cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managerial Performance Evaluation

We have seen how the organization’s accounting library emphasizes financial data, while keeping an eye on their integrity. We have also seen how the building blocks of cost aggregation and linear approximation, interlinked with cost allocation, are used to construct that library. Variance analysis procedures expand this theme to a comparison of actual with budget. What remains is the question of use. How might we use this overwhelming amount of data in some evaluation task?
Effects of drugs, ileal obstruction, and irradiation on rat gastrointestinal propulsion.

We studied the transit of a radioactive test solution in the gastrointestinal tract under conditions expected to alter propulsion, autonomic drugs, morphine, chlorpromazine-induced enteromegaly, indomethacin-induced small intestinal ulceration, ileal obstruction, postirradiation, and fasting. The radioactive test solution was introduced into the stomach or duodenum of rats, and, after a period of time, the stomach and intestines were removed. The distribution of radioactivity was measured by passing the gastrointestinal tract under a scintillation detector and graphically recording the count rate. By comparison of results of intragastric and intraduodenal administration of test solution, variations in gastric emptying were shown to limit the value of studying small intestinal propulsion by intragastric administration of test solution. Mecamylamine, chlorisondamine, and morphine produced significant retardation in propulsion by both techniques. Tolazoline and neostigmine produced acceleration of net propulsion by the intragastric technique, but not by the intraduodenal method. Even though the intestine was dilated after 6 weeks of chlorpromazine treatment, gastrointestinal propulsion was not altered. When ulcers produced by indomethacin did not obstruct the lumen, the test solution passed through the bowel faster than in controls. When the test solution was placed in the stomach of irradiated rats, there was marked gastric retention, but small intestinal transit was markedly accelerated when the solution was put into the duodenum. The intraduodenal technique is not technically difficult and appears to be an improved method for quantification of small intestinal propulsive motility.
Exergy Models and Tar Removal Techniques in Biomass Gasification

Quest for higher conversion efficiency and reduced environmental impact has increased the focus on renewable energy sources. Biomass is a sustainable form of energy that can be used as an alternate of fossil fuels through biomass gasification. Gasification is one of the most used methods for converting biomass into syngas that is a usable form of energy. The biomass gasification serves as a promising process for energy production. However, uncertainty in process variables and formation of tar has been a challenge in efficient process design and operation. This paper contains literature review of different models used for gasification, tar removal techniques along with Fischer Tropsch reactions for conversion of biomass to liquid fuels. The paper shows circulating and bubbling fluidized bed gasifier as the most efficient model for tar removal and greater exergy efficiency.
Between the Global and the Local: Human Rights Discourse and Engagement in Two New York City High Schools

While there has been a rise in human rights education at the global level, little attention has been paid to how it is integrated into schools in the United States. Drawing on qualitative and quant...
Spontaneous regression of extradural intraspinal cysts in a dog: a case report

Extradural intraspinal cysts are fluid accumulations that appear to be associated with increased motion at vertebral joints. We report the spontaneous regression of lumbar and lumbosacral cysts (presumably synovial cysts) and the unusual occurrence of an S1–2 extradural intraspinal cyst in a dog. The dog presented with lumbosacral pain. Six extradural intraspinal cysts were observed on high-field magnetic resonance imaging from L5–6 to S1-S2. The cysts between L5–6 and L7-S1 ranged from 0.12 to 0.44cm2 at their largest area. The largest cyst was located at S1–2 (left), measuring 0.84 cm2 at its largest view. The dog was medically managed. A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scan was obtained 3.5 years after the first imaging. All cysts except the one at S1–2 had reduced in size. Mean reduction in size was 59.6% (35–81%). In summary, we report a case with multiple extradural intraspinal cysts that underwent spontaneous regression of all but one cyst during a 3.5-year follow-up period. Whether this is a single occurrence, or is part of the natural history of these cysts in the lumbosacral region of dogs, remains to be established. Spontaneous regression of intraspinal cysts had not been described in dogs.
When Does a Multi-channel Linear System Have a Structurally Fixed Spectrum?

It is well known that a fixed spectrum {i.e., the set of fixed modes} of a multi-channel linear system plays a central role in the stabilization of such a system with decentralized control. A parameterized multi-channel linear system is said to have a structurally fixed spectrum if it has a fixed spectrum for each parameter value. Necessary and sufficient algebraic conditions are presented for a multi-channel linear system with dependent parameters to have a structurally fixed spectrum. Equivalent graphical conditions are also given for a certain type of parameterization.
Increasing Liver Fat is Associated with Progression of Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in cross-sectional analyses. However, less is known about how changes in liver fat associate with the progression of cardiovascular risk factors. Methods A substudy (n = 808) drawn from the Framingham Heart Study underwent serial computed tomography scans 6 years apart. We performed multivariable-adjusted regression to determine the association between changes in liver fat and progression of cardiovascular risk factors. Results Each standard deviation increase in liver fat was associated with adverse progression of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein and log triglycerides. After adjusting for baseline cardiovascular risk, baseline body mass index (BMI), and change in BMI, increasing liver fat was significantly associated with adverse changes in fasting glucose and triglycerides. Conclusions In a longitudinal cohort, increasing liver fat over 6 years was associated with progression of cardiovascular risk factors, even after accounting for BMI changes.
Immunity and Hypertension

Hypertension is the primary cause of cardiovascular mortality. Despite multiple existing treatments, only half of those with the disease achieve adequate control. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms causing hypertension is essential for the development of novel therapies. Many studies demonstrate that immune cell infiltration of the vessel wall, kidney and central nervous system, as well as their counterparts of oxidative stress, the renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and sympathetic tone play a critical role in the development of hypertension. Genetically modified mice lacking components of innate and/or adaptive immunity confirm the importance of chronic inflammation in hypertension and its complications. Depletion of immune cells improves endothelial function, decreases oxidative stress, reduces vascular tone and prevents renal interstitial infiltrates, sodium retention and kidney damage. Moreover, the ablation of microglia or central nervous system perivascular macrophages reduces RAS-induced inflammation and prevents sympathetic nervous system activation and hypertension. Therefore, understanding immune cell functioning and their interactions with tissues that regulate hypertensive responses may be the future of novel antihypertensive therapies.
Organizations and the Governance of Urban Poverty

Many recent sociological studies of urban poverty have drawn inspiration from the Chicago School model of social disorganization. Studies of urban poverty and formal organizations have been profoun...
Telehealth and hospital performance: Does it matter?

IntroductionPrevious studies indicated that telehealth services may improve hospital performance. However, the extent to which these telehealth provisions would improve hospital total performance s...
Does the Web Reduce Customer Service Cost? Empirical Evidence from a Call Center

Firms are investing millions to deploy Web-based self-services at their call centers. The rationale for such investment is that the firm’s cost of interacting with its customers through the Web-based channel is an order of magnitude cheaper than the assisted channels such as telephony. We conduct a field study at the call center of a prominent U.S. health insurance firm to examine this cost-saving rationale of the Web-based selfservice channel. On the one hand, the Web channel may substitute for the telephony channel in some cases. On the other hand, the Web also exposes customers to a vast amount of information about their health policy, claims, and coverage; this information can create uncertainty leading to customers seeking more information and hence making more telephone calls. We designed a quasi-natural experiment in our field setting and used difference-in-difference specifications to show that the Web-based self-service usage leads to a 14% increase in telephone calls. We conduct several robustness checks to show that our specifications are robust to any potential selection of customers in the Web-based self-service usage. We further find that the impact of Web portal usage is moderated by the Web portal characteristics. We find that if the information is unambiguous and easily retrievable on the Web, calls for such information decline by 29%. However, for ambiguous information, the calls increase substantially. Our research provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of self-service technologies design.
“That Makes Sense Now!": Bicultural Middle School Students’ Learning in a Culturally Relevant Science Classroom

This study describes how culturally relevant pedagogy in a project-based science class improved student engagement and comprehension. We focus on bicultural students exploring cultural objects and household inventions with family members, connecting scientific concepts to their families’ funds of knowledge. We use a multiple-case study design to explore six middle school bicultural students’ experiences with culturally relevant activities. Findings describe bidirectional knowledge transfer between the home and the classroom in a way that engaged students, affirmed their home cultures, and facilitated subject matter learning.
Alternatives to Knee Braces

Knee braces continue to be a widely utilized piece of medical equipment, ranging from simple over the counter sleeves to more complex functional braces, with the ability to provide electrical stimulation to muscle groups. Despite their popularity, alternatives to knee braces exist for patients who find braces to be ineffective, uncomfortable, cumbersome, or overly expensive. While high-quality studies are lacking for modalities such as neoprene sleeves, compression stockings, and kinesiotaping, there is promising evidence that these interventions can confer an element of stability and pain relief for a variety of knee pathologies both with regard to acute and chronic injuries as well as in the postoperative rehabilitation period. While no "holy grail" exists for the ideal brace, or bracing alternative, it is important for providers to be aware of the options available to patients as well as the current evidence for these various modalities, so that the provider can best guide musculoskeletal care.
Incentives in Resource Allocation under Dynamic Demands.

Every computer system -- from schedulers in public clouds (Amazon, Google, etc.) to computer networks to hypervisors to operating systems -- performs resource allocation across system users. The defacto allocation policy used in most of these systems, max-min fairness, guarantees desirable properties like incentive compatibility and Pareto efficiency, assuming user demands are time-independent. However, in modern real-world production systems, user demands are dynamic, i.e., vary over time. As a result, there is now a fundamental mismatch between the resource allocation goals of computer systems and the properties enabled by classic resource allocation policies. We consider a natural generalization of the classic algorithm for max-min fair allocation for the case of dynamic demands: this algorithm guarantees Pareto optimality, while ensuring that allocated resources are as max-min fair as possible up to any time instant, given the allocation in previous periods. While this dynamic allocation scheme remains Pareto optimal, it is not incentive compatible. We show that the possible increase in utility by misreporting demand is minimal and since this misreporting can lead to significant decrease in overall useful allocation, this suggests that it is not a useful strategy. Our main result is to show that when user demands are random variables, increasing the total amount of resource by a $(1+O(\epsilon))$ factor compared to the sum of expected instantaneous demands, makes the algorithm $(1+\epsilon)$-incentive compatible: no user can improve her allocation by a factor more than $(1+\epsilon)$ by misreporting demands, where $\epsilon\to 0$ as $n\to\infty$ and $n$ is the number of users. In the adversarial setting, we show that this algorithm is $3/2$-incentive compatible, which is nearly tight. We also generalize our results for the case of colluding users and multi-resource allocation.
Single cell transcriptomics reveals distinct effector profiles of infiltrating T cells in lupus skin and kidney

Cutaneous lupus is commonly present in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but can also exist as an isolated manifestation without further systemic involvement. T cells have been strongly suspected to contribute to the pathology of cutaneous lupus, yet our understanding of the T cell phenotypes and functions in the skin in lupus remains incomplete, and the extent to which lupus T cell infiltrates in skin resemble those in other tissue beds is unknown. Here, we present a detailed single-cell RNA sequencing profile of T and NK cell populations present within lesional and non-lesional skin biopsies of patients with cutaneous lupus. We identified multiple lymphocyte clusters, including both CD4 and CD8 T cells, NK cells, regulatory T cells, and a population of strongly interferon-responding cells that was present in patients with cutaneous lupus but absent in healthy donors. T cells across clusters from both lesional and non-lesional skin biopsies expressed elevated levels of interferon simulated genes (ISGs); however, compared to T cells from control skin, T cells from cutaneous lupus lesions did not show elevated expression profiles of activation, cytotoxicity, or exhaustion. Integrated analyses comparing skin T/NK cells to lupus nephritis kidney T/NK cells indicated that skin lymphocytes appeared less activated and lacked the expanded cytotoxic populations prominent in lupus nephritis. An integrated comparison of skin T cells from lupus and systemic sclerosis revealed similar activation profiles but an elevated ISG signature specific to cells from lupus skin biopsies. Overall, these data represent the first detailed transcriptomic analysis of the of T and NK cells in cutaneous lupus at the single cell level and have enabled a cross-tissue comparison that highlighted the stark differences in composition and activation of T/NK cells in distinct tissues in lupus.
Human photoreceptors switch from autonomous axon extension to cell-mediated process pulling during synaptic marker redistribution

Abstract Photoreceptors (PRs) are the primary visual sensory cells, and their loss leads to blindness that is currently incurable. Cell replacement therapy holds promise as a therapeutic approach to restore vision to those who have lost PRs through damage or disease. While PR transplant research is ongoing in animal models, success is hindered by our limited understanding of PR axon growth during development and regeneration. Using a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) reporter line that labels PRs (WA09 CRX+/tdTomato), we generated retinal organoids in order to study mechanisms of PR process extension. We found that the earliest born PRs exhibit autonomous axon extension from dynamic terminals that appear similar to projection neuron growth cones. However, as hPSC-derived PRs age from 40 to 80 days of differentiation, they lose dynamic terminals in 2D plated cultures and within 3D retinal organoids, which does not correlate with cell birth date. Using a rod-specific hPSC reporter line (WA09 NRL+/eGFP), we further determined that rod PRs never form motile growth cones. Interestingly, PRs without motile terminals are still capable of extending axons, but neurites are generated from process stretching via their attachment to motile non-PR cells, which underlies the observed differences in PR neurite lengths on different substrata. While immobile PR terminals express actin, it is less polymerized and less organized than actin present in motile terminals. However, immobile PRs do localize synaptic proteins to their terminals, suggesting a normal developmental progression. These findings help inform the development of PR transplant therapies to treat blinding diseases and provide a platform to test treatments that restore autonomous PR axon extension. Significance Statement Loss of photoreceptors (PRs) in the retina through damage or disease causes irreversible vision loss and blindness. One treatment approach is to replace lost cells with transplanted human stem cell-derived PRs, but this requires PR axons to integrate into the host retina to restore the required neural connections. For this strategy to succeed, we need to understand how PRs extend processes to their targets during development in situ, and whether dissociated human stem cell (hPSC)-derived PRs behave in a similar fashion. In this paper, we show that hPSC-PRs have only a short window during which they are capable of autonomous axon extension, which has implications for PR transplant efforts and for our basic understanding of human retinal development.
Stretching the Margins: The Geographic Nexus in Environmental Law

In environmental law, a recurring issue involves the geographic nexus-the connection required to give an individual or government a legitimate interest in an environmental problem in a given locale. The nexus issue arises in a broad range of contexts, from standing decisions such as Defenders and National Wildlife Federation, to Dormant Commerce Clause decisions and their relatives in GATT and ECJ jurisprudence. In Part I, the author explores the use of the geographic nexus to define when individuals have suffered cognizable environmental injuries. He then explores, in Part II, what type of nexus a government must show as a basis for environmental regulation. He argues in Part III that we need a pragmatic, flexible approach to the geographical nexus. Globalism and localism, the two leading perspectives on the geographic nexus, are both too inflexible. Localism places talismanic weight on physical location while globalism attempts to erase geography. Each perspective is insufficiently attentive to the values represented by the other. We must expect the geographic nexus to evolve along with changing concepts of sovereignty and developing perceptions of environmental issues. In applying such an evolutionary approach, tribunals should be receptive to signals from the international community, or in the United States, from Congress, regarding the legitimacy of transboundary regulatory interests.
Continuity properties of equilibrium prices and allocations in linear fisher markets

Continuity of the mapping from initial endowments and utilities to equilibria is an essential property for a desirable model of an economy - without continuity, small errors in the observation of parameters of the economy may lead to entirely different predicted equilibria. We show that for the linear case of Fisher's market model, the (unique) vector of equilibrium prices, p = p(m, U) is a continuous function of the initial amounts of money held by the agents, m, and their utility functions, U. Furthermore, the correspondence X(m, U), giving the set of equilibrium allocations for any specified m and U, is upper hemicontinuous, but not lower hemicontinuous. However, for a fixed U, this correspondence is lower hemicontinuous in m.
Spatial Frequency Characteristics of Opto-Acoustic Transducers

An Opto-Acoustic Transducer (OAT) is a multi-layer, planar device which produces a focused acoustic field distribution at its focal plane by transforming a pattern of optical intensity into a corresponding pattern of pressure amplitude. A typical OAT consists of four layers: a transparent electrode, a photoconductive layer, a piezoelectric layer, and an opaque electrode. One measure of the effectiveness of such a device as an acoustic transducer is the degree of resemblance of the acoustical output to the optical input.
The pulmonary effects of intravenous adenosine in asthmatic subjects

We have shown that intravenous adenosine in normal subjects does not cause bronchospasm, but causes dyspnea, most likely by an effect on vagal C fibers in the lungs [Burki et al. J Appl Physiol 2005; 98:180-5]. Since airways inflammation and bronchial hyperreactivity are features of asthma, it is possible that intravenous adenosine may be associated with an increased intensity of dyspnea, and may cause bronchospasm, as noted anecdotally in previous reports. We compared the effects of placebo and 10 mg intravenous adenosine, in 6 normal and 6 asthmatic subjects. Placebo injection had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on the forced expiratory spirogram, heart rate, minute ventilation (Ve), or respiratory sensation. Similarly, adenosine injection caused no significant changes (p > 0.05) in the forced expiratory spirogram; however, there was a rapid development of dyspnea as signified visually on a modified Borg scale, and a significant (p < 0.05) tachycardia in each subject (Asthmatics +18%, Normals + 34%), and a significant (p < 0.05) increase in Ve (Asthmatics +93%, Normals +130%). The intensity of dyspnea was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the asthmatic subjects. These data indicate that intravenous adenosine does not cause bronchospasm in asthmatic subjects, and supports the concept that adenosine-induced dyspnea is most likely secondary to stimulation of vagal C fibers in the lungs. The increased intensity of adenosine-induced dyspnea in the asthmatic subjects suggests that airways inflammation may have sensitized the vagal C fibers.
Mechanisms of β-cell death in response to double-stranded (ds) RNA and interferon-γ dsrna-dependent protein kinase apoptosis and nitric oxide-dependent necrosis

Viral infection is one environmental factor that has been implicated as a precipitating event that may initiate β-cell damage during the development of diabetes. This study examines the mechanisms by which the viral replicative intermediate, double-stranded (ds) RNA impairs β-cell function and induces β-cell death. The synthetic dsRNA molecule polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC) stimulates β-cell DNA damage and apoptosis without impairing islet secretory function. In contrast, the combination of poly IC and interferon (IFN)-γ stimulates DNA damage, apoptosis, and necrosis of islet cells, and this damage is associated with the inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Nitric oxide mediates the inhibitory and destructive actions of poly IC + IFN-γ on insulin secretion and islet cell necrosis. Inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, aminoguanidine, and NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, attenuate poly IC + IFN-γ-induced DNA damage to levels observed in response to poly IC alone, prevent islet cell necrosis, and prevent the inhibitory actions on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. NG-monomethyl-l-arginine fails to prevent poly IC- and poly IC + IFN-γ-induced islet cell apoptosis. PKR, the dsRNA-dependent protein kinase that mediates the antiviral response in infected cells, is required for poly IC- and poly IC + IFN-γ-induced islet cell apoptosis, but not nitric oxide-mediated islet cell necrosis. Alone, poly IC fails to stimulate DNA damage in islets isolated from PKR-deficient mice; however, nitric oxide-dependent DNA damage induced by the combination of poly IC + IFN-γ is not attenuated by the genetic absence of PKR. These findings indicate that dsRNA stimulates PKR-dependent islet cell apoptosis, an event that is associated with normal islet secretory function. In contrast, poly IC + IFN-γ-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and islet cell necrosis are events that are mediated by islet production of nitric oxide. These findings suggest that at least one IFN-γ-induced antiviral response (islet cell necrosis) is mediated through a PKR-independent pathway.
Peripheral peptide YY induces c-fos-like immunoreactivity in the rat brain

Abstract The influence of peripheral injection of peptide YY (PYY) on neuronal activity in the rat brain was examined by immunohistochemical detection of c- fos protein. Numerous c- fos -immunoreactive nuclei were found in the area postrema, nucleus tractus solitarius (commissural and medial subnuclei), central amygdala and thalamus (periventricular and medial) of rats injected i.p. with PYY at a dose of 300 μg/kg. c- fos -like immunoreactivity was found to be less when lower doses of PYY (50–200 μg/kg, i.p.) were injected. Either no or few cells were detected after i.p. injection of the vehicle alone. These data provide anatomical support for the centrally mediated actions of peripheral PYY on gut function.
Peripheral site acetylcholinesterase inhibitors targeting both inflammation and cholinergic dysfunction

The design and study of two classes of noncompetitive acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) which also function as NSAID prodrugs are reported. The most potent AChEIs disclosed contain an aromatic alkyl-aryl linker between an NSAID and a lipophilic choline mimic and they inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the submicromolar range. These agents have the therapeutic potential to dually target inflammation by releasing an NSAID in vivo and activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway via cholinergic up-regulation.
Maternal effects on the developing dentition

Abstract A total of 289 children from 99 families were examined radiographically to investigate the presence of maternal effect on the developing dentition. The mandibular permanent teeth were assigned scores of dental maturation by the method of Moorrees et al. Birth weight, birth order, and maternal age were used as measures of maternal effects. The results showed that between-family differences in dental development were still significant after adjustments were made for birth weight, etc., by the analysis of covariance. The within-family correlation and regression coefficients between dental development and birth weight and maternal age were low but statistically significant.
Oxygen K-shell X-ray production in thin films of aluminum oxide by 20- to 100-kev protons.

Oxygen K-shell X ray production cross section and stopping power of aluminum oxide thin films for 20-100 kev protons
Science and the Media 1—A Major Challenge

(1981). Science and the Media 1—A Major Challenge. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 275-276.
The Use of Public Policy Analysis to Enhance the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987

Given the prevalence of abuse and neglect in nursing home care delivery vis-a-vis elderly and frail residents, and despite the advent and implementation of the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 (a policy that sought to diminish such conduct in such institutional settings), deficiency citations in nursing home care and services remain both problematic and common. By employing public policy analysis, and by analyzing various social science theories applicable to the improvement of care delivery and quality, this article seeks to develop methods to enhance compliance with the Nursing Home Reform Act and reduce care deficiencies in nursing homes.
Radiative heat feedback in a toluene pool fire

A purged radiometer was used to measure directional heat flux incident on the fuel surface in a 30 cm diameter toluene fire. A new approximate method for the treatment of the effects of turbulence on radiation was evaluated using these data. The average emissive power and the average transmittance are the two local properties needed for the approximate method. These quantities were obtained from transient local measurements of temperatures and soot volume fractions based on emission at two wavelengths. Soot volume fractions based on absorption were also measured for comparison. The results showed that a large fraction of the soot particles observed by the absorption probe were at relatively low temperatures. The predictions of directional heat fluxes showed systematic errors with angle when compared to measurements. These errors are related to the absorption of energy by fuel vapor in the central core and the higher spatial resolution needed in the necking-in region of the fire. The directional total flux data and predictions were integrated to obtain total radiative heat feedback to the surface. Comparisons between measurements and predictions of total heat flux were reasonably good.
Revisiting the social enhancement hypothesis

Extroversion directly predicts number of Facebook friends.Extroversion directly predicts number of months people are active on Facebook.Extroversion indirectly predicts number of Facebook friends, mediated through Facebook usage. An online survey of college-age Facebook users (N=209) found that extroversion, narcissism, openness, and agreeableness predicted friending more people on Facebook. However, only extroversion continued to exert an effect when these and other personality variables were examined together in one regression model, while controlling for frequency of Facebook usage and gender. Also, a path analysis model showed that extroversion directly predicted number of Facebook friends and the number of months people were active on Facebook. In addition, extroversion indirectly influenced number of Facebook friends, operating through months active on Facebook and hours per week spent on Facebook in a parallel mediation effect. Findings offer support for the social enhancement hypothesis, which argues that extroverted people benefit the most from social media.
Optimality And Concurrent Variable-interval Variable-ratio Schedules.

Despite claims to the contrary, all leading theories about operant choice may be seen as models of optimality. Although melioration is often contrasted with global maximization, both make the same core assumptions as other versions of optimality theory, including momentary maximizing, hill climbing, and the various versions of optimal foraging theory. The present experiment aimed to test melioration against more global optimality and to apply the visit-by-visit analysis suggested by foraging theory. Rats were exposed to concurrent schedules in which one alternative was always variable-ratio 10 and the other alternative was a variable-interval schedule. Although choice relations varied from rat to rat, the overall results roughly confirmed the matching law, a result often taken to support melioration. Pooling the data across sessions and across rats, however, resulted in no increment in unsystematic variance, lending support to the contention by Ziriax and Silberberg (1984) that the choice relation is partly constrained. When the data were analyzed at the level of visits, the results either disconfirmed predictions of melioration or showed regularities about which melioration is silent. Instead, performance tended toward a rough optimization, in which responding favored the variable ratio, but with relatively brief visits to the variable interval. There were no asymmetries in travel or variability that would indicate that different processes were involved in generating visits at the two different schedules. The findings point toward a more global optimality model than melioration and demonstrate the value of per-visit analysis in the study of concurrent performances.
Agroforestry opportunities for the United States of America

Agriculture in the United States makes intensive use of large portions, of the nation's arable landscape. This landscape is dominated by large fields of annual crops with few perennial buffering communities within them. Agroforestry systems such as riparian buffers, alleycropping, windbreaks, tree/pasture systems, and forest farming provide buffering opportunities within these landscapes. Riparian buffers and alleycropping systems provide two unique opportunities toward sustainable production by reducing nonpoint source pollution while increasing ecological diversity. The major impediment to agroforestry in the United States is a lack of identity. Agroforestry as a practice is not officially recognized by federal and most state agencies and thus does not qualify for cost-share support or funding for research and establishment of demonstrations. A recent white paper, prepared by representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernment organizations, identified eight major actions that could provide the support, for making agroforestry an acceptable alternative to nonsustainable agriculture. Ames, Iowa. Project No. 3209.
Computationally Efficient Combined Design and Control Optimization using a Coupling Measure

Abstract This paper presents a novel approach to the optimization of a dynamic system's design and control. Traditionally, these problems have been solved either sequentially or in a combined manner. We propose a novel approach that uses a previously-derived coupling measure to quantify the impact of plant design variables on optimal control cost. This proposed approach has two key advantages. First, because the coupling term quantifies the gradient of the control optimization objective with respect to plant design variables, the approach ensures combined plant/control optimality. Second, because the coupling term equals the integral of optimal control co-states multiplied by static gradient terms that can be computed a priori , the proposed approach is computationally attractive. We illustrate this approach using an example cantilever beam structural design and vibration control problem. The results show significant computational cost improvements compared to traditional combined plant/control optimization. This reduction in computational cost becomes more pronounced as the number of plant design variables increases.
Cyclic voltammetry at micropipet electrodes for the study of ion-transfer kinetics at liquid/liquid interfaces.

Cyclic voltammetry at micropipet electrodes is applied to the kinetic study of ion transfer at liquid/liquid interfaces. Simple and facilitated transfer of an ion that is initially present outside a tapered pipet was simulated by the finite element method, enabling complete analysis of the resulting transient cyclic voltammogram (CV) with a sigmoidal forward wave followed by a peak-shaped reverse wave. Without serious effects of uncompensated ohmic resistance and capacitive current, more parameters can be determined from a transient CV than from the steady-state counterpart obtained with a smaller pipet or at a slower scan rate. A single transient CV under kinetic limitation gives all parameters in a Butler−Volmer-type model, i.e., the formal potential, the transfer coefficient, the standard ion-transfer rate constant, k0, and the charge of a transferring ion as well as its diffusion coefficients in both phases. Advantages of the transient approach are demonstrated experimentally for reversible, quasi-rev...
Quantifying Ephemeral Streambed Infiltration from Downhole Temperature Measurements Collected Before and After Streamflow

A constant flux infiltration experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of using downhole temperature measurements to estimate infiltration flux. Temperatures measured using a downhole thermistor within a 15.4-m-deep borehole compare well with temperatures measured with buried thermocouples in an adjacent borehole to 5 m depth. Numerical forward model simulations were conducted using VS2DI. A numerical sensitivity analysis showed that the temperature profile was most sensitive to the average temperature of the infiltrating water, the infiltration flux, and the specific heat capacity of dry soil. The high sensitivity of these variables allows for a simple sequential optimization to be used to estimate the average temperature of the infiltrating water, the water flux, and the specific heat capacity of dry soil from numerical inversion of temperature measurements. Downhole temperature measurements could be a useful complement to shallow streambed temperature methods, allowing for better quantification of the contribution of streambed infiltration to basin-scale recharge.
Distortion-tolerant 3D recognition of underwater objects using neural networks

A method for distortion-tolerant recognition of objects in water using three-dimensional (3D) integral imaging with a neural network classification architecture is presented. Recognition algorithms are developed and experimental results are presented with rotation-variable 3D objects. To test the robustness of the system, objects are placed under a variety of water conditions, including variable Maalox-induced scattering levels and occlusion using pine needles. Neural networks have long been used for two-dimensional recognition and have recently been used for 3D digital holographic recognition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first use of neural networks for passive 3D integral imaging and recognition of underwater objects.
Sleep disorders: Research in psychopathology and its practical implications

This is a summary of research studies indicating a primary role of psychotherapy in the etiology of certain sleep disorders. Thus, chronic insomnia is associated with high levels of psychopathology and a personality profile characterized by internalization of emotions. Also, a greater number of stressful life events occurs at the year of onset of insomnia. Two additional sleep disorders (sleep-walking and night terrors in adults) are similarly associated with high levels of psychopathology. Although these two disorders share many common clinical and psychopathological characteristics, their psychological profiles and psychopathological correlates differ considerably. Sleepwalkers show a high incidence of personality disorders with generally active, outward behavioral patterns, whereas night terror sufferers are mostly anxious, depressed and phobic with an inhibition of outward expression of aggression. Based on these research findings a series of therapeutic recommendations is presented for the effective management of patients with insomnia, sleepwalking or night terrors.
Tracking of multiple objects in unknown background using Bayesian estimation in 3D space

We present a three-dimensional (3D) object tracking method based on a Bayesian framework for tracking multiple, occluded objects in a complex scene. The 3D passive capture of scene data is based on integral imaging. The statistical characteristics of the objects versus the background are exploited to analyze each frame. The algorithm can work with objects with unknown position, rotation, scale, and illumination. Posterior probabilities of the reconstructed scene background and the 3D objects are calculated by defining their pixel intensities as Gaussian and gamma distributions, respectively, and by assuming appropriate prior distributions for estimated parameters. Multiobject tracking is achieved by maximizing the geodesic distance between the log-posteriors of the background and the objects. Experimental results are presented.
ROCK Inhibitor Is Not Required for Embryoid Body Formation from Singularized Human Embryonic Stem Cells

We report a technology to form human embryoid bodies (hEBs) from singularized human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) without the use of the p160 rho-associated coiled-coil kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) or centrifugation (spin). hEB formation was tested under four conditions: +ROCKi/+spin, +ROCKi/-spin, -ROCKi/+spin, and -ROCKi/-spin. Cell suspensions of BG01V/hOG and H9 hESC lines were pipetted into non-adherent hydrogel substrates containing defined microwell arrays. hEBs of consistent size and spherical geometry can be formed in each of the four conditions, including the -ROCKi/-spin condition. The hEBs formed under the -ROCKi/-spin condition differentiated to develop the three embryonic germ layers and tissues derived from each of the germ layers. This simplified hEB production technique offers homogeneity in hEB size and shape to support synchronous differentiation, elimination of the ROCKi xeno-factor and rate-limiting centrifugation treatment, and low-cost scalability, which will directly support automated, large-scale production of hEBs and hESC-derived cells needed for clinical, research, or therapeutic applications.
Contribution to the understanding of the reduction mechanism of nitrobenzene

Electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzenes has been studied extensively [1,2]. For the processes involved Haber [3] proposed a scheme which is generally accepted in a modified form [4,5]. Nitrobenzene was the first organic compound for which a current-voltage curve obtained with the dropping mercury electrode was reported [6]. At this electrode, where, because of the continuous surface renewal the short contact period excludes accumulation and side-reaction of products [7], the reduction occurs in a single four-electron step. In acidic media the monoand di-protonated forms of arylhydroxylamine [8-lo] formed in the first step are reduced at more negative potentials in a second, two-electron step. The overall four-electron process involves also a transfer of four protons (reaction 1): ArNO,+4e-+4H++ArNHOH+H,O (1) The sequence of transfer of protons and electrons cannot be deduced in aqueous media from the variation in the limiting current of the first step, as this is pH-independent. Mechanistic studies in non-aqueous media [11,12] do not offer information about the process in aqueous solutions because of the difference in solvation of all the species involved and in their acid-base properties. Similarly for mechanistic studies in the presence of surfactants [13-151 the role of micelles and other specific effects of adsorbed surfactants cannot be excluded. The first type of experimental evidence that can be used in the elucidation of the sequence of electron and proton transfer is the fact that the sequential reduction of the nitro group to a nitroso and a hydroxylamino group has never been reported to occur in two two-electron steps. The presence of a single four-electron wave
Variation in physicochemical properties of the hypervariable region 1 during acute and chronic stages of hepatitis C virus infection

Differentiation between acute and chronic HCV infections is clinically important given that early treatment of infected patients leads to high rates of sustained virological response. Analysis of HVR1 sequences (n=2179) from samples obtained from patients with acute (n=49) and chronic (n=102) HCV infections showed that intra-host HVR1 diversity was 1.8 times higher in patients with chronic than acute infection. Analysis of molecular variance showed significant differences between sequences from acute and chronic patients. We found statistically significant differences in polarity, volume and hydrophobicity of amino acids at 10 HVR1 positions. A classification model constructed using the 10 positions in HVR1 distinguished between acute and chronic cases with accuracy of 88% in cross-validation experiments. The results indicate that progression from acute to chronic stage of HCV infection is accompanied by characteristic changes in amino acid composition of HVR1, suggesting a substantial regularity of the intra-host HVR1 evolution.
Formation of CaS on Al2O3-CaO inclusions during solidification of steels

In this article, the effect of CaS formation on the evolution of Al2O3-CaO inclusions in low-carbon Al-killed and Ca-treated steel during the solidification process is investigated through high-temperature confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The inclusions started as mostly liquid-globular inclusions that did not agglomerate with each other on the melt surface but during solidification were seen to change shape into an irregular morphology. The shape change was found to be due to the reaction between the Al2O3-CaO inclusions with the dissolved S and Al in the melt, resulting in the formation of dense CaS shells around the inclusions. The melt composition during solidification, estimated from the observed solid δ-front advance rate, was compared to the thermodynamic limit for CaS precipitation. The observed growth rate of the CaS shell was found to initially increase with decreasing temperature because of the higher, solid δ-front advance rates at lower temperatures, which results in higher rates of S and Al partitioning. Once CaS had precipitated, the inclusions were found to form agglomerates on the melt surface because of fluid flow, initially, and later, the capillary depression.
Effects of d-amphetamine sulfate on time and brightness perception in human subjects.

This report describes the development of psychophysical fractionation techniques to assess the effects of drugs. Each of five subjects gave 1/2 estimates of several time and brightness standards, first without drugs, and then under the oral administrations of a placebo and damphetamine sulfate (15 mg) in randomized order. Time fractionations without drugs were, in general, accurate and reliable, especially for the shorter time standards. Placebo and damphetamine sulfate did not affect the accuracy of time estimations, but both tended to increase the variability of these estimations within standards, especially for the longer time standards. The brightness fractionations of the subjects with or without drugs, on the other hand, underestimated the standards generally. The reliability of these estimations did not appear to be related differentially to the magnitude of the brightness standards. Both placebo and d-amphetamine sulfate tended to produce increases in the estimates of the brightness standards, relative to control curves, without affecting the reliability of these estimates in any systematic way.