cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where did Late Merge go? Grammaticalization as feature economy

Abstract. Within early Minimalism, there are Economy Principles such as ‘Last Resort’, ‘Least Effort’, and also ‘Merge as Late as Possible’. The latter principle makes it possible to explain grammaticalization, an important phenomenon in language change. The general direction of change is one where lexical items are reanalyzed as grammatical (or functional) categories, e.g. verbs as auxiliaries and prepositions as complementizers. One explanation in terms of Late Merge is that if a lexical item is not immediately relevant for theta-structure, it can wait and merge later, rather than merge early with additional movement. In later Minimalism, move is reformulated as internal merge and not considered more uneconomical than regular merge, renamed as external merge. This paper will provide ample examples of the workings of Late Merge and examine how we can capture the grammaticalization effects through an Economy Principle, Feature Economy, that is at work when children acquire a language as well as when language changes.
Understanding and overcoming shear alignment of fibers during extrusion

Fiber alignment is the defining architectural characteristic of discontinuous fiber composites and is dictated by shear-dominated processing techniques including flow-injection molding, tape-casting, and mold-casting. However, recent colloidal assembly techniques have started to employ additional forces in fiber suspensions that have the potential to change the energy landscape of the shear-dominated alignment in conditions of flow. In this paper, we develop an energetics model to characterize the shear-alignment of rigid fibers under different flow conditions in the presence of magnetic colloidal alignment forces. We find that these colloidal forces can be sufficient to manipulate the energetic landscape and obtain tunable fiber alignment during flow within even small geometries, such as capillary flow. In most conditions, these colloidal forces work to freeze the fiber orientation during flow and prevent the structure disrupting phenomenon of Jeffrey's orbits that has been accepted to rule fiber suspensions under simple shear flow.
Saturation spectroscopy of BO2 at 5145 Å

Abstract The hyperfine structure of one of the transitions of BO 2 coincident with the 5145 A argon-ion laser line has been resolved by the technique of intermodulated fluorescence. The splitting has been interpreted in terms of the hyperfine constants of the excited A 2 Π u electronic state.
Binding of transforming growth factor-β1 to immobilized human α2-macroglobulin

Abstract Native α 2 -macroglobulin ( α 2 M) and α 2 M-methylamine were immobilized in 96-well microtiter plates. 125 I-labeled transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) bound to both α 2 M variants; however, greater binding was observed with α 2 M-methylamine. Binding of 125 I-TGF-β1 (0.2 n m ) to immobilized α 2 M-methylamine was inhibited by nonradiolabeled TGF-β1 (up to 74% with 0.4 μ m TGF-β1). Approximately 10% of the TGF-β1- α 2 M-methylamine complex was covalent. Treatment of α 2 M-methylamine with iodoacetamide prior to immobilization completely eliminated covalent TGF-β1 binding; the total amount of 125 I-TGF-β1- α 2 M-methylamine complex detected was unchanged. The binding of 125 I-TGF-β1 to immobilized α 2 M-methylamine was not significantly inhibited by increasing the ionic strength to 1.0 m . Binding and complex dissociation were also unaffected by changes in pH within the range 6.9–8.9. Acidic pH dramatically decreased binding and promoted complex dissociation; no binding of 125 I-TGF-β1 to immobilized α 2 M-methylamine was detected at pH 3.5. The interaction of TGF-β1 with immobilized α 2 M-methylamine was not significantly changed by 1.0 m m EDTA or 1.0 m m CaCl 2 . ZnCl 2 (1.0 m m ) completely eliminated binding. This result was not due to TGF-β1 precipitation or aggregation. Inhibition of 125 I-TGF-β1 binding to α 2 M-methylamine was 50% complete (IC 50 ) with 30 μ m ZnCl 2 . Native α 2 M, thrombospondin, and α 2 M-methylamine (in solution) decreased binding of 125 I-TGF-β1 to immobilized α 2 M-methylamine. The IC 50 values for these three proteins were 520, 160, and 79 n m , respectively. The TGF-β1-binding activity of native α 2 M may have reflected, at least in part, trace-contamination with α 2 M-proteinase complex.
Failure characteristics of multi-spindle multi-station complex machines

This paper is concerned with the determination of the failure characteristics of very complex, multi-spindle, multi-station production equipment which are typical of many modern-day high volume manufacturing facilities. Extensive statistical as well as graphical analyses conclusively showed that those complex machinery can be treated as a composite unit whose failure patterns can be characterized by a Poisson process.
Comparisons of optical properties of the coastal ocean derived from satellite ocean color and in situ measurements.

Satellite-derived optical properties are compared to in situ mooring and ship-based measurements at a coastal site. Comparisons include remote sensing reflectance (Rrs), chlorophyll concentration (Chl) using two different Chl algorithms, and spectral absorption [apg(λ)] and backscattering coefficients [bb(555)] using three different bio-optical algorithms. For mooring/shipboard comparisons, we observed mean relative errors of 70.5%/-3.8% (SeaWiFS OC4v4), -21.4%/-49.3% (SeaWiFS Stumpf), 109.5%/13.4% (MODIS OC3m) and 0.5%/-48.9% (MODIS Stumpf) for Chl. For satellite-derived and mooring comparisons of apg(412), we found mean relative errors of -69.4% (-67.1%), -52.6% (-48.9%), and -62.7% (-65.4%) for the Arnone, GSM, and QAA algorithms for SeaWiFS (MODIS), respectively. Mean relative errors of 21.3%, 19.9%, and 16.5% were found between SeaWiFS-derived (Arnone, GSM, and QAA algorithms, respectively) and moored bb(555) measurements. Discrepancies in Rrs at blue wavelengths are attributed to the satellite atmospheric correction and sea surface variations of the moored radiometers. High spatial and temporal variability of bio-optical properties coupled with differences in measurement techniques (pixel versus point) contribute to inconsistencies between remotely sensed and in situ bio-optical properties.
Parent Depression and Parent Authoritative Discipline as Correlates of Young Adolescents' Depression

This study related the self-reported severity of depression in a nonclinic sample of 35 young adolescents (mean age = 13.63 years) to mothers' and fathers' self-reported severity of depression and parents' use of an authoritative discipline style. Authoritative discipline was assessed from the adolescents' viewpoint as well as that of each parent. The severity of adolescents' depression was positively related to the joint severity of fathers' and mothers' depression and was positively related to the extent that adolescents agreed that their fathers used authoritative discipline. Adolescent depression was not related to parents' own reports of their authoritative discipline. When the extent of fathers' perceived authoritative discipline was controlled, fathers' depression did not account for a significant increase in the explained variability of adolescents' depression. The relation between parent and adolescent depression may be mediated by parent authoritative discipline.
PZT Behavior in Cyclic Strain Environments

This paper presents results of an experiment designed to determine the impact of repeated strain cycles on lead ziconate titanate (PZT) transducers affixed to an aluminum test specimen. The goal of this research effort is to determine the impact of three cyclic strain levels on PZTs affixed with two different glue types. PZT transducers are evaluated because they are one of the leading health monitoring technologies used in aircraft structures due to their ability to transmit and receive Lamb Waves. Analysis of changes in the received signals can indicate the presence of structural damage. This monitoring paradigm can only be successful if signal changes due to exposure to aircraft environmental factors (temperature/strain/pressure cycles, etc) over time can be clearly identified and characterized. This paper presents the results and initial analysis of experiments to determine the changes in signal responses due to cyclic mechanical strain. Results indicate cyclic strain at 800 μe has no effect to 510K cycles, while cyclic strain at 1700 and 2600 μe both cause signal loss to varying degrees.
Interest Group Influence on Rule Making

A majority of actual policy is not developed by Congress but by regulatory agencies that have been delegated the authority to interpret congressional intent. Using some of the major variables associated with interest group influence on Congress, this study examines a model of interest group influence on agency rule makings. The study uses survey data to examine how interest groups relate to regulatory agencies, how those groups participate in rule making, and how they perceive the effectiveness of their participation. The full models and certain theoretical variables support the interest group influence on rule-making hypotheses, but some major discrepancies arise concerning commonly held theories of the political science literature. The study will, it is hoped, lead to further research on the important relationship between interest groups and regulatory agencies.
Power-efficient workload distribution for virtualized server clusters

With growing cost of electricity, the power management of server clusters has become an important problem. Most existing research, however, either do not apply to virtualized environments or do not focus on power-efficient workload distribution. To fill in this research gap, we propose a workload distribution algorithm for virtualized server clusters to reduce their power consumptions and provide quality of service (QoS). Built upon optimization, queuing theory and control theory techniques, our approach achieves the design goal, where QoS is provided to a larger number of requests with a smaller amount of power consumption.
Nitrate supply and phytoplankton uptake kinetics in the euphotic layer of a Gulf Stream warm-core ring

Chcmiluminescent nitrate analysis was used in conjuction with 15N-labeled B=−B0e−2πa0xk to assess the rates of B=−B0e−2πa0xk uptake by phytoplankton in warm-core ring 82B. The relatively high precision of this method compared to conventional B=−B0e−2πa0xk analyses permits reliable estimates of B=−B0e−2πa0xk uptake in oligotrophic waters. Aggregation of uptake data from six profiles from 2 days of observation permitted the calculation of B=−B0e−2πa0xk turnover times ranging from about 4 h near the surface to 150 h at the top of the nitracline. Turnover times in the euphotic zone and the observed half saturation constant of 93 nmol kg−1 for B=−B0e−2πa0xk uptake imply nitrogen limitation for these populations. Extrapolation from the linear portion of the kinetic curve revealed that a B=−B0e−2πa0xk threshold concentration of about 16 nmol kg−1 was required for the initiation of uptake. These highly precise uptake measurements were used in a one-dimensional model to estimate the vertical flux of B=−B0e−2πa0xk. Maximum near-surface and deep-euphotic-zone eddy diffusivity values (Kz)were 3 × 10−3 and 5 × 10−4 m2 s−1, respectively, prior toamajor storm. Following the storm Kz values were substantially greater.
Improving college students’ attitudes toward mathematics

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a treatment designed to improve college algebra students’ attitudes toward mathematics. Keller’s ARCS motivational design model was used as a guiding framework for the development of a motivational video, which was delivered online. The application of motivational design to improve mathematics attitudes in an online environment extends the use of motivational design. A pretest-posttest control group design was used to test the effectiveness of the treatment. The participants in this study were 43 students enrolled in a college algebra course offered at a large state university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Statistically significant results were observed for improved attitudes toward mathematics.
Mechanism of action of lithium on acetylcholine receptor metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Abstract Changes in the levels of cations within skeletal muscle are thought to mediate the neural regulation of turnover of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). We have used lithium as a probe of these cation influences because of its resemblance to calcium and other ions. In the present experiments we studied the mechanism of action of lithium on AChR metabolism in cultured mammalian skeletal muscle. We measured the effects of lithium on AChR turnover (using [125I]α-bungarotoxin binding), and evaluated the resemblance of lithium and calcium in producing their effects on AChR metabolism. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms of action of lithium and the cellular processes controlling AChR metabolism in muscle. Lithium reduces the number of AChRs in skeletal muscle in vitro to a degree similar to that which we previously reported in vivo. Lithium appears to enter cells via both sodium and calcium channels. It then produces its effect on levels of AChRs primarily by selectively reducing AChR synthesis and insertion into the surface membrane. Lithium induces this change in AChR metabolism in a manner resembling neural and calcium-mediated effects on AChRs. Phosphoinositide pathways may be involved in the lithium-induced effects. Further analysis of the effects of lithium on AChR turnover should provide new information about the mechanisms underlying the cellular control of receptor metabolism.
Neutral Dichromate Oxidation. Preparation and Utility of Isoxazole Aldehydes

Abstract Isoxazole alcohols 1 can be oxidized by potassium dichromate in neutral organic media to give the corresponding aldehydes, 2 without destruction of the isoxazole ring. Isoxazole aldehydes 2 are of utility as starting materials for 4-(4′-isoxazyl)-1, 4-dihydropyridines 3.
Back to basics : Why foods of wild primates have relevance for modern human health

catalyzed by iron-EDTA complex. FEBS Lett 1978;86:139 5. Beauchamp C, Fridovich I. A mechanism for the production of ethylene from methional: the generation of hydroxyl radical by xanthine oxidase. J Biol Chem 1970;245:2641 6. Babior BM, Kipnes RS, Curnutte JT. Biological defense mechanisms. The production by leukocytes of superoxide, a potential bactericidal agent. J Clin Invest 1973;52:741 7. Beckman JS. The physiological and pathological chemistry of nitric oxide. In: Lancaster J, ed. Nitric oxide: principles and actions. New York: Academic Press, 1996:1 8. Huie RE, Padmaja S. The reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide. Free Rad Res Commun 1993;18:195 9. Padmaja S, Huie RE. The reaction of nitric oxide with organic peroxyl radicals. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1993;195:539 10. Beckman JS, Beckman TW, Chen J, Marshall PA, Freeman BA. Apparent hydroxyl radical production by peroxynitrite: implications for endothelial injury from nitric oxide and superoxide. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1990;87:1620 11. Rubbo H, Radi R, Trujillo M, et al. Nitric oxide regulation of superoxide and peroxynitrite-dependent lipid peroxidation: formation of novel nitrogencontaining oxidized lipid derivatives. J Biol Chem 1994;265:26066 12. Rubbo H, Radi R, Anselmi D, et al. Nitric oxide reaction with lipid peroxyl radicals spares a-tocopherol during lipid peroxidation: greater oxidant protection from the pair nitric oxide/a-tocopherol than a-tocopherol/ascorbate. J Biol Chem 2000;275:10812
What is the potential measurement error in occupational exposure studies

This paper demonstrates statistical methods that estimate measurement error from available industrial hygiene data. Errors in measuring a continuous exposure variable may arise when all individuals in a work area are assigned the same exposure. An example is when the mean of exposure measurements obtained on a sample of individuals is assigned to all workers with similar jobs. This may lead to inaccurate point and interval estimates in exposure-response modeling. A method of simulating the distribution of true (i.e., unobserved) individual exposures is described in order to estimate the mean and variance of measurement error. The minimum variance unbiased estimator approximates the mean of lognormally distributed exposure measurements. The distribution of true individual exposures is approximated by the distribution of simulated estimates of mean exposure. The methodology is illustrated by exposure data from work areas manufacturing refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) and RCF products. Results show that exposure is slightly underestimated in work areas with between 25 and 113 exposure measurements; measurement error variance averages about 1.3% of the total variance.
Action of biogenic amines on crustacean chromatophores. I. Differential effect of certain indolealkylamines on the melanophores of the crabs Uca pugilator and Carcinus maenas.

Des extraits des pedoncules oculaires deCarcinus ont stimule la dispersion de la melanine in vivo et in vitro. Il parait, pourtant, que le mecanisme par lequel la serotonine provoque la dispersion de melanine est different de celui que declenchent les extraits des pedoncules oculaires.
Optimization and microstructural analysis of electrochemically deposited selective solar absorber coatings

The literature on microstructural analysis of the most common selective electrodeposits is reviewed, and the advantages and limitations of surface analysis techniques for each of the overlayers are discussed. The structures included in this review are overlayers of black chrome, black zinc, copper oxide, black cobalt, black nickel, iron oxide and pigmented aluminium oxide coatings. The optical properties and their dependence on the deposition parameters, as well as the results of optimization experiments made on these parameters, before and after heat-treatment, are also described. Finally, future work necessary for a more complete description of the coating structures, in particular through the application of optical modelling, is outlined.
Strain/species identification in metagenomes using genome-specific markers

Shotgun metagenome sequencing has become a fast, cheap and high-throughput technology for characterizing microbial communities in complex environments and human body sites. However, accurate identification of microorganisms at the strain/species level remains extremely challenging. We present a novel k-mer-based approach, termed GSMer, that identifies genome-specific markers (GSMs) from currently sequenced microbial genomes, which were then used for strain/species-level identification in metagenomes. Using 5390 sequenced microbial genomes, 8 770 321 50-mer strain-specific and 11 736 360 species-specific GSMs were identified for 4088 strains and 2005 species (4933 strains), respectively. The GSMs were first evaluated against mock community metagenomes, recently sequenced genomes and real metagenomes from different body sites, suggesting that the identified GSMs were specific to their targeting genomes. Sensitivity evaluation against synthetic metagenomes with different coverage suggested that 50 GSMs per strain were sufficient to identify most microbial strains with ≥0.25× coverage, and 10% of selected GSMs in a database should be detected for confident positive callings. Application of GSMs identified 45 and 74 microbial strains/species significantly associated with type 2 diabetes patients and obese/lean individuals from corresponding gastrointestinal tract metagenomes, respectively. Our result agreed with previous studies but provided strain-level information. The approach can be directly applied to identify microbial strains/species from raw metagenomes, without the effort of complex data pre-processing.
Consolidation in Banking and the Lending Channel of Monetary Transmission: Evidence from Asia and Latin America +

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between increased consolidation in banking and monetary policy transmission in eighteen Asian and Latin American economies, using bank-level data from 1996 to 2006. Our results provide consistent evidence that as concentration in banking increases, the bank lending channel is weakened, leading the monetary policy transmission mechanism to be less effective. We also investigate how this relationship between concentration and the strength of the lending channel depends on bank-specific characteristics. Using bank-level balance sheet and income statement data allows us, first, to better identify the effects of banking consolidation on the supply-side bank lending channel from those of the demand-side interest rate channel, and second, to test for any systematic differences in the impact of consolidation on monetary policy transmission across banks of different size and financial strength. We also discuss potential explanations for and policy implications of the main findings of this paper.
Raman and Infrared Spectra of (2‘S)-[2‘-2H]Thymidine: Vibrational Coupling between Deoxyribosyl and Thymine Moieties and Structural Implications

The thymidine stereoisotopomer, (2‘S)-[2‘-2H]thymidine, which incorporates deuterium in the S configuration at the furanosyl 2‘ carbon, has been synthesized and its vibrational spectra have been recorded and compared with those of normal thymidine. Infrared and Raman spectra were collected from crystalline powders, the latter using 1063- and 514.5-nm excitations; ultraviolet resonance-Raman spectra were collected from aqueous solutions using 244-nm excitation. The results show, remarkably, that virtually all normal modes of thymidine involve some degree of vibrational coupling between the thymine base residue and the deoxyribose moiety. Nevertheless, systematic assignments and correlation of the spectral frequencies of thymidine and (2‘S)-[2‘-2H]thymidine have been accomplished. A finding of importance for nucleic acid structure applications is that many prominent Raman marker bands of thymidine, assigned previously as thymine ring vibrations, in fact involve appreciable coupling with the C2‘ methylene gr...
Cellular metabolism of 5,6-dihydro-5-azacytidine and its incorporation into DNA and RNA of human lymphoid cells CEM/O and CEM/dCk(-)

5,6-Dihydro-5-azacytidine (DHAC) is a hydrolytically stable analog of 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C) that has antileukemic activity against experimental leukemias and, like 5-aza-C, causes DNA hypomethylation. We report the cellular metabolism of DHAC and its incorporation into nucleic acids in the CCRF/CEM/O and deoxycytidine kinase mutant CCRF/CEM/dCk(-) human lymphoid cell lines. The cells were incubated with their respective IC50 concentrations for 24 h, then aliquot samples were removed at predetermined intervals and extracted for nucleotides. The acid-soluble extracts of the cells were assayed on HPLC for nucleotides of DHAC. The major anabolite of [3H]DHAC, [3H]DHACTP, peaked at 110.3±30.7 μM in CEM/O and at 96.3±41.9 μM in CEM/dCk(-) cells at 9 and 12 h, respectively. The intracellular concentrations of the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate, [3H]DHAdCTP, peaked at 13.5±7.7 μM at 4 h in CEM/O and at 80.8±13.8 μM at 12 h, a 6-fold greater cellular concentration, in the dCk mutant cell line. The amount of DHAC anabolites incorporated into CEM/O nucleic acids reached a plateau in RNA at 552.6±7.8 pmol/107 cells and in DNA at 64.55±10.0 pmol/107 cells. In CEM/dCk(-) cells, DHAC anabolites reached a plateau in RNA and DNA at 4,256.3±631.0 and 395.5±145.4 pmol/107 cells, respectively. Thus, with equitoxic treatments of DHAC, the incorporation of its analog anabolites into RNA and DNA was 8- and 6-fold greater in CEM/dCk(-) cells. DNA methylation levels were depressed equally despite a 6-fold greater incorporation of the analog in DNA in the CEM/dCk(-) cells indicating that hypomethylation may be saturated after DHAC treatment. The DNA methylation levels reached a nadir of 0.19% and 0.20% methyl-C (percentage of methylation) in the two cell lines at 6 and 12 h after the beginning of drug treatment and remained relatively constant for the duration of the 24-h treatment. A curve-linear relationship was obtained between the DNA methylation levels in both cell lines and the amounts of DHAC anabolite incorporated into DNA.
Geometrical and wave optics of paraxial beams.

Most calculational techniques used to evaluate beam propagation are geared towards either fully coherent or fully incoherent beams. The intermediate partial-coherence regime, while in principle known for a long time, has received comparably little attention so far. The resulting shortage of adequate calculational techniques is currently being felt in the realm of x-ray optics where, with the advent of third generation synchrotron light sources, partially coherent beams become increasingly common. The purpose of this paper is to present a calculational approach which, utilizing a ``variance matrix'' representation of paraxial beams, allows for a straightforward evaluation of wave propagation through an optical system. Being capable of dealing with an arbitrary degree of coherence, this approach covers the whole range from wave to ray optics, in a seamless fashion.
A Connectionist Network Approach to Psychological Science: Core and Corollary Principles:

Psychology has at least three explanatory problems: (a) it continues to form and promote separate schools and camps that mainly work in isolation from each other or against one another; (b) each ca...
THE 1-CYANONAPHTHALENE EXCIMER IN HOMOGENEOUS AND MICELLAR SOLUTIONS

— An excimer of 1-cyanonaphthalene is produced in homogeneous organic solvents and in micelle containing detergent solutions. From solvent effects in homogeneous solution it is concluded that the excimer is relatively polar (dipole moment ∼ 4D). From a comparison with emission from that observed in homogeneous solvents, it is concluded that 1-cyanonaphthalene is solubilized mainly in the Stern Layer of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTBr) micelles. The influence of variation of detergent concentration on the excimer to monomer emission ratio and the influence of NaCl concentration on the excimer to monomer emission ratio have been determined. Excimer formation is shown to be a convenient method for determination of the Kraft point of SDS solutions.
A comparison of laser- and acid-etched human enamel using scanning electron microscopy.

Abstract A comparison was made between human enamel surfaces treated with 50 per cent phosphoric acid and those subjected to an argon-ion laser beam. Preferential loss of rod structure and the creation of inter-rod and inter-crystal porosity were characteristic of acid etching. Pits, cracks, craters and blisters were common topological features in laser enamel. The globular, frequently coalesced enamel rods and crystals differed from the spicular nature of these structures exposed by acid pretreatment. The lack of porosity and the presence of particulate surface debris following lasing did not allow resin penetration into enamel. In contrast, long resin tags were found following acid pretreatment.
A Structural Analysis of the Impact of MMPI-2 on MMPI-1

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-1 (MMPI-1) items modified for Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) are presented in pairs to illustrate modifications. MMPI-1 items deleted from MMPI-2 are presented, grouped by categories. Frequencies of items remaining in MMPI-2 for the following special scales are presented: Harris and Lingoes subscales of the clinical scales (Harris & Lingoes, 1955/1968); Wiggins Content scales (Wiggins, 1966); Tryon, Stein, and Chu (TSC) cluster scales (Stein, 1968; Tryon, 1966); Indiana Rational scales (Levitt, 1989); and selected other special scales. Frequencies of MMPI-1 items in the MMPI-2 validity and content scales are also presented, k is concluded that most of the special scales developed for MMPI-1 remain relatively intact in MMPI-2.
Rethinking key-value store for parallel I/O optimization

Key-Value Stores (KVStore) are being widely used as the storage system for large-scale Internet services and cloud storage systems. However, they are rarely used in HPC systems, where parallel file systems (PFS) are the dominant storage systems. In this study, we carefully examine the architecture difference and performance characteristics of PFS and KVStore. We propose that it is valuable to utilize KVStore to optimize the overall I/O performance, especially for the workloads that PFS cannot handle well, such as the cases with hurtful data synchronization or heavy metadata operations. To verify this proposal, we conducted comprehensive experiments with several synthetic benchmarks, an I/O benchmark, and a real application. The results show that our proposal is promising.
Assessing Truck Driver Exposure at the World Trade Center Disaster Site: Personal and Area Monitoring for Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds During October 2001 and April 2002

The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City on September 11, 2001, created a 16-acre debris field composed of pulverized and burning material significantly impacting air quality. Site cleanup began almost immediately. Cleanup workers were potentially exposed to airborne contaminants, including particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and asbestos, at elevated concentrations. This article presents the results of the exposure assessment of one important group of WTC workers, truck drivers, as well as area monitoring that was conducted directly on site during October 2001 and April 2002. In cooperation with a local labor union, 54 drivers (October) and 15 drivers (April) were recruited on site to wear two monitors during their 12-hour work shifts. In addition, drivers were administered a questionnaire asking for information ranging from “first day at the site” to respirator use. Area monitoring was conducted at four perimeter locations during October and three perimeter locations ...
Effects of temperature and hydric environment on survival of the Panamanian Golden Frog infected with a pathogenic chytrid fungus.

Considerable controversy exists concerning whether or not climate changes (particularly global warming) are causing outbreaks of a lethal amphibian pathogen, the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Longcore, Pessier & D.K. Nichols 1999). In the present study, groups of Panamanian golden frogs (Atelopus zeteki Dunn, 1993), a critically endangered amphibian thought to be nearly extinct in Panama, were exposed to varying dosages of zoospores of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, temperatures and hydric environments in order to learn whether this species is susceptible to this pathogen and, if so, how environmental factors affect survival. This pathogen proved to be highly lethal for A. zeteki. Frogs exposed to a dosage of 100 Bd zoospores survived significantly (P < 0.0001) longer than those that had been exposed to 104 or 106 zoospores. Exposed frogs housed at 23 °C survived significantly (P < 0.0001) longer than those that were housed at 17 °C. Exposed frogs held in dry conditions survived significantly longer than those in wet conditions (P < 0.0001). As a laboratory study, these results do not directly test hypotheses about the relation between climate change and the decline of these frogs in the field, but they inform the discussion about how environmental conditions can have an impact on the interaction between a susceptible amphibian and this pathogen. These data do not support the contention that rising global temperatures are necessary to cause the death of amphibians infected with this pathogen because the pathogen was equally lethal at 17 as at 23 °C, and frogs at the warmer temperature lived significantly longer than those at the cooler one.
Laboratory Assays for Epstein-Barr Virus-Related Disease

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects various cell types in a wide spectrum of benign and malignant diseases. Laboratory tests for EBV have improved and are increasingly used in diagnosis, prognosis, prediction, and prevention of diseases ranging from infectious mononucleosis to selected subtypes of lymphoma, sarcoma, and carcinoma. Indeed, the presence of EBV is among the most effective tumor markers supporting clinical management of cancer patients. In biopsies, localization of EBER transcripts by in situ hybridization remains the gold standard for identifying latent infection. Other RNA- and protein-based assays detect lytic viral replication and can distinguish carcinoma-derived from lymphocyte-derived EBV in saliva or nasopharyngeal brushings. Analysis of blood using EBV viral load and serology reflects disease status and risk of progression. This review summarizes prior research in the context of basic virologic principles to provide a rational strategy for applying and interpreting EBV tests in various clinical settings. Such assays have been incorporated into standard clinical practice in selected settings such as diagnosis of primary infection and management of patients with immune dysfunction or nasopharyngeal carcinoma. As novel therapies are developed that target virus-infected cells or overcome the adverse effects of infection, laboratory testing becomes even more critical for determining when intervention is appropriate and the extent to which it has succeeded.
Broad band radio interferometry for lightning observations

A broad band radio interferometer for locating lightning emissions has been designed, constructed and tested. For a broad band interferometer, a single fixed pair of antennas is equivalent to having many baselines in a narrow band interferometer. So, a broad band system requires fewer antennas than a narrow band system to achieve equivalent angular resolution. In addition, frequency dependent locations of the radio emissions can be extracted for a more detailed look at the lightning breakdown processes. Such a system has been tested by a computer simulation and by measuring a man-made broad band radiation source. The system consists of two antennas which are separated vertically. Bandwidth of the system is from 40 to 350 MHz. Measurements of the man-made source indicate that with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) above 10 dB, the system is able to locate the source with an accuracy of about 2° over the detectable frequencies. Preliminary observations of lightning discharges with this new technique appear to indicate that breakdown processes of a dart leader to ground radiate solely at its descending tip.
Excitation cross section of some of the states of NE II, Ar II, and KR II by electron collision

The sudden perturbation method has been used to calculate the excitation cross section of some of the states of Ne II, Ar II, and Kr II by high energy electrons. In this method, the ground state of the noble gas atom, after a collision with a fast electron, is considered to lose one of its valence electrons in a time shorter than the relaxation time of the atom. The resulting configuration is then assumed to be a |(p^{5}) ^{2}P_{j}\rangle state with J = 3/2 or 1/2, with the remaining five valence electrons having the same radial coordinates as in the original |(p^{6})^{1}S_{0}\rangle state of the neutral atom. The configuration |(p^{5})^{2}P_{j}\rangle is then expanded in terms of the ionic wave functions having the form of |(p^{4})\bar{L}\bar{S}, nl', LSJ\rangle , where \bar{L},\bar{S} designate the total orbital angular momentum and the total spin angular momentum of the core electrons, l' is the orbital angular momentum of the excited running electron, and LSJ designates the final orbital, spin, and total angular momenta of the atom. The coefficients of the expansion are calculated in terms of the coefficients of fractional parentage and 3-j symbols. The radial wave functions for the neutral atoms and their excited ionic states for the involved radial integrals are obtained by using a computer program giving the self-consistent Hartree-Fock wave functions in the Slater approximation. Since no experimental measurements for the excitation cross sections with fast electrons are given, the results of the calculations are indirectly compared with the available work reported on the pulsed Ar II laser. Population of various excited ionic states is calculated assuming a uniform energy distribution of electrons having 1.8 times the ionization threshold of argon, and the results are compared with experimental data reported in the literature.
Insulin detemir: a long-acting insulin analog for the treatment of Type 1 and 2 diabetes

Many patients are apprehensive about initiating insulin. Worries about injections, hypoglycemia and weight gain as a result of insulin therapy may contribute to their concerns, and consequently pose a challenge to achieving or maintaining optimal glycemic control. Basal insulin replacement has proven to be effective and safe for initiating insulin therapy in Type 2 diabetes. With increasing β-cell dysfunction, the addition of rapid-acting prandial insulin to basal insulin therapy represents the gold standard for physiologic insulin replacement. Insulin detemir’s beneficial profile in terms of offering less weight gain and a reduced risk of hypoglycemic episodes compared with neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin makes it an attractive alternative for basal insulin therapy. This review provides a comprehensive update on the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of insulin detemir in Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Parallel processing strategies of the primate visual system

Incoming sensory information is sent to the brain along modality-specific channels corresponding to the five senses. Each of these channels further parses the incoming signals into parallel streams to provide a compact, efficient input to the brain. Ultimately, these parallel input signals must be elaborated on and integrated in the cortex to provide a unified and coherent percept. Recent studies in the primate visual cortex have greatly contributed to our understanding of how this goal is accomplished. Multiple strategies including retinal tiling, hierarchical and parallel processing and modularity, defined spatially and by cell type-specific connectivity, are used by the visual system to recover the intricate detail of our visual surroundings.
Spearman's law of diminishing returns in hierarchical models of intelligence for children and adolescents

Abstract Spearman's “law of diminishing returns” or SLODR refers to a decrease in g saturation as ability level increases. SLODR has been demonstrated in a number of intellectual batteries but several important aspects of the phenomenon are not yet well understood. We investigated the presence of SLODR in the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children—Second Edition (KABC-II), a popular measure of intelligence for children. We used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the invariance of two hierarchical factor structures across ability groups; the subtest variance explained by the ability factors across groups; and whether SLODR was produced only by subtests with low loadings on the general ability factor. We found that SLODR was present in the KABC-II, and its presence was not dependent on the hierarchical model of intelligence. Moreover, our findings suggest that SLODR acts on g and not on the broad abilities, although the contribution of g to various broad abilities is lower in the high ability group. Finally, SLODR was not produced by the subtests with the lowest g loadings on the general factor.
The electronic structure of the Pt (CN) 2- 4 ion

Abstract The SCF Xα SW method is used to calculate the ground state electronic structure of the Pt(CN) 2− 4 ion as well as excitation energies for transitions to various singler and triplet excited states. The results are found to be in good agreement with experimental optical and photoemission data but indicate a different order or ‘d-orbital” energy levels d x 2 - y 2 ⦔ d xy > d xz, yz ⦔ d z 2 ) than has been assumed in previous work. The implications of these findings with regard to the solid state properties of Pt(CN) n− 4 complexes are discussed.
Use of model order for detecting potential target locations in SAR images

The Region of Interest (ROI) detection stage of an Automatic Target Recognition System serves the crucial role of identifying candidate regions which may have potential targets. The large variability in clutter (noise or countermeasures which provide target like characteristics) complicate the task of developing accurate ROI determination algorithms. Presented in this paper is a new paradigm for ROI determination based on the premise that disjoint local approximation of the regions of a SAR image can provide discriminatory information for clutter identification. Specifically, regions containing targets are more likely to require complex approximators (i.e. ones with more free parameters of a higher model order). We show preliminary simulations results with two different approximators (sigmoidal multi-layered neural networks with lateral connections, and radial basis function neural networks with a model selection criterion), both of which attempt to produce a smooth approximation of disjoint local patches of the SAR image with as few parameters as possible. Those patches of the image which require a higher model order are then labeled as ROIs. Our preliminary results show that sigmoidal networks provide a more consistent estimate of the model order than their radial basis function counterparts.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Everett: Providing Branch-Isolation for a Data Evolution Service

One benefit of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is the ability to rapidly deploy iterative improvements without requiring users to upgrade the application on their machine. However, the need to rapidly "develop and test" different versions of an application implies that developers need branch isolation to protect the system from local changes to both data and meta-data in the same way that they traditionally use branch-isolation to protect the system from source-code changes. Providing branch-isolation for source-code changes has well-known solutions, but these solutions do not extend well to providing isolation for changes to data and meta-data. Everett provides developers the ability to safely – and concurrently – change database values with new business logic or evolve data schema in various ways while sharing the same database.
Rapid, Wnt-Induced Changes in GSK3β Associations that Regulate β-Catenin Stabilization Are Mediated by Gα Proteins

Summary Background In the absence of Wnt stimulation, the transcriptional cofactor β-catenin is destabilized via phosphorylation by protein kinase GSK3β in complex with Axin family members. In the "canonical" Wnt signaling pathway, Disheveled (Dvl) is required to functionally inhibit the activity of the GSK3β/Axin complex and thereby stabilize β-catenin. Yet, the mechanisms that underlie Wnt regulation of GSK3 and stabilization of β-catenin are still not fully appreciated. Results Here, we examine time-dependent changes in protein-protein interactions that occur in response to Wnt treatment. We show that GSK3β/Axin complexes are rapidly (t 1/2 o or Gα q will inhibit, respectively, the Wnt-induced disruption of GSK3β/Axin2 and GSK3β/Axin complexes and diminish Wnt stabilization of β-catenin. We also show that direct activation of G proteins in vivo with GTPγS in the absence of exogenous Wnt will disrupt GSK3β/Axin2 complexes and stabilize β-catenin. Finally, we demonstrate an association of Gα o with Fz that is also very rapidly (t 1/2 o /Fz are pertussis-toxin sensitive. Collectively, these data implicate a role for G proteins in the regulation of Wnt-mediated protein-protein interactions and signaling to β-catenin. Conclusions We conclude that rapid disruption of GSK3β/Axin interactions in response to Wnt leads to the initial stabilization of β-catenin and that Gα o and Gα q signaling contributes to Wnt-mediated GSK3β/Axin disruption and the ultimate stabilization of β-catenin.
Some remarks about relativism and pseudo-relativism in ethics

This article deals with socio‐cultural ethical relativism. An attempt is made to analyze an ethical relativistic statement, i.e. a statement which, prima facie, ascribes different value‐qualities t...
Effect of prior cold work on the influence of electric current pulses on the recrystallization of copper

Les resultats experimentaux obtenus montrent que l'application concurrente d'impulsions de courant electrique pendant le recuit isochrone du cuivre deforme a froid augmente les vitesses de restauration et de recristallisation et conduit a un affinement de la grosseur du grain et a une reduction de la frequence de maclage
A Java implementation of the myro API for using personal robots in CS1

Myro is popular Python-based API for controlling personal robots used in many CS1 courses around the world. This paper describes the author's implementation of the Myro API in Java.
Some comments on modeling the human component in computer-based business simulations

The article by Thavikulwat places great emphasis on the creation of valid algorithmic portrayals of the functions being simulated. The reader is cautioned, however, that a simulation 's algorithms are only one part of the experiential learning environment created by the adopter of a game. Learning in these situations comes from not only the game s algorithms but also from the interplay between students, interplay with the instructor through coaching and debriefing skills, and self analysis in reaction to the gestalt of the process.
Microwave puffing: mathematical modeling and optimization

Abstract Increased interest in microwave puffing is due to its ability to obtain low-fat healthy foods and ready-to-eat products that emulate deep fried foods. Determination of optimal conditions for this complicated process has been difficult and as a result, although several patents exist on the concept of microwave puffing, we are yet to see any large scale commercial use of it. A fundamental physics based computational modeling approach integrated with relevant experimentation, as used in this work, is an ideal framework to understand and optimize microwave puffing. Coupled porous media transport and large deformation model, describing complex physical phenomena occurring during the process such as electromagnetic heating, heat and moisture transport, evaporation and structural changes, was formulated and solved. Temperature (using infrared camera and fiber optic probes), moisture and volume measurements were performed in potato samples to validate the model. The effect of various processing and operating conditions on the puffed potato quality was studied. It was found that infrared addition to microwave puffing leads to a better quality product. Hot air can be used with microwaves to reduce the final moisture content; although the change is not as significant compared to addition of infrared. Heating of sample using forced air convection may lead to decreased volume products. An initial moisture content near 1.4 db may be optimum for puffing. Relative humidity of the surroundings had no effect on the puffing characteristics. The study provides critical guidelines to food product and process developers for successful development, control and automation of microwave puffing process, thereby leading to a value-added nutritious product.
The treatment of pain in the patient with cancer

Pain is one of the most feared consequences of cancer. Control of pain from cancer should be possible with the approaches discussed above. Changing attitudes toward the effective use of narcotic analgesics, the development of novel routes and methods of administration, and a clinical approach based on scientific principles and humane care offer the promise of improved management of pain in patients with cancer.