cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disruption of Functional Networks in Dyslexia: A Whole-Brain, Data-Driven Analysis of Connectivity

Background Functional connectivity analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging data are a powerful tool for characterizing brain networks and how they are disrupted in neural disorders. However, many such analyses examine only one or a small number of a priori seed regions. Studies that consider the whole brain frequently rely on anatomic atlases to define network nodes, which might result in mixing distinct activation timecourses within a single node. Here, we improve upon previous methods by using a data-driven brain parcellation to compare connectivity profiles of dyslexic (DYS) versus nonimpaired (NI) readers in the first whole-brain functional connectivity analysis of dyslexia. Methods Whole-brain connectivity was assessed in children ( n = 75; 43 NI, 32 DYS) and adult ( n = 104; 64 NI, 40 DYS) readers. Results Compared to NI readers, DYS readers showed divergent connectivity within the visual pathway and between visual association areas and prefrontal attention areas; increased right-hemisphere connectivity; reduced connectivity in the visual word-form area (part of the left fusiform gyrus specialized for printed words); and persistent connectivity to anterior language regions around the inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusions Together, findings suggest that NI readers are better able to integrate visual information and modulate their attention to visual stimuli, allowing them to recognize words on the basis of their visual properties, whereas DYS readers recruit altered reading circuits and rely on laborious phonology-based "sounding out" strategies into adulthood. These results deepen our understanding of the neural basis of dyslexia and highlight the importance of synchrony between diverse brain regions for successful reading.
Challenges of Studying Viral Aerosol Metagenomics and Communities in Comparison With Bacterial and Fungal Aerosols

Despite the obvious importance of viral transmission and ecology to medicine, epidemiology, ecology, agriculture, and microbiology, the study of viral bioaerosols and community structure has remained a vastly underexplored area, due to both unresolved technical challenges and unrecognized importance. High-throughput, culture-independent techniques such as viral metagenomics are beginning to revolutionize the study of viral ecology. With recent developments in viral metagenomics, characterization of viral bioaerosol communities provides an opportunity for high-impact future research. However, there remain significant challenges for the study of viral bioaerosols compared with viruses in other matrices, such as water, the human gut, and soil. Collecting enough biomass is essential for successful metagenomic analysis, but this is a challenge with viral bioaerosols. Herein, we provide a perspective on the importance of studying viral bioaerosols, the challenges of studying viral community structure, and the potential opportunities for improvements in methods to study viruses in indoor and outdoor air.
An algorithm for GCF extraction from two multivariable polynomials

An algorithm is given for the extraction of the greatest common factor from two multiraiable polynomials based on an extension of Trudi's remit for single-variable polynomials. Nontrivial examples are used to illustrate the procedure, which has potential applications in several system theory problems.
The Primitive Earth: Thermal Models of the Upper Atmosphere for a Methane-Dominated Environment

Abstract In discerning between alternate hypotheses pertaining to the dominant composition of the primitiveenvironment of the earth, the presence of free hydrogen in the atmosphere is of prime importance. Anatmosphere composed of CH4 and NH3, in contrast to a N2 and CO2 atmosphere, depends upon the availability of free hydrogen. However, the gravitational escape rate of hydrogen based on the current exospherictemperature maximum (~2000K) indicates that an atmosphere composed of CH4 and NH would havepersisted for only l0-l06 years, even with substantial outgassing of hydrogen from the crust. Therefore, anecessary prerequisite to resolving the question of the stability and durability of a primitive CH4-NHsatmosphere is a knowledge of the exospheric temperature of this early environment. Under chemical equilibrium in a primitive CH4-NHs atmosphere, CH4 would be the predominant constituent in the lower atmosphere. Ammonia shields water vapor from photodissociation, while absorbingthe majority of its energy in...
On the barium data from the Atlantic GEOSECS expedition

Abstract Barium profiles at the Atlantic stations of the Geochemical Ocean Sections (GEOSECS) Program are remarkably similar to those for silicate and alkalinity. In nutrient depleted surface waters barium ranges between 36 and 44 nm kg−1: the Arctic overflows have values between 44 and 49 nm kg−1 and the Antarctic Bottom Water 100 to 106 nm kg−1. Both barium and silica behave non-conservatively in basins with restricted circulation—the Greenland and Norwegian seas and the Angola Basin—with anomalies of up to 1, 2 and 7 nm Ba kg−1, respectively. There is extensive in situ production of silica and barium in the bottom waters of the Weddell Sea Basin, the silica anomaly ranging up to 35 μm kg−1 and that for barium to 15 nm kg−1. Barium behaves uniquely only in the upper waters. At tropical and temperate latitudes there is commonly a minimum of several nannomoles per kilogram in the uppermost thermocline, often associated with the high salinity core of the Sub-Tropical Underwater. In the Circumpolar Current the depletion in surface silica is associated with only a minor reduction in barium. The values at
Antagonism of neurosteroid modulation of native γ-aminobutyric acid receptors by (3α,5α)-17-phenylandrost-16-en-3-ol

Endogenous pregnane neurosteroids are allosteric modulators at gamma-aminobutyric acid type-A (GABAA) receptors at nanomolar concentrations. There is direct evidence for multiple distinct neurosteroid binding sites on GABAA receptors, dependent upon subunit composition and stoichiometry. This view is supported by the biphasic kinetics of various neuroactive steroids, enantioselectivity of some neurosteroids, selective mutation studies of recombinantly expressed receptors and the selectivity of the neurosteroid antagonist (3alpha,5alpha)-17-phenylandrost-16-en-3-ol (17PA) on 5alpha-pregnane steroid effects on recombinant GABAA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes and native receptors in dissociated neurons. However, it is unclear whether this antagonist action is present in a mature mammalian system. The present study evaluated the antagonist activity of 17PA on neurosteroid agonists both in vivo and in vitro by examining the effects of 17PA on 5alpha-pregnane-induced sedation in rats, native mature GABAA receptor ion channels utilizing the chloride flux assay and further studies in recombinant alpha1beta2gamma2 receptors. The data show that 17PA preferentially inhibits 3alpha,5alpha-THP vs. alphaxalone in vivo, preferentially inhibits 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC vs. alphaxalone potentiation of GABA-mediated Cl- uptake in adult cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomes, but shows no specificity for 3alpha,5alpha-THDOC vs. alphaxalone in recombinant alpha1beta2gamma2 receptors. These data provide further evidence of the specificity of 17PA and the heterogeneity of neurosteroid recognition sites on GABAA receptors in the CNS.
Regioregular polythiophene/gold nanoparticle hybrid materials

We report a one-pot synthesis of regioregular polythiophene stabilized gold nanoparticles with narrow size distributions that can form fibril-like structures due to the self-assembly of regioregular polythiophene.
Hemodynamic effects of chronic urotensin II administration in animals with and without aorto-caval fistula.

Abstract Urotensin II (UTII) is a potent vasoactive peptide. Recent studies have demonstrated increased expression of both UTII and its receptor (UTR) expression in end-stage congestive heart failure (CHF), but it is unclear whether UTII and UTR are late stage markers of decompensation, or earlier adaptive responses. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of chronic UTII administration in normal and volume overloaded animals. Chronic 4 weeks administration of UTII produced decreases in hemodynamic function in animals not subjected to volume overload while returning function to control levels in animals with overload. Expression levels of calcium regulatory proteins phospholamban (PLN), sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2), and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) were measured to determine if administration of UTII resulted in aberrant Ca2+ handling. Changes in protein expression revealed that UTII influenced Ca2+ handling proteins in normal animals although these changes are not seen in the volume overload.
Analysis of the Oxidative Degradation of Proanthocyanidins under Basic Conditions

Proanthocyanidin isolates from grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir) skin and seed underwent oxidative degradation in solution (10 g/L) under basic conditions while exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Degradation was monitored by reversed-phase HPLC following acid-catalyzed cleavage in the presence of excess phloroglucinol (phloroglucinolysis) and by high-performance gel permeation chromatography. All isolates degraded under these conditions and followed second-order kinetics for over 1 half-life, consistent with an oxidation reaction. The conversion of proanthocyanidins to known subunits (conversion yield) when measured by phloroglucinolysis showed a dramatic decline over the course of the reaction. With the exception of (+)-catechin extension subunits, all individual subunits decreased in concentration during the oxidation process, also following second-order kinetics for over 1 half-life. Skin proanthocyanidins degraded the fastest due to the presence of (-)-epigallocatechin extension subunits. Seed procyanidins were degraded with and without flavan-3-ol monomers. Flavan-3-ol monomers slowed the rate of seed procyanidin degradation. The mean degree of polymerization (mDP) determined by phloroglucinolysis indicated a large decrease in mDP as the reaction progressed; yet, by GPC, the size distribution of all proanthocyanidins changed little in comparison. The conversion yield could be an important parameter to follow when using phloroglucinolysis as a means for determining proanthocyanidin mDP, and when monitoring the oxidative degradation of proanthocyanidins.
Histiocytic lymphoma in the mouse.

Abstract This investigation studied the occurrence, distribution and morphology; and the transplantation, ultrastructural and in vitro characteristics of histiocytic lymphoma in the BALB/c and C57BL/6 strains of mice. The disease was more common in aged females of both strains. The liver was the major organ involved in the males and the liver and uterus were commonly involved in the females. Subcutaneous transplants readily metastasized to the lungs. Ultrastructurally the neoplastic cells resembled histiocytes and did not contain microfilaments or a basement membrane. The results suggest that this neoplasm is histiocytic in origin.
Eastern Margin of the Red Sea and the Coastal Structures in Saudi Arabia

Results of many investigations since 1950 show that the eastern margin of the Red Sea and associated coastal structures in Saudi Arabia have a long geologic history, starting with the deposition of Precambrian eugeosynclinal sedimentary and volcanic rocks before 1000 Ma ago and extending to recent geologic time. The northeastern flank of the Red Sea rift valley is in a shield area affected by possibly four plutonic events at 1000, 720 to 735 (?), 660 to 670, and about 570 Ma. Cratonization of the shield occurred during all or part of the span 520 to 590 Ma. Nubian-type sandstone of Cambrian and Ordovician age laps up on the shield from Jordan southeastward around the rim of the Great Nafud basin, and along the eastern edge of the shield southeastward to 45° E longitude where it is overlapped by Permian limestone. The sandstone reappears to the south and extends southward and westward to the Asir Mountains at the Yemen border. Isolated sandstone outliers are present in the central shield, proving that lower Paleozoic sandstone covered most, if not all, of the basement as now exposed. The Mesozoic era was almost entirely a time of uplift and non-deposition except a middle to late Jurassic fringe marine invasion in the south and a possible narrow invasion from the Gulf of Suez at the end of the era. Marine and non-marine sedimentary deposits of middle and late Tertiary age are found along the Red Sea coast, and Oligocene basaltic flows are present at both low and high altitudes in the coastal ranges. Evidence for important volcanism during Oligocene and earliest Miocene time is widespread, and within the eastern rift fault zone early Miocene hypabyssal intrusives cut the shear zones. Major rifting occurred just before or during early Miocene when the flanks of the rift valley were ramped upward. Shortly after this volcanism a thickness on the order of 3500 m of middle Miocene marl and evaporite beds filled the Red Sea trough. Evidence also exists for widespread subaerial erosion in the Pliocene. Younger lava flows are Pliocene in age but the youngest, near Al Medinah, came as late as A. D. 1250. Lake-bed deposits are very probably in large part Pliocene throughout the shield. The Red Sea coastal plain in Saudi Arabia rises gently eastward from a 3 m littoral surface, generally underlain by dead reef from the Yemen border northward to Al Wajd, a distance of 1400 km. At Jizan, in the south, a salt dome has pushed the 3 m surface up to an elevation of about 50 m. From Al Wajd northward, Pleistocene terraces have been faulted, culminating in several surfaces as high as 520 m above the Red Sea at Tiran Island. Ramping of major fault-bounded blocks along the eastern side of the Red Sea trough—the Midian block in the north, a poorly defined central block, and the Asir block in the south—is connected with renewed movement on regional Precambrian faults. Drainage patterns of wadis in these blocks are characteristically affected by the ramping, and stream capture is common in the Midian and Asir blocks.
Crowdsourcing in Cyber-Physical Systems: Stochastic Optimization With Strong Stability

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs), featuring a tight combination of computational and physical elements as well as communication networks, attracted intensive attention recently because of their wide applications in various areas. In many applications, especially those aggregating or processing a large amount of data over large spatial regions or long spans of time or both, the workload would be too heavy for any CPS element (or node) to finish on its own. How to enable the CPS nodes to efficiently collaborate with each other to accommodate more CPS services is a very challenging problem and deserves systematic research. In this paper, we present a cross-layer optimization framework for hybrid crowdsourcing in the CPSs to facilitate heavy-duty computation. Particularly, by joint computing resource management, routing, and link scheduling, we formulate an offline finite-queue-aware CPS service maximization problem to crowdsource nodes' computing tasks in a CPS. We then find both lower and upper bounds on the optimal result of the problem. In addition, the lower bound result is proved to be a feasible result that guarantees all queues in the network are finite, i.e., network strong stability. Extensive simulations have been conducted to validate the proposed algorithms' performance.
Miniature subcutaneous frequency-modulated transmitter for brain potentials.

A device for broadcasting electrical signals from the brain of an animal is described. It is small enough to be implanted under the animal's skin. That signals are broadcast without distortion is shown by the comparison of a broadcast recording of an electrocorticogram of a cat with a simultaneous recording made directly with wire leads.
Timer-driven database triggers and alerters: semantics and a challenge

This paper proposes a simple model for a timer-driven triggering and alerting system. Such a system can be used with relational and object-relational databases systems. Timer-driven trigger systems have a number of advantages over traditional trigger systems that test trigger conditions and run trigger actions in response to update events. They are relatively easy to implement since they can be built using a middleware program that simply runs SQL statements against a DBMS. Also, they can check certain types of conditions, such as “a value did not change” or a “a value did not change by more than 10% in six months.” Such conditions may be of interest for a particular application, but cannot be checked correctly by an event-driven trigger system. Also, users may be perfectly happy being notified once a day, once a week, or even less often of certain conditions, depending on their application. Timer triggers are appropriate for these users. The semantics of timer triggers are defined here using a simple procedure. Timer triggers are meant to complement event-driven triggers, not replace them. We challenge the database research community to developed alternate algorithms and optimizations for processing timer triggers, provided that the semantics are the same as when using the simple procedure presented here.
A note on the use of the antorbital gland in marking by Eld's deer

Abstract Marking behavior by thamins (or Eld's deer, Cervus eldi thamin ) was observed in a zoo.
Role of microsomal cytochrome P-450 in the formation of ecdysterone in larval house fly

Abstract 1. 1. Six cytochrome P-450 species have been purified to varying extents from microsomes obtained from ecdysone-induced house fly larvae by the use of octylamino Sepharose-4B, Synchropak AX-300, Synchropak CM-300 and TSK-DEAE-5 PW column chromatography. 2. 2. One of the fractions apparently corresponded to a mixture of low- and high-spin cytochrome P-450 as judged by spectral characteristics. 3. 3. Molecular weights of the cytochrome P-450 species ranged from 50,000 to 57,000. 4. 4. In a reconstituted system, all the microsomal species hydroxylated ecdysone at rates within the range of microsomal suspensions, as it occurs with mitochondrial fractions 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 (Srivatsan et al. , 1990, Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 166, 1372–1377); whereas, mitochondrial fraction 4 hydroxylates ecdysone at significantly higher rates. 5. 5. It is postulated that the 20-monooxygenation of ecdysone is a mitochondrial event which requires the induction of a low- K m cytochrome P-450 species by ecdysone. 6. 6. Microsomal hydroxylation of ecdysone may not be of physiological significance, as K m values for the reaction are above the normal concentrations of the hormone and the activity is not inducible by ecdysone (Agosin et al. , 1988, Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 9, 107–117).
Biomass-D2H relationships for young loblolly pine as affected by ozone☆

Abstract The influence of below and above ambient levels of ozone on the relationships between biomass components (foliage, branch, and stem) and DZH was examined using data from 1284 young loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L. ) harvested from two ozone field studies. A In-in model form provided a very good fit of the biomass data. Residual plots showed no bias and R 2 ranged from 0.94 to 0.99. Ozone treatment significantly affected the shape of biomass— D 2 H relationships for all components except stem. For a given D 2 H , increasing ozone dose resulted in less foliage and more branch biomass. After adjusting for age and tree size, increasing ozone dose significantly increased number of branches after one year of ozone treatment. After the second year, ozone dose did not significantly change the number of branches when adjusting for tree size; however, the trends were the same as the first year. Because of the strong negative ozone effect on foliage biomass, total biomass for a given D 2 H was less for increasing ozone dose. Ozone effects need to be considered when developing biomass equations for young loblolly pine trees.
Habituation of insulin-induced hypoglycemic transcription activation of lateral hypothalamic orexin-A-containing neurons to recurring exposure

A CNS component of glucose counterregulatory collapse is supported by evidence for nonuniform genomic responsiveness of neurons in characterized central autonomic loci during recurring insulin-induced hypoglycemia (IIH). We have reported that exacerbated hypoglycemia and attenuated patterns of glucagon and epinephrine secretion in rats treated by daily sc injection of the intermediate-acting insulin formulation, Humulin NPH (NPH), are correlated with diminished immunodemonstrability of the AP-1 transcription factor, Fos, in several components of the central metabolic regulatory circuitry, including the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Neurons that synthesize the potent orexigenic peptide neurotransmitter, orexin-A, are restricted to the LHA and adjacent hypothalamic loci, and project throughout the central neuroaxis to structures that govern autonomic and behavioral motor output. Dual-label immunocytochemical and real-time RT-PCR techniques were utilized here to evaluate the functional status of this LHA phenotype during a single versus repetitive exposure to prolonged IIH. Tissue sections were collected at predetermined rostrocaudal levels of the LHA after acute or repeated NPH administration, and processed for nuclear Fos- and cytoplasmic orexin-A-immunoreactivity (-ir). Mean numbers of orexin-A-ir neurons were not different between treatment groups. Colabeling of these cells for Fos was increased relative to controls following a single injection of insulin, but numbers of Fos-ir-positive orexin-A neurons were significantly reduced after treatment with four versus one dose of insulin. Prepro-orexin mRNA levels in microdissected LHA tissue were upregulated during acute hypoglycemia, but were returned to control levels by repeated IIH. These data corroborate previous evidence that IIH is an activational stimulus for orexin-A-synthesizing neurons in the LHA, and further demonstrate that induction of cfos and prepro-orexin gene expression by acute hypoglycemia is attenuated by precedent exposure to hypoglycemia. The current results thus provide unique evidence for neurotransmitter-specific habituation of LHA neuronal sensitivity to IIH.
Macroergonomic Methods: Interviews and Focus Groups:

Both the interviewing and focus group processes have been around and in use as tools for gathering information for decades. For someone who is interested in learning more about people and their experiences, what better way to accomplish this than by speaking directly with an individual or group of individuals? Individual as well as group interviews are windows to an understanding of the behaviors of those being interviewed. Focus groups, specifically, are viewed as a window into the human condition and human interaction. Although, the individual interview is one of the most widely used methods for collecting qualitative data, focus groups have recently gained more popularity among qualitative researchers as a method of choice.
Sophistication in Research in Marketing.

Abstract Over the years, the level of analytical rigor has risen in articles published in marketing academic journals. While, ceteris paribus, rigor is desirable, there is a growing sense that rigor has become a, if not the, goal for research in marketing. Consequently, other desirable characteristics, such as relevance, communicability, and simplicity, have been downplayed, to the detriment of the field of marketing. The authors explore this imbalance, setting forth the consequences of overemphasis on rigor for (1) the manuscript review process, (2) PhD programs, (3) hiring, and (4) the tenure and promotion review process. Two surveys of “successful” authors provide empirical support for the conjectures put forth. The authors then identify the causes for this trend and propose some directions to reestablish a better balance between rigor and relevance.
Some stochastic processes related to random density functions

If {φ n } is an orthonormal system and {an} is a sequence of random variables such that ∑ n (a n )2=1 a.s. thenf(t)=|∑ n a n φ n (t)|2 produces a randomly selcted density function. We study the properties off under the assumptions that |an| is decreasing to zero at a geometric rate and {φ n } is one of the following four function systems: trigonometric Jacobi, Hermite, or Laguerre. It is shown that, with probability one,f is an analytic function,f has at most a finite number of zeros in any finite interval, and the tail off goes to zero rapidly.
EXTERNAL FLUID HEATING OF A POROUS ED

This work deals with the thermal analysis of externally heated porous beds of finite length. A one dimensional model was developed that includes conduction and storage in both the fluid and bed, convective exchange between the fluid and bed, and the effect of adsorption/desorption in the bed. This model results in two coupled differential equations for the fluid and bed temperatures as functions of four independent dimensionless parameters. These equations were solved numerically using finite difference approximations. A truncation error analysis was carried out to maintain an accurate solution. The method of normalization is such that the results of this analysis are of use in bed design when the breakthrough characteristics in finite length beds are of interest. A method to measure bed thermal performance is defined and a means to optimize bed thermal performance is presented. An experiment was conducted to validate the numerically obtained results. A comparison of numerical to experimental results is p...
Studies on Cyclitols. XIV. Methyl Group Signals of gem-Dimethyldioxolanes as Indicators of Anisotropy

Abstract In connection with our interest in nmr spectroscopy of cyclopentanoid and 2, 4-dioxabicyclo[3. 3. 0] octane systems3 we have synthesized a large number of gem-dimethyldioxolanes2,4 and have examined their spectra. The spectra of all the compounds showed two distinct singlets, representing the two methyl groups, in the region δ 1. 2-1. 5. Similar values have been reported in the case of derivatives of 1, 2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-xylohexofuranose by Abraham et al.5 Perlin6 has reported similar differences in the chemical shift of the endo- and exo- C-methyl groups of the diastereoisomeric orthoacetates of D-mannose, and Baggett et al.7 observed a difference of 0. 30 ppm between the chemical shifts of endo- and exo-benzyl protons of O-benzylidene sugars. Our studies permit the assignment of the lower field resonance to the endo-methyl group and the higher field resonance to the exo-methyl group of the dimethyldioxolanes.
Strain-aging behavior of irradiated and denitrided mild steel

Abstract Influences of neutron irradiation and dry hydrogen treatment on yield point phenomena in mild steel were examined. Static strain-aging studies were performed on vacuum-annealed, dry-hydrogen-treated and neutron-irradiated samples. Hardening due to neutron radiation damage exhibited a cube root dependence of the fluence. In addition to an increase in the lower yield stress, the Luder strain increased with dose up to 1018 neutrons cm−2, and at higher doses an apparently rounded yield was observed because of fracture during the Luder straining. The increase in the Luder strain followed a (Φt) 1 3 law, similar to that for radiation hardening. Static strain-aging studies revealed a complex time dependence of the strain-aging index f and seem to illustrate a two-stage process: initially, atmosphere locking and, for long aging times, locking due to precipitation. The effect of neutron irradiation was very similar to the effect of dry hydrogen treatment; the rate of aging decreased and, at high fluences (or longer exposures to dry hydrogen), essentially non-aging steel was obtained. However, the kinetics and/or mechanism of strain aging are not affected by neutron radiation (or dry hydrogen treatment).
Spermatid micronucleus analysis of aging effects in hamsters.

Abstract Spermatid micronuclei (MN) from Armenian hamsters in differebnt age groups were compared with regard to frequencies and kinetochore status (presence or absence) as determined with immunofluorescent staining. Six thousand cells analyzed from each of fifteen young animals (3 months) revealed a group mean frequency of 0.45 MN/1000 spermatids; kinetochor staining was uniformly negative. Six thousand cells scored from each of fifteen older animals (2 years)_revealed a group mean frequency of 1.00 MN/1000 spermatids. Most of the MN in these animals were negative for kinetochor staining, although a signiificant representation of MN with positive kinetochore staining was also observed. The results indicate that frequencies of spermatid MN increase with advancing age, and suggest that the increase is due to significant elevations in both chromosome breakage and chromosome loss.
Characterizing domain mixing effects in hydrogen bond‐compatibilized polymer blends

The nature and extent of phase mixing in blends of hydroxyl-functionalized polystyrene and poly(ethyl acrylate) (PS/PEA), where the driving force for mixing is hydrogen bonding, are characterized by several techniques. Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) shows a reduction in average domain size with increasing functionalization level, a result also evident from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Together, the two techniques reveal a very broad distribution of domain sizes. At high functionalization levels, both SAXS and SEM indicate a high degree of “in-domain” mixing, with little or no pure PS or PEA remaining in the blends. Mathematical modeling of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) data is employed to quantify this progression. Initially, mixing is primarily interfacial, but as the functionalization level increases, the mixed interphase rapidly grows to occupy the entire material. In agreement with the SAXS and SEM results, DMTA modeling shows that further increases in the functionalization level suppress the amplitude of composition variations in the sample. The onset of extensive in-domain mixing coincides with the marked changes in stress-strain behavior observed previously in these materials. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Direct 0-1 Loss Minimization and Margin Maximization with Boosting

We propose a boosting method, DirectBoost, a greedy coordinate descent algorithm that builds an ensemble classifier of weak classifiers through directly minimizing empirical classification error over labeled training examples; once the training classification error is reduced to a local coordinatewise minimum, Direct-Boost runs a greedy coordinate ascent algorithm that continuously adds weak classifiers to maximize any targeted arbitrarily defined margins until reaching a local coordinatewise maximum of the margins in a certain sense. Experimental results on a collection of machine-learning benchmark datasets show that DirectBoost gives better results than AdaBoost, LogitBoost, LPBoost with column generation and BrownBoost, and is noise tolerant when it maximizes an n'th order bottom sample margin.
Unsupervised equalization of Lombard effect for speech recognition in noisy adverse environment

When exposed to environmental noise, speakers adjust their speech production to maintain intelligible communication. This phenomenon, called Lombard effect (LE), is known to considerably impact the performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. In this study, novel frequency and cepstral domain equalizations that reduce the impact of LE on ASR are proposed. Short-time spectra of LE speech are transformed towards neutral ASR models in a maximum likelihood fashion. Dynamics of cepstral coefficients are normalized to a constant range using quantile estimations. The algorithms are incorporated in a recognizer employing a codebook of noisy acoustic models. In a recognition task on connected Czech digits presented in various levels of background car noise, the resulting system provides an absolute reduction in word error rate (WER) on 10 dB SNR data of 8.7% and 37.7% for female neutral and LE speech, and of 8.7% and 32.8% for male neutral and LE speech when compared to the baseline system employing perceptual linear prediction (PLP) coefficients and cepstral mean and variance normalization.
Does tax increment financing raise urban industrial property values

The paper examines the impact of tax increment financing (TIF) on the value of industrial properties in Chicago. Because TIF designation may be self-selected, a two stage procedure is used to estimate the influence of TIF. The authors find that the value of industrial parcels located in mixed-use TIF districts (i.e. those that also contain commercial or residential properties) is higher than that of similar parcels that are not located in a TIF district. However, the value of industrial parcels that are located in homogeneous industrial use TIF districts is no higher and in some specifications is lower than that of similar parcels not located in a TIF district. These divergent results may be best explained by industrial parcel owners' desire to convert their properties to non industrial uses.
Single-Particle Density and Debye—Waller Factor for BCC 4He

Recently Osgood et al.1 have reported results of inelastic neutron scattering from the bcc phase of solid 4He. After subtracting the multiphonon background from their measured intensities and using the ACB sum rule2 they obtained an effective Debye—Waller factor which exhibited remarkable oscillatory properties, not at all in agreement with the Gaussian behavior expected. This puzzle has stimulated considerable interest.3–5 Horner4 has suggested that Osgood et al have not, in fact, determined the Debye—Waller factor, at least as defined by ACB, i.e., the square of the Fourier-transformed single-particle density. The purpose of this note is to support this observation in two ways. First, we find that all our attempts to fit the data with reasonable analytic curves have led, on taking the square root and Fourier transforming, to unphysical single-particle densities which go negative at some point.*Second, we report a calculation of the single-particle density using the Jastrow—Gaussian wave function, which has previously proved quite adequate in the description of quantum crystals. The resultant single-particle density is essentially Gaussian, as is its Fourier transform. There are no oscillatory features. Similar results have been independently found by Horner4 and Sears and Khanna.5 Our calculation was performed with a rather simple combination Monte Carlo and cluster approximation technique, which we describe.
Chromatographic columns containing a large number of theoretical plates

To obtain numerical answers for the concentration distribution of solute on a chromatographic column or in the effluent, tables and charts of the Poisson distribution are used. Their use however is limited to a small number of theoretical plates. The transformation of the Poisson to the normal distribution enables the calculations to be performed for any number of theoretical plates through the use of the normal distribution tables. Equations derived previously for columns containing a large number of plates and employing elaborate mathematical procedures and approximations have been simply deduced by applying a limit property of the Poisson distribution to the exact equations. A relationship between the Poisson and normal distribution is derived, and charts are drawn which allow the rapid evaluation of the Poisson in terms of the normal values.
Autonomous parallel heuristic combinatorial search

Heuristic search is the process of searching a state space under the guidance of an evaluation function. Most research on parallelizing heuristic search algorithms has emphasized system problems such as load balancing and reduction in memory use. A theoretical analysis of a new autonomous parallel heuristic search algorithm is introduced. Rather than simply dividing the search space among the processors, the processors share information that monitors the progress of the search and use consensus to limit the amount of time spent in expanding nodes that are not on the optimal path. Each processor uses a different admissible heuristic function, and it is shown that the expected number of nodes generated by each processor in the course of the search is reduced by a factor that reflects the consensus among the processors. The asynchronous behavior of the algorithm eliminates synchronization delays. >
Multiple sources of Escherichia coli O157 in feedlots and dairy farms in the Northwestern USA

Samples from cattle, other domestic and wild animals, flies, feeds, and water-troughs were collected from 12 cattle farms and tested for Escherichia coli O157. E. coli O157 was isolated from bovine fecal samples on all 12 farms with a within herd prevalence ranging from 1.1% to 6.1%. E. coli O157 was also found in 1 of 90 (1.1%) equine fecal samples, 2 of 65 (3.1%) canine fecal samples, 1 of 200 pooled bird samples (0.5%), 2 of 60 pooled fly samples (3.3%), and 10 of 320 (3.1%) water-trough sample sets (biofilm and water). No E. coli O157 were isolated from 300 rodents, 33 cats, 34 assorted wildlife, or 335 cattle feed samples. Indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of XbaI digested chromosomal DNA and Shiga toxin types were observed for bovine and water-trough isolates from two farms and for one equine and two bovine isolates from one farm.
VideoText database systems

This paper introduces a new approach to realize video databases. It consists of a VideoText data model based on free text annotations associated with logical video segments and a corresponding query language. Traditional database techniques are inadequate for exploiting queries on unstructured data like video, supporting temporal queries, and ranking query results according to their relevance to the query. We propose to integrate information retrieval techniques to provide these features and to extend the query language to accommodate interval queries that are useful due to the stream nature of video data. Algorithms are presented to show how user queries are evaluated. Finally, a generic and modular video database architecture based on the VideoText data model is described.
Processing and Composition Effects on the Fracture Behavior of Spray-Formed 7XXX Series Al Alloys

The fracture properties of high-strength spray-formed Al alloys were investigated, with consideration of the effects of elemental additions such as zinc, manganese, and chromium and the influence of the addition of SiC particulate. Fracture resistance values between 13.6 and 25.6 MPa (m)1/2 were obtained for the monolithic alloys in the T6 and T7 conditions, respectively. The alloys with SiC particulate compared well and achieved fracture resistance values between 18.7 and 25.6 MPa (m)1/2. The spray-formed materials exhibited a loss in fracture resistance (K I) compared to ingot metallurgy 7075 alloys but had an improved performance compared to high-solute powder metallurgy alloys of similar composition. Characterization of the fracture surfaces indicated a predominantly intergranular decohesion, possibly facilitated by the presence of incoherent particles at the grain boundary regions and by the large strength differential between the matrix and precipitate zone. It is believed that at the slip band-grain boundary intersection, particularly in the presence of large dispersoids and/or inclusions, microvoid nucleation would be significantly enhanced. Differences in fracture surfaces between the alloys in the T6 and T7 condition were observed and are attributed to inhomogeneous slip distribution, which results in strain localization at grain boundaries. The best overall combination of fracture resistance properties were obtained for alloys with minimum amounts of chromium and manganese additions.
The Trouble With Overconfidence

This paper presents a reconciliation of the three distinct ways in which the research literature has defined overconfidence: (1) overestimation of one's actual performance, (2) overplacement of one's performance relative to others, and (3) excessive precision in one's beliefs. Experimental evidence shows that reversals of the first two (apparent underconfidence), when they occur, tend to be on different types of tasks. On difficult tasks, people overestimate their actual performances but also believe that they are worse than others; on easy tasks, people underestimate their actual performances but believe they are better than others. This paper offers a straightforward theory that can explain these inconsistencies. Overprecision appears to be more persistent than either of the other two types of overconfidence, but its presence reduces the magnitude of both overestimation and overplacement.
DEPRESSED NATURAL KILLER ACTIVITY IN GRAVES' DISEASE AND DURING ANTITHYROID MEDICATION

SUMMARY To investigate the natural killer (NK) cell mediated immunity in Graves' disease (GD) and the effect of antithyroid drugs upon NK cell activity, 51Cr release assay for NK cytotoxicity against K562 cells was examined in patients with GD before and during antithyroid medication and after drug withdrawal. Fifty-eight patients were divided into three groups: the untreated thyrotoxic patients (n= 33), the euthyroid patients under antithyroid treatment (n= 19) and the euthyroid patients after drug withdrawal (n= 6). The results of the three groups were compared to 23,15 and 5 sex- and age-matched controls, respectively. The data revealed a significant NK dysfunction in the untreated hyperthyroid patients, although the number of the NK cells was not decreased. NK function was normal when patients were no longer taking antithyroid medication and in euthyroid state. However, euthyroid patients under antithyroid medication had markedly depressed NK activity, suggesting an immunosuppressive effect of the antithyroid drugs. This study demonstrated that both the hyperthyroid state and the antithyroid drugs exerted immunosuppressive effects upon the NK cells. Since such an immunosuppressive effect on NK cells might be associated with a decreased immune surveillance against tumour growth, this study implies that a long-term follow up of GD patients treated with antithyrdid drugs may be indicated to guard against a possible increased incidence of malignancy.
What to Say to an Online Support‐Seeker? The Influence of Others' Responses and Support‐Seekers' Replies

Research on online support forums has largely overlooked the quality of support provision. The present experiment examined how others’ responses and a support-seeker’s reply can influence action-focused supportiveness, emotion-focused supportiveness, and politeness of readers’ support messages. Results showed that the supportiveness of others’ comments was associated with subsequent readers’ perceptions of public opinion toward the support-seeker and readers’ liking of the support-seeker, which in turn influenced the quality of readers’ support messages.
Applying Verification Collaterals for Accurate Power Estimation

Accurate and efficient power estimation at higher-levels of abstraction is becoming increasingly important. However, tools and methodologies are lacking for such a task. In this paper, we present a methodology for accurate power estimation at high-level by reusing pre-existing verification or validation resources in the design flow. This novel methodology enables architectural exploration and design optimization through a framework that exploits the abstraction aspect of high-level designs and the availability aspect of well-established tool flows for RTL designs. Thereby, utilizing the best from both worlds (high-level and low-level) to bring forth a fast and accurate enough solution to a well-known problem in the design of low power embedded systems and SoCs. In this paper, the focus is on how to apply our approach on a deign of reasonable complexity. We present the case study of a power state machine controller that is a critical component of most power-aware embedded systems. The approach uses verification collaterals such as test content, assertions, etc., which are normally built during the verification process of a high-level design to enable power profiling and estimation. The presented methodology is specific to a high-level synthesis and power estimation framework.
Hierarchical optimal force-position control of a turning Process

Machining process control technologies are currently not well integrated into machine tool controllers and, thus, servomechanism dynamics are often ignored when designing and implementing process controllers. In this brief, a hierarchical controller is developed that simultaneously regulates the servomechanism motions and cutting forces in a turning operation. The force process and servomechanism system are separated into high and low levels, respectively, in the hierarchy. The high-level goal is to maintain a constant cutting force to maximize productivity while not violating a spindle power constraint. This goal is systematically propagated to the lower level and combined with the low-level goal to track the reference position. Since the only control signal (i.e., motor voltage) resides at the lower level, a single controller is designed at the bottom level that simultaneously meets both the high- and low-level goals. Simulations are conducted that validate the developed methodology. The results illustrate that the controller can simultaneously achieve the low-level position tracking goal and the high-level force-tracking goal.
Effect of Oral Corticosteroids on Chronic Warfarin Therapy

Background:A potential drug interaction exists between oral corticosteroids and warfarin, but there is limited documentation.Objective:To evaluate the potential drug interaction between oral corticosteroids and long-term warfarin therapy.Methods:A retrospective review was conducted of 387 medical records for active patients within an anticoagulation clinic. Inclusion criteria were stable anticoagulation therapy, short-term oral corticosteroid therapy, international normalized ratio (INR) recorded within 30 days prior to corticosteroid initiation (pre-INR), and INR recorded during corticosteroid therapy or within 14 days of discontinuation (post-INR). Patients were excluded if they had been started on any antibiotic or other drug with a probable interaction with warfarin at the same time as corticosteroid initiation. Thirty-two patient encounters met the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary outcome assessed was the difference between pre- and post-INR values. Secondary endpoints incl...
Threshold Stress Intensity for Crack Growth in Silicon Carbide Ceramics

Measurements of threshold stress intensities for crack growth, K th , of three polycrystalline SiC materials were attempted using interrupted static fatigue tests at 1200°-1400°C. Weibull statistics were used to calculate conservative K th values from test results. The K th of a chemically vapor deposited β-SiC could not be determined, as a result of its wide variations in strength. The K th ≥ 3.3, 2.2, and 1.7 MPa.m 1/2 for an Al-doped sintered α-SiC; and K th ≥ 3.1, 2.7, and 2.2 MPa.m 1/2 for a hot isostatically pressed α-SiC, both at 1200°, 1300°, and 1400°C, respectively. A damage process concurrent with subcritical crack growth was apparent for the sintered SiC at 1400°C.