cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Behavioral Aspects of Teaching Reading to Kindergartners

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial effects of reading instruction upon a class of kindergartners. Pre-testing established the substantial equivalence of this group to two control groups in intelligence, reading readiness, personal-social adjustment, and socioeconomic status. The experimental group received regular instruction in reading from an experienced first grade teacher during the second trimester and one half (January to June) of the 1963-64 school year. Post-test data indicated that boys displayed less acceptable classroom behavior as a by-product of such instruction. Parents were favorable to the instruction, but the teachers involved were less so. The teachers maintained that the children, although interested, had to “work too hard” to master the task of reading.
Fluid flow in deep-sea carbonates: estimates based on porewater Sr

Abstract Fluid flow of up to 200 m/myr is documented in thick (about 500 m) deep-sea carbonate sections by numerical modeling of the porewater Sr 2+ and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr profiles at DSDP Sites 572, 573 and 574. These sites were selected as likely candidates for significant fluid flow in the sedimentary part of the section because it had already been shown that they are underlain by rapidly flowing fresh seawater in the basaltic basement. The nature of the exercise is to fit the porewater Sr properties at these sites by finding a common rate of Sr exchange as a function of sediment age and a local rate of vertical fluid flow. The flow rates determined in this way are 20 m/myr upwards at Site 574, 20 m/myr downwards at Site 573 and 200 m/myr downwards at Site 572. Because of uncertainties of about a factor of 2 in the assumption of a common rate of Sr exchange at all sites, and trade-offs between the Sr exchange and fluid flow in determining the shape of Sr 2+ and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr profiles at a given site, the precision of the method is of the order of 10 m/myr. Thus at least at Site 572, the Sr properties of the interstitial waters provide a convincing measure of vertical fluid flow through a thick carbonate section.
Constitutive expression of CIITA directs CD4 T cells to produce Th2 cytokines in the thymus.

Abstract We generated mice expressing a human type III CIITA transgene (CIITA Tg) under control of the CD4 promoter to study the role of CIITA in CD4 T cell biology. The transgene is expressed in peripheral CD4 and CD8 T cells, as well as in thymocytes. When CD4 T cells were differentiated towards the Th2 lineage, both control and CIITA Tg Th2 cells expressed similar levels of Th2 cytokines. Th1 cells from control and CIITA Tg mice cells produced comparable levels of IFN-γ. CIITA Tg Th1 cells also expressed IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the absence of Stat6. There was an approximate 10-fold increase in the number of peripheral naive CD4 T cells and NK1.1− thymocytes producing IL-4 from CIITA Tg mice compared to control mice. Finally, Th1 cells from irradiated control mice reconstituted with CIITA Tg bone marrow displayed the same cytokine production profiles as Th1 cells from CIITA Tg mice. Together, our data demonstrate that CIITA expression pre-disposes CD4 T cells to produce Th2 type cytokines. Moreover, phenotypic similarities between Th1 cells expressing the CIITA transgene and CIITA deficient Th1 cells suggest that the role of CIITA in cytokine regulation is complex and may reflect both direct and indirect mechanisms of T cell development and differentiation.
Communication protocol analysis of transaction-level models using Satisfiability Modulo Theories

A critical aspect in SoC design is the correctness of communication between system blocks. In this work, we present a novel approach to formally verify various aspects of communication models, including timing constraints and liveness. Our approach automatically extracts timing relations and constraints from the design and builds a Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) model whose assertions are then formally verified along with properties of interest input by the designer. Our method also addresses the complexity growth with a hierarchical approach. We demonstrate our approach on models communicating over industry standard bus protocol AMBA AHB and CAN bus. Our results show that the generated assertions can be solved within resonable time.
Measurable eigenvectors for Hermitian matrix-valued polynomials☆

Consider a polynomial A(p)=∑|α|⩽qAαPα with coefficients Aα which are m × m Hermitian matrices over the complex number field C. [Here p = (p1, p2,…, pn) ϵ Rn, α = (α1, α2,…, αn) is a multi-index, ¦ α ¦ = α1 + α2 + … + αn and pα = p1α1p2α2 … pnαn.] Let E be an m × m Hermitian positive definite matrix over C and consider the relative eigenvalue problem A(p)x = λEx, x ϵ Cm. If the (real) repeated eigenvalues are numbered λ1(P) ⩾ λ2(p) ⩾ … ⩾ λm(p) it is shown that each λj(p) is continuous on Rn, and corresponding eigenvectors xj(p) are defined in such a way that they are Lebesgue measurable and orthonormal in the sense xj(p)∗Exk(p) = δjk for almost all p ϵ Rn.
Sex differences among obstetrician-gynecologists: a review of survey studies.

UNLABELLED Whether practice differences exist between the sexes is a question of clinical and educational significance. The obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) workforce has been shifting to majority women. An examination of sex differences in ob-gyn practice contributes to the discussion about how the changing workforce may impact women's healthcare. We sought to review survey studies to assess whether there are specific topics in which differences in attitudes, opinions, and practice patterns between male and female ob-gyns are apparent. We conducted a systematic review to identify all survey studies of ob-gyns from the years 2002-2012. A total of 93 studies were reviewed to identify statements of sex differences and categorized by conceptual theme. Sex differences were identified in a number of areas. In general, women report more supportive attitudes toward abortion. A number of differences were identified with regard to workforce issues, such as women earning 23% less than their male counterparts as reported in 1 study and working an average of 4.1 fewer hours per week than men in another study. Men typically provide higher selfratings than women in a number of areas. Other noted findings include men tending toward more pharmaceutical therapies and women making more referrals for medical conditions. Although a number of areas of difference were identified, the impact of such differences is yet to be determined. Additional research may help to clarify the reasons for such differences and their potential impact on patients. TARGET AUDIENCE Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians Learning Objectives: After completing this CME activity, physicians should be better able to determine how the relevance of studying sex differences among physicians, specifically ob-gyns, can help improve patient care, assess whether there are topical areas in which male and female ob-gyns have reported different beliefs, practices, attitudes, and opinions, and examine how the limitations of survey studies and systematic reviews can affect the findings of these studies and reviews.
SPRAY AND COOLING DYNAMICS OF CRYOGEN SPRAYS IMPINGING ON A HUMAN SKIN MODEL

The objective of the present work is to correlate the timedependent flow characteristics of cryogen sprays to the induced thermal dynamics at the surface of a human skin model. First, a numerical analysis to evaluate our skin model is carried out. Next, diameter and axial velocity of droplets impinging onto the skin model are measured. Diameter, velocity and surface temperature are acquired simultaneously at the center of the spray cone close to and at the skin model surface, respectively. Spurt durations of 10, 30 and 50 ms are investigated. Finally, measurements are used to compute spray number, mass and kinetic energy fluxes and surface heat flux. Numerical modeling shows that, subject to the same heat flux, the thermal response of our model and human skin is qualitatively similar but the total temperature drop in skin is about 50% less than that of the model. A simple transformation can be used to map the temperature response of the model to that of skin. Experimental measurements show that during the initial spray transient, fast and small droplets (respect to steady state values) induce large temperature drops and the highest heat flux because the temperature difference between liquid and substrate is the largest; during the spray steady state, surface temperature remains at its lowest value; during the final transient, droplets are fast and small again, although their impact on the surface heat transfer is negligible due to decreasing mass and kinetic energy fluxes and reduced temperature differences between liquid and substrate.
Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of chiral triazole fungicides in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

There are very little data on the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of current-use pesticides (CUPs) despite the fact that such data are critical in assessing their fate and potential toxic effects in aquatic organisms. To help address this issue, juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to dietary concentrations of a mixture of chiral triazole fungicides (bromuconazole, cyproconazole, metconazole, myclobutanil, penconazole, propiconazole, tebuconazole, tetraconazole, and triadimefon) and a chiral legacy pesticide [alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH)] to study the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of these CUPs. Fish accumulated all triazoles rapidly during the 8 day uptake phase, and was followed by rapid elimination, which was estimated by taking accelerated sampling times during the 16 day depuration period. Half-lives (t1/2s) and times to 95% elimination (t95s) ranged from 1.0 to 2.5 and 4.5 to 11.0 days, respectively. Chiral analysis suggested no significant selectivity in biotransformation for most of the compounds based on statistically unaltered enantiomer fractions (EFs) in the fish compared to food values; exceptions were a change in EF of myclobutanil and changes in diastereomer fractions (DFs) of propiconazole and cyproconazole. No biotransformation was observed for alpha-HCH based on consistent EFs in the fish throughout the experiment and a t1/2 (15.8 days) that fell within the 95% confidence interval of a log K(ow)-log t1/2 relationship developed for assessing biotransformation of organic contaminants. This relationship did show that biotransformation accounted for the majority (ranging from 59.9 to 90.4%) of the elimination for all triazoles, and that triazole compounds with oxygen and hydroxyl functional groups were more easily biotransformed. This research indicated that chiral analysis may potentially miss biotransformation of CUPs and other potential non-persistent organic contaminants and shows the utility of the log K(ow)-log t1/2 relationship as a mechanistic tool for quantifying biotransformation. Based on the rapid biotransformation of the triazoles, future research should focus on formation of metabolites and their fate and possible effects in the environment.
Management knowledge through wildlife research: A perspective

Wildlife management is a large, complex, decisionoriented science. Information from research is needed to improve the decisions made by managers. The scope of the research needed to inform typical decisions far exceeds even the most optimistic assumptions about the available funds, time, or human resources. An argument is made that while changes within the current management structures are unlikely, continuing classical experimental research alone will not meet the timely needs of the field or of citizens dependent on wildlife resources. Continuing in such a no-win game seems to be a misallocation of time and funds. Significant changes are called for and suggestions for such changes are made: discussions with people in other broadly defined fields with a similar problem, new sampling strategies, increased use of computer models, use of geobased information systems, use of game theory, nonspecies research grouping, new funding structures, and sharing of facilities and of teams of specialists.
DIPCS: An interprocess communication architecture for distributed multimedia systems

This paper presents the Distributed InterProcess Communication System (DIPCS) as a framework for managing communication in a distributed multimedia system. Within DIPCS, connection level management is provided through a novel distributed process group model called ADP-Group communication. The ADP-Group paradigm defines a new type of group message passing, calledqos-reliable. Qos-reliable semantics are appropriate to controlling real-time multimedia communication, by allowing a spectrum of performance and reliability specifications to co-exist within one group. DIPCS also provides an abstract programming model of multimedia devices, easing control of a heterogeneous multimedia system. Distributed multimedia applications can be rapidly developed using simple group operation primitives. We show how ADP-Group message delivery semantics can be directly mapped into an efficient Integrated Services Network support policy.
CD138 (Syndecan-1) Expression in Bone-Forming Tumors

CD138 (syndecan-1), a cell surface proteoglycan, is sensitive and specific for plasmacytic differentiation in hematologic disorders. Expression of CD138 has been observed in a majority of epithelial neoplasms and, rarely, soft tissue tumors. However, its expression in bone tumors has not been evaluated. We studied CD138 expression in 27 osteosarcomas, 12 benign bone-forming tumors (osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma), and 17 reactive bone cases. CD138 expression was also evaluated in a tissue microarray (TMA) constructed from 24 osteosarcomas, 24 chondrosarcomas, 12 giant cell tumors of bone, and 9 normal bone samples. Membranous expression of CD138 was found in an average of 31% of osteosarcoma cases (16/51; 14/27 [52%] in in-house cases; 2/24 [8%] in TMA cases) and in 83% of osteoid osteoma/osteoblastoma cases (10/12). Subsequent immunoglobulin κ and λ stains were negative in the CD138+ cases. All cases of chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumor of bone, and normal/reactive bone tested were nonreactive with anti-CD138. Our results show that CD138 reactivity for neoplastic cells in bone is not a definitive marker for plasmacytic origin, and caution is required to interpret CD138+ cells from a bony lesion for which a hematologic etiology has not been established.
Murine Leukemialike Virus and the Immunopathological Disorders of New Zealand Black Mice

The immune system stands in the main line of defense against infectious agents, alien cells, and transplanted organs. Sometimes, fortunately rarely, the immune system apparently mounts an attack against components of one's own body, a disorder called autoallergic or autoimmune disease. The self components may comprise either highly specialized organs, such as thyroid and brain, that tend normally to be somewhat isolated from the immune system or ubiquitous components, such as erythrocytes and cell nuclei, that are widely distributed throughout the body. Autoimmune disease of the latter, non-organ-specific, type in man is exemplified by autoimmune hemolytic anemia wherein erythrocytes are coated with antibodies as detected by the antiglobulin Coombs test, and by systemic lupus erythematosus wherein antibodies that react with cell nuclei are demonstrable by the lupus erythematosus (L.E.) cell test and by other antinuclear antibody tests. The underlying cause of this sort of autoimmune disease is unknown but is presumed, following Burnet's concepts [1], to be a cellular disorder of the immune system, a disturbance in self-recognition or immunological tolerance. Accordingly, widespread interest was occasioned by the reports from New Zealand by Bielschowsky and her associates [2] concerning the spontaneous occurrence of
A Novel Left Heart Simulator for the Multi-modality Characterization of Native Mitral Valve Geometry and Fluid Mechanics

Numerical models of the mitral valve have been used to elucidate mitral valve function and mechanics. These models have evolved from simple two-dimensional approximations to complex three-dimensional fully coupled fluid structure interaction models. However, to date these models lack direct one-to-one experimental validation. As computational solvers vary considerably, experimental benchmark data are critically important to ensure model accuracy. In this study, a novel left heart simulator was designed specifically for the validation of numerical mitral valve models. Several distinct experimental techniques were collectively performed to resolve mitral valve geometry and hemodynamics. In particular, micro-computed tomography was used to obtain accurate and high-resolution (39 μm voxel) native valvular anatomy, which included the mitral leaflets, chordae tendinae, and papillary muscles. Three-dimensional echocardiography was used to obtain systolic leaflet geometry. Stereoscopic digital particle image velocimetry provided all three components of fluid velocity through the mitral valve, resolved every 25 ms in the cardiac cycle. A strong central filling jet (V ~ 0.6 m/s) was observed during peak systole with minimal out-of-plane velocities. In addition, physiologic hemodynamic boundary conditions were defined and all data were synchronously acquired through a central trigger. Finally, the simulator is a precisely controlled environment, in which flow conditions and geometry can be systematically prescribed and resultant valvular function and hemodynamics assessed. Thus, this work represents the first comprehensive database of high fidelity experimental data, critical for extensive validation of mitral valve fluid structure interaction simulations.
Enhanced photonic bandgap in ion-implanted lithium niobate waveguides by improving index contrast

We report on utilizing focused ion beam milling and selective wet-etching techniques to enlarge the optical barrier in helium ion-implanted lithium niobate single crystals. We realized a high-efficiency narrow-bandwidth photonic band filter by introducing an air cavity as the optical barrier on a waveguide portion. The air cavity was created beneath the Bragg gratings (1-D photonic crystals) to strengthen the light confinement and optical response. The experimental performance of photonic crystals with and without air cavity is presented and compared with the theoretical modeling. These photonic crystal devices with high refractive-index contrast make a further step towards ultracompact optical circuit integration and applications based on single crystals.
Paleomagnetism of the Middle Jurassic Summerville Formation, east central Utah

The paleomagnetism of the late Callovian(?) Summerville Formation was analyzed to obtain a late Middle Jurassic paleomagnetic pole for North America. A total of 281 samples were collected from 35 sedimentary horizons (sites) in a single locality in the San Rafael Swell area of east central Utah. Fifteen site-mean characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) directions pass the reversals test and define at least five polarity zones within 52 m of stratigraphic section, suggesting that the ChRM was acquired upon, or soon after, deposition. Magnetizations of some specimens are complex, and several horizons yield anomalous site-mean directions. Data analysis included filtering to provide different combinations of virtual geomagnetic poles for calculation of the paleomagnetic pole. However, editing the data did not change the pole position by more than 5°. The preferred paleomagnetic pole position is 56.3°N, 133.4°E (A95 = 7.2°; N = 11 sites). The Summerville Formation paleomagnetic pole is located near the ∼172 Ma Corral Canyon pole and is statistically indistinguishable from the ∼151 Ma Glance Conglomerate and ∼149 Ma Lower Morrison poles. The paleomagnetic pole from the Summerville Formation is located at a much lower latitude and more easterly longitude than the paleomagnetic pole obtained from the ∼165 Ma Moat Volcanics of New England. We propose that the Jurassic North American apparent polar wander path is an age-progressive band at 55°N to 65°N latitude extending from ∼11°E longitude at ∼172 Ma to ∼150°E longitude at ∼149 Ma.
Experience in teaching communication software using Berkeley Unix

At many universities and institutions throughout the world it is now very common to have a network of computers, each running the Berkeley 4.3BSD version of UNIX or an equivalent version such as ULTRIX. This paper is to help students using these versions of UNIX to explore and experiment with the interprocess communications and networking facilities. We present examples of client/server programs that can be used as a model for writing distributed applications. We describe how students can test and experiment with these programs. Students are assumed to be familiar with the C programming language and some version of UNIX.
A Mild Procedure for the Preparation of 2-Oxazolines

Abstract A general procedure using triphenylphosphine and diethylazodicarboxylate to prepare 2-oxazolines is described.
Effectiveness of Computer-Based Dysphagia Training for Direct Patient Care Staff

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in medical settings are responsible for evaluating patients' feeding and swallowing. Once an evaluation is completed, nursing staff typically provides hands-on care and supervision of meals. SLPs seek to improve outcomes for individuals with dysphagia by educating direct-care staff. This project sought to determine whether a computer-based swallowing safety module could produce changes in knowledge levels of nursing staff. This module was designed to replace inservices conducted by staff SLPs. Nursing staff would be required to complete the training when hired and as an annual assessment. The training module was designed and pilot-tested along with a pre- and posttest to assess changes in knowledge. Participants in the experimental group took the pretest, completed the computer training module, and then took the posttest. Participants in the control group took the pre- and posttest with no intervening training. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on posttest scores. Participants in the experimental group demonstrated increased test scores, while the scores of the control group did not change significantly. This study indicates that computer-based training for nursing staff related to swallowing safety and dysphagia is effective.
Evidence of under-ice phytoplankton blooms in the Chukchi Sea from 1998 to 2012

Abstract The discovery in 2011 of a massive phytoplankton bloom underneath first-year sea ice in the western Arctic has prompted an investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of under-ice phytoplankton blooms. Here, we explore the satellite record from years 1998 to 2012 for evidence of under-ice blooms on the Chukchi Sea shelf. Phytoplankton blooms were categorized as under-ice blooms, probable under-ice blooms, or marginal ice zone blooms, depending on bloom timing in relation to the timing of ice retreat. Annual bloom type maps reveal that under-ice phytoplankton blooms were present in every year of the satellite record. Averaged over all years, the combination of under-ice blooms and probable under-ice blooms covered a portion of the observable study area that was 2.5-fold higher than that of marginal ice zone blooms (71.5% and 28.5%, respectively). This finding strongly contradicts the traditional view that phytoplankton in seasonally ice-covered waters bloom only after ice retreat and instead indicates that blooms are initiated whenever light and nutrient availability is sufficient for photosynthesis, a condition often reached early in the season underneath first-year sea ice on nutrient-rich continental shelves. Spatial patterns in bloom type were distinguished relative to the date of ice retreat, with probable under-ice blooms dominating the nutrient-rich western Chukchi Sea and at higher latitudes where ice retreats later, while marginal ice zone blooms were most common in the southern and eastern Chukchi Sea where ice retreats earlier. Our results suggest that under-ice phytoplankton blooms are widespread in the Chukchi Sea and had been prevalent there for more than a decade prior to their discovery in 2011.
A Model of Levels of Involvement and Strategic Roles of Human Resource Development (HRD) Professionals as Facilitators of Due Diligence and the Integration Process

This article presents a model of the levels of involvement and key strategic roles of human resource development (HRD) professionals during mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as supported by literary findings. Traditionally, mergers and acquisitions are initiated by the parent company’s finance expertise, with little or no input from its HRD expertise. Often, when HRD is involved in the process, it becomes involved during the postacquisition period. This oversight has been noted as a primary cause of failed M&A. Employees, the focus of HRD, are the vital means through which organizations improve their financial, organization, process, and job performance. Because such improvements are the primary goals of M&A, it is essential that HRD professionals are involved early in the M&A process. More specifically, HRD professionals must be involved in due diligence and integration planning activities. Additionally, the article explores the relationship between levels of involvement and postacquisition integration success.
Effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide on ganglion cells in the rabbit retina.

The effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the extracellularly recorded activity of ganglion cells were studied in superfused rabbit retinas. VIP, applied to the bathing solution, significantly increased the maintained activity of both OFF-center and ON-center brisk ganglion cells. The transient, excitatory responses of these cells to flashes of light (spots or annuli centered over the receptive field) were either unaffected or moderately reduced. VIP did not affect the responses of most ON/OFF directionally selective ganglion cells to a moving light stimulus. Furthermore, maintained activity of most of these cells remained absent.Effects of VIP on the light responses of ganglion cells were pronounced in retinas that were bathed with the dopamine D1 antagonist (+)-SCH 23390. For OFF-center brisk ganglion cells, VIP brought out both the center and surround excitatory responses that were selectively reduced by (+)-SCH 23390. Similarly, VIP brought out the leading edge responses that were reduced by (+)-SCH 23390 in ON/OFF directionally selective ganglion cells to a moving light stimulus. VIP did not however reverse the effects of (+)-SCH 23390 on ON-center brisk ganglion cells. It is argued that VIP counteracts the effects of (+)-SCH 23390 on OFF-center brisk ganglion cells and ON/OFF directionally selective ganglion cells by stimulating adenylate cyclase activity in dopamine-receptive cells of the retina.
Power subsystem design for the Montana EaRth Orbiting Pico-Explorer (MEROPE) CubeSat-class satellite

Montana State University's Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) under support from the Montana NASA Space Grant Consortium is engaged in an Earth orbiting satellite student project that will carry a reproduction, using current-day technology, of the scientific payload flown on Explorer-1 in 1958 into a 650 km sun-synchronous polar orbit. The off-the-shelf emphasis of the MEROPE component selections has required the power system to adapt to widely different electrical needs across subsystems. The size limitations of the CubeSat-class specifications confine body-mounted solar arrays to approximately 64 cm/sup 2/ per side, restricting overall power production and necessitating the use of an extremely efficient power bus. MEROPE will employ dual junction GaAs solar cells (19% efficiency) to produce the 5 W necessary for satellite operation and battery maintenance. Included in the system will be two Li-ion battery cells chosen for their high energy density, rapid charge characteristics, low mass, and lack of memory effects. The power system is responsible for providing a highly regulated 5 V bus to the microcontroller subsystem and a 6 V bus to the communication subsystem. In addition, the Geiger tube scientific payload aboard MEROPE requires a stable 500 V high voltage power supply (HVPS) to operate the experiment. This will be accomplished using a prototype HVPS requiring +/- 5 V buses.
Computer simulation of the respiratory control system in the newborn infant

A mathematical model of the respiratory control system for the newborn infant is presented which has a satisfactory performance under different test conditions. The primary objective in constructing this model has been to provide a simulation aid in the investigation of maturation of the respiratory system, and the respiratory disorders during the newborn period, without the need for invasive measurements. The model comprises a continuous plant and a discrete controller. The controller incorporates as key elements, a non-linear multiple regression element and an energy minimization routine for the determination of ventilation and breathing frequency. Peripheral and central receptors are both present. The model is examined and the simulation results for test conditions in hypoxia and hypercapniaare presented.
The actin nucleating Arp2/3 complex contributes to the formation of axonal filopodia and branches through the regulation of actin patch precursors to filopodia.

The emergence of axonal filopodia is the first step in the formation of axon collateral branches. In vitro, axonal filopodia emerge from precursor cytoskeletal structures termed actin patches. However, nothing is known about the cytoskeletal dynamics of the axon leading to the formation of filopodia in the relevant tissue environment. In this study we investigated the role of the actin nucleating Arp2/3 complex in the formation of sensory axon actin patches, filopodia and branches. By combining in ovo chicken embryo electroporation mediated gene delivery with a novel acute ex vivo spinal cord preparation, we demonstrate that actin patches form along sensory axons and give rise to filopodia in situ. Inhibition of Arp2/3 complex function in vitro and in vivo decreases the number of axonal filopodia. In vitro, Arp2/3 complex subunits and upstream regulators localize to actin patches. Analysis of the organization of actin filaments in actin patches using platinum replica electron microscopy reveals that patches consist of networks of actin filaments, and filaments in axonal filopodia exhibit an organization consistent with the Arp2/3-based convergent elongation mechanism. Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes formation of axonal filopodia and branches through phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex impairs NGF/PI3K-induced formation of axonal actin patches, filopodia, and the formation of collateral branches. Collectively, these data reveal that the Arp2/3 complex contributes to the formation of axon collateral branches through its involvement in the formation of actin patches leading to the emergence of axonal filopodia.
Principles that are invoked in the acquisition of words, but not facts

A controversial question is whether language acquisition is the result of domain-general or domain-specific principles. Focusing on word-learning, Markson and Bloom (Nature 385(6619) (1997) 813) recently argued that the ability to learn and retain new words (count nouns) is the result of abilities that are not specific to language. In the current experiment, we replicate their empirical finding, but challenge their domain-general interpretation by highlighting a crucial distinction between the principles involved in learning a count noun, as compared to learning a fact. The current results confirm that learning count nouns and facts involve (at least) two common components: establishing a mapping to a designated individual, and retaining this mapping over time. However, these results go further to document that the processes invoked in the acquisition of words differ from those invoked in the acquisition of facts. Children spontaneously and systematically extended a novel count noun exclusively to other members of the same category, but revealed no such systematicity when extending a fact. This illustrates that there are principles that are invoked in learning a novel count noun that are not invoked in learning a fact.
Pharmacological Management of Schizophrenia

A number of different pharmacological agents have been shown to be effective in the management of schizophrenia. These pharmacological agents have been variously named antischizophrenic, antipsychotic, neuroleptic, and major tranquilizers. Though these medications do significantly ameliorate the symptoms of schizophrenia, they are not specifically anti-schizophrenic because they are effective against a number of psychotic illnesses. The term neuroleptic is a Greek derivative that literally means to take hold of the nerves. It was first used by Delay and Deniker in 1955 in reference to both chlorpromazine and reserpine (Deniker, 1983) because their extrapyramidal effects resembled central nervous system diseases. By common usage, neuroleptics came to be used interchangeably with the term antipsychotic medications. Novel antipsychotic agents exist that do not have prominent extrapyramidal side effects (e. g., clozapine). These have been called atypical neuroleptics, though a consensus is lacking on a clear definition of the term atypical.
Protecting Neighbor Discovery Against Node Compromises in Sensor Networks

The neighborhood information has been frequently used by protocols such as routing in sensor networks. Many methods have been proposed to protect such information in hostile environments. However, these methods can only protect neighbor relations between benign nodes. A compromised node can easily circumvent them and setup false neighbor relations with sensor nodes in many places, impacting the network at a large scale. This paper presents a theoretic model for neighbor discovery in sensor networks and describes a fundamental security limitation and a generic attack against this model. The paper then proposes an efficient and localized solution based on a security property achievable during sensor deployment. This technique provides a threshold security guarantee in dealing with compromised sensor nodes. The analytical and simulation studies show that the technique is practical and effective for sensor networks.
IL6 Deficiency Affects Function After Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a major inflammatory mediator and one of the first cytokines produced after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study evaluates early behavioral changes and acute inflammation after TBI in IL6 knock-out mice using electromagnetic controlled cortical impact. Methods IL6 knock-out (KO) and C57BL/6 (WT) male mice were subjected to TBI or sham injury ( n = 6 mice per group) using electromagnetic controlled cortical impact. Behavioral deficits were tested by standard performance tests. Brain IL1β expression was measured by ELISA and HSP70 expression was measured by Western blot. Results After TBI, KO showed reduced performance on the neuroscreen compared with wild type (KO 3.2 ± 0.7 versus WT 4.7 ± 0.2 points, P = 0.007), less exploratory activity in the open field test (KO 1090.2 ± 1799.2 versus WT 5636.8 ± 1291.8 regions explored per hour, P = 0.003) less rearing behavior in the open field test (KO 36.4 ± 79.2 versus WT 346.5 ± 18.5 rearing per hour, P = 0.0006), reduced travel on the rotarod (KO 3.5 ± 4.0 versus WT 13.0 ± 4.0 cm, P = 0.0109), and reduced time balanced on the rotarod (KO 15.0 ± 11.5 versus WT 36.2 ± 5.9 s, P = 0.0109). After TBI, IL6 knock-out mice had significantly elevated IL1β (KO 58.16 ± 17.54 versus WT 14.98 ± 8.33 pg/mL, P = 0.003 and nonsignificantly increased HSP70 levels (KO 0.93 ± 0.96 versus WT 0.68 ± 0.97, P = 0.77). Conclusion IL6 deficiency after TBI is associated with poor behavior performance, and appears to affect expression of IL1β and, possibly, HSP70.
Crestamento foliar, nova sintomatologia em algodoeiro causada por Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum

Recently a new symptomatology on cotton plants (cv. Makina, IAC 24 and Deltaopal) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) was observed in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, and named "bacterial leaf blight". The symptom was characterized by leaf blight, generally exhibiting chlorotic haloes and sometimes showing V-shaped lesions beginning at the leaves' border. Strains of Xam responsible for typical angular leaf spots and bacterial leaf blight were compared through pathological, biochemical, serological, cultural and RFLP-PCR tests of the 16S-23S spacer region. Independently of the symptom type, the strains exhibited characteristics and profiles that were identical to those exhibited by the type strain, which confirms the isolates identity Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum
Studies of Quantum Liquids in Metastable States

Helium can be prepared with a purity much higher than any other element. As a consequence, it is an ideal material in which to study nucleation processes. We describe work in which liquid helium has been studied at pressures below the pressure range in which the liquid is the thermodynamically stable phase. This has made possible the study of a wide range of interesting phenomena including the quantum nucleation of bubbles and the imaging of the motion of single electrons moving through the liquid.
Glucosim: a simulator for education on the dynamics of diabetes mellitus

Glucose-insulin interactions in healthy and insulin-dependent diabetic humans are simulated using an overall and a detailed model based on pharmacokinetic diagrams of insulin and glucose. Both models are capable of predicting blood glucose and insulin levels, total glucose uptake and renal glucose excretion. The simulator is integrated with a graphical user interface to provide a user-friendly environment for performing virtual experiments with various characteristics, diet and exercise conditions.
Biomechanical Analysis of the Effectiveness of In-Line Skating Wrist Guards for Preventing Wrist Fractures

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of commercially available wrist guards in preventing wrist fractures. Forty arms were harvested from 20 cadaveric specimens. The forearms from each cadaver, one with a wrist guard and one without a wrist guard, were then fractured using an instron Servohydraulic Material Testing System. The group of forearms tested to failure without wrist guards failed at an average force of 2245 N, while the group tested with wrist guards fractured at an average force of 2285 N, revealing no statistical difference. Similarly, observed fracture patterns were not noted to be different in the two groups. The in-line skating wrist guards tested were not effective in preventing wrist fractures under the experimental conditions of our study.
Interplay of electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom in a femtosecond-scale photochemical reaction

The intricate dynamical processes in photochemical reactions are not fully accessible to either experiment or conventional theory. Here, we outline a technique for simulations in photochemistry, which employs classical trajectories for the nuclei moving in a mean field, with the electrons coupled to a laser pulse by the time-dependent Peierls substitution. We demonstrate that it provides an illuminating description of photoisomerization. One observes a nontrivial sequence of events which include multiple electronic excitations, conversion of double bonds to single bonds (and vice versa), nonadiabatic depopulation of excited levels at avoided crossings, vibrational energy redistribution, and an elegant interdependence of the various electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom.
Priming as a Method of Coordinating Educational Services for Students With Autism.

Purpose: The importance of coordination of educational services has been well documented in the literature. For students with disabilities, coordinated programs result in more rapid acquisition of ...
Adaptive models for input data compaction for power simulators

Presents an effective and robust technique for compacting a large sequence of input vectors into a much smaller input sequence so as to reduce the circuit/gate-level simulation time by orders of magnitude and maintain the accuracy of the power estimates. In particular, this paper introduces and characterizes a family of dynamic Markov trees that can model complex the spatiotemporal correlations which occur during power estimation in both combinational and sequential circuits. As the results demonstrate, large compaction ratios of 1-2 orders of magnitude can be obtained without a significant loss (less than 5% on average) in the accuracy of the power estimates.
A Homographic Framework for the Fusion of Multi-view Silhouettes

This paper presents a purely image-based approach to fusing foreground silhouette information from multiple arbitrary views. Our approach does not require 3D constructs like camera calibration to carve out 3D voxels or project visual cones in 3D space. Using planar homographies and foreground likelihood information from a set of arbitrary views, we show that visual hull intersection can be performed in the image plane without requiring to go in 3D space. This process delivers a 2D grid of object occupancy likelihoods representing a cross-sectional slice of the object. Subsequent slices of the object are obtained by extending the process to planes parallel to a reference plane in a direction along the body of the object. We show that homographies of these new planes between views can be computed in the framework of plane to plane homologies using the homography induced by a reference plane and the vanishing point of the reference direction. Occupancy grids are stacked on top of each other, creating a three dimensional data structure that encapsulates the object shape and location. Object structure is finally segmented out by minimizing an energy functional over the surface of the object in a level sets formulation. We show the application of our method on complicated object shapes as well as cluttered environments containing multiple objects.
Extraordinary gauge mediation at finite temperature

We investigate minimally completed models of extraordinary gauge mediation, which are examples of direct gauge mediation, at finite temperature both analytically and numerically. These models may have both supersymmetry breaking and supersymmetric vacua. Our interest is in determining the preferred vacuum. We do so by computing the finite temperature Coleman-Weinberg potential and studying its thermal evolution.
Comparing methods for assessing receptive language skills in minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

This research addresses the challenges of assessing receptive language abilities in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder by comparing several adapted measurement tools: a standardized direct assessment of receptive vocabulary (i.e. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4); caregiver report measures including scores on the Vineland-II Communication domain and a vocabulary questionnaire consisting of a list of words ranging from simple, developmentally early, to more advanced words expected to be understood by at least some older children and adolescents; an eye-tracking test of word comprehension, using a word-image pair matching paradigm similar to that often used in studies of infant language acquisition; and a computerized assessment using a touch screen for directly measuring word comprehension with the same stimuli used in the eye-tracking experiment. Results of this multiple-method approach revealed significant heterogeneity in receptive language abilities across participants and across assessment methods. Our findings underscore the need to find individualized approaches for capturing the potential for language comprehension of minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder who remain otherwise untestable, using several types of assessment that may include methods based on eye-tracking or touch-screen responding.
Efficient online performance monitoring of computing systems using predictive models

Performance monitoring of datacenters provides vital information for dynamic resource provisioning, anomaly detection, capacity planning, and metering decisions. Online monitoring, however, incurs a variety of costs: the very act of monitoring a system interferes with its performance, consuming network bandwidth and disk space. With the goal of reducing these costs, we develop and validate a strategy based on exploiting the underlying structure of the signal being monitored to sparsify it prior to transmission to a monitoring station for analysis and logging. Specifically, predictive models are designed to estimate the signals of interest. These models are then used to obtain prediction errors -- the error between the signal and the corresponding estimate -- that are then treated as a sparse representation of the original signal while retaining key information. This transformation allows for far less data to be transmitted to the monitoring station, at which point the signal is reconstructed by simply using the prediction errors. We show that classical techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) can be applied to the reconstructed signal for anomaly detection. Experimental results using the Trade6 and RuBBoS benchmarks indicate a significant reduction in overall transmission costs -- greater that 95% in some cases -- while retaining sufficient detection accuracy.
Perspective on microfluidic cell separation: a solved problem?

The purification and sorting of cells using microfluidic methodologies has been a remarkably active area of research over the past decade. Much of the scientific and technological work associated with microfluidic cell separation has been driven by needs in clinical diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring, most notably in the context of circulating tumor cells. The last several years have seen advances in a broad range of separation modalities ranging from miniaturized analogs of established techniques such as fluorescence- and magnetic-activated cell sorting (FACS and MACS, respectively), to more specialized approaches based on affinity, dielectrophoretic mobility, and inertial properties of cells. With several of these technologies nearing commercialization, there is a sense that the field of microfluidic cell separation has achieved a high level of maturity over an unusually short span of time. In this Perspective, we set the stage by describing major scientific and technological advances in this field ...
The Egg Content and Nymphal Production and Emergence in Oothecae of Two Introduced Species of Asiatic Mantids (Orthoptera: Mantidae)

During the winter and spring of 1938 the writer kept under observation four lots of egg-masses, or oothecae, three belonging to a species of mantid, Tenodera sinensis Saussure, introduced into this country about 1896 from eastern Asia, the fourth to another species of Asiatic origin, T. angustipennis Saussure, first recorded in America from Delaware in 1933 (6)[1][1] and now known to occur abundantly also in southern New Jersey. The main object in view was to collect data of a quantitative nature on the biotic potentials (3) of these mantids which have increased enormously since their introduction. For this purpose data were recorded for each ootheca on (a) the number of eggs deposited, (b) the number of nymphs produced, and (c) the number of the latter which emerged as living young. By the biotic potential of a species the writer understands its innate capacity for reproduction and survival. As contributing to these ends must obviously be counted the factors mentioned. [1]: #fn-1