cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 3 – Negation as Failure Using Tight Derivations for General Logic Programs

A general logic program is a set of rules that have both positive and negative subgoals. We define negation in general logic programs as finite failure, but we limit proof attempts to tight derivations, that is, derivations expressed by trees in which no node has an identical ancestor. Consequently, many goals that do not fail finitely in other formulations do fail finitely in ours. Thus the negation-as-failure rule is strengthened, but at the cost of more careful (and expensive) program execution. We define the tight tree semantics as a pair of interpretations, SS, interpreted as the success set, and FS, interpreted as the failure set. We show that general logic programs with both the bounded term size property and freedom from recursive negation are “categorical” under the tight tree semantics; that is, every atom in the Herbrand base of the program is either in SS or FS. Then we show that programs with these properties have an equivalent iterated fixed point semantics, which has been studied by other researchers.
The Peril of Power: A Tutorial on Using Simulation to Better Understand When and How We Can Estimate Mediating Effects.

No abstract available Keywords: mediation; natural direct effect; power; simulation; stochastic direct effect.
Quasiperiodicity, band topology, and moiré graphene

A number of moir\'e graphene systems have nearly flat topological bands where electron motion is strongly correlated. Though microscopically these systems are only quasiperiodic, they can typically be treated as translation invariant to an excellent approximation. Here we reconsider this question for magic angle twisted bilayer graphene that is nearly aligned with a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrate. We carefully study the effect of the periodic potential induced by hBN on the low energy physics. The combination of this potential and the moir\'e lattice produced by the twisted graphene generates a quasiperiodic term that depends on the alignment angle between hBN and the moir\'e graphene. We find that the alignment angle has a significant impact on both the band gap near charge neutrality and the behavior of electrical transport. We also introduce and study toy models to illustrate how a quasiperiodic potential can give rise to localization and change in transport properties of topological bands.
Direct visualization of radiation-induced transformations at alkali halide–air interfaces

Radiation driven reactions at mineral/air interfaces are important to the chemistry of the atmosphere, but experimental constraints (e.g. simultaneous irradiation, in situ observation, and environmental control) leave process understanding incomplete. Using a custom atomic force microscope equipped with an integrated X-ray source, transformation of potassium bromide surfaces to potassium nitrate by air radiolysis species was followed directly in situ at the nanoscale. Radiolysis initiates dynamic step edge dissolution, surface composition evolution, and ultimately nucleation and heteroepitaxial growth of potassium nitrate crystallites mediated by surface diffusion at rates controlled by adsorbed water. In contrast to in situ electron microscopy and synchrotron-based imaging techniques where high radiation doses are intrinsic, our approach illustrates the value of decoupling irradiation and the basis of observation. Halide salts exhibit complex radiation-induced reactions that are relevant in atmospheric chemistry, but detailed characterizations in high-level radiation fields are challenging to obtain. Here, the authors use a custom atomic force microscope to study alkali halide surface transformations in situ under 18 kGy/hr irradiation.
“Because Here, White is Right”: Mental Health Experiences of International Graduate Students of Color from a Critical Race Perspective

To examine the mental health experiences of international graduate students of Color (IGSC) as they navigate through a multitude of systemic barriers, the researchers interviewed eight IGSC in the U.S. Adopting a critical race perspective, the researchers sought to address a persistent gap in the counseling literature, and explore how systemic influences of racism, xenophobia, and discriminatory policies impacted the mental health of IGSC. Three distinct themes emerged from phenomenological analysis of the participants’ interviews in the current study: cross-cultural challenges, surviving racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, and mental health and wellness. Implications for how professional counselors can support IGSC as they navigate through multiple challenges are emphasized.
Predictability of Invasive Argentine Ant Distribution Across Mediterranean Ecoregions of Southern California

The invasiveness of nonnative taxa can vary across a landscape due to environmental gradients, suggesting that location-dependent management strategies may be more effective at reducing spread compared to a “one size fits all” approach across the entire introduced range. Using bait stations placed along linear transects within habitat preserves, we tested for effects of ecoregion, vegetation, soil moisture, habitat edge type (i.e., moisture source), and distance from edges on the presence of the invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile in San Diego County, California, a region with high indigenous biodiversity and numerous rare and protected species. Our results showed an inverse relationship between the presence of native ant species and the presence of the Argentine ant across ecoregions, with the latter reaching peak abundance in the coastal terrace. Argentine ant presence was negatively associated with distance from all edge types regardless of location, but the magnitude of this effect varied among ecoregions. In the xeric foothill and inland valleys, the probability of occurrence was nearly 0 at distances of 200 m and 750 m from moisture edges, respectively, whereas in the coastal terrace, the probability remained above 0.80 at distances up to 1.25 km. When compared to previous studies at different spatial scales, these findings provide an alternative perspective on the invasiveness of the Argentine ant at the landscape level. Our results further suggest that efforts to control spread in regions with a Mediterranean climate may be more successful in inland areas, where the ant is likely to have lower environmental tolerance and native ant species may be better able to generate biotic resistance. In contrast, different tactics and expectations may be necessary for coastal areas, where the same constraints are diminished or absent.
Community Advisory Boards: What Works and What Doesn't (Lessons from a National Study)

Community Advisory Boards (“CABs”) are one of the most common forms of police-community engagement bodies in the country. Both progressive leaders of policing agencies and proponents of civilian oversight frequently cite a range of potential benefits of CABs to both police and the communities they serve. As a result, CABs continue to grow across the country. This interest in CABs has continued with insufficient study and evaluation of whether CABs actually play any meaningful oversight or community-engagement role. In order to assess this, the Policing Project conducted an in-depth, national study of CABs. The study revealed that in practice, many community advisory boards suffer from a number of deficiencies—some quite serious—that often inhibit their ability to achieve their intended purpose. Too often CABs are a result of pro forma efforts by policing agencies to signal a commitment to working with the public—without really working with the public. This Article presents the lessons learned from the study, and offers practical guidance on establishing and operating effective CABs.
CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS IN LEUKEMIA IN CHILDREN

Clinicians have long been plagued by the difficulty of distinguishing between effective and noneffective therapy in rare diseases. In the not too distant past, most reports of effectiveness under these conditions can best be described as anecdotal. To overcome some of these defects, Holland, Frei, Zubrod and other interested physicians combined in 1956 to form the Acute Leukemia Group B. The major objectives of this co-operative chemotherapy group were: 1. To enable physicians to treat and study a greater number of patients with rare diseases in a shorter period through a predetermined method; 2. To enable rapid exploitation of animal model systems in man; 3. To shorten the time needed to test well-established drugs with respect to both dose and interval; 4. To facilitate the rapid exploration of the newer chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of malignant disease.
- DAF-1: DAF-1 receptor PK (C. elegans)

This chapter discusses the DAF-1 receptor PK, which is encoded by the daf-1 gene, mutations in which cause the nematodes to develop into dauer larvae at a restrictive temperature even when food is abundant. The DAF-1 receptor functions to promote growth (non-dauer development) in abundant food. The position of three mutations in the daf-1 gene (two transposon insertions, m402 and m412, and one EMS-induced point mutation, m213) have been identified, and all three are in the coding region for the kinase domain. No ligand for the DAF-1 protein has been demonstrated by direct binding. However, daf-7, another gene whose function is required to prevent dauer larva formation, encodes a growth factor belonging to the TGFβ superfamily that is potentially the ligand. The daf-1 gene encodes a 2.5 kb transcript that is present at all stages of development. Transgenic nematodes carrying a fusion of the daf-1 promoter with a β-galactosidase reporter gene suggest that expression is localized to neurones in the head and tail.
Exercise right heart catheterization for inferior vena cava obstruction: Confirming the hemodynamic significance of an anatomic lesion

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare condition characterized by the presence of inflammatory and fibrous retroperitoneal tissue that surrounds and often encases abdominal structures. In this report we describe an unusual presentation of retroperitoneal fibrosis and inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction that was unidentified by noninvasive testing and ultimately diagnosed using exercise right heart catheterization and venography. Exercise hemodynamic catheterization revealed a high pressure gradient across the IVC obstruction during exercise that resulted in reduced preload and inappropriately low cardiac output reserve. The patient ultimately underwent angioplasty and stenting of the obstruction resulting in resolution of his symptoms.
Introduction to the Glucose Sensing Problem

1.1 A SHORT HISTORY OF DIABETES AND GLUCOSE MEASUREMENT1.1.1 Chemical Methods for Glucose Measurement1.1.2 Instrumental Readout for Glucose Strip Measurements1.1.3 Glucose Biosensors for Clinical Applications1.1.4 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (Electrochemical)1.1.5 Glucose Monitoring Systems (Nonelectrochemical)1.2 SENSOR DESIGN1.2.1 The Reactions1.2.2 Control of Mass Transfer Using Membranes1.2.3 The Electrochemical Cell1.3 DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING1.3.1 Acquisition and Readout Device1.3.2 Management Software1.4 GLUCOSE KINETICS1.5 EVALUATION OF SENSOR PERFORMANCE (IN VITRO)1.6 EVALUATION OF SENSOR PERFORMANCE (IN VIVO)1.6.1 In Vivo Sensitivity Loss1.6.2 Calibration In Vivo1.7 BIOCOMPATIBILITY1.8 FUTURE DIRECTIONSACKNOWLEDGMENTSREFERENCES
Intervening in Adolescent Problem Behavior: A Family-Centered Approach

Part 1: An Ecological Overview. A Family-Centered Model. The ATP Multilevel Intervention Strategy. Part 2: The Family Check-Up: Engaging and Motivating Family Change. Initial Strategies for Family Engagement. An Ecological Assessment Strategy. The Family Feedback Session. Part 3: Implementing a Family-Centered Menu. Interventions for Family Management. Working with Adolescents. Working with Parents in Groups. Part 4: School and Community Change. Family-Centered Intervention in Schools. Empirical Support for ATP. Science as a Tool for Change. Glossary. Appendices: Appendix A. Guidelines for Writing the Family Check-Up Report. Appendix B. Next-Year Plan and Summer Check-In.
Some reflections on ray methods

Summary form only given. This article begins with an account of how Professor Robert E. Collin's work has impacted on the author's own teaching and research. Particular note is made of his contributions to dyadic Green's functions and to his book Field Theory of Guided Waves. It then moves on to a description of how an important discovery impacted on the author's research. In a paper by Keller (1953) edge and vertex diffracted rays were introduced using a generalization of Fermat's principle. But no expressions were given for the fields which propagate along the ray paths, so it was impossible to apply this intriguing method at the time. However, a few years later Keller published expressions for the fields of rays diffracted from a wedge in the scalar acoustic case and in the electromagnetic case when the wedge is perfectly conducting. He then referred to the method as the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD). His expressions for the diffraction coefficients were accurate away from the shadow and reflection boundaries, but they failed at and near these boundaries. Clearly, new expressions were needed and they could be found from the solution of the canonical problem only if uniform asymptotic methods were used. The author and his graduate students derived uniform diffraction coefficients for plane, cylindrical, conical and spherical wave illumination of the wedge.
A Concerted Response of the Enzymes of Urea Biosynthesis during Thyroxine-induced Metamorphosis of Rana catesbeiana

Abstract During natural metamorphosis, concomitant, linear increases were found in tadpole liver for the activities of the five enzymes in the ornithine-urea cycle: carbamyl phosphate synthetase I, ornithine transcarbamylase, argininosuccinate synthetase, argininosuccinate lyase, and arginase. Upon immersion in 2.6 x 10-8 m l-thyroxine for two weeks, the biochemical changes which occur during natural metamorphosis were simulated with an elevation of the same enzymes by factors of 8.0, 3.3, 2.4, 2.3, and 3.0, respectively. The lag period prior to the initial rise of each enzyme activity was about 4 days. On the basis of the rate of change of the leg to tail ratio, the thyroxine-exposed tadpoles had an earlier, steeper rise in the levels of each of the five enzymes than that observed during natural metamorphosis. Argininosuccinate synthetase had the lowest specific activity of the ornithine-urea cycle enzymes, even though the assay was improved by the inclusion of urease in the incubation mixture, yielding higher activities than earlier reported. Plotting one enzyme against each of the other ornithine-urea cycle enzymes gave straight lines with high correlation coefficients and similar slopes for both natural and thyroxine-induced metamorphosis. These results demonstrate the simultaneous, concerted response of both mitochondrial and extramitochondrial enzymes in the ornithine-urea cycle enzymes during thyroxine-induced metamorphosis.
Managerial Judging and the Evolution of Procedure

Pandas don't have thumbs. At least, they don't have real thumbs. Instead, they have funny little extensions of their wrist bones that they use to strip the shoots off bamboo branches. They look like thumbs, and they work like thumbs-at least they work well enough that not many pandas starve. But technically only primates have real thumbs, with bones and muscles opposed to the fingers. Evolutionary theorist Steven Jay Gould draws a number of lessons from the panda's "thumb."' The one relevant here is that evolution is not infinitely malleable. Evolutionary processes work by modifying existing structures until they become capable of performing new functions. Hence, the panda's "thumb"-an elongated wrist bone that can do some, but not all, of the things a real thumb can do. I hope to convince you that the procedural techniques grouped together under the rubric "managerial judging" have a lot in common with the panda's "thumb." This kind of analogy is not new.2 At the end of the first chapter of The Common Law, for example, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. wrote:
Two forms of Drosophila melanogaster Gs alpha are produced by alternate splicing involving an unusual splice site.

Abstract G proteins are responsible for modulating the activity of intracellular effector systems in response to receptor activation. The stimulatory G protein Gs is responsible for activation of adenylate cyclase in response to a variety of hormonal signals. In this report, we describe the structure of the gene for the alpha subunit of Drosophila melanogaster Gs. The gene is approximately 4.5 kilobases long and is divided into nine exons. The exon-intron structure of the Drosophila gene shows substantial similarity to that of the human gene for Gs alpha. Alternate splicing of intron 7, involving either use of an unusual TG or consensus AG 3' splice site, results in transcripts which code for either a long (DGs alpha L) or short (DGs alpha S) form of Gs alpha. These subunits differ by inclusion or deletion of three amino acids and substitution of a Ser for a Gly. The two forms of Drosophila Gs alpha differ in a region where no variation in the primary sequence of vertebrate Gs alpha subunits has been observed. In vitro translation experiments demonstrated that the Drosophila subunits migrate anomalously on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with apparent molecular weights of 51,000 and 48,000. Additional Gs alpha transcript heterogeneity reflects the use of multiple polyadenylation sites.
Perspectives on depression—past, present, futurea

Depression presents a wide canvas for considering some approaches, issues, and problems in the study of major categories of mental illness in the context of current behavioral and molecular neurobiology. The study of depression encompasses multiple interactions among psychiatry, neurology, and neuroscience, as well as interactions with a host of other disciplines. This paper considers issues from an American perspective and discusses topics including historical aspects of the ways humanity has struggled with depression; the growth of approaches, and the "wars" in psychiatry in the middle of the 20th century between different ideologies; the development of psychiatry as a behavioral science inclusive of many disciplines; current diagnostic systems such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association, and the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders of the World Health Organization; the efforts to delineate subtypes of depression; the search for new neurobiological and behavioral targets in the context of the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria framework; and examples of potential future discoveries and disciplines that may ultimately improve treatment.
Paraffin actuated surface micromachined valves

A new, active, normally-open blocking microvalve that uses the thermal expansion of a sealed, thin paraffin patch for actuation has been fabricated and tested. The entire structure is batch-fabricated by surface micromachining the actuator and channel materials on top of a single substrate. The paraffin actuated microvalves are suitable for applications requiring many devices on a single die, low processing temperatures, and simple, nonbonded process technology. Gas flow rates in the 0.1-2.0 sccm range have been measured for several devices with actuation powers less than 50 mW.
The use of phillipsite in test construction of agglutinated deep‐sea benthonic foraminifera

Agglutinated deep-sea benthonic foraminifera with tests composed of phillipsite are documented and illustrated from a red clay sequence in a Giant Piston Core from the central North Pacific. Associated with the benthonic foraminifera are phillipsite crystal rosettes and aggregates of phiilipsite crystals. The benthonic foraminifera and phillipsite crystals constitute most of the > 38 μm fraction, but have little effect upon the mean size of the red clay sediments.
Regeneration of a functional RNA virus genome by recombination between deletion mutants and requirement for cowpea chlorotic mottle virus 3a and coat genes for systemic infection

Abstract RNAs 1 and 2 of the tripartite cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) genome are sufficient for RNA replication in protoplasts, whereas systemic infection of cowpea plants additionally requires RNA3, which encodes the 3a noncapsid protein and coat protein. By using biologically active CCMV cDNA clones, we find that deletions in either RNA3 gene block systemic infection. Thus, though some plant RNA viruses are able to spread systemically without encapsidation, both the coat and 3a genes are required for systemic infection of cowpeas by CCMV. When plants were coinoculated with CCMV RNAs 1 and 2 and both the 3a and coat deletion mutants of RNA3, 30-60% rapidly developed systemic infection. Progeny RNA recovered from systemically infected leaves in such infections contained neither of the starting deletion mutants but rather a single full-length RNA3 component with both genes intact. Nucleotide substitutions introduced into the coat protein deletion mutant as an artificial marker were recovered in the full-length progeny RNA, confirming its recombinant nature. Intermolecular RNA recombination in planta can, therefore, rescue a complete infectious genome from coinoculated mutants independently disabled for systemic spread. These results have implications for the repair of defective genomes produced by frequent natural replication errors, the possible emergence of newly adapted RNA viruses upon coinfection of new hosts, and further studies of RNA virus recombination.
Implementation of SDE method to represent cutter swept volumes in 5-axis NC milling

The sweep differential equation (SDE) method is based upon analyzing and computing the boundary of the cutter swept volume in 5-axis NC milling. The points on the boundary of the cutter swept volume are shown to be a subset of the union of (1) the grazing points of the cutter for the entire sweep, (2) the ingress points of the cutter at the beginning of the sweep, and (3) the egress points of the cutter at the end of the sweep. The grazing points at each time instant are computed from a tangency function which describes the relationship between the sweep vector and the outward surface normals for all the points on the boundary of the cutter. An algorithm is developed and a software program is written for the computation and display of the tool swept volumes for a typical 5-axis NC milling machine. An example is given to demonstrate the algorithm in computing the swept volume of a ball-end cutter.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Gracilaria tikvahiae agglutinin. Partial purification and preliminary characterization of its carbohydrate specificity

A potent agglutinin of rabbit and sheep red blood cells, obtained from the red alga Gracilaria tikvahiae, was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion exchange, gel filtration, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Human A and B blood group erythrocytes were also agglutinated, whereas human O blood group erythrocytes were not agglutinated. The hemagglutination titer was not significantly affected by the addition of EDTA or the divalent cations Ca2+, Mg2+, or Mn2+. The carbohydrate specificity was characterized by hemagglutination inhibition using various monosaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycopeptides. The results suggested that the agglutinin has affinity for N-acetylneuraminic acid as well as glycoconjugates containing N-acetylneuraminic acid.
Surrogacy assessment using principal stratification and a Gaussian copula model.

In clinical trials, a surrogate outcome (S) can be measured before the outcome of interest (T) and may provide early information regarding the treatment (Z) effect on T. Many methods of surrogacy validation rely on models for the conditional distribution of T given Z and S. However, S is a post-randomization variable, and unobserved, simultaneous predictors of S and T may exist, resulting in a non-causal interpretation. Frangakis and Rubin developed the concept of principal surrogacy, stratifying on the joint distribution of the surrogate marker under treatment and control to assess the association between the causal effects of treatment on the marker and the causal effects of treatment on the clinical outcome. Working within the principal surrogacy framework, we address the scenario of an ordinal categorical variable as a surrogate for a censored failure time true endpoint. A Gaussian copula model is used to model the joint distribution of the potential outcomes of T, given the potential outcomes of S. B...
Intraventricular pressure and electrocardiographic recordings of the dying rabbit heart.

Abstract Eighteen experiments on the dying rabbit heart have been studied by simultaneously recorded right ventricular pressures and Lead II electrocardiograms. The persistence of electrical activity beyond apparent clinical death of the animals, demonstrable right intraventricular pulsatile changes, and visible muscular contractions has been presented. Injury potentials associated with the degenerating heart may be a factor in the production of the electrocardiographic changes.
Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET) Imaging: A Novel Method for Optical Imaging of PET Isotopes in Biological Systems

Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) allows sensitive, non-invasive analysis of the distribution of radiopharmaceutical tracers labeled with positron (b + )-emitting radionuclides in small animals and humans. Upon b + decay, the initial velocity of high-energy b + particles can momentarily exceed the speed of light in tissue, producing Cerenkov radiation that is detectable by optical imaging, but is highly absorbed in living organisms. Principal Findings: To improve optical imaging of Cerenkov radiation in biological systems, we demonstrate that Cerenkov radiation from decay of the PET isotopes 64 Cu and 18 F can be spectrally coupled by energy transfer to high Stokes-shift quantum nanoparticles (Qtracker705) to produce highly red-shifted photonic emissions. Efficient energy transfer was not detected with 99m Tc, a predominantly c-emitting isotope. Similar to bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), herein we define the Cerenkov radiation energy transfer (CRET) ratio as the normalized quotient of light detected within a spectral window centered on the fluorophore emission divided by light detected within a spectral window of the Cerenkov radiation emission to quantify imaging signals. Optical images of solutions containing Qtracker705 nanoparticles and [ 18 F]FDG showed CRET ratios in vitro as high as 8.861.1, while images of mice with subcutaneous pseudotumors impregnated with Qtracker705 following intravenous injection of [ 18 F]FDG showed CRET ratios in vivo as high as 3.560.3.
Nanomechanical properties of platinum thin films synthesized by atomic layer deposition

Abstract The nanomechanical properties of Pt thin films grown on Si (100) using atomic layer deposition (ALD) were investigated using nanoindentation. Recently, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has successfully demonstrated the capability to deposit ultra-thin films of platinum (Pt). Using (methylcyclopentadienyl) trimethylplatinum (MeCpPtMe3) as chemical platinum precursor and oxygen (O2) as the oxidizing agent, the ALD synthesis of Pt can be achieved with high conformity and excellent film uniformity. The ALD process window for Pt films was experimentally established in the temperature range between 270 °C and 320 °C, where the sheet conductance was constant over that temperature range, indicating stable ALD Pt film growth rate. ALD growth of Pt films exhibits very poor nucleation and adhesion characteristics on bare Si surfaces when the native oxide was removed by 2% HF etch. Pt adhesion improves for thermally oxidized Si wafers and for Si wafers covered with native oxide. Three ALD Pt films deposited at 800, 900, and 1000 ALD deposition cycles were tested for the structural and mechanical properties. Additionally, the sample with 900 ALD deposition cycles was further annealed in forming gas (95% N2 and 5% H2) at 450 °C for 30 min in order to passivate dangling bonds in the grain boundaries of the polycrystalline Pt film. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed to characterize the films' surface structure and morphology. Nanoindentation technique was used to evaluate the hardness and modulus of the ALD Pt films of various film thicknesses. The results indicate that the films depict comparable hardness and modulus results; however, the 800 and 1000 ALD deposition cycles films without forming gas annealing experienced significant amount of pileup, whereas the 900 ALD deposition cycles sample annealed in forming gas resulted in a smaller pileup.
Estimates of Learning by Doing in the Manufacture of Electric Power Gas Turbines

This paper investigates LBO in prices and heat rates of gas turbines. We test whether the LBO spills over from production experience with smaller units. Progress ratios range from 0.83 to 0.95 for price and 0.89 to 0.94 for the heat rate. We do not find that learning spills over from the smaller size class. Since lower heat rates have an upward effect on price, the two learning effects offset one another so that the reduced form of experience on price is not significantly different from zero. The net result is that LBO has a large effect, but does not result in lower prices per se. The effects of cumulative experience are simultaneous increases in the performance, which tends to increase the value hence the price, and reductions in production costs, which allow the better unit to be sold for roughly the same price as the newer unit.
CLOSURE DIFFICULTY, FIGURE-SIZE EXPANSION, AND FIGURE-SIZE CONSTRICTION ON 240 GRAHAM-KENDALL MEMORY-FOR-DESIGNS RECORDS

To determine the frequency of occurrence of closure difficulty, figure-size expansion, and figure-size constriction, 240 university students were administered the Graham-Kendall Memory-For-Designs test. Subjects were volunteers enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses and were between 18 and 23 yr. of age, male or female, and U.S. citizens. The purpose was to define a sampling of drawing styles exhibited in a normal group on this test. Each drawing style, or factor, was treated as an independent variable, and the frequency of occurence of each level (dependent variable) was compared via chi square. It was noted that a significant number of subjects exhibited some degree of closure difficulty with the designs (X2 = 101.72, p less than .01). Figure-size expansion was noted as extremely rare for this sample (X2 = 444.78, p less than .01). Finally, extreme figure-size constriction occurred significantly more often than either moderate or no contriction of the designs (X2 = 62.58, p less than .01).
Gamma-ray sterilization and its effect on intraocular lenses

Abstract Lenses sterilized by gamma-irradiation were examined and analyzed. The irradiation caused profound chemical changes in the storage fluid which, it is argued, were responsible for the high rate of sterile hypopyon experienced with these lenses.
Written informed consent for i.v. contrast-enhanced radiography: patients' attitudes and common limitations

In a multiinstitutional study, we surveyed 902 patients who were undergoing IV contrast-enhanced CT or IV urography; the purpose of the study was to determine patients' reactions to being given a written description of some of the risks associated with radiographic contrast material just before undergoing the examination. Ninety percent of the patients who responded said they would rather receive this information than not receive it. Ten percent said they preferred not to be given the information. Limitations in obtaining a truly informed consent were not rare and occurred in patients with medical emergencies (3% of cases) and in those with a limited understanding of risk disclosure (11% of cases). Patients in the latter category included those who were comatose or semicomatose (2%), those with dementia (1%), those with aphasia (0.8%), those who had psychiatric problems (0.8%), those who were sedated (0.6%), those who were unable to read (2%), those who were unable to understand English (2%), and those wh...
The Use of Living Cases in International Management

Abstract Educators recognize the need to provide ‘hands-on, practical experience’ to business students and exposure to ‘real world’ concerns. This article describes an approach to using living cases in a class on international management, whereby students complete a semester long consulting project for a local small business and provide that company with a plan on how to “go international.”
Destruction of cortisone and related steroids by traces of copper during purification procedures.

WE wish to report the destruction of µgm. quantities of cortisone and related steroids by traces of cupric ion and the prevention of such destruction by addition of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid.
A feedback controller for supplemental oxygen treatment of newborn infants: a simulation study

A microcomputer control system has been developed for supplemental oxygen therapy of newborn infants. The system uses feedback of arterial oxygen saturation to adjust the concentration of oxygen in the incubator or under the hood. The control system has been tested under different physiological conditions, using a detailed simulation model of the neonatal respiratory system. Some of the simulation results of this study are presented to illustrate the performance of the controller.
In the Fall of 2002, the ANP had shown a better way to deal with Iraq

In 2003, the United States launched a pre-emptive strike against Iraq which was largely defended by the Bush Administration as an act to protect national security. In the months leading up to the attack, however, the US was still in the decision-making process - should we work with the UN on enforcing sanctions? go in only with Allied support? launch a pre-emptive strike with mainly US forces? During this time, the Analytic Network Process [T.L. Saaty, The Analytic Network Process, Fundamentals of Decision Making and Priority Theory, second ed., RWS Publications, Pittsburgh, 2001] was used to determine the best course of action. Working with the UN to ensure weapons inspections was found to be the best choice; the model showed that other alternatives, such as a pre-emptive attack on Iraq or attacking Iraq with Allied help would increase the possibility of such risks as increased oil prices, increased terrorism, decreased domestic support for the war, and high economic costs of sustaining the war itself.
Ultrastructure of the human erythrocyte cytoskeleton and its attachment to the membrane

We attached paraformaldehyde-fixed human erythrocyte ghosts to coated coverslips and sheared them to expose the cytoskeleton. Quick-freeze, deep-etch, rotary-replication, or tannic acid/osmium fixation and plastic embedding revealed the cytoskeleton as a dense network of intersecting straight filaments. Previous negative stain studies on spread skeletons found 5-6 spectrin tetramers intersecting at each actin oligomer, with an estimated 250 such intersections/microns 2 of membrane. In contrast, we found 3-4 filaments at each intersection and approximately 400 intersections/microns 2 of membrane. Immunogold labeling verified that the filaments were spectrin, but their lengths (29-37 nm) were approximately one-third that of extended spectrin dimers. The length and diameter of the filaments were sufficient to accommodate spectrin dimers, but not spectrin tetramers. Our results suggest that, in situ, spectrin dimers may associate as hexamers and octamers, rather than tetramers. We present several explanations that can reconcile our observations on intact cytoskeletons with previous reports on spread material. Extracting sheared ghosts with solutions of low ionic strength removed the cytoskeleton to reveal projections from the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane. These projections contained band 3, as shown by immunogold labeling, and they aggregated to a similar extent as intramembrane particles (IMP) when the cytoskeleton was removed, suggesting a direct relationship between these structures. Quantification indicated a stoichiometry of 2 IMP for each cytoplasmic projection. Cytoplasmic projections presumably contain other proteins besides band 3 since further treatment with high ionic strength solutions extracts peripheral proteins and reduces the diameter of projections by approximately 3 nm.
Predicting disease risks from highly imbalanced data using random forest

We present a method utilizing Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) dataset for predicting disease risk of individuals based on their medical diagnosis history. The presented methodology may be incorporated in a variety of applications such as risk management, tailored health communication and decision support systems in healthcare. We employed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, which is publicly available through Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), to train random forest classifiers for disease prediction. Since the HCUP data is highly imbalanced, we employed an ensemble learning approach based on repeated random sub-sampling. This technique divides the training data into multiple sub-samples, while ensuring that each sub-sample is fully balanced. We compared the performance of support vector machine (SVM), bagging, boosting and RF to predict the risk of eight chronic diseases. We predicted eight disease categories. Overall, the RF ensemble learning method outperformed SVM, bagging and boosting in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). In addition, RF has the advantage of computing the importance of each variable in the classification process. In combining repeated random sub-sampling with RF, we were able to overcome the class imbalance problem and achieve promising results. Using the national HCUP data set, we predicted eight disease categories with an average AUC of 88.79%.
The influence of surface complexity on judgments of area

The apparent size of squares was determined as a function of physical area and of surface complexity using the method of magnitude estimation. Apparent area increases as a power function of physical area with a slope of about 0.90. The judged areas also increased as a function of complexity of patterns upon the surface, the most complex surfaces being judged approximately 30% larger than the most simple surfaces.
Shephard's lemma and rate of return regulation

Abstract By counter example this paper shows that in general, Shephard's lemma cannot be used for the usual formulation of the rate of return regulated cost function. A solution to the problem is supplied.
Convergent regulation of sodium channels by protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The function of voltage-gated sodium channels that are responsible for action potential generation in mammalian brain neurons is modulated by phosphorylation by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (cA-PK) and by protein kinase C (PKC). Reduction of peak sodium currents by cA-PK in intact cells required concurrent activation of PKC and was prevented by blocking phosphorylation of serine 1506, a site in the inactivation gate of the channel that is phosphorylated by PKC but not by cA-PK. Replacement of serine 1506 with negatively charged amino acids mimicked the effect of phosphorylation. Conversion of the consensus sequence surrounding serine 1506 to one more favorable for cA-PK enhanced modulation of sodium currents by cA-PK. Convergent modulation of sodium channels required phosphorylation of serine 1506 by PKC accompanied by phosphorylation of additional sites by cA-PK. This regulatory mechanism may serve to integrate neuronal signals mediated through these parallel signaling pathways.
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES OF NEUTRON IRRADIATED BERYLLIUM OXIDE.

Abstract Defect clusters produced in beryllium oxide by neutron irradiation have been examined by transmission electron microscopy of thin chips. Specimens studied were given fast neutron dosages ranging from 5 × 1019 to ≈ 5 × 1021 nvt at temperatures ranging from pile ambient to 1200° C. Low temperature, low dose irradiation produces almost imperceptibly small dot clusters which enlarge with both increasing irradiation dose and temperature. In specimens irradiated at approximately 650° C, the dot clusters begin to show evidence of alignment parallel to the BeO basal plane and irradiation at temperatures above ≈ 800° C produces resolvable loops in the basal plane which are believed to be planar groups of interstitials or vacancies. Because of the predominant prismatic cleavage of BeO, these loops are usually observed in cross section and appear as lines perpendicular to the crystallographic c-axis. A few instances of loops oriented in prism planes have also been seen in BeO irradiated at high temperatures. Post-irradiation annealing of BeO containing basal plane defects produced a relatively defect-free structure similar to that of the unirradiated state.
Rethinking brain death

Objective To evaluate whether current criteria for the diagnosis of brain death fulfill the requirement for the "irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem." Data sources Clinical, philosophical, legal, and public policy literature on the subject of brain death. Data extraction/synthesis We advance four arguments to support the view that patients who meet the current clinical criteria for brain death do not necessarily have the irreversible loss of all brain function. First, many clinically brain-dead patients maintain hypothalamic-endocrine function. Second, many maintain cerebral electrical activity. Third, some retain evidence of environmental responsiveness. Fourth, the brain is physiologically defined as the central nervous system, and many clinically brain-dead patients retain central nervous system activity in the form of spinal reflexes. We explore options for resolving these inconsistencies between the conceptual definition and the clinical criteria used to make the diagnosis of brain death. Conclusions Brain death is a valid conception of death because it signifies the permanent loss of consciousness. Brain death criteria should therefore be based on the diagnosis of the permanent loss of consciousness rather than that of the loss of vegetative brain functions. Revision of our current "whole brain" definition of brain death to a "higher brain" standard should be considered.
Division synchrony and the dynamics of microbial populations: A size-specific model

A discrete, environmentally coupled, size-specific model of microbial population dynamics in continuous culture is presented. It is mathematically simpler than other models based on similar assumptions and lends itself to numerical and analytic solutions. It displays several phenomena which have been reported in the experimental literature but which are not well understood; specifically, a loose relationship between biomass and numbers (i.e., a time lag between mass growth and cell division) and a critical damping of biomass while numbers continue to oscillate. In addition, the model provides several new predictions: The stable biomass distribution is independent of the environmental factors considered in the model and uniformly distributes the biomass among the size classes. The rate of approach to stability and the frequency of waves through the size distributions are a function of the flow rate and the variance in rate of growth and size at division. The model should provide a useful basis for studying the effects of size specificity on the dynamics of microbial populations cultured in chemostats.
Magnitude of the Magnetic Exchange Interaction in the Heavy-Fermion Antiferromagnet CeRhIn 5

We have used high-resolution neutron spectroscopy experiments to determine the complete spin wave spectrum of the heavy-fermion antiferromagnet ${\mathrm{CeRhIn}}_{5}$. The spin wave dispersion can be quantitatively reproduced with a simple frustrated ${J}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{J}_{2}$ model that also naturally explains the magnetic spin-spiral ground state of ${\mathrm{CeRhIn}}_{5}$ and yields a dominant in-plane nearest-neighbor magnetic exchange constant ${J}_{0}=0.74(3)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$. Our results pave the way to a quantitative understanding of the rich low-temperature phase diagram of the prominent $\mathrm{Ce}T{\mathrm{In}}_{5}$ ($T=\mathrm{Co}$, Rh, Ir) class of heavy-fermion materials.
Measurement of the anomalous phase velocity of ballistic light in a random medium by use of a novel interferometer.

Ballistic light, i.e., radiation that propagates undeflected through a turbid medium, undergoes a small change in phase velocity and exhibits unusual dispersion because of its wave nature. We use a novel highly sensitive differential phase optical interferometer to study these previously unmeasurable phenomena. We find that ballistic propagation can be classified into three regimes based on the wavelength-to-size ratio. In the regime in which the scatterer size is comparable with the wavelength, there is an anomalous phase-velocity increase as a result of adding scatterers of higher refractive index. We also observe an anomaly in the relative phase velocity, where red light is slowed more than blue light even though the added scatterers are made of material with normal dispersion.
Microstructural evolution and rheological behavior during the gelation of ceramic sols

Abstract Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of vitrified liquid samples allows the direct observation of the development of microstructure. This technique is used to observe the structural changes that occur during the sol-to-gel transition of colloidal silica, colloidal pseudo-boehmite, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) gelled under both acidic and basic conditions. TEM results are correlated with macroscopic flow behavior in order to better understand how the microstructure controls material properties. Differences in structural evolution during the gelation of colloidal silica and pseudo-boehmite appeared to be related to the morphologies of the particles: spherical (colloidal silica) versus flat platelets (pseudo-boehmite). Base-catalyzed TEOS developed a structure of small (≈ 4 mm) silica-rich clusters which agglomerated to form a gel, while the acid-catalyzed TEOS structure details were on a much finer scale (
Infrared- and millimeter-wavelength continuum absorption in the atmospheric windows: Measurements and models

Abstract Attenuation of electromagnetic waves by atmospheric gases in an important consideration in a variety of radar and electro-optical applications. Molecular absorption by strong bands of H 2 O and CO 2 defines the atmospheric window regions. The window regions are not totally transparent and feature weak line absorption and continuum absorption. The experimental character of continuum absorption by water vapor in atmospheric window regions at millimeter wavelengths and 10, 4 and 2.2 μm and nitrogen at 4 μm is surveyed. This includes recent measurements at the The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory on H 2 O at 2.2 μm and the nitrogen collision-induced band at 4.3 μm. Also, some of the concepts and models used to characterize these phenomena will be reviewed. The search for a unified theory on the water vapor continuum has been elusive, yet the frequency and pressure dependence is consistent with current far-wing theories. The temperature dependence is not totally understood. A model describing the temperature dependence of the integrated intensity of the collision-induced nitrogen vibrational band is emphasized.