cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the evaluation of molecular dipole moments from multipole refinement of X-ray diffraction data

Abstract Lack of physical constraints in the purely mathematical multipole refinement model can lead to basis set overlap errors in the evaluation of static molecular properties from X-ray diffraction data. For the molecular dipole moment, the error is large for several of the crystals tested in this study: dl -histidine, dl -proline, p-nitroaniline and p-amino-p′-nitrobiphenyl. Two restricted models are tested. In the first, atomic charges are constrained at κ-refinement values, while in the second κ′-values based on multipole refinements of theoretical ab-initio structure factors are used to reduce the flexibility of the model. Both models provide a more localized description of the pseudo atoms compared with an unrestricted refinement, but the κ′-restricted model gives a more consistent representation of the molecular dipole moments and superior agreement with the theoretical deformation density for dl -histidine.
THE ROLES OF ACIDOSIS AND LACTATE IN THE BEHAVIORAL HYPOTHERMIA OF EXHAUSTED LIZARDS

We conducted this study to determine whether two of the physiological changes associated with non-sustainable exercise, elevated blood lactate levels and decreased arterial pH, contribute to the behavioral hypothermia exhibited by exhausted lizards. Dipsosaurus dorsalis were placed in a thermal gradient and their body temperatures were recorded from 08:00 to 14:00 h. At 14:00 h, animals were subjected to different experimental regimens. In the exercise (E) regimen, animals at 40 degrees C were forced to exercise maximally for 5 min on a treadmill. In the lactate (L) regimen, animals were infused with 11.5 ml kg-1 of 250–500 mmol l-1 sodium lactate. In the osmolarity control (O) regimen, animals were injected with 11.5 ml kg-1 of 500 mmol l-1 NaCl, and in the injection control (I) regimen, animals were injected with 11.5 ml kg-1 of 150 mmol l-1 NaCl. In the hypercapnia (H) regimen, the thermal gradient was flushed with a gas mixture containing 10 % CO2, 21 % O2 and 69 % N2, a treatment that lowers the arterial pH of D. dorsalis to a value comparable with that imposed by exhaustive exercise. A group of control (C) animals was left undisturbed in the thermal gradient for 24 h. Animals in all experimental groups were returned to the thermal gradient, and their cloacal temperatures were monitored until 08:00 h the following morning. The mean cloacal temperature of E animals underwent a significant decrease of 4–7 degrees C, relative to control animals, which persisted for 7 h. The mean cloacal temperatures of animals subjected to 2 h of regimen H also decreased by 3.5-9 degrees C and remained depressed for 12 h following the beginning of the treatment. L, O and I animals did not undergo a significant change in body temperature following treatment, and their mean body temperatures did not differ from those of C animals at any time during the experiment. The results of this study suggest that the metabolic acidosis, but not the elevated blood lactate level, that follows exhausting exercise might play a role in the behavioral hypothermia that follows exhausting exercise in D. dorsalis.
Isolation and characterization of di- and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the yellow-spotted night lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum (Squamata: Xantusiidae)

We report the development of 17 di- and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers in the Yellow-Spotted Night Lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum . Levels of heterozygosity ranged from 0 to 100%. Several loci also amplify in other Lepidophyma species and several species of the sister genus Xantusia . High levels of variation at some loci indicate that they will be useful for parentage assessment and population genetic studies, whereas the 15 loci that amplify across multiple Lepidophyma species suggest these will be useful in determining the origin of parthenogenetic populations.
Conservative treatment of isolated fractures of the medial malleolus

Between 1992 and 2000, 57 patients with 57 isolated fractures of the medial malleolus were treated conservatively by immobilisation in a cast. The results were assessed by examination, radiography and completion of the short form-36 questionnaire and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score.Of the 57 fractures 55 healed without further treatment. The mean combined dorsi- and plantar flexion was 52.3° (25° to 82°) and the mean short form-36 and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores 48.1 (28 to 60) and 89.8 (69 to 100), respectively. At review there was no evidence of medial instability, dermatological complications, malalignment of the mortise or of post-traumatic arthritis.Isolated fractures of the medial malleolus can obtain high rates of union and good functional results with conservative treatment. Operation should be reserved for bi- or trimalleolar fractures, open fractures, injuries which compromise the skin or those involving the plafond or for patients who deve...
Reduced Hardware NOrec: A Safe and Scalable Hybrid Transactional Memory

Because of hardware TM limitations, software fallbacks are the only way to make TM algorithms guarantee progress. Nevertheless, all known software fallbacks to date, from simple locks to sophisticated versions of the NOrec Hybrid TM algorithm, have either limited scalability or weakened semantics. We propose a novel reduced-hardware (RH) version of the NOrec HyTM algorithm. Instead of an all-software slow path, in our RH NOrec the slow-path is a "mix" of hardware and software: one short hardware transaction executes a maximal amount of initial reads in the hardware, and the second executes all of the writes. This novel combination of the RH approach and the NOrec algorithm delivers the first Hybrid TM that scales while fully preserving the hardware's original semantics of opacity and privatization. Our GCC implementation of RH NOrec is promising in that it shows improved performance relative to all prior methods, at the concurrency levels we could test today.
Robust MSE equalizer design for MIMO communication systems in the presence of model uncertainties

This paper considers a robust mean-square-error (MSE) equalizer design problem for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems with imperfect channel and noise information at the receiver. When the channel state information (CSI) and the noise covariance are known exactly at the receiver, a minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) equalizer can be employed to estimate the transmitted signal. However, in actual systems, it is necessary to take into account channel and noise estimation errors. We consider here a worst-case equalizer design problem where the goal is to find the equalizer minimizing the equalization MSE for the least favorable channel model within a neighborhood of the estimated model. The neighborhood is formed by placing a bound on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence between the actual and estimated channel models. Lagrangian optimization is used to convert this min-max problem into a convex min-min problem over a convex domain, which is solved by interchanging the minimization order. The robust MSE equalizer and associated least favorable channel model can then be obtained by solving numerically a scalar convex minimization problem. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the MSE and bit error rate (BER) performance of robust equalizers when applied to the least favorable channel model.
Superproduct codes with improved minimum distance

Superproduct codes are formed by imposing row subcode and column subcode constraints on an array of bits constituting a codeword. Carefully choosing permuted orders for the bits in each of the subcodes produces codes with almost all the desirable properties of product codes, but significantly improved minimum distance and superior decoder performance at high SNR.
Structure-based prediction of insertion-site preferences of transposons into chromosomes

Mobile genetic elements with the ability to integrate genetic information into chromosomes can cause disease over short periods of time and shape genomes over eons. These elements can be used for functional genomics, gene transfer and human gene therapy. However, their integration-site preferences, which are critically important for these uses, are poorly understood. We analyzed the insertion sites of several transposons and retroviruses to detect patterns of integration that might be useful for prediction of preferred integration sites. Initially we found that a mathematical description of DNA-deformability, called Vstep, could be used to distinguish preferential integration sites for Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposons into a particular 100 bp region of a plasmid [G. Liu, A. M. Geurts, K. Yae, A. R. Srinivassan, S. C. Fahrenkrug, D. A. Largaespada,J. Takeda, K. Horie, W. K. Olson and P. B. Hackett (2005) J. Mol. Biol., 346, 161–173 ]. Based on these findings, we extended our examination of integration of SB transposons into whole plasmids and chromosomal DNA. To accommodate sequences up to 3 Mb for these analyses, we developed an automated method, ProTIS©, that can generate profiles of predicted integration events. However, a similar approach did not reveal any structural pattern of DNA that could be used to predict favored integration sites for other transposons as well as retroviruses and lentiviruses due to a limitation of available data sets. Nonetheless, ProTIS© has the utility for predicting likely SB transposon integration sites in investigator-selected regions of genomes and our general strategy may be useful for other mobile elements once a sufficiently high density of sites in a single region are obtained. ProTIS analysis can be useful for functional genomic, gene transfer and human gene therapy applications using the SB system.
The optical properties of Cu-Ni nanoparticles produced via pulsed laser dewetting of ultrathin films: The effect of nanoparticle size and composition on the plasmon response

Thin film Cu-Ni alloys ranging from 2–8 nm were synthesized and their optical properties were measured as-deposited and after a laser treatment which dewet the films into arrays of spatially correlated nanoparticles. The resultant nanoparticle size and spacing are attributed to a laser induced spinodal dewetting process. The evolution of the spinodal dewetting process is investigated as a function of the thin film composition which ultimately dictates the size distribution and spacing of the nanoparticles. The optical measurements of the copper rich alloy nanoparticles reveal a signature absorption peak suggestive of a plasmon peak that red-shifts with increasing nanoparticle size and blue-shifts and dampens with increasing nickel concentration.
Development and Application of a Methodology for Sediment Source Identification. I: Modified Unit Sedimentograph Approach

Identification of sediment source areas within a watershed is useful for designing appropriate management alternatives that reduce sediment losses. In most watersheds, data collection programs are present at the stream gauging station, and sediment source identification must be treated as an inverse problem. A physically based watershed-scale surface flow and erosion model, KINEROS was utilized as the modeling tool in this study. A modified unit sedimentograph approach was used for source identification based on hydrograph and sedimentograph data collected at the watershed outlet. Data from several events were examined over two small water- sheds, and a statistical procedure was employed to assess the erosion vulnerability of different regions in the two watersheds. These results were presented in the form of maps to obtain a spatial picture of potential sediment generating areas. A statistical analysis was also utilized to determine if erosion potentials of different regions of a watershed were significantly different. It appears that identification of source areas is possible when a limited number of regions are contributing sediments.
Centers of maximal outerplanar graphs

The center of a graph is defined to be the subgraph induced by the set of vertices that have minimum eccentricities (i.e., minimum distance to the most distant vertices). It is shown that only seven graphs can be centers of maximal outerplanar graphs.
Darfurian Livelihoods and Libya: Trade, Migration, and Remittance Flows in Times of Conflict and Crisis1

Labor migration and commerce between Sudan and Libya have long been features of livelihoods in Darfur. This paper describes the importance of historical trade and migration links between Darfur and Libya, and provides a background to the political and economic situation in Libya which has influenced opportunities for Sudanese migrant workers. A case study of the situation of the Darfurian migrants in Kufra (an oasis and transnational trade hub in southern Libya) illustrates how the recent Darfur conflict has affected migration patterns from Darfur and remittance flows in the opposite direction. Official estimates of Darfurian migrant workers in Libya were unavailable but were estimated to be between 150,000 and 250,000. The closure of the national border between Sudan and Libya in May 2003, largely a result of insecurity in Darfur, stopped the traffic of migrant workers between northern Darfur and southern Libya (which prevented the onward travel to Sudan of several thousand migrants in Kufra), and curtailed the well-established trade routes, communications, and remittance flows. The current limited economic prospects for migrant workers in Libya, combined with the threat of detention, difficulties of return to Sudan, and loss of contact with and uncertainty about the fate of their families in Darfur, have created a sense of despair among many Darfurians. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations to improve the conditions of the Darfurian migrants in Libya, including an amnesty for illegal migrants, and also to ease the travel of migrants, promote communications between Libya and Darfur, and support the flow of remittances.
Magnetic short range order and specific heat in ferromagnets and antiferromagnets

Abstract The O guchi method is extended to allow for both first and second nearest interactions. The results are used to calculate the magnetic short range order parameters and the magnetic specific heat above the transition temperature for both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets.
Josef Stefan and His Contributions to Heat Transfer

Josef Stefan was a professor of physics at the University of Vienna between 1863 and 1893. During his time in Vienna he was a fruitful researcher in many scientific fields, but he is best known for his work in heat transfer. He was a gifted experimentalist and theoretician who made contributions to conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer. Stefan was the first to accurately measure the thermal conductivity of gases, using a device he invented called the diathermometer. He also determined the diffusion of two gases into each other, a process now known as Maxwell-Stefan diffusion. His work provided experimental verification of the newly formulated kinetic theory of gases published by the great Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell. Stefan also experimentally studied the motion of gases induced by evaporation along a liquid surface, a phenomenon known as Stefan flow. In addition, Stefan received data from various expeditions on ice formation in the arctic seas. From that solid/liquid phase change data, he formulated solutions to the moving boundary problem, now called the Stefan problem. The work for which he is most famous is the T4 radiation law which he deduced from the experimental work of a number of investigators. However, his theory was not widely accepted until his former student, Ludwig Boltzmann, derived the same relation from first principles. In their honor, the T4 radiation equation is called the Stefan-Boltzmann law. Despite his varied contributions, little is known about Stefan the man. This paper gives some details on his life and describes the seminal work he performed in broad areas of heat transfer.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Tea consumption is inversely associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly: A cross-sectional study in eastern China.

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies suggest that higher tea consumption was associated with lower risk of depressive symptoms, but this has not been found consistently. Moreover, the effect of different types of tea on depressive symptoms needs to be further explored. This study aimed to examine the association between tea consumption and depressive symptoms in Chinese elderly. Methods We analyzed the baseline data from Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance Program including 9371 participants. Depressive symptoms was assessed through the application of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9). Logistic regression models, controlled for an extensive range of potential confounders, were generated to evaluate the association between tea consumption and risk of depressive symptoms. Results The black tea drinkers had a significantly decreased risk of depressive symptoms (p Limitations Cross-sectional data could not make a causation conclusion, and the observed association in our study could not be ascribed to any specific component in tea. Conclusions Our results indicated that higher black tea consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the elderly.
Application of solid phase micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography

Solid phase micro-extraction is a new extraction technology. It combines sampling,separation,enrichment,injection in one,and has advantages of simple,fast,portable,no organic solvents,reproducible,easy to combine with GC,HPLC,GC-MS,capillary electrophoresis and other analytical instruments. Therefore,it has been widely used in chemical analysis of water,air,soil,food,biological materials,etc. The author searches 34 literatures,and introduces the development and application of solid phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography techniques in detail,including extraction device,principles,types of coating materials,influencing factors and its application of sample analysis in the above fields.
Measurement of Intercellular Cohesion by Tissue Surface Tensiometry

Intercellular adhesion plays a vital role in many biological processes including embryonic development, malignant invasion, and wound healing, and can be manipulated to generate complex structures in tissue engineering applications. Accurate measurement of the strength of intercellular adhesion is not trivial and requires methods rooted in sound physical principles. Tissue surface tensiometry (TST) rigorously quantifies intercellular cohesive energy of 3D tissue-like aggregates under physiological conditions. TST utilizes a custom-built tensiometer to compress 3D spheroids between parallel plates. The resistance to the applied force and changes in aggregate geometry are applied to the Young-Laplace equation, generating a measurement of apparent surface tension. We describe all components comprising the tensiometer and provide step by step instructions of all the key steps involved in generating spherical aggregates. We explain how tissue surface tension is calculated and provide a statistical analysis of a sample data set from 12 aggregates.
Preclinical abortions: incidence and significance in the Norfolk in vitro fertilization program.

Clinical and prognostic significance of preclinical abortions in assisted reproduction is ill defined. Strict diagnostic criteria include a transient and synchronous elevation of serum β -human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estradiol, and progesterone levels 13 days after hCG administration, ending in a bleeding episode no more than 14 days after the missed period. The preclinical abortion study group (54 patients, 178 cycles) was compared with matched control groups A (54 patients, 132 cycles) and B (54 patients, 155 cycles), representing normal term pregnancies and all outcomes, respectively. Control group C included the overall population during the study period. The abortion rate per transfer (preclinical abortion and total miscarriage rates) and total pregnancy wastage in the study group were significantly higher; the ongoing pregnancy rate was significantly lower. Preclinical abortion should be considered as a true reproductive failure with similar implications.
MtNet: A Multi-Task Neural Network for Dynamic Malware Classification

In this paper, we propose a new multi-task, deep learning architecture for malware classification for the binary i.e. malware versus benign malware classification task. All models are trained with data extracted from dynamic analysis of malicious and benign files. For the first time, we see improvements using multiple layers in a deep neural network architecture for malware classification. The system is trained on 4.5 million files and tested on a holdout test set of 2 million files which is the largest study to date. To achieve a binary classification error rate of 0.358i¾?%, the objective functions for the binary classification task and malware family classification task are combined in the multi-task architecture. In addition, we propose a standard i.e. non multi-task malware family classification architecture which also achieves a malware family classification error rate of 2.94i¾?%.
Improving resource selection and scheduling using predictions

The introduction of computational Grids has resulted in several new problems in the area of scheduling that can be addressed using predictions. The first problem is selecting where to run an application on the many resources available in a Grid. Our approach to help address this problem is to provide predictions of when an application would start to execute if submitted to specific scheduled computer systems. The second problem is gaining simultaneous access to multiple computer systems so that distributed applications can be executed. We help address this problem by investigating how to support advance reservations in local scheduling systems. Our approaches to both of these problems are based on predictions for the execution time of applications on space-shared parallel computers. As a side effect of this work, we also discuss how predictions of application run times can be used to improve scheduling performance.
New Nonparametric Tests for Comparing Multivariate Scales Using Data Depth

In this paper, we introduce several nonparametric tests for testing scale differences in the two- and multiple-sample cases based on the concept of data depth. The tests are motivated by the so-called DD-plot (depth versus depth plot) and are implemented through a permutation test. Our proposed tests are completely nonparametric. An extensive power comparison study indicates that our tests are as powerful as the parametric test in the normal setting but significantly outperform the parametric one in the non-normal settings. As an illustration, the proposed tests are applied to analyze an airline performance dataset collected by the FAA in the context of comparing the performance stability of airlines.
A review of remote sensing in flood assessment

Flood is defined as water that temporarily submerges land. In the United States, flood is being considered as an event only if it last over 72 hours, but the time frame is much longer in the Europe. The information of water bodies is an important source when examining floods. However, this data is not always available or accurate by traditional survey since water surface changes frequently. Remote Sensing provides an alternative method to traditional survey with lower cost and much frequent revisit cycles. Some sensors have very fine spatial resolution but relative long revisit circle; while some fine temporal resolution satellites are not able to provide spatial information in detail. This paper provides a brief review and comparison of major optical and Radar satellite sensors which are currently adopted in flood assessment. Result indicated that both optical sensors and Radar systems play important roles in flood assessment. Although many agencies use Radar or optical data independently when ding flood assessment, the potential of combining data from both systems is huge.
Traumatic Frontal Epidural Hematoma Caused by Multiple Arterial Injuries in the Anterior Fossa.

Background This case report illustrates the need to evaluate the possibility of multiple arterial sources when presented with a frontal epidural hematoma associated with facial trauma. Case Description The patient presented after being struck in the face by a baseball. Computed tomography of the brain revealed a large frontal epidural hematoma. Intraoperatively, bleeding from a frontal branch of the middle meningeal artery was encountered and cauterized, and the hematoma was removed. Routine follow-up imaging performed the next day showed a residual frontal hematoma; however, the epidural hematoma was in a more medial location than the initial hematoma. The patient was taken back to the operating room; after frontal lobe retraction and extensive exploration, a different source of bleeding from posterior ethmoidal artery feeders was encountered. After the second operation, the patient's hematoma did not recur, and he was discharged home with no neurologic deficits 3 days later. Conclusions We report a case of an epidural hematoma caused by 2 distinct arterial feeders. We discuss radiologic review and operative management of anterior fossa epidural hematomas and stress the importance of considering arterial bleeding from sources other than the middle meningeal artery in anterior fossa epidural hematomas. We discuss the utility of preoperative angiography for these patients and reinforce the need for acute postoperative imaging to ensure successful operative and patient outcomes.
Investigation of scaling methodology for strained Si n-MOSFETs using a calibrated transport model

The performance, calculated in terms of on-current I/sub on/ vs. off-current I/sub off/, of strained Si n-MOSFETs is compared to bulk (unstrained) Si devices with gate lengths down to 22 nm using hydrodynamic simulations with calibrated strained Si transport models. Strain results in I/sub on/ enhancement for given I/sub off/, but increased Coulomb scattering in strained Si super-halo n-MOSFETs with gate lengths approaching 25 nm and surface doping near 6/spl times/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/, results in reduction of I/sub on/ enhancement by approximately 10%. Simulations also indicate that the use of a gate electrode material with workfunction larger than n/sup +/ polysilicon is an attractive approach to achieve the desired off-current for strained devices scaled below 25 nm gate length, and for devices with increased strain in the channel (i.e. substrate Ge contents >20% Ge).
Floating gate transistors as biosensors (Conference Presentation)

Electrolyte gated transistors (EGTs) are a sub-class of thin film transistors that are extremely promising for biological sensing applications. These devices employ a solid electrolyte as the gate insulator; the very large capacitance of the electrolyte results in low voltage operation and high transconductance or gain. This talk will describe the fabrication of floating gate EGTs and their use as ricin sensors. The critical performance metrics for EGTs compared with other types of TFTs will also be reviewed.
E-099 Does Anterior Cerebral Artery Vasospasm after Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Predict Short Term Cognitive Outcome

Background Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a disabling form of hemorrhagic stroke that affects young individuals and is responsible for short-term and long-term cognitive deficits. Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is postulated to be the major determinant for this morbidity. Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) is a major contributor of DCI. Treatment of symptomatic CVS can consist of intra-arterial vasodilators or angioplasty. This study reports preliminary data on cognitive outcomes in a prospective cohort of patients with spontaneous SAH who received vasodilator therapy for anterior cerebral artery (ACA) vasospasm. Aim 1. Determine role of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and CVS after spontaneous SAH on short-term cognitive outcome. 2. Determine if ACA vasospasm predicts short-term cognitive outcome. 3. Determine if treatment of ACA vasospasm results in improvement in short-term cognitive outcome. Methods Thirty-five patients with clinical follow-up at 3 months after SAH were selected from a prospective cohort. DCI was defined as a new hypodensity on CT scans located in a vascular territory, with or without symptoms (decrease of consciousness or focal deficits), due to CVS and not explained by other causes (e.g. rebleeding, hydrocephalus, cardioembolic sources, hypoxia, electrolyte disturbances, or seizures). CVS was defined as ≥25% narrowing on digital subtraction angiogram (aCVS) or Transcranial Doppler mean flow velocity ≥120 cm/sec (sCVS). Cognitive outcomes were assessed using Montreal Cognitive Outcome Assessment (MOCA) and poor cognitive outcome was defined as MOCA score Results Average age of the study cohort was 53.1 ± 11.5 years with 71% of the patients being women. DCI occurred in 16/35 (45.7%) patients. In the absence of sCVS, DCI predicted poor cognitive outcomes (3/5 with DCI, 60% vs 1/10 without DCI, 10%; p = 0.04). Patients with anterior cerebral artery or anterior communicating complex (ACA/ACom) related aneurysmal SAH were less likely to have MOCA Conclusions Our study reaffirms that occurrence of DCI after SAH predicts poor cognitive outcome at 3 months. The fact that cognitive outcomes were not superior in patients treated for CVS suggests that a complex pathophysiology determines outcomes after SAH. Relatively poor cognitive outcome among patients with SAH in locations other than ACA/ACom alludes to involvement of functional neural network apart from frontal lobe based networks that needs further investigation. Disclosures V. Pandav: None. B. Bohnstedt: None. L. Yearout: None. D. Thompson: None. B. Ray: None.
Abstract 495: High-Density Lipoprotein-Mediated Modulation of Autoimmunity in Normolipidemic Lupus-Prone Mice

The notion that quantitative and/or qualitative modulation of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) can protect against autoimmunity and the development of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is supported by demonstration of its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties in hypercholesterolemic rodent models lacking Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) or treated with 4F Apo A-I mimetic peptide. However, it is not known whether similar effects of Apo A-I (HDL) deficiency or 4F treatment are manifested in the absence of hypercholesterolemia, or whether raising HDL elicits opposite effects to those caused by Apo A-I deficiency. It also remains to be determined whether beneficial effects of 4F also include mitigation of SLE-associated HDL dysfunction (depressed HDL levels and PON-1 activity) that we previously showed was also inherent in normolipidemic SLE-prone gld mice. We transferred SLE from SLE-prone Sle123 mice into congenic wild-type, Apo A-I knockout or Apo A-I transgenic mice by bone marrow transplantation. Transgenic Apo A-I overexpression resulted in significant improvement in several Lupus phenotypes, including lower anti-DNA auto-antibodies, reduced in situ T lymphocyte proliferation, decreased activated CD4 + T lymphocytes and CD4 + effector/memory cells, and improved kidney pathology. Surprisingly, Apo A-I deficiency had no significant influence on the above Lupus phenotypes and, as with Apo A-I overexpression, did not affect CD4 + FoxP3 + regulatory T cell numbers. Feeding gld mice diet supplemented with 4F peptide (∼6mg/Kg body weight: synthesized from D-amino acids to make it orally bio-available) did not reduce auto-antibodies or modify any of the Lupus phenotypes above other than kidney pathology, which was significantly improved. Interestingly, this beneficial effect of 4F was mediated in the absence of any significant improvement in HDL levels or PON-1 activity. Considering that HDL deficiency did not modulate major Lupus phenotypes in the absence of hypercholesterolemia, we conclude that supra-physiologically high levels of Apo A-I (HDL) may be required to have broad therapeutic benefit, while Apo A-I mimetic peptide treatment may be a more clinically viable strategy to treat glomerulonephritis in SLE.
Discovery in State Criminal Justice

Rules of pretrial evidence disclosure vary widely in state criminal justice systems. In all states discovery is more restricted than it is in civil litigation. In a substantial minority of states, it remains dramatically restricted. That is in part a relic of the common law tradition when it was assumed most cases would be resolved by trial. But trials are now rare; nearly all convictions are the result of a plea bargain. The pretrial stage is the only place in which adversarial process operates and in which parties can evaluate evidence. Most states have adopted broader discovery rules in light of this reality, because disclosure failures have led to wrongful convictions, and because experience show that risks related to certain disclosures are easily managed. The primary agenda for discovery reform in state criminal justice is to convince those states that still adhere to outdated disclosure policies to join the majority of their peers and require more evidence to be exchanged between prosecutors and defense attorneys prior to plea bargaining.
What motivates high-school students to pursue STEM careers? The influence of public attitudes towards science and technology in comparative perspective

This study examines the degree of association between students’ STEM occupational expectations and between-country differences in public attitudes toward science and technology (S&T). This study fo...
Effects of Stories and Checklist Decision Aids on Knowledge Structure Development and Auditor Judgment

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to compare the usefulness of a story versus traditional checklist decision aids for enhancing knowledge structure development and for improving the judgments of auditors related to fraud risks. The results from the first experiment indicate that novice participants who read stories develop knowledge structures that more closely resemble the knowledge structures of experts than do participants who read checklists. The second experiment reveals that auditors who read stories make judgments more like experts than do auditors who use checklists. The findings demonstrate that stories may have the capacity to train auditors and improve their judgments. Audit firms constantly seek methods to improve auditors' knowledge and judgments, and our findings suggest opportunities for firms to employ fraud stories to enhance knowledge of fraud and improve professional judgment. This study's results hold important implications for the design of training materials, decision aids, and ...
Eigenfunction Expansions on Geodesic Balls and Rank One Symmetric Spaces of Compact Type

We find sharp conditions for the pointwise convergence ofeigenfunction expansions associated with the Laplace operator and otherrotationally invariant differential operators. Specifically, we considerthis problem for expansions associated with certain radially symmetricoperators and general boundary conditions and the problem in the contextof Jacobi polynomial expansions. The latter has immediate application toFourier series on rank one symmetric spaces of compact type.
Greenhouse gas emissions from diverse Arctic Alaskan lakes are dominated by young carbon

Climate-sensitive Arctic lakes have been identified as conduits for ancient permafrost-carbon (C) emissions and as such accelerate warming. However, the environmental factors that control emission pathways and their sources are unclear; this complicates upscaling, forecasting and climate-impact-assessment efforts. Here we show that current whole-lake CH4 and CO2 emissions from widespread lakes in Arctic Alaska primarily originate from organic matter fixed within the past 3–4 millennia (modern to 3,300 ± 70 years before the present), and not from Pleistocene permafrost C. Furthermore, almost 100% of the annual diffusive C flux is emitted as CO2. Although the lakes mostly processed younger C (89 ± 3% of total C emissions), minor contributions from ancient C sources were two times greater in fine-textured versus coarse-textured Pleistocene sediments, which emphasizes the importance of the underlying geological substrate in current and future emissions. This spatially extensive survey considered the environmental and temporal variability necessary to monitor and forecast the fate of ancient permafrost C as Arctic warming progresses. A spatially extensive survey of lake CH4 and CO2 emissions in Arctic Alaska shows the source material to be primarily relatively young organic matter (up to about 3,500 years old). Contributions from ancient C sources were twice as large in fine textured sediments.
Automated Assessment of Cognitive Function in Nonhuman Primates

Abstract Vulnerability to, and mechanisms of, neurotoxic exposures vary throughout the lifespan. Accordingly, to evaluate the risks posed by various neurotoxicants to humans, it is critical to model the effects of exposure at various stages of development. During the last 20 years, great utility has been made of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in the evaluation of the effects of in utero, perinatal, juvenile, and adolescent exposures to toxic substances. The relevance of this work has been demonstrated through the use of translational cognitive test batteries that can be used in humans and nonhumans alike. These instruments facilitate the transfer of preclinical findings to the clinical environment, and allow for the changes observed in the preclinical setting to be correlated with more traditional clinical metrics such as IQ. Here we review recent NHP work that has focused on the assessment of cognition throughout development, and its use as an endpoint in the evaluation of developmental neurotoxic effects.
Dihedral branched covers of four-manifolds

Abstract Given a closed oriented PL four-manifold X and a closed surface B embedded in X with isolated cone singularities, we give a formula for the signature of an irregular dihedral cover of X branched along B. For X simply-connected, we deduce a necessary condition on the intersection form of a simply-connected irregular dihedral branched cover of ( X , B ) . When the singularities on B are two-bridge slice, we prove that the necessary condition on the intersection form of the cover is sharp. For X a simply-connected PL four-manifold with non-zero second Betti number, we construct infinite families of simply-connected PL manifolds which are irregular dihedral branched coverings of X. Given two four-manifolds X and Y whose intersection forms are odd, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for Y to be homeomorphic to an irregular dihedral p-fold cover of X, branched over a surface with a two-bridge slice singularity.
Efficient, Nonintrusive Outcoupling in Organic Light Emitting Devices Using Embedded Microlens Arrays

We demonstrate efficient light extraction from the active region of bottom-emitting organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) using a high refractive index, nondiffractive hemispherical microlens array located between the transparent anode and embedded in the low refractive index glass substrate (n = 1.5). The subelectrode microlens array (SEMLA) results in a maximum external quantum efficiency of 70 ± 4% for green phosphorescent OLEDs (PHOLEDs). Furthermore, the wavelength- and viewing-angle-independent light extraction structure results in white PHOLED external efficiencies of 50 ± 3%. The SEMLA light extraction structure is nonintrusive; that is, it lies completely outside of the OLED structure. Since this design has no effect on the image resolution, it is compatible with applications for both displays and white light illumination, with no dependence on molecular transition dipole orientation and the active organic layers (and hence diode electrical characteristics) used in the PHOLED. Finally, due to th...
A Frame of Reference for Guiding Research Regarding the Relationship between Adult Attachment and Mental Health in Aging Families

The overall objective of this chapter is to provide a frame of reference for carrying out research using concepts from attachment theory to help understand the connection between interpersonal relationships and mental health in aging families. By frame of reference, I mean a collection of ideas that can be used to guide further thinking in a particular domain. My intent is to formulate propositions based on existing attachment theory and research that will suggest directions for future research regarding attachment between aging family members and its contribution to their mental health.
Developing New Metrics for Computer-Based Multitasking Behavior

In response to calls in the Information Systems literature to contextualize usage, we propose that measuring computer-based multitasking is essential to accurately describe and properly assess the manner in which people use Information Technology. To this end, we develop several multitasking metrics ranging from a very lean dichotomous variable to a very rich measure that combines user, task and technology considerations. Our metrics lay the foundation to conduct larger scale studies focused on computer-based multitasking behavior and to use multitasking as a contextual or intervening variable in other research endeavors on IT usage.
Dempster-Shafer Theory in the Analysis and Design of Uncertain Engineering Systems

A methodology for the analysis and design of uncertain engineering systems in the presence of multiple sources of evidence based on Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) is presented. DST can be used when it is not possible to obtain a precise estimation of system response due to the presence of multiple uncertain input parameters. The information for each of the uncertain parameters is assumed to be available in the form of interval-valued data from multiple sources implying the existence of large epistemic uncertainty in the parameters. The DST approach, in conjunction with the use of the vertex method, and the evidence-based fuzzy methodology are used in finding the response of the system. A new method, called Weighted Dempster Shafer Theory for Interval-valued data (WDSTI), is proposed for combining evidence when different credibilities are associated with different sources of evidence. The application of the methodology is illustrated by considering the safety analysis of a welded beam in the presence of multiple uncertain parameters. The epistemic uncertainty can be modeled using fuzzy set theory. In order to extend the mathematical laws of crisp numbers to fuzzy theory, we can use the extension principle, which provides a methodology that fuzzifies the parameters or arguments of a function, resulting in computable fuzzy sets. In this work, an uncertain parameter is modeled as a fuzzy variable and the available evidences on the ranges of the uncertain parameter, in the form of basic probability assignments (bpa’s), are represented in the form of membership functions of the fuzzy variable. This permits the use of interval analysis in the application of a fuzzy approach to uncertain engineering problems. The extension of DST in the decision making of uncertain engineering systems based on using different combination rules such as Yager’s rule, Inagaki’s extreme rule, Zhang’s center combination rule and Murphy’s average combination rule is also presented with an illustrative application.
Models, Truth, and Analytic Inference in Economics

A popular view of models among economists and philosophers alike is that all models are false, but some are useful. Models are frequently treated as convenient fictions, idealizations, stories about credible worlds, or “near enough” to the truth. But such a understandings pose serious questions, among them: if models are false, how is it that they are so useful? how can they have any bearing on what is actually the case in the world? how can we evaluate them empirically? How can we develop them for greater precision? for understanding how models related to the world, how they can successfully support scientific investigation? The paper argues that these and related questions reflect a fundamental confusion: models are, in fact, useful only to the degree that they are instruments for stating truth. The confusion arises from a failure to understand how models relate to the world analogically. Analogies are fundamentally incomplete and perspectival, so that the truths that state are necessarily piecemeal But models may nonetheless be apt. A critical distinction is drawn between accuracy and precision in modeling. Modeling is related to Charles Peirce’s analytical inference. And the application of analytical inference in economics is illustrated with a historical case-study of Lawrence Klein’s early econometric models of the U.S. economy.
Theory and Applications of Configuration Control for Redundant Manipulators

ABSTRACT Previous investigations of redundant manipulators have often focussed on local optimization for redundancy resolution by using the Jacobian pseudoinverse to solve the instantaneous relationship between the joint and end-effector velocities. This paper presents a new and simple approach to control the manipulator configuration over the entire motion based on augmentation of the manipulator forward kinematics. A set of kinematic functions is defined in Cartesian or joint space to reflect the desirable configuration that will be achieved in addition to the specified end-effector motion. The user-defined kinematic functions and the end-effector Cartesian coordinates are combined to form a set of task-related configuration variables as generalized coordinates for the manipulator. A task-based adaptive scheme is then utilized to directly control the configuration variables so as to achieve tracking of some desired reference trajectories throughout the robot motion. This accomplishes the basic task of desired end-effector motion, while utilizing the redundancy to achieve any additional task through the desired time variation of the kinematic functions. The present formulation can also be used for optimization of any kinematic objective function, or for satisfaction of a set of kinematic inequality constraints, as in the obstacle avoidance problem. In contrast to pseudoinverse-based methods, the configuration control scheme ensures cyclic motion of the manipulator, which is an essential requirement for repetitive operations. The control law is simple and computationally very fast, and does not require either the complex manipulator dynamic model or the complicated inverse kinematic transformation. The configuration control scheme can alternatively be implemented in joint space. Simulation results of a direct-drive three-link arm are given to illustrate the proposed control scheme. The scheme is also implemented for real-time control of three links of a PUMA 560 industrial robot and experimental results are presented and discussed. The simulation and experimental results validate the configuration control scheme, and demonstrate its capabilities for performing various realistic tasks.