cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of urban housing demolition as a source of lead in ambient dust on sidewalks, streets, and alleys

Abstract We examined changes in ambient dust lead (Pb) levels associated with the demolition of older row houses containing lead paint in Baltimore, MD, USA. Our previous paper describes the three study sites, the demolition processes, and increases in the Pb dustfall rate during demolition (>40-fold) and debris removal (>6-fold) within 10 m of sites where wetting was of limited effectiveness. This paper presents the analysis of settled dust collected using a cyclone device from streets, sidewalks, and alleys within 100 m of study sites before, immediately after, and 1 month after demolition. We found acute increases in Pb loadings and dust loadings after demolition and debris removal that are of public health concern. Streets and alleys had the greatest increases in Pb loadings and the highest levels overall. At one site, geometric mean (GM) Pb loadings immediately after demolition increased 200% for streets to 8080 μg/ft 2 , 138% for alleys to 6020 μg/ft 2 , and 26% for sidewalks to 2170 μg/ft 2 . One month after demolition, the GM Pb loadings for streets, alleys, and sidewalks were reduced on average by 41–67% from postdemolition levels and were below baseline levels for alleys and sidewalks. The other main site had smaller increases in GM Pb loadings immediately after demolition—18% for alleys to 1740 μg/ft 2 and 18% for sidewalks to 2050 μg/ft 2 —and a decrease of 29% for streets to 2730 μg/ft 2 . Exterior dust is a public health concern because it is a pathway of ambient Pb exposure and a potential source of residential exposure via tracking and reaerosolization and redeposition. Our findings highlight the need to control demolition-related Pb deposition and to educate planners, contractors, and health and housing agencies. This is particularly important given the large numbers of aging US dwellings that will be razed as part of future urban redevelopment efforts.
On the use of the WISC-R supplementary subtests as alternates.

If a regularly administered WISC-R subtest cannot be administered properly or is invalidated, the manual suggests that a supplementary subtest, either Digit Span or Mazes, can serve as a substitute, but perhaps prorating the sum of scaled scores on the remaining subtests would be better. Data from the WISC-R standardization sample were analyzed to investigate the psychometric properties of these two variants of the standard procedure. Proration consistently resulted in higher validities (i.e., correlations between scores on the variant Verbal, Performance, or Full Scale and scores on the corresponding original scale), whereas substitution almost as consistently resulted in higher reliabilities, but in both cases the differences were small. Examiners may decide for themselves whether or not to use the supplementary subtests as alternates.
Managing FX risk: How useful is accounting information?

Multinational companies manage their exposure to changes in foreign exchange (FX) rates, in part, by using FX derivatives (FXD). And recent volatility in FX rates has increased the importance of evaluating this strategic choice. However, current accounting practices do not provide timely and sufficient information to accurately predict future cash flows for FXD hedge percentages less than 100 percent. This article will help CFOs and treasurers with their FX risk and cash management strategies—by describing the limits of existing accounting information on derivatives use and the Financial Accounting Standards Board's efforts to address such limits. Since CFOs are required to sign off on the veracity and accuracy of financial statements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, they should understand the limits of FXD hedge accounting information. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
When similarity and causality compete in category-based property generalization

Five experiments were performed to investigate the category-based generalization ofnonblank properties, properties that were novel but that were attributed to existing category features with causal explanations. Experiments 1–3 tested how such explanations interact with the well-known effects of similarity on such generalizations. The results showed that when the causal explanations were used, standard effects of typicality (Experiment 1), diversity (Experiment 2), or similarity itself (Experiment 3) were almost completely eliminated. Experiments 4 and 5 demonstrated that category-based generalizations exhibit some of the standard properties of causal reasoning; for example, an effect (i.e., a novel category property) is judged to be more prevalent when its cause (i.e., an existing category feature) is also prevalent. These findings suggest that category-based property generalization is often an instance of causal inference.
Crystallization of various compositions in the Y2O3–SiO2 system

In as-sintered silicon nitride with yttria as a sintering aid, the intergranular glassy phase contains Y, Si, O, and N. Results of crystallization of partly crystalline, as-quenched melt samples containing 28–40 mol% Y2O3 in the Y2O3–SiO2 system are presented. Three different compositions were melted in tungsten crucibles at 2100 °C in 1 and 50 atm nitrogen and heat treated in air in the temperature range of 1200 to 1600 °C. Phase identification by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed crystallization to β, γ, and δ polymorphs of Y2Si2O7.
CRT-804 Impact of Procedure Access on Early and Late Outcome of Severe Aortic Stenosis Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Studies investigating the impact of procedural access on outcome of severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have shown conflicting results. Our aim was to characterize baseline differences between TAVR patients undergoing via transfemoral (TF)
Children's Use of Slope to Guide Navigation: Sex Differences Relate to Spontaneous Slope Perception

Recent findings show that human adults can use slope to guide spatial search, although men significantly outperform women. To examine the sex difference more closely, we tested school-age children in a similar paradigm. Over four trials, children (n = 110) were disoriented and asked to locate a hidden target when the floor of a square enclosure was flat (control condition), sloped (slope condition), or sloped with a “ball drop demonstration,” intended to make the slope more salient (ball drop condition). In the presence of the slope cue, children performed above chance, although boys significantly outperformed girls. Boys were also more likely to notice the slope, and spontaneous slope perception was key to using the slope cue.
A Test of Bowen Theory: Emotional Reactivity and Psychological Distress in a Clinical Sample

This project was a replication of previous work (Bartle-Haring, Rosen, & Stith, 2002). In the current investigation, a sample of adults seeking services at a university marriage and family therapy clinic was used to test the model previously used by Bartle-Haring et al. (2002) in order to support the use of the Adult Behavioral and Emotional Reactivity Index (Bartle-Haring, Leite, Brucker, Griffin, Miller, & Yang, 1997) and to test Bowen's notions of the relationship between differentiation of self from the family of origin and psychological symptoms with the possibility of gender differences. The results support Bowen theory, question the use of the ABERI and provide findings that are in conflict with the original study. A developmental hypothesis is offered to explain the differences.
Two-year-olds can begin to acquire verb meanings in socially impoverished contexts

By two years of age, toddlers are adept at recruiting social, observational, and linguistic cues to discover the meanings of words. Here, we ask how they fare in impoverished contexts in which linguistic cues are provided, but no social or visual information is available. Novel verbs are presented in a stream of syntactically informative sentences, but the sentences are not embedded in a social context, and no visual access to the verb's referent is provided until the test phase. The results provide insight into how toddlers may benefit from overhearing contexts in which they are not directly attending to the ambient speech, and in which no conversational context, visual referent, or child-directed conversation is available.
Structures of cationized proline analogues: evidence for the zwitterionic form.

The structures of lithiated and sodiated α-methyl-proline (α-Me-Pro) and structural isomers, both with and without a water molecule, are investigated using blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD) and density functional theory. From the BIRD kinetic data measured as a function of temperature, combined with master equation modeling of these data, threshold dissociation energies for the loss of a water molecule from these clusters are obtained. These energies are 77.5 ± 0.5 and 53 ± 1 kJ/mol for lithiated and sodiated α-Me-Pro, respectively. For the nonzwitterionic isomer, proline methyl ester, these values are 3.0−4.5 kJ/mol higher. These results provide compelling experimental evidence that α-Me-Pro is zwitterionic in these clusters. Theory at the temperature corrected B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-31++G** level indicates that the salt-bridge or zwitterionic forms of lithiated and sodiated α-Me-Pro are between 17 and 23 kJ/mol lower in energy than the nonzwitterionic or charge-solvated forms and that ...
An assessment of Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) stereo-derived cloud top heights and cloud top winds using ground-based radar, lidar, and microwave radiometers

[1] In this article stereoscopically derived cloud top heights and cloud winds estimated from the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) are assessed. MISR is one of five instruments on board the NASA Terra satellite. The cloud top height assessment is based on a comparison of more than 4 years of MISR retrievals with that derived from ground-based radar and lidar systems operated by the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program. The assessment includes a comparison of the MISR cloud top heights and ground-based data sets as a function of cloud optical depth and a simple cloud classification. Overall, we find that the MISR retrieval is working well with little bias for most cloud types, when the cloud is sufficiently optically thick to be detected. The detection limit is found to be around optical depth 0.3 to 0.5, except over snow and ice surfaces where it is larger. The standard deviation across all clouds is less than about 1000 m for the MISR best winds retrievals at all ARM sites, and the standard deviation for the MISR without winds retrieval varied between about 1000 to 1300 m, depending on the site. The performance for various cloud types is explored.
Interaction Control for Rehabilitation Robotics via a Low-Cost Force Sensing Handle

This paper investigates the possibility of implementing force-feedback controllers using measurement of interaction force obtained through force-sensing resistors (FSRs), to improve performance of human interacting robots. A custom sensorized handle was developed, with the capability of simultaneously measuring grip force and interaction force during robot-aided rehabilitation therapy. Experiments are performed in order to assess the suitability of FSRs to implement force-feedback interaction controllers. In the force-feedback control condition, the applied force for constant speed motion of a linear 1DOF haptic interface is reduced 6.1 times compared to the uncontrolled condition, thus demonstrating the possibility of improving transparency through force-feedback via FSRs.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Importance of Factor VIIa Gla-Domain Residue Arg-36 for Recognition of the Macromolecular Substrate Factor X Gla-Domain†

Macromolecular substrate docking with coagulation enzyme−cofactor complexes involves multiple contacts distant from the enzyme's catalytic cleft. Here we characterize the binding of the Gla-domain of macromolecular substrate coagulation factor X to the complex of tissue factor (TF) and VIIa. Site-directed mutagenesis of charged residue side chains in the VIIa Gla-domain identified Arg-36 as being important for macromolecular substrate docking. Ala substitution for Arg-36 resulted in an increased KM and a decreased rate of X activation. X with a truncated Gla-domain was activated by mutant and wild-type VIIa at indistinguishable rates, demonstrating that Arg-36 interactions require a properly folded Gla-domain of the macromolecular substrate. VIIa Arg-36 was also required for effective docking of the X Gla-domain in the absence of phospholipid, demonstrating that the Gla-domain of VIIa participates in protein−protein interactions with X. In the absence of TF, the mutant VIIa had essentially normal function...
“Greed is good” ... or is it? Economic ideology and moral tension in a graduate school of business

This article reports the results of an exploratory investigation of a particular area of moral tension experienced by MBA students in a graduate school of business. During the first phase of the study, MBA students' own perceptions about the moral climate and culture of the business school were examined. The data gathered in this first part of the study indicate that the students recognize that a central part of this culture is constituted by a shared familiarity with a set of institutionally reinforced premises about human behavior and motivation including the ideas that: 1) people are self-interested utility-maximizers, 2) individuals should be unimpeded in their pursuit of their own self-interest through “economic” transactions, and 3) virtually all human interactionsare economic transactions. The data further indicated that the business students experience a degree of tension between this ethic of “self-maximizing” and the “everyday” ethics prevalent in our broader culture, in which altruism and selflessness are central elements. The final section of the study was an effort to see whether and how these institutionally sanctioned premises were integrated into the students' arguments about the relationship between self-interest and social responsibility.
Studies on the nerve endings in the heart

The hearts of dogs, cats, monkeys and lambs were studied by methylene blue perfusion and/or immersion. The principle types of sensory nerve terminals found in these hearts were end-nets and complex unencapsulated endings. End-nets are formed by the anastomoses of the branched dendrites of several apparently different myelinated fibers. Complex unencapsulated endings are discrete much branched endings of medium to large sized fibers and vary greatly in form and size. The epicardium is supplied mainly with complex unencapsulated endings of highly variable form. End-nets are rare in this location. No sensory endings were demonstrated in the myocardium. Motor terminals in the form of fine unmyelinated nerve fibers were demonstrated on both atrial and ventricular myocardial muscle fibers. The atrial endocardium, particularly in the areas of the openings of the great vessels and on the interatrial septum is the best innervated area of the heart. Endnets, and a wide variety of complex unencapsulated nerve endings occur singly and in combination in these areas. The ventricular endocardium is supplied only with end-nets. The tricuspid and mitral valve leaflets have both end-nets and complex unencapsulated endings while the aortic and pulmonary valve leaflets have only end-nets. The cardiac complex unencapsulated nerve endings (baroreceptors) are morphologically and functionally homologous to complex unencapsulated nerve endings (“stretch” receptors) in other areas of the organism. The detailed structure and function of the end-net terminals remain undetermined.
Birefringence In Biological Materials

The polarizing microscope has been used to reveal submicroscopic organization in biological materials for over a century. Examples of intrinsic, form, stress and anomalous dispersion birefringence have all been found, sometimes in the same cell. A major advantage of birefringence analysis is that cells can be studied in their native state. Also, structural gradients can sometimes be seen within a cell that are not detected using other physical or anatomical methods. On the other hand, the technique is non-specific, so experiments must be carefully designed to extract information about molecular level organization. Our current insight into the structure of biological membranes had its beginnings in birefringence analyses of the multi-membrane layers found in myelin sheaths and retinal rod outer segments. Recent studies of rod outer segments have shown that the internal ordering of membrane components can change as the membrane ages. Since birefringence can be monitored in viable cells, the technique has been applied to a variety of excitable tissues. Membrane-potential dependent structure changes have been found in nerve and muscle. In rod outer segments, complex birefringence changes are initiated when light is absorbed by visual pigments. Birefringence studies may therefore eventually provide insights into membrane function as well as structure.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Representation of stress intensity factors by path integrals of the first stress invariant or anti-plane displacement for general two-dimensional static problems

Determining stress intensity factors (SIFs) is a difficult task either analytically or experimentally. The difficulty arises from the fact that there is no simple and accurate expression for the SIFs under general circumstances. As a result, the determination of the SIFs is usually a complex process. For finding a suitable expression for the SIFs, the first stress invariant and anti-plane displacement are analyzed, and Green's theorem is used. It is found that the stress intensity factors can be represented by path integrals involving only the first stress invariant or anti-plane displacement for general two-dimensional static problems. KI and KII are represented by path integrals of the first stress invariant and its partial derivative. KIII is represented by a path integral of the anti-plane displacement as well as its partial derivative. The integrals are path-independent and valid for an arbitrarily shaped elastic medium with stationary cracks of arbitrary shape. They are also valid for a body containing isolated inhomogeneities such as holes and inclusions. If a crack is straight near its tip, and if the straight portion of the crack can be treated as a cut along the radius of a simply connected circular disk, there exists another kind of integrals representation that does not include the partial derivative terms in the representation for KI. The representation by these integrals provides a new approach to determine the SIFs experimentally, which is simpler and more accurate. This is because the integrals are exact expressions for the SIFs and involve only the first stress invariant or anti-plane displacement.
Researchers of the World, Create!

In this article, the author wants to work against simplified and mechanical notions of qualitative research simultaneously illustrating that researchers have a choice. The author aims to create an overlapping and plural text that is dynamic, presenting possibilities for surprise and more intensive experiences with research and texts. More specifically, the author disrupts the traditional ordered narrative in a conceptualizing and critiquing of methodological simplicity through the use of voids, intervals (reflections, disclosures, images), and examples from other researchers. The author proposes that methodological multiplicity and complexity can move researchers toward conceptual, analytical, and interpretive spaces that can meet the needs of ever-changing communities of practice.
Periodicity, directionality, and randomness: Wold features for image modeling and retrieval

One of the fundamental challenges in pattern recognition is choosing a set of features appropriate to a class of problems. In applications such as database retrieval, it is important that image features used in pattern comparison provide good measures of image perceptual similarities. We present an image model with a new set of features that address the challenge of perceptual similarity. The model is based on the 2D Wold decomposition of homogeneous random fields. The three resulting mutually orthogonal subfields have perceptual properties which can be described as "periodicity," "directionality," and "randomness," approximating what are indicated to be the three most important dimensions of human texture perception. The method presented improves upon earlier Wold-based models in its tolerance to a variety of local inhomogeneities which arise in natural textures and its invariance under image transformation such as rotation. An image retrieval algorithm based on the new texture model is presented. Different types of image features are aggregated for similarity comparison by using a Bayesian probabilistic approach. The, effectiveness of the Wold model at retrieving perceptually similar natural textures is demonstrated in comparison to that of two other well-known pattern recognition methods. The Wold model appears to offer a perceptually more satisfying measure of pattern similarity while exceeding the performance of these other methods by traditional pattern recognition criteria. Examples of natural scene Wold texture modeling are also presented.
Modular fixed-bearing total knee arthroplasty with retention of the posterior cruciate ligament. A study of patients followed for a minimum of fifteen years.

Background: There have been a limited number of studies of total knee arthroplasties with durations of follow-up of fifteen years, but we are not aware of any involving modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining prostheses. Methods: A consecutive series of 139 total knee arthroplasties in 109 patients (average age, sixty-seven years), performed by one surgeon using a nonconforming posterior cruciate-retaining prosthesis, was followed for fifteen years or longer. Forty-five patients (fifty-nine knees) were examined at a minimum of fifteen years postoperatively, fifty-seven patients (seventy knees) had died, five patients (eight knees) were too ill to return for assessment, and two patients (two knees) were considered lost to follow-up. The patients were assessed clinically with use of the Knee Society clinical rating system, and the knees were assessed radiographically. Survivorship analysis was performed with use of worst-case-scenario analysis and with failure defined as a reoperation for any reason. Results: There were five reoperations, four of which were performed because of wear of the polyethylene insert. In addition, one loose cemented femoral component was revised at fifteen years. The survival rate without revision or a need for any reoperation was 92.6% at fifteen years. The mean Knee Society score and functional score at fifteen years were 96 and 78 points, respectively. The prevalence of radiolucent lines was 13%, with 2% around the femur, 11% around the tibia, and none around the patella. None of these lines were clinically relevant. There was no evidence of progressive radiolucent lines, and there was one case of asymptomatic femoral osteolysis. Conclusions: In this single-surgeon series, modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasties had good clinical and radiographic results with excellent survivorship for up to fifteen years. These results are comparable with those in long-term studies of posterior stabilized implants and of prostheses with mobile-bearing and nonmodular tibial inserts. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Enzymatic formation of chemically reactive metabolites of N-nitroso-desmethyl tripelennamine by a mechanism other than N-dealkylation☆

Abstract Benzyl- 14 C and N -methyl- 3 H labeled N -nitroso derivatives (NDT) of tripelennamine were synthesized by reacting the corresponding labeled parent drug with sodium nitrite at pH 1–2, and their covalent binding to rat liver musomes was compared with that of radiolabeled tripelennamine. The covalent binding of these substances is mediated by liver musomal cytochrome P-450 enzymes; it required an NADPH-generating system and oxygen, and was inhibited by CO:O 2 (8:2). Reduced glutathione (1 mM) also inhibited the covalent binding. The covalent binding of NDT to liver musomal proteins from phenobarbital-pretreated rats was ten times greater than that of tripelennamine. A K m of 60 μM and a V max of 1 nmole/mg of protein/min were obtained for the covalent binding of NDT. Phenobarbital and acetone pretreatments of rats increased covalent binding of both the drug and its nitroso derivative, while pretreatment with 3-methyl-cholanthrene decreased their binding. These results suggest that chemically reactive intermediates of tripelennamine and NDT are involved in the covalent binding. Under the conditions in vitro employed, the rate of N -demethylation of NDT was lower than that of the parent drug. Moreover, the covalent binding of the N -methyl- 3 H labeled nitroso derivative was equivalent to that of the benzyl- 14 C labeled derivative. Thus, N -demethylation is not a requisite for the covalent binding of tripelennamine and its N -nitroso derivative. The mechanism of the covalent binding of the N -nitroso derivative of tripelennamine, therefore, differs from that of dimethylnitrosamine.
Can a valid diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorder be made in preschool children

OBJECTIVE: Disruptive behavior problems are the most common reason preschool children come to mental health clinics. Yet consensus on the conceptualization and measurement of such problems in young children is lacking. DSM-IV is the most widely used nosologic system for children, but the majority of the validation sample consisted of school-age children and adolescents. It is debatable whether behavioral problems in young children should be considered within a diagnostic framework at all, since normative behavioral disruption occurs during the preschool period. Developing valid methods for assessing child behavior problems across development is critical for etiologic and prevention research. METHOD: The authors compare different approaches to conceptualizing disruptive behavior in young children, review evidence for the construct validity of DSM-based oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in preschool children, and outline an agenda for future research. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Typical and at...
Issues in the Classification of Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

Abstract This paper discusses classification of child and adolescent psychopathology and, in particular, the DSM-III-R psychiatric classification system. The significance of certain conceptual features of the DSM-III system (such as the categorical approach to classification, the multiaxial framework, and the descriptive atheoretical view of disorders) is discussed. The DSM system is evaluated in terms of its reliability, validity, coverage, and feasibility for clinical use. Some of the specific changes made between DSM-III and DSM-III-R are considered. Finally, the future of classification of child and adolescent psychopathology is considered.
Resonance stabilization of cycle groups of hydrogen-bonded water molecules.

Abstract A quantum-mechanical resonance effect can be associated with cyclic groups of hydrogen-bonded water molecules and, conceivably, might influence the structure of liquid water (M. Ageno, these PROCEEDINGS, 57, 567 (1967)). However, from the calculations presented here, this resonance stabilization appears to be too small (<0.1 kcal/mole) to over come the thermal motion of the water molecules and consequently cannot significantly influence the liquid water structure. The model developed here permits the estimation of an upper limit to the stabilization. The bridge protons are imagined to be simultaneously tunneling through the barriers of equivalent symmetric double-well potentials, and the resulting energy-level splittings are related to the resonance stabilization.
Studies of Dynamic Protein-Protein Interactions in Bacteria Using Renilla Luciferase Complementation Are Undermined by Nonspecific Enzyme Inhibition

The luciferase protein fragment complementation assay is a powerful tool for studying protein-protein interactions. Two inactive fragments of luciferase are genetically fused to interacting proteins, and when these two proteins interact, the luciferase fragments can reversibly associate and reconstitute enzyme activity. Though this technology has been used extensively in live eukaryotic cells, split luciferase complementation has not yet been applied to studies of dynamic protein-protein interactions in live bacteria. As proof of concept and to develop a new tool for studies of bacterial chemotaxis, fragments of Renilla luciferase (Rluc) were fused to the chemotaxis-associated response regulator CheY3 and its phosphatase CheZ in the enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Luciferase activity was dependent on the presence of both CheY3 and CheZ fusion proteins, demonstrating the specificity of the assay. Furthermore, enzyme activity was markedly reduced in V. cholerae chemotaxis mutants, suggesting that this approach can measure defects in chemotactic signaling. However, attempts to measure changes in dynamic CheY3-CheZ interactions in response to various chemoeffectors were undermined by nonspecific inhibition of the full-length luciferase. These observations reveal an unexpected limitation of split Rluc complementation that may have implications for existing data and highlight the need for great caution when evaluating small molecule effects on dynamic protein-protein interactions using the split luciferase technology.
A Theorem on the State Reduction of Synthesized Stochastic Machines

Stochastic sequential machines produced by the insertion of noise in a deterministic machine are considered; the question of the relationship between the state reduction of the machine so formed and that of the underlying deterministic machine is raised. The theorem states that, for the case of observational noise only, if the stochastic machine has stochastically distinguishable outputs, then it is reduced iff the underlying machine is reduced. Machines with additive noise are used as an example of application.
Universal Jurisdiction: The Sierra Leone Profile—Problematic Features

The present state of the law governing universal jurisdiction in Sierra Leone is beset with much uncertainty and imprecision. There are also some aspects of it that seem incompatible with international legal norms and standards. Apart from definitional problems, there are also conceptual, institutional and other major gaps in the law. This chapter articulates comprehensively the problematical features of the law from three related perspectives: statutory, jurisprudential, and practical.
Cleaning search results using term distance features

The presence of Web spam in query results is one of the critical challenges facing search engines today. While search engines try to combat the impact of spam pages on their results, the incentive for spammers to use increasingly sophisticated techniques has never been higher, since the commercial success of a Web page is strongly correlated to the number of views that page receives. This paper describes a term-based technique for spam detection based on a simple new summary data structure called Term Distance Histograms that tries to capture the topical structure of a page. We apply this technique as a post-filtering step to a major search engine. Our experiments show that we are able to detect many of the artificially generated spam pages that remained in the results of the engine. Specifically, our method is able to detect many web pages generated by utilizing techniques such as dumping, weaving, or phrase stitching [11], which are spamming techniques designed to achieve high rankings while still exhibiting many of the individual word frequency (and even bi-gram) properties of natural human text.
Photochemical addition of perfluoro-n-butyl iodide to alkynes and olefins

Abstract Perfluoro-n-butyl iodide reacts photochemically with alkynes and other unsaturated organic compounds to give the corresponding adducts in quantitative yields. The kinetics of addition were studied by 19 F-NMR, and indicated that the reaction involves a free radical mechanism.
Artificial symbols and the essence of intelligent computing

A challenge for intelligent computing is translating the skills of innovation into mathematical theory and persistent learning algorithms. Computational intelligence differs from artificial intelligence in that artificial intelligence reasons over symbols while computational intelligence reasons over sub-symbolic data and information. Natural symbos arise from shared human experiences. The creative quality of human interaction suggests symbol generation involves a collection of cooperative agents capable of representing relative experience, negotiating innovation, and---finally---building consensus. As hybrids of sub-symbolic and symbolic reasoning become the norm, it is necessary to formalize the design and evaluation of artificial symbols. In this paper, we delineate the difference between sub-symbolic patterns and symbolic experience. Further, we propose fundamental theory supporting the autonomous construction of artificial symbols which---we assert---is the ultimate culmination of an intelligent computation. We apply this theory to model selection among neural networks.
A Router Architecture for Real-Time Point-to-Point Networks

Parallel machines have the potential to satisfy the large computational demands of emerging real-time applications. These applications require a predictable communication network, where time-constrained traffic requires bounds on latency or throughput while good average performance suffices for best-effort packets. This paper presents a router architecture that tailors low-level routing, switching, arbitration and flow-control policies to the conflicting demands of each traffic class. The router implements deadline-based scheduling, with packet switching and table-driven multicast routing, to bound end-to-end delay for time-constrained traffic, while allowing best-effort traffic to capitalize on the low-latency routing and switching schemes common in modern parallel machines. To limit the cost of servicing time-constrained traffic, the router shares packet buffers and link-scheduling logic between the multiple output ports. Verilog simulations demonstrate that the design meets the performance goals of both traffic classes in a single-chip solution.
Comparative subchronic toxicity of all-trans- and 13-cis- retinoic acid in Sprague--Dawley rats.

Abstract These studies were carried out to provide additional information on the toxicity of isomeric retinoic acids that may be useful for chemoprevention of epithelial cancer. Young adult Sprague-Dawley rats 52 days old and weighing approximately 200 g were treated for 4, 8, or 12 weeks with a daily oral dose of 0.5, 2.0, or 5.0 mg/kg of all-trans-retinoic acid or 4.0, 15.0, or 40.0 mg/kg of 13-cis-retinoic acid. No differences were observed in the percentage of weight gained or in food consumption between treated and control rats. Dose-related decreases in plasma albumin concentration were observed in female rats treated with either compound and in male rats treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid. Increases in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity appeared in rats treated with either compound. Decreased hemoglobin concentrations were dose-related in rats treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid but not in those treated with the all-trans compound. Overt toxicity was not observed after administration of either compound, but 13-cis-retinoic acid may have a greater potential for clinical utility, since higher dosages were tolerated.
Protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of a ciliary membrane protein and inhibition of ciliary beating

The present study examined whether protein kinase C phosphorylated a ciliary protein and whether this phosphorylation event was temporally correlated with a decrease in ciliary beat frequency. Activation of protein kinase C decreased ciliary beat frequency of sheep tracheal epithelium, an effect fully blockable by pretreatment of the tissue pieces with H-7, a protein kinase inhibitor. Using cilia removed from these epithelial surfaces and incubated in solutions containing stimulators of protein kinase C along with [gamma-32P]ATP or [gamma-35S]ATP, a single protein target of ciliary protein kinase C activity was identified. The protein is a polypeptide of molecular mass 37 kDa (p37) as estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein kinase C dependency of p37 phosphorylation was proven by showing that Calphostin C, a specific protein kinase C inhibitor, blocked label incorporation into p37 completely, and by demonstrating that purified protein kinase C phosphorylated p37. Inhibitors of cAMP-dependent kinase and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase did not change the phosphorylation of p37 in the presence of protein kinase C activators. p37 was recovered in a Triton X-100-extractable fraction of this ciliary preparation, suggesting that p37 is membrane associated. This hypothesis was further supported by the fact that p37 was present in a pellet representing reconstituted membranes. Thin-layer electrophoresis revealed that p37 was phosphorylated on serine and tyrosine residues, suggesting that the activation of protein kinase C also stimulated tyrosine kinase activity. p37 did not precipitate with annexin I or II antibodies. These results show that sheep tracheal cilia contain protein kinase C activity and that activated protein kinase C phosphorylates a membrane-associated ovine ciliary target, an effect temporally related to a protein kinase C-mediated decrease in ciliary beat frequency.
Living through the end: The phenomenon of dying at home.

OBJECTIVES To explore the unique lived experiences of one patient who died at home and her family members, and to interpret how dying at home influenced patterns of bereavement for this patient's family. METHODS Benner's (1985) interpretive phenomenological approach was employed to get at the embedded nature of the social phenomenon of dying at home, uncovering what may be taken for granted by participants - in this case, during and after the patient's home hospice course. The participants were a 78-year-old female diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis six months prior to death, her husband, and three of her four children. In line with the patient's wish to die at home, she voluntarily forewent food and drink when she no longer wished to watch her body deteriorate and felt that her life had run its course. She informed her family of this plan, and all were supportive. For data collection, separate single in-depth interviews were conducted with the deceased three months prior to death, and after death with three of her four children and her spouse of 60 years. For data analysis, the interview transcripts were coded for paradigm cases, exemplars, and themes. RESULTS The paradigm case, "The Meaning of Being at Home," revealed that for study participants, remaining home with hospice provided a richly familiar, quiet, and safe environment for being together over time and focusing on relationships. Exemplars included "Driving Her Own Course" and "Not Being a Burden." Salient themes encompassed patient and family characteristics, support, emotions, the value of time, and aspects of the healthcare team. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS End-of-life care providers need to hold a patient-centered, family-focused view to facilitate patient and family wishes to remain home to die. Investigation into family relationships, from the perspectives of both patient and family members, longitudinally, may enrich understanding and ability and help patients to die at home.
Dynorphin inhibits basal forebrain cholinergic neurons by pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms.

Key points The basal forebrain is an important component of the ascending arousal system and may be a key site through which the orexin neurons promote arousal. It has long been known that orexin-A and -B excite basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, but orexin-producing neurons also make the inhibitory peptide dynorphin. Using whole-cell recordings in brain slices, we found that dynorphin-A directly inhibits basal forebrain cholinergic neurons via κ-opioid receptors, and decreases afferent excitatory synaptic input to these neurons. While the effects of dynorphin-A and orexin-A desensitize over multiple applications, co-application of dynorphin-A and orexin-A produces a sustained response that reverses depending on the membrane potential of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. At −40 mV the net effect of the co-application is inhibition by dynorphin-A, whereas at −70 mV the excitatory response to orexin-A prevails. Abstract The basal forebrain (BF) is an essential component of the ascending arousal systems and may be a key site through which the orexin (also known as hypocretin) neurons drive arousal and promote the maintenance of normal wakefulness. All orexin neurons also make dynorphin, and nearly all brain regions innervated by the orexin neurons express kappa opiate receptors, the main receptor for dynorphin. This is remarkable because orexin excites target neurons including BF neurons, but dynorphin has inhibitory effects. We identified the sources of dynorphin input to the magnocellular preoptic nucleus and substantia innominata (MCPO/SI) in mice and determined the effects of dynorphin-A on MCPO/SI cholinergic neurons using patch-clamp recordings in brain slices. We found that the orexin neurons are the main source of dynorphin input to the MCPO/SI region, and dynorphin-A inhibits MCPO/SI cholinergic neurons through κ-opioid receptors by (1) activation of a G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium current, (2) inhibition of a voltage-gated Ca2+ current and (3) presynaptic depression of the glutamatergic input to these neurons. The responses both to dynorphin-A and to orexin-A desensitize, but co-application of dynorphin-A and orexin-A produces a sustained response. In addition, the polarity of the response to the co-application depends on the membrane potential of BF neurons; at −40 mV the net effect of the co-application is inhibition by dynorphin-A, whereas at −70 mV the excitatory response to orexin-A prevails. This suggests that depending on their state of activation, BF cholinergic neurons can be excited or inhibited by signals from the orexin neurons.
Use of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Array for Tumor Aberrations in Gene Copy Numbers

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was originally developed to determine the genotypes of a study population for linkage analysis or individual genetic variation analysis. Over the last few years, the number of SNP loci that can be evaluated in a single assay has increased from approximately 1500 to more than 500,000, covering all 22 autosomes and the X chromosome. Because the hybridization signal of each oligonucleotide on the SNP array depends on the amount of target DNA, various statistic algorithms have been developed to estimate the copy number of each SNP locus. Several studies have demonstrated the utility of the SNP array analysis in the detection of gene copy number aberrations in tumor DNA. In this review, we discuss the use of the SNP array analysis in determining tumor aberrations in gene copy numbers, the challenge of using tumor samples in the analysis, and improvements in software for copy number measurement using SNP arrays. The unique ability of the SNP array to determine both the genotype and copy number has uncovered novel DNA amplification events that involve only a single allele.
Ethyl 2-allylsulfanyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate.

In the title compound, C18H22N2O3S, the pyrimidine ring is not planar. It adopts a half-chair conformation The crystal structure is characterized by classical N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O inter- and intra­molecular hydrogen bonds, respectively. The title compound exhibits a wide spectrum of biological activities.
Characterization of a decrease in muscarinic m2 mRNA in cerebellar granule cells by carbachol

Studies involving carbachol (100 microM) treatment of cerebellar granule cells for 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hr show a decrease in the mRNA encoding for the muscarinic m2 receptor. The response was transient, decreasing m2 mRNA by 25 to 50% in 6 and 9 hr, respectively. The data presented in this work were quantified by ribonuclease protection assay, using a [32P]-cRNA probe corresponding to nucleotide +1138 to 1650 of the rat m2 muscarinic receptor. Because cerebellar granule cells express muscarinic m2 and m3 receptors, we tested whether the carbachol-mediated decrease in m2 mRNA resulted from a homologous or heterologous activation of muscarinic receptors. At a 1 microM concentration, methoctramine specifically blocked the muscarinic m2 receptor and reversed carbachol's action. These data suggested that carbachol acts via a possible homologous activation of muscarinic m2 receptors. The half-life of the receptor mRNA measured in the presence of actinomycin D with and without carbachol were similar. Because carbachol treatments decrease the steady-state levels of m2 mRNA without changing the half-life of the message, we suggest that a carbachol treatment induces a decrease in the transcription of the gene for the muscarinic m2 receptor.
The Brief Kinesthesia test is feasible and sensitive: a study in stroke.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians lack a quantitative measure of kinesthetic sense, an important contributor to sensorimotor control of the hand and arm. OBJECTIVES: The objective here was to determine the feasibility of administering the Brief Kinesthesia Test (BKT) and begin to validate it by 1) reporting BKT scores from persons with chronic stroke and a healthy comparison group and 2) examining the relationship between the BKT scores and other valid sensory and motor measures. METHOD: Adults with stroke and mild to moderate hemiparesis (N=12) and an age-, gender-, and handedness-matched healthy comparison group (N=12) completed the BKT by reproducing three targeted reaching movements per hand with vision occluded. OTHER MEASURES: the Hand Active Sensation Test (HASTe), Touch-Test(tm) monofilament aesthesiometer, 6-item Wolf Motor Function Test (Wolf), the Motor Activity Log (MAL), and the Box and Blocks Test (BBT). A paired t-test compared BKT scores between groups. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients assessed the relationship between BKT scores and other measures. RESULTS: Post-stroke participants performed more poorly on the BKT than comparison participants with their contralesional and ipsilesional upper extremity. The mean difference for the contralesional upper extremity was 3.7 cm (SE=1.1, t=3.34; p<0.008). The BKT score for the contralesional limb was strongly correlated with the MAL-how much (r=0.84, p=0.001), the MAL-how well (r=0.76, p=0.007), Wolf (r=0.69, p=0.02), and the BBT (r=0.77, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The BKT was feasible to administer and sensitive to differences in reaching accuracy between persons with stroke and a comparison group. With further refinement, The BKT may become a valuable clinical measure of post-stroke kinesthetic impairment.