cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A mixed-mode phase field fracture model in anisotropic rocks with consistent kinematics

Abstract Under a pure tensile loading, cracks in brittle, isotropic, and homogeneous materials often propagate such that pure mode I kinematics are maintained at the crack tip. However, experiments performed on geo-materials, such as sedimentary rock, shale, mudstone, concrete and gypsum, often lead to the conclusion that the mode I and mode II critical fracture energies/surface energy release rates are distinctive. This distinction has great influence on the formation and propagation of wing cracks and secondary cracks from pre-existing flaws under a combination of shear and tensile or shear and compressive loadings. To capture the mixed-mode fracture propagation, a mixed-mode I/II fracture model that employs multiple critical energy release rates based on Shen and Stephansson, IJRMMS, 1993 is reformulated in a regularized phase field fracture framework. We obtain the mixed-mode driving force of the damage phase field by balancing the microforce. Meanwhile, the crack propagation direction and the corresponding kinematics modes are determined via a local fracture dissipation maximization problem. Several numerical examples that demonstrate mode II and mixed-mode crack propagation in brittle materials are presented. Possible extensions of the model capturing degradation related to shear/compressive damage, as commonly observed in sub-surface applications and triaxial compression tests, are also discussed.
Weak instruments and estimated monetary policy rules

Abstract Empirical monetary policy rules provide benchmarks for policy evaluation by determining how interest rates respond to a small set of macro variables. These rules are based on forward-looking models that require instruments for consistent estimation. The use of standard, albeit weak, instruments leads to identification problems in forward-looking rules, preventing reliable policy inference. There are methods to improve instrument strength. When policy rules are estimated with stronger instruments, results are more precise and in closer alignment with theory than standard estimates.
La medicina nucleare nelle affezioni cardiovascolari

La rappresentazione della distribuzione di traccianti radioattivi all’interno del corpo permette di misurare e confrontare i volumi di vari compartimenti e regioni vascolari. Utilizzando una camera a scintillazione e possibile ottenere, con una semplice iniezione endovenosa, sequenze di immagini della struttura cardiaca e dei volumi intravascolari nei vari stadi del ciclo cardiaco. Un’altra tecnica, l’angiografia nucleare, permette l’identificazione di strutture cardiache ipertrofiche ed aberranti. Si possono ottenere inoltre informazioni sulla contrattilita del cuore, sulla frazione espulsa e sulle aree di acinesi nel miocardio. L’impiego di microsfere radioattive e utile nello studio del flusso ematico regionale del miocardio e della circolazione periferica, oltre che nella diagnosi e nella valutazione dell’evoluzione dell’embolia polmonare. Puo essere effettuata la valutazione delpool venoso degli arti e della velocita di variazione di questi volumi in condizioni basali e dopo attivita fisica. Il monitoraggio continuo della funzionalita regionale insieme alla capacita di memorizzare ed elaborare l’informazione conferisce la capacita di visualizzare i dati in modo tale da combinare morfologia e funzione in grado eccezionale. La capacita di accertare la funzionalita regionale con l’analisi di una serie sequenziale di immagini fotografiche ha aumentato considerevolmente l’utilita dei traccianti radioattivi nella diagnosi delle affezioni cerebrovascolari.
Working memory prioritization impacts neural recovery from distraction.

Abstract The ability to protect goal-relevant information from disruption over short intervals is a hallmark of working memory. Recent behavioral data suggest that high-priority items in working memory are more vulnerable to disruption. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the hypothesis that prioritization of working memories might impact the recovery of their neural representation(s) after distraction. A delay-period retrospective cue informed participants which of two memory items (a face or a scene) to prioritize during a first delay period. Consistent with prior work, and confirming successful prioritization, multivoxel pattern classifier evidence in perceptual brain regions was higher for cued versus uncued memory items. A distraction task was then imposed before a second retrospective cue informed participants to either “stay” remembering the previously cued item or “switch” to the previously uncued item. This allowed for the evaluation of recovery for high-priority items (on stay trials) and also low-priority items (on switch trials). Classifiers showed successful reinstatement of both high- and low-priority items after distraction, but only low-priority items recovered to their pre-distraction representational levels. Moreover, the degree of prioritization before distraction predicted the amount of disruption for high-priority items after distraction, suggesting that the more a participant prioritized the cued item, the greater the impact of distraction. Our data provide neural evidence that prioritizing working memory information in perceptual regions makes that information more vulnerable to disruption.
Effective Tube Weaning and Predictive Clinical Characteristics of NICU Patients With Feeding Dysfunction.

Background The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary earlier discharge model for neonates receiving home enteral nutrition (HEN). Methods A retrospective data review and analysis was performed on 183 patients discharged out of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) receiving partial oral feeds (PO) and partial HEN from September 2016 to March 2018. These patients were followed in a multidisciplinary clinic led by a pediatric gastroenterologist, a neonatal feeding therapist, and a pediatric dietitian. Demographics and data were recorded for patients at discharge, and then chart reviews were performed for additional data. Results Of 182 patients, 121 (67%) weaned off HEN with a median time to full PO at 79 days (interquartile range [IQR] 15, 247) and had median PO intake of 20% (0, 43) at time of discharge. When comparing patients who gained 100% PO vs patients who did not wean off HEN, the weaned group consisted of 88% nasogastric tubes, with median time off feeds at 27 days (IQR 8, 79) and median PO intake of 29% (11, 50) at discharge. Only 13% of the cohort had an emergency room or hospital admission, which corresponds to 1.6 and 0.8 events, respectively, per 500 tube days specifically due to HEN complications. Conclusions Our study supports that NICU patients with feeding dysfunction can effectively and safely discharge home earlier while receiving HEN. Our data suggest that a dedicated outpatient clinic can facilitate effective tube weaning in a majority of neonates with complex medical diseases with low rates of adverse events.
Open Small Bowel Resection and Primary Side-to-Side Bowel Anastomosis

This chapter discusses technical aspects of open small bowel resection and primary side-to-side bowel anastomosis, including instrumentation and equipment, patient positioning, and surgical steps. The authors also offer pearls and pitfalls.
Amino acid and energy interrelationships in pigs weighing 20 to 50 kilograms: I. Rate and efficiency of weight gain.

The relationships between dietary amino acids and DE for pigs weighing 20 to 50 kg were investigated in two experiments. In Fzp. 1, there were three dietary lysine levels that were either adjusted (1.50, 2.35 and 3.20 g/Mcal DE) for five DE levels (3.00 to 4.00 Mcal/kg) or unadjusted (-45, .71 and .%% of the diet) for three DE levels (3.50 to 4.00 Mcal/kg). In Exp. 2, the effects of six 1ysine:DE ratios (1.90 to 3.90 g/Mcal) at two DE levels (3.25 and 3.75 Mcavkg) were investigated. In both experiments, diets were formulated using a constant ratio of com and soybean meal. Pigs (equal numbers of barrows and gilts) were housed and fed individually and had ad libitum access to feed and water. Digestible energy intake was not affected by energy content of the diets. In Exp. 1, lysine intake did not differ with DE in the adjusted diets but decreased (P c .001) as DE increased in the unadjusted diets. Weight gain was relatively consistent and gain:DE intake increased (P .05) on gakDE intake as DE increased. Both weight gain and gain:DE intake increased (P < .001) and backfat decreased (P c .01) as 1ysine:DE ratios increased. The results demonstrate the need to increase dietary amino acid levels in concert with increases in energy contents. Regression analyses indicated that weight gain and gain:DE intake for 20- to 50-kg pigs were maximized at approximately 3.0 g lysine/Mcal DE (or 49 g of balanced protein/Mcal DE).
Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis.

Electroacupuncture can be used to improve pain and physical function in adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Molecular Supracence Resolving Eight Colors in 300‐nm Width: Unprecedented Spectral Resolution

Monitoring multiple molecular probes simultaneously establishes their correlations and reveals the holistic mechanism. Current fluorescence imaging, however, is limited to about four colors because of typically circa 100-nm spectral width. Herein, we show that molecular supracence imparts superior spectral resolution, resolving eight colors in 300-nm width, about 37.5-nm per color. A recently discovered light-molecule interacting phenomenon, supracence only measures molecular emission above its excitation energy due to entanglement between atomic quantum system and electronic quantum system. As such, supracence takes advantage of sharp spectral edge of a single pathway and excitation specificity to produce narrow bands, whereas fluorescence has to deal with multiple pathways spilling out low-energy long tail, that causes poor resolution. Thus, supracence enables myriad innovative molecular spectroscopy and microscopic imaging with profound impact broadly.
Performance of Radiomics derived morphological features for prediction of aneurysm rupture status.

Background Morphological differences between ruptured and unruptured cerebral aneurysms represent a focus of neuroimaging researchfor understanding the mechanisms of aneurysmal rupture. We evaluated the performance of Radiomics derived morphological features, recently proposed for rupture status classification, against automatically measured shape and size features previously established in the literature. Methods 353 aneurysms (123 ruptured) from three-dimensional rotational catheter angiography (3DRA) datasets were analyzed. Based on a literature review, 13 Radiomics and 13 established morphological descriptors were automatically extracted per aneurysm, and evaluated for rupture status prediction using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, yielding an area under the curve (AUC) metric of the receiver operating characteristic. Results Validation of overlapping descriptors for size/volume using both methods were highly correlated (p Conclusion Although recently introduced Radiomics analysis for aneurysm shape and size evaluation has the advantage of being an efficient operator independent methodology, it currently offers inferior rupture status discriminant performance compared with established descriptors. Future research is needed to extend the current Radiomics feature set to better capture aneurysm shape information.
Resolving Implicit Coordination in Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning with Deep Q-Networks & Game Theory.

We address two major challenges of implicit coordination in multi-agent deep reinforcement learning: non-stationarity and exponential growth of state-action space, by combining Deep-Q Networks for policy learning with Nash equilibrium for action selection. Q-values proxy as payoffs in Nash settings, and mutual best responses define joint action selection. Coordination is implicit because multiple/no Nash equilibria are resolved deterministically. We demonstrate that knowledge of game type leads to an assumption of mirrored best responses and faster convergence than Nash-Q. Specifically, the Friend-or-Foe algorithm demonstrates signs of convergence to a Set Controller which jointly chooses actions for two agents. This encouraging given the highly unstable nature of decentralized coordination over joint actions. Inspired by the dueling network architecture, which decouples the Q-function into state and advantage streams, as well as residual networks, we learn both a single and joint agent representation, and merge them via element-wise addition. This simplifies coordination by recasting it is as learning a residual function. We also draw high level comparative insights on key MADRL and game theoretic variables: competitive vs. cooperative, asynchronous vs. parallel learning, greedy versus socially optimal Nash equilibria tie breaking, and strategies for the no Nash equilibrium case. We evaluate on 3 custom environments written in Python using OpenAI Gym: a Predator Prey environment, an alternating Warehouse environment, and a Synchronization environment. Each environment requires successively more coordination to achieve positive rewards.
Reframing Affirmative Action: From Diversity to Mobility and Full Participation

Legality and efficacy call for reframing the affirmative-action debate within a broader institutional effort to address structural inequality in higher education. Although defending affirmative action as we know it continues to be important and necessary, it is crucial to identify and address the disconnect between affirmative action and higher education's practices that contribute to enduring racial and economic inequality and waning social mobility. There is a persistent and growing gap between higher education’s rhetoric of diversity, opportunity, and mobility and the reality of under participation, polarization, and stratification. That gap has racial, gender, and socioeconomic dimensions. The path to shoring up the legality of affirmative action actually overlaps with the structural changes required to meet the imperative of educating the next generation of students, a majority of whom will be Black and Brown and educated in nonprivileged, segregated environments. This Essay first shows that affirmative action holds in place higher education’s role in stratifying access to higher education and restricts social mobility by race and class. It then explains practices perpetuating this structural inequality — the reward of past privilege rather than future potential, the hoarding of resources by privileged institutions, and the reliance on admissions decision-making to advance goals that in fact require broader institutional commitment and transformation. The next Part offers strategies and examples that reframe affirmative action by (1) nesting it within an effort to transform institutions to ensure full participation, (2) shifting from rewarding privilege to cultivating potential and increasing mobility, and (3) building partnerships and enabling systemic approaches to increasing educational access and success. The final Part argues that these structural approaches are less likely to trigger strict scrutiny from the courts, and will foster the inquiry needed to document the need for affirmative action in admissions and expand the justifications for race-conscious approaches.
Rates of convergence in the two-island and isolation-with-migration models

A number of powerful demographic inference methods have been developed in recent years, with the goal of fitting rich evolutionary models to genetic data obtained from many populations. In this paper we investigate the statistical performance of these methods in the specific case where there is continuous migration between populations. Compared with earlier work, migration significantly complicates the theoretical analysis and demands new techniques. We employ the theories of phase-type distributions and concentration of measure in order to study the two-island and isolation-with-migration models, resulting in both upper and lower bounds. For the upper bounds, we consider inferring rates of coalescent and migration on the basis of directly observing pairwise coalescent times, and, more realistically, when (conditionally) Poisson-distributed mutations dropped on latent trees are observed. We complement these upper bounds with information-theoretic lower bounds which establish a limit, in terms of sample size, below which inference is effectively impossible.
Impact of Student Produced Audio Narrative (SPAN) assignments on students’ perceptions and attitudes toward science in introductory geoscience courses

An important challenge for the geoscience community is developing engaging, accessible, and effective experiences within introductory courses, which are often gateways to geoscience majors. This st...
Heterogeneously Integrated O-band SG-DBR Lasers for Short Reach Analog Coherent Links

We report record performance for a heterogeneously integrated O-band SG-DBR laser, achieving a tuning range of 48 nm, 50 dB MSR, >20 mW output power, and ~0.67 MHz apparent linewidth.
Short-Term Stability of Urine Electrolytes: Effect of Time and Storage Conditions

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the effects of storage temperature and duration on the assessment of urine electrolytes. Twenty-one separate human urine specimens were analyzed as baseline and with the remaining specimen separated into eight vials, two in each of the following four temperatures: 22, 7, -20, and -80 °C. Each specimen was analyzed for urine electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) after 24 and 48 hr. After 24 hr, no significant difference was detected from baseline in urine sodium, potassium, and chloride at all four storage temperatures (p > .05). Similarly, after 48 hr, urine sodium, potassium, and chloride were not significantly different from baseline in all four storage temperatures (p > .05). In conclusion, these data show that urine specimens analyzed for urine sodium, chloride, and potassium are stable up to 48 hr in temperatures ranging from deep freezing to room temperature.
The Land Trust Alliance's New Accreditation Program

The use of conservation easements has risen dramatically over the past twenty years, resulting in the protection of millions of acres of conservation land and historic properties. The land trust community-a diverse collection of thousands of individual land trusts, big and smallhas helped drive this success. Unfortunately, a wave of scandals threatens to jeopardize these accomplishments. A recent series of articles by the Washington Post exposed abuses by the world's largest land trust, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), including the apparent exploitation of tax benefits garnered from donation of conservation easements that involved excessive easement appraisals or land with dubious conservation value. Subsequent investigations by Congress and the Internal Revenue Service revealed additional problems, including insufficient monitoring and enforcement of conservation easements, and sounded calls for broad legislative and regulatory reform. The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation proposed draconian restrictions on tax deductions for gifts of land that could lead to a sharp reduction in donated conservation easements. In an effort to ameliorate these concerns and avoid federal intervention, the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) - the umbrella organization for the nation's land trusts-launched a new accreditation program for individual land trusts. The accreditation program aims to restore the public confidence, assure long-term protection of conservation easements, and deter governmental intrusion. This Comment discusses the concern among some in the land trust community that top-down oversight will drive smaller land trusts out of existence and erode or
Unifying Modelling and Programming through an Active, Object-Oriented, Model-Equivalent Programming Language

The intricate and complex structure of existing advanced database applications results in part from poor integration of existing models and languages. This complexity is a barrier to effectively understanding and developing advanced applications. We can significantly reduce the complexity of advanced-application specification and implementation by using a model-equivalent language (a language with a one-to-one correspondence to an underlying, executable model as defined herein). In this paper we explain the difficulties encountered in making models and languages equivalent, and we resolve these difficulties for a particular language and model.
Intra-epidermal epithelioma. Report of case with invasion after many years.

SUMMAKY An intra-epidermal epithelioma of 30 years duration invaded as squamous cell carcinoma. The tumour exhibited an unusual propensity for the production of parakeratotic debris. The potential of intra-epidermal epithelioma for invasion is reviewed.
Multilocus Analysis for Gene-Centromere Mapping Using First Polar Bodies and Secondary Oocytes

Polar body and oocyte typing is a new technique for gene-centromere mapping and for generating female linkage maps. A maximum likelihood approach is presented for ordering multiple markers relative to the centromere and for estimating recombination frequencies between markers and between the centromere and marker loci. Three marker-centromere orders are possible for each pair of markers: two orders when the centromere flanks the two markers and one order when the centromere is flanked by the two markers. For each possible order, the likelihood was expressed as a function of recombination frequencies for two adjacent intervals. LOD score for recombination frequency between markers or between the centromere and a marker locus was derived based on the likelihood for each gene-centromere order. The methods developed herein provide a general solution to the problem of multilocus gene-centromere mapping that involves all theoretical crossover possibilities, including four-strand double crossovers.
Sensitivity of Nesting Great Egrets (Ardea alba) and White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) to Reduced Prey Availability

ABSTRACT. Life-history theory suggests that long-lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions to balance the costs and benefits of current reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. However, responses to the same habitat conditions may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, to produce different nesting and population patterns. We examined differences in the nesting ecology of two sympatric wading species, Great Egret (Ardea alba) and White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), between years with high (2006) and below-average (2007) prey availability in the Florida Everglades. Clutch size of White Ibises decreased by ∼19% from 2006 to 2007, whereas Great Egret clutch size remained constant. Model selection identified rain, water depth, Julian date, year, and prey biomass as parameters that most influenced daily survival rates (DSR) of White Ibis nests, whereas nest stage, region, Julian date, water depth, and the quadratic form of...
The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate

The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change is a fascinating hybrid of science and policy directed at a broad, or nonspecialist, audience that may not be well versed in the ongoing climate change controversy. The authors, scientists at heart who have worked in both academic and political settings, have the necessary background and credentials to write an authoritative primer on the subject. In doing so, they offer the public the opportunity to hear both sides of the debate, review the scientific evidence supporting or refuting competing arguments, and consider policy options in an unbiased presentation. Their fundamental aim is to develop a knowledgeable citizenry equipped to participate in the debate and help shape future climate change policy.
A 78-Year-Old Man With Difficulty Swallowing

CP bar is an uncommon but important cause of dysphagia in elderly people. A CP bar is often undetected during upper endoscopy and might be missed with barium radiography if adequate attention is not focused on the hypopharynx. In suspected cases, evaluation for alternative etiologies of dysphagia is important because the CP bar might be an incidental finding. Secondary causes of CP dysfunction resulting from underlying primary myopathic or neuropathic disorders should be considered before therapy. The effectiveness of dilation and surgical myotomy in alleviating dysphagia associated with CP bars has been reported in small series.
Time Periodic Control of a Bladed Disk Assembly Using Shaft Based Actuation

For a tuned or symmetrically mistuned bladed disk assembly, several vibration modes are coupled only to the axial dynamics, which forces controllers to rely on an axial actuator. A control strategy based upon deliberately mistuning in a nonsymmetric manner, which results in a time periodic dynamical system, is developed. The method presented does not require an active thrust bearing for complete controllability of a bladed disk assembly via hub based actuators.
Large Effects of Magnetic Field on Josephson Currents Through Antiferromagnetic Barriers

Ferromagnetism being known to have a detrimental effect on superconductivity, we consider the Josephson current amplitude for junctions built up of antiferromagnetic metallic weak links. It is assumed that the latter consist of ferromagnetic layers with magnetizations aligned alternatively along perpendicular-to-the-layers direction. Currents between two superconducting electrodes flow along the layers. Such antiferromagnetic structure realizes itself in mixed valence manganites (the so-called A-phase), in an array of parallel ferromagnetic domains, or even in artificial GMR heterostructures. It is shown that even minor canting of magnetic moments in the presence of magnetic fields causes remarkable oscillations in the value of the Josephson current amplitude.
Bounds from LEP on unparticle interactions with electroweak bosons

A conformally invariant hidden sector is considered, with a scalar operatorO of low dimension that couples to the electro-weak gauge bosons of the Standard Model, via terms such as F F O. By examining single photon production at LEP, we bound the strength of these interactions. We apply our results, along with those of Delgado and Strassler [1] and of Caracciolo and Rychkov [2], to improve the bound on 4 production through \unparticle self-interactions", as proposed by Feng et al. [3]. We nd the maximum allowable cross-section is of order a few tens of femtobarns at the 14 TeV LHC, and lies well below 1 fb for a wide range of parameters. A \hidden" sector of light particles, none of which carry standard model quantum numbers, is still allowed by experiment. Neither direct searches, nor indirect tests of the standard model, nor cosmology or astrophysics can exclude this possibility. If the coupling of such a sector to our own is purely through gravitation, constraints are extremely weak. But if additional interactions, with characteristic energy scales far below the Planck scale, are present, then it is possible to obtain some correlated constraints on the strength of those interactions and the contents of the hidden sector. Since the contents of such a sector are all neutral and may all be stable or metastable, production of anything in that sector may generally be invisible. In such a case, constraints may be obtained at a wide range of particle colliders, using their searches for unexplained
Evolution of electron and proton temperatures in a flaring loop. I - A case of thermal heating of electrons

We have investigated numerically how a temperature difference between electrons and protons is produced in a flaring loop by adopting a one-fluid, two-temperature model instead of a single-temperature model. We have treated a case in which flare energy is released in the form of heating of electrons located in the top part of the loop.
Two Modes of Computer Assisted Instruction in a Library Reference Course.

A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a set of computer based teaching materials within a graduate library reference course. Evaluation of the materials and techniques was conducted both for the purpose of revision and also to determine the overall effectiveness of the materials as integral parts of the course. Techniques and findings were reported illustrating how evaluation during the formative stages enabled the instructor to selectively revise the materials. Evaluation of the materials as aids to student learning within the course revealed that they were effective in teaching some aspects of the material although student attitudes toward computer techniques tended to become more negative. Implications of the techniques and results were discussed.
Resonance Raman spectroscopy of porphyrin self-assembled monolayers on silica

Abstract The optical absorption properties of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-chlorosulfonylphnyl)-porphysin (S4-Cl) and its mono- and cis-di-substituted analogues (S1-Cl and S2-Cl, respectively) adsorbed from solution onto clean and amine-modified silica suggest that similar mechanisms are responsible for the adsorption onto the two different substrates. In that adsorption onto amine surfaces is effected by sulfonamide linkages formed from reaction of sulfonyl chloride with surface-bound primary amine, the optical absorption data suggest that an analogous reaction involving surface hydroxyls of the unmodified silica may lead to porphyrin immobilization via sulfonylester linkages to the silica substrate. Resonance Raman (RR) spectra obtained for S4-Cl, S2-Cl and S1-Cl adsorbed to unmodified silica show significant differences to those obtained for the solution-phase species, suggesting that RR spectra are sensitive to the chemistry of peripheral phenyl substituents. When compared with spectraof the analogous sulfonatophenylporphyrin derivatives in solution, the RR data imply that the sulfonyl chloride functionalities take on −SO3 character upon adsorption. Such character could arise via either hydrolysis accompanying a physisorption process or esterification accompanying the chemisorption reaction of the −SO2Cl with the surface hydroxyls. Further evidence is obtained from an X-ray photoelectron study of the adsorption of benzenesulfonyl chloride onto silica, which shows no evidence for such a reaction. Therefore, it appears as though the sulfonylchloride porphyrins adsorb to silica via a physisorption mechanism and that the RR data evince the effects of hydrolysis on the vibrational properties of the physisorbed porphyrin species.
Confusing the Messenger with the Message: A Response to Bolon

The conclusions by Bolon (2001) based on the relationship between per capita income and school mean grade 10 mathematics scores in Massachusetts and on instability in year-to-year mean school scores are criticized by us. Our concerns focus on the uninterpretable covariation of economic condition with test performance and the limitations in interpreting cross-time variability. We agree with Bolon's conclusions but consider the methodology employed inadequate to support them. We suggest alternative requirements and discuss our own previous efforts in this area.
Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase production by dendritic cells and macrophages is regulated by type I interferons

The oxysterol-producing enzyme CH25H plays an important role in regulating lipid metabolism, gene expression, and immune activation. In vitro experiments using a panel of TLR agonists to activate BMDCs and macrophages demonstrated that Ch25h expression is induced rapidly, selectively, and robustly by the TLR ligands poly I:C and LPS. The mechanism of TLR3- and TLR4-induced transcription levels of Ch25h relies on the TRIF-mediated production of type I IFNs and requires signaling through the IFNαR and JAK/STAT1 pathway. Treatment of BMDCs and macrophages with IFN-α or IFN-β induces Ch25h in a STAT1-dependent manner. IFN-γ also up-regulated Ch25h expression by signaling through STAT1, suggesting that multiple pathways regulate the production of this enzyme. In addition, we demonstrated that regulation of Ch25h expression in vivo in lung-derived DCs and macrophages is dependent on signaling through the IFNαR and STAT1. The results suggest that the rapid induction of Ch25h and subsequent oxysterol synthesis may represent a component of the regulatory network that modulates the magnitude of innate immune reactions and possibly the nature and intensity of subsequent adaptive responses.
Partitioning of Bacterial Communities between Seawater and Healthy, Black Band Diseased, and Dead Coral Surfaces

Distinct partitioning has been observed in the composition and diversity of bacterial communities inhabiting the surface and overlying seawater of three coral species infected with black band disease (BBD) on the southern Caribbean island of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. PCR amplification and sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes (rDNA) with universally conserved primers have identified over 524 unique bacterial sequences affiliated with 12 bacterial divisions. The molecular sequences exhibited less than 5% similarity in bacterial community composition between seawater and the healthy, black band diseased, and dead coral surfaces. The BBD bacterial mat rapidly migrates across and kills the coral tissue. Clone libraries constructed from the BBD mat were comprised of eight bacterial divisions and 13% unknowns. Several sequences representing bacteria previously found in other marine and terrestrial organisms (including humans) were isolated from the infected coral surfaces, including Clostridium spp., Arcobacter spp., Campylobacter spp., Cytophaga fermentans, Cytophaga columnaris, and Trichodesmium tenue.
Maternal effect on high methionine levels in hybrid corn

Abstract The inbred BSSS53 containing the Zpr10/(22) factor on chromosome 4 that influences the levels of the high-methionine 10 kD zein protein in maize encoded by the Zps10/(22) locus on chromosome 9 was crossed reciprocally with a normal maize line. The amino acid composition of the prolamine fraction from progeny seeds of both reciprocal crosses and selfed parents was determined. The level of protein-bound methionine in the two hybrids shows a maternal influence rather than a simple dosage effect as one would expect for a semidominant gene. The large margin of difference in protein-bound methionine between the two reciprocal hybrids provided an opportunity to test its nutritional significance by a feeding trial of 1 d old male Peterson's Arbor Acre chicks. Although the efficiency of weight gain per g of food consumed is the same in both groups, the high methionine corn meal improved growth performance between 35 and 54%.
Experimental Market Behavior and Accounting Students' Knowledge of Permanent Earnings

We conduct eight experimental asset markets to investigate accounting students' abilities to apply knowledge of “permanent earnings” in a market setting. Across the eight markets, asset value is a function of permanent earnings. Initially, we conduct three markets with participants recruited from an introductory financial accounting course, all of whom successfully completed the course. We find that market prices fail to converge to asset value in two of three sessions, even though data suggest that the students have factual knowledge of permanent earnings. We conduct five additional markets using undergraduate and graduate (master's) students recruited from an intermediate financial accounting course. In all five markets, prices converge to asset value. Our results suggest that additional course work beyond introductory financial accounting may be necessary to enrich students' knowledge stores so that they can apply knowledge of permanent earnings in a meaningful economic setting.
Design and Development of an Adaptive, Auditory, and Distractive Stressor

An auditory, distractive stressor was developed that automatically adjusts its rate of presenting random digits to human subjects. The rate of digit presentation serves as an inverse index of the amount of attention the subject can spare from a primary task, such as driving a simulated car. The auditory pattern recognition of the device was evaluated under several speaking conditions and for a variety of human speakers. The distractive stressor has a satisfactory digit recognition accuracy, and consequently adapts its digit presentation rate quickly according to how well a subject repeats its given numbers.
The criteria and techniques of magnetic field measurement used on the UCLA 50 MeV spiral ridge cyclotron

Abstract The precision in the field measurements necessary for satisfactory operation of this cyclotron is calculated. The Hall plate detectors are described. The various methods of field measurement used to give the desired precision are presented.
The Nature, Significance, and Cost of Rent Seeking in Ghana

Rent seeking involves wasteful expenses. This paper explores the nature, significance, and cost of rent seeking in Ghana, a small developing country with substantial government intervention in economy activity, using the methods for India of Krueger (1974) and Mohammad and Whalley (1984). However, rent-seeking cost is measured not only by import licenses for which foreign exchange is not available. The estimation of rent-seeking cost in Ghana is calculated for two different years, 1981, the end of the last elected civilian administration, and 1984, an era of military rule. Copyright 1991 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
Temperature and Thermal Emissivity of the Surface of Neptune's Satellite Triton

Analysis of the preliminary results from the Voyager mission to the Neptune system has provided the scientific community with several methods by which the temperature of Neptune's satellite Triton may be determined. If the 37.5 K surface temperature reported by several Voyager investigations is correct, then the photometry reported by the imaging experiment on Voyager requires that Triton's surface have a remarkably low emissivity. Such a low emissivity is not required in order to explain the photometry from the photopolarimeter experiment on Voyager. A low emissivity would be inconsistent with Triton having a rough surface at the about 100-micron scale as might be expected given the active renewal processes which appear to dominate Triton's surface.
Perceived family functioning and adolescent suicidal behavior

ABSTRACT Objective Family problems increase the risk of adolescent suicidal behavior, but the specific dimensions of family functioning related to adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts have not been identified clearly. This study examined the relationship between family functioning and adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Participating adolescents included psychiatric inpatients who had attempted suicide ( n = 35), high school students reporting suicidal ideation ( n = 33), nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients ( n = 29), and nonsuicidal high school students ( n = 37). Method The Family Assessment Measure was used to assess adolescents' perceptions of family functioning on two levels: (1) the family system and (2) parent-adolescent dyadic relationships. Results The suicidal psychiatric inpatients and the suicidal high school tudents did not differ in their perceptions of family unctioning and mother-adolescent relationships. However, both suicide groups reported more distress and family dysfunction than did the nonsuicidal high school students. Perceived family functioning and mother-adolescent relationships were significantly correlated with levels of depression, hopelessness, and self-esteem. Conclusions Family functioning is important to consider when assessing and treating adolescents for suicidal behavior.
Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity after acute blood volume expansion in anesthetized dogs

Changes in heart rate resulting from mechanically induced changes in arterial blood pressure were used as a measure of baroreflex sensitivity. This sensitivity was shown to be decreased after volume expansion.
On the finite volume element method

The finite volume element method (FVE) is a discretization technique for partial differential equations. It uses a volume integral formulation of the problem with a finite partitioning set of volumes to discretize the equations, then restricts the admissible functions to a finite element space to discretize the solution. this paper develops discretization error estimates for general selfadjoint elliptic boundary value problems with FVE based on triangulations with linear finite element spaces and a general type of control volume. We establishO(h) estimates of the error in a discreteH 1 semi-norm. Under an additional assumption of local uniformity of the triangulation the estimate is improved toO(h 2). Results on the effects of numerical integration are also included.
Machinability of a nickel aluminide intermetallic alloy

This article reports the results of an experimental study on the machinability of a nickel aluminide intermetallic alloy. Machining was conducted at various speeds, and results indicate low material removal rates. Chips collected for each test run were measured for thickness for shear angle calculation and were subsequently observed microscopically. Chip segmentation was observed microscopically, and a fluctuation in the shear angle was evidenced. A parameter characterizing the severity of the machining process, the chip reduction coefficient (K), was calculated from chip thickness measurements. The calculated values ofK were found to be low, indicating a low severity of the metalcutting process. This, however, is in contract with the observed low rates of metal removal and low tool life. Thus, conventional metalcutting characterization parameters require re- examination in terms of machining high-strength materials.
Beyond Customer Satisfaction: Reexamining Customer Loyalty to Evaluate Continuing Education Programs

Abstract This article provides questionnaire items and a theoretical model of factors predictive of customer loyalty for use by administrators to determine ways to increase repeat purchasing in their continuing education programs. Prior studies in the literature are discussed followed by results of applying the model at one institution and a discussion of practical ways to increase customer or student loyalty. Marketing efforts, facilities, technology, quality of instruction, student learning, and customer service that are aligned with consumer characteristics and preferences impact perceived value, the institutional image, cumulative satisfaction and ultimately customer loyalty.
A pharmacotherapy algorithm for stabilization and maintenance of pediatric bipolar disorder.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an evidence-based pharmacotherapy algorithm in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder. Method The study reports the results of a study of 64 bipolar type I subjects who were treated according to an algorithm developed in our specialty clinic. All subjects had been diagnosed using the Washington University in St. Louis Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Subjects scored an average of 28 (± 4) on the baseline Young Mania Rating Scale. All subjects were assessed over an 18-month period. In addition, we were able to match 17 of the 64 subjects in the algorithm sample for gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and diagnosis with an equal number of subjects in a psychopharmacology clinic who received treatment as usual. Results Prescribing clinicians were able to implement primary and secondary strategies, including detailed tactics of medication choices in the algorithm group. Growth curve analysis of the total algorithm group showed strong and significant improvement in symptoms. Analyses of the matched groups also showed strong effects for the treatment algorithm over treatment as usual. Treatment adherence and family satisfaction were higher in the algorithm group. Conclusion An evidence-based, problem-solving pharmacotherapy algorithm is feasible and may be associated with better outcomes in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder. Randomized trials will be necessary to gather additional support for the algorithm's effectiveness.
Prostaglandin E2 (EP) receptors mediate PGE2-specific events in ovulation and luteinization within primate ovarian follicles

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a key mediator of ovulation. All 4 PGE2 receptors (EP receptors) are expressed in the primate follicle, but the specific role of each EP receptor in ovulatory events is poorly understood. To examine the ovulatory events mediated via these EP receptors, preovulatory monkey follicles were injected with vehicle, the PG synthesis inhibitor indomethacin, or indomethacin plus PGE2. An ovulatory dose of human chorionic gonadotropin was administered; the injected ovary was collected 48 hours later and serially sectioned. Vehicle-injected follicles showed normal ovulatory events, including follicle rupture, absence of an oocyte, and thickening of the granulosa cell layer. Indomethacin-injected follicles did not rupture and contained oocytes surrounded by unexpanded cumulus; granulosa cell hypertrophy did not occur. Follicles injected with indomethacin plus PGE2 were similar to vehicle-injected ovaries, indicating that PGE2 restored the ovulatory changes inhibited by indomethacin. Additional follicles were injected with indomethacin plus an agonist for each EP receptor. EP1, EP2, and EP4 agonists each promoted aspects of follicle rupture, but no single EP agonist recapitulated normal follicle rupture as seen in follicles injected with either vehicle or indomethacin plus PGE2. Although EP4 agonist-injected follicles contained oocytes in unexpanded cumulus, the absence of oocytes in EP1 agonist- and EP2 agonist-injected follicles suggests that these EP receptors promote cumulus expansion. Surprisingly, the EP3 agonist did not stimulate any of these ovulatory changes, despite the high level of EP3 receptor expression in the monkey follicle. Therefore, agonists and antagonists selective for EP1 and EP2 receptors hold the most promise for control of ovulatory events in women.
Analysis of commingled gas reservoirs with variable Bottom-hole flowing pressure and non-Darcy flow

This paper presents an extension of the Layered Stabilized Flow Model (LSFM) previously presented by the authors for commingled gas wells. The LSFM gives a method for reserve estimation and production forecasts. The extension in this paper takes into account bottom-hole flowing pressure (p wf ) variations and non-Darcy flow. Simulator verifications and field examples are given. The LSFM couples a material balance equation and the stabilized gas flow equation, including non-Darcy flow, for each layer of the commingled well. The method is simple and lends itself to spread-sheet applications. Only the flow rate and the p wf (or at least the surface pressure) history need to be known, along with the initial reservoir pressure and gas properties. The LSFM parameters are determined by history-matching the well's production rate over a selected calibration period. The method shows excellent results for moderate to high permeability reservoirs, even with long shut-ins and considerable variation in p wf . (The model accounts for backflow between layers during shut-in periods.) The results of several simulated and field cases are reported. The results of the LSFM provide estimates of OGIP and the two flow equation parameters for each layer. Thcse values can then be used for forecasting.