cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The API Decision Support Framework: Software for Risk Assessment at UST Sites

A computerized decision support system for desktop personal computers has been developed that will calculate human exposure and health risk from gasoline contaminated sites. This decision support system is a valuable quantitative tool which can be used for 1) estimating site-specific baseline human health risks, 2) setting site-specific cleanup levels, 3) negotiating these cleanup levels with regulatory agencies, and 4) evaluating various remedial alternatives. The decision support system is user friendly (i.e., menu-driven) and therefore can also serve as a valuable training aid for a wide variety of users
Paranoid Style and Subtextual Form in Modern Conspiracy Rhetoric

This essay argues that the traditional approach to conspiracy rhetoric, grounded in Richard Hofstadter’s concept of the paranoid style, is limited in understanding as to how such fringe discourse i...
An evaluation of fecal stanols as indicators of population change at Cahokia, Illinois

Abstract Fecal stanols deposited in sediment provide evidence of trace human waste products and have been proposed as a proxy for measuring population change. Despite its potential to contribute to paleodemographic studies, the method has not been evaluated against conventional archaeological population reconstructions to determine its fidelity in identifying changes in ancient populations nor has it been applied in an environmental setting outside of the Arctic, where low temperatures enhance stanol preservation. We studied sediment cores recovered from a lake adjacent to Cahokia, the largest and most well-studied prehistoric mound center in North America. We found fecal stanol data closely track independently established population reconstructions from multiple sources, confirming the utility of the method and demonstrating its viability in temperate climates.
Applications of systems modelling in obesity research

Obesity is a complex system problem involving a broad spectrum of policy, social, economic, cultural, environmental, behavioural, and biological factors and the complex interrelated, cross-sector, non-linear, dynamic relationships among them. Systems modelling is an innovative approach with the potential for advancing obesity research. This study examined the applications of systems modelling in obesity research published between 2000 and 2017, examined how the systems models were developed and used in obesity studies and discussed related gaps in current research. We focused on the applications of two main systems modelling approaches: system dynamics modelling and agent-based modelling. The past two decades have seen a growing body of systems modelling in obesity research. The research topics ranged from micro-level to macro-level energy-balance-related behaviours and policies (19 studies), population dynamics (five studies), policy effect simulations (eight studies), environmental (10 studies) and social influences (15 studies) and their effects on obesity rates. Overall, systems analysis in public health research is still in its early stages, with limitations linked to model validity, mixed findings and its actual use in guiding interventions. Challenges in theory and modelling practices need to be addressed to realize the full potential of systems modelling in future obesity research and interventions.
Josef König’s Distinction between Theoretical and Practical Sentences

Josef Konig’s thinking is dominated by the idea of “radical” difference and by a particular example of that radical difference. I will begin with a few preliminary words about both.
Evaluation of highly available cloud streaming systems for performance and price

This paper presents a systematic evaluation of Amazon Kinesis and Apache Kafka for meeting highly demanding application requirements. Results show that Kinesis and Kafka can provide high reliability, performance and scalability. Cost and performance trade-offs of Kinesis and Kafka are presented for a variety of application data rates, resource utilization, and resource configurations.
The Status of the Fundamental Constants

The broad field of precision metrology and the measurement of the fundamental constants of physics has been discussed in the previous sections; here an attempt will be made to bring these and related measurements together and to evaluate the significance of the measurements, as a whole, with respect to our understanding of nature. This is indeed an ambitious goal (one not to be fully achieved); therefore, it may be appropriate to step back first and explore a more basic question: What is a fundamental constant?
Bone Marrow Biopsy Operator Experience and Impact on Aspirate, Biopsy, and Ancillary Testing Quality.

Abstract Objective To assess the relationship between bone marrow (BM) biopsy operator experience and both specimen quality and ancillary testing utilization. Patients and Methods We evaluated all referred and in-house (IH) BM biopsy specimens obtained over a contiguous 6-week period from April 3, 2017, to May 19, 2017. The BM specimens were assessed for the length of interpretable marrow, and aspirates were assessed for the presence of spicules. Subgroup comparisons included IH BM obtained by a trained team of nurses within our institution, patients clinically referred (CR) to our institution with outside-obtained BM specimens, and outside pathologist-referred (PR) consultation cases. Ancillary study usage was compared between the first 100 cases of each group. Results A total of 1191 BM specimens were analyzed, including 600 IH, 288 CR, and 303 PR cases with biopsies and/or aspirates. The average interpretable biopsy lengths of IH, CR, and PR cases were 16.0 mm, 10.0 mm, and 7.0 mm, respectively (P Conclusion Having a dedicated team of BM biopsy operators is likely one factor contributing to improved BM biopsy quality and a reduced need for ancillary testing.
Feasibility of an emotion regulation intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder: A brief report

Abstract Background Emotion regulation (ER) is key to young children’s school readiness and mental health. Many children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit emotionally dysregulated behavior, yet no interventions target this skill in the preschool years. This study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a parent-mediated intervention to promote emotion regulation skills in preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder. Method Participants included five children (3–6 years old) and their mothers. The intervention, Regulation of Emotional Lability in Autism Spectrum Disorder through Caregiver Supports (RELACS) was delivered in participants’ homes over eight weeks. Results Preliminary results suggest RELACS is acceptable to parents, can be implemented with fidelity, and shows promise in improving parent support for children’s ER skills as well as children’s regulatory capacity. Conclusions Results support the feasibility of using a parent-mediated approach to supporting ER skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Though RELACS shows promise in improving parent support for ER and children’s ER capacity, further research is necessary to establish its efficacy.
Periprosthetic Fracture in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty

Although rare, periprosthetic fractures following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) present a treatment dilemma for the orthopedic surgeon. These fractures are most commonly seen of the medial tibial plateau with femoral fractures occurring much less frequently. Patient-related factors such as disorders, which lead to poor bone quality, may predispose to this complication, while stress risers such as those created by the pinholes used to affix the tibial cutting guide, the vertical tibial cut itself, and tibial component sizing and positioning have been proposed as possible mechanisms. Assessing component stability is the key to management of these injuries. Well-fixed components associated with nondisplaced fractures may be managed nonoperatively with a period of protected weight bearing and/or bracing. Displaced fractures with a stable component should be treated with open reduction and internal fixation using a buttress plate for fixation. If the component is loose, revision to a total knee arthroplasty is required and can be technically challenging.
Characterization of biotin interference in 21 Vitros 5600 immunoassays and risk mitigation for patient safety at a large academic medical center.

Abstract Background Biotin and streptavidin are commonly used reagents in clinical immunoassays. Several cases of biotin interference with immunoassay testing for patients taking biotin supplements have been reported, yet, not all analytes and platforms susceptible to biotin interference have been characterized. The objectives of this study are to characterize biotin interference with 21 immunoassays using the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Vitros 5600, evaluate a biotin-depletion method, and apply risk mitigation strategies for biotin interference during routine clinical testing at our institution. Methods Residual serum without and with increasing concentrations of exogenous biotin were used to evaluate biotin interference with 21 immunoassays using the Vitros 5600. Biotin-depletion was evaluated by comparing measured analyte concentrations in serum with and without exogenous biotin and streptavidin-microparticle pretreatment. Focused education for healthcare professionals about biotin interference was performed in February 2018. Samples with suspected biotin interference were investigated using this biotin-depletion method, and analyte testing by alternate methodology for select samples. Results Exogenous biotin in serum caused dose-dependent negative biases in 15 immunometric assays, and dose-dependent positive biases in 6 competitive immunoassays. Streptavidin-microparticle pretreatment of serum containing exogenous biotin demonstrated recoveries 100 ± 15% of expected values for all 21 analytes. Physicians identified 21 samples suspicious for biotin interference over 11 months, and streptavidin-microparticle pretreatment verified 11 cases of biotin interference. Conclusions Analytical bias caused by biotin interference is dependent on biotin concentration but independent of analyte concentration for immunometric methods using the Vitros 5600, and dependent on both biotin and analyte concentration for competitive immunoassays. Multi-disciplinary education and a lab streptavidin-microparticle pretreatment method help mitigate risk of erroneous results due to biotin interference for patient safety.
Hydrolyzed Spirulina Biomass and Molasses as Substrate in Alcoholic Fermentation with Application of Magnetic Fields

New substrates and fermentation conditions have been drawing researchers’ attention to increase the bioethanol productivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acid hydrolysis of Spirulina biomass and its use in association with molasses in ethanol production with and without magnetic field (MF) application. Hydrothermal hydrolysis of Spirulina biomass hydrolysis was evaluated. The highest reducing sugar concentration (79% w w−1) was obtained with sulfuric acid 5% (v v−1), 121 °C, 30 min, and 500 g L−1 of biomass. This hydrolyzed biomass and molasses were used as substrates in the alcoholic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae by varying the biomass/molasses (B/M) ratio: 25, 50, and 75% (v v−1). The medium 25% B/M had higher ethanol yield at 78.9% and productivity of 0.72 g L−1 h−1. MF application did not increase the cell growth and ethanol production. This is the first study that integrates molasses and microalgal biomass substrates for ethanol production and presents some new information about magnetic fields application that is still little explored in the literature.
What Not to Do During Uterine Contractions: Three Vignettes with One Simple Lesson

The anesthesiologist pops her epidural needle tip through the ligamentum flavum into the epidural space at the height of a uterine contraction, while the patient is straining. Immediately after the loss of resistance, the plunger of the glass syringe is pushed back against the anesthesiologist’s thumb as the syringe fills with spinal fluid under pressure (L-1).
Body composition and treatment-related toxicity in pediatric lymphoma.

e22503Background: Body composition is an emerging predictor of toxicity and survival in older adults with cancer (Shachar, Eur J Can, 2016); however, its role in pediatric cancer is not known. We e...
Application of Structure-based Methods to Analyze Resistance Mutations for Chemically Diverse Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Background Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are used in combination antiretroviral therapy to suppress viral loads in HIV patients. The chemical design of NNRTIs has changed in recent years in response to resistance associated mutations (RAMs) and resistance. NNRTIs are chemically diverse compounds that bind an allosteric site of HIV RT. Resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) identified in HIV patients are associated with NNRTI resistance. RAMs confer amino acid changes that alter both structural and physiochemical properties of the allosteric site. Ultimately these changes reduce NNRTI affinity. Previously, we used a combination of computational and experimental methods to analyze and validate RAMs for 3 diarylpyrimidine (DAPY) NNRTIs. Objective The objective of this study is to apply these methods to other chemically diverse, non-DAPY NNRTIs. Materials and methods We selected MIV-150 (experimental microbicide) and doravirine for this study. A computational and molecular modeling strategy was used to evaluate the effects of RAMs. Calculated changes in drug affinity and stability (ΔS + ΔA) were used to determine overall resistance levels: susceptible, low, intermediate, and high. The ΔS + ΔA values for K101P suggest that this mutation confers intermediate/high-level resistance to MIV-150, but remains susceptible to doravirine. Based on the determined resistance levels, we analyzed the models and used Molecular Dynamics (MD) to compare the interactions of MIV-150/doravirine with RT wild-type (WT) and RT (K101P). From MD, we found key interactions were lost with RT (K101P), but are retained with doravirine. To experimentally validate our findings, we conducted a fluorescence-based reverse transcription assay for MIV-150 with RT (WT) and RT (K101P). IC50 values determined in assays show a 101-fold change in potency for MIV-150, but essentially no change for doravirine. Results Our computational and experimental results are also consistent with antiviral data reported in the literature. Conclusion We believe that this approach is effective for analyzing mutations to determine resistance profiles for chemically diverse NNRTIs in development.
Modulation of H‐reflex responses and frequency‐dependent depression by repetitive spinal electromagnetic stimulation: from rats to humans and back to chronic spinal cord injured rats

The lack of propagation of signals through survived fibers is among the major reasons for functional loss after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Our recent results of animal studies demonstrate that spinal electromagnetic stimulation (SEMS) can enhance transmission in damaged spinal cord, and this type of modulation depends on the function of NMDA receptors at the neuronal networks below the injury level. Here, our pilot human study revealed that administration of repetitive SEMS induced long-lasting modulation of H-responses in both healthy and participants with chronic SCI. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying these effects, we have used an animal model and examined effects of SEMS on H-responses. Effects of SEMS on H-responses, frequency-dependent depression (FDD) of H-reflex, and possible underlying mechanisms have been examined in both naive and rats with SCI. Our results demonstrate that consistent with the effects of SEMS on H-reflex seen in humans, repetitive SEMS induced similar modulation in excitability of peripheral nerve responses in both non-injured and rats with SCI. Importantly, our results confirmed the reduced FDD of H-reflex in SCI animals and revealed that SEMS was able to recover FDD in rats with chronic SCI. Using intraspinal injections of the NMDA receptor blocker MK-801, we have identified NMDA receptors as an important contributor to these SEMS-induced effects in rats with SCI. These results identify SEMS as a novel non-invasive technique for modulation of neuro-muscular circuits and, importantly, modulation of spinal networks after chronic SCI.
Seeing the Mind in the Matter: Functional Brain Imaging as Framed Visual Argument

Scientists use functional brain imaging technologies to produce images of the brain with highlighted regions indicating where the brain is working. Widely circulated in the media, these images are ...
Numerical Investigation of Coolants for Chip-embedded Two-Phase Cooling

Inter-chip cooling, where a liquid coolant is passed between the layers of stacked chips, is an enabling technology for realizing significant computational performance improvements through three-dimensional (3D) integration of microelectronic components. The development of this cooling technology requires high fidelity thermal models to evaluate the device and system performance under different operating environments. In the present work, a Eulerian multiphase model developed for predicting two-phase flow and heat transfer behavior in parallel micro-channels and micro-pin fields was used to compare the thermal performance of four different refrigerants - R1234ze, R245fa, R134a and R600a, for chip-embedded two-phase cooling. Results shows that medium- and high-pressure refrigerants such as R1234ze R600a and R134a with a small density ratio, low viscosity, large latent heat of vaporization and low surface tension helps achieve low device temperatures while reducing the pressure drop across the device resulting in smaller variation in saturation as well as device temperature profile.
Recent Advances in Low and Pt-Free Loading in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells have seen tremendous advances in recent years.[1] Power densities have now been obtained reaching over 3 W/cm2.[2] The advances in the field have been enabled by new AEM materials that have improved properties and durability as well as advances in electrode processing and performance. While the potential advantages of AEM fuel cells have been widely reported to be around the area of enabling non-precious electrocatalysis (and lower cost system materials), most of the results reported to date have focused on Pt containing electrocatalysts, often with high loadings to improve power density.[1] Now that exceptionally high-power densities have been achieved, it has become more important to focus on the performance and durability of AEM fuel cells at low loadings. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), we have investigated a number of different polymer systems and have demonstrated the ability to greatly improve performance through electrode processing techniques. We have also demonstrated durability greater than 500 hours with a wide range of different membrane compositions. We have found that electrodes play a much more critical role in determining performance and durability. Recently, we have demonstrated the ability to achieve high performance with a variety of different ionomeric electrode materials. Most of our initial work had focused on Pt at high loadings, but we have also explored low Pt and Pt-free catalysts. In this talk we will discuss the role of different polymers, different electrode fabrication techniques, and the impact of loading on observed fuel cell performance and durability. With the issue of power density largely demonstrated our efforts have focused on areas including increased robustness (operating under dynamic conditions particularly at different RH), low Pt group metal loading, impacts of carbon dioxide exposure, and durability. References [1] D. Dekel, J. Power Sources, 375 (2018) 158-169. [2] G. Huang, M. Mandal, X. Peng, A. Yang-Neyerlin, B. Pivovar, W. Mustain, and P. Kohl, Achieving 3.4 W/cm2 Alkaline Polymer Fuel Cell: Composite Cross-linked Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for High Power, Durability and Water Management, submitted.
The education trap: schools and the remaking of inequality in Boston

In The Education Trap, Cristina Viviana Groeger examines the ways education was used for economic progress in the city of Boston throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the same time,...
A critical, analytical framework for the digital machine

The Faculty of Digital and Computational Studies (DCS) at Bowdoin College proposes a critical, analytical framework, referred to as the ‘4As,’ as an interdisciplinary means to interpret, evaluate, ...
Qualitative Family Research: Enduring Themes and Contemporary Variations

This chapter begins with an overview of the history of qualitative family research. This section shows that today’s research builds upon a rich heritage that extends to the origins of social science research. This heritage is a source of enduring principles, methodologies, and methods, as well as a rich vocabulary that qualitative family researchers can use as they explain their work to others. This heritage emphasizes, multiple perspectives, person-environment interactions, critical stances regarding gender, race, and other power issues, theory-building, descriptive research, and the meanings of human experience. From this overview, I construct an analytic framework that I use to examine contemporary qualitative family research. I show how this heritage has endured, as well as how it has changed over time. I end with a discussion of the implications of the analysis for the future of qualitative family research.
Chapter 5 Mineralogy of Oil Shale

Publisher Summary Mineralogical investigations of oil shales are few and do not permit detailed geologic interpretation of the environment of formation. In general, oil shales are low-energy sediments, usually deposited under reducing conditions in large lake basins, on continental platforms and shelves in quiet seas, and in small lakes, bogs, and lagoons associated with coal-forming swamps. There is abundant geologic data on the Green River oil shale, but these deposits are not necessarily representative of oil shales in general. Deposition of the Green River Formation occurred in the Eocene Gosiute—Uinta lake system during one of three climatic episodes. It is composed of detrital and authigenic clays, carbonates, and silicates. Much future geological and geochemical investigation of oil shales is warranted to establish the details of oil-shale genesis and provide a meaningful genetic classification of oil-shale deposits. Particularly fruitful research topics appear to be (1) detailed sedimentological study, (2) descriptive petrographical and mineralogical investigations of oil shales from various parts of the world, (3) geochemistry of evaporite minerals and altered volcanic rocks, and (4) clay mineral analysis of various oil shales.
Ultrastructure of the full-term shark yolk sac placenta: II. The smooth, proximal segment

The smooth, proximal portion of the yolk sac placenta of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus is comprised of: (1) An outermost epithelial ectoderm; (2) an intervening collagenous stroma; and (3) an inner mesothelium. The surface epithelium may be one to three cell layers thick. The surface epithelium comprises two cell types. A cuboidal cell that has a dome-like apical surface covered with microvilli and an ovoid nucleus predominate. These cells contain lipid inclusions, many cytoplasmic filaments, and are joined by desmosomes. The second cell type has a convoluted nucleus and a flattened cell apex with microvilli, cilia, and paddle cilia. Golgi complexes and elements of the endoplasmic reticulum are relatively uncommon in the cytoplasm of both cell types. Microplicae also occur on the surfaces of some cells. The smooth, proximal portion of the placenta is sparsely vascularized. The innermost cellular elements of the surface epithelium rest on a prominent basal lamina. A collagenous zone separates the epithelial basal lamina from the basal lamina of the mesothelium. The mesothelial cells are squamous with a fusiform nucleus, many pinocytotic pits and vesicles, and a large number of cytoplasmic filaments. The endoplasmic reticulum, except for occasional patches of the rough type, and the Golgi complex are poorly developed. Ultrastructural tracer studies show that this portion of the placenta does not absorb horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and trypan blue.
A model of software manufacture

Software manufacture is the process by which a software product is derived, through an often complex sequence of steps, from the primitive components of a system. This paper presents a model of software manufacture that addresses the amount of work that has to be done, after a given set of changes has been made, to consistently incorporate those changes in a given product.
Vessel tortuosity and brain tumor malignancy: a blinded study.

Rationale and Objectives Malignancy provokes regional changes to vessel shape. Characteristic vessel tortuosity abnormalities appear early during tumor development, affect initially healthy vessels, spread beyond the confines of tumor margins, and do not simply mirror tissue perfusion. The ability to detect and quantify tortuosity abnormalities on high-resolution magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) images offers a new approach to the noninvasive diagnosis of malignancy. This report evaluates a computerized, statistical method of analyzing the shapes of vessels extracted from MRA in diagnosing cancer. Materials and Methods The regional vasculature of 34 healthy subjects was compared with the tumor-associated vasculature of 30 brain tumors before surgical resection. The operator performing the analysis was blinded to the diagnosis. Vessels were segmented from an MRA of each subject, a region of interest was defined in each tumor patient and was mapped to all healthy controls, and a statistical analysis of vessel shape measures was then performed over the region of interest. Many difficult cases were included, such as pinpoint, hemorrhagic, and irradiated tumors, as were hypervascular benign tumors. Tumors were identified as benign or malignant on the basis of histological evaluation. Results A discriminant analysis performed at the study’s conclusion successfully classified all but one of the 30 tumors as benign or malignant on the basis of vessel tortuosity. Conclusions Quantitative, statistical measures of vessel shape offer a new approach to the diagnosis and staging of disease. Although the methods developed under the current report must be tested against a new series of cases, initial results are promising.
Laptop Technology and Pedagogy in the English Language Arts Classroom

The English Language Arts teachers in this qualitative study reported somewhat negative outcomes in social and material spaces in the context of laptop technology in their classrooms. These outcomes included: (a) social isolation, (b) limited communication with a teacher or peers, and (c) offtask behavior. In an attempt to uncover the reasons for these rather negative results, the researcher analyzed these teachers' classroom environments and instructional engagements with laptop technology, since these practices are believed to be reflective of these teachers' current beliefs about instruction and technology's role in it. Some of the reasons the researcher uncovered were: (a) limited physical space, (b) cumbersome fumiture, (c) poor technology infrastructure, and (d) the largely instrumental use of technology in numerous learning engagements. The study suggests that school administrators and policy makers develop a strategic plan to address physical constraints in each laptop classroom and adopt "a different mindset" about teacher professional development, which would compel them to put more emphasis than they currently do on pedagogy before technology, rather than technology before pedagogy, to help these teachers constructively re-envision both material and social spaces around laptop technology in their classrooms.
Secretion of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors (Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases) by Human Prostate in Explant Cultures: Reduced Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase Secretion by Malignant Tissues

Unregulated secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or their endogenous protein inhibitors (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, TIMPs) has been implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis. Species of MMPs and TIMPs secreted by epithelial cultures of normal, benign, and malignant prostate were identified and their levels were compared. Fragments of fresh tissue were cultured in a serum-free medium that supported the outgrowth of prostatic epithelial cells. Biochemical analysis of the conditioned media by gelatin zymography and enzyme assays showed that both normal and neoplastic tissues secreted latent and active forms of both M(r) 72,000 type IV collagenase (MMP-2) and M(r) 92,000 gelatinase (MMP-9). However, conditioned media from malignant prostate explants contained a higher proportion of the active form of MMP-2. Significant amounts of free TIMPs were secreted by normal juvenile and adult prostates, but they were either markedly reduced or not detectable in conditioned media from neoplastic tissues. These findings suggest that there is an imbalance of secretion between MMPs and TIMPs in prostatic carcinoma.
Enhancing instructional outcomes with gamification

BackgroundGamification, the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has become a popular technique to improve instructional outcomes in both organizational and educational contexts. In the organizational context, the Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model [TETEM] provides a framework to understand how technologies, like gamification, can effect change in various instructional outcomes. Specifically, application of TETEM suggests that gamification may not effect change in instructional outcomes when learner attitudes towards game-based learning and experience with video games are low. MethodIn this study, we test this model in the gamification context by assigning potential learners to read scenarios describing gamified instruction or traditional, PowerPoint instruction in a random order and assessing their training valence. ResultsOn average, participants anticipated greater value from gamified instruction, but as predicted by TETEM, this effect was moderated by both video game experience and attitudes towards game-based learning. Among potential learners with high experience and attitudes, gamification produces better outcomes than PowerPoint, but among potential learners with low experience and attitudes, gamification produces worse outcomes than PowerPoint. ImplicationsWe provide empirical support for TETEM and conclude that for gamification to be successful, the attitudes and experience of participants must be assessed and ensured before gamification is implemented. TETEM suggests new training technology can harm outcomes if not received well.Attitudes and experience with games may influence this for gamification.262 participants read scenarios describing gamified vs. PowerPoint instruction.Valence for gamified instruction was better than for PowerPoint, on average.Participants with poor attitudes and less experience anticipated greater value from PowerPoint.
Degradation of aromatic compounds by nonsulfur purple bacteria

The nonsulfur purple bacteria exhibit remarkable versatility in aromatic compound transformations. In recent years it has become evident that these bacteria use a much wider range of lignin-derived monomers for photosynthetic and aerobic growth than was previously suspected. While aerobic attack on the benzene ring appears to follow patterns common to aerobic pseudomonads, the anaerobic pathway is radically different, and the reductive attack on the ring, first suggested for Rhodopseudomonas palustris growing on benzoate, has now become firmly established. Coenzyme A thioesters are involved in removal of sidechains from complex aromatic acids prior to attack on the ring itself, and also at all stages of degradation of the nucleus up to and including ring opening. Probable intermediates in the ring reduction reactions have been identified both in vivo and in vitro, but characterization of the enzymes and cofactors involved has yet to be achieved. Two aromatic acid CoA ligases have been purified and the corresponding genes cloned and sequenced. A regulatory gene involved in expression of the ligase needed for 4-hydroxybenzoate activation has also been identified and belongs to the cyclic AMP receptor protein family of transcriptional activators. Disruption of this gene has specific effects on aromatic acid metabolism. There is increasing evidence that the aromatic acid degradation process is similar in phototrophs and in denitrifying bacteria, but very little is known of the pathways followed in sulfate- or iron-reducing bacteria that utilize aromatic compounds. At present, methods for assessing which type of microorganism plays the major role in degrading natural or unnatural aromatic nucleus-containing compounds in natural environments are not adequate for determining how important the role of nonsulfur photosynthetic bacteria may be on a global scale.
Rationality in Management Theory and Practice: An Aristotelian Perspective

Behaviorism is consistent with the assumptions of perfect competition, with the homo economicus model, and with a form of ethics that enshrines market-based notions of utility, justice, and rights and encourages rational maximizing. Economics and business courses foster this deficient form of ethics, assuming an overriding desire for money, which, according to MacIntyre and Aristotle, crowds out the associative virtues. These beliefs, often associated with Taylor and Friedman, lead to such practices as incentive compensation, which would be effective only if employees were homines economici and thus rational in the sense of knowing how to satisfy whatever desires they have. Against Davidson’s view that psychology cannot be a natural science, Aristotle believes that there can be a teleological, if not exact, science of behavior. Aristotle believes that emotions and objectives may be rational or irrational. But rationality—phronesis, practical wisdom—is not a matter of applying algorithms. Doris questions whether character generates the first premises of an agent’s practical syllogisms, while Haidt has argued that we often act on emotions rather than on the basis of the reasons that we claim motivate us. Aristotle agrees that many people are not virtuous and that weakness of the will is a common occurrence, and he agrees that emotion drives actions. But if you are virtuous, your emotions and desires support your rationality. Aristotle gives us reason to reject the notion that people are homines economici and to treat them as rational deliberators, in part by creating an appropriate culture. The claim that it is in the nature of human beings to deliberate rationally is in part aspirational, but also in part scientific—in Aristotle’s modest sense.
Rethinking Undergraduate Mathematics Education: The importance of classroom climate and self-efficacy on mathematics achievement

Given the growing societal demand for a more mathematically proficient work force, mathematics proficiency is viewed as a necessary component for success in todayâ€™s world. To ensure proficiency, undergraduate institutions may need to rethink their instructional approaches to teaching mathematics. Understanding the influence of classroom climate and self-efficacy on mathematics achievement may lead to instructional practices that increase the percentage of students choosing to pursue mathematics related majors. This literature review synthesizes research that has empirically examined the influence of classroom climate and self-efficacy on mathematics achievement. This review also offers recommendations for future research and policy in the area of undergraduate mathematics.
GLOs: graph-level operations for exploratory network visualization

There is a wealth of visualization techniques available for graph and network visualization. However, each of these techniques was designed for a specific task. Many graph visualization techniques and the transitions between them can be specified using a set of operations on the visualization elements such as positioning or resizing nodes, showing or hiding edges, or showing or hiding axes. We term these operations Graph-Level Operations or GLOs. Our goal is to identify and provide a comprehensive set of these operations in order to better support the broadest range of graph and network analysis tasks. Here we present early results of our work, including a preliminary set of operations and an example application of GLOs in transitioning between familiar graph visualization techniques. \
A possible definition of basis set superposition error

Abstract A new definition is suggested for basis set superposition error. Other sources of basis set incompleteness error in the interaction energy are considered. Comparison is made with the counterpoise correction. An explanation is provided for the tendency in water and HF dimers for the counterpoise-corrected correlation energy to seem worse than the uncorrected energy.
Pulse shortening in high-power backward wave oscillators

Pulse shortening is a phenomenon common to all high-power microwave devices. Whereas in electron beam driven sources the electron beam propagation in the device may be for several microseconds or more, the microwave pulse duration is typically no greater than approximately 100 ns. Specific reasons for pulse shortening may vary among devices, but all explanation of the phenomenon put forth involve the introduction of plasma into the interaction region near the walls and/or the degradation of the beam quality. To gain a better understanding of pulse shortening in high power backward wave oscillators (BWO's), an investigation is being conducted at the University of New Mexico (UNM) on the UNM Long-Pulse BWO Experiment. Recent experiments have involved monitoring the beam current in the slow-wave structure (SWS) at different radii as a function of time. The current waveforms are correlated with the time histories of microwave pulses measured in separate experiments. The results reveal the appearance of electrons between SWS ripples at times corresponding to when the microwave signal peaks. A drop in the main beam current is observed shortly thereafter. Coatings of TiO 2 and Cr have been placed on the inner surface of the SWS in an effort to suppress electron emission. Initial results with the TiO 2 coatings have shown a measurable increase in microwave pulse width.
Aromatization of androgens by human adipose tissue in vitro

Stromal cells prepared from adipose tissue of women were maintained in monolayer culture to study the regulation of aromatase activity by hormones. Aromatase activity was stimulated 20-100-fold by dexamethasone. Half-maximal stimulation of aromatase activity was attained at a dexamethasone concentration of 2.5 nM. The stimulatory effect of dexamethasone was apparent after a preincubation time of 4 h, and stimulation was maximal after 24 h of preincubation. The stimulatory effect of dexamethasone was observed only when fetal calf serum also was present in the culture medium. Of the various steroids tested, dexamethasone was the most potent in stimulating aromatase activity. Cytosolic fractions prepared from stromal cells that had been maintained in monolayer culture were found to contain a homogeneous population of sites that specifically bound [3H]-dexamethasone with relatively high affinity (Kd = 2.9 nM) and low capacity (38 fmol/mg of protein). The stimulatory effect of dexamethasone on aromatase activity was prevented by simultaneous incubation with cortisol 21-mesylate (0.1-10 microM), a compound known to block the binding of glucocorticosteroids to cytoplasmic receptors. These findings are suggestive that glucocorticosteroids act to increase aromatase activity in stromal cells by binding to a glucocorticosteroid receptor. This presumably results in the induction of synthesis of specific proteins, perhaps the form of cytochrome P-450 involved in aromatization, or else NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. Aromatase activity was also stimulated by dibutyryl cyclic AMP ( (Bu)2cAMP). In contrast to the stimulation by dexamethasone, the effect of (Bu)2cAMP was diminished by 70% when fetal calf serum (15%) was present in the culture medium. Aromatase activity of cells incubated with (Bu)2cAMP continued to increase over an 8 day period, at which time, enzyme activity was increased by 200-fold. Aromatase activity of stromal cells maintained in the presence or absence of serum was unaffected after incubation for 5 days with oFSH, hCG, bPRL, hGH or soterenol. On the other hand, incubation of cells for 5 days with cholera toxin (10 micrograms/ml) or 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (0.1 mM) resulted in a marked increase in aromatase activity; the effect of these agents was diminished greatly when serum was present in the culture medium. The findings that serum inhibited the stimulation of aromatase activity by (Bu)2cAMP and that the time courses of aromatase induction by (Bu)2cAMP and dexamethasone were markedly different are suggestive that different molecular events mediate aromatase induction by glucocorticosteroids and cyclic AMP.
Automatic postural responses in the cat: responses of hindlimb muscles to horizontal perturbations of stance in multiple directions

The effect of the direction of unexpected horizontal perturbations of stance on the organization of automatic postural responses was studied in cats. We recorded EMG activity in eight proximal and distal muscles of the hindlimb along with vertical forces imposed by the limbs in awake behaving cats while they stood on an hydraulic platform. Postural responses to motion of the platform in 16 different horizontal directions were recorded. Vertical force changes were consistent with passive shifts of the center of mass and active correction of stance by the animals. When the perturbation was in the sagittal plane, vertical force changes began about 65 ms following initial platform movement. When the perturbation contained a component in the lateral direction, latency for vertical force changes was about 25 ms and an inflection in the vertical force trace was observed at 65 ms. No EMG responses were observed with latencies that were short enough to account for the early force component and it was concluded that this force change was due to passive shifts of the center of mass. The amplitude of the EMG responses of each muscle recorded varied systematically as perturbation direction changed. The directions for which an individual muscle showed measurable EMG activity were termed the muscle's “angular range of activation.” No angular range of activation was oriented strictly in the A-P or lateral directions. Most muscles displayed angular ranges of activation that encompassed a range of less than 180°. Onset latencies of EMG responses also varied systematically with perturbation direction. The amplitude and latency relationships between muscles, which made up the organization of postural responses, also varied systematically as perturbation direction was changed. This result suggests that direction of perturbation determines organizational makeup of postural responses, and for displacements in the horizontal plane, is considered a continuous variable by the nervous system.
Conditioned fighting and dominance in pigeons

Dominance was observed in a loft of eight racing homer pigeons, four cocks and four hens. The cock and the hen lowest in dominance as defined by frequency of displacements were conditioned to peck another pigeon in a pigeon chamber. The birds were returned to the loft and dominance was again recorded. No change in the dominance was observed as a function of the conditioning. This result is compared to previous reports of generalization of conditioned fighting.
Modulation of protein phosphorylation in human colon adenocarcinoma cell membrane preparations by epidermal growth factor in vitro

Incubation of membranes prepared from the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line LoVo in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP demonstrated numerous components whose phosphorylation was stimulated several fold by epidermal growth factor (EGF). One major component of Mn 170 K, which was either undetectable or very weakly phosphorylated in the absence of EGF, was primarily affected by exposure to EGF. The phosphorylation of the 170 K Mr membrane component required the presence of Mn2+; Mg2+ was ineffective. Although the phosphorylation of many LoVo membrane components was significantly modified by cAMP or dibutyryl-cAMP, none of these cyclic nucleotides appeared to be involved in the phosphorylation of the 170 K membrane component in the presence or absence of EGF. The phosphorylation system of the LoVo membranes efficiently utilized [gamma-32P]GTP in both the basal and EGF-stimulated reactions. All the membrane components phosphorylated in the absence or presence of EGF, except a band comigrating with the tracking dye front, were digested by trypsin. The possible glycoprotein nature of the 170 K dalton phosphoprotein was indicated by the fact that the 170 K dalton band comigrated with a periodic acid-Schiff base-stained band. These findings suggest that one of the biochemical steps in the mechanism of action of EGF in LoVo cells is enhanced phosphorylation of several membrane proteins, especially that of a glycoprotein of Mr 170 K, by a membrane-bound cyclic nucleotide independent protein kinase.
Trends in Folic Acid Awareness and Behavior in the United States: The Gallup Organization for the March of Dimes Foundation Surveys, 1995–2005

Objective: To summarize changes in folic acid awareness, knowledge, and behavior among women of childbearing age in the United States since the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) 1992 folic acid recommendation and later fortification. Methods: Random-digit dialed telephone surveys were conducted of approximately 2000 women (per survey year) aged 18–45 years from 1995–2005 in the United States. Results: The percentage of women reporting having heard or read about folic acid steadily increased from 52% in 1995 to 84% in 2005. Of all women surveyed in 2005, 19% knew folic acid prevented birth defects, an increase from 4% in 1995. The proportion of women who reported learning about folic acid from health care providers increased from 13% in 1995 to 26% in 2005. The proportion of all women who reported taking a vitamin supplement containing folic acid increased slightly from 28% in 1995 to 33% in 2005. Among women who were not pregnant at the time of the survey in 2005, 31% reported taking a vitamin containing folic acid daily compared with 25% in 1995. Conclusions: The percentage of women taking folic acid daily has increased modestly since 1995. Despite this increase, the data show that the majority of women of childbearing age still do not take a vitamin containing folic acid daily. Health care providers and maternal child health professionals must continue to promote preconceptional health among all women of childbearing age, and encourage them to take a vitamin containing folic acid daily.