cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal conditions for breaking medically important yeasts by an inexpensive and simple method.

Conditions for breaking various medically important yeasts using glass beads, 30 ml Corex centrifuge tubes, and a Vortex mixer were determined. From 75–95% ofCandida hyphal cells and all species of yeasts exceptSporothrix schenckii were broken when 10 g of 0.45–0.50 mm glass beads, 50–300 mg of wet cells in 5 ml of buffer, and 90 s of vortexing were employed. Yeasts ofSporothrix schenckii broke more efficiently when 0.25–0.30 mm beads were used.
Do accident-involved drivers exhibit riskier everyday driving behavior?

Abstract For more than forty years researchers have tried to relate traffic accident involvement to how an individual normally drives. Such efforts have not hitherto discovered clear effects. This study establishes statistically significant relations between prior involvement in accidents and an observed characteristic of every day driving. The observed driving characteristic is following headway in high flow freeway traffic, defined as the time interval between a vehicle and the preceding vehicle in the same lane. This headway is interpreted as a measure of driver risk. It is found that accident-involved drivers are more likely to follow with short headways (less than 1 s) than accident-free drivers. A similar effect is found in comparing drivers with and without traffic violations. Records of accident involvement and traffic violations were obtained (with the cooperation of the Michigan Department of State) for 2576 unidentified drivers observed travelling on a local freeway in high flow afternoon rush hour traffic. The observational data consisted of a measure of the headway and a photograph of each vehicle from which the license plate number was read. In most cases the license plate number provided the driver license number of the registered owner. Cases were excluded if the sex and age of the driver observed in the photograph did not match the owner information. The traffic violation and accident records available from the driver license file were used to examine following headway as a function of driver record. Based on their observed closer following in freeway traffic it is concluded that accident-involved drivers and drivers cited for violations exhibit higher levels of risk in everyday driving than accident-free and citation-free drivers.
Why not natural death

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating and unforgiving disease that steals our loved ones away long before the physical body declines toward death. It robs them of their independence, their history with family and moves them into a type of existence that we can only hope is peaceful, if not content.
Spatiotemporal characterization of atrial activation in persistent human atrial fibrillation: multisite electrogram analysis and surface electrocardiographic correlations--a pilot study.

Background The mechanisms of persistent human atrial fibrillation (AF) are not well understood. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine whether left atrial (LA) drivers are present in persistent AF by performing a comprehensive evaluation of atrial activation frequency and organization using multisite atrial recordings and correlating the findings with atrial waveform frequency and organization on surface ECG. Methods Nine patients undergoing catheter ablation for persistent AF were studied. Electrograms were recorded from at least 10 sites in each atrium, tagged to an electroanatomic map, and subjected to spectral analysis. Dominant frequency (DF) and regularity index were calculated at each site. Surface ECG recordings were analyzed to obtain precordial lead DFs and AF vector stability index. Results Mean, maximum, and minimum DF and mean regularity index were higher in LA than right atrium (RA). DF was correlated with regularity index (R = 0.59, P P P P Conclusion The existence of LA–RA frequency gradients in most patients in this study along with the regularity of LA activation and centrifugal dissipation of activation frequency suggest that LA drivers are often present in persistent AF. Analysis of AF vectors from surface ECG demonstrates spatial stability and correlates with intracardiac recordings. These findings may have implications for catheter ablation of persistent AF.
Other Times, Other Customs: The Anthropology of History

The nature of institutions is nothing but their coming into being (nascimento) at certain times and in certain guises. Whenever the time and guise are thus and so, such and not otherwise are the institutions that come into being—Vico, The New Science.
Emission rates and characterization of aerosols produced during the spreading of dewatered class B biosolids.

This study measured aerosol emission rates produced during the spreading of dewatered class B biosolids onto agricultural land. Rates were determined in multiple independent experimental runs by characterizing both the source aerosol plume geometry and aerosol concentrations of PM10, total bacteria, heterotrophic plate count bacteria (HPC), two types of biosolids indicator bacteria, endotoxin, and airborne biosolids regulated metals. These components were also measured in the bulk biosolids to allow for correlating bulk biosolids concentrations with aerosol emission rates and to produce reconstructed aerosol concentrations. The average emission rates and associated standard deviation for biosolids PM10, total bacteria, HPC, total coliforms, sulfite-reducing Clostridia, endotoxin, and total biosolids regulated metals were 10.1 ± 8.0 (mg/s), 1.98 ± 1.41 × 109 (no./s), 9.0 ± 11.2 × 107 (CFU/s), 4.9 ± 2.2 × 103 (CFU/s), 6.8 ± 3.8 × 103 (CFU/s), 2.1 ± 1.8 × 104 (EU/s), and 36.9 ± 31.8 (μg/s) respectively. Base...
Soluble Aβ Inhibits Specific Signal Transduction Cascades Common to the Insulin Receptor Pathway

Numerous studies have now shown that the amyloid β-protein (Aβ), the principal component of cerebral plaques in Alzheimer disease, rapidly and potently inhibits certain forms of synaptic plasticity. The amyloid (or Aβ) hypothesis proposes that the continuous disruption of normal synaptic physiology by Aβ contributes to the development of Alzheimer disease. However, there is little consensus about how Aβ mediates this inhibition at the molecular level. Using mouse primary hippocampal neurons, we observed that a brief treatment with cell-derived, soluble, human Aβ disrupted the activation of three kinases (Erk/MAPK, CaMKII, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-activated protein Akt/protein kinase B) that are required for long term potentiation, whereas two other kinases (protein kinase A and protein kinase C) were stimulated normally. An antagonist of the insulin receptor family of tyrosine kinases was found to mimic the pattern of Aβ-mediated kinase inhibition. We then found that soluble Aβ binds to the insulin receptor and interferes with its insulin-induced autophosphorylation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that physiologically relevant levels of naturally secreted Aβ interfere with insulin receptor function in hippocampal neurons and prevent the rapid activation of specific kinases required for long term potentiation.
On the stability of an initially imperfect, nonlinearly viscoelastic column

Abstract The stability of an initially imperfect, simply-supported, H-section beam-column, subjected to an axial compressive load, is investigated. The material of the column is taken to behave as a general nonlinear viscoelastic solid with a constitutive relation represented by a Volterra-Frechet functional polynomial. Conditions sufficient to assure instantaneous, short term and long term stability are established. It is shown that a complete knowledge of the material creep functions is not required in order to determine stability conditions. A program of experiments to characterize the material for stability studies is presented.
Estimating Covariate-Adjusted Log Hazard Ratios in Randomized Clinical Trials Using Cox Proportional Hazards Models and Nonparametric Randomization Based Analysis of Covariance

In the context of randomized clinical trials with time-to-event outcomes, estimates of covariate-adjusted log hazard ratios for comparing two treatments are obtained via nonparametric analysis of covariance by forcing the difference in means for covariables to zero. The method avoids the assumption of proportional hazards for each of the covariates, and it provides an adjusted analysis for the same population average treatment effect that the unadjusted analysis addresses. It is primarily useful in regulatory clinical trials that require analyses to be specified a priori. To illustrate, the method is applied to a study of lung disease with multivariate time-to-event outcomes.
A continuous force model for the impact analysis of flexible multibody systems

Abstract A new continuous impact model applicable to multibody systems consisting of interconnected rigid and flexible bodies is presented. The continuous impulsive force that acts during the short-lived interval of impact is written in terms of the relative displacement and velocity of the impacting bodies. In the method developed in this paper, the material compliance and damping coefficients are determined from energy balance relations. In order to account for the kinematic constraints between the two impacting bodies and other bodies in the system, an effective mass compensation is proposed. Flexible bodies in the system are discretized using the finite element methods. The generalized impulsive forces associated with the system generalized coordinates are then derived using the virtual work and are written in terms of a coupled set of reference and modal elastic coordinates. Numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the mathematical model developed in this paper.
IFN Signaling: How a Non-Canonical Model Led to the Development of IFN Mimetics

The classical model of cytokine signaling dominates our view of specific gene activation by cytokines such as the interferons (IFNs). The importance of the model extends beyond cytokines and applies to hormones such as growth hormone (GH) and insulin, and growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). According to this model, ligand activates the cell via interaction with the extracellular domain of the receptor. This results in activation of receptor or receptor-associated tyrosine kinases, primarily of the Janus activated kinase (JAK) family, phosphorylation and dimerization of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) transcription factors, which dissociate from the receptor cytoplasmic domain and translocate to the nucleus. This view ascribes no further role to the ligand, JAK kinase, or receptor in either specific gene activation or the associated epigenetic events. The presence of dimeric STATs in the nucleus essentially explains it all. Our studies have resulted in the development of a non-canonical, more complex model of IFNγ signaling that is akin to that of steroid hormone (SH)/steroid receptor (SR) signaling. We have shown that ligand, receptor, activated JAKs, and STATs are associated with specific gene activation, where the receptor subunit IFNGR1 functions as a co-transcription factor and the JAKs are involved in associated epigenetic events. We found that the type I IFN system functions similarly. The fact that GH receptor, insulin receptor, EGF receptor, and FGF receptor undergo nuclear translocation upon ligand binding suggests that they may also function similarly. The SH/SR nature of type I and II IFN signaling provides insight into the specificity of signaling by members of cytokine families. The non-canonical model could also provide better understanding to more complex cytokine families such as those of IL-2 and IL-12, whose members often use the same JAKs and STATs, but also have different functions and properties.
A DURATION MODEL OF AUTOMOBILE OWNERSHIP

Abstract Recent microeconomic models of automobile ownership have recognized that a household does not adjust its car holdings instantaneously when preferences or circumstances change because of adjustment costs. This paper focuses on the issue of how long it takes households to adjust. Statistical models known as duration or hazard models are used to estimate the distribution of automobile ownership lengths and to estimate the effects of characteristics of the car and household and macroeconomic variables on ownership length. The data set used in this paper includes monthly observations on vehicles owned over a period of up to 6 1 2 years for a sample of almost 7500 households.
Evolution of eusociality in diploid species

Haplodiploid species are naturally biased by their genetic structure toward the evolution of sterile worker castes, as shown by W. D. Hamilton (1964. J. Theoret. Biol., 7, 1–16, 17–52). Diploid species do not have this intrinsic genetic bias toward eusociality. Nonetheless, true sociality has evolved in the diploid ancestors of the modern termites, and varying degrees of quasisociality are not uncommon in diploid species, including mammals. A genetic bias toward investment in relatives rather than offspring can arise in a diploid species as a result of inbreeding. The consequences of several regular incestuous breeding systems are analyzed in detail. It is shown that, under certain conditions, there is a natural bias toward an alternation of inbred and outbred generations. As this alternation proceeds, the genetic bias toward eusociality rapidly approaches an asymptotic value of 4(1 + 2f0)3(1 + 3f0), where f0 is the average coefficient of relationship for the outbreeding pairs. For f0 close to zero, the genetic bias toward eusociality is close to 1.33, which is even larger than the genetic bias of 1.25 in haplodiploid species. Under other conditions there may be repeated incestuous matings between successive outbreeding generations. In this case the bias toward eusociality can be as large as 2.
Structural properties of microcrystallites

The structural properties, such as phase stability, equilibrium lattice constant, bulk modulus, and binding energy per atom of lithium microcrystallites containing 2 to 15 atoms in a cluster are studied using a self-consistent-field molecular-orbital method based upon an unrestricted Hartree-Fock scheme. The effect of correlation on calculated properties is studied using configuration interaction on a lithium dimer. Excellent agreement is found between theory and experiment. New insight is provided on the relationship between microcrystallites and the extended lattice.
Site and Soil Relationships in Natural Stands of Black Walnut in the Flint Hills of Central Kansas

Factors important to tree growth in the Midwest are generally related to moisture availability. By relating site quality to site and soil characteristics of forests, potential productivity can be estimated for non-forested areas. Our study measured the growth potential of black walnut in natural stands. We looked at 28 stands on unglaciated soils in the Flint Hills of east central Kansas and evaluated numerous environmental factors including site and chemical and physical soil properties. These factors were related to tree height at the standard age of 50 years. Simple correlation and multiple regression analyses were run with site index using 31 variables of soil and topographic characteristics. These analyses explained 80% of the variation in height with chemical and physical variables. Soil type and depth to a restrictive layer (DRL) accounted for 55% of the variation in height.
Psoralens and related compounds in the treatment of psoriasis

PUVA therapy has radically altered the management of severe psoriasis. It is of greatest benefit in those patients with extensive involvement, and in those unresponsive to conventional therapy. The long term side effects of PUVA currently limit its use to patients with disabling disease. The full extent of long term side effects has yet to be defined. In order to reduce the toxicity and improve the efficacy of PUVA, a better understanding of the molecular aspects of psoralen-DNA interaction, DNA repair, and mutagenesis is required. The action spectrum of PUVA in clearing psoriasis has yet to be defined. By limiting the spectrum of UVA exposure it may be possible to reduce some of the toxic effects of PUVA. The recent advances in the formulation of 8-MOP preparations has yielded a drug with more predictable pharmacokinetics and clinical response. Further research with newer psoralens may produce more effective and less toxic compounds. In the last ten years, PUVA has been both a valuable addition to dermatologists' clinical armamentarium and a useful tool in increasing our understanding of cellular biology and the interaction between ultraviolet radiation and biologic systems.
Photochemistry of tropospheric ozone

A photochemical equilibrium model of minor constituent chemistry in the troposphere was constructed to investigate the photochemistry of tropospheric ozone. We find that photochemical production must be supplemented by additional sources to account for observed ozone levels in clean air, while photochemical loss is more important than surface destruction as an ozone loss mechanism. Photochemically produced ozone is sensitive to the NO(x) background in the model, exhibiting a maximum of about 0.5 ppb of NO(x).
Fundamental strings, holography and nonlinear superconformal algebras

We discuss aspects of holography in the AdS3 × S p near string geometry of a collection of straight fundamental heterotic strings. We use anomalies and symmetries to determine general features of the dual CFT. The symmetries suggest the appearance of nonlinear superconformal algebras, and we show how these arise in the framework of holographic renormalization methods. The nonlinear algebras imply intricate formulas for the central charge, and we show that in the bulk these correspond to an infinite series of quantum gravity corrections. We also makes some comments on the worldsheet σ-model for strings on AdS3 × S 2 , which is the holographic dual geometry of parallel heterotic strings in five dimensions.
Synthesis and electrochemical analysis of vapor-deposited carbon-coated LiFePO4

Carbon-coated LiFePO4 electrodes (C-LiFePO4) were prepared by a vapor deposition process. An improvement in the rate performance of C-LiFePO4 in lithium cells over uncoated LiFePO4 was observed. The coating process uses a solid/gas-phase reaction which consists of decomposing propylene gas, as carbon source, inside a reactor containing olivine LiFePO4 material. This process leads not only to the formation of few monolayers of carbon film at the surface of olivine particles but also allows for carbon to be deposited inside the pores of the particles. The amount of carbon deposited on olivine particles was determined by TG analysis to be around 3.4 wt%. The structural and electrochemical properties of an optimized electrode made of carbon-coated olivine without acetylene black additive are presented. Li/(C-LiFePO4) cells, cycled at RT and 37 °C between 2.0 and 4.3 V at a C/3 rate, do not show any sign of capacity fade during the first 70 cycles. The area-specific impedance (ASI) of a cell fabricated with carbon-coated olivine made by our process is much lower than the ASI’s of cells made of conventional olivine and that of an olivine/carbon composite material reported here for the purpose of comparison. These characteristics, combined with the low-cost coating technique, make the carbon-coated olivine an attractive safe cathode for lithium-ion batteries.
Malcolm X and the Limits of the Rhetoric of Revolutionary Dissent

The correlation between the recent revival of interest in Malcolm X among America's Black male youth and the Los Angeles riots of 1992 should not surprise us.' After all, the Los Angeles riots were (allegedly) precipitated by an inherently racist juridical system and a racist judicial decision. And it was Malcolm X, America's most thorough and relentless revolutionary dissident of the 1960s, who loudly implored his Black brothers and sisters to use "all means necessary" to bring about social and political justice and equality for Black America. Indeed it does not take much imagination to hear Malcolm X respond to the verdict in the Rodney King case in words similar to those used to express his outrage following the murder of four Black children in the bombing of the 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, only 2 weeks after the 1963 march on Washington:
Why Racial Employment Inequality Is Greater in Northern Labor Markets: Regional Differences in White-Black Employment Differentials

Cet article se penche sur l'inegalite d'emploi des americains noirs et blancs âges de 25 a 29 ans dans les zones de metropoles. Une plus grande inegalite est observee dans le Nord-Est et le Middle-West que dans le Sud et l'Ouest. Ces variations sont a rapprocher etroitement de variables telles que la syndicalisation, la taille des entreprises, la demande sur le marche du travail, et moderement du facteur race dans la structure de l'âge et dans l'education ainsi que de la presence ou non de secteurs traditionnellement reserves aux Noirs. La plus faible inegalite observee dans le Sud et dans l'Ouest peut etre attribuee a des economies plus solides, une taille moyenne plus reduite des entreprises et des plus bas niveaux de syndicalisation. Ces differences regionales sont importantes et compensent l'impact d'un large fosse racial dans l'acquisition de l'education dans le Sud, facteur qui contribue souvent a une inegalite au niveau de l'emploi
Total synthesis of (-)-crambidine and definition of the relative configuration of its unique tetracyclic guanidinium core.

Total syntheses of the 3S,8S,10S,19R,43S isomer 4a and the 3S,8S,10S,19R,43R isomer 4b of the unique crambescidin alkaloid crambidine are reported. These studies confirm the tetracyclic structure proposed by Braekman and co-workers for crambidine, and establish the rel-3R,8R,10R,19S relative configuration for this moiety. Natural crambidine is most likely the 3S,8S,10S,19R,43S isomer 4a. These syntheses were completed in five steps and ∼14% overall yield from 1-iminohexahydro[1,2-c]pyrimidine carboxylic ester 10, an intermediate in our earlier total synthesis of 13,14,15-isocrambescidin 800 (3). The signature step in the total syntheses of crambidine and several stereoisomers is chemoselective dehydrogenation of the tethered Biginelli adduct 10 or the derived tetracyclic intermediate 17. Additionally, these studies reveal the unprecedented ring-chain isomerization of the crambidine ring system exemplified by the interconversion of isomers 15a and 15b.
Between Two Armies in the lxil Towns of Guatemala

Between Two Armies in the lxil Towns of Guatemala. DAVID STOLL. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993. 388 pp., figures, illustrations, tables, notes, bibliography, index.
Threat analysis of online health information system

Electronic health records are increasingly used to enhance availability, recovery, and transfer of health records. Newly developed online health systems such as Google-Health create new security and privacy risks. In this paper, we elucidate a clear threat model for online health information systems. We distinguish between privacy and security threats. In response to these risks, we propose a traitor-tracing solution, which embeds proof to trace an attacker who leaks data from a repository. We argue that the application of traitor-tracing techniques to online health systems can align incentives and decrease risks.
Land Cover Heterogeneity Effects on Sub-Pixel and Per-Pixel Classifications

Per-pixel and sub-pixel are two common classification methods in land cover studies. The characteristics of a landscape, particularly the land cover itself, can affect the accuracies of both methods. The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare the performance of sub-pixel vs. per-pixel classification methods for a broad heterogeneous region; and (2) analyze the impact of land cover heterogeneity (i.e., the number of land cover classes per pixel) on both classification methods. The results demonstrated that the accuracy of both per-pixel and sub-pixel classification methods were generally reduced by increasing land cover heterogeneity. Urban areas, for example, were found to have the lowest accuracy for the per-pixel method, because they had the highest heterogeneity. Conversely, rural areas dominated by cropland and grassland had low heterogeneity and high accuracy. When a sub-pixel method was used, the producer’s accuracy for artificial surfaces was increased by more than 20%. For all other land cover classes, sub-pixel and per-pixel classification methods performed similarly. Thus, the sub-pixel classification was only advantageous for heterogeneous urban landscapes. Both creators and users of land cover datasets should be aware of the inherent landscape heterogeneity and its potential effect on map accuracy.
REDUCING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS THROUGH FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

It is generally agreed that serious misbehavior in children should be replaced with socially appropriate behaviors, but few guidelines exist with respect to choosing replacement behaviors. We address this issue in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we developed an assessment method for identifying situations in which behavior problems, including aggression, tantrums, and self-injury, were most likely to occur. Results demonstrated that both low level of adult attention and high level of task difficulty were discriminative for misbehavior. In Experiment 2, the assessment data were used to select replacements for misbehavior. Specifically, children were taught to solicit attention or assistance or both verbally from adults. This treatment, which involved the differential reinforcement of functional communication, produced replicable suppression of behavior problems across four developmentally disabled children. The results were consistent with an hypothesis stating that some child behavior problems may be viewed as a nonverbal means of communication. According to this hypothesis, behavior problems and verbal communicative acts, though differing in form, may be equivalent in function. Therefore, strengthening the latter should weaken the former.
“The Ocean of Futurity, Which Has No Boundaries”: The Deconstructive Politics of Helen Maria Williams's Translation of Paul and Virginia

In 1795, Helen Maria Williams published an English translation of Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's popular novella Paul et Virginie. Playing Bernardin's text against contemporary Anglo-French hostilities, colonial interests, and the French Revolution, and insistently crossing supposedly separate levels of narration, Williams opens up Bernardin's novella in new political directions. Confronting the aporias and double-binds of colonial and revolutionary politics in a fully deconstructive way, Williams summons the future into the present of Bernardin's text, augmenting Bernardin's considerations of “the ocean of futurity” to turn what had been a romanticized and sentimental story into a meditation on horticulture, friendship, and monolingualism. In the process, Williams's Paul and Virginia offers an uncharacteristically ambiguous representation of chattel slavery, one that, in refusing to separate the horrors of plantation slavery from the erotics of the pastoral setting, undercuts the reader's atte...
Role of broadcast harmonics in echo delay perception by big brown bats.

Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) emit frequency-modulated (FM) echolocation sounds containing two principal down-sweeping harmonics (FM1 ~ 55–25 kHz, FM2 ~ 105–50 kHz). To determine whether each harmonic contributes to perception of echo delay, bats were trained to discriminate between “split-harmonic” echoes that differed in delay. The bat’s broadcasts were picked up with microphones, and FM1 and FM2 were separated with highpass and lowpass filters at about 55 kHz, where they overlap in frequency. Both harmonics then were delivered from loudspeakers as positive stimuli in a 2-choice delay discrimination procedure with FM1 delayed 3.16 ms and FM2 delayed 3.46 ms (300 μs delay split). Negative stimuli contained FM1 and FM2 with the same filtering but no delay separation. These were presented at different overall delays from 11 down to 3 ms to measure the bat’s delay discrimination acuity for each harmonic in the split harmonic echoes. The bats determined the delays of both FM1 and FM2, but performance was overlaid by a broad pedestal of poor performance that extended for 800 μs. Splitting the harmonics by 300 μs appears to defocus the bat’s representation of delay, revealing the existence of a process for recognizing the normally simultaneous occurrence of the harmonics.
What Is in a Municipal Bond Rating

Studies on the determinants of municipal bond ratings contain two conspicuous patterns: the use of financial accounting variables and the application of discriminant analysis to them. Over 70 different financial accounting variables have been specified, leading to different findings across the studies. In addition, discriminant analysis has been applied in these studies without correcting for violations of its underlying assumptions. Akaike's information criterion and Lachenbruch's U method are used to show how a probit model specified with economic base diversification, economic expansion, and fiscal management variables may be an improvement over the application of discriminant analysis to financial accounting variables in the determination of a triple A bond rating.
Ultrafast liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry bioanalysis of polar analytes using packed silica columns

Ultrafast liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) bioanalysis was demonstrated with the use of packed silica columns operated under elevated flow rates. A special effort has been made to achieve ultrafast analysis without sacrificing chromatographic resolution. Two multiple analyte/metabolites assays, (1) morphine/morphine-6-glucuronide(M6G)/morphine-3-glucuronide(M3G) and (2) midazolam/1′-hydroxymidazolam/4-hydroxymidazolam, were used to demonstrate the speed, sensitivity, peak shape and separation of the ultrafast methods utilizing silica columns. In both methods adequate chromatographic separation was a necessity because quantitation results would be otherwise compromised due to cross interference between different selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions. Baseline resolutions between morphine, M6G and M3G in human plasma extracts were achieved within 30 s on a 50 × 3 mm Betasil silica column operated at 4 mL/min of isocratic acetonitrile/water mobile phase. The total injection-to-injection cycle time was 48 s with a simple, single-autosampler/single-column setup, when a Shimadzu SIL-HT autosampler was used. Baseline resolution between 1′-hydroxymidazolam and 4-hydroxymidalolam in monkey plasma extracts was achieved within 33 s using similar conditions. Due to the absence of carry-over in this case, no rinsing of the injection needle was necessary, resulting in a cycle time of only 39 s/sample. These ultrafast methods were successfully used to analyze extracted biological samples and proved to be reproducible, reliable and generated equivalent pharmaco-kinetic (PK) results to those obtained by regular flow LC/MS/MS analysis to support discovery PK studies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cogging Torque Reduction in a Permanent Magnet Wind Turbine Generator

Most small wind turbines use permanent magnet (PM) generators. The generators are usually direct-drive (i.e., no gearbox is required). Direct-drive PM generators are characterized by low maintenance and high efficiency. Small wind turbines are usually self-starting and require very simple controls. Cogging torque is an inherent characteristic of PM generators and is caused by the geometry of the generator. Cogging torque affects self-start ability and produces noise and mechanical vibration. Thus, minimizing cogging torque is important in improving the operation of small wind turbines. In this paper, we investigate three design options to minimize cogging torque: uniformity of air gap, pole width, and skewing. Although the design improvement is intended for small wind turbines, it is also applicable to larger wind turbines.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
The prospective relationship between sleep problems and suicidal behavior in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

Objective Previous research has found a longitudinal relationship between sleep problems and suicidal behavior while controlling for depression and other important covariates in a high risk sample of adolescents and controls. In this paper, we replicated this longitudinal relationship in a national sample and examined whether the relationship was partially mediated by depression, alcohol-related problems and other drug use.
Perinucleolar Targeting of the Inactive X during S Phase: Evidence for a Role in the Maintenance of Silencing

In mammalian females, two X chromosomes are epigenetically distinguished as active and inactive chromosomes to balance X-linked gene dosages between males and females. How the Xs are maintained differently in the same nucleus remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the inactive X (Xi) is targeted to a distinct nuclear compartment following pairing with its homologous partner. During mid-to-late S phase, 80%-90% of Xi contact the nucleolus and reside within a Snf2h-enriched ring. Autosomes carrying ectopic X-inactivation center sequences are also targeted to the perinucleolar compartment. Deleting Xist results in a loss of nucleolar association and an inability to maintain Xi heterochromatin, leading to Xi reactivation at the single gene level. We propose that the Xi must continuously visit the perinucleolar compartment to maintain its epigenetic state. These data raise a mechanism by which chromatin states can be replicated by spatial and temporal separation in the nucleus.
Provider decision making in chronic pain management: influence of patient sex, race, and depression

Our previously published work using Virtual Human technology and lens model methodology has found that the pain assessment and treatment decisions of healthcare trainees and providers often vary across patient demographic characteristics and facial expressions. This work has focused on acute pain and has not considered the influence of relevant comorbidities, such as depression, on chronic pain management decisions. In the current report, we present preliminary data fromanongoing study investigating the effects of patient sex, race, and depression on providers’ decisions for chronic painmanagement. Thirty-one participants (16 providers, 15 trainees) made pain assessment and treatment decisions for 16 computer-simulated virtual patients. Each vignette consisted of a patient image and text-based description of a chronic pain condition. Patient sex, race, and depression were systematically manipulated across vignettes. Idiographic regression analyses indicated that patient sex, race, and depression accounted for significant, unique variance in the pain assessment and treatment decisions of some participants; depression was the most influential of these variables. Nomothetic analyses indicated that, as a group, participants rated Black patients as having higher pain intensity than White patients (t(30) = 2.21, p < .05). Furthermore, compared to patients with no psychological comorbidities, patients who reported depression symptoms were judged to be in greater psychological distress (t(30) = 5.69, p < .001) and were more likely to be treated with medication (t(30) = 6.18, p < .05) and referred to another provider (t(30) = 6.73, p < .05). These findings indicate that providers’ decisions about chronic pain management are often influenced by patient sex, race, and/or comorbid depression. In follow-up studies, we will test hypothesized mediators and moderators of these relationships to identify targets of future intervention to reduce pain-related disparities.
Second Primaries after Major Salivary Gland Cancer

Objectives. To evaluate the risk of second primary cancers in patients with major salivary gland cancer using a large population database and to examine the effects of sex, salivary gland cancer histology, and radiation therapy on the risk of second primaries.Study Design. Population-based study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) cancer database.Subject and Methods. The subjects were 15,572 men and women ages 15 and above, diagnosed with cancer of the major salivary glands from 1973 to 2006.Results. There was an increased risk of oral cavity (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 3.48, P .05). Patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma had an increased risk of a second salivary gland cancer (SIR = 8.97, P < .05) and thyroid...
Successful cognitive aging in persons living with HIV infection.

The number of older adults living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is growing and this subpopulation of the epidemic is at heightened risk for a variety of poor health outcomes including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. The current study sought to examine the factors associated with freedom from neurocognitive impairment in older HIV-infected adults. Participants included 74 middle-aged and older (mean age 51 years), HIV-infected individuals with a mean estimated duration of infection of 17 years who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological, psychiatric, and medical evaluations. Successful cognitive aging (SCA) was operationally defined as the absence of neurocognitive deficits as determined by a battery of well-validated cognitive tests and self-endorsed cognitive complaints. Thirty-two percent of the cohort met these criteria. Compared to the group that did not meet these criteria, successful cognitive agers had significantly lower lifetime rates of major depressive disorder and current affective distress (e.g., depression, anxiety). Moreover, the SCA group evidenced better everyday functioning outcomes, including medication adherence, lower self-reported rates of declines in activities of daily living, and superior abilities related to medication management and dealing with healthcare providers. SCA was not related to demographic composition, HIV disease or treatment factors, medical comorbidities, or histories of substance use disorders. Findings from this preliminary study suggest that approximately one-third of older persons with HIV were free of cognitive impairments, which is associated with more favorable emotional, psychosocial, and everyday functioning.
Melatonin, immunity and cost of reproductive state in male European starlings

The effects of reproductive condition and exogenous melatonin on immune function were investigated in castrated European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris. Photorefractory and photostimulated starlings exposed to long days were implanted with melatonin or with blank capsules. Photostimulated starlings with blank capsules exhibited reduced splenocyte proliferation in response to the T-cell mitogen, concanavalin A, compared with the other long-day birds. Exogenous melatonin prevented the suppression of immune function by photostimulation. Photorefractory starlings, with or without melatonin implants, exhibited enhanced immune function compared with photostimulated starlings implanted with blanks. This enhancement was not mediated by endogenous melatonin, but appeared to be related to changes in reproductive state. In addition to the traditional costs of reproduction in birds (e.g. raising of young), there may be a cost of the reproductive state of starlings (i.e. whether they are photorefractory or photostimulated). These data are, we believe, the first to indicate a direct effect of reproductive state on immune function that is independent of both photoperiod (i.e., changes in the duration of melatonin secretion) and gonadal steroids.
Transparent self-optimization in existing CORBA applications

This paper addresses the design of adaptive middleware to support autonomic computing in pervasive computing environments. The particular problem we address here is how to support self-optimization to changing network connection capabilities as a mobile user interacts with heterogeneous elements in a wireless network infrastructure. The goal is to enable self-optimization to such changes transparently with respect to the core application code. We propose a solution based on the use of the generic proxy, which is a specific CORBA object that can intercept and process any CORBA request using rules and actions that can be introduced to the knowledge base of the proxy during execution. To explore its design and operation, we have incorporated the generic proxy into ACT (Sadjadi and McKinley, 2004), an adaptive middleware framework we designed previously to support adaptation in CORBA applications. Details of the generic proxy are presented. A case study is described in which a generic proxy is used to support self-optimization in an existing image retrieval application, when executed in a heterogeneous wireless environment.
Debriefing Experiential Learning Exercises: A Theoretical and Practical Guide for Success

To obtain optimum pay-off from an experiential exercise, close attention must be given to debriefing. The management educator must provide structure and ambiguity so that learners can personalize the learning-experiencing meaningfulness in its application-so that learning is truly relevant to the individual. An approach is presented to prompt participants to use new skills in the workplace based on a conceptual model for systematic and analytical debriefing, which is as rigorously planned as the experiential learning exercise itself.
Work in progress: Annals of research on engineering education

The annals of research on engineering education website, containing research summaries and reflective essays written by authors of rigorous engineering education research articles, exists to build a collaborative community of engineering education researchers. This paper presents a preliminary examination of the challenges faced by the website in developing collaboration among researchers. Both quantitative and qualitative information are presented. A survey of site users is currently underway and will also provide information about the development of and issues facing the website. In addition, the developers and maintainers of the site have offered their views on its development. The resulting analysis will be used to improve the site as well as inform other education researchers of potential challenges in building collaborative communities.
TO THINK ALOUD OR NOT TO THINK ALOUD: The Issue of Reactivity in SLA Research Methodology

Recently, several studies in SLA (e.g., for discourse, Alanen, 1995; Leow, 2001b; Rott, 1999; for problem-solving tasks, Leow, 1998a, 1998b, 2000, 2001a; Rosa & Leow, in press a, in press b; Rosa & O'Neill, 1999) have addressed the operationalization and measurement of attention (and awareness) in their research methodology. Studies have employed think-aloud protocols to gather concurrent, on-line data on learners' cognitive processes while they interacted with L2 data. However, the issue of reactivity—the act of thinking aloud potentially triggering changes in learners' cognitive processes while performing the task—has not been empirically addressed in the SLA field. The present study empirically addresses the effects of thinking aloud during the reading process on learners' comprehension, intake, and controlled written production. Participants were first-year college-level students of Spanish exposed to the same passage, pretest, and posttest assessment tasks but differed on type of condition (±think aloud). Results indicate that reactivity does not play a significant role in learners' subsequent performances.We would like to especially thank the SSLA statistician and our own statistician Dr. Rusan Chen for improving the statistical section of our study.
Syntactic reduplication in Russian: A cooperative principle device in dialogues

Abstract Russian language uses syntactic reduplication (repetition of a word or modified word within the same prosodic unit) widely. This study examines one particular usage: reduplication as an answer in dialogues. Traditionally, Grice's principle of cooperation has been viewed as a maxim which applies to the locutionary aspect of communication. This study takes a different view of the principle: (a) it is not a maxim, hence not a constant, but an underlying principle that encompasses a range of progressive possibilities; (b) it involves not only locutionary, but also perceptual, perlocutionary, and empathetic levels. Analysis of Russian data reveals that syntactic reduplication in responses in dialogues is a device used either to request or to promise a higher degree of cooperation.
Object tracking in a 2D UWB sensor network

We consider object tracking by a UWB sensor network using multipath measurements in different scenarios: single Tx with single Rx, multiple Tx with single Rx and multiple Tx with multiple Rx. For each scenario, we examine the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the high-SNR case where multipath measurements are corrupted by iid Gaussians. We focus on the dense network asymptotics and show how the CRLB is inversely proportional to the number of measurements available to the network as a whole, even when the individual measurements are taken from different locations. An order-optimal semilinear algorithm is given.
Hollybush Academy: A Case Study In Selected Not-For-Profit Accounting Issues

The purpose of this case is to help students explore accounting issues often confronted by auditors of not-for-profit organizations. Given certain facts, the goal of the case is to require students to analyze the footnotes prepared by the auditors and discuss the presentation, classification and valuation of items not reflected on the financial statements prepared by the client. The case is intended for students who are taking an advanced accounting or not-for-profit accounting course.
Historic preservation and adaptive use: a significant opportunity for sustainability

Recent budgetary perspectives of the current presidential administration indicate that recognition of preservation and adaptive use as a sustainability strategy has fallen short of what it can and should be. With the emergence of programs, such as the United States Green Buildings Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding incentives, it is time to expand the language and interdisciplinary nature of preservation to give a broader voice to enhance the public perception that sustainability stems from preservation rather than the common general misperception that preservation and adaptive use of existing older buildings can not enhance sustainability in the built environment. This research explores the basic tenets of sustainability through the integrated lens of social, environmental, and economical factors. Specifically, this research provides insights into a holistic view of interdisciplinary practice. By advancing beyond the current practice of “going green,” preservationists can use these factors to promote a greater understanding how reusing existing buildings is a viable sustainability strategy. This presentation will supplement the social argument for community revitalization through preservation and adaptive use by exploring the implications of energy utilization indices, the impacts of demolition and replacement, vernacular climatebased design and low technology comfort strategies that are inherent in many older and historic buildings. Lastly, the findings will demonstrate the economic incentives available and the types of collaborative partnerships and incentive programs that have been used to make a project meet the economic goals of the developer or investor. This latter exploration provides the primary thrust to promote the argument in economic terms that drive the actual realization of a project.