cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Audio Interview: Pay for Performance — Recommendations of the Institute of Medicine

Dr. Elliott Fisher and Karen Davis discuss the pay-for-performance concept and its usefulness in the Medicare system
Relative chronology of violent and nonviolent themes in early Christian and Islamic historical documents.

Early Islamic and Christian documents were divided into early and late periods chronologically and then compared to Morgan-Miller's 2002 themes of violence and nonviolence. No significant relationship between chronology and violence themes was found for the Christian documents but for the Islamic documents a significant relationship was detected, with later documents (those revealed at Madinah) reporting a higher percentage of violent and a lower percentage of nonviolent themes than those revealed earlier (at Mecca). Language: en
Syntactic categories in the speech of young children.

This article demonstrates that very young children have knowledge of a range of syntactic categories. Speech samples from six children aged 2 years to 2 years, 5 months, with Mean Lengths of Utterance (MLUs) ranging from 2.93 to 4.14, were examined for evidence of six syntactic categories: Determiner, Adjective, Noun, Noun Phrase, Preposition, and Prepositional Phrase. Performance was evaluated by the conformance of the children's speech to criteria developed for each category. Known syntactic diagnostics served as models for the criteria developed; the criteria exploited distributional regularities. All children showed evidence of all categories, except for the lowest MLU child, whose performance was borderline on Adjectives and Prepositional Phrases. The results suggest that children are sensitive very early in life to abstract, formal properties of the speech they hear and must be credited with syntactic knowledge at an earlier point than heretofore generally thought. The results argue against various semantic hypotheses about the origin of syntactic knowledge. Finally, the methods and results may be applicable to future investigations of why children's early utterances are short, of the nature of children's semantic categories, and of the nature of the deviance in the speech of language-deviant children and adults. The grammars of mature speakers consist of rules and principles that capture generalizations about the language. Languages have (minimally) semantic, syntactic, and phonological regularities, and mature grammars represent all three levels of regularities. Three enduring questions of language acquisition are to what extent a child's grammar resembles a mature grammar, how a child's grammar develops over time, and how the components of the child's grammar are interrelated. Since syntactic regularities are stated in terms of syntactic categories like Adjective, Noun, and Noun Phrase, categories are particularly important entities. If the child's grammar lacks syntactic categories, it also lacks a level of syntactic description, and thus differs from a mature grammar in a crucial way. By what point in development has the child acquired the basics of formal grammatical categories like Adjective and Noun? The present study addresses a special case of this question by examining corpora of 2-year-olds for evidence of formal regularities characterizing six categories. The results bear on several theoretical concerns about acquisition. First, from a semantic viewpoint, treatments of semantic roles presuppose a phrasal segmentation of the sentence, with the senses of Noun Phrases identifying roles like agent of the action or recipient of the action (e.g., Hardy & Braine, 1981;
Efficient algorithmic learning of the structure of permutation groups by examples

Abstract This paper discusses learning algorithms for ascertaining membership, inclusion, and equality in permutation groups. The main results are randomized learning algorithms which take a random generator set of a fixed group G ≤ S n as input. We discuss randomized algorithms for learning the concepts of group membership, inclusion, and equality by representing the group in terms of its strong sequence of generators using random examples from G . We present O ( n 3 log n ) time sequential learning algorithms for testing membership, inclusion and equality. The running time is expressed as a function of the size of the object set. ( G ≤ S n can have as many as n ! elements.) Our bounds hold for all input groups. We also introduce limited parallelism, and our lower processor bounds make our algorithms more practical. Finally, we show that learning two-groups is in class NC by reducing the membership, inclusion, and inequality problems to solving linear systems over GF (2). We present an O (log 3 n ) time learning algorithm using n ω processors for learning two-groups from examples (where n × n matrix product takes logarithmic time using n ω processors).
Capturing a Speeding Locomotive

National Research Council., Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet, 1996, National Academy Press, Washinton, D.C., 417, $44.95National Research Council., The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence, 1996, National Acadamy Press, Washington, D.C., 254, $37.95Parker P.J., Pawson T., Cell Signalling, 1996, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 386, $90.00,Pearlman R., Wang J.Y., Formulation, Characterization, and Stability of Protein Drugs, 1996, Plenum Publishing, New York, 432, $95.00Perry S.V., Molecular Mechanisms in Striated Muscle, 1996, Cambridge University Press, New York, 168, $19.95,Rappaport R., Cytokinesis in Animal Cells, 1996, Cambridge University Press, New York, 386, $84.95Readka-Kudla M.L., Wilson D.E., Wilson E. O., Biodiversity II- Understanding And Protecting Our Biological Resources, 1996, Joseph Henry Press, Washington, D.C., 551, $34.95Shepherd J.T., Vatner S.F., Nervous Control of the Heart, 1996, Harwood Academic, The Netherlands, 412, $150.00Shewry N.G., Halford N.G., Hooley R., Protein Phosphorylation in Plants, 1996, Oxford University Press, New York, 320, $135.00Thompson J.N., Hellack J.J., G. Braver, Durica D.S., Primer of Genetic Analysis A Problems Approach, 1996, Cambridge University Press, New York, 276, $22.95Vanderhoek J.Y., Frontiers In Bioactive Lipids, 1996, Plenum Press, New York, 313, $110.00Watson S.P., Authie K.S., Platelets, 1996, Oxford University Press, New York, 370, $100.00
Self-organized molecular-sized, hexagonally ordered SnOx nanodot superlattices on Pt(111)

Complete oxidation of the (√3×√3)R30° Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy or submonolayer amounts of Sn adatoms on Pt(111) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, forms a highly ordered, lateral superlattice of SnOx islands on the Pt(111) substrate. The island superstructure exhibits a sharp (5×5) low energy electron diffraction pattern. Scanning tunneling microscopy images show islands arranged in a hexagonal lattice, uniformly distributed over the whole sample. This island array is thermally stable up to 1050 K. The coincidence of the island periodicity with a multiple of the supporting substrate, and the same hexagonal symmetry of islands and substrate, suggests a strong island–substrate interaction. We propose that the island formation results from the breakup of a strained SnOx adlayer.
Analysis of individual mitochondria via fluorescent immunolabeling with Anti-TOM22 antibodies

Mitochondria are responsible for maintaining a variety of cellular functions. One such function is the interaction and subsequent import of proteins into these organelles via the translocase of outer membrane (TOM) complex. Antibodies have been used to analyze the presence and function of proteins comprising this complex, but have not been used to investigate variations in the abundance of TOM complex in mitochondria. Here, we report on the feasibility of using capillary cytometry with laser-induced fluorescence to detect mitochondria labeled with antibodies targeting the TOM complex and to estimate the number of antibodies that bind to these organelles. Mitochondria were fluorescently labeled with DsRed2, while antibodies targeting the TOM22 protein, one of nine proteins comprising the TOM complex, were conjugated to the Atto-488 fluorophore. At typical labeling conditions, 94 % of DsRed2 mitochondria were also immunofluorescently labeled with Atto-488 Anti-TOM22 antibodies. The calculated median number of Atto-488 Anti-TOM22 antibodies bound to the surface of mitochondria was ∼2,000 per mitochondrion. The combination of fluorescent immunolabeling and capillary cytometry could be further developed to include multicolor labeling experiments, which enable monitoring several molecular targets at the same time in the same or different organelle types.
Surface distortions in twinned niobium (Columbium) crystals

The surface distortions resulting from the formation of mechanical twins in niobium single crystals are more complex than the simple tilts predicted from the twinning shear. Tilt angles observed vary from zero to well in excess of the conventionally predicted values. In addition, the shear offset is not limited to the twinned lamella, but is generally also observed in the adjacent matrix. These observations suggest that macroscopic shear need not be necessary in the initial twin formation. It is suggested that such shear offset, when present, is associated with the simultaneous occurrence of slip, and that the shear probably takes place after the initial twin formation, during the subsequent transverse twin growth. Observed slip markings, and the energy associated with the initial twin formation, are also briefly discussed.
Cellular metabolism of 1-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-azacytosine and incorporation into DNA and RNA of human lymphoid CEM/0 and CEM/dCk(−) cells

1-β-d-arabinosyl-5-azacytosine (ara-AC) is a relatively new antitumor agent under clinical investigation, which has the 2′-β arabinosyl configuration found in the tumoricidal drug ara-C and the nitrogen substitution in the 5-position of the pyrimidine ring found in 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C). The present study examined the cellular metabolism and the effect on DNA methylation of ara-AC in human CCRF/CEM cells sensitive and resistant to ara-C. The triphosphate anabolite of the drug, ara-ACTP, was the major anabolite in the CEM cellular extracts, peaking at 50.6±23 μM 4 h after incubation with IC50 concentrations (0.25 μM) of [3H]ara-AC. The mono- and diphosphate anabolites accumulated 10-fold lower cellular concentrations than ara-ACTP. The nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) pools and, especially, cellular ATP declined significantly by 9 h after the initiation of drug treatment and remained depleted for the 24-h treatment. The drug anabolite was gradually incorporated into both RNA and DNA, peaking in CEM/0 at 3.44 and 0.14 nmol/107 cells, respectively. The DNA methylation levels in these cells declined rapidly after treatment with ara-AC, attaining a nadir plateau at 29% of control methylation value. The deoxycytidine kinase (dCk) mutant CEM cell line [CEM/dCk(−)] neither activated ara-AC at appreciable levels nor induced DNA hypomethylation at low concentrations (0.25–1 μM). However, the drug was activated at 0.2–1 μM extracellular concentrations of ara-AC, probably by an as yet unknown nucleoside kinase at approximately 10% of the amount in CEM/0 cells. Ara-AC appears to mediate its cytotoxic action through the accumulation of its triphosphate anabolite, ara-ACTP, and the subsequent incorporation into nucleic acids. DNA methylation may also contribute to its cytotoxicity.
Differential Growth Trajectories for Achievement Among Children Retained in First Grade: A Growth Mixture Model.

AbstractThe authors investigated the differential effect of retention on the development of academic achievement from grades 1 to 5 on children retained in grade 1 over 6 years. Growth mixture model (GMM) analyses supported the existence of two distinct trajectory groups of retained children for both reading and math among 125 ethnically and linguistically diverse retained children. For each achievement domain, a low intercept/higher growth group (Class 1) and a high intercept/slower growth group (Class 2) were identified. Furthermore, Class 1 children were found to score lower on several measures of learning related skills variables and were characterized by having poorer self-regulation and fewer prosocial behaviors compared to the other group. Findings suggest that some children appear to benefit more from retention, in terms of higher reading and math growth, than others. Study findings have implications for selecting children into retention intervention and early intervention.
Interaction parameters for blends containing polycarbonates: 3. Polycarbonate copolymers/styrene-based copolymers

Abstract The phase behaviour of binary blends of copolycarbonates of tetramethyl bisphenol-A and bisphenol-A (TMPC-PC) with copolymers of styrene with acrylonitrile (SAN) or styrene with methyl methacrylate (SMMA) has been examined as a function of composition of each copolymer. The interaction parameters for TMPC-PC blends with each SAN copolymer and each SMMA copolymer were evaluated from the lower critical solution temperature type phase boundary using the lattice fluid theory of Sanchez and Lacombe. From such information for several copolymer compositions, bare interaction parameters for mixing of various monomer unit pairs ( ΔP∗ ij ) were calculated using a binary interaction model. Additionally, from miscibility maps, Flory-Huggins type energy densities (Bij) have been computed for various monomer unit pairs. The interactions of acrylonitrile with other monomer units (styrene, PC and TMPC) are strongly repulsive in each case while the interactions of MMA with these monomer units are weakly repulsive.
The birch reduction of thiophine-2-carboxylic acid

Abstract The Birch reduction of thiophene-2-carboxylic acid was investigated. The course of the reaction was controlled by altering the ratio of lithium to acid and by changing the proton source.
Caspase-independent cell death: leaving the set without the final cut

Apoptosis is dependent upon caspase activation leading to substrate cleavage and, ultimately, cell death. Although required for the apoptotic phenotype, it has become apparent that cells frequently die even when caspase function is blocked. This process, termed caspase-independent cell death (CICD), occurs in response to most intrinsic apoptotic cues, provided that mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization has occurred. Death receptor ligation can also trigger a form of CICD termed necroptosis. In this review, we will examine the molecular mechanisms governing CICD, highlight recent findings demonstrating recovery from conditions of CICD and discuss potential pathophysiological functions of these processes.
Orientation of Rigid Macromolecules during Hydrodynamic Chromatography Separations

Abstract We have recently reported the successful separation of xanthan polysaccharide macromolecules by hydrodynamic chromatography. We show here that kinetic theory calculations of the orientation of rodlike macromolecules by flow in porous media can be used to intepret the experimentally observed chromatographic separations. Xanthan is a rigid rodlike molecule approximately 1 μm in length and 40 A in diameter, yet it is found experimentally to elute from the chromatography column at the same volume as a 0.15 3-μm diameter latex sphere. To relate the physical dimensions of the xanthan molecule to its “apparent hydrodynamic volume” as determined from chromatography experiments, we begin by modeling the molecule as a rigid dumbbell. Elongational strain rates and shear rates characteristic of flow through a packed bed of impermeable 25 μm spheres are calculated and subsequently used to obtain the orientational distribution function for the dumbbell in elongation and shear. The projection of the distributio...
SYMPOSIUM: TRUTH, MEANING AND LITERATURE

L'A. rejette l'objection que R. Gaskin lui oppose dans une note critique a son propre livre intitule «Inconvenient Fictions: Literature and the Limits of Theory», selon laquelle la double affirmation que la litterature serieuse apporte des gains cognitifs a ses lecteurs, d'une part, et qu'il n'est pas question de reference ni de verite dans le discours litteraire, d'autre part, est a l'origine d'une intolerable tension dans [son] livre, due a une mauvaise interpretation de la doctrine de Frege sur le sens et la reference
The Natural Rights Basis of Aristotelian Education

It is commonplace to speak of education as a right. Yet it has been seldom defended as a natural right. Natural rights are pre-social, while education is social intrinsically. This analysis attempts to show how Aristotle’s concept of education can be conceived as a natural and necessary process to fulfill individual autonomy. In this sense it approaches Locke’s conception of a natural right. To the degree that it succeeds, the firmest possible basis for education in modern constitutionally premised social order is established. It will stand on a par with life, liberty and property and will be equally resistant to tyrannical inroads of either government or majoritarian politics. Moreover, it will refocus society on its absolute duty to treat its citizens justly, that is, will full regard for their inalienable rights.
Characterization of an early passage Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive Merkel cell carcinoma cell line, MS-1, and its growth in NOD scid gamma mice.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a high mortality rate. The majority of MCC (70–80%) harbor clonally integrated Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) in the tumor genome and express viral T antigen oncoproteins. The characterization of an early passage MCV-positive MCC cell line MS-1 is described, and its cellular, immunohistochemical, and virological features to MCV-negative (UISO, MCC13, and MCC26) and MCV-positive cell lines (MKL-1 and MKL-2) were compared. The MS-1 cellular genome harbors integrated MCV, which preserves an identical viral sequence from its parental tumor. Neither VP2 gene transcripts nor VP1 protein are detectable in MS-1 or other MCV-positive MCC cell lines tested. Mapping of viral and cellular integration sites in MS-1 and MCC tumor samples demonstrates no consistent viral or cellular gene integration locus. All MCV-positive cell lines show cytokeratin 20 positivity and grow in suspension. When injected subcutaneously into NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice, MS-1 forms a discrete macroscopic tumor. Immunophenotypic analysis of the MS-1 cell line and xenografts in mice show identical profiles to the parental tumor biopsy. Hence, MS-1 is an early passage cell line that provides a useful in vitro model to characterize MCV-positive MCC.
Rating Compiler Optimizations for Automatic Performance Tuning

To achieve maximum performance gains through compiler optimization, most automatic performance tuning systems use a feed-back directed approach to rate the code versions generated under different optimization options and to search for the best one. They all face the problem that code versions are only comparable if they run under the same execution context. This paper proposes three accurate, fast and flexible rating approaches that address this problem. The three methods identify comparable execution contexts, model relationships between contexts, or force re-execution of the code under the same context, respectively. We apply these methods in an automatic offline tuning scenario. Our performance tuning system improves the program performance of a selection of SPEC CPU 2000 benchmarks by up to 178% (26% on average). Our techniques reduce program tuning time by up to 96% (80% on average), compared to the state-of-the-art tuning scenario that compares optimization techniques using whole-program execution.
S. typhimurium Encodes an Activator of Rho GTPases that Induces Membrane Ruffling and Nuclear Responses in Host Cells

S. typhimurium stimulates signaling pathways leading to membrane ruffling, actin cytoskeleton rearrangements, and nuclear responses. The stimulation requires a protein secretion system (type III) that translocates bacterial proteins into the host cell. We show that SopE, a substrate of this secretion system, stimulates cytoskeletal reorganization and JNK activation in a CDC42- and Rac-1-dependent manner. A lambda gt11 cDNA library screen for proteins that interact with SopE identified Rac-1 and CDC42. Furthermore, purified SopE was shown to stimulate GDP/GTP nucleotide exchange in several Rho GTPases in vitro, including Rac-1 and CDC42. These findings establish a paradigm for microbial stimulation of cellular responses in which the pathogen induces signaling events by directly engaging the signaling machinery within the host cell.
Modified action spectra of photogeotropic equilibrium in Phycomyces blakesleeanus mutants with defects in genes madA, madB, madC, and madH.

— Action spectra of photogeotropic equilibrium were measured for behavioral mutants of Phycomyces blakesleeanus with defects in the genes madB, madC and madH as well as for a double mutant defective in the genes madA and madC. The action spectra of strains C109 (madB), LI (madC) and L52 (madA madC) all lack the broad near-ultraviolet peak which extends from 347 to 386 nm in the wild type; the peaks at 414 and 491 nm are also missing in these mutants. The double mutant L52 (madA madC) shows a novel broad peak at 477 nm; the relative quantum effectiveness of L52 at 477 nm is 10 times higher than in LI (madC119). These properties of the double mutant L52 (madA madC) suggest steric interaction of the madA and the madC gene products in the photoreceptor complex. For the hypertropic mutant L84 (madH) the action spectrum and absolute sensitivity are similar to those for wild type. These results confirm and extend previous findings that multiple photoreceptors are mediating phototropism in P. blakesleeanus.
Life‐Threatening Isradipine Poisoning in a Child

Calcium channel blockers as a group are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality with toxic exposures. Isradipine, a cardioselective dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, rarely has been implicated, with only two reports in the literature of significant toxic reactions, one in an adult and another in a child. To our knowledge, we describe the first case of life-threatening isradipine poisoning in a child and provide documentation of serum drug levels. On arrival at the hospital, a 5-year-old girl had abdominal distention and bradycardia that rapidly progressed to asystole. She received 73 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and transvenous cardiac pacing and survived with an intact neurologic recovery. Serum concentrations of isradipine were 30-100 times those found with therapeutic use.
Recruiting Men, Constructing Manhood How Health Care Organizations Mobilize Masculinities as Nursing Recruitment Strategy

Despite broader changes in the health care industry and gender dynamics in the United States, men continue to be a minority in the traditionally female occupation of nursing. As a caring profession, nursing emphasizes empathy, emotional engagement, and helping others—behaviors and skills characterized as antithetical to hegemonic notions of a tough, detached, and independent masculine self. The current study examines how nursing and related organizations “mobilize masculinities” in their efforts to recruit men to nursing. Analyzing recruitment materials, I assess the mobilization and construction of masculinities in the context of textual, spoken, and visual content. Results reveal how organizations simultaneously mobilize aspects of hegemonic and nonhegemonic masculinities through ideological gendering practices. I identify three distinct types of mediated mobilization: full hegemonic co-option, partial hegemonic co-option, and alternative construction of masculinities. Empirically, the study illustrates...
Voltage-dependent Anion Channel-1 (VDAC-1) Contributes to ATP Release and Cell Volume Regulation in Murine Cells

Extracellular ATP regulates several elements of the mucus clearance process important for pulmonary host defense. However, the mechanisms mediating ATP release onto airway surfaces remain unknown. Mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channels (mt-VDACs) translocate a variety of metabolites, including ATP and ADP, across the mitochondrial outer membrane, and a plasmalemmal splice variant (pl-VDAC-1) has been proposed to mediate ATP translocation across the plasma membrane. We tested the involvement of VDAC-1 in ATP release in a series of studies in murine cells. First, the full-length coding sequence was cloned from a mouse airway epithelial cell line (MTE7b−) and transfected into NIH 3T3 cells, and pl-VDAC-1-transfected cells exhibited higher rates of ATP release in response to medium change compared with mock-transfected cells. Second, ATP release was compared in cells isolated from VDAC-1 knockout [VDAC-1 (−/−)] and wild-type (WT) mice. Fibroblasts from VDAC-1 (−/−) mice released less ATP than WT mice in response to a medium change. Well-differentiated cultures from nasal and tracheal epithelia of VDAC-1 (−/−) mice exhibited less ATP release in response to luminal hypotonic challenge than WT mice. Confocal microscopy studies revealed that cell volume acutely increased in airway epithelia from both VDAC-1 (−/−) and WT mice after luminal hypotonic challenge, but VDAC-1 (−/−) cells exhibited a slower regulatory volume decrease (RVD) than WT cells. Addition of ATP or apyrase to the luminal surface of VDAC-1 (−/−) or WT cultures with hypotonic challenge produced similar initial cell height responses and RVD kinetics in both cell types, suggesting that involvement of VDAC-1 in RVD is through ATP release. Taken together, these studies suggest that VDAC-1, directly or indirectly, contributes to ATP release from murine cells. However, the observation that VDAC-1 knockout cells released a significant amount of ATP suggests that other molecules also play a role in this function.
Modeling and Testing of the Viscoelastic Properties of a Graphite Nanoplatelet/Epoxy Composite

In order to facilitate the interpretation of experimental data, a micromechanical modeling procedure is developed to predict the viscoelastic properties of a graphite nanoplatelet/epoxy composite as a function of volume fraction and nanoplatelet diameter. The predicted storage and loss moduli for the composite are compared to measured values from the same material using three test methods; Dynamical Mechanical Analysis, nanoindentation, and quasi-static tensile tests. In most cases, the model and experiments indicate that for increasing volume fractions of nanoplatelets, both the storage and loss moduli increase. Also, the results indicate that for nanoplatelet sizes above 15 µm, nanoindentation is capable of measuring properties of individual constituents of a composite system. Comparison of the predicted values to the measured data helps illustrate the relative similarities and differences between the bulk and local measurement techniques.
Assessing the Readability of Government Accounting Standards: The Cloze Procedure

Studies assessing the readability of business writing typically use either readability formulas or, less often, the cloze procedure. This study argues that the cloze procedure, rather than a formula, is the appropriate method of assessing the readability of business writing and uses the cloze procedure to determine the readability of a statement issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The GASB provides authoritative statements on the accounting required for local and state governments and agencies. The results indicate that one important GASB statement is unreadable by college- level readers. If this and other GASB statements are unreadable by the users of GASB pronouncements, the GASB may not be fulfilling its role of communicating governmental accounting principles
The effect of reference point prices on mergers and acquisitions

Abstract Prior stock price peaks of targets affect several aspects of merger and acquisition activity. Offer prices are biased toward recent peak prices although they are economically unremarkable. An offer's probability of acceptance jumps discontinuously when it exceeds a peak price. Conversely, bidder shareholders react more negatively as the offer price is influenced upward toward a peak. Merger waves occur when high returns on the market and likely targets make it easier for bidders to offer a peak price. Parties thus appear to use recent peaks as reference points or anchors to simplify the complex tasks of valuation and negotiation.
Progress in neural network-based vision for autonomous robot driving

This paper describes recent improvements to the ALVINN system (Autonomous Land Vehicle In a Neural Network) for neural network based autonomous driving. The authors perviously (1991, 1992) reported a technique which allows an an artificial neural network to quickly learn to steer by watching a person drive. But the faster the network is trained, the less exposure it receives to novel or infrequent scenarios. For instance, during a typical four minute training run, the network sees few if any examples of passing cars. When a rare situation like this occurs during testing, its lack of coverage in the training set canresult in erratic driving. By modeling the appearance of infrequent scenarios and then using the model to augment the training set, one can teach the network to generalize to situations not explicitly represented in the live training data. Using this technique, a network trained over a two mile stretch of highway was able to drive autonomously for 21.2 miles at speeds of up to 55 miles/hour. >
Capitalizing on Academic Success: Students' Interactions With Friends as Predictors of School Adjustment

Although friends often share successes with one another, very little attention has been paid to these interactions. The current study examines the nature of middle school students’ interactions wit...
The Social Construction of “Struggle”: Influences of School Literacy Contexts, Curriculum, and Relationships:

In this study, social constructionism provided a theoretical framework for investigating how students’ struggles with reading are socially constructed in school literacy contexts, curriculum, and relationships. The study also sought to discover how “struggling reader” is a socially constructed subjectivity or identity that begins in the early grades. Participants included 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-grade students who were identified for reading intervention at their school, 6 classroom teachers, 1 reading teacher, and 1 principal. Data, including field notes and semistructured interviews, were collected during a 4-month period. The findings detail the stark socioeconomic differences between the mainstream students and those identified as struggling readers. Moreover, teachers’ responses to readers differed based on the contexts in which they were working, including the teacher education context and the testing/accountability context. I also describe how book talk helped to socially construct success for these young readers and conclude that book discussion can be a pedagogical pathway to a child’s identity. In conclusion, I argue that school contexts, curriculum, and relationships can be created in which students do not experience struggle, thus challenging literacy educators to rethink the struggling reader label. In this study, social constructionism provided a theoretical framework for investigating how students’ struggles with reading are socially constructed in school literacy contexts, curriculum, and relationships. Social constructionism has been used to explain how knowledge is created within social relationships. This theory is somewhat different from the social constructivism attributed to Vygotsky (1978), in that constructivism can be considered a cognitive description of knowledge and constructionism can be considered a social description of knowledge (Hruby, 2001).
Alternate electronic and molecular structural formulations for oxidized iron porphyrin vinylidene-carbene complexes

Abstract Oxidation of iron porphyrin vinylidene complexes yields products previously formulated as having an important iron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical resonance form. Reconsideration of literature results and analogous cobalt porphyrin reactions leads to the conclusion that pyrrole nitrogen alkylation occurs and that the likely electronic structure is that of an intermediate-spin (S = 3 2 ) iron(III) porphyrin.
Could Southern Italians Cooperate? Banche Popolari in the Mezzogiorno

Recent work by Robert Putnam has revived a contentious debate about the role of culture in Italian regional disparities. Southern Italy is argued to have been locked in an impoverishing, no-trust equilibrium. This article explores an apparent exception to Putnam's historical evidence: the South's late-nineteenth-century cooperative banks ( banche popolari ). Econometric investigation reveals important differences in the strategy and performance of these banks in North and South during the crucial decade of the 1890s, and shows that these differences cannot be attributed to differences in the local environment. In fact, the evidence is broadly consistent with Putnam's hypothesis.
A survey of recent advances in magnetic recording materials

Magnetic recording coatings are still made predominantly of iron oxide particles but the newer particles are significantly better in magnetic properties, dispersibility and orientability than the particles used, say, ten years ago. Chromium dioxide particles show excellent recording performance (particularly at densities above 1000 flux changes per millimeter) but they are presently being challenged by the new cobalt-modified iron oxides. These are formed by diffusing cobalt into the surface of acicular iron oxide particles and it is claimed that the particles prepared in this way are much more stable with respect to temperature and stress than the older cobalt-substituted iron oxides. Metal particles, by virtue of their high moment density and high coercivity, would be ideal for high density recording if they could be passivated permanently. The paper reviews improvements which have been made within the last nine years in the properties of particles for magnetic recording applications and discusses how the improvements were effected.
The Wyner-Ziv problem with multiple sources

This paper provides bounds on the rate-distortion region for the distributed compression scenario where two (or more) sources are compressed separately for a decoder that has access to side information. Conclusive rate-distortion results are found for the case where the sources are conditionally independent, given the side information.
Comparative multi-goal tradeoffs in systems engineering of microbial metabolism

Metabolic engineering design methodology has evolved from using pathway-centric, random and empirical-based methods to using systems-wide, rational and integrated computational and experimental approaches. Persistent during these advances has been the desire to develop design strategies that address multiple simultaneous engineering goals, such as maximizing productivity, while minimizing raw material costs. Here, we use constraint-based modeling to systematically design multiple combinations of medium compositions and gene-deletion strains for three microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Shewanella oneidensis) and six industrially important byproducts (acetate, D-lactate, hydrogen, ethanol, formate, and succinate). We evaluated over 435 million simulated conditions and 36 engineering metabolic traits, including product rates, costs, yields and purity. The resulting metabolic phenotypes can be classified into dominant clusters (meta-phenotypes) for each organism. These meta-phenotypes illustrate global phenotypic variation and sensitivities, trade-offs associated with multiple engineering goals, and fundamental differences in organism-specific capabilities. Given the increasing number of sequenced genomes and corresponding stoichiometric models, we envisage that the proposed strategy could be extended to address a growing range of biological questions and engineering applications.
Ectopic expression of metallothionein-III causes pancreatic acinar cell necrosis in transgenic mice.

Abstract Mice express four distinct metallothioneins (MTs) that have similar metal-binding properties. MT-I and MT-II are expressed coordinately in most organs, whereas MT-III is expressed predominantly in a subset of neurons and MT-IV is expressed in certain stratified epithelia. The restricted expression of MT-III suggests that it may serve a specialized function. To test this hypothesis, transgenic mice were generated that express MT-III in the wider expression domain of MT-I. Similar transgenic lines expressing extra MT-I under the same regulation were generated as controls for the effect of over-expression of MT. Transgenic mice that express MT-III ectopically frequently die at 2–3 months of age. The pancreata of moribund mice were abnormally small and histological examination, at various ages, revealed a progressive degeneration of the acinar cells. At early stages multifocal acinar cell eosinophilia and swollen nuclei were seen and this pathology progressed to multifocal acinar cell necrosis and fibrosis. The terminal stages were characterized by a loss of the acinar compartment, leaving the islets embedded in a fibrotic remnant. Other organs of these mice were grossly and histologically normal. All organs examined from mice expressing excess MT-I were unremarkable even though expression of either MT-I or MT-III transgenes resulted in similar accumulations of zinc and copper in the pancreata. This study indicates that pancreatic acinar cells are unusually sensitive to chronic expression of MT-III. The mechanism by which MT-III disrupts pancreatic function is unclear, but the results provide further evidence that MT isoforms exhibit distinct properties and probably serve distinct biological functions.
Spatial and Temporal Variation of Fluvial Architecture In A Prograding Clastic Wedge of the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Basin (Kaiparowits Plateau), U.S.A.

Abstract Patterns and distribution of fluvial architectural elements in the John Henry Member (Upper Cretaceous, Straight Cliffs Formation) are documented in the southwestern Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah through detailed, outcrop-based facies characterization and mapping across ∼ 20 km down depositional dip. Observed facies associations and fluvial architectures define seven distinct depositional units (DUs), from stratigraphic base to top: DU-0, braided-river channel belts and tide-influenced channels; DU-1, highly amalgamated meandering-river channel belts with local braided and tide-influenced interdistributary channels; DU-2, laterally extensive, highly sinuous meandering-river channel belts; DU-3, straight channels in thick floodplain deposits; DU-4, laterally restricted, moderately amalgamated meandering-river channel belts; DU-5, laterally extensive, moderately amalgamated braided-river channel belts; and DU-6, highly amalgamated braided-river channel belts. The John Henry Member is characterized by two trends: from DU-1 to DU-3, an upward decrease in grain size, channel-belt frequency and lateral extent, and a shift from braided to meandering channel geometries with episodic tidal influence; and from DU-4 to DU-6, an upward increase in grain size, channel-belt frequency and lateral extent, and a shift from meandering to braided channel geometries. Overall, these trends represent a hybrid of previous models for the formation of nonmarine depositional sequences. To the west, the lower trend was bounded at the base by an erosional surface that may represent a local valley-fill succession. Incision is potentially linked to a tectonically induced relative base-level fall, although other factors such as eustasy and autogenic processes cannot be discounted. A subsequent period of high accommodation is reflected in DUs 2, 3, and 4, and correlates to transgressive marginal marine strata located ∼ 60 km down depositional dip. The upper trend in the John Henry Member fluvial strata can be explained by up-dip, mainly tectonic controls on subsidence and sediment supply, and autogenic progradation of a large, distributive fluvial fan system in DUs 4, 5, and 6.
Aggressive Children With Mental Illness A Conceptual Model of Family-Level Outcomes

The purpose of this research was to examine how families adapt and respond to an aggressive child with mental illness. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of four families, which were selected as typifying the experiences of a larger sample of 14 families; each family included a child with mental illness and a history of violent behavior. The analysis revealed a five-stage pattern in how families perceived and responded to victimization and their child or sibling’s mental illness. The study suggests that families with a violent child with mental illness and other healthy children cannot live through episodes of violence without removing the child with mental illness from the home or suffering considerable damage to the family. The article concludes with recommendations for mental health practitioners and family intervention specialists.
Bioequivalence comparing an amlodipine/atorvastatin combination tablets to coadministration of amlodipine and atorvastatin tablets in healthy Chinese male subjects

Objective To evaluate the bioequivalence of one combination tablets(amlodipine 5 mg/atorvastatin 40 mg) and coadministration of one 5 mg amlodipine tablets and one 40 mg atorvastatin tablets.Methods A single oral dose(test and reference formulations) was given to 66 healthy male Chinese subjects according to an open randomized crossover design.Compounds were analyzed by GC-ECD and HPLC-MS/MS,respectively.WinNonlin and SAS software were used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and evaluate the bioequivalence.Results Following administration of combination formulation(test) and coadministration formulation(reference),for amlodipine,tmax(median) was 6.0 and 6.0 h,t1/2 was(39.2±7.6) and(39.7±9.9) h,Cmax was(3.0±0.9) and(3.0±0.5) ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ was(145.3±42.1) and(149.8 ± 43.6) ng·h·mL-1,respectively;for atorvastatin,tmax was 1.0 and 0.5 h,t1/2 was(6.7±1.8) and(6.9±1.8) h,Cmax was(18.8±9.8) and(20.2±11.7) ng·mL-1,AUC0-∞ was(101.7± 35.2) and(97.8±39.2) ng·h·mL-1,respectively.The estimated 90% CIs for the ratio of AUC0-t,AUC0-∞ and Cmax(test/reference) were 93.3%-100.1%,93.8%-100.6% and 95.8%-103.4% for amlodipine;99.2%-111.0%,99.6%-110.6% and 81.8%-107.2% for atorvastatin.Conclusion The combination formulation was bioequivalent to coadministration formulation.
Thermal stress analysis of 1 MW gyrotron collector

Abstract During 2004 and 2005, collectors on three of the gyrotrons used at DIII-D failed due to stress cracks. In order to investigate reasons for these failures, a nonlinear elastic plastic thermal stress analysis of the collector/design was undertaken. The thermal stress analysis results indicated that the effective strain for oxygen free high conductivity copper material under the operating conditions limited the cycle life of the collector due to fatigue, resulting in failures. The desired service life of more than 105 thermal cycles can be obtained by: (1) operational changes, such as increasing the frequency and amplitude of sweeping to reduce the effective heat flux, (2) design changes, such as: increasing the height and/or diameter of collector, enhancing the heat transfer coefficient by roughening the coolant channel walls, or (3) changing the material of the collector to dispersion strengthened copper such as Glidcop. The analysis and conclusions are presented.
Optimality Conditions for Other Structures and Constraints

For ease of exposition, only beams were treated in Chapter 2, but the method by which the various optimality conditions were derived applies equally well to other elastic structures subject to compliance constraints. The following examples will illustrate this remark.
Neurochemistry of Somatosensory and Pain Processing

Abstract This chapter summarizes the key neurochemical mediators for activation and sensitization of primary afferent fibers at their distal endings in the tissues as well as the second messenger systems activated by these substances. Peripherally acting antihyperalgesic agents acting on distal nerve endings are then reviewed. In addition, the mediators for activation and sensitization of spinal dorsal horn neurons as well as the agents acting in the spinal cord to limit/modulate neurotransmission are reviewed. Finally, some of the spinal intracellular messenger chemical systems are reviewed.
Genotoxicity of Pesticides

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of methods of genotoxicity testing and their application to identifying pesticides capable of inducing genetic damage. Pesticides are biologically active compounds selected and used for their biocidal properties. In many cases, these agents are highly specific in their toxic effects, acting on a unique molecular target or affecting a narrow range of organisms. As a subspecialty of toxicology, genetic toxicology is concerned with the adverse effects of chemicals and other physical agents on the DNA and other genetic components of living organisms. The primary focus of this discipline is to identify the agents and mechanisms involved in the formation of mutations—heritable genetic alterations in cells. A significant number of pesticides have exhibited genotoxic effects in short-term genotoxicity assays and may pose significant risks to humans. In addition to human and chronic animal studies, regulatory agencies often rely on other relevant biological data to assist in the evaluation of carcinogenicity. The ongoing challenge for researchers, regulators, and those interested in environmental health is to effectively use genotoxicity data to distinguish noncarcinogenic and nonmutagenic pesticides from those capable of inducing cancer and heritable mutations in humans, to determine which of the latter pose significant risks at human exposure levels, and, if continued use is needed, to identify safe methods and levels for the use of these agents.