cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The molecular pathophysiology of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

Purpose of review This review summarizes recent observations and discoveries important for a current understanding of the clinical, molecular and genetic aspects of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Recent findings Significant advances in our understanding of the molecular nature of the pseudoexfoliation material and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma have recently been made in the transcriptome, proteome, and genome levels. Differential gene expression studies have identified gene transcripts that are significantly downregulated and upregulated in the eyes of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma relative to nonglaucomatous controls. Many of these differentially regulated genes are involved with extracellular matrix structure and metabolism and responses to stress and inflammation. Proteomic analysis of the pseudoexfoliation material similarly suggests that extracellular matrix and stress response proteins are associated with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Most recently, LOXL1 (which is involved with extracellular matrix formation and stability) has been discovered to be the first gene associated with a risk of developing pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. A proposed protein sink model parsimoniously accounts for the multitude of proteins known to be associated with pseudoexfoliation material and describes the orderly molecular formation of this disease causing material in the eye. Summary Our understanding of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma has recently been significantly advanced by cutting edge molecular and genetic approaches to studying this sight threatening disease. An increased understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma will lead to improved management and diagnosis and new treatments for pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.
Lexical relations: enhancing effectiveness of information retrieval systems

One of the essential features of the "Meaning Text" model (MTM) developed by I. A. Mel'chuk et. al. is the special lexicon or ECD ('explanatory and combinatory' dictionary). This component can be thought of as a collection independent thesaurus, and can be applied to improve the effectiveness of an information retrieval system.After outlining the MTM and related work, this paper briefly describes the SMART type of information retrieval system. Applicability of the above-mentioned lexicon to such a system is discussed. In particular, the list of lexical relations included in the ECD is expanded and organized to be more effective for retrieval, partially along the lines suggested by Evens and Smith.Finally, an experimental analysis of the utility of lexical relations in an information retrieval system is discussed. It is shown that lexical relations generally enhance system performance. When all lexical relations are considered in the comparison, the resulting performance is shown, by statistical methods, to make a significant improvement (up to 16.5% at a single recall level); when all lexical relations except for antonyms are considered, the improvement is even greater (up to 20.2% at a single recall level).
MYTHIC RELIGIOUS NATURALISM

. In his book Religion Is Not About God, Loyal Rue presents an evolutionarily based explanation of religion as a means to further the personal and social fulfillment of human beings. Rue argues that religions in the form of myths, adaptive falsities, provide an account of the connection between what is (facts) and what matters (values). Myths are false because they attribute subjectively based values to valueless facts, but adaptive because they motivate personally and socially beneficial actions. He maintains that the current crises of humankind, evidenced by both social conflict and environmental degradation, indicate that the major religious traditions—all of which project values onto some transcendent reality—are failing to serve humanity. To overcome these crises, Rue maintains that we need a new, scientifically based naturalized religion, one that attributes subjectively based values to Nature instead of a transcendent reality. I accept Rue's naturalism about values but reject his subjectivist account of them. Contrary to Rue, I show that the naturalistic fallacy sets no barrier to the existence of objective moral values. Modeling my view on the selection theories used in biology and psychology, I offer a scientifically based explanation of the origin and existence of objective values and support it with empirical findings from developmental psychology. Whether this account can count as religious, I do not address.
Tunable Cerenkov lasers

The concept of a tunable Cerenkov laser is introduced and expressions for the operating wavelength and stimulated emission rate are developed. Emphasis is on the development of criteria which must be met if tunable far-infrared device operation is to be achieved.
SPECTRAL STABILITY CONDITIONS FOR SHOCK WAVE PATTERNS

We compare inviscid stability conditions obtained by Lewicka for large-amplitude shock wave patterns with "slow eigenvalue", or low-frequency, stability conditions obtained by Lin and Schecter through a vanishing viscosity analysis of the Dafermos regularization. Under the structural condition that scattering coefficients for each component wave are positive, we show that BV and L1 inviscid stability are equivalent to respective versions of low-frequency Dafermos-regularized stability. When scattering coefficients appear with different signs, the conditions are in general distinct. We give various examples demonstrating this phenomenon and indicating the subtle role of cancellation in linearized behavior in the presence of negative scattering coefficients.
An ontology-supported ubiquitous interface agent for cloud computing: example on Zigbee technique

An ontology-supported ubiquitous interface agent and its interaction diagram with the backend information agent system, i.e., OntoIAS, in cloud computing environments were proposed. The agent employs the CURRL to transform user commands into internal canonical format to conveniently process those commands by OntoIAS, which can avoid numerous, jumbled, and incorrect information torrents that results in misunderstanding of the information intention of users. In this paper, we preliminarily proposed the agent with the Zigbee techniques and related interaction diagrams with OntoIAS in cloud computing environments. The system prototype and experimental outcomes can also reveal the feasibility of the system architecture.
Elastomeric polypeptide-based biomaterials

Elastomeric proteins are characterized by their large extensibility before rupture, reversible deformation without loss of energy, and high resilience upon stretching. Motivated by their unique mechanical properties, there has been tremendous research in understanding and manipulating elastomeric polypeptides, with most work conducted on the elastins but more recent work on an expanded set of polypeptide elastomers. Facilitated by biosynthetic strategies, it has been possible to manipulate the physical properties, conformation, and mechanical properties of these materials. Detailed understanding of the roles and organization of the natural structural proteins has permitted the design of elastomeric materials with engineered properties, and has thus expanded the scope of applications from elucidation of the mechanisms of elasticity to the development of advanced drug delivery systems and tissue engineering substrates.
Polymer Composites for Radiation Detection: Diiodobenzene and light emitting polymer molecular solutions for gamma detection

Conjugated polymers are largely intact by gamma exposure but can be energized in the presence of high-Z compounds. The resulting alteration of the polymer's high optical density and photoluminescence efficiency can be exploited for the detection of gamma radiation with high sensitivity. Di-iodobenzene and conjugated polymers mix on the molecular level in solid thin films. Composite films of various thicknesses were conveniently cast from solution and exposed to gamma radiation. The responses of the films to gamma dosage were observed with dramatic changes in ultraviolet-visible absorption and photoluminescence. (authors)
Micronutrient Nutrition of Plants

Abstract Currently, there are eight trace elements considered to be essential for higher plants, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, B, Mo, and Cl. Possibly, other elements will be discovered to be essential because of recent advances in nutrient solution culture techniques and in the commercial availability of highly sensitive analytical instrumentation for elemental analysis. Much remains to be learned about the physiology of micronutrient absorption, translocation and deposition in plants, and about the functions they perform in plant growth and development. This review briefly summarizes the current knowledge of micronutrients in plants and than presents some new speculations on the mechanisms of micronutrient uptake and translocation in plants.
The Endemic Treponematoses

The agents of human treponematoses include four closely related members of the genus Treponema: three subspecies of Treponema pallidum plus Treponema carateum. T. pallidum subsp. pallidum causes venereal syphilis, while T. pallidum subsp. pertenue, T. pallidum subsp. endemicum, and T. carateum are the agents of the endemic treponematoses yaws, bejel (or endemic syphilis), and pinta, respectively. All human treponematoses share remarkable similarities in pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, consistent with the high genetic and antigenic relatedness of their etiological agents. Distinctive features have been identified in terms of age of acquisition, most common mode of transmission, and capacity for invasion of the central nervous system and fetus, although the accuracy of these purported differences is debated among investigators and no biological basis for these differences has been identified to date. In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially set a goal for yaws eradication by 2020. This challenging but potentially feasible endeavor is favored by the adoption of oral azithromycin for mass treatment and the currently focused distribution of yaws and endemic treponematoses and has revived global interest in these fascinating diseases and their causative agents.
The Contradiction of Appropriate Shocks in Primary Prevention ICDs Increasing and Decreasing the Risk of Death

> Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes. > > —Walt Whitman1 It is a common fault of true believers to celebrate successful reinforcement of their belief system and to dismiss failures. Such has been the case with the evolution of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Evidence-based guidelines, national health care coverage determinations (CAG-00157R3, January 27, 2005), and clinical practice have been transformed by large randomized clinical trials demonstrating that ICDs reduce mortality in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), regardless of etiology or accompanying symptoms of heart failure, and with no history of sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) or cardiac arrest.1a,2 This reduction in mortality is due entirely to prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) by VTA.3 Consequently, primary prevention ICDs have become an important healthcare industry, with heavily invested stakeholders (implanting physicians, medical device manufacturers, and hospitals) pursuing the same relentless mission: how can we get more ICDs into qualifying patients? Article see p 2645 A few years ago, in an editorial arguing for national coverage determinations to align with evidence-based medicine, I wrote that in an earlier era intellectual opposition to the idea of the ICD was antivisionary.4,5 However, it now seems that contemporary application of primary prevention ICD therapy has become an anti-intellectual endeavor. Twenty years later, the translation to clinical practice has devolved to low EF, needs ICD. The problem with this declaration is that it is wrong on both points. At least 50% of SCD occurs in nonqualifying patients with normal or near-normal range EFs, and need is difficult to accept when absolute risk reduction is 1% to 3%1,2 and the morbidity consequences of ICD therapy are substantial. Nonetheless, primary prevention ICDs are here to stay and efforts to refine …
Supplemental description of Paraphelenchus acontioides (Tylenchida: Aphelenchidae, Paraphelenchinae), with ribosomal DNA trees and a morphometric compendium of female Paraphelenchus

Summary – Nematodes were isolated from surface-sterilised stems of cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum (Poaceae), in Colorado, grown on Fusarium (Hypocreaceae) fungus culture, and identified as Paraphelenchus acontioides. Morphometrics and micrographic morphology of this species are given to supplement the original description and expand the comparative species diagnosis. A tabular morphometric compendium of the females of the 23 species of Paraphelenchus is provided as the last diagnostic compilation was in 1984. Variations in the oviduct within the genus are reviewed to evaluate the taxonomic assignment of P. deckeri , a morphologically transitional species between Aphelenchus and Paraphelenchus. Sequences were generated for both 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA, representing the first identified species within Paraphelenchus so characterised. These sequences were incorporated into phylogenetic trees with related species of Aphelenchidae and Tylenchidae. Aphelenchus avenae isolates formed a well supported monophyletic sister group to Paraphelenchus. The ecology of Paraphelenchus, cheat grass and Fusarium is also discussed.
Image registration by minimization of residual complexity

Accurate definition of similarity measure is a key component in image registration. Most commonly used intensity-based similarity measures rely on the assumptions of independence and stationarity of the intensities from pixel to pixel. Such measures cannot capture the complex interactions among the pixel intensities, and often result in less satisfactory registration performances, especially in the presence of nonstationary intensity distortions. We propose a novel similarity measure that accounts for intensity non-stationarities and complex spatially-varying intensity distortions. We derive the similarity measure by analytically solving for the intensity correction field and its adaptive regularization. The final measure can be interpreted as one that favors a registration with minimum compression complexity of the residual image between the two registered images. This measure produces accurate registration results on both artificial and real-world problems that we have tested, whereas many other state-of-the-art similarity measures have failed to do so.
Effects of mutual coupling on capacity of MIMO vehicle-to-vehicle systems

This paper proposes a three-dimensional (3-D) model for narrowband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) vehicle-to-vehicle (V-to-V) multipath fading channels that accounts for mutual coupling among both, transmit and receive antenna elements. This model is used to evaluate the effect of mutual coupling on the antenna element patterns and capacity of MIMO V-to-V systems in a variety of urban environments1.
COOPERATIVE INTERACTIONS AMONG FRIENDS AND FOES OPERATING WITHIN COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

Perhaps nowhere is the inclination to interact with friends over foes more apparent than in the realms of politics and policy, and public managers increasingly operate within collaborative governance arrangements that are highly politicized. To further the existing knowledge on policy-based interactions, this article examines factors that lead to cooperative interactions between foes. The Advocacy Coalition Framework, Resource Dependence Theory, and Policy Analytical Capacity are utilized to examine effects of resources and beliefs on interactions of climate policy supporters and opponents within Colorado. Despite the contentious nature of climate policy, a majority of individuals interacted equally with friends and foes, with opponents more likely to interact with foes. Extreme beliefs made individuals more likely to interact with friends, while resources had mixed effects. These findings offer an improved understanding of cooperative interactions between foes, which may help public managers operating within collaborative governance arrangements to promote greater cooperation and understanding.
Static random access memories based on resonant interband tunneling diodes in the InAs/GaSb/AlSb material system

We have fabricated SRAM's based on resonant interband tunneling diodes in the InAs/AlSb/GaSb material system. The bistability and the switching principles are demonstrated. Numerical simulations of the memory characteristics of the SRAM cell are performed and used for comparing with experiments. Several key issues involving the applications of the device are also discussed. >
Review of Research on Black Families who Formally Adopted Black Children

Even though children can flourish in formal (legal) adoptions, unique issues may challenge the functioning of their adoptive families. Culturally appropriate services should be designed to address ...
Murine Lung Responses to Ambient Particulate Matter: Genomic Analysis and Influence on Airway Hyperresponsiveness

BackgroundAsthma is a complex disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and chronic airway inflammation. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that exposures to environmental fact...
Radial basis function networks in nonlinear signal processing applications

We consider radial basis function networks (RBFN) for use in various nonlinear signal processing applications. We first present a simple training algorithm for the RBFN based on stochastic gradients of error. We then demonstrate and discuss the usefulness of RBFNs in various applications including channel equalization, interference cancellation, time-series prediction, and nonlinear filtering. >
The Unforeseen Costs of Extraordinary Experience

People seek extraordinary experiences—from drinking rare wines and taking exotic vacations to jumping from airplanes and shaking hands with celebrities. But are such experiences worth having? We found that participants thoroughly enjoyed having experiences that were superior to those had by their peers, but that having had such experiences spoiled their subsequent social interactions and ultimately left them feeling worse than they would have felt if they had had an ordinary experience instead. Participants were able to predict the benefits of having an extraordinary experience but were unable to predict the costs. These studies suggest that people may pay a surprising price for the experiences they covet most.
Communication skills as predictors of supervisor and student ratings of teachers

An exploratory study of 123 vocational education teachers suggests the kinds of communication skills that are predictors of two teaching effectiveness criteria: supervisor and student ratings of teachers. The best predictors of supervisor evaluations were a teacher's delivery skills and the amount of time he spent in direct contact with his students. The variables that best predicted student evaluations had to do with how dynamic the teacher was and how well he liked his students.
Genome Sizes of Forensically Relevant Diptera

Genome size estimates for both sexes of forensically relevant Diptera from 17 species (four families) are reported herein. Average genome sizes ranged from 425.8 Mb for female Chrysomya rufifacies to 1,197.4 Mb for male Haematobia irritans. These estimates are useful not only for molecular studies, but also for determination of the species and sex of immatures. Species in three of the sampled families had sexually dimorphic genome sizes, presenting a new tool useful for the determination of sex in these species, especially in the immature stages where sexes are morphologically difficult or impossible to identify. In addition, closely related species had significantly different genome sizes, suggesting the use of flow cytometry as a new tool for species identification of some species of forensically relevant larvae.
The History of the Development of the Dielectric Resonator Antenna

The dielectric resonator antenna has been in existence for almost 25 years, and over that time a great deal of research has been conducted that demonstrates its positive attributes as a broad band, efficient radiator with great potential, especially for high frequency applications. Its inherently low loss behavior results both from its lack of conducting materials to eliminate ohmic losses and its absence of a dielectric layer that might otherwise allow energy to be guided away from the desired radiation into space. A chronological history of this class of radiator is presented.
Decreased expression of inflammation-related genes following inhalation exposure to manganese

Excessive exposure to manganese (Mn) by inhalation can induce psychosis and Parkinsonism. The clinical manifestations of Mn neurotoxicity have been related to numerous physiological and cellular processes, most notably dopamine depletion. However, few studies have explored the molecular events that are triggered in response to exposure to Mn by inhalation. In this current study, the transcriptional patterns of genes related to oxidative stress or inflammation were examined in the brain rats of exposed to inhaled Mn during either gestation or early adulthood. The expression of genes encoding for proteins critical to an inflammatory response and/or possessing pro-oxidant properties, including TGFbeta and nNOS, were slightly depressed by prenatal exposure, whereas inhalation exposure to Mn during adulthood markedly down-regulated their transcription. However, when exposures to manganese occurred during gestation, the extent of altered gene expression induced by subsequent exposure to Mn in adulthood was reduced. This suggests that prior exposure to Mn may have attenuated the effects of inhalation exposure to Mn in adulthood, in which the expression of inflammation-related genes were suppressed.
Research on the Configuration and Controlling of the Reactive Power in the Offshore Wind Farm

Because the undersea cables have the large charging power, the wind power systems will inject too much reactive power to the grid which will lead the bus voltage out of range. This paper established the distributed parameter model of the output lines and analyzed the reactive voltage distribution in different operation modes. By controlling the reactive power of the wind turbines, with the effect of the reactive power compensation device, the paper did the research on the configuration and controlling of the reactive power for the purpose that the exchanging reactive power between the offshore wind farm and the grid is zero. Through simulation this paper analyzed and verified the validity of the controlling strategy.
Gender differences in brain volume and size of corpus callosum and amygdala of rhesus monkey measured from MRI images.

While it has been established that the weight of the female rhesus monkey brain is less than that of the male, the sexual dimorphism of specific brain structures has not been well-documented. To further understand potential sex differences, we measured the whole brain . . volume and the size of the corpus callosum mid-sagittal and amygdala largest coronal section in MRI images from juvenile to adult . male and female rhesus monkeys between 8 months and 7.2 years of age. The mean volume of the male brain was 89.2" 1.9 S.E.M. compared to the female brain volume of 70.8" 0.72 cm 3 . The average area of the corpus callosum increased from 8 months to 4.5 years; 0.56 to 0.93 cm 2 in males and 0.45 to 0.66 cm 2 in females. However, the average area of splenium is significantly greater in females 2 . 2 . . 0.280 cm , than males 0.184 cm . The average area of the amygdala did not change with age; it was 1.07" 0.037 S.E.M. in males and 1.08 " 0.022 cm 2 in females. This data suggests that the whole brain volume and the size of the entire corpus callosum of young adult female rhesus monkeys are approximately 20% smaller than those of young adult males. Interestingly, the area of the splenial portion of the corpus callosum is larger in female monkeys. The size of the amygdala showed no sex difference. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Monte Carlo simulations of the photospheric process

We present a Monte Carlo (MC) code we wrote to simulate the photospheric process and to study the photospheric spectrum above the peak energy. Our simulations were performed with a photon-to-electron ratio Nγ/Ne = 105, as determined by observations of the Gamma-ray Burst prompt emission. We searched an exhaustive parameter space to determine if the photospheric process can match the observed high-energy spectrum of the prompt emission. If we do not consider electron re-heating, we determined that the best conditions to produce the observed high-energy spectrum are low photon temperatures and high optical depths. However, for these simulations, the spectrum peaks at an energy below 300 keV by a factor of ∼10. For the cases we consider with higher photon temperatures and lower optical depths, we demonstrate that additional energy in the electrons is required to produce a power-law spectrum above the peak energy. By considering electron re-heating near the photosphere, the spectra for these simulations have a peak energy ∼300 keV and a power-law spectrum extending to at least 10 MeV with a spectral index consistent with the prompt emission observations. We also performed simulations for different values of Nγ/Ne and determined that the simulation results are very sensitive to Nγ/Ne. Lastly, in addition to Comptonizing a blackbody spectrum, we also simulate the Comptonization of a fν ∝ ν−1/2 fast cooled synchrotron spectrum. The spectrum for these simulations peaks at ∼104 keV, with a flat spectrum fν ∝ ν0 below the peak energy.
Common and Common-Sense Knowledge Integration for Concept-Level Sentiment Analysis

In the era of Big Data, knowledge integration is key for tasks such as social media aggregation, opinion mining, and cyber-issue detection. The integration of different kinds of knowledge coming from multiple sources, however, is often a problematic issue as it either requires a lot of manual effort in defining aggregation rules or suffers from noise generated by automatic integration techniques. In this work, we propose a method based on conceptual primitives for efficiently integrating pieces of knowledge coming from different common and common-sense resources, which we test in the field of concept-level sentiment analysis.
The Evolution of EHR-S Functionality for Care and Coordination

The purpose of electronic health record systems (EHR-S) functionalities is to improve patient safety by reducing medical errors that lead to harm and to facilitate the measurement of care quality by providing access to process and outcomes data. Through collaborative standards development, the definition and translation of healthcare work into specific system functionalities for improving clinical data capture, communication and coordination has evolved from technical “wish lists” into commercially available products that meet the needs of multiple stakeholders: patients, clinicians, managers, systems developers, payers and regulatory agencies. Important technical drivers in the development and adoption of EHR-S functionalities have been: (a) progressive regulatory requirements for reporting quality measures and (b) lessons learned from deployment of EHR systems and other health information technology. A growing area of attention and challenge for health IT functionality development is in supporting longitudinal care coordination for patients with complex and chronic disease across time, providers and resources. Work in this domain has focused on (a) aligning and connecting Patient Centered Medical Homes and Medical Neighborhoods via data/communication standards to facilitate health information exchange (HIE) and (b) building the information infrastructures to facilitate the collection and reporting of quality measures related to care processes and outcomes.
dsdA Does Not Affect Colonization of the Murine Urinary Tract by Escherichia coli CFT073

The urinary tract environment provides many conditions that deter colonization by microorganisms. D-serine is thought to be one of these stressors and is present at high concentrations in urine. D-serine interferes with L-serine and pantothenate metabolism and is bacteriostatic to many species. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli commonly possess the dsdCXA genetic locus, which allows them to use D-serine as a sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source. It was previously reported that in the model UPEC strain CFT073, a dsdA mutant outcompetes wild type in the murine model of urinary tract infection. This “hypercolonization” was used to propose a model whereby UPEC strains sense D-serine in the urinary tract and subsequently up-regulate genes necessary for pathogenesis. Here, we show that inactivation of dsdA does not lead to hypercolonization. We suggest that this previously observed effect is due to an unrecognized secondary mutation in rpoS and that some D-serine specific effects described in other studies may be affected by the rpoS status of the strains used. Inactivation of dsdA in the original clinical isolate of CFT073 gives CFT073 ΔdsdA a growth defect in human urine and renders it unable to grow on minimal medium containing D-serine as the sole carbon source. However, CFT073 ΔdsdA is able to colonize the urinary tracts of CBA/J mice indistinguishably from wild type. These findings indicate that D-serine catabolism, though it may play role(s) during urinary tract infection, does not affect the ability of uropathogenic E. coli to colonize the murine urinary tract.
ROCK Enzymatic Assay

We describe the protocols for measuring Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing kinase (ROCK) activity in vitro. A His-tagged, constitutively active form of the protein (lacking C-terminal inhibitory domains) is expressed in baculovirus. The protein is purified by a combination of metal affinity, ion exchange, and size exclusion chromatography. Enzymatic activity is measured spectrophotometrically in a coupled assay format wherein a molecule of NADH is oxidized to NAD+ each time a phosphate is transferred by ROCK.
Aging and the Efficiency of Stimulus-Driven and Goal-Directed Visual Selection

The present paper addresses the efficiency with which stimulus-driven attentional capture can interfere with target detection by older and younger observers. The attentional capture paradigm places the stimulus-driven visual selection of perceptually salient objects in opposition to the goal-directed visual selection of objects that possess a target feature. Eighteen older adults and 17 younger adults completed a perceptual feature search experiment that utilized the attentional capture paradigm. Participants searched for a target color in an eight-item display that contained six identical distractors and one singleton distractor. No evidence for age-related differences in the ability to ignore the perceptually salient, but irrelevant singleton distractor were observed.
Equity and the development of technological fluency

Using computers to generate knowledge and creatively meet personal goals are aspects of what has been called technological fluency (NRC, 1999). Although opportunities to develop technological fluency in school vary widely, youth have other opportunities to learn to use computers in informal and out of school settings. In the learning ecologies framework that guides the current research, the tools available, the social practices, and the relationships formed in physical contexts where students spend time are considered crucial sources of learning (Barron, in press). Distributed resources such as books and online tutorials are also considered to be important resources. The goal of this study was to investigate individual differences in experience and learning resources.
The proximal basilic vein: A new approach for introduction of a flow-guided catheter into the pulmonary artery

This report describes a technique for inserting a flow-guided catheter into the pulmonary artery by way of the proximal basilic vein.
Lipid transfer protein from Manducasexta hemolymph

Abstract A hemolymph lipid transfer protein (LTP) was isolated from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta . LTP catalyzes net lipid transfer between isolated hemolymph lipoproteins in vitro . An isolation procedure employing density gradient ultracentrifugation and gel permeation chromatography produced a purified protein. LTP is a very high density lipoprotein with a particle Mr > 500,000. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that LTP is comprised of two apoproteins: apoLTP-I (Mr ∼ 320,000) and apoLTP-II (Mr ∼ 85,000). LTP may have a physiological role in altering the lipid content and composition of the major hemolymph lipoprotein, lipophorin.
On the power of quantum computation

This paper surveys the use of the hybrid argument to prove that quantum corrections are insensitive to small perturbations. This property of quantum computations is used to establish that quantum c...
Hippocampal Contributions to Declarative Memory Consolidation During Sleep

The human brain faces a fundamental information storage challenge—forming useful new memories while not over-writing important old ones. Memory consolidation, and the corresponding interplay between the hippocampus and neocortex, is a protracted process to adjudicate between these two competing factors. Converging evidence from behavioral, cellular, and systems neuroscience strongly implicates a special role for sleep in stabilizing new declarative memories. In this chapter, we review evidence that during sleep the reactivation of newly acquired neuronal traces has lasting implications for memory transformation and stabilization. We first summarize relevant theoretical issues in memory research and then outline the physiological properties of sleep that may allow for this reactivation. We consider many factors that affect spontaneous memory reactivation, and we highlight research showing that memories can be selectively targeted and modified using learning-related stimuli. Ultimately, the ability to rescue otherwise fleeting episodes from oblivion plays a vital role in human life. Research elucidating this ability will also be critical for understanding how memory breaks down in aging and disease.
Optimal specific wavelength for maximum thrust production in undulatory propulsion

What wavelengths do undulatory swimmers use during propulsion? In this work we find that a wide range of body/caudal fin (BCF) swimmers, from larval zebrafish and herring to fully-grown eels, use specific wavelength (ratio of wavelength to tail amplitude of undulation) values that fall within a relatively narrow range. The possible emergence of this constraint is interrogated using numerical simulations of fluid-structure interaction. Based on these, it was found that there is an optimal specific wavelength (OSW) that maximizes the swimming speed and thrust generated by an undulatory swimmer. The observed values of specific wavelength for BCF animals are relatively close to this OSW. The mechanisms underlying the maximum propulsive thrust for BCF swimmers are quantified and are found to be consistent with the mechanisms hypothesized in prior work. The adherence to an optimal value of specific wavelength in most natural hydrodynamic propulsors gives rise to empirical design criteria for man-made propulsors.
Dynamic Modeling of Nonlinear Systems Using Modulating Functions Methods

Abstract The modulating functions method is an efficient method of parameter estimation of linear and some nonlinear dynamic systems. By careful choice of modulating functions, approximate derivatives of noisy signals are avoided and terminal conditions of process data need not be fixed. The method requires that the models are affine in the unknown parameters. In this paper, a general transformation technique based on exact differentials can be used to obtain the desired affine form. As a result, a larger dass of nonlinear systems can now be identified by the use of modulating functions methods.
Nutrient Limitation of Marine Photosynthesis

Guided by insightful presentations at the previous Brookhaven Symposium (Bannister and Laws, 1980; Eppley, 1980; Goldman, 1980) we address here three questions that have challenged oceanographers for decades: 1) Can photosynthetic performance be used to diagnose the nutritional status of phytoplankton? 2) Should nutrients be incorporated into models of oceanic photosynthesis as a function of chlorophyll and light? and 3) How might we assess nutrient limitation of the specific growth rates or standing crop of phytoplankton in the ocean? We find that ambiguities thwart attempts to formulate robust generalizations. Accordingly, when it comes to nutrient limitation of marine photosynthesis, a good paradigm is hard to find.
Family planning funding cuts and teen childbearing.

Abstract Publicly funded family planning clinics provide low-cost and free contraception to nearly 1.5 million teens each year. In recent years, several states have considered legislation to defund family planning services, although little is known about how these cuts affect teen pregnancy. This paper fills this knowledge gap by exploiting a policy change in Texas that reduced funding for family planning services by 67% and resulted in over 80 clinic closures. I estimate the effects of the funding cuts on teen health outcomes using a difference-in-differences approach that compares the changes in teen birth rates in Texas counties that lost family planning funding to changes in counties outside of Texas with publicly funded clinics. I find that reducing funding for family planning services in Texas increased teen birth rates by approximately 3.4% over four years with effects concentrated 2–3 years after the initial cuts.
PROJECTIVE SPACES—PART 2

This chapter presents the study of projective spaces with the consideration of higher level sets formed under join operation. A set spanned by a finite set of points will be called a subspace. The join and intersection to any pair of elements are considered. The study of projective space becomes a study of the structure of 0. Any point, line, or plane is a subspace and the new meaning of o is in agreement with the meaning ascribed to that symbol. A repeated applications of the theorem is considered as long as the hypothesis is satisfied to the subspace spanned by a set of points to reduce the number of elements in the spanning set and in particular, to obtain a minimal spanning set. The concept facilitates the description of this situation. It is found that if there are distinct points on a subspace, then there is a basis of the subspace. The set-theoretic intersection of two subspaces is a subspace. The set-theoretic intersection of any number of subspaces is a subspace.
Multiple Model Predictive Control of Nonlinear Systems

An augmented state space formulation for multiple model predictive control (MMPC) is developed to improve the regulation of nonlinear and uncertain process systems. By augmenting disturbances as states that are estimated using a Kalman filter, improved disturbance rejection is achieved compared to an additive output disturbance assumption. The approach is applied to a Van de Vusse reactor example, which has challenging dynamic behavior in the form of a right half plane zero and input multiplicity.
Beam Studies of Ion-Molecule Reactions

Since the beginning of systematic studies of chemical reactions of gaseous ions, large amounts of data have been assembled by classical mass spectrometric methods. This information relates largely to what reactions and reaction sequences occur and the probabilities, or cross sections, of such processes. Beam studies of ion-molecule reactions can also provide such data; however, their great advantage is that they can determine not only the nature of products, but also their velocities and angular distributions. This makes possible a much more detailed and definitive insight into the mechanisms involved.
Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis of Bladder Pain Syndrome

The diagnosis of bladder pain syndrome (BPS), a chronic bladder condition in which patients characteristically report symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, and pelvic pain/pressure, remains a challenge to many clinicians. Symptom overlap with other disorders of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and gynecological systems may further confound the diagnosis. Despite the absence of a “definitive diagnostic test” and specific biological markers, there are tools available for the clinician to recognize and diagnose these patients. Early diagnosis and treatment initiation are salient in improving the overall physical and mental quality of life of the BPS patient.
A System for natural language communication between a decision model and its users

Abstract There are two principal applications of artificial intelligence to management : the development of natural language query processors for decision models and the construction of expert systems for management. In this paper we address the first of these topics and examine its relationship to the second. In addition, we introduce MERLIN, a natural language query processor for a simple decision model, and we describe briefly the design strategies used in the development of MERLIN.
ACE-GPU: Tackling Choke Point Induced Performance Bottlenecks in a Near-Threshold Computing GPU

The proliferation of multicore devices with a strict thermal budget has aided to the research in Near-Threshold Computing (NTC). However, the operation of a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) at the NTC region has still remained recondite. In this work, we explore an important reliability predicament of NTC, called choke points, that severely throttles the performance of GPUs. Employing a cross-layer methodology, we demonstrate the potency of choke points in inducing timing errors in a GPU, operating at the NTC region. We propose a holistic circuit-architectural solution, that promotes an energy-efficient NTC-GPU design paradigm by gracefully tackling the choke point induced timing errors. Our proposed scheme offers 3.18x and 88.5% improvements in NTC-GPU performance and energy delay product, respectively, over a state-of-the-art timing error mitigation technique, with marginal area and power overheads.
Physiological and genomic mechanisms of resilience to multiple environmental stressors

Though much attention has focused on single environmental variables, most notably temperature and acidification, global climate change is most realistically to manifest as co-occurring and sustained variations in multiple environmental variables or in more frequent, but episodic, fluctuations in environmental conditions. Environmental variability is likely to produce physiological stress to organisms and may supersede the organismic capacity to handle stressor(s) when their rate or magnitude of change is high. Unfortunately, multiple stressor experiments predictive of natural systems remain difficult to perform. Multiple stressors may produce additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects that are not always predictable from the impacts of the stressors in isolation. Furthermore, physiological variation is harbored within species and individuals, and this natural variation for resistance or resilience to one stressor may be attenuated by co-occurrence of additional stressors. As such, the combination of factors that limit physiological resilience in at-risk populations remains elusive.
Encouraging Reflection in Support of Learning Data Structures

Encouraging Reflection in Support of Learning Data Structures Cheryl Resch, University of Florida Christina Gardner-McCune, University of Florida Contact: cheryl.resch@ufl.edu Our research looks at using reflection in teaching Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) to promote meaningful learning. This poster examines the differences in reflections produced by two different programming assignments in DSA at the University of Florida. In the first assignment, students were asked to implement a line editor using a linked list and in the reflection prompt students were asked to reflect on the use of the assigned data structure and what they would do differently if they could do the assignment again. In this assignment, the dominant reflection was a simple recounting of material taught in class. In 15% of the reflections, students identified an implementation improvement that could be used. In 25% of the reflections, students identified non-technical issues such as time management when reflecting on what they would do differently if they had to do the assignment again. In the second assignment, students were asked to code Google's page-rank algorithm and were allowed to choose a graph implementation. They were asked to reflect on their implementation and what they would do differently if they could do the assignment again. In this assignment, the dominant reflection, ?%, was about the appropriateness of the chosen graph implementation compared to other implementations. In their reflection on what they would do differently, only 12% of the reflections mentioned non-technical issues. This data suggests that giving students an opportunity to decide the implementation approach and providing more specific reflection prompts produces more technical reflections. DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1145/3287324.3293802
Influence of Pitching Release Location on Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Risk Among Major League Baseball Pitchers.

Background:Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed among Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. The etiology of UCL injury is complex and is not entirel...
The benefits of purely financial participants for wholesale and retail market performance: lessons for long- term resource adequacy mechanism design

In April 2015, Singapore introduced an anonymous futures market for wholesale electricity. Using data on prices and other observable characteristics of all competitive retail contracts signed from October 2014 to March 2016, a larger average quantity of open futures contracts that clear during the term of the retail contract a month before the retail contract starts delivery predicts a lower price for the retail contract. This outcome is consistent with increased futures market purchases by independent retailers causing lower retail prices. Consistent with the logic in Wolak (2000) that a larger volume of fixed-price forward contract obligations leads to offer prices closer to the supplier’s marginal cost of production, a larger volume of futures contracts clearing against short-term wholesale prices predicts lower half-hourly wholesale prices. Both empirical results support introducing purely financial players to improve both retail and wholesale market performance. The paper then outlines how a regulator-mandated standardized futures market can be used as a long-term resource adequacy mechanism for the wholesale market regime.