cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Within-canopy temperature patterns of sorghum at two row spacings☆

Abstract The assumptions that conditions are horizontally homogeneous in a canopy and that concentration differences are of a small scale relative to the scale of turbulence have been made in within-canopy studies, but some recent studies have shown that these assumptions are invalid under particular circumstances. The effect of changing row spacing on temperature patterns within a grain sorghum canopy was investigated to study the nature of conditions in the canopy and to help evaluate mechanisms of within-canopy transfer. Within-canopy temperature patterns were monitored in fields with 0.76- and 1.52-m row spacings. Thermopiles were located in a grid at four positions across a row and at five heights. The junctions of each thermopile were uniformly distributed along 1 m of row to obtain a spatial average. Within-canopy air temperature patterns were relatively more one-dimensional in the narrow-row (0.76 m) field and two-dimensional in the wide-row (1.52 m) field. Horizontal temperature gradients were larger and more persistent in the wide-row field. A cool mid-cavity region occurred at midday between the wide rows suggesting gust penetration of air from above the canopy. Daytime temperature patterns suggest a circulation between the wide rows.
The Application of Tai Chi Chuan in Rehabilitation and Preventive Care of the Geriatric Population

Falls in the elderly population are relatively common occurrences. Potential trauma as a result of these falls is more costly than the introduction of preventive approaches. One of these interventions is the use of Tai Chi Chuan. Regular practice of this form of exercise by the impaired and the well elderly produces important benefits, including a reduced risk of falls. The problems of the elderly, the physical aspects of Tai Chi, research information supporting the benefits of this form of exercise, and the history of its development are included in this overview.
Indications for induction of labour: a best‐evidence review

Background Rates of labour induction are increasing. Objectives To review the evidence supporting indications for induction. Search strategy We listed indications for labour induction and then reviewed the evidence. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library between 1980 and April 2008 using several terms and combinations, including induction of labour, premature rupture of membranes, post-term pregnancy, preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM), multiple gestation, suspected macrosomia, diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, fetal anomalies, systemic lupus erythematosis, oligohydramnios, alloimmunization, rhesus disease, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (IHCP), and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We performed a review of the literature supporting each indication. Selection criteria We identified 1387 abstracts and reviewed 418 full text articles. We preferentially included high-quality systematic reviews or large randomised trials. Where no such studies existed, we included the best evidence available from smaller randomised trials and observational studies. Main results We included 34 full text articles. For each indication, we assigned levels of evidence and grades of recommendation based upon the GRADE system. Recommendations for induction of labour for post-term gestation, PROM at term, and premature rupture of membranes near term with pulmonary maturity are supported by the evidence. Induction for IUGR before term reduces intrauterine fetal death, but increases caesarean deliveries and neonatal deaths. Evidence is insufficient to support induction for women with insulin-requiring diabetes, twin gestation, fetal macrosomia, oligohydramnios, cholestasis of pregnancy, maternal cardiac disease and fetal gastroschisis. Authors’ conclusions Research is needed to determine risks and benefits of induction for many commonly advocated clinical indications.
Age-at-onset distribution in chronic diseases. A life table approach to analysis of family data

Abstract A method of studying age-at-onset distribution in age dependent chronic diseases is described. Some actuarial-type techniques are adapted to family data obtained from families ascertained by at least one affected child. Formulae for evaluation of personyears exposed to risk of the disease at different ages (last birthday) and the estimates of the probabilities of having the onset of the disease before or at a given age are derived. Some application of the method in fitting a model of a single recessive to family data on rheumatic fever, is demonstrated.
Microstructure functions for a model of statistically inhomogeneous random media

We propose a model for statistically inhomogeneous two-phase random media, including functionally graded materials, consisting of inhomogeneous fully penetrable (Poisson distributed) spheres. This model can be constructed for any specified variation of volume fraction and permits one to represent and evaluate certain n-point correlation functions that statistically characterize the microstructure for this model. Unlike the case of statistically homogeneous media, the microstructure functions depend upon the absolute positions of their arguments. However, as with homogeneous random media, this microstructural information will be useful in obtaining rigorous estimates of the effective properties of such systems.
Pulsed resonance spectroscopy applied to turbulent combustion flows

The application of pulsed resonance spectroscopy to the measurement of species concentrations in chemically reacting turbulent flows is discussed. The theory of such measurements is developed. An uncertainty analysis is performed and the results applied to typical combustion conditions. Experimental aspects are discussed. The method shows a significant theoretical improvement in accuracy over Raman and Rayleigh scattering techniques, and no significant barriers appear to block its development.
Investigation of high voltage spacecraft system interactions with plasma environments

The exposure of high voltage spacecraft systems to the charged particle environment of space can produce interactions that will influence system operation. An experimental investigation of these interactions has been undertaken for insulator and conductor test surfaces biased up to plus or minus 1 kV in a simulated low earth orbit charged particle environment. It has been found that these interactions are controlled by the insulator surfaces surrounding the biased conductors. For positive applied voltages the electron current collection can be enhanced by the insulators. For negative applied voltages the insulator surface confines the voltage to the conductor region; this can cause arcing. Understanding these interactions and the technology to control their impact on system operation is essential to the design of solar cell arrays for ion drive propulsion applications that use direct drive power processing.
Social support as a mediator of stress: Theoretical and empirical issues

Abstract Research has shown that a variety of physical and psychological disorders occur more frequently among individuals lacking social support. Accordingly, research on social support has received increasing attention in recent years and has important implications for clinical, community and health psychology. However, important questions remain regarding the nature of social support and how it may be useful in helping individuals cope with stress. The present paper (a) reviews current definitions of social support, (b) provides a critical review of the literature dealing with stress, social support and illness, (c) advocates an experimental approach to research on social support, and (d) advocates the conceptualization of social support within an interactional model of stress and coping. The authors caution against widespread endorsement of support interventions at this point.
The view through the window: characterizing participants in a drive-through influenza vaccination clinic.

ObjectiveThe participants in a 2011 drive-through influenza vaccination clinic were described.MethodsThe descriptive, cross-sectional study used a pen-and-paper survey administered during a drive-through vaccination program. A total of 1114 surveys were collected that included demographic information and responses to 3 clinic usage questions; responses were in English or Spanish. The responses were stratified by language and age group, and zip codes reported by the participants were mapped.ResultsThe majority of the participants were women (57%) aged 41 to 64 years old (53%). The participation by people younger than 18 and older than 65 years was relatively low. When compared by language, the surveys completed in Spanish showed a significantly different proportion of age group participation than those completed in English. Many participants (23%) indicated that they likely would not have received a vaccine elsewhere if the clinic were not available. A map of the zip codes showed that the clinic served people from the city and surrounding communities and counties.ConclusionsThe operators of vaccine clinics can use these findings to improve outreach to populations of concern, and encourage multiple venues, both traditional and nontraditional, to maximize immunization coverage in their community (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-4).
Forced Convection Heat Transfer From Microstructures

For many microstructures, which utilize forced convection cooling, the average thickness of the thermal boundary layer is of the same order as the length of the heated element. For these cases, thermal bondary layer theory is invalid. The elliptic energy equation for steady, two-dimensional incompressible flow over a finite flat plate with insulated starting and ending lengths is analyzed utilizing matched asymptotic expansions. A conventional Blasius technique transforms the energy equation into an elliptic-to-parabolic equation. A new technique is used that treats the boundary layer solution as the outer expansion of the elliptic-to-parabolic equation
The Slow Money Alliance

This issue's “Society of the Quarter” column profiles an organization that, on the surface, seems to have no connection with food and agriculture. But food production, distribution, and safety syst...
Learners in Transition: Evidence from the Interaction of Accuracy and Self‐Monitoring Skill in a Listening Task

Based on the observation that some ESL learners appear to regress in performance during language learning when traditional test accuracy scores are used, another aspect of students' performance was investigated. Using a confidence-rating scale, the self-monitoring abilities of 67 intermediate ESL students enrolled in a University-level pronunciation/listening course were assessed over a seven week period and compared with test accuracy scores. Results indicated three different groups of students. A lower level group, in terms of initial test accuracy scores, improved in their ability to choose correct answers on a test but their self-monitoring ability did not improve. A middle-level group actually regressed in their ability to choose correct answers on a test but significantly improved in self-monitoring ability. The higher-level group showed only minor improvement in both ability to choose correct answers and in self-monitoring. The pedagogical implications of these findings in terms of language acquisition, teacher attitudes, and testing are discussed.
Protocol converter generation using the STS approach

During the past four years, the authors have developed the Synchronizing Transition Set (STS) approach to solve protocol conversion problems for interconnecting heterogeneous computer networks. The STS approach is a 5-step formal algorithm: given service specifications of target protocols as its input, it derives a protocol converter specification as output. Several variations of the STS algorithm have been studied, and it was formally proven that all of these variations support the same correctness properties [1-4], such as conformity, liveness and transparency properties. Recently, the STS algorithm has been fully implemented in an STS protocol converter generation package. The package is written in the C language under a standard UNIX operating system. It needs less than 1000 lines of C statements to fully implement the STS algorithm. Moreover, to generate a converter between some classical example protocols, such as ABP (alternating bit protocol) and go-back-n protocols, it only takes a few seconds to derive a correct protocol converter specification using a desktop workstation. In this paper, the STS algorithm and its implementation are presented.
Observation of mesospheric ozone at low latitudes.

Stellar ultraviolet light near 2500 A is attenuated in the earth's upper atmosphere due to strong absorption in the Hartley continuum of ozone. The intensity of stars in the Hartley continuum region has been monitored by the University of Wisconsin stellar photometers aboard the OAO-2 satellite during occultation of the star by the earth's atmosphere. These data have been used to determine the ozone number density profile at the occultation tangent point. The results of approximately 12 stellar occultations, obtained in low latitudes, are presented, giving the nighttime vertical number density profile of ozone in the 60- to 100-km region.
Immune responses to human papillomavirus in genital tract of women with cervical cancer

Abstract Objectives To address a question whether immune responses to HPV infection play a role in control of cervical cancer, we analyzed systemic and mucosal immune responses to HPV in women who underwent radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer (HCC) or loop conization due to cervical dysplasia (LOOP), or had hysterectomy for other reasons (HNN). Methods HPV-specific antibodies in sera and vaginal washes were determined by ELISA using recombinant HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein. Cytokines in vaginal washes were assayed by Linco cytokine multiplex method using Luminex technology. Differential gene expression profiling in cervical tumor was determined by microarray analysis and Real-time RT-PCR. Results While levels of HPV-16 E7-specific IgG in vaginal wash were significantly higher in women undergoing HCC and HNN, the levels of the HPV-16 E7-specific IgA in vaginal wash of women with cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia were lower as compared to patients in HNN. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-8, were dominant in vaginal washes of all subjects studied. However, no pattern of Th1-type and Th2-type cytokine induction was observed as demonstrated by protein analysis as well as differential gene expression profiling in cervical tumor. Conclusions These results suggest a selective down-regulation of local HPV-specific IgA responses in women with cervical cancer.
Urinary Osmolal Changes in Renal Dysfunction Following Open-Heart Operations

Forty consecutive patients who underwent open-heart procedures using a hyperosmolar perfusion prime were studied to determine the significance of free-water clearance and urinary osmolality early after bypass in predicting the likelihood of postoperative renal dysfunction, defined as a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level over 50 mg/100 ml. Urinary osmolality increased in all patients during the first 18 hours after bypass, but the increase was substantially less for those who subsequently developed renal dysfunction. Free-water clearance, which was significantly less negative in the patients with renal dysfunction by 2 hours after bypass and remained so throughout the 18 hours of this study, served as an early postoperative indicator of impaired renal function in the patients who eventually developed BUN elevation. Moreover, it was more sensitive as an index of renal dysfunction than was osmolality alone. Early recognition of renal impairment is important, as it may prevent dangerous fluid overloading and allow for corrective measures to be undertaken before frank renal failure develops.
An extended penalty function approach to the numerical solution of constrained optimal control problems

This paper presents the extended penalty function method for solving constrained optimal control problems. Here, equality and inequality constraints on the state and control variables are considered. Using the extended penalty function method, the original constrained optimal control problem is transformed into a sequence of optimal control problems without inequality constraints. This is accomplished by adding to the cost functional a penalty term that takes on large values when the inequality constraints are violated and small values when the constraints are satisfied. Also presented is a continuation method for solving the sequence of differential-algebraic boundary value problems arising from the transformed optimal control problems. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated via examples.
12.1: LED Backlight for LCDs

Cold cathode type fluorescent lamp is widely used for color AM-LCD back light because of its high efficiency. Recently, high efficiency blue and green LED are become available in the market, which has better color purity than that of fluorescent lamp. In this paper, we studied their potential for the use of LCD back light. LED back light has an advantage of response time over conventional fluorescent lamps especially when considering color sequential display1 or moving image quality improvement2. Power efficiency, and spectra of Blue, Green, Red, and white fluorescent lamps and Blue, Green, Red LED's were measured, and driving current ratio of each color LED's, power efficiency, optical power output and brightness of the LED backlight were simulated assuming the white LED backlight has a same chromaticity as that of conventional fluorescent lamp.
Differential codes for free Ca2+–calmodulin signals in nucleus and cytosol

Abstract Background: Many targets of calcium signaling pathways are activated or inhibited by binding the Ca 2+ -liganded form of calmodulin (Ca 2+ –CaM). Here, we test the hypothesis that local Ca 2+ –CaM-regulated signaling processes can be selectively activated by local intracellular differences in free Ca 2+ –CaM concentration. Results : Energy-transfer confocal microscopy of a fluorescent biosensor was used to measure the difference in the concentration of free Ca 2+ –CaM between nucleus and cytoplasm. Strikingly, short receptor-induced calcium spikes produced transient increases in free Ca 2+ –CaM concentration that were of markedly higher amplitude in the cytosol than in the nucleus. In contrast, prolonged increases in calcium led to equalization of the nuclear and cytosolic free Ca 2+ –CaM concentrations over a period of minutes. Photobleaching recovery and translocation measurements with fluorescently labeled CaM showed that equalization is likely to be the result of a diffusion-mediated net translocation of CaM into the nucleus. The driving force for equalization is a higher Ca 2+ –CaM-buffering capacity in the nucleus compared with the cytosol, as the direction of the free Ca 2+ –CaM concentration gradient and of CaM translocation could be reversed by expressing a Ca 2+ –CaM-binding protein at high concentration in the cytosol. Conclusions: Subcellular differences in the distribution of Ca 2+ –CaM-binding proteins can produce gradients of free Ca 2+ –CaM concentration that result in a net translocation of CaM. This provides a mechanism for dynamically regulating local free Ca 2+ –CaM concentrations, and thus the local activity of Ca 2+ –CaM targets. Free Ca 2+ –CaM signals in the nucleus remain low during brief or low-frequency calcium spikes, whereas high-frequency spikes or persistent increases in calcium cause translocation of CaM from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, resulting in similar concentrations of nuclear and cytosolic free Ca 2+ –CaM.
Structure and regional significance of the Late Permian(?) Sierra Nevada–Death Valley thrust system, east-central California

Abstract An imbricate system of north-trending, east-directed thrust faults of late Early Permian to middle Early Triassic (most likely Late Permian) age forms a belt in east-central California extending from the Mount Morrison roof pendant in the eastern Sierra Nevada to Death Valley. Six major thrust faults typically with a spacing of 15–20 km, original dips probably of 25–35°, and stratigraphic throws of 2–5 km compose this structural belt, which we call the Sierra Nevada–Death Valley thrust system. These thrusts presumably merge into a decollement at depth, perhaps at the contact with crystalline basement, the position of which is unknown. We interpret the deformation that produced these thrusts to have been related to the initiation of convergent plate motion along a southeast-trending continental margin segment probably formed by Pennsylvanian transform truncation. This deformation apparently represents a period of tectonic transition to full-scale convergence and arc magmatism along the continental margin beginning in the Late Triassic in central California.
Journal of Clinical Medicine Editorial

"Why yet another journal?" Because this new journal will be different in that we are not just about new information but about understanding new information. We are online, peer reviewed, with a quick turnaround time from submission to publication and without any limit regarding length! Therefore, I am honored to introduce the Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM), which has been created to serve as a hub for disseminating new findings and discoveries in clinical medicine to clinicians and medical researchers worldwide. [...].
Peripubertal hyperinsulinemia upregulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/akt pathway in rat ovaries.

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) usually develops during peripuberty and is often associated with hyperinsulinemia. Paradoxically, hyperinsulinemic patients with PCOS develop peripheral insulin resistance but retain ovarian insulin sensitivity. We investigated the effect of peripubertal hyperinsulinemia on insulin signaling pathways in rat ovaries. Methods: Hyperinsulinemia was induced in peripubertal female rats by infusing insulin (0.14 IU/day) for 4 weeks. Control animals received normal saline. At autopsy, trunk blood was collected for insulin assay; ovaries were collected for examining the effect of hyperinsulinemia on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3-K/Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK1/2) pathways. Results: Compared with control, ovarian protein levels of total Akt, phospho-Akt, and phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3β were upregulated and phospho-phosphatase and tensin homolog was downregulated in hyperinsulinemic animals. The MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway was unaffected. Conclusions: Peripubertal hyperinsulinemia upregulates the PI3-K/Akt pathway in rat ovaries. Ovarian insulin sensitivity in hyperinsulinemic patients with PCOS is potentially retained by this mechanism.
A Wilf-Zeilberger Approach to Sums of Choi, Zörnig and Rathie

Abstract In this paper we present elegant and elementary proofs of identities that involve sums of the type in the title using Zeilberger's algorithm and the Wilf-Zeilberger proof style.
The heterogeneous effects of guardian supervision on adolescent driver-injury severities: A finite-mixture random-parameters approach

One of the key aspects of graduated driver licensing programs is the new-driver experience gained in the presence of a guardian (a person providing mandatory supervision from the passenger seat). However, the effect that this guardian-supervising practice has on adolescent drivers’ crash-injury severity (should a crash occur) is not well understood. This paper seeks to provide insights into the injury-prevention effectiveness of guardian supervision by developing an appropriate econometric structure to account for the complex interactions that are likely to occur in the study of the heterogeneous effects of guardian supervision on crash-injury severities. As opposed to conventional heterogeneity models with standard distributional assumptions, this paper deals with the heterogeneous effects by accounting for the possible multivariate characteristics of parameter distributions in addition to allowing for multimodality, skewness and kurtosis. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is developed for estimation and the permutation sampler proposed by Fruhwirth-Schnatter (2001) is extended for model identification. The econometric analysis shows the presence of two distinct driving environments (defined by roadway geometric and traffic conditions). Model estimation results show that, in both of these driving environments, the presence of guardian supervision reduces the crash-injury severity, but in interestingly different ways. Based on the findings of this research, a case could easily be made for extending the time-requirement for guardian supervision in current graduated driver license programs.
Electrode effects and bistable switching of amorphous Nb2O5 diodes

Abstract Nb-Nb 2 O 5 -metal diodes, after breakdown, exhibit switching between two stable conduction states and are potentially usable in an electrically alterable memory. Detailed procedures for oxide formation and electrical breakdown to produce Nb-Nb 2 O 5 -Bi diodes with good switching characteristics are described. The ratio of conductivities in the two stable states varies between 30 and 100. Switching from low to high conductivity can be done with 0.5–1.0 μsec pulses; switching from a high- to low-conductivity state requires 1.0–10 μsec pulses. Switching voltages are less than 1 V, switching powers are less than 100 μW, and the direction of switching is controlled by the polarity of the applied voltage. The dependence of device stability on temperature, storage, and bias are reported. When low-work function metals such as In, Cd, Zn, or Pb are used as counter-elelctrodes, a voltage-controlled negative resistance inflection occurs in the high-conductivity state. Diodes switch at 4.2°K. Switching appears to be an electronic phenomenon, occurring at a small number of regions in the oxide.
Methanogenic degradation of four phenolic compounds

Abstract The anaerobic metabolism of phenol, phloroglucinol, hydroquinone and p -cresol under methanogenic conditions was characterized. Anaerobic batch studies were carried out with inocula from a municipal sewage treatment plant digester. Substrate concentrations, gas formation and several intermediates formed during degradation were monitored over a period of more than a year. With acclimation of the microbial community to each of the phenolic compounds, the rates of metabolism and gas formation generally increased, except in the case of p -cresol. Stoichiometric degradation of all four compounds to gaseous end products was observed. Acetate was present as a methanogenic precursor. Phloroglucinol, hydroquinone and p -cresol were metabolized to phenol prior to mineralization, indicating that dehydroxylation and demethylation takes place during the initial metabolic phase. Evidence suggests that demethylation is the rate limiting step for anaerobic p -cresol metabolism.
Deconstructing Delphinium: Violence and Flowers in Rousseau’s Émile and Henke’s Chrysanthemum

This article is an attempt to contribute to the conversation about “go[ing] beyond all kinds of binary thinking” (Lenz Taguchi, Going beyond the theory/practice divide in early childhood education: introducing an intra-active pedagogy, 2010, p. 50), especially the binary which positions “adults” and “children” as being powerful and powerless, respectively, in educational settings. It is also a personal reflection on “naming.” At the center of the reflection are two literary works, the picture book by Henkes, Chrysanthemum (1991), and the novel by Rousseau, Emile, ou l’education (1762a). The central metaphor of Emile—that of the developing child as organically unfolding, like a flower—is deconstructed by the plot involving two flower-named characters in Chrysanthemum. These characters are the protagonist, Chrysanthemum, and her music teacher, Delphinium Twinkle. Two acts of “naming” are considered: the literal act of naming a newborn baby and the abstract concept of “naming” [or labeling] a particular time in the life of a human being: “Childhood” (Cannella, Deconstructing early childhood education: social justice and revolution, 1997).
Optimal frame size analysis for framed slotted ALOHA based RFID networks

We offer an analytical solution for the optimal frame size of the non-muting version of the Basic Frame Slotted ALOHA collision resolution protocol for RFID networks. Previous investigations of RFID frame size have been empirical and have not yielded a general result. Our theoretical analysis provides a generalized result. Our solution can be used to determine the optimal frame size for any given number of RFID tags. Suboptimal selection for the frame size can result in substantially longer than minimum census delays and can unnecessarily increase energy consumption. We were able to demonstrate about 20% performance improvement in reduced census delay for a given range of values. Our results can help speed-up reader-side processing times, lower the implementation complexity of RFID readers, and increase their energy efficiency.
Picosecond dynamics of excitations studied in three generations of new 4,4′-bis(diphenylamino)stilbene-based dendrimers

Abstract Picosecond fluorescence decay is observed in a new family of dendrimers constructed from 4,4′-bis(diphenylamino)stilbene repeat units. The rate of the decay is shown to depend on detection wavelength and the generation number in such a way that the energy of accepting states gradually lowers with the generation number. These observations can be consistently described in terms of the fast energy transfer from initially created localized states to more delocalized ones.
HR's future on the way to a presence

The business context within which human resource (HR) departments function is mandating new agendas, activities, and results. Emerging contextual factors such as information technology and globalization require that HR assume new agendas and practices. In this paper, these contextual factors will be examined; the emerging focal agendas of HR will be discussed; and the emerging list of HR practices will be briefly reviewed.
The Computation of Poetry

Could a computer be programmed to write Welsh poetry in English? And if so, could a reader tell the difference?
Fourth family quark masses, B0B0 mixing, and rare decay modes, in a canonical structure of the 4×4 km matrix

The implications of a canonical structure of the 4 × 4 KM matrix proposed by Shin, Chivukula and Flynn are reexamined in the light of the recently reported ARGUS result on B40Bd0 mixing and UA1's lower bound on mt. The reported Bd0Bd0 mixing is shown to be consistent with mt=50–90 GeV provided BK<0.3, even if |Vub|/|Vcb| is as small as 0.05–0.07. For BK⩾0.3, mb′ is predicted to be less than 55 GeV if mt⩾60 GeV, implying the very possibility of discovering the b′- or t-quark below 60 GeV in the near future. The Bs0Bs0 mixing parameter rs is predicted to be maximal if the reported ARGUS result on rd is valid. The branching ratios of some flavor-changing rare decay modes, which will be measured in the next generation of experiments, are predicted to be BR(K+ → π+νν)=(0.41−18.7) × 10−10, BR(b→sνν)=(0.27−6.2)×10−5, BR(b→sl+l−)= (2.2–9.9)×10−6, and BR(b→sγ)=(1.0−7.0) × 10−5. Among these BR(K+→π+vv) and BR(b→svv) are shown to be the best candidates for distinguishing the four-family KM model from that of the three-family KM model.
Analysis of electron scattering and muonic X-rays for 208Pb

Abstract Recent electron scattering and muonic X-ray data are simultaneously analysed using a three-parameter parabolic Fermi distribution, the same distribution with a realistic exponential tail and a theoretical distribution from density dependent Hartree-Fock theory. Inclusion of the known muonic X-ray corrections is shown to give a slightly inconsistent fit to the four lowest muon energy levels, χ-square contours for electron scattering and muonic X-rays are shown to overlap somewhat better for distributions with a wine-bottle shape, but a completely satisfactory simultaneous fit is not obtained.
Use of a nursing intensity system as a measure of patient function

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a nursing intensity system could be used as a valid and reliable measure of patient function (ability to perform activities of daily living). Eighty seven patients on the medical service were randomly selected for inclusion in the study. Functional status assessment was obtained by the Katz Index and compared with functional status data obtained from the nursing intensity system. Correlation between the two measures was high (r = .71, p < .001). The nursing intensity system was also found to have high internal consistency (alpha = .85). It was concluded that such systems have the potential to provide useful measures of function.
How long did it take to fix bugs

The number of bugs (or fixes) is a common factor used to measure the quality of software and assist bug related analysis. For example, if software files have many bugs, they may be unstable. In comparison, the bug-fix time--the time to fix a bug after the bug was introduced--is neglected. We believe that the bug-fix time is an important factor for bug related analysis, such as measuring software quality. For example, if bugs in a file take a relatively long time to be fixed, the file may have some structural problems that make it difficult to make changes. In this report, we compute the bug-fix time of files in ArgoUML and PostgreSQL by identifying when bugs are introduced and when the bugs are fixed. This report includes bug-fix time statistics such as average bug-fix time, and distributions of bug-fix time. We also list the top 20 bug-fix time files of two projects.
Proceedings: A role for Ca2+ in excitation of retinal rods and cones.

Abstract It has been suggested previously that the dark current of retinal rods and cones is controlled by the activity of Ca2+ ions in their cytoplasm. This idea is tested by using an agent, X537A, that increases the permeability of membranes to Ca2+. When rods are treated with X537A, the concentration of Ca2+ needed in the bathing solution to suppress the dark current is reduced by more than 2000 times relative to that needed for an untreated retina. Thus the dark current is indeed reduced when the internal Ca2+ activity is increased. Using a simple model for Ca2+ transport in the plasma membrane of rods, it is estimated that the activity of free Ca2+ in rod cytoplasm is not more than 2μ m and that 1000 Ca2+ ions released from a disc by a photon would produce a change in the dark current of the size actually observed in the living rat retina.
Increased measurement accuracy for sequence-verified microarray probes

Microarrays have been extensively used to investigate genome-wide expression patterns. Although this technology has been tremendously successful, it has suffered from suboptimal individual measurem...
An evaluation of Early Reading First (ERF) preschool enrichment on language and literacy skills

Early Reading First (ERF) was created to address problems related to language and development among economically disadvantaged and language-minority preschool children through quality classroom processes, professional development, and instruction. More than any previous initiative, ERF specifies what early literacy instruction should look like in preschool classrooms; however, to date, scant research has examined the effectiveness of the program. In this quasi-experimental study, the effectiveness of ERF preschool enrichment was evaluated through comparison with the performance of demographically similar children from the same school district who received practice-as-usual instruction. As in previous research, ERF-enriched instruction was found to enhance acquisition of alphabet knowledge and print concepts. Unlike previous studies, however, it was also found to promote vocabulary development. Multilevel models were chosen to take into account the non-independence of students in the same classroom in testing the effects of ERF.
Use of Radar Chaff for Studying Circulations in and around Shallow Cumulus Clouds

AbstractCirculations in and around cumulus clouds are inferred by using a passive tracer (radar chaff) and an airborne cloud radar during the Barbados Aerosol Cloud Experiment (BACEX). The radar chaff elements used for this experiment are fibers that are cut to a length of about ½ of the radar wavelength to maximize radar returns by serving as dipole antennas. The fibers are packed in fiber tubes and are mounted in a dispenser beneath the wing of the aircraft. The chaff was released near the tops and edges of a growing small cumulus cloud. The aircraft then made penetrations of the cloud at lower levels to observe the chaff signals above the aircraft with the zenith-pointing cloud radar. This study shows that the environmental air above the cloud top descends along the downshear side of the cloud edge and is subsequently entrained back into the same cloud near the observation level. The in-cloud flow follows an inverted letter P pattern. The merits and limitations of the chaff method for tracking circulat...
Effect of a Change in Crystal Polymorph on the Degree of Adhesion Between Micronized Drug Particles and Large Homogenous Carrier Particles During an Interactive Mixing Process

This study reports the effect of a change in crystal form on the quality of interactive mixtures prepared with homogenous sugar beads and the three polymorphs of chloramphenicol palmitate (CAP). Six mixtures containing micronized CAP polymorph powder (0.5%) and sugar beads (99.5%) were mixed in a Turbula® mixer at 27 rpm or 54 rpm for 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 min. Three of the six mixtures was screened to remove the unmixed drug powder. The content uniformity (CV %) of the three screened and three unscreened mixtures was determined by determining the variation in drug content of 10 randomly taken samples from each mixture. Comparison of the amount of drug screened and the content uniformity of the mixtures showed that at short mixing times and 27 rpm and longer mixing times of 10 and 20 min at 54 rpm, the three crystal forms formed interactive mixtures with statistically the same content uniformity. In contrast at 54 rpm and mixing for 5 min and shorter, form A formed less homogeneous interactive mixtures compar...
Positive Forms of Social Behavior: An Overview

The possibility exists that during the past decade some important social psychological theory and research and some salient social forces may have interacted to produce a subtle shift in the Zeitgeist from studies concerned with more negative to studies of more prosocial or positive forms of social behavior. The history of the term “prosocial” is first explored. Some different forms of prosocial behavior are indicated, along with the different research strategies and operational definitions involved, and a working definition of prosocial behavior is suggested. Finally, each chapter is overviewed and some indications are made of various intersections of agreement as well as countervailing arguments.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans are required for lung growth and morphogenesis in vitro

Proteoglycans (PGs) have been shown to play a key role in the development of many tissues. We have investigated the role of sulfated PGs in early rat lung development by treating cultured tissues with 30 mM sodium chlorate, a global inhibitor of PG sulfation. Chlorate treatment disrupted growth and branching of embryonic day 13 lung explants. Isolated lung epithelium (LgE) migrated toward and invaded lung mesenchyme (LgM), and chlorate irreversibly suppressed this response. Chlorate also inhibited migration of LgE toward beads soaked in FGF10. Chlorate severely decreased branching morphogenesis in tissue recombinants consisting of LgM plus either LgE or tracheal epithelium (TrE) and decreased expression of surfactant protein C gene (SP-C). Chlorate also reduced bone morphogenetic protein-4 expression in cultured tips and recombinants but had no effect on the expression of clara cell 10-kDa protein (CC10), sonic hedgehog (Shh), FGF10, and FGF receptor 2IIIb. Chlorate reduced the growth of LgE in mesenchyme-free culture but did not affect SP-C expression. In contrast, chlorate inhibited both rudiment growth and the induction of SP-C in mesenchyme-free cultured TrE. Treatment of lung tips and tissue recombinants with chondroitinase ABC abolished branching morphogenesis. Chondroitinase also suppressed growth of TrE in mesenchyme-free culture. Chondroitinase treatment, however, had no effect on the induction of SP-C expression in any of these cultures. These results demonstrate the overall importance of sulfated PGs to normal lung development and demonstrate a dynamic role for chondroitin sulfate PGs in embryonic lung growth and morphogenesis.
Cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Cumulative sum analysis of an institutional learning curve

The ability to perform intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an essential skill for the laparoscopic biliary surgeon. The volume of experience required to be able to consistently obtain a cholangiogram during laparoscopic cholecystectomy has not been determined. Cumulative sum analysis is a statistical technique which generates a graphical display that identifies periods of performance that fell below a predetermined standard for a given task. The cumulative sum (Sn) for a series of observations is defined as: ie185-001 where X1 = 0 for a success, X1 = 1 for a failure, and X0 is the acceptable failure rate for the process under study. This function is plotted against the number of observations to create a curve. When the curve has a positive slope, the acceptable failure rate is being exceeded. When it reaches a plateau, the observed failure rate is equal to the acceptable failure rate. When the curve has a negative slope, the observed failure rate is lower than the acceptable failure rate. We performed a cumulative sum analysis of the first 97 intraoperative cholangiograms attempted during laparoscopic cholecystectomy at our institution. The results demonstrated that 46 cases were required to reach a level of proficiency where a cholangiogram could be obtained in 95% of attempts. Success rates of 85% and 90% were achieved at 16 and 25 cases, respectively. This form of analysis is a useful tool for estimating the number of attempts required to achieve a desired success rate when learning new procedures.
The Comparative Energetics of New Guinean Cuscuses (Metatheria: Phalangeridae)

Rates of metabolism and body temperatures were measured as a function of ambient temperature in 6 species of cuscuses, including 5 species of Phalanger and 1 species of Spilocuscus from Papua New Guinea. These species had basal rates that are typical of marsupials. Basal rate of metabolism correlated with activity level, with active species having basal rates that averaged 18% greater than inactive species. Body mass and activity level accounted for 96.6% of the variation in phalangerid basal rates. The uniformity in marsupial basal rate, independent of body mass, reflects a form of reproduction that cannot exploit high basal rates. Montane species tended to have lower thermal conductances than generally found in species limited to low altitudes.
Hysteria and antisocial personality. A single disorder

Antisocial personality and hysteria have been thought to represent a single condition. Different clinical presentations for the disorders have been attributed to cultural stereotyping and diagnostic bias. The present study carefully examines detailed psychiatric histories taken from 560 nonpatient university students. Diagnoses of antisocial personality and hysteria are based on the diagnostic criteria for psychiatric research of Feighner et al. Interviewer bias is avoided. Both disorders were present in both sexes. Hysteria was more common for women, whereas antisocial personality occurred more frequently in men. The two disorders presented with nearly equal frequency in men. Hysteria was more frequent and antisocial personality was less frequent in women than in men. The two disorders were associated for women but not for men. Specific symptoms of antisocial personality were associated with hysteria and were identified. Specific symptoms of hysteria were associated with antisocial personality, differed in some respects between men and women, and demonstrated more symptoms of depressive illness for female sociopaths. Antisocial personality, hysteria, and their combinations considered together as a possible single entity occurred with equal frequency for both sexes.
Even criminals take a holiday: Instrumental and expressive crimes on major and minor holidays

Based on routine activity (RA) theory, the authors hypothesized that crime rates would vary with both the type of crime and the type of holiday, with violent crimes occurring more frequently and property crimes occurring less frequently on major holidays that brought families together in the home. It was also hypothesized that minor holidays would have little or no impact on crime rates. These hypotheses were tested by subjecting data on calls for service in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1985, 1987, and 1988 to time series analyses. After controlling for time of day, day of week, month, four weather variables, the first day of the month, linear trend, and autocorrelation, regression analyses indicated that both violent and property crimes were significantly related to major (or legal) holidays, whereas neither type of crime was more likely to occur on minor holidays. Crimes of expressive violence were significantly more prevalent on major holidays, whereas property crimes were less frequent on those days.
Structural and Dynamic Properties of the Human Prion Protein

Prion diseases involve the conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) to its misfolded pathogenic form (PrPSc). To better understand the structural mechanism of this conversion, we performed extensive all-atom, explicit-solvent molecular-dynamics simulations for three structures of the wild-type human PrP (huPrP) at different pH values and temperatures. Residue 129 is polymorphic, being either Met or Val. Two of the three structures have Met in position 129 and the other has Val. Lowering the pH or raising the temperature induced large conformational changes of the C-terminal globular domain and increased exposure of its hydrophobic core. In some simulations, HA and its preceding S1-HA loop underwent large displacements. The C-terminus of HB was unstable and sometimes partially unfolded. Two hydrophobic residues, Phe-198 and Met-134, frequently became exposed to solvent. These conformational changes became more dramatic at lower pH or higher temperature. Furthermore, Tyr-169 and the S2-HB loop, or the X-loop, were different in the starting structures but converged to common conformations in the simulations for the Met-129, but not the Val-129, protein. α-Strands and β-strands formed in the initially unstructured N-terminus. α-Strand propensity in the N-terminus was different between the Met-129 and Val129 proteins, but β-strand propensity was similar. This study reveals detailed structural and dynamic properties of huPrP, providing insight into the mechanism of the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc.
Lenticular Shale Fabrics Resulting from Intermittent Erosion of Water-Rich Muds—Interpreting the Rock Record in the Light of Recent Flume Experiments

Lenticular lamination is a fabric that is known from shales of all ages, but its origin and paleoenvironmental significance is poorly understood. We have successfully reproduced this fabric in flume experiments. Beds of water-rich mud were eroded in a flume and yielded sub-millimeter to centimeter-size fragments that can be transported in bedload for distances of ten kilometers or more. Upon redeposition and compaction, these deposits have the same textural qualities as lenticular laminated shales from the rock record. Although accumulation of fecal pellets or abundant burrow tubes in a shale may produce comparable fabrics upon compaction, these can be distinguished from erosion-produced lenticular lamination via petrographic criteria. Lenticular lamination in shales that is due to deposition of water-rich mud fragments most likely records intermittent erosion and transport of surficial muds by currents.