cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcome of Colonoscopy in Elderly African-American Patients

Average-risk individuals should be offered a screening colonoscopy beginning at 50 years of age. However, there is no clear consensus on an age at which patients should no longer be offered a screening colonoscopy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcome of colonoscopy in elderly individuals based on the preprocedure indication. A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients who underwent colonoscopy at Howard University Hospital from Jan 1, 2001 to Dec 31, 2005. Patients older than age 75 years were then stratified into two groups: one group classified as average risk for colon cancer and a second group classified as higher risk for finding cancer based on indication. Significant findings from colonoscopy were assigned if the patient was found to have an advanced adenoma, such as villous attributes, high-grade dysplasia, adenoma ≥1 cm, or cancer. All others findings at colonoscopy were categorized as having nonsignificant findings. During this period, 922 elderly patients (75 years of age or older) underwent colonoscopy. Based on preprocedure indications, 606 patients were considered higher risk and 316 average risk. Among the preprocedure higher-risk patients, 532 had nonsignificant findings include hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, telangiectasias, lipomas, and inflammatory polyps. Among the preprocedure average-risk patients, 286 had nonsignificant findings. From the 110 patients who underwent screening colonoscopy, 99 patients had nonsignificant findings. Malignancy was found in 42 patients: 33 who had higher-risk indications and 9 who had average-risk indications. Average-risk patients are less likely to have significant findings, including cancer, on colonoscopy.
Measurement of MRI scanner performance with the ADNI phantom

The objectives of this study are as follows: to describe practical implementation challenges of multisite, multivendor quantitative studies; to describe the MRI phantom and analysis software used in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study, illustrate the utility of the system for measuring scanner performance, the ability to assess gradient field nonlinearity corrections: and to recover human brain images without geometric scaling errors in multisite studies. ADNI is a large multicenter study with each center having its own copy of the phantom. The design of the phantom and analysis software are presented as results from predistribution systematics studies and results from field experience with the phantom at 58 enrolling ADNI sites over a 3 year period. The estimated coefficients of variation intrinsic to measurements of geometry in a single phantom are in the range of 3-5 parts in 10(4). Phantom measurements accurately detect linear and nonlinear scaling in images. Gradient unwarping methods are readily assessed by phantom nonlinearity measurements. Phantom-based scaling correction reduces observed geometric drift in human images by one-third or more. Repair or replacement of phantoms between scans, however, is a confounding factor. The ADNI phantom can be used to assess both scanner performance and the validity of postprocessing image corrections in order to reduce systematic errors in human images. Reduced measurement errors should decrease measurement bias and increase statistical power for measurements of rates of change in the brain structure in AD treatment trials. Perhaps the greatest practical value of incorporating ADNI phantom measurements in a multisite study is to identify scanner errors through central monitoring. This approach has resulted in identification of system errors including sites misidentification of their own gradient hardware and the disabling of autoshim, and a miscalibrated laser alignment light. If undetected, these errors would have contributed to imprecision in quantitative metrics at over 25% of all enrolling ADNI sites.
LS sets as cohesive subsets of graphs and hypergraphs

Abstract For social scientists, a ‘clique’ has long been seen as a subset of a population whose members are more tightly linked to other members of the subset than they are to non-members. Similar ideas have arisen in clustering theory. Most approaches to the problem of defining such subsets have concentrated either on maximizing the number of intra-subset ties or minimizing the number of inter-subset ties. LS sets in graphs or hypergraphs provide a way of addressing simultaneously both intra-subset ties and inter-subset ties. A new characterization of LS sets is given and used to derive simple proofs of several important results on LS sets.
A new long-channel MOSFET model

Abstract A new highly accurate long-channel MOSFET model which is valid both in the linear and saturation regions by taking into account two-dimensional effects over the whole channel is presented in this paper. The calculated results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Compared with three other long-channel MOSFET models, the double integral model, the charge-sheet model and the single-integral model, our model has some advantages. The results demonstrate that two-dimensional effects are important in the current continuity near the drain end of the channel and cannot be neglected when the MOSFET is operating in saturation.
New Computational Results with a Dynamic Programming Approach for Product Selection and Supermarket Shelf-Space Allocation

This study reports on new computational results relating to a dynamic programming approach that optimally selects among a given set of products and allocates integer shelf-space units to the products in supermarkets. The computational results are reported for large problems that have been solved on an IBM-PC AT microcomputer.
CNS availability and NAS performance: Data communications system

We developed a method that combines engineering metrics and human factors in the NextGen environment to provide the results about the system performances. This method can further be generalized and applied to other NextGen components, especially to System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and Federal Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI).
Towards an acoustoelastic theory for measurement of residual stress

The rudiments of an acoustoelastic theory is developed within the framework of linear elasticity with initial stress. Since no assumption is made about the origin of the initial stress, our acoustoelastic theory will be applicable to evaluation of stress in plastically deformed bodies, provided that the superimposed ultrasonic waves be hyperelastic. New universal relations are deduced. An approach to evaluation of stress which does not use calibration specimens and makes full use of universal relations in our acoustoelastic theory is advocated. Examples are given which illustrate application of our theory to evaluate residual stress in plates. Preliminary corroborations of our theory are provided by the recent experiments of King & Fortunko and Thompson et al.
Developmental regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated kinases-2 and -3 (MAPKAPK-2/-3) in vivo during corpus luteum formation in the rat.

The current study investigates the activation in vivo and regulation of the expression of components of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway during gonadotropin-induced formation and development of the rat corpus luteum, employing a sequential PMSG/human CG (hCG) treatment paradigm. We postulated that the p38 MAPK pathway could serve to promote phosphorylation of key substrates during luteal maturation, since maturing luteal cells, thought to be cAMP-nonresponsive, nevertheless maintain critical phosphoproteins. Both p38 MAPK and its upstream activator MAPK kinase-6 (MKK6) were found to be chronically activated during the luteal maturation phase, with activation detected by 24 h post hCG and maintained through 4 days post hCG. The p38 MAPK downstream protein kinase target termed MAPK-activated protein kinase-3 (MAPKAPK-3) was newly induced at both mRNA and protein levels during luteal formation and maturation, while mRNA and protein expression of the closely related MAPKAPK-2 diminished...
Effect of solvent upon CH...O hydrogen bonds with implications for protein folding.

The series of CH···O bonds formed between CFnH4-n (n = 0−3) and water are studied by quantum calculations under vacuum and in various solvents, including aqueous environment. The results are compared with the OH···O bond of the water dimer in the same solvents. Increasing polarity of the solvent leads in all cases to a lessening of the H-bond interaction energy, in a uniform fashion such that the CH···O bonds all remain weaker than OH···O in any solvent. These H-bond weakenings are coupled to a shortening of the inter-subunit separation. The contraction of the covalent CH bond to the bridging proton is reduced as the solvent becomes more polar, and the blue shift of its stretching vibration is likewise diminished. A process is considered that simulates protein folding by starting from a pair of noninteracting subunits in aqueous solvent and then goes to a H-bonded pair within the confines of a protein environment. This process is found to be energetically more favorable for some of the CH···O H-bonds than...
A simplified treatment of exchange and correlation in semiconducting surface inversion layers

Abstract Many-body calculations of subband structure which treat the electron-electron correlations beyond the Hartree approximation as a perturbation suffer from the shortcoming that the perturbation to the subband energies is large. We propose a new approach to calculating the subband structure which corrects this defect.
Quality indicators in bariatric surgery: improving quality of care.

Abstract Objectives Bariatric surgery is one of the most common complex intraabdominal operations, and there are reports of variations in outcome among providers. There is a need to standardize the processes of care in this specialty, and, as an attempt to do so, quality indicators were developed. Methods Candidate indicators, covering preoperative to follow-up care (5 domains), were developed based on evidence in the literature. Indicators were formally rated as valid by use of the RAND/UCLA Validity and Appropriateness method, which quantitatively assesses the expert judgment of a group using a 9-point scale (1 = not valid; 9=definitely valid). Fourteen individuals participated in the expert panel, including bariatric surgeons and obesity experts. The method is iterative with 2 rounds of ratings and a group discussion. Indicators with a median rating ≥7 were valid. This method has been shown to have content, construct, and predictive validity. Results Of 63 candidate indicators, 51 were rated as valid measures of good quality of care covering the spectrum of perioperative care for bariatric surgery. Of the 51 indicators rated as valid (≥7), all had sufficient "agreement" scores among panelists. Indicators included structural measures (e.g., procedural volume requirements) as well as processes of care (e.g., receipt of preoperative antibiotics, use of clinical pathway). Conclusions This is the first formal attempt at development of quality indicators for bariatric surgery. Adherence to the indicators should equate with better quality of care, and their implementation will allow for quantitative assessment of quality of care.
A New Development in Senescence

Cellular senescence is implicated in several pathological responses in the adult, with important repercussions in tumor suppression, wound healing, and aging. Two studies by Munoz-Espin et al. and Storer et al. now reveal that senescence contributes to embryonic development, suggesting a primordial role in normal physiology.
Enhanced Superconductivity in Superlattices of High- T c Cuprates

The electronic properties of multilayers of strongly correlated models for cuprate superconductors are investigated using cluster dynamical mean-field techniques. We focus on combinations of underdoped and overdoped layers and find that the superconducting order parameter in the overdoped layers is enhanced by the proximity effect of the strong pairing scale originating from the underdoped layers. The enhanced order parameter can even exceed the maximum value in uniform systems. This behavior is well reproduced in slave-boson mean-field calculations which also find higher transition temperatures than in the uniform system.
ScrewBender: Smoothing Piecewise Helical Motions

Although a piecewise helical (polyscrew) motion is continuous, velocities are typically discontinuous at control poses when the motion switches between screws. We obtain a smooth motion through polyscrew 4-point, B-spline, or Jarek subdivision, which are trivial to implement and can be animated in real time. To overcome this problem, we use screw, or helical, motions to interpolate between poses. A screw is fully defined by the initial and final control poses. It combines a minimum-angle linear rotation around a fixed axis of direction S with a minimum-distance linear translation along S.
Do Online Ratings of Instruction Make $ense?

In this chapter, the authors compare the costs of online student ratings of instruction with those of paper-based systems.
The influence of monovalent cations and hydrostatic pressure on β-galactosidase activity

Abstract Monovalent cation activation of β-galactosidase (β- d -galactoside galacto-hydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23) was investigated utilizing o- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside , p- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside and lactose as substrates. With these substrates the affinity of β-galactosidase for Na+ was found to be higher than for K+. Activation of p- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside hydrolysis by K+ was inhibited by Na+, while the activation of o- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside hydrolysis by Na+ was stimulated by K+. Hydrostatic pressure stimulated the rate of o- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside , p- nitrophenyl -β- d - galactopyranoside and lactose hydrolysis in the presence of saturating levels of Na+ and substrate. In contrast, activation by K+ with these substrates was consistently depressed by the application of hydrostatic pressure. These results are interpreted on the bais of volume change of an activated enzyme-substrate complex. It was concluded that a decrease in the volume of the complex occurs in the presence of NA+, while the converse occurs in the presence of K+, and that the mechanism of hydrolysis is different in the case of Na+-activated as opposed to K+-activated substrate hydrolysis.
Phorbol ester alters the electrophysiological responses to hypoxia and ischemic-like conditions in the rat hippocampal slice

The effect of incubation with the protein kinase C activator, 4β-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (β-PDBu) on the electrophysiological responses to hypoxia and combined hypoxia and hypoglycemia was investigated in the rat hippocampal slice. Preincubation with β-PDBu prevents adenosine-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission under normoxic, normoglycemic conditions. β-PDBu preincubation also reduces the adenosine-mediated hypoxia-induced depression of synaptic transmission revealing a substantial adenosine-independent hypoxia-induced depression of synaptic transmission. During combined hypoxia and hypoglycemia, slices preincubated in β-PDBu display a significant shortening of the time to anoxic depolarization, an effect of β-PDBu that is not mimicked by application of the adenosine antagonist cyclopentyltheophylline (8-CPT). It is concluded that the state of PKC activation may influence the electrophysiological responses to hypoxia and ischemia.
Effects of chronic polychlorinated biphenyls exposure on growth and reproduction of second generation white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus).

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) chronically exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the diet at a level of 10 ppm (μg/g) through the second generation were evaluated in regard to reproductive success, growth (body weight) and development of reproductive organs. PCBs-treated second generation mice exhibited poor reproductive success in comparison with second generation controls and the parental generation. Although young from second generation control and PCBs-treated litters did not differ in weight at birth, PCBs-treated young were significantly smaller at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of age. Similarly, reproductive organs of females (uteri, ovaries) and accessory glands of males were smaller in PCBs-treated mice at 8 and 12 weeks of age. Testes weights were unaffected by PCBs exposure. These results provide insight into the cumulative effects of chronic PCBs exposure.
Comparison of fitness scaling functions in genetic algorithms with applications to optical processing

Many optical or image processing tasks reduce to the optimization of some set of parameters. Genetic algorithms can optimize these parameters even when the functions they map are fairly complicated, but they can only do so the point where the fitness functions they are given can differentiate between good results and the best result. This can occur when the optimal point is in a region (in a three dimensional example) such as a plateau, where all the surrounding points are of very nearly the same fitness. If there are multiple peaks in close proximity, all of nearly the same fitness but with very deep divides, the algorithm will have trouble 'hopping' from one to the other. One way to overcome these obstacles is to scale the fitness values given by the fitness function, thereby gently modifying the fitness function from the point of view of the algorithm, thus rewarding the more fit solutions to a higher precision than would naturally occur. Four such scaling methods will be compared based upon their handling of a sample set of optical processing data. Success will be determined by comparing the variance over time, selection pressure over time, and best of generation graphs.
Comic Book Karma: Visual Mythologies of the Hindu Modern

Virgin Comics, a transnational corporation with offices in India and the U.S., has tried to put its chosen medium—the comic book— to novel use. In 2006, Virgin (now Liquid Comics) began marketing titles that remobilize Hindu mythology for the global entertainment market. Paying particular attention to the series Devi (2006-), this article situates Virgin’s comics within several discursive and institutional conjunctures. First, I trace how Virgin’s chief “visionaries” sought to “modernize” the Indian comic. By bringing the vocabularies of Nehruvian developmentalism to bear on this popular cultural form, Virgin signals that in post-liberalization India the aesthetic has outpaced the industrial as the byword of global modernity. Second, I consider Virgin’s attempt to render the comic book a fully fungible medium, which facilitates the development and exchange of intellectual property across entertainment platforms. Newly dematerialized, Virgin’s ethereally cosmopolitan comics are nonetheless haunted by the material specificities of the postcolonial nation-state.
Some Applications of a Theorem of M. Kneser.

Abstract A Theorem of M. Kneser relating densities of sumsets to densities of their summands (see [H. Halberstam and K. F. Roth, "Sequences," Chap. 1. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford], 1966]) is used to set up a machine for settling questions regarding the generalized form of Waring′s problem in additive number theory. For example, if a strictly increasing sequence of integers represents all sufficiently large integers by ternary sums, and an element is removed from the sequence such that the terms remaining represent all sufficiently large integers by sums of some fixed number of terms, then that fixed number is at most seven and this result is best possible.
CONELRAD on the front line of Cold War defense

CONELRAD (a contraction of CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation) focused on radio technology for both military and civil defense during the early Cold War years of the 1950s. Conceived as a military defense system into which civil defense needs were incorporated, the civilian aspects were not developed equally. Understood within the context of national security, however, the inequity was the point. CONELRAD contributed to the illusion that a nuclear attack was survivable and helped the Truman and Eisenhower administrations pursue their foreign and military policies without significant public opposition. This article explains the development of CONELRAD and the technical difficulties it faced, and exposes the bureaucratic infighting that was a manifestation of the inherent and mutually exclusive goals of the system.
The relationship between prothrombin time and bleeding in the clinical use of dicumarol after operation.

Experienced clinicians have known for some time that bleeding owing to the use of dicumarol is not entirely a measure of the degree of prothrombin deficiency. This presentation emphasizes that bleeding may occur when prothrombin deficiency is not great and that bleeding may fail to occur when prothrombin deficiency is marked. Nonetheless great prothrombin deficiency causes bleeding more frequently than lesser degrees of prothrombin deficiency. Time is an important factor, for patients are much more apt to bleed when prothrombin deficiency has endured for several days than when it has been present only a day or so.
Factors Affecting Labor Productivity and Cost per Gallon in Fluid Milk Plants

Abstract Regression analyses were performed on data from 13 fluid milk plants to identify the factors that affect plant labor productivity and plant cost per gallon. Explanatory variables included basic plant descriptors, such as type of plant ownership, gallons processed per month, level of automation and technology in the processing and filling area, plant capacity utilization, and labor cost per hour. The results suggested that higher labor cost per hour, more technologically advanced equipment in the processing and filling area, and a higher percentage of product packaged in gallon and half-gallon containers have positive effects on the productivity of plant labor. Vertically integrated plants that were owned by supermarket chains were predicted to have higher rates of productivity per hour of labor than proprietary or cooperative plants. Type of plant ownership appeared to have the most significant effect on plant cost per gallon. Vertically integrated plants owned by supermarket chains were predicted to realize lower costs per gallon than cooperative or proprietary plants. Cooperative plants were predicted to have higher costs per gallon than proprietary plants. Despite the positive effect of labor cost per hour on labor productivity, higher cost of labor per hour was predicted to increase plant cost per gallon.
Two-dimensional analysis of high-voltage power transistors

The internal behavior of a typical n-p-n--n+ high-voltage power transistor is presented for several specific steady-state operating conditions obtained from a two-dimensional mathematical model. Internal self-heating and avalanche multiplication effects are taken into account. Poisson's equation, electron and hole continuity equations, and the heat flow equation are solved numerically in a two-dimensional region with the input parameters of device dimensions, doping profile, boundary conditions for external contacts, and various material constants for silicon. The collector n--n+ interface is the region of high electrical and thermal stress that causes second breakdown failure at high-voltage and high-current operating conditions. The combined effects of various high-injection levels are illustrated.
Musculoskeletal Sarcoma: Update on Imaging of the Post-treatment Patient

Post-treatment imaging of musculoskeletal sarcoma remains challenging, but newer imaging techniques are improving our ability to recognize both local and distant recurrence and accurately distinguish local recurrence from post-treatment change. We review recent advances in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient mapping and positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the post-treatment follow-up of musculoskeletal sarcoma. We also describe our multidisciplinary sarcoma team approach to patient care and the essential role of the radiologist in the clinical follow-up scheme.
Potential years of life lost due to urogenital cancer in the United States: trends from 1972 to 2006 based on data from the SEER database.

Purpose: Urogenital cancer is a major health problem in the United States. We assessed potential years of life lost secondary to genitourinary cancer in the United States from 1972 to 2006 using the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) database. We report trends in potential years of life lost during the same period.Materials and Methods: Potential years of life lost were calculated to assess premature mortality trends for ureter, bladder, kidney and renal pelvis, penis, testis and prostate cancers. Calculations were based on SEER cancer mortality data. Potential years of life lost up to and including age 75 years were calculated by and across genders in 5-year increments between 1972 and 2006.Results: A total of 7,733,235 potential years of life were lost in men and women. In each gender the greatest potential loss was for kidney and renal pelvis cancer related mortality. In each gender no improvement in the potential loss due to ureteral and bladder cancer related mortality was observed dur...
Effects of a very-low-calorie diet and physical-training regimens on body composition and resting metabolic rate in obese females

Sixty-nine obese females received 90 d of a liquid diet providing 2184 kJ/d in clinical trials. Groups were diet only (C), diet plus endurance exercise (EE), diet plus weight training (WT), or diet plus endurance exercise and weight training (EEWT). Changes in body weight, percent fat, fat weight, and fat-free mass were not different between groups. Declines in resting metabolic rate (RMR) were approximately 7% to approximately 12% of baseline values with no differences among groups. A significant increase in work capacity (approximately 16%) was shown for EEWT. Strength index showed declines of approximately 6% for C and EE and gains of approximately 3% and approximately 10% for EEWT and WT, respectively. These clinical trials did not show advantages of any exercise regimen over diet alone for weight loss, body-composition changes, or declines in RMR. Improvements in work capacity were limited and strength improved in groups that participated in strength training.
American Indian tribal values: a critical consideration in the education of American Indians/Alaska Natives today

The education of American Indians and Alaska Natives has increasingly become more complex given the differences in tribal languages and cultures, especially as changing demographics and issues of Indian identity are considered. There are over 200 languages and vast cultural differences between and within the 565 federally recognized tribes in Indian Country. Adding to the complexity are the various types of schools, colleges, and universities that are educating Native students. Many educational institutions are identifying tribal values as a way to provide an overall framework or as “guiding principles” to teaching, learning, research, and governance. This analysis will examine the literature on the use of tribal values, focus on a qualitative study of Comanche attributes, and discuss the implications for research and practice in education and American Indian Studies.
Safety of Stochastic Hybrid Systems Based on Discrete Approximations

Stochastic hybrid system models can be used to analyze and design complex embedded systems that operate in the presence of uncertainty and variability. Verification of safety properties of such systems is a critical problem because of the interaction between the discrete and continuous stochastic dynamics. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic method for verifying safety based on discrete approximations. We show that the safety property can be characterized as a viscosity solution of a system of coupled Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations. We present a computational algorithm for computing the solution based on discrete approximations and we show that this solution converges to the one for the original system as the discretization becomes finer. Finally, we illustrate the approach with a room heater example that has been proposed as a benchmark for hybrid system verification
Some Factors Influencing the Saprophytic Production of Clavine Alkaloids by Claviceps purpurea

A screening of various ergot samples yielded several isolates capable of unequivocal synthesis of clavine alkaloids in saprophytic culture. Of these, a typical agroclavine-producing strain was selected, and the influence on it of various modifications of nutrient media and cultural conditions was investigated. Mannitol and ammonium succinate were confirmed as superior carbon and nitrogen sources in the Stoll-Abe medium, but greatly improved yields of alkaloid were obtained when increased concentrations of both these compounds were employed. Additions of ascorbic acid or biotin and substitution of casein hydrolysate for succinic acid did not increase alkaloid production in this medium. A casein hydrolysate-mannitol-basic nutrient medium proved decidedly inferior for alkaloid production, but a carbohydrate-peptone medium yielded excellent results. Submerged cultures contained considerably lower concentrations of alkaloids than stationary cultures. The importance of an optimum fermentation time for all media under all conditions was established.
System abstraction and interface for interoperable SERVER objects in OMEGA

The OMEGA (Object-based Modeling Environment for Geoscientific Applications) system is intended to support geoscientific modeling tasks. In this paper, we emphasize those aspects of OMEGA that are relevant to the integration of distributed computational tools and objects. OMEGA is capable of delegating specialized computations to a variety of external packages through the SERVER objects and associated interface methods. In this sense, OMEGA may be viewed as a software coupling system into which existing packages and application-specific software may be plugged with minimal effort. Most of the engineering details of the coupling mechanism are encapsulated and automated for the end-user. >
The Polls—Trends Confidence in Banks, Financial Institutions, and Wall Street, 1971–2011

Animosity toward banks, financial institutions, and Wall Street has been an important part of the public discourse since the bank bailouts of 2008. Indeed, Americans confidence in all three institutions has plummeted accordingly in the years since. This article places these declines in confidence in historical perspective. I examine trends in con- fidence in commercial banks, local banks, savings and loan associations, Wall Street, and Wall Street executives over the past 40 years, as well as perceptions of the moral and ethical practices of bankers and stock- brokers. I pay particular attention to how confidence shifts in response to both economic contractions and major scandals. My findings suggest that while changes in the business cycle have an effect on public opinion in this domain, it is the economic contractions that correspond to major scandals in the financial sector that motivate the largest shifts in confidence and provoke the most public outrage.
Effects of Ultraviolet and Photorestorative Light on the Phototaxic Behavior of Planaria

The negative phototaxic behavior of planaria (turns and contractions) is augmented when light is paired with an electrical field. Ii has been suggested that this phenomenon represents a learning process (Thompson and McConnell, 1955), i.e., that planaria can be conditioned to associate light and electrical stimuli. This conclusion is based on the tacit assumption that planaria are not sensitized by the electrical field used in conditioning procedures. However, it has been shown that this assumption is incorrect; planarian negative phototaxic behavior is augmented by light and shock that are temporally unrelated (Brown et al., 1966b). This finding suggests that modified planarian behavior, widely attributed to “learning,” actually represents sensitization. It has been suggested that the augmented phototaxis (conditioned response) of planaria is transferable to other worms by ingestion (McConnell, 1962), and that it is evident in both head and tail sections regenerated from conditioned, bisected worms, because both types of regenerate display similar exaggerated behavior in response to light stimuli (McConnell et al., 1959). However, when head and tail sections were regenerated in the presence of ribonuclease, tail sections were less light responsive (showed “less resistance to extinction”) than head sections following regeneration.
Manufacturing empowerment? ‘Employee involvement’ in the labour process after Fordism

Advocates of lean production argue that a work system is truly lean only if a given bundle of practices, including worker empowerment, is implemented in the proper configuration. In contrast, my interviews and observations in six US manufacturing plants demonstrate that substantive empowerment is not a necessary condition for achieving a lean manufacturing system that yields considerable performance improvement. While many configurations I observe appear to be ‘lean enough’ for satisficing managers, one commonality among the cases observed here is that worker empowerment is limited in depth and breadth. Employee involvement may be limited in depth because substantive empowerment requires a change in organizational routine and authority structure not necessary to achieve the largely technical goals of management. Even when an employer embarks on major technical and social change, pushing beyond lean enough toward world-class organization, substantive empowerment is limited in extent due to the demands of standardization and managerial prerogative, as well as resistance and reticence among workers.
The role of imagery in the evaluation of sentences: Imagery or semantic factors?

Jorgensen and Kintsch (1973) found that sentences rated as easy to image were verified more quickly than sentences rated as hard to image. In the present study subjects rated the semantic relatedness of subject and predicate words in the sentences used by Jorgensen and Kintsch, the comprehensibility of the complete sentences, and also the difficulty of defining the verbs. Subjects found low-imagery sentences to be relatively difficult to understand, and verbs from low-imagery sentences were rated as more difficult to define. Subject and predicate words were more closely related in high-imagery true sentences and in low-imagery false sentences. It was concluded that the results of Jorgensen and Kintsch do not distinguish the effects of rated imagery on RT from the effects of semantic relatedness and semantic complexity.
Tools to Support Interpreting Multiple Regression in the Face of Multicollinearity

While multicollinearity may increase the difficulty of interpreting multiple regression (MR) results, it should not cause undue problems for the knowledgeable researcher. In the current paper, we argue that rather than using one technique to investigate regression results, researchers should consider multiple indices to understand the contributions that predictors make not only to a regression model, but to each other as well. Some of the techniques to interpret MR effects include, but are not limited to, correlation coefficients, beta weights, structure coefficients, all possible subsets regression, commonality coefficients, dominance weights, and relative importance weights. This article will review a set of techniques to interpret MR effects, identify the elements of the data on which the methods focus, and identify statistical software to support such analyses.
Putting Adjustment Back in the Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic: Differential Processing of Self-Generated and Experimenter-Provided Anchors

People's estimates of uncertain quantities are commonly influenced by irrelevant values. These anchoring effects were originally explained as insufficient adjustment away from an initial anchor value. The existing literature provides little support for the postulated process of adjustment, however, and a consensus that none takes place seems to be emerging. We argue that this conclusion is premature, and we present evidence that insufficient adjustment produces anchoring effects when the anchors are self-generated. In Study 1, participants' verbal reports made reference to adjustment only from self-generated anchors. In Studies 2 and 3, participants induced to accept values by nodding their heads gave answers that were closer to an anchor (i.e., they adjusted less) than participants induced to deny values by shaking their heads—again, only when the anchor was self-generated. These results suggest it is time to reintroduce anchoring and adjustment as an explanation for some judgments under uncertainty.
An Evaluation of Motion in Arti.cial Selective Attention

The Difference of Gaussian (DoG) saliency maps originally proposed by Koch and Ullman had information channels for intensity, opponent colors, and edge orientations, but from the beginning it was suggested that additional channels could and should be added. This paper addresses selective attention in video sequences, and adds motion channels to the saliency maps. The resulting attention windows display better-than-random correlation to the eye fixations of human subjects. This paper is not the first to add motion data to saliency maps. It is, however, the first paper we know of to explicitly compare the performance of saliency maps with and without a motion channel. The surprising negative result is that adding motion channels does not improve the performance of saliency-based selective attention, as measured by correspondence with human eye fixations. We draw two conclusions from this experiment: (1) although motion is clearly a critical attentional cue, the saliency map model may not extend as easily to motion data as some people (ourselves included) thought; and (2) the standard evaluation metric for selective attention algorithms - better than random correlation to human eye fixations - is outdated. Our community needs to focus on comparative studies between algorithms instead.
An Improved Ray Shooting Method for Constructive Solid Geometry Models Via Tree Contraction

In the Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) representation a geometric object is described as the hierarchical combination of a number of primitive shapes using the operations union, intersection, subtraction, and exclusive-union. This hierarchical description defines an expression tree, T, called the CSG tree, with leaves associated with primitive shapes, internal nodes associated with operations, and whose "value" is the geometric object. Evaluation of CSG trees is an important computation that arises in many rendering and analysis problems for geometric models, with ray shooting (also known as "ray casting") being one of the most important. Given any CSG tree T, which may be unbalanced, we show how to convert T into a functionally-equivalent binary tree, D, that is balanced. We demonstrate the utility of this conversion by showing how it can be used to improve the worst-case running time for ray shooting against a CSG model from O(n2) to O(n log n), which is optimal. In addition, the practicality of our method has been demonstrated in experimental benchmarking tests using the BRL-CAD package.
Effects of coworker information on perceptions and ratings of performance

This study examined the effects of performance information from the ratee's coworker both on rater's perceptions of the information and ratings of the ratee's performance. As part of a managerial role-play exercise, subjects were required to rate an employee's performance. Audiotaped interactions of the ratee and customers were manipulated to reflect either good or poor performance. In addition, the ratee's coworker provided performance information which varied on (a) who was the initiator of the report and (b) the favorability of the information. Results revealed that while performance information from the ratee's coworker did not significantly affect ratings of performance when it was consistent with the rater's direct observations, ratings were affected when the information from a coworker was inconsistent with the rater's direct observations even though the information from a coworker was perceived as less accurate and of less use. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Entomopathogenic Fungus Species, and Impact of Fertilizers, on Biological Control of Pecan Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a key pest of pecan, Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch. Prior research indicated the potential for use of Hypocreales fungi to suppress C. caryae. We compared the efficacy of two fungal spp., Beauveria bassiana (GHA strain) and Metarhizium brunneum (F52), in their ability to cause C. caryae mortality. The fungus, B. bassiana, was applied to trunks of pecan trees (a method previously shown to be effective in C. caryae suppression) and efficacy was compared with M. brunneum applied to the ground or to the trunk with or without SoyScreen Oil as an ultraviolet protecting agent. Results indicated B. bassiana to be superior to M. brunneum regardless of application method; consequently, the potential for applying B. bassiana to control C. caryae was explored further. Specifically, the impact of different fertilizer regimes (as used by pecan growers) on the persistence of B. bassiana (GHA) in soil was determined. B. bassiana was applied to soil in a pecan orchard after one of several fertilizer treatments--i.e., ammonium nitrate, crimson clover, poultry litter, clover plus poultry litter, and a no-fertilizer control. B. bassiana persistence up to 49 d in 2009 and 2010 was assessed by plating soil onto selective media and determining the number of colony forming units, and by baiting soil with a susceptible host, Galleria mellonella (L.). Fertilizer treatments did not impact B. bassiana persistence. We conclude that standard fertilizers for nitrogen management, when applied according to recommended practices, are unlikely to negatively impact survival of B. bassiana in pecan orchards when the fungus is applied for C. caryae suppression during weevil emergence. Additional research on interactions between entomopathogenic fungi and fertilizer amendments (or other tree nutrition or soil management practices) is merited.
Downward causation by information control in micro-organisms

The concepts of functional equivalence classes and information control in living systems are useful to characterize downward (or top-down) causation by feedback information control in synthetic biology. Herein, we re-analyse published experiments of microbiology and synthetic biology that demonstrate the existence of several classes of functional equivalence in microbial organisms. Classes of functional equivalence from the bacterial operating system, which processes and controls the information encoded in the genome, can readily be interpreted as strong evidence, if not demonstration, of top-down causation (TDC) by information control. The proposed biological framework reveals how this type of causality is put in action in the cellular operating system. Considerations on TDC by information control and adaptive selection can be useful for synthetic biology by delineating the irreducible set of properties that characterizes living systems. Through a ‘retro-synthetic’ biology approach, these considerations could contribute to identifying the constraints behind the emergence of molecular complexity during the evolution of an ancient RNA/peptide world into a modern DNA/RNA/protein world. In conclusion, we propose TDCs by information control and adaptive selection as the two types of downward causality absolutely necessary for life.
On the relationship between responses in cloud water and precipitation to changes in aerosol

Abstract. Climate models continue to exhibit strong sensitivity to the representation of aerosol effects on cloud reflectance and cloud amount. This paper evaluates a proposed method to constrain modeled cloud liquid water path (LWP) adjustments in response to changes in aerosol concentration Na using observations of precipitation susceptibility. Recent climate modeling has suggested a linear relationship between relative LWP responses to relative changes in Na, i.e., dln LWP / dln Na, and the precipitation frequency susceptibility Spop, which is defined as the relative change in the probability of precipitation for a relative change in Na. Using large-eddy simulations (LES) of marine stratocumulus and trade wind cumulus clouds, we show that these two cloud regimes exhibit qualitatively different relationships between λ and Spop; in stratocumulus clouds, λ increases with Spop, while in trade wind cumulus, λ decreases with Spop. The LES-derived relationship for marine stratocumulus is qualitatively similar but quantitatively different than that derived from climate model simulations of oceanic clouds aggregated over much larger spatial scales. We explore possible reasons for variability in these relationships, including the selected precipitation threshold and the various definitions of precipitation susceptibility that are currently in use. Because aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions are inherently small-scale processes, we recommend that when deriving the relationship between λ and Spop, careful attention be given to the cloud regime, the scale, and the extent of aggregation of the model output or the observed data.
The need for nationally representative longitudinal data for addressing key questions about family change

The United States is undergoing rapid social change. The nation faces declines in stable family formation, related to growing income inequalities and stalled improvements in population health. This essay considers key questions about families in the United States and whether a new nationally representative panel study is necessary to answer these questions. It argues that current data systems are not well equipped to evaluate the potential sources of these changes over historical time. Most of our longitudinal data systems are designed to follow a single cohort as it ages. This provides an incomplete picture, one that ignores period context, because cohort studies confound period changes with aging. Comparisons across cohort studies can be helpful, but leave a wide gap in our knowledge. A new nationally representative panel study would fill that gap.
Equity Research as Marketing Tool: The Case of Secondary Market Equity Trading

We examine the role of sell-side financial analysts in generating commission revenues. Using a data set from 1997-2002 for America, Europe and Japan, we find that both the quality and quantity of equity research contribute to sell-side firm revenues. The perceived quality of investment bank equity research (the sell-side) drives market share in sales trading, but not in investment banking. By contrast, the volume of equity research, measured by number of analysts (or the number of companies covered or the number of reports published), is positively correlated with both trading and investment banking market share. This supports the hypothesis that equity research analysts are effective marketing and revenue-generating tools for sell-side firms.
Combustion diagnostics using imaging

Laser imaging techniques based on Lorenz-Mie, Rayleigh, fluorescence, and Raman scattering are productive tools for studying turbulent reacting and nonreacting flows. Using these techniques, two-dimensional measurements of temperature, species concentration, and density have been demonstrated. By simultaneously utilizing multiple scattering mechanisms, the basic laser imaging configuration can be extended to allow derivation of quantities that are important for modeling turbulent flames. Two examples of experiments of this type will be presented. In each experiment, two different light scattering mechanisms are monitored using separate detectors (see Fig. 1).
Abstractions and Algorithms for Cooperative Multiple Robot Planar Manipulation

ions and Algorithms for Cooperative Multiple Robot Planar Manipulation Peng Cheng Jonathan Fink Vijay Kumar