cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: POST-COMMUNIST NATIONS

The literature has extensively investigated the relationships between country economic and political institutions and human well-being. I assume that economic institutions can be the determinants o...
Causes of hospital readmissions within 7 days from the neurosurgical service of a quaternary referral hospital.

Background Evaluation of readmission rates as a proxy metric of health-care quality in neurological surgery has grown to become a prevalent area of investigation in the last several years. Significant attention has been paid to 30-day readmission rates due to the financial incentive to health-care providers following the enforcement of the penalties created by the Affordable Care Act. However, relatively little attention has been paid to patients readmitted within 7 days of discharge to large quaternary neurological surgery services. This study was conducted to examine the causes and unique characteristics of 7-day readmission rates from a neurosurgical service at a large quaternary referral hospital. Methods A retrospective observational analysis of all 7-day readmissions to the neurosurgical surgery service of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital from August 2017 to June 2019, was performed. Patients were organized into seven categories based on their primary reason for readmission: scheduled surgeries, infection, pain, altered mental status or seizures, general postoperative complications, complications directly resulting from a neurosurgical intervention, and unrelated reasons. Demographic information, the time between initial discharge and subsequent readmission, and discharge disposition were also recorded. Results Of 5274 discharges, 258 patients (4.9%) were readmitted within 7 days (55.0% male; mean age 60 years of age). Two-thirds of patients readmitted initially underwent care for cranial pathologies (57% of 258 patients) as opposed to a third for spine pathologies (33% of 258 patients). Complications that directly arose from the neurosurgical intervention (e.g., shunt infection or misplacement, and hardware misplacement) represented 18.9% of total readmission, while general postoperative complications (e.g., urinary tract infection) accounted for 15.1% of total readmission, in which all together were slightly greater than a third of readmissions. Seizures or altered mental status led to less than a fifth of readmissions (17.0%), followed by readmissions from unrelated diagnosis or miscellaneous reasons (17.0%) and scheduled surgeries (13.1%). Taken together, surgical site infections (9.7%) and postoperative pain (9.3%) accounted for 9.7% and 9.3 % of readmissions, respectively. Conclusion Approximately 5% of patients discharged in a single year from our quaternary referral center were readmitted within 7-days. Approximately 90% of all 7-day readmissions were unplanned, with one-third resulting directly from perioperative complications. Further investigation to better understand this acutely vulnerable yet previously overlooked population may guide focused efforts to increase the quality of neurosurgical patient care.
A Hierarchical Bayesian model for Inverse RL in Partially-Controlled Environments.

Robots learning from observations in the real world using inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) may encounter objects or agents in the environment, other than the expert, that cause nuisance observations during the demonstration. These confounding elements are typically removed in fully-controlled environments such as virtual simulations or lab settings. When complete removal is impossible the nuisance observations must be filtered out. However, identifying the source of observations when large amounts of observations are made is difficult. To address this, we present a hierarchical Bayesian model that incorporates both the expert's and the confounding elements' observations thereby explicitly modeling the diverse observations a robot may receive. We extend an existing IRL algorithm originally designed to work under partial occlusion of the expert to consider the diverse observations. In a simulated robotic sorting domain containing both occlusion and confounding elements, we demonstrate the model's effectiveness. In particular, our technique outperforms several other comparative methods, second only to having perfect knowledge of the subject's trajectory.
The Founders Would Have Hated Our Bill of Rights

Today's individual rights understanding of the Bill of Rights, the same understanding through which young citizens are taught to approach the Bill of Rights and thus through which many Americans think about the Bill of Rights, is only one chapter of the much longer history of the Bill of Rights. These prepared remarks, first presented in February 2020, look at the Bill of Rights through a historical lens, focusing on the salient issues at the Founding, in the run up to the Civil War, and finally on through to the present. They emphasize and explain the power struggles that resulted in the Bill of Rights — those between the People and the new, national government and between the new national government and the States--and discusses how the winners of those struggles defined the Bill of Rights today.
Use of Automated Self-administered 24-hour Recalls (ASA24-2011) and Diet Quality Scores to Characterize Women who Met or Exceeded Weight Gain Recommendations during Pregnancy

Abstract Understanding dietary patterns of women who exceed gestational weight gain (GWG) recommendations is crucial to promote healthier pregnancies. This study assessed nutrient intake, diet quality and GWG of participants in the Pregnancy, Exercise, and Nutrition (PEN) feasibility study who met or exceeded weight gain recommendations during pregnancy. The ASA24-2011, a web-based tool, was used to collect dietary intake data and dietary quality was assessed with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 and the Diet Quality Index-Pregnancy (DQI-P). Fifty-three percent of PEN participants exceeded the 2009 IOM GWG recommendations; no significant associations were found between reported dietary quality and gestational weight gain.
β-Glucuronidase of Rat Liver Lysosomes PURIFICATION, PROPERTIES, SUBUNITS

Abstract Previous work has established that rat liver contains several closely related forms of β-glucuronidase differing in their subcellular distribution. The present report focuses on the most abundant form, which is the major one occurring in lysosomes. This β-glucuronidase was purified 8,400-fold, to the highest specific activity thus far reported. The preparation is homogeneous by all criteria applied. It contains a relatively high content of glutamic and aspartic acids and a very low content of sulfur-containing amino acids. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 280,000, the value obtained depending upon the method used for the determination. Since gel filtration in the presence of urea, or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, yielded results suggesting that the enzyme consists of subunits of molecular weight of approximately 75,000, the native enzyme apparently is a tetramer.
Injury to Strawberry Crowns Caused by European Corn Borer Larvae

Larvae of several insects injure and kill strawberry (Fragaria xananassa Duchesne) plants by burrowing into and hollowing out plant crowns. Occasionally, these infestations are serious enough to cause heavy economic losses to fruit producers and nursery plant growers. In 1997 in Beltsville, Md., we observed wilting and dying mature plants and unrooted runner plants in two experimental strawberry plantings. Injury by larvae was extensive; large cavities occurred in crowns, and the central pith tissues were removed from stolons and leaf petioles. Often, insect frass was seen at entrance holes. Larvae removed from hollowed-out parts of injured plants were identified as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hiibner) in their fifth instar stage. Their presence in this instance also was associated with a cover crop of millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv., 'German Strain R'] planted between the strawberry rows for weed suppression. This is the first published report of the European corn borer attacking strawberry. Although this insect may occur only sporadically in strawberry plantings, it may become important in the future. Growers and other professionals should become aware of this new strawberry pest and recognize that its management in strawberry will be different from management of other crown-boring insects.
Effect of sparteine sulfate on amniotomy induction: A double blind evaluation

Abstract Sparteine sulfate in 150 mg. doses, given intramuscularly at hourly intervals until the onset of labor with a maximum of 3 doses, has the property of a mild uterine stimulant. A decided reduction in the latent interval from amniotomy to onset of contractions could be demonstrated. Sparteine sulfate was not given after labor began, and no influence on the stages of labor could be demonstrated except for the first stage in multiparas which was significantly reduced. A hypertonic state of the uterus and fetal bradycardia were definitely more common in the sparteine sulfate group. This raises the question of its complete safety. No difference in fetal outcome could be demonstrated, however.
Controlled synthesis of a functionalized polytungstate ligand and a {MaMbMc(PW9)2} sandwich complex

The synthesis of an unprecedented vacant polytungstate ligand and its use to obtain a crystallographically characterized {MaMbMc(PW9)2}-type sandwich structure, the first example of the purposeful and controlled metal incorporation into a derivatized POM, are reported.
The Rise of the Problem-Film: An Analysis of Changes in Hollywood Films and the American Audience

Sociologists have paid almost no attention to the movies in recent years, but some significant changes have been taking place in the content of Hollywood films in the past decade. This paper is an impressionistic and highly speculative attempt to describe these changes, to trace the causes within the film industry and in the audience and, finally, to apply these conclusions to the role of movies in Ameri-
Zolpidem modulation of phasic and tonic GABA currents in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus.

Zolpidem is a widely prescribed sleep aid with relative selectivity for GABAA receptors containing α1–3 subunits. We examined the effects of zolpidem on the inhibitory currents mediated by GABAA receptors using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from DMV neurons in transverse brainstem slices from rat. Zolpidem prolonged the decay time of mIPSCs and of muscimol-evoked whole-cell GABAergic currents, and it occasionally enhanced the amplitude of mIPSCs. The effects were blocked by flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist. Zolpidem also hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential, with a concomitant decrease in input resistance and action potential firing activity in a subset of cells. Zolpidem did not clearly alter the GABAA receptor-mediated tonic current (Itonic) under baseline conditions, but after elevating extracellular GABA concentration with nipecotic acid, a non-selective GABA transporter blocker, zolpidem consistently and significantly increased the tonic GABA current. This increase was suppressed by flumazenil and gabazine. These results suggest that α1–3 subunits are expressed in synaptic GABAA receptors on DMV neurons. The baseline tonic GABA current is likely not mediated by these same low affinity, zolpidem-sensitive GABAA receptors. However, when the extracellular GABA concentration is increased, zolpidem-sensitive extrasynaptic GABAA receptors containing α1–3 subunits contribute to the Itonic.
Circulating LH and FSH levels and testicular function in hamsters during light deprivation and subsequent photoperiodic stimulation.

The relationship between testicular function and peripheral gonadotropin levels was investigated in adult hamsters throughout a 60-day period of light deprivation and then again after a return to normal light cycles (L:D, 14:10). Hypophyseal LH and plasma LH and FSH concentrations declined slowly and progressively (at least 5-fold) during the 60-day period of constant darkness. Thedecline in gonadotropin release was associated with a 73% decrease in plasma testosterone concentrations and a 4-fold reduction in the capacity of testicular tissue to convert [7-3H]progesterone to [3H]testosterone in vitro (p < 0.05). Testis atrophy accompanied the collapse of the hypophysealgonadonal endocrine system as evidenced by a 98% reduction in the relative number of step 7 spermatids and the absence of step 17 spermatids from the seminiferous epithelium. Once previously light-deprived hamsters (i.e., 60 days) were exposed o L:D, 14:10 cycles, hypophyseal LH and plasma LH and FSH levels returned to near control levels w...
Manufacturing: Acquiring Craft Skills Through Dialogs

Development of programming language research in robotics and manufacturing has stressed the description of actions that constitute a robot task rather than the determination of actual robot movements. For example, the statement "turn the crank on the machine" could cause a task oriented system to automatically plan the necessary robot movements. We show that the latest stage of development in task languages is the inclusion of craft skills that achieve both brevity of expression and represent the sensory-kinematic skills that a human expert would have. A world class pianist knows how to strike the keys, not just that certain keys should be struck. A craft program to solve this kind of problem must be phrased as a multi-part dialog, because solutions must be tried, modified, and retried, interactively with the system components. The craft language (and dialogs) described in this paper is used to program a robotic workstation (i.e., robot, machining center, sensors, fixtures) so that parts can be accurately manufactured with a minimal amount of setup and programming. This work integrates research in task planning and expert systems with new ideas for acquiring sensory-kinematic skills from human experts.
The Societal Burden of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis currently affects 10 million Americans and is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. The financial burden of osteoporosis is substantial, with annual direct medical costs estimated at 17 to 20 billion dollars. Most of these costs are related to the acute and rehabilitative care following osteoporotic fractures, particularly hip fractures. The societal burden of osteoporosis includes these direct medical costs and the monetary (eg, caregiver time) and nonmonetary costs of poor health. The aging of the US population is expected to increase the prevalence of osteoporosis and the number of osteoporotic fractures. Growth of the older adult population will pose significant challenges to Medicare and Medicaid, which bear most of the cost of osteoporosis. Efforts to address the looming financial burden must focus on reducing the prevalence of osteoporosis and the incidence of costly fragility fractures.
Correlated Oscillations in Glucose Consumption, Oxygen Consumption, and Intracellular Free Ca2+ in Single Islets of Langerhans

Abstract Micron-sized sensors were used to monitor glucose and oxygen levels in the extracellular space of single islets of Langerhans in real-time. At 10 mm glucose, oscillations in intraislet glucose concentration were readily detected. Changes in glucose level correspond to changes in glucose consumption by glycolysis balanced by mass transport into the islet. Oscillations had a period of 3.1 ± 0.2 min and amplitude of 0.8 ± 0.1 mm glucose (n = 21). Superimposed on these oscillations were faster fluctuations in glucose level during the periods of low glucose consumption. Oxygen level oscillations that were out of phase with the glucose oscillations were also detected. Oscillations in both oxygen and glucose consumption were strongly dependent upon extracellular Ca2+ and sensitive to nifedipine. Simultaneous measurements of glucose with intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) revealed that decreases in [Ca2+]i preceded increases in glucose consumption by 7.4 ± 2.1 s during an oscillation (n = 9). Conversely, increases in [Ca2+]i preceded increases in oxygen consumption by 1.5 ± 0.2 s (n = 4). These results suggest that during oscillations, bursts of glycolysis begin after Ca2+ has stopped entering the cell. Glycolysis stimulates further Ca2+ entry, which in turn stimulates increases in respiration. The data during oscillation are in contrast to the time course of events during initial exposure to glucose. Under these conditions, a burst of oxygen consumption precedes the initial rise in [Ca2+]i. A model to explain these results is described.
A Study of Power Spectra Analysis of Normal Finger Tremors

Measurements of ``normal,'' neuromuscular finger tremor acceleration in healthy adults were made and then analyzed by power spectra and correlation techniques. These techniques from random-signal analysis offer objective methods by which tremors may be described and compared quantitatively. Measurements of this type may provide useful information in evaluating surgical and medical treatments of Parkinson's disease; furthermore, if relations between tremor phenomena and certain physiological and pathological states are established, these techniques will have diagnostic value. Some interesting and useful results evolved from this study; the power density spectra, autocorrelograms, and cumulative power spectra of the tremor measurements are presented and discussed.
Bean Dwarf Mosaic Geminivirus Movement Proteins Recognize DNA in a Form- and Size-Specific Manner

Plant viral movement proteins mediate the cell-to-cell movement of nucleic acids. This involves either a direct interaction between the viral movement protein and the nucleic acid or an indirect interaction involving host factors. The bipartite geminiviruses possess two movement proteins, BV1 and BC1, that coordinate movement of viral DNA across nuclear and plasmodesmal boundaries, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that both BV1 and BC1 interact directly with DNA and, in addition, that they have the unique property to recognize DNA on the basis of form and size rather than sequence. This is a novel feature for plant virus movement proteins and raises the possibility that BV1 and BC1 may be determinants of genome size in the bipartite geminiviruses.
Wrapping of flanking non-operator DNA in lac repressor-operator complexes: implications for DNA looping.

Abstract In our studies of lac repressor tetramer (T)- lac operator (O) interactions, we observed that the presence of extended regions of non-operator DNA flanking a single lac operator sequence embedded in plasmid DNA produced large and unusual cooperative and anticooperative effects on binding constants ( K obs ) and their salt concentration dependences for the formation of 1:1 (TO) and especially 1:2 (TO 2 ) complexes. To explore the origin of this striking behavior we report and analyze binding data on 1:1 (TO) and 1:2 (TO 2 ) complexes between repressor and a single O sym operator embedded in 40 bp, 101 bp, and 2514 bp DNA, over very wide ranges of [salt]. We find large interrelated effects of flanking DNA length and [salt] on binding constants ( K obs TO , K obs TO 2 ) and on their [salt]-derivatives, and quantify these effects in terms of the free energy contributions of two wrapping modes, designated local and global. Both local and global wrapping of flanking DNA occur to an increasing extent as [salt] decreases. Global wrapping of plasmid-length DNA is extraordinarily dependent on [salt]. We propose that global wrapping is driven at low salt concentration by the polyelectrolyte effect, and involves a very large number (≳20) of coulombic interactions between DNA phosphates and positively charged groups on lac repressor. Coulombic interactions in the global wrap must involve both the core and the second DNA-binding domain of lac repressor, and result in a complex which is looped by DNA wrapping. The non-coulombic contribution to the free energy of global wrapping is highly unfavorable (∼+30-50 kcal mol −1 ), which presumably results from a significant extent of DNA distortion and/or entropic constraints. We propose a structural model for global wrapping, and consider its implications for looping of intervening non-operator DNA in forming a complex between a tetrameric repressor (LacI) and one multi-operator DNA molecule in vivo and in vitro . The existence of DNA wrapping in LacI-DNA interactions motivates the proposal that most if not all DNA binding proteins may have evolved the capability to wrap and thereby organize flanking regions of DNA.
Molecular Characterization of Plum Cultivars by AFLP Markers

ABSTRACTA total of fourteen plum cultivars (1 cultivar from European and 13 cultivars from Japanese groups) were sampled from Kahramanmaras province located in Mediterranean region of Turkey and were studied using four pairs of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 145 bands were scored and among them 89 (60.85%) were polymorphic. Resolving powers of the AFLP primers rangedfrom 0.577 to 1.347 and polymorphism information content ranged from 0.412 to 0.829 with an average of 0.601. Fourteen plum cultivars grown in worldwide could be classified into the seven major clusters by UPGMA analysis and European plum cv. President was found the most distinct group among them. The highest similarity was observed between Globe Sun and October Sun cultivars, while the lowest one was between President and Queen Rosa cultivars. The results suggested that AFLP is a good method to determine genetic relatedness among plum cultivars.
Vagal nerve stimulation reduces anterior mitral valve leaflet stiffness in the beating ovine heart.

Abstract Aim: The functional significance of the autonomic nerves in the anterior mitral valve leaflet (AML) is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that remote stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) reduces AML stiffness in the beating heart. Methods: Forty-eight radiopaque-markers were implanted into eleven ovine hearts to delineate left ventricular and mitral anatomy, including an AML array. The anesthetized animals were then taken to the catheterization laboratory and 4-D marker coordinates obtained from biplane videofluoroscopy before and after VNS. Circumferential ( E circ ) and radial ( E rad ) stiffness values for three separate AML regions, Annulus, Belly and Edge, were obtained from inverse finite element analysis of AML displacements in response to trans-leaflet pressure changes during isovolumic contraction (IVC) and isovolumic relaxation (IVR). Results: VNS reduced heart rate: 94±9 vs. 82±10 min −1 , (mean±SD, p p P
Tweeting Negative: Determinants of Negative Campaigning in the 2011 Gubernatorial Elections

The use of negative ads in traditional election campaigns has been well-documented, but the authors know little about the use of Twitter to "go negative." They content analyze candidate tweets from four different gubernatorial elections in 2011 to understand how candidates are using Twitter. They coded 849 tweets to explain the determinants of "going negative" on Twitter. The results show that while tweets are overwhelmingly positive, candidates go negative by tweeting about policy. They believe this supports the innovation hypothesis, with Twitter being a more conducive forum for policy-based messages. Other determinants of negative campaigning such as competitiveness of the race and campaign funding were consistent with the normalization hypothesis.
Characterization of the growth inhibited substate induced in murine hepatic tumor cells during in vitro exposure to dimethylsulfoxide.

Kinetic events associated with the dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-induced inhibition of hepatic tumor cell proliferation were studied using established lines of murine liver tumor cells (BW77-2 and Hepa-1/A1) and conditions of polar solvent treatment (1–3% final concentration in the culture medium for a period of 4 days) previously shown to increase the expression of differentiated functions in BW77-2 cells. Cell-cycle substates of exponentially growing and DMSO-treated liver tumor cell populations were compared by flow cytometric techniques employing recently developed cytochemical criteria to identify hepatocyte cell cycle compartments based on individual cellular RNA and DNA contents (Higgins, 1985). Suppression of hepatic tumor cell proliferation by DMSO (in non-cytotoxic concentrations) persisted only for the duration of the exposure period. Resumption of cell division was readily observed following removal of the polar solvent from the culture medium. During DMSO treatment, BW77-2 and Hepa-1/A1 cells accumulated in the G, phase of the cell division cycle (low-population-density 3% DMSO-treated cultures were composed of 88% G1cells compared to only 48% G1 DNA content cells in control cultures of similar population density) and exhibited a substantial shift to lower mean cellular RNA content. The relatively few S-and G2+M-phase cells in DMSO cultures also possessed lower RNA contents compared to the corresponding cell cycle compartments in exponentially growing cultures. The mean RNA contents for the G1, S, and G2+M compartments of DMSO-treated cells approximated 63.8,78.6, and 74.4%, respectively, of the amounts observed in control cultures. Low-RNA G1 cells in DMSO cultures expressed a continuum of RNA distributions similar in range variation to (but at lower mean cellular RNA content levels than) cycling G1 cells in log-phase growth. Thus, G1 cells in 1% DMSO-treated populations had a mean cellular RNA content of just 25 (arbitrary RNA) units compared to over 40 units for G1 cells in exponential phase growth. Low RNA content, non-replicating, hepatic tumor cells in polar solvent-treated cultures were designated as being in the “Qi” substate (DMSO-induced quiescent-type cells). Release of BW77-2 cells from Qi, after replacement of the DMSO-containlng growth medium by medium without the polar solvent, was characterized by an increase in mean G1 RNA content and recruitment into log-phase growth. Since Qi cells predominate in DMSO-treated hepatic tumor cell cultures (approximating 90% of the total population) and are unresolved, under control exponential-phase growth conditions, it is likely that cells of the Qi phenotype participate in the augmentation of liver functions induced as a consequence of DMSO exposure.
CO2 donation by malate and aspartate reduces photorespiration in Panicum milioides, A C3C4 intermediate species

Oxygen inhibition of leaf slice photosynthesis in Panicum milioides increased from 20% to 30% at 21% O2 in the presence of maleate, a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase inhibitor. The increased O2 sensitivity was completely reversed by the addition of malate and aspartate, the stable products of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase reaction. The C4 acids, malate and aspartate, also reduced O2 inhibition of photosynthesis by isolated bundle sheath strands, but not mesophyll protoplasts. Similarly, only bundle sheath strands exhibited an active C4 acid-dependent O2 evolution. Compartmentation of C4 cycle enzymes, with pyruvate, Pi dikinase in the mesophyll and NAD-malic enzyme in the bundle sheath, was demonstrated. It is concluded that reduced photorespiration in P. milioides is due to a limited potential for C4 photosynthesis permitting an increase in pCO2 at the site of bundle sheath ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase.
On Intrinsic Lipschitz Constants and Bounds in Nonlinear One-Dimensional Discrete-Time Realizations of Input/Output Maps

This paper examines certain aspects of the realizability of input/output maps f: R* ? R by one-dimensional non-linear discrete-time systems, where R* is the free monoid on the reals R, under the operation of string concatenation. Realizations are sought which are bounded and/or Lipschitz. A natural connection between such constrained realizations and the string-processing properties of the input/output mapping is shown to exist. These results have further implication for the synthesis of general analog/digital coders and decoders which find uses in computer control system interfaces.
Crystal growth and electrical properties of lithium, rubidium, and cesium molybdenum oxide bronzes

Abstract Crystals of Li 0.33 MoO 3 (blue), Rb 0.23 MoO 3 (blue) and Cs 0.31 MoO 3 (red) were grown by electrolysis from Mo O 3 M 2 MoO 4 melts ( M =alkali metal) with composition 70–77 mole% MoO 3 . Melts richer in M 2 MoO 4 produced MoO 2 only. Correlation is made between bronze formation and the coordination of Mo in the melt and in the equilibrium solid phase M 2 Mo 4 O 13 . Li 0.33 MoO 3 and Cs 0.31 MoO 3 are semiconductors with high-temperature-range activation energies 0.16 and 0.12 eV. Rb 0.23 MoO 3 has an electrical behavior similar to that of blue K x MoO 3 with a semiconductor-metal transition at (170 ± 5) K. ESR spectra observed in Li 0.33 MoO 3 and Rb 0.23 MoO 3 single crystals at 4.2 K show extensive delocalization of the 4 d 1 electron associated with Mo(V) centers. Attempts to grow molybdenum bronzes containing Ca or Y were unsuccessful.
Let the Fun Begin!: Dynamic Social Studies for the Elementary School Classroom

(2003). Let the Fun Begin!: Dynamic Social Studies for the Elementary School Classroom. Childhood Education: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 2-5.
Variational sampling approaches to word confusability

In speech recognition it is often useful to determine how confusable two words are. For speech models this comes down to computing the Bayes error between two HMMs. This problem is analytically and numerically intractable. A common alternative, that is numerically approachable, uses the KL divergence in place of the Bayes error. We present new approaches to approximating the KL divergence, that combine variational methods with importance sampling. The Bhattacharyya distance - a closer cousin of the Bayes error - turns out to be even more amenable to our approach. Our experiments demonstrate an improvement of orders of magnitude in accuracy over conventional methods.
A space-time survival point process for a longleaf pine forest in Southern Georgia

Abstract A marked spatial point pattern of trees and their diameters is the result of a dynamic biological process that takes place over time as well as space. Such patterns can be modeled as realizations of marked space-time survival point processes, where trees are born at some random location and time and then live, grow, and produce offspring in a random fashion. A model for a marked space-time survival point process is fit to data from a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest in southern Georgia. The space-time survival point process is divided into three components: a birth process, a growth process, and a survival process. Each of the component processes is analyzed individually, from which conclusions regarding the dynamic ecological processes can be made. By using this reductionist approach, questions concerning each individual process can be addressed that might not have been answerable otherwise.
Chowkidar: A Health Monitor for Wireless Sensor Network Testbeds

Wireless sensor network (WSN) testbeds are useful because they provide a way to test applications in an environment that makes it easy to deploy experiments, configure them statically or dynamically, and gather performance information. Sensor data collected in the field can be replayed on nodes, and new ways to process the data can be tested easily. Testbeds are rapidly growing in size, with hundreds or thousands of devices, and testbed services are also becoming richer and more complex. Due to their size and complexity, faults can (and do) occur in these testbeds, affecting the outcomes of experiments. Awareness of testbed health status is important to both testbed administrators charged with maintaining functional services, and users who prefer to use healthy devices and like to know if there are any failures during their experiments. Based on our experience with Kansei, a large WSN testbed at Ohio State, we identify use cases that motivate the design of Chowkidar, a health monitoring facility. Key among these are: monitoring as a service that operates independently of users to provide up-to-date testbed status information; monitoring of heterogeneous testbed devices and networks; distinguishing between node and interface failures; and diagnosing common-mode failures such as power supply or Ethernet hub failure. We present in this paper, a centralized and a distributed Chowkidar protocol that reliably monitor the health of large, heterogenous WSN testbeds. We present experimentally measured Chowkidar performance as well as real experiences and lessons learnt from the integration of Chowkidar with Kansei, including feedback from both testbed users and administrators who have found Chowkidar to be a useful tool for improving the accuracy and efficiency of testbed experimentation and maintenance.
Determinants of Drinking Trajectories Among Minority Youth and Young Adults: The Interaction of Risk and Resilience

Adolescent drinking research has focused heavily on risks for alcohol-related consequences and on personality traits associated with adverse alcohol-related outcomes. A risk-based paradigm may inad...
Making Connections: Modular 3D Printing for Designing Assistive Attachments to Prosthetic Devices

In this abstract, we present a modular design methodology for prototyping and 3D printing affordable, highly customized, assistive technology. This methodology creates 3D printed attachments for prosthetic limbs that perform a diverse group of tasks. We demonstrate the methodology with two case studies where two participants with upper limb amputations help design devices to play the cello and use a hand-cycle.
Explosive fracture studies on oil shale

Fracture, fragmentation, and/or enhanced permeability through explosive methods can be difficult to achieve in the often restricted environment demanded of in situ resource recovery methods. Blasting to confined volumes and the need for uniform fragment size and permeability adds a dimension for which a history of blasting experience is not available. Computer modeling offers a potential tool for rapid evaluation and optimization of the explosive and geometry parameters, providing material models are available which adequately describe the blast phenomena and material response. Fracture and fragmentation studies have been conducted on oil shale which couple controlled small scale fracture testing with larger scale explosive blasting experiments. Specifically, plate impact, capacitor discharge, Hopkinson bar, and small-scale cylindrical He methods have been used to assess the dependence of fracture stress, fracture energy, and fragment size on the rate of loading. These studies have suggested appropriate models descriptive of the rate-sensitive fracture phenomena, and these models have been incorporated into one- and 2-dimensional computer codes. 20 references.
Structural Analysis Method Development for Turbine Hot Section Components

The structural analysis technologies and activities of the NASA Lewis Research Center's gas turbine engine Hot Section Technology (HOST) program are summarized. The technologies synergistically developed and validated include: time-varying thermal/mechanical load models; component-specific automated geometric modeling and solution strategy capabilities; advanced inelastic analysis methods; inelastic constitutive models; high-temperature experimental techniques and experiments; and nonlinear structural analysis codes. Features of the program that incorporate the new technologies and their application to hot section component analysis and design are described. Improved and, in some cases, first-time 3-D nonlinear structural analyses of hot section components of isotropic and anisotropic nickel-base superalloys are presented.
Postrehabilitative Health Care for Individuals with SCI: Extending Health Care into the Community

Access to timely and appropriate health care is vital to the well-being of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), who often have problems accessing the kinds of health services they need when they need them. This is particularly problematic because of their risks for deteriorating health, onset of secondary conditions, and loss of functional independence. This article outlines the scope of the challenge that individuals with SCI face and documents potential solutions to better meet their ongoing postrehabilitation health care needs.
Synthetic Competitive Antagonists of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor: Effect on ACTH Secretion in the Rat

Polypeptide analogs of the known members of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family were synthesized and tested in vitro and in vivo for enhanced potency or competitive antagonism. Predictive methods and physicochemical measurements had suggested an internal secondary alpha-helical conformation spanning about 25 residues for at least three members of the CRF family. Maximization of alpha-helix-forming potential by amino acid substitutions from the native known sequences (rat/human and ovine CRF, sauvagine, and carp and sucker urotensin 1) led to the synthesis of an analog that was found to be more than twice as potent as either of the parent peptides in vitro. In contrast, certain amino-terminally shortened fragments, such as alpha-helical CRF or ovine CRF residues 8 to 41, 9 to 41, and 10 to 41, were found to be competitive inhibitors in vitro. Selected antagonists were examined and also found to be active in vivo.
Writing performance and moral reasoning in business education

This study investigates the connection of moral reasoning to demographic and performance variables in business education, especially business and technical writing. The moral reasoning construct serves as the foundation for one's decision making when confronted with moral dilemmas. Significant relationships are reported between subjects' writing skill and their moral reasoning scores. This research serves as a foundation for questions about writers' moral reasoning and the ethical decisions each writer makes in written communication. In addition, this study supports further research into the connection between moral reasoning and written communication, given the significant relationships reported and the noticeable shortage of related, data-based research.
A model which demonstrates the quantitative relationship between the electromotive forces of the heart and the extremity leads.

Abstract 1. 1. A method has been described for constructing relatively simple two-dimensional models of the human body which demonstrate the quantitative relationships between currents of cardiogenic origin and the various extremity leads of the electrocardiogram. 2. 2. The relationship between lead vectors and the electrical fields produced by reciprocally energizing the various lead pathways has been demonstrated. 3. 3. Sets of Einthoven lead vectors (Burger triangles) for three representative regions of the model heart under various conditions of electrical inhomogeneity of the model have been demonstrated. 4. 4. The possibility of generalizing the triaxial and hexaxial reference systems has been discussed, and a method of “fitting” such generalized systems to particular sets of lead vector data has been described. 5. 5. The theory and method of forming synthetic leads having any desired orientation of their lead vectors has been described. The possible advantages of such leads have been discussed.
Effect of neutron irradiation on single-crystal V 3 Si: Neutron diffraction studies

Elastic and inelastic neutron-diffraction measurements have been made on a single crystal of ${\mathrm{V}}_{3}$Si as a function of fast-neutron irradiation. After irradiation to a fluence of 22.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ n/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ ($Eg1$ MeV), refinement of the Bragg intensity data reveals a slight decrease in the long-range-order parameter to a value of about 0.9, and an increase in the average value of the mean-square displacement $〈{u}^{2}〉$ at low temperature of about 0.001 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$. Inelastic-scattering measurements show that the softening of the transverse-acoustical mode associated with the martensitic transition is absent in the irradiated crystal.
Open-loop control of a circular ring subjected to mechanical and thermal excitations

Distributed control of elastic continua using distributed piezoelectric actuators posts a problem when the environmental temperature also changes in time. In this paper, an open-loop distributed control of a circular ring subjected to combined mechanical and thermal excitations is studied. One electric charge is tuned to control the mechanical excitation, and the other to compensate the temperature induced oscillation. Control effectiveness is evaluated.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
F04 Abnormal Motor Function in Children with the HD Gene Expansion

Background Growing evidence supports the notion that abnormal brain development may be an important component of Huntington’s disease pathoetiology. To assess this, the current study was designed to evaluate brain function of the motor system in children at risk for HD. Methods Children (6–18 years) at risk for HD are enrolled along with healthy children (HC) with no family history of HD. Participants are tested for gene-expansion for research purposes only. The sample included 46 children who were gene-expanded (GE), 50 gene non-expanded (GNE), and 120 HC. All participants underwent a brain MRI. Measures were obtained for resting state functional connectivity and levels of neurochemicals using spectroscopy. Motor performance was obtained using the Physical and Neurologic Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS). Results GNE and HC subjects had no significant differences in any measures, thus were combined. The GE group compared to the combined group showed abnormalities in the functional connectivity of the motor system. Seed voxels placed in the putamen were associated with significantly lower connectivity to the pre-central gyrus bilaterally. In the Spectroscopy measures, the GE group had increased N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) level and decreased Glutamate levels. All motor measures were correlated with CAG repeat length such that those children with CAG repeat length 46 and above had significantly abnormal motor scores compared to the combined group. Conclusion GE children who were, on average 30 years from onset of disease showed significant abnormalities in the function of striatum and associated motor regions.
Evaluation of the Western immunoblot as a detection method for Brucella abortus exposure in elk.

Brucella abortus has been an important wildlife disease issue for most of the last century, especially because wildlife species are considered to be important disease reservoirs for cattle. Diagnostic uncertainty, caused in part by cross-reactions of antibodies to environmental pathogens such as Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 on standard Brucella serology, has exacerbated the challenges of managing the disease and has highlighted the need for test validation in wildlife species. The western immunoblot was evaluated for use in detecting B. abortus exposure in elk (Cervus elaphus) and for ruling out exposure to cross-reacting bacteria. Samples collected from 2003 to 2006, including 54 female and immature elk from four different elk herds, were tested using standard Brucella serologic methods (card, rapid automated presumptive [RAP], and rivanol tests), as well as the western immunoblot. Samples (n=28) from animals known to be naturally infected with B. abortus biovar 1 served as positive controls. For presumed...
Analysis of slow-onset neurite formation in NG108-15 cells: implications for a unified model of neurite elongation

Abstract When undifferentiated NG108-15 cells are plated onto polylysine coated Petri dishes in serum-free medium, they form neurites within 1–4 h if plated in the presence of laminin or 5′-deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine (rapid-onset neurites). In the absence of such agents, serum-deprived NG108-15 cells extend axon-like neurites onto polylysine over several days; here we characterize the dynamic behavior of this slow-onset outgrowth pattern in detail. Individual cells plated on laminin expressed a gradual multipolar-to-unipolar transition due to rapid-onset neurites becoming remodelled into the appearance of slow-onset neurites. This phenomenon reflected the selective stabilization of certain rapid-onset neurites, along with the restriction of motility to their distal tips. Based upon the properties and interactions of both rapid- and slow-onset neurites in NG108-15 cells, a unified model for neurite formation is presented.
Role of T Cell Subsets in the Modulation of Mycobacterium avium Growth within Human Monocytes

Abstract Mycobacterium avium frequently causes disseminated disease in patients with advanced AIDS with low CD4 counts. The effects of T lymphocyte on intracellular M. avium replication were examined. Plastic adherent monocytes and nonadherent lymphocytes were separated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. After infection with M. avium, monocytes were cultured with or without autologous lymphocytes (1–10 cells/monocyte) for up to 7 days. Addition of lymphocytes to M. avium -infected monocytes significantly decreased intracellular M. avium growth after 7 days culture ( n = 11, P t test) and increased IFN-γ production compared to monocytes alone. Neutralizing IFN-γ partially abrogated lymphocyte activity. CD4 depletion diminished anti-mycobactericidal effects and CD8 + lymphocytes increased intracellular M. avium growth ( P n = 5, t test). These data suggest that interactions between monocytes and nonadherent cell fractions such as CD4 + T cells and NK cells are important in intracellular M. avium growth modulation in monocytes from healthy humans.
Reconstructing relative flooding intensities responsible for hurricane-induced deposits from Laguna Playa Grande, Vieques, Puerto Rico

Extreme coastal flooding, primarily during hurricane strikes, has deposited sand-rich layers in Laguna Playa Grande, a back-barrier lagoon located on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Silici-clastic grain-size distributions within these overwash deposits fine landward (away from the barrier and toward the mainland). A simple advective-settling model can explain this pattern of lateral sorting and is used to constrain the relative magnitude of past flooding events. A deposit associated with the A.D. 1928 San Felipe hurricane is used as a modern analogue to test the technique, which produces reasonable estimates for wave heights that exceed the barrier during the event. A 5000 yr reconstruction of local flooding intensity is developed that provides a measure of the competence for each overwash event to transport coarser-grained sediment a fixed distance into the lagoon. This reconstruction indicates that although the Laguna Playa Grande record exhibits large-scale changes in hurricane frequency on centennial to millennial time scales, the magnitude of these events has stayed relatively constant. Over the last 5000 yr, no evidence exists for an anomalously large hurricane or tsunami event with a competence for sediment transport greater than historical hurricane events.
Evaluating capacity and delay given the implementation of ITS technology at truck weight and safety inspection stations

This research presents a simple-to-use simulation model developed to simulate, at the planning level, the activities that occur at a typical roadside weight and safety screening station. The parameters can be modified by the user to simulate a facility with different dimensions and parameters (e.g. longer ramps, more safety inspection bays, a higher rate of vehicle being selected for safety inspection, more or less vehicle failing weight screening at the weigh-in-motion or static scales). The inputs and data requirements for the model are relatively minor and appropriate for planning level analysis.(A)
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVE NUCLEON--NUCLEON INTERACTION.

Abstract Data concerning the level spectra from nuclei in the immediate vicinity of closed shells are found to exhibit certain simple systematic patterns. These are analyzed in terms of the components of an effective residual interaction between nucleons.