cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architectural tradeoffs for a meaning-preserving program restructuring tool

Maintaining the consistency of multiple program representations in a program manipulation tool is difficult. I describe a hybrid software architecture for a meaning-preserving program restructuring tool. Layering is the primary architectural paradigm, which successively provides increasingly integrated and unified abstract machines to implement the tool. However, layering does not provide adequate control over extensibility or the independence of components, so I also adopt the paradigm of keeping the key program abstractions separate throughout the layering, providing independent columns of abstract data types. A pair of columns is integrated by a mapping column that translates elements in one column's data type into related elements in the other column's data type. Thus, integration of function and separation of representation can be achieved simultaneously. This hybrid architecture was crucial in overcoming severe performance problems that became apparent once the basic tool was completed. By taking advantage of the independence of the columns and the special characteristics of meaning-preserving restructuring, it was possible to extend one representation column of the architecture to the uppermost layer to provide the required access for efficient updating without compromising independence. The cost of the extended architecture is that the upper layers are no longer as simple because they expose operations that only guarantee consistency under careful usage. However, the structural constraints of the hybrid architecture and the models for building the more complicated layers minimizes the negative impact of this tradeoff. >
Supervised hidden Markov model learning using the state distribution oracle

Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are probabilistic models with applications across a large number of fields, most prominently Speech Recognition and Computational Biology. In this paper, we propose a polynomial-time algorithm for learning the parameters of a first order HMM by using a state distribution probability (SD) oracle. The SD oracle provides the learning algorithm with the state distribution corresponding to a query string in the target model. The SD oracle is necessary for efficient learning in the sense that the consistency problem for HMMs, where a training set of state distribution vectors such as those supplied by the SD oracle is used but without the ability to query on specific strings, is NP-complete. The algorithm proposed here is an extension to an algorithm described by Tzeng for learning probabilistic automata (PA) using the SD oracle.
Community-Based Heritage Language Schools: A Chinese Example

In addition to playing a crucial role in immigrant students' bilingual and biliteracy development, community-based heritage language schools are great cultural, linguistic, and literacy resources f...
Analysis of high-speed corona micromotors by means of effective gap conductivity

The nonlinear electrical characteristics of corona motors are modeled through suitable transformation of the stator voltage waveform. This in effect produces an equivalent gap conductivity to serve as a linearized model. The analysis shows how a corona motor is able to generate very high speeds with DC excitation, and points out the basis for its asynchronous operation. Experimental tests of a macroscopic motor confirm that the analysis models the basic behavior of a corona machine. Operation of a small (100 mu m) cylindrical motor is considered. The device expected to be capable of very high speeds with DC input and no special control. >
Effects of Starch, Fiber, or Protein Supplementation on Intake and Digestion of Low-Quality Tall Fescue Hay by Growing Dairy Heifers

Abstract Holstein heifers (n = 20; initial BW = 270 ± 46 kg) were used in 3 consecutive randomized, complete-block experiments to measure the effects of ruminally degradable protein (RDP), NDF, and ruminally degradable starch (RDS) supplementation on utilization of tall fescue hay (8.7% CP, 73.1% NDF, 46.5% ADF). Supplementation rates were 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, or 0.20% of BW per day of RDP delivered via soybean meal; 0, 0.16, 0.33, 0.49, or 0.65% BW per day of NDF delivered via soybean hulls; and 0, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, or 0.40% BW per day of RDS delivered via dry-rolled corn. In trial 1, supplementation with RDP had no effect (P > 0.05) on forage DMI, whereas DM digestibility (DMD) by supplemented heifers was greater (P
The Utility of the MCMI-III in Child Custody Evaluations: The Impact of Clinical Norms

The aim of the current study was to examine the utility of the MCMI-III in forensic child custody cases. There is debate in the psychological assessment field regarding the use of the MCMI-III with nonpatient samples. Over the years, the MCMI-III Test Manual has changed its position on the issue going from a statement in which it would not be uncommon to find the results “null” because of the high levels of positive impression management to cautioning the psychologist to be aware of the aforementioned concerns. The current study utilizes 113 forensic child custody MCMI-IIIs. The protocols were examined and a review of the interpretive issues of high scores was conducted. The current study found highly elevated Base rate scores on Validity Scale Y, and on Clinical Personality Pattern Scales 4, 5, and 7. The article concludes with six clear recommendations to psychologists that choose to use the MCMI-III in child custody evaluations.
Increasing the Saving Rate: An Analysis of the Transition Path

Suppose an economy permanently raises its saving rate. In the neoclassical growth model of the late 1950s, the economy attains an attractive new steady-state with higher per capita output and, provided the new saving rate does not exceed Phelps’s golden rule rate, higher per capita consumption. The early steady-state papers tempted readers to look longingly at the final steady-state and ignore the discomforts of the journey that might be required to reach it.
Predicting the Presence of Discourse Connectives

We present a classification model that predicts the presence or omission of a lexical connective between two clauses, based upon linguistic features of the clauses and the type of discourse relation holding between them. The model is trained on a set of high frequency relations extracted from the Penn Discourse Treebank and achieves an accuracy of 86.6%. Analysis of the results reveals that the most informative features relate to the discourse dependencies between sequences of coherence relations in the text. We also present results of an experiment that provides insight into the nature and difficulty of the task.
Incorporating the gut microbiota into models of human and non‐human primate ecology and evolution

The mammalian gut is home to a diverse community of microbes. Advances in technology over the past two decades have allowed us to examine this community, the gut microbiota, in more detail, revealing a wide range of influences on host nutrition, health, and behavior. These host-gut microbe interactions appear to shape host plasticity and fitness in a variety of contexts, and therefore represent a key factor missing from existing models of human and non-human primate ecology and evolution. However, current studies of the gut microbiota tend to include limited contextual data or are clinical, making it difficult to directly test broad anthropological hypotheses. Here, I review what is known about the animal gut microbiota and provide examples of how gut microbiota research can be integrated into the study of human and non-human primate ecology and evolution with targeted data collection. Specifically, I examine how the gut microbiota may impact primate diet, energetics, disease resistance, and cognition. While gut microbiota research is proliferating rapidly, especially in the context of humans, there remain important gaps in our understanding of host-gut microbe interactions that will require an anthropological perspective to fill. Likewise, gut microbiota research will be an important tool for filling remaining gaps in anthropological research.
Solid-State Blending of Polymers by Cryogenic Mechanical Alloying

Cryogenic mechanical alloying has been employed to blend poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with up to 25 wt% polyisoprene (PI) and poly(ethylene-alt-propylene) (PEP). Mechanical milling of the individual polymers reveals that their molecular and bulk properties depend sensitively on milling time, post-annealing and, for PMMA, temperature. Characterization of the as-milled blends by scanning transmission x-ray microscopy and transmission electron microscopy has demonstrated intimate (nanoscale) dispersions within the blends, with the degree of mixing increasing with increasing milling time. Phase domains as small as 10 nm are observed after alloying for 10 h. Post-annealing of the blends above the Tg of PMMA (which depends on milling time) induces morphological changes, which differ for blends containing PI and PEP. In blends composed of PEP, the fine dispersions gained as a result of milling are largely compromised. Conversely, PI crosslinking hinders molecular mobility so that the milling-induced nanoscale dispersions of PI in PMMA are, for the most part, retained even after long-term annealing at elevated temperatures.
Enhancements in the p and d exit channels of /sup 12/C + /sup 12/C: E/sub c. m. / approx. = 14. 3 and 25. 2 MeV

The enhanced yields of high spin states populated in the p and d exit channels for /sup 12/C + /sup 12/C reactions are utilized for particle-..cap alpha.. coincidence measurements at E/sub c.m./ approx. = 14.3 and 25.2 MeV. The (/sup 12/C,p..gamma..) results at E/sub c.m./ approx. = 14.3 MeV support the 15/2/sup +/ assignment to the E/sub x/ = 9.80 MeV state. The (/sup 12/C,d..gamma..) results at E/sub c.m./ approx. = 25.2 MeV show an enhanced 9.77 MeV (9/sup +/) state to have a strong ..gamma..-ray branch to the E/sub x/ = 4.52 MeV (7/sup +/) state.
Electron transfer from hexameric copper hydrides.

The octahedral core of 84-electron LCuH hexamers does not dissociate appreciably in solution, although their hydride ligands undergo rapid intramolecular rearrangement. The single-electron transfer proposed as an initial step in the reaction of these hexamers with certain substrates has been observed by stopped-flow techniques when [(Ph3P)CuH]6 is treated with a pyridinium cation. The same radical cation has been prepared by the oxidation of [(Ph3P)CuH]6 with Cp*2Fe+ and its reversible formation observed by cyclic voltammetry; its UV–vis spectrum has been confirmed by spectroelectrochemistry. The 48-electron trimer [(dppbz)CuH]3 has been prepared by use of the chelating ligand 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppbz).
Seismic Testing of Critical Lifelines Rehabilitated with Cured in Place Pipeline Lining Technology

Trenchless technology is well accepted for repairing critical underground lifelines with minimal ground surface disruption. The cured in place pipeline (CIPP) lining process is an application of trenchless technology that involves the installation of fiber reinforced composites inside existing pipelines. The uncertain performance of pipelines reinforced with CIPP linings in seismic areas is a barrier to the adoption of this method for seismic retrofit. This article evaluates experimentally the transient seismic response of pressurized pipelines reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) linings. The test results show that reinforced pipelines can accommodate very high intensity ground motions and can provide substantial seismic strengthening in addition to efficient rehabilitation of aging underground infrastructure.
Effects of Low-Frequency Stimulation of Anterior Piriform Cortex on Kainate-Induced Seizures in Rats (S52.002)

OBJECTIVE:LFS of the APC decreases seizure frequency, severity and duration in kainate seizure model in rats. RATIONALE: Recent evidence in animals and humans suggests that low-frequency stimulation has significant antiseizure properties. The anterior piriform cortex has been demonstrated to be a highly susceptible seizure-trigger zone and may be critical for the initiation and propagation of seizures originating from cortical and limbic foci. METHODS: Adult Sprague-Dawley rats (n=8) implanted with tripolar electrodes in left APC, and recording electrodes bilaterally in hippocampal CA3 regions. After induction of status epilepticus by intraperitoneal kainic acid injections and emergence of spontaneous seizures, animals underwent 2 weeks of baseline video-EEG recording. Then, LFS of the APC was applied for two weeks with 1 Hz biphasic square waves, each 0.1 ms in duration, at 200 µA. Another period of 2 weeks video-EEG monitoring was done after LFS. Changes in total , severe seizure frequency and seizure duration, between baseline, LFS, and post-LFS were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Seizure frequency significantly decreased during post-LFS (p = 0.035; 0.13± 0.1seizures/day) compared to baseline (0.62±0.17), but there was not significant difference between baseline and LFS and between LFS and post-LFS as regards total seizure frequency(p>0.05). There was a significant reduction in frequency of severe seizures during LFS (p=0.028; 0.05±0.03) in comparison to baseline (0.25±0.08). Additionally, there were no seizures at all during the first week of post-LFS. Regarding seizure duration, there was a significant reduction during post-LFS (p=0.017;5.4±3.4) compared to baseline (30.4±9.7). CONCLUSIONS: Electrical stimulation for treatment of epilepsy has shown limited benefit when compared to remarkable benefits in other neurologic and psychiatric disorders. While LFS has been underutilized, our findings suggest that LFS of APC significantly reduced severity and frequency of seizures in a well studied animal model, and to have a lasting carry-over effect. Disclosure: Dr. Koubeissi has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma and Sunovion as a speaker. Dr. Koubeissi has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Epilepsy Currents, Functional Neurology, and Epilepsy.com. Dr. Koubeis Dr. Bayat has nothing to disclose. Dr. Skopin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Siddu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsuchiya has nothing to disclose. Dr. Joshi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jahan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Connell has nothing to disclose.
Probable Buruli Ulcer Disease in Honduras.

Buruli ulcer disease, caused by infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans, is prevalent in central and western Sub-Saharan Africa and in southeastern Australia, and it occurs sporadically in other tropical and subtropical locales [1–3]. This report addresses a case of possible Buruli ulcer disease in an adolescent girl in Honduras. The subject was a 16-year-old female living in a rural coastal village in Honduras (near La Ceiba). She developed 2 ulcerative lesions on her leg that grew from small pinpoint lesions, to abscesses, to large undermined ulcers over a period of several weeks (see Figure ​Figure1).1). The lesions were painless. Local topical remedies were ineffective. She had no systemic symptoms, and she did not develop other lesions. There was no history of trauma. Insect and mosquito bites are a part of everyday life in her village, and she had not traveled elsewhere. There were no contacts with similar lesions. She was discovered during a medical mission trip to Honduras. Scrapings and small biopsies were performed and transported in sealed, insulated sterile tubes (with a minuscule amount of sterile saline) for processing in the United States. Treatment with topical antifungals and oral itraconazole was of no benefit. She was later treated with oral rifampin and clarithromycin [4, 5]. When other members of the mission team returned to the area several months later, the young woman could not be found. After return to the United States, the scrapings and biopsies were processed in the clinical microbiology laboratory of Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, Texas. They were cultured in the MGIT (Becton-Dickenson) system as well as on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Both scrapings and tissue biopsies were stained with acid-fast stains. The stains revealed clumps of acid-fast bacilli, both intra- and extracellular in location. Cultures performed at 30°C, and held for 8 weeks, grew scantily and were presumptively identified as M ulcerans by phenotypic methods. There was growth at 30°C, but not at higher temperatures, nor at 25°C. Small colonies showed rough morphology on Lowenstein-Jensen medium, they were nonpigmented, and niacin and nitrate reduction tests were negative [6]. AccuProbes for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium gordonae, and Mycobacterium kansasii complexes were negative. Funding limitations precluded molecular characterization. We believe that this represents a case of Buruli ulcer disease acquired in coastal Honduras. No reports of this condition in Honduras were found in the PubMed, MeSH, or Cochrane Reviews databases [7, 8]. Thus, this is the first known report of Buruli ulcer disease acquired in Honduras. Figure 1.
Xanthogranuloma of the third ventricle.

Xanthogranuloma is a rare third ventricular mass that obstructs the foramen of Monro. CT of xanthogranulomas has been reported; however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of MR of a third ventricular xanthogranuloma
Generation Method for Samples of Minority Class Based on Clustering and Genetic Crossover

Prediction results of classification with traditional classify algorithm are towards the class with more samples when training imbalanced data sets. The classification error of the minority class is grave. Aiming at the problem, this paper proposes an over-sampling method based on clustering and genetic crossover. The samples of minority class are grouped by using K-means clustering algorithm. Genetic crossover algorithm is used in each cluster to gain new samples and confirm the validity. The validity of the method is proved through the experiments of K-Nearest Neighbor(KNN) and Support Vector Machine(SVM) classification.
What Carnap Might Have Learned from Weyl

Aufbau §176 “demonstrating” the non-constructability of the real (as a mind-transcendent) concept had §17 of Weyl’s 1926 book, Philosophie der Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften squarely in its sights. Weyl had argued that postulation of a real, external world is both necessary for natural science and that such an objective world can be constructed, but only in abstract mathematical symbols far removed (“distilled”) from immediately given content. This objective world is a “symbolic construction of exactly the same kind as that which Hilbert carries through in mathematics”. For Hilbert and Weyl, symbolic construction is the twentieth century manifestation of Kant’s regulative idea of unity of nature.
Development of a Miller cycle engine with single-stage boosting and cooled external exhaust gas recirculation

In this paper, the development of a Miller cycle gasoline engine which has a high compression ratio from 11.5:1 to 12.5:1, single-stage turbocharging and external cooled exhaust gas recirculation is described. The improvement in the fuel economy by adding external cooled exhaust gas recirculation to the Miller cycle engine at different geometric compression ratios were experimentally evaluated in part-load operating conditions. The potential of adding external cooled exhaust gas recirculation in full-load conditions to mitigate pre-ignition in order to allow higher geometric compression ratios to be utilized was also assessed. An average of 3.2% additional improvement in the fuel economy was achieved by adding external cooled exhaust gas recirculation to the Miller cycle engine at a geometric compression ratio of 11.5:1. It was also demonstrated that the fuel consumption of the engine with external cooled exhaust gas recirculation was reduced by 3–7% in a wide range of part-load operating conditions and t...
Dynamic visualization of three- dimensional images from multiple texel images created from fused ladar/digital imagery

The ability to create three-dimensional (3-D) image models, using registered texel images (fused ladar and digital imagery), is an important topic in remote sensing. These models are automatically generated by matching multiple texel images into a single common reference frame. However, rendering a sequence of independently registered texel images often provides challenges. Although accurately registered, the model textures are often incorrectly overlapped and interwoven when using standard rendering techniques. Consequently, corrections must be done after all the primitives have been rendered by determining the best texture for any viewable fragment in the model. This paper describes a technique to visualize a 3-D model image created from a set of registered texel images. The visualization is determined for each viewpoint. It is, therefore, necessary to determine which textures are overlapping and how to best combine them dynamically during the rendering process. The best texture for a particular pixel can be defined using 3-D geometric criteria, in conjunction with a real-time, view-dependent ranking algorithm. As a result, overlapping texture fragments can now be hidden, exposed, or blended according to their computed measure of reliability. The advantages of this technique are illustrated using artificial and real data examples.
Quantification of Amyloid P-Component in Multiple Tissues of Patients with Primary and Familial Amyloidois

Amyloid P component (AP) is a constitutive plasma protein that has been closely linked to deposits of amyloid fibrils. This study examines the amount of AP in three tissues (spleen, liver and heart) of two patients, one with primary (AL) and one with familial (ATtr) amyloidosis. AP was found in all three tissues of both patients. This is the first time it has been quantified in amyloidotic cardiac tissues of any type. The amount of AP in the ATtr heart equaled or exceeded the amounts in the AL heart. The consistently large amount of AP associated with all tissues of all types of amyloidosis may provide a clue to pathogenetic mechanisms involved in light chain and transthyretin (Ttr) fibrillogenesis.
Neurobiology of Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety during childhood and adolescence is a highly prevalent problem that contributes to long-term dysfunction in adulthood. This chapter highlights research on the neurobiology of pediatric anxiety disorders aimed at understanding how anxiety takes hold in the brain and the mechanisms that fuel its developmental course. We present an overview of anatomical and functional brain-based differences in children and adolescents with and without anxiety disorders. With regard to work focused on brain function in pediatric anxiety, we discuss four key psychological processes that are highly relevant to clinical characteristics in anxiety: attention orienting, threat learning, social–emotional information processing, and reward processing. We also review recent work that delineates connections between and within neural regions that appear to be distinctly modulated by anxiety both in response to specific tasks and while at rest. We close the chapter with a summary of emerging work on neurobiological response to treatments for anxiety in children and adolescents, followed by conclusions and future directions for this course of work.
Understanding the Influence of Self-Critical, Self-Managing, and Social-Assessing Self-Talk on Performance Outcomes in a Public Speaking Context:

This study examines how different types of self-talk (self-reinforcing, self-critical, self-managing, and social-assessing) influence speakers’ emotional experience of public speaking anxiety and a...
Mutation analysis for cystic fibrosis in a North American population.

The common mutation causing cystic fibrosis (CF) is deletion of phenylalanine 508 (deltaF508). This mutation was analyzed in over 200 North American families using the polymerase chain reaction and hybridization with allele specific oligonucleotides. The deltaF508 mutation was present on 75.8% of non-Ashkenazic Caucasian chromosomes; 96% of the deltaF508 chromosomes carried the B haplotype for XV-2c and KM-19. Only 30.3% of Ashkenazic CF chromosomes carried the deltaF508 mutation, although the B haplotype for XV-2c and KM-19 was found on 97% of Ashkenazic CF chromosomes.
A Kaleidoscope of Voices: Using Focus Groups in a Study of Rural Adolescent Girls

In this yearlong research study examining rural adolescent girls’ narratives of identity, I did not originally propose to interview the girls in focus groups. However, in the isolated and small community context in which the girls lived, being singled out for individual interviews posed a significant threat to the girls and a misunderstanding of how the girls’ narratives of identity were developed. Where girls already experienced feelings of loneliness and fears that others might use relational aggression to further separation, being pulled aside or singled out for an interview was anxiety provoking. Such a realization reflects my misguided assumption as an outsider about the way in which narratives of identity were crafted, as in such a tight-knit community context, the girls’ stories of self were not individually developed but communally built. Using a relational framework, I explore my decision to use focus groups and the way in which focus groups might dispel the notion that identities are created as individual acts. Instead, evidence is presented to show that the development of a narrative of self in this context is a communal and negotiated process.
Patterned multilayer metamaterial for fast and efficient photon collection from dipolar emitters

Solid-state quantum emitters are prime candidates for the realization of fast, on-demand single-photon sources. The improvement in photon emission rate and collection efficiency for point-like emitters can be achieved by using a near-field coupling to nanophotonic structures. Plasmonic metamaterials with hyperbolic dispersion have previously been demonstrated to significantly increase the fluorescence decay rates from dipolar emitters due to a large broadband density of plasmonic modes supported by such metamaterials. However, the emission coupled to the plasmonic modes must then be outcoupled into the far field before it succumbs to ohmic losses. We propose a nano-grooved hyperbolic metamaterial that improves the collection efficiency by several times compared to a conventional planar lamellar hyperbolic metamaterial. Our approach can be utilized to achieve broadband enhancement of emission for diverse types of quantum emitters.
Opposing Actions of Fibroblast and Cardiomyocyte Smad3 Signaling in the Infarcted Myocardium

Background —Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-βs regulate a wide range of cellular responses by activating Smad-dependent and Smad-independent cascades. In the infarcted heart, Smad3 signaling is activated in both cardiomyocytes and interstitial cells. We hypothesized that cell-specific actions of Smad3 regulate repair and remodeling in the infarcted myocardium. Methods —In order to dissect cell-specific Smad3 actions in myocardial infarction, we generated mice with Smad3 loss in activated fibroblasts, or in cardiomyocytes. Cardiac function was assessed following reperfused or non-reperfused infarction using echocardiography. The effects of cell-specific Smad3 loss on the infarcted heart were studied using histological studies, assessment of protein and gene expression levels. In vitro, we studied Smad-dependent and Smad-independent actions in isolated cardiac fibroblasts. Results —Mice with fibroblast-specific Smad3 loss had accentuated adverse remodeling following reperfused infarction, and exhibited an increased incidence of late rupture following non-reperfused infarction. The consequences of fibroblast-specific Smad3 loss were not due to effects on acute infarct size, but were associated with unrestrained fibroblast proliferation, impaired scar remodeling, reduced fibroblast-derived collagen synthesis, and perturbed alignment of myofibroblast arrays in the infarct. Polarized light microscopy in sirius red-stained sections demonstrated that the changes in fibroblast morphology were associated with perturbed organization of the collagenous matrix in the infarcted area. In contrast, α-SMA expression by infarct myofibroblasts was not affected by Smad3 loss. Smad3 critically regulated fibroblast function, activating integrin-mediated NADPH oxidase (NOX)-2 expression. Smad3 loss in cardiomyocytes attenuated post-infarction remodeling and dysfunction. Cardiomyocyte-specific Smad3 loss did not affect acute infarct size, but was associated with attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the remodeling myocardium, accompanied by decreased myocardial NOX2 levels, reduced nitrosative stress, and lower matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression. Conclusions —In healing myocardial infarction, myofibroblast- and cardiomyocyte-specific activation of Smad3 has contrasting functional outcomes that may involve activation of an integrin/reactive oxygen axis.
Shock-driven discrete vortex evolution on a high-Atwood number oblique interface

We derive a model describing vorticity deposition on a high-Atwood number interface with a sinusoidal perturbation by an oblique shock propagating from a heavy into a light material. Limiting cases of the model result in vorticity distributions that lead to Richtmyer-Meshkov and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability growth. For certain combinations of perturbation amplitude, wavelength, and tilt of the shock, a regime is found in which discrete, co-aligned, vortices are deposited on the interface. The subsequent interface evolution is described by a discrete vortex model, which is found to agree well with both RAGE simulations and experiments at early times.
A Reassertion of Rights: Fedon’s Rebellion, Grenada, 1795-96

This article examines how the experience of being ruled by different Crowns shaped expectations for inclusion among francophone Catholic planters who became subjects of the British Empire after the Seven Years’ War. Attention to the evolving political economy of Grenada in the latter half of the eighteenth century reveals that this small Caribbean island was the site of significant debates over political, economic, and religious participation. Residents of Grenada underwent a number of changes in status, first as marginal subjects of the French Crown and, after 1763, as the focus of British experiments in ruling an increasingly diverse empire. Throughout these imperial transitions, francophone Catholic planters in the island relied on diplomacy to transform customary rights into formal political privileges. In the wake of the American War of Independence, these privileges were denied to them for the first time. Adopting a longer duree view of Grenada’s colonial history challenges the notion that Fedon’s Rebellion was an outgrowth of the French or Haitian Revolutions; instead, the failure to reassert rights through familiar diplomatic strategies prompted white and free coloured Francophone Catholics in the island to turn to violence in 1795.
A Novel CRISPR/Cas9-Based Cellular Model to Explore Adenylyl Cyclase and cAMP Signaling

Functional characterization of adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms has proven challenging in mammalian cells because of the endogenous expression of multiple AC isoforms and the high background cAMP levels induced by nonselective AC activators. To simplify the characterization of individual transmembrane AC (mAC) isoforms, we generated a human embryonic kidney cell line 293 (HEK293) with low cAMP levels by knocking out two highly expressed ACs, AC3 and AC6, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Stable HEK293 cell lines lacking either AC6 (HEK-ACΔ6) or both AC3 and AC6 (HEK-ACΔ3/6) were generated. Knockout was confirmed genetically and by comparing cAMP responses of the knockout cells to the parental cell line. HEK-ACΔ6 and HEK-ACΔ3/6 cells revealed an 85% and 95% reduction in the forskolin-stimulated cAMP response, respectively. Forskolin- and Gαs-coupled receptor-induced activation was examined for the nine recombinant mAC isoforms in the HEK-ACΔ3/6 cells. Forskolin-mediated cAMP accumulation for AC1–6 and AC8 revealed 10- to 250-fold increases over the basal cAMP levels. All nine mAC isoforms, except AC8, also exhibited significantly higher cAMP levels than the control cells after Gαs-coupled receptor activation. Isoform-specific AC regulation by protein kinases and Ca2+/calmodulin was also recapitulated in the knockout cells. Furthermore, the utility of the HEK-ACΔ3/6 cell line was demonstrated by characterizing the activity of novel AC1 forskolin binding-site mutants. Hence, we have developed a HEK293 cell line deficient of endogenous AC3 and AC6 with low cAMP background levels for studies of cAMP signaling and AC isoform regulation.
What students bring to medical school: attitudes toward health promotion and prevention.

Introduction: Health care providers’ positive attitudes toward prevention and health promotion are important in achieving national health care goals. Limited studies of incoming medical students have been conducted that measure predictors of positive attitudes toward health promotion and prevention. Methods: Data were obtained from a 1993 curriculum evaluation survey of first-year students at five different medical schools in California. Attitudes toward health promotion and prevention were measured using a nine-question Prevention Attitude Scale (PAS). We developed 2 multivariate linear regression models using demographics, education choices, and personal social values and beliefs to predict PAS scores. We also performed bivariate analysis. Results: Five hundred ninety-nine completed surveys were analyzed, with a response rate of 95%. Mean PAS score was 36.47 ± 3.7 on a 0 to 44 scale. Female gender, Democratic party preference, and a planned specialty choice in preventive medicine or primary care predicted the highest PAS scores on bivariate analysis (p < 0.002). Significant correlation ( p < 0.001) was shown between PAS scores and 2 additional scales regarding beliefs in associations of social factors and illness and in the importance of caring for the poor. Linear regression model using personal social values and beliefs explained 34% of the variance, as opposed to the demographic model that explained only 9% of the variance. Conclusions: In the schools studied, participating first-year medical students had moderately positive attitudes toward health promotion and prevention, as measured by PAS scores. In designing curriculum to improve medical students’ attitudes toward health promotion and prevention, medical educators may need to consider other personal and social values held by medical students and to address the “political” aspects of health promotion and prevention. Future studies are needed to longitudinally follow medical student attitudes.
Globulin Coating of Neoplastic Lymphocytes in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

1. Employing the technic of specific mixed cell agglutination (SMCA), it has been demonstrated that leukemic lymphocytes, as well as red cells, may be coated with globulins which are reactive with antihuman (Coombs) serum. 2. Moreover, in vitro, these proteins may dissociate from neoplastic lymphocytes and reassociate on normal erythrocytes rendering them Coombs-positive. 3. The dissociation-reassociation phenomenon appears to be time- and temperature-dependent and may be augmented by complement or a related heat-labile serum or cell factor. 4. It is suggested, by analogy to instances in which the normal lymphocyte mediates certain immunologic reactions, that the neoplastic lymphocyte may participate actively in the acquired hemolytic anemia of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
The Challenge of Chronic Virus Infections

The career and contributions of Prof. Piet De Somer have bridged the era between the solution of major problems concerning acute virus infections and the newly emerging problems concerning the control of chronic infections due to microorganisms and especially those caused by viruses. His work on the ribonucleic acid of poliovirus hallmarked the beginning of molecular virology, and helped related investigations to stay the fear of poliomyelitis epidemics. He then pursued investigations on antiviral drugs and interferon, work still of great interest and importance. His strong interest in cancer viruses at a time when it was widely believed that viruses played no role in human neoplastic disease, has been amply justified by the discovery of a class of retroviruses associated with human T-cell lymphomas (HTLV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (1,2) which predispose individuals to a variety of malignancies. I have no doubt that were he still alive today, his research interest would focus on chronic virus infections and ways to control or prevent disease by these viruses.
Real-time Visualization of Equipotential Lines Using the IOLab

Drawing equipotential and electric field lines is an activity commonly found in most second-semester introductory physics courses. Unfortunately, current commercial lab offerings are expensive and do not afford the opportunity for real-time graphical visualization of the trends in voltage in different regions. In this brief article, we describe a flexible alternative that utilizes the Interactive Online Lab (IOLab) device and easy-to-acquire supplies to create an experiment that yields robust results and has resulted in a positive response from our students.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Pediatric Motor Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Objective To systematically examine the safety and effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interventions in pediatric motor disorders. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were searched from inception to August 2018. Study Selection tDCS randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, conference proceedings, and dissertations in pediatric motor disorders were included. Two authors independently screened articles based on predefined inclusion criteria. Data Extraction Data related to participant demographics, intervention, and outcomes were extracted by 2 authors. Quality assessment was independently performed by 2 authors. Data Synthesis A total of 23 studies involving a total of 391 participants were included. There was no difference in dropout rates between active (1 of 144) and sham (1 of 144) tDCS groups, risk difference 0.0, 95% confidence interval (−.05 to .04). Across studies, the most common adverse effects in the active group were tingling (17.2%), discomfort (8.02%), itching (6.79%), and skin redness (4%). Across 3 studies in children with cerebral palsy, tDCS significantly improved gait velocity (MD=.23; 95% confidence interval [0.13-0.34]; P Conclusion Based on the studies reviewed, tDCS is a safe technique in pediatric motor disorders and may improve some gait measures and involuntary movements. Research to date in pediatric motor disorders shows limited effectiveness in improving balance and upper extremity function. tDCS may serve as a potential adjunct to pediatric rehabilitation; to better understand if tDCS is beneficial for pediatric motor disorders, more well-designed RCTs are needed.
Statistical Testing: A Commentary on Research Integrity and Protocol

A great deal of the research published in accounting in recent years involves statistical analysis, with a preponderance of main articles relying heavily on regression analysis. Our paper addresses improvements to both the quality and effective communication of research results to both practitioners and researchers while retaining the rigor necessary to satisfy our academic peers. We first address the advantages of working with practice to uncover and address important problems. Our focus then is on the research process from selection of a topic to the conclusion. We discuss how attention to each aspect of an investigation can improve the quality and the disclosure of academic research.
Rainwater use by cotton under subsurface drip and center pivot irrigation.

Abstract To increase the efficiency by which agronomic crops use water from both irrigation and rain during the growing season requires quantifying the proportion of rainfall used by the crop for a rain event. The rainfall pattern in the Texas High Plains (THP) is characterized by isolated thunderstorms of high rates and of short duration, where 50 mm and 80% of total rain events are
Legislative Dynamics in Development Policy Formulation: The Case of the Proposed Land Administration Reform Act

The Philippine Congress is neither developmental nor anti-development but is rather an institution whose members respond to the various incentives placed before them by their various stakeholders. In the formal policy process, various institutions have been made to allow political institutions to come together and discuss relevant policy allowing it in theory to easily pass the policy mill. The proposed Land Administration Reform Act, aimed at rationalizing the land administration and management sector of the Philippines dismally failed to pass the Congress despite the assurances given by political stakeholders. The institutional arrangements of the Philippine Congress allow stakeholders different avenues to support or oppose proposed policies. Philippine Senators are given much power to decide if a bill can become a law. Various government bureaucracies can and did oppose each other in a bid to outmaneuver each other in guiding the reform process in the LAM sector. This paper finds that Congress generally acts on development policies the same way that they do with other policies. Congress acts in the way that the Constitution designed it to be. It possesses separation of purpose from the executive but the degree that it does is determined by the different setup of the Senate. The constitution gave the Senate more effective veto actors thus giving them the opportunity to greatly affect policy. Institutional actors such as the LEDAC partly determine the direction of policymaking by facilitating its passage in a particular chamber. Executive ministries are also effective policy actors and indirect veto wielders. This is done through interpretation of policy intent. The paper finds that the nature and process of development policymaking is a result of its institutional design. Institutional designs that can produce an increasing number of veto actors will create developmental policies that are resolute, private-regarding and distributive. Designs that foster a balance between separation of purpose and separation of powers might create an environment that will be policy decisive, public regarding and re-distributive.
Past experience and meaning affect object detection: A hierarchical Bayesian approach

Abstract For human perceivers, object perception seems immediate and unambiguous. Following the Gestalt reaction against structuralism over 100 years ago, it was long held that serial feedforward processing could account for object perception and that past experience and object meaning played no role because these were assumed to be activated only after objects were detected. We now know that this approach is inadequate: Our systematic investigation of past experience effects has revealed that object perception entails dynamic feedforward and feedback interactions between low- and high-level brain regions. Our research has shown that object semantics (meaning) as well as object shape are activated early in the course of object perception and that semantic activation initiated by a word can facilitate object detection. Finally, we have found that brain regions traditionally thought to be involved in explicit memory play a role in object detection. In this chapter, our work examining how past experience and meaning affects object detection is reviewed and integrated with current research from other laboratories. My goal is for this review to serve as a springboard for research aimed at a deeper understanding of the dynamical interactions involved in object perception.
Literacy Instruction in General Education Settings: A Call to Action:

While legislation and research have promoted inclusive education and the importance of literacy instruction for students with extensive support needs, the majority of literacy instruction research ...
Sentiment analysis on organisational resilience

By applying a sentiment analysis, we examine how firms can achieve organisational resilience by focusing on two different operational strategies in their responses to adverse events: anticipatory responses or reactionary responses. We examined 210 firms and found that firms that focus on an anticipatory strategy of investing in corporate social responsibility benefited from increased organisational resilience. We also found that firms that focus on a reactionary focus of risk management practice in their daily operations also benefited from increased organisational resilience. Furthermore, our study revealed that firms that focus on the economic and environmental aspects of corporate social responsibility and the risk assessment process benefited from higher levels of organisational resilience.
Convex computation of the reachable set for hybrid systems with parametric uncertainty

To verify the correct operation of systems, engineers need to determine the set of configurations of a dynamical model that are able to safely reach a specified configuration under a control law. Unfortunately, constructing models for systems interacting in highly dynamic environments is difficult. This paper addresses this challenge by presenting a convex optimization method to efficiently compute the set of configurations of a polynomial hybrid dynamical system that are able to safely reach a user defined target set despite parametric uncertainty in the model. This class of models describes, for example, legged robots moving over uncertain terrains. The presented approach utilizes the notion of occupation measures to describe the evolution of trajectories of a nonlinear hybrid dynamical system with parametric uncertainty as a linear equation over measures whose supports coincide with the trajectories under investigation. This linear equation with user defined support constraints is approximated with vanishing conservatism using a hierarchy of semidefinite programs each of which is proven to compute an outer approximation to the set of initial conditions that can reach the user defined target set safely in spite of uncertainty. The efficacy of this method is illustrated on a pair of systems with parametric uncertainty.
Let's Go Girls!: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tutoring and Scholarships on Primary School Girls' Attendance and Academic Performance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to balance a commitment to education in general, and girls’ education more specifically, and additional challenges brought about through cyclical conflict. The Valorisation de la Scholarisation de la Fille project aimed to improve literacy and numeracy by providing scholarships, tutoring, and comprehensive professional development for teachers. Using a randomized control design (RCT), we tracked both the achievement and attendance outcomes of these girls over a period of three years. Several factors positively influenced student growth in reading and mathematics, including the proportion of female teachers in the school, girls’ perceptions of the school environment, receipt of a scholarship, and tutoring (math only). Household survey data suggest that the project minimized/reduced an already existing gap between enrollment in school for control and intervention communities; and school data suggest increased enrollment for girls in upper primary school. The findings suggest that programs designed to provide increased access to education may be the most successful in improving outcomes for students.