cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family-Focused Assessment for Identifying Family Resources and Concerns: Parent Preferences, Assessment Information, and Evaluation across Three Methods.

Abstract This study evaluated methods of family-focused assessment for identifying family strengths, resources, concerns, and priorities. Specifically, it examined (a) preferences of parents among assessment methods, (b) the nature and amount of information obtained across methods, and (c) parents' evaluations of their assessment experience. Parents of children with special needs enrolled in early childhood programs were randomly assigned to one of three assessment methods for identifying family resources and concerns: (a) self-report measures ( n = 14); (b) self-report measures combined with an interview ( n = 14); or (c) open-ended interviews ( n = 15). The parents were assigned either to their preferred method (matched) or to a nonpreferred method (mismatched). The results indicated that more parents preferred completing self-report measures in combination with a structured interview to use of self-report measures or interviews alone. Regardless of whether parents participated in their preferred assessment method, the process was rated equally high across parents and methods. The findings are discussed in the context of family-focused assessment practices for early childhood service delivery.
Correlation and provenance of upper Mesozoic chert-rich conglomerate of California

In the central coastal region of California, conglomerate that is rich in chert and quartzite clasts occurs as channel deposits in thin-bedded turbidites of the lower part of the Great Valley sequence of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age (Tithonian to Valanginian). Very similar conglomerate occurs in displaced blocks in melange of the Franciscan assemblage. The Franciscan conglomerate, however, is richer by about 8% in vein-quartz pebbles and requires a slightly different source area. Thick-bedded lithic sandstone in Franciscan melange is also petrographically similar to sandstone of the lower part of the Great Valley sequence, but it is less rich in lithic grains, and, likewise, requires a slightly different source area. The Franciscan conglomerate and sandstone compare most closely with the southernmost exposures of the lower part of the Great Valley sequence near Santa Barbara and may have had a more southerly source area. Younger Franciscan sedimentary rocks are less similar to rocks of the Great Valley sequence, possibly because of the influence of an enlarging subduction complex. Correlative conglomerates of the Great Valley sequence of the Sacramento Valley are very rich in chert clasts, whereas those of the San Joaquin Valley contain more clasts of other sedimentary and volcanic rocks. A speculative model, similar to one proposed previously, suggests that the Great Valley forearc basin formed in an embayment with promontories north and south. The promontories contributed pebbles rich in chert that were transported longitudinally north and south into the basin, then westward. Less extensive, volcanic-rich conglomerates were derived from the east. Comparisons of clast compositions suggest that the chert-rich conglomerates of the Great Valley sequence of the central coast area were deposited about 300 km north of their present positions. Deposition was followed by 700 to 800 km of mid-Cretaceous sinistral strike slip on the Sur-Nacimiento fault and 400 to 500 km of Cenozoic dextral strike slip on the San Andreas fault.
MECHANISM OF VALPROIC ACID UPTAKE BY ISOLATED RAT BRAIN MICROVESSELS

In an effort to characterize putative transport systems of valproic acid (VPA) at the blood-brain barrier, the effects of various substrates and inhibitors of known anion transporters on the equilibrium vessel-to-medium concentration (vessel/medium) ratio of VPA were investigated using isolated rat brain microvessels. The equilibrium vessel/medium ratio of VPA was decreased by the presence of high millimolar concentration of unlabeled VPA, indicating that a saturable transport system was involved in VPA transport from medium to microvessels. Short-chain monocarboxylates such as propionic acid, pyruvic acid, and L-lactic acid did not alter the vessel/medium ratio, whereas medium-chain fatty acids and unsaturated metabolites of VPA significantly inhibited the net transport of VPA. Dicarboxylates, tricarboxylate, and p-aminohippuric acid did not affect VPA accumulation in the brain microvessels. Several anionic drugs including salicylic acid, penicillin G, cefazolin, and probenecid significantly reduced the vessel/medium ratio of VPA. In addition, disulfonate inhibitors of inorganic anion exchangers, SH-group modifying reagent, and metabolic inhibitor showed remarkable inhibitory effects on the net transport of VPA between brain microvessels and medium. These results suggest that VPA may be actively transported through the antiluminal membrane via a carrier-mediated system shared by other anionic drugs.
On robust stabilization synthesis for plants with block structured modeling uncertainty

In this paper we consider the problem of robust stabilization of plants with additive block-structured uncertainty. This problem reduces to an optimization problem of the form ?-1,?,Q in H? ||?(A + BQC) ?-1||?, where ? is constrained to be block-diagonal. Existing methods addressing this problem require complete knowledge of the scaling functions ?. In this paper we provide an alternative algorithm which requires only the values of ? at the unstable poles of the nominal plant. Determining the corresponding robust controller involves outer function interpolation and we provide here a new procedure for this problem. This procedure yields far lower order interpolants than previous methods. Also, we derive sufficient conditions for infinite stability margins for these problems.
Comparing two social revolutions: The dynamics of change in Cuba and Nicaragua

A comparative study of the Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions reveals interesting political issues related to the dynamics of their processes of political and socio‐economic change. Differences in the two revolutions’ ideologies and political cultures, different timing of the process of institutionalization of the two revolutions, contrasting electoral experiences, and constitutions of quite distinct types have led to the establishment of quite divergent political systems. While emanating from very similar historical and geographical contexts and sharing substantive common features, the Cuban and Nicaraguan revolutions are quite different, providing two contrasting models of revolutionary change.
Soybean Reaction to Races 1 and 2 of Heterodera glycines

Soybean cyst nematode (SON, Heterodera glycines lchinohe) is a serious pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in the USA and worldwide. A current classification system has designated 16 different races of SON populations. In the Southern USA, SCN Races 1 and 2 are becoming more prevalent. It is important to identify soybean accessions with resistance to these races. The objective of this study was to bioassay 32 soybean plant introductions (PIs) for resistance to SCN Races 1 and 2 together with standard host differentials and a susceptible control. The bioassays were performed for each of the two races during 1997 to 1998 in thermoregulated water baths in the greenhouse. The results indicated that 25 PIs had resistance to Race 1 and 24 PIs had resistance to Race 2. PIs which were resistant to Race 1 and either moderately resistant or moderately susceptible to Race 2 included PIs 468915, 494182, 507354, 507422, and 509100. PIs 467327, 468903, and 507471 were resistant to Race 2 and additionally were either moderately susceptible or moderately resistant to Race 1. Soybean PIs that were yellow seeded and had various levels of resistance to both races included PIs 494182, 507354, 507422, and 507471. These are the most desirable sources for development of soybean cultivars with resistance to SCN Races 1 and 2. These soybean lines are being fingerprinted by means of microsatellites to identify unique types to allow broadening the diversity of resistance gene introgression.
Foreign Direct Investment in Russia and Lessons for China

This article examines the history, trends, geographical and sectoral preferences, and policy issues of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Russia. Most of the obstacles to FDI in Russia are institutional. The following institutional aspects are reviewed: government restrictions, trade-related investment measures (TRIMs), customs, bureaucracy, legal FDI framework, labor issues, taxation, partnerships with firms, corruption, and crime. The discussion ends with a comparative note on FDI in China.
Almost-correct specifications: a modular semantic framework for assigning confidence to warnings

Modular assertion checkers are plagued with false alarms due to the need for precise environment specifications (preconditions and callee postconditions). Even the fully precise checkers report assertion failures under the most demonic environments allowed by unconstrained or partial specifications. The inability to preclude overly adversarial environments makes such checkers less attractive to developers and severely limits the adoption of such tools in the development cycle.In this work, we propose a parameterized framework for prioritizing the assertion failures reported by a modular verifier, with the goal of suppressing warnings from overly demonic environments. We formalize it almost-correct specifications as the minimal weakening of an angelic specification (over a set of predicates) that precludes any dead code intraprocedurally. Our work is inspired by and generalizes some aspects of semantic inconsistency detection. Our formulation allows us to lift this idea to a general class of warnings. We have developed a prototype acspec, which we use to explore a few instantiations of the framework and report preliminary findings on a diverse set of C benchmarks.
A Monomeric Variant of the CLC-ec1 Transporter

CLC-ec1, a prototypical Cl-/H+ exchanger of the CLC family, is a homodimer in which each subunit is thought to act as a fully functional transporter. Why then is this protein a dimer and what are the factors driving dimer formation? In this study, we address these questions by destabilizing the CLC-ec1 subunit-subunit interface. We substituted tryptophan residues to create steric mismatches at the interface that would also favor lipid interactions. A single mutation, I422W, was sufficient to destabilize the CLC-ec1 complex resulting in a shift from dimer to monomer position on gel-filtration chromatography. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking of I422W in both detergent and phosphatidyl-choline/phosphatidyl-glycerol liposomes showed that the mutant remained a monomer compared to the wild-type protein; however dimer formation was observable at high concentrations. The I422W mutant was functional as measured by 36Cl- uptake, passive Cl- efflux and Cl- driven H+ pumping in E. coli phospholipids. A Poisson-counting method demonstrated that I422W re-dimerizes in these phosphatidyl-ethanolamine-rich liposomes, even at very low protein/lipid ratio. Altogether, these findings suggest that we have purified an isolated monomeric variant of CLC-ec1 that demonstrates shifted dimerization energetics depending on the lipid environment. We continue to search for mutations that will more severely destabilize the dimer, in attempts to obtain a transport-competent, monomeric CLC exchanger.
A hierarchical account-aided reputation management system for MANETs

Encouraging cooperation and deterring selfish behaviors are important for proper operations of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). For this purpose, most previous efforts rely on either reputation systems or price systems. However, these systems are neither sufficiently effective in providing cooperation incentives nor sufficiently efficient in resource consumption. Nodes in both systems can be uncooperative while still being considered trustworthy. Also, information exchange between mobile nodes in reputation systems and credit circulation in price systems consumes significant resources. This paper presents a hierarchical Account-aided Reputation Management system (ARM) to efficiently and effectively provide cooperation incentives. ARM builds a hierarchical locality-aware distributed hash table (DHT) infrastructure for efficient and integrated operation of both reputation and price systems. The infrastructure helps to globally collect all node reputation information in the system, which can be used to calculate more accurate reputation and detect abnormal reputation information. Also, ARM integrates reputation and price systems by enabling higher-reputed nodes to pay less for their received services. Theoretical analysis demonstrates the properties of ARM. Simulation results show that ARM outperforms the individual reputation system and price system in terms of effectiveness and efficiency of providing cooperation incentives and deterring selfish behaviors.
UDP-glucose dehydrogenase from bovine liver: Primary structure and relationship to other dehydrogenases

The primary structure of bovine liver UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH), a hexameric, NAD(+)-linked enzyme, has been determined at the protein level. The 52-kDa subunits are composed of 468 amino acid residues, with a free N-terminus and a Ser/Asn microhetergeneity at one position. The sequence shares 29.6% positional identity with GDP-mannose dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas, confirming a similarity earlier noted between active site peptides. This degree of similarity is comparable to the 31.1% identity vs. the UDPGDH from type A Streptococcus. Database searching also revealed similarities to a hypothetical sequence from Salmonella typhimurium and to "UDP-N-acetyl-mannosaminuronic acid dehydrogenase" from Escherichia coli. Pairwise identities between bovine UDPGDH and each of these sequences were all in the range of approximately 26-34%. Multiple alignment of all 5 sequences indicates common ancestry for these 4-electron-transferring enzymes. There are 27 strictly conserved residues, including a cysteine residue at position 275, earlier identified by chemical modification as the expected catalytic residue of the second half-reaction (conversion of UDP-aldehydoglucose to UDP-glucuronic acid), and 2 lysine residues, at positions 219 and 338, one of which may be the expected catalytic residue for the first half-reaction (conversion of UDP-glucose to UDP-aldehydoglucose). A GXGXXG pattern characteristic of the coenzyme-binding fold is found at positions 11-16, close to the N-terminus as with "short-chain" alcohol dehydrogenases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sensitivity of large-angle pion elastic scattering to medium modifications.

Excitation functions at 175/sup 0/ (lab) for elastic scattering of ..pi../sup +/ from /sup 12/C and /sup 16/O have been measured across the energy region of the pion-nucleon (3,3) resonance. Optical-model calculations with matter distributions deduced from electron scattering qualitatively reproduce the data, but better agreement can be obtained with suitable modifications. These modifications may indicate the effects of the nuclear medium on the basic pion-nucleon interaction.
Auditory-responsive units in the midbrain vocal nuclei in the ring dove (Streptopelia risoria)

Abstract The avian midbrain vocal control nucleus n. intercollicularis (ICo), receives inputs from midbrain auditory nucleus and from a subdivision of auditory thalamus, suggesting a possibility of auditory response units in the ICo. Using single-unit recordings, we explored auditory response units throughout the dorsomedial midbrain of female ring doves under deep general anesthesia (acute preparation). We found exclusively in the ICo, units that responded preferentially to taped courtship coos of conspecifics (male or female coos) and units that responded to specific frequencies present in coos. Units in the midbrain auditory nucleus also responded to these auditory stimulation in a tonotopic fashion, and were responsive to tone burst as well. The results, along with data from other experiments, suggest that species-specific sound responsive units within the ICo may mediate acoustically facilitated female coos and endocrine responses of the ring dove.
An improved method of recording rat tracks for measurement of the sciatic functional index of de medinaceli

The use of paper impregnated with Bromphenol blue for recording normal rat footprints is described. Because paper provides a better grip than X-ray film for the paws of the rats, the resulting tracks make manual scoring easier and more accurate. In addition, the cost of this technique is considerably lower.
Multicultural teaching and learning resources for preparing future faculty in teaching in higher education courses

The author provides a review of readings from which future faculty might explore and begin to shape a multicultural approach to teaching and learning.
Counseling about sexuality in the older person.

Intimacy is a life-long need. All people have the need for love and to be touched, and desire companionship and intimacy. Sexuality, sensuality, and intimacy are an integral part of one’s life. The desire for sex is one of the basic human drives whereas sexual behavior generally involves physical aspects of anatomy, the genitalia, and erogenous zones. More importantly, sexuality is much broader and involves sexual behaviors, emotions, beliefs, attitudes, capacities, and relationships. Sexuality has biologic, affective, cognitive, and motivational components. Society is recognizing the multidimensional nature of sexuality and intimacy and is giving attention to added aspects of touch, love, companionship, caring, play, and trust. The need to be touched, to be an object of affection, to care about, and to be cared for is perhaps the most basic human need. The person who is denied touch, affection, or the connection with another human being slowly deteriorates and dies physically and emotionally [1–5]. In recent years, the subject of sexuality and aging has gained prominence in the treatment of older adults. Stereotypes and myths still prevail that older adults are sexless and loveless; sexually active men are laughingly described as ‘‘dirty old men’’. Contrary to the stereotypes, myths, and societal ignorance, older adults remain sexual beings with desires, fantasies, and active sex lives. An American AssociationforRetiredPersons(AARP)/ModernMaturitymailsurveyofsexuality in 1382 older adults found that 67% of men and 57% of women indicated that satisfying sex is an important part of their lives. Six out of 10 men and women between 45 and 69 years of age have sex once a week. In the 60- to 74-year-old group, 30% of men and 24% of women reported having sex once a week. Of those 75yearsandolder,one outoffour havesex weekly.Overall,the75andoldergroup
Book Review: Economic Value of Weather and Climate Forecasts

Economic Value of Weather and Climate Forecasts, edited by Richard W. Katz and Allan H. Murphy. Cambridge Press, 2005. 222pp. ISBN 0-521-43571-4 (paperback)
“The Expectation Gap”: A Look at the Sybil Palmer Bellos Lecture by Ruth B. Freeman, 1970

Ruth B. Freeman was an outstanding public health nurse leader of her time. Born in 1906, Freeman earned a doctorate and became an educator at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and a prolific author in the field of public health nursing. She spoke elegantly and forthrightly about the issues of public health, placing nursing on a par with other professions working toward the improvement of health on a global level. A year before her retirement, she was invited to give the Sybil Palmer Bellos lecture, an annual event that continues today at the Yale University School of Nursing. Selected excerpts from this lecture are reprinted in this analysis of Freeman's address. The entirety of the address was printed in Public Health Nursing, Volume 1, Issue 1, in 1984.
A case for caution in the pursuit of the sentinel node in women with endometrial carcinoma.

• There are 2 routes of lymphatic drainage for the uterine fundus—parametrial and ovarian.
Clinician interventions and participant characteristics that foster adaptive patient expectations for psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic change.

Patients’ expectations about the efficacy and nature of psychotherapy have long been considered important common treatment factors, and the empirical literature has largely supported this perspective. In this practice-oriented review, we examine the research on the association between patients’ psychotherapy expectations and both adaptive treatment processes and outcomes. We also examine the research on specific psychotherapist interventions and patient and psychotherapist characteristics that influence the development of positive expectations for psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic change. The primary function of this review is to derive applied clinical strategies from the extant empirical literature in order to help clinicians in their attempts to address and influence their patients’ psychotherapy-related expectations. Although the literature is not yet conclusive in supporting such strategies, we place the results in theoretical, clinical, and empirical contexts to suggest the most likely best practices at this time, and to stimulate further research on the expectation construct.
The importance of spectral and temporal properties in species and call recognition in a neotropical treefrog with a complex vocal repertoire

Hyla microcephala males use both single and multi-note advertisement and aggressive calls. Aggressive call introductory notes are more variable and have higher pulse repetition rates than those of advertisement calls. In two-choice experiments, female H. microcephala preferred synthetic conspecific advertisement calls to synthetic calls with pulse repetition rates characteristic of H. ebraccata and H. phlebodes advertisement calls and conspecific aggressive calls. Additional experiments indicated that spectral cues are also sufficient for species discrimination, but temporal information may be more important. Secondary notes of both advertisement and aggressive calls have pulse repetition rates similar to primary notes of advertisement calls. During vocal interactions, males add secondary notes to both advertisement and aggressive calls, and females preferred such complex calls to single-note calls. Hence, males can continue to give calls which will attract females even during aggressive interactions.
On coordination and stabilization of two xerographic printers

The problem of coordinating and stabilizing the two color tone reproduction curves (TRC) of two xerographic printing engines is considered. This problem is critical to enable two printers to print the same image/collection of images in parallel, hence speeding the overall printing process. The proposed control systems use a small number of actuators and a small number of measurements to coordinate and stabilize the potentially high-dimensional TRC of the two printers. The goal for TRC coordination and stabilization is to minimize the overall least squares deviation of the two TRCs and the overall least squares deviation of each of the TRCs from the nominal subject to disturbances on the printers. In this paper an optimal static and robust static controllers are proposed to stabilize and coordinate the potential high dimensional TRC. Simulations and experiments validate the efficacy of the proposed controllers.
Design and analysis of test schemes for algorithm-based fault tolerance

The design and analysis of test schemes for algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT) are examined. The problem is studied under the assumption that no bound is imposed on the size of a test. Upper and lower bounds are established on the number of tests needed to detect a given number of errors. These bounds are sharply different from those previously established under the bounded test size model. The test schemes presented are easy to implement. It is also shown that the design problem for fault detection is NP-hard even when only one fault needs to be detected. It is shown that the analysis problem is, in general, co-NP-complete and hence unlikely to be efficiently solvable. Several restricted versions of the problem that can be solved efficiently are identified. In addition, a new branch-and-bound algorithm for determining the error detectability of a system is presented. >
A comprehensive, integrated three-semester software engineering sequence

At Texas Tech, USA, eight software-related courses in the computer science curriculum have evolved into an integrated software engineering component of the undergraduate curriculum. The most tightly coupled of the courses in this sequence are three junior/senior level courses: "software engineering"; "senior project design"; and "senior project implementation laboratory". A common software engineering operations manual and set of software tools (sometimes developed previously within this course sequence) are used for projects within this three-course sequence, providing the "feel" of a small software development company. Various views aspects of software engineering are compared contrasted within this sequence. By integrating various software engineering principles within either the eight-course segment, and in particular the three junior/senior level courses listed above, the software component of the computer science curriculum has a cohesiveness and unity that it never had previously. Students see how the various aspects of software development relate to each other, and how they relate to the overall whole. This paper provides some details of the junior/senior level course content.
Personnel Practices and Employee Attitudes: A Study of Japaneseand American-Managed Firms in the United States

There has been considerable speculation as to the applicability of Japanese employment practices in industrial settings outside of Japan. This paper reports on a 3 year study of Japanese managed companies in the United States and investigates (1) the extent to which the employment practices of these firms differ from those of matched American firms and (2) whether these differences, if any, contribute to different employee attitudes and behavior as measured by job satisfaction and worker attendance patterns. The findings suggest that Japanese firms in the United States expend more resources per employee on nonpayroll benefits and that employees of Japanese firms in the United States perceive themselves as more satisfied and productive. These perceptions are not supported by worker attendance patterns which found no significant differences between workers at Japanese and American companies.
Effect of capacitance on eddy-current loss in multi-layer magnetic films for MHz magnetic components

High-frequency magnetic component designs using multilayer thin films require accurate estimation of eddy-current loss, because at high frequency, eddy-current loss can be much worse than would be predicted without considering displacement current in the dielectric layers of the thin films. A closed-form expression for predicting the loss is introduced and shown to be more accurate over a wider range of parameters compared to previous work. The consistency of the model with experimental measurements is checked. A power performance factor for high-frequency power magnetics is introduced, and the loss model is used to choose optimal film thicknesses for operation at different frequencies.
Secondary insomnia in the primary care setting: review of diagnosis, treatment, and management.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Insomnia is associated with a number of medical and psychiatric disorders, including chronic pain and clinical depression. Until recently, it was assumed that effective treatment of the underlying medical condition would also correct the sleep disturbance. However, some evidence indicates that treatment of secondary or comorbid insomnia should be considered separately from, and perhaps in addition to, optimizing treatment of the primary condition.Methods: This article reviews the extant literature to examine the impact of secondary and comorbid insomnia on the patient, and on healthcare economics, in the primary care setting, and discusses current diagnostic and treatment approaches. A MEDLINE search was performed for literature published from 1980 to 2005, and retrieved randomized, controlled clinical trials and key review articles for the conditions most often accompanied by secondary insomnia: depression, chronic pain, and menopause/perimenopause. The search terms included those f...
purL gene expression affects biofilm formation and symbiotic persistence of Photorhabdus temperata in the nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora.

Extensive studies of the well-known legume and rhizobium symbiosis model system suggest that the purine metabolic pathway plays a key role in microbe–plant interactions, although the exact mechanism is unknown. Here, we report the impact of a key purine metabolic gene, purL, on the symbiotic interaction between the bacterium Photorhabdus temperata and its nematode partner Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Real-time PCR assays showed that the purL gene was upregulated in P. temperata in the nematode infective juvenile compared with artificial media. Mutation of the purL gene by in-frame deletion dramatically decreased the capacity of the bacterium to persist in infective juveniles and its ability to form biofilm in vitro. It was further demonstrated that purL gene expression was positively related to bacterial biofilm formation and the symbiotic persistence of the bacterium in nematode infective juveniles. A ΔpurL mutant lost the ability to support infective juvenile formation in the media which weakly supported biofilm formation, suggesting that a critical level of biofilm formation is required by the bacteria to support infective juvenile formation and thus establish their partnership. In addition, the defects in both biofilm formation and symbiotic ability due to the disruption of the purL gene could be partially restored by the addition of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), an intermediate of the purine biosynthesis pathway. Overall, these data indicate that the purine metabolic pathway is important in microbe–animal symbioses, and that it may influence symbiotic interactions at the level of biofilm formation.
Sequence-stratigraphic analysis of Eocene clastic foreland basin deposits in central Lake Maracaibo using high-resolution well correlation and 3-D seismic data

Eocene clastic rocks of the Maracaibo Basin were deposited in an asymmetrical foreland basin formed during the oblique Paleogene collision between the Caribbean and South American plates. In this study, we use more than 300 wells and 2000 km2 (772 mi2) of seismic data in the central Maracaibo Basin to produce a detailed sequence-stratigraphic interpretation of the Eocene Maracaibo foreland basin. The base of the Eocene stratigraphic succession in the central Maracaibo area is characterized by an approximately 250-m (820-ft)-thick, aggradational succession of fluviodeltaic sandstone overlain by an approximately 600-m (1968-ft)-thick retrogradational succession of shallow-marine shale and sandstone containing minor progradational units. The upper part of the foreland basin sequence is marked by an approximately 100-m (328-ft)-thick aggradational succession of fluviodeltaic sandstone. In the approximately 1000-m (3280-ft)-thick Eocene section, we interpreted 17 parasequence sets, 6 genetic sequences, and 1 depositional sequence. Only one classic sequence boundary was interpreted within the Eocene section that marks the boundary between the retrogradational shallow-marine section and the overlying aggradational fluviodeltaic succession. Based on the stratigraphic architecture and thickening trends of several of the parasequence sets, we conclude that the main source of clastic sedimentation was located on the South America craton south of the Maracaibo Basin, instead of along the thrusted, north-northeastern margin of the basin as proposed by previous workers. A lack of recognition of classic sequence boundaries suggests that Eocene clastic rocks of the central Maracaibo foreland basin were not subaerially exposed during most of the Eocene, and that their stratigraphic architecture was controlled by tectonic subsidence related to thrusting along the northeastern edge of the foreland basin. Eustasy was not an important control on the stratigraphic evolution of the foreland basin until its middle Eocene aggradational period that marked the end of foreland basin subsidence. Well logs and three-dimensional seismic data show that depositional environments on the Eocene delta plain and shelf of the central Maracaibo foreland basin were dominated by fluvial and tidal processes that are similar to modern depositional processes of the Orinoco delta in eastern Venezuela.
Mechatronics in storage technology

Storage technology is an essential part of computing. The most common device currently in use to store data is the direct access storage device (DASD) or disk drives as they are commonly known. Since their inception in 1956, DASD's have undergone a revolutionary change, and now several generations later store, retrieve, and archive massive quantities of data reliably at a rate (data rate) that renders "real-time" computing, graphical display, and other forms of data processing possible. The demand for data storage continues to increase very rapidly and therefore, the designers of disk drives continue to push the limits and find new frontiers in recording. At the same time, new methods of recording to increase the data densities and data rate are being pursued. Phase change optical recording and magneto-optical recording show promise for data storage for multimedia applications on one hand and inexpensive storage and retrieval devices such as magnetic tape drives are in wide use for common storage needs where data rate is of little significance. In designing of these devices, expertise in many disciplines such as electromagnetics, mechanics, tribology, heat and mass transfer, mechanical design and dynamics of mechanisms is required and the design process is very complicated. In this article, we will study how these disciplines come together and are linked together. Thus Mechatronics in the disk drives applications means study of interactive effects of disciplines listed above.
A mathematical framework for modeling the compositional depth profiles obtained by pulsed laser ablation

This paper presents a simple mathematical model relevant to studies of depth-profile analysis utilizing pulsed laser ablation. The main model predictions (the amount of analyte ablated by a given laser shot, and the resulting crater profile) are independent of the method used to detect the analyte, so that the results are relevant to several techniques: laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS), laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry or mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-OES or LA-ICP-MS) or laser-ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS). The main focus of the model is on the influence of the laser beam radial energy distribution on the depth profiles. Accordingly, super-Gaussian (top-hat) as well as Gaussian laser beams can be modeled. Although the model can be used to simulate depth profiles in samples where the analyte concentration varies continuously as a function of depth, a particular emphasis of this paper is on multilayer samples. The notion of fluence threshold for ablation is also introduced, and the influence of crater aspect ratio is studied. The model is tested in relation to LIBS studies of galvannealed coatings on steel that use a Gaussian Nd∶YAG laser beam at 1064 nm. The simulated depth profiles are found to correctly reproduce the shape of an experimental depth profile of the zinc signal, and the influence of specific model parameters is investigated.
Free energy landscapes for initiation and branching of protein aggregation

Experiments on artificial multidomain protein constructs have probed the early stages of aggregation processes, but structural details of the species that initiate aggregation remain elusive. Using the associative-memory, water-mediated, structure and energy model known as AWSEM, a transferable coarse-grained protein model, we performed simulations of fused constructs composed of up to four copies of the Titin I27 domain or its mutant I27* (I59E). Free energy calculations enable us to quantify the conditions under which such multidomain constructs will spontaneously misfold. Consistent with experimental results, the dimer of I27 is found to be the smallest spontaneously misfolding construct. Our results show how structurally distinct misfolded states can be stabilized under different thermodynamic conditions, and this result provides a plausible link between the single-molecule misfolding experiments under native conditions and aggregation experiments under denaturing conditions. The conditions for spontaneous misfolding are determined by the interplay among temperature, effective local protein concentration, and the strength of the interdomain interactions. Above the folding temperature, fusing additional domains to the monomer destabilizes the native state, and the entropically stabilized amyloid-like state is favored. Because it is primarily energetically stabilized, the domain-swapped state is more likely to be important under native conditions. Both protofibril-like and branching structures are found in annealing simulations starting from extended structures, and these structures suggest a possible connection between the existence of multiple amyloidogenic segments in each domain and the formation of branched, amorphous aggregates as opposed to linear fibrillar structures.
Patterns of Coping Strategy Use and Relationships With Psychosocial Health in Adolescents With Spinal Cord Injury

Objective To investigate patterns of coping among adolescents with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Youth aged 13-18 years with SCI completed measures of participation, quality of life (QOL), mental health symptoms, and coping. A hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis using Ward's method was conducted. Subsequent analyses examined relationships between clusters and psychosocial functioning. Results 199 youth were an average of 15.95 years (SD = 1.71) at interview and 11.02 years (SD = 5.45) at injury. 56% percent were male, 64% White, and 62% had paraplegia. Four groups of "copers" emerged: ineffective, active, avoidant, and cognitive. Cognitive copers reported significantly less mental health symptomatology and higher QOL, followed by avoidant, active, and ineffective copers. Active copers showed significantly greater participation relative to ineffective, avoidant, and cognitive copers. Conclusions These results suggest that coping profiles have meaningful relationships with adjustment. Reliance on cognitive strategies, with low endorsement of other strategies, may be associated with better psychosocial health.
Flying qualities from early airplanes to the Space Shuttle

This paper discusses the historical development of the study of flying qualities and the evolution of flying qualities requirements. Subjects considered include the scope of flying qualities, early historical development of flying qualities, research on flying qualities requirements, human response characteristics, command control systems, gust response and its relation to flying qualities, prediction of flying qualities, discussion of the Space Shuttle and of some recent airplanes, and format of the flying qualities requirements.
Elastic properties and microcracking behavior of particulate titanium diboride-silicon carbide composites

The spontaneous microcracking of particulate TiB{sub 2}-SiC composites is studied as a function of TiB{sub 2} volume fraction. The degree of microcracking was examined by measuring elastic properties from room temperature to 1,300 C. The results showed that only one composition contains microcracks. All other compositions did not microcrack regardless of TiB{sub 2} volume fraction. This was attributed to the difference in the sintering aids. In particular, the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} sintering aid needed in these compositions had reacted with SiO{sub 2} to form an amorphous grain boundary phase that allowed residual stresses to relax by viscous flow at moderate to high temperatures. The existence of this amorphous grain boundary phase was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy.
A probabilistic approach to learn chromatin architecture and accurate inference of the NF-κB/RelA regulatory network using ChIP-Seq

Using nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ChIP-Seq data, we present a framework for iterative learning of regulatory networks. For every possible transcription factor-binding site (TFBS)-putatively regulated gene pair, the relative distance and orientation are calculated to learn which TFBSs are most likely to regulate a given gene. Weighted TFBS contributions to putative gene regulation are integrated to derive an NF-κB gene network. A de novo motif enrichment analysis uncovers secondary TFBSs (AP1, SP1) at characteristic distances from NF-κB/RelA TFBSs. Comparison with experimental ENCODE ChIP-Seq data indicates that experimental TFBSs highly correlate with predicted sites. We observe that RelA-SP1-enriched promoters have distinct expression profiles from that of RelA-AP1 and are enriched in introns, CpG islands and DNase accessible sites. Sixteen novel NF-κB/RelA-regulated genes and TFBSs were experimentally validated, including TANK, a negative feedback gene whose expression is NF-κB/RelA dependent and requires a functional interaction with the AP1 TFBSs. Our probabilistic method yields more accurate NF-κB/RelA-regulated networks than a traditional, distance-based approach, confirmed by both analysis of gene expression and increased informativity of Genome Ontology annotations. Our analysis provides new insights into how co-occurring TFBSs and local chromatin context orchestrate activation of NF-κB/RelA sub-pathways differing in biological function and temporal expression patterns.
Extending the mixed algebraic-analysis Fourier–Motzkin elimination method for classifying linear semi-infinite programmes

Motivated by a recent Basu–Martin–Ryan paper, we obtain a reduced primal-dual pair of a linear semi-infinite programming problem by applying an amended Fourier–Motzkin elimination method to the linear semi-infinite inequality system. The reduced primal-dual pair is equivalent to the original one in terms of consistency, optimal values and asymptotic consistency. Working with this reduced pair and reformulating a linear semi-infinite programme as a linear programme over a convex cone, we reproduce all the theorems that lead to the full eleven possible duality state classification theory. Establishing classification results with the Fourier–Motzkin method means that the two classification theorems for linear semi-infinite programming, 1969 and 1974, have been proved by new and exciting methods. We also show in this paper that the approach to study linear semi-infinite programming using Fourier–Motzkin elimination is not purely algebraic, it is mixed algebraic-analysis.
The “Double-Edge Sword” of Human Empathy: A Unifying Neurobehavioral Theory of Compassion Stress Injury

An integrative neurobehavioral model for “compassion stress injury” is offered to explain the “double-edge sword” of empathy and inherent vulnerability of helping professionals and care-givers. One of the most strikingly robust, yet largely invisible scientific findings to emerge over the past decade is identifying the neurophysiological mechanisms enabling human beings to understand and feel what another is feeling. The compelling convergence of evidence from multi-disciplinary lines of primary research and studies of paired-deficits has revealed that the phenomenon of human beings witnessing the pain and suffering of others is clearly associated with activation of neural structures used during first-hand experience. Moreover, it is now evident that a large part of the neural activation shared between self- and other-related experiences occurs automatically, outside the observer’s conscious awareness or control. However, it is also well established that full blown human empathic capacity and altruistic behavior is regulated by neural pathways responsible for flexible consciously controlled actions of the observer. We review the history, prevalence, and etiological models of “compassion stress injury” such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and empathic distress fatigue, along with implications of the neurobehavioral approach in future research.
Depressed expression of the inducible form of HSP 70 (HSP 72) in brain and heart after in vivo heat shock

The heat shock gene expression plays a role in the protection of cells from injury. In the present study, we have analyzed the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 72 (the major inducible form of the HSP 70 family) in different rat organs after a total body hyperthermia. The content of HSP 72 was greatest in liver and colon. In contrast, accumulation of HSP 72 was low in heart and brain (3-5% and < 1% of the amount in liver, respectively). This low expression of HSP 72 in heart and brain could not be explained by a difference in the actual temperature within these organs. Analysis of cells in culture that resemble hepatocytes, myoblast, and neurons showed a pattern of HSP 72 expression similar to that observed in liver, heart, and brain in vivo after heat shock. These results suggest that this disparate expression of HSP 72 is due to intrinsic characteristics of the cell types rather than to physiological or environmental conditions. The differential expression of HSP 72 among different cell lines could be correlated with the different levels of protein synthesis protection.
Functionality Risk in Software Development

Functionality risk is defined as the risk that a completed system will not meet its users' needs. Understanding functionality risk is central to successful information systems development (ISD), yet much of the research in this area has focused on identification of risk factors and development of conceptual frameworks. Little is known about how various functionality risk factors collectively influence managers' perceptions about the risk that a project will fail. As organizations become increasingly reliant on software, it is evermore important to understand functionality risk in ISD. In this study, we develop an integrative model of functionality risk to explain the relative importance of six salient functionality risk factors that have been consistently identified in the prior ISD literature as being important: (1) related technical knowledge, (2) customer involvement, (3) requirements volatility, (4) development methodology fit, (5) formal project management practices, and (6) project complexity. The model is tested empirically with 60 highly experienced MIS Directors in sixty organizations. In addition to providing empirical support for the proposed model, the relative importance of each of the key functionality risk factors is empirically assessed. Development methodology fit, customer involvement, and use of formal project management practices emerged as the top three functionality risk factors. Additional finer-grained analyses show that high methodology fit lowers several other sources of risk. Implications for research and practice are discussed.