cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of a blood coagulant extract from the human placenta in the treatment of hemophilia

Summary Tissue protein extracts prepared from the human placenta have been found to have the same type of effect in the control of local hemorrhage as has been reported from the use of animal tissue extracts. However, a striking difference has been observed in the results with this extract and those reported from the use of animal tissue preparations in the treatment of patients with hemophilia. Animal tissue extracts have shortened the coagulation time of the blood of patients with hemophilia for very brief periods, whereas human placental extracts have reduced the clotting time of both venous and capillary blood for periods varying from forty-eight hours to as long as nine days. Despite repeated slight trauma incident to active childhood, two children with hemophilia have been able to lead normal, active lives for periods of several months by the continued administration of this material at carefully regulated intervals. In the relatively small series of patients with hemophilia herein reported, the blood coagulant extract has been well tolerated by oral administration or by intramuscular injection. It must be emphasized that this blood coagulant extract is fatal when injected intravenously in small laboratory animals. Therefore, in using this material in patients with hemophilia, intravenous injection must be avoided as by this route unfortunate, if not fatal, results might ensue.
Synthesis, Thermal, and Light-Emitting Properties of Anthracene Derivatives

Several anthracene derivatives were prepared by a single-step reaction and characterized their thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyses. Their photoluminescence properties were examined in a large number of organic solvents of increased polarity that included toluene, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, acetonitrile, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Some compounds exhibited emission spectra with vibrational fine structures in organic solvents; and other compounds exhibited structureless emission spectra in organic solvents.
Volatile monoterpenes collected from the air surrounding flower buds of seven cotton genotypes

Etude pour 7 genotypes representatifs des types avec ou sans glandes, dans deux types de conditions d'environnement ( Corpus Christi et College Farm, Texas) avec pratiques agronomiques classiques, a divers stades de developpement (1/3 des bourgeons developpes jusqu'a la 2eme semaine de floraison).
Behaviorally bisexual men and their risk behaviors with men and women

Gay and bisexual men are often treated as a homogenous group; however, there may be important differences between them. In addition, behaviorally bisexual men are a potential source of HIV infection for heterosexual women. In this study, we compared 97 men who have sex with men only (MSM) to 175 men who have sex with men and women (MSMW). We also compared the 175 MSMW to 772 men who have sex with women only (MSW). Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess correlates of MSMW risk behaviors with men and with women as well as whether MSMW, compared with MSW, engaged in more risky behaviors with women. Compared with MSM, MSMW were less likely to be HIV-positive or to engage in unprotected receptive anal intercourse. In contrast, MSMW were more likely than MSW to be HIV-positive and to engage in anal intercourse with their female partners; however, rates of unprotected anal intercourse were similar. The study findings suggest that there may be important differences in HIV risk behaviors and HIV prevalence between MSM and MSMW as well as between MSMW and MSW.
Interspecific competition between two parasitoids of Helicoverpa zea: Eucelatoria bryani and E. rubentis

Multiple parasitism of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) had differential effects on the gregarious endoparasitoids Eucelatoria bryani and E. rubentis (Diptera : Tachinidae). Both species were able to survive in multiparasitized hosts. However while the survival of E. bryani was not affected by the presence of E. rubentis, E. rubentis survival was reduced when competing with 24-h older E. bryani. The presence of E. rubentis did not result in a decrease in the size of E. bryani except when E. rubentis was 24-h older than E. bryani. The presence of E. bryani tended to result in smaller E. rubentis. The presence of similarly aged heterospecific competitors often resulted in prolonged development time for both species. Naive females did not alter oviposition between unparasitized and heterospecifically parasitized fifth-instar larvae of H. zea, either by ovipositing less frequently in parasitized hosts than unparasitized ones, or by reducing clutch size in parasitized hosts. These results indicate that in H. zea, E. bryani is a superior competitor compared with E. rubentis. These factors should be considered in evaluating the potential of E. bryani and E. rubentis as biological control agents of H. zea.
ISSUE CONVERGENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

This effort seeks to expand our understanding of the supply-side of the campaign process by investigating how candidate competition for agenda control affects occurrences of issue convergence (the discussion of the same issues by competing candidates) in campaigns for the presidency. More specifically, I integrate hypotheses suggested by extant literature into a framework that captures the factors that motivate presidential candidates’ selection of issues and the factors that affect their decisions to address issues also discussed by their opponents. These hypotheses are tested with duration analysis and data gathered from all available campaign advertisements produced by candidates competing in the 1976 through 1996 presidential elections. The results indicate that occurrences of issue convergences are quite frequent in presidential campaigns and that candidates’ decisions to address the same issues are affected by an issue’s saliency and partisan ownership, as well by changes in the campaign environment.
Some optical characteristics of solid bitumen in visual kerogen preparations

Solid bitumen, probably derived from liquid hydrocarbon, can be identified in visual kerogen strewn slides (or palynology slides). This kind of material may have been previously identified as amorphous or structured kerogen. Organic matter in most petroleum source rocks is too dispersed to be studied in situ, therefore, it is isolated from the mineral matrix and concentrated to make strewn slides for optical study. Both insoluble and soluble bitumen may be observed in visual kerogen slides when no solvent extraction is used during sample preparation. Examination of a series of samples prepared both as thin sections and visual kerogen strewn slides led to the observation of solid bitumen in the strewn slides. When an organic petrographer sees solid bitumen particles in visual kerogen slides, they may be classified as either woody, herbaceous, coaly, or most often amorphous kerogen types. Thompson and Dembicki (1986) describe four kinds of amorphous kerogens optically and relate them to source rock hydrocarbon-generating potential. A fifth kind of “amorphous” kerogen is documented in this paper. This material appears through the microscope as thin, smooth, brown flakes in transmitted light with a white to grey color in reflected light. Some of the particles appear to have the “structure” of the space between mineral grains where they form. At this time, it is not possible to identify the exact mode of origin of this material (such as thermal alteration of oil, gas-deasphalting of oils, or water washing and biodegradation of oils), however, the homogenous, “flowed” appearance implies a liquid hydrocarbon origin. Therefore, it is suggested that this kind of kerogen be called solid bitumen. The petrographic documentation of solid bitumen in visual kerogen strewn slides can be very meaningful to organic geochemists and geologists, because it may indicate that liquid hydrocarbons have been generated in or migrated through the rock interval of interest. Further study is needed to optically characterize the various stages of maturation of solid bitumen in visual kerogen preparations.
Neuropsychological assessment of executive functions in self-reported delinquents

Deficits in “executive” neuropsychological functions have been proposed to underlie the development of antisocial behavior such as juvenile delinquency. Results of research into the executive functions of delinquents have been mixed, and studies have been hampered by reliance on small samples of adjudicated subjects and questionable validity of the tests administered. This research examined the performance of a large unselected birth cohort of adolescent boys and girls on five tests of executive function that have documented reliability and validity. It is the first such study to use self-reports of antisocial behavior. Executive deficits were shown only by a subgroup of delinquent subjects with childhood comorbidity of antisocial behavior and attention deficit disorder; that subgroup's behavior was also rated as more aggressive and impulsive than comparison groups'. Group differences on executive measures remained significant after the effects of overall IQ were statistically controlled. Also, delinquents who had been detected by police did not show poorer executive functions than subjects with equivalent self-reports of delinquent behavior who had evaded official detection, suggesting that executive deficits are related to the development of antisocial behavior itself, and not simply to risk of detection.
Reversible epigenetic histone modifications and Bdnf expression in neurons with aging and from a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

With aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is an increased sensitivity to stress along with declines in the memory-associated neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor in AD. We have replicated this aging phenotype in cultured neurons from aged mice despite being grown in the same environmental conditions as young neurons. This led us to hypothesize that age-related differences in epigenetic acetylation and methylation of histones are associated with age-related gene regulation. We cultured hippocampal/cortical neurons from the 3xTg-AD mouse model and from non-transgenic mice to quantify single cell acetylation and methylation levels across the life span. In non-transgenic neurons, H3 acetylation was unchanged with age, while H4 acetylation decreased with age of the donor. Compared to non-transgenic neurons, 3xTg-AD neurons had higher levels of H3 and H4 acetylation beginning at 4 months of age. In contrast to non-transgenic neurons, 3xTg-AD neurons increased acetylation with age; 3xTg-AD neurons also responded differently to inhibition of histone deacetylases at an early age. Importantly, treatment of non-transgenic neurons with the AD peptide Aβ also elevated levels of acetylation. We also examined the repressive function of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation. H3K9 methylation increased with age in non-transgenic neurons, which was amplified further in 3xTg-AD neurons. The dominant effect of higher H3K9 methylation was supported by lower Bdnf gene expression in non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice. These data show that the epigenetic states of non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD brain neurons are profoundly different and reversible, beginning at 4 months of age when the first memory deficits are reported.
The potential impact of field resistance to early blight on fungicide inputs

Early blight is clearly an important risk to potato crops around the world. In North America current control practices include the intensive use of fungicide sprays to protect susceptible cultivars from infection and premature defoliation. Estimated normal seasonal costs for fungicide applications to North American potato crops exceed at least $21 million and depending on the choice of material, costs can exceed $44 million. During years when late blight is a widespread threat to major production areas, the cost for controlling foliar blights can be much higher due to an increased number of spray treatments and higher rates of fungicide use. Some would argue that these costs represent but a small investment to protect the grower investment and total crop value. Others, however, are demanding a reduction in pesticide use regardless of risk to the crop. The potato crop is a vulnerable target for future cuts in pesticide use since so many of the materials used in potato production are being scrutinized by government agencies. Cultivars with a high level of field resistance to early blight may become a necessity for the continued strength of the potato industry, especially if the industry loses the currently available fungicides that have provided insurance for the past several decades. The technology and genetic pool are available for making needed advances in field resistance to early blight. Perhaps the time is right for pathologists and breeders to declare this a priority project and move ahead together toward this common goal.
Life After Life: Bioarchaeology and Post-mortem Agency

In the alternative fairy tale The Princess Bride, as William Goldman's character Miracle Max reanimates the apparent corpse of the hero Westley, he tells the anxious group observing the procedure: ‘There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive’ (Goldman 2007, 313). Only a select group of the dead can be characterized as being ‘slightly alive’, in the post-mortem agency sense, however, and the case studies presented here explore the many ways in which this subcategory of mostly dead individuals have engaged with and continue to impact the living in the past as well as today. Several themes emerge as especially salient: the iteration in the death-scape of the dynamic tension between the individual and the social group, which can result in transgression as well as conformity in the disposition of the body and its effects on the living; the symbolic capital represented by some dead bodies and the ways in which their potency may be affected by various forms of contextual association; and the ways in which the manipulation of the dead for political purposes is subject to constraints specific to the cultural contexts in which these interactions take place.
Importance of amino acid 216 in nonstructural protein 2B for replication of hepatitis A virus in cell culture and in vivo.

Clinical isolates of hepatitis A virus (HAV) replicate inefficiently in cell culture unless mutations are acquired throughout the genome. An Ala-to-Val substitution in the nonstructural protein 2B (2B-216) was known to have a major impact on replication in cell culture. Analysis of chimeric viruses confirmed that the 2B-A[216]V change was critical for efficient replication and that Leu or Ile could substitute for Val. Viruses containing Val, Ile, or Leu at 2B-216 all replicated with similar kinetics in cell culture, whereas the virus containing Ala at this position grew 10- to 20-fold less efficiently. In contrast, in vivo, virus with either Ala or Val at 2B-216 replicated equally efficiently when tested in a chimpanzee and in tamarins, and each amino acid was stably maintained. Attempts to complement wild-type 2B in trans with adapted 2B provided by co-infection with a second viable HAV mutant failed to enhance replication of the virus containing the wild-type 2B sequence. J. Med. Virol. 71:7–17, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Go Gentle into the Good Night via Controlled Battery Discharging

Prevalent battery management approaches for mobile devices treated a battery's residual capacity as a given budget and tried to make the best of this budget by turning off lower-priority tasks. In contrast, the research reported in this paper aims to maximize the quantitative value of a battery's residual capacity by operating the battery according to its discharge characteristic curves (DCC), which describes a battery's discharging dynamics in terms of the correlation among its voltage level, capacity and discharging current. According to the DCC theory, it is possible to increase a battery's effective capacity in terms of Ampere hours by capping the discharging current in a certain way after its capacity falls below a threshold. This paper describes a DCC-based Battery Discharging (or DBD) technique that is capable of automatically deriving a battery's DCC, using the DCC to determine a suitable instantaneous discharge current budget, and limiting the total discharge current under that budget. Measurements on an operational prototype show that DBD is capable of extending a battery's residual capacity by more than 20% after its SOC is reduced to 30%.
The Individualized Learning Plan: Supporting the Self-Directed Learning Process

The ability of physicians to identify strengths and weaknesses, formulate learning goals, and track progress is relevant throughout training and practice. The importance of these skills has been recently explicitly incorporated into requirements for resident and subspecialty training and for maintenance of board certification. The individualized learning plan is a tool that can be utilized both in training and in practice to support and document the lifelong learning process.
Imaging of Defects Contained within n‐Alkylthiol Monolayers by Combination of Underpotential Deposition and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Kinetics of Self‐Assembly

A novel method for imaging individual defect structures contained within thin, insulating layers that cover atomically smooth conducting substrates is described. The technique relies upon imaging metal islands electrochemically deposited within defects that penetrate the insulating layer by scanning tunneling microscopy. The method is illustrated by measuring the rate of self‐assembly of a monolayer of on a Au (111) substrate. The results are found to be in accord with those obtained by spectroscopic and contact angle measurements.
The adaptive significance of maternal effects

Recently, the adaptive significance of maternal effects has been increasingly recognized. No longer are maternal effects relegated as simple `troublesome sources of environmental resemblance' that confound our ability to estimate accurately the genetic basis of traits of interest. Rather, it has become evident that many maternal effects have been shaped by the action of natural selection to act as a mechanism for adaptive phenotypic response to environmental heterogeneity. Consequently, maternal experience is translated into variation in offspring fitness.
Facilitating Meta-Design via Separation of Problem, Product, and Process Information

Different products necessitate different design processes. Determining which such process is most appropriate for a particular product, in turn, requires its delineation before the design of the product under consideration. The phase where design processes are composed is called meta-design. Despite its importance, current simulation-based design frameworks such as FIPER, ModelCenter, and iSIGHT do not support meta-design. This oversight can be attributed at least in part to the fact that these frameworks capture information about products, design processes, and the associated tools in a lumped fashion. Processes are captured in terms of the specific tools employed and the product information, associated with their use, thereby restricting the re-utilization (i.e., reuse via adaptation or customization) of instantiated processes for designing different products. This inherent inability to separate product and process information hinders the exploration of different design process options for designing a product at a fundamental level, thereby restricting meta-design. In order to address this challenge, we propose an approach for distinctly capturing and processing three key components of design related information - a) design problem, b) design process, and c) product. We term this approach, rooted in decision-based design, modularity, and separation of declarative and procedural information, 3-P. The modular separation of information associated with problem, product, and process enables designers to utilize existing knowledge, captured in the form of pre-defined process configurations, for more effectively designing a given product. The proposed approach facilitates the efficient exploration and reconfiguration of design processes, furnishing a much needed and essential basis for meta-design.
Characterization of a broad-specificity non-haem iron N-demethylase from Pseudomonas putida CBB5 capable of utilizing several purine alkaloids as sole carbon and nitrogen source.

N-Demethylation of many xenobiotics and naturally occurring purine alkaloids such as caffeine and theobromine is primarily catalysed in higher organisms, ranging from fungi to mammals, by the well-studied membrane-associated cytochrome P450s. In contrast, there is no well-characterized enzyme for N-demethylation of purine alkaloids from bacteria, despite several reports on their utilization as sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Here, we provide what we believe to be the first detailed characterization of a purified N-demethylase from Pseudomonas putida CBB5. The soluble N-demethylase holoenzyme is composed of two components, a reductase component with cytochrome c reductase activity (Ccr) and a two-subunit N-demethylase component (Ndm). Ndm, with a native molecular mass of 240 kDa, is composed of NdmA (40 kDa) and NdmB (35 kDa). Ccr transfers reducing equivalents from NAD(P)H to Ndm, which catalyses an oxygen-dependent N-demethylation of methylxanthines to xanthine, formaldehyde and water. Paraxanthine and 7-methylxanthine were determined to be the best substrates, with apparent K m and kcat values of 50.4±6.8 μM and 16.2±0.6 min−1, and 63.8±7.5 μM and 94.8±3.0 min−1, respectively. Ndm also displayed activity towards caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and 3-methylxanthine, all of which are growth substrates for this organism. Ndm was deduced to be a Rieske [2Fe–2S]-domain-containing non-haem iron oxygenase based on (i) its distinct absorption spectrum and (ii) significant identity of the N-terminal sequences of NdmA and NdmB with the gene product of an uncharacterized caffeine demethylase in P. putida IF-3 and a hypothetical protein in Janthinobacterium sp. Marseille, both predicted to be Rieske non-haem iron oxygenases.
Reactivation of Hippocampal Cell Assemblies: Effects of Behavioral State, Experience, and EEG Dynamics

During slow wave sleep (SWS), traces of neuronal activity patterns from preceding behavior can be observed in rat hippocampus and neocortex. The spontaneous reactivation of these patterns is manifested as the reinstatement of the distribution of pairwise firing-rate correlations within a population of simultaneously recorded neurons. The effects of behavioral state [quiet wakefulness, SWS, and rapid eye movement (REM)], interactions between two successive spatial experiences, and global modulation during 200 Hz electroencephalographic (EEG) "ripples" on pattern reinstatement were studied in CA1 pyramidal cell population recordings. Pairwise firing-rate correlations during often repeated experiences accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in these interactions in subsequent SWS or quiet wakefulness and, to a lesser degree, during SWS before the experience on a given day. The latter effect was absent for novel experiences, suggesting that a persistent memory trace develops with experience. Pattern reinstatement was strongest during sharp wave-ripple oscillations, suggesting that these events may reflect system convergence onto attractor states corresponding to previous experiences. When two different experiences occurred in succession, the statistically independent effects of both were evident in subsequent SWS. Thus, the patterns of neural activity reemerge spontaneously, and in an interleaved manner, and do not necessarily reflect persistence of an active memory (i.e., reverberation). Firing-rate correlations during REM sleep were not related to the preceding familiar experience, possibly as a consequence of trace decay during the intervening SWS. REM episodes also did not detectably influence the correlation structure in subsequent SWS, suggesting a lack of strengthening of memory traces during REM sleep, at least in the case of familiar experiences.
Germline Amino Acid Diversity in B Cell Receptors is a Good Predictor of Somatic Selection Pressures.

The diversity of the immune repertoire is important for the adaptive immune system's ability to detect pathogens. Much of this diversity is generated in two steps, first through the recombination of germline gene segments and second through hypermutation during an immune response. While both steps are to some extent based on the germline level repertoire of genes, the final structure and selection of specific receptors is at the somatic level. How germline diversity and selection relate to somatic diversity and selection has not been clear. To investigate how germline diversity relates to somatic diversity and selection, we considered the published repertoire of Ig heavy chain V genes taken from the blood of 12 individuals, post-vaccination against influenza, sequenced by 454 high-throughput sequencing. We here show that when we consider individual amino acid positions in the heavy chain V gene sequence, there exists a strong correlation between the diversity of the germline repertoire at a position and the number of B cell clones that change amino acid at that position. At the same time, we find that the diversity of amino acids used in the mutated positions is greater than in the germline, albeit still correlated to germline diversity. From these findings, we propose that while germline diversity and germline amino acid usage at a given position do not fully specify the amino acid mutant needed to promote survival of specific clones, germline diversity at a given position is a good indicator for the potential to survive after somatic mutation at that position. We would therefore suggest that germline diversity at each specific position is the better a priori model for the effects of somatic mutation and selection, than simply the division into complementarity determining and framework regions.
A Relationship between Metal Chelate Adducts and the Extraction Distribution Ratio

Abstract It was found that the % of the water adducts replaced by organic adducts, irrespective of the inital adduct concentration, would give a 90% correlation with the observed distribution ratios regardless of the chelate system involved.
Evaporitic Subtidal Stromatolites Produced by In Situ Precipitation: Textures, Facies Associations, and Temporal Significance

ABSTRACT The transition between carbonate platforms or isolated carbonate buildups and overlying evaporites commonly is marked by assemblages of stromatolites and interlaminated carbonates and evaporites. Stromatolites display lamination textures that vary from peloidal and discontinuous on a scale of a millimeter to a few centimeters, to isopachous and continuously laminated on a scale of a centimeter to a few meters. The isopachous lamination texture may be composed of either: (1) micritic or radial-fibrous calcite, or (2) dolomite. Isopachous stromatolitic laminae are remarkably uniform, varying little in thickness over a given lateral distance, in contrast to stromatolites formed of peloidal laminae, which show marked variation in thickness over an equivalent lateral distance. These isopachous textures are uncommon on most open-marine carbonate platforms and apparently developed in transitional carbonate-to-evaporite settings because of increasing temperature, salinity, and anoxia related to water stratification, which would have created ecologic restriction and an opportunity for stromatolite growth. Stromatolites with isopachous lamination are here interpreted to have formed as a result of in situ precipitation of sea-floor-encrusting calcite and possibly dolomite, whereas the stromatolites composed of peloidal, discontinuous lamination are inferred to have formed by trapping and binding of loose carbonate sediment in microbial mats. While the presence of microbes in almost all near-surface environments nullifies use of the term "abiotic" to describe most precipitated minerals, we interpret growth of the isopachous stromatolites to have been dominated by chemogenic precipitation in the absence of microbial mats, and the growth of peloidal stromatolites to have been controlled by sedimentation in the presence of microbial mats. These transitional stromatolite facies are best developed atop Proterozoic and Paleozoic carbonate platforms that underlie major evaporite successions. However, inspection of Jurassic and younger evaporite basins, such as the Messinian of the Mediterranean region, shows that stromatolites with thin, isopachous lamination and radial-fibrous textures, though present, are rare. Instead, these facies may have been replaced by stromatolites with peloidal, clastic textures and by low-diversity diatomaceous and coccolith mudstones. Accumulation of the mudstones would have imposed two important effects: (1) Production of coccoliths would have helped extract calcium carbonate from seawater, thus lowering the growth potential for precipitation of sea-floor-encrusting stromatolites. (2) Settling of both coccoliths and diatoms would have created a sediment flux to the sea floor, which would have served to impede growth of precipitated stromatolites because of smothering of growing crystals.
Branch-and-bound hypothesis selection for two-view multiple structure and motion segmentation

An efficient and robust framework for two-view multiple structure and motion segmentation is proposed. To handle this otherwise recursive problem, hypotheses for the models are generated by local sampling. Once these hypotheses are available, a model selection problem is formulated which takes into account the hypotheses likelihoods and model complexity. An explicit model for outliers is also added for robust model selection. The model selection criterion is optimized through branch-and-bound technique of combinatorial optimization which guaranties optimality over current set of hypotheses by efficient search of solution space.
The TFTR Plasma Exhaust Tank System

The Plasma Exhaust Tank (PET) allows TFTR neutral beam regeneration gas to be collected separate from the total TFTR exhaust thereby minimizing the impurities (i.e. oxygen, sulfur hexaflouride). The PET then forwards this gas to the Tritium Purification System (TPS). The PET is capable of holding a minimum of 2 normal neutral beam regenerations (200 std. liters each) with a nitrogen backfill (400 std. liters). Since this volume is slightly less than the volume for 4 neutral beam regenerations without backfill, the tank is sized for the latter case (/spl sim/980 std. liters). The PET pump provides a feed of 2 liters per minute to the TPS with a pressure range of 750 Torr to 200 Torr. At 2 liters per minute and 200 Torr at the discharge of the PET pump the tank can reach a final pressure of 70 Torr. When the TPS output does not meet the requirements for tritium purity, the PET is capable of receiving inferior grade tritium gas back from the TSDS for reprocessing.
Hard to find, easy to find systematics; just find them

In a manufacturing organization, every morning starts with the question: what is the yield today? The cost of wafer manufacturing being fairly constant, product yield is one of the most significant variables for profitability. With the yield paretos increasingly dominated by systematic defects, yield learning based on product test is fast becoming a fundamental requirement. For an integrated device manufacturer like IBM, product-based yield learning is even more critical as this drives technology learning as well. In this paper, we will present some of IBM's yield learning techniques and several case studies from high-volume manufacturing. These techniques extend from test data analysis, to analysis of scan-based product diagnosis results, to detailed layout analysis in conjunction with test, diagnosis and inline defect inspection data. We will discuss the increasing levels of complexity associated with the various techniques and argue that an effective yield learning strategy must comprise all of the above.
Reimagining Counselor Education With Diversity as a Core Value

To move diversity from the periphery of counselor preparation to its core requires effort beyond the 1 or 2 “special” courses that have been the mainstay of multicultural counselor education (T. E. Midgette & S. S. Meggert, 1991). The authors describe the processes and outcomes of a systemic reimagining of Auburn University’s counselor education doctoral program, as well as community agency and school counseling master’s-degree programs that incorporate diversity as a core value. The development of diversity-supportive department policies and procedures, curricular and cocurricular changes, and environmental considerations are discussed and evaluated. The last 2 decades of the 20th century have seen a significant paradigm shift in the orientation of counselors to serve a diverse population (Pedersen, 1991). This shift has been reflected in counselor education through calls for the preparation of multiculturally competent counselors. In addition, national accreditation of counselor education programs (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2001) has moved in the direction of supporting the need for multicultural competence. Despite the inalterable paradigm shift that has taken place in counseling, many counselor education programs have yet to embrace the broad-ranging changes in curriculum policies and cocurricular activities essential to making diversity a core value (Midgette & Meggert, 1991) in the preparation of counselors. In 1994, Ridley, Mendoza, and Kanitz wrote that multicultural counseling is an emerging curriculum. A decade later, multicultural counselor education remains in an emerging state; there has been no report yet of a comprehensive and systemic model that has been implemented and fully integrated into a counseling program (Midgette & Meggert, 1991; Ponterotto & Alexander, 1995; Ridley et al., 1994). To move diversity from the periphery to the core of counselor preparation requires effort that extends beyond the one or two “special” courses that have been the mainstay of current multicultural
Developing and Adapting Soil Process Submodels for Use in the Pedodynamic Orthod Model

This chapter examines the development and structure of the ORTHOD computer model which simulates soil forming processes involved in the formation of a Typic Haplorthod. It presents newly developed and adapted soil process sub models used as building blocks in an integrated pedodynamic model. The LEACHM model uses a numerical solution to the convection-dispersion equation to estimate chemical fluxes. Solute movement consists of three components: convective, diffusive, and dispersive transport. The soil temperature and volumetric water content data used as input to the microbial decomposition submodel were derived from the output of the soil temperature and water movement submodels. Ion exchange was recognized as an important process controlling the chemistry of the soil solution. Since the objective of the pedodynamic model is to simulate the chemistry and movement of the major chemical components, a chemical speciation and precipitation submodel was needed.
Useful metrics for modular robot motion planning

In this paper the problem of dynamic self-reconfiguration of a class of modular robotic systems referred to as metamorphic systems is examined. A metamorphic robotic system is a collection of mechatronic modules, each of which has the ability to connect, disconnect, and climb over adjacent modules. We examine the near-optimal reconfiguration of a metamorphic robot from an arbitrary initial configuration to a desired final configuration. Concepts of distance between metamorphic robot configurations are defined, and shown to satisfy the formal properties of a metric. These metrics, called configuration metrics, are then applied to the automatic self-reconfiguration of metamorphic systems in the case when one module is allowed to move at a time. There is no simple method for computing the optimal sequence of moves required to reconfigure. As a result, heuristics which can give a near optimal solution must be used. We use the technique of simulated annealing to drive the reconfiguration process with configuration metrics as cost functions. The relative performance of simulated annealing with different cost functions is compared and the usefulness of the metrics developed in this paper is demonstrated.
Data Bases and Structures for a Gamut of Graphical Application Abstract

We thus have a total system consisting of the four data structures described — Business Graphs, Maps, Images, and Merge and an undescribed Text File. A pattern has begun to merge among these applications. The basic structure appears to consist of a data file, an index into the file, and a qualifier or master index for the index and data files. When we create several images this gives a fourth structure which is the index to each image file. This structure implies a generalized data base scheme. Since these schemes exist already, we merely have to fit this structure into standard data base schemes and have access to the data base operations which already exist.
Parameter determination for an implementable feedback neural network

The authors describe a method which ensures a designed neural network to be implementable as an electronic circuit. The approach involves two steps: (1) adjust the slope of the sigmoidal function of each neuron based on a given criterion; (2) find the weight matrix by an analytical learning algorithm. It is shown that the slope of the sigmoidal function around the origin plays an important role in the implementable neural network design. Based on the approach, the resistance in the neural circuit can be made very large, which reduces the network power dissipation. >
Effect of blood alcohol level on recovery from severe closed head injury.

A retrospective archival study of 129 moderate to severe closed head-injury patients from a university-based rehabilitation hospital was conducted to investigate the effect of blood alcohol level (BAL) at time of trauma on the length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), length of hospitalization and cognitive status on clearing PTA. While no statistical significance was obtained for the effect of BAL on length of PTA, a mean difference of 15–4 days between ‘no alcohol’ and ‘intoxicated’ patient groups was observed. A low, but significant correlation, r = 0–249, p < 0.05, indicated that as blood alcohol level increased, time to rehabilitation admission increased. The sex of the patient had a significant effect on length of PTA, BAL and time of recovery variable F (6,81) = 2.468, p < 0.05. Females experienced longer length of PTA, but had lower BALs than males. Measures of cognitive status on clearing PTA did not show a statistically significant effect of BAL. Results are discussed in terms of mediating variabl...
Three-dimensional shape analysis using moments and Fourier descriptors

A procedure for using moment-based feature vectors to identify a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional image recorded at an arbitrary viewing angle and range is presented. A moment form called standard moments, rather than the usual moment invariants, is considered. A standard six-airplane experiment was used to compare different techniques. Fourier descriptors and moment invariants were both compared to the present scheme for normalized moments. Various experiments were conducted using mixtures of silhouette and boundary moments and different normalization techniques. Standard moments gave slightly better results than Fourier descriptors for this experiment; both of these techniques were much better than moment invariants. >
Fault tolerance implementation within SRAM based FPGA designs based upon the increased level of single event upset susceptibility

Emerging technology is enabling the design community to consistently expand the amount of functionality that can be implemented within integrated circuits (ICs). As the number of gates placed within an FPGA increases, the complexity of the design can grow exponentially. Consequently, the ability to create reliable circuits has become an incredibly difficult task. In order to ease the complexity of design completion, the commercial design community has developed a very rigid (but effective) design methodology based on synchronous circuit techniques. In order to create faster, smaller and lower power circuits, transistor geometries and core voltages have decreased. In environments that contain ionizing energy, such a combination increase the probability of single event upsets (SEUs) and consequently affect the state space of a circuit. In order to combat the effects of radiation, the aerospace community has developed several "hardened by design" (fault tolerant) design schemes. This paper addresses design mitigation schemes targeted for SRAM based FPGA CMOS devices. Because some mitigation schemes may be over zealous (too much power, area, complexity, etc...), the designer should be conscious that system requirements can ease the amount of mitigation necessary for acceptable operation. Therefore, various degrees of fault tolerance is demonstrated along with an analysis of its effectiveness.
Multimodal Human/Machine Communication

Natural communication with machines is a crucial factor in bringing the benefits of networked computers to mass markets. In particular, the sensory dimensions of sight, sound and touch are comfortable and convenient modalities for the human user. New technologies are now emerging in these domains that can support human/machine communication with features that emulate face-to-face interaction. A current challenge is how to integrate the, as yet, imperfect technologies to achieve synergies that transcend the benefit of a single modality. Because speech is a preferred means for human information exchange, conversational interaction with machines will play a central role in collaborative knowledge work mediated by networked computers. Utilizing speech in combination with simultaneous visual gesture and haptic signaling requires software agents able to fuse the error-susceptible sensory information into reliable interpretations that are responsive to (and anticipatory of) human user intentions. This report draws a perspective on research in human/machine communication technologies aimed to support computer conferencing and collaborative problem solving.
Invasive Aspergillosis in Mice Immunosuppressed with Cyclosporin A, Tacrolimus (FK506), or Sirolimus (Rapamycin)

Cyclosporin A, tacrolimus, and sirolimus are immunosuppressive agents initially described as antifungal compounds with different activities for Aspergillus species. The outcome of invasive aspergillosis in mice treated with each agent was investigated in outbred CD-l mice. Immunosup­ pressant or vehicle alone was administered from days -1 to +14. Mice were infected on day 0 with resting Aspergillusconidia via lateral tail vein injection. Survival was significantly greater with most regimens than for mice treated with cyclosporin A (100 mglkglday; median survival, 3 days): tacrolimus, 1 mglkg/day (6.5 days, P = .003); sirolimus, 1 or 10 mg/kg/day (7.5 and 9.5 days, respectively; P = .002 and .0001); and vehicle alone (6.5 days, P = .001). However, mice treated with 10 mglkg/day of tacrolimus survived a median of 4.5 days (P = .25). Survival in the lO-mg sirolimus group did not differ from that of mice given vehicle alone (P = .55). Histologic evaluation suggested the improved survival with tacrolimus and sirolimus may be due in part to direct anti­ Aspergillus activity.
Interactions Among the Brain Default-Mode, Salience, and Central-Executive Networks During Perceptual Decision-Making of Moving Dots

Abstract Cognitively demanding goal-directed tasks in the human brain are thought to involve the dynamic interplay of several large-scale neural networks, including the default-mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central-executive network (CEN). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) studies have consistently shown that the CEN and SN negatively regulate activity in the DMN, and this switching is argued to be controlled by the right anterior insula (rAI) of the SN. However, what remains to be investigated is the pattern of directed network interactions during difficult perceptual decision-making tasks. We recorded fMRI data while participants categorized the left–right motion of moving dots. We defined regions of interest, extracted fMRI time series, and performed directed connectivity analysis using Granger causality techniques. Our analyses demonstrated that the slow oscillation (0.07–0.19 Hz) mediated the interactions within and between the DMN, SN, and CEN nodes both f...
Aspirin and colorectal cancer: the promise of precision chemoprevention

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) has become one of the most commonly used drugs, given its role as an analgesic, antipyretic and agent for cardiovascular prophylaxis. Several decades of research have provided considerable evidence demonstrating its potential for the prevention of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. Broader clinical recommendations for aspirin-based chemoprevention strategies have recently been established; however, given the known hazards of long-term aspirin use, larger-scale adoption of an aspirin chemoprevention strategy is likely to require improved identification of individuals for whom the protective benefits outweigh the harms. Such a precision medicine approach may emerge through further clarification of aspirin's mechanism of action.
Linking trophic interactions to plasticity in thermal sensitivity of geographically separated populations of a herbivore

The ability of species to tolerate a warming climate has important implications for ecological functioning. Theory and empirical synthesis suggest species adapted to more thermally variable climates are more capable of acclimating to rising temperatures, and are therefore characterized by greater phenotypic plasticity, than species adapted to less thermally variable environments. But this pattern has not been extensively evaluated for populations within a species that may inhabit different parts of a thermal gradient. In addition, it remains unclear whether different populations with different thermal sensitivities will maintain the same functional ecological roles as thermal regimes shift. To address this question, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment using Melanoplus femurrubrum grasshopper populations from Connecticut and Vermont, USA. During summer, the Vermont site was 3 °C cooler on average with 1.5-fold greater temperature variation than the Connecticut site. We measured thermal sensitivity (metabolic rate Q10) of individuals from each population reared in home field and transplanted sites and the nature and strength of trophic interactions with grasses and goldenrod (Solidago). Both grasshopper populations exhibited plasticity, but Q10 of both populations at Vermont was 1.5-fold broader than populations at the Connecticut site. All grasshoppers had similar survivorship but not similar effects on plants, exhibiting stronger effects on grasses in their home fields relative to their transplanted sites. Only Vermont grasshoppers transplanted to Connecticut significantly impacted Solidago. The study shows populations may physiologically acclimate quickly under new thermal conditions, suggesting stronger tolerance to change than often presumed. But, thermal acclimatization may not translate into the maintenance of a species’ functional role. The work underscores the need to link analyses of physiological performance with ecological function to obtain a complete picture of climate change effects on communities.