cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parent–child interactions longitudinally mediate the association between shared literacy activities and emergent literacy and oral language skills

Research on the home literacy environment has predominantly centered on the quantity of word exposure rather than examining the role that nuanced parent–child interactions play in the home literacy environment and children’s language and literacy development. The present study addressed this gap by using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort to examine whether the parent (e.g., sensitivity, positive regard) and child behaviors (e.g., engagement, sustained attention) during parent–child interactions assessed with the two bags task would function as mediators for the association between shared literacy activities and emergent literacy skills and oral language skills. The sample included approximately 10,690 children and their mothers. Results of the longitudinal path analysis with mediators showed the direct effects of shared literacy activities on emergent literacy and oral language outcomes. Additionally, parents’ positive regard, children’s engagement, and children’s sustained attention mediated the association between shared literacy activities and emergent literacy skills and oral language skills at preschool. Implications and future research are discussed.
Parametricity for Primitive Nested Types

This paper considers parametricity and its resulting free theorems for nested data types. Rather than representing nested types via their Church encodings in a higher-kinded or dependently typed extension of System F, we adopt a functional programming perspective and design a Hindley-Milner-style calculus with primitives for constructing nested types directly as fixpoints. Our calculus can express all nested types appearing in the literature, including truly nested types. At the term level, it supports primitive pattern matching, map functions, and fold combinators for nested types. Our main contribution is the construction of a parametric model for our calculus. This is both delicate and challenging: to ensure the existence of semantic fixpoints interpreting nested types, and thus to establish a suitable Identity Extension Lemma for our calculus, our type system must explicitly track functoriality of types, and cocontinuity conditions on the functors interpreting them must be appropriately threaded throughout the model construction. We prove that our model satisfies an appropriate Abstraction Theorem and verifies all standard consequences of parametricity for primitive nested types.
Altered Transcription Factor Expression Responses to Exercise in Insulin Resistance.

Purpose Insulin resistant muscle is resistant to gene expression changes induced by acute exercise. This study was undertaken to identify transcription factors that differentially respond to exercise in insulin resistance. Candidate transcription factors were identified from analysis of 5'-untranslated regions (5'-UTRs) of exercise responsive genes and from analysis of the 5'-UTRs of genes coding for proteins that differ in abundance in insulin resistance. Research design and methods Twenty participants took part in this study. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by an euglycemic clamp. Participants were matched for aerobic capacity and performed a single 48 min bout of exercise with sets at 70 and 90% of maximum heart rate. Muscle biopsies were obtained at resting conditions, 30 min and 24 h after exercise. Global proteomics analysis identified differentially abundant proteins in muscle. The 5'-UTRs of genes coding for significant proteins were subjected to transcription factor enrichment analysis to identify candidate transcription factors. Q-rt-PCR to determine expression of candidate transcription factors was performed on RNA from resting and post-exercise muscle biopsies; immunoblots quantified protein abundance. Results Proteins involved in mitochondrial function, protein targeting and translation, and metabolism were among those significantly different between lean and obese groups. Transcription factor enrichment analysis of genes coding for these proteins revealed new candidate transcription factors to be evaluated along the previously identified factors. Q-rt-PCR analysis of RNA and immunoblot analysis from pre- and post-exercise muscle biopsies revealed several transcription and growth factors that had altered responses to exercise in insulin resistant participants. A significant increase (EGR3 and CTGF) and decrease (RELA and ATF2) in the mRNA expression of transcription and growth factors was found after exercise in the lean group, but not in the obese participants. Conclusions These results confirm findings of an association between insulin sensitivity and transcription factor mRNA response to exercise and show that obesity also may be a sufficient prerequisite for exercise resistance. Analysis of the muscle proteome together with determination of effects of exercise on expression of transcription factors suggests that abnormal responses of transcription factors to exercise may be responsible for differences in protein abundances in insulin resistant muscle.
35 Refined phenotyping methods for the equine cardiac startle response

As a prey animal, the startle response in equids evolved as a survival mechanism. In domesticated horses the startle response has the potential to cause harm to the animal or human handlers. The cardiac response to a novel object due to startle negatively impacts the health and welfare of a diverse range of livestock. Our previous analyses in horses demonstrated significant heritability of 0.615 for change in startle heart rate with maturity. Measures of the cardiac startle response may provide quantitative phenotypes amenable to future genome-wide association studies to identify loci contributing to this important trait. To better understand the startle reaction in horses, we employed novel analytical approaches comparing the cardiac response, recorded by monitors, to behavioral changes following introduction of a novel object in young horses. Following acclimatization in a visually isolated round pen, young horses approach a feed pan where an umbrella is suddenly opened. Data from 74 UF bred horses, primarily AQHA registered, were tested as weanlings. Cardiac phenotypes were constructed using the raw inter-beat intervals recorded 2 s before presentation of the novel object to 10 s post event by a k-means clustering approach. Video recorded behaviors were quantified using a 6-category ethogram including flight distance, activity, orientation to the novel object, and latency to return to the feed pan. Following transformation, behavioral variables were combined into a single score using principal component analysis followed by factor rotation which were compared with the heart rate clusters (accelerator or decelerator categories). PCA and factor rotation yielded 2 scores correlated most strongly to the latency and flight distance variables and captured 55.6% and 32.5% of the total variation across all behavioral variables. For example, horses with a high Factor 1 score displayed a larger flight distance and take longer to return to the pan. In contrast, horses with a high factor 2 score walked and trotted more frequently while in the pen. Cardiac startle response categories (accelerator versus decelerator) were significantly correlated to the behavioral reactions captured in Factor 1 (P = 0.0003) but not for Factor 2 (P = 0.5155). Future work will utilize this novel equine cardiac startle phenotype in heritability estimates, and in a Genome Wide Association Study to identify loci contributing to the trait. Developing genetic tests to assess startle response would be useful for breeding selection or specific individual needs of horses and handlers.
Absolute contrast estimation for soft X-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy using a variational droplet model.

X-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy using a two-pulse mode at the Linac Coherent Light Source has great potential for the study of quantum fluctuations in materials as it allows for exploration of low-energy physics. However, the complexity of the data analysis and interpretation still prevent recovering real-time results during an experiment, and can even complicate post-analysis processes. This is particularly true for high-spatial resolution applications using CCDs with small pixels, which can decrease the photon mapping accuracy resulting from the large electron cloud generation at the detector. Droplet algorithms endeavor to restore accurate photon maps, but the results can be altered by their hyper-parameters. We present numerical modeling tools through extensive simulations that mimic previous x-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy experiments. By modification of a fast droplet algorithm, our results demonstrate how to optimize the precise parameters that lift the intrinsic counting degeneracy impeding accuracy in extracting the speckle contrast. These results allow for an absolute determination of the summed contrast from multi-pulse x-ray speckle diffraction, the modus operandi by which the correlation time for spontaneous fluctuations can be measured.
Writing the New World: The Politics of Natural History in the Early Spanish Empire: by Mauro José Caraccioli, Gainesville, University of Florida Press, 2021, 212 pp., $80 (hardback), $28 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-68340-170-4 (paper) and 978-168340-198-8 (OA ePDF)

In the Preface to Capital, Marx defined his “standpoint” as that “from which the development of the economic formation of society is viewed as a process of natural history.”1 1 Karl Marx, Capital, ...
“Terrified of a System I Didn’t Understand”: Reporting Staff Sexual Misconduct Against Women on Parole:

Incarcerated women experience staff-perpetrated sexual victimization at high rates, yet limited research exists regarding women’s experiences of this victimization while on probation and parole, pa...
Meniscal Allograft Transplantation: A Pictorial Review.

Abstract Meniscal allograft transplantation may be indicated in a subset of patients with high-grade meniscectomy or irreparable meniscal injury and persistent knee pain that is resistant to conservative management. Meniscal allograft transplantation has demonstrated good to excellent results in short-term to midterm follow-up studies and satisfactory outcomes in long-term studies. The goals of the article are to review the indications, preoperative imaging assessment, surgical techniques, and postoperative assessment of uncomplicated and complicated meniscal allograft transplants.
Scholarship on Soviet Family Law in Perspective

The radical changes in the norms of Soviet family law over the past fifty years have reflected the convulsions of Soviet society as well as the revisions of Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism. This paper is a commentary on the writing in this field by Americans in particular, and by other non-Soviets in general. In view of the volume of writing in this field, it has been necessary to limit discussion in the text to a few representative articles illustrating a few of the subject matters treated and various typical approaches employed. The topic is a particularly timely one, for new, comprehensive Principles of Family Law' went into effect in October 1968, and we therefore have a relatively recent restatement of Soviet thinking in this area. The paper will use the elements of novelty and continuity in the Principles as a focus for a backward look at our scholarship in this area. In putting together this critical overview of the American literature, it has seemed to me helpful to keep at least one eye on what our European colleagues were doing during the same period (as well as perhaps both eyes on what was being written in England, since that was fully accessible to the English-speaking American reader). Since we suffer from our isolated common-law viewpoint in regard to family law, as in other private law areas, the views of European scholars also provide a helpful check on the apparent degree of deviation by the Soviets from more generally accepted patterns of norms.2
On Flames as Discontinuity Surfaces in Gasdynamic Flows

Viewed on a hydrodynamic scale, flames in experiments are often thin so that they may be described as gasdynamic discontinuities separating the dense, cold fresh mixture from the light, hot burned products. In addition to the fluid dynamical equations, the model of a flame as a discontinuity surface consists of a flame speed relation describing the evolution of the surface, and jump conditions across the surface which relate the fluid variables on the two sides of the surface. Models of flames as gasdynamic discontinuities exist, some merely postulated and others derived from the more general equations governing the reactive fluid dynamics. However, none is capable of both capturing all the relevant instabilities and exhibiting a high wave number cutoff for each. Furthermore, the derived models are appropriate only for restricted values of the Lewis number, the ratio of the thermal diffusivity of the mixture to the mass diffusivity of the deficient reactive component. In this paper, we derive a model consisting of a new flame speed relation and new jump conditions, which is valid for arbitrary Lewis numbers. It captures all the relevant instabilities, including the hydrodynamic, cellular and pulsating instabilities and exhibits a high wave number cutoff for each. The flame speed relation includes the effect of short wave lengths, not previously considered, which leads to stabilizing transverse surface diffusion terms. The surface to which the flame zone shrinks is here chosen to be located at a position different from that in previous theories, which leads to clear and simple physical interpretations of the jump conditions.
Graphical representation of clinical outcomes for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

The causes of death in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are diverse: infections, hemorrhage, complications of chronic anemia and repeated blood transfusions, and complications of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Since most patients with MDS are diagnosed late in life, some individuals with MDS will succumb to an unrelated condition, such as one of the disorders that are common in geriatric populations. Currently, only a small proportion of patients with MDS – less than 5% – undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation, a procedure that offers the only possibility of cure. This brief review summarizes outcomes for patients diagnosed with MDS using a pictographical format that illustrates both the challenges patients face and the pressing need for development of novel therapies, as well as highlighting the potential for increased use of allogeneic stem cell transplant. This informational graphic may be useful for teaching or in counseling certain patients.
The geometric phase and singular light beams

We present a new Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase associated with singular light beams. This geometric phase is shown to be directly proportional to the sum of the spin and orbital angular momentum of a light beam.
Introduction of the Pulfrich Phenomenon into Clinical Neurology (P1.295)

OBJECTIVE: To review the introduction of the Pulfrich phenomenon into clinical neurology and ophthalmology. BACKGROUND: The Pulfrich effect is an illusory binocular perceptual disturbance in which an object moving across the observer’s field of vision is perceived as travelling along a curved trajectory varying in depth from the plane of the object’s true path. Clinically, the effect has been noted most commonly as a manifestation of unilateral or asymmetric optic neuropathies. METHODS: We translated and reviewed German physicist Carl Pulfrich’s 1922 description of the phenomenon, and searched for subsequent publications that discussed the phenomenon using electronic databases (PubMed, HighWire, IndexCat, Google, Google Scholar) and serial review of reference lists in identified publications. RESULTS: The effect was described in 1922 by German physicist Carl Pulfrich (1858-1927). Pulfrich was the preeminent authority on stereoscopic instruments, but was unable to view the phenomenon himself because he was blind in his left eye. Pulfrich and colleagues determined that the phenomenon resulted from differences in perceptual latency between the two eyes. As early as 1925 Grimsdale suggested that the Pulfrich phenomenon could be present in patients with retrobulbar optic neuritis, could explain complaints of abnormal motion perception in these patients, and could be effectively treated by placing a neutral density filter over the good eye. In 1942, Sachs began studies to identify the spectrum of patients with a spontaneous Pulfrich effect, and found the effect in syphilitic patients with Argyll-Robertson pupils. Nevertheless, the Pulfrich effect was largely ignored until after World War II when it became a focus of study for psychologists and physiologists. In the 1970s it was increasingly applied as a diagnostic test for retrobulbar optic neuritis. CONCLUSION: Although the clinical utility of the Pulfrich effect was suggested shortly after its initial description, adoption into clinical practice was delayed by five decades. Disclosure: Dr. Lanska has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lanska has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Medlink Neurology. Dr. Remler has nothing to disclose.
A federated simulation toolkit for electric power grid and communication network co-simulation

This paper introduces a federated simulation toolkit (FSKIT) that couples continuous time and discrete event simula- tions (DES) to perform the co-simulation of electric power grids and communication networks. A High Performance Computing (HPC) oriented power system dynamic simulator, GridDyn, was used for the electric power grid simulation. GridDyn is coupled to the open-source network simulator, ns-3, through FSKIT. FSKIT provides time control for advancing the state of federated simulators, and facilitates communication among objects in the federate. A wide-area communication-based electric transmission protection scheme is simulated with FSKIT, using the IEEE 39- bus test system. A communication network for the 39-bus system is built in ns-3, and basic protection relay logic is added to the power system model in order to perform the co-simulation.
Amniotic fluid phosphatidylglycerol in diabetic pregnancies

Despite L/S ratios indicating fetal lung maturity, respiratory distress continues to occur more frequently in infants of diabetic mothers. Amniotic fluid pulmonary phospholipids were studied in an attempt to understand the occurrence of false-positive L/S ratios in preterm diabetic pregnancies. Qualitative chromatography assays of surfactant phosphatides revealed reduced or absent phosphatidylglycerol in diabetic amniotic fluid specimens between 34 and 37 weeks' gestation. Mean phosphatidylglycerol in 15 nondiabetic and 29 diabetic specimens was 16 and 4 per cent of total extracted pulmonary phospholipids (P less than 0.001). Non-insulin-dependent diabetic pregnancies had lowest mean per cent phosphatidylglycerol. Respiratory distress occurred in six infants of diabetic mothers delivered preterm with L/S ratios of 2:1 or greater; phosphatidylglycerol was absent in five. The inclusion of phosphatidylglycerol in amniotic fluid phospholipid assessment may be an adjunctive index for fetal lung maturation in diabetic pregnancies.
Roadmapping RFIC test

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC), and the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) have expanded US industry-wide consensus efforts to chart out the futures of everything from semiconductor lithography to factory automation technologies, including the first draft of a roadmap for RF components in the 1996 NEMI work. This paper reviews recent RF industry practice in the areas of RFIC on-wafer and package testing, and predicts future trends in RFIC production testing. The testing and packaging issues for GaAs IC's are substantially the same as for Si IC's operating in the same frequency range and function. So while it is unlikely that there will be any inherent differential packaging or test advantages of GaAs over Si, it is similarly imperative to stay on or ahead of the industry roadmap to be competitive with the latest packaging and test technologies.
Singular and combined effects of nebivolol and lifestyle modification on large artery stiffness in hypertensive adults (LB567)

Background: We hypothesized that the combination of nebivolol and lifestyle modification would reduce large artery stiffness in middle-aged and older hypertensive adults more than either interventi...
Algorithms for quantitative quasi-static elasticity imaging using force data.

Quasi-static elasticity imaging can improve diagnosis and detection of diseases that affect the mechanical behavior of tissue. In this methodology images of the shear modulus of the tissue are reconstructed from the measured displacement field. This is accomplished by seeking the spatial distribution of mechanical properties that minimizes the difference between the predicted and the measured displacement fields, where the former is required to satisfy a finite element approximation to the equations of equilibrium. In the absence of force data, the shear modulus is determined only up to a multiplicative constant. In this manuscript we address the problem of calibrating quantitative elastic modulus reconstructions created from measurements of quasi-static deformations. We present two methods that utilize the knowledge of the applied force on a portion of the boundary. The first involves rescaling the shear modulus of the original minimization problem to best match the measured force data. This approach is easily implemented but neglects the spatial distribution of tractions. The second involves adding a force-matching term to the original minimization problem and a change of variables, wherein we seek the log of the shear modulus. We present numerical results that demonstrate the usefulness of both methods.
DDD-FM9001: Derivation of a Verified Microprocessor

Derivation and verification represent alternate approaches to design. Derivation aims at deriving a "correct by construction" design while verification aims at constructing a post factum "proof of correctness" for a design. However, as researchers and engineers gain design experience in a formal framework, both approaches are emerging as interdependent facets of design. The thesis of this work is that alternate forms of formal reasoning must be integrated if formal methods are to support the natural analytical and generative reasoning that takes place in engineering practice. As a vehicle for this research, the DDD digital design derivation system was implemented to study formal hardware design in an algebraic framework. DDD is a first-order transformation system which mechanizes a basic design algebra for synthesizing digital circuit descriptions from high-level functional specifications. The system is a collection of correctness preserving transformations that promote a top-down design methodology where the discipline of applicative programming is adapted to hardware verification. As a non-trivial illustration of these ideas, the derivation of the DDD-FM9001 is presented. The DDD-FM9001 is a 32-bit general purpose microprocessor mechanically derived directly from Hunt's Boyer-Moore Logic FM9001 microprocessor specification. The derivation involved the use of three mechanical verification tools: the DDD digital design derivation system, the Nqthm theorem prover, and the COSMOS boolean tautology checker. The DDD digital design derivation system was used to derive a significant portion of the design leaving relatively small portions to be verified by the other verification tools. The result of this experiment was a derived FM9001 defined by a rigorous path to hardware.
A non-inferiority trial of an evidence-based secondary HIV prevention behavioral intervention compared to an adapted, abbreviated version: Rationale and intervention description

Abstract Background Real-world clinical settings like addiction treatment programs are ill-equipped to deploy and sustain the existing resource-demanding evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that target HIV-infected people who use drugs (PWUDs), and this has left a critical void in current HIV prevention efforts. In response to this unmet need, we have conducted formative research in addiction treatment settings that has resulted in Holistic Health for HIV (3H +) — an empirically adapted, substantially abbreviated version of Holistic Health Recovery Program (HHRP +), a CDC-recommended EBI targeting HIV-infected PWUDs. Methods Using a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial design, we will determine whether the abbreviated 3H + intervention is comparable (i.e., within a 10% margin) and cost-effective relative to the original HHRP + intervention in terms of reducing HIV risk behaviors and improving antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among HIV-infected PWUDs in addiction treatment who report drug- or sex-related HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions This article provides a description of the development and adaptation of the 3H + intervention, the innovative non-inferiority comparative experimental design for testing the 3H + to the HHRP +. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence from a formal cost-effectiveness analysis justifying the cost-effectiveness of the 3H + intervention when compared to the HHRP + intervention. If confirmed to be comparable and more cost-effective, as hypothesized, the 3H + intervention has the potential to be readily and immediately integrated within common clinical settings where large numbers of HIV-infected PWUDs receive clinical services.
Flexible ATE module with reconfigurable circuit and its application [to CMOS imager test]

Digital output signal of a mixed signal device contains analog information which requires post data processing to evaluate a device after acquiring data from it. This data processing typically has been done in a tester controller which is a workstation or PC, but slower bandwidth between data capture module and tester controller degrades test throughput. This data transfer time can be reduced only by custom test module that has capability of localized post data processing. In this paper, reconfigurable test module is presented. It can be configured as a dedicated test apparatus for various DUTs in a short design period. We have configured this module for CMOS imager test and it results in a reduction of four in test time.
Effects of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, BAY 41-8543, upon right ventricular function in experimental pulmonary embolism

Background : Pulmonary embolism (PE) increases pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and may cause right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, leading to poor clinical outcome. Our studies show BAY 41-8543 reduces PVR in experimental PE (Watts, J.A. et al., Crit Care Med 2011; 39:2700-2704), but effects upon RV function were previously unknown. Aims : The studies test if soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator (BAY 41-8543) treatment protects RV function in experimental PE. Methods : Experimental PE was induced in anesthetized, Sprague-Dawley rats by infusing 25µm polystyrene microspheres in the right jugular vein producing severe PE (2.6 million/100 gm body wt, 5 hrs) or moderate PE (2.0 million/100 gm, 18 hrs). PVR was estimated in-Vivo. Heart function was studied ex-Vivo using Langendorff technique. Results : Moderate PE produced a significant 3-fold increase in PVR, which was prevented by BAY 41-8543 (50 µg/kg, I.V.) treatment (Control 0.6 ± 0.04; PE 1.9 ± 0.2; PE + BAY 41-8543 0.7 ± 0.04 mmHg/ml/min). Moderate PE caused a significant decrease in RV peak systolic pressure (PSP, Control 39 ± 1 mmHg vs. 19 ± 3 PE), +dP/dt (1192 ± 93 mmHg/sec vs. 444 ± 64) and -dP/dt (-576 ± 60 mmHg/sec vs. 278 ± 40). BAY 41-8543 significantly improved all three indices of RV function (PSP 35 ± 3.5, +dP/dt 1128 ± 100, -dP/dt -568 ± 87). Severe PE caused significant RV dysfunction (PSP 26 ± 2, -dP/dt -369 ± 29) and BAY 41-8543 protected RV function (PSP 34 ± 2, -dP/dt -535 ± 41). Conclusions : Experimental PE increases PVR and produces RV dysfunction. Treatment of the animals with the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, BAY 41-8543, reduces PVR and improves RV function.
Searching for borrelial T cell epitopes associated with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis.

Abstract Antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis is believed to result from an infection-induced autoimmune response triggered by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi ( Bb ). Disease susceptibility is associated with the HLA alleles DRB1*0101, 0401, 0402, 0404, 0405 and DRB5*0101, and all these MHC molecules bind the Bb epitope OspA 163–175. However, not all patients have a proliferative response to this epitope. To identify other possible Bb epitopes involved in this disease process, the algorithm TEPITOPE was used to scan 17 immunogenic Bb proteins for potential T cell epitopes with a refractory arthritis-associated MHC binding profile, and the Bb proteome was searched for peptides with sequence homology to OspA 165–173 . Sixteen promising T epitopes were identified and their MHC binding profiles to 13 MHC molecules were verified using in vitro MHC/peptide binding assays. One peptide, BBK32 392–404 , had a strong refractory arthritis-associated MHC binding profile, and another GK 297–306 shared sequence homology to OspA 165–173 . However, patient cells did not proliferate in response to either peptide making it highly unlikely they were involved in a refractory course. A comparison of the in silico and in vitro results revealed that TEPITOPE correctly predicted 74% of the in vitro binding peptides, but it incorrectly predicted that 44% of the in vitro non binding peptides would bind. For a particular MHC molecule, concordance between the in silico and in vitro results varied anywhere between 33% and 100%. Therefore, while additional Bb epitopes may be involved in the development of antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis, recognition of OspA 163–175 remains the only known Bb epitope associated with this disease course.
Direct Evidence for Distance Measurement via Flexible Stride Integration in the Fiddler Crab

Summary While on foraging excursions, fiddler crabs track their burrow location despite having no visual contact with it [1–5]. They do this by path integration [3, 6], a common navigational process in which motion vectors (the direction and distance of animals' movements) are summed to form a single "home vector" linking the current location with the point of origin [7]. Here, we identify the mechanism by which the integrator measures distance, by decoupling motor output from both inertial and visual feedback. Fiddler crabs were passively translated to a position such that the home vector lay across an acetate sheet on the ground. After being frightened, crabs tried to escape but slipped as they did so. Detailed high-speed video analysis reveals that crabs measure distance by integrating strides, rather than linear acceleration or optic flow: the number of steps they took depended on both the length of the home vector and how large their steps were, whether they slipped and fell short or not. This is the most direct evidence to date of a stride integrator [8, 9] that is flexible enough to account for significant variation in stride length and frequency.
Selection of the weighting matrices and the degree of relative stability to position the spectrum of the optimal regulator

New invariance results for the algebraic Riccati equation enable the selection of the state weighting matrix Q and the degree of relative stability ? to position individually and arbitrarily the real parts of the eigenvalues of the optimal system in the linear-quadratic regulator problem.
Effects of fat body on α-ecdysone induced morphogenesis in cultured wing disks of the wax moth, Galleria mellonella

Abstract Fat body promoted ecdysone induced morphogenesis in Galleria wing disks cultured in vitro. Medium preincubated with fat body and α-ecdysone from any of the first 5 days of the final larval instar enhanced tracheal migration and elongation in the disks. Disks from the third, fourth, and fifth days of the final larval instar responded equally well to the fat body and α-ecdysone. We suggest a physiological role for Galleria fat body as an intermediary in the stimulation of wing disk development by α-ecdysone.
Structure-Function Relationships of the Complement Regulatory Protein, CD59☆☆☆

CD59 (membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis, protectin) is a membrane protein whose functions include the inhibition of the insertion of the ninth component of complement into the target membrane. It belongs to a superfamily of proteins including Ly-6, elapid snake venom toxins, and urokinase receptor (UPAR); the members of the superfamily have a similar structure that includes four (in mammals five) disulfide bridges that maintain a three-dimensional conformation consisting of a central core, three finger-like "loops" extending from it and a small loop near the coboxyl end. We have used site directed mutagenesis to explore three aspects of the structure of CD59: 1) the role of the disulfide bridges in expression and function of the molecule; 2) the location of epitopes reacting with monoclonal antibodies to the molecule; and 3) the parts of the molecule that are critical to its function in inhibiting complement lysis. Mutant molecules in which the disulfides maintaining the finger-like loops (Cys3-Cys26, Cys19-Cys39, and Cys45-Cys63) were removed were not expressed on the cell surface. The mutation of the disulfide (Cys6-Cys13) resulted in no change in expression or function. The mutation of Cys64-Cys69 maintaining the small loop resulted in an expressed molecule with increased functional activity. The major epitope for 6 of 7 monoclonal antibodies was centered on Arg53 as the mutation 53Arg-->Ser resulted in a loss of interaction with these antibodies, as did the deletion of four nearby residues (Leu54-Asn57). The alteration 55Arg-->Ser resulted in loss of reactivity for some but not other antibodies. The reactivity with one monoclonal antibody, H19, was abrogated by the mutations 61Tyr-->Gly and 61Tyr-->Ala. Functional activity of the molecule was not adversely altered by mutations in the first and second loops; however, the 61Tyr-->Gly mutation was non-functional. The mutation of 61Tyr-->His diminished function but changes 61Tyr-->Ala and 61Tyr-->Phe had no effect on function. We conclude that the functional site of CD59 is located in this region of the molecule.
Clinical retroviral vector production: step filtration using clinically approved filters improves titers

Production of retroviral vectors for clinical use requires removal of cells and cellular debris. We combined a series of filters of decreasing pore size using commercially available blood banking filters approved for clinical use. The collection bag and filters can be connected to create a sterile, closed system using clinically approved tubing and sealing systems. Even when challenged with a large number of vector producer cells (2.38 x 10(9)cells), no viable cells are passed through the system. The step filtration system developed minimizes the titer reduction associated with filtration, provides rapid flow rates, and was cost effective when filtering volumes in excess of 2 liters.
A Simple Model for the Formation of Step-Free Surfaces

Arrays of step-free regions on the surface of silicon have been created either by evaporating atoms from craters[1] or by depositing atoms on mesas[2]. In most cases the maximum extent of the step-free regions is limited by the occurrence of circular pits or islands in the crater or mesa structures. We model the process of step clearing and nucleation of these pits and islands by approximating the initial surface by an array of circular steps whose movement is mediated by adatoms. BCF (Burton-Cabrera-Frank) theory[3] is used to incorporate the effects of surface diffusion, evaporation and the deposition of atoms on the surface. We include the effects of step curvature and step interactions. If the step spacing is large enough, we find that the innermost step moves outwards to create a step-free region; otherwise it moves inward and leads to large scale smoothening of the surface. Pit or island nucleation in the center of the craters or mesas is also included in the model by using classical nucleation theory. We investigate the effect of deposition flux and temperature on the formation of step-free surfaces and compare the results to reported experiments on silicon and to some of our recent work on sapphire.
Origin of enantiomeric selectivity in the aryloxyphenoxypropionic acid class of herbicidal acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors.

Molecular modeling was used to propose an “active conformation” for the R-2-phenoxypropionic acid portion of the aryloxyphenoxypropionic acid series of herbicidal acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors. This candidate active conformation is a low-energy conformer with the R-methyl distal to the phenoxy fragment, stabilized by the generalized anomeric effect around the propionate ether bond; the inactive S-enantiomer has difficulty accessing this conformation due to steric interaction of the S-methyl with the o-hydrogen of the phenyl. This candidate conformation was challenged by preparation of a series of novel rigid analogues. ACCase inhibition data suggest that the systems which contain a fused five-membered, but not a six-membered, ring present the necessary pharmacophore to the active site of ACCase, confirming the active conformation hypothesis and demonstrating that the precise placement of the carboxylate relative to the phenyl group is more critical than the placement of the methyl. Keywords: ...
Asymmetric Information and Options

In an extension of the Kyle (1985) model of continuous insider trading, it is shown that asymmetric information can make it impossible to price options by arbitrage. Even when an option would appear to be redundant, its introduction into the market can cause the volatility of the underlying asset to become stochastic. This eliminates the potential for dynamically replicating the option. The change in the price process of the asset reflects a change in the information transmitted by volume and prices when the option is traded. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
In vivo and in vitro effects of staphylococcal alpha-toxin on amino acid activation in the aorta☆

Abstract Increased amino acid activation in the aorta was found in rabbits injected with 25 μg of staphylococcal alpha-toxin (three times, every second day), compared with controls. The enzyme activity was increased also in the reaction mixtures containing aortic preparations from control and experimental rabbits (injected with 3 × 25 μg of the toxin) and low concentrations of the toxin (0.1 and 0.1–1.0 μg/ml respectively, and in those which contained the preparations from non-injected pigs and higher concentrations of alpha-toxin (50 μg/ml). No change in amino acid activation in the aorta was seen in rabbits injected with triple 150 μg and 250 μg dose of the toxin. Decreased enzyme activities were found in the reaction mixtures containing enzyme preparations from control and experimental rabbits (injected with 3 × 25 μg, 3 × 150 and 3 × 250 μg of the toxin), and different concentrations of the toxin (1 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, 0.5 μg/ml and 0.1 μg/ml, respectively).
Estimation in two sample type II censoring models

Abstract In this paper, we discuss estimation in two-sample problems where each sample is subjected to type II censoring. We propose estimates that are appropriate modifications of asymptotically efficient estimates in related fixed time censoring models. These modifications are carried out in detail for the location case and sketched for the scale case. We have carried out a simulation study to see how well the suggested estimates perform in small to moderate sample sizes.
Evolution of biological complexity and its relation to taxonomic longevity in the Ammonoidea

The increase in biological complexity over evolutionary time has been the subject of extensive study and many hypotheses, but there are few data to document the increase or how organisms may have benefited by becoming more complex. By measuring the fractal dimension of the sutures of >600 ammonoid genera, we document the increase in anatomical complexity of the Ammonoidea and show that there is no differential survival between simple and complex forms. Simple sutures are present throughout the entire history of the Ammonoidea, but the range of variation of suture complexity increased over time as more complex sutures evolved.
Differential effects of aging on human chondrocyte responses to transforming growth factor β. Increased pyrophosphate production and decreased cell proliferation

Objective To address the influence of age on inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) accumulation in human articular chondrocytes. Methods Articular cartilage was obtained from men and women in 2 different age groups: ages 15-55 and 56-91. The effects of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) on PPi levels in the media and cell lysates of chondrocytes were investigated. In addition, the effects of TGFbeta on PPi accumulation were compared with chondrocyte proliferation. Results TGFbeta1 increased PPi levels to a greater extent in chondrocytes from subjects in the older age group compared with those obtained from younger subjects. Treatment of chondrocytes with TGFbeta1 led to a similar increase in total intracellular protein in both age groups. Although TGFbeta increased nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase activity and decreased alkaline phosphatase activity, these effects did not differ between the 2 age groups. Analysis of the same cell preparations showed an age-related decrease in TGFbeta-induced chondrocyte proliferation, whereas these same cells showed an increased response with respect to PPi elaboration. Conclusion These results show that aging differentially affected TGFbeta-induced PPi accumulation versus proliferation in human articular chondrocytes. These differences in TGFbeta response are likely to contribute to the development of age-associated cartilage diseases such as osteoarthritis.
MPEG-2 AAC decoder on a fixed-point DSP

This paper presents the implementation of MPEG-2 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) decoder on a fixed-point DSP. AAC is a powerful coding algorithm and offers the high-quality multi-channel surround audio. We also discuss the implementation issue and effort in porting AAC algorithms to the DSP.
Spectroscopic analysis of automotive engine oil

Infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR) and acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) technology were combined to develop a portable spectrophotometer for use in engine oil analysis to identify and quantify oil contaminants and residue products, Preliminary measurements were taken with a field-portable AOTF-based spectrometer (2 to 4.5 micrometers ) and an FTIR spectrometer (2 to 25 micrometers ) for comparison. Absorption spectra of used and unused oil samples were measured and compared to determine absorption changes between the various samples resulting from oil degradation and any chemical reactions that might have taken place during high- temperature engine lubrication. These preliminary results indicate that IR spectroscopy can be used for oil quality monitoring in automotive engines, which will help predict and prevent engine failure and degradation. This work can be extended to other remote sensing applications, such as the monitoring of environmental oil spills.
Generalization of Falk's theorem and the i- δ relations for S = 1 on a Cayley tree

Abstract The i−δ relations, used in a recent theory of the transition temperature of Ising ferromagnets for S = 1, are shown to be exact on a spin 1 Cayley tree and on more general structures. The proof uses a generalization to spin 1 of Theorem I of Falk, and a Suzuki identity. A further generalization of Falk's theorem for the S = 1 2 case emerges as a byproduct.
Effects of Phenotype, Sex, and Diet on Plasma Lipids in LA/N-cp Rats

The LA/N-corpulent (cp) rat is a recently developed congenic strain which exhibits obesity. The effects of phenotype and sex on serum and lipoprotein lipid content were examined in LA/N-cp rats fed either a control or an atherogenic diet high in saturated fat and protein. Obese rats were pair-fed to equivalent lean animals. Results from this study indicate that sex, phenotype, and diet exert significant effects on plasma and lipoprotein cholesterol content. Plasma cholesterol levels were higher in obese compared with lean rats, females than in males, and rats consuming the atherogenic diet compared with the control diet. Plasma and lipoprotein triglyceride levels were significantly increased only in obese compared with lean animals. The increased plasma cholesterol and triglyceride was observed primarily in the chylomicron and very low density lipoprotein fractions. Increased levels of plasma cholesterol were not a result of increased dietary cholesterol absorption or increased liver cholesterol biosynthesis. These data suggest that LA/N-cp rats can serve as a unique rodent model for the study of the interrelationships between hyperlipidemia, obesity, and coronary heart disease.
The Politics of Political Economists

I. What is a conservative? 523. — II. The influence of the study of economics upon policy views, 524. — III. The cause of professional conservatism, 528. — IV. The scientific effects of conservatism, 530. — V. Concluding remarks, 532.
Aerodynamic entry vehicle autopilots

The objective of this investigation is a preliminary design for an aerodynamic entry vehicle autopilot. The design was tested to its upper altitude limit which provides information for blending during control system transition from reaction jet to aerodynamic control. The longitudinal axis design is conventional for the short period mode with the difficulty that phugoid control with attitude feedback is not possible during entry. The lateral.directional axis design problem is dominated by poor co-ordination with an additional problem caused by large angle of attack variations. In all cases these problems are characterized by unconventional behaviour of the transfer function zeros. It is concluded that navigational aids are necessary for phugoid control and that aileron to rudder crossfeed reduces the adverse angle of attack effects and improves co-ordination.
The evolution of music and human social capability.

Music is a core human experience and generative processes reflect cognitive capabilities. Music is often functional because it is something that can promote human well-being by facilitating human contact, human meaning, and human imagination of possibilities, tying it to our social instincts. Cognitive systems also underlie musical performance and sensibilities. Music is one of those things that we do spontaneously, reflecting brain machinery linked to communicative functions, enlarged and diversified across a broad array of human activities. Music cuts across diverse cognitive capabilities and resources, including numeracy, language and space perception. In the same way, music intersects with cultural boundaries, facilitating our “social self” by linking our shared experiences and intentions. This paper focuses on the intersection between the neuroscience of music, and human social functioning to illustrate the importance of music to human behaviors.