cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of pregabalin on sensorimotor gating in 'low' gating humans and mice.

Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant and anxiolytic compound that binds to α2-δ auxiliary subunit Types 1 and 2 of voltage-gated calcium channels, has been shown to reduce excitatory neurotransmission partially through modulation of glutamatergic signaling. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating impacted by disruption of the glutamatergic system and is reduced in schizophrenia patients. Dysregulation of the glutamatergic system has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Here we tested the hypothesis that pregabalin may ameliorate PPI in a model of deficient gating in humans and mice. In study 1, 14 healthy human subjects participated in a within subjects, cross-over study with placebo, 50 mg or 200 mg pregabalin treatment prior to undergoing a PPI task. In study 2, 24 C57BL/6 mice underwent a similar procedure with vehicle, 30 and 100 mg/kg dose treatments. In both studies, subjects were assigned to a “Low” or “High” gating group using a median split procedure based on their PPI performance during placebo/vehicle. Drug effects were then examined across these groups. In humans, pregabalin treatment significantly increased PPI performance in the “low gating” group. In mice, pregabalin treatment significantly increased PPI in the low gating group but reduced PPI in the high gating group. Across species, pregabalin treatment improves PPI in subjects with low gating. These data support further exploration of pregabalin as a potential treatment for disorders characterized by sensorimotor gating deficits and glutamatergic hypersignaling, such as schizophrenia.
Evaluation of Social Competence Training in the Schools.

Abstract A social competence program for high risk children is described and evaluated in this paper. Advanced undergraduates majoring in psychology used interpersonal problem-solving techniques to work with 32 maladapting first through third graders who were seen on a small group basis. The intervention program was conducted for 14 weeks. Compared to a control group of 32 children, results indicated that children in the program made siginficantly greater gains in classroom adjustment as rated by teachers. Additionally, socimetric status served as a criterion for evaluating program effectiveness. Results demonstrated that children who participated in the social competence training made significantly greater gains in peer acceptance as measured by a brief sociometric questionnaire than the controls. The implications of these findings and the methodological limitations of the study are discussed.
America’s shifting emphasis to the Pacific

East Asian nations, which not long ago were counted among the more backward, are emerging as dramatically expanding markets as well as tough competitors for the United States. Predictions are that the Pacific-rim economy will expand twice as fast as the rest of the world. Professor Jens Biermeier shows that there has been a shift in the trading pattern of the United States away from Europe towards Asia as well as a shift of US political and strategic interests from the Atlantic to the Pacific in recent years.
Permeability of cultured megakaryocytopoietic cells of the rat to dimethyl sulfoxide

Abstract The permeability of the membrane of the rat megakaryocytopoietic cell to dimethyl sulfoxide was measured to assess its availability to the intracellular compartment. The method used was osmotic, and measured the initial loss of cell water followed by a reswelling to isotonic volume when cells were placed in culture media containing 0.6 M DMSO. Values for the hydraulic coefficient, Lp, the permeability of the membrane to DMSO, wRT, and the reflection coefficient were calculated from the equations of Kedem and Katchalsky. The average value at 25 °C for Lp was 0.46 μm min−1 atm1; wRT was 9.3 μm min−1, and the reflection coefficient was 0.65. At these cell volumes, 50% equilibration occurred in 5 sec. Cells equilibrated in 0.6 M DMSO increased their volume of osmotically inactive water. Coupled with this phenomenon of stabilization of water was a reduction in the hydraulic coefficient by 50%. These findings are discussed in the context of current hypotheses about cellular viability during freezing and thawing in the presence and absence of cryoprotectants.
Compatibility and transesterification in binary polymer blends

Abstract Polyester blends have been intensively studied both for industrial application and for academic interest. Properties of these blends are related to their miscibility. It has been found that the miscibility reported for certain blends has been influenced by transesterification. For other polyester pairs miscibility is caused directly and only by interaction of components. The miscibility for a variety of polyester blends, including polyester liquid crystals, is discussed and the relationship between the miscibility and transesterification in the individual blend pairs is detailed in this review.
Interpreting problematic behavior: Systematic compensatory adaptations as emergent phenomena in autism

Based upon an emergent account of pragmatic ability and disability, this article provides theoretical and empirical support for a conceptually deeper understanding of some systematic behaviors that have served as diagnostic indices in communicatively impaired populations. Specifically, by employing conversation analysis, several examples of problematic behaviors in autism are analysed as a specific type of compensatory adaptation. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Designing Culturally-informed Consumer Health IT: An Exploration and Proposed Integration of Contrasting Methodological Perspectives

As the locus of health care migrates from institutional to home- and community-based settings, designers face news challenges in developing consumer health information technology (health IT) to support patients and informal caregivers with their new self-care and self-management responsibilities. For such technologies to be appropriately designed, they must be aligned, in part, with the cultural context within which these consumers are embedded. Designing culturally-informed consumer health IT is challenging partly because of the tensions that exist between engineering and cultural anthropological approaches to studying the intersection of culture and technology. This paper proposes both a framework for conceptualizing these tensions and a potential embedded, sequential integration of these approaches to capitalize on the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of each methodological perspective.
Cumulative adversity in early childhood is associated with increased BMI and behavioural problems.

Commentary on : Slopen N, Koenen KC, Kubzansky LD. Cumulative adversity in childhood and emergent risk factors for long-term health. J Pediatr 2014;164:631–8.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Slopen and colleagues’ study adds to a growing body of research examining the impact of adverse and traumatic childhood experiences on adult physical health.1 While childhood adversity has been convincingly implicated in the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, the sensitive period in which children may be particularly susceptible to the impact of adversity or … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BPediatr%26rft.volume%253D164%26rft.spage%253D631%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.jpeds.2013.11.003%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24345452%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.11.003&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24345452&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F18%2F2%2F48.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000331539100039&link_type=ISI
The wired city: Problem boundaries with municipal government, health care delivery, education, state services and the informed public

This paper considers some of the sociological problems and benefits which must be anticipated by any community which is planning a major TV cable system with a large, on-line computer system at the cable head, providing a large-scale data retrieval and store-and-forward system. We will confine the discussion to the impact of (and on) the provision of data services. The University of Illinois experiment has already shown the basic technical feasibility of such a system for 4000 active users.1
Learning to love computer science: peer leaders gain teaching skill, communicative ability and content knowledge in the CS classroom

This paper describes the benefits of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), an NSF-sponsored program in the sciences, to peer leaders serving in the Computing Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI). Beyond the benefits to students enrolled in the PLTL courses, survey findings show the majority of peer leaders report increased self-efficacy in teaching computer science, improved content knowledge, and better communication and leadership skills following a semester of leading PLTL. Results from this diverse group of leaders indicate no differences in gains between underrepresented minority and majority students, suggesting the program may provide a path for improving retention of underrepresented groups in the field.
On the Heart in Relation to Circulation of Hemocytes in Insects

Verson (1908) found that silkworm hemocytes did not enter the heart, and stated that this was because of the narrowness of the ostial slits. Absence of hemocytes from the silkworm heart was noted by Masera (1933) in his study on pulsation rates. According to Weber (1935) the hemocytes of adult Aleurodes are too large to enter the heart and only plasma circulates through it. Wiggles worth (1950) found that the hemocytes in Rhodnius fail to enter the heart lumen and on the basis of this observation and those of the previously mentioned workers has concluded that in insects “… only cell-free hemolymph can be said to truly circulate.” He goes on to say that “… it is obvious, therefore, that the numbers of circulating cells must vary enormously from time to time.”
Estimating the beam attenuation coefficient in coastal waters from AVHRR imagery

This paper presents an algorithm to estimate particle beam attenuation at 660 nm (cp660) in coastal areas using the red and near-infrared channels of the NOAA AVHRR satellite sensor. In situ reflectance spectra and cp660 measurements were collected at 23 stations in Case I and II waters during an April 1993 cruise in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The reflectance spectra were weighted by the spectral response of the AVHRR sensor and integrated over the channel 1 waveband to estimate the atmospherically corrected signal recorded by the satellite. An empirical relationship between integrated reflectance and cp660 values was derived with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.88. Because the AVHRR sensor requires a strong channel 1 signal, the algorithm is applicable in highly turbid areas (cp660 > 1.5 m−1) where scattering from suspended sediment strongly controls the shape and magnitude of the red (550–650 nm) reflectance spectrum. The algorithm was tested on a data set collected 2 years later in different coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico and satellite estimates of cp660 averaged within 37% of measured values. Application of the algorithm provides daily images of nearshore regions at 1 km resolution for evaluating processes affecting ocean color distribution patterns (tides, winds, currents, river discharge). Further validation and refinement of the algorithm are in progress to permit quantitative application in other coastal areas. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
A sticky problem: the Xenopus cement gland as a paradigm for anteroposterior patterning.

The cement gland is a mucus-secreting organ found at the extreme anterior of frog embryos. It attaches the embryo to a solid support before swimming and feeding begin, and also serves a related sensory function that stops the embryo from moving once it is attached. Cement gland is an extremely useful anterior marker, whose study continues to yield fundamental information concerning vertebrate axial patterning. Cement gland arises from the outer layer of the embryonic ectoderm and, in Xenopus, forms a cone of columnar epithelium. It is the first ectodermal organ to differentiate, beginning to do so by late gastrula. A battery of genes expressed in the developing and mature cement gland serve as useful markers. Cement gland development can be influenced by both stimulatory and inhibitory cell interactions. Stimulatory signals arise from the anterior neural plate, head endoderm, and the dorsal mesoderm. Inhibitory signals are present in the posterior dorsal mesoderm and in ventral ectoderm and mesoderm. Further, signalling between the ectodermal layers may restrict cement gland differentiation to the outer ectodermal cells. Several secreted molecules are able to induce or repress cement gland formation: these include noggin, follistatin, hedgehog, chordin, retinoic acid, embryonic fibroblast growth factor (eFGF), Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 (BMP-4), and Xwnt-8. Several of these factors alter expression of the homeodomain gene Xotx2, which may be a transcriptional activator of cement gland differentiation genes. The significance of the cell interactions and factors described in positioning cement gland at the front of the embryo is explored. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The battle of Valle Giulia : oral history and the art of dialogue

This text, which takes it's title from a student protest of the 1960s in which the author took part, reflects on how to connect personal memories with history and how to fittingly collect and represent the complexity of memory.
Studies of the carboxyl terminal antigenic region of oxidized ribonuclease

Abstract The antigenic reactivity of the carboxy terminal region of oxidized bovine pancreatic ribonuclease has been examined using natural and synthetic peptides. Only partial inhibition of the precipitin reaction between oxidized ribonuclease and its antiserum can be achieved with tryptic fragments of the antigen. The amount of inhibition is independent of peptide concentration with high amounts of peptide. Peptides labeled with 3-H acetic anhydride bind to antibody. Inhibition of this binding by unlabeled fragments was followed by gel filtration to separate bound and unbound peptides. A number of peptides containing seven or more amino acids inhibit binding. Smaller peptides give marginal inhibition. Although the unlabeled carboxy terminal eicosapeptide gives almost complete inhibition, the fragments do not. The inhibition is concentration independent at high peptide concentrations. Binding was also studied by equilibrium dialysis with peptides containing 20 and 12 amino acids. Both had similar binding constants and a heterogeneity index of 0·99–1·0. The smaller peptide bound to only one-third of the antibody. These data suggest that antibody to the carboxy terminal region is a mixture of antibodies directed toward different portions of the site.
Arbitrage approximation theory

Abstract This essay concerns three principles for eliminating arbitrage opportunities: (i) No Arbitrage (NA), (ii) No Approximate Arbitrage (NAA), and (iii) No Free Lunches (NFL). Assuming there is NAA, the space of contingent claims priced by arbitrage is characterized both analytically and geometrically. If the market is incomplete, then this set is typically a superset of the marketed claims space. Furthermore, it is shown that there exists a unique valuation operator if and only if there are NFL and every contingent claim is priced by arbitrage. Consequently, it is possible that every contingent claim is priced by arbitrage in an incomplete market.
The recognition of two specific binding sites of the adenine nucleotide translocase by palmitoyl CoA in bovine heart mitochondria and submitochondrial particles.

Abstract Palmitoyl CoA which is an effective inhibitor of adenine nucleotide transport is able to remove bound [ 14 C]ADP and [ 3 H]atractylate from the translocator on the outer side of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Bongkrekic acid, when added to the incubation medium prior to palmitoyl CoA, can prevent the removal of bound [ 14 C]ADP from the membrane by palmitoyl CoA, however, bongkrekic acid is ineffective if palmitoyl CoA is added first. Upon incubation with inverted submitochondrial particles, both palmitoyl CoA and bongkrekic acid prevent the uptake and transport of [ 14 C]ADP by the particles. Moreover, when the submitochondrial particles are preincubated with [ 14 C]ADP, palmitoyl CoA, like bongkrekic acid, is unable to remove the bound nucleotide from the inner face of the carrier. Thus, palmitoyl CoA which has a high affinity for the translocator on both sides of the inner mitochondrial membrane, nevertheless, interacts differently with the carrier on each side of the membrane. This suggests that the translocase contains binding sites in two specific states both of which accommodate palmitoyl CoA.
Towards the Essence of Hygiene

Hygiene is an essential aspect of Scheme's macro system that prevents unintended variable capture. However, previous work on hygiene has focused on algorithmic implementation rather than precise, mathematical definition of what constitutes hygiene. This is in stark contrast with lexical scope, alpha-equivalence and capture-avoiding substitution, which also deal with preventing unintended variable capture but have widely applicable and well-understood mathematical definitions. This paper presents such a precise, mathematical definition of hygiene. It reviews various kinds of hygiene violation and presents examples of how they occur. From these examples, we develop a practical algorithm for hygienic macro expansion. We then present algorithm-independent, mathematical criteria for whether a macro expansion algorithm is hygienic. This characterization corresponds closely to existing hygiene algorithms and sheds light on aspects of hygiene that are usually overlooked in informal definitions.
CT Assistance for Fluoroscopically Guided Transthoracic Needle Aspiration Biopsy

AbstractFive cases are presented that illustrate the utility of obtaining limited CT prior to fluoroscopically guided biopsy in patients who have lung or mediastinal lesions that cannot be adequately localized by chest radiography. Each case describes a unique setting in which the CT images facilita
Diisopropyl-N,N-diethylcarbamylmethylene-phosphonate complexes of lanthanide nitrates☆

Abstract Solid adducts of lanthanide nitrates and diisopropyl- N,N -diethylcarbamylmethylenephosphonates (CMP) were prepared and studied. Two chloride adducts were also prepared. The lanthanide-CMP bonding was found to be bidentate in all cases. The structure appears to change between gadolinium and terbium.
Adjustment for measurement error in evaluating diagnostic biomarkers by using an internal reliability sample

Biomarkers are often measured with error due to imperfect lab conditions or temporal variability within subjects. Using an internal reliability sample of the biomarker, we develop a parametric bias-correction approach for estimating a variety of diagnostic performance measures including sensitivity, specificity, the Youden index with its associated optimal cut-point, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative diagnostic likelihood ratios when the biomarker is subject to measurement error. We derive the asymptotic properties of the proposed likelihood-based estimators and show that they are consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. We propose confidence intervals for these estimators and confidence bands for the receiver operating characteristic curve. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that the proposed approach removes the bias due to measurement error and outperforms the naive approach (which ignores the measurement error) in both point and interval estimation. We also derive the asymptotic bias of naive estimates and discuss conditions in which naive estimates of the diagnostic measures are biased towards estimates produced when the biomarker is ineffective (i.e., when sensitivity equals 1 – specificity) or are anti-conservatively biased. The proposed method has broad biomedical applications and is illustrated using a biomarker study in Alzheimer's disease. We recommend collecting an internal reliability sample during the biomarker discovery phase in order to adequately evaluate the performance of biomarkers with careful adjustment for measurement error.
From Force-Fields to Photons: MD Simulations of Dye-Labeled Nucleic Acids and Monte Carlo Modeling of FRET

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful technique for understanding the structural fluctuations and transformations of RNA, DNA and proteins. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a window into the nature of these fluctuations on a different, faster, time scale. We use Monte Carlo methods to model and compare FRET data from dye-labeled RNA with what might be predicted from the MD simulation. With a few notable exceptions, the contribution of fluorophore and linker dynamics to these FRET measurements has not been investigated. We include the dynamics of the ground state dyes and linkers in our study of a 16mer double-stranded RNA. Water is included explicitly in the simulation. Cyanine dyes are attached at either the 3’ or 5’ ends with a 3 carbon linker, and differences in labeling schemes are discussed.
Modal identification of a rotating-blade system

A new testing technique and the Ibrahim time-domain (ITD) modal identification algorithm have been combined, resulting in a capability to estimate modal parameters for rotating-blade systems. This capability has been evaluated on the Sandia two-meter, vertical-axis wind turbine. Variation in modal frequencies as a function of rotation speed has been experimentally determined from 0 rpm (parked) to 800 rpm. Excitation of the rotating turbine was provided by a scheme which suddenly released a pretensioned cable, thus plucking the turbine as it rotated. The structural response was obtained by passing the signals through slip rings. Using the measured free-decay responses as input data for the ITD algorithm, the modes of the rotating turbine were determined at seven rotation speeds. The measured modal parameters were compared with analytical results obtained from a finite element analysis and with experimental results obtained from a complex exponential identification algorithm.
Functional ramifications of FRET-detected nascent chain folding far inside the membrane-bound ribosome.

During protein biosynthesis, nascent protein chains are directed along a long narrow tunnel that spans the large ribosomal subunit. It has recently become clear that this structural feature has evolved to effect regulatory control over aspects of protein synthesis and protein trafficking. Since this control is nascent chain-specific, ribosomal components that form the tunnel must be involved in recognizing selected nascent proteins as they pass by. The present study focuses on one such situation in which nascent secretory proteins and membrane proteins are distinguished by the ribosome-induced folding of the latter9s hydrophobic transmembrane sequence far inside the ribosomal tunnel and close to the peptidyltransferase centre.
Effects of exogenous and endogenous attention on visually guided hand movements.

Attention can be directed to a peripheral location by either a peripheral visual stimulus or a central cue indicating the likely location of an upcoming target. The present study examined the effects of peripheral and central cuing on reaching. When the target was presented in a location different from that indicated by either type of attentional cue, movements with short latencies (<200 ms) were mostly initiated toward the cued location. When the target was presented 90° away from the direction indicated by the attentional cue, movements with intermediate latencies (200–300 ms) were often initiated in directions intermediate between the cue and the target, and the latencies of movements initiated toward the target were prolonged. This suggests that the location of an attentional cue was utilized as an initial value in the process specifying movement direction, and this was gradually modified by signals related to target location. When peripheral and central cues were combined in the same trials, effects of peripheral cues were substantially diminished, compared to when they were examined separately. Furthermore, movements were seldom initiated in directions intermediate between the two cues, suggesting that effects of peripheral and central cues are combined independently from the process that specifies movement direction.
Why a variable G

An attempt is made to put the possible time variability of G in a broader context. It is suggested that the variable G is a popular and incomplete representation of the problem of the validity of the strong equivalence principle (SEP). Particular reference is made to a reanalysis of Viking Mars data to study, in a model independent way, the influence of atomic clocks in recording purely gravitational phenomena. These data ought to provide the most reliable test of the variability of G and the validity of the SEP.
The importance of nomenclature for congenital cardiac disease: implications for research and evaluation.

Children’s Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of AmericaAbstract Background: Administrative databases are often used for congenital cardiac disease research andevaluation, with little validation of the accuracy of the diagnostic codes. Methods: Metropolitan Atlanta CongenitalDefects Program surveillance records were reviewed and classified using a version of the International Pediatric andCongenital Cardiac Code. Using this clinical nomenclature as the referent, we report the sensitivity and falsepositive fraction (1 – positive predictive value) of the In ternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision,Clinical Modification diagnosis codes for tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, and hypoplastic leftheart syndrome. Results: We identified 4918 infants and foetuses with congenital cardiac disease from thesurveillance records. Using only the International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes, there were 280 recordswith tetralogy, 317 records with transposition, and 192 records with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Based onthe International Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code, 330 records were classified as tetralogy, 163 records astransposition, and 179 records as hypoplastic left heart sy ndrome. The sensitivity of International Classification ofDiseases diagnosis codes was 83% for tetralogy, 100% fo r transposition, and 95% for hypoplastic left heartsyndrome. The false positive fraction was 2% for tetralo gy, 49% for transposition, and 11% for hypoplastic leftheart syndrome. Conclusions: Analyses based on International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes may havesubstantial misclassification of congenital heart disease. I solating the major defect is difficult, and certain codes donot differentiate between variants that are clinically and developmentally different.
Enhancing arithmetic and tree-based coding

Abstract Coding methods like the Huffman and the arithmetic coding utilize the skewness of character distribution, i.e. the distributional properties of data. Huffman's code assigns shorter codes to more frequently occurring characters to obtain compression while the arithmetic coding assigns larger intervals (code ranges) to characters having higher probabilities of occurrence. In this article, we present a scheme that enhances the model of both the Huffman and arithmetic coding by utilizing the locality of character reference, i.e. the tendency of consecutive characters to fall within the same type (e.g. alphabets, digits, trailing blanks, successive zeros). The basic idea is to split the character set into different groups based on the locality of character reference behavior and derive a new probability for each character that corresponds to the frequency of occurrence of that character within its group. This modification can be applied to both of the coding methods to improve the compression efficiency. The article is concluded by a discussion of hardware assistance for data encoding. Successful implementation of compression chips would be a significant enhancement to the technology of data encoding and would greatly contribute to reducing the cost of data transmission and data access within information processing machines and distributed information systems.
Delayed and Forgone Care for Families with Chronic Conditions in High-Deductible Health Plans

Background High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are an increasingly common strategy to contain health care costs. Individuals with chronic conditions are at particular risk for increased out-of-pocket costs in HDHPs and resulting cost-related underuse of essential health care.
An association between increased serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptors and a disturbance in muscle force in schizophrenic patients

1. 1. Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptors (SIL-2Rs), a sign of immune activation, are increased in approximately 30% of schizophrenic subjects. 2. 2. In a recent publication the authors found that SIL-2Rs were particularly elevated in schizophrenic subjects with tardive dyskinesia (TD). 3. 3. This paper investigates the relationship between muscle force instability and SIL-2Rs in 32 schizophenic patients, 10 of whom were neuroleptic-naive. 4. 4. The authors hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between increased levels of SIL-2Rs and muscle force instability. 5. 5. Serum SIL-2Rs and muscle force instability were positively correlated (r = 0.54, p < .001) in the schizophrenic patients, and this correlation held even for the subset of neurolepticnaive patients (r = .73, df 8, p = .016). 6. 6. These findings suggest that there is an important correlation between immune activation and muscle force instability in schizophrenic patients.
Collaborative information finding in smaller communities: The case of research talks

Social navigation and social tagging technologies enable user communities to assemble the collective wisdom, and use it to help community members in finding the right information. However, it takes a significantly-sized community to make a social system truly useful. The question addressed in this paper is whether collaborative information finding is feasible in the context of smaller communities. To answer this question, we developed two social systems specifically focused on smaller communities - CoMeT and Conference Navigator II - and explored several techniques to increase the volume of user contributions. This paper reviews the explored techniques and presents empirical evidence that demonstrate their effectiveness.
A review of recent NEPA alternatives analysis case law

Abstract According to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the analysis and comparison of alternatives is considered the “heart” of the NEPA process. Although over 20 years have passed since the original mandate appeared to construct and assess a “reasonable range” of alternatives contained in the CEQ Regulations, there is a perception that there is still a significant amount of confusion about what exactly constitutes a legally-compliant alternatives analysis. One manifestation of this confusion is the increasing amount of litigation over the alternatives analysis in NEPA documents. This study examined decisions on challenges to alternative analyses contained in federal agency NEPA documents in federal Courts of Appeals for the ten-year period 1996–2005. The results show that federal agencies are overwhelmingly successful against such challenges — winning 30 of the 37 cases. The most common challenge was that federal agencies had not included a full reasonable range of alternatives, while the second most frequent was that agencies had improperly constructed their purpose and need for their projects. Brief descriptions of several of the key court decisions are provided that illustrate the main factors that led to agencies being successful, as well as being unsuccessful, in their court challenges. The results provide little support for recent calls to amend the NEPA Statute and the CEQ Regulations to better clarify the requirements for alternatives analysis. The conclusion to the study focuses on practical steps NEPA practitioners can take to prepare their alternatives analyses in a manner that fulfills the requirements of the NEPA Statute and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations and makes them less vulnerable to an unfavorable court decision if legally challenged.
Static solutions for fourth order gravity

The Lichnerowicz and Israel theorems are extended to higher order theories of gravity. In particular it is shown that Schwarzschild is the unique spherically symmetric, static, asymptotically flat, black-hole solution, provided the spatial curvature is less than the quantum gravity scale outside the horizon. It is then shown that in the presence of matter (satisfying certain positivity requirements), the only static and asymptotically flat solutions of general relativity that are also solutions of higher order gravity are the vacuum solutions.
Bio-Inspired Rendezvous Strategies and Respondent Detections

In nature, many biological species have devised simple yet effective motion strategies that help them with a variety of tasks, such as foraging and mating. One such phenomenon has been observed in hoverflies, in which a male hoverfly moves in a certain path and appears stationary from the viewpoint of a moving female hoverfly. The use of this new bio-inspired strategy has recently been considered for rendezvous tasks in space situation-awareness missions. In this paper, the feasibilities of applying such a rendezvous strategy to free-flying (i.e., zero applied control acceleration) space vehicles and the respondent detections of such motion strategies to prevent orbital collisions are investigated in the local vertical and local horizontal frame. Algorithms for nontrivial free-flying scenarios are derived for both fixed and free-flying spacecraft. The extended Kalman filter is designed to demonstrate the ability to detect and monitor these types of rendezvous motions.
Simple reaction time in children: Effects of incentive, incentive-shift and other training variables☆

Abstract Twelve S s (boys of 5–11) in each of 16 groups performed in four sessions each composed of about 100 trials of various simple RT tasks. Groups were in one of the 16 patterns in which incentive level might be high or low in each session. Replication of results of a prior, two-session experiment was good. There were marked practice and incentive effects, but no evidence for incentive contrast effects using conventional comparisons. Certain comparisons did imply “disappointment” when initial experience of high incentive was followed by experience with low. Twenty of the S s were given six additional sessions with special shaping procedures and high incentive. Their performance was again improved substantially. The implication of this finding for classical maturational theories of the development of reaction speed was discussed.
Cytological Evidence that Alternative Transposition by Ac Elements Causes Reciprocal Translocations and Inversions in Zea mays L.

McClintock discovered the first transposable element system, the Ac/Ds system in maize. She also re- ported that the Ac/Ds system could cause chromosome breakage and chromosome aberrations; however, the un- derlying mechanism was not known. Here, we recovered reciprocal translocations and inversions that were pro- duced by alternative transposition in maize lines contain- ing closely linked Ac transposable element termini. The cytological breakpoints of 7 reciprocal translocations and 2 pericentric inversions were determined by cytological analysis in this study.
Language Brokering among Latino Adolescents: Prevalence, Attitudes, and School Performance

Language brokering refers to interpretation and translation between linguistically and culturally different parties. Unlike formal interpreters and translators, however, language brokers influence the messages they convey and may act as a decision makerfor one orboth parties. This article examines the prevalence of brokering amongLatino high school students born abroad and in the United States, and its relationship to brokers' language development and school performance. Survey responses revealed that all subjects brokered regardless of length of residence in the U.S. and the availability of other brokers. Many subjects who reported relatively low school achievement also noted translating a variety of linguistically sophisticated documents. The implications for language acquisition, school assessment, and home-school communication are discussed.
Two-dimensional recursive parameter identification for adaptive Kalman filtering

The authors study the development of a two-dimensional (2-D) adaptive Kalman filtering by recursive adjustment of the parameters of an autoregressive (AR) image model with a nonsymmetric half-plane (NSHP) region of support. The image and degradation models are formulated in a 2-D state-space model, for which the relevant 2-D Kalman filtering equations are given. The recursive parameter identification is achieved using the extension of the stochastic Newton approach to the 2-D case. This process can be implemented online to estimate the image model parameters based upon the local statistics in every processing window. Simulation results for removing an additive noise from a degraded image are presented. >
Genomic Profiles of Glioma

Recent large-scale genomic profiling studies of glioma have yielded a proliferation of candidate subclasses, biomarkers and therapeutic targets for investigation. Some findings, such as that of IDH mutation in low-grade gliomas and secondary glioblastoma (GBM), fit well into established notions of different routes of gliomagenesis. Other results, such as the division of primary GBM based on signaling pathway alterations, suggest new pathogenetic routes with implications for treatment. The analysis of this data is still in the early stage. Nonetheless, several preliminary findings merit consideration in the development and interpretation of current clinical trials.
Barbiturate-Like Actions of the Propanediol Dicarbamates Felbamate and Meprobamate

Felbamate and meprobamate are structurally related propanediol dicarbamates that possess distinct pharmacological profiles. Felbamate is a minimally sedative, broad-spectrum anticonvulsant, whereas meprobamate is a strong sedative-anxiolytic agent. Previously, we reported that felbamate potentiates γ-aminobutyric acidA(GABAA) receptor Cl− currents and inhibits N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor currents. Here we further characterized the interaction of the two dicarbamates with GABAA receptors to determine the basis for their pharmacological differences. In whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from cultured rat hippocampal neurons, meprobamate enhanced GABA-evoked responses in a concentration-dependent manner and, at high concentrations (>1 mM), exhibited a separate channel-blocking effect that limited the magnitude of GABAA receptor potentiation. At equivalent concentrations, meprobamate produced substantially greater potentiation than did felbamate. Furthermore, meprobamate (but not felbamate), in the absence of GABA, directly activated Cl− currents that could be attenuated by the GABAA receptor antagonists bicuculline and picrotoxin. The mean deactivation time constant of whole-cell currents evoked by 10 mM meprobamate (110 ms) or 1 and 3 μM GABA (180 ms) were faster than the deactivation time constant of 10 mM meprobamate (490 ms) or 3 mM felbamate (470 ms) in the presence of GABA. Meprobamate and felbamate prolonged the mean burst duration of GABA-activated unitary currents in excised outside-out membrane patches. In addition, at high (supratherapeutic) concentrations, meprobamate blocked NMDA-activated currents. We conclude that felbamate and meprobamate have barbiturate-like modulatory actions on GABAA receptors, but meprobamate has greater activity and, unlike felbamate, is able to directly activate the receptor.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN PHYSIOLOGY TEACHING USING A WIRELESS CLASSROOM COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Systems physiology, studied by biomedical engineers, is an analytical way to approach the homeostatic foundations of basic physiology. In many systems physiology courses, students attend lectures and are given homework and reading assignments to complete outside of class. The effectiveness of this traditional approach was compared with an approach in which a wireless classroom communication system was used to provide instant feedback on in-class learning activities and reading assignment quizzes. Homework was eliminated in this approach. The feedback system used stimulated 100% participation in class and facilitated rapid formative assessment. The results of this study indicate that learning of systems physiology concepts including physiology is at least, as if not more, effective when in-class quizzes and activities with instant feedback are used in place of traditional learning activities including homework. When results of this study are interpreted in light of possible effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on student learning in the test group, it appears that the modified instruction may be more effective than the traditional instruction.
Stanfordâ€™s Multi-Pass Sieve Coreference Resolution System at the CoNLL-2011 Shared Task

This paper details the coreference resolution system submitted by Stanford at the CoNLL-2011 shared task. Our system is a collection of deterministic coreference resolution models that incorporate lexical, syntactic, semantic, and discourse information. All these models use global document-level information by sharing mention attributes, such as gender and number, across mentions in the same cluster. We participated in both the open and closed tracks and submitted results using both predicted and gold mentions. Our system was ranked first in both tracks, with a score of 57.8 in the closed track and 58.3 in the open track.
Development of novel microstructures in zirconia-toughened alumina using rapid solidification and shock compaction

A rapidly solidified alumina-zirconia eutectic material containing nanocrystalline t-ZrO2 has been synthesized. When heated, the microstructure contained a mixture of t-ZrO2 and m-ZrO2, each of which can facilitate toughening of the composite. Dynamic shock compaction was used to accelerate densification of the material, producing crack-free specimens with high green densities. After sintering to densities measuring ∼95% of theoretical, the shock-compacted specimens fabricated with unstabilized alumina-zirconia were extensively microcracked due to an overabundance of the m-ZrO2 phase. Experiments employing Y2O3 as a chemical stabilizer have shown that the extent of the phase transformation can be controlled, and the microstructure that developed in the stabilized material contained an acceptable level of the microcrack generating m-ZrO2 phase.
Making the Market: Specialty Coffee, Generational Pitches, and Papua New Guinea

Abstract: Today the commodity circuit for specialty coffee seems to be made up of socially conscious consumers, well-meaning and politically engaged roasters and small companies, and poor yet ecologically noble producers who want to take part in the flows of global capital, while at the same time living in close harmony with the natural world. This paper examines how these actors are produced by changes in the global economy that are sometimes referred to as neoliberalism. It also shows how images of these actors are produced and what the material effects of those images are. It begins with a description of how generations are understood and made by marketers. Next it shows how coffee production in Papua New Guinea, especially Fair Trade and organic coffee production, is turned into marketing narratives meant to appeal to particular consumers. Finally, it assesses the success of the generational-based marketing of Papua New Guinea-origin, Fair Trade and organic coffees, three specialty coffee types that are marketed heavily to the “Millenial generation”, people born between 1983 and 2000.
Institutional Initiatives for Technological Change: From Issue Interpretation to Strategic Choice

To test a managerial cognition model of organizational adaptation to technolo gical change, we examine strategic responses to the introduction of electronic filing of individual income-tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Based on data from over four hundred tax-return preparation businesses in the United States, we analyzed the effects of issue interpretation on two dimen sions of response strategy — the target (intra-organizational versus inter- organizational) and the magnitude (level of commitment). Results of structural equation analyses support the usefulness of a managerial cognition approach for explaining different response patterns to institutional initiatives for techno logical change. Our findings indicate that three dimensions of issue interpreta tion — urgency, understandability and manageability — shape the level of commitment devoted to actions designed to resolve the issue. Our results also support the sequential nature of response consideration with respect to target, namely...
Influence of parents and friends on children's and adolescents' food intake and food selection

Background: The influence of parents versus friends on youths' eating behavior has not been directly compared, and little is known about the developmental effects of social influences on their eating behavior. Objective: The objective was to compare the effects of mothers and friends on children's and adolescents' energy intake from sandwiches and from healthy and unhealthy snacks and dessert foods. Design: Twenty-three children (ages 5–7 y) and 27 adolescents (ages 13–15 y) ate a meal with their mother on one occasion and with a same-sex friend on another occasion. Results: Male and female children consumed less energy from unhealthy snacks when in the presence of their mothers than when in the company of their friends. Conversely, female adolescents consumed less energy from unhealthy snacks and more energy from healthy snacks when they were with their friends than when with their mothers. Conclusions: Food selection is differentially influenced by the source of social influence and the age and sex of the child. Parents may act as an inhibitory influence on unhealthy eating for younger children. Adolescent girls may try to convey a good impression of healthy eating when eating with same-sex friends, but the eating habits of teenage boys are not as influenced by the social context. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00875576","term_id":"NCT00875576"}}NCT00875576.
Intellectual Imbalance and Delinquency Comparing High Verbal and High Performance IQ Delinquents

This study compares the degree of delinquency involvement of V > P and P > V imbalanced delinquents with intellectually balanced (P=V) delinquents. It was found that P > V subjects were overrepresented and V > P subjects were underrepresented in our sample compared with expectations derived from a normative sample. It was also found that intellectual imbalance, regardless of direction, was significantly related to delinquency involvement. This finding held when controlling for social class and race.