cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barrier Functions: Bridging the Gap between Planning from Specifications and Safety-Critical Control

Real-life control systems are hierarchies of interacting layers; often consisting of a planning layer, a trajectory generation layer, and a trajectory-following layer. Independently designing the layers without taking the interactions between layers into account makes it difficult to obtain safety guarantees when executing a high-level plan. In this paper we combine ideas from safety-critical control and high-level policy synthesis to develop a principled connection between a high-level planner in a low-dimensional space, and a low-level safety-critical controller acting in the full state space. We introduce a new type of simulation relation and show that barrier functions can be used to abstract a high-dimensional system via the relation. As a result, we obtain provably correct execution of high-level policies by low-level optimization-based controllers. The results are demonstrated with a quadrotor surveillance example.
Changes in Markets and Work Structures

Several key themes have guided our efforts in this book. One is that analysts studying one or another of the multidimensional work structures we have limned can profit from close considerations of those emphasized by other analysts. Thus, those who focus on a row, a column, or small clusters of cells will find clues to the residual variances left unexplained by the predictors with which they have been working.
A physical interpretation of fractional viscoelasticity based on the fractal structure of media: Theory and experimental validation

Abstract In this work, a physical connection between the fractional time derivative and fractal geometry of fractal media is developed and applied to viscoelasticity and thermal diffusion in elastomers. Integral to this formulation is the application of both the fractal dimension and the spectral dimension which characterizes diffusion in fractal media. The methodology extends the generalized molecular theory of Rouse and Zimm where generalized Gaussian structures (GGSs) replace the Rouse matrix with the generalized Gaussian Rouse matrix (GRM). Importantly, the Zimm model is extended to fractal media where the new relaxation formulation contains internal state variables that naturally depend on the fractional time derivative of deformation. Through the use of thermodynamic laws in fractal media, we derive the linear fractional model of viscoelasticity based on both spectral and fractal dimensions. This derivation shows how the order of the fractional derivative in the linear fractional model of viscoelasticity is a rate dependent material property that is strongly correlated with fractal and spectral dimensions in fractal media. To validate the correlation between fractional rates and fractal material structure, we measure the viscoelasticity and thermal diffusion of two different dielectric elastomers: Very High Bond (VHB) 4910 and VHB 4949. Using Bayesian uncertainty quantification (UQ) based on uniaxial stress–strain measurements, the fractional order of the derivative in the linear fractional model of viscoelasticity is quantified. Two dimensional fractal dimensions are also independently quantified using the box counting method. Lastly, the diffusion equation in fractal media is inferred from experiments using Bayesian UQ to quantify the spectral dimension by heating the polymer locally with a laser beam and quantifying thermal diffusion. Comparing theory to experiments, a strong correlation is found between the viscoelastic fractional order obtained from stress–strain measurements in comparisons with independent predictions of fractional viscoelasticity based on the fractal structure and fractional thermal diffusion rates.
Addressing Medication Costs During Primary Care Visits: A Before-After Study of Team-Based Training.

Background Medications contribute to patients' out-of-pocket costs, yet most clinicians do not routinely screen for patients' cost-of-medication (COM) concerns. Objective To assess whether a single training session improves COM conversations. Design Before-after cross-sectional surveys of patients and qualitative interviews with clinicians and staff. Setting 7 primary care practices in 3 U.S. states. Participants In total, 700 patients were surveyed from May 2017 to January 2018: 50 patients per practice before the intervention and another 50 patients per practice after the intervention. Eligibility criteria included age 18 years or older and taking 1 or more long-term medications. Qualitative interviews with 45 staff members were conducted. Intervention A single 60-minute training session for clinicians and staff from each practice on COM importance, team-based screening, and cost-saving strategies. Measurements Patient data (demographics, number of long-term medications, total monthly out-of-pocket medication costs, and history of cost-related medication nonadherence) were obtained immediately before and 3 months after the intervention. Practice staff were interviewed 3 months after the intervention. Results A total of 700 patient surveys were completed. Frequency of COM discussion improved in 6 of the 7 practices and remained unchanged in 1 practice. Overall, COM conversations with patients increased from 17% at baseline to 32% postintervention (P = 0.00). There was substantial heterogeneity among sites in before-after differences in patient-reported out-of-pocket COM. Qualitative analyses from key informant interviews showed wide variation in implementation of screening approaches, workflow, adoption of a team-based approach, and strategies for addressing COM. Limitation It is not known whether improvements in COM conversations were sustained beyond 3 months. Conclusion A single team training to screen and address patients' medication cost concerns improved COM discussions over the short term. Further research is needed to assess sustained effects and impact on patient costs and medication adherence and to determine whether more intensive, scalable interventions are needed. Primary funding source Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Deportabilidad y manifestaciones del sufrimiento de los inmigrantes y sus familias

espanolEn este estudio, examino la manera en que la deportacion inflige diferentes formas de sufrimiento tanto a los migrantes como a sus familias. A partir de una serie de entrevistas abiertas con migrantes mexicanos, hijos de inmigrantes y deportados, examino no solo la condicion subjetiva del estado de deportacion de un migrante, sino tambien intento comprender el persistente miedo que tal condicion inflige a cada uno de los miembros de la familia. Por lo tanto, en los casos presentados se intenta documentar las circunstancias que contribuyen a dicho sufrimiento. Por ultimo, aunque todas las historias presentadas en este trabajo reflejan una dosis del dolor y ansiedad de las familias, tambien retratan, en ultima instancia, historias de resistencia y resiliencia dentro de la comunidad migrante. EnglishIn this study, I examine the way in which deportation inflicts different forms of suffering upon both immigrants themselves and their families. Drawing on a series of open-ended interviews with Mexican immigrants in the United States, as well as children of immigrants, and deportees, I examine not only the subjective condition of immigrants’ deportability status but also how living in a constant state of fear affects every member of the family. In each of the cases, I document the circumstances that contribute to the suffering of immigrants and their families. Finally, although all the stories presented here were forged through pain and anxiety, ultimately, these narratives demonstrate resistance and resilience within the migrant community.
Correction to: Real-time national GPS networks: opportunities for atmospheric sensing

Author(s): Ware, RH; Fulker, DW; Stein, SA; Anderson, DN; Avery, SK; Clark, RD; Droegemeier, KK; Kuettner, JP; Minster, J; Sorooshian, S | Abstract: Portions of this letter come from the content published in the paper by Ware et al. [1].
Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Noise Exposure on Tinnitus Occurrence in College Students and Adolescents.

Background Recent research indicated that young adults and adolescents reported tinnitus in higher numbers than previously. Thus, it is important to fully investigate risk factors for tinnitus in adolescents and young adults. Purpose The current study examined the influence of two environmental risk factors, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and noise exposure on tinnitus occurrence as self-reported by U.S. adolescents and young adults. Research Design A nonexperimental, cross-sectional design was used for this survey study. Study Sample Of 265 surveys received, 43 were excluded due to ineligibility. The remaining 222 surveys constituted the study sample. Participant respondents included 80 high school students (ages 14–17) and 142 college students (ages 18–30). The sample was primarily female (n = 160). Data Collection and Analysis Three (3) yes/no survey questions regarding SHS exposure, noise exposure, and tinnitus occurrence were analyzed. Statistical analyses included logistic regression, chi-square follow-up tests, and Pearson bivariate correlation analysis. Results Results revealed that 40% of young adults and adolescents surveyed reported that they experienced tinnitus. Regression analysis revealed significant main effects for noise (p = 0.004), gender (p = 0.017), and the interaction of SHS and noise (p = 0.001). There was no main effect of SHS exposure nor age on tinnitus occurrence. Follow-up chi-square analysis conducted to probe the gender effect revealed that females (45.1%) were more likely to experience tinnitus than males (27.7%). Chi-square testing to examine the significant interaction effect revealed statistical significance (p = 0.001) for individuals with reported noise exposure but not for individuals without noise exposure. In the noise-exposed group, individuals who also reported SHS exposure had a lower occurrence of tinnitus (23.6%). In contrast, the noise-exposed individuals without SHS exposure had a higher prevalence of tinnitus (57.9%). An additional chi-square follow-up analysis to examine the main effect of noise revealed no significance (p = 0.199). However, there was a significant (p Conclusion The current study results suggest there is a higher than expected report of tinnitus incidence in adolescents and young adults. The relationship between tinnitus occurrence and a combined exposure to noise and secondhand smoke revealed a unique effect in adolescents and young adults.
Sterile Neutrino/Dark Fermion Dark Matter: Searches in the X-Ray Sky, the Nuclear Physics Laboratory and in Galaxy Formation

The possibility of dark matter being a particle involved in the generation of neutrino mass has been of interest for over 25 years. Sterile neutrinos—or in the contemporary parlance—dark fermions, are among the simplest and most cited particles which can provide a mechanism for neutrino mass. If one particle of this class has a small mixing, it can be quasi-thermally or nonthermally produced in the early Universe, affect cosmological structure formation, and be detected by X-ray telescopes or laboratory nuclear experiments. A candidate line was detected in 2014, and I review the status of the line and its implications for galaxy formation, proposals for future observations, and laboratory detection.
Physical Principles of Circular Dichroism.

Circular dichroism (CD) is the differential absorption of left and right circularly polarized light. It arises from molecular electron oscillations that are driven by both the light’s electric and magnetic fields, where the effects are in phase for one circular polarization and out of phase for the other. We describe these interactions, which have not been presented at an intuitive level before, with classical and quantum treatments. A rotational average of the latter solution leads to the Rosenfeld equation, which underlies most CD research. We illustrate its use with a chiral version of a harmonic oscillator, which we then apply to the far-ultraviolet CD of protein α-helices. This presentation is aimed at the level of upper-division undergraduates and could be usefully incorporated into a physical chemistry course.
Co-operative binding assay for the characterization of mGlu4 allosteric modulators.

The interest in the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGlu4) in CNS related disorders has increased the need for methods to investigate the binding of allosteric drug candidates. Our aim is to present the first fully characterized in vitro binding assay of mGlu4 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). Results suggest that mGlu4 PAMs have characteristic co-operative binding with orthosteric glutamate, which offers a notable insight to the further development of mGlu4 targeted therapies.
Preclinical experience with a novel single-port platform for transoral surgery

We investigated a novel minimally invasive surgical platform for use in the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx for single-port transoral surgery used in concert with standard transoral laryngeal and pharyngeal instrumentation. The preclinical investigational device by Fortimedix Surgical B.V. (Netherlands) features two channels for manually controlled flexible articulating surgical instruments. A third central channel accepts both rigid and flexible endoscopes. The system is coupled to a standard laryngoscope for transoral access. In three cadaver models, we evaluated the surgical capabilities using wristed grasping instruments, microlaryngeal scissors, monopolar cautery, and a laser fiber sheath. Procedures were performed within the oropharynx, supraglottis, glottis, subglottis, and hypopharynx. Within the oropharynx, we found adequate strength, range of motion, and dexterity to perform lateral oropharyngectomy and tongue base resection. Within the larynx, visualization was achieved with a variety of instruments including a flexible, 0° and 30° rigid endoscope. The glottis, supraglottis, pyriform sinuses, post-cricoid space, and esophageal inlet were readily accessible. Visualization and manipulation of grasping, laser, and monopolar cautery instruments were also possible within the subglottis. Instrument reach and accuracy facilitated completion of a delicate micro-flap on the true vocal fold. Other procedures included vocal fold resection, cricopharyngeal myotomy, and resection of subglottic mucosa. From this initial proof of concept experience with this novel platform, we found a wide range of procedures within the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx to be feasible. Further work is needed to evaluate its applicability to the clinical setting. The ability of this platform to be used with conventional instrumentation may provide an opportunity for complex transoral surgery to be performed in a facile manner at greatly reduced cost.
Tsunami coastal hazard along the US East Coast from coseismic sources in the Açores convergence zone and the Caribbean arc areas

Tsunami coastal hazard is modeled along the US East Coast (USEC), at a coarse regional (450 m) resolution, from coseismic sources located in the Acores Convergence Zone (ACZ) and the Puerto Rico Trench (PRT)/Caribbean Arc areas. While earlier work only considered probable maximum tsunamis, here we parameterize and simulate 18 coseismic sources, with magnitude M8-9 and return periods $$\sim$$ 70–2000 year, using seismo-tectonic and historical data. The largest sources in the ACZ are repeats of the 1755 M8.6-9 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami; other sources are hypothetical. In the ACZ, due to the limited data on faults, each source is parameterized with a single fault plane, while in the PRT, coseismic sources are parameterized based on fault segmentation established during a 2019 USGS workshop of experts, using 10–26 SIFT subfault planes (Gica et al. in NOAA Tech. Memo., OAR PMEL-139, 2008). Tsunamis are simulated for each source using the fully nonlinear and dispersive model FUNWAVE-TVD, in two levels of nested grids. At the considered scales, dispersion is shown to affect tsunami propagation. Coastal hazard is quantified by four metrics computed at many save points ( $$\sim$$ 20–30 thousand) defined along the 5-m isobath (due to the coarse resolution), i.e., maximum (1) surface elevation, (2) current, (3) momentum force; and (4) travel time, representing flooding, navigation, structural, and evacuation hazards. Overall, the first three metrics are larger, the larger the source magnitude, and their alongshore variation shows similar patterns of higher/lower values, due to the shelf bathymetric control (refraction). The fourth metric mostly differs between sources from each area, but less so among sources from the same area; its inverse quantifies evacuation hazard. A 1–5 score is given to results for each metric, based on five intensity classes representing low, medium low, medium, high, and highest tsunami hazard. A novel tsunami intensity index is computed as a weighted average of these scores, allowing both a comparison among sources and a quantification of tsunami hazard as a function of their estimated return periods. In the most impacted areas of the USEC, the highest tsunami hazard in the 250–500-year return period range is commensurate with that posed by 100-year category 3–5 tropical cyclones, taking into account the larger current velocities and forces caused by tsunami waves. Results of this work could serve as a basis for a future regional Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis for the USEC, considering additional source types such as underwater landslides, volcanic flank collapse, and meteotsunamis, that were studied elsewhere.
Detection and prediction of equilibrium states in kinetic plasma simulations via mode tracking using reduced-order dynamic mode decomposition

Abstract A dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) based reduced-order model (ROM) is developed for tracking, detection, and prediction of kinetic plasma behavior. DMD is applied to the high-fidelity kinetic plasma model based on the electromagnetic particle-in-cell (EMPIC) algorithm to extract the underlying dynamics and key features of the model. In particular, the ability of DMD to reconstruct the spatial pattern of the self electric field from high-fidelity data and the effect of DMD extrapolated self-fields on charged particle dynamics are investigated. An in-line sliding-window DMD method is presented for identifying the transition from transient to equilibrium state based on the loci of DMD eigenvalues in the complex plane. The in-line detection of equilibrium state combined with time extrapolation ability of DMD has the potential to effectively expedite the simulation. Case studies involving electron beams and plasma ball are presented to assess the strengths and limitations of the proposed method.
The Interplay of Actors in Political Communication: The State of the Subfield

In this article, we systematically assess how recent political communication scholarship has empirically demonstrated the interactions of the three main actors: elites, citizens and media. We found...
Democracy More or Less: America's Political Reform Quandary

1. The ascendancy of reform populism 2. Reform pluralism 3. How much transparency? 4. Participation paradoxes 5. Reform cycles 6. Fair representation 7. Raising the political ethics bar 8. Election administration or policy? 9. A blended reform agenda.
MAINTENANCE OF ASYMMETRIC NODAL EXPRESSION IN XENOPUS LAEVIS

Vertebrate species display consistent left-right asymmetry in the arrangement of their internal organs. This asymmetry reflects the establishment of the left-right axis and the alignment of the organs along this axis during development. Members of the TGF-beta family of molecules have been implicated in both the establishment and signaling of left-right axis information. Asymmetric expression of one member, nodal (called Xnr-1 in the frog, Xenopus laevis), is highly conserved among species. The nodal-related genes are normally expressed in the left lateral plate mesoderm prior to the development of morphologic asymmetry. Expression patterns of nodal have been correlated with heart situs in mouse, chick, and frog and our previous work has implicated the dorsal midline structures in the regulation of nodal expression and cardiac laterality. In this study, three approaches were used to address the embryologic and molecular basis of asymmetric Xnr-1 expression. First, notochord and lateral plate recombinants were performed and showed that notochord can repress Xnr-1 expression in lateral plate mesoderm explants derived from either the left or the right side. Second, lateral plate mesoderm grafts indicated that Xnr-1 expression is specified but not determined at neurula stages and can subsequently be repatterned. These experiments suggest that a repressive signal from the notochord is required for maintenance of asymmetric Xnr-1 expression and that Xnr-1 expression is regulated by signals outside of the lateral plate mesoderm. Third, candidate molecules were injected to test for their ability to alter Xnr-1 expression pattern in the lateral plate. Late injection of activin protein on the right side of the embryo induced ectopic Xnr-1 expression and randomized cardiac orientation. This suggests that activin or a related TGF-beta molecule is involved in the proximal regulation of asymmetric Xnr-1 expression.
System identification of rapidly varying systems

This paper provides an account of a new approach for system identification for time-varying systems. We consider the situation where the coherence time is significant relative to the system time-scale/memory/delay spread. Under these conditions it is not meaningful to track the system dynamics exactly. We address the problem by deliberately sacrificing performance by undermodeling the system with lower complexity models and gain in terms of guaranteeing accuracy. We quantify the estimation error as a function of the rate of variation, complexity of the model class and the undermodeling error. These bounds lead us to present fundamental limits to identifiability.
Efficient parallel data retrieval protocols with MIMO antennae for data broadcast in 4G wireless communications

Wireless Data Broadcast is an efficient data dissemination method for public information to a large number of mobile/wireless clients. With the advance of the fourth-generation wireless communication system (4G), mobile devices may embed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennae to setup multi-connections to a base station. In this paper, we deal with data retrieval problem for mobile clients with MIMO antennae to retrieve a set of indexed data from parallel communication channels. Our purpose is to construct fast and energy efficient data retrieval protocols to reduce the response time and energy consumption. We name this problem as parallel data retrieval scheduling with MIMO Antennae (PADRS-MIMO), and propose two greedy heuristics named Least Switch Data Retrieval Protocol (Least-Switch) and Best First Data Retrieval Protocol (Best-First). We are the first work to deal with data retrieval with MIMO antennae for wireless data broadcast. We analyze the performances of Least-Switch and Best-First both theoretically and practically. Simulation results prove the efficiency of the two protocols.
On the Advocacy of the Task‐Based Syllabus

myself to two aspects of the piece that I find personally objectionable. My first objection relates to the extremely selective data base Sheen draws on in attempting to establish his case against me. The article purports to critique my advocacy of task-based syllabuses. I have written extensively on task-based language teaching. (I shall overlook, as Sheen has done, the fact that in my 1988 book on syllabus design I question whether there is such a thing as a task-based syllabus.) My writings include a book and several articles in international journals, including the TESOL Quarterly, on the subject of task-based learning. Not one of the sources is cited, nor is there any evidence that they have even been read. The single source drawn upon for the article is a book on language-teaching methodology. Although task-based learning is dealt with in this book, it is not a central theme of the work as a whole. My second major objection is that my views are consistently misrepresented. Sheen implies that I am attempting to foist a new paradigm or fad on the field. Nothing could be further from the truth. In a great deal of my writing, including the book used exclusively by Sheen for his critique, I argue that teachers should not accept the exhortations of others but should contest them, in a critically informed way, against the realities of their own situation. Additionally, through selectively quoting from my book, I am represented as an advocate of the comprehensible input hypothesis when my very purpose in introducing the hypothesis was to critique it. I shall not lay out further examples of the scholarship evident in this paper. Nor shall I engage in an elaborate refutation of the thinking on which the piece is based. Instead I invite readers to look at my work on task-based language teaching overlooked by Sheen and make up their own minds.
Immunoglobulin biosynthesis. I. A myeloma variant secreting light chain only.

Abstract A mutant mouse myeloma cell line was derived from ADJPC5, which secretes an IgG 2a immunoglobulin. The variant had lost the ability to synthesize immunoglobulin, but continued to secrete light chain. This light chain, and the light chain from ADJPC5 immunoglobulin, were indistinguishable as defined by peptide mapping of the secreted serum, and urinary proteins. Karyotype analysis showed that the mutant was derived from one of the 14 stem-lines observed in the wildtype myeloma. There was no detectable internal immunoglobulin in the variant, ruling out a block in secretion. It was also shown that the differential rate of light chain secretion was identical in ADJPC5 and its derivative.
ATM Forum signalling protocols and their interworking

The ATM Forum is a key body which has been developing specifications for asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology over the past six years. It has produced a number of signalling specifications covering the user network interface, the inter-carrier interface and private networking environments. While work continues on ‘fine-tuning‘ these agreements, there is still discussion about how they are used in large scale networks, and in particular on the interworking of public and private network environments. This paper reviews the current status of the relevant protocols and their scope. It then explores the issues related to their interworking and discusses the role of the proposed ATM internetwork interface (AINI) as an alternative internetwork or inter-carrier interface to its broadband intercarrier interface (B-ICI).
Future Radiation Damage in Space Due to South Atlantic Anomaly

The geographic limits of the South Atlantic Anomaly, as defined by radiation damage, are compared to contours of geomagnetic total field intensity, as defined by the 1995 IGRF, for the present and recent past. The most likely secular variation of the geomagnetic field is estimated and used to extrapolate the geomagnetic field to the year 2100. This indicates that radiation damage to spacecraft and humans in space will likely increase and to cover a much larger geographic area.
Energy Prices And The Global Economic Recovery

Global economies seem on their way to recovery after the recent downturn. However, one dilemma has emerged that could halt expansion and raise the specter of inflation – energy prices.
Comparison of the protective roles of Trypanosoma cruzi-specific Th1 and Th17 cells. (MPF6P.746)

Trypanosoma cruzi is the protozoan etiology of Chagas disease. T. cruzi -specific Th1 cells are known to be important for protective immunity, while the role of T. cruzi -specific Th17 cells has yet to be explored in detail. TCR-transgenic, T. cruzi -specific CD4 + T cells were differentiated in vitro into Th1 or Th17 cells and co-cultured with T. cruzi -infected peritoneal exudate macrophages. Protection was measured as inhibition of intracellular amastigote replication. In vivo, T. cruzi -specific Th1 or Th17 cells were adoptively transferred into Rag -/- mice along with naive polyclonal CD8 + T cells. Mice were challenged with T. cruzi , persistent immune responses were measured, and protection was assessed by parasitemia and survival. In vitro, both Th1 and Th17 cells led to protection against intracellular T. cruzi growth in macrophages. Th1-mediated protection involved IFN-γ signaling and nitric oxide production by macrophages. In contrast, Th17-mediated protection was dependent on IL-17A but independent of iNOS induction. The role of reactive oxygen species, autophagy, apoptosis, and mechanisms of lysosomal killing are being studied. More importantly, Th17 cells were significantly more protective than Th1 cells in vivo, involving enhanced expansion of pathogen-specific CD8 + T cells. Thus, Th17 cells have both direct and indirect effects for T. cruzi protective immunity. Furthermore, we report the novel finding that Th17 cells provide important helper effects for CD8 + T cells.
Theory of chemically assisted fracture

In this first of a two-paper series, we develop a theoretical formulation for chemically assisted brittle fracture in materials. The external environment is assumed to be a diatomic gas, and the chemical attack is at the crack tip. The crack is presumed to be atomically sharp, and the adsorbing chemical species lowers the energy of bond breaking at the crack tip. The formalism is couched in the language of chemical absolute reaction rate theory, and the results bear a close resemblance to the reaction rate theory of atomic diffusion in solids. Expressions are derived for thermally activated crack growth. The thermodynamic limit is derived, and the connection made to previous macroscropic mechanical treatments. A qualitative discussion is given of more complex forms of fracture chemistry. General conclusions are that atmospherically assisted fracture should be associated with changes in adsorbed surface energy; that details of kinetics will vary widely from one chemical system and material to another; and that cleavage experiments should be a quantitative tool for surface and interfacial energy measurements. Finally, bridging reactions at the crack tip are shown to lead to possibilities for chemical toughening of the material.
SOMA, SELF, AND SOCIETY: SOMAESTHETICS AS PRAGMATIST MELIORISM

: This article explains the pragmatist project of somaesthetics in five different ways. First, it clarifies the notion of soma as encompassing both subjective intentionality and material objectivity in the world. Second, it highlights the social dimensions of somaesthetics, building on the basic insight that the soma is always shaped by the social and physical environments in which it is nested. Third, it examines the similarities and differences between somaesthetics and the Merleau-Ponty tradition of somatic phenomenology, while answering some of the critical questions phenomenologists raise about the pragmatic value of reflective body consciousness. Fourth, in exploring the uses of reflective body consciousness, the article examines the continuity of learning over different levels and the different forms of evidence that can be used for empirical testing of the value of somatic reflection. It concludes with an overview of some of the main directions of future somaesthetic research.
A Protocol for the Videofluorographic Swallowing Study

This paper presents a detailed protocol for performing the videofluorographic swallowing study (VFSS), and describes how it evolved from its antecedents. The objectives of the VFSS are both diagnostic and therapeutic. Preparing for the VFSS is described, including the equipment, food preparation, and a brief discussion of the clinical evaluation. The detailed description of the VFSS procedure covers the position of the patient, the foods presented, the views obtained, modifications of feeding and swallowing that are commonly employed, the standardized set of observations, and reporting the results. Criteria for deviating from the protocol or aborting the study are presented. The VFSS does not necessarily end when a patient aspirates. Indeed, the complete evaluation of aspiration, and the effects of maneuvers designed to reduce it, is a major purpose of the VFSS. Modifications of feeding and swallowing are tested empirically during the study. The modifications include therapeutic and compensatory techniques that may improve the safety and efficiency of swallowing. A rationale for deciding which modifications to test in a given patient is discussed. The protocol has been used successfully in more than 350 patients. It has improved the efficiency and quality of our videofluorographic examinations.
A classical study of the effects of parent molecule vibrational excitation prior to triatomic direct photofragmentation. Wigner versus classical weighting of trajectory initial conditions

The classical trajectory method has been used to investigate the direct photofragmentation of vibrationally excited, collinear, rotationless, model N2O. Attention is focused on differences arising from use of the Wigner distribution function versus use of the classical (300 K) distribution function in describing N2O(1,0,0) and N2O(0,0,1) prior to photon absorption. Results obtained appear to establish a case for superiority of the Wigner function.
Perceived Discrimination, Coping Strategies, and Mexican Origin Adolescents' Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: Examining the Moderating Role of Gender and Cultural Orientation

The literature identifying effective coping strategies related to perceived discrimination has yielded mixed findings, suggesting that recommendations for effective coping may vary by individual and group differences. The current study examined the influence of perceived discrimination and coping strategies on Mexican origin adolescents' later internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, and assessed the moderating roles of gender and cultural orientation. Participants included 189 adolescents (46% male, 54% female) interviewed at 7th and 8th grades. Results suggested that the associations between perceived discrimination and internalizing symptoms were buffered by distraction coping among youth that were low on Anglo orientation but not among youth high on Anglo orientation. In addition, the associations between perceived discrimination and externalizing behaviors were buffered by social support seeking, but only among youth that were low on Mexican orientation. Directions for future research and ...
The Role of Weighting in the Use of Aggregate Scores

In a recent article, Gardner and Erdle (1984) have argued inappropriately against prior standardization of scores when an aggregate score is formed. They demonstrate that an aggregate of raw scores may not correlate perfectly with an aggregate of standard scores, and that the correlation of an external criterion with the two types of aggregates may differ markedly. However, these effects are not a function of standardization. They are an artifact resulting from the differential weighting of components in the process of aggregation. In fact, standardization improves the ability to interpret and compare scores. A demonstration of the effects of differential weighting of aggregate components is presented that clarifies the need for prior standardization. The conceptual role of standardization in statistics and the use of aggregate scores in research are also briefly discussed.
The internal-nitriding behavior of 310 stainless steel with and without Al and Ti additions

The internal-nitriding behavior in ammonia-hydrogen atmospheres of type-310 stainless steel and 310 to which either 2 wt.% Ti or 3 wt.% Al were added was studied over the range of 550–950°C. An Fe-24Cr binary alloy was included to assess the role of a BCC crystal structure vs the FCC crystal structure of 310 stainless steel. The BCC alloy exhibited the most rapid kinetics as expected. X-ray diffraction showed only the presence of CrN in all the alloys up to 735°C. At 850°C and above, both CrN and Cr2N were detected. The nonformation of TiN and AlN at lower temperatures is attributed to nucleation problems. Precipitates were extremely fine (unresolvable even at 20,000×) at 563°C and became much coarser with increasing temperature. The precipitate density, size, and shape varied across the internal-nitriding zone at the higher temperatures. External scaling was noted at 850°C and above, however, it was not a continuous film. The activation energy of internal nitriding from 563–735°C ranged from 3.8 kcal/mol for 310+2Ti to 18.2 kcal/mol for 310+3Al; from 850–950°C, the activation energy ranged from 44 (310+2Ti) to 56.6 kcal/mol (310+3Al). Microhardness profiles show that an intermediate zone exists between the nitride case and the base metal. The origin of this zone is discussed.
An association between C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency and lupus erythematosus: Report of two cases and review of the literature

Two patients who had lupus erythematosus and C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency are described. The data on eleven previously reported cases are reviewed and summarized with those from our own cases. Early complement component depletion secondary to C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency may predispose to the development of lupuslike syndromes by impairing the ability of the organism to handle foreign antigen. Further study of this unique group of patients may provide insight into the pathogenesis of immune complex disease.
“I Am an Atheist and a Muslim”: Islam, Communism, and Ideological Competition

When do religious and political ideologies come into conflict? Political and religious systems of belief are closely tied throughout history, sometimes working in tandem and sometimes in bitter opposition. In cooperation, religious and political ideologies can meld to create powerful feelings of nationalism, but in conflict they may produce violent exchanges between political and religious institutions. Within the Soviet Union, communist elites brutally attacked religious individuals and organizations because they believed that religion was antithetical to their socialist vision.1 In response, religious institutions often spearheaded political opposition to communism in the Soviet Union and bloc countries of Eastern Europe, with the Roman Catholic Church most famously leading a successful assault on communism in Poland.2 In marked contrast, Islam produced no active opposition to communism, and many Communist Party members and officials within central Asia openly retained their Muslim identities. Why were central Asian Muslims able to blend their religious identities into the
Distribution, elimination, and test for carcinogenicity of 2,4-dinitrotoluene in strain a mice.

Abstract 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) was examined for its ability to produce lung tumors in strain A mice. Its tissue distribution and elimination in this mouse strain were also determined. At total doses of 600, 1500, or 3000 mg/kg, 2,4-DNT did not produce an increase in lung adenomas when compared to controls. The urine was found to be the major route of elimination, with 52.5, 60.1, and 70.0% of ip doses of 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg, respectively, excreted within 4 hr after administration. The distribution of 2,4-DNT in various tissues (blood, liver, kidneys, lungs, adipose tissue, small and large intestine) showed no evidence for preferential uptake or retention at any of the doses tested. At 0.25 to 4 hr after administration, the lungs contained 0.05 to 0.2% of the dose. Terminal half-lives of radioactive meterial in liver (1.1 to 1.7 hr) and kidney (0.9 to 1.4 hr) were not related to dose. At all doses (1, 10, and 100 mg/kg), rapid and extensive metabolism of 2,4-DNT by liver and small intestine was observed, as judged by the low amounts of 2,4-DNT (less than 13% of the total 3 H/tissue) that could be re-isolated from these tissues. Blood and lungs contained much higher levels of unchanged 2,4-DNT and, in most cases, the extent of 2,4-DNT metabolism was similar in these two tissues, suggesting that the lung is not an active site of 2,4-DNT metabolism. It is concluded that 2,4-DNT is not carcinogenic in the strain A mouse lung tumor bioassay and that ip administered 2,4-DNT is rapidly eliminated in the urine. The liver and the small intestine are major sites of 2,4-DNT metabolism, while the lungs are relatively inactive in this respect.
The splicing of maize transposable elements from pre-mRNA — a minireview ☆

Abstract There are six examples of maize transposable elements that are spliced from pre-mRNA. These represent the first introns that have been added to nuclear genes in recent years. All six are members of the Ac/Ds or Spm/dSpm family of elements and all have been inserted into exons of active genes within the last twenty-five years. The structure of these element-introns and the sequences involved m their splicing are presented. These examples illustrate how active transposable elements can also function as introns and how they may evolve into stable introns.
Self-control of smoking--II. Effects of cue salience and source of delay imposition on the effectiveness of training under increasing delay.

Abstract Imposed increasing delay of cigarette puffs has been shown to facilitate smoking inhibition. Hypothetical mechanisms involved (frustration extinction or rehearsal of coping responses) imply that increased temptation cue salience and decreased degree of external control in increasing delay training, should facilitate smoking inhibition. After three pre-test delay tolerance trials, all subjects were cued to pace their smoking in an increasing sequence of delay. During treatment the cigarette temptation cues were either visible or hidden. Delays were either self-imposed but cued by the experimenter or the delays were physically imposed by the experimenter. Post-test consisted of three delay tolerance trials. Pre-test to post-test improvement was significantly facilitated by cue salience and reduced external control. No significant interaction effects were obtained. Cue salience significantly reduced the self-reported aversiveness and GSRs during self-control trials. Implications for treatment were advanced.
Chemical signatures for superheavy elementary particles.

Models of unified fundamental interactions suggest the existence of many particles in the mass range 10 x 10 9 to 100 x 10 12 electron volts. Among these may be charged particles, X ± , that are stable or nearly so. The X +, s would form superheavy hydrogen, while the X –, s would bind to nuclei. Chemical isolation of naturally occurring technetium, promethium, actinium, protactinium, neptunium, or americium would indicate the presence of superheavy particles in the forms RuX – , SmX – , 232 ThX – , 235,236,238 UX – , 244 PuX – , or 247 CmX – . Other substances worth searching for include superheavy elements with the chemical properties of boron, fluorine, manganese, beryllium, scandium, vanadium, lithium, neon, and thallium.
Estimation of comparative water transmission in two pairs of adjacent virgin and cultivated pedons in wisconsin

Abstract Hydraulic properties and soil morphology of principal soil horizons of paired virgin and cultivated pedons, each pair with identical soil classifications, were studied at two sites. The capacity of the two cultivated soils to transmit water under saturated conditions was reduced as compared with the virgin soil, whereas this capacity generally increased in unsaturated soil at corresponding moisture tensions. Compacted layers below the Ap had a drying effect on the overlying Ap at a wide range of flow rates, whereas a wetting effect resulted in Al horizons of the virgin pedons at similar flow rates, representing unsaturated flow. Extrapolation for interpretive purposes of hydraulic conductivity data measured in a representative pedon of a mapping unit to pedons in identical mapping units elsewhere has to proceed with care, as differences may be substantial. A rather wide range of physical properties is acceptable in a pedogenic soil unit when broad qualitative soil map interpretations are made. However, specific interpretations require more detailed data, as is illustrated with examples relating to soil suitability for on-site liquid waste disposal.
The Implementation of an Alternate Route to a Diploma in One State

Twenty-two states continue to require exit exams, despite ongoing controversy surrounding their use. In all, exit exams affect nearly two thirds of high school students in this country. Many states, however, offer some alternative route or routes to a diploma, by which at least some students may bypass the exam requirement. This study examines the implementation of the alternative route to a diploma adopted by one state. In all, 117 Indiana high school guidance counselors provided information about their schools’ exit exam waiver procedures for students with and without disabilities. Results indicated that although the routes appeared fairly compatible and there is relative consistency across schools, few students who continue to fail the exit exam apply for a waiver.
Electron Microscopic Studies of Planktonic Foraminifera: ABSTRACT

The wall structures and surface features of several modern planktonic foraminiferal species were examined with an electron microscope for the purpose of evaluating the taxonomic and ecologic significance of such microstructural details. Species belonging to spinose Globigerinoides, non-spinose Globoquadrina, and non-spinose Globorotalia were selected because they are three representative taxa among the planktonic Foraminifera. Surface replicas were made using the Triafol method, which has been found superior to direct shadowing and Polystyrene techniques. Photographs have been taken stepwise from low magnifications with the light microscope to higher magnification electron micrographs in stereo pairs. In the juvenile stages when the individuals live near the ocean surface, the test wall is thin and transparent and is composed of small calcite crystals with their c-and major growth axes normal to the shell surface. In the later stages when the organisms descend to lower water depths there is additional crystal growth in the form of a calcite crust producing columnar prisms whose free ends are rhombic pyramids. As some of the prisms increase in size, other prisms are squeezed out by differential growth; the rhombic pyramids are especially well developed along the keel and apertural side of Globorotalia menardii and G. truncatulinoides. Transitional steps in the test thickening of G. sacculifer have been observed from specimens having large, open pores and distinct spine bases to specimens having constricted pores, obscure spine bases, and surficial encrustment of calcite crystals. Distinguishing between variations in primary test features (e.g., keel, pores, apertural lip) and those due to developmental phases as observed with the electron microscope is complicated by variations due to environmental influences. End_of_Article - Last_Page 516------------