cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Networks and Community Prevention Coalitions

This study investigates the links between community readiness and the social networks among participants in Communities That Care (CTC), community-based prevention coalitions. The coalitions targeted adolescent behavior problems through community risk factor assessments, prioritization of risk factors, and selection/implementation of corresponding evidence-based family, school, and community programs. Key leaders (n = 219) in 23 new CTC sites completed questionnaires focusing on community readiness to implement CTC and the respondents' personal, work, and social organization links to other key leaders in the community. Outside technical assistants also completed ratings of each community's readiness and early CTC functioning. Measures of network cohesion/integration were positively associated with readiness, while centralization was negatively associated. These results suggest that non-centralized networks in which ties between members are close and direct may be an indicator of community readiness. In addition, we found different associations between readiness and different domains of social relations. EDITORS' STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS: The authors present the promising practice of using social network analysis to characterize the functioning of local prevention coalitions and their readiness to implement a community-based prevention initiative. Researchers and community planners will benefit from the lessons in this article, which capitalizes on a large sample and multiple informants. This work raises interesting questions about how to combine the promotion of coalition functioning while simultaneously encouraging diversity of coalition membership.
Effect of low-molecular weight organic acids on phosphorus release and phytoavailabilty of phosphorus in phosphate rocks added to soils

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is critically needed to improve soil fertility in many parts of the world. The use of water-soluble P fertilizers, e.g., single super-phosphate and triple super-phosphate in developing countries to improve crop production has been limited primarily by their high cost. The presence of indigenous phosphate deposits in some countries provides an incentive for direct application or local chemical treatment at low cost to improve the solubility of low reactive phosphate rocks (PRs). The use of naturally occurring low-molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) that are produced in soil as microbial metabolites or plant exudates from dead or living cells represents a new perspective in PR research. The LMWOAs contain various functional groups that may play a significant role in PR dissolution. Little information is available, however, about the potential of LMWOAs in releasing P from PRs. This study reports P release from 12 PRs, four each of low, medium, and high reactivity, obtained from various deposits (Kodjari, Tahoua, North Carolina, Gafsa, Khouribga, Tilemsi Valley, Central Florida, Sechura, Minjingu, North Florida, Hahotoe, and Parc W) using nine LMWOAs containing mono-, di-, and tri-carboxylic groups and a mineral acid (H2SO4). Laboratory studies showed that the organic acids are effective in releasing P from low and medium reactive PRs, but very ineffective in releasing P from high reactive PRs. The average amounts of P released by all the organic acids from the three types of PRs were 65.5 mmol kg−1 PR from the low reactive PRs, 55.1 mmol kg−1 from the medium, and 11.1 mmol kg−1 from the high; those released from across all the PRs were 21.9 by the mono-carboxylic acid group, 54.2 by the di-carboxylic acid group, and 57.0 mmol P kg−1 by the tri-carboxylic acid group. The P released was negatively correlated with the equilibrium pH, but positively correlated with Ca released from the PRs. Laboratory incubation studies on the release of P from PRs added to soils with or without organic acids and incubated at 25 °C for 15, 30, and 45 days showed that the percentage of plant-available P released varied considerably from 0.95 in the Kodjari PR to 40.1% in the North Carolina PR and was related to PR reactivity. A greenhouse study with corn (Zea mays L.) grown for 60 days on soils treated with PRs or with PRs mixed with organic acids showed that corn response to addition of oxalic or citric acid varied with P rates and PR sources, suggesting that organic acids have potential as amendments for increasing plant-available P in PR-treated soils.
Statistical Large-Break LOCA analysis for PWRs with combined ECC injection

Abstract A statistical analysis methodology based on the code scaling, applicability and uncertainty (CSAU) evaluation approach for predicting the safety margin in case of a postulated large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA) in a pressurized-water reactor (PWR) was developed by AREVA. All expected LBLOCA phenomena are listed in the Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) and are prioritized according to their importance on the figure of merit, here the fuel rod peak cladding temperature (PCT). For the high-ranked phenomena parameters are identified, which allow a quantification of the analysis uncertainty. AREVA has updated the PIRT to the state of the art and extended it to the application to pressurized-water reactors with combined emergency core cooling injection of German-type PWRs. This paper describes how the uncertainty distributions, required for a statistical analysis, have been derived and presents the result of an exemplary statistical analysis for a German-type 4-loop plant com...
CPG-Controlled Frontal Biped Model for the Evaluation of Pathological Gait

Increased frontal-plane hip movement of the affected leg during the swing phase is a commonly observed gait adaptation in stroke patients. Recent evidence suggests that pathologically-induced torque coupling may contribute to asymmetric gait behaviors observed following stroke. This study proposes to use a CPG-controlled three-dimensional (3D) bipedal model to quantify the effects of abnormal torque coupling on frontal plane gait kinematics. Model dynamics have been evaluated using overground data collection observed under comparable in vivo experimental conditions. The CPG controller has demonstrated ability to provide sustained stable gait over an inclined surface in a simplified model. Preliminary results indicate that the proposed framework is feasible to control a 3D model for investigating the effects of torque coupling on the abnormal frontal plane kinematics of pathological gait.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Differential conditioning of electrodermal responses: effects of performing a masking task during the interstimulus and intertrial intervals.

Abstract Differential conditioning of electrodermal responses (EDRs) was assessed in three groups ( N = 29 each) which were assigned a probability learning procedure as a masking task. One group performed the task during the interstimulus interval, another during the intertriai interval, and a third during both intervals. A fourth group ( N = 15) did not perform the masking task. Consistent with the findings of Fuhrer and Baer (1969), inaccurate verbalizers in the group which performed the masking task during the interstimulus interval exhibited reliable differential conditioning of first interval EDRs during the late acquisition trials. Differential responding was not observed in the other groups of inaccurate verbalizers. Substantial conditioning effects were observed in all groups of accurate verbalizers. The results confirm that differential EDR conditioning can occur without awareness of the stimulus relations, but only when relatively restricted masking operations are used.
The role of perceived impact on relationship quality in pharmacists' willingness to influence indication-based off-label prescribing decisions.

Little is known about factors that affect pharmacists' roles in off-label prescribing. This study examined the effect of perceived impact on relationship quality (IRQ) on hospital pharmacists' willingness to influence a physician's decision regarding an indication-based off-label medication order (WTIP) (i.e., beyond FDA-approved indications) and the moderating roles of the appropriateness of the medication order and the relative expert power of the pharmacist. Pharmacists practicing in U.S. hospitals, recruited from membership rolls of state affiliates of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, were sent an electronic link to a questionnaire via their respective affiliates. A cross-sectional, randomized, 2 × 2 experimental design was used; participants were assigned to one of the indication-based off-label medication order scenarios. Relative expert power (i.e., power differential between the pharmacist and the physician) and appropriateness of the prescription were manipulated. Perceived IRQ was measured with multiple items. Pharmacists' WTIP in the scenario was the outcome variable. A total of 243 responses were included in multiple linear regression analyses. After controlling for dependence power, information power, communication effectiveness, perceived responsibility, and attitude, pharmacists' WTIP was negatively affected by perceived IRQ (estimate = -0.309, P < 0.05). This effect was more pronounced in groups exposed to the scenario where the pharmacist had lower relative expert power (estimate = -0.438, P < 0.05) and where the medication was less appropriate (estimate = -0.503, P < 0.05). Although willing to ensure rationality of off-label prescribing, pharmacists' WTIP was affected by a complex array of factors - the perceived impact of influence attempts on relationship quality between the pharmacist and the prescriber, the pharmacist's relative expert power, and the appropriateness of the off-label prescription. Increasing pharmacists' expert power and collaboration with physicians and promoting pharmacists' multifaceted contribution, collaborative or independent, to patient care may facilitate pharmacist services in off-label pharmaceutical care.
Modulation of the adherence of human lymphocytes to measles-infected cells by prostaglandin E1: a differential effect on lymphocyte subpopulations.

Abstract Prostaglandins of the E series (PGE) may serve as important regulators of human immune responsiveness. The present study was designed to examine the possibility that PGE may effect human lymphocyte function by the modulation of surface receptors. The presence of surface binding sites on human lymphocytes for measles virus antigens was studied using a rosette adherence assay. We observed that the addition of PGE 1 increased the proportion of measles-infected cells (Hela-Kll) with adherent lymphocytes (75% increase at 3 × 10 −6 M PGE 1 ). PGE was observed to enhance the adherence of purified normal peripheral T cells (87%) and T lymphoid cells (Molt 3) (27%). In contrast, no significant change in normal peripheral B cell or B lymphoid cell (Raji) adherence was observed with the addition of PGE. These results are consistent with a selective modulation of surface measles virus binding sites by PGE 1 on T and not B lymphoid cells.
Parenting Practices in Preschool Leading to Later Cognitive Competence: A Family Stress Model

Research Findings: This study investigates the effect of the early home environment on self-regulation in preschoolers, and how self-regulation relates to later school achievement, while taking into account family resources. Participants were part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Our model tested paths from family income and maternal depression through parenting to dyadic and child outcomes, including attachment, self-regulation, and child cognitive outcomes in the 1st grade. Findings indicated that family income and maternal depression had a substantial effect on parenting practices. Children whose parents did not display negative affect toward them during episodes of depression were more likely to maintain healthy attachment styles. Parenting, which was directly affected by family income, was the most important predictor of children's cognitive development. Practice or Policy: Regarding implications for practice, this rese...
Overexpression of glia maturation factor (GMF) in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells activates p38 MAP kinase, MAPKAP kinase-2, and tyrosine hydroxylase.

Abstract In order to study the intracellular regulatory function of glia maturation factor (GMF) in neuronal cells, we achieved a 10-fold overexpression of GMF in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 by infection with a replication-defective human adenovirus carrying a rat GMF cDNA insert. These cells showed a 3.6-fold increase in the activity of p38 MAP kinase, a 3.8-fold increase in the activity of MAPKAP-K2 (MAP kinase-activated protein kinase 2), and a 4.2-fold increase in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). We also detected an increase in the phosphorylation of TH and the 25-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp25) without a concomitant increase in their corresponding protein levels, suggesting a posttranslational modification. It was previously established that in PC12 cells, MAPKAP-K2 is an immediate target of p38, and both TH and Hsp25 are immediate targets of MAPKAP-K2. The current in vivo results are in concordance with our earlier in vitro finding that GMF promotes the activity of p38, and they implicate the participation of GMF in stress-induced catecholamine synthesis.
Effects of nucleus on leukocyte recovery.

The rheological properties of a leukocyte significantly affect its biological and mechanical characteristics. To date, existing physical models of leukocyte are not capable of quantitatively explaining the wide range of deformation and recovery behaviors observed in experiment. However, a compound drop model has gained some success. In the present work, we investigate the effect of nucleus size and position, and the relative rheological properties of cytoplasm and nucleus, on cell recovery dynamics. Two nucleus sizes corresponding to that of neutrophil and lymphocyte are considered. Direct comparison between numerical simulations and experimental observation is made. Results indicate that the time scale ratio between the nucleus and cytoplasm plays an important role in cell recovery characteristics. Comparable time scales between the two cell components yield favorable agreement in recovery rates between numerical and experimental observations; disparate time scales, on the other hand, result in recovery behavior and cell shapes inconsistent with experiments. Furthermore, it is found that the nucleus eccentricity exhibits minimum influence on all major aspects of the cell recovery characteristics. The present work offers additional evidence in support of the compound cell model for predicting the rheological behavior of leukocytes. © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Is Internalism About Knowledge Consistent with Content Externalism

There is widespread suspicion that there is a principled conflict between epistemic internalism and content externalism (or anti-individualism). Despite the prominence of this suspicion, it has rarely been substantiated by explicit arguments. However, Duncan Pritchard and Jesper Kallestrup have recently provided a prima facie argument concluding that internalism about knowledge and externalism about content are incompatible. I criticize the incompatibilist argument and conclude that the purported incompatibility is, at best, prima facie. This is, in part, because several steps in the argument are faulty and, in part, because there are promising responses available to the compatibilists.
A Note on the Resolution of Two Gaussian Peaks

Abstract We consider the utility of the usual definition of the resolution of two peaks in chromatography in terms of the height of the valley between the two peaks. We show that over a wide range of relative amounts and bandwidths, the separation requirement R = 1 is very conservative.
Essential opaque bubble layer elimination with novel LASIK flap settings in the FS200 Femtosecond Laser

®FS200 femtosecond laser as a result of a recent change in flap programming parameters aiming to reduce further the incidence and extent of OBL. Methods: Intraoperative digital images of flaps from 36 consecutive patients (72 eyes) subjected to bilateral femtosecond-assisted LASIK were analyzed using a proprietary computerized technique. The incidence and extent of OBL was measured and reported as a percentage of the entire flap area. Flap creation was performed with a 1.7 mm wide canal, implemented as an updated design intended to reduce the extent of OBL (group A). The same OBL parameters were investigated and compared in an age-matched and procedure-matched patients in whom the previous standard setting of a 1.3 mm wide canal was implemented (group B). Results: In group A, the average extent of OBL was 3.69% of the flap area (range 0%–11.34%). In group B, the respective values were 6.06% (range 0%–20.24%). We found the difference to be statistically significant (one-tailed P = 0.00452). Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a significant reduction in the incidence and extent of OBL when novel LASIK flap ventilation canal parameters of width and spot line separation are used.
Cell surface carbohydrates reveal heterogeneity in olfactory receptor cell axons in the mouse.

Cell surface carbohydrates, both in the olfactory system and elsewhere, have been proposed to play critical roles in axon guidance and targeting. Recent studies have used plant lectins to study the heterogeneous distribution of carbohydrates in the olfactory system. One lectin, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), heterogeneously labels subsets of glomeruli. In the olfactory epithelium DBA labeled a subset of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) including their cilia, dendrites, and somata. OSN axons were also labeled and readily observed in the olfactory nerve and bulb. The patterns of glomerular innervation by DBA labeled (DBA+) axons were diverse; some glomeruli contained many labeled axons, while others contained few or no labeled axons. To characterize the heterogeneous innervation of glomeruli, we double labeled olfactory bulbs with DBA and an antibody to olfactory marker protein (OMP). OMP colocalized in most, but not all, DBA+ axons. To determine if those axons that did not express OMP were immature, we double labeled olfactory bulbs with DBA and anti-GAP-43. GAP-43 rarely colocalized with DBA, suggesting that DBA+ axons are not, as a population, immature. Triple labeling with all three markers revealed a small subset of DBA+ axons which did not express either OMP or GAP-43. Electron microscopy established that DBA labels axons in the olfactory nerve and DBA-labeled axons form typical glomerular axodendritic synapses.
The stance of US monetary policy: an alternative measure

Knowing the stance of monetary policy is important for its successful implementation. Typically, observers look to the changes in the money supply and short-term interest rates to determine the stance of monetary policy. Sometimes, however, discerning the stance of monetary policy through these measures can be misleading. In this article, an alternative measure of the stance of US monetary policy is proposed and empirically examined, which appears to be a promising improvement over the standard metrics currently used.
CmapTools: Integrating Teaching, Learning, and Evaluation in Online Courses.

Concept maps are an instructional strategy that promotes meaningful learning. This chapter examines the use of concept maps in online environments through discussion of CmapTools software.
Mind and Network

A new conception of humans emerged and spread from the 1940s to the 1960s. It was linked to a cybernetic vision of man-computer symbiosis and to the conviction that communication was fundamental to the problem-solving process. This vision inspired an influential group of patrons and researchers to set a new agenda for computing.
High-Order Sequence Modeling for Language Learner Error Detection

We address the problem of detecting English language learner errors by using a discriminative high-order sequence model. Unlike most work in error-detection, this method is agnostic as to specific error types, thus potentially allowing for higher recall across different error types. The approach integrates features from many sources into the error-detection model, ranging from language model-based features to linguistic analysis features. Evaluation results on a large annotated corpus of learner writing indicate the feasibility of our approach on a realistic, noisy and inherently skewed set of data. High-order models consistently outperform low-order models in our experiments. Error analysis on the output shows that the calculation of precision on the test set represents a lower bound on the real system performance.
Siglec-9 transduces apoptotic and nonapoptotic death signals into neutrophils depending on the proinflammatory cytokine environment.

We report about new apoptotic and non-apoptotic death pathways in neutrophils that are initiated via the surface molecule sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin (Siglec)-9. In normal neutrophils, Siglec-9 ligation induced apoptosis. Inflammatory neutrophils obtained from patients with acute septic shock or rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated increased Siglec-9, but normal Fas receptor-mediated cytotoxic responses when compared with normal blood neutrophils. The increased Siglec-9-mediated death was mimicked in vitro by short-term preincubation of normal neutrophils with proinflammatory cytokines, such as granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-α (IFN-α), and IFN-γ, and was demonstrated to be caspase independent. Experiments using scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or neutrophils unable to generate ROS indicated that both Siglec-9-mediated caspase-dependent and caspase-independent forms of neutrophil death depend on ROS. Interestingly, the caspase-independent form of neutrophil death was characterized by cytoplasmic vacuolization and several other nonapoptotic morphologic features, which were also seen in neutrophils present in joint fluids from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Taken together, these data suggest that apoptotic (ROS- and caspase-dependent) and nonapoptotic (ROS-dependent) death pathways are initiated in neutrophils via Siglec-9. The new insights have important implications for the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory diseases such as sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis. (Blood. 2005;106:1423-1431)
Anticoagulants and acute kidney injury: clinical and pathology considerations

We have recently identified a new clinical syndrome in patients receiving warfarin for anticoagulation therapy. This syndrome has been named warfarin-related nephropathy (WRN), and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) appear to be particularly susceptible. WRN is defined as an acute increase in international normalized ratio (INR) to >3.0, followed by evidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) within 1 week of the INR increase. AKI was defined as a sustained increase in serum creatinine of greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/dL. The AKI cannot be explained by any other factors, and the kidney biopsy demonstrates extensive glomerular hemorrhage with tubular obstruction by red blood cells (RBCs). Beyond AKI, WRN is a significant risk factor for mortality within the first 2 months of diagnosis and it accelerates the progression of CKD. We demonstrated that 5/6 nephrectomy in rats is a suitable experimental model to study WRN. Animals treated with warfarin showed an increase in serum creatinine and morphologic findings in the kidney similar to those in humans with WRN. Our recent evidence suggests that novel oral anticoagulants may induce AKI. Diagnosis of WRN may be challenging for a renal pathologist. A few cases with suspected WRN and pathologic considerations are described.
Social Policy and the Achievement Gap What Do We Know? Where Should We Head?

Educational research and reforms tend to focus on what happens inside schools, despite research consistently indicating that nonschool factors contribute more to the large achievement gap between d...
A new approach to spline functions

Abstract Suppose that the values of the integral of the function y = y ( x ) are known on the end subintervals of the spline interval [ a , b ]. By employing these values, the required end conditions for the cubic and quintic interpolatory splines will be derived. The order of convergence of the interpolatory splines with these end conditions are O( h 4 ) for the cubic spline, and O( h 6 ) for the quintic spline.
Post–Bourgeois Tattoo: Reflections on Skin Writing in Late Capitalist Societies

This paper does three things. It describes the nature of tattooing from a historical and cross-cultural perspective. It argues that in the West tattooing has moved from the margins of society to the core of the middle class and it examines some of the politics and the economics of tattooing. Finally, the paper links the socio–cultural and economic aspects of tattooing with its symbolic and communicative functions. Throughout the paper, the question is raised of the relevance of a tattooing practice and aesthetic to the postmodern or postbourgeois anthropological and humanistic perspective.
Antibody profiling with protein antigen microarrays in early stage cancer

Introduction: Proteins not present in normal cells, that is, cancer cells, may elicit a host immune response that leads to the generation of antibodies that might react with these tumor-associated proteins. In recent years, a growing number of reports have showed that autoantibody profiling may provide an alternative approach for the detection of cancer. However, most studies of antigen-autoantibody reactivity have relied on recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins lack the proper post-translational modifications present in native proteins. Because of this limitation, native or natural protein antigen microarrays are gaining popularity for profiling antibody responses. Areas covered: i) To illustrate some examples of autoantibodies as signatures for early stage cancer; ii) to briefly outline the various protein antigen microarray platforms; iii) to illustrate the use of native or natural protein microarrays in the discovery of potential biomarkers and iv) to discuss the advantages of native protein anti...
Hypergraph independent sets

The study of extremal problems related to independent sets in hypergraphs is a problem that has generated much interest. There are a variety of types of independent sets in hypergraphs depending on the number of vertices from an independent set allowed in an edge. We say that a subset of vertices is j-independent if its intersection with any edge has size strictly less than j. The Kruskal-Katona theorem implies that in an r-uniform hypergraph with a fixed size and order, the hypergraph with the most r-independent sets is the lexicographic hypergraph. In this paper, we use a hypergraph regularity lemma, along with a technique developed by Loh, Pikhurko and Sudakov, to give an asymptotically best possible upper bound on the number of j-independent sets in an r-uniform hypergraph.
Frequency of Blood Glucose Monitoring in Relation to Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE — The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between blood glucose level, measured as HbA 1c, and frequency of self-monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes. Daily self-monitoring is believed to be important for patients treated with insulin or oral agents to detect asymptomatic hypoglycemia and to guide patient and provider behavior toward reaching blood glucose goals. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — A national sample of patients with type 2 diabetes was studied in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data on therapy for diabetes, frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose, and HbA 1c values were obtained by structured questionnaires and by clinical and laboratory assessments. RESULTS — According to the data, 29% of patients treated with insulin, 65% treated with oral agents, and 80% treated with diet alone had never monitored their blood glucose or monitored it less than once per month. Self-monitoring at least once per day was practiced by 39% of those taking insulin and 5‐ 6% of those treated with oral agents or diet alone. For all patients combined, the proportion of patients who tested their blood glucose increased with an increasing HbA 1c value. However, when examined by diabetes therapy category, there was little relationship between HbA1c value and the proportion testing at least once per day or the proportion testing at least once per week. CONCLUSIONS — In this cross-sectional study of patients with type 2 diabetes, the increase in frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose with increasing HbA 1c value was associated with the higher proportion of insulin-treated patients in higher HbA1c categories. Within diabetes therapy categories, the frequency of self-monitoring was not related to glycemic control, as measured by HbA1c level.
Effect of Exposure to Suicidal Behavior on Suicide Attempt in a High-Risk Sample of Offspring of Depressed Parents

Objective Exposure to suicidal behavior in peers and relatives is thought to increase risk for suicidal behavior in vulnerable individuals, possibly as a result of imitation or modeling. This study examines exposure to suicidal behavior and likelihood of suicide attempt in a high-risk cohort of offspring of a depressed parent. Method A total of 449 offspring of 255 probands with a mood disorder were enrolled in a family study. Probands and offspring were assessed for psychopathology and suicide attempt history, and offspring for suicide exposure. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) and generalized least squares models were used to compare suicide attempt history in exposed and nonexposed offspring as well as characteristics of exposure in exposed offspring suicide attempters and exposed nonattempters. GEE was used to compare exposure occurring before first attempt in attempter offspring and exposure occurring before the same age in matched nonattempter offspring. Results Offspring reporting exposure to suicidal behavior were four times more likely to report a lifetime suicide attempt compared with unexposed offspring, controlling for age. Suicide attempt status was not associated with age at first exposure, total number or degree (attempt or threat) of exposures, or relationship. Analysis of exposure occurring before age at first suicide attempt found no association between exposure and suicide attempt. Conclusions Offspring exposed to suicidal behavior are more likely to report a lifetime suicide attempt than nonexposed offspring. However, when examining the temporal sequence of exposure and attempt, the association is no longer significant, suggesting that imitation is not sufficient explanation.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CLIMATE: IMPLICATIONS FROM COGNITIVE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AND INTERACTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Underlying assumptions and rationale of psychological climate are addressed from the perspectives of cognitive social learning theory and interactional psychology. Major emphasis is placed on the implications of these theoretical models for psychological climate. It is suggested that psychological climate (a) reflects psychologically meaningful, cognitive representations of situations rather than automatic reflections of specific situational events; (b) is generally more important than the objective situation in the prediction of many salient individual dependent variables; (c) is predicated on developmental experience, and frequently involves conflicting orientations generated by the preservation of valued and familiar schemas, on one hand, and openness to change in the interest of achieving adaptive and functional person-environment fits, on the other; and (d) is related reciprocally to memory, affect, and behavior in a causal model which predicts a reciprocal causation between perception and affect, and between individuals and environments. The suggestions above are employed to provide recommendations for future research.
Prediction of performance degradation in telecommunication networks using Joint Clustering and association analysis techniques

One of the significant problems that high-tech companies are facing is the management and monitoring of networks in order to provide better and more reliable services for their customers. This paper introduces a new approach for the prediction of network failure and performance degradation using Joint Clustering and Association Analysis approach (JCAA). JCAA differs from existing prediction techniques in terms of exploiting the clustering and association analysis techniques in order to improve the quality of prediction. The role of clustering is to classify the input data into groups of k-means clusters, while the association analysis technique discovers the causal relationships between the groups. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system is truly effective in enhancing the quality of prediction.
SEA-BOTTOM MORPHOLOGY SUGGESTIVE OF POST-PLEISTOCENE TECTONIC ACTIVITY OF THE EASTERN GREATER ANTILLES

Bathymetric and continuous seismic-profiler (“sparker”) observations show that a presumably Pleistocene erosion surface in the Greater Antilles has been deformed by post-Pleistocene faulting, some of which must be very recent. A maximum average rate of 5 mm/year for post-Pleistocene uplift is estimated.
Semiparametric Bayesian analysis of case-control data under conditional gene-environment independence

Summary. In case–control studies of gene-environment association with disease, when genetic and environmental exposures can be assumed to be independent in the underlying population, one may exploit the independence in order to derive more efficient estimation techniques than the traditional logistic regression analysis (Chatterjee andCarroll, 2005, Biometrika 92, 399–418). However, covariates that stratify the population, such as age, ethnicity and alike, could potentially lead to nonindependence. In this article, we provide a novel semiparametric Bayesian approach to model stratification effects under the assumption of gene-environment independence in the control population. We illustrate the methods by applying them to data from a population-based case–control study on ovarian cancer conducted in Israel. A simulation study is conducted to compare our method with other popular choices. The results reflect that the semiparametric Bayesian model allows incorporation of key scientific evidence in the form of a prior and offers a flexible, robust alternative when standard parametric model assumptions do not hold.
A study of dielectric relaxation in aluminosilicate-filled low-density polyethylene

Space charge formation in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with zeolites and clays has been investigated by the thermally stimulated current method. The presence of fillers affects the dielectric properties due to additional dielectric relaxation phenomena, which depend on the structure of the inorganic filler. Pores or cages existing in the zeolite frame enable their compensated ions to move away from their neutral position under electric field to form dipoles of very low activation energy and high attempt-to-escape frequency. The activation energy is related to the pore sizes of zeolites. However, kaolin-based clay which has movable cations on its surfaces form an interfacial dipole between the LDPE and clay. A 'Maxwell-Wagner' interfacial relaxation behavior was observed in the clay-filled LDPE system. The activation energy of interfacial relaxation of the clay-filled LDPE system is higher than that of dipole relaxation of the zeolite-filled LDPE. >
Hybrid Composites Based on Carbon Fiber/Carbon Nanofilament Reinforcement

Carbon nanofilament and nanotubes (CNTs) have shown promise for enhancing the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites (FRPs) and imparting multi-functionalities to them. While direct mixing of carbon nanofilaments with the polymer matrix in FRPs has several drawbacks, a high volume of uniform nanofilaments can be directly grown on fiber surfaces prior to composite fabrication. This study demonstrates the ability to create carbon nanofilaments on the surface of carbon fibers employing a synthesis method, graphitic structures by design (GSD), in which carbon structures are grown from fuel mixtures using nickel particles as the catalyst. The synthesis technique is proven feasible to grow nanofilament structures-from ethylene mixtures at 550 °C-on commercial polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers. Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy were employed to characterize the surface-grown carbon species. For comparison purposes, a catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique was also utilized to grow multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs) on carbon fiber yarns. The mechanical characterization showed that composites using the GSD-grown carbon nanofilaments outperform those using the CCVD-grown CNTs in terms of stiffness and tensile strength. The results suggest that further optimization of the GSD growth time, patterning and thermal shield coating of the carbon fibers is required to fully materialize the potential benefits of the GSD technique.
Baby Doe Rules: In Reply

ARTICLEIn Reply.— Thank you for this opportunity to clarify further why I believe that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) should continue to advance individualized and compassionate decision-making for all children by promoting the best-interest standard and acknowledging the dangers of the so-called Baby Doe rules. They apply only to infants under 1 year of age and are found in the federal requirements for states that seek funds under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.1 Requiring maximal treatment unless the infant is comatose or dying, these regulations were viewed immediately by neonatologists and other pediatricians as seeking to alter standards of care and as giving too little weight to infants' pain and suffering, parental consent, or clinical judgment.2,3 They single out infants for treatments that restrict the sort of choices adults want for themselves and that are recommended by the AAP.4–7 Unlike the Baby Doe rules, the best-interests standard permits families and physicians some latitude regarding what ought to be done even if the person is neither comatose nor dying. For example, some families (with the advice of clinicians) may choose comfort care for their incompetent and imperiled relatives, whereas others pursue every vanishingly small chance for survival. Joint decisions by families and clinicians about what is best for incompetent or incapacitated …
Extended finite element method on polygonal and quadtree meshes

In this paper, we present mesh-independent modeling of discontinuous flelds on polygonal and quadtree flnite element meshes. This approach falls within the class of extended and generalized flnite element methods, where the partition of unity framework is used to introduce additional (enrichment) functions within the classical displacement-based flnite element approximation. For crack modeling, a discontinuous function and the two-dimensional asymptotic crack-tip flelds are used as enrichment functions. Linearly complete partition of unity approximations are adopted on polygonal (convex and nonconvex elements) and quadtree meshes. Excellent agreement with reference solution results is obtained for mixed-mode stress intensity factors on benchmark crack problems, and crack growth simulations without remeshing are conducted on polygonal and quadtree meshes to reveal the potential of the proposed techniques in computational failure mechanics.
Ethical implications of values embedded in computational models: An exploratory study

This NSF-funded research study examines the role of social, cultural, and moral values in computational modeling. This project emerges at the intersection of the process of modeling and the ethics of modeling. Three hypotheses were used to guide the research: 1) that values are embedded in computational models; 2) that the ethical frameworks of the organization and the profession influence what values are embedded during the modeling process; and 3) that the success or failure of a model as a product is influenced by the values that are embedded during the modeling process. To test these hypotheses, the researchers employed a multi-method approach to data collection and analysis, including surveys, interviews, and participant observation. After a preliminary analysis of the data, the data provide support for all three hypotheses. This study aims to contribute to the literature on the ethics of modeling by providing an in-depth case study of the ethics and values of computational modeling. This study also makes important societal contributions, such as to improve the practice of computational modeling by demonstrating to modelers how values are embedded in the models that they produce and the ethical implications of these embedded values.
The Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Climate through Its Influence on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

AbstractThe impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and large-scale climate is assessed using simulations with three different climate models. Perturbation experiments are conducted in which a pattern of anomalous heat flux corresponding to the NAO is added to the model ocean. Differences between the perturbation experiments and a control illustrate how the model ocean and climate system respond to the NAO. A positive phase of the NAO strengthens the AMOC by extracting heat from the subpolar gyre, thereby increasing deep-water formation, horizontal density gradients, and the AMOC. The flux forcings have the spatial structure of the observed NAO, but the amplitude of the forcing varies in time with distinct periods varying from 2 to 100 yr. The response of the AMOC to NAO variations is small at short time scales but increases up to the dominant time scale of internal AMOC variability (20–30 yr for the models used). The amplitude of the AMOC r...
Manly transformation in finite mixture modeling

Abstract Finite mixture modeling is one of the most rapidly developing areas of statistics due to its modeling flexibility and appealing interpretability. Gaussian mixture models have been popular among researchers for decades proving their usefulness in various applications. However, when Gaussian mixture components do not provide an adequate fit for the data, more general models must be considered. Traditional remedies for deviation from normality include employing a more appropriate distribution as well as transforming data to near-normality. Merging both approaches by introducing a mixture model with components derived from the multivariate Manly transformation is proposed. Such mixture models show good performance in modeling skewness and have excellent interpretability. Forward and backward model selection algorithms are proposed to choose an appropriate multivariate transformation. At each step of these algorithms, a model with the specific combination of skewness parameters is estimated by means of the expectation–maximization algorithm. The developed technique is carefully illustrated on synthetic data and applied to several well-known datasets, with promising results.
Organization of The Interphotoreceptor Matrix

The distribution of hyaluronan (HA) in the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) was evaluated in human tissues using a specific probe for HA (bHABC, biotinylated hyaluronan binding complex). In tissue sections, bHABC heavily decorates HA in the matrix surrounding rods and shows lighter binding to the cone associated matrix. Both HA and the glycoprotein SPACR are present in insoluble IPM isolates removed from unfixed retinas with distilled water treatment. To determine whether SPACR associates with HA, precipitation experiments were performed using the detergent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), in conjunction with hyaluronidase digestions. SPACR is present in the CPC pellet when an undigested IPM sample is precipitated, but is not present in the CPC pellet when the IPM is first digested with Streptomyces hyaluronidase. These results indicate that SPACR binds to HA, and implicates HA as the primary scaffold onto which IPM molecules form associative interactions in the IPM.
Seawater-derived rare earth element addition to abyssal peridotites during serpentinization

Abstract Serpentinized abyssal peridotites are evidence for active communication between the Earth's hydrosphere and the upper mantle, where exchange and retention of both major and trace elements occur. Bulk rock Nd isotopes in serpentinized abyssal peridotites imply interaction of seawater with the peridotite. In contrast, the Nd isotopes of clinopyroxenes from serpentinized abyssal peridotites retain their primary magmatic signature. It is currently unclear if, how and where seawater-derived Nd and other REE are being added or exchanged with the mantle peridotite minerals during serpentinization. To remedy this knowledge gap, we present in situ trace and major element concentrations, bulk rock and sequential leaching experiment trace element concentrations as well as Nd, Sr isotope data on refertilized and depleted serpentinized abyssal peridotites from the Southwest Indian Ridge. The secondary serpentine matrix and magnetite veins in these peridotites have elevated LREE concentrations, with variable negative Ce anomalies and large Rb, Sr, Pb and U enrichments that resemble seawater trace element patterns. The LREE concentrations in the serpentine phase are higher than those expected for the primary mantle mineralogy (olivine, orthopyroxene) based on data from relic clinopyroxenes and equilibrium partition coefficients. These data are consistent with seawater-derived REE addition to the peridotite during serpentinization. The bulk rocks have more radiogenic Sr and more unradiogenic Nd isotopes than their clinopyroxene (up to 8 eNd units lower than clinopyroxene). Sequential leaching experiments designed to mobilize secondary carbonates and Fe-oxides show even more unradiogenic Nd isotope ratios in the leachates than the bulk rock and clinopyroxene, approaching seawater compositions (up to 15 eNd units lower than clinopyroxene). Mass balance calculations using trace elements or Nd isotopes suggest that up to 30% of the bulk peridotite Nd budget is of seawater origin and was added to the peridotite, as opposed to being exchanged. These data allows for more accurate constraints of the water/rock mass exchange ratios during serpentinization in these rocks (~ 1000 to 17,000) that are at least an order of magnitude lower than using typical mantle and seawater endmembers. These data provide strong evidence that serpentinization may also be a sink for the light REE, with implications for the refertilization of the peridotite during serpentinization, and the cycling of these elements through the subduction system and into the upper mantle.
Joint Distributions: Continuous

In Lesson 4, Part II, we saw traditional examples of continuous CDFs for one real valued random variable restricted to those cases for which the CDF was the Riemann integral of its PDF. Extending this fundamental theorem of integral calculus to Lebesgue integration involves a long array of details which we leave to such texts. The following is a summary for R; recall that in R, Lebesgue measure A is generated from the lengths of intervals: A(a,b] = b − a, etc.