cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innovative Pedagogy: Academic Service-Learning for Business Communication:

Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) is an innovative business communication pedagogy. Like community service, AS-L involves students volunteering in the community; however, AS-L requires the infusion of the classroom content into the community service experience. This article describes AS-L, the assignment for a business communication class, and students' reactions as well as benefits and challenges to its use. The greatest strength of using AS-L is students'tying theory into actual application of principles, student passion for the work, fac ulty enthusiasm for the results, and community satisfaction.
Research on Teacher Learning: Studying How Teachers' Knowledge Changes

(1988). Research on Teacher Learning: Studying How Teachers' Knowledge Changes. Action in Teacher Education: Vol. 10, Open Theme, pp. 17-23.
The reaction of 4-methoxybenzylmagnesium chloride with aldehydes. The formation of 4-exomethylenecyclohexenones

The reaction of 4-methoxybenzylmagnesium chloride with aldehydes provides good yields of 4-exomethylenecyclohexenones.
Interannual variations of the Gobi Desert area from 1982-1999

ABSTRACT There continues to be controversies among scientists whether humans are contributing to land degradation(desertification) in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. One area of considerable interest is the Gobi desert of centralAsia, which is one of the largest deserts on Earth. The Gobi Desert is of particular value for addressing this questionbecause it is divided by two countries that employ vastly different land management practices. Land use in China is highintensity and in Mongolia land use is of low intensity.In this study, climate and satellite remotely sensed data from 1982-1999 were used to investigate interannual variationsin the areal extent the Gobi Desert boundary. Our results show substantial year-to-year variations in the size of the Gobidesert which was strongly correlated with annual precipitation (R 2 = 0.81, P<0.000). Based on results of logisticalanalysis of the climatic and remotely sensed data, an actual evapotransporation threshold of 180 mm per year wasidentified as the factor for discriminating between areas of desert and steppes within the study area. Correlation valuesbetween the areal extend of the desert and climate data were highly significant for study areas in both Mongolia andInner Mongolia, suggesting that at the scale of our study, human activities contributed little to interannual desertboundary fluctuation. Due to data availability constraints, we were only able to examine satellite imagery over an 18-year period which did not include both a wet and dry cycle for this region. Therefore, a more complete understanding ofGobi Desert boundary response to interannual climatic variation will require studies extended over a longer time period.Keywords : the Gobi Desert, the Mongolian Steppe, Desert boundary, the desert area, desertification, human activity,and climate variation
Chronic poor metabolic control in the pediatric population: a stepwise intervention program.

Improving metabolic outcomes in children and adolescents with IDDM who are in chronically poor metabolic control is one of the most difficult tasks confronting health care providers. These patients have clinical histories characterized by recurrent episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis and the persistance of acute disease symptoms. Complex psychosocial factors play a critical role in the genesis of chronic poor control, and patients are often resistant to standard interventions. To guide treatment of these difficult patients, we have developed a stepwise intervention program that addresses psycho social issues and provides strategies for improving metabolic control. The steps include documentation of patient response to insulin and the correction of educational deficiencies, defining and renegotiating the family care role, confronting families' inappropriate perceptions of care, and legal interventions. Previous evaluation has shown that appli cation of this approach can nearly eliminate recurrent episodes of...
Multiplexed colorimetric solid-phase extraction: determination of silver(I), nickel(II), and sample Ph.

This paper reports the design and ground-based testing of a multiplexed colorimetric solid-phase extraction (MC-SPE) platform for the rapid determination of multiple water quality parameters in a simple set of operational steps. Colorimetric solid-phase extraction (C-SPE) is an analytical platform that combines impregnated colorimetric reagents on a solid-phase extraction membrane and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to quantify trace analytes in water. In extending C-SPE to MC-SPE, a filter holder that incorporates discrete analysis channels and a jig that facilitates the concurrent operation of multiple syringes have been designed, enabling the simultaneous determination of three different measures of water quality. Separate, single-parameter membranes, placed in a readout cartridge create unique, parameter-specific addresses at the exit of each channel. Following sample exposure, the diffuse reflectance spectrum of each address is collected serially and the Kubelka−Munk function is used to quantify eac...
Depolarization effects of the enhanced retroreflectance from a dense distribution of spherical particles

Enhanced backscattering has been observed for many surfaces, but a conclusive explanation of its physical mechanisms is lacking, and it cannot be explained by the radiative-transfer theory. In our previous papers [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A1, 831, 836 ( 1984)], we proposed that the enhancement is caused by multiple-scattering effects. If this were true, cross polarization would also be present. In this paper, we present the experimental results on cross-polarized enhanced backscattering from a dense distribution of spherical particles in support of our multiple-scattering theory. It is noted, however, that some solid surfaces appear to exhibit no cross polarization.
Advances in Diode Laser Absorption Sensors for Combustion and Propulsion

Progress is reported in the evolution of diode laser sensors for combustion and propulsion systems. Applications are diverse, ranging from IC engines and gas turbine combustors to pulse detonation engines and scramjets.
Defining an ‘anti’ stance: key pedagogical questions about engaging anti‐racism in college classrooms

This paper draws from social science literature on Whiteness and anti‐racism as well as personal classroom experience to examine the obstacles educators face in teaching anti‐racism to White college students. Emphasis is placed on popular perceptions and common definitions of the word ‘racism’ as it is used in mainstream American society. The authors explore the problems that arise when trying to define anti‐racism accurately. Whiteness is critically discussed and analyzed as a cultural myth and as a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to White Americans’ adoption of an anti‐racist philosophy and practice. Ultimately, the authors stress the importance of reflexivity in the classroom, both for students and teachers, and of dialogue as a tool to create counter‐hegemonic narratives. This dialogue is intended to make systems of privilege and oppression visible, specifically focusing on how students may effectively challenge covert racism in their daily interactions.
The Relationship of Jewish Community Contexts and Jewish Identity: A 22-Community Study

This paper explores the manner in which Jewish community contexts relate to Jewish identity. We employ the Decade 2000 Data Set that contains almost 20,000 randomly selected Jewish households from 22 American Jewish communities interviewed from 2000 to 2010. Because of the large sample size, and its incorporation of community infrastructure data, this research also is able to examine various influences on Jewish identity that have not been definitively addressed in previous research, including the manner in which characteristics of Jewish community infrastructure are related to individuals’ Jewish identity. The Decade 2000 Data Set used for the analysis is described and some of the methodological considerations involved in its use are presented. Jewish identity is conceptualized as multidimensional, and a factor analysis results in four Jewish identity factors: a communal religious factor, a private religious factor, a broader ethnic factor, and a local ethnic factor. Multiple regressions for each of the Jewish identity factors are related to Jewish community characteristics; more commonly researched individual-level variables (Jewish background and connections, family status, socioeconomic status, demographic/geographic characteristics); and survey-level variables (such as size of sample and year of study) are also controlled. Surprisingly, except for the local ethnic factor, Jewish community characteristics have little relationship to individual Jewish identity. The contributions to a “sociology of Jewish place” and suggestions for further research are also discussed.
Synthesis and characterization of tantalum silsesquioxane complexes

Tantalum polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane (POSS) complexes have been synthesised and characterized. X-ray structures of these complexes revealed that the coordination number of the tantalum center greatly affects the cube-like silsesquioxane framework.
USE OF VARIATIONAL EQUATIONS TO ANALYZE EQUILIBRIUM AND STABILITY OF AN ELECTROSTATICALLY STRESSED CONDUCTING FLUID : APPLICATION TO A CUSPIDAL MODEL OF AN LMIS

On montre que la singularite mathematique au sommet d'un «cusp» ideal n'est compatible avec aucune configuration d'equilibre. Pour contourner les difficultes inherentes a l'emploi du formalisme variationnel, une analyse energetique en termes de travaux virtuels conduit a de nouvelles equations d'equilibre et de stabilite de fluides conducteurs
A view on the science: physical anthropology at the millennium.

EDITOR'S NOTE The year 2000 marks the onset of the 21st century. In this transistional year, prominent physical anthropologists will provide brief reflections on our discipline, including what attracted them to it, and their views on the directions our discipline may pursue as we enter, in January 2001, the third millennium. Am J Phys Anthropol 111:1–4, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Clostridium difficile in a children's hospital: assessment of environmental contamination.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most frequent infectious cause of health care–associated diarrhea. Three cases of CDI, in children age 2, 3, and 14 years, occurred in the hematology/oncology ward of our children's hospital over 48 hours. We aimed to assess environmental contamination with C difficile in the shared areas of this unit, and to determine whether person-to-person transmission occurred. C difficile was recovered from 5 of 18 samples (28%). We compared C difficile isolated from each patient and the environment using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and found that none of the patient strains matched any of the others, and that none matched any strains recovered from the environment, suggesting that person-to-person transmission had not occurred. We found that C difficile was prevalent in the environment throughout shared areas of the children's hospital unit. Molecular typing to identify mechanisms of transmission is useful for devising appropriate interventions.
Solving staphylococcal resistance to β-lactams

Class resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in Gram-positive bacteria is mediated by structural changes in transpeptidase penicillin-binding proteins. These structural changes render a complex series of interactions between antibiotic and protein that are energetically unfavorable, such that the active site is inactivated not at all or too slowly to prevent cell-wall synthesis and bacterial growth. Determination of the crystal structure of the low-affinity penicillin-binding protein PBP2a, which mediates beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in staphylococci, has identified the molecular structures and interactions that are responsible for resistance. This information could be useful for designing beta-lactams to overcome these structural impediments, as well as resistance.
Transient hygrothermal stresses in plates with and without cavities

Abstract The influence of coupled diffusion of heat and moisture on the transient stresses in a composite is investigated analytically where the moisture diffusion coefficient is taken to be temperature dependent while the thermal diffusion coefficient is kept constant. There is no a priori reason why moisture and temperature should be uncoupled such that each will obey the simple diffusion theory, particularly without reference made to the initial and boundary conditions of a particular situation. A study of the coupled diffusion equations was made by allowing for time-dependent changes in the humidity and temperature of the environment. The appropriate transient boundary conditions are specified on the surfaces of an infinite plate. Numerical calculations were carrie dout for the T300/5208 epoxy matrix of the graphite fibre-reinforced composite in which the non-uniformity of moisture and temperature is evaluated for sudden changes in the surface moisture and/or temperature. The coupling effect between temperature and moisture is found to be most significant when the plate undergoes a sudden change in surface temperature while the surface moisture concentration is held constant. This suggests the need to perform additional experiments for evaluating the coupled diffusion phenomenon and its influence on the mechanical behaviour of epoxy-resin composites. Additional results are obtained for a plane body containing a circular cavity whose surface is subjected to the sudden change of temperature and/or moisture. The resulting stresses are found to fluctuate with time and used in conjunction with the strain energy density criterion for locating possible failure sites.
A Bayesian-learning technique for automatic pre-emptive loads through I/O devices via the mouse pointer

In today's computing environment, it is well known that the computing bottleneck is rather at the I/O peripheral levels instead of at the level of CPU and memory. The access times to fetch data from an external device such as a CD-ROM, a network drive, or even the delay of dragging a mouse pointer to a desktop icon consumes seconds of time while CPU operations take nanoseconds. In this thesis, we show how our proposed Bayesian technique can anticipate certain memory intensive programs and how it can be used to preload its contents before the user selects the actual program. We evaluate the I/O peripheral of the mouse cursor and how to leverage historic mouse data to make these predictions. We show that using such Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques results in a more productive computing environment relieving the user from waiting for a program to load.
Nomadic Speech-Based Text Entry: A Decision Model Strategy for Improved Speech to Text Processing

Speech text entry can be problematic during ideal dictation conditions, but difficulties are magnified when external conditions deteriorate. Motion during speech is an extraordinary condition that might have detrimental effects on automatic speech recognition. This research examined speech text entry while mobile. Speech enrollment profiles were created by participants in both a seated and walking environment. Dictation tasks were also completed in both the seated and walking conditions. Although results from an earlier study suggested that completing the enrollment process under more challenging conditions may lead to improved recognition accuracy under both challenging and less challenging conditions, the current study provided contradictory results. A detailed review of error rates confirmed that some participants minimized errors by enrolling under more challenging conditions while others benefited by enrolling under less challenging conditions. Still others minimized errors when different enrollment ...
Stochastic co-derivative of harmony search algorithm

A novel stochastic co-derivative was developed based on the density information of multiple vectors in the harmony search (HS) algorithm. While the existing stochastic partial derivative represents the probability with which certain candidate value is selected when searching for a new vector, this co-derivative represents how much one variable in a vector is correlated with other variables. The proposed stochastic co-derivative harmony search (CDHS) algorithm was applied to the design of hydraulic structure, and found better results than the original harmony search algorithm in terms of the number of reaching the global optimum and the number of function evaluations. The algorithm was also tested with a bigger hydraulic problem, finding better solutions in terms of least and average costs when compared with other phenomenon-mimicking algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA), and tabu search (TS).
Maxmin expected utility through statewise combinations

Abstract We provide an axiomatic foundation for a maxmin expected utility over a set of priors (MMEU) decision rule in an environment where the elements of choice are Savage acts. The key axioms are stated using statewise combinations as in Gul [Gul, F., 1992. Savage’s theorem with a finite number of states. Journal of Economic Theory 57, 99–100].
SUSY models under siege: LHC constraints and electroweak fine-tuning

Recent null results from LHC8 supersymmetry (SUSY) searches along with the discovery of a standard model (SM)--like Higgs boson with mass ${m}_{h}\ensuremath{\simeq}125.5\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ indicates sparticle masses in the TeV range, causing tension with conventional measures of electroweak fine-tuning. We propose a simple fine-tuning rule which should be followed under any credible evaluation of fine-tuning. We believe that overestimates of electroweak fine-tuning by conventional measures all arise from violations of this rule. We show that to gain accord with the fine-tuning rule, then both the Higgs mass and the traditional ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{BG}}$ fine-tuning measures reduce to the model-independent electroweak fine-tuning measure ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{EW}}$. This occurs by combining dependent contributions to ${m}_{Z}$ or ${m}_{h}$ into independent units. Then, using ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathrm{EW}}$, we evaluate EW fine-tuning for a variety of SUSY models including mSUGRA, NUHM1, NUHM2, mGMSB, mAMSB, hyper-charged AMSB, gaugino AMSB and nine cases of mixed moduli-anomaly (mirage) mediated SUSY breaking models while respecting LHC Higgs mass and $B$-decay constraints (we do not impose LHC8 sparticle mass constraints due to the possibility of compressed spectra within many of these models). We find mSUGRA, mGMSB and the AMSB models all to be highly fine-tuned. The NUHM1 model is moderately fine-tuned while NUHM2 which allows for radiatively driven naturalness (RNS) allows for fine-tuning at a meager 10% level in the case where $m(\text{Higgsinos})\ensuremath{\sim}100--200\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and the TeV-scale top squarks are well mixed. Models with RNS may or may not be detectable at LHC14. A $\sqrt{s}\ensuremath{\sim}500\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider will be required to make a definitive search for the requisite light Higgsinos.
Lymph node dissection for bladder cancer: the issue of extent and feasibility in the minimally invasive era

Lymph node dissection in bladder cancer is an integral part of radical cystectomy. It allows for accurate staging of the patient and will, therefore, serve to dictate additional treatment and add prognostic information. The issue of what is an adequate lymphadenectomy as to the extent and boundaries of the operation, specifically the cephalad extent, has been the focus of recent debate. Some have suggested that lymph node yield, in terms of number, could serve as a surrogate for the adequacy of the node dissection and, thus, the oncologic efficacy of the operation. It has also been suggested that it is a marker for the experience of the operating surgeon. What is meant by a limited, standard and extended lymph node dissection varies among different publications. Recent evidence suggests that an ‘extended’ node dissection infers oncologic efficacy. With the advent of minimally invasive and, specifically, robotic-assisted surgery, more cystectomies are approached robotically. As such, there has been recent ...
Jamming Games in the MIMO Wiretap Channel With an Active Eavesdropper

This paper investigates reliable and covert transmission strategies in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channel with a transmitter, receiver and an adversarial wiretapper, each equipped with multiple antennas. In a departure from existing work, the wiretapper possesses a novel capability to act either as a passive eavesdropper or as an active jammer, under a half-duplex constraint. The transmitter therefore faces a choice between allocating all of its power for data, or broadcasting artificial interference along with the information signal in an attempt to jam the eavesdropper (assuming its instantaneous channel state is unknown). To examine the resulting trade-offs for the legitimate transmitter and the adversary, we model their interactions as a two-person zero-sum game with the ergodic MIMO secrecy rate as the payoff function. We first examine conditions for the existence of pure-strategy Nash equilibria (NE) and the structure of mixed-strategy NE for the strategic form of the game. We then derive equilibrium strategies for the extensive form of the game where players move sequentially under scenarios of perfect and imperfect information. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to examine the equilibrium outcomes of the various scenarios considered.
Constituents of cannabis sativa L. An improved method for the synthesis of dl‐cannabichromene

A new procedure was developed for the synthesis of cannabichromene (III) which involves reflux of equimolar amounts of olivetol (I), citral (II) and t-butylamine in toluene for 9 hours. The purification of III was best achieved by sodium borohydride reduction of unreacted II followed by column chromatography on 1% sodium hydroxide impregnated silica gel 60-PF. The yield of III (62.0%) was much higher than that reported in the literature.
Maternal/offspring birth month concordance in a Pacific island population.

Analyses of 13,863 births occurring on Guam before 1942 reveal statistically significant concordance of maternal and offspring birth months, accounting for over 17% of recorded births. A secular change by maternal birth year in month of highest concordance level coincides with changing public health measures over this historical period. Together with observed birth order effects, showing decreasing concordance values with increasing birth order rank, these findings suggest an immunological component of observed birth seasonality patterns. The potential effects of maternal-fetal immunological interactions merit greater consideration in birth seasonality studies among historical and anthropological populations. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Innovations in Midwifery Education

Midwifery educators and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) have created educational pathways for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs) based on sound principles and creativity. A review of these educational innovations portrays the strong foundation that exists and provides direction for the future. Accreditation of educational programs, the development of core competencies, and the certification process for graduates of midwifery education programs form the foundation for excellence in midwifery education, while the early development of the modular mastery learning curriculum provided a transition to later use of telecommunications and the incorporation of various instructional technologies into midwifery education. Midwifery educators have continued to innovate with distance-learning, Web-enhanced curricula and community-based clinical preceptorships, and a master's degree in midwifery option to increase access to midwifery education and degree programs. Continued innovation and creativity will be required to prepare midwives for the 21st century.
Downregulation of hypothalamic insulin receptor expression elicits depressive-like behaviors in rats

Ongoing epidemiological studies estimate that greater than 60% of the adult US population may be categorized as either overweight or obese. There is a growing appreciation that the complications of obesity extend to the central nervous system (CNS) and may result in increased risk for neurological co-morbidities like depressive illness. One potential mechanistic mediator linking obesity and depressive illness is the adipocyte derived hormone leptin. We previously demonstrated that lentivirus-mediated downregulation of hypothalamic insulin receptors increases body weight, adiposity and plasma leptin levels, which is consistent with features of the metabolic syndrome. Using this novel model of obesity, we examined performance in the forced swim test (FST), the sucrose preference test and the elevated plus maze (EPM), approaches that are often used as measures of depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors, in rats that received third ventricular injections of either an insulin receptor antisense lentivirus (hypo-IRAS) or a control lentivirus (hypo-Con). Hypo-IRAS rats exhibited significant increases in immobility time and corresponding decreases in active behaviors in the FST and exhibited anhedonia as measured by decreased sucrose intake compared to hypo-Con rats. Hypo-IRAS rats also exhibited increases in anxiety-like behaviors in the EPM. Plasma, hippocampal and amygdalar brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were reduced in hypo-IRAS rats, suggesting that the obesity/hyperleptinemic phenotype may elicit this behavioral phenotype through modulation of neurotrophic factor expression. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis for an increased risk for mood disorders in obesity, which may be related to decreased expression of hippocampal and amygdalar BDNF.
Privacy by design: Networked computing, 1969–1979:

Discourse analysis of the technical document series that records the internet design history, the RFCs, shows that those involved during the first decade saw privacy as a multi-dimensional and interactive problem requiring use of a suite of solutions at the network, individual, and data levels that had to take into account the need to balance privacy against experimentation and innovation. Internet designers were sophisticated in their pragmatic thinking about privacy when evaluated vis-a-vis theoretical developments since that time, viewing privacy as a contextual matter involving boundary setting, and using information architecture and metadata as tools for privacy protection. Those in the social science and legal communities think about the privacy effects of communication on humans, while those in the technical design community must focus on privacy as a set of logistical problems. Bringing these diverse communities into a single conversation can considerably enrich and strengthen the work of all.
Combined effects of chronic ozone and elevated CO2 on Rubisco activity and leaf components in soybean (Glycine max)

per unit Rubisco content of plants in grown CF-AA, and increased LMA by 27-74% of the leaf mass Content and activity of Rubisco and concentrations of per unit area in CF-AA because of a 23-148% increase leaf nitrogen, chlorophyll and total non-structural car- in starch. However, the data suggest that, at elevated bohydrates (TNC) were determined at regular intervals (CO 2 ), increases in starch and sucrose are not directly during the 1993 and 1994 growing seasons to under- responsible for the deactivation of Rubisco. Also, there stand the effects and interactions of (O 3 ) and elevated was little evidence of an adjustment of Rubisco activity (CO 2 ) on biochemical limitations to photosynthesis in response to starch and sucrose metabolism. during ontogeny. Soybean (Glycine max var. Essex) was Significant interactions between elevated (CO 2 ) and grown in open-top field chambers in either charcoal- (O
Temperature-sensitive binding of solid phase C1q to aggregated human immunoglobulin G

Abstract The first component of complement (C1q) coupled to Sepharose by cyanogen bromide was found not to bind aggregated human γ-globulin or immune complexes at room temperature, whereas at 4°C binding was nearly complete. The temperature sensitivity of solid phase C1q binding was reversible. Elution of aggregated human γ-globulin bound at 4°C was possible by raising the temperature to 23°C. However, free C1q or C1q adsorbed onto polystyrene balls could bind immune complex-like material at both 23 and 4°C. The conformational restraints of C1q covalently coupled to a solid support may not allow functional activity at elevated temperatures.
Measuring the frequnecy resolution of a multi degree of freedom resonator for mass detection

This work focuses on measuring resolution of a coupled, single input single output, multi degree of freedom (MDOF) resonator. This type of device can be operated as a chemical nose. Specifically, we show that the loss in resolution due to coupling does not degrade the signal beyond the usable spectrum. In fact, the sensing cantilevers in this prototype are able to detect as low as 1.47 fg mass sensitivity for a near ambient, table top experiment.
The demographics, motivations, and derived experiences of users of massively multi-user online graphical environments

Online survey data were collected from 30,000 users of Massively Multi-User On-line Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) over a three year period to explore users' demographics, motivations, and derived experiences. Not only do MMORPGs appeal to a broad age range (Mage = 26.57, range = 11-68), but the appeal is strong (on average 22 hours of usage per week) across users of all ages (r = -.04). An exploratory factor analysis revealed a five factor model of user motivations-- Achievement, Relationship, Immersion, Escapism, and Manipulation--illustrating the multifaceted appeal of these online environments. Male players were significantly more likely to be driven by the Achievement and Manipulation factors, while female players were significantly more likely to be driven by the Relationship factor. Also, the data indicated that users derived meaningful relationships and salient emotional experiences, as well as real-life leadership skills from these virtual environments. MMORPGs are not simply a pastime for teenagers, but a valuable research venue and platform where millions of users interact and collaborate using real-time 3D avatars on a daily basis.
Learning from soft partitions of data: reducing the variance

Distributed machine learning can be realized using a divide and conquer methodology. One such divide and conquer method is learning from soft partitions of data. By examining the decomposition of classifier error into bias and variance terms, we see that learning from smaller partitions of data introduces higher variance. In this paper, we investigate the use of a particular variance reduction technique, randomized C4.5, when learning from soft partitions of data. This approach maintains the distributed nature of the learning algorithm while boosting the overall classification accuracy. Experiments on six machine learning datasets demonstrate the improved accuracy gains by reducing classifier variance. In particular, learning from soft partitions of data can produce more accurate classifiers than using an ensemble of randomized decision trees constructed from the entire dataset, which in turn results in a more accurate classifier than building a single decision tree.
Conceptual structures and CCG: linking theory and incorporated argument adjuncts

In Combinatory Categorial Grammar (CCG) [Ste90, Ste91], semantic function-argument structures are compositionally produced through the course of a derivation. These structures identify, inter alia, which entities play the same roles in different events for expressions involving a wide range of coordinate constructs. This sameness of role (i.e. thematic) information is not identified, however, across cases of verbal diathesis. To handle these cases as well, the present paper demonstrates how to adapt the solution developed in Conceptual Semantics [Jac90, Jac91] to fit the CCG paradigm.The essence of the approach is to redefine the Linking Theory component of Conceptual Semantics in terms of CCG categories, so that derivations yield conceptual structures representing the desired thematic information; in this way no changes are required on the CCG side. While this redefinition is largely straightforward, an interesting problem arises in the case of Conceptual Semantics' Incorporated Argument Adjuncts. In examining these, the paper shows that they cannot be treated as adjuncts in the CCG sense without introducing new machinery, nor without compromising the independence of the two theories. For this reason, the paper instead adopts the more traditional approach of treating them as oblique arguments.
Fifty-Four Emergent Cricothyroidotomies: Are Surgeons Reluctant Teachers?

BackgroundEmergent cricothyroidotomy remains an uncommon, but life-saving, core procedural training requirement for emergency medicine (EM) physician training. We hypothesized that, although most c...
Functional Analysis of the Nucleotide Binding Domain of Membrane-associated Guanylate Kinases *

Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) regulate cellular adhesion and signal transduction at sites of cell-cell contact. MAGUKs are composed of modular protein-protein interaction motifs including L27, PDZ, Src homology (SH) 3, and guanylate kinase domains that aggregate adhesion molecules and receptors. Genetic analyses reveal that lethal mutations of MAGUKs often occur in the guanylate kinase domain, indicating a critical role for this domain. Here, we explored whether GMP binding to the guanylate kinase domain regulates MAGUK function. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previously published studies, we failed to detect GMP binding to the MAGUKs postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and CASK. Two amino acid residues in the GMP binding pocket that differ between MAGUKs and authentic guanylate kinase explain this lack of binding, as swapping these residues largely prevent GMP binding to yeast guanylate kinase. Conversely, these mutations restore GMP binding but not catalytic activity to PSD-95. Protein ligands for the PSD-95 guanylate kinase domain, guanylate kinase-associated protein (GKAP) and MAP1A, appear not to interact with the canonical GMP binding pocket, and GMP binding does not influence the intramolecular SH3/guanylate kinase (GK) interaction within PSD-95. These studies indicate that MAGUK proteins have lost affinity for GMP but may have retained the guanylate kinase structure to accommodate a related regulatory ligand.
Cost-effectiveness of botulinum toxin a versus anticholinergic medications for idiopathic urge incontinence.

Purpose: We assessed the cost-effectiveness of botulinum toxin A injection compared to anticholinergic medications for the treatment of idiopathic urge incontinence.Materials and Methods: A Markov decision analysis model was developed to compare the costs in 2008 U. S. dollars and effectiveness in quality adjusted life-years of botulinum toxin A injection and anticholinergic medications. The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective with a 2-year time frame using 3-month cycles. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, defined as the difference in cost (botulinum toxin A cost – anticholinergic cost) divided by the difference in effectiveness (botulinum toxin A quality adjusted life-years – anticholinergic quality adjusted life-years).Results: While the botulinum strategy was more expensive ($4,392 vs $2,563) it was also more effective (1.63 vs 1.50 quality adjusted life-years) compared to the anticholinergic regimen. The calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was...
Tumor Cells Present MHC Class II-Restricted Nuclear and Mitochondrial Antigens and Are the Predominant Antigen Presenting Cells In Vivo

MHC class II-restricted tumor Ags presented by class II + tumor cells identified to date are derived from proteins expressed in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of tumor cells. It is unclear whether MHC class II + tumor cells present class II-restricted epitopes derived from other intracellular compartments, such as nuclei and/or mitochondria, and whether class II + tumor cells directly present Ag in vivo. To address these questions, a model Ag, hen egg lysozyme, was targeted to various subcellular compartments of mouse sarcoma cells, and the resulting cells were tested for presentation of three lysozyme epitopes in vitro and for presentation of nuclear Ag in vivo. In in vitro studies, Ags localized to all tested compartments (nuclei, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum) are presented in the absence invariant chain and H-2M. Coexpression of invariant chain and H-2M inhibit presentation of some, but not all, of the epitopes. In vivo studies demonstrate that class II + tumor cells, and not host-derived cells, are the predominant APC for class II-restricted nuclear Ags. Because class II + tumor cells are effective APC in vivo and probably present novel tumor Ag epitopes not presented by host-derived APC, their inclusion in cancer vaccines may enhance activation of tumor-reactive CD4 + T cells.
Unique Cleavage Planes in Frozen Red Cell Membranes

SummaryThe Bullivant freeze-cleave technique has been modified to allow for the casting of replicas of the faces produced both above and below a single cleavage through frozen specimens. Analysis of replicas of paired fracture faces indicates that membrane faces normally revealed by cleaving are complementary and originate from the interior of the cell membrane. The thickness of the layers demonstrated by cleaving and heat-etching indicates that the potential cleavage plane from which membrane Face A and B are generated exists near the center of the membrane. The results provide physical evidence for the presence of a lipid bilayer within at least part of the red cell membrane.
Effect of Breathing Instruction on Blood Pressure Responses During Isometric Exercise

Twenty-seven normotensive, college-aged, female subjects were studied to assess the effects of training in breathing techniques on blood pressure during isometric contractions. Subjects were randomly and equally assigned to one of three training groups: 1) a group that was taught to perform a Valsalva maneuver during isometric efforts (VAL Group), 2) a group that was instructed to avoid performing the Valsalva maneuver (NO-VAL Group), and 3) a control group that was given no instructions (CONT Group). Prior to and following three breathing technique training sessions, two blood pressure measurements were made by amplified auscultation during 10 isometric contractions of the quadriceps femoris muscle with the leg positioned at 65 degrees of knee flexion. Breathing patterns were recorded on an impedance pneumograph. Data were submitted to a 2 X 2 X 3 (time X trial X group) multivariate analysis of covariance using resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures as covariates. A significant (p less than .05) time-x-group interaction revealed posttraining blood pressure response to isometric exercise had significantly decreased in the NO-VAL Group (163/120 vs 148/112 mm Hg), and had not significantly changed in the CONT Group (157/117 vs 153/117 mm Hg). These data illustrate that training to avoid the Valsalva maneuver may help attenuate the pressor response observed during isometric contractions and provide a means for safer patient exercise.
The Rise of International Criminal Law: Intended and Unintended Consequences

The rise of international criminal law has been one of the remarkable features of international law since 1990. One of the less-explored questions of international criminal law is its social effects, within the international community and the community of public international law, in other parts and activities of international law. In particular, what are the effects of the rise of international criminal law and its emerging system of tribunals on the rest of the laws of armed confl ict? What are the effects upon apparently unrelated aspects of humanitarian and human rights law? What are the effects upon other large systems and institutions of public international law, such as the UN and other international organizations? As international criminal law has emerged as a visible face of public international law, has it supplanted or even ' crowded ' other aspects and institutions of public international law? This brief article offers a high-altitude, high-speed look at the effects of international criminal law on other parts of public international law and organizations.
Alcohol consumption and risk of cancer in humans: An overview ☆

Recent epidemiologic data continue to support alcoholic beverage consumption as a cause of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver. The effect of a given alcohol intake on absolute risk of these cancers depends on the prevalence of other risk factors. Whether alcoholic beverage consumption is a cause of cancer of the breast or large bowel is unclear. Alcohol intake appears not to increase risk of cancer of the lung, bladder, prostate, stomach, ovary, endometrium, or of melanoma. Indirect epidemiologic evidence suggests that alcohol may be a weak causal factor for pancreatic cancer. Additional research is needed to determine whether middle-aged women who drink moderately may experience a slight increase in longevity if they decrease alcohol intake. A number of biologically plausible mechanisms exist by which alcohol may cause cancer.
Experience with the Xpress transfer protocol

The Xpress transfer protocol (XTP), a transport and network layer protocol suitable for use as a SAFENET transfer service in the US Navy's emerging survivable adaptable fiber optic embedded network (SAFENET) specification, is described. The background protocol, the implementation environment, the communications architecture, the user interface, some working XTP demonstration programs, and some measured performance results are described. The experience with XTP shows that the implementation is stable; operational in PC and VME bus environments; and capable of being transmitted reliably over Ethernet, token ring, and fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) networks. >
PHILOPATRY AND MIGRATION OF BANDED INDIANA BATS (MYOTIS SODALIS) AND EFFECTS OF RADIO TRANSMITTERS

We banded 29 adult females, 2 juveniles, and 1 adult male from a maternity colony of Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) during 1995‐1998. Four banded bats were later found hibernating in caves that were separated by #325 km, indicating that all members of a summer colony do not hibernate or mate in the same location. We recaptured 41% of adult females (12 bats) near the initial banding site in later years, and because of this strong interannual fidelity, we recommend that resource managers reevaluate policies that allow removal of roost trees during winter. Eleven of these 12 females were radiotracked initially, but all were reproductively active and had normal body masses in subsequent years, suggesting negligible, long-term effects of the radiotracking process.
Gain saturation properties of a polarization insensitive semiconductor amplifier implemented with tensile and compressive strain quantum wells

The gain saturation properties of a 1.3 /spl mu/m polarization insensitive semiconductor amplifier implemented with tensile and compressive strain quantum well active region are experimentally investigated in order to determine how well the amplifier maintains its polarization insensitivity in the saturation regime. The amplifier has unsaturated gain of 12 dB and in the saturation regime the maximum observed gain imbalance between TE and TM gains is 0.9 dB. The measured 3 dB saturation output power is 5 mW. >
Critical evaluation of SOI design guidelines

Design guidelines for static and domino silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS circuits are evaluated. Restructuring the logic to eliminate gates with large fan-ins is almost as beneficial for SOI as for bulk-silicon. Most published design fixes for eliminating parasitic bipolar induced upset are shown to aggravate the charge sharing problem. A new and improved predischarge method for enhancing the noise tolerance of SOI domino circuits is thus proposed . The topic of multiple output domino logic in SOI technology is addressed for the first time. Multiple output domino logic is shown to be more prone to bipolar leakage induced upset than regular domino. Many of the design practices used to alleviate bipolar leakage in regular domino are no longer valid due to the multiple output domino logic's inherent design requirements. A novel SOI-specific multiple output domino logic, particularly suitable for adder designs, is introduced to minimize the bipolar leakage risk.
Feasibility of Retrieving Aerosol Concentration in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Using Multitime Lidar Returns and Visual Range

Abstract This paper studies the feasibility of retrieving aerosol concentrations in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) with a variational data assimilation (VDA) algorithm using dual-wavelength lidar returns and visual range simulated at multiple times. Aerosols are assumed to consist of nucleation, accumulation, and coarse modes, with each mode distributed in a gamma distribution. The VDA algorithm retrieves initial vertical profiles of aerosol concentrations of the three modes, which are predicted by a 1D PBL model. The accuracy of retrieved aerosol concentrations of the three modes is examined through a series of identical twin numerical experiments. For the VDA algorithm that uses data from a lidar wavelength pair (0.289, 11.15 μm), results show that 1) if both random and systematic errors in the observed data are less than 1.0 dB and the number densities of accumulation and coarse modes are, respectively, 0.025–0.25 and 0–1.25 × 10−3 times that of the nucleation mode, relative errors in the retrieved...
Pharmacodynamic Analysis of a Serine Protease Inhibitor, MK-4519, against Hepatitis C Virus Using a Novel In Vitro Pharmacodynamic System

The development of new antiviral compounds active against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has surged in recent years. In order for these new compounds to be efficacious in humans, optimal dosage regimens for each compound must be elucidated. We have developed a novel in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic system, the BelloCell system, to identify optimal dosage regimens for anti-HCV compounds. In these experiments, genotype 1b HCV replicon-bearing cells (2209-23 cells) were inoculated onto carrier flakes in BelloCell bottles and treated with MK-4519, a serine protease inhibitor. Our dose-ranging studies illustrated that MK-4519 inhibited replicon replication in a dose-dependent manner, yielding a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 1.8 nM. Dose-fractionation studies showed that shorter dosing intervals resulted in greater replicon suppression, indicating that the time that the concentration is greater than the EC50 is the pharmacodynamic parameter for MK-4519 linked with inhibition of replicon replication. Mutations associated with resistance to serine protease inhibitors were detected in replicons harvested from all treatment arms. These data suggest that MK-4519 is highly active against genotype 1b HCV, but monotherapy is not sufficient to prevent the amplification of resistant replicons. In summary, our findings show that the BelloCell system is a useful and clinically relevant tool for predicting optimal dosage regimens for anti-HCV compounds.