cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition State Charge Stabilization and Acid-Base Catalysis of mRNA Cleavage by the Endoribonuclease RelE

The bacterial toxin RelE is a ribosome-dependent endoribonuclease. It is part of a type II toxin-antitoxin system that contributes to antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation. During amino acid starvation, RelE cleaves mRNA in the ribosomal A-site, globally inhibiting protein translation. RelE is structurally similar to microbial RNases that employ general acid-base catalysis to facilitate RNA cleavage. The RelE active site is atypical for acid-base catalysis, in that it is enriched with positively charged residues and lacks the prototypical histidine-glutamate catalytic pair, making the mechanism of mRNA cleavage unclear. In this study, we use a single-turnover kinetic analysis to measure the effect of pH and phosphorothioate substitution on the rate constant for cleavage of mRNA by wild-type RelE and seven active-site mutants. Mutation and thio effects indicate a major role for stabilization of increased negative change in the transition state by arginine 61. The wild-type RelE cleavage rate constant is pH-independent, but the reaction catalyzed by many of the mutants is strongly dependent on pH, suggestive of general acid-base catalysis. pH-rate curves indicate that wild-type RelE operates with the pK(a) of at least one catalytic residue significantly downshifted by the local environment. Mutation of any single active-site residue is sufficient to disrupt this microenvironment and revert the shifted pK(a) back above neutrality. pH-rate curves are consistent with K54 functioning as a general base and R81 as a general acid. The capacity of RelE to effect a large pK(a) shift and facilitate a common catalytic mechanism by uncommon means furthers our understanding of other atypical enzymatic active sites.
The Role of Real-Life Mathematics Instruction on Mathematics Outcomes in Kindergarten.

In an era of a declining quality and quantity of students entering and persisting in mathematics in the USA, researchers and policy makers are looking for new strategies to engage students in these fields and improve mathematics outcomes. One push has been to make mathematics instruction more relevant with real-world applications throughout the K-12 curriculum—i.e. to make instruction more focused on real-life situations. This empirical study examines specifically whether real-life mathematics instruction can influence mathematics achievement for students at the beginning of the educational pipeline. Using a newly released national-level dataset of a cohort of US kindergarten students, approximately ages 5–6 years old, from the 2010/11 school year (ECLS-K:2011), the findings indicate a positive relationship between the frequency of real-life mathematics instruction, as reported by the teacher and mathematics outcomes. The results are differentiated by student demographics, and implications are discussed.
Nitrite-Induced Injury of Listeria monocytogenes and the Effect of Selective Versus Nonselective Recovery Procedures on Its Isolation from Frankfurters

Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) is used as a curing agent in frankfurters. Although previous studies have documented the bacteriostatic abilities of NaNO2 toward Listeria monocytogenes, few if any studies have been conducted that consider the possibility of sublethal injury to L. monocytogenes by exposure to NaNO2. The goals of this study were to determine whether NaNO2 has the ability to injure L. monocytogenes, to determine whether nitrite injury is reversible, and to compare the recovery of L. monocytogenes from frankfurters containing nitrite with Listeria repair broth (LRB) and University of Vermont modified Listeria enrichment broth (UVM). NaNO2, when used at concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm, was found to injure L. monocytogenes. The injury was completely reversible, or growth of uninjured Listeria occurred in LRB when injury was between 98.5 and 98.7%. However, total recovery was not observed in LRB when injury exceeded 99%. UVM was unable to reverse the effects of nitrite-injured L. monocytogenes. With respect to time, inoculum, and meat type, LRB was found to be consistently superior to UVM at recovering L. monocytogenes from frankfurters. Nitrite injury might be a factor influencing detection and recovery of L. monocytogenes from frankfurters.
Automated design of application-specific superscalar processors

Automated design of superscalar processors can provide future system-on-chip (SOC) designers with a turn-key method of generating superscalar processors that are Pareto-optimal in terms of performance, energy consumption, and area for the target application program(s). Unfortunately, current optimization methods are based on time-consuming cycle-accurate simulation, unsuitable for analysis of hundreds of thousands of design options that is required to arrive at Pareto-optimal designs. This dissertation bridges the gap between a large design space of superscalar processors and the inability of cycle-accurate simulation to analyze a large design space, by providing a computationally and conceptually simple analytical method for generating Pareto-optimal superscalar processor designs. The proposed and evaluated analytical method consists of three parts: (1) a method for analytically estimating the performance in terms a cycles-per-instruction (CPI) using the application program statistics and the superscalar processor parameters, (2) a method of analytically estimating various energy consuming activities using the application program statistics and the superscalar processor parameters, and (3) a search method for systematically finding the Pareto-optimal designs. At the heart of these three parts are analytical equations that model the fundamental governing principles of superscalar processors. These equations are simple yet accurate enough to quickly find the Pareto-optimal superscalar processor designs. In addition to the computational simplicity, the analytical design optimization method is conceptually simple. It gives clear design guidance by providing (1) the ability to visualize the performance degrading events, such as branch mispredictions and instruction cache misses, (2) the ability to analyze energy consuming activity at the microarchitecture level, and (3) the cause-and-effect relationship between superscalar core design parameters. The conceptual simplicity allows a quick grasp of the analytical method and also provides key insights into the inner workings of superscalar processors. Overall the proposed analytical design optimization method can provide future SOC designers with an automated approach for generating Pareto-optimal application-specific superscalar processors with minimal design time and effort.
Isolation of Ferulates from Soapstock of Rice Bran Oil

Some ferulates as phenolic substances have been confirmed to occur in the soapstock of rice bran oil. These ferulic acid esters are resemble to that of rice germ oil.The unsaponifiable fractions from these ferulates were confirmed to consist mainly of two tri-terpenoid alcohols (cycloartenol C30H50O and 24-methylene-cycloartanol C31H52O) and sterol C28H48O.
Factors related to age-grade trends and sex differences in children's preferences for comic books.

(1951). Factors Related to Age-Grade Trends and Sex Differences in Children's Preferences for Comic Books. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 71-96.
Calibrating the SNfactory Integral Field Spectrograph (SNIFS) with SCALA

The SNIFS CALibration Apparatus (SCALA), a device to calibrate the Supernova Integral Field Spectrograph on the University Hawaii 2.2m telescope, was developed and installed in Spring 2014. SCALA produces an artificial planet with a diameter of 1° and a constant surface brightness. The wavelength of the beam can be tuned between 3200 A and 10000 A and has a bandwidth of 35 A. The amount of light injected into the telescope is monitored with NIST calibrated photodiodes. SCALA was upgraded in 2015 with a mask installed at the entrance pupil of the UH88 telescope, ensuring that the illumination of the telescope by stars is similar to that of SCALA. With this setup, a first calibration run was performed in conjunction with the spectrophotometric observations of standard stars. We present first estimates for the expected systematic uncertainties of the in-situ calibration and discuss the results of tests that examine the influence of stray light produced in the optics.
Unified Electromagnetic-Electronic Design of Light Trapping Silicon Solar Cells

A three-dimensional unified electromagnetic-electronic model is developed in conjunction with a light trapping scheme in order to predict and maximize combined electron-photon harvesting in ultrathin crystalline silicon solar cells. The comparison between a bare and light trapping cell shows significant enhancement in photon absorption and electron collection. The model further demonstrates that in order to achieve high energy conversion efficiency, charge separation must be optimized through control of the doping profile and surface passivation. Despite having a larger number of surface defect states caused by the surface patterning in light trapping cells, we show that the higher charge carrier generation and collection in this design compensates the absorption and recombination losses and ultimately results in an increase in energy conversion efficiency. The fundamental physics behind this specific design approach is validated through its application to a 3 μm thick functional light trapping solar cell which shows 192% efficiency enhancement with respect to the bare cell of same thickness. Such a unified design approach will pave the path towards achieving the well-known Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit for c-Si in thin-film (<30 μm) geometries.
Impact of Minimally Invasive Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Therapies on 30- and 90-Day Postoperative Office Encounters.

Objective To compare the frequency of postoperative encounters in the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods for various bladder outlet obstruction surgical therapies. Materials and Methods All patients who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), GreenLight laser photovaporization of the prostate (GL-PVP) (American Medical Systems Inc.), and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014 were followed for 6 months postoperatively. All postoperative encounters such as patient calls or questions, catheter exchanges or removals, and hospital-based readmissions or emergency department visits were recorded in the electronic medical record. Results Two hundred and ninety-one consecutive patients underwent outlet procedures during the study period: TURP (N = 199; mean age, 71 years; mean body mass index [BMI], 28.5), HoLEP (N = 60; mean age, 68 years; mean BMI, 28.1), or GL-PVP (N = 32; mean age, 72 years; mean BMI, 29.3). No statistically significant difference was observed for age, BMI, preoperative American Urological Association symptom score, or preoperative maximum flow velocity between the 3 groups. Thirty-day postoperative encounters differed significantly between the 3 surgery types ( P P = .006) and GL-PVP (≥1 encounter: TURP = 48.7%, GL-PVP = 93.7%; P P Conclusion TURP results in fewer postoperative encounters in both the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods compared to HoLEP and GL-PVP. Laser prostate therapies may place increased burden on clinic staff during the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods.
Abstract 10324: Balancing Work, Life and Health: A Mixed Methods Study Describing the Self-care Practices of an Older Working Population With Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

For the 3.5 million workers with CHD, daily self-care (i.e., treatment adherence, symptom monitoring and symptom management) must take place within the context of work. Objective: To describe the s...
Narrative is not enough: The role of "real and living doubt" in entrepreneurship communication

We overview information design principles that determine how emotional interest is generated across major genres of text, specifically applied here to entrepreneurship communication. In brief, all effective, interesting texts are organized around some kind of question with a genuinely doubtful answer that provokes inquiry: Readers feel compelled to read an entire text or listen intently to a presentation because a question posed to readers or listeners genuinely provokes them to seek an answer. In this view, new products or services will work, and entrepreneurship communication will work, not just because what's provided is new, emotionally appealing, or technically clever but rather because both the product/service and the information provided about it will evoke and then settle real and living doubt.
Stage-Specific Switches in Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing during Late Erythropoiesis Are Conserved from Mouse to Human

Spatial and temporal regulation of alternative pre-mRNA splicing determines which exons are incorporated into mature mRNA, modulating mRNA coding capacity to ensure synthesis of appropriate protein isoforms throughout normal differentiation and development. During erythropoiesis, a stage-specific switch in pre-mRNA splicing activates incorporation of protein 4.1R exon 16, thereby increasing 4.1R affinity for spectrin and actin and mechanically strengthening red blood cell membranes. We are exploring the hypothesis that stage-specific changes in pre-mRNA splicing regulate expression of other critical genes during terminal erythropoiesis. Last year we described exon microarray and RT-PCR studies that revealed several novel pre-mRNA splicing switches in terminally differentiating human erythroid progenitors. These alternative splicing events involved well-annotated exons with consensus exon-intron boundaries, supporting a model in which these events represent a regulated alternative splicing program rather than a breakdown of splicing integrity in late erythropoiesis. Here we report additional evidence for this model by showing that several erythroid stage-specific switches in alternative pre-mRNA splicing are conserved between human and mouse. Primary mouse splenic erythroblasts from FVA-infected mice were cultured in vitro under differentiation conditions and used as the source of RNA for analysis of murine erythroid splicing events. From a total of seven internal cassette exons whose splicing was activated in late human erythroblasts, five exhibited an analogous splicing switch in murine erythroblasts. Comparative genomic analysis showed that these alternative exons are embedded in regions of unusually high sequence conservation among vertebrate species, suggesting that important regulatory signals are contained within the adjacent introns. Indeed, the flanking introns for several of these exons contain binding motifs for Fox2, an RNA binding protein and known splicing regulator for many tissue-specific splicing events. Further analysis of the conserved erythroid splicing events revealed the following: three splicing switches occur in transcripts encoding RNA binding proteins (MBNL2, HNRPLL, and SNRP70), suggesting significant changes in the RNA processing machinery of late erythroblasts; and three of these alternative exons encode premature stop codons that could induce nonsense mediated decay (NMD) and contribute to down-regulation of these genes during terminal erythropoiesis. Consistent with the latter hypothesis, inhibition of NMD in murine erythroblast cultures led to increased accumulation of mRNA isoforms containing the premature stop codons. Together these results suggest the existence of a highly regulated alternative splicing program that is critical for late erythroid differentiation.
The 1866 New York City cholera epidemic through popular periodicals and theories of contagion

AbstractIn 1866 cholera struck New York City for the third time in the nineteenth century; previous epidemics occurred in 1832 and 1849. With a population of over 1.1 million, one fourth of whom were immigrants, the city was starkly divided between New York City’s traditional elite class and predominantly Irish immigrants and African Americans living in the city’s most neglected quarters, which became the main sites for contagion. In this essay, I discuss the periodical coverage of the epidemic in multiple “literary” genres that were part of the news cycle of the time, a topic that has been relatively unexplored. Through news columns, prose, and narrative poems, some of the city’s leading newspapers and story papers circulated the discourse of popular science. These periodicals featured cross-genre works that merged traditional wind poetry with miasma theory, generating coverage that was both entertaining and informative.
A Risky Place? Media and the Health Landscape in the (In)secure U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

In this paper, we consider how news stories about one area of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, further propagate notions of a region filled with people characterized as dangerously noncompliant with American ideals of citizenship, prosperity, and security. Using Ethnographic Content Analysis, we conducted a systematic analysis of Valley, state and national mainstream news media stories from 2010–2016 about health or health care in the Rio Grande Valley. Ethnographic research with Valley leaders, residents, and journalists completed the media analysis. We argue that the Rio Grande Valley is framed as both an unruly internal colony as well as a racialized periphery, due to its proximity to Mexico. We detail how these news stories are received and acted upon by seasoned local journalists who use their trade to offer different scripts, rooted in actual lives and experiences of residents. We conclude with alternative versions of the U.S.-Mexico border region from borderlands scholars to reflect on how dominant media representations of places and people can be weathervanes for political discourse that shape state and national action about “the border.”
Western US volcanism due to intruding oceanic mantle driven by ancient Farallon slabs

The origin of late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism over the western United States is debated. One important reason is the lack of a clear understanding of the mantle dynamics during this volcanic history. Here we reconstruct the mantle thermal states beneath North America since 20 million years ago using a hybrid inverse geodynamic model with data assimilation. The model simultaneously satisfies the past subduction kinematics, present mantle tomographic image and the volcanic history. We find that volcanism in both the Yellowstone volcanic province and the Basin and Range province corresponds to a similar eastward-intruding mantle derived from beneath the Pacific Ocean and driven mostly by the sinking Farallon slab below the central-eastern United States. The hot mantle that forms the Columbia River flood basalt and subsequent Yellowstone–Newberry hotspot tracks first enters the western United States through tears within the Juan de Fuca slab. Subsequent coexistence of the westward asthenospheric flow above the retreating Juan de Fuca slab and eastward-propagating mantle beyond the back-arc region reproduces the bifurcating hotspot chains. A similar but weaker heat source intrudes below the Basin and Range around the southern edge of the slab, and can explain the diffuse basaltic volcanism in this region. According to our models, the putative Yellowstone plume contributes little to the formation of the Yellowstone volcanic province. Volcanism in the western US may result from warm oceanic mantle beneath the Pacific Ocean being drawn eastwards by mantle flow induced by the sinking of Farallon slabs, according to numerical model simulations.
The effects of frequency fine-tuning in hearing impaired phone recognition

A key factor on correct phone recognition in Normal Hearing (NH) and Hearing Impaired (HI) listeners, is the intensity of primary cue. One can assess this intensity for a given speech sound, by examining it at various Signal to Noise Ratios (SNR) presented to NH listeners, and detect the threshold in which listeners recognized the token at least 90% correct (SNR90). For each token, we have determined the time-frequency window corresponding to correct recognition, as well as the conflicting cues. Two sets of tokens T1 and T2 having same consonant-vowels but different talkers with distinct SNR90s had been presented at flat gain (frequency independent) at listeners' most comfortable level (MCL). We studied the effects of frequency fine-tuning of the primary cue by presenting tokens of same consonant but different vowels with similar SNR90s. Additionally, we investigated the role of changing the intensity of primary cue on HI phone recognition, by presenting tokens from both sets T1 and T2. This presentation discusses how the frequency an/or intensity of the primary cue changes the confusion pattern of phone recognition for HI listeners, given a flat gain condition at MCL. We will also explore the effect of these changes on conflicting cues.A key factor on correct phone recognition in Normal Hearing (NH) and Hearing Impaired (HI) listeners, is the intensity of primary cue. One can assess this intensity for a given speech sound, by examining it at various Signal to Noise Ratios (SNR) presented to NH listeners, and detect the threshold in which listeners recognized the token at least 90% correct (SNR90). For each token, we have determined the time-frequency window corresponding to correct recognition, as well as the conflicting cues. Two sets of tokens T1 and T2 having same consonant-vowels but different talkers with distinct SNR90s had been presented at flat gain (frequency independent) at listeners' most comfortable level (MCL). We studied the effects of frequency fine-tuning of the primary cue by presenting tokens of same consonant but different vowels with similar SNR90s. Additionally, we investigated the role of changing the intensity of primary cue on HI phone recognition, by presenting tokens from both sets T1 and T2. This presentation ...
The growth of the feline brain from fetal into adult life. II. A morphometric study of subcortical nuclei.

Abstract As a continuation of the morphometric studies on the preceding paper, here we report on the rate of growth of the caudate nucleus (n.), thalamus, red n., and the substantia (s.) nigra using, with few exceptions, the same cohort of cats. The same previously used brains (n=64 cats) were allocated to the following age groups: fetal (E) 59 days, postnatal (P) days 1, 7, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180. Sixteen additional cats, interspersed within the groups, were substituted for the red n. and s. nigra studies. There were six subjects per group (except for E59, n=4). Using a projection microscope and cytochrome oxidase-stained coronal sections, a combined (left plus right sides) total of 4693, 3822, 1636, and 1180 sections were drawn for the caudate, thalamus, s. nigra, and red n., respectively. With computer assistance, the drawings were digitized to calculate mean cross-sectional areas and then the mean volume of each structure per group. The growth time tables for the caudate n., thalamus and s. nigra were fairly synchronous. In terms of percentage of the adult volume, for the left side (both sides grew at a similar rate), the three structures grew at a fast pace between E59 and P30. Thus, at E59 their respective percentages relative to adult volume were 23.7, 29.8 and 22.6% and by P30 the percentages were within adult range (85.2, 115.1 and 87.5%, respectively). Starting at P30, for the thalamus and at P45 for the caudate n., there was a consistent tendency to an overgrow which ranged between 4.3 and 30.9% (at P180, P
General problems connected with the use of biomaterials

In the application fields of biomaterials it is possible to recognize problems that can be solved by means of specific expedients and others that, conversely, appear at present insoluble.
Pediatric palliative care in the intensive care unit and questions of quality: a review of the determinants and mechanisms of high-quality palliative care in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)

This article reviews the state and practice of pediatric palliative care (PC) within the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with specific consideration of quality issues. This includes defining PC and end of life (EOL) care. We will also describe PC as it pertains to alleviating children’s suffering through the provision of “concurrent care” in the ICU environment. Modes of care, and attendant strengths, of both the consultant and integrated models will be presented. We will review salient issues related to the provision of PC in the PICU, barriers to optimal practice, parental, and staff perceptions. Opportunity areas for quality improvement and the role of initiatives and measures such as education, family-based initiatives, staff needs, symptom recognition, grief, and communication follow. To conclude, we will look to the literature for PC resources for pediatric intensivists and future directions of study.
Population-Based Behavioral Health

This chapter highlights the concept of behavioral health within an overall framework of population or public health. It examines the burden of behavioral health problems on individuals and the general public, examines the difficulties and fragmented nature of existing behavioral health delivery systems, and emphasizes the importance of re-focusing behavioral health (the study of alcohol, drug abuse, and mental disorders from a population or public health perspective) on systems integration strategies which incorporate technology, facilitate recovery, and promote prevention.
A New Isolated AC-DC Power Converter Topology with Reduced Number of Switches for High-Input Voltage and High-Output Current Applications

The main objective of this research work is to develop a new low-cost isolated three-level ac-dc power converter topology that is suitable for applications having high input ac voltages and high output currents; for example, hybrid (ac-dc) microgrids or offshore wind farms. Existing three-level converter topologies convert ac power to dc power while maintaining requirements set by international standards for power conversion. These types of converters have significant conduction losses due to high currents in the low-voltage side and high costs, particularly when using several devices in series or in parallel to achieve high-voltage and high-power levels. The proposed topology replaces the conventional three-level converters in the low-voltage side by only two controlled devices and four diodes while still maintaining the basic functionality of a three-level converter. Simulation results for a 87.5-kW case study and experimental results on a 250-W scale-down prototype demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed ideas.
The Promise of Interactive Shared Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is a game-changing technology that lets users see things they cannot otherwise see. Shared reality could be used, among other applications, to improve the safety of traffic systems. Despite current limitations, the future is bright for interactive shared AR.
Examining Design Transparency in Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Materials

To support teachers in understanding the design of their curriculum program and effectively transforming the written lesson as they enact it with their students, some curriculum authors have taken up recommendations to add transparency to their curriculum materials. Our analysis characterizes the different ways the authors of five elementary mathematics curriculum programs make design decisions transparent to teachers and the frequency, regularity, and depth of this support. We found that authors provided rationale for the design of the curriculum in varied and limited ways. While four of the five programs regularly communicated the purpose of instructional activities, they seldom elaborated why these particular activities or actions were appropriate or effective for serving these purposes. The authors of three of the programs provided storyline support aimed at helping teachers understand how the curriculum developed across time, most often making explicit connections across lessons and units. The depth of these connections, however, varied considerably, and authors rarely went so far as to explain how teachers might leverage these connections during instruction. Through analysis and illustrative examples, the chapter illuminates the possibilities for future design and research.
Fog Computing, Edge Computing and a return to privacy and personal autonomy

Abstract Computing in the Fog and at the Edge of the Internet of Things represent the greatest bilateral data exchange in the lives of others since the advent of the telephone. It may offer more than improved response times and reduced latency in home and personal data services. It may reintroduce user and community control over the data lives generated by remote systems introduced by the Internet of Things. At the same time the invasive risks it presents to home and personal security and privacy may increase regulatory complexity to protect those rights. External sensing of human activity through the Smart City, home and personal IOT devices with locational data introduces many complex issues, beneficial and dangerous. These issues are resolved in a legal-technical-social milieu. Together technical and legal controls for Fog and Edge computing may mediate the data avatars we produce and protect privacy, safety personal autonomy. Those controls must be in harmony, directed towards the protection of the people, and subject to sanctions for failure to comply.
Communities of Interaction: Tradition and Learning in Stone Tool Production Through the Lens of the Epipaleolithic of Kharaneh IV, Jordan

Between 23 and 11.5 ka Epipaleolithic groups of Southwest Asia initiated and experienced dramatic changes—on a previously unprecedented scale—in economy and settlement, with the appearance of semi-sedentary villages and intensified interdependent relationships with each other and specific plants and animals. These events provide a rare opportunity to study the long-term development of social processes in the region and the increasingly obvious fact that social, economic and technological changes were manifested as complex, entangled and non-linear developments. Most recent attempts to explain change in the material culture record typically highlight the earliest evidence for plant management or cultivation, ritual funerary practices, and dwelling and architecture. While these are important contributions that serve as the foundation for challenging our traditional notions of hunter-gatherer to farmer transitions, they center on changes in the economic or symbolic realms of prehistoric life, arguably downplaying the role of technology. This paper attempts to explore the role of technology in our reconstructions of the lifeways of hunter-gatherers by examining the social role of technology, the centrality of the technological process to everyday practice, and the transmission of technological knowledge (and, thus, culture) through communities of practice. We use chipped stone tools and their associated debris from the site of Kharaneh IV, eastern Jordan, as an illustrative case study of how we currently study chipped stone tools in this region. Using a chaine operatoire approach to the study of EP assemblages, we consider how different groups of knappers at the EP site of Kharaneh IV, and beyond, interacted in fluid and ever-changing interactions to share knowledge or reinforce existing social traditions.
Stability of Gradient Learning Dynamics in Continuous Games: Scalar Action Spaces

Learning processes in games explain how players grapple with one another in seeking an equilibrium. We study a natural model of learning based on individual gradients in two- player continuous games. In such games, the arguably natural notion of a local equilibrium is a differential Nash equilibrium. However, the set of locally exponentially stable equilibria of the learning dynamics do not necessarily coincide with the set of differential Nash equilibria of the corresponding game. To characterize this gap, we provide formal guarantees for the stability or instability of such fixed points by leveraging the spectrum of the linearized game dynamics. We provide a comprehensive understanding of scalar games and find that equilibria that are both stable and Nash are robust to variations in learning rates.
Galileo’s Daughter: The Book, the Movie, the Facts, and the Issues

This essay examines Galileo’s relationship to the eldest of his three children, named Virginia, who became a nun with the name of Sister Maria Celeste. It contains a commentary on Dava Sobel’s best-selling book Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love (1999). It also contains a commentary on a movie entitled “Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens,” first broadcast nationally in the United States by PBS television stations in 2002, produced by David Axelrod and based on Sobel’s book. The essay also provides a summary of the main facts of Virginia’s life. And it reports on the many internet comments on Sobel’s book. All these things provide the occasion for an analysis, from the point of view of the Galileo affair, of the significance of Sobel’s book and the light it sheds on some old and new issues.
Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation for Improving Respiratory Reproducibility in Radiation Oncology: A Pilot Study

Background Strategies for managing respiratory motion, specifically motion-encompassing methods, in radiation therapy typically assume reproducible breathing. In reality, respiratory motion variations occur and ultimately cause tumor motion variations, which can result in differences between the planned and delivered dose distributions. Therefore, breathing guidance techniques have been investigated to improve respiratory reproducibility. To our knowledge, bilevel positive airway pressure (BIPAP) ventilation assistance has not been previously investigated as a technique for improving respiratory reproducibility and is the focus of this work. Methods and Materials Ten patients undergoing radiation therapy treatment for cancers affected by respiratory motion (eg, lung and esophagus) participated in sessions in which their breathing was recorded during their course of treatment; these sessions occurred either before or after radiation treatments. Both unassisted free-breathing (FB) and BIPAP ventilation-assisted respiratory volume data were collected from each patient using spirometry. Patients used 2 different BIPAP ventilators (fixed BIPAP and flexible BIPAP), each configured to deliver the same volume of air per breath (ie, tidal volume). The flexible BIPAP ventilator permitted patient triggering (ie, it permitted patients to initiate each breath), and the fixed BIPAP did not. Intrasession and intersession metrics quantifying tidal volume variations were calculated and compared between the specific breathing platforms (FB or BIPAP). In addition, patient tolerance of both BIPAP ventilators was qualitatively assessed through verbal feedback. Results Both BIPAP ventilators were tolerated by patients, although the fixed BIPAP was not as well tolerated as the flexible BIPAP. Both BIPAP ventilators showed significant reductions (P < .05) in intrasession tidal volume variation compared with FB. However, only the fixed BIPAP significantly reduced the intersession tidal volume variation compared with FB. Conclusions Based on the established correlation between tidal volume and tumor motion, any reduction of the tidal volume variation could result in reduced tumor motion variation. Fixed BIPAP ventilation was found to be tolerated by patients and was shown to significantly reduce intrasession and intersession tidal volume variations compared with FB. Therefore, future investigation into the potential of fixed BIPAP ventilation is warranted to define the possible clinical benefits.
Catholic Education as a Societal Institution

This paper conceptualizes Catholic education as a societal institution interdependent with other major social institutions in the country. A brief history of the American Catholic system demonstrates how its origin and growth were influenced by and affected the cultural, political, religious, and economic milieu in which it was embedded. In particular, the development of Catholic education interacted with the growth of the public schools system. Comparisons of contemporary Catholic and public schools illustrate this interdependency while underscoring the uniqueness and contributions of Catholic education. A sociological understanding of Catholic education as a societal entity should inform decisions about the future of Catholic education and suggest ways that the institutional interdependence of Catholic and public schools can benefit both systems.
Comments on the paper: influence of water in the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran

Reaction a 0° par addition d'une solution de perchlorate d'acetyle du monomere en solution dans le chlorure de methylene
Prevention of poxvirus infection by tetrapyrroles.

Prevention of poxvirus infection is a topic of great current interest. We report inhibition of vaccinia virus in cell culture by porphyrins and phthalocyanines. Most previous work on the inhibition of viruses with tetrapyrroles has involved photodynamic mechanisms. The current study, however, investigates light-independent inhibition activity. The Western Reserve (WR) and International Health Department-J (IHD-J) strains of vaccinia virus were used. Virucidal and antiviral activities as well as the cytotoxicity of test compounds were determined. Examples of active compounds include zinc protoporphyrin, copper hematoporphyrin, meso(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin, the sulfonated tetra-1-naphthyl and tetra-1-anthracenylporphyrins, selected sulfonated derivatives of halogenated tetraphenyl porphyrins and the copper chelate of tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine. EC50 values for the most active compounds are as low as 0.05 µg/mL (40 nM). One of the most active compounds was the neutral meso(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin, indicating that the compounds do not have to be negatively charged to be active. Porphyrins and phthalocyanines have been found to be potent inhibitors of infection by vaccinia virus in cell culture. These tetrapyrroles were found to be active against two different virus strains, and against both enveloped and non-enveloped forms of the virus, indicating that these compounds may be broadly effective in their ability to inhibit poxvirus infection.
MEDIAÇÃO: ESPORTE RENDIMENTO E ESPORTE DA ESCOLA

Creio que faz-se necessario esclarecer que vejo o conjunto dos autores como progressistas, criticos, de esquerda, radicais ou como queiram ser denominados. Compartilham a critica do esporte e da sociedade, o que nao significa que sejam contra o esporte e a sociedade, e todos pretendem gerar algum tipo de mudanca que aproxime o esporte real do ideal e procuram o mesmo movimento, do real para o ideal, em suas consideracoes sobre a sociedade. As ciencias, as artes, os esportes nao podem estar fora da escola. Como nao podem ficar fora da escola tarefas importantes como cuidar da natureza, da cidade, do lar, das criancas, dos fracos, dos doentes e dos velhos. Defendo, por isso, que os bolsistas da pos-graduacao tenham a obrigacao de devolver a sociedade o que esta faz por eles, cuidando dos aspectos acima mencionados, como pratica de ideias.
An empirical study of attractor strength as a function of decision structure: a refinement of Yager's measures of decision confidence

Previous empirical studies indicate that differences exist between self-reported measures of post-decision confidence and Yager's (1982) predicted measures of decision tranquility. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that some systematic differences are a result of attractors, round numbers that appear reasonable at or near special cases although they depart from a broader pattern. The results indicate that the strength of the attractors varies as a function of the decision structure. The research is a preliminary attempt to apply fuzzy mathematics to cognitive psychology. Subjects reported their confidence in a choice based on alternatives using random sets. Subjects' frequencies of responses were compared by decision type. Three decision structures that appear to increase attractor strength were identified. Univariate t_ tests of the differences of mean response frequencies between decision structure types were significant at the 0.05 level.
In Vivo Preclinical Test Models for Studying Airway Mucus Secretion

There are many in vivo animal models for studying airway mucus secretion and hypersecretion, each with advantages and disadvantages. Use of a particular test system will depend upon the aspect of secretion to be modelled. Airway hypersecretory diseases exhibit chronic mucus hypersecretion, of which the clinical impact is predominantly in the distal airways. The majority of documented test preparations study acute secretion, invariably using tracheal preparations, but have been invaluable in elucidating the normal physiology of airway mucus secretion. Chronic models of the hypersecretory state in the distal airways have been developed, but are predominantly histologic in nature (for example quantification of increased goblet cell number). There are few investigations of mucus hypersecretion. Examination of the 'antisecretory' potential of pharmaceutical compounds has been investigated predominantly in chronic histologic models with the drug being given 'prophylactically' rather than 'therapeutically'. Refinement of chronic hypersecretory models should lead to elucidation of the connection between airway irritation, inflammation, MUC gene expression, mucous cell hyperplasia/metaplasia, airway hypersecretion and bronchial hypersecretory disease.
Laser in situ keratomileusis outcomes following radial keratotomy, astigmatic keratotomy, photorefractive keratectomy, and penetrating keratoplasty

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) to enhance refractive status following other corneal surgical procedures. Setting Clinical office-based practice. Methods Seventy-one eyes of 57 patients had LASIK for refractive errors following radial keratotomy (n = 22), astigmatic keratotomy (n = 13), photorefractive keratectomy (n = 18), and penetrating keratoplasty (n = 18). A Moria LSK-1 microkeratome was used with a Visx S2 or Wavelight Allegretto excimer laser. Data were acquired by retrospective chart review of all appropriately qualified patients. Results The mean preoperative manifest refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE) was −3.93 diopters (D) ± 2.83 (SD) in myopic eyes and +1.43 ± 1.79 D in hyperopic eyes. The mean time from the initial corneal surgical procedure to LASIK was 65.0 months. The mean post-LASIK follow-up was 9.40 months (range 1 to 42 months). Postoperatively, the mean MRSE was −0.85 ± 1.42 D in myopic eyes (P Conclusion In eyes that have had a variety of previous corneal surgeries, LASIK offers a safe and predictable method for enhancing refractive results.
Drug abuse in persons with mental retardation : A review

The literature on drug abuse by people with mental retardation, a real, but largely ignored problem, was reviewed. Topics addressed were (a) the prevalence of drug use, (b) the drug-related problems characteristically encountered by this population, (c) the special vulnerabilities of people with mental retardation, (d) the treatment programs used with (and appropriate for) people with mental retardation, and (e) the status of drug abuse prevention and drug education for this population. Controlled research dealing with the genesis, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse among people with mental retardation is essentially nonexistent, but badly needed.
Age Changes in the Heat Production of Chickens As Measured by a Graphic Method. A Preliminary Report

Abstract IT IS generally understood that the formulation of a feeding standard involves a knowledge, first, of the nutritive needs of the animal, and second, the nutritive value of the feedstuffs. As regards feeding for maintenance of energy, it is obvious that knowing first, the amount of heat produced, in calories, by the animal under given conditions, and second, the net calorific values of the feedstuffs, it is possible by means of appropriate conversion factors to set up feeding standards to satisfy the energy needs of the animals for maintenance under the given conditions with given feedstuffs. The measurements of heat production, or energy metabolism, of chickens is therefore a matter of some practical importance as well as theoretical interest. M ethod The maintenance needs for energy of growing chickens is best measured by some calorimetric method. This method may be a direct one, consisting of measuring the heat taken up by . . .
Exhaust emissions from engines of the Detroit Diesel Corporation in transit buses: a decade of trends.

In the U.S.A., exhaust emissions from city buses fueled by diesel are not characterized well because current emission standards require engine tests rather than tests of whole vehicles. Two transportable chassis dynamometer laboratories developed and operated by West Virginia University (WVU) have been used extensively to gather realistic emission data from heavy-duty vehicles, including buses, tested in simulated driving conditions. A subset of these data has been utilized for a comprehensive introspection into the trends of regulated emissions from transit buses over the last 7 years, which has been prompted by continuously tightening restrictions on one hand, along with remarkable technological progress, on the other hand. Two widely used models of diesel engines manufactured by the Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) have been selected as a case-study for such an overview, based on full-scale, on-site testing of actual city buses, driven in accordance with the SAE J1376 standard of a Commercial Business District (CBD) cycle. The results provide solid, quantitative evidence that most regulated emissions from engines produced by DDC have declined over the years, especially with the transition from the 6V-92TA to the Series 50 models. This improvement is remarkable mainly for the emissions of particulate matter (PM), that are lower by over 70%, on average, for the Series 50 engines, though the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) exhibit a reversed trend, showing a degradation of about 6%, on average, with the transition from 6V-92TA to the Series 50 engines. The expected trend of decreasing emission levels with the model year of the engine is clear and consistent for particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), starting with the 1990 models, although it is not conclusive for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Assessing the presence of harmful collinearity and other forms of weak data through a test for signal-to-noise

Abstract Data weaknesses (such as collinearity) reduce the quality of least-squares estimates by inflating parameter variances. Standard regression diagnostics and statistical tests of hypothesis are unable to indicate such variance inflation and hence cannot detect data weaknesses. In this paper, then, we consider a different means for determining the presence of weak data based on a test for signal-to-noise in which the size of the parameter variance (noise) is assessed relative to the magnitude of the parameter (signal). This test is combined with other collinearity diagnostics to provide a test for the presence of harmful collinearity and/or short data. The entire procedure is illustrated with an equation from the Michigan Quarterly Econometric Model. Tables of critical values for the test are provided in an appendix.