cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insect lipid transfer particle catalyzes diacylglycerol exchange between high-density and very-high-density lipoproteins.

Facilitated diacylglycerol exchange between Manduca sexta [3H]diacylglycerol-labeled high-density lipophorin and Heliothis zea very-high-density chromolipoprotein was studied. M. sexta lipid transfer particle was employed in assays which measured exchange of [3H]diacylglycerol. Following incubations with lipid transfer particle, donor and acceptor lipoproteins were reisolated by density-gradient ultracentrifugation to determine facilitated exchange. The reaction was limited to diacylglycerol exchange, while donor or acceptor particle apoprotein exchange did not occur. Lipid analysis of donor and acceptor lipoproteins after the lipid-exchange reaction revealed that the labeled diacylglycerol remained unchanged. Lipid transfer particle-catalyzed diacylglycerol exchange was linear up to 0.3 micrograms lipid transfer particle protein in a standard assay and exchange occurred at a rate of 2.5 micrograms diacylglycerol min-1.micrograms-1 lipid transfer particle protein. The assay method was used to show that the hemolymph concentration of lipid transfer particle increased during development.
Regiospecific Hetero-Assembly of DNA-Functionalized Plasmonic Upconversion Superstructures

We report a novel strategy for regiospecific hetero-assembly of DNA-modified gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuNPs) onto upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) into hybrid lab-on-a-particle systems. The DNA-AuNPs have been assembled onto the hexagonal plate-like UCNPs with well-regulated stoichiometry and controlled organization onto the different facets of UCNP, forming various addressable superstructures. The fine-tuning of stoichiometry and organization is realized by biorecognition specificity of DNA toward specific crystal facets of UCNPs. Such a hetero-assembled DNA-AuNP/UCNP system maintains both plasmonic resonance of AuNPs and fluorescent properties of UCNPs, allowing targeted dual-modality imaging of cancer cells using an aptamer.
An efficient hybrid multicast transport protocol for collaborative virtual environment with networked haptic

In recent years, we have witnessed a growing interest in synchronous collaboration based class of applications. Several techniques for collaborative virtual environments CVE, haptic, audio and visual environments C-HAVE were designed. However several challenging issues remain to be resolved before CVE and C-HAVE become a common place. In this paper, we focus upon applications that are based on closely coupled and highly synchronized haptic tasks that require a high- level of coordination among the participants. Four main protocols were designed to resolve the synchronization issues in such environments: the synchronous collaboration transport protocol (SCTP), the selective reliable transmission protocol (SRTP), the reliable multicast transport protocol (RMTP) and the scalable reliable multicast (SRM). While these four protocols have shown good performance for CVE and C-HAVE class of applications, none of these protocols was able to meet all the of the basic CVE requirement i.e., scalability, reliability, synchronization and minimum delays. In this paper, we present a hybrid protocol that is able to satisfy all the CVE and C-HAVE requirements and discuss its implementation
INDEPENDENCE AND STANDARD SETTING

Abstract Recent tensions between private-sector interests and the SEC are reviewed. Much of the pressure on auditor independence may be due to weaknesses in the structure of corporate governance. Two reforms that might contribute to shoring up the independence of auditors are proposed.
Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth of InAs on (100) GaAs Substrates

The microstructure of epitaxial InAs thin films grown by MOCVD on mask-patterned “LEO” (lateral epitaxial overgrowth) GaAs and on unpatterned GaAs substrates was studied using double-crystal x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. This paper describes the improvement in crystal quality (factor of 20 reduction in x-ray rocking curve width), the order of magnitude reduction in dislocation density, and the rearrangement of the remaining extended defects that were observed in the LEO material when compared to the film grown on the unpatterned wafer.
STRUCTURE OF α2‐MACROGLOBULIN‐PROTEASE COMPLEXES

The analysis of thrombin-alpha 2M reaction mixtures by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE has allowed us to assign several probable molecular species to the mixture of complexes formed. These include structures previously described in, or predicted from, the literature, as well as two types of novel species: Divalent cross-linking of two inhibitor chains by a single enzyme molecule. Very high molecular weight species that are attributed to intermolecular cross-linking of more than one inhibitor molecule. Species containing enzyme monovalently linked to an intact subunit are not supported by our data, but are not excluded and additional study will be required to determine if they exist.
Road Infrastructure and Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptations for South Africa

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a study on the impact of climate change on road infrastructure in South Africa. The approach used built on previous work associated with the UNU-WIDER Development under Climate Change (DUCC) effort, emphasizing understanding of the impact of climate change on roads. This paper illustrates how climate change effects on road infrastructure can be evaluated at a national and provincial level to produce quantitative estimates of climate change from multiple future scenarios. The results of the study indicate that the national-level climate change cost impact in South Africa will vary between US$116.8 million and US$228.7 million annually in the 2050 decade for the median and maximum climate scenarios if a no-adaptation policy action is taken. Conversely, if a proactive adaptation action is taken, these costs can be reduced to US$55.7 million. The savings in costs arising from climate change impacts based on this policy approach is equivalent to building more than 10,...
Small Wind Power Considerations

Abstract Wind energy can be a supplemental source of energy to an electric grid or the complete power supply for an isolated source. It produces no waste particulate matter, uses no water for cooling, and contributes no green house gasses to the environment. A short description of the Alternative Energy Institute, at West Texas AM it is always preferable to reduce the energy load and ensure that the structure will use energy as efficiently as possible before a system is designed. Current federal support for renewables is at a new high, and the source for local and regional description of programs is shown.
Spectral and Indo-Molecular Orbital Studies of n →∗ Transitions in Symmetric Diazines

Abstract Experimental and theoretical (INDO-MO) studies of n → transitions have been carried out for seven symmetric diazines. In all cases, there is very good agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental observations on the symmetry of the lowest energy n→∗ singlet state.
Maria siemionow, m.d., ph.d., d.sc.

I wish to thank Dr. Maria Siemionow for serving as guest editor and for the exceptional group of knowledgeable authors that she has brought together to write on “Allograft Transplantation” for Seminars in Plastic Surgery. Dr. Siemionow is known nationally and internationally for her 20 years of experimental work on composite tissue allografts and tolerance-inducing strategies. She received her medical degree from Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, Poland, in 1974 and completed residency training at the Institute for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine in Poznan, Poland, in 1977 and a Neurosurgery and Traumatology residency at Municipal Hospital in Piekary, Slaskie, Finland. Dr. Siemionow secured additional years of specialty training at University Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, in hand surgery and at the University of Louisville Hospital as a Christine M. Kleinert Fellow in Hand Surgery and Research Fellow in Hand and Microsurgery. Dr. Siemionow worked as research director of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine for 5 years before joining the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in 1995 where she heads Cleveland Clinic's Section on Plastic Surgery Research and is on staff with Cleveland Clinic's Transplantation Center and Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Immunology. She is also professor of surgery at the Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
The Level-Specific Effects of Education on Economic Growth: Evidence from Four Caribbean Countries

The supply of human capital in the economy's production activities is a function of the quality and volume of education services provided at the secondary and tertiary levels in the education system. Hence, the allocation of resources by government to education is an important determinant of human capital formation. Depending on its level-specific variations, a given amount of human capital accumulation can have differential impacts across sectors and on economic growth. This study posits that government spending on education can be identified as an important indicator of human capital formation that propels economic growth and confirms that for the countries considered, there are level-specific effects of human capital on output in the manufacturing and service sectors, and ultimately on aggregate output. Given this information, policy makers can therefore consider opportunities for enhanced budgetary allocations aimed at building capital that has a positive impact on economic growth.
Voices we want to hear and voices we don't

TUDENTS," WRITES IRA SCHOR (1986), "will resist any process that disempowers them .... Familiar school routines produce this alienation: teachertalk, passive instruction in pre-set materials . . . mechanical drills ... the denial of subjects important to them, the exclusion of student co-participation in curriculum design and governance, and the outlawing of popular idioms in favor of correct usage" (p. 183). Taken literally, this vision, which is common enough, implies that most students yearn to have a voice in their own schooling, to be free and to construct their own vibrant lives in school.
Steroid-induced Conformational Changes at Ends of the Hormone-binding Domain in the Rat Glucocorticoid Receptor Are Independent of Agonist Versus Antagonist Activity

The underlying molecular mechanism for the expression of agonist versus antagonist activity for a given receptor-steroid complex is still not known. One attractive hypothesis, based on data from progesterone receptors, is that agonistversus antagonist binding induces unique conformations at the C terminus of receptors, which can be detected by the different fragments produced by partial proteolysis. We now report that the determinants of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-antagonist complex activity are more complex. Steroid binding did cause a conformational change in the GR that was detected by partial trypsin digestion, as described previously (Simons, S. S., Jr., Sistare, F. D., and Chakraborti, P. K. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14493–14497). However, there was no uniformity in the digestion patterns of unactivated or activated receptors bound by a series of six structurally different antagonists including the affinity labeling antiglucocorticoid dexamethasone 21-mesylate. A total of four resistant bands were observed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels in the range of 30–27 kDa. Using a series of point mutations and epitope-specific antibodies, it was determined that the 30-kDa species represented the entire C-terminal sequence of amino acids 518–795, whereas the other bands arose from additional N-terminal and/or C-terminal cleavages. Bioassays with GRs containing various point and deletion mutations failed to reveal any C-terminal alterations that could convert antagonists into biologically active agonists. Thus, the presence or absence of C-terminal amino acids of the GR did not uniquely determine either the appearance of smaller trypsin-resistant fragments or the nature of the biological response of receptor-bound antisteroids. When compared with the current model of the ligand-binding domain, which is based on the x-ray structures of the comparable region of thyroid and retinoic acid receptors, the present results suggest that sequences outside of the model structure are relevant for the binding and biological activity of GRs.
Blood pressure and heart rate: no evidence for a positive association with prostate cancer.

Abstract PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether blood pressure and heart rate are correlated with the development of prostate cancer. METHODS: A total of 58,704 men whose blood pressure, heart rate, and other characteristics were measured at multiphasic checkups were followed for ⩽ 30 years. The incidence of, and mortality from, prostate cancer were measured. There were 2297 cases and 464 deaths. RESULTS: No evidence of a positive association of blood pressure or heart rate with subsequent prostate cancer was found. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this large population lend no support for concerns that higher levels of blood pressure or heart rate are linked to increased risk of prostate cancer.
Authenticity and Excess in The Examinations of Anne Askew

AbstractThe two volumes that constitute The Examinations of Anne Askew, published by the reformer John Bale in 1546–47, present a sparse first-person heresytrial narrative ascribed to Askew herself, interspersed with a lengthy polemical commentary by Bale and packaged amid a range of paratexts. Drawing on textual studies and feminist (or gender) theory, modern criticism habitually posits an antagonism between Bale and Askew, maligning Bale for obscuring an original Askew text or an original Askew voice, especially via the excesses of his editing and commentating practices. This essay offers an alternative perspective. Focusing on the medium of communication (early print), and drawing on the theory of remediation developed within media studies, it argues that the apparently surplus elements of the Examinations are, in fact, integral to the work’s representation of an authentic Askew text/voice in the first place. It therefore calls for a reconsideration of what it means to separate Askew from Bale, as some...
Reversal of Tumor-Induced Immunosuppression: A New Approach to Cancer Therapy

Many studies show defective immune responses in patients diagnosed with cancer. Most of the diverse nonspecific approaches used to stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy abnormal tumor cells have limited clinical utility. Attempts to identify tumor-specific antigens and to improve the antigen presentation were equally disappointing. It appears that some of these failures can be explained by tumor-induced immunosuppression. A large number of cytokines, hormones, and other molecules secreted by tumors were demonstrated to have immunomodulating properties. The most extensively studied immunosuppressive molecules secreted by tumors are transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). TGF beta in particular may play a key role in tumor-induced immunosuppression. It is the most potent immunosuppressor described to date, and it has been consistently isolated from variety of tumor cell lines and detected in plasma of tumor-bearing hosts. Level of TGF beta production by tumor cells correlates with their metastatic potential, and TGF beta neutralization not only prevents development of metastases, but also inhibits growth or completely eradicates tumors as diverse as breast cancer, melanoma, and malignant gliosarcoma in animal models. PGE2 may play significant role in early stages of tumor development, promoting the process of tumorigenesis in some tumors. Research on reversal of tumor-induced immunosuppression promises new, more powerful, and less toxic approaches to cancer therapy. Existence of molecule(s) consistently secreted by different types of tumors and responsible for tumor progression raises the possibility of a single, universal assay to monitor progression and recurrence in many malignancies, including those that currently do not have reliable plasma markers.
Why Marx Left Philosophy for Social Science

It is customary to distinguish between philosophically oriented 'critical psychologists' and 'mainstream psychologists' who are committed to a scientific approach to the study of human behavior. In this article, we high- light a fundamental irony concerning the critical psychology movement, especially with respect to those contributions that appeal to Karl Marx and his legacy to justify the criticism or rejection of traditional scientific methods in approaching the subject matter of psychology on moral and/or epistemo- logical grounds. The irony is that Marx's own intellectual development led him to abandon philosophy in favor of empirically grounded forms of inves- tigation resembling those of today's 'mainstream' social sciences. Unlike many contemporary critics who see little or nothing of possible value in the image and methods of sociology and psychology as sciences, Marx's own work sought to integrate critical, value-laden aims with a serious commit- ment to establishing independently verifiable facts. After examining a range of historical and biographical explanations given for Marx's change of heart, we show that Marx was one of the world's first social scientists. We highlight the characteristic features of a critical, empirically oriented Marxian social science, paying special attention to issues of continuing theoretical and meta- theoretical relevance in sociology, psychology and their intersection.
Levels of Disconfirmability and Social Psychological Theory: A Response to Greenwald

Greenwald (Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1975, 11, 490-499) has proposed that social psychologists' failure to unequivocally decide between dissonance and selfperception in the area of counterattitudinal advocacy may be traced to the fact that, because operational definitions within the area are not well-established, the theories are only operationally, but not conceptually disconfirmable. According to Greenwald, operationally disconfirmable theories are not necessarily disconfirmed by negative empirical evidence and can not be subjected to test in crucial experiments. An examination of this notion in light of the philosophy of science reveals it to be unfounded. It is concluded that a stalemate between competing theoretical orientations can not be accounted for in terms of the disconfirmability-level of the theories involved.
Gauged B−3Lτ and radiative neutrino masses

Abstract If the minimal standard model of quarks and leptons is extended to include just a righthanded partner to ν τ , then the quantum number B −3 L τ can be added as a gauge symmetry without the appearance of anomalies. A suitable extension of the scalar sector allows one neutrino to have a seesaw mass, and the other two to have radiative masses, with acceptable phenomenological values for neutrino oscillations. The B −3 L τ gauge boson may be light and be observable through its decay into τ + τ − .
Redox Control of Vascular Smooth Muscle Migration

Vascular smooth muscle cell migration is important during vascular development and contributes to lesion formation in the adult vasculature. The mechanisms regulating migration of this cell type are therefore of great interest. Recent work has shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from NADPH oxidases are important mediators of promigratory signaling pathways. ROS regulate the intracellular signals responsible for lamellipodia formation, actin cytoskeleton remodeling, focal adhesion turnover, and contraction of the cell body. In addition, they contribute to matrix remodeling, a critical step to initiate and support vascular smooth muscle cell motility. Despite these recent advances in our understanding of the redox mechanisms that contribute to migration, additional work is needed to evaluate fully the potential of ROS-sensitive molecular signals as therapeutic targets to prevent inappropriate smooth muscle cell migration. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 12, 625–640.
1000-Fold Enhancement of Luminescence Lifetimes via Energy-Transfer Equilibration with the T1 State of Zn(TPP)

The new zinc porphyrin/tungsten alkylidyne dyad Zn(TPP)−C≡CC6H4C≡W(dppe)2Cl (1) possesses novel photophysical properties that arise from a tunable excited-state triplet−triplet equilibrium between the porphyrin and tungsten alkylidyne units. Dyad 1 exhibits 3(dxy ← π*(WCR)) phosphorescence with a lifetime that is 20 times longer than that of the parent chromophore W(CC6H4CCPh)(dppe)2Cl (2). The triplet−triplet equilibrium can be tuned by the addition of ligands to the Zn center, resulting in phosphorescence lifetimes for 1(L) that are up to 1300 times longer than that of 2. The “lifetime reservoir” effect exhibited by 1(L) is approximately 1 order of magnitude larger than previously reported examples of the phenomenon.
Effect of Ga/Proton Balance in Ga/HZSM-5 Catalysts on C3 Conversion to Aromatics

Abstract Ga/HZSM-5 catalysts prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of GaCl 3 into the pores of HZSM-5 have been characterized by temperature programmed techniques, such as reduction (TPR), oxidation (TPO), and desorption of NH 3 (NH 3 -TPD), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and catalytic tests including propane and propene conversions and toluene disproportionation (TD). TPR shows formation of (GaO) + ions and Ga 2 O 3 particles. With increasing Ga loading, the formation of (GaO) + ions is favored. Unlike methods which introduce Ga into HZSM-5 from Ga salts in aqueous solution, the CVD technique acts as a true ion exchange, replacing protons by (GaO) + ions. As more protons are replaced by (GaO) + ions, the conversion of propene decreases, but that of propane passes through a maximum and so does the selectivity to aromatics, both for propane and for propene. This is consistent with a bifunctional mechanism in which Bronsted acid sites catalyze oligomerization and ring closure, but Ga, in concert with protons, acts as a dehydrogenating site. Optimum yields are obtained with catalysts having Ga/(Ga + H + ) ratios between 0.4 and 0.5.
Laser Photodissociation and Thermal Pyrolysis of Energetic Polymers

Decomposition reactions of glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) and poly(glycidyl nitrate) (PGN) have been investigated by pulsed infrared laser pyrolysis and ultraviolet laser photolysis of thin films at 17−77 K. Reactions are monitored by transmission FTIR spectroscopy. Photolysis of GAP at 266 nm shows that the initial reaction steps are elimination of molecular nitrogen with subsequent formation of imines. Warming leads to loss of the imines, most likely as a result of secondary polymerization reactions. Thermal decomposition of GAP by infrared laser pyrolysis reveals products similar to the UV experiments after warming. Laser pyrolysis of PGN indicated that the main steps of decomposition are elimination of NO2 and CH2O from the nitrate ester functional group, followed by rearrangement of the polymer backbone to form carbonyl functional groups. Higher order reactions form numerous small molecule products including NO, CO, CO2, N2O, H2O, HNCO, HCN, HCNO, HONO, and CH4. UV laser photolysis of PGN shows the maj...
Kudzu ( Pueraria Lobata ): Potential agricultural and industrial resource

Kudzu was introduced to the southern United States in the 1930s to help restore the soil and reduce erosion. However, since it is a legume with an extensive root structure and without natural enemies in the United States, it has adapted to the land too successfully. States like Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi are now invaded by kudzu which, at the present time, has no commercial outlet. It is suggested in this paper that the plant be considered for several uses: the root starch as a source of carbohydrate and as a medium for yeast and ethanol production; the fiber for use in paper, in grass wallpaper, and in textiles and clothing; and the leaves for a high protein animal fodder. Preliminary experiments indicate that the root provides a vitamin enriched source of starch for ethanol and yeast fermentations. The vine can also be processed to expose the desired high tensile strength fiber for apparel use. A process is also proposed for removing the low concentration ethanol from a fermentation solution, which requires only a small fraction of the external energy required for the conventional distillation process.
Quantitation of homogentisic acid in normal human plasma

A new stable isotope dilution gas chromatograph-mass spectrometric method of analysis of homogentisic acid is described. Using this method, homogentisic acid is measured for the first time in normal human plasma. The assay of sera from nine normal individuals yielded a range of values from 2.4 to 12 ng/ml. The method appears to be very sensitive and may be useful in the characterization of heterozygotes for alkaptonuria and other disorders of tyrosine degradation.
`You say that the Messiah has come ¿¿: The Ceuta Disputation (1179) and its place in the Christian anti-Jewish polemics of the high middle ages

This article suggests that the ‘Disputation of Ceuta’ provides a link between the Christian anti-Jewish polemical discourse of the twelfth century, produced largely for internal consumption, and the active missionising of the thirteenth century. Having purportedly taken place in the North African port of Ceuta between a Christian merchant from Genoa and a Jew from Ceuta at the time of Almohad rule (1179), the disputation displays the signs of a major shift in the Christian contra Judaeos strategies. Unlike other twelfth-century works of this genre, which address a variety of points central to Jewish-Christian debate, the Ceuta Disputation is remarkably consistent in its emphasis on one particular issue – that of the coming of the Messiah. The messianic content of this disputation thus foreshadows the central thrust of the thirteenth-century Dominican mission to the Jews, which finds its fullest expression at the Barcelona Disputation of 1263. The article explains the prominence of this theme in the period...
A class of utility functions containing all the common utility functions

This paper presents a class of utility functions (class A∞) that contains all of the utility functions commonly used for mathematical modeling: the class consisting of those utility functions whose derivatives alternate in sign. A simple representation via mixtures of exponential utilities is provided for this class which is both mathematically convenient and conducive to functional operations. A connection with Laplace transforms and the resultant implications for preference relations, aggregation and utility assessment are discussed.
Fusarium-induced osteochondrosis (tibial dyschondroplasia) in chickens.

Broiler chickens were started and maintained on rations containing 2%, 5%, and 10% grain contaminated with Fusarium roseum. There was mortality of 75% and loo%, respectively, in chicks fed 5% and 10% levels, and osteochondrosis was present in chicks which died at 12 to 17 days of age. Chicks on 2% or 3% F. roseum-contaminated grain survived the experimental period and osteochondrosis was well-developed in the proximal tibias of 85 or 90% of these chicks. The number of chondroclasts was reduced markedly in the affected bones. Defective chondroclasis may play a role in the pathogenesis of osteochondrosis associated with F. roseum. Tibial dyschondroplasia is a common abnormality in growing broiler chickens and turkeys throughout the world. The lesion is characterized by the presence of a cone of cartilage which extends distally from the proximal tibiotarsal physis (l-4, 6, 8, 13-15, 18, 191. Abnormalities of this type are not limited to the tibiotarsus; they also occur in the tarsometatarsus, humerus, and femur (9, 101. Similar lesions occur in swine, horses, bulls, and dogs, and the term osteochondrosis has been recommended for the lesion in all species (7). A number of factors have been cited as causes of osteochondrosis in poultry. Rapid weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, and genetic factors frequently are implicated. Poorly defined management factors, such as litter contamination ( 191 and stress, also are incriminated. Scientific investigations have substantiated the influence of genetics and dietary factors on the development of osteochondrosis. Strains of chickens having high and low incidences of osteochondrosis were established by genetic selection (4, 5, 111. High dietary levels of chloride increased the incidence and severity of osteochondrosis in the genetically susceptible strain, but not in the low incidence strain (5, 111. The incidence and severity of osteochondrosis was greater in randomly bred broiler chickens fed a high energy diet than in those fed a low energy diet (9, 101. The chicks on high energy feed gained weight more rapidly, and it was concluded that the added weight exacerbated osteochondrosis. Previously, Fusarium roseum-contaminated corn was found to induce a high
Paragon: collaborative speculative loop execution on GPU and CPU

The rise of graphics engines as one of the main parallel platforms for general purpose computing has ignited a wide search for better programming support for GPUs. Due to their non-traditional execution model, developing applications for GPUs is usually very challenging, and as a result, these devices are left under-utilized in many commodity systems. Several languages, such as CUDA, have emerged to solve this challenge, but past research has shown that developing applications in these languages is a daunting task because of the tedious performance optimization cycle or inherent algorithmic characteristics of an application, which could make it unsuitable for GPUs. Also, previous approaches of automatically generating optimized parallel code in CUDA for GPUs using complex compilation techniques have failed to utilize GPUs that are present in everyday computing devices such as laptops and mobile systems.In this work, we take a different approach. Although it is hard to generate optimized code for GPU, it is beneficial to utilize them speculatively rather than leaving them running idle due to their high raw performance capabilities compared to CPUs. To achieve this goal, we propose Paragon: a collaborative static/dynamic compiler platform to speculatively run possibly-data-parallel pieces of sequential applications on GPUs. Paragon utilizes the GPU in an opportunistic way for loops that are categorized as possibly-data-parallel by its loop classification phase. While running the loop speculatively, Paragon monitors the dependencies using a light-weight kernel management unit, and transfers the execution to the CPU in case a conflict is detected. Paragon resumes the execution on the GPU after the dependency is executed sequentially on the CPU. Our experiments show that Paragon achieves up to 12x speedup compared to unsafe CPU execution with 4 threads.
When You've Seen One, Have You Seen Them All? Children's Memory for General and Specific Learning Episodes.

In any learning situation, children must decide the level of generality with which to encode information. Cues to generality may affect children’s memory for different components of a learning episode. In this research, we investigated whether 1 cue to generality, generic language, affects children’s memory for information about social categories and specific individuals. In Study 1, preschool-aged children (n 40), but not school-aged children (n 40), remembered generic properties more often than analogous, nongeneric properties but remembered the individual category exemplars associated with nongeneric properties more often than those associated with generic properties. In Study 2, school-aged children (n 26) did not show differential memory for generic and nongeneric learning episodes, even when task demands were increased. Additionally, both younger and older children generalized generic properties significantly more than nongeneric properties. These findings reflect an early understanding of the category relevance of generics and suggest that the effect of generic language on memory declines over development. However, generic language has a consistent and powerful influence on children’s withincategory generalization.
Spontaneously Generated Gravity

We show, following a recent suggestion of Adler, that gravity may arise as a consequence of dynamical symmetry breaking in a scale- and gauge-invariant world. Our calculation is not tied to any specific scheme of dynamical symmetry breaking. A representation for Newton's coupling constant in terms of flat-space quantities is derived. The sign of Newton's coupling constant appears to depend on infrared details of the symmetry-breaking mechanism.
Detection in soil of a deletion in an engineered DNA sequence by using DNA probes.

Abstract Two Pseudomonas strains were engineered to contain the nptII gene and plasmid vector sequences in their chromosomes. After incubation of these strains in nonsterile soil, total bacterial DNA was isolated and analyzed by Southern blot hybridization with the nptII gene and the plasmid vector as probes. In addition to the expected bands of hybridization, a new band corresponding to the loss of vector sequences from the chromosome while retaining the nptII gene was observed for one of the strains. The more stressful conditions encountered in soil appeared to increase the frequency of loss of the vector sequences from this strain.
Disparities between observed and predicted impacts of climate change on winter bird assemblages

Understanding how climate change affects the structure and function of communities is critical for gauging its full impact on biodiversity. To date, community-level changes have been poorly documented, owing, in part, to the paucity of long-term datasets. To circumvent this, the use of ‘space-for-time’ substitution—the forecasting of temporal trends from spatial climatic gradients—has increasingly been adopted, often with little empirical support. Here we examine changes from 1975 to 2001 in three community attributes (species richness, body mass and occupancy) for 404 assemblages of terrestrial winter avifauna in North America containing a total of 227 species. We examine the accuracy of space-for-time substitution and assess causal associations between community attributes and observed changes in annual temperature using a longitudinal study design. Annual temperature and all three community attributes increased over time. The trends for the three community attributes differed significantly from the spatially derived predictions, although richness showed broad congruence. Correlations with trends in temperature were found with richness and body mass. In the face of rapid climate change, applying space-for-time substitution as a predictive tool could be problematic with communities developing patterns not reflected by spatial ecological associations.
On a trajectory tracking problem for nonlinear control systems

An approach for studying typical point-to-point trajectory tracking problems for nonlinear control systems that possess a global linearization is proposed. The trajectory constraints include both the inequality and the equality (interpolatory) types. For purposes of theoretical analysis, system-behavior understanding, and controller design, a minimum control-energy criterion for the linearized system is used. Under this optimality criterion, a characterization result for describing all the possible solutions of such trajectory tracking problems is established. Moreover, the general structure is found in explicit closed-form for these solutions. The research is motivated by a specific example of robotic trajectory planning. Some computer simulation graphs on the robotic trajectory planning problem are included. >
Crystal Growth Inhibitor in Binary Borosilicate Glass Composite—Gallium Oxide

The effect of gallium oxide on cristobalite formation in binary borosilicate glass composite, containing a low-softening borosilicate glass (BSG) and a high-softening high-silica glass (HSG), has been studied. X-ray diffraction results show that with a small amount of gallium oxide, 2.5–10 vol%, the precipitation of cristobalite at elevated temperatures is prevented. This result is further evidenced by linear thermal expansion measurement, in which, in contrast to the gallium oxide-free sample, the thermal expansion coefficients (TCE) of the composite with gallium oxide remain unchanged with sintering time at temperatures investigated and, moreover, are very close to the theoretically calculated values.
Analysis of Sparse Bayesian Learning

The recent introduction of the 'relevance vector machine' has effectively demonstrated how sparsity may be obtained in generalised linear models within a Bayesian framework. Using a particular form of Gaussian parameter prior, 'learning' is the maximisation, with respect to hyperparameters, of the marginal likelihood of the data. This paper studies the properties of that objective function, and demonstrates that conditioned on an individual hyper-parameter, the marginal likelihood has a unique maximum which is computable in closed form. It is further shown that if a derived 'sparsity criterion' is satisfied, this maximum is exactly equivalent to 'pruning' the corresponding parameter from the model.
A Nonlinear Model of Cardiac Autonomic Control in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Using the Volterra–Wiener approach, we employed a minimal model to quantitatively characterize the linear and nonlinear effects of respiration (RCC) and arterial blood pressure (ABR) on heart rate variability (HRV) in normal controls and subjects with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Respiration, R–R interval (RRI), blood pressure (BP) and other polysomnographic variables were recorded in eight normal controls and nine OSAS subjects in wakefulness, Stage 2 and rapid eye-movement sleep. To increase respiratory and cardiovascular variability, a preprogrammed ventilator delivered randomly timed inspiratory pressures that were superimposed on a baseline continuous positive airway pressure. Except for lower resting RRI in OSAS subjects, summary statistical measures of RRI and BP and their variabilities were similar in controls and OSAS. In contrast, RCC and ABR gains were significantly lower in OSAS. Nonlinear ABR gain and the interaction between respiration and blood pressure in modulating RRI were substantially reduced in OSAS. ABR gain increased during sleep in controls but remained unchanged in OSAS. These findings suggest that normotensive OSAS subjects have impaired daytime parasympathetic and sympathetic function. Nonlinear minimal modeling of HRV provides a useful, insightful, and comprehensive approach for the detection and assessment of abnormal autonomic function in OSAS.
Heart rate, autonomic markers, and cardiac mortality

Heart rate is a precisely regulated variable, which plays a critical role in health and disease. Numerous epidemiologic studies and large post-myocardial infarction trials have provided evidence that elevated resting heart rate is an independent risk factor for cardiac mortality. This body of knowledge has prompted the development and evaluation of negative chronotropic agents, prototypically the I(f) inhibitor Ivabradine. The present review addresses several fundamental questions: (1) How is heart rate regulated at the integrative, cellular, and molecular levels? (2) How are autonomic tone and reflexes measured clinically, and what is the prognostic utility of these parameters? (3) What mechanisms are responsible for the cardiovascular pathology associated with elevated heart rates? (4) Does reducing heart rate independent of effects on other factors protect against cardiovascular events?
Challenges in Interpreting Accountability Results for Schools’ Facilitation of Parent Involvement Under IDEA

Parents’ involvement in their child’s education has been an important tenet of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Under the special education accountability system that went into effe...
Treating velopharyngeal inadequacies with a palatal lift prosthesis.

Abstract The palatal lift and modified palatal lift speech restorations have a marked effect on intelligibility of speech as shown by reduction in errors of consonant identification by untrained listeners and judgments of improvement in skill of articulation by trained listeners. The effects of the restorations on improved identification of consonants was most uniformly beneficial for those patients with insufficient velopharyngeal closure. In addition, the restorations had a differential effect on the type of error so that misidentifications of consonants with the restoration in the mouth were often consonants of the same class as those recorded.
Optical Characteristic and Numerical Study of Gold Nanoparticles on Al 2 O 3 coated Gold Film for Tunable Plasmonic Sensing Platforms

Substrate-based tuning of plasmon resonances on gold nanoparticles (NP) is a versatile method of achieving plasmon resonances at a desired wavelength, and offers reliable nanogap sizes and large field enhancement factors. The reproducibility and relative simplicity of these structures makes them promising candidates for frequency-optimized sensing substrates. The underlying principle in resonance tuning of such a structure is the coupling between a metal nanoparticle and the substrate, which leads to a resonance shift and a polarization dependent scattering response. In this work, we experimentally investigate the optical scattering spectra of isolated 60 nm diameter gold nanoparticles on aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coated gold films with various oxide thicknesses. Dark-field scattering images and scattering spectra of gold particles reveal two distinct resonance modes. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations, revealing the magnitude and phase relationships between the effective dipoles of the gold particle and the gold substrate. The numerical approach is described in detail, and enables the prediction of the resonance responses of a particle-on-film structure using methods that are available in many available electromagnetics simulation packages. The simulated scattering spectra match the experimentally observed data remarkably well, demonstrating the usefulness of the presented approach to researchers in the field.
Close-in carrier phase noise of laser with coherent feedback

The residual phase noise at close-in carrier offset frequency is studied for optical links using a laser diode with an external optical feedback. The external cavity is designed to enhance the fourth harmonic of a reference signal while maintaining a high dynamic range for data signals. FM noise degradation of the modulating signal was measured to be insignificantly higher than intuitively expected 20Log(N). Therefore, the residual phase noise is measured to quantify the noise floor level of the laser diodes. >
Improved staining of microfilament bundles in plant cells for high voltage electron microscopy

SUMMARY A post-polymerization en bloc staining method for high voltage electron microscopy is described. Embedded specimens were initially trimmed to an area close to the point of interest. Trimmed blocks were stained in 5% uranyl acetate/75% ethanol solutions for 36 h at 333 K. This procedure allowed specimens to be stained without the necessity of exposing Formvar films to damaging solutions. After such staining, both the contrast and fine detail of structures such as microfilament bundles were superior to that seen in material stained with aqueous solutions of uranyl salts.
Using Tracheal Pressure to Trigger the Ventilator and Control Airway Pressure During Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Decreases Work of Breathing

Study objective We evaluated the difference in work of breathing (WOB) during spontaneous ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) among three methods of triggering the ventilator: conventional pressure triggering, tracheal pressure triggering, and flow-by triggering. Methods In an in vitro model of the respiratory system consisting of a bellows (lungs) in a plastic canister (chest wall), spontaneous ventilation was simulated with a piston-driven pump (respiratory muscles). Data were recorded during CPAP of 5 cm H 2 O (model 7200ae ventilator, Puritan-Bennett, Overland Park, Kan) at peak sinusoidal inspiratory flow rate demands of 60 and 80 L/min and airway resistances of 5 and 20 cm H 2 O/L/S, with the demand flow system triggered by conventional pressure, tracheal pressure, or flow. Under each condition, tidal volume, pressure-time product (PTP), WOB, and changes in intrapleural pressure (Ppl) and airway pressure were recorded in real time by means of a computerized portable respiratory monitor (model CP-100, Bicore, Irvine, Calif). The Ppl was measured from within the canister, tidal volume by positioning a flow sensor between the Y-piece of the breathing circuit and the endotracheal tube (ETT), and airway pressure from a catheter attached to the flow sensor. The WOB was calculated by the monitor in real time. Results Changes in Ppl were greatest with conventional pressure triggering, less with flow-by triggering, and least with tracheal pressure triggering. The WOB was significantly lower (approximately 50%) with tracheal pressure triggering than with the other two methods. With tracheal pressure triggering only, an effect similar to that of pressure support ventilation (PSV) occurred, which accounted in part for the significant decrease in WOB. The PTP/breath ratio correlated strongly and was a good predictor of WOB (r 2 =0.95). Conclusions Compared with conventional pressure and flow-by methods, triggering with tracheal pressure decreased WOB significantly. This method of triggering may improve patient-ventilator interaction. (CHEST 1995; 108:509-14)
Universal Tool for Vaccine Scheduling: Applications for Children and Adults

To improve coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases for children and adults, and to aid caretakers and providers in making appropriate and timely vaccination decisions, Georgia Institute of Technology collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop decision support tools for creating optimized catch-up immunization schedules for four target groups: children through age 6, adolescents ages 7 through 18, adults ages 19 and over in the United States, and children and adolescents through age 19 in Canada. Our solution to the catch-up scheduling problem for each targeted group determines the best coverage schedule for each individual given his (her) vaccination history and age. If an individual misses one or more doses of a recommended vaccine, a health-care professional is typically responsible for generating a feasible catch-up schedule that optimizes the person's coverage against vaccine-preventable diseases, a task that is often challenging and time consuming. Inappropriate schedules could prevent some individuals from being vaccinated in a timely manner, potentially increasing their risk of contracting a disease. Each decision support tool uses a dynamic programming algorithm to construct recommended immunization schedules in an optimized manner. These tools simplify the tedious process of manually constructing immunization schedules, expedite the process, and eliminate errors.
Statistical Adequacy of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias

A review of the psychometric properties of the Abel Assessment for Interest in Paraphilias (AAIP) is presented. The data supporting the AAIP's history, purpose, data, reliability, validity, and norms are reported, with the conclusion that its use with adults is tenuous at best and its use with adolescents is as yet unsupported. Pragmatic concerns are noted, along with recommendations for further research.