cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using the optimizer to generate an effective regression suite: a first step

Query optimizers play a critical role in the success of every relational database system. However, regression testing for optimizers remains an ad hoc, tedious, and time consuming process. Typically, a large number of SQL query suites are employed for regression testing. These suites are manually designed at great cost by development and QA groups or are collected from various customers or benchmarks such as TPC-H or TPC-DS. While these suites are useful in capturing regressions, optimizers continue to be plagued by regressions and bug fixing requiring expensive human intervention. This may be because these ad-hoc regression queries are redundant in the sense that they are not covering different parts of the optimizer plan space. This paper introduces a novel way in which the optimizer itself is used to generate an economical regression suite. Our approach eliminates the tedium in manually designing a regression suite and removes redundancy in the suite. As a first step towards solving this very difficult problem, we shall focus on the join plan space in this paper with a small number of tables. We show that our generated queries exhibit 50% more distinct join plans than TPC-H and TPC-DS combined. The generated queries have also been very useful for validating the optimizer's cost functions and hence can be used as a test suite as well. Since this is a new approach, we will highlight some of the areas that need a closer look by the research community.
Genome Size Analysis of Weedy Amaranthus Species

Weedy Amaranthus species pose a serious threat to agriculture. One of the areas that causes the greatest concern is development of herbicide resistance and subsequent transfer of herbicide resistance genes among the species. To determine the potential impact of interspecific hybridization, one must first be able to detect such hybrids. To determine if genome size could be useful in the detection of interspecific hybrids among the weedy Amaranthus species, the genome sizes of the weedy Amaranthus species sympatric in Illinois were analyzed. In a series of experiments, the genome sizes of these species were determined by flow cytometric analysis. A significant variation was observed with respect to nuclear DNA content in the eight species examined. The genome sizes ranged from 0.95 pg in A. palmeri to 1.4 pg in A. tuberculatus. Overlap of genome sizes among the species does exist; however, due to the reproductive biology of the species, this overlap does not preclude the detection of interspecific hybrids. Any dioecious weedy Amaranthus plant in Illinois that has a genome size between 1.3 pg and 1.1 pg is probably a hybrid. Thus, the potential for genome size determination to reveal interspecific hybrids among weedy Amaranthus species has been demonstrated.
New manufacturing modeling methodology: deterministic and stochastic dynamic modeling of continuous manufacturing systems using analogies to electrical systems

A dynamic system model of continuous manufacturing systems has been developed based on analogies with electrical systems. This model has the capability to model both deterministic and stochastic systems. The model provides physically meaningful governing equations to describe both the steady state and transient responses of continuous manufacturing systems. For stochastic solutions, the model is not limited to any specific probabilistic distribution. The model is demonstrated by application to a representative continuous manufacturing line for both deterministic and stochastic cases. The results of the stochastic case are compared to those from a discrete event simulation tool using a paired t-test at the 95% confidence level. For some results, the difference is statistically insignificant. For others, there is a statistically significant difference. However, in both cases the percentage difference is within a reasonable range.
Bruce's Magnificent Quartet: Inquiry, Community, Technology and Literacy--Implications for Renewing Qualitative Research in the Twenty-First Century

Bruce and Bishop's community informatics work brings forward four critical concepts: inquiry, community, technology, and literacy. These four terms serve as the basis for a discussion of qualitative research in the twenty-first century — what is lacking and what is needed. The author suggests that to resolve the tensions or challenges qualitative research currently faces, a fifth term is needed — aesthetics. These five terms are then used to describe a repositioned field of qualitative research.
Experimental measurements of modal transients and theoretical thermal modeling of laser diodes

Measurements of the simultaneous pulse response of the individual modes of high power laser diode arrays and broad-stripe laser diodes are presented in this paper. The modes of AlGaAs laser diodes were dispersed with an echelle grating and individually imaged onto a scanning avalanche photodiode (APD) and alternately a streak camera. Considerable power sharing over a period of 60 ns was observed among the modes of these lasers. Experimental conditions were varied and it was found that both the modulation depth and bias current had a considerable effect on the severity of the modal transients. The experimental modal transients were compared to theoretical values obtained using a finite element code to simulate temperature transients in the active area of the lasers.
DIRECT EMBRYOGENESIS FROM CULTURED ANTHERS AND PISTILS OF DACTYLIS GLOMERATA

Direct somatic embryoids were initiated from orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) anthers and unpollinated pistils cultured in the dark at 25 C on Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium supplemented with 30 MM dicamba (3,6 dichloro-o-anisic acid). Stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the embryoids originated from anther walls and from ovary and style regions of pistils. Callus initiation from direct embryoids leading to secondary embryogenesis was observed in pistils cultured from 4-6 wk. The ability of these calli to proliferate and initiate new embryoids through the dedifferentiation and redifferentiation of preexisting embryoids suggests long-term totipotency.
The effects of downsizing on safety in the CPI/HPI

A number of incidents including observations that underline the dangers of “starving” a safety program are discussed. While accurate data on the impact of substantial staff reductions remains scarce, many people in industry fear that excessive cutbacks could create conditions leading to a catastrophic accident. Guidelines are provided to assist management in evaluating manpower needs for successful management systems for Process Safety Management (PSM).
The combination of a hydroxy-functional organophosphorus oligomer and melamine-formaldehyde as a flame retarding finishing system for cotton

In previous research, it was found that melamine-formaldehyde resin can be used as a binder for a hydroxy-functional organophosphorus flame retarding agent (FR) on cotton. The role that trimethylol melamine (TMM) plays in this flame retarding system was studied. When TMM is applied to cotton, it forms crosslinks between cellulose molecules. When TMM is applied to cotton in the presence of FR, it reacts with FR to form a crosslinked polymeric network in addition to reacting with cotton. The formation of the crosslinked network improves the laundering durability of FR and also increases the fabric stiffness. The number of crosslinks among cotton cellulose formed by TMM decreases as the FR concentration in the system is increased. TMM also functions as a nitrogen provider to enhance the flame retarding performance of FR due to phosphorus-nitrogen synergism. Therefore, the amount of TMM used in a FR/TMM formula plays the most critical role in determining the effectiveness of this flame retarding system. The finish bath pH also plays a significant role in influencing the performance of the flame retarding system on cotton. The optimum pH was found to be around 4.
Analysis of FAS3/ACC regulatory region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: identification of a functional UASINO and sequences responsible for fatty acid mediated repression

We have determined the sequence of the FAS3/ACC regulatory region and mapped the transcription initiation site. In this sequence, there are two putative UASINO sequences. Deletion and mutation analyses revealed that the UASINO sequence at nucleotides -719 to -710 is functional. The expression of FAS3-lacZ reporter genes and the measurement of mRNA levels in regulatory mutants of phospholipid biosynthesis clearly indicated that FAS3 is regulated by inositol and choline. Previous studies have shown that the genes coding for fatty acid synthase, FAS1 and FAS2, are regulated by inositol (Chirala, S.S. [1992] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 10232-10236). Thus all three genes involved in saturated fatty acid biosynthesis are coordinately regulated with phospholipid biosynthesis. Comparison of the UASINO sequences present in FAS1, FAS2, and FAS3 suggested that the functional sequence of this UAS element is YTTCACATG. However, even when the functional UASINO was mutated, substantial expression of the FAS3-lacZ reporter gene was observed. Deletion analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and expression using a heterologous reporter gene showed that the region between nucleotides -840 and -736 has two UAS elements. The same sequence seems to be responsible for fatty acid-mediated repression of FAS3. The presence of these additional UAS sequences explains why yeast does not require fatty acids even when repressing amounts of inositol and choline are present in the medium.
Treatment of fistulizing Crohn's disease

The appropriate treatment of patients with fistulas in the setting of Crohn's disease requires a knowledge of the specific medical and surgical literature of fistulizing Crohn's. The patient with symptomatic fistulizing Crohn's disease may respond differently to specific medical therapy than a patient with symptomatic obstructing Crohn's disease. Certain medications that are useful for the treatment of patients with obstructive Crohn's disease may not be helpful in the treatment of fistulas in patients with fistulizing Crohn's disease (e.g., corticosteroids and mesalamine); in fact, some medications are believed to be detrimental (e.g., corticosteroids). Few studies have been performed to assess the efficacy of specific medications on fistulas directly. To date, there has been only one published prospective randomized controlled trial that was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of a specific medication on fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease; it showed clinical efficacy over placebo in a statistically significant manner. The judicious use of surgery remains an integral part of the management of certain presentations of fistulizing Crohn's disease, and the appropriate integration of surgical and medical therapy is of paramount importance in the management of these patients. This review provides an overview of pertinent medical and surgical literature as it pertains to management of patients with fistulizing Crohn's disease.
Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic Control of Scramjet Inlets

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) control of forebody flow compression and air mass capture in scramjet inlets is analyzed for flight at Mach 5‐10. Because of the low static temperature, nonequilibrium electrical conductivity is created by electron beams injected into the gas along magnetic field lines. Two-dimensional inviscid steadystate flow equations are solved jointly with equations describing electron-beam-induced ionization profiles, plasma kinetics, and MHD effects. Among several scenarios considered, the scenario with an MHD accelerator has only disadvantages. A modest increase in mass capture can in principle be accomplished with a Faraday MHD generator, if the magnetic field has components both parallel and orthogonal to the flow. The principal focus is on MHD inlet control at flight Mach numbers higher than the design value. The shocks that would otherwise enter the inlet can be moved back to the cowl lip by placing an MHD generator at one of the compression ramps. Analysis shows that the best performance of such a device is achieved with a very short MHD region placed as far upstream (close to the vehicle nose) as possible, in conjunction with a high-current ionizing electron beam. An MHD energy bypass scenario with on-ramp MHD generator for inlet control is briefly discussed.
Usability of stereoscopic view in teleoperation

Recently, there are tremendous growths in the area of 3D stereoscopic visualization. The 3D stereoscopic visualization technology has been used in a growing number of consumer products such as the 3D televisions and the 3D glasses for gaming systems. This technology refers to the idea that human brain develops depth of perception by retrieving information from the two eyes. Our brain combines the left and right images on the retinas and extracts depth information. Therefore, viewing two video images taken at slightly distance apart as shown in Figure 1 can create illusion of depth [8]. Proponents of this technology argue that the stereo view of 3D visualization increases user immersion and performance as more information is gained through the 3D vision as compare to the 2D view. However, it is still uncertain if additional information gained from the 3D stereoscopic visualization can actually improve user performance in real world situations such as in the case of teleoperation.
Effective mass from microwave photoresistance measurements in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

We have performed microwave photoresistance measurements in high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells and investigated the value of the effective mass. The effective mass, obtained from the period of microwave-induced resistance oscillations (MIRO), was found to be about 12 % lower than the band mass in GaAs, m*b. In contrast, the measured magneto-plasmon dispersion (MPR) revealed an effective mass which is close to m*b, in accord with previous studies. These findings suggest that, in contrast to MPR, the MIRO dispersion contains corrections due to electron-electron interaction effects.
The genetics of the target tissue in rheumatoid arthritis

The genetic mechanisms that are complementary in predisposing and then establishing disease are yet to be fully elucidated. During a lifetime, the genetic composition of the host is not only hereditary but undergoes rearrangements, integrations, and more subtle single-base pair alterations. These changes can be inconsequential or lead to aberrant and deleterious pathologic changes. In a complex multifactorial disease such as RA, the relative roles of the dynamic versus germline elements of the disease have yet to be fully determined. Further studies of large populations are likely to segregate out factors affecting specific ethnic, clinical, and genetic subgroups.
What Are Trade Agreements For? – Two Conflicting Stories Told by Economists, With a Lesson for Lawyers

Economists tell two stories about the function of trade agreements: trade agreements restrain protectionism, or trade agreements restrain the purposeful exploitation of market power, which I call 'terms-of-trade manipulation'. These stories are distinct, because protectionism and terms-of-trade manipulation are distinct, although they are often confused. Logically, trade agreements might restrain both protectionism and terms-of-trade manipulation, but no one holds this view. Protectionism theorists think terms-of-trade manipulation is rare in the real world; terms-of-trade theorists adopt a theoretical perspective in which they prove protectionism is globally efficient and should not be restrained. I analyse the two stories to dispel common conceptual confusions. I show that the protectionism story is superior, empirically and theoretically: countries do not exploit their market power, and the theoretical perspective of the terms-of-trade story is wrong if our concern is to interpret agreements. I reinterpret a theorem from the terms-of-trade story, and combine it with the fact that countries do not exploit market power, to demonstrate that national regulation that is domestically rational (except for not exploiting market power) is globally efficient and hence should not be restrained. This grounds a novel, efficiency-based argument against 'balancing' by dispute tribunals and in favour of substantial deference to non-protectionist regulation. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Extremely fast text feature extraction for classification and indexing

Most research in speeding up text mining involves algorithmic improvements to induction algorithms, and yet for many large scale applications, such as classifying or indexing large document repositories, the time spent extracting word features from texts can itself greatly exceed the initial training time. This paper describes a fast method for text feature extraction that folds together Unicode conversion, forced lowercasing, word boundary detection, and string hash computation. We show empirically that our integer hash features result in classifiers with equivalent statistical performance to those built using string word features, but require far less computation and less memory.
Aftershocks and intensity of the managua earthquake of 23 december 1972.

Two portable seismic stations and a fixed array of five seismometers were used to record aftershocks in the vicinity of Managua, Nicaragua, after the earthquake of 23 December 1972. Approximately 3000 aftershocks were recorded during a 20-day period in January 1973. Left lateral motion along at least two faults, both trending N40°E, is inferred from the seismic data. This is in good agreement with dislocations mapped at the surface in Managua. The data suggest that the shallow earthquakes of the Managua region are a consequence of north-south compressional stresses and east-west tensional stresses. This is consistent with regional plate movements deduced in other investigations.
Effect of retinoids on growth factor-induced anchorage independent growth of human fibroblasts

We have studied the effects of all-trans retinol, all-trans retinoic acid, and anhydroretinol, a biologically inactive retinoid, on anchorage-independent growth of human fibroblasts induced by purified growth factors. The anchorage-independence assay was, conducted in medium supplemented with serum that had had its peptide growth factors inactivated by treatment with dithiothreitol and iodoacetamide. Physiologic concentrations of either all-trans retinol (0.5 μM) or all-trans retinoic acid (1.0 nM) but not anhydroretinol (0.5 μM) reduced the frequency of anchorage-independent growth of normal human fibroblasts induced by platelet-derived growth fator (PDGF). All-trans retinol was also tested for its effect on the frequency of anchorage-independent growth induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and was found to decrease this growth. All-trans retinol also reduced the frequency of anchorage-independent growth of the human fibrosarcoma-derived cell, line, HT1080, which grew in semisolid medium without added growth factors. Inasmuch as these retinoids reduced the frequency of anchorage-independent growth induced by either PDGF or bFGF and because PDGF and bFGF bind to independent cell membrane receptors and are known to stimulate different pathways leading to DNA synthesis, the data suggest that physiologically active retinoids, have an effect on a step that is common to both signal pathways.
Structural Determination of NSC 670224, Synthesis of Analogues and Biological Evaluation

Follow my lead! NSC 670224, previously shown to be toxic to Saccharomyces cerevisiae at low micromolar concentrations, potentially acts via a mechanism of action related to that of tamoxifen (NSC 180973), breast cancer drug. The structure of NSC 670224, previously thought to be a 2,4-dichloro arene, was established as the 3,4-dichloro arene, and a focused library of analogues were synthesized and biologically evaluated.
Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and the public.

OBJECTIVE: Drug manufacturers are intensely promoting their products directly to consumers, but the impact has not been widely studied. Consumers’ awareness and understanding of, attitudes toward, and susceptibility to direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising were examined. DESIGN: Random-digit dialing telephone survey with a random household member selection procedure (completion and response rates, 58% and 69%, respectively). SETTING: Respondents were interviewed while they were at their residences. PARTICIPANTS: Complete data were obtained from 329 adults in Sacramento County, California. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcome measures included awareness of advertisements for 10 selected drugs, misconceptions about DTC advertising, attitudes toward DTC ads, and behavioral responses to such promotions. The influence of demographic characteristics, health status, attitudes, beliefs, and media exposure on awareness and behaviors was examined. On average, respondents were aware of advertisements for 3.7 of the 10 drugs; awareness varied from 8% for Buspar (buspirone) to 72% for Claritin (loratadine). Awareness was associated with prescription drug use, media exposure, positive attitudes toward DTC advertising, poorer health, and insurance status. Substantial misconceptions were revealed; e.g., 43% thought that only “completely safe” drugs could be advertised. Direct-to-consumer advertisements had led one third of respondents to ask their physicians for drug information and one fifth to request a prescription. CONCLUSIONS: Direct-to-consumer advertisements are reaching the public, but selectively so, and affecting their behaviors. Implications for public policy are examined.
Reflections of depression in acoustic measures of the patient’s speech

Abstract Background: The literature on acoustic measures of voice in depression is reviewed. Authors have separated results derived from studies of automatic speech, such as counting or reading, from free speech. Free speech requires cognitive activity such as word finding and discourse planning in addition to the motor activity of automatic speech. Also, results have been less ambiguous if homogeneous groups of agitated or retarded depressed patients were examined. Methods: These distinctions are applied to the results of a 12-week double-blind treatment trial that compared response to nortriptyline (25–100 mg/day) with sertraline (50–150 mg/day). Twelve male and ten female elderly depressed patients and an age-matched normal control group (n=19) were studied. Patients were divided into retarded or agitated groups on the basis of ratings. Results from measures of fluency (speech productivity and pausing) and prosody (emphasis and inflection) are described. Results: Depressed patients showed less prosody than the normal subjects. Improvement in the retarded group was reflected in briefer pauses but not longer utterances. There was a trend in the agitated group for improvement to be reflected in the utterance but not the pause measure. Conclusions: Clinical impressions are substantially related to acoustic parameters. Temporal changes associated with depression appear to reflect the depressed state whereas prosodic features seem to reflect a depressed trait. Acoustic measures of the patient’s speech may provide objective procedures to aid in the evaluation of depression. Limitations of the study are discussed.
Psychopathology and plasma cortisol responses to dexamethasone in prepubertal psychiatric inpatients.

Abstract This study of 51 prepubertal psychiatric inpatients evaluates plasma cortisol measurements at 8 am , 4 pm , and 11 pm before and after dexamethasone was administered in counterbalanced order at does of 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg. Approximately 76.5% of the children had an affective disorder. Major depressive disorder was associated with higher plasma cortisol levels than other disorders. Pre- and postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels using 0.5 mg dexamethasone exhibited a circadian variation. The optimal criterion for cortisol nonsuppression was 5 μgldl measured at 8 am after administration of 0.5 mg dexamethasone.
Evolution of the vertebrate pth2 (tip39) gene family and the regulation of PTH type-2 Receptor (pth2r) and its endogenous ligand pth2 by Hedgehog signaling in zebrafish development.

In mammals, parathyroid hormone (PTH), secreted by parathyroid glands, increases calcium levels in the blood from reservoirs in bone. While mammals have two PTH receptor genes, PTH1R and PTH2R, zebrafish has three receptors, pth1r, pth2r, and pth3r. PTH can activate all three zebrafish Pthrs while PTH2 (alias tuberoinfundibular peptide 39, TIP39) preferentially activates zebrafish and mammalian PTH2Rs. We know little about the roles of the PTH2/PTH2R system in the development of any animal. To determine the roles of PTH2 and PTH2R during vertebrate development, we evaluated their expression patterns in developing zebrafish, observed their phylogenetic and conserved synteny relationships with humans, and described the genomic organization of pth2, pth2r, and pth2r splice variants. Expression studies showed that pth2 is expressed in cells adjacent to the ventral part of the posterior tuberculum in the diencephalon, whereas pth2r is robustly expressed throughout the central nervous system. Otic vesicles express both pth2 and pth2r, but heart expresses only pth2. Analysis of mutants showed that hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates the expression of pth2 transcripts more than that of nearby gnrh2-expressing cells. Genomic analysis showed that a lizard, chicken, and zebra finch lack a PTH2 gene, which is associated with an inversion breakpoint. Likewise, chickens lack PTH2R, while humans lack PTH3R, a case of reciprocally missing ohnologs (paralogs derived from a genome duplication). The considerable evolutionary conservation in genomic structure, synteny relationships, and expression of zebrafish pth2 and pth2r provides a foundation for exploring the endocrine roles of this system in developing vertebrate embryos.
Association between umbilical blood gas parameters and neonatal morbidity and death in neonates with pathologic fetal acidemia

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to correlate umbilical artery blood gas parameters with neonatal death and indicators of morbidity in neonates with pathologic fetal acidemia (pH Study Design: We reviewed maternal and neonatal charts of 93 neonates with an umbilical artery pH 2 , PCO 2 , bicarbonate, base deficit, and neonatal variables—death, need for intubation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, seizures, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, meconium, sepsis, and intrauterine growth restriction—were determined with the Student t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Data are presented as either median with 25th-75th percentiles or mean ± SD. Results: The mean gestational age at delivery was 37.9 ± 3.6 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 3003 ± 866 g. There was no relationship between neonatal death, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, meconium, sepsis, and any umbilical artery blood gas parameter. The PO 2 was not related to any of the variables studied. A lower umbilical artery pH was associated with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (6.69 vs 6.93, P = .03), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (6.83 vs 6.93, P = .03), seizure (6.75 vs 6.93, P = .02), intubation (6.83 vs 6.94, P P = .01). Greater mean base deficit was associated with seizure (20.6 vs 15, P = .01), intubation (18.0 vs 13.7, P P = .03), intrauterine growth restriction (22.0 vs 14.0, P = .02), and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (24.0 vs 14.5, P = .03). Arterial PCO 2 was higher only in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (138 vs 95.5, P = .048), intubation (106.0 vs 90.5, P = .003), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (106.5 vs 93.0, P = .04). After control for birth weight and gestational age in the multivariate analysis, base deficit and bicarbonate were independently related to death or morbidity. Conclusion: Our data suggest that "pathologic" fetal acidemia is indicated by an umbilical artery pH 2 has no apparent clinical utility. The ability to predict more accurately which newborn infants with fetal acidemia are at risk of having complications may lead to a more efficient implementation of preventive measures. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:867-71.)
Analysis of the COL2A1 Polymorphism in a Small Pan troglodytes Population, and Its Forensic Application

Common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are a protected species, whose capture and trading is forbidden. In spite of international agreements, a high number of such great apes is annually reduced to captivity, then sold to private zoos and circuses. To elude controls, private owners use to declare false births in captivity (true births are rarest events) and exchange animal identities. All means enacted to control such illegal activities have been unsuccessful. We have been committed in a project aimed at developing a biological test to certify controversial animal identities, inspired to procedures for individual identification and parenthood tests used in humans.
Human Papillomaviruses and Cell Signaling

Human papillomaviruses cause cancer of the stratified epithelium, and the incidence of infection with these viruses in the genital tract is high. The alterations in the biology of normal epithelial cells that lead to malignancy are a consequence of the activity of certain viral proteins, whose function is to create an environment conducive to the replication of the viral genome through inhibition of epithelial cell differentiation and stimulation of proliferation.
Microstructure torque estimation using MEMS optical monitoring

Determination of microstructure torque is becoming of increasing importance for MEMS sensors and actuators. The micro-torque estimation for a rotary micro motor, assuming the availability of a MEMS optical monitoring data stream, is presented. The estimation technique is based on sliding mode. The dynamic model of the rotating MEMS system and the electrostatic torque is identified. The technique uses the estimated position signal to approach the actual measured position signal obtained from optical monitoring, meanwhile estimating the micro-torque and load torque. Both estimated micro-torque and load torque are low pass filtered to eliminate the switching behavior inherent in the sliding mode estimator. The simulation results of both electrostatic and load torques estimations are presented.
The Potential Impact of Not Being Able to Create Parallel Tests on Expected Classification Accuracy.

In many practical testing situations, alternate test forms from the same testing program are not strictly parallel to each other and instead the test forms exhibit small psychometric differences. This article investigates the potential practical impact that these small psychometric differences can have on expected classification accuracy. Ten different sets of tests were assembled by minimizing the differences in test information at five θ locations. The impact of the psychometric differences between the assembled test forms was quantified for two different groups of simulated examinees across a range of possible cut scores. Results indicated that using sequential or simultaneous test assembly is preferred to random test assembly. Analyses also implied that the small differences in the psychometric properties between tests produced differences in overall classification accuracy that were less than 1.5%. The biggest differences in classification accuracy were found when the test information functions were ...
Vowel category formation in Korean-English bilingual children.

Purpose A previous investigation (Lee & Iverson, 2012) found that English and Korean stop categories were fully distinguished by Korean–English bilingual children at 10 years of age but not at 5 ye...
Rethinking Gender Differences in Health: Why We Need to Integrate Social and Biological Perspectives

The complexity of gender differences in health (i.e., men's lower life expectancy and women's greater morbidity) extends beyond notions of either social or biological disadvantage. Gaps remain in understanding the antecedents of such differences and the issues this paradox raises regarding the connections between social and biological processes. Our goals in this analytic essay are to make the case that gender differences in health matter and that understanding these differences requires an explanation of why rational people are not effective in making health a priority in their everyday lives. We describe some salient gender health differences in cardiovascular disease, immune function and disorders, and depression and indicate why neither social nor biological perspectives alone are sufficient to account for them. We consider the limitations of current models of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic health disparities to explain the puzzling gender differences in health. Finally, we discuss constrained choice, a key issue that is missing in the current understanding of these gender differences, and call on the social science community to work with biomedical researchers on the interdisciplinary work required to address the paradoxical differences in men's and women's health.
ELF sferic energy as a proxy indicator for sprite occurrence

Broadband ELF/VLF measurements of sferics near Ft. Collins, Colorado, demonstrate that ELF sferic en- ergy is a proxy for sprite occurrence which can be used to estimate the number of sprites produced by a thunderstorm. Ultra-long range (12,000 km) measurements at Palmer Station, Antarctica, conrm the application of this proxy to storms where no video observations of sprites are avail- able. Comparison with high-resolution photometer measure- ments demonstrate the simultaneity of sprite luminosity and an ELF \second pulse" believed to be radiated by electri- cal currents within the sprite body (Cummer et al., 1998). Measurements of the second ELF pulse are used to identify a quantitative relationship between the current in sprites and total sprite luminosity.
Applications of Meteorological Doppler Radar for Weather Surveillance near Air Terminals

Meteorological Doppler radar, heretofore a tool for research, can now be considered for operational applications. One important application is to provide data for air traffic controllers to identify weather that may be hazardous to aircraft in terminal areas. Its use at large commercial airports may be justified both by safety and by savings in fuel and operating costs that should result from more precise definitions of hazardous atmospheric conditions. Five measurement tasks are proposed for an airport Doppler radar. The first two, measurement of radar reflectivity in precipitation systems, and measurement of the vertical profile of horizontal winds, have been shown to be ready for operational implementation. Preliminary evidence shows that two others, identification of shear or turbulence in thunderstorms, and identification of wind shear hazards along approach paths, can provide warning of dangerous wind, but work remains to tie the radar measurements to aircraft hazards. The last suggested use, identification and tracking of wake vortex turbulence, has not yet been demonstrated. An airport Doppler radar can certainly provide some data that will increase flight safety; if it proves capable of all the above, it would be in demand.
A Route to Metal–Organic Frameworks through Framework Templating

A microporous metalorganic framework (MOF), PCN-922 (Cu4(ETTB)), containing a dendritic octatopic organic linker and a Cu2-paddlewheel structural motif, has been synthesized by using a Zn2-paddlewheel- based MOF as a template to prearrange the linkers for the Cu2-based MOF target. PCN-922 shows permanent porosity and excellent gas adsorption capacity.
Human premature aging, DNA repair and RecQ helicases

Genomic instability leads to mutations, cellular dysfunction and aberrant phenotypes at the tissue and organism levels. A number of mechanisms have evolved to cope with endogenous or exogenous stress to prevent chromosomal instability and maintain cellular homeostasis. DNA helicases play important roles in the DNA damage response. The RecQ family of DNA helicases is of particular interest since several human RecQ helicases are defective in diseases associated with premature aging and cancer. In this review, we will provide an update on our understanding of the specific roles of human RecQ helicases in the maintenance of genomic stability through their catalytic activities and protein interactions in various pathways of cellular nucleic acid metabolism with an emphasis on DNA replication and repair. We will also discuss the clinical features of the premature aging disorders associated with RecQ helicase deficiencies and how they relate to the molecular defects.
Arranging Marriages Between Theoretical Traditions

This article illustrates the approach developed by Michael Reynolds and Russ Vince to reform the theoretical traditions used in business education. Business school graduates are technically sophist...
Quasi-isothermal temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) for the separation of reversible and irreversible thermodynamic changes in glass transition and melting ranges of flexible macromolecules

With standard differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), it is possible to derive calorimetric data for equilibrium or metastable samples. The introduction of temperature- modulated DSC (TMDSC) permits in its quasi-isothermal (non-scanning) mode (TMDC), long-time apparent heat capacity measurements of high precision (±1 %). For flexible mol- ecules, heat capacity measurements from the various calorimetric methods could be com- bined in the ATHAS Data Bank, which now contains experimental data for over 200 mate- rials. These data were linked to the vibrational and large-amplitude motion of the constituent atoms and molecules, to provide a base for the judgement of the thermal analy- ses, extending outside the range of equilibrium or metastability with an error of only 2-5 %. The TMDC together with DSC is now able to quantitatively assess the reversibility of ther- mal processes. A sufficient number of systems have been analyzed in this fashion to develop better understanding of macro-, micro-, and nanophases of flexible macromolecules. The new concepts discussed are: (1) multiple glass transitions due to possible rigid-amorphous fractions (RAFs) and glass transitions within crystals, both observed in semicrystalline macromolecules, and (2) locally reversible melting on the surface of chain-folded crystals. The locally reversible melting decreases with crystal perfection and also disappears when the chains become rigid.
Long-term Survival Following Pneumococcal Pneumonia

We studied the long-term survival of patients who recovered from pneumococcal pneumonia. Mortality was increased for up to 10 years after documented pneumococcal pneumonia and was greater in proportion to the PORT score at admission and among persons who had bacteremic disease.
Development of a relocatable coastal forecast system for the US Navy

The goal is to fulfill the US Navy's need for a relocatable, robust operational coastal forecast system by developing and transitioning a high-resolution, coastal circulation model into the Naval Oceanographie Office's operational environment. The coastal circulation model undergoing transition is a three-dimensional, finite-element based hydrodynamic model, the Advanced Circulation Model for Shelves, Coastal Seas, and Estuaries (ADCIRC). Its unstructured grid allows modeling complex coastal regions at fine spatial scale. Scripts and programs are developed to automate major tasks of the forecast run stream such as initial setup, forcing data acquisition, model configuration and post-processing. An application of the ADCIRC-based forecast system to the Korean West Coast region is presented.
PWM scheme to reduce the common-mode current generated by an AC drive at low modulation index

With the conventional space vector PWM (SVPWM) modulation scheme, AC drives generate high peak common-mode currents, particularly at very low modulation index. This occurs because of the low dwell times on the active voltage vectors, resulting in nearly simultaneous switching on all three phases. High peak common-mode currents present several issues - high voltage spikes from DC bus to ground, pump-up of the DC bus voltage, increased conducted emissions - that can affect the reliability and performance of the AC drive. Solutions to address this phenomenon include placing capacitors to ground on the DC bus, which cannot be applied when the power system is not solidly grounded (e.g. high resistance grounding (HRG)), and filters at the output of the drive, which are bulky, expensive and may not always be effective. In this paper, a modified SVPWM scheme is presented, which reduces the instantaneous peak and RMS common-mode current at the output of the drive. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate that the method works with all types of system grounding, and is more effective than commonly used drive output filters at very low modulation index.
Understanding and Preventing Criminal Recidivism Among Adults With Psychotic Disorders

The high prevalence of adults with psychotic disorders in the criminal justice system has received much attention recently, but our understanding of this problem is marked by diverging opinions. Mental health professionals point to deinstitutionalization and our fragmented mental health system as primary causes. Criminologists minimize the role of mental illness and contend that persons with and without mental illness are arrested for the same reasons. Meanwhile, practice guidelines offer little guidance to clinicians about how to address the problem. Drawing upon contemporary crime prevention principles as well as current knowledge of psychotic disorders and their treatment, this article presents a conceptual framework for understanding and preventing criminal recidivism. The framework highlights the importance of individual and service-system risk variables and emphasizes the central role of treatment nonadherence as a mediator between modifiable risk variables and recidivism. On the basis of the conceptual framework described in this article, three necessary elements of intervention are presented for preventing recidivism among adults with psychotic disorders: competent care, access to services, and legal leverage. Research is needed to further define and test these intervention elements as foundations for future service delivery efforts.
Fast Reduced-Order Finite-Element Modeling of Lossy Thin Wires Using Lumped Impedance Elements

The spatial discretization of a thin wire often leads to a highly dense mesh in the peripheral region and thus increases the computational burden. In this paper, lossy conducting wires are modeled with infinitely thin lumped impedance elements, which significantly reduce the modeling complexity while still offers an accurate broadband modeling. This paper also describes the incorporation of lumped elements into our model order reduction formulation and the tree-cotree splitting technique.
Imaging Triage for Ballistic Trauma

The initial evaluation of victims of ballistic trauma is largely dependent on the physical examination and physiologic status of the patient. Patients are fully exposed and wounds are carefully examined in an attempt to determine trajectory. Based on the suspected path of the missile, determinations can be made as to what structures are likely injured and what interventions may be needed. All who care for the injured patient agree that there is a limited role for radiologic assessment in hemodynamically unstable patients. However, in those patients without physiologic compromise, radiologic evaluation can serve as a very useful adjunct in the triage of patients toward more invasive studies, surgical intervention, or nonoperative management. Routine plain film radiographs remain an essential tool in the initial evaluation of all victims of penetrating trauma. Nevertheless, an increasing role has developed for additional diagnostic modalities including surgeon-performed ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and angiography in those who are stable and have a questionable need for operation or uncertain trajectory. With the expansion of these accurate and versatile imaging modalities, many traditional principles in the management of ballistic trauma patients are being redefined.
Peerless Paint Company (a)

This case presents the perspective of a board member who is concerned with environmental issues. Students must decide how such concerns affect (if at all) their financial concerns for the company. All four cases in the series may be used together as part of an introductory audit course within the Understanding Client Constituencies module, or as a stand alone set of cases that provide opportunities for discussion of business risks posed by a client and whether those are relevant for determining audit risk.
Multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders: implications for the treatment of substance-abusing youths.

MST has proven to significantly decrease rates of antisocial behavior in serious juvenile offenders. In light of the similarities between the problems of delinquency and adolescent substance abuse, MST holds promise as an effective treatment of the latter. Hence, conceptual, clinical, and service delivery features of MST are presented. Language: en
Consensus on Culture in American Sociology: Reply to Smith

In his contribution to this issue, Smith argues that sociology’s house of culture is built on a foundation of sand. In my brief response to Smith, I dispute the claim that culture is in trouble and question the methods and motives behind Smith’s critique. I then indicate the common ground characterizing the work of contemporary culture scholars. Drawing upon my fieldnotes and observations of culture in action, I define culture as a suprasubjective system of signification creating intersubjective senses or ideas that are distinct from the materiality, function, immediacy, or face value of any particular people, objects, words, thoughts, and actions. I argue that this culture concept, which I see as theoretically consistent with the work of most cultural sociologists and sociologists of culture, satisfies many of Smith’s requirement that an acceptable culture concept specify culture’s location, powers, limits, and relationship to subjectivity, and clearly theorize meaning and its relationship to culture.
Defects on Graphene with and without Nitrogen

We have used density functional theory calculations to study the stability of high density bulk defects in carbon with and without nitrogen. It was found that all the structures are energetically unstable, and the stability of the defects decreases with increasing number of nitrogen atoms independent of synthesis route and the carbon reference state. The results also highlight the significance of stabilizing factors for these defects, such as transition metals which are often used during synthesis of the carbon supports.
Resistance of Human Spermatozoa in vitro to Sulfanilamide and Sulfapyridine

SummaryIn vitro concentrations of sulfanilamide and sulfapyridine well above the tissue concentration achieved by therapeutic doses, do not affect the survival or activity of human spermatozoa.
Effect of T4 Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AZ91 Alloys Prepared by Plaster Casting

AZ91 magnesium alloy castings were successfully prepared by plaster casting technique.The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of AZ91 magnesium alloys with cast and T4 heat treatment were studied by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),EDS and electronic universal testing machine.It is indicated that the reticular β-Mg17Al12 phase in the grain boundary of casting AZ91 alloy gradually dissolved during T4 heat treatment process.In the microstructures of cast and T4 treatment AZ91 alloy,lots of Al8Mn5 phase were found.The mechanical performance of AZ91 alloy is significantly improved by T4 heat treatment process.