cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REEVALUATION OF PLATE MOTION MODELS BASED ON HOTSPOT TRACKS IN THE ATLANTIC AND INDIAN OCEANS

Abstract Plate motion models based on hotspot tracks in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans predict minimal movement (less than a few millimeters per year) between these hotspots and their counterparts in the Pacific Ocean for the past ∼100 m.yr., whereas plate circuit exercises indicate relative motions of ∼20 mm/yr. Hotspot‐based models also suggest that the Rajmahal Traps, India, were located ∼1000 km away from the Kerguelen hotspot at ∼115 Ma, and the Deccan Traps, India, were located a similar distance from the Reunion hotspot at ∼65 Ma; this is at odds with conclusions derived from paleomagnetism, plate circuits, and geochemical parameters that suggest a genetic link between flood basalt provinces in India and hotspots in the Indian Ocean. These divergent views may be explained by plume action ∼1000 km from its center or errors in the hotspot motion models. The latter hypothesis is scrutinized in this article by examination of the radiometric ages for hotspot tracks in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The...
COMPARISON OF BEAM PROPAGATION METHOD AND RIGOROUS COUPLED-WAVE ANALYSIS FOR SINGLE AND MULTIPLEXED VOLUME GRATINGS

Multiplexed holographic structures have been suggested to provide large capacity and parallel access as three-dimensional storage media. One of the most widely used techniques in the literature for analyzing such structures has been the coupled-wave analysis and its variations. Another approach that is becoming increasingly popular because of the ease with which it can be implemented is the beam propagation method (BPM). The BPM is quantitatively compared with the rigorous coupled-wave analysis for the cases of single and multiplexed gratings. Normal and off-normal incidence as well as TE and TM polarizations are considered for single (slanted and unslanted) and multiplexed gratings. It is shown that the BPM, even in its most rudimentary form, is a powerful and accurate calculational method that is especially suited for analyzing the many multiplexed grating diffraction problem.
The technological innovation performance of Chinese firms: the role of industrial and academic R&D, FDI and the markets in firm patenting

This paper examines the recent development of industrial technology in China using a rich and novel Chinese patent dataset, which allows us to get a comprehensive view of the invention activities in China. Combing patent statistics with R&D and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) indicators, we found that the R&D activities at local universities and research institutes were the most important external factors behind the increase in domestic firms' patenting activities. FDI, on the other hand, appeared to have a negative effect on domestic firm patenting, at least until foreign market demand for domestic production is established.
Small group effectiveness in a Caribbean medical school’s problem-based learning sessions

Purpose The Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument was developed to provide objective information on the effectiveness of small groups. Student perception of small group effectiveness during the problem base learning (PBL) process has not been previously studied in Xavier University School of Medicine (Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands); hence, the present study was carried out. Methods The study was conducted among second and third semester undergraduate medical students during the last week of September 2013, at Xavier University School of Medicine of the Netherlands. Students were informed about the objectives of the study and invited to participate after obtaining written, informed consent. Demographic information like gender, age, nationality, and whether the respondent had been exposed to PBL before joining the institution was noted. Student perception about small group effectiveness was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 19 statements using a Likert-type scale. Results Thirty-four of the 37 (91.9%) second and third semester medical students participated in the study. The mean cognitive score was 3.76 while the mean motivational and de-motivational scores were 3.65 and 2.51, respectively. The median cognitive category score was 27 (maximum score 35) while the motivation score was 26 (maximum score 35) and the de-motivational score was 12 (maximum score25). There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents' demographic characteristics. Conclusion Student perception about small group effectiveness was positive. Since most medical schools worldwide already have or are introducing PBL as a learning modality, the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument can provide valuable information about small group functioning during PBL sessions.
“Read through the test before you begin”: New support for traditional advice

Abstract After studying lists of pseudowords and their definitions, high school students were instructed to read through pseudoword vocabulary tests before beginning them in order to note which of the studied items would, in fact, be tested. When compared to students not so instructed, these students' performances were significantly better. This simple finding was explained in terms of the selective search interpretation of memory enhancement found in a directed-forgetting paradigm. The results reported here provide an important potential explanation for the effectiveness of teachers' traditional advice to students regarding the importance of a preliminary reading of test questions.
Design Strategy for Control of Inherently Safe Reactors

Reactor power plant safety is assured through a combination of engineered barriers to radiation release (e.g., reactor containment) in combination with active reactor safety systems to shut the reactor down and remove decay heat. While not specifically identified as safety systems, the control systems responsible for continuous operation of plant subsystems are the first line of defense for mitigating radiation releases and for plant protection. "Inherently safe" reactors take advantage of passive system features for decay-heat removal and reactor shutdown functions normally ascribed to active reactor safety systems. The advent of these reactors may permit restructuring of the present control system design strategy. This restructuring is based on the fact that authority for protection against unlikely accidents is, as much as practical, placed upon the passive features of the system instead of the traditional placement upon the PPS. Consequently, reactor control may be simplified, allowing the reliability of control systems to be improved and more easily defended.
New Deal Navajo linguistics: Language ideology and political transformation

Abstract This project is a socio-historical study exploring how linguist Robert Young’s documentation of Navajo supported the federal government’s political and economic agenda for the Navajo reservation during the New Deal. I examine Robert Young’s papers and publications to show how his work in support of John Collier’s philosophy of cultural pluralism and goal of preserving Native cultures also helped support the federal government’s efforts to create a Navajo polity patterned after the US government. Young’s documentation of Navajo helped to create a standardized register for use in political and educational institutions, helped to teach and model the federal government’s concept of the ideal modern Navajo citizen, and attempted to create a Navajo public sphere modeled on the American public sphere.
Coupling between CBF and CMRO2 during neuronal activity

The central idea of the oxygen limitation model is that the oxygen extraction fraction E must decrease during neuronal activation, so a large change in cerebral blood flow (CBF) is required to support a small change in the cerebral metabolic rate of O2 (CMRO2). The model is expanded here to show that maintaining mitochondrial pO2 at a constant non-zero level during activation, so that O2 availability does not become limiting for CMRO2, still requires the fractional CBF change to be several times larger than the CMRO2 change. Furthermore, the expanded model also allows for a brief initial increase in E at stimulus onset with a corresponding transient dip in cytoplasm and mitochondrial pO2. However, because the tissue pO2 must increase to support a higher CMRO2, the tissue O2 content itself would be an ambiguous signal for regulating CBF. For this reason, although the function served by a large CBF increase may be to support CMRO2, the tissue O2 content itself is probably not the key factor for regulation of CBF.
Reflective Properties of Selected Road Surfaces for an Automobile Headlamp Geometry

Luminance-contrast-based pavement marking visibility models are widely used in the design of street and automobile lighting systems, the design and evaluation of retroreflective sheeting materials and pavement-marking materials, and in the establishment of minimum visibility requirements for nighttime motorists. Computer-based visibility models usually determine the visibility of pavement markings by comparing the available luminance contrast formed between the pavement marking and the immediate surrounding road surface with a human threshold contrast value. However, to be able to calculate the luminance contrast between a pavement marking and the road surface, a pavement-marking visibility model needs matrices of retroreflectance as a function of the entrance angle and the observation angle, both for the pavement and the pavement markings. However, no extensive field data are available on the reflective properties of road surfaces under an automobile headlamp geometry (observation angles less than 1°). R...
EmrR is a negative regulator of the Escherichia coli multidrug resistance pump EmrAB.

The emrAB locus of Escherichia coli encodes a multidrug resistance pump that protects the cell from several chemically unrelated antimicrobial agents, e.g., the protonophores carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and tetrachlorosalicyl anilide and the antibiotics nalidixic acid and thiolactomycin. The mprA gene is located immediately upstream of this locus and was shown to be a repressor of microcin biosynthesis (I. del Castillo, J. M. Gomez, and F. Moreno, J. Bacteriol. 173:3924-3929, 1991). There is a putative transcriptional terminator sequence between the mprA and emrA genes. To locate the emr promoter, single-copy lacZ operon fusions containing different regions of the emr locus were made. Only fusions containing the mprA promoter region were expressed. mprA is thus the first gene of the operon, and we propose that it be renamed emrR. Overproduction of the EmrR protein (with a multicopy vector containing the cloned emrR gene) suppressed transcription of the emr locus. A mutation in the emrR gene led to overexpression of the EmrAB pump and increased resistance to antimicrobial agents. CCCP, nalidixic acid, and a number of other structurally unrelated chemicals induced expression of the emr genes, and the induction required EmrR. We conclude that emrRAB genes constitute an operon and that EmrR serves as a negative regulator of this operon. Some of the chemicals that induce the pump serve as its substrates, suggesting that their extrusion is the natural function of the pump.
Reassessing the role of the secreted protease CPAF in Chlamydia trachomatis infection through genetic approaches.

This exciting study is a sorely needed advance that will be of significant interest to those who follow the field of Chlamydia pathogenesis. Although the data primarily refute prior reported roles of CPAF, the rationale is clear in the context of prior work. There are also new activities attributed to CPAF, and the reduced infectivity of the CPAF mutants is a new finding. The genetic approach used here will become the gold standard for the field. Abstract The secreted Chlamydia protease CPAF cleaves a defined set of mammalian and Chlamydia proteins in vitro. As a result, this protease has been proposed to modulate a range of bacterial and host cellular functions. However, it has recently come into question the extent to which many of its identified substrates constitute bona fide targets of proteolysis in infected host cell rather than artifacts of postlysis degradation. Here, we clarify the role played by CPAF in cellular models of infection by analyzing Chlamydia trachomatis mutants deficient for CPAF activity. Using reverse genetic approaches, we identified two C. trachomatis strains possessing nonsense, loss-of-function mutations in cpa (CT858) and a third strain containing a mutation in type II secretion (T2S) machinery that inhibited CPAF activity by blocking zymogen secretion and subsequent proteolytic maturation into the active hydrolase. HeLa cells infected with T2S or CPAF C. trachomatis mutants lacked detectable in vitro CPAF proteolytic activity and were not defective for cellular traits that have been previously attributed to CPAF activity, including resistance to staurosporine-induced apoptosis, Golgi fragmentation, altered NFjB-dependent gene expression, and resistance to reinfection. However, CPAF-deficient mutants did display impaired generation of infectious elementary bodies (EBs), indicating an important role for this protease in the full replicative potential of C. trachomatis. In addition, we provide compelling evidence in live cells that CPAF-mediated protein processing of at least two host protein targets, vimentin filaments and the nuclear envelope protein lamin-associated protein-1 (LAP1), occurs rapidly after the loss of the inclusion membrane integrity, but before loss of plasma membrane permeability and cell lysis. CPAF-dependent processing of host proteins correlates with a loss of inclusion membrane integrity, and so we propose that CPAF plays a role late in infection, possibly during the stages leading to the dismantling of the infected cell prior to the release of EBs during cell lysis.
Colloquial Hebrew imperatives revisited

Abstract In revisiting Bolozky’s [Bolozky, Shmuel, 1979. On the new imperative in colloquial Hebrew. Hebrew Annual Review 3, 17–24] and Bat-El’s [Bat-El, Outi, 2002. True truncation in colloquial Hebrew imperatives. Language 78(4), 651–683] analyses of colloquial Hebrew imperatives, the article argues for restricting Imperative Truncation to the morphologically-triggered process of #tV prefix elision (or even to just #t prefixes). Elision of e and i in imperatives is claimed to be effected by the general, phonetically-motivated elision of the same vowels in casual speech. The prominence and sonority of the vowel a protects it from elision in imperatives, and short forms like kum ‘get up!’ are not derived from their takum counterparts, but rather borrowed from the normative register.
A new chromatographic instrument for measuring trace concentrations of breath-hydrogen

Abstract A new instrument has been developed which offers many advantages over instruments presently utilized for the measurement of breath-hydrogen used to evaluate the intestinal absorption of sugars. The gas analyzer has a solid-state sensor which is more specific for hydrogen than most conventional chromatographic detectors. Air can be used as the carrier gas and can be circulated with a small internal pump, thereby eliminating large carrier gas tanks and pressure regulators. The intersample time is approximately 2 min, allowing rapid serial analysis of breath samples. A unique feature allows a short-term memory circuit to recall the signal and present it on a digital panel meter in parts per million. Recorder terminals on the back permit the generation of a permanent record, if desired. The gas analyzer is small, lightweight and simple to operate. Its application to the serial measurement of hydrogen in alveolar air after ingestion of sugars is demonstrated.
Hedging Against Estimation Uncertainty

Are futures contracts the future of state financial planning? This author thinks so--or at least that they should be.
Computational simulation of platelet deposition and activation: II. Results for Poiseuille flow over collagen.

We have previously described the development of a two-dimensional computational model of platelet deposition onto biomaterials from flowing blood (Sorensen et al., Ann. Biomed. Eng. 27:436–448, 1999). The model requires estimation of four parameters to fit it to experimental data: shear-dependent platelet diffusivity and three platelet-deposition-related reaction rate constants. These parameters are estimated for platelet deposition onto a collagen substrate for simple parallel-plate flow of whole blood in both the presence and absence of thrombin. One set of experimental results is used as a benchmark for model-fitting purposes. The “trained” model is then validated by applying it to additional test cases from the literature for parallel-plate Poiseuille flow over collagen at both higher and lower wall shear rates, and in the presence of various anticoagulants. The predicted values agree very well with the experimental results for the training cases, and good reproduction of deposition trends and magnitudes is obtained for the heparin, but not the citrate, validation cases. The model is formulated to be easily extended to synthetic biomaterials, as well as to more complex flows. © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society.
Graphene flakes with defective edge terminations: Universal and topological aspects, and one-dimensional quantum behavior

Systematic tight-binding investigations of the electronic spectra (as a function of the magnetic field) are presented for trigonal graphene nanoflakes with reconstructed zigzag edges, where a succession of pentagons and heptagons, that is 5-7 defects, replaces the hexagons at the zigzag edge. For nanoflakes with such reczag defective edges, emphasis is placed on topological aspects and connections underlying the patterns dominating the spectra of these systems. The electronic spectra of trigonal graphene nanoflakes with reczag edge terminations exhibit certain unique features, in addition to those that are well known to appear for graphene dots with zigzag edge termination. These unique features include breaking of the particle-hole symmetry, and they are associated with nonlinear dispersion of the energy as a function of momentum, which may be interpreted as nonrelativistic behavior. The general topological features shared with the zigzag flakes include the appearance of energy gaps at zero and low magnetic fields due to finite size, the formation of relativistic Landau levels at high magnetic fields, and the presence between the Landau levels of edge states (the so-called Halperin states) associated with the integer quantum Hall effect. Topological regimes, unique to the reczag nanoflakes, appear within a stripe of negative energies ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{b}l\ensuremath{\varepsilon}l0$, and along a separate feature forming a constant-energy line outside this stripe. The ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{b}$ lower bound specifying the energy stripe is independent of size. Prominent among the patterns within the ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{b}l\ensuremath{\varepsilon}l0$ energy stripe is the formation of three-member braid bands, similar to those present in the spectra of narrow graphene nanorings; they are associated with Aharonov-Bohm--type oscillations, i.e., the reczag edges along the three sides of the triangle behave like a nanoring (with the corners acting as scatterers) enclosing the magnetic flux through the entire area of the graphene flake. Another prominent feature within the ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{b}l\ensuremath{\varepsilon}l0$ energy stripe is a subregion of Halperin-type edge states of enhanced density immediately below the zero-Landau level. Furthermore, there are features resulting from localization of the Dirac quasiparticles at the corners of the polygonal flake. A main finding concerns the limited applicability of the continuous Dirac-Weyl equation, since the latter does not reproduce the special reczag features. Due to this discrepancy between the tight-binding and continuum descriptions, one is led to the conclusion that the linearized Dirac-Weyl equation fails to capture essential nonlinear physics resulting from the introduction of a multiple topological defect in the honeycomb graphene lattice.
LEAD REPLACEMENTS IN DINNERWARE GLAZES

Data are presented on leadless glazes in which barium, fluorine, lithium, and strontium have been employed as fluxes. Molecular and batch formulas are given for the best glazes with the test results from plant trials conducted in seven vitreous and semivitreous dinnerware plants. The glazes were developed for practical plant production as to cost of preparation, ease of application, and length of firing range. Tests include autoclave, thermal shock, impact, chipping, modulus of rupture, glazed-ring compression, and scratch hardness.
A 570-630 GHz FREQUENCY DOMAIN TERAHERTZ SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEM BASED ON A BROADBAND QUASI-OPTICAL ZERO BIAS SCHOTTKY DIODE DETECTOR

We report a room temperature 570-630 GHz frequency domain terahertz (THz) spectroscopy system developed on the basis of a broadband quasi-optical zero bias Schottky diode detector. The detector is ...
Diabetes and heart failure: is insulin therapy the answer?

In this issue of the Journal , Guazzi et al. [(1)][1]report the very provocative effects of an acute insulin infusion on pulmonary function and exercise performance in patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes (HgbA1C 6.2%) and heart failure (HF). Intravenous insulin (10 IU) had no effect on
Structured biopolymer-based delivery systems for encapsulation, protection, and release of lipophilic compounds

Abstract Food-grade biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides, can be used to create a diverse range of delivery systems suitable for encapsulating, protecting, and delivering lipophilic functional components, such as ω-3 rich oils, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), oil-soluble vitamins, flavors, colors, and nutraceuticals. This article provides an overview of a number of different approaches that can be used to create structured delivery systems based on biopolymers, including molecular complexation, coacervation, thermodynamic incompatibility, moulding, and extrusion methods. These delivery systems can be produced from food-grade ingredients using simple processing operations (e.g., mixing, homogenizing, and thermal processing). The structure, production, performance, and potential applications of each type of structured delivery system are discussed.
Measures of Glycemic Variability and Links with Psychological Functioning

The goal of this article is to review the recent literature on measures of glycemic variability, links between glycemic variability and psychological functioning, and methods for examining these links. A number of commonly used measures of glycemic variability are reviewed and compared, including recently proposed methods. Frequently used measures of glycemic variability are also discussed in the context of research that uses continuous glucose monitoring for the collection of blood glucose data. The results of previous studies that have examined the link between psychological functioning and glycemic variability within relatively short-term time frames are reviewed. Methods for examining glycemic variability and its link with psychological functioning are discussed so that important research questions can be addressed to aid in understanding the effect of changes in psychological functioning on glycemic variability and vice versa in future research.
Quinidine administration increases steady state serum digoxin concentration in horses

The aim of this study was to determine if quinidine administration increases steady state serum digoxin concentration in horses. Digoxin (0.01 mg/kg q. 12 h per os) was administered to 6 horses for 7 days. Steady state was confirmed by identifying statistically indistinguishable peak and trough serum digoxin concentrations on Days 4, 5, and 6. On Day 6, serum digoxin concentration was measured at baseline and 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 h after digoxin administration. On Day 7, quinidine (20 g at baseline and 10 g at 2, 4 and 6 h) was administered per os and serum digoxin concentration was measured at the same time intervals. Creatinine and renal digoxin clearances were measured on Days 6 and 7. Results indicated that there was approximately a doubling of serum digoxin concentration (from mean +/- s.d. 2.57 +/- 0.96 ng/ml at baseline to 4.28 +/- 1.31 at 15 min and 5.98 +/- 1.21 ng/ml at 30 min) after starting the administration of quinidine. This elevation persisted for the 12 h after starting quinidine administration. Renal digoxin and endogenous creatinine clearances decreased but the decrease in digoxin clearance was greater. Serum quinidine concentration achieved the therapeutic range (2-6 micrograms/ml) in 5 of the 6 horses. In summary, similar to findings in other species, quinidine administration increases steady state serum digoxin concentration in horses and this occurs, at least in part, due to a decrease in renal digoxin clearance. Some of the decrease in renal clearance is due to decreased glomerular filtration which is dissimilar to findings in other species.
Antiresorptive Effects of Phytoestrogen Supplements Compared with Estradiol or Risedronate in Postmenopausal Women Using 41Ca Methodology

Introduction: Reduction of ovarian estrogen secretion at menopause increases net bone resorption and leads to bone loss. Isoflavones have been reported to protect bone from estrogen deficiency, but their modest effects on bone resorption have been difficult to measure with traditional analytical methods. Methods: In this randomized-order, crossover, blinded trial in 11 healthy postmenopausal women, we compared four commercial sources of isoflavones from soy cotyledon, soy germ, kudzu, and red clover and a positive control of oral 1 mg estradiol combined with 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone or 5 mg/d oral risedronate (Actonel®) for their antiresorptive effects on bone using novel 41Ca methodology. Results: Risedronate and estrogen plus progesterone decreased net bone resorption measured by urinary 41Ca by 22 and 24%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Despite serum isoflavone profiles indicating bioavailability of the phytoestrogens, only soy isoflavones from the cotyledon and germ significantly decreased net bone resorption by 9% (P = 0.0002) and 5% (P = 0.03), respectively. Calcium absorption and biochemical markers of bone turnover were not influenced by interventions. Conclusions: Dietary supplements containing genistein-like isoflavones demonstrated a significant but modest ability to suppress net bone resorption in postmenopausal women at the doses supplied in this study over a 50-d intervention period.
Lessons That Last: Former Youth Organizers’ Reflections on What and How They Learned

This study examines the learning outcomes and learning environment of a youth organizing program that has been effective in promoting individual as well as social change. Drawing on interviews with 25 former youth organizers from the program, this study explores the lessons that stay with them as they transition to young adulthood and the factors they believe facilitated this lasting learning. Results show that the learning outcomes and the features of the learning environment that the participants identify reflect key tenets of Freirean critical pedagogy. As young adults, the participants indicate that they continue to draw on the critical thinking, introspection, communication, and interpersonal skills they developed as youth organizers, and they highlight the value of relevant content, an open atmosphere for discussion and debate, and peer education in promoting such durable learning. The relevance of critical pedagogy to the learning sciences is discussed.
Quantitative Trait Nucleotide Analysis Using Bayesian Model Selection

Although much attention has been given to statistical genetic methods for the initial localization and fine mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), little methodological work has been done to date on the problem of statistically identifying the most likely functional polymorphisms using sequence data. In this paper we provide a general statistical genetic framework, called Bayesian quantitative trait nucleotide (BQTN) analysis, for assessing the likely functional status of genetic variants. The approach requires the initial enumeration of all genetic variants in a set of resequenced individuals. These polymorphisms are then typed in a large number of individuals (potentially in families), and marker variation is related to quantitative phenotypic variation using Bayesian model selection and averaging. For each sequence variant a posterior probability of effect is obtained and can be used to prioritize additional molecular functional experiments. An example of this quantitative nucleotide analysis is provided using the GAW12 simulated data. The results show that the BQTN method may be useful for choosing the most likely functional variants within a gene (or set of genes). We also include instructions on how to use our computer program, SOLAR, for association analysis and BQTN analysis.
S-Parameter Extraction of Off-Set Material Samples in a Waveguide

In this paper, the authors have developed a numerical tool based on the finite element method (FEM) to assess the uncertainty in such measurements due to misalignment and other experimental difficulties common in a laboratory environment or sample defects. This tool has the advantage, over previously reported methods, in that a variety of material conditions can be readily simulated (e.g. magneto-dielectrics, anisotropic materials, etc.) In this paper three cases are primarily studied: 1) a dielectric material with low contrast, 2) a dielectric material with high contrast and 3) a magneto-dielectric material
Establishing equivalence: Methodological progress in group-matching design and analysis.

This methodological review draws attention to the challenges faced by intellectual and developmental disabilities researchers in the appropriate design and analysis of group comparison studies. We provide a brief overview of matching methodologies in the field, emphasizing group-matching designs used in behavioral research on cognition and language in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and Williams syndrome. The limitations of relying on p values to establish group equivalence are discussed in the context of other existing methods: equivalence tests, propensity scores, and regression-based analyses. Our primary recommendation for advancing research on intellectual and developmental disabilities is the use of descriptive indices of adequate group matching: effect sizes (i.e., standardized mean differences) and variance ratios.
Touch: Its Communicative Functions in Infancy

The communicative functions that the tactile modality serves in infancy have been severely neglected by researchers. The present article highlights the importance of touch by addressing two questions. First, what is communicated to infants by touch from their caregivers? In addition to the common notion that touch regulates arousal levels, it is argued that touch is capable of communicating valenced and discrete emotions as well as specific information. Second, how does meaning come about from the touch that adults administer to infants? This question is addressed by discussing specific qualities and parameters of touch and three mechanisms by which infants gain meaning from touch. Empirical evidence is provided and hypotheses are made regarding each of these questions. Furthermore, a preliminary model of tactile communication is presented based upon the literature on touch, as well as the conceptual framework outlined in the article.
RODERICK PEATTIE, GEOGRAPHER AND ROMANTICIST, 1891–1955

(1957). RODERICK PEATTIE, GEOGRAPHER AND ROMANTICIST, 1891–1955. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 97-99.
GUARDING THE FILES: Your role in maintaining the confidentiality of patient records

Dentists have serious ethical and legal responsibilities to keep patient records confidential. A carefully drafted release, tailored to the requirements of the jurisdiction in which the dentist practices, should protect the dentist, while giving the patient control over his or her health information.
Effects of intermittent and continuous pheromone stimulation on the flight behaviour of the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta

When male oriental fruit moths, Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Tortricidae), casting in clean air entered an airstream permeated with pheromone their flight tracks changed immediately on initial contact with pheromone, but after a few seconds returned to casting as if in clean air. The degree of change in the flight track was directly related to the concentration of pheromone Although little net uptunnel movement occurred in response to the continuous stimulation provided by a uniformly permeated airstream, when an intermittent stimulus provided by a point-source plume was superimposed onto the permeated airstream moths were able to 'lock on' and zigzag uptunnel in the plume. The percentage of moths doing so corresponded to the difference between the peak concentration within the plume and the background concentration of pheromone permeating the airstream Moths also locked onto, and flew upwind along the pheromone- clean-air boundary formed along a pheromone-permeated side corridor Because a similai Iesponse was observed along a horizontal edge between a pheromone-permeated floor corridor and clean air, we conclude that the intermittent stimulation at the edge perpetuated the narrow zigzagging response to pheromone
Some unique benefits with Sudangrass for improved U.S. #1 yields and size of Russet Burbank potato

Three studies provided additional knowledge of beneficial effects of sudangrass for yield and quality increases of the Russet Burbank potato. Two of these studies showed significant increases of both U.S. #1 and smooth tubers > 280 g following green manures of sudangrass. These sudangrass (HS-33) effects did not differ from a sorghum-sudan hybrid (Trudan-8). When a sudangrass green manure was compared with a fallow treatment, results of the first study showed mean yield increases of 36% for U.S. #1 tubers > 280 g and yields of a second study by 34% for U.S. #1 tubers. This same sudangrass treatment outperformed green manures of either Austrian winter pea, barley, or sweet corn by increased U.S. #1 yields that ranged from 27% to 61%. By several lines of evidence, these benefits were found to extend beyond the effect of Verticillium suppression. Soil N was significantly increased following green manures of sudangrass, and these increases were in turn negatively correlated with wilt incidence and positively correlated with yields of both U.S. #1 tubers and tubers > 280 g. Additional benefits also included significant increases of tuber grade percentages for marketable tubers and of smooth tubers > 280 g. Benefits from sudangrass green manures beyond the effects of Verticillium suppression became further evident following a greenhouse study that involved field soil and sudangrass that had been grown in the same field. This study corroborated both field experiments by showing increased yields with green manures of sudangrass that approximated 5.5 t ha-1 dry wt. As with the field studies, these yield benefits also extended beyond the effects of Verticillium suppression and were closely associated with significant increases ofFusarium equiseti, F. oxysporum, andF. solani. Throughout all studies, sudangrass green manures significantly increased microbial activities with increased populations ofFusarium spp. and increased concentrations in soil of mineralizable N, organic P, K, Mn, along with the percent soil organic matter -all factors that could have contributed to significant increases of yield and quality.
Recent experience with high-dose intravenous iron administration

It is necessary to provide adequate amounts of bioavailable iron to correct any deficit and maintain body iron stores in anemic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although dosing regimens for intravenous iron sucrose exist, simplification of these regimens may produce financial savings and reduce the time commitment of both patients and clinicians. We have explored high-dose (500 mg or greater) intravenous iron sucrose regimens in patients with CKD and summarize our findings here. Three studies used 500 mg intravenous iron sucrose doses on 2 or more successive days, and one study examined the feasibility of a single total dose infusion of 1000 mg. We conclude that patients do not tolerate 1000 mg doses as a single infusion. On the other hand, a dosing regimen of 500 mg iron sucrose given intravenously over 3 h on successive days is safe and effective in replenishing and maintaining body iron stores. Finally, in anemic CKD patients not receiving erythropoietic hormone therapy, we found an increase in hemoglobin concentrations, and no deleterious effect on glomerular filtration rate 6 months after they were treated with iron sucrose.
Setting an Example: The Chilean Government's Recent Experience Processing Mapuche Land Requests

How are a group's mobilization efforts able to influence government decision-making? While most literature focuses on the government's interest in reducing the threat posed to it through general policies of accommodation or repression, I argue for distinguishing between the government’s response to a group’s actions and their demands. I explore this distinction by examining how the indigenous ministry of the Chilean government has processed Mapuche requests for land. In 1993, the Chilean government committed to return land to Mapuche communities, established institutional procedures to process these demands, and allocated money to fund the program. While a large number of transfers have been processed as expected, radical mobilization efforts posing a threat to the government have a significant impact on the government's response. In addition to deciding how to directly respond to the group's mobilization effort, the Chilean government also has to act on the land transfer it approved but has yet to implement. Using regression and deviant case analysis, I find that to decrease the potential of future threats, the government creates examples out of groups engaging in violent mobilization tactics by prioritizing the requests of their neighbors' land transfers. This response is distinct from a general policy of repression and, particularly because of the strong impact of this form of government response on groups' future mobilization efforts, merits future research.
Application of Digital Pulse Shaping by Least Squares Method to Ultrasonic Signals in Composites

For ultrasonic testing in composites, a signal processing tool is identified that can significantly enhance the sharpness of ultrasonic waveforms and provide clearer pictures of the nature of the material flaw. The technique artificially improves the resolution of the system to discrete events by pulse shaping the measured waveform based on the signal from a reference. The optimum pulse shape operator is determined from a least-squares method in the z-domain.
Reportage: Beyond Prague's “Precious Legacy”: post-communist Jewish exhibits and synagogue restorations in the Czech Republic

The 10 Stars project, a linked network of restored or re-restored historic synagogues, associated buildings, and exhibitions in 10 towns around the Czech Republic, is the most ambitious single Jewish heritage project to be carried out in the Czech Republic since the fall of communism. Inaugurated in 2014, it falls within (and is the culmination of) a multifaceted program for Jewish heritage preservation and promotion in that country that was already being implemented in the early 1990s, thanks to the strategic vision of Jewish communal leaders and the active involvement and participation of municipalities, NGOs and others. As a result, in the past quarter century, the Czech Republic has seen the restoration of more than 65 synagogues, as well as the creation of regional Jewish museums and the installation of many local exhibits on Jewish history and heritage. This essay examines elements of the strategic process that achieved these results and shows how the various stages of its implementation led up to t...
Testing The Mean For Business Data: Should One Use The Z-Test, T-Test, F-Test, The Chi-Square Test, Or The P-Value Method?

In testing the mean of a population or comparing the means from two populations. There are several statistics available: the t-test, z-test, F-test and the chi-square test. Both the t-test and the z-test are usually used for continuous populations, and the chi-square test is used for categorical data. The F-test is used for comparing more than two means. In this paper we will discuss: 1) the conditions on using these tests; 2) the relationship among these test; and 3) illustration of the p-values of these tests by graphs. Some concluding remarks will be provided.
Enabling Smart Manufacturing Research and Development using a Product Lifecycle Test Bed

Smart manufacturing technologies require a cyber-physical infrastructure to collect and analyze data and information across the manufacturing enterprise. This paper describes a concept for a product lifecycle test bed built on a cyber-physical infrastructure that enables smart manufacturing research and development. The test bed consists of a Computer-Aided Technologies (CAx) Lab and a Manufacturing Lab that interface through the product model creating a "digital thread" of information across the product lifecycle. The proposed structure and architecture of the test bed is presented, which highlights the challenges and requirements of implementing a cyber-physical infrastructure for manufacturing. The novel integration of systems across the product lifecycle also helps identify the technologies and standards needed to enable interoperability between design, fabrication, and inspection. Potential research opportunities enabled by the test bed are also discussed, such as providing publicly accessible CAx and manufacturing reference data, virtual factory data, and a representative industrial environment for creating, prototyping, and validating smart manufacturing technologies.
Limit Analysis of Circular Orthotropic Plates

The limit analysis of simply supported circular orthotropic plates subjected to uniformly distributed load is investigated. The analysis is based on the yield condition for orthotropic metals suggested by Hill, which reduces to the well-known Mises yield condition for isotropic materials. Both the classical method and a proposed variational method are used in the investigation. The comparison of the results shows that the multipliers obtained by the proposed variational method and the classical method are in close agreement. However, the variational method yields the multiplier through the solution of simple algebraic equations without regards to the yield conditions, which usually presents difficulty in the classical method. Thus, the proposed variational method provides a convenient means for estimating the safety factor.
The RR Lyrae population of the LMC – I. The immediate environment of NGC 2210

We present results of a CCD-based survey for RR Lyraes in various regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This first study is part of a long-term programme which aims to use RR Lyraes to map the distribution and kinematics of the oldest stellar population in the LMC. Our data cover a 15×15 arcmin 2 field in the vicinity of the LMC globular NGC 2210. We have identified 44 moderate-amplitude variable stars, of which 31 were known from the previous surveys summarized by Hazen & Nemec. Our field of view includes a further eight stars from the latter survey, only one of which − a low-amplitude variable near the cluster centre − is confirmed as variable by our observations
Towards a Self-Tunable, Wide Frequency Bandwidth Vibration Energy Harvesting Device

Vibration energy harvesting is increasing in popularity due to potential applications such as powering wireless sensors and ultra low power devices. For efficient energy harvesting, matching the device frequency to the source frequency is a major design requirement. Since mechanical vibrations differ in characteristics (frequency and acceleration amplitude), it is difficult to design an individual energy harvesting device for every source. Recently, several groups have pursued techniques to tune the resonance frequency of the vibrating structure through active and passive methods. In this paper, work has been done to attain a self-tunable energy harvesting device, which utilizes a magnetic force resonance frequency tuning technique to tune the device. The device is successfully tuned with in a bandwidth of ± 27% of its untuned resonance frequency, considering root mean square of the peak power output as the cutoff for frequency bandwidth. Since the technique is semi-active, energy is only consumed to tune the resonance frequency and is not required to remain at that specific frequency. The device consists of a piezoelectric cantilever beam array which is displaced to the desired distance to induce magnetic stiffness and to match the source frequency using a DC motor. The device has a power output of approximately 0.7 mW to 1 mW in the designed cutoff frequency range. The amount of energy consumed by the actuator to displace the beam is approximately 3.5 W to 4.5 W, which requires approximately 150 minutes to reclaim the expended energy.© 2009 ASME
Scaling Considerations for SCO2 Cycle Heat Exchangers

Many SCO2 Brayton cycle demonstration loops have been constructed or are being planned at various thermal power levels between several kilowatts up to 50MW. However experiences at Sandia National Labs and other organizations have demonstrated that few options exist to procure off-the-shelf heat exchangers, especially for higher temperature ranges, due to high operating and differential pressures and the cost of materials with sufficient strength above 600 °C. This paper reviews fundamental mechanical scaling considerations governing SCO2 cycle heat exchangers that should be considered when designing and constructing SCO2 cycles. Current manufacturing limitations will also be reviewed.© 2014 ASME
Laboratory evaluation of two aleocharine parasites of the face fly.

Two species of alcocharine staphylinid beetles were studied in the laboratory relative to their potential as parasites and predators of the face fly, Musca autumnlis De Geer. Aleochara bimaculata Gravenhorst a cosmopolitan parasite of other muscoid puparia in the United States, was found to parasitize less than 1% of face fly puparia and to cause 19.4% reduction of face flies by predation. Similar studies of a native French parasite of the face fly, A. tristis Gravenhorst, yielded an average of 13.5% parasitism, indicating the species may have a low searching capacity. Predation on face fly eggs and larvae by A. tristis caused a reduction of approximately 10% of face flies reaching the pupal stage.