cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initiation of skin basement membrane formation at the epidermo-dermal interface involves assembly of laminins through binding to cell membrane receptors

To study the mechanism of basement membrane formation, we determined by immunochemistry temporal and spatial expression of laminin-5 (Ln-5), laminin-1 (Ln-1) and their integrin receptors during early skin morphogenesis. A 3dimensional skin culture was used that allows the study of the sequential molecular events of basement membrane formation at the epidermodermal interface. During early anchorage of keratinocytes to the extracellular matrix there is expression of Ln-5, BP-230 antigen and α3, β1 integrin subunits. During epidermal stratification and prior to the formation of the lamina densa there is assembly of Ln-5, Ln-1, collagen IV and nidogen accompanied by keratinocyte basal clustering of α2, α3, α6, β1, and β4 integrin subunits. The assembly pattern of Ln-1 and Ln-5 can be disturbed with functional antibodies against the β1 (AIIB2) and α6 (GoH3) integrin subunits. Ln-1 assembly can also be disturbed with antibodies against its E8 domain and by competitive inhibition with a synthetic peptide (AG73) derived from its G-4 domain. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the dermis contributes about 80% of the laminin γ1 chain mRNA while 20% is produced by the epidermis which emphasizes its dual tissue origin and the major contribution of the mesenchyma in laminin production. The laminin γ2 chain mRNA, present in Ln-5, was mostly of epidermal origin. This study presents evidence that during the initiation of basement membrane formation, laminins bind to keratinocyte plasma membrane receptors and thus may serve as nucleation sites for further polymerization of these compounds by a selfassembly process. SUMMARY
Workplace Flexibility and Daily Stress Processes in Hotel Employees and Their Children

Our research aims to understand the consequences of inadequate workplace flexibility through the lens of daily stress processes. Using a sample of hourly hotel employees with children aged 10 to 18 who participated in a daily diary study, we compared workers with low and high flexibility on stressor exposure, reactivity, and transmission. Our findings showed a consistent pattern of hourly workers with low flexibility having greater exposure to work stressors in general and to work place arguments in particular. Workers with low flexibility were also more emotional and physically reactive to work stressors. There was some evidence of stressor transmission to children when parents had low flexibility. Increasing workplace flexibility could serve as a protective factor in exposure and reactivity to stressors that are experienced in daily life.
Analysis of Heritability of Hormonal Responses to Alcohol in Twins: Beta-Endorphin as a Potential Biomarker of Genetic Risk for Alcoholism

Background: Hormonal responses to alcohol have been reported to differ in subjects with and without a family history of alcoholism which suggests that alcohol-induced hormonal changes might be used to identify individuals who are at elevated genetic risk for developing alcoholism. However, before a biological response can be used as a marker of genetic risk for disease, it must first be demonstrated that the response is, in fact, heritable. The present study was designed to determine whether hormonal responses to alcohol are heritable. Methods: The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), beta-endorphin (β-E), cortisol (CORT), and prolactin (PRL) responses to alcohol were examined in male and female identical (monozygotic or MZ) and fraternal (dizygotic or DZ) twin pairs. Male subjects consumed 0.35 g ethanol/kg body weight (BW) and females consumed 0.325 g ethanol/kg BW in each of two alcohol drinking sessions administered 1 hr apart (total dose of 0.7 g/kg BW in males and 0.65 g/kg BW in females). Plasma hormone content was analyzed in samples collected before (resting conditions) and at 15, 60, 75, 120, 180, and 240 min after onset of drinking. Hormonal responses to alcohol were examined with twin analyses using the TWINAN90 program. A separate analysis was performed for each of the four hormones. A subset of subjects from each zygosity was seen on two separate occasions to establish retest reliability. Heritability of hormonal responses to alcohol was estimated using the intraclass correlation approach before and after removing the contribution of covariates that have the potential of influencing the plasma levels of these hormones. Results: Resting plasma levels of all four hormones were within the expected range, and the β-E, ACTH, and PRL responses to the alcohol challenge evidenced good test-retest reliability. Of the four hormones examined, the only one that showed significant heritability after alcohol drinking was β-E. Heritability estimates were not altered for any of the four hormones after removal of the variance contributed by covariates, such as gender and age. Conclusions: Taken together with other recent findings, the results suggest that the β-E response to alcohol may represent a new biomarker that can be used to identify individuals who are at elevated genetic risk for developing alcoholism.
Differentiation Within An Organizational Population: Additional Evidence from The Wine Industry

In this study of California wineries observed between 1940 and 1984, we showed that organizations within a population may escape competitive pressures through differentiation. Both wineries founded...
Training Graduate-Level Pediatric Psychology Researchers at Case Western Reserve University: Meeting the Challenges of the New Millennium

Objective To describe the challenges in training graduate-level pediatric psychology researchers for successful careers and to discuss solutions. Methods We reviewed experiences in training graduate students at Case Western Reserve University to identify key challenges in research training and potential strategies to meet them. Results We identified the following key challenges: stimulating graduate students' career interest in pediatric psychology research; teaching students about the pragmatic challenges of conducting research in pediatric settings, specialized research design, and data analytic issues; helping students to develop essential research skills; developing opportunities for student research-related collaborations; helping students develop professional identities as researchers; arid developing and supporting their research careers beyond graduate school. Conclusions Useful strategies for meeting these challenges include involving an interdisciplinary faculty in research training; developing specialized training methods that focus on critical research skills such as writing and data analysis; peer support; and involvement with multiple mentors who are successful researchers. Pediatric psychologists should also develop opportunities for the next generation of researchers by facilitating research job options and leadership opportunities.
SeaStates G20 2014: How much of the seas are G20 nations really protecting?

Abstract Marine protected area (MPA) coverage is commonly used as a metric of progress for the marine conservation movement. Reporting the extent to which governments are contributing to global MPA targets (e.g., the IUCN World Parks Congress recently called for a global target of 30% no-take reserve coverage) provides accountability and frames individual progress within this larger context. The various types of MPAs offer differing levels of protection. No-take marine reserves (i.e., areas strongly protected from all fishing, mining and other extraction-based activities) demonstrate the greatest benefit for the conservation of marine biodiversity and the protection of ecosystem services. Using data collected and curated at MPAtlas.org , spatial coverage of no-take reserves was compared across each of the Group of 20 (G20) countries (with the exception of the European Union). Coverage of no-take reserves and other protected areas shows significant variations among this group of nations. Despite many commitments by the G20 to protect their waters, such as agreement with the Aichi Target 11 (10% of coastal and marine areas will be conserved by 2020), these nations with the greatest financial resources fall far below targets. Claims of national MPA coverage are also found to be misleading because weakly protected or poorly enforced areas are often evaluated equally with the strongest no-take marine reserves. Results show that 14 of the G20 member countries strongly protect less than 1% of their ocean area in no-take reserves. One G20 country protects just over 2%, while the remaining four protect more than 4% in no-take reserves.
PURIFICATION OF URANIUM FROM URANIUM/MOLYBDENUM ALLOY

The Savannah River Site will recycle a nuclear fuel comprised of 90% uranium-10% molybdenum by weight. The process flowsheet calls for dissolution of the material in nitric acid to a uranium concentration of 15-20 g/L without the formation of precipitates. The dissolution will be followed by separation of uranium from molybdenum using solvent extraction with 7.5% tributylphosphate in n-paraffin. Testing with the fuel validated dissolution and solubility data reported in the literature. Batch distribution coefficient measurements were performed for the extraction, strip and wash stages with particular focus on the distribution of molybdenum.
Risk Factors for Readmission and Revision Surgery Following Rotator Cuff Repair

Risk factors for revision surgery and hospitalization following rotator cuff repair (RCR) have not been clearly identified. We hypothesized patient factors and surgeon and hospital volume independently contribute to the risk of readmission within 90 days and revision RCR within one year. Using the SPARCS database, we included patients undergoing primary RCR in New York State between 1997 and 2002. These patients were tracked for readmission within 90 days and revision RCR within 1 year. A generalized estimating equation was developed to determine whether patient factors, surgeon volume, or hospital volume were independent risk factors for the above outcome measures. The total annual number of RCR increased from 6,656 in 1997 to 10,128 in 2002. Ambulatory cases increased from 57% to 82% during this time period. Independent risk factors for readmission within 90 days included increasing age and increased number of comorbidities. Independent risk factors for revision RCR included increasing age, increased comorbidity, and lower surgeon volume. Hospital volume had a minimal effect on either outcome measure. The shift toward out-patient surgery mirrors the shift from open to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The finding that surgeon volume is a predictor of revision RCR reflects the findings in other orthopaedic procedures.
The parallel path framework for entity discovery on the web

It has been a dream of the database and Web communities to reconcile the unstructured nature of the World Wide Web with the neat, structured schemas of the database paradigm. Even though databases are currently used to generate Web content in some sites, the schemas of these databases are rarely consistent across a domain. This makes the comparison and aggregation of information from different domains difficult. We aim to make an important step towards resolving this disparity by using the structural and relational information on the Web to (1) extract Web lists, (2) find entity-pages, (3) map entity-pages to a database, and (4) extract attributes of the entities. Specifically, given a Web site and an entity-page (e.g., university department and faculty member home page) we seek to find all of the entity-pages of the same type (e.g., all faculty members in the department), as well as attributes of the specific entities (e.g., their phone numbers, email addresses, office numbers). To do this, we propose a Web structure mining method which grows parallel paths through the Web graph and DOM trees and propagates relevant attribute information forward. We show that by utilizing these parallel paths we can efficiently discover entity-pages and attributes. Finally, we demonstrate the accuracy of our method with a large case study.
An Efficient Method for Contact/Impact Problems in Multibody Systems: Topologies With Many Loops

This paper presents an algorithm for the efficient numerical analysis and simulation of contact/impact problems in modest to heavily constrained multi-rigid-body dynamic systems. The algorithm can accommodate the spatial motion of general multirigid-body systems containing arbitrarily many closed loops in O(n+m) operations overall for systems containing n generalized coordinates, and m independent algebraic constraints. The presented method uses a generalized momentum balance approach to determine the velocity jumps which take place across impacts in such constrained multibody dynamic systems. The presented method does not suffer from the performance (speed) penalty encountered by most other momentum balance methods given its O(n + m) cost, and exact direct embedded consideration of the all constraints. Due to these characteristics, the presented algorithm offers superior computing performance relative to other methods in situations involving both large n and m.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Enhancing the Performance of Software Development Virtual Teams through the Use of Agile Methods: A Pilot Study

This paper develops a conceptual model that explicates the role of synchronous communication media in enabling - directly and indirectly, via social presence - virtual software development teams to adopt and apply Agile methods. In turn, Agile methods, as well as perceived social presence, are theorized to have a positive impact on communication convergence and transactive memory. Ultimately, these outcomes are formulated as direct antecedents of virtual team performance. A pilot study of 40 Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) teams provides preliminary supporting evidence for the conceptual model.
Estimating sex of the human skeleton based on metrics of the sternum.

Abstract Estimating the sex of skeletal remains is critical in creating the biological profile of an adult individual. Previous research has shown that analyzing the sternum may lead to an accurate estimation of sex based on studies performed on various populations around the globe, such as Indian, European, African, Canadian and North American. The motivation of the current study is to develop classification functions and sectioning points for use in forensic investigations in the United States. The majority of previously published methods are population specific, meaning the data would not prove useful in the United States [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [14] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] . For this study, sternal measurements were collected from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection located at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville following the metric definitions provided by Schwartz [41] and Bass [35] . This collection consists of recent skeletal remains with known age at death, ancestry and sex. Material for the present study consisted of 410 human sterna: 285 male (256 American White/29 American Black) and 125 female (120 American White/5 American Black). Previous studies [8] , [9] , [12] , [17] , [18] , [23] analyze the applicability of Hyrtl's law in the estimation of sex. This law follows that the mesosternum is greater than twice the length of the manubrium in males and in females the length of the manubrium is greater than half the length of the mesosternum. In this study, comparisons of the proportion of the length of the manubrium to the length of the mesosternum were performed to determine if Hrytl's law is applicable in an American population. Comparisons of these measurements between individuals identified as American Black and American White were analyzed to determine whether this method could be used on both population groups. Further, discriminant function analysis was used to estimate sex and provide a population specific classification function for use in the United States. The discriminate function analysis produced an overall cross-validation classification rate of 84.12% for sex estimation. The cross-validation classification rate for males and females was 80.00% and 88.24%, respectively.
Generating Knowledge That Drives Change

Executive Overview Organizations are operating in a constantly changing environment and need research that can help them adapt to these changes. This has created an opportunity for scholars to do research that will be valued and used if it is relevant. We argue that to achieve relevance, researchers need to work with and learn from practitioners, and they need to spend time in organizations gathering data. Examples are provided that demonstrate the usefulness of research when it focuses on organizational effectiveness and change. A strong case is also made for studying outlier organizations and for research that draws expertise from multiple areas of study.
Knowledge, Affect, and the Environment: 15 Years of Research (1979-1993).

Abstract The current review examined the relationship among knowledge, affect, and environmental education that has emerged in the last 15 years from research on classroom-type settings and applications. Despite methodological and statistical problems, an association between knowledge and affect has surfaced, along with prominent sex differences and a suggestion of ethnic variation. However, the nature of this relationship is still unclear. Given that both knowledge and affect are necessary for active participation in environmental concerns, more research is needed to determine how existing attitudes influence knowledge acquisition and how knowledge influences attitudes. The potential of television, with its unique attitudinal properties, was also examined in relation to environmental education.
Paraprofessional Versus Professional Drug Counselors: The Progress of Clients in Treatment

The progress in treatment of 302 methadone maintenance and drug-free outpatient clients was examined as a function of the background of their 82 counselors. Counselors were either ex-addict paraprofessionals (EXAs), non-ex-addict paraprofessionals (NEAs), or degreed professional counselors (PROs). Client progress was assessed in five areas: drug use, criminality, educational activities, employment, and life quality. In the first four areas, status at treatment entry contrasted with that at two subsequent measurement points: the first interview and a 4-month follow-up. In no area of evaluation were outcomes substantially more favorable for clients of one counselor group over another. It was concluded that the three counselor groups were equally effective.
Phase Equilibria in the System BaO‐SrO‐SiO2

Phase equilibria in the system BaO-SrO-SiO2 in air were established using conventional solid-state techniques. The phase relations in the boundary system SrO-SiO2 were completed by determining the liquidus temperatures for the SrO-rich portion of the diagram. The known compounds, SrSiO3, Sr2SiO4, and Sr3SiO3, melted congruently at 1580°±15°, 2325°±15°, and 2170°±15°C, respectively. Simple binary eutectics exist between (1) Sr2SiO4 and Sr3SiO5 at 2150°±15°C and ∼27 mol% SiO2 and (2) Sr3SiO5, and SrO at 2080°±15°C and ∼23 mol% SiO2. All Alkemade lines were established for the ternary system; two of these joins were examined in detail because of extensive solid-solution regions. On the Ba2SiO4-Sr2SiO4 join, a maximum solubility of ∼70 mol% Sr2SiO4 in Ba2SiO4 appears to exist at 2100°±15°C, the eutectic reaction temperature. A two-phase region apparently connects the eutectic reaction isotherm with a high-temperature polymorphic transition (α′±α) of Sr2SiO4. Below this transition temperature, a complete solid-solution series exists between Ba2SiO4 and α′-Sr2SiO4. The BaSiO3-SrSiO3, join contains limited solid-solution regions at the extremities which arise from the solid solubility of 40 mol% SrSiO3 in the high-temperature (β) polymorph of BaSiOs3 and 20 mol% BaSiO3 in SrSiO3 at 1210°±15°C. The only ternary compound isolated, BaSrSi3O8, has a lower limit of stability at 1220°±3°C and melts incongruently at 1275°±3°C.
Predicting Reading Comprehension on the Internet Contributions of Offline Reading Skills, Online Reading Skills, and Prior Knowledge

This study investigated the extent to which new reading comprehension proficiencies may be required when adolescents read for information on the Internet. Seventh graders (N = 109) selected from a ...
The Summertime Atmospheric Hydrologic Cycle over the Southwestern United States

Abstract In this paper the authors examine the large-scale summertime hydrologic cycle associated with the northwestern branch of the North American monsoon, centered on the southwestern United States, using a suite of surface-and upper-air-based observations, reanalysis products, and regional model simulations. In general, it is found that on an area-averaged basis, seasonal precipitation is balanced predominantly by evaporation; in addition, this evaporation also supports a net, vertically integrated moisture flux divergence from the region of the same magnitude as the precipitation itself. This vertically integrated large-scale moisture flux divergence is the result of an offsetting balance between convergence of low-level moisture and divergence of moisture aloft (<750 mb). Over the western portion of the domain, most of this low-level moisture convergence is related to advection from the Gulf of California and eastern Pacific; over the eastern portion of the domain, low-level moisture convergence is ...
Modification of the Continental Crust by Subduction Zone Magmatism and Vice-Versa: Across-Strike Geochemical Variations of Silicic Lavas from Individual Eruptive Centers in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone

To better understand the origin of across-strike K2O enrichments in silicic volcanic rocks from the Andean Central Volcanic Zone, we compare geochemical data for Quaternary volcanic rocks erupted from three well-characterized composite volcanoes situated along a southeast striking transect between 21° and 22° S latitude (Aucanquilcha, Ollague, and Uturuncu). At a given SiO2 content, lavas erupted with increasing distance from the arc front display systematically higher K2O, Rb, Th, Y, REE and HFSE contents; Rb/Sr ratios; and Sr isotopic ratios. In contrast, the lavas display systematically lower Al2O3, Na2O, Sr, and Ba contents; Ba/La, Ba/Zr, K/Rb, and Sr/Y ratios; Nd isotopic ratios; and more negative Eu anomalies toward the east. We suggest that silicic magmas along the arc front reflect melting of relatively young, mafic composition amphibolitic source rocks and that the mid- to deep-crust becomes increasingly older with a more felsic bulk composition in which residual mineralogies are progressively more feldspar-rich toward the east. Collectively, these data suggest the continental crust becomes strongly hybridized beneath frontal arc localities due to protracted intrusion of primary, mantle-derived basaltic magmas with a diminishing effect behind the arc front because of smaller degrees of mantle partial melting and primary melt generation.
Interest Rate Risk Management

Abstract This paper surveys the main concepts and techniques of recent developments in the modeling of the term structure of interest rates that are used in the risk management and valuation of interest-rate-dependent cash flows. These developments extend the concepts of immunization and matching to a stochastic interest rate environment. Such cash flows include the cash flows on assets such as bonds and mortgage-backed securities as well as those for annuity products, life insurance products with interest-rate-sensitive withdrawals, accrued liabilities for defined-benefit pension funds, and property and casualty liability cash flows.
Nudging oligodendrocyte intrinsic signaling to remyelinate and repair: Estrogen receptor ligand effects

Demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) leads to significant, progressive axonal and neuronal degeneration. Currently existing immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies alleviate MS symptoms and slow, but fail to prevent or reverse, disease progression. Restoration of damaged myelin sheath by replenishment of mature oligodendrocytes (OLs) should not only restore saltatory axon conduction, but also provide a major boost to axon survival. Our previous work has shown that therapeutic treatment with the modestly selective generic estrogen receptor (ER) β agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) confers functional neuroprotection in a chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS by stimulating endogenous remyelination. Recently, we found that the more potent, selective ERβ agonist indazole-chloride (Ind-Cl) improves clinical disease and motor performance. Importantly, electrophysiological measures revealed improved corpus callosal conduction and reduced axon refractoriness. This Ind-Cl treatment-induced functional remyelination was attributable to increased OL progenitor cell (OPC) and mature OL numbers. At the intracellular signaling level, transition of early to late OPCs requires ERK1/2 signaling, and transition of immature to mature OLs requires mTOR signaling; thus, the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway plays a major role in the late stages of OL differentiation and myelination. Indeed, therapeutic treatment of EAE mice with various ERβ agonists results in increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated (p) Akt and p-mTOR levels. It is notable that while DPN's neuroprotective effects occur in the presence of peripheral and central inflammation, Ind-Cl is directly neuroprotective, as demonstrated by remyelination effects in the cuprizone-induced demyelination model, as well as immunomodulatory. Elucidating the mechanisms by which ER agonists and other directly remyelinating agents modulate endogenous OPC and OL regulatory signaling is critical to the development of effective remyelinating drugs. The discovery of signaling targets to induce functional remyelination will valuably contribute to the treatment of demyelinating neurological diseases, including MS, stroke, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury.
Hydraulic System Arrangement Trade Studies Improve Aircraft Survivability

Etude de la disposition des systemes hydrauliques dans les avions militaires de facon a augmenter les capacites de survie
Cosmogony and the Origin of Inequality: A Utopian Perspective from Taoist Sources

The present article examines how classical, early medieval and medieval Taoist sources theorise inequality as an outcome of cosmogonic processes, and how these same sources project eliminating inequality through a reversal of those processes. The first part of the article considers utopias from the Laozi daode jing (Laozi’s Scripture on the Way and its Virtue) and Zhuangzi (Book of Master Zhuang) and from the early medieval writings of Ji Kang (223–262) and Bao Jingyan (3rd to early 4th centuries). From these, a number of themes common to Taoist utopias emerge, namely communitarian primitivism, the condemnation of knowledge, and the endorsement of a de-civilising programme of cosmogonic reversion which aims for a return to the golden age of natural spontaneity. The second part of the article is devoted to the mature utopian vision of the ninth-century Wunengzi (The Incapable Master). In addition to elaborating on previous themes, the Wunengzi contributes two new ideas to Taoist utopian discourse: first, t...
It's about numbers, not pictures.

the article in the current issue by Horn and colleagues ([4][1]) from Sheffield presents a significant change in the manner in which MRI in the lung using hyperpolarized gas (3He in this case, but also potentially 129Xe) is used. Since its inception, hyperpolarized gas imaging has shown an ability
A SAND BYPASSING SYSTEM USING A JET PUMP

All harbors and tidal inlets that are located in coastal areas have one characteristic in common—the need to bypass littoral materials that collect nearby. If natural harbors and tidal inlets are left unattended, bypassing will often occur naturally, but in the process, the harbor or inlet is usually rendered unfit for commercial or navigation purposes. Quite often, the inattention results in the total closure of the inlet. Therefore, at almost all harbor entrances and controlled tidal inlets, the natural bypassing must be augmented by secondary, usually mechanical, means. The customary technique for bypassing sand and maintaining harbors and inlets is the use of floating dredge equipment. This equipment is rugged, reliable, has been proved over and over, and appears to be irreplacable for many applications and locations. However, there are many locations and situations for which this floating equipment is not suitable and may, in fact, be detrimental or prohibitively costly. Waves of even moderate height, moderateto- high tidal excursion and currents, draft limitations, limited maneuvering area, and interference with normal navigation operations are examples of conditions which decrease the desirability and application of floating dredge equipment. Small volumes of material to be bypassed are an economic liability for the floating plant since mobilization and demobilization costs contribute extraordinarily to the unit cost for bypassing work.
X-ray Crystal Structure and Theoretical Analysis of Au25-xAgx(SCH2CH2Ph)18(-) Alloy.

The atomic arrangement of Au and Ag atoms in Au25–xAgx(SR)18 was determined by X-ray crystallography. Ag atoms were selectively incorporated in the 12 vertices of the icosahedral core. The central ...
Generalized Goodman–Harpe–Jones Construction of Subfactors, II

We build some exceptional representations of Birman–Wenzl algebras from the data of certain conformal embeddings. As a result we construct new finite depth subfactors whose principal graphs are completely determined.
An approach to pulmonary infection in AIDS.

In AIDS patients, multiple simultaneous infections, many of which are unresponsive to therapy, are the rule. For rapid diagnosis and institution of treatment, close collaboration between the physician and the various clinical laboratories—e.g., pathology, parasitology—is a must. A standard protocol should be established for the utilization of biopsy, aspirate, and stool specimens.
Indicator Selection: A Key Element in Monitoring System Design

Much of the landscape in the United States has been converted from a natural ecosystem to one more noted and valued for its cultural aspects. This conversion began with the arrival of the Europeans 400 years ago, and it is often referred to as the “process of development.” This development has created a landscape that is now highly valued for its economic yield and its distinctive, though certainly not natural, character (Victoria Department of Water Resources, 1989).
Enterprise security architectural framework and metrics: application to secure electronic voting systems

This work represents a comprehensive investigation into election systems security in particular and enterprise information systems security in general. It is organized into three interrelated parts: the development of a security architectural framework, the development of a security metric, and the security measure of an election system. In this work, election systems are characterized as enterprise, and concepts developed for enterprise architecture are applied to them. Since modern election systems rely on information technology and related systems, the security of these systems is essential to the security of the election systems. Unfortunately, the security of information systems is subject to misassessment and mischaracterization. Thus the development of a holistic measure of security for information systems is critical to the design of a secure election system. In this work an architectural framework for information systems security design is developed based on well defined information security components and requirements. The components defined in the framework serve as foundation for a security measure. The development of the architectural framework is the outcome of paradigm shift in the design of enterprise architectures where the security of the resulting system is the core objective. The framework highlights interactions among architectural components, which interactions also affect the security of enterprise information systems. These interactions are captured in the development of the security measure. The security measure is developed by utilizing well grounded mathematical techniques from financial econometrics, financial engineering and related field. The metric development adopts techniques from measure theorem and multivariate distribution analysis to develop a measure that is consistent and complete. The utility of a holistic security architectural framework is demonstrated in the analysis of an election system, characterized by the framework. The security of an illustrative election system is also computed to demonstrate the utility of the developed security metric. This work thus addresses the two fundamental requirements for a comprehensive security design for any enterprise, including an election system.
Next-Generation Sequencing for Targeted Discovery of Rare Mutations in Rice

Advances in DNA sequencing (i.e., next-generation sequencing, NGS) have greatly increased the power and efficiency of detecting rare mutations in large mutant populations. Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING) is a reverse genetics approach for identifying gene mutations resulting from chemical mutagenesis. In traditional TILLING, mutation discovery is accomplished through mismatch cleavage of mutant and wild-type DNA heteroduplexes using endonucleases. This is followed by Sanger sequencing to determine the specific sequence changes. TILLING by sequencing (TBS) uses NGS to facilitate the concurrent detection and sequence characterization of mutations, which allows researchers to prioritize mutants for further analyses. NGS increases the sensitivity of mutation detection and thus improves screening efficiency by allowing the pooling of more DNAs. Here we describe a protocol for TBS using rice as an example. First, DNA from a mutant population is quantified and combined in an overlapping pool design. Then, target genes are amplified from DNA pools and amplicons are combined to maximize throughput and increase likelihood of mutation detection during sequencing. Once sequence data is obtained, mutations are called using statistical approaches that weigh likelihood of rare mutations versus the probability of PCR and sequencing error.
Open-Access Student-Centered Learning

This study examines two open-access websites that host online public-facing courses at the university level. Online learning environments are replacing or enhancing many physical classrooms within higher education, but these learning environments are not necessarily free, open-access, or publicly available on the open web. Considering two organizations that host free and open websites available to use by any member of the public, this study demonstrates how open-access and public-facing pedagogy on the web is in-line with student-centered practices. Network analysis, website structure, content analysis, and surveys suggest that students can be equally and potentially more empowered as practitioners in their own education by sharing their knowledge-building with a wider audience on the open web. Open web communities can enable student-centered pedagogy practices to freely evolve outside of a hierarchical and institutional structure, and can work to further student-centered goals through producing knowledge for anyone to access and contribute to on the open web.
Cookie or fruit? Relative reinforcing value of snack foods among preschoolers with overweight/obesity compared to healthy weight

The reinforcing value of food is an important determinant of food intake. Research has yet to examine the relative reinforcing value (RRV) of snack foods in young children with overweight and obesity (OW/OB). The current study compared the RRV of high-energy dense foods (cookies) to low-energy dense foods (fruits) between preschoolers with OW/OB and healthy weight (HW). RRV of cookies and fruits in preschoolers with OW/OB (n = 30; Mage = 4.4 ± 0.84; 60% male) and HW (n = 30; Mage = 4.5 ± 0.85; 70% male) was assessed with a developmentally-tailored computer program which used a progressive fixed ratio reward schedule. The results showed that the RRV of cookies was significantly higher for preschoolers with OW/OB compared to HW while the RRV of fruits was significantly higher for preschoolers with HW compared to OW/OB. These results suggest that cookies are more reinforcing for preschoolers with OW/OB and less reinforcing for preschoolers with HW. Finding ways to reduce the reinforcing value of high-energy dense snack foods and identify alternatives that are as reinforcing for preschoolers is a challenge for weight control treatments.
Millimeter and submillimeter spectrum of propylene oxide

The spectrum of propylene oxide was collected from 70 GHz to 1 THz using direct absorption millimeter and submillimeter spectroscopy. Analysis of the spectrum was performed using the SPFIT/SPCAT programs for the A state. A full internal rotor analysis was performed using the XIAM program. The barrier to internal rotation of the methyl group was determined to be 893 cm^(−1). The precision of the rotation constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and internal rotor parameters was increased over the results reported by previous low-frequency studies. The results of this laboratory study and the associated analysis, as well as a spectral prediction for the ground vibrational state of propylene oxide, are presented.
Prioritizing conservation seed banking locations for imperiled hemlock species using multi-attribute frontier mapping

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) (HWA) is an invasive forest insect sweeping across the native range of eastern (Tsuga canadensis [L.] Carr.) and Carolina (Tsuga caroliniana Engelm.) hemlocks, threatening to severely reduce eastern hemlock extent and to push Carolina hemlock to extirpation. HWA poses a significant threat to these eastern US natives, now infesting hemlocks across 19 states and more than 400 counties. For the long-term preservation of the species, ex situ genetic resource conservation efforts such as seed collection, storage, and adelgid-resistant hemlock breeding may all be necessary. To ensure the efficient and effective application of these efforts, it will be necessary to prioritize locations within the native ranges, because it is logistically impossible to apply these efforts to all populations. To build upon 12 years of seed banking for eastern and Carolina hemlock, we applied a novel approach for incorporating multiple dissimilar data sets into a geographic prioritization of areas for the most effective and efficient conservation of genetic diversity. The approach involves integration of geographic information systems with the multi-attribute frontier mapping technique to identify locations across the ranges of these two imperiled species most in need of conservation actions. Specifically, our assessment incorporated four genetic diversity parameters, a climate component, a measure of population disjunctiveness, a measure of local hemlock abundance, and seed collection density to prioritize areas of eastern and Carolina hemlock occurrence for ex situ gene conservation. For each species, the result was a mapped index of locations prioritized by the combined significance of these factors. For eastern hemlock, this assessment assigned the highest priority to disjunct populations and to some areas within the main-body range. With Carolina hemlock, disjunct northern populations and central main-body locations received the highest prioritization. Our prioritization approach could be applied similarly to other species facing pressure from invasive pests or other environmental threats.
Younger Age and Health Beliefs Associated with Being Overdue for Pap Testing among Utah Latinas who were Non-Adherent to Cancer Screening Guidelines

Factors associated with being overdue for Papanicoloau (Pap) testing in a Latina community were examined. Female participants aged ≥ 21 years, who were overdue for one or more cancer screenings (N = 206), were purposively recruited. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's Exact Tests for count data, and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted. Participants overdue for cancer screening, aged 38-47 years demonstrated lower odds of being overdue for Pap testing compared with those 21-37 years old (OR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.01-0.49, p = 0.01). Lower perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer (OR = 3.21, p = 0.02), and poorer perceived health (OR = 3.74, p < 0.01) was associated with being overdue for Pap testing. Cost/lack of insurance was the most common barrier reported among those overdue for Pap testing. Among an underserved population of Latinas, cost or a lack of health insurance persist as barriers to Pap testing. Evaluation of systematic barriers to accessing Pap testing for lower-income, uninsured individuals is recommended.
Nonlinear modeling of GaAs FET parasitic resistances

An analytical model for the parasitic resistance of MODFET's has been developed. The simulation results for the D.C. characteristics obtained when this model is used have been found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. This model shows that as the drain current, increases, the parasitic resistance increases which explains one of the effects responsible for the transconductance compression phenomenon in MODFET's. Using this parasitic resistance model improves the overall device model prediction, especially in high speed and microwave applications.
Comment on “Electron Source in Photoinduced Hydrogen Production on Pt-Supported TiO2 Particles”

Abe et al. illuminated an aqueous suspension of TiO/Pt with a Hg arc lamp and observed H production in the absence of O production. An unspecified elemental analysis excluded carbonaceous contaminants, and the source of the electron donor was concluded to be Ti+ cations. We can suggest at least three more likely (than Ti) sources for their mysterious electron donor: (1)an overlooked inorganic species, (2) Ti, and/or (3)organic impurities. The authors excluded the latter in their paper, but we view this conclusion as suspect given the lack of information on the limits of detection of the carbon assay, and the fact that the choice of argon(thermal conductivity= 41.33 x 10-6 cal cm-2s-1 (C cm-1)-1)3 as a carrier gas in their thermal conductivity detector4 probably precluded the observation of CO (thermal conductivity= 37.61 x 10-6 cal cm-2s-1 (C cm-1)-1)3, which is a common product of organic photochemical oxidations. No mention is made of an analysis for inorganic impurities. It is widely accepted that nanometer scale TiO particles can have significant fractions of undercoordinated Ti sites which can be easily oxidized to Ti, the highest valence of Ti observed in condensed phases. Here we point out that oxidation of Ti to Timore » is much more physically realistic than oxidation of Ti to Ti. Removal of a fifth electron from titanium requires {approx}56 eV5.Ti, if it were to be generated in a solid oxide, would extract an electron from the valence band composed mainly of oxygen 2s and 2p states rather than remain in the 5 valence state. This unrealistically high oxidation state seems even more unlikely given the fact that at the room temperatures used in the authors' reactions Ti would have been generated and remained at the surface (at room temperature the diffusion of Ti cations in TiO is minimal), and the fact that the surface Madelung potential is smaller than that of the bulk6.« less
XSEDE Technology Investigation Service (TIS)

The Evaluating and Enhancing the eXtreme Digital Cyberinfrastructure for Maximum Usability and Science Impact project, known as the Technology Investigation Service (TIS), was a collaboration between University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, The University of Texas at Austin Texas Advanced Computing Center, University of Tennessee National Institute for Computational Sciences, and University of Virginia which identified and evaluated potential technologies to close the gap between the XSEDE (http://www.xsede.org) service offerings and the needs of XSEDE users. This project was funded by the NSF Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (award ACI 09-46505) in response to the "Technology Audit and Insertion Service" component of the "TeraGrid Phase III: eXtreme Digital Resources for Science and Engineering (XD)" solicitation (NSF 08-571). Over the project lifetime the two major goals of TIS were: 1) identifying, tracking, evaluating and making recommendations of new technologies to XSEDE for consideration of adoption and 2) raising awareness of TIS to XSEDE and other stakeholders to solicit their input on technologies for consideration for evaluation. In accomplishing the goals, the following four significant outcomes from TIS resulted: the development and deployment of the XSEDE Technology Evaluation Database; the development of the significantly improved XSEDE software search capability; the technology evaluation process; and the evaluations performed along with their corresponding technology adoption recommendations to XSEDE. This paper highlights the life-cycle of the TIS project, including lessons learned and project outcomes.
The Death Rattle of the Liberal Arts

The liberal arts college and the institution of the liberal arts are distinct entities with the latter being more widespread. The liberal arts as an institution and approach to pedagogy is an impediment to higher educating large populations. They are a fantasy form of success retroactively named into existence as superior institutions to suit the desires and relevant self-interest of those doing the naming. The naming of success and superiority necessitates a named inferiority for colleges that are not liberal arts colleges. Created at a time when few people attended university, liberal arts colleges are (mis)recognized as places that develop economic, social, and cultural success for people whereas causality was the other way around: elite members of society went to college giving the false appearance that liberal arts colleges produced such people. In place of named success and leadership, liberal education should have emancipation as its core mission.
A New Marcusean Moment? A Review of Eros and Revolution: The Critical Philosophy of Herbert Marcuse

Javier Sethness Castro’s Eros and Revolution is a broadly comprehensive and highly detailed study of Marcuse’s thought that will be invaluable not only to students of that philosopher, but to anyon...
The Katrina catastrophe and science: Does experiencing a catastrophe at “ground zero” have impacts on the professional performance/identity of social scientist survivors?

Abstract As Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf coast in late August 2005, many colleges and universities in southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi were in its direct path. Numerous social scientists lived in the area and taught in these institutions. Some of their Katrina experiences were harrowing; others caused them long-term suffering. For some, physical survival was a real challenge. In order to survive, one faculty member and his wife literally swam for their lives from an upstairs window to the house next door. Eventually rescued by volunteers in a boat already filled with 15 other survivors, they were deposited on high ground at Lake Pontchartrain only to wait another 2 days for removal. In the interim, the 800 survivors slept on the airport runway as helicopters constantly flew overhead and they were “guarded” as if they were “prisoners or refugees.” As the tidal surge overtook their neighborhood another faculty member was trapped in the upper floor of his home with his wife and five young children including a small baby until they were rescued and taken to a public “shelter of last resort.”