cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A neighboring optimal adaptive critic for missile guidance

We present a neural network approach to missile guidance which is based on the notion of an adaptive critic. This approach is derived from the use of both a nominal solution of a linear optimal guidance law and neighboring optimal control law. No assumptions about target maneuver dynamics are made during neural network training. We discuss neuro-control training issues, and the neural network control system results are compared with those obtained from an optimal control formulation. Numerical results from the simulations of the neuro-controller under reference conditions and under perturbations due to target maneuvers are presented. We also demonstrate the transfer of control knowledge from the critic network to the controller network while the simulated missile is in flight.
Mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. 4. Evaluation of intervention.

The design of trials of interventions intended to slow or arrest the progression of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type must be based on analysis of the natural hisotry of the disease. Using a random coefficients statistical model, we analyzed the natural hisotry of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type in carefully defined subjects with milde disease (n = 68) for periods of up to 10 years. Subject performance was assessed longitudinally on batteries of clinical and psychometric measures. The characteristics of these measures were analyzed relevant to their utility as outcome measures for long-term trials in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Estimates were made of sample sizes required to show arrest, and 50% or 25% slowing in the progression of mild disease. We suggest that a clinically relevant global measure, such as the Sum of Boxes of the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, and a performance-based clinical scale or psychometric measure would be appropriate in a 12- or 24-month trial enrolling subjects with mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.
George Housner: A Personal Remembrance (1910–2008)

George W. Housner, C F Braun Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, died after a short illness on November 10, 2008, just a few weeks before his 98th birthday. He was in the retirement home in Pasadena where he had lived for several years. For all of us who knew George, this marked the end of an era. Few people have guided and nurtured a field the way George led earthquake engineering over a period of several decades. He had a profound effect on many people and will long be remembered. His impact was so pervasive that he had earned the title of the ‘Father of Earthquake Engineering’. This article records some of my thoughts about this remarkable man.
Electrolyte versus Blood Cardioplegia: Randomized Clinical and Myocardial Ultrastructural Study

Abstract In 40 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass, one of two solutions for cardioplegia, each containing 30 mEq/L of K + was used randomly. The groups were comparable except for intramyocardial temperature. With electrolyte solution (Group A), it was 16.5° ± 0.34°C, while with blood from the pump-oxygenator (Group B) it was 20.3° ± 0.41°C ( p p p p + cardioplegia resulted in better preservation of myocardial ultrastructure, lower ventricular filling pressure, and lesser CPK-MB release compared with this particular electrolyte cardioplegia.
Association of lower serum cholesterol levels with higher risk of osteoporosis in type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To determine whether a correlation exists between bone mineral density and circulating lipoprotein levels and whether these variables are independently associated with osteoporosis in pa...
Syntheses, structures, and vibrational spectroscopy of the two-dimensional iodates Ln(IO3)3 and Ln(IO3)3(H2O) (LnYb, Lu)

Abstract The reaction of Lu 3+ or Yb 3+ and H 5 IO 6 in aqueous media at 180 °C leads to the formation of Yb(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O) or Lu(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O), respectively, while the reaction of Yb metal with H 5 IO 6 under similar reaction conditions gives rise to the anhydrous iodate, Yb(IO 3 ) 3 . Under supercritical conditions Lu 3+ reacts with HIO 3 and KIO 4 to yield the isostructural Lu(IO 3 ) 3 . The structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic data are (Mo K α, λ =0.71073 A): Yb(IO 3 ) 3 , monoclinic, space group P 2 1 / n , a =8.6664(9) A, b =5.9904(6) A, c =14.8826(15) A, β =96.931(2)°, V =766.99(13), Z =4, R ( F )=4.23% for 114 parameters with 1880 reflections with I >2 σ ( I ); Lu(IO 3 ) 3 , monoclinic, space group P 2 1 / n , a =8.6410(9), b =5.9961(6), c =14.8782(16) A, β =97.028(2)°, V =765.08(14), Z =4, R ( F )=2.65% for 119 parameters with 1756 reflections with I >2 σ ( I ); Yb(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O), monoclinic, space group C 2/ c , a =27.2476(15), b =5.6296(3), c =12.0157(7) A, β =98.636(1)°, V =1822.2(2), Z =8, R ( F )=1.51% for 128 parameters with 2250 reflections with I >2 σ ( I ); Lu(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O), monoclinic, space group C 2/ c , a =27.258(4), b =5.6251(7), c =12.0006(16) A, β =98.704(2)°, V =1818.8(4), Z =8, R ( F )=1.98% for 128 parameters with 2242 reflections with I >2 σ ( I ). The f elements in all of the compounds are found in seven-coordinate environments and bridged with monodentate, bidentate, or tridentate iodate anions. Both Lu(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O) and Yb(IO 3 ) 3 (H 2 O) display distinctively different vibrational profiles from their respective anhydrous analogs. Hence, the Raman profile can be used as a complementary diagnostic tool to discern the different structural motifs of the compounds.
The intracellular enzymatic response of neutrophils and lymphocytes in patients with precancerous states and cancer of the larynx

Summary In patients with precancerous states and cancer of the larynx prior to and after radiotherapy exhibit the decreased activity of neutrophil beta-glucuronidase. Moreover patients treated by radiotherapy before the age of 6 to 9 years demonstrate deficiency of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in the above cells. The main finding in lymphocytes of the patients studied was in the appearance by diffusion of the above enzymes and of acid phosphatase in the cytoplasm, reflecting their release from lysosomes and immunological mobilization of these cells. The authors discuss the possible role of neutrophil enzymatic deficiency in lowering the antitumour cytotoxic effect of these cells.
Sexual dimorphism of stress-induced changes in renal peripheral benzodiazepine receptors in rat.

Abstract Adult male and female rats were exposed to either inescapable shock or no treatment. In vitro [3H]Ro 5-4864 (4′-chlorodiazepam) binding (1 nM) to peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PRB) in both CNS and peripheral tissues indicated no gender differences in olfactory bulb, heart, lung or adrenal gland but a significant effect was observed in renal tissue. Female rats showed an attenuated stress-induced reduction (23%) in PBR in comparison to males (55%). This difference was shown to be an alteration of Bmax and not kD by Scatchard analysis. These data are the first demonstration of a sexual dimorphism in environmentally-induced alterations in PBR.
Three-dimensional kinetic theory modeling of hydrodynamics and erosion in fluidized beds

Abstract A three-dimensional hydrodynamic kinetic theory granular flow model was developed and used to compute bubble and solids motion in a rectangular fluidiz
Legal education as corporate ideology: Student adjustment to the law school experience

Sociological analyses of professional socialization have been guided by two major theoretical traditions. On the one hand, neo-Marxist and functionalist approaches posit a structural model of professional socialization that reproduces either class domination or social and cultural integration (Kennedy, 1982; Klare, 1982; Merton et al., 1957). Interactionists, on the other hand, emphasize the social processes of individuals employing various strategies and practices as they adjust to their professional training (Becker et al., 1961; Miller, 1970). Linking structural theories of the ideological nature of professional socialization with a close analysis of the actual internal dynamics holds the promise of enriching both streams of research. This paper explores this possibility in a case study of professional socialization in an elite law school. I examine the prevailing corporate ideology in this institution in tandem with the personal accommodations, adjustments, and management techniques of law students as they respond to this socialization process.
A transcription factor controlling development of peripheral sense organs in C. elegans

THE basic–helix–loop–helix (bHLH) proteins constitute a class of transcription factors thought to be important in the control of cell-type determination1. These transcription factors are believed to activate the expression of cell-type-specific genes to generate stable differentiated cell types2. The expression of bHLH proteins, in turn, is regulated by spatial cues, so that switches in cell type occur in a reproducible pattern3. We report here that the lin-32 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans which encodes a bHLH protein of the Drosophila achaete-scute family of transcription factors, is necessary and in some cells sufficient for specification of the neuroblast cell fate. Similarity in the function and structure of the lin-32 protein (LIN-32) to transcription factors of the achaete-scute gene family in Drosophila and vertebrates implies that this class of transcription factors functioned in a primitive ancestral form to specify neuronal cell fate, supporting the proposition that certain basic mechanisms of cell-type determination have been conserved through metazoan evolution1.
MSH receptors in immortalized human epidermal keratinocytes: a potential mechanism for coordinate regulation of the epidermal-melanin unit.

Receptors for melanotropin (MSH) were found to be expressed by immortalized primary human epidermal keratinocytes (RHEK-1). Using 125I-βMSH as a probe, the MSH receptors from mouse melanoma cells and human keratinocytes were found to be remarkably similar. In each cell line, there were high and low affinity receptors, with the high affinity classes showing positive cooperativity. Competition of 125l-βMSH for binding with non-radioactive MSH revealed similar profiles. Cross-linking studies, followed by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography, showed almost identical gel migration patterns. Both cell types expressed internal as well as plasma membrane binding sites. MSH receptors on both cell types were up-regulated by ultraviolet light and by MSH itself. Although the function of MSH receptors expressed by the immortalized keratinocytes is unknown, the results are consistent with recent reports that proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes is stimulated by MSH and that proopiomelanocortin genes are expresed in the epidermis. These results support a model in which keratinocytes and melanocytes, interacting in an “epidermal-melanin unit,” each respond to UV light signals with increased MSH receptor activity. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparison of type II operating characteristics derived from confidence ratings and from latencies.

On each of a series of trials, S judged two stimuli to be the same or different. S then made a confidence rating of his judgment. The difficulty of discrimination and feedback of response information (latency and correctness) were manipulated. Feedback had no effect. Latencies conditional on confidence rating decreased with increasing confidence and remained relatively constant with changes in discrimination difficulty. Type II operating characteristics were derived from latencies and from confidence ratings; both appropriately reflected differences in task difficulty.
Chemical engineering of polymers: Production of flexible, functional materials

Polymers, with their large spatial extent and chemical variety, afford materials scientists the opportunity to be architects at the molecular level. Once the architecture is decided, however, the task of construction moves to the chemical engineer to build the material in a faithful, stable and efficient manner. This involves assembling not only the molecular structure but also the larger scale internal micro- and meso-structure of the material. New processes are continually becoming available to the chemical engineer to accomplish these ends. New catalysts, new macromolecular building blocks, reactive processing, self-assembly, manipulation of phase behavior, applications of strong orienting fields and genetic engineering of materials are among the processing of polymers is the ability to measure product characteristics. Scattering and imaging methods have been the most powerful and the fastest growing techniques giving insight into polymer structure. Chemical engineering is as central as it always has been to leadership in the development and processing of polymers and other soft materials.
Controlling diffusion for a self-healing radiation tolerant nanostructured ferritic alloy

Abstract Diffusion plays a major role in the stability of microstructures to extreme conditions of high temperature and high doses of irradiation. In nanostructured ferritic alloys, first principle calculations indicate that the binding energy of vacancies is reduced by the presence of oxygen, titanium and yttrium atoms. Therefore, the number of free vacancies available for diffusion can be greatly reduced. The mechanical properties of these alloys, compared to traditional wrought alloys of similar composition and grain structure, is distinctly different, and the ultrafine grained alloy is distinguished by a high number density of Ti–Y–O-enriched nanoclusters and solute clusters, which drives the mechanical response. When a displacement cascade interacts with a nanocluster, the solute atoms are locally dispersed into the matrix by ballistic collisions, but immediately a new nanocluster reforms due to the local supersaturation of solutes and vacancies until the excess vacancies are consumed. The result of these processes is a structural material for advanced energy systems with a microstructure that is self-healing and tolerant to high doses of radiation and high temperatures.
Infrared photometry of periodic comets Encke, Chernykh, Kearns-Kwee, Stephan-Oterma, and Tuttle

Nearly simultaneous photometry of the reflected and thermal infrared spectra of periodic comets Encke, Chernykh, Kearns-Kwee, Stephan-Oterma, and Tuttle are presented. The 10-micron silicate emission feature has been detected for the first time in periodic comets and was observed in three of these objects. The albedo of the dust particles in the comae of these comets is calculated and compared to that of Comet Kohoutek. The peculiar behavior of the dust in Comet Encke is discussed.
Reconciling privacy with social media

Social media is one way that individuals share information, present themselves, and manage their social interactions in both personal and professional contexts. While social media benefits have been examined in the literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the relationship of privacy to these benefits. Privacy has traditionally been framed as a way for individuals to protect themselves from the consequences of too much information disclosure. However, privacy can be a means to enhance social media outcomes and is essential for coordinating cooperative relationships. In this workshop we seek to: a) broaden the lens of social media privacy research to examine the benefits and outcomes of interactional privacy as they relate to social media goals; and b) discuss the design of social media interfaces that are responsive to both relational and privacy needs.
All-optical timing jitter measurements on 40 Gbit/s pseudorandom RZ data after long-haul transmission in dispersion-managed soliton system

A novel all-optical cross-correlation method is applied to measure the timing jitter of a 40 Gbit/s data stream propagating in a dispersion-managed soliton recirculating loop based on Raman amplifiers for distances up to 7000 km. The results are in reasonable agreement with the electronic timing jitter analysis of the demultiplexed 10 Gbit/s signal.
A general model for minority carrier transport in polysilicon emitters

Abstract A model for the base current of the polysilicon emitter bipolar transistor is presented. An analytical expression for the base current is derived, demonstrating the individual contributions of the interfacial potential barrier and the transport through the polysilicon layer. This model represents an improvement over the previous models by predicting the variation with polysilicon thickness as well as the nonlinear temperature dependence of the base current.
Type I cell-like morphology in tight alveolar epithelial monolayers.

The pulmonary alveolar epithelium separates air spaces from a fluid-filled interstitium and might be expected to exhibit high resistance to fluid and solute movement. Previous studies of alveolar epithelial barrier properties have been limited due to the complex anatomy of adult mammalian lung. In this study, we characterized a model of isolated alveolar epithelium with respect to barrier transport properties and cell morphology. Alveolar epithelial cells were isolated from rat lungs and grown as monolayers on tissue culture-treated Nuclepore filters. On Days 2-6 in primary culture, monolayers were analyzed for transepithelial resistance (Rt) and processed for electron microscopy. Mean cell surface area and arithmetic mean thickness (AMT) were determined using morphometric techniques. By Day 5, alveolar epithelial cells in vitro exhibited morphologic characteristics of type I alveolar pneumocytes, with thin cytoplasmic extensions and protruding nuclei. Morphometric data demonstrated that alveolar pneumocytes in vitro develop increased surface area and decreased cytoplasmic AMT similar to young type I cells in vivo. Concurrent with the appearance of type I cell-like morphology, monolayers exhibited high Rt (greater than 1000 omega.cm2), consistent with the development of tight barrier properties. These monolayers of isolated alveolar epithelial cells may reflect the physiological and morphological properties of the alveolar epithelium in vivo.
Prescription drug advertisements and older adults: a case for implicit memory

Purpose – Prescription drug advertisements are commonly seen in magazines and on television. Many drug ads are targeted toward older adults, who tend to use more medications and suffer from more chronic conditions. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of such advertising remains uncertain. The aim of this paper is to compare implicit and explicit memory for drug ads in older and younger adults. Design/methodology/approach – Older adults typically perform more poorly than young adults on explicit memory tasks, but not on implicit memory tasks. The current study measured implicit memory with an incidental ratings exercise and an indirect test of preference; explicit memory was also measured with intentional studying and a direct test of recognition. The study was a 2 x 2 mixed experimental design with one between-participants variable and one within-participants variable. The between-participants variable was age group (older vs younger adults) and the within-participants variable was implicit and explicit memory...
The Water Activity Lowering Properties of Selected Humectants in Eggs

Abstract The high and intermediate moisture sorption isotherms of whole egg, egg white, and egg yolk at 25 and 45 C with and without the addition of selected food humectants (glucose, sucrose, glycerol, propylene glycol, sodium chloride) were determined. In the pure egg systems, dehydrated egg white exhibited the highest water activity (aw) lowering ability, dehydrated whole egg was intermediate, and dehydrated egg yolk was the lowest when used in liquid egg systems. The pattern was reversed when the humectants were employed as the aw controlling agents in the systems. On an equivalent weight basis, the aw depressing property of sodium chloride was the most effective, followed by that of glycerol, which was comparable to the moisture sorption characteristics of propylene glycol. Glucose was not as effective as glycerol or propylene glycol but was superior to sucrose as an aw lowering solute. The aw of the egg systems incorporated with egg solids, glucose, sucrose, or sodium chloride was lower at 45 than at 25 C. However, glycerol produced higher aw at the higher temperature when its level in the egg systems exceeded 30%.
Porcine Thyroid Peroxidase: Relationship between the Native Enzyme and an Active, Highly Purified Tryptic Fragment

We previously described the preparation of highly purified porcine thyroid peroxidase by a procedure that involved initial solubilization of the enzyme with trypsin plus detergent. Recently, the complete amino acid sequence of porcine thyroid peroxidase (TPO) was determined by cDNA cloning, and it became of interest to compare the structure of the purified trypsin-solubilized enzyme with that of the native enzyme. For this purpose we employed antibodies to the purified enzyme and to two synthetic peptides representing defined regions of the protein. We also obtained N-terminal amino acid sequence data on TPO fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. Trypsin cleavage sites in the purified enzyme were observed after arg residues 109 and 561, and also at two undetermined sites close to the putative membrane spanning region at the carboxyl end. Major fragments of approximately 60, 32, and 29 kilodaltons were observed when the purified enzyme was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. This observation is explained by assuming that the cleavage site after arg residue 561 occurred within a disulfide loop. The Mr of the trypsin-solubilized enzyme is approximately 88,000 compared to approximately 106,000 for the native enzyme. The difference can be accounted for by the loss of approximately 90 residues from the amino terminus and of at least 80 residues from the carboxyl end. Despite the loss of these fragments totaling approximately 18 kilodaltons and cleavage of the peptide bond after arg residue 561, the purified trypsin-solubilized TPO appears to retain full enzyme activity.
Effects and Interactions of Early Season Pests on Alfalfa Yield in Kentucky

A field study to partition effects and to examine interactions of three early season pests in two spring-seeded alfalfa stands was conducted from 1981 to 1984. The three pests, clover root curculio (CRC), Sitona hispidulus (F.); alfalfa weevil (A W), Hypera postica (Gyllenhal); and a complex of soil-borne root-rot fungi (FU), occur concurrently in Kentucky alfalfa fields. AW larval feeding, in years when population density exceeded the economic threshold, reduced alfalfa first-harvest yields. FU significantly reduced yields in four of five first harvests by ≤31.2%. CRC larval feeding directly reduced alfalfa yields in 1982 and 1984 by an average of 8.4%. Residual yield losses, associated with CRC larval feeding during April and May, also occurred in the second and third yearly alfalfa harvests. CRC lesions on alfalfa roots acted as colonization sites for FU. This apparently hastened development of root-rot diseases and resulted in a synergistic CRC and FU interaction in the second alfalfa harvests in 1982 and 1984. Stresses from both pests reduced alfalfa yield by 20.8% compared with ca. 8.0% losses from each pest alone. Significant partitioning of effects of the three early season pests was also found with alfalfa stem height, stem density, weed density in the herbage, and moisture content of alfalfa at harvest.
Benefits of Commodity Investment

While various commodity investments performed poorly during the 1990s, in the latter part of the decade, various commodities experienced improved return performance. In this paper, the sources of potential return benefits are reviewed including the impact of commodity volatility on convenience yield.
Coronary sinus atrial communication in a 58 year old.

A 58-year-old male with myelodysplastic syndrome presented with dyspnoea. A trans-thoracic echocardiogram demonstrated an enlarged coronary sinus with colour Doppler, suggesting flow from the coronary sinus into the right atrium (Supplementary data online, Figure S1 A and B ). Transoesophageal echocardiography ( Figure , Supplementary data online and Movies S1–S3 ) revealed a dilated and partially unroofed coronary …
On ordinary points in arrangements

We show that in an arrangement ofn curves in the plane (or on the sphere) there are at leastn/2 points where precisely 2 curves cross (ordinary points). Furthermore there are at least (4/3)n triangular regions in the complex determined by the arrangement. Triangular regions and ordinary vertices are both connected with boundary vertices of certain distinguished subcomplexes. By analogy with rectilinear planar polygons we distinguish concave and convex vertices of these subcomplexes. Our lower bounds arise from lower bounds for convex vertices in the distinguished subcomplexes.
Rare-earth-modified Sr 0.5 Ba 0.5 Nb 2 O 6 , ferroelectric crystals and their applications as infrared detectors

Rare-earth-modified ferroelectric crystals with the formula (Sr1−xBax)1− 3y/2 RyNb22O6, where R = La, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Lu, have Been prepared and studied. When R = La, Nd, x ≃ .5 and y = 0.02, the modified material, at room temperature, exhibited twice the pyroelectric coefficient and four times the dielectric constant of the unmodified Sr1−xBaxNb2O6 (x ≃ .5). Curie temperatures decreased, dielectric constants increased, while loss factor and detector signal-to-noise ratios remained nearly the same with the addition of rare earth doping. The calculated response based on the measured properties agree with the measured response of actual detectors. These properties suggested that the modified SBN are good materials for small element or array pyroelectric infrared detector applications.
Study of Some Factors Contributing to Aerosol Production by the Air-Turbine Handpiece

Assay of the dental aerosol cloud generated during tooth-cutting procedures revealed that 95% of the colloidal cloud particles are capable of reaching the alveoli of the lung and may represent a serious health hazard.
Temporal discrepancies in the electromyographic study of rapid movement.

Elbow flexor and extensor contraction and relaxation delays, relative to muscle action potentials are evaluated as 30-60 msec for contraction and 30-70 msec for relaxation, but with significant differences between subjects and between different muscles in the same subject. The contention that proper temporal interpretation of rapid movement EMGs is impossible without prior evaluation of the delays specific to the subject and muscles involved is supported by applying such evaluations to explain anomolies in rapid elbow movement EMGs. It is shown that apparent cocontraction of antagonist muscles may be an artifact explicable by these (subject and muscle specific) delay differences. The need for extensive study of muscle action delays is stressed.
Tools and techniques for evaluating reliability of defect-tolerant nano architectures

Nano-computing in the form of quantum, molecular and other computing models is proliferating as we scale down to nano-meter fabrication technologies. However, it is expected that nano-scale devices and interconnections will introduce unprecedented level of defects in the substrates and architectural designs need to accommodate the uncertainty inherent at such scales. This consideration motivates the search for new architectural paradigms based on redundancy based defect-tolerant designs. However, redundancy is not always a solution to the reliability problem, and often too much or too little redundancy may cause lack of reliability. The key challenge is in determining the granularity at which defect tolerance is designed, and the level of redundancy to achieve optimal reliability. Also, redundancy has been applied at different levels of granularity, such as gate level, logic block level, logic function level, unit level etc. Analytical probabilistic models to evaluate these levels are error prone and cumbersome, and do not scale well for complex network of gates. We develop different tools and techniques that can evaluate the reliability measures of combinational logic blocks, and can be used to analyze trade-offs between reliability and redundancy for different architectural configurations. In particular, we report two tools, one of which is a Matlab based tool called Nanolab and the other is a probabilistic model checking based tool named Nanoprism. We also illustrate the effectiveness of our reliability analysis tools by pointing out certain anomalies which are counter-intuitive but can be easily discovered by these tools, thereby providing better insight into defect-tolerant design decisions. We foresee that these tools will help furthering research and pedagogical interests in this area, expedite the reliability analysis process and enhance the accuracy of establishing reliability-redundancy trade-off points.
The relationship between theories about groups and adult learning groups

The literature is replete with theories about groups and group behavior. The authors describe how some of these theories can contribute to the development of adult learning groups.
Argumentation as distributed constraint satisfaction: applications and results

Conflict resolution is a critical problem in distributed and collaborative multi-agent systems. Negotiation via argumentation (NVA), where agents provide explicit arguments or justifications for their proposals for resolving conflicts, is an effective approach to resolve conflicts. Indeed, we are applying argumentation in some real-world multi-agent applications. However, a key problem in such applications is that a well-understood computational model of argumentation is currently missing, making it difficult to investigate convergence and scalability of argumentation techniques, and to understand and characterize different collaborative NVA strategies in a principled manner. To alleviate these difficulties, we present distributed constraint satisfaction problem (DCSP) as a computational model for investigating NVA. We model argumentation as constraint propagation in DCSP. This model enables us to study convergence properties of argumentation, and formulate and experimentally compare 16 different NVA strategies with different levels of agent cooperativeness towards others. One surprising result from our experiments is that maximizing cooperativeness is not necessarily the best strategy even in a completely cooperative environment. The paper illustrates the usefulness of these results in applying NVA to multi-agent systems, as well as to DCSP systems in general.
EUS in cystic lesions of the pancreas.

The differential diagnosis for cystic lesions of the pancreas is broad and the role of EUS is becoming more clearly defined. Pancreatic cysts may be inflammatory, such as pseudocysts, in which the cyst wall lacks an epithelium. Inflammatory cells line the fluid collection, which may often be located adjacent to an area of acute or chronic pancreatitis. Other types of pancreatic cysts may be broadly classified as benign or malignant. Benign cysts include serous cystadenomas (microcystic cystadenoma), lymphangioma, cystic teratoma, hemangioma, or paraganglioma. Malignant cysts include mucinous cystic neoplasms (mucinous cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma). These are lined by mucinous epithelium. Cystadenocarcinomas are believed to arise from cystadenomas. The latter are therefore considered premalignant. Other mucinous cystic lesions include mucinous ductal ectasia (MDE), now more correctly referred to as intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IPMT). A rare form of islet cell tumor may include a cystic component, that is, cystic islet cell tumor. Occasionally, other neoplasms may be of mixed origin and are called solid cystic tumors.1 One possible etiology for mixed tumors is ossification of a cystic tumor.
Satellite DNA from the Y chromosome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.

Satellite DNA is an enigmatic component of genomic DNA with unclear function that has been regarded as “junk.” Yet, persistence of these tandem highly repetitive sequences in heterochromatic regions of most eukaryotic chromosomes attests to their importance in the genome. We explored the Anopheles gambiae genome for the presence of satellite repeats and identified 12 novel satellite DNA families. Certain families were found in close juxtaposition within the genome. Six satellites, falling into two evolutionarily linked groups, were investigated in detail. Four of them were experimentally confirmed to be linked to the Y chromosome, whereas their relatives occupy centromeric regions of either the X chromosome or the autosomes. A complex evolutionary pattern was revealed among the AgY477-like satellites, suggesting their rapid turnover in the A. gambiae complex and, potentially, recombination between sex chromosomes. The substitution pattern suggested rolling circle replication as an array expansion mechanism in the Y-linked 53-bp satellite families. Despite residing in different portions of the genome, the 53-bp satellites share the same monomer lengths, apparently maintained by molecular drive or structural constraints. Potential functional centromeric DNA structures, consisting of twofold dyad symmetries flanked by a common sequence motif, have been identified in both satellite groups.
DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW NOCTUIDS

Eutolype grandis , n. sp. Ground colour an even, smooth, bluish-gray, washed with smoky brown. Head with a little admixture of brownish in front. Collar with a small central brown spot. Patagiac margined with brown. Basal tuft of thorax with an admixture of black scales. Primaries with all the ordinary markings obscured, the most evident Feature being a broad light gray band at inner third outwardly margined by a brownish shade, which is the darkest part of the wing. The basal space is uniformly smoky gray to the t. a. line, which is narrow, geminate, even,a little incurved between the subcostal and submedian veins. The included space is light gray, and light gray shade extends to the rigid median shade, including the orbicular. T. p. line narrow, geminate, denticulate, widely bent over the cell, then with a deep incurve beneath, narrowing the median shade at the inner margin. The entire median space beyond the gray band has a warm brown tint in which the large reniform is obscurely visible as a dull, lead-coloured blotch, outlined by paler gray scales. Beyond the t. p. line the wing is of the same dull gray as at base, interrupted by the diffuse, somewhat irregular s. t. line. There is a dusky line at the base of the fringes, which are alternately black and white marked at their tips. Secondaries smoky brown, much paler at base, and with a darker line at the base of the fringes. Beneath, primaries smoky blackish, powdered with bluish-gray scales in the terminal space, secondaries grayish-white, powdery, with a blackish outer line and discal spot.
Toward a New Method of Detecting Deliberately Faked Personality Tests: The use of idiosyncratic item responses

This study presents a new method for developing faking detection scales based on idiosyncratic item-response patterns. Two scoring schemes based on this approach strongly differentiated between scores obtained under honest vs directed faking conditions in cross-validation samples (rpb=.45 and .67). This approach is shown to successfully classify between 20% and 37% of faked personality measures with only a 1% false positive rate in a sample comprised of 56% honest responses. Of equal importance, this method does not result in a scale that meaningfully correlates with personality or cognitive ability tests. This study raises many questions about both the source and generalizabiltiy of the effect. Key directions for future research and improved scale development that may limit or enhance the utility of the idiosyncratic item-response method are discussed.
Mediterranean climate effects. II. Conifer growth phenology across a Sierra Nevada ecotone

Growth and xylem water potential of the lower elevation conifers Pinus jeffreyi and Abies concolor and the higher elevation Pinus monticola and Abies magnificawere monitored in their montane Mediterranean habitat of the southernmost Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Measurements were made across the ecotone between the midmontane and upper montane forests and through light and heavy snowfall years. Radial stem growth, averaging ;1.5 mm/yr, started 2 wk after snow melt, providing that maximum air temperatures had reached 218C, and ended when predawn water potentials fell rapidly at the onset of the summer drought. Leader growth started on or after a fixed date, providing that minimum air temperatures were above 248C for Pinus species or 12.58C for Abies species. The cue for leader growth was inferred to be photoperiodic. Leader growth ended when either a determinate internode length of ; 1m m was reached or predawn water potentials fell rapidly. Abies magnificagrew more rapidly than the low-elevation species, but had a shorter growth period; its annual leader growth, as a consequence, was only 35 mm/yr vs. 50 mm/yr for the low-elevation species. Needle growth was similarly determinate in the absence of early drought. This growth phenology contributes to determining species distribution across the ecotone. The montane Mediterranean climate of the Sierra Nevada range of California is characterized by heavy winter precipitation—rain and snow in the midmontane forest and snow in the upper montane forest—and an extended period of summer drought (Oosting and Billings, 1943; Axelrod, 1976; Major, 1990). The ecotone between the midmontane forest and upper montane forest is marked by a major discontinuity in the distribution of conifer and other species (Mellmann-Brown and Barbour, 1995; Barbour and Minnich, 2000). In the southernmost Sierra Nevada this ecotone occurs at elevations between ;2400 and 2700 m. The overall objective of the work reported in this and in a companion paper in this issue (Royce and Barbour, 2001) was increased understanding of environmental factors and their interactions affecting conifer species distribution across this ecotone. The midmontane (mixed conifer) forest of the southernmost Sierra Nevada is dominated by yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws or Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.), Sierra white fir (Abies concolor Gordon & Glend. var. lowiana (Gordon) Murray), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Douglas), incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens (Torry) Florin), and black oak (Quercus kelloggii Newb.). The upper montane (red fir) forest is dominated by Shasta red fir (Abies magnificaMurray, var. shastensis Lemmon) and western white pine (Pinus monticola Douglas). Trees found within the ecotone include P. jeffreyi, P. monticola, A. concolor, and A. magnifica(Barbour and
Exploitation of protein kinase C: a useful target for cancer therapy.

Protein kinase C is a family of serine/threonine kinases. The PKC family is made up of at least 12 isozymes, which have a role in cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Activation of PKC isozyme is dependent on tyrosine-kinase receptors and G-protein-coupled receptors. PKC isozymes regulate multiple signaling pathways including PI3-K/Akt, MAPK, and GSK-3β. PKC isozymes have variable roles in tumor biology which in part depend on the cell type and intracellular localization. PKC isozymes are commonly dysregulated in the cancer of the prostate, breast, colon, pancreatic, liver, and kidney. Currently, several classes of PKC inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials and several challenges in targeting PKC isozymes have been recently identified. In conclusion, PKC remains a promising target for cancer prevention and therapy.
Towards a third generation data capture architecture for honeynets

Honeynets have become an important tool for researchers and network operators. However, their effectiveness has been impeded by a lack of a standard unified honeynet data model which results from having multiple unrelated data sources, each with its own access method and format. In this paper we propose a new data collection architecture that addresses the need for both rapid comprehension and detailed analysis by providing two data access methods: a relational model based fast path, and a canonical slow path. We also present a set of tools based on this architecture.
Highly reliable systems with differential built-in current sensors

A duplicated system with a differential built-in current sensor (DBICS) method is proposed in this paper as an alternative to the classical TMR designs. The DBICS compares the I/sub DDQ/ levels of the two copies from a duplicated system and then selects the correct output. Unlike the previously known duplicated-with-self-checking scheme, the proposed method is easy to design and to implement. Further, the system block can be either combinational or sequential circuits and whose size is limited only by the capability of the BICS. The extremely low redundancy level of the proposed method, /spl ap/1% or less, enables a very high reliability performance, more than any existing technique. As the failure rates of modern submicron and deep sub-micron VLSI chips are increasing, the proposed technique will allow the use of modern high-performance chips in highly critical applications.
Functional Analysis of Cytoplasmic Dynein Heavy Chain in Caenorhabditis elegans with Fast-acting Temperature-sensitive Mutations

Cytoplasmic dynein, a minus-end-directed microtubule motor, has been implicated in many cellular and developmental processes. Identification of specific cellular processes that rely directly on dynein would be facilitated by a means to induce specific and rapid inhibition of its function. We have identified conditional variants of a Caenorhabditis elegans dynein heavy chain (DHC-1) that lose function within a minute of a modest temperature upshift. Mutant embryos generated at elevated temperature show defects in centrosome separation, pronuclear migration, rotation of the centrosome/nucleus complex, bipolar spindle assembly, anaphase chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis. Our analyses of mutant embryos generated at permissive temperature and then upshifted quickly just before events of interest indicate that DHC-1 is required specifically for rotation of the centrosome/nucleus complex, for chromosome congression to a well ordered metaphase plate, and for timely initiation of anaphase. Our results do not support the view that DHC-1 is required for anaphase B separation of spindle poles and chromosomes. A P-loop mutation identified in two independent dominant temperature-sensitive alleles of dhc-1, when engineered into the DHC1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, conferred a dominant temperature-sensitive dynein loss-of-function phenotype. This suggests that temperature-sensitive mutations can be created for time-resolved function analyses of dyneins and perhaps other P-loop proteins in a variety of model systems.
The influence of the equilibrium melting temperature on the supermolecular morphology of several polymers

At a constant isothermal crystallization temperature (T c ), the crystalline morphologies of several polymers have been found to be a function of the melt-liquid temperature (T 1 ). At a constant T c below a critical crystallization temperature T c * [about 0.9 T m * (K)], a transition from a nonspherulitic to a spherulitic morphology occurs when the melt liquid is heated above a melt-liquid transition temperature, (T lt ) [approximately 1.03 T m (K)], where T m is the observed melting temperature of the sample. The melt-liquid transition temperature, T lt , which experimentally affects the visible morphology of a semicrystalline polymer, is apparently indistinguishable from the thermodynamic melting temperature determined by the Hoffman-Weeks procedure
Results of open and robot-assisted pancreatectomies with autologous islet transplantations: treating chronic pancreatitis and preventing surgically induced diabetes.

Abstract For patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), standard surgical procedures (eg, partial or total resections, drainage procedures) are inadequate treatment options, because they do not confer pain relief and they leave patients prone to brittle diabetes and hypoglycemia. The combination of total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation (TP-IAT), however, can create insulin-independent and pain-free states. At our center, from August 2009 through August 2013, 61 patients with CP underwent either open or robot-assisted TP-IAT. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. The transplanted islet equivalents per body weight ranged from 10,000 to 17,770. In all, 19% of the patients became insulin independent (after a range of 1–24 months); 27% of patients required
Indications for tracheostomy in children

Vaccination programs, improvements in material engineering and anaesthetic skills have dramatically reduced the number of emergency tracheostomies performed for acute upper airway obstruction. Today, the indication to tracheotomise a child is generally ruled by the anticipation of long-term (cardio)respiratory compromise due to chronic ventilatory or, more rarely, cardiac insufficiency, or by the presence of a fixed upper airway obstruction that is unlikely to resolve for a significant period of time. As many of the younger candidates for tracheostomy have complex medical conditions, the indication for this intervention is often complicated by ethical, funding and socio-economic concerns that necessitate a multidisciplinary approach. Unfortunately, these considerations are frequently not made until the first catastrophe has occurred, even in those patients in whom imminent cardiorespiratory failure has been foreseeable. Non-invasive ventilation via a face mask and newer developments such as the in-exsufflator device have gained importance as an alternative to tracheostomy in selected patients.
Acceleration of exotic plant invasion in a forested ecosystem by a generalist herbivore.

The successful invasion of exotic plants is often attributed to the absence of coevolved enemies in the introduced range (i.e., the enemy release hypothesis). Nevertheless, several components of this hypoth- esis, including the role of generalist herbivores, remain relatively unexplored. We used repeated censuses of exclosures and paired controls to investigate the role of a generalist herbivore, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), in the invasion of 3 exotic plant species (Microstegium vimineum, Alliaria petiolata ,a ndBerberis thunbergii) in eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (U.S.A.). This work was conducted in 10 eastern hemlock (T. canadensis) forests that spanned gradients in deer density and in the severity of canopy disturbance caused by an introduced insect pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). We used maximum likelihood estimation and information theoretics to quantify the strength of ev- idence for alternative models of the influence of deer density and its interaction with the severity of canopy disturbance on exotic plant abundance. Our results were consistent with the enemy release hypothesis in that exotic plants gained a competitive advantage in the presence of generalist herbivores in the introduced range. The abundance of all 3 exotic plants increased significantly more in the control plots than in the paired ex- closures. For all species, the inclusion of canopy disturbance parameters resulted in models with substantially greater support than the deer density only models. Our results suggest that white-tailed deer herbivory can accelerate the invasion of exotic plants and that canopy disturbance can interact with herbivory to magnify the impact. In addition, our results provide compelling evidence of nonlinear relationships between deer density and the impact of herbivory on exotic species abundance. These findings highlight the important role of herbivore density in determining impacts on plant abundance and provide evidence of the operation of multiple mechanisms in exotic plant invasion.