cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MeCP2 expression and function during brain development: implications for Rett syndrome's pathogenesis and clinical evolution

Most cases of Rett syndrome (RTT) are associated with mutations of the transcriptional regulator MeCP2. On the basis of molecular structure, ontogeny, and subcellular and regional distribution, MeCP2 appears to be a link between synaptic activity and neuronal transcription. Integrating data on MeCP2 neurobiology, RTT neurobiology, MeCP2 mutational patterns in RTT and other disorders, histone profiles of relevance to RTT, and genotype-phenotype correlations in RTT, we update here our synaptic hypothesis of RTT. We postulate that MeCP2 dysfunction leads to abnormal brain development through maladjustment of neuronal gene expression to synaptic and other extra-cellular signals, mainly during the critical period of synaptic maturation. RTT phenotype will develop, only if severe MeCP2 dysfunction is present during early neuronal differentiation. Two models are proposed for explaining general and regional neuronal abnormalities in RTT and the phenotypical outcome of MeCP2 dysfunction, respectively.
Global Software Development for the Enterprise

In this position paper, we present certain observed characteristics of global software development for the enterprise, as well as trends in enterprise information technology needs for a global enterprise. We then identify IT workforce needs and the consequent curriculum elements desired.
Study of cnidarian-algal symbiosis in the "omics" age

The symbiotic associations between cnidarians and dinoflagellate algae (Symbiodinium) support productive and diverse ecosystems in coral reefs. Many aspects of this association, including the mechanistic basis of host-symbiont recognition and metabolic interaction, remain poorly understood. The first completed genome sequence for a symbiotic anthozoan is now available (the coral Acropora digitifera), and extensive expressed sequence tag resources are available for a variety of other symbiotic corals and anemones. These resources make it possible to profile gene expression, protein abundance, and protein localization associated with the symbiotic state. Here we review the history of "omics" studies of cnidarian-algal symbiosis and the current availability of sequence resources for corals and anemones, identifying genes putatively involved in symbiosis across 10 anthozoan species. The public availability of candidate symbiosis-associated genes leaves the field of cnidarian-algal symbiosis poised for in-depth comparative studies of sequence diversity and gene expression and for targeted functional studies of genes associated with symbiosis. Reviewing the progress to date suggests directions for future investigations of cnidarian-algal symbiosis that include (i) sequencing of Symbiodinium, (ii) proteomic analysis of the symbiosome membrane complex, (iii) glycomic analysis of Symbiodinium cell surfaces, and (iv) expression profiling of the gastrodermal cells hosting Symbiodinium.
Editorial: Fifty Years of Marketing Science

We have observed conspicuous changes in the 25 years after Frank M. Bass, John D. C. Little, and Donald G. Morrison begot Marketing Science. Marketing Science benefited from five subsequent editors and fifty different area editors. New submissions grew from 40 to over 320. Published articles grew from 16 to over 45 per year. We discuss six possible developments for the next 25 years. (1) The Internet's extraordinary search capabilities will diminish the distinctiveness of each journal. (2) The Internet will allow any researcher to publish research without journals. (3) Faster dissemination is inevitable. (4) Many economical electronic journals will enter the market. (5) The business model of print journals must change. (6) We will publish new forms of content (e.g., videos, blogs, running reviews, and subsequent comments by the authors).
Comparison of chamber and face mask 6.6-hour exposure to 0.08 ppm ozone via square-wave and triangular profiles on pulmonary responses.

Recently, a stainless-steel air pollution chamber was acquired in this laboratory, and data were obtained in a study that convincingly demonstrated that chamber and face-mask inhalation methods of exposing young adult subjects for 6.6 h to nearly identical total inhaled O(3) doses at 0.12 ppm produced very similar pulmonary function, symptoms, and exercise ventilatory pattern responses. However, the results of a 6.6-h face-mask exposure to 0.08 ppm O(3), compared to some previous chamber exposure study results, revealed several small incongruities that may be due primarily to high individual subject "noise" in responses to a relatively low O(3) exposure. To resolve these differences, it was the primary purpose of this study to compare chamber exposure responses to those elicited via face-mask exposure to 0.08 ppm O(3) for 6.6 h with subjects serving as their own controls. Two types of O(3) exposure patterns were used: (1) the usual square-wave profile, and (2) an acute triangular profile, in which O(3) concentration was increased each hour from 0.03 ppm to 0.15 ppm during h 4 and then decreased each hour to 0.05 ppm (mean = 0.08 ppm). Thirty young adults (15 of each gender) served as subjects. The two exposure methods (i.e., face mask and chamber) yielded near identical total inhaled O(3) doses in both the square-wave and triangular exposure profiles, and produced very similar postexposure pulmonary function, symptoms, and exercise ventilatory pattern responses. However, pulmonary function and symptoms responses became statistically significant from preexposure at the end of h 4 (when [O(3)] = 0.15 ppm) in the triangular protocols, but not until h 6 in the square-wave protocols. These results support previous evidence that O(3) concentration has a greater singular effect in the total inhaled O(3) dose than do V(E) and exposure duration.
Domain rescaling techniques for the solution of affinely parametrized nondifferentiable optimal design problems

The authors show that the affine parametrizations used in the design of feedback compensators and open-loop optimal controls can lead to severely ill-conditioned optimization problems. The effect of this ill-conditioning is to cause many optimization algorithms to converge very slowly. They describe a domain rescaling technique which considerably mitigates this ill-conditioning. The technique is applied to both differentiable and minimax problems. A numerical example of a minimax problem involving two scaling matrices is given. >
African-American Women Who Smoke Crack Cocaine: Sexual Trauma and the Mother-Daughter Relationship

Abstract This study evolved from previous writings that linked sexual abuse to the quality of the mother-daughter relationship. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the mother-daughter relationship among African-American women who abuse crack cocaine by comparing three different groups: women who have not experienced incest but have experienced sexual abuse; women who have experienced incest; and women who have not experienced sexual abuse. A convenience sample of 64 African-American women was used, 35 of whom were in drug abuse treatment and 29 of whom were abusing crack cocaine. Using analysis of variance studies, significant differences were found between the Three groups in terms of the mother-daughter relation ship. Differences were also found between the group that experienced incestand the group that experienced nonincesluous sexual abuse in terms of the amount of abuse and first age of abuse. This preliminary investigation indicates the need for further study of specific populations in...
Leptin and vascular function: Friend or foe?

Leptin is the protein product of the adipocyte ob gene. Leptin levels are related to the amount of body fat, and leptin was viewed primarily as a modulator of appetite control and energy homeostasis. However, leptin receptors have been also identified in various peripheral tissues, including in the cardiovascular system and in human coronary arteries. Although the exact role of leptin in cardiac and vascular homeostasis is still not fully understood, most clinical studies consistently support the notion of leptin as a cardiovascular risk factor, with higher leptin levels associated with worse cardiovascular prognosis. For example, two nested case-referent studies reported that leptin might be a risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke.1,2 Although no association between leptin levels and coronary events was found in the Quebec Cardiovascular Study population,3 leptin was reported to be an independent predictor of coronary events (myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization) over a 5-year follow-up in the larger WOSCOPS population.4 This prospective study examined leptin's interaction with cardiovascular outcomes in moderately hypercholesterolaemic men, without a history of myocardial infarction or any other major manifestations of CAD. In addition to being predictive of outcome in the relatively low-risk WOSCOPS population, leptin was also found to have prognostic implications in higher risk patients with established and angiographically confirmed coronary atherosclerosis. Wolk et al .5 studied 382 subjects undergoing clinically indicated coronary angiography and followed up for a median of 4 years. Leptin (both unadjusted and adjusted for body mass) had a significant association with … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 507 255 1144; fax: +1 507 255 7070. E-mail address : somers.virend{at}mayo.edu
Why? Charles Tilly's Cabinet of Wonders

In his umpteenth book Why? (2006) Charles Tilly has shifted his focus from large-scale historical processes to both present history and personal history, including the illness and mortality of others and himself. In his discussions of large-scale processes, Tilly has always provided vivid and telling detail, whether of “malefactors who set off . . . fireworks” in Dijon in 1642 (Tilly, 1986, p. 2), or of Louis XIV and his finance minister Colbert maneuvering to avoid state bankruptcy, and “to keep smuggling, banditry, bribery, and plunder from getting completely out of hand” (Tilly, 1997b, p. 37). Tilly presents here not an illustrated set of large-scale processes but a very personal cabinet of wonders, stuffed not with crocodile skulls, musical instruments, and deteriorating dice, but with others’ writing that has caught his eye, his own acute observations, and appearances by family members, friends, and colleagues. In a sense, this is not an abrupt departure: we’ve met various of Tilly’s extended family and friends before, in dedications, forewords, acknowledgments, and text, though here Tilly goes further. Why? is not only set in the present, but is about the present: it opens and closes with how various people have tried to make sense of the shattering attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. And though Tilly’s wide-ranging discussion of his own family and of illness may appear to be about past and future, this too is fundamentally, and movingly, about the present.
Janus kinase 3: a novel target for selective transplant immunosupression

Existing immunosuppressants inhibit lymphocyte activation and T cell cytokine signal transduction pathways, reducing the rate of acute rejection episodes to < 10%. However, the widespread tissue distribution of their molecular targets engenders pleiotropic toxicities. One strategy to address this problem seeks to identify compounds that selectively inhibit a target restricted in distribution to the lymphoid system. Janus kinase (Jak) 3 is such a molecule; it mediates signal transduction via the gamma common chain of lymphokine surface receptors. Disruption of this lymphoid-restricted enzyme would not be predicted to produce collateral damage in other organ systems. Development of selective Jak3 inhibitors has been difficult due to crossreactivity with its homologue, Jak2. In contrast to all other putative antagonists, which are discussed in detail herein, one Jak3 inhibitor, NC1153, shows at least 40-fold greater selective inhibition for Jak3 than for Jak2, is robustly synergistic with calcineurin antagon...
High-speed tapered-oxide-apertured 980 nm VCSELs supporting data rates up to 30 Gb/s

High-speed 980 nm VCSELs with tapered oxide apertures were designed and fabricated. The devices show >20 GHz bandwidths for bias currents between 2 and 4 mA. Open eyes up to 30 Gb/s are also demonstrated.
23Na and 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Ischemia-Induced Ventricular Fibrillation : Alterations of Intracellular Na+ and Cellular Energy

To clarify the role of Na+i, pHi, and high-energy phosphate (HEP) levels in the initiation and maintenance of ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation (VF), interleaved 23Na and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were collected on perfused rat hearts during low-flow ischemia (51 minutes, 1.2 mL/g wet wt). When untreated, 50% of the hearts from normal (sham) rats and 89% of the hypertrophied hearts from aorticbanded (band) rats (P < .01 versus sham) exhibited VF. Phosphocreatine content was significantly higher in sham than band hearts during control perfusion (53.3 +/- 1.6 versus 39.8 +/- 2.0 mumol/g dry wt). Before VF at 20 minutes of ischemia, Na+i accumulation was greater in hearts that eventually developed VF than in hearts that did not develop VF for both band and sham groups (144% versus 128% of control in sham; P < .005) and was the strongest metabolic predictor of VF; ATP depletion was also greater for VF hearts in the sham group. Infusion of the Na(+)-H+ exchange inhibitor 5-(N,N-hexamethylene)-amiloride prevented VF in sham and band hearts; reduced Na+i accumulation but similar HEP depletion were observed compared with VF hearts before the onset of VF. Rapid changes in Na+i, pHi, and HEP began with VF, resulting in intracellular Na+i overload (approximately 300% of control) and increased HEP depletion. A delayed postischemic functional recovery occurred in VF hearts, which correlated temporally with the recovery of Na+i. In conclusion, alterations in Na+i were associated with spontaneous VF transitions, consistent with involvement of excess Na+i accumulation in VF initiation and maintenance and with previously reported alterations in Ca2+i with VF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CHARACTERIZATION OF DICTYOCAULUS SPECIES (NEMATODA: TRICHOSTRONGYLOIDEA) FROM THREE SPECIES OF WILD RUMINANTS IN NORTHWESTERN SPAIN

Abstract Specimens of Dictyocaulus spp. were extracted from the respiratory tracts of 3 ruminant hosts including roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) from wild populations in the province of Leon, northwestern Spain. The near-complete nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene, and 2 regions of the large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene, were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The SSU rDNA gene sequences indicated a high level of similarity between the isolate from C. elaphus and the published sequences for Dictyocaulus eckerti. SSU rDNA gene sequences were identical in the isolates from C. capreolus and R. rupicapra, and both corresponded to published sequences for D. capreolus. The LSU rDNA gene sequences differed in isolates from the latter 2 hosts, indicating the possible presence of an undescribed Dictyocaulus sp. in R. rupicapra. These results showed that the LSU rDNA gene sequences are useful indicators of genetic and species diversity in species of Dict...
On the estimation of hazard potential for chemical substances

There is considerable interest in means for predicting reactivity hazard potential from chemical structure. Such means are intended to provide measures of the likelihood that a given chemical composition can undergo rapid self-reaction, i.e., that it can detonate or deflagrate. The means to be discussed are most useful in predicting behavior under unconfined conditions. As they are computational in nature, they can be deployed quickly and easily to wide ranges of compositions, whether or not these have ever been made. Comparison with better-known compositions is facilitated and can provide additional guidance. In this paper we provide critical reviews of some commonly used hazard evaluation systems, including the oxygen balance system, and ASTM CHETAH. We also provide a review of our recent studies aimed at the development of more powerful screening systems. 6 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs.
Nucleotide sequence and expression of a novel pectate lyase gene (pel-3) and a closely linked endopolygalacturonase gene (peh-1) of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora 71

Abstract Our previous genetic analysis (J. W. Willis, J. K. Engwall, and A. K. Chatterjee, Phytopathology 77:1199-1205, 1987) had revealed a tight linkage between pel-3 (pel, pectate lyase gene) and peh-1 (peh, polygalacturonase gene) within the chromosome of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora 71. Nucleotide sequencing, transcript assays, and expression of enzymatic activities in Escherichia coli have now confirmed that a 3,500-bp segment contains the open reading frames (ORFs) for Pel-3 and Peh-1. The 1,041-bp pel-3 ORF and the 1,206-bp peh-1 ORF are separated by a 579-bp sequence. The genes are transcribed divergently from their own promoters. In E. coli and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora 71, peh-1 is better expressed than pel-3. However, plant signals activate the expression of both the genes in E. carotovora subsp. carotovora. A consensus integration host factor (IHF)-binding sequence upstream of pel-3 appears physiologically significant, since pel-3 promoter activity is higher in an E. coli IHF+ strain than in an IHF- strain. While peh-1 has extensive homology with plant and bacterial peh genes, pel-3 appears not to have significant homology with the pel genes belonging to the pelBC, pelADE, or periplasmic pel families. Pel-3 also is unusual in that it is predicted to contain an ATP- and GTP-binding site motif A (P-loop) not found in the other Pels.
Polyaniline nanofiber/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide layer-by-layer electrodes for electrochemical energy storage

Graphene-containing layer-by-layer (LbL) electrodes are promising for thin film electrochemical energy storage. However, common practice centers on assembly with chemically reduced graphene oxide sheets, which have a tendency to severely aggregate during processing. More direct and facile is the LbL assembly of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and their subsequent electrochemical reduction. Here, we demonstrate porous (void fraction = 0.625) LbL electrodes comprised of electrochemically reduced GO (ERGO) sheets and polyaniline nanofibers (PANI NFs) for use in non-aqueous energy storage systems. Our approach is also promising for deposition onto complex surfaces, as demonstrated here by the successful assembly onto cotton fabric. Both PANI NFs and ERGO sheets store charge, bear conductivity, and provide a highly porous architecture, which facilitates the mass transport of ions. The nature of PANI NF/GO LbL assembly and growth is first presented, which we find to be affected by assembly pH. The confirmation of the electrochemical reduction step is then discussed, followed by the electrochemical performance of the resulting electrodes in a non-aqueous lithium metal battery. Capacity varies from 85 to 184 mA h cm−3 (188 to 461 mA h g−1) at 0.1 A g−1 (electrode mass basis), depending on the electrode thickness. The highest specific energy measured was 1395 mW h g−1 at a specific power of 1590 mW g−1, and the highest specific power was 60 252 mW g−1 at a specific energy of 927 mW h g−1. These results demonstrate that electroactive polyaniline nanofiber/graphene coatings from aqueous layer-by-layer assembly are attainable for energy storage.
Interruption of cardiac output does not affect short-term growth and metabolic rate in day 3 and 4 chick embryos.

The heart beat of vertebrate embryos has been assumed to begin when convective bulk transport by blood takes over from transport by simple diffusion. To test this hypothesis, we measured eye growth, cervical flexure and rates of oxygen consumption ( V(O2)) in day 3-4 chick embryos denied cardiac output by ligation of the outflow tract and compared them with those of embryos with an intact cardiovascular system. Eye diameter, used as the index for embryonic growth, increased at a rate of approximately 4.5-5 % h(-)(1) during the observation period. There was no significant difference (P>0.1) in the rate of increase in eye diameter between control (egg opened), sham-ligated (ligature present but not tied) and ligated embryos. Similarly, the normal progression of cervical flexure was not significantly altered by ligation (P>0.1). V(O2) (ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) at 38 degrees C, measured by closed respirometry, was not significantly different (P>0.1) on day 3 in sham-ligated (14.5+/-1.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) and ligated 17.6+/-1.8 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) embryos. Similarly, on day 4, V(O2) in sham-ligated and ligated embryos was statistically the same (sham-ligated 10. 5+/-2.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1); ligated 9.7+/-2.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)). Expressed as a linear function of body mass (M), V(O2) in sham-ligated embryos was described by the equation V(O2)=-0.48M+24.06 (r(2)=0.36, N=18, P<0.01), while V(O2) in ligated embryos was described by the equation V(O2)=-0.53M+23.32 (r(2)=0.38, N=16, P<0.01). The regression line describing the relationship between body mass and V(O2) for pooled sham-ligated and ligated embryos (the two populations being statistically identical) was V(O2)=-0.47M+23.24. The slope of this regression line, which was significantly different from zero (r(2)=0.30, N=34, P<0.01), was similar to slopes calculated from previous studies over the same range of body mass.Collectively, these data indicate that growth and V(O2) are not dependent upon cardiac output and the convective blood flow it generates. Thus, early chick embryos join those of the zebrafish, clawed frog and axolotl in developing a heart beat and blood flow hours or days before required for convective oxygen and nutrient transport. We speculate that angiogenesis is the most likely role for the early development of a heart beat in vertebrate embryos.
Solar irradiation and the annual component of skin cancer incidence

The skin cancer incidence time series is composed of principal components operating in uncorrelated time scales. This study investigates the relationship between the substantial seasonal component of skin cancer diagnoses and seasonal fluctuations in solar irradiation. After Kolmogorov-Zurbenko separation and filtration of uncorrelated time scales, cross-correlation analysis accounts for latency between irradiation and associated skin cancer detection. This study derives a coefficient of influence between changes in irradiation and skin cancer incidence, quantifying the relationship and modeling increasing risk to increased exposure. The development of this coefficient provides new opportunities to model and predict skin cancer incidence.
How to Squeeze the Vacuum, Or, What to Do When Even No Quantum Is Half a Quantum Too Many

The vacuum is conventionally defined as the absence of matter and energy. One might imagine that such a vacuum would be simple and without interest to physicists. Quantum mechanics, however, provides a detailed and complex model of the vacuum, pregnant with possibilities and well worth careful study [1], The quantum mechanical vacuum is defined as the ground state of all fields. The electromagnetic field is the field most familiar to spectroscopists, and is the model used to understand more complex forces. The electromagnetic field is conventionally modelled as an assembly of harmonic oscillator modes. It is well known that the ground state of a harmonic oscillator does not have zero energy; instead, it contains one half quantum. This vacuum energy allows an oscillator in the ground state to have a slightly fluctuating position and momentum and thus fulfil the uncertainty principle [2].
Context Matters: A Reply to Professor Eisenberg

This invited response essay responds to Professor Deborah Eisenberg's article in the Florida Law Review, "Regulation by Amicus," which assesses U.S. Department of Labor efforts to influence statutory interpretation and effectuate public policy through the use of "friend-of-the-court" (amicus curiae) briefs in private litigation. Eisenberg focuses on the unconventional deployment of this strategy by the two most recent presidential administrations in the service of their interpretations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal statute governing wage and hour law. Through the often aggressive submission of amicus briefs, the administration of President George W. Bush aimed to use the Supreme Court’s agency deference doctrine to eviscerate worker protections, while President Barack Obama’s administration has employed the same tool to revive and expand interpretations protective of employees.This response places Professor Eisenberg's work in context in two ways. First it notes that the practice Eisenberg describes has arisen during a period of extreme political polarization and congressional gridlock. Given this context, it is not surprising that the Bush and Obama administrations would use unconventional means to enact their national political agendas. Indeed, scholars of workplace law should consider the Bush and Obama administrations as potential case studies for examining traditional and new forms of regulation.Second, this response argues that one must contextualize Eisenberg's article in light of the changing nature of work. The FLSA, which is a central focus of her article, was designed to protect those in standard employment relationships. Yet those in non-standard work – especially independent contractors and the self-employed – are increasing in number and often find themselves without the protective mantle of labor and employment law. To the extent our elected leaders refuse to legislate on their behalf, they enable, at least in part, the deregulation of segments of the labor market.
Using derived relational responding to model statistics learning across participants with varying degrees of statistics anxiety

ABSTRACTStatistics courses offer a challenge for students in behavioral science programs. Many students experience statistics-related anxiety resulting in deficits in comprehension and performance with potential long-term consequences. This may be attributable to the avoidance that often accompanies statistics anxiety. However, it may also be attributable to disruptions of fundamental learning processes that are necessary for statistics performance. Relational frame theory may provide an analysis of how individuals learn to respond to statistical concepts in terms of derived relational responding (DRR). Students who experience statistics anxiety may perform poorly because the DRR involved in learning statistics is disrupted. This study aimed to model statistics learning using a DRR task and to explore the relationship of statistics anxiety and DRR with statistics stimuli. Twenty-seven undergraduate students completed a measure of statistics anxiety and a conditional discrimination task in which they learn...
Transforming growth factor-β signal transduction and progressive renal disease

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily members are multifunctional growth factors that play pivotal roles in development and tissue homeostasis. Recent studies have underscored the import...
A Comparative Study of Adult Emergence Phenologies of Heliothis virescens (F.) and H. zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Various Hosts in Field Cages

Emergence rates and timing of emergence of cotton bollworm (CBW), Heliothis zea (Boddie), and tobacco budworm (TBW), H. virescens (F.), each reared concurrently in field cages erected over three host crops, differed characteristically among hosts. Sorghum produced the highest total number of CBW moths, followed by cotton, and then corn; pigeon pea yielded the highest number of TBW, followed by cotton; sesame failed to support TBW development. Sex ratios differed between the TBW and CBW (1:0.99 and 1:0.90 male/female, respectively; P < 0.01; t test, df = 3), but were consistent across all hosts per species. Emergence patterns of females and males for each host were significantly correlated; however, females frequently began to emerge first and reached 50% emergence 24–72 h prior to males.
Phloroglucinol based microporous polymeric organic frameworks with-OH functional groups and high CO2 capture capacity

A new family of microporous polymeric organic frameworks (POF)s is described. The POFs are assembled from phlorglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene) and several benzaldehyde derivatives under solvothe...
Fatigue Crack Growth in Co and Ni Base Directionally Solidified Eutectic Composites

A study of fatigue crack growth behavior in four directionally solidified eutectic composites has been carried out in air at room temperature and at 870°C (1600 °F). The alloys investigated included two cobalt-base alloys, CoTaC and CoTaC+Cr, and two nickel base alloys, γ′-Mo and γ/γ′-δ. Fatigue crack growth was studied in directions parallel and perpendicular to the solidification direction. It was found that the addition of chromium to the CoTaC alloy strengthened the interface and promoted trans-fiber crack growth. In addition, the effect of interlamellar spacing on the rate of fatigue crack growth was examined for the γ/γ′-δ alloy. A reduction in interlamellar spacing reduced the crack growth rate. The growth rates are related to the corresponding stress intensity factors and are discussed in the light of prior investigations reported in the literature.
Cooperative Aerial Tracking and Rendezvous Along Time-Optimal 3-Dimensional Curves

This paper describes a guidance method that enables an unmanned aircraft to execute a mid-air rendezvous with another aircraft flying along a known path. The method uses a vector field approach for following time-optimal, 3-dimensional Dubins airplane paths to a desired location. The desired flight path is mathematically defined as the intersection of two surface functions. The paper describes a method for deriving surface functions that result in the inclined straight line and helical flight paths that are required to fly these time optimal paths. A low computation cost, unconstrained optimization routine is presented that can be used to determine a time-optimal path that will result in the interception of another aircraft. Simulation results are provided for the intercept of an aircraft flying along an elliptical path.
Comparison of web-based and face-to-face interviews for application to an anesthesiology training program: a pilot study.

This study compared admission rates to a United States anesthesiology residency program for applicants completing face-to-face versus web-based interviews during the admissions process. We also explored factors driving applicants to select each interview type.
Developing Expertise: Using Video to Hone Teacher Candidates' Classroom Observation Skills.

ABSTRACTThis article explores the impact of a video observation model developed for teacher candidates in an early experiences course. Video Grand Rounds (VGR) combines a structured observation protocol, videos, and directed debriefing to enhance teacher candidates’ observations skills within nonstructured and field-based observations. A comparative research design was employed for this VGR study, and both quantitative and qualitative data inform the results. Findings indicate that VGR teacher candidates demonstrated significantly greater growth than non-VGR teacher candidates in their abilities to focus on salient features of classroom interactions to identify the complexity of classroom interactions and to readily transfer observation skills from a video platform to an in-school platform.
Tissue-specific conditional PKCε knockout mice: a model to precisely reveal PKCε functional role in initiation, promotion and progression of cancer.

PKCe is a transforming oncogene and a predictive biomarker of various human cancers. However, a precise in vivo link of PKCe to cancer induction, progression and metastasis remain undefined. To achieve these goals, we generated tissue specific conditional PKCe knockout mice (PKCe-CKO) using cre-lox technology. Homozygous PKCe(LoxP/LoxP) mice have normal body weight and phenotype. To determine what effect loss of PKCe would have on the prostate, the PKCe(LoxP/LoxP) mice were bred to probasin cre (PB-Cre4+) mice which express cre specifically in the prostate epithelium of postnatal mice. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed reduced levels of PKCe specifically in the prostate of PKCe-CKO mice. Histopathological analyses of prostate from both PKCe(LoxP/LoxP) and prostate PKCe-CKO mice showed normal pathology. To determine the functional impact of prostate specific deletion of PKCe on prostate tumor growth, we performed an orthotopic xenograft study. Transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) cells (TRAMPC1, 2×106) were implanted in the prostate of PKCe-CKO mice. Mice were sacrificed at 6th week post-implantation. Results demonstrated a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the growth of TRAMPC1 cells-derived xenograft tumors in PKCe-CKO mice compared to wild type. To determine a link of PKCe to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure-induced epidermal Stat3 phosphorylation, PKCe(LoxP/LoxP) mice were bred to tamoxifen-inducible K14 Cre mice. PKCe deletion in the epidermis resulted in inhibition of UVR-induced Stat3 phosphorylation. In summary, our novel PKCe(LoxP/LoxP) mice will be useful for defining the link of PKCe to various cancers in specific organ, tissue, or cells.
A Disposition-Based Fraud Model: Theoretical Integration and Research Agenda

For several decades, most discussion on financial fraud has centered on the fraud triangle, which has evolved over time through various extensions and re-interpretations. While this has served the profession well, the articulation of the human side of the act is indirect and diffused. To address this limitation, this research develops a model to explain the role of human desires, intentions, and actions in indulgence of, or resistance to, the act of financial fraud. Evidence from religion, philosophy, sociology, neurology, behavioral economics, and social psychology is integrated to develop and support an alternative fraud model, called the disposition-based fraud model (DFM). To articulate the model, its two primary components, disposition and temptation, are further developed and extended. Although the DFM is generally applicable to any act of fraud, this paper focuses on executive fraud. The similarities and differences between the DFM and extant fraud models are discussed. Importantly, in light of the DFM, a re-interpretation of the fraud triangle is made to improve our understanding of the human element in it. Additionally, potential implications of the model for corporate governance are discussed, suggestions for further research are offered, and the DFM’s strengths and limitations are noted.
Low-Investment Energy Retrofit Framework for Small and Medium Office Buildings☆

Abstract Small and medium office buildings consume a significant parcel of the U.S. building stock energy consumption. Still, owners lack resources and experience to conduct detailed energy audits and retrofit analysis. We present an eight-steps framework for an energy retrofit assessment in small and medium office buildings. Through a bottom-up approach and a web-based retrofit toolkit tested on a case study in Arizona, this methodology was able to save about 50% of the total energy consumed by the case study building, depending on the adopted measures and invested capital. While the case study presented is a deep energy retrofit, the proposed framework is effective in guiding the decision-making process that precedes any energy retrofit, deep or light.
Closer to the Finish Line? Compulsory Attendance, Grade Attainment, and High School Graduation

AbstractHigh school graduation rates are a central policy topic in the United States and have been shown to be stagnant for the past three decades. Using student-level administrative data from New York City Public Schools, I examine the impact of compulsory school attendance on high school graduation rates and grade attainment, focusing the analysis on ninth and tenth grade cohorts. I exploit the interaction between the school start-age cutoff and compulsory attendance age requirement to identify the effect of compulsory schooling. I find that an additional year in compulsory attendance leads to an increase of 9 to 12 percent in the probability of progressing to grades 11 and 12, and raises the probability of graduating from high school by 9 to 14 percent, depending on the specification.
Caveolins and caveolae in ocular physiology and pathophysiology.

Caveolae are specialized, invaginated plasma membrane domains that are defined morphologically and by the expression of signature proteins called, caveolins. Caveolae and caveolins are abundant in a variety of cell types including vascular endothelium, glia, and fibroblasts where they play critical roles in transcellular transport, endocytosis, mechanotransduction, cell proliferation, membrane lipid homeostasis, and signal transduction. Given these critical cellular functions, it is surprising that ablation of the caveolae organelle does not result in lethality suggesting instead that caveolae and caveolins play modulatory roles in cellular homeostasis. Caveolar components are also expressed in ocular cell types including retinal vascular cells, Muller glia, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), conventional aqueous humor outflow cells, the corneal epithelium and endothelium, and the lens epithelium. In the eye, studies of caveolae and other membrane microdomains (i.e., "lipid rafts") have lagged behind what is a substantial body of literature outside vision science. However, interest in caveolae and their molecular components has increased with accumulating evidence of important roles in vision-related functions such as blood-retinal barrier homeostasis, ocular inflammatory signaling, pathogen entry at the ocular surface, and aqueous humor drainage. The recent association of CAV1/2 gene loci with primary open angle glaucoma and intraocular pressure has further enhanced the need to better understand caveolar functions in the context of ocular physiology and disease. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive review of literature on caveolae, caveolins, and other membrane domains in the context of visual system function. This review highlights the importance of caveolae domains and their components in ocular physiology and pathophysiology and emphasizes the need to better understand these important modulators of cellular function.
Network architecture of the cerebral nuclei (basal ganglia) association and commissural connectome

The cerebral nuclei form the ventral division of the cerebral hemisphere and are thought to play an important role in neural systems controlling somatic movement and motivation. Network analysis was used to define global architectural features of intrinsic cerebral nuclei circuitry in one hemisphere (association connections) and between hemispheres (commissural connections). The analysis was based on more than 4,000 reports of histologically defined axonal connections involving all 45 gray matter regions of the rat cerebral nuclei and revealed the existence of four asymmetrically interconnected modules. The modules form four topographically distinct longitudinal columns that only partly correspond to previous interpretations of cerebral nuclei structure-function organization. The network of connections within and between modules in one hemisphere or the other is quite dense (about 40% of all possible connections), whereas the network of connections between hemispheres is weak and sparse (only about 5% of all possible connections). Particularly highly interconnected regions (rich club and hubs within it) form a topologically continuous band extending through two of the modules. Connection path lengths among numerous pairs of regions, and among some of the network's modules, are relatively long, thus accounting for low global efficiency in network communication. These results provide a starting point for reexamining the connectional organization of the cerebral hemispheres as a whole (right and left cerebral cortex and cerebral nuclei together) and their relation to the rest of the nervous system.
School-Based Considerations for Supporting Arab American Youths’ Mental Health

Arab Americans are a culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse group. Although there are an estimated 3.6 million Arab Americans in the USA, there is little discussion about how to best provide culturally responsive school-based mental health supports to Arab American youths. The purpose of this article is to (1) briefly describe the demographics and background of Arab Americans, (2) highlight the current research related to the academic performance and mental health of Arab American youths, and (3) provide specific recommendations for school-based mental health providers to use within multi-tiered systems of support. Lastly, broad recommendations for using culturally responsive practices in a multi-tiered system of support for this population are provided.
A statistical comparison of cirrus particle size distributions measured using the 2-D stereo probe during the TC 4 , SPARTICUS, and MACPEX flight campaigns with historical cirrus datasets

Abstract. This paper addresses two straightforward questions. First, how similar are the statistics of cirrus particle size distribution (PSD) datasets collected using the Two-Dimensional Stereo (2D-S) probe to cirrus PSD datasets collected using older Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) 2-D Cloud (2DC) and 2-D Precipitation (2DP) probes? Second, how similar are the datasets when shatter-correcting post-processing is applied to the 2DC datasets? To answer these questions, a database of measured and parameterized cirrus PSDs – constructed from measurements taken during the Small Particles in Cirrus (SPARTICUS); Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX); and Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4) flight campaigns – is used. Bulk cloud quantities are computed from the 2D-S database in three ways: first, directly from the 2D-S data; second, by applying the 2D-S data to ice PSD parameterizations developed using sets of cirrus measurements collected using the older PMS probes; and third, by applying the 2D-S data to a similar parameterization developed using the 2D-S data themselves. This is done so that measurements of the same cloud volumes by parameterized versions of the 2DC and 2D-S can be compared with one another. It is thereby seen – given the same cloud field and given the same assumptions concerning ice crystal cross-sectional area, density, and radar cross section – that the parameterized 2D-S and the parameterized 2DC predict similar distributions of inferred shortwave extinction coefficient, ice water content, and 94 GHz radar reflectivity. However, the parameterization of the 2DC based on uncorrected data predicts a statistically significantly higher number of total ice crystals and a larger ratio of small ice crystals to large ice crystals than does the parameterized 2D-S. The 2DC parameterization based on shatter-corrected data also predicts statistically different numbers of ice crystals than does the parameterized 2D-S, but the comparison between the two is nevertheless more favorable. It is concluded that the older datasets continue to be useful for scientific purposes, with certain caveats, and that continuing field investigations of cirrus with more modern probes is desirable.
Strategic design of multiple lifecycle products for remanufacturing operations

ABSTRACTBased on observations from practice, this study analytically investigates product design philosophies for remanufacturing original equipment manufacturers to determine how the optimal design choice depends on market conditions. Though designing to increase the level of remanufacturability can yield increased profitability by lowering remanufacturing costs, several complicating factors exist. We examine how these market factors—industry clockspeed, the level of competition, and the product’s original market value—interact with characteristics whose values are determined by the choice of design paradigm: time-to-market, manufacturing cost, and remanufacturing cost. A key determinant of the optimal design choice is the number of profitable lifecycles that each design choice provides under specific combinations of values for the market factors.
Instructional Practices in Hollywood’s Imagination

One of the most consistent tropes in 1970s and 1980s school-based Hollywood films is that of the woefully un-prepared public school teacher relying upon dusty, obsolete textbooks and yellowed lecture notes as he or she drones on about an abstruse topic in front of a group of visibly bored students.
Erratum to: Building University Electronic Educational Environments

Erratum to: S.D. Franklin and E. Strenski (Eds.) Building University Electronic Educational Environments DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-35502-3
Childhood Experiences of Sexual Violence, Pregnancy, and Marriage Associated With Child Sex Trafficking Among Female Sex Workers in Two US-Mexico Border Cities.

Objectives. To quantitatively assess the relationships of childhood experiences of marriage, pregnancy, and sexual violence with underage sex trafficking.Methods. Cross-sectional survey data from a...
A Model Spectral Problem for the Linear Stability of Nearly Parallel Flows

An analysis is made of a second order ordinary differential operator defined on (O, ∞) with boundary conditions at 0. This system models spectral problems which arise in the analysis of the “modified” Orr-Sommerfeld stability equation, when there is a transverse component as well as a streamwise component to the mainflow at infinity. The spectrum of the operator when defined on L 2 [0, ∞) is two-dimensional, consisting of an open, convex point spectrum bounded by the essential spectrum which is a Jordan curve. The usual spectral resolution is therefore not possible in L 2 [0, ∞). The proper Hilbert space setting is determined and the spectral resolution is performed.
Genesis of fibre type predominance in canine pectineus muscle hypotrophy.

SUMMARY The most likely mechanism for the development of type predominance associated with a neuromuscular disease (canine pectineus muscle hypotrophy) of dogs at 16 to 24 weeks of age was studied in 19 German shepherd dogs, Dogs having hypotrophic muscles when eight weeks old tended to have disproportional fibre type distribution (type predominance or type grouping) in the ovwpposite muscles when 16 to 24 weeks old. Type predominance in canine pectineus muscle hypotrophy always involved type I fibres. Type I fibre predominance resulted most probably from transformation of some type II fibres into type I fibres as a result of collateral re-innervation of some type II fibres by type I neurons. That resulted in an increase in number of type I fibres with a corresponding decrease in the number of type II fibres.
Mentor-Mentee Responsibilities and Relationships

Research training has historically followed an apprentice model, informal, minimally structured, and idiosyncratic. Adequate mentoring has been defined by the mentor and frequently derived from how the mentor has traditionally behaved with prior students. Mentees have sometimes been seen as simply ready labor for mentor projects.
Synthesis of tetraarylmethanes via a Friedel-Crafts cyclization/desulfurization strategy

Abstract Tetraarylmethanes are an important class of molecules that contain four aryl groups bonded to a central carbon atom. The shape/three-dimensionality of these molecules makes them suitable for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic solar cells, hydrogen storage, and even drug-delivery. Despite their importance, there are only a few methods available for their preparation. Herein, we report a simple procedure for the preparation of tetraarylmethanes that involves a bismuth-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts cyclization followed by a desulfurization reaction mediated by Raney nickel.