cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the quadtree SAR image formation algorithm

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is investigating an efficient SAR image formation algorithm to support its mission-funded Ultra-Wideband BoomSAR program. The traditional Back-projection technique produces images, requires no memory resources and allows arbitrary motion; however it is very computationally intensive and is therefore appropriate only for postprocessing applications. ARL invented a new recursive backprojector that reduces the computational load from an order N3 to N2Log(N). This new algorithm is competitive in speed with the frequency domain WK processing but requires less memory, and produces fewer artifacts. We compare both algorithms and presents the results of using simulation data and real data.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of time of year and limb removal on rates of ecdysis of eyed and eyestalkless fiddler crabs, Uca pugilator

The incidence of ecdysis among monthly samples of female Uca pugilator, both intact and eyestalkless, was determined from May, 1974 through April, 1975. Among both the intact and eyestalkless crabs the percentages of the crabs that underwent ecdysis varied during the year. During the height of the breeding season in particular, ecdyses were rare among the eyestalkless crabs and absent among the intact ones. The effects of limb removal, either followed by or preceded by eyestalk removal, on the rate of ecdysis were also determined. Eyestalkless crabs from which 4 walking legs were removed either the day before or the day after their eyestalks had been removed underwent ecdysis at a slower rate than crabs lacking only eyestalks, but faster than crabs lacking only 4 walking legs. The high incidence of precocious ecdyses induced by removing large numbers of limbs from eyed crabs appears to be due to the number of limbs removed and not to the weight or volume of limb tissue removed.
Age-related Prevalence of Valvular Regurgitation in Normal Subjects: A Comprehensive Color Flow Examination of 118, Volunteers

We prospectively assessed the influence of aging on the prevalence of valvular regurgitation by using color flow imaging. One hundred eighteen healthy volunteers (21 to 82 years old) had a two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic study that included color flow imaging to assess valvular regurgitation and that was semiquantitated by mapping the dimensions of the color flow regurgitant jet in orthogonal views. The subjects were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of subjects who were younger than 50 years old ( n = 61), and group 2,consisted of subjects who were at least 50 years old ( n = 57). Mitral regurgitation was detected in 57 (48%) of the 118 subjects: 24 subjects (39%) in group 1 and 33 subjects (58%) in group 2. The severity of mitral regurgitation was trivial to mild. Aortic regurgitation was detected in 13 (11%) of the 118 subjects, all in group 2. The severity was trivial to mild. Tricuspid regurgitation was detected in 77 (65%) of the 118 subjects: 35 (57%) in group 1 and 42 (74%) in group 2. The severity was trivial to mild. Pulmonary regurgitation was detected in 24 (31%) of 78 subjects: nine (22%) in group 1 and 15 (41%) in group 2. The severity was trivial. These findings suggest that valvular regurgitation of a trivial or mild degree is a frequent finding in normal subjects and that it increases with age.
Towards localizing on the surface of the beating heart

This paper presents preliminary work toward localizing on a surface which undergoes periodic deformation, as an aspect of research on HeartLander, a miniature epicardial crawling robot. Using only position measurements from the robot, the aim of this work is to use the nonuniform movements of the heart as features to aid in localization. Using a particle filter, with motion and observation models which accurately model the robotic system, registration and localization parameters can be quickly and accurately identified. The presented framework is demonstrated in simulation on dynamic 2-D models which approximate the deformation of the surface of the heart.
The Influence of Aging on Pharyngeal Collapsibility During Sleep

Background Aging increases vulnerability to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Recent data in awake healthy volunteers show a decrease in the genioglossus negative pressure reflex and anatomic compromise with increasing age, suggesting an age-related predisposition to pharyngeal collapse. However, aging effects on pharyngeal collapsibility have not been studied extensively during sleep. We tested the hypotheses that upper airway closing pressure (P close ) and the increase in pharyngeal resistance during sleep (primary outcomes) as well as measures of arousal threshold (secondary outcomes) increase with age. Methods We studied 21 healthy individuals (8 women [mean (± SD) age, 36 ± 18 years] and 13 men [mean age, 41 ± 23 years]) who were between 18 and 75 years of age. During overnight polysomnography, we measured nasal pressure (P mask ) and epiglottic pressure (P epi ) during stage 2 sleep before and after airway occlusion (external valve) until arousal. P close was defined as the pressure at which P mask plateaued despite further decreases in P epi . Results Increasing age was correlated with both pharyngeal collapsibility ([P close ] r = 0.69; p r = 0.56; p Conclusions Older age is associated with increased pharyngeal airway collapsibility during sleep independent of gender and BMI. These data may at least partially explain the mechanisms underlying the predisposition for pharyngeal collapse in the elderly.
Research Note: Greek Tourism: Return to the Drachma?:

This paper estimates tourism demand for Greece with annual Greek tourism revenues from 1975 to 2009. The paper builds on an earlier study by including tourism revenues for Italy, Spain and Turkey as possible tourism substitute countries for Greece. Greek tourism is found to be price elastic, suggesting that a return to the drachma and depreciation would increase tourism revenue in Greece.
Calculation of kinetic energy functions for the ring-twisting and ring-bending vibrations of tetralin and related molecules

Abstract Vector methods have been developed for the computation of the kinetic energy (reciprocal reduced mass) expressions for the ring-twisting and ring-bending vibrations of bicyclic molecules in the tetralin family. The definitions of the bond vectors in terms of these coordinates are presented. Both one- and two-dimensional kinetic energy surfaces have been calculated for tetralin and 1,4-benzodioxan and both are significantly coordinate dependent. The results for the S 0 electronic ground states and S 1 (π, π*) excited states are presented.
Single-molecule analysis of cell surface dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos

Experimental and analytical methods are described for in vivo single-molecule imaging of GFP-tagged proteins at the cell surface and are applied to the developing C. elegans embryo.
Microstructure and microchemistry of an AlZnMgCu alloy matrix-20 vol.% SiC composite

This paper reports on the microstructure and microchemistry of an underaged and overaged Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy matrix composite reinforced with 20 vol. % SiC which is examined using analytical electron microscopy. The presence of MgO particles at the Al/SiC interfaces and Mg[sub 2]Si in the matrix of the composites suggests that Mg could be depleted in the matrix. The precipitates in the unreinforced control alloys were found to be consistently larger than those of the composites following the same heat treatment conditions, suggesting that the aging kinetics of the unreinforced control alloy are faster than those in the composite. Data on the aging acceleration in other Al-alloy matrix composites has been analyzed to study aging kinetics. Aging acceleration was found to be more pronounced with increasing average absolute values of the atomic size misfit parameters of the constituent elements of the major precipitates. This result suggests that the preferential segregation of solute atoms and easier nucleation of precipitates from segregated solutes is responsible for aging acceleration in other composites. On the other hand, the depletion of Mg atoms in the matrix and the lack of interaction between Zn atoms and dislocations seems to be responsible for the aging deceleration in themore » reinforced Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy composites.« less
An operations research approach to racial desegregation of school systems

Abstract A system, called ‘MINTRAN’, has been developed which will solve the school desegregation problem as a multi-product distribution problem, defined as follows. GIVEN: The distribution, by race, of students in a community; the location and capacity of each school; the ethnic composition desired at each school; and the configuration of mass transportation lines in the community; FIND: A plan of assignment of students to schools which achieves the desired ethnic composition at each school; requires no student to travel more than a specified number of minutes per day; and minimizes the total daily student travel time. Output is available for two test cases, one of which is the Brooklyn (1960) elementary school system.
IDEOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN CLASSROOM DISCOURSE: A SOCIOCRITICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ENGLISH LEARNING IN AN URBAN SCHOOL

Using a sociocritical approach to the study of language and literacy and discourse analysis, this article examines student initiated challenges in a sheltered English course with two types of English learners: native+, ESL students; and, recently, arriving ESL students. The analysis draws on 19 hours of video-recorded observations of teacher-student interaction in predominantly whole class literacy activities. Through an in depth analysis of the role of student challenge in ideological constructions, this article shows how native+ generation students insert themselves into the co-construction of meaning. The main argument set forth in this article is that despite engaging in sophisticated language practices such as “challenges,” native+ students still do poorly in their class and assessments are biased toward quieter students who are mostly more recent immigrant students. While the course is socially organized to be responsive to the voices of native+, Latina/o students, there is a need for critical aware...
Acute Urinary Retention Associated With The Use Of Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors

Case 1. An 89-year-old woman with insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation presented to the emergency department with chief complaints of low urine output, poor urinary stream and urinary incontinence 2 days after starting rofecoxib for right shoulder pain. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were elevated to 82 mg./dl. (normal 8 to 20) and 2.2 mg./dl. (normal 0.6 to 1.0), respectively, from baselines of 51 mg./dl. and 1.6 mg./dl., respectively, 2 weeks prior. Urinalysis revealed a pH of 5.5, specific gravity of 1.015 and acellularity. Post-void residual urine volume was elevated at 200 cc and an indwelling urethral catheter was placed. Four days later the catheter was removed, and the patient was able to void to completion. Repeat BUN and creatinine were 54 mg./dl. and 1.6 mg./dl., respectively. Case 2. A 72-year-old woman was hospitalized for ischemic heart disease. Co-morbidities included osteoarthritis. Five days prior to admission the patient had been placed on rofecoxib for lower extremity joint pain. Urological inpatient consultation was requested because of an episode of acute urinary retention. She had no prior voiding complaints, or history of urological or gynecological surgery. Physical examination was unremarkable. Initial catheterized bladder volume was 1,200 cc. Urinalysis was normal, and BUN and creatinine were 30 mg./dl. and 1.5 mg./dl., respectively. The patient was taking no other medications. She was started on an intermittent catheterization program, and rofecoxib was discontinued. Twenty-four hours after discontinuation of rofecoxib, the patient began voiding spontaneously with negligible post-void residual urine volumes. Case 3. A 75-year-old man with mild lower urinary tract symptoms managed with an -blocker had acute worsening of symptoms 1 week after initiation of celecoxib for treatment of arthritis pain. Physical examination was unremarkable. The prostate was approximately 40 gm. and benign. Urinalysis was unremarkable. Post-void residual urine volume was 150 cc, which was significantly elevated over a volume of 60 cc measured 3 months prior. The patient remained on tamsulosin, but celecoxib was discontinued. By day 7 his normal voiding pattern had resumed, with a post-void residual urine volume of 45 cc and a return to baseline voiding symptoms. DISCUSSION
A Seismic Refraction Survey in the Northern Rocky Mountains: More Evidence for an Intermediate Crustal Layer

Summary The results of two seismic profiles in the north-western United States indicate a crustal thickness in the northern Rocky Mountains (British Columbia and the Idaho-Montana border) of about 37 km. Rapidly diminishing amplitudes of the basement arrivals were interpreted as being the result of the velocity decreasing with depth. A strong second arrival phase was interpreted as arising from a velocity gradient at the top of the intermediate crustal layer. At a distance of 700 km a sharp drop in the amplitude of the first arrival phase was observed which may be the result of the penetration of the rays into a low velocity zone beginning at a depth of about 44 km.
Pyrido[2,3-H]-2,6-naphthyridines. I. Synthesis and thermal reactions of the 2,2′bisacylazide of 3,3′ bipyridine

2 The2′-bisacylazide of 3,3′-bipyridine (1) has been synthesized from the (4,7)-phenantholine-5,6-dione (3) and the thermal decomposition of this new bisacylazide has been shown to give rise to the Curtius rearrangement and subsequent cyclization to the pyrido[2,3-h]-2,6-naph-thridinone ring system 8.
Low-temperature epitaxy of Ge films by sputter deposition

It is shown experimentally that isoepitaxial growth of Ge films on Ge substrates can be obtained by dc sputtering at substrate temperatures as low as 100 C. The crystallographic structure and orientation of the films are strongly influenced by such deposition parameters as substrate temperature, growth rate, surface contamination, and sputtering-gas purity. The amorphous-polycrystalline transition occurs between 110 and 115 C, while the polycrystalline-single crystalline transition occurs at roughly 140 C. The crystallographic order increases with increasing substrate temperature.
Oligoclonal expansion of T cell receptor V beta 2 and 3 cells in the livers of mice with graft-versus-host disease

The nonsuppurrative destructive cholangitis lesions in the B10.D2 (donor) into BALB/c (host) mouse graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) model are dependent on CD4 T cells that use a T cell receptor-beta chain variable region (Vbeta) repertoire, which is heavily biased toward Vbeta2 and Vbeta3 usage. We hypothesized that liver Vbeta2(+) and Vbeta3(+) CD4 T cells originate from donor mice and recognize BALB/c minor histocompatibility alloantigens and BALB/c endogenous retroviral superantigen-6, respectively. To test this hypothesis, we determined the donor:host chimera status of infiltrating liver lymphocytes and the clonal states of liver Vbeta2(+) and liver Vbeta3(+) CD4 cells isolated from GVHD mice. A limited donor TCR Vbeta repertoire composed of Vbeta1(+), 2(+), 3(+), 4(+), 6(+), and 8(+) cells infiltrated the livers of GVHD mice on day 3. Consistent with a response to immunodominant host minor histocompatibility antigens, we detected oligoclonal liver Vbeta2(+) T cells in 40% of GVHD mice studied on day 3 and in 100% of GVHD mice studied on day 14. Typical of superantigen stimulation, extremely polyclonal liver Vbeta3(+) T cells were detected in 100% of GVHD mice studied on day 3 and 40% of GVHD mice studied on day 14. Yet, the liver Vbeta3(+) T cells in 60% of the day 14 GVHD mice were oligoclonal, pointing to a response to minor histocompatibility antigens.
Theoretical Analysis of Focusing and Intensity Mechanisms for a Spot Bonding Process Using Femtosecond Laser

In this paper we present the analysis of the focus and intensity mechanisms for a spot bonding process using a femtosecond pulsed laser with a Gaussian beam profile. The bonding process bonds two thin optically transparent materials by focusing the laser beam at their interface to form a joint with minimum damage to the surrounding material. The parameters that effect the bonding process are the focal length of the lens used, the beam intensity and waist, the angle of incidence of the laser on the material surface, and material characteristics such as thickness and refraction index. We performed numerical analysis for a number of focal lengths considering the above-mentioned factors. Plots showing the heat affected zone and energy loss to reflection through the thickness of the material as functions of focal length are presented. These plots help in determining the focal length to be used for surface bonding with femtosecond lasers.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Metallic coatings for enhancement of thermal contact conductance

The reliability of standard electronic modules may be improved by decreasing overall module temperature. This may be accomplished by enhancing the thermal contact conductance at the interface between the module frame guide rib and the card rail to which the module is clamped. Some metallic coatings, when applied to the card rail, would deform under load, increasing the contact area and associated conductance. This investigation evaluates the enhancements in thermal conductance afforded by vapor deposited silver and gold coatings. Experimental thermal conductance measurements were made for anodized aluminum 6101-T6 and electroless nickel-plated copper C11000-H03 card materials to the aluminum A356-T61 rail material. Conductance values for the electroless nickel-plated copper junction ranged from 600 to 2800 W/m(exp 2)K and those for the anodized aluminum junction ranged from 25 to 91 W/m(exp 2)K for contact pressures of 0.172-0.862 MPa and mean junction temperatures of 20-100 C. Experimental thermal conductance values of vapor deposited silver- and gold-coated aluminum A356-T61 rail surfaces indicate thermal enhancements of 1.25-2.19 for the electroless nickel-plated copper junctions and 1.79-3.41 for the anodized aluminum junctions. The silver and gold coatings provide significant thermal enhancement; however, these coating-substrate combinations are susceptible to galvanic corrosion under some conditions. 25 refs.
Role of GTP hydrolysis in microtubule polymerization: evidence for a coupled hydrolysis mechanism.

The relationship between GTP hydrolysis and microtubule assembly has been investigated by using a rapid filtration method. Microtubules assembled from phosphocellulose-purified tubulin, double-labeled with [gamma-32P]- and [3H]GTP, were trapped and washed free of unbound nucleotide on glass fiber filters. The transient accumulation of microtubule-bound GTP predicted by uncoupled GTP hydrolysis models [Carlier & Pantaloni (1981) Biochemistry 20, 1918-1924; Carlier et al. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 4428-4437] during the rapid assembly of microtubules was not detectable under our experimental conditions. By calculating hypothetical time courses for the transient accumulation of microtubule-bound GTP, we demonstrate that microtubule-bound GTP would have been detectable even if the first-order rate constant for GTP hydrolysis were 4-5 times greater than the pseudo-first-order rate constant for tubulin subunit addition to microtubules. In a similar manner, we demonstrate that if GTP hydrolysis were uncoupled from microtubule assembly but were limited to the interface between GTP subunits and GDP subunits (uncoupled vectorial hydrolysis), then microtubule-bound GTP would have been detectable if GTP hydrolysis became uncoupled from microtubule assembly at less than 50 microM free tubulin, 5 times the steady-state tubulin concentration of our experimental conditions. In addition, during rapid microtubule assembly, we have not detected any microtubule-bound Pi, which has been proposed to form a stabilizing cap at the ends of microtubules [Carlier et al. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 3555-3559]. Also, several conditions that could be expected to increase the degree of potential uncoupling between GTP hydrolysis and microtubule assembly were examined, and no evidence of uncoupling was found. Our results are consistent with models that propose cooperative mechanisms that limit GTP hydrolysis to the terminal ring of tubulin subunits [e.g., O'Brien et al. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 4148-4156]. The results are also consistent with the hypothesis that a slow conformational change in tubulin subunits after GTP hydrolysis and Pi release occurs that results in destabilized microtubule ends when such subunits become exposed at the ends.
Halogen redistribution reactions between alkyl halides and trimethylsilyl iodide

Abstract Trimethylsilyl iodide has been found to react rapidly at 50°C with 1-fluorooctane, 2-fluorooctane and benzyl fluoride to produce the corresponding octyl or benzyl iodides and trimethylsilyl fluoride. Also, it reacts rapidly and cleanly with t-butyl chloride or bromide to form t-butyl iodide. However, it does not react readily with the 1-octyl, 2-octyl, benzyl or allyl chlorides or bromides. We have discovered that tetra-n-butylammonium iodide catalyzes the reactions of primary alkyl chlorides or bromides with trimethylsilyl iodide, and molecular iodine catalyzes the reactions of secondary and tertiary alkyl chlorides and bromides. However, tetra-n-butylammonium iodide slows down the reactions of secondary and tertiary alkyl chlorides and bromides. Mechanistic pathways are suggested for each of the various types of halogen redistribution processes encountered.
Reducing cardiovascular risk in diabetes. Which factors to modify first

PREVIEWDiabetic patients are at high risk for morbidity and mortality from vascular complications. Therefore, it is important to identify and modify cardiovascular risk factors early in these patients. In this article, Dr Spanheimer discusses the major risk factors as well as other atherogenic factors and presents a practical approach for achieving recommended treatment goals.
A Problem-Solving Based Mathematics Course and Elementary Teachers' Beliefs

This study examined the impact a problem-solving based mathematics content course for preservice elementary education teachers (PSTs) had on challenging the beliefs they held with respect to mathematics and themselves as doers of mathematics. Nine PSTs were interviewed to gain insight into changes that occurred to their belief systems and what aspect(s) of the course were instrumental in producing those changes. Surveys to measure how strongly PSTs subscribed to five mathematical beliefs were administered to 137 PSTs who were enrolled in the course. Significant positive changes (p < .01) were observed for four of the five beliefs. When changes were studied by achievement level, students with final grades of A or B showed statistically significant changes (p < .005) in three of the five beliefs. Students who were interviewed consistently reported increased confidence in their mathematical abilities as a result of the course.
Effect of retinoids on carcinogen-induced mutagenesis in Salmonella tester strains

Abstract The ability of retinol (Rol) in altering mutation frequencies induced by 7 carcinogens was studied in Salmonella/microsome assay using 4 tester strains namely TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA1535. The 7 carcinogens used were aflatoxin B1 (AFB), cyclophosphamide (CPP), 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA), benzo[a]pyrene (BP), benz[a]anthracene (BA), 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and mitomycin C (MMC). As reported previously, Rol significantly reduced the number of His+ revertants induced by AFB. It also reduced mutations induced by CPP or MCA but not that by BP, BA, DMBA or MMC. The abilities of Rol, retinoic acid, retinyl acetate and a known inhibitor for certain P-450 isozymes, 7,8-benzo-flavone (BF) in inhibiting mutations caused by AFB and BP were studied and compared. All the 3 retinoids caused significant reduction of AFB-induced His+ revertants in a dose-dependent manner, but there was no effect on BP-induced mutation. BF strongly inhibited both AFB- and BP-induced revertants. The possibility of retinoids in exerting their effects on mutagenesis of precarcinogens by inhibiting only certain forms of cytochrome P-450 enzymes is discussed.
Binary Offset Carrier Modulations for Radionavigation

ABSTRACT: Current signaling for GPS employs phase shift keying (PSK) modulation using conventional rectangular (non-return to zero) spreading symbols. Attention has been focused primarily on the design of the spreading code and selection of the keying rates. But better modulation designs are available for next-generation radionavigation systems, offering improved performance and the opportunity for spectrum sharing while retaining implementation simplicity. This paper describes a class of particularly attractive modulations called binary offset carrier (BOC). It presents important characteristics of modulations for radionavigation, introduces several specific BOC designs that satisfy different applications in evolving radionavigation systems, describes receiver processing for these modulations, and provides analytical and numerical results that describe the modulations' performance and demonstrate advantages over comparable conventional PSK modulations with rectangular spreading symbols.
“Putting Up” Stories for the Future: The Southeast Kansas Oral History Project

This article examines the first phase of a small, collaborative digital project in terms of project life cycle, including a review of general project management literature focused on the library and information services field. The project is the Southeast Kansas Farm History Oral History Project. Published on the web using OCLC‟s CONTENTdm software, it contains oral history of southeast Kansas farm residents in the form of sound recordings, transcripts, and photographs. The project is a joint project between Axe Library Special Collections of Pittsburg State University, the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center, and the Parsons Public Library.
Supporting application network flows with multiple QoS constraints

There is a growing need to support real-time applications over the Internet. Real-time interactive applications often have multiple quality-of-service (QoS) requirements which are application specific. Traditional provisioning of QoS in the Internet through IP routing — Intserv or Diffserv — faces many technical challenges, and is also deterred by the huge deployment issues. As an alternative, application providers often build their own application-specific overlay networks to meet their QoS requirements. In this paper, we present a unified framework which can serve diverse applications with multiple QoS constraints. Our scalable flow route management architecture, called MCQoS, employs a hybrid approach using a path vector protocol to disseminate aggregated path information combined with on-demand path discovery to find paths that match the diverse QoS requirements. It uses a distributed algorithm to dynamically adapt to an alternate path when the current path fails to satisfy the required QoS constraints. We do large-scale simulation and analysis to show that our approach is both efficient and scalable, and that it substantially outperforms the state of the art protocols in accuracy. Our simulation results show that MCQoS can reduce the false negative percentage to less than 1% compared with 5–10% in other approaches, and eliminates false positives, whereas other schemes have false positive rates of 10–20% with minimal increase in protocol overhead. Finally, we implemented and deployed our system on the Planetlab testbed for evaluation in a real network environment.
Developing cost models with qualitative variables for dynamic multidatabase environments

A major challenge for global query optimization in a multidatabase system (MDBS) is the lack of local cost information at the global level due to local autonomy. A number of methods to derive local cost models have been suggested recently. However, these methods are only suitable for a static multidatabase environment. In this paper, we propose a new multi-state query sampling method to develop local cost models for a dynamic environment. The system contention level at a dynamic local site is divided into a number of discrete contention states based on the cost of a probing query. To determine an appropriate set of contention states for a dynamic environment, two algorithms based on iterative uniform partitioning and data clustering, respectively, are introduced. A qualitative variable is used to indicate the contention states for the dynamic environment. The techniques from our previous (static) query sampling method, including query sampling, automatic variable selection, regression analysis and model validation, are extended so as to develop a cost model incorporating the qualitative variable for a dynamic environment. Experimental results demonstrate that this new multi-state query sampling method is quite promising in developing useful cost models for a dynamic multidatabase environment.
Spontaneous Discounting of Availability in Frequency Judgment Tasks

Discounting is a causal-reasoning phenomenon in which increasing confidence in the likelihood of a particular cause decreases confidence in the likelihood of all other causes. This article provides evidence that individuals apply discounting principles to making causal attributions about internal cognitive states. In particular, the three studies reported show that individuals will fail to use the availability heuristic in frequency estimations when salient causal explanations for availability exist. Experiment 1 shows that fame is used as a cue for discounting in estimates of surname frequency. Experiment 2 demonstrates that individuals discount the availability of their own last name. Experiment 3, which used individuals' initials in a letter-frequency estimation task, demonstrates that simple priming of alternative causal models leads to discounting of availability. Discounting of cognitive states can occur spontaneously, even when alternative causal models are never explicitly provided.
Global evolution of nubbin expression patterns in arthropods: emerging view.

In our recent study, we focused on analyzing nubbin (nub) expression in several insect species (Li and Popadic 2004). As a part of our analysis, we used previously reported spider data (Abzhanov and Kaufman 2000) to infer the global patterns of nubbin evolution in arthropod embryos. The insight obtained suggested a progressive gain of nub expression in gnathal appendages, leg segments, and CNS. In the previous issue of Evolution & Development, Prpic and Damen (2005) provided new valuable data from another spider species. The new data raise a question as to whether two of our previously reported gains of expression (in gnathal appendages and in leg segments) were correctly inferred. More specifically, Prpic and Damen suggested a loss of expression as an alternative explanation. Here, I discuss the issue of gain vs. loss in the light of the observed extraordinary diversity and dynamics of nubbin expression in arthropods.
Planar oxygen-centered lattice instabilities in Tl-based high-temperature superconductors

Abstract Analysis of the copper K-edge X-ray absorption finestructure on Tl2Ba2CuO6, Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8, and Tl2Ba1.2Sr0.8 CuO6 indicates that the copper-equatorial oxygen local structure changes in the vicinity of the superconducting transition. These data also show that the radial distribution function for these bonds is complex with several oxygen positions relative to the copper, indicating that the local structure of the CuO2 planes differs significantly from the average crystal structure. These results suggest the presence of polarons in these planes, whose structure changes across the superconducting transition, and are thus coupled to the hole pairing states.
Translocation carcinomas of the kidney.

A subset of renal carcinomas that most commonly affect young patients has been characterized by various translocations that involve chromosome Xp11.2; all result in gene fusions that involve the TFE3 transcription factor gene. In the past few years, several different Xp11.2-translocation carcinomas have been identified and characterized at the morphologic and molecular levels. These include a distinctive renal carcinoma that bears a translocation with the identical breakpoints and identical resulting ASPL–TFE3 gene fusion as alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), a rare pediatric soft tissue neoplasm of uncertain histogenesis. These Xp11.2 translocation carcinomas are now accepted as a distinctive entity in the 2004 World Health Organization’s renal tumor classification [1]. In addition, a novel and unusual epithelioid renal neoplasm that is characterized by a recurrent t(6:11)(p11.2;q12) chromosome translocation has been described, and recently was found to bear a fusion that involves the related TFEB transcription factor gene. Because TFEB and TFE3 are members of the MiTF/TFE family of transcription factors, and the Xp11 and t(6;11) translocation neoplasms share clinical morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features, we propose to expand the existing category of Xp11-translocation carcinomas and group these neoplasms under a new category of ‘‘MiTF/TFE family translocation carcinomas.’’ This article describes the morphologic and molecular features of these recently-defined neoplastic entities.
The Role of Diet, Physical Activity and Body Composition in Cancer Prevention

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” These words were spoken by Hippocrates in 440 BC, yet today they have as much application to health and the diet-cancer link as ever. To expand on this notion, Hippocrates also stated that, “All parts of the body that have a function, if used in moderation, and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become healthy and well developed and age slowly; but if unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.” Epidemiological evidence gathered over the past 50 years continues to support the belief that over 30 % of all cancers could be prevented through optimal dietary selections and a physically active lifestyle (Doll and Peto (J Natl Cancer Inst 66:1191–1308, 1981; Colditz 2011)). These are modifiable behaviors within our communities. Yet, over this same period, we have continued to make poor food choices, reduce our level of physical activity, and experience a continuing rise in the rates of overweight and obesity to the extent that obesity has become an epidemic in the USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.CDC.gov, 2012). Not surprisingly, these trends have undermined efforts to reduce cancer incidence.
Three-dimensional particle beam simulation using high performance graphics processing hardware

In this paper, a new three- dimensional particle beam simulation using a high performance hardware is introduced. The graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware is highly parallel and has low-cost computational capabilities. The code uses NVIDIA CUDA programming model and a particle trajectory integration steps on the graphics hardware, in a standard 4th-order Runge-Kutta scheme. The model uses mesh less representations for electromagnetic fields, based on either analytic formulas or field expansion techniques, to achieve a high degree of parallelism in the calculations. The author describe potential applications of the code for 3D simulation of vacuum electronic devices, and present details of both the algorithms used and simulation performance results.
Hierarchical nonlinear model for persistency of milk yield in the first three lactations of Holsteins

Abstract A nonlinear model, Wood’s function, was used to describe the shape of the lactation curve in the first three lactations of Holstein cows. Wood’s function was reparameterized to include the logarithm of persistency as a parameter. The data consisted of 65 677 test-day records of 2875 cows. All cows were required to have first lactation test-day milk yield records. A three-stage Bayesian hierarchical nonlinear model was implemented. The first stage described within-cow variation and the second stage accounted for between-animal variation. The third stage consisted of the priors used. Negative genetic correlations between the first (measure of yield) and second (related to the increasing yield phase of lactation) parameters of Wood’s function were found for all three lactations: −0.59, −0.55 and −0.39 for first, second and third lactations, respectively. The genetic correlation between the first parameter of Wood’s function and log-persistency was negative in each of the three lactations (−0.20, −0.31 and −0.31). The genetic correlation between the second parameter and log-persistency was low (0.06, 0.09, 0.03 for each of the lactation). Heritabilities of all parameters tended to decrease with parity, mainly due to an increase in residual variance. Heritabilities of persistency were 0.17, 0.16 and 0.14 for first, second and third lactations, respectively. The genetic correlation between persistency in the three lactations was 0.26 (first and second), 0.32 (second and third) and 0.23 (first and third). Residual correlations followed a similar pattern, but tended to be larger in absolute value than genetic correlations.
The Self-Reference Effect: Demonstrating Schematic Processing in the Classroom

The self-reference effect, which occurs when individuals show superior memory for information that pertains to their self-schemas, was demonstrated in a classroom setting. Subjects first evaluated ...
Pneumopericardium as a first sign of oesophageal perforation: the role of echocardiography.

A 64-year-old male with a palliative metallic stent placed in for oesophageal carcinoma 7 months ago presented to the hospital with acute dyspnoea. He was found to have small air bubbles swirling in the pericardial space giving ‘fish tank’ appearance with moderate effusion ( Panel A ; see Supplementary data online, Video S1 ), suggestive of pneumopericardium on the echocardiogram. With a suspicion for …
Stabilizing an Unstable Economy

"Mr. Minsky long argued markets were crisis prone. His 'moment' has arrived." -The Wall Street Journal In his seminal work, Minsky presents his groundbreaking financial theory of investment, one that is startlingly relevant today. He explains why the American economy has experienced periods of debilitating inflation, rising unemployment, and marked slowdowns-and why the economy is now undergoing a credit crisis that he foresaw. Stabilizing an Unstable Economy covers: The natural inclination of complex, capitalist economies toward instability Booms and busts as unavoidable results of high-risk lending practices "Speculative finance" and its effect on investment and asset prices Government's role in bolstering consumption during times of high unemployment The need to increase Federal Reserve oversight of banks Henry Kaufman, president, Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc., places Minsky's prescient ideas in the context of today's financial markets and institutions in a fascinating new preface. Two of Minsky's colleagues, Dimitri B. Papadimitriou, Ph.D. and president, The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, and L. Randall Wray, Ph.D. and a senior scholar at the Institute, also weigh in on Minsky's present relevance in today's economic scene in a new introduction. A surge of interest in and respect for Hyman Minsky's ideas pervades Wall Street, as top economic thinkers and financial writers have started using the phrase "Minsky moment" to describe America's turbulent economy. There has never been a more appropriate time to read this classic of economic theory.
Girls' Delinquency and the Justice Implications of Intake Workers' Perspectives

Abstract This research examines the legal processing of girls in the context of intake workers' perceptions of girls' delinquency in a large southwestern county in which Mexican-Americans are the numerical majority. Using official records and in-depth interviews, girls' delinquency and the complexities of intake workers' perceptions of gender, ethnicity and social class are examined. With the exception of a low number of referrals for drugs, girls were referred for those offenses most common among girls nationally: shoplifting, status offenses, and simple assaults. Juvenile Probation and Parole Officers (JPPOs) explained girls' referrals in the context of family and other relationships. Girls were described as sexualized and manipulative. JPPOs identified white girls as privileged and linked this privilege to conflict with parents. Latinas were described as experiencing the most pressure toward traditional gender roles and a sex-based double standard. The implications of these data for juvenile justice de...
Chemoendocrine Therapy for Premenopausal Women With Axillary Lymph Node–Positive, Steroid Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer: Results From INT 0101 (E5188)

Purpose Chemotherapy, tamoxifen, and ovarian ablation/suppression (OA/OS) are effective adjuvant approaches for premenopausal, steroid hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. The value of combined therapy has not been clearly established. Patients and Methods Premenopausal women with axillary lymph node–positive, steroid hormone receptor–positive breast cancer (1,503 eligible patients) were randomly assigned to six cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil (CAF), CAF followed by 5 years of monthly goserelin (CAF-Z), or CAF followed by 5 years of monthly goserelin and daily tamoxifen (CAF-ZT). The primary end points were time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) for CAF-Z versus CAF, and CAF-ZT versus CAF-Z. Results With a median follow-up of 9.6 years, the addition of tamoxifen to CAF-Z improved TTR and DFS but not OS. There was no overall advantage for addition of goserelin to CAF. Conclusion Addition of tamoxifen to CAF-Z improves outcome for preme...
Transgenic Technology and Laboratory Animal Science.

Transgenic technology allows the introduction of new and functional genetic material into the germ line. The first advanced eukaryotes to prove amenable to such genetic modifications were mice (Gordon and others 1980; Gordon and Ruddle 1981); subsequently, a variety of species including fish and fruit flies have been subject to transgenic manipulation. Germline gene transfer has enormously increased the rate of progress in understanding mammalian development. As a consequence of this improved knowledge, important insights into many disease processes have been gained, and new strategies for genetic engineering of livestock have been devised. These many advances have been comprehensively reviewed elsewhere (Palmiter and Brinster 1986; Gordon 1989). A related publication has also previously appeared in this ILAR News (Gordon 1988). In this paper transgenic technology will be discussed with the issues of laboratory animal sciences as a reference point. The extant approaches to gene transfer will first be discussed, after which some representative examples of transgenic experiments for studying gene regulation and creating models of disease will be presented. Throughout this article, issues of reproductive management, aspects of colony maintenance that require special emphasis, and IACUC review of transgenic protocols will serve as themes. However, in the last segment of the manuscript, direct focus on specific aspects of laboratory animal management will be provided.
Construction of a high-resolution genetic linkage map and comparative genome analysis for the reef-building coral Acropora millepora

Background: Worldwide, coral reefs are in decline due to a range of anthropogenic disturbances, and are now also under threat from global climate change. Virtually nothing is currently known about the genetic factors that might determine whether corals adapt to the changing climate or continue to decline. Quantitative genetics studies aiming to identify the adaptively important genomic loci will require a high-resolution genetic linkage map. The phylogenetic position of corals also suggests important applications for a coral genetic map in studies of ancestral metazoan genome architecture. Results: We constructed a high-resolution genetic linkage map for the reef-building coral Acropora millepora, the first genetic map reported for any coral, or any non-Bilaterian animal. More than 500 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were developed, most of which are transferable in populations from Orpheus Island and Great Keppel Island. The map contains 429 markers (393 gene-based SNPs and 36 microsatellites) distributed in 14 linkage groups, and spans 1,493 cM with an average marker interval of 3.4 cM. Sex differences in recombination were observed in a few linkage groups, which may be caused by haploid selection. Comparison of the coral map with other metazoan genomes (human, nematode, fly, anemone and placozoan) revealed synteny regions. Conclusions: Our study develops a framework that will be essential for future studies of adaptation in coral and it also provides an important resource for future genome sequence assembly and for comparative genomics studies on the evolution of metazoan genome structure.
Transposition-Based Plant Transformation

Agrobacterium T-DNAs were used to deliver transposable Dissociation (Ds) elements into the nuclei of potato (Solanum tuberosum) cells. A double-selection system was applied to enrich for plants that only contained a transposed Ds element. This system consisted of a positive selection for the neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene positioned within Ds followed by a negative selection against stable integration of the cytosine deaminase (codA) gene-containing T-DNA. Sixteen of 29 transgenic plants were found to contain a transposed element while lacking any superfluous T-DNA sequences. The occurrence of this genotype indicates that Ds elements can transpose from relatively short extrachromosomal DNA molecules into the plant genome. The frequency of single-copy Ds transformation was determined at 0.3%, which is only about 2.5-fold lower than the potato transformation frequency for backbone-free and single-copy T-DNAs. Because of the generally high expression levels of genes positioned within transposed elements, the new transformation method may find broad applicability to crops that are accessible to Agrobacterium T-DNA transfer.
Estimating the Reliability of MDP Policies: a Confidence Interval Approach

Past approaches for using reinforcement learning to derive dialog control policies have assumed that there was enough collected data to derive a reliable policy. In this paper we present a methodology for numerically constructing confidence intervals for the expected cumulative reward for a learned policy. These intervals are used to (1) better assess the reliability of the expected cumulative reward, and (2) perform a refined comparison between policies derived from different Markov Decision Processes (MDP) models. We applied this methodology to a prior experiment where the goal was to select the best features to include in the MDP statespace. Our results show that while some of the policies developed in the prior work exhibited very large confidence intervals, the policy developed from the best feature set had a much smaller confidence interval and thus showed very high reliability. © 2007 Association for Computational Linguistics.