cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium: Key Drivers of Transformative Change.

The American Medical Association's (AMA's) Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) initiative, launched in 2013 to foster advancements in undergraduate medical education, has led to the development and scaling of innovations influencing the full continuum of medical training. Initial grants of $1 million were awarded to 11 U.S. medical schools, with 21 schools joining the consortium in 2016 at a lesser funding level. Almost one-fifth of all U.S. MD- and DO-granting medical schools are represented in the 32-member consortium. In the first 5 years, the consortium medical schools have delivered innovative educational experiences to approximately 19,000 medical students who will provide a potential 33 million patient care visits annually. The core initiative objectives focus on competency-based approaches to medical education and individualized pathways for students; training in health systems science; and enhancing the learning environment. At the close of the initial 5-year grant period, AMA leadership sought to catalogue outputs and understand how the structure of the consortium may have influenced its outcomes. Themes from qualitative analysis of stakeholder interviews as well as other sources of evidence aligned with the 4 elements of the transformational leadership model (inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence) and can be used to inform future innovation interventions. For example, the ACE initiative has been successful in stimulating change at the consortium schools and propagating those innovations broadly, with outputs involving medical students, faculty, medical schools, affiliated health systems, and the broader educational landscape. In summary, the ACE initiative has fostered a far-reaching community of innovation that will continue to drive change across the continuum of medical education.
Systematic evaluation of dissolved lead sorption losses to particulate syringe filter materials

Distinguishing between soluble and particulate lead in drinking water is useful in understanding the mechanism of lead release and identifying remedial action. Typically, particulate lead is defined as the amount of lead removed by a 0.45-μm filter. Unfortunately, there is little guidance regarding selection of filter membrane material and little consideration to the possibility of the sorption of dissolved lead to the filter. The objective of this work was to examine the tendency of 0.45-μm syringe filter materials to adsorb lead. Tests were performed with water containing 40 and 24 μg/L soluble lead at pH 7 buffered with 50 mg C/L dissolved inorganic concentration (DIC). The amounts of lead sorbed greatly varied by filter, and only two filter types, polypropylene and mixed cellulose esters, performed well and are recommended. Great care must be taken in choosing a filter when filtering soluble lead and interpreting filter results.
Tuberculous Epididymo-Orchitis: Diagnosis by Fine Needle Aspiration

AbstractWe report a case of tuberculous epididymo-orchitis diagnosed by fine needle aspiration. The history of pelvic tuberculosis in the sexual partner suggests the possibility of female-to-male venereal transmission.
The Effect of Uniaxial Cyclic Tensile Load on Gene Expression in Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligamentocytes

Objective: To determine the effects of uniaxial cyclic tensile load amplitude and duration on gene expression in cranial cruciate ligamentocytes cultured in monolayer. Study Design: In vitro experimental study. Animals: Adult dogs (n=9) weighing 20–35 kg. Methods: Cranial cruciate ligaments (CCL, n=18) were aseptically collected, diced, digested using clostridial collagenase, and primary monolayer cultures were established. CCL cells were seeded at a concentration of 3 × 105 cells/mL onto a specialized collagen membrane. After 24 hours to allow attachment, ligamentocytes were subjected to 0%, 4%, or 8% uniaxial strain for 24 or 48 hours using a sinusoidal strain profile at 0.5 Hz. At the end of each time point, the ligamentocytes were harvested and analyzed for collagen 1 (COL1), collagen 3 (COL3), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) gene expression using reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Approximately 33% of CCL processed for this study yielded viable cell cultures compared with 100% of the medial collateral ligaments processed. For CCL cells under uniaxial strain, gene expression for COL1 was variable, but higher strains and longer time in culture resulted in increased COL1 expression. There were no significant differences found for COL3 at any time point or between strain regimens. In general, MMP-3 gene expression was increased early in tissue culture and at higher strains. Conclusions: COL1 and MMP-3 gene expression can be influenced by amplitude and duration of strain on CCL cells in monolayer culture. Clinical Relevance: These data have implications for modeling and understanding canine cruciate ligament pathophysiology. In particular, MMP-3 could serve as a potential preventative or therapeutic target in cruciate disease.
The Maple V handbook

Part 1 Built-in objects: getting started - introduction to Maple V getting started with Maple V getting help from Maple V loading miscellaneous library functions and packages built-in functions miscellaneous library functions. Part 2 Selected packages the combinat package the DEtools package the three-dimensional geometry package - geom3d the geometry package the group package the linear algebra package - linalg the networks package the number theory package - numtheory orthogonal polynomials - orthopoly graphics - the plots package the powseries package the simplex package the statistics package - stats the student package.
Gay Men Living with Chronic Illness or Disability

Abstract This paper examines the experiences of gay men living with disabilities or chronic illness from a social constructivist perspective. Emphasizing the sociocultural aspects of disability, such an approach recognizes that the questions asked and the answers given about disability are embedded in sociohistorical contexts, and that language both shapes and reveals underlying assumptions and behaviors related to disability. Using Kameny's (1971) concept of sociological minority, it is proposed that gay men and persons with disabilities constitute minority groups with experiences in common with those of other recognized minority groups. Implications for mental health practitioners providing services to gay men with disabilities are addressed.
Weighted Automata Algorithms

Weighted automata and transducers are widely used in modern applications in bioinformatics and text, speech, and image processing. This chapter describes several fundamental weighted automata and shortest-distance algorithms including composition, determinization, minimization, and synchronization, as well as single-source and all-pairs shortest distance algorithms over general semirings. It presents the pseudocode of these algorithms, gives an analysis of their running time complexity, and illustrates their use in some simple cases. Many other complex weighted automata and transducer algorithms used in practice can be obtained by combining these core algorithms.
The psychiatric halfway house: A handbook of theory and practice.

Describes the psychiatric halfway house as a social system modeled on the family and provides a detailed plan for setting up, staffing, and running a community residence program for the mentally ill.
Theoretical study of the B3Σu−−X3Σg− and B″3Πu−X3Σg− band systems of S2

Abstract Multireference configuration-interaction (MRCI) wavefunctions and potential energy curves have been calculated for the X3Σg−, B3Σu−, and B″3Πu states of S2 using correlation consistent Gaussian basis sets. These wavefunctions are utilized to compute the transition dipole moments of the B3Σu−−X3Σg− and B″3Πu−X3Σg− systems. Oscillator strengths, transition probabilities, and radiative lifetimes are computed for the BX and B″X systems and comparison is made with experimental data.
Using Computers for Intensive Care Unit Research

A computerized clinical information system (CIS) is potentially a very important information tool for research and improving health care processes as well as for optimizing data management and thereby minimizing health care costs. The newest CISs automatically collect patient data from various sources, including monitors, the laboratory, radiology, and patient notes, and make the data highly organized and readily accessible. In the future CISs may be able to conduct signal analysis, assist in care decisions, provide advanced graphical data presentation, and generate warnings to clinicians. Most CIS systems include large databases, and the advent of relational databases has improved data retrieval and manipulation and thus made the data a powerful tool in outcomes research. On the whole CISs collect more frequent and more accurate data than do clinicians using paper-based data collection systems, but research continues on how accurate CIS data is, how to improve that accuracy, and how much data checking and correction is needed. At my institution we have used CIS data to study changes in patients' code status and to evaluate a protocol for arterial blood gas (ABG) testing. The primary challenges to optimizing a CIS are ensuring accurate data entry, learning to query the data so as to avoid misleading conclusions, and to administer and maintain the hardware and software so as to minimize the chance of data loss and system down time. CISs are in a relatively early stage of their development, and engineering improvements will eventually make CIS data highly accurate and easily accessible and queryable so that CISs become even more valuable for research.
Stimulus rate dependence of regional cerebral blood flow in human striate cortex, demonstrated by positron emission tomography

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between the repetition rate of a simple sensory stimulus and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the human brain. Positron emission tomography (PET), using intravenously administered H2(15)O as the diffusible blood-flow tracer, was employed for all CBF measurements. The use of H2(15)O with PET allowed eight CBF measurements to be made in rapid sequence under multiple stimulation conditions without removing the subject from the tomograph, thus minimizing changes in base-line CBF and in head position due to longer intervals between scans. Nine normal volunteers each underwent a series of eight H2(15)O PET measurements of CBF. Initial and final scans were made during visual deprivation. The six intervening scans were made during visual activation with patterned-flash stimuli given in random order at 1.0-, 3.9-, 7.8-, 15.5-, 33.1-, and 61-Hz repetition rates. In each subject the region of greatest rCBF increase was determined. Within this region the rCBF was determined for every test condition and then expressed as the percentage change from the value of the initial unstimulated scan (rCBF% delta). Anatomical localization of the region of greatest rCBF response was performed employing bony landmarks from a lateral skull radiograph, a template of the cranium created from a transmission attenuation scan and a stereotaxic atlas. In every subject, striate cortex rCBF% delta varied systematically with stimulus rate. Between 0 and 7.8 Hz, rCBF% delta was a linear function of stimulus repetition rate. The rCBF response peaked at 7.8 Hz and then declined. The rCBF% delta during visual stimulation was significantly greater than that during visual deprivation for every stimulus rate except 1.0 Hz. The anatomical localization of the region of peak rCBF response was determined for every subject to be the mesial occipital lobes along the calcarine fissure, primary visual cortex. We conclude that stimulus rate is a significant determinant of rCBF response in the visual cortex. Investigators of brain responses to selective activation procedures should be aware of the potential effects of stimulus rate on rCBF and other measurements of cerebral metabolism. For cerebral responses to selective activation to be meaningfully interpreted, the stimulus repetition rate must be taken into consideration. Response amplitude may be maximized by proper rate selection or be undetectable due to selection of too high or too low a repetition rate. Stimulus rate must be controlled for when responses to unlike stimuli or performance tasks are compared or ambiguities will be present as to whether response differences are
The Validity of Conscientiousness Is Overestimated in the Prediction of Job Performance.

Introduction Sensitivity analyses refer to investigations of the degree to which the results of a meta-analysis remain stable when conditions of the data or the analysis change. To the extent that results remain stable, one can refer to them as robust. Sensitivity analyses are rarely conducted in the organizational science literature. Despite conscientiousness being a valued predictor in employment selection, sensitivity analyses have not been conducted with respect to meta-analytic estimates of the correlation (i.e., validity) between conscientiousness and job performance. Methods To address this deficiency, we reanalyzed the largest collection of conscientiousness validity data in the personnel selection literature and conducted a variety of sensitivity analyses. Results Publication bias analyses demonstrated that the validity of conscientiousness is moderately overestimated (by around 30%; a correlation difference of about .06). The misestimation of the validity appears to be due primarily to suppression of small effects sizes in the journal literature. These inflated validity estimates result in an overestimate of the dollar utility of personnel selection by millions of dollars and should be of considerable concern for organizations. Conclusion The fields of management and applied psychology seldom conduct sensitivity analyses. Through the use of sensitivity analyses, this paper documents that the existing literature overestimates the validity of conscientiousness in the prediction of job performance. Our data show that effect sizes from journal articles are largely responsible for this overestimation.
A self-cleaning porous TiO2–Ag core–shell nanocomposite material for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A porous TiO2–Ag core–shell nanocomposite material with a large surface area was synthesized by in situ hydrolyzation of Sn2+-grafted titanium glycolate microspheres in the presence of Ag+ ions. The as-prepared nanocomposite material was shown to serve as an efficient self-cleaning surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate.
Policy needs robust climate science.

The path between climate science and policy is not always linear, argue Aristides Patrinos and Anjuli Bamzai. Recent events in the United States, including drought in the west and hurricanes in the south, serve as a reminder that the nation's infrastructure needs improving. Two US government scientists report on recent achievements in this direction, like the National Integrated Drought Information System, but stress that in future, investment in basic research must be maintained.
A Large-scale Neurocomputational Model of Task-oriented Behavior Selection and Working Memory in Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is crucially involved in the executive component of working memory, representation of task state, and behavior selection. This article presents a large-scale computational model of the PFC and associated brain regions designed to investigate the mechanisms by which working memory and task state interact to select adaptive behaviors from a behavioral repertoire. The model consists of multiple brain regions containing neuronal populations with realistic physiological and anatomical properties, including extrastriate visual cortical regions, the inferotemporal cortex, the PFC, the striatum, and midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. The onset of a delayed match-to-sample or delayed nonmatch-to-sample task triggers tonic DA release in the PFC causing a switch into a persistent, stimulus-insensitive dynamic state that promotes the maintenance of stimulus representations within prefrontal networks. Other modeled prefrontal and striatal units select cognitive acceptance or rejection behaviors according to which task is active and whether prefrontal working memory representations match the current stimulus. Working memory task performance and memory fields of prefrontal delay units are degraded by extreme elevation or depletion of tonic DA levels. Analyses of cellular and synaptic activity suggest that hyponormal DA levels result in increased prefrontal activation, whereas hypernormal DA levels lead to decreased activation. Our simulation results suggest a range of predictions for behavioral, single-cell, and neuroimaging response data under the proposed task set and under manipulations of DA concentration.
Redefining Rational Choice in Environmental Affairs

Environmental Dilemmas and Policy Design. By Huib Pellikaan, Robert J. van der Veen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 247 pp., $65.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-521-62156-9), $23.00 paper (ISBN: 0-521-62764-8). In Environmental Dilemmas and Policy Design , Huib Pellikaan and Robert van der Veen present an empirical study of environmental attitudes in the Netherlands. They use the results of this study to assess the Dutch government's attempts to foster “self-regulation policy” for certain environmental issues. Pellikaan and van der Veen rely heavily on rational choice theory in their methodology, and the language throughout the book is rather technical. Therefore, the book will be most useful to specialists in rational choice theory or to scholars interested in analyzing collective action problems through the lens of rational choice. Environmental Dilemmas and Policy Design is structured in three parts. The first section provides background to collective action theory and Dutch self-regulation policies. The second section provides a detailed description of the authors' survey of environmental attitudes in the Netherlands. The third section attempts to assess self-regulation policies and asks larger theoretical questions related to moral commitment and collective action problems. Although the book as a whole is too technical and the language too inaccessible for most general classroom use, the study does make an important contribution to the evolving literature that critiques traditional assumptions of rational choice and collective action theory. (For an introduction to rational choice theory, see Arrow 1963 and Riker 1990. For an introduction to critiques of rational choice, see Sen 1997.) Most of the literature on rational choice theory and collective action assumes that rational individuals will value effectiveness and efficiency above all. …
Diagnosis and classification of renal cell carcinoma.

This article describes the results of the First International Workshop on Renal Cell Carcinoma held by the World Health Organization. 1 At this meeting, special emphasis was placed on current and future methods for diagnosis, staging, grading, and prediction of patient outcome. The grading of renal cell carcinoma was recognized as subjective; nuclear grading was preferred, but the optimal system has not yet been described or tested. Current methods of staging renal cell carcinoma have evolved and will continue to change. New standards for 1997 have been reported by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the Union International Contre le Cancer. The full report of the workshop has recently been published. 1 This article also includes a synopsis of the revised recommendations for handling nephrectomy specimens in patients with cancer as proposed by the Cancer Committee of the College of American Pathologists. 4
Science and the Politics of Hunger

The problem of hunger is a problem of the inequitable distribution of food entitlements. I argue that 'modern' science is implicated in the current form of this problem and that it can only contribute to its resolution, rather than exacerbation, if the forms of its implication are acknowledged. But this requires acceptance of the claim that science is not value-neutral. In part this paper is also an examination, in a particular problem context, of some dimensions of disputes over the value neutrality of science.
Localization of Adenylyl Cyclase Isoforms and G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Expression in Caveolin-Rich and Noncaveolin Domains

A number of different agonists activate G protein-coupled receptors to stimulate adenylyl cyclase (AC), increase cAMP formation, and promote relaxation in vascular smooth muscle. To more fully understand this stimulation of AC, we assessed the expression, regulation, and compartmentation of AC isoforms in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detected expression of AC3, AC5, and AC6 mRNA, whereas immunoblot analysis indicated expression of AC3 and AC5/6 protein primarily in caveolin-rich membrane (cav) fractions relative to noncaveolin (noncav) fractions. β1-Adrenergic receptors (AR), β2AR, and Gs were detected in both cav and noncav fractions, whereas the prostanoid receptors EP2R and EP4R were excluded from cav fractions. We used an adenoviral construct to increase AC6 expression. Overexpressed AC6 localized only in noncav fractions. Two-fold overexpression of AC6 caused enhancement of forskolin-, isoproterenol- and prostaglandin E2-stimulated cAMP formation but no changes in basal levels of cAMP. At higher levels of AC6 overexpression, basal and adenosine receptor-stimulated cAMP levels were increased. Stimulation of cAMP levels by agents that increase Ca2+ in native cells was consistent with the expression of AC3, but overexpression of AC6, which is inhibited by Ca2+, blunted the Ca2+-stimulable cAMP response. These data indicate that: 1) RASMC express multiple AC isoforms that localize in both caveolin-rich and noncaveolin domains, 2) expression of AC6 in non–caveolin-rich membranes can increase basal levels of cAMP and response to several stimulatory agonists, and 3) Ca2+-mediated regulation of cAMP formation depends upon expression of different AC isoforms in RASMC. Compartmentation of GPCRs and AC is different in cardiomyocytes than in RASMC, indicating that targeting of these components to caveolin-rich membranes can be cell-specific. Moreover, our results imply that the colocalization of GPCRs and the AC isoforms they activate need not occur in caveolin-rich fractions.
A Proteinaceous Elicitor Sm1 from the Beneficial Fungus Trichoderma virens Is Required for Induced Systemic Resistance in Maize

We have previously shown that the beneficial filamentous fungus Trichoderma virens secretes the highly effective hydrophobin-like elicitor Sm1 that induces systemic disease resistance in the dicot cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). In this study we tested whether colonization of roots by T. virens can induce systemic protection against a foliar pathogen in the monocot maize (Zea mays), and we further demonstrated the importance of Sm1 during maize-fungal interactions using a functional genomics approach. Maize seedlings were inoculated with T. virens Gv29-8 wild type and transformants in which SM1 was disrupted or constitutively overexpressed in a hydroponic system or in soil-grown maize seedlings challenged with the pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola. We show that similar to dicot plants, colonization of maize roots by T. virens induces systemic protection of the leaves inoculated with C. graminicola. This protection was associated with notable induction of jasmonic acid- and green leaf volatile-biosynthetic genes. Neither deletion nor overexpression of SM1 affected normal growth or development of T. virens, conidial germination, production of gliotoxin, hyphal coiling, hydrophobicity, or the ability to colonize maize roots. Plant bioassays showed that maize grown with SM1-deletion strains exhibited the same levels of systemic protection as non-Trichoderma-treated plants. Moreover, deletion and overexpression of SM1 resulted in significantly reduced and enhanced levels of disease protection, respectively, compared to the wild type. These data together indicate that T. virens is able to effectively activate systemic disease protection in maize and that the functional Sm1 elicitor is required for this activity.
Angular momentum content of a virtual graviton

Abstract We show that a virtual graviton has a J = 0 component, which serves to cancel the J = 2 , J z = 0 component when the graviton is on shell. In contrast, a massive graviton has no J = 0 component either on or off shell. This difference is responsible for the van Dam–Veltman–Zakharov discontinuity.
Thermal Transitions of Admixed Starch/Fish Protein Systems During Heating

The thermal transitions of starch-fish protein mixtures were investigated by a thermal scanning rigidity monitor technique and differential scanning calorimetry. Three transitions due to protein denaturation and one transition due to starch gelatinization were identified by both techniques during thermal processing of these mixtures. The gelatinization of starch caused an increase in rigidity of the system to a degree dependent upon the starch type. Thermal transitions of starch and fish protein seemed to proceed independently in mixture systems. However, the presence of salt and sucrose, necessitated by the inclusion of fish protein, caused starch gelatinization to shift to higher temperatures.
Suicide among Native Americans: A Compilation of Findings.

Suicide among Native Americans has received much attention in the recent literature. These reports have primarily focused upon single, specific tribal groups. While the suicide rate for Indians as ...
Making pure object-oriented languages practical

In the past, object-oriented language designers and programmers have been forced to choose between pure message passing and performance. Last year, our SELF system achieved close to half the speed of optimized C but suffered from impractically long compile times. Two new optimization techniques, deferred compilation of uncommon cases and non-backtracking splitting using path objects, have improved compilation speed by more than an order of magnitude. SELF now compiles about as fast as an optimizing C compiler and runs at over half the speed of optimized C. This new level of performance may make pure object-oriented languages practical.
THE HUBBARD U=∞ MODEL IN ONE DIMENSION - THE SLAVE BOSON METHOD AS ALTERNATIVE BOSONIZATION SCHEME

The Hubbard U=∞ in one dimension is equivalent to a non-interacting spinless fermion in a gauge field. The gauge field induced by spin fluctuations is described by a gas of instantons. This gas is in the plasma phase which leads to the decoupling of spin and charge at large distances.
Molecular phylogeny of treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia) and the timescale of diversification in Southeast Asia.

Abstract Resolving the phylogeny of treeshrews (Order Scandentia) has historically proven difficult, in large part because of access to specimens and samples from critical taxa. We used “antique” DNA methods with non-destructive sampling of museum specimens to complete taxon sampling for the 20 currently recognized treeshrew species and to estimate their phylogeny and divergence times. Most divergence among extant species is estimated to have taken place within the past 20 million years, with deeper divergences between the two families (Ptilocercidae and Tupaiidae) and between Dendrogale and all other genera within Tupaiidae. All but one of the divergences between currently recognized species had occurred by 4 Mya, suggesting that Miocene tectonics, volcanism, and geographic instability drove treeshrew diversification. These geologic processes may be associated with an increase in net diversification rate in the early Miocene. Most evolutionary relationships appear consistent with island-hopping or landbridge colonization between contiguous geographic areas, although there are exceptions in which extinction may play an important part. The single recent divergence is between Tupaia palawanensis and Tupaia moellendorffi, both endemic to the Philippines, and may be due to Pleistocene sea level fluctuations and post-landbridge isolation in allopatry. We provide a time-calibrated phylogenetic framework for answering evolutionary questions about treeshrews and about evolutionary patterns and processes in Euarchonta. We also propose subsuming the monotypic genus Urogale, a Philippine endemic, into Tupaia, thereby reducing the number of extant treeshrew genera from five to four.
M13-oriC cloning vehicles: use for amplification of high copy lethal (HCL) genetic elements.

Abstract M13 cloning vehicles have been constructed which contain the Escherichia coli origin for DNA replication (oriC), with and without selectable antibiotic-resistance genes. Since the M13 viral strand origin requires a functional rep gene product, using oriC these vehicles propagate as low-copy-number plasmids in E. coli rep mutants. This property is exploited to amplify cloned “high copy lethal” (HCL) DNA fragments, those containing genetic elements which kill the E. coli host when present at multiple copies in the cell. Following cloning of such fragments in these vehicles and initial selection in E. coli rep cells, the M13-oriC chimeric plasmid DNA is used to transfect appropriate E. coli rep+ cells. The chimeric DNA propagates as M13 viral DNA, yielding double-stranded and single-stranded DNA products and phage particles prior to killing of the host via expression of the HCL element; these events mimic a lytic phage infection. Such amplification will greatly facilitate both DNA “library” constructions (HCL elements are absent a priori from libraries using high-copy-number cloning vehicles) and studies of HCL elements including restriction mapping, DNA sequencing, and physiological studies.
A cost-effective component modes analysis for Shuttle payloads using a combination of frequency domain and time domain approaches

A combination of the time and frequency domains which employs the latter only where the former is inefficient or uncertain is used in Space Shuttle payloads' component mode analyses. Attention is given to the time histories at the launch vehicle/spacecraft interface. The frequency domain allows interface acceleration to be determined without recourse to a new, merged system eigenvalue solution and subsequent 'system modal' responses. The approach has been employed in Galileo spacecraft loads analyses.
Effects of Early Intervention on Intellectual and Academic Achievement: A Follow‐up Study of Children from Low‐Income Families

Follow-up data, obtained 4-7 years after intervention ended, are presented for the Carolina Abecedarian Project, an experimental study of early childhood educational intervention for children from poverty families. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention conditions: educational treatment from infancy through 3 years in public school (up to age 8); preschool treatment only (infancy to age 5); primary school treatment only (age 5-8 years), or an untreated control group. Positive effects of preschool treatment on intellectual development and academic achievement were maintained through age 12. School-age treatment alone was less effective. Results generally supported an intensity hypothesis in that scores on cognitive and academic achievement measures increased as duration of treatment increased.
Computer assisted management decisions for beef production systems

Abstract A linear programming model was developed to determine management policy for a yearly planning horizon on a typical 1320 acre (535 ha) Southern Colorado mountain ranch. Income producing activities (selling cattle and hay and leasing land) and cost activities (buying cattle, borrowing capital, feeding supplements, purchasing fertiliser and fuel, hiring labour and leasing land) were defined for three land types through four seasons. The purpose of the modelling effort was to determine the level of each activity (cow herd size, yearling herd size and area of meadow to be harvested for hay) that resulted in maximum net return for the ranch subject to resource limitation on land, labour and capital. In addition, sensitivity and shadow price analyses revealed expansion options that would be profitable during existing economic conditions. The optimal management plan, using 3 April, 1975 prices, called for grazing 199 head of 450 lb (204 kg) steers and 52 head of 530 lb (240 kg) steers. The plan also called for purchasing and spreading 42 tons (38 MT) of nitrogen and 10 tons (9 MT) of phosphorus on Land I and for growing, harvesting and selling 742 tons (674 MT) of hay. This optimal management plan produced a net return of $27,642. In addition, the optimal plan showed that hay production began replacing beef production when the price of hay was $35·48/ton (39·08/MT) and that the maximum amount of hay was produced with the price increased to $50·00/ton ($55·00/MT).
Modeling the NAJPTC network using NS-2

Abstract Positive Train Control (PTC) refers to microprocessor-based communication technologies that are capable of preventing train collisions, derailments, and injuries to workers operating within the railroad system. In North America, there are 11 competing PTC projects in various stages of refinement. The North American Joint Positive Train Control Project (NAJPTC) is one of those efforts, based on the Advanced Train Control System (ATCS) protocol. NAJPTC is a joint development project of the Association of American Railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Illinois Department of Transportation. In this paper, we use a network simulation system (NS-2) to model NAJPTC ATCS communications to determine the feasibility of that PTC system when overlaid onto geographic data from Google Earth, and digital elevation data from the United States Geological Survey. Our simulations were useful in observing and tracking the signal strength of a moving train, resolving packet collisions via strategic base station placement, and modeling and mitigating communication losses.
Line-scan hyperspectral imaging for real-time poultry fecal detection

The ARS multispectral imaging system with three-band common aperture camera was able to inspect fecal contaminants in real-time mode during poultry processing. Recent study has demonstrated several image processing methods including binning, cuticle removal filter, median filter, and morphological analysis in real-time mode could remove false positive errors. The ARS research groups and their industry partner are now merging the fecal detection and systemically disease detection systems onto a common platform using line-scan hyperspectral imaging system. This system will aid in commercialization by creating one hyperspectral imaging system with user-defined wavelengths that can be installed in different locations of the processing line to solve significant food safety problems. Therefore, this research demonstrated the feasibility of line-scan hyperspectral imaging system in terms of processing speed and detection accuracy for a real-time, on-line fecal detection at current processing speed (140 birds per minute) of commercial poultry plant. The newly developed line-scan hyperspectral imaging system could improve Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)'s poultry safety inspection program significantly.
An Aromatic Microdomain at the Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Constitutes an Agonist/Inverse Agonist Binding Region

The cannabinoid CB1 receptor transmembrane helix (TMH) 3−4−5−6 region includes an aromatic microdomain comprised of residues F3.25, F3.36, W4.64, Y5.39, W5.43, and W6.48. In previous work, we have ...
Fundamental symmetries and qualitative properties in the adjustment cost model of the firm

Abstract New results on the qualitative properties of the multiple input/multiple output adjustment cost model of the firm are derived using the dynamic primal-dual methodology of Caputo (1990). It is shown that a symmetric negative semi-definite matrix, in integral form, characterizes the qualitative properties of the model implied by the dynamic maximization assertion and the mathematical structure of the model. The effects of parameter changes on the entire optimal arcs are computed, not just at or near the steady state, as in most of the previous work on this model.
The Interaction of Li+ with Single-Layer and Few-Layer Graphene

The interaction of Li+ with single and few layer graphene is reported. In situ Raman spectra were collected during the electrochemical lithiation of the single- and few-layer graphene. While the interaction of lithium with few layer graphene seems to resemble that of graphite, single layer graphene behaves very differently. The amount of lithium absorbed on single layer graphene seems to be greatly reduced due to repulsion forces between Li+ at both sides of the graphene layer.
The kinetics of lanthanide oxide markers in the alimentary tract of the pig

Abstract Six male Duroc feeder pigs were fed rare earth metal markers in order to determine rates of digesta passage. The pigs were preconditioned to three meals a day. The heavy metal markers, europium (Eu), samarium (Sm), ytterbium (Yb), lanthanum (La), scandium (Sc), and terbium (Tb), were pulse fed with different parts of the meals. The rates of passage of digesta were different for the different meals. The fastest rate of passage was the 0700-hour meal with the slowest rate of passage from the 1800-hour meal.
Rainfall characteristics for shallow landsliding in Seattle, Washington, USA

Shallow landsliding in the Seattle, Washington, area, has caused the occasional loss of human life and millions of dollars in damage to property. The effective management of the hazard requires an understanding of the rainfall conditions that result in landslides. We present an empirical approach to quantify the antecedent moisture conditions and rainstorm intensity and duration that have triggered shallow landsliding using 25 years of hourly rainfall data and a complementary record of landslide occurrence. Our approach combines a simple water balance to estimate the antecedent moisture conditions of hillslope materials and a rainfall intensity–duration threshold to identify periods when shallow landsliding can be expected. The water balance is calibrated with field-monitoring data and combined with the rainfall intensity–duration threshold using a decision tree. Results are cast in terms of a hypothetical landslide warning system. Two widespread landslide events are correctly identified by the warning scheme; however, it is less accurate for more isolated landsliding. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improving the behavior of public officials: Changing the method of compensation and changing officials

Others have offered a variety of suggestions to improve the behavior of public officials. Each of these involves linking an official's (public) compensation to a measure of his performance. This is costly because performance will necessarily be imperfectly monitored and so public officials will be forced to bear risk. An alternative suggested here is to select the ‘right’ individuals for public office, those whose private interests are linked to the productivity of public officials. The case of a school board member is developed. First, an incentive contract (compensation for effort) for the board member is defined and his behavior characterized. Next the optimal reward for effort is derived. It is then shown that a board member will be more productive (holding constant his public compensation) if he places a high value on better schools and owns property within the school district. If the alternative of choosing the ‘right’ officials is employed to improve performance, actual school board members should have these characteristics. A survey of school board members in Texas indicates not only that board members tend to have these characteristics, but that they believe them to be necessary qualifications for the office.
THE EFFECT OF AFFECT ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING: A REVIEW OF THE ANXIETY RESEARCH

Although studies of the relationship between affective factors and language learning proficiency abound in the literature, the evidence to support such a relationship is difficult to interpret. Much of the problem resides in the fact that a wide range of variables are lumped together under the rubric “affect.” An attempt is made to ameliorate this situation by defining affective variables in terms of traditional psychological theory and classifying them as a subset of those variables intrinsic to the learner. The conflicting evidence dealing with one important affective variable, anxiety, is then examined, and it is shown that ambiguous experimental results can be resolved if the distinction between facilitating and debilitating anxiety is drawn. Further classificatory distinctions are discussed from the abundant experimentation undertaken by applied psychologists, and an attempt is made to consider the implications of some of this research for adult language learning–for some of the new methodologies in EFL as well as for future research opportunities.
Viral Evasion of Cellular Defense-Mechanisms - Regulation of the Protein-Kinase Dai by Rna Effectors

The protein kinase DAI (the double-stranded RNA activated inhibitor) plays a critical role in controlling translation in uninfected and infected cells. It is induced by interferon as part of the cellular antiviral defense mechanism. When activated, it leads to a blockade of polypeptide chain initiation, thereby interrupting viral propagation. Many viruses have developed means to neutralize the action of DAI: the sheer profusion of these countermeasures makes it clear that DAI is an important component of the host antiviral defense mechanism and a serious concern to the viruses. This chapter focusses on the mechanism of DAI activation and its inhibition by virus-encoded RNA antidotes.
WiP Abstract: Enabling Holistic Design of Body Sensor Networks

Body sensor networks (BSNs) are an emerging class of cyber-physical systems (CPS) which present interesting challenges. One significant challenge is that unlike other CPS where the physical process of interest is engineered (automobiles, chemical processes, buildings, etc.), the physical process here, the human body, is not engineered and hence is more difficult to understand and model. BSNs are used in a broad range of applications, mostly healthcare related, and their design requires a holistic approach in order to address the challenges of meeting complex (and sometimes vaguely defined) application goals, with limited resources in a complex, and highly dynamic environment.
Gamma-glutamyl transferase of rat and human intestine: greater enhancement of activity by dipeptides than by amino acids or longer peptides.

Abstract A number of amino acids and peptides are substrates for gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and their presence increases the activity of this membrane-bound enzyme. The enzyme has been postulated to play a role in intestinal transport of amino acids and peptides. In this study the degree of activation of both human and rat intestinal brush border γ-GT activity by various amino acids and peptides was assessed. Of the 22 l -amino acids tested, rat γ-GT was activated by 13, inhibited by isoleucine, and not significantly affected by 8. Human γ-GT was activated by 7 amino acids, inhibited by isoleucine, and unaffected by 14. Meaningful correlation of γ-GT activation with known characteristics of human intestinal amino acid tansport was not possible. Results obtained when γ-GT was tested for activation by peptides revealed that significant errors may occur due to hydrolysis of test peptides by contaminating peptide hydrolases. Thus, peptide hydrolases present in intact brush borders result in significant underestimation of γ-GT activation by dipeptides and overestimation of activation by tripeptides. The magnitude of the error varied greatly with the individual peptide used. Maximal activation of both rat and human peptide hydrolase-free γ-GT by dipeptides was more than 2-fold greater than that observed for amino acids white the four tripeptides tested were generally less activating than amino acids. The pattern of activation of both enzymes by peptides is compatible with the currently known specificity of the peptide transport system.
Galactic absorption line coronae

Models are developed to determine if gaseous coronas around galaxies give rise to the absorption systems in quasar spectra. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic code with radiative cooling is used to study the dynamics and thermodynamics of a corona, and the position and rate at which clouds form. Coronal gas is found to rise from an extended gaseous disk in two models with base coronal temperatures of 10 to the 6th K and 0.50 x 10 to the 6th K. Column densities of 10 to the 19th sq cm out to a radius of 7 kcp are also achieved with a total gas mass of 2.0 x 10 to the 9th and 1.7 x 10 to the 9th solar masses, respectively. The velocity structure of the model absorption line systems may be reproduced, and clouds in pressure equilibrium with the hot coronas have densities consistent with basic observational and theoretical restrictions.
Activity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase SS with NADP (H) as coenzyme and its sensitivity to barbiturates.

Abstract Alcohol dehydrogenase SS, free from other isoenzymes, has been purified from horse livers. The enzyme has high activity with NADP(H) as coenzyme. With NADPH its activity is 3 times more than with NADH. While its affinity for NADPH is less than for NADH, in comparison with the classical ADH its affinity for NADP(H) is increased. In its activity with NADP(H) and inhibition with barbiturates, ADH SS resembles aldehyde reductases.
Concerning disturbance measures in linear systems

An important first step in the study of system sensitivity is the choice of a system disturbance measure. In an earlier paper the general aspects of this problem were discussed. The present paper extends and refines in several ways the previous development. The use of geometric methods in function spaces is emphasized.
Localization of a 170 kDa myosin heavy chain in plant cells

A polyclonal antibody directed against a 170 kDa myosin heavy chain from lily pollen tubes was employed to (a) assess the cellular distribution of the polypeptide using immunofluorescence methods, and (b) ascertain if similar polypeptides are present in pollen tubes and somatic cells of other species. Fluorescence is associated with particles of various size as well as an amorphous component, and is concentrated in the apical cytoplasm of lily and tobacco pollen tubes. Apical fluorescence is more extensive in lily than in tobacco, which may be related to different streaming patterns and apical zonation seen at the ultrastructural level. In suspension cells of tobacco andArabidopsis, fluorescence is concentrated around the nuclei. Dual localizations indicate that anti-myosin fluorescence may be associated with the presence of actin. Little or no staining was seen in controls consisting of either pre-immune serum or mono-specific IgG that had been preadsorbed with the 170 kDa polypeptide. Immunoblots show that a 170 kDa immunoreactive polypeptide is present in pollen tubes of tobacco andTradescantia virginiana in addition to lily, and in suspension culture cells of tobacco andArabidopsis and extracts of wholeArabidopsis seedlings. Our results show that a conserved 170 kDa myosin heavy chain is present in a variety of monocot and dicot cells. They are also consistent with the presence of multiple myosins in plants in general and pollen tubes in particular.