cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strain differences in drinking in inbred mice during ad libitum feeding and food deprivation.

Abstract Water intakes were measured in 7 mouse strains under 3 conditions of food availability: (a) ad lib feeding, (b) 1 3 - normal food intake, and (c) total food deprivation. Under ad lib feeding strains were ranked according to magnitude of water intake. These ranks were similar, but not identical, when absolute water intakes (ml) and relative (ml/100 g body wt) water intakes were measured. Statistically reliable, positive correlations were found between food intake and body weight, water intake and food intake, and water intake and body weight. Under the 1 3 - food condition, mean water intakes decreased significantly from ad lib feeding conditions in the BALB/cJ, A/J and C57BL/6J strains, did not change significantly in the SWR/J, CBA/J and DBA/2J strains and increased (food-deprivation polydipsia) in the C3H/HeJ strains. Results in 2 replications of total food deprivation parallelled those of 1 3 normal intake except that in the former condition DBA/2J mice showed a significant decrease in water intake. Food-deprivation polydipsia was seen in some individual SWR/J and CBA/J mice, as well as in the C3H/HeJ strain but was very rare in the other four strains.
Candidate materials for the sulfur electrode current collector—III. Al/SiC composite materials

Abstract It has been previously found that aluminum and some of its alloys can be used as component materials in high temperature sodium/sulfur cells. The present study describes the electrochemical behavior of composite aluminum/silicon carbide materials in the polysulfide/sulfur melts at 350°C. Some of the composites studied have been found suitable to serve as the material, coating or lining of the positive current collector in Na-S cells.
Purification and properties of arylpyruvate keto-enol tautomerase for use in enol-borate assays.

Abstract A purification of arylpyruvate keto-enol tautomerase (E.G.5.3.2.1) from lamb kidneys is described which gives several-hundredfold purification in four steps, with a good yield of product free from tyrosine transaminase and p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate hydroxylase. It is suitable for use in the assay of these enzymes by the enol-borate method. The crude enzyme reacts more rapidly at a higher pH and is modified in the course of purification to react at similar rates in lower and higher pH's.
Normal catecholamine and hemodynamic responses to orthostatic tilt in subjects with mitral valve prolapse. Correlation with psychologic testing.

Abstract Various functional abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system have been reported in symptomatic patients with mitral valve prolapse. It has also been suggested that mitral valve prolapse may be a component of a neurovascular endocrine abnormality and a marker for anxiety. Eleven consecutive patients with mitral valve prolapse (six men and five women), five of whom were asymptomatic, were studied. In comparison with 11 control subjects matched for age and sex who underwent 60-degree upright tilt, there was no significant difference between plasma norepinephrine levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, before, during, and after tilting. Psychologic testing for anxiety neurosis in both groups showed no significant difference on any of these measurements. There was therefore no evidence of autonomic dysfunction or neurosis In the patients with mitral valve prolapse. This variance with the findings of other investigators is probably related to their study of patient groups skewed by a disproportionate number of symptomatic females; the patients in the study reported herein are more representative of mitral valve prolapse in the general population. The symptoms attributed to mitral valve prolapse are quite likely adrenergically mediated and precipitated by anxiety, but this probably represents a coincidence of two common conditions encountered in medical practice.
Changes in cell shape and actin distribution induced by constant electric fields

The development of motility in cultured cells is usually associated with a polarization of the cell shape. In particular, the leading edge of the cell is extended into a lamella which acts as a locus for the elaboration of cell processes and for the formation of cell-substrate contacts and, at the opposite end, retraction fibres often extend beyond the trailing edge of the cell. The alignment of microfilament bundles (stress fibres) along the direction of migration and the presence of a band of actin at the leading edge of the cell suggest an involvement of this protein in the motile process. The direction of growth and orientation of various cell types in tissue culture can be influenced by externally applied d.c. electric fields but the effect of the field on cellular motile activities is unknown. Here we describe a galvanotropic response of cultured Xenopus epithelial cells. At a field strength of 5 V cm-1 these cells elongate perpendicularly with respect to the field. The anodal side of the cell retracts and both the ends and cathodal edge become active in the extension of ruffling lamellipodia. In parallel with the change in the cell axis, stress fibres are oriented perpendicularly to the field, and a band of actin is associated with the lamellae at the cathodal edge and at the ends of the cell.
Dna synthesis in nuclei isolated from ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Abstract 1. 1. Nuclei isolated from Ehrlich ascites cells can synthesize DNA. Maximum synthesis was attained with all four nucleoside triphosphates at concentrations of 1 · 10−4 M, ATP at 6 · 10−3 M, and Mg2+ at 1.0 · 10−2 M. Ascites DNA polymerase stimulated the reaction. The optimal temperature was 37°, and the optimal pH, maintained with 5 · 10−2 M sodium phosphate, 7.5. The maximum rate of incorporation corresponded to a rate of synthesis of 0.6 % per h (total DNA = 100 %) which is 1 4 the normal in vivo rate. This rate was maintained for short periods, and incorporation corresponded to an increment of DNA of 0.16 % of the total, or 1 60 that expected were synthesizing nuclei to complete a round of DNA synthesis. This figure corresponds to about 1 4 the increase expected were nuclei to complete replicons already initiated. 2. 2. Maximum synthesis was observed when nuclei were supplemented with polymerase derived from a nuclear source, which preferentially utilized native DNA. High rates of synthesis were observed when nuclei were supplemented with preparations derived from a non-nuclear source, that preferred single stranded DNA. However, DNA whose synthesis was stimulated by this enzyme was unstable and selectively degraded on further incubation. Under these conditions, two reactions proceeded independently within the nucleus. The exogenous enzyme appeared to utilize different priming sites, and not to interfere with the reaction carried out by the endogenous enzyme, whose product was stable. Addition of ligase prevented stimulation of synthesis by the exogenous reaction. 3. 3. Heating nuclei destroyed their ability to serve a priming function. This capability was restored by treating with pancreatic endonuclease. The ability of different preparations to carry out synthesis with heated nuclei depended upon the presence of endonuclease in the preparations. The polymerase associated endonuclease differed from pancreatic endonuclease as indicated by the kinetics of response of the heated nuclei to these enzymes. 4. 4. Because of the differences in the response evoked in nuclei by nuclear enzyme, and by the single stranded DNA preferring enzyme obtained from these same cells, it is thought that the latter is not involved in the normal duplication of DNA.
Biochemical Development of Surface Activity in Mammalian Lung. IV. Pulmonary Lecithin Synthesis in the Human Fetus and Newborn and Etiology of the Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Extract: The surface-active complex lining alveoli in normal lung lowers surface tension on expiration, thus preventing alveolar collapse. Surface activity follows a developmental timetable. Infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) almost exclusively are prematurely born, and their lungs lack adequate surface activity and are deficient in the principal surface-active component, lecithin. This deficiency implies that RDS is a “disease of development,” with fetal and neonatal timetables for lecithin synthesis. The biosynthesis of lung lecithin in the living human infant was studied by examining phospholipids in lung effluent (pharyngeal aspirates, mucus), which have identical phospholipids to those in lung lavage (alveolar wash). The fatty acid esters of isolated lecithin and phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine (PDME) were examined. The β-carbon fatty acids are indicators of the primary pathways of synthesis of lecithin: (1) a preponderance of palmitic acid signifying cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) + D-α,β-diglyceride → lecithin (choline incorporation pathway) and (2) a preponderance of myristic acid signifying phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) + 2 CH3 → PDME + CH3 → lecithin (methylation pathway). Fetal lung of 18 and 20 weeks showed slight incorporation by CDP-choline pathway, absence of PDME, and almost no methylation. Salivary lecithin had totally different fatty acids from lecithin in aspirates. Phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine (PDME) (therefore methylation) was identified in aspirates as early as 22–24 week-gestation. Lecithin fatty acid esters in aspirates from premature infants after birth or those with no RDS closely resembled PDME fatty acids. With RDS, PDME disappears and β-carbon palmitic acid (therefore dipalmitoyl lecithin) increases. With recovery, PDME reappears, as does the premature infant's major lecithin, palmitoylmyristoyl. Full term infants are born with more β-carbon palmitic acid (20–40%) and by 12–18 hr have equal palmitic and myristic acids, indicating function of both lecithin synthesis pathways. Stress (hypoxia acidosis, hypothermia) cause disappearance of PDME and loss of β-carbon myristic acid. Similar changes in full term infants who do not get RDS are due to adequate lecithin synthesis by the GDP-choline pathway. The capacity to synthesize lecithin in the lung by methylation in the human fetus and newborn allows the human to be born prematurely; rabbits and sheep lack this capacity and cannot be prematures, but die from respiratory insufficiency if born too soon. Speculation: The diagnosis of RDS can be made objectively by looking for PDME in aspirates (lung effluent). Prognosis also can be established by lack or presence of PDME. The effects of various therapies also can be assessed this way. The techniques and consideration described herein can be employed to study biochemically the effects of other stresses to lung, including oxygen toxicity and anesthesia.
A computational framework for integrating robotic exploration and human demonstration in imitation learning

This paper proposes a computational framework for humanoid robots to learn complex behaviors through combining robotic self-exploration and demonstrations of humans. A modified Rapidly-growing Random Tree (RRT)-Connect algorithm is used for exploration, a Linear Global Model (LGM) is used for recording demonstrations, a spatial-temporal extension of Isomap algorithm is used for dimension reduction which enables the exploration in a low-dimensional latent space, and the log likelihood function of the distribution of sampled data in the joint space is used to project the data in the latent space back to the joint space. An experiment of imitating a conducting behavior is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework.
Hepatitis E-Associated Lower Extremity Weakness: Case Report and Review of Literature

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a well-known cause of acute hepatitis in developing countries. However, autochthonous (locally acquired) HEV infection is also emerging in industrialized countries. Neurologic signs and symptoms are an emerging extrahepatic manifestation of HEV infection. An association between neurologic manifestations (e.g., Guillain-Barre syndrome, neuralgic amyotrophy, and acute transverse myelitis) and acute HEV infection has been suggested. We present a case of a 26-year-old Hispanic female who presented with lower extremity weakness and elevated liver enzymes who was found to be positive for hepatitis E IgM antibodies. We recommend that clinicians strongly consider the possibility of HEV infection in patients with neurologic disorders, especially those with peripheral nerve involvement and liver abnormalities indicated by blood tests. Patients with unexplained hepatitis should be tested for hepatitis E, whatever their age or travel history. J Med Cases. 2015;6(1):6-7 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1843w
Emotions about Teaching about Human-Induced Climate Change

Global climate change is receiving increasing attention as a classroom topic. At the same time, research has shown that individuals have strong emotions about the topic. Emotions about controversial topics and individuals' dispositions toward knowledge have been shown to influence judgments about these topics. This study examined the relationships among preservice elementary and in-service secondary science teachers' emotions about and plausibility perceptions of climate change, background knowledge of weather and climate distinctions (a principle related to understanding climate change), and dispositions toward knowledge. Teachers' topic emotions (anger and hopelessness) were significant predictors of plausibility perceptions, with more anger associated with lesser plausibility and greater hopelessness associated with higher plausibility. Decisiveness—an urgent desire to reach closure—was also significantly related to plausibility perceptions with greater decisiveness associated with reduced plausibility...
Avalanche photodiode measurements of the solar soft x-ray irradiance

The Avalanche Photodiode X-ray Spectrometer (AXS) is an optics free spectrometer operating in the 400 eV - 10 keV energy range. The purpose of the instrument is to measure the solar full disk irradiance from .1 to 2 nm with a spectral resolution on the order of ΔE/E equal to approximately 15%. This spectral region is a key and highly variable energy source to the lower thermosphere. The instrument was developed for sounding rocket use and, in addition to the science objectives, is used for underflight calibration of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) X-ray instruments. Photon events from an avalanche photodiode produce electron showers that are detected by analog electronics. Pulse height analysis yields the energy of the impacting photon. By recording the number of events per pulse height bin, the AXS produces a spectrum. This instrument has been developed at the University of Alaska (UAF) and was flown on a sounding rocket on October 15, 2004. Calibrations were performed at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF) III facility in Gaithersburg Maryland. In this paper the instrument design and calibration are discussed as well as both laboratory and rocket flight measurements.
Shifting genres: a dialogic approach to reflective practice in teacher education

Through a Bakhtinian approach, this paper works to highlight concepts of dialogue, genre, and heteroglossia within one beginning teacher’s practice. Through a case study of this pre-service teacher’s reflections over the course of one academic year spent student teaching in US public schools, this article illustrates how reflective practice, framed through Bakhtinian notions of dialogue, genre, and heteroglossia, can unite the consideration of context with reflective practice. Though the goals of this inquiry seek to outline tenets of a dialogic approach to reflective practice, implications importantly suggest ways that teachers and teacher educators, in employing a Bakhtinian conceptual framework to the study of teacher reflection, can continue to stress reflection’s connection to action.
Preliminary characterization and partial purification of rat uterine nuclear type II binding sites

These studies represent the first biochemical characterization and purification of nuclear type II binding sites from the rat uterus. Uterine nuclei from estradiol-implanted rats were digested with DNA'se and RNA'se, washed with Na deoxycholate-Tween 40 and extracted with 0.4 M ammonium sulfate (AmSO4). Nuclear type II sites in the AmSO4 extract eluted as a single peak during DEAE ion exchange chromatography, HPLC (Waters DEAE 5PW column) and Sephadex G-100 chromatography with a molecular weight of approximately 37K. DEAE and quercetin-sepharose affinity chromatography resulted in significant purification (greater than 800-fold) of nuclear type II sites with a 49% yield. Type II sites were not recognized by rat ER antibodies (Abbot ER-EIA kit) which immunoadsorbed ER from these preparations. These biochemical and immunological studies suggest that the ER and type II sites are likely to be different proteins.
Kinematics of overlapping rift propagation with cyclic rift failure

Existing kinematic models for propagation of oceanic spreading ridges that incorporate overlap between ridge segments fail to describe detailed observations of the failed segments. I present a new model which discards the assumption of steady state behavior of the failing rift, permitting inward curvature of both rift tips in the overlap region. The shape of an inward-curving failing rift must continuously change, but is assumed to cyclically return to its original shape by discrete inward ridge jumps. Other assumptions of symmetric spreading and uniform simple shear deformation between the overlapping rift tips are retained from previous models. Inward curvature of failed rift structures provides much better agreement with observations, and is consistent with tensile fracture theory. If the offset between ridge segments is small enough, the inward jumps of the failing rift will cut across deformed structures originally formed at the propagating tip, possibly generating seafloor fabrics that crosscut each other at nearly right angles. Observations of such structures near the Gorda Ridge can be explained by a model incorporating variable cyclieity of the failing rift. chrons curve inward toward the ridge, faithfully recording the shape of the propagating tip in an undeformed part of the plate. Isochrons also curve toward the ridge along the inner pseudofault, but In the original formulation of the rules of plate tectonics, transform faults were assumed to be fixed relative to each other and the ridge segments they offset. The propagating rift model [1], which discards this assumption, has been very successful in describing oblique offsets in magnetic anomalies as a result of the lengthening of a ridge segment through time at the expense of the adjacent segment. Detailed observations of active propagating rifts suggest that the assumption that ridges are necessarily offset by discrete transform faults should also be discarded, with the segments instead offset by zones of distributed shear with widths of 10 or more km [2,3].
"Getting Used to It": Children Finding the Ordinary and Routine in the Uncertain Context of Cancer

Uncertainty has been described as one of the major stressors faced by children with cancer and their families. However, ill children's responses to uncertainty have not been systematically studied. This grounded theory study of 11 children undergoing treatment for cancer confirmed that children experience multiple uncertainties in the context of cancer diagnosis and treatment. For the most part, however, children did not characterize themselves as feeling uncertain. Instead, they quickly came to view their lives as routine and ordinary despite the unpredictable nature of their illness course. Children described a process of getting used to cancer that allowed them to keep their focus on the ordinary nature of their everyday lives within the uncertain context of their illness. This interplay between uncertainty and routine provides important insight into children's psychological adjustment to life-threatening illness.
A preliminary clinical evaluation of the Mauch hydraulic foot-ankle system

A preliminary clinical evaluation was conducted by the United States Veterans Administration on eight prototype Mauch hydraulic foot/ankle systems over a period of two years (June 1977-October 1979). One above-knee, three below-knee, and one bilateral above-knee/below-knee subjects were fitted. Both of the above-knee amputees were Mauch S-N-S hydraulic knee users. The purpose of this study was:1. To determine if this system provides the functions of the natural anatomical ankle around all three main axes; mediolateral, anteroposterior, and vertical.2. To determine its applicability as to level of amputation, its benefits to bilateral amputees, and its compatibility with crustacean and pylon prostheses/standard knee designs.3. To determine ease of installation, alignment, and adjustment procedures by a prosthetist and any new gait training techniques by a therapist. The results of the study revealed that this system does simulate the anatomical ankle in activities such as walking on uneven terrain, descend...
Neural network adaptive dynamic output feedback control for nonlinear nonnegative systems using tapped delay memory units

The potential applications of neural adaptive control for pharmacology in general, and anesthesia and critical care unit medicine in particular, are clearly apparent. Specifically, monitoring and controlling the depth of anesthesia in surgery is of particular importance. Nonnegative and compartmental models provide a broad framework for biological and physiological systems, including clinical pharmacology, and are well suited for developing models for closed-loop control of drug administration. In this paper, we develop a neural adaptive output feedback control framework for nonlinear uncertain nonnegative and compartmental systems. The proposed framework is Lyapunov-based and guarantees ultimate boundedness of the error signals. In addition, the neural adaptive controller guarantees that the physical system states remain in the nonnegative orthant of the state space. Finally, the proposed approach is used to control the infusion of the anesthetic drug propofol for maintaining a desired constant level of depth of anesthesia for noncardiac surgery.
Electronic Kanji Dictionary Based on "Dasher"

A new interface is proposed for efficiently searching ideographic character sets such as the Japanese Kanji alphabet. The proposed interface is based on MacKay's Dasher, an interface originally designed to enable high-speed computer input for disabled persons. The Dasher interface allows a user to form words and sentences by "gliding" through a field of characters. This paper considers adapting the Dasher approach for gliding through a complex and unfamiliar character space. Information-theoretic algorithms are proposed to make the interface tolerant to variations among individuals' interpretations of Kanji characters, so that it is immediately usable by persons with no prior knowledge of Kanji. A software concept demonstration of the proposed dictionary is available, implementing some of the proposed features and algorithms.
Polarization memory in the backscattering of light from a turbid medium

Time-resolved backscattering profiles of circularly and linearly polarized light were measured. The experimentally observed polarization memory effect is used to enhance the image contrast for a target inside large particle suspensions.
Family Impacts on Emerging Ventures in Poland

This study reports the results of a survey of eighty owners of new ventures in Poland. The purpose of the survey was to assess the problems faced by small business owners and prospective small business owners in this emerging democracy. The sample was almost evenly split between family businesses and nonfamily businesses, which allowed for comparisons between family business issues in Poland and in the United States and between family and nonfamily business in Poland.
Ambiguous absence, ambiguous presence: A qualitative study of military reserve families in wartime.

The “Global War on Terrorism” has resulted in reservists being deployed at an everincreasing rate. However, because reservists and their families are unaccustomed to deployments, many families may experience boundary ambiguity, a state in which family members are uncertain in their perception about who is in or out of the family and who is performing which roles and tasks within the family. This qualitative description study examined boundary ambiguity in military reserve families over time. A sample of 34 reservists, spouses, and parents was interviewed 7 times within the 1st year of the reservists’ return from Iraq. During deployment, all family members experienced boundary ambiguity. Gathering information and attending a family support group provided some relief for families. After the reservists returned, couples as well as those who had experienced additional life events or losses experienced the highest levels of boundary ambiguity. However, this boundary ambiguity dissipated over time, as families tended to restabilize once the reservists had returned to work and a routine had been established.
Endometrioid adenocarcinoma with simultaneous endocervical and intestinal-type mucinous differentiation: report of a rare phenomenon and the immunohistochemical profile.

Abstract Intestinal differentiation in the endometrium is rare with only case reports in the international literature. We describe a case of simultaneous endocervical and intestinal-type mucinous differentiation with goblet cells arising in a FIGO grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The patient had no involvement of the myometrium, cervix, or extra-uterine sites. There were no intestinal metaplastic changes of the endocervical canal. The etiology of this change is unknown, although recent reports suggest an association with hyperestrogenism.
A stochastic approach to the development of Coleocheate.

A stochastic tesselation model was constructed for the morphological pattern of the colonial alga Coleocheate . Instructions include rules for growth, cell division, cell differentiation and reproduction. These algorithms produce an acceptable facsimile of the morphology of the colony including minor fluctuations due to stochastic factors. No instructions were devised for self-reproduction, migration and physiological adjustment. It is concluded that a truly biological automaton should possess these capacities if it is to be representational otherwise the geometries are only novelties. The model includes feedback inhibition, diffusion processes, cell shape variation and stochastic decisions. The role of these factors is discussed along with what appears to be the biological correspondence to the features of the automaton.
94 GHz power amplifier device architecture in SiGe for active phased arrays

This paper discusses the first implementation of the High Voltage / High Power (HiVP) Amplifier Architecture in silicon in the W-band. Designed and laid out using a commercial 120 nm SiGe HBT BiCMOS process, a saturated output power of 9.7 dBm, gain of 7.7 dB, and a PAE of 12.0 % in an area of 0.20 mm2 have been achieved at 94 GHz. Small signal gain > 10 dB has been simulated from 50 GHz to 110 GHz. The intent of this paper is to introduce an amplifier device architecture intended for inclusion in transmitter / receiver ICs that would become a part of an active phased array operating in the W-band. In addition, provide designers with a simplified simulation technique, layout examples, and an architecture with a small layout footprint over classical techniques employed in current research.
X-ray fluorescence microtomography on a SiC nuclear fuel shell

TRISO fuel particles, used in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) are composite structures with a nuclear fuel kernel surrounded by alternating layers designed to contain fission products and compensate for radiation damage. As shown in Figure 1, a typical fuel particle contains an inner kernel of nuclear fuel, a low-density buffer layer of pyrocarbon, a dense layer of pyrocarbon coating, an interlayer of SiC, and a dense outer layer of pyrocarbon. The fuel kernel size, the thickness of the various layers, and the overall size of the TRISO fuel particle can vary with the type of fuel kernel. The SiC layer provides the primary barrier for both radioactive elements in the kernel and gaseous and metallic fission products.
The role of expectations and attributions in the alleviation of learned helplessness.

The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether altering attributions for failure would enable learned helpless children to deal more effectively with failure in an experimental problem-solving situation. Twelve children with extreme reactions to failure were identified and were given intensive, relatively long-term experience with one of two training procedures. It was hypothesized that a procedure which taught the helpless children to take responsibility for failure and to attribute it to lack of effort would result in unimpaired performance following failure in the criterion situation, but that a procedure which provided success experiences only (as in many programmed learning and behavior modification programs) would lead to changes of a lesser magnitude. The results revealed that following training, the subjects in the Success Only Treatment continued to evidence a severe deterioration in performance after failure, while subjects in the Attribution Retraining Treatment maintained or improved their performance. In addition, the subjects in the latter condition showed an increase in the degree to which they emphasized insufficient motivation versus ability as a determinant of failure. The present study of the alleviation of learned helplessness in children has grown out of several relatively independent lines of investigation: contingency learning in experimental animal psychology, attribution theory in personality-s ocial psychology, and cognitive therapy in clinical psychology. The phenomenon of learned helplessness, conceptually related to the earlier notion of
Expanding the CBAL™ Mathematics Assessments to Elementary Grades: The Development of a Competency Model and a Rational Number Learning Progression

Prior work on the CBAL™ mathematics competency model resulted in an initial competency model for middle school grades with several learning progressions (LPs) that elaborate central ideas in the competency model and provide a basis for connecting summative and formative assessment. In the current project, we created a competency model for Grades 3–5 that is based on both the middle school competency model and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). We also developed an LP for rational numbers based on an extensive literature review, consultations with members of the CBAL mathematics team and other related research staff at Educational Testing Service, input from an advisory panel of external experts in mathematics education and cognitive psychology, and the use of small-scale cognitive interviews with students and teachers. Elementary mathematical understanding, specifically that of rational numbers, is viewed as fundamental and critical to developing future knowledge and skill in middle and high school mathematics and therefore essential for success in the 21st century world. The competency model and the rational number LP serve as the conceptual basis for developing and connecting summative and formative assessment as well as professional support materials for Grades 3–5. We report here on the development process of these models and future implications for task development.
Target tracking using proximity binary sensors

This paper investigates the feasibility of a mesh network of proximity sensors to track multiple targets. In such a network, the sensors report a detection when a target is within the proximity; otherwise, the sensors report no detection. Previous work has revealed the potential of target localization and tracking for a single target using these binary reports. This work introduces a particle-based probability hypothesis density (PHD) filter that is able to track multiple targets using the binary reports from a proximity sensor network. Furthermore, this work modifies another particle-based multitarget tracker for proximity sensors, namely the ClusterTrack, from 1-D tracking to 2-D. The simulations demonstrate that the PHD is able to outperform the Cluster- Track in terms of both accuracy of localization and estimating the number of targets.
Effectiveness of Metal–Metal and Metal–Organic Compound Combinations Against Plutella xylostella: Implications for Plant Elemental Defense

Plants that contain elevated foliar metal concentrations can be categorized as accumulators or, if the accumulation is extreme, hyperaccumulators. The defense hypothesis suggests that these plants may be defended against folivore attack, and recent research has indicated that metal concentrations at or below the accumulator range may be defensively effective. This experiment explored the toxicity of four metals hyperaccumulated by plants (Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and asked if combinations of metals, or metals and organic chemicals, might broaden the defensive effectiveness of metals. Metals were used alone and in certain metal + metal (Zn plus Ni, Pb, or Cd) and metal + organic defensive chemical (Ni plus tannic acid, atropine, or nicotine) combinations. Artificial diet amended with these treatments was fed to larvae of the crucifer specialist herbivore Plutella xylostella. Combinations of metals and metals + organic chemicals significantly decreased survival and pupation rates, compared to single treatments, for at least some concentrations in every experiment. Effects of combinations were additive rather than synergistic or antagonistic. Because Zn enhanced the toxicity of other metals and Ni enhanced the toxicity of organic defensive chemicals, our findings suggest that the defensive effects of metals are more widespread among plants than previously believed. They also support the hypothesis that herbivore defense may have led to the evolution of metal hyperaccumulation by increasing the preexisting defensive effects of metals at accumulator levels in plants.
Simultaneous Retrieval of Diurnal to Seasonal Surface Temperatures and Emissivities over SGP ARM–CART Site Using GOES Split Window

Abstract GOES-8 thermal infrared split window measurements have been used with a simultaneous land surface temperature (LST)–spectral emissivity retrieval algorithm to examine the potential of a combined retrieval methodology cast into a variational solution for temperatures at multiple but short-term 6- to 24-h time intervals and emissivities at multiple spectral bands assumed to be invariant over the selected time intervals. Retrieved LST and emissivity quantities under differing atmospheric conditions over an annual cycle are validated and analyzed in regard to their underlying diurnal and seasonal variations over the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement–Cloud and Radiation Test Bed (ARM–CART) site in Kansas and Oklahoma. It is shown that the accuracy of the retrieval algorithm depends primarily on GOES infrared channel detector noise and uncertainties in columnar water vapor path, in which retrieval accuracy increases as pathlength decreases. A detailed analysis is given of the cha...
Steps forward in the assessment of myocardial viability in left ventricular dysfunction.

The compelling pathophysiology of the states of reversible LV dysfunction, myocardial hibernation, and myocardial stunning have spawned a voluminous literature as clinical investigators attempt to optimize the noninvasive identification of patients with these conditions before consideration of revascularization. Such techniques have direct relevance in patients with clinical syndromes associated with LV dysfunction. This is perhaps most important and most relevant in patients with a clinical syndrome of heart failure and a significant degree of global LV dysfunction, a subset of whom will derive considerable benefit in terms of outcome and recovery of LV function after revascularization. Several studies have now suggested that revascularization in the setting of LV dysfunction and significantly retained myocardial viability is associated with an improved natural history1 2 3 4 5 as well as improvement in heart failure symptoms and functional capacity.6 Besides providing clinically relevant data, noninvasive scintigraphic and echocardiographic techniques have also helped to illuminate the complex perfusion, metabolic, and functional correlates of these states of reversible LV dysfunction, which remain subjects for debate.7 8 Traditionally, the scintigraphic techniques for evaluation of myocardial viability could be broadly categorized into the SPECT method and agents assessing both perfusion and cell membrane integrity, and PET with tracers assessing perfusion and metabolic activity, including features of both cellular fatty acid and glucose metabolism.9 More recently, however, these distinctions have blurred with the advent of high-energy collimators for SPECT imaging of positrons,10 11 allowing the potential for the more widely available SPECT imaging technique to assess metabolic activity with 18FDG. Because PET technology is not widely available, and because on the basis of its expense and nonuniform reimbursement in this era of cost containment it is unlikely to be as available as SPECT in the future, the ability of SPECT imaging to …
Validity and reliability of a sensor-enabled intubation trainer: a focus on patient-centered data.

Abstract Background Prior work using simulation for assessing intubation skills has largely focused on the use of observer-generated performance measures in the form of checklists and global ratings scales. Purpose The purpose of our work was to investigate whether patient-centered simulation data could be used to quantify learner's performance during direct laryngoscopy. Methods We designed a pretest/posttest prospective intervention study of residents' ( n = 25) intubation skills. Results When assessing validity, all of the patient-centered simulation variables showed significant correlations with the previously validated observer-generated performance measures (r = 0.331–0.463, P ≤ 0.001). When assessing reliability, there were significant correlations between all of the sensor variables, confirming moderate to high inter-item reliability (r = 0.259–0.794, P ≤ 0.05). The observer-generated performance measures showed significant improvement in use of the Macintosh blade (T1 = 2.10/5.00, T2 = 3.64/5.00, P = 0.001). However, this was not the case for the Miller blade (T1 = 1.30/5.00, T2 = 1.75/5.00, P = 0.119). Overall, the patient-centered simulation variables provided a high level of detail regarding performance improvement areas. Conclusion This study presents a multilevel analysis of sensor-generated simulation data. As the sensors provide sound, formative data regarding patient contact, the outputs may be used for specific criterion measures and detailed performance feedback.
Impact of methods used to express levels of circulating fatty acids on the degree and direction of associations with blood lipids in humans

Numerous studies have examined relationships between disease biomarkers (such as blood lipids) and levels of circulating or cellular fatty acids. In such association studies, fatty acids have typically been expressed as the percentage of a particular fatty acid relative to the total fatty acids in a sample. Using two human cohorts, this study examined relationships between blood lipids (TAG, and LDL, HDL or total cholesterol) and circulating fatty acids expressed either as a percentage of total or as concentration in serum. The direction of the correlation between stearic acid, linoleic acid, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and DHA and circulating TAG reversed when fatty acids were expressed as concentrations v. a percentage of total. Similar reversals were observed for these fatty acids when examining their associations with the ratio of total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol. This reversal pattern was replicated in serum samples from both human cohorts. The correlations between blood lipids and fatty acids expressed as a percentage of total could be mathematically modelled from the concentration data. These data reveal that the different methods of expressing fatty acids lead to dissimilar correlations between blood lipids and certain fatty acids. This study raises important questions about how such reversals in association patterns impact the interpretation of numerous association studies evaluating fatty acids and their relationships with disease biomarkers or risk.
Bias-Temperature-Stress Characteristics of $ \hbox{ZnO/HfO}_{2}$ Thin-Film Transistors

Positive and negative bias temperature instabilities (PBTI and NBTI) of ZnO/HfO2 thin-film transistors are investigated by the bias-temperature-stress test method. PBTI results show a linear shift in threshold voltage in the positive voltage direction with a magnitude that semilogarithmically increases with time. This is indicative of dielectric charge trapping. Trends with stress voltage and temperature also support this conclusion. NBTI characteristics include threshold voltage shifts in the negative voltage direction, reduced channel mobility, and an increased subthreshold slope with temperature. The observed behavior suggests that defect state creation at the interface is the dominant mechanism responsible for NBTI.
Locus of Central Depressant Action of Some Benzodiazepine Analogues

SummaryIn midcollicular decerebrate cats, four benzodiazepine analogues, Ro 5-4023, Ro 5-3059 (nitrazepam), Ro 5-3350, Ro 5-6901 (Dalmane) were found to be very effective in blocking spinal polysynaptic reflexes. Subsequent to spinal cord transection during the period of drug-induced depression, these reflexes returned and became highly resistant to depression by these drugs. With stimulation experiments, these four agents depressed both the reticular facilitatory and inhibitory effects on the knee jerk. It was concluded that these drugs act mainly on supraspinal structures, most likely in the brainstem reticular system.
Cloning of an enzymatically active segment of the exotoxin-A gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common, opportunistic, nosocomial pathogen. It excretes a variety of proteins, one of which, exotoxin A, appears to be a major virulence factor (9,19,36). Exotoxin A (PE) is a 68,000 molecular weight protein (2,28) with a mechanism of action identical to that of diphtheria toxin (DT) (26). That is, it inhibits protein syntheses in mammalian cells by the transfer of the ADP-ribosyl group of NAD to a specific site on the peptide, elongation factor #2 (EF2), identified in mammalian-cell protein synthesis (14,35). As in diphtheria toxin, this enzymatic activity can be expressed by only part of the toxin molecule, the A (active) fragment of 26,000 to 27,000 molecular weight that is found in stored preparations (7,35), or after chymotrypsin or elastase cleavage of the intact toxin molecule (20,30). The remaining segment of the molecule of some 41,000 molecular weight, the B (binding) fragment, like the corresponding B fragment of DT, is believed to be involved in the recognition of cell receptors and the subsequent steps of endo-cytosis (26). The sequence of events in the pathway of receptor-mediated endocytosis remains obscure, and its resolution might be simplified if DT or PE mutants blocked at different steps were available. Such mutants might be derived and characterized more readily if the gene were cloned, and this was the main incentive for the project described, some details of which have already been published (23). A cloned toxin gene would also be an important intermediate in the construction of hybrid toxins (25).
Impact of body fat mass and percent fat on metabolic rate and thermogenesis in men

To clarify further the independent relationships of body composition parameters to energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and postprandial thermogenesis were studied in four groups who were matched for absolute fat mass (study 1) and relative fatness (study 2). In study 1, five lean [group A, 15.4 +/- 0.6% (+/- SE) body fat] and five obese men (group B, 25.0 +/- 0.9% fat) were matched on body fat mass (13.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 14.4 +/- 0.8 kg, respectively). Fat-free mass (FFM) and total weight were greater for group A than B. RMR was measured for 3 h in the fasted state and after a 720-kcal mixed meal. RMR was greater for group A than B (1.38 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.14 +/- 0.04 kcal/min, P less than 0.05). The thermic effect of food, calculated as 3 h postprandial minus fasting RMR, was greater for group A than B (65 +/- 6 vs. 23 +/- 9 kcal/3 h; P less than 0.05). In study 2, two groups (n = 6 men/group) were matched for percent body fat (33 +/- 1% fat for both) but differed in lean, fat, and total weights: 50.8 +/- 3.1 kg FFM for the lighter (group C) vs. 68.0 +/- 2.8 kg FFM for the heavier (group D) group, P less than 0.05. RMR was lower for group C than D (1.17 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.33 +/- 0.04 kcal/min, P less than 0.05), but the thermic effect of food was not significantly different (31 +/- 3 vs. 20 +/- 6 kcal/3 h).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
X-linked syndrome of platelet dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, and imbalanced globin chain synthesis with hemolysis.

An unusual family is described with a congenital bleeding disorder present in four males belonging to three generations. Of the three surviving affected males, all had splenomegaly and petechiae. The three had moderate thrombocytopenia (55–90 X 10(9)/liter) and markedly prolonged Ivy-template bleeding times (greater than 30 min). They were also noted to have reticulocytosis and, upon further investigation, imbalanced globin chain synthesis resembling that of beta-thalassemia minor. Studies on nine additional family members in four generations were normal except for slight elevations of reticulocyte counts in female members, one of whom had the abnormal globin chain synthesis ratio. In male members, the bleeding tendency and clinical signs always occurred in the presence of the globin chain synthesis defect and reticulocytosis. This previously undescribed condition was apparently transmitted as an X-linked disorder.
Novel Allosteric Mutations Increasing Cephalosporin Resistance of CTX-M9 Beta Lactamases

Cephalosporin drugs are a mainstay of therapy against gram-negative bacteria, so the spread of extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) presents an important challenge to current treatment regimens. The CTX-M family of beta-lactamases is a major cause of severe clinical resistance infections, and variants that further increase drug resistance are of particular concern, either within a population or during the course of a single patient's therapy. Here, we examine whether point mutations to CTX-M9 can substantially increase drug resistance. We performed a series of molecular simulations, testing >100 point mutations to predict which might confer increased drug resistance. Top-scoring mutants were transformed into E. coli; bacterial survival assays were used to test for resistance, and the mutant enzymes were also purified for further characterization. Of the 7 mutants tested, 3 substantially increased bacterial survival against cephalosporins, were not previously identified, and are located somewhat distant from the active site of the enzyme. Assays of substrate hydrolysis showed changes to both kcat and KM in the mutant enzymes that were not accompanied by changes in crystallographic structure. These and other data suggest that the mechanism of allosteric modulation in these mutants involves altered conformational equilibria in the drug-enzyme complex rather than changes to the lowest-free-energy structure. These results suggest that it is relatively straightforward for CTX-M9 to acquire increased cephalosporin resistance with single point mutations and that such mutations can occur well outside the canonical ligand-binding regions. Whether this resistance comes at the cost of other fitness losses remains unknown.