cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gradient free active subspace construction using Morris screening elementary effects

Among multivariate functions with high-dimensional input spaces, it is common for functions to vary more strongly in a few dominant directions related to a small number of highly influential parameters. In such cases, the input dimension may be greatly reduced by constructing a low-dimensional response space that is aligned with the directions of strongest dominance; this is the basis behind active subspace methods. Until recently, gradient-based methods have been employed to construct the active subspace. We introduce a gradient-free active subspace construction method that avoids the need to sample from the gradient, which may not be available, via construction of a coarse approximation to the gradient matrix by employing the concept of "elementary effects" from Morris screening procedures. In addition, we introduce the use of adaptive step sizes and directions, when constructing these elementary effects, to allow for more accuracy in locally sensitive regions while still covering a substantial amount of the input space. This increases algorithmic efficiency by avoiding function evaluations in directions in which the gradient is relatively flat. To demonstrate the method, we use an elliptic PDE example with two correlation lengths to illustrate the effects of differing rates of singular value decay. The gradient-free active subspace method is compared to a local sensitivity analysis using coordinate reduction. This problem is then modified to contain a clearly defined 10-dimensional active subspace for verification of our method on a more complex example.
Development of an interprofessional student teaching simulation in team communication skills

Abstract Interprofessional education (IPE) has become increasingly the object of focus in undergraduate medical education. Evidence supports the promotion of teamwork and effective communication to improve patient safety and outcomes. Educators are challenged to find meaningful ways to teach these skills to students and there are several barriers that must be addressed to meet this challenge. Educators must work outside of well-established silos within the medical education community to bring learners from various disciplines together. In addition, they must create curriculum that engages all participants and is relevant to the modern learner. Simulation creates a safe, low stress environment in which participants may practice communication and teamwork without risk to themselves or, more importantly, patients. By practicing a high stress, high stakes scenario in the low risk environment of the simulator, learners from various disciplines are able practice these skills in a meaningful way. Cardiac arrest is an example of a common, high impact occurrence that is particularly amenable to interprofessional team based simulation training exercises. We describe the development of an interprofessional student course teaching communication and teamwork culminating in a team run cardiac arrest simulation exercise. This course was designed to use a blended learning model utilizing both pre-course online materials available to participants, a team training exercise utilizing high-fidelity simulation and team debrief with formative assessment. This blended model addressed the challenge of coordinating multiple learners from multiple colleges and schedules.
Respuesta de lagos y embalses a la disminución en la producción de fósforo

Por lo general, los lagos y embalses responden a la desviacion de las aguas de desecho o a los tratamientos avanzados de dichas aguas (remocion de fosforo), con una disminucion del fosforo del agua (P) proporcional a la reduccion de la carga externa. Sin embargo, puede no presentarse un cambio importante en el estado frofico en terminos de biomasa algal (clorofila a) y transparencia del disco Secchi, a menos que la concentracion P del lago disminuya en cantidad suficiente para limitar la biomasa algal. Un retardo en el cambio del estado trofico o una mejoria en la calidad del lago, en general se deben a una carga interna de P continua proveniente de los sedimentos del fondo, ya sea un lago termicamente estratificado y anoxico o no estratificado y oxico. Actualmente se sabe que la carga interna de P disminuye, pero la velocidad de esa disminucion permanece impredecible. Aqui se discuten casos de estudio de una variedad de respuestas a la disminucion de la carga externa P.
Metabolic labeling of Ras with tritiated palmitate to monitor palmitoylation and depalmitoylation.

Summary Metabolic labeling with tritiated palmitate is a direct method for monitoring post-translational modification of Ras proteins with this fatty acid. Advances in intensifying screens have allowed for the easy visualization of tritium without the need for extended exposure times. While more energetic radioisotopes are easier to visualize, the lack of commercial source and need for shielding make them more difficult to work with. Since radiolabeled palmitate is directly incorporated into Ras, its loss can be monitored by traditional pulse-chase experiments that cannot be accomplished with the method of acyl exchange chemistry. As such, tritiated palmitate remains a readily accessible and direct method for monitoring the palmitoylation status of Ras proteins under a multitude of conditions.
Insights into North Atlantic deep water formation during the peak interglacial interval of Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9)

Foraminifera abundance and stable isotope records from ODP Site 984 (61.25°N, 24.04°W, 1648 m) in the North Atlantic are used to reconstruct surface circulation variations and the relative strength of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation over the period spanning the peak warmth of Marine Interglacial Stage (MIS) 9e (~324–336 ka). This interval includes the preceding deglaciation, Termination 4 (T4), and the subsequent glacial inception of MIS 9d. The records indicate a greatly reduced contribution of NADW during T4, as observed in more recent deglaciations. In contrast with the most recent deglaciation, the lack of a significant NADW signal extended from T4 well into the peak interglacial MIS 9e and persisted nearly until the transition to the subsequent glacial stage MIS 9d. Although NADW formation resumed during MIS 9e, only depths greater than 2000 m appear to have been ventilated. The poorly ventilated intermediate depth of Site 984 (<2000 m) may have resulted on one hand from a general reduction of deep water ventilation by NADW during the study interval or, on the other hand, from different pathways of the spread of newly formed NADW that bypassed the study location. The intermediate depths may have also been invaded by southern-sourced waters as the formation of intermediate depth NADW weakened. The absence of any significant NADW signal at the water depth of Site 984 during the climatic optimum contrasts sharply with subsequent interglacial peaks (MIS 5e and the Holocene). Despite the perturbed intermediate depth circulation, oceanic heat transport northeastward was not interrupted and may have contributed to the relatively mild interglacial conditions of MIS 9e.
Book Review: Father Tim's Church Survival Guide:

Father Tim's Church Survival Guide. By Tim Schenck. New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2015. vii + 168 pp. $14.00 (paper).Given continuing reports in the United States on declining Christian affiliation, especially for mainline Protestants (the latest Pew survey having just been released even as I type this), I mistook the title of Tim Schenck s book to refer to the church's survival in times of growing disaffection with Christianity and faith. I was ready to chide author and publisher gently for such a breezy approach as the title suggests to a thorny subject that many pastors must agonize over, plowing through libraries of the emergent, emerging, renewal, tribal, and missional church literature-not to mention the volumes devoted to strategies for stewardship and evangelism-as we fret that our parish will be the next to close.The title refers not to the survival of the church, however, but addresses those requiring counsel in how they themselves can survive the absurdities of the Episcopal Church. The question immediately arises: "Why would anyone want to, when increasing numbers of defectors (witness the latest Pew survey) promise plenty of company if one simply left?" For those who need more than the monthly wry observations of Jay Sidebotham's cartoons for the Church Pension Group's liturgical calendar, and would like to binge on a compendium of the more nonsensical folkways of Episcopal congregational life, this disarming book is a prayer answered.I mean the word "disarming" literally. The author immediately disarms all possibility of criticism: 'Within these pages you'll find some satire, some snark, and some tweaking of our beloved Church, but it's all done out of love. Mostly.... My take on church life isn't for everyone-clergy who take themselves too seriously will hate it. The humorless will be offended" (p. 1). The humorless, whom he later characterizes as "grim, sanctimonious, and judgmental" (p. 162), are duly warned.The author is perhaps too modest in promising only "some snark." That tone pervades the book, and he is justly proud of his prodigious talent for producing it. He even offers a reasoned defense of it as compatible with Christian discourse. Of course, high-octane snark must be difficult to maintain, and occasional glimmers of sincerity peek through, as when the author modestly confesses to enjoying the start of the program year, and celebrating baptisms and funerals. These snark-free moments provide welcome relief. …
Surface Influence on Bulk Properties

Electrons and holes that communicate with the surface within their diffusion length can be influenced by surfaces in reducing their lifetime and mobility.
The Social Construction and Resistance of Menstruation as a Public Spectacle

The main objective of this study is to develop a feminist theoretical understanding of menstruation. I use the perspectives of three leading male theorists—Erving Goffman, Karl Marx, and Michel Foucault—to understand this phenomenon, while keeping a feminist focus on how their works illuminate this profoundly female predicament. I first use Goffman’s concept of stigma in order to establish the micro-level, social psychological aspects of negative portrayals of menstruation and their internalization by women. I next use Foucault’s theory on discourses to understand how stigmas are social constructions that change over historical time, and I compare premodern and modern discourses on menstruation. Here I contend that menstrual discourses shift from premodern superstitious and religious understandings, to the medicalization of menstruation and a focus on hygiene, with the rise of modern sciences in the late nineteenth century. Third, I use Marx’s understanding of capitalism to discuss how the emergence of the personal care industry utilized new medical discourses for their own commercial interests by tracing the industrialization and commoditization of feminine hygiene products. Finally, I explore how feminists today are mobilizing to resist all three of these sociohistorical developments—the stigmatization of menstruation, the medicalization of menstrual discourses surrounding this stigma, and the commercialization of menstruation.
The EBRI Retirement Readiness Rating:™ Retirement Income Preparation and Future Prospects

SUMMARY MODELING RETIREMENT INCOME ADEQUACY: The EBRI Retirement Readiness Rating™ was developed in 2003 to provide assessment of national retirement income prospects. The 2010 update uses the most recent data and considers retirement plan changes (e.g., automatic enrollment, auto escalation of contributions, and diversified default investments resulting from the Pension Protection Act of 2006) as well as updates for financial market performance and employee behavior (based on a database of 24 million 401(k) participants). “AT RISK” LEVELS, BY AGE AND INCOME: The baseline 2010 Retirement Readiness Rating™ finds that nearly one-half (47.2 percent) of the oldest cohort (Early Baby Boomers) are simulated to be “at risk” of not having sufficient retirement resources to pay for “basic” retirement expenditures and uninsured health care costs. The percentage “at risk” drops for the Late Boomers (to 43.7 percent) but then increases slightly for Generation Xers to 44.5 percent. Households in the lowest onethird when ranked by preretirement income are simulated to be “at risk” 70.3 percent of the time, while the middle-income group has an “at-risk” level of 41.6 percent. This figure drops to 23.3 percent for the highest-income group. These numbers are generally much more optimistic than those simulated for the same groups seven years earlier. In 2003, 59.2 percent of the Early Boomers were simulated to be “at risk,” as well as 54.7 percent of the Late Boomers and 57.4 percent of the Generation Xers. When analyzed by preretirement income in 2003, households were simulated to be “at risk” 79.5 percent of the time for the lowest one-third, 57.3 percent for the middle-income group, and 39.6 percent for the highest-income group. FUTURE ELIGIBILITY IN A DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN: When the simulation results are classified by future eligibility in a defined contribution plan, the differences in the “at-risk” percentages are quite large. For example, Gen Xers with no future years of eligibility have an “at-risk” level of 60 percent, compared with only 20 percent for those with 20 or more years of future eligibility.
A Comparison of National and International Megavoltage Calibration Protocols

Although the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) protocol for the determination of absorbed dose from high-energy photon and electron beams was published in 1983, it was only one of several national and international protocols that have appeared since 1980. These protocols are concerned with the absorbed dose calibration procedures for megavoltage X-ray and electron beams by ionization chamber measurements. The ionization chambers are calibrated at a single photon energy against a national standard, and since this would be the same for all users in a given country, intercomparison of the national standards determines the consistency of megavoltage dose calibrations after differences in the protocols are taken into account between countries.
Nonsurgical management of placenta percreta: A case report

Background Although placenta percreta is rare, its sequelae include potentially lethal hemorrhage and loss of reproductive function. Therapy directed toward control of life-threatening hemorrhage frequently includes emergency hysterectomy. Case A woman with placenta percreta, suspected clinically and documented radiographically, was treated nonsurgically. Following delivery, the placenta was left in situ and methotrexate chemotherapy was initiated to aid destruction of the trophoblastic tissue. Eight months later, hysteroscopy showed a normal uterine cavity with only a small area of calcification at the presumed implantation site. Two years later, the patient had a normal pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Conclusion Placenta percreta can be managed with preservation of the uterus, but careful follow-up may be required until the entire placenta has resorbed.
Eustachian tube function in children with tympanostomy tubes.

Eustachian tube (ET) function was evaluated in a group of 47 children with tympanostomy tubes who had previously documented persistent otitis media with effusion (OME). Tubal function was assessed using the inflation-deflation and forcedresponse tests. The study children were between the ages of 2 and 11 years. The passive ET function parameters of these children were within the limits of normal children with negative otologic histories. However, their active tubal function was radically different than normal children; none of them could equilibrate negative pressure, and only four could equilibrate positive pressure. During the forced-response test, further dilation of the ET lumen by swallowing was observed in only five of these 47 children. The findings of the present study suggest that this observed tubal dysfunction is secondary to a defect in the active function.
Fucosylated Glycans in Innate and Adaptive Immmunity

Mammalian glycans are characterized by fucose modifications. Some of these are constitutively expressed, whereas others are under temporal, developmental, and lineage-specific control. These modifications include fucose in alpha1,3-linkage to aspragine-linked, lipid-linked and serine/threonine-linked glycans. Others include fucose in direct linkage to serines and threonines of EGF-like domains, and thrombospondin repeat domains, in several of proteins. To address the functions of these fucose modifications in vivo, we have created and characterized mice with targeted null mutations in genes that control glycan and protein fucosylation. Mice with deletions on a pair of alpha1,3fucosytransferases exhibit deficits in selectin-dependent neutrophil and T lymphocyte recruitment in acute inflammation, with an accompanying faulty innate immunity. Adaptive immunity in these mice is also faulty, due to defective L-selectin counter-receptor activity in HEVs of peripheral nodes, and a corresponding deficit in homing of naive T lymphocytes. In mice that are homozygous for a null allele at the FX locus, GDP-fucose synthesis is conditionally active only when fucose is supplied to the mice in their chow or water. In the absence of exogenous fucose, these mice exhibit selectin counter-receptor defects akin to those observed in the alpha1,3fucosytransferase deficient mice. Fucose-deficient FX null mice also display numerous other abnormalities, including a reversible thymic atrophy phenotype that is apparently consequent to loss of Notch signaling activity in the pathway the controls thymocyte development from multipotent thymic progenitors. These observations provide mechanistic insight into important functional roles for fucose-modifications in mammals.
Influence of soil depth on the decomposition of Bouteloua gracilis roots in the shortgrass steppe

The distribution and turnover of plant litter contribute to soil structure, the availability of plant nutrients, and regional budgets of greenhouse gasses. Traditionally, studies of decomposition have focused on the upper soil profile. Other work has shown that temperature, precipitation, and soil texture are important determinates of patterns of decomposition. Since these factors all vary through a soil profile, it has been suggested that decomposition rates may vary with depth in a soil profile. In this work, we examine patterns of root decomposition through a shortgrass steppe soil profile. We buried fresh root litter from Bouteloua gracilis plants in litterbags at 10, 40, 70, and 100 cm. Litterbags were retrieved six times between July 1996 and May 1999. We found that the decomposition rate for fresh root litter was approximately 50% slower at 1 m than it was at 10 cm. After 33 months, 55% of the root mass buried at 10 cm remained, while 72% of the root mass buried at 1 m was still present. This corresponds to a 19-year residence time for roots at 10 cm and a 36-year residence time for roots at 1 m. Mass loss rates decreased linearly from 10 cm to 1 m. Patterns of total carbon and cellulose loss rates followed those of mass loss rates. Roots at 1 m tended to accumulate lignin-like compounds over the course of the experiment. Differences in the stabilization of lignin may be a consequence of differences in microbial community through a shortgrass steppe soil profile.
The Seduction of Curves: The Lines of Beauty that Connect Mathematics, Art, and the Nude

To Wolfgang Pauli, theoretical physicist and pioneer of quantum theory, is attributed the statement that “God made the bulk; surfaces were invented by the Devil” (quoted in Bjorn Jamtveit and Paul ...
Impact of climate change on precipitation patterns in Houston, Texas, USA

Abstract Extreme precipitation events damage infrastructure and property; thus, predicting future precipitation patterns in the context of climate change is important. In this study, precipitation projections from 36 downscaled General Circulation Models (GCMs) under two Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) enabled examination of projected changes in future precipitation for the Clear Creek watershed in Houston, Texas, USA. Precipitation from 1950 to 2099 simulated with GCM were downscaled using the Bias-Correction Spatial Disaggregation method. Ten precipitation indices that represent precipitation amount, precipitation intensity, precipitation duration, and precipitation frequency evaluated how precipitation patterns will likely change. Results show that, at the annual scale, mean precipitation will significantly decrease based on RCP8.5, or remain relatively constant based on RCP2.6. Precipitation intensity and precipitation variability, however, will likely increase. Dry periods will lengthen significantly, whereas the length of wet spells will generally remain unchanged. At the monthly scale, the amount of precipitation, precipitation intensity, precipitation frequency and the length of wet spells will likely increase in September. In contrast, precipitation will likely decrease and dry spells will lengthen in April, May, August, November, and December. This finding illustrates that the intra-annual variability in precipitation will increase. The projected changes in precipitation under RCP8.5 are generally greater compared with RCP2.6. Differences between the scenarios are more pronounced towards the end of the century. Houston has recently experienced substantial precipitation variability, including severe drought and record-breaking precipitation from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. These events are consistent with the long-term GCM projections. Findings from this study can be applied to help manage water resources and enhance adaptability to climate change.
The Disintegration of Se 75

The photoelectrons produced in both lead and uranium radiators by the gamma-rays following $K$-capture in ${\mathrm{Se}}^{75}$ have been investigated using a uniform field, semi-circular magnetic spectrometer. The gamma-rays thus found have energies of 76 kev, 123 kev, 137 kev, 267 kev, 283 kev, and 405 kev with a possible radiation at approximately 99 kev. A tentative decay scheme is proposed.
Survival benefit of concomitant chemoradiation in adult supratentorial primary glioblastoma. A propensity score weighted population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND This population study aims to assess the impact of the implementation of the original Stupp protocol on overall survival in patients with new-diagnosed supratentorial primary GBM. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to study the survival of histologically confirmed adult supratentorial GBM patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2016. Kaplan-Meier, and a univariate and propensity-score weighted multivariate Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age at diagnosis, sex, race, marital status and extent of resection was used to assess the survival of patients prior to implementation of the Stupp protocol in 2005 (Pre-Stupp) and following implementation of the Stupp Protocol until 2016 (Post Stupp). RESULTS 6,390 patients satisfied inclusion exclusion criteria. Median survival times were 13 months for the Pre-Stupp and 15 months for Post-Stupp groups (p<0.001). The 1-,2-, 5- and 10- year survival rates for the Pre-Stupp group were 51, 18, 5 and 2% respectively compared to 59, 27, 8 and 4% on the Post-Stupp group. Propensity-score weighted analysis showed a lower mortality risk for patients who underwent concomitant chemoradiation during the Post-Stupp era [HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.94]. There was a 42 percent relative reduction in the risk of death for patients treated during the Post-Stupp era. CONCLUSIONS This population-based propensity-score study with long-term follow-up suggests that the implementation of the Stupp protocol in 2005 had a positive impact on the survival of patients with supratentorial GBM. This "real-world" analysis validates the results of the original randomized control trial on which this protocol is based.
Pharmacologic Treatments for CRPS

Numerous guidelines call for a multimodal and multidisciplinary therapeutic approach to CRPS management. This includes pharmacological therapies, functional restoration through physical and occupational therapies, interventional approaches when appropriate, and psychological support. It is a general consensus that Budapest diagnostic criteria must be applied for diagnosis and that therapy should be initiated as soon as possible (Goebel et al. Eur J Pain. 23:641–651, 2019). Many pharmacological therapies have been implemented in the treatment of CRPS; however, a few have undergone rigorous clinical trials (Duong et al. Can J Anesth. 65:658–684, 2018). Much of the support for a specific pharmacological therapy in CRPS stems from use in other hyperalgesia conditions with the assumption that an overlapping mechanism of pain exists (Dworkin et al. Pain. 132:237e51, 2007). The lack of clarity in pathophysiology and uncertainty in clinical course can make it difficult to select the most appropriate pharmacological option in management of CRPS. The multitude of available class of drugs, route of administration, and duration of treatment can further complicate best practice (Iolascon and Moretti, Expert Opin Pharmacother. 11:1377–86, 2019).
Youth, family and society: Examining the dynamics of e-cigarette use in Latino college students.

Objectives We aimed to document the social factors encouraging and discouraging e-cigarette use amongst Latino college students. Participants Participants were second-generation Latino male college students. Methods We interviewed 20 second-generation Latino male college students, 10 regular smokers and 10 infrequent smokers, at the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Riverside. Results Regular and infrequent smokers present similar motivations that either encourage or discourage e-cigarette use. Repeated peer-exposure, skepticism of the harmfulness of recreational use, and disagreement with familial views of substance use encourage e-cigarette use. High costs, weak nicotine euphoria, and evidence of health risks discourage e-cigarette use. Conclusions Our results suggest that motivations for e-cigarette use in Latino college students are similar to those of young, non-Latinos and that regular and infrequent users may be determined by temporal circumstances and opportunity as opposed to unique social factors. Further research is warranted to comprehensively investigate this phenomenon.
Reachability of Nonlinear Systems with Unknown Dynamics

Determining the reachable set for a given nonlinear control system is crucial for system control and planning. However, computing such a set is impossible if the system's dynamics are not fully known. This paper is motivated by a scenario where a system suffers an adverse event mid-operation, resulting in a substantial change to the system's dynamics, rendering them largely unknown. Our objective is to conservatively approximate the system's reachable set solely from its local dynamics at a single point and the bounds on the rate of change of its dynamics. We translate this knowledge about the system dynamics into an ordinary differential inclusion. We then derive a conservative approximation of the velocities available to the system at every system state. An inclusion using this approximation can be interpreted as a control system; the trajectories of the derived control system are guaranteed to be trajectories of the unknown system. To illustrate the practical implementation and consequences of our work, we apply our algorithm to a simplified model of an unmanned aerial vehicle.
A study of faculty inbreeding at eleven land-grant universities

viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 The Problem Statement 4 Significance of the Study 4 Purpose of the Study 9 Research Questions and Hypotheses 10 Definition of Terms 13 Basic Assumptions 16 Organization of the Study 17 CHAPTER H: LITERATURE REVIEW 19 The Current Academic Labor Market 19 Faculty Inbreeding 22 Faculty Inbreeding and Departmental Prestige 44 Faculty Inbreeding and Role Orientations 48 Summary 52 CHAPTER m: RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES 60 The Survey Instrument 60 The Research Population 62 The Research Sample 64 Data Collection 66
QUANTITATIVE LINEARS ANALYSIS IN MINERAL EXPLORATION

Surficial spatial variation in air photo linears is evaluated as a mineral search methodology having potential in differentiating between ore-bearing and non-ore-bearing areas. Linear density, bearing, length, and pattern were compared in equal sized plots of mineralized and adjacent non-mineralized ground in each of 10 study areas. Variance and discriminant analysis indicate that the variables of density and pattern are useful in the prediction and classification of areas as either mineralized or non-mineralized.
Kinetics and speciation of paraoxon hydrolysis by zinc(II)–azamacrocyclic catalysts

Abstract Four Zn2+–azamacrocyclic complexes were investigated for their ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of the toxic organophosphate (OP) pesticide diethyl paraoxon. Of the four complexes studied, Zn2+–1,5,9-triazacyclododecane (Zn2+–[12]aneN3) was found to be the most effective catalyst with a pseudo-first order reaction rate of k = 6.08 ± 0.23 × 10−4 min−1. Using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the two products diethyl phosphate (DEP) and ethyl (4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (E4NPP) were identified for both catalyzed and background hydrolysis of paraoxon. Reaction rate and selectivity for formation of the non-toxic DEP were observed to correlate with catalyst pKa. The rate of formation of toxic E4NPP, however, was independent of both the presence and nature of the catalyst. The potential roles of buffer concentration and product inhibition were also investigated. Background hydrolysis at elevated reaction temperatures (50 °C) displayed no preference for DEP over that of E4NPP despite substantial differences between the characteristics (i.e., pKa values) of the two leaving groups (ethoxide vs. 4-nitrophenoxide anions). As with previous observations of these types of metal-catalyzed hydrolyses, we invoke the formation of a trigonal bipyramidal-like transition state involving a Zn-coordinated phosphate bond, with the leaving group at the apical position and the incoming HO− anion approaching from the opposite end. Kinetic rates for catalytic hydrolysis display an overwhelming propensity for DEP formation, and suggest the importance of steric restrictions on transition state structure, namely a concerted arrangement of the azamacrocycle in opposition to the bulky 4-nitrophenoxy group.
Transition planning and evidence-based research

While high school special education teachers have always helped prepare their students for life after school, it was not until the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 (PL 101–476) that student individualized education programs (IEPs) were mandated to include transition services. Transition services were to be designed to help facilitate a student’s movement from “school to postschool activities including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation” (20 U.S.C. §[602][34]). Although the 1997 and 2004 IDEA amendments include various transition-related revisions, the two most important changes might have been the required starting age and Indicator 13 for accountability. First, while IDEA 1990 mandated IEP transition planning beginning at 16, IDEA 1997 changed the age to 14 since it was important to start transition planning before, or as, students entered high school. While IDEA
Varieties of Representation in Evolved and Embodied Neural Networks

In this paper I discuss one of the key issuesin the philosophy of neuroscience:neurosemantics. The project of neurosemanticsinvolves explaining what it means for states ofneurons and neural systems to haverepresentational contents. Neurosemantics thusinvolves issues of common concern between thephilosophy of neuroscience and philosophy ofmind. I discuss a problem that arises foraccounts of representational content that Icall ``the economy problem'': the problem ofshowing that a candidate theory of mentalrepresentation can bear the work requiredwithin in the causal economy of a mind and anorganism. My approach in the current paper isto explore this and other key themes inneurosemantics through the use of computermodels of neural networks embodied and evolvedin virtual organisms. The models allow for thelaying bare of the causal economies of entireyet simple artificial organisms so that therelations between the neural bases of, forinstance, representation in perception andmemory can be regarded in the context of anentire organism. On the basis of thesesimulations, I argue for an account ofneurosemantics adequate for the solution of theeconomy problem.
The Good Behavior Game: A Token Reinforcement System for Preschoolers

The Good Behavior Game was implemented with four children attending a church-affiliated preschool in efforts to increase concurrent compliance and cooperation. Sessions were conducted individually with each child pair while in free play. The children were given various instructions by “Buddy Bear” (a puppet). Children were praised individually for compliant behavior while noncompliant and inappropriate behaviors were ignored. Further instances in which children complies (i.e., cooperation) were rewarded with tokens make of felt, shaped like happy faced or dinosaurs and placed on a large felt board. If the children earned their criterion levels of tokens, they received animal snacks. Improvements in compliance were noted, with generalization occurring across therapists but not settings. Factors influencing the results and implications of the findings are discussed.
Branched chain DNA assay for accurate measurement of RNA in formalin-fixed tissues

A14 Background: The large resource of well-annotated formalin-fixed tissues is of limited use for prognostic and epidemiological studies because the quantification of RNA expression in archival tissues is problematic. The difficulty in measuring RNA expression arises from the extensive fragmentation and the crosslinking of RNA after formalin fixation. The branched chain DNA assay (bDNA assay) and the Quantigene® procedure are designed to overcome the adverse effects of formalin fixation. In the bDNA assay, a set of capture probes binds the RNA of interest and sequential hybridization to a strand-specific probe set and a branched DNA non-enzymatic amplifier are used for quantification of bound RNA. Here we validate the bDNA assay by comparison to qPCR.Methods: Duplicate samples from 10 different xenografts were snap frozen or fixed in formalin. Samples were prepared either by RNA isolation (pRNA) or by solubilization in a tissue homogenization buffer (thRNA). Probe sets for capture of formalin-fixed (FF) RNA were specifically designed for short RNA fragments. We measured the expression of six genes in 20 samples in parallel by qPCR and bDNA assay. For comparison of reliability between the bDNA and qPCR assays, we determined the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). To analyze the accuracy of the bDNA assay, we used qPCR measurements of frozen tissues as a reference and obtained correlation coefficients (ρ) directly from the variance components model. The sensitivity of bDNA assay was compared to qPCR for pRNA and thRNA sample preparations.Results: Measurements using the bDNA assay for RNA preparations from FF tissues were highly reproducible, with ICCs of six genes ranging between 0.84 and 0.97. In contrast a parallel analysis by qPCR revealed ICCs between 0.00 and 0.67. ICCs for frozen tissues ranged between 0.25 and 0.99 for bDNA and 0.64 to 0.99 for the qPCR assay. The correlation coefficients for measurements of gene expression by bDNA assay in FF and frozen tissues compared to qPCR measurements of frozen tissues were between 0.53 and 0.93 and between 0.22 and 0.93, respectively. In contrast, the correlation coefficients for measurements in frozen and FF tissue by qPCR were between -0.33 and 0.72. The sensitivity of the bDNA for quantification of pRNA in FF tissues was comparable to qPCR. However, an increased sensitivity of the bDNA assay was observed when measuring RNA in tissue homogenates.Conclusion: The bDNA permits measurements of RNA in tissue homogenates without RNA isolation and provides better reproducibility, accuracy and sensitivity than PCR-based methods.
Predicting prosocial behavior toward sex-trafficked persons: the roles of empathy, belief in a just world, and attitudes toward prostitution

Human trafficking has been identified as a global human rights violation. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of prosocial behaviors toward sex-trafficked persons. Participants were 223 undergraduates randomly assigned to read a vignette and answer follow-up questions along with measures of empathy, just world belief, attitudes toward prostitution, and proactive behavior. Empathy was highest for trafficked women, regardless of citizenship status. Trafficked foreign women received the highest empathy, and U.S. prostitutes received the least. Path analysis results indicate just world belief, beliefs about prostitutes, and family values relating to prostitution had direct effects on empathic concern; in turn, empathic concern had a direct effect on proactive behavior. Explanations for the results are discussed, along with educational and clinical implications.
Hypertension among patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving axitinib or sorafenib: analysis from the randomized phase III AXIS trial

Inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway frequently induce hypertension when used to treat patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This analysis characterizes hypertension and hypertension-related events in patients treated with the VEGF pathway inhibitors axitinib or sorafenib in the AXIS trial. AXIS was a randomized phase III study of axitinib versus sorafenib in patients with metastatic RCC following failure of one prior systemic regimen. Patients with uncontrolled hypertension were excluded, but patients with hypertension controlled with antihypertensive medication were allowed to participate. Guidelines for hypertension management included adjustment or addition of antihypertensive medications and/or axitinib or sorafenib dose reductions, interruptions, or discontinuations. Treatment-emergent all-causality hypertension occurred in 145 (40.4 %) axitinib-treated patients (N = 359) and 103 (29.0 %) sorafenib-treated patients (N = 355), with grade 3 hypertension reported in 55 (15.3 %) and 38 (10.7 %) patients, respectively, and grade 4 hypertension reported in one (0.3 %) patient in each arm. Hypertension-related events led to axitinib dose interruptions (n = 46; 12.8 %), dose reductions (n = 16; 4.5 %), or discontinuations (n = 1; 0.3 %). Approximately 50 % of axitinib-treated patients with grade 3 or 4 hypertension continued treatment for ≥ 9 months. Hypertension-related sequelae occurred in <1 % of axitinib-treated patients. Hypertension was more frequently observed during treatment with axitinib than sorafenib in patients with RCC, but axitinib-induced hypertension rarely led to treatment discontinuation or cardiovascular sequelae. Recommendations for monitoring blood pressure and managing hypertension during axitinib therapy are presented.
Gliogenesis in the striatum of the adult rat: alteration in neural progenitor population after psychostimulant exposure.

Abstract Cytogenesis from proliferating progenitor cells is present in the rat brain throughout adulthood, and is regulated by a variety of environmental stimuli. To determine whether adult cytogenesis occurs in the intact rat striatum and to explore the possible regulatory role of psychostimulant exposure on striatal cytogenesis, immunohistochemistry with the thymidine analog bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), a marker of DNA synthesis that labels dividing cells and their terminal progeny, was performed on the brain sections of normal adult rats and rats treated with a psychostimulant, amphetamine (AMPH). Scattered cells that incorporated BrdU were consistently seen throughout the dorsal (caudate putamen) and ventral (nucleus accumbens) striatum 24 h after BrdU injection. Three to four weeks after BrdU injection, approximately 10–20% of surviving newborn cells differentiated into astroglia according to their radial morphology of glia and co-expression of an astroglial marker, S100β. However, none of BrdU-positive cells were found to co-localize with a neuronal marker, neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN). Acute injection of AMPH at a behaviorally active dose (10 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a rapid and transient decrease in the number of BrdU-labeled cells in both the dorsal (70.6% of control) and ventral (66.7% of control) striatum, but not in the subventricular zone and the hippocampal dentate gyrus. However, the fraction of differentiated astrocytes was not altered 3–4 weeks after AMPH treatment. These results indicate an existence of active gliogenesis (both proliferation and differentiation) in the adult rat striatum. Vulnerability of striatal cytogenesis to psychostimulant exposure indicates a new approach to elucidate brain mechanisms responsible for addictive properties of drugs of abuse.
Correlation-Based Interpolation of NSCAT Wind Data

Abstract Daily NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) wind estimates cover about 75% of the globe. The remaining data gaps, which require interpolation, are regularly distributed in space and time. The development of this interpolation algorithm was guided by a balance between the smoothness of the end product and its fidelity to the original data. Three-dimensional matrices of autocorrelation coefficients incorporate information about the dominant propagation pattern into the interpolation program. These coefficients are continuously updated in space and time and are used as weights to interpolate each point in a regular space–time grid. For the first step, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) wind data are used to simulate the NSCAT data distribution and interpolated using two different methods: one uses a single set of coefficients from a prescribed function based on the average decorrelation scales, and the other uses the locally estimated autocorrelation coefficients. The comparison of thes...
Auditory performance after cochlear implantation in late septuagenarians and octogenarians.

Objective:Previous studies have demonstrated consistent benefit in older adults undergoing cochlear implantation as compared with younger control groups, with age category thresholds between 60 and 70 years. The objective of this study is to report auditory performance in implant recipients older th
Nanostructured Energetic Materials with Sol-Gel Methods

The utilization of sol-gel chemical methodology to prepare nanostructured energetic materials as well as the concepts of nanoenergetics is described. The preparation and characterization of two totally different compositions is detailed. In one example, nanostructured aerogel and xerogel composites of sol-gel iron (III) oxide and ultra fine grained aluminum (UFG Al) are prepared, characterized, and compared to a conventional micron-sized Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Al thermite. The exquisite degree of mixing and intimate nanostructuring of this material is illustrated using transmission and scanning electron microscopies (TEM and SEM). The nanocomposite material has markedly different energy release (burn rate) and thermal properties compared to the conventional composite, results of which will be discussed. Small-scale safety characterization was performed aerogels and xerogels of the nanostructured thermite. The second nanostructured energetic material consists of a nanostructured hydrocarbon resin fuel network with fine ammonium perchlorate (NH{sub 4}ClO{sub 4}) oxidizer present.
Thermal effect induced wafer deformation in high-energy e-beam lithography

The incident surface power density in Massive Electron-beam Direct Write (MEBDW) during exposure is ~10 5 W/cm 2 , much higher than ~8 W/cm 2 ArF scanners and 2.4 W/cm 2 EUV. In addition, the wafer’s exposure in vacuum environment makes energy dissipation even harder. This thermal effect can cause mechanical distortion of the wafer during exposure and have has a direct influence on pattern placement error and image blur. In this paper, the thermo mechanical distortions caused by wafer heating for MEB system of different electron acceleration voltages have been simulated with finite element method (FEM). The global thermal effect affected by the friction force between the wafer and the wafer chuck as well as different thermal conductivities of the chuck material are simulated. Furthermore, the thermal effects of different lithography systems such as EUV scanners and conventional optical scanners are compared. The thermal effects of MEBDW systems are shown to be acceptable.
The Hanford 100 area: The influence of expressed stakeholder values on remediation decisions

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) environmental challenges include remediation of numerous contaminated soil sites in the Hanford 100 Area in Washington State. One can identify key themes in 100 Area cleanup: expedited procedures for remediation, considerations for groundwater contamination, a goal of unrestricted land use, and complexity in remediation decisions. The Record of Decision for 100 Area soils developed through an extended public process, and these key themes, in turn, reflect values expressed by the Hanford Advisory Board, the applicable site-specific advisory board. We describe two occasions when DOE/Headquarters attempts to change 100 Area remediation provisions encountered public opposition. DOE could have been better served on these occasions by a comprehensive understanding of how the remediation decisions developed from expressed stakeholder values. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of the uncertainties associated with the core uncovery time in TMI-type accidents

The core uncovery time in TMI-type accidents, i.e. small loss of coolant accidents due to stuck open power-operated relief values, is calculated. A simple computer code provides the deterministic point estimates. The uncertainties associated with the numerical values of the inputs are propagated using a second degree polynomial as a response surface. A simple approach is taken to handle the uncertainties due to the models themselves.
Survey of aflatoxins in California tree nuts

Surveys of the California walnut and almond crops to determine incidence of aflatoxins are reported. Average proportions of contaminated nuts from the field were one in 28,250 for walnuts and one in 26,500 for almonds. It was shown that there is a high correlation of contamination with damaged nuts which are removed by standard sorting procedures. Statistical treatment of data from the surveys indicates some of the problems in sampling tree nuts for analysis.
Anomalous skin effect of single-crystal copper in the millimeter-wave region at room temperature

Abstract Measurements of the surface resistance of single-crystal copper at millimeter wavelengths (35 GHz) indicate existence of an anomalous skin effect at room temperature. The surfaces were prepared in stress-free processes, annealed, and manipulated in purified hydrogen and argon.