cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactive modeling systems for managers—Semantic models should underlie quantitative models

This paper is concerned with helping managers build and use quantitative models in problem-solving, especially models that are built and used on on-line, interactive computer systems. Quantitative models play a large part in many of the activities of managers of a wide variety of organizations. Indeed, several companies currently find it profitable to provide managers with the service of access to models and modeling systems which have increasing levels of sophistication. 2 , 8 However, such models are not used as widely as they could be. 6 Certain concepts are beginning to emerge which will hasten the development and deployment of more sophisticated interactive modeling systems which may improve this situation. Here we define one such concept—that of a semantic model —and discuss its place in an advanced interactive modeling system.
Freedom of the Press for Whom? The Question to Be Answered in Our Critical Juncture

“Freedom of the press for whom?” That was the question that Professor Jerome Barron raised some forty years ago. It was a revolutionary question because in six words it called into question the dominant perception of freedom of the press, as it was commonly understood at the time, and subsequently. It was a brave question too, because it came at a time in which raising such a point was far from popular, and easily misinterpreted and misunderstood. It stepped on very powerful toes. It demanded that we come to terms with the political economy of the media, and deal frankly with the implications of media structures for media content. In many respects, Professor Barron was decades ahead of his time, and all of us today owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his vision. In this Article, I would like to explain why I think this question is, right now, in the process of being answered. And if it is to be answered in a progressive manner, by the American people and ultimately by the Supreme Court, it will be so done by people standing on Professor Barron’s shoulders. Let me make clear what this Article is not: a legal treatise on the First Amendment or constitutional law. What my Article will draw upon is my work as a communication policy historian, and with that my understanding of why we are in a rare period, a critical juncture, when the shape of the media system is undergoing a dramatic transformation. As a result of this critical juncture it is likely that the Supreme Court will revisit the issue “freedom of the press for whom?” And I suspect that what happens politically in the coming years will influence how the Supreme Court ultimately answers that question. So this Article will also allude to what is happening “on the ground,” so to speak. My Article will also draw upon my work as an activist, to connect my research to a
Fluctuations at the onset of discontinuous shear thickening in a suspension

Discontinuous shear thickening (DST) in concentrated suspensions is accompanied by pronounced fluctuations in the measured viscosity under a fixed shear rate. In this work, the suspension flow is simulated by a discrete-particle method, in which a repulsive force of magnitude F R between neighboring particles maintains viscous liquid lubricating films for stress σ < σ 0 ∼ F R a − 2 with a being the particle radius; when the films rupture, frictional contacts form. The suspension rheology displays continuous or discontinuous shear thickening for ϕ below or above ϕ c, respectively. The apparent critical point ( ϕ c , γ ˙ c ) on the viscosity curve dividing these behaviors is identified as the point at which ∂ ⟨ σ ⟩ / ∂ γ ˙ → ∞. The probability distribution of σ at a fixed γ ˙ has a well-defined peak at conditions away from this point but broadens to an essentially flat distribution for γ ˙ → γ ˙ c at ϕ c. The stress fluctuations, determined from force moments on the particles, provide a microscopically based susceptibility, χ ^ σ ∼ ∫ r = 2 a L / 2 ⟨ σ ′ ( x , t ) σ ′ ( 0 , t ) ⟩ d 3 x, with x being the pair center separation, r = | x |, L the simulation domain size, and σ ′ the stress fluctuation from ⟨ σ ⟩; χ ^ σ displays strong growth on an approach to ( ϕ c , σ c). An exchange of hydrodynamic for contact stresses is shown to be the basis for the shear thickening, and the relationship of the development of the contact network to the onset of DST is considered.
Using Metaphors in Sociology: Pitfalls and Potentials

Two main points are made in this paper about the use of metaphors in sociology. The first is that metaphors have a strong heuristic or suggestive power that can also be increased. The second is that metaphors can lead you wrong; but there exist some easy ways of proceeding to prevent this. In both cases the paper emphasizes the practical dimension of working with metaphors. The following topics are discussed as well: how to construct a new sociological metaphor; how to add to an existing one; and what exactly happens when you are led astray by a metaphor. By way of background, the paper introduces the reader to the current state of the discussion of metaphors which is interdisciplinary in nature. The ideas of I.A. Richards are singled out as being especially helpful to sociologists.
Adaptive Virtual Impedance Consensus Control for Reactive Power Sharing

This paper presents a new control method to ensure effective reactive power sharing in islanded microgrids with multiple distributed generator units (DG units) under mismatched feeder line conditions. A detailed mathematical model of primary and secondary control levels of a hierarchical control are designed to ensure accurate active and reactive power sharing across all DG units. A new communication topology is associated with the proposed control to enhance the rate of convergence while considering the cost of the communication topology. This topology takes the extensibility and scalability of the microgrid in consideration to advantage this proposed topology for any future microgrid extensions. A configuration of six DG units with different feeder lines is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to validate the proposed control method and examine the influence of the proposed communication topology on performance.
Dynamic Characterization of a Pop-Up Folding Flat Explorer Robot (PUFFER) for Planetary Exploration

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently in the design phases of the new Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot (PUFFER) for planetary exploration. Inspired by origami, PUFFER is constructed of a printed circuit board (PCB) body which utilizes Nomex fabric as foldable joints. The structure can fold flat to stow for launch and to change shape according to the obstacles encountered. Of primary interest is how PUFFER will perform under impacts caused by drops into large pits on a planet’s surface. In order to simulate PUFFER’s dynamic performance, Finite Element Models (FEM) need to be constructed in an informed manner using the material properties and damping characteristics of the joints. This paper presents the first step in this process, the dynamic characterization of PUFFER via modal testing. The frequencies, associated mode shapes, and modal damping extracted by modal analysis will be correlated with the FEM to ensure that the dynamic behavior of the structure is properly captured.
Defining a new normal: A qualitative exploration of the parent experience during the single ventricle congenital heart disease interstage period.

Aim To explore parents' experience of transition in the period between the palliative cardiac surgeries (i.e., the interstage period) of an infant with single ventricle congenital heart disease. Design We conducted an exploratory naturalistic inquiry using a qualitative descriptive approach. Methods A purposive sample of 11 parents of children with single ventricle disease was selected among families that participated in an interstage-period parental home monitoring program during the past 2 years. Interviews and field observations were conducted September-October 2019, and data were analyzed for themes. Analysis of data was inductive, although study questions and the interpretation of results were informed by Meleis' transition theory. Results Parents described the experience of transition in interstage as a striving for normality, a theme that was clustered in subthemes of home, self, and infant. Conclusion Parents' experiences of striving for normality indicated a need for more targeted efforts to address parents' psychosocial needs during the highly stressful interstage transition. Impact This research underscored the complexity of parents' psychosocial support needs on returning home after their child's first palliative surgery. The findings also suggest need for examination of the transition following the second palliative heart surgery, when the home monitoring program is withdrawn. Understanding parent needs will help guide healthcare teams in developing ways to support parents as they adjust to home, self, and child.
Machine Learning-Assisted Website Fingerprinting Attacks with Side-Channel Information: A Comprehensive Analysis and Characterization

The World Wide Web has become an essential part of modern society over the last decade, where people acquire new knowledge, conduct businesses, and their daily tasks. Such transformation makes the users’ website browsing history contains more sensitive information, like health condition, political interests, financial situations, etc. Some defense mechanisms such as SSH tunnels and anonymity networks (e.g., Tor) have been proposed to cope with the potential website behaviors leakage and enhance browsing security. Nevertheless, some recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of fingerprinting websites based on side-channel information such as cache usage, memory utilization, CPU activity, and hardware performance counters. Such attacks observe the side-channel information and leverage effective machine learning techniques to infer which website a user is visiting via anonymity networks and encrypted proxies. Passive execution and extensive use of such side channels make the detection and mitigation of such side-channel information leakage-based fingerprinting attacks more challenging. This work presents a comprehensive analysis of state-of-the-art research on applying machine learning techniques on various side-channel features to develop effective website fingerprinting attacks.
STBPU: A Reasonably Safe Branch Predictor Unit.

Modern processors have suffered a deluge of danger- ous side channel and speculative execution attacks that exploit vulnerabilities rooted in branch predictor units (BPU). Many such attacks exploit the shared use of the BPU between un- related processes, which allows malicious processes to retrieve sensitive data or enable speculative execution attacks. Attacks that exploit collisions between different branch instructions inside the BPU are among the most dangerous. Various protections and mitigations are proposed such as CPU microcode updates, secured cache designs, fencing mechanisms, invisible speculations. While some effectively mitigate speculative execution attacks, they overlook BPU as an attack vector, leaving BPU prone to malicious collisions and resulting critical penalty such as advanced micro-op cache attacks. Furthermore, some mitigations severely hamper the accuracy of the BPU resulting in increased CPU performance overhead. To address these, we present the secret token branch predictor unit (STBPU), a branch predictor design that mitigates collision-based speculative execution attacks and BPU side channel whilst incurring little to no performance overhead. STBPU achieves this by customizing inside data representations for each software entity requiring isolation. To prevent more advanced attacks, STBPU monitors hardware events and preemptively changes how STBPU data is stored and interpreted.
An 8 Year Old Child with Recalcitrant Atopic Dermatitis

An 8-year-old child presents to the office with her mother for evaluation of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis. She has had eczema since the age of 3, currently has a diagnosis of mild intermittent asthma, and seasonal allergies to pollen and ragweed. She has been managed by her primary care doctor with mild topical steroids (1 and 2.5 % hydrocortisone) as needed, but this is no longer sufficient to control her symptoms. She is primarily bothered by itching, which is worse at night and not very responsive to oral diphenhydramine. She also feels that her skin is more red and flaky than before.
Posthemispherectomy hydrocephalus: results of a comprehensive, multiinstitutional review.

Purpose Hemispherectomy surgery for medically intractable epilepsy is known to cause hydrocephalus in a subset of patients. Existing data regarding the incidence of, and risk factors for developing, post-hemispherectomy hydrocephalus has been limited by the relatively small number of cases performed by any single center. Our goal was to better understand this phenomenon and to identify risk factors that may predispose patients to developing hydrocephalus after hemispherectomy surgery.
Reduced Order Modeling Methods for Turret - Gun System

Reduced order modelling techniques are used to design lower order robust controllers for a Turret-Gun System. The balance-truncation, Routh approximation, Litz's modal techniques are used to derive reduced order models for a Turret-Gun System. A critical comparison of time and frequency response characteristics between original and reduced order models is made. The spillover problem associated with a reduced order model is also investigated.
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in children and young adults: A single institution retrospective review

Background. Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is an aggressive, uncommon histologic entity arising in bone and soft tissues. We reviewed our institutional experience with this rare diagnosis. Methods. We conducted a retrospective chart review on patients with mesenchymal chondrosarcoma over a 24-year period. Clinicopathologic and radiographic features were reviewed. Results. Twelve patients were identified. Nine were females; median age was 14.5 years (1.2–19.7 years). The most common site was the head/neck (7/12). Disease was localized in 11/12 patients (one with lung nodules). Six with available tissue demonstrated NCOA2 rearrangement by FISH. Six underwent upfront surgical resection, and six received neoadjuvant therapy (2 chemotherapy alone and 4 chemotherapy and radiation). All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (most commonly ifosfamide/doxorubicin) and/or radiation (median dose 59.4 Gy). At a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 68.2% (95% CI 39.8%, 96.6%) and 88.9% (95% CI 66.9%, 100%). Two patients had distant recurrences at 15 and 42 months, respectively. Conclusion. Aggressive surgical resection of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma with chemoradiotherapy yields excellent local control and may reduce likelihood of late recurrence. Characterization of downstream targets of the HEY1-NCOA2 fusion protein, xenograft models, and drug screening are needed to identify novel therapeutic strategies.
Transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage for the management of repetitive abortion and premature delivery.

Abstract The indications for a transabdominal approach for cervicoisthimc cerclage (TCIC) included traumatic laceration, congenital or surgical shortening of the cervix, previously failed transvaginal cerclage, and advanced cervical effacement with intact membranes. The frequency of all cerclage procedures was 1 in 260 deliveries; one TCIC was performed for each six vaginal procedures in the period from 1966 to 1980. A 0.5-cm Mersilene band was applied at the level of the anatomical internal os in an avascular space between branches of the uterine artery. Prior to this operation, the 16 patients had had 55 pregnancies (excluding first-trimester abortions) and had experienced 42 fetal losses (24% salvage rate). After TCIC, 22 pregnancies in 16 patients resulted in 19 term births, two premature births with favorable outcomes, and one fetal loss (95% salvage rate; χ 2 = 46.5, P
Quasi-classical Hawking Temperatures and Black Hole Thermodynamics

The semi-classical derivation of Hawking radiation for axially symmetric, stationary spacetimes with a Killing horizon is examined following the recent quasi-classical tunneling analysis and a simple formula is found for the inverse Hawking temperature $\beta = 1/T_H$. The formula is invariant under canonical transformations and is shown to be equivalent to the integral of a closed differential 1-form around the horizon enclosing a pole. The Hawking temperature is then given in terms of the winding number in the first homotopy group of the torus formed from the compactified imaginary parts of the analytically continued radial and time variables.
Overexpression of miR-214-3p in esophageal squamous cancer cells enhances sensitivity to cisplatin by targeting survivin directly and indirectly through CUG-BP1

Based on its marked overexpression in multiple malignancies and its roles in promoting cell survival and proliferation, survivin is an attractive candidate for targeted therapy. Toward this end, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms regulating survivin expression in different cancer cells will be critical. We have previously shown that the RNA-binding protein (RBP) CUG-BP1 is overexpressed in esophageal cancer cells and post-transcriptionally regulates survivin in these cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of microRNAs (miRs) in regulating survivin expression in esophageal cancer cells. Using miR expression profiling analysis, we found that miR-214-3p is one of the most markedly downregulated miRs in two esophageal squamous cancer cell lines compared with esophageal epithelial cells. Interestingly, using miR target prediction programs, both survivin and CUG-BP1 mRNA were found to contain potential binding sites for miR-214-3p. Forced expression of miR-214-3p in esophageal cancer cells leads to a decrease in the mRNA and protein levels of both survivin and CUG-BP1. This effect is due to decreased mRNA stability of both targets. By contrast, silencing miR-214-3p in esophageal epithelial cells leads to an increase in both survivin and CUG-BP1 mRNA and protein. To determine whether the observed effect of miR-214-3p on survivin expression was direct, mediated through CUG-BP1, or both, binding studies utilizing biotin pull-down assays and heterologous luciferase reporter constructs were performed. These demonstrated that the mRNA of survivin and CUG-BP1 each contain two functional miR-214-3p-binding sites as confirmed by mutational analysis. Finally, forced expression of miR-214-3p enhances the sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. This effect is abrogated with rescue expression of survivin or CUG-BP1. These findings suggest that miR-214-3p acts as a tumor suppressor and that its downregulation contributes to chemoresistance in esophageal cancer cells by targeting both survivin and CUG-BP1.
Complex bismuth chalcogenides as thermoelectrics

A solid state chemistry synthetic approach towards identifying new materials with potentially superior thermoelectric properties is presented. Materials with complex compositions and structures also have complex electronic structures which may give rise to high thermoelectric powers and at the same time possess low thermal conductivities. The structures and thermoelectric properties of several new promising compounds of K-Bi-S, K-Bi-Se, and Cs-Bi-Te are discussed.
Motor Behavior Research: Implications for Therapeutic Approaches to Central Nervous System Dysfunction

This article reviews the models and theories of motor behavior that are the foundation for the traditional approaches to central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction and presents a new theoretical model and approach that are beginning to influence practice. Reflex, hierarchical, and systems models of motor control and developmental and motor learning theories are discussed. The relationships of these models and theories to past, present, and future treatment approaches to CNS dysfunction are explored. The assumptions and limitations of the muscle reeducation, neurodevelopmental, and motor relearning approaches are discussed. A contemporary task-oriented approach based on the systems model is proposed and contrasted with traditional neurodevelopmental approaches.
Sibling loss, guilt and reparation: a case study.

Psychoanalysis has shown that the death of a sibling is likely to have a long‐standing impact on the character development of a surviving child. Among common adult manifestations are the identifi c...
Prenatal rubella, premorbid abnormalities, and adult schizophrenia

Abstract Background: Premorbid neurocognitive, neuromotor, and behavioral function tends to be disturbed in schizophrenia. We previously demonstrated that a birth cohort clinically and serologically documented with prenatal rubella evidenced a marked increase in risk of nonaffective psychosis. In our study, we examined whether rubella-exposed subjects destined to develop schizophrenia and other schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), compared with exposed control subjects, had greater impairment in several premorbid functions. Methods: Subjects were interviewed using a direct, comprehensive research assessment and diagnosed by consensus. We compared the degree of IQ decline, as well as premorbid neuromotor and behavioral dysfunction, between rubella-exposed subjects who developed schizophrenia spectrum psychosis (SSP) and exposed control subjects from the cohort. We also compared the gestational timing of rubella infection between the cases and control subjects. Results: This rubella-exposed birth cohort evidenced a markedly increased risk of SSD (20.4% or 11/53). Rubella-exposed SSP cases, compared with rubella-exposed control subjects, demonstrated a decline in IQ from childhood to adolescence, and increased premorbid neuromotor and behavioral abnormalities. Moreover, it appears that early gestational rubella exposure may represent a period of increased vulnerability for SSD. Conclusions: These findings link a known prenatal exposure, a deviant neurodevelopmental trajectory in childhood and adolescence, and SSP in adulthood within the same individuals.
Estimation of a shunted radial transfer path dynamics using PMUs

This paper proposes an algorithm to estimate the variables of a model of two machines connected by unknown shunted transfer path, using PMUs data. The variables include static quantities such as the line impedances and the location of the shunt, in addition to the transient impedances, electromagnetic forces, and the inertias of the machines. The innovation here is the development of a transformation to convert the transfer path with shunt compensation into a radial transfer path and further estimate the system parameters and variables. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is the minimal use of PMUs.
The response of a microwave multipolar bucket plasma to a high-voltage pulse with finite rise time

A collisional model that describes the response of a microwave multipolar bucket plasma to a high-voltage pulse with finite risetime has been developed for plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). The agreement between this model and the measurements of the sheath position and target current in a 100 mtorr helium plasma is found to be much improved when the risetime of the pulse and the ion energy distribution during the PIII process is considered. >
721 EFFECT OF CHOLESTEROL IN PROPIONYL CoA CARBOXYLASE (PCC) DEFICIENCY

Propionate is formed by the catabolism of isoleucine, valine, threonine and methionine, by the oxidation of odd-numbered carbon chain fatty acids and by the degradation of the three-carbon side chain of cholesterol. Because propionate and its metabolites accumulate in the tissues of PCC-deficient patients, the therapeutic limitation of dietary branched-chain amino acid and fatty acid intake is recommended. However, the effect of dietary cholesterol on propionate metabolism in PCC-deficient patients has never been investigated adequately. A large oral dose of cholesterol was administered to each of two patients, a 10-yr. old previously symptomatic male and his 14-yr. old asymptomatic sister. Both children were metabolically stable on a 0.8 to 1.2g protein/kg/day diet. After a control period, each child was administered 25 mg/kg of unconjugated cholesterol in a single dose. Their serum cholesterol levels increased 3-10%, whereas their serum electrolyte and glucose concentrations remained unchanged. Their serum propionate concentrations did not increase significantly, but the boy's serum ammonia concentration increased from 37 μg/dl (n1: 7-50 μg/dl) at 4 hrs to 105 μg/dl at 8 hrs after administration of the load with no change in his mental status. Although our results provide no clear indication that cholesterol is harmful in PCC-deficient patients, the elevation of ammonia in the symptomatic patient raises the possibility that dietary cholesterol intake should be monitored in PCC-deficient patients along with the other precursors of propionate.
Wiizards: 3D gesture recognition for game play input

Gesture based input is an emerging technology gaining widespread popularity in interactive entertainment. The use of gestures provides intuitive and natural input mechanics for games, presenting an easy to learn yet richly immersive experience. In Wiizards, we explore the use of 3D accelerometer gestures in a multiplayer, zero sum game. Hidden Markov models are constructed for gesture recognition, providing increased flexibility and fluid tolerance. Users can strategically effect the outcome via combinations of gestures with limitless scalability.
An elasto-plasto-hydrodynamic model of strip rolling with oil/water emulsion lubricant

Abstract We review the problem of metalworking lubrication and include the hitherto much neglected elastic deformation in our analysis. This analysis is carried out for both pure oil lubricant and for lubrication with oil-in-water emulsion. For the latter, we make use of the extended Reynolds equations of Al-Sharif et al. (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 1992), which were derived for lubrication with binary mixtures of Newtonian fluids. The results of this paper demonstrate several experimentally observed phenomena of metalworking lubrication, the most significant being that an increase in the value of the elastic modulus enhances oil pooling ahead of the roll bite and results in a thicker film in the working zone.
Two New Lightweight Military Binoculars

Requirements exist within the military for improved binoculars providing the optical performance of existing standard instruments but with significantly reduced weight and bulk. Prototypes of a 6×20 minimum size binocular and of a 7×50 lightweight binocular developed by U. S. Army Ordnance in response to the foregoing requirements are now being evaluated by the U. S. Army to determine their suitability for field use.In this paper, the optical performance and physical characteristics of these new binoculars will be described.
Factors associated with development of ileal impaction in horses with surgical colic: 78 cases (1986–2000)

Deal impaction is prevalent in the south-eastern USA, where feeding of Coastal Bermuda hay has been implicated as a risk factor. Alternatively, infection with the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata has been identified as a risk factor for ileal impaction in the UK. We hypothesised that feeding Coastal Bermuda hay and failure to administer routinely an anthelmintic with efficacy against tapeworms would place horses at risk of developing ileal impaction in the USA. Seventy-eight horses, with surgically confirmed ileal impaction and 100 horses admitted for colic that did not have an ileal impaction, were selected retrospectively for logistic regression analysis. Using odds ratios (OR) as an index of risk, feeding Coastal Bermuda hay (OR = 2.9) and failure to administer a pyrantel salt within 3 months of admission (OR = 3.1) placed horses at risk of development of ileal impaction. This study confirms the belief that feeding Coastal Bermuda hay places horses at risk of ileal impaction, although the quality of the hay may also play a role. Periodic administration of anthelmintics with efficacy against tapeworms should be considered to reduce risk of ileal impaction.
Clustering in rapid granular flows of binary and continuous particle size distributions

The dynamic clustering phenomenon in two-dimensional simple shear flows has been investigated using molecular dynamic simulations of systems containing binary and continuous size distributions of equal-material-density particles. Particular attention has been paid to two questions: (1) Does the presence of size nonuniformities serve to enhance or attenuate the presence of clusters? (2) Do particles of a given size preferentially segregate within the clusters? With respect to the first question, the prominence of clustered regions increases with increasing deviation from the monodisperse limit in the case of both binary and continuous size distributions. With respect to the second question, the larger particles of both binary and continuous size distributions are consistently observed to segregate within the transient clustered regions. Further investigation of granular temperatures within the clustered and dilute regions reveals that this segregation is consistent with previously observed temperature-driven segregation in steady-state systems; large particles favor the lower-temperature (clustered) regions. Moreover, observation of clustering length scales suggests that large particles may favor the center of the clustered regions, where granular temperatures are expected to reach a minimum.
Isolation and genetic analysis of haloalkaliphilic bacteriophages in a North American Soda Lake.

Mono Lake is a meromictic, hypersaline, soda lake that harbors a diverse and abundant microbial community. A previous report documented the high viral abundance in Mono Lake, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of viral DNA from lake water samples showed a diverse population based on a broad range of viral genome sizes. To better understand the ecology of bacteriophages and their hosts in this unique environment, water samples were collected between February 2001 and July 2004 for isolation of bacteriophages by using four indigenous bacterial hosts. Plaque assay results showed a differential seasonal expression of cultured bacteriophages. To reveal the diversity of uncultured bacteriophages, viral DNA from lake water samples was used to construct clone libraries. Sequence analysis of viral clones revealed homology to viral as well as bacterial proteins. Furthermore, dot blot DNA hybridization analyses showed that the uncultured viruses are more prevalent during most seasons, whereas the viral isolates (Aφ and φ2) were less prevalent, confirming the belief that uncultured viruses represent the dominant members of the community, whereas cultured isolates represent the minority species.
A Sox10(rtTA/+) Mouse Line Allows for Inducible Gene Expression in the Auditory and Balance Organs of the Inner Ear.

Genetic mouse models provide invaluable tools for discerning gene function in vivo. Tetracycline-inducible systems (Tet-On/Off) provide temporal and cell-type specific control of gene expression, offering an alternative or even complementary approach to existing Cre/LoxP systems. Here we characterized a Sox10rtTA/+ knock-in mouse line which demonstrates inducible reverse tetracycline trans-activator (rtTA) activity and Tet-On transgene expression in the inner ear following induction with the tetracycline derivative doxycycline (Dox). These Sox10rtTA/+ mice do not exhibit any readily observable developmental or hearing phenotypes, and actively drive Tet-On transgene expression in Sox10 expressing cells in the inner ear. Sox10rtTA/+ activity was revealed by multiple Tet-On reporters to be nearly ubiquitous throughout the membranous labyrinth of the developing inner ear, and notably absent from hair cells, tympanic border cells, and ganglion neurons following postnatal Dox inductions. Interestingly, Dox-induced Sox10rtTA/+ activity declined with induction age, where Tet-On reporters became uninducible in adult cochlear epithelium. Co-administration of the loop diuretic furosemide was able to rescue Dox-induced reporter expression, though this method also caused significant cochlear hair cell loss. Surprisingly, Sox10rtTA/+ driven reporter expression in the cochlea persists for at least 54 days after cessation of neonatal induction, presumably due to the persistence of Dox within inner ear tissues. These findings highlight the utility of the Sox10rtTA/+ mouse line as a powerful tool for functional genetic studies of the auditory and balance organs in vivo, but also reveal some important considerations that must be adequately controlled for in future studies that rely upon Tet-On/Off systems.
Thinking and Action: Preparing Students to Engage Complexity with in Themselves and in the World

This essay explores the dynamic tension between the human need to cultivate an autonomous identity and the desire to be part of a larger reality, suggesting that authentic morality emerges from a person’s struggle with the ever-shifting overlap between these two drives. Creating an intersection between thinking and action, service-learning pedagogy draws us into a creative confrontation with these drives, preparing students to engage complexity within themselves and in the world.
Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Effect of Water Over Iron-Based Catalysts

The effect of water on the performance of potassium-promoted precipitated iron catalyst was investigated during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) using a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at two different reaction temperatures. Water was added in such a manner as to replace an equivalent amount of inert gas so that all other reaction conditions (e.g., reactant partial pressure, space velocity) remained the same before, during, and after water addition. The externally added water had a positive effect on CO conversion at 270 °C whereas, for the reaction carried out at 230 °C, the added water decreased CO conversion and deactivated the catalyst. From these findings, the addition of water at 230 °C oxidized the catalyst, transforming the iron carbide to the Fe3O4 phase. When the reaction was carried out at 270 °C, severe oxidization did not take place and a carbide phase was retained. The loss in activity and the rate of deactivation were more pronounced at 230 °C compared to the 270 °C condition for the same catalyst. Mossbauer spectroscopic measurements revealed that for the reaction carried out at 230 °C, the catalyst had 85% of the iron present as Fe3O4 and the remaining as Hagg carbide (χ-Fe5C2), whereas at the higher temperature reaction condition the catalyst had about 66% of the iron present as έ-Fe2.2C, with the remaining as Fe3O4. These findings were also supported by XANES analysis, where a high white line intensity was observed for the sealed used catalyst sample for the low temperature reaction condition, indicating a higher extent of oxidation. A low white line intensity was recorded for the used sample for the high temperature reaction condition, indicative of a higher extent of reduction. The effect of water on the performance of potassium-promoted precipitated iron catalyst was investigated during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) by using a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at two different reaction temperatures. In these studies, the added water replaced an equivalent amount of inert gas so that all other reaction conditions remained the same before, during, and after water addition. The externally added water had a positive effect on CO conversion at 270 °C whereas, for the reaction carried out at 230 °C, the added water decreased CO conversion and deactivated the catalyst. From these findings, the addition of water at 230 °C oxidized the catalyst, completely transforming the iron carbide to the Fe3O4 phase. When the reaction was carried out at 270 °C, oxidization did not take place and the carbide phase was retained. The loss in activity and the rate of deactivation were more pronounced at 230 °C compared to the 270 °C condition for the same catalyst. Mossbauer spectroscopic measurements and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) studies further supported these findings.
PERCEPTION OF THE FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF PERCEPTION

“The definition of a problem and the action taken to solve it largely depend on the view which the individuals or groups that discovered the problem have of the system to which it refers. A problem may thus find itself defined as a badly interpreted output, or as a faulty output of a faulty output device, or as a faulty output due to a malfunction in an otherwise faultless system, or as a correct but undesired output from a faultless and thus undesirable system. All definitions but the last suggest corrective action; only the last definition suggests change, and so presents an unsolvable problem to anyone opposed to change” (Herbert Brun, 1971).
DOES A DIFFERENCE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? COMPARING CROSS‐NATIONAL CRIME INDICATORS *

This study investigates the question of reliability among four widely used cross-national data sets by constructing an error framework that relates types of errors to uses of the data. The findings indicate that (1) for nation-by-nation point estimation, the four data sets differ by varying degrees, (2) for aggregate point estimation in cross-sectional descriptive and longitudinal descriptive studies, they are statistically similar, and (3) for analytic or explanatory cross-sectional purposes, they yield statistically and substantively similar results. In short, for studies seeking aggregate descriptions of world crime or analytic explanations of cross-national crime rates, differences in the data sets do not make a difference in the results.
Solid solution region of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy superconductor

Abstract Measurements were made of the compositional range of the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x superconductor in which the effects of intergrowths and grain-boundary phases were eliminated. At 800°C, the solid solution extends from Bi 2.06 Sr 2.09 Ca 0.83 Cu 2.01 O y to Bi 2.09 Sr 1.13 Ca 1.79 Cu 1.99 O y . Most of the cation interchange occurs between Sr and Ca while only a small variation in the Cu content was observed. In addition, substitution of Bi for Sr and/or Ca extends the range of compositions, although the reverse substitution of Sr or Ca for Bi does not seem to occur. The degree of interchange between Sr and Ca was found to decrease slowly with increasing temperatures in pure oxygen. In low oxygen partial pressures (0.1% 0 2 ), a significant portion of the Ca-rich solid solution region was found to be unstable.
Residential environment and breast cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Factors beyond the individual level such as those characterizing the residential environment may be important to breast cancer outcomes. We provide a systematic review and results of meta-analysis of the published empirical literature on the associations between breast cancer risk and mortality and features of the residential environment. Methods: Using PRISMA guidelines, we searched four electronic databases and manually searched the references of selected articles for studies that were published before June 2013. We selected English language articles that presented data on adult breast cancer incidence or mortality in relation to at least one area-based residential (ABR) independent variable. Results: We reviewed 31 eligible studies, and observed variations in ABR construct definition and measurement, study design, and analytic approach. The most common ABR measures were indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g., income, education, summary measures of several SES indicators or composite SES). We observed positive associations between breast cancer incidence and urbanization (Pooled RR for urban vs. rural: 1.09. 95% CI: 1.01, 1.19), ABR income (Pooled RR for highest vs. lowest ABR income: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.19) and ABR composite SES (Pooled RR for highest vs. lowest ABR composite SES: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.44). We did not observe consistent associations between any ABR measures and breast cancer mortality. Conclusions: The findings suggest modest positive associations between urbanization and residential area socioeconomic environment and breast cancer incidence. Further studies should address conceptual and methodological gaps in the current publications to enable inference regarding the influence of the residential environment on breast cancer.
The AMP (Advanced MultiPhysics) Nuclear Fuel Performance code

Abstract The AMP (Advanced MultiPhysics) Nuclear Fuel Performance code is a new, three-dimensional, multi-physics tool that uses state-of-the-art solution methods and validated nuclear fuel models to simulate the nominal operation and anticipated operational transients of nuclear fuel. The AMP Nuclear Fuel Performance code leverages existing validated material models from traditional fuel performance codes and the Scale/ORIGEN-S spent-fuel characterization code to provide an initial capability that is shown to be sufficiently accurate for a single benchmark problem and anticipated to be accurate for a broad range of problems. The thermomechanics foundation can be solved in a time-dependent or quasi-static approach with any variation of operator-split or fully-coupled solutions at each time step through interoperable interfaces to leading computational mathematics tools, including PETSc , Trilinos , and SUNDIALS . A baseline validation of the AMP Nuclear Fuel Performance code has been performed through the modeling of an experiment in the Halden Reactor Project (IFA-432) that demonstrates the integrated capability and provides a baseline of the initial accuracy of the software.
SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYZERS FOR DISC ELECTROPHORESIS: STUDIES OF YEAST CYTOCHROME C.

Summary Attachments to the Beckman DU and DK-2 spectrophotometers are described for use in recording the disc electrophoresis patterns of colored materials at various wavelengths of light. The attachment to the DK-2 instrument allows automatic recording of the pattern and can in addition be used to obtain a full wavelength scan of a given electrophoretic component. A study of the electrophoresis of yeast cytochrome c with these instruments showed that this hemoprotein can be readily converted to derivative forms by treatment with hydroquinone and by washing the resin-bound enzyme with dilute buffer.
The roles of cannabinoid and dopamine receptor systems in neural emotional learning circuits: implications for schizophrenia and addiction

Cannabinoids represent one of the most widely used hallucinogenic drugs and induce profound alterations in sensory perception and emotional processing. Similarly, the dopamine (DA) neurotransmitter system is critical for the central processing of emotion and motivation. Functional disturbances in either of these neurotransmitter systems are well-established correlates of the psychopathological symptoms and behavioral manifestations observed in addiction and schizophrenia. Increasing evidence from the anatomical, pharmacological and behavioral neuroscience fields points to complex functional interactions between these receptor systems at the anatomical, pharmacological and neural systems levels. An important question relates to whether these systems act in an orchestrated manner to produce the emotional processing and sensory perception deficits underlying addiction and schizophrenia. This review describes evidence for functional neural interactions between cannabinoid and DA receptor systems and how disturbances in this neural circuitry may underlie the aberrant emotional learning and processing observed in disorders such as addiction and schizophrenia.
Anesthesia Care Transitions and Risk of Postoperative Complications.

BACKGROUND:A patient undergoing surgery may receive anesthesia care from several anesthesia providers. The safety of anesthesia care transitions has not been evaluated. Using unconditional and conditional multivariable logistic regression models, we tested whether the number of attending anesthesiol
Flavonol glycosides from Montcalm dark red kidney bean: implications for the genetics of seed coat color in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Three flavonol glycosides were isolated and identified from the commercial dark red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Montcalm. In order of highest to lowest concentration these compounds were 3‘,4‘,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavonol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl (2→1) O-β-d-xylopyranoside (compound 1), quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound 2), and kaempferol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound 3). Compound 1 is a flavonol glycoside that has not been reported before in P. vulgaris L. These three flavonol glycosides were yellow compounds that do not contribute to the garnet red color of Montcalm seed coats. Red-colored compounds which tested positive for proanthocyanidins are most likely responsible for the red seed coat color of Montcalm. Previous work on the chemistry of the compounds produced from the multi-allelic seed coat gene series C-Cr-cu indicated that neither anthocyanins nor flavonol glycosides were detected from seed coat extracts in the presence of the cu locus. However, the seed coat color gen...
A reaction-transport model for AlGaN MOVPE growth

Abstract We present a systematic study of the complex chemistry and transport phenomena underlying metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of AlGaN; in particular, the mechanism underlying growth rate reduction at high temperatures and pressures. Thermodynamics and kinetics of formation of Lewis acid–base adducts of the organometallic precursors [TMGa–NH 3 and TMAl–NH 3 ] and the subsequent elimination of methane are investigated using hybrid density functional theory and transition state theory. The adduct pathway leads to the formation of stable dimer and trimer ring species containing Ga, Al, and N which strongly influence growth behavior in the reactor. Results from these studies, combined with reported data for gas-phase decomposition of TMGa and TMAl, are used in macroscopic, finite element reactor modeling studies to develop a reaction-transport model for AlGaN MOVPE growth. The model predicts growth rates in excellent agreement with experimental data for growth of AlGaN in different reactor configurations, including horizontal and `close-spaced-injector' reactors. Formation of dimers and trimers is identified as the major pathway for decreased growth efficiency with increasing pressure. A pathway involving nucleation and growth of oligomers from dimers and trimers, and ultimately particle formation, is consistent with decreased growth efficiency for increasing temperature.
Recognizing currency bills using a mobile phone: an assistive aid for the visually impaired

Despite the rapidly increasing use of credit cards and other electronic forms of payment, cash is still widely used for everyday transactions due to its convenience, perceived security and anonymity. However, the visually impaired might have a hard time telling each paper bill apart, since, for example, all dollar bills have the exact same size and, in general, currency bills around the world are not distinguishable by any tactile markings. We propose the use of a broadly available tool, the camera of a smart-phone, and an adaptation of the SIFT algorithm to recognize partial and even distorted images of paper bills. Our algorithm improves memory efficiency and the speed of SIFT key-point classification by using a k-means clustering approach. Our results show that our system can be used in real-world scenarios to recognize unknown bills with a high accuracy.