cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public expenditures and the production of education

The relationship between public education expenditures and student outcomes remains an important concern for policy analysts, educational administrators, and the public at large. While previous studies have failed to identify a consistent relationship between public investments in education and positive student outcomes, most analyses have not accounted for the different educational goals associated with various instructional expenditure categories. This study builds on prior research by using Pennsylvania’s public school districts to test proposed improvements in model specification for the traditional education production function. Using longitudinal, fixed-effects models, a detailed disaggregation of instructional expenditures is undertaken in order to account for the likelihood that different instructional subcategories (i.e. regular programming, special education, and vocational instruction) influence student outcomes in varying ways. The results suggest that the impact of expenditures may be understated in previous studies based on a failure to account for these distinctions, particularly in the case of Mathematics education.
Political Ideology and Immigrant Acceptance

How does political ideology influence the ways individuals reason about immigrants? Analyzing data from a 2013 national survey, this study offers new perspective on the relevance of political ideol...
Performance of five-or-more-pixel event sequence reconstruction for 3-D semiconductor gamma-ray-imaging spectrometers

The performance of sequence-order reconstruction for five- and six-interaction events is investigated for a single 20 mm × 20 mm × 15 mm CdZnTe (CZT) detector as well as a 3 × 3 × 2 array of these detectors. Simulations are performed for both systems and experimental results are presented for a single 3-D-position-sensitive CZT detector. Two sequence reconstruction methods are evaluated. A deterministic method is based on the probability of each interaction to occur for a given event. A minimum squared difference (MSD) technique compares the scatter angles calculated from geometry and from deposited energies. These two methods are evaluated based on the percentage of reconstructed events that produce a correct Compton cone for image reconstruction. Since the scatteringangle uncertainty decreases in the array system due to the larger average separation between interactions, sequence reconstruction for the MSD method performs better for the array system than the single detector.
Kidney cancer in 2016: The evolution of anti-angiogenic therapy for kidney cancer.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target pro-angiogenic pathways improve progression-free and overall survival in patients with metastatic kidney cancer and were thus tested in the adjuvant setting in studies published this past year. 2016 also saw the emergence of new inhibitors of pro-angiogenic pathways that might represent the next step in kidney cancer therapy.
Stock splits to profit insider trading: Lessons from an emerging market

Abstract Stock splits have long presented financial puzzles: Why are they undertaken? Why are they associated with abnormal returns? Abnormal returns, particularly those coming shortly before a split’s announcement date, should raise strong suspicions of insider trading, particularly in nations with weak regulatory structures. We examined the 718 split events in the emerging stock market of Vietnam from 2007 through 2011. We found evidence consistent with illegal insider trading, particularly in firms that were vulnerable to insider manipulation and, therefore, more likely to split their stocks. When vulnerable firms’ stocks did split, they provided significant excess short-term returns. Tellingly, the abnormal returns on those stocks prior to the split announcements were also extremely high, indeed higher than their abnormal post-announcement returns. Moreover, trading volume increased prior to the split announcement date. This suspicious pattern is what we would expect if insiders were trading on their knowledge. We propose that illegal insider trading in contexts where it is possible to escape serious penalty provides a previously undiscussed and cogent explanation for both stock splits and abnormal short-term returns.
Technology licensors and licensees: who they are, what resources they employ, and how they feel

Based on a recent survey conducted among US companies, this paper reports how technology licensors and licensees differ from non–participants. The author finds that industry affiliation, firm size and R&D spending correlate significantly with a firm's participation in licensing. In order to determine why many firms still stay away from this format of technology acquisition and exploitation, the author also examines the resources employed by current licensing participants and the sources of their satisfaction/dissatisfaction, and offers comments on ways to help non–participants become participants.
Optimization of Microelectrode Recording in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Using Intraoperative Computed Tomography.

Background Microelectrode recording (MER) is used to confirm targeting accuracy during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. We describe a technique using intraoperative computed tomography (CT) extrapolation (iCTE) to predetermine and adjust the trajectory of the guide tube to improve microelectrode targeting accuracy. We hypothesized that this technique would decrease the number of MER tracks and operative time, while increasing the recorded length of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Methods Thirty-nine patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent STN DBS before the iCTE method were compared with 33 patients undergoing STN DBS using iCTE. Before dural opening, a guide tube was inserted and rested on dura. Intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) was performed, and a trajectory was created along the guide tube and extrapolated to the target using targeting software. If necessary, headstage adjustments were made to correct for error. The guide tube was inserted, and MER was performed. iCT was performed with the microelectrode tip at the target. Coordinates were compared with planned/adjusted track coordinates. Radial error between the MER track and the planned/adjusted track was calculated. Cases before and after implementation of iCTE were compared to determine the impact of iCTE on operative time, number of MER tracks and recorded STN length. Results The use of iCTE reduced the average radial MER track error from 1.90 ± 0.12 mm (n = 54) to 0.84 ± 0.09 mm (n = 49) ( P P P P Conclusion iCTE improves microelectrode accuracy and increases the first-pass recorded length of STN, while reducing operative time. Further studies are needed to determine whether this technique leads to less morbidity and improved clinical outcomes.
Wiretap channels with random states

We propose a new encoding scheme for the wiretap channels with a random state known non-causally to the encoder but not necessarily to the decoder (the Gelfand-Pinsker setting). This setting combines two scenarios with celebrated results in information theory-the wiretap channel and the Gelfand-Pinsker channel-and it so happens that essentially the same encoding scheme is optimal for both scenarios individually. A decade ago, Chen and Han Vinck analyzed the secrecy rates achieved by that same encoding scheme. Quite surprisingly, Chia and El Gamal more recently showed that a different encoding scheme which explicitly extracts a key from the state to be used for encryption can sometimes outperform that scheme. In this work, we show a simple superposition code design which performs at least as well as both of these competing schemes, accomplishing the key agreement concept in a more subtle way through the selection of the auxiliary random variables.
Play, Flow, and Tailoring Identity in Middle Adulthood

Identity provides a sense of meaning and direction in life by helping to clarify our role in the world and connection to others (Erikson EH: Identity: youth and crisis. Norton, New York, 1968). However, identity is not a static achievement; it evolves over time. As life circumstances change, so must the ensemble of goals, values, and beliefs that form the self and identity around which our lives revolve. There are numerous circumstances in midlife that can initiate identity change, including traumatic events (McAdams DP: The stories we live by: personal myth and the making of the self. Morrow, New York, 1993), debilitating illness (Ellis C: Qual Health Res 9(5):669–683, 1999), and challenges encountered at home or at work. In the absence of events that force change, however, identity growth depends on the willingness of the person to voluntarily step outside their comfort zone to engage in challenges sufficient to require a reorganization of priorities and goals. It is this self-initiated aspect of identity change that we focus on in this chapter, especially in relation to the use of intrinsically motivated leisure pursuits that are based on the human capacity for lifelong play (Graham KL, Burghhardt GM: Quart Rev Biol 85(4):393–418, 2010; Montagu A: Growing young. Bergin & Garvey, Boston, 1989). After articulating a framework for thinking about play, flow experience, and identity development, the chapter focuses on three men in middle adulthood who, despite having favorable life circumstances, elected to engage challenging leisure-play pursuits that helped tailor their identities and promote successful aging.
Superior Electro-Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance of Monolayer Transition Metal Disulfides

Physics of monolayer and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and chemistry of few-layer TMDs have been well studied in recent years in the context of future electronic, optoelectronic, and energy harvesting applications. However, what has escaped the attention of the scientific community is the unique chemistry of monolayer TMDs. It has been demonstrated that the basal plane of multilayer TMDs is chemically inert, whereas edge sites are chemically active. In this article, we experimentally demonstrate that the edge reactivity of the TMDs can be significantly impeded at the monolayer limit through monolayer/substrate interaction, thus making the monolayers highly resistant to electrooxidation and corrosion. In particular, we found that few-layer flakes of MoS2 and WS2 exfoliated on conductive TiN substrates are readily corroded beyond a certain positive electrode potential, while monolayer remnants are left behind unscathed. The electrooxidation resistance of monolayers was confirmed using a ...
Chronic Sore Throat

Chronic sore throat is usually caused by non-infectious processes, such as gastrointestinal reflux. Autoimmune diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris and mucous membrane pemphigoid, are less common etiologies. Malignancy is important to exclude in any patient with chronic throat pain or hoarseness. Infectious causes of these symptoms include Mycobacterium tuberculosis and various types of fungi, such as Candida, Cryptococcus, and endemic fungi (Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, and Paracoccidioides). This chapter reviews the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of various non-infectious and infectious causes of chronic sore throat.
Seasonal changes in the taxonomic composition of epiphytic algal communities in Lake Wingra, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

As mixed assemblages of organisms, epiphytic algal communities exhibit seasonal patterns in species abundance reflecting the biotic and abiotic factors impinging on the community. Certain groups of algae are characteristic of certain seasons of the year. Numerous studies have suggested a relationship between the species composition of algal communities and nutrients (Lund 1950; Schelske & Stoermer 1971; Moss 1976), temperature (Klarer & Hickman 1975), irradiance (Lund 1949; Pechlander 1970), or grazing (Porter 1973). Depth variations in species composition may reflect differential adaptation to light.
Testing the Usage-Based Model: Semantic Compatibility, Frequency and Ease of Processing in Constructions

This study attempts to provide evidence for certain predictions of the usage-based model (Kemmer and Barlow 2000) that if a construction is semantically highly compatible with a given verb, the usage of the collostruction (the verb construction complex, Stefanowitsch and Gries 2003) will correlate with greater ease of processing and also with higher frequency, compared to cases of lower semantic compatibility. The collostructions examined in this study are composed of a verb and a following construction '"that" finite clausal complement' (e.g. "John thought that Jill went to school"). In order to examine native speakers' knowledge about semantic compatibility, I conducted a web-based survey asking for judgments on the naturalness of collostructions with a sentential complement introduced by various verbs. I selected 22 verbs which were expected to have different degrees of semantic compatibility with '"that" clause'. 43 native speakers of English graded the naturalness of each sentence on a seven point scale. The result of repeated measure ANOVA showed that that the verbs can be ordered according to their degree of compatibility (Linear trend, F(1,42) = 2043.61, p To examine the aspect of online processing, I conducted an experiment to measure response time. Based on the results of the survey, 8 verbs were selected: "think/learn" as the most semantically compatible with '"that" clause', "cause/hit" as the least compatible, and "see/mean" and "teach/advise" in the middle. 27 native speakers of English read a set of sentences word by word: one word on the screen at a time. Then, they judged the naturalness of the sentence. The response times taken for each word, each sentence, and the judgment were measured. The most noticeable result was that the word next to the complementizer "that" (ie. the subject of the clausal complement) was processed faster if the collostruction was more compatible (Linear trend, F(1,26) = 16.92, p Lastly, the result from the corpus data (Corpus of Spoken Professional American English) showed that more compatible collostructions were, as predicted, more frequent (eg. "thought that": 1.4%, "taught that": 0.5%, "hit that": 0%). This study provides evidence linking semantic compatibility of lexical items and host constructions with ease of processing and with frequency, as expected by the usage-based model.
Perspective on TCAD Integration at Berkeley

A perspective on TCAD integration is given along with highlights from work at Berkeley on applications and future systems which contain exploratory aspects of interest in TCAD development. The aspects of interest include process flow simulation, linking to the IC designer, design task interfaces, utilities for mapping data between simulators, computational geometry algorithms, and interfacing and testing centralized computational services from solid modelers.
The scientific basis of flocculator design

A new guideline for the design of flocculators is proposed. This guideline is to design continuous flow flocculators on the basis of the characteristic reaction time for the loss of one micrometre particles in the suspension. The most commonly used guideline at the present time is that of Camp, but later proposals by Ives and O'Melia expanded the Camp guideline and incorporated more complete knowledge of flocculation. The suggestion here continues that process, by accounting explicitly for the heterodisperse nature of typical suspensions and the multiple collision mechanisms for particles in determining a characteristic reaction time. While the historical guidelines have served the water treatment industry well for reasonably similar size distributions in waters destabilized by precipitating metal hydroxides, the proposed guideline should be more robust in considering other suspensions. In particular, the new guideline can account explicitly for the effects of nanoparticles on flocculation.
Tibial subluxation in anterior cruciate ligament–deficient knees: Implications for tibial tunnel placement

Abstract Purpose: This study was performed to determine whether subtle anterior subluxation occurs in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)–deficient knees with the knee in full extension. Type of study: Radiographic evaluation of tibial position in ACL-intact and ACL-deficient knees. Methods: Twenty-four subjects with arthroscopically documented ACL-deficient knees were compared with 20 subjects with arthroscopically documented ACL-intact knees. A previously reported method was used to evaluate the tibial position relative to the femur. Results: Measurements on standing lateral radiographs revealed asymptomatic but significant anterior subluxation of the tibia compared with the ACL-intact subjects. Conclusions: The possibility of anterior tibial subluxation with the knee in full extension should be taken into account when deciding on tibial tunnel placement or when evaluating for postoperative graft impingement by the intercondylar notch. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 17, No 9 (November-December), 2001: pp 960–962
The synergistic interaction between sulfate-reducing bacteria and pyrogenic carbonaceous matter in DDT decay.

Although 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) was banned in the United States in 1972, it is still often detected in sediments where pyrogenic carbonaceous matter (PCM) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) co-exist. In this study, we found that 70.2 ± 0.2% of DDT disappeared in the presence of SRB and graphite powder, a model PCM, after 21 days at pH 7. Our results suggest that the observed DDT decay was due to the reaction between graphite powder and the reduced sulfur species that were produced by SRB. No biofilm formation was observed on the surface of graphite powder. Rather, the activity of SRB was inhibited by the presence of graphite powder. To understand the involvement of PCM in DDT decay, electrochemical cells and batch reactor experiments with sulfur-pretreated PCM as well as direct electrochemical reduction by a potentiostat were employed. Our results suggest that polysulfide, sulfide, sulfite, and thiosulfate could all react with PCM, forming surface-bound intermediates that subsequently led to DDT decay. The reactivity of reduced sulfur species was the highest for polysulfide, followed by sulfide, sulfite, and thiosulfate.
Rearchitecting Data for Researchers: A Collaborative Model for Enabling Institutional Learning Analytics in Higher Education

This article presents the case of the Learning Analytics Architecture (LARC) dataset, a collaborative effort at the University of Michigan to develop a common and extensible tool using administrative data and designed primarily for learning analytics researchers to investigate enrolled students’ academic careers, demographics, and related teaching and learning outcomes. The institutional context prior to the creation of the dataset and the rationale, design, development, and maintenance involved in creating LARC are all detailed. Also discussed are the procedures for access, documentation, and ensuring the continued usability and relevance of the dataset for a growing learning analytics and data science research community. The authors conclude the case description with recommendations for institutions seeking to replicate this effort.
Heritability of the Fibromyalgia Phenotype Varies by Age

Objective Many studies suggest a strong familial component to fibromyalgia (FM). However, those studies have nearly all been confined to individuals with primary FM, i.e., FM without any other accompanying disorder. The current 2011 and 2016 criteria for diagnosing FM construct a score using a combination of the number of painful body sites and the severity of somatic symptoms (FM score). This study was undertaken to estimate the genetic heritability of the FM score across sex and age groups to identify subgroups of individuals with greater heritability, which may help in the design of future genetic studies. Methods We collected data on 26,749 individuals of European ancestry undergoing elective surgery at the University of Michigan (Michigan Genomics Initiative study). We estimated the single-nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability of FM score by age and sex categories using genome-wide association study data and a linear mixed-effects model. Results Overall, the FM score had an estimated heritability of 13.9% (SE 2.9%) (P = 1.6 × 10-7 ). Estimated FM score heritability was highest in individuals ≤50 years of age (23.5%; SE 7.9%) (P = 3.0 ×10-4 ) and lowest in individuals >60 years of age (7.5%; SE 8.1%) (P = 0.41). These patterns remained the same when we analyzed FM as a case-control phenotype. Even though women had an ~30% higher average FM score than men across age categories, FM score heritability did not differ significantly by sex. Conclusion Younger individuals appear to have a much stronger genetic component to the FM score than older individuals. Older individuals may be more likely to have what was previously called "secondary FM." Regardless of the cause, these results have implications for future genetic studies of FM and associated conditions.
Theresa, I Miss You (Arsenale Veneto)

This poem was written after a long day at the 2019 Venice Biennale. It is from a body of work—spanning research, writing, and performance—dedicated to Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. Cha's seminal autoethno...
Crumple Trees

We introduce the crumple tree, an alternative derivation of the wavl binary search tree that facilitates discovery learning. The crumple tree is distinguished by features that aid teaching and learning: its balance invariant corresponds to the intuitive notion of stretching or crumpling yarn; it is straightforward to draw, digitally or by hand, in both balanced and imbalanced states; the rebalancing operations derive organically from the invariant and drawings, and could be discovered by students themselves; both insertion and deletion are straightforward enough to cover in an undergraduate course; and implementing a crumple tree is an achievable undertaking for undergraduate students.
Open-source Multi-speaker Corpora of the English Accents in the British Isles

This paper presents a dataset of transcribed high-quality audio of English sentences recorded by volunteers speaking with different accents of the British Isles. The dataset is intended for linguistic analysis as well as use for speech technologies. The recording scripts were curated specifically for accent elicitation, covering a variety of phonological phenomena and providing a high phoneme coverage. The scripts include pronunciations of global locations, major airlines and common personal names in different accents; and native speaker pronunciations of local words. Overlapping lines for all speakers were included for idiolect elicitation, which include the same or similar lines with other existing resources such as the CSTR VCTK corpus and the Speech Accent Archive to allow for easy comparison of personal and regional accents. The resulting corpora include over 31 hours of recordings from 120 volunteers who self-identify as native speakers of Southern England, Midlands, Northern England, Welsh, Scottish and Irish varieties of English.
Synergistic computational and experimental discovery of novel magnetic materials

New magnetic materials for energy and information-processing applications are of paramount importance in view of significant global challenges in environmental and information security. The discovery and design of materials requires efficient computational and experimental approaches for high throughput and efficiency. When increasingly powerful computational techniques are combined with special non-equilibrium fabrication methods, the search can uncover metastable compounds with desired magnetic properties. Here we review recent results on novel Fe-, Co- and Mn-rich magnetic compounds with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy, saturation magnetization, and Curie temperature created by combining experiments, adaptive genetic algorithm searches, and advanced electronic-structure computational methods. We discuss structural and magnetic properties of such materials including Co– and/or Fe–X compounds (X = N, Si, Sn, Zr, Hf, Y, C, S, Ti, or Mn), and their prospects for practical applications.
Using Real and Imaginary Cases to Communicate Aspects of Nature of Science

This chapter features a discussion of a three-pronged approach to the nature of science. The three elements that form the focus of instruction include an examination of science as doctrine (i.e., content), as process (i.e., method), and as social institution (i.e., values). The notion of content includes basic aspects of science, such as observation, experimentation, measurement, and models. The notion of method includes various conceptions of how science changes and progresses over time, for example, inductive accumulation of data or paradigmatic conceptual shifts. The notion of values includes epistemic and social values within the doing of science (e.g., distinterested objectivity while experimenting) and also about science (e.g., what phenomena science should or should not investigate and socially acceptable means of investigating those phenomena). In the context of the discussion of this three-pronged approach, various examples from the history of science are covered (e.g., the development of plate tectonics in geology). As a means of illustrating the usefulness of this approach, there is also a discussion of case studies, one imaginary and one real (the mass extinctions debates), as being particularly illustrative.
Preliminary Validation of an Abbreviated Acute Concussion Symptom Checklist Using Item Response Theory.

Background:Symptom assessment is a critical component of concussion diagnosis and management, with item selection primarily driven by clinical judgment or expert consensus. We recently demonstrated...
Improving the Quality of Survey Data on College Campus Woman Abuse: The Contribution of a Supplementary Open-Ended Question:

Obtaining accurate survey data on the prevalence of woman abuse in institutions of higher education continues to be a major methodological challenge. Underreporting is difficult to overcome; yet, t...
A Review of Multivariate Analysis and Machine Learning in Pediatric Epilepsy Research

Pediatric epilepsy presents some unique obstacles and opportunities in seizure control due to brain immaturity. Seizure detection and prediction, epileptogenic lesion identification, and clinical outcome prediction are all areas where multivariate analysis and machine learning methods are increasingly being employed in childhood epilepsy. This paper reviewed such studies in order to provide an overview of the subject, and discovered that these methods have made it possible to detect seizures on an electroencephalogram (EEG) and detect lesions on imaging automatically. Furthermore, despite the fact that seizure occurrence has long been thought to be random or unexpected, it has been discovered that seizures can occur non-randomly in complex patient-specific situations. Machine learning approaches can detect and distinguish preictal changes on EEG from interictal activities, allowing seizure occurrence to be predicted. However, there are significant challenges in seizure prediction, such as the need for sufficient clinical data and good machine learning algorithms to identify complex seizure occurrence patterns. In addition, outcome studies utilising multivariate analysis and machine learning techniques have revealed seizure outcome factors.Confirmatory studies are needed to make these relatively new procedures accurate and dependable, and more research is needed to improve them. Multivariate analysis and machine learning are expected to contribute more to identifying complex seizure patterns, epileptogenic lesions, and outcome predictors to improve seizure detection/prediction, lesion detection, and seizure outcome prediction, resulting in better seizure control to prevent seizure-related accidents/injury in children with epilepsy, lower mortality rates, improve quality of life and eventually set them free from seizures.
Factors affecting the pores of the inner wall endothelium of Schlemm's canal.

Purpose. A linear relationship between the density of pores in the inner wall of Schlemm's canal and aqueous outflow facility has been reported previously in a study in which investigators examined only eyes fixed at constant pressure, so that fixative flow rates differed from eye to eye. Because pores may form as a function of flow rate, the purpose in the current study was to verify the previous findings, using constant flow perfusions. Methods. Outflow facility was measured in enucleated human eyes. Eyes were fixed under either constant flow or constant pressure conditions, microdissected to expose the inner wall of Schlemm's canal, and prepared for scanning electron microscopy. The density and diameter of pores in the inner wall were measured. Results. Statistical analysis showed no correlation between outflow facility and either die density or the diameter of pores. Pore density decreased significantly during the hours after death. Examining only eyes for which experimentation was started within 20 hours of death, we found that pore density increased significandy with the volume of fixative that had been perfused through the outflow pathway. Conclusions. The correlation found by Allingham et al between outflow facility and pore density in the inner wall endothelium was not confirmed. However, the relationship between pore density and volume of fixative perfused is consistent with and may be responsible for the finding in the previous study. Because fixation conditions can influence the apparent pore density in the inner wall endothelium significandy, the conclusion reached previously, that pores contribute only 10% of die aqueous outflow resistance, may require reevaluation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1997;38:1517-1525.
Further studies on the nature of immunoreactive gastrin in human plasma.

Electrophoretic and filtration analysis of immunoreactive plasma gastrin extends our previous finding of two immunoreactive components of plasma gastrin. One component has the characteristics of Gregory-Tracy heptadecapeptide gastrin; the other component has a less acidic charge than heptadecapeptide gastrin but emerges from a Sephadex gel column in a zone consistent with a molecular weight of about 7000, which is 3 1/2 times the molecular weight of heptadecapeptide gastrin. The larger, more basic component (BG) usually represents the major fraction of plasma gastrin; the heptadecapeptide-like component (H-LG) is virtually undetectable in some samples. However, only (H-LG) was found in the urine of a patient whose plasma contained nearly equal amounts of both components. There is no spontaneous interconversion of the two components in vitro, and on refractionation each component retains its integrity. However, trypsin converts BG into an immunoreactive component with characteristics similar to those of heptadecapeptide gastrin. The separated plasma components individually are indistinguishable from each other and from heptadecapeptide porcine gastrin I in their immunochemical reaction with guinea pig antiporcine gastrin I antibodies. The secretion of both components is stimulated by feeding.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND MYSTICAL UNKNOWING: CONTEMPORARY INSIGHTS FROM MEDIEVAL SOURCES

Intellectual disabilities make people vulnerable to marginalization in churches and social spaces, but theology has not sufficiently attended to the topic and promoted the flourishing of people who have cognitive impairments. This article responds to theology's inadequate attention to intellectual disability and historical resources for reflection on the topic by reading medieval sources with intellectual disability in mind. I argue that Bonaventure's Itinerarium Mentis in Deum provides a model for imagining intellectually disabled and nondisabled people sharing the journey into God and that Eckhart's view of intellect as the uncreated element in the soul includes people who are intellectually disabled among those who may be united with God.
Augustine’s Confessions: Interiority at the Core of the Core Curriculum

When St. Bonaventure University decided to redesign its core curriculum, we turned to Bonaventure’s account of the mind’s journey to God in the Itinerarium Mentis in Deum as a paradigm by which to give coherence to the undergraduate experience consistent with our mission and tradition. Bonaventure was himself an Augustinian philosopher and thus Augustine’s Confessions holds a place of great significance in our first year seminar where it is studied in conjunction with Bonaventure’s inward turn to find God imprinted on his soul. This paper is an account of the original rationale for including Augustine’s Confessions in our curriculum and a report of continuing faculty and student attitudes towards that text nearly two decades later.
The process of infection with coliphage 17. VI. A phage gene controlling shutoff of host RNA synthesis.

Abstract Shutoff of host RNA synthesis after T7 infection is under the control of an early phage gene. A mutant which lacks the ability to shut off host transcription is deleted in the region to the left of gene 1 (RNA polymerase). This mutant fails to synthesize one of the early proteins of about 40,000 molecular weight.
GATA-1 Represses PU.1/Sfpi-1 Gene Transcription in Erythro-Megakaryocytic Progenitors.

Abstract Commitment of multipotential hematopoietic progenitors to unique cell fates is determined by the induction and interplay of specific nuclear factors that reinforce unilineage transcriptional programs. Previously, we reported that loss of transcription factor GATA-1 promotes the expansion of bipotential megakaryocyte erythroid progenitors (MEPs) from embryonic stem cell or fetal liver derived hematopoietic progenitors. These mutant cells, termed G1ME (for Gata-1−Megakaryocyte-Erythroid), proliferate in culture and differentiate into committed megakaryocytes and erythroblasts when GATA-1 activity is restored. To evaluate gene regulation at the MEP stage of hematopoiesis, we performed microarray analysis of G1ME cells before and after GATA-1-induced differentiation. Expression of GATA-1 in G1ME cells induced numerous erythroid and megakaryocytic target genes. In addition, undifferentiated G1ME cells expressed numerous granulocyte and macrophage genes, suggesting that loss of GATA-1 derepresses a myeloid program in MEPs. Myeloid genes were rapidly inhibited upon expression of GATA-1. In particular, mRNA encoding the myeloid transcription factor PU.1 and more than thirty of its downstream targets were repressed by GATA-1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) showed that GATA-1 bound directly to the PU.1 gene (Sfpi1) at the promoter and at a −18kb upstream region coincident with repression. At the same regions, GATA-1 triggered release of both GATA-2, a related transcription factor expressed in multipotential progenitors, and PU.1, a positive autoregulator of its own gene. While GATA-1 is known to inhibit PU.1 functions through direct protein interactions, this work shows that antagonism also occurs at the level of Sfpi1 gene transcription. Together, our findings indicate that GATA-1 not only positively regulates an erythro-megakaryocytic program of gene expression, but also actively restrains myelopoiesis by inhibiting Sfpi1 expression directly. More generally, our work reveals a new mechanism through which cross-antagonism between transcription factors reinforces lineage commitment decisions in hematopoiesis.
Heuristic solution to a 10-city asymmetric traveling salesman problem using probabilistic DNA computing

DNA hybridization was used to make a probabilistic computation to identify the optimal path for a fully connected asymmetric 10 city traveling salesman problem. Answer set formation was achieved using a unique DNA 20mer for each edge capable of hybridizing to half of each neighboring vertex. This allowed the vertex 20mers to be linked in all possible combinations to form paths through the network. Hybridization occurred in the presence of an excess of vertex 20mers, while edge 20mers were added in limiting amounts inversely proportional to the weight of each edge, resulting in the paths with the least cumulative weight being the most abundant. Correct answers, 230bp in length, contained a single copy of each vertex and were purified by PAGE and by successive magnetic bead affinity separations with probes for each vertex. Answer detection was accomplished using LCR of probes complementary to each vertex in a manner that identified the sequential order of vertices in each path by identifying vertex pairs. Optimal answer identification was accomplished using a conventional computer by normalizing the abundance of vertex pairings, and was found to be the same as that calculated by in silico.
Novel salvage of queuine from queuosine and absence of queuine synthesis in Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Partially purified extracts from Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii catalyze the cleavage of queuosine (Q), a modified 7-deazaguanine nucleoside found exclusively in the first position of the anticodon of certain tRNAs, to queuine, the base of Q. This is the first report of an enzyme that specifically cleaves a 7-deazapurine riboside. Guanosine is not a substrate for this activity, nor is the epoxide a derivative of Q. We also establish that both algae can incorporate exogenously supplied queuine into their tRNA but lack Q-containing tRNA when cultivated in the absence of queuine, indicating that they are unable to synthesize Q de novo. Although no physiological function for Q has been identified in these algae, Q cleavage to queuine would enable algae to generate queuine from exogenous Q in the wild and also to salvage (and recycle) queuine from intracellular tRNA degraded during the normal turnover process. In mammalian cells, queuine salvage occurs by the specific cleavage of queuine from Q-59-phosphate. The present data also support the hypothesis that plants, like animals, cannot synthesize Q de novo.
"Love hurts": romantic attachment and depressive symptoms in pregnant adolescent and young adult couples.

Objective The current study investigates the relationship between romantic attachment style and depressive symptoms between both members of pregnant adolescent and young adult couples.
Properties of Ap stars in the ultraviolet

A review is presented of the current state of knowledge concerning the emitted flux distributions of Ap stars and their ultraviolet photometric variability especially as it relates to photometric and spectrum variability observed in the visible. A table of Ap stars observed in the ultraviolet from space vehicles is presented along with a graph which shows the observed flux distributions, normalized to unity flux at 3320 A, for the Si star theta Aur and for the normal stars 134 Tau and gamma UMa. Attention is given to ultraviolet color indices and ultraviolet light curves for variable Ap stars.
The Courage to Create

What if imagination and art are not, as many of us might think, the frosting on life but the fountainhead of human experience? What if our logic and science derive from art forms, rather than the other way around? In this trenchant volume, Rollo May helps all of us find those creative impulses that, once liberated, offer new possibilities for achievement. A renowned therapist and inspiring guide, Dr. May draws on his experience to show how we can break out of old patterns in our lives. His insightful book offers us a way through our fears into a fully realized self.
Race on the Line: Gender, Labor and Technology in the Bell System, 1880–1980 . By Venus Green. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2001. Pp. xv, 370. $19.95, paper.

Race on the Line explores a fascinating topic—the impact that technology has on race and gender relations within a firm. Green ambitiously evaluates the impact of labor-saving technologies on employees within AT&T during the period 1880 to 1980. The topic is explored through a thorough examination of archival material. She demonstrates a strong command of the material and has clearly summarized a massive amount of primary material.
Further Validation of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (Pops): A Multiple Sample Investigation:

Although political behavior in organizations is ubiquitous, measuring it is often difficult. In one attempt to create such a measure, Kacmar and Ferris (1991) developed and evaluated the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (POPS). Later, Nye and Witt (1993) examined the dimensionality of POPS and its construct validity by comparing it with the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS; Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison & Sowa, 1986). The present research extends these previous studies by using structural equation modeling to evaluate the dimensional, reliability, and validity of POPS across three different studies utilizing nine different samples for a total of 2758 respondents. Results suggested that some of the original POPS items were ineffective and needed to be removed or replaced. Hence, some of the original items were deleted and additional items were generated and tested to produce a refined and revised version of POPS.
Language acquisition in the absence of explicit negative evidence: how important is starting small?

It is commonly assumed that innate linguistic constraints are necessary to learn a natural language, based on the apparent lack of explicit negative evidence provided to children and on Gold's proof that, under assumptions of virtually arbitrary positive presentation, most interesting classes of languages are not learnable. However, Gold's results do not apply under the rather common assumption that language presentation may be modeled as a stochastic process. Indeed, Elman (Elman, J.L., 1993. Learning and development in neural networks: the importance of starting small. Cognition 48, 71-99) demonstrated that a simple recurrent connectionist network could learn an artificial grammar with some of the complexities of English, including embedded clauses, based on performing a word prediction task within a stochastic environment. However, the network was successful only when either embedded sentences were initially withheld and only later introduced gradually, or when the network itself was given initially limited memory which only gradually improved. This finding has been taken as support for Newport's 'less is more' proposal, that child language acquisition may be aided rather than hindered by limited cognitive resources. The current article reports on connectionist simulations which indicate, to the contrary, that starting with simplified inputs or limited memory is not necessary in training recurrent networks to learn pseudonatural languages; in fact, such restrictions hinder acquisition as the languages are made more English-like by the introduction of semantic as well as syntactic constraints. We suggest that, under a statistical model of the language environment, Gold's theorem and the possible lack of explicit negative evidence do not implicate innate, linguistic-specific mechanisms. Furthermore, our simulations indicate that special teaching methods or maturational constraints may be unnecessary in learning the structure of natural language.
Discrimination of Communication Vocalizations by Single Neurons and Groups of Neurons in the Auditory Midbrain

Many social animals including songbirds use communication vocalizations for individual recognition. The perception of vocalizations depends on the encoding of complex sounds by neurons in the ascending auditory system, each of which is tuned to a particular subset of acoustic features. Here, we examined how well the responses of single auditory neurons could be used to discriminate among bird songs and we compared discriminability to spectrotemporal tuning. We then used biologically realistic models of pooled neural responses to test whether the responses of groups of neurons discriminated among songs better than the responses of single neurons and whether discrimination by groups of neurons was related to spectrotemporal tuning and trial-to-trial response variability. The responses of single auditory midbrain neurons could be used to discriminate among vocalizations with a wide range of abilities, ranging from chance to 100%. The ability to discriminate among songs using single neuron responses was not correlated with spectrotemporal tuning. Pooling the responses of pairs of neurons generally led to better discrimination than the average of the two inputs and the most discriminating input. Pooling the responses of three to five single neurons continued to improve neural discrimination. The increase in discriminability was largest for groups of neurons with similar spectrotemporal tuning. Further, we found that groups of neurons with correlated spike trains achieved the largest gains in discriminability. We simulated neurons with varying levels of temporal precision and measured the discriminability of responses from single simulated neurons and groups of simulated neurons. Simulated neurons with biologically observed levels of temporal precision benefited more from pooling correlated inputs than did neurons with highly precise or imprecise spike trains. These findings suggest that pooling correlated neural responses with the levels of precision observed in the auditory midbrain increases neural discrimination of complex vocalizations.
The effects of uncertainty and uncertainty modeling on information-based sensor manager performance

A proliferation of the number and variety of sensors for the landmine detection problem has created the need for a sensor manager that is able to intelligently task and coordinate the operation of a suite of landmine sensors. Previous work has developed a framework for sensor management that takes into account the context of the landmine detection problem. The sensor manager searches for N targets in a grid using M multimodal sensors by seeking to maximize the expected information gain. The probabilities of detection and false alarm of the sensors are assumed to be known and are used in the sensor manager calculations. However, in a real-world landmine detection setting, the performance characteristics of the sensors will in fact be unknown. Uneven and irregular ground, vegetation, unanticipated clutter objects, even bad weather - all these can affect the performance of a landmine sensor. This paper examines the effects of uncertainty in the probabilities of detection and false alarm on the performance of the previously presented sensor manager and further examines the performance effects of properly and improperly modeling this uncertainty. Performance is, naturally, found to be adversely affected by uncertainty. However, it is demonstrated that properly modeling the uncertainty present in the problem helps to recover some of the performance that is lost through the introduction of uncertainty.
In vivo magnetic resonance evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques in the human thoracic aorta: a comparison with transesophageal echocardiography.

Background—The structure and composition of aortic atherosclerotic plaques are associated with the risk of future cardiovascular events. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may allow accurate visualization and characterization of aortic plaques. Methods and Results—We developed a noninvasive MR method, free of motion and blood flow artifacts, for submillimeter imaging of the thoracic aortic wall. MR imaging was performed on a clinical MR system in 10 patients with aortic plaques identified by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Plaque composition, extent, and size were assessed from T1-, proton density–, and T2- weighted images. Comparison of 25 matched MR and TEE cross-sectional aortic plaque images showed a strong correlation for plaque composition (χ2=43.5, P<0.0001; 80% overall agreement; n=25) and mean maximum plaque thickness (r=0.88, n=25; 4.56±0.21 mm by MR and 4.62±0.31 mm by TEE). Overall aortic plaque extent as assessed by TEE and MR was also statistically significant (χ2=61.77, P<0.0001; 80% o...