cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the performance potential of chess programs

Abstract Chess programs can differ in depth of search or in the evaluation function applied to leaf nodes or both. Over the past 10 years, the notion that the principal way to strengthen a chess program is to improve its depth of search has held sway. Improving depth of search undoubtedly does improve a program's strength. However, projections of potential gain have time and again been found to overestimate the actual gain. We examine the notion that it is possible to project the playing strength of chess programs by having different versions of the same program (differing only in depth of search) play each other. Our data indicates that once a depth of “tactical sufficiency” is reached, a knowledgeable program can beat a significantly less knowledgeable one almost all of the time when both are searching to the same depth. This suggests that once a certain knowledge gap has been opened up, it cannot be overcome by small increments in searching depth. The conclusion from this work is that extending the depth of search without increasing the present level of knowledge will not in any foreseeable time lead to World Championship level chess. The approach of increasing knowledge has been taken in the HITECH chess machine.
Lead and thallium isotopes in Mare Tranquillitatis surface material

Lead and thallium isotopic compositions of Apollo 11 fines compared with meteorites and earth for lunar surface age determination
A simple radiometric assay for microsomal aryl hydroxylase activity

Abstract A radiometric assay for aryl hydroxylase activity in liver microsomal preparations has been devised. It involves incubation of benzenesulfonanilide-4′- 3 H with enzyme followed by separation of substrate and product from tritiated water with a small charcoal column. The release of tritiated water is stoichiometric with formation of 4′-hydroxybenzenesulfonanilide. A similar assay is based on the hydroxylation of acetanilide-4- 3 H, but has the disadvantage of variable release of tritium as tritiated water. “Benzenesulfonanilide hydroxylase” activity is carbon monoxide sensitive and appears to be induced by pretreatment of animals with phenobarbital but not by pretreatment with 3-methylcholanthrene.
25 Jahre Unterricht in der quantitativen organischen Mikroanalyse an der Universität New York

Es wird ein kurzer Uberblick uber die an der Universitat in New York (Washington Square College and Graduate School) ubliche Art der Unterweisung auf dem Gebiete der quantitativen organischen Mikroanalyse gegeben.
Bald Eagle Population Surveys of the North Pacific Ocean, 1967–2010

Abstract Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations along the north Pacific coast from southern British Columbia to the Alaska Peninsula have been monitored since 1967 with aerial surveys using a universal random plot design. This survey consisted of 233 plots, each 168.3 km2. The expanded population estimate for adults totaled 58,000 after applying a visibility correction factor of 2.0. This accounted for roughly half of the world's population. With multiple surveys, I determined that populations in southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, and the Alaska Peninsula increased until the late 1980s and remained stable thereafter. All possible plots, under this survey design, can be delineated for future replication or modification using 2 simple equations.
Empirical downscaling of wind speed probability distributions

[1] This paper presents a novel approach to developing empirically downscaled estimates of near-surface wind speed and energy density and results from application of the technique to multiple stations in northern Europe. The downscaling takes a probabilistic approach in that it uses the mean and standard deviation of relative vorticity at 500 hPa and mean sea level pressure gradients computed using output from the ECHAM4/OPYC3 atmosphere-ocean general circulation model as the predictors and parameters of the wind speed probability distribution at surface stations as the predictands. We demonstrate that this approach generates accurate depictions of the wind climate during the conditioning period and then apply the downscaling technique to examine changes between 1961–1990 and 2071–2100, which are compared to the results of dynamical downscaling. The empirically downscaled results for 1961–1990 and 2071–2100 show some evidence for small decreases in mean wind speed, 90th percentile wind speed, and energy density in 2071–2100 relative to 1961–1990. The projected changes are larger than the mean errors in the training period but smaller than current interannual variability. Rossby Centre regional climate model (RCM)–derived grid cell mean wind speeds exhibit a high degree of agreement with the empirically downscaled station wind speeds. However, in contrast to the empirical downscaling, simulations conducted using the Rossby Centre RCM indicate evidence for a small increase in the annual wind energy resource over northern Europe between the end of the 20th century and the end of the 21st century.
The State of Theory in Sex Therapy

It has been approximately three decades since the advent of contemporary sex therapy. What is the current state of theory underlying the practice of sex therapy? In attempting to answer that question, I provide a brief overview of the history of contemporary sex therapy and discuss some assumptions underlying common therapeutic approaches. These assumptions are considered with regard to three interrelated dimensions: etiological factors behind sexual dysfunction, the unit of intervention (individual versus couple), and the nature of the actual treatment. Afterward I provide a critical overview of the general state of research on sex therapy, note current, problematic trends in the field, and offer some global suggestions for remediation.
A 24-GHz phased-array receiver in 0.13-µm CMOS using an 8-GHz LO

This paper presents a 24-GHz two-channel phased-array receiver. The receiver adopts the LO-phase-shifting approach and employs a sub-harmonically injection-locked phase-shifter. A CMOS-only prototype, fabricated in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology, draws 16-mA of current from a 1.5-V supply and consists of a injection-locked oscillator (operating as a phase-shifter, LO-buffer and frequency multiplier), a down-conversion mixer and an IF-buffer. The worst-case measured amplitude and phase errors are 1.5-dB and 4°. The two-channel receiver occupies an active area of 0.23-mm2.
The Georgia Higher Education Consortium: A Model for Linking Early Intervention Faculty:

The adequate and timely preparation of personnel to provide mandated family-centered services to young children with disabilities and their families is an important challenge to those working in th...
Migration decision for hybrid mobility in reconfigurable distributed virtual machines

Virtual machine (VM) is an important mechanism to multiplex computer resources. The increasing popularity of network computing has renewed research interests in the adaptive and distributed virtual machines. Service migration is a vital technique to construct reconfigurable VMs. By incorporating mobile agent technology, VM systems can improve their resource utilization, load-balancing and fault-tolerance significantly. This work focuses on the decision problem of hybrid mobility for load-balancing in reconfigurable distributed VMs. We tackle this problem from three aspects: migration candidate determination, migration timing and destination server selection. The service migration timing and destination server selection are formulated as two optimization models. We derive the optimal migration policy for distributed and heterogeneous systems based on stochastic optimization theories. Renewal processes are applied to model the dynamics of migration. We solve the agent migration problem by dynamic programming and extend the optimal service migration decision by considering the interplay of the hybrid mobility. Our decision policy is complementary to the existing service and agent migration techniques. Its accuracy is verified by simulations.
A New Regulatory Region of the IL-2 Locus That Confers Position-Independent Transgene Expression

Although the promoter/enhancer of the IL-2 gene mediates inducible reporter gene expression in vitro, it cannot drive consistent expression in transgenic mice. The location and existence of any regulatory elements that could open the IL-2 locus in vivo have remained unknown, preventing analysis of IL-2 regulation in developmental contexts. In this study, we report the identification of such a regulatory region, marked by novel DNase-hypersensitive sites upstream of the murine IL-2 promoter in unstimulated and stimulated T cells. Inclusion of most of these sites in an 8.4-kb IL-2 promoter green fluorescent protein transgene gives locus control region-like activity. Expression is efficient, tissue specific, and position independent. This transgene is expressed not only in peripheral T cells, but also in immature thymocytes and thymocytes undergoing positive selection, in agreement with endogenous IL-2 expression. In contrast, a 2-kb promoter green fluorescent protein transgene, lacking the new hypersensitive sites, is expressed in only a few founder lines, and expression is dysregulated in CD8+ cells. Thus, the 6.4 kb of additional upstream IL-2 sequence contains regulatory elements that provide integration site independence and differential regulation of transgene expression in CD8 vs CD4 cells.
Software development engineer in Microsoft: a subjective view of soft skills required

This paper is a position statement. There are important requirements on software development engineers that go beyond the normal academic qualifications and technical skills, and which quite often receive a lower priority in education and training. Some of the soft skills that are listed in the job descriptions for software development engineers at Microsoft are: change management; self-development; composure and stress management; problem-solving skills; drive for results; communication skills; and interpersonal skills. This paper focuses on the first four of these. The exact description of the soft skills needed changes depending on the level of the position.
Analogical Reasoning in 2-Year-Olds: The Development of Access and Relational Inference.

Eighty-four 24- and 30-month-old children were tested with two analogy tasks: formal and problem solving. Experiment 1 included three Groups: relations specified, relations unspecified, and associative control (no exposure to base relations). In Experiment 2 the relation that linked that a- and b-terms in formal problems was explicitly shown in order to reduce relational inference demands. In Experiment 1, children responded systematically to the formal problems when given two chances to answer each question. In Experiment 2, children were systematic on their first responses. In the problem-solving task the rates of spontaneous analogies produced were similar to those seen in older children. However, unlike older children, 2-year-olds benefited minimally from prompts. We believe this may indicate that 2-year-olds have difficulty explicitly controlling their analogical activity. We conclude early analogical abilities may be limited by weak relational inference abilities and difficulty intentionally initiating access.
Open conversion during minimally invasive radical prostatectomy: impact on perioperative complications and predictors from national data.

Purpose: Despite the increased use of minimally invasive radical prostatectomy, open conversion may occur due to surgical complications, surgeon inexperience or failure to progress. We used nationally representative data to quantify the impact of open conversion compared to nonconverted minimally invasive radical prostatectomy and open radical prostatectomy, and identify predictors of open conversion.Materials and Methods: Years 2004 to 2010 of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were queried for patients who underwent radical prostatectomy to analyze the association of open conversion during minimally invasive radical prostatectomy with Clavien complications. Multivariate regression models yielded significant predictors of open conversion.Results: From 2004 to 2010, 134,398 (95% CI 111,509–157,287) minimally invasive radical prostatectomies were performed with a 1.8% (95% CI 1.4–2.1) open conversion rate, translating to 2,360 (95% CI 2,001–2,720) conversions. Open conversion cases had a longer length of stay...
A radioimmunoassay for plasma corticosterone.

Abstract A radioimmunoassay for plasma corticosterone has been developed. Antiserum against corticosterone was produced in rabbits immunized with corticosterone -21- hemisuccinate conjugated to bovine serum albumin. The assay was practical and reliable. The coefficient of variation between assays was ± 23% and among assays was ± 8%. Plasma corticosterone of mice is measured readily by assaying directly aliquots of a methylene chloride extract of 40 μl of plasma. The mean plasma corticosterone concentration of mice was similar to that obtained by other methods.
The $-calculus process algebra for problem solving: A paradigmatic shift in handling hard computational problems

The $-calculus is the extension of the π-calculus, built around the central notion of cost and allowing infinity in its operators. We propose the $-calculus as a more complete model for problem solving to provide a support to handle intractability and undecidability. It goes beyond the Turing Machine model. We define the semantics of the $-calculus using a novel optimization method (the kΩ-optimization), which approximates a nonexisting universal search algorithm and allows the simulation of many other search methods. In particular, the notion of total optimality has been utilized to provide an automatic way to deal with intractability of problem solving by optimizing together the quality of solutions and search costs. The sufficient conditions needed for completeness, optimality and total optimality of problem solving search are defined. A very flexible classification scheme of problem solving methods into easy, hard and solvable in the limit classes has been proposed. In particular, the third class deals with non-recursive solutions of undecidable problems. The approach is illustrated by solutions of some intractable and undecidable problems. We also briefly overview two possible implementations of the $-calculus.
Orthogonal space-time block coded rate-adaptive modulation with outdated feedback

Abstract-Channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter can be used to adapt transmission rate or antenna gains in multi-antenna systems. We propose a rate-adaptive M-QAM scheme equipped with orthogonal space-time block coding with simple outdated, finite-rate feedback over independent flat fading channels. We obtain closed-form expressions for the average BER and throughput for our scheme, and analyze the effects of possibly delayed feedback on the performance gains. We derive optimal switching thresholds maximizing the average throughput under average and outage BER constraints with outdated feedback. Our numerical results illustrate the immunity of our optimal thresholds to delayed feedback.
Medial prefrontal cortex serotonin 1A and 2A receptor binding interacts to predict threat-related amygdala reactivity.

Background The amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) comprise a key corticolimbic circuit that helps shape individual differences in sensitivity to threat and the related risk for psychopathology. Although serotonin (5-HT) is known to be a key modulator of this circuit, the specific receptors mediating this modulation are unclear. The colocalization of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors on mPFC glutamatergic neurons suggests that their functional interactions may mediate 5-HT effects on this circuit through top-down regulation of amygdala reactivity. Using a multimodal neuroimaging strategy in 39 healthy volunteers, we determined whether threat-related amygdala reactivity, assessed with blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging, was significantly predicted by the interaction between mPFC 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor levels, assessed by positron emission tomography.
Modification of cellular communication by gene transfer.

: Hope has been expressed that gene and cell therapies will one day reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases. Work in these fields has shown that the road from bench to bedside is filled with obstacles. Still, the possibility for treatment or even cure of cardiac disease is real. Continuing work will improve understanding of the underlying physiology and vector biology. The current review focuses on the potential use of gene therapy to affect cellular communication. Included is a review of communication effects on a transcellular level with angiogenesis, AV nodal conduction and sinus nodal automaticity, and effects on an intracellular level with cardiac myocyte repolarization. Challenges facing the field of gene therapy are also reviewed. If these problems can be solved, gene therapy will become a viable alternative for clinical use.
Microwave tomography using dynamic 802.15.4 wireless networks

We demonstrate tomographic imaging of room-sized spaces using the propagation properties of 2.4 GHz, IEEE 802.15.4 direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio waves. We have successfully imaged dielectric phantom objects of the order of the RF wavelength (12.5 cm) in a wireless ZigBee network using only received signal strength indicator (RSSI) data. The Microchip ZigBee stack is utilized to provide an application layer program to control the network and provide an outlet for network data. Using the data collected by a coordinator node, tomographic methods are applied to the data to create images of objects that are physically located within a network of nodes.
Postoperative Arrhythmias in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

the quality of life for most patients with congenital heart disease who underwent open-heart repair. At present, virtually all patients, even patients with the most complex congenital malformations, are subjected to physiologic or anatomic repair. In recent years, much attention has been focused on postoperative arrhythmias evident in this population of patients. Indeed, with increasing years of follow-up, it seems evident that ever-increasing numbers of patients who underwent surgery in infancy or childhood manifest different forms of cardiac electrical instability. In most patients the arrhythmias are a direct result of surgical injury to the various parts of the specialized conduc- tion system. In other patients, cardiac arrhythmias result from marked myocardial hypertrophy and scar- ring, which in some patients may be associated with ischemia or cyanosis. Because open-heart repair of different forms of congenital heart disease is carried out in different parts of the heart and close to different sections of the specialized conduction system, the injury to the conduction system may vary with differ- ent operations. This report will detail the mechanism, pathologic findings, clinical course, and management of postoperative cardiac arrhythmias which result from surgical injury in the pediatric population.
NMR detection of single-walled carbon nanotubes in solution.

The detection of nanotube carbons in solution by 13C NMR is reported. The highly soluble sample was from the functionalization of 13C-enriched single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with diamine-terminated oligomeric poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG1500N). The ferromagnetic impurities due to the residual metal catalysts were removed from the sample via repeated magnetic separation. The nanotube carbon signals are broad but partially resolved into two overlapping peaks, which are tentatively assigned to nanotube carbons on semiconducting (upfield) and metallic (downfield) SWNTs. The solid-state NMR signals of the same sample are similarly resolved. Mechanistic and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens Type IV Secretion Protein VirB3 Is an Inner Membrane Protein and Requires VirB4, VirB7, and VirB8 for Stabilization

Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB proteins assemble a type IV secretion apparatus and a T-pilus for secretion of DNA and proteins into plant cells. The pilin-like protein VirB3, a membrane protein of unknown topology, is required for the assembly of the T-pilus and for T-DNA secretion. Using PhoA and green fluorescent protein (GFP) as periplasmic and cytoplasmic reporters, respectively, we demonstrate that VirB3 contains two membrane-spanning domains and that both the N and C termini of the protein reside in the cytoplasm. Fusion proteins with GFP at the N or C terminus of VirB3 were fluorescent and, like VirB3, localized to a cell pole. Biochemical fractionation studies demonstrated that VirB3 proteins encoded by three Ti plasmids, the octopine Ti plasmid pTiA6NC, the supervirulent plasmid pTiBo542, and the nopaline Ti plasmid pTiC58, are inner membrane proteins and that VirB4 has no effect on membrane localization of pTiA6NC-encoded VirB3 (pTiA6NC VirB3). The pTiA6NC and pTiBo542 VirB2 pilins, like VirB3, localized to the inner membrane. The pTiC58 VirB4 protein was earlier found to be essential for stabilization of VirB3. Stabilization of pTiA6NC VirB3 requires not only VirB4 but also two additional VirB proteins, VirB7 and VirB8. A binary interaction between VirB3 and VirB4/VirB7/VirB8 is not sufficient for VirB3 stabilization. We hypothesize that bacteria use selective proteolysis as a mechanism to prevent assembly of unproductive precursor complexes under conditions that do not favor assembly of large macromolecular structures.
Hybrid semi-analytical technique for modeling brick walls at high frequencies

We demonstrated that existing wall models for brick walls are not accurate at high frequencies, particularly for relatively new wireless services. Herewith, we proposed a semi-analytical model to numerically extract equivalent tensors for brick walls that remain valid at higher frequencies (beyond 1GHz). More details and results on our proposed model will be presented at the conference.
Expression of SV40 T Antigen in Finite Life-Span Hybrids of Normal and SV40-Transformed Fibroblasts

The fusion of normal human fibroblasts with SV40-transformed human fibroblasts resulted in hybrid clones, 85% of which exhibited a finite in vitro life-span. Foci of rapidly dividing cells appeared in 15% of the hybrid clones. The cells within these foci repopulated the culture and could then be subcultured through more than 100 population doublings. One or two foci of dividing cells occurred per culture of 105 or more cells. The change to an indefinite life-span was, therefore, a rare event. All hybrid clones, including those that exhibited a finite in vitro life-span, expressed viral T antigen. Thus, even though viral DNA was present and being expressed in all hybrid clones, the senescent phenotype was dominant in these hybrids.
On the (In)Security and (Im)Practicality of Outsourcing Precise Association Rule Mining

The recent interest in outsourcing IT services onto the cloud raises two main concerns: security and cost. One task that could be outsourced is data mining. In VLDB 2007, Wong et al. propose an approach for outsourcing association rule mining. Their approach maps a set of real items into a set of pseudo items, then maps each transaction non-deterministically. This paper, analyzes both the security and costs associated with outsourcing association rule mining. We show how to break the encoding scheme from Wong et al. without using context specific information and reduce the security to a one-to-one mapping. We present a stricter notion of security than used by Wong et al., and then consider the practicality of outsourcing association rule mining. Our results indicate that outsourcing association rule mining may not be practical, if the data owner is concerned with data confidentiality.
Hypertensive-diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats.

Hypertension and diabetes have been demonstrated to increase the risk of developing a cardiomyopathy in man (1,2). Our group previously described contractile, biochemical and ultrastructural properties of myocardium in rats with diabetes or renovascular hypertension (3–6). There were no direct biochemical comparisons made in the hearts of hypertensive, diabetic, hypertensive-diabetic and control rats derived from the same overall group of animals. Histological studies in a rat model with combined renovascular hypertension and diabetes show significant myocardial pathology with evidence of myocyte necrosis, replacement and interstitial fibrosis and possible microvascular spasm (7,8). Recent studies of isolated perfused heart function in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats with and without diabetes strongly suggest that a combination of hypertension and diabetes results in greater cardiac dysfunction than that which occurs with hypertension or diabetes alone (9–11). Contractile protein biochemistry (myosin ATPase from left ventricular samples and myosin isoenzyme distribution from both left and right ventricular samples) was correlated to the papillary muscle function in these animals (12). The relative contribution of hypertension and diabetes to myocardial dysfunction in hypertensive-diabetic rats could be assessed from the present biochemical studies.
Hereditary generalized juvenile polyposis: Association with arteriovenous malformations and risk of malignancy

A young man with hereditary juvenile polyposis, a duodenal adenoma with carcinoma in situ, and multiple arteriovenous malformations of the lungs and liver is reported. Because of the risk of malignancy, it is suggested that patients with juvenile polyposis have endoscopic or radiographic surveillance of the upper gastrointestinal tract in addition to either prophylactic colectomy or regular colonoscopic surveillance with polypectomy. In view of the serious potential complications of associated pulmonary, cerebral, and hepatic arteriovenous malformations, screening of patients with juvenile polyposis with chest radiography, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and sonography of the liver may be warranted.
The Use of Race in Medicine as a Proxy for Genetic Differences

Race is a prominent category in medicine. Epidemiologists describe how rates of morbidity and mortality vary with race, and doctors consider the race of their patients when deciding whether to test them for sickle-cell anemia or what drug to use to treat their hypertension. At the same time, critics of racial classification say that race is not real but only an illusion or that race is scientifically meaningless. In this paper, I explain how race is used in medicine as a proxy for genes that encode drug metabolizing enzymes and how a proper understanding of race calls into doubt the practice of treating race as a marker of any medically relevant genetic trait.
Numbers Talk Loud? A Case In Making Investment Decisions

This study presents a case study intended for use in the introductory financial accounting course at the undergraduate level. The case study is designed for students to evaluate accounting information in the investment decision-making process. The project aims to stimulate student interest in accounting by presenting the application of accounting information.
Intact recognition of emotional prosody following amygdala damage

Abstract Bilateral damage to the amygdala in a variety of animal species can impair emotional reactions to stimuli in several sensory modalities. Such damage in humans impairs visual recognition of emotion in facial expressions, but possible impairments in modalities other than vision have not been sufficiently explored. We examined two subjects with complete bilateral amygdala damage, and seven with unilateral amygdala damage, on a standardized task of emotional prosody recognition. The data were compared to those from 15 brain-damaged and from 14 normal control subjects. One of the bilateral amygdala subjects, whose lesions were restricted to the amygdala, was entirely normal in recognizing emotion in prosody on all tasks; the other, whose damage included substantial lesions also in extra-amygdalar structures, especially in right hemisphere, was normal on most, albeit not all, measures of emotional prosody recognition. We suggest that the human amygdala’s role in recognizing emotion in prosody may not be as critical as it is for facial expressions, and that extra-amygdalar structures in right hemisphere may be more important for recognizing emotional prosody. It remains possible that recognition of emotion in classes of auditory stimuli other than prosody will require the amygdala.
Changes in serum ovotransferrin levels in chickens with experimentally induced inflammation and diseases.

SUMMARY. A competitive enzyme immunoassay was developed to measure the changes in serum levels of ovotransferrin (OTF) during inflammation and infectious diseases in chickens. The assay is based on the competition of serum OTF with a fixed concentration of biotin-labeled OTF to bind to a rabbit anti-chicken transferrin antibody immobilized on microtiter wells. After several washing steps, the antibody-bound biotinylated OTF is probed with streptavidin–horseradish peroxidase conjugate (HRP) followed by a colorimetric detection of the HRP activity. The relative changes in the optical density of color are plotted against the competing concentrations of OTF with logarithmic regression to generate a standard curve that is used to determine the concentrations of OTF in unknown samples. Serum had no effect on the measurement of OTF. By this method, the time course changes of serum OTF levels in 4-wk-old male broiler chickens that were subjected to inflammation by croton oil injection were measured. The results s...
A qualitative investigation comparing sexual effects of alcohol and marijuana among adults

Aims: Alcohol andmarijuana (cannabis) are the twomost commonly used psychoactive drugs and each appears to have its own unique sexual effects on users. With marijuana use increasing in the United States, along with more liberal state-level policies, it is important to examine and compare sexual effects and sexual risk behavior associated with these drugs in order to inform prevention of HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 racially and ethnically diverse adults in New York City (mean age=27.4, SD=5.8). To be eligible, subjects must have (1) been between ages 18–35, (2) had sex while high on marijuana in the last 12 months, (3) had sex while not high on marijuana in the last 12 months; and (4) must not have used any other illicit drug in the last 12 months. All subjects self-identified as heterosexual and HIV-negative, and 50% were female. Results: Thematic analysis yielded various themes. Many subjects described differences between the two drugs with regard to interactions and contexts in use before sex, partner choice, perceived attractiveness of self and others, disinhibition, adverse sexual effects and sexual dysfunction, and dose effects. Differences were also commonly described regarding libido, length and intensity of sex and orgasm, specific sexual behaviors (including risk behavior), and feelings such as regret after sex. Compared to marijuana, alcohol was more likely to be associated with atypical partner choice and lead to regret. Illegality ofmarijuana sometimes facilitated intimate encounters. Conclusions: Results can inform prevention efforts regarding specific sexual risks and allow us to design more realistic prevention programs and interventions to guide potential users to make safer choices. Financial support: This pilot study was funded by the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (P30DA011041).
Analysis and design of vehicular networks

Advances in computing and wireless communication technologies have increased interest in "smart" vehicles---vehicles equipped with significant computing, communication and sensing capabilities to provide services to travelers. Smart vehicles can be exploited to improve driving safety and comfort as well as optimize surface transportation systems. Wireless communications among vehicles and between vehicles and roadside infrastructures represent an important class of vehicle communications. One can envision creating an integrated radio network leveraging various wireless technologies that work together in a seamless fashion. Based on cost-performance tradeoffs, different network configurations may be appropriate for different environments. An understanding of the properties of different vehicular network architectures is absolutely necessary before services can be successfully deployed. Based on this understanding, efficient data services (e.g., data dissemination services) can be designed to accommodate application requirements. This thesis examines several research topics concerning both the evaluation and design of vehicular networks. We explore the properties of vehicle-to-vehicle (v2v) communications. We study the spatial propagation of information along the road using v2v communications. Our analysis identifies the vehicle traffic characteristics that significantly affect information propagation. We also evaluate the feasibility of propagating information along a highway. Several design alternatives exist to build infrastructure-based vehicular networks. Their characteristics have been evaluated in a realistic vehicular environment. Based on these evaluations, we have developed some insights into the design of future broadband vehicular networks capable of adapting to varying vehicle traffic conditions. Based on the above analysis, opportunistic forwarding that exploit vehicle mobility to overcome vehicular network partitioning appears to be a viable approach for data dissemination using v2v communications for applications that can tolerate some data loss and delay. We introduce a methodology to design enhanced opportunistic forwarding algorithms. Practical algorithms derived from this methodology have exhibited different performance/overhead tradeoffs. An in-depth understanding of wireless communication performance in a vehicular environment is necessary to provide the groundwork for realizing reliable mobile communication services. We have conducted an extensive set of field experiments to uncover the performance of short-range communications between vehicles and between vehicles and roadside stations in a specific highway scenario.
Medical Technologists of the Future: New Practice, New Service, New Functions

Improved use of laboratory services is essential to laboratory cost containment. Providing quality laboratory testing is paramount to providing positive patient outcomes. Neither can be met without a medical technologist consultant. The effectiveness of this new consulative practice will be determined by the practitioner’s skills and abilities which must be developed. A cooperative relationship between medical technologists, physicians, and other health care providers will result in the recognition, respect, and legitimization of the profession.
Notes on Culex Erraticus and Related Species in the United States (Diptera, Culicidae)

The synonymy of the small United States species of Culex usually placed in the subgenera Mochlostyrax or Melanoconion has undergone a confusing series of changes, due in part to variability in adult markings and lack of specific characters in the females. The recent terminology employed has been that published by Dyar in 1928, in which the commonest United States representative of the group was considered to be identical with the Santo Domingan species Culex inhibitator . A study of published descriptions and of specimen material, however, shows that the two forms are distinct and that the correct name for our common southern species is Culex erraticus . Other necessary changes include the restoration of Culex abominator as a valid species, revision of the description of the male terminalia of Culex inhibitator , and revision of the larval description of Culex peccator . These changes are discussed in the present paper. We are also including revised synonymies as they now appear for this group of species, together with a synoptic table of larval and male characters.
Regulation of calcium and phosphoinositides at endoplasmic reticulum-membrane junctions.

Effective cellular function requires both compartmentalization of tasks in space and time, and coordination of those efforts. The endoplasmic reticulum9s (ER) expansive and ramifying structure makes it ideally suited to serve as a regulatory platform for organelle–organelle communication through membrane contacts. These contact sites consist of two membranes juxtaposed at a distance less than 30 nm that mediate the exchange of lipids and ions without the need for membrane fission or fusion, a process distinct from classical vesicular transport. Membrane contact sites are positioned by organelle-specific membrane–membrane tethering proteins and contain a growing number of additional proteins that organize information transfer to shape membrane identity. Here we briefly review the role of ER-containing membrane junctions in two important cellular functions: calcium signalling and phosphoinositide processing.
Variability of Active-layer Thickness at Multiple Spatial Scales, North-central Alaska, U.S.A.

To examine the scales at which the maximum variability of active-layer thickness occurs within local areas, a nested sampling and analysis design was implemented in five 1-km2 areas distributed over two physiographic provinces in north-central Alaska. The primary variations of thaw depth in the low-relief terrain of the Arctic Coastal Plain province occur over distances between 100 and 300 m, and are superimposed on a trend related to the regional climatic gradient. In the Arctic Foothills province, much of the variation within the study areas occurs over horizontal distances less than 3 m, and is superimposed on mesoscale variations induced by terrain climate. To achieve maximum effectiveness, research programs concerned with sampling, interpolating, or modeling thaw depth and closely related phenomena should be designed to accommodate substantial variability at multiple spatial scales.
Validation of miniature ultrasonic transit-time flow probes for measurement of renal blood flow in rats

This study validates the accuracy of miniature ultrasonic transit-time flow probes for measuring renal blood flow (RBF) in the rat. Probes for 1-mm and 2-mm vessels were calibrated ex vivo using excised arteries at varying flow rates and hematocrit (Hct). Correlation between measured and true flow rates for the 2-mm probe were identical (r = 1.0) at both normal and subnormal Hct values. Correlation for the 1-mm probe was high (r = 0.994) at normal Hct, but varied at both high flow rates and subnormal Hct values. In vivo correlation of RBF measurements using the 1-mm probe with the clearance and extraction of p-aminohippuric acid showed a high correlation (r = 0.84; n = 72, P < 0.0001) over a wide range of flow rates (0.5-21 ml/min) and Hct (36-74%). Zero flow levels remained steady, averaging -0.2 +/- 0.2 ml/min during occlusion in the living animal and -0.1 +/- 0.3 ml/min after exsanguination. This study shows that the ultrasonic transit-time flowmeter (1-mm and 2-mm probes) is a reasonably accurate and reliable method with which to measure RBF in the anesthetized, acute-instrumented rat.
Occupational hazard control effect evaluation in a bromoethane production line

[Objective]To evaluate the Occupational hazard control effect in dibromoethane production project of a enterprise.[Methods]Field occupational health survey,inspection and testing methods were adopted for comprehensive evaluation.[Results] The test results of the major occupational hazards in this project were bromine 0.06-0.18 mg/m3(C-TWA),sulphuric acid 0.07-0.64 mg/m3(C-TWA),sodium carbonate 0.35-0.42 mg/m3(C-TWA),sulfur dust 0.23-0.40 mg/m3(C-TWA),grime 0.40-0.48 mg/m3(C-TWA),noise 70-76 dB(A),which were all lower than occupational exposure limits.The qualified rates of all items were 100%.The overall layout and equipment layout,occupational hazards and protective facilities,building hygiene and auxiliary rooms,emergency rescue measures,occupational health management measures all met the requirements basically.But the ventilation and drainage facilities,warning signs,personal protective measures,occupational health knowledge training,occupational health surveillance,etc had deficiencies under accident condition.[Conclusion]Occupational hazards control basically meet the requirement in dibromoethane production project of the enterprise,but the existed problem can not be ignored and needs to be corrected.
Meeting the challenges to measurement in an era of accountability

Foreword Acknowledgements Chapter 1: The Challenges to Measurement in an Era of Accountability: Introduction and Overview by Henry Braun Part I Chapter 2: Design and Development of End of Course Tests for Student Assessment and Teacher Evaluation by Steve Ferrara and Denny Way Chapter 3: Design and Implementation Considerations of Performance-based and Authentic Assessments for Use in Accountability Systems by Scott F. Marion and Katie Buckley Chapter 4: Psychometric Considerations for Performance-Based Assessments and Student Learning Objectives by Suzanne Lane and Charles DePascale Chapter 5: General Introduction to Evidence-Centered Design by Geneva D. Haertel, Terry P. Vendlinski, Daisy Rutstein, Angela DeBarger, Britte H. Cheng, Eric B. Snow, Cynthia D'Angelo, Christopher Harris, Louise Yarnall, and Liliana Ructtinger Chapter 6: Validity and Accountability: Test Validation for 21st-century Educational Assessments by Stephen G. Sireci and Amanda Soto Chapter 7: Commentary: Can Campbell's Law be Mitigated? by Derek C. Briggs Part II Chapter 8: Arts Assessment in an Age of Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities in Implementation, Design, and Measurement by Scott C. Shuler, Timothy S. Brophy, F. Robert Sabol, Susan McGreevy-Nichols, and Mary J. Schuttler Chapter 9: Assessment Issues in World Languages by Meg Malone and Paul Sandrock Chapter 10: Use of Evidence Centered Design in Assessment of History Learning by Kadriye Ercikan, Peter Seixas, Pamela Kaliski, andKristen Huff Chapter 11: Assessing the Life Sciences: Using Evidence-Centered Design for Accountability Purposes by Geneva D. Haertel, Terry P. Vendlinski, Daisy Rutstein, Angela DeBarger, Britte H. Cheng, Cindy Zikar, Christopher Harris, Cynthia D'Angelo, Eric B. Snow, Marie Bienkowski, and Liliana Ructtinger Chapter 12: Assessing Physical and Earth and Space Science in the Context of the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards by Nathaniel J. S. Brown, Scott S. Maderer, and James Wood Chapter 13: Transforming Assessment in Mathematics: Introduction by Patricia A. Klag and Friedrich L. Kluempen List of Contributors List of Contributors Index
You Are Your Words: Modeling Students' Vocabulary Knowledge with Natural Language Processing Tools.

The current study investigates the degree to which the lexical properties of students’ essays can inform stealth assessments of their vocabulary knowledge. In particular, we used indices calculated with the natural language processing tool, TAALES, to predict students’ performance on a measure of vocabulary knowledge. To this end, two corpora were collected which contained essays from early college and high school students, respectively. The lexical properties of these essays were then calculated using TAALES. The results of this study indicated that two of the linguistic indices were able to account for 44% of the variance in the college students’ vocabulary knowledge scores. Additionally, the significant indices from this first corpus analysis were able to account for a significant portion of the variance in the high school students’ vocabulary scores. Overall, these results suggest that natural language processing techniques can inform stealth assessments and help to improve student models within computer-based learning environments.
Nutrition of the preterm infant

Nutrition is of great importance for the preterm infant. It is not only essential for survival, but also makes provision for rapid development of many organs outside the uterus which process normally takes place in the third trimester of pregnancy. It is for future life essential that all factors that might influence the development are as optimal as possible, including nutrition. However, there might also be an upper limit to the intake of some ingredients in the neonatal period. The rate of growth of the preterm infant is five times higher compared to term infants and the breast of the mother delivering preterm might yet be ready to produce the optimal composition of milk. Preterm infants receiving mothers milk only are known to show a lower gain in weight and length than the so called reference fetus. It is therefore at least questionable if preterm human milk can be used to define the nutritional needs of the preterm infant. To define the optimal composition and amounts of nutrients for the preterm infant a factorial approach can be used. The estimated requirements are calculated from the calculated requirements for maintenance and growth. Though some studies have shown that the protein content of milk from mothers who delivered preterm can be higher in the first few weeks after birth compared to milk of term delivering mothers, soon after there is a rapid decline in protein content after which period the content is not different from the term delivered mother. Providing exclusively mothers own milk leads to suboptimal growth and insufficient accretion of minerals. The needs of the preterm infant in energy, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, pro- and prebiotics to provide optimal nutrition in the first days after birth are discussed in the paper. It is concluded that nowadays early, aggressive nutrition directly after premature birth with the immediate introduction of amino acids and rapid introduction of lipids is advised. Enteral feeding should be started very soon after birth, preferably on the first day of life and increased in the days thereafter. The first choise for enteral feeding is mothers own milk, supplemented from the second week with a fortifier. Special preterm formula might serve as a good alternative in case when breast milk is not available.
Como normas constitucionais não escritas mudam Constituições escritas

Written constitutions are susceptible to informal changes that do not manifest themselves in alterations to the text, for instance as a result of judicial interpretation, legislative enactment or executive action. This phenomenon is well developed in the scholarly literature on constitutional change and informal constitutional amendment. But what remains understudied and undertheorized in Canada and the United States is how written constitutions change informally as a result of the development of an unwritten constitutional norm, otherwise known as a constitutional convention. In this Article, I hypothesize with reference to the Canadian and United States Constitutions that there exist two major categories of informal constitutional change by constitutional convention: incorporation and repudiation. I suggest also that incorporation and repudiation may each occur in two ways: incorporation may occur by filling an existing void in the constitutional text or by refining one of its existing provisions, and repudiation may result from creating a void in the constitutional text or from substituting one of its existing provisions. I then evaluate whether these four forms informal constitutional change by constitutional convention entail costs to the rule of law where constitutional meaning is rooted in the present public meaning of the constitutional text. My larger purpose in this Article is to invite a dialogue with comparative public law scholars on how unwritten constitutional norms change written constitutions so that we may ultimately better understand the forms and implications of unwritten constitutional change.