cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multivariable Impulse Response Estimation via Correlation Analysis and Its Application to Automated System Identification

Abstract This paper presents a correlation analysis approach for estimating impulse response coefficients of multivariable systems where inputs and/or measured disturbances are allowed to be correlated with each other. The resulting estimator forms a simple linear equation set for which a simple closed form solution can be obtained, and due to the nonparametric nature of the estimator, the problem of selecting proper model structures encountered in parametric methods is avoided. These characteristics make the estimator very appropriate as a preliminary estimation step to more detailed parametric methods. Two other applications of the correlation analysis estimator include non-zero transfer function determination in multivariable systems and online identification experiment monitoring. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is illustrated on industrial data.
Socially-aware navigation planner using models of human-human interaction

In this paper, we revisit a real-time socially-aware navigation planner which helps a mobile robot to navigate alongside humans in a socially acceptable manner. This navigation planner is a modification of nav core package of Robot Operating System (ROS), based upon earlier work and further modified to use only egocentric sensors. The planner can be utilized to provide safe as well as socially appropriate robot navigation. Primitive features including interpersonal distance between the robot and an interaction partner and features of the environment (such as hallways detected in real-time) are used to reason about the current state of an interaction. Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) are trained over these features from human-human interaction demonstrations of various interaction scenarios. This model is both used to discriminate different human actions related to their navigation behavior and to help in the trajectory selection process to provide a social-appropriateness score for a potential trajectory. This paper presents an evaluation done in simulation while utilizing data from real human interactions.
Systems-Creation and Competition

This chapter continues with the discussion of grand strategy with a focus on great powers. Great powers face off with other great powers given the nature of the international system. These systemically dominant/creative units constantly size up one another in the eternal fight for hegemony. In the case of this book, world-systems are the intervening variable within an existing competitive international system constructed by great powers (independent variable) to explain their overall balancing behavior. Great powers are forced into a competition for leadership. These behaviors will be explained as part of systems-creation through competition. The concept of systemic practice which describes these behaviors will be defined.
A combination of topic models with max-margin learning for relation detection

This paper proposes a novel application of a supervised topic model to do entity relation detection (ERD). We adapt Maximum Entropy Discriminant Latent Dirichlet Allocation (MEDLDA) with mixed membership for relation detection. The ERD task is reformulated to fit into the topic modeling framework. Our approach combines the benefits of both, maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) and max-margin estimation (MME), and the mixed membership formulation enables the system to incorporate heterogeneous features. We incorporate different features into the system and perform experiments on the ACE 2005 corpus. Our approach achieves better overall performance for precision, recall and Fmeasure metrics as compared to SVM-based and LLDA-based models.
Team Reasoning and Shared Intention

“Team reasoning”—understood as fundamentally different from individual instrumental reasoning—has been proposed as a solution to a problem of strategic interaction discussed in game theory. But this form of reasoning has been deployed recently in philosophical discussion about shared agency and joint action, in particular to characterize the special “participatory” intention an individual has when acting with another. The main point of the chapter is that constraints on intending raise some challenges for this approach to participatory intention. If team reasoning rationally yields a participatory intention to A, it would require a belief or presumption on the part of the agent regarding what fellow participants will do—namely, that they or enough of them will also employ team reasoning. But what warrants this assumption? I contend that some ways of defending it are incompatible with what originally motivates team reasoning as a solution to a problem of strategic interaction. I will argue that if, as its proponents insist, team reasoning is to be fundamentally distinct from individual instrumental reasoning, then it must invoke a notion of a rational yet non-evidential warrant for belief. The distinctiveness of team reasoning would require, in general, that a team reasoner’s belief or expectation that other participants are also team reasoners is rational, but not acquired in the way that rational belief as it is usually understood should be acquired, that is, on the basis of evidence.
The Assistment Builder: A Rapid Development Tool for ITS

Intelligent Tutoring Systems are notoriously costly to construct [1], and require PhD level experience in cognitive science and rule based programming. The goal of this research was to ease the development process for building pseudo-tutors [5], which are ITS constructs that mimic cognitive tutors but are limited in that they only work for a single problem. The Assistment Builder is a system designed to rapidly develop, test, and deploy simple pseudo-tutors. These tutors provide a simple cognitive model based upon a state graph tailored to a specific problem. These tutors offer many of the features of rule-based tutors, but without the expensive creation time. The system simplifies the process of tutor construction to allow users with little or no ITS experience to develop content. The system provides a web-based interface as a means to build and store these simple tutors we have called Assistments. This paper describes our attempt to make the process of developing content easy for teachers. We present some evidence to suggest that these novice users can develop a tutor for a problem in under thirty minutes.
Transurethral Removal of Large Ureteral and Renal Pelvic Calculi Using Ureteroscopic Ultrasonic Lithotripsy

AbstractTransurethral ultrasonic fragmentation of stones allows successful endoscopic removal of upper urinary calculi that otherwise would be considered too large to extract. We successfully extracted endoscopically 2 large renal pelvic and 5 large urreteral stones using transurethral ureteropyeloscopy and ultrasonic lithotripsy. The stone is visualized first with the ureternpyeloscope, and then engaged in a basket and either fragmented or disintegrated with the ultrasonic transducer. Any remaining small stone fragments can be retrieved with a stone basket forceps. There has been little morbidity with this procedure and patients can return to normal activity after discharge from the hospital.
Implementing Cost Control in Health Care: Strategies Driven by an Organizational Systems Approach

In this paper, we offer a systems approach to assist health care organizations in their cost-containment efforts. A general model of the organization which specifies the various components of this approach is offered. Each system—technology, structure, psychosocial, managerial, and cultural—is linked to illustrative selected actions designed to improve cost performance. In our view, the key to successful interventions to contain costs lies in careful consideration of both the direct and interactive impacts on all systems of the health care organization. A case example of an Academic Medical Center's effort to curtail costs illustrates both the model and the sample actions.
Effective prevention of cancer in p53 null mice by depleting Rlip.

e13540Background: TP53 (gene encoding the p53 protein) is a stress-responsive tumor suppressor whose functions are lost or altered in most malignancies. The importance of p53 as a tumor suppressor ...
Abstract TP291: Frequency of Neurological Evaluation and Neuroimaging in Patients With Infective Endocarditis

Introduction: Stroke is a frequent complication of infective endocarditis, but there are few data and guidelines to inform appropriate neurological evaluation and imaging in this setting. We sought...
EXERCISES THAT FACILITATE OPTIMAL HAMSTRING AND QUADRICEPS CO-ACTIVATION TO HELP DECREASE ACL INJURY RISK IN HEALTHY FEMALES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

BACKGROUND Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is common among females due to many anatomic, hormonal, and neuromuscular risk factors. One modifiable risk factor that places females at increased risk of ACL injury is a poor hamstrings: quadriceps (H:Q) co-activation ratio, which should be 0.6 or greater in order to decrease the stress placed on the ACL. Exercises that produce more quadriceps dominant muscle activation can add to the tension placed upon the ACL, potentially increasing the risk of ACL injury. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE The purpose of this systematic review was to compare quadriceps and hamstring muscle activation during common closed kinetic chain therapeutic exercises in healthy female knees to determine what exercises are able to produce adequate H:Q co-activation ratios. STUDY DESIGN Systematic Review. METHODS Multiple online databases were systematically searched and screened for inclusion. Eight articles were identified for inclusion. Data on mean electromyography (EMG) activation of both quadriceps and hamstring muscles, % maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and H:Q co-activation ratios were extracted from the studies. Quality assessment was performed on all included studies. RESULTS Exercises analyzed in the studies included variations of the double leg squat, variations of the single leg squat, lateral step-up, Fitter, Stairmaster® (Core Health and Fitness, Vancouver, WA), and slide board. All exercises, except the squat machine with posterior support at the level of the scapula and feet placed 50 cm in front of the hips, produced higher quadriceps muscle activation compared to hamstring muscle activation. CONCLUSION Overall, two leg squats demonstrate poor H:Q co-activation ratios. Single leg exercises, when performed between 30 and 90 degrees of knee flexion, produce adequate H:Q ratios, thereby potentially reducing the risk of tensile stress on the ACL and ACL injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2a- Systematic Review of Cohort Studies.
Metal complexes of cyanocarbons

Abstract Reactions of dicyanoacetylene with a number of iridium, rhodium, nickel, palladium, and gold substrates have been studied under preparative conditions and several new complexes have been isolated and characterized. These include, for iridium, IrX(CO)(C4N2)(EPh3)2 (E = As, X = Cl; E = P, X = Cl, Br, I, NCS), and a σ-dicyanovinyl π-dicyanoacetylene complex Ir[C (CN)=CHCN] (CO) (C4N2)(PPh3)2, for rhodium, RhCI(CO)(C4N2)(PPh3)2, and for palladium, Pd(C4N2)(PPh3)2. Comparisons of dicyanoacetylene as a ligand are made with other cyanocarbons and with other activated acetylenes.
Using Simulation to Prepare for Clinicals in Front-Loaded FNP Curricula

Abstract Background Transitioning from a Master of Science degree to a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree in a Family Nurse Practitioner program presents a challenge in course sequencing. If DNP coursework is placed after concurrent clinical and didactic courses, students will encounter situations in clinical that they have not studied in the didactic arena (increasing preceptor burden) and complete their clinicals a year before graduation. We adopted a front-loaded course sequence, placing didactic management courses before the start of clinical courses. However, students would now be exposed to didactic management content a year before beginning clinical. Methods To enhance readiness for clinicals, we implemented a program, “Conquering Clinical,” which included a full day of simulation that reviewed four scenarios frequently encountered in primary care. Results The students reported feeling both more confident and more competent in conducting a primary care encounter. Conclusion A preclinical preparation program is beneficial to both students and preceptors.
CARDIOVASCULAR AND DIABETES HEALTHCARE IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Introduction Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent mental illness associated with early mortality and a higher rate of medical comorbidity compared to the general population. Individuals with schizophrenia are at risk of healthcare disparities including reduced access to primary care and suboptimal health maintenance interventions. Barriers to care can include impairment communicating with healthcare providers, the stigma of psychiatric disease, and a poor understanding of medical condition and need for treatment all of which can delay diagnosis and timely treatment. However, only few studies exist related to healthcare access at the end-of-life. Because individuals with schizophrenia die 10-20?years younger than the general population, it is important to identify modifiable risk factors to improve care in this vulnerable population. Specifically, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes compared to controls, and evaluate occurrence of routine laboratory studies and preventive health measures. Methods We conducted a retrospective examination of healthcare access among deceased individuals with and without schizophrenia. The Mayo Clinic Advanced Cohort Explorer was used to identify records with ICD -9/10 codes (295.0 – 295.9; F20.0 –F20.9) to establish a cohort of deceased patients with schizophrenia (N = 1191) and a date of death between 1/1/1999 – 1/1/2019. A control group without schizophrenia or any mental disorder was established (N = 1191) and matched by gender and age at time of death. Using a retrospective cohort design the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes were measured in subjects ≥ 50?years of age within the 3?years preceding death; the following routine health maintenance studies were also evaluated: complete blood count (CBC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), and electrocardiography (ECG).Between group differences were determined using chi-square (Х2) with p Results The average age of death was 71.4?years in both groups due to matching by age of death. The age range among patients and controls spanned from 50 to 104?years. Individuals with schizophrenia were significantly more likely to be single, divorced, or separated (p Conclusions Our findings indicate higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in individuals with schizophrenia compared to controls ≥ 50?years of age matched by gender and age of death which is consistent with other studies. However patients with schizophrenia were less likely to have received an ECG within the three years preceding death despite the aforementioned comorbidities. The schizophrenia group was significantly more likely to have received routine HbA1c and lipid panel testing however. This research was funded by: No funding sources were used for this project
Neuroendocrine liver metastases: a contemporary review of treatment strategies

Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are globally increasing in prevalence and the liver is the most common site of metastasis. Neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELM) are heterogeneous in clinical presentation and prognosis. Fortunately, recent advances in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic strategies have improved the multidisciplinary management of this challenging condition. When feasible, surgical resection of NELM offers the best long-term outcomes. General indications for hepatic resection include performance status acceptable for major liver surgery, grade 1 or 2 tumors, absence of extrahepatic disease, adequate size and function of future liver remnant, and feasibility of resecting >90% of metastases. Adjunct therapies including concomitant liver ablation are generally safe when used appropriately and may expand the number of patients eligible for surgery. Among patients with synchronous resectable NELM, resection of the primary either in a staged or combined fashion is recommended. For patients who are not surgical candidates, liver-directed therapies such as transarterial embolization, chemoembolization, and radioembolization can provide locoregional control and improve symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. Multiple systemic therapy options also exist for patients with advanced or progressive disease. Ongoing research efforts are needed to identify novel biomarkers that will define the optimal indications for and sequencing of treatments to be delivered in a personalized fashion.
Chapter 16 – Sensory Properties of Dairy Proteins

Production and applications of dairy proteins are increasing globally. The dairy protein category is a wide one, encompassing milk proteins and whey proteins, as well as many subcategories of these products such as caseins, hydrolysates, and serum or native whey proteins. Although functionality and nutrition continue to be key aspects of these products, flavor is a critical parameter that should not be overlooked. An array of sensory analysis techniques can be applied to measure flavor intensities and flavor variability and to determine flavor sources when applied in conjunction with analytical chemistry. This chapter addresses the current status and ongoing research on the sensory properties of dairy proteins.
An innovative intermodal solution to urban residential waste disposal in large cities: a marine highway solution to a growing environmental problem

Large cities face growing challenges of waste disposal due to the increase in urban population, economic development, and goods consumption, resulting in congestion, noise, and air pollution. The traditional trucking of waste material from collection points to landfills or garbage incinerators is no longer viable due to shrinking landfill capacity, stringent environmental regulations, and scarcity of land in urban areas. Recognizing all of these, New York City (NYC) initiated the first marine highway request for proposals (RFP) in the USA calling for a new waterborne proposal to export its residential waste material out of the region. An energy-from-waste (EFW) leading firm, seizing the opportunity, contracted us to develop an intermodal system. We developed a multimodal transportation system for the EFW firm and NYC that could eventually become a model and a solution to the mounting problems of urban waste management around the world for cities on the waterfront. Our approach consists in shipping the waste material to a power plant out of the city that generates energy from waste, with guarantees of state-of-the-art pollution control technologies. This poses transport challenges. We used a supply chain approach to illustrate the viability of a large-scale container intermodal system (truck–water–rail) via waterways and marine terminal facilities. This approach is built on containerized equipment, watertight container compartments, and intramodality. We used statistical analysis of daily waste volumes applied to standard weekly waste amounts and holiday peaks to determine the demand for tugs, barges, railcars, and containers, including a degree of redundancy. This paper presents the analysis results, from modeling and simulating to the system implementation that was used by the EFW firm to become the first waste disposal waterborne operating system in NYC and a model to emulate elsewhere. The operation, now fully implemented, reduces the number of truck miles driven, wear-and-tear on the roads and trucks, fuel consumption, congestion, noise, and pollution. The paper demonstrates that intermodal solutions are viable for large-scale waste disposal in major urban areas, utilizing existing waterways. A marine highway system is critical to solve goods movement problems and the growing challenges for urban freight movement and waste disposal.
Identifying Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase as a Novel Regulator of Hepatic Steatosis

Pyrimidine catabolism is implicated in hepatic steatosis. Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase (DPYD) is an enzyme responsible for uracil and thymine catabolism, and human genetic variability of this enzyme has been identified as affecting clinically observed toxicity following 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) administration. In an in vitro model of diet-induced steatosis, the pharmacologic inhibition of DPYD resulted in protection from lipid accumulation. Additionally, a gain-of-function mutation of DPYD, created through clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) engineering, led to an increased lipid burden, which was associated with altered mitochondrial functionality in a hepatocarcionma cell line. The studies presented herein describe a novel role for DPYD in hepatocyte metabolic regulation as a modulator of hepatic steatosis.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy January-May 2021 among 18-64 year old US adults by employment and occupation.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy threatens pandemic control efforts. We evaluated vaccine hesitancy in the US by employment status and occupation category during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. US adults 18-64 years completed an online COVID-19 survey 3,179,174 times from January 6-May 19, 2021. Data was aggregated by month. Survey weights matched the sample to the US population age, gender, and state profile. Weighted percentages and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Changes in vaccine hesitancy from January-May varied widely by employment status (e.g., -7.8% [95%CI, -8.2 - -7.5] among those working outside the home, a 26.6% decrease; -13.3% [95%CI, -13.7 - -13.0] among those not working for pay, a 44.9% decrease), and occupation category (e.g., -15.9% [95%CI, -17.7 - -14.2] in production, a 39.3% decrease; -1.4% [95%CI, -3.8 - -1.0] in construction/extraction, a 3.0% decrease). April 20-May 19, 2021, vaccine hesitancy ranged from 7.3% (95%CI, 6.7 - 7.8) in computer/mathematical professions to 45.2% (95%CI, 43.2-46.8) in construction/extraction. Hesitancy was 9.0% (95%CI, 8.6-9.3) among educators and 14.5% (95%CI, 14.0-15.0) among healthcare practitioners/technicians. While the prevalence of reasons for hesitancy differed by occupation, over half of employed hesitant participants reported concern about side effects (51.7%) and not trusting COVID-19 vaccines (51.3%), whereas only 15.0% didn't like vaccines in general. Over a third didn't believe they needed the vaccine, didn't trust the government, and/or were waiting to see if it was safe. In this massive national survey of adults 18-64 years, vaccine hesitancy varied widely by occupation. Reasons for hesitancy indicate messaging about safety and addressing trust are paramount.
Are Quantitative Measures of Academic Productivity Correlated with Academic Rank in Plastic Surgery? A National Study.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between quantitative measures of academic productivity and academic rank among full-time academic plastic surgeons. METHODS Bibliometric indices were computed for all full-time academic plastic surgeons in the United States. The primary study variable was academic rank. Bibliometric predictors included the Hirsch index, I-10 index, number of publications, number of citations, and highest number of citations for a single publication. Descriptive, bivariate, and correlation analyses were computed. Multiple comparisons testing was used to calculate adjusted associations for subgroups. For all analyses, a value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS The cohort consisted of 607 plastic surgeons across 91 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved programs. Of them, 4.1 percent were instructors/lecturers, 43.7 percent were assistant professors, 22.1 percent were associate professors, 25.7 percent were professors, and 4.4 percent were endowed professors. Mean values were as follows: Hirsch index, 10.2 ± 9.0; I-10 index, 17.2 ± 10.2; total number of publications, 45.5 ± 69.4; total number of citations, 725.0 ± 1448.8; and highest number of citations for a single work, 117.8 ± 262.4. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations of the Hirsch index, I-10 index, number of publications, and number of citations with academic rank (rs = 0.62 to 0.64; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Academic rank in plastic surgery is strongly correlated with several quantitative metrics of research productivity. Although academic promotion is the result of success in multiple different areas, bibliometric measures may be useful adjuncts for assessment of research productivity.
Ideological Distance and a Common Framework for Political Business Cycles

This paper attempts to provide a single framework for bridging the separate research programs on opportunistic and partisan business cycles. Ideological distance, the degree of distance between major parties on a left-right ideological spectrum, arguably could provide more leverage in understanding the conditions under which opportunistic and partisan business cycles are prominent. I develop a framework for hypothesizing that partisan business cycles are more common when ideological distance is wide and opportunistic business cycles are more common when ideological distance is narrow. I test these hypotheses monetary policy data from six industrialized democracies with plurality electoral systems. The results confirm the hypothesis on opportunistic business cycles but leave puzzling results for partisan business cycles.
Replacement of the human insulin receptor transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains by corresponding domains of the oncogene product v-ros leads to accelerated internalization, degradation, and down-regulation.

Internalization, degradation, and insulin-induced down-regulation of insulin receptors were studied comparatively in transformed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines, CHO.T and CHO.IR.ros, respectively expressing either the wild-type human insulin receptor (hIR) or a mutated hybrid receptor in which the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of hIR were replaced by corresponding domains of the transforming protein p68gag-ros (v-ros) of avian sarcoma virus UR2. At 37 degrees C, degradation of insulin receptors photoaffinity labeled on the cell surface (440 kDa) was most rapid for the hybrid hIR.ros (t1/2 1.0 +/- 0.1 h), intermediate for the wild-type hIR (t1/2 2.7 +/- 0.5 h), and slowest for the endogenous CHO insulin receptors (t1/2 3.7 +/- 0.7 h). Initial intracellular accumulation of the hIR.ros hybrid was also most rapid, reaching maximal amounts in 20 min following which the receptors disappeared rapidly from the intracellular compartment. In contrast, intracellular accumulation of the receptors in the CHO.T and CHO cells was slower, reaching maximal amounts in 60 min, and rapid disappearance of the receptors from the intracellular compartment did not occur. Chloroquine, a lysosomotropic agent, inhibited degradation of both the wild-type hIR and the chimeric hIR.ros and increased their intracellular accumulation. However, the chloroquine effect was much more marked for the hIR.ros receptors whose intracellular accumulation was increased by greater than 300% (in comparison with approximately 60% increase for the wild-type hIR), demonstrating marked intracellular degradation of the hybrid hIR.ros at chloroquine-sensitive sites. Insulin-induced down-regulation of the cell surface hIR.ros (52% loss in 3 h) was also more marked than the wild-type hIR (approximately 30% loss in 3 h). Thus, in the hybrid hIR.ros receptor, which was shown previously to exhibit insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation and kinase activity but not insulin-stimulated metabolic function, the capacity for internalization and down-regulation is not only preserved but is also markedly accelerated. These findings suggest that 1) the postreceptor coupling mechanisms mediating insulin-induced receptor internalization, degradation, and down-regulation are different from those mediating metabolic functions; and 2) v-ros may contain the structural information directing accelerated receptor catabolism.
Progress in cell based assays for botulinum neurotoxin detection.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent human toxins known and the causative agent of botulism, and are widely used as valuable pharmaceuticals. The BoNTs are modular proteins consisting of a heavy chain and a light chain linked by a disulfide bond. Intoxication of neuronal cells by BoNTs is a multi-step process including specific cell binding, endocytosis, conformational change in the endosome, translocation of the enzymatic light chain into the cells cytosol, and SNARE target cleavage. The quantitative and reliable potency determination of fully functional BoNTs produced as active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) requires an assay that considers all steps in the intoxication pathway. The in vivo mouse bioassay has for years been the ‘gold standard’ assay used for this purpose, but it requires the use of large numbers of mice and thus causes associated costs and ethical concerns. Cell-based assays are currently the only in vitro alternative that detect fully functional BoNTs in a single assay and have been utilized for years for research purposes. Within the last 5 years, several cell-based BoNT detection assays have been developed that are able to quantitatively determine BoNT potency with similar or greater sensitivity than the mouse bioassay. These assays now offer an alternative method for BoNT potency determination. Such quantitative and reliable BoNT potency determination is a crucial step in basic research, in the development of pharmaceutical BoNTs, and in the quantitative detection of neutralizing antibodies.
Homeostatic regulation of M‐current modulates synaptic integration in secretomotor, but not vasomotor, sympathetic neurons in the bullfrog

We compared how vasomotor C neurons and secretomotor B neurons integrated identical patterns of virtual synaptic activity using dynamic clamp, perforated-patch recordings from dissociated bullfrog sympathetic ganglion cells. The synaptic template modelled one strong nicotinic synapse and nine weak synapses, each firing randomly at 5 Hz, with strength normalized to each cell. B neurons initially fired at 12 Hz, but this declined within seconds, decreasing 27% after 40 s and recovering slowly as evidenced by the threshold synaptic conductance for firing (τrecovery= 136 ± 23 s). C neurons gave an identical initial response that remained steady, declining only 6% after 40 s. The difference resulted from an activity-dependent 379 ± 65% increase in M-current (IM) in B cells (τrecovery= 153 ± 22 s), which was absent in C cells. In addition, action potential afterhyperpolarizations were 2-fold longer in B cells, but this did not produce the differential response to synaptic stimulation. Activity-dependent increases in IM were sensitive to 100 μm Cd2+ and 2.5 μm oxotremorine M (oxo-M), a muscarinic agonist, and fully blocked by zero Ca2+, 10 μm oxo-M and 2.5 μm oxo-M plus 50 μm wortmannin, a PIP2 synthesis inhibitor. A leftward shift in voltage-dependent activation could not fully account for the IM increase. Firing at 0.5 Hz was sufficient to modulate IM. Opposing influences of activity and muscarinic excitation thus produce homeostatic IM regulation, to stabilize excitability and postsynaptic output in secretomotor sympathetic neurons. Absence of this regulation in vasomotor neurons suggests a different integrative function, where synaptic gain increases in proportion to presynaptic activity.
A Quantitative Approach to the Study of the Effects of British Imperial Policy upon Colonial Welfare: Some Preliminary Findings

Historians have long debated whether the American colonies on balance benefited or were hindered by British imperial regulation. George Bancroft thought the regulations worked a definite hardship on the colonies. George L. Beer believed these regulations nicely balanced and that the colonies shared in the general advantages. Lawrence Harper, in a now classic article, actually attempted to calculate the cost and found that British policies “placed a heavy burden upon the colonies.” Oliver Dickerson wrote that “no case can be made … that such laws were economically oppressive,” while Curtis P. Nettels, writing at the same time to the same point, stated: “British policy as it affected the colonies after 1763 was restrictive, injurious, negative.” It is quite evident that a difference of opinion exists among reputable colonial historians over this important historical issue.
Gaining sustainable competitive advantage through strategic pricing: selecting a perceived value price

Sustainable competitive advantage is recognized as a critical factor for survival in the turbulent environments of the 1990s. The limited use of pricing as a strategic tool to gain and hold competitive advantage has created an opportunity for companies willing to redesign their competitive portfolios and go with unorthodox strategy mixes. Proposes an approach to value pricing that can be used to seize and drive competitive advantage, and which yields a price that minimizes the risk that buyers will not perceive value at least equivalent to that provided by a reference product. At the same time, the risk to sellers of not achieving minimum margins is controlled. Suggests that this approach enhances the ability of management to develop dynamic and proactive strategies for pricing.
Pupil Evaluation of Student Teachers and Their Supervisors

This report is the first completed study from a larger project called Teacher Aides in a Secondary School. Pupils in 55 seventh-grade public school classes completed the Pupil observation Survey Re7ort (POSE) tvice--onco to describe their student teacher and once to describe the regular (cooperatingsupervising) teacher. Ail teachers involved were female. Analyses of variance of the six factor dimensions of the POSR indicated that the etude t teachers were seen as sore friendly, cheerful, lively, interesting, and directive, but as less poised, knowledgeable, and firmly controlling than their supervisors. The difference is general evaluation of the two groups vas not significast. Correlations between the POSR scores of the student teachers and their Supervisors were significant only for the factors called Nos-Directive' (1 =.57) and Firs Control (r-.29). These results are consistent cith the hypothesis that tIr regular teachers "set" the classroom atmosphere and activity structure before the student teacher arrives on the scene to handle the class by herself. The findings are raleVant to any rvmearch employing pupil evaluation of teacher behavior amd support the validity of the POSR as a specific tool for such measurement. (Anth-r) PUPIL EVALUATION CY STUDENT TEACHERS AND THEIR SUPERVISORS
Thoughts on the processes that maintain local species diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi

Ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibit high diversity even in small monoculture forests. Roughly 20 to 35 species typically occupy such sites. Explanations for this diversity can be based on resource partitioning, disturbance, competition, or interaction with other organisms. Mycorrhizal fungi compete for two general classes of resources: host-derived carbon and soil or detritus derived mineral nutrients. Both types of resources are arrayed in space (e.g., soil depth, distance from tree) and time (e.g., season, host successional series). Some species seem to be partitioned in space and time at these scales, but the question of how widespread these patterns are remains largely unanswered. Mineral resources are distributed in discrete substrates in soil, litter, and within other soil microorganisms; the biochemical diversity exhibited by fungi may translate into differences in access to these resources among species. Small-scale natural disturbances that sever roots, mix soil horizons and litter layers, or change local pH and nutrient availability, are likely to create additional habitats for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Evidence from fruiting patterns and differences in colonization strategies suggest that such disturbances may be important for establishment of some species. Competitive replacement networks among species have the theoretical potential to increase diversity. The frequency of species replacements, observed co-infections of ectomycorrhizal fungi on single host roots, and high rates of rootlet turn-over all suggest that competition is important, but whether it plays a creative role in maintaining diversity remains to be demonstrated. Other organisms could be important in the maintenance of diversity, if they effect competition among mycorrhizal fungi. Bacteria and soil invertebrates are the most likely groups for such interactions. Technological advances in root observation and PCR methods for identification of mycorrhizae make many of these theories testable.
A program for calculating Q10 values utilizing a hewlett-packard hp-67 calculator

AbstractQ10 values are used to make stability projections from kinetic data. A program to facilitate the computation of Q10 values utilizing the Hewlett-Packard HP-67 calculator is presented. In addition, the program may be used to compute incremental changes of Q10 as a function of either temperature (dQ10/dT) or activation energy (dQ10/dEa).
A logic-based framework for address interpretation and rectification

Abstract To speed up the process of sorting letter mail, the U.S. Postal Service uses optical character recognition (OCR) machines on machine-printed mail. Even machine-printed mail can have missing words or characters in the address block or contain erroneous words or characters, resulting in rejection by the OCR as unreadable mail. The current procedure for dealing with such cases of patron errors is to subject the rejected mail to manual sorting. Missing character zip codes alone account for 61 percent of address line sets classified as unrecognized addresses. Manual sorting is tedious if left to unaided human perception alone. This paper describes a logic-based framework for address interpretation and rectification of machine-printed address mail rejected by the OCR for various reasons. A logic-based format was used consistently through the model, and implemented in Prolog. Preliminary testing of this early version of the model on 50 randomly selected samples of machine-printed mail rejected by the OCR at the Columbia general mail facility showed that 27 (54%) out of the 50 samples were rectified successfully. A classification of the types of errors in the study sample is also presented.
Space available to small diffusants in polymeric glasses: Analysis of unoccupied space and its connectivity

Given a diffusant, modeled as a hard sphere, and a microstructure representative of a glassy polymer, represented as a rigid matrix of hard sphere atoms, a quantitative determination of the unoccupied space in the polymer was achieved by applying a Delaunay tessellation of space to available glassy microstructures of atactic polypropylene and bisphenol-A-polycarbonate. A description is also given of how local portions of unoccupied space are distributed and interconnected across a polymeric matrix. The shape and dimensions of clustered portions of unoccupied space were analyzed. A visualization of these clusters indicated significant differences, depending on the nature of the diffusant.
Gatherers and Farmers in the Greater Southwest: A Problem in Classification

KROEBER said in 1928, in his discussion of the gradual widening of the anthropologist's concept of the native American Southwest: "It is clear that if this larger Southwest is a true cultural entity, the old Pueblo or even Arizona-New Mexico Southwest is but a fragment, whose functioning is intelligible only in terms of the larger growth" (p. 376). This symposium deals with the Southwest essentially in the older and narrower sense only, that is, with its scientifically best known portion, but the inclusion of an introductory paper on the Greater Southwest shows the growing realization among workers in the field of what Kroeber said twenty-five years ago. My discussion will deal with the problem of whether the Greater Southwest is a true cultural entity or not. The opening paper of this symposium could have been presented either by an archeologist or by an ethnologist. The archeologist has the advantage of being familiar with several historic periods, and thus could discuss our problem in relation to various time levels. The ethnologist, though limited to a shorter time span, has other advantages in that he disposes of information on a wider range of cultural phenomena and their functional interrelationships and, if he focuses his interest on the time of first contact with Europeans, on a greater number of peoples-practically all that existed at that time. Information for that period, it is true, usually is very sketchy, but sufficient to enable us to see similarities and differences which point to the contemporaneous existence of regional cultures or culture areas. When judiciously supplemented by the so much richer data which modern field work has supplied for those individual cultures that are still alive today, a total picture emerges which the archeologist cannot hope to obtain for any preceding period. As a result, the ethnologist is more likely to think in terms of larger regions and regional cultures, and this may be the reason why an ethnologist and not an archeologist was asked to open this discussion. But while the ethnologist's data may offer the most convenient starting point for a classification of the native cultures of the Southwest, the archeologist will have to carry this study backward into earlier periods and back to the moment when the historically known regional cultures of the Greater Southwest first came into existence.
Quality cost management support system: an effective tool for organisational performance improvement

The purpose of this study was to bring into focus the relationship between the cost of quality (COQ) and performance-improvement measurements, and to suggest that the total COQ be used as an overall measure of organisational performance. Previous research has examined quality costs and different cost minimisation methods, and introduced a variety of methods for measuring the performance of organisations. With a clear understanding of the importance of these two areas of research, the present study links quality costs to operational processes. The authors introduce a prototype management support system that helps measure, monitor, and improve quality costs associated with operational processes. The results of the pilot study conducted in this research show that the quality cost model can be used to measure the overall performance of organisations. In addition, the study links this management support system to the requirements of quality standards such as ISO 9001 and quality awards such as Malcolm Baldrige...
Moving paragon™ operating system to a new hardware platform

Abstract This paper discusses some of the problems, solutions, and strategies discovered while moving features of Paragon 1 Operating System (OS) to a new hardware platform. The new hardware platform differs from the Paragon System in several areas, including processor architecture, multiprocessor capabilities, I/O support, and interconnect technology. Performance metrics for critical-path message-passing software and other OS microfunctions are compared to the existing Paragon platform.
Fast, expressive top-k matching

Top-k matching is a fundamental problem underlying on-line advertising platforms, mobile social networks, etc. Distributed processes (e.g., advertisers) specify predicates, which we call subscriptions, for events (e.g., user actions) they wish to react to. Subscriptions define weights for elementary constraints on individual event attributes and do not require that events match all constraints. An event is multicast only to the processes with the k highest match scores for that event -- this score is the aggregation of the weights of all constraints in a subscription matching the event.However, state-of-the-art approaches to top-k matching support only rigid models of events and subscriptions, which leads to suboptimal matches. We present a novel model of weighted top-k matching which is more expressive than the state-of-the-art, and a corresponding efficient algorithm. Our model supports attributes with intervals, weights specified by producers of events or by subscriptions, negative weights, prorating of matched constraints, and the ability to vary scores dynamically with system parameters. Our algorithm exhibits time and space complexities which are competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms regardless of our added expressiveness -- O(M log N + S log k) and O(M N + k) respectively, with N the number of constraints, M the number of event attributes, and S the number of matching constraints.Through empirical evaluation with both statistically generated and real-world data we demonstrate that our algorithm is (a) equally or more efficient and scalable than the state-of-the art without exploiting our added expressiveness, and it (b) significantly outperforms existing approaches upgraded -- if possible at all -- to match our expressiveness.
Partial truncation of the NH2-terminus affects physical characteristics and membrane binding, aggregation, and fusion properties of annexin A7.

Abstract Annexin A7 (synexin, annexin VII), a member of the annexin family of proteins, causes aggregation of membranes in a Ca2+-dependent manner and has been suggested to promote membrane fusion during exocytosis of lung surfactant, catecholamines, and insulin. Although annexin A7 (A7) was one of the first annexin proteins described, limited studies of its physical characteristics or of structural domains affecting any of its proposed functions have been conducted. As postulated for other annexin proteins, the unique NH2-domain possibly determines the functional specificity of A7. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of segmental deletions in the NH2-terminus on several characteristics associated with the COOH-terminus of A7. The COOH-terminus contains the only tryptophan residue, and all potential trypsin sites, and the Ca2+ and phospholipid binding sites. Recombinant rat A7 and its deletion mutants were expressed using constructs based on the cDNA sequence obtained by screening a rat lung cDNA library. Ca2+ increased the tryptophan fluorescence of A7 and caused a small red shift in the emission maximum (λmax), which was further increased in presence of phospholipid vesicles (PLV). NH2-terminal deletions of 29, 51, and 109 residues affected the peak width of fluorescence and λmax, surface-exposure of tryptophan residue, and caused a smaller Ca2+-dependent red shift in λmax of membrane-bound protein in comparison to A7. Limited proteolysis with trypsin showed that Ca2+ increased the proteolysis of all proteins, but the deletions also affected the pattern of proteolysis. The presence of PLV protected against Ca2+-dependent increase in proteolysis of all proteins. The deletion of first 29 residues also caused decreased membrane binding, aggregation, and fusion, when compared with A7. Collectively, these results suggest that specific NH2-terminus domains can alter those properties of A7 that are normally associated with the COOH-terminus. We speculate that interactions between the NH2- and COOH-termini are required for membrane binding, and aggregation and fusion properties of annexin A7.
VIANA, VANDER, SONYA ZYNGIER, & GEOFF BARBROOK. (Eds.). Perspectives on Corpus Linguistics. Philadelphia: Benjamins, 2011. Pp. xvi, 256. $143.00, cloth. ISBN 978–9–02720–353–3.

A review of the book "Perspectives on Corpus Linguistics," edited by Vander Viana, Sonya Zyngier, and Geoff Barbrook, is presented.