cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compatible hardware for division and square root

Hardware for radix four division and radix two square root is shared in a processor designed to implement the proposed IEEE floating-point standard. The division hardware looks ahead to find the next quotient digit in parallel with the next partial remainder. An 8-bit ALU estimates the next remainder's leading bits. The quotient digit look-up table is addressed with a truncation of the estimate rather than a truncation of the full partial remainder. The estimation ALU and the look-up table are asymmetric for positive and negative remainders. This asymmetry reduces the width of the ALU and the number of minterms in the logic equations for thy look-up table. The square root algorithm obtains the correctly rounded result in about two division times using small extensions to the division hardware.
The health status of adult survivors of cancer in childhood

The success of treatment for children with cancer has resulted in a growing population of adult survivors, yet these individuals may be at risk of serious long-term health problems as a result of the treatment they have received. This study explores the pattern of morbidity within a population of 290 adult survivors of cancer in childhood assessed at a median of over 15 years from diagnosis. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (33%) and Hodgkin's disease (15%) were the most common primary diagnoses represented. 85% of the whole group had received treatment with chemotherapy, 81% with radiotherapy, 48% with significant surgery and 28% with all three modalities. Overall, 58% of the survivors had at least one 'chronic medical problem' and 32%, two or more. Infertility (14%), nephrectomy (11%), thyroid hormone deficiency (9%), visual handicap (9%), sex hormone (7%) and growth hormone (7%) replacement therapy were the most common problems. Compliance with long term follow-up was good and an audit of an unselected sub group of all the survivors in the study showed that 84% had attended for surveillance over a period of 1 year, accounting for 222 visits of follow up clinics: 15% were also attending other specialist follow-up including psychiatry, orthopaedic, endocrine, dental and cardiac clinics. In conclusion, survivors of cancer in childhood experience actual or potential threats to future health. More than half have at least one chronic medical problem and demonstrate a significant use of medical resources. These data support the need for the continuing follow-up of survivors of cancer in childhood into adult life and the provision of the resources to do so. Optimal patterns of care and future approaches to the reduction of sequelae in future generations of survivors are discussed.
Insights into Diterpene Cyclization from Structure of Bifunctional Abietadiene Synthase from Abies grandis

Abietadiene synthase from Abies grandis (AgAS) is a model system for diterpene synthase activity, catalyzing class I (ionization-initiated) and class II (protonation-initiated) cyclization reactions. Reported here is the crystal structure of AgAS at 2.3 A resolution and molecular dynamics simulations of that structure with and without active site ligands. AgAS has three domains (α, β, and γ). The class I active site is within the C-terminal α domain, and the class II active site is between the N-terminal γ and β domains. The domain organization resembles that of monofunctional diterpene synthases and is consistent with proposed evolutionary origins of terpene synthases. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to determine the effect of substrate binding on enzymatic structure. Although such studies of the class I active site do lead to an enclosed substrate-Mg(2+) complex similar to that observed in crystal structures of related plant enzymes, it does not enforce a single substrate conformation consistent with the known product stereochemistry. Simulations of the class II active site were more informative, with observation of a well ordered external loop migration. This "loop-in" conformation not only limits solvent access but also greatly increases the number of conformational states accessible to the substrate while destabilizing the nonproductive substrate conformation present in the "loop-out" conformation. Moreover, these conformational changes at the class II active site drive the substrate toward the proposed transition state. Docked substrate complexes were further assessed with regard to the effects of site-directed mutations on class I and II activities.
Price Level Variations as Predictors of Flexible Exchange Rates

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between relative price levels and exchange rates with the view of establishing the validity of the purchasing power parity theory. Included in the paper is a discussion of the interpretation of such analyses in an efficient market context.
Size dependent dewetting and sideband reaction of eutectic SnPb on Au/Cu/Cr multilayered thin film

Dewetting of eutectic SnPb on blank Au(500 A)/Cu(1 μm)/Cr(800 A) layered structure was found to have a solder size dependence. At 250 °C, if the solder weight fell below 4 mg, dewetting occurred from the center of the solder cap; if the solder weight went beyond 6 mg, dewetting happened from the cap edge. In the latter case, a smaller cap with a higher wetting angle was formed at the center and a ring of solder was left around the edge. Large voids were left in the solder cap after dewetting in both cases. In contrast, all solder caps were found to dewet from the edge on a patterned film at 250 °C if the solder ball was large enough to wet the whole film initially, irrespective of the solder size. For comparison, pure Sn, eutectic SnAg, and eutectic SnBi caps also dewetted from the edge of the Au/Cu/Cr thin film, irrespective of the solder size or whether the substrate was patterned. Since eutectic SnPb on blank Au/Cu/Cr is the only case in which a large sideband growth was found and the dewetting occurred from the center, we postulated sideband to be the main factor which controls the unusual dewetting. The link between them is discussed.
An experimental and descriptive analysis of the melanocyte population in the venter of the PET mouse

Although melanoctyes appear to be limited to the hair folicles of adult belly skin of the PET mouse, they are found throughout the integument of the newborn. Trauma applied to the ventral belly skin of newborn PET mice results in the maintenance and augmentation of the melanocytes within the skin, even after the formation and growth of hair. The area immediately surrounding the site of trauma shows an increase in the number of melanocytes, apparently due in part to the disruption of the developing follicles and the consequent release of their pigment cells to the skin. UV irradiation also maintains a system of melanocytes within the ventral belly skin of PET mice. The significance of the maintenance and augmentation of melanocytes from the newborn into the adult by surgical trauma or UV radiation is discussed.
Citas árabes en caracteres hebreos en el Pugio Fidei del dominico Ramón Martí: entre la autenticidad y la autoridad

This article presents and discusses the Arabic citations of Qurʼān and ḥadīṯ, written in Hebrew characters and translated into Latin, that are found in the Puggio Fidei (Dagger of Faith) of the Dominican polemicist Raymond Martini (d. after 1284). The citations are of great interest because they constitute the only example of Arabic-language citations in his work and offer us information about his sources and about the direct connection between his use of original languages and the rhetorical strategy of his polemical work.
Energy Balance and Ovarian Follicle Development Prior to the First Ovulation Postpartum in Dairy Cows Receiving Three Levels of Dietary Fat

The objectives of this study were to characterize early postpartum (PP) follicular development in dairy cows and to evaluate the influence of energy balance (EB) and the level of dietary fat on dominant follicle development and function. Forty-five multiparous Holstein cows were fed either low (LF, 3.3%), moderate (MF, 5.2%), or high (HF, 7.1%) total dietary fat beginning at parturition, and daily EB was determined for all cows. Follicular development was monitored by ultrasonography, and blood plasma was analyzed for metabolites, metabolic hormones, progesterone, estradiol, and FSH. After an increase (p 15 mm) follicles on Day 14 PP as compared to the LF diet. Cows fed the MF diet had higher (p 10 mm) dominant follicles was not a limiting factor in PP reproductive recovery, and moderate dietary fat shortened the interval to first ovulation. Follicular competence early PP was associated with higher plasma IGF-I and a shorter interval to the EB nadir.
The Relationship between the Broader Autism Phenotype, Child Severity, and Stress and Depression in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Abstract This study examined the relationship between child symptom severity, parent broader autism phenotype (BAP), and stress and depression in parents of children with ASD. One hundred and forty-nine parents of children with ASD completed a survey of parenting stress, depression, broader autism phenotype, coping styles, perceived social support, and child symptom severity. Parents reported elevated parenting stress and depression relative to normative samples. A path analysis indicated that both child symptom severity and parent BAP were positively correlated with these outcomes. The relationship between BAP and the outcome measures was partially mediated by maladaptive coping and social support and the relationship between child symptom severity and outcomes was partially mediated by social support.
Melting curve of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite to 96 GPa: Evidence for a structural transition in lower mantle melts

The melting temperature of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, the dominant mineral phase of the Earth's lower mantle, has been measured to a pressure of 96 (±10) GPa. Below 60 GPa we find good agreement with the previous measurement of Heinz and Jeanloz [1987a], and above 60 GPa the melting curve of silicate perovskite has a small positive slope of 19.5 (±5.5) K/GPa. The melting point of (Mg0.9Fe0.1)SiO3 perovskite is 3800 (±300) K at 96 GPa; by extrapolation to 136 GPa, it is 4500 (±500) K at the core-mantle boundary. These values provide an upper limit to the geotherm through the solid mantle, and they are compatible with recent estimates of the temperature in the core being high (∼4500 K at the core-mantle boundary). Our melting curve implies that the volume change on melting increases at 60 GPa from ΔVm = 0.0 (±0.2) cm³/mole to ΔVm ≅ 0.16 (±0.03) cm³/mole. We derive an equation of state for the melt from our data, and find that a highly coordinated structure is required to explain the molar volume of liquid (Mg,Fe)SiO3 at pressures above ∼ 20 GPa.
A major QTL on chromosome 11 influences psychostimulant and opioid sensitivity in mice

The identification of genes influencing sensitivity to stimulants and opioids is important for determining their mechanism of action and may provide fundamental insights into the genetics of drug abuse. We used a panel of C57BL/6J (B6; recipient)x A/J (donor) chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for both open field activity and sensitivity to the locomotor stimulant response to methamphetamine (MA). Mice were injected with saline (days 1 and 2) and MA (day 3; 2 mg/kg i.p.). We analyzed the total distance traveled in the open field for 30 min following each injection. CSS-8, -11 and -16 showed reduced MA-induced locomotor activity relative to B6, whereas CSS-10 and -12 showed increased MA-induced locomotor activity. Further analysis focused on CSS-11 because it was robustly different from B6 following MA injection, but did not differ in activity following saline injection and because it also showed reduced locomotor activity in response to the mu-opioid receptor agonist fentanyl (0.2 mg/kg i.p.). Thus, CSS-11 captures QTLs for the response to both psychostimulants and opioids. Using a B6 x CSS-11 F(2) intercross, we identified a dominant QTL for the MA response on chromosome 11. We used haplotype association mapping of cis expression QTLs and bioinformatic resources to parse among genes within the 95% confidence interval of the chromosome 11 QTL. Identification of the genes underlying QTLs for response to psychostimulants and opioids may provide insights about genetic factors that modulate sensitivity to drugs of abuse.
Pressure-induced molecular ordering in SbCl 5 -intercalated graphite

A new pressure-induced molecular ordering transition is reported in single-crystal samples of stage-2 ${\mathrm{SbCl}}_{5}$-intercalated graphite. The transition occurs abruptly at 3 kbar and may be the origin of unexplained electronic anomalies previously discovered in this pressure range.
Fiction of scandal

AbstractThis article examines the tribulations of the Arab author in the age of social media. Focusing on Youssef Rakha, Abdo Khal, Ahmad Alaidy, Rajaa Alsanea, and Khaled Alkhamissi, I tie in acts of hacking, manipulation, and marketing in and of their works to questions of ethical ambivalence and aesthetic fluctuation, translational politics and canon formation that arise from threatening and violent encounters occurring on the street, in writing workshops, and on Twitter. I argue that the author emerges in new writing as the faddāh/ah [exposer, scandalizer] who exposes and hacks political models and literary tradition only to be hacked and exposed by his/her own hacking and fadh. Engaging the political dimension of hacking and scandal, I examine how literature is recoded, reimagined, and reaffirmed through greed, exhibitionism, and confrontation. This study expands the field of Arabic literary studies by exploring new sites of meaning and signification, connections and associations—between browsing practices and reading; activism and writing—in a rapidly changing technological, literary, and political landscape.
Control of Stromal Keratitis by Inhibition of Neovascularization

Stromal keratitis resulting from ocular infection with herpes simplex virus is a common cause of blindness. This report investigates the role of neovascularization in the pathogenesis of stromal keratitis by measuring the outcome of treatment with the potent anti-angiogenesis cytokine endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II). We show that systemic and topical administration of EMAP II from the outset of infection resulted in markedly diminished levels of herpes simplex virus-induced angiogenesis and significantly reduced the severity of stromal keratitis lesions. EMAP II treatment had no demonstrable pro-inflammatory or toxic effects and failed to express antiviral activity. The mechanism of action of EMAP II was shown to proceed by causing apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. Our data document for the first time the essential role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of stromal keratitis and also indicate that the therapy of herpetic stromal keratitis could benefit by procedures that diminish angiogenesis.
Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the bladder. Case report and review of the literature

Primary osteogenic sarcoma of the bladder is an extremely rare disease. Fewer than 30 cases of tumors of the bladder containing bone or cartilage have been reported. Only 14 cases of well-documented primary osteogenic sarcoma of the bladder appear in the world's literature. The authors describe the first detailed description of such a patient treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as provide a review of this rare and interesting entity.
An extension of the best linear controller to a polynomial controller for non-Gaussian disturbances

The problem of finding the optimal controller (or optimal estimator) in the mean square sense for linear systems which are disturbed by Gaussian additive noise is, by now, a completely solved problem [1], [2]. If fact, the optimal controller turns out to be a linear function of the observations.
IL-11 Pretreatment Reduces Cell Death after Intestinal Ischemia–Reperfusion

Background. Intestinal ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury results in enterocyte necrosis and apoptosis. This study was designed to evaluate the potential protective effects of interleukin-11 (IL-11) pretreatment on intestinal mucosa following IR injury. Materials and methods. Sham (n = 7) and control animals (n = 7) received 48 h of intravenous saline while treatment animals (n = 7) received IL-11 (750 μg/kg/day). Sham animals then underwent laparotomy alone, while control and treatment animals underwent 35 min of mesenteric artery occlusion and 120 min of reperfusion. Midjejunum samples were obtained and serum was drawn. Fluorometric assays were performed for hexosaminidase A (HEX A) and β-glucuronidase (GLUC), markers of enterocyte necrosis. Apoptosis was quantified by TUNEL and confirmed by DNA fragmentation. Transcription of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic regulator, was assessed by multiplex RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and expressed as means ± SEM. Results. In pretreated animals, HEX A and GLUC activities after IR were reduced from 570 ± 54 to 426 ± 47 nmol/ml/h (P < 0.05) and from 183 ± 29 to 125 ± 7 nmol/ml/h (P < 0.01), respectively. Pretreated animals had a reduced number of apoptotic cells per 10 crypts (79 ± 11) compared with untreated rats (255 ± 17) after IR injury (P < 0.01). Mucosal DNA from pretreated rats qualitatively showed less fragmentation on electrophoresis. Relative Bcl-2 band intensity was higher in pretreated animals (1.04 ± 0.09) compared with controls (0.78 ± 0.07) (P < 0.05). Conclusions. IL-11 pretreatment reduced crypt cell apoptosis after IR injury, possibly by upregulating Bcl-2. Treated animals also demonstrated attenuation in the release of certain lysosomal enzymes. These data indicate that following IR injury, IL-11 improves enterocyte survival by reducing necrosis and apoptosis.
Mesenchymal cells potentiate vascular endothelial growth factor-induced angiogenesis in vitro.

The role of soluble factors (including angiogenic cytokines) and extracellular matrix components in the regulation of angiogenesis is clearly established. However, the interrelationship between these factors and perivascular mesenchymal cells is not well understood. Here we have used a three-dimensional collagen gel coculture system to assess the effect of mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells on vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A)- and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2)-induced angiogenesis in vitro. We found that coculture markedly potentiated the angiogenic activity of VEGF-A, irrespective of whether or not direct cell-to-cell contact occurred. In contrast, under conditions in which cell-to-cell contact was possible, FGF-2-induced angiogenesis was inhibited by cocultured 10T1/2 cells; this effect was not seen when cell-to-cell contact was prevented. Attempts to identify the molecules responsible for this effect allowed us to exclude FGF-2, transforming growth factorbeta1, platelet derived growth factor-BB, angiopoietin-1, and NO as possible mediators of the potentiating effect of coculture on VEGF-A-induced invasion. In the living organism, angiogenesis occurs in a three-dimensional microenvironment. Contrary to the inhibitory effect of 10T1/2 cells previously reported by others in two-dimensional cultures, our data demonstrate that the paracrine interaction between endothelial and mesenchymal cells potentiates angiogenesis in vitro and that this is cytokine-specific, i.e., it occurs with VEGF-A but not with FGF-2.
Reforming intuition pumps: when are the old ways the best?

One mainstream approach to philosophy involves trying to learn about philosophically interesting, non-mental phenomena—ethical properties, for example, or causation—by gathering data from human beings. I call this approach “wide tent traditionalism.” It is associated with the use of philosophers’ intuitions as data, the making of deductive arguments from this data, and the gathering of intuitions by eliciting reactions to often quite bizarre thought experiments. These methods have been criticized—I consider experimental philosophy’s call for a move away from the use of philosophers’ intuitions as evidence, and recent suggestions about the use of inductive arguments in philosophy—and these criticisms point out important areas for improvement. However, embracing these reforms in turn gives wide-tent traditionalists strong reasons to maintain other traditional approaches to philosophy. Specifically, traditionalists’ commitment to using intuitions and to gathering them with bizarre thought experiments is well founded, both philosophically and empirically. I end by considering some problems with gathering trustworthy intuitions, and give suggestions about how best to solve them.
Agonist binding: a multistep process.

The structural basis of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation by agonists has been the focus of much experimental research and has inspired the generation of numerous kinetic and molecular models. In this issue, Liapakis et al. ([2004][1]) provide new mechanistic insight with an elegantly
An Application of Knowles' Theories of Adult Education to an Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Program.

Abstract Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy is best known in the world of adult education as a conceptualization of how and why adults learn. The following practice-based article that has applied Knowles’ theories and precepts to an undergraduate program reflects on how those concepts work with people whom Knowles might well have not considered “adults.” The Interdisciplinary Studies program at The University of Southern Mississippi allows learners to formulate their own degree plan within broad boundaries, focusing on two disciplinary concentrations with a final research or creative project as a “capstone.” This article reviews the process within which this program came into being and considers its inner workings. The authors reflect on the motivations that Knowles considered the foundational difference between “adults” and “children” and compare their own, somewhat traditional, base of learners to those precepts, finding that perhaps there are more similarities than differences when the learner is in ...
Compartmentalization of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Signaling Evidenced Using Targeted Phosphatases

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) is a prevalent phosphoinositide in cell membranes, with important functions in cell signaling and activation. A large fraction of PIP(2) associates with the detergent-resistant membrane "raft" fraction, but the functional significance of this association remains controversial. To measure the properties of raft and nonraft PIP(2) in cell signaling, we targeted the PIP(2)-specific phosphatase Inp54p to either the raft or nonraft membrane fraction using minimal membrane anchors. Interestingly, we observed that targeting Inp54p to the nonraft fraction resulted in an enrichment of raft-associated PIP(2) and striking changes in cell morphology, including a wortmannin-sensitive increase in cell filopodia and cell spreading. In contrast, raft-targeted Inp54p depleted the raft pool of PIP(2) and produced smooth T cells void of membrane ruffling and filopodia. Furthermore, raft-targeted Inp54p inhibited capping in T cells stimulated by cross-linking the T cell receptor, but without affecting the T cell receptor-dependent Ca(2+) flux. Altogether, these results provide evidence of compartmentalization of PIP(2)-dependent signaling in cell membranes such as predicted by the membrane raft model.
An NMR database for simulations of membrane dynamics.

Abstract Computational methods are powerful in capturing the results of experimental studies in terms of force fields that both explain and predict biological structures. Validation of molecular simulations requires comparison with experimental data to test and confirm computational predictions. Here we report a comprehensive database of NMR results for membrane phospholipids with interpretations intended to be accessible by non-NMR specialists. Experimental 13C–1H and 2H NMR segmental order parameters (SCH or SCD) and spin-lattice (Zeeman) relaxation times (T1Z) are summarized in convenient tabular form for various saturated, unsaturated, and biological membrane phospholipids. Segmental order parameters give direct information about bilayer structural properties, including the area per lipid and volumetric hydrocarbon thickness. In addition, relaxation rates provide complementary information about molecular dynamics. Particular attention is paid to the magnetic field dependence (frequency dispersion) of the NMR relaxation rates in terms of various simplified power laws. Model-free reduction of the T1Z studies in terms of a power-law formalism shows that the relaxation rates for saturated phosphatidylcholines follow a single frequency-dispersive trend within the MHz regime. We show how analytical models can guide the continued development of atomistic and coarse-grained force fields. Our interpretation suggests that lipid diffusion and collective order fluctuations are implicitly governed by the viscoelastic nature of the liquid-crystalline ensemble. Collective bilayer excitations are emergent over mesoscopic length scales that fall between the molecular and bilayer dimensions, and are important for lipid organization and lipid-protein interactions. Future conceptual advances and theoretical reductions will foster understanding of biomembrane structural dynamics through a synergy of NMR measurements and molecular simulations.
A framework to assess the development and capacity of non-profit agencies

Abstract In this article, we present a framework to assess non-profit agencies' levels of development and capacity. The framework is useful for evaluation because it helps to predict and explain program implementation. The framework is useful for program planning because planners must select organizations that are suitable to implement programs, and sometimes they must build organizations' capacity to do the work. A scoring rubric called the stages of organizational change measures development and capacity, using the maturity modeling approach. Maturity modeling is a technique that emerged from the worlds of business and technology. ‘Maturity’ does not imply value judgments about organizations; rather, the level of development and capacity should fit the services to be delivered. The scoring rubric has good reliability and validity and has been applied in three ways: (1) to assess agency capacity at a single time point; (2) to describe capacity development; and (3) to evaluate capacity building initiatives.
Voronoi tessellated halftone masks

A new algorithm to build blue noise masks using centroidal Voronoi tessellations (CVT) and a variant of Lloyd's Algorithm is presented. The algorithm takes advantage of the optimality properties of CVTs and through a modified version of Lloyd's algorithm, achieves optimization of the stacked binary patterns that build the mask. A new ordering for binary pattern design is presented, as well as a new metric that allows the creation of quality profiles of the masks. The masks generated by this method are used to halftone sample images, and quality profiles are created. It is shown that CVT masks outperform masks created by DBS and VaC according to the new metric defined and thorough visual inspection of halftoned images.
The rule of operator mixing

Abstract In renormalizable field theories with a dimensionless parameter, the canonical structure of the operator mixing is determined completely by the first-order anomalous dimensions in the parameter.
Improving Transient Error Tolerance of Digital VLSI Circuits Using RObustness COmpiler (ROCO)

Due to aggressive technology scaling, VLSI circuits are becoming increasingly susceptible to transient errors caused by single-event-upsets (SEUs). In this paper, we introduce two circuit-level techniques to efficiently yet economically improve SEU tolerance of static CMOS digital circuits. We also developed a "Robustness COmpiler (ROCO)" to integrate these techniques into the existing design flow to achieve high level of reliability at low design cost. Experiment results show that the proposed methodology is able to greatly improve the circuits' SEU tolerance with zero timing overhead and very limited area penalty.
Outcomes of programs serving mothers with psychiatric disabilities and their young children: a multisite case file abstraction study.

Objective: This multisite study examined outcomes of mothers with mental illnesses receiving integrated clinical, rehabilitation, and parenting services for their preschool-age children. Mothers’ outcomes included independent living and employment status, custody loss and reunification, psychiatric hospitalization, and substance abuse. Method: Retrospective case file abstraction yielded data regarding 104 mothers served over 12-month periods during 1995–1999 at 4 programs located in 3 different states. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) analysis explored associations between outcomes and predictors from prior research, controlling for study site. Results: During their first 12 months of program participation, significant increases were found in the proportions of mothers employed and living independently. Significant decreases were noted in the proportion of mothers abusing substances. Although 10% of the women served lost formal custody during their first year of participation, 22% were reunited with 1 or more children. In MLR analysis, mothers who abused substances were more likely to have experienced childhood sexual abuse and custody loss; those who were psychiatrically hospitalized were more likely to have abused substances, lost custody of 1 or more children, and had more disabling forms of mental illness; and those who lost custody of 1 or more children were more likely to have experienced a psychiatric hospitalization and less likely to be residing with 3 or more children. Conclusions: Programs for mothers with mental illness and their preschool children address service needs in an integrated fashion that appears to improve clinical and rehabilitation outcomes, while preventing custody loss and supporting reunification.
Identifying reference genes with stable expression from high throughput sequence data.

Genes that are constitutively expressed across multiple environmental stimuli are crucial to quantifying differentially expressed genes, particularly when employing quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. However, the identification of these potential reference genes in non-model organisms is challenging and is often guided by expression patterns in distantly related organisms. Here, transcriptome datasets from the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana grown under replete, phosphorus-limited, iron-limited, and phosphorus and iron co-limited nutrient regimes were analyzed through literature-based searches for homologous reference genes, k-means clustering, and Analysis of Sequence Counts (ASC) to identify putative reference genes. A total of 9759 genes were identified and screened for stable expression. Literature-based searches surveyed 18 generally accepted reference genes, revealing 101 homologs in T. pseudonana with variable expression and a wide range of mean tags per million. K-means analysis parsed the whole transcriptome into 15 clusters. The two most stable clusters contained 709 genes but still had distinct patterns in expression. ASC analyses identified 179 genes that were stably expressed (p < 0.1 for 1.25 fold change). Genes known to have a stable expression pattern across the test treatments, like actin, were identified in this pool of 179 candidate genes. ASC can be employed on data without biological replicates and was more robust than the k-means approach in isolating genes with stable expression. The intersection of the genes identified through ASC with commonly used reference genes from the literature suggests that actin and ubiquitin ligase may be useful reference genes for T. pseudonana and potentially other diatoms. With the wealth of transcriptome sequence data becoming available, ASC can be easily applied to transcriptome datasets from other phytoplankton to identify reference genes.
INTESTINAL AND PULMONARY MUCOSAL T CELLS: Local Heroes Fight to Maintain the Status Quo

Mucosal immunity in the lung and intestine is controlled by complex multifaceted systems. While mucosal T cells are essential for protection against invading pathogens owing to their proximity to the outside world, powerful systems must also be in place to harness ongoing inflammatory processes. In each site, distinct anatomical structures play key roles in mounting and executing both protective and deleterious mucosal T cell responses. Although analogies can be drawn regarding the immune systems of these two organs, there are substantial dissimilarities necessitated by unique physiologic constraints. Here, we discuss how T cell activation and effector function are generated in the mucosae.
Extending the Pair Programming Pedagogy to Support Remote Collaborations in CS Education

Pair programming has been shown to have demonstrable benefits in computer science education at collegiate levels. However, because it is an approach that involves two programmers working collaboratively at one computer, the model does not work as well when a project involves remote collaborators, or with teams of more than two students. In this paper, I outline an approach that is more appropriate for remote collaborations and that can involve teams with more than two members. Another problematic issue with pair programming is that one student in the pair can end up completing the lion’s share of a programming task even though during pair programming sessions students are supposed to voluntarily follow rules that equalize the programming effort. The remote approach outlined here involves a client-server management model that alleviates the problem of how to ensure a more equitable distribution of the collaborative tasks.
Integrating expert systems into compiler technology in an accounting environment

The near universal automation of corporate accounting has made computer languages the de facto language of business-one which may be inefficient, which may ignore fundamental accounting objectives and constraints, and which may be fundamentally ambiguous where ambiguity has detrimental consequences in decision making and litigation. The growth of accounting automation suggests the need for expert systems applications in accounting which recognize accounting's institutional constraints and objectives, and which can result in efficient and unambiguous systems implementation. This paper discusses prior constructs, current issues and potential applications of expert systems in providing a computer based language for accounting information systems. >
How Common is “Common Knowledge” about Child Witnesses among Legal Professionals? Comparing Interviewers, Public Defenders, and Forensic Psychologists with Laypeople

The present study evaluates the knowledge of jury-eligible college students (n =192), investigative interviewers (n =44), forensic psychologists (n =39), and public defenders (n =137) in regard to the research on interviewing children. These groups’ knowledge was compared with the scientific research on the impact of interview techniques and practices on the accuracy of child witnesses. Jury-eligible students were the least knowledgeable, but their accuracy varied widely across items. Both interviewers and public defenders performed better than jury-eligible students, but they lacked substantial knowledge about the research on interviewing children on certain topics (e.g., using anatomically detailed dolls); forensic psychologists were the most knowledgeable. These findings suggest that professionals in the legal system need substantial professional development regarding the research on interviewing strategies with child witnesses. They also highlight the need for experts to provide case-relevant information to juries who lack basic information about the validity and reliability of children's reports. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assembly of parts with irregular surfaces using active force sensing

A new approach to force guided assembly is developed for the assembly of unsurfaced parts having sharp burrs and irregular surfaces. Due to friction at burrs and irregular surfaces, force signals are very noisy and erratic, preventing reliable sensing and monitoring of the assembly process. In this paper, instead of simply measuring contact forces, we take positive actions by actively shaking the end effector and observing the reaction forces to the perturbation in order to obtain rich, reliable information. By taking the correlation between the input perturbation and the resultant reaction forces, we can determine the direction of the part surface and guide the hand-held part correctly despite burrs and poor surface finish. The principle of active force sensing using a correlation technique is described. An algorithm for guiding an assembly part by using the correlation information is developed based on the theory of direct adaptive control. The method is then applied to a practical task: the assembly of sheet metal parts with sharp edges and burrs. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the active force sensing method. >
Flexible adaptive filtering by minimization of error entropy bound and its application to system identification

It has been shown that using minimum error entropy as the cost function leads to important performance gains in adaptive filtering, especially when the Gaussianity assumptions on the error distribution do not hold. In this paper, we show that by using the entropy bound rather than the entropy, we can derive an efficient algorithm for supervised training. We demonstrate its effectiveness by a system identification problem using a generalized Gaussian noise model.
The impact of chronic cigarette smoking on recovery from cortical gray matter perfusion deficits in alcohol dependence: longitudinal arterial spin labeling MRI.

Background: Neuroimaging studies reported cerebral perfusion abnormalities in individuals with alcohol use disorders. However, no longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of cerebral perfusion changes during abstinence from alcohol have been reported. Methods: Arterial spin labeling MRI was used to evaluate cortical gray matter perfusion changes in short-term abstinent alcohol dependent individuals in treatment and to assess the impact of chronic cigarette smoking on perfusion changes during abstinence. Seventy-six patients were scanned at least once. Data from 19 non-smoking (17 males, 2 females) and 22 smoking (21 males, 1 female) patients scanned at 1 and 5 weeks of abstinence were used to assess perfusion changes over time. Twenty-eight age-equated healthy controls (25 males, 3 females) were scanned for cross-sectional comparison, 13 of them were scanned twice. Given the age range of the cohort (28 to 68 years), age was used as a covariate in the analyses. Mean perfusion was measured in voxels of at least 80% gray matter in the frontal and parietal lobes and related to neurocognitive and substance use measures. Results: At 1 week of abstinence, frontal and parietal gray matter perfusion in smoking alcoholics was not significantly different from that in non-smoking alcoholics, but each group’s perfusion values were significantly lower than in controls. After 5 weeks of abstinence, perfusion of frontal and parietal gray matter in non-smoking alcoholics was significantly higher than that at baseline. However, in smoking alcoholics, perfusion was not significantly different between the time-points in either region. The total number of cigarettes smoked per day was negatively correlated with frontal gray matter perfusion measured at 5 weeks of abstinence. Lobar perfusion measures did not correlate significantly with drinking severity or cognitive domain measures at either
Biculturalism A Model of the Effects of Second-Culture Exposure on Acculturation and Integrative Complexity

Growing numbers of people are being exposed to a second culture, yet the process by which individuals absorb a cultural identity and the role played by second-culture exposure in shaping sociocognitive skills have received little theoretical attention. This article begins to fill these knowledge gaps by delineating the factors that affect the adoption of specific acculturation strategies and focusing on the power of secondculture exposure to stimulate integratively complex cognitions that give people the flexibility to shift rapidly from one cultural meaning system to another. We propose a model, influenced by prior work on value pluralism and accountability, which outlines the underlying mechanisms that determine acculturation choice and that produce both individual difference and situational variation in integrative complexity of social functioning. Implications for expatriate performance are discussed.
STABILIZATION OF CRUSTAL SUBSIDENCE IN GEOSYNCLINAL TERRANES BY PHASE TRANSITION AT M—A REPLY

Isostatic calculations indicate that a mechanism of geosynclinal subsidence based on a phase transformation at the M discontinuity possesses an inherent stability that will tend to maintain the upper surface of sediments near sea level regardless of fluctuations in the rate of geoisotherm depression or in the rate of sedimentation. This effect may help in the understanding of sedimentation in geosynclinal and stable-shelf terrane.
The early days of infrared space astronomy

Infrared observations can provide a number of unique perspectives on the Universe. This article concerns itself with the men and women who pioneered infrared space astronomy, traces the different techniques they employed, describes the trials and tribulations they had to overcome, and lists some of the gains they achieved. In the process it also examines the social institutions, both academic and military, that were most influential in determining the evolution of the field.
Opto-electronic oscillator incorporating carrier suppression noise reduction technique

The noise performance of the optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) has been improved by about 20 dB. This improvement is obtained with a novel implementation of the carrier suppression technique. This performance is significant because the oscillator is free-running; and since the noise in an OEO is independent of the oscillation frequency, the same performance may also be obtained at higher frequency. We have recently developed a novel carrier suppression technique to reduce the 1/f phase noise of the oscillator even further. The technique is based on the use of a long fiber delay.
Some Delayed Effects of Partial-body Irradiation in Mice of the RF Strain

SummaryThe effects of partial-body irradiation on life-span and incidence of disease were studied in young adult female RF mice treated as follows: 100 r x-rays to whole body, 300 r x-rays to whole body, 300 r x-rays to upper third of body, 300 r x-rays to middle third of body, 300 r x-rays to lower third of body, and non-irradiated controls. The mean survival-times of the aforementioned groups were 17·8, 15·2, 18·7, 18·6, 18·4 and 19·2 months, respectively. The incidence of thymic lymphoma was 25, 30, 11, 14, 19 and 19 per cent, and of myeloid leukaemia, 5, 15, 3, 3, 4 and 5 per cent. Partial-body irradiation induced lens opacities and ovarian tumours, but only when the lens and ovaries, respectively, were exposed.
Confidence assessment in model-based structural health monitoring

This paper presents a methodology for confidence assessment in model-based structural health monitoring, using the domain of fatigue crack growth analysis. Several models - finite element model, crack growth model, surrogate model, etc. - are connected through a Bayes network that aids in model calibration, uncertainty quantification, and model validation. Three types of uncertainty are included in both uncertainty quantification and model validation: (1) natural variability in loading and material properties; (2) data uncertainty due to measurement errors, sparse data, and different inspection scenarios (crack not detected, crack detected but size not measured, and crack detected with size measurement); and (3) modeling uncertainty and errors during crack growth analysis, numerical approximations, and finite element discretization. Global sensitivity analysis is used to quantify the contribution of each source of uncertainty to the overall prediction uncertainty and identify the important parameters that need to be calibrated. Bayesian hypothesis testing is used for model validation and the Bayes factor metric is used to quantify the confidence in the model prediction. 1 2
Proactively Establishing a Biologic Specimens Repository for Large Clinical Trials: An Idea Whose Time has Come

Large randomized clinical trials are becoming more costly, and resources to support them increasingly scarce. Biologic materials, such as blood, DNA, body fluids, or tissue samples collected and stored as a component of these studies represent an invaluable resource, to answer immediate secondary hypotheses, but also as archived material, linked to the study data, for the use of investigators long into the future. The regulatory climate surrounding the storage and future unconstrained utilization of biologic materials is evolving quickly. It is no longer acceptable simply to store samples and use them in an unbridled and unregulated fashion. Thus, to fully utilize the tremendous potential of biologic samples generated from large clinical trials and their related databases, investigators should consider proactively creating a biologic specimen repository, or biorepository. A repository likely assures appropriate subject consent, sample provenance, secure storage, and codified procedures for sample and data retrieval and sharing that protect the subject's confidentiality, the investigator's need for accurate data, and the limited resource. Importantly, the biorepository specimens/samples are typically collected in addition to local and core specimens obtained for the parent study that provide baseline assessments for safety and efficacy outcomes.
Factors Influencing Blind Conflict Risk in En Route Sectors Under Free-Flight Conditions

We develop a simulation model of the flight of aircraft through an en route sector. The model is used in two experiments. The first studies the effect of directional clumping on risk. The second is a full factorial design with replication, which simulates a large number of scenarios to assess the impact of key input factors on free-flight risk measures. We measure risk for a given flight by the mean distance of closest approach to other aircraft and the mean number of approaches closer than a specified distance. Using analysis of variance and regression analysis, we determine that the most important influences on blind collision risk are time of entry into the sector and number of aircraft. Also influential are certain orientations of flight paths and the distribution of airspeeds. The least important factor is altitude. The relationship between number of aircraft and the two risk measures can be quantified in regression relationships.
Static and dynamic analysis of tunable two-section high-speed distributed feedback laser utilizing the gain lever effect

Analysis of a novel semiconductor laser structure designed for obtaining wide tuning range along with high speed modulation response is presented. The laser consists of a composite cavity structure with two active (gain) sections. One of the sections has a grating corrugation while the other is flat. A detailed round-trip analysis is combined with the rate equations, which include sublinear gain/carrier relation, to perform steady-state and small-signal analysis. It is shown that the biasing (dc) condition of the different sections plays a critical role in the determination of the dynamic response of the device. In addition, we show that the gain-lever effect can be utilized for a considerable enhancement of the frequency modulation (FM) response. Other critical structural parameters such as the grating coupling coefficient and device geometry are discussed.