cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Target Salience in Operant Feature Positive Discriminations

Abstract The effects of the salience of the target stimulus on the nature of stimulus control acquired by the feature cue in operant feature positive discrimination learning were examined in two experiments. Each rat was trained with two discriminations, XA + /A − and YB + /B−, with a different response reinforced in each discrimination. When the feature (X) was trained with a target (A) of low salience, transfer test responding in the presence of an XB compound was of the type reinforced during XA in training, regardless of the salience of B. In addition. nonreinforced presentations of X alone after discrimination training eliminated responding in the preesence of XA and XB. In contrast, when the feature (X) was trained with a target (A) of relatively high salience, transfer to an XB compound depended on the salience of B. If B was of low salience, XB exerted little or no control over the rats′ responding, but if B were of high salience, XB controlled the response that had been reinforced during YB in training. Furthermore, nonreinforced presentations of X had no effect on responding during XA or XB. The results were discussed in terms of occasion setting and configural conditioning.
Place names describing fossils in oral traditions

Folk explanations of notable geological features, including fossils, are found around the world. Observations of fossil exposures (bones, footprints, etc.) led to place names for rivers, mountains, valleys, mounds, caves, springs, tracks, and other geological and palaeontological sites. Some names describe prehistoric remains and/or refer to traditional interpretations of fossils. This paper presents case studies of fossil-related place names in ancient and modern Europe and China, and Native American examples in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Evidence for the earliest known fossil-related place names comes from ancient Greco-Roman and Chinese literature. The earliest documented fossil-related place name in the New World was preserved in a written text by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. In many instances, fossil geonames are purely descriptive; in others, however, the mythology about a specific fossil locality survives along with the name; in still other cases the geomythology is suggested by recorded traditions about similar palaeontological phenomena. The antiquity and continuity of some fossil-related place names shows that people had observed and speculated about mineralized traces of extinct life forms long before modern scientific investigations. Traditional place names can reveal heretofore unknown geomyths as well as new geologically-important sites. Traditional folk names for geological features in the landscape commonly refer to mythological or legendary stories that accounted for them (Vitaliano 1973). Landmarks notable for conspicuous fossils have been named descriptively or mythologically around the world since antiquity, and some of the old names persist in modern usage and maps. Tracing the origins of such names reveals that oral mythologies of various pre-scientific cultures can contain knowledge of significant palaeontological evidence based on repeated observations over centuries, and this lore can lead to new geological discoveries. It can also demonstrate that rational efforts to understand the meaning of prehistoric bones and other petrified remains occurred before modern scientists began to investigate the fossil record. How far back in time can oral folklore about natural phenomena be traced? Recent analyses of geomyths describing datable geological catastrophes, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and celestial events, indicate that some traditions have been passed down orally for thousands of years (Dixon 1984, pp. 153–155, 295; Barber & Barber 2005, pp. 6–9, 178–216 and references cited; Mayor 2005b, pp. 97, 98–99). Fossilrelated geomyths are worthy of study because they show how, before the development of modern palaeontological science in the early nineteenth century, awareness of fossil evidence led to logical scenarios about the history of the earth and perceptive pre-Darwinian insights about extinct life forms. Named fossil sites in classical antiquity
Considerations for Sensor Stabilization Using Stand-Alone GPS Velocity and Inertial Measurements

This paper explores the concept of using a high rate (i.e. 100 Hz), high accuracy integrated velocity (i.e. mm accuracy) estimate from stand-alone GPS measurement for sensor stabilization. The velocity algorithm uses GPS LI code measurements at a rate of 2 Hz and LI carrier measurements at 100 Hz. This velocity can be used for heading determination and then for inertial alignment or stabilization of other sensors. The integrated velocity vector accuracy is at the mm level and can be used to provide heading measurements better than 1 deg. This paper addresses several issues such as the velocity propagated position, relation between the velocity error and position error due to sensor lever-arms, timing accuracy of measurement association between various sensors, and a statistical technique to estimate the velocity error on a dynamic platform using two or more GPS antennas. High update rate position estimates, formed using the propagated velocity is shown to improve upon the noise performance of a triple difference technique. A velocity vector alignment technique is compared to a navigation-grade inertial heading alignment over a long lever-arm. A tradeoff discussion illustrates some measurement alignment and integration considerations for a remote sensor. Analysis of these concepts is provided using flight test data collected on April 12, 2006.
Breed Differences in the Relationship Between Broodiness and Egg Production in the Chicken

Abstract STUDIES by Hays and Sanborn (1944) and Lanson (1948) have shown that broodiness is not as great a deterrent to egg production as had originally been thought but that the broody hen, through increased intensity of lay, makes up for her broody pauses and accumulates an annual egg record equal to that of her non-broody flock-mate. The Rhode Island Red broody hens in the Massachusetts station flock studied by Hays and Sanborn (1944) had a mean annual record of 212.2 eggs which compared favorably with 213.6 eggs for the non-broody individuals. These findings were confirmed by Lanson (1948) in a study of a commercial breeding flock of Rhode Island Reds where the broody hens produced an average of 269.1 eggs per year, which was little different from the 271.4 eggs produced by the non-broody hens. Although an average of 27.8 days per hen was lost through broodiness, this was compensated …
Perforation repair and one-step apexification procedures

As with any dental treatment, procedural mishaps can occur during root canal therapy. One such occurrence is the perforation of a root or pulpal floor. After a perforation occurs, the goals are to "sterilize" (decontaminate) the site and then seal the perforation. The material most widely used in endodontics to seal perforations is mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). MTA us extremely biocompatible, and it has been shown historically that osteoidlike material grows right into MTA. The technique of one-step apexification offers an alternative to draw-out cases with several medicament-changing appointments that often result in a failed attempt at root-end closure. With the favorable histologic response of MTA, this material is the best current choice for this procedure. Completion of these cases in an effective and efficient way allows for permanent restorations to be done in a more timely manner, prolonging the longevity of these teeth.
Learning and generalization of noisy mappings using a modified PROBART neural network

Incremental function approximation using the PROBART neural network offers many advantages over conventional feedforward networks. These include dynamic node allocation based on the complexity of the function approximation task, guaranteed convergence, and the ability to handle noise in the training data. However, the PROBART network does not generalize very well to untrained data. In this paper, a modified PROBART is proposed to overcome this deficiency. This modification replaces the winner-take-all mode of prediction of the PROBART with a distributed mode of prediction. This distributed mode enables several neurons to cooperate during prediction and, thus, provides better generalization capabilities even in noisy conditions. Computer simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the modified PROBART neural network using three benchmark nonlinear function approximation tasks. The prediction accuracy of the modified PROBART network compares favorably to the PROBART, fuzzy ARTMAP, and ART-EMAP networks for all these tasks.
Neural sensitivity to sex steroids predicts individual differences in aggression: implications for behavioural evolution

Testosterone (T) regulates many traits related to fitness, including aggression. However, individual variation in aggressiveness does not always relate to circulating T, suggesting that behavioural variation may be more closely related to neural sensitivity to steroids, though this issue remains unresolved. To assess the relative importance of circulating T and neural steroid sensitivity in predicting behaviour, we measured aggressiveness during staged intrusions in free-living male and female dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). We compared aggressiveness to plasma T levels and to the abundance of androgen receptor (AR), aromatase (AROM) and oestrogen receptor alpha (ORα) mRNA in behaviourally relevant brain areas (avian medial amygdala, hypothalamus and song control regions). We also asked whether patterns of covariation among behaviour and endocrine parameters differed in males and females, anticipating that circulating T may be a better predictor of behaviour in males than in females. We found that circulating T related to aggressiveness only in males, but that gene expression for ORα, AR and AROM covaried with individual differences in aggressiveness in both sexes. These findings are among the first to show that individual variation in neural gene expression for three major sex steroid-processing molecules predicts individual variation in aggressiveness in both sexes in nature. The results have broad implications for our understanding of the mechanisms by which aggressive behaviour may evolve.
Bayesian and non-Bayesian evidential updating

Abstract Four main results are arrived at in this paper. (1) Closed convex sets of classical probability functions provide a representation of belief that includes the representations provided by Shafer probability mass functions as a special case. (2) The impact of “uncertain evidence” can be (formally) represented by Dempster conditioning, in Shafer's framework. (3) The impact of “uncertain evidence” can be (formally) represented in the framework of convex sets of classical probabilities by classical conditionalization. (4) The probability intervals that result from Dempster-Shafer updating on uncertain evidence are included in (and may be properly included in) the intervals that result from Bayesian updating on uncertain evidence.
Effects of Vehicles on Arctic Tundra

Travel in the Arctic is nowadays predominantly by aircraft or by specifically designed overland vehicles, as few roads exist. Terrain damage resulting from off-road vehicular movement in arctic areas is potentially serious—particularly in the wetter, ice-rich permafrost terrain. Detailed examinations of vehicle trails made in the 1940s indicate that natural recovery and stabilization of these trails has been relatively slow. Several recent controlled tests using a variety of vehicles suggest that long-term impact of the vehicles on the terrain is a function of time of year, type of substrate, vegetation, soil moisture, ground-contact pressure, type of vehicle propulsion (i.e. tracks, air-cushion, etc.), and operator technique.
Molecular orbital studies relating to potential anticancer activity of cis‐platinum ammines

The binding of platinum(II) diammines to 1-methylcytosine and guanine has been reevaluated from earlier published molecular orbital calculations, in which the Lowdin overlap charge density has been defined and evaluated for platinum–ammine bonds in the Pt(II) diammine drugs and the PN bonds involved with 1-methylcytosine and guanine. It is also shown that the effectiveness of anticancer activity is reduced in the Pt(II) diammine drugs, with increasing methyl substitution on the ammine nitrogen. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 83: 255–258, 2001
A four degree of freedom microrobot with large work volume

This paper presents a unique four-axis articulated MEMS robot, constructed by microassembly, targeting micro and nano scale manipulation and probing applications. The first version of this microrobot has a 2P2R (Prismatic Prismatic Revolute Revolute) kinematic configuration, occupies a total volume of 3mm × 2mm × 1mm, and operates within a workspace envelope of 50µm × 50µm × 75µm. This is by far the largest operating envelope of any independent micropositioner with non-planar dexterity. As a result, it can be classified as a new type of 3 dimensional miniaturized top-down assembly robot with dimensions smaller than 1 cm. The robot incorporates a combination of miniature flexures and cables to drive its joints from high force MEMS actuators. Actuation is accomplished via two banks of in-plane electrothermal actuators, one coupled through an out of plane compliant socket, and the other one coupled remotely via a 30 µm diameter Cu wire. In this paper, we decouple the motion of the robot joints by identifying the robot Jacobian, and we offer preliminary experimental characterization of the microrobot repeatability. Results show that the robot is repeatable to under 0.5 µm along XY and 0.015 degrees along pitch and yaw degrees of freedom.
Multi-layer optical network design based on clustering method

In our optical network design method, design of the logical topology is preceded by routing and wavelength assignment. The logical topology is a set of lightpaths formed to serve traffic demands. It must be flexible and robust for future changes or reconfiguration while also minimizing the cost and optimizing some objective functions. These features can be found in a multi-layer architecture. In an optical network, this architecture includes service layer, electrical layer and optical layer, where the optical layer serves as the backbone of the lower layers. Moreover, the equipment at optical nodes, such as optical cross connect (OXC), cannot serve all demands in the traffic demand matrix (e.g., the set of lightpaths is limited by the number of transmitters and receivers). Some nodes and lightpaths are preselected and form the optical network in the optical layer of the multi-layer architecture. We show an approach to multi-layer optical network design by analyzing the traffic demand matrix and physical topology in order to classify nodes into either optical layer or electrical layer using a clustering method and then design the logical topology to reach a certain limitation and objective function. Our multi-layer approach reduces the size of the optical network, resulting in lower cost of equipment and fewer constraints in the design. Besides, the clustering method provides a multivariate analysis to cluster the data by combination of network node characteristics, and can be extended to the financial cost of equipment, location data or even policy data.
Light intensity, prey detection and foraging mechanisms of age 0 year yellow perch

The ability of age-0 year yellow perch Perca flavescans to detect prey using visual and mechano-sensory input was examined during laboratory feeding trials at varying light intensities. Perch were highly effective predators and captured Daphnia pulicaria with 94% overall foraging success at light levels ranging from 0 to 3400 lx. Maximum average reaction distances (5·0 ± 0·8 cm, mean ± s.e.) occurred in front of the fish at 3000 lx and significantly decreased as light intensities fell to <2 lx, with minimum reaction distances (2·8 ± 0·1 cm) observed in the dark. Following chemical ablation of the lateral line, yellow perch showed a significant reduction in reaction distance when compared to the untreated fish at 3000 lx, suggesting that the lateral line may augment visual prey detection at high light levels. A model was created to predict reaction distances for fish feeding with multiple sensory systems that can be applied to a variety of photic environments. This study provides a better understanding of the contribution of vision and the lateral line to prey detection, and relates the reaction distance of age-0 year yellow perch to light intensities similar to those experienced in nature.
Masculinity/Femininity of Fine Fragrances Affects Color–Odor Correspondences: A Case for Cognitions Influencing Cross-Modal Correspondences

Four experiments found that the colors people choose as corresponding to the odors of fine fragrances are influenced by the perceived masculinity/femininity of those fragrances. Experiment 1 examined the colors chosen for 3 male and 3 female fragrances. The pattern of colors chosen for female fragrances differed from that for male fragrances. Experiments 2 and 3 found that colors assigned to 2 unisex fragrances depend on whether subjects thought that the fragrances were male or female fragrances. Experiment 4, by labeling unisex fragrances as male or female, showed that this difference in color selection was the result of subjects' thinking that a fragrance is a male or female fragrance. Thinking of the masculinity/femininity of a fragrance influences the selection of colors that corresponds to these odors.
Invasive Sinonasal Disease Due to Scopulariopsis candida: Case Report and Review of Scopulariopsosis

Sinonasal infection with fungi of the order Mucorales--termed mucormycosis or zygomycosis--is sometimes seen in immunosuppressed patients, including those with diabetic ketoacidosis and malignancy. We describe a case of invasive sinonasal infection with Scopulariopsis candida (not among the Mucorales organisms) in a 12-year-old girl who was being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Only a few cases of invasive infection with Scopulariopsis species have been reported previously; five of six of these cases were associated with persistent or fatal disease. Our patient survived without undergoing radical surgical debridement and was treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, amphotericin B, and itraconazole; chemotherapy was stopped. In vitro susceptibility testing of our patient's Scopulariopsis isolate showed that it was resistant to amphotericin B and that it was relatively susceptible to itraconazole and miconazole. The case described herein demonstrates the expanding spectrum of fungal organisms that may cause invasive sinonasal infection in immunocompromised hosts and the need for reliable antifungal susceptibility testing.
Microtubule dynamics and chromosome motion visualized in living anaphase cells

Chromosome segregation in most animal cells is brought about through two events: the movement of the chromosomes to the poles (anaphase A) and the movement of the poles away from each other (anaphase B). Essential to an understanding of the mechanism of mitosis is information on the relative movements of components of the spindle and identification of sites of subunit loss from shortening microtubules. Through use of tubulin derivatized with X-rhodamine, photobleaching, and digital imaging microscopy of living cells, we directly determined the relative movements of poles, chromosomes, and a marked domain on kinetochore fibers during anaphase. During chromosome movement and pole-pole separation, the marked domain did not move significantly with respect to the near pole. Therefore, the kinetochore microtubules were shortened by the loss of subunits at the kinetochore, although a small amount of subunit loss elsewhere was not excluded. In anaphase A, chromosomes moved on kinetochore microtubules that remained stationary with respect to the near pole. In anaphase B, the kinetochore fiber microtubules accompanied the near pole in its movement away from the opposite pole. These results eliminate models of anaphase in which microtubules are thought to be traction elements that are drawn to and depolymerized at the pole. Our results are compatible with models of anaphase in which the kinetochore fiber microtubules remain anchored at the pole and in which microtubule dynamics are centered at the kinetochore.
Isolation and structure of an arrestin gene from Drosophila.

Abstract A Drosophila gene encoding a homologue of vertebrate arrestin was isolated by subtractive hybridization and identified as a member of a set of genes that are preferentially expressed in the visual system. This gene encodes a 364-amino acid protein that displays greater than 40% amino acid sequence identity with human and bovine arrestin. Interestingly, the Drosophila homologue lacks the C-terminal sequences that were postulated to interact with rhodopsin during the quenching of the phototransduction cascade in the vertebrate visual response. These findings are discussed in terms of invertebrate phototransduction. The Drosophila gene was mapped cytogenetically to chromosomal position 36D1-2, near the ninaD locus. However, the arrestin gene does not appear to be the ninaD locus, as sequence analysis of three ethylmethane sulfate-induced ninaD mutant alleles reveals no alteration in amino acid sequence.
Automated Method for Determination of Serum 5'-Nucleotidase Activity

An automated method has been devised for determining 5'-nucleotidase activity in serum. A modified creatine phosphokinase cartridge (Technicon Instrument Corp., Tarrytown, N. Y.) is used to prepare a reaction mixture containing, per liter: barbital buffer (pH 7.5), 16.1 mmol; adenosine-5'-phosphate, 5.4 mmol; Mg2+, 20.2 mmol; phenyl phosphate, 7.8 mmol; adenosine deaminase, 0.78 mg; and sample, 0.21 ml/ml of reaction mixture. After incubation, the liberated ammonium ion is determined by use of the alkaline hypochlorite-phenol reaction. Nucleotidase activity as determined by the automated method correlated well with activities as determined manually by a Ni2+ inhibition—phosphate analysis procedure. Respective values obtained by the manual and by this procedure were: for sera with activities within the normal range, 7.9 ± 3.2 and 8.2 ± 3.3 U/liter; for activities between 16 and 50 U/liter, 26.3 ± 9.3 and 26.5 ± 8.8 U/liter; and for serum with activities greater than 50 U/liter, 79.1 ± 42.5 and 78.7 ± 41.3 U/liter.
The “Crisis”in Medical Malpractice: A Comparison of Trends in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia

As the sense of crisis in medical malpractice reemerged in the United States in the early 1980s, other countries previously thought immune to liability problems were experiencing similar difficulties. In fact, the frequency and severity of malpractice claims and the cost of malpractice insurance have risen as dramatically in Canada and the U.K. as in the United States, despite legal systems in the U.K. and Canada that are generally less favorable to potential plaintiffs. The absolute level of claims and insurance costs are still lower in the U.K. and Canada than in the U.S., but the gap is narrowing. This paper reviews the evidence on recent trends in claims, awards and insurance premiums in these three countries and comments on the lessons that can be learned from this cross-national comparison.
The Next Generation: Our Legacy, Their Future

It is a great honor to be selected as the 17th annual Delphine Hanna lecturer. To follow in the footsteps of so many distinguished scholars is a truly humbling experience. I must admit that I was both surprised and overwhelmed when Jan Rintala approached me last January, and since that time, I have endeavored to read, study, and think about the issues that challenge us—not only as kinesiologists but also as academicians. In doing so, I have attempted to carve out a topic that is mutually beneficial and timely for our consideration. By first turning my attention to Delphine Hanna's legacy, I was able to listen to her voice through historical writings, and this listening process led me to today's topic: The Next Generation: Our Legacy, Their Future.
Should Taxpayers Be Subsidized to Hire Third‐Party Preparers? A Game‐Theoretic Analysis*

. This article examines the tax-compliance game between taxpayers, a tax-collecting agency, and third-party tax-return preparers. In our model, taxpayers are uncertain about their taxable income and may hire tax practitioners to reduce tax uncertainty. We examine the viability of tax practitioners as a signaling device (taking into account the effects on the behavior of the tax-collecting agency) and investigate the desirability of encouraging (or discouraging) the use of tax practitioners via the use of alternative tax-crediting rules. Our study establishes that tax crediting enables legislators to deal better with the consequences of taxpayers' strategic reporting. We show that the effects of changes in crediting rates cannot be replicated by changes in tax rates or penalties; the government would generally like to “price discriminate” in subsidizing tax practitioners' involvement in the tax-compliance process. It is suboptimal to permit all taxpayers to take a tax credit for preparers' fees; some taxpayers should be denied such a subsidy. Further, if the government is constrained to adopt an identical credit schedule for all taxpayers, it will often find that a policy allowing no tax credit Pareto dominates any uniform crediting policy. Resume. Les auteurs examinent le jeu auquel se livrent, en matiere d'observation de la legislation fiscale, les contribuables, les agences de perception de l'impot et les tiers charges de la preparation des declarations de revenus. Dans le modele retenu par les auteurs, les contribuables sont incertains de leur revenu imposable et peuvent recourir aux services de fiscalistes dans le but de reduire cette incertitude. Les auteurs se penchent sur le caractere indicatif du choix du fiscaliste (en tenant compte de l'influence qu'exerce l'agence de perception sur le comportement) et se demandent s'il convient d'encourager les contribuables a recourir aux fiscalistes ou de les en dissuader au moyen de differents mecanismes de degrevement fiscal. L'etude demontre que le degrevement fiscal permet au legislateur de mieux faire face aux consequences des strategies de declaration des contribuables. L'on constate que la modification des taux d'imposition ou des penalites ne livre pas les memes resultats que la modification des taux de degrevement; l'Etat vise generalement la ≪ discrimination en fonction du prix ≫ en subventionnant le recours aux fiscalistes dans le processus d'observation fiscale. Il ne serait pas optimal de permettre a tous les contribuables de se prevaloir d'un credit d'impot pour les honoraires des auteurs de leurs declarations; une telle subvention devrait etre refusee a certains contribuables. En outre, si l'Etat se voit contraint d'adopter un programme de degrevement identique pour tous les contribuables, il constatera dans bien des cas qu'une politique ne permettant aucun degrevement est superieure, au sens de Pareto, a toute politique de degrevement uniforme.
Lock-In, Tracking, and acquisition of AGC-aided phase- locked loops

The analysis of phase-locked loops (PLL's) aided by a coherent automatic gain control circuit (AGC) is presented. From the basic differential equations describing separately the PLL and the AGC, the combined differential equations governing the PLL-AGC feedback structure is presented. The lock-in range of AGC-aided PLL's is shown to be significantly larger than for standard PLL's. It is shown that the linear tracking properties of AGC-aided PLL's are much improved by being less sensitive to the input waveform parameters in comparison to standard PLL's. First-order PLL's are examined in detail in regard to acquisition; it is demonstrated that the AGC-aided first-order PLL acquires for all values of input frequency. Acquisition of the second-order AGC-aided PLL's is discussed.
Nonlinear Transient Dynamics of Pendulum Torsional Vibration Absorbers—Part II: Experimental Results

This paper presents results from an experimental investigation of the transient response of centrifugal pendulum vibration absorbers, including a comparison with the analytical results derived in the companion paper, Part I. The focus of the study is the overshoot experienced by pendulum-type torsional vibration absorbers when a rotor running at a constant speed is suddenly subjected to an applied fluctuating torque. The experiments are carried out using a fully instrumented spin rig controlled by a servo motor that can provide user-specified engine order disturbances, including those that simulate automotive engine environments. The absorber overshoot depends on the absorber tuning relative to the excitation order, the absorber damping, the amplitude of the applied torque, and on the system nonlinearity, which is set by the absorber path and/or kinematic coupling between the rotor and the absorber. Two types of absorbers are used in the study, a simple circular path pendulum, for which the path nonlinearity is dominant, and a nearly tautochronic path pendulum with a bifilar support, for which the path and coupling nonlinearities are both small. It is found that the experimental results agree very well with the analytical predictions from the companion paper. In addition, it is confirmed that the general path pseudoenergy prediction (which depends on a single parameter) provides a useful, conservative upper bound for most practical absorber designs, provided the absorber damping is small.
Peer Certification: Techniques and Tools for Reducing System Admin Support Burdens While Improving Customer Service

System administrators are under pressure to do more work and provide better customer service with fewer staff members. At the same time, other challenges emerge: constant interrupts, poor morale, career development needs. At Intel Online Services, we use peer certification to reduce system and network administration burdens while simultaneously improving both customer service and staff morale. Intel Online Services (IOS) has teams of system administrators specializing in various areas such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), mail, DNS, and firewalls. Before peer certification these specialists did all of an area's work, from completing routine changes and handling problem escalations, to doing engineering work. Peer certification was created as a way to add qualified personnel. Specialists certified their peers by having them pass oral content tests and by supervising them doing changes. Tools were created to simplify administration tasks and make them doable by nonspecialists, and varied in complexity and flexibility depending on the expertise needed to do the task. After implementing peer certification, the number of staff certified to make basic changes increased greatly, along with the number of changes made by front line staff, while the number of escalations decreased. Morale improved as interrupts were reduced and staff gained new areas to learn while customer issues and requests were resolved more quickly.
Talar body fracture nonunion and osteonecrosis with adjacent arthritis can be successfully treated with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis using circular external fixation

Fractures of the talar body often result from high-energy trauma. These fractures are at risk for nonunion and put the talus at risk for avascular necrosis due to an inadequate blood supply. We present the case of a 57-year-old male that presented to our practice with talus fracture nonunion, talar body osteonecrosis, ankle and subtalar posttraumatic osteoarthritis, and deformity including a mild equinus contracture and mild hindfoot varus. Successful ankle and subtalar fusion, talus fracture union, and deformity correction were performed using a circular external fixator with fine wire fixation and compression. This is the first reported case where fusion of both the tibio-talar-calcaneal joints and the talar body nonunion was achieved using external fixation. At the time of this report, the patient is over 3 years postfusion, stands with neutral alignment, is relatively pain-free, is able to resume normal daily activities, and has no progression of talar osteonecrosis.
Assessing the Value of Course-Embedded Information Literacy on Student Learning and Achievement

A team at the University of California, Merced, collaborated to evaluate the value of integrating information literacy into introductory composition courses through a curriculum developed by librarians and writing faculty. Using a mixed-methods approach, the team investigated the impact of the curriculum on students’ learning and achievement at the end of their first semester of college. Students participating in the curriculum demonstrated greater gains than their peers in using suitable sources and presenting arguments and multiple viewpoints with evidence. This learning did not translate to higher student achievement as represented by course grades and grade point average.
Lipids of the Larva of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella

Lipid extracts of the larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.), were fractionated on silicic acid chromatographic columns. Triglycerides make up about 85% of the lipids. Phospholipid content is dependent on diet; those insects fed honeycomb (50%-70% beeswax) have nearly double the amount present in the group reared on honey, glycerol, and cereal (2% lipid). Differences in fatty acid composition of insects fed the different diets were minor. Homologous series of normal saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were found in the neutral and phospholipid fractions. Both odd and even carbon number acids from 12 to 22 carbons were present. Palmitic and oleic predominate in all fractions.
Energy-Based Acoustical Measurements of Rocket Noise

Energy-based acoustical measurements are investigated in the context of more fully characterizing rocket noise source regions. Near-field measurements made on statically fired GEM-60 motors are described and the performance of two types of four-microphone tetrahedral probes is discussed. Vector intensity plots reveal the magnitude and directionality of the near-field sound radiation as a function of frequency, position, and time in the plume. HE development of the next-generation space flight vehicles has prompted renewed interest regarding source characterization and near-field propagation models of rocket noise. This source characterization is required to determine the vibroacoustic impact on flight hardware and structures in the vicinity of the launch pad. Brigham Young University has been involved in an effort to develop and validate an energy-based acoustic probe suitable for use in rocket fields, in particular the RS-68B engine to be used on the Ares V vehicle. Energy-based acoustical measurements require estimation of both the collocated acoustic pressure and the threedimensional particle velocity. From the pressure, a scalar, and the particle velocity vector, a number of energybased quantities can be calculated, including vector acoustic intensity, specific acoustic impedance, potential, kinetic, and total energy densities, and the Lagrangian density. Knowledge of one or more of these quantities may
Cytotoxic Norhopene Triterpenoids from the Bark of Exothea paniculata from Abaco Island, Bahamas

Bioactivity-directed preparative chromatography of the cytotoxic crude dichloromethane bark extract of Exothea paniculata has yielded two new cytotoxic norhopene triterpenoids, exotheol A and exotheol B. The structures were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry and were found to be potently cytotoxic to MCF-7 and 5637 cells in vitro .
Application of solid-phase extraction technique in determination of residual pesticides

Solid-phase extraction(SPE)is a new technique for pretreatment of samples,as it is simple and convenient to conduct,uses less organic solvent,lends itself well to automation,and has become widely used in environmental protection,medicine and food inspection and quarantine,and in other areas.In pesticide residue analysis,use of SPE has strengthened the selectivity of extraction of different pesticide types and increased sample recovery rates,especially when doing determinations using combined in- strumentation such as HPLC-MS,GC-MS.Use of SPE also has facilitated automated analysis due to its simplicity,rapidity,and sensitivity,allowing quantitative extraction of many substances.Thus,SPE has greatly enhanced analytical efficiency and precision and it is of excellent promising prospect for future application.
Role of an Intersubunit Ca2+ Bridge in Structure and Function of BK Channels

Large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels are found in a variety of tissues and serve a range of functions, including control of action potential duration and smooth muscle contractility. Ca2+-dependent gating of BK channels is controlled by conformational changes of the “gating ring,” formed by the C-terminal domains (CTD) of its four pore-forming subunits, each comprised of two regulators of conductance of K+ (RCK) domains, RCK1 and RCK2. Residues D895-D897 comprise a well-established high-affinity Ca2+ binding site within RCK2 known as the “Ca2+ bowl”, and the crystal structure of the Ca2+ bound gating ring suggests that Ca2+ coordination at this site may also involve formation of bridge to residue N449 in the RCK1 domain of the adjacent subunit. Here we implemented a combination electrophysiology, biochemistry, and X-ray crystallography to interrogate the role of the putative Ca2+ bridge in BK channel activation. In excised patch recordings from transfected HEK cells, N449A mutant BK channels displayed a +50 mV shift in V1/2 compared to wild-type, suggesting that the N449 side chain plays a role in gating. We then overexpressed the wild-type and mutant BK-CTD in sf9 cells and analyzed the Ca2+-dependence of tetramerization by size exclusion chromatography. The wild-type BK-CTD formed tetramers in Ca2+-containing solutions with a biphasic dose-response relation, defined by K1/2 values of 25 μM and 11.7 mM. The N449A mutation greatly reduced the high-affinity effect of Ca2+, whereas the low affinity effect of Ca2+ on tetramerization remained (K1/2 =12.6 mM). Preliminary X-ray crystallographic data suggests that the N449A mutation does not effect the overall structure of the CTD. Together, these experiments point to a functional role for an intersubunit Ca2+ bridge between N449 and the Ca2+ bowl in BK channel activation.
Rapid, Low-Loss Liquid Helium Transfers

The transfer of liquid helium from one container to another, can result in evaporation losses as high as 15%, even if the dewar to be filled is already cooled to liquid helium temperatures [1]. However thermodynamic calculations show that heat iniux into transfer tubes, flash losses due to expansion of the liquid by a few psi, etc., cannot account for the high loss rates which have been observed. In most laboratory transfers into research dewars, the real loss rate is usually masked by the fact that the dewar and the research equipment are only precooled, at best, to nitrogen temperature. Transfer tubes are usually small-diameter, vacuum-jacketed tubes. Transfers are usually made slowly, based on the philosophy that in this way not only the refrigeration of the liquid, but also that of the cold vapor, would be optimized. This method of transferring best serves the needs of the experimentalist, but with the advent of large-scale industrial helium liquefaction, transfer problems have gained different dimensions and greater importance. Huge quantities of liquid helium are now being transferred from cryogenic tankers to large-size containers. These shipping containers of 100- to 500-liter capacity must be emptied into smaller storage vessels already at helium temperature in research laboratories for convenient handling at the experimental site. Thus, it was decided to study the causes of transfer losses in some detail.
An Experimental Study of Concept Development

Until recently, a major impediment to the study of concepts has been a lack of experimental methods that would allow the investigation of their formation and their psychological nature.
Modeling Time-Varying Effects With Large-Scale Survival Data: An Efficient Quasi-Newton Approach

ABSTRACTNonproportional hazards models often arise in biomedical studies, as evidenced by a recent national kidney transplant study. During the follow-up, the effects of baseline risk factors, such as patients’ comorbidity conditions collected at transplantation, may vary over time. To model such dynamic changes of covariate effects, time-varying survival models have emerged as powerful tools. However, traditional methods of fitting time-varying effects survival model rely on an expansion of the original dataset in a repeated measurement format, which, even with a moderate sample size, leads to an extremely large working dataset. Consequently, the computational burden increases quickly as the sample size grows, and analyses of a large dataset such as our motivating example defy any existing statistical methods and software. We propose a novel application of quasi-Newton iteration method to model time-varying effects in survival analysis. We show that the algorithm converges superlinearly and is computatio...
EEG and the human perception of video quality: Impact of channel selection on discrimination

The ultimate goal of our research project is to quantify the human perception of video quality directly from brain responses. Specifically, subjects watch a set of video sequences whose qualities vary with time while their brain responses are monitored using a 128-channel electroencephalograph (EEG). We compare four potential sets of time-localized feature vectors-autoregressive coefficients, average time-frequency power, Cepstral coefficients, and entropy-using optimal discriminant formation and LDA-based classification. Of particular interest here is determining which subsets of electrodes provide the most useful information with respect to the different possible sets of feature vectors for discrimination and, ultimately, classification.
Assessing impulsivity: Relationships between behavioral and self-report measures in individuals with and without self-reported ADHD

Abstract The present study examined relationships between self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity, a personality characteristic linked to diagnostic criteria for multiple psychological disorders, in individuals who either self-reported ( n = 28) or did not self-report ( n = 147) a history of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Undergraduate student participants completed several self-report measures of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Impulsive Sensation Seeking subscale, BIS/BAS Scale, Conner's Adult ADHD Rating Scale, and Frontal Systems Behavior Rating Scale) and three behavioral measures of impulsivity (Balloon Analogue Risk Task, Delay Discounting Task, Stroop). A principal components analysis indicated three components encompassing attentional impulsiveness, reward sensitivity, and behavioral and motor impulsiveness; however, none of the behavioral measures factored with the self-report measures. Logistic regressions found attentional impulsiveness to distinguish between individuals with and without a self-reported history of ADHD diagnosis. Impulsivity is a multi-faceted construct, and the utilization of multiple measures, both self-report and behavioral, can aid to more fully and accurately assess the construct in both research and clinical settings.
Different forms of spirituality and heavy episodic drinking among college students.

ABSTRACTObjective: The current study examined prospective, bidirectional relationships between 3 measures of spirituality (Daily Spiritual Experiences, Positive Religious Coping, and Negative Religious Coping) and frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Participants: Three hundred ninety-one students attending a large, public university in the Midwest. Methods: Electronic surveys assessing predictors of college alcohol use were sent to participants in the winter of their freshman and sophomore years. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data. Results: A latent factor comprised of Daily Spiritual Experiences and Positive Religious Coping (ie, “positive spirituality”) was negatively related to future frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Negative Religious Coping was unrelated to heavy episodic drinking. Additionally, heavy episodic drinking did not prospectively predict any measures of spirituality. Conclusions: Data are supportive of continued efforts to integrate positive spirituality into inte...
The Architecture of Industry: Changing Paradigms in Industrial Building and Planning

Mathew AitchisonRoutledge, 2014222 pages$112 (hardcover)Teaching and researching at the intersection between architecture and technology, one should understand the intimate, overlapping, and yet so...
The Nature of γ-Aminobutyric Acid

The first reference to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) appeared in 1883 when the synthesis of a compound named “Piperidinsaure” was reported. (1) Subsequently, the metabolism of GABA was studied in fungi, bacteria, and plants. Its presence in neurological tissue was not recognized until 1950. (2–4)
Inclination evolution of protoplanetary discs around eccentric binaries

It is usually thought that viscous torque works to align a circumbinary disk with the binary's orbital plane. However, recent numerical simulations suggest that the disk may evolve to a configuration perpendicular to the binary orbit ("polar alignment") if the binary is eccentric and the initial disk-binary inclination is sufficiently large. We carry out a theoretical study on the long-term evolution of inclined disks around eccentric binaries, calculating the disk warp profile and dissipative torque acting on the disk. For disks with aspect ratio $H/r$ larger than the viscosity parameter $\alpha$, bending wave propagation effectively makes the disk precess as a quasi-rigid body, while viscosity acts on the disk warp and twist to drive secular evolution of the disk-binary inclination. We derive a simple analytic criterion (in terms of the binary eccentricity and initial disk orientation) for the disk to evolve toward polar alignment with the eccentric binary. When the disk has a non-negligible angular momentum compared to the binary, the final "polar alignment" inclination angle is reduced from $90^\circ$. For typical protoplanetary disk parameters, the timescale of the inclination evolution is shorter than the disk lifetime, suggesting that highly-inclined disks and planets may exist orbiting eccentric binaries.
MELK: a potential novel therapeutic target for TNBC and other aggressive malignancies

ABSTRACTIntroduction: There is an unmet need in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients for targeted therapies. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a promising target for inhibition based on the abundance of correlative and functional data supporting its role in various cancer types.Areas covered: This review endeavors to outline the role of MELK in cancer. Studies covering a range of biological functions including proliferation, apoptosis, cancer stem cell phenotypes, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and therapy resistance are discussed here in order to understand the potential of MELK as a clinically significant target for TNBC patients.Expert opinion: Targeting MELK may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity in TNBC and other cancers. Despite the abundance of correlative data, there is still much we do not know. There are a lack of potent, specific inhibitors against MELK, as well as an insufficient understanding of MELK’s downstream substrates. Addressing these iss...
Relations between college students’ cell phone use during class and grades.

In the present study, we examined the relations between daily in-class cell phone use and test grades among college students. Across 2 semesters and 6 separate courses, participants (N = 218; 174 females, 44 males; 50 freshmen, 54 sophomores, 76 juniors, and 38 seniors; Mage = 20.0 years, age range