cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drilling Characteristics of an E-Glass Fabric-Reinforced Polypropylene Composite and an Aluminum Alloy: A Comparative Study

This paper presents an experimental study on the drilling characteristics of an E-glass fabric-reinforced polypropylene composite and aluminum alloy 6061-T6. Both materials have many similar structural applications, especially in the automotive industry. The drilling characteristics considered were axial thrust force, torque, temperature increase during drilling, and chip morphology. Both axial thrust force and torque were significantly higher for the aluminum alloy but were independent of the cutting speed for both materials. However, both increased linearly with increasing feed rate for the composite, but nonlinearly for the aluminum alloy. The Shaw-Oxford equation for predicting axial thrust and torque worked well with the aluminum alloy but did not fit the composite’s axial thrust and torque characteristics. Both materials exhibited temperature rise at locations close to the drilled hole. The temperature rise decreased with increasing feed rate as well as increasing cutting speed; however, the maximum temperature rise in the composite was significantly lower than that in the aluminum alloy. There was also a significant difference in the morphology of chips of these two materials.
Patients with primary hypothyroidism presnting as prolactinomas

Hyperprolactinemia can occur in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Two women with hypothyroidism who had elevated serum prolactin levels, galactorrhea, amenorrhea, and pituitary computed tomographic scans that demonstrated the presence of "pituitary tumors" were recently evaluated. It was believed that they had prolactinomas, and they were referred for possible surgery. An elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level, however, suggested that they had primary hypothyroidism and probably pituitary enlargement secondary to pituitary hyperplasia. Detailed evaluation of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin secretion was performed. These studies revealed several abnormalities in dopamine-prolactin interactions; however, the primary event responsible for the hyperprolactinemia is unclear. These women were given thyroxine therapy, and subsequent radiologic and endocrine studies documented resolution of their "pseudotumors" and normalization of the serum thyroxine and prolactin levels. Hence, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels should be measured in all patients presenting with a suspected prolactinoma so that any hypothyroidism that is noted is not presumed to be due to secondary hypothyroidism from tumor involvement of the pituitary.
Description of two new gill myxozoans from smallmouth (Micropterus dolomieu) and largemouth (Micropterus salmoides) bass.

Abstract: Two previously undescribed species of myxozoan parasites were observed in the gills of bass inhabiting the Potomac and James River basins. They are described using morphological characteristics and small-subunit (SSU) rDNA gene sequences. Both were taxonomically identified as new species of Myxobolus; Myxobolus branchiarum n. sp. was found exclusively in smallmouth bass, and Myxobolus micropterii n. sp. was found in largemouth and smallmouth bass. Small, spherical, white plasmodia of M. branchiarum from smallmouth bass were observed grossly in the gills; these plasmodia had an average length of 320.3 µm and width of 246.1 µm. The development of the plasmodia is intralamellar in the secondary lamellae of the gills. Mature spores were pyriform in shape with a length of 12.8 ± 1.4 (8.1–15.1) µm and width of 6.9 ± 1.1 (4.0–9.0) µm. Analysis of SSU rDNA identified M. branchiarum in a sister-group to 3 species of Henneguya, although morphologically caudal appendages were absent. Myxobolus micropterii ...
An in vitro model for the study of taste papillae morphogenesis using branchial arch explants.

Abstract It is generally accepted that innervation is required for the maintenance of taste papillae and taste buds, but it is not entirely clear what role, if any, innervation plays in papillae and taste bud formation. Events in taste papillae formation and differentiation take place almost entirely in utero and, therefore, the study of the role of innervation in these events requires a suitable in vitro model. In the past, investigators have made use of various culture techniques to study mammalian taste papillae development in vitro and the role of innervation in this process with varying success. All of these models examined papillae development in isolated tongue or tongue fragments and have lacked the ability to manipulate the innervation of developing taste papillae in these explants. We have established a protocol for an in vitro model of taste papillae morphogenesis using branchial arch explants and roller tube culture methodology. Our results demonstrate that this model supports the morphogenesis of the circumvallate papilla with an integrated nerve. In addition, the use of branchial arch explants allows the inclusion or exclusion of geniculate and petrosal ganglia to examine directly the effects of the presence or absence of innervation on papillae formation and maintenance. Theme: Development and Regeneration Topic: Sensory Systems
ANTARES-I: a biogeochemical study of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract The first expedition of the ANTARES program, the French contribution to Southern-JGOFS, investigated the biology and the chemistry of the benthic environment and the water column in a region located between 60°S–72°E and 39°S–55°E. In this special issue, we present a detailed description of the transports of water masses across the polar front zone, which are corroborated by chemical and microbial tracer studies, a description of the sediment-water interface bridging biological, chemical, and microbial studies, and new insights into the diagenesis of biogenic silica.
Systematic Observations on North American Scorpionida with a Key and Checklist of the Families and Genera

The phylogenetic associations of North American scorpion genera are examined. Several taxonomic changes are supported by new hypotheses of relationship. The subfamily Syntropinae is synonymized under Vaejovinae. Chactidae and Vaejovidae are restricted to their nominate subfamilies. Superstitioninae, Euscorpiinae, and Scorpiopsinae are raised to family rank. The subfamily Megacorminae is synonymized under Euscorpiinae. Anuroctonus Thorell and Nullibrotheas Williams are removed from Vaejovidae and placed in Iuridae and Chactidae, respectively. Troglotayosicus Lourenco and Belisarius Simon are transferred from Chactidae to Superstitionidae. Twelve species are transferred from Vaejovis Koch to Pseudouroctonus Stahnke. The diplocentrid genus Bioculus Stahnke is resurrected to contain four species from Baja California Sur, Mexico, that were traditionally placed in Didymocentrus Kraepelin. Paruroctonus (Smeringurus) Haradon is raised to the rank of genus. An illustrated key and annotated checklist are provided for the identification of the seven families and 25 genera of North American scorpions.
Capillary electrophoretic enantioseparations using macrocyclic antibiotics as chiral selectors

Macrocyclic antibiotics are the newest class of chiral selector used in capillary electrophoresis (CE) enantioseparations. Two basic types of compounds have proven to produce useful enantioseparations. They are the ansa compounds and the glycopeptides. The ansa compounds best resolve basic or cationic racemates while the glycopeptides best resolve acidic or anionic analytes. The structure and use of these chiral selectors are discussed. The factors affecting separation and the separation mechanism are considered as well.
Synthesis, characterization, rheological, and fiber formation studies of p‐linked aromatic polyamides

Aromatic polyamides are being extensively studied in our laboratories along the lines of synthesis, dilute solution viscosity and light scattering, concentrated solution optical and rheological measurements, and wet spinning of fibers. Several series of polymers have been synthesized, including those starting with chloro- and methyl-substituted p-phenylene diamine and also those starting with the monomer bisacid A2. Poly(chloro-p-phenylene terephthalamide) in dilute solution shows a marked hydrodynamic volume dependence on solvent when studied in DMA–5% LiCl versus H2SO4 At higher concentration, optical characterization shows that liquid crystal formation in the quiescent state corresponds to changes observed in the rheological behavior for Kevlar–H2SO4 solutions; these observations include a yield stress and the inversion of the order ofG/G' = tan 5. Fibers produced by wet spinning and subsequently studied in cross section via SEM have revealed that material continuity is easily attained with Kevlar-H2SO4 spinning dopes under a variety of processing conditions.
Domestic medical tourism: a neglected dimension of medical tourism research.

To date, the literature on medical tourism has focused almost exclusively on international medical tourism, or medical services outsourced to other countries. However, there are a growing number of patients who travel for medical care within their own country. Medical tourism experts have suggested that competition introduced from abroad, combined with health care reform, may stimulate improvement in health care offerings in the United States, and lead to an increase in such medical tourism. This article will therefore extend the literature by examining domestic medical tourism in the United States. There is a scarcity of research investigating consumer attitudes and beliefs towards the concept of medical tourism—particularly for domestic medical tourism. The authors present a new model, along with a research agenda for studying both attitudes towards such tourism, as well as the potential impact of domestic medical tourism on regional economies in the United States.
Miss, Mister, Doctor: An insult

The tone of your recent editorial, ‘Miss, Mister, Doctor: how we are titled is of little consequence’, and article, ‘Do surgeons wish to become doctors?’ (April 2006 JRSM1,2), on who should be called ‘Doctor’ is unnecessarily offensive. I have a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine, Dentariae Medicinae Doctor), followed by a PhD (in psychology). In Germany I would be referred to as ‘Doctor Doctor’, and when I served as a professor in the Netherlands, I was called ‘Professor Doctor Doctor’. It did not matter whether I was a physician, surgeon, podiatrist, veterinarian, dentist, and/or psychologist. In several places in the two publications the authors take umbrage at the very idea that dentists should be called doctors. For example, in the article by Ibery et al., ‘Do surgeons wish to become doctors?’, the authors state, ‘dental surgeons in general dental practice, who also hold a bachelors degree, are now styling themselves Dr. We are uncertain as to the origin of this creeping doctorization’. To compound the insult, you separate doctors from dentists in your comparisons, rather than referring to them as physicians and dentists, who are both called doctor in the USA and elsewhere. Even that distinction would become blurred if the change being proposed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legislature to redesignate dentists as oral physicians comes to pass.
3D echocardiography: evaluation of the right ventricle

Purpose of reviewEvaluation of right ventricular (RV) volume, function and mass has been challenging because of its unique cavity geometry. However, it is indispensable, especially in patients with signs of right-sided heart failure and those with congenital heart diseases. Thus, many investigations
A Kalman Filter Approach to Precision GPS Geodesy

The high stability of the GPS signals makes it possible to determine differential position over short baselines with an accuracy of the order of centimeters. This has been demonstrated using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) methods of radio astronomy. This paper presents an alternative approach using Kalman filter methods. It is based on an adaptive filter concept developed by D. T. Magi11 in 1965. The scheme employs parallel Kalman filters with each filter being modeled for a different integer wavelength assumption. As the phase measurement sequence progresses, the adaptive scheme “learns” which Kalman filter corresponds to the correct hypothesis, and thus it both resolves the wavelength ambiguity and estimates differential position simultaneously. Simulated results are presented which indicate convergence in about 10 minutes of satellite observation time.
Tool behavior and the origins of laterality

Abstract The cerebral cortex of modern humans is exceptional in that it is characterized by certain functional asymmetries for which no clear homologue is known in the non-human primates. These asymmetries consist at least in part in the presence in the left cerebral hemisphere of certain mechanisms which mediate language as well as skilled manual activity. Right-handedness is the most obvious overt manifestation of this cerebral asymmetry. It is argued in this paper that the lateralized representation of these mechanisms is an evolutionary consequence of the requirement for asymmetric employment of the forelimbs in the making and using of tools during hominid evolution. The adaptiveness of such an asymmetric arrangement is shown to follow from a few assumptions pertaining to brain organization and evolution. The colateralization of language mechanisms in modern humans to the left hemisphere is held to be a consequence of the coupling of these linguistic mechanisms to the motoric mechanisms already lateralized to the left hemisphere at an earlier point in hominid evolution. Finally, it is argued that this explanation of the evolution of laterality is more parsimonious in relation to known facts about human evolution than competing hypotheses.
On the property M conjecture for the Heisenberg Lie algebra

Abstract We prove a fundamental case of a conjecture of the first author which expresses the homology of the extension of the Heisenberg Lie algebra by C [t]/(tk+1) in terms of the homology of the Heisenberg Lie algebra itself. More specifically, we show that both the 0th and (k+1)th x-graded components of homology of this extension of the three-dimensional Heisenberg Lie algebra have dimension 3k+1 by constructing a simple basis for cohomology.
A new arm vein graft for distal bypass.

b. a satisfactory conduit, especially in the forearm. We have devised a technique that takes advantage of the larger diameter segments of the cephalic and basilic veins in the upper arm. The result is a larger diameter vein graft that is long enough for distal arterial reconstruction. It is essential to this procedure that the median cubital vein, which connects the cephalic and basilic segments, is patent. In the current small series we have been able to determine this on the basis of physical examination alone. We tap with a finger over the patent median cubital vein and simultaneously pal-
High Temperature-Short Time Sterilized Evaporated Milk. II. Laboratory Techniques for the Preparation and Study of Sterile Evaporated Milk

Summary Laboratory techniques for the preparation and study of high temperature-short time sterilized evaporated milk are described. A bomb, falling-ball microviscometer combination, easily constructed in large numbers, is employed for containing samples during sterilization and storage, and for following changes in viscosity. Normally, the instrument constant for the microviscometer is determined by standardization against liquids of known viscosity. This procedure is too time-consuming and tedious for research on evaporated milk. For such research, studies show that the instrument constant may be calculated expeditiously, with sufficient accuracy, with the help of the following equations: C M = f d D d 2 cos θ ; and f d D = 0.0178 − 0.0217 d D . C M is the instrument constant, d and D are, respectively, the diameter of the ball and tube, f d D is a function of the ratio between the diameters, and θ is the angle of inclination of the tube. Forewarming and evaporation are carried out in a rotating film evaporator, and sterilization in a thermostatically controlled oil-bath. An electrically operated metronome is employed for controlling the time of sterilization. Small-scale homogenization is facilitated by the employment of a diesel nozzle tester and nozzle combination modified to function as a hand-homogenizer. The application of the techniques to the study of gelation is illustrated in studies on milks containing added calcium salts and phosphates. Wide variations in [Ca + + ] and [HPO 4 = ] influenced storage stability to only a small degree, with a small advantage accruing to the use of limited quantities of calcium salts. False body, but not the minimum viscosity attained during storage, increased markedly with increasing [Ca + + ]. Repeatability of results was quite satisfactory. In one series of experiments based on the same sample of whole milk, a mean storage life of 84 days was observed; the limits for the mean at a 95% confidence level were±5 days.
QTL underlying self-fertility in tetraploid alfalfa.

A potential strategy to decrease the levels of self-seed production during the seed increase stages of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) synthetic cultivar development is selection for decreased self-fertility. The underlying genetics of this trait have not been elucidated and, therefore, a study was designed to identify genetic determinants of alfalfa self-fertility. An F 1 mapping population developed by crossing parents representing Medicago sativa subsp. falcata and M. sativa subsp. sativa was characterized for self-fertility in a greenhouse during the winter of 1999. Traits representing self-fertility were measured and then mapped to the resulting genetic maps of both parents. Heritability values for each trait were high, suggesting genetic factors are important for their expression. Quantitative trait loci for self-fertility traits were identifi ed on linkage groups (LGs) 2 and 4 from the falcata parent and LGs 4 and 8 of the sativa parent.
Review of models and methodology for scheduling problems in USPS mail processing and distribution centres

This paper gives a comprehensive presentation of the scheduling problems to the management equipment and workforce in the United State Postal Service (USPS) mail processing and distribution centres in an effort to cut cost and increase efficiency as well as detailed discussions on some of the kernel models. These research studies advance the research frontier and have brought millions of dollars in savings to the USPS. The study of these models not only presents a successful application of operations research in the public service area, but also offers much technical and managerial insight that could be beneficial to other industries.
Minimum Wage laws that reduce labor costs

It may seem obvious that minimum wage laws raise labor costs. Yet, what seems obvious is not necessarily so, especially in efficiency wage models. In these models, firms choose to set wages higher than the opportunity costs of labor to induce greater effort, reduce tumover, or in other ways lower costs or raise efficiency (effective labor input per worker). Let reducing turnover be the motivation. Turnover likely falls as either the wage (w) or unemployment rate (u) rises. Either of these raises the attractiveness of the job relative to its alternative, quitting to search for a new job. A fall in turnover raises the average worker's efficiency (E), either because the average worker is more experienced or because less time is spent training new hires. Mathematically, E =E(w, u). To maximize profits, the firm chooses the wage that minimizes effective labor costs (w/E). The first-order condition for minimization is (0 [w/E]/Ow) = 0. This is another form of the Solow condition [Lai and Chang, AEJ, 1993, p. 57]. Once the firm has found its minimum w/E, it chooses the profit-maximizing output level. Of course, output is a decreasing function of the effective labor cost. Now, consider the effects of a minimum wage law that mandates only a small increase in the wage above the firm-chosen wage (for a very large increase, the results of this paper may not hold). There is no direct effect of the higher wage on w/E, since (O[w/E]/Ow) = 0. If there were no change in unemployment, costs would be constant and so output would be constant. But, constant output with greater worker productivity implies fewer workers. Thus, unemployment must rise. With more unemployment, turnover falls further. Lower turnover implies greater efficiency and therefore lower effective labor costs. Costs fall because efficiency rises twice. The direct effect through wages raises efficiency by the same proportion that the wage rises. This leaves costs constant. The indirect effect, due to unemployment, raises it even more. This lowers costs. The indirect effect works like a positive firm-to-firm externality, Atomistic firms do not take it into account when setting wages; one firm's wage cannot significantly change the unemployment rate. However, when the minimum wage forces all firms to pay more, they all reduce employment and they all profit through reduced turnover. Combining the direct and indirect effects, productivity rises more than the wage does; labor costs fall. More complete models yield the same result (derivations are available from the author on request). Although the result may be counter-intuitive, it is not new. Webb [JPE, 1912, p. 990] wrote: "To put it plumply, if the employers paid more, the labor would be worth more. In so far as this proves to be the case, the legal minimum wage would have raised the Standard of Life without the loss of trade, without cost to the employer, and without disadvantage to the community."
Dog bite injuries among American Indian and Alaska Native children.

Objective To examine dog bites among American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) children visiting Indian Health Service and tribal health facilities. Study design We retrospectively analyzed hospitalizations and outpatient visits with a diagnosis of dog bite between 2001 and 2008 in AI/AN children aged Results The average annual dog bite hospitalization rate was higher among AI/AN children in Alaska (6.1/100 000 population) and the Southwest region (5.3/100 000) compared with the general US child population (3.1/100 000; 95% CI, 2.9-3.3/100 000). The average annual outpatient visit rate in AI/AN children was highest in the Alaska (596.4/100 000), Southwest (540.0/100 000), and Northern Plains West (537.6/100 000) regions. The hospitalization rate was highest in both AI/AN and US males aged Conclusion Dog bites represent a significant public health threat in AI/AN children in the Alaska, the Southwest, and Northern Plains West regions of the US. Enhanced animal control and education efforts should reduce dog bite injuries and associated problems with pets and stray dogs, such as emerging infectious diseases.
A Model of Contour Integration in Early Visual Cortex

We have created an algorithm to integrate contour elements and find the salience value of them. The algorithm consists of basic long-range orientation specific neural connections as well as a novel group suppression gain control and a fast plasticity term to explain interaction beyond a neurons normal size range. Integration is executed as a series of convolutions on 12 orientation filtered images augmented by the nonlinear fast plasticity and group suppression terms. Testing done on a large number of artificially generated Gabor element contour images shows that the algorithm is effective at finding contour elements within parameters similar to that of human subjects. Testing of real world images yields reasonable results and shows that the algorithm has strong potential for use as an addition to our already existent vision saliency algorithm.
High-Density Computing: A 240-Processor Beowulf in One Cubic Meter

We present results from computations on Green Destiny, a 240-processor Beowulf cluster which is contained entirely within a single 19-inch wide 42U rack. The cluster consists of 240 Transmeta TM5600 667-MHz CPUs mounted on RLX Technologies motherboard blades. The blades are mounted side-by-side in an RLX 3U rack-mount chassis, which holds 24 blades. The overall cluster contains 10 chassis and associated Fast and Gigabit Ethernet switches. The system has a footprint of 0.5 meter 2 (6 square feet), a volume of 0.85 meter 3 (30 cubic feet) and a measured power dissipation under load of 5200 watts (including network switches). We have measured the performance of the cluster using a gravitational treecode N-body simulation of galaxy formation using 200 million particles, which sustained an average of 38.9 Gflops on 212 nodes of the system. We also present results from a three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a core-collapse supernova.
Two-Stage Time-Optimal Formation Reconfiguration Strategy ?

A time-optimal reconfiguration strategy for formation flying of autonomous acceleration-controlled agents is presented. In the proposed strategy, the agents are moved to a special designated formation in the time interval between the completion of the mission in the current formation and the issuance of the next reconfiguration command. It is shown that the problem of finding the special designated formation which minimizes the expected value of the reconfiguration time is nonconvex. This optimization problem is treated for two cases of constrained acceleration, and constrained acceleration and velocity. It is shown that in both cases, the search space for finding the special designated formation can be reduced to a convex compact set. An alternative search algorithm is presented for the second case, which consists of searching a vicinity of possible formations, and solving a convex nondifferentiable optimization problem. This search algorithm is typically much faster than the one concerning the acceleration constraint only. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is illustrated by simulation.
Reconsidering the 1855 Bordeaux Classification of the Medoc and Graves Using Wine Ratings from 1970-2005

This paper examines ratings of Bordeaux wines from vintages spanning 1970 to 2005. We use ratings from three popular rating sources – Robert Parker (The Wine Advocate), Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar), and Wine Spectator – to examine differences and consistencies in ratings. Our study is based on over 3, 100 ratings for château/vintage/rater combinations for the “classified growths” as identified in the 1855 Classification. We developed a regression model with rating scores as the depending variable and independent variables for raters, vintages, châteaux and rater-vintage. This model explains 64.6% of the variation in rating scores. We identify the performance of individual châteaux and use our findings to propose an update to the 1885 classification. Based on the ratings we examined, more than half of the 61 classified growths are misclassified, with some châteaux moving as many as three tiers upward or downward compared to the historical classification. While we believe it is unlikely that the classification will be changed, we believe that our proposed classification update (and our rank-ordering of the châteaux, particularly in relation to price-based orderings) can help guide wine purchase decisions of consumers and the restaurant industry. (JEL Classification: L66, C22, Q12, L10)
A new method for floor planning using topological constraint reduction

An approach to the constraint-based floor planning of flexible, fixed, and preplaced blocks that is based on the removal of redundant constraints and the reshaping of flexible blocks is discussed. A floor plan is said to respect a given constraint set if is satisfies either a vertical or a horizontal constraint in the set for each pair of blocks. The approach presented is to construct a floor plan of optimal area that respects the input constraint set, which is assumed to be derived from a relative placement of the blocks. Reasons for considering this method are delineated, and a heuristic floor-planning algorithm based on constraint reduction and block reshaping is given. A simple example illustrates the algorithm. Several real floor-planning examples are also given. >
Growth Inhibition of Prostate Cancer by an Adenovirus Expressing a Novel Tumor Suppressor Gene, pHyde

It has been estimated that there will be >180,400 new cases of prostate cancer and 31,900 prostate cancer deaths in the United States this year. New therapeutic strategies against locally advanced prostate cancer are desperately needed. A novel gene ( pHyde ) was identified by an improved cDNA competition hybridization technique for Dunning rat prostate cancer cell lines. A recombinant replication-deficient E1/E3-deleted adenovirus type 5 containing a pHyde gene under the control of a truncated Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter (AdRSVpHyde) was generated. In vitro, AdRSVpHyde significantly inhibited growth of human prostate cancer cell lines DU145 and LNCaP in culture. In vivo , a single injection of AdRSVpHyde (5 × 109 plaque-forming units) reduced DU145 tumors in nude mice remarkably compared with untreated control or viral control-treated DU145 tumors. Moreover, AdRSVpHyde induced apoptosis and stimulated p53 expression. These results together suggest that pHyde is a tumor suppressor gene that inhibits growth of prostate cancer and that this inhibition is at least in part due to the induction of apoptosis.
The use of environmental metrics to evaluate green chemistry improvements to the synthesis of ( S , S )-reboxetine succinate

The Pfizer Green Chemistry metrics program is described and exemplified with a case history involving the synthesis of (S,S)-reboxetine succinate. The initial route used a classical resolution approach and generated high levels of waste. This route was replaced by an enantiospecific synthesis which used Sharpless epoxidation chemistry, an enzymatic process to selectively protect a primary alcohol and a new efficient method of chiral morpholine construction as key steps. These improvements reduced the levels of waste produced by the synthesis by more than 90%. Detailed metrics starting from a common starting material (trans-cinnamyl alcohol) for all routes of synthesis are presented.
Comparison of the Use of H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccinations between veterans and non-veterans in the United States, 2010

Background Veterans of the U.S. armed forces tend to be older and have more chronic health problems than the general adult population, which may place them at greater risk of complications from influenza. Despite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, seasonal influenza vaccination rates for the general adult population remain well below the national goal of 80%. Achieving this goal would be facilitated by a clearer understanding of which factors influence vaccination.
Global Reinforcement Learning in Neural Networks

In this letter, we have found a more general formulation of the REward Increment = Nonnegative Factor times Offset Reinforcement times Characteristic Eligibility (REINFORCE) learning principle first suggested by Williams. The new formulation has enabled us to apply the principle to global reinforcement learning in networks with various sources of randomness, and to suggest several simple local rules for such networks. Numerical simulations have shown that for simple classification and reinforcement learning tasks, at least one family of the new learning rules gives results comparable to those provided by the famous Rules Ar-i and Ar-p for the Boltzmann machines
Evaluation of floral resources for enhancement of fitness of Gonatocerus ashmeadi, an egg parasitoid of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis

The effect of five different food resources (Coccus hesperidum honeydew, honey-water, Lobularia maritima, Fagopyrum esculentum and water only) on the longevity, fecundity, and progeny fitness of female Gonatocerus ashmeadi, an egg parasitoid of the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) was investigated in the laboratory. Female G. ashmeadi survived 208-405% longer (up to 11.7 days longer) when fed C hesperidum honeydew, honey-water, L. maritima and F. esculentum compared with water only. Similarly, all food treatments resulted in up to 378% more progeny (up to 80 more total progeny) than those females provisioned with water only. Mean percentage female progeny ranged from 70 to 81% and did not significantly differ between food treatments. The highest daily fecundity (2229 progeny) occurred on the first day of oviposition for each food treatment and generally declined as female G. ashmeadi aged. Females deposited 61-100% of offspring within the first 5 days, after which, daily fecundity usually declined to 0-6 offspring per day. For all experimental diets except L. maritima, the number of male progeny oviposited remained relatively constant over time (similar to 2 males per oviposition bout) but the proportion of males oviposited increased as female G. ashmeadi aged, as oviposition rates declined and fewer female eggs were subsequently laid. There was a strong positive correlation between hind tibia length (HTL) and total progeny produced by G. ashmeadi fed honey-water. There was no correlation between HTL and longevity of female G. ashmeadi fed honey-water. Mean HTL of G. ashmeadi progeny did not significantly differ between food treatments. Estimated progeny fecundity based on HTL, indicated that offspring produced by females provided with water only was 12-15 eggs or 9-12% lower than females that had access to food resources. This difference was not statistically significant. Female progeny that were oviposited by females 9-13 days of age with access to food resources were significantly larger and contained on average 14-17 more eggs than those female progeny resulting from eggs deposited by females 1-8 days of age. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Comparison between Ti anomalous x-ray scattering factors obtained from layered synthetic microstructures and the dispersion relationship

We compare Ti anomalous x-ray scattering factors f′ obtained close to the Ti K absorption edge by two techniques: analysis of changes in Bragg peak reflectivity and resolution for scattering from a Ti/C layered synthetic micro-structure (LSM) and integration through the Kramers–Kronig dispersion relationship of absorption data on pure Ti. The agreement is good for initial results and suggests that the LSM technique should be developed further as a technique for obtaining medium-accuracy x-ray optical constants across large energy ranges.
Evaluation of a carbohydrate–π interaction in a peptide model system

A carbohydrate–π interaction contributes –0.8 kcal mol–1 to the stabilization of a β-hairpin peptide.
Alkaline phosphatases contribute to uterine receptivity, implantation, decidualization, and defense against bacterial endotoxin in hamsters.

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity has been demonstrated in the uterus of several species, but its importance in the uterus, in general and during pregnancy, is yet to be revealed. In this study, we focused on identifying AP isozyme types, and their hormonal regulation, cell-type and event-specific expression and possible functions in the hamster uterus during the cycle and early pregnancy. Our RT-PCR and in situ hybridization studies demonstrated that among the known Akp2, Akp3, Akp5 and Akp6 murine AP isozyme genes, hamster uteri express only Akp2 and Akp6; and both genes are co-expressed in luminal epithelial cells. Studies in cyclic and ovariectomized hamsters established that while progesterone is the major uterine Akp2 inducer, both progesterone and estrogen are strong Akp6 regulators. Studies in preimplantation uteri showed induction of both genes and the activity of their encoded isozymes in luminal epithelial cells during uterine receptivity. However, at the beginning of implantation, Akp2 showed reduced expression in luminal epithelial cells surrounding the implanted embryo. In contrast, expression of Akp6 and its isozyme was maintained in luminal epithelial cells adjacent to, but not away from, the implanted embryo. Following implantation, stromal transformation to decidua was associated with induced expressions of only Akp2 and its isozyme. We next demonstrated that uterine APs dephosphorylate and detoxify endotoxin lipopolysaccharide at their sites of production and activity. Taken together, our findings suggest that uterine APs contribute to uterine receptivity, implantation, and decidualization in addition to their role in protection of the uterus and pregnancy against bacterial infection.
Linear combinations of space-time covariance functions and variograms

The difference or a linear combination of two space-time covariance functions (or variograms) is not necessarily a valid covariance function (or variogram). In general, there seems no simple condition that makes a linear combination permissible, unless its coefficients are non-negative. The permissibility is investigated in this paper for the linear combination of two spatial or spatio-temporal covariance functions (or variograms) isotropic in space so that we obtain flexible classes of spatial or spatio-temporal covariance functions with various properties such as long-range dependence and having different signs.
Predictors of reading skill development in children with early cochlear implantation.

Objective: The present study sought to document the word reading and comprehension levels attained by children who were implanted by 5 yr of age. It was hypothesized that the improved speech perception abilities acquired with cochlear implantation would promote phonological coding skills and facilitate the acquisition of beginning reading skills. Design: Three subtests from diagnostic reading assessment batteries standardized on hearing children were administered to 181 children between 8 yr 0 mo and 9 yr 11 mo of age who had 4 to 6 yr of implant experience. In addition, a battery of processing measures was administered including a lexical decision task, a rhyme task and the digit span subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Results: Over half of the children scored within the average range for their age compared with the normative data for hearing children. Reading competence was associated with higher nonverbal intelligence, higher family socio-economic status, female gender and later onset of deafness (between birth and 36 mo). After variance due to these child and family characteristics was removed, reading competence was associated with mainstream educational placement, use of an updated implant speech processor with a wide dynamic range, and speech processing characteristics that included longer memory span and use of phonological coding strategies. Reading outcome was most highly predicted by linguistic competence and, secondarily, by speech production skill. Conclusion: Children who experience severe to profound deafness early in their development have a better prognosis for normal literacy development than ever before. To the extent that use of a cochlear implant is associated with greater use of phonological coding strategies for decoding print, longer working memory spans for short-term storage of phonemes, words and sentences and accelerated language development for reading comprehen
Latent class analysis suggests four distinct classes of complementary medicine users among women with breast cancer

Breast cancer patients commonly report using >1 form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). However, few studies have attempted to analyze predictors and outcomes of multiple CAM modalities. We sought to group breast cancer patients by clusters of type and intensity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use following diagnosis. Detailed CAM use following breast cancer diagnosis was assessed in 2002–2003 among 764 female residents of Long Island, New York diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996–1997. Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to CAM modalities while taking into account frequency and intensities. Four distinct latent classes of CAM use emerged: 1) “Low-dose supplement users” (40 %), who used only common nutritional supplements; 2) “Vitamin/mineral supplement users” (39 %), using an abundance of supplements in addition to other practices; 3) “Mind-body medicine users” (12 %), with near-universal use of supplements, mind-body medicine techniques, and massage; and 4) “Multi-modality high-dose users” (9 %), who were highly likely to use nearly all types of CAM. Predictors of membership in classes with substantial CAM use included younger age, more education, higher income, Jewish religion, ideal body mass index, higher fruit and vegetable intake, higher levels of physical activity, receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy, and prior use of oral contraceptives. LCA identified important subgroups of breast cancer patients characterized by varying degrees of complementary therapy use. Further research should explore the reproducibility of these classes and investigate the association between latent class membership and breast cancer outcomes.
From shape to function: acquisition of teleological models from design drawings by compositional analogy

Visual media are of great importance to designers. Understanding a new design, for example, often means understanding a drawing. From the perspective of artificial intelligence, this implies that automated knowledge acquisition in computer-aided design can productively occur using drawings as a knowledge source. However, this requires machines that are able to interpret design drawings. I view the task of interpreting drawings as one of constructing a teleological model of the design depicted in the drawings, where the model enables causal and functional inferences about the depicted design. I have developed a novel analogical method for constructing a teleological model of a mechanical device from an unlabelled 2D line drawing. The source case is organized in a Drawing Shape Structure Behavior Function (DSSBF) abstraction hierarchy. This knowledge organization enables the analogical mapping and transfer to occur at multiple levels of abstraction. Given a target drawing and a relevant source case, my method of compositional analogy first constructs a graphical representation of the lines and the intersections in the target drawing, then uses the mappings at the level of line intersections to transfer the shape representations from the source case to the target. It next uses the mappings at the level of shapes to transfer the structural model of the device from the source to the target. Finally, the mappings from the source to the target structural model enable the transfer of behaviors and the functional specification from source to target, completing the analogy and yielding a complete DSSBF model of the input drawing. The Archytas system implements this method of compositional analogy and evaluates it in the domain of kinematic devices such as piston and crankshaft devices, door latches, and pulley systems.
Poverty Reduction in Developed and Developing Countries: Analyzing the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Foreign Direct Investment

Corporate Social Responsibility is not only assuming ever greater significance in corporate governance owing to the devastating impact of corporate collapses on the lives of countless uninsured and unprotected stakeholders, but also because of its potential to limit possible devastating consequences to the ecosystem.Further, the engagement of stakeholders, and particularly, wider stakeholders, could serve as a possible corporate governance tool and avenue, not only in the mitigation of asymmetric information between the principal and agent, but in also mitigating the audit expectations gap. Ultimately, the aim and objective of this publication is to provide an inter-disciplinary response which would not only benefit the fields of accounting, economics, law and finance, but which would also encourage and pave way for other inter and multidisciplinary approaches that would contribute immensely in generating innovative and revolutionary solutions to fields of research. Audit and Accounting has continued to feature prominently - in the recent Financial Crisis, as well as corporate collapses. Audit quality has consequences for corporations as well as investors, since audits serve as vital signaling mechanisms which convey sensitive information to the financial markets and investors alike. Given the choice of topic and methodology of research, as well as aims and objectives which have been highlighted, this research also welcomes contributions from the field of Economics, Banking and Finance, Law, Business - in addition to Accounting and Auditing. In line with the requirements and demand for an inter-disciplinary based research on the topic, one which would provide a possible model to complement present approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as one that investigates into the roots, distinguishing features, legal and institutional structures that may impact Corporate Social Responsibility at varying degrees, this volume will focus on investigations and objectives which are aimed at addressing imbalances in the way CSR is perceived in developed and developing countries.Whilst the focus accorded to CSR in developed countries, appears to revolve round its role in facilitating greater accountability to stakeholders, particularly given the devastating consequences of corporate collapses on wider stakeholders, as well as the need for more effective corporate governance mechanisms, the focus of CSR as a means of philanthropy and charitable donations, will be investigated principally by way of reference to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on ecosystems in host countries - more importantly, the role which political environments may play in obstructing the desired objectives of contributing positively to the economies of the host countries.
Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization

Given a search space, a search algorithm is a strategy for determining the order in which the nodes are explored. This chapter mainly focuses on search algorithms based on the branch-and-bound paradigm for solving combinatorial optimization problems exactly, i.e., for finding optimal solutions. Specifically, this chapter considers best-first search, depth-first branch-and-bound, and other search algorithms that can be viewed as nontrivial and nonstraightforward extensions of these two algorithms, including iterative deepening [74], recursive best-first search [75] and best-first search using bounded search [16, 127].
Creating cultures of learning: A theoretical model of effective early care and education policy

Abstract Research has often focused on how to improve quality in early care and education (ECE) classrooms, but the question of how to ensure effective policy-level supports for such quality improvement remains unanswered. This paper introduces a theory of change that describes pathways from policy intervention, through high quality ECE, to young children's learning and development. It focuses on how policy intervention can change the culture of ECE programs and classrooms in order to best support both adults' and children's learning. This model is motivated by empirical evidence and grounded in bioecological theory, the sociocultural approach to learning, and the framework for social setting action. It argues that policies that encourage the creation of supportive professional environments for adult learning may be a critical ingredient for improving classroom quality and children's cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral learning. Implications for studying policy interventions that target ECE quality are discussed.