cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combination of tunable printed monopole and elliptical monopole antennas in MIMO configurations for cell phone application

Frequency tunable printed monopole antennas in combination with a quasi-elliptical monopole antenna (EPMA) are presented in multiple inputs multiple output (MIMO) configurations on a cell phone size ground plane. Printed tunable monopole antenna covers long term evolution (LTE) band between 700MHz to 900MHz with 20 MHz flexible bandwidths. The quasi-elliptical planar monopole antenna (EPMA)covers 1.7 GHz to 5.75 GHz wireless communication bands and the structure is fully planar in nature. The antenna has been fabricated and experimentally tested for the S-parameters and radiation performance. The simulated and measured radiation pattern in horizontal plane shows the nearly omni-directional coverage by the antenna. Further, based on the simulated and measured results, the envelope co-relation coefficient (ECC), one of the important parameter of MIMO antenna is investigated. The result shows that it is in the prescribed limit≤0.3 for LTE bandwhich makes it suitable for the cell-phone applications.
The relationship between patient activation, confidence to self-manage side effects, and adherence to oral oncolytics: a pilot study with Michigan oncology practices

The Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium (MOQC) is a continuous quality improvement collaborative seeking to improve oncology care in Michigan, including for patients taking oral chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between patient activation, confidence to self-manage side effects, and adherence to oral oncolytics to inform future oncology care. A multicenter cross-sectional observational study was conducted using an online survey to examine patient activation (patient activation measure, PAM), health literacy, symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, ESAS), confidence to self-manage side effects (fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea), and adherence to oral oncolytics. Inclusion criteria were patients taking an oral oncolytic for at least 1 month. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were performed to evaluate relationships between the variables. A total of 125 respondents, mean (SD) age 66.2 (13.6), 57.7% female, and 95.1% Caucasian completed the survey. The mean (SD) PAM score was 65.0 (18.0). Confidence to manage fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea was associated with higher activation, and confidence to self-manage fatigue and diarrhea were associated with higher health literacy. About 30% of participants reported some level of non-adherence to oral oncolytics, and those who experienced side effects (Fisher’s exact test p = 0.033) and with shorter length of therapy (t test p = 0.027) were significantly more likely to be non-adherent. These findings show that there is room for improvement across practices involved with MOQC with regard to supporting patients taking oral oncolytics. Patients will need to improve their activation levels, and oncology clinics will need to create new workflows in order to enhance self-care management ability for patients taking oral oncolytics.
Association of inherited genetic variation with clinical outcome in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with mTOR inhibition.

4543 Background: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-targeted therapy is standard in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Predictive biomarkers for response are lacking. We sought...
Teaching operative cardiac surgery in the era of increasing patient complexity: Can it still be done?

Abstract Objective Teaching the next generation operative cardiac surgery while maintaining the highest level of patient care is an ever-increasing challenge given the growing proportion of patients with multiple comorbidities, the loss of more straightforward cases to percutaneous interventions, and the pressure of public reporting. No study to date has compared the outcomes of similar cases performed entirely ("skin-to-skin") by the resident with those performed entirely by the staff to confirm the safety of this practice. Methods A total of 100 consecutive cardiac cases performed skin-to-skin by the resident (group R) were matched by procedure 1:1 to nonconsecutive cases performed by a single attending surgeon (group A). Patients were excluded from the analysis if there was overlap in any portion of the procedure by the trainee or the attending. Results Patients in group A were similar to those in group R with respect to age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, left ventricular ejection fraction, and diabetes mellitus. Mean operative times were longer in group R (4.6 vs 2.7 hours, P P P Conclusions Our data indicate that trainees can be educated in operative surgery under the current paradigm, despite longer operative times, without sacrificing outcome quality. It is reasonable to expect academic programs to continue providing trainees significant experience as primary operating surgeons.
Utilizing Professional Vision in Supporting Preservice Teachers' Learning About Contextualized Scientific Practices. Collaborative Discourse Practices Between Teachers and Scientists

Drawn from the cultural-historical theories of knowing and doing science, this article uses the concept of professional vision to explore what scientists and experienced teachers see and articulate as important aspects of climate science practices. The study takes an abductive reasoning approach to analyze scientists’ videotaped lectures to recognize what scientists pay attention to in their explanations of climate science practices. It then analyzes how ideas scientists attended align with experienced teachers’ sense-making of scientific practices to teach climate change. The findings show that experienced teachers’ and scientists’ explanations showed alignment in the focus on scientific practices, but indicated variations in the temporal and spatial reasoning of climate data. Furthermore, the interdisciplinarity of climate science was emphasized in climate scientists’ lectures, but was not apparent once scientists and teachers shared the same culture in meetings to provide feedback to preservice teachers. Given the importance of teaching through scientific practices in classrooms, this study provides suggestions to capture the epistemic diversity of scientific disciplines.
4.23 – CaMKII: Mechanisms of a Prototypical Memory Model

There is abundant evidence showing that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays critical roles in synaptic plasticity and in learning and memory. This chapter reviews the fundamental biochemical properties of CaMKII that make it ideally suited to function as a memory molecule. The molecular basis for targeting CaMKII to excitatory synapses and the effects this may have on CaMKII actions are discussed. However, despite over 20 years of investigation, the exact molecular mechanisms that allow CaMKII to act at excitatory synapses to modulate synaptic transmission remain unclear. Ideas about how CaMKII plays its critical roles at excitatory synapses are presented.
Selecting Sensor Location and Type for Multivariable Processes

This paper presents several systematic procedures for selecting sensor type and locations for multivariable processes. The procedures are based on a singular value analysis of a process gain matrix and provide choices which are a practical compromise between independence and sensitivity.
Relationship of in vitro gonadotropin binding to bovine testes and the onset of spermatogenesis.

SUMMARY Concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined in serum of crossbred beef bulls during pubertal development. Serum LH ranged between .5 and 2.0 ng/ml with highest concentrations observed as 12 months of age. Serum FSH varied considerably among individuals but mean concentrations were within the normal range (50 to 100 ng/ml). Neither LH nor FSH increased at the time when testosterone increased or spermatogenesis entered meiosis. Specific binding of 12 SI.labeled human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and 12 s I-labeled FSH to the bovine testis was demonstrated by autoradiographic localization techniques. Binding of 12 s I-hCG and 12 s I-FSH was preferentially located over interstitial tissue and seminiferous epithelial cells, respectively. An abundance of binding sites in newborn and 4-month-old calf testes shows that receptors for LH and FSH are present in the immature bovine testis. Initiation of spermatogenesis was assessed by estimating the number of testicular sperm by histological and cytometric techniques follow
Craniotomy, Frontotemporal, Opening and Closure

One of the most frequently used craniotomy sites over the fronto-temporal area is selected to show the operative steps. The head is shaved just prior to bringing the patient to the Anesthesia Induction Room. While under anesthesia the patient is positioned for surgery, in our case of a left frontotemporal craniotomy the head is turned as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Care is taken that neck muscles are not taut to prevent any compression of the venous circulation. This is accomplished by keeping a firm pillow under one shoulder, depending on the way the head is turned (Fig. 1a and b). Another important rule in positioning the patient is to keep the head always above the level of the heart. It may be necessary or helpful to lower or turn the head during certain operative procedures. This possibility should be kept in mind ; however, even after repositioning the patient’s head should remain above the heart level (Fig. 2). The head may be placed on a doughnut-shaped headrest or a three-pronged head holder, either of which permits repositioning of the head during surgery. The eyes are now covered with a rubber sheet after inserting into the conjunctival sacs a mild aseptic ophthalmic ointment. The scalp is prepared with soap and water and an iodine-containing solution.
Development of Tunable Breast Tissue Phantoms for Terahertz Imaging

This work improves on breast cancer phantom materials for use in a terahertz imaging setup. Previously-developed solid-emulsion phantom formulations based on oil, water, and TX151 solidifying powder are updated to include agar and margarine in order to improve the consistency of the optical properties. Additionally, updated methodology using a heating process is introduced to remove excess air bubbles from the phantom and improve terahertz imaging. Spectroscopy of fibrous and cancer tissue phantoms shows good correlation of the optical properties in the terahertz range compared to published values, and a reduction in air gaps is also seen using terahertz imaging.
Innovating English Literacy Instruction: A Writing Center at a Chinese University

This chapter showcases how the School of International Studies (SIS) Writing Center innovates English writing instruction at a Chinese university. Based on scholarship on multilingual tutors at writing centers and writing center practices across China, I analyzed three vignettes of a tutoring transcript and two anecdotes of discussion workshops. Two affordances of the SIS Writing Center are demonstrated: (1) peer tutoring in a shared language enables Chinese students to scaffold the learning of English writing through meaning negotiation; (2) post-tutorial discussion workshops create a contact zone where native English-speaking teachers and L2 tutors generate knowledge collaboratively. The knowledge-making process at the SIS Writing Center makes a case for innovating English literacy instruction in China by incorporating a writing center approach underpinned by collaboration and multilingualism.
Organoboranes for Synthesis. 16. A Convenient Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure Isopinocampheylamine, a Chiral Derivatizing Agent for Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Optically Active Carboxylic Acids

Both isomers of enantiomerically pure isopinocampheylamine (1) have been synthesized from the corresponding B-chlorodiisopinocampheylborane by treatment with either methylmagnesium bromide or trime...
Halbach undulators using right triangular magnets

Undulators and wigglers based on Halbach arrays have been in widespread use since their description in the 1980s, due to the high fields they generate from permanent magnets. The most common implementation of a pure permanent magnet Halbach undulator consists of four magnetic segment widths per undulator period. In typical undulators with periods of order $\ensuremath{\sim}\mathrm{cm}$ it is straightforward to use sufficiently small magnetic segments to achieve the desired undulator period. However, in the context of new microundulators with periods of order $\ensuremath{\sim}\mathrm{mm}$ or shorter, there is a lower bound on the feature sizes achievable by existing fabrication techniques. This motivates the use of modified Halbach arrays comprised of right triangle magnet segments with only two magnet segment widths per undulator period. These configurations are demonstrated to have superior field strengths to up-down arrays with no increase to the undulator period. Additional considerations arising from the broken symmetries in such configurations, such as the presence of previously forbidden harmonic components, are also considered. Such right triangle Halbach arrays may be fabricated using MEMS techniques for use in the next generation of compact light sources.
Genomics of circadian rhythms in health and disease.

Circadian clocks are endogenous oscillators that control 24-h physiological and behavioral processes. The central circadian clock exerts control over myriad aspects of mammalian physiology, including the regulation of sleep, metabolism, and the immune system. Here, we review advances in understanding the genetic regulation of sleep through the circadian system, as well as the impact of dysregulated gene expression on metabolic function. We also review recent studies that have begun to unravel the circadian clock’s role in controlling the cardiovascular and nervous systems, gut microbiota, cancer, and aging. Such circadian control of these systems relies, in part, on transcriptional regulation, with recent evidence for genome-wide regulation of the clock through circadian chromosome organization. These novel insights into the genomic regulation of human physiology provide opportunities for the discovery of improved treatment strategies and new understanding of the biological underpinnings of human disease.
Pipelined Parallel Finite Automata Evaluation

Finite automata are key compute models in modern computational theory and important building blocks for digital logic used for regular expression and protocol parsing, filtering, and control. Finite automata evaluation would seem to be a sequential operation, since we need to complete the evaluation of one state to know the next state in which to evaluate the logic. Nonetheless, parallel theory provides strategies for parallel finite automata evaluation. We show how to exploit this parallel evaluation strategy in practice on today's high capacity FPGAs, including a novel formulation for spatially pipelined evaluation. For non-deterministic finite automata (NFA) with S states, we can evaluate N inputs in a single cycle with O(N * S^2) BRAMs and O(N*S^3) LUTs. This allows us, for example, to consume 64 inputs on a 16 state NFA in a single cycle on the Xilinx XZCU9EG-ffvb1156-2-i SoC FPGA, achieving 47 GB/s (377 Gb/s) single stream throughput for 8b inputs. For a 40 Gb/s network link, we can support 28 state NFAs.
Quantum Efficiency Study and Reflectivity Enhancement of Au/Bi Absorbers

X-ray absorbers of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) microcalorimeters are required to provide high quantum efficiency (QE) for incident X-rays and high reflectivity to longer wavelength radiation. The thickness of the electroplated Au and Bi layers of the absorber is tuned to provide the desired pixel heat capacity and the QE. To calculate the QE precisely, in addition to filling factor, we have included the effects of surface roughness, edge profile of the absorbers and the effects of the different angles of incidence of the incoming X-rays from the X-IFU optic. Based on this analysis, it is found that thickness of the Bi layer needs to be adjusted by 4.3% to achieve the X-IFU QE requirements. To enhance the absorber’s rejection of low-energy radiation, a second thin layer of Au is sputter-deposited on top of the Bi layer. Optical measurements in the wavelength range 0.3–20 μm show a significant increase in reflectivity compared to a bare Bi layer.
A Tool for Automatic Scoring of Spelling Performance.

Purpose The evaluation of spelling performance in aphasia reveals deficits in written language and can facilitate the design of targeted writing treatments. Nevertheless, manual scoring of spelling performance is time-consuming, laborious, and error prone. We propose a novel method based on the use of distance metrics to automatically score spelling. This study compares six automatic distance metrics to identify the metric that best corresponds to the gold standard-manual scoring-using data from manually obtained spelling scores from individuals with primary progressive aphasia. Method Three thousand five hundred forty word and nonword spelling productions from 42 individuals with primary progressive aphasia were scored manually. The gold standard-the manual scores-were compared to scores from six automated distance metrics: sequence matcher ratio, Damerau-Levenshtein distance, normalized Damerau-Levenshtein distance, Jaccard distance, Masi distance, and Jaro-Winkler similarity distance. We evaluated each distance metric based on its correlation with the manual spelling score. Results All automatic distance scores had high correlation with the manual method for both words and nonwords. The normalized Damerau-Levenshtein distance provided the highest correlation with the manual scoring for both words (rs = .99) and nonwords (rs = .95). Conclusions The high correlation between the automated and manual methods suggests that automatic spelling scoring constitutes a quick and objective approach that can reliably substitute the existing manual and time-consuming spelling scoring process, an important asset for both researchers and clinicians.
Stabilizing the unstable: Exploring the histories, practices and literate actions of writers at the aging stage of life

The writing that older adults, retirees, and the elderly – what might be referred to as the aging stage of life (Conrad, 1992) – remains under-examined in writing studies. This research project explores the literate practices of five retirees who write on a regular basis in order to understand how they organize themselves and their lives for writing across lifeworlds. A theoretical framework from a lifespan perspective (Bazerman et al., 2017) serves as the departure point for a grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006; Saldana, 2009) analysis of artifacts that emerged from a series of retrospective interview protocols. These protocols were based on previous work in sponsors of literacy (Brandt, 2001) and chronotopic lamination (Prior and Shipka, 2003). Analysis of these interviews and documents reveals a core category of stabilizing that retirees engage in. Writers stabilize their work in a given moment to continue making sense of a chain of literate acts, which enables them to carry forward complex literate lives. These findings suggest that retirees write their way into new contexts shaped by their pre-retirement histories. The manner in which these subjects went about this work suggests that context is an important and complicated concept when examined through a lifespan perspective.
A unique case of mesonephric adenocarcinoma of urinary bladder

Abstract Mesonephric (Wolffian) remnants are relatively uncommon and incidentally noted lesions, predominantly in the gynecologic tract. Only a handful of cases have been reported in the prostate and periprostatic region. Similarly, mesonephric adenocarcinomas also have a predilection for the gynecologic tract. Owing to the rarity and morphologic pattern, both benign and malignant mesonephric proliferations can be diagnostic pitfalls, especially when encountered in male patients or non-gynecologic organs. Here we present a unique case of mesonephric adenocarcinoma arising in a background of mesonephric remnants in the urinary bladder and review literature to date.
Eribulin Activates the cGAS-STING Pathway via the Cytoplasmic Accumulation of Mitochondrial DNA.

Microtubule targeting agents (MTAs), including both microtubule stabilizers and destabilizers, are highly effective chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. In addition to the shared ability of all MTAs to block cell cycle progression, growing evidence shows that different agents of this class can also have mechanistically distinct effects on non-mitotic microtubule-dependent cellular processes, including cellular signaling and transport. Herein, we test the biological hypothesis that MTAs used in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) can differentially affect innate immune signaling pathways independent of their antimitotic effects. Our data demonstrate that the microtubule destabilizer eribulin, but not the microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel, induces cGAS-STING-dependent expression of interferon β in both myeloid and TNBC cells. Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway by eribulin was further found to be mediated by the accumulation of cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA. Together, these findings provide mechanistic insight into how eribulin can induce innate immune signaling independent of its antimitotic or cytotoxic effects. Significance StatementMicrotubule targeted agents are often used in the treatment of breast cancer and, most recently, have been used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve their efficacy. While all clinically approved MTAs share an antimitotic mechanism of action, their distinct effects on interphase microtubules can promote differential downstream signaling consequences. We show that the microtubule destabilizer eribulin, but not the microtubule stabilizer paclitaxel, activates the cGAS-STING innate immune signaling pathway through the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA in the cytoplasm.
Prejudice, Information, and the Vote for Women in Personalized PR Systems: Evidence from Brazil

Personalized proportional representation systems elect fewer women than other systems. This paper uses individual-level survey data and leverages state-level variation in campaign expenditures and ...
Discovery of Autoantibodies Targeting Nephrin in Minimal Change Disease Supports a Novel Autoimmune Etiology

Background Failure of the glomerular filtration barrier, primarily by loss of slit diaphragm architecture, underlies nephrotic syndrome in minimal change disease. The etiology remains unknown. The efficacy of B cell-targeted therapies in some patients, together with the known proteinuric effect of antinephrin antibodies in rodent models, prompted us to hypothesize that nephrin autoantibodies may be present in patients with minimal change disease. Methods We evaluated sera from patients with minimal change disease enrolled in the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) cohort and from our own institutions for circulating nephrin autoantibodies by indirect ELISA and by immunoprecipitation of full-length nephrin from human glomerular extract or a recombinant purified extracellular domain of human nephrin. We also evaluated renal biopsies from our institutions for podocyte-associated punctate IgG colocalizing with nephrin by immunofluorescence Results In two independent patient cohorts, we identified in a subset of patients with minimal change disease circulating nephrin autoantibodies during active disease that were significantly reduced or absent during treatment response. We correlated the presence of these autoantibodies with podocyte-associated punctate IgG in renal biopsies from our institutions. We also identified a patient with steroid-dependent childhood minimal change disease that progressed to end-stage kidney disease; she developed a massive posttransplant recurrence of proteinuria that was associated with high pretransplant circulating nephrin autoantibodies. Conclusions Our discovery of nephrin autoantibodies in a subset of adults and children with minimal change disease aligns with published animal studies and provides further support for an autoimmune etiology. We propose a new molecular classification of nephrin autoantibody minimal change disease to serve as framework for instigation of precision therapeutics for these patients.
Helium jets discharging normally into a swirling air flow

The characteristics of helium jets injected normally to a swirling air flow are investigated experimentally using laser Doppler and hot-wire anemometers. Two jets with jet-to-crossflow momentum flux ratios of 0.28 and 12.6 are examined. The jets follow a spiral path similar to that found in the swirling air flow alone. Swirl acts to decrease jet penetration, but this is being counteracted by the lighter jet fluid density which is being pressed towards the tube center by the inward pressure gradient. Consequently, in spite of the large variation in momentum flux ratio, jet penetration into the main flow for the two jets investigated is about the same. The presence of the jet is felt only along the spiral path and none at all outside this region. Upstream of the jet, the oncoming swirling flow is essentially unaffected. These characteristics are quite different from jets discharging into a uniform crossflow at about the same momentum flux ratios, and can be attributed to the combined effects of swirl and density difference between the jet fluid and the air stream. Finally, the jets lose their identity in about fifteen jet diameters.
Why Cornell Moral Realism Cannot Provide an Adequate Account of Moral Knowledge

According to Cornell moral realists, we can know about moral facts in much the same way that we do the empirical facts of the natural sciences. In “Can Cornell Moral Realism Adequately Account for Moral Knowledge?” (2012), I argue that this positive comparison to scientific knowledge hurts, rather than helps, the moral realist position. Joseph Long has recently defended Cornell moral realism against my concerns. In this article, I respond to Long's arguments and clarify important issues in the present debate.
The antidepressant tranylcypromine alters cellular proliferation and migration in the adult goldfish brain.

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a widely studied vertebrate model organism for studying cell proliferation in the adult brain, and provide the experimental advantage of growing their body and brain throughout their ∼30-year life time. Cell proliferation occurs in the teleost brain in widespread proliferation zones. Increased cell proliferation in the brain has been linked to the actions of certain antidepressants, including tranylcypromine (TCP), which is used in the treatment of depression. We hypothesized that proliferation zones in the adult goldfish brain can be used to determine the antidepressant effects on cellular proliferation. Here, we report that bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling over a 24-hr period can be used to rapidly identify the proliferation zones throughout the goldfish brain, including the telencephalon, diencephalon, optic tectal lobes, cerebellum, and facial and vagal lobes. In the first 24 hr of BrdU administration, TCP caused an approximate and significant doubling of labeled cells in the combined brain regions examined, as detected by BrdU immunohistochemistry. TCP caused the greatest increase in cell proliferation in the cerebellum. The normal migratory paths of the proliferating cells within the cerebellum were not affected by TCP treatment. These results indicate that the goldfish provide significant advantages as a vertebrate model for rapidly investigating the effects of antidepressant drugs on cellular proliferation and migration in the normal and injured brain. Anat Rec, 297:1919–1926, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Research on Contemporary Indian Gurus: What’s New about New Age Gurus?

This essay takes contemporary Indian gurus and literature about them as its subject, particularly gurus who have risen to prominence post-1965, and begins to contemplate the moniker, ‘New Age’ guru, a prevalent gloss used in popular Indian news media, to raise some questions and highlight apparent gaps in the field. This examines briefly literature regarding the earliest global Indian gurus such as Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda. Building on the legacy of the mystical and spiritual authority of the East, and having had the way paved by Vivekananda, today’s New Age Indian gurus, even those who rarely leave India, negotiate their charismatic spiritual authority through global networks. Scholarly literature on Indian gurus has engaged discourses across the academic disciplines to address theoretical topics such as cosmopolitanism, diaspora, globalization, religious pluralism, and gender, and this literature has contributed to our understandings of social realities of Hindu Nationalism and the Indian middle class. These scholarly conversations are by no means complete, and more attention to Indian gurus, especially multi-sited studies of guru-led movements at various stages of development, will benefit its continuation. However, new conversations need to begin as well, and this essay suggests that new enquiries on contemporary Indian gurus should begin to address the term ‘New Age’ and what this means in various contexts as it applies to guru-led movements. Particularly, we should be asking what ‘New Age’ means for Indian gurus themselves and for their constituencies in India and around the globe. The already messy modifier, ‘New Age’ undergoes its own transformations as it traverses transnational terrain, religious sensibilities, histories and worldviews around the figure of the New Age guru.
A Weighted Mean Model for Operational Risk Assessment

Assessing operational risk, particularly related to internal control, is increasingly important to business firms. This is especially the case for publicly-traded companies that are engaged in multinational operations, which involve additional complexity and risk. In the United States, for example, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public companies to document adequate internal control in their annual report. However, there is no standard or uniformly accepted solution for internal risk analysis. Several complex methods have been introduced in the academic field. These complex methods, while theoretically sound, may be problematic in practice due to the necessity of sufficient historical data. When insufficient data are available for measuring operational risk, most of the models, which are based on probability theory, do not work. As a consequence, in most companies’ annual reports, the internal risk disclosure is still rather ambiguous and intuitive. In this paper, we will present a simple weighted mean model that can be used for internal risk assessment. This weighted mean model offers an approach that is relatively easy to use and overcomes deficiencies of more complex models. This model can be a viable alternative to empirical or intuitive methods.
Electrostatic and piezoelectric analog tunable diffractive gratings

Summary from only given. We show a tunable MEMS grating design which permits analog control over the diffraction angle. This is accomplished by analog actuation of the grating beams in the lateral direction. Compared to other tunable grating implementations (e.g. the grating light valve and the polychromator), our device trades deflection range for angular resolution. Applications for high resolution analog tunable gratings include microspectrometers, external cavity tunable lasers, and thermal compensators for wavelength multiplexer-demultiplexers. in this paper, we describe two implementations: electrostatic and piezoelectric.
Human Calcium Absorption from Whole-Wheat Products

Fractional calcium absorption from wheat products and the influence of co-ingested wheat products on calcium absorption from milk were measured in a series of randomized crossover studies in healthy adult women. The wheat had been intrinsically labeled with 45Ca during growth. In the first study, fractional calcium absorption from leavened whole-wheat bread averaged 0.817 +/- 0.124. By comparison, absorption from milk, ingested at a comparable load in the same women, averaged only 0.589 +/- 0.111. When labeled bread was co-ingested with milk, at the same aggregate load as for bread alone, bread calcium absorption fell to 0.748 +/- 0.103 (P less than 0.05). In a second study, calcium absorption from an extruded cereal prepared from intrinsically labeled wheat bran was compared with milk. Calcium absorption from the cereal (0.223 +/- 0.046) was significantly less than from milk (0.375 +/- 0.072) (P less than 0.001). When the two were co-fed at the same total load, milk calcium absorption fell to 0.258 +/- 0.055 (P less than 0.001). In a third study, the effect of phytate hydrolysis through yeast fermentation and of Maillard browning on calcium absorption was investigated using leavened bread and underbaked and overbaked cookies, each made with intrinsically labeled wheat flour. Calcium absorption from cookies was not affected by the extent of browning and averaged 0.652 +/- 0.087. However, calcium absorption from bread in these same women averaged 0.703 +/- 0.108. This was significantly more than from the cookies (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Polarographische Untersuchungen über die Kinetik der Entladung von Komplex‐Metallionen, insbesondere von Hydroxo‐ und Ammin‐Komplexen des Zinks

Es wird eine Analysenmethode der polarographischen Stromspannungskurve von Komplex-Metallionen beschrieben, mit deren Hilfe sich wertvolle Informationen uber den Entladungsmechanismus erhalten lassen. Dabei wird gezeigt, das bei Kenntnis der Abhangigkeit der Stromspannungskurve von der Konzentration des Komplexbildners der Durchtrittsfaktor α, die Geschwindigkeitskonstanten (kG)B. (kof)B des Entladungsprozesses und die Koordinationszahl p des entladungsbestimmenden Komplexes ermittelt werden konnen, wenn die Bedingung Δ √τ < 30 erfullt wird. [Uber die Definition von Δ siehe Gleichung (15) im Text, τ = Tropfzeit.] Als praktische Anwendung des hier vorgeschlagenen Analysenverfahrens werden die Hydroxo- und Ammin-Komplexe des Zinks experimentell untersucht. Hieraus werden folgende Schlusse gezogen: 1. Bei Hydroxo-Komplexen liegt in der Losung im wesentlichen der Komplex [Zn(OH)4]2- vor. Die Entladung verlauft aber bei COH ≅ 1 uber die Verbindung Zn(OH)2 mit den Zahlenwerten fur log (kG)B = - 3,3, · log(kof)B = - 23,8 und α = 0,42. 2. Bei Ammin-Komplexen erfolgt die Entladung bei CNH3 ≅ 1 uber den Komplex [Zn(NH3)2]2+ mit den Zahlenwerten: log (kG)B = - 4,9, log (kof)B = - 32,7 und α = 0,65, obwohl in der Losung der Komplex [Zn(NH3)4]2+ vorherrscht. Diese Ergebnisse stehen in qualitativer Ubereinstimmung mit den Gerischerschen Daten, die mit Hilfe der Wechselstrommethode erhalten worden sind.
A novel copper organophosphonate with a pore-like 3D framework and Cu–Cu magnetic ordering

H2O3PCH2NH2+CH2PO3H− was hydrothermally reacted with Cu(II) in aqueous solution at a 1 : 1 ratio, forming Cu3[NH2(CH2PO3)2]2 (1). Two kinds of coordination environments exist around the central copper ions: a distorted square planar Cu(1) ion and an octahedral Cu(2) ion. They are bridged with one terminal oxygen atom forming a 3D-coordination framework of layers sharing corners. Novel antiferromagnetic coupling between the two kinds of Cu units was observed at 15 K, followed by ferromagnetic ordering at 9 K.
M-learning: Overcoming the Usability Challenges of Mobile Devices

This paper discusses the advantages and challenges of using speech recognition technology, on mobile devices, in order to improve usability of mobile learning applications in the field. Multimodal and voice technology that enables speech-based information retrieval and input, using mobile phones or handheld computing devices is explained. Use of multimodal technology helps to overcome the limitations imposed by the small screen of mobile devices and their cumbersome data input capabilities. This technology could be especially valuable in engineering and science education. During field trips, students involved in field monitoring, testing, or other activities using instruments or testing equipment, often need to enter and request information on mobile devices hands-free and eyes-free. The author describes a mobile prototype application of voice and multimodal technology, and discusses mobile usage scenarios that incorporate multimodal data communication during field trips.
Smokeless tobacco use in India: Role of prices and advertising.

Abstract Although the primary form of tobacco use worldwide is cigarette smoking, the large majority of users in India consume smokeless forms of tobacco. There is little evidence on the role of policy-related factors in shaping the demand for smokeless tobacco (ST) in India. This study evaluates the relationship between two such factors, prices and advertising, and ST use in India, using data on 67,737 individuals from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009. We find that ST advertising is more likely to influence ST consumption in women than men, while men are more likely to respond to changes in ST price. We estimate that among adult males in India, the total price elasticity of ST demand is −0.212, which is close to estimates reported for males in the U.S. We do not find strong direct evidence on the economic substitutability or complementarity of smoked and smokeless products. However, the positive association between former smoking and current smokeless use may point to temporal substitutability at the individual level. The findings have implications on the relative effectiveness of policy tools across genders in India – increasing the prices of ST products may discourage ST use particularly among men, and advertising restrictions may play a relatively larger role in the consumption behavior of women in India.
The assessment of fractional drug removal by extracorporeal dialysis

It is generally concurred that the effectiveness of extracorporeal dialysis is best evaluated by fractional drug removal, i.e. the proportion of body burden of drug removed during the period of dialysis treatment. Two equations reported in the literature and five equations proposed in this article are examined for their validity in the assessment of fractional drug removal. Potential limitations and applicable conditions of these equations are discussed and compared. Calculations of fractional drug removal are demonstrated using both simulated and experimental data of ethambutol. Depending on the available kinetic measurements during dialysis and post dialysis, one may apply each equation separately or in conjunction with others to the calculation of fractional drug removal.
The structural basis for substrate anchoring, active site selectivity, and product formation by P450 PikC from Streptomyces venezuelae

The pikromycin (Pik)/methymycin biosynthetic pathway of Streptomyces venezuelae represents a valuable system for dissecting the fundamental mechanisms of modular polyketide biosynthesis, aminodeoxysugar assembly, glycosyltransfer, and hydroxylation leading to the production of a series of macrolide antibiotics, including the natural ketolides narbomycin and pikromycin. In this study, we describe four x-ray crystal structures and allied functional studies for PikC, the remarkable P450 monooxygenase responsible for production of a number of related macrolide products from the Pik pathway. The results provide important new insights into the structural basis for the C10/C12 and C12/C14 hydroxylation patterns for the 12-(YC-17) and 14-membered ring (narbomycin) macrolides, respectively. This includes two different ligand-free structures in an asymmetric unit (resolution 2.1 A) and two co-crystal structures with bound endogenous substrates YC-17 (resolution 2.35 A)or narbomycin (resolution 1.7 A). A central feature of the enzyme-substrate interaction involves anchoring of the desosamine residue in two alternative binding pockets based on a series of distinct amino acid residues that form a salt bridge and a hydrogen-bonding network with the deoxysugar C3' dimethylamino group. Functional significance of the salt bridge was corroborated by site-directed mutagenesis that revealed a key role for Glu-94 in YC-17 binding and Glu-85 for narbomycin binding. Taken together, the x-ray structure analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and corresponding product distribution studies reveal that PikC substrate tolerance and product diversity result from a combination of alternative anchoring modes rather than an induced fit mechanism.
NET SHAPE MANUFACTURING - THE UTILITY OF POWDER METALLURGY PROCESSING

Abstract Powder metallurgy is a source of new and viable near or net shape manufacturing processes, with compelling economic and technical advantages over conventional ingot metallurgy practice. Selected commercial methods are considered, namely pressing and sintering, injection molding, powder preform working and direct powder consolidation. Particular attention is directed to the prevailing state of stress, temperature and time in each mode, since these dictate densification mechanism(s), and hence microstructure and properties.
A dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the gene for monoamine oxidase A and measures of aggressiveness

The relationship between measures of aggressiveness (personality questionnaire scales, conduct disorder diagnosis, and symptom count) and a recently discovered dinucleotide repeat length polymorphism at the monoamine oxidase type A (MAOA) gene (MAOCA-1) as a candidate locus was examined in adolescents using polymerase chain reaction. No significant correlation between aggression scales and repeat length at the MAOCA-1 marker was found, whereas the categorical diagnosis of conduct disorder showed a nonsignificant trend for an association with the marker. Alternative explanations of this trend are discussed. The data obtained suggest that the polymorphism studied is not associated with the variation in aggressiveness.
Using models on models to test climate measurement techniques

According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, researchers' best estimate of the Earth's equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS)—the increase in global average temperature that would result from doubling the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide—falls somewhere between 1.5°C and 4.5°C. Despite an abundance of ongoing research, the uncertainty associated with this measurement has proven particularly difficult to eliminate.
Sampling designs to control selection probabilities of contiguous units

Abstract Recent studies in environmental and ecological research have generated interesting statistical problems, which call for innovative solutions. Finite population sampling is one of the areas that has seen some new research activity as a result of this. In some situations a region of interest is divided into many smaller units or plots, and a characteristic of interest is observed at a small number of randomly selected units in the region. Since inferences for the entire region are based on observations at the selected units, it is important that these units are representative for the entire region. This is especially a challenge if units that give particularly small or large observations are sparse and appear only in a few clusters of neighboring or contiguous units in the region. This phenomenon, however, is not at all uncommon in environmental and ecological research. It requires new ideas for sampling designs and inference methods. In this paper we present some sampling designs that have a tendency to avoid the selection of many neighboring units.
Governance and accountability in the new data ecology

Electronic data licenses (EDLs) are data governance instruments that consist of legal rules (rights, obligations and prohibitions) governing an organization's data practices. These rules include data requirements, such as rights to collect, use, retain and transfer data to third parties and prohibitions preventing these practices. We introduce the EDL concept by describing the emerging data ecology, wherein information sharing will reach unprecedented scale, and by presenting legal foundations for the EDL concept. We conclude with a broad vision for the EDL framework by discussing the license management and composition strategies, criteria for evaluating solutions, and how EDLs should support data principles and standards, before concluding with a review of related work that supports this vision.
Heart rate and respiration in reptiles: contrasts between a sit-and-wait predator and an intensive forager.

The current study investigated respiration and heart rate in two species of reptiles with distinct behavioral strategies: (1) the Sudan plated lizard (Gerrhosaurus major), a sit-and-wait predator; and (2) the Savanna monitor (Varanus exanthematicus), an intensive forager. It was hypothesized that (a) the plated lizard would not express respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and (b) the monitor, a reptile with behavioral and physiological characteristics similar to mammals, might express respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a pattern previously observed only in mammals. The data demonstrated that although there were strong vagal influences on the heart, respiratory activity was not manifested in the heart rate pattern of the plated lizards. In contrast, the monitor exhibited a reliable ventilatory influence on the heart rate pattern, although the pattern differed from the respiratory sinus arrhythmia observed in mammals. Consistent with the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 1995, 2001), the vagal control of the reptilian heart in both species appears to be mediated through the phylogenetically older unmyelinated system, a system that evolved to support metabolic conservation and not social behavior.
Training student employees for quality service

This article examines the factors necessary for a successful student employee-training program. The factors include the importance of pre-employment activities, such as well-written job descriptions and performance measures, job orientation to the library, specific training for the duties to be performed, and the evaluation of the training program.
Modification of the Word Association Test for Assessing Posttraumatic Stress Disorders

Suggestions for clinical modifications of the Word Association Test in assessing patients for Posttraumatic Stress Disorders are outlined. Two cases are briefly mentioned.