cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption–desorption isotherm hysteresis of phenol on a C18-bonded surface

Abstract Single component adsorption and desorption isotherms of phenol were measured on a high-efficiency Kromasil-C18 column (N=15 000 theoretical plates) with pure water as the mobile phase. Adsorption isotherm data were acquired by frontal analysis (FA) for seven plateau concentrations distributed over the whole accessible range of phenol concentration in pure water (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, and 60 g/l). Desorption isotherm data were derived from the corresponding rear boundaries, using frontal analysis by characteristic points (FACP). A strong adsorption hysteresis was observed. The adsorption of phenol is apparently modeled by a S-shaped isotherm of the first kind while the desorption isotherm is described by a convex upward isotherm. The adsorption breakthrough curves could not be modeled correctly using the adsorption isotherm because of a strong dependence of the accessible free column volume on the phenol concentration in the mobile phase. It seems that retention in water depends on the extent to which the surface is wetted by the mobile phase, extent which is a function of the phenol concentration, and of the local pressure rate, which varies along the column, and on the initial state of the column. By contrast, the desorption profiles agree well with those calculated with the desorption isotherms using the ideal model, due to the high column efficiency. The isotherm model accounting best for the desorption isotherm data and the desorption profiles is the bi-Langmuir model. Its coefficients were calculated using appropriate weights in the fitting procedure. The evolution of the bi-Langmuir isotherm parameters with the initial equilibrium plateau concentration of phenol is discussed. The FACP results reported here are fully consistent with the adsorption data of phenol previously reported and measured by FA with various aqueous solutions of methanol as the mobile phase. They provide a general, empirical adsorption model of phenol that is valid between 0 and 65% of methanol in water.
Effect of tether length and counterion in cobalt-dipyridine coordination polymers prepared via hydrothermal methods

Abstract Hydrothermal synthesis afforded three new cobalt coordination polymers containing 1,2-di-4-pyridylethane (dpe) and 1,3-di-4-pyridylpropane (dpp), whose structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Co(SCN)2(dpe)2 exhibits a one-dimensional chain-type structure with bound thiocyanate ligands. Co(NO3)2(H2O)2(dpp)2 · dpp · H2O also manifests one-dimensional chains, but with free nitrate ions and unbound dpp in the regions between the chains. Due to the increased tether length and conformational freedom of the organic moiety in Co(SCN)2(dpp)2, the material can adopt a doubly interpenetrated two-dimensional layered structure.
Retinal ganglion cells express a cGMP-gated cation conductance activatable by nitric oxide donors

We have identified a putative cGMP-gated cation conductance in rat retinal ganglion cells. Both in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction amplification detected transcripts in ganglion cells that were highly homologous to the cGMP-gated cation channel expressed in rod photoreceptors. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings detected a current stimulated by cGMP due to activation of nonselective cation channels. This current had a reversal potential near 0 mV, showed some outward rectification, and could be blocked by Cd2+. The current could also be activated by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and the nitric oxide donors sodium nitroprusside and S-nitrosocysteine. We propose that nitric oxide released from an identified subpopulation of amacrine cells may activate this channel to modulate ganglion cell activity.
Apprehensives’ perception of classroom factors influencing their class participation

The study investigated factors that classroom apprehensives reported would influence their participation in class discussion. Findings revealed that select factors within the classroom were favorably perceived by apprehensives as influencing their participation and perceived comfort with discussion. The study concludes by discussing the interpersonal dynamic underlying apprehensives’ perception of classroom formality and suggests several lines of research for increasing their participation.
Image noise in high-resolution rear-projection screens

The quality, brightness and contrast of the image formed by a rear projection microdisplay system are strongly affected by the choice of the projection screen. Careful screen selection is necessary to achieve optimal performance for a given application. Critical image quality data such as resolution, image noise, diffuse reflectance, and gain have been measured for a representative group of commercially available screens. The correlation between screen efficiency and image noise is discussed, with particular relevance for close-viewing rear projection display applications. The nature of the image noise is probed and is found to vary with the screen type.
Aberrant Oscillatory Activity during Simple Movement in Task-Specific Focal Hand Dystonia.

In task-specific focal hand dystonia (tspFHD), the temporal dynamics of cortical activity in the motor system and how these processes are related to impairments in sensory and motor function are poorly understood. Here, we use time-frequency reconstructions of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data to elaborate the temporal and spatial characteristics of cortical activity during movement. A self-paced finger tapping task during MEG recording was performed by 11 patients with tspFHD and 11 matched healthy controls. In both groups robust changes in beta (12-30Hz) and high-gamma (65-90Hz) oscillatory activity were identified over sensory and motor cortices during button press. A significant decrease (p<0.05, 1% False Discovery Rate (FDR) corrected) in high-gamma power during movements of the affected hand was identified over ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex in the period prior to (-575ms) and following (725ms) button press. Furthermore, an increase (p<0.05, 1% FDR corrected) in beta power suppression following movement of the affected hand was identified over visual cortex in patients with tspFHD. For movements of the unaffected hand, a significant (p<0.05, 1% FDR corrected) increase in beta power suppression was identified over secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) in the period following button press in patients with tspFHD. Oscillatory activity within in the tspFHD group was however not correlated with clinical measures. Understanding these aberrant oscillatory dynamics can provide the groundwork for interventions that focus on modulating the timing of this activity.
Is the thrill gone

Computer science is nothing less than a new way of thinking; explaining it to the wider world is critical to the future of the field.
GM-CSF in marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is being increasingly used in a wide variety of diseases. During the period of re-engraftment the patient is particularly susceptible to a number of opportunistic infections which can radically affect acute morbidity and mortality. Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) has been shown to mobilise haemopoietic progenitor cells for use after high-dose therapy, to enhance myeloid engraftment and stimulate mature monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils. Evidence is emerging that GM-CSF may be useful in BMT. A review of clinical trials in patients receiving BMT has revealed that the administration of rhGM-CSF significantly reduces the duration to re-engraftment, number of antibiotic treatment days, and the period of hospitalisation. Thus, rhGM-CSF appears to be a useful adjunct to BMT.
Conformational energy calculations on the growth hormone inhibitor: Somatostatin

Conformational energy calculations were carried out on the molecule, somatostatin. This cyclic tetradecapeptide, first isolated from sheep and pig hypothalami, was shown to inhibit the release of growth hormone. Its sequence was determined to be NH2-Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys-COOH. Using a set of known conformational preferences for the individual amino acids and the condition that the disulfide bond must be closed, ∼106 randomly selected structures were generated, and those which closed the disulfide (i.e., to ∼5.5 A S—S distance or less) were retained. The remaining ∼104 conformers were then examined by creating a multiplicative probability algorithm, which predicted conformers with excluded volume interactions, thus allowing the exclusion of many impossible conformations. The resulting set of ∼3000 allowed conformers were then treated by various stages of energy minimization, allowing only dihedral angles as variables, and a final set of ∼30 conformers of low energy resulted. The five lowest-energy conformations are shown.
Image representation by compressive sensing for visual sensor networks

This paper addresses the image representation problem in visual sensor networks. We propose a new image representation method for visual sensor networks based on compressive sensing (CS). CS is a new sampling method for sparse signals, which is able to compress the input data in the sampling process. Combining both signal sampling and data compression, CS is more capable of image representation for reducing the computation complexity in image/video encoder in visual sensor networks where computation resource is extremely limited. Since CS is more efficient for sparse signals, in our scheme, the input image is firstly decomposed into two components, i.e., dense and sparse components; then the dense component is encoded by the traditional approach (JPEG or JPEG 2000) while the sparse component is encoded by a CS technique. In order to improve the rate distortion performance, we leverage the strong correlation between dense and sparse components by using a piecewise autoregressive model to construct a prediction of the sparse component from the corresponding dense component. Given the measurements and the prediction of the sparse component as initial guess, we use projection onto convex set (POCS) to reconstruct the sparse component. Our method considerably reduces the number of random measurements needed for CS reconstruction and the decoding computational complexity, compared to the existing CS methods. In addition, our experimental results show that our method may achieves up to 2dB gain in PSNR over the existing CS based schemes, for the same number of measurements.
Oxygen dissociation curves in children with anemia and malignant disease

Two automatic apparatuses utilizing a dual wavelength spectrophotometer were used to perform oxygen dissociation curves on microsamples of blood. The method provides a complete print-out of an oxygen dissociation curve in 15--20 min and the P50 vlues obtained in normal individuals agree closely with those obtained by classical methods. These apparatuses were used to measure oxygen affinity, ie P50, in anemic children with malignant disease prior to treatment and in children undergoing therapy. Red cell 2,3-DPG levels were also measured. In patients with anemia at the time of diagnosis and prior to therapy, the P50 values and 2,3-DPG levels were elevated as is usual in other types of anemia. However, when oxygen affinity and 2,3-DPG levels were measured in anemic patients receiving treatment, three types of response to anemia were noted: 1) increased P50 and 2,3-DPG; 2) normal or low P50 and 2,3-DPG, and; 3) normal or low P50 with increased 2,3-DPG. Patients who adapted poorly to anemia during treatment had usually received prior intensive chemotherapy and transfusion therapy, and their pattern of red cell glycolytic intermediates was consistent with a red cell population with an increased cell age. The failure of some patients to respond to anemia with a decrease in oxygen affinity has implications in regards to the hemoglobin level at which they should be transfused.
Private School Enrollment in Metropolitan Areas

This article uses the Tiebout hypothesis to explain variations in private school enrollments across metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Each MSA is viewed as an educational marketplace where families sort themselves into school districts. The typical district is expected to be more heterogeneous in MSAs that have fewer districts and thus have less complete sorting. As district heterogeneity rises, dissatisfaction with the quality of education chosen by the median voter grows and private enrollment increases. The variation of income in each school district, school expenditures, and private school enrollment are mutually determined in a three-equation system. The model is estimated for 129 MSAs, using 1980 data at the school district level. The results are generally supportive of the theory. Secular private enrollments are positively related to income heterogeneity. State policies that reduce choice among public school districts within MSAs result in greater secular private school enrollment. Finally, re...
Breeding the Writhe‐billed hornbill

In January 1993 1.1 wild-caught Writhe-billed horn-bill Aceros leucocephalus were loaned to Audubon Park and Zoological Garden, New Orleans, and between 1994 and 1997 the courtship, mating and nesting behaviours of this pair were observed. These observations are presented here, and diet and chick/ juvenile development are also described. To date nine chicks have hatched, eight have successfully fledged, including one hand-reared bird, and at time of writing five offspring were alive. With a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) proposed for A. leucocephalus, the offspring from the 1993 (1.0), 1995 (0.3) and 1997 (1.1) breeding seasons have been donated to that future programme.
A rodent model of emergency cardiopulmonary bypass resuscitation with different temperatures after asphyxial cardiac arrest

Abstract Background The use of emergency cardiopulmonary bypass (ECPB) resuscitation after cardiac arrest may offer hope for survival when standard ACLS therapies fail. However, whether cooling adds benefit to ECPB is unknown and we lack an ECPB rodent model for experimental studies. We sought to (a) develop a 72 h survival rodent model using ECPB to treat asphyxial cardiac arrest and (b) use this new model to evaluate early mild and moderate hypothermia versus normothermia during ECPB resuscitation. Methods After 8 min of normothermic asphyxia, three groups of rats were resuscitated with ECPB at 37 °C (NORM), 34 °C (MILD) and 30 °C (MOD) for 1 h ( n = 10 each). During the second resuscitation hour, ECPB was discontinued, ventilatory support was provided and body temperatures were maintained at 37 °C for NORM, 34 °C for MILD, and from 30 °C gradually up to 34 °C in 1 h for MOD animals. From hours 3 to 8, body temperature was maintained at 37 °C for NORM and 34 °C for MILD and MOD animals. Results All rats were initially resuscitated by ECPB. After 72 h, neurological outcome and survival in the MILD (60% survival) and MOD (80%) groups were significantly better than in the NORM (0%) group ( p Conclusions A rodent model of ECPB is feasible and useful for resuscitation studies. The addition of early mild and moderate hypothermia to ECPB resuscitation significantly improves survival compared with normothermic ECPB in rats.
Application of a Double-Observer Aerial Line-Transect Method to Estimate Brown Bear Population Density in Southwestern Alaska

Abstract Brown bear Ursus arctos population density was estimated for a 21,178-km2 study area in southwest Alaska. Estimates were obtained using an aerial line-transect method that allows for peak ...
Fiber-optic crack-tip opening displacement sensor for concrete

Abstract The development of a fiber-optic sensor for embedment in cementitious composites and measurement of displacements associated with the opening of microcracks are described. The sensor can be employed as a transducer for measurement of crack-tip opening displacements during fracture tests. A polarization-maintaining optical fiber is used as the sensing element, and the transduction mechanism is similar to those of other sensors based on polarimetric-type based fibers. However, the deformation resolving power of the sensor is increased by way of increasing the effective length of the optical fiber. This is done by winding the optical fiber into a coil. A direct relationship between the number of loops in the coil and sensitivity of measurements is obtained. A calibration procedure is developed by which the optical signal is converted to displacements. The sensor was employed in a series of fracture tests. Experiments involved embedment of the optical fiber in concrete beams. Specimens were center-edge-notched, and the fiber coil sensors were embedded at the tip of the notch. This arrangement allowed for direct measurement of displacements associated with the opening of microcracks at the crack tip. Experimental results are presented, and crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD) results are compared with crack-opening displacements measured by conventional transducers at the crack mouth (COD).
Wnt/PCP signaling controls intracellular position of MTOCs during gastrulation convergence and extension movements

During vertebrate gastrulation, convergence and extension cell movements are coordinated with the anteroposterior and mediolateral embryonic axes. Wnt planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling polarizes the motile behaviors of cells with respect to the anteroposterior embryonic axis. Understanding how Wnt/PCP signaling mediates convergence and extension (C&E) movements requires analysis of the mechanisms employed to alter cell morphology and behavior with respect to embryonic polarity. Here, we examine the interactions between the microtubule cytoskeleton and Wnt/PCP signaling during zebrafish gastrulation. First, we assessed the location of the centrosome/microtubule organizing center (MTOC) relative to the cell nucleus and the body axes, as a marker of cell polarity. The intracellular position of MTOCs was polarized, perpendicular to the plane of the germ layers, independently of Wnt/PCP signaling. In addition, this position became biased posteriorly and medially within the plane of the germ layers at the transition from mid- to late gastrulation and from slow to fast C&E movements. This depends on intact Wnt/PCP signaling through Knypek (Glypican4/6) and Dishevelled components. Second, we tested whether microtubules are required for planar cell polarization. Once the planar cell polarity is established, microtubules are not required for accumulation of Prickle at the anterior cell edge. However, microtubules are needed for cell-cell contacts and initiation of its anterior localization. Reciprocal interactions occur between Wnt/PCP signaling and microtubule cytoskeleton during C&E gastrulation movements. Wnt/PCP signaling influences the polarity of the microtubule cytoskeleton and, conversely, microtubules are required for the asymmetric distribution of Wnt/PCP pathway components.
Correlation of the precordial and endocardial ventricular electrocardiogram.

Abstract 1. 1. Fifty patients were studied by simultaneous right ventricular endocardial and precordial leads, including 8 normal patients, 6 patients with pure aortic stenosis, and 36 patients with congenital heart lesions affecting chiefly the right ventricle. 2. 2. In general, a consistent group of patterns is observed in the right ventricle as the catheter is positioned in each area from the pulmonary artery to the low right atrium. 3. 3. It is shown how the activation of the heart is reflected in the endocardial tracings in different ventricular positions. 4. 4. By comparison of simultaneous endocardial and precordial tracings, it is concluded that the R′ of both leads may be attributed to upper septal activation. 5. 5. Similar endocardial patterns are obtained in normal subjects and in patients with congenital cardiac lesions, as well as in patients with normal electrocardiograms and in those with electrocardiographic criteria for right ventricular hypertrophy or right bundle branch block. The mode of activation of the heart is not altered from the normal in these two conditions. An r′ was not recorded in the right ventricle of patients with electrocardiographic evidence for left ventricular hypertrophy. 6. 6. The variation in the precordial patterns with similar endocardial patterns is a reflection of the influence of cardiac position and the distal effects of left ventricular predominance on the precordial lead. 7. 7. Exact correlations between the endocardial patterns with respect to age, type of lesion, right ventricular pressure, and type of peripheral electrocardiogram could not be made.
Thinking styles as moderators of role stressor‐job satisfaction relationships

Describes the moderation of role stress, specified by role ambiguity, conflict and overload, and job satisfaction by thinking styles. Individuals capable of successfully employing specific styles were successful in reducing the deletrious effects of role stress on job satisfaction. Principal findings included the moderation of the role ambiguity‐job satisfaction relationship by the global style; the role overload‐job satisfaction relationship by the hierarchic style and the judicial style acting jointly with task significance; role conflict due to conflicting requests by the hierarchic style with task identity and task significance; and role conflict from incompatible standards of evaluation by a liberal style with job autonomy and a judicial style with task significance. Discusses both theoretical and practical implications.
Fitting Time-Series Input Processes for Simulation

Providing accurate and automated input-modeling support is one of the challenging problems in the application of computer simulation of stochastic systems. The models incorporated in current input-modeling software packages often fall short because they assume independent and identically distributed processes, even though dependent time-series input processes occur naturally in the simulation of many real-life systems. Therefore, this paper introduces a statistical methodology for fitting stochastic models to dependent time-series input processes. Specifically, an automated and statistically valid algorithm is presented to fit autoregressive-to-anything (ARTA) processes with marginal distributions from the Johnson translation system to stationary univariate time-series data. ARTA processes are particularly well suited to driving stochastic simulations. The use of this algorithm is illustrated with examples.
Word-minimality, Epenthesis and Coda Licensing in the Early Acquisition of English

Many languages exhibit constraints on prosodic words, where lexical items must be composed of at least two moras of structure, or a binary foot. Demuth and Fee (1995) proposed that children demonstrate early sensitivity to word-minimality effects, exhibiting a period of vowel lengthening or vowel epenthesis if coda consonants cannot be produced. This paper evaluates this proposal by examining the development of word-final coda consonants in the spontaneous speech of four English-speaking children between the ages of one and two. Although there was no evidence of vowel lengthening, coda consonants were more accurately produced in monosyllabic target words with monomoriac vowels, suggesting earlier use of coda consonants in contexts where they can be prosodified as part of a bimoraic foot. One child also showed extensive use of vowel epenthesis and coda consonant aspiration concurrent with the production of codas. However, we show that this was due to the articulatory challenges of producing complex syllable structures rather than an attempt to produce well-formed minimal words. These results suggest that learners of English may exhibit an early awareness of moraic structure at the level of the syllable, but that language-specific constraints regarding word-minimality may be acquired later than originally thought.
Confessional pluralism and the civil society effect: Liberal mediations of Islam and secularism in contemporary Turkey

Practices and ideals of confessional pluralism and liberal interpretations of Islam have achieved new prominence in Turkish civil society in recent years. In this article, I marshal fieldwork conducted among a variety of Turkish Islamic civil society institutions to argue that confessional pluralism and liberal Islam have reoriented practices of politics and secularism in Turkey. As I demonstrate, liberal discourse about religious difference emerges within civil society as a foil to hegemonic, homogeneous visions of Islam on the part of the state. My principal theoretical contribution is the civil society effect: how the institutions and discourses of civil society are idealized and rendered distinct from state power. Ethnographically, I focus on two religious groups that have achieved organization within civil society: Turkish Alevis and supporters of the Sunni Hizmet Movement.
Velocity and Morphology Transition in Dendritic Growth

The growth velocity and morphology of crystals growing in a supercooled aqueous solution of ammonium chloride (28 wt%) with small amounts of copper sulfate (0.05 to-1 wt%) have been examined. For the [100] growth direction at low supercooling and for the [110] direction at greater supercooling the crystals start to grow slowly with a faceted interface. As the supercooling is continuously increased, the growth direction becomes [111]. Dendrites with pointed tips develop but continue to grow slowly. With further increase in supercooling, the velocity increases 20- to 40-fold and the tip shape changes from a cusp to a thin and almost paraboloid interface while the growth direction remains [111]. The velocity transition is gradual when the concentration is below 0.1 wt% but is sharper at higher concentrations. The transition temperature decreases with increasing copper sulfate concentration. p]We postulate that the observed transition indicates a dynamic roughening phenomenon, where the supercooling; is sufficiently high to create many nucleation islands on the faceted interface. In this case the interface behaves as an atomically rough surface and dendrite growth occurs at an interface temperature that is below the equilibrium temperature.
The Game Academics Play: Comment

A recent paper by Faria (Bulletin of Economic Research, 57 (2005), pp. 1–12) deals with the interplay between editors and authors. This research is a welcome addition to the literature on formal analyses of academic markets. This note points out a potential discrepancy in Faria's derivation of the equilibrium journal quality and clarifies the conditions under which journal quality responds to changes in editor's impatience and in author's impatience. Specifically, the effect of a change in author's impatience on journal quality is shown to be not unambiguous. Some implications of these findings are discussed.
Orosensory detection of sucrose, maltose, and glucose is severely impaired in mice lacking T1R2 or T1R3, but Polycose sensitivity remains relatively normal.

Evidence in the literature supports the hypothesis that the T1R2+3 heterodimer binds to compounds that humans describe as sweet. Here, we assessed the necessity of the T1R2 and T1R3 subunits in the maintenance of normal taste sensitivity to carbohydrate stimuli. We trained and tested water-restricted T1R2 knockout (KO), T1R3 KO and their wild-type (WT) same-sex littermate controls in a two-response operant procedure to sample a fluid and differentially respond on the basis of whether the stimulus was water or a tastant. Correct responses were reinforced with water and incorrect responses were punished with a time-out. Testing was conducted with a modified descending method of limits procedure across daily 25-min sessions. Both KO groups displayed severely impaired performance and markedly decreased sensitivity when required to discriminate water from sucrose, glucose, or maltose. In contrast, when Polycose was tested, KO mice had normal EC50 values for their psychometric functions, with some slight, but significant, impairment in performance. Sensitivity to NaCl did not differ between these mice and their WT controls. Our findings support the view that the T1R2+3 heterodimer is the principal receptor that mediates taste detection of natural sweeteners, but not of all carbohydrate stimuli. The combined presence of T1R2 and T1R3 appears unnecessary for the maintenance of relatively normal sensitivity to Polycose, at least in this task. Some detectability of sugars at high concentrations might be mediated by the putative polysaccharide taste receptor, the remaining T1R subunit forming either a homodimer or heteromer with another protein(s), or nontaste orosensory cues.
Profiles of random change during aging contain hidden information about longevity and the aging process.

Many different morphological and physiological changes occur during the yeast replicative lifespan. It has been proposed that change is a cause rather than an effect of aging. It is difficult to ascribe causality to processes that manifest themselves at the level of the entire organism, because of their global nature. Although causal connections can be established for processes that occur at the molecular level, their exact contributions are obscured, because they are immersed in a highly interactive network of processes. A top-down approach that can isolate crucial features of aging processes for further study may be a productive avenue. We have mathematically depicted the complicated and random changes that occur in cellular spatial organization during the lifespan of individual yeast cells. We call them budding profiles. This has allowed us to demonstrate that budding profiles are a highly individual characteristic, and that they are correlated with an individual cell's longevity. Additional information can be extracted from our model, indicating that random budding is associated with longevity. This expectation was confirmed, providing new avenues for exploring causal factors in yeast aging. The methodology described here can be readily applied to other aspects of aging in yeast and in higher organisms.
Children's social goals and self-efficacy perceptions as influences on their responses to ambiguous provocation

This study examined whether children who vary in their behavioral responses (aggression vs. withdrawal vs. problem solving) to ambiguous provocation but who are similar in their attributional processes differ in their social goals and self-efficacy perceptions. In response to 10 hypothetical situations involving ambiguous provocation, fourth- and fifth-grade students (n = 781) indicated whether or not the protagonist intended to cause the harm and reported how they would respond to the protagonist's action. Newly developed measures assessed children's situated social goals and self-efficacy perceptions. Results indicated that the aggressive, withdrawn, and problem-solving responders differed in their social goals and self-efficacy perceptions. The strength of the findings, compared to earlier work on children's goals and self-efficacy perceptions, suggests the importance of a situated social-cognitive assessment in which children's thoughts are measured in a specific kind of social situation and are related to their reported behavior in the same type of situation.
2D Barcode localization and motion deblurring using a flutter shutter camera

We describe a system for localizing and deblurring motion-blurred 2D barcodes. Previous work on barcode detection and deblurring has mainly focused on 1D barcodes, and has employed traditional image acquisition which is not robust to motion blur. Our solution is based on coded exposure imaging which, as we show, enables well-posed de-convolution and decoding over a wider range of velocities. To serve this solution, we developed a simple and effective approach for 2D barcode localization under motion blur, a metric for evaluating the quality of the deblurred 2D barcodes, and an approach for motion direction estimation in coded exposure images. We tested our system on real camera images of three popular 2D barcode symbologies: Data Matrix, PDF417 and Aztec Code.
Block and Modulation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors by Polyamines and Protons: Role of Amino Acid Residues in the Transmembrane and Pore-Forming Regions of NR1 and NR2 Subunits

N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are modulated by extracellular spermine and protons and are blocked in a voltage-dependent manner by spermine and polyamine derivatives such as N1-dansyl-spermine (N1-DnsSpm). The effects of mutations in the first and third transmembrane domains (M1 and M3) and the pore-forming loop (M2) of NMDA receptor subunits were studied. Surprisingly, some mutations in M2 and M3 of the NR1 subunit, including mutations at W608 and N616 in M2, reduced spermine stimulation and proton inhibition. These mutations may have long-range allosteric effects or may change spermine- and pH-dependent gating processes rather than directly affecting the binding sites for these modulators because spermine stimulation and proton inhibition are not voltage dependent and are thought to involve binding sites outside the pore-forming regions of the receptor. A number of mutations in M1–M3, including mutations at tryptophan and tyrosine residues near the extracellular sides of M1 and M3, reduced block by spermine and N1-DnsSpm. The effects of these mutants on channel block were characterized in detail by using N1-DnsSpm, which produces block but not stimulation of NMDA receptors. Block by N1-DnsSpm was studied by using voltage ramps analyzed with the Woodhull model of channel block. Mutations at W563 (in M1) and E621 (immediately after M2) in the NR1a subunit and at Y646 (in M3) and N616 (in the M2 loop) in the NR2B subunit reduced the affinity for N1-DnsSpm without affecting the voltage dependence of block. These residues may form part of a binding site for N1-DnsSpm. Mutation of a tryptophan residue at position W607 in the M2 region of NR2B greatly reduced block by N1-DnsSpm, and N1-DnsSpm could easily permeate channels containing this mutation. The results suggest that at least parts of the M1 and M3 segments contribute to the pore or vestibule of the NMDA channel and that a tryptophan in M2 (W607 in NR2B) may contribute to the narrow constriction of the pore.
The Everyday Implications of Ethnic-Racial Identity Processes: Exploring Variability in Ethnic-Racial Identity Salience Across Situations.

Given the social and developmental relevance of ethnicity-race during adolescence, it is important to understand the meaning of ethnic-racial identity in adolescents' everyday lives. The current study considered how individual differences in ethnic-racial identity exploration (i.e., the extent to which individuals have explored their ethnicity-race), and commitment (i.e., the extent which they have a clear sense of what it means to them) influenced variability versus stability in the awareness of ethnicity-race in a given situation (i.e., salience), and how this variability is related to mood in that situation. Within an ethnic/racially diverse sample of 395 adolescents (M age = 15; 63 % female; 12 % Black, 26 % Latino, 34 % Asian, 23 % White), results indicated that ethnic-racial identity exploration was unrelated to variability in salience, while commitment promoted stability in salience across situations. Further, among adolescents who were generally very aware of their ethnicity-race, increases in situational salience were related to decreased negative and anxious mood. Among adolescents who were generally not aware of their ethnicity-race, increases in situational salience were related to increased positive and decreased negative mood. Implications for understanding the developmental and everyday experiences of ethnic-racial identity are discussed.
Poverty in America: A Handbook, by Iceland, J.

It might be difficult to imagine a book that is capable of addressing poverty trends in the United States in a mere 150 pages. Yet, this is precisely John Iceland’s objective in Poverty in America:...
Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in adults with hemoglobin SC or Sβ(+) thalassemia genotypes.

Abstract Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in sickle cell disease (SCD); however, the risk factors associated with VTE in patients with sickle variant syndromes are not known. The primary aim of this study was to determine hematologic and clinical risk factors for VTE in adults with hemoglobin SC or Sβ + thalassemia genotypes. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patients with hemoglobin SC and Sβ + thalassemia genotypes followed at the Sickle Cell Center for Adults from 2008 to 2012. Data on baseline hematologic parameters and SCD-specific comorbidities were collected from review of electronic records. Results A total of 116 patients, 85 (73%) with hemoglobin SC disease and 31 (27%) with Sβ + -thalassemia, were included for analysis. Thirty-two (28%) patients had a verified history of non-catheter related VTE. Mean baseline hemoglobin levels were higher among individuals with a history of VTE compared to those without (11.7g/dL vs. 11.0g/dL, p=0.003). In addition, the prevalence of surgical splenectomy was higher among patients with VTE compared to those without (25.0% vs. 4.8%, p=0.001). On multivariate analysis, elevated baseline hemoglobin (odds ratio [OR] 2.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–4.23)) and history of surgical splenectomy (OR 5.76 [CI 1.43–23.22]) were independently associated with VTE risk. Conclusions Higher baseline hemoglobin is a risk factor for non-catheter-related VTE in patients with hemoglobin SC or Sβ + thalassemia genotypes. Surgical splenectomy, which is a known risk factor for VTE in other hemoglobinopathies such as β-thalassemia intermedia, is also associated with VTE in sickle variant syndromes. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and to investigate the mechanisms of hypercoagulability observed in patients with hemoglobin SC and Sβ + thalassemia.
Tidal breathing analysis for ventilatory lung function in infants with bronchiolitis

Objective To examine the ventilatory lung function in infants with bronchiolitis.Methods Tidal breathing flow volume (TBFV) loop was tested in 74 cases of bronchiolitis during the acute phase. Its parameters included tidal volume per kilogram (VT/Kg), percent of time to peak tidal expiratory flow (TPE%TE), and percent of tidal volume to peak tidal expiratory flow (VPF%VE). Results VT/Kg, TPF%TE and VPF%VE decreased, while RR increased. TBFV loop showed obstructive in 40 cases (54.1%), restrictive in 6 (8.1%), mixed in 23 (31.1%) and normal in 5 (6.8%). The degree of airway obstruction was mild in 15 cases (23.8%), moderate in 25 (39.7%), severe in 21 (33.3%) and very severe in 2 (3.2%). Conclusion Ventilatory lung function in infants with brochiolitis during the acute phase is obviously not normal. It is mainly obstructive and has mixed ventilatory disturbance. The degree of airway obstruction is mainly moderate or severe.
Brief Psychodynamic Interventions for Adult Sibling Issues

The use of brief psychodynamic interventions when integrating sibling issues in therapy with adults can be applied in two primary situations. First is when the sibling issues are presented by the client during the intake process. In this situation, referred to as overt sibling issues, a client enters therapy with the explicit goal of repairing their sibling relationship. The focus of therapy in this situation is the exploration of underlying sibling tensions with the goal of repairing the negative sibling bond. An examination of this process is presented later in this chapter.
Transcendental Logic and the Doctrine of Quantity

This chapter is an analysis of the meaning of quantity in the transcendental logic of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. I begin this chapter with an analysis of Kant’s description of the specific project of transcendental logic. This analysis emphasizes the way in which Kant uses general logic as a contrast to define the transcendental logic. I turn then to analysis of the meaning of quantity within transcendental logic. I argue that since the Analytic of Concepts does not offer a full transcendental exposition of quantity as a category, but the Analytic of Principles does, and since Kant calls the Analytic of Principles a doctrine because it represents a conclusion of the Transcendental Analytic, we ought to base our interpretation of quantity in transcendental logic on the Analytic of Principles. It is the first two chapters of the Analytic of Principles that provide us with what I will call Kant’s transcendental doctrine of quantity. The sole project of this chapter is to highlight the treatment of quantity in the Transcendental Analytic, so as to set up the comparison of transcendental logic and general logic in the next chapter.
Changes in the composition and structure of mixed-oak, second-growth forest ecosystems during the understory reinitiation stage of stand development

Abstract:The composition and structure of the living and dead woody vegetation in seventeen relatively undisturbed, second-growth forests in the understory reinitiation stage of stand development (70 to 149 years old) were examined using a chronosequence on a single south-facing ecological landtype phase in southeastern Ohio. Principal components analysis (PCA), in conjunction with historical information, was used to support the assumption that plots had similar physiography, soils, and disturbance histories. The first axes of canonical correspondence analyses (CCA) based on canopy species importance values, as well as sapling and seedling relative densities, represented a successional continuum of increasing Quercus alba L. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) relating canopy composition with the density of dead snags and fallen logs suggested that during understory reinitiation there may be several species-specific waves of density-independent mortality, such as scarlet oak (Q. coccinea Muenchh.) dec...
An Investigation of Factor XIII Binding to Recombinant γ′/γ′ and γ/γ′ Fibrinogen.

Abstract Increased levels of the alternatively spliced γ′ chain of fibrinogen have been measured in patients suffering from coronary artery disease (Lovely et al. Thromb. Haemost. 2002; 88:26–31). Others have suggested that the γ′ chain serves as a binding site for factor XIII (Siebenlist et al. Biochemistry 1996; 35:10448–10453), thus increasing the amount of cross-linking and therefore the stability of the γ′-containing clots (Falls and Farrell JBC 1997; 272:14251–14256). We have expressed recombinant γ′/γ′ homodimer and γ/γ′ heterodimer fibrinogen variants in CHO cells and characterized their polymerization by turbidity. Compared to normal recombinant γ/γ fibrinogen, γ′/γ′ fibrinogen displayed a slower rate of polymerization and a lower final absorbance. γ/γ′ Heterodimer fibrinogen had both a polymerization rate and final absorbance that was intermediate between γ/γ and γ′/γ′. These observations suggest that the presence of the γ′ chain slows lateral aggregation and leads to the formation of thinner fibers. These variants were then used to investigate the binding of factor XIII to fibrinogen. We designed an ELISA assay to measure this binding by immobilizing fibrinogen on a 96-well plate, incubating with factor XIII, and measuring bound factor XIII with an anti-factor XIII A-subunit antibody. Normal recombinant γ/γ fibrinogen bound factor XIII zymogen (A2B2) with a KD of 4.1 x 10−8 M +/− 1.3 x 10−8 M, similar to previous data for plasma fibrinogen. Surprisingly, both γ′/γ′ and γ/γ′ fibrinogen variants bound factor XIII zymogen with the same KD as did γ/γ fibrinogen. As shown by ELISAs with antibodies specific for either γ or γ′, the C-termini of both the γ and the γ′ chains are accessible on this immobilized fibrinogen. These findings suggest that the C-terminus of the γ′ chain is not a critical element in the binding of factor XIII zymogen. Our findings differ from previously reported findings. Further studies are in progress to reconcile these differences.
Characterization of facet joint cartilage properties in the human and interspecies comparisons.

Abstract The facet joint, a synovial joint located on the posterior-lateral spine, is highly susceptible to degenerative changes and plays a significant role in back-related morbidities. Despite its significance, the facet is rarely studied and thus current treatment strategies are lacking. This study aimed to characterize, for the first time, the properties of human, pig, monkey, and rabbit lumbar facet cartilage providing much-needed design criteria for tissue engineering approaches. In this study, where possible, the facet’s morphological, histological, mechanical, and biochemical properties were evaluated. Comparisons between the properties of the inferior and superior facet surfaces, as well as among spinal levels were performed within each species. In addition, interspecies comparisons of the properties were determined. The human facet joint was found to be degenerated; 100% of joint surfaces showed signs of pathology and approximately 71% of these were considered to be grade 4. Joint morphology varied among species, demonstrating that despite the mini-pig facet being closest to the human in terms of width and length, it was far more curved than the human or any of the other species. No notable differences were found in the mini-pig, monkey, and rabbit mechanical and biochemical properties, suggesting that these species, despite morphological differences, may serve as suitable animal models for studying structure-function relationships of the human facet joint. The characterization data reported in this study may increase our understanding of this ill-described joint as well as provide the foundation for the development of new treatments such as tissue engineering. Statement of Significance This work provides the first comprehensive description of the properties of lumbar facet joint cartilage. Importantly, this work establishes that histological, biochemical, and mechanical properties are comparable between bipedal and quadrupedal animals, helping to guide future selection of appropriate animal models. This work also suggests that the human facet joint is highly susceptible to pathology. The mechanical properties of facet cartilage, found to be inferior to those of other synovial joints, provide a greater understanding of the joint’s structure-function relationships as well as the potential etiology of facet joint pathology. Lastly, this work will serve as the foundation for the development of much-needed facet joint treatments, especially those based on tissue engineering approaches.
HEART FAILURE WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION CARE PATTERNS IN THE OUTPATIENT PRACTICE SETTING: INITIAL FINDINGS FROM CHAMP-HF

Background: Few data exist regarding contemporary care patterns for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the outpatient setting. Change the Management of Patients with Heart Failure (CHAMP-HF) is a prospective cohort study designed to characterize current management of patients