cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Distinguishing Characteristic of Task-based Language Assessment

Since its advent, the principles of Task-Based Language Teaching have been extended to assessment giving rise to Task-Based Language Assessment. Despite the growing body of research on the efficacy of Task-Based Language Teaching in instruction, the application of the assessment based on the tenets of Task-Based Language Teaching has been mainly neglected in some studies owing to their lack of use of Task-Based Language Assessment to measure the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (viz., Li, et al., 2016). The present study emphasizes the importance of Task-Based Language Assessment and highlights the feature that distinguishes this type of assessment from other assessments. The study concludes that while the performance-referenced feature of Task-Based Language Assessment is an essential characteristic thereof, it is, in fact, the holistic and direct feature of Task-Based Language Assessment that distinguishes it from other assessments. The more the assessment measure is incorporated in the performance of assessment tasks, the more the assessment tasks are based on the tenets of Task-Based Language Assessment. Therefore, the holistic and contextualized assessment tasks improve the confidence with which language teachers could generalize the results of the assessment tasks to real-life situations.
Habitat diversity influences puma Puma concolor diet in the Chihuahuan Desert

Habitat heterogeneity and corresponding diversity in potential prey species should increase the diet breadth of generalist predators. Many previous studies describing puma Puma concolor diets in the arid regions of the southwestern United States were focused within largely xeric locations, overlooking the influence of heterogeneity created by riparian forests. Such habitat heterogeneity and corresponding prey diversity could influence prey availability and puma diet composition. We examined seasonal prey composition of pumas occupying areas with different habitat conditions representing riparian areas adjacent to the Rio Grande and xeric Chihuahuan Desert uplands in southern New Mexico. We collected prey composition data from 686 kill sites made by 17 (9 males and 8 females) GPS-collared pumas from 2014 to 2018. Diet composition included 32 different avian, aquatic, small mammal, and ungulate prey species. Prey composition varied, with more ungulate prey consumed by pumas inhabiting the upland desert areas and more aquatic prey consumed in the riparian bosque. Prey composition differed between seasons, with ungulate prey decreasing and aquatic prey increasing during the hot–dry season. Prey composition also varied between puma sex and habitat with females in the desert uplands consuming more small mammals than either males or females in riparian areas. The diverse diets of the pumas inhabiting the heterogeneous landscapes in southern New Mexico provide additional evidence that pumas have broad diets that are strongly influenced by the habitat and prey community that their home range encompasses.
Imaging of the Salivary Glands

This chapter discusses the various imaging modalities emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of each. For tumor evaluation, predicting the precise diagnosis is less important than defining the anatomy of the tumor. Particular emphasis is placed on characterization of the margin and evaluation of possible perineural spread. Various fat pads close to the skull base serve as markers for detection or exclusion of perineural spread. These include the fat in the stylomastoid foramen, the fat just below foramen ovale, and the fat in the pterygopalatine fossa. Several imaging approaches to inflammation can be effective but only if the strengths and limitations of each are considered.
Analysis of human acid beta-glucosidase by site-directed mutagenesis and heterologous expression.

Structure/function relationships of acid beta-glucosidase, the enzyme deficient in Gaucher disease, were evaluated by characterizing the proteins expressed from cDNAs encoding normal and mutant enzymes. Twenty-two Gaucher disease mutations or created mutations were expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells and analyzed for catalytic properties, stability, inhibitor binding, and modifier interactions. Many Gaucher disease mutations encoded highly disruptive amino acid substitutions (e.g. P289L and D409V) and produced severely compromised proteins with very reduced activity (kcat
Specificity of cell-cell interactions in sea urchin embryos: Appearance of new cell-surface determinants at gastrulation

Abstract Studies on normal and hybrid sea urchin embryos show that, beginning at gastrulation, hybrid cells express cell-surface antigens specific to both species. The appearance of these antigens is shown to be correlated with a change in the adhesive specificity of hybrid cells: Beginning at gastrulation, hybrid cells recognize and adhere to embryonic cells of both normal genotypes. Prior to gastrulation, hybrid cells adhere to cells of the maternal genotype only. Two adhesion assays demonstrate these adhesive preferences. (i) When cell aggregates are placed together in a dish, Lytechnius aggregates fuse together, and Tripneustes aggregates fuse together, but aggregates of the two species do not fuse with each other. Hybrid cell aggregates, if they are past the beginning of gastrulation, fuse to both Tripneustes and Lytechinus aggregates. (ii) In a collection assay, midgastrula cells of the hybrid embryos are collected at a high rate to aggregates of either species. Pregastrula hybrid cells collect at a high rate to aggregates of the maternal species only. This change in adhesive preference is temporally correlated with the appearance of new cell surface antigens. Antiserum was prepared in rabbits against membranes from Lytechinus gastrulae. Indirect immunofluorescence tests show that hybrid cells of the cross (T♀ × L♂) express Lytechinus-specific antigens at the cell surface beginning at gastrulation. Furthermore, an apparent relationship between the new cell-surface antigens and adhesion exists in that Lytechinus cell adhesion is inhibited specifically after binding Fab fragments of the Lytechinus antiserum. The antiserum has no effect on Tripneustes adhesion. The Lytechinus adhesion-inhibiting activity can be removed by absorption of the antiserum with Lytechinus cells.
Rigid chain polymers

The history of rigid chain polymers (i.e., polymers that show mesogenic behavior either in the melt or in solution) is traced from its beginnings to the present. Some correlations between certain mesogenic structures and the physical properties of the corresponding polymers are drawn, particularly as they relate to fibers and to a lesser degree to films and molding resins. Some factors relating to the processing of rod-like polymers from thermotropic melts and from lyotropic solutions are dealt with, and some end use applications for rigid chain polymers are given.
Study of displacement and residual displacement field of an interface crack by moire interferometry

Moire interferometry was used to study the deformation field and the residual deformation field around a crack laying along the interface of the adhesive layer and the adherend of graphite epoxy composite. Two steps of the experiment were carried on. First, the specimen was loaded in four levels and the fringe patterns are recorded for analyzing the in-plane displacements under each load level. Then a bigger load was applied until the crack propagation occurred. The specimen was then put in front of the interferometry mirrors so that the residual deformation could be recorded. A crack tip stress field dominated by shear was produced by the three points bending configuration with which the crack lied along the neutral surface of the beam. The complex stress intensity factor K was determined from the crack face displacement jump. The v component of the crack face displacement jump was zero for a certain segment under a limited load. It resulted in the phase angle of Krie did not change with the distance r from the crack tip. After the crack propagated, the whole crack opened completely when the load was removed. The crack kinked initially and propagated along the interface when the kinking reached the adherend. The kinking of the crack suggested that the original crack tip stress field was dominated by shear. Large difference of the stiffness of the adherend and adhesive made the adhesive sustain the shear strain about four times as large as the adherend do. Accurate measurements of surface displacement and residual displacement fields of the specimen were made by moire interferometry. Some useful information were hidden in the zone with large out-of-plane displacement resulting in the blurring of fringes. Analysis was based on a 2D assumption, although 3D deformation at the crack tip was quite evident.
The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2007 Pages: 552 Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9780521845205 (hard cover). Prices: $90.00 USD(hard cover).
The Afterlife of the Cesi Garden: Family Identity, Politics, and Memory in Early Modern Rome

One of the most celebrated gardens in early modern Rome was built by Cardinal Federico Cesi (d. 1565) near St. Peter’s Basilica. Earlier studies of the site have concentrated on the famous sixteenth-century antiquities collection displayed in the garden. The Afterlife of the Cesi Garden: Family Identity, Politics, and Memory in Early Modern Rome shifts the scholarly focus to also examine the changing appearance, functions, and the broader social, political, and economic significance of the garden for the Cesi family and for the city of Rome over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Through a close analysis of visual evidence, unpublished archival documents, and a plan of the garden by the architect Giovanni Battista Contini (d. 1723), Katherine M. Bentz demonstrates that the long post-Renaissance afterlife of the Cesi Garden reveals the ways in which politics shaped specific urban environments in Rome, how aristocratic Romans considered and used gardens over generations, and the vital and symbolic role that the garden played for centuries.
Specialized visual learning of facial signals of quality in the paper wasp, Polistes dominula

Some primates and one species of paper wasp recognize faces using specific processing strategies to extract individual identity information from conspecific faces. Explanations for the evolution of face specialization typically focus on the complexity associated with individual recognition because all currently identified species with face specialization use faces for individual recognition. In the present study, we show an independent evolution of face specialization in a paper wasp species with facial patterns that signal quality rather than individual identity. Quality signals are simpler to process than individual identity signals because quality signals do not require simultaneous integration across multiple stimuli or learning and memory. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that the complexity of processing may not be the key factor favouring the evolution of specialization. Instead, the predictable location of socially important signals relative to other anatomical features may allow easy categorization of features, thereby favouring specialized visual processing. Given that visual quality signals are found in many taxa, specific-processing mechanisms for social signals may be widespread. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 113, 992–997.
Enhancement of bimolecular reactivity by a pre-reaction van der Waals complex: the case of F + H2O → HF + HO

The low (3.84 kcal mol−1) transition state for the F + H2O → HF + HO reaction on the ground electronic state potential energy surface is pre-staged by a relatively deep (2.67 kcal mol−1) van der Waals well in the entrance channel. Quasi-classical trajectory studies indicated that this pre-reaction van der Waals complex “guides” trajectories towards the “reactant-like” transition state. Such a stereodynamic effect is shown to enhance the reactivity at low collision energies, resulting in a pronounced peak in the excitation function. A similar enhancement effect was also found in quantum dynamic calculations.
Deformation-Induced Color Changes in Melt-Processed Photoluminescent Polymer Blends

Binary blends of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and a series of highly photoluminescent (PL) 1,4-bis(α-cyano-4-alkoxystyryl)benzenes were prepared using melt-processing techniques. It was shown that the phase behavior of these blends, which comprised 0.01−3% w/w of the PL guest, could be controlled via the molecular structure of the dye, its concentration, and the processing conditions. Because of the dyes' strong tendencies to form excimers, the emission characteristics of the blends strongly depended on the extent of molecular aggregation of the PL guest molecules. Bathochromic shifts of up to 147 nm were observed when comparing the PL emission spectra of molecularly mixed blends with samples that comprise aggregates of the dyes. Phase-separated blends with apparently very small dye aggregates could be produced by rapidly quenching the samples after melt processing and subsequent plasticization with a hydrocarbon solvent. The mechanical deformation of the blends thus produced led to a pronounce...
The lack of recognition of lactating females by infant Octodon degus

A series of tests were conducted to determine whether infant degus (Octodon degus) will (a) show sensitivity to maternal olfactory cues and/or (b) discriminate between a novel adult lactating female and their mother. The pups showed no preferences when exposed to an array of different olfactory stimuli but did spend significantly more time in proximity with the novel lactating female than with their mothers. It is hypothesized that the communal rearing systems which are apparently characteristic of degus in the wild, coupled with the novelty of the lactating female, may account for these results.
Differences in the mother-infant relations of squirrel monkeys housed in social and restricted environments.

Mother and infant squirrel monkeys were housed together in either a group or a restricted environment until the infants were approximately 22 weeks of age. Observations of the mothers' and infants' behavior during this period revealed clear differences between the rearing conditions. Mothers in the socially restricted environment avoided and punished their infants more and were generally less protective than those in the group environment. However, these differences did not appear to reflect differences in maternal attitudes per se, but rather the extent to which infants in the two environments engaged in certain activities. Infants in the restricted environment attempted to play with their mother more often and remained closer to her as they became older.
The Homotopy Continuation Algorithm for the Real Nonsymmetric Eigenproblem: Further Development and Implementation

New development and implementation of a homotopy continuation algorithm for the nonsymmetric eigenvalue problem are presented, along with thorough investigation on the advantages and limitations of our code. Numerical results on substantial varieties of matrices arising in applications indicate excellent efficiency and stability of our algorithm and a drastic improvement over previous implementations.
A review of harvest policies: Understanding relative performance of control rules

Abstract Harvest policies use control rules and associated policy parameters to dictate how fishing mortality or catch and yield levels are determined, and are necessary for rational management. Common control rules include constant catch, constant fishing mortality rate, constant escapement, or a few variations of these. The “best” among these control rules for meeting common fishery objectives (e.g., maximizing yield) is a source of controversy in the literature, and results are seemingly contradictory. To compare the ability of control rules to meet widely used fishery objectives and identify potential causes for these apparently contradictory results, we did a detailed review of relevant literature. The relative performance of control rules at meeting common fishery objectives is affected by: whether uncertainty in estimated stock sizes is included in analyses, whether the maximum recruitment level (e.g., the asymptote of a Beverton–Holt stock–recruit function) is varied in an autocorrelated fashion over time, fishery objectives, and the amount of compensation in the stock–recruit relationship. Few studies have compared control rules using optimal parameters (e.g., those that maximize some objective function) that were found while including assessment error. More commonly, parameters that are optimal without assessment error are used in a comparison of control rules that includes assessment error. This approach can produce misleading results. Ideally, selection of a control rule and policy parameters is done within the framework of a stochastic simulation that considers key uncertainties. If this is not feasible, an alternative option is to “borrow” control rules from a similar fishery and set policy parameters based on biological reference points developed for a species with similar taxonomy and life-history traits. More research is needed to compare control rules when accounting for uncertainty in key population parameters, when stock–recruitment or other population dynamic parameters vary over time, and for fisheries with non-yield-based or competing objectives.
Effect of clarithromycin and azithromycin on production of cytokines by human monocytes

We examined the in vitro effect of clarithromycin and azithromycin on cytokine production by LPS and Pansorbin stimulated human monocytes. At concentrations that are physiologically achievable, both antibiotics affected in vitro production of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, GM-CSF and TNF-alpha to varying degrees. Of those individuals in whom a significant increase or decrease in cytokine production was noted, clarithromycin treatment resulted in a significant suppression of production of each cytokine in 71% and a significant increase in 29% of the individuals. Similar results were noted with azithromycin. The results with IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the clarithromycin studies were most striking. A significant decrease was noted in 60% of individuals for IL-6 and 86% for TNF-alpha. For azithromycin, the most interesting results were for IL-1alpha (decrease in 100% of individuals) and for TNF-alpha (decrease in 100% of individuals). These results show that both clarithromycin and azithromycin alter cytokine production in human monocytes and thus possess immunomodulatory activity.
Hardware implementation of MRF map inference on an FPGA platform

In this paper, we describe hardware for inference computations on Markov Random Fields (MRFs). MRFs are widely used in applications like computer vision, but conventional software solvers are slow. Belief Propagation (BP) solvers, which use patterns of local message passing on MRFs, have been studied in hardware, but their performance is unreliable. We show how a superior method—Sequential Tree-Reweighted message passing (TRW-S)—can be rendered in hardware. TRW-S has reliable convergence, guaranteed by its so-called “sequential” computation. Analysis reveals many opportunities for TRW-S hardware acceleration. We show how to implement TRW-S in FPGA hardware so that it exploits significant parallelism and memory bandwidth. Our implementation is capable of running a standard stereo vision benchmark at rates approaching 40 frames/sec; this represents the first time TRW-S methods have been accelerated to these speeds on an FPGA platform.
Colic and the effect of changing formulas: A double-blind, multiple-crossover study

This study investigated the effect of changing the formulas of colicky infants and addressed the methodologic flaws of earlier studies. Attention was paid to issues of designing a blind study, providing a washout period, and measuring and reproducing the effect. In this randomized, double-blind trial, three changes of formula were made: for each of four 4-day periods, colicky infants alternately received a casein hydrolysate formula (Nutramigen) and a formula containing cow milk. Mothers recorded crying in diaries and indicated which crying episodes they considered to have been caused by colic. Nine infants were started on Nutramigen and eight on the cow milk formula. With the first formula change there was significantly less crying and colic in infants when they were fed Nutramigen than when they were fed cow milk (p less than 0.01); with the second change there was less colic when infants were fed Nutramigen (p less than 0.05) but not significantly less crying. By the third change there were no significant differences between formulas. Further analyses demonstrated that there were more clinically meaningful positive responses (a change in crying by at least one third) to Nutramigen than to cow milk (p less than 0.05). However, only one subject had a clinically meaningful response in colic to all three formula changes. These results demonstrate that in some instances, colic improves with elimination of cow milk formula. However, the effect diminishes with time, and only infrequently is the effect reproducible.
Mathematical equivalence between a holographic optical element and an ultra-high index lens

Holographic optical elements (HOE) have classically been designed using grating theory [ E.B. Champagne , J.Opt.Soc.Am.57, 51( 1967)]; logically so, since an HOE is a grating produced on film by two interfering beams of coherent light. This paper describes an equivalent refracting lens, which exactly duplicates the focusing properties of an HOE. This analog allows optical systems containing holographic optical elements to be completely designed with a common lens design computer code. The thickness of the analogous lens approaches zero and its index approachs infinity. In this paper the ray tracing equations for a thin lens are specialized to the infinite index case. The resulting equation has exactly the same form as the diffraction equation; thereby verifying the analog. The analogous lens for a grating a curved mirror is also described.
Dynamic simulations of adhesion and friction in chemical force microscopy.

A hybrid molecular simulation approach has been applied to investigate dynamic adhesion and friction between a chemical force microscope (CFM) tip and a substrate, both modified by self-assembled m...
Differential regulation of p27kip1 levels and CDK activities by hypertrophic and hyperplastic agents in vascular smooth muscle cells

To understand the molecular mechanisms that determine the fate of a cell to undergo either hypertrophy or hyperplasia, we studied the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, hypertrophic and hyperplastic agents, respectively, on the modulation of G1/S transition molecules in smooth muscle cells. Ang II increased protein synthesis while PDGF-BB induced both DNA and protein synthesis. Ang II had no significant effect on the steady-state levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor (CDKI), p27kip1, and on the activities of CDK2 and CDK4, although it caused a modest increase in cyclin E levels. In contrast, PDGF-BB induced depletion of p27kip1 and increased cyclins D1 and E levels and CDK2 and CDK4 activities. Reflecting its lack of effect on CDK activities, Ang II failed to phosphorylate tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein, Rb. PDGF-BB, on the other hand, induced phosphorylation of Rb, consistent with its ability to activate CDKs. Together, these findings suggest that Ang II-induced hypertrophy may be due to its failure to activate cellular signaling events required for G1/S transition.
INHIBITION OF LYMPHOCYTE BLASTOGENESIS BY PLASMA OF PATIENTS WITH MINIMAL-CHANGE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Plasma from 7 patients with minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (M.C.N.S.) (lipoid nephrosis) confirmed by renal biopsy inhibited the blastogenic response of lymphocytes to the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (P.H.A.) and to allogeneic lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte culture. Plasma from 14 patients with nephrotic syndrome due to other glomerular diseases did not have this effect. 5 of the 7 patients with M.C.N.S. achieved remission; 4 with prednisone and 1 spontaneously. While in remission, plasma from these 5 patients no longer inhibited the response of lymphocytes to P.H.A. These findings suggest a pathogenic relation between M.C.N.S. and cell-mediated immunity.
Nuclear Estrogen Receptor Release from Antiestrogen Suppression: Amplified Induction of Progesterone Receptor in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells

This study describes a mechanism by which antiestrogen-suppressed MCF-7 human breast cancer cells in long term culture are rescued by estradiol. In these cells, nafoxidine (1 μM) is a potent inhibitor of cell growth, and unlike estradiol, nafoxidine fails to induce progesterone receptors at any dose tested. If in suppressed cells, nafoxidine-containing medium is replaced by medium containing estradiol (10 nM), cell growth resumes (as measured by increases in total protein and DNA), and progesterone receptor is synthesized. The average rate of progesterone receptor induction in cells treated with estradiol after nafoxidine suppression is 7-fold greater than that of cells which were given estradiol after growth in hormone-free medium. The cells rescued by estradiol from antiestrogen suppression have a 3-fold greater progesterone receptor content at the end of the study than do those cells which received estradiol without nafoxidine pretreatment. The lag period normally seen before progesterone receptor leve...
Identification of Aberrantly Regulated Genes in Diseased Skin Using the cDNA Differential Display Technique

It is hypothesized that psoriasis may be caused by aberrant gene expression. In an effort to identify and clone psoriasis-specific genes, we compared gene expression in normal, tape-stripped (wounded), and psoriatic skin using the cDNA differential display technique. Four genes not previously described in psoriasis—connexin 26, a gap junction protein; squamous cell carcinoma antigen-1 (SCCA1), a serine protease inhibitor; and mitochondrial NAD subunits 5 and 6—were identified as having very high expression levels in psoriatic skin. In situ hybridizations showed that connexin 26 mRNA was expressed 10-fold higher in psoriatic and 4-fold higher in tape-stripped epidermis than in controls. SCCA1 showed a 40-fold increase in mRNA expression, whereas mitochondrial NAD5 and NAD6 expression was increased 10- and 20-fold, respectively, in psoriatic skin. Northern blots confirmed the increased expression of connexin 26, SCCA1, and NAD6 genes in psoriatic skin. Immunohistochemistry showed that connexin 26 protein was strongly expressed in spinous keratinocytes from psoriatic skin and chronic wounds but was absent in normal epidermis. These studies demonstrate the usefulness of this approach for identifying genes that are conditionally expressed in growth-activated human skin.
Dynamics of atoms interacting with off-resonant strong laser pulses

We study the dynamics of a two-level system driven by a strong off-resonant electromagnetic field. We derive an analytical solution for arbitrary pulse shape and discuss possible applications of the results obtained.
Demonstration of planar waveguides on thick LD-3 polymer films for true-time-delay applications

The successful synthesis of the LD-3 electrooptic polymer has resulted in a highly reliable nonlinear organic material. However, further progress has been impeded due to the fact that LD-3 films produced thus far are too thin to form useful waveguide devices. Here the formation of thick LD-3 films ranging from 1.2 micrometers to 2.4 micrometers by using cyclopentanone as the new solvent are reported. Preliminary waveguide loss studied shows a guide loss of approximately 3 dB/cm. Aimed at forming true-time-delay lines for phased- array antenna applications, optical heterodyne detection is conducted using various waveguide lengths. A heterodyne signal of a base bandwidth of 25 GHz is demonstrated with signal-to-noise ratio of 15 dB.
Neuroendocrine control of lactational infertility

The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian activity involved in the neuroendocrine control of lactational amenorrhea (infertility) is characterized in this description of the physiology of lactation. The discussion is supplemented by laboratory results on analysis of pituitary gonadotropins throughout puerperial lactation. Endocrine profiles in lactating women obtained over a 10-hour period showed that prolactin secretion and to a lesser extent luteinizing hormone secretion is directly related to the duration and intensity of the suckling stimulus. These results led to the conclusion that lactation performance governs the pituitary-ovarian function. Other investigators summarized here have shown that alterations in hypothalamic catecholamine turnover represent the interface between nipple stimulation and subsequent pituitary hormone secretion. Full lactation therefore through neuroendocrine pathways effectively delays the restoration of cyclic gonadotropin secretion and ovulation.
Effect of high fat diet on the potassium deficiency syndrome in the rat.

SummaryA diet containing 0.03% potassium and 20% corn oil produced a greater incidence and extent of the myocardial necrosis and fibrosis and dilatation of renal tubules typical of potassium deficiency than did an isocaloric, 5% corn oil diet containing the same amount of potassium when the 2 diets were pair fed. No statistically significant differences were observed in other criteria of potassium deficiency.
Learning control in robotic systems

The concept of learning and training machines, and some early methodologies were introduced about two decades ago. Robotic systems, undoubtedly, can be developed to a more advanced and intelligent stage. The realization of the learning capability, analogous to the human learning and thinking process, is a desired primary function. A betterment process has been investigated in the literature for applications of learning control to robotic systems. The existing schemes are a type of one-step learning process. A neighboring (2m+1)-step learning control scheme for robotic systems is presented in this paper. For each process, a betterment algorithm which chooses a generalized momentum as an output function, is executed. Also, it is associated with a conceptual learning process by adding a self-teaching knowledge base for speeding up the convergence, so that the learning capability of the resulting robotic systems can be enhanced.
Multiple metal accumulation as a factor in learning achievement within various New Orleans elementary school communities.

In New Orleans, the elementary school system is divided into attendance districts with established boundaries that define student enrollment among schools. This study concerns environmental quality as defined by amount of soil metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Mn, Cu, Co, Cr, and V) in attendance district elementary school communities (n=111) paired with learning achievement as measured by individual test scores (n=32,741) of students enrolled at each school. The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) 4th grade scores measure learning achievement for English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. The best fit between environmental quality and higher learning achievement is found to be inversely associated with the sum of the metals or multiple metal accumulations (MMA) in New Orleans communities. The P values for MMA partitions for ELA, SOC, MAT, and SCI are 0.57×10−7, 0.29×10−8, 0.41×10−6, and 0.17×10−8, respectively. Efforts to prevent childhood metal exposure should improve New Orleanians’ learning achievement as measured by the LEAP scores and thereby enhance the socioeconomic situation in contaminated communities. This study establishes global relationships between LEAP scores in schools and soil metal concentrations in school neighborhoods. However, these data do not allow relating of the LEAP scores with metal levels for individual students.
Baryon- and lepton-number violation by electroweak instantons

We make a quantitative study of instanton-induced baryon- and lepton-number-violating processes in an SU(2) x U(1) electroweak gauge theory at zero and finite temperatures (in the ''dilute-instanton-gas'' approximation). As an example we consider a simplified model involving only the proton, neutron, electron, and electron neutrino. At zero temperature the total cross sections for p+n..-->.. e-bar+nu-bar and eleven other similar reactions are of order s x 10/sup -195/ cm/sup 2/, where s is the total center-of-momentum energy squared in GeV/sup 2/. The neutron decays via n..-->..p-bar+e-bar+nu-bar with a lifetime of the order 10/sup 146/ years. The cross sections and neutron decay width decrease with temperature because color-electric-charge screening reduces the self-dual-instanton density at finite temperature. At high temperature the cross sections (for a given s) and neutron decay width fall off as T/sup -47/3/ in this simplified model. It is suggested that correctly treating the instanton gas as very dense (as discussed by Berg, Luscher, and Stehr) and including finite-energy tunneling solutions could increase the predicted reaction rates.
Identification of cellular proteins that can interact specifically with the T/ElA-binding region of the retinoblastoma gene product

The SV40 T antigen (T)/adenovirus E1A-binding domain of the retinoblastoma gene product (pRB) has been fused to S. japonicum glutathione S-transferase, and the chimera, bound to insoluble glutathione, was used to search for cellular proteins that can interact specifically with pRB. At least seven such proteins were detected in extracts of multiple human tumor cell lines. These proteins failed to bind to a family of pRB fusion proteins that harbor inactivating mutations in the T/E1A-binding domain and to the wild-type fusion protein in the presence of a peptide replica of the pRB-binding domain of T. Therefore, the binding of one or more of these proteins may contribute to the growth-suppressing function of pRB.
Selective inhibition of aragonite growth by citrate and isocitrate at moderate supersaturations, as measured by an optical-microscope flow-cell assay

Abstract An optical flow-cell assay was developed which allowed for simultaneous measurement of calcite and aragonite growth under conditions of constant concentrations of constituent ions and growth-modifying additives. Using this assay, it was determined that l- citrate and d,l- isocitrate selectively inhibited the growth of aragonite crystal seeds, while having little or no effect on calcite growth rates at supersaturations in the range of σ =2.5±0.4. Tricarballylate, which differs from citrate and isocitrate by the absence of a hydroxide functionality, had very little effect on calcite or aragonite growth. For citrate on aragonite, an effective surface binding constant of K =2.5±0.6×10 5 M −1 was derived from the kinetic data; for isocitrate, K =2.9±0.8×10 5 M −1 . The similarity of these effective binding constants argues against precise stereochemical recognition of the aragonite surface.
Heat transfer in an electrically conducting fluid over a stretching surface

Abstract An analysis is carried out to study the heat transfer characteristics in an electrically conducting fluid over a stretching sheet with variable wall temperature and internal heat generation or absorption. Two eases are studied, namely, (i) the sheet with prescribed surface temperature (PST case) and (ii) the sheet with prescribed wall heat flux (PHF case). The solutions for the temperature, the heat transfer characteristics and their asymptotic limits for large Prandtl number (σ) are obtained in terms of Kummer's and parabolic cylinder functions. It is shown that asymptotic limits are not possible for small Prandtl number; this is due to the solution changing by O(1) on length scale of 1/σ. For large Prandtl number, a boundary layer of width 1/σ at η = 0 and an internal layer of width ∝1/σ near the turning point are noticed.
A comparison of open-loop feedforward and closed-loop methods for active noise control using volume velocity minimization

Abstract This paper focuses on the application of the concept of volume velocity minimization to lower the sound generated by a vibrating surface. The motion of a vibrating surface is measured using an accelerometer, and a speaker is driven so that the net volume velocity of the two is lowered. This concept is tested on a two-speaker system. One speaker acts as the noise source, and the other as the control speaker (noise suppressor). Using this system, the effectiveness of three control strategies are evaluated—open-loop feedforward, closed-loop proportional, and closed-loop optimal control. The feedforward system gives noise reductions of 5–25 dB over the range from 100 to 800 Hz. The closed-loop systems give reductions of 5–30 dB over the range from 175 to 800 Hz. The feedforward system is found to have the best performance below the suppressor’s first resonance, while the closed-loop systems have best performance near the first resonance. Speaker coupling is found to have little effect on system performance.
On the comprehension, storage, and retrieval of comparative sentences

This paper presents a methodology that permits the separate examination of sentence comprehension processes and subsequent sentence memory processes. Subjects were timed as they read a comparative sentence like Giraffes are taller than goats and decided whether the sentence was true or false. The response latencies indicated that sentences with unmarked adjectives like taller or larger were verified faster than sentences with marked adjectives like shorter or smaller. A subsequent recall or recognition procedure tested incidental memory for the previously verified sentences. Recall performance was superior for sentences with unmarked adjectives. The similarity between the results of comprehension and recall was discussed in terms of a retrieval process that may be similar in both tasks. This process retrieves the representations of objects from memory and places them appropriately along the dimension on which they are being compared. Lexical marking did not affect recognition memory. This is consistent with the view that marking has its primary effect on a retrieval process.
Some properties of KCl-filled microelectrodes: Correlation of potassium “leakage” with tip resistance

This study was undertaken in order to determine directly the rates of K leakage (JK) out of the tips of microelectrodes into a solution of 100 mM KCl (approximating the K concentration of the cell interior) and to relate these rates to the concentration of the filling solution and the tip resistance. The values of JK for electrodes filled with 3 M KCl having resistances of 16 and 30 M omega (when measured in 3 M KCl) were 10 and 5.5 fmol/sec, respectively. When the same electrodes were filled with 0.5 M KCl, the resistances (measured in 0.5 M KCl) increased to 62 and 115 M omega, respectively, and JK fell to 1.8 and 1.0 fmol/sec, respectively. These values are in reasonable agreement with what would be expected from theoretical considerations if leakage of KCl were the result of diffusion plus convective flow due to the hydrostatic pressure of the filling solution. We conclude that K leakage out of microelectrodes filled with 3 M KCl is unnecessarily high; leakage can be reduced fivefold by filling electrodes with 0.5 M KCl without incurring significant increases in tip or diffusion potentials or unmanageable tip resistances. Finally, the lowest rate of K leakage observed (1 fmol/sec) is still very considerable for the case of animal cells with an intracellular volume of approximately 1 pl and a K content of approximately 100 fmol. The finding of stable intracellular potentials, often for many minutes, in some tissues suggests that K which enters the cell rapidly diffuses into neighboring cells via high conductance intercellular communications.
Work-related fear of AIDS and social-desirability response bias.

The focus of the current research was on development of a short scale to measure work-related fear of AIDS for use in field research and on assessment of the extent to which its ability to predict managers' intentions to discriminate were free of social-desirability response-bias effects. Based upon a sample of 198 managers from southern US manufacturing, service, and government organizations, the study yielded a 5-item scale with particularly strong test-retest reliability of .88 and internal consistency indicated by Cronbach alpha of .92. While initial evidence was promising regarding predictive validity, social desirability was correlated with both fear of AIDS and one of the criterion variables but accounted for very little common variance. Techniques suggested by Ganster, Hennessey, and Luthans (1983) to detect social desirability response bias were employed and did not yield moderator, spurious, or suppression effects. Supplementary analysis showed that respondents in manufacturing exhibit significantly stronger fear of AIDS than either service or government managers. Significant but weak correlations of -.16 and -.20 were found between fear of AIDS and subject's sex and education. Males and the less well educated tend to express greater fear of AIDS. Implications are discussed regarding research and practice in management.
Multi-Port Driven Radiators

Integrated multi-port driven (MPD) radiator design is presented as an approach that takes advantage of the increased design space offered by using a hybrid design of an antenna with multiple ports and its driver circuitry integrated together on a single substrate. This reduces costly losses by eliminating independent elements for power combination, output impedance matching networks, and power transfer by engineering current patterns on a chip based on the desired far field pattern. The electromagnetic radiation produced by a circularly polarized MPD antenna is calculated analytically to provide design intuition, with supporting electromagnetic simulations. A single element 160 GHz MPD antenna and the supporting driver circuitry is designed and fabricated in a 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. A tuned 8 phase ring oscillator generates the signal with each phase feeding class A power amplifiers that drive the antenna. The radiator achieves 4.6 dBm single element effective isotropically radiated power (EIRP) and total radiated power of -2.0 dBm at 161 GHz while consuming 117.5 mA DC current from a 3.3 V source. Measurements of three frequency bands at 145, 154 and 161 GHz show greater than 0 dBm EIRP for each band, demonstrating the wide band nature of the antenna.
Antibacterial Functions of Macrophages in Experimental Protein-Calorie Malnutrition. II. Cellular and Humoral Factors for Chemotaxis, Phagocytosis, and Intracellular Bactericidal Activity

Cellular and humoral aspects of the antibacterial activity of macrophages during experimental protein-calorie malnutrition were studied. There were no defects in chemotaxis or bactericidal activity of cells from protein-deficient animals, although phagocytosis-associated oxygen consumption and hexose monophosphate shunt activity were depressed. However, marked impairment of humoral chemotactic factors generated in the peritoneal cavity by glycogen injection and of heatlabile serum opsonins for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella enteritidis was found. The studies suggested that some macrophage antibacterial functions measured in vitro are not altered in experimental acute protein-calorie malnutrition, but that serum factors, presumably complement-derived, would limit their in vivo function. Thymic involution and lymphocyte depletion would further impair in vivo cellular immune reactions affected by macrophages. This model may therefore prove useful for the study of specific aspects of cellular immunity in malnourished hosts and of specific rehabilitation strategies.
Disruption of the gene encoding SF-1 alters the distribution of hypothalamic neuronal phenotypes.

The ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) in mice first emerges as a histologically distinct cell cluster around embryonic day 17 (E17). The earliest known marker for cells destined to form the VMH is the orphan nuclear receptor, steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), which can be detected in the hypothalamic primordium by E11. Strikingly, the VMH is absent in newborn SF-1 knockout mice, suggesting that SF-1 is essential for the development of VMH neurons. We reported previously that the VMH can be identified before it emerges as a histologically distinct nucleus (i.e., at E13) by the exclusion of cells that are immunoreactive for both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the synthetic enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67). Subsequently, by E15, the developing VMH is demarcated further by cells that are immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y, estrogen receptor α (ERα), and galanin. It is noteworthy that the normal exclusion of GABA from the developing VMH is not seen in SF-1 knockout mice, and cells that are immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y, ERα, and galanin also are distributed aberrantly in this region. Thus, the absence of SF-1 profoundly affects the cellular architecture of the VMH from early stages in its formation. These data suggest that, directly or indirectly, SF-1 plays important roles in determining the distribution of cells in the mediobasal hypothalamus. J. Comp. Neurol. 423:579–589, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Understanding fine-grained river-sediment dispersal on continental margins

Studies of fine-grained sediment dispersal in the marine environment have documented diversity in the behavior of depositional systems on continental margins with different oceanographic conditions and morphologies. Based on the pattern and nature of sediment accumulation for twenty-three case studies, we propose there are five basic types of dispersal systems, and these are related to river, wave, tide and margin characteristics. Data suggest that the type of dispersal system on any margin can be predicted with knowledge of sediment load, mean significant wave height, tidal range and continental-shelf width at a river mouth, and from these, a hierarchical decision tree is developed. Analysis of the dispersal-system type of more than 100 river mouths reveals that proximal-accumulation-dominated (PAD) and marine-dispersal-dominated (MDD) systems are most abundant. But, estuarine-accumulation-dominated (EAD) systems also are anticipated to be numerous globally. Research quantifying marine sediment dynamics in these system types is needed. Although less common, the size and nature of subaqueous-delta-clinoform (SDC) and canyon-captured (CC) systems also warrant future attention to their study. Strong correlations between physical characteristics (i.e., significant wave height and tidal range) and the depth and distance to the nearest maximum shelf depocenter provide evidence that in reality a continuum exists between the system types. The process-related partitioning of sediment in the five different types of marine dispersal systems has important implications for understanding the stratigraphic record and the cycling of carbon.