cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
College Students’ Responses to Emotional Anti–Alcohol Abuse Media Messages: Should We Scare or Amuse Them?:

This study examined college students' responses to emotional anti-alcohol abuse media messages (i.e., fear vs. humor appeal) aimed at discouraging heavy/binge drinking. An experiment was conducted with 94 college students. As expected, college students generally expressed higher levels of interest in anti-alcohol abuse media messages when watching fear appeal than those watching humor appeal. However, college binge drinkers who watched the fear appeal reported lower levels of readiness to change their drinking behavior than those who watched the humor appeal. This pattern was the opposite among college nonbinge drinkers, in that college nonbinge drinkers were more likely to say they would change their drinking behaviors when exposed to fear appeal than those who were exposed to humor appeal or those who did not watch any media messages. Conventional fear appeal to scare college binge drinkers seems ineffective and even counterproductive while humor appeal, if well designed, could offer alternative ways to communicate with college binge drinkers.
Application of a Focused, Pulsed X-ray Beam for Total Ionizing Dose Testing of Bipolar Linear Integrated Circuits

We demonstrate the utility of focused, pulsed X-rays for investigating localized total ionizing dose effects in bipolar analog integrated circuits. Using the LM139 comparator as a test vehicle, we show how the technique can be used to identify the sources of degradation as a result of irradiating different transistors of the device and how this impacts the input bias current, input offset voltage, and output voltage. The 2-D mapping of the sensitive regions of transistors is presented, where the results of localized irradiation impact the monitored operational parameters.
Portable Parallel Design of Weighted Multi-Dimensional Scaling for Real-Time Data Analysis

Projecting a high-dimensional dataset onto a lower dimensional space can improve the efficiency of knowledge discovery and facilitate real-time data analysis. One technique for dimension reduction, weighted multi-dimensional scaling (WMDS), approximately preserves pairwise weighted distances during the transformation; but its O(f(n)d) algorithm impedes real-time performance on large datasets. Thus, we present CLARET, our fast and portable parallel WMDS tool that combines algorithmic concepts adapted and extended from the stochastic force-based MDS (SF-MDS) and Glimmer. To further improve Claret's performance for real-time data analysis, we propose a preprocessing step that computes approximate weighted Euclidean distances by combining a novel data mapping called stretching and Johnson Lindestrauss' lemma in O(log d) time in place of the original O(d) time. This preprocessing step reduces the complexity of WMDS from O(f(n)d) to O(f(n) log d), which for large d is a significant computational gain. Finally, we present a case study of Claret by integrating it into an interactive visualization tool called V2PI to facilitate real-time analytics. To ensure the quality of the projections, we propose a geometric shape matching-based alignment process and a quality metric.
Simulation of Shoulder Dystocia for Skill Acquisition and Competency Assessment: A Systematic Review and Gap Analysis.

STATEMENT Mastery of shoulder dystocia management skills acquired via simulation training can reduce neonatal brachial plexus injury by 66% to 90%. However, the correlation between simulation drills and reduction in clinical injuries has been inconsistently replicated, and establishing a causal relationship between simulation training and reduction of adverse clinical events from shoulder dystocia is infeasible due to ethical limitations. Nevertheless, professional liability insurance carriers increasingly are mandating simulation-based rehearsal and competency assessment of their covered obstetric providers' shoulder dystocia management skills-a high-stakes demand that will require rapid scaling up of access to quality shoulder dystocia simulation. However, questions remain about differing simulation training schemes and instructional content used among clinically effective and ineffective educational interventions. This review of original research compares curricular content of shoulder dystocia simulation and reveals several critical gaps: (1) prescriptive instruction prioritizing maneuvers shown to decrease strain on the brachial plexus is inconsistently used. (2) Proscriptive instruction to avoid placing excessive and laterally directed traction on the head or to observe a brief hands-off period before attempting traction is infrequently explicit. (3) Neither relative effectiveness nor potential interaction between prescriptive and proscriptive elements of instruction has been examined directly. (4) Reliability of high-fidelity mannequins capable of objective measurement of clinician-applied traction force as compared with subjective assessment of provider competence is unknown. Further study is needed to address these gaps and inform efficient and effective implementation of clinically translatable shoulder dystocia simulation.
A Systematic Review of Consumer Preference for E-Cigarette Attributes: Flavor, Nicotine Strength, and Type

Objective Systematic review of research examining consumer preference for the main electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) attributes namely flavor, nicotine strength, and type. Method A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles resulted in a pool of 12,933 articles. We included only articles that meet all the selection criteria: (1) peer-reviewed, (2) written in English, and (3) addressed consumer preference for one or more of the e-cigarette attributes including flavor, strength, and type. Results 66 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Consumers preferred flavored e-cigarettes, and such preference varied with age groups and smoking status. We also found that several flavors were associated with decreased harm perception while tobacco flavor was associated with increased harm perception. In addition, some flavor chemicals and sweeteners used in e-cigarettes could be of toxicological concern. Finally, consumer preference for nicotine strength and types depended on smoking status, e-cigarette use history, and gender. Conclusion Adolescents could consider flavor the most important factor trying e-cigarettes and were more likely to initiate vaping through flavored e-cigarettes. Young adults overall preferred sweet, menthol, and cherry flavors, while non-smokers in particular preferred coffee and menthol flavors. Adults in general also preferred sweet flavors (though smokers like tobacco flavor the most) and disliked flavors that elicit bitterness or harshness. In terms of whether flavored e-cigarettes assisted quitting smoking, we found inconclusive evidence. E-cigarette users likely initiated use with a cigarette like product and transitioned to an advanced system with more features. Non-smokers and inexperienced e-cigarettes users tended to prefer no nicotine or low nicotine e-cigarettes while smokers and experienced e-cigarettes users preferred medium and high nicotine e-cigarettes. Weak evidence exists regarding a positive interaction between menthol flavor and nicotine strength.
Basics of Radiation Safety

Cardiac catheterization procedures expose both the patient and operator to the hazards of radiation. The hazards of repeated radiation exposure are serious, but not obvious. Four rational principles are evident.
Sodium Channels: Grit, Determination, and Persistence

Persistent sodium channel activity modulates neuronal gain in a neurotransmitter-dependent fashion. Previous studies have suggested that persistent and spike-related sodium channel activities are mediated by separate species. In this issue of Neuron, Taddese and Bean (2002) show that a single channel population is sufficient to explain both gating behaviors. A simple allosteric model is provided that can explain the results.
Afterword: Deafness and the Nature of Mental Abilities

Understanding the nature of cognition and the developmental role of environmental factors in those who are born deaf is an important subject for research. Professor Braden, however, also suggests that a wider range of implications for psychology, particularly differential psychology, is to be found in this specialized field of research. Besides providing a comprehensive review of what is known about the characteristics and development of cognitive abilities in persons who are born deaf, Professor Braden has brought this knowledge to bear uniquely on hypotheses concerning the causal factors in individual differences and racial group differences in mental abilities. His main findings about the pattern of abilities in the deaf generally fit quite neatly into the predominant view of the nature of abilities that has come clearly into focus over the past two or three decades of research on this subject.
On Mathematical Models of Optimal Video Memory Design

The big video data size today imposes huge pressure on storage. The variation and aging induced memory failures significantly influence the video output quality. Recently, researchers have developed different memory designs for videos, deep learning, and other data-intensive applications, which enables better energy-quality tradeoffs with design constraints. Unfortunately, designing memory has been proven to be a very challenging problem due to: 1) various design constraints; 2) multiple memory bitcell design options; and 3) challenging layout integration and cost analysis using different memory technologies. In this paper, we develop novel mathematical models for optimizing embedded video memory design without applying a time-consuming and laborious ASIC design process. The problems are formulated as nonlinear programs and integer linear programs. Different SRAM designs and hybrid SRAM and DRAM designs are considered in our models. The results of the numerical studies show that by applying our proposed method the average mean square error of the video storage can be greatly reduced, even by more than 90% in many cases.
Factors affecting the duration of anesthesia and surgery of canine and feline gonadectomies performed by veterinary students in a year-long preclinical surgery laboratory.

Objective To determine factors affecting the duration of canine and feline gonadectomies performed by second-year veterinary students. Study design Retrospective study of 1288 gonadectomies. Sample population One hundred ninety-four second-year veterinary students in a 24-week veterinary surgical teaching laboratory. Methods Surgical and anesthetic records were analyzed and arranged by primary surgeon in chronological order. Species, sex, weight, body condition score, occurrence of an intraoperative complication, and order of sequential cases in the year performed by the primary surgeon were assessed for their influence on anesthesia, surgery, and preparation times. Results Each student performed an average of 6.6 (±1.08) gonadectomies over 24 weeks. Dogs, females, increasing weight, intraoperative complications, and earlier sequential cases were associated with longer duration of surgery and anesthesia. These factors accounted for 50% and 59% of anesthetic and surgical time variance, respectively. The rate of intraoperative complications did not change across time but was higher during canine ovariohysterectomies. Duration of anesthesia and surgery for canine orchiectomy decreased by 29 and 21 minutes, respectively, and for canine ovariohysterectomy decreased by 16 and 12 minutes, respectively, over 24 weeks without reaching a learning plateau. Conclusion Species, sex, weight, complications, and earlier sequential cases influenced duration of anesthesia and surgery. Clinical significance By establishing a baseline for duration of student-performed surgeries and describing the relative impact of factors influencing duration, students and educators may be able to set goals for student improvement during teaching laboratories.
Technology development roadmap for Habitable-zone exoplanet observatory (HabEx) baseline 4-m primary mirror

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) is one of four mission concepts under study for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Its goal is to directly image and spectroscopically characterize planetary systems in the habitable zone around nearby sun-like stars. Additionally, HabEx will perform a broad range of general astrophysics science enabled by 115 to 2500 nm spectral range and 3 x 3 arc-minute FOV. Critical to achieving the HabEx science goals is a large, ultra-stable UV/Optical/Near-IR (UVOIR) telescope. The baseline HabEx telescope is 4-meter off-axis unobscured, diffraction limited at 400 nm with wavefront stability on the order of a few 10s of picometers. The technology readiness level (TRL) to manufacture and test the HabEx baseline primary mirror is assessed to be at TRL-6 for all but two TRL-4 technologies: 1) non-destructive process to quantify CTE homogeneity of a 4-m mirror substrate with a spatial sampling of at least 100 x 100 to better than +/- 1 ppb/K; and, 2) process to quantify self-weight gravity deflection to better than 4-nm rms over a 100 x 100 spatial sampling. This paper reviews the technology needs to manufacture the HabEx primary mirror, assesses their TRL and proposes a roadmap to mature the two remaining technologies to TRL-6.
Personality Archetypes, Pantomime, Comics: New Methods to Design Interfaces with Human Traits

This paper addresses the issue of designing interfaces which have human traits and behaviors, proposing that they have to satisfy three basic requirements: the human traits must be coherent, there should be mechanisms specific to deal with conflict with the user, and they have to handle dramatic situations created by the user. To support the design process to meet these three requirements, four design methods are presented, using frameworks and techniques used in social psychology, theater, comics, and movie animation. The design methods work towards better definition of the human personality to be perceived by the user; unearthing and mitigating the main conflicts and associated emotions to be handled by the interface; creating a rich representation of the dramatized interaction and using it to explore the space of design solutions; and transforming into interface actions the solutions found through theatrical methods. We exemplify and illustrate the design methods with results from three student workshops in the context of designing a service recovery interface for e-commerce.
Reproducing the Working Class? Incongruence between the Valuation of Social-Emotional Skills in School and in the Labor Market:

The power of social-emotional skills to improve student achievement has been hailed in recent literature. Yet foundational work in sociology of education indicates that these skills may benefit the...
Implementation of an Algorithm for Minimum Spanning Tree in a Distributed Environment

High performance computing and its applications are innumerable and the fact that it has seen a tremendous change in the recent years has given it the chance of becoming the future of computing world. The growing need for computational speed has made parallel processing as a must for every sphere of computation. Java is seen as a suitable language for high performance computing due to its appealing features. In this paper we present a model which deploys an algorithm which is suitable for increasing the computational efficiency in calculating the Minimum Spanning Tree, using the features provided by remote method invocation in java. This model implements java’s built-in features like Multi-Threading, Java RMI (Remote Method Invocation), and Object Serialization.
Mentoring Barriers, Expected Outcomes, and Practices in Scientific Communication: Scale Development and Validation:

Developing new scales to measure aspects of mentoring, including guidance in scientific communication (SciComm), is important to enhance success among trainees pursuing research careers in science ...
Aging alters the metabolic flux signature of the ER unfolded protein response in vivo in mice

Abstract Age is a risk factor for numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and diabetes. Loss of protein homeostasis is a central hallmark of aging. Activation of the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPRER) includes changes in protein translation and membrane lipid synthesis. Using stable isotope labeling, a “signature” of the UPRERin vivo in mouse liver was developed by inducing ER stress and measuring rates of both proteome-wide translation and de novo lipogenesis. Several changes in protein synthesis across ontologies were noted with age, including a more dramatic suppression of translation under ER stress in aged mice as compared to young mice. Binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) synthesis rates and mRNA levels were increased more in aged than young mice. De novo lipogenesis rates decreased under ER stress conditions in aged mice, including both triglyceride and phospholipid fractions. In young mice, only a significant reduction was seen in the triglyceride fraction. These data indicate that aged mice have an exaggerated response to ER stress, which may indicate that the aging renders the UPRER less effective in resolving proteotoxic stress.
Dividerless Frequency Acquisition & Charge Pump Mismatch Compensation for Low-Power Millimeter-Wave Sub-Sampling PLL

The advancement of integrated circuit (1C) technology into millimeter-wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) frequency bands has brought us new opportunities as well as challenges. Ultra-highspeed networks commonly referred as 5G/6G communications are fostering revolutionary information ecosystems. Portable and low-cost mmWave radar chips make self-driving vehicles safer and more reliable. Specialty applications such as dielectric material sensing [2] and atomic clock excitation expand the possibility of utilizing mmWave signals and enlighten researchers to explore further. However, due to the high-frequency loss from both active and passive devices on 1C, mmWave/THz integrated systems are faced with high power consumption which hinders their adoption in low-power applications such as lnternet-of-Things (1oT)[3]. Hence, researchers have been investigating novel low-power system structures for mmWave frequency generation and synthesis.
Gauged lepton number, Dirac neutrinos, dark matter, and muon g − 2

Abstract Lepton number is promoted to an U ( 1 ) L gauge symmetry in a simple extension of the standard model. The spontaneous breaking of U ( 1 ) L by three units allows a conserved Z 3 L lepton symmetry to remain, guaranteeing that neutrinos are Dirac fermions, which acquire naturally small masses from a previously proposed mechanism. Dark matter appears as a singlet scalar, with dark symmetry Z 3 D derivable from Z 3 L . Muon g − 2 may be explained.
An enhanced hierarchy for (robust) controlled invariance

We revisit the problem of computing controlled invariant sets for controllable discrete-time linear systems. Inspired by previous work by the authors, our main idea works in two moves: the problem is lifted to a higher dimensional space, where we provide a closed-form expression for a set whose projection back onto the original space is proven to be controlled invariant. We propose two methods in which the key insight is computing controlled invariant sets by considering periodic control policies. The first method considers hyperboxes that are rendered recurrent and essentially improves computational performance of the authors' previous work, while computing the same sets. The second method relaxes the assumption of recurrent hyper-boxes and yields substantially larger controlled invariant sets as shown in case studies. These methods do not rely on iterative computations and their scalability is illustrated in several examples, which show that none of the methods is strictly better than the other.
Symmetric Inheritance of Histones H3 in Drosophila Male Germline Stem Cell Divisions

Mitotically-stable epigenetic memory requires a mechanism for the maintenance of gene-regulatory information through the cell division cycle. Typically DNA-protein contacts are disrupted by DNA replication, but in some cases locus- specific association between DNA and overlying histones may appear to be maintained, providing a plausible mechanism for the transmission of histone-associated gene-regulatory information to daughter cells. Male Drosophila melanogaster testis germ stem cell divisions seem a clear example of such inheritance, as previously chromatin-bound histone H3.2 proteins (presumably with their post-translational modifications intact) have been reported to be retained in the germ stem cell nuclei, while newly synthesized histones are incorporated exclusively into daughter spermatogonial chromosomes. To investigate the rate of errors in this selective partitioning that may lead to defects in the epigenetic identity of germ stem cells, we employed a photoswitchable Dendra2 moiety as a C-terminal fusion on Histones H3; we could thereby discriminate histones translated before photoswitching and those translated after. We found instead that male germ line stem cell divisions show no evidence of asymmetric histone partitioning, even after a single division, and thus no evidence for locus-specific retention of either Histone H3.2 or Histone H3.3. We considered alternative hypotheses for the appearance of asymmetry and find that previous reports of asymmetric histone distribution in male germ stem cells can be satisfactorily explained by asynchrony between subsequent sister stem cell and spermatogonial divisions.
Ossification pattern of the unusual pisiform in two-toed (Choloepus) and three-toed sloths (Bradypus)

Two-toed (Choloepus sp.) and three-toed (Bradypus sp.) sloths possess short, rounded pisiforms that are rare among mammals and differ from other members of Xenarthra like the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) which retain elongated, rod-like pisiforms in common with most mammals. Using photographs, radiographs, and μCT, we assessed ossification patterns in the pisiform and the paralogous tarsal, the calcaneus, for two-toed sloths, three-toed sloths, and giant anteaters to determine the process by which pisiform reduction occurs in sloths and compare it to other previously studied examples of pisiform reduction in humans and orangutans. Both extant sloth genera achieve pisiform reduction through the loss of a secondary ossification center and the likely disruption of the associated growth plate based on an unusually porous subchondral surface. This represents a third unique mechanism of pisiform reduction among mammals, along with primary ossification center loss in humans and retention of two ossification centers with likely reduced growth periods in orangutans. Given the remarkable similarities between two-toed and three-toed sloth pisiform ossification patterns and the presence of pisiform reduction in fossil sloths, extant sloth pisiform morphology does not appear to represent a recent convergent adaptation to suspensory locomotion, but instead is likely to be an ancestral trait of Folivora that emerged early in the radiation of extant and fossil sloths.
Metaphysics In Analytic Philosophy

In Chapter One, we identified the metaphysics of the Enlightenment Project as a modern truncated form of Aristotelianism. The purpose of this chapter is (1) to elaborate upon our identification of that metaphysics as a modern and truncated form of Aristotelianism, (2) to show how much of analytic philosophy is informed by the metaphysics of the Enlightenment Project, (3) to argue that the only coherent form of “modern” Aristotelian metaphysics is Hegel’s,1 and (4) to show that although analytic philosophy is by virtue of its embrace of the Enlightenment Project opposed to Hegelianism, analytic metaphysics is often and inevitably driven in its pursuit of coherence and comprehensiveness in the direction of Hegelianism. What emerges in the metaphysics of analytic philosophy is a constant and unresolved tension between what it wishes to say and what its pursuit of coherence forces it to say.2
Covalent labeling of active sites.

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the covalent labeling of active sites. The active sites are three dimensional structures specially adapted to their specific ligands. This chapter illustrates that three types of protein are involved in the direct catalytic interaction with the specific substrate. The binding of specific ligands to these sites affects the catalytic function of the enzyme indirectly. The chapter explains that by the concerted application of a variety of labeling techniques, sequences of amino acid residues in and near active sites can be determined; mapping of the active sites to reveal some of the three-dimensional structure of the molecule can be achieved; and other problems can be attacked. The chapter concludes by exploring that this approach engages the interest of an increasing number of protein chemists and biologists in the near future.
Nuclear power in Eastern Europe: Learning or forgetting curves?

Abstract This paper analyses the operating experience of nuclear power plants in Eastern and Western Europe, the former Soviet Union and the United States to investigate differences in the effects of learning, technical change and the effect of recent political developments. The performance of Soviet-designed reactors compares favourably with Western reactors on the standard performance measures. However, learning curve estimates reveal a disturbing trend: the former Soviet Union and all countries in Eastern Europe experience increasing unplanned losses as plants age, whereas all Western countries reduce their unplanned losses. A similar ‘forgetting’phenomenon is observable for plant availability and there is some evidence that the recent political and economic reorganization have exacerbated this trend.
Guyanese Health Care Providers' HIV-Related Experiences, Attitudes, and Readiness to Provide Care

Abstract This article reports findings from a qualitative study of HIV-related knowledge and attitudes of Guyanese social service and health care providers. Social service and health care practitioners were asked to comment on beliefs and experiences regarding HIV and stigma, readiness to treat persons with HIV, and observations of cultural norms and prevailing attitudes. Two focus groups and six individual interviews led to insights about cultural and economic realities which support or obstruct education and treatment. Themes emerged in the areas of public attitudes and professional practices regarding HIV. The findings suggest that work is needed in Guyana to educate the public and prepare professionals for a burgeoning HIV pandemic. Educational, service, and political efforts should involve Guyanese people and systems at every Stage.
Titration of the Histidyl and α-Amino Groups of Hemoglobin

Abstract The titration data of Antonini, Wyman, Brunori, Fonticelli, Bucci, and Rossi-Fanelli (1), for human and horse oxy- and deoxyhemoglobins, have been analyzed in a way that yields the number of groups which titrate in the pH region normally assigned to imidazole and α-amino groups. The results suggest the possibility that the group which differs between the oxy- and deoxyproteins above pH 6.5, which is the group linked to the alkaline Bohr effect, may be an α-amino group rather than an imidazole group, as has been assumed heretofore. The number of unavailable imidazole groups, which arise from histidine residues obliged to be in the uncharged state in the native protein, is about 4 per heme in human hemoglobin and about 3 per heme in horse hemoglobin. This is considerably smaller than the number of unavailable imidazoles in sperm whale myoglobin, and is also less than the number of unavailable imidazoles estimated for horse hemoglobin in previous studies.
Two-electron oxidations at illuminated N-type semiconducting silicon electrodes

Abstract The two-electron reductants N,N,N ′ ,N ′ -tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine (TMPD), biferrocene (BF), bis(fulvene) diiron (BFD), and differrocenylmethane(VI) can all be oxidized contrathermodynamically to the dications at illuminated n-type Si photoanodes. Even for TMPD 2+ /TMPD + and BF 2+ /BF + , which have formal potentials near the top of the valence band of Si, the oxidation process to form the dication is up to ≈0.6 V contrathermodynamic at sufficiently high light intensity. But, exept for VI, each of these two-electron reductants exhibits two, one-electron, waves in cyclic voltammetry rather than one, two-electron wave as expected for an ideal n-type semiconductor/liquid junction where the top of the valence band at the interface is more positive on the potential scale than the formal potential of the solution couples. VI is unique, since the two electrons are known to be removable at nearly the same potential. Surface states provide a rationale for the observation of multiple waves at illuminated n-type Si. TMPD + oxidation is only reproducibly accomplished using n-type Si derivatized with (1,1 ′ -ferrocenediyl)dichlorosilane, I, which protects the surface from deleterious photoanodic SiO x growth on the surface at the more anodic excursions generally needed to observe TMPD + →TMPD 2+ . Dichlorodiferrocenylsilane, III, a two-electron reductant serves as a derivatizing reagent for Pt and n-type Si and gives surfaces which are similar to those previously generated by derivatization with I or trichlorosilylferrocene, II. The oxidizing power of derivatized photoanodes (or those having a high density of surface states) depends on light intensity in that the ratio surface-attached oxidant/surface-attached reductant is a measure of the oxidizing power; the ratio of attached ferricenium/ferrocene depends on light intensity and hence the oxidizing power of the surface is light intensity dependent. Drawing an analogy between redox active derivatives and surface states, the oxidizing power of the photoanode with surface states is measured by the ratio of unfilled to filled surface states, which at a given potential appears to be light intensity dependent as for the derivatized electrode.
Workers and Peasants in the Modern Middle East

Joel Beinin's survey of subaltern history in the Middle East demonstrates lucidly and compellingly how the lives, experiences and culture of working people can inform our historical understanding. Beginning in the middle of the eighteenth century, the book charts the history of peasants, urban artisans and modern working-classes across the lands of the Ottoman empire and its Muslim-majority successor-states, including the Balkans, Turkey, the Arab Middle East and North Africa. Inspired by the approach of the Indian Subaltern Studies school, the book is the first to offer a synthesized critical assessment of the scholarly work on the social history of this region for the last twenty years. It offers insights into the political, economic and social life of ordinary men and women and their apprehension of their own experiences. Students will find it rich in narrative detail, and accessible and authoritative in presentation.
A study of K-Means-based algorithms for constrained clustering

The problem of clustering with constraints has received considerable attention in the last decade. Indeed, several algorithms have been proposed, but only a few studies have partially compared their performances. In this work, three well-known algorithms for k-means-based clustering with soft constraints --Constrained Vector Quantization Error CVQE, its variant named LCVQE, and the Metric Pairwise Constrained K-Means MPCK-Means --are systematically compared according to three criteria: Adjusted Rand Index, Normalized Mutual Information, and the number of violated constraints. Experiments were performed on 20 datasets, and for each of them 800 sets of constraints were generated. In order to provide some reassurance about the non-randomness of the obtained results, outcomes of statistical tests of significance are presented. In terms of accuracy, LCVQE has shown to be competitive with CVQE, while violating less constraints. In most of the datasets, both CVQE and LCVQE presented better accuracy compared to MPCK-Means, which is capable of learning distance metrics. In this sense, it was also observed that learning a particular distance metric for each cluster does not necessarily lead to better results than learning a single metric for all clusters. The robustness of the algorithms with respect to noisy constraints was also analyzed. From this perspective, the most interesting conclusion is that CVQE has shown better performance than LCVQE in most of the experiments. The computational complexities of the algorithms are also presented. Finally, a variety of more specific new experimental findings are discussed in the paper --e.g., deduced constraints usually do not help finding better data partitions.
Standards of training in measurement and evaluation: A reaction to Loesch's proposed standards

Reactions to Loesch's proposed standards for professional preparation in measurement are given in terms of general licensure/accreditation/credentialing issues, as well as specific statements concerning each proposed standard.
Re-inventing Kenya’s university: From a “Graduate-mill” to a development-oriented paradigm

Abstract Kenya’s university sector has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the Kibaki administration, the third Kenyan president (2003–2014). This numerical growth in institutions and student enrollment applies to both public and private universities. During the same period, the government embarked on vision 2030, a blue print designed to propel the country into a middle income status by 2030. Cognizant of the global shift to knowledge economy, the government underscored the important role higher education needs to play to achieve those development goals. However, this growth has been characterized by a myriad of challenges. By analyzing published research on education and development, this paper interrogates implications of the exponential expansion of Kenya’s university, the “graduate-mill” approach, to the country’s development goals and proposes reforms required to re-invent the sector so that it can play its envisioned role in national development.
Planetary radio astronomy experiment for Voyager missions

The planetary radio astronomy experiment will measure radio spectra of planetary emissions in the range 1.2 kHz to 40.5 MHz. These emissions result from wave-particle-plasma interactions in the magnetospheres and ionospheres of the planets. At Jupiter, they are strongly modulated by the Galilean satellite Io.
Does cannabis use predict poor outcome for heroin‐dependent patients on maintenance treatment? Past findings and more evidence against

Aims—To determine whether cannabinoid-positive urine specimens in heroin-dependent outpatients predict other drug use or impairments in psychosocial functioning, and whether such outcomes are better predicted by cannabis-use disorders than by cannabis use itself. Design—Retrospective analyses of three clinical trials; each included a behavioral intervention (contingency management) for cocaine or heroin use during methadone maintenance. Trials lasted 25–29 weeks; follow-up evaluations occurred 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. For the present analyses, data were pooled across trials where appropriate. Setting—Urban outpatient methadone clinic. Participants—408 polydrug abusers meeting methadone-maintenance criteria. Measurements—Participants were categorized as nonusers, occasional users, or frequent users of cannabis based on thrice-weekly qualitative urinalyses. Cannabis-use disorders were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule III-R. Outcome measures included proportion of cocaine- and opiate-positive urines and the Addiction Severity Index (at intake and follow-ups). Findings—Cannabis use was not associated with retention, use of cocaine or heroin, or any other outcome measure during or after treatment. Our analyses had a power of .95 to detect an r 2 of .11 between cannabis use and heroin or cocaine use; the r 2 we detected was less than .03 and nonsignificant. A previous finding that cannabis use predicted lapse to heroin use in heroin-abstinent patients did not replicate in our sample. However, cannabis-use disorders were weakly associated with psychosocial problems at posttreatment follow-up. Conclusions—Cannabinoid-positive urines need not be a major focus of clinical attention during treatment for opiate dependence, unless patients report symptoms of cannabis-use disorders.
Psychological health in older adult spousal caregivers of older adults.

Objectives: The need for informal caregiving has been rapidly increasing across several countries. Spouses comprise a sizeable segment of informal caregivers and typically represent an older cohort...
Suppression of defective-sporulation phenotypes by mutations in transcription factor genes of Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract Mutations in the Bacillus subtilis major RNA polymerase sigma factor gene ( rpoD / crsA47 ) and a sensory receiver gene ( spoOA / rvtA11 ) are potent intergenic suppressors of several stage 0sporulation mutations ( spoOB, OE, OF & OK ). We show here that these suppressors also rescue temperature-sensitive sporulation phenotypes (Spo ts ) caused by mutations in RNA polymerase, ribosomal protein, and protein synthesis elongation factor EF-G genes. The effects of the crsA and rvtA suppressors on RNA polymerase and ribosomal protein spo ts mutations are similar to those previously described for mutations in another intergenic suppressor gene rev . We have examined the effects of rvtA and crsA mutations on the expression of sporulation-associated membrane proteins, including flagellin and penicillin binding protein 5 ∗ (PBP 5 ∗ ). Both suppressorsrestored sporulation and synthesis of PBP 5 ∗ in several spoO mutants. However, only rvtA restored flagelli synthesis in spoO suppressed backgrouds. The membrane protein phenotypes resulting from the presence of crsA or rvtA suppressors in spoO strainssuggests that these suppressors function via distinct molecular mechanism. The rvtA and crsA mutations are also able to block the ability of ethanol to induce spoO phenocopies at concentrations of ethanol which prevent sporulation in wild type cells. The effects of ethanol on sporulation-associated membrane protein synthesis in wild type and suppressor containing strains have been examined.
Prospects for faking believable memory deficits on neuropsychological tests and the use of incentives in simulation research.

Abstract The vulnerability of several neuropsychological memory tests – the Wechsler Memory Scale – Revised, Complex Figure Test, Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Rey Memory Test – to faked deficits was evaluated. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Control (n=28), Malingering with a financial incentive (n=30), and Malingering without a financial incentive (n=28). Overall, the performance of the Malingering Groups was not significantly different from one another, but both groups were significantly poorer than Controls. Discriminant functions with a reduced set of predictors correctly classified about 75% of cases in both the Control and the combined Malingering Groups on cross-validation. The results suggest that neuropsychological memory tests are vulnerable to faked deficits, and that recognition tasks are disproportionately affected. The use of incentives in simulation research is also discussed.
On the inconsistency of a non-pairwise version of the libertarian principle

Abstract It is shown that the non-pairwise libertarian principle is inconsistent with most relaxations of the Pareto principle, given some rather mild choice-consistency properties.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Penicillin-Binding Protein 3 Exhibits Exceptionally High Carboxypeptidase and β-Lactam Binding Activities†,‡

A soluble form of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP 3) from Neisseria gonorrhoeae was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli and characterized for its interaction with beta-lactam antibiotics, its catalytic properties with peptide and peptidoglycan substrates, and its role in cell viability and morphology. PBP 3 had an unusually high k(2)/K' value relative to other PBPs for acylation with penicillin (7.7 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1)) at pH 8.5 at 25 degrees C and hydrolyzed bound antibiotic very slowly (k(3) 230 min). PBP 3 also demonstrated exceptionally high carboxypeptidase activity with a k(cat) of 580 s(-1) and a k(cat)/K(m) of 1.8 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) with the substrate N(alpha)-Boc-N(epsilon)-Cbz-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala. This is the highest k(cat) value yet reported for a PBP or other serine peptidases. Activity against a approximately D-Ala-D-Lac peptide substrate was approximately 2-fold lower than against the analogous approximately D-Ala-D-Ala peptide substrate, indicating that deacylation is rate determining for both amide and ester hydrolysis. The pH dependence profiles of both carboxypeptidase activity and beta-lactam acylation were bell-shaped with maximal activity at pH 8.0-8.5. PBP 3 displayed weak transpeptidase activity in a model transpeptidase reaction but was active as an endopeptidase, cleaving dimeric peptide cross-links. Deletion of PBP 3 alone had little effect on viability, growth rate, and morphology of N. gonorrhoeae, although deletion of both PBP 3 and PBP 4, the other low-molecular-mass PBP in N. gonorrhoeae, resulted in a decreased growth rate and marked morphological abnormalities.
Lactic acidosis secondary to severe anemia in a patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

A patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria developed lactic acidosis associated with severe anemia. The lactic acidosis corrected after blood transfusion. In the absence of shock, sepsis, or other identifiable causes of lactic acidosis, the severe anemia (hemoglobin 1.2 g/dl) appeared to be the primary etiologic factor.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for jugular foramen schwannomas

BACKGROUND Jugular foramen schwannomas pose difficult management problems because of the surgical risk of lower cranial neuropathy. The indications and results of stereotactic radiosurgery are not well documented. METHODS We reviewed our 10-year experience in the management of 17 patients who had jugular foramen schwannomas managed with the gamma knife. Thirteen patients previously had undergone surgery (range, 1-6 resections). Four patients had multiple cranial nerve deficits before microsurgical resection; 12 developed multiple lower cranial nerve palsies after resection. Four patients underwent radiosurgery based on imaging criteria alone. Conformal dose planning (tumor margin dose of 12-18 Gy) successfully encompassed the irregular tumor volumes in all patients. RESULTS Follow-up varied from 6 to 74 months. Tumor size decreased in eight patients, remained stable in eight, and increased in one patient during the average follow-up interval of 3.5 years. Six patients improved and 10 others retained their preradiosurgery clinical status. One patient had an increase in tumor size and clinical deterioration 6 months after radiosurgery and underwent microsurgical resection. No patient developed new cranial nerve or other neurological deficits after radiosurgery. CONCLUSIONS We believe that gamma knife radiosurgery is an effective alternative to microsurgical resection for patients who have small tumors and intact lower cranial nerve function. It is also effective for patients who have residual or recurrent tumors after microsurgical resection.
Influenza A Virus-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Activity Declines with Advancing Age

Objective: To investigate whether influenza A-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity is reduced in elderly compared with younger adults. Design: Case series comparing outcomes in young and elderly cohorts. Setting: Saint Louis University Division of Geriatric Medicine. Participants: Healthy adult outpatients and staff members aged 65 (elderly) years. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assayed for CTL activity by a 51chromium release assay following 1 week of in vitro stimulation with influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus. Measurements: Percent specific lysis of autologous and allogeneic influenza virus-infected target cells. Main Results: Specific lysis of autologous A/PR-infected targets was significantly lower in elderly compared to young subjects (P < 0.01), and exceeded 10% in a significantly lower proportion of elderly compared with younger subjects (P < 0.05), but was not influenced by a history of vaccination within the preceding 12 months. Cytotoxic effectors were class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted and displayed heterosubtypic cross-reactivity but were unable to lyse influenza B-infected targets. Conclusions: These results demonstrate an age-related decline of influenza A virus-specific CTL activity and suggest that CTL responses to inactivated virus vaccine are of short duration.
Chloroplast DNA and molecular phylogeny

The small, relatively constant size and conservative evolution of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) make it an ideal molecule for tracing the evolutionary history of plant species. At lower taxonomic levels, cpDNA variation is easily and conveniently assayed by comparing restriction patterns and maps, while at higher taxonomic levels, DNA sequencing and inversion analysis are the methods of choice for comparing chloroplast genomes. The study of cpDNA variation has already yielded important new insights into the origin and evolution of many agriculturally important crop plants, and promises to significantly enhance our phylogenetic understanding of the major lines of descent among land plants and algae.
A Novel PDZ Domain Containing Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Links Heterotrimeric G Proteins to Rho

Abstract Small GTP-binding proteins of the Rho family play a critical role in signal transduction. However, there is still very limited information on how they are activated by cell surface receptors. Here, we used a consensus sequence for Dbl domains of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) to search DNA data bases, and identified a novel human GEF for Rho-related GTPases harboring structural features indicative of its possible regulatory mechanism(s). This protein contained a tandem DH/PH domain closely related to those of Rho-specific GEFs, a PDZ domain, a proline-rich domain, and an area of homology to Lsc, p115-RhoGEF, and a Drosophila RhoGEF that was termed Lsc-homology (LH) domain. This novel molecule, designated PDZ-RhoGEF, activated biological and biochemical pathways specific for Rho, and activation of these pathways required an intact DH and PH domain. However, the PDZ domain was dispensable for these functions, and mutants lacking the LH domain were more active, suggesting a negative regulatory role for the LH domain. A search for additional molecules exhibiting an LH domain revealed a limited homology with the catalytic region of a newly identified GTPase-activating protein for heterotrimeric G proteins, RGS14. This prompted us to investigate whether PDZ-RhoGEF could interact with representative members of each G protein family. We found that PDZ-RhoGEF was able to form, in vivo, stable complexes with two members of the Gα12 family, Gα12 and Gα13, and that this interaction was mediated by the LH domain. Furthermore, we obtained evidence to suggest that PDZ-RhoGEF mediates the activation of Rho by Gα12 and Gα13. Together, these findings suggest the existence of a novel mechanism whereby the large family of cell surface receptors that transmit signals through heterotrimeric G proteins activate Rho-dependent pathways: by stimulating the activity of members of the Gα12 family which, in turn, activate an exchange factor acting on Rho.