cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge specification of an expert system

It is proposed that knowledge specifications be used as bases for developing and maintaining expert systems. It is suggested that through knowledge acquisition, a knowledge specification representing the kinds of knowledge and reasoning processes used to perform a task can be produced. A prototype can then be built to test and improve the knowledge specification. When a stable and satisfactory specification is obtained, a production system for end users, based on the specification rather than on the prototype, can be implemented. The knowledge specification guides system changes during maintenance. An experimental study to assess and improve this methodology is reported. Prototyping is discussed, an expert system knowledge specification is presented, and a methodology for creating a knowledge specification using conceptual structures is described. The methodology is compared with a currently popular methodology for expert system development. The proposal is primarily intended for medium- to large-scale expert systems, which may have several developers and whose users will not be developing the systems. >
Effects of coal fly ash-amended composts on the yield and elemental uptake by plants

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of coal fly ash‐amended composts for use as an alternate manure for agricultural crops. “Home‐made”; organic compost was mixed in various proportions with fine fly ash collected from Savannah River Site (SRS 484‐D), and allowed to decompose for two weeks while the mixture was kept wet. Water extracts from the amended composts were analyzed for selected major and trace elements. These amended composts were mixed with sifted sandy loam soil in a predetermined optimum ratio of 1: 3 and used to grow corn and sorghum plants. It was shown that fly ash additions to “home‐made”; compost facilitated efficient plant utilization of nutrients when 20–40% fly ash in compost was applied to the soil. The maximum dry shoot yields correlated with the higher concentrations of K, Ca and N and lower concentrations of B in the amended compost treatment.
The influence of inorganic anions on the formation and stability of Fe3+-transferrin-anion complexes.

Harris (Biochemistry 24 (1985) 7412) reports that inorganic anions bind to human apotransferrin in such a way as to perturb the ultraviolet spectrum. The locus of binding is thought to invole the specific metal/anion-binding sites since no perturbation is observed with Fe3+-transferrin-CO32−. Paradoxically, we were unable to demonstrate the formation of Fe3+-transferrin-inorganic anion complexes despite the presence of high concentrations of SO42−, H2PO4−, Cl−, ClO4− or NO3−. Similar results were found for human lactoferrin. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and visible spectrophotometry were used to monitor the results. An attempt to form the H2PO4− complex by displacement of glycine from Fe3+-transferrin-glycine resulted only in the disruption of the ternary complex. A series of inorganic anions varied in their ability to release iron from Fe3+-tranferrin-CO3Psu2− at pH 5.5, the approximate pH of endosomes where iron release takes place within cells. The order of effectiveness was H2P2O72−⪢H2PO4−>SO42−>NO3−>Cl−>ClO4−. The rate of iron removal from Fe3+-transferrin-CO32− at pH 5.5 by a 4-fold excess of pyrophosphate was greatly enhanced by physiological NaCl concentration. Iron removal was complete within 10 min, the approximate time for iron release from Fe3+-transferrin-CO32− in developing erythroid cells. Thus, inorganic anions may have a significant effect on the release of iron under physiological conditions despite the fact that such inorganic anins cannot act as synergistic anins. The results are discussed in relation to a special role for the carboxylate group in allowing ternary complex formation.
Effects of Hyperoxia on the Arousal Response to Upper Airway Obstruction in Lambs

ABSTRACT: Experiments were done to investigate the effects of increased inspired oxygen on the arousal response from sleep to upper airway obstruction in 10 newborn lambs. Each lamb was anesthetized and instrumented for recordings of electrocorticogram, electrooculogram, nuchal and diaphragm electromyograms, and measurements of systemic arterial blood pressure and oxygen saturation (fiberoptic catheter oximeter). A tracheotomy was performed and a fenestrated tracheostomy tube was placed in the trachea. A 5F balloon tipped catheter was inserted into the tube so that airflow could be obstructed by inflating the balloon. No sooner than 3 days after surgery, measurements were made during a control period and during an experimental period of upper airway obstruction; the inspired oxygen fraction was alternated hourly between 0.21 and 0.60. A total of 57 epochs of quiet sleep and 58 epochs of active sleep was obtained in eight lambs. Arousal was significantly delayed (p < 0.005) during active sleep (21 ± 6 s; mean ± 1 SD) compared to quiet sleep (7 ± 2 s) in room air. Increased inspired oxygen significantly delayed arousal (p < 0.05) during active sleep (47 ± 25 s), but had little effect on arousal in quiet sleep (10 ± 4 s). These results provide evidence that arousal from active sleep following upper airway obstruction in lambs is primarily initiated by a decrease in arterial oxygen. However, arousal from quiet sleep following upper airway obstruction in lambs appears to be initiated by other stimuli.
A note on similarity measures between vague sets and between elements

Recently, Chen (Fuzzy Sets and Systems 74 (2) (1995) 217-223; IEEE Trans. Syst. Man and Cybern., 27 (1) (1997) 153-158) proposed a set of methods for measuring the degree of similarity between vague sets and between elements, and presented some examples to illustrate the application of the said measures in handling behavior analysis problems. In this paper, we showed by examples that the similarity measures proposed by Chen do not fit well in some cases, and proposed a set of modified measures. Comparing the similarity degree of each measure, the modified similarity measures turned out to be more reasonable in more general cases than the previous one.
Deciding which drugs get onto the formulary: a value-based approach.

Abstract Objectives Hospitals, physicians, payers, and patients face economic and ethical decisions about the use of biotechnology drugs, commonly called specialty medications. These often target a small population, have data based on smaller clinical trials, are expensive, and may have questionable advantage. This is a result of how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves medications, which is based only on safety and efficacy. Cancer drugs, once approved by the FDA, regardless of cost or value must be covered by Medicare. Some states have laws requiring additional coverage as well. All of this has created an unintended consequence: It has driven up costs with questionable evidence to support the medication's value, placing patients, payers, and providers in an ethical conflict. In this new era of health care transformation, health care leaders must focus on creating value to support a sustainable health system. Christiana Care Health System's Value Institute has designed a new model to evaluate specialty medications, using value as its main criterion. Methods This article describes the process and outcomes using a new value model for evaluating specialty medications for a hospital formulary. It also introduces a new criterion of evaluation entitled "Societal Benefit" that provides a rating on quality- of-life issues. With measurable factors of efficacy, risk, cost, and quality-of-life concerns, our methodology provides a more balanced approach in the evaluation of specialty medications. Results Specialty medications are the fastest growing segment of drug expense, and it is hard to understand how these medications will be sustainable under health care reforms. Unlike other countries, the United States has no national agency providing cost-effectiveness review; review occurs, if at all, at a local level. Laws governing Medicare and most private insurers' coverage of FDA-approved medication and some clinical quality standards conflict with cost-effectiveness, making this type of review difficult. Finally, because these medications affect the health system as a whole, it is a great example to begin to support health care reform. Conclusions Hospitals need to challenge the value of specialty medication. Although our model will continue to evolve, value is now our central consideration when selecting specialty medications to be added to the formulary. We share this experience to encourage other hospitals to design their own approach to this vital issue.
Laminar mass transfer in the wake region of closely spaced drops

Abstract A new model for mass transfer in the laminar wake region formed by closely spaced drops is proposed. The wake mass transfer model can be used to calculate the time-dependent local ambient conditions experienced by interacting drops falling on a verticle trajectory. Results are shown for a representative three and five-drop streamer absorbing a trace gas from a stagnant environment.
A combined first-principles and data-driven approach to model building

Abstract We address a central theme of empirical model building: the incorporation of first-principles information in a data-driven model-building process. By enabling modelers to leverage all available information, regression models can be constructed using measured data along with theory-driven knowledge of response variable bounds, thermodynamic limitations, boundary conditions, and other aspects of system knowledge. We expand the inclusion of regression constraints beyond intra-parameter relationships to relationships between combinations of predictors and response variables. Since the functional form of these constraints is more intuitive, they can be used to reveal hidden relationships between regression parameters that are not directly available to the modeler. First, we describe classes of a priori modeling constraints. Next, we propose a semi-infinite programming approach for the incorporation of these novel constraints. Finally, we detail several application areas and provide extensive computational results.
Cytoplasmic viscosity near the cell plasma membrane: Measurement by evanescent field frequency-domain microfluorimetry

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the unique physical milieu just beneath the cell plasma membrane influences the rheology of fluid-phase cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic viscosity was evaluated from the picosecond rotation of the small fluorophore 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) by parallel-acquisition Fourier transform microfluorimetry (Fushimi and Verkman, 1991). Information about viscosity within
Structure and Dynamics of Micellar Aggregates in Aqueous Nafion Solutions Reported by Electron Spin Resonance and Fluorescence Probes

Aqueous solutions of Nafion, an ionomer consisting of a perfluorinated backbone and pendant sulfonic groups, were studied by the electron spin resonance (ESR) spin probe method and by fluorescence spectroscopy. The spin probes used were 4-(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkyl)ammonium-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl cations (CATn) with n, the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group of the probe, equal to 1 (CAT1), 8 (CAT8), and 16 (CAT16). The ESR spectra of the probes were analyzed in terms of line shapes as a reflection of the local dynamics and 14N hyperfine splittings as indicators of the local polarity. The line shapes point to slower dynamics for the larger probes, CAT8 and CAT16, suggesting that these probes are located deeper inside the aggregates compared to CAT1. The high local polarity reflected in the magnetic parameters was explained by assuming water penetration into the aggregates. The local polarity was estimated from the intensity ratio, R, of the third to the first vibronic peaks (R = IIII/II) i...
Mechanical Relaxation Response of 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo Steel

The mechanical relaxation of 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo steel was examined in the temperature range 450 to 566°C for times to 100 hr. Data from four heats were included. The relaxation strength was found to vary with heat treatment by a factor of three from the weakest to the strongest. The extent of recovery and tempering that occurred during relaxation was displayed by means of isochronous stress vs strain curves constructed from multiple loading tests. Recovery of the yeild strength during relaxation was observed at temperatures as low as 538°C.
Perry revisited—A fresh look at Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years

(1989). Perry revisited—A fresh look at Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years. Studies in Higher Education: Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 347-350.
Rico: a security proxy for mobile code

Security technology suitable for the burgeoning embedded system market has not been widespread. Untrusted code downloaded from the Internet poses numerous security risks due to the possible presence of viruses or other malicious entities. System administrators typically administer one or more administrative domains making policy management for mobile code a challenge because of the diverse security rules that must be adhered to. In this paper, we introduce Rico, a binary rewriting, security policy and code management system that sits between clients and servers. The system interposes itself between a client that downloads mobile code and the target server to provide the system administrator a means to secure untrusted code by rewriting it. The system supports the following features: (1) A security policy editor that simplifies policy writing with frame wizards, syntax reminders and error checking. (2) Third-party policy incorporation enabling reuse of security policies created by trusted third parties. (3) Policy composition, the capability of combining multiple security policies into one logical policy that can be applied to a mobile program. (4) Efficient security management supported by a graphical user interface and a self-training database.
Unpaired π-spin density in defected graphite

Abstract Simple rules not requiring machine computation are enunciated to predict unpaired π-electron spins in graphitic structures, and these rules are illustrated in application to defected graphites with boundaries (i.e. with edges) or with local vacancy defects. The rules follow from a simple resonance-theoretic argument to give the number and general location of unpaired or nearly unpaired electrons. In addition a band-theoretic scenario for edge- or defect-localized unpaired electrons is outlined. Tight-binding molecular orbital theoretic computations are reported to compare against the resonance-theoretic predictions. The favorability of the comparisons tends to validate our easily applicable generalization of traditional resonance-theoretic organic chemical rationale, now in application to patterns of π electronic behavior for extended graphitic systems with defects.
Development of cortical vesicles in Sicyonia ingentis ova: Their heterogeneity and role in elaboration of the hatching envelope

In the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis, ova lack cortical vesicles at spawning. Previous ultrastructural studies suggested that two different populations of cortical vesicles (dense vesicles and the ring vesicles) appear within 30 min post-spawning. These vesicles undergo sequential exocytosis (exocytosis of the dense vesicles followed by exocytosis of the ring vesicles) that leads to the formation of a hatching envelope around the ovum (see Pillai and Clark: Tissue & Cell 20:941-52, 1988). In the present study, lectins were used as molecular probes to study the development of cortical vesicles subsequent to spawning and the role of these vesicles in formation and elaboration of the hatching envelope. Isolated envelopes were screened with 11 different lectins to determine what group(s) were specific to the envelope glycoconjugates; Concanavalin A (Con A), Griffonia simplicifolia (GS II), Lens culinaris (LCA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) bound to the envelopes. FITC-lectin studies of sectioned ova (fixed at various time points after spawning) utilizing WGA and LCA showed different labelling patterns. Data obtained at the light microscopical level indicated that WGA was specific to the dense vesicles and the outer portion of the envelope, while LCA exhibited specificity for the ring vesicles and the inner portion of the envelope. At the ultrastructural level, gold-LCA labelling was seen associated with the cisternal elements (containing ring-shaped structures), ring vesicles, and the inner layer of the fully formed envelope. These data demonstrated that 1) the ring vesicles are formed by fusion of cisternal elements containing ring-shaped structures; 2) the two species of cortical vesicles are chemically heterogeneous; and 3) the components of each type of vesicle contribute to different integral parts (the outer and inner layers) of the hatching envelope.
The pseudomonotone stochastic variational inequality problem: Analytical statements and stochastic extragradient schemes

Variational inequality problems find wide applicability in modeling a range of optimization and equilibrium problems. We consider the stochastic generalization of such a problem wherein the mapping is pseudomonotone and make two sets of contributions in this paper. First, we provide sufficiency conditions for the solvability of such problems that do not require evaluating the expectation. Second, we consider an extragradient variant of stochastic approximation for the solution of such problems and under suitable conditions, show that this scheme produces iterates that converge in an almost-sure sense.
Modularity in the mammalian dentition: mice and monkeys share a common dental genetic architecture.

The concept of modularity provides a useful tool for exploring the relationship between genotype and phenotype. Here, we use quantitative genetics to identify modularity within the mammalian dentition, connecting the genetics of organogenesis to the genetics of population-level variation for a phenotype well represented in the fossil record. We estimated the correlations between dental traits owing to the shared additive effects of genes (pleiotropy) and compared the pleiotropic relationships among homologous traits in two evolutionary distant taxa—mice and baboons. We find that in both mice and baboons, who shared a common ancestor >65 Ma, incisor size variation is genetically independent of molar size variation. Furthermore, baboon premolars show independent genetic variation from incisors, suggesting that a modular genetic architecture separates incisors from these posterior teeth as well. Such genetic independence between modules provides an explanation for the extensive diversity of incisor size variation seen throughout mammalian evolution—variation uncorrelated with equivalent levels of postcanine tooth size variation. The modularity identified here is supported by the odontogenic homeobox code proposed for the patterning of the rodent dentition. The baboon postcanine pattern of incomplete pleiotropy is also consistent with predictions from the morphogenetic field model. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 316:21–49, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Climate for Creativity: A Quantitative Review

Abstract Creativity is commonly held to emerge from an interaction of the person and the situation. In studies of creativity, situational influences are commonly assessed by using climate measures. In the present effort, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine 42 prior studies in which the relationships between climate dimensions, such as support and autonomy, and various indices of creative performance were assessed. These climate dimensions were found to be effective predictors of creative performance across criteria, samples, and settings. It was found, moreover, that these dimensions were especially effective predictors of creative performance in turbulent, high-pressure, competitive environments. The implications of these findings for understanding environmental influences on creativity and innovation are discussed.
Near-end crosstalk mitigation in ADSL systems

Near-end crosstalk (NEXT) is one of the major impairments to the current asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) downstream transmission. This paper presents two methods for an ADSL receiver to cancel one (dominant) NEXT signal from other types of services (such as HDSL (high-bit-rate DSL), SDSL (single-pair, symmetric DSL), T1, etc.). The methods exploit the fact that the crosstalk signal has a large excess bandwidth and its spectra in the main lobe and in the excess band are strongly correlated. The principal idea is then to estimate the crosstalk in some frequency bands (e.g., excess band) and cancel it in other frequency bands (e.g., main lobe). The frequency-domain analysis in this paper provides an intuitive explanation of the crosstalk estimation and cancellation, as well as a guidance to select the right frequency bands to observe the crosstalk signal. Moreover, a fast algorithm is proposed for practical implementation. This algorithm avoids matrix inversion and large matrix multiplication in every transmission block. Simulation results show that one of the proposed methods, minimum mean-squares error estimation and cancellation, is very effective to cancel one (dominant) NEXT and the improvement is significant in terms of the data rate and the line reach for the ADSL service. For example, using a real measured NEXT transfer function, the proposed method can increase the ADSL downstream data rate by 200% for some loops. The methods are extended to estimate and cancel two or more crosstalkers. The amount of improvement depends on the crosstalkers' characteristics and it is generally less than that of a single crosstalker case.
Electrostatically accelerated encounter and folding for facile recognition of intrinsically disordered proteins.

Achieving facile specific recognition is essential for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that are involved in cellular signaling and regulation. Consideration of the physical time scales of protein folding and diffusion-limited protein-protein encounter has suggested that the frequent requirement of protein folding for specific IDP recognition could lead to kinetic bottlenecks. How IDPs overcome such potential kinetic bottlenecks to viably function in signaling and regulation in general is poorly understood. Our recent computational and experimental study of cell-cycle regulator p27 (Ganguly et al., J. Mol. Biol. (2012)) demonstrated that long-range electrostatic forces exerted on enriched charges of IDPs could accelerate protein-protein encounter via “electrostatic steering” and at the same time promote “folding-competent” encounter topologies to enhance the efficiency of IDP folding upon encounter. Here, we further investigated the coupled binding and folding mechanisms and the roles of electrostatic forces in the formation of three IDP complexes with more complex folded topologies. The surface electrostatic potentials of these complexes lack prominent features like those observed for the p27/Cdk2/cyclin A complex to directly suggest the ability of electrostatic forces to facilitate folding upon encounter. Nonetheless, similar electrostatically accelerated encounter and folding mechanisms were consistently predicted for all three complexes using topology-based coarse-grained simulations. Together with our previous analysis of charge distributions in known IDP complexes, our results support a prevalent role of electrostatic interactions in promoting efficient coupled binding and folding for facile specific recognition. These results also suggest that there is likely a co-evolution of IDP folded topology, charge characteristics, and coupled binding and folding mechanisms, driven at least partially by the need to achieve fast association kinetics for cellular signaling and regulation.
‘Our Knowledge of God’ in the Theology of John Baillie

I have chosen this title for two reasons: first, to indicate that this essay will focus primarily on issues of religious epistemology; and, second, to acknowledge with gratitude my indebtedness to the work of that brilliant but frequently neglected Scottish theologian and churchman of the first half of this century, the late Principal John Baillie of New College, Edinburgh.
Lymphoepithelial cyst (LEC) of the pancreas : Cytomorphology and differential diagnosis on fine-needle aspiration (FNA)

Lymphoepithelial cyst (LEC) of the pancreas is an extremely rare benign entity. We describe the cytopathologic findings of such a lesion in a 49-yr-old woman who was examined for epigastric pain. A trans-esophageal ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of a pancreatic mass disclosed an intimate mixture of squamous epithelial cells and small, mature lymphocytes in a background of keratinaceous debris, anucleate squames, and multinucleated histiocytes. On histopathologic examination, a subsequent resection showed a multiloculated cystic lesion with a stratified squamous epithelial lining surrounded by well-formed lymphoid tissue, suggestive of LEC. The differential diagnosis includes other pancreatic pseudocysts, dermoid cyst, mucinous cystic neoplasms, adenosquamous carcinoma, and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.
Absolute rate constants for the additions of halophenylcarbenes to alkenes: a reactivity-selectivity relation

The absolute rate constants determined for the additions of FCPh, ClCPh, and BrCPh to Me2C=CMe2, Me2C=CHMe, trans-MeCH=CHEt, and n-BuCH=CH2 appear to follow a reactivity/selectivity pattern of the “normal” (inverse) type.
Organometallic Compounds : IV. Phenyl-tin cleavage by chelating agents

Abstract Acetylacetone, benzoylacetone, dibenzoylmethane, salicylaldehyde, and S-quinolinol react with diphenyltin dichloride to produce tin-phenyl cleavage products of the type Cl 2 Sn(Ch) 2 , where HCh is a bidentate, monoprotic chelating agent. Two quadridentate diprotic ligands of the type H 2 Ch′, 3,3′'-(ethylenedinitrilo)-dibutyrophenone and 6,6′-[ethylenebis(nitrilomethylidyne)]di- o -cresol, react with diphenyltin dichloride under similar conditions to give products of the general type Cl 2 SnCh′.
HLA-DM Interactions with Intermediates in HLA-DR Maturation and a Role for HLA-DM in Stabilizing Empty HLA-DR Molecules

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II–positive cell lines which lack HLA-DM expression accumulate class II molecules associated with residual invariant (I) chain fragments (class II–associated invariant chain peptides [CLIP]). In vitro, HLA-DM catalyzes CLIP dissociation from class II–CLIP complexes, promoting binding of antigenic peptides. Here the physical interaction of HLA-DM with HLA-DR molecules was investigated. HLA-DM complexes with class II molecules were detectable transiently in cells, peaking at the time when the class II molecules entered the MHC class II compartment. HLA-DR αβ dimers newly released from I chain, and those associated with I chain fragments, were found to associate with HLA-DM in vivo. Mature, peptide-loaded DR molecules also associated at a low level. These same species, but not DR-I chain complexes, were also shown to bind to purified HLA-DM molecules in vitro. HLA-DM interaction was quantitatively superior with DR molecules isolated in association with CLIP. DM-DR complexes generated by incubating HLA-DM with purified DR αβCLIP contained virtually no associated CLIP, suggesting that this superior interaction reflects a prolonged HLA-DM association with empty class II dimers after CLIP dissociation. Incubation of peptide-free αβ dimers in the presence of HLA-DM was found to prolong their ability to bind subsequently added antigenic peptides. Stabilization of empty class II molecules may be an important property of HLA-DM in facilitating antigen processing.
Caffeine and Its Effect on Persons With Mental Disorders

Whereas caffeine is widely accepted for use in society, it can be physically and psychologically harmful, especially to those with a mental illness. The effects of caffeine on specific mental illnesses and the medications used to treat them will be discussed. A review of addiction to caffeine and withdrawal from caffeine will also be presented. An assessment tool used to determine potential caffeine abuse is provided.
Federal Justice in Western Missouri: The Judges, the Cases, the Times

Combining legal and historical research, Larsen analyses a federal court at work over the course of 150 years and studies the roles of individual judges in an effort to convey the extent of changes that have occurred in the role and scope of the US government and its courts.
Abalone farm discharges the withering syndrome pathogen into the wild

An intracellular bacterium Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, also called Withering-Syndrome Rickettsia-Like Organism (WS-RLO), is the cause of mass mortalities that are the chief reason for endangerment of black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii). Using a real-time PCR assay, we found that a shore-based abalone farm in Santa Barbara, California, discharged WS-RLO DNA into the ocean. Several other shore-based abalone farms discharge effluent into critical habitat for black abalone in California and this might affect the recovery of wild black abalone. Existing regulatory frameworks exist that could help protect wild species from pathogens released from shore-based aquaculture.
A Large Speculator in Contagious Currency Crises: A Single "George Soros" Makes Countries More Vulnerable to Crises, but Mitigates Contagion

This paper studies the implications of the presence of a large speculator such as George Soros during a contagious currency crisis. The model shows that the presence of the large speculator makes countries more vulnerable to crises, but mitigates the contagion of crises across countries. The model presents policy implications of financial disclosure and size regulation of speculators such as hedge funds. First, financial disclosure by speculators eliminates contagion, but may make countries more vulnerable to crises. Second, regulating the size of speculators (e.g., prohibiting hedge funds from high leverage and thereby limiting the amount of short selling) makes countries less vulnerable to crises, but makes contagion more severe.
Do Environmental Similarities Explain the Similarity in Intelligence of Identical Twins Reared Apart

Abstract Taylor (1980) claims to show that the similarity in IQ between monozygotic twins reared apart (MZA's) in the three classic studies by Newman, Freeman, and Holzinger (1937), Shields (1962), and Juel-Nielsen (1965) is due to similarity in their environments. A reanalysis, using Taylor's classification of the twins into similar and dissimilar environments on the basis of four different criteria, but using the alternate IQ measure used in two of the studies, shows that his findings do not constructively replicate. Taylor's conclusion that “it seems reasonable to suggest that the IQ correlations characterizing pairs of individuals with absolutely identical genes and absolutely uncorrelated environments would be extremely low” cannot be substantiated from the evidence at hand.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch is required for the differentiation of follicular helper T cells

Follicular helper T cells (T(FH) cells) are responsible for effective B cell-mediated immunity, and Bcl-6 is a central factor for the differentiation of T(FH) cells. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the induction of T(FH) cells remain unclear. Here we found that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch was essential for the differentiation of T(FH) cells, germinal center responses and immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to acute viral infection. Itch acted intrinsically in CD4(+) T cells at early stages of T(FH) cell development. Itch seemed to act upstream of Bcl-6 expression, as Bcl-6 expression was substantially impaired in Itch(-/-) cells, and the differentiation of Itch(-/-) T cells into T(FH) cells was restored by enforced expression of Bcl-6. Itch associated with the transcription factor Foxo1 and promoted its ubiquitination and degradation. The defective T(FH) differentiation of Itch(-/-) T cells was rectified by deletion of Foxo1. Thus, our results indicate that Itch acts as an essential positive regulator in the differentiation of T(FH) cells.
The Health Belief Model and Predictions of Health Actions

An important role of applied social science in health has been the promulgation of theory designed to account for health behaviors of individuals and groups. Efforts to model various health-related actions have multiplied and become increasingly sophisticated. Stone (1979), in his comprehensive review of psychology and the health system, noted that “the questions of why people behave as they do and how they may be induced to behave differently have represented the core of American psychology throughout this century” (p. 70). Recent growth in the study of health behavior has significant roots in the pioneering efforts of applied psychologists and sociologists, represented in the frameworks outlined in the seminal article by Kasl and Cobb (1966). As noted by Leventhal, Zimmerman, and Gutmann (1984) in their critical review, “the health belief model is the cognitive model most frequently used in studies of health behavior and compliance” (p. 384).
Variation-aware thermal characterization and management of multi-core architectures

The accuracy and efficiency of dynamic power and thermal management are both affected by the increased levels of on-chip variation, mainly because dynamic thermal management schemes are oblivious to the variation characteristics of the underlying hardware. We propose a technique that utilizes the existing on-chip sensor infrastructure to improve the inherent thermal imbalances among different cores in a multi-core architecture. Thermal sensor readings are compiled to generate an on-chip variation map, which is provided to the system power/thermal management to effectively manage the existing on-chip variation. Experimental analysis based on live measurements on a special test-chip shows reduced on-chip heating with no performance loss, which improves the power/thermal efficiency of the chip at no cost.
The foldome in cellular force transduction

The Human Genome is essentially complete, and yet the impact on how we understand physiological processes such as cellular force transduction has been minimal in part because of our inability to work from known sequence to structure, i.e. the Foldome. In order to specifically identify cytoskeletal proteins that change conformation or assembly in stressed versus static cells, in situ labeling of sterically-shielded or ‘cryptic’ cysteines with fluorophores is analyzed by quantitative mass spectrometry, sequential two-dye labeling, and fluorescence imaging. Within red blood cells, shotgun labeling shows that shielded cysteines in the two isoforms of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin are increasingly labeled as a function of shear stress and time, indicative of forced unfolding of specific domains. Within mesenchymal stem cells – as a prototypical nucleated cell – non-muscle myosin IIA and vimentin are just two of the cytoskeletal proteins identified that show differential labeling in tensed versus drug-relaxed cells. Cysteine labeling of proteins within live cells can thus be used to fluorescently map out sites of molecular-scale deformation, and the results also suggest means to co-localize signaling events such as phosphorylation with forced unfolding.
In Vitro Wound Healing Responses to Enamel Matrix Derivative

Background: Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) contains a variety of hydrophobic enamel matrix proteins and is extracted from developing embryonal enamel of porcine origin. EMD has been associated with the formation of acellular cementum and it has been found to stimulate periodontal regeneration. The present study was established to investigate the influence of EMD on human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells, gingival fibroblasts (GF), and osteosarcoma (MG-63) cells on wound-fill rates using an in vitro wound model. Methods: Wounds were created by making 3 mm incisions in cell monolayers across the length of tissue culture plates. The wounded PDL, GF, and MG-63 cell monolayers were treated with media containing EMD over a concentration range of 5 to 100 µg/ml, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) at 20 ng/ml as a positive control and insulin-like growth factor (IGFI) at 100 ng/ml as a negative control. PDL cell wounded monolayers also were treated in EMD coated tissue culture plates. After an incubation pe...
Integrated readout of organic scintillator and ZnS:Ag/ 6 LiF for segmented antineutrino detectors

Antineutrino detection using inverse beta decay conversion has demonstrated the capability to measure nuclear reactor power and fissile material content for nuclear safeguards. Current efforts focus on aboveground deployment scenarios, for which highly efficient capture and identification of neutrons is needed to measure the anticipated antineutrino event rates in an elevated background environment. In this submission, we report on initial characterization of a new scintillation-based segmented design that uses layers of ZnS:Ag/6LiF and an integrated readout technique to capture and identify neutrons created in the inverse beta decay reaction. Laboratory studies with multiple organic scintillator and ZnS:Ag/6LiF configurations reliably identify 6Li neutron captures in 60 cm-long segments using pulse shape discrimination.
Dual-ferrite slot line for broadband, high-nonreciprocity phase shifters

A phase shifting structure that exhibits both broadband operation and high nonreciprocity is presented. This structure comprises a slot line between two oppositely magnetized ferrite substrates. A full-wave spectral-domain analysis is used, where Green's functions are formulated using a transmission matrix approach. By eliminating the use of relatively thick high-dielectric substrates, a bandwidth of 3:1 and a differential phase of 50 degrees /cm are feasible. The geometry of the present structure can be optimized to increase both the nonreciprocity and the bandwidth. The characteristic impedance of the slot line is presented and shows a strong dependence on the slot width and the state of ferrite magnetization. The addition of thin layers of high-dielectric material increases the differential phase to over 100 degrees /cm without significantly reducing the bandwidth. These layers were found to reduce the variation of characteristic impedance versus the ferrite magnetization. >
Effects of Subchronic and Chronic Exposure to Ambient Air Pollutants on Infant Bronchiolitis

Ambient air pollutant exposure has been linked to childhood respiratory disease, but infants have received little study. The authors tested the hypotheses that subchronic and chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (particulate matter < or = 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone increases risk of severe infant bronchiolitis requiring hospitalization. Study subjects were derived from linked birth-hospital-discharge records of infants born in 1995-2000 in the South Coast Air Basin of California. Cases with a hospital discharge for bronchiolitis in infancy were matched to 10 age- and gestational-age-matched controls. Exposures in the month prior to hospitalization (subchronic) and mean lifetime exposure (chronic) referenced to the case diagnosis date were assessed on the basis of data derived from the California Air Resources Board. In conditional logistic regression, only subchronic and chronic PM2.5 exposures were associated with increased risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization after adjustment for confounders (per 10-microg/m3 increase, adjusted odds ratio = 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.14) for both). Ozone was associated with reduced risk in the single-pollutant model, but this relation did not persist in multipollutant models including PM2.5. These unique US data suggest that infant bronchiolitis may be added to the list of adverse effects of PM2.5 exposure.
Electric micromotor dynamics

The dynamometry technique uses a strobe flash which is triggered from a phase excitation signal after a known time delay. This acts essentially as a video shutter allowing the position of the rotor as a function of the time delay to be recorded and measured. A dynamic model is developed that includes an electrostatic drive term, a velocity-dependent viscous drag term, and a Coulomb friction term that is dependent on the square of the drive voltage and the sign of the velocity. From the position-versus-time data, coefficients for this model are estimated using nonlinear least square error estimation. It is shown that both viscous drag and Coulomb friction terms are required if the model is to closely fit all the experimental data. The motor dynamics are shown to have a weak, if any, dependence on the rotor-bushing apparent area of contact. >
Effects of restriction of maternal uterine blood supply on postnatal conditioning of heart rate and behavioral development in dogs

An examination was made of the heart rate responses during aversive classical conditioning of 5- to 6-week-old Labrador puppies exposed to restricted maternal uterine blood supply during gestation. The direction of the heart rate responses of the treated puppies was consistently decelerative, whereas nontreated controls showed both decelerations and accelerations. The absence of accelerative heart rate changes, combined with the observed depression of base level heart rate and attenuated emotional behavior in the experimental animals relative to controls suggests that uterine blood supply insufficiency may have impaired normal autonomic development in utero.
Evolution of Morphological Integration: Developmental Accommodation of Stress‐Induced Variation

Extreme environmental change during growth often re- sults in an increase in developmental abnormalities in the mor- phology of an organism. The evolutionary significance of such stress- induced variation depends on the recurrence of a stressor and on the degree to which developmental errors can be accommodated by an organism's ontogeny without significant loss of function. We sub- jected populations of four species of soricid shrews to an extreme environment during growth and measured changes in the patterns of integration and accommodation of stress-induced developmental errors in a complex of mandibular traits. Adults that grew under an extreme environment had lower integration of morphological vari- ation among mandibular traits and highly elevated fluctuating asym- metry in these traits, compared to individuals that grew under the control conditions. However, traits differed strongly in the magnitude of response to a stressor—traits within attachments of the same muscle (functionally integrated traits) had lower response and changed their integration less than other traits. Cohesiveness in func- tionally integrated complexes of traits under stress was maintained by close covariation of their developmental variation. Such devel- opmental accommodation of stress-induced variation might enable the individual's functioning and persistence under extreme environ- mental conditions and thus provides a link between individual ad- aptation to stress and the evolution of stress resistance.
Hierarchical skills and skill-based representation

Autonomous robots demand complex behavior to deal with unstructured environments. To meet these expectations, a robot needs to address a suite of problems associated with long term knowledge acquisition, representation, and execution in the presence of partial information. In this paper, we address these issues by the acquisition of broad, domain general skills using an intrinsically motivated reward function. We show how these skills can be represented compactly and used hierarchically to obtain complex manipulation skills. We further present a Bayesian model using the learned skills to model objects in the world, in terms of the actions they afford. We argue that our knowledge representation allows a robot to both predict the dynamics of objects in the world as well as recognize them.
Computable dimension for ordered fields

The computable dimension of a structure counts the number of computable copies up to computable isomorphism. In this paper, we consider the possible computable dimensions for various classes of computable ordered fields. We show that computable ordered fields with finite transcendence degree are computably stable, and thus have computable dimension 1. We then build computable ordered fields of infinite transcendence degree which have infinite computable dimension, but also such fields which are computably categorical. Finally, we show that 1 is the only possible finite computable dimension for any computable archimedean field.
Analysis of an Animal-Assisted Reading Intervention for Young Adolescents with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities

AbstractTeaching students to enjoy reading is important in middle level education; however, middle school students with emotional behavioral disabilities (EBD) frequently struggle with reading skills and frequently display motivational deficits during reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine if the presence/absence of a classroom pet dog impacted reading skills in four fifth-grade students with EBD. An alternating treatment design was used to assess the fluency, comprehension, and level of motivation in four students when using a reading intervention package during a dog present (dog and researcher) and a dog absent condition (researcher only). All participants improved reading performance during intervention conditions compared to baseline. Improvements in reading measures were observed across participants in both treatment conditions compared to baseline. Differences in motivation levels were reported in three participants who indicated they enjoyed the dog present condition while t...
Helping ELLs Meet Standards in English Language Arts and Science: An Intervention Focused on Academic Vocabulary.

The Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards require students to understand and produce academic language that appears in informational text. Vocabulary is a critical domain of academic language, but English language learners (ELLs) come to the English Language Arts classroom with more limited English vocabulary than their English-proficient peers. This study compared 2 methods of vocabulary instruction: extended vocabulary instruction and embedded vocabulary instruction. Teachers implemented both approaches in the context of interactive shared reading, in which teachers and students read and discussed informational text. A total of 30 teachers in 18 schools and 509 third- and fourth-grade Spanish-speaking ELLs in a large, high-poverty district in the southwestern United States participated. Findings indicate that although extended instruction was the more effective approach, embedded instruction also helped ELLs acquire general academic and domain-specific vocabulary—an impor...
On the Analysis of Status Consciousness: A Comment on Balkwell, Bates, and Garbin

In their recent paper Balkwell, Bates and Garbin attempt to link their analysis of student evaluations of occupations to my exposition of the theoretical foundations of status attainment research (Horan, b). This linkage is flawed by three major problems in their presentation. These include a misunderstanding of both the intent and content of the original paper, an incorrect affirmation of the independence of empirical research from theory, and a social psychological analysis of occupational belief systems which begs the important question.
Experimental Research of Detonation Heat of Al-containing Explosives

The detonation heats of Al-containing explosives in the air, water or vacuum are measured by using constant temperature calorimeter. The reaction mechanism of Al-containing explosives is studied according to the detonation heat. The results show that a part of aluminum powder is reacted behind the chemical reaction zone in the air.