cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF SPECIFICATION UNCERTAINTY IN FORECASTING

Forecasters typically select a statistical forecasting model from among a set of alternative models. Subsequently, forecasts are generated with the chosen model and reported to management (forecast consumers) as if specification uncertainty did not exist (i.e., as if the chosen model were the “true” model of the forecast variable). In this note, a well-known Bayesian model-comparison procedure is used to illustrate some of the ambiguities and distortions of forecasts that do not reflect specification uncertainty. It is shown that a single selected forecasting model (however chosen) will generally misstate measures of forecast risk and lead to point and interval forecasts that are misplaced from a decision-theoretic point of view.
Changes in intracellular free calcium in isolated myometrial cells: role of extracellular and intracellular calcium and possible involvement of guanine nucleotide-sensitive proteins.

Intracellular free calcium concentrations were measured directly in rat myometrial cells loaded with fura-2. The basal concentrations of calcium were 148 ± 5.0 and 137 ± 3.7 nM in the presence and absence of 1 mM extracellular calcium, respectively. Oxytocin, carbachol, and norepinephrine rapidly and transiently increased intracellular free calcium, with half-maximal effects at 0.19, 9.9, and 5.3 nM, respectively. The maximal effects of these agents were reduced by 57%, 32%, and 36%, respectively, when the extracellular calcium was replaced by 2 mM EGTA. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin partially (47–57%) inhibited the contractant-induced increase in intracellular free calcium in the presence of 1 mM extracellular CaCl2 and produced an even greater inhibition (76–98%) in the absence of extracellular calcium. Pretreatment with D600 (30 nM) or amiloride (50μM) and reduction of extracellular sodium did not affect the oxytocin-induced calcium increase. However, adenosine and the A2-receptor agonist iV-ethylc...
SERS Nanodomes for In-Line Detection within Biomedical Tubing

Replica-molded silver nanodomes on flexible substrates are embedded into tubing for SERS-based detection of chemicals flowing through the tubing. Applications include detection of intravenously delivered drugs and urinary metabolites in catheters.
Reaction of vanadium(V) with thiols generates vanadium(IV) and thiyl radicals

The in vivo toxicity of vanadium(V) has been found to correlate with the depletion of cellular glutathione and related non-protein thiols. With a view to understanding the mechanism for this observation, we have investigated the oxidation of glutathione, cysteine N-acetylcysteine and penicillamine by vanadium(V), using electron spin resonance (ESR) and ESR spin trapping methodology. The spin trap used was 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline 1-oxide (DMPO). It is found that the oxidation of these thiols by vanadium(V) generates the corresponding thiyl radicals and vanadium- (IV) complexes. The results suggest that free radical reactions play a significant role in the depletion of cellular thiols by vanadium(V) and hence in vanadium(V) toxicity.
A method for obtaining measures of local parsing complexity throughout sentences

Efficient techniques that give measures of local parsing complexity throughout sentences are needed to study the detailed course of sentence parsing. A new technique, the Continuous Lexical Decision Task, was tested to determine the whether it is sensitive to differences in local parsing complexity throughout sentences. Experiment 1 demonstrated that subjects performing the task treat sentences as sentences. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the task is sensing to on-line syntactic processing. Results showed not only that Object relatives are harder to process than Subject relatives, but also that parsing complexity is increased at the gap in Object relatives and remains increased for the next couple of words. The results suggest that the difficulty of Object relatives in comparison to Subject relatives lies in the assignment of the head as the filler of the gap.
Effectiveness of the Lanzhou lamb rotavirus vaccine against gastroenteritis among children

The Lanzhou lamb rotavirus (LLR) vaccine has been in use in China since 2000. This study evaluated this vaccine's effectiveness using a case-control design in Guangzhou. In the study area, there were 3130 laboratory-confirmed rotavirus gastroenteritis cases in children between 2 and 35 months old from 2009 to 2011. A total of 3607 controls were also enrolled in this study. Of the subjects, 970 (14.4%) had received 1 dose of the LLR vaccine. Because of the low vaccination rate, we only obtained an effectiveness of 44.3% (95% CI, 28.4-56.7%) for children 9-11 months old, 52.8% (40.8-62.3%) for children 12-17 months old, and 51.8% (11.6-73.8%) for children 18-35 months old for one dose. This post-marketing study found that one dose of the LLR vaccine confers partial protection when given to children between 9 and 35 months old. Therefore, earlier immunization and the administration of the full immunization regimen should be encouraged.
Simplified method for trace analysis of trifluoroacetic acid in plant, soil, and water samples using headspace gas chromatography

A simple and sensitive analytical procedure was developed to determine the concentration of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in plant, soil, and water samples. The analysis involves extraction of TFA by sulfuric acid and methanol followed by derivatization to the methyl ester of TFA (MTFA). This is accomplished within a single vial without complex extraction procedures. The highly volatile MTFA is then analyzed using headspace gas chromatography. The spike recovery trials from all media ranged from a low of 86.7% to a high of 121.4%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were typically below 10%, although some tests had higher RSDs due to low concentrations near the detectable limit. The minimum detectable limit (MDL) for the method was 34 ng/g for dry plant material, 0.20 ng/g for soil, and 6.5 ng/L for water. This is the first practical method for low-level analysis of TFA in plants and soil, and it is a significant improvement over previous methods for TFA in water.
Management of Urinary Tract Infections From Multidrug-Resistant Organisms

Antibiotic resistance worsens clinical outcomes and, in some cases, significantly impacts the clinical management of urinary tract infections in the outpatient setting. This article presents the prevalence and mechanism of relevant antimicrobial resistance patterns encountered among uropathogens, and discusses the efficacy of antibiotic regimens and novel therapies in treating commonly encountered multidrug-resistant organisms.
New Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment

Urinary incontinence in women is a problem frequently encountered during routine examinations in the outpatient clinic or office. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition have changed recently due to advances in gynecology, urology, and neurology. Urodynamic testing procedures have been developed which provide a detailed assessment of bladder function. Several urodynamic testing procedures are explained, and the causes and treatment of urinary incontinence are discussed.
Universal banking and financial architecture

Abstract Discussions of systemic risk after the financial crisis of 2007–09 have focused heavily on so-called “systemically important financial institutions” (SIFIs) a cohort of financial firms that is almost exclusively (but not necessarily) comprised of large, complex and heavily interconnected financial conglomerates. This paper considers the economic and strategic drivers of SIFIs – if such institutions are a key source of systemic risk, it is important to understand how and why they get that way. The paper then sets forth a public-interest perspective on the financial architecture by setting out key benchmarks – static and dynamic efficiency, stability and robustness, and competitiveness – and the tradeoffs that exist between them, and examines how SIFIs can support or detract from these benchmarks. If SIFIs are to be subject to much sharper prudential regulation, its impact must be calibrated against systemic performance benchmarks. Finally, the paper focuses on some of the major regulatory initiatives following the 2007–09 financial crisis, and in particular the US Dodd-Frank legislation of 2010, in terms of their possible impact on business models of SIFIs. The paper concludes that improving the financial architecture in a disciplined, consistent, internationally coordinated and sustained manner with a firm eye to the public interest should ultimately be centered on market discipline. By being forced to pay a significant price for the negative externalities SIFIs generate – in the form of systemic risk – managers and boards will have to draw their own conclusions regarding optimum institutional strategy and structure in the context of the microeconomics and industrial organization of global financial intermediation. If this fails, constraints on their size, complexity and interconnectedness will be a major part of the policy reaction to the next financial crisis.
Z(3)-symmetric effective theory for pure gauge QCD at high temperature

We review the construction and basic properties of a three-dimensional effective field theory for high-temperature SU(3) Yang-Mills theory, which respects its center symmetry and was introduced in Ref. [A. Vuorinen, L.G. Yaffe, Z(3)-symmetric effective theory for SU(3) Yang-Mills theory at high, Phys. Rev. D 74 (2006) 025011, hep-ph/0604100 ]. We explain why the phase diagram of the new theory is expected to closely resemble the one of the full theory and argue that this implies that it is applicable down to considerably lower temperatures than the usual non-Z(3)-symmetric 3d effective theory EQCD.
Computer-Based Calibration and Measurement of an EEG Data Acquisition System

A two-part procedure is described for computer-based calibration and measurement of an EEG data acquisition system. The main innovation lies in the application of trains of computer-generated (sin t)/t time-domain "impulses" with theoretically known and nearly ideal spectral characteristics, to measure and periodically verify the complete in-band frequency and phase response of the system. If and only if homogeneity of channel response has been demonstrated to hold at all frequencies over channels and occasions, routine calibration of the system for each recording session can be effectively and quickly accomplished by equating system response under computer control at a single frequency, for example, through the use of a simple sine wave calibration signal. Thus, a strong technical foundation is provided for assuring instrumental reliability and validity in electrophysiological measurements. Illustrative results of the system-measurement procedure are presented, and mathematical and computational details are supplied in a technical Appendix.
Spaces of similarities. I. The Hurwitz problem

Abstract Contents . Introduction. l. Terminology and Sim( V ). 2. Upper bound functions and a tensor construction. 3. Clifford , algebras and similarity representations. 4. ( s, t )-families. 5. Commuting spaces of similarities. 6. Hermitian forms.
Abstract B113: Determinants of serum sex hormone binding globulin and testosterone in overweight and weight‐reduced premenopausal women

Introduction: Epidemiological studies have linked androgens and low sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) with increased risk for breast cancer in premenopausal women. Obesity and the metabolic complications associated with increased adiposity have been shown to mediate both of these factors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether weight reduction through caloric restriction (CR), CR + aerobic exercise (CR+AE) or CR + resistance training (CR+RT) modifies serum total testosterone, bioavailable testosterone and SHBG. Methods: Participants were 138 healthy, over weight (BMI 27–79) premenopausal women not taking oral contraceptives randomized to CR, CR+AE or CR+RT in order to achieve normal body weight (BMI Results: All three groups significantly reduced BMI from baseline to follow‐up. There was no significant difference in adjusted mean BMI among the groups following weight loss. All three groups significantly increased SHBG (p Conclusions: Testosterone, bioavailable testosterone and SHBG are highly influenced by obesity and can be modified through weight loss. Weight loss through CR or in combination with exercise achieves similar effects on testosterone and SHBG concentrations. The determinants of serum total testosterone and SHBG are different in the overweight and weight reduced state. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B113.
Communicating processes, scheduling and the complexity of nontermination

In this paper we study the computational complexity of the nontermination problem for systems of communicating processes with respect to five types of scheduling schemes, namely, round-robin, random, priority, first-come-first-served, and equifair schedules. We show that the problem is undecidable (Π1-complete) with respect to round-robin, first-come-first-served, and priority scheduling; whereas it is decidable with respect to random and equifair scheduling. (Here Π1 denotes the set of languages whose complements are recursively enumerable.) For a restricted class of systems in which the communication channels between processes are of unit capacity, we show that the nontermination problem is solvable inO(k2 logn) nondeterministic space for round-robin, random, priority, and first-come-first-served scheduling, and inno(k2) nondeterministic time for equifair scheduling, wherek is the number of processes andn is the size of the maximal process. We are also able to establish a lower bound of Ω((k−59)/20*logn) nondeterministic space for all five types of scheduling schemes.
The relationship of lymph node dissection and colon cancer survival in the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry.

Abstract Background The extent of lymphadenectomy in colon cancer may impact potential to cure and accuracy of staging. Methods The Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry database was queried for TNM stage I–III colon adenocarcinoma patients and yielded 5,823 individuals. The number of lymph nodes examined, number positive, and the positive:examined lymph node ratio were studied with respect to overall survival by using log-rank and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results The overall survival (OS) in stage II patients was greater with the higher number of lymph node (LN) examined. For stage II patients, the 5-year OS was 34%, 43%, 47%, and 55% for the lowest to highest quartiles ( P = .007). For stage III patients, the 5-year OS was 31%, 27%, 38%, and 53% for the lowest to highest quartiles (not significant overall). OS is greater with an increased number of positive lymph nodes ( P Conclusions More extensive lymphadenectomy is associated with improved OS in stage II colon cancer patients. The positive:examined LN ratio is more powerful prognostically than the number of nodes examined or LN positivity.
Teaching psychiatric residents about women and leadership.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to develop a seminar on women as leaders within an academic department of psychiatry and to evaluate its effectiveness. Methods: A seminar was offered as an elective to all residents within the Yale University Department of Psychiatry. Didactic presentations and open discussion were structured around the following topics: 1) exploration of leadership roles in various areas, including research, clinical practice, teaching, and administration; 2) organizational dynamics and gender; 3) negotiation skills and conflict resolution strategies; 4) role of consultation, seminars, peer support and mentoring by both men and women in the development of leadership skills; and 5) “keeping the balance: work, relationships, and personal health.” The 13 participants were queried at the completion of the seminar, and a follow-up survey was performed 18 months later. Results: The initial and follow-up evaluations were quite positive, with average ratings in the “excellent” range at both points. The 10 respondents at 18 months were unanimous that there had been a positive and lasting effect on their professional lives. Conclusion: A seminar on women as leaders was a successful venture within an academic department of psychiatry. The structure of the course, which incorporated specific teaching materials plus “local” expertise, could serve as a model for such seminars in other programs or could be integrated into an existing course for all residents.
Comparison of factors affecting injury severity in angle collisions by fault status using a random parameters bivariate ordered probit model

The extant traffic safety research literature includes numerous examples of studies that assess those factors affecting the degree of injury sustained by crash-involved motor vehicle occupants. One important methodological concern in such work is the potential correlation in injury outcomes among occupants involved in the same crash, which may be due to common unobserved factors affecting such occupants. A second concern is unobserved heterogeneity, which is reflective of parameter effects that vary across individuals and crashes. To address these concerns, a random parameters bivariate ordered probit model is estimated to examine factors affecting the degree of injury sustained by drivers involved in angle collisions. The modeling framework distinguishes between the effects of relevant factors on the injury outcomes of the at-fault and not-at-fault parties. The methodological approach allows for consideration of within-crash correlation, as well as unobserved heterogeneity, and results in significantly improved fit as compared to a series of independent models with fixed parameters. While the factors affecting injury severity are found to be similar for both drivers, the magnitudes of these effects vary between the at-fault and not-at-fault drivers. The results demonstrate that injury severity outcomes are correlated for drivers involved in the same crash. Further, the impacts of specific factors may be over- or under-estimated if such correlation is not accounted for explicitly as a part of the analysis. Various factors are found to affect driver injury severity and the random parameters framework shows these effects to vary across crashes and individuals. The analytical approach utilized provides a useful framework for injury severity analysis.
Stromal biomarkers in breast cancer development and progression.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous, multi-facto- rial disease of aberrant breast development whose etiology relies upon several microenvironmental changes within the tissue. Within the last decade, it has become widely accepted that tumor cells frequently rely on signals from an activated microenvironment in order to proliferate and survive within a tissue. This activated tissue microenvi- ronment involves the appearance of aSMA ? fibro- blasts (referred to as ''cancer associated fibroblasts''), the recruitment of various immune cells (macrophages, T cells, B cells, T regulatory cells), enhanced collagen I deposition, and epigenetic modifications of stromal cells. These stro- mal changes can predict patient survival and correlate with distinct breast tumor subtypes. Characterizing these stro- mal changes will facilitate their use as clinical biomarkers in breast cancer, and may facilitate their use as potential drug targets for adjuvant breast cancer therapy.
Chaotic feedback schemes of the silicon controlled rectifier

Abstract We report the first experiments and digital simulation of two regimens of low-dimensional chaotic behavior in the current-voltage (I–V) curves of a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). In one regimen of applied voltages and currents, the observed attractor of the SCR feedback I–V curves exhibits oscillations closely related to heteroclinic tangles. Such tangles are associated with dynamical systems which are switching between stable and unstable states. A model of the SCR (a pnpn switch) as resistively coupled pn junctions is presented. In another regimen, I–V feedback features similar to the forced Brussels model in non-linear dynamics are reported. We discuss the symmetry-breakings aspects of an SCR modeled as a system of coupled, non-linear transistors, and present a digital simulation. The fractal dimension of the system is calculated by the Brandstater method, and the Wolf algorithm is applied to calculate its higher order Lyapunov exponents.
ENERGETICS OF DRUG-DNA INTERACTIONS

Understanding the thermodynamics of drug binding to DNA is of both practical and fundamental interest. The practical interest lies in the contribution that thermodynamics can make to the rational design process for the development of new DNA targeted drugs. Thermodynamics offer key insights into the molecular forces that drive complex formation that cannot be obtained by structural or computational studies alone. The fundamental interest in these interactions lies in what they can reveal about the general problems of parsing and predicting ligand binding free energies. For these problems, drug-DNA interactions offer several distinct advantages, among them being that the structures of many drug-DNA complexes are known at high resolution and that such structures reveal that in many cases the drug acts as a rigid body, with little conformational change upon binding. Complete thermodynamic profiles (delta G, delta H, delta S, delta Cp) for numerous drug-DNA interactions have been obtained, with the help of high-sensitivity microcalorimetry. The purpose of this article is to offer a perspective on the interpretation of these thermodynamics parameters, and in particular how they might be correlated with known structural features. Obligatory conformational changes in the DNA to accommodate intercalators and the loss of translational and rotational freedom upon complex formation both present unfavorable free energy barriers for binding. Such barriers must be overcome by favorable free energy contributions from the hydrophobic transfer of ligand from solution into the binding site, polyelectrolyte contributions from coupled ion release, and molecular interactions (hydrogen and ionic bonds, van der Waals interactions) that form within the binding site. Theoretical and semiempirical tools that allow estimates of these contributions to be made will be discussed, and their use in dissecting experimental data illustrated. This process, even at the current level of approximation, can shed considerable light on the drug-DNA binding process.
Microtoxicology. V. Colorimetric reactions and optical crystallographic properties of several antihistaminics of unrelated structure

A scheme, based upon colorimetric and precipitation reactions, has been devised for the identification and differentiation of several antihistaminic drugs. The tests employed are described and the results obtained are tabulated.
SUCCESS OF A DIRECT INSTRUCTION MODEL AT A SECONDARY LEVEL SCHOOL WITH HIGH-RISK STUDENTS

Direct Instruction (DI) is a specific model of instruction within a larger, more generic category of teacher-directed instruction. The goal of the DI model is to close the educational gaps faced by...
Computation of interplanetary hydromagnetic disturbances in a synoptic domain.

The constraints on initial and boundary data for magnetic solenoidality are implemented for MHD computation of interplanetary disturbances. The domain of computation is the entire ecliptic plane outside the solar equator. It is a synoptic domain, without cuts as artificial boundaries. The radial co-ordinate is stretched so that grid points constitute equilateral meshes, to attain the same degree of accuracy in the finite difference approximations for spatial derivatives in orthogonal directions.
Manganese graft ionomer complexes (MaGICs) for dual imaging and chemotherapy

Novel manganese graft ionomer complexes (MaGICs) that contain Mn ions complexed with a polyaminobisphosphonate-g-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) copolymer were developed for use as T1-weighted contrast agents for MRI. The complexes exhibited good colloidal stability without release of free manganese and did not result in any in vitro toxicity against mouse hepatocytes. T1 relaxivities of the MaGICs at physiological pH were 2–10 times higher than that of a commercial manganese-based positive contrast agent. Anticancer drugs including doxorubicin, cisplatin and carboplatin were successfully encapsulated into the MaGICs with high efficiency. Drug release behavior was sustained and depended on pH (faster in acidic environments), drug structures and drug concentration (faster with high concentration). The anticancer drug-loaded manganese nanocarriers exhibited excellent anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells together with high relaxivity. Thus, these drug-loaded MaGICs could potentially be utilized for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Dynamical Adjustment Theory for Boundary Layer Flow in Cold Surges

Abstract Theoretical responses of boundary layer flow for winter cold surges crossing a coastline are determined. Analytical solutions for linearized equations describing the mixed layer adjustments to impulsive heating and surface drag reduction are obtains Dynamical interpretation contrasts with nonturbulent adjustment processes and nonlinear simulations are made. The response depends upon various physical process length males, two reflecting dynamical adjustments and four reflecting turbulence influences. Upstream wind and inversion strength determine a Froude number Fr which strongly influences the flow, regimes resembling quasi-geostrophic and inertia-gravity behavior (modified by turbulence) are identified. These possess strong two-way coupling between wind and inversion, but primarily a one-way influence between temperature and wind. Surface pressure drops may commence over land (small Fr); their maxima (a few millibars) over the sea are smaller than simple boundary layer warming would imply. Examp...
Further defense of the railroads

Colonel Wilgus' statement that the average charge to shippers, as measured by the average revenue for hauling a ton of freight a mile on the railroads, has gone up from $0,007 to $0.01, is true if you take a sufficient length of time and ignore the intermediate period. The seven-mill rate prevailed before the first World War. A great many things have changed since that time. For example, back when seven mills was the average charge per ton per mile for handling freight, the railroads were paying to government for taxes approximately two cents out of each dollar of revenue taken in. Last year the railroads paid in taxes just under ten cents out of each dollar taken in. In the days when railroads were handling freight at seven mills per ton per mile, the wages of engineers, conductors, and all other labor were less than half of what they are now. My recollection is that the average railroad wage in that period was 20-odd cents an hour. Today it is 75 cents an hour.
Reduced-order modelling of limit-cycle oscillation for aeroelastic systems

Limit-cycle oscillations (LCOs) of a nonlinear panel in supersonic flow are computed using a reduced-order aeroelastic model. Panel dynamics are governed by the large-deflection, nonlinear, von Karman equation as expressed in low-order form through a Galerkin approximation. The aerodynamics are described by the Euler equations, which are reduced in order using proper orthogonal decomposition. The coupled system of equations is implicitly time integrated with second-order temporal accuracy to predict LCO amplitude, and linearly analyzed to predict LCO onset. The fluid is synchronized with the structure in time through subiteration, using only 18 dof to describe the aeroelastic system. The Jacobian employed in the fully implicit analysis is of equivalently low rank, enabling rapid analysis. Using the reduced-order model, LCO onset is predicted directly at a computational cost of approximately 400 time steps with a high accuracy verified by full-order analysis.
Escalation of methamphetamine self-administration in adolescent and adult rats

Background Methamphetamine (METH) use has increased substantially in the last 10 years and poses a serious health concern, especially for young populations. Drug abuse primarily begins during adolescence, when uninhibited and excessive and drug intake is a common occurrence; thus, understanding the developmental patterns of addiction during this critical period is an essential step in its prevention. In the present study, the effect of age on the vulnerability to METH abuse was examined using a rat model of bingeing (i.e., escalation).
Symbolic computation and signal processing

Abstract Many problems in digital signal processing can be converted to algebraic problems over polynomial and Laurent polynomial rings, and can be solved using the existing methods of algebraic and symbolic computation. This paper aims to establish this connection in a systematic manner, and demonstrate how it can be used to solve various problems arising from multidimensional signal processing. The method of Grobner bases is used as a main computational tool.
Digital uprising : the Internet revolution in the Middle East.

ABSTRACT We use survey data from 2006–2007 to explore the implications of Internet use on political opinion in the Middle East, arguing that the Internet has had an equalizing effect when government filtering is low. Specifically, the findings indicate that Internet use had a positive effect on political knowledge, political participation, and attitudes about the United States/West and a negative effect on trust in government in Middle Eastern countries with relatively low government filtering practices. Conversely, there were no significant effects in countries with high filtering. Thus, the Internet has the potential to serve as an equalizing force in the region but only if filtering is at a minimum.
On dimension and existence of local bases for multivariate spline spaces

Abstract We consider spaces of splines in k variables of smoothness r and degree d defined on a polytope in R k which has been divided into simplices. Bernstein-Bezier methods are used to develop a framework for analyzing dimension and basis questions. Dimension formulae and local bases are found for the case r = 0 and general k. The main result of the paper shows the existence of local bases for spaces of trivariate splines (where k = 3) whenever d > 8r.
Unresolved questions regarding the origins of Solar System solids

It is remarkable that we possess samples of Solar System solids which have retained a record of galactic and stellar events that occurred well before the birth of the Sun, as well as samples which contain evidence of Solar System processes that occurred during the earliest stages of planet building. The signatures of such processes are most commonly recognized in isotopic anomalies, identifiable against a pervasive background of isotopic homogeneity, and systematic trends in the elemental abundance patterns of primitive meteoritic materials. Although the significance of these anomalies and patterns is unmistakable, their interpretation in terms of specific processes is problematic. Central to such interpretations are questions of spatial scale: do cosmogonically significant isotopic and elemental compositions reflect processes that occurred on the grand scale of the proto–solar cloud, or do they result from many localized events within a nebular or planetary environment? The question is fundamental to our understanding of the formation of solid objects in the Solar System. This question will be examined here, with specific reference to theoretical models of nebular evolution and planet building, and evidence regarding the survival of presolar signatures, the origin of short–lived radionuclides and oxygen isotopic systematics.
Studies on the antagonism by raphe lesions of the antinociceptive action of systemic morphine.

In rats, lesions were placed in the dorsal/median raphe (DMR), in the ventral raphe (VR: raphe magnus), in both the dorsal/median and ventral raphe (DMVR) or in the reticular formation (RF). The effect of the lesions on the antinociception and catalepsy produced by 3 doses of morphine (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg) was examined. The lesions had no significant effect on the catalepsy produced by any of the doses of morphine tested. DMR lesions produced a partial attenuation of the antinociceptive action of both the 3 and 10 mg doses. VR lesions produced a complete blockade of the 3 mg and only a partial attenuation of the 10 mg dose. In contrast, the combined (DMVR) lesions yielded virtually a total blockade of the 3 and 10 mg. Yet, as with the DMR and VR groups, the DMVR lesions failed to produce a significant antagonism on either of the nociceptive tests at the 30 mg dose. These findings suggest that the ascending and descending fiber systems emanating from the dorsal/median and ventral raphe, respectively, facilitate the expression of morphine-induced analgesia but that neither system alone can be regarded as essential for the manifestation of the antinociceptive effects of systematically administered morphine.
Maternal Health Literacy and Late Initiation of Immunizations Among an Inner-City Birth Cohort

To determine if maternal health literacy influences early infant immunization status. Longitudinal prospective cohort study of 506 Medicaid-eligible mother-infant dyads. Immunization status at age 3 and 7 months was assessed in relation to maternal health literacy measured at birth using the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (short version). Multivariable logistic regression quantified the effect of maternal health literacy on immunization status adjusting for the relevant covariates. The cohort consists of primarily African-American (87%), single (87%) mothers (mean age 23.4 years). Health literacy was inadequate or marginal among 24% of mothers. Immunizations were up-to-date among 73% of infants at age 3 months and 43% at 7 months. Maternal health literacy was not significantly associated with immunization status at either 3 or 7 months. In multivariable analysis, compared to infants who had delayed immunizations at 3 months, infants with up-to-date immunizations at 3 months were 11.3 times (95%CI 6.0–21.3) more likely to be up-to-date at 7 months. The only strong predictors of up-to-date immunization status at 3 months were maternal education (high school graduate or beyond) and attending a hospital-affiliated clinic. Though maternal health literacy is not associated with immunization status in this cohort, later immunization status is most strongly predicted by immunization status at 3 months. These results further support the importance of intervening from an early age to ensure that infants are fully protected against vaccine preventable diseases.
An adaptive control strategy for urea-SCR aftertreatment system

Hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other polluting emissions produced by diesel engines are usually much lower than those from gasoline engines. However, higher combustion temperature in diesel engines cause substantially larger percentage of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) emissions. Selective catalyst reduction (SCR) is a well proven technology for reducing NO x emissions from automotive sources and in particular, heavy-duty truck diesel engines. In this paper, we develop a linear parameter varying (LPV) control design method for the urea-SCR aftertreatment system to minimize the NO x emissions and ammonia slippage downstream the catalyst. Performance of the closed-loop system obtained from the interconnection of the SCR system and the output feedback LPV control strategy is then compared with other control design methods including sliding mode, and observer-based static state feedback methods.
Personal narratives: Perspectives on theory and research

Personal narratives are studied in many disciplines, but theoretical analysis of the personal narrative has lagged behind research. This essay presents five perspectives on the personal narrative as communication and performance by analyzing definitions of text, context, and concepts in current research: personal narrative as story‐text, personal narrative as storytelling performance, personal narrative as conversational interaction, personal narrative as social process, and personal narrative as political praxis. The analysis clarifies the nature and function of personal narrative and generates insight into the issues, innovations, and politics of studying personal narratives.
A New Robust Tracking Approach in NLOS Environments

In wireless sensor networks, NLOS propagation often enlarges the errors of position estimates when time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements are used. To mitigate the effects caused by NLOS propagation, herein, an EKF-based robust non-parametric approach is proposed. In this paper, we utilize the variable kernel method to obtain an approximate noise density function, which is inexpensively computational and then used to improve the mobile positioning accuracy. Note that the standard EKF often works well when NLOS error is adequately low. This property could also be used to improve the accuracy of mobile positioning. In the proposed algorithm, a hard decision is employed to choose the rational position estimate which may come from the non-parametric approach or the standard EKF. Numerical simulations show a significant improvement over the standard EKF.
Thermometric measurements of the molecular sublayer at the air‐water interface

[1] A series of measurements was conducted in the Air-Sea Interaction Saltwater Tank (ASIST) to study the response of the air-water interfacial molecular sublayer under various heat flux and wind speed conditions. In-situ gradients were measured with a platinum-plated tungsten wire microthermometer, which resolved the temperature of the thermally conductive sublayer. Air-sea heat flux was controlled by changing the air-water temperature difference (ΔTAW) and the wind speed, and measurements were made for three ΔTAW regimes over a range of wind speeds. A function was fitted to the measured temperature profiles as a way of extracting the boundary layer thickness in a consistent fashion, from which the λ coefficient after Saunders (1967) was computed. This dataset returned a mean λ coefficient of 2.4 ± 0.5, which was generally lower than previous studies, and was found to be independent of wind speed in the range of 1 to 9 ms−1.
Culturally Competent Interventions in Schools for Children with Physical Health Problems.

An estimated 5.2 to 7.8 million children with significant chronic health problems attend school every day in the United States requiring interventions in the school setting. A majority of these students will be from ethnic minority or low-income groups within two decades. Providing culturally competent interventions in schools is critical to optimize the health, educational, and psychological outcomes of children with significant health problems. This article underscores the culture and health connection and presents a 5-step model for providing culturally competent services for health problems in schools. The article is intended to help school personnel to determine if, when, and how to incorporate cultural issues in assessment, treatment planning, and intervention. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 389–396, 2007.
The foundations of Marxist-Leninist ethics

Marxist-Leninist ethics has at last come into its own. After a decade of sporadic Soviet discussion concerning a course in the subject, the Ministry of Higher and Special Secondary Education of the USSR has designated an ethics text for students of higher educational institutions. The book, the first to be so characterized, is Professor A. F. Siskin’s latest work, Osnovy marksistskoj etiki (The Foundations of Marxist Ethics).1 This and the Xrestomatija (Reader) of Marxist ethics2 (which was produced under Siskin’s general editorship) provide ample textual material for a course in the Foundations of Marxist Ethics — a course which has until now been conspicuously absent from the Soviet philosophical and general university program of studies. Such a course has recently been recommended for inclusion in the curriculum of all institutions of higher education.
Estimation and utilization of articulations in recovering non-rigid structure from motion using motion subspaces

Estimation of non-rigid structure from motion (NRSFM) has often been performed as a linear combination of basis shapes. However, when dealing with scenes containing human articulated motion (especially in presence of clothing), the number of basis shapes precludes accurate results. We model deformation as a combination of articulated and non-rigid surface deformation. We propose a novel algorithm for segmenting motion to find articulated components and a hierarchical NRSFM algorithm which estimates articulated and non-rigid structure separately. Our method attempts to remove the articulated motion from the observation matrix leaving behind only the non-rigid component which can be represented with fewer bases. Results show that our method successfully segments motion in a variety of cases and structure reconstruction is improved using the hierarchical framework.
Near- and mid-infrared chemical and biological sensors

Polyaniline has been used as the transducer for an optical sensor by monitoring its evanescent wave spectrum in the near- and mid-IR regions as a function of pH. Cladding on silica and chalcogenide fiber optic cores was replaced with thin films of polyaniline. A low energy electronic transition in the near-IR and vibrational transitions in the mid-IR can be used to predict pH. The near-IR transitions have higher signal-to-noise ratios and are more useful for sensing pH. However, changes in the vibrational transitions observed in the evanescent wave spectra suggest extensive changes in chemical groups as a function of pH. The near-IR evanescent wave sensor was converted into a glucose sensor by immobilizing glucose oxidase on the surface of the polymer. The enzyme converted glucose to gluconic acid and the resulting pH change was used to predict glucose concentrations. Standard errors of prediction for the concentration range of 0 to 20 mM were 0.25 mM for distilled water and 0.8 mM for buffer solutions.
A variety of (3 + 1)-dimensional mKdV equations derived by using the mKdV recursion operator

Abstract We establish a new variety of (3 + 1)-dimensional modified Korteweg–de Vries (mKdV) equations. The recursion operator of the mKdV equation is used to derive these higher-order dimensional integrable mKdV equations. The new integrable equations generate distinct solitons structures and distinct dispersion relations as well.
Interior-point methodology for 3-D PET reconstruction

Interior-point methods have been successfully applied to a wide variety of linear and nonlinear programming applications. This paper presents a class of algorithms, based on path-following interior-point methodology, for performing regularized maximum-likelihood (ML) reconstructions on three-dimensional (3-D) emission tomography data. The algorithms solve a sequence of subproblems that converge to the regularized maximum likelihood solution from the interior of the feasible region (the nonnegative orthant). The authors propose two methods, a primal method which updates only the primal image variables and a primal-dual method which simultaneously updates the primal variables and the Lagrange multipliers. A parallel implementation permits the interior-point methods to scale to very large reconstruction problems. Termination is based on well-defined convergence measures, namely, the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker first-order necessary conditions for optimality. The authors demonstrate the rapid convergence of the path-following interior-point methods using both data from a small animal scanner and Monte Carlo simulated data. The proposed methods can readily be applied to solve the regularized, weighted least squares reconstruction problem.
Differential pulse-position modulation for power-efficient optical communication

We examine the use of differential pulse-position modulation (DPPM) for optical communication systems using intensity modulation with direct detection in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise. We present expressions for the error probability and power spectral density of DPPM. We show that for a given bandwidth, DPPM requires significantly less average power than pulse position modulation (PPM). We also examine the performance of DPPM in the presence of multipath intersymbol interference (ISI). We find that the ISI penalties incurred by PPM and DPPM exhibit very similar dependencies upon the channel RMS delay spread. We discuss the use of chip-rate and multichip-rate equalization to combat ISI. Finally, we describe potential problems caused by the nonuniform bit-rate characteristic of DPPM, and we propose several solutions.
Index to Research in Modern Foreign Language Teaching

Research workers and directors of research have long needed an indication of the nature and location of other projects being investigated, not only to permit correspondence on similar problems but to suggest projects that may be studied. Index A is a topical finding list. Index B gives a description of each project, arranged alphabetically under the name of the person directing the research. It should be understood that this Index lists only the projects reported in response to the three surveys; much other research is in progress that has not been reported.)
Effects of Irregular Structure of the Mississippi Embayment on Ground-Motion Amplification

The objective of this study is to evaluate effects of the presently available 3D velocity model of the Mississippi embayment structure on the amplification of seismic waves by using simulated finite-difference seismograms. Effects of both 2D and 3D embayment basement structures were considered. The 3D model included information of the near-surface velocities that were derived from the existing 1D velocity models. The 2D crustal model was taken from Catchings (1999), which extended from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Memphis, Tennessee. Finite-difference seismograms were simulated for point sources embedded at both ends of the 2D structure. These seismograms were examined to distinguish features like peak amplitude amplifications and duration of seismograms when the seismic waves propagated from the Mississippi Embayment toward the Illinois basin and vice versa. To establish a working 3D structure model of the embayment, we compiled geologic information of the region on material properties of the shallow structure and used the 3D model developed at the Center of Earthquake Research Institute (ceri), Memphis, as the starting model. The 3D model was used to generate finite-difference seismograms along several profiles for a M w 7.2 scenario earthquake occurring on the New Madrid fault zone. An equivalent 1D model, which included the basin materials, was also used to compare the 3D versus equivalent 1D ground motions simulated using the finite-difference method. To establish the amplification factors due to the surface sediments in the 3D model, finite-difference seismograms were also computed for a 1D hard-rock reference model. These 1D and 3D responses of the Mississippi embayment were used for estimating ground-motion amplification at sites where the depth to the basement is deeper than 500 m. Our investigation suggests that the deep structure of the Mississippi Embayment has little impact on long-period ground- motion amplitudes ( T ≥ 2 sec) for large earthquakes that rupture in the central part of the basin. This supports the hypothesis that for engineering purposes ground motions simulated based on the equivalent 1D crustal model are adequate for representing ground motions from future large earthquakes ( M w > 7) occurring in the New Madrid seismic zone.