cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monetary reinforcement for self‐monitoring of blood glucose among young people with type 1 diabetes: evaluating effects on psychosocial functioning

AIMS To explore the auxiliary psychosocial effects of a monetary reinforcement intervention targeting self-monitoring of blood glucose among young people with Type 1 diabetes. METHODS Sixty young people with Type 1 diabetes, HbA1c concentrations between 58 and 119 mmol/mol (7.5-13.0%), and average self-monitoring of blood glucose <4 times per day were randomized to either enhanced usual care or a 24-week intervention of monetary rewards for self-monitoring of blood glucose and associated behaviours (e.g. uploading glucose meters). Data were collected from the young people and their parents at baseline, during the intervention (6, 12 and 24 weeks) and after the intervention (36 weeks). RESULTS Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the intervention effects on psychosocial outcomes, adjusting for corresponding baseline levels and potential moderation by baseline level. The intervention reduced diabetes distress at week 6 among young people who had average and high baseline distress. It also reduced diabetes distress at weeks 12 and 24 among those with low baseline distress. The intervention also reduced young person-reported diabetes-related family conflict and diabetes-related interference among those with high baseline scores in these areas; however, the intervention worsened young person-reported diabetes interference among those with low baseline interference. Effects were medium-sized and time-limited. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate predominantly positive impacts of monetary reinforcement interventions on psychosocial outcomes, although effects varied by outcome and time point. Whereas early improvements in diabetes distress were observed for all who received the intervention, improvements in other areas varied according to the level of psychosocial challenge at baseline. Incorporating psychosocial interventions may bolster and maintain effects over time.
Low mortality in fetal supraventricular tachycardia: Outcomes in a 30-year single-institution experience.

Objectives: To describe a single institutional experience managing fetuses with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and to identify associations between patient characteristics and fetal and postnatal outcomes. Background: Sustained fetal SVT is associated with significant morbidity and mortality if untreated, yet the optimal management strategy remains unclear. Methods: Retrospective cohort study including fetuses diagnosed with sustained SVT (>50% of the diagnostic echocardiogram) between 1985 and 2018. Fetuses with congenital heart disease were excluded. Results: Sustained SVT was diagnosed in 65 fetuses at a median gestational age of 30 weeks (range, 14-37). Atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia and atrial flutter were the most common diagnoses, seen in 41 and 16 cases, respectively. Moderate/severe ventricular dysfunction was present in 20 fetuses, and hydrops fetalis was present in 13. Of the 57 fetuses initiated on transplacental drug therapy, 47 received digoxin first-line, yet 39 of 57 (68%) required advanced therapy with sotalol, flecainide, or amiodarone. Rate or rhythm control was achieved in 47 of 57 treated fetuses. There were no cases of intrauterine fetal demise. Later gestational age at fetal diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.2, P = .02) and moderate/severe fetal ventricular dysfunction (OR, 6.1, 95% CI, 1.7-21.6, P = .005) were associated with postnatal SVT. Two postnatal deaths occurred. Conclusions: Fetuses with structurally normal hearts and sustained SVT can be effectively managed with transplacental drug therapy with minimal risk of intrauterine fetal demise. Treatment requires multiple antiarrhythmic agents in over half of cases. Later gestational age at fetal diagnosis and the presence of depressed fetal ventricular function, but not hydrops, predict postnatal arrhythmia burden.
Toward an Effective CFT$_2$ from $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super Yang-Mills and Aspects of Hawking Radiation.

Using $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory we recover important aspects of the near-extremal thermodynamics of AdS$_5$ black holes including both the outer and the inner horizons with their corresponding entropy and energy. This $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory approach to black hole thermodynamics leads to an effective CFT$_2$ interpretation similar to the work by Callan and Maldacena. We corroborate this effective CFT$_2$ by implementing a particular near-horizon limit that geometrizes the Virasoro algebras as asymptotic symmetries. Using the effective CFT$_2$ picture, we discuss aspects of the Hawking radiation rate for a region of the near-extremal AdS$_5$ black hole quantum evolution.
Sustaining Bilingual–Biliterate Identities: Latinx Preservice Teachers’ Narrative Representations of Bilingualism and Biliteracy Across Time and Space:

The present study is a narrative analysis of 14 self-created books by Latina/o/x bilingual preservice teachers to describe their biliteracy trajectories. Drawing on the concept of identity and bili...
Insights into the Relationships Among the Roof, Rib, Floor, and Pillars of Underground Coal Mines

Ground control failures continue to be one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in underground coal mining. The roof, rib, floor, and pillars are four areas of potential ground failures that miners, engineers, and consultants are continually evaluating. Quite often, these four underground structures are evaluated independently. A recent push to consider them as a system and in a similar manner as design engineers evaluate mechanical systems has highlighted the need to fully understand the interrelationship among the roof, rib, floor, and pillar. This relationship combines the geometry of the mine layout, geological environment, installed support, and even the timing of the coal extraction. Several studies using field observations and instrumentation show that these relationships can be independent at times, while being dependent in other scenarios. Cases with good roof conditions while the rib and floor deteriorate are contrasted with cases where the roof, rib, and floor deteriorate at the same time. The presented cases in this study demonstrate the importance of understanding the geological environment and mine design to ensure that the proper support is installed.
A mass-weighted atmospheric isentropic coordinate for mapping chemical tracers and computing inventories

Abstract. We introduce a transformed isentropic coordinate Mθe, defined as the dry air mass under a given equivalent potential temperature surface (θe) within a hemisphere. Like θe, the coordinate Mθe follows the synoptic distortions of the atmosphere, but unlike θe, has a nearly fixed relationship with latitude and altitude over the seasonal cycle. Calculation of Mθe is straightforward from meteorological fields. Using observations from the recent HIPPO and Atom airborne campaigns, we map the CO2 seasonal cycle as a function of pressure and Mθe, where Mθe is thereby effectively used as an alternative to latitude. We show that the CO2 cycles are more constant as a function of pressure using Mθe as the horizontal coordinate compared to latitude. Furthermore, short-term variability of CO2 relative to the mean seasonal cycle is also smaller when the data are organized by Mθe and pressure than when organized by latitude and pressure. We also present a method using Mθe to compute mass-weighted averages of CO2 on a hemispheric scale. Using this method with the same airborne data and applying corrections for limited coverage, we resolve the average CO2 seasonal cycle in the Northern Hemisphere (mass weighted tropospheric climatological average for 2009–2018), yielding an amplitude of 7.8 ± 0.14 ppm and a downward zero-crossing at Julian day 173 ± 6.1 (i.e., late June). Mθe may be similarly useful for mapping the distribution and computing inventories of any long-lived chemical tracer.
Tissue-associated microbial detection in cancer using human sequencing data

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the globe. Microbiological infections account for up to 20% of the total global cancer burden. The human microbiota within each organ system is distinct, and their compositional variation and interactions with the human host have been known to attribute detrimental and beneficial effects on tumor progression. With the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, data generated from NGS is being used for pathogen detection in cancer. Numerous bioinformatics computational frameworks have been developed to study viral information from host-sequencing data and can be adapted to bacterial studies. This review highlights existing popular computational frameworks that utilize NGS data as input to decipher microbial composition, which output can predict functional compositional differences with clinically relevant applicability in the development of treatment and prevention strategies.
Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on Childhood Asthma Exacerbation in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Region, 2011 - 2014.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) air pollutants are known risk factors for asthma exacerbation. We studied the association of these air pollutants with pediatric asthma exacerbation in the Philadelphia metropolitan region, and evaluated potential effect modification by children's characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, atopic conditions) and environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood tree canopy, meteorological factors, aeroallergens). We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 54,632 pediatric (age ≤18 years) asthma exacerbation cases occurring from 2011 to 2014, identified through electronic health records (EHR) of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) health system. We applied conditional logistic regression to estimate associations between air pollution and asthma exacerbation, using daily census-tract level pollutant concentrations estimated from the EPA Fused Air Quality Surface Using Downscaling (FAQSD) files. The associations were estimated within warm (Apr-Sep) and cold (Oct-Mar) months for unlagged exposure and for cumulative effects up to 5 days after exposure, with adjustment for temperature, relative humidity, and holidays. We found small increases in odds of asthma exacerbation with higher pollutant concentrations, with positive associations (OR, comparing concentrations of 75th to 25th percentile) observed for PM2.5 during both warm (1.03, 95% CI: 0.98-1.08) and cold months (1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07), and for O3 during cold months (1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.14). The exposure-response relationship with PM2.5 during the cold months was essentially linear, whereas thresholds of effect were observed for the other associations at low-medium pollutant concentrations. Results were robust to multi-pollutant modeling and adjustment for additional covariates. We found no effect modification by most children's characteristics, while effect sizes were higher on days with detected tree and grass pollens during warm months. Our results suggest that even small decreases in pollutant concentrations could potentially reduce risk of childhood asthma exacerbation - an important finding, given the high burden of childhood asthma and known disparities in asthma control.
Are Women Better at Leading Diverse Countries Than Men

We know what a world dominated by men — by male CEOs, management teams, and heads of state — looks like. Consider for a moment what the world might look like if female leaders were the norm. Research from McKinsey has found that firms that outpace their peers on the number of women in top management see a financial performance benefit of up to 15% over the industry median. Might a similar benefit be true on the world stage?
Pathways linking ethnic discrimination and drug-using peer affiliation to underage drinking status among Mexican-origin adolescents.

Using a three-wave longitudinal data set of Mexican-origin adolescents (N = 602, Mage = 12.92, SD = 0.91 at Wave 1), this study examines parallel pathways from early exposure to ethnic discrimination and drug-using peers, separately, to underage drinking status by late adolescence. Negative affect was expected to mediate the link from ethnic discrimination to underage drinking status (the stress-induced pathway), whereas social alcohol expectancy was expected to mediate the link from drug-using peers to underage drinking status (the socialization pathway). Our findings lend support to the stress-induced pathway while controlling for the socialization pathway. For the stress-induced pathway, we found that early ethnic discrimination experiences were related to higher likelihood of having engaged in underage drinking by late adolescence through elevated negative affect sustained across adolescence. For the socialization pathway, we found no association between affiliation with drug-using peers in early adolescence and underage drinking status, either directly or indirectly. Present findings highlight the unique role of early ethnic discrimination experiences in underage drinking among Mexican-origin adolescents, over and above the effect of drug-using peers. Alcohol use interventions targeting ethnic minority adolescents should account for adolescents' ethnic discrimination experiences by helping adolescents develop adaptive coping strategies to handle negative affect induced by discrimination (e.g., reappraisal) rather than using alcohol to self-medicate. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Rapid lake Michigan shoreline changes revealed by UAV LiDAR surveys

Abstract The recent record-breaking Laurentian Great Lakes water levels have led to severe erosion along many shorelines, but quantification of this erosion has not yet been widely reported. In this paper, novel shoreline measurements of Lake Michigan erosion, using a LiDAR-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The vehicle surveyed two beaches, Dune Acres and Beverly Shores, along the Indiana shoreline of southern Lake Michigan over the period 2018–2019, which are compared to existing aircraft-based LiDAR surveys. The UAV surveys reveal extensive shoreline erosion and recession at both beaches since the low water conditions of 2012–2013, with both beaches losing 70.7 and 64.8 m3/m of dry beach volume. Shoreline recession over this period was nearly 35 m for both beaches. In the period 2018–2019, the UAV measurements reveal continued beach erosion and the transition of beach topography to a steep, actively eroding foredune. Storm erosion resolved by short-interval surveys highlight the episodic nature of shoreline erosion, with 8 m3/m of material lost over a stormy two-week period at Dune Acres. While large, the erosion and recession observed at both beaches is in keeping with limited historical observations of shoreline change during high water episodes. However, the observed overall shoreline recession slopes of 1:29 (water level rise : recession) are much less than historical slopes, suggesting that the beaches are not yet in equilibrium with the high water levels and that erosion will continue in the foreseeable future while lake levels remain high.
Asian Capital Investing in US Real Estate

Asian capital investment in the United States real estate market is becoming increasingly popular. This article analyzes the patterns and preferences of Asian investors in the US real estate market by examining transaction history and aggregating consensus data to provide the reader an overview of the growing trend.
Characterizing Broadband Acoustic Propagation Scintillation and Modelling Scattering and Reverberation for Sensing in a Random Ocean Waveguide

Abstract : The objective of this proposal is to (1) determine and quantify the effect of signal bandwidth and measurement time on ocean acoustic transmission scintillation statistics in both the saturated and partially saturated regimes for a shallow water waveguide, (2) develop and enhance unified physics-based models for broadband target scattering and reverberation in random range-dependent ocean waveguides by including the matched-filter, applicable to scattering from seabed and seafloor features, water-column scatterers such as bubble clouds, fish groups, plankton, and extended targets such as BBN hoses, submarines and marine mammals, including the potential effects of multiple scattering, dispersion, and shadowing or attenuation due to forward scattering. (3) Extract ambient noise characteristics from shipping, biological, geological, and physical processes and to apply these for environmental sensing.
Dendritic Cells and Coregulatory Signals: Immune Checkpoint Blockade to Stimulate Immunotherapy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the checkpoint receptors on the surface of T cells, and their ligands. Both the receptors and the ligands represent the primary clinical targets for development of the blocking antibodies as a means of enhancing the antitumor immunity. Tumors actively participate in the modeling of their microenvironment. In most solid tumors, the majority of cells in the tumor mass are not cancer cells, but are non-transformed stromal elements consisting of the vasculature, stromal fibroblasts, and hematopoietic cells. The hematopoietic component includes all the elements of the innate and the adaptive immunity with the capacity to generate potent antitumor immunity. It is therefore critical that these cells are maintained in a quiescent state such that their potent cytotoxic machinery is not unleashed and directed at the cancer cells in their midst. The best-studied oncogenic signaling pathway to down-modulate the destructive immune responses in the tumor microenvironment is the Stat3 pathway. The constitutively activated Stat3 enhances the tumor cell proliferation and prevents apoptosis.
Chronic murine toxoplasmosis: clinicopathologic characterization of a progressive wasting syndrome

Nya:NYLAR albino mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii gradually developed a chronic and progressive wasting syndrome characterized by facial and body alopecia, corneal opacities, necrotic lesions of ears and tail, signs of neurologic disease and death within six to eight months after infection. Haematologic changes included a transient normochromic, normocytic anaemia, and persistent lymphopenia and neutrophilia. Changes in serum proteins were manifested by hypoalbuminaemia and pronounced hypergammaglobulinaemia. Serum thyroxine concentrations fell sharply during the first month of infection, then gradually returned to control concentrations. Gross changes included loss of body weight, hepatosplenomegaly, ovarian and uterine atrophy, and a marked involution of the thymus. The predominant histopathologic change in the brain was a mononuclear cell vasculitis, particularly affecting the hippocampus and the choroid plexus, ependyma, and periventricular areas of the lateral and third ventricles. These preliminary observations indicate that mice can serve as a practical animal model of great potential for study of the pathogenesis of chronic toxoplasmosis.
Characterization of the blood-brain barrier of metastatic and primary malignant neoplasms.

Object The astrocytic contribution to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in metastatic and primary malignant brain tumors is not well understood. To better understand the vascular properties associated with metastatic and primary malignant brain tumors, the authors systematically analyzed the astrocytic component of the BBB in brain neoplasms. Methods Twelve patients who underwent resection of metastatic or primary brain neoplasms (4 metastatic lesions, 2 low-grade astrocytomas, 2 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 4 glioblastoma multiforme) were included. Clinical, MRI, operative, histopathological and immunohistochemical (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], CD31, and aquaporin 4 [AQ4]) findings were analyzed. Results Intratumoral regions of MRI enhancement corresponded with breakdown of the normal astrocyte–endothelial cell relationship in the BBB in metastatic deposits and malignant gliomas. Metastases demonstrated lack of perivascular GFAP and AQ4 on CD31-positive intratumoral vessels. At the metastasis-brai...
Analyzing networks with VisANT.

The VisANT tool, accessible from any recent Java-enabled browser, is a platform-independent, flexible, Web-enabled program for quick and simple construction, visualization, and analysis of molecular and higher order networks based on functional (e.g., expression profiles, phylogenetic profiles) and physical (e.g., yeast two-hybrid, chromatin-immunoprecipitation) relations from either the Predictome database or user-defined data sets. Analysis capabilities include identification of feed-forward and -back loops, shortest paths, and node degree distribution. Additionally, network constructs can be saved, accessed, and shared online. VisANT is able to develop and display meta-networks for meta-nodes that are structural complexes or pathways (soon including nodes representing any kind of dense cluster). Further, VisANT supports a growing number of standard exchange formats and database referencing standards, e.g., KEGG/KGML, BioPAX (in progress), GenBank, Gene Ontology. Multiple species are supported to the extent that computed or experimental evidence of interactions or associations are available (i.e., public datasets or Predictome database). Keywords: interaction; network; meta-network; visualization; integration
C-Type Animal Lectins

C-type animal lectins are a large family of carbohydrate-binding proteins, which display a strict dependence on Ca2+ for their activity. Family members contain one or more carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRDs) approximately 110 to 150 amino acids in length. Structural analysis of these proteins reveals that binding to sugars is mediated by direct coordination of a conserved Ca2+. The Ca2+ dependence of sugar binding is exploited in a number of family members that serve as cell surface endocytic receptors, where the acidic environment of the endosome causes changes in Ca2+ coordination and release of the bound ligand. 3D Structure Keywords: C-type lectin; Ca2+-binding protein; carbohydrate-recognition; endocytic receptors
Ben Earle, Luigi Dallapiccola and Musical Modernism in Fascist Italy

Ben Earle’s first book makes a markedly original contribution to the scholarly literature on Luigi Dallapiccola, illuminating the historical and cultural context of the first two decades of the com...
On the structure of spectra of periodic elliptic operators

The paper discusses the problem of absolute continuity of spectra of periodic elliptic operators. A new result on absolute continuity for a matrix operator of Schrodinger type is obtained. It is shown that all types of operators for which the absolute continuity has previously been established can be reduced to this one. It is also discovered that some natural generalizations stumble upon an obstacle in the form of non-triviality of a certain analytic bundle on the two-dimensional torus.
Effects of electrolyte, catalyst, and membrane composition and operating conditions on the performance of solar-driven electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

Solar-driven electrochemical cells can be used to convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into transportation fuels or into precursors to such fuels. The voltage efficiency of such devices depends on the (i) physical properties of its components (catalysts, electrolyte, and membrane); (ii) operating conditions (carbon dioxide flowrate and pressure, current density); and (iii) physical dimensions of the cell. The sources of energy loss in a carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R) cell are the anode and cathode overpotentials, the difference in pH between the anode and cathode, the difference in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide between the bulk electrolyte and the cathode, the ohmic loss across the electrolyte and the diffusional resistances across the boundary layers near the electrodes. In this study, we analyze the effects of these losses and propose optimal device configurations for the efficient operation of a CO2R electrochemical cell operating at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Cell operation at near-neutral bulk pH offers not only lower polarization losses but also better selectivity to CO2R versus hydrogen evolution. Addition of supporting electrolyte to increase its conductivity has a negative impact on cell performance because it reduces the electric field and the solubility of CO2. Addition of a pH buffer reduces the polarization losses but may affect catalyst selectivity. The carbon dioxide flowrate and partial pressure can have severe effects on the cell efficiency if the carbon dioxide supply rate falls below the consumption rate. The overall potential losses can be reduced by use of an anion, rather than a cation, exchange membrane. We also show that the maximum polarization losses occur for the electrochemical synthesis of CO and that such losses are lower for the synthesis of products requiring a larger number of electrons per molecule, assuming a fixed current density. We also find that the reported electrocatalytic activity of copper below -1 V vs. RHE is strongly influenced by excessive polarization of the cathode and, hence, does not represent its true activity at bulk conditions. This article provides useful guidelines for minimizing polarization losses in solar-driven CO2R electrochemical cells and a method for predicting polarization losses and obtaining kinetic overpotentials from measured partial current densities.
Correction of Abnormal Cerebroside Sulfate Metabolism in Cultured Metachromatic Leukodystrophy Fibroblasts

Cultured fibroblasts derived from patients with late infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy incorporated arylsulfatase A from the growth medium. Upon exposure to cerebroside sulfate, they exhibited patterns of uptake and hydrolysis indistinguishable from cells derived from control subjects. Furthermore, inclusion granules formed in the metachromatic leukodystrophy fibroblasts upon exposure to sulfatides were cleared by subsequent supplementation of the growth medium with arylsulfatase A.
Review of the Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of Zomepirac in Man and Animals

Zomepirac has been shown to be rapidly and completely absorbed after oral administration to man. Urinary excretion is the principal route for removal of zomepirac and its metabolites in man and in animals. Zomepirac is highly bound to plasma protein. The pharmacokinetics of zomepirac after single and multiple doses in man can be adequately described by a two-compartment oral absorption model. There is a linear relationship between dose and peak plasma concentration, AUC, and urinary excretion of zomepirac. The bioavailability of zomepirac was unaffected by single or repeated doses of antacid. The rhesus monkey has been shown to be a good predictive animal model for zomepirac's metabolism and pharmacokinetics in man, with glucuronidation found to be the principal route of metabolism in both species.
Simultaneous extraction and preparation for high-performance liquid chromatography of prostaglandins and phospholipids

Abstract A method for the maximum recovery of prostaglandins from brain tissue with simultaneous recovery of neutral lipids and phospholipids was developed. Hexane:2-propanol was used to extract lipids from bovine brain. This method, which does not require a washing step to remove nonlipid contaminants, was compared to extraction according to Folch et al. [(1957) J. Biol. Chem.226, 497–509] for efficiency of lipid extraction. Recoveries of prostaglandins were 12–37% greater with hexane:2-propanol than with the Folch extraction procedure with washing. The ratios of cholesterol to lipid phosphorus and absolute phospholipid recoveries were comparable for the two methods. A new elution sequence was devised for separation of lipid classes on silicic acid columns. The elution sequence was chloroform (neutral lipids and free fatty acids), methyl formate (prostaglandins and cerebrosides), acetone (remaining glycolipids), and methanol (phospholipids). Reverse-phase HPLC of the methyl formate fraction was used to separate the prostaglandins. The method permits simultaneous quantitative recovery of prostaglandins and phospholipids (which contain the 20:4(n-6) precursor for prostaglandin synthesis), and therefore allows changes in phospholipid composition and prostaglandin synthesis to be studied in the same tissue sample.
Gravitational effects in ultrahigh-energy string scattering

Ultrahigh-energy string scattering is investigated to clarify the relative role of string and gravitational effects, and their possible contributions to nonlocal behavior. Different regimes can be characterized by varying the impact parameter at fixed energy. In the regime where momentum transfers reach the string scale, string effects appear subdominant to higher-loop gravitational processes, approximated via the eikonal. At smaller impact parameters, "diffractive" or "tidal" string excitation leads to processes dominated by highly excited strings. However, new evidence is presented that these excitation effects do not play a direct role in black-hole formation, which corresponds to the breakdown of gravitational perturbation theory and appears to dominate at sufficiently small impact parameters. The estimated amplitudes violate expected bounds on high-energy behavior for local theories.
Phonological priming in young children who stutter: holistic versus incremental processing.

Purpose To investigate the holistic versus incremental phonological encoding processes of young children who stutter (CWS; N = 26) and age- and gender-matched children who do not stutter (CWNS; N =...
Teaching Children to Add by Counting-On With One-Handed Finger Patterns

Three experiments report classroom instruction derived from cognitive research and focused on moving children across two developmental transitions: from counting-all to counting-on with entities present for the second addend and from the latter to counting-on as a number-word sequence solution procedure to solve symbolic single-digit addition problems. For the second transition, a new particularly efficient method of keeping track of number words counted-on was taught: counting-on with one-handed finger patterns. Classroom teachers were able to teach both kinds of transitions to most first and second graders, even to first graders below average in mathematics. Many first graders spontaneously transferred counting-on with finger patterns to the solution of addition word problems; some required instruction to do so. Most children were readily able to extend counting-on with finger patterns to counting up with finger patterns for subtraction. Counting-on with finger patterns was procedurally efficient enough...
Conversion of a Commercial Battery Brooder into Individual Metabolism Cages for Young Chicks

Abstract The chief difficulty in using chicks less than 4 weeks of age for individual balance studies is that a source of heat must be provided in addition to a metabolism cage of proper design for quantitative feeding and accurate collection of excreta. We were able to make a unit of 10 individual metabolism cages for chicks 10 to 40 days of age by modifying a commercial battery brooder. The unit also contains 10 small brooding compartments for rearing newly hatched replacement chicks. The modifications (see Figure 1) consist essentially of inserting longitudinal and crosswise divisions in each of the 5 decks of a commercial battery brooder. A single brooder so modified can house 10 chicks 10 to 40 days of age in individual metabolism cages and provide rearing space for as many as 70 replacements, 7 in each of 10 brooding compartments, to 10 days of age. These latter chicks,…
One-Dimensional Coordination Polymers of 12-Metallacrown-4 Complexes: {Na2(L)2[12-$${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$-4]}n, where L is Either −O2CCH2CH3 or −O2CCH2CH2CH3

The metallacrown one-dimensional coordination polymers {Na2(O2CCH2CH3)2[12- $${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$ -4](DMF)4(H2O)2}, 1, and {Na2(O2CCH2CH2CH3)2[12- $${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$ -4](DMF)4(H2O)2}, 2, where shi3− is salicylhydroximate and DMF is N,N-dimethylformamide, have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both compounds crystallize in the triclinic space group $$P\overline{1}$$ with a = 8.0212(5) A, b = 13.2214(8) A, c = 13.3724(8) A, α = 102.459(2)°, β = 97.185(2)°, γ = 93.545(2)°, V = 1368.11(14) A3, and Z = 2 for 1 and with a = 8.0141(8) A, b = 13.3871(13) A, c = 13.5008(14) A, α = 99.311(4)°, β = 96.308(4)°, γ = 92.249(3)°, V = 1418.3(2) A3, and Z = 2 for 2. The one-dimensional chains are generated by neighboring metallacrown molecules being linked by a total of four propionate, 1, or butyrate, 2, anions (two per metallacrown face) through the ring MnIII ions. Under certain synthetic conditions, the discrete complex Na2(O2CCH2CH2CH3)2[12- $${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$ -4](DMF)6·DMF·HO2CCH2CH2CH3, 3, may be produced instead of the coordination polymer. Characterization of 3 by single-crystal X-ray diffraction yields the triclinic space group $$P\overline{1}$$ with a = 10.703(2) A, b = 12.036(2) A, c = 14.810(3) A, α = 77.915(3)°, β = 76.417(3)°, γ = 80.043(3)°, V = 1798.0(6) A3, and Z = 1. The individual 12- $${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$ -4 frameworks of 1 and 2 are distorted to a greater extent with a higher degree of a ruffled structure when compared to 3. For 1 and 2, the benzene rings of the shi3− ligands are at a greater distance from the mean plane of the ring MnIII ions (MnP). When measured from the carbon para to the phenolate oxygen atom of the shi3− to the MnMP, the distances in 1 and 2 are greater than that in 3: 2.0760(22), 2.0025(59), and 1.2370(34) A, respectively. This manuscript provides structural descriptions of two one-dimensional coordination polymers formed by manganese-based metallacrown molecules and bridging carboxylate anions. The four carboxylate anions, propionate or butyrate, link ring MnIII ions of adjacent [12- $${\rm{M}}{{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{M}}{{\rm{n}}^{{\rm{III}}}}{\rm{(N)shi}}}}$$ -4] building blocks to produce a one-dimensional chain.
Evaluating the ecological benefits of wildfire by integrating fire and ecosystem simulation models

Fire managers are now realizing that wildfires can be beneficial because they can reduce hazardous fuels and restore fire-dominated ecosystems. A software tool that assesses potential beneficial and detrimental ecological effects from wildfire would be helpful to fire management. This paper presents a simulation platform called FLEAT (Fire and Landscape Ecology Assessment Tool) that integrates several existing landscape- and stand-level simulation models to compute an ecologically based measure that describes if a wildfire is moving the burning landscape towards or away from the historical range and variation of vegetation composition. FLEAT uses a fire effects model to simulate fire severity, which is then used to predict vegetation development for 1, 10, and 100 years into the future using a landscape simulation model. The landscape is then simulated for 5000 years using parameters derived from historical data to create an historical time series that is compared to the predicted landscape composition at year 1, 10, and 100 to compute a metric that describes their similarity to the simulated historical conditions. This tool is designed to be used in operational wildfire management using the LANDFIRE spatial database so that fire managers can decide how aggressively to suppress wildfires. Validation of fire severity predictions using field data from six wildfires revealed that while accuracy is moderate (30-60%), it is mostly dictated by the quality of GIS layers input to FLEAT. Predicted 1-year landscape compositions were only 8% accurate but this was because the LANDFIRE mapped pre-fire composition accuracy was low (21%). This platform can be integrated into current readily available software products to produce an operational tool for balancing benefits of wildfire with potential dangers.
Life-Threatening Chest Injuries in Children

Unlike in adult trauma, life-threatening thoracic injuries infrequently occur in pediatric trauma but remain an important source of morbidity and mortality. Thoracic injuries are the second leading cause of death in pediatric trauma after head injury. Prevalence and patterns of thoracic injuries in children differ from those in adult's care of the child with chest injury requires attention to these differences. This article will discuss the spectrum, diagnosis, and management of thoracic injuries seen in pediatric trauma.
Development of tannin vacuoles in chalaza and seed coat of barley in relation to early chalazal necrosis in the seg1 mutant.

Structural development of grain tissues of maternal origin in normal and seg1 barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Betzes) was examined using light and electron microscopy. Chalaza and seedcoat cells of normal grains developed prominent tannin vacuoles which persisted throughout the grain-filling period. Tannins were present in the same tissues of seg1, but no large central vacuoles developed. Instead, the chalaza and nucellar projection degenerated and were crushed, presumably terminating sugar flow and causing formation of shrunken grains (35–55% normal dry weight). Tannins were localized using various histochemical stains. Extracts of chalaza and adjacent tissues contained proanthocyanidins which yielded delphinidin and cyanidin upon hydrolysis in boiling HCl. We suggest that the basis of the seg1 phenotype may be abnormal compartmentation of tannins causing precipitation of cytoplasmic proteins and early death of chalazal cells.
Socioeconomic Change in Villages of Manchuria During the Ch'ing and Republican Periods: Some Preliminary Findings

A Great deal has been written about the Chinese state, but we still know very little about the common people, particularly peasants. How did they live? How did they found their communities? How did their socioeconomic status and property rights change over time. During the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s, China's rural society and economy became the object of intense investigation by Chinese and foreign researchers. From this period dates our present, conventional wisdom of how rural communities were structured and had evolved since the nineteenth century.
Face area evaluation algorithm for solids

Abstract A scan curve algorithm is presented for evaluating the face area of solids in constructive solid geometry (CSG) representation. The applicable domain is limited to solids bounded by three classes of surfaces: all quadric surfaces, cylindrical surfaces, and surfaces of revolution where the last two have rational parametric equations for their generating curves. The algorithm has been implemented in Fortran 77 on a VAX 11/780 machine. The extensions of this algorithm may also be applied to the solution of the following three problems: boundary representation (B-rep) evaluation from CSG, face area evaluation for solids in B-rep, and triangulation of the faces of solids in CSG or B-rep.
The effects of decreased glucose concentrations on the in vitro development of the post-blastocyst mouse embryo in a fetal calf serum- or bovine serum albumin-supplemented medium.

Decreasing the glucose concentration from 1.0 mg/ml to 0.25 mg/ml has no detrimental effects on postblastocyst embryo development when either dialyzed fetal calf serum (20%) or bovine serum albumin (4.0 mg/ml) is used to supplement Eagle's Basal Medium (BME). Development is reduced in both serum-and BSA-supplemented BME devoid of glucose in comparison to glucose controls. Serum-supplemented media support better overall development than BSA-supplemented media.
Utilizing dynamic spectrum leasing for cognitive radios in 802.11-based wireless networks ☆

Abstract Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) is proposed to deal with the growing shortage of available leased spectrum for wireless communication. We investigate a subset of DSA referred to as dynamic spectrum leasing (DSL). At its core, DSL allows spectrum lease holders and cognitive radios to cooperate in an effort to leverage spatial diversity to improve channel utilization for both parties. In this research, cognitive radios offer their services as an intermediate relay node in an effort to improve throughput of primary users utilizing a 802.11-based channel access mechanism. In return, the cognitive radio ‘piggy-backs’ some of its own data while acting as a relay. In this paper, a simple coordination scheme is introduced that allows a network of Secondary Users to coordinate with a primary user network’s access point. This scheme does not require any modification to the primary users’ 802.11-based protocol stack as our protocol is implemented only at the access point and the Secondary Users. Analytical insights into the overhead required for this coordination and the optimization of the overhead are presented. It is shown that, given sufficient relay channel conditions, forwarding packets through a secondary relay channel can be beneficial to both parties in terms of saturation throughput.
Convergence and divergence in the evolution of transport proteins

Different families of transport proteins catalyze transmembrane solute translocation, employing different mechanisms and energy sources. Several of these functionally dissimilar proteins nevertheless exhibit similar structural units, consisting of six tightly packed alpha-helices which may comprise all or part of a transmembrane channel. It is now recognized that some of these families arose independently of each other by convergence, while others arose from common precursors by divergence. The former families apparently arose at different times in evolutionary history, in different groups of organisms, employing different routes.
COHERENCE PROPERTIES OF BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATES AND ATOM LASERS

We discuss various aspects of coherence of a Bose-Einstein condensate, and summarize the experimental evidence obtained thus far. It is shown that the mean-field energy of a condensate is a measure of second-order coherence. ``Release-energy'' measurements therefore provide direct evidence of the suppression of density fluctuations in a condensate compared to a thermal cloud.
User uncertainties with tabular statistical data: identification and resolution

United States government services are becoming increasingly Web-based, creating opportunities to make useful, even vital, information and services more accessible to citizens than in the past. This opportunity has challenged Federal agencies as they work to provide information and services that are easy to use and understandable to an extremely diverse constituency. This paper reports the findings of a study examining the questions and uncertainties of users during investigation of statistical tables. The questions and uncertainties are categorized, mapped to an XML DTD for use in a table-browsing system. Implications of the approach and results are discussed.
B Cells Play Key Roles in Th2-Type Airway Immune Responses in Mice Exposed to Natural Airborne Allergens

Humans are frequently exposed to various airborne allergens. In addition to producing antibodies, B cells participate in immune responses via various mechanisms. The roles of B cells in allergic airway inflammation and asthma have been controversial. We examined the functional importance of B cells in a mouse model of asthma, in which mice were exposed repeatedly to common airborne allergens. Naive wild-type BALB/c mice or B cell-deficient JH−/− mice were exposed intranasally to a cocktail of allergen extracts, including Alternaria, Aspergillus, and house dust mite, every other day for two weeks. Ovalbumin was included in the cocktail to monitor the T cell immune response. Airway inflammation, lung pathology, and airway reactivity were analyzed. The airway exposure of naive wild type mice to airborne allergens induced robust eosinophilic airway inflammation, increased the levels of Th2 cytokines and chemokines in the lung, and increased the reactivity to inhaled methacholine. These pathological changes and immune responses were attenuated in B cell-deficient JH−/− mice. The allergen-induced expansion of CD4+ T cells was impaired in the lungs and draining lymph nodes of JH−/− mice. Furthermore, lymphocytes from JH−/− mice failed to produce Th2 cytokines in response to ovalbumin re-stimulation in vitro. Our results suggest that B cells are required for the optimal development of Th2-type immune responses and airway inflammation when exposed to common airborne allergens. The therapeutic targeting of B cells may be beneficial to treat asthma in certain patients.
Inhibition of Fusarium graminearum growth and development by farnesol

The isoprenoid farnesol was previously shown to induce morphological features characteristic of apoptosis in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. This study demonstrates that under similar liquid media growth conditions, farnesol also triggers apoptosis in the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. However, unlike A. nidulans, F. graminearum spores treated with farnesol exhibited altered germination patterns and most (>60%) lysed upon prolonged exposure. Given the economic importance of F. graminearum as a pathogen of small grains, this study proposes that farnesol may have potential value as an antifungal compound.
Protein binding methodology: comparison of equilibrium dialysis and frontal analysis chromatography in the study of salicylate binding

Abstract The binding of salicylate to human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated and compared by equilibrium dialysis (ED) and frontal gel chromatography (GELFAC). The data obtained do not fit the single-site binding equation, but could be resolved by a computer program into 2 sets of binding sites with n1 = 1.28, n2 = 3.80, K1 = 70,700 M−1, and K2 = 3300 M−1. The reproducibility of the data provided by GELFAC was far superior to that obtained with ED in spite of the fact that in both cases radioassay was employed. Consequently, analytical errors and bag binding did not appear to be contributory factors to the poor reproducibility of the ED data.
Role of Metallothionein in Cadmium-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity

MT, a cysteine-rich, metal-binding protein, exists in most tissues and is easily induced by many stimuli. There are four major MT isoforms in mammalian tissues, with MT-I and -II present in all tissues, MT-III only in brain, and MT-IV located in epithelium. Many factors regulate MT synthesis, such as age, species, hormones, inflammation, and various chemical treatments. Not only is MT synthesis important, but degradation of MT is also an important mechanism of MT regulation. The importance of MT in Cd toxicology has been extensively investigated. MT does not have a major effect on absorption and tissue distribution of Cd, but it does play a major role in binding Cd in the cell, thus decreasing its elimination from the body, especially into the bile. MT is at least partially responsible for the retention of Cd in tissues and the long biological half-life of the metal. MT plays an important role in Cd tolerance and Cd-induced hepatotoxicity. MT binds Cd in the hepatic cytosol and renders it "inert." Therefore, MT is beneficial to the liver. However, the Cd-MT complex is nephrotoxic and is proposed to be responsible for chronic Cd poisoning. MT appears to play less of a protective role in Cd-MT-induced acute nephrotoxicity, and Zn-induced protection against CdMT acute renal injury is not mediated by MT. The role of MT in chronic Cd nephrotoxicity needs to be further clarified.