance to change was consistently lower when the signal was absent.
Time of Observation Temperature Bias and “Climatic Change”

Abstract Historical changes in time of once daily maximum and minimum temperature observations at cooperative climatological stations from 1905 to 1975 have introduced a systematic bias in mean temperatures. Unless corrected, this bias may be interpreted incorrectly as climatic “cooling” and may also affect the assessment of agricultural production potential and fossil fuel needs. Maximum and minimum temperature data for two years from the National Weather Service station at Indianapolis International Airport were used to evaluate the differences between mean temperatures obtained by terminating the 24 h period at the midnight observation and the mean temperatures obtained by terminating the 24 h period at 0700 and 1900 hours, typical observation times for AM and PM observing stations. The greatest mean temperature bias occurs in March when a 1900 observation day yields a monthly mean temperature 1.3°F above a midnight observation, and a 0700 observational day gives a −1.3°F bias. Since the number of AM o...
Criterion for Active Fluid Secretion in vivo

THE question routinely arises as to whether a given fluid secretion process is active, in the sense that the driving force is created by the epithelial cells at the expense of metabolic energy, or passive, that is, with the epithelium acting simply as a resistance to externally provided driving forces. This definition of active transport includes water transfer secondary to active solute transport. The purpose of this communication is to suggest a simple experimental in vivo procedure which can provide strong evidence that the process is active, and to describe examples of its application to the study of three types of intestinal secretion.
Variance in multiplex suspension array assays: microsphere size variation impact.

Background Luminex suspension microarray assays are in widespread use. There are issues of variability of assay readings using this technology.
All solid-state micro-supercapacitors using ionogel electrolyte

All solid-state micro-supercapacitors are an attractive solution for integrated, on-chip energy storage. Photoresist-derived porous carbon, which has a high specific capacitance and good conductivity, is used as an electrode material in conjunction with an ionogel electrolyte to fabricate a high energy density supercapacitor. Fabricated devices yield extremely high volumetric capacitance of 9.8 F/cm3 and a wide electrochemical voltage window of 3 V.
High-resolution electroencephalographic forward modeling in traumatic brain injury using the finite element method

Localization of electrical brain activity via electroencephalography (EEG) remains a challenging task in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, partly due to the complexity of structural brain changes resulting from neurological insult. When localizing EEG-recorded brain activity, the failure to account for pathology-related changes in tissue conductivities may cause forward model inaccuracies which translate into large localization errors. Here, the effects of TBI-related pathology upon the accuracy of the EEG forward matrix are explored in the context of a realistic finite element method (FEM) model of the head with 25 tissue types. It is found that the omission of TBI pathology from the anatomical model can lead to substantial inaccuracies in the calculation of the forward matrix, with EEG lead field focality being underestimated by as much as ~90% if TBI-related conductivity changes are ignored. Our study is the first to rigorously quantify the extent to which TBI-related pathology can affect forward EEG calculations.
Local regularization of the one-phase hele-shaw flow

This article presents a local regularity theorem for the one-phase Hele-Shaw flow. We prove that if the Lipschitz constant of the initial free boundary in a unit ball is small, then for small uniform positive time the solution is smooth. This result improves on our earlier results in (4) because it is scale- invariant. As a consequence we obtain existence, uniqueness and regularity properties of global solutions with Lipschitz ini- tial free boundary.
The aerobic and peroxide-induced coupling of aqueous thiols—I. Kinetic results and engineering significance

Alkaline thiols undergo a rapid oxidative coupling reaction in the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide; the oxygen reaction is catalyzed by trace copper whereas the peroxide reaction occurs spontaneously without the necessity of metal catalysis. Depending on the nature of the substrate—its molecular size and whether it contains any polar group—the disulfide, which is the coupling product, may be soluble or sparingly soluble in water. Water-soluble disulfides undergo further, although much slower, oxidation reactions to form higher oxidation products. In the oxygen reaction molecular oxygen is reduced sequentially to peroxide and then water. For n-propylthiol, the oxygen reaction has a first-order dependence on oxygen pressure and copper concentration; the reaction order with respect to thiolate changes from pseudo zeroth order to first and, then, second order as the reaction approaches completion. The peroxide reaction, on the other hand, has a strictly first-order dependence on the concentrations of thiolate and the non-dissociated hydrogen peroxide. The activation energies of the oxygen and peroxide reactions are, respectively, 9.5 ± 1.2 and 12.3 kcal/mol. A similar dependency on the kinetic parameters appears to hold for other thiols, although some variations are observed which arise from special features of individual systems. For aminothiols, the dependence on copper switches to second order below a certain catalyst concentration; for alkylthiols which form insoluble liquid disulfides, the oxygen reaction shows a pronounced sensitivity to stirring that arises from the tendency of the copper-thiolate and disulfide complexes to cluster and segregate at the water-disulfide interface. When coupled to the fact that many mercapto and sulfhydryl compounds of interest form disulfides which have low aqueous solubilities, the ease of the aerobic coupling reaction suggests that it may be used to separate soluble mercapto and sulfhydryl substances from aqueous media.
Where's my bus stop?: supporting independence of blind transit riders with StopInfo

Locating bus stops, particularly in unfamiliar areas, can present challenges to people who are blind or low vision. At the same time, new information technology such as smart phones and mobile devices have enabled them to undertake a much greater range of activities with increased independence. We focus on the intersection of these issues. We developed and deployed StopInfo, a system for public transit riders that provides very detailed information about bus stops with the goal of helping riders find and verify bus stop locations. We augmented internal information from a major transit agency in the Seattle area with information entered by the community, primarily as they waited at these stops. Additionally, we conducted a five week field study with six blind and low vision participants to gauge usage patterns and determine values related to independent travel. We found that StopInfo was received positively and is generally usable. Furthermore, the system supports tenets of independence; participants took public transit trips that they might not have attempted otherwise. Lastly, an audit of bus stops in three Seattle neighborhoods found that information from both the transit agency and the community was accurate.
Finding Non-Overlapping Clusters for Generalized Inference Over Graphical Models

Graphical models use graphs to compactly capture stochastic dependencies amongst a collection of random variables. Inference over graphical models corresponds to finding marginal probability distributions given joint probability distributions. In general, this is computationally intractable, which has led to a quest for finding efficient approximate inference algorithms. We propose a framework for generalized inference over graphical models that can be used as a wrapper for improving the estimates of approximate inference algorithms. Instead of applying an inference algorithm to the original graph, we apply the inference algorithm to a block-graph, defined as a graph in which the nodes are non-overlapping clusters of nodes from the original graph. This results in marginal estimates of a cluster of nodes, which we further marginalize to get the marginal estimates of each node. Our proposed block-graph construction algorithm is simple, efficient, and motivated by the observation that approximate inference is more accurate on graphs with longer cycles. We present extensive numerical simulations that illustrate our block-graph framework with a variety of inference algorithms (e.g., those in the libDAI software package). These simulations show the improvements provided by our framework.
Biologic agents as adjunctive therapy for prostate cancer: a rationale for use with androgen deprivation.

Androgen deprivation therapy is a proven treatment for prostate cancer, but it can trigger biochemical events that might cause the cancer to progress to androgen-independent disease. This Review examines the mechanisms and cellular pathways involved in the change from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent prostate cancer. The authors discuss the pathophyisologic changes that are induced by androgen deprivation in patients with prostate cancer, highlighting potential targets for future treatments. The prevalence of prostate cancer emphasizes the need for improved therapeutic options, particularly for metastatic disease. Current treatment includes medical or surgical castration, which initially induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells, but ultimately an androgen-independent subpopulation emerges. In addition to a transient therapeutic effect, androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) can initiate biochemical events that may contribute to the development of and progression to an androgen-independent state. This transition involves multiple signal transduction pathways that are accompanied by many biochemical changes resulting from ADT. These molecular events themselves are therapeutic targets and serve as a rationale for adjunctive treatment at the time of ADT.
Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics.

Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc. Genetic literacy entails understanding three interrelated models: a genetic model that describes patterns of genetic inheritance, a meiotic model that describes the process by which genes are segregated into sex cells, and a molecular model that describes the mechanisms that link genotypes to phenotypes within an individual. Currently, much of genetics instruction, especially in terms of the molecular model, occurs at the high school level, and we know little about the ways in which middle school students can reason about these models. Furthermore, we do not know the extent to which carefully designed instruction can help younger students develop coherent and int...
Cellular and molecular consequences of defective Fanconi anemia proteins in replication-coupled DNA repair: mechanistic insights.

The Fanconi anemia (FA) molecular network consists of 15 “FANC” proteins, of which 13 are associated with mutations in patients with this cancer-prone chromosome instability disorder. Whereas historically the common phenotype associated with FA mutations is marked sensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinking agents, the literature supports a more global role for FANC proteins in coping with diverse stresses encountered by replicative polymerases. We have attempted to reconcile and integrate numerous observations into a model in which FANC proteins coordinate the following physiological events during DNA crosslink repair: (a) activating a FANCM-ATR-dependent S-phase checkpoint; (b) mediating enzymatic replication-fork breakage and crosslink unhooking; (c) filling the resulting gap by translesion synthesis (TLS) by error-prone polymerase(s); and (d) restoring the resulting one-ended double-strand break by homologous recombination repair (HRR). The FANC core subcomplex (FANCA, B, C, E, F, G, L, FAAP100) promotes TLS for both crosslink and non-crosslink damage such as spontaneous oxidative base damage, UV-C photoproducts, and alkylated bases. TLS likely helps prevent stalled replication forks from breaking, thereby maintaining chromosome continuity. Diverse DNA damages and replication inhibitors result in monoubiquitination of the FANCD2-FANCI complex by the FANCL ubiquitin ligase activity of the core subcomplex upon its recruitment to chromatin by the FANCM-FAAP24 heterodimeric translocase. We speculate that this translocase activity acts as the primary damage sensor and helps remodel blocked replication forks to facilitate checkpoint activation and repair. Monoubiquitination of FANCD2-FANCI is needed for promoting HRR, in which the FANCD1/BRCA2 and FANCN/PALB2 proteins act at an early step. We conclude that the core subcomplex is required for both TLS and HRR occurring separately for non-crosslink damages and for both events during crosslink repair. The FANCJ/BRIP1/BACH1 helicase functions in association with BRCA1 and may remove structural barriers to replication, such as guanine quadruplex structures, and/or assist in crosslink unhooking.
Preparation of starch 2‐hydroxy‐3‐mercaptopropyl ethers and their use in graft polymerizations

Starch 2-hydroxy-3-mercaptopropyl ethers of degree of substitution (DS) up to 0.34 were prepared as follows: starch was reacted with epichlorohydrin to give 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl ethers which were treated with thiosulfate to displace chloride ion followed by reduction of the resulting thiolsulfonates with sodium borohydride. These mercapto ethers formed graft copolymers with acrylonitrile, styrene, acrylic acid, and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) under hydrogen peroxide initiation. The resulting graft copolymers, after treatment with sodium borohydride to regenerate thiol groups from disulfides formed by peroxide oxidation, could then be reacted with additional monomer and peroxide to increase add-on of the synthetic moiety. Graft copolymers containing about 60% polyacrylonitrile or 70% polystyrene were thus obtained. Repeated graftings were carried out successfully with two, three, or four different monomers added sequentially. Hydrophobic monomers graft polymerized more readily onto graft copolymers containing hydrophobic chains, whereas hydrophilic monomers graft polymerized more readily onto hydrophilic graft copolymers. Graft copolymers prepared from acrylic acid and DMAEMA precipitated near the isoelectric point upon neutralizing their acidic or basic solutions.
Identification of a role of the vitronectin receptor and protein kinase C in the induction of endothelial cell vascular formation

When cultured on a basement membrane substratum, endothelial cells undergo a rapid series of morphological and functional changes which result in the formation of histotypic tube-like structures, a process which mimics in vivo angiogenesis. Since this process is probably dependent on several cell adhesion and cell signaling phenomena, we examined the roles of integrins and protein kinase C in endothelial cell cord formation. Polyclonal antisera directed against the entire vitronectin (αvβ3) and fibronectin (α5β1) receptors inhibited cord formation. Subunit-specific monoclonal antibodies to αv, β3, and β1 integrin subunits inhibited cord formation, while monoclonal antibodies to α3 did not, which implicated the vitronectin receptor, and not the fibronectin receptor, in vascular formation. Protein kinase C inhibitors inhibited cord formation, while phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) caused endothelial cells to form longer cords. Since the vitronectin receptor has been shown to be phosphorylated in an in vitro system by protein kinase C, the possible functional link between the vitronectin receptor and protein kinase C during cellular morphogenesis was examined. The vitronectin receptor was more highly phosphorylated in cord-forming endothelial cells on basement membrane than in monolayer cells on vitronectin. Furthermore, this phosphorylation was inhibited by protein kinase C inhibitors, and PMA was required to induce vitronectin receptor phosphorylation in endothelial cells cultured on vitronectin. Colocalization studies were also performed using antisera to the vitronectin receptor and antibodies to protein kinase C. Although no strict colocalization was found, protein kinase C was localized in the cytoskeleton of endothelial cells initially plated on basement membrane or on vitronectin, and it translocated to the plasma membrane of C-shaped cord-forming cells on basement membrane. Thus, both the vitronectin receptor and protein kinase C play a role in in vitro cord formation. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
WebTables: exploring the power of tables on the web

The World-Wide Web consists of a huge number of unstructured documents, but it also contains structured data in the form of HTML tables. We extracted 14.1 billion HTML tables from Google's general-purpose web crawl, and used statistical classification techniques to find the estimated 154M that contain high-quality relational data. Because each relational table has its own "schema" of labeled and typed columns, each such table can be considered a small structured database. The resulting corpus of databases is larger than any other corpus we are aware of, by at least five orders of magnitude.We describe the WEBTABLES system to explore two fundamental questions about this collection of databases. First, what are effective techniques for searching for structured data at search-engine scales? Second, what additional power can be derived by analyzing such a huge corpus?First, we develop new techniques for keyword search over a corpus of tables, and show that they can achieve substantially higher relevance than solutions based on a traditional search engine. Second, we introduce a new object derived from the database corpus: the attribute correlation statistics database (AcsDB) that records corpus-wide statistics on co-occurrences of schema elements. In addition to improving search relevance, the AcsDB makes possible several novel applications: schema auto-complete, which helps a database designer to choose schema elements; attribute synonym finding, which automatically computes attribute synonym pairs for schema matching; and join-graph traversal, which allows a user to navigate between extracted schemas using automatically-generated join links.
Grid Pioneer Foster Named 2011 Kanai Award Winner

The University of Chicago’s Ian T. Foster has been named winner of the 2011 IEEE Computer Society Tsutomu Kanai Award for his accomplishments in grid computing.
Nonlinear Adaptive Control of Tiltrotor Aircraft Using Neural Networks

Neural network augmented model inversion control is used to provide a civilian tilt-rotor aircraft with consistent response characteristics throughout its operating envelope, including conversion flight. The implemented response types are Attitude Command Attitude Hold in the longitudinal channel, and Rate Command Attitude Hold about the roll and yaw axes. This article describes the augmentation in the roll channel and the augmentation for the yaw motion including Heading Hold at low airspeeds and automatic Turn Coordination at cruise flight. Conventional methods require extensive gain scheduling with tilt-rotor nacelle angle and airspeed. A control architecture is developed that can alleviate this requirement and thus has the potential to reduce development time. It also facilitates the implementation of desired handling qualities, and permits compensation for partial failures. One of the most powerful aspects of the controller architecture is the accommodation of uncertainty in control as well as in the states. It includes an online, i.e. learning-while-controlling, neural network. Lyapunov analysis guarantees the boundedness of tracking errors and network parameters. The performance of the controller is demonstrated using the nonlinear Generic Tilt-Rotor Simulation code developed for the Vertical Motion Simulator at the NASA Ames Research Center.
Q-methodology: Definition and Application in Health Care Informatics

Objective: To introduce the Q-methodology research technique to the field of health informatics. Q-methodology — the systematic study of subjectivity — was used to identify and categorize the opinions of primary care physicians and medical students that contributed to our understanding of their reasons for acceptance of and/or resistance to adapting information technologies in the health care workplace. Design: Thirty-four physicians and 25 medical students from the Chicago area were surveyed and asked to rank-order 30 opinion statements about information technologies within the health care workplace. The Q-methodology research technique was employed to structure an opinion typology from their rank-ordered statements. (The rank-ordered sorts were subjected to correlation and by-person factor analysis to obtain groupings of participants who sorted the opinion statements into similar arrangements.) Results: The typology for this study revealed groupings of similar opinion-types associated with the likelihood of physicians and medical students to adapt information technology into their health care workplace. A typology of six opinions was identified in the following groups: (1) Full-Range Adopters; (2) Skills-Concerned Adopters; (3) Technology-Critical Adopters; (4) Independently-Minded and Concerned; (5) Inexperienced and Worried; and (6) Business-Minded and Adaptive. It is imperative to understand that in the application of Q-methodology, the domain is subjectivity and research is performed on small samples. The methodology is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques that reveals dimensions of subjective phenomena from a perspective intrinsic to the individual to determine what is statistically different about the dimensions and to identify characteristics of individuals who share common viewpoints. Low response rates do not bias Q-methodology because the primary purpose is to identify a typology, not to test the typology's proportional distribution within the larger population. Conclusion: Q-methodology can allow for the simultaneous study of objective and subjective issues to determine an individual's opinion and forecast their likeliness to adapt information technologies in the health care workplace. This study suggests that an organization's system implementers could employ Q-methodology to individualize and customize their approach to understanding the personality complexities of physicians in their organization and their willingness to adapt and utilize information technologies within the workplace. n J Am Med Inform Assoc. 1997;4:501 - 510.
Measuring the Mueller Matrix by a Multimodulator Scattering Instrument

An instrument is being constructed to measure the Mueller matrix for a scattering sample. The instrument is a modified version of that described by Fry, et al. A summary of the theory is given with pertinent extensions. A method for this precise calibration of photoelastic modulators is described.
Genetic Vulnerability of Oceania's Traditional Crops

The traditional crops of Oceania are asexually propagated and are losing their positions in cropping systems because of their genetic vulnerability. This paper reviews genetic reasons explaining the deterioration of their agronomic performance, using information mostly derived from surveys of genetic resources conducted in more than 50 Pacific islands, coupled with genetic investigations. More than 2000 cultivars have been analysed for isozyme variation. Cultivars and wild forms showed greater isozymic variation in Melanesia than in Polynesia and Micronesia but the genetic base for many of these crops was much narrower than morphological and chemical variation had suggested. No correlations were found between zymotypes, chemotypes, and morphotypes. Cultivars exhibited variation in qualitative traits as a result of human selection of somatic mutations. Accumulation of viral particles in propagules and build-up of pest and pathogen populations are often responsible for poor agronomic performance. If breeding of these traditional crops is to have any future, it is important to exchange genotypes to broaden the base of existing programmes.
Using daily stock returns: The case of event studies

This paper examines properties of daily stock returns and how the particular characteristics of these data affect event study methodologies. Daily data generally present few difficulties for event studies. Standard procedures are typically well-specified even when special daily data characteristics are ignored. However, recognition of autocorrelation in daily excess returns and changes in their variance conditional on an event can sometimes be advantageous. In addition, tests ignoring cross-sectional dependence can be well-specified and have higher power than tests which account for potential dependence.
Estimating an Equation With Multiplicative and Additive Terms, With an Application To Analysis of Wage Differentials Between Men and Women in 1960

Several available models of causation which embody "interactions" among some but not all independent variables are compared. Equations of the form
Perceived Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Research: Industry and Academia*

This pilot investigation evaluated perceptions of conflict of interest for industry and academic investigators. Questionnaires were sent to medical journal editors to assess presumed conflict of interest on their evaluation of manuscripts, to clinical investigators to assess their perceptions of potential gains of publication, and to investigators who do contract research for companies to assess their beliefs about companies' interest in results and publication. Editors, on average, do not perceive that publication decisions are influenced by the financial interest of authors. Academic investigators on average perceive a greater benefit compared with industry investigators for funding (6.4 ± 0.5 vs. 1.7 ± 0.8) and resourcing (5.5 ±0.6 vs. 2.7 ± 0.9). Contract investigators generally believe that companies are neutral regarding contracting future studies based upon results or publication of studies unfavorable to products. Caution should be applied in drawing conclusions related to disclosures of potential...