cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of dietary flaxseed with coccidia infections in chickens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine effects of diets containing n-3 fatty acids (n-3FA) from whole as well as ground flaxseed on the performance of broilers during coccidia infections. Diets were fed from 1 d of age through 3 wk of age. Chickens were infected with coccidia at 2 wk of age and the effects of infection assessed at 6 d postinfection. The first experiment contrasted effects of several high n-3FA-containing diets, including one supplemented with whole flaxseed, on infections with Eimeria tenella or Eimeria maxima. Infected chickens that consumed the flaxseed-supplemented diet had the lowest weight gains, but they were not significantly different from gains of infected chickens on the control diet. Diets supplemented with 5% menhaden oil or 15% flaxseed significantly reduced lesions caused by E. tenella, but had no effect on lesions caused by E. maxima. In a second experiment, diets supplemented with 5 or 10% ground flaxseed were assessed for effects on the performance of broilers infected with three dose levels (500, 5,000, or 50,000 oocysts) of E. maxima. Neither flaxseed diet protected weight gain during infection with 50,000 oocysts. However, a 5% flax diet protected weight gains in chickens infected with 500 or 5,000 oocysts. Diets supplemented with 5 or 10% ground flaxseed exacerbated lesions in chickens infected with 5,000 or 50,000 E. maxima oocysts compared to the control diet. Thus, diets containing high amounts of n-3 fatty acids do not affect the development of all Eimeria sp. in the same manner. The oxidative stress produced by these diets may more adversely affect development of E. tenella, which infects the relatively oxygen-poor ceca, whereas it does not affect development of E. maxima which parasitizes the middle portion of the small intestine.
An Overview of the Current State of Wind Energy Technology Development in the US

This paper presents the current status of wind energy technology and its developments. There are some challenges in the wind energy technology, once these challenges are overcome, wind energy can provide most of the electricity needs in the world. Wind is known globally as an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution to energy shortages. However, challenges remain in designing efficient and effective control systems that would maximize the output power of the turbines. This paper aims to provide a brief review of the current state of control technology for wind energy systems and also explores technical designs, challenges and areas of ongoing research.
Policy for Therapeutic Massage in an Academic Health Center: A Model for Standard Policy Development

Acupuncture as a therapeutic modality offers multiple applications. Its effectiveness coupled with its general acceptance by conventional health care professionals makes it one of the first complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities to be incorporated in an integrative approach to care. However, few centers that offer acupuncture have written standard policies to regulate its use. This lack of standard policies may impede provision of quality care, serve as a barrier to cross-institutional data collection and clinical application of that data, and may put health care professionals and institutions at risk when credentialing or malpractice liability has not been clearly addressed. Here we present a policy for acupuncture, created by a diverse group of health care professionals at the University of Michigan Health System. It may function as a generalizable template for standard policy development by institutions incorporating acupuncture.
Cardiac Reactions to Two Psychological Stressors, Acting in Combination

56 student volunteers (mean age 21 yr.) participated in a study designed to assess how the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback affect cardiac activity when they are used individually as well as when they are combined in the same task. In a preliminary study, listening to tape-recorded instructions on how to relax produced a significant decrease in cardiac activity. In the major study, when used individually, both the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback produced significant increases in cardiac activity. The largest increase, however, occurred with systolic blood pressure and was induced by delayed auditory feedback. When the Stroop procedure was used in combination with delayed auditory feedback, systolic blood pressure again increased, but this effect was no greater than when delayed auditory feedback was used alone. This pattern of results implies that, when combined, the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback have largely independent effects on cardiac activity and that, when tested under similar conditions, delayed auditory feedback has the larger effect.
Properties of densified amorphous polystyrene

Atactic polystyrene was subjected to an elevated pressure–temperature cycle with the resulting densification, mechanical properties, and thermal scanning behavior observed. Most densifications were carried out with the PST as a viscous liquid. In this manner, ambient residual compactions greater than 2% were produced. Pressures up to 90,000 psi and temperatures to 320°C were employed. The technique used for vitrification from the high pressure–temperature region was found to drastically affect the mechanical behavior. If the polystyrene was vitrified from the treatment region by lowering the temperature, the material exhibited enhanced yield strength, by up to 40%. If the polystyrene was quenched by raising the pressure, the samples exhibited much lower mechanical strength. While the mechanical behavior of temperature-vitrified samples is enhanced compared to the pressure-vitrified materials, their densities are comparable. The compaction achieved is primarily determined by the pressure applied as the polymer vitrifies. Thermal scanning behavior of the pressure-vitrified materials show endothermic and exothermic responses below Tg, while the temperature-vitrified materials do not. Annealing the compacted polystyrene at room temperature caused little change in density. However, at temperatures above 60°C, the density relaxed rapidly. Samples which had been temperature vitrified and annealed such that the compaction completely relaxed, still maintained the enhanced mechanical properties of the densified materials.
The impact of peak shock stress on the microstructure and shear behavior of 1018 steel

Abstract As-received and shock-prestrained 1018 steel specimens were subjected to forced shear experiments in a split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) at room temperature and a strain rate of 3800 s −1 to determine the influence of shock-prestraining on the shear behavior of ferrite. Shock-loading was performed below (12.5 GPa) and above (14 GPa) the pressure-induced epsilon phase transition occurring at 13 GPa. Using electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction, twinning and microbanding were observed only in the shock-prestrained specimens. Quasi-static compression tests showed an increase in yield and compressive strengths with increased peak shock stress. SHPB tests produced shear localization in all specimens, with shear banding occurring only in the shock-prestrained specimens. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that, at the shear band edge, elongated cells dominate the microstructure, with more shock-induced twins remaining intact in the 12.5 GPa specimen than in the 14 GPa specimen.
Experimental infection of mosquito larvae by a species of the aquatic fungus Leptolegnia

Abstract Leptolegnia sp., an apparently undescribed species of water mold, has proven to be a virulent parasite of mosquito larvae. The mycosis is initiated when zoospores encyst either on the cuticle or in the gut of the host and subsequently grow into the coelomic cavity where rapid proliferation of hyphae and destruction of tissues results in the death of the larva. Populations of first- and second-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti typically suffer 100% mortality within 24 hr of exposure, but third- and fourth-instar populations are less than 40% infected after 72 hr. The fungus is most virulent at temperatures of 28°C or lower, with no infection occurring in water over 30°C. Populations of Celex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and Anopheles albimanus are equally susceptable. These results demonstrate the potential of Leptolegnia for biological control of mosquitoes; however, further studies are necessary on host range, effectiveness in the field, and the role of the oospore in transmission of the disease.
Genomic characterization of testis cancer: association of alterations with outcome of clinical stage 1 mixed germ cell nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis.

Objective To identify genomic markers that are reliable in predicting lymph node metastases in clinical stage 1 non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). Methods Comparative genomic array technology was used to identify regions of genomic amplification or deletion in clinical stage 1 NSGCTs. Twelve stage 1 mixed germ cell testicular tumors were analyzed, which were obtained from 8 patients who had no evidence of nodal metastasis when retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) had been performed (ie, were RPLND negative) and 4 patients who had nodal metastases (ie, were RPLND positive). Results Differences between the genomic alterations associated with the two classes of tumors were identified. Genomic alterations previously reported in other subtypes of testicular tumors were observed in both metastatic and nonmetastatic cases. Statistically suggestive differences in mean copy number of the Y chromosome were found between metastatic and nonmetastatic cases ( P = .0142). Conclusion This finding suggests the presence of chromosome Y deletions to be a potential genetic marker for prediction of mixed germ cell tumor progression. This is a first step toward identifying chromosomal markers of progression in testicular cancer in clinical stage 1 mixed germ cell NSGCT.
Structural Analysis of 1995-2005 School Crime Supplement Datasets: Factors Influencing Students' Fear, Anxiety, and Avoidant Behaviors.

The 1995–2005 School Crime Supplement datasets were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Converging evidence across multiple analyses suggests that secure school building policies may not be systematically linked to school disorder and may be more a reactive measure in response to other concerns. Most importantly, measures of incivility explain almost double the variance (31–45% vs. 17–25%) in students' fear, anxiety, and avoidant behaviors, compared to theft and attack, when tested using alternate measurement models. The analysis can inform school-based professionals working with at-risk students who may be exhibiting fear, anxiety, or avoidant behaviors related to a hostile school environment. The findings suggest that local school personnel and educational leaders concerned about school violence should facilitate increased resource supports to address incivility in schools.
Oligomer formation in the emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene

The formation of oligomers in emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of styrene was characterized by means of gel permeation chromatography and surface tension measurements. GPC analysis showed incessant oligomer formation throughout the emulsion polymerization process. Oligomers spanned a molecular weight range of 200–1,500, have an Mw of 800–900, an Mn of 600–800 and a polydispersity index of 1.3. On average, the oligomers contain 4 to 6 styrene units. UV detection could not be utilized to acquire the weight ratio of oligomers to polymers without correction. Combination was the major mode of termination of free radicals in the aqueous phase, but disproportionation was not negligible: for every three-combination reactions there was about 1 disproportionation. Surface tension measurements showed that oligomers minimized the surface tension of the latex at about 50 min reaction to only 30 mN/m. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1323–1336, 2000
Two general classes of cytoplasmic actin filaments in tissue culture cells: the role of tropomyosin.

In the assembly of actin filaments that takes place during the spreading of a polulation of human lung cells, after trypsin detachment off the substratum and replating, tropomyosin exhibits a considrable lag in its association with the newly forming filament bundles; it begins to associate with them during the later stages of cell spreading as the actin filament bundles normally seen in interphase cells begin to organize. This lag is evident in a number of cell types that are spreading onto a substratum; it does not appear to be due to a selective degradation of this molecule during rounding up of the cells, since tropmyosin associates with the actin filament bundles after this lag even under conditions where the protein synthetic activity of the cell is inhibited to more than 95% by cycloheximide. The preferential binding of tropomyosin to fully assembled filament bundles but not to newly formed bundles of actin filaments suggests therefore the existence of two classes of action filaments: those that bind tropomyosin and those that do not. This selective localization of tropomyosin and those that do not. This selective localization of tropomyosin on actin filaments was further pursued by examining the localization of this molecule in membrane ruffles. The immunofluorescent results indicate that ruffling is an actin-filament-dependent, microtubule-independent phenomenon. Tropomyosin is absent from membrane ruffles under a variety of circumstances where ruffling is expressed and, more generally, from any other cellular activity where actin filaments are expected to be in a dynamic state of reorganization or are required to be in a flexible configuraion. It is concluded that in tissue culture cells tropomyosin binds preferentially to actin filaments involved in structural support to confer rigidity upon them as well as aid them in maintaining a stretched phenotype. The absence of tropomyosin from certain motile phenomena where actin filaments are involved indicates that these classes of actin filaments are regulated by cytoplasmic mechanisms distinct from that by which tropomyosin (and troponin) mediates contractility in skeletal mulscle; it opens the possibility that different types of actin filaments enagaged in different cellular motile phenomenon in tissue culture cells may be regulated by a host of coexisting regulatory mechanisms, some as yet undetermined.
Ego development and sex attitudes in heterosexual and homosexual men and women

A comparison was made of heterosexual and homosexual men and women utilizing Loevinger's concept of ego development and focusing on the relationships among ego levels and attitudes toward homosexuality and on personal sex guilt and other sociosexual variables. Previous comparative studies were critically analyzed with respect to the adequacy of definition and description of sampling procedures, and the appropriateness of research questions. A pilot study reported here concerns the development of a measure of “attitudes toward homosexuality.” The major study utilized 200 subjects who completed an anonymous and lengthy questionnaire. This sample was relatively young, well-educated, white, and Protestant. Self-ratings on the two Kinsey-type scales clearly differentiated the self-identified primarily heterosexual and homosexual groups. In this study there were no significant differences in ego levels between the heterosexual and the homosexual groups, suggesting that ego development and sexual orientation development are independent phenomena. Among both homosexual and heterosexual subjects there were low but significant correlations between higher levels of ego development and more positive attitudes toward homosexuality. More negative attitudes toward homosexuality were correlated with higher levels of personal sex guilt for heterosexual and homosexual men and for heterosexual women. Our measure of sex guilt proved to be related to ego level only for heterosexual males, although the measure of this construct requires additional research and refinement. Other correlates of these variables are also reported.
Modeling spatial patterns of fuels and fire behavior in a longleaf pine forest in the Southeastern USA

Characterizing spatial patterns of fire behavior is an important and rarely considered means of understanding patterns of vegetation recovery following a fire event. Using geostatistics, we characterized spatial patterns of pre-burn fuel loads, fire temperature and duration during prescribed burns, and post-burn fuel loads in four longleaf pine stands in the southeastern USA. Fire temperatures exhibited moderate to strong spatial dependence over medium spatial scales. Variograms suggest that 61–99% of sample population variance was spatially dependent at scales of 27–157 m. Patterns of pre-burn fuel loads were only moderately related to patterns of mean fire temperature, confirming that fuel loads alone cannot predict fire patchiness. Other fuel parameters and microscale changes in wind and relative humidity likely influenced patterns of fire intensity as well. Strength and scale of fuel load spatial patterns were altered by fire as indicated by pre- and post-burn measurements. Spatial analysis provides a useful way to quantify burn patchiness and can help to identify which patch size may be desirable for different management goals. Studies that examine fire effects need to recognize spatial autocorrelation when characterizing fire behavior and account for this variation at appropriate scales.
Computer-delivered social norm message increases pain tolerance.

Background Few experimental studies have been conducted on social determinants of pain tolerance.
Nodal Superconvergence of SDFEM for Singularly Perturbed Problems

In this paper, we analyze the streamline diffusion finite element method for one dimensional singularly perturbed convection-diffusion-reaction problems. Local error estimates on a subdomain where the solution is smooth are established. We prove that for a special group of exact solutions, the nodal error converges at a superconvergence rate of order (ln?? ?1/N)2k (or (ln?N/N)2k ) on a Shishkin mesh. Here ? is the singular perturbation parameter and 2N denotes the number of mesh elements. Numerical results illustrating the sharpness of our theoretical findings are displayed.
Raman Scattering from Polar Phonons

Raman scattering from long-wavelength polar phonons is considered from an alternative formulation emphasizing lattice-dynamical as opposed to crystal-optic aspects. The modifications of the Raman frequencies and intensities due to the mode coupling through macroscopic electric field components are discussed quantitatively. In particular, we show in a natural way why it is possible to observe Raman-"inactive" polar modes in materials where other Raman-active polar modes are present. Our predictions are verified by a study of the dependence on the propagation direction of the frequencies and intensities of the "forbidden" ${A}_{2}$-like modes in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-quartz.
An objective belief theory of natural science

Abstract To observe that science evolves is commonplace, by which one usually means that scientific truths like biological species are the result of a natural selection process. The details of this appealing analogy have proved difficult to work out, however. The usual development identifies scientific ideas with individual organisms; this leads to a clumsy model of science. A more natural and comprehensive model results from identifying (i) individual scientists with individual organisms, (ii) the beliefs of a scientist with the genes of an organism and (iii) the selection of beliefs with the selection of genes, by both natural and artificial means. Details of such a model, called belief theory, are herein provided. In short, belief theory is concerned more with transmitted than with individual belief; it recognizes that the beliefs of populations of scientists are not constant over time but evolve continually into new patterns. These changes occur because they are advantageous; the new set of beliefs creates a niche for itself by solving problems inaccessible to the old. Scientific theory change may be formulated in terms of the dynamics of the belief pool. Theories evolve in the manner in which genetic traits evolve: primarily through the professional survival and evolution of the scientists who carry them.
Candida Abortion in Cattle

In a retrospective study, four cases of yeast-associated abortion were found among 1,323 bovine abortions during a 5-year period at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Tissues were examined histologically, and results of virological testing and microbiological culture were reviewed. Candida parapsilosis was the only pathogenic agent demonstrated in these four cases. Placental lesions consisted of necrotizing placentitis with large numbers of yeasts within trophoblasts. Secondary fetal infection occurred in all four cases, with histological lesions or isolation of Candida from the lung, liver, intestines, abomasum, and heart. A tentative diagnosis of Candida parapsilosis-induced abortion in cattle can be made on the characteristic intracytoplasmic yeasts in placental trophoblasts.
Racing for the Cure, Walking Women, and Toxic Touring: Mapping Cultures of Action within the Bay Area Terrain of Breast Cancer

This paper offers the concept cultures of action to develop a comparative analysis of the San Francisco Bay Area's field of breast cancer activism. I draw attention to the ways in which culture within social movements is enacted, embodied, and emoted, as well as enunciated, by conceptualizing the breast cancer movement in terms of three different cultures of action. The first, represented by Race for the Cure®, draws upon biomedicine, connects breast cancer to survivor identities and the display of heteronormative femininities, mobilizes hope and faith in science and medicine, and promotes biomedical research and early detection. The second, represented by the Women & Cancer Walk, draws upon multicultural feminism, the women's health movement and AIDS activism, connects breast cancer to other women's cancers, challenges the emphasis on survival and the display of heteronormative femininities, emphasizes the effects of institutionalized inequalities, mobilizes anger against the institutions of biomedicine, and promotes social services and treatment activism. The third, represented by the Toxic Tour of the Cancer Industry, draws upon the feminist cancer and environmental justice movements, broadens the focus to include all cancers and environmentally-related illnesses, represents breast cancer as the product and source of profits of a global cancer industry, mobilizes outrage against corporate malfeasance and environmental racism, and replaces the emphasis on biomedical research and early detection with demands for corporate regulation and cancer prevention. This three-dimensional conceptualization extends our understanding of breast cancer activism and contributes to a reorientation of social movements theory around the bodily dimensions of cultural production and collective action. The main function of public spaces is that of rendering visible and collective the questions raised by movements. Alberto Melucci (1994:189)
A Gaussian beam ray tracing algorithm applied to three dimensional underwater bathymetries

Gaussian beam ray tracing is an efficient three dimensional (3D) sound propagation model for shallow underwater acoustics. Many models can handle flat, sloping and other conservative bottoms but they often break down when applied to more a complex bathymetry. The Gaussian beam sound propagation model is relatively simple and can effectively take into account a varying depth in range and bearing. A Gaussian beam ray tracing algorithm has been developed for tracing rays and transmission loss calculations.
Pretreatment nutritional status and locoregional failure of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing definitive concurrent chemoradiation therapy.

Approximately 36,000 new cases of head and neck cancer were expected to occur in the United States in 2009 with an estimated 7600 deaths.1 Although the addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy has improved outcomes, approximately 50% to 60% of these patients are expected to experience treatment failure within 2 years.2 We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of 78 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, to evaluate outcomes following intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).3 We found that total treatment time and baseline hemoglobin level were significant predictors for locoregional failure. Interventions to target anemia have been unsuccessful in cancer patient populations.4–11 Based on the futility of anemia interventions, Prosnitz et al12 suggest that hemoglobin level should serve as a “biologic staging parameter” rather than as a target parameter. This concept of hemoglobin as simply a surrogate marker of patients’ overall biology caused us to consider targeting interventions to more fundamental biological markers such as nutritional status. Inui13 noted that efforts to maintain or improve nutritional status, especially if nutritional state is correlated to anemia, may be helpful in minimizing treatment interruptions. Noting this possible link between anemia, treatment time, and nutritional status, we hypothesized that nutritional markers may also predict outcomes following concurrent chemoradiation therapy for advanced SCCHN. This analysis was performed to determine if differences in nutritional status were independent predictors of locoregional failure in our previously described cohort of 78 patients.
Combined buoyant-thermocapillary flow in a cavity

We treat the problem of combined buoyancy-thermocapillary convection in a cavity with a free surface heated differentially in the horizontal. Attention is focused on the structure and strength of the flow for large ΔT, i.e. large Marangoni and Rayleigh numbers. In the combined problem, the boundary-layer scalings for buoyant and thermocapillary convection suggest that in the limit of large ΔT, thermocapillarity will dominate the large-scale flow. Accurate numerical solutions are used to study this question at fixed cavity aspect ratio and Prandtl number, with G = Ra/Ma as a parameter. For G = 1, the flow evolves toward its boundary-layer limit in a fashion identical to that for G = 0, i.e. pure thermocapillary flow. For G = 10, the evolution is from a buoyancy-dominated structure, through a transition, to a thermocapillary-dominated structure. We infer that thermocapillarity will ultimately dominate all such flows at sufficiently large ΔT, for any fixed values of G, the aspect ratio, and the Prandtl number.
Voltage-Dependent Activation of Frog Eggs by a Sperm Surface Disintegrin Peptide

Abstract Fertilin, a sperm protein of the metalloprotease/disintegrin/cysteine-rich (MDC) family, plays a critical role in sperm–egg binding in mammals. Peptides corresponding to the disintegrin domain of fertilin and antibodies against fertilin have been shown to inhibit mammalian sperm–egg binding and fusion. A protein from the same family, xMDC16, was recently cloned from frog (Xenopus laevis) testis and was found to be involved in frog sperm–egg binding. Here we report that xMDC16 is localized predominantly on the posterior surface of egg jelly-activated sperm, and peptides from the disintegrin domain of this protein activate eggs when applied near the egg surface. Egg activation was dependent on (1) specific amino acid residues (KTX); (2) the presence of divalent cations, but not external Ca2+alone; and (3) voltage across the egg plasma membrane. This is the first demonstration of egg activation in vertebrates by the surface application of a peptide derived from a sperm surface protein, supporting a model for egg activation that involves a signal transducing receptor for sperm in the egg's plasma membrane.
Spatiotemporal Pattern Recognition via Liquid State Machines

The applicability of complex networks of spiking neurons as a general purpose machine learning technique remains open. Building on previous work using macroscopic exploration of the parameter space of an (artificial) neural microcircuit, we investigate the possibility of using a liquid state machine to solve two real-world problems: stockpile surveillance signal alignment and spoken phoneme recognition.
Practical network programming in .NET

This paper examines issues that surround teaching introductory network programming concepts using the .NET framework. The authors of the paper have developed a simple Visual Basic 2005 class that hides much of the network programming complexity allowing students to concentrate on learning common protocol implementation concepts. The code to the class is provided and discussed in this paper as well.
Biolinguistics and Platonism: Contradictory or Consilient?

It has been argued that language is a Platonic object, and therefore that a biolinguistic ontology is incoherent. In particular, the notion of language as a system of discrete infinity has been argued to be inconsistent with the assumption of a physical (finite) basis for language. These arguments are flawed. Here I demonstrate that biolinguistics and mathematical Platonism are not mutually exclusive and contradictory, but in fact mutually reinforcing and consilient in a coherent and compelling philosophy of language. This consilience is effected by Turing’s proof of the coherency of a finitely procedure generative of infinite sets.
Hybrid Current Driver Designed For A Space-Borne Laser Transmitter

NASA Goddard is developing a free-space laser communication transmitter. Each of the 10 GaAlAs diode lasers in the transmitter must be digitally modulated by individual current drivers from a common data source. In order to fit the miniature laser header modules, a hybrid integrated laser current driver was required. The hybrid, smaller than a postage stamp, can drive 100 mA modulation current at a data rate of 200 Mbit/s NRZ.
The Use of Relaxation Training to Enhance Functional Outcomes in Adults With Traumatic Head Injuries

Impaired anxiety management and poor emotional control have a negative effect on the adaptive functioning of persons with head injuries who are in the postacute stages of recovery. This paper outlines a relaxation training program administered individually to 4 adults with severe head injuries. Each subject was in the postacute phase of recovery and had reported stress to be a persistent problem in daily living. The relaxation training protocol combined biofeedback, imagery, autogenic training, and deep breathing. Significant improvement in function, measured by scores on a scale of illness-related dysfunction, support the potential benefits of stress management training as part of functional training programs for persons with traumatic head injuries.
Clinical ratings: relationship to objective psychometric assessment in individuals with dementia.

Su7nnary.-The efficacy of drugs for the treatment of memory impairment in elderly patients with dementia is frequently established by a combination of subjective and o'bjective psychological assessments. Often these assessments produce conflicting results. To throw some light on the relation between subjective and objective assessments, we examined the correlations of subjective ratings on the Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric (SCAG) and scores on objective cognitive tests of demented patients (9 men and 14 women) being screened for participation in an experimental drug trial. Our results showed agreement between some SCAG scores and performance on tests assessing orientation and information and global measures of memory and cognitive function. Subjective and objective assessments were not redundant, however; both should be included when evaluating the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for dementia. Both subjective psychiatric rating scales and measures of performance on objective cognitive tests are often used to assess the efficacy of experimental dmg treatments for individuals with various types of dementias including Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of progressive intellectual deterioration in the elderly. Results with clinical rating scales and objective tests do not always agree. In several studies, an ergot alkaloid preparation (Hydergine) that is frequently prescribed to treat symptoms of dementia reportedly produced beneficial effects according to clinical ratings but not according to objective testing of mental status; for review see McDonald ( 1979). The relationship of clinical ratings to performance on objective tests requires clarification. In most of these studies, ratings were made using the Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric (SCAG) (Vennn, 1983), which is a psychiatric rating scale widely used for screening and assessment of drug effects in clinical trials involving elderly patients. On the SCAG, ratings are made in 19 areas (e.g., Anxiety, Bothersome, Self-care, Fatigue, Over-all Impression) on a scale from 1 to 7 ("not present" to "severe"). Four of these ratings-Confusion, Mental Alertness, Impairment of Recent Memory, and Disorientation--explicitly focus on cognition and contribute most strongly to a "cognitive dysfunction"
M-CASH: A real-time resource reclaiming algorithm for multiprocessor platforms

Resource reclaiming schemes are typically applied in reservation-based real-time uniprocessor systems to support efficient reclaiming and sharing of computational resources left unused by early completing tasks, improving the response times of aperiodic and soft tasks in the presence of overruns. In this paper, we introduce a novel and efficient reclaiming algorithm, named M-CASH, for multiprocessor platforms. M-CASH leverages the resource reservation approach offered by the Multiprocessor CBS server offering significant improvements. The correctness of the algorithm is formally proven and its performance is evaluated through extensive synthetic simulations.
High-resolution seismic detection of shallow natural gas beneath Hutchinson, Kansas

Two high-resolution seismic reflection surveys were conducted to identify shallow natural gas that had caused explosions in Hutchinson, Kansas, in January 2001. Gas presence is associated with both a bright spot and a dim-out on the seismic reflection profiles. Core and log data from wells drilled to vent the gas indicate that the gas-bearing interval corresponds to thin dolomite layers, which have higher P-wave velocities than the surrounding shales. Gas in fractures can reduce the velocity of the dolomite interval to that of the shales (or lower). Depending on the magnitude of the velocity change, either a dim-out or bright spot is produced. Sonic logs from gas-bearing vent wells, recorded after venting of gas, show no anomalous velocity, indicating that as gas dissipates, any associated seismic anomaly will be reduced.Lateral variations in the seismic properties of the gas-bearing interval and adjacent strata (namely, variations in dolomite and shale content) also have a significant effect on the seismic signature of the interval, mimicking the effect of a small amount of gas. Only where the gas zone is relatively thick (23 m; 710 ft), creating a high-amplitude negative seismic reflection, is the seismic signature diagnostic of gas. Therefore, whereas the dim-outs observed on the seismic reflection profiles may be the result of gas presence, they are equally well explained by lateral variations in lithology. Dim-outs should not be used in the Hutchinson area as an indicator of gas. The observed bright spot, however, is most likely a unique gas response.
A NOTE ON THE POWER OF STATISTICAL TESTS IN THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT

The power of statistical tests recently appearing in the JEM was determined using the power calculation guidelines proposed by Cohen (1969). All the articles containing tests of significance were surveyed. The results indicated that power was generally below .50 for small effect sizes and above .50 for medium and large effect sizes. A suggestion for reporting statistical results to include power of the tests was made.
Aperture error mitigation via local-state estimation for frequency-based emitter location

This paper considers the problem of locating a stationary coherent emitter via a single moving platform making frequency measurements in the presence of aperture state uncertainty. It is shown that the estimated emitter location is most sensitive to the receiving aperture velocity uncertainty. The required aperture velocity accuracy is determined through a noninfinitesimal perturbation analysis. A solution to location accuracy enhancement with a minimal hardware addition is attempted. It is shown that this can be achieved by mounting a high-resolution tri-axis microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer at the aperture to measure its velocity, which can deviate significantly from that estimated by the on-board navigation system. The Doppler shifts of the GPS signal carrier frequency, whenever it can be acquired through the aperture, are also considered as a way to aid the aperture velocity measurement. A decentralized, federated processing method for the aperture velocity estimate referenced at the aperture, integrating all measurement data, is presented. An upper bound for the error of aperture velocity estimate is derived. The potential for significant accuracy enhancement for emitter location is demonstrated.
Evolution of a robotic excavator

This paper considers the opportunities for general robotic excavation based on available experience with utility pipe excavation, and on the broader base of robotic technology. We first critique our robotic pipe excavator to identify shortcomings and specializations that would be limiting to more robust and general excavation systems. We then consider developments that could meet the technological needs. Finally, we present a speculative version of a generic excavation robot.
Relationships between diatoms and environmental variables in wetlands in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

The heterogeneous nature and widespread anthropogenic impacts to wetlands in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, pose challenges to bioassessment of these systems. The purpose of this study was to examine diatom species patterns in relation to environmental variables in wetlands, and to compare a diatom-based wetland classification to a hydrogeomorphic (HGM) wetland classification. Surface sediment diatoms, water quality, physical habitat, and surrounding land use characteristics were assessed for 92 wetlands. A total of 419 taxa were identified. Taxa richness was high (mean = 54, range 15–94) and dominance by a single taxon at a site was low (mean = 27%, range 7%–78%). Assemblages were dominated by tychoplanktonic taxa (e.g., Staurosira construens) and periphytic taxa (e.g., Fragilaria capucina and Achnanthidium minutissimum). Non-metric multidimensional scaling and correlational analysis showed that diatom assemblages were correlated with water depth, summer and winter total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, and turbidity. Diatom-based classification of wetlands produced four statistically significant groups that corresponded to within-wetland water depth, nutrient levels, and turbidity. Diatom-based wetlands classification did not agree with a priori HGM classification. Diatom assemblages and common species were similar between depressional and riverine-impounded wetlands. Our results suggest that, despite regional heterogeneity in both diatom assemblages and environmental conditions, diatoms can be useful indicators of water quality and habitat conditions in riverine and depressional wetlands. HGM classification may be too coarse to elucidate patterns of diatom community structure and conditions of the habitat in these anthropogenically-impacted wetlands.
Developing Transparent Health Care Reimbursement Auditing Procedures

The continued computerization of health care records has enabled easier sampling and analysis of large sets of medical records, making it easier than ever for Medicare, Medicaid and other private insurers to use statistical audits to determine and demand return of alleged overpayments to health care providers. However, there are sometimes statistical difficulties with the audits, and there is frequently not sufficient transparency in the procedures or their application to reproduce the results in order to determine whether they have been carried out correctly. This paper addresses concerns in sampling and analysis of data records by looking at the case of a specific audit of a medical practice carried out by a private insurer. If done properly, statistical audits can be a very useful tool, but often the methodologies are vague and the implementation is either wrong or not explained fully enough to reproduce and analyze.
Visible light photocatalysis via nano-composite CdS/TiO2 materials

Nano-structured colloidal semiconductors with heterogeneous photocatalytic behavior have drawn considerable attention over the past few years. This is due to their large surface area, high redox potential of the photogenerated charge carriers and selective reduction/oxidation of different class of organic compounds. Nano-structured TiO2 is widely used as a photocatalyst for the effective decomposition of organic compounds in air and water under UV radiation. On the other hand, the development of visible light activated photocatalysis, for utilizing the available solar energy remains a challenge and requires low band gap materials as sensitizer. Among the various inorganic sensitizers, bulk CdS with an Eg of 2.5 eV and an energetically high-lying conduction band has been identified as a potential candidate. This can be coupled with a large band gap semiconductor (TiO2 with Eg ∼ 3.2 eV) for visible light photocatalysis and solar energy conversion. In the CdS sensitized TiO2 nano-composite system, charge injection from the conduction band of the semiconductor sensitizer to that of TiO2 can lead to an efficient and longer charge separation by minimizing electron-hole recombination. In the present paper, we have carried out a systematic synthesis of nano-structured CdS/TiO2 via reverse micelle process. The structural and microstructural characterizations of the as-prepared CdS/TiO2 nano-composites are determined using XRD and SEM-EDS techniques. The visible light assisted photocatalytic performance is monitored by means of degradation of phenol in water.
A cohort study on Toxocara canis infection and cognitive development in preschool children.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between Toxocara canis (T.canis) infection and neuropsychological deficits (measured in terms of IQ) in the child during the preschool years. It was hypothesized that being seropositive to T.canis would be associated with decreased cognitive development in the child. The study was conducted as a prospective study with T.canis and cognitive data assessed at multiple time points. The availability of time-varying covariate data on children s social and environmental background helped in the examining of T.canis effects after adjusting for relevant confounders. The original sample of 359 children could not be retained throughout the five year period of study due to follow-up losses. In consequence, fairly good retention of the sample were available only at ages 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years 10 months. Sera was analyzed for antibodies to T.canis using a widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Psychological examinations included the Mental Development Index at 2 years, Stanford Binet at 3 years and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales at 4 years 10 months. Blood lead measurements for the cohort were available from a previous study. All other social and environmental dat a were obtained by either on-site evaluations by trained examiners, or recall of information by the mother. Analyses of data ranged from the simple descriptive to more complex procedures such as multiple linear and logistic regressions. For the regressions, nine covariates were chosen for the final model by a careful process of screening. At age 4 years 10 months, a decrease in IQ (effect size) and a marginal increase in risk was seen with seropositivity to T.canis infection after adjusting for the covariates. However, this effect size or risk failed to reach statistical significance. This lack of significance may reflect limitations in power due to the small number of seropositive cases at each age period. It was suggested that a time lag may exist between the acquiring of infection and the actual decrease in cognitive ability. Methodological limitations of this study have been discussed in detail. Recommendations for future research are given
Explaining and Aggregating Anomalies to Detect Insider Threats

Anomalies in computer usage data may be indicative of insider threats. Distinguishing actual malicious activities from unusual but justifiable activities requires not only a sophisticated anomaly detection system but also the expertise of human analysts with access to additional data sources. Because any anomaly detection system for extremely rare events will generate many false positives, human analysts must decide which anomalies are worth their time and effort for follow-up investigations. Providing a ranked or scored list of users -- the typical output of an anomaly detection system -- is necessary but far from sufficient for this purpose. Anomalies indicative of insider threats can be distinguished from those that arise from legitimate activity by explaining why they are anomalous, and high-risk users may be identified by their repeated appearance near the top of the ranked and scored lists. This paper describes results of experiments that show the utility of these techniques of explaining and aggregating anomalies to detect insider threats with greater accuracy than is achieved solely with anomaly detection methods.
Ineffective erythropoiesis caused by binucleated late-stage erythroblasts in mDia2 hematopoietic specific knockout mice

The generation of mature red blood cells is initiated from the commitment of hematopoietic stem cells to erythroid progenitors, which is followed by their differentiation to a series of morphologically recognizable erythroblasts.1 At the end of terminal erythropoiesis, the highly condensed nucleus migrates to one side of the cytoplasm of orthochromatic erythroblast, which is followed by the unique enucleation process producing reticulocytes and mature red blood cells.2–4 Our previous study demonstrated that mDia2, which belongs to the mDia formin protein family,5 is a downstream effector protein of Rac GTPases regulating late-stage terminal erythropoiesis, especially enucleation.6 Herein we generated conditional mDia2 knockout mouse models to reveal the roles of mDia2 in adult erythropoiesis. The conditional mDia2 knockout mouse models utilized an mDia2 targeting allele with exons 10 and 11 floxed. The LacZ and neomycin cassettes were flanked by FRT to be removed by FLP recombinase (Online Supplementary Figure S1A). We first crossed mDia2fl/+ mice with E2A-Cre transgenic mice to generate whole body mDia2 knockout mice. The depletion of mDia2 mRNA and protein were confirmed by real-time PCR and Western blot assays (Online Supplementary Figure S1B and S1C, respectively). As previously reported,7 mDia2fl/fl E2A-Cre mice were never generated alive (Online Supplementary Figure S1D). We found that the mDia2 knockout embryos die in uterus at approximately embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) (Online Supplementary Figure S1E). This demonstrates that mDia2 is essential for embryonic development, which compromises the study of the roles of mDia2 in vivo in adults.