cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Domain‐General Learning Capacities

As far as acquisition of language is concerned, it seems clear that reinforcement, casual observation, and natural inquisitiveness (coupled with a strong tendency to imitate) are important factors, as is the remarkable capacity of the child to generalize, hypothesize, and “process information” in a variety of very special and apparently highly complex ways which we cannot yet describe or begin to understand, and which may be largely innate, or may develop through some sort of learning or through maturation of the nervous system. The manner in which such factors operate and interact in language acquisition is completely unknown. It is clear that what is necessary in such a case is research, not dogmatic and perfectly arbitrary claims, based on analogies to that small part of the experimental literature in which one happens to be interested. Noam Chomsky (1959), A review of Skinner’s “Verbal Behavior” Language is arguably the most complex system acquired by humans. This fact, combined with the tender age at which language is typically learned, suggests that infants must come to the task of language acquisition already possessing the machinery required to master human language. What remains unknown is the nature of this machinery. Do infants possess dedicated domain-specifi c learning mechanisms, evolved for language acquisition? Or do infants take advantage of existing learning mechanisms that are not domain-specifi c to discover the structure of human language? In this chapter, we will consider the current state of the art in disentangling these views. While some progress has been made since Chomsky’s (1959) quotation reprinted above, much still remains unknown.
An overview of civil airspace changes impacting interoperability with military aircraft

Globally, airspace densities continue to increase at a rate which some fear could result in congestion levels approaching a gridlock condition. In response to this situation, Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA's) are transitioning to an air traffic management system that embraces the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) concepts originated by ICAO. This emerging system will automate most of the routine voice communications of the current system with data links that will provide communication between the aircraft and the air traffic controllers/computers. In the cockpit, aircrews will be required to assume an increased level of responsibility for safely maintaining separation assurance from ground and airborne hazards and obstacles, To ensure peacetime interoperability with the civilian sector, aspects of this new system (CNS-ATM) will ultimately be imposed on military aircraft either by direct mandate or through relegating non-compliant aircraft to sub-optimal routes. Faced with the situation described above, the United States Air Force (USAF) has defined a number of initiatives to ensure that they will maintain access to global airspace. This paper will focus on two of these, global air traffic management (GATM) and navigation safety (NAV SAFETY). A regionally based overview of the anticipated changes in civil airspace requirements that will potentially impact military avionics equipage will be provided.
S. R. Joey Long (2011). Safe for Decolonization: The Eisenhower Administration, Great Britain, and Singapore

The extensive scholarship on the Eisenhower administration's involvement in Southeast Asia includes few studies of the US intervention in the strategic British colonial outpost on Singapore. Fillin...
Mesenchymal Deletion of Histone Demethylase NO66 in Mice Promotes Bone Formation

Our previous studies indicated that the Jumonji C (JmjC)-domain-containing NO66 is a histone demethylase with specificity for methylated histone H3K4 and H3K36. NO66 binds to the transcription factor Osterix (Osx) and inhibits its transcriptional activity in promoter assays. However, the physiological role of NO66 in formation of mammalian bones is unknown. Here, using a genetically engineered mouse model, we show that during early skeletal development, Prx1-Cre-dependent mesenchymal deletion of NO66 promotes osteogenesis and formation of both endochondral as well as intramembranous skeletal elements, leading to a larger skeleton and a high bone mass phenotype in adult mice. The excess bone formation in mice where NO66 was deleted in cells of mesenchymal origin is associated with an increase in the number of preosteoblasts and osteoblasts. Further analysis revealed that in the embryonic limbs and adult calvaria of mice with deletion of NO66 in cells of mesenchymal origin, expression of several genes including bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2), insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1), and osteoclast inhibitor osteoprotegerin was increased, concurrent with an increase in expression of bone formation markers such as osterix (Osx), type I collagen, and bone sialoprotein (Bsp). Taken together, our results provide the first in vivo evidence that NO66 histone demethylase plays an important role in mammalian osteogenesis during early development as well as in adult bone homeostasis. We postulate that NO66 regulates bone formation, at least in part, via regulating the number of bone-forming cells and expression of multiple genes that are critical for these processes.
Oligomeric interactions between phospholamban molecules regulate Ca-ATPase activity in functionally reconstituted membranes.

Phospholamban (PLB) is a major target of the β-adrenergic cascade in the heart, and functions as an endogenous inhibitor of Ca-ATPase transport activity. To identify whether oligomeric interactions between PLB molecules are involved in regulating Ca-ATPase transport activity, we have investigated functional interactions between PLB and the Ca-ATPase in proteoliposomes of purified PLB functionally co-reconstituted with the SERCA2a isoform of the Ca-ATPase isolated from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The calcium sensitivity of this reconstituted preparation and functional stimulation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) are virtually identical to those of the Ca-ATPase in cardiac SR microsomes, ensuring the functional relevance of this reconstituted preparation. Interactions between PLB molecules were measured following covalent modification of the single lysine (i.e., Lys3) in PLB isolated from cardiac SR membranes with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) prior to co-reconstitution with the Ca-ATPase...
Student Motives for Communicating with Instructors as a Function of Perceived Instructor Power Use

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived use of instructor power bases (i.e., reward, coercive, referent, legitimate, and expert) in association with student motives for communicating with an instructor (i.e., relational, functional, participatory, excuse-making, and sycophancy) in the college classroom. Participants were 244 students who completed a questionnaire consisting of the Teacher Power Use Scale and Student Communication Motives Scale in reference to an instructor they had immediately prior to data collection. Results of a canonical correlation analysis revealed that (a) when instructors were perceived to use all three prosocial bases of power (i.e., reward, referent, and expert), students were motivated to communicate for the relational, functional, and participatory motives and, to a lesser extent, the excuse-making and sycophancy motives; and (b) when instructors were perceived to use coercive power and lacked expert power, students were motivated to communicate for excuse-makin...
COMPETITIVE STRATEGY ANALYSIS ON THE PERSONAL COMPUTER

It is impractical to expect busy senior managers to devote much time to learning intricacies of modern strategic analysis. But much analytic expertise can be built into a computer program. This article describes a program that can integrate the analytic expertise of a computer with experience and wisdom of executives.
Rh on TiO2: Model catalyst studies of the strong metal-support interaction☆

Abstract Investigations of the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) are simplified by the use of model catalysts in which the metal particles are supported on stable, well characterized single-crystal substrates. We have used surface-sensitive electron spectroscopies, CO chemisorption measurements and Auger sputter profiling to study Rh/TiO2 (110) model catalysts. The dynamics of oxidation of reduced TiO2 surfaces have been investigated as a function of annealing temperature. High temperature reduction of Rh/TiO2 (110) catalysts to an SMSI state is accompanied by the formation of a suboxide of Ti on the Rh particles, thus blocking CO chemisorption sites.
The Lombok process: Challenging power in a transnational comparative research project

Synopsis This paper describes a transnational collaborative life story research project on women's experience of their reproductive lives. The research teams came from Indonesia, Canada and Pakistan. Each team collected and analysed its own data, but also worked collaboratively with the other teams on the collective data. In this paper I explore the political objective of developing genuine collaboration and reflexive solidarity between northern and southern researchers, and the theoretical challenges arising from that project. This paper focuses on how southern partners analysed northern data and interrogated northern researchers' analysis of their own data — a process that helped us to re-examine both our methods and our findings as we worked to de-colonise both knowledge and relationships in the research process.
Metaphysical analyticity and the epistemology of logic

Recent work on analyticity distinguishes two kinds, metaphysical and epistemic. This paper argues that the distinction allows for a new view in the philosophy of logic according to which the claims of logic are metaphysically analytic and have distinctive modal profiles, even though their epistemology is holist and in many ways rather Quinean. It is argued that such a view combines some of the more attractive aspects of the Carnapian and Quinean approaches to logic, whilst avoiding some famous problems.
Accuracy and performance of three water quality models for simulating nitrate nitrogen losses under corn

Simulation models can be used to predict N dynamics in a soilwater–plant system. The simulation accuracy and performance of three models: LEACHM (Leaching Estimation And CHemistry Model), NCSWAP (Nitrogen and Carbon cycling in Soil, Water And Plant), and SOILN to predict NO3–N leaching were evaluated and compared to field data from a 5-yr experiment conducted on a Hagerstown silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalf). Nitrate N losses past 1.2 m from N-fertilized and manured corn (Zea mays L.) were measured with zero-tension pan lysimeters for 5 yr. The models were calibrated using 1989–1990 data and validated using 1988–1989, 1990–1991,1991–1992,and1992–1993NO3–Nleachingdata.Statistical analyses indicated that LEACHM, NCSWAP, and SOILN models were able to provide accurate simulations of annual NO3–N leaching losses below the 1.2-m depth for 8, 9, and 7 of 10 cases, respectively, in the validation years. The inaccuracy in the models’ annual simulations for the control and manure treatments seems to be related to inadequate description of processes of N and C transformations in the models’ code. The overall performance and accuracy of the SOILN model were worse than those of LEACHM and NCSWAP. The root mean square error (RMSE) and modeling efficiency (ME) were 10.7 and 0.9, 9.5 and 0.93, and 20.7 and 0.63 for LEACHM, NCSWAP, and SOILN, respectively. Overall, the three models have the potential to predict NO3–N losses below 1.2-m depth from fertilizer and manure nitrogen applied to corn without recalibration of models from year to year.
Girls’ and Boys’ Disclosure about Problems as a Predictor of Changes in Depressive Symptoms Over Time

Gender differences consistently emerge in adolescents’ friendships, with girls disclosing to friends about troubles and concerns more than boys. Although theories regarding possible emotional benefits of catharsis, as well as everyday assumptions, suggest that talking about problems makes people feel better, research regarding the impact of disclosure about problems on depressive symptoms has not been conclusive. In the current study, 79 early adolescent high school students residing in the Southeastern United States (73% European American) were observed talking about problems with a friend. Of primary interest was whether disclosure to friends predicted changes in self-reported depression over 6 months for girls and boys. Although girls disclosed to friends about problems (especially interpersonal problems) more than did boys, disclosure did not buffer girls from the development of depressive symptoms over time. In contrast, boys’ disclosure predicted their experiencing fewer depressive symptoms 6 months later. Results suggest that talking to friends may not be an especially effective method of coping with problems for girls.
Performance and Phenotypic Variation of American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Hybrids on Newly Reclaimed Mine Sites in Eastern Ohio, USA

Surface mining for coal represents a significant form of anthropogenic disturbance on the landscape. Currently there are more than one million hectares of former mined land in the United States. New reclamation procedures are being examined to accelerate forest succession on former coal mine sites in eastern Appalachia. Our study was conducted on public lands that had been previously surface-mined for coal, reclaimed in 1978, and re-mined and reclaimed using new methods in 2007. We planted 535 American chestnut seeds in March 2008 at the study site in 107 blocks. Each block contained five seeds from five different genetic lines including Pure American, Pure Chinese, and three intergraded hybrid Chinese-American lines. We saw few significant differences in performance between pure American chestnuts and more advanced backcrossed generations of hybrid trees. However, Chinese chestnut and early-generation hybrids showed significantly better growth and survival measurements. The American Chestnut Foundation’s breeding program appears to have been successful at capturing a morphological fidelity between the latest hybrids and pure American trees. Trees with a greater percentage of Chinese parental material possess a suite of leaf characters that may make those hybrids better suited for the arid, high light conditions found on reclaimed mine sites (particularly thickness, length to width ratio, and pubescence). Development of goal-specific cultivars by the American Chestnut Foundation might aid in more successful restoration attempts but also may limit genetic diversity in those lines if intensive inbreeding or cultural cloning is utilized. Additionally, restoration at end-dump sites may need to pursue a phased system of introduction after initial extreme environmental conditions have been ameliorated by the use of early successional species in order to ensure the success of desirable species.
Peer Education and Leadership in Dating Violence Prevention: Strengths and Challenges

Peer education is thought by many to be a “cutting edge” approach to youth dating violence and sexual assault prevention. This article reports ideas from 52 respected programs in the United States about current developments in peer education and leadership. Adolescents are often in tune with “adolescent culture,” can reach other adolescents successfully, and lend meaningful direction and leadership to programs that address their own communities. Most interviewees believed that peer leadership is empowering, engages attention, and offers role models. Programs need sufficient resources to conduct peer education, provide training, and support youth who are involved in youth leadership, and to evaluate their programs.
A Rose By Any Other Name Is Still a Rose? Problematizing Pseudonyms in Research

Pseudonyms, an integral part of the social science research, are ubiquitous, thereby garnering minimal published reflection. In practice, researchers may apply pseudonyms with little thought or dee...
Empirical model of total internal reflection from highly turbid media

We demonstrate, to the best of our knowledge, a first accurate empirical model for reflectance measurements from highly turbid media over the full range of incident angles, i.e., for reflectivity values going from unity in the total internal reflection regime to nearly zero when almost all the light is transmitted. Evidence that our model is accurate is provided by extraction of the particle size, followed by independent verification with dynamic light scattering. Our methodology is in direct contrast with the prevalent approach in turbid media of focusing on only the critical angle region, which is just a small subset of the entire reflectance data.
Glycoalkaloid content in foliage of hybrid and backcross populations from a Solanum tuberosum × S. chacoense cross

The glycoalkaloid contents of foliage were measured in populations derived from a cross ofSolanum chacoense Bitter (PI 472810) with a composite sample of genotypes from a randomly matedSolanum tuberosum L. population. The mean total glycoalkaloid contents of the parent PI 472810 andtuberosum populations, and the F2 and F4 populations were 856, 121, 286, and 279 mg/100g fresh weight, respectively. The total glycoalkaloid content of the first backcross population, F2 xtuberosum, was 290 mg/100 g, close to the content of the F2. In a second backcross totuberosum, the mean total content was 148 mg/100 g, close to the content of the parenttuberosum population. Only the glycoalkaloids α-solanine and α-chaconine were found in PI 472810, whereas in the parenttuberosum, hybrid, and backcross populations, the glycoalkaloids α & β-solamarine also were found in a small number of genotypes. The ratios of chaconine to solanine contents were significantly (P≤.05) different in the parent PI 472810 andtuberosum populations, 2.55 and 2.12, respectively. The ratios in the F2 and F4 populations were similar to that of PI 472810, whereas the ratios in the backcross populations were closer to that of thetuberosum parent. The levels of foliage glycoalkaloids in the hybrid and backcross populations paralleled the levels of potato leafhopper,Empoasca fabae Harris, resistance measured in a previous study.
Theory of light detection in the presence of feedback

The usual open-loop quantum and semiclassical theories of light detection are extended to include closed-loop operation in which there is feedback from the detector to the source. It is shown that the unmistakable signatures of nonclassical light associated with open-loop detection, such as sub-shot-noise spectra and sub-Poisson photo-counts, do not carry over to closed-loopsystems. This behavior is illustrated through quantitatively indistinguishable quantum and semiclassical analyses of two recent closed-loop experiments in which sub-Poisson photocount statistics were produced. It turns out that if the open-loop illumination does not require the use of quantum photodetection theory, then neither does the closed-loop illumination. Conversely, if the open-loop illumination is nonclassical, then the closed-loop behavior must be analyzed quantum mechanically. The use of nonclassical field correlations to obtain light beams that give sub-Poisson open-loop photocounts from these closed-loop arrangements is discussed and generalized into a synthesis procedure for producing light beams with arbitrary open-loop photocount statistics.
Brown v Board of Education at 50: an update on school desegregation in the US

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) (Brown I),1 is the United States Supreme Court's most significant ruling on education, if not of all time. In Brown I, the Court unanimously held...
Fabrication of plastic scintillators from hybrid nanocomposites via self-assembly

Solid scintillators are gaining interest due to their increased applications in radiation detection. A series of sol-gel monoliths were prepared from polystyrene and 4,4'-bis(triethoxysilyl)biphenyl through a room-temperature sol-gel method based on π-π interactions. The hybrid organic-inorganic scintillating dye is serving not only as a scintillator but also as a silica precursor, which has the advantage of eliminating leaching of the fluorescent sensitizer from the matrix as well as enhancing the loading of the dye without causing phase separation. The photoluminescence studies of the gel samples show emission in the blue region. The efficiencies of these plastic scintillators were measured through detection of alpha particles.
Pore water geochemistry near the sediment-water interface of a zoned, freshwater wetland in the southeastern United States

Sediment and its associated pore water were collected from a zoned, freshwater, riparian wetland, located in the Talladega National Forest, northeastern Hale County, Alabama, to study the porewater chemistry and its spatial changes within and between the wetland ecological zones. Obvious changes in pH, Eh and element concentrations were observed between the different wetland ecological zones. Major cations (Ca, Mg, and Na) and trace elements (B, Ba, Sr, and Mn) have very good spatial correlation with Fe and Mn distributions, both in the pore water and the sediment, suggesting that adsorption on, and desorption from, iron and manganese oxyhydroxides are important processes controlling the distributions of these elements in the wetland sediment. However, an equilibrium adsorption model is not able to explain the distribution of trace elements between the pore water and sediment. A redox kinetic model gives similar vertical profiles for iron and the correlated elements as those measured in the field and thus suggests that the relative rates of ferrous iron oxidation and the reductive dissolution of ferric iron in the sediment are important variables determining the distributions of these elements in the wetland pore waters.
Angiogenic pretreatment improves the efficacy of cellular cardiomyoplasty performed with fetal cardiomyocyte implantation

Abstract Background Cell implantation into areas of myocardial infarction (cellular cardiomyoplasty) may be limited in efficacy because of the lack of blood supply to these areas of myocardium, resulting in early loss of transplanted cells. We therefore tested the hypothesis that pretreatment of infarcted myocardium with angiogenic therapy, followed by cell transplant, would be more effective than the application of either strategy alone. Methods Fischer 344 rats underwent left coronary artery ligation and injection of an adenovirus encoding VEGF 121, an empty expression cassette control vector, or saline solution. Capillary density in the infarcted region was determined in preliminary studies. Cardiomyocytes harvested from syngeneic Fischer rat fetuses were prelabeled and then injected directly into the infarct area 3 weeks after vector administration. Exercise treadmill testing was performed 2 weeks after cell transplantation, after which a cell viability index was calculated as the number of implanted (prelabeled) nuclei divided by the number of coadministered microspheres detected in sections of implanted myocardium. Results Capillary density in the area of infarction was significantly greater in adenovirus encoding VEGF 121 compared with rats injected with saline solution ( P = .001). The cell survival index was also greater in adenovirus encoding VEGF 121 compared with animals injected with empty expression cassette control or saline solution ( P = .0045). Exercise tolerance was nearly doubled in animals receiving adenovirus encoding VEGF 121 3 weeks prior to cell implantation compared with animals receiving adenovirus encoding VEGF 121 or cells alone or those receiving adenovirus encoding VEGF 121 at the time of cell implantation ( P Conclusions Pretreatment of an infarcted region of the heart with angiogenic mediators such as VEGF can enhance the efficacy of cellular cardiomyoplasty, presumably by creating a more favorable environment for the survival of transplanted cells.
MRI simulator: a teaching tool for radiology

The increasing use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a clinical modality has put an enormous burden on medical institutions to cost-effectively teach Mill scanning techniques to technologists and physicians. Since MRI scanner time is a scarce resource, it would be ideal if the teaching could be effectively performed off-line. In order to meet this goal, the Radiology Department has designed and developed a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Simulator. The Simulator in its current implementation mimics the General Electric Signa scanner's user-interface for image acquisition. The design is general enough to be applied to other MRI scanners. One unique feature of the simulator is its incorporation of an image-synthesis module which permits the user to derive images for any arbitrary combination of pulsing parameters for spin-echo, gradient-echo, and inversion recovery pulse sequences. These images are computed in five seconds. The development platform chosen is a standard Apple Macintosh-Il computer with no specialized hardware peripherals. The user-interface is implemented in HyperCard. All other software development including synthesis and display functions are implemented under the MPW 'C' environment. The scan parameters, demographics and images are tracked using an Oracle database. Images are currently stored on magnetic disk but could be stored on optical media with minimal effort.
STUDIES ON THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM : I. ITS IDENTIFICATION IN CELLS IN SITU

A series of representative cell types including avian fibroblasts, and macrophages; rabbit mesothelia, endothelia, and nephron epithelia; and rat glandular epithelia (parotid) were studied comparatively in vitro and in situ with the electron microscope. Cells in vitro were examined in whole mounts and in sections whereas cells in situ were observed exclusively in sections. It was found that an endoplasmic reticulum similar to that previously described in cultured material is present in situ in all cell types examined. Modifications in its appearance introduced by the sectioning technique were discussed and explained. The observations showed in addition that the endoplasmic reticulum is a network of cavities which may enlarge into relatively vast, flattened vesicles here described as cisternae.
Independence, impartiality, and advocacy in client conflicts

Abstract Prior research indicates auditors’ financial reporting judgments are conservative when client preference is unknown, but auditors are less conservative (though not client-supportive) when clients’ preferred accounting methods for favorable financial reporting are explicitly communicated. This paper reports, for the first time, a situation in which experienced auditors exhibit client-supportive behavior. Professional judgments in an audit setting in which there is an explicit client preference for a material, income-increasing reporting classification and the relevant GAAP standard is principle-based are compared to a similar judgment in a tax setting. This research design contrasts the auditor’s ethical duty to exercise “judicial impartiality” toward the client with Certified Public Accountants’ ethical duty to be a client advocate in tax contexts. The results suggest experienced CPAs’ are as client-supportive in audit settings as they are in tax settings when exercising their professional judgment, and ethical standards mandating impartiality in auditing are not uniformly being followed.
Parallel algorithm for computing 3-D reachable workspaces

The problem of computing the 3-D workspace for redundant articulated chains has applications in a variety of fields such as robotics, computer aided design, and computer graphics. The computational complexity of the workspace problem is at least NP-hard. The recent advent of parallel computers has made practical solutions for the workspace problem possible. Parallel algorithms for computing the 3-D workspace for redundant articulated chains with joint limits are presented. The first phase of these algorithms computes workspace points in parallel. The second phase uses workspace points that are computed in the first phase and fits a 3-D surface around the volume that encompasses the workspace points. The second phase also maps the 3- D points into slices, uses region filling to detect the holes and voids in the workspace, extracts the workspace boundary points by testing the neighboring cells, and tiles the consecutive contours with triangles. The proposed algorithms are efficient for computing the 3-D reachable workspace for articulated linkages, not only those with redundant degrees of freedom but also those with joint limits.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Anselmian ‘Single-Divine-Attribute Doctrine’

There have emerged two distinct approaches to preserving the coherence of theism. The most common approach involves explicating the concept of an absolutely perfect God in terms of the divine attributes (such as omnipotence, omniscience, and moral perfection) and then analyzing the divine-attribute concepts in such a way that they are rendered mutually consistent. According to this ‘multiple-attribute’ approach, the coherence of theism ultimately turns both on whether each divine-attribute concept can be coherently analyzed independently of the other divine-attribute concepts and on whether the divine attributes are then mutually consistent.
Three-Dimensional Echo: Transition from Theory to Real-Time, A Technology Now Ready for Prime Time

Echocardiography, or ultrasound of the heart, is widely used in the diagnosis and characterization of cardiac disorders but has largely been restricted to providing two-dimensional images. Limitations in this technique exist due to difficulty in clearly reproducing three-dimensional structures within the heart and great vessels. In addition, some quantitative data are derived from geometric assumptions that are not reliable when cardiac chambers are distorted. Interobserver variation also exists due to inherent subjectivity in interpretation of the two-dimensional data. Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) emerged partly as a response to these issues. Until recently, however, the technology has enjoyed rather slow advances in its development, in part due to limitations in acquisition time, image quality, and data processing. In essence, 3DE required reconstruction of multiple two-dimensional images. With greater computer processing power and expanding technology in image acquisition, 3DE has recently undergone the equivalent of a “quantum leap” with respect to image quality and ease of acquisition. This review details the development and use of 3DE from an historical perspective and discusses the current status of 3DE technology in addition to its clinical applications and limitations.
An Innovative Approach to Cost of Community Service Studies in Wisconsin

Cost of Community Services (COCS) studies attempt to explain whether or not different types of land uses generate more (or less) revenue than they consume in public services. The technique, developed by the American Farmland Trust (AFT), uses detailed information about how much revenue is generated from each particular type of land use, and then allocates all local government spending to the various land use categories. The results provide a community with a set of ratios of the net fiscal impact of various land use types at a given point in time. AFT has facilitated a series of COCS studies across the nation; in recent years, local governments and other researchers have been collecting COCS data on their own. However, conventional COCS studies have been discounted due to a number of criticisms. To address these criticisms, an innovative COCS methodology was employed for three towns in Dane County, Wisconsin. This paper summarizes the results of the study and details the methods employed, which deviate fr...
DEANN: A healthcare analytic methodology of data envelopment analysis and artificial neural networks for the prediction of organ recipient functional status ☆

The problem of effectively preprocessing a dataset containing a large number of performance metrics and an even larger number of records is crucial when utilizing an ANN. As such, this study proposes deploying DEA to preprocess the data to remove outliers and hence, preserve monotonicity as well as to reduce the size of the dataset used to train the ANN. The results of this novel data analytic approach, i.e. DEANN, proved that the accuracy of the ANN can be maintained while the size of the training dataset is significantly reduced. DEANN methodology is implemented via the problem of predicting the functional status of patients in organ transplant operations. The results yielded are very promising which validates the proposed method.
Correlated Insulating states of an Interacting Bilayer Electron System

In a two-dimensional electron system confined in a wide quantum well, we observe an insulating phase that manifests a dramatic evolution as the electron distribution is tuned from single-layer like system to an interacting bilayer system. The data strongly suggest that interlayer interactions play a dominant role and are able to stabilize a correlated bilayer Wigner crystal at total filling factor v as large as 0.54 (v >1/4 in each layer).
Local thermal probing to detect open and shorted IC interconnections

Abstract A new failure analysis technique has been developed for backside and frontside localization of open and shorted interconnections on ICs. This scanning optical microscopy technique takes advantage of the interactions between IC defects and localized heating using a focused infrared laser ( λ=1340 nm). Images are produced by monitoring the voltage changes across a constant current supply used to power the IC as the laser beam is scanned across the sample. The method utilizes the Seebeck Effect to localize open interconnections and Thermally-Induced Voltage Alteration to detect shorts. The interaction physics describing the signal generation process and several examples demonstrating the localization of opens and shorts are described. Operational guidelines and limitations are also discussed.
WPI iCREATE: Innovation and Translation in Senior Level Biomedical Engineering Course

Traditional engineering programs provide an excellent foundation in technical knowledge and skills. However, to be effective problem solvers, today’s engineering students need to develop an innovation mindset. With this goal in mind, a group of faculty from WPI Engineering Departments and from the Business School formed WPI iCREATE: iCREATE: Innovation Center for REsearch And Technology Entrepreneurship. This new center is focused on bringing innovation and entrepreneurship to both undergraduate and graduate courses, partially through the development of teaching modules.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Commuting and the Rural-Urban Hierarchy.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to consider the relation between commuting and the settlement structure, with particular attention to rural and nonmetropolitan areas. I examined commuting flows between metropolitan central cities, other metropolitan areas, nonmetropolitan places with more than 10,000 people, those with 2500–10000 people, and other rural areas. Despite the deconcentration of population, industry and trade that was especially marked in the 1970s, commuting in 1980 was predominantly toward larger places in the ruralurban hierarchy, and particularly from rural areas and the other metropolitan category to cities. Overall levels of commuting were high, and most were within either nonmetropolitan or metropolitan areas. Smaller nonmetropolitan places particularly had high proportions of both in- and out-commuters. Differences in commuting flows by gender, socioeconomic status and industry were small, but generally in the directions expected on the basis of prior research. The findings reveal a high degree of work-residence interdependence among settlement units in nonmetropolitan America, with social and economic differences in commuting flows representing an important aspect of community structure.
Phylogenetic relationships of the North American chorus frogs (Pseudacris: Hylidae).

Abstract We examined phylogenetic relationships of the North American chorus frogs (Pseudacris: Hylidae) from 38 populations using 2.4 kb of 12S and 16S mtDNA to elucidate species relationships and examine congruence of previous phylogenetic hypotheses. Parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian phylogenies are consistent and reveal four strongly supported clades within Pseudacris: (1) A West Coast Clade containing regilla and cadaverina, (2) a Fat Frog Clade including ornata, streckeri, and illinoensis, (3) a Crucifer Clade consisting of crucifer and ocularis, and (4) a Trilling Frog Clade containing all other Pseudacris. Explicit hypothesis testing using parametric bootstrapping indicates that previous phylogenetic hypotheses are rejected by our sequence dataset. Within the Trilling Frog Clade, brimleyi and brachyphona form the sister group to the Nigrita Clade: nigrita, feriarum, triseriata, kalmi, clarkii, and maculata. The Nigrita Clade shows geographic division into three clades: (1) populations of maculata and triseriata west of the Mississippi River and Canadian populations, (2) southeastern US populations of feriarum and nigrita, and (3) northeastern US populations of feriarum, kalmi, and triseriata. We find that subspecific epithets for crucifer (crucifer and bartramiana) and nigrita (nigrita and verrucosa) are uninformative, therefore we discourage recognition of these subspecies. Pseudacris regilla, cadaverina, ocularis, and crucifer are maintained in Pseudacris.
Predictors of response of U.S. veterans to treatment for the hepatitis C virus

The currently recommended treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is pegylated interferon alfa (PEG-INF) and ribavirin, which can be difficult to tolerate. More information about predicting sustained virologic response (SVR) may allow more informed treatment decisions to be made. This retrospective observational cohort study identified predictors of SVR to PEG-INF and ribavirin in routine medical practice at 121 Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. Among 5,944 patients infected with HCV genotypes 1, 2, or 3 who had been treated with PEG-INF and ribavirin, SVR rates were 20%, 52%, and 43%, respectively, and discontinuation rates were 68% (prior to 48 weeks), 34% (24 weeks), and 41% (24 weeks), respectively. In multivariate analysis, significant predictors of decreased likelihood of genotype 1 patients having an SVR were being African American, clinical liver disease, diabetes, low cholesterol, low hemoglobin, low platelet count, and treatment at a low-volume facility. Predictors of increased likelihood of genotype 1 patients having an SVR were low-level HCV viremia, elevated ALT quotient, and receiving PEG-INF 2A (rather than 2B). For genotype 2 patients, increasing body mass index, prior use of interferon, and low platelet count were negative predictors; only low-level HCV viremia was a positive predictor. For genotype 3 patients, only receiving PEG-INF 2A affected the likelihood of an SVR; its effect was positive. Conclusion: Among patients for whom HCV treatment is initiated during routine medical care, multiple factors including form of PEG-INF received affect the SVR rate for genotype 1 patients. Few of these factors affect the rate for genotype 2 patients, and even fewer do so for genotype 3 patients. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Beyond Relationships Between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis

Scientists who regard catalysis as a coherent field have been striving for decades to articulate the fundamental unifying principles. But because these principles seem to be broader than chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science combined, catalytic scientists commonly interact within the sub-domains of homogeneous, heterogeneous, and bio-catalysis, and increasingly within even narrower domains such as organocatalysis, phase-transfer catalysis, acid-base catalysis, zeolite catalysis, etc. Attempts to unify catalysis have motivated researchers to find relationships between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and to mimic enzymes. These themes have inspired vibrant international meetings and workshops, and we have benefited from the idea exchanges and have some thoughts about a path forward.
An analytical approach for step-by-step restoration of distribution systems following extended outages

Loss of diversity among loads may cause cold load pickup problems after an extended outage in distribution systems. Thermostatically-controlled devices such as air-conditioners, heaters, heat pumps, water heaters etc. become the largest portion of load during restoration. In this paper, an analytical approach for restoration of distribution systems during cold load pickup is presented. A delayed exponential model is used to represent the load during cold load pickup. A thermodynamic model of a transformer is used to determine the loading limits for this type of load. Whenever loading limits are reached, sections are restored step-by-step. In step-by-step restoration, the sequence of sections restored plays an important role in total restoration time. An optimal restoration sequence of different sections of the distribution system is determined for minimum total restoration time as well as minimum customer interruption duration. >
Rule mining for scheduling cross training with a heterogeneous workforce

This paper presents an association rule mining based framework for workforce scheduling to assist managers with robust real-time assignment decisions. We assume heterogeneous individual learning and forgetting behaviours, in which worker productivity changes dynamically. We explore a parallel production system that meets a specified production requirement over a fixed time horizon with the minimum workforce resources based on the number of worker-periods assigned. Three managerial policies are considered including: setting a maximum allowable individual cross-training level, balancing workload among workers and an unconstrained policy. We propose the use of several schedule attributes to quantify key aspects of optimised schedules that may, in turn, aid in determining robust assignment rules and the development of better cross-training policies. Current results indicate that the proposed approach is effective at identifying important rules, many of which add to our knowledge of useful workforce scheduling...
Theoretical description of quantum beats of recoil-free γ radiation

A classical optical theory is given for the phenomenon of ..gamma..-ray quantum beats observed by Perlow in a study of the Moessbauer effect of a frequency-modulated source. The intensity I (..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/'t) of the radiation from such a source transmitted through a resonant absorber is obtained as a function of ..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/' and t, where ..omega../sub 0/' is the frequency of an absorber resonance, ..omega../sub 0/ is the central frequency of the frequency-modulated source, and t is the laboratory time. An average is taken over the unobserved initial formation time of the excited nuclear state in the source. When viewed at fixed ..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/' , the calculated intensity displays beats in the time spectrum, and when viewed at fixed t, the intensity shows dispersion at appropriate values of ..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/' , responsible for the observed enhancement of intensity above background. The harmonic content of the quantum beats is calculated explicitly in the thin-absorber limit, and the observed linear variation about ..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/'=0 of the ratio of Fourier components D/sub 1//D/sub 2/ is explained. The use of D/sub 1//D/sub 2/ to measure small frequency shifts is analyzed by a statistical comparison with the method of switchingmore » between steepest points of the line, as used in gravitational-red-shift measurements. The variances are comparable. The effect on I (..omega..3)-..omega../sub 0/' ,t) of line broadening due to sample inhomogeneities is calculated for a Lorentz distribution of center frequencies in source and absorber, and a prescription is given for modifying the various terms in I (..omega../sub 0/-..omega../sub 0/' ,t) accordingly. Finally, the effect of a distribution of phase and amplitude of the motion of the vibrating source is discussed.« less
INDIRECT METHODS AS CRITERIA OF SPOILAGE IN TOFU (SOYBEAN CURD)

Changes in the liquid surrounding packaged tofu (viz., increases in acidity, optical density and viable count) indicated that spoilage of tofu cakes was associated with bacterial growth. These indirect criteria had a high correlation with flavor deterioration detected by sensory evaluation of the tofu cakes.
Effect of neglecting Hall term on dispersion relation for hydromagnetic waves

The Hall term in the generalized Ohm's law is sometimes neglected in analysis of hydromagnetic waves. Some misleading results which arise from neglect of this term are discussed.
The Influence of Feed Intake During the Growing Period on the Subsequent Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract IN RECENT years various limited feeding plans for rearing laying pullets have been given wide publicity in the popular press. Some breeders have suggested that their particular strain of birds require special feeding methods including some type of restricted feed intake during the growing period in order to produce satisfactorily. Direct experimental evidence on this subject has been scanty. Scott and Payne (1941) studied the influence of restricting feed on subsequent performance of breeding turkeys. The plan was to restrict the feed intake sufficiently beginning at 26 weeks of age, to maintain body weight without any weight gain. In two years’ work they restricted the feed during the first year to 78% of full feed and the following year to 61% of full feed. The 78% restriction had no effect on subsequent reproduction of the birds but when they restricted feed to 61 % of the full fed birds hatchability …
Echocardiographic differentiation of a cystic and a solid tumor of the heart.

A hydatid cyst in the ventricular septum was diagnosed with echocardiography in a child with abdominal echinococcosis. The finding was confirmed with cardiac catheterization, cineangiography and surgical removal and pathologic examination of the cyst. The echocardiographic features of the fluid-filled hydatid cyst are contrasted with those of a solid left ventricular tumor (rhabdomyoma) in a newborn.
Enhanced biosensor performance using an avidin-biotin bridge for antibody immobilization

Maintaining antibody function after immobilization is critical to the performance of a biosensor. The conventional methods to immobilize antibodies onto surfaces are via covalent attachment using a crosslinker or by adsorption. Often, these methods of immobilization result in partial denaturation of the antibody and conformational changes leading to a reduced activity of the antibody. In this paper, we report on the immobilization of antibodies onto the surface of an optical fiber through an avidin-biotin bridge for the detection of ricin, ovalbumin, and Bacillus globigii (Bg). The assays are performed in a sandwich format. First, a capture antibody is immobilized, followed by the addition of the analyte. Finally, a fluorophore- labeled antibody is added for the specific detection of the analyte. The evanescent wave-induced fluorescence is coupled back through the same fiber to be detected using a photodiode. In all cases, we observe an improved performance of the biosensor, i.e., lower limit of detection and wide linear dynamic range, for the assays in which the antibody is immobilized via avidin-biotin bridges compared to covalent attachment method.