cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of the acid-catalyzed decomposition of the farnesyl phosphates

Abstract The rates and (in some cases) products of the acid-catalyzed decomposition of (Z,E)- and (E,E)-farnesyl phosphate, (Z,E)- and (E,E) - 1,1 - dideutereofarnesyl phosphate, (Z)- and (E) - 6,7,10,11 - tetrahydrofarnesyl phosphate, and t-butyl phosphate have been studied in an attempt to determine whether (Z,E)-farnesyl phosphate ionizes with intramolecular assistance from the C-6/C-7 double bond or via an unassisted process leading to a simple allylic cation. Data in support of both possibilities are adduced, but it is concluded, primarily on the basis of the secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects, that the ionization involves little, if any, assistance from the double bond.
Carbon monoxide production and utilization by higher plants.

The work that has been done to date on CO production and utilization by plants, including seaweed and higher plants, is limited, but sufficient to show that the phenomenon is a significant one and deserving study in the relationship of this compound to the betterment of environmental conditions. Present indications are that plants may play a significant role in the reduction of CO concentration in the atmosphere. Further study is necessary to determine quantitative values and comparative contributions of different species in both the production and utilization of CO. Results obtained so far on CO uptake by plants or microorganisms have used partial pressures of CO from 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 6/ times atmospheric levels. These suggest that the production of CO by plants may exceed uptake. Comparative data on various species are needed before the role of plants in maintaining CO levels can be evaluated. 10 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.
Non-intrusive experimental investigation of flow behavior inside a 5 × 5 rod bundle with spacer grids using PIV and MIR

The validity of the simulation results from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is still under scrutiny. Some existing CFD closure models for complex flow produce results that are generally recognized as being inaccurate. Development of improved models for complex flow simulation requires an improved understanding of the detailed flow structure evolution with dynamic interaction of the flow multi-scales. Thus, the goal of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of presupposed and existent events that could affect the safety of nuclear power plants. The fundamental phenomena of fluid flow in rod bundles with spacer grids can be elucidated by using state-of-the-art measurement techniques. This study aims to develop an experimental data base with high spatial and temporal resolution of fluid flow velocity inside a 5 × 5 rod bundles with spacer grids. The full-field detailed data base is intended to validate CFD codes at various temporal-spatial scales. Measurements are carried out using dynamic particle image velocimetry (DPIV) technique inside an optically transparent rod bundle utilizing the matching index of refraction (MIR) approach. This work presents full field velocity vectors and turbulence statistics for a rod bundle under single phase flow conditions.
Embracing Cultural Contexts and Critical Reflexivity: (Re)presenting the Global Sports Industry in Research and Practice

Abstract Management arises out of ordinary human relationships within which people make individual and collective choices based on their cultural values and beliefs. To date, however, there has been limited analysis of the centrality of “culture” and “cultural issues” within the social practice and scholarly study of sport management. The author champions the case for a more conceptually-reflexive approach to sport management in theory and practice—one rooted in the problematical engagement with “culture.” It is argued that a “culturalist” approach would enable sport management students and practitioners to better understand the dynamics of diversity within the sports industry and the appropriate cross-cultural and multicultural skills needed. The development of cultural sensitivity within the field of sport management requires deliberate personal, theoretical, methodological and practice interventions. The article features the author's own personal journey toward embracing and articulating a wider histor...
Losses and Recovery of Curd Fines in Cottage Cheese Manufacture

Abstract In five California cottage cheese factories, losses of curd as fines in whey and wash water averaged about 4% of the yield of curd. Evaluation of the profitability of recovering the fines indicated that a plant producing 12 million lb (5.4 million kg) of curd per year could save annually a net of about $160,000 using a centrifugal separator or $80,000 using a screen separator.
Treatment of Evans’ Syndrome With Human Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Leflunomide in a Diabetic Dog

An 11-year-old, spayed female miniature schnauzer with diabetes mellitus was presumptively diagnosed with Evans' syndrome (ES). Because of the potential adverse effects of immunosuppressive doses of glucocorticoids in a diabetic dog, a single infusion of human intravenous immunoglobulin and oral leflunomide were used as first-line immunomodulatory therapy, after informed owner consent was received. This treatment resulted in complete remission of the ES, and leflunomide was discontinued after 10 months of therapy. Over a 19-month follow-up, the dog did not relapse and has remained a well-regulated diabetic.
FATIGUE LIFE BEHAVIOR OF COPPER SINGLE CRYSTALS. PART II: MODEL FOR CRACK NUCLEATION IN PERSISTENT SLIP BANDS

A crack nucleation model is constructed based on the random slip of the dislocations within the fatal persistent slip band (PSB). From such a model, we derive the notch-peak probability function. The crack is considered to nucleate when a critical notch depth is attained. This depth is constant for applied strains corresponding to the plateau of the cyclic stress- strain curve because the stress is constant. The PSBs behave in such a way that the more concentrated their localized slip the fewer the cycles required to attain the critical notch depth. Using the experimental relation between the applied strain and the magnitude of the slip offsets (reported in Part I) in conjunction with observations of the notch distributions along the gage surface, we have obtained the relation between the applied strain and the cycles for crack nucleation. A log-log plot of this relation shows a slightly different slope from that of the Coffin-Manson life data, previously reported. However, by allowing for cycles spent in Stage II propagation, good agreement is obtained.
Regulation of smooth muscle-specific gene expression by cGMP-dependent protein kinase

Background Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in normal adult blood vessels exhibit a differentiated, "contractile" phenotype, but in atherosclerotic disease and after acute vascular injury, they de-differentiate into a proliferative, "synthetic" phenotype; the latter is characterized by decreased smooth muscle (SM)-specific gene expression and decreased cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) activity [1,2]. Prolonged in vitro culture of primary aortic VSMCs, or exposure of pulmonary VSMCs to hypoxia also leads to de-differentiation associated with loss of PKG, and restoring PKG activity increases SM-specific gene expression and re-differentiates cells into the contractile phenotype, but the mechanism(s) whereby PKG regulates SM genes are poorly understood [2,3].
High altitude food preparation and processing

The preparation and the general quality characteristics of our foods are affected by atmoshperic pressure. Taste is perceived as a function of solubility and not volatility as in the case of odor. Therefore, no one would expect a change in taste sensitivity with changes in altitude. However, basic taste sensitivity decreases with increasing elevation. Photomicrographs have indicated that certain starches in dilute suspensions increased in particle size. Water binding capacities and viscosities of these starches were significantly affected by atmospheric pressure. Amylograph and mixograph curve characteristics vary considerably when these instruments are operated under varying atmospheric pressures. Many commercial bakeries, flour mills, and cereal chemistry laboratories are located in the high altitude region (above 2,500 ft) and have to consider altitude when examining or reporting amylograph or mixograph data. Breads have larger volumes and cookies are larger in diameter when baked at higher elevations....
Flipping the oncogene switch: illumination of tumor maintenance and regression

The genetic construction of cancer-prone mice, combined with the capacity to control transgene expression in vivo, provides new opportunities to study the role of oncogenes in the maintenance of fully formed tumors. These inducible cancer models provide a means to dissect how specific oncogenic signals influence host-tumor symbiosis, to validate the importance of a given oncogenic lesion in established advanced tumors, and to predict the biological response and adaptations to therapies targeted to that cancer-causing genetic alteration.
Generation and Study of the Reactivity of α-Ammonium Distonic Radical Cations in Solution

Generation and Study of the Reactivity of alpha-Ammonium Distonic Radical Cations in Solution.
An Approach to Evaluating Environmental, Social, and Economic Factors in Water Resources Planning

. Decisions among water resources planning alternatives must consider, along with engineering and economics, a variety of environmental and social effects which are viewed and weighted differently by different interest groups. This paper briefly discusses present methods of project evaluation and then describes an approach adapted from highway planning literature for evaluating both monetary and non-monetary variables and presenting them to decision makers at all levels. Social and environmental consequences are analyzed and presented using a graphical description called a “factor profile,” which measures in appropriate units all relevant non-monetary effects of each alternative. Then, using the factor profile and engineering-economic analysis, a series of paired comparisons are made to obtain a preference ranking among alternatives. Since preference decisions are extremely complex, a step by step procedure to simplify the decision-making process is described. A case example considering four proposed flood control alternatives with the relevant environmental and social impacts is given to illustrate the use of the factor profile and the decision making procedure.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIQUIDITY AS A FACTOR IN ASSET PRICING

We employ the Fama-French time-series regression approach to examine liquidity as a risk factor affecting stock returns. Prior studies establish liquidity as an important consideration in investment decisions. Here, liquidity is found to be an important factor affecting portfolio returns, even after the effects of market, size, book-to-market equity, and momentum are considered. Nonzero intercepts remain, however, indicating continued missing risk factors.
Monotonicity of the free energy in the stochastic Heisenberg model

The specific free energy of the state at timet of the stochastic Heisenberg model is shown to be non-increasing witht, and to strictly decrease whenever this state is not a Gibbs state of the Hamiltonian. The initial state is assumed to be translation invariant and suitably smooth. For such states a convergence theorem is obtained.
Photoelastic study of centrifugal stresses in a single wheel and hub

Results of a photoelastic study of centrifugal stresses in a single wheel with integral hub are given. Stress distributions are determined on the bore and lateral surfaces, and on several radial interior lines. The results are compared with theoretical stresses.
Construction and transformation of a Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vector

Thermotoga spp. are attractive candidates for producing biohydrogen, green chemicals, and thermostable enzymes. They may also serve as model systems for understanding life sustainability under hyperthermophilic conditions. A lack of genetic tools has hampered the investigation and application of these organisms. This study aims to develop a genetic transfer system for Thermotoga spp. Methods for preparing and handling Thermotoga solid cultures under aerobic conditions were optimized. A plating efficiency of ~50% was achieved when the bacterial cells were embedded in 0.3% Gelrite. A Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vector pDH10 was constructed using pRQ7, a cryptic mini-plasmid found in T. sp. RQ7. Plasmid pDH10 was introduced to T. maritima and T. sp. RQ7 by electroporation and liposome-mediated transformation. Transformants were isolated, and the transformed kanamycin resistance gene (kan) was detected from the plasmid DNA extracts of the recombinant strains by PCR and was confirmed by restriction digestions. The transformed DNA was stably maintained in both Thermotoga and E. coli even without the selective pressure. Thermotoga are transformable by multiple means. Recombinant Thermotoga strains have been isolated for the first time. A heterologous kan gene is functionally expressed and stably maintained in Thermotoga.
The Therapeutic Milieu Reconceptualized for the 21st Century

The notion of the therapeutic milieu has come under fire for lack of relevance to current inpatient psychiatric care environments. Yet, in different fields of health care, scholars are suggesting a need to build healing environments. A view of the therapeutic milieu as an optimal healing environment based on continuous healing relationships, patient-centered care, safety as a systems priority, and cooperation among clinicians provides a framework to organize care in a holistic manner that supports positive health outcomes. This approach provides a platform for nurses and other clinicians to expand the view of a milieu traditionally limited to the unit environment to one that includes a broad systems context.
The Effect of Auditory Rhythmic Stimulation on Articulatory Accuracy in Apraxia of Speech

In order to study the effects of different rates of rhythmic auditory stimulation on the phonemic accuracy of speakers who have apraxia of speech, eight apraxic subjects read four equated monosyllabic passages under one control and three experimental conditions. In the experimental conditions, rhythmic auditory stimulation provided by a metronome was imposed at each subject's oral reading rate as well as 75% and 125% of this established rate. In the control condition, the subjects read without any accompanying rhythmic stimulation. It was found that the stimulus supplied by an auditory metronome did not significantly improve the phonemic accuracy of these subjects. Articulatory accuracy tended to deteriorate under imposed rhythmic stimulation.
Electron impact ionization of Io's sodium emission cloud

The geometry of the sodium cloud associated with Io (Jupiter I) indicates that the lifetime of the neutral sodium atoms is an order of magnitude less than the photoionization lifetime. We suggest that ionization by thermal plasma electrons in the Jovian magnetosphere is the dominant Na loss process. Using plasma densities deduced from Pioneer 10 measurements, the lifetime and density distributions are calculated for Na and other species which may be present in the cloud around Io. Electron ionization of Na is found to be an order of magnitude faster than photoionization, in agreement with the lifetime deduced from Na cloud observations.
Optical Properties and Liquid-Crystalline Behaviors of Cyclosiloxane-Based Oligomer Films

A series of liquid crystalline (LC) oligomer films (IP-VP) were prepared by use of cyclo(tetramethylhydrogeno)siloxane (CTMHS), and two different cholesteric monomers that possess ortho- or para-substituted benzene. The chemical structures, liquid-crystalline properties and optical properties of the synthesized materials were characterized by various experimental techniques. All the samples showed cholesteric phase with very wide mesophase temperature ranges. From IP to VP, the glass transition temperature and the isotropic temperature decreased slightly with increase of C2PB component in the polymer systems. The maximum reflection bands shift to long wavelength from IP to VP, suggesting the helical pitch become longer with more ortho-substituted benzene in the polymer systems
Immunoreactive lectins in leaf gel from Aloe barbadensis Miller

Lectins isolated from the gel portion of leaves of Aloe barbadensis Miller by differential centrifugations and gel filtration were found to have strong haemagglutination and mitogenic activities. Haemagglutination titres induced by these lectins were markedly higher than those induced by lectins isolated similarly from Aloe saponaria Haw and Aloe chinesis. The levels of lymphocyte blastogenesis using the Aloe barbadensis Miller lectins were high, but markedly less than those detected using positive control lectins concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin. Results of Western blot transfers followed by immunoblots using specific receptor antisera suggested that the Aloe barbadensis Miller lectins were active at alpha D-glucose and mannose sites and not at n-acetyl glucosamine sites
Purification of Plasmodium lophurae cathepsin D and its effects on erythrocyte membrane proteins.

Abstract The cathepsin D of Plasmodium lophurae was purified using a combination of CM-Sephadex, pepstatinagarose and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The plasmodial enzyme was distinct from that of the host red cell and bovine spleen in its low isoelectric point (p I 4.3). The cathepsin D of P. lophurae , as well as plasmodial extracts demonstrating such proteinase activity, were able to digest the membrane proteins of duckling and human red cells at pH 7.4; proteolysis was not inhibited in phosphate-buffered saline by 100 μM pepstatin. Membrane proteins most susceptible to proteolysis were those of the cytoskeleton, notably bands 1 and 2 (spectrin), bands 2.1–2.6 (spectrin-binding proteins) and band 3. Membrane protein degradation by crude plasmodial extracts was partially inhibited by a combination of 10 mM FeCl 3 , and 10 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride in phosphate-buffered saline. The changes induced in erythrocyte membrane proteins by exposure to plasmodial cathepsin D parallel the alterations observed in red cell membranes obtained from malaria infected cells. Since the action of the plasmodial protease was confined to the inner surface of the red cell membrane, it is possible that protease-induced modifications in the red cell cytoskeleton could lead to merozoite release.
Dental microwear of European Miocene catarrhines: evidence for diets and tooth use

Abstract Paleontologists have identified ape-like primates from the middle and late Miocene of Europe for more than a century, and new finds continue to improve the record of these important forms. Both hominoids and plio-pithecids are recognized in these assemblages. One key to understanding the ecology and evolution of these primates is the inference of their feeding adaptations. The current study reconstructs the diets of European Miocene catarrhines by examining microscopic use-wear on their teeth. Molar microwear data, such as the ratios of microscopic pits to scratches, reveal a diversity of dietary specializations not seen in living apes, ranging from hard-object feeding for Ouranopithecus macedoniensis to soft-fruit eating for Dryopithecus spp., Anapithecus hernyaki , and Pliopithecus spp. to folivory for Oreopithecus bambolii and pliopithecid specimens from Castell de Barbera, Spain. Incisor microwear analyses also identify variation among these primates such that O. macedoniensis and Pliopithecus platydon probably more often used their front teeth in the ingestion of small or angular abrasives than did other primates studied. Further, O. macedoniensis evidently used its front teeth for a variety of ingestive behaviors that included more stripping of foods laterally across the incisors than did the other taxa examined.
On a general correlation for catalyst fouling

Abstract A simple mechanism that models the fouling of a supported-metal-reforming catalyst accompanying the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane is presented and compared with published data for this system. The model of the fouling process is a Rideal-Eley type of mechanism. It correlates the data on catalytic reforming well in the region of high activity that is of greatest interest industrially. Published results from eight different fouling studies of reforming and catalytic cracking are used to obtain a more general fouling correlation between catalyst activity and reaction time and serves as an extension to the mechanistic model. The model and the empirical correlation provide a general framework for discussing some poorly understood questions including the definition and measurement of initial activity, the role of high pressure in commercial reforming, the low stability of cracking catalysts, and an explanation of the range of powers that are observed in power law rate expressions for catalyst fouling.
Forest Roads Mapped Using LiDAR in Steep Forested Terrain

LiDAR-derived digital elevation models can reveal road networks located beneath dense forest canopy. This study tests the accuracy of forest road characteristics mapped using LiDAR in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA. The position, gradient, and total length of a forest haul road were accurately extracted using a 1 m DEM. In comparison to a field-surveyed centerline, the LiDAR-derived road exhibited a positional accuracy of 1.5 m, road grade measurements within 0.53% mean absolute difference, and total road length within 0.2% of the field-surveyed length. Airborne LiDAR can provide thorough and accurate road inventory data to support forest management and watershed assessment activities.
Growth, carbon-isotope discrimination, and drought-associated mortality across a Pinus ponderosa elevational transect.

Drought- and insect-associated tree mortality at low-elevation ecotones is a widespread phenomenon but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Enhanced growth sensitivity to climate is widely observed among trees that die, indicating that a predisposing physiological mechanism(s) underlies tree mortality. We tested three, linked hypotheses regarding mortality using a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) elevation transect that experienced low-elevation mortality following prolonged drought. The hypotheses were: (1) mortality was associated with greater growth sensitivity to climate, (2) mortality was associated with greater sensitivity of gas exchange to climate, and (3) growth and gas exchange were correlated. Support for all three hypotheses would indicate that mortality results at least in part from gas exchange constraints. We assessed growth using basal area increment normalized by tree basal area [basal area increment (BAI)/basal area (BA)] to account for differences in tree size. Whole-crown gas exchange was indexed via estimates of the CO 2 partial pressure difference between leaf and atmosphere (p a ―p c ) derived from tree ring carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C), corrected for temporal trends in atmospheric CO 2 and δ 13 C and elevation trends in pressure. Trees that survived the drought exhibited strong correlations among and between BAI, BAI/BA, p a ―p c , and climate. In contrast, trees that died exhibited greater growth sensitivity to climate than trees that survived, no sensitivity of p a ―p c to climate, and a steep relationship between p a ―p c and BAI/BA. The p a ―p c results are consistent with predictions from a theoretical hydraulic model, suggesting trees that died had a limited buffer between mean water availability during their lifespan and water availability during drought - i.e., chronic water stress. It appears that chronic water stress predisposed low-elevation trees to mortality during drought via constrained gas exchange. Continued intensification of drought in mid-latitude regions may drive increased mortality and ecotone shifts in temperate forests and woodlands.
EFFECTS OF THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE ON THE BALD HILL OUTLET SYSTEM, SAN MATEO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

The San Andreas dam and associated water distribution system were built in 1868–70 to collect, store, and distribute domestic water for use in San Francisco. Although the dam and reservoir are situated in the valley of the same name in close proximity to the San Andreas fault, they were constructed before the San Andreas fault was recognized. Following the earthquake of April 18, 1906, it was discovered that a brick forebay and other parts of the reservoir outlet system were in the slip zone of the San Andreas fault. The original outlet through which water was directed to San Francisco consisted of two tunnels joined at the brick forebay; one tunnel extends 2,820 ft to the east under Bald Hill on Buri Buri Ridge, and the other tunnel intersects the lake bottom about 250 ft west of the forebay. In 1897 a second intake was added to the system, also joining the original forebay. No major damage to this outlet system was reported in 1906, even though offsets of 7 to 10 ft were reported short distances to the southeast and northwest along the fault. During the present study the accessible parts of this original outlet system were examined with the hope of learning how the system had been affected by fault slip in 1906. The west end of the accessible tunnels was found to have been displaced at least 8.3 ft right laterally, along with a small component of east-side-down vertical movement. The tunnels are deformed over a width of at least 75 ft, and it is possible that the zone of deformation may be more than twice that width. It appears that sections of the rigid tunnels bent and rotated in the zone of deformation rather than shearing along a single fracture.
Nordic walking in fibromyalgia: A means of promoting fitness that is easy for busy clinicians to recommend

A total of 67 women with fibromyalgia were recruited to an exercise study and were randomized to moderate-to-high-intensity Nordic walking (age 48 ± 7.8 years) or to a control group engaging in supervised low-intensity walking (age 50 ± 7.6 years). A total of 58 patients completed. Significantly greater improvement in the 6-minute walk test was found in the Nordic walking group (P = 0.009), compared with the low-intensity walking group. A significantly larger decrease in exercise heart rate (P = 0.020) and significantly improved scores on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Physical function (P = 0.027) were found in the Nordic walking group as compared with the low-intensity walking group. No between-group difference was found for the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total or pain scores. The authors conclude that moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise by means of Nordic walking twice a week for 15 weeks was found to be a feasible mode of exercise, resulting in improved functional capacity and a decreased level of activity limitations.
Comparative Genomics of Cultured and Uncultured Strains Suggests Genes Essential for Free-Living Growth of Liberibacter

The full genomes of two uncultured plant pathogenic Liberibacter, Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum, are publicly available. Recently, the larger genome of a closely related cultured strain, Liberibacter crescens BT-1, was described. To gain insights into our current inability to culture most Liberibacter, a comparative genomics analysis was done based on the RAST, KEGG, and manual annotations of these three organisms. In addition, pathogenicity genes were examined in all three bacteria. Key deficiencies were identified in Ca. L. asiaticus and Ca. L. solanacearum that might suggest why these organisms have not yet been cultured. Over 100 genes involved in amino acid and vitamin synthesis were annotated exclusively in L. crescens BT-1. However, none of these deficiencies are limiting in the rich media used to date. Other genes exclusive to L. crescens BT-1 include those involved in cell division, the stringent response regulatory pathway, and multiple two component regulatory systems. These results indicate that L. crescens is capable of growth under a much wider range of conditions than the uncultured Liberibacter strains. No outstanding differences were noted in pathogenicity-associated systems, suggesting that L. crescens BT-1 may be a plant pathogen on an as yet unidentified host.
Other data on the effects of social isolation during rearing upon adult reproductive behaviour in the rhesus monkey (Macaca-mulatta)

Abstract Data are reported on the reproductive behaviours of 14 rhesus monkeys which had been reared from infancy in relative social isolation. The 10 females were able to conceive; the 5 permitted to bear their young vaginally at term reacted to the offpsring normally. The 4 males mated satisfactorily with species-typical positioning and, in 3 cases, sired offspring. The differences between these behaviours and those reported elsewhere are striking. The characteristics of the rearing conditions suggest the importance of visual and auditory contact in infancy and adolescence for the development of normal sexual behaviour.
A phase II study of lapatinib in patients with advanced biliary tree and hepatocellular cancer

To evaluate the response to lapatinib, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptors 1 and 2, in patients with advanced bilary tree cancer (BTC) and hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Lapatinib was dosed at 1,500 mg/day orally continuously. Fifty-seven patients were accrued (BTC 17, HCC 40). Therapy was well tolerated. The response in BTC was 0% and in HCC was 5%. The progression free survival (PFS) for BTC and HCC patients was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.7–5.2) months and 2.3 (95% CI: 1.7–5.6) months. The median survival for BTC and HCC patients was 5.2 (95% CI 3.3–∞) months and 6.2 (95% CI: 5.1–∞) months. EGFR genotyping indicated HCC patients with <20 repeats have the lowest PFS. The occurrence of any skin rash significantly prolonged PFS and survival. Lapatinib was well-tolerated. There was evidence of activity in HCC, but therapy with lapatinib did not meet the predefined efficacy rate.
Scalable, Bayesian, multi-electrode spike sorting

Multi-electrode array technology provides an efficient means of recording from many neurons. However, as arrays become larger, a greater computational burden falls on the spike-sorting algorithm. We have developed a new method, that scales linearly with array size, for sorting multi-electrode signals from retinal ganglion cells. We believe that our techniques represent progress toward solving many of the source separation problems that will become ubiquitous as large multi-electrode arrays become commonplace. The broad outline of our method is to identify spikes in the raw data, cluster a subset, generate template waveforms, then fit the templates to all the data using an iterative Bayesian algorithm. Spikes are identified as spatiotemporally connected patches of threshold-crossing voltage samples. The spike waveform is taken from a fixed neighborhood centered on the electrode having the peak voltage within each patch. This approach allows for segmentation of simultaneous, yet spatially separated, events and prevents the waveform dimensionality from increasing with array size. Next we cluster a small subset of spikes. We use an existing algorithm, OPTICS, which orders the waveforms so that similar spikes are placed together. This linear ordering makes cluster boundaries easily distinguishable by the user. We have built a GUI in which the manual cluster cutting can be performed efficiently. For each cluster, we align the waveforms and take the median to get templates. The primary obstacle in fitting templates to the data is the presence of overlapping spikes, which distort the observed waveforms. One established approach to the problem is to simply fit single templates, then subtract the best fit and iterate. However, the amplitude of the observed spike can differ substantially from the template, producing errors upon subtraction. We avoid this problem by allowing the amplitude of the template to vary; this is most naturally incorporated into a Bayesian framework. We model each waveform as a linear superposition of templates with Gaussian-distributed amplitudes, plus correlated Gaussian noise. We then seek the most probable template, spike time, and amplitude given the data. The spatial localization of spikes narrows down the list of candidate templates, speeding up the algorithm. The Gaussian amplitude prior allows the amplitudes to be marginalized analytically, avoiding an explicit sum. We have tested the method on many data sets recorded with a dense 30-electrode array, under a variety of stimulus conditions. It always produces very low error rates. Tests with larger arrays, different species, and synthetic data are ongoing.
Interpreting Statistical Evidence with Empirical Likelihood Functions

There has been growing interest in the likelihood paradigm of statistics, where statistical evidence is represented by the likelihood function and its strength is measured by likelihood ratios. The available literature in this area has so far focused on parametric likelihood functions, though in some cases a parametric likelihood can be robustified. This focused discussion on parametric models, while insightful and productive, may have left the impression that the likelihood paradigm is best suited to parametric situations. This article discusses the use of empirical likelihood functions, a well-developed methodology in the frequentist paradigm, to interpret statistical evidence in nonparametric and semiparametric situations. A comparative review of literature shows that, while an empirical likelihood is not a true probability density, it has the essential properties, namely consistency and local asymptotic normality that unify and justify the various parametric likelihood methods for evidential analysis. Real examples are presented to illustrate and compare the empirical likelihood method and the parametric likelihood methods. These methods are also compared in terms of asymptotic efficiency by combining relevant results from different areas. It is seen that a parametric likelihood based on a correctly specified model is generally more efficient than an empirical likelihood for the same parameter. However, when the working model fails, a parametric likelihood either breaks down or, if a robust version exists, becomes less efficient than the corresponding empirical likelihood.
Implementing Integrated Multicultural Instructional Design In Management Education

This purpose of this paper is to summarize the principles of integrated multicultural instructional design (IMID; Higbee, Goff, & Schultz, in press; Higbee, Schultz, & Goff, 2010) and present specific strategies for incorporating IMID in management education. The primary goal of IMID is to promote the integration of multicultural content and diverse teaching and learning strategies in postsecondary curricula, programs, courses, and academic support services. Results of a pilot project will be presented that include student evaluations of faculty teaching methods; inclusion of multicultural course content; strategies for the assessment of learning; and commitment to diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice when IMID is embedded in the curriculum. This paper also includes a discussion of andragogy related to multicultural strategies and the creation of inclusive learning environments in collegiate management education.
Gonzaga Smart Antenna and Radio Lab

Gonzaga University's Smart Antenna and Radio Laboratory (SARL) equipment was obtained in Q4 of 2010 via a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The lab enables innovators to address issues in wireless communications by facilitating the design, simulation, and testing of interference-reducing, high-performance communications, radios, algorithms, and antenna systems. The complexity and performance of wireless digital communication systems has increased substantially in recent years. Nearly all new wireless standards use multi-antenna techniques to increase spectral efficiency and resulting system bandwidth. The laboratory reduces the barrier-to-entry for companies and educational institutions requiring access to the tools required to develop designs and conduct research. The SARL at Gonzaga University will lead to improved reliability for life-critical first responder communications, smart grid energy, and natural resource management. It provides collaborative research and educational opportunities for faculty and students at three participating universities and one community college. Many local wireless technology companies are committed to collaborating with member institutions and utilizing the equipment. Native American summer science and other science, engineering and math related programs expose at least 1000 K-12 students annually to Gonzaga University's faculty, students and entrepreneurs.
Cardiac Remodeling: UPS Lost in Transit

See related article on pages 1018–1026 When challenged to write an editorial, it is difficult to resist a play of words. To state it up front: UPS is the ubiquitin–proteasome system and not the trusted parcel carrier. UPS also epitomizes our current understanding of the complex system by which the cardiomyocyte (like virtually every cell in the body) breaks down useless proteins to make room for new (and useful) proteins that make up the cell. The concept of protein turnover is not new. More then 60 years ago, Rudolf Schonheimer, a pioneer in the use of stable isotopes to assess biological processes, formulated the revolutionary idea of The Dynamic State of Body Constituents .1 Today, we recognize that in the heart, like in every other organ of the body, protein turnover is a result of the ordered, regulated, and balanced equilibrium of protein synthesis and degradation (Figure 1). We also recognize the fact, that with both hypertrophic and atrophic remodeling, the fetal gene program is reactivated2 and rates of protein turnover are increased,3,4 although relative rates differ (Figure). Although pathways regulating protein synthesis are already quite well characterized in the heart,3,5 our knowledge about pathways that regulate myocardial proteolysis is still limited.6 Protein breakdown is essential for the removal of dysfunctional proteins and for the adaptation to new physiologic states when it is of advantage for the organism to survive by breaking down its own constituents (eg, starvation induces skeletal muscle atrophy). Although each protein has its own characteristic half-life, even under normal circumstances, the proteins of the heart turn over at an average rate that would replace all heart proteins in the course of 30 days (H.E. Morgan, personal communication, 2005). Considering the wide range of cell functions, that are regulated by protein …
The decision pattern: capturing and communicating design intent

The design of large software systems requires designers to apply critical thinking skills to resolve the complex design problems these systems typically generate. Cultivating these skills in novice designers involves exposing them to the complexities of these problems, allowing them to critically explore the problem and application domains, and providing a means to communicate the rationales for the design decisions they make. In a classroom learning environment, the processes students use to think about and organize what they know and do not know about the design problems is more important to the students' learning than the artifacts they generate. Effectively communicating to the instructor why they make their decisions facilitates assessment and feedback on the thinking and organizing process, and enhances the learning experience. This paper presents a pattern or template for capturing and communicating this information in a concise yet information-rich format. The author's experience using this pattern in a teaching and learning context is discussed to validate the effectiveness of this pattern.
Managing engineering development utilizing a general hardware description language

To compete in a global economy, new strategies must be developed that facilitate entrance into the marketplace, increase technology transfer, and reduce engineering costs. Utilization of a general hardware description language (HDL) will achieve these goals and allow competition in a global market. An HDL facilitates technology transfer and prevents the fielding of an obsolete system. Using HDL technology effectively will result in a superior, low-cost product with a hyperextended system life. Additionally, HDL allows sound concurrent engineering practices to be exercised by capturing design rationale. The MIMIC (Microwave and Millimeter Wave Monolithic Integrated Circuits) Hardware Description Language (MHDL) is considered as an example. >
Speech–language characteristics of children with neurofibromatosis type 1

Delays in speech and articulation development have been found in school-aged children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This report examines speech and language skills of preschool children with NF1. Nineteen 3- to 5-year-old children diagnosed with NF1 were assessed using measures of articulation (GFTA-2), and receptive and expressive language (CELF-P2). Significant differences were observed between mean scores obtained by the group of children with NF1 compared to the validated controls from the speech and language instruments (P < or = 0.009). Sixty-eight percent of the children exhibited delays in speech and/or language. Thirty-two percent demonstrated delays in articulation, 37% percent demonstrated delays in receptive language, and 37% exhibited delays in expressive language. Sixteen percent of the children exhibited a voice disorder and 42% were judged to have a resonance problem. No significant differences were observed on any of the measures of speech and language for children with non-familial versus familial NF1. Results of this study support the need for early assessment of speech and language problems for children diagnosed with NF1 and implementation of appropriate timely intervention as needed.
Supporting quality of service in a non-dedicated opportunistic environment

In This work we investigate the utilization of non-dedicated, opportunistic resources in a desktop environment to provide statistical assurances to a class of QoS sensitive, soft real-time applications. Supporting QoS in such an environment presents unique challenges: (1) soft real-time tasks must have continuous access to resources in order to deliver meaningful services. Therefore the tasks will fail if not enough idle resources are available in the system. (2) Although soft real-time tasks can be migrated from one machine to another, their QoS may be affected if there are frequent migrations. In this paper, we define two new QoS metrics (task failure rate and probability of bad migrations) to characterize these QoS failures/degradations. We also design admission control and resource recruitment algorithms to provide statistical guarantees on these metrics. Our model based simulation results show that the admission control algorithms are effective at providing the desired level of assurances, and are robust to different resource usage patterns. Our resource recruitment algorithm may need long time of observations to provide the desired guarantee. But even with moderate observations, we can reduce the probability of a bad migration from 12% to less than 4%, which is good enough for most real applications.
Computing integrals involving the matrix exponential

A new algorithm for computing integrals involving the matrix exponential is given. The method employs diagonal Pade approximation with scaling and squaring. Rigorous truncation error bounds are given and incorporated in a Fortran subroutine. The computational aspects of this program are discussed and compared with existing techniques.
Dietary stearic acid and thromboxane-prostacyclin biosynthesis in normal human subjects

Ten male subjects were fed a diet rich in stearic acid while they were contained to a metabolic ward. There were three study periods: a 20-d baseline period followed by two 40-d intervention periods. The baseline diet contained 4.4% of energy from stearic acid; one intervention diet was high in stearic acid (7.3% of energy) and the other intervention diet was low in stearic acid (1.6% of energy). The energy contribution of protein, carbohydrate, and fat (16%, 54%, and 30%, respectively) was identical for the two diets. The fat content was distributed equally among saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Urinary excretions of thromboxane B2, 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2, 6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha, and 2,3-dinor-6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha were not significantly different during the two different intervention periods. This suggests that changes in dietary stearic acid do not affect in vivo thromboxane A2 or prostacyclin biosynthesis.
Authority, Incentives, and Performance: Evidence from a Chinese Newspaper

Abstract This paper examines how the allocation of authority within an organization affects workers’ incentives and performance, using personnel data from a Chinese newspaper. Relying on an authority change that transferred the right of making editorial decisions from midlevel editors to top editors in four of the eight divisions in the newspaper, I find that the authority change improves reporters’ performance while reducing their activities for private gain and decreases midlevel editors’ journalistic initiative. To reconcile these findings, a synthesis of two theories on authority and incentives—the vertical and the horizontal allocation of authority—is needed.
An enactivist account of abstract words: lessons from Merleau-Ponty

Enactivist accounts of language use generally treat concrete words in terms of motor intentionality systems and affordances for action. There is less consensus, though, regarding how abstract words are to be understood in enactivist terms. I draw on Merleau-Ponty’s later philosophy to argue, against the representationalist paradigm that has dominated the cognitive scientific and philosophical traditions, that language is fundamentally a mode of participation in our world. In particular, language orients us within our milieus in a manner that extends into the depth of the idea-endowed world (where “ideas” are construed in a specifically Merleau-Pontian sense). This conceptualization of language allows us to see that abstract words orient us bodily just as surely as concrete words do, albeit in a manner that is more diffuse across the entirety of given situations, as I will show with an example of abstract language use in Don DeLillo’s novel Underworld. These insights are applied to some of the recent enactivist discourse to suggest some ways in which representationalism maintains a latent presence in this discourse. I conclude by pointing to developments in conceptual metaphor theory that can enrich our sense of how abstract language is involved in embodied understanding.
Controlled Postpartum–Newborn Simulation With Objective Evaluation Exchanged for Clinical Learning

Abstract Background Simulation offers educators a way to replicate traditional clinical experiences in a controlled, safe environment. Simulated training bolsters nursing students' confidence, and nurse educators find simulation delivers measurable performance improvements. Method Undergraduate nursing students' performance and learning in a simulated setting was compared with a traditional clinical setting. Results Findings revealed no significant differences in ability to demonstrate competent assessment skills, determine appropriate interventions, and think critically between students in a traditional pediatric clinical experience with postpartum–newborn simulations, compared with students in a traditional maternal–newborn clinical plus the same simulations. Differences between high- and low-performing student's performance in skills were evaluated beyond simple observation based on a standardized simulation evaluation tool. Conclusions These results support replacing traditional clinical experiences with simulation and provide support for objective evaluation benchmarking clinical reasoning capabilities beyond the "pass/fail" evaluation of student competency.