cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symbol Systems and Semiotic Systems

Since much of the debate about the mentality of machines depends upon or arises from analogical reasoning, it might be worthwhile to review what this species of reasoning is all about. Generally speaking, reasoning by analogy occurs when two things (or kinds of things) are compared and the inference is drawn that, since one — the more familiar case — has some particular property, the other — less familiar case — does too. Reasoning by analogy can be faulty (or “fallacious”) when (i) there are more relevant differences than there are relevant similarities drawing these cases together, (ii) the inference is taken to be completely conclusive, when at most it can be strongly supportive, or (iii) although there are more relevant similarities than there are relevant differences, there is some important (crucial or critical) property distinguishing between them, an instance of what may be described as the Principle of Minimality (to which we shall later have the occasion to return).
Comparative proteomic analysis of chicken macrophages stimulated with Salmonella Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Monosodium Urate (MSU) Crystals

Immune system cells are armed with recognition receptors by means of which they can sense pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Interaction of pathogen as well as damage associated ligands with their cognate receptors drives transcriptional and translational changes. To study the proteomic differences between signal transduction pathways involved in microbial induced and sterile injury, we used chicken macrophages HTC as a model system. Cells were labeled and treated with LPS or MSU by using SILAC proteomic approach. After 20 hrs of stimulation, the protein was extracted from secretome and cell lysate, quantified and subjected to in-solution digestion followed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. We quantified 150 proteins using Skyline software, 30 were upregulated and 18 down regulated in LPS treated cells and 40 upregulated and 11 down regulated in MSU treated cells. Interleukin 8, a secretory protein is differentially upregulated in LPS group. Cathepsin K, vimentin, kinases are some of the significantly upregulated cell lysate proteins in LPS group. Lactate dehydrogenase, heat shock, microtubule, annexin are significantly upregulated in MSU stimulated cell lysate. Functional annotation of proteins in both the groups by gene ontology software shows most of the proteins are involved in cytoskeleton remodeling, cell migration and cell signaling, which may be important in immune activation except nucleic acid binding transcription activity factor proteins which are uniquely expressed in LPS group. In conclusion our study gives an insight about the functional differences between pathogen and sterile associated inflammation at cellular level.
Big Data Storage Techniques for Spatial Databases: Implications of Big Data Architecture on Spatial Query Processing

Today, a large amount of data is being collected and stored. Data that has grown beyond traditional data management solutions has come to be known as big data. Solutions such as Hadoop have emerged to address the big data problem. However, spatial data presents its own challenges to storage and processing. Researchers have taken various approaches with Hadoop to handle spatial data efficiently. The approaches includes multi-stage map/reduce algorithms, generating on-demand indexes, and maintaining persistent indexes. This paper reviews the various approaches, categorizes the spatial queries reported in the testing, summarizes results, and identifies strengths and weaknesses with each approach.
The abyssal and deep circulation of the Northeast Pacific Basin

Abstract Three-dimensional abyssal and deep circulation of the region to the east and north of the Emperor Seamount Chain/Hawaiian Ridge is determined from a compilation of CTD and Argo float data, using a new overdetermined inverse technique for the geostrophic reference velocity and diapycnal/lateral mixing coefficients. The Northeast Pacific Basin is primarily sourced from its northern boundary, at a rate of 3.5 Sv across 47°N below 3000 m. Bottom water in the western subarctic gyre recirculates cyclonically between the Emperor Seamount Chain and 155°W. Bottom water east of 155°W takes a more direct path southward along the flank of a broad topographic slope. In the deep water, a ridge of potential vorticity lying along the Mendocino Fracture Zone separates circulation systems north and south of ∼40°N. The region has very weak diapycnal and lateral mixing, and an aspect ratio for the overturning circulation that is correspondingly flat, with bottom water parcels rising less than 1 km during their long transit from the Aleutian Trench to the latitude of Hawaii.
Bayesian Feature Selection for Ultrahigh Dimensional Imaging Genetics Data

Abstract This paper is motivated by imaging genetics studies with the goal to perform feature selection among multivariate phenotypes and ultrahigh dimensional genotypes. Specifically, we propose a novel multilevel sequential selection procedure under a Bayesian multivariate response regression model to select informative features among multivariate responses and ultrahigh dimensional predictors. We treat the identification of nonzero elements in the sparse coefficient matrix into a hierarchical feature selection problem by first selecting potential nonzero rows among the matrix (genotype selection) and then localizing the nonzero elements within the marked rows (phenotype selection). The genotypewise selection is accomplished by constructing multilevel auxiliary selection models under different scales with the actual scale auxiliary model treated as another level for the ultimate phenotypewise selection. We apply the method to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative with biologically meaningful results obtained.
Automatically finding bugs in a commercial cyber-physical system development tool chain with SLforge

Cyber-physical system (CPS) development tool chains are widely used in the design, simulation, and verification of CPS data-flow models. Commercial CPS tool chains such as MathWorks' Simulink generate artifacts such as code binaries that are widely deployed in embedded systems. Hardening such tool chains by testing is crucial since formally verifying them is currently infeasible. Existing differential testing frameworks such as CyFuzz can not generate models rich in language features, partly because these tool chains do not leverage the available informal Simulink specifications. Furthermore, no study of existing Simulink models is available, which could guide CyFuzz to generate realistic models. To address these shortcomings, we created the first large collection of public Simulink models and used the collected models' properties to guide random model generation. To further guide model generation we systematically collected semi-formal Simulink specifications. In our experiments on several hundred models, the resulting SLforge generator was more effective and efficient than the state-of-the-art tool CyFuzz. SLforge also found 8 new confirmed bugs in Simulink.
Use of Electronically Conducting Polymers as Catalytic Electrodes in Aqueous and Inorganic Electrolytes

Polyacetylene can be oxidized (“p-doped”) to the metallic regime by O2 or H2O2 in the presence of an aqueous solution of a non-oxidizing acid such as HBF4 or by an aqueous solution of an oxidizing acid such as HClO4. The [(CH)+y (A)−y]x (A− = ClO 4 − or BF 4 − ) formed above may be used as a cathode by connecting it to a lead anode in the electrolyte whereupon it is reduced to (CH)x. If the oxidizing agent is present during this process, the (CH)x is continuously electrochemically reduced by the lead as rapidly as it is oxidized chemically by the oxidizing agent. Polyacetylene is therefore acting as a catalytic electrode.
State-Dependent Learning Produced by Alcohol and Its Relevance to Alcoholism

A behavior learned while an animal is drugged sometimes fails to appear during subsequent nondrug test trials, although it appears reliably whenever the drug is readministered. Conversely, if the same behavior is learned when the animal is not drugged, it may then be performed only as long as the animal remains undrugged. For some reason, the ability to perform appears to be conditional upon the drug conditions present during initial acquisition (Overton, 1964). Experimental workers generally refer to this surprising phenomenon as “dissociated” learning or as “state dependent” learning. Clinically trained readers may find it convenient to think of the drug as inducing a sort of temporary “fugue” state separated from the nondrug state by a partial or complete amnesic barrier.
Measuring Perchlorate and Sulfate in Planetary Brines Using Raman Spectroscopy

Liquid water likely exists on the surface of Mars and below the icy crusts of Europa, Enceladus, and Titan. Pluto, Ceres, and Ganymede also show evidence of liquid water at or near the surface. Quantitative solute analyses would provide critical data needed to understand geochemical conditions throughout our solar system, including potential habitability of planetary bodies. We have developed and tested a Raman spectroscopic method for measuring perchlorate and sulfate in brines and dilute waters that utilizes simple Raman peak height ratios rather than peak area ratios. Ratios of the target anion and OH- bending water peaks yield linear fits with positive slopes and r2 values >0.99. Calibration fits for each solute–brine combination and ultrapure water yield similar linear equations, suggesting this method can detect and quantitatively measure solutes in complex aqueous solutions. No sample preparation or physical contact with the sample is required. Therefore, this method can be employed without contami...
Introduction to the Special Issue: Data-Driven Approaches to Research and Teaching in Professional and Technical Communication

The quest to understand the nuances of professional communication using computational tools have continued since, and many researchers in our field have embraced the new interdisciplinary approach now known as data science. Our quick metadata search on the journals and conference proceedings in technical and professional communication (TPC) revealed an increasing number of articles associated with terms commonly used in data science (e.g., big data, content analysis, text mining, sentiment analysis, topic modeling, network analysis) originating from numerous disciplines (e.g., corpus linguistics, computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, statistics, business analytics). Yet, the field of TPC is just beginning to embrace the power of data-driven approaches. This special issue extends Orr’s work by taking a snapshot of current work in data-driven approaches to the study of TPC.
Event Activity Measurements and Mid-Rapidity Correlations in 200 GeV pAu Collisions at STAR

These proceedings report preliminary measurements of correlations between mid-rapidity charged tracks and high-rapidity event activity (EA) at STAR for s NN = 200 G e V p+Au collisions taken in 2015. These correlations are intriguing because they inform the current debate over use of the Glauber model in “small” systems (here meaning p+A or d+A and denoted as “s+A”) and have implications for calculating nuclear modification and quenching observables in these systems. The results support concerns about centrality binning in p+Au collisions, and as such motivate using ratios of semi-inclusive, as opposed to fully inclusive, jet spectra to look for jet enhancement or suppression.
Reducing wall-clock time for the computation of all efficient extreme points in multiple objective linear programming

Abstract This paper describes an approach for markedly reducing the time required to obtain all efficient extreme points of a multiple objective linear program (MOLP) with three objectives. The approach is particularly useful when working with such MOLPs possessing large numbers of efficient extreme points. By subdividing the criterion cone into sub-cones, the paper shows how the task of computing all efficient extreme points can be broken down into parts so that the parts can be solved concurrently, thus allowing all efficient extreme points to be computed in much reduced elapsed time. The paper investigates several schemes for conducting this task and reports on a volume of computational experience.
The Ethnopragmatics of English Understatement and Italian Exaggeration: Clashing Cultural Scripts for the Expression of Personal Opinions

This chapter presents a cultural semantic analysis of the differences in the expression of personal opinions between English and Italian. In English, personal opinions are generally understated, whereas speakers of Italian tend to purposely exaggerate when making a statement. As one might expect, opposite communicative styles can lead to cases of miscommunication in cross-cultural interactions. Such cases can be avoided if language learners are provided with efficient tools, which can help them improve their cross-cultural awareness and competence. Adopting the approach of ethnopragmatics (Goddard (Ed.) in Ethnopragmatics. Understanding discourse in cultural context. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin, 2006; Goddard and Ye in The Routledge handbook of language and culture. Routledge, London, pp. 66–83, 2015), this chapter proposes the theory of cultural scripts as the optimal pedagogical tool to pinpoint the differences in the expression of personal opinions between English and Italian and show how scripts can be used effectively for cross-cultural training.
An intimate dialog between race and gender at Women’s Suffrage Centennial

Women’s Suffrage Centennial has arrived in a culturally divisive time in the United States as well as in a high-stakes presidential election year. All this is accompanied with the emergence of Black Lives Matter movement on a global-scale in the wake of the African American man George Floyd’s death under the knees of white police officers. In an “I cannot breathe” America at a new cultural awakening moment, is the Centennial a divider or unifier for American women in 2020? This article aims to answer the question by revisiting the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and iconic figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, and Mary Church Terrell. In an interdisciplinary approach anchored in both historical and cultural studies, the article scrutinizes the split between the two visceral elements pertinent to cultural identity—gender and race—in Women’s Suffrage Movement, draws a pattern of their intersection, and maps out a “double consciousness” (to borrow W.E.B. DuBois’ term). The article argues that the women’s suffrage movement was indeed a gigantic step towards the American ideal of gender equality but it fell short of racial equality. There is a mixed legacy to embrace and to reevaluate at the same time. Therefore, Women’s Suffrage Centennial should not and cannot be a single-issue gender celebration, nor a one-size-fits-all symphony, but a landmark occasion for an intimate and nuanced dialog between gender and race. The article suggests that the Centennial should not only celebrate white American suffragists, but should be an opportunity to make a historic step to cross the color line that has cutoff African American women, as well as women of color from other races, ethnicities, and heritages from the power center.
Application to File Brief and Brief of Amici Curiae, Center for Responsible Lending, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Public Citizen, Inc., and Public Good Law Center in Support of Appellants

Amicus Brief submitted to the California Supreme Court in De La Torre v CashCall Inc., 5 Cal.5th 966 (Cal. 2018): The Ninth Circuit has asked this Court whether the interest rate on consumer loans of $2,500 or more can render the loans unconscionable under section 22302 of the California Financial Code. The answer – with the proviso that any unconscionability determination must be made in the context of the terms and circumstances of the loans in question – is yes. . . . When the legislature removed the interest rate cap on loans above $2,500, it did not impliedly repeal the historic principle that courts may intervene where a contract or provision is unduly oppressive or unconscionable. Rather, the legislature recognized that the statute’s unconscionability provision would remain a safeguard against the excesses of an unfettered free market. The doctrine of unconscionability, a “principle of equity applicable to all contracts generally,” applies to all provisions of all contracts. (See Graham v. Scissor-Tail, Inc. (1981) 28 Cal.3d 807, 820.) A loan’s interest rate, whether governed by a statutory rate cap or not, is no exception. The incorporation of Civil Code section 1670.5 into Financial Code section 22302 evinces a clear legislative intent that courts should police the consumer credit market for unduly oppressive contract terms. The legislative mandate of Finance Code section 22302 is clear: where the market for consumer loans fails to produce socially tolerable terms, the courts may step in. The attributes of the loans at issue in this case – their relatively large size, the length of the repayment period and, notably, their high interest rates – provide ample foundation for a finding that the loans are in fact unconscionable. For the current proceeding, however, it is enough to say this: The interest rate on consumer loans of $2,500 or more can – in the context of the other terms and circumstances of the loans – render the loans unconscionable under section 22302 of the California Financial Code.
Treatment of angiokeratomas of Fordyce with topical rapamycin 0.25% cream

Angiokeratomas are benign vascular neoplasms clinically described as well-defined hyperkeratotic, red-to-black papules or plaques, and histologically appear as dilated blood vessels in the papillary dermis that form lacunae with associated acanthosis and rete ridge elongation. Multiple variants of angiokeratomas exist, including angiokeratoma of Fordyce (located on the genitalia, including the scrotum), angiokeratoma corporis diffusum (associated with Fabry disease), angiokeratoma of Mibelli (located on acral sites), solitary or multiple angiokeratomas (often located on lower extremities), and angiokeratoma circumscriptum (congenital and occurs on the trunk and extremities). While angiokeratomas are typically asymptomatic, they can bleed, cause pruritus or pain, and impact psychological health, ultimately driving a patient to seek care. A wide variety of therapeutic options have previously been described including surgical excision, electrodessication, cautery, cryotherapy, and laser.1 Here, we describe a patient who demonstrated a positive response to topical rapamycin (sirolimus), an unconventional method of treatment.
Latent Toxoplasma gondii infections are associated with elevated biomarkers of inflammation and vascular injury.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects cats as definitive hosts and other warm-blooded animals including humans as intermediate hosts. It forms infectious cysts in the brain, muscle and other tissues establishing life-long latent infection. Approximately 10% of the US population is infected. While latent infections are largely asymptomatic, they are associated with neurological deficits and elevated risks of neuropsychiatric diseases. This cross-sectional epidemiological study investigated associations of T. gondii infections with biomarkers of inflammation and vascular injury: soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum amyloid A (SAA). Serum samples from 694 adults in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area were tested for IgG antibody response to T. gondii, and for the above biomarkers using commercially available assays. T. gondii seroprevalence rate in this sample was 9.7%. Seropositivity was significantly associated with 11% (95% confidence limits 4, 20%) greater median levels of VCAM-1 (p = 0.003), and marginally significantly with 9% (1, 17%), and 36% (1, 83%) greater median levels of ICAM-1, and CRP, respectively (p = 0.04 for each) after adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates, while the 23% (− 7, 64%) adjusted effect on SAA was not statistically significant (p = 0.15). Latent infections with T. gondii are associated with elevated biomarkers of chronic inflammation and vascular injury that are also known to be affected by ambient air pollution.
The Supreme Court and the Illegitimacy of Lawless Fourth Amendment Policing

For more than half a century, documented police brutality has affected communities of color and the American legal system has largely failed to address it. Beginning with Rizzo v. Goode, Supreme Court decisions have allowed local police departments nearly unlimited discretion in their policies and practices. That decision and others demonstrate that the Supreme Court is misaligned with governmental initiated reforms. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which allows the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to investigate law enforcement agencies’ practices and seek injunctive relief against agencies found to have engaged in unconstitutional policing, has more adequately addressed the problem. The legislation has resulted in nearly seventy local law enforcement investigations, which in turn have resulted in forty consent decrees. While the DOJ has made progress in its attempts to combat police brutality, the Supreme Court is misaligned with its efforts in three significant ways. First, the Court’s prevailing Fourth Amendment stop, search, and arrest analysis encourages rule or policy violations and law breaking by police officers. Second, despite the Court’s permissive response to officers who disregard departmental policies and local law, many law enforcement agencies have engaged in DOJ-initiated reform processes. Finally, the Court disregards the impact that arbitrary and discriminatory policing has on the ability of police departments to perform their jobs effectively while police experts and departments are focused on building legitimacy with marginalized communities. The dangers posed by this misalignment threaten the progress that DOJ initiated reforms strive to make.
Has Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Radiation Therapy Become the Standard of Care in the United States? An Updated Report from National Cancer Database.

Abstract Introduction/Background We aimed to update the previous evaluation of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) use over time in the United States and factors related to its adoption for patients undergoing a lumpectomy from 2004 to 2016. Materials and Methods Among the patients who underwent a lumpectomy, we identified 688,079 patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer and 248,218 patients with ductal carcinoma in situ in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2016. We defined HF-WBI as 2.5 to 3.33 Gy/fraction to the breast and conventional fractionated whole-breast irradiation as 1.8 to 2.0 Gy/fraction. We evaluated the trend of HF-WBI use and examined factors associated with HF-WBI use using logistic regression models. Results Among invasive cancer patients, the use of HF-WBI increased exponentially from 0.7% in 2004 to 15.6% in 2013 and then to 38.1% in 2016. Among patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, the use of HF-WBI has increased significantly from 0.42% in 2004 to 13.4% in 2013 and then to 34.3% in 2016. Factors found to be associated with HF-WBI use included age, patient geographical location, race/ethnicity, tumor stage, grade, treating facility type, and volume. Conclusion HF-WBI use in the United States has more than doubled from 2013 to 2016. Although its use is close to that of conventional fractionated whole-breast irradiation, HF-WBI is still far from the preferred standard of care in the United States. We identified several patient and facility factors that can impact the uptake of HF-WBI treatment. Microabstract Using the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2016, we evaluated the trend of hypofractionated whole-breast radiation therapy use and factors associated with use. Use in the United States has more than doubled from 2013 to 2016, but it has not become the standard of care. We identified several patient and facility factors that impact the uptake of hypofractionated whole-breast radiation therapy treatment.
Teaching Undergraduate Psychiatry During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Learning Experiences

The novel coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic has adversely affect health, economy, and educational sectors globally. Medical universities and colleges are facing challenges to provide effective online education to their students during this prolonged period of lockdown. We describe our challenges while conducting online psychiatric medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic that include inadequate infrastructures, internet connectivity issues, students’ engagement problems and online assessments. We adapted some initiatives to maintain students’ exposure to psychiatric illnesses and provide them with learning opportunities by using interactive virtual problem-based discussion and role-plays. Please click PDF below to download the full paper...
Micro-macroscopic modeling of a lithium-ion battery by considering grain boundaries of active materials

Abstract Many important properties of electrode materials are profoundly sensitive to deviations from the crystalline perfection. Among them are grain boundaries, which play an important role on battery performance by altering the distributions of ions inside the particles and changing the corresponding stress level. This paper explores the mechanical and microstructural aspects of battery behavior by developing a cell-level model that incorporates grain boundary diffusion in the electrode particles for the anode and cathode. The developed model is compared against a grainless model at various operating conditions to understand how grain boundaries influence capacity and stress generation. The results from the model revealed that the location of the maximum stress might not necessarily occur at the separator interface at any given time as the particles with heterogeneous diffusion paths displayed gradual changes in flux profile, which has just been believed in practice. The grain structure geometry variability showed that less diffusive particles at the rear side endure more stress than high diffusive frontal particles. Also, the results show an appreciable effect of grain boundary diffusion on the voltage profile of the cell for the tested parameters and, overall, a significant reduction in the maximum induced stress in the cell. Stress behavior between the anode and cathode differ significantly and show that the effective diffusivity of a particle might matter much more significantly than its location in the cell. With heterogeneous particle shape modeling capabilities, this approach can be next-generation battery model that improves understanding of battery materials and electrodes.
Psychiatry Residents' Use of Educational Websites: A Pilot Survey Study

Psychiatry residents have numerous online educational resources readily available to them although currently there are no data regarding residents’ use and perception of such websites. A survey was offered to 62 residents from all four years of training as well as recent graduates of a single psychiatry residency training program. Residents reported utilizing online resources on average 68 % of the time, in comparison to 32 % on average for printed materials. Residents reported UpToDate, PubMed, and Wikipedia as the most visited websites and ranked each highly but for different purposes. Thirty-five percent of residents felt that insufficient faculty guidance was a barrier to use of these educational websites. Pilot data indicate psychiatry residents use online resources daily for their education in various settings. Resident perceptions of individual website’s trustworthiness, ease of use, and sources of clinical decision-making and personal learning suggest potential opportunities for educators to better understand the current use of these resources in residency training. Reported barriers including lack of faculty guidance suggest opportunities for academic psychiatry. Further study is necessary at multiple sites before such results may be generalized.
The Control Point Library Building System

The Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota distributes precision corrected Landsat MSS and RBV data. These data are derived from master data tapes produced by the Master Data Processor (MDP), NASA's system for computing and applying corrections to the data. Included in the MDP is the Control Point Library Building System (CPLBS), an interactive, menu-driven system which permits a user to build and maintain libraries of control points. The control points are required to achieve the high geometric accuracy desired in the output MSS and RBV data. This paper describes the processing performed by CPLBS, the accuracy of the system, and the host computer and special image viewing equipment employed.
Techniques and Experience in Mining RemotelySensed Satellite Data

The paper presents a set of requirements for a data mining system for mining remotely sensed satellite data based on a number of taxonomies that characterize mining of such data. The first of these taxonomies is based on knowledge of the mining objectives and mining algorithms. The second is based on various relationships that are found in data, including those between different types of data, different spatial locations of the data and different times of data capture. The paper then describes the ADaM data mining system, which was developed to address these requirements. The paper describes several data mining techniques that have been applied to remotely sensed data. The first type is target independent mining, which mines data for transients and trends, with mined results representing a highly concentrated form of the original data. The second type is the mining of vectors (representing multi-spectral or fused data) for association rules representing relationships between the various types of data represented by the elements of the vector. The third type mines data for association rules that characterize the texture of the data.
An overview of modern PWM techniques for three-phase, voltage-controlled, voltage-source inverters

An overview of modern PWM techniques for three-phase, voltage-controlled, voltage-source inverters is presented. Five classes are distinguished: (1) modulating-function techniques, (2) voltage space-vector techniques, (3) programmed and quasi-programmed techniques, (4) feedback and quasi-feedback techniques, and (5) random techniques. Underlying principles and general characteristics of each class are briefly described. It is stressed that a practical high-performance PWM technique must offer a sensible tradeoff between the often conflicting technical requirements.
Speech synthesis based on feature extraction to enhance noise-corrupted speech

Presents a promising new alternative for improving the intelligibility of noise-corrupted speech. The technique relies on the extraction of speech features known to be important to speech intelligibility. These features are translated into parameters suitable to drive a formant-based speech synthesizer. The basic philosophy of the approach is that clean speech can be synthesized from features extracted from noisy speech providing the extracted features are sufficiently accurate. The features extracted are the fundamental frequency, voiced/unvoiced decision, and formant frequencies. Preliminary results demonstrate that intelligible speech can be synthesized from the information provided by the feature extraction algorithms, and that the proposed speech enhancement method has the potential to improve the intelligibility of speech corrupted by noise. >
Graphical representation of logic programs and their behaviour

The paper describes a set of graphs that form a coherent framework for the design and implementation of a graphical environment for logic programming. The set includes three types of graphs which collectively represent the structure of logic programs and their behavior. The representational formalism underlying the development of these graphs is based on cyclic AND/OR graphs. One of the most important properties of the representation scheme presented is the ease with which the program behavior can be mapped onto the source code. This is accomplished by folding the graph that represents program behavior onto the graph that represents the source code. In the representation scheme, information regarding the generation of values for variables is represented using a separate set of binding dependency graphs which are particularly useful in debugging. >
Overview of Human Genome Research

A short while ago I attended a workshop organized by Senator Dominici in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Others who were present included Ruth Kirschstein, Director of General Medical Sciences at NIH, and David Kingsbury, NSF Assistant Director for Biological and Behavioral Research. What became clear from the discussion was that the human genome project means different things to different Agencies. Although that causes some confusion at first, it is a very positive sign because what people have in mind tends to be complementary. The type of consortium just described by Jack McConnell makes a lot of sense because different Agencies generally have different contributions to make to molecular biology and medical genetics. What emerges, after the initial confusion subsides, is a very powerful and potentially very coherent Federal program.
Prior Carbohydrate Consumption Affects the Amount of Carbohydrate that Rats Choose to Eat

Consumption of protein-rich, carbohydrate-restricted reducing diets has been associated anecdotally with an increased appetite for carbohydrate. We have tested the effect of such a diet on carbohydrate intake by rats. Rats were given either a calorie- restricted ketogenic diet containing protein and fat or a control diet containing car bohydrate along with the protein and fat. When allowed to choose from a pair of isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets containing 25 or 75% dextrin, ketotic rats ate significantly more carbohydrate and total food than control animals during the first 30 minutes of feeding, apparently requiring more of the carbohydrate to obtain an increase in brain tryptophan similar to controls. Ketotic rats ate a significantly higher proportion of total calories as carbohydrate. Similar results were obtained when sucrose replaced dextrin. When ketotic and control rats chose between two diets differing in proportions of fat or protein, no differences were observed between the groups in total food intake nor in the amounts or proportions of fat or protein eaten. We also compared the effects of a small, isocaloric premeal containing only carbohydrate (1.4 g dextrose) or mixed nu trients on subsequent carbohydrate consumption in otherwise untreated rats allowed to choose from 25 and 75% dextrin diets. Rats eating the carbohydrate premeal subse quently ate as much total food as the mixed-nutrient controls, but significantly less carbohydrate. These observations suggest that carbohydrate intake is influenced by prior nutrient consumption and that prolonged deprivation of carbohydrate can lead to over- consumption of this nutrient when it is reintroduced into the diet. J. Nutr. 113: 70- 78, 1983.
Tritium Inventory of Inertial Fusion Energy Target Fabrication Facilities: Effect of Foam Density and Consideration of Target Yield of Direct Drive Targets

The tritium inventory of direct drive inertial fusion energy (IFE) target filling facilities is examined in the interest of minimizing the tritium inventory. A model is described that has been developed to evaluate the tritium inventory of the target filling process as a function of filling and layering parameters, as well as target design parameters. Previous studies by A. Nobile et al. showed that the temperature and the fill system void fraction have a significant effect on the tritium inventory. The current study uses the model to examine the effect of deuterium-tritium (DT) ice layering time and density of the CH foam in the target on the tritium inventory. The study shows that increasing the foam density and decreasing the DT ice layering time significantly reduce the tritium inventory. Fortunately, one-dimensional target design calculations indicate that the foam density in the direct drive target can be increased to {approx}200 mg/cm{sup 3} without significant degradation of the target yield. Having evaluated and minimized the theoretical tritium inventory, calculations were performed with more realistic batch filling scenarios. The inventories associated with 'real' filling scenarios approach the theoretical minimum inventory as the number of batches is increased, resulting in tritium inventories that seemmore » acceptable for future IFE target DT filling facilities.« less
Systematic review of health literacy in Cochrane database studies on paediatric asthma educational interventions: searching beyond rigorous design

Aim The purpose of this study was to evaluate if paediatric asthma educational intervention studies included in the Cochrane Collaboration database incorporated concepts of health literacy. Methods Inclusion criteria were established to identify review categories in the Cochrane Collaboration database specific to paediatric asthma educational interventions. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected from the Cochrane Collaboration database in 2010. The health literacy definition from Healthy People 2010 was used to develop a 4-point a priori rating scale to determine the extent a study reported aspects of health literacy in the development of an educational intervention for parents and/or children. Results Five Cochrane review categories met the inclusion criteria; 75 studies were rated for health literacy content regarding educational interventions with families and children living with asthma. A priori criteria were used for the rating process. While 52 (69%) studies had no information pertaining to health literacy, 23 (31%) reported an aspect of health literacy. Although all studies maintained the rigorous standards of randomized clinical trials, a model of health literacy was not reported regarding the design and implementation of interventions. Conclusions While a more comprehensive health literacy model for the development of educational interventions with families and children may have been available after the reviewed studies were conducted, general literacy levels still could have been addressed. The findings indicate a need to incorporate health literacy in the design of client-centred educational interventions and in the selection criteria of relevant Cochrane reviews. Inclusion assures that health literacy is as important as randomization and statistical analyses in the research design of educational interventions and may even assure participation of people with literacy challenges.
Elementary and Middle Level Counselors' Courtroom Hearing Experiences:

What are the types of cases on which counselors are asked to offer testi mony, and what resources can they call upon in preparing for a case?
Spin-flip Raman scattering in a diluted magnetic semiconductor: Cd1−xMnxTe

Abstract We report spin-flip Raman scattering in Cd1-xMnxTe in the paramagnetic phase. The spin-flip Raman line at ωSFR is observed in a wide range of compositions, x = 0.01 to 0.18. The polarization characteristics establish that the line is associated with the spin-flip transition of an electron. The large effective g-factor, the temperature and magnetic field dependence of ωSFR can be traced to the especially important exchange interaction between Mn++ and band electrons in the diluted magnetic semiconductors.
Beyond cultureblindness: A model of culture with implications for gifted education

We are fond of stating that “what is valued and viewed as gifted in one culture may not be considered gifted in another culture.” This assertion appears in gifted education textbooks and in the writings of several scholars. However, beyond stating this assertion and providing a few examples to support it, scholars in gifted education, ourselves included, have not provided a substantive treatment of the concept of “culture” in their works. This void is addressed in this article where we share definitions and functions of culture, along with a theoretical model for understanding culture. The article ends with implications for gifted education.
Total ion desorption yields of H2O, D2O, CH3OH, CD3OD and water-methanol mixed ices irradiated at 584 Å

Abstract Preliminary measurements of the total ion desorption yields of several pure and mixed molecular ices have been carried out using the He I 584 A resonance radiation as the incident photon beam. The various ice samples were prepared at 77 K in an ultrahigh vacuum system. The total ion desorption yields of H2O ices, D2O ices, CH3OH ices, CD3OD ices, H2O-CH3OH mixed ices and D2O-CD3OD mixed ices were determined. Minor isotopic effects on the ion desorption processes of the above-mentioned ices have been observed. There is a clear enhancement in the ion desorption yields of water-methanol mixed ices in comparison with pure ices. Such data are required in the interpretation of the gaseous atmospheres of comets, asteroids, icy planets, satellites and rings, and interstellar icy grains.
Tailoring Beam Mechanics Towards Enhancing Detection of Hazardous Biological Species

Microcantilever based sensors have been widely employed for measuring or detecting various hazardous chemical agents and biological agents. Although they have been successful in detecting agents of interest, researchers desire to improve their performance by enhancing their mass sensitivity towards developing “detect to warn” detection capabilities. Moreover, there has been little work aimed at tailoring beam mechanics as a means to enhance mass sensitivity. In this paper, a numerical study is performed to assess the influence of microcantilever geometry on mass sensitivity in order to improve these devices for better detection of hazardous biological agents in liquid environments. Modal analysis was performed on microcantilevers of different geometries and shapes using ANSYS software and compared to the basic rectangular shaped microcantilever structures employed by most researchers. These structures all possessed a 50 μm length, 0.5 μm thickness and 25 μm width where the cantilever is clamped to the substrate, and were analyzed for their basic resonance frequency as well as the frequency shift for the attachment of a 0.285 pg of mass attached on their surfaces. These numerical results indicated that two parameters dominate their behavior, (1) the effective mass of the cantilever at the free end and (2) the clamping width at the fixed end. The ideal geometry was a triangular shape, which minimized effective mass and maximized clamping width, resulting in an order of magnitude increase in mass sensitivity (1,775 Hz/pg) over rectangular shaped cantilevers (172 Hz/pg) of identical length and clamping width. The most practical geometry was triangular shaped cantilever with a square pad at the free end for capturing the agent of interest. This geometry resulted in a mass sensitivity of 628 Hz/pg or nearly a 4-fold increase in performance over their rectangular counterparts.
Anomalous Band Gap Evolution from Band Inversion in Pb1−xSnxTe Nanocrystals

We report the synthesis of a series of narrowly disperse Pb1−xSnxTe nanocrystals by employing a colloidal synthetic strategy. As synthesized nanocrystals are solid solutions with cubic NaCl-type structure and exhibit band energy gaps in the mid-IR region. We show that these ternary nanocrystals display qualitatively the same anomalous trend in band gaps as a function of x that is attributed to the band inversion phenomenon of the corresponding bulk materials; however unlike the bulk the band gap does not vanish at any Sn concentration but achieves a minimum of 0.28 eV for x = 0.67.
The effects of cinanserin, a potent serotonin antagonist, on the acquisition of a running response in the rat.

Abstract Three groups of hungry rats ( n = 15) were given either saline placebo injections or injections of a potent serotonin antagonist (Cinanserin; 12 or 36 mg/kg i.p.) and given 45 training trials in a straight alley for food reward. Thirty additional testing trials followed in which subjects were run under the same injection conditions as in training or under either of the alternative injection conditions. The high drug dosage caused a significant performance impairment but the effects did not persist into the testing phase when the subjects were taken off the high dose injection. In addition, high drug dosage subjects consistently initiated the day's responding at a lower level than the previous experimental day's terminal performance asymptote. These results are discussed in terms of the putative involvement of serotonin in the observed behavioral modifications.
Subthreshold Na + -dependent theta-like rhythmicity in stellate cells of entorhinal cortex layer II

THE oscillation of membrane potential in mammalian central neurons is of interest because it relates to the role of oscillations in brain function. It has been proposed that the entorhinal cortex (EC), particularly the stellate cells of layer II (ECIIscs), plays an important part in the genesis of the theta rhythm1–3. These neurons occupy a key position in the neocortex-hippocampus-neocortex circuit, a crucial crossroad in memory functions4,5. Neuronal oscillations typically rely on the activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ conductances and the Ca2+-dependent K+ conductance that usually follows6,7, as seen in other limbic subcortical structures generating theta rhymicity8–10. Here we report, however, that similar oscillations are generated in ECIIscs by a Na+ conductance. The finding of a subthreshold, voltage-gated, Na+-dependent rhythmic membrane oscillation in mammalian neurons indicates that rhythmicity in heterogeneous neuronal networks may be supported by different sets of intrinsic ionic mechanisms in each of the neuronal elements involved.