cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health and usage monitoring for military ground vehicle power generating devices

A collaborative research and technology development effort was conduct by ARL Penn State and AMSAA to develop embedded diagnostic and predictive technology for ground platform power generators. An Army Freightliner truck was used as the test bed, and it was outfitted with seven new alternators of the same model type that each had a specific seeded fault, including a baseline non-faulted alternator. Each was run at a variety of alternator load and engine speed conditions while the truck was operated on a test course at Aberdeen Test Center.1 2 The Freightliner truck was instrumented with various sensors and two supporting data acquisition systems to evaluate the ability to conduct embedded diagnostics and prognostics. Based on these data collected, an algorithm was developed for detection of an alternator winding electrical fault. This algorithm can be implemented directly on the fielded data collection and analysis system currently being used in theater. The focus of this effort was to evaluate the detectability of common alternator faults using few or no additional sensors.
A cross‐cultural comparison of perceived informational fairness with service failure explanations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of culture (Western versus East Asian) on customers' perceived informational fairness of several types of failure explanations – excuse, justification, reference, and apology. It also seeks to examine whether informational fairness influences post‐failure satisfaction and consequent loyalty intentions.Design/methodology/approach – A two (culture: US and Taiwanese) × four (explanation type: excuse, justification, reference to other people, and penitence) between‐subjects experimental design was used to test the hypotheses. Participants were exposed to a written scenario describing a flight delay. A total of 286 undergraduate students served as the subject pool.Findings – The findings of this study imply that customers from different cultures perceive service failure explanations somewhat differently. US customers perceive reference to other customers to be more just while Taiwanese customers perceive apology to be more just. Furthermore, such inf...
Methods of isoelectric focusing

The method of isoelectric focusing has been avoided by many workers because of expense, technical difficulty, and problems of interpretation. Inexpensive, easy, and interpretable results are possible using equipment and reagents commonly available. Methods which allow these results are presented and explained.
Mosquito dopa decarboxylase cDNA characterization and blood‐meal‐induced ovarian expression

Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) functions in insect cate-cholamine biochemistry to produce materials essential for cross-linking reactions that result in tanning and/or melanitation, including tanning of the mosquito egg chorion and encapsulation of parasites. We have cloned Ddc from the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and studied its expression in response to blood-feeding, which initiates events necessary for egg maturation in mosquitoes. The Ae. aegypti Ddc cDNA was isolated via heterologous screening using a clone from Drosophila melanogaster. A resulting 1.87 kilobase (kb) clone was sequenced to reveal an open reading frame of 1464 bp, as well as 5′- and 3′-untranslated segments. The inferred amino acid sequence of this clone shares 81% identity with the published Drosophila Ddc cDNA, including complete identity with twenty-four contiguous amino acids encompassing the pyridoxal-5-phosphate cofactor binding domain. Analysis of an F2 intercross population derived from a parental cross between two Ae. aegypti strains (Hamburg and Moyo-In-Dry) allowed us to map Ddc to a locus on linkage group 2. Expression studies demonstrated the presence of a 2.1 kb message, the majority of which occurs in the ovaries where Ddc-specific mRNA is up-regulated in response to Ingestion of a blood meal. The potential for egg-tanning in anautogenous mosquitoes as a model for understanding specific genetic events in the regulation of catecholamine metabolism is addressed.
Neoplasms and nonneoplastic liver lesions in winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, from Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.

A variety of neoplasms and nonneoplastic hepatic lesions have been noted in winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, from Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Inflammatory lesions include cholangii...
Measuring fitness in healthy older adults: the Health ABC Long Distance Corridor Walk.

OBJECTIVES: The Health ABC Long Distance Corridor Walk (LDCW) was designed to extend the testing range of self-paced walking tests of fitness for older adults by including a warm-up and timing performance over 400 meters. This study compares performance on the LDCW and 6-minute walk to determine whether the LDCW encourages greater participant effort. DESIGN: Subjects were administered the LDCW and 6-minute walk during a single visit. Test order alternated between subjects, and a 15-minute rest was given between tests. SETTING: The Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty volunteers age 70 to 78. MEASUREMENTS: The LDCW, consisting of a 2-minute warm-up walk followed by a 400-meter walk and a 6-minute walk test were administered using a 20-meter long course in an unobstructed hallway. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were recorded at rest and before and after all walks. RESULTS: All 20 subjects walked a faster pace over 400 meters than for 6 minutes, in which the mean distance covered was 402 meters. From paired t-tests, walking speed was faster (mean difference = 0.23 m/sec; P < .001), and ending HR (mean difference = 7.6 bpm; P < .001) and systolic BP (mean difference = 8.3 mmHg; P = .024) were greater for the 400-meter walk than for the 6-minute walk. Results were independent of test order and subject fitness level. CONCLUSIONS: Providing a warm-up walk and using a target distance instead of time encouraged subjects to work closer to their maximum capacity. This low-cost alternative to treadmill testing can be used in research and clinical settings to assess fitness and help identify early functional decline in older adults.
Patient and Provider-Reported Symptoms in the Post-cART Era

Prior research has consistently demonstrated that providers often under recognize symptoms. However, this research was limited by the different ways in which patients and providers were asked about the symptoms patients experience. We sought to (1) describe the prevalence of patient-reported symptoms in the post-cART era; (2) identify those patient-reported symptoms which are most strongly associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hospitalization and mortality; and (3) determine whether primary providers recognize symptoms associated with HRQoL, hospitalization and mortality. We conducted a secondary analysis using baseline survey data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study and determined which patient-reported symptoms correlated with clinical outcomes using regression analyses. Kappa scores were then calculated. HIV-infected patients suffer from a high burden of symptoms in the post-cART era. Nine out of 20 symptoms correlated with clinical outcomes. Providers universally under recognized symptoms and demonstrated poor agreement beyond chance when patient-report was used as the gold standard.
Foam extrusion characteristics of thermoplastic resin with fluorocarbon blowing agent. I. Low‐density polyethylene foam extrusion

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the foam extrusion characteristics of low-density polyethylene resin. For the study, we used dichlorotetrafluoroethane and dichlorodifluoromethane as blowing agent and talc as nucleating agent. In the study, we investigated the effects of processing and material variables on the foam extrusion characteristics, namely extrudate swell behavior, foam density, and cell morphology. It was found that an inverse relationship exists between the extrudate swell ratio and the foam density. Also investigated was the effect of die geometry (theL/D ratio, DR/D ratio, and entrance angle) on the foam extrusion characteristics of low-density polyethylene resin. Suggestions are made on the experimental technique that may be useful in selecting resins for foam extrusion operation. Also suggested are guidelines for selecting an optimum die geometry that would produce good quality foams of low-density polyethylene.
Nitrogen diffusion as a function of surface pretreatment in molybdenum nitride films formed by N2+ bombardment

Abstract The time dependence of the N KL2L2 Auger signal intensity has been utilized to study the difference in nitrogen diffusion rates in thin layers of molybdenum nitride formed by reaction of a 100eV N2+ ion beam on flash-cleaned (FS) and sputter-cleaned (SS) surfaces of a Mo sample. It was found for the SS that, owing to enhanced diffusion due to radiation damage (by the pretreatment), the nitride concentration relaxes to a homogeneous steady state in the damaged surface layer during reaction with the N2+ beam and does not change significantly afterwards. The initial FS nitride layer, on the other hand, is not homogeneous and relaxes slowly by diffusion to reduce the concentration gradient.
Sinning for silk: Dress-for-success fashions of the New Orleans Storyville prostitute

Abstract New Orleans prostitutes of the Storyville period from 1898 to 1917 utilized fashion to emphasize sexuality because sex was their business. It is ironic that prostitutes who used clothing to emulate society women who would never accept them became trendsetters for the latter group. The distinctive stereotypical image of the prostitute fostered by photographers, actresses, and movies distills most of its images from the expensive prostitutes. The upper-class image is mythic, with only a fragile connection to a reality that included lower-class prostitutes. Dreams of wealth and success led poor women to yearn for fashionable clothing. Clothing seduced many women into prostitution by making them think that it would help them reach their goal of being respected, admired, and accepted by society. Unfortunately, they only achieved the superficial aspects of success. American women in the 1980s have begun to think of success in terms of a career outside the home. Once again, they are warned to dress for success, only the results must be different from their traditional methods. Professional women in the 1980s, both in the United States and abroad, have shown, however, that they will not undermine their respected positions by accepting fashions that accent their sexuality.
Laboratory Test Methods for Foamed Asphalt Mix Resilient Modulus

This paper investigates laboratory test methods for resilient modulus of foamed asphalt mixes. By comparing test results from different laboratory test methods, the effects of various stress states are identified. The indirect tensile resilient modulus test and the free-free resonant column test were found to yield stress states irrelevant to pavement structures, and to greatly overestimate resilient modulus. Triaxial resilient modulus test results showed that the role of foamed asphalt treatment is to transform the material behavior from that of typical unbound granular materials to that of partially asphalt-bound materials. Flexural beam tests indicated that when subjected to tension, the resilient modulus of soaked foamed asphalt mixes can be very low. Since triaxial and flexural beam tests each characterize one of the two most important stress states relevant to pavement design, test results from these two methods need to be combined to be used in design.
The Awkward Problem of Awkward Sentences

The famous Awk is a well-known designation, but this label does not refer to a well-defined concept. The authors report here on an empirical study of the predominant types and patterns of awkward sentences in student writing. They suggest that four general types of syntactic problems—mismanagement of clause structure in errors of embedding, of syntax shift, of parallel structure, and of direct/indirect speech—are associated with four general patterns of semantic problems—mismanagement of idea structure in errors of subordinating ideas, of starting and finishing ideas, of adding ideas, and of incorporating ideas from sources. The authors argue that awkward sentences arise from a complex combination of semantics and syntax, as student writers struggle to manage the relationships among multiple ideas as well as the relationships among multiple clauses. These findings are used to suggest a number of possible pedagogical approaches to the problem of awkward sentences, including the use of read-aloud editing, t...
The influence of lipopolysaccharide content on the apparent B cell stimulating activity of anti-μ preparations

Abstract Anti-μ preparations differ greatly in their ability to stimulate mouse B cells to incorporate tritiated thymidine (TdR). We have found that these differences may be due in part to different levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) content. In this report we show that LPS concentrations as low as 0.025 ng/ml stimulate the proliferation of T-depleted (C57BL/6×DBA/2)F1 (B6D2F1) spleen cells, provided that 5 × 10−5 M 2-mercaptoethanol is also present. Each of six commercial anti-μ preparations tested for LPS content contained more than this amount. We describe a technique that uses polymyxin B-agarose to remove nanogram quantities of LPS from anti-μ preparations. In B6D2F1 B cells, LPS-depleted anti-μ preparations induced much more uniform tritiated thymidine incorporation than did non-depleted preparations; but there was little difference between the two preparationsbwhen tested on B cells from C3H/HeJ (LPS hyporesponsive) mice.
Early Postnatal Treatment With Transforming Growth Factor α Does Not Alter Nonreproductive Behavior

Abstract Hilakivi-Clarke, L., E. Cho and M. Raygada. Early postnatal treatment with transforming growth factor α does not alter nonreproductive behavior. Physiol Behav 62(1) 207–211, 1997.—Estrogen acting during the critical developmental period has been postulated to defeminize and possibly masculinize male sexual behavior. Transforming growth factor α (TGFα) also may be involved, because this growth factor, at least partly, mediates the mitotic effects of estrogen on target tissues. Male transgenic mice overexpressing TGFα have elevated serum estradiol (E2) levels and they exhibit feminization of many nonreproductive actions, suggesting that either TGFα and/or E2, or both, participate in the control of some nonreproductive behavior. Male and female CD-1 mice were treated with 4 μg of recombinant human TGFα or 2–4 μg E2 during the first 3 days of life. Although early TGFα treatment accelerates physical development and influences the growth of the uterus and mammary gland, it failed to have any effect on behavior, either in male or female mice. Early E2 treatment significantly lengthened immobility time in the swim test and reduced voluntary alcohol intake among the male mice. No changes in locomotor activity or aggressive behavior were noted. The expression of TGFα mRNA in the brainstem of adult male mice was not altered following neonatal TGFα or E2 treatment. However, neonatal exposure to TGFα caused a moderate elevation in TGFα mRNA expression in the female brainstem. Our results indicate that in male, but not in female mice, an excess of E2 during early life affects some nonreproductive behavior. Furthermore, early treatment with recombinant human TGFα does not alter nonreproductive behavior in mice.
Macromodelling — an approach for analysing large-scale circuits

Abstract Macromodelling is a new area of circuit theory which has gained importance with the advent of large scale integration for semiconductor chips. These integrated circuits require an analysis capability which far exceeds presently available computer-aided network analysis programs. This paper gives an overview of work which pertains to the area of macromodelling. Also, recent progress in macroanalysis is discussed, such as the latent approach, which is a method which takes advantage of the natural small activity in large systems.
Optimal Schatten-q and Ky-Fan-k Norm Rate of Low Rank Matrix Estimation

In this paper, we consider low rank matrix estimation using either matrix-version Dantzig Selector $\hat{A}_{\lambda}^d$ or matrix-version LASSO estimator $\hat{A}_{\lambda}^L$. We consider sub-Gaussian measurements, $i.e.$, the measurements $X_1,\ldots,X_n\in\mathbb{R}^{m\times m}$ have $i.i.d.$ sub-Gaussian entries. Suppose $\textrm{rank}(A_0)=r$. We proved that, when $n\geq Cm[r^2\vee r\log(m)\log(n)]$ for some $C>0$, both $\hat{A}_{\lambda}^d$ and $\hat{A}_{\lambda}^L$ can obtain optimal upper bounds(except some logarithmic terms) for estimation accuracy under spectral norm. By applying metric entropy of Grassmann manifolds, we construct (near) matching minimax lower bound for estimation accuracy under spectral norm. We also give upper bounds and matching minimax lower bound(except some logarithmic terms) for estimation accuracy under Schatten-q norm for every $1\leq q\leq\infty$. As a direct corollary, we show both upper bounds and minimax lower bounds of estimation accuracy under Ky-Fan-k norms for every $1\leq k\leq m$.
Is Pulse Pressure an Independent Risk Factor for Incident Stroke, REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke

Current definitions of hypertension are primarily based on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) but not on pulse pressure (PP). More recently, increased attention has been given to PP as a predictor of stroke risk, with PP hypothesized to be an indicator of the stiffness of large arteries, especially the aorta.1–4 SBP and DBP increase with age in a parallel manner until about age 60, after which SBP continues to rise and DBP begins to decrease. This age-related phenomenon results in the large increase in PP after age 60 and an increase in the prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension.5 As a result, PP may be a key blood pressure (BP) measure in older individuals and may be important as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and death.3 Some evidence suggests PP may be an independent predictor of stroke, even independent of SBP.6Although studies have explored a possible relationship between PP and occurrence of stroke events, most of these studies have included predominantly white populations.2,5 Few data on this subject are available in African-Americans (AA), and it is unclear if there is a correlation between PP and the incidence of stroke in this population. Differences in the association of PP and stroke between women and men have also been reported, but not extensively.1 The primary purpose of this study was to further investigate if PP is a useful predictor for stroke risk. We postulated that differences in PP, independent of SBP may represent one possible contributor to the racial differences in stroke risk. As such, The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) could provide valuable information as to whether racial differences exist relative to PP, and its effect on incident stroke. We also explored whether AAs have a greater stroke risk at same PP compared with whites (that is a differential susceptibility compared with whites), and if regional differences in that association exist.
The `Society of Captives' in the Era of Hyper-Incarceration:

Forty years after the publication of Gresham Sykes's Society of Captives and the second edition of Donald Clemmer's The Prison Community (1958) the incarcerated population in the US, now over 2 mil...
Power of a reproducing kernel-based method for testing the joint effect of a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms

This study explored a semi-parametric method built upon reproducing kernels for estimating and testing the joint effect of a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The kernel adopted is the identity-by-state kernel that measures SNP similarity between subjects. In this article, through simulations we first assessed its statistical power under different situations. It was found that in addition to the effect of sample size, the testing power was impacted by the strength of association between SNPs and the outcome of interest, and by the SNP similarity among the subjects. A quadratic relationship between SNP similarity and testing power was identified, and this relationship was further affected by sample sizes. Next we applied the method to a SNP-lung function data set to estimate and test the joint effect of a set of SNPs on forced vital capacity, one type of lung function measure. The findings were then connected to the patterns observed in simulation studies and further explored via variable importance indices of each SNP inferred from a variable selection procedure.
Creating Synergy in Practice: Promoting Complementarity Between Evidence-Based and Postmodern Approaches.

Postmodern and evidence-based practice (EBP) are compared and contrasted with the primary aim of adapting evidence-based practice with a more flexible epistemological lens. We begin by reviewing the epistemological underpinnings of postmodern and EBP within the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT). We next discuss how these contrasting philosophies inform therapists' traits and practice in the context of translational research and practice-based evidence. Finally, we point toward some promising directions for a flexible adaptation of evidence-based practice in which both modern and postmodern clinicians can practice, and ways to incorporate some of these more flexible principles into the clinical training of MFT students.
The crystallographic model of rhodopsin and its use in studies of other G protein-coupled receptors.

G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins that respond to environmental signals and initiate signal transduction pathways activating cellular processes. Rhodopsin is a GPCR found in rod cells in retina where it functions as a photopigment. Its molecular structure is known from cryo-electron microscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies, and this has reshaped many structure/function questions important in vision science. In addition, this first GPCR structure has provided a structural template for studies of other GPCRs, including many known drug targets. After presenting an overview of the major structural elements of rhodopsin, recent literature covering the use of the rhodopsin structure in analyzing other GPCRs will be summarized. Use of the rhodopsin structural model to understand the structure and function of other GPCRs provides strong evidence validating the structural model.
Interaction of water vapor and compressible sugar

Abstract The interaction of water vapor with Compressible Sugar NF (DiPac) has been characterized by studying the adsorption and desorption behavior of the solid, preconditioned by drying at 70°C in a vacuum oven. An unusual stepwise adsorption isotherm and extensive isothermal desorption hysteresis were evident for this material at 25°C. The temperature dependence of the adsorption process was used as the basis for a complete thermodynamic analysis: partial molal free energies, enthalpies and entropies of adsorption were calculated. Exothermic maxima in the isosteric heats of adsorption profile indicated discrete stages of surface hydration, thereby accounting for the epwise nature of the isotherm. Strong interaction of water in the initial stages of adsorption, reflected by primary and secondary exothermic maxima of −74.0 kJ and −27.5 kJ per mole of water, suggested that this water was not released during isothermal desorption, thereby accounting for the hysteresis.
On the enhancement of centrifugal separation

We consider the two-phase flow of a suspension in a rotating cylinder with inclined endplates for which inertial and viscous effects are small. It is shown that, when the Coriolis force is dominant, flow in the core is essentially unaffected by geometry. If a fluid particle can make a complete circuit about the rotation axis, the sedimentation velocity cannot be augmented by geometrical effects as it can in gravitational settling. However, with the insertion of a complete meridional barrier to block movement around the centre, separation becomes more sensitive to the shape of the container walls. In this case, behaviour similar to that in a gravitational field is possible once again.
QSPR study on solubility of fullerene C60 in organic solvents using optimal descriptors calculated with SMILES

Theoretical modeling of solubility of C60 in various organic solvents (benzene derivatives) has been carried out. The optimal descriptors calculated with simplified molecular input line entry system notation have been applied in this study. The obtained model of fullerene C60 solubility (10 4 molar fraction of C60 at T = 298 K) in organic solvents statistically characterized by: n = 25, r 2 = 0.81, s = 3.60, F = 101 (training set) and n = 11, r 2 = 0.79, s = 4.67, F = 34 (test set).
Bases of Preservice art Teachers' Reflective art Judgments

This descriptive study investigates the bases used to support judgments of artworks by preservice art teachers at two large universities. Bases art teachers might use to judge artwork range from pe...
Shipment Impairs Lymphocyte Proliferative Responses to Microbial Antigens

Lymphocyte proliferation assays (LPAs) are widely used to assess T-lymphocyte function of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and other primary and secondary immunodeficiency disorders. Since these assays require expertise not readily available at all clinical sites, specimens may be shipped to central labs for testing. We conducted a large multicenter study to evaluate the effects of shipping on assay performance and found significant loss of LPA activity. This may lead to erroneous results for individual subjects and introduce bias into multicenter trials.
Modeling Human Disease Phenotype in Model Organisms: “It's Only a Model!”

A perspective by definition is a viewpoint. A viewpoint, like any other opinion, could be utterly erroneous. This perspective is meant to be provocative but not to lessen the accomplishments of the scientific community as a whole or belittle any particular field of science or investigators. Scientific discoveries are typically incremental, with various levels of increments. Often the significance of the discoveries remains unrecognized for many years if not decades, as was the case for the discovery of DNA by Friedrich Miescher in 1868.1 The significance of this discovery remained unappreciated for about 75 years, until simple and elegant experiments by Avery and subsequently by Hershey and Chase showed that DNA and not protein, as was commonly thought, was the genetic material.2,3 Our shortcomings in recognizing the significance of specific scientific discoveries should not deter us from Cartesian skepticism, which was pioneered by the Persian philosopher Ghazali and popularized by Rene Descartes' “I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am.” An essential component of our academic society is the freedom to express viewpoints. Yet, personal opinions must not guide judgment on merits of the scientific discoveries and other peer-review matters. Science must be judged by the scientific standards of the time. It must not be judged by personal views. Scientific referees, like all judges, must be impartial and devoid of personal biases on rendering judgments. Accordingly, this viewpoint is simply that, a viewpoint. It is not indicative of the author's personal biases on any specific scientific discipline. The perspective is aimed to raise doubts, as doubt is an incentive to truth. ### Scene From “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” Sir Lancelot: Look, my liege! King Arthur: Camelot! Sir Galahad: Camelot! Sir Lancelot: Camelot! Patsy: It's only a model! King Arthur: Shh! The scene might be germane to research laboratories that aim to construct a …
Exploring Heterogeneity of Customer Preference to Balance Commonality and Market Coverage

Offering increased variety in a market is one method of capturing greater market share. However, we generally observe diminishing marginal returns in share as the size of the product line is increased. Leveraging commonality is a means of offsetting this constraint as it leads to reductions in manufacturing costs and build complexity. Product platforms strive to capitalize on the naturally occurring phenomena that yield commonality in a product line. The structure of design variable values of individually optimized products create opportunities for commonality in a bottom-up platform, while a top-down platform discovers opportunities for commonality through similarity in customer preferences. This paper explores the effect of changing the number of products, and commonality between those products, on market share. Results from designing a varying number of products independently are leveraged to create a bottom-up product platform. A top-down product platform approach based on a heterogeneous discrete choice model and a multiobjective genetic algorithm is presented that allow commonality decisions and product configuration to occur simultaneously. Using the platforming techniques presented in this paper, it is shown that the top-down platforming approach allows for more well-informed platformed design by providing knowledge of the tradeoff between commonality and market share.
Strategic Mobsters or Deprived Migrants? Testing the Transplantation and Deprivation Models of Organized Crime in an Effort to Understand Criminal Mobility and Diversity in the United States

The aim of this research is to study the emergence and mobility of organized crime in the United States. Focusing on Albanian organized crime in New York City, it investigates whether organized crime groups move abroad easily and reproduce their territorial control in a foreign country. This research explores the relevance of two perspectives on organized crime: the transplantation/importation model, and the deprivation model. Findings are based on analysis of court documents, interviews with law enforcement officials, Albanian immigrants, and Albanian offenders. The study did not find strong support for either the transplantation or the deprivation model of organized crime. There is no evidence of strategic organized crime transplantation. The findings suggest that the mobility of organized crime groups is functional and varies across criminal markets, and that not only economic foundations but also social forces and symbolic rewards of criminal migration need to be examined for better government policies.
Reading motivation and later reading achievement for students with reading disabilities and comparison groups (ADHD and typical): A 3-year longitudinal study

Abstract This study examined the time-course relationship between reading motivation and later reading achievement for students with reading disabilities (RD) and comparison groups (ADHD and typical). The 3-year longitudinal analysis of 76 students replicated prospective work with all students by reporting reduced motivation and novel findings of reduced reading behavior from elementary to middle schools. Students with RD maintained low intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation in their transition to middle school but also decreased their reading for school; the ADHD group also decreased reading for school and for personal enjoyment and also reported the greatest reduction in extrinsic motivation. We provided partial support for theoretical hypotheses but failed to document an increase in extrinsic motivation in response to failure for the RD group.
The Impact of Vocal Feedback on Emotional Experience and Expression

Darwin argued that emotional experience should be affected, in part, by feedback from the skeletal musculature. Since Darwin's time, researchers have documented that emotional experience is shaped by both facial and postural feedback. Two experiments were conducted to determine whether emotional experience and facial expression are influenced by vocal feedback as well. In experiment 1, subjects were asked to read a joyous, loving, sad, or angry script. The impact on emotional experience and expression was assessed in two ways: (a) subjects completed a self-report measure of emotion, and (b) judges rated subjects' faces as they read the scripts. In Experiments 2, subjects were required to try to reproduce a random sound pattern vocally. These tones were designed to mimic the voice quality, rhythm, intonation, and pausing associated with joy, love, sadness, anger, or fear, or in the control condition, with an emotionally neutral state. The impact on subjects' subjective emotional experience was assessed by a self-report questionnaire. As predicted, in both experiments, emotional experience and/or facial expression were affected by verbal and/or vocal feedback (Experiment 1)and by vocal feedback alone (Experiment 2). Possible explanations for these results are discussed.
Life history of Nephaspis oculatus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a predator of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Nephaspis oculatus (Blatchley) is a common introduced coccinellid predator in Florida, which feeds on many whitefly species. We evaluated development, consumption rates, survivorship, longevity, and fecundity of a southern Florida (Immokalee) population of this coccinellid on a diet of eggs of Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring. Developmental time was 4.6, 3.3, 1.5, 1.5, 3.0, and 5.2 d for eggs, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th instars, and pupae, respectively, with an average of 19.4 d from oviposition to adult emergence for females and 18.3 d for males. Daily consumption of whitefly eggs by male and female larvae was not significantly different (average 79 for males, and 86 for females) with a mean of 16, 68, 128, and 124 eggs consumed per larva per day by 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars, respectively, totaling 51, 132, 192, and 373 eggs for each successive larval stage. Male-female pairs of adults consumed a mean of 184.1 eggs per day over a period of 16 wk. Adult females from a 2nd population in central Florida (Apopka) consumed an average of 78.0 B. argentifolii eggs per day over a period of5 wk, and males consumed 123.0 eggs per day. The sex ratio of 1,153 beetles was 1.00:0.89 female to male. Adult longevities averaged 56.1 d for males, and 67.5 d for females. After an average 11.3-d preoviposition period, females laid a mean of 3.03 eggs per day. Net reproductive rate was estimated by life table analysis at 54.27, generation time was 51.27 d, and doubling time was 8.89 d. Intrinsic rate of population increase was estimated at 0.078, or A = 1.08 for finite rate of increase. N. oculatus showed good potential for biological control of B. argentifolii, especially in greenhouses.
Toward a Theory of International Politics

Recently a group of scholars, analysts, and diplomatists met for a weekend conference on theoretical approaches to international politics. Their discussion was inspired by the widespread and growing interest in conceptual and theoretical problems illustrated by parallel efforts in the study of politics, economics, law, and human relations. In the field of foreign relations the impulse toward theory comes from practitioners as well as philosophers. Indeed a former Secretary of State maintains that our most urgent need is for “an applicable body of theory in foreign policy.” Practical men with first-hand diplomatic experience point to the need for rational generalizations and intellectual structures to extract meaning from the jet stream of contemporary events. The intellectual processes by which practical judgments are made along a moving front of events clearly demand inquiry and analysis. Theory in the study of international politics perhaps derserves a special priority because of the urgency of the problem and the stridency of the debate generated by competing approaches each claiming to have preempted the field. Perhaps what is called for is a sorting out and assessment of the intellectual factors that go into diverse theories of international politics at varying levels of abstraction and generality. This sorting out was one of the objectives of the conferees. Similarly this paper seeks to review the nature and purpose of theory, its limitations, and the characteristics of the chief types of theory in international politics.
Molecular characterization and expression analysis of leucine-rich α2-glycoprotein, a novel marker of granulocytic differentiation

Using data obtained from cDNA representational difference analysis to identify genes induced during neutrophilic differentiation of the 32D clone 3G (32Dcl3G) cells, we isolated cDNA clones for murine and human leucine-rich alpha2-glycoprotein (hLRG), a protein with unknown function purified 25 years ago. Expression of LRG during differentiation of 32Dcl3G cells preceded the expression of lactoferrin and gelatinase but followed myeloperoxidase. LRG transcripts were also detected in human neutrophils and progenitor cells but not in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Notably, LRG expression was up-regulated during neutrophilic differentiation of human MPD and HL-60 cells but down-regulated during monocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells. The hLRG gene was localized to chromosome 19p13.3, a region to which the genes for several neutrophil granule enzymes also map. The putative promoter region of LRG was found to contain consensus-binding sites for PU.1, C/EBP, STAT, and MZF1. These results suggest that LRG is a novel marker for early neutrophilic granulocyte differentiation.
Monarch butterfly voltinism: effects of temperature constraints at different latitudes.

Monarch butterflies have previously been thought to produce three to five generations in the warm southern latitudes of North America and one to two generations in cooler northern latitudes. This life history pattern is based solely on lower temperature constraints on reproduction and is unsupported by data. In contrast, we show that monarch breeding is distributed in space and time in relation to both lower and upper temperature constraints. Thus in the hot south (Florida) monarchs produce two generations between the arrival of overwintered migrants and the onset of lethally high early summer temperatures. This is followed by a further three generations at 16° latitude further north in Wisconsin. Our field-based observations are consistent with five years of predictions for Florida and Wisconsin using a simple model based on the day degrees available for reproduction and larval development, between experimentally determined lower and upper lethal temperatures. Such a pattern of fewer generations in warmer than cooler climates suggests that the offspring of spring migrants are also migratory to escape lethally high southern temperatures.
Can Flux Bring About Flux? An Appraisal of the Buddhist Momentarist’s Response to the Causal Objection

The doctrine of radical impermanence (kṣaṇabhaṅga) expresses the temporal dimension of Buddhist metaphysics, especially in the philosophy of Dharmakīrti and his successors. Most straightforwardly, the doctrine says that everything that exists is momentary; we are not impermanent (anitya) in the sense that we perish eventually, say when our brain ceases functioning, but rather we perish immediately upon conception. The person who begins to write this sentence and the person who completes it are, strictly speaking, different entities. However, there is a devastating problem for the doctrine: How can any momentary entities be causally efficacious (arthakriyā), and more particularly, given their extremely meager duration of existence, how might the momentarist explain the phenomena of cooperation among contemporaneous entities to occasion novel entities, such as seeds, soil, water and sunlight giving rise to sprouts? Even more difficult, can the momentarist offer such an explanation that does not undermine his negative claim that non-momentary things cannot exist? Śāntarakṣita (eighth century) and Ratnakīrti (eleventh century) offer answers, but they both fail. By meticulously analyzing and evaluating their arguments, I identify the stumbling blocks of their arguments and show what needs to be done to save the doctrine of momentariness.
Analysis on the epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis E in Lianyungang,from 1997 to 2010

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of viral hepatitis E in Lianyungang in 1997-2010 so as to provide scientific evidences for formulating control strategy.Methods Data of hepatitis cases in Liangungang from 1997 to 2010 was analyzed by Excel 2003 and SPSS 11.5 software.Results A total of 956 cases were reported in Lianyungang from 1997 to 2010,with the annual average incidence rate of 1.47/100000.Hepatitis E epidemical situation had been increasing since 1997.There were viral hepatitis E cases reported in the whole years,with the peak on July in 1997-2010.Most of them were farmers,mainly in the age group of 40~69 years old.The ratio of male to female was 3.49∶1.Conclusions Measures should be taken to strengthen the management and monitor hygiene of food and drinking water.The report of infectious disease and the health propagandas should also be improved.
Professor Ziff’s resurrection of the plain man’s conception of God

In a recent article, l" Professor Ziff introduces a new method with which he allegedly demonstrates that the plain man's conception of the Judaic-Christian god is intelligible. Ziff shows that 'God' is a proper name and then points out that by associating conditions with this name and inquiring into whether or not anything satisfies these conditions, we can ascertain whether or not God exists. Among the conditions associated with the name 'God' as used by the plain man are some that Ziff calls "problematic"~ i.e., such that their intelligibility would be questioned by persons who deny that the name with which they are associated has a referent. Examples of problematic conditions are being an omnipotent being 9 being cause of itself~ being creator of the world, etco Ziff tries to show that these conditions are intelligible. I shall try to demonstrate that he is mist~ken and that, therefore, he has not resurrected the plain man's conception of God.
Computers in the Care of the Critically Ill Patient

SUMMARY The use of computer-based care-oriented physiologic evaluation is still in its developmental stage. However, it seems likely that the capability of computer-based applications to critically ill patients are such that quality and cost-effective intensive care can be delivered in a timely and expeditious fashion. This application has a high promise of helping to reduce the mortality and morbidity of the critically ill or injured surgical patient, now and in the future.
Engineering Proteins by Reconstructing Evolutionary Adaptive Paths

Reconstructing evolutionary adaptive paths (REAP) is a low-throughput technique used to design protein libraries that can be assayed for specific properties such as catalytic function or thermostability. This approach takes advantage of natural selection by using theoretical ancestral proteins as the foundation for library variants. REAP gives rise to smaller libraries but with a higher ratio of viable proteins than other high-throughput techniques. REAP uses analyses of ancestral sequences and signatures of functional divergence to modify extant protein sequences. This allows the experimenter to statistically evaluate which amino acid mutations in which sites within the protein are most likely to produce functional proteins having varied phenotypes.
The NAPRALERT Database as an Aid for Discovery of Novel Bioactive Compounds

NAPRALERT is a relational database that was designed to evaluate the natural products literature for the purpose of identifying new sources of commercially significant or clinically useful drugs. Started in 1975, NAPRALERT contains data on upward of 60 000 species, including more than 200 000 distinct chemical compounds of natural origin, extracted from over 200 000 scientific articles and reviews from nearly 10 000 scientific journals, representing organisms from all countries of the world. NAPRALERT contains data on the geography, taxonomy, chemistry, medicinal folklore, and biological activities of natural products, including clinical trials, of their extracts and isolates, and as such, represents a unique tool for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds.
Adjuvant Agents in Chronic Pain Therapy

Adjuvant agents play a crucial role in the care of chronic pain patients but there is little in the literature to inform prescribing choices for this particular population. The most commonly prescribed adjuvant agents for chronic pain include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants.
Characterising the effect of external factors on deterioration rates of bridge components using multivariate proportional hazards regression

Within asset management of infrastructure systems, increases in maintenance needs subject to budgetary constraints have motivated the development of tools to forecast deterioration to optimise maintenance intervention. Current bridge deterioration modelling approaches, including the evolving duration-based methods, routinely rely on a priori categorisation of bridges based on design, functional, and geographic factors to account for their effects on deterioration rates. However, such preclassification is often based on engineering judgement and may not reflect the true influence of these explanatory factors. In the current study, a proportional hazards regression-based methodology was developed to identify the most critical factors affecting deterioration using the entire unsegmented bridge database. The framework designed to perform this duration-based regression on large bridge databases is presented in this paper and results from implementation on a state inventory of over 17,000 bridges are discussed....
Role of Performance Improvement and Instructional Design in Strategic Human Resource Management

The use of instructional design theory and approaches has been dramatically increased in the field of education. This profession has made tremendous improvement in solving real world authentic problems. Different types of instructional approaches are very effective in designing curriculum depending upon the skills, knowledge, and task requirements of courses. However, there is less literature available in the area of "use of instructional design and performance improvement in strategic HRM". Instructional design is a very innovative field and it can do wonders in the areas of complex problem solving, knowledge construction, and performing real authentic tasks in the business scenarios, if the principles, approaches and theories of instructional design with performance improvement models are adopted in a right context and with alignment of organisation task requirements. This paper is an attempt to strengthen the role of human resource as a strategic business partner through insinuating and integrating the fields of human performance improvement and instructional design in a business context. We call the 21st century the era of strategic human resources. There are so many convoluted HR roles and verbiages in the field of training and development, learning at the workplace, talent management, and compensation. There are abundance of books written on the role of human resources a strategic business partner and strategic HRM (Human Resource Management) theories like universalistic perspective (Dewar&Werbel, 1979), which proposed a framework of best practices under SHRM, contingency theory (Butler, Ferris,&Napier, 1991), which described different HR policies and approaches for different organisational contexts, and the configurational approach, which defines a holistic theory of SHRM. Notwithstanding the burgeoning field of SHRM research, the field has been criticised for lacking a solid theoretical foundation that help strategic HRM to truly define the meaning of being strategic and being a strategic business partner in the firm.