cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depth inversion despite stereopsis: the appearance of random-dot stereograms on surfaces seen in reverse perspective.

Inside-out relief masks of faces can be depth-inverted (i.e. seen in reverse perspective) during close-up binocular viewing. If a random-dot stereogram is projected onto such a mask, stereopsis can be achieved for the stereogram, and its depth planes are correctly seen while the mask itself, including the region covered by the stereogram, is simultaneously perceived as depth-inverted. This demonstration shows that binocular depth inversion cannot be explained by a complete loss of stereoscopic information (e.g. through monocular suppression), or by a process analogous to pseudoscopic viewing whereby retinal disparities are incorporated into perception, but with their signs uniformly reversed.
Time-out with staff accountability: A technical note

The effective and ethical use of time-out is not without difficulty. Like any procedure that involves discomfort, special caution and provisions are often necessary. A description is given of a time-out booth with special features to reduce the probability of its misuse. The features are easily built into new or existing facilities for less than $40.00.
A logarithmic measure of image enhancement

Image enhancement performance is currently judged subjectively, with no reliable manner of quantifying the results of an enhancement. Current quantitative measures rely on linear algorithms to determine contrast, leaving room for improvement. With the introduction of more complex enhancement algorithms, there is a need for an effective method of quantifying performance to select optimal parameters. In this paper, we present a logarithmic based image enhancement measure. We demonstrate its performance on real world images. The results will show the effectiveness of our measures to select optimal enhancement parameters for the enhancement algorithms.
A Method to Identify Microinjected Nephrons of Rat

This paper describes a technique for identifying individual nephrons that have been subjected to micropuncture. The general location of the nephron is marked on the surface of the kidney by implanting two micropipette tips on opposite sides of it two or three tubule diameters away. The tubule itself is marked by the injection into the lumen of a tracer material, for purposes of this account, a suspension of E. coli. After perfusion fixation the kidneys are removed and a block of tissue containing the extrapapillary portion of the nephron is excised. This block is cut into thin slices parallel to the surface of the kidney; these are embedded in plastic for subsequent sectioning. On sectioning, the marker material makes the nephron in question readily discernible under the microscope. A major advantage of this technique is that it allows the tubule of interest to be located as much as 48 hours later.
An African trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein gene whose expression is not activated by duplication

Abstract A variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of Trypanosoma brucei is encoded by a gene whose expression is not governed by duplication-transposition. There are two copies of this gene. The 5' flanking regions of the two genes are indistinguishable by restriction mapping, although each possesses approximately 5-10 Kbp of DNA which is devoid of restriction sites. All restriction enzymes tested appeared to cut genomic DNA at a uniform distance 3' of the gene. This, coupled with the observed sensitivity of both genes to BAL 31, indicates that they lie near chromosomal termini. Length variation occurs 3' of these genes in bloodstream clones and their procyclic derivatives, although the number of length variants is conserved. This suggests that length variation alone does not control VSG switching or gene expression and that constraints exist on the extent to which 3' flanking regions can vary in length.
Postarthroscopy analgesia with bupivacaine. A prospective, randomized, blinded evaluation.

The analgesic effect of intraarticular bupivacaine in jected at the conclusion of knee arthroscopy done under general anesthesia was investigated in a pro spective, randomized, and blinded fashion. Pain scores, the use of analgesic medications, crutch use, weight bearing, activity level, and difficulty sleeping the night after surgery were all unaffected by the use of bupiva caine. The apparent lack of effect is most likely due to rapid clearance from the knee, leaving only a transient, 1 to 2 hours of potential benefit. In this study, the patients were already quite comfortable during this time period due to the routine use of intraoperative narcotics. The preoperative level of knee discomfort was found to be a major determinant of postoperative discomfort. Other much less important factors were synovial and chondral shaving, sex of the patient, and experience of the surgeon.
Preventive and therapeutic approaches to short- and long-term sun damaged skin.

Protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays has recently become an absolute and daily effort for every dermatologist to communicate to their patients. An old Flemish proverb illuminates a different sentiment held for the sun and its highly regarded healing powers: “Where there is sunshine, a doctor starves.” The sun has been worshipped and looked to for healing powers, religious guidance, and other endeavors. It also has been used as a treatment. Arthritis, tuberculosis, liver diseases, and “neurasthenia” were treated with sunlight in famous mountain spas throughout the world. Although these diseases may not have been healed by ultraviolet light (UVL) light, at least a sense of well-being was provided for these ailing patients. More tangible results have subsequently been achieved by the medicinal power of UVL. Mental disorders1,2 and skin disorders3,4 have all been treated with sunshine with great success (Table 1). Now we are asking for patients to completely avoid sun exposure because of premature aging and carcinogenesis of the skin. This paper will shine a brighter light on the subject of prevention and treatment of these ever-present, harmful effects.
Enrichment of the method of finite spheres using geometry‐independent localized scalable bubbles

SUMMARY In this paper, we report the development of two new enrichment techniques for the method of finite spheres, a truly meshfree method developed for the solution of boundary value problems on geometrically complex domains. In the first method, the enrichment functions are multiplied by a weight function with compact support, while in the second one a floating ‘enrichment node’ is introduced. The scalability of the enrichment bubbles offers flexibility in localizing the spatial extent to which the enrichment field is applied. The bubbles are independent of the underlying geometric discretization and therefore provide a means of achieving convergence without excessive refinement. Several numerical examples involving problems with singular stress fields are provided demonstrating the effectiveness of the enrichment schemes and contrasting them to traditional ‘geometry-dependent’ enrichment strategies in which one or more nodes associated with the geometric discretization of the domain are enriched. An additional contribution of this paper is the use of a meshfree numerical integration technique for computing the J -integral using the domain integral method. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicted loading on the menisci during gait: The effect of horn laxity

Radiographic measurements have established a link between meniscus extrusion and meniscus degeneration as well as with knee osteoarthritis. The presented work combines medical imaging with motion capture data from two healthy female subjects to create subject specific knee models that predict tibio-menisco-femoral contact forces and ligament forces during muscle driven simulations of barefoot gait. The developed computational models were used to explore the relationship between the extent of meniscal extrusion and biomechanical function by altering the laxity of the meniscal horn attachments during gait. The extrusion distance increased as laxity increased and the amount of contact force transferred through the menisci during gait decreased rapidly as the meniscal attachments became more lax. Horn attachment lengths that were 20% longer than MRI attachment lengths resulted in an almost complete loss of force transfer through the menisci during the gait cycle. Relatively small changes (2-3mm) in the lengths at which horn bundles first become taut, manifested in large changes in the capacity of the tissue to transmit forces. As meniscal horn attachment laxity increased from 80% to 120% of the MRI measured horn distance, medial meniscus extrusion increased 3.9mm for the first subject and 2.7mm for the second subject. For the same horn laxity changes, the percent of medial tibiofemoral contact force transmitted through the medial meniscus during early stance decreased from 51% to 8% and from 36% to 14% for the two subjects. The results of our study show that increased meniscal extrusion occurs with increased laxity of the meniscal tibia attachments and this increased laxity results in loss of meniscal function.
Unilateral atelectasis in a preterm infant monitored with electrical impedance tomography: a case report

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive, radiation-free tool to monitor regional changes in ventilation. This report describes, for the first time, that unilateral atelectasis in an extremely low birth weight infant results in a loss of regional ventilation measured by EIT in the affected lung. Conclusion: EIT is currently the most promising technique to monitor regional lung aeration continuously at the bedside in this vulnerable population.
An expansion of the oscillatory source potential

Abstract A series expansion is derived for the velocity potential of a three-dimensional oscillatory source beneath a free surface in deep water. The series is convergent uniformly throughout the fluid domain, and is computationally efficient if the distance between the source and field points is small or moderate. When this distance approaches zero, the free-surface integral is logarithmically singular.
Service Oriented Architectural Framework for Pakistan's Disaster Emergency Response (in relation to floods)

Pakistan is vulnerable to disaster risks from a range of hazards. Over the years floods have proven to be the most damaging to life, property and overall economy. The National Disaster Risk Management Framework has been formulated by the National Disaster Management Authority. Nine priority areas have been identified within this framework to establish and strengthen policies, institutions and capacities. Emergency Response is one of the priority areas. The use of IT for disaster management is yet to be explored in Pakistan. No such software framework exists. Service oriented Architecture (SOA) is a solution based architecture which utilizes functions as loosely coupled services thus promoting flexibility and reusability. It can be very helpful in providing a framework for disaster management in Pakistan. This paper proposes a software framework for Emergency Response for Disasters through the use of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in Pakistan. The primary focus is flood disasters but the framework could be replicated to other disasters with little modifications.
Whole-genome transcriptional and physiological responses of Nitrosomonas europaea to cyanide: identification of cyanide stress response genes.

Nitrosomonas europaea (ATCC 19718) is one of several nitrifying species that participate in the biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater by oxidizing ammonia to nitrite, the first step in nitrification. Because nitrification is quite sensitive to cyanide, a compound often encountered in wastewater treatment plants, we characterized the physiological and transcriptional responses of N. europaea cells to cyanide. The cells were extremely sensitive to low concentrations of cyanide, with production and ammonia-dependent oxygen uptake rates decreasing by 50% within 30 min of exposure to 1 µM NaCN. Whole-genome transcriptional responses of cells exposed to 1 µM NaCN were examined using Affymetrix microarrays to identify stress-induced genes. The transcript levels of 35 genes increased more than 2-fold while transcript levels of 29 genes decreased more than 20-fold. A gene cluster that included moeZ (NE2353), encoding a rhodanese homologue and thought to be involved in detoxification of cyanide, showed the highest up-regulation (7-fold). The down-regulated genes included genes encoding proteins involved in the sulfate reduction pathway, signal transduction mechanisms, carbohydrate transport, energy production, coenzyme metabolism, and amino acid transport. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1645–1653. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Iterative continuation and the solution of nonlinear two-point boundary value problems

In this paper we present a unified function theoretic approach for the numerical solution of a wide class of two-point boundary value problems. The approach generates a class of continuous analog iterative methods which are designed to overcome some of the essential difficulties encountered in the numerical treatment of two-point problems. It is shown that the methods produce convergent sequences of iterates in cases where the initial iterate (guess),x0, is "far" from the desired solution. The results of some numerical experiments using the methods on various boundary value problems are presented in a forthcoming paper.
Intrusive and extrusive growth of the Mount St Helens lava dome

High-resolution, digital topographic maps of the Mount St. Helens dome derived from aerial photographs are used here to make a quantitative assessment of the partitioning of magma into endogenous intrusion and exogenous lobes. The endogenous growth is found to be predictable, which shows that the cooling dome controls its own development independently of such deep-seated factors as magma overpressure and extrusion rate. The observed regular decrease in exogenous growth rate also allows volume prediction. Knowledge of the volume can be used to determine when an ongoing eruptive event should end. Finally, the observed transition from predominantly exogenous to predominantly endogenous growth reflects the increase in crust thickness, which in turn seems to depend on long repose periods rather than some fundamental change in the character of the dome.
Getting in tune: A qualitative analysis of guest conductor–musicians relationships in symphony orchestras

Abstract Using a qualitative approach, I analyze the phenomenon of guest conductors in professional symphony orchestras to explain how they establish the legitimacy of their authority in a short period of time. I argue that guest conductors and musicians are two interdependent centers of power in orchestras: conductors try to affect musicians’ perception of their legitimacy, and players try to influence the behavior of their guest conductors. In situations where typical sources of a conductor's legitimacy may not exist and where musicians possess power simply by virtue of their knowledge of the orchestra and their experience of performing together, guest conductors and musicians may need to negotiate the domains and levels of power in every encounter. Although this negotiation is facilitated by the existing structure of the music field, the symphony orchestra, and the music score, relationships between musicians and guest conductors are modified in each encounter. Because of the temporary nature of guest conductor–musicians relationships, the success of this negotiation depends on the extent to which guest conductors can signal their readiness to build trustworthy and respectful relationships with musicians and invest in impression management.
Mutual fund types, ratings, and performance during the 1987 stock market “crash”

An issue of concern to mutual fund investors is the information content of various descriptors, which they may use in an attempt to select funds meeting their investment objectives. In this study the authors examine the extent to which two such descriptors, mutual fund types (“objectives”) and historical performance ratings, would have predicted which funds would perform the best during the 1987 stock market crash. Results suggest that while both descriptors were useful in predicting raw mutual fund returns, neither descriptor was particularly useful in predicting risk-adjusted performance during the crash.
Social responsibilities of bioethics

Urban bioethics can draw on elements of city life and view them under the moral perspective of social responsibility of creating the personal, cultural, social, and economic environment in which persons can be responsible personally as they interpret actions on themselves and creatively respond to them in an ongoing community of agents.
The Effect of Habitat Exposure and Ontogeny on the Survival Skills of Hatchery Red Drum

Abstract We examined the influence of prerelease exposure to natural vegetation on the survival skills of a marine finfish, the red drum Sciaenops ocellatus. Red drum larvae at 18 d posthatch (10–12 mm standard length [SL]) were collected from a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hatchery and reared with and without smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, for either 10 or 20 d. High-speed video was then used to quantify a suite of prey capture and antipredator performance variables at days 28 (∼23 mm SL) and 38 (∼32 mm SL). Repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that the timing and distance of key variables (e.g., maximum gape, time to maximum gape, gape cycle duration) increased significantly in older fish, while reaction distance and time to maximum velocity decreased with age. The time to reach maximum velocity was less for individuals reared in vegetation, yet these fish also had a shorter reaction distance to predatory stimuli and took longer to capture prey. Additionally, interindividual ...
Carbon diffusivity in B.C.C. iron

Abstract All the available data sets for the diffusivity of C in b.c.c. iron have been analyzed statistically. The data may not be represented by a single linear Arrhenius expression. The high-temperature data, predominantly generated by mass-flow techniques, are significantly greater than an extrapolation of data from below 360 K, which is predominantly generated by mechanical and magnetic relaxation techniques. This effect has been discussed in terms of the effects of magnetic spin ordering on the diffusion jump energy.
First Principles Study of H-insertion in MnO2

We present an extensive First Principles study on proton intercalation in the pyrolusite and ramsdellite forms of MnO2 .I t is shown that protons are always covalently bonded to an oxygen atom in MnO2. In ramsdellite, the proton prefers the pyramidal oxygen to the planar coordinated oxygen as that site is farther away from the Mn cations. In both pyrolusite and manganite, the octahedral sites are unstable, but the two local minima on each side of the octahedron are connected by a barrier of only about 25 meV, so that protons may rapidly exchange between these sites. Proton di4usion in pyrolusite occurs by hopping along the 1 1 open tunnels with an activation barrier that increases from about 575 meV at the beginning of discharge to about 1 eV at high H concentration. Di4usion in ramsdellite takes place along the 2 1 open tunnels and occurs with much lower activation energy (respectively, 200 and 400 meV, at low and high H concentrations). Introduction of twinning defects has a large adverse e4ect on the proton di4usivity. Results indicate that direct H+H interactions are not that signi5cant compared to oxygen-mediated-interactions. Experimental and calculated ramsdellite discharge curves deviate signi5cantly at early stages of the reduction process. The calculations on defected structures indicate that a signi5cant source of this discrepancy may be due to presence of proton-compensated Mn vacancies in real MnO2, which create local sites with higher discharge potential. The calculations suggest that the ordered phase, observed in experiments at mid-reduction (groutellite, MnOOH0.5), is due to the lattice remaining coherent during intercalation. 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)
Multiyear, through the season crop acreage estimation using estimated acreage in sample segments

Large scale crop surveys can be made frequently and inex¬pensively during a crop growing season using Landsat data. A crop's at-harvest acreage in a stratum can be estimated from the crop's estimated at-harvest acreage in a small sample of the stratum's segments. The stratum estimate can utilize Landsat imagery obtained during the current crop grow¬ing season and in previous years. A mixed effects analysis of variance model is used to generate a weighted least squares es¬timate of the stratum at-harvest acreage proportion for the cur¬rent year. Similar Landsat based stratum crop proportion esti¬mates can be combined with historical information on non-sampled (or unsuccessfully sampled) strata to provide crop acreage estimates for large regions. These regional estimates of the at-harvest acreage can be determined early in the crop growing season, at different intermediate points, and at har¬vest time
Perceptions of Rivalry

Rivalry is pervasive in politics and beyond. Drawing on unique survey data, this article examines how instructors can draw on students' perceptions of rivalry to explore different aspects of the rivalry concept. The data show that different ways in which students tend to think about rivalry tend to reflect differences in scholarly conceptualizations of interstate rivalry. The data also suggest that referencing sports rivalries may be useful to introduce the concept of rivalry, drawing on parallels between sports rivalries and interstate rivalries and students' greater interest in and familiarity with sports than international affairs. This article provides an understanding of how students tend to think about rival relations to help instructors effectively lead classroom discussions on interstate rivalry.
Target cells for friend virus-induced erythroid bursts in vitro

Abstract Erythropoietin (Epo) acts on mouse bone marrow cells in vitro in plasma clot or methyl cellulose culture systems to induce the formation of single erythroid colonies, or clusters of erythroid colonies termed bursts. Our laboratory has recently reported the observation that infection of mouse bone marrow cells in vitro with the polycythemia-inducing strain of Friend virus (FV) resulted in the formation of erythroid bursts after 5 days in plasma clot culture in the absence of added Epo. We have now used this system to characterize the target cells for this FV-induced erythroid transformation. The greatest number of FV bursts were observed when marrow cells were obtained from mice whose erythropoiesis had been stimulated by bleeding or phenylhydrazine treatment. Bleeding also resulted in an increase in the number of FV bursts following the infection of spleen cells in vitro. Hypertransfusion of mice, which results in decreased erythropoiesis, yielded a reduced number of FV bursts in vitro, as did prior treatment with actinomycin D. Cell separation studies using velocity sedimentation at unit gravity showed that the cells, which give rise to FV bursts, sedimented with a modal sedimentation velocity between 5.1–8.5 mm/hr. The Epo-dependent colony-forming unit erythroid (CFU-E), which gives rise to a single erythroid colony, also sediments with a modal velocity between 5.1–8.5 mm/hr, while the Epo-dependent day 8 burst-forming unit erythroid (day 8 BFU-E) sediments with a modal velocity between 3.0–6.0 mm/hr. A 20 min incubation of marrow cells with high specific activity 3 H-thymidine, prior to virus infection, resulted in a 75–80% reduction in the number of FV bursts. Mixing cells from the upper portion of the gradient, which yielded no FV bursts, with cells from an area in which high numbers of FV bursts were observed did not result in the inhibition of burst formation. These experiments indicate that the primary target cells for FV bursts in vitro are most probably erythroid precursor cells that have matured beyond the day 8 BFU-E and are closely related to the CFU-E.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Child Anxiety Multi-Day Program (CAMP) for Separation Anxiety Disorder

While the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy for childhood anxiety disorders, including separation anxiety disorder (SAD), has been established, tailoring such treatments to particular interests and needs may enhance uptake of evidence-based interventions. The current investigation evaluates the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intensive, cognitive-behavioral intervention for girls with SAD provided within the novel context of a 1-week camp-like setting, the Child Anxiety Multi-Day Program (CAMP). Twenty-nine female children aged 7–12 with a principal diagnosis of SAD were randomized to immediate CAMP treatment (n = 15) or waitlist (i.e., delayed treatment; n = 14) condition during the course of this randomized controlled trial. Children in the immediate treatment group evidenced significant reductions in SAD severity, functional impairment, and parent report of child anxiety symptoms relative to the waitlist condition. The intervention’s positive therapeutic response suggests one possible delivery model for surmounting difficulties faced in the dissemination of weekly treatments for SAD.
Abstract 3058: Mad1 Serine-214 phosphorylation is essential for the spindle assembly checkpoint

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which blocks anaphase onset until all chromosomes have bioriented, is one of the key self-monitoring systems of the eukaryotic cell cycle. The mitotic arrest-deficient protein 1 (Mad1), a critical component of the SAC, is hyperphosphorylated in mitosis. However, the kinases responsible for Mad1 phosphorylation and its functional significance are not fully understood. Here we report that Mad1 is phosphorylated on Serine-214 in vivo and in vitro by the ATM kinase, a critical DNA damage response protein also activated in mitosis and required for the SAC. This phosphorylation facilitates the homodimerization of Mad1 and heterodimerzation with Mad2. Cells expressing the mutation of Serine-214 to Alanine show a defective SAC and shorter mitotic timing. Introduction of the Serine-214 to glutamic acid mutant Mad1 partially complements the SAC defect in ATM-deficient cells. Immunofluorescence experiments show that Mad1-Ser214 phosphorylation has a similar localization pattern to ATM Serine-1403 phosphorylation during mitosis. In clinical samples, we find that Mad1 Serine-214 phosphorylation is highly expressed in malignant breast cancer tissues and is significantly correlated with the mitotic index (p<0.001, Pearson Correlation Test), indicating the physiological significance of Mad1 Serine-214 phosphorylation. Together, these findings reveal an important role of ATM-mediated Mad1 phosphorylation in mitosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3058. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3058
SIGNED RANK STATISTICS FOR COHERENT PREDICTIONS

A generalization of Wilcoxon's signed rank test is proposed for testing a dose-response relationship with one or more outcomes. The test is useful in matched observational studies or in nonrandomized experiments that use dose-response relationships and predictions about multiple outcomes in an effort to distinguish actual treatment effects from hidden biases. A sensitivity analysis indicating whether a dose-response relationship or multiple predictions are confirmed with sufficient strength to reduce sensitivity to hidden bias is performed. Together, the test and the sensitivity analysis help to quantify the degree to which a coherent pattern of associations is present or absent, and the degree to which this strengthens or fails to strengthen evidence of cause and effect. Formal properties of tests of this kind are examined. The form of the optimal test is determined, though this test is not usable because it depends upon the values of the unknown parameters under study. Also examined are the conditions under which the proposed test resembles the optimal test, as well as the impact of various violations of those conditions on power. An example involving matched pairs exposed to varying doses of cadmium is considered in detail.
Analysis of texture evolution in channel die compression. I, Effects of grain interaction

Abstract The effect of grain interactions on deformation patterns and texture evolution is examined by the finite element method for a particular set of grains deformed in channel die compression. The material behavior within each element is determined from a slip based constitutive formulation that fully accounts for finite deformations and lattice rotations with deformation. Compatibility and equilibrium are enforced across the grain boundaries, and grain boundary sliding is not permitted. In order to make the analyses numerically tractable, an idealized two-dimensional geometric model is used to model the deformation in the longitudinal-transverse plane; and the strains are assumed to be uniform through the compression direction. Boundary conditions simulating homogeneous plane-strain compression are applied to the model region. The results reveal complex deformation patterns arising from grain interactions. The analyses also show that the crystallographic texture and the spread of orientations within a grain depend not only on the orientations of the neighboring grains, but also on the constraints provided by grains located several grains away.
Isolation of coactivators associated with the TATA-binding protein that mediate transcriptional activation

A key step in the regulation of transcription involves interactions between promoter-selective factors and various components of the transcriptional apparatus. Here we report the requirements for transcriptional activation directed by NTF-1, a developmentally regulated transcription factor in Drosophila. Reconstituted transcription with fractionated Drosophila basal factors reveals that activation by NTF-1 requires factors present in the endogenous TFIID fraction that are distinct from the purified TATA-binding protein (TBP). Glycerol gradient sedimentation and immunoprecipitation analyses indicate that TFIID is a multiprotein complex containing TBP and at least six tightly bound TBP-associated factors (TAFs). Preparations of TBP lacking TAFs after fractionation with denaturants no longer support activation by NTF-1 but retain basal level activity. Addition of immunopurified and renatured TAFs to free TBP restores the ability of NTF-1 to activate transcription without influencing basal transcription. These results suggest that one or more of the TAF polypeptides confer coactivator function.
A model linking biology, behavior and psychiatric diagnoses in perpetrators of domestic violence

Research indicates that perpetrators of domestic violence have abnormalities in central serotonin and testosterone metabolism, an increased sensitivity to anxiogenic stimuli, and an impaired neuro-connection between their cortex and the amygdala. Clinical evaluations show that perpetrators of domestic violence also have a distinguishing set of behaviors and diagnoses related to anxiety, depression, intermittent explosive disorder, and borderline personality disorder. In this paper we propose a model to understand how the biological abnormalities can potentially explain the behaviors and diagnoses exhibited by the perpetrators. Changes in the perpetrator's neurotransmitters lead to a heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli, anxiety, and conditioned fear. Lack of cortical input to the amygdala impairs the perpetrator's ability to extinguish anxiety and/or conditioned fear and gives rise to either innate behaviors (e.g., fight, flight, and shut down) or learned fear avoidant behaviors designed to avoid anxiety (e.g., alcohol consumption, self-injurious acts, and obsessive behaviors). Linking conditioned fear and fear avoidance to the behaviors and psychiatric diagnoses will serve to change the way the medical community perceives and treats perpetrators of domestic violence.
Creating layers of concentrated inorganic particles by interdiffusion of polyethylenes in microlayers

Interdiffusion of a polymer pair in microlayers was exploited to increase the concentration of inorganic particles in one of the components. When microlayers of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were taken into the melt, greater mobility of linear LLDPE chains compared to branched LDPE chains caused the layer boundary to move in the direction of the more slowly diffusing chains in a manner similar to the Kirkendall effect in metals. This resulted in substantial shrinkage of the LLDPE layers and corresponding thickening of the LDPE layers. Adding a particulate in the LLDPE did not impede the process of interdiffusion in the melt, and the resultant shrinkage served to increase the particle concentration. For example, resistivity of initially nonconductive LLDPE layers containing nickel platelets decreased by 6 orders of magnitude into the semiconductor range after shrinkage concentrated the particles. The concentrating effect was also demonstrated with TiO2 particles and talc platelets. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 2877–2885, 1999
Near-infrared Fourier-transform Raman spectroscopy of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) stems

Samples of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) stem and its anatomical parts were studied by near-infrared Fourier transform Raman (NIR-FT-Raman) spectroscopy to determine if the major chemical component...
The Noun Mena in the Divine Comedy

THE noun mena occurs twice in the Divine Comedy; and its Latin etymon minae is found in Dante's Epistle VI. In Inferno, xvii, Vergil suggests that, while he himself is making final arrangements for aerial transportation to the circle below, Dante take a look at the souls of the Usurers, who are frantically trying to beat out and brush off the steadily falling flakes of fire that torture them and to ease themselves from the burning sand on which they are sitting; he says to Dante: 'Go, and see their mena.'l With the sorry picture of their agonized gestures in mind, it is not surprising that mena, here, has struck a number of commentators as almost selfevidently having the sense of the cognate nouns dimenamento and dimen'o and the verb dimenare; namely, (often wild) waving of the hands and thrashing about. This is the stage in the semantic development of minae Classical Latin for 'impending juts' or 'overhangs' in which it meant threatening gesticulations used in driving live-stock: giving finally dimenamento, dimenio and dimenare on the one hand, which preserve the lively picture of manual motions, and on the other hand the weakened significations of merely 'leading, conducting, taking' of modern Italian menare, French mener. Whatever meanings the noun mena may have had in the transitional period, it now retains little, if any, trace of the vivid connotations still preserved in dimenamento, dimento and dimenare (and French se de'mener); and has taken on the more abstract and rather sinister import of the French mene'e, that is, 'machination, scheming, intrigue, underhand dealing.' The overwhelming majority of modern Italian commentators assert, or assume, that the word in Dante's time and usage did not have the force of dimenamento or dimenso; in fact Tommaseo seems to have been the last Dante scholar of importance who so explained it without reservation.2 The meanings usually given by commentators are quite abstract, ranging from 'condition, nature, state, quality' through 'manner, custom' to the more concrete 'occupation.' This last meaning, and related ones,3
Adaptive reliable guaranteed cost control of state-delayed systems via dynamic output feedback against actuator faults

This paper considers the problem of adaptive reliable guaranteed cost controller design for linear time-delay systems against actuator faults via dynamic output feedback. Based on indirect adaptive method, a new reliable dynamic output feedback controller is established. The controller gains are affinely dependent on the estimations of fault parameters, which are updating automatically according to the proposed adaptive laws. New delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the existence of the reliable guaranteed cost dynamic output feedback controller are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which have less conservativeness than the corresponding reliable dynamic output feedback controller with fixed gains. An example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Defining pancreatic endocrine precursors and their descendants

OBJECTIVE —The global incidence of diabetes continues to increase. Cell replacement therapy and islet transplantation offer hope, especially for severely affected patients. Efforts to differentiate insulin-producing β-cells from progenitor or stem cells require knowledge of the transcriptional programs that regulate the development of the endocrine pancreas. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Differentiation toward the endocrine lineage is dependent on the transcription factor Neurogenin 3 (Neurog3, Ngn3). We utilize a Neurog3 –enhanced green fluorescent protein knock-in mouse model to isolate endocrine progenitor cells from embryonic pancreata (embryonic day [E]13.5 through E17.5). Using advanced genomic approaches, we generate a comprehensive gene expression profile of these progenitors and their immediate descendants. RESULTS —A total of 1,029 genes were identified as being temporally regulated in the endocrine lineage during fetal development, 237 of which are transcriptional regulators. Through pathway analysis, we have modeled regulatory networks involving these proteins that highlight the complex transcriptional hierarchy governing endocrine differentiation. CONCLUSIONS —We have been able to accurately capture the gene expression profile of the pancreatic endocrine progenitors and their descendants. The list of temporally regulated genes identified in fetal endocrine precursors and their immediate descendants provides a novel and important resource for developmental biologists and diabetes researchers alike.
Stochastic finite element modeling of thermoelastic quality factor of micro-beams

In the design of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) such as micro-resonators, one of the major dissipation phenomena to consider is thermoelastic damping. The performance of such MEMS is directly related to their thermoelastic quality factor which has to be predicted acurately. Moreover, the performance of MEMS depends on manufacturing processes which cause substantial uncertainty in the geometry and in the material properties of the device. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework to account for uncertainties in the hnite element analysis of thermoelastic damping in MEMS. Four stochastic methods are investigated: perturbation stochastic finite element method (SFEM), spectral SFEM, projection method and Monte-Carlo method. Due to the nature of the thermoelastic problem, these stochastic methods are extended to the resolution of non-symmetric damped eigenproblems. The methods are applied on the analysis of the thermoelastic quality factor of a micro-beam whose elastic modulus is considered as random.
Pedagogical problems in playing planetary politics

This article is an assessment of a simulation designed and reported by Sadow, Jordan, and Sanchez-Navarro (1989) and which is used to teach the art of diplomacy. Three courses using it have been conducted, and through them common problems and decisions have surfaced. This article looks at ways to product a simulation of the highest possible quality, given the goal of modeling correctly the political behavior it is designed to teach —the course Conflict and Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century. The material provides instruction for international political interaction of a highly unstructured nature, which should be the guiding philosophy behind simulations to model it.
Utility of Acid-Fast Staining for Detection of Mycobacteria in Cutaneous Granulomatous Tissue Reactions

Objectives: Ancillary molecular testing on tissue is available for mycobacterial disease; however, judicious use of highly sensitive tests, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, should be guided by histologic parameters. We sought to investigate the utility of performing acid-fast stains (AFS) on skin biopsy specimens with granulomatous inflammation without an otherwise obvious histologic or clinical explanation. Methods: Our retrospective review identified 31 patients with biopsy specimens showing granulomatous inflammation that had simultaneous AFS and mycobacterial culture or PCR performed. Results: Biopsy specimens from eight (25.8%) patients had AFS interpreted as positive or suspicious for acid-fast bacilli. Eight had positive cultures and one had positive PCR. One biopsy specimen with AFS that showed occasional acidfast structures that were interpreted as “suspicious” for mycobacteria was associated with a negative culture and negative PCR. Three (9.7%) biopsy specimens with negative AFS had positive cultures, and 19 (61.3%) biopsy specimens with negative AFS also had negative culture results. In our biopsy specimens, sensitivity of AFS was 72.7% and specificity was 95.0%. Positive predictive value of AFS was 88.9%, and negative predictive value was 86.4%.
Developmental and Individual Differences in Pure Numerical Estimation.

The authors examined developmental and individual differences in pure numerical estimation, the type of estimation that depends solely on knowledge of numbers. Children between kindergarten and 4th grade were asked to solve 4 types of numerical estimation problems: computational, numerosity, measurement, and number line. In Experiment 1, kindergartners and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders were presented problems involving the numbers 0-100; in Experiment 2, 2nd and 4th graders were presented problems involving the numbers 0-1,000. Parallel developmental trends, involving increasing reliance on linear representations of numbers and decreasing reliance on logarithmic ones, emerged across different types of estimation. Consistent individual differences across tasks were also apparent, and all types of estimation skill were positively related to math achievement test scores. Implications for understanding of mathematics learning in general are discussed.
An Improved Router Design for Reliable On-Chip Networks

Aggressive technology scaling into the deep nanometer regime has made the Network-on-Chip (NoC) in multicore architectures increasingly vulnerable to faults. This has accelerated the need for designing reliable NoCs. To this end, we propose a reliable NoC router architecture capable of tolerating multiple permanent faults. The proposed router achieves a better reliability without incurring too much area and power overhead as compared to the baseline NoC router or other fault-tolerant routers. Reliability analysis using Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) reveals that our proposed router is six times more reliable than the baseline NoC router (without protection). We also compare our proposed router with other existing fault-tolerant routers such as Bullet Proof, Vicis and RoCo using Silicon Protection Factor (SPF) as a metric. SPF analysis shows that our proposed router is more reliable than the mentioned existing fault tolerant routers. Hardware synthesis performed by Cadence Encounter RTL Compiler using commercial 45nm technology library shows that the correction circuitry incurs an area overhead of 31% and power overhead of 30%. Latency analysis on a 64-core mesh based NoC simulated using GEM5 and running SPLASH-2 and PARSEC benchmark application traffic shows that in the presence of multiple faults, our proposed router increases the overall latency by only 10% and 13% respectively while providing better reliability.
Integration of phot1, phot2, and PhyB signalling in light-induced chloroplast movements

In Arabidopsis thaliana, chloroplasts move towards the periclinal cell walls upon exposure to low blue light intensities and to anticlinal walls under high light. The regulation of these chloroplast movements involves members of both the phototropin and phytochrome families of photoreceptors. Examination of fluence-rate response dependencies in phot1 and phot2 mutants revealed that although both photoreceptors are capable of inducing chloroplast accumulation under low-light conditions, the signals from these photoreceptors appear to be antagonistic. Chloroplast movements in wild-type plants were intermediate between those of the single phot mutants, consistent with each operating through separate signalling cascades. Mutants in phot2 showed transient chloroplast avoidance responses upon exposure to intense blue light, and slow but sustained chloroplast avoidance under intense white light, indicating that in the absence of phot2, phot1 is capable of generating both a low and a high-light response signal. Mutations in phytochrome B (phyB) caused an enhanced avoidance response at intermediate and high light intensities. Examination of phyB, phot1phyB, and phot2phyB mutants indicated that this enhancement is caused by PhyB inhibition of the high-light avoidance response in wild-type plants. In addition, our results suggest that the inhibition by PhyB is not exclusive to either of the phot1 or phot2 signalling pathways.
Owning a Home: New Opportunities and Challenges for Low-Income Women

In recent years, policy initiatives at the federal, state and local levels have fostered innovative programs to promote and support low-to-moderate income individuals and families in achieving homeownership. However, the sustainability of homeownership among this group is an area of concern as default and foreclosure rates have increased and are expected to grow. This exploratory study examined the housing experience of 11 female, first-time low-to-moderate income homeowners who completed a homebuyer education program. Their experiences suggest that sustaining homeownership, while problematic, provides immeasurable positive gains within themselves and for their families. Strategies of how they cope with the challenges inherent in maintaining this asset are discussed. Implications for supporting these tenuous housing situations are offered.
A melanocyte lineage program confers resistance to MAP kinase pathway inhibition

Malignant melanomas harbouring point mutations (Val600Glu) in the serine/threonine-protein kinase BRAF (BRAF(V600E)) depend on RAF-MEK-ERK signalling for tumour cell growth. RAF and MEK inhibitors show remarkable clinical efficacy in BRAF(V600E) melanoma; however, resistance to these agents remains a formidable challenge. Global characterization of resistance mechanisms may inform the development of more effective therapeutic combinations. Here we carried out systematic gain-of-function resistance studies by expressing more than 15,500 genes individually in a BRAF(V600E) melanoma cell line treated with RAF, MEK, ERK or combined RAF-MEK inhibitors. These studies revealed a cyclic-AMP-dependent melanocytic signalling network not previously associated with drug resistance, including G-protein-coupled receptors, adenyl cyclase, protein kinase A and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Preliminary analysis of biopsies from BRAF(V600E) melanoma patients revealed that phosphorylated (active) CREB was suppressed by RAF-MEK inhibition but restored in relapsing tumours. Expression of transcription factors activated downstream of MAP kinase and cAMP pathways also conferred resistance, including c-FOS, NR4A1, NR4A2 and MITF. Combined treatment with MAPK-pathway and histone-deacetylase inhibitors suppressed MITF expression and cAMP-mediated resistance. Collectively, these data suggest that oncogenic dysregulation of a melanocyte lineage dependency can cause resistance to RAF-MEK-ERK inhibition, which may be overcome by combining signalling- and chromatin-directed therapeutics.