cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Support for rational expectations models with U.S. data

Abstract This paper compares simplified versions of three macroeconomic models: the Income-Expenditure model, the St. Louis model, and the Rational Expectations model. Nominal income and inflation rate reduced form equations that nest all three theories are fitted to U.S. quarterly data for period 1951: 4 to 1980: 2. Tests of exclusion restrictions indicate that: (1) Potential output affects the inflation rate but not nominal income. (2) non-stationary parameters characterize the inflation equation but not the nominal income equation, (3) Money affects the inflation rate quicker during periods characterized by volatile money growth rates and by low values of Lucas π parameter. These findings suggest that the Rational Expectations model best describes the data.
Copepoda from deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps

Recent explorations of hydrothermal vents in the eastern Pacific (Juan de Fuca spreading zone, Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California, East Pacific Rise at 21° N and 13° N, and Galapagos Rift) and on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge have revealed many copepods, mostly siphonostomatoids with few poecilostomatoids. In these habitats in depths from 1 808 to 3 650 m water temperatures may reach nearly 15 ° C. Among more than 22 000 copepods from vents examined two new families, 11 new genera, and 32 new species were represented.
Income Security Policies in the United States: The Inevitability and Consequences of Retrenchment

During the I96os and early 1970S, strong economic growth and highly expansionary income security policies led to considerable progress for the entire American population with respect to major income security goals. However, in the last fifteen years much of this progress has been either arrested or reversed, particularly for the non-aged, as economic growth slowed and income security policies ceased to expand and, in some cases, contracted. This retrenchment was the inevitable consequence of numerous phenomena which preceded, and were reinforced by the Reagan era. American income security policies are not likely to contract generally in the future, nor to resume expanding in a direction characteristic of many Western European welfare states. Rather, the prospects are for slow economic growth, higher targetting of programs by income in some areas, and marginal expansions requiring minimal new commitments of public resources in others. Major income security problems, especially among the lower income population, will remain. After so many years of being considered a laggard, the American welfare state may now be a harbinger of welfare state developments in other highly industrialized Western democracies. Regardless of what path the United States may have appeared to be on in the past, it is increasingly clear that it is now heading in the direction of retrenchment and restraint. Nor is this just a temporary detour associated with the Reagan Administration. To the contrary, it is a logical response to several phenomena with origins going back decades and reinforced by more recent events. * The author wishes to thank Emily Andrews, Richard Rose, Patricia Ruggles, Ray Struyk, Barbara Torrey and M. Peter van der Hoek for their comments on an earlier draft, and Gregory Frenzel and Sue Poppink for their research assistance. Any opinions expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily represent the view of The Urban Institute or its sponsors. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.10 on Mon, 12 Sep 2016 05:18:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Phase-field simulations of intragranular fission gas bubble evolution in UO2 under post-irradiation thermal annealing

Abstract Fission gas bubbles are one of the evolving microstructures that affect thermal mechanical properties, such as thermal conductivity, gas release, volume swelling, and cracking, in operating nuclear fuels. Therefore, fundamental understanding of gas bubble evolution kinetics is essential to predict the thermodynamic property and performance changes of fuels. In this work, a generic phase-field model was developed to describe the evolution kinetics of intragranular fission gas bubbles in UO2 fuels under post-irradiation thermal annealing conditions. Free energy functional and model parameters are evaluated from atomistic simulations and experiments. Critical nucleus size of gas bubbles and gas bubble evolution were simulated. A linear relationship between logarithmic bubble number density and logarithmic mean bubble diameter was predicted, which is in good agreement with experimental data.
Electrospinning of biostable polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic polyurethanes

Electrospinning of a previously synthesized biostable polyisobutylene (PIB)-based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) have been performed as materials with potential applications as vascular grafts. Electrospun mats were generated with fiber diameters in the submicron to 2 μm range as observed using scanning electron microscopy. Porosity of electrospun TPU fiber mats was investigated using Hg intrusion porosimetry. Fiber mats were found to have a distribution of pore sizes between 100 nm and 100 μm, with overall porosity between 50 and 70%. Thermal analysis of electrospun mats showed orientation of the TPU chains compared to the bulk as-synthesized material. Tensile failure properties were characterized, showing ultimate tensile strength of 1.6–6.5 MPa and ultimate elongation of ∼300–100% with TPUs of increasing hardness from Shore 60A to 100A. Strain-recovery experiments showed good recovery of tensile strain at significant stresses. The previously demonstrated biostability of these PIB-based TPUs, together with the excellent reported mechanical properties, indicates great promise for these materials as biostable vascular grafts. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013
Modulation of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity by thymosin

Thymosin fraction 5, a family of acidic polypeptides isolated from bovine thymus, contains several hormonal-like factors which have been shown to influence the maturation, differentiation and functions of T-cells. Some of these peptides have been chemically defined. Two of them, thymosin α1 (M.W. 3108) and thymosin β4 (M.W. 4982) have been sequenced.
High Case Volumes and Surgical Fellowships Are Associated with Improved Outcomes for Bariatric Surgery Patients: A Justification of Current Credentialing Initiatives for Practice and Training

Background Recent years have seen the establishment of bariatric surgery credentialing processes, center-of-excellence programs, and fellowship training positions. The effects of center-of-excellence status and of the presence of training programs have not previously been examined. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of case volume, center-of-excellence status, and training programs on early outcomes of bariatric surgery. Study Design Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2006. Quantification of patient comorbidities was made using the Charlson Index. Using logistic regression modeling, annual case volumes were analyzed for an association with each institution's center-of-excellence status and training program status. Risk-adjusted outcomes measures were calculated for these hospital-level parameters. Results Data from 102,069 bariatric operations were obtained. Adjusting for comorbidities, greater bariatric case volume was associated with improvements in the incidence of total complications (odds ratio [OR] 0.99937 for each single case increase, p=0.01), in-hospital mortality (OR 0.99717, p Conclusions The hypothesized positive volume-outcomes relationship of bariatric surgery is shown without arbitrarily categorizing hospitals to case volume groups, by analysis of volume as a continuous variable. Institutions with a dedicated fellowship training program have also been shown, in part, to be associated with improved outcomes. The concept of volume-dependent center-of-excellence programs is supported, although no independent association with the credentialing process is noted.
Interband pairing in multiorbital systems

The discovery of high-${T}_{c}$ superconductivity in the pnictides, materials with a Fermi surface determined by several bands, highlights the need to understand how superconductivity arises in multiband systems. In this effort, using symmetry considerations and mean-field approximations, we discuss how strong hybridization among orbitals may lead to both intraband and interband pairings, and we present calculations of the spectral functions to guide the experimental search for this kind of state.
A PARALLEL FAST MULTIPOLE METHOD FOR THE HELMHOLTZ EQUATION

Presented is a parallel algorithm based on the fast multipole method (FMM) for the Helmholtz equation. This variant of the FMM is useful for computing radar cross sections and antenna radiation patterns. The FMM decomposes the impedance matrix into sparse components, reducing the operation count of the matrix-vector multiplication in iterative solvers to O(N3/2) (where N is the number of unknowns). The parallel algorithm divides the problem into groups and assigns the computation involved with each group to a processor node. Careful consideration is given to the communications costs. A time complexity analysis of the algorithm is presented and compared with empirical results from a Paragon XP/S running the lightweight Sandia/University of New Mexico operating system (SUNMOS). For a 90,000 unknown problem running on 60 nodes, the sparse representation fits in memory and the algorithm computes the matrix-vector product in 1.26 seconds. It sustains an aggregate rate of 1.4 Gflop/s. The corresponding dense matrix would occupy over 100 Gbytes and, assuming that I/O is free, would require on the order of 50 seconds to form the matrix-vector product.
Reversed-phase liquid chromatography of the opioid peptides--2. Quantitative structure-retention relationships and isocratic retention prediction.

Abstract The ability of Snyder's theory of linear gradient elution to predict the starting isocratic reversed-phase LC conditions ( k ′ = 4–10) for the opioid peptides was investigated. The errors in predicting the concentration of acetonitrile (φ) required to elute the peptides with a k ′ value of 4 were high, ranging from 13.5 to 38.1%. At k ′ = 10 the errors were generally reduced to less than 20%. This analysis was repeated with the same peptides after conversion to their fluorescent 1-cyanobenz[f]isoindoles (CBIs) by reaction with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde/cyanide. For the CBI derivatives, the errors in predicting the required concentration of acetonitrile for isocratic elution were markedly reduced and ranged from 0 to 14.3 for k ′ = 4 and 0 to 11.9% for k ′ = 10. The errors in the model in predicting the required isocratic mobile phase accurately were attributed to a mixed mechanism of retention involving solvophobic and silanophilic interactions and leading to non-linear relationships between log k ′ and φ. Even when the errors in predicting the required value of φ were relatively high, the Snyder approach was found to be very useful in predicting the initial starting conditions for the reversed-phase LC of the native opioid peptides as well as their fluorescence CBI derivatives.
Insulin Dependence of Cells in Primary Culture: Influence on Ribosome Integrity

WE have found that, unlike cells in continuous culture (for example, L cells and HeLa cells), primary cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts have a demonstrable requirement for insulin. The requirement is manifest when insulin is added to the culture medium in the effect on protein synthesis by cells and on the capacity of ribosomes prepared from such cells to synthesize protein in vitro.
Transforaminal interbody fusion and the "off label" use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2.

COMMENTARY ON: Rihn JA, Patel R, Makda J, et al. Complications associated with single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Spine J 2009;9:623–9 (this issue) .
Multi-hop buffering and adaptation for video-based sensor networking applications

As video sensor networks become more widely deployed, mechanisms for adaptively transmitting video data within the network are necessary because of their generally large resource requirements compared to their scalar counterparts. The key features of such networks include (i) many sources can inject video into the network that is destined for the same sink and (ii) nodes that participate in routing can also potentially work collaboratively for the benefit of the entire system. In this paper, we propose a multi-hop buffering and adaptation framework for video-based sensor networking applications. We explore several approaches in this framework and compare their performance with traditional IP-based video streaming technologies. Our experiments show that these approaches outperform traditional technologies in video quality, bandwidth waste, and bandwidth sharing fairness.
Microstructure, tensile properties and fracture behaviour of an Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Zr alloy 8090

The addition of lithium to aluminium alloys has the potential for providing a class of high strength alloys with exceptional properties suitable for aerospace applications. One such candidate is 8090, a precipitation hardenable Al-Li-Cu-Mg alloy. Detailed optical microscopical observations were used to analyse the intrinsic microstructural features of the alloy. It is shown that microstructural characteristics have a pronounced influence on tensile properties and fracture behaviour of the alloy in the peak-aged, maximum strength condition. Tensile test results indicate that the alloy has property combinations comparable with other high strength commercial aluminium alloys. The elongation and reduction in area are higher in the transverse direction of the extruded plate. A change in fracture mode was observed with direction of testing. We rationalize such behaviour based on the grain structure of the material, and the nature, distribution and morphology of the second-phase particles. An attempt is made to discuss the kinetics of the fracture process in terms of several competing mechanistic effects involving intrinsic microstructural features, deformation characteristics of the matrix, brittleness of the grain boundary precipitates and grain boundary failure. The role of stress on particle fracture is highlighted.
Limiting temperature and relative humidity for aflatoxin production byAspergillus flavus in stored peanuts

Sound mature kernels, broken mature kernels, immature kernels and unshelled cured Early Runner peanuts were inoculated with spores ofAspergillus flavus and incubated up to 84 days in controlled environment cabinets. In a series of experiments temperatures ranged from 8 to 49 C in combination with 98±1% relative humidity (RH); in others RH was varied from 70% to 99% at 30±1/2 C and from 83% to 99% at 20±1/2 C. Samples were removed after 7, 21, 42 and 84 days of incubation and assayed for aflatoxin, free fatty acids and peanut kernel moisture. Aflatoxin was formed in sound mature kernels at 40 C and 14 C and in broken mature kernels at 13 C, but none was formed at 41 C after 21 days or at 12 C after 84 days in 98±1% RH. The limiting temperatures for aflatoxin formation in peanut kernels with intact shells were 41 C for 21 days and 16 C for 84 days of incubation. The limiting RH at 30 C for aflatoxin production in sound mature kernels was 84%, whereas in broken mature and immature kernels it was 83% and in kernels from unshelled peanuts the limiting RH was 86% for 84 days of incubation. The limiting RH at 20 C for sound and broken mature kernels was 83%, whereas it was 86% RH for immature kernels and 92% for kernels from unshelled peanuts. Free fatty acid formation was correlated with visible growth of fungi rather than with aflatoxin production. Aflatoxin formation was generally correlated with kernel moisture contents of 10% or higher.
A microfluidic platform with integrated flow sensing for focal chemical stimulation of cells and tissue

Abstract A microfluidic platform for precise biochemical control of the extracellular microenvironment was developed. A chemical interface was established with cells or tissues through the precise and focal delivery of soluble chemical agents through a pore addressed by a polymer microchannel. Thermal flow sensors were integrated along the length of the microchannel and monitored internal flow rate. Sensor performance was characterized in anticipation of future studies with real-time feedback control of focal delivery. The microfluidic system was characterized by determining the fluid delivery rates through the pores and concentration profiles of agents delivered. Finally, focal delivery to rat retinal tissue was demonstrated.
Sensitivity of the nictitating membrane of the cat to succinylcholine after decentralization and denervation.

Abstract Seven days after decentralization or denervation, the nictitating membrane of the cat becomes supersensitive to succinylcholine. The supersensitivity to succinylcholine is of a moderate degree (2-3 fold) and there is little difference between the supersensitivity induced by decentralization or denervation. In this respect, it is similar to the decentralization type of supersensitivity observed for other agonists which are not taken up by the adrenergic nerve endings (e.g. acetylcholine and methoxamine). Since succinyloholine causes an apparent contraction of the nictitating membrane through its action on the extraocular muscle and no effect on the nictitating membrane itself, it is concluded that both chronic decentralization and denervation produced a decentralization type supersensitivity in the extraocular muscles. The results suggest that supersensitivity in the extraocular muscles may contribute significantly to the decentralization supersensitivity of the nictitating membrane of the cat, in vivo, especially for those agonists which cause contractions of both the nictitating membrane and the extraocular muscle.
Cenozoic volcanic and petrochemical provinces of Mainland Asia

Abstract Mainland Asia has been subdivided into 14 distinct volcanic petrochemical provinces. Alkaline rocks form about 88% of the extrusive materials. Potassic basalts form 62% of the basaltic “clan”. Andesitic rocks are relatively uncommon except near the seaboard and in Tibet. Peralkaline rocks are found in Korea and neighboring parts of China. The majority of the potassic basalt appear to be derived by variable degrees of partial melting of a mantle with lateral compositional heterogeneity. The peak of volcanic activity was during the Miocene and corresponded to the collision of the Indian continent and the development of back-arc basins.
Neo-Angiogenesis and the Premalignant Micro-Circulatory Augmentation of Early Colon Carcinogenesis

Spectroscopic techniques have demonstrated that in the microscopically normal mucosa, there is an increase in mucosal micro-circulation in patients harboring neoplasia elsewhere in the colon (i.e. marker of field carcinogenesis). However, the physiological and molecular basis of this early increase in blood supply (EIBS) has not been elucidated. We, therefore, investigated the microvessel density (MVD) and angiogenic gene expression in the premalignant colonic mucosa from the well-validated azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rat experimental model of colon carcinogenesis. Fisher 344 rats were treated with AOM (15 mg/kg i.p.) or saline and euthanized 14 weeks later (a time-point that precedes carcinoma development). Colon sections were studied for MVD via immunohistochemical assessment for CD31 and location was compared with optical assessment of mucosal hemoglobin with low-coherence enhanced backscattering spectroscopy (LEBS). Finally, we performed a pilot real-time PCR angiogenesis microarray (84 genes) from the microscopically normal colonic mucosa of AOM and age-matched saline treated rats. AOM treatment increased MVD in both the mucosa and submucosa of the rats (125% increase in mucosa; p<0.007, and 96% increase in submucosa; p<0.02) but the increase was most pronounced at the cryptal base consistent with the LEBS data showing maximal hemoglobin augmentation at 200-225 μm depth. Microarray analysis showed striking dysregulation of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors. We demonstrate, for the first time, that neo-angiogenesis occurs in the microscopically normal colonic mucosa and was accentuated at the bottom of the crypt. This finding has potential implications as a biomarker for risk-stratification and target for chemoprevention.
A CRITIQUE OF THE KINSEY INSTITUTE/ROPER ORGANIZATION NATIONAL SEX KNOWLEDGE SURVEY

The Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex: What You Must Know to Be Sexually Literate by June M. Reinisch (with Ruth Beasley) is mainly a question-and-answer presentation of basic information on sexual behavior, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases. With clear text and helpful illustrations, it will serve as a valuable reference work for nonprofessionals. The book also reports on the Kinsey Institute/ Roper Organization National Sex Knowledge Survey. Although occupying only the first of 20 chapters, the sexual knowledge test has been the focus of both the book's promotion and of the media's coverage of the volume (Angier 1990; Chicago Tribune 1990; Dolan 1990).1 The Kinsey/Roper Sex Knowledge Survey is an 18-item test of "basic sexual knowledge" designed by the Kinsey Institute and administered to a national sample of 1,974 adults by the Roper Organization in 1989. As is typical of the quality surveying used in the Roper Report series, the demographic profile of the sample is representative of the adults living in households in the United States. About 5-7 minutes into the survey, respondents were asked to fill out the sexual knowledge test as a self-completion supplement. Eighty-eight percent completed the sexual knowledge test, a very good response rate for a supplement on such a sensitive topic. On the basis of the Kinsey/Roper Sex Knowledge Survey, the Kinsey Institute concludes that "unfortunately, Americans failed the
An Empirical Comparison of the Predictors of Excellence in Public Relations

This study explores the relationship between excellence in public relations and its predicting variables. It develops a ten-item measurement of excellence in public relations based on generic principles of public relations. A total of 249 IABC (International Association for Business Communicators) members from 14 countries participated in the survey. Each respondent was asked to answer questions about the public relations activities of their organization. The relationships between excellence in public relations and its various predictors were tested using regression analysis. Those predictors were: (1) number of employees, (2) years of operation, (3) level of globalization, (4) type of organization, (5) pressure by activist groups, (6) number of PR practitioners, (7) relative size of PR department, (8) education level of primary communicator and (9) gender of primary communicator. The findings indicated that PR practitioner ratio, education level of primary communicator and the level of pressure by activist groups are significant predictors for excellence in public relations controlling for other predictors.
A nurse-led email reminder programme on healthy lifestyle can improve cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive adults.

Commentary on : Cicolini G, Simonetti V, Comparcini D, et al. Efficacy of a nurse-led email reminder program for cardiovascular prevention risk reduction in hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Nurs Stud 2014;51:833–43.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Unhealthy behaviours such as smoking and poor diet account for as many as 40% of premature deaths.1 The study by Cicolini and colleagues is an example of a potentially useful cardiovascular disease risk-reduction programme based on potentially significant findings. Hypertensive individuals were enrolled … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DInt%2BJ%2BNurs%2BStud%26rft.volume%253D51%26rft.spage%253D833%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.ijnurstu.2013.10.010%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24225325%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.ijnurstu.2013.10.010&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24225325&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F18%2F2%2F56.atom
The Role of Sexual Compulsivity, Impulsivity, and Experiential Avoidance in Internet Pornography Use

Previous research has found that a significant proportion of individuals who use Internet pornography (IP) report that their use is problematic in some area of functioning. Problematic IP use has been conceptualized as an aspect of sexual addiction and as having components of impulsivity and compulsivity. Experiential avoidance also has been implicated in problematic IP use. The current study further examined the relationship between problematic IP use and these variables. Participants (N = 94), who were categorized as having problematic or nonproblematic IP use based on their responses to four questions, completed an online survey regarding their use of IP. Results indicated that there were significant differences between individuals with and without problematic IP use in hours of IP used per week, sexual compulsivity, amount of interference from sexual urges, experiential avoidance, and negative and positive effects of IP use. Results from the current study help clarify conceptualizations of problematic IP use, and implications for treatment are suggested.
Multi-objective UAV mission planning using evolutionary computation

This investigation develops an innovative algorithm for multiple autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mission routing. The concept of a UAV swarm routing problem (SRP) as a new combinatorics problem, is developed as a variant of the vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW). Solutions of SRP problem model result in route assignments per vehicle that successfully track to all targets, on time, within distance constraints. A complexity analysis and multi-objective formulation of the VRPTW indicates the necessity of a stochastic solution approach leading to a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. A full problem definition of the SRP as well as a multi-objective formulation parallels that of the VRPTW method. Benchmark problems for the VRPTW are modified in order to create SRP benchmarks. The solutions show the SRP solutions are comparable or better than the same VRPTW solutions, while also representing a more realistic UAV swarm routing solution.
Genetic Diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi and Detection of B. bissettii-Like DNA in Serum of North-Coastal California Residents

In North America, Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne disease caused by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. We studied the genetic diversity of LB spirochetes in north-coastal California residents. Spirochete DNA was detected in 23.7% (27/114) of the study subjects using a PCR protocol optimized for increased sensitivity in human sera. Californians were most commonly infected with B. burgdorferi ospC genotype A, a globally widespread spirochete associated with high virulence in LB patients. Sequence analysis of rrf-rrl and p66 loci in 11% (3/27) of the PCR-positive study subjects revealed evidence of infection with an organism closely related to B. bissettii. This spirochete, heretofore associated with LB only in Europe, is widely distributed among ticks and wildlife in North America. Further molecular testing of sera from residents in areas where LB is endemic is warranted to enhance our understanding of the geographic distribution and frequency of occurrence of B. bissettii-like infections.
Speech synthesis in background noise: effects of message formulation and visual information on the intelligibility of American English DECTalk.

The purpose of the current research was to investigate the intelligibility of synthesized speech in noise, when listeners are able to watch an individual using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) formulate messages on-line and when they are listening to a speaker without any visual information. A total of 80 participants were randomly assigned to four groups, with 20 participants in each group. Each group listened to sentences delivered using a different message formulation strategy: prestored; audibly formulated (messages are formulated on-line and the listener is able to hear the formulation as the message is being encoded); audibly formulated with no repeat (the full sentence at the end is not repeated); and quietly formulated (the message is formulated on-line, but the listener is not able to hear the system feedback throughout the formulation). The speaker for this study was a 35-year-old woman with cerebral palsy who used a VOCA with DECTalk™ (Beautiful Betty, American English) to commu...
Autonomous Silencing as Well as Competition Controls γ-Globin Gene Expression during Development

To investigate the control of the γ-globin gene during development, we produced transgenic mice in which sequences of the β-gene promoter were replaced by equivalent sequences of the γ-gene promoter in the context of a human β-globin locus yeast artificial chromosome (βYAC) and analyzed the effects on globin gene expression during development. Replacement of 1,077 nucleotides (nt) of the β-gene promoter by 1,359 nt of the γ promoter resulted in striking inhibition of the γ-promoter/β-gene expression in the adult stage of development, providing direct evidence that the expression of the γ gene in the adult is mainly controlled by autonomous silencing. Measurements of the expression of the γ promoter/β-globin gene as well as the wild γ genes showed that gene competition is also involved in the control of γ-gene expression in the fetal stage of development. We conclude that autonomous silencing is the main mechanism controlling γ-gene expression in the adult, while autonomous silencing as well as competition between γ and β genes contributes to the control of γ to β switching during fetal development.
Habitat corridors function as both drift fences and movement conduits for dispersing flies.

Corridors connect otherwise isolated habitat patches and can direct movement of animals among such patches. In eight experimental landscapes, we tested two hypotheses of how corridors might affect dispersal behavior. The Traditional Corridor hypothesis posits that animals preferentially leave patches via corridors, following them into adjacent patches. The Drift Fence hypothesis posits that animals dispersing through matrix habitat are diverted into patches with corridors because they follow corridors when encountered. House flies (Musca domestica L.), a species that prefers the habitat of our patches and corridors, were released in a central patch (100×100 m) and recaptured in peripheral patches that were or were not connected by a corridor. Flies were captured more frequently in connected than unconnected patches, thereby supporting the Traditional Corridor hypothesis. The Drift Fence hypothesis was also supported, as flies were captured more frequently in unconnected patches with blind (dead end) corridors than in unconnected patches of equal area without blind corridors. A second experiment tested whether these results might be dependent on the type of patch-matrix boundary encountered by dispersing flies and whether edge-following behavior might be the mechanism underlying the observed corridor effect in the first experiment. We recorded dispersal patterns of flies released along forest edges with dense undergrowth in the forest (“closed” edges) and along edges with little forest understory (“open” edges). Flies were less likely to cross and more likely to follow closed edges than open edges, indicating that when patch and corridor edges are pronounced, edge-following behavior of flies may direct them along corridors into connected patches. Because edges in the first experiment were open, these results also suggest that corridor effects for flies in that experiment would have been even stronger if the edges around the source patches and corridors had been more closed. Taken together, our results suggest that corridors can affect dispersal of organisms in unappreciated ways (i.e., as drift fences) and that edge type can alter dispersal behavior.
The Red and the Black: Terrorism in Contemporary Italy

Since 1969 Italy has suffered through the worst epidemic of terrorist violence in the Western world. The extreme left and the extreme right have been involved in this violence, which remains a fundamentally mysterious phenomenon. Economic, political, and psychological theories, as well as theories of conspiracy, all fail to provide an adequate account of Italian terrorism. The author contends that Italy's culture of violence-that is, the long-standing intellectual tradition that seeks to make violence "photogenic"- has played a critical and generally ignored role in the Italian terrorism of our time.
The Efficacy of Collaborative Strategic Reading in Middle School Science and Social Studies Classes.

This study investigated the efficacy of a multi-component reading comprehension instructional approach, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), compared to business-as-usual instructional methods with 19 teachers and 1074 students in middle school social studies and science classrooms in a large urban district. Researchers collaborated with school personnel to provide teachers with ongoing professional development and classroom support. Using an experimental design, teachers’ classrooms were assigned either to CSR or to a business-as-usual comparison condition. Multi-level analyses showed that students receiving CSR instruction scored higher on a standardized reading comprehension assessment compared to their peers in comparison classrooms (g = 0.18, p < 0.05). While implementation varied across classrooms, students in the CSR condition were observed using CSR strategies and working together in small groups. Teachers attended to the quality of student work and provided more feedback when teaching CSR. CSR is an effective method to improve the reading comprehension of adolescents and to increase their access to complex informational text.
Prediction of liquid circulation in viscous bubble columns

A new theory to predict liquid circulation was derived and compared with applicable literature data. A single dimensionless group, e(gRd2/v2c), is shown to control mixing intensity under low-viscosity conditions, but two separate groups (e and gRd2/v2c) are necessary for viscous systems. Closure was accomplished using the Prandtl model for Reynolds stress. Locally varying mixing length was taken to be proportional to bubble size and bubble concentration. The model was constructed based on the premise that two distinct zones exist: a mainly turbulent core joined to a thin viscous wall layer.
Nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 formation parallels blood-brain barrier disruption in an experimental rat model of bacterial meningitis

During meningitis, the host produces a plethora of signaling agents as part of a coordinated defense mechanism against invading pathogens. Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) are two such inflammatory mediators produced in response to bacterial endotoxins. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is one of many pathophysiological consequences of meningitis. The present objective was to examine the time-course of NO and PGE2 production in relationship to BBB permeability alterations during experimentally-induced meningitis. Meningeal inflammation was elicited by intracisternal administration of the bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 200 microg), and NO, PGE2, and BBB integrity were monitored over the next 24 h. Meningeal NO production was assessed by headspace chemiluminescence; cerebrospinal fluid PGE2 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) immunoassay; and BBB integrity was determined by the brain accumulation of 14C-sucrose. Similar time-course profiles for NO and PGE2 were observed, with a peak effect for both inflammatory mediators observed within 6-8 h after intracisternal LPS dosing. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) disruption of the BBB was observed in various brain regions. Strikingly similar temporal relationships were observed for NO and PGE2 production and BBB disruption. These results suggest the hypothesis that NO and PGE2 may act in conjunction to disrupt the BBB during experimental meningitis.
Organizational Computing as a Facilitator of Operational and Managerial Decision Making: An Exploratory Study of Managers' Perceptions*

Much of the current knowledge pertaining to information technology (IT) and decision making is based on decades old technologies that revolved around a central computing function and application-specific systems. The purpose of this research is to examine the IT decision-making relationship within the emerging organizational computing (OC) environment permeated by spontaneous utilization of both application-and nonapplication-specific computing and communication technologies. Specifically, this study seeks to explore managers' perceptions of the emerging OC environment as a facilitator of their decision-making activities. To achieve a higher level of clarity than previous works, a two-dimensional research framework is developed with the IT dimension consisting of computing and communication, and the decision-making dimension differentiated between operational and managerial decisions. A survey instrument was constructed that measured the computing and communication dimensions of information technology use and their perceived effects upon operational and managerial decisions. The major findings of the study confirmed that managers recognize the value of general, nonapplication-specific information technologies in decision making, and that this recognition is highly associated with how intensively these information technologies are used. Additionally, it was found that the two dimensions of IT differ in their relationships to decision making, and that IT usage relates to managerial decisions differently than operational decisions. These study findings have significant implication for practice and research, especially in the context of information resource management in which the primary purpose of the IS function is the delivery of general information service to users rather than the development of specific IS applications.
Frequency-agile field-programmable filter array (FPFA) with multiple functionalities

This paper demonstrates the concept of a field-programmable filter array which can be configured in the field after fabrication. The proposed array is composed of tunable resonators and can have multiple functionalities by rerouting signals from input ports to output ports. Signal rerouting can be achieved by controlling the inter-resonator coupling with a wide tuning ratio of coupling coefficients. The inter-resonator coupling structure presented in this paper is designed to have both positive and negative coupling values. The presented coupling structure has a large tuning ratio so that both large coupling and large isolation between two resonators can be obtained. A unit cell of the proposed field-programmable filter array was fabricated to prove the proposed concept. It is shown that the unit cell can be adjusted to have second-order bandpass responses, third-order bandpass responses, and fourth-order bandpass responses. The unit cell can also be operated as a switchable filter bank without a switch. All operation modes are verified by measurement.
Fast log-based concurrent writing of checkpoints

This report describes how a file system level log-based technique can improve the write performance of many-to-one write checkpoint workload typical for high performance computations. It is shown that a simple log-based organization can provide for substantial improvements in the write performance while retaining the convenience of a single flat file abstraction. The improvement of the write performance comes at the cost of degraded read performance however. Techniques to alleviate the read performance penalty, such as file reconstruction on the first read, are discussed.
Test strategies for BIST at the algorithmic and register-transfer levels

The proposed BIST-based DFT method targets testability problems caused by three constructs. The first construct is reconvergent fanout in a circuit behavior, which causes correlation. The second construct, control statements, also cause correlation, and relational operations degrade observability. The third construct is random-pattern-resistant RTL modules, which cannot be tested effectively with random patterns. Test strategies are presented that overcome the testability problems by modifying the circuit behavior. An analysis and insertion scheme that systematically identifies the problems and applies the strategies is described. Experimental results from seven examples show that this scheme improves fault coverage while minimizing the impact on area and critical delay.
Neuroimaging features of epidermal nevus syndrome.

Summary: Epidermal nevus syndrome is a kind of neurocutaneous syndrome that is associated with epidermal nevus and a variety of congenital CNS disorders. Clinical presentations include seizures, paresis, mental retardation, and developmental delay. We report three cases with MR imaging and magnetoencephalography findings; one patient underwent ictal and interictal single photon emission CT. Both structural and functional imaging studies indicated that the frontal lobes had lesser involvement or were intact. One patient underwent hemispherectomy because of the medically intractable seizure. He remained seizure free with topiramate monotherapy.
Mechanistic Aspects of Nickel Carcinogenicity

This paper is a condensation of a review on cellular and molecular mechnisms of nickel carcinogenesis, which the author is preparing for the ‘Steering Committee on Nickel Research’ (Sir Richard Doll, Chairman). Because of space restrictions, bibliographic citations in this paper are kept to a minimum; the author will gladly furnish a complete bibliography upon request.
Padovan, D. 2006. Infectious Diseases of Wild Rodents. Corvus Publishing Company, Anacortes, Washington, 348 pp. ISBN 0-9760885-2-5, price (hardbound) $110.00

D. Padovan, 2006. Infectious Diseases of Wild Rodents. Corvus Publishing Company, Anacortes, Washington, 348 pp. ISBN 0-9760885-2-5, price (hardbound) $110.00. This book provides a comprehensive reference of viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens found in the world's rodents. The author has organized the book in 2 ways to make it useful as an off-the-shelf reference. The 1st section lists rodents by continent and taxonomic group. It includes world continents and all families and genera of rodents on each that have documented occurrences of pathogens. The 2nd section is organized by viral family, bacterial species or genus, and fungal family or species, with a list of rodent hosts documented for each group. All documented rodent pathogens have been included in …
Cultivating Crops, Kinships, and Culture in Southeastern Tanzania 500-1500 CE

This paper examines questions of food among families of southwestern Tanzania between the first and second millennium CE. Of particular interest here is the increased use of grain crops, bananas, and cattle among Bantu communities, who exploited an environmental enclave that supported many specialized niches of agriculture and food production. Through the use of comparative historical linguistics and comparative ethnographic data, local grains like millet and sorghum are discussed along with Indian Ocean produce – banana – to better understand how families of the region drew in people from other areas and cultural backgrounds to develop an under-populated territory. The culture that emerged was the product of innovation, cross cultural interactions, and the active fostering of relationships with “strangers”. The influence those with social capital and ritual knowledge had to draw in new community members was also critical, and yet the role food played in the power and authority a community, family, or individual was able to wield is well worth examining in both early history and more contemporary historical contexts.
Data mining

Mountainous amounts of data records are now available in science, business, industry and many other areas. Such data can provide a rich resource for knowledge discovery and decision support. Data mining is the process of identifying interesting patterns from large databases. Data mining is the core part of the knowledge discovery in database (KDD) process. The KDD process may consist of the following steps: data selection, data cleaning, data transformation, pattern searching (data mining), finding presentation, finding interpretation and finding evaluation. The paper discusses some tasks, techniques and applications of data mining.
Civil–Military Relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina: State Legitimacy and Defense Institutions

Nearly two decades after the civil war, Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to establish democratic control over its armed forces. While there is a widespread consensus that democratic consolidation is ...
Pulsed Beams and Ion-Beam Mixing: Metal-Si and Metalmetal Structures

Energy deposition and heat-flow determine the temperature distributions in pulsed-beam irradiated structures. In laser irradiated Si, transient conductance measurements indicated a liquid/solid interface velocity of 2.8 m/sec during crystallization in agreement with a heat flow model. With pulsed ion-beam annealing of metal-Si structures, melting starts at the interface; epitaxial NiSi2 layers have been formed. Ion-beam-mixing experiments on polycrystalline and epitaxial Au-Ag bilayers show that intermixing is more pronounced in the polycrystalline structures as is the case with thermal annealing. Superlattice structures are formed in the epitaxial structures.
Relationship of Form and Frequency of Experimental Epileptic Discharges to Age

SummaryMetrazol and electrically induced seizure activity in the cortex of kittens at various stages of maturation reveals a relation of form and frequency of discharges to age. Focal and non-focal “spike and wave” discharges of frequencies seen in the EEG of the epileptic human infant and child may be reproduced in young animals. With increasing age spikes of faster frequencies replace this slower “spike and waves”. The findings indicate the importance of electro-ontogenetic studies in investigations of the electrical patterns of epileptic seizures.
On-Call Telepsychiatry Services: Interventions, Outcomes, and Innovations

Contemporary healthcare is patient centered with respect to quality care, access, and affordable options. Stepped and integrated care models emphasize tailored care, interdisciplinary teamwork, and integration of services based on co-location, shared responsibility, and funding. Telepsychiatry (TP) is as effective as in-person care. The literature was reviewed for core concepts and recent developments related to three themes: (1) how TP leverages a wide range of treatments at a distance to clinics, nursing homes, and patient homes, with outcomes as good as in-person care; (2) how geriatric TP is similar to or different from that for other age groups; and (3) telemedicine innovations, in general, that may be inroads for TP services for patients, clinicians, and caregivers. There is steady growth of the TP evidence base that demonstrates that older adult patients are as open to using TP as other populations and report high satisfaction. TP-positive preliminary outcomes compare favorably to in-person care, and TP enables more patient points of entry, addresses patient-provider needs-skill mismatches, and leverages resources. Telemedicine and TP have the potential to eliminate geographical, physical limitations and access to care obstacles. More formal TP research studies and health service effectiveness studies are needed for older adult patients in culturally diverse populations, team-based or interdisciplinary care, and stepped or integrated care interprofessional models.