cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring agent intelligence via hierarchies of environments

Under Legg's and Hutter's formal measure [1], performance in easy environments counts more toward an agent's intelligence than does performance in difficult environments. An alternate measure of intelligence is proposed based on a hierarchy of sets of increasingly difficult environments, in a reinforcement learning framework. An agent's intelligence is measured as the ordinal of the most difficult set of environments it can pass. This measure is defined in both Turing machine and finite state machine models of computing. In the finite model the measure includes the number of time steps required to pass the test.
Recontextualizing computers in education: A response to streibel

tional computing (e.g., Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1984; Taylor & Johnsen, 1986; Weizenbaum, 1976) and the pragmatic reality of courseware available to schools. The purpose of this article is not so much to argue with Streibel's philosophy, nor to quarrel with the implications he draws, but to continue the discussion which he has begun. In a sense, Streibel's paper is guilty of some of the epistemological limitations which he attributes to the use of computer languages (p. 154). His arguments isolate types of software in order to seek regularities and deduce consequences; thus, these arguments tend to legitimize non-
Introduction to Abstract Algebra

This guide is written with the assumption that the reader has at least minimal familiarity with groups, rings, and homomorphisms; consult an abstract algebra text for details of any unfamiliar algebraic concept. A bibliography in the Appendix contains some suggested references. The purpose of this guide is to provide details for (and illustrations of) many of the structures and functions used in the packages in AbstractAlgebra. Many of these structures and functions are also used in the laboratory notebooks in Exploring Abstract Algebra with Mathematica. For updates to this guide, updates to the packages, as well as other related resources, the web page http://www.central.edu/eaam.html (which is mirrored at http://www.uml.edu/Dept/Math/eaam/eaam.html) can be consulted.
PALEOLIMNOLOGY | Marine Ostracods

Ostracodes are a diverse class of minute aquatic crustaceans whose highly calcified bivalved carapaces confer an excellent fossil record, and thus an important metazoan perspective, on Quaternary paleoceanography. Modern ostracode faunal distributions within marginal marine to abyssal environments often correlate to various environmental parameters (e.g., temperature and salinity), and these relationships are conveyable to fossil assemblages assuming taxonomic uniformitarianism. The carbonate valves of ostracodes provide excellent material for oxygen/carbon stable-isotope, minor-element-ratio, strontium-isotope, and amino-acid-racemization analyses, which provide various insights on ambient paleoenvionmental reconstructions that may be directly compared with faunal-based reconstructions.
Étale Chern Classes at the Prime 2

Let A be a commutative ring and q a power of 2. We investigate the etale Chern classes $${c_{ik}}:{K_n}\left( {A;{\Bbb Z}/q} \right) \to H_{et}^k\left( {A;\mu _q^{ \otimes i}} \right)$$ which are defined whenever i ≥ 1 and n + k = 2i. These are group homomorphisms except when n = 2 and q is even. The usual product formula for c ik ({a,b}) remains valid, except when q = 2 and i ≥ 3, when there is a correction term.
Cultivation of Higher Forms of Behavior

The history of the cultural development of the child leads us right to the problems of rearing.
Economic Aspects of Enforcing Agricultural Water Policy

This chapter presents an overview of the important issues of enforcing public policy toward water allocation and the pollution levels in drainage water. This overview is based on the emerging literature on the enforcement of environmental policies. The focus is on the decisions made by firms whether or not to comply with the law and how regulatory actions affect these decisions. The chapter discusses the importance of defining and perceiving penalties very broadly in order to take account of the importance of cooperative values among water users and identification with the goals of water quality regulation.
Prolog extensions based on tableau calculus

The intention of this paper is to help bridging the gap between logic programming and theorem proving. It presents the design of a Gentzen type proof search procedure, based on classical tableau calculus, for knowledge bases consisting of arbitrary first order formulas. At each proof search step, when a new formula is to be chosen from the knowledge base, the procedure chooses in such a way that the search space is small. When applied to a Horn clause knowledge base and an atomic goal, it performs the same proof search steps as any PROLOG interpreter would do. Hence, PROLOG can be viewed as a special Gentzen type procedure just as it is a special (namely, linear input) resolution procedure.
Communication between tyrosine kinase pathway and myosin light chain kinase pathway in smooth muscle

Two separate signal transduction pathways exist in vascular smooth muscle: one for cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation and the other for contraction. Although activation of protein tyro...
A study of the high frequency force variations in milling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite material

Abstract The instantaneous forces in milling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic contain high frequency variations arising from fracture of the inhomogeneous and anisotropic material. Accurate knowledge of the force variations is necessary to prevent delamination of the composite. This paper presents a study of the high frequency force variations over a range of milling conditions. The effect of machining parameters on the dominant frequencies and peak amplitudes are studied. Prediction of the milling forces by modelling the high frequency variations as periodic basis functions superimposed on a conventional mechanistic milling force model is discussed.
Starting Up a Hospital at Home Program: Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation.

Background Hospital at home (HaH) is a model of care that provides acute-level services in the home. HaH has been shown to improve quality and patient satisfaction, and reduce iatrogenesis and costs. Uptake of HaH in the United States has been limited, and little research exists on how to implement it successfully. Objectives This study examined facilitators and barriers to implementation of an HaH program. Design A HaH program that included a 30-day transitional care bundle following the acute stay was implemented through a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovations Award. Informants completed a priming table describing initial implementation components, their barriers, and facilitators. These were followed up with semistructured focus groups and individual interviews that were transcribed and independently coded using thematic analysis by two independent investigators. Setting Large urban academic health system. Participants Clinical and administrative personnel from Mount Sinai, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and executive leaders at partner organizations (laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, and transportation). Results To facilitate successful development and implementation of a high-quality HaH program, a number of barriers needed to be overcome through significant teamwork and communication internally with policymakers and external partners. Areas of paramount importance include facilitating work-arounds to regulatory barriers and health system policies; altering an electronic health record that was not designed for HaH; developing the necessary payment and billing mechanisms; and building effective and collaborative partnerships and communication with outside vendors. Conclusion Development of HaH programs in the United States are feasible but require strategic planning and development of strong, tightly coordinated partnerships. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:588-595, 2019.
A case series: alternative access for refractory shock during cardiac arrest.

Background In patients with iliofemoral arterial disease, transcaval and percutaneous axillary artery access are safe alternatives for delivery of transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis. In the setting of cardiac arrest, arterial access is crucial for delivery of mechanical circulatory support devices such as an Impella CP® or cannulation for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECMO). We report the use of transcaval and axillary artery access in three cases of cardiac arrest in which the emergent placement of an Impella CP® (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA) or cannulation for ECMO was instrumental in resuscitation from refractory cardiac arrest. Case summary The first patient is a 59-year-old woman who developed ventricular fibrillation arrest after percutaneous intervention with emergent placement of a transcaval Impella CP®. In the second case, a 67-year-old man with coronary vasospasm developed cardiac arrest with an axillary artery Impella CP® placed. The third case highlights a 67-year-old man who developed cardiac arrest 1 day after unsuccessful chronic total occlusion repair requiring ECMO cannulation to his axillary artery. All three patients achieved spontaneous circulation after placement of assist devices. Discussion To our knowledge, a case report of transcaval or percutaneous axillary artery access for Impella CP® during cardiac arrest has not been published. While the long-term prognosis following cardiac arrest is poor, younger patients deserve every chance for survival with rapid cardiopulmonary support by alternative access if necessary. Advanced large bore alternative access techniques should be learned by all interventional operators.
Cutaneous findings of familial cerebral cavernous malformation syndrome due to the common Hispanic mutation

Familial cerebral cavernous malformations due to the common Hispanic mutation (FCCM1-CHM) is an endemic condition among the Hispanic population of the Southwestern United States associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Cutaneous vascular malformations (CVMs) can be found in individuals with FCCM1-CHM, but their morphology, prevalence, and association with cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) has not been well characterized. A cross-sectional study of 140 individuals with confirmed FCCM1-CHM was performed with statistical analyses of CVM, CCM, and patient characteristics. We then compared these findings to other cohorts with Familial cerebral cavernous malformations (FCCM) due to other mutations. We observed a higher overall prevalence and a different predominant morphological subtype of CVM compared to previous FCCM cohorts. While the number of CVMs was not a reliable indicator of the number of CCMs present, each person with one or more CVMs had evidence of central nervous system (CNS) disease. Awareness of the morphology of these cutaneous lesions can aid in the diagnosis of individuals with FCCM-CHM in Hispanic patients or those with family history of CCM.
Mechanical, Team‐Focused, Video‐Reviewed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Improves Return of Spontaneous Circulation After Emergency Department Implementation

Background Outcomes in cardiac arrest remain suboptimal. Mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has not demonstrated clear clinical benefit; however, video review provides the capability to...
The use of functionally deficient viral vectors as visualization tools to reveal complementation patterns between plant viruses and the silencing suppressor p19.

Abstract Plant virus transport complementation is classically observed as a helper virus allowing another virus to regain cell-to-cell or systemic movement through a restrictive host plant (Malyshenko et al., 1989). The complementation effect is usually studied by observing virus infection after co-infection or super-inoculation of the helper virus. We herein demonstrate the utility of functionally deficient viral vectors as tools to determine the contribution of individual viral genes to plant viral transport complementation. Two functionally deficient viral vectors were engineered that derive from foxtail mosaic potexvirus and sunn-hemp mosaic tobamovirus, namely FECT (FoMV Eliminate CP and TGB, (Liu and Kearney, 2010)) and SHEC (SHMV Eliminate CP gene, (Liu and Kearney, 2010)), respectively. FECT had all the ORFs removed except for the replicase and thus is defective for both long-distance and cell-to-cell movement. SHEC lacked only the coat protein ORF and retained the movement protein (MP) and is functional for cell-to-cell movement. When FECT and SHEC vectors were inoculated with the silencing suppressor p19 in different zones of the same leaf, FECT was enabled to express its reporter gene beyond the original inoculation zone. When FECT, SHEC, and p19 were individually inoculated in separate zones, both FECT and SHEC reporter gene expression was observed within the p19 zone, distant from the original virus inoculation points. These observations indicate that SHEC movement protein could create a trafficking network to allow viral RNAs of FECT and SHEC and p19/p19 transcript to move from cell to cell. This system provides a tool to visually monitor the movement of viruses and silencing suppressors as well as to identify the effects of individual viral components on virus movement.
Go West, Young Man! Definitive Western Themes, Classics, & Rarities: by Various Artists, Oxford, JASMCD 3766, 2020, CD, $13.00

During the 19th century, the American West featured ranching and farming expansion, communication via telegraph, mail delivery by the Pony Express, railroad expansion and community development, cat...
Teaching underwater acoustics and sonar during the COVID pandemic

USNA’s Underwater Acoustics and Sonar (SP411) course, taught in a studio classroom, can seat 36 students with 5 experimental/computer workstations on each side of the classroom. This non-laboratory course relies on hands-on demos and in-class mini-laboratory experiences bringing theoretical concepts and experimental aspects of sound propagation and detection theory to life. Experiments include: (a) sound speed versus temperature in water, (b) beam pattern functions versus angle for multi-element arrays, (c) Fourier analysis of periodic waveforms including rectangular pulses, and (d) square law detection of signals plus noise—generating receiving operating characteristic ROC curves. Computer visualizations using Mathematica included phasor addition of signals, N-element array superposition for directivity analysis and a user friendly ray tracing program implementing any sound speed versus depth profile. On 20 March, 2020, the USNA entered the pandemic era by requiring remote learning for all 4100 midshipman, commencing shortly after spring break. Remote learning in SP411 was asynchronous, devoid of lectures, including handouts and videos of wave effects and worked examples. Mathematica visualizations replaced experiments and extra instruction (in different time zones) was always available. Co-author LEB’s photoacoustic imaging experiments, done remotely, used homemade electronics (pulsed LED driver and low-noise amplifiers)—keeping future midshipmen research going.
Stresses and Displacements in Anisotropic Embankments

This note is concerned with gravitational stresses and displacements in earth embankments comprising a specific type of anisotropic material: one exhibiting cross anisotropy. In contrast to purely isotropic materials, which are described through two independent elastic constants, cross anisotropic materials comprise five such constants.
Community Constraints on the Efficacy of Elite Mobilization: The Issuance of Currency Substitutes During the Panic of 1907

Organizing collective action to secure support from local communities provides a source of power for elites to protect their interests, but community structures constrain the ability of elites to use this power. I argue that elites are not necessarily a dominant group that shapes the order of a field, but may be just one element in several larger fields. Elites’ power is not static or self-perpetuating but changing and dynamic. There are situations in which elites are forced into movement-like struggles to mobilize support from their community. The success of elites’ mobilization is affected by cultural and structural factors that shape the collective meaning of supporting elites’ actions and the identities that are formed in doing so. I find broad support for these propositions in a study of the issuances of small denomination currency substitutes in 145 U.S. cities during the Panic of 1907. Small denomination currency substitutes were more likely to be issued in places where elite cohesion was high, economic inequality was low, religious homogeneity was high, and more neighboring communities had adopted currency substitutes. I discuss the contributions of this paper to elite studies, the social movement literature, and the sociology of money.
Monitoring Banking Sector Fragility: A Multivariate Logit Approach with an Application to the 1996-97 Banking Crises

A multivariate logit empirical model of banking crisis probabilities can be useful for monitoring fragility in the banking sector. Demirguc-Kunt and Detragiache explore how a multivariate logit empirical model of banking crisis probabilities can be used to monitor fragility in the banking sector. The proposed approach relies on readily available data, and the fragility assessment has a clear interpretation based on in - sample statistics. Also, the monitoring system can be tailored to fit the preferences of the decisionmakers, and the model has better in-sample performance than currently available alternatives. Despite these advantages, the monitoring system would have missed the 1997 banking crises in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea, while it would have detected some weakness in Thailand and the Philippines. It would have clearly foreseen the 1996 crisis in Jamaica. Aggregate variables can convey information about general economic conditions often associated with fragility in the banking sector but are silent about the situation at individual banks or in specific segments of the banking sector - so crises that may develop from specific weaknesses in some market segments and spread through contagion would not be detected. The econometric study of systemic banking crises is a relatively new field of study. The development and evaluation of monitoring and forecasting tools based on the results of studies such as this are at an embryonic stage at best. Demirguc-Kunt and Detragiache highlight elements that need to be evaluated in developing ready-to-use procedures for decisionmakers and explore possible avenues for doing so. The monitoring system must be designed to fit the needs of policymakers, so systems must be developed as part of an interactive process involving both econometricians and decisionmakers. This paper - a product of Finance, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand banking crises. The authors may be contacted at ademirguckunt@worldbank.org or edetragiache@imf.org.
Retroviral techniques for studying organogenesis with a focus on heart development

The study of development has been revolutionized by the application of molecular techniques, which make it possible to identify factors involved in the developmental process. However, in order to correctly assess the contribution of these growth factors, transcription factors, receptors or signaling molecules, it is necessary to study them in the animal as a whole; it is not enough to conclude that they must be important based on their expression patterns.
The household:: the neglected link in research and programs for poverty alleviation

Abstract The failure to recognize the general equilibrium effects of agricultural modernization in alleviating poverty in the general economy is a significant problem, causing agricultural research to not receive credit for its contribution to poverty alleviation. That issue is analyzed as the first part of the paper. The importance of the household as the place where a significant share of a society's human capital is produced is discussed in the second part. These forms of human capital include cognitive skills, values, vocational skills, nutrition and health. The way each contributes to poverty alleviation is discussed, together with the importance of new technology for the household.
Measuring the Software Process: Statistical Process Control for Software Process Improvement

"While it is usually helpful to launch improvement programs, many such programs soon get bogged down in detail. They either address the wrong problems, or they keep beating on the same solutions, wondering why things don't improve. This is when you need an objective way to look at the problems. This is the time to get some data." Watts S. Humphrey, from the ForewordThis book, drawing on work done at the Software Engineering Institute and other organizations, shows how to use measurements to manage and improve software processes. The authors explain specifically how quality characteristics of software products and processes can be quantified, plotted, and analyzed so the performance of software development activities can be predicted, controlled, and guided to achieve both business and technical goals. The measurement methods presented, based on the principles of statistical quality control, are illuminated by application examples taken from industry.Although many of the methods discussed are applicable to individual projects, the book's primary focus is on the steps software development organizations can take toward broad-reaching, long-term success. The book particularly addresses the needs of software managers and practitioners who have already set up some kind of basic measurement process and are ready to take the next step by collecting and analyzing software data as a basis for making process decisions and predicting process performance.Highlights of the book include: Insight into developing a clear framework for measuring process behavior Discussions of process performance, stability, compliance, capability, and improvement Explanations of what you want to measure (and why) and instructions on how to collect your data Step-by-step guidance on how to get started using statistical process control If you have responsibilities for product quality or process performance and you are ready to use measurements to manage, control, and predict your software processes, this book will be an invaluable resource.
Chapter 12 – Manufacturing Challenges

The manufacturing challenges generally faced by optoelectronics components and systems results from direct effect of the technology challenges posed, which are in turn the indirect result of customer needs and expectations. These needs, include performance, principally data rate and distance, reliability, service, and price. The need for higher-data rates greatly affects performance and is driven by the increasing data rates required by applications that incorporate video or multimedia and the global sharing of information, including video conferencing, in which information in graphs, figures, spreadsheets, or other forms is shared in real time. Optoelectronics applications require high reliability primarily due to the early adoption of optoelectronics for telecommunications applications. The manufacturing challenges also involve anticipating and developing manufacturing strategies to deal with customer requirements. It is observed that the customer requirements are related to the performance parameters. Each of these performance parameters need to be placed under Statistical Process Control (SPC). SPC essentially involves control charts, appropriate control limits, corrective actions based on out-of-control condition, preventative actions, and feedback and control mechanisms within automated equipment.
Oncogenicity of K-region epoxides of benzo(A)pyrene and 7,12-dimethylbenz(A)anthracene.

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given a subcutaneous injection of the parent hydrocarbon or its K-region epoxide in 0.1 ml sesame oil on alternate days to a total of 30 doses and observed for sarcoma at the site of injection for 275 days. The parent compounds, benzo(a)pyrene (0.2 μmole/dose) and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (0.2 μmole/dose), induced sarcoma in 100% of the animals with an average latent period of 101 and 95 days, respectively, whereas five of 12 rats (42%) injected with the K-region epoxide of B(a)P (1.0 μmole/dose), developed sarcoma in 151±22 days, and the K-region epoxide of DMBA (0.4 μmole/dose) failed to elicit tumors. Under these experimental conditions, these K-region epoxides are, at best, only weak carcinogens. Oncogenicite Des Epoxydes De La Region K Du Benzo(A)Pyrene Et Du 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene Des rattes Sprague-Dawley ont recu tous les deux jours une injection sous-cutanee de l'hydrocarbure initial ou de l'epoxyde de sa region K dans 0.1 ml d'huile de sesame; 30 doses leur ont ainsi ete administrees, puis on a examine le point d'injection pendant 275 jours pour y deceler l'apparition d'un sarcome. Les composes initiaux — benzo (a)pyrene (0.2μmole/dose) et 7.12-dimethylbenz (a)anthracene (0.2 μmole/dose) — ont induit un sarcome chez 100% des animaux avec une periode de latence atteignant respectivement 101 et 95 jours en moyenne; l'epoxyde de la region K du B (a)P (1.0 μmole/dose) a induit un sarcome chez 5 animaux sur 12 (42%) en 151 ± 22 jours, et l'epoxyde de la region K du DMBA (0.4 μmole/dose) n'a fait apparaǐtre aucune tumeur. Dans ces conditions experimentales, ces epoxydes sont tout au plus de faibles carcinogenes.
Computer interpretation of thallium SPECT studies based on neural network analysis

A class of artificial intelligence (Al) programs known as neural networks are well suited to pattern recognition. A neural network is trained rather than programmed to recognize patterns. This differs from "expert system" Al programs in that it is not following an extensive set of rules determined by the programmer, but rather bases its decision on a gestalt interpretation of the image. The "bullseye" images from cardiac stress thallium tests performed on 50 male patients, as well as several simulated images were used to train the network. The network was able to accurately classify all patients in the training set. The network was then tested against 50 unknown patients and was able to correctly categorize 77% of the areas of ischemia and 92% of the areas of infarction. While not yet matching the ability of a trained physician, the neural network shows great promise in this area and has potential application in other areas of medical imaging.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Combining multivariate statistical analysis with geographic information systems mapping: a tool for delineating groundwater contamination

Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MSA) has successfully been coupled with geographic information system (GIS) mapping tools to delineate zones of aquifer contamination potential. While delineating contaminants is key to site remediation, it is often compromised by a poor understanding of hydrogeologic conditions, and by uncertainties in contaminant observations. MSA provides improved estimates of contamination potential by augmenting observed contaminant concentrations with auxiliary information from other water-quality parameters. GIS is useful for organizing and managing water-quality information by visually communicating large amounts of information. The proposed method first establishes appropriate areal extents, GIS coverages, and scales for displaying groundwater contamination concentrations of tritium and the volatile organic contaminants trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. Principal components analysis is used to group variables that are most indicative of contamination potential. Tritium contamination potential is best represented as the combination of tritium with the cations Al, Mg, Na and total dissolved solids, while PCE contamination potential is predicted using PCE and Cl. Maps of contamination potentials for 1993–1995 geochemical data compare favorably with measured contaminant concentrations during 1999. Cluster analysis of water-quality data groups geochemical and contaminant concentrations into zones of homogeneous behavior.
LBL 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron Operational Improvements

This paper describes the 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron and some of the operational improvements incorporated into it in the last few years. The proton beam intensity has been increased a factor of 2 by relatively simple and inexpensive means. A new beam-stretching "cee" electrode has been installed; this increases the internal stretched beam by about a factor of 2. Radiation shielding has been added which simplifies the building and modifying of experimental caves as well as providing radiation protection. The radiation monitoring system has been improved. Handling gear has been developed which eases the difficulties encountered in handling the great variety of equipment involved in cyclotron operation. An internal-external quadrupole beam focusing system is now being developed that will increase the external beam by 30%. A new patient-positioning unit (ISAH) has been installed in the medical cave and is the subject of a separate paper at this conference.
Sequence-selective peptide binding with a synthetic receptor

Abstract A dye-labeled variant of a highly substrate-selective synthetic receptor for peptides is described and its binding selectivity for certain di- and tripeptide sequences is elucidated using an encoded combinatorial library.
The FK506‐binding protein 25 functionally associates with histone deacetylases and with transcription factor YY1

FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are cellular receptors for immunosuppressants that belong to a subgroup of proteins, known as immunophilins, with peptidylprolyl cis–trans isomerase (PPIase) activity. Sequence comparison suggested that the HD2-type histone deacetylases and the FKBP-type PPIases may have evolved from a common ancestor enzyme. Here we show that FKBP25 physically associates with the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2 and with the HDAC-binding transcriptional regulator YY1. An FKBP25 immunoprecipitated complex contains deacetylase activity, and this activity is associated with the N-terminus of FKBP25, distinct from the FK506/rapamycin-binding domain. Furthermore, FKBP25 can alter the DNA-binding activity of YY1. Together, our data firmly establish a relationship between histone deacetylases and the FKBP enzymes and provide a novel and critical function for the FKBPs.
Emergency Open Reduction for an Irreducible Dislocation of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb in a Child.

Dorsal dislocation of Metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) of the thumb in children is an unusual injury. Although the patho-anatomy of pediatric metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) dislocations shows similarities to adult MPJ dislocations, they may have differences regarding absence of sesamoid bone formation and cartilage fracture of the metacarpal head at the collateral ligament insertions. In this report, we present a child who had irreducible dislocation of the MPJ of the thumb that required surgical intervention.
Ultrastructure of the intercalated body, a novel organelle associated with fluid forming cells in the organ of Corti

The intercalated body is a newly discovered organelle in the inner and outer spiral sulcus cells of the mouse organ of Corti. The organelle was found in the cochleas of 14-day and older intact mice and in organs in culture of corresponding ages. The organelle consists of a stack of interconnected cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and of membrane bound rodlets that are intercalated between, and run parallel to, the cisternae. The cisternal membranes are predominantly smooth, but some may display ribosomes. Most rodlets are from 1 to 2 microns long, about 0.1 micron wide, and contain electron dense material. Mitochondria are commonly associated with or incorporated into the organelle. Some electron micrographs suggest that the rodlets may originate from modified mitochondria. It is our impression that the formation of the organelle begins with the apposition of cisternae and mitochondria. Cisternal-associated mitochondria appear to constrict, elongate, and lose their inner membranes. In both the intact animal and in culture, the cells of the inner and outer spiral sulci display microvilli, apical junctional complexes, lateral intercellular spaces containing interdigitating cell processes, and appear to be involved in fluid formation. Moreover, in culture, the cells of inner and outer spiral sulci as well as some cells proliferating in the outgrowth zone participate in fluid formation, producing large fluid pockets. All these cells commonly contain intercalated bodies. It is possible that in the intact animal, as in culture, intercalated bodies may play a role in fluid regulation in the immediate vicinity of the hair cells.
Low temperature ultrasonic relaxation in a dilute Ta-H alloy

Mesure en fonction de la temperature au-dessous de 5 K entre 10 et 55 MHz de l'attenuation des ultrasons dans Ta contenant a peu pres 500 ppm at. d'hydrogene. Ta contient en plus a peu pres 120 ppm at. de carbone et 100 ppm at. d'oxygene interstitiels. On observe un pic dans l'attenuation du mode C 11 a 2 K, qui est cause par la relaxation de l'hydrogene piege pres des impuretes carbone et/ou oxygene
Dendritic cells transduced with TAT protein transduction domain-containing tyrosinase-related protein 2 vaccinate against murine melanoma.

Incorporation of an 11 amino acid region of the HIV TAT protein transduction domain (TAT PTD) into proteins facilitates rapid, efficient entry into cells. We previously showed that rTAT-PTD-OVA-transduced dendritic cells (DC) stimulated antigen (Ag)-specific CTL and Th cells, and vaccinated against OVA-expressing tumors. Here we studied B16 melanoma in C57BL/6 mice, using murine tyrosinase-related protein 2 (Trp2) as a candidate tumor Ag. We produced a 472-amino acid N-terminal fragment of Trp2 protein (rTrp2Δ) with or without PTD. Although PTD-deficient rTrp2Δ was ineffective, mice given rTAT-PTD-Trp2Δ-transduced DC were efficiently primed for Trp2180–188 peptide-specific and B16-reactive CTL. In 58% of such mice, growth of melanomas was prevented. Trp2180–188 peptide-pulsed DC protected 35% of recipients, and irradiated GM-CSF-producing B16 cells protected 75%. rTAT-PTD-Trp2Δ-transduced DC induced a more vigorous memory response to B16 rechallenge than the other regimens, and protected 30% of recipients from progressive tumor development in treatment studies. In this setting, Trp2 peptide-treated DC protected 20% and irradiated GM-CSF-producing cells protected 0%. Both tumor prevention and tumor treatment were CD8+ T cell dependent. Vaccination with rTAT-PTD-Trp2Δ-transduced DC induced a robust CTL response and durable anti-melanoma immunity. This approach should be clinically applicable, and offers theoretical and practical advantages to those that are in current use.
DOGMATISM AND CONFIDENCE AS RELATED FACTORS IN EVALUATION OF NEW PRODUCTS

This study investigated the possible relationship between dogmatism and confidence. Confidence is related to the amount of information needed to make a decision. Rokeach's theories concerning dogmatism suggest that, because they resist new information, highly dogmatic individuals will report that they are more confident than persons low in dogmatism in their ability to evaluate a new product. 70 undergraduates were asked to assess their confidence in their ability to evaluate a new product and to complete the Troldahl and Powell Short-form Dogmatism Scale. As hypothesized, 15 subjects high in dogmatism reported that they were more confident than those (n = 16) low in dogmatism.
Anisotropic path searching for automatic neuron reconstruction.

Full reconstruction of neuron morphology is of fundamental interest for the analysis and understanding of their functioning. We have developed a novel method capable of automatically tracing neurons in three-dimensional microscopy data. In contrast to template-based methods, the proposed approach makes no assumptions about the shape or appearance of neurite structure. Instead, an efficient seeding approach is applied to capture complex neuronal structures and the tracing problem is solved by computing the optimal reconstruction with a weighted graph. The optimality is determined by the cost function designed for the path between each pair of seeds and by topological constraints defining the component interrelations and completeness. In addition, an automated neuron comparison method is introduced for performance evaluation and structure analysis. The proposed algorithm is computationally efficient and has been validated using different types of microscopy data sets including Drosophila’s projection neurons and fly neurons with presynaptic sites. In all cases, the approach yielded promising results.
Asymptotic expansion of a series of Ramanujan

An asymptotic expansion is given for the seriesas x→∞ in the sector |Argx|≦π/2–δ. Here δ, Re(a), and Re(s) are positive and r is a positive integer. In the case a = r = s = 1, this yields the nontrivial resultstated by Ramanujan in his notebooks [6].
Synergistic activity of gold-platinum alloy nanoparticle catalysts

Abstract The understanding of the composition–activity relationship is essential for the exploitation of the synergistic properties of multimetallic nanoparticles in catalytic reactions. This paper focuses on the discussion of findings from the investigation of bimetallic gold-platinum (AuPt) nanoparticles of different compositions. Infrared spectroscopic data for CO adsorption on silica-supported AuPt nanoparticles reveal that the surface binding sites are dependent on the bimetallic composition. The analysis of this dependence further led to the conclusion that the relative Au-atop and Pt-atop sites for the linear CO adsorption on the nanoparticle surface are not only correlated with the bimetallic composition, but also with the electronic effect as a result of the d-band shift of Pt in the bimetallic nanocrystals, which is the first demonstration of the nanoscale core–surface property correlation for the bimetallic nanoparticles over a wide range of bimetallic composition. A further examination of the electrocatalysis data for methanol oxidation reaction on carbon-supported AuPt nanoparticle catalysts reveal important insights into the participation of CO or OH adsorption on Au sites and the catalytic activity of Pt in the AuPt alloys with relatively high Au concentration. Implications of these findings to synergistic correlation of the bifunctional activity of the bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts with the bimetallic composition are also discussed.
The overall elastic dielectric properties of a suspension of spherical particles in rubber: An exact explicit solution in the small-deformation limit

A solution is constructed for the homogenization problem of the elastic dielectric response of rubber filled with a random isotropic distribution of polydisperse spherical particles in the classical limit of small deformations and moderate electric fields. In this limit, the overall elastic dielectric response is characterized by five (two elastic, one dielectric, and two electrostrictive) effective constants. Explicit formulas are derived for these constants directly in terms of the corresponding constants describing the elastic dielectric response of the underlying rubber and the filler particles, as well as the concentration of particles. By means of comparisons with finite-element simulations, these formulas are shown to also be applicable to isotropic suspensions of monodisperse spherical particles, provided that the particle concentration is sufficiently away from percolation. With the aim of gaining physical insight into the extreme enhancement in electrostrictive properties displayed by emerging dielectric elastomer composites, specific results are examined for the case of suspensions wherein the rubber is incompressible and the particles are mechanically rigid and of infinite permittivity.
Limit laws for local times of the Brownian sheet

LetB(s, t), s, t>0 be a Brownian sheet. Then for alls>0, the processBs(t)≔B(s, t), t>0 is a (scaled) Brownian motion which admits a local timeLs(x; t), which is jointly continuous inx∈R ands, t>0.s1/2Ls is a standard Brownian local time. We prove that $$\mathop {\lim }\limits_{\lambda \to + \infty } - \lambda ^{ - 2} \log P(\mathop {\sup }\limits_{1 \lambda ) = {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}.$$
Prevalence and Predictors of Coronary Artery Calcification in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder of reproductive-aged women, is associated with multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, visceral obesity, and hypertension. However, premature coronary atherosclerosis has not been demonstrated in PCOS women. Electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) noninvasively measures coronary artery calcium (CAC), a marker for coronary atherosclerosis. We measured CAC by EBCT in 30- to 45-yr-old premenopausal PCOS women and compared the results to CAC in 1) recruited normal ovulatory volunteers matched for age and weight to the PCOS cohort, and 2) community-dwelling women of similar age in an extant coronary calcium database. Healthy, community-dwelling, ovulatory controls (n = 71) were matched by age and body mass index (BMI) to PCOS women (n = 36). Women with diabetes or known CHD were excluded. Subjects underwent EBCT scanning, oral glucose tolerance testing, and CHD risk factor assessment. PCOS women had significantly higher levels of serum total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol and testosterone levels than matched controls. PCOS and control women were obese and had a greater mean BMI than community-dwelling women (33 kg/m(2) for PCOS vs. 31 kg/m(2) for control; P < 0.001). CAC was more prevalent in PCOS women (39%) than in matched controls (21%; odds ratio, 2.4; P = 0.05) or community-dwelling women (9.9%; odds ratio, 5.9; P < 0.001). BMI, waist circumference, and total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels predicted CAC prevalence after adjustment for BMI. CAC is more prevalent in PCOS women than in obese or nonobese women of similar age. PCOS women are at increased risk for atherosclerosis and should be targeted for primary prevention of CHD.
Properties of cold ions produced by synchrotron radiation and by charged particle impact

Argon recoil ions produced by beams of 0.8 MeV/u Cl/sup 5 +/ have been detected by time-of-flight (TOF) techniques in coincidence with the loss of from one to five projectile electrons. Recoil-ion energies have been determined to be more than an order of magnitude higher than those of highly-charged ions produced by unmonochromatized synchrotron radiation. Charge-state distributions, however, show similarities, suggesting that loss of projectile electrons corresponds, in some cases, to inner-shell target ionization producing vacancy cascades. In an essential improvement to the usual multinomial description of ionization in the independent-electron-ejection model, we find the inclusion of Auger vacancy cascades significantly alters the description of the recoil ion spectra corresponding to projectile-electron loss. These conclusions are consistent with impact parameters inferred from determinations of mean recoil energy. 11 refs., 5 figs.
Pervasive developmental disorder in monozygotic twins.

Abstract Monozygotic twin brothers were diagnosed as having pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified ( DSM-III-R ). They show different levels of cognitive and behavioral impairment, consistent with a greater number of suboptimal pre-, peri-, and postnatal factors present in one of the twins. This case study lends support to the hypothesis that genetic factors are of importance in the expression of a pervasive developmental disorder, but that degree of developmental delay, its severity, and certain clinical features may be determined by nongenetic suboptimal pre-, peri-, and postnatal events. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1990, 29, 6:897–900.
Impact of Trust on Candidates, Branches of Government, and Media Within the Context of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election

ABSTRACT Based on a nationwide survey completed just prior to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, an investigation was undertaken to contrast the views of younger and older voters in terms of their trust in the political system (e.g., a democratic form of government and the various branches of the government) and their trust of political candidates (e.g., “trusting a particular candidate to do the right thing”). In particular, respondents' perceptions of their trust of the candidates for president and vice president, as well their trust in the media and other sources of information about political candidates, were explored. Voter perceptions concerning the importance of voting in the then-upcoming 2004 U.S. election were also considered. The article concludes with some recommendations for future research in the area of political trust, implications for political strategists, and thoughts about some potential research directions for moving closer to a research framework or theory relating political trust ...
E-Cadherin-Expressing Feeder Cells Promote Neural Lineage Restriction of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) represent a promising source of tissues of different cell lineages because of their high degree of self-renewal and their unique ability to give rise to most somatic cell lineages. In this article, we report on a new approach to differentiate hESCs into neural stem cells that can be differentiated further into neuronal restricted cells. We have rapidly and efficiently differentiated hESCs into neural stem cells by presenting the cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, to undifferentiated hESCs via E-cadherin transfected fibroblast monolayers. The neural restricted progenitor cells rapidly express nestin and beta-III-tubulin, but not glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) during the 1-week E-cadherin induction phase, suggesting that E-cadherin promotes rapid neuronal differentiation. Further, these cells are able to achieve enhanced neuronal differentiation with the addition of exogenous growth factors. Cadherin-induced hESCs show a loss in Oct4 and nestin expression associated with positive staining for vimentin, neurofilament, and neural cell adhesion molecule. Moreover, blocking by functional E-cadherin antibody and failure of paracrine stimulation suggested that direct E-cadherin engagement is necessary to induce neural restriction. By providing hESCs with molecular cues to promote differentiation, we are able to utilize a specific cell-cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, to influence the nature and degree of neural specialization.