cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partitioning of Crude Oil Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Aquatic Systems

This paper investigates the hypothesis that observed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in an aqueous system are equal to the sum of the organic phase and soluble phase molar concentrations. While the organic phase concentrations are proportional to the PAH mole fraction in the oil, the soluble phase molar concentrations are estimated using Raoult's law. A batch laboratory mixing vessel with a scalable mixing energy was loaded initially at various oil layer thicknesses (0.4-3.2 mm) which correspond to oil surface loadings (40-310 mg/cm2). The vessel was agitated at constant mean shear rates (Gm = 5, 20 s(-1)). Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) samples were taken periodically to estimate the entrainment rate as a function of initial oil layer thickness. TPH concentrations were measured in-situ using a laser scattering instrument (LISST-100) and ex-situ using gravimetric analysis. At a steady-state TPH concentration (>72 h), additional samples were analyzed for PAH concentration using GC/MS analysis. TPH concentrations increased over time according to a first-order kinetic model. Generally, the first-order rate constant and steady-state concentration both increased with increased oil loading and with increased Gm. In addition, measured PAH concentrations correlated well (r2 > 0.96) with those predicted by a partitioning model. These results are useful for assessing the effects of mixing and oil loading conditions on crude oil entrainment and PAH partitioning.
The Role of Automation in Undergraduate Computer Science Education

Increasing enrollments in undergraduate computer science courses are overloading faculty, teaching assistants, labs, and other resources. To cope with resource problems, many universities have automated key processes such as program grading. Before replacing a manual process with an automated tool, we believe that two questions should be answered. First and most importantly, does the proposed automation contribute to or detract from student learning? Second, do the benefits outweigh the costs of the automation? In this paper we present results from an introductory programming course in which we have incorporated high levels of automation. We find that carefully designed and managed automation can improve student performance while realizing a significant savings of scarce teaching resources.
Crossing the immigration and race border: A critical race theory approach to immigration studies

In this essay I discuss the conceptual and practical benefits of employing critical race theory to the field of immigration studies. It is widely acknowledged, and regrettable, that sociological research on immigration has not departed much from its original conceptual beginnings established by the Chicago School of Sociology during the 1920s and 1930s. The Chicago sociologists distinguished between newly arrived ‘immigrants’ and their children, who were identified as ‘ethnic groups.’ Research questions are still being developed that rely on the Chicagoans' theoretical categories of race, ethnicity, and immigration – categories that are treated as being mutually exclusive. While researchers focusing on the globalization of immigration have now formulated new analyses of race, social exclusion, and social inequality, research on immigration to the United States remains confined to questions concerning assimilation, acculturation, generational conflict, and social mobility. It is unfortunate that mainstream...
WLC46-2: On the Impact of Clear Channel Assessment on MAC Performance

Clear channel assessment (CCA) is an essential ingredient in wireless networks employing channel sensing as part of their medium access mechanism. While CCA itself is implemented at the PHY layer, the primary impact of its performance/complexity is on MAC metrics like throughput and energy efficiency; this cross-layer dependency makes it necessary to enhance MAC protocol performance evaluation by considering the specifics of CCA implementation that are naturally link-dependant. We perform such a cross-layer evaluation of the impact of CCA on MAC performance for the specific case of IEEE 802.15.4 standard for WPANs and derive some heuristics to choose the type of CCA and its parameters based on traffic and channel conditions to realize improved MAC performance.
Performance Criteria of D-C Interrupters

A new approach to the analysis of the performance of d-c interrupters has been made in which the arc voltage of the interrupter is considered on an equal footing with the d-c generated voltage. The effect of variations in the circuit constants as well as circuit breaker speed and arc voltage wave shape and magnitude are evaluated on a quantitative basis. The equations and curves are presented on a per-unit basis which makes the work applicable to any d-c interruption problem. The work sheds light on design and application criteria of d-c interrupters. The presentation is arranged to be easily digested by the student of electrical engineering.
Influence of Spectral Power Distribution on Scene Brightness at Different Light Levels

ABSTRACTExterior lighting has multiple objectives. Brightness perception is a relevant parameter for outdoor lighting because it is correlated with perceptions of safety and security. Understanding the influence of the spectral characteristics of lighting to scene brightness perception is important in order to devise exterior lighting specifications that support perceptions of safety and security in exterior lighted environments, as well as to optimize light source technologies to account for these factors. A study of scene brightness perception under different light levels and spectral power distributions was conducted to assess whether scene brightness perception exhibited increased short-wavelength spectral sensitivity as a function of increasing light level. The results confirm that a successful model of spectral sensitivity for scene brightness perception should incorporate a shift in short-wavelength sensitivity like the one investigated in the present study.
Cbl-c Ubiquitin Ligase Activity Is Increased via the Interaction of Its RING Finger Domain With a LIM Domain of the Paxillin Homolog, Hic 5

Cbl proteins (Cbl, Cbl-b and Cbl-c) are ubiquitin ligases that are critical regulators of tyrosine kinase signaling. In this study we identify a new Cbl-c interacting protein, Hydrogen peroxide Induced Construct 5 (Hic-5). The two proteins interact through a novel interaction mediated by the RING finger of Cbl-c and the LIM2 domain of Hic-5. Further, this interaction is mediated and dependent on specific zinc coordinating complexes within the RING finger and LIM domain. Binding of Hic-5 to Cbl-c leads to an increase in the ubiquitin ligase activity of Cbl-c once Cbl-c has been activated by Src phosphorylation or through an activating phosphomimetic mutation. In addition, co-transfection of Hic-5 with Cbl-c leads to an increase in Cbl-c mediated ubiquitination of the EGFR. These data suggest that Hic-5 enhances Cbl-c ubiquitin ligase activity once Cbl-c has been phosphorylated and activated. Interactions between heterologous RING fingers have been shown to activate E3s. This is the first demonstration of enhancement of ubiquitin ligase activity of a RING finger ubiquitin ligase by the direct interaction of a LIM zinc coordinating domain.
Some Methods for Measurements on Thin Films

Four modifications of Francon's interference eyepiece are given which enable one to measure the step in a wave front and at the same time the light loss. As it is possible to carry out measurements while depositing the layer, the methods described can be used for monitoring purposes, the non-optical windows not doing much harm to the appearance of the field of view. With the available apparatus a precision in the determination of the light path of λ/200 is easily obtainable for all layer thicknesses. Une description est donnee de quatre usages differents de l'occulaire interferentiel de Francon pour la mesure de l'epaisseur et des pertes de lumiere produites par des couches minces. Les mesures peuvent s'effectuer dans le vide, l'influence des fenetres non-optiques etant petite. Le procede peut aussi servir de controle pendant l'evaporation. Avec les appareils en service les chemins optiques sont determines avec une precision λ/200, valeur independante de la grandeur du chemin optique. Mit Hilfe des Interf...
Daily variation in maternal and fetal weight gain in mice and hamsters

Daily variation in maternal and fetal weight gain was measured in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and in mice (Mus musculus, C57Bl) with free access to food or under restricted feeding schedules. Pregnant hamsters with free access to food and water were weighed twice a day and fetuses were collected twice a day from 10.5 to 14.5 days after fertilization. In three experiments, pregnant mice were given free access to food and water or were allowed food for 12 hours a day or for 6 hours a day. Pregnant mice were weighed twice a day and in the restricted feeding experiments, fetuses were collected every 6 hours from 12.0 to 14.5 days after fertilization. Pregnant mice and hamsters with free access to food showed a daily rhythm in weight gain with greater gain at night. There was no evidence of a daily rhythm in the weight gain with greater gain at night. There was no evidence of a daily rhythm in the weight gain of hamster fetuses. Mouse fetuses showed greater weight gain during two 6-hour intervals each day, the second half of each night and the second half of each day. The 12-hour variation was seen in both wet and dry fetal weight. A 24-hour rhythm in fetal growth was previously described in rats (Barr: Teratology, 7:283-288, 1973). Results in rats and mice indicate that fetal growth is modulated on a daily basis. The different periodicity observed in rats and mice might be related to the different ages of the fetuses examined.
The Widespread Impact of Mammalian MicroRNAs on mRNA Repression and Evolution

Thousands of mammalian messenger RNAs are under selective pressure to maintain 7-nucleotide sites matching microRNAs (miRNAs). We found that these conserved targets are often highly expressed at developmental stages before miRNA expression and that their levels tend to fall as the miRNA that targets them begins to accumulate. Nonconserved sites, which outnumber the conserved sites 10 to 1, also mediate repression. As a consequence, genes preferentially expressed at the same time and place as a miRNA have evolved to selectively avoid sites matching the miRNA. This phenomenon of selective avoidance extends to thousands of genes and enables spatial and temporal specificities of miRNAs to be revealed by finding tissues and developmental stages in which messages with corresponding sites are expressed at lower levels.
Factors affecting the movement of slime mold plasmodia

Abstract 1. 1. Migration rate of oriented plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum is determined by environmental parameters of substratum osmolarity, pH. temperature, and specific ion concentrations. 2. 2. Migration occurred between substratum osmolarities of 0–340 mOsmoles, pH values of 2.35—12.0, and temperatures of 8–37°C (optimum for our experimental conditions, 24°C). 3. 3. Except for rubidium, common metallic cations depressed migration rate over and above their concentration effect, as follows in decreasing order of effectiveness: Mg2+, Ca2+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+. 4. 4. Data obtained in these experiments are interpreted to demonstrate that the sol-gel equilibrium of the plasmodium is the major determinant of migration rate.
Attempts to acclerate the rates of oxidation of ruthenium and osmium tetramethylcyclam complexes at graphite and glassy carbon electrodes and within nafion coatings

Abstract The oxidation of 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane complexes of ruthenium(III) and (IV) and osmium(III) proceeds much more slowly than the reduction of the corresponding oxidation products at platinum, gold and untreated glassy carbon electrodes. The oxidations at oxidized glassy carbon and pyrolytic graphite electrode surfaces are more rapid. The suggestion (Cabaniss et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 107 (1985) 1845) that quinone-like functional groups on the oxidized electrode surfaces are responsible for the higher reaction rates was tested by adsorbing various quinones on the surfaces of unactivated glassy carbon electrodes. Rate enhancements resulted in some, but not all, cases. When they were incorporated in Nafion coatings, the oxidation of the ruthenium and osmium complexes was slow at all electrode surfaces. The pH dependences of the oxidation rates on both bare electrodes and within Nafion indicated that the rate limiting step was the proton loss that accompanies the electron transfer during the oxidation. One attempt to utilize a powerfully oxidizing, proton-accepting complex as a homogeneous catalyst for the oxidations was unsuccessful. A possible reason is suggested for the apparently superior catalytic activity of oxidized surfaces.
Improved protein surface comparison and application to low-resolution protein structure data

Background Recent advancements of experimental techniques for determining protein tertiary structures raise significant challenges for protein bioinformatics. With the number of known structures of unknown function expanding at a rapid pace, an urgent task is to provide reliable clues to their biological function on a large scale. Conventional approaches for structure comparison are not suitable for a real-time database search due to their slow speed. Moreover, a new challenge has arisen from recent techniques such as electron microscopy (EM), which provide low-resolution structure data. Previously, we have introduced a method for protein surface shape representation using the 3D Zernike descriptors (3DZDs). The 3DZD enables fast structure database searches, taking advantage of its rotation invariance and compact representation. The search results of protein surface represented with the 3DZD has showngood agreement with the existing structure classifications, but some discrepancies were also observed.
High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of spectinomycin in turkey plasma.

Abstract A selective high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with ultraviolet—visible (UV—VIS) detection was developed to measure therapeutic concentrations of spectinomycin in turkey plasma. Treatment of plasma samples with 3% trifluoroacetic acid in acetonitrile facilitated spectinomycin extraction and protein precipitation. After centrifugation, the stable derivatization reagent, 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hydrazine, was added to an aliquot of the supernatant, and the mixture was incubated for 30 min at 70°C. Excess reagent was quenched with acetone and additional heating. The resulting derivative, a proposed spectinomycin-hydrazone, was separated from other compounds by reversed-phase HPLC during a short gradient run. The absorbance of the effluent was monitored spectrophotometrically with the UV—VIS detector set at 205 nm. The detector response was linear through the range of interest, 2–100 μg/ml.
Who's Teaching the Social Foundations Courses?.

Shea and Henry compiled nationwide data to create a profile of the profes sional preparation patterns of personnel teaching social foundations of educa tion courses in American colleges and univers...
Capsule commentary on Baier et al., A qualitative study of choosing home health care after hospitalization: the unintended consequences of 'patient choice' requirements.

This study by Baier et al.1 sought to illustrate the decision-making process that occurs in hospital discharge planning when case managers engage with patients and families in selecting a home health agency. Case managers and home health consumers were qualitatively asked about their respective roles in the decision process, as well as their knowledge of existing public home health quality reports. No participants were aware of public quality reports. Case managers described presenting a list of available home health agencies to consumers, who in turn generally felt they had little information to guide their decision and often asked case managers for a recommendation. However, case managers felt unable to assist further in the process, citing federal laws protecting freedom of patient choice2 as preventing them from doing so. The major limitation in this study is the unexpected fact that none of the participants were aware of public quality reporting for home health agencies, effectively truncating the discussion to observations about how uninformed the decision-making process was and conjectures about how public quality reports might be used. While it is tempting to attribute case managers’ limited helpfulness in home health agency selection to the federal laws guaranteeing freedom of patient choice, the more immediate obstacle is a lack of awareness about the availability of a neutral source of quality reporting that consumers could directly access online. Other limitations include the lack of generalizability since participants were drawn solely from Rhode Island, and the relative lack of participants who were patients rather than family members. Not to its detriment, this study raises more questions than it answers. Future work could seek to test interventions in which quality reports are provided to home health consumers prior to their selection of an agency, with various patient-level and system-level outcomes3 compared against a control. In the larger context of transitional care,4 the relative importance of higher quality home health agency selection for patients post-discharge remains to be seen. Likely, the most effective interventions protecting patients in the transient period of increased vulnerability following hospitalization5 will be multifaceted.
Analysis of the 23 June 2001 Mw = 8.4 Peru underthrusting earthquake and its aftershocks

On 23 June 2001, a M w = 8.4 underthrusting earthquake occurred in the southern Peru subduction zone, followed by several large aftershocks, including 26 June (M w = 6.7) and 7 July (M w , = 7.5). Broadband analyses of seismic data for the largest of these earthquakes show southeastward rupture of 180 km along the portion of the subduction zone previously ruptured in 1868 (M w 8.8-9). Moment release distributions determined are consistent with aftershock location patterns. Earthquake rupture mode varies along southern Peru, from larger multi-segment rupture in 1868 to several smaller segment ruptures in 2001, similar to rupture variation observed in northern Peru and other subduction zones. Based on models of subduction zone segment interaction, the 2001 earthquake sequence may suggest a shorter recurrence time for future earthquakes along this portion of the Peru-Chile subduction zone.
Multivariate behavioral genetic analysis of twin data on scholastic abilities.

Multivariate behavioral genetic analyses may employ either genetic and environmental correlations or phenotypically standardized covariances to assess the structure of genetic and environmental influences. Correlations and phenotypically standardized covariances answer different questions—correlations are appropriate for understanding the nature of genetic and environmental influences, whereas covariances are approapriate for determining the etiology of phenotypic correlations. The ratio of the genetic and environmental covariances to the phenotypic correlation yields estimates of bivariate heritability and environmentality, measures of the extent to which observed phenotypic covariance is due to genetic and environmental influences. Multivariate analyses of genetic and environmental correlations and covariances are illustrated with twin data on scholastic abilities. Factor analyses of correlations suggest that the same set of genes affects the major areas of academic achievement and that the environmental influences are similarly structured. Analyses of phenotypically standardized covariances indicate that the structures of genetic and environmental influences as they contribute to phenotypic resemblance among scholastic abilities are both similar and simple: there are one general genetic factor and one general environmental factor. Bivariate heritabilities and environmentalities are similar in magnitude, indicating that the strong phenotypic relationship among scholastic abilities is due roughly equally to genetic and environmental influences.
Evaluation of the Tropical TOA Flux Diurnal Cycle in MERRA and ERA-Interim Retrospective Analyses

AbstractReanalysis model output is extensively used in atmospheric research and must be rigorously and continuously evaluated to understand the strengths and weaknesses. This paper evaluates the tropical top-of-atmosphere (TOA) flux diurnal cycle in NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and the ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) against Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) synoptic edition 3A (SYN Ed3A) TOA flux data. MERRA and ERA-Interim are able to reproduce large-scale features of the diurnal cycle, including land–ocean contrast. MERRA and ERA-Interim, however, fail to reproduce many regional features of the climatological annual diurnal cycle. The TOA flux diurnal cycle errors in regions dominated by convective diurnal cycles are 5–10 times larger than in nonconvective regions. These errors in the TOA radiative flux diurnal cycle are primarily attributed to errors in the cloud diurnal evolution and specifically the failure to reproduce diu...
The infrared temporal evolution of FG Sagittae

We present near- and mid-infrared photometry of the post-AGB star FG Sge obtained at two distinct epochs separated by a period of 10 years. Observations of FG Sge taken in 1983 suggest that the 1 to 12 μm energy distribution was produced at that time by a stellar photosphere, with a blackbody temperature of ≃5600 K. In late August of 1992, FG Sge exhibited a marked decline (≃3 mag in V) in its visible light curve. At the same time the 1 to 18.0 μm infrared energy distribution has evolved to become a ≃1000 K blackbody. We propose that this light decline partially is due to the ejection and condensation of a dust shell
Saari’s conjecture for the restricted three-body problem

Saari’s conjecture adapted to the restricted three-body problem is proven analytically using BKK theory. Specifically, we show that it is not possible for a solution of the planar, circular, restricted three-body problem to travel along a level curve of the amended potential function unless it is fixed at a critical point (one of the five libration points.) Due to the low dimension of the problem, our proof does not rely on the use of a computer.
Toward Understanding Women Who Request Removal of Silicone Breast Implants.

▪ Abstract: Fifty-five women were surveyed prior to explantation of their silicone breast implants regarding their reasons for having implants and their reasons for wanting them removed. Open-ended questions were used and content analysis was done to identify themes in their responses. Most of the women had implants for cosmetic reasons, with 28% having them for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. About one-third were actively or passively encouraged by their male partners, while nearly the same number reported they were influenced primarily by female friends or relatives. Regarding reasons for removal, the most commonly cited reasons were breast health problems (implants ruptured, painful or uncomfortable) cited by 59%, general health problems (48%), diagnosed with connective tissue disease (25%), and concern about long-term effects of silicone (18%). Some women blamed a broad array of health problems on the implants, and a few were angry about being given bland reassurances about the safety of the devices. However, the majority were uncertain about the role of silicone in their overall health but were hopeful that removal would restore their health and end their worries about long-term effects. The average subject was 34 years old when she had the implants to feel more attractive. Now she is 44 and more concerned about her health and her family than her physical appearance. ▪
Impact of child noncompliance on stress appraisals, attributions, and disciplinary choices in mothers at high and low risk for child physical abuse.

Abstract Objective: The study investigated the impact of repeated child noncompliance on stress appraisals, attributions, and disciplinary choices in high- and low-risk mothers. Method: Fifty (25 high-risk and 25 demographically matched low-risk) mothers responded to questions related to stress appraisals, attributions, and disciplinary choices following presentations of a child engaging in repeated noncompliance. Results: After repeated child noncompliance, high-risk, compared to low-risk, mothers perceived more threat and uncontrollability, rated child behaviors as more stressful, and reported higher levels of negative affect. High-risk mothers also reported more stable, global, and intentional attributions, with a trend toward more internal attributions, but did not differ in their evaluations of wrongness and seriousness of the child’s behavior. After repeated noncompliance, a risk group difference was found in estimates of future child compliance but not in the use of power assertive discipline. Conclusions: Results support the view that high-risk, relative to low-risk, mothers are differentially responsive to stressful situations and differ in their attributions for negative child behaviors and in their expectations of future child compliance. However, since risk group differences in disciplinary choices were not also found, additional research is needed to demonstrate the process through which risk group cognitive and affective differences are related to differences in disciplinary behavior.
High Rayleigh number convection in shallow enclosures with different end temperatures

Abstract Buoyancy-driven laminar convection in shallow horizontal enclosures (width/height ⪢1) with adiabatic horizontal walls and isothermal vertical walls of different temperatures has been investigated for very high Rayleigh numbers (Ra ⪢ 106). It is found that this flow regime, which is characterized by boundary layers lining both the vertical and horizontal walls, differs qualitatively from the low-Ra flow regime, in which the horizontal boundary layers are absent. The decreasing influence of Ra on the Nusselt number and the effect of the aspect ratio are analytically shown and then numerically verified. Comparison is made with existing experimental and numerical data, and a new correlation is proposed for the Nusselt number in this flow regime. An explanation is also advanced regarding the current controversy about the power dependence of the Nusselt number on Ra in narrow vertical channels.
EFFECTS OF ELEVATED CARBON DIOXIDE ON ESTIMATION OF LEAF AREA AND LEAF DRY WEIGHT OF SOYBEAN

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on relationships between leaf area (A) and linear leaf dimensions (length [L] and width [W]) and leaf dry weight (M) in soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Bragg). Based on dimensional measurements made on trifoliolates 1-6 for plants grown under three C02 levels (348, 502 and 645,ul 1-'), the best predictor for both trifoliolate leaf area and for fully expanded central leaflets of the trifoliolates was an equation of the form A = b. + b,L-W; these relationships were unaffected by C02, although there was a small effect of leaf position. For expanding central leaflets of the fifth trifoliolate, no C02, leaf size (age) or CO2 x leaf size effect was found. Specific leaf weight (i.e., M/A) was significantly affected by C02, increasing with increasing CO2. Hence, trifoliolate dry weight can be nondestructively estimated from trifoliolate area using the equation M = 0.097 + (6.71 x 10-3 + 1.04 x 10-6[CO2)A, where [C02] is mean daytime CO2 concentration of
Compound Ejector Thrust Augmenter Development

The basic simplicity of ejectors provides an advantageous form of engine thrust augmentation for V/STOL aircraft. Application requires careful internal aerodynamics development to provide high augmentation ratios in compact, short length, ejector installations. Development of the compound ejector through rig and wind tunnel tests is described wherein Coanda flow and improved central primary flow injection are combined. Several methods of reducing ejector volume are employed through increased mixing and diffusion rates while directing attention to loss sources such as inlet blockage.Copyright © 1973 by ASME
Pregnenolone sulfate increases glutamate release at neonatal climbing fiber-to-Purkinje cell synapses.

Abstract Development of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) is modulated by neuroactive steroids. Developing hippocampal pyramidal neurons retrogradely release a pregnenolone sulfate (PregS)-like neurosteroid that may contribute to glutamatergic synapse stabilization. We hypothesized that PregS could exert a similar effect on developing PCs. To test this hypothesis, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from PCs in acute cerebellar vermis slices from neonatal rats. PregS induced a robust (∼3000%) and reversible increase in AMPA receptor-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (AMPA-mEPSC) frequency without affecting the amplitude, time-to-rise, or half-width of these events. PregS also increased the frequency of GABAA receptor-mediated miniature postsynaptic currents but to a significantly lesser extent (
Network-centricity: hindered by hierarchical anchors

Network-centricity is a concept under consideration as a useful paradigm for complex organizational operations, combining the strengths of bureaucracy with the innovative possibilities afforded by the ongoing explosion of information and communication technologies. Network-centric work (NCW) is that in which the activities associated with work are conducted via informal selfdirected networks of people, occurring within an environment enabled by technological and organizational infrastructure. NCW cuts across boundaries within and between organizations and engages participants with more regard for their expertise and motivation than their formal roles. Network-centric organizations embrace NCW alongside bureaucracies oriented to providing the resources and articulating the vision to which the NCW is to be oriented. Network-centricity is motivated by a desire for rapid adaptation and flexibility to changing circumstances. However, in an ethnographic study of a distributed team deployed by a large corporation seeking to benefit from a network-centric approach, we found that the work of the distributed team was hindered by some team members "anchoring" to bureaucratic work practices instead of supporting network-centric practices. We identify several such anchor points and the ways in which they impeded network-centric work.
Towards the integration, annotation and association of historical microarray experiments with RNA-seq.

Transcriptome analysis by microarrays has produced important advances in biomedicine. For instance in multiple myeloma (MM), microarray approaches led to the development of an effective disease subtyping via cluster assignment, and a 70 gene risk score. Both enabled an improved molecular understanding of MM, and have provided prognostic information for the purposes of clinical management. Many researchers are now transitioning to Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approaches and RNA-seq in particular, due to its discovery-based nature, improved sensitivity, and dynamic range. Additionally, RNA-seq allows for the analysis of gene isoforms, splice variants, and novel gene fusions. Given the voluminous amounts of historical microarray data, there is now a need to associate and integrate microarray and RNA-seq data via advanced bioinformatic approaches. Custom software was developed following a model-view-controller (MVC) approach to integrate Affymetrix probe set-IDs, and gene annotation information from a variety of sources. The tool/approach employs an assortment of strategies to integrate, cross reference, and associate microarray and RNA-seq datasets. Output from a variety of transcriptome reconstruction and quantitation tools (e.g., Cufflinks) can be directly integrated, and/or associated with Affymetrix probe set data, as well as necessary gene identifiers and/or symbols from a diversity of sources. Strategies are employed to maximize the annotation and cross referencing process. Custom gene sets (e.g., MM 70 risk score (GEP-70)) can be specified, and the tool can be directly assimilated into an RNA-seq pipeline. A novel bioinformatic approach to aid in the facilitation of both annotation and association of historic microarray data, in conjunction with richer RNA-seq data, is now assisting with the study of MM cancer biology.
Childhood hypophosphatasia with homozygous mutation of ALPL.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe an unusual phenotype of a case with rare homozygous ALPL gene mutation that results in mild form of hypophosphatasia. Methods Case presentation, description of biochemical profiles, genetic testing and a brief review of literature are presented. Results A 13-year-old male presented with chronic left knee pain. Radiogram of the left knee indicated two oval radiolucent lesions in the femoral metaphysis. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity (17 U/L) was markedly below normal (42 to 362 U/L). Serum pyridoxal 5′ phosphate (258 μg/L) was above normal (5 to 50 μg/L). Sequence analysis of ALPL gene indicated a homozygous missense mutation c.1077 C > G (p. I359M). The mutation was previously identified in a case of perinatal hypophosphatasia with severe skeletal abnormalities in contrast to the mild phenotype of the patient we present. Conclusion The case of homozygous mutation of ALPL gene but mild form of hypophosphatasia suggests that functions of the mutated protein may be modified by other factors. (Endocr Pract. 2014;20:e198-e201)
Genome-wide association studies coming of age in rice.

A new study reports the next-generation sequencing of 517 rice genomes, each to approximately onefold coverage. By leveraging sequence information across rice lines and by imputing missing genotypes, a haplotype map (HapMap) was constructed and used for genome-wide association studies in this major crop.
The cosecretional maturation of atrial natriuretic factor by primary atrial myocytes.

Cardiac myocytes store the 126-amino acid precursor of atrial natriuretic factor (pro-ANF), yet the mature, bioactive 28-amino acid peptide, ANF-(99-126), and the resulting N-terminal product, ANF-(1-98), are the forms of the hormone that are released by the heart and found in the circulation. Although previous studies have shown that the maturation of ANF takes place in the heart, it is not known whether it occurs in or on the myocyte concurrently with secretion, or whether cleavage takes place postsecretionally on either the myocyte surface or the surface of a nonmuscle cardiac cell. To address these questions, experiments were carried out in the present study using primary atrial cultures that had been prepared such that greater than 90% of the cells were myocytes. Reversed-phase and ion-exchange HPLC, coupled with immunoprecipitation of biosynthetically labeled ANF, showed that the stored peptide, pro-ANF, was cleaved between residues 98 and 99 such that ANF-(1-98) and (99-126) accumulated in the medi...
Linear Mixture Modeling Approach for Estimating Cotton Canopy Ground Cover using Satellite Multispectral Imagery

Abstract Researchers have sought techniques for estimating plant canopy characteristics from remote sensing data that are not site-specific. In this study, a procedure for estimating cotton ( Gossypium spp.) canopy ground cover based on a linear mixture modeling approach was tested using Landsat multispectral imagery. Ground cover estimated from scene reflectance in the red and near-infrared wavebands was compared with corresponding field measurements. Statistical analysis of the results suggest that the procedure produced accurate, unbiased estimates of cotton canopy ground cover. The procedure appeared to implicitly compensate for the effects of shadows in the scene. These results agree with the findings of earlier studies and support the proposition that this procedure should be more universally applicable than commonly used empirical curve-fit techniques.
Calculations of neutron dose equivalent exposures from range-modulated proton therapy beams.

Passive beam spreading techniques have been used for most proton therapy treatments worldwide. This delivery method employs static scattering foils to spread the beam laterally and a range modulating wheel or ridge filter to spread the high dose region in depth to provide a uniform radiation dose to the treatment volume. Neutrons produced by interactions of the treatment beam with nozzle components, such as the range modulation wheel, can account for a large portion of the secondary dose delivered to healthy tissue outside the treatment volume. Despite this fact, little is known about the effects of range modulation on the secondary neutron exposures around passively scattered proton treatment nozzles. In this work, the neutron dose equivalent spectra per incident proton (H(E)/p) and total neutron dose equivalent per therapeutic absorbed dose (H/D) were studied using Monte Carlo techniques for various values of range modulation at 54 locations around a passive scattering proton therapy treatment nozzle. As the range modulator wheel step thickness increased from 1.0 to 11.5 cm, the peak values of H(E)/p decreased from approximately 1 × 10−17 mSv Gy−1 to approximately 2 × 10−18 mSv Gy−1 at 50 cm from isocentre along the beam's central axis. In general, H/D increased with increasing range modulation at all locations studied, and the maximum H/D exposures shifted away from isocentre.
A theory of temperature-dependent energy levels: Thermodynamic properties of He II

The statistical mechanics of interacting bosons is considered for cases where the interactions are sufficiently strong that the observed energy levels are dependent upon temperature. An approximate method is developed to handle the theory when energy levels are known from experiment. The results are applied to the thermodynamic properties of He II using Landau's theory of elementary excitations. This theory is assessed in several levels of approximation, and the results are compared extensively to measured thermodynamic properties. The relationship of neutron inelastic scattering measurements to these problems is discussed.
Quantized magneto-thermopower in tunnel-coupled ballistic channels: sign reversal and oscillations

The quantized electron-diffusion thermoelectric power S is studied for a general one-dimensional band structure in ballistic channels with applications to a single-quantum-well channel and tunnel-coupled double-quantum-well channels in a perpendicular magnetic field. We find a field-induced sign reversal of S and oscillations in double-well channels.
Effect of rehabilitation facility location on outcomes in head and neck surgical patients.

The objective of this study was to determine the significance of in-hospital rehabilitation facility vs. distant rehabilitation facilities in the outcomes and complications of post-operative head and neck surgical patients. Retrospective review of head and neck surgical patients was conducted over a 5-year period at a tertiary care medical centre. Fifty patients met criteria for this study (35 males, 15 females). Forty-two patients had a primary squamous cell carcinoma and eight patients had other primary malignancies of the head and neck. Thirty-two patients were placed in an in-hospital rehabilitation facility and 18 patients were placed in distant rehabilitation facilities (average distance 40.9 miles). Seventeen patients (34%) had complications including infection/drainage (seven patients), fistula (six patients), pneumonia (two patients), wound dehiscence (two patients) and other minor complications. The difference complication rate among the two groups was not statistically significant (37.5% in-hospital rehabilitation, 27.8% distant rehabilitation; P = 0.496). The rate of hospital re-admission was not statistically significant (25% in-hospital rehabilitation patients, 16.7% distant rehabilitation patients; P = 0.505). The average length of stay of patients without complications was 18.5 days (SD = 5.8) for in-hospital rehabilitation and 12.9 days (SD = 17) for distant rehabilitation. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.346). In summary, one-third of post-operative head and neck surgical patients developed complications while in a rehabilitation facility. The length of stay, hospital re-admission rate and frequency of complications does not correlate with the proximity of the rehabilitation facility to the hospital where the patients received their surgery.
Restructuring the local state in South Africa: Regional services councils and crisis resolution

Abstract This paper focuses on the current crisis in South Africa and the State's attempt to defuse it by restructuring the local state. Central to the discussion are the new metropolitan Regional Services Councils (RSCs)—first established in 1987. The paper explains the rationale to incorporate the disenfranchized conservative black majority at the local level of decision-making. It also assesses the State's claim that the RSCs are designed to devolve power to the lower tiers of government. A brief exploratory case-study is made of the response of the KwaZulu homeland government to the introduction of the RSCs. The paper utilizes Poulantzas' dialectical structural view of the State and its apparatus in explicating the apartheid State. The inadequacy of the process of local state restructuring in dealing with the fundamental contradictions giving rise to the current crisis in South Africa is addressed.
Scoping out the International Spy Museum.

The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.—a private museum that opened in July 2002 at the cost of $40 million—is rated as one of the most visited and popular tourist destinations in our nation’s capital, despite stiff competition from the various public museums that are part of the Smithsonian. The popularity of the Spy Museum has a great deal to do with how espionage has been portrayed in the popular culture, especially in the movies. Indeed, the museum pays homage to cinema with its display of the first Aston Martin used by James Bond, when Agent 007 was played by Sean Connery in the films made during the JFK years. The Spy Museum’s board of directors includes Peter Earnest, a former CIA operative and the museum’s first chief executive; David Kahn, the analyst of cryptology; Gen. Oleg Kalugin, a former KGB agent; as well as R. James Woolsey, a former director of the CIA. Clearly, the board intends that in addition to the museum’s considerable entertainment value, its exhibits and texts convey a sense of the reality of the spy’s life and the historical context in which espionage agents operated. The day I toured the museum it was filled with high school students who stood at the various exhibits taking copious notes. It was obvious that before their visit the students had been told to see what the exhibits could teach them about topics discussed in either their history or social studies classes. So, what the museum teaches is, as its creators intended, meant to be taken Acad. Quest. (2010) 23:287–297 DOI 10.1007/s12129-010-9171-1
The CNS weighting of external and internal factors in feeding behavior.

CNS weighting of sweet taste and internal signals was determined by matching food sucrose concentration and pulse frequency of hypothalamic stimulation to maintain a constant feeding bout. The slope of the derived power function, −0.260, indicates that changes in internal signals are weighted much more heavily than changes in sucrose concentration in determining feeding behavior. This is the first demonstration of a mathematical relationship specifying the relative weights of external and internal factors. The relative weights of these factors were not altered by taste-receptor anesthesia. This indicates that receptor desensitivity does not affect how information is processed centrally.
Don't Search, Just Show Me What I Did: Visualizing Provenance of Documents and Applications

Computer documents have evolved over time. As a result, this article presents the results from a survey that redefines what a “document” is. The study discovered that people think a document is something that holds information; is manipulated by people (not the system); and is anything that can be seen, heard, or touched. Second, based on the results of the survey, we present a novel, real-time visualization tool that shows the results of nonintrusive tracking of documents and applications for a 6-month period. The tool focuses on document provenance—the history or genealogy of a document. It shows every document and application used as well as what happened to those documents (e.g., if the documents were moved, renamed, and/or deleted). These evaluations of the visualization tool are promising in that it helped with refinding documents, finding behavior workflow patterns, finding insight into general document usage, and performing forensic-type activities.
Diffusivity and solubility of nitric oxide in water and saline

Aqueous diffusivities and solubilities of NO were determined by using a chemiluminescence detector to measure time-dependent fluxes across stagnant liquid films confined between polydimethylsiloxane membranes. The NO diffusivities in pure water and PBS at 25 degrees C were found to be (2.21+/-0.02) x 10(-5) cm2 s(-1) and (2.21+/-0.04) x 10(-5) cm2 s(-1), respectively. Although lower than most previous values for NO at room temperature, these diffusivities are very similar to those for O2, as one would expect. Extrapolation to 37 degrees C yielded a value of 3.0 x 10(-5) cm2 s(-1). The solubility of NO in water at 25 degrees C was (1.94+/-0.03) x 10(-6) mol cm(-3) atm(-1), in agreement with the literature. This agreement, along with the excellent fits obtained to the transient flux data (<4% rms error in each experiment), supports the validity of the simultaneously measured diffusivity. The solubility of NO in PBS at 25 degrees C was (1.75+/-0.02) x 10(-6) mol cm(-3) atm(-1). The modest (10%) reduction in solubility relative to that in pure water is consistent with the usual effects of salts on gas solubilities.
Albert Schweitzer's Western Vision of Indian Thought

Doctor of Philosophy, Medicine and Divinity, Nobel laureate (1953), Albert Schweitzer embodied an indisputable ethical and intellectual authority that was universally admitted. However, in his book Indian Thought and its Development (1936), the so-called "good doctor" engaged in an incredible eulogy of Western superiority at the expense of Indian thought. The pieces of evidence he used to support this argument can now be compared to the thoroughly ambiguous attitude he displayed toward the African natives among whom he had lived in Lambarene
A robust optimisation approach to project scheduling and resource allocation

In a rapidly changing and highly uncertain environment, Petri net-based project management systems can be used in the rescheduling (control reconfiguration) of projects, when unforeseen changes occur or new data estimates become available. However, having to reschedule the project after it has started can result in significant suboptimality due to increased cost. In this paper, we present a solution method which is, to a large extent, robust to data uncertainty and does not require rescheduling for a certain predefined level of uncertainty. We build the model using robust optimisation techniques which address data uncertainty in project parameters, by taking advantage of risk pooling and without knowledge of their probability distributions. We illustrate that the total cost when the robust solution is used is generally lower than the cost of reconfiguring the deterministic solution, or than a penalty cost due to overtime of the deterministic solution, for a high enough penalty cost per time unit. We find that the robust solution is better protected against constraint violations, including time and cost overruns.