cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterising and Developing Teachers’ Knowledge for Teaching Statistics with Technology

Developing the pedagogical expertise needed to effectively engage students in learning statistics with technology requires teachers to have a depth of knowledge about statistics, technological tools for exploring statistical ideas, and of pedagogical issues related to teaching and learning statistics with technology. In this chapter, a framework for a specialised knowledge that is called technological pedagogical statistical knowledge (TPSK) is presented and examples of how aspects of this type of knowledge may assist a teacher are provided. Implications for training teachers are described.
Directed Forgetting in Context

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a theory of directed forgetting, emphasizing the role of attention in the delayed matching-to-sample paradigm and the context at the time of the test for retention. The sample and comparison stimuli are presented on the same key separated by a delay interval. At the beginning of each trial, a red or green color is randomly presented on the key as the sample stimulus. The discriminative stimuli predicting the occurrence (R-cue) or cancellation (F-cue) of the comparison stimuli are introduced immediately following the sample stimulus. A vertical line presented on the key serves as an R-cue, and a white horizontal line serves as the F-cue. The dependent variable is a discrimination ratio based on the rate of response during the comparison stimulus on matching and nonmatching trials. In the test for directed forgetting, probe trials are introduced in which the F-cue is followed by the comparison stimulus. The robust size of the directed-forgetting phenomenon suggests the operation of potent psychological processes.
Millet and Alfalfa Hays Alone and in Combination with High-Energy Diet for Receiving Stressed Calves

Calves subjected to stresses of weaning, marketing, shipping and processing ate more feed, gained more weight and gained more efficiently when fed a 75% concentrate receiving diet, alone or with free choice hay, than when fed hay alone (P less than .01). Diets with greater bulk or lower energy densities did not promote higher feed intake in these stressed calves, as would be the case in unstressed animals. No differences due to receiving diets were observed in number of calves treated, days treated per sick calf, death loss or relapses. There was a trend (P less than .1) for calves on hay diets to have fewer total sick days than those fed a 75% concentrate diet alone or with free choice hay. Feed intake, weight gains and conversion of feed to gain for calves on alfalfa hay alone were superior (P less than .05) to the corresponding measures for calves on millet hay alone. Both hays fed alone were inferior (P less than .01) to a 75% concentrate diet alone or in combination with either hay in promoting weight gains and conversion of feed to gain. Gastrointestinal tract fill estimated from apparent and predicted gains amounted to 93 and 76% of apparent gains for calves fed millet or alfalfa hay respectively, but only 58% or less for those fed diets containing the 75% concentrate milled feed. Growing lambs were in negative N balance when fed millet hay alone but retained approximately 15% of N intake when fed diets containing the 75% concentrate milled feed. N retention on alfalfa hay alone was intermediate. The data indicate net tissue growth in calves fed millet hay alone is near zero during a 28-day receiving period. No differences were noted between calves receiving grubicide as a dip and those given grubicide as a pour on.
Use of Secondary Metabolite Variation in Crop Improvement

Plants contain significant levels of natural genetic and phenotypic variation between individuals within a species for traits ranging from development to metabolism to pathogen resistance. This intra-specific variation is a foundation for research by evolutionary and ecological biologists interested in understanding plant fitness as well as by plant biologists focused on increasing the fitness or yield of agricultural plants. An important component of intra-specific variation for both research groups is the secondary metabolite complement present within a plant. Variation in these compounds controls important ecological and agronomic traits such as resistance to insect herbivores and benefit to human health. This intraspecific variation means that secondary metabolite diversity can be an important tool in crop improvement. This chapter will focus on sources of intra-specific variation in plant secondary metabolites and the potential use of this natural variation in crop improvement and potential pleiotropic consequences of this natural variation.
Preoperative Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia Are Related to Postoperative Infection Rates in Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction.

Abstract Objectives Diabetic patients undergoing surgery are known to have a higher risk for infection. However, current literature does not adequately investigate the effects of preoperative hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia on postoperative infection risk. Methods A retrospective review of a national private payer database within the PearlDiver Supercomputer application (Warsaw, IN) for patients undergoing breast reconstruction with implant/expander (BR) was conducted. These patients were identified by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Disease (ICD-9) ninth revision codes. Glucose ranges were identified by filtering for Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes ranging from 25 to 219 mg/dL, in 15 mg/mL increments. Patients with preexisting diabetes diagnoses were excluded. These patients were longitudinally tracked for infection at the 90 d and 1-y postoperative period using ICD-9 codes. Results The search query yielded 13,237 BR procedures with preoperative glycemic levels ranging from 25 to 219 mg/mL. Most procedures (34.6%) were performed on patients with preoperative glycemic levels ranging from 70 to 99 mg/dL. Of the total procedures performed (n = 13,237), 19.4% (n = 2564) resulted in infections documented at the 90-d interval, and 24.8% (n = 3285) resulted in infections documented at the 1-y interval. BR patients within the 40-54 mg/dL range had the highest rate of infection (90 d: 30.1%; 1 y: 53.4%). There was a statistically higher incidence of infection among patients with preoperative hypoglycemia ( Conclusions The incidence of infection remains high in preoperatively hyperglycemic patients undergoing breast reconstruction procedures. However, our results show that preoperatively hypoglycemic patients also have an increased incidence of infection.
Success Stories: A Case Study In Administrator And Teacher Collective Sensemaking Around 1:1 Computer Technology

Educational success stories are powerful tools that shape the decisions of policymakers. This study explores the ways in which these stories are crafted and how they differ among various educationa...
Thermal Properties of Intumescent Coatings in Fire

Intumescent coatings, by their advantages like attractive appearance, potential for off-site application and practically taking no space, are now the dominant passive fire protection materials used in industrial and public buildings [1].
The Girl Who Wouldn't Go Away

"The Girl Who Wouldn't Go Away" unearths a largely forgotten part of recent American history. Just a few decades ago, thousands of American women were forced to give up their babies to strangers because they were unmarried. The practice erupted in the 1940s and then just as suddenly subsided. Why? The question is a pressing personal one for me, because my mother was unwed when she gave birth to me during this period. The essay combines historical research, analysis, and personal story as a means of illuminating a phenomenon that, although buried, still reverberates through America.
Engineering thermally and electrically conductive biodegradable polymer nanocomposites

Abstract There is an urgent demand for producing biodegradable polymer based composites with good thermal and/or electrical conductivity to mitigate the plastic pollution introduced by electronic waste. Here, we have designed and engineered a mechanically strong, melt processable, biodegradable polymer based nanocomposite with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity using filler dispersion principle and the work of adhesion ( W a ) as guides. In the design, graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) were dispersed into a highly ductile biodegradable polymer - poly (butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBAT). Blending with another biodegradable polymer, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) that has low affinity to GNPs, confined the dispersion of GNPs within PBAT matrix, thereby facilitating the formation of a percolated network. As a result, high thermal conductivity ( 3.15 W / m ⋅ K ) and electrical conductivity ( 338 S / m ) were achieved for the nanocomposite at 40 wt% of GNPs loading, and the mechanical performance remained strong even at such filler loading due to the strong interaction between GNPs and PBAT. This study provides a new strategy for effectively producing high thermally and/or electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites.
Ecosystem-scale nutrient cycling responses to increasing air temperatures vary with lake trophic state

Abstract Understanding potential effects of climate warming on biogeochemical cycling in freshwater ecosystems is of pressing importance. Specifically, increasing air and water temperatures could accelerate nutrient cycling in lakes, which has major implications for in-lake nutrient concentrations, water column nutrient stoichiometry, and downstream nutrient export. Lakes may respond differentially to warming based on their current trophic state, although direct comparisons of temperature-driven changes in nutrient cycling between low- and high-nutrient lakes are lacking. Here, we used an open-source coupled hydrodynamic biogeochemical model to simulate ecosystem-scale changes in water column total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and TN:TP ratios due to potential incremental changes in air temperature (from +0 °C to +6 °C) in a low-nutrient and a high-nutrient lake. Warming resulted in lower TN and higher TP epilimnetic (surface water) concentrations in both lakes, resulting in reduced molar TN:TP ratios in both lakes. While the high- and low-nutrient lakes had similar magnitude reductions in TN:TP ratio between the +0 °C and +6 °C scenarios (30.3% and 34.6%, respectively), median epilimnetic TN:TP in the low-nutrient lake significantly decreased with as little as 1 °C of warming. Warming also altered net nutrient retention, with decreased downstream export of TN but increased downstream export of TP in both lakes. Our modeling results suggest that low-nutrient lakes may respond to warming at lower levels of temperature increase than high-nutrient lakes, and that climate warming could intensify effects of nutrient enrichment driven by increased N and P loading due to land-use change.
Epilepsy Risk Prediction Model for Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Abstract Background Individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex are at increased risk of epilepsy. Early seizure control improves developmental outcomes, making identifying at-risk patients critically important. Despite several identified risk factors, it remains difficult to predict. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the combined risk prediction of previously identified risk factors for epilepsy in individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex. Methods The study group (n = 333) consisted of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex who were enrolled in the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network and UT TSC Biobank. The outcome was defined as having an epilepsy diagnosis. Potential risk factors included sex, TSC genotype, and tuber presence. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio and P value for the association between each variable and epilepsy. A clinical risk prediction model incorporating all risk factors was built. Area under the curve was calculated to characterize the full model's ability to discriminate individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex with and without epilepsy. Results The strongest risk for epilepsy was presence of tubers (95% confidence interval: 2.39 to 10.89). Individuals with pathogenic TSC2 variants were three times more likely (95% confidence interval: 1.55 to 6.36) to develop seizures compared with those with tuberous sclerosis complex from other causes. The combination of risk factors resulted in an area under the curve 0.73. Conclusions Simple characteristics of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex can be combined to successfully predict epilepsy risk. A risk assessment model that incorporates sex, TSC genotype, protective TSC2 missense variant, and tuber presence correctly predicts epilepsy in 73% of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.
Proton Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: Clinical Outcomes at a Planned Interim Analysis of a Prospective Phase 2 Trial.

Purpose To perform a planned interim analysis of acute (within 12 months) and late (after 12 months) toxicities and cosmetic outcomes after proton accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Methods and Materials A total of 100 patients with pTis or pT1-2 N0 (≤3cm) breast cancer status after segmental mastectomy were enrolled in a single-arm phase 2 study from 2010 to 2019. The clinically determined postlumpectomy target volume, including tumor bed surgical clips and operative-cavity soft-tissue changes seen on imaging plus a radial clinical expansion, was irradiated with passively scattered proton APBI (34 Gy in 10 fractions delivered twice daily with a minimum 6-hour interfraction interval). Patients were evaluated at protocol-specific time intervals for recurrence, physician reports of cosmetic outcomes and toxicities, and patient reports of cosmetic outcomes and satisfaction with the treatment or experience. Results Median follow-up was 24 months (interquartile range [IQR], 12-43 months). Local control and overall survival were 100% at 12 and 24 months. There were no acute or late toxicities of grade 3 or higher; no patients experienced fat necrosis, fibrosis, infection, or breast shrinkage. Excellent or good cosmesis at 12 months was reported by 91% of patients and 94% of physicians; at the most recent follow-up, these were 94% and 87%, respectively. The most commonly reported late cosmetic effect was telangiectasis (17%). The total patient satisfaction rate for treatment and results at 12 and 24 months was 96% and 100%, respectively. Patients’ mean time away from work was 5 days (IQR, 2-5 days), and the median out-of-pocket cost was $700 (IQR, $100-$1600). The mean left-sided heart dose was 2 cGy (range, 0.2-75 cGy), and the mean ipsilateral lung dose was 19 cGy (range, 0.2-164 cGy). Conclusions Proton APBI is a maturing treatment option with high local control, favorable intermediate-term cosmesis, high treatment satisfaction, low treatment burden, and exceptional heart and lung sparing.
Identification of persistent oil residues in Prince William Sound, Alaska using rapid spectroscopic techniques.

Abstract Spectroscopic techniques including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) are used to examine oil residues persisting on shorelines in Prince William Sound that originate from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and oil released as a consequence of the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake. When coupled to classification models, ATR-FTIR and XRF spectral data can be used to distinguish between the two sources of oil with 92% and 86% success rates for the two techniques respectively. Models indicate that the ATR-FTIR data used to determine oil source includes the C O stretch, the twisting-scissoring of the CH2 group, and the C C stretch. For XRF data, decision tree models primarily utilize the abundance of nickel and zinc present in the oil as a means to classify source. This approach highlights the utility of rapid, field-based spectroscopic techniques to distinguish different inputs of oil to coastal environments.
Undersizing of aged African biomass burning aerosol by an ultra-high-sensitivity aerosol spectrometer

Abstract. The ultra-high-sensitivity aerosol spectrometer (UHSAS) differs from most other optical particle spectrometers by using a high-power infrared (IR) laser to detect small particles and reduce the sizing ambiguity due to the non-monotonicity of scattering with particle size. During the NASA ORACLES project (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) over the southeast Atlantic Ocean, the UHSAS clearly undersized particles in the biomass burning plume extending from southern Africa. Since the horizontal and vertical extent of the plume was vast, the NASA P-3B research aircraft often flew through a fairly uniform biomass burning plume for periods exceeding 30 min, sufficient time to explore the details of the UHSAS response by selecting single particle sizes with a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and passing them to the UHSAS. This was essentially an in-flight calibration of the UHSAS using the particles of interest. Two modes of responses appeared. Most particles were undersized by moderate amounts, ranging from not at all for 70 nm aerosols to 15 % for 280 nm particles. Mie scattering calculations show that composition-dependent refractive index of the particles cannot explain the pattern. Heating of brown carbon or tarballs in the beam causing evaporation and shrinking of the particles is the most plausible explanation, though mis-sizing due to non-sphericity cannot be ruled out. A small fraction (10 %–30 %) of the particles were undersized by 25 % to 35 %. Those were apparently the particles containing refractory black carbon. Laboratory calibrations confirm that black carbon is drastically undersized by the UHSAS, because particles heat to their vaporization point and shrink. A simple empirical correction equation was implemented that dramatically improves agreement with DMA distributions between 100 and 500 nm . It raised the median particle diameter by 18 nm , from 163 to 181 nm , during the August 2017 deployment and by smaller amounts during deployments with less intense pollution. Calculated scattering from UHSAS size distributions increased by about 130 %, dramatically improving agreement with scattering measured by nephelometers. The correction is only valid in polluted instances; clean marine boundary layer and free troposphere aerosols behaved more like the calibration spheres. We were unable to directly test the correction between 500 and 1000 nm , though aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) data appear to show that the correction is poor at the largest diameters, which is no surprise as the composition of those particles is likely to be quite different than that of the accumulation mode. This adds to the evidence that UHSAS data must be treated cautiously whenever the aerosol may absorb infrared light. Similar corrections may be required whenever brown carbon aerosol is present.
Hybrid Fuzzy Weighted K-Nearest Neighbor to Predict Hospital Readmission for Diabetic Patients

Identification of patients at high risk for hospital readmission is of crucial importance for quality health care and cost reduction. Predicting hospital readmissions among diabetic patients has been of great interest to many researchers and health decision makers. We build a prediction model to predict hospital readmission for diabetic patients within 30 days of discharge. The core of the prediction model is a modified k Nearest Neighbor called Hybrid Fuzzy Weighted k Nearest Neighbor algorithm. The prediction is performed on a patient dataset which consists of more than 70,000 patients with 50 attributes. We applied data preprocessing using different techniques in order to handle data imbalance and to fuzzify the data to suit the prediction algorithm. The model so far achieved classification accuracy of 80% compared to other models that only use k Nearest Neighbor.
The Vicious Cycle: Fundraising and Perceived Viability in US Presidential Primaries

Since at least Aldrich (1980a), a dynamic positive feedback loop between fundraising and electoral success has been hypothesized. Existing work on both directions of this feedback remains inconclusive and is often explicitly cross-sectional, ignoring the dynamic aspect of the hypothesis. Pairing high frequency FEC data on contributions and expenditures with Iowa Electronic Markets data on perceived probability of victory, we examine the bidirectional feedback between contributions and viability in a series of analyses. We find positive feedback in both directions during a successful insurgent-candidates' breakout from obscurity. This suggests the existence of multiple steady states. The implications for the efficiency of the primary process, and hence the system of public choice, are stark: if positive feedback exists, then high quality candidates might languish in obscurity while lesser, initially prominent candidates remain better known and better funded.
Immune Changes Beyond Th2 Pathways During Rapid Multifood Immunotherapy enabled with Omalizumab

Background Multifood oral immunotherapy (mOIT) with adjunctive anti-IgE (omalizumab, XOLAIR® ) treatment affords safe, effective, and rapid desensitization to multiple foods, although the specific immune mechanisms mediating this desensitization remain to be fully elucidated. Methods Participants in our phase 2 mOIT trial (NCT02643862) received omalizumab from baseline to week 16 and mOIT from week 8 to week 36. We compared the immune profile of PBMCs and plasma taken at baseline, week 8, and week 36 using high-dimensional mass cytometry, component-resolved diagnostics, the indirect basophil activation test, and Luminex. Results We found (i) decreased frequency of IL-4+ peanut-reactive CD4+ T cells and a marked downregulation of GPR15 expression and CXCR3 frequency among γδ and CD8+ T-cell subsets at week 8 during the initial, omalizumab-alone induction phase; (ii) significant upregulation of the skin-homing receptor CCR4 in peanut-reactive CD4+ T and Th2 effector memory (EM) cells and of cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA) in peanut-reactive CD8+ T and CD8+ EM cells; (iii) downregulation of CD86 expression among antigen-presenting cell subsets; and (iv) reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, notably IL-17, at week 36 post-OIT. We also observed significant attenuation of the Th2 phenotype post-OIT, defined by downregulation of IL-4 peanut-reactive T cells and OX40 in Th2EM cells, increased allergen component-specific IgG4/IgE ratio, and decreased allergen-driven activation of indirectly sensitized basophils. Conclusions This exploratory study provides novel comprehensive insight into the immune underpinnings of desensitization through omalizumab-facilitated mOIT. Moreover, this study provides encouraging results to support the complex immune changes that can be induced by OIT.
Calcium Imaging in Neuroscience

Calcium imaging uses fluorescent indicator molecules to monitor changes of intracellular free calcium concentrations. Calcium imaging is employed to examine electrically excitable tissues such as muscle and neuronal tissue (including glia) where membrane-related electrical activity is tightly coupled to significant calcium movements into or within cells. In the context of neuroscience research, calcium imaging can be applied at many scales, ranging from a single part of a single neuron to populations of many interconnected neurons. The ability to move between different scales of resolution is a major advantage of calcium imaging, making this technique an important tool for enhancing our understanding of the brain. Key concepts Brain researchers use calcium imaging to monitor electrical activity in neurons. Calcium can be imaged at many scales: from the subcellular to entire brain regions. Calcium imaging can use different dyes and optical methods. Keywords: neuroscience; neurophysiology; optical calcium imaging; calcium indicator; calcium dye
Using consultants in evaluation research

Abstract This article describes a federal office's experiences in hiring external evaluation consultants to train staff in specific evaluation skill areas, provide technical assistance in designing evaluation studies, and share feedback on individual staff assignments. It reports staff responses to this approach, as well as the benefits to the office's productivity and quality of work, from the client's perspective.
Global Supply Chains: Factors Influencing Outsourcing of Logistics Functions

Explores the attitude of shippers and service providers towards outsourcing of logistics functions performed within large multinational, manufacturing companies engaged in global trade and presents a model describing the factors which influence the outsourcing decisions. Indicates that five key factors influence the outsourcing decision: centrality of the logistics functions to the firm′s core competency; risk liability and control; cost/service tradeoffs in operations; information and communications systems; and market relationships. Discusses several drivers, involving product, process and network complexities, which govern these factors.
Blooming Together or Wilting Alone? : Network Externalities and Mondragón and La Lega Co-Operative Networks

This paper examines strategies developed by Mondragon Co-operative Corporation in the Basque Region of Spain, and La Lega co-operative network in Italy, to mitigate disadvantages of the typical co-operative organizational structure and market position but
Weakly Sequential Completeness of Banach-Valued Sequence Spaces ℓp[X]

The weakly sequential completeness of the Banach-valued sequence space l p [X], the space of weakly p-summable sequences on a Banach space X, is characterized in terms of the weakly sequntial completeness and (q)-property of X.
Primary Homothallism-relation to Heterothallism in the Regulation of Sexual Morphogenesis in Sistotrema.

The wood-rotting basidiomycete, Sistotrema brinkmannii, is an aggregate of biological species possessing several variations—homothallism, bipolar heterothallism and tetrapolar heterothallism—on the genetic regulation of a critical phase of development. Nutritionally forced intra- and interspecific matings provide genetic information about the relatedness of homothallic isolates, the relation of the various species to one another, the genetic basis of homothallism, and its relationship to heterothallism. Most homothallic isolates are interfertile when nutritionally forced. Successful hybridization between species is restricted to particular combinations of homothallic x bipolar isolates. Significant findings of these studies include: (1) documentation of hybridization of biological species in the Homobasidiomycetes, (2) documentation of the relatedness of two naturally occurring, variant systems, homothallism and bipolar heterothallism, that regulate sexual morphogenesis in the higher fungi, (3) evidence for definite, but limited, evolutionary divergence of the polygenic, regulated components of the respective systems, and (4) indication that the genetic basis of homothallism in this system is essentially due to constitutive function and consequently is fundamentally different from presently understood mechanisms in other self-fertile systems.
Dynamic scaling in dendritic growth: significance of the initial nucleus size

Abstract This paper is concerned with the physical origin of one of the recently introduced dendrite tip scaling parameters [V. Pines, A. Chait, M. Zlatkowski, J. Crystal Growth 167 (1996) 777]. Using at least two parameters, σ 1 and σ 2 , the above quoted scaling analysis permits a consistent determination of the dendrite tip curvature radius and solidification velocity. In this work, the parameter σ 1 is shown to account for the divergence of the conventional dendrite tip scaling parameter, σ, at low supercooling. The parameter σ 1 is traced to the linear stage of development of the morphological instability of a small spherical nucleus placed in a supercooled melt. We demonstrate that σ 1 is proportional to the characteristic initial mean curvature of an unstable nucleus. The initial curvature may take different values depending on the origin of the unstable nucleus, and could be specified in a careful experimental setup.
Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Controls Cardiac Hypertrophy Through Regulation of Thioredoxin Activity

Background— Although cellular redox balance plays an important role in mechanically induced cardiac hypertrophy, the mechanisms of regulation are incompletely defined. Because thioredoxin is a major intracellular antioxidant and can also regulate redox-dependent transcription, we explored the role of thioredoxin activity in mechanically overloaded cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results— Overexpression of thioredoxin induced protein synthesis in cardiomyocytes (127±5% of controls, P<0.01). Overexpression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip), an endogenous thioredoxin inhibitor, reduced protein synthesis in response to mechanical strain (89±5% reduction, P<0.01), phenylephrine (80±3% reduction, P<0.01), or angiotensin II (80±4% reduction, P<0.01). In vivo, myocardial thioredoxin activity increased 3.5-fold compared with sham controls after transverse aortic constriction (P<0.01). Aortic constriction did not change thioredoxin expression but reduced Txnip expression by 40% (P<0.05). G...
Current Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza in the Older Population

Influenza is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Influenza vaccine is recommended for people aged 65 years and older and those in long term care. Currently only 30% of high risk persons are vaccinated. Vaccination generally stimulates an adequate immune response, is well tolerated and is to be encouraged. Prophylactic amantadine 100 mg/day should be given for 2 weeks with influenza vaccine in the aged population when they have not been previously immunised. Broad application of these preventive measures would have a significant impact on reducing influenza prevalence in the elderly and other high risk groups.
Hormonal control of incubation patch development in the California quail Lophortyx californicus

Natural and hormonally induced incubation patch development was studied in the California quail, Lophortyx californicus. Defeathering of the patch in wild females began during late egg laying and reached a maximum level, as did histological aspects of patch formation (vascularization, epidermal hyperplasia, edema) during early incubation. The quail patch was not as edematous as is that of passerine birds. Caged females not allowed to incubate failed to develop fully defeathered patches. The skin of males with incubating mates exhibited some signs of patch development, and two out of the seven males collected with regressing testes had fully developed patches. In reproductively inactive quail of both sexes, neither diethylstilbestrol, estradiol-17β, nor progesterone had an effect on the ventral abdominal skin. Diethylstilbestrol plus progesterone caused defeathering in two of eight birds. Bioassay of the pituitaries of diethylstilbestrol-treated birds indicated that this hormone failed to cause patch formation, in contrast to the effectiveness of estrogen in passerine birds, either because it did not release prolactin from the pituitary or because endogenous prolactin levels were low at the time of the experiment. Prolactin alone caused epidermal hyperplasia, and when administered either with estrogen, testosterone or progesterone produced defeathering, epidermal hyperplasia, vascularization and edema. In breeding birds, progesterone caused defeathering but no histological responses, whereas prolactin caused complete incubation patch formation. It was concluded that the California quail is intermediate between most passerine birds and phalaropes in both incubation behavior and incubation patch physiology.
Critical path analysis using a dynamically bounded delay model

This paper focuses on static timing analysis in the presence of capacitive coupling. We propose a novel gate delay model, the dynamically bounded delay model. In contrast to the min-max or bounded delay model which assumes a fixed delay range, [dmin, dmax], for each circuit component, our new model allows for the specification of delay variations and the conditions upon which the variations will hold. Novel static timing analysis algorithms can thus dynamically bound the delays. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this model and approach, we use our model to perform critical path analysis in the presence of capacitive coupling. Our experiments show that our approach avoids pessimism when compared to PERT analysis assuming worst case capacitive coupling.
Codification of Administrative Law: The US and the Union

The US Administrative Procedures Act of 1946 was engendered by partisan political conflicts. Initially judicial review of administrative rule‐making under the act was extremely deferent. In the course of the 1960s and 1970s the federal courts, basing themselves upon the unchanged language of the statute, created a new body of administrative law characterised by very great demands on the agencies and very intrusive judicial review. This transformation was fuelled by partisan realignments, fear of technocracy and desire for greater transparency and popular participation in government decision‐making. Because these same forces are now active in relation to the Union, it may be anticipated that similar tendencies toward a demanding procedural law of rule‐making and high levels of judicial review will be felt as Union administrative law develops.
Injunctive peer misperceptions and the mediation of self-approval on risk for driving after drinking among college students

Of the alcohol-related risks faced by college students, it is arguable that none presents a greater public health hazard than driving after drinking (DAD). The present study examined the extent to which students' injunctive misperceptions toward DAD predicted the likelihood to engage in DAD and how this relation was mediated by self-approval of DAD. Participants were 2,848 college students (59.1% female, 64.6% Caucasian) from two U.S. West Coast universities who completed confidential web-based surveys assessing DAD beliefs and behaviors. Results revealed that respondents tended to overestimate their peers' approval toward DAD. Moreover, the subgroups likely to engage in DAD—men, 21 + years of age, Greek affiliated students, Caucasians, students with a family history of alcohol abuse—were also more likely to misperceive (i.e., overestimate) their peers' level of approval toward DAD. Using binary logistic regression analyses, self-approval of DAD emerged as an important statistical mediator in the relation...
Reassigning the Structures of Natural Products Using NMR Chemical Shifts Computed with Quantum Mechanics: A Laboratory Exercise

An applied computational chemistry laboratory exercise is described in which students use modern quantum chemical calculations of chemical shifts to assign the structure of a recently isolated natural product. A pre/post assessment was used to measure student learning gains and verify that students demonstrated proficiency of key learning objectives.
The deflagration of single crystals of ammonium perchlorate

By means of high-speed motion photography the deflagration rate of single crystals of pure ammonium perchlorate was measured from the deflagration pressure limit to 5000 psia at ambient temperatures of 89, 23, and −28°C. The 23°C burning rate isotherm, which was consistently lower than the 89°C isotherm and above the −28°C isotherm, rose to a relative maximum, dropped to a relative minimum, and then rose again as the pressure was increased to 5000 psia. The −28°C isotherm was measured between 415 and 565 psia and between 2000 and 4500 psia and had an apparent discontinuity between these two pressure regions. Within the accuracy of the data the deflagration rate was not influenced by the pressurization gas, either nitrogen or helium, by the crystallographic axis of the deflagration wave proceeding through the crystal, or by natural convection.
Generalized two-dimensional heterocorrelation analysis of spectrally resolved and temporally resolved fluorescence of the 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate-apomyoglobin complex with pH perturbation.

We demonstrate two-dimensional heterocorrelation analysis between spectrally resolved and temporally resolved fluorescence to investigate the decay dynamics of the 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate− (ANS−) apomyoglobin complex. The dynamic changes of the lifetime components are disclosed across the emission spectrum with an external pH-perturbation. Two different fluorescence lifetime schemes of the ANS−apomyoglobin complex are revealed. From pH 8.5 to 4.5, the transition of protein conformation from the native state to the folding intermediate, a short lifetime component is found to correlate with a short-wavelength emission whose population diminishes with decreasing pH. The lifetime components reflect the excited-state populations of the nascent and the charge-transfer species. From pH 4.2 to 1.0, the transition from the folding intermediate to the acid-unfolded state, the short lifetime is responsible for a long-wavelength emission and the fraction of this component increases when the solution becomes ...
Magnetic resonance mapping demonstrates benefits of VEGF–induced myocardial angiogenesis

Coronary occlusive disease is the leading cause of death in industrial nations and affects one in four adults. Although heart attacks are caused by occlusion of a coronary artery, some patients have occlusions without infarction because they have sufficient collateral vessels providing an alternate pathway for blood supply. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic peptide that can stimulate collateral vessel development in the ischaemic myocardium. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and image processing to identify and quantify non-invasively the benefits related to VEGF infusion on collateral development in the heart. This was accomplished as a placebo-controlled study in the porcine model of chronic ischaemia that most closely mimics the human pathophysiology of progressive coronary occlusion. Image series converted to a space-time map demonstrated that with treatment the ischaemic zone was smaller and the contrast arrival delay was less, which resulted in better ejection fraction and regional wall thickening. These findings demonstrate in a manner applicable to humans, that VEGF improves collateral blood supply, resulting in improved cardiac global and regional function after and in spite of coronary artery occlusion.
Family Obligation Values as a Protective and Vulnerability Factor Among Low-Income Adolescent Girls

Adolescents' beliefs about family obligation often reflect cultural variations in their family context, and thus are important for understanding development among diverse youth. In this study, we test hypotheses about the role of family obligation values in risk behavior and mental health in a sample of 194 low-income adolescent girls (mean age = 15.2; 58% Latina, 28% African-American/Black). We hypothesized that family obligation values can be both a protective and vulnerability factor, depending on the type of outcome and the presence of other risk factors. Across the sample, higher family obligation values tended to occur with indicators of positive family functioning (e.g., more frequent communication, less maternal hostility) based on mother and adolescent reports. As hypothesized, family obligation values moderated the relationship between established risk factors and adjustment in distinct ways, such that high family obligation values decreased risk in some domains (i.e., a protective factor) but increased risk in other domains (i.e., a vulnerability factor). Specifically, high family obligation values diminished the relationship between peer norms for risky behavior (sex and substance use) and individual engagement in those behaviors. At the same time, high family obligation values magnified the relationship between exposure to negative life events and poor mental health (PTSD and depressive symptoms). The results suggest that family obligation is an important but complex aspect of development among diverse adolescent girls.
Using Parallel Joint Compliance to Reduce the Cost of Walking in a Planar Bipedal Robot

This paper presents numerical and experimental studies of the influence of parallel knee joint compliance on the average power cost of walking in an underactuated planar bipedal robot, ERNIE. The use of parallel compliance does not increase the control design complexity, as would the addition of series compliance. Four scenarios were studied: one without springs, and three with springs of different stiffnesses and preloads. Optimal gaits in terms of average power cost for various speeds were designed for each scenario. It was found that for low-speed walking, soft springs are helpful to reduce power cost, while stiffer springs increase power cost. For high-speed walking, it was found that both soft and stiff springs reduce the average power cost of walking, but stiffer springs reduce the cost more than do softer springs.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Dynamics of a metapopulation with space-limited subpopulations

Most population models in ecology refer to a closed population where the recruits to a population are produced from the adults in that population. Many marine organisms have a long-lived pelagic larval phase followed by a sessile adult phase. The adults of such organisms are typically studied on a spatial scale that is very small relative to the dispersal distances of the larvae. A study site might be only a few square centimeters to a few hundred square meters (e.g., Connell, 1961; Dayton, 1971; Crisp, 1974; Paine, 1974; Menge and Lubchenco, 1981; Palmer and Strathman, 1981; Grosberg, 1982; Keough and Downes, 1982; Underwood et al., 1983; Wethey, 1983; Gaines and Roughgarden, 1985). The adults within such a site comprise a “local” population. Yet, the dispersal distance of the larvae is measured on a scale of kilometers (dewolf, 1973; Scheltema, 1975; Geraci and Romairone, 1982; Hawkins and Hartnoll, 1982). As a result, the local population is almost completely open since virtually all the recruits come from distant places. To develop a theory that is more representative of the dynamics of marine populations than that currently available, we have taken two steps. The first was to develop a model for the demography of an open spacelimited population (Roughgarden et al., 1985). In that model, larvae were assumed to settle onto vacant space in the local population. The rate of settlement per unit of vacant space was considered to be a parameter, s, the settlement coefficient. This coefficient reflects properties of the surface that the settlement is occurring on, the accessibility of that surface to water containing the larvae, and the concentration of larvae in the water. This paper presents our second step in developing theory for the dynamics of marine populations. We present a model for a metapopulation
Foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract and anorectal emergencies

Of all ingested foreign bodies (FBs) brought to the attention of physicians (probably a small minority of the total), 80% to 90% pass spontaneously; however, 10% to 20% require endoscopic removal, and about 1% require surgery. The article divides the GI tract into regions in which the anatomy, presentation, clinical findings, and management of FBs are distinct. The final third of this article describes the management of anorectal emergencies. An understanding of anatomy and common pathological conditions allows the emergency physician to make a diagnosis and provide relief and/or resolution in most cases.
On the Structure of Counterexamples to Symmetric Orderings for BDD's

Abstract Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) are used to represent boolean functions in a variety of applications. The size of a reduced ordered BDD depends on the ordering of variables. Several researchers have suggested grouping symmetric variables as a promising heuristic for finding good orderings. In this paper we study the conjecture which states that symmetric variables gather in at least one of the optimum variable orders. First, we prove some useful properties of partially symmetric functions. Next, we develop a faster procedure for finding counterexamples to this conjecture that exploits the partitioning of boolean functions into nn-equivalence classes. Third, we study the structure of counterexamples and devise a new and simple method to generate new counterexamples from given counterexamples. Finally, we present different kinds of counterexamples, which show that boolean functions are very diverse with respect to where symmetric orders can fall in the range from optimal orders to worst-case orders.
Dynamically and statistically downscaled seasonal simulations of maximum surface air temperature over the southeastern United States

[1] Coarsely resolved surface air temperature (2 m height) seasonal integrations from the Florida State University/Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies Global Spectral Model (FSU/COAPS GSM) (∼1.8° lon.-lat. (T63)) for the period of 1994 to 2002 (March through September each year) are downscaled to a fine spatial scale of ∼20 km. Dynamical and statistical downscaling methods are applied for the southeastern United States region, covering Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Dynamical downscaling is conducted by running the FSU/COAPS Nested Regional Spectral Model (NRSM), which is nested into the domain of the FSU/COAPS GSM. We additionally present a new statistical downscaling method. The rationale for the statistical approach is that clearer separation of prominent climate signals (e.g., seasonal cycle, intraseasonal, or interannual oscillations) in observation and GSM, respectively, over the training period can facilitate the identification of the statistical relationship in climate variability between two data sets. Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function (CSEOF) analysis and multiple regressions are trained with those data sets to extract their statistical relationship, which eventually leads to better prediction of regional climate from the large-scale simulations. Downscaled temperatures are compared with the FSU/COAPS GSM fields and observations. Downscaled seasonal anomalies exhibit strong agreement with observations and a reduction in bias relative to the direct GSM simulations. Interannual temperature change is also reasonably simulated at local grid points. A series of evaluations including mean absolute errors, anomaly correlations, frequency of extreme events, and categorical predictability reveal that both downscaling techniques can be reliably used for numerous seasonal climate applications.
Synergic solvent extraction of divalent cations with decafluoroheptanedione and di-n-butylsulfoxide

Abstract The synergic solvent extraction of iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and lead(II) with l,l,l,2,2,6,6,7,7,7-decafluoro-3,5-heptanedione(H(FHD)) and di-n-butylsulfoxide (DBSO), is described. The divalent cations are extracted with 99.9% efficiency at pH 5.5 in extraction times of less than 15 min. The extracted species was shown to be M(FHD)2·2 DBSO by mass action studies and elemental analyses. The extraction of copper(II) was also studied. No DBSO adduct was found in the copper extraction.