cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factorial Survey Methods for Studying Beliefs and Judgments

This article develops a unified framework, based on Rossi's factorial survey method, for studying positive beliefs and normative judgments. The framework enables estimation of individuals' positive-belief and normative-judgment equations, leading to analysis of the components of beliefs and judgments, assessment of interpersonal variability in the components, and estimation of two further equations, representing, respectively, the determinants and consequences of the components. We describe procedures for data collection, assemble a set of tools for estimating the positive-belief and normative-judgment equations and carrying out the corresponding homogeneity tests, and propose ways of estimating the determinants and consequences equations. To illustrate the framework, we investigate both a positive-belief equation (describing adolescents' views concerning determination of marital happiness) and a normative-judgment equation (describing judgments of the justice of earnings). This article thus provides a gu...
Defining the neural bases of visual selective attention: Conceptual and empirical issues

This paper focuses on conceptual and empirical issues relevant to defining the neural bases of visual selective attention. At the most general level, it is held that the integration of human and monkey research is essential to developing a generally applicable, yet precise, understanding of attentional mechanisms. More specific issues that are considered here include: 1) the general definition of attention (as a process, state, etc.) and the operational definition of attention in experimental work, 2) the possibility that different forms of attention use distinctive neural circuits, 3) the levels of the system at which attention may modulate sensory inflow, 4) the degree to which circuits and levels addressed by attentional modulation depend on task (sensory and behavioral) variables and 5) the nature of cellular processes that may underlie attentional modulation. The available techniques for examining neural processes in humans and monkeys are considered in light of these issues and the need for direct comparability between human and monkey experiments.
Attitudinal and Normative Predictors of Alcohol Use by Older Adolescents and Young Adults

A model of alcohol use based on the theory of planned behavior, expectancy theory, and the developmental literature on the influence of parents and peers was examined with 87 eleventh grade students, 105 college freshmen, and 107 college juniors. Specifically, the influence of attitudes about the positive and negative consequences of drinking, perceived parental and peer norms about alcohol consumption, and perceived control over drinking predicted self-reported alcohol use. The results suggest that, during adolescence, decisions to consume alcohol are rational, based on the consideration of the positive consequences of alcohol use and perceptions of control over drinking; however, the negative consequences of alcohol use are discounted. While perceived peer norms predicted alcohol consumption in all three age groups, the influence of perceived parental norms varied such that they predicted alcohol use only among the college juniors. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Photo-Induced Nonlinearities In Optical Glass Fibers

Photo-induced periodic structures in optical glass fibers are discussed in connection with exponential growth of second- and third-harmonic light.
The response of the New York Obstetrical Society to the report by the New York Academy of Medicine on maternal mortality, 1933-1934.

My topic for this address concerns an event in the life of the New York Obstetrical Society. During the past year, I went to the rare books section of the library of the New York Academy of Medicine, the repository of the archives of this Society. At the beginning I had no clear idea of what my subject for this address was going to be. Apart from the illustrious careers and important contributions of the many fellows, which are well known to most of you, the accomplishments of this society in its separate life are more obscure. Although monthly meetings have been held with faithful regularity here at the Yale Club since 1927, there seemed to be no record of any special linkage between the society and the important obstetric events of the time, with one notable exception. From Claude Heaton's History of the First One Hundred Years of the Society through 1963, my attention was directed toward and came to rest on a thick dossier which held information about the dramatic events of the season of 1933 to 1934, exactly 50 years ago, and they took place here, perhaps in this room. The president of our society for the 1933-1934 season was Dr. Edward Bullard. The membership consisted of 69 active fellows, 35 life fellows, and 10 nonresident fellows. The first three programs of that year, which included case presentations and a study of the time of ovulation by Dr. Kurzrok, gave no indication of the explosion that was to rock the foundation of the society with the announcement that appeared on the opening page of The New York Times on Monday, November 20, 1933 (Fig. 1). As you can see, the top headlines concerned local and national events of no enormous consequence, but farther down on the page (Fig. 2) was an article of consuming interest about the brew-
Pay Inversion Versus Pay for Performance Can Companies Have Their Cake and Eat It Too

As labor market shifts give rise to more pay inversion, employers must seek solutions or face an increasingly disengaged workforce.
Charge state effects in the decompositions of single-nucleobase oligonucleotide polyanions

Abstract A series of anions derived from electrospray ionization of small oligonucleofides, each consisting of a single nucleobase (adenine, thymine, cytidine or guanine), have been subjected to ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. The data set allows for comparisons of dissociation behavior as functions of parent ion charge, oligomer length, and nucleobase identity. Parent ion charge is seen to play a major role in determining the most important dissociation channels. Dramatic changes in the relative contributions of the various possible dissociation channels are observed from one parent ion charge state to the next. Parent ion charge apparently can alter the relative order of the threshold energies required for the various competitive sequence channels. In addition, the ion trap collisional activation experiment is highly sensitive to differences in the energy requirements for the lowest energy dissociation pathways. Nucleobase identity also is an important factor, with each series of single-nucleobase oligomers showing unique dissociation behavior. For example, poly-T anions show an enhanced tendency for the loss of the 5′ thymine relative to the same charge states of oligomers comprised of the other nucleobases whereas the poly-G anions show a lower tendency for the loss of the 5′ guanine. Poly-A anions show consecutive nucleobase loss as a reaction channel that competes with those that provide direct sequence information. This tendency increases with increasing oligomer size and charge.
North American Adjuvant Breast Cancer Trials

Clinical trials in breast cancer have demonstrated convincingly that agents with systemic activity in advanced disease can improve survival when these agents are given adjuvantly to patients in early stages of the disease (Early Breast Cancer Trialist’s Collaborative Group 1992). Results from controlled adjuvant trials do appear to translate into benefits for the average patient as shown by improvements in both population-based surveys of disease-specific survival (Olivotto et al. 1994) and recent US and international breast cancer mortality statistics (Chu et al. 1996). For these reasons, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) continues to rely on large, adjuvant, randomized trials as the best way to make important clinical progress against this devastating disease.
Using Radial Basis Functions to Set Thresholds for Segmentation of Signal from Background on Matched Filter Correlation Surfaces

Using matched filters to find targets in cluttered images is an old idea. Human operators can interactively find threshold values to be applied to the correlation surface that will do a good job of binarizing it into signal/non-signal pixel regions. Automating the thresholding process with nine measured image statistics is the goal of this paper. The nine values are the mean, maximum, and standard deviation of three images: the input image presumed to have some signal, an NxN matched filter kernel in the shape of the signal, and the correlation surface generated by convolving the input image with the matched filter kernel. Several thousand input images with known target locations and reference images were run through a correlator with kernels that resembled the targets. The nine numbers referred to above were calculated in addition to a threshold found with a time consuming brutal algorithm. Multidimensional radial basis functions were associated with each nine number set. The bump height corresponded to the threshold value. The bump location was within a nine dimensional hypercube corresponding to the nine numbers scaled so that all the data fell within the interval 0 to 1 on each axis. The sigma (sharpness of the radial basis function) was calculated as a fraction of the squared distance to the closest neighboring bump. A new threshold is calculated as a weighted sum of all the Gaussian bumps in the vicinity of the input 9D vector. The paper will conclude with a table of results using this method compared to other methods.
Integrated Paramagnetic Resonance of High-Spin Co(II) in Axial Symmetry: Chemical Separation of Dipolar and Contact Electron-Nuclear Couplings

Integrated paramagnetic resonance, utilizing electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), NMR, and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), of a series of cobalt bis-trispyrazolylborates, Co(Tp ( x )) 2, are reported. Systematic substitutions at the ring carbons and on the apical boron provide a unique opportunity to separate through-bond and through-space contributions to the NMR hyperfine shifts for the parent, unsubstituted Tp complex. A simple relationship between the chemical shift difference (delta H - delta Me) and the contact shift of the proton in that position is developed. This approach allows independent extraction of the isotropic hyperfine coupling, A iso, for each proton in the molecule. The Co..H contact coupling energies derived from the NMR, together with the known metrics of the compounds, were used to predict the ENDOR couplings at g perpendicular. Proton ENDOR data is presented that shows good agreement with the NMR-derived model. ENDOR signals from all other magnetic nuclei in the complex ( (14)N, coordinating and noncoordinating, (11)B and (13)C) are also reported.
A univariate and multivariate examination of measurement error in anthropometry.

Replicate anthropometric measurements on 20 male and 22 female Eskimos were examined using analysis of variance, product-moment correlation coefficients, and canonical variates with Mahalanobis' D2 distances. Analysis of variance indicated that 12 of the 16 variables could be measured comparably by two investigators. Those variables with readily defined endpoints yielded the highest correlations between the results of two anthropometrists. The multivariate analysis demonstrated a high level of discrimination between two sets of data taken on the same group of subjects. This suggests that population comparisons using data from two or more investigators could be significantly affected by measurement error.
The relationship among microsomal enzyme induction, liver weight, and histological change in cynomolgus monkey toxicology studies

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship among hepatic microsomal enzyme induction, liver weight, histological evidence of hepatic injury, and serum clinical chemistry markers of hepatic origin in the cynomolgus monkey. We report here the results from independent toxicology studies for 10 investigative drug candidates representing four therapeutic classes. Study conditions were selected to elicit target organ toxicity. We found that six of the 10 compounds altered cytochrome P450-associated activities in both male and female monkeys, two in females only, and one altered similar activities in males only. Frequently, significant treatment-related elevations in NADPH cytochrome c reductase and ethylmorphine N-demethylase were noted. When the results from all 10 studies were pooled, 14 cytochrome P450-associated activities were significantly increased and five were decreased in males compared to 15 significantly increased and three decreased in the females. Treatment-associated liver weight increases were noted in four studies. Except for hepatocellular hypertrophy in one study, no significant treatment-related microscopic changes in liver and no elevations of serum biomarkers commonly associated with liver toxicity were observed in any of the studies that demonstrated significant hepatic enzyme induction. Compared to parallel rat studies, one compound was an inducer only in monkeys and one was an inducer only in rats. Significant elevations of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes in the cynomolgus monkey liver are not accompanied by substantial hepatic changes except for hepatomegaly. These alterations in the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system were benign based the absence of histopathological lesions and serum biomarkers of hepatobiliary toxicity.
Variations in evidence-based clinical practices in nine United States Veterans Administration opioid agonist therapy clinics.

Abstract Background : Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) for opioid dependence has a strong evidence base, but clinical practice often does not conform to evidence-based practices. The goal of the OpiATE Initiative is to improve patient outcomes by implementing four evidence-based practices in United States Veterans Administration OAT clinics: (1) long-term maintenance orientation, (2) adequate dosing, (3) adequate counseling, and (4) use of contingency management. Methods : The OpiATE monitoring system (OMS) was developed to help clinics assess concordance with evidence-based practices. For each patient, counselors record current agonist dose, recent counseling frequency, length of treatment, and urine toxicology results. For patients with sub-standard agonist doses, an algorithm was used to determine if the current dose was clinically appropriate. Maintenance orientation was assessed using the abstinence orientation scale. Results : Concordance with counseling recommendations was uniformly high, concordance with maintenance orientation and dosing recommendations varied widely across clinics, and concordance with contingency management principles was low. Abstinence orientation scores were negatively correlated with dose and patient retention. Dose was negatively correlated with percent of urine screens positive for non-medical opioids and other illicit substances. Conclusions : The OMS was well accepted by clinic staff. Wide variability in clinical practices and outcomes across clinics supports the importance of individualizing quality improvement strategies to address specific performance gaps.
Early Learning and School Readiness: Can Early Intervention Make a Difference?

Children's experiences prior to kindergarten entry are correlated with degree of cognitive development and school readiness as measured by standardized assessments of cognitive and linguistic performance. Children from economically poor and undereducated families are at elevated risk for lack of school readiness due to less knowledge and skill. This article reviews evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were designed to test the hypothesis that preschool education, with an emphasis on seven particular classes of experiences, could be efficacious in improving readiness for school and subsequent academic achievement in reading and mathematics. Results indicate that the cumulative developmental toll that is measured reliably in high-risk samples of children beginning in the second year of life can be substantially reduced through a high-quality preschool program. This positive effect has been replicated in nine additional trials using RCT methodology. Additionally, long-term follow-up of the original study participants indicates not only improved performance in reading and mathematics in elementary and secondary school but also a reduction in special education placement and grade retention, among other practical benefits. Results are discussed with respect to public policy recommendations and suggestions for future research.
Leaving Children Behind: How "Texas-Style" Accountability Fails Latino Youth

Background: Leaving Children Behind: How “Texas-Style” Accountability Fails Latino Youth, edited by Angela Valenzuela, presents federal-, state-, district-, and school-level research on the effects of performance accountability systems featuring high-stakes testing on Latina/Latino students. Drawing on empirical work from studies in Texas and California, the authors argue forcefully that the state policy systems purported to eliminate longstanding inequities in educational services provided poor and minority students are instead creating perverse incentives that exacerbate the achievement gap for language minority students and others.Purpose:In this book review and policy commentary, the reviewer examines the evidence provided in various chapters, offering an array of perspectives on the policy, politics, and effects on practice of what the authors term “Texas-style accountability.”Analysis and Findings:Reconsidering the portrayal of this type of system as a Texas phenomenon foisted on the nation through ...
Mechanisms of colicin binding and transport through outer membrane porins

To kill Escherichia coli, toxic proteins, called colicins, pass through the permeability barrier created by the outer membrane (OM) of the bacterial cell envelope. We consider a variety of different colicins, including A, B, D, E1, E3, Ia, M and N, that penetrate through the porins OmpF, FepA, BtuB, Cir and FhuA, to subsequently interact with a few targets in the periplasm, including TolA, TolB, TolC and TonB. We review the mechanisms, demonstrated and postulated, by which such toxins enter bacterial cells, from the initial binding stage on the cell surface to the internalization reaction through the OM bilayer. Our discussions endeavor to answer two main questions: what is the origin of colicin-binding affinity and specificity, and after adsorption to OM porins, do colicin polypeptides translocate through porin channels, or enter by another, currently unknown pathway?
Spontaneous discharge patterns in cochlear spiral ganglion cells before the onset of hearing in cats.

Spontaneous neural activity has been recorded in the auditory nerve of cats as early as 2 days postnatal (P2), yet individual auditory neurons do not respond to ambient sound levels <90–100 dB SPL until about P10. Significant refinement of the central projections from the spiral ganglion to the cochlear nucleus occurs during this neonatal period. This refinement may be dependent on peripheral spontaneous discharge activity. We recorded from single spiral ganglion cells in kittens aged P3–P9. The spiral ganglion was accessed through the round window through the spiral lamina. A total of 112 ganglion cells were isolated for study in nine animals. Spike rates in neonates were very low, ranging from 0.06 to 56 spikes/s, with a mean of 3.09 ± 8.24 spikes/s. Ganglion cells in neonatal kittens exhibited remarkable repetitive spontaneous bursting discharge patterns. The unusual patterns were evident in the large mean interval CV (CVi = 2.9 ± 1.6) and burst index of 5.2 ± 3.5 across ganglion cells. Spontaneous bur...
Accelerating and Adapting Precomputation Threads for Effcient Prefetching

Speculative precomputation enables effective cache prefetching for even irregular memory access behavior, by using an alternate thread on a multithreaded or multi-core architecture. This paper describes a system that constructs and runs precomputation based prefetching threads via event-driven dynamic optimization. Precomputation threads are dynamically constructed by a runtime compiler from the program's frequently executed hot traces, and are adapted to the memory behavior automatically. Both construction and execution of the prefetching threads happen in another thread, imposing little overhead on the main thread. This paper also presents several techniques to accelerate the precomputation threads, including colocation of p-threads with hot traces, dynamic stride prediction, and automatic adaptation of runahead and jumpstart distance. The adaptive prefetching achieves 42% speedup, a 17% improvement over existing p-thread prefetching schemes
Efficient 3D binary image skeletonization

Image skeletonization promises to be a powerful complexity-cutting tool for compact shape description, pattern recognition, robot vision, animation, petrography pore space fluid flow analysis, model/analysis of bone/lung/circulation, and image compression for telemedicine. The existing image Skeletonization techniques using boundary erosion, distance coding, and Voronoi diagram are first overviewed to assess/compare their feasibility of extending from 2D to 3D. An efficient distance-based procedure to generate the skeleton of large, complex 3D images such as CT, MRI data of human organ is then described. The proposed 3D Voxel Coding (3DVC) algorithm, is based on Discrete Euclidean Distance Transform. Instead of actual distance, each interior voxel (3D pixel) in the 3D image object is labeled with an integer code according to its relative distance from the object border for computation efficiency. All center voxels, which are the furthest away from the object border, are then collected and thinned to form clusters. To preserve the topology of the 3D image object, a cluster-labeling heuristic is then applied to order the clusters, and to recursively connect the next nearest clusters, gradually reducing the total number of disjoint clusters, to generate one final connected skeleton for each 3D object. The algorithm provides a straightforward computation which is robust and not sensitive to noise or object boundary complexity. Because 3D skeleton may not be unique, several application-dependent skeletonization options will be explored for meeting specific quality/speed requirements, and perhaps to incorporate automatic machine intelligence decisions. Parallel version of 3DVC is also introduced to further enhance skeletonization speed.
Effect of discretization error and adaptive mesh generation in diffuse optical absorption imaging: II

In diffuse optical tomography (DOT), the discretization error in the numerical solutions of the forward and inverse problems results in error in the reconstructed optical images. In this first part of our work, we analyse the error in the reconstructed optical absorption images, resulting from the discretization of the forward and inverse problems. Our analysis identifies several factors which influence the extent to which the discretization impacts on the accuracy of the reconstructed images. For example, the mutual dependence of the forward and inverse problems, the number of sources and detectors, their configuration and their orientation with respect to optical absorptive heterogeneities, and the formulation of the inverse problem. As a result, our error analysis shows that the discretization of one problem cannot be considered independent of the other problem. While our analysis focuses specifically on the discretization error in DOT, the approach can be extended to quantify other error sources in DOT and other inverse parameter estimation problems.
Characterization of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Biosynthesized by Mixed Microbial Consortia Fed Fermented Dairy Manure

The bioplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), was isolated from a bioreactor using mixed micro- bial consortia fed volatile fatty acids (VFA), from fermented dairy manure, as the carbon source. The molar fraction of 3- hydroxyvalerate (3HV) amounted to 0.33 mol mol 21 for two isolated PHBV samples as determined by GC-MS and 1 H-NMR spec- troscopy. The chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties were determined. The PHBVs had relatively high Mw (� 790,000 g mol 21 ). Only a single glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting point (Tm) were observed. Isolated PHBVs exhibited good flexi- bility and elongation to break as compared with commercial PHBVs with lower HV. The diad and triad sequence distributions of the monomeric units were determined by 13 C-NMR spectroscopy and followed Bernoullian statistics suggesting that the PHBVs were ran- dom. The PHBV sequence distribution was also characterized by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS n ) after partial alkaline hydrolysis to oligomers showing a random 3HV distribution. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40333.
Networked Human/Robot Cooperative Interface for Tele-diagnostics of Breast Pathology

This paper presents our development of a network-enabled human/robot cooperative interface for tele- diagnostics of breast pathology. To enhance telepresence capabilities, our human/robot interface is comprised of an anthropomorphic arm/hand equipped with haptic and tactile sensing, ultrasound imaging capabilities, a physician interface capable of rendering both haptic and tactile information, and two-way audio and video. This cooperative and multimedia interface was tested via the Internet and enables tele-diagnostics. Preliminary experiments had demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed human/robot tele-diagnostic interface. That is, it will greatly enhance and improve the diagnostic performance as well as promote the tele-diagnostics of breast pathology in remote areas a reality.
Motor Pattern Selection via Inhibition of Parallel Pathways

Motor pattern selection from a multifunctional neural network often results from direct synaptic and modulatory actions of different projection neurons onto neural network components. Less well documented is the presence and function of interactions among distinct projection neurons innervating the same network. In the stomatogastric nervous system of the crab Cancer borealis, several distinct projection neurons that influence the pyloric and gastric mill rhythms have been studied. These rhythms are generated by overlapping subsets of identified neurons in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG). One of these identified projection neurons is the modulatory proctolin neuron (MPN). We showed previously that MPN stimulation excites the pyloric rhythm by its excitatory actions on STG neurons. In contrast to its excitatory actions on the pyloric rhythm, we have now found that MPN inhibits the gastric mill rhythm. This inhibition does not occur within the STG, but instead results from MPN-mediated inhibition of two previously identified projection neurons within the commissural ganglia. These projection neurons innervate the STG and, via their actions on STG neurons, they elicit the gastric mill rhythm as well as modify the pyloric rhythm in a manner distinct from MPN. By inhibiting these projection neurons, MPN removes excitatory drive to gastric mill neurons and elicits an MPN-specific pyloric rhythm. Motor pattern selection by MPN therefore results from both a direct modulation of STG network activity and an inhibition of competing pathways.
Probabilistic Transforms for Combinatorial Urn Models

In this paper, we present several probabilistic transforms related to classical urn models. These transforms render the dependent random variables describing the urn occupancies into independent random variables with appropriate distributions. This simplifies the analysis of a large number of problems for which a function under investigation depends on the urn occupancies. The approach used for constructing the transforms involves generating functions of combinatorial numbers characterizing the urn distributions. We also show, by using Tauberian theorems derived in this paper, that under certain simple conditions the asymptotic expressions of target functions in the transform domain and in the inverse–transform domain are identical. Therefore, asymptotic information about certain statistics can be obtained without evaluating the inverse transform.
Prolactin increases CD4/CD8 cell ratio in thymus-grafted congenitally athymic nude mice

Abstract One distinctive effect on T-cell development was analyzed by selectively increasing serum prolactin (PRL) concentration in thymus-grafted congenitally athymic nude mice and by neutralizing PRL in suspension cultures of thymus from 1-day-old neonatal mice. Flow cytometric analysis of single-positive CD4+ and CD8+ cells derived from inguinal lymph nodes revealed a CD4/CD8 cell ratio of 2.2 +/- 0.18 (mean +/- SEM) in thymus-grafted nude mice that is similar to the ratio for immune-competent BALB/c mice (2.0 +/- 0.06). Addition of the pituitary to thymus-grafted nude mice significantly elevated serum PRL (P < 0.005) and increased the CD4/CD8 cell ratio (2.8 +/- 0.12; P < 0.005), demonstrating preferential stimulation of CD4+ cell development. T cells in nude mice receiving sham (submandibular salivary gland) or pituitary grafts alone were below detectable levels. Suspension cultures of neonatal thymus treated with anti-mouse PRL antiserum resulted in 20% and 30% decreases in double-positive CD4+8+ thymocytes and thymocyte viability, respectively. A 10-fold increase in double-negative CD4-8- thymocytes expressing the interleukin 2 receptor alpha chain, CD25, was also observed concurrently. Our findings illustrate an important way in which PRL may participate in two interrelated mechanisms: the regulation of peripheral single-positive cells and the maintenance of thymocyte viability during the double-positive stage of intrathymic differentiation.
Stress and vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the experiential factors and interacting vulnerabilities that contribute to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. METHOD: Of 100 consecutive referrals to an inner-city child and adolescent psychiatry clinic, 59 had experienced a trauma that qualified as a precipitant of PTSD. For those with trauma, ages ranged from 3 to 18 years (mean=9.9, SD=4.10); 39 (66%) were males. The authors used a series of multiple regression analyses to examine the contribution of demographic characteristics, the nature of the stressor(s), and the role of preexisting clinical signs in the development of PTSD. RESULTS: Twenty-two percent of the 59 children who had been traumatized met full criteria for PTSD, 32% had some symptoms of PTSD but did not meet full criteria, and 46% had no symptoms of PTSD. Witnessing domestic violence or being physically abused predicted severity of PTSD. Children with preexisting aggressive behavior were more likely to be v...
Historical and Conceptual Foundations: As Published in "Distances et Savoirs (D&S-7/2009. A la croisee des recherches, pages 537 to 550)

Abstract This article summarizes Section I, “Historical and Conceptual Foundations,” of the 2007 Handbook of Distance Education (Moore 2007a). Of the eight chapters, two are dedicated to historical perspectives of distance education. Another is centered on research. Five other chapters are focused on distance education theory/theorists.
Hydrogen Technology and Energy Curriculum (HyTEC)

The Lawrence Hall of Science of the University of California, Berkeley has collaborated with scientists and engineers, a local transit agency, school districts, and a commercial curriculum publisher to develop, field-test nationally, and publish a two-week curriculum module on hydrogen and fuel cells for high school science. Key partners in this project are the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) of Humboldt State University, the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), FilmSight Productions, Lab-Aids, Inc., and 32 teachers and 2,370 students in field-test classrooms in California, Connecticut, Ohio, New York, South Carolina, and Washington. Field-test teachers received two to three days of professional development before teaching the curriculum and providing feedback used for revision of the curriculum. The curriculum, titled Investigating Alternative Energy: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells and published by Lab-Aids, Inc., includes a teachers guide (with lesson plans, resources, and student handout pages), two interactive computer animations, a video, a website, and a laboratory materials kit. The project has been disseminated to over 950 teachers through awareness workshops at state, regional, and national science teacher conferences.
Amputation as an Unusual Treatment for Therapy-Resistant Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Type 1.

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome, type 1 (CRPS-1) causes severe pain that can be resistant to multiple treatment modalities. Amputation as a form of long-term treatment for therapy-resistant CRPS-1 is controversial. Case Report: We report the case of a 38-year-old man who failed all treatment modalities for CRPS-1, including medication, steroid injections, and spinal cord stimulator implantation. Below-the-knee amputation to relieve intractable foot and ankle pain resulted in a favorable outcome for this patient. Conclusion: Select patients with severe CRPS-1 who are unresponsive to all forms of treatment for pain may benefit from amputation as a last option for relief of suffering. Larger studies are needed to prove the efficacy of amputation.
A Review of: “Sexual Offenses and Offenders by Karen J. Terry”

Karen Terry's book, Sexual Offenses and Offenders was published in 2006 by Thomson Wadsworth. It is a must-read for college students and educators alike. As one examines the text, one theme is clea...
The Approach to the Complex Multiple Amputee

The complex amputee is a spectrum of high energy injury that can be some of the most complex physiology encountered on the battlefield. With the advent of improved IOTV, or body armor, and the deployment and efficacy of combat tourniquet use, many more soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines are surviving blast injury. These can be divided grossly into mounted and dismounted injuries, each with overlapping concerns but individual challenges.
Resolution of inflammation, statins, and plaque regression.

The success of aggressive pharmacological therapy in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease continues to give us renovated energy and constructive hope. Within the last decade, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction in the U.S. population showed a steady decrease. Ten years ago
LASERS Long-Pulse Operation of Argon Lasers

The construction and operation of an argon laser suitable for long pulse, low duty cycle operation is described. The laser uses a potassium activated alumina cold cathode, Pyrex bore with ceramic liner, ballast tank at the anode, and a single layer magnetic field coil. Operation at pulses several milliseconds long and at a duty cycle of the order of 1100 has been achieved for the 1-W output (5145 A, TM00 mode) laser.
A first look at problems in the cloud

Cloud computing provides a revolutionary model for the deployment of enterprise applications and Web services alike. In this new model, cloud users save on the cost of purchasing and managing base infrastructure, while the cloud providers save on the cost of maintaining underutilized CPU, memory, and network resources. Inmigrating to this new model, users face a variety of issues. Commercial clouds provide several support models to aide users in resolving the reported issues This paper arises from our quest to understand how to design IaaS support models for more efficient user troubleshooting. Using a data driven approach, we start our exploration into this issue with an investigation into the problems encountered by users and the methods utilized by the cloud support's staff to resolve these problems. We examine message threads appearing in the forum of a large IaaS provider over a 3 year period. We argue that the lessons derived from this study point to a set of principles that future IaaS offerings can implement to provide users with a more efficient support model. This data driven approach enables us to propose a set of principles that are pertinent to the experiences of users and that we believe could vastly improve the SLA observed by the users.
A Cognitive-Affective Scale for Hurricane Risk Perception

The aim of this study was to develop a reliable and valid measure of hurricane risk perception. The utility of such a measure lies in the need to understand how people make decisions when facing an evacuation order. This study included participants located within a 15-mile buffer of the Gulf and southeast Atlantic U.S. coasts. The study was executed as a three-wave panel with mail surveys in 2010-2012 (T0 baseline N = 629, 56%; T1 retention N = 427, 75%; T2 retention N = 350, 89%). An inventory based on the psychometric model was developed to discriminate cognitive and affective perceptions of hurricane risk, and included open-ended responses to solicit additional concepts in the T0 survey. Analysis of the T0 data modified the inventory and this revised item set was fielded at T1 and then replicated at T2. The resulting scales were assessed for validity against existing measures for perception of hurricane risk, dispositional optimism, and locus of control. A measure of evacuation expectation was also examined as a dependent variable, which was significantly predicted by the new measures. The resulting scale was found to be reliable, stable, and largely valid against the comparison measures. Despite limitations involving sample size, bias, and the strength of some reliabilities, it was concluded that the measure has potential to inform approaches to hurricane preparedness efforts and advance planning for evacuation messages, and that the measure has good promise to generalize to other contexts in natural hazards as well as other domains of risk. Language: en
Presence of Breeding Birds Improves Body Condition for a Crocodilian Nest Protector

Ecological associations where one species enhances habitat for another nearby species (facilitations) shape fundamental community dynamics and can promote niche expansion, thereby influencing how and where species persist and coexist. For the many breeding birds facing high nest-predation pressure, enemy-free space can be gained by nesting near more formidable animals for physical protection. While the benefits to protected species seem well documented, very few studies have explored whether and how protector species are affected by nest protection associations. Long-legged wading birds (Pelecaniformes and Ciconiiformes) actively choose nesting sites above resident American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), apparently to take advantage of the protection from mammalian nest predators that alligator presence offers. Previous research has shown that wading bird nesting colonies could provide substantial food for alligators in the form of dropped chicks. We compared alligator body condition in similar habitat with and without wading bird nesting colonies present. Alligator morphometric body condition indices were significantly higher in colony than in non-colony locations, an effect that was statistically independent of a range of environmental variables. Since colonially nesting birds and crocodilians co-occur in many tropical and subtropical wetlands, our results highlight a potentially widespread keystone process between two ecologically important species-groups. These findings suggest the interaction is highly beneficial for both groups of actors, and illustrate how selective pressures may have acted to form and reinforce a strongly positive ecological interaction.
Assessment of public perception regarding wastewater reuse

A descriptive-correlational study was recently conducted in a four county metropolitan area in the southeast United States (US) as part of a collaborative effort between nursing and environmental engineering researchers. The purpose of the study was to assess attitudes, knowledge and information sources concerning wastewater reuse and evaluate the results with respect to population demographics. The study indicated that both men and women unfavorably view the use of wastewater for possible consumption (released into potable surface or groundwater supplies) or applications involving close, personal contact (laundry). Women were especially concerned about pumping wastewater into the groundwater for subsequent potable use. Both genders felt that wastewater reuse for applications not involving close personal contact (such as firefighting, car washing, lawn irrigation and agricultural uses) was acceptable. General knowledge concerning wastewater reuse was mixed. Those with lower incomes, less education, and 65 years of age or older had significantly less knowledge of this issue than younger, more educated, higher income individuals. Primary sources of information for most demographic groups included newspaper and television, although the Internet was identified as a frequent source for selected groups.
Elevated-temperature effects of oxygen on SiC/SiC composites

High-temperature exposures of SiC/SiC composites to oxidizing environments can lead to substantial changes in mechanical behavior. In the work reported here, results from flexure and crack growth experiments are used to demonstrate such effects. Flexure tests of graphite-coated Nicalon-reinforced SiC previously oxidized in air at 950°C revealed that degradation of fracture resistance began after very short exposure times (less than 1 h) and could be described in terms of distinct oxidation effects on strength and fiber pullout. Crack velocities were determined as a function of applied stress intensity and time for varying O2 levels. It was observed that crack velocities increased at 1,100°C in the presence of oxygen, which also shifted the onset of stage III (power law) growth to lower values of applied stress intensity. The crack growth observations were described using a two-dimensional micro-mechanical model developed to simulate cracks bridged by continuous fibers. Fiber creep relaxation predicted the correct crack velocity and time-dependence in argon, but other mechanisms, such as interface removal, are required to explain the data in Ar + O2
Characterization of L-glutamine transport by type II alveolar cells.

This study characterized the sodium-dependent transport of L-glutamine (L-Gln) by rat type II alveolar cells. Uptake of 50 microM glutamine (Gln) was determined and found to be linear for at least 15 min. The sodium-dependent velocity represented greater than 80% of the total uptake at all time points. Kinetic studies of sodium-dependent Gln uptake at concentrations between 0.005 and 8 mM showed uptake to occur via two saturable transport systems, a high-affinity carrier [Michaelis constant (Km) = 259 +/- 19 microM, maximum velocity (Vmax) = 0.942 +/- 0.08 nmol.mg protein-1.30 s-1] and a low-affinity transporter (Km = 4.96 +/- 1.2 mM, Vmax = 2.98 +/- 0.19 nmol.mg protein-1.30 s-1). Uptake of Gln via the low-affinity system was nearly completely blocked by 10 mM 2-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), and increasing concentrations of Gln almost totally inhibited transport of MeAIB, indicating the presence of system A. Further inhibition studies of the high-affinity transporter showed marked inhibition by serine, cysteine, and nonradioactive Gln. Lithium did not substitute for sodium, strongly suggesting that L-Gln was not transported by system N. Furthermore, transport of Gln by the high-affinity carrier was not affected by hormones or by changes in external pH. We conclude that sodium-dependent L-Gln transport by rat type II alveolar cells occurs predominantly via system A and system ASC.
Automatic check of coordination between grid-related unit protection and limiter

The operating characteristics of grid-related unit protection are studied,the improper setting of its parameters and the improper coordination between grid-related unit protection and limiter in actual power plants revealed,the relevant coordination principles discussed and the method to automatically check the coordination relationship between them proposed for the large-scale power grid. The hierarchical modularization concept is adopted in the development of related automatic checking software based on PSD-FDS.
The Chronic Effects of Estradiol Benzoate on Ventricular Myocardial Blood Flow in the Adult Female Rat

The Chronic Effects of Estradiol Benzoate on Ventricular Myocardial Blood Flow in the Adult Female Rat. Stephen Maurice Ashe Virginia Commonwealth University, 1980 Major Director: Dr. Loren G. Martin Clinical and experimental data suggest that humans and some animals are protected from acute myocardial infarction by estrogen. There has been much speculation of the exact role which estrogen plays in the circulation. The mechanism of this hormonally related protection is unclear. In the present study the chronic effects of estradiol benzoate on coronary blood flow in adult female rats were studied. Female control rats, castrates and castrates receiving estrogen for a period of 16 weeks were used. In vivo tracer microsphere studies of myocardial blood flow allowed the quantification of the effects of estrogen on coronary circulation. Results of this work demonstrated that levels of estrogen significantly influence blood flow in ventricular myocardium.
Assumptions about Race

One cannot make sense out of the historical record of the schooling—and often the nonschooling—of Black children and youth apart from the context of changing ideas about the significance and influence of “race.” Race is a concept with little scientific meaning but enormous significance, in the United States and Canada, for how individuals and groups are perceived including for how individuals perceive themselves. “Race,” in the sense in which the term has been used in North America, is entangled with ethnicity and thus with inherited culture and social networks whose continued significance is to a large extent a matter of individual choice, but it is also frequently taken to refer to an inherent and unchangeable disposition passed on, as we would now say, genetically, to differences that “go all the way down.”
Learning Disabilities and NF-1; MRI Abnormalities

The significance of abnormalities on MRI was evaluated in 40 children with NF-1, aged 8 to 16 years, at the Children’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Faith and equations

The observation made in August's 'Lateral Thoughts' (p64) that God is invoked as an explanation of last resort for natural phenomena is not, in my view, a truism. On the contrary, I would not expect any physicist to avail him- or herself of it. An atheist will clearly have no place for God in a description of the Universe, but, equally, I believe, a Christian will not insert 'God' as a term in equations. For if this were necessary, we would them be able to measure God with a ruler, or decide whether he existed in the same way as we decide whether the Earth is flat, and that would be an obviation of the need for faith.
Speaker identification in the presence of packet losses

Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based speaker identification systems have proved remarkably accurate for large populations using reasonable lengths of high-quality test utterances. Test utterances, however, acquired from cellular telephones or over the Internet (VoIP) may have dropouts due to packet loss. In our research, we have demonstrated that for small packet sizes, these losses can result in degraded accuracy of the speaker identification system. It is shown that by training the GMM model with lossy speech packets, corresponding to the loss rate experienced by the speaker to be identified, significant performance improvement is obtained. In order to avoid the prior estimation of the packet loss rate experienced by the test subject, we propose an algorithm to identify the user based on maximizing the a posteriori probability over the GMM models of the users, trained with several packet loss rates. It is shown that the proposed algorithm provides excellent identification performance.