cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprendre la monarchie marocaine

The study of Morocco, both scholarly and popular, has long been caught in the ideological crosshairs between regime critics and acolytes. As one of the world's few remaining absolute monarchies, Mo...
New Clues to Human Longevity

What is the key to a long lifespan? A number of prior and ongoing projects have intensely studied centenarians (>100 years old) and supercentenarians (>110 years old) with hopes of unlocking genetic and/or biochemical secrets as to why a subset of humans live an exceptionally long and disease-free life (1, 2). This is a highly challenging area of study in humans, given their long average lifetimes relative to the animal kingdom and the significant environmental variability that individuals experience over the course of these lifetimes. One pathway of keen interest …
Information Space Gets Normal.

Experiments are presented based on unofficial results for TREC-7. Eigensystems analysis of a term cooccurrence matrix is compared to eigensystems analysis of a term correlation matrix. For each matrix type, the effect of term weighting and document length normalization is assessed. Recall-precision curves and other TREC statistics indicate that the use of the correlation matrix improves performance regardless of what term weighting or document length normalization is used.
Thermomechanical fatigue damage mechanism maps for metal matrix composites

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) damage mechanism and life maps are generated for unidirectional SCS-6/Timetal 21S undergoing repeated uniaxial loadings oriented along the fiber direction. The maps show the constant life contours as well as the dominant damage mechanisms as a function of maximum cyclic temperature and maximum applied cyclic stress. The maps are constructed using models that describe the individual damage mechanisms. Presently, the damage models include time, temperature, and stress-temperature phasing dependencies but are limited to repeated uniaxial loadings with constant amplitudes and positive stress ratios. Both in-phase and out-of-phase TMF maps are constructed with maximum cyclic temperatures ranging from 300° to 900°C and maximum applied cyclic stresses ranging from 0 to 2000 MPa. The temperature range, stress ratio, and cycle period (500°C, 0.1, 3 min., respectively) are held constant. In addition, maps are generated for isothermal fatigue using the same stress ratio and cycle period. The maps are useful for giving the overall picture of the TMF behavior over a wide range of stress and temperature combinations. The connection between TMF and isothermal fatigue is illustrated.
Control of polymer blends morphology during compounding

Formation of blend's morphology during compounding in a twin screw extruder is of growing interest. A new, theoretical model describing changes of morphology during extruder compounding, a quenching barrel section for a twin-screw extruder, and a correlation between the model predictions and experimental data is presented. In this first generation model, only low concentration of the dispersed phase, simple shear flow and absence of coalescence were assumed. The quenching barrel permitted collection of blend specimens for the morphological analysis from any position along the extruder. When blending PS with HDPE, and vice versa, it was observed that the viscosity ratio, blend composition, screw configuration, temperature, throughput, and screw speed influenced the morphology. The data showed a good agreement with the model predictions, with exception of the last part of the extruder, where, the drop size, d ≈ 1 μm, remained nearly constant while the model predicted a further decrease. The difference was caused by omission of the coalescence effect in the preliminary model.
Abstract IA15: Neighborhood factors and changes in mammography screening rates in response to promotora intervention in Latinas

Latinas have relatively low rates of mammography screening participation, which may contribute to later stage of breast cancer at diagnosis for Latinas, and also higher mortality rates following cancer diagnosis. We conducted a multilevel intervention study (iFortaleza Latina!) to increase breast cancer screening among Latinas in Western Washington who seek care at a safety net health center. We were also interested in discovering if and how neighborhood factors may be associated with Latinas9 barriers to or uptake of cancer screening, including mammography. We examined neighborhood racial/ethnic composition and socioeconomic status in relation to these factors. The study enrolled 536 Latinas ages 42 to 74 who had a primary care clinic visit in the previous 5 years and had not obtained a mammogram in the previous 2 years. Participants were block randomized within clinic to either (i) a control arm (usual care) or (ii) a promotora-led, motivational interviewing intervention that included a home visit and telephone follow-up. At the clinic level, two of four participating clinics were provided additional mammography services delivered by a mobile mammography unit. Barriers to obtaining mammography were categorized into knowledge, psychocultural, and economic. American Community Survey (2007-2011) data were used to calculate four neighborhood measures: socioeconomic-based concentration, socioeconomic-based segregation, Latino-based concentration, and Latino-based segregation. Rates of screening mammography one year post-randomization were 19.6% in the intervention group and 11.0% in the usual care group (P In conclusion, the multilevel intervention of promotora-delivered motivational interviewing and free mammography services modestly raised rates of participation in breast cancer screening among Latinas. Future research might examine the mediating role of neighborhood characteristics in the efficacy of mammography screening interventions. Citation Format: Shirley A.A. Beresford, Yamile Molina, Jesse J. Plascak, Donald L. Patrick, Gloria D. Coronado. Neighborhood factors and changes in mammography screening rates in response to promotora intervention in Latinas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr IA15.
Seed Dispersal in Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) by Squirrels (Sciurus spp.)

The Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) is considered anachronistic because it has no known seed disperser. However, anecdotal observations suggest squirrels (Sciurus spp.) may act as dispersers as they move fruits away from parent plants and through the prolonged handling time required to access the seeds. Our aim was to determine if squirrels potentially disperse Osage orange seeds in this manner by presenting Osage orange seeds and fruits in the presence and absence of sunflower seeds (whole and shelled), which squirrels are known to consume readily. We found, although squirrels preferred sunflower seeds, they readily consumed the Osage orange seeds and moved the fruits when multiple food sources were available. However, when fruits were presented alone, we found a small number of fruits were moved and these were moved only a short distance. Our results suggest that while squirrels occasionally show interest in Osage orange fruits, they do not typically disperse M. pomifera seeds via fruit handling. We therefore conclude anecdotal observations of squirrels feeding on seeds represent uncommon events, supporting the hypothesis that M. pomifera is anachronistic.
Learning from code with graphs (keynote)

Learning from large corpora of source code ("Big Code") has seen increasing interest over the past few years. A first wave of work has focused on leveraging off-the-shelf methods from other machine learning fields such as natural language processing. While these techniques have succeeded in showing the feasibility of learning from code, and led to some initial practical solutions, they forego explicit use of known program semantics. In a range of recent work, we have tried to solve this issue by integrating deep learning techniques with program analysis methods in graphs. Graphs are a convenient, general formalism to model entities and their relationships, and are seeing increasing interest from machine learning researchers as well. In this talk, I present two applications of graph-based learning to understanding and generating programs and discuss a range of future work building on the success of this work.
The Evolution of Punitive Damages in Product Liability Litigation for Unprincipled Marketing Behavior

Punitive damages claims have increased substantially in the 1980s for both manufacturing and marketing practices, resulting in several well-publicized awards to injured consumers. In this article t...
Emergency department presentation of ‘delusional parasitosis by proxy’. Delusional parent, injured child

We report a case of 'delusional parasitosis by proxy'. A sixyear old child was brought to the emergency department by a mother with concerns that her son had a skin and scalp infestation. Despite the absence of any clinical findings being found on exam, the mother remained disproportionately concerned. Follow up care was recommended with the child's primary care. The mother returned to the ED with her child three weeks later with concerns that her son had an inflamed scalp and eyes. The mother remained insistent that the child was infested with bugs and she had sought care at two other locations where the child was prescribed permethrin on both visits. She had been applying the medication repeatedly. On exam the boy's scalp had been shaved and was erythematous and irritated; his eyebrows and eyelashes had also been shaved off and likely contributed to an irritant conjunctivitis from repeated applications of topical permethrin lotion. No evidence of infestation was identified. We recruited the assistance of the maternal grandparents, child protective services and primary care pediatrics and the child was removed from the mother's custody and placed into the custody of the grandparents. Six weeks later with basic skin care and erythromycin ophthalmic ointment for the eyes, the child's hair, eyebrows and eyelashes grew had grown in, and the scalp irritation had resolved. The mother had sought and received psychiatric care and was improving.
Update on acetylsalicylic acid for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Not initiating is not the same thing as discontinuing.

It has been almost 4 years since I addressed questions in this journal about the use of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.[1][1] We have long awaited the results of 4 studies to help shed light on and assist with reliably deciding whether to use ASA in
The Cauxin-femme binary: Femme performativity as a response to violence in Guyana.

The Caribbean region has a long history of violence and conflict due to colonization and contemporary neocolonial policies and structures. The region’s political, economic, and social climate is ov...
Performance of Resource-Constrained Scheduling Heuristics

AbstractOver the years, the study of resource-constrained scheduling heuristics has focused on testing different sets of priority rules without paying attention to the conditions under which each h...
Post-triumphalist Geopolitics

This article examines a dominant vision in contemporary geopolitics, in which the world is imagined as divided between liberal and illiberal political systems, clustering around the two conceptual nodes of “democracy” and “authoritarianism”. It considers how these conceptual nodes are imagined, mapped, and brought to life through writing, policies, and institutions related to democracy promotion. Instead of focusing on the definition of these concepts, this essay scrutinizes the ideological underpinnings of efforts to define “authoritarianism” and “democracy”, and shows how these definitional debates themselves produce geopolitical imaginaries that facilitate certain kinds of intervention in an era of “post-triumphalist geopolitics”.
Properties of Few-Electron Bubbles in Superfluid Helium-4

We present calculations of the properties of bubbles in liquid helium-4 containing 3 or 8 electrons. The pressure range in which these bubbles are stable is determined. For Z =3, we find that the bubbles are unstable except in a pressure range between − 0.78 and − 0.90 bars. For Z = 8, the bubbles are stable provided the pressure is in the range from zero to – 0.42 bars. At the upper end of the pressure range, the bubbles break into smaller bubbles each containing a fraction of the electrons; at the lower end the bubbles become unstable against unlimited expansion.
A Sea Change for Climate Refugees in the South Pacific: How Social Media – Not Journalism – Tells Their Real Story

The passing of the Paris Climate Agreement means that journalism must begin to portray the problem of climate change accurately. This study, which contributes to the literature on environmental com...
Regional Chemotherapy Infusion Via the Hepatic Artery

The rationale for intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy is fairly simple: The first pass of the drug in high concentration occurs through the capillary network of the tumor before mixing with the circulating blood volume. An obvious requirement for the use of intra-arterial chemotherapy is that the tumor bulk is concentrated in an area supplied preferably by a single identifiable artery, though regional chemotherapy can also be applied without major difficulty if the tumor is supplied by two arteries.
Repertoires of Terror: News Media Classification of Militant Groups, 1970 to 2013:

The authors examine how print news media classify militant groups as terrorist. Drawing on a relational view of news media and contentious politics, the authors develop a theory of repertoires of c...
Equating and Assigning Targets in the Adapted Alternating Treatments Design: Review of Special Education Journals:

The current review examined the prevalence of the adapted alternating treatments design (AATD) across 22 special education journals and methods to equate and assign target sets to experimental cond...
Cover crop enzyme activities and resultant soil ammonium concentrations under different tillage systems

Abstract Increased interest in managing agroecosystems for soil health has led to adoption of conservation management practices such as cover cropping and no-tillage. There is a dearth of knowledge surrounding cover crop residue N cycling and release, impacting subsequent N availability for the cash crop after cover crop termination. The microbial degradation of plant material and subsequent nutrient release is mediated by extracellular enzymes. This study used litter bag methodology to investigate the enzyme activities of three cover crop residues (cereal rye (CR) (Secale cereale L.), hairy vetch (HV) (Vicia villosa Roth), and a CR/HV mixture) in two tillage systems (no-tillage and reduced tillage) during the cover crop decomposition period in a corn (Zea mays L.) agroecosystem. The dynamics and amounts of β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) and urease (EC 3.5.1.5) enzyme activities on cover crop residue were quantified to determine if enzyme activities or stoichiometry are dependent on litter quality or can indicate N cycling potential. Results revealed that cover crop and tillage significantly impacted urease and β-glucosidase residue enzyme activity dynamics and amounts (p
Reproductive Issues, Including Menopause

Scientific and clinical knowledge about the psychology of female reproduction has expanded rapidly over the past 15 years. Not only is there more research on the psychology of menstruation, pregnancy, birth, and menopause, it is better: more grounded in empirical data and more reflective of the complexity of the phenomena.1
Critical Evaluation of the Composition and Use of Topical Fluorides

This report reviews the current status of various topical fluoride systems commonly used for caries prevention; these systems include professional fluoride applications, prophylaxis pastes, varnishes, rinses, gels, and dentifrices. Although the cariostatic benefits of professional applications are well-established from early studies, the magnitude of benefit relative to other preventive measures needs to be re-assessed under current conditions. Significant cariostatic benefits from fluoride prophylaxis pastes remain to be established, as does the relative efficacy of fluoride varnishes in comparison with other fluoride measures. The established cariostatic activity of fluoride rinses with supervised usage needs confirmation under normal home usage conditions. There is inadequate evidence to justify either increasing or decreasing the concentration of fluoride in conventional dentifrices whose efficacy is well-established. Based on limited clinical data and supportive laboratory data, fluoride appears to be effective for preventing root-surface caries.
Circumstellar PAHs and Carbon Stardust

The SWS on ISO has revealed the incredible richness of IR emission features in the spectra of post-AGB objects and planetary nebulae. Besides the well known features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 µm a wealth of weaker features is present as well. These studies also reveal detailed variations from source to source, which may be of key importance in the molecular identification process. The emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon molecules and carbon dust are contrasted with an emphasis on the expected temperature and the feature-to-continuum ratio.
Uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase. IV. Crystallization and properties of the enzyme from human liver.

Abstract A purification and crystallization procedure has been developed for uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase from human liver. The 500-fold purified enzyme was found to be almost homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sedimentation velocity. The crystalline enzyme has an absolute requirement for divalent cations. Magnesium at 3.0 mm and manganese at 1.0 mm gave about equal and maximum activation while cobalt at 1.0 mm resulted in 40% activation of the pyrophosphorylase. The pH optimum is broad, ranging between 7.6 and 9.2. In the direction of uridine diphosphate glucose synthesis, the equilibrium constant is 0.15. The apparent Michaelis constants from Lineweaver-Burk plots for uridine diphosphate glucose, glucose 1-phosphate, and uridine triphosphate are 5.0 x 10-5, 9.5 x 10-5, and 4.8 x 10-5 m, respectively. With the pyrophosphorylase, sigmoidal kinetics was observed when the reaction was initiated with inorganic pyrophosphate. The slope of the Hill plot decreased from 2.5 to 1.5 when the enzyme was previously incubated in 2 mm inorganic pyrophosphate for 5 min. The apparent Km for inorganic pyrophosphate was estimated to be 2.1 to 2.6 x 10-4 m. Uridine diphosphate is a competitive inhibitor of uridine diphosphate glucose. The enzyme was not specific for either nucleoside or the hexose component of the nucleoside diphosphate hexose. At nonlimiting substrate concentrations, the activity ratio of the pyrophosphorylase with uridine diphosphate glucose and uridine diphosphate galactose as substrates remained constant throughout the purification and crystallization procedures. Thus, human liver does not appear to contain a separate uridine diphosphate galactose pyrophosphorylase.
Behavior and Ecology of Four Syntopic Species of Finches in Mexico

The territorial and vocal behavior of the Collared Towhee, Rufous-sided Towhee, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, and Rufous-capped Brushfinch were studied on Cerro San Felipe in Oaxaca, Mexico. Birds were mist-netted and individually color-marked, and their activities monitored for six weeks during the breeding season. Vocalizations were tape-recorded and analyzed by sound spectrograph. Contrary to previous work, we found no evidence of interspecific territoriality or character convergence in these species. Zusammenfassung Revierverhalten von 4 Finkenarten Mexikos wurde bei Oaxaca unter-sucht. Entgegen fruheren Angaben uberlappen die Reviere von Pipilo ocai mit denen von P. erytbrophthalmus, Atlapetes brunneinucha und A. pileatus, ohne Anzeichen zwischenartlicher Revierabgrenzung. Alle 4 Arten unterscheiden sich in Korpergrose, Schnabelgrose und -form, und in der Nahrungssuche. P. ocai, der grose der vier, mit schwerem, konischem Schnabel, sucht (wie auch P. erytbrophthalmus) mit beiden Fusen in der Bodenstreu scharrend nach Nahrung. Die erstere Art sucht meist in dichterem Gestrupp als die zweite. Die beiden anderen Arten haben schlankere Schnabel; A. brunneinucha wirft mit dem Schnabel Bodenmaterial beiseite; A. pileatus sucht Blatter ab. Die Gesange aller Arten sind deutlich verschieden. Die Strophen von P. ocai sind lauter und variabler als die von P. erytbrophthalmus und aahneln denen von A. pileatus, der aber schneller singt. A. brunneinucha. singt vollig anders als diese drei. Auf vorgespielte nicht-arteigene Gesange reagieren sie alle nicht. Die vier Arten scheinen in Korperbau und Verhalten hinreichend verschieden voneinander, so das zwischenartliche Konkurrenz und andere Interaktionen kaum eine Rolle spielen.
Bench-to-bedside review: Distal airways in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Distal airways are less than 2 mm in diameter, comprising a relatively large cross-sectional area that allows for slower, laminar airflow. The airways include both membranous bronchioles and gas exchange ducts, and have been referred to in the past as the 'quiet zone', in part because these structures were felt to contribute little to lung mechanics and in part because they were difficult to study directly. More recent data suggest that distal airway dysfunction plays a significant role in acute respiratory distress syndrome. In addition, injurious mechanical ventilation strategies may contribute to distal airway dysfunction. The presence of elevated airway resistance, intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure or a lower inflection point on a pressure–volume curve of the respiratory system may indicate the presence of impaired distal airway function. There are no proven specific treatments for distal airway dysfunction, and protective ventilation strategies to minimize distal airway injury may be the best therapeutic approach at this time.
THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULATURE IN INJURIES TO THE MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT

With a knee-testing device we measured the valgus stiffness of the medial musculoligamentous complex of the knee in five volunteers. Tests were done with the muscles quiescent and with contraction of the sartorius and vastus medialis. Contraction of those muscles substantially increased the valgus stiffness. In eight subjects the voluntary reaction times were measured. With either a visual or a tactile impulse for prophylactic muscle contraction, the muscles acted too slowly to augment the stiffness of the knee so as to prevent injury. In fifty-one volunteers we applied the maximum torque to the leg, just short of eliciting pain, and showed that even then the muscle contraction would occur too late to protect the knee in typical sports situations.
Generation of nitric oxide and possibly nitroxyl by nitrosation of sulfohydroxamic acids and hydroxamic acids.

Diazeniumdiolates (NONOates) and sulfohydroxamic acids are chemical entities that spontaneously generate nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO), respectively, at physiological pH and temperature. By combining the functional aspects of the NONOates with the hydroxamic acids and sulfohydroxamic acids, hybrid NONOate-type compounds that could theoretically generate nitroxyl or nitric oxide can be rationalized. Although the instability of these compounds, viz., the N-nitrosohydroxamic acids and the N-nitrososulfohydroxamic acids, precluded their chemical characterization by actual isolation, their transient existence was deduced by identification of the products of their decomposition. Thus, treatment of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) with limiting or excess nitrous acid (from NaNO(2) and H(3)PO(4)) gave rise to quantitative generation of N(2)O, possibly via HNO, based on the limiting reactant. Nitrosation of N-t-butyloxycarbonyl hydroxylamine gave similar results. The organic acid produced from BHA was identified as benzoic acid. No nitric oxide was detected from these reactions. In contrast, treatment of Piloty's acid (benzenesulfohydroxamic acid) and methanesulfohydroxamic acid (MSHA) with nitrous acid under the same conditions as above gave 36% of the theoretical quantity of NO from Piloty's acid and 47% of NO from MSHA, although finite quantities of HNO (measured as N(2)O) were also formed. The organic acid produced from Piloty's acid was identified by reverse-phase HPLC as the redox product, benzenesulfinic acid.
Optimization of orthonormal wavelet decomposition: implication of data accuracy, feature preservation, and compression effects

A neural network based framework has been developed to search for an optimal wavelet kernel that is most suitable for a specific image processing task. In this paper, we demonstrate that only the low-pass filter, hu, is needed for orthonormal wavelet decomposition. A convolution neural network can be trained to obtain a wavelet that minimizes errors and maximizes compression efficiency for an image or a defined image pattern such as microcalcifications on mammograms. We have used this method to evaluate the performance of tap-4 orthonormal wavelets on mammograms, CTs, MRIs, and Lena image. We found that Daubechies' wavelet (or those wavelets possessing similar filtering characteristics) produces satisfactory compression efficiency with the smallest error using a global measure (e.g., mean- square-error). However, we found that Harr's wavelet produces the best results on sharp edges and low-noise smooth areas. We also found that a special wavelet, whose low-pass filter coefficients are (0.32252136, 0.85258927, 0.38458542, -0.14548269), can greatly preserve the microcalcification features such as signal-to-noise ratio during a course of compression. Several interesting wavelet filters (i.e., the g filters) were reviewed and explanations of the results are provided. We believe that this newly developed optimization method can be generalized to other image analysis applications where a wavelet decomposition is employed.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Abortion: models of responsibility.

My focus within the topic of abortion is on several models that are used to support the position that a woman has a responsibility to sustain the fetus she carries because she brought about its existence. I consider the following models: a creator, strict liability, fault, and a contract. Although each of these models has been used by opponents of abortion to support the position that women should “accept the consequences” of engaging in sexual intercourse, I argue that none of the models is adequate.
Energetic radiation associated with lightning stepped-leaders

With the use of a NaI scintillation detector, bursts of radiation with energies in excess of 1 MeV were recorded at a mountain-top observatory immediately before three, nearby cloud-to-ground, negative lightning strikes. Coincident recordings of the electric field changes due to the discharges showed that, in each case, the bursts began between 1 and 2 milliseconds before and continued until the onset of the first return stroke. This radiation was associated with approaching stepped-leaders and may have influenced their development.
Scheduling of parallel processors: A posterior bound on LPT sequencing and a two-step algorithm

This article considers the problem of scheduling parallel processors to minimize the makespan. The article makes two key contributions: (1) It develops a new lower bound on the makespan for an optimal schedule, and (2) it proposes an efficient two-step algorithm to find schedules of any desired accuracy, or percent above optimal. In addition, a posterior bound on LPT (longest processing time) sequencing is developed in the article. It is proved that this bound dominates the previously reported bounds on LPT sequencing.
Effects of temperature on the binding of acid and basic dyes, including reference to metachromasy

With a number of anionic dyes, a positive temperature effect occurs in the staining of tissues, whereas with a number of cationic dyes, a negative temperature effect occurs. The positive effect involves increased dye binding at 450 as compared to 50; the negative effect involves decreased dye binding at the higher temperature. To obtain these effects, dye concentration must be low and staining must be continued to equilibrium, i. e., for about 24 hours. These facts suggest that the temperature effects may depend in part on the degree of ionization of tissue components and also on competition between tissue components and dye for chromotrope.
Analysis of finite element approximation for time-dependent Maxwell problems

We provide an error analysis of finite element methods for solving time-dependent Maxwell problem using Nedelec and Thomas-Raviart elements. We study the regularity of the solution and develop some new error estimates of Nedelec finite elements. As a result, the optimal L 2 -error bound for the semidiscrete scheme is obtained.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman assessment battery for children: A reevaluation

Abstract Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) conducted by the test creators have reported that the three factors that make up the test's factor structure are relatively independent. This finding has been taken as support for the K-ABC's novel theoretical and diagnostic basis, despite several problems in the analysis and in the results of these studies. The present CFA analysis, using the subtest intercorrelations for the standardization samples provided in the test manuals, was undertaken specifically to test the hypothesis that the factors that make up the test are in fact only moderately correlated. The results indicate that the factors that underly the K-ABC are substantially intercorrelated at all age levels for both the two-factor (Simultaneous/Sequential processing) and three-factor (Simultaneous processing/ Sequential processing/Achievement) models. These findings suggest that the K-ABC cannot distinguish between sequential and simultaneous processing and achievement as distinct constructs, and that test users should therefore exercise caution in interpreting K-ABC test scores in the manner proposed by the test authors.
Genetic characterization and floral development of female sterile and stubby head, two aposporous mutants of pearl millet.

Apomixis has never been reported in natural populations of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.], although many wild relatives of pearl millet are obligate or facultative aposporous apomicts. Four-nucleate aposporous embryo sacs are formed from somatic cells of the nucellus that do not undergo meiosis. Two mutants of pearl millet, female sterile (fs) and stubby head, have two developmental characteristics in common: a significant reduction in head length compared with the wild-type and the formation of aposporous embryo sacs. Reproductive development in fs and stubby head mutants was examined in depth because of the potential for illuminating basic cellular or developmental factors that may function to alter embryo sac development. Genetic analysis of stubby head showed that this phenotype is conferred by genes at two loci linked in coupling within 29 cM. Crosses between fs and stubby head mutants showed that, despite the similarities in phenotypes, the mutations are at different loci. The mutants differ from wild-type in their inflorescence structure from the time of initiation of spikelet primordia through terminal differentiation of the ovule. Both mutations could be categorized as meristic, since a change in inflorescence branch or organ number was common and gynoecium development varied. We speculate that heterochronic development of the floral meristem and organ initiation/specification programs may be the underlying mechanism for phenotypic changes in these mutants throughout the floral phase.
Secretion of RNA by normal and transformed cells.

Abstract 3T3 and SV-40 transformed 3T3 cells in culture secrete RNA into their culture media. This medium RNA is predominantly 5s in size as measured by sucrose gradient and Sephadex gel filtration. Medium RNA is metabolically stable and is heavily methylated in comparison with other major cytoplasmic species. Analysis of the radioactively labeled methylated bases of medium RNA by paper chromatography after formic acid hydrolysis shows a very simple pattern of two peaks in contrast to the very complex patterns seen in rRNA and tRNA. Mycoplasma and mouse leukemia virus contamination have been excluded. The source of this RNA is discussed.
Family Health Histories and Their Impact on Retirement Confidence.

Objective: Retirement confidence is a key social barometer. In this article, we examine how personal and parental health histories relate to working-age adults’ feelings of optimism or pessimism about their overall retirement prospects. Method: This study links survey data on retirement planning with information on respondents’ own health histories and those of their parents. The multivariate models control for the respondents’ socio-demographic and economic characteristics along with past retirement planning activities when estimating the relationships between family health histories and retirement confidence. Results: Retirement confidence is inversely related to parental history of cancer and cardiovascular disease but not to personal health history. In contrast, retirement confidence is positively associated with both parents being deceased. Discussion: As members of the public become increasingly aware of how genetics and other family factors affect intergenerational transmission of chronic diseases,...
The generalized SEA and a statistical signal processing approach applied to UXO discrimination

The prohibitive costs of excavating all geophysical anomalies are well known and are one of the greatest impediments to efficient clean-up of unexploded ordnance (UXO)-contaminated lands at Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Innovative discrimination techniques that can reliably distinguish between hazardous UXO and non-hazardous metallic items are required. The key element to overcoming these difficulties lies in the development of advanced processing techniques that can treat complex data sets to maximize the probability of accurate classification and minimize the false alarm rate. To address these issues, this paper uses a new approach that combines a physically complete EMI forward model called the Generalized Standardized Excitation Approach (GSEA) with a statistical signal processing approach named Mixed Modeling (MM). UXO discrimination requires the inversion of digital geophysical data, which could be divided into two pars: 1) linear - estimating model parameters such as the amplitudes of the responding GSEA sources and 2) non-linear - inverting an object's location and orientation. Usually the data inversion is an ill-posed problem that requires regularization. Determining the regularization parameter is not straightforward, and in many cases depends on personal experience. To overcome this issue, in this paper we employ the statistical approach to estimate regularization parameters from actual data using the un-surprised mixed model approach. In addition, once the non-linear inverse scattering parameters are estimated then for UXO discrimination a covariance matrix and confidence interval are derived. The theoretical basis and practical realization of the combined GSEA-Mixed Model algorithm are demonstrated. Discrimination studies are done for ATC-UXO sets of time-domain EMI data collected at the ERDC UXO test stand site in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The value of information in multi-armed bandits with exponentially distributed rewards

Abstract We consider a class of multi-armed bandit problems where the reward obtained by pulling an arm is drawn from an exponential distribution whose parameter is unknown. A Bayesian model with independent gamma priors is used to represent our beliefs and uncertainty about the exponential parameters. We derive a precise expression for the marginal value of information in this problem, which allows us to create a new knowledge gradient (KG) policy for making decisions. The policy is practical and easy to implement, making a case for value of information as a general approach to optimal learning problems with many different types of learning models.
The use of precious-metal-modified nickel-based superalloys for thin gage applications

Precious-metal-modified nickel-based superalloys are being investigated for use in thin gage applications, such as thermal protection systems or heat exchangers, due to their strength and inherent oxidation resistance at temperatures in excess of 1,050°C. This overview paper summarizes the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) interest in experimental two-phase γ-Ni + γ′-Ni3Al superalloys. The AFRL is interested in alloys with a based composition of Ni-15Al-5Cr (at. %) with carbon, boron, and zirconium additions for grain-boundary refinement and strengthening. The alloys currently being evaluated also contain 4–5 at.% of platinum-group metals, in this case platinum and iridium. The feasibility of hot rolling these alloys to a final thickness of 0.12–0.25 mm and obtaining a nearly fully recrystallized microstructure was demonstrated.
Further Approaches for Optimizing Polysaccharide-Protein Conjugate Vaccines for Prevention of Invasive Bacterial Disease

The design of conjugate vaccines to optimize their immunologic performance has not been studied extensively. Immunologic performance in relation to changing specific structural parameters in a conjugate can most effectively be analyzed using conjugate syntheses involving terminally activated polysaccharide fragments. Random activation of fragments before conjugation results in more complex and poorly defined conjugates. This is especially true when the length of polysaccharide fragments in polysaccharide-protein conjugates is varied. Both the antigenicity and immunogenicity of saccharide fragments are length-dependent, and antigenicity traditionally has been associated with oligosaccharide epitopes no larger than an antibody site. However, the recent identification of length-stabilized conformational saccharide epitopes has added a new dimension to this concept. The immunologic performance of polysaccharide-protein conjugates is also length-dependent, probably requiring multiple epitopes for optimization.
Stationary partitioning of convex bodies

On considere une version particuliere du probleme de partage. Soit #7B-B un corps convexe dans R 3 de volume m 3 (#7B-B)<∞. Une surface de type disque S est a l'interieur de #7B-B divisant cet interieur en deux cellules simplement connexes #7B-B' et #7B-B″ de volumes m 3 (#7B-B')=σm 3 #7B-B, m 3 (#7B-B″)=(1-σ)m 3 (#7B-B), 0<σ<1. On considere σ comme fixee et on etudie les cas ou S a l'aire la plus petite possible
The spiral vessel and stria vascularis in Shaker-1 mice. Electron microscopic and histochemical observations.

The spiral vessel beneath the tunnel of Corti undergoes involution and loses its lumen at two weeks after birth in Shaker-1 mice. At this stage, and until well into the second month after birth, the stria vascularis appears almost normal by electron microscopy as well as in terms of ATP-ase distribution. Loss of the spiral vessel may well be an important factor in the subsequent degeneration of the hair cells and neural elements of the organ of Corti in Shaker-1 mice.
Combined finite element-transfer matrix method based on a mixed formulation

Abstract Combined finite element-transfer matrix (FE-TM) methods are an efficient technique for the dynamic analysis of chain-like structures. They offer the advantages of an automatic reduction in the size of the eignvalue problem and of a straightforward means of dynamic substructuring. This paper presents a new approach to FE-TM methods which is based on a mixed finite element formulation utilizing the Reissner functional. This new approach permits the extension of the FE-TM method to more general finite element models with rectangular transfer matrices. Application of the method to two specific element types is considered.
Solder joint reliability in alternator power diode assemblies

Power diodes in an alternator convert alternating current, generated by the spinning magnetic field, to direct current to be used by the battery and all the automotive electrical/electronic components. The diodes are press-fit into aluminum heatsinks to quickly and efficiently dissipate the heat from the silicon dies in the diode body. The diodes are soldered to a rectifier circuit board through the diode leads by a wave soldering process using a Pb-free, eutectic Sn-3.5Ag solder. A set of positive diodes reside on a different substrate than the set of negative diodes, resulting in differences in the lengths of the diode leads. The distance from the diode body to the solder joint on the leads of the positive diodes is 7 mm less than those of the negative diodes. Solderability, cross-section micrographs, and thermal-cycling fatigue reliability studies were compared between the positive and negative diodes and between diode designs from different suppliers. Wetting balance testing showed significant differences in solderability between positive and negative diodes and between the two different diode designs. Combining the diode body and lead together had a more drastic effect on the solderability than the lead alone. It was discovered that, although the nature of the diode design is to dissipate the heat away from the diode quickly and efficiently, there is a large temperature gradient along the lead immediately above the solder bath which can be as much as 100°C just 2 mm from the bath. This large temperature gradient caused some leads to be too “cold” to form good solder fillets. The solder fillets obtained in the laboratory wetting tests matched those observed in the actual alternators. The inadequate solder fillets resulted in a 250% difference in the thermal cycling fatigue reliability between the two diode designs.
Metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone and androstenedione by human A-549 alveolar type II epithelial-like cells

The A-549 cell line was initiated from an explant of human lung carcinoma tissue. The biochemical characteristics of these cells are similar to those of normal alveolar type II epithelial cells. To gain some insight into the steroid-metabolizing capabilities of A-549 cells, the metabolism of tritium-labeled dehydroisoandrosterone and androstenedione by these cells was studied. The metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone led to the exclusive formation of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol. The major product of androstenedione metabolism was testosterone; and, 5 alpha-reduced steroids also were formed, viz. 5 alpha-androstane-3,17-dione, androsterone, isoandrosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol. Estrogens, viz., estrone and estradiol-17 beta, were not products of androstenedione metabolism by A-549 cells. The rates of metabolite formation from either dehydroisoandrosterone or androstenedione were linear as a function of incubation time up to 3 h, and with cell number up to 1 X 10(6) cells/ml. The apparent Km of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase for dehydroisoandrosterone was 11 microM, and that for androstenedione was 13 microM. The predominant formation of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol from dehydroisoandrosterone, and testosterone from androstenedione is a likely indication that the principal C19-steroid-metabolizing enzyme in A-549 cells is 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase; the other steroid-metabolizing enzymes expressed in these cells are 5 alpha-reductase, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase. The findings of this study demonstrate that A-549 cells express steroid-metabolizing enzymatic activities that are qualitatively similar to those found in other human pneumonocytes and human lung tissue, except for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase-5----4-isomerase activity, which is not expressed in these cells with dehydroisoandrosterone as the substrate.
On identifying sets

A range of research has explored the problem of generating referring expressions that uniquely identify a single entity from the shared context. But what about expressions that identify sets of entities? In this paper, I adapt recent semantic research on plural descriptions---using covers to abstract collective and distributive readings and using sets of assignments to represent dependencies among references---to describe a search problem for set-identifying expressions that largely mirrors the search problem for singular referring expressions. By structuring the search space only in terms of the words that can be added to the description, the proposal defuses potential combinatorial explosions that might otherwise arise with reference to sets.
Specific inhibition of anti-Rh serum by 'unnatural' sugars.

LANDSTEINER'S technique of specific serological inhibition has recently given valuable information about the structure of the A, B, H mucopoly-saccharides.1,2 It was reported by Hackel, Smolker and Fenske3 that anti-Rh sera were specifically inhibited by a number of ribonucleic acid derivatives, suggesting that the Rh antigens are at least partly nucleotide in nature.
Mechanics of superplastic deformations at atomic scale

The behavior of materials can be modeled at different hierarchical levels with varying spatial scales as shown in Figure 1. A structure or a specimen with a scale greater than 10 -3 m represents the macroscopic scale where the principle of continuum mechanics is generally used. At this level, only materials macrostructure and global properties are considered; At the other extreme. atomic scale spans the lengths of a few nanometers (10 -9 - 10 -6 m), which is compatible with the length scale of crystalline defects (e.g. vacancy, impurity, dislocation, grain boundary and interface) Though at this level the structure cannot be directly related to the macro-level property, it provides very useful information for an understanding of mesoscopic (10 -6 - 10 -3 m) behavior. In order to understand the origin of superplasticity, it is important to understand the mechanics of grain boundary sliding, considere the primary source of the large strain. An appropriate scale to study grain boundary sliding is the atomic scale and is the focus of this paper. In the atomistic simulation. interatomic potentials using Embedded Atom Method (EAM) are used in conj unet ou wit h molecular statics calculations. Atomistic simulations are performed on a series of grain boundary structures in aluminum, and the energies associated with each of their equilibrium configurations are computed. The propensity for grain boundary sliding GBS) is also evaluated by computing the energy associated with incremental equilibrium configurations during the sliding process, and GBS is compared with GB cleavage based on the energy consideration. It is also shown that in certain types of grain boundaries, GBS is always accompanied by GB migration. Also the amount of sliding and migration is proportional to the applied force levels, grain boundary energy and time.
In situ kinetic studies of the trifluoromethylation of caffeine with Zn(SO2CF3)2

Abstract In situ monitoring of the trifluoromethylation of caffeine using Zn(SO2CF3)2 provides mechanistic insight into this important reaction. The concentration dependences of each of the reagents are probed, along with the effect of various additives. The kinetic profile is characterized by a rapid initial regime followed by a period of slower rate. Increasing the concentration of the Zn reagent extends the initial rapid period to higher conversions. Neither the caffeine concentration nor the concentration of the oxidant has a strong effect on the reaction rate. A multiple aliquot method is introduced to help deconvolute factors associated with each rate regime.