cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perception and imagination: amodal perception as mental imagery

When we see an object, we also represent those parts of it that are not visible. The question is how we represent them: this is the problem of amodal perception. I will consider three possible accounts: (a) we see them, (b) we have non-perceptual beliefs about them and (c) we have immediate perceptual access to them, and point out that all of these views face both empirical and conceptual objections. I suggest and defend a fourth account, according to which we represent the occluded parts of perceived objects by means of mental imagery. This conclusion could be thought of as a (weak) version of the Strawsonian dictum, according to which “imagination is a necessary ingredient of perception itself”.
Hispanic Acculturation in a Predominately Black High School: Application of an Adapted Model.

The authors applied an adaptation of prior models of acculturation to all 16 Hispanic students attending a predominately Black, high-poverty, urban high school (n = 1,267 students) identified by No...
Complexity and Change in the Foreclosure Process in Toledo, Ohio

This paper analyzes the characteristics of foreclosure cases in Lucas C ounty, Ohio, from 2004 to 2008. We use a rich source of secondary data to track foreclosure filings through the legal process to their ultimate result in either the loss of a home or the dismissal of the case. We supplement the secondary data with interviews from officials involved in the process and with a discussion of the changes that have occurred during the foreclosure crisis. Our analysis suggests that the process has accelerated slightly despite the increase in cases and that basic interventions have substantially reduced the number of foreclosure filings that eventually result in the loss of a home. Unexpectedly, the characteristics and results of the process seem to vary little across income categories and neighborhoods. In addition, while most foreclosure cases are straightforward in a legal sense, there is evidence of larger trends that are introducing increasing complexity into the process.
On the design of a query processing strategy in a distributed database environment

An algorithm is given to process a given query in a fragmented distributed data base environment. Unlike previous algorithms, it has the following desired features.(1) It makes use of redundant relations to reduce communication cost;(2) a copy of each relation referenced by the query is selected so that the set of relations are contained in the minimum number of sites;(3) an efficient algorithm to process fragments is provided;(4) all relations that need not be sent to the assembly site to produce the answer are identified. Thus, unnecessary sending of these relations across sites and processing on these relations, which are common in earlier algorithms, are avoided;(5) useless semi-joins are discarded and "worse" semi-joins are replaced by better ones;(6) a process to estimate the cost and the benefit of a semi-join, based on dynamic execution of semi-joins is introduced. It is expected that the new process is more accurate than earlier estimation process.The algorithm is easy to implement and is operational.
A methodology for inferring the causes of observed impairments in aquatic ecosystems

Biological surveys have become a common technique for determining whether aquatic communities have been injured. However, their results are not useful for identifying management options until the causes of apparent injuries have been identified. Techniques for determining causation have been largely informal and ad hoc. This paper presents a logical system for causal inference. It begins by analyzing the available information to generate causal evidence; available information may include spatial or temporal associations of potential cause and effect, field or laboratory experimental results, and diagnostic evidence from the affected organisms. It then uses a series of three alternative methods to infer the cause: Elimination of causes, diagnostic protocols, and analysis of the strength of evidence. If the cause cannot be identified with sufficient confidence, the reality of the effects is examined, and if the effects are determined to be real, more information is obtained to reiterate the process.
Responses of swamp bay, Persea palustris, and avocado, Persea americana, to various concentrations of the laurel wilt pathogen, Raffaelea lauricola

Summary Laurel wilt, caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola and transmitted by the exotic ambrosia beetle Xyleborus glabratus, has killed members of the Lauraceae plant family throughout the southeast United States. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the effects of inoculum concentration on the development of laurel wilt in swamp bay, Persea palustris, and avocado, Persea americana. In each experiment, host plants were inoculated with aqueous suspensions of 102, 103, 104 or 105 conidia of R. lauricola, and plants were rated periodically for external symptom development (wilting and foliar dieback). At the end of experiments, plants were rated for internal symptoms of the disease (discoloration of sapwood) and assayed for R. lauricola on a semi-selective medium. Symptom severity in swamp bay was significantly lower for the 102 treatment than at higher (103–105) concentrations, whereas 102 and 103 conidia caused less disease than 104 and 105 conidia in avocado. At the lowest inoculum concentration, 67% of the swamp bay plants and 20% of the avocados died by the time the respective experiments were terminated. The pathogen was recovered from a high proportion of the symptomatic sapwood of swamp bay (100%) and avocado (94%), and sapwood discoloration and recovery of R. lauricola from inoculated stems of swamp bay were highly correlated with recovery of the pathogen and symptom development in roots. Clearly, swamp bay and avocado are very sensitive to R. lauricola. The ability of only 100 conidia of this pathogen to kill these hosts suggests that few individuals of X. glabratus or other ambrosia beetles that carry low levels of the pathogen would be sufficient to transmit conidia that infect and lead to disease development. The results are also relevant to the development of disease-tolerant host selections, as they indicate levels of the pathogen appropriate for use in screening plants for disease resistance.
Increased incidence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in implantable defibrillator patients after the World Trade Center attack.

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to evaluate whether the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 (9/11), led to an increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias among patients fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). BACKGROUND The WTC attack induced psychological distress. Because ICDs store all serious arrhythmias for months, the attack provided a unique opportunity to compare pre- and post-9/11 frequencies of potentially lethal arrhythmias among ICD patients. METHODS Two hundred consecutive ICD patients who presented for regularly scheduled follow-up to six affiliated clinics were recruited into this observational study. The electrograms stored in the ICDs for the three months before 9/11 and 13 months thereafter were scrutinized in a blinded manner (relative to date) for all ventricular tachyarrhythmias (tachycardia or fibrillation) triggering ICD therapy. RESULTS The frequency of tachyarrhythmias increased significantly for the 30 days post-9/11 (p = 0.004) relative to all other months between May 2001 and October 2002. In the 30 days post-9/11, 16 patients (8%) demonstrated tachyarrhythmias, compared with only seven (3.5%) in the preceding 30 days, representing a 2.3-fold increase in risk (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 4.9; p = 0.03). The first arrhythmic event did not occur for three days following 9/11, with events accumulating in a progressive non-clustered pattern. CONCLUSIONS Ventricular arrhythmias increased by more than twofold among ICD patients following the WTC attack. The delay in onset and the non-clustered pattern of these events differ sharply from effects following other disasters, suggesting that subacute stress may have served to promote this arrhythmogenesis.
The development of a MEMS gyroscope for absolute angle measurement

MEMS gyroscopes are typically designed to measure angular rate of rotation. A measurement of the angle itself is useful in many applications but cannot be obtained by integrating the angular rate due to the presence of bias errors which cause a drift. This paper presents an innovative design for a vibrating gyroscope that can directly measure both angle and angular rate. The design is based on the principle of measuring the angle of free vibration of a suspended mass with respect to the casing of the gyroscope. Several critical challenges have to be handled before the theoretical sensing concept can be converted into a reliable practical sensor. These include compensating for the presence of dissipative forces, mismatched springs, cross-axis stiffness and transmission of rotary torque. These challenges are addressed by the development of a composite nonlinear feedback control system that ensures that the mass continues to behave as a freely vibrating structure. Theoretical analysis and simulation results presented in the paper show that the gyroscope can accurately measure both angle and angular rate for low bandwidth applications.
A computer-assisted system for photographic mark-recapture analysis

Summary 1. Photographic mark–recapture is a cost-effective, non-invasive way to study populations. However, to efficiently apply photographic mark–recapture to large populations, computer software is needed for image manipulation and pattern matching. 2. We created an open-source application for the storage, pattern extraction and pattern matching of digital images for the purposes of mark–recapture analysis. The resulting software package is a stand-alone, multiplatform application implemented in Java. Our program employs the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) operator that extracts distinctive features invariant to image scale and rotation. 3. We applied this system to a population of Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) in the Tarangire Ecosystem in northern Tanzania. Over 1200 images were acquired in the field during three primary sampling periods between September 2008 and December 2009. The pattern information in these images was extracted and matched resulting in capture histories for over 600 unique individuals. 4. Estimated error rates of the matching system were low based on a subset of test images that were independently matched by eye. 5. Encounter histories were subsequently analysed with open population models to estimate apparent survival rates and population size. 6. This new open-access tool allowed photographic mark–recapture to be applied successfully to this relatively large population.
Are Your Personal Financial Characteristics Healthy

This study set out to discover the key personal financial areas or “personal financial characteristics” that individuals should have a basic knowledge of as well as their ability to manage their personal finances. Once these areas were determined, a self-assessment survey was created. Upon completion of the survey, a total score can be determined to assess one’s degree of personal financial healthiness. The study is important because the instrument can help identify problems areas that people have in managing their own personal finances. The self-assessment survey could be used by financial planners or financial counselors as they work with clients in becoming better stewards of their financial resources. The instrument also provides an action planning area to be used to identify areas for improvement.
Cytoplasmic-Membrane Anchoring of a Class A β-Lactamase and Its Capacity in Manifesting Antibiotic Resistance

Bacterial beta-lactamases are the major causes of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Three classes of these enzymes are believed to have evolved from ancestral penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), enzymes responsible for bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Both beta-lactamases and PBPs are able to efficiently form acyl-enzyme species with beta-lactam antibiotics. In contrast to beta-lactamases, PBPs are unable to efficiently turn over antibiotics and therefore are susceptible to inhibition by beta-lactam compounds. Although both PBPs and gram-negative beta-lactamases operate in the periplasm, PBPs are anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane, but beta-lactamases are not. It is believed that beta-lactamases shed the membrane anchor in the course of evolution. The significance of this event remains unclear. In an attempt to demonstrate any potential influence of the membrane anchor on the overall biological consequences of beta-lactamases, we fused the TEM-1 beta-lactamase to the C-terminal membrane-anchor of penicillin-binding protein 5 (PBP5) of Escherichia coli. The enzyme was shown to express well in E. coli and was anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane. Expression of the anchored enzyme did not result in any changes in antibiotic resistance pattern of bacteria or growth rates. However, in the process of longer coincubation, the organism that harbored the plasmid for the anchored TEM-1 beta-lactamase lost out to the organism transformed by the plasmid for the nonanchored enzyme over a period of 8 days of continuous growth. The effect would appear to be selection of a variant that eliminates the problematic protein through elimination of the plasmid that encodes it and not structural or catalytic effects at the protein level. It is conceivable that an evolutionary outcome could be the shedding of the sequence for the membrane anchor or alternatively evolution of these enzymes from nonanchored progenitors.
Viewpoint: Education and Football: a Multiphase Flow Approach

Theinfluenceofsports on theUS academicenvironmentis causingathleticachievementto distractfrom the need for educational excellence. This situation is exacerbated by university administrators who devote considerable energy to revenue generation through sports programs at the expense of the quality of academic programs. To overcome this problem and facilitate better integration of athletics with the educational mission of a university, faculty must move beyond membership on boards nominally in control of athletics and become the coaches of the athletic teams. Such a bold shift will ensure that athletic teams are representative of their schools and not units that function as mercenary revenue sources. A movement of faculty into coaching would be consistent with the shift of the educational paradigm to co-operative learning and peer instruction. In fact, academic disciplines actually have many facets in common with various athletic endeavors. As an example of this, the striking similarities between multiphase fluid flow in the subsurface and American football are demonstrated. Exploitation of these similarities can be a valuable tool in educating both those primarily interested in football and those primarily interested in subjects such as multiphase flow physics.
Use of computerized databases to survey drug utilization in relation to diagnoses.

Many studies of drug utilization have suffered from the absence of information on the indications for therapy. A few data sets on drug utilization are available which include indication information. In addition, a number of computerized collections of medical billing data now exist in North America which can be used for such studies. These include data from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Plan; the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound; the Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities' Professional Activity Study; the U.S. state of Rhode Island; the Saskatchewan Health Plan in Canada; and Medicaid, the state run but federally financed health insurance plan for economically or medically needy individuals in the United States. These databases have a number of general advantages and disadvantages, which are reviewed. In addition, the differences among these databases are also explored. Finally, examples are presented demonstrating how these databases can be used for: 1) descriptive research on drug utilization, 2) evaluating the appropriateness of drug utilization, and 3) interventions designed to improve the appropriateness of prescribing.
Comparison of Frequency and Outcome of Major Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation on Versus Not Receiving Warfarin Therapy (from the ATRIA and ATRIA-CVRN Cohorts)

To date, there have been few studies evaluating outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have experienced gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhages. We examined short- and long-term mortality of major GI hemorrhage in patients with AF on and off warfarin in recent clinical care. We evaluated this association in the large Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial fibrillation (ATRIA) and ATRIA-Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) California community-based cohorts of patients with AF (study years 1996 to 2003 and 2006 to 2009, respectively), where all events were clinician adjudicated. We used proportional hazards regression with propensity score adjustment to estimate the short- (30 days) and long-term (>30 days for 1 year) mortality rate ratio for patients using warfarin compared with those who were not using warfarin at the time of GI hemorrhage. In the 414 ATRIA participants with major GI hemorrhage, 54% were taking warfarin at the time of the hemorrhage; in the 361 ATRIA-CVRN participants with major GI hemorrhage, 58% were taking warfarin. Warfarin use at the time of GI hemorrhage was not associated with 30-day mortality in the ATRIA cohort but was associated with significantly reduced 30-day mortality in the ATRIA-CVRN cohort (adjusted mortality rate ratio [95% confidence interval], ATRIA 0.97 [0.54 to 1.74]; ATRIA-CVRN 0.38 [0.17 to 0.83]). There was a modest suggestion of lower mortality on warfarin after 30 days in both cohorts. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that GI hemorrhages on warfarin are certainly no worse and may be less life threatening than those occurring off warfarin. These findings are in stark contrast to the deleterious effect of warfarin on mortality from intracranial hemorrhage and add another factor favoring anticoagulation in clinical decision making for patients with AF.
A simulation-based approach to architectural verification of multiprocessor systems

This paper presents a simulation-based method for verifying coherency in weakly ordered shared memory multiprocessor systems. This methodology requires minimal assumptions regarding the implementation details, such as the coherence protocol and cache line replacement rules. Independence from implementation details for architectural verification is achieved via a technique called data-coloring. The non-determinism arising from weak ordering is resolved by introducing the notion of valid sets for checking the correctness of memory operations. We contrast our approach with other methods that have been prevalent in the industry and provide implementation details and an example implementation of our methodology. >
Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of the common cold.

The common cold is an acute illness of the upper respiratory tract caused by a virus acquired from another person. Some viruses that produce colds are capable of infecting an individual repeatedly (eg, respiratory syncytial virus); others, with many serotypes (eg, rhinovirus), infect only once. The sustained epidemic of colds that occurs annually during September through April is explained by successive waves of different viruses moving through a community. The peak incidence of colds occurs in preschool children, who typically sustain at least one illness per month during the epidemic period. Clinical manifestations of colds are largely subjective in adults. Colds in preschoolers differ from those in adults as follows: (1) fever is common in children during the first 3 days; (2) colored nasal secretions may be the only indication of nasal involvement in children; and (3) colds in children last 10 to 14 days, as compared with a duration of less than a week in adults. The paranasal sinuses and the middle ear cavities are commonly involved during viral colds in adults (and presumably in children) in the absence of bacterial superinfection. Cold symptoms are due to the host's response to the virus rather than to destruction of the nasal mucosa. Viral infection of a very limited portion of the nasal epithelium results in an influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, cytokine release, and a vascular leak. Colds are self-limited illnesses. Therefore, in the absence of adequate blinding of controls, ineffective treatments erroneously may be considered efficacious. None of the medicines used for symptom relief in colds is curative.
New Applications of Nonclassical Molecular Sieve Catalysts

The structure, chemistry, and catalytic properties of new generation molecular sieves are reviewed.
Interactions of antiparasitic sterols with sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) of human pathogens

Sterol 14α-demethylase is a validated and an attractive drug target in human protozoan parasites. Pharmacological inactivation of this important enzyme has proven very effective against fungal infections, and it is a target that is being exploited for new antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial chemotherapy. We have used in silico calculations to identify previously reported antiparasitic sterol-like compounds and their structural congeners that have preferential and high docking affinity for CYP51. The sterol 14α-demethylase from Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum, in particular, preferentially dock to taraxerol, epi-oleanolic acid, and α/β-amyrim structural scaffolds. These structural information and predicted interactions can be exploited for fragment/structure-based antiprotozoal drug design.
Brain structural and functional abnormalities in mood disorders: implications for neurocircuitry models of depression

The neural networks that putatively modulate aspects of normal emotional behavior have been implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders by converging evidence from neuroimaging, neuropathological and lesion analysis studies. These networks involve the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and closely related areas in the medial and caudolateral orbital cortex (medial prefrontal network), amygdala, hippocampus, and ventromedial parts of the basal ganglia, where alterations in grey matter volume and neurophysiological activity are found in cases with recurrent depressive episodes. Such findings hold major implications for models of the neurocircuits that underlie depression. In particular evidence from lesion analysis studies suggests that the MPFC and related limbic and striato-pallido-thalamic structures organize emotional expression. The MPFC is part of a larger “default system” of cortical areas that include the dorsal PFC, mid- and posterior cingulate cortex, anterior temporal cortex, and entorhinal and parahippocampal cortex, which has been implicated in self-referential functions. Dysfunction within and between structures in this circuit may induce disturbances in emotional behavior and other cognitive aspects of depressive syndromes in humans. Further, because the MPFC and related limbic structures provide forebrain modulation over visceral control structures in the hypothalamus and brainstem, their dysfunction can account for the disturbances in autonomic regulation and neuroendocrine responses that are associated with mood disorders. This paper discusses these systems together with the neurochemical systems that impinge on them and form the basis for most pharmacological therapies.
Multiple camera tracking of interacting and occluded human motion

We propose a distributed, real-time computing platform for tracking multiple interacting persons in motion. To combat the negative effects of occlusion and articulated motion we use a multiview implementation, where each view is first independently processed on a dedicated processor. This monocular processing uses a predictor-corrector filter to weigh reprojections of three-dimensional (3-D) position estimates, obtained by the central processor, against observations of measurable image motion. The corrected state vectors from each view provide input observations to a Bayesian belief network, in the central processor, with a dynamic, multidimensional topology that varies as a function of scene content and feature confidence. The Bayesian net fuses independent observations from multiple cameras by iteratively resolving independency relationships and confidence levels within the graph, thereby producing the most likely vector of 3-D state estimates given the available data. To maintain temporal continuity, we follow the network with a layer of Kalman filtering that updates the 3-D state estimates. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed system using a multiview sequence of several people in motion. Our experiments suggest that, when compared with data fusion based on averaging, the proposed technique yields a noticeable improvement in tracking accuracy.
Intelligent exploration of unknown environments with vision like sensors

In this work we present a methodology for intelligent path planning in an uncertain environment using vision like sensors. We show that the problem of path planning can be posed as the adaptive control of an uncertain Markov decision process. The strategy for path planning then reduces to computing the control policy based on the current estimate of the environment, also known as the "certainty equivalence" principle in the adaptive control literature. We propose a Monte Carlo based estimation scheme, incorporating non local sensors, for estimating the probabilities of the environment process, which significantly accelerates the convergence of the associated path planning algorithms
THE USE OF SPLINTAGE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PARALYTIC DISLOCATION OF THE HIP IN SPINA BIFIDA CYSTICA

1. A specially designed splint is described with which it is possible to maintain the reduction of a paralytic dislocation in a child with spina bifida cystica. The results of its use in a series of thirteen cases are recorded. 2. It is suggested that all such children presenting in the first year of life, in whom the power of the flexor and adductor muscle groups is preserved, should be treated initially in this way until the prognosis for the individual can be accurately assessed. 3. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
The Closest Of The Close: Observational And Modeling Progress

Two of today’s most critical unresolved problems in binary star research are the formation and structure of W Ursae Majoris binaries. Demands imposed by nearly equal effective temperatures for the two stars lead to a grossly different mass–luminosity relation from that of single main sequence stars. That only non-equilibrium models can account for many W UMa properties is widely recognized. One such model is the thermal relaxation oscillator model, in which systems oscillate between states of good thermal contact and broken contact. Notwithstanding decades of theoretical research, W UMa’s have not been fitted into a comprehensive structural theory, and the formation mechanism also needs to be resolved. The recent idea that all W UMa’s are part of triple (or multiple) systems and formed through dynamical interactions with third bodies may well answer that question. On the observational front, we have seen in the last decade a vast increase in the number of doublelined systems with complete radial velocity curves that leads to parameters of improved reliability, including absolute dimensions. After a brief review of observational efforts, we look at recent modeling progress, describe a project aimed at determining broken-contact binary parameters, and comment on specific challenges with W Crv as an example. We then discuss finding third light from simultaneous light and velocity solutions for W UMa’s suspected of having tertiary components. Showing the specific example of V2388 Oph, we explore the prospects of this method for finding W UMa companions.
Combining Self-Assembled Monolayers and Mass Spectrometry for Applications in Biochips

Biochip arrays have enabled the massively parallel analysis of genomic DNA and hold great promise for application to the analysis of proteins, carbohydrates, and small molecules. Surface chemistry plays an intrinsic role in the preparation and analysis of biochips by providing functional groups for immobilization of ligands, providing an environment that maintains activity of the immobilized molecules, controlling nonspecific interactions of analytes with the surface, and enabling detection methods. This review describes recent advances in surface chemistry that enable quantitative assays of a broad range of biochemical activities. The discussion emphasizes the use of self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on gold as a structurally well-defined and synthetically flexible platform for controlling the immobilization and activity of molecules in an array. The review also surveys recent methods of performing label-free assays, and emphasizes the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry to directly observe molecules attached to the selfassembled monolayers.
The impact of TLS on SIP server performance

Securing VoIP is a crucial requirement for its successful adoption. A key component of this is securing the signaling path, which is performed by SIP. Securing SIP is accomplished by using TLS instead of UDP as the transport protocol. However, using TLS for SIP is not yet widespread, perhaps due to concerns about the performance overhead. This paper studies the performance impact of using TLS as a transport protocol for SIP servers. We evaluate the cost of TLS experimentally using a testbed with OpenSIPS, OpenSSL, and Linux running on an Intel-based server. We analyze TLS costs using application, library, and kernel profiling, and use the profiles to illustrate when and how different costs are incurred, such as bulk data encryption, public key encryption, private key decryption, and MAC-based verification. We show that using TLS can reduce performance by up to a factor of 17 compared to the typical case of SIP-over-UDP. The primary factor in determining performance is whether and how TLS connection establishment is performed, due to the heavy costs of RSA operations used for session negotiation. This depends both on how the SIP proxy is deployed (e.g., as an inbound or outbound proxy) and what TLS options are used (e.g., mutual authentication, session reuse). The cost of symmetric key operations such as AES, in contrast, tends to be small.
Primary Socialization Theory: The Etiology of Drug Use and Deviance. I

The fundamental theorem of primary socialization theory is that normative and deviant behaviors are learned social behaviors, products of the interaction of social, psychological, and cultural characteristics, and that norms for social behaviors, including drug use, are learned predominantly in the context of interactions with the primary socialization sources. During adolescence, learning of social behaviors is frequently dominated by interactions with peer clusters. There are a number of additional postulates: 1) The strength of the bonds between the youth and the primary socialization sources is a major factor in determining how effectively norms are transmitted. 2) Any socialization link can transmit deviant norms, but healthy family and school systems are more likely to transmit prosocial norms. 3) Peer clusters can transmit either prosocial or deviant norms, but the major source of deviant norms is usually peer clusters. 4) Weak family/child and/ or school/child bonds increase the chances that the youth will bond with a deviant peer cluster and will engage in deviant behaviors. 5) Weak peer bonds can also ultimately increase the changes of bonding with deviant peers. Primary socialization theory is consistent with current research, has strong implications for improving prevention and treatment, and suggests specific hypotheses for further research.
Reducing both dynamic and leakage energy consumption for hard real-time systems

While the dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) techniques are efficient in reducing the dynamic energy consumption for the processor, varying voltage alone becomes less effective for the overall power reduction as the leakage power is growing rapidly, i.e., five times per technical generation as predicted. In this paper, we study the problem of reducing both the static and dynamic power consumption at the same time for the hard real-time system scheduled by the earliest deadline first (EDF) strategy. To balance the dynamic and leakage energy consumption, higher-than-necessary processor speeds may be required when executing real-time tasks, which can result in a large number of idle intervals. To effectively reduce the energy consumption during these idle intervals, we propose a technique that can effectively merge these scattered intervals into larger ones without causing any deadline miss. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Specifically, our experiments show that the proposed technique can lead up to more than 80% idle energy savings than that by the previous ones.
Efficient sampling and feature selection in whole sentence maximum entropy language models

Conditional maximum entropy models have been successfully applied to estimating language model probabilities of the form P(w|h), but are often to demanding computationally. Furthermore, the conditional framework does not lend itself to expressing global sentential phenomena. We have previously introduced a non-conditional maximum entropy language model which directly models the probability of an entire sentence or utterance. The model treats each utterance as a "bag of features", where features are arbitrary computable properties of the sentence. Using the model is computationally straightforward since it does not require normalization. Training the model requires efficient sampling of sentences from an exponential distribution. In this paper, we further develop the model and demonstrate its feasibility and power. We compare the efficiency of several sampling techniques. implement smoothing to accommodate rare features, and suggest an efficient algorithm for improving the convergence rate. We then present a novel procedure for feature selection, which exploits discrepancies between the existing model and the training corpus. We demonstrate our ideas by constructing and analyzing competitive modes in the Switchboard domain.
Advance Directives and the Elderly: A Study of Intervention Strategies to Increase Use

This study tested the efficacy of educational interventions to increase the use of advance directives among the elderly. Three types of educational materials, various community-dwelling populations of older people (n = 293), and offers of free legal assistance were examined. Interventions increased use slightly, not dramatically, especially with the group receiving a moderate level of materials plus an invitation to a meeting. Knowledge and use were also associated with race and education levels. The most common reason given for nonuse was deferring to others and putting it off.
Style: a technology-independent approach to statistical design

Despite their indisputable benefits, parametric yield prediction/optimization techniques are often not routinely used by industry because of prohibitive costs and/or lack of generality. To overcome these obstacles, we present a new statistical technology independent parametric yield approach which is computationally inexpensive and generally applicable, unlike previous inexpensive methods which limit the user to specific technologies, device models, or circuits. This general applicability and cost efficiency is maintained through four factors. First, this approach interfaces with a compiler-methodology based simulator which establishes complete model independence. Second, critical parameters are not predetermined; an efficient screening procedure minimizes the dimensionality of the input parameter space so as to formulate a parsimonious nonparametric regression model. Third, because of the flexibility of this nonparametric model, the capability exists to map any input parameters to an output performance, not just those with a linear relationship. Finally, a waveform analysis capability completely automates the approach, thereby enabling turn-key operation. An ECL bandgap regulator circuit illustrates the benefits of this approach.
Can brand image move upwards after Sideways? A strategic approach to brand placements

Abstract In today's environment of fragmented mass media and popular technologies, such as DVR and TiVo, it is increasingly challenging for marketers to obtain quality face time with audiences. As more customers try to avoid advertisements, there has been growth in brand placement: the practice of integrating brands into entertainment media, particularly television and film. Brand placement engages the audience, limits viewers’ ability to ignore commercial messages, and even impacts purchase behavior—as evidenced by the surge in Blackstone pinot noir wine sales after the brand's placement in the movie Sideways. Despite the prevalence of this practice, however, the industry often operates in a somewhat unfocused manner. In this article, we draw from academic literature and industry publications, offer insight regarding the growing popularity of brand placements, and suggest a specific set of guidelines to enhance the efficacy of placements in accomplishing a brand's marketing objectives.
Consumer Redress in the United States

This chapter provides a snapshot of consumer redress processes in the United States (“U.S.”), and suggests policy reforms building on advances in the European Union (“E.U.”). The U.S. traditionally has been distinct in its allowance for class relief and other judicial action as the primary means for consumers to pursue remedies in B2C transactions. However, these traditional American remedies processes have diminished due to the strict enforcement of pre-dispute arbitration clauses and other restrictions on class actions in the U.S. Furthermore, U.S. small claims court and credit card chargeback procedures are limited and outdated, while emerging online complaint and dispute resolution processes remain largely unregulated. This leaves many consumers without meaningful access to remedies when they experience purchase problems. Accordingly, the chapter will suggest ideas for regulatory reforms building on the E.U. model for ODR aimed to expand consumers’ access to remedies with respect to their small dollar claims.
Hydrogel-Based Colloidal Polymeric System for Protein and Drug Delivery: Physical and Chemical Characterization, Permeability Control and Applications

The use of polymeric nanoparticles as drug carriers is receiving an increasing amount of attention both in academia and industry. The development of suitable delivery systems for protein drugs with high molecular weights and short half-lives is of current interest. In addition, nanoparticles have a number of potential applications in drug and vaccine delivery as well as gene therapy applications. This article features a new production technology for nanoparticles comprised of multicomponent polymeric complexes that are candidates for delivery vehicles of biological molecules such as proteins and drugs. Materials science theory and practice provide the basis for the development of highly compacted structures that are insoluble in water and buffered media. Biocompatible and mostly natural polymers are fabricated into thermodynamically stable nanoparticles, in the absence of organic solvents, using two types of processing: batch and continuous. Careful choice of construction materials and the superposition of several interacting principles during their production allow for the customization of the physicochemical properties of the structures. Among the typical polymers used to assemble nanoparticles, different polysaccharides, natural amines and polyamines were investigated. The entrapped substances tested included proteins, antigens and small drug molecules. The size and charge of nanoparticles is considered to be of primary importance for application in biological systems. Detailed experiments in batch and continuous systems allowed time-dependent stoichiometric characterization of the production process and an understanding of fundamental assembly principles of such supramolecular structures. Continuous-flow production is shown to provide more consistent data in terms of product quality and consistency, with further possibilities of process development and commercialization. To control permeability, polydextran aldehyde, incorporated into the particle core, was used to enable physiologic cross-linking and long-term retention of substances that would otherwise rapidly leak out of the nanoparticles. Results of cross-linking experiments clearly demonstrated that the release rate could be substantially reduced, depending on the degree of cross-linking. For vaccine antigen delivery tests we measured an antibody production following subcutaneous and oral administration. The data indicated that only the cross-linked antigen was immunogenic when the oral route of administration was used. The data presented in this paper address primarily the utility of nanoparticulates for oral delivery of vaccine antigen. This novel technology is extensively discussed in contrast to other technologies, primarily water- and organic solvent-based. The usefulness is demonstrated using several examples, evaluating protein and small drug delivery.
The Saga of the First Stock Index Futures Contract: Was it a Case of the Market Using the Wrong Model and Not Learning?

Futures contracts on stock indices can be subject to imperfect arbitrage-based pricing when the spot "good" is not an easily held portfolio. The Kansas City Value Line (KCVL) stock index futures market provides an interesting case study because the spot index was complex and it underwent a change in definition from an equally-weighted geometric index to an equally-weighted arithmetic index for the futures to remain viable. The dynamics of geometric and arithmetic indices differ in their complexity and imply that KCVL(Geometric) futures should be priced using the relatively complex Eytan-Harpaz (1986) model, while KCVL(Arithmetic) futures can be priced using the standard Cost-of-Carry model. Empirical analysis of outright and calendar spread prices reveals that KCVL(Geometric) futures went through three distinct phases of mispricing reflecting considerable confusion in pricing. An intriguing result is that during the second phase lasting four years, traders in the KCVL(Geometric) market appear to have been unaware of the magnitude and importance of the properties of the geometric index. Specifically, the market treated these geometric futures contracts like conventional futures contracts based on physical commodities, and induced "efficiency" from the incorrect perspective of the Cost-of-Carry model. A dramatic correction follows in the third quarter of 1986 around the publication of the Eytan-Harpaz model when the market turns efficient from the correct perspective of this new model. Jointly, the results suggest that it is possible for a modern market to succumb to a self-fulfilling prophecy induced by the force of behavior and belief, and be "efficient" but wrong. Further, it appears that the market did not learn the correct model from trading. The correction occurred, instead, around the time of the publication of the correct model, which could be viewed as a re-interpretation of existing information in a manner that altered the state of knowledge in the market. The evidence suggests also that we may need to draw more on the distinctions among the words information, belief, and knowledge, in our definition of efficiency; information being available need not imply that it will be processed appropriately through trading.
Relative effects of hatching order, egg-size variation, and parental quality on chick survival in common terns

ABSTRACr.-I examined the relative importance of factors influencing chick survival in manipulated and natural broods of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo). In nonmanipulated broods of three (modal brood size), egg mass decreased with laying order, siblings hatched asynchronously, and chick survival declined with hatching order. The ratio of a chick's mass to that of its siblings, at the time of brood completion, explained the greatest portion of variation in chick survival in these broods and in manipulated broods in which survival also varied with hatching order. Hatching order was an important component of mass ratio at brood completion. Egg mass did not influence survival in these brood types. In contrast, egg mass was important in manipulated broods in which chicks hatched synchronously and in natural broods of two, for which hatching order did not affect survival. Parental quality, as indicated by the number of a chick's siblings that survived, also had a positive effect on chick survival that was more important than the negative effect of increasing brood size. Length of the incubation period was positively correlated with size of last-laid eggs. My data did not strongly support the brood-reduction hypothesis of hatching asynchrony and egg-size variation. A smaller egg may benefit the last-hatched chick by reducing hatching asynchrony. Received 20 May 1992, accepted 29 November 1992.
Nonrandom Aggregations and Distribution of Cave-Dwelling Bats in Puerto Rico

I surveyed use of caves by bats in Puerto Rico. The exact location of each species of bat within the roost was determined for 17 caves. A comparison of variance was performed on the data to test the null hypothesis that occurrence of each species was independent of the others. Nonrandom associations were common among cave-dwelling bats in Puerto Rico. The species showing the strongest associations— Monophyllus redmani, Mormoops blainvillii , and Pteronotus quadridens and Erophylla sezekorni and P. parnellii —were associated with hot caves.
Schemata in text processing and design

The concept of schema has come to play an important role in recent models of human cognitive functioning. In this paper, the major characteristics of this concept are outlined. This is followed by a discussion of how the concept has influenced psychologists and educators in their views of the processes involved in reading, comprehending and remembering prose passages. In a final section, some of the implications of the concept of schema for text design and construction are considered.