cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representational Systems Used by Graduate Students while Problem Solving in Organic Synthesis.

Graduate students taking a course in synthetic organic chemistry were asked to think aloud while solving several synthesis tasks. Analysis of the protocols indicated that subjects used different types of representations while problem solving. Subjects constructed solutions and communicated them through seven systems: Verbal, Pictorial, Methodological, Principles-Oriented, Literary, Laboratory-Oriented, and Economic. Beyond the Pictorial and Verbal systems, the most often used system was Methodological in nature—subjects believed the purpose of organic synthesis is to apply rules in a proper order until the task is solved. Subjects considered utilizing other systems of representation if they judged their results to be ambiguous when based on the Methodological system.
A NEW DIAZIRINE FOR PROTEIN MODIFICATION BY FLASH PHOTOLYSIS: COMPARISON WITH AN AZIDE

— A new photolabeling agent, N-[4–(3-chlorodiazirin-3-yl)benzoyl]glycine (CDBG), a carbene generator, was synthesized. The incorporation of its photolytic products into egg white lysozyme was studied using flash photolysis and compared with incorporation of N-(4-azido-2-nitro-phenyl)-2-amino ethane sulfonate (NAPT) products into lysozyme and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A. There was considerable additional incorporation of photolysis products into ribonuclease and lysozyme after termination of flash photolysis when NAPT was used but no additional incorporation when CDBG was used. Protein labeled with NAPT retained the label poorly during electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Lysozyme labeled with CDBG lost little label upon electrophoresis. Neither label was well retained during electrophoresis in 8 M urea. Peptic and tryptic peptides from CDBG labeled lysozyme were differentially labeled.
A framework for architecture-level power, area, and thermal simulation and its application to network-on-chip design exploration

We describe the integrated power, area and thermal modeling framework in the Structural Simulation Toolkit (SST) for large-scale high performance computer simulation. It integrates various power and thermal modeling tools and computes run-time energy dissipation for core, network on chip, memory controller and shared cache. It also has functionality to update the leakage power as temperature changes.We illustrate the utilization of the framework by applying it to explore interconnect options in manycore systems with consideration of temperature variation and leakage feedback. We compare power, energy-delay-area product (EDAP), and energy-delay product (EDP) of four manycore configurations-1 core, 2 cores, 4 cores and 8 cores per cluster. Results from simulation with or without consideration of temperature variation both show that the 4-core per cluster configuration has the best EDAP and EDP. Even so, considering temperature variation increases total power dissipation. We demonstrate the importance of considering temperature variation in the design ow. With this power, area and thermal modeling capability, SST can be used for hardware/software co-design of future Exascale systems.
Scale and Resolution Considerations in the Application of HAZUS-MH 2.1 to Flood Risk Assessments

AbstractThis study examines a tool developed by the U.S. FEMA for performing earthquake, hurricane, and flood hazard modeling and damage assessment. The focus of this research was to compare the native flood modeling and damage assessment functionalities of this tool with the May 2010 floods that impacted Davidson County (Nashville), Tennessee. Flood scenarios were created at the county and subcounty levels by using 1 and 1/3 arc-second digital elevation models and 100, 500, and 1,000 year flood return periods. The predicted flood surface area and damage levels were compared to observed flooding and damage from the 2010 floods. At the county level, the software was useful in predicting 87% of flood surface area and in identifying areas of damage, but its predictive value was limited at the subcounty level. These findings indicate that this predictive tool can be used primarily for large, county-level estimations as a screening tool to identify high impact areas that may require further analysis using mor...
High density powder metallurgy design concepts for powder forging

The forging of powder metal compacted preforms to full density has evolved as an extension of the conventional powder metal process. Indentification and evaluation of the variables in the powder forging process is required to optimize each step of the process, from the powder to the product. Optimization leads to both maximum product quality and minimum process variation.
Textural evolution and metamorphism of pillow basalts from the Franciscan Complex, western Marin County, California

Petrogenesis of Franciscan pillow basalts from the Franciscan Complex of western Marin County California entails both dynamic crystallization of tholeiitic magma and subsequent low-temperature metamorphism. Brittle deformation during tectonic emplacement of pillow basalts into a chert greywacke terrain is manifested by the shearing of interpillow matrix and polishing of pillow rims, but the igneous textures within pillows are well preserved.
Recurrent CMV retinitis in a non-HIV patient with drug-resistant CMV

We report a case of recurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in an HIV-negative patient with CD4+ T lymphocytopenia. Case report. A 41-year-old HIV-negative woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura requiring splenectomy, and diabetes presented with primary CMV infection, high-grade viremia, CMV pneumonia followed by CMV retinitis (CMVR) and a CD4+ T lymphocyte (CD4) count of 12 cells/mm3 after therapy with rituximab, prednisone, and methotrexate. Persistent CMV viremia led to genotypic analysis of the circulating virus, which revealed UL97 and UL54 mutations known to be associated with resistance to ganciclovir (GCV) and cidofovir. CMV clearance from the bloodstream followed systemic antiviral therapy and recovery of CD4 cell count. However, CMVR recurred multiple times despite GCV implants, systemic valganciclovir, intravitreal GCV injections, and persistent CD4 counts greater than 100 cells/mm3. Recurrent episodes of CMVR responded to multiple high dose intravitreal GCV injections (5000–6000 micrograms) and recovery of CD4 cell counts to greater than 200 cells/mm3. This case demonstrates that recurrent CMVR occurs in HIV-negative patients at CD4 cell counts thought to be protective in HIV patients, and suggests that an ineffective local immune response to retinal infection combined with CMV drug resistance may have been important factors leading to recurrent disease in this patient. Treatment producing high local concentrations of GCV may be effective therapy for CMV retinitis due to GCV-resistant virus.
Equilibrium Shapes and Stability of Nonconducting Pendant Drops Surrounded by a Conducting Fluid in an Electric Field

Abstract The shapes and stability of pendant drops in the presence of an electric field is a classical problem in capillarity. This problem has been studied in great detail by numerous investigators when the drops are either perfect conductors or nonconductors and the surrounding fluid is a nonconductor . In this paper, the axisymmetric equilibrium shapes and stability of a nonconducting drop hanging from a nonconducting nozzle that is immersed in a perfectly conducting ambient fluid , a problem that has heretofore not been considered in the literature, are determined by solving the free boundary problem comprised of the Young-Laplace equation for drop shape and an integral equation for the electric field distribution. Here the free boundary problem is discretized by a hybrid technique in which the Young-Laplace equation is solved by the finite element method and the electrostatic problem is solved by the boundary element method. An electrode in the form of a metal rod or an annulus is placed inside and coaxial with the lube whose tip is located a distance H 1 above or below the tube outlet. The electric field is generated by connecting the rod or the annulus electrode to a source of high voltage at potential P and grounding the ambient conducting fluid that surrounds the drop and the tube. When the force due to surface (interfacial) tension is large compared to those due to gravity and electric field, equilibrium drop shapes are sections of spheres and can be parametrized by a parameter -1 ≤ D ≤ 1: D = 0 corresponds to a hemisphere, as D → 1 the drop approaches a sphere, and as D → -1 the drop becomes vanishingly small. The results show that equilibrium families of fixed drop volume, or fixed D , lose stability at turning points with respect to the applied potential, where P = P *. Detailed computations reveal the importance of varying the drop size and geometric factors such as the location of the tip of the electrode H 1 , electrode thickness W , and, in the case of the annulus electrode, the inner radius of the annulus R Λ on the value of P *. Except for very skinny drops, i.e., D → -1, the computed profiles of drops at their limits of stability imply that nonconducting drops in a conducting ambient fluid should become unstable by pinching off near the contact line. This finding agrees with recent experiments on such drops, but stands in marked contrast to previous studies on conducting and nonconducting drops immersed in a nonconducting ambient fluid where the drops become unstable by developing conical tips from which a jet issues. Very skinny drops, however, take on a dog-boned appearance at their limits of stability regardless of whether the drop is a conductor or a nonconductor immersed in a nonconducting ambient fluid or a nonconductor immersed in a conducting ambient fluid.
Immunoprecipitation of virus-specific immediate-early and early polypeptides from cells lytically infected with human cytomegalovirus strain AD 169.

Abstract By immunoprecipitation of human cytomegalovirus-infected cell-specific polypeptides (ICPs) with a variety of human cytomegalovirus-positive sera and analysis by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, we can identify at least 20 ICSP bands from lytic infections by 6 hr postinfection (pi). Three of these polypeptide bands (78K, 73K, and 68K) may represent more than one species of polypeptide. Four polypeptide bands (78K, 77K, 73K, and 31K) can be identified as immediate-early based on their synthesis in the presence of actinomycin-D after removal from a protein synthesis block mediated by cycloheximide (CH). An immediate-early 78K polypeptide and an early 49K polypeptide are synthesized only transiently during the first 4 hr pi. Most immediate-early polypeptide synthesis is enhanced after removal of a 5 hr CH block. Taken together, these results identify many previously undetected immediate-early and early ICSPs and suggest that several regulatory events are occurring during the early phase of the lytic cycle.
Quasi-interpolation functionals on spline spaces

Abstract This paper is concerned with the structure of quasi-interpolation functionals on the space spanned by exponential polynomial splines and their translates. The existence of these function is guaranteed by certain conditions which are derived, using the notion of commutators, and shown to be equivalent to some generalization of the Strang-Fix conditions. Characterizations of quasi-interpolation functionals are also formulated, and admissible sets for these functionals are given. Several interpolation schemes are obtained through the quasi-interpolation functionals.
Construct Validation of the Test Anxiety Scale for Children: By Converging Analyses:

Two different analysis procedures were used to ascertain the response dimensionality inherent in Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC) in order that inferences regarding the functional construct validity of the scale could be made. The analysis procedures were factor analysis and McQuitty's elementary linkage analysis. The four factors obtained were: test anxiety, generalized school anxiety, recitation anxiety, and physiological arousal in anticipated recitation situations. Linkage analysis clusters closely paralleled the factors. It was felt the results were compatable with the theoretical constructs on which the scale was constructed. However, because of the clear-cut multi-dimensionality of the scale, the utilization of single TASC scores was questioned.
Hepatopancreatobiliary manifestations and complications associated with inflammatory bowel disease

Diseases involving the hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) system are frequently encountered in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Hepatobiliary manifestations constitute some of the most common extraintestinal manifestations of IBD. They appear to occur with similar frequency in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. HPB manifestations may occur in following settings: 1) disease possibly associated with a shared pathogenetic mechanism with IBD including primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), small-duct PSC/pericholangitis and PSC/autoimmune hepatitis overlap, acute and chronic pancreatitis related to IBD; 2) diseases which parallel structural and physiological changes seen with IBD, including cholelithiasis, portal vein thrombosis, and hepatic abscess; and 3) diseases related to adverse effects associated with treatment of IBD, including drug-induced hepatitis, pancreatitis (purine-based agents), or liver cirrhosis (methotrexate), and reactivation of hepatitis B, and biologic agent-associated hepatosplenic lymphoma. Less common HPB manifestations that have been described in association with IBD include autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), IgG4-associated cholangitis (IAC), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), fatty liver, granulomatous hepatitis, and amyloidosis. PSC is the most significant hepatobiliary manifestation associated with IBD and poses substantial challenges in management requiring a multidisciplinary approach. The natural disease course of PSC may progress to cirrhosis and ultimately require liver transplantation in spite of total proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis. The association between AIP, IAC, and elevated serum IgG4 in patients with PSC is intriguing. The recently reported association between IAC and IBD may open the door to investigate these complex disorders. Further studies are warranted to help understand the pathogenesis of HPB manifestations associated with IBD, which would help clinicians better manage these patients. An interdisciplinary approach, involving gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and, in advanced cases, general, colorectal, and transplant surgeons is advocated.
Origin of life: The first spark

David Deamer welcomes a synthesis of what we know about the origins of life, as told by a master in the field.
Structured light system for teleautonomous and telecollaborative manipulation

This paper addresses the implementation of sensory basis to support enhanced teleoperation. By adopting multiple structured light systems, each of which consists of a camera and patterned beam projector, the sensor basis supposedly provides an added level of flexibility and adaptability to variable and unstructured task conditions. The technological innovations include calibration of multiple structured light systems and on-line 3D pose measurement. The application of sensory basis is demonstrated for two types of enhanced teleoperation, namely tele-autonomy and tele-collaboration. The sensory information aids in tele-autonomy by generating autonomous motions, and is utilized in tele-collaboration for generating virtual fixtures.
Pulse-width influence on laser-induced desorption of positive ions from ionic solids

We have compared the desorption of positive ions, including Mg+ and MgO+, form ionic magnesium oxide single crystals following pulsed laser excitation using either nanosecond or femtosecond sources. Following optical excitation, desorbed ions are rapidly extracted and mass analyzed using standard time-of-flight techniques. Ion yields and velocities are determined as a function of laser fluence. The threshold similarity is a surprising result, as sub-band gap nanosecond pulses are only likely to excite defect states efficiently, while the ultrahigh peak-power femtosecond pulses could in principle induce multiphoton and avalanche excitation. We argue that at least in this specific case, the important factor appears to be merely the number of photons and not the pulse duration. However, it is observed that femtosecond excitation yields considerable H+ and less interference from impurity alkali ions than does nanosecond excitation. The source of the protons is presumably the hydroxylated MgO surface.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rotational motion of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

Abstract Using saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance, we have detected the rotational motion of a spin label rigidly attached to the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3). At 4 degrees C, the spectrum indicates an effective rotational correlation time of 60 microsec, determined by comparison with reference spectra obtained from theoretical calculations and from experiments on model systems. This motion appears to correspond to rotation of the enzyme with respect to the membrane, because the motion persists when the membrane fragments are immobilized by sedimentation and the motion stops when the polypeptide chains, but not the membrane vesicles, are crosslinked by glutaraldehyde. The rotational mobility of the enzyme increases with increasing temperature, and this increase becomes more gradual when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees C; the same kind of temperature dependence has been observed previously for lipid fluidity and enzymatic activity.
Onset of space charge effects in liquid argon ionization chambers

Abstract Using a thin-gap liquid argon ionization chamber and Strontium-90 beta sources we have measured ionization currents over a wide range of gap potentials. These precision “HV plateau curves” advance the understanding of liquid argon sampling calorimeter signals, particularly at high ionization rates. The order of magnitude differences in the activities of the beta sources allow us to estimate where the ionization chamber is driven into the space-charge dominated regime.
Chemosensory induced bradycardia in the kelp crab, Pugettia producta (Randall)

Bradycardia was induced in specimens of Pugettia producta (Randall) by chemical stimulation of the branchial chamber with synthetic clam extract. Chemical stimulation of the dactyls, antennules, and mouthparts did not effect cardiac inhibition. Stimulation of the branchial chamber with amino acids and sugars evoked cardiac inhibition that was significantly greater than that induced by sea-water controls. Of the sugars tested, disaccharides were generally found to have a greater capacity to induce bradycardia than monosaccharides. The possibility of a disaccharide or polysaccharide receptor is discussed. Taurine and β-alanine induced bradycardia was significantly greater than that effected by other amino acids. All tested amino acids were, however, at least mildly effective (P < 0.10): thus it appears that several types of amino-acid receptors are likely to exist. Response amplitude, a measure of the relative change in heart rate over the first 15 sec following initial stimulus application, and response duration were found to be positively correlated. In addition, both amplitude and duration were found to depend on the concentration and type of chemical used as stimulus. Stimulation of the branchial chamber with water-soluble petroleum fraction (20–25 ppm) also induced bradycardia. It appears that the mode of action of the water-soluble petroleum fraction mimics that of other tested amino-acid and sugar solutions. From these results and from observations described by other investigators, it is apparent that the branchial chamber is a major chemoreceptive site in decapod crustaceans.
The geometry of echelon fractures in rock: implications from laboratory and numerical experiments

Abstract The traces of echelon joints, veins and dikes in rock range from curving to straight. Theoretical analyses using boundary element numerical methods have concluded that straight, open fractures imply a significant remote differential stress whereas curving traces imply a more nearly isotropic stress. We present a series of laboratory experiments which investigate the two-dimensional propagation paths of echelon fractures in PMMA plates as a function of the applied biaxial loading and the initial geometry of a simple fracture array. The experimental results support the theoretical conclusions and verify the accuracy of the numerical method. At the grain scale, rock does not rigorously conform to the assumptions of isotropy, homogeneity and linear elasticity demanded by the numerical method. Nevertheless, results from crack path stability theory suggest that small-scale deviations of a fracture from the ideal path generally do not affect its large-scale behavior. Fracture paths which become kinked or curved by local heterogeneities are found to self-correct to a path governed by competition between the fracture tip and remote stress fields, provided the remote differential stress is non-zero. This enhances our confidence that the numerical method can be used to produce and explain realistic fracture geometries in rock. An unexpected experimental result is the non-perpendicular intersection of fractures grown in the laboratory. Free surface boundary conditions require that the walls of an open fracture be free of shear stress. The principal stresses are therefore aligned with the crack wall, and we might consequently expect an approaching opening mode fracture either to intersect the free surface at a right angle or to turn away and follow an asymptotic, nonintersecting path. Experimental and numerical modeling, however, shows how the near-tip stresses generated by an approaching fracture dominate the local stress field and allow it to propagate along an oblique path very close to intersection with the adjacent free surface.
Lateral approach to the humeral shaft: an alternative approach for fracture treatment.

SummaryIndications for operative treatment of fractures of the shaft of the humerus have been well described. Anterolateral and posterior surgical approaches are generally preferred for fractures of the proximal/middle thirds and distal third of the humerus, respectively. Each approach has its advan
TIMELINESTag clouds and the case for vernacular visualization

Most HCI history articles trace digital developments back to the 1980s, 1960s, or earlier. Information visualization is moving so rapidly that it's great to have a look back and glance forward on tag clouds, just over a decade old in digital form, from leading visualization researchers Fernanda Viegas and Martin Wattenberg. ---Jonathan Grudin
Resonance Raman spectroscopy of proflavin (II)

Abstract To understand molecular structure for a complex of a dye molecule of DNA receptor, the depolarization ratios and band widths of the Raman spectra of proflavin in different DNA media were analyzed. According to these experimental analyses, it is possible that the proflavin molecule lies near the phosphate group, having a strong interaction with the phosphate group to restrict tumbling motion and inplane motion. Refinement of the bandshape, the improvement of the vibrational bandshape theory and modifications of the reorientational theory should allow a detailed picture of the intercalation of proflavin to DNA.
Automatic recording of electric potential and ion transport in frog skin

An apparatus for the automatic recording of the bioelectric potential of isolated frog skin and of the “short-circuit current,” which is a measure of “active” Na+ transport, is described. The equivalence of the uninterrupted short-circuit current and active Na+ transport has been checked. Current and Na+ transport agreed within 2%. The automatic ion transport recorder is particularly suited in studies where the exact time course of the effects of enzyme inhibitors, drugs and other chemicals on skin is of interest. This is illustrated by showing the effects of fluoroacetate, quinone and hydroquinone on spontaneous skin potential and short-circuit current. Attention is called to characteristic transients in the potential records which are probably related to changes in skin permeability to passively moving chloride ions.
Ronning After the Adiponectin Receptors

Since its initial description in 1995 ( 1 ), few molecules in metabolism research have received as much continued interest as adiponectin. The focus of more than 12,000 publications, this adipokine has been widely studied in preclinical and clinical settings under a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions ( 2 ). Adiponectin is produced by adipocytes and released into circulation. It is considered protective, based on the potent insulin-sensitizing, antilipotoxic, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory actions it exerts on different cell types. These compelling effects marked adiponectin as a possible drug target for diabetes and other obesity-associated diseases. The long wait for a small-molecule agonist for adiponectin receptors may soon be over. Okada-Iwabu et al. ( 3 ) have identified a compound that is an adiponectin receptor agonist in rodent and cell culture models. It represents an important step toward filling an unmet clinical need for additional therapeutic options against diabetes, obesity, and other associated disorders.
Estimation of Statistical Measures of Income Similarity

Abstract The similarities and dissimilarities among incomes of two or more groups are studied using several different measures. Two of such measures, one overlap-based and one distance-based are studied here. Weitzman (1970) introduced coefficient of community to study income distributions of different social groups in the United States. However, this study involved no distributional assumption about the incomes of families in different groups. Because, the classical Pareto law has proven to be a convenient model to describe income distributions, a continuous counterpart of coefficient of community and a variation of Hellinger's distance are developed to study income equalities under the assumption of Pareto model. The estimators of both the measures are found to be biased, and hence the expressions are derived for evaluating the amount of bias in estimates. The mean squared errors and bias of estimates are studied using Monte Carlo technique for different sample sizes.
The future of computer algebra

Great strides have been made in computer algebra over the past dozen years. These include our progress on integrating elementary and higher functions, improved algorithms for greatest common divisor calculations and for factoring polynomials and the Grobner basis algorithm and its application to problems in commutative algebra including solving systems of algebraic equations. All of these results have made possible calculations that were unthinkable a dozen years ago. In addition there has been significant progress developing portable versions of algebraic manipulation systems that run a wide variety of readily accessible computers. It should soon be the case that anyone who wants will have computer algebra facilities of some type at his or her disposal. This, the dream of the founders of algebraic manipulation, is nearly at hand.
A new class of SUMO proteases.

A new class of SUMO protease, DeSUMOylating enzyme (DeSI)—that has different substrates and localization to SENP SUMO proteases—is characterized in this issue of EMBO reports. The implications for the field are discussed here.
Applied intelligent systems: blending fuzzy logic with conventional control

The aim of this paper is to show that design of applied intelligent control systems requires different types of blending between fuzzy logic and conventional control systems. Two alternative automotive applications – a manufacturing process control problem and an advisory system for fuel efficient driving – that benefit from both fuzzy and control theories are reviewed and different levels of prioritisations of both approaches are discussed based on the specificity of the applications.
Stress relaxation behavior in Virginia Beach sand

Effects of strain rate on the stress–strain and subsequent stress relaxation behaviors have been studied by performing triaxial compression tests on dense Virginia Beach sand specimens at three dif...
Body fat and fatty acid synthesis in five lines of mice selected for growth rate.

SummaryTwo lines of mice (O10 and C10) were derived from an ICR strain. The O10 mice weighed 52 g and contained 15.5% fat while the C10 mice weighed 36 g and contained 8.3% fat at 14 weeks of age. At this time, the O10 mice exhibited hyperglycemia and an increased rate of hepatic fatty acid synthesis when compared with the C10 mice. Although three other lines of mice (H6, C2, and L6) derived by reciprocally crossing CAF1 and AKD2F1 mice exhibited marked differences in body weight at 14 weeks of age (H6 = 37 g; C2 = 29 g; and L = 22 g), the percentage of body fat, blood glucose values, and in vitro rates of fatty acid synthesis in liver and adipose tissue were similar in these mice.
Transitioning From Traditional Maternity Nursing to Family Centered Maternity Nursing

Methods Interviews continued until saturation was achieved. Questions addressed definition of safe care, comfort in speaking up, and how nurses can encourage patients to speak up. Focus group and interviews were recorded and transcribed. Researchers reviewed transcripts for themes and completed a computerized theme analysis using Atlas.ti 5. Themes from interviews and focus group were compared and summarized.
Multi-Data Set Revision of Two Uncommon Species of Chromodorididae (Nudibranchia) from the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract: Morphological and molecular data are used to address the taxonomic status of two uncommon species of opisthobranch molluscs from the Gulf of Mexico. Chromodoris fentoni is a new species closely related to other Atlantic and eastern Pacific congeneric species. It is characterized by having a whitish background color almost completely covered with irregular red pigment. Glossodoris punctilucens Bergh, 1890 is a rare species known from only a handful of specimens. Morphological and molecular data confirm that it is distinct from other similarly colored species from the eastern Atlantic.
Forecasting output growth rates and median output growth rates: a hierarchical Bayesian approach

This paper describes procedures for forecasting countries' output growth rates and medians of a set of output growth rates using Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) models. The purpose of this paper is to show how the γ-shrinkage forecast of Zellner and Hong (1989) emerges from a hierarchical Bayesian model and to describe how the Gibbs sampler can be used to fit this model to yield possibly improved output growth rate and median output growth rate forecasts. The procedures described in this paper offer two primary methodological contributions to previous work on this topic: (1) the weights associated with widely-used shrinkage forecasts are determined endogenously, and (2) the posterior predictive density of the future median output growth rate is obtained numerically from which optimal point and interval forecasts are calculated. Using IMF data, we find that the HB median output growth rate forecasts outperform forecasts obtained from variety of benchmark models. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computational aspects of Kolmogorov's superposition theorem

Abstract This paper continues the investigation of representations of continuous functions f(x1, …, xn) with n ≥ 2 in the form f(X1,…,Xn) = ∑2nq=0Φq[∑np=1λ1ψ(xp + qen with a predetermined function ψ that is independent of n. The function ψ is defined through its graph that is the limit point of iterated contraction mappings. The functions ψ and Φq are the uniform limits of sequences of computable functions constructed with a fixed mapping σ, which itself can be approximated with sigmoid functions.
An integrated CSCW architecture for integrated product/process design and development

Abstract Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) is increasingly being used by engineering design teams to reach a consensus on a range of design issues. CSCW systems are designed to increase the effectiveness of decision-makers by facilitating information exchange, retrieval, sharing and use. They encourage interactive information exchange and have the potential to reduce diseconomies associated with design activities, member dominance, social pressure, inhibition of expression, and other difficulties encountered by project teams. The use of CSCW is expected to have a favorable impact on the group decision-making process and the quality of the resulting decision. In this paper, a general CSCW architecture has been developed to support integrated product/process design and development will be presented. The architecture has been tested extensively on a representative industrial problem. The case study and evaluation of the architecture will also be discussed in this paper. The integrated architecture will facilitate information access, sharing, and analysis among design teams members using the open World Wide Web platforms and resources to make product/process decisions.
Temperature dependence of the magnetic-moment distribution around impurities in iron

We have made neutron diffuse-scattering measurements of the magnetic-moment distribution around impurities in Fe as a function of temperature in an attempt to obtain information regarding the range of the exchange interactions. The measurements were made on Fe-based alloys containing 2-3 at.% of Si, Ge, Ti, V, Mn, Co, and Ni at temperatures ranging from 300 to 800 K. The FeTi, FeV, FeCo, and FeNi cross sections show very little temperature dependence while the FeSi, FeGe, and FeMn show pronounced thermal effects. This observation can be explained by a nearest-neighbor molecular-field model by assuming that the impurity-host to host-host exchange ratio is near unity for Ti, V, Co, and Ni impurities and small for Mn impurities, an assumption that is supported by ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{vs}\ensuremath{-}c$ data. Furthermore, the observed temperature dependences for FeSi, FeGe, and FeMn are described reasonably well by this model provided that the low-temperature moment distributions are included in the calculation. We conclude that the magnetic moment of an Fe atom depends on its local chemical environment and on its local magnetic environment. We attribute the latter to nearest-neighbor exchange interactions.
SmTR2/4, a Schistosoma mansoni homologue of TR2/TR4 orphan nuclear receptor

cDNA clones encoding a Schistosoma mansoni homologue of the TR2/TR4 group of nuclear receptors, SmTR2/4, were identified by screening an adult female worm cDNA library. SmTR2/4 is a 1,943 amino acid protein, the largest member of the TR2/TR4 group of nuclear receptors and also the largest nuclear receptor reported to date. SmTR2/4 retains a typical domain organisation of nuclear receptors exhibiting 69-77% sequence identity in the DNA binding domain and 16-22% sequence identity in the ligand binding domain compared with its orthologues. SmTR2/4 contains a large A/B domain and hinge region. SmTR2/4 also contains a 100 amino acid F domain, which is absent from its orthologues. SmTR2/4 mRNA is expressed in every stage of the S. mansoni life cycle, exhibiting an elevated expression level in cercariae. Western blot analysis identified two forms of SmTR2/4 protein in adult worms. Our in vitro DNA binding assay showed that SmTR2/4 binds to the DR-3 consensus hormone response element, suggesting a functional conservation among the TR2/TR4 group members in terms of DNA binding specificity. A yeast-based transactivation assay demonstrated that the A/B domain, F domain and N-terminal part of the hinge region in SmTR2/4, when tethered to a GAL4 DNA binding domain, exhibited an autonomous transcription activation function.
A comparison of lexical and sentence-level context effects in event-related potentials

Abstract Event-related brain potentials elicited by lexically associated and unassociated word pairs embedded in normal or semantically anomalous sentences were recorded in order to compare the influences of lexical and sentential context. The design of the experiment was such that second words of associated pairs in anomalous sentences could be subject to lexical context alone, while the second words of unassociated pairs in normal sentences could draw on both types of context, while unassociated words in anomalous sentences were included as a control condition wherein no context effects were expected. N400 amplitude was reduced by both lexical and sentential contexts, and the onset latencies of the two effects were similar. The sentential context effect proved to be longer in duration, and exhibited greater variability across subjects. The amplitude of the purely sentential context effect was predictive of subsequent recognition accuracy for other words occurring in the same sentence. The amplitude of t...
Joint investigations of the Middle Pliocene climate I: PRISM paleoenvironmental reconstructions

Abstract The Pliocene epoch represents an important transition from a climate regime with high-frequency, low-amplitude oscillations when the Northern Hemisphere lacked substantial ice sheets, to the typical high-frequency, high-amplitude Middle to Late Pleistocene regime characterized by glacial—interglacial cycles that involve waxing and waning of major Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Analysis of middle Pliocene (∼3 Ma) marine and terrestrial records throughout the Northern Hemisphere forms the basis of an integrated synoptic Pliocene paleoclimate reconstruction of the last significantly warmer than present interval in Earth history. This reconstruction, developed primarily from paleontological data, includes middle Pliocene sea level, vegetation, land—ice distribution, sea—ice distribution, and sea-surface temperature (SST), all of which contribute to our conceptual understanding of this climate system. These data indicate middle Pliocene sea level was at least 25 m higher than present, presumably due in large part to a reduction in the size of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Sea surface temperatures were essentially equivalent to modern temperatures in tropical regions but were significantly warmer at higher latitudes. Due to increased heat flux to high latitudes, both the Arctic and Antarctic appear to have been seasonally ice free during the middle Pliocene with greatly reduced sea ice extent relative to today during winter. Vegetation changes, while more complex, are generally consistent with marine SST changes and show increased warmth and moisture at higher latitudes during the middle Pliocene.
Property of separability in physical design of network model databases

Abstract We present a physical design methodology for network model databases based on the theory of separability. In particular, we present a cost model and a usage specification scheme that are suitable for describing the network model database environment. We subsequently prove that, under these usage and cost models, a large subset of practically important access structures that are available in network model database systems satisfies the conditions for separability. The theory of separability was introduced in an earlier work, in the context of relational systems, as a formal basis for partitioning the problem of designing the optimal physical database. The theory proves that, given a certain set of access structures and a usage specification scheme, the problem of optimal assignment of access structures to the entire database can be reduced to the subproblem of optimizing individual record types independently of one another. The approach we present significantly reduces the complexity of the design problem which has the potential of being combinatorially explosive. A heuristic extension of the formal methodology to the access structures not incorporated in the theory is also discussed.
Is there an excess in maternal transmission of NIDDM

Family studies have demonstrated that there is a strong genetic component to the aetiology of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), although the mode of inheritance is unknown. A number of recent family history studies, including one in Mexican Americans, have suggested that there is an excess of maternal transmission of NIDDM. Family history studies are subject to various types of bias, however, and the potential for bias in many of these studies has not been thoroughly evaluated. We therefore tested the hypothesis that diabetes is more likely to be transmitted from mothers than from fathers using data collected from a large family study of low-income Mexican Americans in San Antonio, Texas. The parents and offspring from 318 different nuclear families attended our medical clinic, where they received a 2-h oral glucose test. Diabetes was diagnosed on the basis of World Health Organization criteria. The sibships were classified into diabetic sibships (at least one sibling in the sibship was diabetic; n=54) and non-diabetic siblings (no diabetic siblings; n=264). The prevalence of diabetes among mothers of diabetic siblings was 61.4% (27 of 44) compared to 64.3% (18 of 28) among fathers of diabetic siblings (rate ratio=0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.51–1.84). For the non-diabetic sibships, the prevalence of diabetes was 31.7% (78 of 246) and 28.9% (37 of 128) among mothers and fathers, respectively (rate ratio=1.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.73–1.67). These data provide no evidence for an excess maternal transmission of diabetes in Mexican Americans.
North American montane red foxes: expansion, fragmentation, and the origin of the Sacramento Valley red fox

Most native red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the western contiguous United States appear to be climatically restricted to colder regions in the major mountain ranges and, in some areas, have suffered precipitous declines in abundance that may be linked to warming trends. However, another population of unknown origin has occurred in arid habitats in the Sacramento Valley of California well out- side this narrow bioclimatic niche since at least 1880. If native, this population would be ecologically distinct among indigenous North American red foxes. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers from historical and modern samples (modes: 1910-1930 and 2000-2008, respectively) obtained throughout the western United States to determine the origins of the Sacramento Valley red fox, and assess the historical and modern connectivity and genetic effective population sizes of Sacramento Val- ley and montane red foxes. We found clear and consistent evidence supporting the indigenous origin of the Sacra- mento Valley population, including the phylogenetic positioning of the dominant, endemic mtDNA clade and microsatellite clustering of the Sacramento Valley popu- lation with the nearest montane population. Based on both mitochondrial and microsatellite AMOVAs, connectivity among Western populations of red foxes declined sub- stantially between historical and modern time periods. Estimates based on temporal losses in gene diversity for both marker types suggest that both the Sierra Nevada (including the Southern Cascades population) and the Sacramento Valley populations have small genetic effec- tive population sizes. Significant heterozygote excesses also indicate the occurrence of recent bottlenecks in these populations. Both substitutions distinguishing the 2 ende- mic Sacramento Valley haplotypes from the dominant montane haplotype were in the coding region and nonsynonymous, consistent with adaptive differences. These findings along with previously reported body size distinctions between Sacramento Valley and montane red foxes argue for distinct subspecific status for the Sacra- mento Valley red fox, for which we propose the designa- tion V. v. patwin n. subsp. The small genetic effective population size estimates for the Sierra Nevada red fox and Sacramento Valley red fox are cause for concern, as is the possibility of genetic introgression into the latter popula- tion from an adjacent, recently established nonnative
Dog Bite in Infancy: Trauma and Personality Development

Three children, severely bitten by dogs, were studied and found to be affected by this trauma. Denial of the trauma was not evident. Clarity of communication regarding the dog bite incident in these children just emerging from the preverbal era was unexpected. In the post-traumatic state they developed symptoms and a change in personality. The symptoms, although they lasted longer than anticipated, were short-lived when compared with personality changes. The children developed personality styles characterized by overcaution, constriction of thought, inhibition of action and impairment of the ability to experience gratification. The personality change was present years later and we believe may be due to a double trauma, that upon the child and the traumatic effect of the child's trauma upon the caretaking parent. It is possible that these changes will carry over and become generalized as psychic constriction in later personality formation. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry , 21, 2:203–207, 1982.
Production of volatile sesquiterpenes by Fusarium sambucinum strains with different abilities to synthesize trichothecenes.

Twenty-five strains of Fusarium sambucinum grown on wheat kernels were examined for trichothecene production and the synthesis of volatile sesquiterpenes. The volatiles were purged with air and collected on Tenax traps. Adsorbed compounds were eluted from the traps and injected into a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer. Ten strains isolated from potato tubers produced high amounts of diacetoxyscirpenol and its derivatives. These strains were characterized by the production of high amounts of diverse sesquiterpenes. In 10 cultures, 19 compounds were detected, of which 6 were predominant and composed as much as 82% of the volatile sesquiterpene fraction (e.g., beta-farnesene, beta-chamigrene, beta-bisabolene, alpha-farnesene, trichodiene, and an unidentified compound). Fifteen strains isolated from various sources that did not produce trichothecenes produced much less volatile sesquiterpenes, with less chemical diversity. No more than six compounds were present in cultures. Two of these compounds were present in the toxigenic strains isolated from potatoes (beta-farnesene and acoradiene), but four were unique to the strains not producing trichothecenes (longifolene, isocaryophyllene, delta-elemene, and an unidentified one). The pattern of volatile sesquiterpenes was characteristic and distinctive for both toxic and nontoxic strains.
Remembered villages: Representations of Hindu‐Bengali memories in the aftermath of the partition

(1995). Remembered villages: Representations of Hindu‐Bengali memories in the aftermath of the partition. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Vol. 18, North India: Partition and Independence, pp. 109-129.
Public Policy, Physical Education and Sport in English-Speaking Africa.

Background: Physicality in human movement characteristic of indigenous sporting forms in Africa is grounded in a multitude of cultures. During the period of colonial Africa, there was the introduction of British sporting forms, policies, and practices in schools and society. It was through schools and missions that the colonists introduced sport activities, with colonial administrators and officers prioritizing athleticism over other activities, evident in after-school sports and games. Thus, schools along with Christian missions served as the instruments of colonial education, culture, and sport, with resources allocated selectively to advance racialized and classist education.Purpose: This paper explores how colonialism, particularly British forms of sport physicality, impacted African people and deconstructs how curriculum and teaching in physical education (PE) during the post-colonial era is lost to the politics of knowledge in the school–society nexus, revealing how the school curriculum serves as a...