cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First measurement of the ionization yield of nuclear recoils in liquid argon.

This Letter details a measurement of the ionization yield (${Q}_{y}$) of 6.7 keV $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ atoms stopping in a liquid argon detector. The ${Q}_{y}$ of 3.6--6.3 detected ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}/\mathrm{keV}$, for applied electric fields in the range $240--2130\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm}$, is encouraging for the use of this detector medium to search for the signals from hypothetical dark matter particle interactions and from coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. A significant dependence of ${Q}_{y}$ on the applied electric field is observed and explained in the context of ion recombination.
Nest-building behavior in two cerebellar mutant mice: Staggerer and weaver

Nest-building behavior was studied in two separate (different genes) but phenotypically similar autosomal recessive neurological (cerebellar) mutants, staggerer and weaver, as well as their wild-type siblings. None of the test animals or their parents had previous experience with the nesting materials used in these experiments. All of the mice, with the exception of the staggerer mutant, exhibited the nest-building behavior. This observation, coupled with other phenotypes expressed in this mutant, suggest the mutation may more generally affect neuroendocrine development and/or regulation rather than be restricted to cerebellar development.
Neutron-induced charged-particle reactions in 6Li and 9Be

Abstract Angular distributions of tritons from the 6Li(n, t)4He reaction were measured at En = 7.25, 6.77, 6.57, 5.24 and 4.71 MeV. Angular distributions of douterons from respectively, the 6Li(n, d)5He two-body breakup reaction were measured at En = 6.77 and 6.57 MeV, and of protons from the 6Li(n, p)6He reaction at En = 6.77, 5.24 and 4.71 MeV. All these reactions in 6Li were analyzed as direct interaction in the formalism of the distorted wave Born approximation. The optical model for the nuclear interaction was found to apply reasonably well to nuclei as light as 4He, 5He, 6He and 6Li. In addition, 6Li as an alpha-deuteron cluster gives the best bound-state wave function to describe the experimental angular distribution of tritons. The excitation functions at forward angles of the 6Li(n, t)4He, 6Li(n, d)5He and 6Li(n, p)6He reactions were measured for incident neutron energies between 4.4 and 7.3 MeV. It is found that the 6Li(n, d)5He two-body breakup reaction has a threshold at about En = 5.3 MeV. Angular distributions at En = 18.3 MeV for tritons and protons from the 9Be(n, t)7Li and 9Be(n, p)9Li, respectively, were also measured.
Coral Snake Mimicry: Does It Occur?

Field observations and experimental evidence refute previous objections to the coral snake mimicry hypothesis. Concordant color pattern variation spanning hundreds of miles and several presumed venomous models strongly suggests that several harmless or mildly venomous colubrid snakes are indeed mimics of highly venomous elapids.
Complications arising from splenic embolization after blunt splenic trauma

Abstract Background Nonoperative management (NOM) of splenic trauma is now the standard in stable trauma patients. Splenic artery embolization (SAE) is an increasingly used adjunct to NOM. We examined complications arising from SAE. Methods Patients admitted to a level I trauma center with splenic trauma over a 26-month period were identified. Management method, operative or nonoperative, was noted. SAE patients were analyzed in detail. Results There were 284 splenic trauma admissions. Ninety-three patients underwent operative management, and 191 received NOM. Fifteen patients (7.8%) underwent SAE. Embolization was proximal in 10, distal in 1, and combined in 4 patients. No NOM failures occurred. Major complications (27%) included splenic bleeding, splenic infarction, splenic abscess, and contrast-induced renal insufficiency. Minor complications of fever, pleural effusions, and coil migration occurred in 53% of patients. No relationship between SAE location and the presence of complications was noted. Conclusions SAE is an effective and safe procedure. Both major and minor complications can arise after SAE.
The Survival of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Raw and Pasteurized Milk and Milk Products

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV) is not a public health threat, but it is highly contagious to cloven-footed animals. The virus is shed into milk up to 33 h before there are apparent signs of the disease in dairy cows, and, in extreme cases, signs of disease may not appear for up to 14 d. During this time, raw milk can serve as a vector for spread of the disease both at the farm and during transport to the processing plant by milk tanker. Raw milk and milk products fed to animals have the potential to cause infection, but the potential for pasteurized milk products to cause infection is largely unknown. Current minimum pasteurization standards may not be adequate to eliminate FMDV in milk completely. The purpose of this paper is to assess the literature on the thermal resistance of FMDV in milk and milk products, to identify the risks associated with ingestion of pasteurized products by animals, and to lay a strategy to prevent the spread of FMDV from contaminated milk.
Effect of Hydrophobic and Structural Properties of GDL on PEM Fuel Cell Performance

The effect of hydrophobic and structural properties of the cathode gas diffusion layer on mass transport in PEM fuel cells was examined experimentally and theoretically. The results indicated that liquid water transport at the cathode is controlled by the interplay between fraction of hydrophilic surface and average pore diameter in the cathode gas diffusion layer.
Wireless Protesters Move Around: Informational and Coordinative Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Protest Politics

ABSTRACT This study explored information and communication technology (ICT) uses for protest politics, focusing on the case of a 2008 protest in Korea. Based on a survey of citizen activists (N = 322), it examined informational and coordinative uses of eight different ICTs for protest participation. The results indicated that heavy, moderate, and nonprotesters were differentiated, particularly regarding the use of Web sites of social movement organizations (SMOs), mobile phone, and e-mail. Across all types of protesters, the portal site was the most prominently utilized tool, while online micromedia showed little contribution. The findings call for the reconsideration of the waning role of SMOs in contemporary protest politics, and the differentiation of the public-oriented ICT from the private use of ICT regarding its contribution to expand civil society.
Analysis of soil–pile interaction in integral abutment

Abstract A three-dimensional, non-linear finite element (FE) model of an integral abutment bridge has been developed to study the effect of thermal loading on the soil/pile system. The FE model consists of soil continuum elements. Material non-linearity is accounted for both, the piles and the soil. A bridge substructure was fully instrumented. The displacements induced by temperature changes were measured and used as an input to the analytical model. The analytical results were compared with experimental data. We found that the influence of the lateral loads imposed by the superstructure on the piles is confined within a small volume of soil around the piles. As such, the lateral loading is not transferred to the MSE wall.
A study of density measurements in hypersonic helium tunnels using an electron beam fluorescence technique

A series of experiments have been conducted at Langley Research Center to determine the feasibility of using electron-beam fluorescence to measure the free-stream static density of gaseous helium flow over a wide range of conditions. These experiments were conducted in the Langley hypersonic helium tunnel facility and its 3-inch prototype. Measurements were made for a range of stagnation pressures and temperatures and produced free-stream number densities of 1.53 x 10 to the 23rd to 1.25 x 10 to the 24th molecules/cu m and static temperatures from 2 K to 80 K. The results showed the collision quenching cross section to be 4.4 x 10 to the -15th sq cm at 1 K and to have a weak temperature dependence of T to the 1/6. With knowledge of these two values, the free-stream number density can be measured quite accurately.
A simple proof of the surjectivity of the period map of K3 surfaces

The purpose of this note is to present a, simple proof of Todorov's theorem on the surjectivity of the period map of K3 surfaces. Our proof makes no use of any algebraic geometry results on the Torelli problem. What is needed is only the local Torelli theorem of Andreotti-Weil and the existence of Kahler-Einstein metrics for K3 surfaces.
A Primer on Corporate Reports

Although many library patrons seek information on the activities and earnings of corporations, some librarians have difficulty identifying the documents appropriate for such research. Aubrey W. Kendrick advises on selecting and obtaining corporate reports.
Proficiency Level and the Interaction of Lexical and Morphosyntactic Information During L2 Sentence Processing

Using a self-paced reading task, the present study explores how second language (L2) German speakers at different proficiency levels use case-marking information when processing subject-object ambiguities in German. Results indicate that advanced L2 German speakers rapidly integrated case-marking information during online processing, exhibiting a subject preference similar to German native speakers. However, there was evidence that the relative processing difficulty of object-first sentences was influenced by early access to the thematic verb. In contrast, intermediate L2 speakers were not immediately sensitive to case-marking information regardless of thematic verb placement. These findings are discussed in light of current models of L2 sentence processing and research concerning L2 speakers' ability to process L2 morphosyntactic information.
Predicting the Estimated Use of Alternatives to Incarceration

A greater use of sentencing alternatives to incarceration may help to reduce problems related to prison crowding and high costs of incarceration. However, a judge's ability to use these alternatives more frequently may be hindered by state sentencing policies designed to reduce judicial sentencing discretion. A study of a national random sample of 181 chief trial court judges revealed that state sentencing policies, court size, and the degree of plea bargaining in a judge's court docket are significant predictors of a judge's estimated use of alternatives to incarceration. Also, these variables are significant predictors of a judge's willingness to use alternatives for specific groups of felons constituting significant proportions of state prison populations. Consistent with the latter finding, a descriptive analysis further revealed that judges who perceive less use of alternatives for felony offenders reside predominantly in states with more crowded prisons.
A study of bilayer deuterium hydride adsorbed on graphite

Abstract A comprehensive thermodynamic study of a bilayer of HD adsorbed on graphite has been completed. Adsorption isotherm and adiabatic heat capacity measurements on different types of exfoliated graphite yield a phase diagram with a well defined solid-liquid-vapor triple point at 8.44K, and a liquid-vapor critical point at 11.45K, both intermediate between those of bilayer pure H2 and D2 on the same substrate.
Experimental electron-transfer cross sections for fluorine ions in argon at energies from 8 to 54 MeV

Electron-capture and -loss cross sections have been measured for fluorine ions passing through argon gas in the energy range from 8 to 54 MeV. Cross sections for single- and multiple-electron capture and loss in a single collision were obtained using a computer analysis in real time for fitting the data with an iterative procedure. A detailed description of the computer analysis is given. The capture of as many as four electrons in a single collision has been observed in several cases. The velocity dependence of the single-capture cross section is described by a power of velocity with the power generally increasing for lower-incident-charge states. For multiple-capture processes the cross section decreases more rapidly than a power of velocity. The capture cross section for the fully stripped fluorine nucleus amounts to less than 50% of the theoretical predictions of Nikolaev scaled from a Brinkman-Kramers calculation for protons in argon. The ratio of double- to single-electron-capture cross sections has been discussed in terms of a geometry-independent component of the capture process. The maxima observed in this ratio were rather sharp and close to the same energy for all incident-charge states, making it impossible to identify from the excitation functions the specific shells involved in the capture process. Electron-loss cross sections generally exhibit a broad maximum at velocities approximately twice the orbital velocity of the electron that is lost in the collision. The velocity dependence of multiple-loss cross sections is generally not similar to those for single loss.
Improving the accuracy of adult eyewitness testimony: Implications for children

Abstract Increasingly, children are coming into contact with the legal system, both as witnesses and victims of crime. Such contact has heightened concern over the competency of children to testify, due to the potential vulnerability for leading questions and the incompleteness of information obtained from children. In this paper, recall-enhancement procedures employed with adults are reviewed. Due to the paucity of literature examining the efficacy of such techniques with children, research on the utility of recall-enhancement procedures with adults will be reviewed prior to discussing their applicability to children. Finally, areas of future research concerning recall-enhancement techniques with child witnesses are suggested.
Replacing fuzzy systems with neural networks

In this paper, a neural architecture which gives identical TSK fuzzy system is proposed based on the area selection concept in neural network design. Instead of using traditional membership functions for selection the range of operation, the monotonic pair-wire or sigmoidal activation function is used. In the comparison to popular neuro-fuzzy systems [18], the proposed approach does not require signal normalization or division. This neural system does not need training process. All parameters of constructed neural networks are directly derived from specifications of fuzzy systems.
A visual basic program to pre-process MRI data for finite element modeling

Investigators use non-invasive imaging to collect geometric data for finite element models. A preprocessor is described to facilitate model generation of anatomical regions from serial Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data stored in a bitmap format. The MRI Data Transfer System is a stand-alone Windows-based program developed in VISUAL BASIC 3.0 which generates a NASTRAN input file. The program can be modified to generate input files for other solvers. The software will execute on any IBM-compatible computer which runs Windows Version 3.1 or higher. To demonstrate the software, model generation of a portion of a tibia is described.
Influence of sprayable mulch colour on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Millionaire)

Abstract Planting beds were treated with sprayable, synthetic latex film (BASF, Charlotte, NC, USA) and oversprayed with black, white, red, blue, yellow or silver oil-based paint to study the effect of coloured spray mulches on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L. cv. Millionaire). Nonpainted mulch base and bare ground plots served as control treatments. Individual experimental units consisted of three rows, 102 cm wide × 7.3 m long, transplanted with 8 plants per row. Treatments were replicated in four blocks each at two separate locations near Fresno, CA. Plants grown on silver-painted beds produced significantly greater numbers (42–221%) of fruit and total fruit weight (42–237%) than all other treatments at both locations after eight harvests. Silver-painted mulch stimulated significantly greater flowering and fruit set numbers prior to the first harvest at one site. Apart from silver, only blue- and white-coloured mulches provided increased numbers and/or fresh weight yields at one site only. Mulched plots painted with other colours did not produce yields different from either the bare ground or nonpainted mulch base controls at either site.
Binaural loudness matches in unilaterally impaired listeners.

Binaural loudness matching data using a 2IFC adaptive procedure were obtained in high-frequency, unilateral cochlear-impaired listeners. The matches were obtained at frequencies where both ears had similarly normal thresholds, and also at other frequencies where the impaired ear had various degrees of hearing loss. In these listeners, one presumed difference between the ears is the limited or altered spread of excitation in the impaired ear. In agreement with previous studies using other approaches (Hellman, 1974, 1978; Hellman & Meiselman, 1986; Moore, Glasberg, Hess & Birchall, 1985; Schneider & Parker, 1987), the results of the present study suggest that both the range and the slope of loudness growth function are not dependent on the spread of excitation, but instead are related primarily to the degree of threshold elevation at the test frequency. Following this suggestion, a spread-of-excitation-independent model, based upon a group of neurons with the same characteristic frequency (CF) but different...
Economic dimensions of telecommunications access

As wealth and income increase, so too does the desire and ability to communicate with others. Suggests the opposite conclusion: that the link between telecommunications access and income levels is a causality that runs in the opposite direction – increased telecommunications access leads to increases in incomes. Discrimination against such access for the less developed countries is one of the great disparities of the twenty‐first century.
Mechanistic aspects of (CC) isomerization in vinylic rhodium(III) complexes

Abstract Observations concerning the (CC) isomerization of several vinylic Rh III complexes suggest an intramolecular pathway; isomerization occurs at a rate which is affected by the backbonding ability of the metal and the π-acidity of the vinylic ligand in the complex.
Analytical models of vehicle-based automated material handling systems in semiconductor fabs

This research explores analytical models useful in the design of vehicle-based automated material handling systems (AMHS) to support semiconductor manufacturing. The objective is to correctly estimate the throughput and move request delay. The analysis approach is based on queuing network models, but taking into account details of the operation of the AMHS. We analyze the vehicles movement in the system using a Markov chain. This analysis provides the essential parameters such as the blocking probabilities in order to estimate the performance measures. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate and validate the queuing model
Precise large deletions by the PCR-based overlap extension method

The authors describe an efficient method for generating large deletions (>200 nts) of precise length using the PCR-based method of gene splicing by overlap extension (1). This method is technically simple and less time consuming than conventional loop-out mutagenesis techniques requiring preparation of a single-stranded DNA template.
Tethered Diffusion and Strain-Dependent Gating in Kinesin-2 Motors

Kinesin-2 motors carry out a number of transport roles in cells, including intraflagellar transport, melanosome dispersion, and axonal transport. In almost all cases, cargo transported by Kinesin-2 motors also have dynein attached, and the cargo display bidirectional movement. To understand the properties of Kinesin-2 motors that underlie its diverse transport roles, we are investigating wild-type and mutant mouse KIF3A/B motors. The flexible neck linker domain of Kinesin-2 is 17 residues long, compared to only 14 residues for Kinesin-1. Shortening the Kinesin-2 neck linker enhances processivity and lengthening the Kinesin-1 neck linker reduces processivity in a single-molecule fluorescence assay. From stochastic simulations of the kinesin chemomechanical cycle, these processivity differences are consistent with the hypothesis that enhancing the compliance of the neck linker domain reduces the force-dependent head-head coordination that underlies processive kinesin stepping. Interestingly, because kinesin stepping involves tethered diffusion of the free head to the next binding site, lengthening the neck linker is expected to enhance this diffusional search and thus increase processivity; however this appears not to be the case. The force-dependencies of motor velocity and processivity were also measured using an optical tweezer in force-clamped mode. Interestingly, while the speed of Kinesin-2 stepping is affected less by force than Kinesin-1, under resisting loads Kinesin-2 processivity drops steeply. This suggests that in a tug-of-war with dynein, Kinesin-2 leads to enhanced dynamics of bidirectional switching.
Aura Microwave Limb Sounder observations of the Northern Annular Mode: From the mesosphere to the upper troposphere

[1] Vertical structure and evolution of the wintertime Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode (NAM), the first Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) of geopotential height anomalies, are constructed from the 2005–2009 Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements in the entire middle atmosphere between 316 hPa (∼9 km) and 0.001 hPa (∼90 km). This is the first report of NAM structure extending into the mesosphere. The mode appears to be robust and it accounts for up to 70% of middle-atmospheric variance before decreasing in the upper mesosphere. The vertical connection of the NAM modes suggests strong dynamic coupling between the mesosphere and stratosphere. Time evolution of the NAM suggests that the significant NAM anomalies typically appear first in the mesosphere and progress downward. NAM patterns derived from MLS observations are consistent with those derived from long-term reanalysis below the middle stratosphere. The NAM indexes show the mesospheric cooling signals during the major stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) in 2006 and 2009.
Examining the Correspondence Between Relationship Identity and Actual Sexual Risk Behavior Among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men

Sexual behavior of men who have sex with men (MSM), within and outside of one’s primary relationship, may contribute to increased risk of HIV transmission among those living with HIV. The current study sought to understand how HIV-infected MSM report their relationship status and the degree to which this corresponds with their sexual behavior. Further, we examined rates and psychosocial associations with sexual HIV transmission risk behavior (TRB) across relationship categories. In a sample of 503 HIV-infected MSM in HIV care, 200 (39.8 %) reported having a primary partner. Of these, 115 reported that their relationship was open and 85 reported that it was monogamous. Of the 85 who reported a monogamous relationship, 23 (27 %) reported more than one sexual partner in the prior 3 months, 53 (62 %) reported only one partner, and nine did not report on the number of partners in the past 3 months. Hence, there were three categories of relationships: (1) “monogamous with one sexual partner,” (2) “monogamous with more than one sexual partner,” and (3) “open relationship.” The “monogamous with more than one sexual partner” group reported higher TRB and crystal methamphetamine use compared to the “monogamous with one sexual partner” group and different patterns of relationships with TRB emerged across the three groups. Couples-based HIV prevention interventions for MSM may be enhanced by considering that there may be different definitions of monogamy among MSM, and that the context of relationship status may require tailoring interventions to meet the needs of specific subgroups of MSM couples.
Anti-fibrogenic effects of the anti-microbial peptide cathelicidin in murine colitis-associated fibrosis.

Background & Aims Cathelicidin (LL-37 in human and mCRAMP in mice) represents a family of endogenous antimicrobial peptides with anti-inflammatory effects. LL-37 also suppresses collagen synthesis, an important fibrotic response, in dermal fibroblasts. Here, we determined whether exogenous cathelicidin administration modulates intestinal fibrosis in two animal models of intestinal inflammation and in human colonic fibroblasts. Methods C57BL/6J mice (n = 6 per group) were administered intracolonically with a trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) enema to induce chronic (6–7 weeks) colitis with fibrosis. We administered mCRAMP peptide (5 mg/kg every 3 day, week 5–7) or cathelicidin gene ( Camp )-expressing lentivirus (10 7 infectious units week 4) intracolonically or intravenously, respectively. We then infected 129Sv/J mice with Salmonella typhimurium orally to induce cecal inflammation with fibrosis. Camp -expressing lentivirus (10 7 infectious units day 11) was administered intravenously. Results TNBS-induced chronic colitis was associated with increased colonic collagen (col1a2) mRNA expression. Intracolonic cathelicidin (mCRAMP peptide) administration or intravenous delivery of lentivirus-overexpressing cathelicidin gene significantly reduced colonic col1a2 mRNA expression in TNBS-exposed mice compared with vehicle administration. Salmonella infection also caused increased cecal inflammation associated with collagen (col1a2) mRNA expression that was prevented by intravenous delivery of Camp -expressing lentivirus. Exposure of human primary intestinal fibroblasts and human colonic CCD-18Co fibroblasts to transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and/or insulin-like growth factor 1 induced collagen protein and mRNA expression, which was reduced by LL-37 (3–5 μM) through a MAP kinase-dependent mechanism. Conclusions Cathelicidin can reverse intestinal fibrosis by directly inhibiting collagen synthesis in colonic fibroblasts.
On optimal polynomial interpolation of analytic functions

Abstract This paper discusses the problem of choosing the Lagrange interpolation points T = ( t 0 , t 1 ,…, t n ) in the interval −1 ⩽ t ⩽ 1 to minimize the norm of the error, considered as an operator from the Hardy space H 2 ( R ) of analytic functions to the space C [−1, 1]. It is shown that such optimal choices converge for fixed n , as R → ∞, to the zeros of a Chebyshev polynomial. Asymptotic estimates are given for the norm of the error for these optimal interpolations, as n → ∞ for fixed R . These results are then related to the problem of choosing optimal interpolation points with respect to the Eberlein integral. This integral is based on a probability measure over certain classes of analytic functions, and is used to provide an average interpolation error over these classes. The Chebyshev points are seen to be limits of optimal choices in this case also.
Difficulty in seeking information about health care quality and costs: The field of dreams fallacy

Abstract While government agencies and health organizations have increased efforts to provide online information about health care quality and costs, we know little about whether individuals seek out or understand this information. Using results from a Louisiana telephone survey ( N = 1030), we examine intent to use a website devoted to information about health care quality and costs and self-reported difficulty in finding this information. Intent to use a website is driven primarily by prior Internet use while difficulty in learning about health care quality is associated with greater choice in health care providers and dissatisfaction with current care.
The Value of Including a Picture of the Medicine on Pharmaceutical Labels

There are a number of adverse drug events that occur per year due to ingesting the wrong medication. The present study examined whether including a picture of the medicine on pharmaceutical labels increased the participants’ ability to identify the medicine that they should be taking. Participants were shown fake pharmaceutical labels that included either a picture or text description of the medicine’s appearance, and were asked to identify the medicine being depicted or answer questions about the information found on the label. Participants performed better on questions relating to the content on the label than on questions asking them to identify the medicine. However, if the depiction was a color picture of the medication, participants performed better on pill identification questions than if the depiction was a black-and-white picture or text description. Thus, a color picture may help patients identify their medicine and reduce the number of cases involving the ingestion of the wrong medication.
Update: Empirical determinations of the effective absorption coefficients for the NO γ-bands at 2259A and the ν3-fundamental of N2O at 4.52 μ [JQSRT 21, 475 (1979)]☆

Abstract Used of the revised Voigt parameter aT/p = (2150±200)°K/atm for argon-broadened NO γ-bands introduces no corrections into our previously published kinetics data but leads to a high revised effective value f00=g00f=7.34×10-4 (+29%, - 16%) for the (0, 0)-band.
Connectionism as a Model of Language Learning: Parallels in Foreign Language Teaching.

new paradigm shift for linguistics (43: p. 871) and psychology (47: p. 73) has already arrived. This new paradigm is variously named connectionism or parallel distributed processing. As the latter name suggests, the new discipline comes out of the computing sciences, full of terms such as connection weights and parallel processing elements and under the leadership of two specialists in the field, James McClelland and David Rumelhart. For language teachers, the questions arise: What is it and what relevance does it have for classroom teachers? A direct answer to the first question is perhaps difficult for, as Sampson (p. 882) points out, the consumers of the last paradigm shift for linguistics were language teachers and literary students turned linguists. They are not likely to understand the new paradigm since only the computer specialist is fully trained in its intricacies. However, some of the terms in connectionism are not so new. In fact, "connectionism" derives from the behaviorist era, as Lachter and Bever (p. 234) suggest: "The learning models in McClelland & Rumelhart are a complex variant on traditional--or at least Hullean s-r connections formed in time." In addition, like the behaviorists, "The connectionist focuses on overt behavior" (19: p. 89). Most important, connectionism is a term which can be used of machines that "learn." It provides for computer simulation through the scanning of input and the adjustment of "weights" in "networks" until the desired output is achieved. In the words of Fodor and Pylyshyn (p. 6), connectionist "networks can be made to learn; this is achieved by modifying the weights on the connections as a function of certain kinds of feedback." This learnability is a startling discovery, which is probably the reason that Classical transformational theoreticians, if not language teachers, are considering it worthy of attention. Regarding the second question posed at the beginning of this article, Chomskyan linguists presently argue against the viability of connectionism as a description of human psychology or language. However, to understand their arguments, some mention of the early tenets of Chomsky which so immensely impacted on language teaching, in spite of Chomsky's own apparent lack of interest in this applied domain, is necessary. Furthermore, a brief update on what Chomsky sometimes now refers to as "the second major conceptual shift" (10 as cited in 12: p. 173), the development of the principles and parameters of Universal Grammar, is also in order. At the same time, language practitioners are cautioned by Chomsky (11: p. 180):
Adhesion Molecules as Therapeutic Targets in the Treatment of Allergic and Immunologically Mediated Diseases

The past decade has witnessed dramatic progress in our understanding of adhesion receptors. These cell-surface molecules serve a critical role in physiologic inflammatory and immunologic responses as well as in various disease states. The expectation that adhesion receptors might serve as useful therapeutic targets for allergic and autoimmune disease has accompanied progress in the field. Significant strides have been made toward this goal, particularly in animal models of human disease.
An optimization-based demand response in radial distribution networks

Demand response has recently become a topic of active research. Most of work however considers only the balance between aggregate load and supply, and abstracts away the underlying power network and the associated power flow constraints and operating constraints. In this paper, we study demand response in a radial distribution network, by formulating it as an optimal power flow problem that maximizes the aggregate user utilities and minimizes the power line losses, subject to the power flow constraints and operating constraints. As the resulting problem is non-convex and difficult to solve, we propose a convex relaxation that is usually exact for the real-world distribution circuits. We then propose a distributed algorithm for the load-serving entity to set the price signal to coordinate the users' demand response so as to achieve the optimum. Numerical examples show that the proposed algorithm converges fast for real-world distribution systems.
The effect of maternal nutritional variables on birthweight outcomes of infants born to Sherpa women at low and high altitudes in Nepal.

A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in Nepal to investigate the effects of maternal nutrition on the pregnancy outcome of Sherpa women living at low and high altitudes. It was hypothesized that variation in nutrition and energy expenditure of pregnant women would correlate with variation in infant birthweight. Anthropometric dimensions, energy consumption and expenditure, and demographic and migration information were collected on a large sample of women living in two regions of Nepal: the Khumbu region (3480-3930 m) and Kathmandu (1330 m). This paper reports findings for a subset of the sample; 17 women at low altitude and 21 women at high altitude who became pregnant and were followed during pregnancy. The results showed no significant differences for mean birthweights between the low (X = 3069 ± 341 grams) and high (X = 3099 ± 483 grams) altitude samples. Furthermore, larger birthweights were associated with larger weight gains during pregnancy for the high altitude sample. A stepwise regression analysis found a negative association between high energy expenditures during the second trimester and infant birthweight, but positive associations were found between third trimester calcium and second trimester protein intakes and birthweight. Prepregnancy BMI and stature were associated positively with infant birthweight, suggesting that good nutritional status prior to pregnancy may play an important role in pregnancy outcome for this population. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:751-763, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Clinical significance of TT virus infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The TT virus (TTV) is a novel DNA virus that has recently been identified. The clinical significance of TTV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C has not been determined. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and possible role of TTV in a well characterized population with chronic hepatitis C infection. METHODS: Ninety patients with chronic HCV and known time of HCV acquisition were selected from approximately 250 patients followed at our institution. Characteristics including age, sex, histology, and length of disease were recorded. Direct sequencing of the NS5 region was used for HCV genotyping. TTV DNA detection was based on PCR. RESULTS: TTV infection was present in 24 of 90 (27%) HCV patients. Patients were divided into four groups based on stage of disease; chronic hepatitis (CH, 29 patients), compensated cirrhosis (CC, 17 patients), decompensated cirrhosis (DC, 28 patients), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 16 patients). TTV was present in 2/29 (7%), 2/17 (12%), 11/28 (39%), and 9/16 (56%) in those with CAH, CC, DC, and HCC respectively. TTV was significantly more prevalent among those with advanced disease (DC and HCC) compared to those with stable disease (CH and CC; p = 0.001). Mean age, sex, and the time from exposure to HCV to development of complications were similar in TTV-positive and -negative patients. TTV infection was more common in patients infected with HCV genotype 1b. Univariate analysis showed that length of HCV infection, HCV genotype 1b, and TTV infection were important in predicting the stage of liver disease in HCV patients. However, after adjusting for length of HCV infection, TTV but not HCV genotype was important in predicting the stage of liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that 1) TTV infection is common in patients with chronic HCV; 2) TTV infection is more prevalent among patients with advanced HCV-associated liver disease (DC and HCC) than in those with stable disease (CH and CC); and 3) TTV infection is more common in patients with HCV genotype 1b but is independent from genotype in predicting the stage of HCV-associated liver disease.
Roth's Spots in Leukemic Retinopathy

To the Editor: Although the term “leukemic infiltrates” accurately describes the pertinent funduscopic findings in retinopathy in leukemia, which are strikingly pictured in the image by Perazella a...
Clean air slots amid dense atmospheric pollution in southern Africa

During the flights of the University of Washington's Convair-580 in the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) in southern Africa, a phenomenon was observed that has not been reported previously. This was the occurrence of thin layers of remarkably clean air, sandwiched between heavily polluted air, which persisted for many hours during the day. Photographs are shown of these clean air slots (CAS), and particle concentrations and light scattering coefficients in and around such slot are presented. An explanation is proposed for the propensity of CAS to form in southern Africa during the dry season.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of racism on mental health among residents of Black neighborhoods in New York City

Objectives. We investigated the impact of reported racism on the mental health of African Americans at cross-sectional time points and longitudinally, over the course of 1 year.Methods. The Black Linking Inequality, Feelings, and the Environment (LIFE) Study recruited Black residents (n = 144) from a probability sample of 2 predominantly Black New York City neighborhoods during December 2011 to June 2013. Respondents completed self-report surveys, including multiple measures of racism. We conducted assessments at baseline, 2-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Weighted multivariate linear regression models assessed changes in racism and health over time.Results. Cross-sectional results varied by time point and by outcome, with only some measures associated with distress, and effects were stronger for poor mental health days than for depression. Individuals who denied thinking about their race fared worst. Longitudinally, increasing frequencies of racism predicted worse mental health across all 3 outcom...
ELECTROPHORETIC STUDIES ON PR8 INFLUENZA VIRUS

Crude preparations of PR8 influenza virus, obtained by high-speed centrifugation, contain two electrophoretically distinct components. One of these, present to the extent of 10 to 20 per cent, was identified by electrophoresis, centrifuge, and activity tests, as an impurity similar to or identical with a high molecular weight acidic substance shown by Knight to be elaborated by normal uninfected embryos. The other component, present to the extent of 80 to 90 per cent, appeared to represent the active virus. The virus fraction was separated from the impurity by repeated fractional centrifugation. It then appeared homogeneous in the analytical centrifuge and in the Tiselius apparatus, and possessed an isoelectric point at pH 5.3 as measured by the micro-electrophoresis method.
Infant memory for musical experiences

Recent findings suggest that infants can remember words from stories over 2 week delays (Jusczyk, P. W., & Hohne, E. A. (1997). Infants' memory for spoken words. Science, 277, 1984-1986). Because music, like language, presents infants with a massively complex auditory learning task, it is possible that infant memory for musical stimuli is equally powerful. Seven-month-old infants heard two Mozart sonata movements daily for 2 weeks. Following a 2 week retention interval, the infants were tested on passages of the familiarized music, and passages taken from similar but novel music. Results from two experiments suggest that the infants retained the familiarized music in long-term memory, and that their listening preferences were affected by the extent to which familiar passages were removed from the musical contexts within which they were originally learned.
Landscape Patterns of Periphyton in the Florida Everglades

Periphyton is an abundant and ubiquitous feature of the Florida Everglades, often forming thick mats that blanket shallow sediments and submersed plants. They are considered to be primary ecosystem engineers in the Everglades by forming and stabilizing soils, controlling concentrations of nutrients and gases, and supplying food and structure for other organisms. Distribution patterns are related to underlying physicochemical gradients as well as those hydrologic changes imposed by water management. Because communities respond rapidly to environmental change, their use has been advocated to provide indication of system degradation or restoration. The authors review studies on the distribution of periphyton in the Everglades, highlighting major findings relevant to water management, and also areas where additional exploration is necessary.
Antisocial Security: The Puzzle of Beggar-Thy-Children Policies

The U.S. Social Security program has irrevocably transferred substantial wealth from workers to their ostensibly altruistic parents. After some alternative explanations for this paradox are addressed, a formal model is developed to show that a majority of rational voters who care about their descendants can support the preservation of current benefits for themselves but accept the prospect of Social Security's future retrenchment. Incorporating elements of Tabellini's (2000) positive theory of Social Security and Benabou and Ok's (2001) analysis of income mobility, the model identifies specific forces affecting this time-varying individual support for Social Security. These forces are embodied in three hypotheses related to income mobility, relative income level, and age. An ordered logit analysis of cumulative ANES data supports these hypotheses.
Parent and Child Traits Associated with Overparenting

overparenting involves the application of developmentally inappropriate levels of parental directiveness, tangible assistance, problem-solving, monitoring, and involvement into the lives of children. Based on theories of family enmeshment, effective parenting, and personality development, this parenting behavior was hypothesized to be associated with negative traits in parents (i.e., anxiety and regret) as well as in young adult children (i.e., narcissism, poor coping styles, anxiety, and stress). Participants were 653 parent-adult child dyads from 32 of the 50 United States who completed measures of overparenting and maladaptive traits. A latent variables analysis showed that parental anxiety was positively associated with overparenting, and that parental regret had an indirect effect on overparenting through greater anxiety. in adult children, overparenting was associated with higher levels of narcissism and more ineffective coping skills (e.g., internalizing, distancing). these ineffective coping skills were associated with greater anxiety and stress in young adult children.
Hard x-ray polarimetry with HX-POL

X-ray polarimetry offers a unique vantage to investigate particle acceleration from compact objects and relativistic outflows. The HX-POL concept uses a combination of Si and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors to measure the polarization of 50 keV - 500 keV X-rays from cosmic sources through the azimuthal distribution of Compton scattered events. HX-POL would allow us to measure the polarization degrees of Crab-like sources well below 10% for a one day balloon flight. A longer (15-30 day) flight would improve the polarization degree sensitivity to a few percent. In this contribution, we discuss the sensitivity of a space-borne HX-POL payload, and present new results from laboratory tests of the HX-POL Si and CZT detectors.
Limited information capacity as a source of inertia

Abstract We derive optimal time-dependent adjustment rules from Shannon's (1948) Information Theory. In a continuous-time LQ prediction problem with a costly rate of information acquisition-processing, the optimal prediction evolves smoothly, but jumps at an optimally chosen frequency, when fresh information accrues. A more volatile and persistent target raises the information rate required to maintain a sampling frequency. This cost-effect moderates and may even reverse the benefit-effect on the value of information, so optimal inertia is unresponsive to and nonmonotonic in the predictability of the environment. Conventional models with a fixed cost per observation imply no such cost-effect, so inertia rises quickly in the predictability of the environment.
National Prevention through Design (PtD) Initiative

Abstract Introduction The most effective means of preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illness, and fatalities is to “design out” hazards and hazardous exposures from the workplace. There is a long history of designing for safety for the general public and to a lesser degree for workers. Method We now have the experience and insight from thoughtful, previous efforts to call for a comprehensive national strategy to implement a Prevention through Design (PtD) Initiative. Results This paper describes that initiative in terms of four overarching areas where action can be directed: practice, policy, research, and education. To obtain stakeholder input for issues in these four areas and to focus implementation efforts, eight sector divisions of the economy will be addressed. A seven year strategy is envisioned.
Diet alters species recognition in juvenile toads

Whether environmental effects during juvenile development can alter the ontogeny of adult mating behaviour remains largely unexplored. We evaluated the effect of diet on the early expression of conspecific recognition in spadefoot toads, Spea bombifrons. We found that juvenile toads display phonotaxis behaviour six weeks post-metamorphosis. However, preference for conspecifics versus heterospecifics emerged later and was diet dependent. Thus, the environment can affect the early development of species recognition in a way that might alter adult behaviour. Evaluating such effects is important for understanding variation in hybridization between species and the nature of species boundaries.
Human activities monitoring at bus stops

We introduce a vision-based system to monitor for suspicious human activities at a bus stop. The system currently examines for drug dealing activity. To accomplish this goal, the system must measure how long individuals loiter around the bus stop. To facilitate this, the system must track individuals from the video feed, identify them, and keep a record of how long they spend at the bus stop. The system is broken into three distinct portions: background subtraction, object tracking, and human recognition. The background subtraction and object tracking modules use off-the-shelf algorithms and are shown to work well following people as they walk around a bus stop. The human recognition module segments the image of an individual into three portions corresponding to the head, torso, and legs. Using the median color of each of these regions, two people can be quickly compared to see if they are the same person.