cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open- and short-circuit terminated series stubs in finite-width coplanar waveguide on silicon

Open- and short-circuit terminated series stubs in finite-width coplanar waveguide (FCPW) fabricated on high-resistivity Si are experimentally characterized over the frequency range of 2-40 GHz. In coplanar waveguide (CPW), these stubs are typically placed in the center conductor, but in FCPW, the stubs may also be placed in the ground planes resulting in novel circuit elements with characteristics that make the stubs useful for matching circuits and filters. Equivalent circuit models for the stubs are presented, and it is shown that when the stub is in the ground plane the resonant frequency is equal, the inductance and resistance is halved, and the capacitance is double the values of the same stub in the center conductor. Furthermore, it is shown that by varying the stub position in the ground plane, higher Q stubs can be obtained.
Recent results on linear systems and connections with formal power series

The general synthesis (design) problem for linear multivariable systems is solved in the framework of formal power series. It is shown that the partial realizations of an associated formal power series, parametrize all solutions of the problem in terms of closed formulae.
XML fragments extended with database operators

XML documents represent a middle range between unstructured data such as textual documents and fully structured data encoded in databases. Typically, information retrieval techniques are used to support search on the "unstructured" end of this scale, while database techniques are used for the structured part. To date, most of the works on XML query and search have stemmed from the structured side and are strongly inspired by database techniques. In a previous work we described a new query approach via pieces of XML data called "XML Fragments" which are of the same nature as the queried XML documents and are specifically targeted to support the information needs of end-users in an intuitive way. In addition to its simplicity, XML Fragments represent a natural extension to traditional free text information retrieval queries where both documents and queries are represented as vectors of words and as such it enables a natural extension of IR ranking models to rank XML documents by context and structure. In this paper, we extend XML Fragments with database operators thus allowing both IR style approach together with database "structured" query capabilities.
Theoretical and experimental development of 10 and 35 GHz rectennas

A 35-GHz rectenna has been developed with 39% conversion efficiency. The rectenna uses a microstrip dipole antenna and a commercially available mixer diode. Over 60% conversion efficiency was demonstrated using this diode at 10 GHz. A theoretical analysis was derived to predict the performance of the rectenna. The analysis is a useful tool for device and circuit design. The theoretical and experimental results should have many applications in microwave power transmission and detection. >
Healthy for Now? A Cross-Sectional Study of the Comorbidities in Obese Preschool Children in the United States

Objective. Examine health of preschoolers by BMI status. Methods. A cross-sectional analysis of children 3 to 5 years old in the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was carried out. The measured age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles were used to categorize children as very obese, obese, overweight, or healthy weight. The authors used logistic regression to examine the effect of weight status on 17 available measures of current child health potentially related to obesity. Results. Except for very obese children, weight status had minimal effect on most measures of health for preschool-aged children (n = 2792). Parents of very obese children reported poorer general health and more activity limitations for their children. Additionally, very obese girls had more frequent/severe headaches, and overweight/obese boys had more asthma diagnoses. Conclusions. Only severe obesity appears consistently related to immediate health problems in preschool-aged children. Parental perception that very...
Architectural considerations for energy efficiency

The formal analysis of parallelism and pipelining is performed on an 8-bit add-compare-select element of a Viterbi decoder. The results are quantified through a study of the delay and energy behaviors of gates and complex circuits due to supply scaling and circuit optimization on a modified test setup accounting for routing cost. The energy-throughput relationships of both pipelining and parallelism are characterized in connection to their corresponding depth and degree, showing clear advantages of pipelining over parallelism.
AMPK inhibits myoblast differentiation through a PGC-1α-dependent mechanism

Elevated phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to inhibit skeletal muscle growth in both culture and animal models, but its role in differentiation of muscle cells is less clear. p21 is known to have an important role in differentiation, but AMPK's role regulating p21 in differentiation in muscle cultures is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of p21 in differentiation of skeletal muscle cells under conditions of elevated AMPK phosphorylation. Treating C2C12 myoblast cultures with 1 mM 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribonucleoside (AICAR) for up to 24 h induced AMPK phosphorylation. Activation of AMPK reduced p21 protein and mRNA expression, which was associated with reduced G1/S cell cycle transition and p21 promoter activity. AICAR-treated myoblasts undergoing differentiation also had reduced p21 protein expression, reduced myotube formation, and myosin accumulation. When myotube cultures were treated with AICAR for 24 h, p21, myosin protein expression, and MyoD were significantly reduced. Myotube atrophy was also apparent compared with control conditions. Addition of compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, attenuated AICAR's negative effects on the myotube cultures. The nuclear expression of p21 protein appeared to be more affected by AICAR-treated myotubes than the cytosolic portion of p21 protein, which was attenuated with compound C treatment. Further analysis revealed that AICAR treatment increased PGC-1α and decreased FOXO3A protein expression, which was reversed with compound C cotreatment. Knockdown of PGC-1α with shRNA corroborated the compound C data, preserving nuclear FOXO3A and p21 protein expression. These data demonstrate that AICAR-induced AMPK phosphorylation inhibits cell cycle transition, reducing differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes, through PGC-1α-FOXO3A-p21.
Meno's Paradox, the Slave‐Boy Interrogation, and the Unity of Platonic Recollection

Plato invokes the Theory of Recollection to explain both ordinary and philosophical learning. In a new reading of Meno's Paradox and the Slave-Boy Interrogation, I explain why these two levels are linked in a single theory of learning. Since, for Plato, philosophical inquiry starts in ordinary discourse, the possibility of success in inquiry is tied to the character of the ordinary comprehension we bring to it. Through the claim that all learning is recollection, Plato traces the knowledge achievable through inquiry back to our pretheoretical comprehension, showing not just that knowledge is in us, but that it is inchoate in the grasp of a property—akin to a concept—that enables us to speak and think about it ordinarily. Plato acknowledges in the Meno that a second step of argument, and a second application of Recollection, is needed to explain how knowledge comes to be inchoate in our ordinary grasp of a property. Though this second argument is provided most fully in the Phaedo, the evidence of the Meno is sufficient to outline Recollection as a two-stage theory of learning, beginning in ordinary speech and thought and extending, through philosophical reflection, to knowledge.
Context‐specific mate choice criteria: Women's trade‐offs in the contexts of long‐term and extra‐pair mateships

Women's mate choice criteria were examined experimentally in the contexts of long-term and extra-pair mateship scenarios. In long-term mateships, women may benefit by pairing with males who provide material resources and assistance in child rearing. In contrast, in extra-pair mateships, women may benefit in other ways, with such benefits outweighing the potential costs imposed by a primary mate who discovers the relationship. One benefit, or evolutionary function, of extra-pair mateships may be to replace a primary mate, in which case mate preferences should look similar across long-term and extra-pair contexts. However, another function of extra-pair mateships may be to obtain high quality gametes (Le., “good genes”), in which case women should be differentially attracted to cues of heritable phenotypic quality, such as physical attractiveness. By using detailed verbal and pictorial descriptions of men and requiring participants to trade off physical attractiveness for good character (i.e., being a good cooperator and parent), it was possible to determine whether women's criteria for partners varied across experimental contexts. Findings suggest that extra-pair mateships may have served the evolutionary function of obtaining “good genes,” because attractiveness was more important in extra-pair mateships to the detriment of good character. This effect was maintained even when characteristics of the female participants (age, parity, marital experience) were covaried. In addition, the preference for physical attractiveness was specific to the sexual context; it did not generalize, in a second experiment, to choices among short-term male coworkers.
Nucleophosmin Interacts with FOXM1 and Modulates the Level and Localization of FOXM1 in Human Cancer Cells

Using mass spectrometric analysis we found that oncogenic transcription factor FOXM1 that is overexpressed in a majority of human cancers interacts with multifunctional protein NPM, which is also overexpressed in a variety of human tumors. Coimmunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments demonstrated that NPM forms a complex with FOXM1 and also identified the regions responsible for their interaction. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed the interaction between FOXM1 and NPM in cancer and immortal cells. Furthermore, knockdown of NPM in immortal and cancer cells led to significant down-regulation of FOXM1 similar to its levels in normal cells, suggesting that NPM might modulate FOXM1 level. In addition, in OCI/AML3 leukemia cells where mutant NPM is localized in the cytoplasm we found that typically nuclear FOXM1 was predominantly co-localized with NPM in the cytoplasm, while NPM knockdown led to the disappearance of FOXM1 from the cytoplasm, suggesting that NPM may also determine intracellular localization of FOXM1. Knockdown of FOXM1 or NPM in MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells inhibited anchorage-dependent and independent growth in cell culture, and tumor growth in nude mice. In addition, over-expression of FOXM1 reversed the effect of NPM knockdown in vitro. Our data suggest that in cancer cells NPM interacts with FOXM1 and their interaction is required for sustaining the level and localization of FOXM1. Targeting the interaction between FOXM1 and NPM by peptides or small molecules may represent a novel therapeutic strategy against cancer.
Instability limits to "fast light" optical pulse propagation

This work demonstrates a novel experimental configuration that uses two potassium vapor cells, each of which is pumped by a single monochromatic beam, to suppress modulation instability. The linear dispersive properties of the combined system gives rise to fast light (similar to dispersion management in optical telecommunication systems), but the induced modulation instability cannot occur because no atom experience the combined effect of both pump frequencies. Results also show the electronic power spectrum of the detected fluctuations in the transmitted bichromatic pump beam, optical pulse propagation through a cell of potassium atoms pumped by a bichromatic field, and a large fast-light pulse advancement using the two-zone setup.
Overview of Genitourinary Trauma

Genitourinary trauma is a common finding in the patient with multi-trauma, and includes injuries to the kidneys, bladder, ureters, urethra, penis, and scrotum. This article describes the care of the patient with genitourinary trauma focusing on assessments, diagnostic testing, and patient care. Nurses working with trauma patients need to monitor these patients carefully for genitourinary involvement because the signs and symptoms are not always clear.
THE PRODUCT OF THE LEU-3 CISTRON AS A REGULATORY ELEMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE LEUCINE BIOSYNTHETIC ENZYMES OF NEUROSPORA

A class of intracistronic (or closely linked) partial reversions of leu-3 mutations has been found to be conditionally constitutive with respect to the synthesis of isopropylmalate isomerase (specified by the leu-2 cistron) and β-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (specified by the leu-1 cistron), two of the enzymes of leucine biosynthesis in Neurospora. The intermediate level of enzyme production by these leu-3cc mutants is independent of the obligatory inducer effector, α-isopropylmalate, but dependent upon the presence of the branched-chain amino acids, isoleucine, valine and leucine. The properties of leu-3+, leu-3 and leu-3cc in heterokaryons indicate that the transnuclear regulatory activity of the leu-3 product varies specifically as a function of available effector molecules. The information presented suggests that the leu-3 cistron is responsible not only for the production of a "positive" regulatory substance necessary for the expression of the leu-1 and leu-2 cistrons, but that it probably serves also a coordinating role in the expression of many of the genes involved in branched-chain amino acid metabolism.
Public-Private Policy Partnerships. Edited by Pauline Vaillancourt Rosenau. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. 256p. $45.00 cloth, $19.95 paper.

Recent calls for public sector reform advocate reinvention, deregulation, reengineering, outsourcing, and privatization to address deficiencies in the classic bureaucratic model and to improve government performance. Reform efforts that seek to capitalize on the advantages offered by the three sectors-public, private, and voluntary-include experiments in public-private policy partnerships. Experience with coop- erative undertakings between the state and for-profit or third-sector service providers spans the last three decades. This book examines the pros and cons of these public-private policy partnerships, isolates the determinants of success or failure across policy spheres, and identifies the circumstances under which cross-sector partnering should be promoted or avoided.
Proteomic Analysis of Pathogenic Fungi Reveals Highly Expressed Conserved Cell Wall Proteins

We are presenting a quantitative proteomics tally of the most commonly expressed conserved fungal proteins of the cytosol, the cell wall, and the secretome. It was our goal to identify fungi-typical proteins that do not share significant homology with human proteins. Such fungal proteins are of interest to the development of vaccines or drug targets. Protein samples were derived from 13 fungal species, cultured in rich or in minimal media; these included clinical isolates of Aspergillus, Candida, Mucor, Cryptococcus, and Coccidioides species. Proteomes were analyzed by quantitative MSE (Mass Spectrometry—Elevated Collision Energy). Several thousand proteins were identified and quantified in total across all fractions and culture conditions. The 42 most abundant proteins identified in fungal cell walls or supernatants shared no to very little homology with human proteins. In contrast, all but five of the 50 most abundant cytosolic proteins had human homologs with sequence identity averaging 59%. Proteomic comparisons of the secreted or surface localized fungal proteins highlighted conserved homologs of the Aspergillus fumigatus proteins 1,3-β-glucanosyltransferases (Bgt1, Gel1-4), Crf1, Ecm33, EglC, and others. The fact that Crf1 and Gel1 were previously shown to be promising vaccine candidates, underlines the value of the proteomics data presented here.
Marketing Costs and Margins: New Perspectives in a Changing Economy

N 1935 the Department of Agriculture published for the first time statistics on farm-retail spreads for farm food products in The Margin Between Farm Prices and Retail Prices of Ten Foods.' This also was the first publication issued by the newly established Division of Marketing and Transportation Research in the BAE, the first organizational entity in USDA for marketing-economics research. The statistics in this report for ten foods individually and combined were farm price, retail price, margin, and percentage margin (later computed as farmer's share). Retail-store and farm prices were for equivalent quantities of product. Principal sources of data were the average retailstore prices of BLS (in 51 cities) and the average prices received by farmers as reported by USDA. Fred Waugh's report was followed a year later by one covering 58 foods coauthored by Richard Been, the discussant on this morning's program.2 Since then, the computational methods and terminology of the price-spread statistics published by USDA have been added to, refined, and modified, but the concept, methodology, and sources of data used for these series remain essentially unchanged. During this period, however, both the production and marketing of farm products have changed far more than in any preceding 30 years. This year then marks an appropriate time for stocktaking with regard to these statistics, especially since we tend to revere time periods ending with an 0 or 5 as particularly appropriate times for anniversaries and reviews.
Discriminant Validity of the Rational Behavior Inventory with Respect to Social Desirability

The clinical theory of rational-emotive therapy suggests that various forms of neurosis are characterized by specific patterns of irrational th~nking (2 ) . This position is supported by recent investigations which employed the Rational Behavior Inventory ( 4 ) as a measure of irrational belief system; strong associations were found between irrationality and various indices of psychopathology such as test, sute and trait anxiety, depression, a more external locus of control and psychiauic symptomatologf (3, 5 ) . It is possible however, that these associations may represent the variance the Rational Behavior Inventory shares with other measures through the common component of social desirability or the extent to which respondents formulate their answers to present che most favorable image of themselves. To investigate this possibility. the Rational Behavior Inventory and the Social Desirability Scale (1) were administered to 57 college undergraduates, 30 men and 27 women whose mean age was 20 yr., Means, standard deviations and ranges for the total scores of the two inventories are presented in the table below. Men and women did not score significantly differently on these measures. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated between the Social Desirability Scale and the total Rational Behavior Inventory score and each of its 11 s u b factors. Total scores for the two inventories were not significantly related and only one subfactor, number nine (self-disparagmenr) achieved significance ( r = .36, p < .01). This small association between rationality and social desirability suggesn that relationships between the Rational Behavior Inventory and other measures represent meaningful findings rather than artifacts.
Abstract 1918: Lymphocyte content differs in normal ovaries and ovarian tumor stages in spontaneous ovarian cancer in the chicken

Background: The immune system responds to tumor development. Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is lethal since it has no symptoms and is diagnosed in advanced stages. Therefore, studies of early OvCa are difficult in humans. The naturally occurring OvCa in chickens resembles human tumors both histologically and biochemically and affords an opportunity to study all stages of OvCa development. The goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in lymphocyte content among normal ovaries, early and late stage ovarian tumors, as a basis for understanding the role of immunity in OvCa development in women. Methods: Hens (n=12) with reduced egg-laying rates ( Results: Flow cytometric analyses showed that there were more B cells in early stage OvCa (mean ± SEM = 0.20% ± 0.10) and late stage OvCa (0.63% ± 0.35) than in normal ovaries (0.11% ± 0.03). There were less CD4 (0.57% ± 0.5) and CD8 (0.27% ± 0.10) T cells in early stage tumors than in both normal (CD4: 0.95% ± 0.036; CD8: 0.94% ± 0.51) and late stage-stage tumors (CD4: 0.98% ± 0.23; CD8: 1.02% ± 0.028). Immunohistochemistry confirmed that immune cells were in the ovarian stroma, and not in ovarian blood vessels. B cells were observed in clusters of ovarian stroma, while CD4 and CD8 T cells were uniformly distributed. Conclusions: The results of this cross-sectional study suggest there are differences in the content of immune cells in both normal ovaries and ovarian tumors. There were more B cells in both early and late-stage ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries. Interestingly, early-stage tumors had the lowest number of T lymphocytes than either normal ovaries or late stage tumors suggesting there are differences in immune infiltration during tumor development. Support: NIH R01AI055060, DOD OC073325 and Segal Foundation (JL); Prevent Cancer Foundation (AB) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1918.
Analysis on the gene characteristics of ECHO 6 strains isolated from an outbreak of children viral encephalitis

The molecular biological analysis method was used to clarify molecular characteristics of the echovirus type 6(ECHO6) virus isolated in Longyan City in Fujian and to recognize its relationship with the isolates in the rest of world.The virus were isolated from patients' cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) specimens with rhabdomyosarcoma(RD) cells,and the serotypes were classified through neutralizing test on positive isolates during the outbreak of children viral encephalitis in Changting County in Fujian Province,May of 2010.The complete VP1 sequences of the 4 isolates in Longyan were successfully amplified and compared with other ECHO6 isolates available from GenBank,and then they were constructed a VP1 gene phylogenetic tree.In 4 sequenced strains,the length of VP1 coding region was 866 bp(1 strain) and the others were 867 bp(3 strains).The homologies of these 4 strains were higher than 99%.The VP1 nucleotide sequence homology matrix analysis showed that 4 strains of the virus had the highest homology with Shandong virus strain E6/SD/sewage/081226/2-2.Phylogenetic analysis showed that these four ECHO6 strains were in the same branch of C2 genotype.In conclusion,ECHO6 was the pathogen of this children viral encephalitis outbreak in Changting,Fujian,and the genotype is C2 subtype.
Programming Surface Chemistry with Engineered Cells

We have developed synthetic gene networks that enable engineered cells to selectively program surface chemistry. E. coli were engineered to upregulate biotin synthase, and therefore biotin synthesis, upon biochemical induction. Additionally, two different functionalized surfaces were developed that utilized binding between biotin and streptavidin to regulate enzyme assembly on programmable surfaces. When combined, the interactions between engineered cells and surfaces demonstrated that synthetic biology can be used to engineer cells that selectively control and modify molecular assembly by exploiting surface chemistry. Our system is highly modular and has the potential to influence fields ranging from tissue engineering to drug development and delivery.
Induction, immunochemical identity and immunofluorescence localization of an 80 000-molecular-weight peroxisome-proliferation-associated polypeptide (polypeptide PPA-80) and peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase of mouse liver and renal cortex.

The hypolipidaemic drugs methyl clofenapate, BR-931, Wy-14643 and procetofen induced a marked proliferation of peroxisomes in the parenchymal cells of liver and the proximal-convoluted-tubular epithelium of mouse kidney. The proliferation of peroxisomes was associated with 6–12-fold increase in the peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA oxidizing capacity of the mouse liver. Enhanced activity of the peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA oxidation system was also found in the renal-cortical homogenates of hypolipidaemic-drug-treated mice. The activity of enoyl-CoA hydratase in the mouse liver increased 30–50-fold and in the kidney cortex 3–5-fold with hypolipidaemic-drug-induced peroxisome proliferation in these tissues, and over 95% of this induced activity was found to be heat-labile peroxisomal enzyme in both organs. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoretic analysis of large-particle and microsomal fractions obtained from the liver and kidney cortex of mice treated with hypolipidaemic peroxisome proliferators demonstrated a substantial increase in the quantity of an 80000-mol.wt. peroxisome-proliferation-associated polypeptide (polypeptide PPA-80). The heat-labile peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase was purified from the livers of mice treated with the hypolipidaemic drug methyl clofenapate; the antibodies raised against this electrophoretically homogeneous protein yielded a single immunoprecipitin band with purified mouse liver enoyl-CoA hydratase and with liver and kidney cortical extracts of normal and hypolipidaemic-drug-treated mice. These anti-(mouse liver enoyl-CoA hydratase) antibodies also cross-reacted with purified rat liver enoyl-CoA hydratase and with the polypeptide PPA-80 obtained from rat and mouse liver. Immunofluorescence studies with anti-(polypeptide PPA-80) and anti-(peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase) provided visual evidence for the localization and induction of polypeptide PPA-80 and peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase in the liver and kidney respectively of normal and hypolipidaemic-drug-treated mice. In the kidney, the distribution of these two proteins is identical and limited exclusively to the cytoplasm of proximal-convoluted-tubular epithelium. The immunofluorescence studies clearly complement the biochemical and ultrastructural observations of peroxisome induction in the liver and kidney cortex of mice fed on hypolipidaemic drugs. In addition, preliminary ultrastructural studies with the protein-A–gold-complex technique demonstrate that the heat-labile hepatic enoyl-CoA hydratase is localized in the peroxisome matrix.
Transepithelial acidification by cultures of rabbit proximal tubules grown on filters.

Transepithelial acidification in the proximal tubule occurs by the simultaneous actions of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger in the brush border and the basolateral Na(+)-HCO3- cotransporter. The presence of these systems has been demonstrated for cultured cells; however, their contributions to the transepithelial movement of acid equivalents has not been confirmed in monolayers. To examine transepithelial acidification by intact cells, tubules were grown on membrane filters. Confluent cultures developed a transepithelial pH gradient within 6 h by decreasing the pH of medium in the apical chamber (6.66 +/- 0.03) while raising the basolateral pH to 7.40 +/- 0.02. Cells maintained on plastic did not acidify the medium during this time. Amiloride (10-100 microM) inhibited development of the gradient only when placed in the top chamber. 4-Acetamido-49-isothiocyanostilbene-2,29-disulfonic acid (SITS; 10-100 microM), which inhibits basolateral Na(+)-HCO3- cotransport, decreased the gradient only when added to the bottom. These results demonstrate that cultured proximal tubule cells can develop a transepithelial pH gradient and that the polarized distribution of the transport systems is maintained in vitro.
Mechanism-Guided Development of a Highly Active Bis-thiourea Catalyst for Anion-Abstraction Catalysis

We describe the rational design of a linked, bis-thiourea catalyst with enhanced activity relative to monomeric analogues in a representative enantioselective anion-abstraction reaction. Mechanistic insights guide development of this linking strategy to favor substrate activation though the intramolecular cooperation of two thiourea subunits while avoiding nonproductive aggregation. The resulting catalyst platform overcomes many of the practical limitations that have plagued hydrogen-bond-donor catalysis and enables use of catalyst loadings as low as 0.05 mol %. Computational analyses of possible anion-binding modes provide detailed insight into the precise mechanism of anion-abstraction catalysis with this pseudo-dimeric thiourea.
Profiles of Social-Emotional Readiness for 4-Year-Old Kindergarten

Children who are viewed as ready for kindergarten and/or first grade typically exhibit high attention, approach, and adaptability coupled with low activity and reactivity. These characteristics tend to be especially valued by teachers and describe a child who is “teachable,” or school ready. Since many children enter formal schooling earlier by attending pre-K for 4-year olds, often called 4-year-old kindergarten, there is a need to examine school readiness earlier than kindergarten, which may look very different developmentally. If we expect children to enter formal schooling at age 4, then it should be clear what we expect of them in order to succeed. We explored which temperament, behavior, and cognitive items teachers of 4-year-old kindergarten (N = 29) rated as highly characteristic versus uncharacteristic of ready 4-year-olds. This teacher-generated data identified five clusters of children who were deemed ready for 4-year-old kindergarten. Teachers noted high cognitive skills and following directions as salient in many of the clusters, which aligns with the readiness expectations for kindergarten and first grade. However, items that distinguished the five clusters from one another referenced differences in activity level, sociability, shyness, enthusiasm, and patience that were not expected based on the previous literature with slightly older children. Given that some of the children teachers identified as especially ready for 4-year-old kindergarten did not fit this static model of a “teachable” child, a single profile of school readiness at an early age may be inappropriate.
2.04 – Geometric Processing: Active Sensor Modeling and Calibration (SAR)

In this article, we discuss the basic concepts behind the localization of targets using active microwave sensors. In particular, we use the phase delay of the received radar signal as the key interpreting factor to describe the capability of such sensors to localize targets in 1D (Radar) 2D (SAR), and 3D (SAR Interferometry).
Model for the Functional Active State of the TS Ribozyme from Molecular Simulation

Recently, a crystal structure has been reported of a new catalytic RNA, the TS ribozyme, that has been identified through comparative genomics and is believed to be a metalloribozyme having novel mechanistic features. Although this data provides invaluable structural information, analysis suggests a conformational change is required to arrive at a catalytically relevant state. We report results of molecular simulations that predict a spontaneous local rearrangement of the active site, leading to solution structures consistent with available functional data and providing competing mechanistic hypotheses that can be experimentally tested. The two competing hypotheses differ in the proposed identity of the catalytic general acid: either a water molecule coordinating a Mg2+ ion bound at the Watson-Crick edge of C7, or the N3 position of residue C7 itself.
Ring oscillator based sub-1V leaky integrate-and-fire neuron circuit

In this paper, a ring-oscillator (RO) based sub-1V leaky integrate-and-fire (I&F) neuron circuit is proposed, that can support user programmable refractory period and spike-frequency adaptation. Designed in CMOS 65-nm TSMC process, the neuron can operate from 0.9 V and has the unique feature that the same circuit can be programmed to operate either at biological time-scales or at accelerated time-scales. As ring-oscillators in nanometer CMOS are small compared to capacitors used in existing I&F silicon neuron (SiN), a large number of RO-based neurons can be integrated along with complex digital circuits to realize a single-chip Neuromorphic-SoC.
Simulation of Spiral Waves and Point Sources in Atrial Fibrillation with Application to Rotor Localization

Cardiac simulations play an important role in studies involving understanding and investigating the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias. Today, studies of arrhythmogenesis and maintenance are largely being performed by creating simulations of a particular arrhythmia with high accuracy comparable to the results of clinical experiments. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in the United States and many other parts of the world, is one of the major field where simulation and modeling is largely used. AF simulations not only assist in understanding its mechanisms but also help to develop, evaluate and improve the computer algorithms used in electrophysiology (EP) systems for ablation therapies. In this paper, we begin with a brief overeview of some common techniques used in simulations to simulate two major AF mechanisms &#x2013; spiral waves (or rotors) and point (or focal) sources. We particularly focus on 2D simulations using Nygren et al.s mathematical model of human atrial cell. Then, we elucidate an application of the developed AF simulation to an algorithm designed for localizing AF rotors for improving current AF ablation therapies. Our simulation methods and results, along with the other discussions presented in this paper is aimed to provide engineers and professionals with a working-knowledge of application-specific simulations of spirals and foci.
Implications of basal micro-earthquakes and tremor for ice stream mechanics: Stick-slip basal sliding and till erosion

Abstract The Whillans Ice Plain (WIP) is unique among Antarctic ice streams because it moves by stick-slip. The conditions allowing stick-slip and its importance in controlling ice dynamics remain uncertain. Local basal seismicity previously observed during unstable slip is a clue to the mechanism of ice stream stick-slip and a window into current basal conditions, but the spatial extent and importance of this basal seismicity are unknown. We analyze data from a 2010–2011 ice-plain-wide seismic and GPS network to show that basal micro-seismicity correlates with large-scale patterns in ice stream slip behavior: Basal seismicity is common where the ice moves the least between unstable slip events, with small discrete basal micro-earthquakes happening within 10s of km of the central stick-slip nucleation area and emergent basal tremor occurring downstream of this area. Basal seismicity is largely absent in surrounding areas, where inter-slip creep rates are high. The large seismically active area suggests that a frictional sliding law that can accommodate stick-slip may be appropriate for ice stream beds on regional scales. Variability in seismic behavior over inter-station distances of 1–10 km indicates heterogeneity in local bed conditions and frictional complexity. WIP unstable slips may nucleate when stick-slip basal earthquake patches fail over a large area. We present a conceptual model in which basal seismicity results from slip-weakening frictional failure of over-consolidated till as it is eroded and mobilized into deforming till.
DEVELOPING A TARGETED APPROACH TO 30-DAY CHF READMISSIONS

Dozens of national, state-based, and local quality campaigns have emerged to help hospitals reduce readmissions. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began in 2012 to financially penalize hospitals with what is now a 3% reduction in reimbursements for having higher than expected 30
Pod yield performance and stability of peanut genotypes under differing soil water and regional conditions

ABSTRACTGenetic gains of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) have increased harvest index and disease tolerance, resulting in improved yield potential and broad-range adaptability of peanut cultivars to United States (U.S.) peanut production regions. Although this strategy has been successful, future yield increases may require peanut cultivars specifically adapted to environmental and management systems of a particular production region. Irrigation is one major management factor that varies across U.S. production regions and influences yield stability. Therefore, peanut germplasm selection for developing specifically adapted cultivars depends on knowledge of genotypic (G) pod yield responses to irrigation (M) across contrasting environmental (E) conditions (G × E × M interaction). The objectives of this 2-year study were to characterize germplasm by: (i) examining genotypic pod yield response to irrigation at locations in Florida and Texas; and (ii) estimating the genotypic pod yield performance and ...
Lésions frontières en pathologie mammaire à fort risque de surdiagnostic : lesquelles ? Double lecture anatomopathologique, une nécessité ?

Resume Le depistage mammographique s’accompagne d’un surdiagnostic, inherent a l’acte de depistage mais lie aussi, dans un certain nombre de cas, a une surinterpretation des images mammographiques, de la part des radiologues, et des lesions frontieres de la part les pathologistes. Les lesions frontieres en pathologie mammaire sont des neoplasies intraepitheliales dont le diagnostic est difficile du fait de l’existence d’un continuum lesionnel morphologique, avec des limites floues d’une categorie lesionnelle a l’autre, diminuant la reproductibilite diagnostique interobservateur. L’Institut national du cancer a recemment propose un plan d’action pour la renovation du depistage organise en France et l’amelioration de la qualite en pathologie. Dans le cadre de ce plan une experimentation de double lecture des lesions frontieres est proposee, mais ses modalites pratiques restent a definir.
Clinician perceptions of factors that enhance patient compliance in physical therapy

OF THE THESIS CLINICIAN PERCEPTIONS OF FACTORS THAT ENHANCE PATIENT COMPLIANCE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY by Victoria R. Benea Florida International University, 2000 Miami, Florida Professor Leonard Elbaum, Major Professor The purpose of this study was to determine physical therapists utilization of methods to increase compliance with home exercise programs, and to determine their perceptions of barriers patients have to completing exercise programs. The secondary purpose of this study was to describe the association, if any, between therapists' age, participation in exercise and/or lifestyle changes and the utilization of methods to increase exercise compliance. A sample of 73 physical therapists attending the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting were surveyed for this study. This study found that barriers listed by patients were similar to those found in the literature. This study also found that a significant association, p = .015, existed between therapists engaging in behavioral changes and use of lifestyle activities.
Humans, Climate, and Plants: the Migration of Crested Wheatgrass and Smooth Bromegrass to the Great Plains of North America

The cultivation practices that were used in Europe and the eastern half of North America were utilized in the initial settlement of the Great Plains. Unfamiliarity with the climate of the Great Plains and Midwest and insufficient knowledge and technology to adapt crop production systems to the soils and climate lead to a major agriculture disaster which resulted in millions of hectares of land that needed to be re-seeded to grasses. Unrestricted grazing on public lands in the intermountain west resulted in severe rangeland degradation. Lack of knowledge and technology for using native plants and some specific characteristics of native plants that made them difficult to use resulted in the use of crested wheatgrasses and smooth bromegrass which had characteristics that met specific revegetation and production requirements. Crested wheatgrass and smooth bromegrass plant materials were from regions that were climatic analogs of the Great Plains and were adapted. These two grasses literally preserved the remaining top soil on millions of hectares of land. In the subsequent half-century, agronomist, geneticists, and rangeland scientists have learned how to establish and manage native grasses such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vit-man), indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] and others so they are now available for use in revegetation. Although native grasses are available for use in the Great Plains and the Midwest of North America, crested wheatgrass and smooth bromegrass are now naturalized North American species and will continue to be vital to the economy of the USA and Canada. Their forage production patterns fits gaps in the forage production cycle for ruminant livestock that cannot be adequately met by native species in regions where bromegrass and crested wheat-grasses are well adapted.
25 years of curating digital art: 1993--2018

As digital art merges with contemporary art, there have been many fundamental changes in the creative process. New forms of art continue to emerge and a revolutionary change in the art experience is occurring in museums, galleries and on the Internet. As a digital art curator, I have been fortunate to be a part of this revolution and will share my experiences and thoughts about past, present and future developments in curating traditional, contemporary and digital art. After a few landmark exhibitions in the late 1960s, digital art found an early home in international organisations, such as Ars Electronica, ISEA, New York Digital Salon, and ZKM. The development of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s gave digital art the additional exposure it needed. Artists could now sidestep the traditional art establishment and reach a global audience through their websites. The Internet also expanded the art experience beyond galleries and museums into homes, schools and portable devices. 2001 joined 1968 as a landmark year for major museum exposure of digital art with BitStreams and Data Dynamics at the Whitney Museum of American Art and 010101 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. What transpired over these decades has reshaped contemporary art and presented new challenges to museum professionals faced with this new art form. When looking towards the future, we will see a continued merging of digital art with contemporary art. New ways of exhibiting and creative self-expression using VR and Augmented Reality, along with other new, yet to be invented, technologies will be developed as they continue to infuse our daily lives and art experiences. This paper will examine the evolution of curating digital art over the past twenty-five years.
Engaging parents around vaccine confidence: proceedings from the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable meetings.

HPV vaccine uptake remains below national goals in the US, driven in part by parental uncertainty about the vaccine fueled by negative stories on social media and other information platforms. To id...
Incomplete Contracts and Opportunism in Franchising

Economic theorists argue that broad termination rights allow franchisors to police opportunism on the part of franchisees which have an incentive to free ride on the franchised trademark. However, in principle, these termination rights could generate another form of opportunism as franchisors then have an incentive to skim establishments that prove to be particularly profitable. We use the adoption of state franchise termination laws to determine which form of opportunism is more important on the margin. Using panel data on fast food establishments, we find that laws restricting franchisor termination rights lead to a reduction in franchising, and this reduction is not offset by the concomitant increase in franchisor-operated establishments. We also examine state employment rates in industries characterized by high rates of franchising relative to other industries where franchising is rare, finding that employment in franchise industries drops, as a proportion of total employment, by about 7 percent when states enact restrictions on franchisor termination rights. Both sets of results imply that the potential for franchisee opportunism is stronger, and restrictions on termination rights are likely to reduce joint surplus among franchisors and franchisees.
The relations between cognitive ability and personality: Convergent results across measures

Several studies have investigated the relations between cognitive ability and Big Five personality constructs. The present study extended previous research by (a) examining these relationships in large samples (total N = 120,014), (b) including several measures of cognitive ability and personality, (c) examining both domain and facet‐level personality scores, (d) expanding the personality domains studied to include Machiavellianism, and (e) correcting the observed correlations for range restriction and reliability to provide a better statistical estimate of the relations between the cognitive and personality scores and constructs. Results were consistent with prior research showing a positive relationship between cognitive ability and Openness and negative relationships between cognitive ability and Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. Negative relations between cognitive ability and Extraversion and Agreeableness also were observed. Machiavellianism, not part of the Big Five was found to have a positive correlation with cognitive ability. Of particular interest was the finding that the relations between cognitive ability and personality were affected by the specific content of the cognitive and personality measures. Cognitive measures with verbal content were more strongly correlated with personality than were cognitive measures with math or nonverbal content for all of the samples. Also, there was considerable variability in the cognitive‐personality correlations for the facets underlying each personality domain. The variability in correlations at the facet‐level implies that cognitive‐personality relationships at the domain‐level will vary as a function of the specific content of the cognitive and personality measures. Overall, the results provide support for cognitive‐personality association at the measurement level.
“MISSED-EDEMA” COMA: A CASE OF CARDIAC TAMPONADE MASKED BY MYXEDEMA COMA

Myxedema coma can mask cardiac causes of hypotension. Careful assessment is needed once initial therapy fails. A 43-year-old woman with untreated hypothyroidism presented with hypotension, respiratory distress, and somnolence after 6 months of progressive dyspnea and weight gain. She was
Abstract 583: Targeting of Macrophage Netrin-1 Expression Promotes Plaque Regression and Resolution of Chronic Inflammation in Atherosclerosis

Chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis is driven by the accumulation of cholesterol-laden macrophages in the arterial wall. These pro-inflammatory macrophages persist in this site, and sustain loc...
Impact of the antimetastatic drug Batimastat on tumor growth and PO2 measured by EPR oximetry in a murine mammary adenocarcinoma.

Patients treated for early breast cancer have only a 10–15% probability of local relapse (Fowble, 1991), but the likelihood of eventual recurrence with distant metastases can be much higher depending on the original stage of the cancer. It is from this systemic disease that patients die (Willner et al., 1997). Treatment of malignant tumors has relied heavily on the use of cytotoxic agents, targeted at the increased metabolic and proliferative activity of the cancer cell. An alternative strategy has been to develop low toxicity therapies that can be administered continuously over a period of several years to stabilize malignant disease, and it is in this category that treatment with matrix metallopro-teinase inhibitors (MMPIs) lie.