cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gastric bladder reconstruction.

SUMMARY Overall, stomach is an ideal tissue that is readily accessible for bladder augmentation or substitution. It has excellent muscle backing for antireflux and continence procedures. Its fibroelastic characteristics allow construction of a capacious and compliant reservoir. It has special merit in patients who have been irradiated by virtue of being rarely involved in the field of radiation; in patients with short bowel, because it usually is not associated with congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract; in patients with renal compromise and metabolic acidosis, because of its ability to secrete chloride and hydrogen ions; in patients with chronic urinary infections; and in patients with difficulty with catheterization because of excessive mucus.
Bone Marrow Acid Phosphatase: Prognostic Value in Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

AbstractPreoperative bone marrow acid phosphatase determinations were elevated in 18 of 31 patients who underwent radical prostatectomies. A review of the surgical pathology and clinical followup demonstrated a higher incidence of metastasis in these patients
Direct Creation of Quantum Well Excitons by Hole Assisted Electron Resonant Tunneling

The excitonic effect in resonant tunneling process is of great interest because of its fundamental quantum mechanical aspects and its potential application to tunneling devices. We have demonstrated a new way of direct creation of excitons in a GaAs quantum well (QW) by hole assisted electron resonant tunneling.1
Quality Improvement (QI): Implementing QI Tools

Having introduced and briefly discussed DMAIC, PDSA, and PDCA cycles in the preceding chapter, this chapter considers how specific tools could be used in conjunction with any of these three processes to implement improvement projects. For simplicity and for illustrative purposes, the chapter will focus on the PDCA (plan, do, control, act) as a template to provide a stepwise guide on utilization of a myriad of quality improvement tools.
Are You Sleeping? Dyadic Associations of Support, Stress, and Worries Regarding Adult Children on Sleep.

Purpose of the study Sleep is a key factor in maintaining positive health and well-being throughout life. Although the negative outcomes of sleep problems are becoming better understood, less is known about how intergenerational relationships might affect sleep. Thus, this investigation examines the dyadic associations of support for, stress over, and worrying about adult children on sleep quality for husbands and wives. Design and Methods The sample included 186 heterosexual married couples drawn from the Family Exchanges Study. To account for nonindependence in the dyadic data and explore questions of mutual influence, we used actor-partner interdependence models. Results Husbands' and wives' reports of supporting their adult child and husbands' worry were associated with husbands' sleep quality. Conversely, wives' stress about supporting their adult child was associated with wives' sleep quality. Findings suggest that relationships with adult children have different associations for sleep quality among middle-aged husbands and wives. Implications Our findings have implications for health-related research with couples and families and for providers who work with individuals struggling with sleep problems. Assisting aging parents to be aware of and manage ways that stress, support, and concern for adult children relate to their sleep may benefit them in multifaceted ways.
Diffusion of Corporate Philanthropy: Economic and Institutional Effects on the Establishment of Company-Sponsored Foundations

Economists have contributed the bulk of the literature on corporate philanthropy, focusing on the influence of federal tax rates on corporate contributions. With few exceptions, little attention has been paid to institutional pressures on corporate giving. By incorporating hypotheses derived from both economic and institutional theories, this paper seeks to explain the creation of company sponsored foundations among Fortune 500 firms, 1950-2000. In this study, 1,523 firms are analyzed using a discrete-time logit model to estimate the hazard for establishing a company-sponsored foundation. I find that the inception of company-sponsored foundations is driven not only by economic forces, but can be explained by such institutional pressures as peer influence, press coverage, and public perception.
Laboratory Activity to Promote Student Understanding of UV Mutagenesis and DNA Repair

Changes in DNA molecules are common, due to the effects of UV light and other external and internal mutagens. Cells have a variety of repair mechanisms which serve to maintain the accuracy of the genetic code. This activity includes a low-cost, safe and technically feasible experiment, which allows students to observe the effects of UV mutagenesis and DNA photorepair in the halophilc archaeon, Haloferax volcanii. An optional extension links this activity to topics of immediate concern to students – how exposure to UVC light contributes to skin cancer risk and the protective effects of sunscreen. Students design and carry out an experiment to test whether SPF 15 sunscreen increases the lethal exposure time for H. volcanii by a factor of 15. Throughout the activity, discussion questions engage students in actively thinking about the biological phenomena and experimental procedures and analysis. This activity is designed for students in college or university genetics, microbiology, or introductory biology courses as well as in high school honors biology courses. Teachers report that this activity was valuable in helping students understand mutagenesis and photorepair and in developing student skills in designing and analyzing experiments.
REDSoX: Monte-Carlo ray-tracing for a soft x-ray spectroscopy polarimeter

X-ray polarimetry offers a new window into the high-energy universe, yet there has been no instrument so far that could measure the polarization of soft X-rays (about 17-80 A) from astrophysical sources. The Rocket Experiment Demonstration of a Soft X-ray Polarimeter (REDSoX Polarimeter) is a proposed sounding rocket experiment that uses a focusing optic and splits the beam into three channels. Each channel has a set of criticalangle transmission (CAT) gratings that disperse the x-rays onto a laterally graded multilayer (LGML) mirror, which preferentially reflects photons with a specific polarization angle. The three channels are oriented at 120 deg to each other and thus measure the three Stokes parameters: I, Q, and U. The period of the LGML changes with position. The main design challenge is to arrange the gratings so that they disperse the spectrum in such a way that all rays are dispersed onto the position on the multi-layer mirror where they satisfy the local Bragg condition despite arriving on the mirror at different angles due to the converging beam from the focusing optics. We present a polarimeteric Monte-Carlo ray-trace of this design to assess non-ideal effects from e.g. mirror scattering or the finite size of the grating facets. With mirror properties both simulated and measured in the lab for LGML mirrors of 80-200 layers we show that the reflectivity and the width of the Bragg-peak are sufficient to make this design work when non-ideal effects are included in the simulation. Our simulations give us an effective area curve, the modulation factor and the figure of merit for the REDSoX polarimeter. As an example, we simulate an observation of Mk 421 and show that we could easily detect a 20% linear polarization.
Crack propagation in the hydrogen-induced brittle fracture of steel

The macroscopic features of hydrogen-induced static fatigue have been identified. The process is one of crack initiation and slow crack growth, followed by cataclysmic crack propagation (fracture). An electrical resistance method was developed to permit analysis of the crack growth kinetics. Specimens containing a high hydrogen concentration in the surface layers were examined. Three distinct stages of crack growth were identified. The first stage was characteristic of crack growth through a pre-existent hydrogen-rich region (surface layer), while the second stage was associated with the gross inward diffusion of hydrogen. The third stage was associated with imminent fracture.
Don’t Worry about the Government? The LEED-NC 'Green Building' Rating System and Energy Efficiency in U.S. Commercial Buildings

This paper describes the history, development, and current operation of USGBC and LEED, particularly with regard to energy efficiency in commercial buildings, the subsector in which LEED has had its greatest impact. The narrative situates "green building" in a political as well as a business context. While USGBC may well have been "the right idea at the right time," its leaders skillfully seized both political and business opportunities. The paper returns in the later sections to the role of LEED in future efforts to improve building energy efficiency, which may be perceived with greater clarity once its past and present are better understood.
Quantifying exploration sufficiency while accommodating judgment

A computationally efficient method to direct and evaluate the sufficiency of site characterization data is demonstrated on two synthetic subsurface geometries. This method, entitled reliability-based exploration (RBE), combines three-dimensional subsurface analysis and uncertainty in the geologic data to produce a quantifiable measure of data sufficiency, which is directly related to the probability of project success. The RBE approach is illustrated with a three-dimensional finite element soil deformation model, where interfaces separating geologic units are the subsurface data of interest. The RBE method begins with a prior model of the subsurface, which can include geologic judgement. As new information is collected at a site, the prior subsurface model is updated with site data. During the RBE analysis, both a probability of project success and the location of the next boring are computed. The robustness of this computation is illustrated with a practical example of the automatic exploration of two different pinching geometries. The subsurface geometry is imposed on these two sites to demonstrate the importance of geology on the computed results. A comparison of the modeled subsurface and the “true” (or defined) subsurface at each site shows a close match directly below the proposed structure, where calculated settlement is most sensitive to uncertainty in geology. The study demonstrated that to achieve the same exploration sufficiency more data are required at the site with abruptly changing subsurface geometry than at the site with gradually changing geometry.
EKSPLORASI DAN KARAKTERISASI ENTOMOPATOGEN ASAL BERBAGAI INANG DAN LOKASI

Microbial groups of entomopathogenic (fungi and bacteria) had been reported causing insect mortality. The aim of the study was to explore and characterized entomopathogenic from various host and locations. Fungal identification at genus and species level was caried out based on conidial morphology, hyphal growth, conidiophore and colony color; whilst for bacterial identification was based on standard Bergey’s manual for determinative bacteria. Sixteen entomopathogenic isolates that consisted of fungal and bacteria have been collected and preserved for further characterization. Of the 16 entomopathogen collected samples, five fungal genera was found i.e. Paecilomyces; Metarhizium, Beauveria, Hirsutella; and Cordyceps. Seven isolates belonging to six fungal isolates, and one bacterial isolate had been identified based upon ITS and 16S rDNA sequences, respectively. We confirmed that 6 fungal isolates belong to species of Paecilomyces reniformis, B. bassiana, M. anisopliae, M. anisopliae var acridum, Hirsutella thomsonii. One isolate of red pigmented bacteria Sm201102 have been identified was belonging to species Seratia marcescence. It was also obtained two fungal isolates from different host (spider and beetle) which confirmed by morphological character belong to Cordyceps sp.
Longitudinal Changes in Regional Cerebral Perfusion and Cognition After Cardiac Operation

Background Cardiac operation has been associated with increased risk of postoperative cognitive decline, as well as dementia risk in the general population. Few studies, however, have examined the impact of coronary revascularization or valve replacement or repair operation on longitudinal cerebral perfusion changes or their association with cognitive function. Methods We examined longitudinal changes in cerebral perfusion among 54 individuals with cardiac disease; 27 undergoing cardiac operation and 27 matched control patients. Arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance perfusion imaging was used to quantify cerebral blood flow within the anterior communicating artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior communicating artery vascular territories before operation and postoperatively at 6 weeks and 1 year. Cognitive performance was examined during the same intervals by using a battery of tests that tapped memory, executive, information processing and upper extremity motor functions. Repeated measures, mixed models were used to examine for perfusion changes and the association between perfusion changes and cognition. Results Significant postoperative increases in perfusion were observed at 6 weeks within the MCA vascular territory after cardiac operation (p = 0.035 for interaction). Perfusion changes were most notable in distal territories of the MCA and posterior communicating artery at 6 weeks, with no additional changes at 1 year. Postoperative increases in MCA perfusion at 6 weeks were associated with improved psychomotor speed (β = 0.35, p = 0.016), whereas no important differences were found between the groups in vascular territory perfusion and cognition at 1 year. Conclusions Cardiac operation is associated with important short-term increases in MCA perfusion with associated improvements in psychomotor speed.
Attempted use of PACE for riboswitch discovery generates three new translational theophylline riboswitch side products.

The purpose of this project was to use an in vivo method to discover riboswitches that are activated by new ligands. We employed phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) to evolve new riboswitches in vivo. We started with one translational riboswitch and one transcriptional riboswitch, both of which were activated by theophylline. We used xanthine as the new target ligand during positive selection followed by negative selection using theophylline. The goal was to generate very large M13 phage populations that contained unknown mutations, some of which would result in new aptamer specificity. We discovered side products of three new theophylline translational riboswitches with different levels of protein production. We used next generation sequencing to identify M13 phage that carried riboswitch mutations. We cloned and characterized the most abundant riboswitch mutants and discovered three variants that produce different levels of translational output while retaining their theophylline specificity. Although we were unable to demonstrate evolution of new riboswitch ligand specificity using PACE, we recommend careful design of recombinant M13 phage to avoid evolution of “cheaters” that short circuit the intended selection pressure.
Using natural language processing and machine learning to identify breast cancer local recurrence

Identifying local recurrences in breast cancer from patient data sets is important for clinical research and practice. Developing a model using natural language processing and machine learning to identify local recurrences in breast cancer patients can reduce the time-consuming work of a manual chart review. We design a novel concept-based filter and a prediction model to detect local recurrences using EHRs. In the training dataset, we manually review a development corpus of 50 progress notes and extract partial sentences that indicate breast cancer local recurrence. We process these partial sentences to obtain a set of Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concepts using MetaMap, and we call it positive concept set. We apply MetaMap on patients’ progress notes and retain only the concepts that fall within the positive concept set. These features combined with the number of pathology reports recorded for each patient are used to train a support vector machine to identify local recurrences. We compared our model with three baseline classifiers using either full MetaMap concepts, filtered MetaMap concepts, or bag of words. Our model achieved the best AUC (0.93 in cross-validation, 0.87 in held-out testing). Compared to a labor-intensive chart review, our model provides an automated way to identify breast cancer local recurrences. We expect that by minimally adapting the positive concept set, this study has the potential to be replicated at other institutions with a moderately sized training dataset.
Improving Supreme Court Forecasting Using Boosted Decision Trees

Though used frequently in machine learning, boosted decision trees are largely unused in political science, despite many useful properties. We explain how to use one variant of boosted decision trees, AdaBoosted decision trees (ADTs), for social science predictions. We illustrate their use by examining a well-known political prediction problem, predicting U.S. Supreme Court rulings. We find that our ADT approach outperforms existing predictive models. We also provide two additional examples of the approach, one predicting the onset of civil wars and the other predicting county-level vote shares in U.S. presidential elections.
The Sustainable Development Goals: A Tipping Point for Impact Measurement?

This article proposes a holistic framework of integrated social accounting that could be adopted by all types of organizations in the social economy, as well as in other sectors. The impetus for this derives from the popularity of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the broadening of collective impact thinking. The article advances a model of integrated social accounting that brings together four dimensions: 1) resources/capitals, 2) value creation/destruction, 3) internal systems and processes, and 4) organizational learning, growth, and innovation. Organizations using this model focus on the implications of their activities through the lens of the SDGs, looking both internally and externally.Cet article propose un cadre global de comptabilite sociale integree qui pourrait etre adopte par les organisations de l’economie sociale, ainsi que dans d’autres secteurs. Cela decoule de la popularite des objectifs de developpement durable (ODD) et de l’elargissement de la reflexion collective en matiere d’impact. L’article avance un modele de comptabilite sociale integree qui regroupe quatre dimensions : 1) ressources / capitaux, 2) creation / destruction de valeur, 3) systemes et processus internes et 4) apprentissage organisationnel, croissance et innovation. Les organisations qui utilisent ce modele se concentrent sur les implications de leurs activites dans l’optique des ODD, en cherchant a la fois en interne et en externe.
Grape, Wine, and Raisin Research Grey Literature: A Case Study for Describing and Digitizing a Specialized Commodity Collection

The Viticulture and Enology Research Center at California State University, Fresno, is a current and historic driver of grape and wine research, with much of this research captured in internal repo...
GAN-based Priors for Quantifying Uncertainty

Bayesian inference is used extensively to quantify the uncertainty in an inferred field given the measurement of a related field when the two are linked by a mathematical model. Despite its many applications, Bayesian inference faces challenges when inferring fields that have discrete representations of large dimension, and/or have prior distributions that are difficult to characterize mathematically. In this work we demonstrate how the approximate distribution learned by a deep generative adversarial network (GAN) may be used as a prior in a Bayesian update to address both these challenges. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach on two distinct, and remarkably broad, classes of problems. The first class leads to supervised learning algorithms for image classification with superior out of distribution detection and accuracy, and for image inpainting with built-in variance estimation. The second class leads to unsupervised learning algorithms for image denoising and for solving physics-driven inverse problems.
Personal goal setting behavior and professional outlooks of academic library employees

Studies indicate correlations between personal goal-setting behaviors, performance and attitude in professional roles. An online study was developed and conducted in 2016 with academic library employees to better understand the goal-setting behavior of library employees in a particular context, via setting New Year’s resolutions, which is defined as "a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner". Results show that nearly half (49.6 percent) of all respondents set New Year’s resolutions in 2016. Goals related to health and fitness topped the list of goals that were set, followed by occupational goals. Of those who felt unclear about their purpose in life, 57 percent felt they were somewhat to very likely able to accomplish their top goals. Comparatively, 82 percent of those who had a clear sense of purpose in life felt the same.
Chirurgia del cuoio capelluto mediante microinnesti

Riassunto Le tecniche di microinnesti del cuoio capelluto sono essenzialmente legate al metodo di prelievo. Il prelievo di una striscia di cuoio capelluto senza preventiva rasatura consente, dopo ritaglio al microscopio, l’ottenimento di unita follicolari a capelli lunghi (FUL) o dopo rasatura preliminare (FUT). La foratura di un cuoio capelluto rasato con un punch di circa 0,8 mm consente l’escissione di unita follicolari (FUE). Le indicazioni sono principalmente le alopecie androgenetiche maschili e femminili, ma anche le alopecie cicatriziali, le alopecie da trazione degli afroamericani e i diradamenti della barba e delle sopracciglia.
Individual Differences in Working Memory and the N2pc.

The lateralized ERP N2pc component has been shown to be an effective marker of attentional object selection when elicited in a visual search task, specifically reflecting the selection of a target item among distractors (Eimer, Kiss, & Nicholas, 2011). Moreover, when targets are known in advance, the visual search process is guided by representations of target features held in working memory at the time of search, thus guiding attention to objects with target-matching features (Grubert & Eimer, 2016). Previous studies have shown that manipulating working memory availability via concurrent tasks or within task manipulations influences visual search performance and the N2pc. Other studies have indicated that visual (non-spatial) versus spatial working memory manipulations have differential contributions to visual search. To investigate whether visual and spatial working memory availability contribute differentially to visual search, we assess participants’ visual and spatial working memory ability independent of the visual search task to determine whether such individual differences in working memory availability affect task performance and the N2pc. Participants (n=205) completed a visual search task to elicit the N2pc and separate visual working memory (VWM) and spatial working memory (SPWM) assessments. Greater SPWM, but not VWM, ability is correlated with and predicts higher visual search accuracy and greater N2pc amplitudes. Neither VWM nor SPWM was related to N2pc latency. These results provide additional support to prior behavioral and neural visual search findings that spatial WM availability, whether as an ability of the participant’s processing system or based on task demands, plays an important role in efficient visual search.
O-glycosylation of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike protein influences furin cleavage

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic that has affected millions of people worldwide. This virus contains a unique polybasic insertion (PRRA) within the spike protein, resulting in a novel furin cleavage site that has been shown to influence viral infectivity and syncytia formation in cell culture. This insertion also generates novel putative sites of O-glycosylation, a protein modification that has been shown in other proteins to influence furin cleavage. Here, we define the specific members of the UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GALNT) family that are capable of glycosylating the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike and examine their presence in human respiratory cells that are targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, we show that O-glycosylation by specific members of the GALNT enzyme family modulates furin cleavage of the spike in vivo. Given the well-established role of O-glycosylation in the regulation of proteolysis, our results suggest that O-glycosylation of SARS-CoV-2 may play roles in aspects of spike stability/processing, which may influence viral infectivity and tropism.
Reaching the hard to reach: Characteristics of patients who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the emergency department.

In February 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided Emergency Use Authorization for the Janssen vaccine- the first one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to become available in the U.S. The one-dose regimen expanded opportunity to vaccinate in settings that can reach vulnerable communities for which returning to a site for a second vaccine dose may prove difficult. With 139 million visits annually in the U.S.1 and a tendency to serve in a safety net capacity for underserved patients2 , the emergency department (ED) is one such setting.
Description of a New 63-M M Diameter Gas Gun Facility

This paper describes a new light gas gun that is just being completed at Sandia National Laboratories, primarily for use in the study of shock initiation and shock properties of explosive materials. This gun was patterned after the 100-mm diameter gas gun at Washington State University[1]. Several unique features have been designed into the facility to make it easier to control and use the gun and to improve shot turnaround time. These will be discussed in some detail in the sections that follow. Initial gun performance information will also be presented.
Advances in Multiple Analyte Profiling

The advent of multiparameter technology has been driven by the need to understand the complexity in biological systems. It has spawned two main branches, one in the arena of high-content measurements, primarily in microscopy and flow cytometry where it has become commonplace to analyze multiple fluorescence signatures arising from multiple excitation sources and multiple emission wavelengths. Microscopy is augmented by topographical content that identifies the source location of the signature. The other branch involves multiplex technology. Here, the intent is to measure multiple analytes simultaneously. A key feature of multiplexing is an address system for the individual analytes. In planar arrays the address system is spatial, in which affinity reactions occur at defined locations. In suspension arrays, the address is encoded as a fluorescent signature in the particle assigned to a specific reaction or analyte. Several hybrid systems have also been developed for multiplexing. In the commercial regime, the most widespread applications of multiplexing are currently in the areas of genome and biomarker analysis. Planar chips with fixed arrays are now available to probe the entire genome at the level of message expression and large segments of the genome at the level of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). In contrast, suspension arrays provide the potential for probing segments of the genome in a customized way, using capture tags that locate specific oligonucleotide sequences to specific array elements.
O-GlcNAc regulated arginine methylation: a novel paradigm in survival signaling (359.3)

The modification of intracellular proteins by monosaccharides of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) has emerged as a regulator of cytoprotection. In response to cellular stress and injury, O...
Nitrate Reduction and the Growth of Veillonella alcalescens

Veillonella alcalescens, a strict anaerobe, was found to possess a nitrate reductase system which has characteristics of both assimilatory and respiratory nitrate reduction. The nitrate reductase has been identified tentatively as a particulate enzyme which utilizes a variety of electron donors for the reduction of nitrate. By use of (15)N-labeled nitrate, it was shown that under appropriate conditions nitrate nitrogen is incorporated into cell material. V. alcalescens grown on pyruvate and nitrate has a greater growth rate than cells grown on pyruvate alone. Growth can occur in a medium with hydrogen and nitrate as the sole energy source. Ammonium chloride decreases the rate of nitrate reduction but does not completely inhibit reduction or incorporation. The results suggest that nitrate assimilation and respiration are not as distinct as in some other organisms.
Mechanisms of inheritance

Inheritance patterns depend on genetic factors that can be monogenic or multigenic and deterministic or nondeterministic. Environment, epistasis, and chance are the factors that affect phenotypic expression. Variations on the basic themes of monogenic inheritance commonly involve issues of penetrance and expression. Mendel's concepts of dominance and recessiveness are now blurred by our recognition of phenomena such as heterozygote expression, incomplete penetrance, gene–gene interaction, and gene–environment interaction. While pedigrees with only distant relatives affected are frequently interpreted as representing examples of complex or multifactorial inheritance, it is clear that the same patterns of inheritance can be caused by chromosome rearrangements and mutations in single genes with major effects. The causes of complex phenotypes are heterogeneous and include stochastic combinations of genetic and environmental factors, where the genetic contribution may be determined by one or more genes. Keywords: inheritance patterns; Mendelian inheritance; phenotype; polygenic; multifactorial; complex disease; expression; penetrance; epistasis; chance; environment; monogenic; multigenic
The European Family: An Historico‐Anthropological Essay

The European Family: An Historico-Anthropological Essay. Jack Goody. Maiden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2000.209 pp.
Defining the "older" crash victim: The relationship between age and serious injury in motor vehicle crashes

Abstract Objective Age is often used as a predictor of injury and mortality in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), however, the age that defines an “older” occupant in terms of injury-risk remains unclear, as do specific injury patterns associated with increasing age. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between age and serious injury (including injury patterns) for occupants involved in MVCs. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using a national population-based cohort of adult front-seat occupants involved in MVCs and included in the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System database from 1995 to 2006. The primary outcome was serious injury, defined as an abbreviated injury scale (AIS) score ≥3 in any body region. Anatomic injury patterns were also assessed by age. Results One hundred thousand one hundred and fifty-six adult front-seat occupants were included in the analysis, of which 14,128 (2%) were seriously injured. Age was a strong predictor of serious injury using a variety of different age covariates (categorical, continuous, and polynomial) in multivariable regression models (p Conclusions Age is a strong predictor of serious injury from motor vehicle trauma, the risk of which increases in non-linear fashion as age increases. There is no specific age that clearly defines an “older” occupant by injury risk.
Chronic exposure to flumazenil: anxiolytic effect and increased exploratory behavior.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to define the behavioral correlates of chronic exposure of adult rats to flumazenil (4 mg/kg/day×21 days in drinking water). In the holeboard test, performed on day 13 of drug treatment, the animals showed a significantly greater interest for the holes under which objects were placed than for the holes without objects ( p p p
Improving student performance by evaluating how well students test their own programs

Students need to learn more software testing skills. This paper presents an approach to teaching software testing in a way that will encourage students to practice testing skills in many classes and give them concrete feedback on their testing performance, without requiring a new course, any new faculty resources, or a significant number of lecture hours in each course where testing will be practiced. The strategy is to give students basic exposure to test-driven development, and then provide an automated tool that will assess student submissions on-demand and provide feedback for improvement. This approach has been demonstrated in an undergraduate programming languages course using a prototype tool. The results have been positive, with students expressing appreciation for the practical benefits of test-driven development on programming assignments. Experimental analysis of student programs shows a 28% reduction in defects per thousand lines of code.
A mathematical analysis using fractals for binding interactions of estrogen receptors to different ligands on biosensor surfaces

Abstract A fractal analysis which takes into account the affect of surface heterogeneity brought about by ligand immobilization on the reaction kinetics is presented. The binding and dissociation of estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ to different ligands is analyzed within the fractal framework. The heterogeneity on the biosensor surface is made quantitative by using a single number, the fractal dimension, Df. The analysis provides physical insights into the binding of these receptors to different ligands and compounds, particularly the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which can have deleterious affects on humans and wildlife. Single- and dual-fractal models were employed to fit the ER binding data obtained from literature. Values of the binding and dissociation rate coefficient and fractal dimensions were obtained from a regression analysis provided by Corel Quattro Pro 8.0 [Corel Corporation Limited, Ottawa, Canada, 1997]. In some cases both a single- and dual-fractal model was required to completely and adequately describe the kinetics involved. For example, the binding of 40 nM ERα+17β-estradiol in solution to 300 RU of TIF2 immobilized on a SPR biosensor surface [J. Clin. Ligand Assay 18 (4) (1995) 215] requires a dual-fractal model. The dissociation, however, could be satisfactorily described using a single-fractal analysis. Values for the affinity, KD(=kd/ka) were also calculated. This provides us with some extra flexibility in designing biomolecular assays. Predictive expressions relating the binding and dissociation rate coefficients and fractal dimensions to the analyte concentration were also developed. The analysis should provide further information on the mode of action and interaction of EDCs with the ERs. This would help in the design of agents and modulators against these EDCs.
Impacts of a renewable portfolio generation standard on US energy markets

Abstract This paper analyzes the impacts of imposing a Federal 20 percent non-hydropower renewable generation portfolio standard (RPS) on US energy markets by 2020. The US currently has no RPS requirement although some state RPS regulations have been adopted but not uniformly enforced (see http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/rps/index.html for a recent summary on RPSs in the US). The renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requires that 20 percent of the power sold must come from qualifying renewable facilities. The analysis of the 20 percent RPS was developed by using the December 2001 version of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) of the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the assumptions and results of the Annual Energy Outlook 2002 (AEO2002) reference case. 2 A policy that requires a 20 percent non-hydro-electric RPS by 2020 appears to be effective in promoting the adoption of renewable generation technologies while also reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides by 6 percent, mercury by 4 percent and carbon dioxide by about 16.5 percent relative to the reference case in 2020. Electricity prices are expected to rise about 3 percent while the cost to the electric power industry could rise between 35 and 60 billion dollars (in year 2000 dollars in net present value terms).
Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a Tool for Identifying Environmental Lead Contamination: A new endpoint for relating exposures to lead risk

Nematodes have been used as test organisms for many new endpoints in toxicity. Much of this has been reported in texts and in the Wormbook, published by the C.elegans research community. Key factors in measuring toxicity are the amount of toxic material absorbed and its bioavailability. This study demonstrates that there are markers for toxicity that respond to both toxicity and the bioavailability, thus providing data points to accurately express the real environmental threat. Alterations in key metabolites of the tryptophan pathway were observed in studies of C. elegans exposed to soluble and insoluble lead. The changes observed correlate to the metal's bioavailability. Of note was the increase in anthranilic acid (AA) production with increasing exposure to bioavailable lead. This was the only metabolite of tryptophan that showed any increase in concentration. Nematodes exposed to other metals of environmental significance including cadmium, tin and arsenic at concentration levels found in contaminated ...
The importance of defining light parameters in chronobiological studies.

(1984). The Importance of Defining Light Parameters in Chronobiological Studies. Chronobiology International: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 229-230.
Adolescent Self-Regulation as Resilience : Resistance to Antisocial Behavior within the Deviant Peer Context

This study tests the hypothesis that self-regulation serves as a resiliency factor in buffering youth from negative influences of peer deviance in middle to late adolescence. The interactive effects between peer deviance and self-regulation were investigated on change in antisocial behavior from age 17 to 19 years in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents. A multi-agent construct was created using adolescent, parent, and teacher reports of self-regulation and peer deviance. Results indicated that self-regulation shows convergent validity and covaries as expected with developmental patterns of adolescent antisocial behavior. Self-regulation moderated the association of peer deviance with later self-reported adolescent antisocial behavior after controlling for prior levels of antisocial behavior. The implications of these findings for models for the development of antisocial behaviors and for intervention science are discussed.
Three-dimensional generalization of anyon superconductivity.

A three-dimensional generalization of the wave function of Girvin {ital et} {ital al}. is constructed by taking the {ital N}{r arrow}{infinity} limit of a solution of the two-dimensional massless Dirac equation with an SU({ital N}) gauge field. The resulting wave function is closely related to instanton solutions of the self-dual Einstein quations, and can be used to construct a multiparticle wave function with remarkable holonomy properties and a ground-state wave function with off-diagonal long-range order.
Mechanization and Changing Skill Requirements of Production Jobs

Using two sets of U. S. Census data and information from the U. S. Employment Service, this study analyzes the effects of mechanization on skill requirements of blue collar jobs, assessing changes in the distribution of employment in these jobs by race and gender. The results are discussed in the context of high and low levels of mechanization change. Although there was a tendency for mechanization to lower the skill requirements of production work, changes among labor force subgroups are found to differ substantially. Black males increased in high skill jobs regardless of whether these jobs were in industries undergoing high or low rates of mechanization. Females and white males tended to increase more sharply in low skill work, especially in the industries which had high rates of mechanization.
Engineering Feedstocks for Biofuel Production

Researchers in JBEI's Feedstocks Division are developing plants whose lignocellulosic biomass can be more economically and efficiently deconstructed into fermentable sugars for the production of biofuels. Achieving this requires a far better scientific understanding of plant cell wall structure, as well as identifying all the genes and enzymes involved in making lignocellulose. JBEI Feedstocks Division researchers focus their studies on rice, a genetic model for switchgrass and Miscanthus, two perennial grasses with great potential as energy crops; and on Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to mustard, which is a model for poplar, a tree that's also touted as a future source of biofuels. Rice and Arabidopsis go from seed to maturity in a matter of weeks, as compared to the year or more required for the biofuel plants they model.
Defective autophagy leads to cancer

Cellular proteins are degraded within two distinct compartments: the proteasome and the lysosome. Alterations in proteasomal degradation can contribute to carcinogenesis. In contrast, alterations in autophagic protein degradation through the lysosome have not been linked to cancer. Now two reports demonstrate that the autophagic gene, Beclin 1, is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene. These new data suggest that autophagic degradation provides an important mechanism to prevent cellular transformation.
Resource thrifty secure mobile video transfers on open WiFi networks

Video transfers using smartphones are becoming increasingly popular. To prevent the interception of content from eavesdroppers, video flows must be encrypted. However, encryption results in a cost in terms of processing delays and energy consumed on the user's device. We argue that encrypting only certain parts of the flow can create sufficiently high distortion at an eavesdropper preserving content confidentiality as a result. By selective encryption, one can reduce delay and the battery consumption on the mobile device. We develop a mathematical framework that captures the impact of the encryption process on the delay experienced by a flow, and the distortion seen by an eavesdropper. This provides a quick and efficient way of determining the right parts of a video flow that must be encrypted to preserve confidentiality, while limiting performance penalties. In practice, it can aid a user in choosing the right level of encryption. We validate our model via extensive experiments with different encryption policies using Android smartphones. We observe that by selectively encrypting parts of a video flow one can preserve the confidentiality while reducing delay by as much as 75% and the energy consumption by as much as 92%.
Organizational Change and Development: New Arenas for Inquiry and Action

The purpose of this review is to identify and explore new arenas of inquiry and action in the organizational change and development field. Recent developments are examined in seven categories: (a) refinement of change theories, (b) developments in research methodologies, (c) a new emphasis on strategic issues including strategic leadership and organizational transformation, (d) the role of OD in multinational firms, (e) development of the organizational culture construct, (f) the development and use of high performance-high commitment work systems, and (g) the use of OD approaches in social movements. Based on developments in these areas, the argument is advanced that the field is currently characterized by a renewed focus on changing whole systems and a wide breadth of progress cutting across theory, method, and practice.
Investigation of electrical transport in hydrogenated multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Abstract Highly disordered multiwalled carbon nanotubes of large outer diameter (∼60 nm) fabricated by means of chemical vapor deposition process inside porous alumina templates exhibit ferromagnetism when annealed in a H2/Ar atmosphere. In the presence of an applied magnetic field, there is a transition from positive to negative magnetoresistance. The transition may be explained in terms of the Bright model for ordered and disordered carbon structures. Additionally, temperature dependent electrical transport experiments exhibit a zero-bias anomaly at low temperature.
Quantum dot-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer with improved FRET efficiency in capillary flows.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based nanosensors with quantum dots (QDs) as donors and organic dyes as acceptors have long been of interest for the detection of biomolecules such as nucleic acids, but their low FRET efficiency in bulk solution has prevented the sensitive detection of nucleic acids due to the large size of the QDs and the long length of nucleic acids. Here we describe a novel approach to improve the detection sensitivity of QD-based nanosensors using single-molecule detection in a capillary flow. In comparison with bulk measurement, single-molecule detection in a capillary flow possesses the unique advantages of improved FRET efficiency, high sensitivity, prevention of photobleaching, and low sample consumption. Greater FRET efficiency was obtained due to the deformation of DNA in the capillary stream. This technique can be easily extended to sensitive bimolecular analysis in microfluidic chips, and it may also offer a promising approach to study the deformation of small nuc...
A highly integrated low-power 2.4GHz transceiver using a direct-conversion diversity receiver in 0.18µm CMOS for IEEE802.15.4 WPAN

The IC presented in this paper is a highly integrated low-power RF transceiver for wireless sensor networks (WSN) compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 2.4GHz WPAN standard. It contains a radio controller with sleep timer and can perform higher-level MAC functions such as beacon detection and network timing synchronisation autonomously, thereby enabling significant power savings in the overall system. The primary design goal for the receive path is to achieve excellent channel selectivity and dynamic range combined with good sensitivity at very low power consumption, all of which are important parameters for the reliable operation of WSN in the harsh 2.4GHz ISM band. The receiver uses a direct-conversion architecture and offers up to 20dB improved interference rejection in the adjacent channels compared to recently published WPAN transceivers based on the low-IF architecture [1,2]. Further emphasizing WSN reliability, the receiver supports switched antenna diversity to mitigate multipath fading. Implemented in a 1P6M 0.18µm RFCMOS process, the IC occupies a die area of less than 5.9mm2. It operates with a supply voltage from 1.8V to 3.6V, draws 16.8mA in receive mode and 18mA when transmitting at 3dBm.