cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Transnational Travels of Geomancy in Premodern East Asia, c. 1600 - c. 1900: PART II

My focus in this article is on historical processes—in particular, the ways that texts, ideas, and cultural practices circulate within, and especially move beyond, local, regional and national boundaries. I have chosen to call this process “transnationalism”—even though it occurred well before the rise of “modern” nation states. In the case of cultural practices, the basic process has usually involved transmission, assimilation (often requiring some sort of theoretical and/or practical justification), transformation and often recirculation. One such practice—divination—has been virtually a human universal across vast expanses of both space and time. And over the past century, two ancient and closely related Chinese ways of foretelling and/or influencing the future have become truly “global” in their reach: one is the use of the classic text known as the Yijing易經(often transliterated I Ching and usually translated Book of Changes); the other is geomancy or “siting,” commonly known by one or another transliteration of the Chinese term fengshui (lit. “wind and water;” aka feng shui, fung shui, etc.). I have discussed the globalization of the Yijing at length elsewhere. This article provides what I hope will be a complementary case study of the way that fengshui theories and practices traveled from China to other parts of the world, and what happened to them in the process. My primary time frame is the period from about 1600 to about 1900 (with some attention to the “modern” era after 1900), and my specific regional focus is East Asia, also known in some circles as the Sinosphere (東亞文化圈) or the “cultural sphere of Chinese writing” (漢字文化圈). It should be noted, however, that in the discussions that follow, I am using terms such as “China” and “Chinese,” “Korea” and “Korean,” “Japan” and “Japanese” and “Vietnam” and “Vietnamese” advisedly. In each case, the names of these countries and culture groups differed significantly over time, depending on one’s perspective. And, of course, borders fluctuated, sometimes dramatically, especially in Southeast Asia. Moreover, even within relatively stable political/cultural environments, significant regional and ethnic differences existed (think of “America” and “Americans” during this period). Nonetheless, in each case, at any given time, there were certain widely shared ideas, values, aesthetic standards, customs, institutions, laws, rituals, symbols, and even modes of communication—especially among the more literate sectors of these societies—that make it both possible and productive to generalize.
COVID-19 Test Strategy to Guide Quarantine Interval in University Student.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Following COVID-19 exposure, the CDC recommends a 10-14 day quarantine for asymptomatic individuals and more recently a 7 day quarantine with a negative PCR test. We performed a university-based prospective student cohort study to determine if early PCR negativity predicts day 14 negativity. METHODS We enrolled 101 asymptomatic, quarantining, students, performed nasopharyngeal swabs for viral testing on days 3 or 4, 5, 7, 10 and 14 and determined the proportion of concordant negative results for each day versus day 14 with a two-sided 95% exact binomial confidence interval. RESULTS Overall, 14 of 90 (16%, 95% CI: 9% - 25%) tested positive while in quarantine, with 7 initial positive tests on day 3 or 4, 5 on day 5, 2 on day 7, and none on day 10 or 14. Rates of concordant negative test results are: day 5 vs. day 14 = 45/50 (90%, 95% CI: 78% - 97%); day 7 vs. day 14 = 47/52 (90%, 95% CI: 79% - 97%); day 10 vs. day 14 = 48/53 (91%, 95% CI:79% - 97%), with no evidence of different negative rates between earlier days and day 14 by McNemar’s test, p > 0.05. CONCLUSIONS The 16% positive rate supports the ongoing need to quarantine close contacts of COVID-19 cases, but this prospective study provides the first direct evidence that exposed asymptomatic students ages 18-44 years in a university setting are at low risk if released from quarantine at 7 days if they test negative PCR test prior to release.
Repatriation Taxes and Foreign Cash Holdings: The Impact of Anticipated Tax Reform

We examine whether anticipation of Congress enacting a reduction in repatriation taxes affects the amount of cash U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs) hold overseas. Prior papers have focused on which U.S. MNCs repatriated foreign cash and how they deployed these funds following the repatriation tax holiday in 2004. We build on this literature and examine whether MNCs were willing to incur the costs of holding excess cash in response to proposed, but uncertain tax legislation. We find that U.S. MNCs most likely to benefit from this legislation began accumulating significant cash holdings once Congress initially proposed and began deliberating a second repatriation tax holiday. Further tests reveal that this cash accumulation was accompanied by two complementary activities designed to maximize expected tax benefits: tax-motivated income shifting and increases in permanently reinvested foreign earnings. The documentation of such preemptive behavior by corporations contributes to the literature on how firms respond to tax-induced incentives, provides a new explanation for the dramatic growth in cash holdings by U.S. MNCs over the last decade, and raises important questions about the long-run consequences of enacting temporary tax regulation.
Telehealth Simulation of Psychiatric and Chronic Disease Comorbidity: Response to the COVID-19 National Epidemic

Abstract Background Health care education, including simulations, has been disrupted by COVID-19, challenging educators to devise innovative ways to continue instruction. Methods We conducted a pilot study to explore student perceptions of utilizing telehealth technology to manage the crisis care of psychiatric patients in the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were asked to complete an online open-ended survey on their perspectives regarding the use of telehealth as a delivery mechanism and skill in the telehealth management of comorbidities. Results Students agreed that telehealth technology is feasible and acceptable. Because of the simulation, nursing students expressed increased openness to, interest in, and confidence in using telemedicine for the management of psychiatric patients. Conclusions Our study shows that telemedicine simulations can improve nursing students’ comfort with and future use of telemedicine for treating psychiatric patients.
"I Agree to Disagree": Comparative Ethical and Legal Analysis of Big Data and Genomics for Privacy, Consent, and Ownership.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Digital healthcare, as it relates to big data and genomics, presents a real threat to privacy and ownership rights for individuals and society. Research Question/Hypothesis: Our experience with genomics provides a lens to facilitate the way we navigate toward a future health data space. Contemporary and innovative legal and ethical models can be applied to concepts of privacy, ownership, and consent in relation to big data. SIGNIFICANCE Technological innovation has transformed healthcare at a faster rate than legal reform, security measures, and consent policies can adapt. The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been recognized as a work in progress, with respect to big data as it relates to healthcare and individual wellbeing. The shortcomings of HIPAA, and its application to big data, can be paralleled with its prior limitations surrounding genomics in the last two decades. The Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (2008) and Genomic Data Sharing Policy (2015) were established to overcome HIPAA's inadequacies concerning genetic discrimination and security. These policies can serve as a basic model for our approach to legislative reform as it relates to privacy risks with big data generated in healthcare and from healthy individuals in society who are not patients. In addition to notions of privacy, concepts of ownership and consent have become increasingly vague and opaque. The technological advancements have facilitated access and transmission of information, such that big data can be sold for financial gain for commercial enterprise. This applies to genomics, with companies like 23andMe, in addition to big data, as it relates to big tech giants like Apple or Google who oversee wearable and search term data. Clarity of ownership within a digital healthcare arena needs to be defined through ethical and legal frameworks at a global level. APPROACH A narrative review of the literature published between 2010 and 2021 was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar. Articles discussing privacy, security, ownership, big data, and genomics were included as relevant literature. IMPORTANCE As a society, we are at a crossroads; we must determine the extent of privacy that we are willing to give for science and society. We cannot continue with the current status quo in hope that individual will be used for the greater good of society. We need to strive for a cohesive approach to combat privacy violations by encouraging legislative reform, ethical accountability, and individual responsibility.
A Conceptual Analysis of Perspective Taking in Support of Socioscientific Reasoning

Perspective taking is a critical yet tangled construct that is used to describe a range of psychological processes and that is applied interchangeably with related constructs. The resulting ambiguity is particularly vexing in science education, where although perspective taking is recognized as critical to informed citizens’ ability to negotiate scientifically related societal issues, or socioscientific issues (SSI) via socioscientific reasoning (SSR), the precise nature of perspective taking remains elusive. To operationalize perspective taking, a theoretical conceptual analysis was employed and used to position perspective taking within the context of SSR. The resulting, more precise construct identified as socioscientific perspective taking (SSPT) requires engagement with others or their circumstances, an etic/emic shift in one’s viewpoint, and a moral context guided by conscience.
Las instrucciones de las grandes catástrofes: Comisiones por la verdad, historia nacional y formación del Estado en Argentina, Chile y Guatemala

Las comisiones por la verdad son cuerpos curiosos, contradictorios. Frecuentemente levantan la esperanza de justicia simbolizada por los Juicios de Nuremberg, aun cuando operan dentro de las posibilidades politicas restringidas que reinan en gran parte del mundo desde la post-guerra Fria. Estas comisiones raramente estan acompanadas de juicios y no suelen tener la autoridad para citar testigos o para imponer sanciones. Mas que servir como instrumentos para la justicia, su valor reside, en palabras de la Comision Sudafricana para la Verdad y la Reconciliacion, en su habilidad para construir un «puente historico» entre «un pasado profundamente dividido de indescriptible sufrimiento» y un «futuro ba-
IgE receptor induces Stat5b serine phosphorylation in mast cells (HYP3P.346)

Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs) are latent transcription factors that mediate a number of cellular responses including but not limited to cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. This protein family consists of seven members, STAT1-6 including two closely related molecules, STAT5a and STAT5b, that show 96% amino acid sequence homology and are critical for lymphoid, myeloid, and erythroid cell development and function. We recently identified Stat5b as the critical regulator of IgE-mediated cytokine production in mast cells. We found that Fyn-mediated Stat5 tyrosine phosphorylation is critical for Stat5-dependent effects. Our recent work demonstrates that Stat5b is also phosphorylated on serine residues during IgE signaling in mast cells. We find that STAT5b serine phosphorylation occurs through a Src-independent pathway requiring PI3-kinase function. Understanding the pathways leading to Stat5b serine phosphorylation and its role in the inflammatory response will yield new targets for mast cell-associated diseases.
Noun-modifying constructions in Japanese

This study examines the clausal noun-modifying construction (NMC) in Japanese, a much-discussed construction that embraces what have usually been called relative clause and noun complement constructions. Drawing upon a broad range of naturally-occurring NMCs, including types that fall outside the domains of relative clause and noun complement constructions, Yoshiko Matsumoto argues for an analysis of NMCs that gives an important role to semantics and pragmatics. The framework in which this approach is presented draws from, and further refines, concepts of frame semantics. By using a frame semantic definition of semantic integration, the author reveals the commonality of diverse types of NMCs in Japanese, and posits a tripartite classification of NMCs which is both more comprehensive and more revealing than the traditional dichotomy between relative clause and noun complement constructions. As the first comprehensive and systematic study in English of Japanese NMCs with diverse lexical heads, this work is further notable for its detailed discussion of the dependence of NMCs on both linguistic and extra-linguistic context.
Role of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter‐transcription factor I in the development of nervous system

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor I (COUP-TFI) in the development of nervous system. The first COUP-TF member (hCOUP-TFI) was purified from HeLa cell nuclear extract in a screen for high-affinity COUP element-binding proteins using a combination of conventional column chromatography and sequence specific DNA binding. The human complementary DNA clone encoding COUP-TF—hCOUP-TFI—was isolated from a HeLa cell cDNA library. COUP-TFI gene maps to the distal region of chromosome 13 in the mouse and chromosome 5 in human. Comparing with other steroid/thyroid hormone receptor genes, the gene structure of COUP-TFI is relatively simple which encompasses approximately 10 kb and contains only three exons. COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII share 80% identity at DNA level. COUP-TFI encodes a protein of a predicted size of approximately 46 kD. As a typical member of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, COUP-TFI contains a highly conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD) with two type II zinc fingers, which is responsible for DNA recognition and dimerization, and a putative LBD, which is crucial for dimerization, nuclear localization, transactivation, and intermolecular silencing. Within COUP-TF subgroup, both the DBD and the putative LBD exhibit a high degree of homology.
Midair collisions - The accidents, the systems, and the Realpolitik

Two midair collisions occurring in 1978 are described, and the air traffic control system and procedures in use at the time, human factors implications and political consequences of the accidents are examined. The first collision occurred in Memphis and involved a Falcon jet and a Cessna 150 in a situation in which the controllers handling each aircraft were not aware of the presence of the other aircraft until it was too late. The second occurred in San Diego four months later, when a Boeing 727 on a visual approach struck a Cessna 172 from the rear. Following the San Diego collision there arose a great deal of investigative activity, resulting in suggestions for tighter control on visual flight rules aircraft and the expansion of positive control airspace. These issues then led to a political battle involving general aviation, the FAA and the Congress. It is argued, however, that the collisions were in fact system-induced errors resulting from an air traffic control system which emphasizes airspace allocation and politics rather than the various human factors problems facing pilots and controllers.
SSDAlloc: hybrid SSD/RAM memory management made easy

We introduce SSDAlloc, a hybrid main memory management system that allows developers to treat solid-state disk (SSD) as an extension of the RAM in a system. SSDAlloc moves the SSD upward in the memory hierarchy, usable as a larger, slower form of RAM instead of just a cache for the hard drive. Using SSDAlloc, applications can nearly transparently extend their memory footprints to hundreds of gigabytes and beyond without restructuring, well beyond the RAM capacities of most servers. Additionally, SSDAlloc can extract 90% of the SSD's raw performance while increasing the lifetime of the SSD by up to 32 times. Other approaches either require intrusive application changes or deliver only 6- 30% of the SSD's raw performance.
Superoxide Generation Links Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ (NOC/oFQ) Release to Impaired N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Cerebrovasodilation After Brain Injury

Background and Purpose —Although activation of the N -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is thought to contribute to altered cerebrovascular regulation after traumatic brain injury, the effects of such injury on the vascular response to NMDA itself has been less well appreciated. The newly described opioid nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOC/oFQ) elicits pial artery dilation, at least in part, in a prostaglandin-dependent manner and is released into cerebrospinal fluid after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI). Generation of superoxide anion (O2−) occurs after FPI, and a byproduct of cyclooxygenase metabolism is the generation of O2−. This study was designed to determine whether NOC/oFQ generates O2−, which in turn could link NOC/oFQ release to impaired NMDA-induced pial artery dilation after FPI. Methods —Injury of moderate severity (1.9 to 2.1 atm) was produced by the lateral FPI technique in anesthetized newborn pigs equipped with a closed cranial window. Superoxide dismutase–inhibitable nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction was determined as an index of O2− generation. Results —Under non–brain injury conditions, topical NOC/oFQ (10−10 mol/L, the concentration present in cerebrospinal fluid after FPI) increased superoxide dismutase–inhibitable NBT reduction from 1±1 to 20±3 pmol/mm2 but had no effect itself on pial artery diameter. Indomethacin (5 mg/kg IV) blunted such NBT reduction (1±1 to 6±2 pmol/mm2), whereas the NOC/oFQ receptor antagonist [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH2 (10−6 mol/L) blocked NBT reduction. [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH2 and indomethacin also blunted the NBT reduction observed after FPI (1±1 to 15±1 versus 1±1 to 4±1 versus 1±1 to 4±1 pmol/mm2 for sham, NOC/oFQ antagonist, and indomethacin-treated animals, respectively). NMDA (10−8 and 10−6 mol/L)–induced pial artery dilation was reversed to vasoconstriction after FPI, and [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH2 attenuated such vasoconstriction (sham 9±1% and 16±1% versus FPI −7±1% and −12±1% versus FPI–[F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH2–pretreated animals −2±1% and −3±1%). Indomethacin and the free radical scavengers polyethylene glycol superoxide dismutase and catalase also partially restored NMDA-induced vasodilation. Conclusions —These data show that NOC/oFQ, in concentrations present in cerebrospinal fluid after FPI, increased O2− production in a cyclooxygenase-dependent manner and contributes to such production after FPI. These data show that NOC/oFQ contributes to impaired NMDA-induced pial artery dilation after FPI. Therefore, these data suggest that cyclooxygenase-dependent O2− generation links NOC/oFQ release to impaired NMDA-induced cerebrovasodilation after brain injury.
Mechanism of Induction of NK Activation by 2B4 (CD244) via Its Cognate Ligand

We have previously shown that coincubation of purified B cells with IL-2-propagated NK cells can result in the induction of IL-13 mRNA and that the induction requires the presence of CD48 on B cells and 2B4 on NK cells. Because both of these molecules are expressed on NK cells, it is surprising that very little IL-13 mRNA can be detected in the absence of B cells. We have now found that incubation of NK cells on plates containing immobilized anti-CD48 Abs results in the clustering of CD48 and colocalization with 2B4 on the same cell. This colocalization, together with the requirement for SAP, the signal transducer for 2B4, is necessary for the induction of IL-13 mRNA expression. Activation of NK cell via CD48 on another cell may require a similar ability to alter the configuration of 2B4 to activate downstream signaling. By the use of double CD2/2B4 knockout mice, we have also shown that the induction of NK cell activation by anti-CD48 or by B cells is not due to the release of inhibitory effects of 2B4.
An overview of AL, a programming system for automation

AL is an high-level programming system for specification of manipulatory tasks such as assembly of an object from parts. AL includes an ALGOL-like source language, a translator for converting programs into runnable code, and a runtime system for controlling manipulators and other devices. The system includes advanced features for describing the motions of manipulators, for using sensory information, and for describing assembly algorithms in terms of common domain-specific primitives. This paper describes the design of AL, which is currently being implemented as a successor to the Stanford WAVE system.
The United States Navy Electronic Chart Display and Information (ECDIS) development project

The United States Navy has an Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS) currently in full scale development. This system is called the navigation sensor system interface, or NAVSSI (AN/SSN-6). The NAVSSI will utilize the digital nautical chart (DNC) database for navigation. The DNC database is a global marine charting database being developed by the United States Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). Use of DNCs with NAVSSI will replace the use of paper charts for safe ownship navigation. The goal is for Navy ships to be relying on NAVSSI with DNCs and not paper navigation charts by the year 2000. The paper presents a background on the NAVSSI project and a description of the system hardware and software. NAVSSI compliance with ECDIS performance standards is discussed as well as some unique Navy missions satisfied by the NAVSSI. The NAVSSI accepts inputs from the Global Positioning System (GPS), OMEGA, TRANSIT (SATNAV) and inertial navigation systems (ex. AN/WSN-5) and these inputs are filtered to provide the best available position, attitude and time data. This data is distributed to combat and weapon systems via networks or point-to-point interfaces. The design of the Digital Nautical Chart (DNC) database and the software that has been developed to display and operate the DNC is covered in depth. The database design required new digital standards which were developed by the Navy and DMA. >
Napiergrass genotypes and plant parts for biomass energy.

Twenty Pennisetum genotypes were evaluated at Gainesville, FL, USA, in 1987 for biomass as an alternative energy source via bioconversion to methane. The genetic lines included napiergrass and interspecific hybrids (triploid and hexaploid) between pearl millet and napiergrass. Studies included determinations for ultimate methane yield [l g−1 volatile solids (VS)], methane production rate (day−1), biomass yield, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), plant height and leaf/stem ratio. Biomass yields ranged from 8.3 to 24.8 Mg ha−1 yr−1 among the genotypes. At the time of harvest, leaves of six genotypes were separated from stem material to calculate leaf percentage. This trait varied from 27.4% leaves in cv. Kinggrass (PI 300086) to 57.1 % in cv. Mott, a dwarf. Internode length also varied widely among the lines and ranged from 2.5 to 15.5 cm. Highest ultimate methane yields of leaves (0.31-0.331 g−1 VS) were recorded for three triploids (41S, 44S, 23AX) and were higher (P < 0.10) than the yield (0.2781 g−1 obtained from leaves of the tall tetraploid (PI 300086). For the estimated ultimate methane yield, overall means for leaves and stems were 0.31 and 0.291 g−1 VS, respectively. The tall tetraploid (Kinggrass) was lower in IVOMD and CP, but significantly higher in NDF than the other genotypes tested. Positive correlations were obtained between CP, IVOMD, and ultimate methane yields indicating that it is possible to predict methane production. In an additional experiment, performed in 1990, the tall tetraploid (Kinggrass) again was low in IVOMD and CP, whereas cv. Mott and line 551 were high in concentrations of IVOMD and CP and low in NDF. This supportive evidence indicates that breeding for improved quality components is a possibility in this genus.
On-chip feature extraction for spike sorting in high density implantable neural recording systems

Modern microelectrode arrays acquire neural signals from hundreds of neurons in parallel that are subsequently processed for spike sorting. It is important to identify, extract and transmit appropriate features that allow accurate spike sorting while using minimum computational resources. This paper describes a new set of spike sorting features, explicitly framed to be computationally efficient and shown to outperform PCA based spike sorting. A hardware friendly architecture, feasible for implantation, is also presented for detecting neural spikes and extracting features to be transmitted for off chip spike classification.
Delayed Umbilical Cord Separation Is NOT Commonly Associated with Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency

Delayed Umbilical Cord Separation Is NOT Commonly Associated with Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
Estrogen replacement therapy and colorectal cancer risk in elderly women.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common incident cancer in the United States and causes more cancer deaths than any site except lung. Twenty-two epidemiologic studies have examined the relationship of estrogen replacement therapy and colon and rectal cancers with inconsistent results. However, recent studies suggest a reduced risk among current users. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the Leisure World Cohort for possible association of estrogen replacement therapy with colorectal cancer risk. METHODS: A cohort of 7,701 female members who were initially free of cancer and self-reported their use of estrogen replacement therapy were followed up from June 1981 through December 1995 for development of colorectal cancer. RESULTS: We observed 249 incident colorectal cancer cases and 89 colorectal cancer deaths. Women who had used estrogen replacement therapy had an age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rate of 2.67 per 1,000 person-years compared with 3.30 per 1,000 personyears among lifetime nonusers (relative risk =0.81; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.63 to 1.04). Among recent users the incidence was one-third lower than among lifetime nonusers (relative risk =0.66; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.98). Risk did not differ by duration of estrogen replacement therapy, usual dose of conjugated estrogen, or route of estrogen administration. The effects of current estrogen replacement therapy on colon cancer incidence (relative risk =0.70; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.45 to 1.09), right-sided colon cancer incidence (relative risk =0.75, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 1.48), left-sided colon cancer incidence (relative risk =0.76; 0.76; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.41 to 1.41), rectal cancer incidence (relative risk =0.52; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.21 to 1.31), and colorectal cancer mortality (relative risk =0.82; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 1.54) were similar. CONCLUSION: A reduced risk of colorectal cancer may be an additional benefit of recent estrogen replacement therapy use, which should be considered by postmenopausal women when deciding whether to use hormones.
Concerning the putative presence of nitrate in lignites

Abstract The results of a Fourier transform infrared study of the low-temperature ash of lignites is presented. The very strong band observed at 1384 cm −1 in the spectra of washed samples, extracts and ashed model compounds demonstrates that organic nitrogen is fixed as inorganic nitrate during the ashing process. This fixation depends upon the presence of carboxyl groups and is related to the type of counterion present. Even though most of the nitrate present in the low-temperature ash of lignites is formed during ashing, the spectra of water extracts demonstrate that a small amount of inorganic nitrate is present in the parent coal.
Economic Determinants of Theft: Some Empirical Results

A simultaneous equations model in which crime is a function of the probabillty of conviction, penalty, gross yield, and socioeconomic variables is presented and tested for the crimes of robbery and burglary. The cross-section data used from 31 states for 1970 support the hypotheses that crime rates fall when the severity and certainty of punishment are increased and the gross gain from the crime is decreased. The results reported are consistent with those of previous investigators. However, the current study uses homeowners insurance claims as a proxy for the gross gain from robberies and burglaries. While imperfect, this measure is more direct than those used by most previous investigators. As a result, the present study provides more direct support for the hypothesis that thieves respond to the amount available for stealing.
A Review of The Microbial Challenge

Review of : The Microbial Challenge; 2 nd ed.; Robert I. Krasner; (2010). Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA. 476 pages.
Scour and burial mechanics of conical frustums on a sandy bed under combined flow conditions

Abstract The scour and burial of conical frustums placed on a sandy bed under waves alone (WA) and combined flows (CF) conditions was investigated. The observations indicate that equilibrium burial depth is smaller than burial of other objects such as short cylinders laying on a sand bed under equivalent hydrodynamic conditions. Truncated cone offers less resistance to the flow field due to its more round shape when compared to a horizontally placed short cylinder characterized by sharp edges. A smaller disruption to the flow field translates to less turbulent intensity and to smaller sediment transport capacity of the flow around the object and less burial. The equilibrium burial depth shows a significantly weaker dependency on the Shields parameter than on the Keulegan–Carpenter number, contrary to the case of finite short cylinders. A new empirical predictor based on the relative strength of the wave to the wave plus current velocity, the Keulegan–Carpenter number, and the Shields parameter is proposed for estimating the equilibrium burial of truncated cones under combined flows. Both the Keulegan–Carpenter number and the Shields parameter determine the width of the scour hole around the cone. The former however, is the most dominant parameter influencing the length of the scour hole.
Mechanical and Structural Properties of Phosphate Glasses

Abstract Mechanical and structural properties of sodium (NAFP) and zinc (ZAFP) iron–aluminum–phosphate bulk glass and fibers have been investigated. Young's modulus of the fibers was measured by a three-point bending method while the strength was measured by a two-point bending method. In general, the tensile strength of the ZAFP fibers (4.2–7.2 GPa) was higher than the tensile strength of the NAFP fibers (2.8–4.2 GPa). After exposing the fibers to air for 10 days, the strength decreased by 15–34%. The structure of bulk glass as well as fibers, studied by Mossbauer and IR spectroscopy, was very similar for all the compositions studied.
Lifetime survivability of contaminated target-chamber optics

Target chambers used for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) expose laser optics to a very hostile environment, not only from high-fluence laser irradiation but also x-ray irradiation and particulate debris from targets and chamber wall materials. Expendable debris shields provide the first line of defense to more costly optics upstream in the laser beam path to contaminants generated within the target chamber. However, the replacement of a large number of debris shields is also an expensive proposition so that extending their usable lifetime within the chamber is important. We have conducted tests to show that optics can both be cleaned and damaged by laser irradiation at 355 nm after being contaminated with potential chamber-wall materials such as B{sub 4}C and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Such optics can survive from one to hundreds of laser shots, depending on degree of contamination and laser fluence levels. Similarly, we have studied the survivability of optics that have been exposed to direct contamination from representative target materials irradiated in the target chamber. We have also studied the effects on optics that were not directly exposed to targets, yet received secondary exposure from the above directly-exposed samples.
Markovian processes with identifiable states: General considerations and application to all-or-none learning

It often happens that a theory specifies some variables or states which cannot be identified completely in an experiment. When this happens, there are important questions as to whether the experiment is relevant to certain assumptions of the theory. Some of these questions are taken up in the present article, where a method is developed for describing the implications of a theory for an experiment. The method consists of constructing a second theory with all of its states identifiable in the outcome-space of the experiment. The method can be applied (i.e., an equivalent identifiable theory exists) whenever a theory specifies a probability function on the sample-space of possible outcomes of the experiment. An interesting relationship between lumpability of states and recurrent events plays an important role in the development of the identifiable theory. An identifiable theory of an experiment can be used to investigate relationships among different theories of the experiment. As an example, an identifiable theory of all-or-none learning is developed, and it is shown that a large class of all-or-none theories are equivalent for experiments in which a task is learned to a strict criterion.
Dispersive filter in a control loop

The effect of a distributed-RC filter or transmission line on the behaviour of a control system is examined, and a useful model for a class of proportional temperature controllers is derived.
Identifying Multiple and Reasonable Paths in Transportation Networks: A Heuristic Approach

A fundamental component of many transportation engineering applications is the identification of the route between a given origin and destination. Typically, some type of shortest-path algorithm is used for this task. However, shortest-path algorithms are only applicable when a single criterion, such as minimizing travel time, is used for path selection. When multiple criteria, such as the mean and variance of travel time, are used for path selection, then alternative-path identification methods must be found. The present objective is to develop an algorithm that can identify multiple and reasonable routes in transportation networks so that multiple-criteria decision-making techniques can be used in route selection. First, the definitions of single and multiple routes from a transportation engineering perspective are examined. It is indicated that although the traditional k-shortest-path algorithms can find routes with similar route travel times, the routes may be too similar with respect to the links used and consequently are not appropriate for certain transportation applications. A definition of a reasonable path is developed on the basis of transportation engineering rather than purely mathematical considerations. Two k-reasonable-path algorithms are then illustrated. These algorithms can be used to identify multiple and reasonable routes in transportation networks. Lastly, the two heuristic algorithms were tested on a network from Bryan to College Station, Texas, and the results were compared with the results obtained with a traditional k-shortest-path algorithm. It was found that the reasonable-path algorithms can identify routes that are similar in route travel time but significantly different in terms of the links used.
Interfacial chemistry of class II composite restoration: structure analysis.

The gingival margins of class II composite restorations are particularly vulnerable to marginal leakage and secondary caries. In identifying the factors contributing to caries development, the molecular structure and differences in the structure at the proximal and gingival margins have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this study was to compare the molecular structure at the adhesive/dentin interface of the proximal and gingival walls of class II composite restorations. Class II preparations were cut in 12 unerupted third molars with a water-cooled high-speed dental handpiece. The prepared teeth were randomly selected for treatment with Single Bond (SB) + Z100 (3M). Teeth were restored, per manufacturer's directions, under humidity and temperature characteristic of the oral cavity. Restored teeth were kept in sterile Delbecco's phosphate saline for 48 h. The samples were sectioned occluso-gingivally and micro-Raman spectra were acquired at ∼1.5-μm spatial resolution across the composite/adhesive/dentin interfaces. Samples were wet throughout spectral acquisition. Raman spectral characteristics at the proximal and gingival margins were distinctly different; the depth of demineralized dentin was 6–7 μm at proximal margin, 12–13 μm at gingival margin. SB adhesive penetrated the depth of demineralized dentin in a gradient at the proximal margin. The “single bottle” adhesive used in this study, gradually penetrated the depth of the demineralized dentin at the proximal margin but failed to infiltrate the depth at the gingival margin, leaving a thick exposed collagen layer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2005
Excitation of Be + by electron impact

Calculations of the collision strength for excitation of the $2p$ state of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{+}$ are performed at incident energies of 2, 5, and 8 Ry. A modified five-state close-coupling expansion is used in which three pseudostates $\overline{3}\overline{s}$, $\overline{3}\overline{p}$, and $\overline{3}\overline{d}$ are retained in addition to target states $2s$ and $2p$. Pseudostates are chosen so that, for a given incident electron energy, there is a minimum in the dominant partial-wave collision strength with respect to variation of the range parameter. Collision strengths are obtained which lie a few percent closer to the measurements of Taylor, Phaneuf, and Dunn than do the five-state calculations of Hayes et al.
The Effect of Human β2-Microglobulin on Major Histocompatibility Complex I Peptide Loading and the Engineering of a High Affinity Variant IMPLICATIONS FOR PEPTIDE-BASED VACCINES

The ability to directly load cell surface major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules with peptides provides a potentially powerful approach toward the development of vaccines to generate cell-mediated immunity. We demonstrate that exogenous β2-microglobulin (β2m) stabilizes human cell surface MHC I molecules and facilitates their loading with exogenous peptides. Additionally, using three-dimensional crystal structures and known interaction sites between MHC I heavy chains and β2m, we engineered variants of human β2m (hβ2m) with a single serine substitution at residue 55. This alteration was predicted to promote hydrophobic interactions at the MHC I heavy chain/β2m interface and displace an ordered water molecule. Compared with hβ2m, the serine to valine substitution at residue 55 had improved ability to bind to cell surface HLA-A1, HLA-A2, and HLA-A3 molecules, facilitate exogenous peptide loading, and promote recognition by peptide-specific T cells. The inclusion of hβ2m or higher affinity variants when pulsing cells with MHC-restricted peptides increases the efficiency of peptide loading 50–80-fold. Therefore, the inclusion of hβ2m in peptide-based vaccines may increase cell surface antigen densities above thresholds that allow recognition of peptide antigens by the immune system, particularly for cryptic, subdominant, or marginally antigenic peptides.
Mutations in the promoter reveal a cause for the reduced expression of the human manganese superoxide dismutase gene in cancer cells

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) has been shown to play an important role in preventing the development of cancer. MnSOD activity is reduced in many transformed cells and tumor tissues. We previously showed that the reduced level of MnSOD activity in cancer cells was not due to a defect in the primary structure of MnSOD protein, but rather was due to defects in gene expression. To elucidate the cause for the reduced expression of human MnSOD in cancer, we investigated the nucleotide sequence in the regulatory region of the MnSOD gene in a normal human cell line and various human tumor cell lines. A DNA fragment spanning 3.4 kb 5' flanking region of the MnSOD gene isolated from a normal human genomic DNA library was used to determine the DNA sequence of MnSOD promoter. PCR primers were used for amplification of the 3.4 kb 5' flanking region of the human MnSOD gene in cancer cells. Sequence analysis identified three heterozygous mutations in the proximal region of the promoter in five human tumor cell lines. These mutations, clustered around the GC-rich region of the human MnSOD promoter, change the binding pattern of AP-2 and lead to a reduction in transcription activity using a luciferase reporter assay system. These results suggest that the reduced level of MnSOD expression in some tumor cells is, at least in part, due to a defect in the DNA sequence of the promoter region.
French public opinion on the European Union’s Eastern enlargement and public-elite relations

In France, people had serious reservations about the 2004 European Union (EU) enlargement. Despite the lack of enthusiasm and support toward enlargement, the French government officially endorsed this policy. This article examines whether the democratic deficit argument holds true in the French context, through analyses of both the French public opinion toward the Eastern enlargement of the EU, and the nature of the relationship between elites and the public opinion on the topic. Using the Flash Eurobarometer Survey 132.2, it first conducts a logistic regression to identify the determinants of the public support for EU enlargement in France. It then provides an in-depth qualitative analysis of the French public opinion-elite relationship. It concludes with a discussion of the overall lessons drawn on the democratic deficit debate.
Gingivitis induced by gingival impaction in monkeys

Abstract Experimental gingival impaction with elastic bands causes gingivitis, pocket formation, and displacement of teeth in monkeys. Following the removal of the elastic bands, there is resolution of the gingivitis with long epithelial attachment rather than fibrous repair of the periodontal ligament.
Polynomial growth estimates for multilinear singular integral operators

On demontre un theoreme pour des mesures de Carleson et on l'applique a l'operateur de Kato en dimension 1. On demontre un critere de limitation general. On donne une application aux commutateurs de Coolderon. On etudie les d-commutateurs
Spatial patterns of residential development

Abstract A simple dynamic model of residential development with durable housing, where all households are identical and all developers have perfect foresight, is studied. It is shown that, unlike the case of static models, it is quite possible that house size decreases, and thus population density increases, with distance from the city center and that the house rent curve has positive gradient in certain area.
The Use of Tele-Operated Cranes for Advanced Controls Education

Cranes provide an excellent platform for teaching advanced controls. They have a simple pendulum-type oscillation that is useful for demonstrating basic control methods. However, cranes also have additional dynamic effects such as motor dynamics, velocity limits, and nonlinear slewing dynamics that make them well suited for advanced study. If the cranes are made remotely operable, then students can also study tele-operation and control of systems with time delays. An advanced control design course taught at the Georgia Institute of Technology has integrated tele-operated cranes into both the lecture and laboratory exercises. The laboratories lead the students through the use of two tele-operated cranes. The lab component of the course culminates with a five-week team project in which the students design and implement their own research project on the cranes. The primary goal of using the cranes is to provide hands-on experiences in implementing advanced controllers on real systems. This paper describes the cranes and the complementary curriculum.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Altered patterns of cellular gene expression by JC virus

The restricted tropism of the polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) makes pathogenesis-related studies challenging. Because of the difficulties in cultivating JCV, most pathogenesis studies have employed SV40-derived cell lines or JCV/SV40 chimeras that utilize composite enhancer sequences from both viruses. Our objective was to study the early genes expressed by JCV to better understand viral gene regulation. Subconfluent monolayers of primary human fetal glial (PHFG) cells were transfected with ligated full-length JCV DNA and replication was confirmed at days 5 and 10. Total cellular RNA was extracted on day 10 from JCVand mock-transfected PHFG cells. 20 μg RNA was hybridized to an Affymetrix U133A chip, and the data was analyzed using Microarray Suite 5.0. Of the 400 differentially expressed genes, up-regulated genes clustered into 3 major functional groups: cell proliferation, cell-communication, and IFN-responsive genes. Upregulation of IFNinducible genes such as, MxA, Stat1, OAS1 and cig5 was confirmed by realtime PCR. Based on Western blot analysis cig5 and MxA protein levels were significantly elevated. Correlation of T-antigen and agnoprotein gene expression with both mRNA and protein accumulation of antiviral genes such as, MxA and cig5 at an early stage of viral replication suggests that induction of IFN-inducible genes constitutes one of the first cellular response to JCV replication and viral transcription, and its regulation is orchestrated via virusinduced binding of transcription factors. The global analysis of changes in mRNA expression levels following viral infection offers a catalog of genes that are modulated as a result of the host-pathogen interaction and provides a new approach for the investigation of PML pathogenesis.
Natural pixel decomposition for interferometric tomographic reconstruction from ill-posed data

Abstract Reconstruction of three-dimensional refractive-index fields from multidirectional holographic interferograms can be a powerful flow diagnostic tool in many engineering applications. It is noninvasive and can capture gross fields instantaneously. Interferometric tomography for reconstructing flow fields, however, confronts ill-posed problems, that is, last of sufficient data. As the flow fields are sampled in the presence of opaque models and enclosures, the data are sparse, nonuniform, and sometimes incomplete in projection and scanning. Here, a new method, termed the variable grid method, to incorporate the distinct features of interferometric data for flow field reconstruction is developed and tested. The method is based on natural pixel decomposition. It utilizes variable rectangular grid elements in representing a field with a finite series. The variable grid method allows better reconstruction resolution with greater accuracy in the region where sampled rays are more closely crossed. This region is usually of interest in engineering.