cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rational responses to high stakes testing: the case of curriculum narrowing and the harm that follows

The inevitable responses to high stakes testing, wherein students’ test scores are highly consequential for teachers and administrators, include cheating, excessive test preparation, changes in test scoring and other forms of gaming to ensure that test scores appear high. Over the last decade this has been demonstrated convincingly in the USA, but examples in Great Britain abound. Yet the most pernicious response to high stakes testing is perhaps the most rational, namely, curriculum narrowing. In this way more of what is believed to be on the test is taught. Curriculum narrowing, however, reduces many students’ chances of being thought talented in school and results in a restriction in the creative and enjoyable activities engaged in by teachers and students. The tests commonly used with narrower curricula also appear to restrict thinking skills. In addition, responses to high stakes environments can easily retard the development of achievement in later grades as a function of the restrictions on learnin...
Age-dependent specification of the corticocortical connections of cerebral grafts

To investigate further the factors involved in the development of cerebral cortical circuitry, we examined the organization of corticocortical connections of heterotopic grafts of fetal cortex placed into neonatal rat cortices. Presumptive perirhinal or sensorimotor areas of the cerebral wall were removed as slabs from embryonic day 12 (E12), E13, or E14 rats and transplanted heterotopically into either rostral perirhinal or sensorimotor cortical areas of neonatal rats. Two weeks later, the afferent cortical connections of the grafts were labeled by placing DilC18(-3) (Dil) into each transplant site. Both the E12 and E13 heterotopic transplants of presumptive perirhinal cortex contain mostly precursor cells. When these grafts are placed into sensorimotor cortex, callosal connections are formed primarily with the contralateral sensorimotor (Sml) area, the normal projection of Sml cortex. In contrast, the E14 heterotopic transplants of the perirhinal cortical wall, containing many more postmitotic neurons, developed contralateral connections with both sensorimotor and rostral perirhinal cortices. Thus, when precursor cells are transplanted heterotopically, by using E12/E13 donor tissue, the grafts receive projections that are similar to those of the host cortical area. When older cortical neurons, together with precursors, are transplanted into a heterotopic cortical area, by using E14 donor tissue, their cortical connections exhibit both host and original donor phenotypes. The data are consistent with our previous analysis of thalamocortical connections of grafts (Barbe and Levitt, 1992b) and suggest the existence of a cell-cell recognition system for thalamocortical and corticocortical circuit formation, whose mechanisms of action may be linked to the timing of neurogenesis.
Imaging modalities in recurrent head and neck tumors.

Thirty-eight patients with suspected recurrent neoplasms comprise this study: 30 had computed tomography scans, 4 had magnetic resonance images, and 4 patients underwent both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to assess the anatomical extent of pathology in 34 malignant and 4 benign tumors. Contrast enhancement was essential for detecting disease on computed tomography scan. Differentiation of recurrent tumor was more difficult when the patient had undergone radiation
Trends in uptake of couples voluntary HIV counseling and testing (CVCT) in Lusaka and Southern Province, Zambia

Background Couples HIV testing and counseling (CVCT) has been proven to decrease transmission of HIV in discordant couples by two-thirds. In order to achieve a snowball effect and establish CVCT as a social norm, the intervention must reach 15-20% of the target population. Considering demographics in Lusaka, Zambia, approximately 40,000 50,000 couples must be tested together within a few years to establish norms and set the stage for social diffusion.
Corporate social and environmental responsibility in Asian countries and other geographical regions

This study examines two aspects of corporate social responsibility (social and environmental CSR) in 15 Asian countries. The performance of firms in these Asian countries on the two types of CSR is also assessed relative to country economic, political and social conditions, and compared with those of other regions (Western Europe, East/Central Europe, Australia/New Zealand, US/Canada, Middle East and Africa). Drawing from over 8700 surveys of firms in 104 countries, this study demonstrates substantial country and regional differences in CSR. Firms are embedded in different country contexts, with differing underlying institutional capacities. Strong revealed relationships between CSR and country economic, political and social contexts reflect the importance of a country's development of such institutional capacity to promote and support CSR practices. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Mutation size optimizes speciation in an evolutionary model.

The role of mutation rate in optimizing key features of evolutionary dynamics has recently been investigated in various computational models. Here, we address the related question of how maximum mutation size affects the formation of species in a simple computational evolutionary model. We find that the number of species is maximized for intermediate values of a mutation size parameter μ; the result is observed for evolving organisms on a randomly changing landscape as well as in a version of the model where negative feedback exists between the local population size and the fitness provided by the landscape. The same result is observed for various distributions of mutation values within the limits set by μ. When organisms with various values of μ compete against each other, those with intermediate μ values are found to survive. The surviving values of μ from these competition simulations, however, do not necessarily coincide with the values that maximize the number of species. These results suggest that various complex factors are involved in determining optimal mutation parameters for any population, and may also suggest approaches for building a computational bridge between the (micro) dynamics of mutations at the level of individual organisms and (macro) evolutionary dynamics at the species level.
Environmental performance of waste-handlers

Abstract Despite numerous studies that propose environmental performance (EP) indicators for manufacturing firms, little attention is given to measuring the EP of individual companies in the waste management sector (WM sector). Existing literature on the WM sector relies on aggregate, city and municipal data. This study makes use of a disclosure regulation in the European Union to construct an EP measure that can be used to compare the environmental impact of waste-handlers across time and within the sector. The EP indicator introduced in this study measures the plan of a waste-handler to reduce undesirable output such as emission and waste disposal by relying on the recovery and recycling of wastes. Based on a sample of European waste-handlers we find that one-third of waste-handlers in Europe have zero recovery rate while only 16% rely exclusively on recovery and recycling of harmful wastes. In addition, the study builds on existing theories to explain differences in the EP of waste-handlers in Europe. Among several factors identified by the literature, we find that waste-handlers in Europe are most affected by supra-national regulations, national policies and spatial factors in that order. Policy makers can draw lessons from the findings of this study to improve existing disclosure regulations.
Isolation of a collagen-dependent cell attachment factor

MOST untransformed mammalian cells require an appropriate surface for survival and growth in vitro; this phenomenon has been termed anchorage dependence1. Glass, tissue culture plastics, fibrin clots and collagen surfaces have long been recognised as substrates able to support the attachment and growth of cells. Since the cell plasma membrane is separated from plastics substrates by a 450 A layer of electron opaque material2, the nature of the 450 A would appear to be more important in cell attachment than the chemical composition of the plastic. It is demonstrated here that cell attachment to collagen is mediated by a high molecular weight protein present in serum.
Case law regarding nurses as expert witnesses in child abuse.

(2003). Case Law Regarding Nurses as Expert Witnesses in Child Abuse. Issues in Mental Health Nursing: Vol. 24, No. 6-7, pp. 639-645.
Inhibition of viral replication by nitric oxide and its reversal by ferrous sulfate and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites

IFN-gamma-induced nitric oxide (NO) in the murine macrophage-derived cell line RAW 264.7 was previously shown to inhibit replication of the poxviruses ectromelia and vaccinia (VV) and HSV-1. In the current study we demonstrate that murine macrophages activated as a consequence of VV infection express inducible nitric oxide synthase. These activated macrophages were resistant to infection with VV and efficiently blocked the replication of VV and HSV-1 in infected bystander cells of epithelial and fibroblast origin. This inhibition was arginine dependent, correlated with nitrite production in cultures, and reversible by the NOS inhibitor N omega-monomethyl-L-arginine. NO-mediated inhibition of VV replication was studied by treatment of virus-infected human 293 cells with the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine. Using a VV-specific DNA probe, antibodies specific for temporally expressed viral proteins, and transmission electron microscopy, we have shown that NO inhibited viral late gene protein synthesis, DNA replication, and virus particle formation, but not expression of the early proteins that were analyzed. Putative enzymatic targets of NO were identified by reversing the NO-mediated inhibition of VV replication in the 293 cells with exogenous ferrous sulfate and L-cysteine. Reversal of inhibition may derive from the capacity of these reagents to protect or regenerate nonheme iron or thiol groups, respectively, which are essential for the catalytic activities of enzymes susceptible to inactivation by NO.
Heat Shock (45°C) Results in an Increase of Nuclear Matrix Protein Mass in HeLa Cells

SummaryThe nuclear matrix from HeLa cells heated at 45°C was isolated to determine the effect of thermal shock on its composition and structure. The matrix from unheated cells contained about 10 per cent of total cell protein and was observed to be a spherical particle with a diameter ranging from 3 to 5 μm with the major constituent polypeptides having molecular weights of 45, 47, 55, 57, 59 and 65 kilodaltons. The nuclear-matrix protein mass increased linearly with increasing exposure time at 45°C with no observable change in its size or shape. The additional proteins were observed in general to have molecular weights greater than 45 kilodaltons, with marked increases in polypeptides of 28·5, 38·5, 60, 66, 75, 81, 88, 100 and 115 kilodaltons. An exponential relationship was observed between heat-induced cytotoxicity and the nuclear matrix protein mass increase. A 15 per cent increase in matrix protein mass was sustained prior to the onset of cytotoxicity, while a 35 per cent increase in matrix protein c...
Surface texturing of single-crystalline silicon solar cells using low density SiO2 films as an anisotropic etch mask

Abstract Solar cells require surface texturing in order to reduce light reflectance, and to enhance light trapping. Anisotropic wet chemical etching is commonly used to form pyramids on the (1 0 0) silicon wafer surface by etching back to the (1 1 1) planes. In this paper, we used a low density silicon dioxide layer to allow etching in localized regions as an etch mask, forming inverted pyramid etch pits. Such an oxide can be deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using low deposition temperatures. The inverted pyramids are ideal for reducing surface reflectance, and are used in the highest efficiency silicon solar cells. Depending on the etch time and oxide quality, a variety of surface texture morphologies can be achieved. Due to the oxide mask, very little silicon is removed. This is an economical ideal method for texturing thin film single-crystalline silicon solar cells, as it combines the benefits of low reflectance with minimal thickness removed, while no photolithography is employed.
The effect of ring size on acidity and rate of c-alkylation of cyclic β-ketoesters☆

Abstract A series of 2-carbethoxycyclanones of ring members 5–12 and 15 has been examined with respect to (1) the effect of ring size on Keq. for the reaction of sodium enolate formation with sodium ethoxide in ethanol and (2) the effect of ring size on the rate of alkylation of the sodium enolate by methyl iodide. The total acidities of the 2-carbethoxycyclanones as gauged by Keq. show a general decrease with increasing molecular weight, although a minimum at the 10-membered cycle is apparent when enol acidities are compared. The rates of alkylation show only a 10-fold range within the series and generally parallel the basicities of the enolate ions. Marked effects on acidity and alkylation rate which can be attributed to the presence of a cyclic structure are noted only for the five and six-membered ring systems.
Sequentially Adaptive Backward Prediction in ADPCM Speech Coders

Several questions concerning the performance in ADPCM systems of sequentially adaptive backward predictors based on the adaptive gradient and Kalman-type algorithms are addressed. Using a Jayant-type adaptive quantizer, it is shown that for bit rates less than 16 kbits/s with second order predictors and for bit rates less 18.4 kbits/s with fourth order predictors, backward-adaptive predictors have a definite performance advantage over fixed-tap predictors, since the latter may cause system divergence. For higher bit rates, the adaptive gradient predictor offers no advantage over a second order fixed-tap predictor; however, the Kalman predictor produces a substantial performance increment over the fixed-tap predictor. It is also shown that the Kalman predictor maintains a significant advantage over the adaptive gradient predictor for all bit rates from 12.8 to 32 kbits/s. Finally, it is noted that the ADPCM system divergence that occurs for fixed, multiple-tap predictors and a Jayant quantizer is caused by predictor mismatch with the input signal coupled with the infinite quantizer memory. This problem can be corrected by a modification to the quantizer adaptation logic.
Liver denervation, 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, and intake of imbalanced amino acid diet.

The serotonin3 receptor antagonist ICS 205–930 (ICS) may act peripherally to attenuate the anorectic response of rats given an imbalanced amino acid (IMB) diet. Rats were divided into four groups: SHAM + saline (sal); SHAM + ICS; total liver denervation (TLD) + sal; and TLD + ICS. Rats were then given a purified basal diet for 16 days. Next, the groups were injected with sal or 9 mg/kg BW of ICS at 0800 h and at 0900 h (lights out) an isoleucine IMB diet was presented. By 12 h postinjection, the food intake (FI) of TLD and SHAM rats receiving ICS was similarly higher (p < 0.02) than sal-injected counterparts whose FI was also similar; BW followed FI. By day 3, the SHAM groups had similar low FI, whereas the FI of the TLD groups was increasing. The above study was repeated with similar results. Liver innervation is not required for ICS attenuation of IMB diet-induced hypophagia. Also, while sal-injected TLD rats show a normal attenuation of consumption of the IMB diet on the first day of exposure, they subsequently consume more of the IMB diet than SHAM rats. The reason for this difference in TLD rats is not clear but may be related to metabolism of the IMB diet or possibly learning.
Vertebral degenerative disc disease severity evaluation using random forest classification

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) develops in the spine as vertebral discs degenerate and osseous excrescences or outgrowths naturally form to restabilize unstable segments of the spine. These osseous excrescences, or osteophytes, may progress or stabilize in size as the spine reaches a new equilibrium point. We have previously created a CAD system that detects DDD. This paper presents a new system to determine the severity of DDD of individual vertebral levels. This will be useful to monitor the progress of developing DDD, as rapid growth may indicate that there is a greater stabilization problem that should be addressed. The existing DDD CAD system extracts the spine from CT images and segments the cortical shell of individual levels with a dual-surface model. The cortical shell is unwrapped, and is analyzed to detect the hyperdense regions of DDD. Three radiologists scored the severity of DDD of each disc space of 46 CT scans. Radiologists’ scores and features generated from CAD detections were used to train a random forest classifier. The classifier then assessed the severity of DDD at each vertebral disc level. The agreement between the computer severity score and the average radiologist’s score had a quadratic weighted Cohen’s kappa of 0.64.
Facilitation of learning by delayed injections of pentylenetetrazol.

In the first experiment rats were trained in black-white discrimination, then injected with 7.5, 10.0, or 15.0 mg/kg of pentylenetetrazol (Metrazol) or saline. Injections were given immediately or 15 min following training. The animals were retested 24 hours later. Improved performance was observed for drug groups, but the extent of improvement was a joint function of the amount of drug and the time at which it was given. Animals given 10 mg/kg showed greater retention when injection was delayed. In a second experiment animals were given spaced trials in a position discrimination task, extending over a period of several days. Following each day's, session, animals were injected with pentylenetetrazol or saline at intervals of 0, 5 or 10 min. A maximum facilitation effect was obtained at the 10-min interval.
Ligand exchange chromatography of amino alcohol enantiomers as Schiff bases

Abstract A study was conducted on the ligand exchange high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of enantiomers of α-amino alcohols as their Schiff bases. Using a previously developed l -proline bonded phase diluted with C 18 alkyl groups, good chromatographic performance and high separation factors, sometimes in excess of 2.0, are achieved. Greater solute retention and enantiomer separation are found by decreasing mobile phase buffer concentration and increasing Cu 2+ concentration. For Schiff base formation, use of acetophenone or benzophenone derivatizing agents, particularly with two hydroxyl groups at the 2- and 4-positions of the aromatic ring, enhance enantiomeric separation. These results can be rationalized in terms of a previous chemical model of chiral resolution. A semipreparative scale purification of ( R,S )-phenylethanolamine on the basis of the Schiff base derivative is demonstrated.
Chiral Liquid Crystal Polymers Containing Electron Donor- Acceptor Action-Synthesis and Characterization

A series of new chiral side-chain liquid crystalline polymers with electron donor-acceptor action were prepared containing chiral monomer with donor group and nematic LC monomer with acceptor group. All polymers were synthesized by graft polymerization using polymethylhydro- siloxane as backbone. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), polarizing optical microscopy(POM)，thermogravimetric analyses（TGA） and X-ray diffraction measurements(XRD). The chemical structures of monomers and polymers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra(1H NMR and 13CNMR). M1 showed nematic phase and M2 turned out cholesteric phase on heating and cooling cycle. Polymers P3~P8 were cholesteric phase. Experimental results demonstrated that the glass transition temperatures and isotropization temperatures and the ranges of the mesophase temperature increased with increasing the content of chiral agent. All of the obtained polymers showed high thermal stability.
Introduction: Autism: Rethinking the Possibilities

Abstract This special issue of Ethos brings together the work of scholars from multiple disciplines including anthropology, occupational science, and education. The authors share two main goals. First, this interdisciplinary collection of articles highlights the importance of rethinking research on autism. Each article encourages movement away from dominant biomedical discourses that focus largely on symptoms to a more phenomenological and ethnographic stance that addresses experiences of living with autism. The second goal is to rethink possibilities for social interaction and participation for people with autism. In this introduction, we briefly review current biomedical accounts of autism as a disorder that affects social cognition and explore the importance of rethinking these assumptions. We suggest that this discussion is particularly well suited for psychological anthropology's concerns with the psychological and the social in an individual's experience and place in society. [autism, ethnographic research, intersubjectivity, neurodiversity, sociality]
Beam polarization measurements at the spear storage ring

Abstract Radiative beam polarization has been measured in the SPEAR storage ring to determine experimentally the strengths of depolarization phenomena. With single beams, the expected linear depolarization resonances and additional nonlinear and satellite resonances were observed. Data are also presented on polarization with colliding beams.
Development of Virtual Flow Model for Process Design in Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Molding Operations

A virtual flow model for process design in vacuum assisted resin infusion operations is developed. It uses a control volume technique based on finite difference method to characterize flow behavior during resin infusion in molding woven fiber composite structures. In order to enhance the visual capability of the developed virtual model, a geometric reconstruction scheme is used to present the resin flow front at fixed time increment. The Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) is used to combine images into a single file to create animation. This model provides capabilities for prediction of flow pattern, pressure distribution inside the mold, and evolved defects. Several case studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed model.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Self-organization of scattering in photorefractive KNbO 3 into a reconfigurable hexagonal spot array

The scattering cone (~2 degrees ) from an Ar laser beam (514 nm) in photorefractive KNbO(3):Fe has been observed to transform into a reconfigurable hexagonal spot array. This phenomenon can be explained through the creation of laser-induced transmission and reflection grating arrays.
Two-phase displacement in Hele-Shaw cells: experiments on viscously driven instabilities

Experiments on the instability of the interface in two-phase displacements in Hele-Shaw cells were conducted using air and a viscous oil as the working fluids. The experiments had two objectives: (i) to provide quantitative measurements of the growth constants of the instability which occurs when a less-viscous fluid displaces a more-viscous one, and (ii) to compare the measured dispersion relations with the predictions of the recent theory of Park & Homsy (1984). The experiments were made by analysing the growth characteristics of between 10 and 20 Fourier modes describing the shape of the interface between displaced and displacing fluids, using still photography. For capillary numbers Ca = μU/γ less than approximately 4 × 10−3 the agreement is only fair, owing to substantial edge effects produced by a nearly static contact line near the lateral boundaries of the cell. For 4 × 10−3 < Ca < 1 × 10−2 theory and experiment agree to within the accuracy of the measurements. Location and verification of the behaviour of modes near the predicted cut-off wavenumber give partial verification of the theory of Park & Homsy.
Rhetorical Homology and the Caveman Mythos: An(Other) Way to Ridicule the Aggrieved

This essay uses the emergence of the caveman mythos, both in a Geico advertising campaign and an ABC television series, to show how a seemingly fanciful text can offer an explicit set of instructions to an audience beyond their critical awareness. Drawing on the work of Kenneth Burke and Barry Brummett, I use the homological connection between black stereotypes in the television series and gay stereotypes in the Geico ads to uncover a new process of hegemonic Othering based on trivializing the feelings of the Other by making their grievances appear ridiculous. I close by discussing the implications of this process when it is put to use on the actual Others that invariably fill our social worlds.
“Kids Need Structure” Negotiating Rules, Power, and Social Control in an Emergency Youth Shelter

This study illuminates aspects of social life within agencies designed to house homeless adolescents through research conducted at a live-in, emergency youth shelter. The shelter provides physical ...
On the optimum number of library software licenses

Abstract The cost of licenses to use integrated library software generally depends on the number of concurrent users. The greater the number of concurrent users, the higher the software cost, but the lower the implicit cost incurred when a user does not have access to the software, because all concurrent user licenses are in use. Three different models are formulated for determining the optimum number of licenses that a library should acquire. The optimum depends on the cost of the license, the cost of not being able to satisfy patrons, the total patron population, and the probability that a patron will require access to the software in any unit time period.
Preformed IgG antibodies against major histocompatibility complex class II antigens are major risk factors for high-grade cellular rejection in recipients of heart transplantation

Background—Preformed anti-HLA antibodies reacting specifically with donor lymphocytes have been associated with acute vascular rejection and early cardiac allograft failure. However, the effect of preformed anti-HLA antibodies directed against allogeneic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II antigens of a donor panel on heart transplantation outcome has not been extensively studied. Methods and Results—The study group consisted of 68 patients who received cardiac transplants between 1989 and 1996 and who were at high risk for developing anti-HLA antibodies before transplantation. The effect of preformed antibodies against allogeneic MHC class I or class II antigens on the development of early high-grade cellular rejection and on cumulative annual rejection frequency was determined. Both patients with left ventricular assist devices and retransplantation candidates had a similar increase in the frequency of IgG anti-MHC class II antibodies (IgG anti-II) compared with control subjects (P<0.00...
John R. Rickford, African American Vernacular English: Features, evolution, educational implications . Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1999. Pp. xxviii, 399.

This book primarily addresses the following questions:(a) What are the features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and how is it used?(b) What is its evolution and where is it headed?(c) What are its educational implications?
On Universal Coding of Unordered Data

There are several applications in information transfer and storage where the order of source letters is irrelevant at the destination. For these source-destination pairs, multiset communication rather than the more difficult task of sequence communication may be performed. In this work, we study universal multiset communication. For classes of countable-alphabet sources that meet Kieffer's condition for sequence communication, we present a scheme that universally achieves a rate of n + o(n) bits per multiset letter for multiset communication. We also define redundancy measures that are normalized by the logarithm of the multiset size rather than per multiset letter and show that these redundancy measures cannot be driven to zero for the class of finite-alphabet memoryless multisets. This further implies that finite-alphabet memoryless multisets cannot be encoded universally with vanishing fractional redundancy.
Automated Test Order Generation for Software Component Integration Testing

The order in which software components are tested can have a significant impact on the number of stubs required during component integration testing. This paper presents an efficient approach that applies heuristics based on a given software component test dependency graph to automatically generate a test order that requires a (near) minimal number of test stubs. Thus, the approach reduces testing effort and cost. The paper describes the proposed approach, analyses its complexity and illustrates its use. Comparison with three well known graph-based approaches, for a real-world software application, shows that only the classic Le Traon et al.’s approach and ours give an optimal number of stubs. However, experiments on randomly simulated dependency models with 100 to 10,000 components show that our approach has a significant performance advantage with a reduction in the average running time of 96.01%.
Usability Testing for Greater Impact: A Primo Case Study

This case study focuses on a usability test conducted by four librarians at Texas Tech University. Eight students were asked to complete a series of tasks using OneSearch, the TTU Libraries’ implementation of the Primo discovery tool. Based on the test, the team identified three major usability problems, as well as potential solutions. These problems typify the difficulties patrons face while using library search tools, but have a variety of simple solutions.
Effects of stress, acute alcohol treatment, or both on pre-pulse inhibition in high- and low-alcohol preferring mice

Pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating frequently used to assess information processing in both humans and rodents. Both alcohol and stress exposure can modulate PPI, making it possible to assess how stress and alcohol interact to influence information processing. Humans with an increased genetic risk for alcoholism are more reactive to stressful situations compared to those without a family history, and alcohol may have stress-dampening effects for those with high genetic risk. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of stress, acute alcohol exposure, or both on PPI in male and female mice selectively bred for high- (HAP2) and low- (LAP2) alcohol preference. Experiment 1 assessed the effects of various doses of acute alcohol on PPI. Experiments 2 and 3 assessed the effect of 10 days of restraint stress on subsequent PPI tested at 30 min (Experiment 2) or 24 h (Experiment 3) following the termination of stress exposure. Experiment 3 also examined the effects of acute alcohol treatment (0.75 g/kg) on PPI in mice previously exposed to stress or no stress. Results indicate that 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg doses of alcohol increased PPI in HAP2 but not LAP2 mice. When PPI was tested 30 min after stress exposure, stressed HAP2 mice showed a trend toward decreased PPI and stressed LAP2 mice showed a trend toward increased PPI. The combination of stress and alcohol treatment did not alter PPI in either line 24 h following the termination of stress exposure, suggesting that alcohol does not ameliorate the effect of stress on PPI. Stressed LAP2 mice had increased basal circulating corticosterone on the final stress exposure day compared to non-stressed LAP2 mice, and no difference was found between stressed and non-stressed HAP2 mice. The results suggest that high genetic risk for alcoholism may be related to increased sensitivity to alcohol and stress effects on PPI, and this sensitivity could signify an endophenotype for increased genetic risk to develop alcoholism.
Laboratory studies regarding regional low-flow perfusion for neonatal cardiac surgery.

As the overall mortality declines following repair of complex congenital cardiac malformations, attention has focused on reducing the lasting morbidity of these interventions, particularly the observed neurodevelopmental deficiencies. Both cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest produce transient alterations in cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism. In studies performed in animals, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, as compared to cardiopulmonary bypass alone, has been shown to produce excess injury to, and death of, neuronal and glial cells. 1 In neonates, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest of greater duration than one hour is a risk factor for early post-operative seizures, and for subsequent neurodevelopmental deficits. 2 The Boston Circulatory Arrest Study suggests that, at follow-up of eight years, infants subjected to greater than 41 minutes of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest had excess deficits in full-scale, verbal and performance intelligence quotient, the Mayo apraxia test, and grooved pegboard testing. 3 The independent adverse effects of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest have encouraged clinicians to develop the alternative technique of intermittent global perfusion, or continuous regional perfusion at low flow perfusion, in an attempt to reduce the degree of injury to the central nervous system. 4–7
Investigation of the two-dimensional O(3) model using the overrelaxation algorithm.

We investigate the two-dimensional O(3) model with the standard action by Monte Carlo simulation at couplings $\ensuremath{\beta}$ up to 2.05. We measure the energy density, mass gap, and susceptibility of the model, and gather high statistics on lattices of size $L\ensuremath{\le}1024$ using the floating point systems T-series vector hypercube. Asymptotic scaling does not appear to set in for this action, even at $\ensuremath{\beta}=2.05$, where the correlation length is 304. We observe a 20% difference between our estimate $\frac{m}{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\stackrel{-}{\mathrm{MS}}}}=3.52(6)$ at this $\ensuremath{\beta}$ and the recent exact analytical result. We use the overrelaxation algorithm interleaved with Metropolis updates and show that the decorrelation time scales with the correlation length and the number of overrelaxation steps per sweep. We determine its effective dynamical critical exponent to be ${z}^{\ensuremath{'}}=1.079(10)$; thus critical slowing down is reduced significantly for this local algorithm that is vectorizable and parallelizable.
Hyperbolic maps in p -adic dynamics

In this paper we study the dynamics of a rational function \phi\in K(z) defined over some finite extension K of \mathbb{Q}_p. After proving some basic results, we define a notion of ‘components’ of the Fatou set, analogous to the topological components of a complex Fatou set. We define hyperbolic p-adic maps and, in our main theorem, characterize hyperbolicity by the location of the critical set. We use this theorem and our notion of components to state and prove an analogue of Sullivan's No Wandering Domains Theorem for hyperbolic maps.
Diurnal patterns of secretion of cortisol and growth hormone in normal adolescents, in patients with exogenous and endogenous Cushing's syndrome, in patients with diabetes mellitus, and in a fasting subject.

Four adolescent subjects without evidence of pituitary or adrenal disorder released GH during 24 hours in three to ten bursts, mainly during sleep. Cortisol was released periodically, but without any relationship to GH secretory episodes. These data were compared with data obtained in four clinical conditions known or presumed to affect F and/or GH secretion. In Cushing's disease cortisol was released episodically, yet the lowest concentrations were well above the normal nadir. Alternate-day administration of prednisone did not suppress the ultradian release of F on the day “of” therapy in one patient. Peak GH concentrations were lower in patients with Cushing's disease and during steroid therapy than in the four hospitalized adolescent control subjects. High mean concentrations of GH were observed during prolonged fasting in one patient and in another patient with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, conditions which did not alter cortisol release.
Computation of subcritical compressible flows

Abstract A finite element analysis and iterative solution of steady plane inviscid compressible flows is developed. Specific attention is directed to subcritical flows in which the nonlinear governing equation is elliptic, and to slightly supercritical mixed flows. The underlying variational theory for this nonlinear flow problem and a corresponding finite element formulation are presented. A Newton-Raphson iteration is introduced within this approximate analysis to provide efficient solution of subcritical flows and also slightly supercritical flows in which the nonlinear flow equation is of mixed type. The performance of the algorithm is studied with particular reference to the effect of a two-parameter scheme in which incident Mach number M x and specific heat ratio γ may be varied. By thus regularizing the operator during the early iteration history, more efficient computations can be realized in the mildly-transonic flow regime of higher incident Mach numbers.
Pharmacologic actions of capsaicin: apparent involvement of substance P and serotonin.

Abstract The pharmacologic actions of capsaicin in the cardiovascular, respiratory, sensory, thermoregulatory, and gastrointestinal systems were reviewed as were the ultrastructural, neurophysiological, and neurochemical effects produced by this drug. Present evidence strongly suggests that substance P and serotonin are both involved in the pharmacological activity of capsaicin. Capsaicin apparently produces no direct effects on GABA-ergic, enkephalinergic or catecholaminergic systems.
Rare-variant genome-wide association studies: a new frontier in genetic analysis of complex traits.

Genome-wide association studies have, in the last few years, identified thousands of common genetic variants associated with common complex traits and diseases, implicating many genes not previously known to be involved in the biology of those traits. However, these variants have so far explained little of the population variance in trait values or disease susceptibility. As large-scale genome sequencing efforts have revealed the extent of genetic variation at the low end of the frequency range in human populations, the effects of rare variants have been proposed as an explanation of the ‘missing genetic variance.’ Improved technologies for genotyping rare variants, including inexpensive whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing and rare-variant genotyping chips, coupled with novel analytical methods, are making genome-wide scans for the effects of rare variants possible, and seem likely to usher in a new era in the genetic analysis of complex traits.
Movement, memory, landscape: an excursion in non-representational thought

This paper is an excursion in non-representational thought. The primacy of movement charges this creative geography. Movement as sensation, thought, matter and memory crystallizes in ongoing assemblages (effects) we term selves and landscapes. This movement ontology is animated by a stream of thought running through Bergson, Deleuze, and Massumi, and by Ingold’s temporality of landscape. Memory is vital, as past (virtual) and present (actual) coexist, pushing forward in duration, the dynamic continuation of movement and sensation. David Lynch’s film, The Straight Story, offers dramatic illustration of the entanglement of movement, memory, and landscape. Landscape is emergent as relational lines of movement, an ongoing meshwork of practices and movement signatures. Alvin Straight’s paced journey through Iowa on a John Deere lawn mower during autumn harvest is a road to reminiscence and reconciliation, an American sublime. Lynch’s movement-images and soundscapes are sensorial undulations that illumine landscape as movement of incorporation, ‘dwelling’ in the moment to moment, geographies of care. The take-home message is that we are nothing more and nothing less than agents, next selves, ‘passing’ through. The collective trace of our ‘passings’ constitutes the making and remaking of place.
Gender Quotas, Electoral Laws, and the Election of Women: Lessons from the Argentine Provinces

Gender quotas represent a commonly advocated method by which to address the severe underrepresentation of women in the world's legislatures. This study analyzes the effect of gender quota laws on t...
Expanding Circles within the Outer Circle: The rural Kisii in Kenya

: This paper evaluates a range of factors that have contributed to the limited spread of English to rural Kisii, Kenya, making the presence of English in this non-urban context fall closer to an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or Expanding Circle continuum than to the expected English as a Second Language (ESL) context. Kenya is an Outer Circle country, which means that it is an ESL context where English is not only available in the school, but it is also available and used widely outside the classroom. As in most ESL/Outer Circle countries, English is the official language in Kenya and, consequently, it may be logical to assume that this language is easily available to all Kenyan users. The findings of this discussion show that due to historical, educational, political and economic factors, the spread of English into rural Kisii, Kenya is limited, and clearly English is a foreign language in this rural context, despite Kenya being in the Outer Circle. A discussion of the functional allocations of English in rural Kisii is included to illustrate the limited roles English plays to emphasize the fact that rural Kisii shares more characteristics with the EFL/Expanding Circle contexts than with the ESL/Outer Circle contexts.
Stimulated Brillouin scattering in a dual-clad fiber amplifier

Experimental measurements are presented of the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold in a dual-clad fiber amplifier with a single-mode core and an approximation is explored for calculation of the SBS threshold and numerical solutions for the coupled differential equations. Good agreement is shown between modeled and experimental data.
Infrared Photoexcitation Spectroscopy of Conducting Polymer and C60 Composites: Direct Evidence of Photo-Induced Electron Transfer

Abstract We report direct spectral evidence of photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of conducting polymer onto C60 by infrared photoexcitation spectroscopy, from 0.01 eV (100 cm−1) to 1.3 eV (11,000 cm−1). The photoinduced absorption spectra of poly(3-octylthiophene) (P30T) and poly[2-methoxy, 5- (2′ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) are characterized by subgap electronic absorptions and associated infrared-active vibrational modes. Upon adding a few percent of C60 into both conducting polymers, the photoinduced absorption spectra are significantly enhanced in magnitude and two new peaks are found at 1.15 eV and 1.25 eV. The photoinduced charge transfer from conducting polymer onto C60 enhances the quantum efficiency for photogeneration of charge carriers, resulting in the enhanced photoinduced response of conducting polymer and the appearance of 1.15 eV and 1.25 eV signatures associated with C60.
Performance modeling and optimization of a high energy colliding beam simulation code

An accurate modeling of the beam-beam interaction is essential to maximizing the luminosity in existing and future colliders. BeamBeam3D was the first parallel code that can be used to study this interaction fully self-consistently on high-performance computing platforms. Various all-to-all personalized communication (AAPC) algorithms dominate its communication patterns, for which we developed a sequence of performance models using a series of micro-benchmarks. We find that for SMP based systems the most important performance constraint is node-adapter contention, while for 3D-Torus topologies good performance models are not possible without considering link contention. The best average model prediction error is very low on SMP based systems with of 3% to 7%. On torus based systems errors of 29% are higher but optimized performance can again be predicted within 8% in some cases. These excellent results across five different systems indicate that this methodology for performance modeling can be applied to a large class of algorithms.1
Algorithms to qualify respiratory data collected during the transport of trauma patients.

We developed a quality indexing system to numerically qualify respiratory data collected by vital-sign monitors in order to support reliable post-hoc mining of respiratory data. Each monitor-provided (reference) respiratory rate (RRR) is evaluated, second-by-second, to quantify the reliability of the rate with a quality index (QIR). The quality index is calculated from: (1) a breath identification algorithm that identifies breaths of 'typical' sizes and recalculates the respiratory rate (RRC); (2) an evaluation of the respiratory waveform quality (QIW) by assessing waveform ambiguities as they impact the calculation of respiratory rates and (3) decision rules that assign a QIR based on RRR, RRC and QIW. RRC, QIW and QIR were compared to rates and quality indices independently determined by human experts, with the human measures used as the 'gold standard', for 163 randomly chosen 15 s respiratory waveform samples from our database. The RRC more closely matches the rates determined by human evaluation of the waveforms than does the RRR (difference of 3.2 ± 4.6 breaths min−1 versus 14.3 ± 19.3 breaths min−1, mean ± STD, p < 0.05). Higher QIW is found to be associated with smaller differences between calculated and human-evaluated rates (average differences of 1.7 and 8.1 breaths min−1 for the best and worst QIW, respectively). Establishment of QIW and QIR, which ranges from 0 for the worst-quality data to 3 for the best, provides a succinct quantitative measure that allows for automatic and systematic selection of respiratory waveforms and rates based on their data quality.
Nonholonomic robots navigation using linear navigation functions

In this paper we suggest a new navigation strategy for nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots. The method is based on linear navigation functions with exponential and deviation terms. These linear navigation functions are based on the kinematics equations and the geometry of the navigation problem, where the robot's orientation angle is a linear function of the visibility angle. Another control law is suggested for the robot's linear velocity. This approach allows driving the robot from an initial configuration to a desired final configuration. The robot's orientation angle depends on four different parameters that allow to change the robot path in real time. The navigation functions are combined with a collision avoidance algorithm to avoid obstacles. The approach is illustrated using various simulation examples.
Architectural Design Considerations for Critical Real-Time Systems

In the past decade, there has been a considerable amount of effort in the design, analysis, implementation of highly reliable computing systems for critical real-time applications. The computing power per unit cost is increasing continuously due to rapid advances in semiconductor technology. The amount of functions to be automated in any complex real-time system is also increasing. These two factors coerce the designer to think of highly sophisticated complex computing systems for such applications.