cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ground water quality near municipal solid waste dumping site at Thirupperumthurai, Batticaloa

Groundwater is a precious natural water resource considered as a readily available and safe source of water for domestic, agriculture and industrial uses. In Sri Lanka, groundwater is being polluted due to various human activities. Improper solid waste management is one of the major sources of environmental pollution deteriorating groundwater quality around landfill sites. In this view, present study was carried out to assess the impact of existing landfill site on groundwater quality at Thirupperunthurai, Batticaloa. In order to achieve this, 20 well water samples around landfill site at different distance were analyzed. Parameters analyzed are pH, EC, TDS, BOD, COD, total hardness, phosphate, nitrate, copper, lead and coliform population. Results revealed that concentration of all the parameters except for pH, are higher than acceptable limits for safe drinking water. The distance from the landfill site also influences on groundwater quality. Overall, the groundwater is highly polluted due to existing landfill site in this study area. Therefore, the relevant authority should take immediate measures to rescue this area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v10i1.8044 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2015, vol.10, no1: p.21-28
Direct method for evaluation of bulk power system reliability Part 2: Solution algorithm

Abstract A new approach to the problem of evaluation of bulk power system reliability has been proposed in Part 1 which also includes a theoretical foundation of the approach. A solution algorithm for the same approach is presented. The algorithm is divided into five major steps. The details of each step are described and an illustrative example is given.
Bayesian Model Updating Using Hybrid Monte Carlo Simulation with Application to Structural Dynamic Models with Many Uncertain Parameters

In recent years, Bayesian model updating techniques based on measured data have been applied to system identification of structures and to structural health monitoring. A fully probabilistic Bayesian model updating approach provides a robust and rigorous framework for these applications due to its ability to characterize modeling uncertainties associated with the underlying structural system and to its exclusive foundation on the probability axioms. The plausibility of each structural model within a set of possible models, given the measured data, is quantified by the joint posterior probability density function of the model parameters. This Bayesian approach requires the evaluation of multidimensional integrals, and this usually cannot be done analytically. Recently, some Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation methods have been developed to solve the Bayesian model updating problem. However, in general, the efficiency of these proposed approaches is adversely affected by the dimension of the model parameter space. In this paper, the Hybrid Monte Carlo method is investigated (also known as Hamiltonian Markov chain method), and we show how it can be used to solve higher-dimensional Bayesian model updating problems. Practical issues for the feasibility of the Hybrid Monte Carlo method to such problems are addressed, and improvements are proposed to make it more effective and efficient for solving such model updating problems. New formulae for Markov chain convergence assessment are derived. The effectiveness of the proposed approach for Bayesian model updating of structural dynamic models with many uncertain parameters is illustrated with a simulated data example involving a ten-story building that has 31 model parameters to be updated.
Response of slash pine planted on mounds in central and southwestern Louisiana

On two silt loam flatwoods in Louisiana, use of mounds as planting sites for slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) was shown to be more effective than planting without mounds (untreated control) after six growing seasons in the field. Mounds formed were of two sizes: low mounds made of 550 dm3 of soil and high mounds made of 1,000 dm3 of soil. One site was in central Louisiana and had two drainage classes: a somewhat poorly drained Caddo-Messer complex and a poorly drained Caddo soil. On both drainage classes, pine survival was not affected by treatment, but the incidence of fusiform rust galls on the main stem (caused by Cronartium quercuum (Berk.) Miyabe ex Shirai f. sp. fusiforme Burdsall and Snow) was greater on trees planted on mounds. The second site was a poorly drained Caddo soil in southwestern Louisiana. At this site, there were fewer surviving pines on controls than on mounds, but the incidence of rust galls was not affected by treatment. At both sites, pines were taller and had a greater mean diameter at breast height on mounds than on controls. Mound size did not influence tree size at either site.
Effects of seated whole-body vibration on postural control of the trunk during unstable seated balance.

Abstract Background Low back disorders and their prevention is of great importance for companies and their employees. Whole-body vibration is thought to be a risk factor for low back disorders, but the neuromuscular, biomechanical, and/or physiological mechanisms responsible for this increased risk are unclear. The purpose of this study was to measure the acute effect of seated whole-body vibration on the postural control of the trunk during unstable seated balance. Methods Twenty-one healthy subjects (age: 23 years (SD 4 years)) were tested on a wobble chair designed to measure trunk postural control. Measurements of kinematic variance and non-linear stability control were based on seat angle before and after 30 min of seated whole-body vibration (bandwidth = 2–20 Hz, root-mean-squared amplitude = 1.15 m/s2). Findings All measures of kinematic variance of unstable seated balance increased (P Interpretation Whole-body vibration impaired postural control of the trunk as evidenced by the increase in kinematic variance and non-linear stability control measures during unstable sitting. These findings imply an impairment in spinal stability and a mechanism by which vibration may increase low back injury risk. Future work should investigate the effects of whole-body vibration on the anatomical and neuromuscular components that contribute to spinal stability.
KIR2DL4 (CD158d), an NK Cell-Activating Receptor with Inhibitory Potential

KIR2DL4 (CD158d) is an unusual member of the killer cell Ig-like receptor family expressed in all NK cells and some T cells. KIR2DL4 activates the cytotoxicity of NK cells, despite the presence of an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) in its cytoplasmic tail. The role of this ITIM on the activating function of KIR2DL4, and whether it can provide inhibitory signals, is not known. Mutated forms of KIR2DL4 were engineered that lacked either the tyrosine in the ITIM or an arginine-tyrosine motif in the transmembrane region that is required for the activation signal. The activity of the mutated KIR2DL4 molecules was tested in a redirected lysis assay. The ITIM was not necessary for activation of lysis by KIR2DL4. The activation signal of KIR2DL4 was sensitive to inhibition by another ITIM-containing receptor. The activation-deficient mutant of KIR2DL4 inhibited the signal delivered by the activating receptor CD16. In pull-down experiments with GST fusion proteins, the tyrosine-phosphorylated cytoplasmic tail of KIR2DL4 bound the Src homology 2-containing phosphatases 1 and 2, as did the tail of the inhibitory receptor KIR2DL1. Therefore, KIR2DL4 has inhibitory potential in addition to its activating function.
A Policy Model of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening and Intervention

The epidemics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS and its causative agent, the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, are serious and growing. In response to the epidemic, policy makers have instituted a variety of interventions, often before careful studies of program costs and benefits have been carried out. We have developed an analytic decision model to assess HIV screening and intervention policies. The model is a dynamic compartmental epidemic model that captures disease transmission and disease progression, behavioral changes, and the effects of screening and other interventions. We illustrate the model by analyzing screening programs aimed at reducing the birthrate of HIV-infected infants.
Meningeal relapse of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma.

A 4-year-old boy with orbital rhabdomyosarcoma developed central nervous system (CNS) metastases as a meningeal disease without clinically apparent local recurrence. Abnormal cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) antedated the symptoms and signs of increased intracranial pressure. This suggests that the CSF of patients with rhabdomyosarcoma should be monitored and that prophylactic therapy of the CNS might be indicated, especially in those patients with head and neck or metastatic disease.
War and the Contest Over National Identity

This paper looks at a recent historical moment in which the American national identity was defined and contested in the public arena. The Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-91 presents a case in point in which official actors attempted to define the American character and in so doing prescribed particular actions necessary to fulfill what it means to be an American. President George Bush's discourse used the crisis to rejuvenate US prestige and American confidence. He described Americans as unique in esteemed values and America as the only country capable of leading the world. In so doing, he invited American participation in support for US military intervention. On the other side, the peace movement chose to emphasize American weaknesses, domestic problems, and the gullible nature of the American people. In so doing, it attempted to shame Americans into supporting the anti-war movement
Caste-Specific Differences in Hindgut Microbial Communities of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Host-symbiont dynamics are known to influence host phenotype, but their role in social behavior has yet to be investigated. Variation in life history across honey bee (Apis mellifera) castes may influence community composition of gut symbionts, which may in turn influence caste phenotypes. We investigated the relationship between host-symbiont dynamics and social behavior by characterizing the hindgut microbiome among distinct honey bee castes: queens, males and two types of workers, nurses and foragers. Despite a shared hive environment and mouth-to-mouth food transfer among nestmates, we detected separation among gut microbiomes of queens, workers, and males. Gut microbiomes of nurses and foragers were similar to previously characterized honey bee worker microbiomes and to each other, despite differences in diet, activity, and exposure to the external environment. Queen microbiomes were enriched for bacteria that may enhance metabolic conversion of energy from food to egg production. We propose that the two types of workers, which have the highest diversity of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of bacteria, are central to the maintenance of the colony microbiome. Foragers may introduce new strains of bacteria to the colony from the environment and transfer them to nurses, who filter and distribute them to the rest of the colony. Our results support the idea that host-symbiont dynamics influence microbiome composition and, reciprocally, host social behavior.
Chaotic Behavior of Digital Control Systems and its Continuous Dependence on Parameters

It has recently been demonstrated that controlling an unstable discrete-time linear system by means of a feedback control strategy that employs quantized measurements of the system's state leads in many cases to chaotic asymptotic behavior on the part of the state. The chaotic asymptotics of such a system admit an economical description in terms of a probability density on the system's state space that is preserved by the closed-loop dynamics and with respect to which the closed-loop system is ergodic. In the present paper, we extend these earlier results to apply to a broader class of systems than those we have previously considered; we find in particular that a suitably generalized invariant measure analysis goes through for essentially any scalar discrete-time unstable nonlinear system. We also present a preliminary investigation of the manner in which the quantitative features of the invariant density depend on the parameters of the system and the feedback strategy one employs. We discover that in many cases the invariant density is robust in the sense that it depends continuously on the parameters of the system and the feedback controller. In addition, we introduce a notion of statistical control in terms of which we are able to phrase and answer some important prescriptive questions about the systems under consideration.
Lung nodules in pediatric oncology patients: a prediction rule for when to biopsy

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to develop a prediction rule regarding the factors that most accurately predict the diagnosis of a malignancy in a lung nodule in the pediatric oncology patient. Methods A retrospective review of pediatric oncology patients that underwent lung nodule resection between 1998 and 2007 was performed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to create a prediction rule. Results Fifty pediatric oncology patients underwent 21 thoracotomies and 48 thoracoscopies to resect discrete lung nodules seen on computed tomographic scans during workup for metastasis or routine surveillance. The mean nodule size was 10.43 ± 7.08 mm. The most significant predictors of malignancy in a nodule were peripheral location (odds ratio [OR], 9.1); size between 5 and 10 mm (OR, 2.78); location within the right lower lobe (OR, 2.43); and patients with osteosarcoma (OR, 10.8), Ewing sarcoma (OR, 3.05), or hepatocellular carcinoma (OR, 2.38). Conclusions Lesions that are between 5 and 10 mm in size and peripherally located in patients with osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, or hepatocellular carcinoma are most likely to be malignant. Use of a prediction rule can help guide clinical practice by determining which patients should undergo surgical resection of lung nodules and which patients may be closely observed with continued radiologic studies.
The origin of stress‐generated potentials in fluid‐saturated bone

The objective of this study was to determine the origin of stress-generated potentials (SGPs) in fluid-saturated bone. Stress-generated potentials were studied as a function of the conductivity, NaCl concentration, and viscosity of the fluid contained within cortical human and bovine bone. Bone samples were soaked in solutions in which NaCl and sucrose concentrations were systematically varied. Macroscopic SGPs and their relaxation times were measured as a function of these properties. Stress-generated potentials were also measured as a function of conductivity and NaCl concentration by using a microelectrode. The results of this study confirmed that the properties of the fluid in bone have a great influence on the magnitude and time dependence of the SGP. Especially notable was the observation that solutions of high NaCl concentration consistently reversed the polarity of the SGP. These results are consistent with streaming potential theory. Although fluid-saturated bone may retain some piezoelectric properties, SGPs are predominantly caused by streaming potentials.
Artificial Intelligence Planning Problems in a Petri Net Framework

Artificial Intelligence planning systems determine a sequence of actions to be taken to solve a problem. This is accomplished by generating and evaluating alternative courses of action. A special type of Petri net is first defined and then used to model a class of Artificial Intelligence planning problems. A planning strategy is developed using results from the theory of heuristic search. In particular, the A* algorithm is utilized. From the Petri net framework it is shown how to develop an admissible and consistent A* algorithm. As an illustration of the results three Artificial Intelligence planning problems are modelled and solved.
Passive transfer of autoimmune autonomic neuropathy to mice.

Autoimmune autonomic neuropathy (AAN) is an acquired, often severe, form of dysautonomia. Many patients with AAN have serum antibodies specific for the neuronal ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Rabbits immunized with a fusion protein corresponding to the N-terminal extracellular domain of the ganglionic AChR α3 subunit produce ganglionic AChR antibodies and develop signs of experimental AAN (EAAN) that recapitulate the cardinal autonomic features of AAN in man. We now demonstrate that EAAN is an antibody-mediated disorder by documenting sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric autonomic dysfunction in mice injected with rabbit IgG containing ganglionic AChR antibodies. Recipient mice develop transient gastrointestinal dysmotility, urinary retention, dilated pupils, reduced heart rate variability, and impaired catecholamine response to stress. The autonomic signs are associated with a reversible failure of nicotinic cholinergic synaptic transmission in superior mesenteric ganglia. Mice injected with IgG from two patients with AAN (of three tested) demonstrated a milder phenotype with evidence of urinary retention and gastrointestinal dysmotility. The demonstration that ganglionic AChR-specific IgG causes impaired autonomic synaptic transmission and autonomic failure in mice implicates an antibody-mediated pathogenesis for AAN. The antibody effect is potentially reversible, justifying early use of immunomodulatory therapy directed at lowering IgG levels and abrogating IgG production in patients with AAN.
Disinhibition from opioid influence augments hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression and pituitary luteinizing hormone release: effects of NPY messenger ribonucleic acid antisense oligodeoxynucleotides.

It is well known that hypothalamic endogenous opioid peptides (EOP) exert an inhibitory influence on LH release, and that a restraint on this inhibitory tone triggers preovulatory LHRH and LH hypersecretion. Recent evidence suggests that hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important component of the neural circuitry that participates in induction of the LH surge. We have reported previously that blockade of EOP influence by the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone (NAL), stimulated NPY accumulation in the median eminence (ME) in association with increased LH release in estradiol-17 beta-primed ovariectomized rats. To evaluate whether a restraint on the EOP system will result in an increase in NPY synthesis, the effects of NAL infusion on preproNPY messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in the medial basal hypothalamus were studied by solution hybridization/RNase protection assay and by in situ hybridization. NAL (2 mg/0.6 ml.h) or saline (SAL, 0.6 ml/h) was infused for 3 h (1100-1400 h) via an intrajugular cannu...
Regulation of the Immune System by the Resident Intestinal Bacteria

The microbiota is an important factor in the development of the immune response. The interaction between the gastrointestinal tract and resident microbiota is well balanced in healthy individuals, but its breakdown can lead to intestinal and extraintestinal disease. We review current knowledge about the mechanisms that regulate the interaction between the immune system and the microbiota, focusing on the role of resident intestinal bacteria in the development of immune responses. We also discuss mechanisms that prevent immune responses against resident bacteria, and how the indigenous bacteria stimulate the immune system to protect against commensal pathobionts and exogenous pathogens. Unraveling the complex interactions between resident intestinal bacteria and the immune system could improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and lead to new therapeutic approaches.
Efficacy of a sonic toothbrush for plaque removal by caregivers in a special needs population.

Oral hygiene and oral health are a major concern for long-term-care facility residents who are unable to care for themselves. In this six-week study, the efficacy of a sonic toothbrush (Sonicare) was compared with traditional manual brushing in a setting where hygiene care was provided by caregivers. Evaluations of plaque levels were made at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks according to the Silness and Loe index. The sonic brush was found to be significantly superior to the manual brush over the trial period (MANCOVA; p = 0.026). Plaque reduction at 6 weeks was found to be 38% with the sonic brush and 6% with the manual brush. The results indicate that the sonic brush may be an effective way to provide improved oral health to nursing home subjects when oral care is caregiver-provided.
Web 2.0 Tools and the Evolving Pedagogy of Teacher Education

Teacher educators are constantly revisiting and revising their teacher education programs. Historically, research, educational policy, and accreditation requirements have been the impetus for renewal in teacher education. For the past 20 years, technology innovation has played an increasingly significant role in rethinking teacher education. This paper discusses recent changes in a social studies teacher education program and the role Web 2.0 tools played in helping to rethink pedagogy.
Iron acquisition by Cryptococcus neoformans

Iron is an essential element for the growth and metabolism of microbial cells. Most pathogenic microbes elaborate powerful iron chelating agents (siderophores) to mobilize iron from ferric ligands. The pathogenic yeast, Cryptococcus neoformans has not been found to produce siderophores and its mechanism of iron acquisition is unknown. This investigation explored an alternative pathway for iron acquisition by examining the interactions of iron with the cell surface. Iron uptake experiments were conducted utilizing radiolabelled ferrous iron and ferric iron chelates, with evidence for the presence of iron(ii) receptors and the generation of ferrous iron by surface reduction. Hyperbolic kinetics were found when 59Feii was presented to the organism and uptake was blocked with bathophenanthroline sulphonate, an Fe2+ chelator. The yeast also acquired iron as [59Fe3+]-citrate and [59Fe3+]-pyrophosphate while bathophenanthroline sulphonate reduced the acquisition of these ferric ligands by 48% and 52% respectivel...
EFFECT OF HIGH PRESSURE ON GERMINATION OF SEEDS (MEDICAGO SATIVA AND MELILOTUS ALBA).

An increase in percentage germination is obtained with seeds of Medicago sativa exposed for 1 to 10 minutes at 2000 atmospheres hydraulic pressure at 20°C., dried, and germinated after 30 days; and from seeds of Melilotus alba under the same conditions of pressure, when exposed for 5 to 30 minutes, dried, and germinated 30 days later. Exposures to 500 atmospheres pressure was less advantageous for germination; the vitality of seeds normally germinating was more rapidly destroyed than the hard impermeable seeds rendered permeable by the pressure treatment. At 0°C., it required approximately 2½ times the exposure to 2000 atmospheres for seeds of Medicago sativa, and approximately 5 times the exposure for seeds of Melilotus alba, as it did at 20°C.
Surgical renal artery reconstruction without contrast arteriography: the role of clinical profiling and magnetic resonance angiography.

Abstract Purpose: Contrast arteriography is the accepted gold standard for diagnosis and treatment planning in patients with atherosclerotic renovascular disease (RVD). In this study, the results of a selective policy of surgical renal artery reconstruction (RAR) with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) as the sole preoperative imaging modality are reviewed. Methods: From May 1993 to May 1998, 25 patients underwent RAR after clinical evaluation, and aortic/renal MRA performed with a gadolinium-enhanced and 3-dimensional phase contrast technique. Clinical presentations suggested severe RVD in all patients and included poorly controlled hypertension (16 patients), hospitalization for hypertensive crises and/or acute pulmonary edema (13), and deterioration of renal function within one year of operation (15). Thirteen patients had associated aortic pathologic conditions (12 aneurysms, 1 aortoiliac occlusive disease), and eight of these patients also underwent noncontrast computed tomography scans. Significant renal dysfunction (serum creatinine level, ≥2.0 mg/dL) was present in all but 4 patients with 14 of 25 patients having extreme (creatinine level, ≥3.0 mg/dL) dysfunction. Results: Hemodynamically significant RVD in the main renal artery was verified at operation in 37 of 38 reconstructed main renal arteries (24/25 patients). A single accessory renal artery was missed by MRA. RAR was comprehensive (bilateral or unilateral to a single-functioning kidney) in 21 of 25 patients and consisted of hepatorenal bypass graft (3 patients), combined aortic and RAR (13 patients), isolated transaortic endarterectomy (8 patients), and aortorenal bypass graft (1 patient). Early improvement in both hypertension control and/or renal function was noted in 21 of 25 patients without operative deaths or postoperative renal failure. Sustained favorable functional results at follow-up, ranging from 5 months to 4 years, were noted in 19 of 25 patients. Conclusion: MRA is an adequate preoperative imaging modality in selected patients before RAR. This strategy is best applied in circumstances where the clinical presentation suggests hemodynamically significant bilateral RVD and/or in patients at substantial risk of complications from contrast angiography. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:1012-21.)
Linear model following control of mismatched uncertain systems

We study the control design problem of a class of model reference linear uncertain dynamical systems. The plant and input matrices contain uncertain elements. Any assumptions regarding the structure of uncertainty are relaxed which means the uncertainty can enter into the system description arbitrarily. The only information available about the uncertain parameters is the bounding sets in which they lie. We assume that the model dynamics are completely known and the model has the same order as the plant. The controller developed in this investigation is linear and under certain assumptions this controller forces the plant states to follow the states of a model. The controller also guarantees that every system response is uniformly ultimately bounded and this bound can be made arbitrarily small by an appropriate choice of design parameters. An example is provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Estimating the structural dimension of regressions via parametric inverse regression

A new estimation method for the dimension of a regression at the outset of an analysis is proposed. A linear subspace spanned by projections of the regressor vector X, which contains part or all of the modelling information for the regression of a vector Y on X, and its dimension are estimated via the means of parametric inverse regression. Smooth parametric curves are fitted to the p inverse regressions via a multivariate linear model. No restrictions are placed on the distribution of the regressors. The estimate of the dimension of the regression is based on optimal estimation procedures. A simulation study shows the method to be more powerful than sliced inverse regression in some situations.
DASH: A resilient high-speed 15g hexapedal robot

DASH, or the Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod, is a small, high-power density, minimally actuated robot capable of high-speed running and surviving large falls. The design of DASH has been informed by the study of nature's greatest runners from whom scientists have derived many models for robust high-speed locomotion. DASH is constructed using a scaled Smart Composite Manufacturing (SCM) process which creates rigid cardboard beams with flexible polymer joints that can be folded into complex functional elements. DASH utilizes an alternating tripod gait, and the mechanism by which it creates an alternating tripod gait from a single DC motor is presented. DASH is 10 cm long, has a mass of 16.2 grams, and is capable of running straight at speeds of 1.5 m/s, or 15 body-lengths per second, which is as fast as other similar legged runners in body-lengths per second. Both real time and slow-motion video of high-speed running are shown. A lightweight servomotor can modify the kinematics of DASH so that turning moments are generated. The cardboard beams from which DASH is constructed are rigid in directions which allow for sufficient power transmission for high-speed running. The beams are also flexible but resilient to off-aixs forces and moments which allow DASH to contort and absorb energy under forces not normally seen during running. This property helps to enable DASH survive large falls without damage, including drops from 28 meters onto concrete.
Genome-Wide Association of Mediator and RNA Polymerase II in Wild-Type and Mediator Mutant Yeast

Mediator is a large, multisubunit complex that is required for essentially all mRNA transcription in eukaryotes. In spite of the importance of Mediator, the range of its targets and how it is recruited to these is not well understood. Previous work showed that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mediator contributes to transcriptional activation by two distinct mechanisms, one depending on the tail module triad and favoring SAGA-regulated genes, and the second occurring independently of the tail module and favoring TFIID-regulated genes. Here, we use chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) to show that dependence on tail module subunits for Mediator recruitment and polymerase II (Pol II) association occurs preferentially at SAGA-regulated over TFIID-regulated genes on a genome-wide scale. We also show that recruitment of tail module subunits to active gene promoters continues genome-wide when Mediator integrity is compromised in med17 temperature-sensitive (ts) yeast, demonstrating the modular nature of the Mediator complex in vivo. In addition, our data indicate that promoters exhibiting strong and stable occupancy by Mediator have a wide range of activity and are enriched for targets of the Tup1-Cyc8 repressor complex. We also identify a number of strong Mediator occupancy peaks that overlap dubious open reading frames (ORFs) and are likely to include previously unrecognized upstream activator sequences.
A Reply to Mr. Hodas

David Monk offers arguments in rebuttal of the article by Steven Hodas (Problems with the Production Function Model in Education) which was published in this journal as Issue 12 of Volume 1.
The use of organo-clays in water treatment

Abstract The use of organo-clays in wastewater treatment has become commonplace in industry today. Organo-clays exhibit a synergistic effect with many commonly utilized water treatment unit processes including granular-activated charcoal, reverse osmosis, and air strippers. Organo-clays have proven to be the technology of choice for treating oily wastewaters. This paper will discuss the physical chemistry of the organo-clays sorption mechanism as well as numerous examples of where the technology has been applied.
DRUG-INDUCED HEADACHE

Headaches are extremely common and have various causes. Drugs may initiate a new type of headache or exacerbate a preexisting headache disorder. Medication withdrawal or rebound headaches may also occur. This article reviews the possible relationships between drugs and headaches.
Survival probability and mortality of migratory juvenile golden eagles from interior alaska

Abstract The conservation of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) requires a thorough understanding of their demographic parameters. Productivity, commonly measured as the number of nestlings or fledglings per pair, is the parameter reported by most studies of nesting golden eagles and is often used as a measure of their population status. Survival may be an equally or more important parameter to measure; however, survival rates of golden eagles are not well documented. We used satellite telemetry to estimate the probability of first-year survival for migratory golden eagles raised in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA. We calculated the probability of first-year survival using program MARK. Based on the best approximating model, monthly survival probability was 0.88 ± 0.04 (mean ± SE) during the autumn migration and early winter period for golden eagles marked in 1997 and 0.78 ± 0.05 during the same period for golden eagles marked in 1999. Monthly survival during the remaining 3 periods (i.e., l...
The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Quarter Century in Review

Since the formulation of the hopelessness theory of depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) a quarter century ago, it has garnered considerable interest. The current paper presents a systematic review of this theory including its subsequent elaborations (Rose and Abramson's [1992] developmental elaboration, Abela and Sarin's [2002] weakest-link approach, Panzarella, Alloy, and Whitehouse's [2006] expansion of the hopelessness theory, and the hopelessness theory of suicide [Abramson et al., 2000]), followed by recommendations for future study. Although empirical support was consistently found for several major components of the hopelessness theory, further work is required assessing this theory in relation to clinically significant phenomena. Among the most significant hindrances to advancement in this area is the frequent conceptual confusion between the hopelessness theory and the reformulated learned helplessness theory.
Approximations for the Conditional Case

There is, by now, a voluminous literature on approximations. We will highlight those approximations that are interesting from a methodological point of view and could be considered optimal relative to the effort involved. There are two basic approaches used. The methods of moments and product limit approximations are based on spacings, and the other methods are based on cell occupancy numbers. The approximations based on spacings are described in Sections 10.1–10.4, and those on cell occupancy numbers in Sections 10.5–10.7. In order of computational effort they might be ordered as: 1. Simple one parameter exponential approximation. 2. Crude approximation based on cell occupancy probabilities. 3. (a) Markov-type approximation based on cell occupancy numbers. (b) Product limit approximations. (c) Method of moments: two-parameter approximations. 4. Average of upper and lower bounds based on three-way intersections.
Dynamic co-ordinated scheduling in the supply chain considering flexible routes

In Supply chain (SC) environments, schedules inevitably experience various unexpected disruptions. In these cases, rescheduling is essential to minimise the negative impact on the performance of the system. In this study, a hybrid rescheduling technique is developed for solving coordinated manufacturing tasks scheduling problems with due date changes and machine breakdowns. According to the dynamic features of this problem, a strategy combined with event and periodic driven methods is proposed to improve the stability and robustness of manufacturing performance in a coordinated SC. Moreover, an application case is introduced to test and evaluate the effect of different initialisations in two types of disruption scenarios. The experimental results show that the proposed rescheduling technique has good effectiveness and efficiency in the coordinated manufacturing environment.
The Mission as a Frontier Institution: Sixty Years of Interest and Research

T he evening of March 23, 1917, in Wheeler Auditorium, University of California at Berkeley, Herbert Eugene Bolton delivered the fifth in the recently established annual series of faculty research lectures. His piece was titled "The Mission as a Frontier Institution in the Spanish American Colonies." Into it Bolton distilled fifteen years of acquaintance with the source materials of the Spanish colonial enterprise in the Americas. Ever since he had made the activities of the men of
Impact of Taedia scrupeus (Hemiptera: Miridae) Feeding on Cluster Development in Concord Grapes

Taedia scrupeus (Say) feeds on grape clusters and shoots early in the growing season. The impact of nymphal and adult feeding was assessed at the individual shoot level by confining nymphs within sleeve cages at 4 different times: prebloom, bloom, postbloom, and prebloom to postbloom. Prebloom feeding significantly reduced the number of berries per cluster and average berry weight, resulting in a 68% reduction in cluster weight. When nymphs were allowed to feed from prebloom to postbloom, cluster weight was reduced by 71%.Feeding only during bloom and postbloom did not affect cluster weight. Prebloom feeding reduced the number of florets per cluster, berries per cluster, and berry weight. The whole-vine impact of T. scrupeus was examined in a commercial Concord vineyard, where 3-vine experimental units were treated with carbaryl to remove T Scrupeus or were left untreated. Unsprayed vines, with a mean density of 20 T. scrupeus per vine, yielded 10.4 kg per vine, and sprayed vines without injury yielded 14.1 kg per vine. The yield component most strongly affected was the number of clusters per vine, which averaged 165.4 and 131.8 per vine in sprayed and unsprayed vines, respectively. Each T. scrupeus nymph was associated with 0.18kg of crop loss, suggesting that as few as 0.5 nymphs per vine can cause economic injury. Where treatment of vineyards to prevent T. scrupeus injury is warranted, it must be applied during the prebloom period.
On the Position and Function of Community College in the Construction of Digitized Learning Community

The educational reform project of "digitized learning harbor and the construction and demonstration of life-long learning society" provides a new space for the development of community college.By the practice of the construction of digitized learning community,this paper expounds the position and function of community college and analyzes the location and space of its development.Its running pattern gives good references for the development of our country's community colleges.
Public Support for Regulation of Power Plant Emissions Under the Clean Power Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a major new greenhouse gas reduction initiative in June 2014 through the release of its proposed Carbon Pollution Standards for Existing Power Plants. Better known as the Clean Power Plan (CPP), EPA outlined a proposal that would seek an overall reduction in emissions from existing electricity-generating facilities that would fall 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, with interim targets beginning in 2020. This built on existing federal regulatory strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and newly-proposed electricity generating facilities.One unique dimension of the Clean Power Plan is its provision of significant latitude to individual states in crafting a plan to reach required emission reductions. The Plan provided a specific emission reduction target for each state, which ranged considerably across states and regions but collectively would achieve a national 30 percent reduction. It also offered a series of “building blocks” that could lead to reduced emissions and provided a wide range of policy options that individual states might consider in formulating a response. The Plan has received intensive media coverage since its launch and an extended period of public engagement. This included a series of well-publicized public hearings around the nation and a formal public comment process that was so heavily engaged that its deadline was ultimately extended to December 1, 2014. EPA has begun to review these comments and is also meeting extensively with various stakeholders in preparing to issue a modified version by mid-2015. Many states have begun to explore possible responses, both individually and with regional partners, ranging from active consideration of policy options to litigation to attempt to reverse this federal initiative. This significant climate policy initiative was included in the National Surveys on Energy and Environment for the first time in our Fall 2014 survey, placed into a larger instrument that explored other policy questions and ongoing analysis of public attitudes on climate change. We attempted to secure public views on the general merits of the Clean Power Plan as well as test support for a number of the more prominent policy options that states have been encouraged to consider in weighing compliance possibilities. Other important findings from the Fall 2014 survey will be presented in subsequent reports.
Scattering of Electrons of High-Molecular Rydbergs in Dense Atomic and Molecular Gases

The effect of rare gases, rare gas mixtures and hydrogen on the high-n Rydberg states of methyl iodide and benzene has been discussed recently (Kohler et al., 1987; Asaf et al., 1989a; Asaf et al., 1989b; Reininger et al.,). According to the experimental evidence, the pressure induced energy shift of these molecular Rydbergs varied linearly with density up to relatively high perturber densities (~ 1 x 1021cm−3). These linearities can be reproduced accurately by the Fermi model modified by the Alekseev-Sobel ’man polarization term (Alekseev and Sobel ’man, 1966).
Prevention of hepatitis B transmission in Indo-Chinese refugees with active and passive immunization.

Hepatitis B is a cause of disability and death worldwide, with high rates of perinatal transmission in third world countries, including those of Indochina. Prevention of transmission by active and passive immunization has been available since 1982. This study looked at the serological response of Indo-Chinese refugees to these products in an outpatient primary care clinic and at the compliance problems found in this setting. The carrier rate of all patients screened was 81/446 (18.5%), with 37/233 (15.8%) of prenatal patients as carriers. Newborns whose mothers were carriers were started on an immunization program. The combination of HBIG and vaccine was more than 90% effective in inducing immunity and preventing the carrier state; only two children of the 26 studied who received both active and passive immunization became carriers. Both failures were in children of HBeAg positive mothers. In con¬trast, those children exposed who had not received treatment (because of birth prior to 1982) had a 33% carrier rate. This success rate was found despite compliance problems in completing the immunizations on schedule. Only 23% of children received their vaccine within four weeks of the recommended schedule, with a mean delay of 1.3 months. Of the 79 children beginning immunizations, 11 moved before completion. All children remaining in San Diego completed the regimen. Thus, the benefits of giving the passive and active immunization to infants of hepatitis B carriers were clear. However, compliance problems jeopardize the effectiveness of a hepatitis B immunization program in this population. Health care providers who treat Indo-Chinese patients need to screen for hepatitis B and be committed to long-term tracking programs to ensure completion of treatment.
Antecedent Trauma and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Young Adult Men

Antecedent trauma has been implicated as a risk factor for many neurologic disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aging is a dynamic, exponentially increasing risk factor for many disorders, also including ALS. Consequently, the relative significance of other risk factors diminishes correspondingly with increasing age. Gompertzian risk analysis suggests that only in a young susceptible individual could the age-dependent risk be low enough to relate the development of ALS to a non-age-dependent risk factor, such as preceding trauma. This point is illustrated by the case histories of three young adult men who developed ALS within 2 years following trauma.
Cholesterol concentration of longissimus muscle, subcutaneous fat and serum of two beef cattle breed types.

The cholesterol concentration of uncooked and cooked longissimus muscle, uncooked subcutaneous fat and serum, as affected by days on feed, breed type and sex class in a factorial arrangement, and the relationship between serum cholesterol and tissue cholesterol were studied. Days on feed, breed type and sex class had no effect (P greater than .05) on tissue cholesterol concentrations. Overall least-squares means for uncooked and cooked longissimus muscle and subcutaneous fat were 63.32, 80.27 and 98.90 mg of cholesterol/100 g of tissue, respectively. Cholesterol concentration was 26.8% higher in cooked vs uncooked muscle and 56.2% higher in uncooked subcutaneous fat compared with uncooked muscle. Serum cholesterol concentration was lower (P less than .05) for fullblood Chianinas and steers (122.6 and 133.9 mg/dl) compared with crossbreds and heifers (162.3 and 151.0 mg/dl), respectively. Serum cholesterol concentration showed a cubic response (P less than .05) over days on feed; it was lowest at 0 d (79.6 mg/dl), increased up to 77 d (156.3 mg/dl), leveled off (154.7 mg/dl), then increased again (179.3 mg/dl). Serum cholesterol had low and insignificant correlation coefficients with all tissue cholesterol concentrations (r = .08 to .22; P greater than .05). Results indicate that muscle and fat tissue cholesterol concentrations do not vary in response to the differences in breed type, sex class or time on feed represented in the present study and thus may be an inherent characteristic dependent upon quantitative needs for cellular membrane functions. However, serum cholesterol concentration was affected by treatments evaluated in this study and may be related to factors affecting lipid metabolism.
Contextual Sentiment Analysis

This study examines the role of context in evaluating responses to social media posts online. Current sentiment analysis tools evaluate the content of posts without considering the broader context that the post comes from. Utilizing data from an in-person study, we examine differences between perceived sentiment evaluation when social media response posts are viewed in isolation and perceived sentiment evaluation when social media responses are viewed in the context of the original post. We find that evaluations of responses viewed in context change over 50 % of the time. We validate this finding by utilizing simulated data to show the result is not simply a result of data manipulation or noisy data; furthermore, we explore results of this finding with current sentiment analysis tools, examining this result with subsets of our data with high and low kappa values.
Information Measures of Frequency Distributions with an Application to Labeled Graphs

The problem of describing the distribution of labels over a set of objects is common in many domains. Cyber security, social media, and protein interactions all care about the manner in which labels are distributed among different objects. In this paper we present three interacting statistical measures on label distributions, thought of as integer partitions, inspired by entropy and information theory. Of central concern to us is how the open- versus closed-world semantics of one’s problem leads to different ways that information about the support of a distribution is accounted for. In particular, we can consider the number of labels seen in a particular data set in relation to both the number of items and the number of labels available, if known. This will lead us to consider both two alternate entropy normalizations, and a new measure specifically of support size, based not on entropy but on nonspecificity measures as used in nontraditional information theory. The entropy- and nonspecificity-based measures are related in their ability to index integer partitions within Young’s lattice. Labeled graphs are discussed as a specific case of labels distributed over a set of edges. We describe a use case in cyber security using a labeled directed multigraph of IPFLOW. Finally, we show how these measures respond when labels are updated in certain ways corresponding to particular changes of the Young’s diagram of an integer partition.