cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Policy-based Approach for Measuring Data Quality

With the growing importance of data in all aspects of the functioning of an enterprise, having good quality of data is crucial in support of business processes. However, there do not exist good metrics to measure the quality of data that is available within an enterprise. While there are several data quality standards, their complexity and their required customization makes them difficult to use in real-world industrial scenarios. In this paper, we discuss the challenges encountered in measuring data quality within asset management systems. We propose a policy-based approach for measuring data quality, and show how such an approach can be customized and interpreted easily by practitioners in the field.
This land is my land: Psychological ownership increases willingness to protect the natural world more than legal ownership

Abstract Pro-environmental appeals that strive to protect a natural area often invoke psychological ownership, or a personal, emotional connection to the place. However, in Western cultures, legal ownership is often suggested as a way to preserve natural resources and avoid the “commons problem.” Based on research on human prosocial behavior, we hypothesized that psychological ownership would be a more effective way to preserve natural resources. Using an online U.S. sample (N = 543), we manipulated people's sense of ownership for natural areas, with a fully-factorial design. We confirmed that activating the motives of ownership produced a sense of psychological ownership of the place and “mine-ness,” associated with similar psychological ownership attributes as occurs in other domains (i.e., intimate familiarity, incorporation into the self-identity, investment of time/effort, positive memories and experiences). Legal owners also experienced a sense of mine-ness and felt more control and territoriality over the place, but felt less of a psychological connection and rated the psychological attributes lower. As predicted, psychological ownership increased people's willingness to protect and oppose exploiting natural areas—particularly for self-reported willingness and hours donated to preserve the place. This may explain why legal ownership often fails to reduce environmental exploitation in Western populations, despite fostering a sense of responsibility toward owned resources. Invoking psychological ownership may be a more effective way to encourage environmental protection.
Utilizing SEER Cancer Registries for Population-Based Cancer Survivor Epidemiologic Studies: A Feasibility Study

Background: While the primary role of central cancer registries in the United States is to provide vital information needed for cancer surveillance and control, these registries can also be leveraged for population-based epidemiologic studies of cancer survivors. This study was undertaken to assess the feasibility of using the NCI9s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registries to rapidly identify, recruit, and enroll individuals for survivor research studies and to assess their willingness to engage in a variety of research activities. Methods: In 2016 and 2017, six SEER registries recruited both recently diagnosed and longer-term survivors with early age–onset multiple myeloma or colorectal, breast, prostate, or ovarian cancer. Potential participants were asked to complete a survey, providing data on demographics, health, and their willingness to participate in various aspects of research studies. Results: Response rates across the registries ranged from 24.9% to 46.9%, with sample sizes of 115 to 239 enrolled by each registry over a 12- to 18-month period. Among the 992 total respondents, 90% answered that they would be willing to fill out a survey for a future research study, 91% reported that they would donate a biospecimen of some type, and approximately 82% reported that they would consent to have their medical records accessed for research. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of leveraging SEER registries to recruit a geographically and racially diverse group of cancer survivors. Impact: Central cancer registries are a source of high-quality data that can be utilized to conduct population-based cancer survivor studies.
Impacts of the morphology of new neighborhoods on microclimate and building energy

Abstract In anticipation of emerging global urbanization and consequent increases in energy use and carbon dioxide emissions, better understanding and quantification of climate effects on energy use in cities are needed, requiring coordinated research into large-scale, regional, and microclimate impacts to and from the city structure. The methodology described here addresses this need by (1) demonstrating a process for creating and testing example morphologies for new neighborhoods for their impact on local and regional meteorology within a two-way-coupled four-domain nested mesoscale weather model (6 km horizontal resolution outer domain, 90 m horizontal innermost domain) and (2) allocating resulting building-level meteorological profiles to each building in a neighborhood for parallel computation of building-by-building energy use. Our Chicago Loop test case shows that the morphology of even a small new added development to a neighborhood affects not only its own microclimate, but also the microclimate of the original neighborhood to which the development was added, and that these changes in microclimate affect both neighborhoods’ building energy use. This method represents an important step toward quantifying and analyzing the relationships among climatic conditions, urban morphology, and energy use and using these relationships to inform energy-efficient urban development and planning.
Visibility Optimization for Surveillance-Evasion Games.

We consider surveillance-evasion differential games, where a pursuer must try to constantly maintain visibility of a moving evader. The pursuer loses as soon as the evader becomes occluded. Optimal controls for game can be formulated as a Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaac equation. We use an upwind scheme to compute the feedback value function, corresponding to the end-game time of the differential game. Although the value function enables optimal controls, it is prohibitively expensive to compute, even for a single pursuer and single evader on a small grid. We consider a discrete variant of the surveillance-game. We propose two locally optimal strategies based on the static value function for the surveillance-evasion game with multiple pursuers and evaders. We show that Monte Carlo tree search and self-play reinforcement learning can train a deep neural network to generate reasonable strategies for on-line game play. Given enough computational resources and offline training time, the proposed model can continue to improve its policies and efficiently scale to higher resolutions.
Modernization through capitalization: The hidden costs of Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam and NESTown initiative:

Building on recent work by Timothy Mitchell, this article interrogates the concept of capitalization, understood here specifically as models of extracting or capturing streams of future revenue for...
A Neurocognitive Approach to Expertise in Visual Object Recognition

How can we enhance the ability of observers to pick-up visual information? One approach to this question has been to investigate people who naturally develop an exceptional skill, or expertise, in visual object recognition (e.g. bird watchers, car buffs), and determine how expert processing and the neural substrates supporting it differ from those in novices. The present paper will describe the mainstream view of visual expertise, which considers it to be an automatic, stimulus-driven perceptual skill that is supported by specific regions in high-level visual cortex. Following a critical review of the perceptual framework of expertise, a series of neuroimaging studies will be presented which reveal that in contrast to the mainstream view, visual expertise emerges from multiple interactions within and between the visual system and other cognitive systems (e.g. top-down attention and conceptual memory). These interactions are manifest in widespread distributed patterns of activity across the entire cortex, and are highly susceptible to high-level factors, such as task relevance and prior knowledge. Lastly, the applied and theoretical implications of the interactive framework to performance enhancement and neuroplasticity will be discussed.
Visual neuropraxia and progressive vision loss from thyroid-associated stretch optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE Animal models have provided information on the tensile strength of the optic nerve, but to our knowledge no in vivo study of the tensile strength of the human optic nerve has been reported. Accordingly, we present 3 cases of stretch optic neuropathy, an often unrecognized cause of vision loss from thyroid eye disease. METHODS Observational study of thyroid-associated stretch optic neuropathy. RESULTS Three cases of stretch optic neuropathy were identified. Visual acuity was better than 20/40. Two patients had arcuate scotoma. Moderate to severe proptosis of 25 to 33 mm was present, without evidence of apical orbital compression. Two patients had retinal hemorrhages suggesting venous stasis retinopathy; the venous stasis retinopathy resolved after orbital decompression. Orbital decompression resulted in improvement of visual function. The rate of decibel sensitivity loss on automated perimetry was estimated at -0.042 dB/da in one case, with complete blindness projected to occur within 785 days from the onset of visual symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Stretch optic neuropathy presents initially as neuropraxia with temporary visual loss. Orbital decompression should be considered for treatment before permanent and irreversible visual loss ensues.
Volunteers in Special Libraries

ABSTRACTThe contributions of volunteers in special libraries have not been well-documented or researched. However, anecdotal evidence shows that volunteers have played a key role in the formation of many special libraries and continue to lend their skills and knowledge to these libraries. This column explores examples from the literature and gives a brief case study on the various ways philatelic libraries use volunteers. The scope of the column includes traditional unpaid volunteers, remote volunteers, crowdsourcing, internships, job training programs, and other voluntary or nontraditional work. Volunteer labor is far from free in terms of cost to the organization, but can provide benefits beyond simply unpaid labor including subject expertise, special skills, and community building. Special libraries looking to begin or expand volunteer programs are advised to study the lessons learned from other types of libraries and organizations with successful volunteer programs. Successfully managing volunteers re...
Beyond Distributed Cognition

American social science since World War II has been centrally shaped by the “cognitive revolution.” Fields as disparate as behavioral economics and cognitive anthropology have exploited a shared core of ideas about the workings and limitations of human cognition, such short-term memory and judgment heuristics. This cognitive toolkit has been a principal asset in the efforts to understand and better support the requirements of newly emerging forms of virtual organization. This keynote address examines two other human faculties, habit and emotion. Across western intellectual history these have often been understood as equally important determinants of organized action, and this was the case in the period before World War II. However, since then habit and emotion have not been tightly integrated dimensions of our analyses of social life, including virtual organizing. Rather they have served, if present at all, as labels for clusters of exceptions, cases that involved issues not well handled by the default cognitive approach. Both habit and emotion are rising in psychology as topics of inquiry. These two additional human faculties are notable for being significantly less available to direct introspection, but powerful new measurement techniques—most notably various forms of scanning—are bringing into focus their large role in determining our actions. The keynote provides an overview of these developments and some suggestions some of their implications for the understanding and supporting virtual organizing with concepts that make habit and emotion more central to the primary analysis.
The light volume: an aid to rendering complex environments

The appearance of an object depends on both its shape and how it interacts with light. Alter either of these and its appearance will change. Neglect either of these and realism will be compromised. Computer graphics has generated images ranging from nightmarish worlds of plastic, steel, and glass to gently-lit, perfect interiors that have obviously never been inhabited. The reassuring realism lacking in these extremes requires the simulation of both complex geometry and complex light transport.
Automated team project management and evaluation through interactive web modules

Team projects represent an important aspect of microelectronic systems education. In group projects, students learn to work together, delegate responsibilities and manage time. It is difficult for instructors to evaluate the performance of students participating in team projects. Evaluation of an individual's performance requires a fair comparison of the team's work as compared to other teams in the class. It also requires an understanding of the intra-team dynamics. The project gradebot, introduced in this paper, is a new, Web-based learning tool that provides automated features to manage, evaluate and grade team projects. The tool is compatible with Web-based distributed learning tools that are currently in use for individualized instruction.
Family Counselors as School Consultants: Where are the Solutions?:

A systemic perspective applied to school-based problems examines the interaction patterns between the home and school; the ecological view examines the contextual variables that affect child development. This article presents a home-school collaborative-consultation model for family counselors that combines a systems-ecological approach with solution-focused, problem-solving strategies to facilitate home-school problem-solving meetings. School personnel often perceive the child as the source of the problem, which limits the scope of their interventions and ignores the potentially positive effect of involving families in the problem-solving process. A need exists for mediators who think systemically and can facilitate productive relationships between families and schools. A case study illustrating the application of this model is presented and implications are discussed.
The effect of copper on the heart-rate of Biomphalaria glabrata (mollusca: pulmonata)

Abstract 1. 1. Concentrations of coppper which produce the so-called distress syndrome in Biomphalaria glabrata also effect a measurable decrease in heart-rate. 2. 2. At lower concentrations, i.e., 1·0 p.p.m. copper and below, the effect is apparently proprotional to the concentration of copper to which the snail is exposed. 3. 3. At higher concentrations the effect is maximal, regardless of the concencentration. 4. 4. Artificially caused retraction by sealing the snail inside its shell with Paraplast induces a heart-rate response similar to that observed upon exposure to 1·0 p.p.m. copper or above. 5. 5. The decrease in heart-rate may be due to either the toxic effect of copper or the actual retraction itself, more likely a combination of the two.
Study of the corrosion of austenitic stainless steel D9 in Lead–Bismuth Eutectic (LBE): Extension of the Available Space Model to a ternary alloy

Abstract Corrosion of the austenitic stainless steel alloy D9 by Lead–Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) has been studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA). D9 samples exposed to LBE for 1000 h, 2000 h, and 3000 h developed thick, bi-layer oxides, whose inner layer consists of iron and chromium oxides (likely spinel-structured) and whose outer layer consists mostly of iron oxides, of magnetite stoichiometry (Fe3O4). Iron was the primary diffusing element and the limiting factor in the growth of the bi-layer oxide. A standard model of the oxide growth process in binary alloys is the Available Space Model (ASM). However, the conventional ASM is a poor model of oxide growth in a ternary alloy such as D9. An extension to the ASM is developed which greatly improves the fit to the oxide growth in D9.
A New Wide-Band Balun

This paper describes a form of balun which is useful for matching a balanced circuit to an unbalanced circuit of nearly the same impedance over a wide frequency range. The bandwidth increase is obtained by the use of a quarter-wave transmission line section which is placed inside one of the balanced arms, thereby minimizing the over-all physical length. It is shown that a practical balun of this type, designed to match a 50-ohm unbalanced line to a balanced 70-ohm antenna, has a voltage standing-wave ratio of 1.4 or better over a frequency band of about 2.8 to 1. The wide bandwidth, simplicity, and reasonable physical dimensions make the balun particularly useful in connection with the adjustable-length dipole antennas which are generally used for vhf and uhf fieldstrength measurement.
Predicting the size of individual and

An a priori test of the difference engine model (Myerson, Hale, Zheng, Jenkins, & Widaman, 2003) was conducted using a large, diverse sample of individuals who performed three speeded verbal tasks and three speeded visuospatial tasks. Results demonstrated that, as predicted by the model, the group standard deviation (SD) on any task was proportional to the amount of processing required by that task. Both individual performances as well as those of fast and slow subgroups could be accurately predicted by the model using no free parameters, just an individual or subgroup’s mean z-score and the values of theoretical constructs estimated from fits to the group SDs. Taken together, these results are consistent with post hoc analyses reported by Myerson et al. and provide even stronger supporting evidence. In particular, the ability to make quantitative predictions without using any free parameters provides the clearest demonstration to date of the power of an analytic approach on the basis of the difference engine.
A carbon-14 tracer study of the relative fractions of various fuel carbons in soot

The effect of fuel hydrocarbon structure on soot emissions was studied using a carbon-14 isotope tracer technique. A diesel engine or a laminar wick diffusion flame generated radioactive soot from a #2 diesel fuel containing 14Chydrocarbons. For the same diesel fuel, the individual soot yields of several carbon atom types were determined. For the diesel engine, the soot yield from aromatic carbons was about a factor of 1.5 greater than that from nonaromatic carbons. For the wick flame, the soot yield from aromatic carbons was about a factor of 2.0 greater than that from nonaromatic carbons. Interestingly, these differences in soot yield between aromatic and nonaromatic carbons within the same fuel are too small to explain the differences in soot yield between aromatic and nonaromatic fuels. This is consistent with the hypothesis that aromatic carbons increase soot emissions by greatly increasing the number of nascent particles while contributing only slightly more than other carbons to the final soot mass. It also shows that variations in fuel hydrocarbon structure have a minimal effect on the soot particle growth process, which produces most of the soot mass. The wick flame was set to give a soot yield that was 20 times greater than that of the diesel engine; yet, the carbon-14 concentrations in the soot were similar. This is expected if the formation of soot growth species from the original fuel molecules is independent of the amount of soot ultimately formed from the growth species. Also, the soot yield of a given carbon atom type was unaffected by the molecular weight of the hydrocarbon molecule that contained it. So for #2 diesel fuel, soot is produced equally from all points along the fuel's distillation curve (molecular weight range) even though heavier fuels make more soot.
GeMInA, Genomic Metadata for Infectious Agents, a geospatial surveillance pathogen database

The Gemina system (http://gemina.igs.umaryland.edu) identifies, standardizes and integrates the outbreak metadata for the breadth of NIAID category A–C viral and bacterial pathogens, thereby providing an investigative and surveillance tool describing the Who [Host], What [Disease, Symptom], When [Date], Where [Location] and How [Pathogen, Environmental Source, Reservoir, Transmission Method] for each pathogen. The Gemina database will provide a greater understanding of the interactions of viral and bacterial pathogens with their hosts and infectious diseases through in-depth literature text-mining, integrated outbreak metadata, outbreak surveillance tools, extensive ontology development, metadata curation and representative genomic sequence identification and standards development. The Gemina web interface provides metadata selection and retrieval of a pathogen's; Infection Systems (Pathogen, Host, Disease, Transmission Method and Anatomy) and Incidents (Location and Date) along with a hosts Age and Gender. The Gemina system provides an integrated investigative and geospatial surveillance system connecting pathogens, pathogen products and disease anchored on the taxonomic ID of the pathogen and host to identify the breadth of hosts and diseases known for these pathogens, to identify the extent of outbreak locations, and to identify unique genomic regions with the DNA Signature Insignia Detection Tool.
Utilitarianism and the Morality of Indefinite Detention

Don Scheid is rightly concerned with finding a way to address the sort of attacks that occurred in the U.S. on September 11, 2001.1 He thinks that “the most important feature that distinguishes al-...
Predicting voltage abnormality using power systems dynamic response

The purpose of this paper is to analyze dynamic behavior of a stressed power system and to correlate the dynamic responses to the future system voltage abnormality. A pattern recognition method called Regularized Least Square Classification (RLSC) was used to correlate dynamic behavior to system voltage abnormality. This research utilizes PSSE dynamic simulation tool to simulate the stressed cases for dynamic response and uses RLSC method to predict system voltage abnormality in future time after the occurrence of specific contingencies. Dynamics of a stressed IEEE 39 Bus test system is captured by introducing numerous contingencies and by driving the system to the point of abnormal operation and by identifying those simulated contingencies that cause system voltage abnormality. This research will determine the prominent features and parameters in the process of classification of voltage normal and voltage abnormal cases from dynamic simulation data.
Hadron structure and high-energy hadron-deuteron collisions

Recently at Fermilab, data on high-energy hadron-deuteron interactions for a number of projectiles and energies have become available. Here we collect these data and show how they can be used to test the conventional space-time picture of hadron interactions which is based on the assumed absence of singular short-range forces. In particular, these experiments may well provide the first clear evidence for double-ladder processes. Furthermore, the cross section and multiplicity data for double-scattering processes (interaction of both proton and neutron with the incident hadron) can be used to test the Abramovskii-Gribov-Kancheli cutting rules. We find that theory and experiment are in good agreement, but a more definitive test of the theory will require further theoretical work and more precise data.
Prediction of leaf chemistry by the use of visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

The chemical content of dry, ground leaf material sampled from deciduous and conifer tree species from sites in Alaska, Wisconsin, and California was estimated using visible and shortwave IR spectroscopy. Seven chemical components - sugar, starch, protein, cellulose, total chlorophyll, lignin, and total nitrogen - were analyzed by wet chemical methods and their concentrations regressed against log 1/rho and first and second differences of log 1/rho (where rho is measured reflectance) at wavelengths selected by stepwise regression. Predictions of chemical concentrations based on cross validation suggest that this technique may be useful for extracting vegetation canopy biochemical information by remote sensing.
Silicon waveguide infrared photodiodes with >35 GHz bandwidth and phototransistors with 50 AW -1 response

SOI CMOS compatible Si waveguide photodetectors are made responsive from 1100 to 1750 nm by Si+ implantation and annealing. Photodiodes have a bandwidth of >35 GHz, an internal quantum efficiency of 0.5 to 10 AW-1, and leakage currents of 0.5 nA to 0.5 μA. Phototransistors have an optical response of 50 AW-1 with a bandwidth of 0.2 GHz. These properties are related to carrier mobilities in the implanted Si waveguide. These detectors exhibit low optical absorption requiring lengths from <0.3 mm to 3 mm to absorb 50% of the incoming light. However, the high bandwidth, high quantum efficiency, low leakage current, and potentially high fabrication yields, make these devices very competitive when compared to other detector technologies.
Computer simulations of trypanosomal nucleoside hydrolase: determination of the protonation state of the bound transition-state analogue

Inosine-uridine nucleoside hydrolase (IU-NH) catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleosides into base and ribose moieties via a ribooxocarbenium ion transition state, which has been characterized using kinetic isotope effects. Protozoan parasites lack de novo purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis and depend on the purine salvage from the host. Vern Schramm and co-workers characterized p-aminophenyliminoribitol (pAPIR) to be a potent inhibitor of IU-NH from Crithidia fasciculata with K(d) of 30 nM. The cyclic amine function of the iminoribitol ring can be either protonated (pAPIRH(+)) or unprotonated (pAPIR). pAPIRH(+) resembles the charge and geometry of the ribooxocarbenium ion transition state and can be looked upon as a transition-state analogue inhibitor; however, it is known that the pAPIR species is initially bound to the enzyme. We have characterized the pAPIRH(+) species as resident of the active site using ab initio calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. This is a novel use of molecular dynamics to investigate the protonation state of the bound ligand to the active site. Nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations reveal a short hydrogen-bonding network between pAPIRH(+)-O2'-Asp14-His241 triad, which is not seen in the crystal structure. Other features discussed are: hydrogen bonding between pAPIRH(+) and Asn168, unusual geometry of the iminoribitol ring, and hydrophobic interactions.
Soil sample moisture content as a function of time during oven drying for gamma-ray spectroscopic measurements

In routine gamma-ray spectroscopic analyses of collected soil samples, procedure often calls to remove soil moisture by oven drying overnight at a temperature of 100iC [1]. Oven drying not only minimizes the gamma-ray self-attenuation of soil samples due to the absence of water during the gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis, but also allows for a straightforward calculation of the specific activity of radionuclides in soil, historically based on the sample dry weight. Because radon exhalation is strongly dependent on moisture [2,3], knowledge of the oven-drying time dependence of the soil moisture content, combined with radon exhalation measurements during oven drying and at room temperature for varying soil moisture contents, would allow conclusions to be made on how the oven-drying radon exhalation rate depends on soil moisture content. Determinations of the oven-drying radon exhalation from soil samples allow corrections to be made for the immediate laboratory gamma-ray spectroscopy of radionuclides in the natural uranium decay chain. This paper presents the results of soil moisture content measurements during oven drying and suggests useful empirical fits to the moisture data. ( 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
β-Catenin Asymmetries after All Animal/Vegetal- Oriented Cell Divisions in Platynereis dumerilii Embryos Mediate Binary Cell-Fate Specification

In response to Wnt signaling during animaldevelopment, b-catenin accumulates in nucleito mediate the transcriptional activation oftarget genes. Here, we show that a highly con-served b-catenin in the annelid Platynereisdumerilii exhibits a reiterative, nearly universalembryonic pattern of nuclear accumulationremarkably similar to that observed in the nem-atode Caenorhabditis elegans. Platynereisexhibits b-catenin sister-cell asymmetries afterall cell divisions that occur along the animal/vegetal axis beginning early in embryogenesis,but not after two transverse divisions thatestablish bilateral symmetry in the trunk. More-over, ectopic activation of nuclear b-cateninaccumulation in Platynereis causes animal-pole sister cells, which normally have lownuclear b-catenin levels, to adopt the fate oftheir vegetal-pole sisters, which normally havehigh nuclear b-catenin levels. The presence ofreiterative and functionally important b-cateninasymmetries in two distantly related animalphyla suggests an ancient metazoan origin ofab-catenin-mediatedbinarycell-fatespeciﬁca-tion module.
Immunopathogenesis of experimental IgA nephropathy.

The ultimate purpose of this review of experimental IgA nephropathy has been to identify the important immunopathogenetic factors that need to be elucidated en route to clear understanding of clinical IgA nephropathy. Summarizing from the discussion above, key experimental findings include the following. All the experimental models propound glomerular IgA-IC deposits as an end product of IC formation. The molecular form of IgA plays an important role in causing IC formation. Monomer IgA can only form small-sized complexes without any propensity for glomerular deposition. In contrast, polymeric IgA can form large-sized complexes that get entrapped in the mesangium. Free antigenic determinants in the deposited polymeric IgA complexes may serve as a binding site for circulating monomer IgA. Hence IgA-IC deposits may represent a continuous process of entrapped circulating macromolecules and in situ formed complexes. The liver has a major responsibility of maintaining the circulation free of IgA-IC. Under normal conditions, IgA-specific receptor on sinusoidal cells removes rapidly large-sized complexes. Hepatobiliary dysfunction or saturation of the elimination process may induce or contribute to glomerular IgA-IC deposition. Exacerbating factors under these conditions may also include heightened IgA immune response to alimentary and microbial antigens due to celiac disease or alcohol consumption. Macromolecules of purified human or murine IgA, free in solution or insolublized as renal deposits, lack the ability to activate the complement system. Glomerular C3 deposits that parallel the IgA pattern are due to complement activation by the antigen component of the IgA-IC deposits. Experimental and clinical evidence does not support the assumption that the complement system is essential for renal injury. The search for the inductor of tissue injury in the glomerular IgA-IC deposits revealed the antigen as the main proponent of damage. Comparative and correlative studies demonstrated the antigen as an elicitor of mesangial cell proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration, fibrin deposition, and proteinuria production. This inflammatory process may also culminate from a cascade of engendered cytokines and eicosanoids. Although the extrapolation of experimental findings to IgA nephropathy is still in a developmental stage, astonishing progress has been made. In some instances, experimental investigations blazed the way for human studies that mutually reciprocated with seminal clinical observations providing essential clues and guides for the research to follow. Comparative analysis of the clinical and experimental literature on IgA nephropathy reveals parallel and complementary tracks that are converging on the preeminent objective of understanding and treatment of human renal disease.
Data mining by attribute generalization with fuzzy hierarchies in fuzzy databases

In this paper we examine the soft computing issues involving data generalization on fuzzy information. The attribute induction process is formalized for these three cases: crisp hierarchy/fuzzy data; fuzzy hierarchy/crisp data; fuzzy hierarchy/fuzzy data. Each case is exemplified by applications of the algorithm to a prototype database.
Bank suspension of convertibility

Abstract A banking panic occurs when depositors at all banks seek a large reduction in their.deposit holdings. Suspension of convertibility of demand deposits into currency was the banking system's response to a banking panic. When depositors are incompletely informed about the state of bank investments, a panic can occur when depositors expect capital losses, conditional on having observed noisy indicators of the state of bank investments. Banks, with superior information about the investments, can signal to depositors, by suspending convertibility, that continuation of the long-term investments is mutually beneficial.
The OECD and the International Tax Regime: Persistence Pays Off

AbstractThe OECD has played a pivotal role in the diffusion of tax practices since its inception: its model tax treaty grew from interwar developments and largely reflects vertical diffusion from US practices and the advice of its experts. The OECD’s Harmful Tax Practices project, begun in 1998, ultimately resulted in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Tax Information in cooperation with the G20. The Forum employs many familiar OECD techniques of horizontal diffusion. All of this is also institutional innovation that can be examined using the theory of rational institutional design. That theory suggests that any free-standing international fiscal organization (IFO) is a non-starter.
Correlations between polychlorinated biphenyl immunotoxicity, the aromatic hydrocarbon locus, and liver microsomal enzyme induction in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice.

The suppression of the antibody response by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in mice is dependent on the planarity of the PCB molecule and on the expression of the aromatic hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor. In this study, the hypothesis that this form of immunotoxicity is a consequence of the activation of the Ah gene complex and that other compounds which are Ah receptor ligands would also be immunotoxic was tested. 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB), 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB), phenobarbital (PB), or β-naphthoflavone (BNF) was given ip to either C57BL6 (B6, AhbAhb) or DBA2 (D2, AhdAhd) mice 2 days before immunization with sheep erythrocytes. Organ weights, histopathology, hemagglutinating antibody titers, and the splenic direct antibody plaque-forming cell (PFC) response were evaluated on Day 5. Hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) induction by these compounds and by 2,2′,5,5′-TCB and 3,3′,4,4′-TCB was measured as an indicator of Ah receptor binding and subsequent activation of the Ah gene complex by methylcholanthrene-type inducers, while aminopyrine N-demethylase (APND) was measured as an indicator of PB-type induction. 2,2′,4,4′-TCB and PB had no effects on the immune parameters of either strain but induced APND activity in both strains. 2,2′,5,5′-TCB slightly induced APND activity in B6 mice. 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-HCB caused a 70% suppression of PFC per spleen, decreased the serum antibody titer, elevated cytochrome P-450 levels (193%), induced both APND (165%) and AHH (217%) activity in B6 mice, but it induced only APND (156%) activity in D2 mice. 3,3′,4,4′-TCB elevated cytochrome P-450 levels (210%) and induced both APND (129%) and AHH (321%) activities in B6 mice but only increased APND activities (115%) in D2 mice. BNF elevated cytochrome P-450 (144%), caused a 49% suppression in PFC per spleen, and induced both APND (156%) and AHH (248%) activities but only in B6 mice. These results support the hypothesis that the immunotoxicity caused by halogenated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is a consequence of activation of the Ah gene complex and suggests that this toxic effect can be initiated by any Ah receptor ligand.
The Hot Stars of Old Open Clusters: M67, NGC 188, and NGC 6791

We analyze ultraviolet (~1500 A) images of the old open clusters M67, NGC 188, and NGC 6791 obtained with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the second flight of the Astro observatory in 1995 March. Twenty stars are detected on the UIT image of M67, including 11 blue stragglers, seven white dwarf candidates, and the yellow giant–white dwarf binary S1040. The ultraviolet photometry of the blue stragglers F90 (S975) and F131 (S1082) suggests that these stars have hot subluminous companions. We present a semiempirical integrated ultraviolet spectrum of M67 and show that the blue stragglers dominate the integrated spectrum at wavelengths shorter than 2600 A. The number of white dwarfs in M67 is roughly consistent with the number expected from white dwarf cooling models. Eight candidate sdB/sdO stars are detected in NGC 6791, and two are detected in NGC 188. The luminosity range 1.10 < log L/L⊙ < 1.27, derived from the ultraviolet photometry of the six sdB candidates, is consistent with theoretical models of metal-rich hot horizontal branch (HB) stars. The fraction of hot HB stars in both NGC 6791 and NGC 188 is about 30%, implying that the integrated spectra of both clusters should show a UV turnup at least as strong as that observed in any elliptical galaxy.
GaInAsP/GaAs for high-power pumping laser

GaInAsP lattice matched to GaAs in the entire bandgap range has been grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Small mismatch and strong interference fringes in the x-ray spectrum, sharp photoluminescence (PL) peak, and high electron mobility indicate good control of the quaternary compositions, smooth epilayer interfaces, and coherent growth of the epilayers. Temperature coefficient of bandgap is measured from the temperature dependence of the PL peak to be 4.09 XT 10-4eV/K at 300K. Anomalous temperature dependence of PL at low temperature, similar to that reported for GaInP, is reported for GaInAsP/GaAs for the first time. It questions the attribution of the uncommon behavior to the crystal defects related to the long-range ordered structure.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A correlation study: 13C, 17O, 29Si and 31P NMR chemical shifts and approximate CO stretching force constants for cis-disubstituted molybdenum carbonyl complexes

Abstract The 13 C, 17 O, 29 Si and 31 P NMR spectral properties of cis -Mo(CO) 4 (PPh 2 X) 2 , where X is Cl, OMe, 4-MeC 6 H 4 O, NH 2 , NHMe, NHCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 , NHCH 2 CH 2 NMe 2 , 4-MeC 6 H 4 NH, SEt, OSiMe 3 or NHSiMe 3 and of cis -Mo(CO) 4 )(PPh 2 YPPh 2 ), where Y is NMeCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NMe, NHSiMe 2 NH, NHSiMePhNH, OSiMe 2 O, or OSiMePhO and of cis -[Mo(CO) 4 (PPh 2 O) 2 ] 2 Si have been determined. Good to excellent correlations between the 13 C and 17 O chemical shifts of carbonyl ligands trans to the phosphorus donor ligands are found. Only poor correlations are seen between 13 C and 17 C chemical shifts for carbonyl ligands cis to the two phosphine substituted carbonyl groups. Based on only seven samples, 29 Si and 13 C of trans carbonyl ligands also correlate well. Correlations of chemical shift data with approximate CO stretching force constants are fair to good depending upon the selection of data. In particular, much better correlations are noted in almost all instances when complexes with monodentate ligands and bidentate ligands are examined separately.
The Kuznets hypothesis: An indirect test

Abstract The Quandt Log Likelihood Ratio test, used on cross country data, shows that there is a break in the relationship between per capita GNP and income inequality; the breakpoint occurs at a per capita between $696 and $773.
Architecture exploration of crossbar-based nanoscale reconfigurable computing platforms ☆

Abstract Nanoscale computing systems are expected to be based on bottom-up self-assembled regular structures, such as a crossbar, and rely on reconfigurability to achieve functionality and reliability. This paper presents the first purely carbon nanotube and carbon nanotube transistor based nanoscale computing platform, and several variant CNT crossbar-based nanoscale computing platforms with different device integration, cell granularity, and logic families. These nanoscale computing platforms are evaluated by SPICE simulation based on Stanford compact CNFET model and 16 nm CMOSFET Predictive Technology Models. Further presented are floating-gate transistor arrays (FGTAs), which enable reconfigurable CMOS static logic, achieving improved logic density, performance, and power consumption compared with LUT-based reconfigurable logic.
Requests About Explosives and Illicit Drugs: A New Paradigm

This article addresses what reference librarians should do when patrons ask for information about explosives or dangerous drugs, and explores how reference librarians can possibly deter people from dangerous, unmediated searches by proactively providing information and actual examples on the dangers and risks of making and using these materials.
Asynchronous learning networks: priorities for software development

Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs), a form of elearning, use computer-mediated communication to sup-port the delivery of courses in which anytime, anywhere access to interactions among the students and between the instructor/facilitator and the students are key ele-ments. What constitutes an ALN software platform that supports and enhances collaborative learning? How can existing learning theories and small group interaction models guide the design of effective environments for ALNs? What kinds of new software tools would best im-prove support for "teacher immediacy" behaviors and active, collaborative learning by students? What are the most important interface issues to accommodate multi-cultural and multinational faculty and student groups using ALN platforms.
Crystal Structure of Archaeal Ribonuclease P Protein aRpp29 from Archaeoglobus fulgidus

The crystal structure of ribonuclease P protein aRpp29 from the sulfate-reducing hyperthermophile Archaeoglobus fulgidus was determined at 1.7 A resolution using X-ray diffraction methods. The central feature of this archaeal protein is a sheet of six antiparallel β-strands twisted around a conserved hydrophobic core. Residues near the N- and C-termini form helical structures that are oriented in an antiparallel manner. A comparison of conserved amino acids indicates that archaeal aRpp29 is homologous to human ribonuclease P protein Rpp29. The aRpp29 protein is structurally similar to bacterial transcription factors Hfq and NusG, as well as the Sm and Sm-like RNA-associated proteins from eukarya. The crystal structure of A. fulgidus aRpp29 differs from the previously reported solution structure, where NMR data did not detect the helices and indicated that ∼40% of the residues are relatively flexible or disordered. Circular dichroism data indicate that the protein has less helical content than the amount o...
Providing dust mite-proof covers improves adherence to dust mite control measures in children with mite allergy and asthma

Introduction The most critical dust mite avoidance technique for asthmatic children with mite allergy is the use of dust mite-proof bedding covers. Adherence to allergen control measures is poor due to cost. The purpose of this study was to determine whether giving families mite-proof bedding encasings at the time of the diagnosis with mite allergy would improve adherence at a home visit 2 months later. Methods Parents of children (mean age 7.7 years) with asthma and positive skin tests for dust mite were assigned either to an intervention group, which received dust mite covers upon enrollment or a comparison group, which did not. Both groups were instructed in dust mite control measures by a medical provider and told to invest in the covers as part of standard care. Two months after enrollment, parent report and observational measures from each family were obtained during a home visit. Results The group provided allergen encasings was found to be significantly more likely to have used the casings at the home visit, t(22) = 2.77, P Conclusions Providing mite bedding encasings at the time of diagnosis significantly increases compliance at a 2-month home visit. Medicaid and insurance companies should be encouraged to pay for casings as a cost effective measure to improve asthma care in children with mite allergy.
Influence of uncertainty on conditioned heart rates of monkeys

Abstract Two experiments were performed with rhesus monkeys on heart rate responses to classical aversive discrimination conditioning. The first investigated the effects of ratios of positive to negative trials and the effects of partial vs. continuous reinforcement. Discrimination learning was facilitated by reducing the number of positive (shocked) stimuli in comparison with the number of negative (unshocked) stimulus presentations. There was no difference between the heart rate accelerative responses elicited by partial as compared with continuous reinforcement but there was significant heart rate acceleration to the negative stimulus in the partially reinforced group while the two continuously reinforced groups did not respond to the negative stimulus. In the second experiment a warning signal preceded the presentation of the discriminative stimuli for one group of animals, but not for the second group. The inclusion of a warning signal changed the direction of the heart rate response from accelerative to decelerative. The results indicated that, within a single species, the conditioned heart rate response is very sensitive to experimental conditions.
Strategy Precedes Operational Effectiveness: Aligning High Graduation Rankings With Competitive Graduation Grade Point Averages

Two pivotal and interconnected claims are addressed in this article. First, strategy precedes program effectiveness. Second, graduation rates and rankings are insufficient in any account of academic progress for African American students. In this article, graduation is regarded as the floor and not the ceiling, as it were. The ideal situation in the promotion of strategy is the alignment of high graduation rates or rankings with high graduation cumulative grade point averages. This strategic alignment is precisely what needs to be formulated in the first instance before making judgments about program development and/or operational effectiveness. The work of the Office of African American Affairs of the University of Virginia provides the context for observing trends in academic performance that illustrate the optimal alignment between high graduation rankings and correspondingly high grade point averages.
Regulating cell proliferation: as easy as APC.

A report in this week's issue of Science [Rubinfeld et al. ([p. 1023][1])] places the tumor suppressor APC firmly in the signal transduction pathway triggered by WINGLESS (in the fruit fly Drosophila ) and WNT (in the mouse). This pathway is a supremely important one for control of cell fate. A second report [Matsumine et al. (p. 1020)] identifies a new downstream target of APC, another tumor suppressor Drosophila discs large ( dlg ). In his Perspective, Peifer discusses what these findings may mean for how APC participates in cell fate control. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.272.5264.1023