cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building a rigorous foundation for performance assurance assessment techniques for “smart” manufacturing systems

The highly networked and real-time data analysis features of smart manufacturing systems (SMS) require different information infrastructure, data analytics technology, and performance assurance methodologies. The main purpose of this paper is to (i) explore the complete product-process performance assurance space to identify the key performance indicators that help evaluate and quantify system performance at different abstraction levels, (ii) discuss models and methodologies for data analytics, and (iii) suggest a digital factory-based simulation technique to evaluate those key indicators for performance prediction. The paper presents a systematic and rigorous approach towards establishing these performance assurance methodologies applicable to complex value chains of smart manufacturing systems by extensively exploring all possible product and process related performance issues. A hypercube information model is proposed for the purpose of formal representation of the highly dimensional and correlated information among different actors in a smart manufacturing system, thus providing a rigorous foundation for the performance assurance space. The relevant taxonomy and an ontology-based framework are then developed for formal representation of the entities, activities and knowledge involved in the performance assurance domain. It provides a detailed insight into the PA space and defines appropriate measures which can be applied to predict and improve system performance assurances.
Alcohol consumption aggravates copper deficiency.

Abstract Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a copper-deficient (0.6 μg Cu/g) diet containing either fructose or starch. Half of the animals fed the starch diet drank a 20% solution of ethanol in water. Ethanol was chosen as an agent to mimic fructose metabolism with the intention that ethanol will exacerbate the signs of copper deficiency and will negate the protective effect of dietary starch. The consumption of a 20% ethanol drink for 6 weeks by copper-deficient rats fed starch resulted in the exacerbation of the deficiency similar to that exerted by fructose. The signs associated with the deficiency in both alcohol and fructose consumption included anemia, heart hypertrophy with gross abnormalities, and mortality. In contrast, none of the copper-deficient control rats that drank water exhibited anemia or heart abnormalities, and none died of the deficiency. In addition, sorbitol pathway in the kidney and liver was stimulated by the consumption of alcohol and fructose. The data support the contention that the combination of certain metabolic pathways of carbohydrate metabolism with copper deficiency are responsible for the exacerbation of the deficiency.
Race, Urban Politics, and Educational Policy-Making in Washington, D.C. A Community's Struggle for Quality Education

In the District of Columbia, emphasis on desegregation was expensive in quality of schooling.
Characteristics of Rapid Rhythms Recorded Within Pulmonary Veins During Atrial Fibrillation

Rapid rhythms often arise in the pulmonary veins during atrial fibrillation (AF). The activation patterns within pulmonary veins during these rapid rhythms are not well described. In 39 patients with paroxysmal AF, ostial recordings were obtained during AF in 110 pulmonary veins with a decapolar distal ring catheter. Pulmonary vein tachycardia (PVT) was defined as a pulmonary vein (PV) rhythm that had a cycle length shorter than at the adjacent left atrium. During AF, PVT was recorded in 93% of PV's, usually in the form of intermittent bursts that had a mean duration of 1,325 ± 647 ms and mean cycle length of 125 ± 20 ms. The mean cycle length of continuous PVT's (141 ± 25) was longer than the mean cycle length of intermittent bursts of PVT (P < 0.05). The intermittent PVT's were associated with a shorter left atrial cycle length than were the continuous PVT's. In 90% of PVTs, complex activation patterns attributable to simultaneous recordings from two or more overlapping fascicles were present at a segment of the pulmonary vein ostium, and the mean cycle length of these recordings was 80 ± 32 ms. PVT during AF is much more often intermittent than continuous. The relationship between PVT cycle length and left atrial cycle length suggests that PVT's influence the left atrium during AF. PVT must be distinguished from recordings within PV's that have a short cycle length as a result of simultaneous recordings from two or more overlapping fascicles. (PACE 2003; 26:1342–1347)
IMPROVED UROFLOW PARAMETERS AND POST-VOID RESIDUAL FOLLOWING BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH DYSFUNCTIONAL VOIDING DOES NOT CORRESPOND TO OUTCOME

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We evaluated pediatric patients who were treated with biofeedback for dysfunctional voiding with respect to clinical outcome and objective changes in uroflow parameters and post-void residual.Materials and Methods:: We retrospectively reviewed 81 patients treated for dysfunctional voiding and/or urinary tract infections with biofeedback. Conservative management had previously failed in all patients. Uroflow data and symptoms were reviewed, and clinical outcomes were recorded. For analysis, patients were stratified by symptoms of incontinence or presence of urinary tract infections.Results:: Of 73 patients with incontinence 22 (30%) became dry, 36 (49%) had improvement and 15 (21%) reported no change following biofeedback. In 39 (78%) of 50 patients with recurrent urinary tract infections resolved. Overall, there was a significant (p <0.002) increase in peak flow and average flow rate, and a significant decrease in post-void residual and post-void residual as a percent of predicted bladde...
Heat-shock response transcriptional program enables high-yield and high-quality recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli

The biosynthesis of soluble, properly folded recombinant proteins in large quantities from Escherichia coli is desirable for academic research and industrial protein production. The basal E. coli protein homeostasis (proteostasis) network capacity is often insufficient to efficiently fold overexpressed proteins. Herein we demonstrate that a transcriptionally reprogrammed E. coli proteostasis network is generally superior for producing soluble, folded, and functional recombinant proteins. Reprogramming is accomplished by overexpressing a negative feedback deficient heat-shock response transcription factor before and during overexpression of the protein-of-interest. The advantage of transcriptional reprogramming versus simply overexpressing select proteostasis network components (e.g., chaperones and co-chaperones, which has been explored previously) is that a large number of proteostasis network components are upregulated at their evolved stoichiometry, thus maintaining the system capabilities of the proteostasis network that are currently incompletely understood. Transcriptional proteostasis network reprogramming mediated by stress-responsive signaling in the absence of stress should also be useful for protein production in other cells.
Associative learning deficits increase symptoms of anxiety in humans

Abstract Background: Unpredictability has been postulated to be fundamental to anxiety and mood disorders. The origin of this unpredictability remains obscure. Because classical conditioning promotes predictability, this study investigated whether failure to learn conditioned stimulus (CS)-unconditioned stimulus (US) relationship during fear conditioning increased anxiety and avoidance. Methods: Healthy subjects participated in two similar differential fear conditioning sessions separated by 1 week ( n = 72) or a month ( n = 61) in which one of two conditioned stimuli was associated with a shock/US. Following initial acquisition, subjects' awareness of CS-US relationship was assessed. Conditioned responses (CR) to the CS and to the experimental context were examined using the startle reflex and the skin conductance. Avoidance was operationally defined as failure to return for the second session. Results: Only aware subjects showed differential CR. In the unaware subjects, the deficit in differential conditioning was associated with increased signs of anxiety during the first and second sessions. In addition, there was greater avoidance in the unaware subjects. Conclusions: Deficits in explicit cue fear conditioning can enhance anxiety. These findings are consistent with theories that associate anxiety and mood disorders with perceived unpredictability. Contextual conditioning models may be relevant to study chronic forms of anxiety.
Mobile Health: Revolutionizing Healthcare Through Transdisciplinary Research

Mobile health (mHealth) seeks to improve individuals' health and well-being by continuously monitoring their status, rapidly diagnosing medical conditions, recognizing behaviors, and delivering just-in-time interventions, all in the user's natural mobile environment. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/o2mieSywutY is an audio interview in which Santosh Kumar, Wendy Nilsen, and Mani Srivastava discuss the path toward realizing mobile health systems.
Climate and Management Contributions to Recent Trends in U.S. Agricultural Yields

Major increases in crop yields will be required to meet the future demand for food worldwide, yet changes in climate and diminishing returns from technological advances may limit the ability of many regions to achieve the necessary gains ([1][1], [2][2]). Many researchers have predicted the effect
Synergistic modes of vocal tract articulation for American English vowels

The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial similarity of vocal tract shaping patterns across speakers and the similarity of their acoustic effects. Vocal tract area functions for 11 American English vowels were obtained from six speakers, three female and three male, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each speaker’s set of area functions was then decomposed into mean area vectors and representative modes (eigenvectors) using principal components analysis (PCA). Three modes accounted for more than 90% of the variance in the original data sets for each speaker. The general shapes of the first two modes were found to be highly correlated across all six speakers. To demonstrate the acoustic effects of each mode, both in isolation and combined, a mapping between the mode scaling coefficients and [F1, F2] pairs was generated for each speaker. The mappings were unique for all six speakers in terms of the exact shape of the [F1, F2] vowel space, but the general effect of the modes was the same ...
Insulated pressure vessels for hydrogen storage on vehicles

Abstract Probably the most significant hurdle for hydrogen vehicles is storing sufficient hydrogen onboard. Three viable technologies for storing hydrogen fuel on cars are: compressed gas, metal hydride adsorption, and cryogenic liquid. However, each of these has significant disadvantages: volume, weight, boiling losses, or energy to compress or liquefy the hydrogen. Insulated pressure vessels can reduce these problems for hydrogen-fueled light-duty vehicles. Insulated pressure vessels can be fueled with liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ), with low-temperature (80 K) compressed hydrogen (CH 2 ) or with ambient-temperature CH 2 . In this analysis, hydrogen venting losses are calculated for insulated pressure vessels fueled with LH 2 or with low-temperature CH 2 , and the results are compared to those obtained in low-pressure LH 2 tanks. Hydrogen losses are calculated as a function of daily driving distance during normal operation, as a function of time during long periods of vehicle inactivity and as a function of initial vessel temperature during fueling. The number of days before any venting losses occur is also calculated as a function of the daily driving distance. The results show that insulated pressure vessels with packaging characteristics comparable to those of conventional, low-pressure LH 2 tanks (low weight and volume), have greatly improved dormancy and much lower boil-off. Insulated pressure vessels used in a 17 km/l (40 mpg) car can hold the hydrogen indefinitely when the car is driven at least 15 km/day in average. Nearly all cars are driven for greater distances, so most cars would never need to vent hydrogen. Losses during long periods of parking are also relatively small. Due to their high-pressure capacity, these vessels would retain about a third of their full charge even after a very long dormancy, so that the owner would not risk running out of fuel. If an insulated pressure vessel reaches ambient temperature, it can be cooled down very effectively by fueling it with LH 2 with no losses during fueling. The vessel has good thermal performance even when inexpensive microsphere insulation is used. Finally, the vessel eases fuel availability and infrastructure requirements, since it would be compatible with both compressed and cryogenic hydrogen refueling.
Fundamental treatment of the isoenthalpic-isobaric ensemble.

Fluctuation formulas which are characteristic of the classical isoenthalphic-isobaric ensemble are derived in a direct and fundamental way. The technique used is adapted from a new method introduced by Pearson, Halicioglu, and Tiller [Phys. Rev. A 32, 3030 (1985)] in their treatment of the microcanonical ensemble. The application of this new method to other adiabatic ensembles is also discussed.
Late Cretaceous and Paleocene Faulting in Rocky Mountain Foreland and Frontal Thrust Zone, Southeastern Montana: ABSTRACT

The Late Cretaceous and Paleocene structural pattern in southwestern Montana is comprised of three spatially and temporally overlapping sets of structures whose positions strongly reflect the influence of previous basement faults and whose kinematics imply dominantly west-to-east compressive forces. The first of these patterns is a set of steep northwest-trending faults involving the metamorphic basement rocks of the Rocky Mountain foreland. Movement on these faults was oblique (left-reverse) and occurred as a reactivation of faults which developed initially in middle Proterozoic time. Net horizontal shortening by faulting and associated large-scale folding is 10-20 km (6-12 mi). Another fault pattern within the foreland is a set of widely spaced, gently west-dipping thrusts. These thrusts also involve basement rocks and appear to have been controlled by previous zones of weakness within the crust. Movement is principally dip-slip and latest movement appears to involve tearing on the northwest-trending fault set. Shortening by basement thrusting and associated folding is 20-25 km (12-15 mi). The other structural pattern is that of the frontal fold and thrust zone on the western boundary of the foreland and the zone of transverse thrusting on the northern boundary. These zones of impinging thrusts also involve basement rocks principally as slices that were "picked off" from underlying basement highs during ramping. As the thrusts of the frontal zone advanced to the east they impinged on northwest-trending foreland anticlines and were torn on the northwest-trending faults. The transverse thrust zone on the north involves right-reverse movement with about 20 km (12 mi) of west-east displacement. The zone is fundamentally a transverse ramp produced by deflection along the east-trending Willow Creek fault zone of Proterozoic age. End_of_Article - Last_Page 948------------
Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: 3-Year Followup

Purpose: LPN is a viable alternative to open partial nephrectomy for select small renal tumors. However, published intermediate term oncological data are sparse. We present our experience with LPN for tumor in 100 patients with a minimum followup of 3 years.Materials and Methods: Of the 480 LPNs performed at our institution a minimum followup of 3 years is available in 100 patients since 1999. Overall and cancer specific survival data were obtained from patient charts, radiographic reports and direct telephone calls to patient families.Results: All 100 cases were completed laparoscopically without open conversion. Mean tumor size was 3.1 cm and mean warm ischemia was 27 minutes. Final histopathology revealed renal cell carcinoma in 68 patients, including 1 with positive surgical margins. A second patient with oncocytoma had a positive surgical margin. At a median followup of 42 months (mean 42.6, range 24.3 to 62.5) no patient had evidence of local or port site recurrence. Two patients with renal cell car...
Failure Mechanisms in High Chrome Oxide Gasifier Refractories

Gasification is a high-temperature, high-pressure chemical process used to convert a carbon feedstock into CO and H2 (syngas) for use in power generation and the production of chemicals. It is also a leading candidate as a source of hydrogen in a hydrogen economy and is one of several technologies expected to see increased use in advanced fossil fuel power systems in the future. Gasification is being evaluated because of its high efficiency, its ability to capture CO2 for sequestration or reuse in other applications, and its potential for carbon feedstock fuel flexibility. At the heart of the gasification process is a gasifier, a high pressure chemical reaction vessel used to contain the interactions between carbon and water in a shortage of oxygen, producing syngas. The gasifier is lined with high chrome oxide materials to protect the containment vessel. Gasifiers are complex systems, and failure of the refractories used to line them was identified by industry as a limitation to their reliability and availability and to their increased use. NETL researchers have examined spent high-Cr2O3 (over 90 pct Cr2O3) refractories from numerous gasifiers to determine in-service failure mechanisms. This analysis revealed that premature failure of the high chrome oxide refractories was related to ash in the carbon feedstock, which liquefies during gasification and interacts with the refractories, leading to wear by chemical dissolution or spalling (structural and chemical). A discussion of this postmortem wear of spent refractory materials and of thermodynamic modeling used to explain microstructural changes leading to wear are explained in this article. This information will serve the basis to develop improved performance refractory materials.
Targeted Energy Transfer Between a Model Flexible Wing and Nonlinear Energy Sink

Passive and nonlinear targeted energy transfers induced by resonant interactions between a single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear energy sink and a flexible swept wing are studied. With a series of ground-vibration tests, it is shown that the nonlinear energy sink can be designed to quickly and efficiently absorb energy from one or more wing modes in a completely passive manner. Results indicate that it is feasible to use such a device to suppress or prevent aeroelastic instabilities like limit-cycle oscillations. The design of a compact nonlinear energy sink is introduced and the parameters of the device are examined experimentally, confirming that the required nonlinearizable stiffness is achieved. Ground-vibration experiments performed on the wing's nonlinear energy-sink system indicate that targeted energy transfer is achievable, resulting in a significant reduction in the second bending mode response of the wing. Furthermore, a finite element model of the system is developed to computationally reproduce the experiments, providing good agreement between the two. Finally, the finite element model is used to simulate the effects of increased nonlinear energy-sink stiffness on the system and to show the conditions under which the nonlinear energy sink will resonantly interact with higher-frequency wing modes.
IS EXENATIDE A USEFUL ADDITION TO DIABETES THERAPY

Objective: To present an evidence-based evaluation of the antidiabetic drug exenatide. Methods: The English literature from 1965 to January 2006 was reviewed by using data sources from MED-LINE, en...
Epileptiform Electroencephalographic Patterns

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most useful test for assessment of patients with epilepsy. It can help establish the diagnosis of epilepsy and determine the type of seizure disorder and its site of origin. Epileptiform abnormalities in the EEG tracing may be focal or generalized. The main types of focal epileptiform discharges arise from the temporal, frontal, occipital, centroparietal, centrotemporal, and midline regions of the brain. Generalized epileptiform discharges consist of the 3-Hz spike-and-wave, slow spike-and-wave, atypical spike-and-wave, paroxysmal fast activity, and hypsarrhythmic patterns. Status epilepticus is manifested by continuous epileptiform discharges or recurrent seizure activity without interim recovery, which can occur in a generalized or focal manner. Benign epileptiform variants unassociated with seizures can also be present in the EEG. Included in this category are the "14 & 6" positive bursts, small sharp spikes, wicket waves, 6-Hz spike-and-wave discharges, and rhythmic temporal theta activity. The EEG findings should be interpreted in the context of the overall clinical picture.
Elucidating the relation between childhood emotional abuse and depressive symptoms in adulthood: The mediating role of maladaptive interpersonal processes

Objective The purpose of this study is to assess the potential unique and relative mediating effects of three interpersonal risk factors (i.e., excessive reassurance-seeking [ERS], negative feedback seeking [NFS], and rejection sensitivity [RS]) in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and depressive symptoms.
SOME RESEARCH AND TEACHING WITH AN ON‐LINE OLIGOPOLY GAME USING AN ARTIFICIAL PLAYER*

Teaching and research can be integrated using an artificial player. A series of studies are reported that note the assets and liabilities of using an on-line oligopoly game with an artificial player. By appropriately combining teaching and gaming research costs may be lowered, the learning experience increased, and the validity of the research increased.
A numerical test of different integral conditioning approximations for a semiclassical initial value representation for wavepacket propagation

Abstract Recent numerical evidence indicates that the rapid spreading of nearby classical trajectories in chaotic regions results in numerical difficulties and reduced accuracy for semiclassical initial value representation methods. These problems can be significantly reduced and the accuracy of the methods increased through the application of integral conditioning techniques, which have been developed for the numerical evaluation of integrals with highly oscillatory integrands. This work studies the effectiveness of these conditioning techniques, when applied to one semiclassical initial value representation wavepacket propagation procedure, the HK propagator method.
CHILDHOOD MONOSOMY 7 SYNDROME: A FAMILIAL DISORDER?

Preleukemic states are rare in children although monosomy 7 now is recognized as a genetic marker for a childhood myeloproliferative disorder which evolves into bone marrow (BM) failure or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). Recently we observed a Caucasian girl with this disorder. The salient features of her course included: (1) onset of pancytopenia at 9 months of age, (2) persistent granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and macrocytosis (MCV = 108) over a 6 year period, (3) evolution of marked dyserythropoiesis at 7 years of age, (4) presence of BM monosomy 7 in 100% of metaphases while PHA stimulated peripheral blood revealed a 46 XX karyotype, (5) conversion to ANLL at 7-1/2 years of age and (8) failure to achieve remission with currently effective ANLL chemotherapy. The patient's healthy 5 year old brother also manifested mild thrombocytopenia, macrocytosis (MCV = 98) and monosomy 7 in his BM karyotype. The observations described here now bring to 27 the total number of reported cases of childhood monosomy 7. Of particular interest, however, 8 of these cases represent 4 pairs of siblings. It thus appears that the frequency of familial involvement may approach 30%. For this reason, siblings of these patients should be serially evaluated for hematologic dysfunction and chromosomal changes. This is especially important since effective therapy for this condition may be bone marrow transplantation from a histocompatible sibling.
Tribological characteristics of graded pencil cores on paper

Abstract Despite the long, rich history and widespread use of pencils and paper, the literature of tribology is remarkably devoid of published research on the subject. The present investigation was conducted to investigate the effects of writing core (i.e. “lead”) grade on the wear response and static and kinetic friction coefficients associated with writing on three types of paper: standard 20 lb copier paper, heavier manila cover stock, and Tyvek™, a spunbonded olefin paper product commonly used for mailing envelopes and surgical clothing. Three mechanical pencil core grades (2B, HB, and 2H) were used. These materials varied in Knoop microindentation hardness by a factor of approximately two. Static friction coefficients were determined from simple, inclined-plane tests of the various core-paper combinations, and kinetic friction coefficients were determined by pin-on-disk tests. Against all but the Tyvek™, static friction coefficients were not dependent on core grade or paper type. Kinetic friction coefficients were not clearly correlated with paper type or core grade; however, significant differences in the core wear and paper in-filling characteristics were observed. Scanning electron microscopy and quantitative image analysis were used to study the manner and extent to which the core wear particles were embedded and agglomerated within the tangled fibers of the papers. A clear correlation was observed between the degree of transfer of wear particles to the paper and the hardness of the core in two of the three paper types.
National trends in spinal fusion for cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to provide a retrospective analysis using an NIS database to examine national trends in outcomes for CSM from 1993 to 2002. Methods Data for CSM admissions (n = 138 792) were extracted from the 1993 to 2002 NIS database to determine overall outcomes, as well as for those patients with CSM who underwent spinal fusion. Data from 1993 to 1997 (period 1) were compared with data from 1998 to 2002 (period 2). Results The number of patients admitted with CSM increased 2-fold from 3.73 to 7.88 per 100 000 US population. Approximately 10% of patients were admitted from the ED and 42% underwent spinal fusion. The number of patients with CSM that underwent spinal fusion increased 7-fold from 0.6 to 4.1 per 100 000 people over the period from 1993 to 2002. Most spinal fusions were performed in the 45- to 64-year age group. The number of patients with 2 or more comorbidities increased from 20% to 37%; however, the mortality and adverse outcome rates remained stable, and there was a slight decrease in LOS. Conclusions Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is one of the most common disorders treated by spine surgeons. There was a nearly 7-fold increase in the number of spinal fusions for CSM from 1993 to 2002. Despite continued increases in patient medical comorbidities, overall complication rates have remained stable at approximately 10.3% and mortality rates constant at 0.6%.
Sphingomonas paucimobilis bacteremia in an HIV and hepatitis C co-infected patient

Introduction Prompt diagnosis and treatment of blood stream infections in an immunocompromised host can result in a decrease in mortality with appropriate antibiotic coverage. Signs, symptoms, physical examination, cultures and sensitivity findings must be evaluated and interpreted together to accurately diagnose and manage the problem.
Infectious triggers for inflammatory neurological diseases.

Do autoimmune diseases develop 'spontaneously' or are they induced by environmental triggers, such as infectious agents? This is a central—and challenging—question in the autoimmunity field. A new study in this issue provides strong evidence for a virus-induced autoimmune process in a human neurological disease. ( pages 509–513 )
Field evaluation of insect resistance in a wild tomato and its effects on insect parasitoids

Populations of Helicoverpa (= Heliothis) zea (Boddie), Heliothis virescens (F.), Manduca sexta (L.) and M. quinquemaculata (Haw.) and their egg and larval parasitoids were sampled in field plots of the: insect-resistant wild tomato, Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum C. H. Mull, accession PI 134417; susceptible commercial tomato cultivar ‘Better Boy’ F1 hybrid; and selected, moderately resistant backcross genotype. Densities of H. zea and H. virescens eggs and small larvae were higher on resistant genotypes than on susceptible genotypes, but densities of large larvae were similar on all genotypes. Densities of Manduca spp. larvae were too low to permit similar analyses of the effects of plant genotype. Rates of egg parasitism by Trichogramma spp. and Telenomus sphingis (Ashmead) were reduced on insect-resistant genotypes. Rates of parasitism by the larval parasitoids Campoletis sonorensis (Cameron) and Cotesia congregata (Say) were reduced on resistant genotypes. No consistent effects on parasitism rates by Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) were observed and parasitism rates by Cardiochiles nigriceps Viereck were unaffected.
User Interest and Topic Detection for Personalized Recommendation

Recommender system provides users with personalized suggestions of product or information. Typically, recommender systems rely on a bipartite graph model to capture user interest. As an extension, some boosted methods analyze content information to further improve the quality of personalized recommendation. However, due to the prevalence of short and sparse messages in online social media, traditional content-boosted methods do not guarantee to capture user preference accurately especially for web contents. In this paper, we propose a novel graphical model to extract hidden topics from web contents, cluster web contents, and detect users' interests on each cluster. In addition, we introduce two reranking models which utilize the detected user interest to further boost the quality of personalized recommendation. Experiment results on a public dataset demonstrated the limitation of a traditional content-boosted approach, and also showed the validity of our proposed techniques.
Resilience elements in students with learning disabilities.

Seven elements of resilience are identified in college students who have learning disabilities. These elements become the bases for approaches to assisting children in constructing resilience when facing such difficulties.
Equilibration processes during gas uptake inside narrow pores

We analyze the adsorption kinetics of a gas in contact with the open ends of a narrow longitudinal pore, where gas transport along its interior occurs via single-file diffusion mechanisms. By implementing a Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the gas dynamics, we obtain the overall change in gas uptake inside the pore and the concentration profile of the adsorbed phase as the system evolves towards equilibrium. Typically, higher external pressure leads to faster kinetics as it happens for adsorption on open surfaces. However, when the pore is exposed to gas at very high pressures, blockage events near the ends of longer pores can slow down the overall adsorption, with desorption and internal diffusion eventually becoming the rate limiting processes. We determine the dependence of these phenomena on the amount of gas adsorbed, binding energy and length of the pore.
Elaboration and knowledge acquisition

Three experiments that explored the effects of different types of elaboration on knowledge acquisition are presented. The materials used were adapted from Stein and Bransford (1979) and were designed to simulate conceptual relationships encountered by people working in an unfamiliar domain. These materials were supplemented with elaborations that were designed to increase the distinctiveness of the memory trace, increase the distinctiveness of the memory trace while maintaining a high level of associative relatedness to key concepts, or reduce the arbitrariness of relationships among key concepts. The results replicate and extend previous research by showing that elaborations that reduce the arbitrariness of relationships facilitate both cued recall and recognition performance but that other types of elaborations appear to have little effect on performance. The implications of these results for theories of elaboration and knowledge acquisition are discussed.
Computerized Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Reveals Cerebrovascular Regulatory Subregions in Rat Brain Stem

Three-dimensional wireframe reconstructions were used to examine the relationship between the anatomical localization of electrode sites and the cerebrovascular response which was elicited by electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Reconstructions of the rat brain and DRN were done from atlas plates and from Nissl-stained coronal sections (100-micron increments). Data points were entered and three-dimensional reconstructions were performed using commercially available software and a personal computer. Display of the entire brain yielded views which obscured visualization of the DRN. The data file was edited to reduce the number of contours without affecting the display resolution of the DRN. Selective display of the DRN and electronic rotation from the coronal to a sagittal view revealed a functional organization of the cerebral blood flow responses which was not apparent in two-dimensional coronal sections.
Revolutionary systems and technologies for missions to the outer planets

Abstract The Advanced Deep Space System Development Program is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA and is also called X2000. X2000 is organized to create advanced flight and ground systems for the exploration of the outer planets and beyond; it has been created to develop the engineering elements of flight and ground systems. Payloads will be developed by another team. Each X2000 delivery gets its requirements from a set of planned missions, or “mission customers”. The X2000 First Delivery Project supports missions to the Sun (to 4 solar radii), Europa (looking for a liquid ocean), Mars (in support of several Mars missions including a sample return), a comet (including a sample return), and Pluto followed by a trip into the Kuiper belt. This set of missions leads to some outstanding requirements: 1. 1. Long-life (10–12 years) 2. 2. Total Ionizing Dose of 4 Mrad (for a Europa Orbiter) 3. 3. Average power consumption less than or equal to 150 Watts 4. 4. Autonomous operations that result in an extreme reduction in operations costs This paper describes the X2000 first delivery and its technologies following a brief overview of the program.
Environment-Assisted Cracking of Structural Materials under Different Loading Conditions

Abstract Significant efforts are ongoing, nationally and internationally, to reduce the radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) for their disposal in a potential reposi...
Optimal partitioning of groups in selecting the best choice

Abstract This article deals with the group interview problem, in which each group contains several alternatives and each group of alternatives is presented and evaluated sequentially over time. We derive the optimal selection strategy for the group interview problem with a general utility function. Among the various types of utility function, we focus on the best choice problem, in which our utility is one if we successfully select the best choice and zero otherwise. We derive a simple selection rule called the optimal partitioning strategy in which the decision-maker divides the entire groups into two disjoint sets and, after evaluating the choices in the first set, chooses the relatively best choice available for the first time in the second set. Because the selected choice is not necessarily the absolutely best choice, we also consider the probability distribution of the actual rank of the choice selected under the partitioning strategy. Scope and purpose In many managerial decision situations such as buying a car, selling a house, or searching for a job, several alternatives are presented sequentially and an accept-or-reject decision is made immediately after evaluating each alternative. The classical secretary problem and its extensions have been successfully applied to such a sequential search and selection problem. This article deals with a more generalized version of the secretary problem, called the group interview problem , in which several groups of alternatives are presented and evaluated sequentially over time. Based on a stochastic dynamic programming approach, we propose the optimal selection strategy for the group interview problem with various types of the decision-maker's utility function. There are many potential applications of the group interview problem, including consumer search and purchase process, job search problem, sequential assignment of batch jobs, and so on.
Vorausschauende Energieeffiziente Fahrzeuglängsregelung

Die von der Volkswagen-Konzernforschung entwickelte Funktion "Green Driving" unterstuetzt den Fahrer mit dem Ziel, den Kraftstoffverbrauch zu senken und gleichzeitig den Fahrkomfort zu erhoehen, indem die Funktionalitaet eines herkoemmlichen ACC erweitert wird. Neben dem sicheren Einhalten des Fahrzeugabstands ist neu, dass eine Setzgeschwindigkeit auf Basis einer aktuell vom System angenommenen angemessenen Geschwindigkeit vorgeschlagen und auf Wunsch auch automatisch vom ACC eingeregelt wird. Aus Kartendaten und Fahrzeugortung wird eine Streckenvorausschau (elektronischer Horizont) generiert und auf deren Grundlage energieeffiziente Fahrmanoever durchgefuehrt. Green Driving reduziert den Kraftstoffverbrauch und Bedienaufwand. Zur Bestimmung des Einsparpotenzials wurde eine 32,3 km lange Teststrecke definiert, die Ortsdurchfahrten, Ueberlandstrecken und Autobahnen gleichermassen enthaelt. Im Vergleich mit Referenzfahrten, bei denen alle Verzoegerungsmanoever mit einem komfortablen Bremsvorgang von 1 m/s2 durchgefuehrt wurden, kann bei einer kundenakzeptablen Fahrweise mit Green Driving auf dieser Strecke durchschnittlich circa 13 Prozent Kraftstoff eingespart werden. Der Zeitmehraufwand betraegt circa 3 Prozent. Da die realisierbaren Einsparungen vom Streckenverlauf, den zugehoerigen Geschwindigkeitsbeschraenkungen und dem Verkehrsaufkommen stark beeinflusst werden, weichen die Potenziale auf anderen Strecken von der Referenzstrecke entsprechend ab. Vorlaeufige Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass auf typischen Ueberlandstrecken Einsparpotenziale von ueber 10 Prozent realistisch erreichbar sind.
Reliability and concurrent validity of a measure of critical thinking skills in biology

The present study investigated the utility of 52 items, selected from a readily available item pool developed for instructional purposes, when the items are used to measure critical thinking abilities of biology students. The items yield scores that have reasonable internal consistency reliability. Furthermore, analyses involving ACT, Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, and Group Embedded Figures Test scores also suggest that the critical thinking test items have good concurrent validity. Thus, the measure may be useful in both science instruction and future research regarding critical thinking phenomena.
Decades-Old Sediment Cores Complicate Cascadia Earthquake History

Sediment cores from the 1960s are shaking up recent conclusions some scientists have drawn about Cascadia earthquakes, which occur along the subduction zone that stretches off the coast from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Northern California. A new Geology paper published online on 29 July (doi:10.1130/G35902.1) says that the Cascadia earthquake hazard is more complicated than what the recent research has shown.
Oxidative dissolution of uraninite precipitated on Navajo sandstone

Abstract Column and batch experiments were conducted with sandstone and ground water samples to investigate oxidation of uraninite precipitated by microbially mediated reduction of U(VI), a contaminant in ground water beneath a uranium mill tailings site near Tuba City, AZ, USA. Uraninite precipitated together with mackinawite (FeS 0.9 ) because Fe(III) from the sandstone and sulfate, another contaminant in the water were reduced together with U(VI). After completion of U(VI) reduction, experiments were conducted to find out whether uraninite is protected by mackinawite against reoxidation. Uncontaminated ground water from the same site, containing 7 mg/l of dissolved oxygen, was passed through the columns or mixed with sandstone in batch experiments. The results showed that small masses of uraninite, 0.1 μg/g of sandstone, are protected by mackinawite from reoxidation. Uraninite masses on the order of 0.1 μg/g correspond to U(VI) concentrations of 0.5 mg/l, typically encountered in uranium contaminated ground waters. Mackinawite is an effective buffer and is formed in sufficient quantity to provide long-term protection of uraninite. Uranium concentrations in ground water passed through the columns are too low (4 μg/l) to distinguish between dissolution and oxidative dissolution of uraninite. However, batch experiments showed that uraninite oxidation takes place.
Kinetic Model for the Sublimation of a Solid and Evaporation of Colloidal Particles from a Solid Substrate

A kinetic approach, based on a first passage time analysis, is proposed to study sublimation. A surface located molecule/particle is considered to perform a chaotic thermal motion in a potential field created by its pairwise interactions with all other molecules of the solid. For the normal (to the surface) motion of the surface molecule this field represents a potential well from which the molecule escapes during sublimation. The mean time necessary for this escape can be determined by solving the Smoluchowski equation for the single molecule distribution function in a potential well wherein the molecule performs its chaotic motion. Knowing this time, one can determine the rate of evaporation of molecules/particles from the surface. The method is applied to two kinds of sublimation. One is the “molecular” sublimation of a solid during which its molecules evaporate from its free surface. The other is the emission of nanoparticles from a solid substrate on which they are adsorbed. Both the substrate and na...
Aspirin resistance: What the cardiologist needs to know?

"Aspirin resistance" can be defined as the inability of aspirin to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 dependent thromboxane (TX) A2 production, and consequently TX A2-dependent platelet functions. Several laboratory methods have been proposed, to evaluate platelets' resistance to antiplatelet treatment (bleeding time, light transmission aggregation, impedance aggregation, platelet function analyser, rapid platelet function assay, TXB2, flow cytometry). However, all these methods have their advantages intrinsic limitations. Although aspirin resistance appears to be linked to worse long-term outcomes in cardiovascular disease patients, clinical treatment of aspirin resistance, including an increased aspirin dose or the addition of other antiplatelet drugs, is not often effective. Further studies needed to elucidate the appropriate management of aspirin resistance.
Holdings of peace research journals in academic library collections

Abstract Peace movements have shaped national and international culture for decades. Although the Cold War is over, conflict-resolution issues continue to dominate headlines and the news. Peace literature holdings are vital to a relatively young but growing peace and conflict studies curricula. This study uses the list of serials abstracted by Peace Research Abstracts Journal to examine the holdings rates of peace-oriented journal titles in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries. Holdings rates are examined by library, title, and subject category. Their impact on scholars, researchers, and students is discussed. Findings reveal generally strong holdings rates among ARL libraries. The broad nature of peace research, however, results in greater variation in holdings among certain important sub-topics of the literature.
International Justice in Elder Care: The Long Run

In the short run, the cross-border migration of elder-care workers is a zero-sum game, with the source country losing and the host country gaining. This offends our sense of justice, especially since the host populations tend to be richer. In this chapter, I argue that we ought to direct our gaze beyond the short run, at the long run. Once we do that, we will see possibilities of non-zero-sum games that are mutually beneficial. The large question arises, though, as to how nations may choose among them by committing to some principle of justice.
The PDZ-binding motif of the β2-adrenoceptor is essential for physiologic signaling and trafficking in cardiac myocytes

β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors (AR) regulate cardiac myocyte function through distinct signaling pathways. In addition to regulating cardiac rate and contractility, β1AR and β2AR may play different roles in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Studies on neonatal cardiac myocytes from β1AR and β2AR knockout mice suggest that subtype-specific signaling is determined by subtype-specific membrane targeting and trafficking. Stimulation of β2ARs has a biphasic effect on contraction rate, with an initial increase followed by a sustained Gi-dependent decrease. Recent studies show that a PDZ domain-binding motif at the carboxyl terminus of human β2AR interacts with ezrin-binding protein 50/sodium–hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor, a PDZ-domain-containing protein. The human β2AR carboxyl terminus also binds to N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor, which does not contain a PDZ domain. We found that mutation of the three carboxyl-terminal amino acids in the mouse β2AR (β2AR-AAA) disrupts recycling of the receptor after agonist-induced internalization in cardiac myocytes. Nevertheless, stimulation of the β2AR-AAA produced a greater contraction rate increase than that of the wild-type β2AR. This enhanced stimulation of contraction rate can be attributed in part to the failure of the β2AR-AAA to couple to Gi. We also observed that coupling of endogenous, wild-type β2AR to Gi in β1AR knockout myocytes is inhibited by treatment with a membrane-permeable peptide representing the β2AR carboxyl terminus. These studies demonstrate that association of the carboxyl terminus of the β2AR with ezrin-binding protein 50/sodium–hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor, N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor, or some related proteins dictates physiologic signaling specificity and trafficking in cardiac myocytes.