cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Teachers' Concerns About Vocabulary and the Representation of These Concerns in Content Literacy Methodology Textbooks

The purpose of this study was twofold: to (a) find out what questions currently practicing middle grade teachers have about vocabulary instruction and (b) determine what current undergraduate content area textbooks include that provide answers to these vocabulary questions. As researchers and practitioners directly responsible for teaching preservice middle grades teachers, this was a beginning step in examining whether our own teacher preparation programs are meeting the needs of new teachers as they encounter the demands of teaching vocabulary in their content areas. Teacher concerns about vocabulary instruction were determined by a survey instrument administered to 390 middle school teachers to ascertain questions they have about teaching vocabulary. A content analysis of the three leading content area textbooks was then undertaken to determine to what degree the top five concerns of middle grades teachers were addressed in these texts. Though direct information on how to teach vocabulary was provided,...
SU-GG-T-57: Investigation of Dose Interpolation Errors with a 4D Monte Carlo Method

Purpose: Tracking dose deformations from a source to target geometry typically interpolates source voxel doses to estimate target geometry doses. This study investigates errors inherent to the interpolation method. Method and Materials: A hypothetical 24×24×24 voxels deforming water phantom is created such that its deformation involves voxel splitting and coalescence. The phantom is irradiated by a 6MV beam. Dose at its original status is calculated by EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc and mapped to the deformed status by the dose interpolation approach. Deformed dose is also directly computed using analytical functions. A 4D MC method is implemented as a modification of EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc. It separates the particle transport and energy scoring grids. Particle transport occurs in the source image, while particle energy deposition events are tracked at the target image. Dose is computed as energy deposited per unit mass in the target voxel. The 4D MC is used calculate the dose on the deforming phantom irradiated by a beam parallel and perpendicular to the phantom's deformation, respectively. The deformation resultant voxel coalescence or splitting occurs along the beam direction as well as at the beam edge. Their results are compared with the dose calculated by the interpolation method. Results: The doses calculated by the 4D MC code have less than 0.45% errors from analytical estimates on the deforming water phantom. The interpolation method has a deviation of 2.7% in its depth profile with a beam parallel to tissue deformation and a maximum of 23.5% at the edge of the 6MV beam. Conclusion: The dose interpolation method ignores the different energy contributions made by each source voxel to the deformed voxel in the case of voxel coalescence, as occurs as lungs deform from inhale to exhale. This may result in a large discrepancy in the deformed dose, especially at beam edges.
Direct effects of interleukin-13 on epithelial cells cause airway hyperreactivity and mucus overproduction in asthma

Asthma is an increasingly common disease that remains poorly understood and difficult to manage. This disease is characterized by airway hyperreactivity (AHR, defined by exaggerated airflow obstruction in response to bronchoconstrictors), mucus overproduction and chronic eosinophilic inflammation. AHR and mucus overproduction are consistently linked to asthma symptoms and morbidity. Asthma is mediated by Th2 lymphocytes, which produce a limited repertoire of cytokines, including interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13. Although each of these cytokines has been implicated in asthma, IL-13 is now thought to be especially critical. In animal models of allergic asthma, blockade of IL-13 markedly inhibits allergen-induced AHR, mucus production and eosinophilia. Furthermore, IL-13 delivery to the airway causes all of these effects. IL-13 is thus both necessary and sufficient for experimental models of asthma. However, the IL-13-responsive cells causing these effects have not been identified. Here we show that mice lacking signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) were protected from all pulmonary effects of IL-13. Reconstitution of STAT6 only in epithelial cells was sufficient for IL-13-induced AHR and mucus production in the absence of inflammation, fibrosis or other lung pathology. These results demonstrate the importance of direct effects of IL-13 on epithelial cells in causing two central features of asthma.
Usability tool for analysis of web designs using mouse tracks

This paper presents MouseTrack as a web logging system that tracks mouse movements on websites. The system includes a visualization tool that displays the mouse cursor path followed by website visitors. It helps web site administrators run usability tests and analyze the collected data. Practitioners can track any existing webpage by simply entering its URL. This paper includes a design case that shows the tool's value for teaching interaction design concepts.
An Early Growth Response Protein (Egr) 1 cis-Element Is Required for Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone-induced Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase 2 Gene Expression

Abstract In pituitary gonadotropes, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) activates all three major mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. The MAPKs play key roles in transcriptional activation of GnRH-responsive genes. MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) are dual specificity protein phosphatases involved in feedback regulation of MAPK activity. Previous studies indicate that GnRH activates MKP-2 expression in gonadotropes, dependent upon activation of multiple MAPKs and discrete Ca2+signals. To further understand the transcriptional mechanism(s) of MKP-2 induction by GnRH, we studied the activity of a 198-nucleotide MKP-2 proximal promoter region that supports GnRH responsiveness in reporter gene assays. Functional analysis of the MKP-2 promoter confirmed a requirement for the protein kinase C-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway and VGCC-derived Ca2+signals in transcriptional activation of the MKP-2 gene. However, the inhibitory effect of thapsigargin on MKP-2 protein expression previously identified was not mediated at the level of promoter activation, suggesting a distinct mechanism for the action of thapsigargin-sensitive Ca2+ signals. MGRE (MKP-2 GnRH responseelement) within the MKP-2 promoter mediated promoter activation through the protein kinase C-ERK pathway. The zinc finger transcription factor Egr-1 was identified in the MGRE-binding complex. Egr-1/MGRE binding was induced by GnRH in an ERK-dependent manner. Transcriptional activity of Egr-1 protein was enhanced by GnRH treatment. In addition, overexpression of the Egr-interacting protein, NAB1, resulted in increased GnRH-stimulated MKP-2 gene transcription. Consistent with the putative role of Egr-1 in MKP-2 promoter regulation, Egr-1 protein expression closely correlated with the expression of MKP-2 protein in αT3–1 cells. Together, these data suggest that Egr-1 may be a key factor in mediating GnRH-dependent transcriptional activation of the MKP-2 gene.
Geochemical mapping of Pb- and Zn-contaminated streambed sediments in southwest Missouri, USA

Purpose Four locations in southwest Missouri, USA, purportedly contaminated with mining wastes, Joplin, Aurora, Springfield, and the James River, were investigated for lead and zinc content using spatial distribution and statistical analyses. Lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in streambed sediment samples were compared spatially against a regional background concentration map to determine both the contamination level and dispersion of these metals.
Duplex ultrasound assessment of venous diameters, peak velocities, and flow patterns

Abstract Duplex ultrasound was used to study the diameters, flow patterns, and peak blood flow velocities of the common femoral vein (CFV) in 12 normal subjects (mean age 35 years). Each subject was supine and non-weight-bearing on a tilt table and rotated in 10-degree increments from −10 degrees (head down) to +30 degrees (head up). Cross-sectional B-mode image was used to monitor continuously CFV diameter for 5 minutes in each position. Doppler flow patterns were recorded in longitudinal axis; heart rate and respiratory movements were also noted. CFV flow was affected by respiratory and cardiac events. At −10 degrees flow was primarily related to cardiac events, with flow increasing during diastole. At +30 degrees flow varied minimally with the cardiac cycle and was primarily respiration dependent, stopping at peak inspiration. Proceeding from −10 to +30 degrees the mean maximal CFV diameter corrected for body surface area increased 92% (0.47 ± 0.11 cm/m 2 to 0.90 ± 0.16 cm/m 2 , p p r = −0.99. The study confirms the multiple influences on venous flow patterns and establishes a quantitative relationship between venous diameters and flow velocities. (J VASC SURG 1988;8:286-91.)
Do components of colonization ‐ dispersal cycles affect the offspring sex ratios of Banks grass mites (Oligonychus pratensis)?

The effects of two host plant species, immature rearing density, and feeding-induced leaf damage on the offspring sex ratios of individual Banks grass mites (BGM) (Oligonychus pratensis Banks) were examined. Offspring sex ratios did not differ among corn-reared females transferred to corn or two sorghum genotypes. Likewise, the offspring sex ratios did not differ among females from three rearing densities. However, female BGM reared on damaged leaves produced significantly more daughters than females reared on undamaged leaves. This suggests that offspring sex ratios of BGM change in response to a deteriorating food source. Greater daughter production on a deteriorating host results in more potential dispersers and colonizers of new host plants. This may be an important adaptation facilitating the colonization-dispersal episodes that characterize the BGM life history.
Reptitive DNA sequences in drosophila.

The satellite DNAs of Drosophila melanogaster and D. virilis have been examined by isopycnic centrifugation, thermal denaturation, and in situ molecular hybridization. The satellites melt over a narrow temperature range, reassociate rapidly after denaturation, and separate into strands of differing buoyant density in alkaline CsCl. In D. virilis and D. melanogaster the satellites constitute respectively 41% and 8% of the DNA isolated from diploid tissue. The satellites make up only a minute fraction of the DNA isolated from polytene tissue. Complementary RNA synthesized in vitro from the largest satellite of D. virilis hybridized to the centromeric heterochromatin of mitotic chromosomes, although binding to the Y chromosome was low. The same cRNA hybridized primarily to the α-heterochromatin in the chromocenter of salivary gland nuclei. The level of hybridization in diploid and polytene nuclei was similar, despite the great difference in total DNA content. The centrifugation and hybridization data imply that the α-heterochromatin either does not replicate or replicates only slightly during polytenization. Similar but less extensive data are presented for D. melanogaster. — In D. melanogaster cRNA synthesized from total DNA hybridized to the entire chromocenter (α- and β-heterochromatin) and less intensely to many bands on the chromosome arms. The X chromosome was more heavily labeled than the autosomes. In D. virilis the X chromosome showed a similar preferential binding of cRNA copied from main peak sequences.—It is concluded that the majority of repetitive sequences in D. virilis and D. melanogaster are located in the α- and β-heterochromatin. Repetitive sequences constitute only a small percentage of the euchromatin, but they are widely distributed in the chromosomes. During polytenization the α-heterochromatin probably does not replicate, but some or all of the repetitive sequences in the β-heterochromatin and the euchromatin do replicate.
Experimental Hypoxemic Hypoxia: Effects of Variation in Hematocrit on Magnetic Resonance T2*-Weighted Brain Images

T2*-weighted gradient echo magnetic resonance images of rat brain were obtained dynamically during acute hypoxemic hypoxia to investigate the relations between changes in cerebral blood oxygen saturation (deltaYb), blood hematocrit (Hct), and R2* (deltaR2*). Images from hypoxemic rats with normal Hct (42.8%+/-2.33%; n=12) were compared with those from hypoxemic rats with mild (33.4%+/-1.88%; n=8) or moderate (27.14%+/-2.7%; n=10) reduction of Hct. A linear relation between deltaYb and deltaR2* was obtained for all three groups. However, the slopes of the linear regressions were statistically different from one another (P < 0.001), with the slopes of the regression lines increasing inversely with Hct; that is, the slope for normal Hct is less than the slope for mildly reduced Hct, which is less than the slope for moderately reduced Hct. These data suggest that for any given reduction in the oxygen saturation of cerebral blood, the deltaR2* will be of a lesser magnitude when the hemoglobin concentration is reduced; the data are consistent with existing theoretical models of deoxyhemoglobin content-dependent effects in T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.
Coronary morphology after percutaneous directional coronary atherectomy in humans: Autopsy analysis of three patients

Abstract The morphologic basis of angiographically successful percutaneous directional atherectomy and subsequent restenosis in human coronary arteries is unknown. The clinical and pathologic features of three patients who died after coronary atherectomy are described. Tissue fragments obtained with atherectomy demonstrated atheromatous and fibroproliferative intima, media and adventitia. At autopsy, treated vascular segments (from the left anterior descending artery in two patients and a vein graft in one patient) demonstrated discrete defects in the vascular wall. Defects extending into atheroma, media or adventitia corresponded with the presence of these tissues in the atherectomy specimens. Tissues were otherwise not disrupted in the manner associated with balloon angioplasty. Acute mural thrombus deposition was evident in the resection zone in one patient. Late findings included fibroproliferative intimal tissue extending from the resected areas into the vascular lumen. In one patient intimal hyperplasia was sufficient to narrow the vascular lumen by 82% and was implicated in subsequent myocardial ischemia and infarction. The study indicates that 1) the vascular injury associated with atherectomy is distinct from that associated with balloon angioplasty, 2) acute mural thrombus deposition may occur even with resection limited to the intima, and 3) intimal hyperplasia may develop in regions treated with atherectomy and may be associated with late myocardial ischemia and infarction.
Evaluating the merits of option‐3 methods in relative attachment level measurement in a healthy population

Attachment loss is the principal clinical indicator for periodontal disease progression. However, the attachment measurement can be inaccurate due to outliers. A remedial scheme, the option-3 scheme, has been suggested in the literature. This scheme involves first measuring the relative attachment twice at any given site. A third measurement is required if there is a large disagreement between the first two probings. When the third measurement is taken, there are several possible ways to make the final assessment of the true attachment level. Among them are the average of the 3 measurements, the average of the closest 2, and the median of the 3. This report evaluates the merits of the option-3 scheme by comparing it with other schemes to reduce measurement variance and outliers. Since true attachment levels are unknown, we chose to check accuracy through measurement consistency between visits in healthy subjects using the fact that such subjects should have little real change in attachment levels. 12 healthy subjects participated in the study. They visited the clinic 4 times in 4 months. Two types of the Florida stent probe were used by 2 calibrated examiners. It was found that option-3 schemes were more accurate than a single probing or duplicate probings in estimating the relative attachment level. The 3 final assessment schemes performed almost equally well from a practical standpoint, but the median was the best among them in a statistical sense.
Charge inhomogeneities in the colossal magnetoresistant manganites from the local atomic structure

The authors have measured atomic pair distribution functions (PDF) of La{sub 1{minus}x}Ca{sub x}MnO{sub 3} using high energy x-ray diffraction. This approach yields accurate PDFs with very high real-space resolution. It also avoids potential pitfalls from the more usual neutron measurements that magnetic scattering is present in the measurement, that the neutron scattering length of manganese is negative leading to partial cancellation of PDF peaks, and that inelasticity effects might distort the resulting PDF. They have used this to address the following questions which do not have a satisfactory answer: (1) What are the amplitudes and natures of the local Jahn-Teller and polaronic distortions in the CMR region. (2) Is the ground-state of the ferromagnetic metallic phase delocalized or polaronic. (3) As one moves away from the ground-state, by raising temperature or decreasing doping, towards the metal insulator transition, how does the state of the material evolve?
Cytokines Make an Indelible Impression on Neural Stem Cells

Infections during pregnancy have been associated with increased risks of neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring, although the underlying mechanisms have not been determined. Gallagher et al. (2013) show that maternal exposure to the infection-induced inflammatory cytokine IL-6 produces lasting effects on forebrain stem cell pools of offspring during embryogenesis and throughout life.
The burden of influenza-like illness in the US workforce

Background The disease burden of influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) on the working population has been documented in the literature, but statistical evidence of ILI-related work absenteeism in the USA is limited due to data availability. Aims To assess work absenteeism due to ILIs among privately insured employees in the USA in 2007-8 and 2008-9. Methods We used the 2007-9 MarketScan® research databases. Full-time employees aged 18-64 years, with the ability to incur work absence and continuously enrolled in the same insurance plan during each season were included. We identified ILI episodes using ICD-9 codes for influenza and pneumonia (480-487). For each season, we calculated the mean work-loss hours per ILI episode and the proportion of employees who had at least one ILI episode. Work-loss hours and ILI rates were examined by subgroups. Results The mean number of work hours lost per ILI episode was 23.6 in 2007-8 and 23.9 in 2008-9. The proportion of employees with at least one ILI was 1.7% in 2007-8 and 1.2% in 2008-9. In both seasons, the proportion with ILI was higher among older (2.1 and 1.5%) and hourly workers (2.0 and 1.3%), workers in the southern region (1.9 and 1.3%) and those in oil, gas or mining industries (1.9 and 1.4%). Conclusions Our results indicate that the disease burden associated with ILIs in the working population is not trivial and deserves attention from policymakers and health care professionals to design effective strategies to reduce this burden.
HyDRA: gene prioritization via hybrid distance-score rank aggregation

Summary: Gene prioritization refers to a family of computational techniques for inferring disease genes through a set of training genes and carefully chosen similarity criteria. Test genes are scored based on their average similarity to the training set, and the rankings of genes under various similarity criteria are aggregated via statistical methods. The contributions of our work are threefold: (i) first, based on the realization that there is no unique way to define an optimal aggregate for rankings, we investigate the predictive quality of a number of new aggregation methods and known fusion techniques from machine learning and social choice theory. Within this context, we quantify the influence of the number of training genes and similarity criteria on the diagnostic quality of the aggregate and perform in-depth cross-validation studies; (ii) second, we propose a new approach to genomic data aggregation, termed HyDRA (Hybrid Distance-score Rank Aggregation), which combines the advantages of score-based and combinatorial aggregation techniques. We also propose incorporating a new top-versus-bottom (TvB) weighting feature into the hybrid schemes. The TvB feature ensures that aggregates are more reliable at the top of the list, rather than at the bottom, since only top candidates are tested experimentally; (iii) third, we propose an iterative procedure for gene discovery that operates via successful augmentation of the set of training genes by genes discovered in previous rounds, checked for consistency. Motivation: Fundamental results from social choice theory, political and computer sciences, and statistics have shown that there exists no consistent, fair and unique way to aggregate rankings. Instead, one has to decide on an aggregation approach using predefined set of desirable properties for the aggregate. The aggregation methods fall into two categories, score- and distance-based approaches, each of which has its own drawbacks and advantages. This work is motivated by the observation that merging these two techniques in a computationally efficient manner, and by incorporating additional constraints, one can ensure that the predictive quality of the resulting aggregation algorithm is very high. Results: We tested HyDRA on a number of gene sets, including autism, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometriosis, ischaemic stroke, leukemia, lymphoma and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, we performed iterative gene discovery for glioblastoma, meningioma and breast cancer, using a sequentially augmented list of training genes related to the Turcot syndrome, Li-Fraumeni condition and other diseases. The methods outperform state-of-the-art software tools such as ToppGene and Endeavour. Despite this finding, we recommend as best practice to take the union of top-ranked items produced by different methods for the final aggregated list. Availability and implementation: The HyDRA software may be downloaded from: http://web. engr.illinois.edu/� mkim158/HyDRA.zip
Optimum 222Rn-adsorbing activated charcoals.

Adsorptive and desorptive data are presented for 20 activated charcoal (AC) types that may be used in passive 222 Rn sampling devices. Open-faced AC canisters were exposed for 3 d at room temperature to known radon and water vapor concentrations. Gamma measurements of radon progeny activity show that the optimum radon-adsorbing ACs are Calgon-PCB, Norit (RI, RBI, or PK), and, to a lesser degree, Witco-965 and ENV-EI-1220
Pharmacodynamics of norepinephrine reuptake inhibition: Modeling the peripheral and central effects of atomoxetine, duloxetine, and edivoxetine on the biomarker 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol in humans.

Norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter in the autonomic sympathetic nervous system, is deaminated by monoamine oxidase to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG). Inhibition of the NE transporter (NET) using DHPG as a biomarker was evaluated using atomoxetine, duloxetine, and edivoxetine as probe NET inhibitors. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data were obtained from healthy subjects (n = 160) from 5 clinical trials. An indirect response model was used to describe the relationship between drug plasma concentration and DHPG concentration in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The baseline plasma DHPG concentration (1130-1240 ng/mL) and Imax (33%-37%) were similar for the 3 drugs. The unbound plasma drug IC50 (IC50U ) based on plasma DHPG was 0.973 nM for duloxetine, 0.136 nM for atomoxetine, and 0.041 nM for edivoxetine. The baseline CSF DHPG concentration (1850-2260 ng/mL) was similar for the 3 drugs, but unlike plasma DHPG, the Imax for DHPG was 38% for duloxetine, 53% for atomoxetine, and75% for edivoxetine. The IC50U based on CSF DHPG was 2.72 nM for atomoxetine, 1.22 nM for duloxetine, and 0.794 nM for edivoxetine. These modeling results provide insights into the pharmacology of NET inhibitors and the use of DHPG as a biomarker.
Person-Oriented Methods in Partner Violence Research: Distinct Biopsychosocial Profiles Among Battered Women

Violence researchers have called for the use of person-oriented methods to understand differences that have been found in biopsychosocial consequences among those who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). To address this issue, we apply a person-oriented statistical method, latent profile analysis (LPA), to test for meaningful subgroups of a sample of 448 battered women based on participants’ appraisals of their vulnerability relative to their violent partner, depressive symptoms, physical injuries, overall physical health functioning, and their positive and negative social relationships with friends and family. The LPA established five significantly distinct subgroups. Using MANOVA, we examined these subgroups and their respective IPV exposure, both concomitant and separate incidents within the past year. Those with the most intensive violence exposure show the greatest level of challenge and impairment. However, the groups with comparable levels of IPV exposure manifest distinctly different config...
Vision based control of an autonomous blimp with actuator saturation using pulse-width modulation

This paper demonstrates an effective way to track any targeted object with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by using Continuously Adaptive Mean Shift (Camshift) Algorithm, Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller and Pulse Width modulation (PWM). The approach proposed in this paper is applied to a blimp equipped with a Wireless video Camera and radio controlled propellers. When determining the model that best describes the behaviour of the blimp, it was found that a good approximation of the behaviour is accomplished by a model that includes saturations in velocity and actuation. The controller proposed is designed in two steps: first, one determines a PD controller that satisfies the specifications for the model without saturations. Then, PWM is used to address the effect of nonlinearities.
Molecular and comparative analysis of Salmonella enterica Senftenberg from humans and animals using PFGE, MLST and NARMS

Background: Salmonella species are recognized worldwide as a significant cause of human and animal disease. In this study the molecular profiles and characteristics of Salmonella enterica Senftenberg isolated from human cases of illness and those recovered from healthy or diagnostic cases in animals were assessed. Included in the study was a comparison with our own sequenced strain of S. Senfteberg recovered from production turkeys in North Dakota. Isolates examined in this study were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility profiling using the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) panel which tested susceptibility to 15 different antimicrobial agents. The molecular profiles of all isolates were determined using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and the sequence types of the strains were obtained using Multi-Locus Sequence Type (MLST) analysis based on amplification and sequence interrogation of seven housekeeping genes (aroC, dnaN, hemD, hisD, purE, sucA, and thrA). PFGE data was input into BioNumerics analysis software to generate a dendrogram of relatedness among the strains. Results: The study found 93 profiles among 98 S. Senftenberg isolates tested and there were primarily two sequence types associated with humans and animals (ST185 and ST14) with overlap observed in all host types suggesting that the distribution of S. Senftenberg sequence types is not host dependent. Antimicrobial resistance was observed among the animal strains, however no resistance was detected in human isolates suggesting that animal husbandry has a significant influence on the selection and promotion of antimicrobial resistance. Conclusion: The data demonstrates the circulation of at least two strain types in both animal and human health suggesting that S. Senftenberg is relatively homogeneous in its distribution. The data generated in this study could be used towards defining a pathotype for this serovar.
Two coordinatively linked supramolecular assemblies constructed from highly electron deficient porphyrins

The synthesis of a pair of electron-deficient porphyrin building blocks and their resulting coordinatively linked supramolecular assemblies are described. The perfluorophenyl substituted porphyrins feature pendant pyridines which, upon reaction with Re(CO) 5 Cl assemble into discrete dimers and tetramers, as dictated by the geometry of the porphyrin monomer. The resulting supramolecular complexes as well as their constituent porphyrins display several interesting and potentially useful properties owing to the electron-withdrawing nature of the perfluorophenyl funtionalities. Structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical data indicate that the electron-deficient porphyrins remain planar, allowing for modulation of spectral and redox properties, as well as for enhancement of the affinity of the porphyrins for Lewis-basic ligands.
Test-Retest Reliability of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and Global Handedness Preference Measurements, and Their Correlation

Test-retest reliability of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and of self-reported Global Handedness (left, right, ambidextrous), administered 18 mo. apart, was evaluated for 735 adult subjects. Conventional methods for evaluating test-retest reliability were compared with cross-tabulation and the kappa statistic, using as criteria both the degree of agreement and the degree and direction of disagreement. Inventory-derived laterality scores were correlated with Global Handedness responses, yielding a characteristic distribution of laterality scores for each global response which permitted the partitioning of the J-shaped frequency distribution plot of laterality scores into right, left, and ambidextrous regions. Test-retest reliability of the correlation between global responses and laterality scores on retest was demonstrated.
Voltage stability constrained optimal power flow (VSCOPF) with two sets of variables (TSV) for reactive power planning

The key of reactive power planning (RPP), or Var planning, is the optimal allocation of reactive power sources considering location and size. First, the relationships of Var compensation, total transfer capability (TTC), and fuel cost are introduced in this paper. Second, the enumeration approach for RPP is briefly described. Although time-consuming, it provides a global view of the relationship between the system cost and local Var compensation, which is useful for benchmarking purposes. Third, the voltage stability constrained optimal power flow (VSCOPF) model with two sets of variables (TSV) approach is used to combine a large number of OPFs in the enumeration approach to achieve an efficient model. The two sets of variables correspond to the normal operating point and the collapse point, respectively. The computational complexity of TSV is tremendously reduced. Different from the previous work using Var cost minimization as the objective, this work proposes to use the total system cost (fuel cost and Var cost) minimization as the objective. This leads to significantly different results. The observed results have important implication to RPP, especially under the deregulated environment. That is, it verifies that RPP should consider the impact to system dispatch considering generation cost. The results from the TSV approach are also benchmarked with the enumeration approach. Finally, conclusions are presented.
Recognition of DNA by the Helix-Turn-Helix Global Regulatory Protein Lrp Is Modulated by the Amino Terminus

The AsnC/Lrp family of regulatory proteins links bacterial and archaeal transcription patterns to metabolism. In Escherichia coli, Lrp regulates approximately 400 genes, over 200 of them directly. In earlier studies, lrp genes from Vibrio cholerae, Proteus mirabilis, and E. coli were introduced into the same E. coli background and yielded overlapping but significantly different regulons. These differences were seen despite amino acid sequence identities of 92% (Vibrio) and 98% (Proteus) to E. coli Lrp, including complete conservation of the helix-turn-helix motifs. The N-terminal region contains many of the sequence differences among these Lrp orthologs, which led us to investigate its role in Lrp function. Through the generation of hybrid proteins, we found that the N-terminal diversity is responsible for some of the differences between orthologs in terms of DNA binding (as revealed by mobility shift assays) and multimerization (as revealed by gel filtration, dynamic light scattering, and analytical ultracentrifugation). These observations indicate that the N-terminal tail plays a significant role in modulating Lrp function, similar to what is seen for a number of other regulatory proteins.
Visualizing relativistic effects in spacetime

We have developed an innovative ray-tracing algorithm to describe Relativistic Effects in SpaceTime (“REST”). Our algorithm, called REST-frame, simulates a generalized world in Spacetime and gives the fine details implicit in the Special Theory of Relativity that have not yet been made apparent. These novel simulations disclose the non-intuitive realm of Special Relativity and, by visualization means, advance beyond the findings of past revelations concerning relativistic effects. Through the application of state-of-the-art computation technology and simulation techniques to earlier quests in Physics, REST-frame offers a flexible visualization tool to study some of the most exciting aspects of the natural world; particularly, the rich visual properties associated with the finite speed of light.
Application of neural network to gene expression data for cancer classification

The goal of the work is to explore the use of gene expression data in discriminating two types of very similar cancers-acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Classification results are reported in Golub et al. (1999) using methods other than neural networks. Here, we explore the role of the feature vector in classification. Each feature vector consists of 6817 elements which are gene expression data for 6817 genes. We show in this preliminary experiment that learning using neural networks is possible when the input vector contains the correct number of gene expression data. This result is very promising because of the nature of the data (available in large amounts and more new information becomes available with better technology and better understanding of the problem). Thus, it is absolutely essential to employ an automated recognition system that has learning capability.
The Seed of Nonviolence

Today, the freedom of nature and culture to evolve is under violent and direct threat. The threat to seed freedom impacts the very fabric of human life and the life of the planet. Seed keepers, far...
T118M PMP22 mutation causes partial loss of function and HNPP‐like neuropathy

Objective: To determine the clinical consequences of the PMP22 point mutation, T118M, which has been previously considered to either cause an autosomal recessive form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease or be a benign polymorphism. Methods: We analyzed patients from five separate kindreds and characterized their peripheral nerve function by clinical and electrophysiological methods. Results: All heterozygous patients had clinical and/or electrophysiological features of a neuropathy similar to hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPPs). The homozygous patient had a severe axonal neuropathy without features of demyelination. Interpretation: These findings suggest that T118M PMP22 retains some normal PMP22 activity, allowing the formation of compact myelin and normal nerve conduction velocities in the homozygous state. Taken together, these findings suggest that T118M is a pathogenic mutation causing a dominantly inherited form of CMT by a partial loss of PMP22 function. Ann Neurol 2006;59:358 –364
Individual and Combined Toxicity of Deoxynivalenol and T-2 Toxin in Broiler Chicks

Abstract Effects of feeding diets containing deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated wheat (16 mg DON/kg) and purified T-2 toxin at 4 mg/kg singly and in combination were characterized in male broiler chicks from 1 day to 3 wk of age. Total body weight gains and final body weights were significantly reduced by the DON/T-2 toxin combination but were not significantly affected by the toxins singly. The efficiency of feed utilization was reduced in chicks fed either of the diets containing DON-contaminated wheat. The incidence and severity of oral lesions induced by T-2 toxin was increased in the DON/T-2 toxin combination. Several parameters not altered by DON or T-2 toxin singly were significantly affected by the combination, indicating that the combination may pose a potentially greater problem to the poultry industry than either of the mycotoxins individually.
Adjuvant radiotherapy for cutaneous melanoma: comparing hypofractionation to conventional fractionation.

Purpose: To examine locoregional control after adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for cutaneous melanoma and compare outcomes between conventional fractionation and hypofractionation. Methods and Materials: Between January 1980 and June 2004, 56 patients with high-risk disease were treated with adjuvant RT. Indications for RT included: recurrent disease, cervical lymph node involvement, lymph nodes >3 cm, more than three lymph nodes involved, extracapsular extension, gross residual disease, close or positive margins, or satellitosis. Hypofractionation was used in 41 patients (73%) and conventional fractionation was used in 15 patients (27%). Results: The median age was 61 years (21–>90). The median follow-up among living patients was 4.4 years (range, 0.6–14.4 years). The primary site was located in the head and neck in 49 patients (87%) and below the clavicles in 7 patients (13%). There were 7 in-field locoregional failures (12%), 3 out-of-field regional failures (5%), and 24 (43%) distant failures. The 5-year in-field locoregional control (ifLRC) and freedom from distant metastases (FFDM) rates were 87% and 43%, respectively. The 5-year cause-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) was 57% and 46%, respectively. The only factor associated with ifLRC was satellitosis ( p = 0.0002). Nodal involvement was the only factor associated with FFDM ( p = 0.0007), CSS ( p = 0.0065), and OS ( p = 0.016). Two patients (4%) who experienced severe late complications, osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone and radiation plexopathy, and both received hypofractionation (5%). Conclusions: Although surgery and adjuvant RT provides excellent locoregional control, distant metastases remain the major cause of mortality. Hypofractionation and conventional fractionation are equally efficacious.
Constructal multi-scale structure for maximal heat transfer density in natural convection

Abstract In this paper we investigate a new design concept for generating multi-scale structures in natural convection with the objective of maximizing the heat transfer density, or the heat transfer rate per unit of volume. The flow volume is filled with vertical equidistant heated blades of decreasing lengths. The spacings between the blades are optimized for maximal heat transfer density. Smaller blades are installed in the center plane between two adjacent longer blades, in the entrance region where the boundary layers are thin and the fluid is unheated. Based on the same principle, new generations of even smaller blades are added stepwise to the multi-scale structure. Constructal theory is applied to each new generation of blades, and this method leads to the optimal spacings between blades and the optimal lengths scales. As the number of length scales increase, the flow rate and the volume-averaged heat transfer density increase. It is also shown that there is a smallest (cutoff) length scale below which the boundary layers are no longer distinct, and where the sequence of generating optimal length scales ends. The maximized heat transfer density increases as the optimized complexity of the flow structure increases.
InterNyet: why the Soviet Union did not build a nationwide computer network

This article examines several Soviet initiatives to develop a national computer network as the technological basis for an automated information system for the management of the national economy in the 1960s–1970s. It explores the mechanism by which these proposals were circulated, debated, and revised in the maze of Party and government agencies. The article examines the role of different groups – cybernetics enthusiasts, mathematical economists, computer specialists, government bureaucrats, and liberal economists – in promoting, criticizing, and reshaping the concept of a national computer network. The author focuses on the political dimension of seemingly technical proposals, the relationship between information and power, and the transformative role of users of computer technology.
Advanced eager scheduling for Java-based adaptively parallel computing

Javelin 3 is a software system for developing large-scale, fault tolerant, adaptively parallel applications. When all or part of their application can be cast as a master-worker or branch-and-bound computation, Javelin 3 frees application developers from concerns about inter-processor communication and fault tolerance among networked hosts, allowing them to focus on the underlying application. The paper describes a fault tolerant task scheduler and its performance analysis. The task scheduler integrates work stealing with an advanced form of eager scheduling. It enables dynamic task decomposition, which improves host load-balancing in the presence of tasks whose non-uniform computational load is evident only at execution time. Speedup measurements are presented of actual performance on up to 1,000 hosts. We analyze the expected performance degradation due to unresponsive hosts, and measure actual performance degradation due to unresponsive hosts.
Design and measurements of implantable chip radiator and external receptor for wireless blood pressure monitoring system

This paper presents the design guidelines, simulation and measured results of implantable spiral chip inductor/radiator, passive sensor, and external planar multi-turn loop antenna for a wireless blood pressure monitoring system operating in the range 190–203 MHz. A new approach to the design of planar multi-turn loop antenna has been presented. Also included are the measured transmission characteristics of the RF signal through air as well as air and phantom tissue. The measurements demonstrate that the RF signal can penetrate through human tissue with acceptable attenuation.
The Schoolchild with Encopresis

Often, a schoolchild with encopresis feels desperate, lacking a most primitive form of control, harboring a painful secret, susceptible to exposure and peer ridicule, wounded by the disdainful remarks of parents and siblings, and perplexed over why he messes. Often children with encopresis receive inconsistent care; management may vacillate from intentional disregard of the problem to active coercion or vindiction. Parents may be baffled by conflicting advice from neighbors, teachers, grandparents, pharmacists, and even pediatricians. Most "accidents" occur in the late afternoon (commonly 3:00 to 7:00 PM). Unlike enuresis, nocturnal encopresis is rare and more difficult to treat successfully. Many children insist (correctly) that they do not receive a "signal" or feel the call to use a bathroom. They may plan furtively to conceal their shameful out-flow, burying underwear in the garden or sequestering soiled clothing in trash cans and behind dressers! Encopresis is defined as the deposition of formed or semiformed stools in a child9s underwear (or other unorthodox sites), occurring after the age of 4 years on a regular basis. Some authors differentiate between encopresis and fecal soiling, basing the distinction on the extent to which full-bowel movements are passed.1 This classification, however, often does not conform to clinical experience, since longstanding cases commonly fluctuate over time in patterns of incontinence and stool consistency.
A Hybrid Approach to Rendering Handwritten Characters

With the growing popularity of pen-based computers comes the need to display clear handwritten characters at small sizes on low-resolution displays. This paper describes a method for automatically constructing hinted TrueType fonts from on-line handwriting data. Hints add extra information to glyph outlines in the form of imperative constraints overriding side effects of the rasterization process. We use an aggressive matching strategy to find correspondences between an input glyph and a previously-hinted template, considering both global and local features to allow hinting even when they differ in shape and topology. Recognizing that stroke width statistics are among features that characterize a person’s handwriting, we recalculate global values in the control value table (CVT) before transfer to preserve the characteristics of the original handwriting.
Recent developments in IMEX methods with time filters for systems of evolution equations

This report presents a summary of the numerical analysis of time filters used to control the unstable mode in the Crank-Nicolson-Leapfrog discretization of evolution equations.
Rhythm and Cues: Project Management Tactics for UX in Game Design

This essay situates game design and development within the domain of sociotechnical research and reviews the results of a case focusing on the design and development of an original video game level with platformer mechanics. Using a case history methodology with autoethnographic methods, the work studies the context in which small game components are authored and methods by which knowledge is exchanged and applied within rapidly developed software systems. It argues that the designer experience is a critical phenomenon to understand within the study of user experience in video games given the iterative nature of development and the necessity of frequent, in-house playtesting. The video game was designed by the authors and developed using preexisting assets from prior projects. Results suggest ideas for incorporating UX strategies into micro-project management techniques that are useful for small and large projects alike. The work closes by calling for future areas of research in related areas.
Up in the Air — Suspending Ethical Medical Practice

First I will define what I conceive medicine to be. In general terms, it is to do away with the sufferings of the sick, to lessen the violence of their diseases, and to refuse to treat those who are overmastered by their disease, realizing that in such cases medicine is powerless. — The Hippocratic Corpus Our plane was flying from the East Coast to the West carrying 167 passengers, including my wife, a hospitalist and internist, and me, a neurologist and clinical ethicist. About midflight, a woman in the row behind us reached frantically for the baggage bin over our . . .
Up from “Arts and Crafts”: Division of Labor in Forensic Science Laboratories

ABSTRACTContinual process improvement is a necessary goal to achieve in order for forensic laboratories to attain and maintain accreditation and to deal with the common political climate of decreased budgets. This article explains one process improvement long appreciated by private industry, division of labor, and shows how laboratory output can increase without increases in cost if comparative strengths are taken advantage of. Practical implementation and measurement are suggested through a proposed extension of the National Institute of Justice's project FORESIGHT. Division of labor, once appropriately benchmarked and analyzed, can thus increase efficiencies and has the potential to save laboratories significant money and reduce backlogs.