cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic Strategies for Bone Repair and Regeneration

The osseointegration rate of implants is related to their composition and surface roughness. Implant roughness favors both bone anchoring and biomechanical stability. Osteoconductive calcium phosphate (Ca-P) coatings promote bone healing and apposition, leading to the rapid biological fixation of implants. It has been clearly shown in many publications that Ca-P coating accelerates bone formation around the implant. This review discusses two main routes for the manufacturing of polymer-based osteoconductive scaffolds for tissue engineering, namely the incorporation of bioceramic particles in the scaffold and the coating of a scaffold with a thin layer of apatite through a biomimetic process.
Field-based evaluations of horizontal flat-plate fish screens

Abstract Diversions from streams are often screened to prevent the loss of or injury to fish. Hydraulic criteria meant to protect fish that encounter screens have been developed, but primarily for screens that are vertical to the water flow rather than horizontal. For this reason, we measured selected hydraulic variables and released wild rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss over two types of horizontal flat-plate fish screens in the field. Our goal was to assess the efficacy of these screens under a variety of conditions in the field and provide information that could be used to develop criteria for safe fish passage. We evaluated three different inverted-weir screens over a range of stream (0.24–1.77 m3/s) and diversion flows (0.10–0.31 m3/s). Approach velocities (AVs) ranged from 3 to 8 cm/s and sweeping velocities (SVs) from 69 to 143 cm/s. We also evaluated a simple backwatered screen over stream flows of 0.23–0.79 m3/s and diversion flows of 0.08–0.32 m3/s. The mean SVs for this screen ranged from 15 t...
Stretching the limit of microarchitectural level leakage control with adaptive light-weight Vth hopping

Power gating (PG) and body biasing (BB) are popular leakage control techniques at microarchitectural level. However, their large overhead prevents them from being applied for active leakage reduction. The overhead problem is further magnified by temperature and process variation, leading to the "corner case leakage control" problem. This paper presents an Adaptive Light-Weight Vth Hopping technique. This technique dramatically reduces the overhead for mode transition, addresses the corner case leakage control problem, and thus enables active leakage control.
On context of content: a comparative methodology review of how HCI and mass communication analyze blogs and social media

Across contexts, researchers have most recently applied content analysis -an unobtrusive scientific method originated to draw social inferences from mass media contents-to studying weblogs and social media (WSM). In this paper, we look at the classic and contemporary definitions of content analysis and identify the methodology's key premises and uses. Against these premises and uses, we present findings from individual methodology reviews of twelve WSM studies involving content analyses by two disciplines -Mass Communication and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). We cross-tabulate the individual reviews by discipline, in terms of (1) what content-analysis premises and uses were involved and (2) what research inferences -from media contents to social contexts-were made. We conclude with a collective comparison of the Mass Communication and HCI approaches to WSM and suggest one discipline complement the other in analyzing the contents as well as in drawing inferences on the user psychology and social behavior of WSM.
Comparison of rigorous and simple vibrational models for the CO2 gasdynamic laser

The accuracy of a simple vibrational model for computing the gain in a CO2 gasdynamic laser is assessed by comparing results computed from it with results computed from a rigorous vibrational model. The simple model is that of Anderson et al. (1971), in which the vibrational kinetics are modeled by grouping the nonequilibrium vibrational degrees of freedom into two modes, to each of which there corresponds an equation describing vibrational relaxation. The two models agree fairly well in the computed gain at low temperatures, but the simple model predicts too high a gain at the higher temperatures of current interest. The sources of error contributing to the overestimation given by the simple model are determined by examining the simplified relaxation equations.
Large-eddy simulation of a reacting scalar mixing layer with arrhenius chemistry

Abstract A method for predicting filtered chemical species concentrations and filtered reaction rates in large-eddy simulations of nonpremixed, nonisothermal, turbulent reacting flows has been previously demonstrated to be,quite accurate for higher Damkohler numbers and simple chemistry. The method extends quasi-steady flamelet concepts to model reactions that occur at lengths smaller than those resolved on the numerical grid. In this paper, the method is more fully tested using predictions of filtered mass fractions, temperatures, and reaction rates in an incompressible scalar mixing layer. One- and two-step reactions are considered, with activation temperatures and stoichiometric mixture fractions typical of reactions that occur in natural and engineering processes. The predictions for the mass fractions and temperatures are excellent in all cases considered for which quasi-steady flamelet modelling is appropriate. The predictions of the filtered reaction rates are also very good, even for cases where the reaction zones are very thin. Also demonstrated is a one-parameter model for the probability density of the subgrid-scale dissipation rate that significantly improves the predictions of the filtered reaction rates.
Growth and senescence of antibody-forming cells.

Studies were performed on the capacity of mice for hemagglutinating antibody production throughout their life-span. An in vivo culture method was used for assessment of primary and secondary antibody-forming potentials of spleen cells of mice ranging in age from 1 to 130 weeks. There was a marked growth of potential for antibody formation during neonatal and juvenile life followed by a gradual decline in potential with advancing age. It was possible to show that the changes in potential were principally due to changes in the number of competent progenitor cells and not to changes in their performance. Death of very old animals was correlated with decline in number of immunologically competent progenitor cells. The decay in number of progenitor cells during aging of mice was random. Loss of progenitor cells was not entirely attributable to either generative failure of the pool of progenitor cells or the capacity of the milieu of the animal to support such cells. Thus, spleen cells from aged animals displayed increasing capacity for primary antibody formation during a 3-week period of culture in young, irradiated mice; identical cultures in old, irradiated recipients failed in respect to growth of primary antibody-forming potential. Progressive imparirment of the milieu of aging animals was suggested by the fact that spleen cells from very old animals were “toxic” when infused into lightly irradiated recipients which were themselves of advanced age but far short of the senescent phase of their life-span. These results lead to the argument that senescence may be, to a major degree, the result of progressive loss of progenitor, or “stem,” cells which are normally utilized to replace terminally differentiated, dying cells.
Requirement for a Microbial Consortium To Completely Oxidize Glucose in Fe(III)-Reducing Sediments.

In various sediments in which Fe(III) reduction was the terminal electron-accepting process, [14C]glucose was fermented to 14C-fatty acids in a manner similar to that observed in methanogenic sediments. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that, in Fe(III)-reducing sediments, fermentable substrates are oxidized to carbon dioxide by the combined activity of fermentative bacteria and fatty acid-oxidizing, Fe(III)-reducing bacteria.
Effects of mental practice on balance in elderly women.

This experimental field study examined the potential usefulness of mental practice for improving physical performance in health care. Ideokinetic facilitation, which involves the use of idealized visual and kinesthetic mental images, was used as mental practice. Thirty-six women over the age of 70 were assigned to one of three intervention groups: Group A, nonsense; Group B, relaxation; or Group C, ideokinetic facilitation. Baseline and final measures of one-legged balance time were compared after a three-day intervention period. Results showed significant improvement between baseline and final measures within Group C only (t = 2.64, p less than or equal to .05). The improvement in Group C, however, was not significantly more than the improvement in Groups A and B. This study suggests that mental practice of a physical task can improve performance and may be of use to the physical therapy clinician.
Comprehension of self-report evidence-based measures of anxiety.

Background: Given their applicability in diverse settings and for a wide range of purposes, the generalizability of self-report symptom measures is particularly important. An understudied factor in the development and validation of self-report measures is the degree to which they are difficult to comprehend. This study evaluated the difficulty of self-report measures of anxiety with respect to several domains, including formatting, length, and linguistic problems. Methods: Ninety-two evidence based measures of anxiety were evaluated for comprehension level. Results: The majority of anxiety measures included challenging elements of formatting, linguistic ability, and readability. Measures of obsessive–compulsive disorder were associated with the highest level of comprehension (i.e., greatest difficulty). Conclusions: The validity of self-report measures relies on the ability of respondents to understand the instructions and measure items. Factors related to the comprehension of self-report measures should be included among the basic psychometric properties in measure development and validation. Future research on the development of self-report measures that can be more broadly applicable across levels of education and literacy are of particular importance to research, clinical, and public health agendas. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cooperative strategies for solving the bicriteria sparse multiple knapsack problem

For hard optimization problems, it is difficult to design heuristic algorithms which exhibit uniformly superior performance for all problem instances. As a result it becomes necessary to tailor the algorithms based on the problem instance. In this paper, we introduce the use of a cooperative problem solving team of heuristics that evolves algorithms for a given problem instance. The efficacy of this method is examined by solving six difficult instances of a bicriteria sparse multiple knapsack problem. Results indicate that such tailored algorithms uniformly improve solutions as compared to using predesigned heuristic algorithms.
SKILL: a CAD system extension language

SKILL is a programming language that supports both command entry and procedural customization in OpusTM Design FrameworkTM. After briefly considering some related work, we examine the requirements that motivate the provision of a programming language available to the user and describe some of the technical characteristics of the language design and implementation. Finally, we describe our experience with the language and outline future work. A number of programming examples are appended.
Power and impedance scaling in bilateral manipulation

A power and impedance scaling bilateral manipulator (such as an extender or a macro-micro bilateral manipulator) can greatly enhance the manual capabilities of a human operator, but it can also compromise the inherent stability of the operator. A condition for the robust stability of an operator/bilateral manipulator environment system is derived using the structured singular value. The application of this condition is illustrated with several examples of power and impedance scaling via a two-channel bilateral manipulator. >
Organizational Learning in Global Purchasing: A Model and Test of Internal Users and Corporate Buyers*

This research examines a model centered on organizational learning in purchasing. Two different studies are conducted to test the hypotheses among purchasing users (Study 1) and buyers (Study 2). The user sample consists of users representing 355 strategic business units of a Fortune 500 multinational corporation. The buyer sample consists of corporate buyers of 200 multinational corporations drawn from the membership directory of the National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM). In each study, the focus is on the learning relationships between corporate buyers and internal users in the purchasing organization. Based on the two studies, the results suggest that organizational learning in the purchasing process is influenced by the organizational culture factors of localness, transformational leadership, and openness. Organizational learning has a positive effect on information processing in the purchasing system, which, in turn, has a positive influence on the cycle time of the purchasing process.
Self-Regulated Learning in Web-Based Environments: Instructional Tools Designed to Facilitate Cognitive Strategy Use, Metacognitive Processing, and Motivational Beliefs:

This study investigated strategies teachers can use to improve students' use of self-regulated learning strategies in a Web-based setting. SRL is defined as a learner's intentional efforts to manag...
Juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis caused by substitution of histidine for arginine at position 499 or 504 of the alpha-subunit of beta-hexosaminidase.

Juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis is a rare neurodegenerative disorder closely related to Tay-Sachs disease but of later onset and more protracted course. The biochemical defect lies in the alpha-subunit of the lysosomal enzyme beta-hexosaminidase. Cultured fibroblasts derived from patient A synthesized an alpha-subunit which could acquire mannose 6-phosphate and be secreted, but which failed to associate with the beta-subunit to form the enzymatically active heterodimer. By contrast, fibroblasts from patient B synthesized an alpha-subunit that was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. To identify the molecular basis of the disorder, RNA from fibroblasts of these two patients was reverse-transcribed, and the cDNA encoding the alpha-subunit of beta-hexosaminidase was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in four overlapping fragments. The PCR fragments were subcloned and shown by sequence analysis to contain a G to A transition corresponding to substitution of histidine for arginine at position 504 in the case of patient A and at position 499 in the case of patient B. The mutations were confirmed by hybridization of allele-specific oligonucleotides to PCR-amplified fragments of DNA corresponding to exon 13 of the alpha-subunit gene. The Arg504----His mutation was found on both alleles of patient A as well as of another unrelated patient; the homozygosity of this mutant allele is attributable to consanguinity in the two families. The Arg499----His mutation was found in patient B in compound heterozygosity with a common infantile Tay-Sachs allele. There is additional heterogeneity in juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis, as neither mutation was found in the DNA of a fourth patient. The Arg----His mutations at positions 499 and 504 are located at CpG dinucleotides, which are known to be mutagenic "hot spots."
Studies on Bovine Natural Actomyosin 2. Physico‐Chemical Properties and Tenderness of Muscle

SUMMARY: Studies were made of physicochemical characteristics of natural actomyosin from bovine longissimus of different post-mortem ages and tenderness classifications. Reduced viscosity, ATP sensitivity, and “actin” content (polyethylene sulfonate treatment) were higher for natural actomyosin prepared from muscle 12-24 hr post-mortem than from pre-rigor muscle, which confirms previous reports for rabbit natural actomyosin. A higher actin to myosin ratio in actomyosin from muscle 12-24 hr was therefore postulated. A stronger interaction of actin and myosin in actomyosin from muscle 12-24 hr post-mortem than from pre-rigor or aged muscle was also suggested by reduced viscosity and ultracentrifugation data. Reduced viscosity differences between actomyosins from tough and tender muscle suggested a higher gel character in actomyosin from tough muscle. This possibly indicated a higher content of α-actinin. No consistent differences in ATP sensitivity, myosin and actin content of natural actomyosin of tough and tender muscle were found. Natural actomyosin from muscle aged post-mortem showed the appearance during analytical ultracentrifugation of an additional component which sedimented at about 11S to 12S. This component appeared in the actomyosin prepared from tender muscle after 24 hr but did not appear until 10 days in the actomyosin from tough muscle.
Hypertension treatment trials and stroke occurrence revisited a quantitative overview

Abstract To provide further understanding of the decline in stroke mortality in the United States, data from 16 randomized controlled trials of hypertension treatment and stroke published to date are pooled. The overall weighted average blood pressure reduction was 13/6 mm Hg. The pooled odds ratio was 0.61(95% confidence interval: 0.55, 0.68), indicating approximately a 39% (32 to 45%) reduction in stroke occurrence. Percent reduction was somewhat higher in studies of mild-moderate hypertension (47%) and somewhat lower in studies of the elderly (35%). There was no differential effect by gender (reductions of 37% for women, 34% for men) or by race (32% for blacks, 37% for whites). The magnitudes of reductions for fatal (41%) and nonfatal (37%) strokes, and for diuretics and beta-blockers (odds ratio diuretic versus beta-blocker, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.08) were similar. Implications for the decline in stroke mortality in the United States are discussed.
NMR with multiple receivers.

Parallel acquisition NMR spectroscopy (PANSY) is used to detect simultaneously signals from up to four nuclear species, such as H-1, H-2, C-13, N-15, F-19 and P-31. The conventional COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMQC and HMBC pulse sequences have been adapted for such applications. Routine availability of NMR systems that incorporate multiple receivers has led to development of new types of NMR experiments. One such scheme named PANACEA allows unambiguous structure determination of small organic molecules from a single measurement and includes an internal field/frequency correction routine. It does not require the conventional NMR lock system and can be recorded in pure liquids. Furthermore, long-range spin–spin couplings can be extracted from the PANACEA spectra and used for three-dimensional structure refinement. In bio-molecular NMR, multi-receiver NMR systems are used for simultaneous recording of H-1 and C-13 detected multi-dimensional spectra. For instance, the 2D (HA)CACO and 3D (HA)CA(CO)NNH experiments can be recorded simultaneously in proteins of moderate size (up to 30 kDa). The multi-receiver experiments can also be used in combination with the fast acquisition schemes such as Hadamard spectroscopy, computer optimized aliasing and projection-reconstruction techniques. In general, experiments that utilize multiple receivers provide significantly more information from a single NMR measurement as compared to the conventional single receiver techniques.
Pulmonary pathologic manifestations of anti-glycyl-tRNA synthetase (anti-EJ)-related inflammatory myopathy

Aims Antisynthetase syndromes are a subset of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterised by the presence of autoantibodies to aminoacyl transfer-RNA synthetases (ARS) and monotypic clinical features including Raynaud phenomenon, fever, non-erosive inflammatory arthritis and hyperkeratotic skin changes (‘mechanic9s hands’). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is particularly common in ARS syndromes, affecting up to 90% of patients. Methods Four patients with ARS syndrome who possessed anti-glycyl-tRNA synthetase (anti-EJ) autoantibodies were retrieved from the University of Pittsburgh database. We report their clinical, radiographic and histopathologic findings. Results Patients presented with dyspnoea accompanied by Raynaud phenomenon and ‘mechanic9s hands’. Lung disease was the first manifestation in all four patients (100%) who were all amyopathic. High-resolution CT of the chest showed patchy opacities and consolidations in two patients (50%) whose surgical lung biopsies revealed organising diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), and lower lung zone predominant reticular infiltrates and traction bronchiectasis without honeycomb change in two patients (50%) whose surgical lung biopsies revealed usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Mild lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and few scattered lymphoid aggregates were present, but we found no pathognomonic histopathologic features of anti-EJ ARS syndrome. Serologic testing revealed no other autoantibodies. All patients responded to immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions Identifying ARS-associated autoantibodies in ILD patients with or without myopathy is desirable because patients may respond well to immunosuppressive therapy, and their prognosis is better than that of patients with idiopathic forms of DAD or UIP.
Palliation of jaundice in unresectable pancreatic carcinoma: radiologic-guided interventions

The percutaneous transhepatic placement of an uncovered expandable metallic stent is an effective and safe means of palliating the symptoms of obstructive jaundice resulting from unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas. This approach is indicated when endoscopic placement is not possible.
A Meta-Learning Approach to Predicting Financial Statement Fraud

ABSTRACT: An “ultimate learning algorithm” is one that produces models that closely match the real world’s underlying distribution of functions. To try to create such an algorithm, researchers typically employ manual algorithm design with cross-validation. It has been shown that cross-validation is not a viable way to construct an ultimate learning algorithm. For machine learning researchers, “meta-learning” should be more desirable than manual algorithm design with cross-validation. Meta-learning is concerned with gaining knowledge about learning methodologies. One meta-learning approach involves evaluating the suitability of various algorithms for a learning task in order to select an appropriate algorithm. An alternative approach is to incorporate predictions from base algorithms as features to be evaluated by subsequent algorithms. This paper reports on exploratory research that implemented the latter approach as a three-layer stacked generalization model using neural networks, logistic regression, an...
Comparison of extracellular striatal acetylcholine and brain seizure activity following acute exposure to the nerve agents cyclosarin and tabun in freely moving guinea pigs.

Organophosphorus nerve agents like cyclosarin and tabun are potent cholinesterase inhibitors. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, which is responsible for breaking down acetylcholine (ACh) at the synapse and neuromuscular junction, leads to a build-up of extracellular ACh and a series of toxic consequences including hypersecretion, tremor, convulsion/seizure, respiratory distress, coma, and death. This study employed simultaneous and continuous electroencephalographic recording and striatal microdialysis collection for quantification of ACh changes (via subsequent HPLC analysis) during acute exposure to a 1.0 × LD50 subcutaneous dose of either cyclosarin or tabun to investigate differences in cholinergic and behavioral effects. Information about the unique mechanisms and consequences of different nerve agents is intended to aid in the development of broad-spectrum medical countermeasures for nerve agents. At the dose administered, non-seizure and sustained seizure responses were observed in both agent...
Gut microbes of mammalian herbivores facilitate intake of plant toxins.

The foraging ecology of mammalian herbivores is strongly shaped by plant secondary compounds (PSCs) that defend plants against herbivory. Conventional wisdom holds that gut microbes facilitate the ingestion of toxic plants; however, this notion lacks empirical evidence. We investigated the gut microbiota of desert woodrats (Neotoma lepida), some populations of which specialise on highly toxic creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). Here, we demonstrate that gut microbes are crucial in allowing herbivores to consume toxic plants. Creosote toxins altered the population structure of the gut microbiome to facilitate an increase in abundance of genes that metabolise toxic compounds. In addition, woodrats were unable to consume creosote toxins after the microbiota was disrupted with antibiotics. Last, ingestion of toxins by naive hosts was increased through microbial transplants from experienced donors. These results demonstrate that microbes can enhance the ability of hosts to consume PSCs and therefore expand the dietary niche breadth of mammalian herbivores.
Performance through consistency: connectionist large vocabulary continuous speech recognition

It is shown that the performance of a connectionist speech recognition system can be improved by resolving inconsistencies in its design. Specifically, by introducing word level training into a TDNN (time-delay neural network) phoneme classifier (thus defining a multistate time-delay neural network or MS-TDNN), the training and testing criteria become consistent, enhancing the system's word recognition accuracy. The author applied this MS-TDNN architecture to the task of large vocabulary continuous speech recognition, and found that it outperforms all other systems that have been evaluated on the CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) Conference Registration database. In addition, preliminary results suggest that the MS-TDNN may perform well on the large vocabulary Resource Management database, using a relatively small number of free parameters. >
Visible-Light-Driven Alcohol Dehydrogenation with a Rhodium Catalyst

We report the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of alcohols with a Rh catalyst and I− in an acidic medium. The catalyst screening of a structurally diverse family of Rh complexes found [RhIII(dtbbpy)2(OSO2CF3)2](CF3SO3) (Rh7; dtbbpy=4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine) to be the best catalyst. All components (Rh7, HI, alcohol, and light) were found to be essential for the dehydrogenation to occur. Under optimal conditions, generation of both H2 and acetone (for isopropyl alcohol) was observed, which increased linearly for 4 days with no significant decrease in activity. The proposed mechanism involves the formation of [RhIII(dtbbpy)2(I)2]+ [Rh7(a)] followed by the generation of photoinduced I3− via a ligand (I−) to metal (RhIII) charge transfer. The resulting RhI species reduces H+ and I3− oxidizes the alcohol, which completes the catalytic cycle. Supporting evidence for the catalytic mechanism was obtained by using UV/Vis spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and time-dependent DFT calculations.
The Role of Audiologic Evaluation in Progressive Audiologic Tinnitus Management

Progressive Audiologic Tinnitus Management (PATM) is based on the premise that tinnitus is managed most efficiently using a hierarchy of clinical services that address different levels of need. PATM includes five levels of management: (a) triage; (b) audiologic evaluation; (c) group education; (d) tinnitus evaluation; and (e) individualized management. This article provides an overview of PATM and focuses on the procedures that make up the Level 2 Audiologic Evaluation. The evaluation is conducted to assess the potential need for medical, audiologic (hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis), and/or mental health services. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Hearing Handicap Inventory, and Tinnitus and Hearing Survey are used to differentiate effects of tinnitus and hearing loss. If indicated, patients are interviewed with the Tinnitus-Impact Screening Interview. Patients requiring amplification receive hearing aids. Often, management of hearing loss at Level 2 addresses any problems that were attributed to the tinnitus, which obviates further tinnitus-specific intervention.
Population-based newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency : Steps toward implementation

Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) has been identified as a disorder of high priority for population-based newborn screening. Most affected infants are not brought to medical attention until they develop serious infectious complications, and SCID is fatal if untreated. Effective treatment with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is widely established. The best outcome for SCID, as with many other conditions for which newborn screening is now done, is achieved if hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is performed in the first months of life, ideally before clinical presentation with infections and failure to thrive. A meeting in San Francisco in May 2007 brought together experts from newborn screening programs; the pediatric immunology community; pediatric transplant centers; and federal, state, and nongovernmental agencies to consider obstacles to and implications of developing newborn screening for SCID. Development of an appropriate low-cost, high-throughput screening algorithm has been a challenge, although absence of T-cell receptor gene excision circles is a sensitive marker of profound T lymphocytopenia and currently is the most developed screening method. A consensus was reached on several points: SCID newborn screening should be pursued with pilot studies in key locales, test methodologies need to be optimized, screening programs must be integrated with plans for definitive diagnosis and management, centralized specimen banks and registries are required to foster test validation and track outcomes that will guide future treatment, and SCID newborn screening will lead to important knowledge about human immune disorders as well as better care of patients.
THE ADOPTION OF STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATION: THE ROLE OF INTEREST GROUPS*

This paper examines the adoption of state electricity regulation around the beginning of the 20th century. I model this decision as a hazard rate to determine what influenced the adoption of state regulation. I find that adoption is positively correlated with capacity shortages, greater wealth and lower residential electricity penetration rates. These results suggest that state regulation responded to regulatory inefficiencies and residential consumer interests. In addition, adoption rates were higher in states that had a strong industrial and coal mining presence. These results are consistent with the interest group and contracting theories of regulation. STATES BEGAN REPLACING MUNICIPAL REGULATION of electric utilities with state regulation in 1907. Despite the long history, surprisingly little is known about the causes of the regime shift. In this paper, I estimate a hazard model that defines the probability of adopting state regulation as a function of variables that measure the potential benefits and costs of a number of interest groups, the shortage of installed capacity and concurrent levels of electricity prices and profits. The results shed light on which theories of regulation are most consistent with the data. I find evidence that is consistent with the interest group theory of regulation, which began with Peltzman [1976], and the contracting theory of regulation, attributed to Priest [1993]. The interest group theory of regulation centers around private interest group competition; regulators respond to the pressures of interest groups. One testable implication of the interest group theory is that if state regulation benefited a certain class of consumers, such as residential consumers, at the expense of another class of consumers, the
TUG: An Executable Specification Language

The TUG (Tree Unified with Grammar) specification language aims at providing formality and abstraction for capturing requirements and expressing the functionality of programs. A TUG specification is formal since the language uses a mathematical notation based on the principles of definite clause grammars (DCGs) and regular expression. This paper introduces the syntax and semantics of the TUG specification language. Some important features of TUG are illustrated with the aid of sample program specifications. With the formality of the TUG specification language, a specification in the language can be interpreted through a language processor. A prototype can be exercised by executing the specification. Formality and executability are designed into the language to give an improvement in quality for user requirements.
Triallelic SNP-mediated genotyping of regenerated protoplasts of the heterokaryotic fungus Rhizoctonia solani.

Abstract The aneuploid and heterokaryotic nuclear condition of the soil fungus Rhizoctonia solani have provided challenges in obtaining a complete genome sequence. To better aid in the assembly and annotation process, a protoplast and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based method was developed to identify regenerated protoplasts with a reduced nuclear genome. Protocol optimization experiments showed that enzymatic digestion of mycelium from a 24 h culture of R. solani increased the proportion of protoplasts with a diameter of ≤7.5 μm and 1–4 nuclei. To determine whether strains regenerated from protoplasts with a reduced number of nuclei were genetically different from the parental strain, triallelic SNPs identified from variance records of the genomic DNA sequence reads of R. solani were used in PCR-based genotyping assays. Results from 16 of the 24 SNP-based PCR assays provided evidence that one of the three alleles was missing in the 11 regenerated protoplast strains, suggesting that these strains represent a reduced genomic complement of the parental strain. The protoplast and triallelic SNP-based method used in this study may be useful in strain development and analysis of other basidiomycete fungi with complex nuclear genomes.
Metabolic Health Reduces Risk of Obesity-Related Cancer in Framingham Study Adults

Background. It is unknown whether the risk for obesity-related cancers between metabolically unhealthy and healthy overweight/obese adults. Methods. Data on body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and random blood glucose in Framingham Heart Study adults (n=3763) ages 55-69 were used to estimate risks of obesity-related cancers (n=385) including post-menopausal breast, female reproductive, colon, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and kidney cancers, as well as esophageal adenocarcinomas. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk for obesity-related cancers associated with body fat and metabolic health (as defined by glucose levels) among subjects in three risk groups (vs. referent group with normal-weight/normal glucose): normal-weight/elevated glucose; overweight/normal glucose; and overweight/elevated glucose. Results. Overweight adults (BMI≥25 or WHtR≥0.51 (men) and ≥0.57 (women)) with elevated glucose (≥125 mg/dL) had a statistically significant two-fold increased risk of developing obesity-related cancer while overweight adults with normal glucose had a 50% increased risk. Normal-weight adults with elevated glucose had no excess cancer risk. The effects of BMI and WHtR were independent of one another. Finally, overweight women with elevated blood glucose had a 2.6-fold increased risk (95% CI: 1.4-4.9) of female reproductive (cervical, endometrial, uterine cancers) and post-menopausal breast cancers while overweight women with normal glucose levels had only a 70% increased risk (95% CI: 1.1-2.5). Conclusion. These results suggest that cancer risk may be lower among metabolically-healthy overweight/obese older adults than among overweight/obese adults with metabolic dysfunction. Impact. Metabolic dysfunction and obesity act synergistically to increase cancer risk.
n-up 850-nm VCSEL arrays with very low and uniform operation voltage for multimode fiber data communications

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are ideal for high-speed fiber-optic data link applications. In this paper, we report design and optimization of n-up 850-nm VCSELs for high-speed data link modules.
Captioned and Non-Captioned Cartoons: Effects of Structural Properties on Ratings of Humor:

Humor ratings by 80 college students were obtained on non-captioned cartoons for comparison to whole-captioned cartoons and to independent ratings of the pictures and captions of the whole-captioned cartoons. Whole-captioned cartoons were rated significantly funnier than the independent ratings of pictures or captions. The non-captioned cartoons were not rated significantly different from pictures, captions, or whole-captioned cartoons. A significant interaction was found between the three forms of captioned cartoons and whether the cartoons were pictorial or caption-dependent. Subjects rated strictly pictorial non-captioned cartoons significantly funnier than non-captioned cartoons with writing in the pictures. These results support some previous findings and suggest control for cartoons' structure in studies of humor.
Robustness of the Nonlinear Climate Response to ENSO’s Extreme Phases

Abstract Analysis of a suite of atmospheric GCM experiments for 1950–94 shows that both the tropical and the extratropical wintertime climate respond nonlinearly with respect to opposite phases of ENSO. Such behavior is found to be reproducible among four different GCMs studied and confirms that several observed asymmetries in wintertime anomalies with respect to ENSO phases are symptomatic of nonlinearity rather than sampling error. Nonlinearity in the tropical Pacific rainfall response is related to an SST threshold for convection that leads to saturation at modestly cold SST forcing but a linear increase for warmer SST forcing. A spatial shift in the rainfall response is also a feature of the various GCMs’ nonlinear behavior, that is, accentuated by the large zonal gradient of climatological SSTs across the equatorial Pacific and the fact that convection responds to the total rather than the anomalous SST. Regarding upper-tropospheric teleconnection responses over the Pacific–North American region, non...
Is It Possible to Teach “Science for All” in a Climate of Accountability? Educational Policy and the Equitable Teaching of Science

This chapter includes an examination of current trends in science learning for nonmainstream learners to explore just how far off the mark of progress American schools are. This is followed by a synthesis of the research that investigates the influence national education policy has had on science teaching and the learning of nonmainstream students. I employ Larry Cuban’s (Phi Delta Kappan 69(5):341–344, 1988) idea of first-order and second-order changes to explain the negative turn this somewhat promising legislation has influenced. I argue that current accountability policies simply call for changes in schooling without guidelines for the reform of science teaching and learning. The chapter closes with the argument that educational policy efforts that are devoid of professional development for equitable teaching practices and goals for science learning, that leave the assessment of learning to responsibilities of underfunded states, and that use high-stakes approaches within short time frames are not capable of instigating second-order changes, changes that are required if we are to move toward teaching “science for all.”
Proposal of Parasitaphelenchus dongguanensis (Fang, Zhao & Zhuo, 2002) n. comb. (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae)

Parasitaphelenchus dongguanensis (Fang, Zhao & Zhuo, 2002) n. comb. is proposed for Bursaphelenchus dongguanensis Fang, Zhao & Zhuo, 2002. Females are long (880–1720 µm) and slender (a=64–104), and have a short, conoid, mucronate tail. The vulva is located towards the posterior (V=86–92), and a vulval flap is absent. Oocytes are arranged in several rows and in a single row posteriorly. A long postuterine sac is present (34–119 µm). Males are 880 to 1230 µm long, and slender (a=84–134). The tail is short (c=48–102), straight, and bears three pairs of post-cloacal papillae. A small bursa envelops the distal portion of the tail. Spicules are small (8–13 µm), with a narrow, pointed rostrum and a well-developed, rounded apex. Spermatocytes are arranged in several rows. The stylet is 11 to 13 µm long and has small basal knobs. The cuticle bears fine, transverse striae, and there are four incisures in the lateral field.
P3-03-07: A Novel Approach Integrating microRNA and mRNA Signatures of HMAPK Signaling Is Highly Predictive of ER- Status and Outcome in Breast Cancer – Role of HMAPK microRNAs in Repression of ER and p27.

Deregulation of the MAPK signaling pathway in breast cancer is known to facilitate the down-regulation of the estrogen receptor and to contribute to the aggressive nature of ER negative and triple negative breast cancers. We have identified a microRNA signature indicative of hyperactive MAPK (hMAPK) signaling, which complements a previously established hyperactive MAPK gene expression signature. We have shown that hMAPK signaling also alters the regulatory activity of many microRNAs, including particular microRNAs with established roles in the biology of breast cancer, miR-221/222 and miR-22. Expression correlation with both the hMAPK microRNA signature and hMAPK mRNA signature is significantly associated with ER-negative status, increased tumor grade, high proliferation rate, and, importantly, poor disease specific survival among breast cancer patients, regardless of ER status. The hMAPK microRNA signature contains 127 microRNAs, 47 up-regulated and 70 down-regulated. Of note, hMAPK up-regulated microRNAs include miR-221/222 and 22, both of which have been demonstrated to target ER while miR-221/222 targets the cell cycle regulatory protein p27. Down-regulated microRNAs include miR-375, which positively regulates ER expression by down-regulating expression of an ER repressor. miR-221/222 and miR-22 exhibit both enhanced expression and enhanced regulatory activity in the context of hMAPK signaling, indicating an important role for these microRNAs in the biology of hMAPK signaling in breast cancer. In addition to these microRNAs, an unbiased approach of determining MAPK regulated microRNAs targeting the 3’ UTRs of both ER and p27 will identify novel microRNAs involved in the MAPK regulated repression of ER and p27. These data not only suggest a regulatory role for microRNAs whose expression and biological activity are altered under conditions of hyperactivation of MAPK signaling in establishing and maintaining ER negativity and tumor aggression, but also indicate that hMAPK signaling may represent a novel aggressive tumor biology that is indicative of poor disease outcome in breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-03-07.
Surgical Treatment of the Duplicated Thumb

Twenty-one children with twenty-three duplicated thumbs who were surgically treated were studied.On five rudimentary thumbs, simple ablation was done and the results were all good.The postoperative condition of the six thumbs on which transfer of the abductor pollicis brevis was done were assessed. In two thumbs which were operated on below one year of age, the opposition was poor. But in four thumbs over one year of age, the opposition was good.Interphalangeal joints of five thumbs were stabilized with a K-wire for three weeks or less, and in the four of them the motion of the interphalangeal joints were restricted. On the other hand, in only two of the eighteen thumbs without any stabilization of the interphalangeal joint, the motion of the interphalangeal joints were restricted.Angular deformity of the proximal phalanx occurred in two thumbs as a result of physeal growth disturbance. One of them had been operated on at seven months of age and the other eight months.We conclude that (1) the rudimentary type of the duplicated thumb can be treated surgically in the early infant, and (2) the other types of duplicated thumb should be treated surgically over one year of age to avoid the technical failures such as injury to the growh plate, incorrect transfer of the abductor pollicis brevis.
The effect of sensitization on pneumococcus lesions of the lobar type in rabbits

For the purpose of ascertaining to what extent conditions of hypersusceptibility determine the character of pneumococcus lesions of the lung, series of experiments were made with a moderately virulent strain, and with an extremely virulent strain in its virulent state and after artificial attenuation. Rabbits were inoculated intravenously for purposes of sensitization with .1-15 c.c. pneumococcus filtrates or dead cells and then after two weeks injected tracheally with 1. c.c. live cultures. The animals surviving 48 hours were killed. Microscopic sections were made of all lungs.In these experiments with attempted active sensitization none of the animals developed symptoms resembling anaphylactic shock nor was the lung involvement definitely increased in any series of previously treated rabbits. Tracheal injection of the moderately virulent organisms, however, caused marked lesions in both sensitized and unsensitized control rabbits.In experiments with attempted passive sensitization, mixtures of 1 c.c. vi...
Study on Achievement Motivation and Sporting Performance of Modern College Students

The achievement motivation of college students who prefer leisure sporting activities may be their internal force for self-challenge,self-achievement,and growth.This study is based on the theoretical framework of "The Facet Structure of Achievement Motive" and an instrument of "achievement motivation questionnaire" created by Dov Elizur in 1979 to measure and evaluate the relationship between 186 college students' achievement motivation and their sport performance in swimming,running,and climbing.The purpose of the study is to probe the effect of uncertainty,difficulty,responsibility,calculating risk,solving problem,and the need for satisfaction on the sport performance of college students.The result shows the sport performance of college students are highly related to some motivation factors,such as facing difficult,personal responsibility,solving problems,the needs for success.
Conspiracism In and Around Libya

AbstractThe idea that there is one cohesive Islamist movement with a clearly defined plan to conquer power in Libya is a deeply flawed argument. It is one that, among other causes, is at the basis of the current divisions in the country and its civil strife. The Islamist movement in Libya, on the contrary, is a highly heterogeneous reality. Understanding this divisiveness is fundamental to the elaboration of a strategy for reunification and the establishment of law and order. Such a strategy should be based on the principle of incorporating those Islamists who accept the democratic process and isolating the more extremist ones.