cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequence and functional characterization of the terminal exon of the human insulin receptor gene

Abstract We present 5.1 kb of the 3′ noncoding region sequence of the human insulin receptor gene and identification of four functional polyadenylation domains responsible for 3′-end processing of the 5.4, 6.9, 8.0 and 9.4 kb human insulin receptor mRNA, respectively. The insulin receptor gene contains five putative polyadenylation sites (P1–P5), located 5160, 6502, 7488, 8945 and 8957 base pairs (bp) downstream from the translational initiation site. All putative polyadenylation sites are flanked by upstream AU rich and downstream GU rich regions which regulate mRNA stability and mRNA cleavage, respectively. Also, two RNA stem-loop structures have been identified. To determine its role on gene expression, a reporter gene was constructed containing various lengths of the insulin receptor 3′ UTR and transiently transfected into COS 7 cells. A 539 bp fragment (4897–5436 bp downstream from the IR translational initiation site) inhibited CAT expression by 5–6-fold. Further downstream addition of 1169 bp of the insulin receptor 3′ untranslated region enhanced gene expression by 2-fold. These studies provide evidence that the insulin receptor 3′ untranslated region can modulate gene expression.
The epigenetics of adult (somatic) stem cells.

While genetic studies have provided a wealth of information about health and disease, there is a growing awareness that individual characteristics are also determined by factors other than genetic sequences. These “epigenetic” changes broadly encompass the influence of the environment on gene regulation and expression and in a more narrow sense, describe the mechanisms controlling DNA methylation, histone modification and genetic imprinting. In this review, we focus on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate adult (somatic) stem cell differentiation, beginning with the metabolic pathways and factors regulating chromatin structure and DNA methylation and the molecular biological tools that are currently available to study these processes. The role of these epigenetic mechanisms in manipulating adult stem cells is followed by a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing this emerging field.
Validation of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale in College Students

Impulsive (IA) and premeditated (PM) aggression reflect functions of aggressive behavior that may have differential correlates and clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to extend the use of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS) for characterizing aggression in a college student sample. Three hundred forty students completed the IPAS, Buss and Perry's (1992) Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), and measures of childhood maltreatment and negative life events. Principal components analyses supported reliable IA and PM factors. The degree of IA was significantly higher than that of PM. Convergent validity for the IA scale was supported with significant relationships with certain AQ scales. Implications for studying aggressive functions in this age group may inform violence prevention and treatment on college campuses.
Standards and the diffusion of advanced technologies

Abstract There is a long history in the United States of public policy initiatives directed toward the creation of new technology, but very few efforts have been supported to increase the rate of diffusion of these technologies. Given the importance of more rapid technology diffusion as both a spur to increasing productivity growth and as a competitive response to the global technology-based competition this country now faces, an effort should be made by the government to support further investment in infratechnology. We demonstrate the potential impact this may have by examining the historical impact that the adoption of standards has had on the diffusion of numerically controlled machine tools.
Cerebellar venous angioma associated with angiographically occult brain stem vascular malformation. Report of two cases

We studied two patients with angiographically documented cerebellar venous angioma (malformation) and angiographically occult vascular malformation of the brain stem. One patient had recurrent hemorrhage in the pontine tegmentum. The second patient had recurrent hemorrhage in the midbrain. None had hemorrhage originating from the abnormal cerebellar venous channels. The more benign nature of angiographic venous malformations is supported by the cases we are presenting, as well as from a review of the literature, which includes an autopsy study of similar cases. The management of multiple vascular brain lesions is contingent on the verification of symptomatic pathological blood vessels. It is emphasized that angiographically occult vascular malformation could possibly exist in the vicinity of angiographic venous malformation when the patient with intracerebral hemorrhage, especially in the posterior fossa, was diagnosed as having venous malformation.
Multi-zonal Navier-Stokes code with the LU-SGS scheme

The LU-SGS (lower upper symmetric Gauss Seidel) algorithm has been implemented into the Compressible Navier-Stokes, Finite Volume (CNSFV) code and validated with a multizonal Navier-Stokes simulation of a transonic turbulent flow around an Onera M6 transport wing. The convergence rate and robustness of the code have been improved and the computational cost has been reduced by at least a factor of 2 over the diagonal Beam-Warming scheme.
Newborn screening--the unique role of unique evidence.

Newborn screening is a public health program that providesearly identiﬁcation of genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and func-tional disorders among infants for the purpose of follow-up careand treatment. Without treatment, the screened for disorders canresult in devastating health consequences and in some cases,death. Recent ﬁgures estimate that the national newborn screen-ing program identiﬁes 5000 children per year in the UnitedStates with treatable metabolic, hematologic, or hormonal dis-orders, and another 12,000 with hearing deﬁcits who requireintervention.
Frequency of the ‘Alpha’ Rhythm, Reaction Time and Age

THE preliminary investigation described in this communication was suggested by the observations that (a) older people respond to a stimulus more slowly (simple reaction time is longer than in young people)1–4, and (b) the dominant rhythm of the electroencephalogram, the ‘alpha’ rhythm, is slower in older people than in young5–7. These findings raised the question of whether ‘alpha’ frequency might be a factor responsible for differences in reaction time. The present experiment was designed to discover if simple reaction time is related to ‘alpha’ frequency of the electroencephalogram recorded during the time which elapses between a stimulus and a response.
Mixed waste characterization in soil

Abstract A pilot program has been initiated at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico to study new methods of environmental characterization and restoration of sites contaminated with potential mixed wastes. The initial program studied four sites whose primary radioactive contaminant was thorium. Geophysical, nuclear, and chemical analyses were performed during the initial phase, with the program currently expanding to include biochemical studies. The entire program was conducted on-site to eliminate public health concerns about hazardous waste movement and to provide a more efficient and effective way to collect and process characterization samples. Chemical analyses showed no significant chemical contamination by metals, semi-volatile organic compounds, and total petroleum hydrocarbons by EPA standards and thus indicated that the soil would not have to be treated as mixed waste. Radioactivity analysis showed a 232 Th activity that ranged from background levels to over 1000 pCi/g. Additionally, using dry sieving, a correlation was found between sample radiation content and soil grain size. It is planned to exploit this effect later in the program when site remediation strategies are developed.
Factors in the dose-response effect of testosterone in the male ring dove

The dose-response effect of testosterone propionate on six behavioral patterns was examined in the castrated male ring dove. There was no dose-response effect when all behaviors were compared on the 13th day, the last day of systemic injection. However, a discernible dose-response effect in two behavioral patterns (Bow-coos and Nest-coos) was found on the day when maximal response was manifested. The latency (days) of maximal response differs from one behavioral pattern to the next, but is generally constant for each behavioral pattern at all dose levels.
Conditioning of linear boundary value problems

The method of parallel shooting for the solution of two-point boundary value problems is investigated. Bounds are obtained for the norms of the fundamental matrices of the differential equations and their inverses. These bounds are used for estimation of the condition number and for determining the shooting intervals.
Leptin replacement alters brain response to food cues in genetically leptin-deficient adults

A missense mutation in the ob gene causes leptin deficiency and morbid obesity. Leptin replacement to three adults with this mutation normalized body weight and eating behavior. Because the neural circuits mediating these changes were unknown, we paired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with presentation of food cues to these subjects. During viewing of food-related stimuli, leptin replacement reduced brain activation in regions linked to hunger (insula, parietal and temporal cortex) while enhancing activation in regions linked to inhibition and satiety (prefrontal cortex). Leptin appears to modulate feeding behavior through these circuits, suggesting therapeutic targets for human obesity.
Theory of ballistic nanotransistors

Numerical simulations are used to guide the development of a simple analytical theory for ballistic field-effect transistors. When two-dimensional (2-D) electrostatic effects are small (and when the insulator capacitance is much less than the semiconductor (quantum) capacitance), the model reduces to Natori's theory of the ballistic MOSFET. The model also treats 2-D electrostatics and the quantum capacitance limit where the semiconductor quantum capacitance is much less than the insulator capacitance. This new model provides insights into the performance of MOSFETs near the scaling limit and a unified framework for assessing and comparing a variety of novel transistors.
Macroecology of mangroves: large-scale patterns and processes in tropical coastal forests

Macroecology is an emerging subdiscipline within ecology that explores effects of large-scale processes on local, regional, and global patterns of species diversity and taxon-independent scaling of structural and functional relationships. Statistical analysis of these patterns yields hypotheses concerning the processes determining population, community, and ecosystem-level patterns, which have been the historical focus of most ecological research, including that done in mangroves. The majority of studies of mangrove forests have aimed to better understand the causes of local (within-forest) ecological patterns (e.g. zonation, tolerance to salinity and hypoxia, litterfall and production), with little attention to the larger environmental, historical and evolutionary contexts that can influence local processes. I argue that a focus on the larger-scale contexts that constrain local processes (a "macroecology of mangroves") will provide us with new insights into the structure and function of mangrove ecosystems. Further, such analyses can be used to determine if mangroves follow similar general rules that have been identified for upland forested ecosystems. I consider two examples: relationships between local species richness and latitude, longitude and regional diversity; and structural coordination of leaf traits. I present data and analyses of these macroecological patterns in mangrove forests, and illustrate points of agreement and disagreement between these and upland ecosystems. I suggest that ecological theory developed in upland forests can be readily applied to mangrove forests. Such a conclusion should lead to advances in ecological research of mangroves and better predictions of how they will respond to global climate change.
Longitudinal Assessment of Noise Exposure in a Cohort of Construction Workers

Conclusions: Construction workers in the cohort had subject-interval and study-average exposures which present a substantial potential risk of NIHL. In a subsequent paper, we will use these estimates to evaluate the exposure–response relationship between noise and NIHL.
The carboxy-terminus of VirE2 from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is required for its transport to host cells by the virB-encoded type IV transport system.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers DNA from the resident ‘tumour-inducing’ (Ti) plasmid into plant cells, where it can be stably integrated into the plant genome, ultimately resulting in crown gall tumour formation. The mobilized DNA molecule is a single-stranded intermediate with VirD2 covalently bound to its 5′ end. Successful transport of the transferred DNA (T-DNA) and integration of the DNA into the genome requires that additional proteins be transported to the plant as well, including the single-stranded (ss)DNA-binding protein, VirE2. The transport of these two different substrates occurs as a result of the activities of a type IV secretion system encoded by the virB operon. Although the substrates have been identified, the mechanism of their transport remains unknown. In the experiments described here, a region in one of these substrates, VirE2, necessary for transport is identified. The addition of a C-terminal FLAG epitope tag to VirE2, or the deletion of its C-terminal 18 amino acids, renders it non-functional in A. tumefaciens. However, transgenic plants expressing either of these virE2 genes respond to virE2 mutants of A. tumefaciens by forming wild-type tumours. These results indicate that this region of VirE2 is necessary for the protein to be transported into the plant cells, but is not necessary for its function within the plant. Additionally, these studies demonstrate that mutant forms of VirE2 lacking this region do not disrupt the activities of the VirB transporter and support the hypothesis that VirE2 and the VirD2 T-strand are transported independently, even when they co-exist in the same cell.
Quorum Sensing Is a Global Regulatory Mechanism in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is responsible for outbreaks of bloody diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in many countries. EHEC virulence mechanisms include the production of Shiga toxins (Stx) and formation of attaching and effacing (AE) lesions on intestinal epithelial cells. We recently reported that genes involved in the formation of the AE lesion were regulated by quorum sensing through autoinducer-2, which is synthesized by the product of the luxS gene. In this study we hybridized an E. coli gene array with cDNA synthesized from RNA that was extracted from EHEC strain 86-24 and its isogenic luxS mutant. We observed that 404 genes were regulated by luxS at least fivefold, which comprises approximately 10% of the array genes; 235 of these genes were up-regulated and 169 were down-regulated in the wild-type strain compared to in the luxS mutant. Down-regulated genes included several involved in cell division, as well as ribosomal and tRNA genes. Consistent with this pattern of gene expression, the luxS mutant grows faster than the wild-type strain (generation times of 37.5 and 60 min, respectively, in Dulbecco modified Eagle medium). Up-regulated genes included several involved in the expression and assembly of flagella, motility, and chemotaxis. Using operon::lacZ fusions to class I, II, and III flagellar genes, we were able to confirm this transcriptional regulation. We also observed fewer flagella by Western blotting and electron microscopy and decreased motility halos in semisolid agar in the luxS mutant. The average swimming speeds for the wild-type strain and the luxS mutant are 12.5 and 6.6 μm/s, respectively. We also observed an increase in the production of Stx due to quorum sensing. Genes encoding Stx, which are transcribed along with λ-like phage genes, are induced by an SOS response, and genes involved in the SOS response were also regulated by quorum sensing. These results indicate that quorum sensing is a global regulatory mechanism for basic physiological functions of E. coli as well as for virulence factors.
Modulation of Longevity and Tissue Homeostasis by the Drosophila PGC-1 Homolog

In mammals, the PGC-1 transcriptional coactivators are key regulators of energy metabolism, including mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration, which have been implicated in numerous pathogenic conditions, including neurodegeneration and cardiomyopathy. Here, we show that overexpression of the Drosophila PGC-1 homolog (dPGC-1/spargel) is sufficient to increase mitochondrial activity. Moreover, tissue-specific overexpression of dPGC-1 in stem and progenitor cells within the digestive tract extends life span. Long-lived flies overexpressing dPGC-1 display a delay in the onset of aging-related changes in the intestine, leading to improved tissue homeostasis in old flies. Together, these results demonstrate that dPGC-1 can slow aging both at the level of cellular changes in an individual tissue and also at the organismal level by extending life span. Our findings point to the possibility that alterations in PGC-1 activity in high-turnover tissues, such as the intestine, may be an important determinant of longevity in mammals.
Influence of Pilin Glycosylation on Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1244 Pilus Function

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial pneumonia. Among its virulence factors, the type IV pili of P. aeruginosa strain 1244 contain a covalently linked, three-sugar glycan of previously unknown significance. The work described in this paper was carried out to determine the influence of the P. aeruginosa 1244 pilin glycan on pilus function, as well as a possible role in pathogenesis. To accomplish this, a deletion was introduced into the pilO gene of this organism. The isogenic knockout strain produced, 1244G7, was unable to glycosylate pilin but could produce pili normal in appearance and quantity. In addition, this strain had somewhat reduced twitching motility, was sensitive to pilus-specific bacteriophages, and could form a normal biofilm. Analysis of whole cells and isolated pili from wild-type P. aeruginosa strain 1244 by transmission electron microscopy with a glycan-specific immunogold label showed that this saccharide was distributed evenly over the fiber surface. The presence of the pilin glycan reduced the hydrophobicity of purified pili as well as whole cells. With regard to pathogenicity, P. aeruginosa strains producing glycosylated pili were commonly found among clinical isolates and particularly among those strains isolated from sputum. Competition index analysis using a mouse respiratory model comparing strains 1244 and 1244G7 indicated that the presence of the pilin glycan allowed for significantly greater survival in the lung environment. These results collectively suggest that the pilin glycan is a significant virulence factor and may aid in the establishment of infection.
Documentation in Social Work: Evolving Ethical and Risk-Management Standards

Social workers' understanding of the relevance of documentation has evolved over time. During the profession's earliest years, social workers viewed documentation primarily as a mechanism to facilitate theory building, research, and teaching. This was followed by social workers' development of detailed and sophisticated documentation standards for clinical and other direct practice settings. Most recently, social workers have begun to appreciate the relevance of documentation for risk-management purposes, particularly as a tool to protect clients and to protect practitioners in the event of an ethics complaint or lawsuit. This article updates the profession's literature on documentation by summarizing current ethical and legal standards. Implications for social work practice, supervision, management, and administration are addressed.
On semiglobal stabilizability of antistable systems by saturated linear feedback

It was recently established that a second-order antistable linear system can be semiglobally stabilized on its null controllable region by saturated linear feedback and a higher order linear system with two or more antistable poles can be semiglobally stabilized on its null controllable region by more general bounded feedback laws. We will show in this note that a system with three real-valued antistable poles cannot be semiglobally stabilized on its null controllable region by the simple saturated linear feedback.
Vibrational photoacoustic microscopy for depth-resolved bond-selective imaging of tissues and organisms

We realize vibrational photoacoustic microscopy (VPA) using molecular excitation of overtone vibration and acoustic detection of the resultant pressure transients. We demonstrate 3-D VPA imaging of lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques and lipid bodies in living Drosophila larvae by exciting 2nd overtone of the CH bond stretch around 8300 cm−1. Depth-resolved spectral analysis and a penetration depth of several mm are available.
Phenazine redox cycling enhances anaerobic survival in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by facilitating generation of ATP and a proton-motive force

While many studies have explored the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, comparatively few have focused on its survival. Previously, we reported that endogenous phenazines support the anaerobic survival of P. aeruginosa, yet the physiological mechanism underpinning survival was unknown. Here, we demonstrate that phenazine redox cycling enables P. aeruginosa to oxidize glucose and pyruvate into acetate, which promotes survival by coupling acetate and ATP synthesis through the activity of acetate kinase. By measuring intracellular NAD(H) and ATP concentrations, we show that survival is correlated with ATP synthesis, which is tightly coupled to redox homeostasis during pyruvate fermentation but not during arginine fermentation. We also show that ATP hydrolysis is required to generate a proton-motive force using the ATP synthase complex during fermentation. Together, our results suggest that phenazines enable maintenance of the proton-motive force by promoting redox homeostasis and ATP synthesis. This work demonstrates the more general principle that extracellular redox-active molecules, such as phenazines, can broaden the metabolic versatility of microorganisms by facilitating energy generation.
Masculinity, Femininity and Relationship Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Competence:

The purpose of this study was to examine more fully the relationship between masculinity, femininity and satisfaction among dating couples. A multivariate causal model was developed and tested to assess Ickes' (1985) conceptual model of gender-role influences on relationship satisfaction. Dating couples (N = 174) completed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Results indicated that for both males and females, relationship satisfaction was related to their own expressive competence and to perceptions of their partner as feminine. Also, levels of expressive competence mediated the relationship between self-perceptions of femininity and satisfaction. For females, perceptions of partners' femininity were predicted by males' and females' self-perceived femininity. For males, perceptions of partners' femininity were predicted by females' self-perceived femininity and males' self-perceived masculinity. Discussion focuses on the...
Corticosteroids prevent myofibroblast accumulation and airway remodeling in mice.

At present there are conflicting results from studies investigating the role of corticosteroids in inhibiting airway remodeling in asthma. We have used a mouse model to determine whether administra...
Differential Effects of Whole Language and Traditional Instruction on Reading Attitudes

This article reports a three-part study comparing the effects of whole-languag e practice versus traditional basal instruction on children's reading attitudes. In Experiment 1, children in two whole-language elementary schools (Grades 1-5, N=485) and children in two traditional schools (Grades 1-5, N=433) responded to the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS). Although significant main effects of grade level and gender were observed, there was no main effect of instructional approach. The possibility that whole language had been too broadly defined was addressed in a second study. In Experiment 2, Bergeron's (1990) definition was used to identify a third whole-language school, meeting more specific criteria. All students in Grades 1-5 (N=713) were compared with the original basal group. Only the recreational ERAS subscale was administered because of the inapplicability of certain items of the academic subscale to the new wholelanguage setting. As before, no main effect of approach was observed, nor was any interaction of approach with other factors significant. Experiment 3 involved follow-up structured observations of two first-grade teachers in the second wholelanguage school. The attitude means of these teachers' classes differed significantly. Although the two teachers exhibited many similarities, notable differences emerged that warrant further study in order to examine a possible causal relationship between practice and attitude. Important differences in practice within a general whole-language philosophy may affect reading attitude differentially.
Light scattering from rat nervous system measured intraoperatively by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Our goal is to quantify scattering properties of near-IR light in the rat spinal cord region and to differentiate healthy and demyeli- nated peripheral nerves intraoperatively based on differential light scattering. For the rat spinal cord, optical reflectance is measured from the spinal cord surface at spatial intervals of 1m musing a needle probe. Data are acquired from left and right lumbar regions of the animals as well as on the central blood vessels. The reduced scatter- ing coefficient s is found to be higher 34.2±2.1 cm 1 in the lum- bar regions of the spinal cord than on the central blood vessel 19.9±1.0 cm 1 . This methodology is extended to detect differences in the rat sciatic nerves following left L4 spinal nerve ligation. The reflectance is taken at the same five regions at postoperative days 1, 4, 7, and 14. Significant differences are seen in both the spectral slope and s values on postoperative days 4, 7, and 14, indicating that either of the two quantities could be used as a marker for demyelina- tion. We prove the usefulness of the technique, which may have a possible clinical application for minimally invasive, intraoperative di- agnosis and monitoring of demyelination diseases, such as multiple sclerosis in the central nervous system or degeneration of the periph- eral nervous system. © 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.2098487
Meta-analysis of tropical surface temperatures during the Last Glacial Maximum

[1] The magnitude of tropical cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) has been the subject of uncertainty for over 25 years. We use principles of metaanalysis as an objective approach to reconcile estimates from different proxies. This approach treats each observation as a random estimate of the true mean and weights estimates by their reported precision. We assigned global uncertainties to proxies and derived a new regional standard deviation for temperatures calculated from the Sr/Ca ratio in tropical corals (s =1 .4� C). Using a Bayesian spatial interpolation scheme, we estimate a mean cooling of LGM tropical sea surface temperatures of � 2.7 ± 0.5C (±s) and surface air temperatures of � 5.4 ± 0.3C (±s). Citation: Ballantyne, A. P., M. Lavine, T. J. Crowley, J. Liu, and P. B. Baker (2005), Meta-analysis of tropical surface temperatures during the Last Glacial Maximum, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L05712, doi:10.1029/ 2004GL021217.
Ingestion of ice-nucleating active bacteria increases the supercooling point of the lady beetle Hippodamia convergens

Regulation of the temperature at which insects freeze is a critical factor in their overwintering survival. Although the role of ice-nucleating active bacteria in promoting frost-damage in plants is well known, their interaction with other organisms has not been described. In winter. many freeze-susceptible insects avoid freezing by lowering the temperature at which their body fluids spontaneously nucleate, termed the supercooling point. The lady beetle, Hippodamiu conuergens (Coccinellidae, Coleoptera), is a freeze-susceptible insect that overwinters as an adult in the supercooled state, - 16°C. In the control group, none of the beetles fed only water had supercooling points above - lS"C, similarly no beetles fed an ice-nucleating negative bacterium had supercooling points above - 14°C. Following ingestion of the ice-nucleating active bacteria, Pseudomonas syringue and Erwinia herbicolu ( IO9 bacteria/ml), the super- cooling point was elevated to -3.5 and -4.4"C respectively, the supercooling point remained elevated for 7 days after P. syringae treatment and a dose-response relationship was observed. Key Word Index: Pseudomonas syringae; Erwinia herbicola; Hippodamia convergens; supercooling point; ice-nucleating agents
Determining sequential difference thresholds for sodium chloride reduction

In response to the Institute of Medicine's suggestion for an industry-wide mandate on salt reduction via gradual stepwise decline of salt in foods, the objective of this study was to determine a set of sequential difference thresholds for sodium chloride reduction in plain water, and in water with added taste stimuli (sucrose, citric acid, caffeine, monosodium glutamate, disodium 5′- inosinate and disodium 5′- guanylate) to simulate a more complex-flavored broth. Ten subjects were recruited from a trained descriptive analysis panel of 6-n-propylthiouracil tasters and supertasters. Using paired-comparison tests, difference thresholds were established for each of the two described solutions starting at a salt concentration comparable with that of commercially available soup, and ending at a concentration required to meet the Food and Drug Administration's low-sodium guidelines. From these thresholds, two series of concentrations were established: a 26-step reduction for salt in water, and a 12-step reduction for salt in water with added stimuli. The difference in the number of steps illustrates the importance of product complexity in determining sensitivity to sodium reduction and provides basic information for manufacturers interested in gradually decreasing salt content of foods without being noticed by consumers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The series of salt concentrations determined in this study provides a foundation for food manufacturers interested in reducing salt content of processed foods, and basic information for people interested in reducing their personal dietary salt intake without adversely impacting product acceptability. The strategy of gradually decreasing salt content of foods is currently being considered by the Food and Drug Administration for industry-wide application, and if successful, has the potential to significantly reduce rates of health conditions related to overconsumption of salt.
Conflict Emergence and Escalation in Interactive International Dyads

We examine whether the conditions affecting initial expressions of hostility are similar to those affecting militarized disputes. Analyzing dyadic interactions during the years 1951-1992, we estimate a model to take into account selection effects and check it against another allowing conjunctive causation. Both provide close approximations to theoretical models of the conflict process and yield similar results. We confirm Kant's belief that all states are subject to the realist conditions of interstate competition that makes disputes likely, but that liberal influences, if present, can constrain the escalation of such disputes to war. Several influences on the conflict process have nonmonotonic effects over the range of state behavior. Geopolitical factors affect the opportunity for conflict more at lower levels of the conflict process, when less information is available regarding acceptable settlements and actors' resolve, than at higher levels. Factors affecting willingness gain importance as the confli...
Pseudo Youla-Kucera parameterization with control of the waterbed effect for local loop shaping

This paper discusses a discrete-time loop shaping algorithm for servo enhancement at multiple wide frequency bands. Such design considerations are motivated by a large class of practical control problems such as vibration rejection, active noise control, and periodical reference tracking; as well as recent novel challenges that demand new design in the servo technologies. A pseudo Youla-Kucera parameterization scheme is proposed using the inverse system model to bring enhanced control at selected local frequency regions. Design methodologies are created to control the waterbed amplifications that come from the fundamental limitations of feedback control. Finally, simulation and experimental verification are conducted in precision control and semiconductor manufacturing.
Formula Pricing of Class I Milk Under Market Orders

ORMULAS have been used for several years in pricing Class I milk under market orders. Despite their widespread use, modification of formula procedure in markets using them has been necessary from time to time. Their continued use indicates that formulas are of value in pricing milk, but their frequent change indicates that amendment procedures including public hearings also are necessary. It appears to be impossible to devise a formula which will function satisfactorily without change over the years. There are several reasons for this. First, there are many factors that affect the price of Class I milk, more factors than can be included in any formula. Second, there is uncertainty as to the weights that should be assigned to the various factors, and as to the extent of lag that should be allowed for in each case. Third, the weights and the lags which are appropriate at one time may be inadequate at a later date. Fourth, the acceptability of Class I prices to producers, distributors, and consumers is influenced by non-economic factors which change from time to time.
Glycemic Control and Excess Cardiovascular Mortality in Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic systemic disease with multiple complications ranging from microvascular to macrovascular diseases. Type 1 diabetes comprises 5 % of adults with diabetes in the US. This population is shown to be at increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. Intensive glycemic control has been consistently associated with decreased microvascular complications but trials on macrovascular benefit yielded mixed results over the years. Recent data from long-term observational follow-up studies of major diabetes cardiovascular events and mortality are showing benefits that were not seen with the initial interventional trials. This article will review evidence on the effect of glycemic control on complications in diabetes mellitus with a focus on cardiovascular mortality in type 1 diabetes.
Fuzzy requirements

Requirement analysis and specification is the first major step in software development. The goal is to develop a requirements specification that contains all the customers' true needs. The analysis describes quality requirements and their constraints, such as cost and resources. Functional requirements are analyzed in terms of inputs, outputs and their relationships. Hence, requirements analysis enables software engineers to specify software function and establish software design and implementation constraints. The paper discusses the specification of individual fuzzy requirements using fuzzy sets.
Biological Control of Apple Mites by a Phytoseiid Mite Complex and Zetzellia mali (Acari: Stigmaeidae): Long-Term Effects and Impact of Azinphosmethyl on Colonization by Amblyseius andersoni (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Long-established populations of Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten were less common in plots in 1993 with dense Zetzellia mali (Ewing) than in plots with sparse Z. mali . Also, newly released T. pyri had more difficulty colonizing plots with Z. mali than without, but less difficulty than Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) had had in 1992. Newly released Z. mali did not establish well in a plot that had T. pyri only, but Z. mali seemed to be displacing T. pyri after 4 yr in some mixed-species release plots of M. occidentalis and T. pyri . After immigration from nearby vegetation to apple, colonization by Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) was less in azinphosmethyl-treated plots than in similar untreated plots. Colonization by A. andersoni was greatest in plots with few T. pyri or Z. mali or both but some occurred in all plots not sprayed in 1993 (those originally receiving no releases, single or mixed-species releases of T. pyri , and M. occidentalis in 1990). Colonization by A. andersoni was greatest where M. occidentalis had been displaced in 1991 or 1992 by Z. mali. Results are discussed in relation to long-term biological control and more biologically based integrated pest management.
Effects of Disparlure and Egg Mass Size on Parasitism by the Gypsy Moth Egg Parasite, Ooencyrtus kuwanai

Seven plots in Monroe CO., Pa., with a general gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), infestation were treated with disparlure. A total of 2957 egg masses was examined for numbers of eggs, parasitism by Ooencyrtus kuwanai (Howard), and embryonation. The application of disparlure had no effect on either size of egg mass or percent parasitism. There was also no effect due to the height on the tree from which the egg mass was collected. However, an interaction between height and egg mass size did affect parasitism within 0.25 m of the ground. The greatest variability in the data was attributed to plot differences. This was related to the selection of plots on the basis of level of gypsy moth infestation, and the resultant differences in egg mass size. The negative dependence of percent parasitism on number of eggs per egg mass was linearized with a natural log transformation of eggs per mass. The regression model accounted for 75% of the variation in the data. The overall weighted avg percent egg parasitism was 49.8, with a range of 26.9–81.6.
Editorial: What Is Behind the Remarkable Increase in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma?

Esophageal adenocarcinoma has undergone a marked increase in incidence in Western cultures. The cause of this rise is unclear, and multiple putative causal factors have been implicated in the literature. Although data regarding some of these factors are suggestive, none appear to completely explain the observed trends. Given the complexity of cancer biology, the variety of causative and protective factors involved, and the difficulty in accurate measurement of exposures and outcomes, isolating one or few causative factors is challenging. Understanding the driving force(s) behind these trends may require a better understanding of the interaction between risk factors, as well as the multiple ways in which a single risk factor may affect the pathogenesis of the tumor.
Survival outcomes scores (SOFT, BAR, and Pedi‐SOFT) are accurate in predicting post‐liver transplant survival in adolescents

SOFT and BAR scores utilize recipient, donor, and graft factors to predict the 3-month survival after LT in adults (≥18 years). Recently, Pedi-SOFT score was developed to predict 3-month survival after LT in young children (≤12 years). These scoring systems have not been studied in adolescent patients (13-17 years). We evaluated the accuracy of these scoring systems in predicting the 3-month post-LT survival in adolescents through a retrospective analysis of data from UNOS of patients aged 13-17 years who received LT between 03/01/2002 and 12/31/2012. Recipients of combined organ transplants, donation after cardiac death, or living donor graft were excluded. A total of 711 adolescent LT recipients were included with a mean age of 15.2±1.4 years. A total of 100 patients died post-LT including 33 within 3 months. SOFT, BAR, and Pedi-SOFT scores were all found to be good predictors of 3-month post-transplant survival outcome with areas under the ROC curve of 0.81, 0.80, and 0.81, respectively. All three scores provided good accuracy for predicting 3-month survival post-LT in adolescents and may help clinical decision making to optimize survival rate and organ utilization.
Inertial Microfluidic Cell Separation

The ability to rapidly manipulate cells within microfluidic devices has been a fascinating goal for engineers across disciplines over the past two decades. With highly controllable flows and the ability to create microstructures on the same scale as cells, a large variety of technologies to sort and separate cells have been rapidly developed. One of these technologies, inertial focusing, stands out for its ease of use and high throughput. Inertial focusing utilizes passively generated forces within microchannels to align and separate cells based upon numerous factors including size, shape, and deformability of the suspended particles or cells. With so many different technologies, even within the realm of inertial focusing cell separation, it can be difficult to distinguish and choose one for a given application. Here I will attempt to quantify functional differences in separation techniques from both the fundamental perspective and from a perspective of implementation giving perhaps a means of choosing a technology that is right for the application.
Mediating Role of Leadership in the Development of Communities of Practice

This chapter aims to demonstrate that leadership is a Community of Practice (CoP) mediating influence for problem solving and innovation that should be incorporated in the contemporary CoP model. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991) coined the term “Community of Practice” to describe how groups of professionals network to identify common solutions to everyday problems. Wenger et al. (Cultivating communities of practice: a guide to managing knowledge. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2002) elaborated a CoP theory explaining how field practitioners develop and share working skills through the dimensions of domain, practice, and community, each related to diverse activities and life cycle stages of knowledge creation. Today, numerous organizations have adopted CoPs to promote innovation among their professional constituencies. CoPs have been characterized as spontaneous networks of people that operate without hierarchies or leadership structure. However, the current CoP literature suggests the mediating role of leadership over the capacity of members to produce problem-solving and innovation. A revised CoP structure in which leadership appears a mediating influence for CoP development is necessary to validate the existence of considerable research reporting leadership expressions as influence over CoP socialization and knowledge creation. By acknowledging the mediating role that leadership exerts over CoP knowledge creation, organizations sponsoring communities of practitioners may be able to overcome the challenges in leveraging the spontaneous nature of the community with the legitimization of knowledge creation structures.
Beyond self-disclosure

Massive amounts of information about others are disclosed across the world on social network sites every day. Disclosure of information about others may precipitate unanticipated consequences such as violating the privacy of another individual. Previous social network site (SNS) research has examined self-disclosure, this research examines the disclosure of information about others (DIO), building upon the theory of planned behavior and through the lens of Rest's ethical decision making model. A person's concern about others' privacy (COP) when he/she wants to share information about them is different from concern for himself/herself.The authors tested the posited model, using data collected with a survey instrument. Findings show that the COP, and attitude toward using SNSs influence the intention to disclose information about others. Also, COP is explained by social identity, agreeableness, extraversion, opinion leadership, sensitive information disclosure control, and prior privacy invasions. Social norms do not influence intentions to disclose information about others. Results indicate males have higher concern about others' privacy than females. This research contributes to the understanding of ethical choices of information disclosure within SNSs. Findings can help SNS developers improve privacy practices, protect sensitive third-party information, and improve user satisfaction. The concern for privacy of others explains disclosure of information about others.Agreeableness, extraversion, and opinion leadership define orientation toward others.Social norms do not have an influence on disclosure of information about others.Males are more concerned about others' privacy than females.
Fluorinated Graphene Enables the Growth of Inorganic Thin Films by Chemical Bath Deposition on Otherwise Inert Substrates

Chemically modified graphenes (CMGs) offer a means to tune a wide variety of graphene's exceptional properties. Critically, CMGs can be transferred onto a variety of substrates, thereby imparting functionalities to those substrates that would not be obtainable through conventional functionalization. One such application of CMGs is enabling and controlling the subsequent growth of inorganic thin films. In the current study, we demonstrated that CMGs enhance the growth of inorganic films on inert surfaces with poor growth properties. Fluorinated graphene transferred onto polyethylene enabled the dense and homogeneous deposition of a cadmium sulfide (CdS) film grown via chemical bath deposition. We showed that the coverage of the CdS film can be controlled by the degree of fluorination from less than 20% to complete coverage of the film. The approach can also be applied to other technologically important materials such as ZnO. Finally, we demonstrated that electron beam-generated plasma in a SF6-containing background could pattern fluorine onto a graphene/PE sample to selectively grow CdS films on the fluorinated region. Therefore, CMG coatings can tailor the surface properties of polymers and control the growth of inorganic thin films on polymers for the development of flexible electronics.