cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The testosterone hypothesis: Assessment since Geschwind and Behan, 1982.

The Geschwind hypothesis proposes a causal interaction among non-right-handedness, immune disorders, and learning disabilities, including dyslexia, via the intrauterine action of the male hormone testosterone. Some epidemiologic studies have supported at least a statistical association among the three traits; others have not. The associations between learning disorders and immune disease and between learning disorders and non-righthandedness appear to be better supported than that between immune disorders and non-right-handedness. However, none of data thus far accumulated are conclusive because it is not clear that the samples studied have been truly representative.The neuropathologic evidence, both in autopsy studies in human dyslexics and in animal models of developmental cortical abnormalities, are consistent with but not diagnostic of immunological pathology. Mechanisms are discussed by which an abnormal immune system could thus injure the developing brain, with an emphasis placed on abnormal maternal-fetal interactions, including maternal autoimmune disease and maternal-fetal incompatibility. A genetic origin is also possible in which the maternal role is less significant.
Testing the accuracy of a measurement-based building energy model with synthetic data

Abstract A new class of building energy models has emerged which use short-term measured data to predict energy performance for a longer period or for average conditions (such as “weather normalization”). Few of these models have been fully validated because tests are complex, and it is difficult to control all variables. One method of testing a measurement-based model is to use “synthetic” consumption data generated by a conventional building loads simulation model. A procedure to test the accuracy of one aspect of a measurement-based model is described and applied to a recently developed model. The model was found to yield significant errors in predicted annual space heating use, but revised algorithms greatly improved the model's accuracy. The discovery, and subsequent correction of the errors, would have been much more difficult with field data.
Practical measures of confidence for acoustic identification of ground vehicles

An unattended ground sensor (UGS) that attempts to perform target identification without providing some corresponding estimate of confidence level is of limited utility. In this context, a confidence level is a measure of probability that the detected vehicle is of a particular target class. Many identification methods attempt to match features of a detected vehicle to each of a set of target templates. Each template is formed empirically from features collected from vehicles known to be members of the particular target class. The nontarget class is inherent in this formulation and must be addressed in providing a confidence level. Often, it is difficult to adequately characterize the nontarget class empirically by feature collection, so assumptions must be made about the nontarget class. An analyst tasked with deciding how to use the confidence level of the classifier decision should have an accurate understanding of the meaning of the confidence level given. This paper compares several definitions of confidence level by considering the assumptions that are made in each, how these assumptions affect the meaning, and giving examples of implementing them in a practical acoustic UGS.
Transport properties and superconductivity in presence of backscattering

We achieve an exact evaluation of the Kubo formula for electrical resistivity, within a model in which random impurity scattering is parametrized by random back-scattering matrix elements. If the alloy is a superconductor, our theory allows us to correlate Tc with the normal-phase resistivity. The results are in nice agreement with experiment.
Motivating Study Groups across the Disciplines in Secondary Schools.

This article introduces Project RAISSE: Reading Assistance Initiative for Secondary School Educators and shares the findings of a study into those factors found to motivate study group participants at two rural high schools in the southern USA. The research team collected qualitative data over a two-year period, including interviews, artifacts, observations, blogs and surveys. Data were analyzed for any indication of that which positively or negatively impacted participants using a content analysis approach. The inquiry yielded the following four categories found to motivate study group participation in a secondary school setting: creating an environment for adult learning; translating new literacy learning into practice; providing and developing materials and resources; and blogging to continue conversation. The article offers a detailed framework for developing and implementing a network of onsite study groups designed to motivate teachers’ ongoing learning that impacts instructional improvement. The co...
Ultrasensitive carbohydrate-peptide SPR imaging microarray for diagnosing IgE mediated peanut allergy.

Severity of peanut allergies is linked to allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in blood, but diagnostics from assays using glycoprotein allergen mixtures may be inaccurate. Measuring IgEs specific to individual peptide and carbohydrate epitopes of allergenic proteins is promising. We report here the first immunoarray for IgEs utilizing both peptide and carbohydrate epitopes. A surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) microarray was equipped with peptide and β-xylosyl glycoside (BXG) epitopes from major peanut allergen glycoprotein Arachis hypogaea h2 (Ara-h2). A monoclonal anti-IgE antibody was included as positive control. IgEs were precaptured onto magnetic beads loaded with polyclonal anti-IgE antibodies to enhance sensitivity and minimize non-specific binding. As little as 0.1 attomole (0.5 pg mL−1) IgE was detected from dilute serum in 45 min. IgEs binding to Ara-h2 peptide and BXG were quantified in 10 μL of patient serum and correlated with standard ImmunoCAP values.
Multicast security and its extension to a mobile environment

Multicast is rapidly becoming an important mode of communication and a good platform for building group-oriented services. To be used for trusted communication, however, current multicast schemes must be supplemented by mechanisms for protecting traffic, controlling participation, and restricting access of unauthorized users to data exchanged by the participants. In this paper, we consider fundamental security issues in building a trusted multicast facility. We discuss techniques for group-based data encryption, authentication of participants, and preventing unauthorized transmissions and receptions. We also describe the application of these principles and techniques in designing an architecture for secure multicast in a mobile environment.
Seasonal and temperature-associated increases in gram-negative bacterial bloodstream infections among hospitalized patients.

Background Knowledge of seasonal trends in hospital-associated infection incidence may improve surveillance and help guide the design and evaluation of infection prevention interventions. We estimated seasonal variation in the frequencies of inpatient bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by common bacterial pathogens and examined associations of monthly BSI frequencies with ambient outdoor temperature, precipitation, and humidity levels.
Development of laquinimod for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Laquinimod, a quinoline-3-carboxamide derivative, is a new, once-daily oral immunomodulatory therapy in development for the treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). It has demonstrated efficacy in both acute and chronic experimental allergic encephalitis and in animal models of other inflammatory autoimmune diseases. It appears to act, in part, by shifting the immune response from a Th1 to a Th2 response and does not act through nonspecific immunosuppression. In Phase II studies in relapsing forms of MS, laquinimod brought about a 60% decrease in the cumulative number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions and a 33% decrease in relapse rates. In Phase II studies it was safe and well-tolerated. The most common laboratory abnormalities were a transient rise in alanine aminotransferase and C-reactive protein that returned to normal values despite continued therapy. There was no evidence of a proinflammatory effect. Phase III clinical trials for registration are in progress. Laquinimod may find use ...
Efficacy of Propafenone When Used in Combination Antiarrhythmic Therapy

Propafenone is a new antiarrhythmic agent that has been classified as a type IC agent. Combination therapy using propafenone with either procainamide or quinidine was undertaken in this study. The addition of propafenone to procainamide or quinidine in 30 patients with more than 30 VPDs per hour resulted in a mean suppression of VPD frequency of 80%; 8 of 11 patients with runs of ventricular tachycardia had greater than 90% reduction of these events during combination therapy. During combination therapy, only two patients had proarrhythmic effects. Thus, this study demonstrates that combination of propafenone with either quinidine or procainamide is effective in suppressing ventricular arrhythmias.
Platinum impregnated zeolite β as a reforming catalyst

It is shown that Pt impregnated β zeolite has a high reforming capability for naphthenic feeds such as methylcyclopentane and methylcyclohexane, which are transformed in aromatic and cyclic saturated multibranched molecules with higher octane numbers. The temperature plays a major role in these reactions. The cycloolefinic intermediates produced by the dehydrogenation of the feed molecules are alkylated with the carbonium ions produced by the ring opening of other feed molecules. The disproportionation of the alkylated compounds is suggested to be responsible for the enlargement of the feed molecules. This disproportionation, the isomerization of the cycloolefinic intermediates, and some cracking particularly for methylcyclohexane, are proposed to be responsible for the product distribution under the present conditions.
The importance of interstitial gas expansion in infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy of powders

Model calculations and experiments have been performed to explore the modes of photoacoustic signal generation from highly porous powders. These indicate that two modes of signal generation are important: (i) a thermal mode resulting from heating of the sample and conduction to the transducer gas above the sample, and (ii) a pressure mode resulting from the volumetric expansion of the interstitial gas in the porous sample. For highly porous materials, such as silica, the pressure mode can dominate the photoacoustic signal. Under conditions where the pressure mode is dominant, the frequency dependence of the acoustic magnitude and phase is similar to that of a homogeneous sample in photoacoustic saturation, however, the photoacoustic signal will still scale with absorption coefficient in this regime. The pressure mode of signal generation can be attenuated by compaction of the powdered sample to reduce the porosity. Unambiguous determination of photoacoustic saturation is shown to require measurements as f...
Some constraints on the thermodynamic mixing properties of Fe-Mg orthopyroxenes and olivines

Existing data on the temperature and composition dependence of the Fe2+-Mg2+ distribution between Fe-Mg olivine and orthopyroxene, the intra-crystalline distribution of Fe2+ and Mg2+ between M1 and M2 sites in orthopyroxene, and macroscopic activity-composition relations in olivine and orthopyroxene are shown to be inconsistent with generally accepted thermodynamic formulations which assume that the non-configurational Gibbs energy of orthopyroxene is independent of the degree of long-range ordering of Fe2+ and Mg+ between M1 and M2 sites. These data are interpreted in terms of the constraints they provide on the size of Bragg-Williams type energy, entropy, and volume terms for olivine and orthopyroxene. The apparent equilibrium constant for Fe-Mg exchange between olivine and orthopyroxene is shown to be a potentially useful ‘geothermometer’ for olivine-orthopyroxene assemblages with olivines with mole fraction of Fe2SiO4 component less than 0.2 or greater than 0.6. A provisional calibration of this ‘geothermometer’ is presented.
Butterflies in the spotlight

Recent advances in our understanding of developmental phenomena has come from highly interdisciplinary studies where molecular biology, ecology and evolution converge to elucidate fundamental mechanisms, how they change through time, and what function they actually have in the context of the niche of the organism. A recent study on butterfly eyespots(1) pinpoints the surprisingly simple regulatory cascade controlling such an apparently complex phenotype. The implications go beyond the elucidation of a fascinating developmental pathway, into the mechanisms and tempo of speciation and macroevolution.
Measuring the value of urban amenities

Abstract This paper develops a model for estimating price gradients for several urban amenities that departs from traditional techniques. The approach used is both intuitively appealing and fully consistent with basic urban location theory developed over the past decade. Multidimensional price gradients are estimated for such amenities as low crime, clean air, accessibility to work, the local quality of education and local taxes. In addition subgroup analysis allows the comparison of the estimated “shadow prices” for two different income groups.
A study of velocities and turbulence intensities measured in firing and motored engines

Laser Doppler velocimetry was used to make cycle-resolved velocity and turbulence measurements under motoring and firing conditions in a ported homogeneous charge S.I. engine. The engine had a flat pancake chamber with a compression ratio of 7.5. In one study, the effect of the intake velocity on TDC turbulence intensity was measured at 600, 1200, and 1800 rpm with three different intake flow rates at each speed. The TDC swirl ratio ranged from 2 to 6. The TDC turbulence intensities were found to be relatively insensitive to the intake velocity, and tended to scale more strongly with engine speed. For the combustion measurements, the engine was operated at 600, 1200, and 2400 rpm on stoichiometric and lean propane-air mixtures. Velocity measurements were made in swirling and non-swirling flows at several spatial locations on the midplane of the clearance height.
Preventing the Recurrence of Maltreatment

In the context of the federal child welfare performance measurement system, recurrence of maltreatment refers to circumstances in which children that have previously been substantiated as victims of abuse or neglect experience another incident of substantiated maltreatment. Multiple episodes of maltreatment can lead to: (1) more serious short and long term negative consequences, (2) entry into the juvenile justice system, and (3) juvenile delinquency. In this literature review the authors summarize the research on child, family, and systemic factors related to maltreatment recurrence and promising practices for improving performance. Promising practices aimed at preventing recurrence of maltreatment include interventions at multiple levels (e.g., the child, caregiver, family, and agency) and include a range of service modalities.
Effects of Freezing Rate, Frozen Storage Temperature and Storage Time on Tenderness Values of Beef Patties

All-beef and soy-extended patties were frozen to −18°C in either 24, 48, 72 or 96 hr and stored at −23°, −18° or −7°C for 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24 months. Freezing produced considerable reductions in both sensory and instrumental measures of tenderness with the effects being greater for the slower freezing rates. Thus, just after freezing, and prior to storage, tenderness was found to be higher in patties subjected to faster freezing compared to slower rates of freezing. Storage at −7°C reduced sensory scores for tenderness and increased stress in relation to strain during shearing. Extending patties with soy reduced the effects of freezing rate, storage temperature and storage time on tenderness.
Origin and diversification of the endemic Hawaiian tree snails (Achatinellidae: Achatinellinae) based on molecular evidence

Tree snails of the endemic subfamily Achatinellinae comprise a diverse and important component of the Hawaiian fauna. In recent decades anthropogenic impacts have resulted in devastating extinction rates in Hawaiian tree snails. To address long-standing biogeographic, systematic, and evolutionary questions we used cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences to reconstruct the phylogeny of 23 extant species spanning the range of the subfamily from five Hawaiian Islands. To investigate family-level relationships, data were analyzed from 11 terrestrial pulmonate families. Although nodal support for monophyly of the endemic Pacific family Achatinellidae and endemic Hawaiian subfamily Achatinellinae was strong, bifurcation order among deeper ingroup nodes was not well-supported by bootstrap resampling. We hypothesize that lineage extinction and rapidity of lineage formation may have rendered evolutionary reconstruction difficult using a standard phylogenetic approach. Use of an optimized evolutionary model, however, improved resolution and recovered three main clades. The diversification pattern inferred contradicts the traditional biogeographic hypothesis of a Maui origin of the achatinelline lineage. Taxa comprising the basal ingroup clade (Achatinella spp.) and seeding lineages for subsequent clades originated on O'ahu. Therefore it appears that the ancestral colonizing species of achatinellines arrived first on O'ahu from an unknown source, and that O'ahu is the Hawaiian origin of the subfamily. Species previously defined by morphological criteria were generally found to be phylogenetically distinct, and the overall colonization pattern follows the island-age progression rule with several instances of generic polyphyly and back-colonization.
The use of catalytic hydrogenation to intercept carbohydrates in a dilute acid hydrolysis of biomass to effect a clean separation from lignin

Abstract Biomass carbohydrates are fractionated very cleanly (>99%) from unreacted insoluble lignin by a dilute acid hydrolysis (0.35–1.5% H3PO4), wherein the incipient aldoses are intercepted by catalytic hydrogenation (Ru/C) to produce a solution of C5–C6 polyols (xylitol, sorbitol) and anhydro polyols (sorbitan) in which no phenols could be detected ( ppm ) . A screen removes granular catalyst and lignin is simply filtered from the product slurry. This “intercepted dilute acid hydrolysis” (IDAH) of biomass to polyols affords high conversion for a variety of biomass types within 3– 6 h at ∼185°C. Minimum polyols cost (not including catalyst cost) is calculated to range from $0.055– $0.070 kg −1 . Polyols, rather than aldoses, are required for subsequent chemical conversion into hydrocarbon fuels.
An Alternative Approach for Modeling the Hot Carrier Degradation of the Si/SiO2 Interface

An alternative approach for modeling the hot carrier degradation of the Si/SiO2 interface based on the dispersive characteristics of the interface trap generation has been proposed. The timedependent interface trap generation has been modeled using the stretched exponential expression. The conventional power law of degradation is just the approximation of this general form. Very good agreement has been found between the theoretical model and the experimental data. This approach gives more physical insight into the understanding of the mechanism for the interface trap generation.
The safety and efficacy of aspirin and clopidogrel as a combination treatment in patients with coronary heart disease

The use of aspirin and clopidogrel in combination has become part of the standard clinical care of patients with coronary artery disease. The use of this combination provides significant benefits compared with the use of aspirin alone in patients with acute coronary syndromes, and in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement (both bare metal and drug-eluting stents). Clinical trials have demonstrated significant efficacy of this dual therapy; however, there is the potential for significant bleeding complications from the synergistic antiplatelet effects. In total, it appears that when there is vessel injury (mechanical from perctutaneous coronary intervention or a ruptured plaque), dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel results in improved outcomes, albeit with a small but significant inherent risk of increased bleeding.
Incorporation of modern on-line spectral condition monitoring for operational availability improvement of reactor coolant pumps

AbstractAt the design stage, the work reported here recommends provision of the possibility of employing modern on-line spectral condition-monitoring equipment in order to improve the operational availability of nuclear power plant equipment, the reactor coolant pump (RCP).Following an analysis of the leading causes in the RCP forced outages, incorporation of the use of advanced on-line spectral condition-monitoring sensors and their corresponding data-processing equipment in new power plant designs is sought. They are employed in order to detect the incipient symptoms generated during the progression of potential system faults of major concern. Firstly, the applicability of recent developments in new sensors and data-processing techniques is examined. This examination concerns system status parameter monitoring in the analysis of vibration, motor current, partial discharge and wear debris. Finally, use of modern sensors and data-processing equipment, which are valuable for the intended condition-monitori...
Results from the D0 silicon vertex detector beam tests

Abstract Extensive tests of the D0 silicon vertex detectors and the final version of the SVX-II chip and readout electronics were performed at a test beam facility equipped with a 2 T magnet at FNAL. Preliminary results are reported on the performance of the SVX-II chip, charge collection properties, signal to noise ratio, cluster pulse height and spatial resolution.
Facultative anaerobiosis in Haliotis (ormer/abalone): Pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities

Abstract 1. 1. The pH profile for pyruvate kinase is sharp. This enzyme is similar to l -type enzymes; it is sigmoidal with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate, activated by FDP, and is inhibited by l -alanine. 2. 2. Depending upon the state of tidal exposure, the substrate vs velocity data were best fitted to a Michaelis-Menten or a Hill Model for pyruvate kinase with phosphoenolpyruvate. The extremely high K 0.5S value for the emerged state approximates inhibition by l -alanine. 3. 3. Pyruvate kinase to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity ratios correlate broadly with known vertical zonations for four species of Haliotis .
Oscillation in Cycle Length Induces Transient Discordant and Steady-State Concordant Alternans in the Heart

Alternans is a beat-to-beat alternation of the cardiac action potential duration (APD) or intracellular calcium (Cai) transient. In cardiac tissue, alternans can be spatially concordant or discordant, of which the latter has been shown to increase dispersion of repolarization and promote a substrate for initiation of ventricular fibrillation. Alternans has been studied almost exclusively under constant cycle length pacing conditions. However, heart rate varies greatly on a beat-by-beat basis in normal and pathological conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine if applying a repetitive but non-constant pacing pattern, specifically cycle length oscillation (CLO), promotes or suppresses a proarrhythmic substrate. We performed computational simulations and optical mapping experiments to investigate the potential consequences of CLO. In a single cell computational model, CLO induced APD and Cai alternans, which became “phase-matched” with the applied oscillation. As a consequence of the phase-matching, in one-dimensional cable simulations, neonatal rat ventricular myocyte monolayers, and isolated adult guinea pig hearts CLO could transiently induce spatial and electromechanical discordant alternans followed by a steady-state of concordance. Our results demonstrated that under certain conditions, CLO can initiate ventricular fibrillation in the isolated hearts. On the other hand, CLO can also exert an antiarrhythmic effect by converting an existing state of discordant alternans to concordant alternans.
Interaction of neutral arenes with poly(vinylbenzo-18-crown-6) and poly(vinylbenzoglyme) in aqueous media

Abstract Aromatic hydrocarbons, especially pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene, are strongly solubilized in aqueous solutions containing the polysoap-type macromolecules poly(vinylbenzo-18-crown-6) (P18C6) or poly(vinylbenzoglyme)(PVBG), a polystyrene with two CH3O(CH2CH2O)2- substituents attached to each benzene ring. The binding of pyrene was also studied spectrophotometrically utilizing the 7-nm bathochromic shift of the 334-nm transition band of pyrene in water when it transfers to the polymer domain. Intrinsic binding constants, measured between 35 and 10°C, range from 2–6 × 105 M−1, with ΔH = −7.2 kcal/mole and ΔS = 1 e.u. A maximum of one pyrene molecule per about 10 monomer base units can be solubilized into the polymers. In the presence of 0.1 M CsCl the solubility of pyrene in the Cs+-charged P18C6 is increased by nearly a factor of 3, but the solubility in PVBG to which no Cs+ ions bind remains unchanged.
Ergodic theory on Galton—Watson trees: speed of random walk and dimension of harmonic measure

We consider simple random walk on the family tree T of a nondegenerate supercritical Galton—Watson branching process and show that the resulting harmonic measure has a.s. strictly smaller Hausdorff dimension than that of the whole boundary of T. Concretely, this implies that an exponentially small fraction of the nth level of T carries most of the harmonic measure. First-order asymptotics for the rate of escape, Green function and the Avez entropy of the random walk are also determined. Ergodic theory of the shift on the space of random walk paths on trees is the main tool; the key observation is that iterating the transformation induced from this shift to the subset of ‘exit points’ yields a nonintersecting path sampled from harmonic measure.
Information-theoretic significance of the Wigner distribution

A coarse-grained Wigner distribution ${p}_{W}(x,\ensuremath{\mu})$ obeying positivity derives out of information-theoretic considerations. Let $p(x,\ensuremath{\mu})$ be the unknown joint probability density function (PDF) on position and momentum fluctuations $x$, $\ensuremath{\mu}$ for a particle in a pure state $\ensuremath{\psi}(x)$. Suppose that the phase part $\ensuremath{\Psi}(x,z)$ of its Fourier transform ${T}_{F}[p(x,\ensuremath{\mu})]\ensuremath{\equiv}\ensuremath{\mid}G(x,z)\ensuremath{\mid}\mathrm{exp}[i\ensuremath{\Psi}(x,z)]$ is constructed as a hologram. (Such a hologram is often used in heterodyne interferometry.) Consider a particle randomly illuminating this phase hologram. Let its two position coordinates be measured. Require that the measurements contain an extreme amount of Fisher information about true position, through variation of the phase function $\ensuremath{\Psi}(x,z)$. The extremum solution gives an output PDF $p(x,\ensuremath{\mu})$ that is the convolution of the Wigner ${p}_{W}(x,\ensuremath{\mu})$ with an instrument function defining uncertainty in either position $x$ or momentum $\ensuremath{\mu}$. The convolution arises naturally out of the approach, and is one dimensional, in comparison with the ad hoc two-dimensional convolutions usually proposed for coarse graining purposes. The output obeys positivity, as required of a PDF, if the one-dimensional instrument function is sufficiently wide. The result holds for a large class of systems: those whose amplitudes $\ensuremath{\psi}(x)$ are the same at their boundaries [examples: states $\ensuremath{\psi}(x)$ with positive parity; with periodic boundary conditions; free particle trapped in a box].
Fluence Dependence of Excimer Laser Ablation of Ain

Aluminum nitride has been ablated with a KrF excimer laser (248 ran) at fluences from 1 to 60 J/cm2. Ablation depth, emission spectra and photothermal beam deflection were detected as a function of fluence. An ablation rate of 0.2 um/pulse was achieved above 30 J/cm2 in vacuum. Ablation rate decreased with decreasing fluence. Irradiated surfaces have a conductive metallic layer of reduced aluminum nitride. At low fluences, the metallic surface layer was spotty within the area of the laser beam. Below the fluence threshold for producing the metallized surface, emission spectra and photothermal beam deflection were still detected. Emission lines from Al, A1+ and Al-N were observed. Photothermal deflection data was used to calculate supersonic velocities for shock waves propagating from the sample surface. Shock waves resulted from rapid heating near the surface and expansion of ablated material from the laser spot.
A SECOND ORDER LOGIC OF EXISTENCE

A. N. Prior in [9] has suggested an approach towards a second order logic of existence where, following medieval logicians, we distinguish "between predicates (like 'is red', 'is hard', etc.) which entail existence, and predicates (like 'is thought to be red', 'is thought of', etc.) which do not."2 Let us refer to attributes (including relational attributes) which are designated by the former kind of predicate as existence attributes, or for brevity, e-attributes. It is suggested then that 'x exists' be defined as 'there is some e-attribute which x possesses'. In what follows, this approach regarding the concept of existence is formalized semantically as well as syntactically, and a completeness theorem is established corresponding to the completeness (in a secondary sense, i.e., as including normal, nonstandard models) of standard second order logic (as formulated, for example, in Church [1]). In [2] (cf. the abstracts [3] and [4]), the present author formalized a complete first order logic (with identity) of actual and possible objects which was there used in the formulation of a complete first order tense logic.3 The observation, which will be proved here, was made by Prior that in a second order logic with e-attributes quantification over actual objects can be appropriately defined so that every theorem of the first order logic of actual and possible objects becomes a theorem of second order logic with e-attributes.4 In effect, the definition (where q is a formula, a is an individual variable, and vr is a 1-place predicate variable) is e e
Protocol and Nomenclature in Transthoracic Echocardiography

The transducer probe is the component that houses the piezoelectric crystals (see Chapter 1) and emits and receives the sound waves (Fig. 1).
Carbon-14-labeled 2,3,7,8- and 1,2,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran

Both 2,3,7,8- and 1,2,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzofuran -U14C, specific activity 57 mCi/mmol, have been obtained in low yield but at < 98% purity via Pschorr cyclization of o-phenoxyaniline -U14C, chlorination of the resultant dibenzofuran and separation of the tetrachloro isomers by hplc. The lower yields obtained in the Pschorr cyclization of “hot” o-phenoxyaniline in comparison with the “cold” material are postulated to result from enhanced homolytic relative to heterolytic cleavage of the “hot” diazonium ion leading to a “hot” free radical which polymerizes. The completely anomalous results observed in the attempted palladium acetate-mediated cyclization of diphenyl ether- U14C are likewise interpreted in terms of the intervention of a “hot” free radical.
Effects of anterior vs posterior cingulate lesions on passive-avoidance responding in rats

Rats with posterior cingulate damage were statistically different from anterior cingulate Ss and controls in a discrete-trial passive-avoidance task. However, the extent of the debility did not parallel that usually seen after massive hippocampectomy. Both a safe-island test and a continuous-trial situation failed to distinguish between the groups.
Pastured broiler processing yields and meat color

SUMMARY Pastured broiler growers in the United States typically choose either the faster growing Cornish-crossed (CX) or a medium-growing strain such as Freedom Rangers (FR). However, few yield or meat quality data have been collected from this production method for multiple strains. Therefore, 2 trials were conducted, with 40 broilers of the 2 strains (CX and FR), to determine processing yields and meat color (n = 160). Broilers were obtained at 1 d of age, brooded together for 21 d, and then transferred to common pasture with water and supplemental feed. The FR birds were processed at 83 d and the CX birds were processed at 64 or 71 d in trials 1 and 2, respectively. Carcasses were chilled and cut into parts, and yields and meat color were measured. At 83 d, the FR strain was close to target market weight; at 64 d, the CX were lighter than the FR, but at 71 d, they were heavier. In general, the CX had heavier breast meat weights and higher yields than the FR. There were no differences in wings, legs, or frame weights between strains, but there were some variations in yields for those parts. There was considerable variation in breast meat color between the strains and also between trials, with no definite trend except that FR tended to have more yellow meat. Differences existed between these strains for carcass and parts weights and yields, and although color was variable, the FR strain produced yellower meat than the CX strain.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by a Mycobacterium sp. in microcosms containing sediment and water from a pristine ecosystem

Microcosm studies were conducted to evaluate the survival and performance of a recently discovered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading Mycobacterium sp. when this organism was added to sediment and water from a pristine ecosystem. Microcosms inoculated with the Mycobacterium sp. showed enhanced mineralization, singly and as components in a mixture, of 2-methylnaphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo[alpha]pyrene. Studies utilizing pyrene as the sole added PAH showed that the Mycobacterium sp. survived in microcosms for 6 weeks both with and without preexposure to PAH and mineralized multiple doses of pyrene. Pyrene mineralization rates for sterilized microcosms inoculated with the Mycobacterium sp. showed that competition with indigenous microorganisms did not adversely affect survival of or pyrene degradation by the Mycobacterium sp. Pyrene mineralization by the Mycobacterium sp. was not enhanced by inorganic nutrient enrichment and was hindered by organic nutrient enrichment, which appeared to result from overgrowth of indigenous bacteria. This study demonstrates the versatility of the PAH-degrading Mycobacterium sp. and expands its potential applications to include the degradation of two-, three-, four-, and five-ringed PAHs in sediments.
Fermion emission from a Julia-Zee dyon

A relationship is obtained between the S matrix for the charge-exchange scattering of a fermion by a Julia-Zee dyon and the flux of fermions emitted by the dyon when the mass of the fermions is sufficiently small. In the limit of a pointlike dyon, the required S-matrix elements are obtained in closed form and the corresponding fermion flux is computed explicitly.
Control and configuration of three-level dual-active bridge DC-DC converter as a front-end interface for photovoltaic system

A novel converter configuration that allows for high frequency transformer integration and high voltage distribution is proposed for large scale grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed configuration has in the front-end of the solar panel, dual-active bridge dc-dc converter with three-level neutral-point clamped secondary and a high-step-up ratio high frequency transformer. The output of the dual-active bridge converter may be connected to a high voltage inverter to achieve high ac voltage to allow for direct interconnection with the utility ac grid at distribution voltage level. The proposed configuration has advantages of high frequency transformer, high efficiency and high voltage operation. Phase-shift modulation technique along with Maximum Power Point Tracking is proposed for the three-level dual-active bridge converter and the overall converter performance is verified in simulation.
Truth or Consequences: The Intertemporal Consistency of Adolescent Self-report on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Surveys are the primary information source about adolescents’ health risk behaviors, but adolescents may not report their behaviors accurately. Survey data are used for formulating adolescent health policy, and inaccurate data can cause mistakes in policy creation and evaluation. The author used test-retest data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (United States, 2000) to compare adolescents’ responses to 72 questions about their risk behaviors at a 2-week interval. Each question was evaluated for prevalence change and 3 measures of unreliability: inconsistency (retraction and apparent initiation), agreement measured as tetrachoric correlation, and estimated error due to inconsistency assessed with a Bayesian method. Results showed that adolescents report their sex, drug, alcohol, and tobacco histories more consistently than other risk behaviors in a 2-week period, opposite their tendency over longer intervals. Compared with other Youth Risk Behavior Survey topics, most sex, drug, alcohol, and tobacco items had stable prevalence estimates, higher average agreement, and lower estimated measurement error. Adolescents reported their weight control behaviors more unreliably than other behaviors, particularly problematic because of the increased investment in adolescent obesity research and reliance on annual surveys for surveillance and policy evaluation. Most weight control items had unstable prevalence estimates, lower average agreement, and greater estimated measurement error than other topics.
The Structure of the Unobserved

Many theories suppose there are variables that have not been measured but that influence measured variables. In studies in econometrics, psychometrics, sociology and elsewhere the principal aim may be to uncover the causal relations among such “latent” variables. In such cases it is usually assumed that one knows that the measured variables (e.g., responses to questionnaire items) are not themselves causes of unmeasured variables of interest (e.g., attitude), and the measuring instruments are often designed with fairly definite ideas as to which measured items are caused by which unmeasured variables. Survey questionnaires may involve hundreds of items, and the very number of variables is ordinarily an impediment to drawing useful conclusions about structure. Although there are a number of procedures commonly used for such problems, their reliability is doubtful. A common practice, for example, is to form aggregated scales by averaging measures of variables that are held to be proxies for the same unmeasured variable, and then to study the correlations of the scales. The correlations thus obtained have no simple systematic connection with causal relations among the unmeasured variables.
Design and analysis nomograms for pulse-width and frequency modulation using the 555 Timer

This paper analyzes the configuration of the 555 Timer from the pulse-width and frequency modulation viewpoint, derives the governing expressions, and provides practical nomograms for the design and analysis of pulse-width and frequency modulators. Suitable examples are also included. The limitations of the commercially available 555 Timer can easily be overcome by employing discrete components in the implementation along with high-speed voltage comparators and gates.
Spatial Representations of Odorant Chemistry in the Main Olfactory Bulb of the Rat

Odorants of very different chemical structure that yield the perception of very different odors have long been known to evoke distinct patterns of neural activity in the rat olfactory bulb. This observation suggested that at least one step in the coding of odor information might involve spatial patterns of bulbar activity. Until recently, however, it was not understood how different spatial patterns might arise from the differences in odorant chemical structure.
merleau-ponty on children and childhood

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961) not only published in the fields of phenomenology, aesthetics, politics, and linguistics, but he also lectured as professor of child psychology, which resulted in several texts specifically devoted to the child. Most notably are the works “The Child’s Relations to Others,” Consciousness and the Acquisition of Language, and Child Psychology and Pedagogy: The Sorbonne Lectures, 1949–1952. And yet the question of the child occurs throughout his entire corpus. Thus, it is quite difficult to limit Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of childhood to one given text or theme. Merleau-Ponty is adamant, however, that his work in psychology and philosophy should not be viewed as separate projects. Rather, he repeatedly stresses an intertwining of philosophy and psychology, self and other, theory and praxis, and (like Freud) the lasting influence of childhood on adult life. In this vein, the following texts, both from his “philosophical” and “psychological” works, provide a sense of the significance the child plays in Merleau-Ponty’s overarching project, particularly in his account of intersubjectivity and the parent-child relation.
Bacterial Cysteine-Inducible Cysteine Resistance Systems

ABSTRACT Cysteine donates sulfur to macromolecules and occurs naturally in many proteins. Because low concentrations of cysteine are cytotoxic, its intracellular concentration is stringently controlled. In bacteria, cysteine biosynthesis is regulated by feedback inhibition of the activities of serine acetyltransferase (SAT) and 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (3-PGDH) and is also regulated at the transcriptional level by inducing the cysteine regulon using the master regulator CysB. Here, we describe two novel cysteine-inducible systems that regulate the cysteine resistance of Pantoea ananatis, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae that shows great potential for producing substances useful for biotechnological, medical, and industrial purposes. One locus, designated ccdA (formerly PAJ_0331), encodes a novel cysteine-inducible cysteine desulfhydrase (CD) that degrades cysteine, and its expression is controlled by the transcriptional regulator encoded by ccdR (formerly PAJ_0332 or ybaO ), located just upstream of ccdA . The other locus, designated cefA (formerly PAJ_3026), encodes a novel cysteine-inducible cysteine efflux pump that is controlled by the transcriptional regulator cefR (formerly PAJ_3027), located just upstream of cefA . To our knowledge, this is the first example where the expression of CD and an efflux pump is regulated in response to cysteine and is directly involved in imparting resistance to excess levels of cysteine. We propose that ccdA and cefA function as safety valves that maintain homeostasis when the intra- or extracellular cysteine concentration fluctuates. Our findings contribute important insights into optimizing the production of cysteine and related biomaterials by P. ananatis. IMPORTANCE Because of its toxicity, the bacterial intracellular cysteine level is stringently regulated at biosynthesis. This work describes the identification and characterization of two novel cysteine-inducible systems that regulate, through degradation and efflux, the cysteine resistance of Pantoea ananatis, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae that shows great potential for producing substances useful for industrial purposes. We propose that this novel mechanism for sensing and regulating cysteine levels is a safety valve enabling adaptation to sudden changes in intra- or extracellular cysteine levels in bacteria. Our findings provide important insights into optimizing the production of cysteine and related biomaterials by P. ananatis and also a deep understanding of sulfur/cysteine metabolism and regulation in this plant pathogen and related bacteria.
Automated synthesis and preclinical evaluation of 68Ga BB2r peptide antagonists for imaging prostate cancer

1722 Objectives Several peptide antagonists with affinity for the BB2r subtype of the bombesin receptor family have recently shown promise as targeting vectors for radiopharmaceutical imaging and detection of prostate cancer. The tumor retention of these two antagonists following initial targeting varies from several minutes to several hours presenting challenges and opportunities in imaging the primary prostate bed as well as distant metastases. The current preclinical study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of Ga-68 labeled antagonists to target various xenograft models of prostate cancer. Methods Ga-68 labeled BB2r antagonists (DOTA-8AOC-DPhe-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-NH-Et and DOTA-4-Amino-Carboxymethyl-Piperidine-DPhe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2) were prepared using an automated radiosynthesis system. Peptides (40ug) were labeled with 15-20mCi (555-740MBq) of Ga-68 eluted from a Ge-68/Ga-68 generator, and heated to 85oC for 6.5 min. Quality control was performed using C-18 RP-HPLC with combined radiometric and UV analysis. Micro-PET/CT imaging of flank and orthotopic prostate xenografted male SCID mice was performed between 1-2 hours post injection. Results Both Ga-68 BB2r antagonists could be repeatedly prepared in high yield with approximately 100% radiochemical purity as confirmed by RP-HPLC. Confirmed prostate tumor xenografts were readily visualized by both antagonists. Orthotopic prostate xenograft visualization was impeded by the predominant renal clearance of both tracers. Conclusions Ga-68 BB2r antagonists can be routinely prepared in high radiochemical purity using automated radiosynthesis techniques. Visualization of primary prostate tumors using the two Ga-68 BB2r antagonists evaluated in this study may be limited by the predominance of renal clearance of these tracers coupled with the relatively short half live of Ga-68. BB2r expressing PC distal from the prostate bed is readily visualized permitting possible assessment of metastatic disease burden. Research Support U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Award & VA Career Scientist Award (TJH
Towards Next-Generation Graph Processing and Management Platform

Applications which need to process and manage large graph data sets have imposed significant challenges for data science community in recent times. This talk discusses the key challenges which need to be handled when implementing a next-generation graph processing and management platform. There are several key problems which needs to be addressed in building such large graph processing system. First, optimized techniques needs to be followed for managing extremely large graph data. Second, new programming models and software tools need to be created for efficiently processing large graphs. This talk will discuss the approaches which need to be followed in addressing these two major issues and will highlight our vision in achieving the challenges of next-generation graph processing and management.