cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Familial abuse and post‐traumatic stress disorder

Previous study of a sample of 149 adolescent runaways showed that youths who left home because of familial physical abuse were more likely than youths who left home for other reasons to report symptomatology consistent with the diagnostic criteria of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The literature suggests that stress reactions, such as PTSD, are not direct responses to stressors, such as familial abuse. Rather, these relationships are mediated by factors which influence a person's ability to cope with stressors. This paper reports the results of exploring two factors which influence coping ability: (1) perceptions of control over the stressor, and (2) the availability of intrafamilial social support. Using information from the same sample of 149 adolescent runaways, we compared youth who left home because of familial physical abuse to youth who did not on the basis of these two coping resources. Results show that victims of familial physical abuse are significantly more likely than are other runaways to believe that they could not have changed or controlled the events that led to their running. Further, the intrafamilial social support systems of these young victims are highly dysfunctional. Study findings support the contention that factors which decreased the coping ability of runaway victims of familial abuse heightened the probability of their developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Mapping ligament insertion sites onto bone surfaces in knee by co-registration of CT and digitization data

This paper describes a new methodology that enables mapping of the ligament insertion sites onto bone surfaces in the knee joint by co-registration of the data acquired using digitization and computed tomography (CT). Local coordinate systems on the distal femur and proximal tibia were established by three spherical fiducial markers rigidly affixed to each bone. The fiducial marker centroid locations were identified by a least-squares sphere-fitting algorithm. An optimization correction procedure was proposed to mitigate the effect of the target registration error (TRE) on the alignment of coordinate systems for co-registration. A test with four cadaveric specimens demonstrated successful mapping of insertion sites for five ligaments. Fiducial registration error (FRE) as measured by the differences in inter-marker distances between the two modalities was smaller than 2%. The optimization procedure corrected the insertion site invisibility or partial visibility problem and improved the overall mapping quality, as indicated by substantial reduction of the mean and dispersion of distances from digitized insertion site points to the bone surfaces.
Equiaxed dendritic solidification with convection: Part I. Multiscale/multiphase modeling

Equiaxed dendritic solidification in the presence of melt convection and solid-phase transport is investigated in a series of three articles. In part I, a multiphase model is developed to predict com-position and structure evolution in an alloy solidifying with an equiaxed morphology. The model accounts for the transport phenomena occurring on the macroscopic (system) scale, as well as the grain nucleation and growth mechanisms taking place over various microscopic length scales. The present model generalizes a previous multiscale/multiphase model by including liquid melt convec-tion and solid-phase transport. The macroscopic transport equations for the solid and the interdendritic and extradendritic liquid phases are derived using the volume averaging technique and closed by supplementary relations to describe the interfacial transfer terms. In part II, a numerical application of the model to equiaxed dendritic solidification of an Al-Cu alloy in a rectangular cavity is dem-onstrated. Limited experimental validation of the model using a NH4C1-H2O transparent model alloy is provided in part III.
The removal of woody encroachment restores biophysical gradients in Midwestern oak savannas

Summary 1. Savannas throughout the world are characterized by spatial gradients of resources created by scattered overstorey trees. These gradients are important for maintenance of understorey biodiversity; however, they may be disrupted by woody encroachment, resulting in alterations to understorey vegetation. Little is known about the status of understorey gradients in encroached savannas, or whether they redevelop during restoration and if so, by what mechanism. 2. We used a large-scale restoration experiment with Midwestern oak savannas (USA) to address these issues. We established understorey transects radiating from overstorey Quercus alba L. trees to inter-canopy gaps in four control and four restoration treatment sites. Along each transect, we sampled understorey vegetation over three field seasons and we recorded physical factors in the final year of study. 3. Restoration produced a strong relationship between visible sky (e.g. light penetrating to the understorey) and distance from overstorey trees, while none existed in control sites. Restored sites had greater variability in soil moisture due to higher levels immediately after rain at all distances from trees, coupled with greater drying rates, particularly at farther distances from overstorey trees. With restoration, a positive relationship between cover by understorey vegetation and distance from overstorey trees developed and strengthened over time, whereas no relationship existed in control sites. Cover by each of the major functional groups, forbs, graminoids, and woody species, contributed to this pattern. Furthermore, after restoration, species richness increased with distance from overstorey trees in the final year of study. 4. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) showed that common understorey species were correlated with gradients of canopy cover and soil moisture, which were associated with restoration plots, and gradients of soil texture and N, which were associated with both restoration and control plots. Furthermore, restoration strengthened correlations between NMS plot scores and distance from overstorey trees. 5. Synthesis and applications. Re-establishing overstorey structure was an important step during restoration of the oak savannas in this study. While encroached savannas contained a homogenized understorey, restored sites contained understorey patterning typical of intact savannas. The timeframe for re-establishment ‐ within years of restoration, after decades of degradation ‐ demonstrates high resiliency and suggests restorability of other highly degraded sites; however, we recognize the importance of prescribed fire for maintaining open savanna structure and, probably, promoting further understorey pattern development.
Performance disruption by startle-eliciting acoustic stimuli

Six rats were trained to press a lever on a variable interval schedule of food reinforcement. When response rates were stable, a response-independent startle-eliciting acoustic stimulus was presented at intervals of approximately 6 min, and its disruptive effects were assessed. It was found that stimulus presentations yielded large decrements in response rate that persisted for several minutes. As daily test sessions proceeded, the decrements lessened, but even after 6 days of testing, startle stimuli continued to disrupt responding.
Labor contracts and monetary policy

Abstract Fischer and others have shown that the very existence of long-term contracts can imply a stabilization role for monetary policy in models that incorporate the natural rate hypothesis and rational expectation formation. The present paper examines some of the factors that determine the length of labor contracts and how they are affected by monetary policy. It is argued that a successful stabilization policy might be expected to increase the length of contracts. The net effect of the imposition of such a policy would therefore be to dampen the amplitude of business cycles, but to make them more inertia ridden.
Bending the Rules of Transcriptional Repression: Tightly Looped DNA Directly Represses T7 RNA Polymerase

From supercoiled DNA to the tight loops of DNA formed by some gene repressors, DNA in cells is often highly bent. Despite evidence that transcription by RNA polymerase (RNAP) is affected in systems where DNA is deformed significantly, the mechanistic details underlying the relationship between polymerase function and mechanically stressed DNA remain unclear. Seeking to gain additional insight into the regulatory consequences of highly bent DNA, we hypothesize that tightly looping DNA is alone sufficient to repress transcription. To test this hypothesis, we have developed an assay to quantify transcription elongation by bacteriophage T7 RNAP on small, circular DNA templates ∼100 bp in size. From these highly bent transcription templates, we observe that the elongation velocity and processivity can be repressed by at least two orders of magnitude. Further, we show that minicircle templates sustaining variable levels of twist yield only moderate differences in repression efficiency. We therefore conclude that the bending mechanics within the minicircle templates dominate the observed repression. Our results support a model in which RNAP function is highly dependent on the bending mechanics of DNA and are suggestive of a direct, regulatory role played by the template itself in regulatory systems where DNA is known to be highly bent.
γ₁34.5-deleted HSV-1-expressing human cytomegalovirus IRS1 gene kills human glioblastoma cells as efficiently as wild-type HSV-1 in normoxia or hypoxia.

γ 1 34.5-deleted HSV-1-expressing human cytomegalovirus IRS1 gene kills human glioblastoma cells as efficiently as wild-type HSV-1 in normoxia or hypoxia
Negative cooperativity of uric acid binding to the transcriptional regulator HucR from Deinococcus radiodurans

Members of the MarR family of winged helix transcriptional regulators have been shown to regulate multidrug and oxidative stress response, pathogenesis, and catabolism of aromatic compounds. Many respond to anionic lipophilic compounds in their capacity to bind DNA, and the co-crystal structure of MarR bound to salicylate revealed two ligand-binding pockets, SAL-A and SAL-B. The MarR homolog, HucR, from Deinococcus radiodurans has been shown to repress expression of a predicted uricase, and DNA-binding by HucR is antagonized by uric acid, the substrate of uricase. We provide a biochemical investigation of DNA-binding and uric acid-binding by HucR. Equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation indicates that HucR exists as a dimer. Intrinsic fluorescence spectra suggest that the association of the HucR dimer with its cognate DNA involves conformational flexibility in the globular interior and/or dimerization domain of the protein, and near-UV circular dichroism spectra indicate a concomitant change in the helical twist of the DNA duplex. DNA-binding affinity, measured by electrophoretic mobility-shift assays, for HucR mutants bearing single amino acid substitutions suggests the importance of the beta-hairpin "wing" in DNA binding. Analysis of intrinsic fluorescence spectra demonstrates that uric acid induces conformational changes in HucR and binds with an apparent K(d)=11.6(+/-3.7)muM and a Hill coefficient of 0.7+/-0.1, indicating negative cooperativity. Fluorescence and DNA-binding properties of the HucR variants indicate that SAL-A is a low-affinity, uric acid-binding site and that negative cooperativity exists between homologous, high-affinity sites. The conservation of residues comprising site SAL-A suggests that it is a low-affinity, ligand-binding site in MarR homologs. Mechanistic considerations suggest that HucR is regulated by uric acid to maintain optimal cellular levels of this scavenger of free radicals in response to oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Avoid the pitfalls of progress.

As health care technology options increase--namely, infrared ID systems--so do your legal liabilities.
The Effects of UK Pharmaceutical Policy on Government Drug Expenditure: Cost Control and Incentives for R&D

This paper investigates the impact of UK pharmaceutical policy on the level of NHS pharmaceutical expenditure. UK pharmaceutical policy is one which has managed to control costs, but at the same time, has not sacrificed the rewards for conducting long-term R&D in the UK. The analysis provides evidence that the government policies which encourage long-term R&D and the development of new drugs actually lead to lower overall pharmaceutical expenditure by the NHS. The reason for this is attributed to the savings associated with the replacement of new drugs for other less effective drugs. Additional results show that the UK receives positive spillovers from the R&D conducted by US firms and this R&D has a cost reducing impact on NHS pharmaceutical expenditure.
Interleukin 1 protects against the lethal effects of irradiation of mice but has no effect on tumors in the same animals

AbstractInterleukin 1 (IL-1) is a radioprotector of bone marrow and is cytotoxic to some tumor cells. This investigation examines these two properties in the same host animals and gives evidence of radioprotection against localized x-irradiation of the head and neck region. By LD50 analyses, recombinant human IL-1 (100 ng/mouse, approximately 3 μg/kg) was found to be radioprotective against whole-body irradiation for both C3H/Km and C57BL/Ka mice. The combined potency ratio for the two strains was 1.07 (95% confidence limit: 1.02–1.12). It was also radioprotective against the injury leading to acute lethality resulting from localized head and neck irradiation of C3H/Km mice; 100 ng of IL-1/mouse produced a potency ratio of 1.05 (95 confidence limit: 1.03–1.07). However, two tumors that originated in C3H/Km mice, RIF-1 and SCCVII, showed neither in vitro nor in vivo response to IL-1. Also, there was no IL-1-induced reduction in in vivo growth of the RL 12NP lymphoma in C57BL/Ka mice.
Factors that Affect North Carolina Public Health Nutritionists Decision to Change Employment Status

Abstract A questionnaire was developed to identify factors that were contributing to turnover of public health nutritionists employed in local agencies in a decentralized state public health system. One hundred twenty-two nutritionists responded to a confidential questionnaire sent to them upon notification they were leaving their current employment. The questionnaire asked nutritionists to identify all factors that contributed to their leaving and to choose and rank the top five reasons. Open-ended questions solicited information about working conditions at the local agency, what the nutritionist liked best about their position, if they would recommend the position to a friend or colleague and if they would return at a later date. The top main reasons for leaving were: moving to another city 16.4%, return to school 15.6%, Inadequate pay/fringe benefits 15.6%, child care, child bearing, other domestic reasons 11.5%, and advancement or lack of opportunity for advancement 8.2%. Seventy five percent would recommend the position to someone else and 57% would consider returning to the position. A review of contributory factors that lead these nutritionists to leave their positions correspond to the factors identified in the literature as job satisfiers and dissatisfies. These results indicate there are issues that can be addressed by nutrition program managers to slow down turnover among this highly mobile professional group.
Non-Equilibrium Phase Transitions in Nematic Liquid Crystals under Shear Flow†

Abstract We discuss the impact of shear flow on the isotropic-nematic transition in crystalline liquids, paying particular attention to the notion of a non-equilibrium coexistence line. We establish a non-equilibrium phase diagram spanned by temperature and externally applied shear stress, by interpreting thc locally stable solutions to the equations of motion for the entire nematic order parameter and fluid velocity, in the case of planar Couette flow. This system displays several characteristics reminiscent of homogeneous equilibrium phenomena: a region in the phase diagram in which two states are locally stable; a critical point at which this two-state region vanishes; and singularities associated with this non- equilibrium critical point. By analyzing inhomogeneous solutions of the equations of motion we address the issue of whether a particular state is selected within the two state region. We find state selection throughout the two-state region, except on a coexistence line interpolating between the...
The calculation of outlier detection statistics

This paper presents a routine that calculates four outlier detection statistics. The routine determines a series of points that are identified as possible outliers, and calculates the values that can be used to test them. These values can be used in an iterative procedure to detect multiple outliers.
Effect of sulfur on the initial stages of oxide growth on Ni(111)

Abstract The effects of pre-adsorbed sulfur (S) on the initial stages of oxidation, at 300 and 440 K, of a Ni(111) surface have been studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The oxygen (O) uptake rate was measured as a function of oxygen exposure at various S precoverages. It was observed that submonolayer amounts of pre-adsorbed S strongly retard the oxide nucleation and growth rate, but do not seem to alter the final oxide thickness. An island growth model describes the oxide growth kinetics at 300 K very well, but is not so successful for the 440 K data. Both the magnitude of the S coverage and temperature affect the degree of oxide epitaxy on Ni(111).
Righteous Dopefiend and AIDS, Sex, and Culture: Global Politics and Survival in Southern Africa

This essay offers a comparative reading of two ethnographies, Ida Susser's AIDS, Sex, and Culture: Global Politics and Survival in Southern Africa (2009), a multisited text focused on community responses to dynamics of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Southern Africa, and Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg's Righteous Dopefiend (2009), a photo-ethnographic exploration of lumpen subjectivity within an encampment of homeless drug addicts in San Francisco. Pointing out these texts' common focus on circumstances of the precarious and marginal poor under conditions of neoliberalization, social conditions shaping dynamics of HIV prevention, and poor people's negotiations of affliction and structural violence, this essay highlights the theoretical and practical effects of these books' divergent methodologies, scopes of analysis, and differing degrees of emphasis on subjective experience as well as women's experiences. It also considers a key commonality across these texts: their attention to the role of hi...
Issues surrounding PACS archiving to external, third-party DICOM archives.

In larger health care imaging institutions, it is becoming increasingly obvious that separate image archives for every department are not cost effective or scalable. The solution is to have each department’s picture archiving communication system (PACS) have only a local cache, and archive to an enterprise archive that drives a universal clinical viewer. It sounds simple, but how many PACS can truly work with a third-party Integration of the Health Care Enterprise Compliant Image Archive? The answer is somewhat disappointing.
Cathepsin S Controls the Trafficking and Maturation of Mhc Class II Molecules in Dendritic Cells

Before a class II molecule can be loaded with antigenic material and reach the surface to engage CD4+ T cells, its chaperone, the class II-associated invariant chain (Ii), is degraded in a stepwise fashion by proteases in endocytic compartments. We have dissected the role of cathepsin S (CatS) in the trafficking and maturation of class II molecules by combining the use of dendritic cells (DC) from CatS(-/-) mice with a new active site-directed probe for direct visualization of active CatS. Our data demonstrate that CatS is active along the entire endocytic route, and that cleavage of the lysosomal sorting signal of Ii by CatS can occur there in mature DC. Genetic disruption of CatS dramatically reduces the flow of class II molecules to the cell surface. In CatS(-/-) DC, the bulk of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules is retained in late endocytic compartments, although paradoxically, surface expression of class II is largely unaffected. The greatly diminished but continuous flow of class II molecules to the cell surface, in conjunction with their long half-life, can account for the latter observation. We conclude that in DC, CatS is a major determinant in the regulation of intracellular trafficking of MHC class II molecules.
REFRACTORY CLAYS OF ILLINOIS1

A brief discussion of the geological occurrence of the fire-clay beds in Illinois and the results of testing samples which are typical of various areas.
Workers as Whole People With Their Own Objectives

Whether or not the industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology literature has been as remiss as Weiss and Rupp (2011) suggest in neglecting the topic of ‘‘experiencing work’’ is potentially debatable (e.g., see George & Jones, 1996, 1997). Nonetheless, a person-centric work psychology would clearly enlighten our understanding of the experience of work. In this regard, there are two related issues that we urge researchers to consider in pursuing a person-centric approach: workers as whole people and the outcomes or objectives of work. By definition, I–O psychology is concerned with matters pertaining to the workplace. However, work experiences and episodes cannot be considered in isolation from workers’ lives as whole people. Needs, cares, wants, values, problems, tragedies, triumphs, grief, and joy experienced in one’s life color the nature of one’s work experience. Performing the same kind of work tasks against the backdrop of different life experiences and challenges likely results in distinct kinds of experiences of working. As much as managers might hope that workers can check the rest of their lives at the workplace door, this is not an option for living and breathing human beings. Although somewhat cliched, a devastating and intractable argument with one’s
Propagation of electromagnetic pulses around the earth

The propagation of electromagnetic pulses around the earth is investigated analytically. The pulses are assumed to be produced by a vertical electric or magnetic dipole. The earth is treated as a homogeneous sphere of either finite or infinite conductivity and the atmosphere is assumed to be homogeneous. It is found that very short pulses become longer the further they propagate, in addition to diminishing in amplitude. The duration of a pulse which is initially a delta-function increases as \theta^{3} where \theta is the angle between source and receiver. The results are represented as products of several factors, which we call the amplitude factor, the pulse-shape factor, the time-dependent height-gain factors for the source and receiver, and the conductivity factor. Graphs of these factors and of the pulse shape for several cases are given.
Porcine erythropoietin receptor: molecular cloning and expression in embryonic and fetal liver

The full coding sequence for porcine erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) was elucidated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (rtPCR) and 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) procedures. Total RNA collected from Day 30 fetal liver was used as starting material. A 1843 bp sequence was obtained from which could be inferred a 509 amino acid protein which was 79-85% identical to the amino acid sequence of erythropoietin receptor from other species. Total RNA samples collected from white crossbred intact, white crossbred UHO and Meishan gilts on Days 24, 30 and 40 of gestation were subjected to Northern blotting using porcine EPOR cDNA as probe. Results indicated that (1) a major and two minor forms of mRNA are present, (2) fetal liver mRNA concentrations for EPOR are low on Day 24 of gestation and increase dramatically by Day 30 and (3) mRNA concentrations for EPOR tended to be decreased by intrauterine crowding.
The Aftermath of Combat-Related PTSD: Toward an Understanding of Transgenerational Trauma

The number of military personnel who are involved in combat situations continues to increase. As a result, researchers have identified risk factors associated with the development of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors of this article review some of the characteristics of military personnel involved in these conflicts, factors unique to the current military actions, and symptom presentation and prevalence rates of PTSD among those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They discuss mechanisms for the transgenerational transmission of trauma symptoms and identify strategies for interventions.
Concurrent water and drug absorption in the rat intestine

The absorption of water from the rat small intestine during drug absorption experiments was studied. The data indicated that approximately 4 ml. of water was lost from the intestine during 60 min.
Tape-casted transparent alumina ceramic wafers

Ceramic wafers of alumina (Al2O3) were produced by tape casting of aqueous slurry followed by vacuum sintering. The binder system used to form the tape casting slurry is a copolymer of isobutylene and maleic anhydride, which is environmentally friendly, marketed under the name ISOBAM. The rheological properties of the slurries were studied by varying solid loading and binder addition level. Through the optimization of plasticizer addition, green tapes were casted with excellent plasticity and a thickness of 240–740 µm. The tapes displayed a post-sintering thickness of 150–660 µm. The morphologies, as well as the fracture surface and the as-sintered surface of the powder were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The in-line transmittance of the transparent unpolished Al2O3 wafers with a thickness of 660 µm was found to be 72% at a wave length of 5 µm and 26% at a wave length of 600 nm.
Optimal estimation of transposition rates of insertion sequences for molecular epidemiology.

Outbreaks of infectious disease can be confirmed by identifying clusters of DNA fingerprints among bacterial isolates from infected individuals. This procedure makes assumptions about the underlying properties of the genetic marker used for fingerprinting. In particular, it requires that each fingerprint changes sufficiently slowly within an individual that isolates from separate individuals infected by the same strain will exhibit similar or identical fingerprints. We propose a model for the probability that an individual's fingerprint will change over a given period of time. We use this model together with published data in order to estimate the fingerprint change rate for IS6110 in human tuberculosis, obtaining a value of 0.0139 changes per copy per year. Although we focus on insertion sequences (IS), our method applies to other fingerprinting techniques such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We suggest sampling intervals that produce the least error in estimates of the fingerprint change rate, as well as sample sizes that achieve specified levels of error in the estimate.
Reversal of the suppressed kidney renin level in the hypertensive transgenic rat tgr(mren-2)27 by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition

The transgenic rat TGR(mRen-2)27 develops severe hypertension with high adrenal renin and low kidney renin. The mechanism of suppressed kidney renin in these animals is still unclear. We investigated the effect of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, perindopril on the reninangiotensin system in plasma and tissues (adrenal gland and kidney), and the effect of mouse renin antibody on plasma and tissue renin activity before and after perindopril administration. Perindopril lowered blood pressure in the TGR(mRen2)27 rats from 254.5 ± 7.4 mm Hg to 154 ± 7.8 mm Hg (n = 8, P We conclude that in the TGR(mRen-2)27 rats adrenal renin is mainly mouse renin and kidney renin is mainly rat renin. The main sources of circulating renin in the TGR(mRen-2)27 rats are extra-renal tissues, including the adrenal glands, where mouse Ren-2 renin transcripts are highly expressed. The increased circulating renin in perindopril treated TGR(mRen-2)27 rats is rat renin derived from the kidney. The failure of adrenal renin to increase with perindopril suggests that at least in the basal state there is no feedback inhibition as there is in the kidney. The low kidney renin appears to be due to physiological rather than genetic factors.
1990-2010 global cardiovascular disease atlas.

q This is an open access article under the CC BY-NCND license (http:// creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). The authors report no relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interest. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, or any other government entity. From the *Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; yInstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Division of Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; zZena 1990-2010 GLOBAL CVD ATLAS: INTRODUCTION
Variance expressions for four spectral-centroid estimators of a complex Gaussian process

Variance expressions are derived for four unbiased centroid estimators of an asymmetrical spectrum of the complex envelope of a narrow-band Gaussian process. These estimators are obtained by cross-correlating the undistorted or hard-clipped component and the time derivative of the undistorted or hard-dipped quadrature component of the complex envelope. When both components are hard-clipped, the variance expression of the centroid estimator is a generalization of Blachman's zero-crossing analysis. The variance of the centroid estimator obtained from finite records of the undistorted components is shown to be smaller than that of the other three estimators when m_{2} > 5.32\mu_{1}^{2} , where \mu_{1} and m_{2} are the first simple and second central spectral moments respectively. However, when m_{2} , the variance of the centroid estimate obtained from one hard-clipped component is shown to be smallest. Furthermore, the dependence of the variances on both the magnitude and direction of spectral asymmetry is shown to be different for the four centroid estimators considered.
Feedback Error Learning with basis function networks

In this paper, we examine the stability properties of Feedback Error Learning, a model for biological control systems. We consider a specific model for cerebellar learning during fast voluntary movements. We assume that the feedforward approximation is represented by a basis function network. We establish local stability regions and compute explicit bounds on the feedback gain matrices.
Integration of Motion and Stereo Sensors in Passive Ranging Systems

The automation of rotorcraft flight at low altitudes requires on-board acquisition of information about the location of objects in and around the flight path of the vehicle. Due to the covert nature of certain missions, it is desireable to use passive sensors to acquire the range information. Range information about the objects can be computed by combining the optical flow resulting from the sensor motion with vehicle states from an inertial navigation system. However, the range information provided by a single passive sensor is sensitive in the direction of flight referred as the focus of expansion. This problem can be overcome by the use of more than one sensor, referred to as stereo methods. This paper describes a recursive approach for processing a sequence of stereo images which will be the basis for an integrated stereo and motion method to provide more accurate range information using a passive ranging system. Results based on motion sequences of stereo images are presented. The approach presented in this paper will also be applicable to other autonomous systems and in robotics.
Brainstem reflexes in patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophy

In 4 patients with familial olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) we have recently described an abnormal movement of facial muscles characterized by rhythmic muscle twitching during voluntary activation (facial action myoclonus). In the present article, we present the results of a neurophysiologicel study of brainstem reflexes in those 4 patients, in 4 other patients with OPCA but without facial action myoclonus, in 3 patients with pure cerebellar cortical atrophy, and in 6 normal volunteers used as control subjects. All patients had similar clinical features, but only the patients with facial action myoclonus and only one of the other patients with OPCA had brainstem atrophy detected on magnetic resonance imaging. Electrophysiological abnormalities were found in all patients with facial action myoclonus and consisted of myokymia in perioral muscles at rest, spread of spontaneous and reflex blinking to the orbicularis oris, and enhanced long-latency facial reflex responses to stimuli applied to the facial or trigeminal nerve. Other relevant electrophysiological abnormalities were the absence of jaw jerk in 2 patients, the absence of an R1 response of the blink reflex in 1 patient, and a markedly reduced compound muscle action potential of the facial nerve in another patient. Comparable electrophysiological abnormalities were found in only 1 of the patients with OPCA but without facial action myoclonus, and in none of the patients with pure cerebellar cortical atrophy. Facial action myoclonus is a clinical manifestation of a global brainstem functional derangement that may characterize a subgroup of patients with OPCA or constitute a distinctive step in the natural evolution of some forms of the disease. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Enhancer Binding Protein Nla6 Regulates Developmental Genes That Are Important for Myxococcus xanthus Sporulation

ABSTRACT In the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, starvation triggers the formation of multicellular fruiting bodies containing thousands of stress-resistant spores. Recent work showed that fruiting body development is regulated by a cascade of transcriptional activators called enhancer binding proteins (EBPs). The EBP Nla6 is a key component of this cascade; it regulates the promoters of other EBP genes, including a downstream-functioning EBP gene that is crucial for sporulation. In recent expression studies, hundreds of Nla6-dependent genes were identified, suggesting that the EBP gene targets of Nla6 may be part of a much larger regulon. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize genes that belong to the Nla6 regulon. Accordingly, a direct repeat [consensus, C(C/A)ACGNNGNC] binding site for Nla6 was identified using in vitro and in vivo mutational analyses, and the sequence was subsequently used to find 40 potential developmental promoter (88 gene) targets. We showed that Nla6 binds to the promoter region of four new targets ( asgE , exo , MXAN2688, and MXAN3259) in vitro and that Nla6 is important for their normal expression in vivo . Phenotypic studies indicate that all of the experimentally confirmed targets of Nla6 are primarily involved in sporulation. These targets include genes involved in transcriptional regulation, cell-cell signal production, and spore differentiation and maturation. Although sporulation occurs late in development, all of the developmental loci analyzed here show an Nla6-dependent burst in expression soon after starvation is induced. This finding suggests that Nla6 starts preparing cells for sporulation very early in the developmental process. IMPORTANCE Bacterial development yields a remarkable array of complex multicellular forms. One such form, which is commonly found in nature, is a surface-associated aggregate of cells known as a biofilm. Mature biofilms are structurally complex and contain cells that are highly resistant to antibacterial agents. When starving, the model bacterium Myxococcus xanthus forms a biofilm containing a thin mat of cells and multicellular structures that house a highly resistant cell type called a myxospore. Here, we identify the promoter binding site of the transcriptional activator Nla6, identify genes in the Nla6 regulon, and show that several of the genes in the Nla6 regulon are important for production of stress-resistant spores in starvation-induced M. xanthus biofilms.
The Nexus of Aβ, Aging, and Sleep

Roh et al. report a positive feedback loop between sleep-wake irregularities and aggregation of β-amyloid peptide, suggesting that sleep alterations could be an early event in Alzheimer’s disease.
A stochastic model for the relative motion of high Stokes number particles in isotropic turbulence

The probability density function (PDF) kinetic equation describing the relative motion of inertial particle pairs in a turbulent flow requires closure of the phase-space diffusion current. A novel analytical closure for the diffusion current is presented that is applicable to high-inertia particle pairs with Stokes numbers . Here is a Stokes number based on the time scale of eddies whose size scales with pair separation . In the asymptotic limit of , the pair PDF kinetic equation reduces to an equation of Fokker–Planck form. The diffusion tensor characterizing the diffusion current in the Fokker–Planck equation is equal to multiplied by the time integral of the Lagrangian correlation of fluid relative velocities along particle-pair trajectories. Here, is the particle viscous relaxation time. Closure of the diffusion tensor is achieved by converting the Lagrangian correlations of fluid relative velocities ‘seen’ by pairs into Eulerian fluid-velocity correlations at pair separations that remain essentially constant during time scales of ; the pair centre of mass, however, is not stationary and responds to eddies with time scales comparable to or smaller than . For isotropic turbulence, Eulerian fluid-velocity correlations may be expressed as Fourier transforms of the velocity spectrum tensor, enabling us to derive a closed-form expression for the diffusion tensor. A salient feature of this closure is that it has a single, unique form for pair separations spanning the entire spectrum of turbulence scales, unlike previous closures that involve velocity structure functions with different forms for the integral, inertial subrange, and Kolmogorov-scale separations. Using this closure, Langevin equations, which are statistically equivalent to the Fokker–Planck equation, were solved to evolve particle-pair relative velocities and separations in stationary isotropic turbulence. The Langevin equation approach enables the simulation of the full PDF of pair relative motion, instead of only the first few moments of the PDF as is the case in a moments-based approach. Accordingly, PDFs and are computed and presented for various separations , where the former is the PDF of relative velocity and the latter is the PDF of the radial component of relative velocity , both conditioned upon the separation . Consistent with the direct numerical simulation (DNS) study of Sundaram & Collins (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 335, 1997, pp. 75–109), the Langevin simulations capture the transition of from being Gaussian at integral-scale separations to an exponential PDF at Kolmogorov-scale separations. The radial distribution functions (RDFs) computed from these simulations also show reasonable quantitative agreement with those from the DNS study of Fevrier, Simonin & Legendre (Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Multiphase Flow, New Orleans, 2001).
Nasal CPAP: An Evidence-Based Assessment

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) has become extremely popular over the past few years. Though its use is based in strong physiologic principles, data as to the beneficial short- and long-term effects as well as possible complications are still lacking to a great degree. Personal opinions and biases have played a role in this arena as well. In this chapter, we will describe the major ways to provide NCPAP that are currently employed as of this writing. We will then discuss the studies of NCPAP that have been done to date and classify them according to level of evidence. Finally, we will draw some conclusions based on the evidence presented and suggest areas for future investigation.
DECAY OF Sc$sup 42$m AND THE LEVELS OF Ca$sup 4$$sup 2$

A 62.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4-sec isomer, ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{42m}$, has been observed which decays by emission of a positron group of endpoint energy 2.87\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 MeV to an excited state in ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{42}$ at 3.191 MeV, followed by a cascade of three $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays of energies 0.438\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003, 1.226\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010, and 1.520\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010 MeV. The levels of ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{42}$ and their assigned spins are: 1.523 MeV, 2+; 1.836 MeV, 0+; 2.424 MeV, 2+(1+); 2.750 MeV, 4+; and 3.191 MeV, 6+. The spin of ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{42m}$ is 7+. Studies of the reaction ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{40}({\mathrm{He}}^{3},p)$ showed that the first and second excited states of ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{42}$ are at 0.67\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03 and 1.58\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 MeV, respectively, the former being ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{42m}$. The excitation function for the ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{40}(\ensuremath{\alpha},pn){\mathrm{Sc}}^{42m}$ reaction was also measured. The general trends of levels in even ${f}_{\frac{7}{2}}$ nuclides are rather well explained by two treatments of the $\mathrm{jj}$-coupling model, with exceptions for ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{44}$ and ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{42}$.
Is Downsizing Prisons Dangerous

Research Summary Recent declines in imprisonment raise a critical question: Can prison populations be reduced without endangering the public? This question is examined by testing the effect of California's dramatic efforts to comply with court-mandated targets to reduce prison overcrowding using a pretest-posttest design. The results showed that California's Realignment Act had no effect on violent or property crime rates in 2012, 2013, or 2014. When crime types were disaggregated, a moderately large, statistically significant association between Realignment and auto theft rates was observed in 2012. By 2014, however, this effect had decayed and auto theft rates returned to pre-Realignment levels. Policy Implications Significant reductions in the size of prison populations are possible without endangering public safety. Within just 15 months of its passage, Realignment reduced the size of the total prison population by 27,527 inmates, prison crowding declined from 181% to 150% of design capacity, approximately $453 million was saved, and there was no adverse effect on the overall safety of Californians. With a mixture of jail use, community corrections, law enforcement and other preventive efforts, California counties have provided a comparable level of public safety to that previously achieved by state prisons. Nevertheless, sustaining these policy objectives will require greater attention to local implementation, targeted crime prevention, and sentencing reform.
Small wonder

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) exhibit distinctively different properties from their bulk counterparts due to their remarkable electrical, mechanical, optical, and chemical properties. Some of the most advance synthesis, properties, and various application of CNTs are discussed.
An Experimental Investigation of Strategies in the Dynamic Common Pool Game

This paper studies experimentally the selection of strategies in a canonical dynamic environment, the dynamic common pool game. The main goal is to evaluate if behavior can be rationalized with strategies that condition on past play that can support efficient outcomes, or with stationary Markov strategies that only condition on the “state of the system.” The main finding is that modal behavior is Markovian even when the gains from cooperation are large. However, the popularity of Markov strategies is decreasing in the incentives to cooperate. The evidence also suggests that early coordination failures when trying to implement the efficient outcome can contribute to coordination on Markov play.
Epistemic Authority in Nursing Practice vs. Doctors’ Orders

The practice policy of doctors' orders is still deeply embedded in 21st century professional nurse practice, despite its profound incongruence with nursing's perspective, standards of practice, and advanced knowledge. The author in this article elaborates on the doctors' orders policy in relation to nursing's disciplinary perspective and epistemic authority in professional practice.
The power of language: a constitutive response to millennial student research

The intellectual imperative to probe the language of research springs from an ontological understanding of communication that breaks down the crisp divide between research orientations. There are n...
An Empirical Test of Target Congruence Theory on Intimate Partner Violence

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the current study was to test target congruence theory as an explanation of intimate partner violence. Specifically, the effects of target vulnerability, target gratifiability, and target antagonism were examined for their effects on intimate partner violence against women. To do this, data collected in 2009 from a sample of 1,452 respondents to the Canadian General Social Survey were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Overall, the results suggest support for the theory, particularly for the concept of target gratifiability, and for target vulnerability to a lesser degree. As the first study to apply the theory to intimate partner violence, findings suggest that target congruence may be a valuable theoretical perspective in understanding victimization risk.
Indefinite markers, grammaticalization, and language contact phenomena in Chinese

Grammaticalization and language contact are often treated separately, suggesting that these are two distinct, divergent phenomena (Heine & Kuteva, 2003). This however, is known not to be the case. The grammaticalization of an indefinite marker, for instance, can occur due to language contact or be hastened by it (Moravcsik, 2013:200). Contrary to assumptions of many grammarians working in Chinese linguistics, recent work on Standard Chinese (e.g. Chen 2003, Huang 1999) argues that Chinese makes use of determiners. However, few explanations have been given as to why this development has taken place. I suggest that contact with English has encouraged the grammaticalization of the indefinite marker, yi 'one' + CLASSIFIER. More specifically, the translation of English texts into Chinese has contributed to the development of an indefinite marker in Chinese (Hsu 1994).
Sequence dependent interaction of single stranded DNA with graphitic flakes: atomistic molecular dynamics simulations

In an attempt to understand the structure and dynamics of ssDNA on graphene based surfaces, we performed all-atom implicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of ssDNA on graphene and graphene oxide (GO) surfaces. Simulations indicate that adsorption of poly(A), poly(T) and poly (AT) have similar mechanisms of adsorption to free standing graphitic flakes, which are governed by a surface oxygen content. Specifically, higher oxygen content of a surface leads to decrease in persistence length of ssDNA. However, the role of DNA sequence on the physisorption mechanism is minimal.