cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational problems in molecular systematics

The development of extremely powerful computer programs and the ready availability of microcomputers has revealed several computational problems with data analysis. These problems occur in the handling of systematic data in general and molecular systematic data in particular. This paper examines three areas of controversy in molecular systematics resulting from increased computer power. We start by examining the first step in DNA sequence analysis, the establishment of homology via sequence alignment. Next we examine several problems in phylogenetic analysis that have arisen in the last few years due to use of the PAUP (Swofford, 1991), HENNIG86 (Farris, 1988), and PHYLIP programs. These problems include limitations on the number of taxa examined in a given analysis and the accuracy of the parsimony trees in such analyses. The final subject is an examination of programs used for assessing tree robustness. We concentrate on certain programs (such as MALIGN (Wheeler and Gladstein, 1993), PAUP (Swofford, 1991), HENNIG86 (Farris, 1988), PHYLIP (Felsenstein, 1990), CLADOS (Nixon, 1993), MacClade (Maddison and Maddison, 1993), etc.), but similar comments about other programs could also be made.
How to Make Better Forecasts and Decisions: Avoid Face-to-face Meetings

When financial columnist James Surowiecki wrote The Wisdom of Crowds, he wished to explain the successes and failures of markets (an example of a "crowd") and to understand why the average opinion of a crowd is frequently more accurate than the opinions of most of its individual members. In this expanded review of the book, Scott Armstrong asks a question of immediate relevance to forecasters: Are the traditional face-to-face meetings an effective way to elicit forecasts from forecast crowds (i.e. teams)? Armstrong doesn't believe so. Quite the contrary, he explains why he considers face-to-face meetings a detriment to good forecasting practice, and he proposes several alternatives that have been tried successfully.
Trends in Chemical Graph Data Mining

Mining chemical compounds in silico has drawn increasing attention from both academia and pharmaceutical industry due to its effectiveness in aiding the drug discovery process. Since graphs are the natural representation for chemical compounds, most of the mining algorithms focus on mining chemical graphs. Chemical graph mining approaches have many applications in the drug discovery process that include structure-activity-relationship (SAR) model construction and bioactivity classification, similar compound search and retrieval from chemical compound database, target identification from phenotypic assays, etc. Solving such problems in silico through studying and mining chemical graphs can provide novel perspective to medicinal chemists, biologist and toxicologist. Moreover, since the large scale chemical graph mining is usually employed at the early stages of drug discovery, it has the potential to speed up the entire drug discovery process. In this chapter, we discuss various problems and algorithms related to mining chemical graphs and describe some of the state-of-the-art chemical graph mining methodologies and their applications.
Collections Assessment in Libraries, Archives, and Museums: The Challenges and Advantages of Universal Condition Assessment Tools and Language:

Condition assessments have long been a tool for preservation professionals to develop collections care practices and establish treatment priorities. Although collections vary greatly among librarie...
Spectral Analysis of Nonlinearly Generated Second Harmonic Backscatter for Characterization of Human Carotid Plaque

Plaque composition is generally unavailable for patients with carotid stenosis. The objective of this research is to develop a non-invasive approach for determining the composition of carotid plaque in order to improve risk stratification. Human carotid plaque is collected following carotid endarterectomy from 46 subjects. Serial histology is performed and the slides are matched to grayscale images created from RF data collected in vivo prior to surgery. Regions of homogenous tissue (F-fibrous, HNC – hemorrhagic and/or necrotic core, Ca – calcium) are determined based on histology. The corresponding RF data is processed by computing an average power spectrum over a 1.2 mm by 1.2 mm region (15 lines by 64 points) and normalized using a reference phantom with a 0.5 dB /cm-MHz attenuating phantom. An additional attenuation compensation is applied based on backscatter from healthy volunteer adventitia as a function of depth and frequency. Random forests were created using eight spectral parameters for both fundamental and harmonic bands. The out of bag error is 0.26, 0.25, and 0.23 for forests based on fundamental data, harmonic data, and combined data sets.
Asian American Women’s History Is American Religious History

In spite of American religious history’s increased attention to women, gender, and sexuality as central categories of study, the field has largely omitted narratives of Asian and Asian American women. Indeed, there is no single-authored monograph devoted to Asian American women’s religious history. This chapter explores approaches for filling this historiographical lacuna. To that end, it calls historians to take a deeper transpacific dive to uncover submerged narratives and to reconstruct the past with attention to interdisciplinarity.
A Philosophy of Security Architecture Design

Digital systems are almost always vulnerable, yet we increasingly depend on these systems. There will be many threats towards these system. In a fully networked system, the vulnerabilities will literally be exposed to the whole world. The exposed vulnerabilities may be transformed into attacks. To counter this state of “vulnerability”, the standard remedy is to conduct security requirements analysis and security threat modeling. Threats are assessed, and various countermeasures are devised. The totality of these measures may be described as a security architecture. The goal of a security architecture will largely be to make the system robust and resilient in the face of an adversary. However, we shall argue that this is not enough. Security architecture designs should go one step further, and actually improve the defenses when faced with hostile actions. That is, the security architectures must become antifragile.
Deletion of the Pseudorabies Virus gE/gI-US9p complex disrupts kinesin KIF1A and KIF5C recruitment during egress, and alters the properties of microtubule-dependent transport in vitro.

During infection of neurons by alphaherpesviruses including Pseudorabies virus (PRV) and Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) viral nucleocapsids assemble in the cell nucleus, become enveloped in the cell body then traffic into and down axons to nerve termini for spread to adjacent epithelia. The viral membrane protein US9p and the membrane glycoprotein heterodimer gE/gI play critical roles in anterograde spread of both HSV-1 and PRV, and several models exist to explain their function. Biochemical studies suggest that PRV US9p associates with the kinesin-3 motor KIF1A in a gE/gI-stimulated manner, and the gE/gI-US9p complex has been proposed to recruit KIF1A to PRV for microtubule-mediated anterograde trafficking into or along the axon. However, as loss of gE/gI-US9p essentially abolishes delivery of alphaherpesviruses to the axon it is difficult to determine the microtubule-dependent trafficking properties and motor-composition of Δ(gE/gI−US9p) particles. Alternatively, studies in HSV-1 have suggested that gE/gI and US9p are required for the appearance of virions in the axon because they act upstream, to help assemble enveloped virions in the cell body. We prepared Δ(gE/gI-US9p) mutant, and control parental PRV particles from differentiated cultured neuronal or porcine kidney epithelial cells and quantitated the efficiency of virion assembly, the properties of microtubule-dependent transport and the ability of viral particles to recruit kinesin motors. We find that loss of gE/gI-US9p has no significant effect upon PRV particle assembly but leads to greatly diminished plus end-directed traffic, and enhanced minus end-directed and bidirectional movement along microtubules. PRV particles prepared from infected differentiated mouse CAD neurons were found to be associated with either kinesin KIF1A or kinesin KIF5C, but not both. Loss of gE/gI-US9p resulted in failure to recruit KIF1A and KF5C, but did not affect dynein binding. Unexpectedly, while KIF5C was expressed in undifferentiated and differentiated CAD neurons it was only found associated with PRV particles prepared from differentiated cells.
A Dual Inhibitor of DYRK1A and GSK3β for β-Cell Proliferation: Aminopyrazine Derivative GNF4877.

Loss of β-cell mass and function can lead to insufficient insulin levels and ultimately to hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus. The mainstream treatment approach involves regulation of insulin levels; however, approaches intended to increase β-cell mass are less developed. Promoting β-cell proliferation with low-molecular-weight inhibitors of dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) offers the potential to treat diabetes with oral therapies by restoring β-cell mass, insulin content and glycemic control. GNF4877, a potent dual inhibitor of DYRK1A and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was previously reported to induce primary human β-cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we describe the lead optimization that lead to the identification of GNF4877 from an aminopyrazine hit identified in a phenotypic high-throughput screening campaign measuring β-cell proliferation.
Crash rates of convertible cars.

Convertible cars have existed since among the first automobiles, and the lack of substantial roof structure creates some safety concerns. Though crash tests have demonstrated that convertibles can ...
Economics of Alternative Management Practices for Jointed Goatgrass in Winter Wheat in the Pacific Northwest

Jointed goatgrass (JGG) (Aegilops cylindrica) is an invasive annual grass weed that reduces winter wheat yield and quality. In the past 20 to 30 years, there has been much research conducted on jointed goatgrass; however, there has never been an empirical economic evaluation of jointed goatgrass in wheat during this time. This 7-year study evaluated the agronomic benefits and economic returns of twelve integrated weed management (IWM) systems based on crop yield and quality, jointed goatgrass populations, and dockage penalties. The twelve systems were all combinations of burn (B) and no burn (N) treatments; three crop rotations of soft white winter wheat-fallow-winter wheat-fallow (WW-F-WW-F), soft white spring wheat-fallow-winter wheat-fallow (SW-F-WW-F) and spring barley-fallow-winter wheat-spring barley (SB-F-WW); and two methods of winter wheat seeding, integrated (I) and standard (S). By far, the best systems for improving crop yield and quality and reducing jointed goatgrass populations and dockage were either B:SW-F-WW-F:S or N:SW-F-WW-F:S. These systems also had the highest profitability. If growers in the wheat-fallow region would adopt these two systems, they would increase profitability and sustainability and decrease herbicide resistance in jointed goatgrass.
Reading by the Light of Common Day: Politics, Society, Romanticism: Disaffected Parties: Political Estrangement and the Making of English Literature, 1760–1830, by John Owen Havard, Oxford, Oxford UP, 2019, xix + 296 pp., 4 illustrations.; Systems Failure: The Uses of Disorder in English Literature, by Andrew Franta, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins UP, 2019, x + 215 pp.

On first glance, the two books under review here seem to have many things in common. For readers of this journal, perhaps the most salient is their lack of investment in the term Romantic. Both boo...
VGLL4 inhibits YAP1/TEAD signaling to suppress the epidermal squamous cell carcinoma cancer phenotype.

Epidermal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) develops in response to ultraviolet light exposure and is among the most common cancers. The transglutaminase 2 cancer cell survival protein stimulates the activity of the YAP1/TEAD transcription complex to drive the expression of genes that promote aggressive epidermal SCC cell invasion, migration, and tumor formation. Therefore, we are interested in mechanisms that may inhibit these events. Vestigial-like protein-4 (VGLL4) is a transcription cofactor/tumor suppressor that inhibits several pro-cancer pathways including YAP1 signaling. Our present studies show that VGLL4 inhibits YAP1/TEAD-dependent transcription to reduce the expression of YAP1 target genes (CCND1, CYR61, and CTGF) and pro-cancer collagen genes (COL1A2 and COL3A1). We further show that loss of these YAP1 regulated genes is required for VGLL4 suppression of the cancer cell phenotype, as forced CCND1 or COL1A2 expression partially restores the aggressive cancer phenotype in VGLL4 expressing cells. Consistent with these findings, VGLL4 expression reduces tumor formation, and this is associated with reduced CCND1, CYR61, CTGF, COL1A2, and COL1A3 mRNA and protein levels, and reduced EMT marker expression. These findings indicate that VGLL4 suppresses the malignant epidermal SCC cancer phenotype by inhibiting YAP1/TEAD-dependent pro-cancer signaling.
Establishing a framework of a watershed-wide screening tool to support the development of watershed-based flood protection plans for low-lying coastal communities

Flood risk analysis is the instrument by which floodplain and stormwater utility managers create strategic adaptation plans to reduce the likelihood of flood damages in their communities, but there is a need to develop a screening tool to analyze watersheds and identify areas that should be targeted and prioritized for mitigation measures. The authors developed a screening tool that combines readily available data on topography, groundwater, surface water, tidal information for coastal communities, soils, land use, and precipitation data. Using the outputs of the screening tool for various design storms, a means to identify and prioritize improvements to be funded with scarce capital funds was developed, which combines the likelihood of flooding from the screening tool with a consequence of flooding assessment based on land use and parcel size. This framework appears to be viable across cities that may be inundated with water due to sea-level rise, rainfall, runoff upstream, and other natural events. The framework was applied to two communities using the 1-day 100-year storm event: one in southeast Broward County with an existing capital plan and one inland community with no capital plan.
Say What? Automatic Modeling of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills from Student Speech in the Wild

We investigated the feasibility of using automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language processing (NLP) to classify collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills from recorded speech in noisy environments. We analyzed data from 44 dyads of middle and high school students who used videoconferencing to collaboratively solve physics and math problems (35 and 9 dyads in classroom and school environments, respectively). Trained coders identified seven cognitive and social CPS skills (e.g., sharing information) in 8,660 utterances. We used a state-of-the-art deep transfer learning approach for NLP, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), with a special input representation enabling the model to analyze adjacent utterances for contextual cues. We achieved a micro-average AUROC score (across seven CPS skills) of .80 using ASR transcripts, compared to .91 for human transcripts, indicating a decrease in performance attributable to ASR error. We found that the noisy school setting introduced additional ASR error, which reduced model performance (micro-average AUROC of .78) compared to the lab (AUROC = .83). We discuss implications for real-time CPS assessment and support in schools.
Standardized Six-Step Approach to the Performance of the Focused Basic Obstetric Ultrasound Examination

Objectives This study aims to validate the feasibility and accuracy of a new standardized six-step approach to the performance of the focused basic obstetric ultrasound examination, and compare the new approach to the regular approach performed in the scheduled obstetric ultrasound examination. Study Design A new standardized six-step approach to the performance of the focused basic obstetric ultrasound examination, to evaluate fetal presentation, fetal cardiac activity, presence of multiple pregnancy, placental localization, amniotic fluid volume evaluation, and biometric measurements, was prospectively performed on 100 pregnant women between 18+0 and 27+6 weeks of gestation and another 100 pregnant women between 28+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation. The agreement of findings for each of the six steps of the standardized six-step approach was evaluated against the regular approach. Results In all ultrasound examinations performed, substantial to perfect agreement (Kappa value between 0.64 and 1.00) was observed between the new standardized six-step approach and the regular approach. Conclusion The new standardized six-step approach to the focused basic obstetric ultrasound examination can be performed successfully and accurately between 18+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation. This standardized approach can be of significant benefit to limited resource settings and in point of care obstetric ultrasound applications.
Wafer level reliability for high-performance VLSI design

As very large scale integration architecture requires higher package density, reliability of these devices has approached a critical level. Previous processing techniques allowed a large window for varying reliability. However, as scaling and higher current densities push reliability to its limit, tighter control and instant feedback becomes critical. Several test structures developed to monitor reliability at the wafer level are described. For example, a test structure was developed to monitor metal integrity in seconds as opposed to weeks or months for conventional testing. Another structure monitors mobile ion contamination at critical steps in the process. Thus the reliability jeopardy can be assessed during fabrication preventing defective devices from ever being placed in the field. Most importantly, the reliability can be assessed on each wafer as opposed to an occasional sample.
Hypios in the garden of user data

In this paper, we describe the hypios problem solving platform and the various Information Retrieval (IR) research directions we are applying in our work. We share our initial experiences.
Modularity for Timed and Hybrid Systems

In a trace-based world, the modular specification, verification, and control of live systems require each module to be receptive; that is, each module must be able to meet its liveness assumptions no matter how the other modules behave. In a real-time world, liveness is automatically present in the form of diverging time. The receptiveness condition, then, translates to the requirement that a module must be able to let time diverge no matter how the environment behaves. We study the receptiveness condition for real-time systems by extending the model of reactive modules to timed and hybrid modules. We define the receptiveness of such a module as the existence of a winning strategy in a game of the module against its environment. By solving the game on region graphs, we present an (optimal) Exptime algorithm for checking the receptiveness of prepositional timed modules. By giving a fixpoint characterization of the game, we present a symbolic procedure for checking the receptiveness of linear hybrid modules. Finally, we present an assume-guarantee principle for reasoning about timed and hybrid modules, and a method for synthesizing receptive controllers of timed and hybrid modules.
Design and fabrication of the superconducting-magnet system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B)

The superconducting magnet system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) consists of 24 magnets; i.e. two pairs of C-shaped Yin-Yang coils, four C-shaped transition coils, four solenoidal axicell coils, and a 12-solenoid central cell. General Dynamics Convair Division has designed all the coils and is responsible for fabricating 20 coils. The two Yin-Yang pairs (four coils) are being fabricated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Since MFTF-B is not a magnet development program, but rather a major physics experiment critical to the mirror fusion program, the basic philosophy has been to use proven materials and analytical techniques wherever possible. The transition and axicell coils are currently being analyzed and designed, while fabrication is under way on the solenoid magnets.
Estrogen Receptor Binding to DNA Is Not Required for Its Activity through the Nonclassical AP1 Pathway

In the classical signaling pathway, the estrogen receptor (ER) binds directly to estrogen response elements (EREs) to regulate gene transcription. To test the hypothesis that the nonclassical pathway involves ER interactions with other proteins rather than direct binding to DNA, mutations were introduced into the DNA binding domain (DBD) of the mouse ERα. The effects of these DBD mutations were examined in DNA binding assays using reporter constructs containing either EREs (classical) or AP1 (nonclassical) response elements. Using the AP1 reporter, there was a reversal of ER action relative to that seen with the ERE reporter. Estradiol induced suppression, and the antiestrogen ICI 182,780 stimulated transcription of the AP1 reporter. DBD mutations in the proximal (P-box) of the first zinc finger of the ER (E207A/G208A and E207G/G208S) eliminated ERE binding. These mutants were inactive using the ERE reporter but retained partial or full activity with the AP1 reporter. The DBD mutant ERs interacted with Jun when tested in mammalian cell two-hybrid assays. Two mutations (K366D and I362R) in the ER ligand binding domain known to alter coactivator interactions impaired transcriptional responses using either the ERE or AP1 reporters. We concluded that ER action through the AP1 response element involves interactions with other promoter-bound proteins instead of, or in addition to, direct binding to DNA. Interactions with coactivators were required for both pathways. These data supported a model in which ER-mediated transcriptional activation or repression is dependent on the ligand and the nature of the response element in the target gene.
Reduced‐order Modelling of the Linear Vibration Response of Expanded Polymer Cushion Material

The demand to lower costs and reduce the amount of packaging materials utilized in a packaged product system has placed increased importance on the development of tools to model the behaviour of packaging systems. This manuscript examines the accuracy and convergence of a reduced-order model (ROM). The ROM is derived from an idealized packaging system consisting of a rod of polymer foam with an attached end mass. The work begins with an introduction to the complex cyclic softening and the viscoelastic and nonlinear stress–strain behaviour exhibited by expanded polymer foam. The partial differential equations and associated boundary conditions governing the motion of the system are obtained. The equations are reduced to an ROM using the assumed modes method. Approximate eigenvalues are compared with both exact and experimental eigenvalues reported in literature. Finally, the ROM is compared with the frequency response functions of the exact solution and those obtained experimentally. Both results are used to determine the number of modal equations needed for the ROM to accurately capture the steady-state dynamic behaviour of the packaging system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Group support systems and deceptive communication

Electronic communication is becoming more pervasive worldwide with the spread of the Internet, especially through the World Wide Web and electronic mail. Yet, as with all human communication, electronic communication is vulnerable to deceit on the part of senders, and to the less than stellar performance of most people at defecting deceit aimed at them. Despite considerable research over the years into both computer-mediated communication and into deception, there has been little if any research at the intersection of these two research streams. In this paper, we review these two streams and suggest a research model for investigating their intersection, focusing on group support systems as an electronic medium. We focus specifically on research questions concerning how successful people are at deceiving others through computer-mediated communication, and how successful people are at detecting such deception. We also suggest three propositions guiding research in this area.
4-hydroxynonenal increases neuronal susceptibility to oxidative stress.

Increased levels of reactive oxygen species occur in neurodegenerative disorders and may promote neuron death. The lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) is increased in neurons following oxidative stress and promotes neuron death in vitro and in vivo. The present study examined the possibility that HNE can increase neuron vulnerability to oxidative stress. Application of low concentrations of HNE (50-500 nM) increased neuron death induced by beta-amyloid or glutamate when added within 3 hr of injury. In addition, treatment with HNE exacerbated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species formation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in response to beta-amyloid and glutamate. The ability to exacerbate oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuron death appears to be specific to HNE, because application of other lipid peroxidation products had no effect. These data indicate a role for low levels of HNE in promoting reactive oxygen species accumulation and neuron degeneration by altering mitochondrial homeostasis. In addition, the present study indicates a possible mechanism for reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation toxicity in neurodegenerative conditions.
Application Of Three-Dimensional Videography To Human Motion Studies: Constraints, Assumptions, And Mathematics

Three-dimensional human motion analysis has been used for complex kinematic description of abnormal gait in children with neuromuscular disease. Multiple skin markers estimate skeletal segment position, and a sorting and smoothing routine provides marker trajectories. The position and orientation of the moving skeleton in space are derived mathematically from the marker positions, and joint motions are calculated from the Eulerian transformation matrix between linked proximal and distal skeletal segments. Reproduceability has been excellent, and the technique has proven to be a useful adjunct to surgical planning.
Wet oxidation of organic matter employing mixed perchloric and sulphuric acids at controlled temperatures and graded high potentials

Abstract The oxidation potential of perchloric acid at the boiling point is a function of temperature and concentration. At ordinary temperature no oxidation potential is provided in the concentration range 0 to 73.6%. At its boiling temperature 50% perchloric acid fails to oxidize Fe II except very slowly. At 72.5 % acidity, (the azeotropic concentration), the boiling acid, (203°), is a strong oxidant. For example Cr III is easily oxidized to CrO 3 . Between concentrations of 50% to 72.5%, the boiling acid provides oxidation potentials of continuously mounting values. By control of suitable desired concentrations through boiling under reflux, many practical procedures may be devised for the controlled wet oxidations of organic compositions. For higher oxidation potentials, higher concentrations of perchloric acid are required. By the addition of concentrated sulphuric acid in various ratios by volume to 70 % perchloric acid, effective concentrations of the latter may be provided up to and including 100%. Again by control of the particular concentrations of the mixed acids selected, through boiling under reflux, extremely high graded oxidation potentials, under static control, may be provided. The use of sulphuric acid in such applications serves the additional important function of tempering the reaction and controlling reaction rates. The addition of 1 to 2 mg of vanadium as reaction catalyst serves the same purpose. Vanadium also favorably influences the reaction kinetics while shortening the oxidation period required. Procedures making use of these reaction variables are herein experimentally demonstrated. The wet oxidation of such samples as coal, ion-exchange resins, alkaloids, synthetic fabric materials, rubber, heterocyclic ring nitrogen compounds and other materials serve as examples. No hazardous reactions were encountered in this work.
Stages on Limiting Dietary-Fat Intake: Implications for African Americans

This article is a Midwestern study of 564 young adults to predict fat intake based on ethnicity. Using the transtheoretical model as the framework of the study, nonparametric analysis revealed statistical significance. African Americans were more likely than expected to be on the preparation stage in limiting fat intake and watching body weight. These are known risk factors for cardiovascular or heart diseases and other chronic diseases, suggesting a need for an ethnic-specific intervention program for nutritional education.
Neuroendocrinology and Impotence

Excerpt Impotence—erectile dysfunction is the preferred term—is a poorly understood, common medical problem that may result from psychogenic, vascular, neurologic, or hormonal disorders. Several ne...
Can Death Be Postponed? The Death-Dip Phenomenon in Psychiatric Patients.

The authors explored the “death-dip phenomenon,” the previously-reported decrease in deaths occurring before significant dates, with a cohort of 4800 psychiatric patients. The dates of death were c...
Effects of mutual invisibility and topical intimacy on verbal fluency in dyadic communication.

The mutual reduction of visual feedback, which in this study did not interfere with the synchronization of turns, reduced the productivity levels and increased the silent pauses of female speakers, even though it had no effect on their subjective discomfort, anxiety, and ease of communication self-ratings. The same reduction of visual feedback, which was achieved by seating the participants back-to-back rather than face-to-face, caused male speakers to feel anxious and uncomfortable and reduced the duration of their silent pauses, but only in samegender dyads. These findings are explained in terms of previously noted gender differences in the need for visual feedback and in the anxiety-arousing effects of back-to-back interactions. Intimate communications, on the part of both male and female speakers, were associated with a slow pacing of speech but not with a decrease in productivity level, independently of the seating arrangement. These findings are interpreted in terms of the self-monitoring and self-censoring that is usually associated with the communication of intimate messages.
A note on empty bottles

Abstract This note examines the second-order conditions of the Massel-Parrish (M-P) model of a beverage market in which a monopolist producer of beverages packaged in ‘private mould’ bottles has monopsony power in the market for the empty bottles. Customers pay only the shelf price if they return the empty bottle; and, the shelf price plus the forfeited deposit if they discard it. The analysis determines directional changes in the optimal shelf price, deposit levels, and unit sales resulting from changes in each of five demand and three supply parameters. Potential effects of current legislation requiring mandatory deposits on all beverage containers are also analysed.
Fiber optic system for high frequency burst operation of a silicon carbide photoconductive semiconductor switch

A fiber optic system was constructed to demonstrate high frequency operation of a silicon carbide (SiC) photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS). The goal was to transform a single high-energy laser pulse into a train of pulses by adding static delays into a multimode fiber bundle. The individual optical fibers comprising the fiber bundle incrementally add an additional amount of flight time to the light pulse. The end result is a train of pulses with a fixed delay between each pulse. A frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser (10 ns FWHM) generating up to 300 mJ of light energy at 355 nm is coupled from free space into the optical fibers comprising the fiber light guide. Experimental results examining the collection and transmission efficiency, and the temporal output are presented.
Development of Fluidic Controls for Advanced Integrated Propulsion Systems

Fluidic propulsion controls have been developed which provide improved modes of control by measurement and control of turbine inlet temperatures. By controlling the actual engine conditions improved performance, better engine protection and longer turbine life is possible. Comprehensive development programs by the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory prove that fluidic controls can operate at 1200 F and are applicable to advanced turbojet propulsion systems.Copyright © 1968 by ASME
Towards a coupled opto-electronic oscillator with independently stabilized frequency and repetition rate

We propose a novel scheme for a coupled opto-electronic oscillator that decouples optical frequency fluctuations and mode spacing fluctuations, allowing for independent stabilization. This is achieved using three filtered regions of the optical spectrum to generate error signals and providing feedback to appropriate cavity parameters.
The Many Faces of Power

Power in World Politics. Edited by Felix Berenskoetter, Michael J. Williams. London and New York: Routledge, 2007. 316 pp., $43.95 paper (ISBN 13: 978-0-415-42114-0). Second perhaps only to war , the concept of power has been central to theories of international relations. Yet the field contains few texts truly intent on teasing out the full range of the possible meanings, significance and impact of different understandings of power. International relations scholars have tended to explore a singular angle of power relations, such as “soft power” (Nye 2004), “balance of power” (Waltz 1979), and “power politics” (Vasquez 1983; Mearsheimer 2003). Although valuable contributions, these texts have not presented power as an essentially contested concept in which multiple meanings are possible and multiple conceptions of international relations flow from each meaning. In Power and World Politics, editors Felix Berenskoetter and Michael J. Williams present a robust collection of various theorizations of power. The value of this collection is in its breadth and depth, as the contributors present their views on power in the competing traditions of international relations theory as well as sociology and economics. Power in World Politics brings much needed scrutiny to discussions of security, war and peace, diplomacy, and economy as seen through a power-focused international relations lens. As such it is useful to researchers and students alike for it provides both an overview of the current state of IR literature on power and also illustrates the extent to which wider implications of the concept of power have been under-theorized. The core concern of the book is to fill the gap in IR theorizations of power by exploring the different ways power can be and has been defined. This is done both by bringing in social and political theory perspectives and by giving voice to the competitors of classical IR theory, constructivism and postmodernism. More importantly, the essays also …
Virtual-Intelligence Applications in Petroleum Engineering: Part 1—Artificial Neural Networks

This is the first article of a three-article series on virtual intelligence and its applications in petroleum and natural gas engineering. In addition to discussing artificial neural networks, the series covers evolutionary programming and fuzzy logic. Intelligent hybrid systems that incorporate an integration of two or more of these paradigms and their application in the oil and gas industry are also discussed in these articles. The intended audience is the petroleum professional who is not quite familiar with virtual intelligence but would like to know more about the technology and its potential. Those with a prior understanding of and experience with the technology should also find the articles useful and informative.
Cyclic stretch enhances gap junctional communication between osteoblastic cells.

Mechanical loading is essential to maintain skeletal integrity. Because gap junctions in bone are affected by mechanical factors, we studied whether stretch, an anabolic stimulus for osteoblasts, modulates direct intercellular communication in these cells. Gap junctional communication during stretch was assessed using a newly developed method, the “parachute assay,” which allows monitoring of dye diffusion without disruption of the plasma membrane. Application of cyclic stretch for 2 or 24 h to well-coupled ROS 17/2.8 cells resulted in a 56.5% and 30.4% increase in dye coupling, respectively, compared with resting conditions. Stretch increased dye diffusion less dramatically (12.4% compared with unstimulated cells) in the poorly coupled UMR 106-01 cells. The stretch-induced increase of cell coupling was abolished in the presence of the gap junctional inhibitor, heptanol. Steady-state mRNA levels of connexin43 (Cx43), the gap junction protein that mediates cell-to-cell diffusion of negatively charged dyes between osteoblasts, were not different between control and stretched ROS 17/2.8 or UMR 106-01 cultures after various periods of cyclic stretch. However, phosphorylated forms of Cx43 protein were more abundant in stretched ROS 17/2.8 than in controls. This was associated with increased punctate Cx43-specific immunostain at appositional membranes of stretched cells. Thus, cyclic stretch increases gap junctional communication between osteoblastic cells by modulating intracellular localization of Cx43.
Consensus versus Competition in Neural Networks: A Comparative Analysis of Three Models.

Three neural network models are compared in terms of underlying mechanisms. One is a visual model that segments a scene in terms of disparities. A second is one of the frog tectum designed to pick out the position of maximum “foodness” for the frog. The third is one of the reticular formation involved in the commitment of an organism to one gross mode of behavior or another. The parts that inhibition, unit coupling, network length, input features, nonlinearities, and time-varying functions play in the final results of these networks are discussed. A state-reduction scheme is proposed that enables an analysis of a network's behavior in terms of meaningful groups of units rather than single unit activity. This involves a decomposition into a dimension along which units compete vs. a dimension along which units reach consensus. Units reaching consensus tend to group themselves into aggregates that in turn compete to gain dominance in mode decisions.
Gout in African Americans

Abstract Purpose African Americans have a substantially higher prevalence of risk factors for gout than Caucasians. The aim of the present study was to compare the risk for incident gout among African Americans and Caucasians. Methods Incidence rates of physician-diagnosed gout among 11,559 Caucasian men and 931 African American men aged 35 to 57 years and at high cardiovascular risk, observed for 7 years as a part of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, were analyzed. Cox regression models were used to account for potential confounding by age, body mass index, diuretic use, hypertension and diabetes status, aspirin and alcohol consumption, and kidney disease. Results At baseline, after accounting for risk factors, African Americans had a 14% lower prevalence of hyperuricemia than Caucasians. Incidence of gout increased with increasing prevalence of risk factors in both Caucasians and African Americans. Ethnic disparities in incidence rates were most apparent among those without other risk factors for gout. In separate Cox regression models, after accounting for risk factors, African American ethnicity was associated with a hazard ratio of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.93) for physician-diagnosed gout and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.90) for incident hyperuricemia. Significant interactions were observed; the association was the strongest (hazard ratio 0.47; 0.37-0.60). These associations were unaffected by addition of serum urate as a covariate or by using alternate case definitions for gout. Conclusions After accounting for the higher prevalence of risk factors, African American ethnicity is associated with a significantly lower risk for gout and hyperuricemia compared with Caucasian ethnicity.
Reticular Stimulation and Chlorpromazine: An Animal Model for Schizophrenic Overarousal

It has been postulated that certain schizophrenic patients are in a state of continual central excitation and that improvement in these patients after treatment with chlorpromazine is a result of the action of the drug in reducing this excitation. A model was developed to test this postulated state of central excitation. Rats were electrically stimulated in the mesencephalic reticular formation while performing a simple attention task. Stimulation or treatment with chlorpromazine impaired the performance of the animals; however, the two treatments together resulted in performance indistinguishable from that seen after injections of saline alone.
Indicators and Indices of Child Well-Being: A Brief American History.

This paper traces the history of indicators and indices of child well-being from its origins in the social indicator movement of the 1970s through recent developments in the field. Initial work calling for comprehensive sets of indicators of child well-being and later recommendations for indicator improvement are detailed. Products that resulted from these recommendations, such as comprehensive indicator reports and online resources are described. The development of child well-being indices is shown to parallel the history of indicators. The contributions of state and international indicator and index projects are included as well. Important aspects of child well-being indicator development are uncovered through documenting its history, including the need to focus on subjective as well as objective measures of well-being, and the need to develop indicators for the multiple ecological contexts of children’s lives, but to separate measures of context from measures of child outcomes. A rough consensus emerges across the history of indicator efforts on the critical domains of child well-being: physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and economic well-being. Recent recognition of the importance of indicators of positive development is noted.
Prostatic carcinoma Treatment of liver metastases with intravenous diethylstilbestrol diphosphate

A patient with Stage B adenocarcinoma of prostate treated with radical prostatectomy and interstitial radioactive gold presented ten years later with liver metastases without evidence of local recurrence. This patient was treated only with massive doses of intravenous diethylstilbestrol diphosphate, with regression of metastases and marked decline of the acid and alkaline phosphatase levels.
Effects of small‐scale features and local wind forcing on tracer dispersion and estimates of population connectivity in a regional scale circulation model

[1] A small-scale model of the Southern California–Northern Baja California coastline has been developed to explore dispersion over the continental shelf, with specific attention to physical parameters pertinent to simulations of larval dispersal and population connectivity. The ROMS simulation employs a nested grid system, with an inner domain resolution of 600 m and an outer domain resolution of 1.5 km. Realistic bathymetry and forcing were employed to investigate the effects of passive transport of tracers introduced at locations with known communities of mytilid mussels along the coastline. The effects of topographic resolution, boundary conditions, and choice of meteorological forcing products on dispersion rates, tracer trajectories, and the subsequent measures of population connectivity were examined. In particular, the choice of wind forcing product resulted in different circulation patterns and tracer trajectories and had especially important consequences on measures of larval connectivity such as self-seeding, potential for larval settlement (import), and contribution to the pool of available larvae (export). While some forcing products performed better when model data were compared to field measurements, no product was clearly superior. The uncertainty in results, which may appear minor in larger-scale temperature or surface velocity fields, is significant when examining a sensitive passive tracer. This modeling uncertainty needs to be addressed when interpreting connectivity results.
Invariants of knots, surfaces in R3, and foliations

We give a survey of some known results related to combinatorial and geometric properties of finite-order invariants of knots in a three-dimensional space. We study the relationship between Vassiliev invariants and some classical numerical invariants of knots and point out the role of surfaces in the investigation of these invariants. We also consider combinatorial and geometric properties of essential tori in standard position in closed braid complements by using the braid foliation technique developed by Birman, Menasco, and other authors. We study the reductions of link diagrams in the context of finding the braid index of links.
Caught in the Middle: Evangelical Public Elementary Educators.

The tensions that arise between private beliefs and teaching in the public school are examined in a case study of three evangelical elementary classroom educators who support constructivist pedagogy. This study involves teachers at differing points in their careers who strongly advocate a transactional curriculum in their professional community while existing in a theologically conservative community that often supports a return to traditional forms of educational practice. The article informs us that such teachers do exist, describes the range of challenges they face, and examines the roles of school, church, and family in mediating such challenges.
Development of a computerized assessment for visual masking

Visual masking provides a highly informative means of assessing the earliest stages of visual processing. This procedure is frequently used in psychopathology research, most commonly in the study of schizophrenia. Deficits in visual masking tasks appear to reflect vulnerability factors in schizophrenia, as opposed to the symptoms of the illness. Visual masking procedures are typically conducted on a tachistoscope, which limits standardization across sites, as well as the number of variables that can be examined in a testing session. Although visual masking can be administered on a computer, most methods used so far have had poor temporal resolution and yielded a limited range of variables. We describe the development of a computerized visual masking battery. This battery includes a staircase procedure to establish an individual's threshold for target detection, and a relatively dense sampling of masking intervals. It includes both forward and backward masking trials for three different masking conditions that have been used previously in experimental psychopathology (target location, target identification with high-energy mask, and target identification with low-energy mask). Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd.