cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Enhances Locomotion and Medullary Neuronal Firing in an Amphibian

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) administration has been shown to act centrally to enhance locomotion in rats and amphibians. In the present study we used an amphibian, the roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa), to characterize changes in medullary neuronal activity associated with CRF-induced walking and swimming in animals chronically implanted with fine-wire microelectrodes. Neuronal activity was recorded from the raphe and adjacent reticular region of the rostral medulla. Under baseline conditions most of the recorded neurons showed low to moderate amounts of neuronal activity during periods of immobility and pronounced increases in firing that were time-locked with episodes of walking. These neurons sometimes showed further increases in discharge during swimming. Injections of CRF but not saline into the lateral ventricle produced a rapidly appearing increase in walking and pronounced changes (mostly increases) in firing rates of the medullary neurons. CRF produced diverse changes in patterns of firing in different neurons, but for these neurons as a group, the effects of CRF showed a close temporal association with the onset and expression of the peptide's effect on locomotion. In neurons that were active exclusively during movement prior to CRF treatment, the post-CRF increase in firing was evident during episodes of walking; in other neurons that also were spontaneously active during immobility prior to CRF infusion, post-CRF activity changes were evident during immobility as well as during episodes of locomotion. Thus, a principal effect of CRF was to potentiate the level of neuronal firing in a population of medullary neurons with locomotor-related properties. Due to the route of administration CRF may have acted on multiple central nervous system sites to enhance locomotion, but the results are consistent with neurophysiological effects involving medullary locomotion-regulating neurons.
Taking a computational approach to aging: The SPAN theory of working memory.

The decline of working memory capacity associated with normal adult aging is well-known. What is less well established is the cause of this decline. One prominent proposal is that working memory decline is caused by a reduction in basic information-processing speed, but this account has lacked a demonstration that general slowing is computationally sufficient to produce a decrease in working memory capacity. This article presents a production system theory of working memory (SPAN) based on established mechanisms: slowing, decay, and displacement. Models of 2 tasks--digit symbol and computation span--which have been prominent in research on slowing, are presented in detail. These models demonstrate that slowing is sufficient to produce differences in these tasks, and they provide a quantitative match to observed young-old differences as well. This advance for slowing theory also demonstrates the viability of computational tools in aging research.
The densification of powders by power-law creep during hot isostatic pressing

Abstract Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is potentially a cost-effective and efficient process for the manufacture of high quality metal components from powders. The densification of the powder during HIP proceeds in stages marked by changes in the geometry of the pores and by the dominance of different densification mechanisms. When the density is high and the pores are isolated and roughly spherical, the densification rate under a compressive load due to creep can be approximated by the densification rate of a sphere of creeping material containing a single, centered void. The densification rates predicted by such a model are significantly increased by small deviations of the load from purely hydrostatic compression. Thus, a careful account of the coupling between the hydrostatic and deviatoric stresses is important in the accurate modelling of the process and the design of an efficient HIP cycle; this can be achieved through the introduction of an approximate strain rate potential for the porous body.
Differential Sensitization of Amygdala Neurons to Afferent Inputs in a Model of Arthritic Pain

Pain is associated with negative affect such as anxiety and depression. The amygdala plays a key role in emotionality and has been shown to undergo neuroplastic changes in models of affective disorders. Many neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are driven by nociceptive inputs, but the role of the amygdala in persistent pain states is not known. This study is the first to address nociceptive processing by CeA neurons in a model of prolonged pain. Extracellular single-unit recordings were made from 41 CeA neurons in anesthetized rats. Each neuron's responses to brief mechanical stimulation of joints, muscles, and skin and to cutaneous thermal stimuli were recorded. Background activity, receptive field size, and threshold were mapped, and stimulus-response functions were constructed. These parameters were measured repeatedly before and after induction of arthritis in one knee by intraarticular injections of kaolin and carrageenan. Multireceptive (MR) amygdala neurons (n = 20) with excitatory input from the knee joint responded more strongly to noxious than to innocuous mechanical stimuli of deep tissue (n = 20) and skin (n = 11). After induction of arthritis, 18 of 20 MR neurons developed enhanced responses to mechanical stimuli and expansion of receptive field size. These changes occurred with a biphasic time course (early peak: 1-1.5 h; persistent plateau phase: after 3-4 h). Responses to thermal stimuli did not change (7 of 7 neurons), but background activity (16 of 18 neurons) and electrically evoked orthodromic activity (11 of 12 neurons) increased in the arthritic state. Nociceptive-specific (NS) neurons (n = 13) showed no changes of their responses to mechanical, thermal, and electrical stimulation after induction of arthritis. A third group of neurons did not respond to somesthetic stimuli under control conditions (noSOM neurons; n = 8) but developed prolonged responses to mechanical, but not thermal, stimuli in arthritis (5 of 8 neurons). These data suggest that prolonged pain is accompanied by enhanced responsiveness of a subset of CeA neurons. Their sensitization to mechanical, but not thermal, stimuli argues against a nonspecific state of hyperexcitability. MR neurons could serve to integrate and evaluate information in the context of prolonged pain. Recruitment of noSOM neurons increases the gain of amygdala processing. NS neurons preserve the distinction between nociceptive and nonnociceptive inputs.
Effect of fatty acid supplementation on cholesterol and retinol esterification in J774 macrophages.

Abstract J774 macrophages exposed to medium containing cholesterol-rich phospholipid dispersions accumulate cholesteryl ester. Supplementing this medium with 100 μg oleate/ml increased cellular cholesteryl ester contents 3-fold. Cell retinyl ester contents increased 8-fold when medium containing retinol dispersed in dimethyl sulfoxide was supplemented with oleate. These increases were not the result of increases in total lipid uptake by the cells but rather of redistribution of cholesterol and retinol into their respective ester pools. Effective oleate concentrations of 15–30 μg/ml increased cellular retinyl and cholesteryl ester contents. The effective oleate concentration was reduced to 5 μg/ml when the fatty acid/albumin molar ratio was increased. The oleate-stimulated increase in cholesterol esterification was blocked by incubating cells with Sandoz 58-035, a specific inhibitor of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), indicating that the effect of fatty acid exposure is mediated through changes in ACAT activity. When cholesterol or retinol was added to cells which had been exposed to oleate for 24 h to provide a triacylglycerol store, the cellular contents of cholesteryl or retinyl ester were also significantly increased compared to cells not previously exposed to oleate. The oleate-stimulated increase in the esterification of cholesterol and/or retinol was also observed in P388D 1 macrophages, human (HepG 2 ) and rat (Fu5AH) hepatomas, human fibroblasts, rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. In addition to oleate, a number of other fatty acids increased retinol esterification in J774 macrophages; however, cellular cholesterol esterification in these cells was increased only by unsaturated fatty acids and was inhibited in the presence of saturated fatty acids. Although the cellular uptake of radiolabeled oleate and palmitate was similar, a significant difference in the distribution of these fatty acids among the lipid classes was observed. These data demonstrate that exogenous fatty acids are one factor that regulate cellular cholesteryl and retinyl ester contents in cultured cells.
Urethral closure pressure profiles in the standing position: Are they necessary?

The aim of the study was to assess the sensitivity for urodynamic abnormalities of both static and dynamic urethral closure pressure profiles done in the sitting and standing positions. Multichannel urethral closure pressure profilometry (UCPP) was performed on 21 patients complaining of stress incontinence. Two clinical groups were identified, those with mild to moderate and those with severe incontinence. The parameters of both the static and the dynamic UCPPs obtained in the sitting and standing positions were compared for sensitivity to urodynamic abnormalities. Non-parametric statistical methods were used (Wilcoxon signed rank test; Mann-Whitney test.) No statistically significant differences were found in the mean maximum urethral closure pressures (MUCPs) in the two positions. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of severe incontinence had decreased MUCPs in both positions. It was therefore concluded that the urethral closure pressure profile may be measured in the sitting position without compromising the results.
Children's Cognitive Representation of the Mathematical Number Line.

Learning of the mathematical number line has been hypothesized to be dependent on an inherent sense of approximate quantity. Children’s number line placements are predicted to conform to the underlying properties of this system; specifically, placements are exaggerated for small numerals and compressed for larger ones. Alternative hypotheses are based on proportional reasoning; specifically, numerals are placed relative to set anchors such as end points on the line. Traditional testing of these alternatives involves fitting group medians to corresponding regression models which assumes homogenous residuals and thus does not capture useful information from between- and within-child variation in placements across the number line. To more fully assess differential predictions, we developed a novel set of hierarchical statistical models that enable the simultaneous estimation of mean levels of and variation in performance, as well as developmental transitions. Using these techniques we fitted the number line placements of 224 children longitudinally assessed from first to fifth grade, inclusive. The compression pattern was evident in mean performance in first grade, but was the best fit for only 20% of first graders when the full range of variation in the data are modeled. Most first graders’ placements suggested use of end points, consistent with proportional reasoning. Developmental transition involved incorporation of a mid-point anchor, consistent with a modified proportional reasoning strategy. The methodology introduced here enables a more nuanced assessment of children’s number line representation and learning than any previous approaches and indicates that developmental improvement largely results from midpoint segmentation of the line.
Patterns of Oppression: An Exploratory Analysis of Human-Rights Data

Abstract This article reports an exploratory analysis of human-rights data compiled for 74 countries during 1982–1983. The information is combined with social, demographic, and economic indexes, then subjected to the scrutiny of CART, nearest-neighbor clustering, and other classification and clustering algorithms. Human-rights data separate most nations into one of seven categories; these categories can also be accurately predicted from widely available social and economic indexes. The results suggest that one need monitor only a small number of human-rights indexes to capture most of the original information, thus reducing the cost and complexity of human-rights assessment. Also, the analysis discovers socioeconomic indexes associated with certain patterns of human-rights violation, and this may enable a better understanding of climates that foster compliance with the International Bill of Rights.
Ultracentrifugal identification of infectious entities with characteristic particles.

Abstract 1. 1. A new point of view was developed toward the problem of deciding whether particles obtained from virus-diseased tissue are the true bearers of infectivity. When results of an experiment are followed by infectivity assay, a property of the infectious entity of a virus is measured; when they are followed by physical means, a property of the characteristic particle of a virus is determined. If the infectious entity and the characteristic particle are identical, then each particular property of the infectious entity must be the same as the corresponding property of the characteristic particle. Evidence for identity is provided by accumulating coincidences in properties. 2. 2. The separation cell can be used with the ultracentrifuge to determine the sedimentation constants in various media of an infectious entity. Possible errors due to convection can be eliminated through the use of indicator particles of known sedimentation rate deliberately added to the virus solution. Sedimentation rates of characteristic particles can be determined by purely physical means. 3. 3. Because the logarithm of concentration decreases precipitously as the infectious entity effective boundary approaches the barrier in the separation cell, the precision of the determination of the sedimentation rate of the infectious entity is not limited by the appreciable error encountered in infectivity assays. 4. 4. Sedimentation studies in media of different densities can evaluate two parameters of the particle; therefore, the ultracentrifuge can be used to investigate two potential fundamental coincidences between properties of infectious entities and characteristic particles. 5. 5. The sedimentation rate of the infectious entity of Southern bean mosaic virus was found to lie between the sedimentation rates of the characteristic particles of Southern bean mosaic and tomato bushy stunt viruses, in both neutral-buffered aqueous and 30% sucrose solutions. This result means that the two fundamental parameters which can be evaluated by sedimentation studies agree within reasonable limits of error for the infectious entity and the characteristic particle of Southern bean mosaic virus. 6. 6. By using a series of indicator particles, the sedimentation rate of even an unpurified virus infectious entity can be bracketed and therefore evaluated within potentially narrow limits. 7. 7. This method can be used to determine the sedimentation rate of any entity which can be followed by means of its biological, chemical, or physical activity.
Interaction of the trp repressor and RNA polymerase with the trp operon.

Abstract An in vitro transcription system for the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli was used to determine the mechanism by which trp † repressor inhibits transcription of the operon. It was found that trp repressor-binding prevents binding of RNA polymerase to the operon. It was also observed that when polymerase is prebound to the trp promoter, repressor cannot prevent it from transcribing. These results suggest the existence of a functional overlap between trp promoter and trp operator regions and indicate that repressor acts by preventing RNA polymerase attachment to the promoter region of the operon.
New directions in the anthropology of morality

In this article we seek to develop a common theoretical language and stake out particular positions on key issues in the growing debates about the anthropological study of morality. First, we advoc...
Characterization of putative rolling-circle plasmids from the Gram-negative bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and their use as shuttle vectors.

Abstract This study was initiated to characterize a small Xylella fastidiosa (X. fastidiosa) plasmid and attempt to create a X. fastidosa/Escherichia coli shuttle vector that was stable in planta. Restriction enzyme analysis of a 1.3 kb plasmid DNA from a grape-infecting strain of X. fastidiosa (UCLA) revealed the presence of three similar, but genetically distinct, plasmids, pUCLAs. Evidence that suggests the pUCLA plasmids replicate via a rolling-circle (RC) mechanism include: (i) the presence of ssDNA in X. fastidiosa cells; (ii) the presence of conserved motifs in the predicted ORF1 that are typical of initiator (Rep) proteins associated with RC replication; (iii) high amino acid identity between the putative Rep proteins of pUCLAs and Pf3, a filamentous bacteriophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that replicates by a RC mechanism; and (iv) the presence of a putative origin of replication upstream of ORF1 that has the potential to form secondary hairpin structures. One DNA motif present in pUCLA shared sequence similarity to known nicking sites in the origins of replication of other RC plasmids and phages. The shuttle vector, pXF001, successfully transformed grape X. fastidiosa strains and was found to be present as autonomous, structurally unchanged DNA molecules in X. fastidiosa. However, pXF001 was not stably maintained in X. fastidiosa without antibiotic selection.
The sharkskin instability of polymer melt flows.

Flows of polymeric liquids undergo instabilities whose origins are quite different from those of Newtonian flows, due to their elastic character and the complexity of the fluid/solid boundary condition. This article reviews recent studies of one such instability, the sharkskin phenomenon observed during extrusion of many linear polymers. Key experimental observations are summarized; one important fact that has become clear is the importance of the interaction between the molten polymer and the solid walls of the flow channel, especially near the contact line at the exit of the channel. Recent developments in understanding the relationship between wall slip and disentanglement of wall-adsorbed polymers from the bulk flow are briefly described, and putative heuristic mechanisms relating the instability to slip and contact line motion are presented. Finally, we review mathematical analyses of the stability of viscoelastic shear flows with slip boundary conditions. Some recent analyses yield instability predictions that are consistent with experiments, but further work is required to discriminate between the various mechanisms that have been proposed.
Outcomes of Proton Therapy for Patients With Functional Pituitary Adenomas

Summary Proton therapy is increasingly being used to treat patients with benign central nervous system tumors in an attempt to minimize late effects of radiation. Herein we report the largest series of patients with functional pituitary adenomas treated with proton therapy using modern techniques, predominantly stereotactic radiosurgery. Biochemical effectiveness and local control were comparable with those in contemporary photon series, and the most Purpose/Objective(s): This study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of proton therapy for functional pituitary adenomas (FPAs). Methods and Materials: We analyzed 165 patients with FPAs who were treated at a single institution with proton therapy between 1992 and 2012 and had at least 6 months of follow-up. All but 3 patients underwent prior resection, and 14 received prior photon irradiation. Proton stereotactic radiosurgery was used for 92% of patients, with a median dose of 20 Gy(RBE). The remainder received fractionated stereotactic proton therapy. Time to biochemical complete response (CR, defined as � 3 months of normal laboratory values with no medical treatment), local control, and adverse effects are reported. Results: With a median follow-up time of 4.3 years (range, 0.5-20.6 years) for 144 evaluable patients, the actuarial 3-year CR rate and the median time to CR were 54% and 32 months among 74 patients with Cushing disease (CD), 63% and 27 months among 8 patients with Nelson syndrome (NS), 26% and 62 months among 50 patients with acromegaly, and 22% and 60 months among 9 patients with prolactinomas, respectively. One of 3 patients with thyroid stimulating hormonedsecreting tumors achieved CR. Actuarial time to CR was significantly shorter for corticotroph FPAs (CD/NS) compared with other subtypes (PZ.001). At a median imaging follow-up time of 43 months, tumor control was 98% among 140 patients. The actuarial 3
Foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA: Responses to urban and agricultural influence in a subtropical estuary

This study assessed foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay, Florida, a heavily utilized estuary, interpreting changes over the past 65 years and providing a baseline for future comparisons. Analyses of foraminiferal data at the genus level revealed three distinct biotopes. The assemblage from the northern bay was characterized by stress-tolerant taxa, especially Ammonia, present in low abundances ( approximately 2.0 x 10(3) foraminifers/gram) though relatively high diversity ( approximately 19 genera/sample). The southwestern margin of the bay was dominated by Ammonia and Quinqueloculina, an assemblage characterized by the lowest diversities ( approximately 12 genera/sample) and highest abundances ( approximately 1.1 x 10(4) foraminifers/gram), influenced by both reduced salinity and elevated organic-carbon concentrations. A diverse assemblage of smaller miliolids and rotaliids ( approximately 26 genera/sample) characterized the open-bay assemblage, which also had a significant component ( approximately 10%) of taxa that host algal endosymbionts. In the past 65 years, populations of symbiont-bearing taxa, which are indicators of normal-marine conditions, have decreased while stress-tolerant taxa, especially Ammonia spp., have increased in predominance.
How does institutional change affect heterogeneity among firms

This paper examines the variation in performance of incumbents and entrants following the deregulation of prices and entry in the airline industry. Our approach is similar to earlier studies of interfirm performance heterogeneity across industries. Drawing on theories of industry evolution, we hypothesize that the performance of entrants will have higher variance than incumbents. Further, given the opportunities offered by price deregulation, we propose that incumbents will have higher variance in performance under deregulation than in the earlier regime. The findings indicate that entrant performance heterogeneity is significantly greater than incumbent performance heterogeneity following deregulation, but that the variation in performance among incumbents does not significantly change when deregulation occurs. The second result is surprising given the range of service and process innovations that incumbents initiated. These results suggest that the distinction between entrants and incumbents is critical to future studies of performance variation within and across industries. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monokaryotic fruiting in Schizophyllum commune : Genetic control of the response to mechanical injury

Monokaryotic fruiting is used as a tool to study mushroom development and differentiation in Schizophyllum commune. This paper reports data which further elucidate the genetic control of the monokaryotic fruiting response to mechanical injury. Models relating the various genes implicated in monokaryotic fruiting body production are proposed and evaluated on their ability to explain the observed data. A minimum estimate is made of the number of genes involved in the initiation of monokaryotic fruiting in response to mechanical injury.
Coherent Hemodynamics Spectroscopy of the Vulnerable Brain of Hemodialysis Patients: a Cyclic Thigh-Cuff Inflation Protocol

We present a pilot clinical application of Coherent Hemodynamics Spectroscopy, a novel technique to investigate cerebral hemodynamics at the microcirculatory level. Hemodialysis patients featured a slower cerebral blood flow than healthy controls.
Analysis of human skin emanations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. 2. Identification of volatile compounds that are candidate attractants for the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti).

Volatile compounds emanated from human skin were studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The purpose of this study was to identify compounds that may be human-produced kairomones which are used for host location by the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.). The procedure used to collect volatiles was chosen because of prior knowledge that attractive substances can be transferred from skin to glass by handling. Laboratory bioassays have shown that the residuum on the glass remains attractive to mosquitoes until the compounds of importance evaporate. The sampling and analytical procedures modeled the above-cited process as closely as possible except that the evaporation of compounds from the glass surface was accomplished by thermal desorption from glass beads in a heated GC injection port. This made possible the solventless injection of volatiles onto the column. The compounds were cryofocused on the head of the column with liquid nitrogen prior to GC separation. A single stage of mass spectrometry...
Overview of instrument flight and controlled flight into terrain

Although SPIE is not involved in politics, "Air Traffic Safety" has a high political profile because it has an effect on all of us who travel by air—whether we're flying the flying machine as a pilot, or just riding in it as a passenger.
Are There Different Forms of Life in the Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Universe

For some autoimmune diseases, autoantibodies and their target antigen specificity can provide information about pathogenic mechanisms and disease phenotypes. What do antineutrophil cytoplasmic anti...
Tropical Cyclone Genesis Factors in Simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum

AbstractLarge-scale environmental factors that favor tropical cyclogenesis are calculated and examined in simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PMIP2). Despite universally colder conditions at the LGM, values of tropical cyclone potential intensity, which both serves as an upper bound on thermodynamically achievable intensity and indicates regions supportive of the deep convection required, are broadly similar in magnitude to those in preindustrial era control simulation. Some regions, including large areas of the central and western North Pacific, feature higher potential intensities at the LGM than they do in the control runs, while other regions including much of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are lower. Changes in potential intensity are strongly correlated with the degree of surface cooling during the LGM. Additionally, two thermodynamic parameters—one that measures midtropospheric entropy deficits relevant for tropical cyclogen...
Corticosteroid Pharmacodynamics: Models for a Broad Array of Receptor-Mediated Pharmacologic Effects

This report describes our efforts in modeling the pharmacodynamics of corticosteroids and how these systems demonstrate the numerous ways that drug and biological factors can produce a delayed or slow onset and slow dissipation of pharmacologic effects.
Identifying at risk infants following neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: To identify infants at risk of death and abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the neonatal period. METHODS: The medical records of 82 neonates treated with ECMO were reviewed to evaluate risk of death. All survivors were followed by neurologic examinations and tested using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development or McCarthy Scale of Children’s Abilities, and risk for abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed. RESULTS: The overall survival was 91% (75 of 82). The mean gestational age and birth weight of nonsurvivors were lower than those of survivors (37 ± 1 weeks vs 40 ± 0 weeks; 2734 ± 230 vs 3325 ± 69 gm, p < 0.05). Infants who were lost to follow-up (16%) did not differ from those with follow-up in demographic variables or clinical indicators of illness severity. Thirty-five of 63 infants (56%) with follow-up had normal neurodevelopmental outcome. Risk of abnormal outcome was higher in infants requiring assisted ventilation for ≥15 days (relative risk [RR] 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0 to 14.8), supplemental oxygenation for ≥22 days (RR 3.1; 95% CI 1.3 to 7.6), and black race (RR 8.9; 95% CI 1.3 to 62.9). None of the neuroimaging studies accurately predicted the neurodevelopmental outcome of these infants. CONCLUSION: We conclude that ECMO in critically ill infants is associated with good survival. The need for prolonged respiratory support may help in identifying infants at risk for abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome.
Perception of American English dark /l/ by normally hearing young adult women.

This perceptual study describes changes in how listeners perceive VCV elements within successive truncations taken from an iambic phrase containing /l/ (e.g. a leaf, or a load) spoken by four male speakers of General American English. Evidence of the respective roles of dorsal gestural affiliation between /l/ and the reduced vowel, (V1CV2), and gestural separation from a tautosyllabic high front vowel (V2) were demonstrated. Coproduction of dark-l with a preceding reduced vowel was evident in early reports of back vowels or diphthongs, particularly when the carrier word contained a front vowel, and was noted more in darker-l than lighter-l speakers. The pairing of /l/ with a tautosyllabic front vowel reduced earlier identification of /l/, whereas its pairing with a back vowel enhanced early identification. The role of perceived contrast in identification of /l/ was reflected in changes in listener's perception of the reduced vowel across successive truncations. Clinical implications are addressed.
Encoding strategy changes and spacing effects in the free recall of unmixed lists

Memory for repeated items often improves when repetitions are separated by other items—a phenomenon called the spacing effect. In two experiments, we explored the complex interaction between study strategies, serial position, and spacing effects. When people studied several unmixed lists, they initially used mainly rote rehearsal, but some people eventually adopted relational encoding strategies like creating a story from the items (Experiment 1). We observed overall spacing effects when participants used the story mnemonic, but not when they employed rote rehearsal strategies (Experiments 1 and 2). This occurred in part because the story mnemonic reduced or eliminated the usual recall advantage of immediately repeated items at the beginning of lists (Experiment 2).
Quantum transport in NEMO5: Algorithm improvements and high performance implementation

Quantum transport algorithms such as QTBM and NEGF/RGF have been efficiently implemented in the multi-scale simulation tool NEMO5 by taking advantage of the Hamiltonian's characteristics of nanowires without explicit spinorbit coupling in the tight binding representation. Benchmarks in a 3nm diameter, 20 nm length Si nanowire in atomistic 10 band tight binding representation demonstrate 3–5 times performance improvement over the current state of the literatures.
Behavioral responses and the distributional effects of the Russian ‘flat’ tax

Abstract This paper simulates the distributional impact of the Russian personal income tax (PIT) following the flat tax reform of 2001 using data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. I decompose the change in the distribution of net income into a direct (tax) effect and an indirect effect. The indirect effect is further decomposed into evasion and productivity effects using existing estimates of these respective elasticities. As expected, the direct tax effect increased net income inequality. Changes in the pre-tax distribution (indirect effect), on the other hand, had a large negative impact on inequality thus leading to an overall decline in net income inequality. I also find that the tax-induced evasion response increased reported net income inequality while reducing consumption inequality. To the extent that consumption approximates actual income, these results demonstrate that the flat tax reform had a much smaller effect on actual income inequality than on reported income inequality. More importantly, relative to non-tax factor, the reform had little overall effect on income inequality. This suggests that objection to flatter tax schedules on the grounds of income inequality is mostly misguided, especially in transitional countries with high levels of evasion.
Truthful Greedy Mechanisms for Dynamic Virtual Machine Provisioning and Allocation in Clouds

A major challenging problem for cloud providers is designing efficient mechanisms for virtual machine (VM) provisioning and allocation. Such mechanisms enable the cloud providers to effectively utilize their available resources and obtain higher profits. Recently, cloud providers have introduced auction-based models for VM provisioning and allocation which allow users to submit bids for their requested VMs. We formulate the dynamic VM provisioning and allocation problem for the auction-based model as an integer program considering multiple types of resources. We then design truthful greedy and optimal mechanisms for the problem such that the cloud provider provisions VMs based on the requests of the winning users and determines their payments. We show that the proposed mechanisms are truthful, that is, the users do not have incentives to manipulate the system by lying about their requested bundles of VM instances and their valuations. We perform extensive experiments using real workload traces in order to investigate the performance of the proposed mechanisms. Our proposed mechanisms achieve promising results in terms of revenue for the cloud provider.
Transthoracic electrical impedance; quantitative evaluation of a non-invasive measure of thoracic fluid volume.

Abstract Transthoracic electrical impedance (TEI) measurements have previously been proposed as a sensitive non-invasive measure of fluid shifts in the thorax. The present study compares measured changes in TEI to measured thoracic intra- and extravascular fluid volumes in 22 experimental animals during production of pulmonary edema, phlebotomy, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and pulmonary artery obstruction. Insignificant shifts in TEI and thoracic fluid volume were observed in control animals. In all animals increased intrathoracic fluid volumes were associated with significantly decreased TEI while decreases in thoracic fluid volume were associated with significant increases in TEI. Alterations in pleural, pulmonary extravascular, and intrathoracic blood volume were quantifiable by TEI measurements at statistically significant levels. Certain limitations in the clinical application of this method are discussed.
Usefulness of Guided Breathing for Dose Rate-Regulated Tracking

Purpose To evaluate the usefulness of guided breathing for dose rate-regulated tracking (DRRT), a new technique to compensate for intrafraction tumor motion. Methods and Materials DRRT uses a preprogrammed multileaf collimator sequence that tracks the tumor motion derived from four-dimensional computed tomography and the corresponding breathing signals measured before treatment. Because the multileaf collimator speed can be controlled by adjusting the dose rate, the multileaf collimator positions are adjusted in real time during treatment by dose rate regulation, thereby maintaining synchrony with the tumor motion. DRRT treatment was simulated with free, audio-guided, and audiovisual-guided breathing signals acquired from 23 lung cancer patients. The tracking error and duty cycle for each patient were determined as a function of the system time delay (range, 0–1.0 s). Results The tracking error and duty cycle averaged for all 23 patients was 1.9 ± 0.8 mm and 92% ± 5%, 1.9 ± 1.0 mm and 93% ± 6%, and 1.8 ± 0.7 mm and 92% ± 6% for the free, audio-guided, and audiovisual-guided breathing, respectively, for a time delay of 0.35 s. The small differences in both the tracking error and the duty cycle with guided breathing were not statistically significant. Conclusion DRRT by its nature adapts well to variations in breathing frequency, which is also the motivation for guided-breathing techniques. Because of this redundancy, guided breathing does not result in significant improvements for either the tracking error or the duty cycle when DRRT is used for real-time tumor tracking.
The seasonal and diurnal dynamics of methane flux at a created urban wetland

Abstract Wetlands provide important ecosystem services and store carbon dioxide but are also an important global source of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. In order to understand the dynamics of methane emissions from a temperate reconstructed wetland, methane fluxes were measured continuously over 2 years using the eddy covariance method in the Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park, where a simultaneous chamber measurement campaign is ongoing. The advantage in eddy covariance relative to chamber-based measurements is that measurements are integrated over a large area and are continuous, whereas chamber measurements are point measurements and sporadic in time. Having continuous measurements year-round allows us to determine the temporal patterns of methane emissions. We find distinct diurnal and annual cycles of flux rates. Peak summertime emissions were 2–3 times higher than peak wintertime emissions; however, overall wintertime emissions where not negligible and accounted for roughly 36–38% of the total annual flux. During the day, fluxes peaked around noontime and were lower during the night than during the day. The average flux for any half hour during the 24 h cycle remained above zero with nighttime fluxes contributing a significant portion of the diurnal total. We conclude that the temporal dynamics of methane emissions over the seasonal and diurnal time scales should not be ignored when designing the sampling schedule for a field campaign and when extrapolating data obtained in intermittent methane sampling to create a long-term methane budget for temperate wetlands.
Baryon-number violation by chiral-color axiinstantons

Abstract If SU(3)color descends from an SU(3)L×SU(3)R parent gauge group, quarks may furnish a complex representation involving 3N flavors. Baryon number B is then explicitly broken by SU(3)L×SU(3)R/SU(3)C instanton configurations, inducing ΔB = N processes. The effect is enhanced if left-right symmetry is not respected. The spontaneous emergence of QCD is accompanied by a heavy strongly interacting Majorana fermion, a right-handed neutrino, and a weak CP-violating phase.
Por La Vida model intervention enhances use of cancer screening tests among Latinas

Abstract Objectives: To describe the short-term impact of the intervention known as Por La Vida (PLV) on cancer screening for Latinas in San Diego, California. Methods: Thirty-six lay community workers (consejeras) were recruited and trained to conduct educational group sessions. Each consejera recruited approximately 14 peers from the community to participate in the program. The consejeras were randomly assigned to either a twelve-week cancer screening intervention group or a control group in which they participated in an equally engaging program entitled “Community Living Skills.” Pre- and post-intervention self-report information was obtained from project participants on the use of cancer screening examinations. Outcome measures were changes in the percentages of women who had breast and cervical cancer screening tests within the past year before and after the intervention occurred. Experimental and control groups were compared using t-tests. Analyses were conducted using both consejeras and participants as the unit of analysis. Results: The increase in the use of the cancer screening tests was higher in the PLV cancer intervention group in comparison to women in the community living skills control group. Conclusions: Key to the PLV intervention model is the identification of natural helpers in the Latino community and their subsequent training in interventions based on social learning theory using culturally appropriate educational materials. The model is an effective and viable approach for increasing the use of cancer screening tests in Latinas of low socioeconomic level and low level of acculturation.
On the need for clinical-child psychology training within the context of general clinical training programs.

Doctoral level clinical psychologists who were graduates of an APA‐approved general‐clinical training program were surveyed to assess their involvement in clinical‐child activities, the perceived adequacy of their training for engaging in child clinical work, and their views concerning clinical child specialty training. Results suggested that, while the majority of these clinicians worked primarily with adults, thirty‐five percent reported spending at least a quarter of their time working with children. Only about half of these perceived themselves as having been adequately trained for this role and most indicated they would have benefited from more extensive clinical child training. The notion of specialty training in the clinical child area was endorsed by most respondents, although there were differences of opinion as to whether this should be at the pre or post doctoral level. The implications of these findings for increased clinical child training within general clinical programs was considered.
Superconductivity in metastable bcc γ-La

Abstract A series of LaMg and LdCd alloys were quenched from the liquid via melt spinning or in an ice bath to metastably retain the high temperature bcc γ-La phase. X-ray analysis showed that γ-La could be metastably retained over a composition range centered at the respective eutectoid composition in both systems. The superconducting transition temperature of γ-La was found to decrease linearly with increasing solute content. The transition widths were quite narrow, ≈0.1 K, for alloys near the eutectoid composition, but broaden to ≈0.6 K as the composition approached the extremes of the optimum range. Extrapolation of T c data to 0% solute suggest that γ-La superconductors at 8 K. Among the elements, this value is surprassed only by Nb, T c = 9.2 K. Furthermore, these results suggest that superconductivity is more favorable in the bcc lattice than in either the fcc or dhcp structures.
Temperature noise measurements in the canonical ensemble

Abstract We report the noise measurements of a very high resolution thermometer which have reached the limit in temperature resolution set by thermodynamics. Our data support the idea of temperature fluctuations in the canonical ensemble. It was interpreted by some that the temperature of a subsystem in the canonical ensemble is the temperature of the reservoir, and should not fluctuate. Such an interpretation is not supported by our observations.
Appropriate Social Behavior: Teaching Expectations to Young Children

Young children’s challenging behavior can impact all aspects of the classroom environment, including relationships (peer–peer, student–teacher), learning, and safety. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a program that focuses on supporting pro-social behaviors and preventing challenging behavior. PBIS begins with building a foundation of universal practices and creating a common language that teachers, children, and families can use to talk about behavior. The identification and defining of appropriate behavioral expectations and the systematic teaching of those behavioral expectations is paramount to preventing challenging behavior. This article describes the steps involved in identifying classroom behavioral expectations and the development of developmentally appropriate lesson plans to teach those behaviors to young children.
Mechanisms of steroid oxidation by microorganisms: V. Reduction of the δ6,7 double bond

Abstract When 17β-hydroxyandrosta-4,6-diene-3-one (VI) was incubated with Nocardia restrictus , the following products were isolated and characterized: andros-4-ene-3,17-dione (I), 3-hydroxy-9,10-seco-androsta-1,3,5(10)-triene-9,17-dione (IV), 3,9α-dihydroxy-9,10-seco-androsta-1,3,5(10)-triene-17-one (VII), 3,9β-dihydroxy-9,10-seco-androsta-1,3,5(10)-triene-17-one (VIII), 3aα-H-4α-[3′-propionic acid]-7aβ-methylhexahydro-1,5-indanedione (V), 9α-hydroxy-androsta-4,6diene-3,17-dione (IX), and 9α, 17β-dihydroxy-androsta-4,5-diene-3-one (X).
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Multiple Choice Version of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale

A psychometric evaluation of the multiple choice version of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS) was conducted. One hundred eighty-nine male and 82 female senior business students enrolled in a Business Policy course responded to the MSCS and the Manifest Needs Questionnaire (MNQ). Reliability estimates (coefficient alphas) were calculated for the subscales and the Total Score measure of the MSCS. The subjects' responses to the MSCS were also factor analyzed. Scale scores from the MSCS were correlated to the scores from the MNQ. The results indicated that the MSCS subscales lacked reliability and that the seven-subscale structure, suggested by Miner (1965), was not supported. The results and recommendations for the future use of the multiple choice version of the MSCS were discussed.
An interannual Antarctic sea‐ice ‐ocean mode

By means of a global coupled sea-ice - ocean model we propose an oscillating mechanism in the Antarctic region with the same frequency as that associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW) [finite and Peterson, 1996]. Since our model is forced from the atmosphere with climatological monthly data with an annual repeat cycle, our oscillation suggests an internal mode of the sea-ice - ocean system rather than one which is dictated by global links through the atmosphere. This mode is robust for a wide range of parameterisation and forcing of Southern Ocean sea-ice, except for the case where higher rates of new-ice production and thus Antarctic Bottom-Water (AABW) formation are enforced. The present results imply that the sea-ice - ocean system itself may produce regional oscillations at a 4-year period in climatic conditions of relatively weak rates of AABW formation, which may contribute to regionally sustaining the ACW pattern.
Does making newborn follow-up appointments from the hospital improve compliance?

OBJECTIVE: To test a system of arranging the first newborn follow-up appointments made from the hospital prior to discharge. METHODS: Prospective randomized study of 328 term healthy newborns divided into control and intervention groups. As there were multiple practices, we checked for clustering in the two groups and then compared them for patient compliance with the first newborn appointment. We also compared the control and intervention groups for compliance with regard to insurance status. RESULTS: There was difference between the control and intervention group in timeliness for the first appointment (control, 84.9%, intervention group, 94.2%, p=0.0062). There was also improvement in privately insured patients (control 89.1%, intervention 96.5%, p=0.0263), as well as in Medicaid+noninsured patients (control 64.7%, intervention 90.2%, p=0.0245). DISCUSSION: We conclude that arranging for follow-up appointments from the hospital is a worthwhile inexpensive intervention that could significantly improve patient compliance with the first newborn visit.