cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sequential analysis of the partial reinforcement extinction effect in children

In a series of studies employing children between the ages of 7.6 and 10.6 years of age guessing on a modified Humphreys’s board, extinction training was administered following either continuous reinforcement or various schedules of partial reinforcement training. Besides the observation of a partial reinforcement extinction effect, it was found that resistance to extinction appeared to be regulated by those sequential variables specified by extensions of Capaldi’s theory of instrumental learning.
Team Learning for Healthcare Quality Improvement

In organized healthcare quality improvement collaboratives (QICs), teams of practitioners from different hospitals exchange information on clinical practices with the aim of improving health outcomes at their own institutions. However, what works in one hospital may not work in others with different local contexts because of nonlinear interactions among various demographics, treatments, and practices. In previous studies of collaborations where the goal is a collective problem solving, teams of diverse individuals have been shown to outperform teams of similar individuals. However, when the purpose of collaboration is knowledge diffusion in complex environments, it is not clear whether team diversity will help or hinder effective learning. In this paper, we first use an agent-based model of QICs to show that teams comprising similar individuals outperform those with more diverse individuals under nearly all conditions, and that this advantage increases with the complexity of the landscape and level of noise in assessing performance. Examination of data from a network of real hospitals provides encouraging evidence of a high degree of similarity in clinical practices, especially within teams of hospitals engaging in QIC teams. However, our model also suggests that groups of similar hospitals could benefit from larger teams and more open sharing of details on clinical outcomes than is currently the norm. To facilitate this, we propose a secure virtual collaboration system that would allow hospitals to efficiently identify potentially better practices in use at other institutions similar to theirs without any institutions having to sacrifice the privacy of their own data. Our results may also have implications for other types of data-driven diffusive learning such as in personalized medicine and evolutionary search in noisy, complex combinatorial optimization problems.
Estimators for the One-Way Random Effects Model with Unequal Error Variances

Abstract Using the random effects model, yij = μ + α i + ∈ ij , (i = 1, …, k; j = 1, …, ni ), where α i and ∈ ij are normal with means zero and variances σα 2 and σ i 2, this article considers eight methods of estimating σ i 2, σα 2, and thirteen corresponding procedures of estimating μ. Biases and mean squared errors (MSE's) of these procedures are examined for variations in the magnitudes of the unknown parameters, the sample sizes, and the number of groups.
The Presence of Zinc‐Binding Proteins in Brain

Zinc is one of the most abundant divalent metal ions in the brain, its concentration being greater than those of copper and manganese. Since free zinc ion is a potent inhibitor of sulfhydryl enzymes, we postulated that zinc in the brain most probably exists bound to macromolecules. As zinc-binding proteins in brain have not been characterized, we attempted to discover the occurrence and properties of these proteins. By using Sephadex G-75 column chromatography calibrated with proteins of known molecular weights, and by other techniques, we detected separate zinc-binding proteins, with apparent estimated molecular weights ranging from 15,000 to 210,000. Unlike the hepatic or renal zinc thioneins, the zinc-binding proteins in brain are not inducible following administration of zinc. Our interpretation of the results is that the major portion of the existing zinc in the brain is bound, and does not exist in free form.
On degenerate stochastic equations of Itô type with jumps

Abstract The one-dimensional stochastic equation d X t = b 1 ( X t ) d W t + b 2 ( X t − ) d Z t + a ( X t ) d t , t ≥ 0 , where b 1 , b 2 , a : R → R are Borel measurable functions, W is a Brownian motion, and Z is a symmetric stable process of index 0 α 2 , is considered. We prove the existence of (weak) solutions under some conditions of boundedness of coefficients when b 1 can be degenerate which improves the results of Lepeltier and Marchal [Lepeltier, J.P., Marchal, B., 1976. Probleme des martingales et equations differentielles stochastiques associees a un operateur integro-differentiel. Ann. IHP 12 (1), 43–103] for this case. Our approach is based on Krylov’s estimates for solutions X and the weak convergence arguments.
Mammographic structure: data preparation and spatial statistics analysis

Detection of tumors in mammograms is limited by the very marked statistical variability of normal structure rather than image noise. This presentation reports investigation of the statistical properties of patient tissue structures in digitized x-ray projection mammograms, using a database of 105 normal pairs of craniocaudal images. The goal is to understand statistical properties of patient structure, and their effects on lesion detection, rather than the statistics of the images per se, so it was necessary to remove effects of the x-ray imaging and film digitizing procedures. Work is based on the log-exposure scale. Several algorithms were developed to estimate the breast image region corresponding to a constant thickness between the mammographic compression plates. Several analysis methods suggest that the tissue within that region, assuming second- order stationarity, is described by a power law spectrum of the form P(f) equals A/f(beta ), where f is radial spatial frequency and (beta) is about 3. There is no evidence of a flattening of the spectrum at low frequencies. Power law processes can have a variety statistical properties that seem surprising to an intuition gained using mildly random processes such as smoothed Gaussian or Poisson noise. Some of these will be mentioned. Since P(f) is approximately a 3rd order pole at zero frequency, spectral estimation is challenging.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mexican cardiochiline genera (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), including a preliminary assessment of species-groups in Toxoneuron Say and Retusigaster Dangerfield, Austin and Whitfield

The Mexican species of the braconid subfamily Cardiochilinae are reviewed. Forty-five species are recognized from Mexico, though many of these remain undescribed. Seven species are described as new and one, Toxoneuron levis (Mao), is redescribed. Species-groups are delineated for the New World species of Toxoneuron Say and Retusigaster Dangerfield, Austin and Whitfield and the genera are re-defined with respect to one another. Two new species are described in both Retusigaster and Toxoneuron. The atypical nature of the two included in Toxoneuron is discussed. Hansonia, Heteropteron and Schoenlandella are newly recorded for Mexico with one new species described for each. The placement of all New World species previously included in Schoenlandella is discussed, and several of these species are returned to Cardiochiles s. s. Distribution patterns of the Mexican species are discussed and an annotated key is presented for the 28 described species recorded from Mexico.
INTERNAL FINANCE AND MONOPOLY POWER IN CAPITALIST ECONOMIES: A REFORMULATION OF STEINDL'S GROWTH MODEL

This paper develops a formalization of the model of growth developed by Steindl in chapter XIII of his Maturity and Stagnation in American Capitalism in order to examine the interaction of real and financial factors in capitalist economies. It will look at the short-and long-run behaviour of the economy in which firms have monopoly power, hold excess capacity, and finance a part of their investment spending out of internal savings. The analysis shows the possibility of instability in the economy due to financial and goods market considerations and their interaction, and considers the implications of financial factors for the long-run effects of the rise of oligopoly.
Improved precision of newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia using weight-adjusted criteria for 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of weight-adjusted threshold levels for 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) in screening newborn infants for 21-hydroxylase deficiency–congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-OH-D–CAH). Design: Analysis of the number of false-positive reports and diagnoses in infants, of 21-OH-D–CAH with the use of two strategies. Before October 1993, separate criteria for definite abnormal 17-OHP levels were established and implemented for 41,846 infants on the basis of birth weight: either less than 2200 gm (17-OHP level, 90 ng/ml) or 2200 gm or more (40 ng/ml). To reduce the burden of follow-up testing in low birth weight infants, criteria for definite abnormal 17-OHP results were statistically determined for four, rather than two, birth weight divisions: 1299 gm or less (17-OHP level ≥165 ng/ml), 1300 to 1600 gm (≥135 ng/ml), 1700 to 2200 gm (≥90 ng/ml), and more than 2200 gm (≥40 ng/ml). These criteria were applied to the next 149,684 infants screened, and rates of false-positive test results and of false-positive diagnoses of 21-OH-D–CAH were compared. Results: Before implementation of four-tiered weight-adjusted 17-OHP criteria, 205 definite abnormal reports yielded four confirmed cases of 21-OH-D–CAH (positive predictive value = 2%; incidence of 21-OH-D–CAH = 1 in 10,461). With the revised criteria, 61 of 149,684 infants had definite abnormal results and 14 cases of 21-OH-D–CAH were confirmed (positive predictive value, 20%; incidence of 21-OH-D–CAH, 1 in 10,692). No undetected severe cases of 21-OH-D–CAH have been subsequently reported. Conclusions: Weight-adjusted criteria for 17-OHP levels in screening for 21-OH-D–CAH markedly reduced the number of false-positive results requiring immediate follow-up testing, particularly among low birth weight infants. Increased specificity afforded by these criteria was not accompanied by diminished sensitivity in detecting severe cases. Long-term follow-up of this screened cohort will determine whether the goals of newborn screening for 21-OH-D–CAH are adequately and efficiently fulfilled by this approach. (J Pediatr 1997;130:128-33)
The effect of pH and hardness metal ions on the competitive interaction between trace metal ions and inorganic and organic complexing agents found in natural waters

Abstract The effect of pH and hardness metal ions on the interactions between trace metals and both inorganic and organic complexing agents has been studied under conditions simulating natural aquatic conditions, by employing anodic stripping voltammetric titration techniques. The complexation of Bi(III), Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Tl(I) with the hydroxo- and carbonato-ligands found in a carbonate medium has been observed to generally increase with increasing pH. Both labile and nonlabile interactions have been observed. Nonlabile interactions are predominant at low pH and labile interactions generally increase with increasing pH. Neither calcium nor magnesium affects these interactions. The complexation of humic acids with trace metals in a carbonate medium was found to be more intense than metal ion-inorganic complexation. Both labile and nonlabile complexation was found; however, no generalizations can be made concerning the type and extent of complexation because of the individual nature of the interactions of each trace metal. Calcium was found to be more effective than magnesium in inhibiting trace metal-organic complexation. The effect of calcium is to inhibit labile complexation and is most pronounced with the cadmium-humic acid system.
Ethical issues in human resources systems

Abstract Currently, the topic of ethics is enjoying a surge in popularity among the media and corporate America. It is unclear if the reason for all the attention is “just for show” or if companies truly believe in the substantive benefits, which can be gained by facilitating an ethical context. However, by examining the negative consequences of unethical corporate cultures, as well as the benefits of ethical ones, we demonstrate that perhaps, in this case, the action is what is important, not the motivation. Human resource systems may be a means to promulgating an ethical culture in that ethics pervade selection and staffing, performance appraisal, compensation, and retention decisions. Thus, human resource systems and ethical corporate cultures should be considered partners in the process of creating competitive advantage for organizations.
Reversing the Effects of Fragile X Syndrome.

This column focuses on recent research in which researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reversed several morphological, neurophysiological, and behavioral consequences of fragile X syndrome in a mouse model of this disorder. In so doing, this column brings together several issues raised in all three previous columns1-3: the genetic basis of neuropsychiatric disease, the interaction of genes and the environment in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, and how the molecular mechanisms underlying such disorders can point the way to effective therapies. Specifically, this issue’s column focuses on how synaptic plasticity, which underlies brain development as well as learning and memory, is abnormally regulated in fragile X syndrome and how this abnormality may be modulated by therapeutic interventions.
Improved infra-red polarizer.

The original selenium polarizer has been found to suffer from two defects (1) the degree of polarization is not sufficiently high, and (2) the necessary dimensions become unwieldy. Both defects are overcome by resorting to two reflections from parallel selenium mirrors. The efficacy of this procedure is proved by a study of the dichroism of beryl. A discussion of selenium mirrors produced by vacuum distillation follows.
Semi-analytic geometry with R-functions

V. L. Rvachev called R-functions ‘logically charged functions’ because they encode complete logical information within the standard setting of real analysis. He invented them in the 1960s as a means for unifying logic, geometry, and analysis within a common computational framework – in an effort to develop a new computationally effective language for modelling and solving boundary value problems. Over the last forty years, R-functions have been accepted as a valuable tool in computer graphics, geometric modelling, computational physics, and in many areas of engineering design, analysis, and optimization. Yet, many elements of the theory of R-functions continue to be rediscovered in different application areas and special situations. The purpose of this survey is to expose the key ideas and concepts behind the theory of R-functions, explain the utility of R-functions in a broad range of applications, and to discuss selected algorithmic issues arising in connection with their use.
Truth in Virtue of Meaning

ing.') Arguments against the worth of TVM can be found across the entire spectrum of views on the a priori, in the work of uncompromising rationalists (such as Bonjour (1998)), of centrist moderates (such as Boghossian (1997)), and of uncompromising empiricists (such as Devitt (2004)). My aim is to dispute this widespread opinion. The outline is as follows: first, §§II-III consist of preliminary stagesetting. Then, in §IV I will argue that some of the most prevalent arguments against the worth of TVM in particular, one which is given clear expression by Quine (1970), and is recently reinforced by Boghossian (1997) do not engage with the core idea motivating TVM. After deflecting this charge of incoherence, the aim of §§V-VIII is to work toward developing a useful conception of TVM. A preliminary note on terminology: what, exactly, is TVM a property of? Sentences are not the best candidates, because sentences per se are not true or false (a fortiori not true or false in virtue of anything). Rather, a use of a sentence in a context can express something, and the question of truth of falsity arises with respect to what is expressed. So, is TVM then a property of what is expressed i.e., a content, or proposition? One problem with the notion of propositions as TVM is that relevantly
Seeing the Math in the Story On How Abstraction Promotes Performance on Mathematical Word Problems

The negative social, health, financial, and other life outcomes associated with mathematical proficiency deficits highlight the need to understand the underlying cognitive operations entailed in solving math problems. We focus specifically on mathematical word problems and propose that abstraction can enhance performance by helping people see beyond the incidental details described in word problems and to recognize instead the underlying mathematical relationships. Three studies manipulated abstraction as a procedural mind-set (i.e., inducing abstraction in one task and observing its “carry-over” effect in subsequent unrelated tasks) and observed performance on both numeric and word problems. Participants in the abstract, relative to concrete, mind-set condition were more successful in translating word problems into their analogous numeric forms, resulting in improved performance. We discuss implications of these findings for understanding individual and group differences in mathematics proficiencies, whi...
Notes on midnight basketball and the cultural politics of recreation, race, and at-risk urban youth.

A decade ago, dozens of American cities began to organize late-night basketball leagues for young men in mostly minority, inner-city neighborhoods. These so-called midnight basketball leagues initi...
Innervation Patterns of Fast and Slow Muscle in the Uropods Of Crayfish

1. The innervation of 18 uropod and telson muscles in the crayfish has been studied in varying detail. Some muscles display purely phasic properties (short sarcomeres, electrically excitable membrane responses); others are strictly tonic (long sarcomeres, junctional potentials only, spontaneously active motor neurones); a few are mixed, but with anatomical segregation of fibre types. At least 55 efferent neurones are employed to operate these muscles. 2. The tonic muscles all receive peripheral inhibition, and a given inhibitory axon serves only a single tonic muscle. Inhibitory and excitatory axons serving a given muscle discharge reciprocally and often respond to different reflex inputs. The average number of excitatory axons innervating tonic muscles is 2-3. 3. The phasic muscles differ in the richness of excitatory innervation. Some receive as many as five axons per muscle, and as many as four per fibre; others are innervated by only a single motor axon. Many lack inhibitory innervation; where present, peripheral inhibitors may be shared between different phasic muscles. In no case were excitatory axons found to innervate anatomically separate muscles. 4. In ‘mixed’ muscles there is predominantly separate innervation of phasic and tonic fibres; but in at least one case axons were found to serve fibres of both types. The shared axon was phasic in character. 5. Some of the uropod and telson muscles are clearly homologous with axial muscles in more anterior abdominal segments. In a few of the former it was possible to make direct comparisons with the efferent neurones innervating their serial homologues. Differences were found in the size ratios of homologous axons, in their central location, and in their presence or absence.
Two-dimensional array transducers using hybrid connection technology

A new electrical connection technique for 2-D array transducers is reported. It consists of 16*16=256 PZT 5H elements operating at 2.5 MHz fabricated by hand wiring. The connection technique employs a multilayer ceramic (MLC) connector (thick-film hybrid microelectronic technology) consisting of 20 thick films of alumina and screen printed metallization with customized interconnections between the layers called vias. Ten ground layers are interleaved between ten signal layers to reduce electrical cross-talk. A lambda /4 mismatching layer of conductive epoxy is bonded between each PZT element and the silver metal pad of the MLC connector to provide a low impedance backing. Vector impedance, sensitivity, and bandwidth are all in good agreement between conventional fabrication and the MLC connector. Interelement cross-talk is improved by 10 dB. >
Messages about the uniqueness and similarities of people: Impact on U.S. Black and Latino youth

Abstract This experiment examined the impact of messages about uniqueness and similarity between groups of people on Black and Latino children's social attitudes. Children (ages 11–14) read two brief science books embedded with a similarities message (“all people are basically the same”), unique message (“each person is unique”), combined similar-unique message (“all people are the same in a way, but each person is also unique”), or no additional message (control). Relative to the other conditions, the combined condition increased general social tolerance and decreased desired social distance from White children. No message appeared to negatively impact participants' attitudes toward their own group. Implications of these results for basic and applied anti-bias work on promoting similarities, differences, or both are discussed.
Carotid baroreflex regulation of sympathetic nerve activity during dynamic exercise in humans

We sought to determine whether carotid baroreflex (CBR) control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was altered during dynamic exercise. In five men and three women, 23.8 +/- 0.7 (SE) yr of age, CBR function was evaluated at rest and during 20 min of arm cycling at 50% peak O(2) uptake using 5-s periods of neck pressure and neck suction. From rest to steady-state arm cycling, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was significantly increased from 90.0 +/- 2.7 to 118.7 +/- 3.6 mmHg and MSNA burst frequency (microneurography at the peroneal nerve) was elevated by 51 +/- 14% (P < 0.01). However, despite the marked increases in MAP and MSNA during exercise, CBR-Delta%MSNA responses elicited by the application of various levels of neck pressure and neck suction ranging from +45 to -80 Torr were not significantly different from those at rest. Furthermore, estimated baroreflex sensitivity for the control of MSNA at rest was the same as during exercise (P = 0.74) across the range of neck chamber pressures. Thus CBR control of sympathetic nerve activity appears to be preserved during moderate-intensity dynamic exercise.
Democratic Communities and Third-Party Conflict Management:

We explore how the domestic political institutions of states in the neighborhood of international disputants affect the incentives for third-party conflict management. Existing scholarship has argu...
Ecological Genomics and Epidemiology

The huge amount of genomic data now becoming available offers both opportunities and challenges for epidemiologists. In this “preview” of likely developments as the field of ecological genomics evolves and merges with epidemiology, we discuss how epidemiology can use new information about genetic sequences and gene expression to form predictions about epidemic features and outcomes and for understanding host resistance and pathogen evolution. DNA sequencing is now complete for some hosts and several pathogens. Microarrays make it possible to measure gene expression simultaneously for thousands of genes. These tools will contribute to plant disease epidemiology by providing information about which resistance or pathogenicity genes are present in individuals and populations, what genes other than those directly involved in resistance and virulence are important in epidemics, the role of the phenotypic status of hosts and pathogens, and the role of the status of the environmental metagenome. Conversely, models of group dynamics supplied by population biology and ecology may be used to interpret gene expression within individual organisms and in populations of organisms. Genomic tools have great potential for improving understanding of resistance gene evolution and the durability of resistance. For example, DNA sequence analysis can be used to evaluate whether an arms race model of co-evolution is supported. Finally, new genomic tools will make it possible to consider the landscape ecology of epidemics in terms of host resistance both as determined by genotype and as expressed in host phenotypes in response to the biotic and abiotic environment. Host phenotype mixtures can be modeled and evaluated, with epidemiological predictions based on phenotypic characteristics such as physiological age and status in terms of induced systemic resistance or systemic acquired resistance.
DNA mismatch repair-induced double-strand breaks

Abstract Escherichia coli dam mutants are sensitized to the cytotoxic action of base analogs, cisplatin and N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), while their mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient derivatives are tolerant to these agents. We showed previously, using pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), that MMR-mediated double-strand breaks (DSBs) are produced by cisplatin in dam recB (Ts) cells at the non-permissive temperature. We demonstrate here that the majority of these DSBs require DNA replication for their formation, consistent with a model in which replication forks collapse at nicks or gaps formed during MMR. DSBs were also detected in dam recB (Ts) ada ogt cells exposed to MNNG in a dose- and MMR-dependent manner. In contrast to cisplatin, the formation of these DSBs was not affected by DNA replication and it is proposed that two separate mechanisms result in DSB formation. Replication-independent DSBs arise from overlapping base excision and MMR repair tracts on complementary strands and constitute the majority of detectable DSBs in dam recB (Ts) ada ogt cells exposed to MNNG. Replication-dependent DSBs result from replication fork collapse at O 6 -methylguanine (O 6 -meG) base pairs undergoing MMR futile cycling and are more likely to contribute to cytotoxicity. This model is consistent with the observation that fast-growing dam recB (Ts) ada ogt cells, which have more chromosome replication origins, are more sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of MNNG than the same cells growing slowly.
Preclinical Immunogenicity Testing for Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins

The assessment of the immunogenicity of recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs) has received more attention in the past 4 years than in the previous 20 years. The induction of clinically adverse events in RTP-treated patients and the subsequent measurement of antibodies to those RTPs has challenged the scientific community to re evaluate the methods and techniques used for determining the immunogenic potential of therapeutic proteins. One preclinical strategy for determining the relative immunogenicity of RTPs is the use of a comparative hyperimmunization technique in animals that optimizes an immunological response. This approach has utility for analyzing the immunogenic potential of different formulations as well as for potential adverse effects. The hyperimmunization model may also provide a source of antisera specific to the RTP that can be used during selection of the appropriate assay technique(s) and conditions for measuring the immune response. Solid- or liquid-phase, affinities and the frequency of washes, isotypes, and sensitivities are key parameters that have become the focus of assay development techniques. The techniques that will be discussed include enzyme-linked immunoassays, surface plasmon resonance (Biacore), and capillary electrophoresis.
New rotationally invariant trellis codes with multidimensional signal constellations

In this paper, the construction of rotationally invariant trellis codes with multidimensional signal constellations is discussed. Linear and nonlinear trellis codes with constraint lengths /spl nu/=2-8 are found using a systematic search. Simulation results show that a /spl nu/=8, linear, 180/spl deg/ rotationally invariant code and a /spl nu/=8, nonlinear, 90/spl deg/ rotationally invariant code achieve 0.4 dB and 0.3 dB real coding gain, respectively, compared with the best /spl nu/=6 code, while the decoding complexity is only four times that of the /spl nu/=6 code. By contrast, the /spl nu/=6 code that was adopted for use in the V.34 28.8-kbit/s modem standard requires sixteen times the complexity of the best /spl nu/=4 code, while the gain is also only about 0.4 dB. Thus, the new /spl nu/=8 codes would be a good choice for use in the V.34 modem standard. >
Soybean evapotranspiration, leaf water potential and foliage temperature as affected by row spacing and irrigation

Reicosky, D.C., Warnes, D.D. and Evans, S.D., 1985. Soybean evapotranspiration, leaf water potential and foliage temperature as affected by row spacing and irrigation. Field Crops Res., 10 : 37--48. Information is needed on the effects of soybean row spacing as a management practice for improving water use efficiency. Our objective was to show the effect of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. 'Evans') row spacing and irrigation on evapotranspiration (ET), leaf water potential (~j~), and foliage temperatures (TF) in western Minnesota. Soybeans were planted in 0.15- and 0.46-m rows with a grain drill, and 0.76-m rows with a row crop planter at an average final population of 571 000 plants per ha on a Sioux sandy loam (Family sandy skeletal mixed, subgroup Udorthentic Haploboroll). Sprinkler irrigation was applied in 25-ram amounts to the irrigated plots when the average matric potential at the 0.3-m depth was-30 kPa. On selected days in the growing season, measurements of ET using a portable chamber, u)sing the pressure chamber, TF using an infrared thermometer, and dry (TA) and wet bulb temperatures using an aspirated psychrometer were made simultaneously on a given treatment. Hourly weather data were collected 2.2 km from the experimental site to characterize the daily climate and evaporative demand. Leaf area index and light interception by the canopy were determined in 7- to 10-day intervals. Early in the season ET on the non-irrigated plots was slightly higher for the 0.15-m row spacing than the 0.46- and 0.76-m row spacing and was related to light interception. Differences in midday ~, due to row spacing were not discernible due to scatter in the data, and only with severe water stress were the ~J~ differences due to irrigation noteworthy. The row spacings effects on the TF-TA differences agreed with the ET trends on the non-irrigated plots. Only the yield differences due to irrigation were significant. For the irrigated treatments, the yields were 3.35, 3.09, 3.07 t/ha for the 0.15-, 0.46-, and 0.76-m row spacings, respectively, while the corresponding yields for the non-irrigated treatments were 2.07, 1.97, 2.24 t/ha.
Transforming human resources: Maximizing value while increasing productivity

Throughout North America, human resource functions are being challenged by their internal business customers to better meet customer needs while lowering costs. This article shows how a human resources function can be redesigned to maximize value for business customers while increasing productivity. Offering vital lessons for improvement, it also calls on human resources professionals to create an exciting future for the HR function. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An Energy Efficient Sub-Threshold Baseband Processor Architecture for Pulsed Ultra-Wideband Communications

This paper describes how parallelism in the digital baseband processor can reduce the energy required to receive ultra-wideband (UWB) packets. The supply voltage of the digital baseband is lowered so that the correlator operates near its minimum energy point resulting in a 68% energy reduction across the entire baseband. This optimum supply voltage occurs below the threshold voltage, placing the circuit in the sub-threshold region. The correlator and the rest of the baseband must be parallelized to maintain throughput at this reduced voltage. While sub-threshold operation is traditionally used for low energy, low frequency applications such as wrist-watches, this paper examines how sub-threshold operation can be applied to low energy, high performance applications. The correlators are further parallelized for a 31x reduction in the synchronization time, which along with duty-cycling, lowers the energy per packet by 43% for a 500 byte packet. Simulation results for a 100 Mbps UWB baseband processor are described
From Copernicus to Ptolemy: Inconsistency and Method

In recent years several philosophers and other science studies experts have adopted a somewhat more Ptolemaic than Copernican view of theories, models, and scientific research, namely, the “semantic” conception of theories and their applications. On the old, “Copernican” view, theories are deductively integrated, interpreted logical calculi, in standard symbolic logic, and science is a theory-centered enterprise that aims for a comprehensive, single picture of the universe. Accordingly, consistency becomes a hard constraint, a sine qua non of useful, rational inquiry. Proponents of the semantic conception are somewhat more “Ptolemaic” in treating theories as collections of models and in placing the solution of local problems in restricted domains ahead of grand, spectator theories of the universe. They focus as much on the process of inquiry as upon the logical structure of its products. Remarkably, in scientific practice we find inconsistencies and near-inconsistencies of various kinds apparently popping up everywhere, suggesting that one cannot lay a tight grid of standard logic over scientific practice. However, deflating unitary theories into collections of models makes inconsistency harder to define and locate precisely—but also less serious. Consistency often becomes a soft, negotiable constraint—one constraint among others. In practice, inconsistency rarely leads to complete disaster, for there are various ways to tame it. I urge paraconsistency and inconsistency-tolerant logicians to pay attention to real scientific examples of scientists’ responses to inconsistency and quasi-inconsistency, e.g., conceptual incongruities such as conceptual “blowups” and pragmatic inconsistencies such as the simultaneous use of mutually inconsistent models.
Expression of beta-keratin genes during development of avian skin appendages.

Publisher Summary With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, a great deal of knowledge has now been gained on the molecular biology of the β-keratin genes of feathers and scales. Information has recently become available on the number, organization, and structure of the feather and scale β-keratin genes. Several lines of evidence indicate that the synthesis of β-keratins is controlled at the level of transcription, and DNA sequences have been identified that may be of significance for control at this level. Because the β-keratin genes of feathers differ from those of scales, some mechanism must operate to select the appropriate set of genes for expression. This chapter presents brief background information on the basic developmental programs of feathers and scales, on tissue recombination experiments using the scaleless ( sc/sc ) mutant line of chickens that is defective in the development of its scales and feathers, and on the molecular biology of avian β-keratins. With this background information, it then presents what has been learnt about the relationship between various developmental events and the tissue-specific expression of β-keratin genes. This chapter discusses the monitoring of gene expression during scale development by determining the appearance, abundance, and location of mRNA for β-keratin using a DNA probe and RNA probes that are generated from pCSK-12.
Plant-level electricity demand response for combined manufacturing system and heating, venting, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system

Abstract Electricity demand response plays a critical role in reducing energy consumption, power demand, carbon footprints, and energy cost for manufacturers. The top two energy consumers in a typical manufacturing plant are the manufacturing system and the heating, venting, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Traditionally, studies regarding electricity demand response for these two systems have been conducted separately. In this paper, an integrated electricity demand response model for the combined manufacturing and HVAC system is proposed to advance the state-of-the-art of the electricity demand response from the manufacturing system level to the entire plant level. The production capability, electricity pricing, power limitation, and ambient temperature are considered in the integrated model to identify an optimal demand response strategy with respect to both production schedule and HVAC control. A numerical case study is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed integrated model.
Stem cell-based therapies to promote angiogenesis in ischemic cardiovascular disease

Stem cell therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of tissue ischemia associated with myocardial infarction and peripheral arterial disease. Stem and progenitor cells derived from bone marrow or from pluripotent stem cells have shown therapeutic benefit in boosting angiogenesis as well as restoring tissue function. Notably, adult stem and progenitor cells including mononuclear cells, endothelial progenitor cells, and mesenchymal stem cells have progressed into clinical trials and have shown positive benefits. In this review, we overview the major classes of stem and progenitor cells, including pluripotent stem cells, and summarize the state of the art in applying these cell types for treating myocardial infarction and peripheral arterial disease.
Synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the rat pituitary : Alterations after 6-hydroxydopamine treatment ()

Synaptophysin (SN) is a synaptic-vesicle-associated membrane protein whose presence is indicative of intact, functional synapses. This study examines the presence of SN in pituitary gland innervation after neurotoxin-induced denervation followed by reinnervation. Immunostaining of rat pituitary neurointermediate lobe tissue for SN reveals a pattern of dot-like densities in the intermediate lobe and intensely stained dispersed regions in the neural lobe of normal animals. In rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a catecholamine neurotoxin, by peripheral injection, there is a significant depletion of the SN immunostaining in the intermediate lobe, as well as a significant reduction of SN immunoreactivity in the neural lobe, in animals studied 1 wk after drug treatment, with computer analysis of the tissue sections. At 3 wk after 6-OHDA, there is a partial recovery of immunoreactivity for SN in the neural lobe in many tissue sections, and the intermediate lobe also contains only relatively sparse staining for the synaptic protein. Computer analysis revealed that at 3 wk after 6-OHDA, both lobes still had reduced SN immunoreactivity, but the difference in levels measured did not achieve statistical significance. These results contrast with the prior finding of significant recovery of immunoreactivity for GAP-43, a growth and regeneration-associated protein, in intermediate lobe innervation of rats treated with the same drug regimen. We suggest that 6-OHDA treatment damages synaptic vesicle integrity in both the intermediate and neural lobes of the pituitary, and that recovery is in progress, but not complete at 3 wk after the drug is administered.
Overview of Torus Magnet Coil Production at Fermilab for the Jefferson Lab 12-GeV Hall B Upgrade

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) fabricated the torus magnet coils for the 12-GeV Hall B upgrade at Jefferson Lab (JLab). The production consisted of six large superconducting coils for the magnet and two spare coils. The toroidal field coils are approximately $2\ \text{m}\times 4\ \text{m}\times 5\ \text{cm}$ thick. Each of these coils consists of two layers, each of which has 117 turns of copper-stabilized superconducting cable, which will be conduction cooled by supercritical helium. Due to the size of the coils and their unique geometry, Fermilab designed and fabricated specialized tooling and, together with JLab, developed unique manufacturing techniques for each stage of the coil construction. This paper describes the tooling and manufacturing techniques required to produce the six production coils and the two spare coils needed by the project.
Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Interpenetrating Network Hydrogels as Optical Biosensors

Chronic disease management currently requires frequent withdrawal of bodily fluids to assess biomolecule levels and are associated with patient discomfort and noncompliance. Thus, a need exists for less invasive, on-demand biochemistry monitoring. Our lab has investigated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogels functionalized with glucose oxidase and palladium benzoporphyrin phosphors as fully-implantable luminescent glucose sensors. These pHEMA-based sensors can be injected subcutaneously and have successfully monitored rising and falling blood glucose two hours after implantation in porcine models. However, decreasing tissue oxygen levels near the sensor as the injection site heals prevented long-term sensor function in vivo (i.e. 30 days). This work investigates the use of the siloxane methacrylate, 3-[Tris(trimethylsiloxy) silyl]propyl methacrylate (TRIS) and N, N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMA) to create hybrid inorganic-organic interpenetrating network hydrogels (IPNs). IPNs were fabricated using a sequential polymerization method. A 50:50 v:v% TRIS:DMA hydrogel containing a palladium benzoporphyrin oxygen indicator was fabricated. This first network was then soaked overnight in a DMA homopolymer precursor, photopolymerized throughout the first network, and hydrated in PBS. Stern-Volmer oxygen diffusion kinetics (luminescence lifetime) indicate a 300% increase in oxygen permeability through the IPNs compared to pHEMA. Additionally, we have enhanced gel hydration by 33% while maintaining similar glucose transport to pHEMA gels (Dglucose = 3.6 x 10-7cm2/s). Introduction of microdomains containing glucose oxidase indicate optical response to glucose in the hypo-and euglycemic ranges in vitro, indicating potential of these gels as glucose biosensors. Ongoing efforts include extending the dynamic range into the hyperglycemic region and evaluating in vivo performance of IPNs as oxygen sensors (phosphor only) and glucose sensors (IPN microcomposite) in porcine models.
Setting Language Proficiency Score Requirements for English-as-a-Second-Language Placement Decisions in Secondary Education

The purpose of this study was to collect recommendations for minimum score requirements (cut scores) on the TOEFL Junior® English-language proficiency test in order to guide decisions on the placement of learners into English as a second language (ESL) support classes. The TOEFL Junior test, intended primarily for students ages 11 and above, measures the academic and social English-language skills representative of English-medium instructional environments in secondary education. The study focused on three ESL placement decisions that affect international students applying for admission to English-medium independent or private secondary schools: (a) deny admission due to insufficient English-language skills, (b) admit conditionally with placement into ESL support, and (c) admit unconditionally (for students who have sufficient language skills at the time of admission to attend mainstream classes without ESL support). A combination of a modified Angoff standard-setting approach and a modified Performance Profile standard-setting approach was followed to identify the TOEFL Junior scores for schools to include in their decision-making process. A total of 16 language experts from private schools in 12 U.S. states served on the standard-setting panel. The results of this study provide policymakers with the minimum cut scores recommended by the panel for each section of the two testing modes: the TOEFL Junior Standard and the TOEFL Junior Comprehensive. Recommendations for the use of these scores and limitations of the results are discussed.
Expression systems that best mimic native structure: which ones to try first and why.

Classic approaches to vaccine development based on killed or attenuated organisms cannot be used to develop a malaria vaccine due to the difficulty in producing sufficient parasites for large-scale vaccination and the biohazard risks associated with the use of organisms cultivated in human blood. Consequently, current malaria vaccine research has adopted biotechnological approaches to develop a vaccine based on specific malaria parasite antigens. Many different criteria have been applied to select candidate malaria vaccine antigens and several key observations have influenced this selection process. First, it is recognized that a degree of clinical immunity develops after repeated, natural infection with the malaria parasite. Second, it is possible to induce protective immunity against malaria infection under defined experimental circumstances. In the case of immunity to the sexual stages of the parasite, infection of animals and human volunteers with irradiated sporozoites confers a significant degree of immunity to sporozoite infection.
Clinical summaries for hospitalised patients: time for higher standards

The average person remembers less than half of the information provided by healthcare professionals during a medical visit.1 The situation is arguably most challenging for patients leaving the hospital, where acute illness, sleep deprivation and delirium add to the challenge of learning and memory.2 ,3 Indeed, research has shown that after hospital discharge, only 59.6% of patients are able to accurately describe their discharge diagnoses, and 43.9% can accurately recall follow-up appointments.4 Approximately one-third of patients have difficulty understanding their discharge medication regimen.5 It is not the patients' fault. Hospital resources and processes of care are oriented toward acute treatment. They are not as well designed to provide high-quality patient education in the hospital and across the transition home. Few hospitals have fully developed their capacity as ‘health-literate healthcare organisations’, which involves providing patients with information that is easy to understand and helping them navigate their care, particularly in high-risk situations like hospital discharge.6 ,7 In this context, giving patients a clinical summary to take home has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for patients and their caregivers. In theory, this document should clearly describe the patient's medical conditions, medications, other self-care instructions and next steps for follow-up and recovery. Yet, as shown …
Reflection and professional identity development in design education

Design thinking positions designers as the drivers of the design space yet academic discourse is largely silent on the topic of professional identity development in design. Professional identity, or the dynamic narratives that individuals construct and maintain to integrate their personal qualities with professional responsibilities, has not been widely addressed in design education either. The study investigated the use of reflective writing in an introductory design course to help students explore and interpret their design beliefs, experiences, and self-awareness in support of professional identity development work. The results indicate that authorial presence, analysis, and narrative quality are common qualities in reflective responses, but emotion is notably lacking from student writing. Students were highly reflective in relation to a general experience with uncertainty and were least reflective when discussing ideation processes. Implications for design education and related research are analysed and discussed.