cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil Carbon Saturation: Linking Concept and Measurable Carbon Pools

The soil C saturation concept suggests a limit to whole soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation determined by inherent physicochemical characteristics of four soil C pools: unprotected, physically protected, chemically protected, and biochemically protected. Previous attempts to quantify soil C sequestration capacity have focused primarily on silt and clay protection and largely ignored the effects of soil structural protection and biochemical protection. We assessed two contrasting models of SOC accumulation, one with no saturation limit (i.e., linear first-order model) and one with an explicit soil C saturation limit (i.e., C saturation model). We isolated soil fractions corresponding to the C pools (i.e., free particulate organic matter POM], microaggregate-associated C, silt- and clay-associated C, and non-hydrolyzable C) from eight long-term agroecosystern experiments across the United States and Canada. Due to the composite nature of the physically protected C pool, we firactioned it into mineral- vs. POM-associated C. Within each site, the number of fractions fitting the C saturation model was directly related to maximum SOC content, suggesting that a broad range in SOC content is necessary to evaluate fraction C saturation. The two sites with the greatest SOC range showed C saturation behavior in the chemically, biochemically, and some mineral-associated fractions of the physically protected pool. The unprotected pool and the aggregate-protected POM showed linear, nonsaturating behavior. Evidence of C saturation of chemically and biochemically protected SOC pools was observed at sites far from their theoretical C saturation level, while saturation of aggregate-protected fractions occurred in soils closer to their C saturation level.
On the rheology of a dilute emulsion in a uniform electric field

A small-deformation perturbation analysis is developed to describe the effect of a uniform electric field on drop deformation and orientation in linear flows and emulsion shear rheology. All media are treated as leaky dielectrics, and fluid motion is described by the Stokes equations. The one-particle contribution to the effective stress of a dilute emulsion is obtained from the drop stresslet. Analytical solutions are derived as regular perturbations in the limits of small capillary number and large viscosity ratio. The results show that both shape distortion and charge convection modify emulsion rheology. Drop deformation due to application of an electric field in a direction perpendicular to the shear flow gives rise to normal stresses and may lead to shear thickening or shear thinning, depending on the electric properties of the fluids. Charge convection due to the imposed shear affects both the shear viscosity and normal stresses.
Arterial Blood Pressure System Modeling and Signal Analysis

An approach to modeling and signal processing of the human heart is presented. First the anatomy of the heart is described and the anatomical functions performed are outlined. A preliminary model of the cardio-systemic circuit system is described. The aim is to further refine the model to correlate to measured responses and characterization of those responses. The APB signal analysis method is quantified and empirical examples are provided and analyzed.
Predictors of Response to Sildenafil Citrate Following Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

ABSTRACT Introduction Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5) use is a treatment strategy for prostate cancer patients with post-radiation therapy (RT) erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim To define the predictors of sildenafil response in men treated with RT for prostate cancer. Main Outcome Measures International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Methods Patients were enrolled prospectively if they met the following criteria: (i) either a three-dimensional conformal external beam (EBRT) or brachytherapy (BT) with or without androgen deprivation (AD) for prostate cancer; (ii) self-reported ability to have sexual intercourse prior to RT; (iii) experienced onset of ED following RT; (iv) candidates for sildenafil citrate use; (v) followed-up periodically; and (vi) completed the IIEF at least 12 months after RT. Failure to respond to sildenafil was defined as IIEF-erectile function (EF) domain score of Results One hundred fifty-two patients met all the criteria: 110 in the EBRT group and 42 in the BT group. Mean age was 62 years. The mean follow-up was 38 months. Mean radiation dose for EBRT was 78 Gy and for BT was 101 Gy. Thirty-five patients received AD, 25% of EBRT, and 62% of BT patients. Sixty-one percent of the patients receiving AD had exposure only pre-RT, whereas 39% had pre- and post-RT AD exposure. The mean duration of AD was 4.6 months. Post-RT IIEF-EF domain score at >24 months was 17. Successful response to sildenafil occurred in 68% of men at 12 months after RT, 50% at 24 months, and 36% at 36 months. On multivariable analysis, predictors of failure to respond to sildenafil were: older age, longer time after RT, AD > 4 months duration, and RT dose > 85 Gy. Modality of radiation delivery was not predictive of sildenafil failure. Conclusions A steady decrease in sildenafil response was seen with increasing duration after RT. Several factors were predictive of sildenafil failure. Teloken PE, Parker M, Mohideen N, and Mulhall JP. Predictors of response to sildenafil citrate following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
Hierarchical Goal-Oriented Mobility Models with Applications to Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

The new class of hierarchical goal-oriented mobility models is introduced for the study of mobile ad hoc networks. The new models introduce role-based actors whose mobility behavior can vary in many different ways. The new models provide a flexible framework with aspects of both group (spatially correlated) and entity (spatially uncorrected) mobility models. The hierarchical rendezvous models in particular provide an abstract representation of civilian and military operations involving dynamic tasking of small teams that form, separate, and reform over time on an ad-hoc basis. The models were motivated by the authors' research into protocols for highly directional delay tolerant MANETs for which the mobility model has significant performance implications. These are illustrated through simulation results of the authors' Transient Information Level (TIL) protocol.
MicroRNAs in NF-κB signaling

Nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) is a transcriptional factor that regulates a battery of genes that are critical to innate and adaptive immunity, cell proliferation, inflammation, and tumor development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules of 20‐25 nucleotides in length that negatively regulate gene expression in animals and plants primarily by targeting 3 ′ untranslated regions of mRNAs. In this work, we review the convergence of miRNAs and NF-kB signaling and dysregulation of miRNAs and NF-kB activation in human diseases, particularly in cancer. The function of miR-146, miR-155, miR-181b, miR-21, and miR-301a in NF-kB activation and their impact on tumorigenesis are discussed. Given that over 1000 human miRNAs have been identified, rendering miRNAs one of the most abundant classes of regulatory molecules, deciphering their biological function and pathological contribution in NF-kB dysregulation is essential to appreciate the complexity of immune systems and to develop therapeutics against cancer.
Animal Biotelemetry: First anniversary

The 4th of April marks the first anniversary of the launch of Animal Biotelemetry, and an occasion to thank the scientific community for your support of the journal. We are thankful to the Associate Editors, who sent manuscripts out for review, the editorial board members, who have encouraged their colleagues and students to publish in the journal, and finally the expert reviewers of the articles. The bottom line is that Animal Biotelemetry is built on the foundation of your work, and relies on the support of the scientific community to ensure that it continues to provide a useful resource to researchers in this field.
Planning and the First Year of Teaching

Abstract A case study was conducted of the changes that took place in the way a teacher planned and thought about planning during the course of the first year of teaching. Responses to common problems and issues that arise in developing teaching expertise were explored using the four stages of teacher development suggested by Ryan. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of the study for teacher education.
Functional Micro-Organization of Primary Visual Cortex: Receptive Field Analysis of Nearby Neurons

It is well established that multiple stimulus dimensions (e.g., orientation and spatial frequency) are mapped onto the surface of striate cortex. However, the detailed organization of neurons within a local region of striate cortex remains unclear. Within a vertical column, do all neurons have the same response selectivities? And if not, how do they most commonly differ and why? To address these questions, we recorded from nearby pairs of simple cells and made detailed spatiotemporal maps of their receptive fields. From these maps, we extracted and analyzed a variety of response metrics. Our results provide new insights into the local organization of striate cortex. First, we show that nearby neurons seldom have very similar receptive fields, when these fields are characterized in space and time. Thus, there may be less redundancy within a column than previously thought. Moreover, we show that correlated discharge increases with receptive field similarity; thus, the local dissimilarity between neurons may allow for noise reduction by response pooling. Second, we show that several response variables are clustered within striate cortex, including some that have not received much attention such as response latency and temporal frequency. We also demonstrate that other parameters are not clustered, including the spatial phase (or symmetry) of the receptive field. Third, we show that spatial phase is the single parameter that accounts for most of the difference between receptive fields of nearby neurons. We consider the implications of this local diversity of spatial phase for population coding and construction of higher-order receptive fields.
The Size Distribution of Interstellar Dust

The interstellar extinction curve is a particularly useful tool for probing the grain size distribution (Greenberg 1978). Typically, the extinction at a wavelength, λ, is dominated by grains with sizes, a=λ/2π2 and extinction cross sections, Cext≈πa2. Thus, jhe NIR-visible extinction is dominated by grains with a size of about 3000A, while the FUV extinction results from about 100A grains. The steep FUV rise of the extinction curve implies that small grains dominate the total geometric cross section of the dust, a ma or feature of all dust models (Greenberg and Hong 1974; Mathis et al. 1977 Conversely, since extinction below 1000A has not been measured and since IR extinction is small and difficult to measure, the size distribution outside of these limits is not constrained very well. Here the small size limit of the interstellar grain size distribution will be reviewed.
What Underlies Urban Politics? Race, Class, Ideology, Partisanship, and the Urban Vote

What is urban politics really about? Despite decades of research, there is still considerable disagreement about the relative roles of race, class, ideology, partisanship, and other factors in shaping the urban vote. In this article, we assemble a wide range of data on a diverse set of urban elections and offer a more explicit empirical test of what shapes urban politics. Our results suggest that local elections are partly an ideological battle, partly a partisan contest, and at least marginally linked to class, religion, and morality. Race, however, is the dominant factor in the local electoral arena. Local elections are in no small part a competition between blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asian-Americans over the leadership of their cities. We also assess how and why these divides vary across cities and electoral contexts finding that a theory of realistic group conflict best predicts patterns in the vote.
Imaging single-channel calcium microdomains

The Ca 2+ microdomains generated around the mouth of open ion channels represent the basic building blocks from which cytosolic Ca 2+ signals are constructed. Recent improvements in optical imaging techniques now allow these microdomains to be visualized as single channel calcium fluorescence transients (SCCaFTs), providing information about channel properties that was previously accessible only by electrophysiological patch-clamp recordings. We review recent advances in single channel Ca 2+ imaging methodologies, with emphasis on total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) as the technique of choice for recording SCCaFTs from voltage- and ligand-gated plasmalemmal ion channels. This technique of ‘optical patch-clamp recording’ is massively parallel, permitting simultaneous imaging of hundreds of channels; provides millisecond resolution of gating kinetics together with sub-micron spatial resolution of channel locations; and is applicable to diverse families of membrane channels that display partial permeability to Ca 2+ ions.
Assessing Adhesion Forces of Type I and Type IV Pili of Xylella fastidiosa Bacteria by Use of a Microfluidic Flow Chamber

Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium responsible for Pierce's disease in grapevines, possesses both type I and type IV pili at the same cell pole. Type IV pili facilitate twitching motility, and type I pili are involved in biofilm development. The adhesiveness of the bacteria and the roles of the two pili types in attachment to a glass substratum were evaluated using a microfluidic flow chamber in conjunction with pilus-defective mutants. The average adhesion force necessary to detach wild-type X. fastidiosa cells was 147 ± 11 pN. Mutant cells possessing only type I pili required a force of 204 ± 22 pN for removal, whereas cells possessing only type IV pili required 119 ± 8 pN to dislodge these cells. The experimental results demonstrate that microfluidic flow chambers are useful and convenient tools for assessing the drag forces necessary for detaching bacterial cells and that with specific pilus mutants, the role of the pilus type can be further assessed.
Vowel perception in listeners with normal hearing and in listeners with hearing loss: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of hearing loss on perception of vowel slices. METHODS: Fourteen listeners aged 20-27 participated; ten (6 males) had hearing within normal limits and four (3 males) had moderate-severe sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Stimuli were six naturally-produced words consisting of the vowels /i a u ae ɛ ʌ/ in a /b V b/ context. Each word was presented as a whole and in eight slices: the initial transition, one half and one fourth of initial transition, full central vowel, one-half central vowel, ending transition, one half and one fourth of ending transition. Each of the 54 stimuli was presented 10 times at 70 dB SPL (sound press level); listeners were asked to identify the word. Stimuli were shaped using signal processing software for the listeners with SNHL to mimic gain provided by an appropriately-fitting hearing aid. RESULTS: Listeners with SNHL had a steeper rate of decreasing vowel identification with decreasing slice duration as compared to listeners with normal hearing, and the listeners with SNHL showed different patterns of vowel identification across vowels when compared to listeners with normal hearing. CONCLUSION: Abnormal temporal integration is likely affecting vowel identification for listeners with SNHL, which in turn affects vowel internal representation at different levels of the auditory system.
The Impact of Managerial Ability and Capital Structure on Growth of the Farm Firm

A simulation model of farm firm behavior in a dynamic environment with elements of uncertainty was developed. The decision maker's formulation of expectations regarding future prices and yields, his selection of alternative farm plans, evaluation of the expected outcomes of the plans with respect to four goals, and implementation of the plan offering the highest level of overall satisfaction are explicitly considered. The expectations, goals, and resource position of the firm are adjusted to reflect the outcome of the particular plan implemented, and the process is repeated for the next year. A case was simulated for a period of 20 years under three different levels of managerial ability and 27 different capital market structures. It is concluded that managerial ability and long-term loan limits are the major factors, among those considered, influencing farm firm growth.
Identification of light-independent inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection through bioguided fractionation of Hypericum perforatum

Light-dependent activities against enveloped viruses in St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) extracts have been extensively studied. In contrast, light-independent antiviral activity from this species has not been investigated. Here, we identify the light-independent inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) by highly purified fractions of chloroform extracts of H. perforatum. Both cytotoxicity and antiviral activity were evident in initial chloroform extracts, but bioassay-guided fractionation produced fractions that inhibited HIV-1 with little to no cytotoxicity. Separation of these two biological activities has not been reported for constituents responsible for the light-dependent antiviral activities. Antiviral activity was associated with more polar subfractions. GC/MS analysis of the two most active subfractions identified 3-hydroxy lauric acid as predominant in one fraction and 3-hydroxy myristic acid as predominant in the other. Synthetic 3-hydroxy lauric acid inhibited HIV infectivity without cytotoxicity, suggesting that this modified fatty acid is likely responsible for observed antiviral activity present in that fraction. As production of 3-hydroxy fatty acids by plants remains controversial, H. perforatum seedlings were grown sterilely and evaluated for presence of 3-hydroxy fatty acids by GC/MS. Small quantities of some 3-hydroxy fatty acids were detected in sterile plants, whereas different 3-hydroxy fatty acids were detected in our chloroform extracts or field-grown material. Through bioguided fractionation, we have identified that 3-hydroxy lauric acid found in field grown Hypericum perforatum has anti-HIV activity. This novel anti-HIV activity can be potentially developed into inexpensive therapies, expanding the current arsenal of anti-retroviral agents.
Climate change and eastern Africa: a review of impact on major crops

Global warming has become one of the major challenges in maintaining global food security. This paper reviews the impacts of climate change on fourteen strategic crops for eight sub-Saharan Africa countries. Climate change is projected to increase median temperature by 1.4–5.5°C and median precipitation by −2% to 20% by the end of the 21st century. However, large levels of uncertainty exist with temporal and spatial variability of rainfall events. The impact of climate change on crop yields in the region is largely negative. Among the grain crops, wheat is reported as the most vulnerable crop, for which up to 72% of the current yield is projected to decline. For other grain crops, such as maize, rice and soybean, up to 45% yield reductions are expected by the end of this century. Two grain crops, millet and sorghum, are more resilient to climate change for which projected impacts on crop yields are <20%. Root crops, such as sweet potato, potato and cassava are projected to be less affected than the grain crops with changes to crop yields ranging from about −15% to 10%. For the two major export crops, tea and coffee, up to 40% yield loss is expected due to the reduction in suitable areas caused by temperature increase. Similar loss of suitable areas is also expected for banana and sugarcane production, however, this reduction is due to rainfall variability in lowland areas. Other crops such as cotton and sugarcane are projected to be more susceptible to precipitation variation that will vary significantly in the region. In order to mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change on agricultural sectors, the development of small-scale irrigation systems and water harvesting structures seems promising, however, affordability of such measures remains a key issue.
Central inspiratory influence on abdominal expiratory nerve activity.

Our purpose was to determine whether the intensity of abdominal expiratory nerve discharge is conditioned by the intensity of the preceding inspiratory phrenic discharge, independent of mechanical and chemical afferent influences. In decerebrate, paralyzed, vagotomized cats with bilateral pneumothoraxes, we recorded phrenic and abdominal (cranial iliohypogastric nerve, L1) nerve activities at hyperoxic normocapnia. We reduced the duration and intensity (i.e., integrated peak height) of phrenic nerve discharge for single cycles by stimulating the cut central end of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) during the central inspiratory phase (75 microA, 20-50 Hz, 0.2-ms pulse). Premature termination of inspiration consistently reduced expiratory duration (TE) and abdominal expiratory nerve activity (area of integrated neurogram), but the average reduction in TE was much less than the reduction in abdominal nerve activity (14 vs. 51%). Stimulation of the cut central end of the vagus nerve yielded similar results, as did spontaneous premature terminations of inspiration, which we observed in one cat. SLN stimulation during hyperoxic hypercapnia resulted in more variable responses, and higher stimulation frequencies were usually required to abort inspiration. SLN (or vagal) stimulation during expiration consistently increased abdominal expiratory nerve activity. We speculate that this facilitatory response is gated during inspiration, thereby allowing the inspiratory conditioning effect on the subsequent expiration to be expressed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
PSEUDO-R 2 IN LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL

Logistic regression with binary and multinomial outcomes is commonly used, and researchers have long searched for an interpretable measure of the strength of a particular logistic model. This article describes the large sample properties of some pseudo-R 2 statistics for assessing the predictive strength of the logistic regression model. We present theoretical results regarding the convergence and asymptotic normality of pseudo-R 2 s. Simulation results and an example are also presented. The behavior of the pseudo-R 2 s is investigated numerically across a range of conditions to aid in practical interpretation.
Influence of the trailing-edge notch on flight performance of galliforms

ABsmAcT.-Trailing-edge notches, formed by shortened first secondaries, characterize the wings of most galliforms. I investigated the function of these notches with comparative measurements of notch size taken from extended-wing specimens and with experimental studies of model wings of four representative species. Pheasants, quail, and turkeys, all of which use flight to escape predators, have wide wings and deep notches. Grouse with dark flight muscles have long, narrow wings with small trailing-edge notches and typically fly relatively long distances from one foraging site to another. Grouse with light colored flight muscles have short, broad wings with large trailing-edge notches and mostly fly from ground to canopy or from branch to branch to reach their food. Model wings of two pairs of galliforms with different wing shapes were used in the experiments. White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) and Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have small notches, high aspect ratios, relatively heavy wing loadings, low maximum lift coefficients, and dark pectoral muscles. In contrast, Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and California Quail (Callipepla californica) have deep notches, low aspect ratios, relatively light wing loadings, high lift coefficients, and light colored pectoral muscles. Experiments using model wings in a water flow tunnel show that the trailing-edge notch increases the maximum lift-to-drag ratio and stabilizes airflow around the wing, but reduces the maximum lift coefficient. Thus, the trailing-edge notch increases performance in vertical and slow flight but reduces efficiency in level flight. Such a function is consistent with the suite of differences these birds show in muscle color, wing shape, and predominant mode of flight. Received 17 November 1995, accepted 27 February 1996.
The Myrmecocoles of Lasius Umbratus Mixtus Aphidicola Walsh

Over sixty years have passed since Brendel (1865) describeed the North American clavigerid, Adranes lecontei . Although the species obviously should have interesting interrelations with its hosts (species of Lasius ), nothing is known of its life history or of the details of its position in the Lasius biocoenose (Wheeler, 1926, p. 405). Instead, we have drawn from accounts of better known related forms, especially the European Claviger testaceus Preys. The latter has been studied by many workers, and our knowledge of this species is summed up by M¼ller (1818), Hetschko (1896), Kr¼ger (1910) and Donisthorpe (1927).
Effects of Cambering of Steel WF Beams

Method of determining residual stresses gives rational approach to analysis; stresses produced by subsequent loading, based on allowable stress of 18,000 psi also presented; procedure for deflections, of value in determining required moment to produce given camber; set of curves show magnitude of residual stress for any required camber, when beam is reloaded.
Estimation of Parameters in Heteroscedastic Linear Models

This paper deals with linear regression models with non-homogeneous error variances. The common situation where the error variance is a smooth function of the values of the regressor variables is considred. The error variance function is represented by a function of known form, but its expression involves the vector of unknown regression coeffcients β and an additional vector parameter θ. Estimation of β by iterative weighted least squares (IWLS) therefore also requires updating the estimate of θ at each iteration. When the error variance function is misspecified, different methods of updating θ would yield IWLS estimators of varying degrees of efficiency. Under such situations, a method of updating θ is proposed, resulting in an iterative procedure for estimating β that is asymptotically optimal in the class of IWLS estimators
Applications of subset selection procedures and Bayesian ranking methods in analysis of traffic fatality data

Nonparametric and parametric subset selection procedures are used in the analysis of state motor vehicle traffic fatality rates MVTFRs, for the years 1994 through 2012, to identify subsets of states that contain the 'best' lowest MVTFR and 'worst' highest MVTFR states with a prescribed probability. A new Bayesian model is developed and applied to the traffic fatality data and the results contrasted to those obtained with the subset selection procedures. All analyses are applied within the context of a two-way block design. WIREs Comput Stat 2016, 8:222-237. doi: 10.1002/wics.1385
False recollection: Empirical findings and their theoretical implications.

Abstract This chapter reviews the literature documenting particularly compelling false memories—memory errors that people subjectively experience as similar to authentic memories (referred to as false recollections). Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence examining three major phenomena that produce false recollection (the misinformation effect, imagination inflation, and DRM lure errors) are reviewed, with the general goal of understanding the kinds of memorial information that underlies them. In particular, this chapter was motivated by consideration of whether familiarity-based processes are sufficient to explain false recollection, or if evidence exists that false recollections are caused by processes similar to those mediating authentic recollection, such as the retrieval of encoding context. Following the review of evidence documenting false recollection, three major theoretical frameworks that explain false recollection are evaluated in light of the evidence, with the goal of advancing understanding of the memory representations and retrieval processes that underlie false recollection.
Discussion of “Proposed use of the T phase in tsunami warning systems”

Abstract Ewing, Tolstoy, and Press of Columbia University reported that “a striking correlation between the occurrence of a short-period earthquake phase (T phase) traveling through the ocean with the speed of sound in sea water and the occurrence of tsunamis has been observed.” Their statements about the characteristics of T are incorrect in every essential detail. For the Pacific Ocean, they list five tsunami between 1933 and 1946, of which the largest, on April 1, 1946, was generated by an earthquake for which no T was recorded. They neglect to mention the earthquake of January 23, 1938, near Hawaii, which produced the largest T recorded on the Pacific coast to date, but no tsunami. The importance of these outstanding exceptions, errors in reporting the data, and uncertainty concerning the actual number of T phases recorded on the Pacific coast combine to make the evidence for any value of T as a tsunami warning decidedly inconclusive. In the Atlantic, the proposal that T be used as a tsunami warning reduces to an absurdity. Ewing, Tolstoy, and Press state that between 1939 and 1948 “20 Dominican Republic shocks produced T phases,” and that one of them was followed by a definite tsunami. Actually, more than 200 Dominican Republic shocks produced T within that span of years, and many in other Atlantic regions. With one minor tsunami among 200 to 250 T phases, the correlation is not impressive.
Tennessee Williams and Italy: A Transcultural Perspective by Alessandro Clericuzio (review)

Alessandro Clericuzio’s Tennessee Williams and Italy: A Transcultural Perspective traces the work of the young American playwright’s growing international reputation against the currents of cultura...
Is Coming Out in the Classroom Still an Occupational Hazard? A Replication of Russ, Simonds, and Hunt (2002)

This project represents a replication of Russ, Simonds, and Hunt’s (2002) project that explored the influence of instructor sexual orientation disclosure on perceptions of teacher credibility and l...
Administrators also do Self-Study: Issues of Power and Community, Social Justice and Teacher Education Reform

Self-study of teacher education practices includes self-study of administrative practices in teacher education. Practitioners become administrators and wish to continue their self-study; practitioners who are not formally designated as administrators may recognize the importance of administrative practices in the institutions of which they are a part. These studies include those by administrators (deans, school superintendents, head teachers, school principals) who maintain their practice of self-study even though they have moved to an administrative role, by practitioners who have conducted self-studies with an administrative focus at the program level, and by practitioners writing self-studies with an administrative focus on teacher education reform. Key themes in administrative self-studies include issues of power (its source, purpose and use), issues of community (its development and purpose), e3orts to incorporate social justice in teacher education, and the impact of teacher education reform. The chapter surveys a broad range of studies, primarily from authors within the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices Special Interest Group. Because studies of educational administration are typically quantitative or, if qualitative, are done from an exterior perspective, these self-studies are unusual in the field of educational administration. They have considerable potential for revealing the impact of today’s educational changes in the world of practice.
Francis Lieber and the Semiotics of Law and Politics

“The signs which man uses, the using of which implies intention, for the purpose of conveying ideas or notions to his fellow-creatures, are very various, for instance, gestures, signals, telegraphs, monuments, sculpture of all kinds, pictorial and hieroglyphic signs, the stamp on coins, seals, beacons, buoys, insignia, ejaculations, articulate sounds, or their representations, that is, phonetic characters on stones, wood, leaves, paper, etc., entire periods, or single words, such as names in a particular place, and whatever other signs, even the flowers in the flower language of the East, might be enumerated…These signs then are used to convey certain ideas, and interpretation, in its widest meaning, is the discovery and representation of the true meaning of any sign used to convey ideas” (Legal and Political Hermeneutics…1839: 17, 18).
ROLE OF THE NUCLEUS LOCUS COERULEUS IN SYMPATHETHIC AND CENTRAL NORADRENERGIC ACTIVATION AS REFLECTED BY CHANGES IN THE NOREPINEPHRINE METABOLITE 3-METHOXY-4-HYDROXYPHENETHYLENEGLYCOL (MHPG) IN RATS

Stimulation of the brain nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) produces a large increase in plasma levels of MHPG. Blockade of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) significantly attenuates the plasma MHPG increase after LC stimulation, suggesting a possible influence of the LC on the SNS. Unilateral lesioning of the anatomical region containing the LC blocks the plasma MHPG increase when the lesioned site is stimulated. Spinal cord MHPG increased after LC stimulation, and a significant correlation was found between spinal cord MHPG and plasma MHPG, suggesting that the descending projections of the LC to the spinal cord may be involved in the plasma MHPG increase.
Function and Fusion of the Mandibular Symphysis in Primates

Over the past. 30 years a series of morphological and experimental analyses have attempted to address questions about the functional and evolutionary significance of mandibular symphyseal fusion or complete ossification of the joint between the two dentaries (Scapino, 1965, 1981; Hylander, 1975a, 1977, 1979a,b, 1984, 1985; Beecher, 1977, 1979, 1983; Hirschfeld et al., 1977; Dessein, 1985; Hylander et al., 1987; Greaves, 1988, 1993; Ravosa, 1991; M. J. Ravosa, unpublished data; Ravosa and Hylander, 1993; Hylander and Johnson, 1994; Ravosa and Simons, 1994). This work has increased our understanding of the functional morphology of the mammalian masticatory apparatus, in part by highlighting the interaction of jaw mechanics, diet and allometry on symphyseal form. Many of these studies have also influenced adaptive explanations for the evolution of anthropoid craniodental morphology and impact directly on hypotheses regarding phylogenetic affinities among certain Eocene and Oligocene primates (Hiiemae and Kay, 1972, 1973; Gingerich, 1977, 1979; Beecher, 1977, 1979; Cachel, 1979a,b; Hylander, 1979a,b; Szalay and Delson, 1979; Rosenberger, 1981, 1986; Rosenberger et al., 1985; Rasmussen, 1986, 1990; Greaves, 1988, 1993; Simons, 1989, 1990, 1992; Ravosa, 1991; M. J. Ravosa, unpublished data; Rasmussen and Simons, 1992; Ravosa and Hylander, 1993; Ravosa and Simons, 1994).
Metastases from Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder Masquerading as Psoas Abscess

Metastases from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder usually progress in a stepwise fashion. We report that first case of metastasis to the body of the psoas muscle. No evidence of retroperitoneal lymphatic involvement or direct extension was identified. Furthermore, the original tumor was superficial but the history was complicated by perforation of the bladder during resection.
Training Faculty Field Liaisons: The Role of Social Capital Theory

As the social work profession’s signature pedagogy, it has become crucial to evaluate and reflexively review the needs of those involved in field education programming—including students, faculty field liaisons, and field instructors. Descriptive qualitative analysis was used to examine the narrative comments of graduate-level social work students (N = 243) and their field instructors (N = 163) at the conclusion of their field experience across a 5-year period. The emergent themes, anchored in the constructs of social capital, highlight the multi-faceted role of faculty field liaisons. This research project concluded that the key component to whether students and field instructors value their participation in field was the perceived value of their relationship with the faculty field liaison. It is these relationship-centered requests that become fruitful considerations for staffing and training in field education programs.
Propensity score analysis: Frontline therapy with hyper-CVAD (HCVAD) + ponatinib vs. HCVAD + dasatinib in patients (pts) with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

7025Background: Combination of chemotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor is standard of care in Ph+ ALL. The combination of HCVAD plus ponatinib induced a 3-y survival rate of 80%. The clinical ef...
Complicated appendicitis: Immediate operation or trial of nonoperative management?

Abstract Background The optimal treatment for complicated appendicitis remains controversial. We sought to compare clinical outcomes of patients with complicated appendicitis treated with an immediate operation or a trial of nonoperative management. Methods Adult patients (≥18 years) with complicated appendicitis were included. Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared between the immediate operation group and the nonoperative management group. Results A total of 101 patients met our inclusion criteria. Of those, 36 patients received an initial trial of nonoperative management with an 86.1% success rate. Patients who failed nonoperative management required significantly longer hospital stays than those in the immediate operation group (11 vs. 5 days). An immediate operation was performed in 65 patients. Open surgery was required in 9 patients (13.8%). Postoperatively, 7 patients (10.8%) required percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal abscess. Conclusions Nonoperative management was successful in the majority of patients with complicated appendicitis, whereas failure of nonoperative management was associated with prolonged hospital stay. Patients who underwent an immediate operation often required percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal abscess.
Placement of Stimulating Epidural Catheter for a Patient With Large Scapular Sarcoma: A Case Report

We report the use of continuous electrical stimulation to assist with the preoperative placement of a thoracic epidural which was used to provide postoperative analgesia in a patient undergoing excision of a large scapular sarcoma. The size of the sarcoma and the surrounding area required to maintain a sterile surgical field necessitated that the epidural catheter be inserted several vertebral interspaces caudal to the level of desired catheter tip termination. The use of electrical stimulation allowed for sequential intercostal muscle stimulation during threading, which enabled the placement of the catheter tip at the appropriate spinal level to optimize analgesia.
Intrapartum assessment of the postdate fetus.

Abstract Continuous monitoring of fetal heart rate (FHR) and routine sampling of fetal scalp blood were utilized to evaluate the intrapartum performance of 82 fetuses of postdates pregnancies. A comparison was made between this group 260 term pregnancies. The incidences of abnormal FHR patterns were not different between the postdates group and the control group. All of the postdates neonates with low 5 minute Apgar scores had passed meconium. The mean pH values of the postdates fetuses with meconium were significantly lower than those of thecontrol group at each sampling interval (i.e., early labor, late labor, and umbilical artery). Those fetuses with thick meconium had significantly lower pH values in late labor than did those thin meconium. Continuous electronic FHR monitoring is recommended for intrapartum survelliance of all postdates patients. Because of increased incidence of fetal acidosis in the presence of thick meconium, sampling of fetal scalp blood is not unreasonable even with a normalFHR pattern. (Am. J. Obstet Gynecol. 141 :516, 1981.)
A cooperative combined defense technique for jamming attack in MANET

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) consist of continuously mobile nodes in the network. Due to this dynamic nature of the network, new nodes keep joining the network and some nodes exit the network every now and then. As a result, keeping track of every node in the network is not possible. So, malicious nodes like jammers can easily enter the network and affect the efficiency of the network. Hence, in this paper, we develop a cooperative combined defense technique for detecting jamming attacks in the MANET by determining the presence of jammers in the network. This is achieved by combining several important factors like correlation coefficient, carrier sensing time, packet delivery ratio (PDR) and signal strength (SS). Then a trust model is derived for each node and updated based on these measured parameters. Each node collaboratively checks the updated trust values of a suspected node and detects the jamming attack. Simulation results show that the proposed technique improves the detection accuracy and packet delivery ratio.
DECELERATION PARAMETER Q (Z) AND EXAMINING IF A JOINT DM-DE MODEL IS FEASIZBLE, WITH A REVISIT TO THE QUESTION OF COSMIC SINGULARITIES

This paper is a revisit to a 2011 document , with the addition of results pertinent to singularities in the case of a single repeating universe, as well as when the multiverse voids the necessity of a classical GR singularity. When a classical singularity does not exist, it impacts the formation of a massive graviton for reasons brought up, and allows for re acceleration of the universe due to massive gravitons. The existence of massive gravitons would also affect initial entropy, and also lead to the datum, that a calculated inflaton   t  may re-emerge after fading out in the aftermath of inflation. The inflaton may be a contributing factor to, with non-zero graviton mass, in re acceleration of the universe a billion years ago. The inflaton is a source of re acceleration of the universe, especially if the effects of a re emergent inflaton are in tandem with the appearance of macro effects of a small graviton mass, leading to a speed up of the rate of expansion of the universe one billion years ago, at red shift value of Z ~ .423. We find that the graviton being massless or massive directly affects graviton contributions to re acceleration of the universe, with other phenomenological consequences. Finally we give our own counterpart as to how much space-time should be transferred to the present cosmological inflationary cycle which may permit preservation of Planks constant value, compliments Corda’s brilliant “gravity’s breath” document
An automated virtual screening system for identification of novel therapeutics.

Notwithstanding well-known algorithmic weaknesses, molecular docking screens have had important successes in recent years, and are now the most practical technique to leverage structure for ligand discovery. Unfortunately, barriers to entry have largely restricted the techniques to experts and their collaborators. Docking databases are expensive to acquire, require considerable manipulation, and the software is byzantine. There are many other pitfalls for the unwary, for example in the preparation of the protein binding site and the choice of dozens of parameters. This has diminished the impact of the technique and limited the sorts of problems to which it can be applied. To address this situation we are building tools and databases that will bring docking to a broad audience, in the spirit of BLAST, and allow its application to new questions. This talk will describe the development of and experience with an early prototype of an automated web-based docking system and its components. We will focus on specific examples of ligand discovery using molecular docking, illustrating some of the strengths and weaknesses of an automated web-based facility.
The influence of tempo on stop closure duration as a cue for voicing and place

Abstract: The closure interval of post-stress medial stops varies in duration due to phonological voicing and place of articulation, as well as speaking tempo. In this experiment the closure duration of the medial stop in rabid was varied over a range of 10 to 120 ms with no glottal pulsing during the closure. Embedded after fast and slow carrier sentences, the variants were identified as ratted, rabid, or rapid. The locus of the perceptual boundary between /b/ and flap at about 30 ms was not significantly influenced by the tempo of the carrier, while the locus of the /b/–/p/ boundary at 75 ms moved nearly 10 ms toward shorter values in the fast carrier sentence. These results, interpreted in terms of constraints on speech production, were taken to imply that closure duration as a voicing cue must be defined relative to speaking tempo. The flap effect suggests that closure duration can sometimes be a decisive cue to place of articulation capable of overriding even naturally produced spectral information.
Interpretation of HDX Data by Maximum-Entropy Reweighting of Simulated Structural Ensembles

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange combined with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a widely applied biophysical technique that probes the structure and dynamics of biomolecules without the need for site-directed modifications or bio-orthogonal labels. The mechanistic interpretation of HDX data, however, is often qualitative and subjective, owing to a lack of quantitative methods to rigorously translate observed deuteration levels into atomistic structural information. To help address this problem, we have developed a methodology to generate structural ensembles that faithfully reproduce HDX-MS measurements. In this approach, an ensemble of protein conformations is first generated, typically using molecular dynamics simulations. A maximum-entropy bias is then applied post hoc to the resulting ensemble such that averaged peptide-deuteration levels, as predicted by an empirical model, agree with target values within a given level of uncertainty. We evaluate this approach, referred to as HDX ensemble reweighting (HDXer), for artificial target data reflecting the two major conformational states of a binding protein. We demonstrate that the information provided by HDX-MS experiments and by the model of exchange are sufficient to recover correctly weighted structural ensembles from simulations, even when the relevant conformations are rarely observed. Degrading the information content of the target data-e.g., by reducing sequence coverage, by averaging exchange levels over longer peptide segments, or by incorporating different sources of uncertainty-reduces the structural accuracy of the reweighted ensemble but still allows for useful insights into the distinctive structural features reflected by the target data. Finally, we describe a quantitative metric to rank candidate structural ensembles according to their correspondence with target data and illustrate the use of HDXer to describe changes in the conformational ensemble of the membrane protein LeuT. In summary, HDXer is designed to facilitate objective structural interpretations of HDX-MS data and to inform experimental approaches and further developments of theoretical exchange models.