cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A normalized algorithm for XML document based on the tree expression

Because of the widely use of XML, more and more redundant information is retained in the documents. Recently, discussions about the problem of XML normalization have been carried out. This paper is mainly devoted to the XML documents without DTD, where there are multi-valued dependencies among the data. simulated by the semantics tree. We define two operators, namely connected operator and non-connected operator, and tree expression, all of which are used in XML document tree. Finally, a normalized algorithm of XML document is put forward. Given an XML document and the set of its XMVDs, after some steps of operation, it can always be in 4 XNF. During the process of normalization, there is no loss of semantics.
Glass Vision 3D: Digital Discovery for the Deaf

Glass Vision 3D was a grant-funded project focused on developing and researching a Google Glass app that would allowed young Deaf children to look at the QR code of an object in the classroom and see an augmented reality projection that displays an American Sign Language (ASL) related video. Twenty five objects and videos were prepared and tested by a focus group. Their suggestions were incorporated into a pilot test at a residential school for the Deaf. Four fifth grade students participated in a usability study. Results were mixed with researchers observing successful use of Google Glass by all participants along with enthusiastic engagement, but also recording a lengthy learning curve and hardware issues that distracted from the learning process. Wearable augmented reality is still in its infancy, but potential was demonstrated.
Continuous de novo generation of spatially segregated hepatitis C virus replication organelles revealed by pulse-chase imaging

Background & Aims Like all positive-sense RNA viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces host membrane alterations for its replication. In chronically infected cells, it is not known whether these viral replication organelles are being continually resupplied by newly synthesized viral proteins in situ , or whether they are generated de novo . Here we aimed to study temporal events in replication organelles formation and maturation. Methods Here we use pulse-chase labeling in combination with confocal microscopy, correlative light electron microscopy and biochemical methods to identify temporally distinct populations of replication organelles in living cells and study the formation, morphogenesis as well as compositional and functional changes of replication organelles over time. Results We found that HCV replication organelles are continuously generated de novo at spatially distinct sites from preformed ones. This process is accompanied by accumulated intracellular membrane alteration, increased cholesterol delivery, NS5A phosphorylation, and positive-strand RNA content, and by eventual association with HCV core protein around lipid droplets. Generation of spatially segregated foci requires viral NS5A and the host factors phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase and oxysterol-binding protein, while association of foci with lipid droplets requires cholesterol. Conclusions Our results reveal that HCV replication organelles are not static structures, but instead are continuously generated and dynamically change in composition and possibly also in function. Lay summary Hepatitis C virus replication membrane structures are continuously generated at spatially distinct sites. New replication organelles are different in composition, and possibly also in function, compared to old replication organelles.
Youths' access to mental health services: the role of providers' training, resource connectivity, and assessment of need.

This paper posits that providers with training in and knowledge of mental health resources are more likely to recognize youths’ mental health problems, and provide youths with services. In 1994 and 1996, we interviewed 792 adolescents who were involved with St. Louis public health, juvenile justice, child welfare, or education service sectors. Two hundred eighty-two youths had received some services, listing 533 providers. We could identify 364 of those providers, and 61% (222) responded concerning service need, service use, and provider knowledge and behavior. Structural equation models demonstrate that provider assessment of youths’ mental health problems is the largest and provider knowledge of service resources the second largest determinant of service provision. Youths’ self-reported mental health is not positively associated with increased services and is only minimally associated with provider assessment of their problems. Training (both professional and inservice) contributes to higher assessments of youths’ problems and greater resource knowledge, which is associated with increased service provision. Providers from the mental health and child welfare sectors have more professional training in mental health and are more likely to receive inservice training. Inservice training should be offered to all who work with youths.
Meckel's diverticulum.

Meckel’s diverticulum is the most common congenital malformation of the gastrointestinal tract. It affects approximately 2 % of the population, but is often encountered as an incidental finding in an asymptomatic patient during an unrelated abdominal operation. When symptomatic, it can be a challenging mimicker of other intra-abdominal pathologies. The most common symptomatic presentation is gastrointestinal hemorrhage, due to the propensity for heterotopic gastric tissue within the diverticulum causing a distal peptic ulcer. The technetium-99m pertechnetate nuclear medicine study (“Meckel’s scan”) can help localize heterotopic gastric tissue and confirm the diagnosis. The diverticulum can also cause intestinal obstruction, an acute inflammatory process, umbilical pathology, or an unusual form of inguinal hernia (Littre hernia). When symptomatic, the Meckel’s diverticulum and surrounding ulcerated or inflamed bowel should be resected. Complications following resection are similar to those encountered after any abdominal operation, with adhesive bowel obstruction being the most common.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Entrepreneurship Communication

The papers in this special section address effective communication styles for entrepreneurs.
Spatially explicit measurements of forest structure and fire behavior following restoration treatments in dry forests

Restoration treatments in dry forests of the western US often attempt silvicultural practices to restore the historical characteristics of forest structure and fire behavior. However, it is suggested that a reliance on non-spatial metrics of forest stand structure, along with the use of wildland fire behavior models that lack the ability to handle complex structures, may lead to uncharacteristically homogeneous rather than heterogeneous forest structures following restoration. In our study, we used spatially explicit forest inventory data and a physics based fire behavior model to investigate the effects of restoration driven, variable retention harvests on structural complexity, both of horizontal and vertical dimensions, and potential fire behavior. Structural complexity was assessed at stand and patch scales using a combination of point pattern analyses, a patch detection algorithm, and nearest-neighbor and tree patch indices of height variation. The potential fire behavior before and after treatment was simulated across a range of open wind speeds using a 3-D physics based fire behavior model, the Wildland-urban interface Fire Dynamics Simulator (WFDS). Our results show that treatments resulted in an aggregated spatial pattern of trees consisting of a matrix of individual trees, clumps and openings similar to descriptions of historical dry forests. Treatments had inconsistent effects on vertical complexity across sites likely due to differences in treatment of ladder fuels; lack of reference conditions hinder evaluation of this structural aspect. Simulation modeling using WFDS suggest that treatments moderated fire rate of spread, fireline intensity and canopy consumption across all wind speeds tested and shifted potential fire behavior towards historical ranges. Our findings suggest that current restoration-based variable retention harvests can simultaneously fulfill objectives of altering structural complexity and of reducing fire behavior, though we recommend further research on desired ranges of vertical complexity to inform treatment design.
Probability distributions for marketable pods and white mould on snap bean

White mould, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most recalcitrant diseases of snap bean. Probability distributions suitable for describing the total number of marketable pods (hereafter simply referred to as pods) per plant, as well as for the number of pods and stems with white mould per plant, have not been identified. The total number of pods and the number of pods and stems with white mould were measured on a per plant basis in plots of processing snap bean (var. Hystyle) in New York. The total number of pods per plant ranged from 0 to 29, and was best described by the Polya-Aeppli distribution. The number of pods and the number of stems with white mould per plant were well-described by the negative binomial (NB) distribution. A Sarmanov bivariate distribution with NB marginals was derived and fitted to the joint data on the number of pods and stems with white mould per plant, accounting for correlation between pods and stems with white mould on the same plant. The bivariate distribution was used to formulate an empirical equation for the incidence of plants with white mould as a function of the average number of pods and stems with white mould per plant. The results represented a more complete understanding of the distributional properties of white mould in snap bean.
Trace levels of staphylococcal enterotoxin bioactivity are concealed in a mucosal niche during pulmonary inflammation (MUC1P.917)

Pathogen and cellular by-products released during infection or trauma are critical for initiating mucosal inflammation. This was studied in mice undergoing pulmonary inflammation after Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) inhalation. A potent pro-inflammatory factor was detected using a sensitive bioassay suggesting the presence of an alarmin, a danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP), and/or a cytokine. Highly purified bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) fractions obtained by sequential chromatography were screened for bioactivity and subjected to mass spectrometry. SEA was the only identified protein with known inflammatory potential, and unexpectedly, it co-purified with immunosuppressive proteins. Among them was lactoferrin, which inhibited SEA and anti-CD3/-CD28 stimulation by promoting T cell death and reducing TNF synthesis. Higher doses of lactoferrin were required to inhibit effector compared to resting T cells. This inhibition relied on the continual presence of lactoferrin rather than a programming event. The data show that bioactive SEA is constituted in a mucosal niche within BALF even after the initiation of inflammation. These results may have clinical value in human diagnostic settings since traces levels of SEA can be detected using a sensitive bioassay, and may help pinpoint potential mediators of lung inflammation when molecular approaches fail. Submitted to American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.
Warming up human body by nanoporous metallized polyethylene textile.

Space heating accounts for the largest energy end-use of buildings that imposes significant burden on the society. The energy wasted for heating the empty space of the entire building can be saved by passively heating the immediate environment around the human body. Here, we demonstrate a nanophotonic structure textile with tailored infrared (IR) property for passive personal heating using nanoporous metallized polyethylene. By constructing an IR-reflective layer on an IR-transparent layer with embedded nanopores, the nanoporous metallized polyethylene textile achieves a minimal IR emissivity (10.1%) on the outer surface that effectively suppresses heat radiation loss without sacrificing wearing comfort. This enables 7.1 °C decrease of the set-point compared to normal textile, greatly outperforming other radiative heating textiles by more than 3 °C. This large set-point expansion can save more than 35% of building heating energy in a cost-effective way, and ultimately contribute to the relief of global energy and climate issues.Energy wasted for heating the empty space of the entire building can be saved by passively heating the immediate environment around the human body. Here, the authors show a nanophotonic structure textile with tailored infrared property for passive personal heating using nanoporous metallized polyethylene.
Tutorial Example – SYN Tools for Stateless Components

THIS chapter is a virtual tour through the simplest application of the supporting SYN tools described in Chapter 14 and Appendix A—the components used in the tutorial are purely functional, with no persistent state or concurrency. In testing terms, this means that every test of each component is independent and repeatable. Components are completely defined by their blackbox behavior.
Cloud thermodynamic phase detection with a 3-channel shortwave infrared polarimeter

Knowing the thermodynamic phase of a cloud–whether it is composed of spherical water droplets or polyhedral ice crystals–is critical in remote sensing applications and in climate studies. We recently showed that we can determine cloud phase with visible-wavelength sky polarimetry, and in this presentation we extend that method to shortwave infrared wavelength bands near 1.6 microns. We describe the instrument, a passive, three-channel polarimeter with spectral bands at 1550 nm, 1640 nm, and 1700 nm with approximate width of 40 nm and how we are using it in experiments to discriminate between liquid-water and ice clouds. This portable polarimeter measures scattered sunlight using polarizers orientated at 0° , 45‡ , and 90° with respect to the solar vertical scattering plane. It has a 4.9° field-of-view and a motorized, computer-controlled pan-and-tilt mount that controls the positioning of the polarimeter so that it can measure any point in the sky.
Primate Models, Cardiovascular Disease

Social stress consistently and adversely affects the risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and exacerbates the underlying atherosclerosis in monkeys. These effects are driven by ovarian dysfunction and estrogen deficiency in premenopausal females. Sympathetic arousal potentiates atherogenesis in males and acts together with estrogen deficiency to exacerbate disease development in postmenopausal females.
Assay for Cytoplasmic Islet Cell Antibodies Using Two-Color Immunofluorescence and Rat Pancreas

A major problem in standardization of the islet cell cytoplasmic antibody assay (ICA) is variation in sensitivity of the different human pancreas substrates used in individual laboratories.
Tax Increment Financing: History, Basics, Issues, and Evolution

As municipal governments seek to maintain an urban center, many tools and incentives are used. One of these is tax increment financing. This development tool has the potential to provide tax-base neutral funding for areas in blight, potentially blighted, or with the potential to be economically and socially active. As municipal government officials, business leaders, and active citizens engage in civic discussion regarding economic development tools, it is important to understand the history, terminology, pitfalls, and current legislative trends. This paper provides an overview of the institutional history, basic functioning, debates, and current evolution of tax increment financing.
The Promise of the Maker Movement for Education

The Maker Movement is a community of hobbyists, tinkerers, engineers, hackers, and artists who creatively design and build projects for both playful and useful ends. There is growing interest among educators in bringing making into K-12 education to enhance opportunities to engage in the practices of engineering, specifically, and STEM more broadly. This article describes three elements of the Maker Movement, and associated research needs, necessary to understand its promise for education: 1) digital tools, including rapid prototyping tools and low-cost microcontroller platforms, that characterize many making projects; 2) community infrastructure, including online resources and in-person spaces and events; and 3) the maker mindset, aesthetic principles, and habits of mind that are commonplace within the community. It further outlines how the practices of making align with research on beneficial learning environments.
Linitis Plastica: a Distinct Type of Gastric Cancer

The prognosis of patients with linitis plastica (LP) gastric cancer is reported to be poor. The purpose of our retrospective study was to characterize the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of patients with LP, using a univocal definition. We defined LP as gastric cancer that involves more than 1/3 of the gastric wall macroscopically. We reviewed a prospectively maintained institutional database of gastric cancer patients and summarized and compared clinicopathologic factors of patients with and without LP who had undergone gastrectomy. Patients were matched 1:1 using propensity score matching, and their overall survival (OS) rates and durations were compared. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted, using gastrectomy as a time-varying covariate. We identified 740 patients with radiographically non-metastatic gastric cancer, 157 (21.2%) of whom had LP. Most patients with LP had advanced-stage disease (75.8% had stage IV disease, mainly due to peritoneal involvement). Patients with LP had significantly shorter OS durations than did those without LP in the entire cohort (median OS, 14.0 vs. 33.5 months; p value < 0.001) and in the surgical cohort (median OS after gastrectomy, 21.8 vs. 91.0 months; p < 0.001), as well as in the propensity-matched surgical cohort. In the LP cohort, chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.594; p = 0.076), chemoradiation therapy (HR = 0.346; p = 0.001), and gastrectomy (HR = 0.425; p = 0.003) were associated with a longer OS. LP is a phenotype of gastric cancer that often presents at an advanced stage, with a high rate of peritoneal involvement. The survival durations of patients with LP were poor in our study, even in the surgical cohort. The use of preoperative chemotherapy, chemoradiation therapy, and gastrectomy appeared to be important in carefully selected patients with localized LP.
Molecular determinants influencing the inheritance of transgenic virus resistance in segregating tobacco families transformed with the nucleocapsid gene of tomato spotted wilt virus

The successful introgression of transgenic virus resistance to control tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) epidemics relies on the stable inheritance of this type of resistance. We developed five segregating tobacco families transformed with sense or antisense copies of the TSWV nucleocapsid gene to determine the usefulness of TSWV-resistant transgenic parents in a breeding program, and to define the molecular determinants (transgene dosage, transcript and protein accumulation) controlling the expression of resistance. Three generations per family were evaluated: (1) R3 orR4 progeny derived from resistant transgenic parents used in crosses,(2) F1 hybrids from crosses between the resistant transgenic parents and untransformed tobacco, and (3) F2 progeny derived from resistantF1 plants. Analysis of two of these families revealed that resistance was correlated with either two insertions in hemizygous plants or a single homozygous insertion. In contrast, in two other families, there was no correlation between the number of insertions and the resistance response, but rather resistance was correlated with a single, actively transcribed insertion. Transgene protein accumulation was not detected in any of the plants analyzed, indicating that resistance is probably RNA-mediated. As inheritance of the transgene does not always result in the expression of resistance, special care may be necessary when using transgenic resistant parents in a breeding population.
Renal Hilar Clamping With a Standard Robotic Bulldog Clamp Using the Single Port da Vinci Robot.

Abstract BACKGROUND Renal hilar clamping during a robotic partial nephrectomy is essential for a successful, nephron-sparing tumor resection. Standard robotic bulldog clamps are modified to accommodate multiport robotic surgical systems with alterations including knobs to fit robotic forceps and reduced spring tension. Despite the lower spring tension, a standard robotic bulldog clamp cannot be loaded and opened using one Single Port robotic arm. The angled path instrument cables take through multiple robotic arm articulations lowers the maximum force generated by Single Port instruments to below what is necessary to load and open a robotic bulldog clamp. OBJECTIVE To share institutional knowledge gained regarding safe and efficient hilar clamp placement and removal using the da Vinci Single Port Surgical System with a standard robotic bulldog clamp. As the da Vinci Single Port system gains wider use, knowledge of this technique will reduce surgeon trial-and-error during first experiences using the Single Port system with bulldog clamps. MATERIAL Video obtained during two partial nephrectomies, da Vinci Single Port Surgical System, Scanlan Reliance 25 mm curved robotic bulldog clamp, Final Cut Pro video editing software. RESULTS A controlled sequence of steps for renal hilar clamping and subsequent clamp removal using a standard robotic bulldog clamp with the da Vinci Single Port Surgical System. CONCLUSION The demonstrated technique for intracorporeal loading, opening, and placement of a standard robotic bulldog clamp using the da Vinci Single Port Surgical System is feasible and efficient.
Design-Based Research: A Methodology to Extend and Enrich Biology Education Research.

Design-based research from the learning sciences is a compelling methodology for investigating the mechanisms by which students to develop sophisticated ideas about biology. It fosters research col...
Unraveling the mechanism of propanoic acid hydrodeoxygenation on palladium using deuterium kinetic isotope effects

Abstract A combined experimental and computational kinetic isotope effect (KIE) study was performed for the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of deuterium-labeled propanoic acid (PAc-2, 2-D2) over Pd catalyst. For the experimental study, the kinetics were measured in a plug flow reactor over a 5 wt% Pd/C catalyst at 200 °C and 1 atm under differential conversion using a reactor feed consisting of 1.2% PAc and 5% or 20% H 2 , with balance helium. Different experimental KIE values for the high ( k H / k D = 1.13 ± 0.04) and low ( k H / k D = 1.62 ± 0.05) partial pressures of hydrogen were observed. Density functional theory calculations were performed to obtain the reaction parameters of the elementary steps involved in the HDO of PAc on Pd (1 1 1), and a microkinetic model was developed to estimate the KIE for the low hydrogen partial pressure case from first principles. The computed result ( k H / k D = 1.49) is in good agreement with the experiment. In addition, the product distribution favored C 2 H 6 and CO, suggesting decarbonylation (DCN) is the main reaction pathway. This provides strong evidence for the proposed mechanism for the formation of C 2 H 6 on both Pd (1 1 1) and supported Pd nanoparticles presenting primarily that exposed crystal face.
Delay sensitivity-driven congestion mitigation for HPC systems

Modern high-performance computing (HPC) systems concurrently execute multiple distributed applications that contend for the high-speed network leading to congestion. Consequently, application runtime variability and suboptimal system utilization are observed in production systems. To address these problems, we propose Netscope, a congestion mitigation framework based on a novel delay sensitivity metric. Delay sensitivity of an application is used to quantify the impact of congestion on its runtime. Netscope uses delay sensitivity estimates to drive a congestion mitigation mechanism to selectively throttle applications that are less susceptible to congestion. We evaluate Netscope on two Cray Aries systems, including a production supercomputer, on common scientific applications. Our evaluation shows that Netscope has a low training cost and accurately estimates the impact of congestion on application runtime with a correlation between 0.7 and 0.9. Moreover, Netscope reduces application tail runtime increase by up to 16.3x while improving the median system utility by 12%.
SARS-CoV-2 persistence in immunocompromised children.

Objectives We evaluated the length of time immunocompromised children (ICC) remain positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), identified factors associated with viral persistence, and determined cycle threshold (CT ) values of children with viral persistence as a surrogate of viral load. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of ICC at a pediatric hospital from March 2020 to March 2021. Immunocompromised status was defined as primary, secondary, or acquired due to medical comorbidities/immunosuppressive treatment. The primary outcome was time to first of two consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at least 24 hours apart. Testing of sequential clinical specimens from the same subject was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 2019-nCoV real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR Diagnostic Panel assay. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier curve median event times and log-rank tests were used to compare outcomes between groups. Results Ninety-one children met inclusion criteria. Median age was 15.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] 8-18), 64% were male, 58% were White, and 43% were Hispanic/Latinx. Most (67%) were tested in outpatient settings and 58% were asymptomatic. The median time to two negative tests was 42 days (IQR 25.0-55.0), with no differences in median time by illness presentation or level of immunosuppression. Seven children had more than one sample available for repeat testing, and five of seven (71%) children had initial CT values of Conclusions Most ICC with SARS-CoV-2 infection had mild disease, with prolonged viral persistence >6 weeks and moderate to high viral load.
Ellipsometric analysis of isothermally devitrified metallic glasses

Abstract Effects of devitrification in metallic glasses are of particular interest for their utilization in various applications as the phase transformation from amorphous to crystalline state is known to significantly change their properties. In this work, we study the effect of devitrification on the optical properties of metallic glasses using the spectroscopic ellipsometry technique. Ellipsometry measurements on isothermally crystallized samples at controlled temperatures between the glass transition temperature and the crystallization temperature revealed characteristic dependence of the complex index of refraction on the controlled devitrification temperature, suggesting an effective optical approach which can be prospectively used for characterization of structural changes during devitrification. The crystallinity of devitrified samples was verified using a combination of differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurements.
Evaluating the Pre-Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam and Other Factors Associated with Performance on the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam.

Objective. To evaluate the relationship between the Pre-Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) and MPJE among pharmacy graduates and determine the influence of demographic, pre-pharmacy, and pharmacy school factors on MPJE outcomes. Methods. A retrospective review of pharmacy graduates’ (n=156) MPJE scores, Pre-MPJE scores, demographics, pre-pharmacy academic performance factors, and pharmacy school academic performance factors was performed. Bivariate and correlational analyses were conducted along with multiple linear regression modules to determine the influence of variables on the MPJE total scaled score. Results. A total of 136 graduates were included with the majority being female (59%) and non-Hispanic White students (75%). The Pre-MPJE was not significantly correlated with the MPJE first attempt pass/fail outcome or total scaled score. Younger age at graduation, higher pharmacy law course grade, PCOA total and content area 1-4 scaled scores, and final pharmacy GPA were correlated to passing the MPJE. MPJE total scaled score was correlated to higher pre-pharmacy GPA, pharmacy law course grade, PCOA total and content area 1-4 scaled scores, and final pharmacy GPA. However, regression models found the greatest variance in MPJE total scaled score was contributed by the pharmacy law course grade. PCOA total scaled score contributed to some variance for all MPJE takers, but only pharmacy law course grade significantly influenced in-state MPJE total scaled score. Conclusion. The findings did not show pre-MPJE was a predictor for passing or total scaled score for the MPJE. Pharmacy law course performance was the most important determinant of MPJE total scaled score.
Blue mucus. It was in her eyes--not in her head.

To the Editor.— A 15-year-old, black girl came to the Outpatient Clinic for cold, cough, and runny nose of 2 weeks duration. She claimed that periodically, when she blew her nose, she got thick, BLUE material bilaterally. She was taking a decongestant orally and used clear nose drops for a week. She complained about this BLUE material to a physician and a nurse in the Emergency Room; she was told that this was not possible and that the problem was psychological, "it is in her head."
Health Watch: A Longitudinal Prospective Study of Healthy Aging in 2200 Individuals

Health Watch, a longitudinal, prospective study of healthy aging now in its eighteenth year at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center, San Francisco, was founded by George Z. Williams in 1970. This study was designed to characterize a healthy population of approximately 2200 individuals, and to follow them annually, with assessment of changes in good or positive health on quantitative laboratory, physiological, and health behavioral tests. The major goal was to provide a solid data base for physicians to undertake meaningful primary care and health promotion and for researchers to quantitate effects of healthy aging, using routine clinical laboratory tests and the information of patients’ health behaviors.
Deletion of Inpp5a causes ataxia and cerebellar degeneration in mice

The progressive and permanent loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC) is a hallmark of many inherited ataxias. Mutations in several genes involved in the regulation of Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores by the second messenger IP3 have been associated with PC dysfunction or death. While much is known about the defects in production and response to IP3, less is known about the defects in breakdown of the IP3 second messenger. A mutation in Inpp4a of the pathway is associated with a severe, early-onset PC degeneration in the mouse model weeble. The step preceding the removal of the 4-phosphate is the removal of the 5-phosphate by Inpp5a. Gene expression analysis was performed on an Inpp5a (Gt(OST50073)Lex) mouse generated by gene trap insertion using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Phenotypic analyses were performed using rotarod, β-galactosidase staining, and phosphatase activity assay. Statistical significance was calculated. The deletion of Inpp5a causes an early-onset yet slowly progressive PC degeneration and ataxia. Homozygous mutants (90%) exhibit perinatal lethality; surviving homozygotes show locomotor instability at P16. A consistent pattern of PC loss in the cerebellum is initially detectable by weaning and widespread by P60. Phosphatase activity toward phosphoinositol substrates is reduced in the mutant relative to littermates. The ataxic phenotype and characteristics neurodegeneration of the Inpp5a (Gt(OST50073)Lex) mouse indicate a crucial role for Inpp5a in PC survival. The identification of the molecular basis of the selective PC survival will be important in defining a neuroprotective gene applicable to establishing a disease mechanism.
Viewing Computer-Aided Failure Modes and Effects Analysis from an Artificial Intelligence Perspective

Computer-aided failure modes and effects analysis FMEA is a goal of design, manufacturing, and reliability engineers to improve the quality and reliability of systems; however, commercial implementations have utilized little or no artificial intelligence AI techniques in their design. Computer-aided FMEA is viewed from an AI perspective. First, the types of knowledges exploited by FMEA experts are discussed, and model-based methods that are applicable to intelligent automation are addressed to provide a foundation for building expert systems for design and reliability analysis. Next, existing prototype systems and techniques are characterized, according to their knowledge and reasoning strategies, to familiarize the reader with recent developments. In addition, a blackboard model of an expert system for FMEA is proposed that functionally decomposes the knowledge associated with each subfunction of the FMEA process into a set of knowledge sources.
Broken symmetry, symmetry, and price uncertainty: Or, short and long-run comparative statics of the competitive firm

Abstract The notion of broken (or hidden) symmetry is applied to a long-run characterization of a competitive firm operating under price uncertainty. The main result of the paper is the restoration of a Slutsky-type symmetry of the input demand functions within an expected utility framework which does not involve any assumption about risk aversion. A second conclusion is that economic relations expressed in terms of relative quantities are essential in the long-run comparative statics under price uncertainty.
Motor Learning Relies on Integrated Sensory Inputs in ADHD, but Over‐Selectively on Proprioception in Autism Spectrum Conditions

The brain builds an association between action and sensory feedback to predict the sensory consequence of self-generated motor commands. This internal model of action is central to our ability to adapt movements and may also play a role in our ability to learn from observing others. Recently, we reported that the spatial generalization patterns that accompany adaptation of reaching movements were distinct in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as compared with typically developing (TD) children. To test whether the generalization patterns are specific to ASD, here, we compared the patterns of adaptation with those in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Consistent with our previous observations, we found that in ASD, the motor memory showed greater than normal generalization in proprioceptive coordinates compared with both TD children and children with ADHD; children with ASD also showed slower rates of adaptation compared with both control groups. Children with ADHD did not show this excessive generalization to the proprioceptive target, but they did show excessive variability in the speed of movements with an increase in the exponential distribution of responses (τ) as compared with both TD children and children with ASD. The results suggest that slower rate of adaptation and anomalous bias towards proprioceptive feedback during motor learning are characteristics of autism, whereas increased variability in execution is a characteristic of ADHD.
Identifying Risk and Protective Factors for Healthy Child Development

Developmental problems of youth are a major social problem in the United States, with approximately 21 percent of 9- to 17-year-old children having diagnosable disorders (Shaffer et al., 1996). Although many of these have minimal impairment, four million children representing 11 percent of the population have significant impairment and another 4 percent have extreme impairment (Surgeon General, 1999). In an examination of how many children are at risk for mental disorders, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004) reported that during the previous 12 months, 29 percent of high school children felt blue or hopeless, 17 percent had considered suicide, and 9 percent had made an attempt. In terms of aggression, 33 percent had been in a physical fight and, in the year 2000 alone, 1.7 million youth were arrested. Academic problems in the United States were equally serious. Seventy percent of fourth graders were below proficiency levels in both reading and math, and 15 percent of adolescents dropped out of school before graduation. Although the majority of youth do not have such problems, the number who do is substantial. Reducing these numbers requires a clear understanding of the causes of these childhood problems. One of the clear correlates of increasing childhood problems is the declining quality of the child-family environment. Concurrent with the high level of problems among children, family resources for coping with these problems have diminished in the United States.
Baby gym for robots: a new platform for testing developmental learning algorithms

This extended abstract describes a new platform for robotic manipulation research that was inspired by some of the first toys that human infants learn to manipulate. It summarizes the results of our existing research on pressing buttons and formulates some ideas for future work.
Access-a-WoW: building an enhanced world of warcraft TM UI for persons with low visual acuity

World of Warcraft™ (WoW) is a virtual 3D game that offers much in terms of entertainment and collaboration and enjoys extraordinary world wide popularity. However like many other applications that deliver the majority of information visually, the default user interface (UI) is potentially only marginally accessible to users with limited visual acuity. This paper describes the enhanced user interface (UI) we constructed to improve accessibility for these users. We performed a study comparing the two user interfaces; users had simulated low visual acuity. The results of the study suggest that our enhanced UI led to significant improvements in user performance and speed of game play. Our current enhanced UI and planned future work have great potential for expanding opportunities for a user group to participate in the WoW community more fully than is possible with the current UI.
Belowground responses to rising atmospheric CO2: Implications for plants, soil biota and ecosystem processes

As atmospheric CO2 concentrations increase there almost certainly will be alterations in the flux of C from plants to the soil. It is likely that such alterations will be accompanied by changes in the allocation of C to organic structures and to soil processes. These changes have the potential for further altering the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. While there has been increasing recognition of the importance of soil-mediated responses to global climate change, the nature and magnitude of these responses are not well understood.
Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum : Biocatalyst in the Production of Sulfur and Organic Carbon from a Gas Stream Containing H 2 S and CO 2

Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum (ATCC 17092) was grown in a 1-liter continuously stirred tank reactor (800-ml liquid volume) at pH 6.8, 30°C, saturated light intensity, and a gas flow rate of 23.6 ml/min from a gas cylinder blend consisting of 3.9 mol% H2S, 9.2 mol% CO2, 86.4 mol% N2, and 0.5 mol% H2. This is the first demonstration of photoautotrophic growth of a Chlorobium sp. on a continuous inorganic gas feed. A significant potential exists for applying this photoautotrophic process to desulfurization and CO2 fixation of gases containing acidic components (H2S and CO2).
An approach to measuring the quality of breast cancer decisions.

Abstract Objective To explore an approach to measuring the quality of decisions made in the treatment of early stage breast cancer, focusing on patients’ decision-specific knowledge and the concordance between patients’ stated preferences for treatment outcomes and treatment received. Methods Candidate knowledge and value items were identified after an extensive review of the published literature as well as reports on 27 focus groups and 46 individual interviews with breast cancer survivors. Items were subjected to cognitive interviews with six additional patients. A preliminary decision quality measure consisting of five knowledge items and four value items was pilot tested with 35 breast cancer survivors who also completed the control preferences scale and the decisional conflict scale (DCS). Results Preference for control and knowledge did not vary by treatment. The mean of the participants’ knowledge scores was 54%. There was no correlation between the knowledge scores and the informed subscale of the DCS (Pearson r = .152, n = 32, p = 0.408). Patients who preferred to keep their breast were over five times as likely to have breast-conserving surgery than those who did not (OR 5.33, 95% CI (1.2, 24.5), p = 0.06). Patients who wanted to avoid radiation were six times as likely to choose mastectomy than those who did not (OR 6.4, 95% CI (1.34, 30.61), p = 0.04). Conclusion Measuring decision quality by assessing patients’ decision-specific knowledge and concordance between their values and treatment received, is feasible and important. Further work is necessary to overcome the methodological challenges identified in this pilot work. Practice implications Guidelines for early stage breast cancer emphasize the importance of including patients’ preferences in decisions about treatment. The ability of doctors and patients to make decisions that reflect the considered preferences of well-informed patients can and should be measured.
Disseminated salmonellosis in a patient with the acquired immunodeficency syndrome

bacterial vaginosis. Int. J. STD AIDS 7:61-64. 3. Colli, E., M. Landoni, and F. Parazzini. 1997. Treatment of male partners and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis: a randomized trial. Genitourin. Med. 721267-270. 4. Moi, H. et al. 1989. Should male consorts of women with bacterial vaginosis be treated? Genitourin. Med. 65:263268. 5. Vejtorp, M., A.C. Bollerup, and L. Vejtorp. 1988. Bacterial vaginosis: a double blind randomized trial of the effect of the treatment of the sexual partner. Br. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 95:920926. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1998. Sexually transmitted diseases guidelines. Morbid. Mortal. Weekly Rep. 47 @R-1):70-73. 7. Blackwell, A.L. et al. 1983. Anaerobic vaginosis (non-specific vaginitis): clinical microbiological and therapeutic findings. Lancet ii(8364): 1379-1382.
Strategic transfers, redistributive fiscal policies, and family bonds: a micro-economic analysis

This paper presents a micro-economic model to analyze intergenerational exchange in which the utility maximizing decisions of “selfish” children on family services, labor market activities, and leisure are determined endogenously. We show that altruistic parents’ financial transfers have a disincentive effect on the labor supply of their children and that the children’s equilibrium income is positively correlated with parental income. Based on the theoretical model, we find that redistributing US$1 from children to their parents increases parental transfers by less than US$1, implying that intergenerational public transfers are Ricardian non-neutral. However, the non-neutral redistributive transfers may enhance intergenerational family bonds because the equilibrium levels of services rendered by children to their parents increase.
Behavior development through task oriented discourse

As digital human animation and simulation systems are coming into widespread use, scenario designers and digital animators must introduce specific tasks, procedures and animation sequences into a digital human's repertoire of capabilities. The parameterized action representation (PAR) architecture allows the animator to introduce dynamic behaviors through natural language instructions. However, this architecture lacks any natural language feedback which would allow the animator to deal with inconsistencies, incompleteness and conflicts within the behavior. In this paper we introduce an extension to a typical PAR architecture that provides that natural language feedback mechanism and define a set of task oriented discourses (TOD) that allow this mechanism to be used in synthesizing and managing behaviors. We demonstrate our behavior development techniques in two applications. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emulsified Gas Turbine Fuel

The development of an emulsified JP-4 gas turbine fuel is described. Improvement in fire hazard prevention was indicated by sharp reduction in both flame propagation rate and volume of the fireball as determined during crash simulation tests. Associated emulsion properties are given.Copyright © 1968 by ASME
Large scale planar laser induced fluorescence in turbulent density-stratified flows

Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) is used to obtain a series of two-dimensional concentration distributions in large scale (order of 5 m) time-varying thermally stratified flows. Density gradients due to turbulent fluctuations within the image area were found to cause reflection and refraction of the laser light sheet, reducing the usual simplicity of the PLIF method. To compensate for these effects, a variable local attenuation coefficient has been introduced to relate the attenuation of the laser sheet due to the concentration of the fluorescent dye and its spatial gradient. A mathematical algorithm for image restoration has been developed and applied to produce two-dimensional surface temperature mappings using fluorescent dye as an indicator. The algorithm has been verified using a set of temperature probes placed in the flow. It is found that this method provides both powerful flow visualization and adequate non-intrusive concentration measurements for large scale investigations of density stratified flows.
Urban Heritage in Troubled Times

The terrain of heritage—where the past and present intersect—is one of a few places where anthropological archaeology can become an applied, even activist practice. This is because heritage has a kind of "slippery temporality" about it. On its surface, heritage is about history, or at least the information that we possess about the past. However, heritage happens in the present; it is really the continually evolving result of a set of contemporary ideological practices that help us to order the often confusing and incomplete knowledge we have about the past. Heritage is a story, written or spoken in the present. That story transforms the raw material of historical information into a valueladen narrative about the present. Those narratives make their way into the public consciousness, where they are operationalized in the realm of public discourse. There, in the public sphere, heritage discourses have material consequences for all parties involved.
Ubiquitinated Proteins Activate the Proteasome by Binding to Usp14/Ubp6, which Causes 20S Gate Opening

In eukaryotic cells, ubiquitination of proteins leads to their degradation by the 26S proteasome. We tested if the ubiquitin (Ub) chain also regulates the proteasome's capacity for proteolysis. After incubation with polyubiquitinated proteins, 26S proteasomes hydrolyzed peptides and proteins 2- to 7-fold faster. Ub conjugates enhanced peptide hydrolysis by stimulating gate opening in the 20S proteasome. This stimulation was seen when this gate was closed or transiently open, but not maximally open. Gate opening requires conjugate association with Usp14/Ubp6 and also occurs if Ub aldehyde occupies this isopeptidase's active site. No stimulation was observed with 26S from Ubp6Delta mutants, but this effect was restored upon addition of Usp14/Ubp6 (even an inactive Ubp6). The stimulation of gate opening by Ub conjugates through Usp14/Ubp6 requires nucleotide binding to the gate-regulatory ATPases. This activation enhances the selectivity of the 26S proteasome for ubiquitinated proteins and links their deubiquitination to their degradation.