cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Production of Reduced Phosphorus Compounds: Mechanochemical Hydride Phosphorylation Using Condensed Phosphates as a Route to Phosphite

Phosphorus removal and recovery technologies have been implemented to tackle the anthropogenic eutrophication caused by phosphate runoff into waterways. In pursuit of a better utilization of the phosphates recovered from waste water treatment, we herein report that condensed phosphates can be employed to phosphorylate hydride reagents under solvent-free mechanochemical conditions to furnish phosphite (HPO3)2−, a versatile chemical with phosphorus in the +3 oxidation state. Hydride phosphorylation, as a two-electron one-proton reduction of a main group element oxide, constitutes a direct parallel with CO2 reduction to formate. Using potassium hydride as the hydride source, sodium trimetaphosphate (Na3P3O9 ), triphosphate (Na5P3O10), and pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7) engendered phosphite in 44, 58, and 44% yields based on total P content, respectively, under their optimal conditions. Formation of overreduced products including hypophosphite (H2PO2−) was identified as a competing process, and mechanistic investigation revealed that hydride attack on in situ generated phosphorylated phosphite species is a potent pathway for overreduction. The phosphite generated from our method could be easily isolated in the form of barium phosphite, a useful intermediate for production of phosphorous acid. This method circumvents the need to pass through white phosphorus (P4) as a high energy intermediate and mitigates involvement of environmentally hazardous chemicals. A bioproduced polyphosphate from baker’s yeast was demonstrated to be a viable starting material for the production of phosphite. This example demonstrates the possibility of accessing reduced phosphorus compounds in a more sustainable manner, and more importantly, closing the modern phosphorus cycle.
Improve Latent Semantic Analysis Based Language Model by Integrating Multiple Level Knowledge

We describe an extension to the use of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) for language modeling. This technique makes it easier to exploit long distance relationships in natural language for which the traditional n-gram is unsuited. However, with the growth of length, the semantic representation of the history may be contaminated by irrelevant information, increasing the uncertainty in predicting the next word. To address this problem, we propose a multilevel framework dividing the history into three levels corresponding to document, paragraph and sentence. To combine the three levels of information with the n-gram, a Softmax network is used. We further present a statistical scheme that dynamically determines the unit scope in the generalization stage. The combination of all the techniques leads to a 14% perplexity reduction on a subset of Wall Street Journal, compared with the trigram model.
Structure/function analysis of interleukin-2-toxin (DAB486-IL-2) : fragment B sequences required for the delivery of fragment A to the cytosol of target cells

We have used cassette and deletion mutagenesis to analyze the structural features of fragment B-related sequences in the fusion toxin DAB486-IL-2 (where IL-2 represents interleukin-2) that are necessary for the efficient delivery of fragment A to the cytosol of target cells. We demonstrate that whereas an intact disulfide bond between Cys461 and Cys471 may be required for the cytotoxic action of native diphtheria toxin, this bond is not required for the cytotoxic action of DAB486-IL-2. The in-frame deletion of the 97 amino acids from Thr387 to His485 of DAB486-IL-2 increases both the potency and the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of the resulting fusion toxin for high affinity interleukin-2 receptor-bearing target cells. In contrast, the inframe deletion of either the 191 amino acids between Asp291 and Gly483 or the 85 amino acids between Asn204 and Ile290 results in a 1000-fold loss in potency. These regions contain the putative membrane-spanning regions and the amphipathic membrane surface-associating regions of fragment B, respectively. These results indicate that the efficient delivery of the ADP-ribosyltransferase from DAB486-IL-2 to the cytosol requires the membrane-associating domains of fragment B. This function has been postulated to play a role in the diphtherial intoxication of eukaryotic cells. However, unlike native diphtheria toxin, fragment B sequences distal to Thr387 do not enhance the potency of DAB486-IL-2.
A playbill: Rethinking assessment in teacher education

In this article, we tell the story of inquiring about, designing, implementing and studying our enactment of non-traditional assessment practices in our elementary education university methods course. We organized this article using a theater playbill metaphor, starting with a prologue, followed by three acts and an intermission, and concluding with an epilogue. Our goal was to better align our assessment practices with our beliefs and values about teaching and learning. We discuss how reforming our assessment practices affected issues of equity for our pre-service teachers, such as their participation, identity, power, and agency in our classes. We hope to inspire readers to reflect on how their assessment practices affect students' learning and sense of agency. In this article, we tell the story of inquiring about, designing, implementing and studying our enactment of non-traditional assessment practices in our elementary education university methods course. We organized this article using a theater playbill metaphor, starting with a prologue, followed by three acts and an intermission, and concluding with an epilogue. The first two authors were instructors for the methods courses discussed in the play and the third author was a graduate student who assisted with the literature review and the writing. In the play that follows, we tell the story of our journey toward better aligning our assessment practices with our beliefs and values about teaching and learning. First, we describe the conversation that sparked our journey. Next, in three acts, we describe how our review of the literature prompted specific revisions to our assessment practices and our two-year qualitative research study of how those revisions affected the pre-service teachers in our classes. In the epilogue, we challenge 1 readers to examine their own assessment practices, especially as experienced by their students. Ultimately, we also hope to invite a larger, more systemic conversation about the role that non-traditional assessment practices in teacher education programs might have on "moving educator preparation to excellence through continuous improvement and research-based
Modeling Methodology for Determining Pollutant Concentrations and Loadings for Combined Sewer Overflows: A Simplified CSO Model

The Detroit Metropolitan area occupies much of the basin of the Detroit River - the basin as a whole is home to about four million people. The Detroit River pr…
The Unlucky Occurrence of “Liberal Democracy”: Rorty’s Paradoxical Notions of Freedom and Democracy

Este ensayo hara la consideracion de la comprension de democracia liberal de Richard Rorty. Teniendo en mente tal fin, advertire en primer lugar el papel clave que tiene su anti-realismo en su comentario sobre la libertad, y de lo que es requerido para su florecimiento dentro de un contexto pragmatico. Extraere entonces tres implicaciones para una democracia pragmatizada de su posicion anti-realista, que son: el anti-esencialismo, la justificacion etnocentrica, y la competencia darwiniana entre memes. Una vez que estos conceptos son explicados, se llevara a cabo una discusion sobre la distincion entre entrenamiento, educacion y edificacion, supuestamente dirigiendose a las bases no humillantes del liberalismo igualitario rortyano. Sin embargo, defiendo que cuando un examen mas cuidadoso es hecho, las supuestas fortalezas de la politica pragmatizada de Rorty paradojicamente funcionan para socavar la democracia al negar la posibilidad de una voz de disenso, una negacion que de hecho humilla a aquellos que no estan incluidos en la ramarortyana de la solidaridad etnocentrica calificada como “nosotros los liberales democratas”
POWER OF ONE: USING BIOGRAPHIES TO INVESTIGATE AN INDIVIDUAL’S IMPACT ON THE PAST AND PRESENT

The author identifies biographies that give students the opportunities to (a) understand different time periods through historical narratives and personal experiences; (b) create a sense of perspective about past events; (c) think critically; and (d) think historically. Through the use of these biographies and selected activities, upper elementary and middle school students are able to understand large themes in social studies, including the power of the individual, the relationships of time-people-place in understanding their actions, and a greater insight into the three-dimensionality of individuals. This article features biographies in which the actions of individuals had a global impact past and present.
Quantitative microflora of the vagina

This study enumerated the predominant vaginal flora in 25 healthy patients: 18 prenatal (six with and 12 without gonorrhea) and seven nonpregnant without gonorrhea. All 25 patients had aerobes and 19 of the 25 had anerobes isolated in titers of greater than or equal to 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU per milliliter). The most frequently isolated microorganism was the lactobacillus (aerobic and anaerobic species) followed by C. vaginale, viridans streptococci, anaerobic gram-positive cocci, and Bifidobacterium sp. Bacteroides fragilis was not isolated. There were no significant differences in the frequency of isolation of any specific microorganism or bacterial counts between pregnant and nonpregnant women or between pregnant women with and without gonorrhea (p greater than 0.05), except pregnant patients had significantly higher total facultative counts associated with significantly lower anaerobic lactobacilli counts and higher C. vaginale counts (p less than 0.01) than in nonpregnant patients.
Electrotransport and diffusion of Co, Fe, and Ag in γ-Cerium

Electrotransport mobilities and diffusion coefficients were obtained for radiotracer impurities of Fe, Co, and Ag in Ce. The iron and cobalt moved toward the anode with mobilities of ∼10−3 cm2/v-s in the range of 550° to 650°C. The silver moved to the cathode with mobilities of ∼10−5 cm2/v-s in the range of 600° to 700°C. The, diffusion coefficients obtained fit an Arrhenius equationD=D o e −ΔH/RT with the following parameters: Fe:D o=3.3×10−4, ΔH=4.6 kcal/mole Co:D o=10−2, ΔH=11 kcal/mole Ag:D o=1.4, ΔH=28 kcal/mole The results are compared with other rare-earth diffusion data, and the possibility of a substitutional-interstitial diffusion mechanism, is considered.
Synthesis and Characterization of P4O7

The title compound was prepared by the thermal decomposition of P4O6 to give P4O7 in high yield. The compound has been analyzed by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry,...
Deming least-squares fit to multiple hyperplanes

A method is derived to fit a set of multidimensional experimental data points having a priori uncertainties and possibly also covariances in all coordinates to a straight line, plane, or hyperplane of any dimensionality less than the number of coordinates. The least-squares formulation used is that of Deming, which treats all coordinates on an equal basis. Experimentalists needing to fit a linear model to data of this kind have usually performed multiple independent fits in subspaces of the full data space such that each fit has only one dependent coordinate. That procedure does not guarantee mutual consistency of the fits. The present method can be thought of as providing multiple such hyperplane fits in a single simultaneous and therefore consistent solution. As examples, the method is applied to a straight-line fit in three dimensions to synthetic data and to an analysis of xenon isotopes in a lunar rock.
Neural Substrates of Visual Percepts, Imagery, and Hallucinations

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (F49620-01-1-0397); Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0409); Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0624).
The evolution of business incubation centres:a Delphi forecast

Small business incubators are spreading rapidly across the US and Western Europe. The newness of the incubator concept and the pace at which new incubators are being brought on-line suggest that incubators are presendy undergoing a critical period of evolution in function, form, and purpose. This paper provides, via a Delphi survey of US incubator centre directors and managers, a mid-term forecast of incubator evolution. Predictions concerning assistance and services, client restrictions, equity positions, seed capital, and subsidization are provided. Additionally, we report the comments of incubator managers concerning pitfalls to be avoided when starting an incubator.
An integrated ocean circulation, wave, atmosphere, and marine ecosystem prediction system for the South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico

An integrated nowcast/forecast modelling system covering the South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico (SABGOM) is in operation, utilizing sophisticated model coupling and parallel computing techniques. This three-dimensional, high-resolution, regional nowcast/forecast system provides a nowcast and an 84 h forecast of marine weather, ocean waves and circulation, and basic marine ecosystem conditions to the public via a Google Map interface. The SABGOM system runs automatically daily and supports a series of user-defined online applications. Extensive model validations were performed online against in situ and satellite-observed ocean conditions. The SABGOM system exhibits a reliable capability of providing valuable forecasts.
Dense Liquid Precursor for the Nucleation of Ordered Solid Phases from Solution

A line of recent theories and simulations have suggested that the nucleation of protein crystals might, under certain conditions, proceed in two steps: the formation of a droplet of a dense liquid, metastable with respect to the crystalline state, followed by ordering within this droplet to produce a crystal. In this review, I discuss experimental tests of the applicability of this mechanism to the nucleation of ordered solid phases: crystals or linear, planar, branched, or otherwise ordered aggregates of proteins and small molecule materials from solution. The main arguments stem from recent results on the kinetics of homogeneous nucleation of crystals of the protein lysozyme. These results indicate that under a very broad range of conditions the nucleation of lysozyme crystals occurs via a modification of the theoretically postulated mechanismas a superposition of fluctuations along the order parameters density and structure. Depending on whether the system is above or below its liquid−liquid coexiste...
Assessment and Diagnostic Issues in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces a special issue of the Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy on assessment and diagnostic issues in REBT. Contributions to the special issue include reviews of (a) the psychometric properties of irrational beliefs measures and (b) the potential utility for REBT research and practice of behavioral measures of distress tolerance; (c) a primary study of the diagnostic and functional significance of high trait anger, with implications for classification and REBT treatment of anger disorders; and (d) a closing commentary by John Malouff on themes raised in the earlier papers.
Heat capacities of synthetic hedenbergite, ferrobustamite and CaFeSi2O6 glass

Heat capacities have been measured for synthetic hedenbergite (9–647 K), ferrobustamite (5–746 K) and CaFeSi2O6 glass (6–380 K) by low-temperature adiabatic and differential scanning calorimetry. The heat capacity of each of these structural forms of CaFeSiO6 exhibits anomalous behavior at low temperatures. The X-peak in the hedenbergite heat-capacity curve at 34.5 K is due to antiferromagnetic ordering of the Fe2+ ions. Ferrobustamite has a bump in its heat-capacity curve at temperatures less than 20 K, which could be due to weak cooperative magnetic ordering or to a Schottky anomaly. Surprisingly, a broad peak with a maximum at 68 K is present in the heat-capacity curve of the glass. If this maximum, which occurs at a higher temperature than in hedenbergite is caused by magnetic ordering, it could indicate that the range of distortions of the iron sites in the glass is quite small and that coupling between iron atoms is stronger in the glass than in the edge-shared octahedral chains of hedenbergite. The standard entropy change, So298.15 − So0, is 174.2 ± 0.3, 180.5 ± 0.3 and 185.7 ± 0.4 J/mol·K for hedenbergite, ferrobustamite and CaFeSi2O6 glass, respectively. Ferrobustamite is partially disordered in Ca-Fe distribution at high temperatures, but the dependence of the configuratonal entropy on temperature cannot be evaluated due to a lack of information. At high temperatures (298–1600 K), the heat capacity of hedenbergite may be represented by the equation Cop(J/mol·K) = 3l0.46 + 0.01257T-2039.93T−12 − 1.84604× l06T−2 and the heat capacity of ferrobustamite may be represented by Cop(J/mol·K) = 403.83−0.04444T+ 1.597× 10−5T2−3757.3T−12.
Individual decisions regarding financing nursing home care: Psychosocial considerations

Abstract The study objective was to develop a taxonomy of psychosocial factors that may influence individual decisions for financing nursing home care. Focus groups (18 groups with a total of 155 participants) were conducted to explore personal constructs regarding nursing home financing. Data were collected through a standardized discussion guide. Qualitative analysis was accomplished with NUD*IST 4.0 for coding, sorting, and development of recurrent themes at multiple levels using a node structure, which was reviewed and modified through an iterative process by the investigators. Participants' expectations of, and planning for, future long term care needs varied. Findings illustrate the multifaceted nature of planning behaviors in financing nursing home care, suggesting that in addition to economic variables, psychosocial factors are important determinants of such behaviors. Identified factors may inform the development of more comprehensive psychosocial measures in future investigations.
Photoelectrochemistry in colloidal systems: Interfacial electron transfer between colloidal TiO2 and thionine in acetonitrile

When adsorbed on a colloidal TiO2 semiconductor suspension, the thiazine dye thionine exhibited a red shift in its absorption and emission spectra. The apparent association constant for the association of TiO2 colloid and thionine in acetonitrile was determined to be 2.75 × 105 M−1. Reversible photoelectrochemical reduction of thionine was observed when the colloidal TiO2 suspension in acetonitrile containing thionine was subjected to band gap illumination (λ < 380 nm). The interfacial electron transfer between colloidal TiO2 and thionine in acetonitrile was investigated by means of steady photolysis and nanosecond laser flash photolysis techniques. The quantum yield for the photoelectrochemical reduction of thionine to semithionine was determined to be 0.1. The dependence of the photoelectrochemical production of semithionine on thionine concentration, the acidity of the medium and the intensity of excitation was examined.
Scanning immunoelectron microscopy of mouse B and T lymphocytes

ALTHOUGH B and T lymphocytes (derived from the bone marrow or thymus, respectively) are functionally different, they are not morphologically distinguishable by ordinary light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thus immunospecific labels had to be developed for these methods to identify populations of lymphocytes1,2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been reported to show that T cells are smooth and B cells are villous3,4. This conclusion, however, is controversial, and it is uncertain whether T and B lymphocytes can be distinguished by SEM appearance5,6. We have now used immunospecific latex markers, which can be visualised by SEM, to identify cells with known T and B-associated antigenic surface determinants in the mouse. Mouse B cells have small stubby projections and are generally smoother than mouse T cells, which may be either villous or have few projections, but there is no distinct morphological difference.
Endoscopy of ileal conduit withureteral instrumentation

Abstract A case is presented in which endoscopy was used to perform retrograde catheterization with drainage of a pyonephrosis followed by stone basket manipulation in a patient with ileal conduit. The technique is described and recommended for access to the upper urinary tracts in the patient with an ileal conduit.
Formulation of an RP-1 pyrolysis surrogate from shock tube measurements of fuel and ethylene time histories

RP-1 and ethylene time histories have been measured during RP-1 pyrolysis, allowing determination of ethylene yields and overall fuel decomposition rates for RP-1 near 20 atm and between 1050 K and 1500 K. A decomposition surrogate for RP-1 was formulated using the components n-dodecane, methylcyclohexane, and iso-cetane by targeting three decomposition characteristics of the fuel: compound class, overall fuel decomposition rate, and ethylene yield. Decomposition of this surrogate mixture was modeled using a newly developed detailed mechanism and the simulations are compared to the experimentally measured RP-1 and ethylene time histories. Comparisons between modeled and measured ethylene yields and overall fuel decomposition rates are also reported.
Association between diagnosed diabetes and serious psychological distress among U.S. adults: the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD) according to diabetes status and to assess the association of diabetes-related risks and conditions with SPD among U.S. adults.
Influence of the TNF-α and TNF-β polymorphisms upon infectious risk and outcome in surgical intensive care patients

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a well-documented central inflammatory mediator in sepsis. Specific polymorphisms of the TNF-α and TNF-β genes (TNF2 and LTA + 250, respectively) ...
Removing unnecessary synchronization in Java

Java programs perform many synchronization operations on data structures. Some of these synchronization are unnecessary; in particular, if an object is reachable only by a single thread, concurrent access is impossible and no synchronization is needed. We describe an interprocedural, flow- and context-insensitive dataflow analysis that finds such situations. A global optimizing transformation then eliminates synchronizations on these objects. For every program in our suite of ten Java benchmarks consisting of SPECjvm98 and others, our system optimizes over 90% of the alias sets containing at least one synchronized object. As a result, the dynamic frequency of synchronizations is reduced by up to 99%. For two benchmarks that perform synchronizations very frequently, this optimization leads to speedups of 36% and 20%.
Thrust Vector Control Analysis and Design for Solar-Sail Spacecraft

This paper presents a comprehensive mathematical formulation as well as a practical solution of the thrust vector control design problem of solar-sail spacecraft. Thrust vector control logic is part of an attitude and orbit control system of sailcraft, whichmaintains the proper orientation of a sailcraft to provide its desired thrust vector pointing/ steering. The solar-pressure thrust vector direction of a sailcraft is often described by its cone and clock angles measured with respect to certain orbital reference frames. This paper describes various forms of orbital trajectory equations, which employ two different sets of such cone and clock angles, for the analysis, design, and simulation of solar-sail thrust vector control systems. In particular, quaternion-based thrust vector control/orbit control system architecture is proposed for solar sails because of its simple computational algorithm for determining the desired sailcraft attitude quaternions from the commanded cone and clock angles of the solar-pressure thrust vector. The practicality of the proposed quaternion-based thrust vector control/orbit control system architecture is demonstrated for the Solar Polar Imager mission employing a 160-m, 450-kg solar-sail spacecraft.
The Nasdaq Volatility Index During and After the Bubble

The VIX index of implied volatilities for OEX index options was introduced in the early 1990s and is widely followed as an investor “fear index.” This article examines the VXN, a similar volatility index for Nasdaq 100 options, over a period that includes both the inflation of the Internet “bubble” and its bursting. If the VXN is the market’s best estimate of the future volatility of the Nasdaq 100 index, it should be an unbiased forecast of subsequent realized volatility. But if the VXN represents a “fear index,” it will reflect variations in investors’ emotions, for example rising after a sharp market drop to reflect heightened concern and an increase in investors’ demand to buy put options. It may also be influenced by technical indicators of market direction. Simon finds that even after correcting for the effect of a little-known built-in bias in the way it is constructed, the VXN averages about 7-1/2 percentage points higher than subsequent realized volatility. It also shows a strong asymmetrical response to positive and negative index returns, as has been found in other implied volatility studies. A GARCH model fitted to the returns on the actual index also reveals an asymmetrical response of volatility to returns, but much smaller than for the VXN. The evidence suggests that implied volatilities from options on the Nasdaq 100 index reflect the stochastic properties of the index itself, but they also show behavior that appears to be more closely related to investor sentiment.
Richard Nixon's Irish Wake: A case of generic transference

Richard Nixon's ceremonial announcement of Gerald Ford as his Vice President‐designate constituted a rhetorical oddity, one in which all the trappings of a political ceremony were transported to a situation which neither invited nor demanded a ceremonial response. To assess the rhetorical appropriateness and persuasive potential of Richard Nixon's “Irish Wake,” this essay explores the concept of generic transportability. In explicating the prerhetorical forces which afforded Nixon access to the ceremonial medium and in analyzing the extent to which the ceremonial strategy was effectively enacted, this essay also discloses formal constraints of archetypal ceremonies and applies them to the “hybrid” ceremony performed by Nixon on October 12, 1973.
Fat sensing and metabolic syndrome

Overconsumption of dietary fat contributes to the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that high dietary fat may promote these metabolic states not only by providing calories but also by inducing impaired control of energy balance. In normal metabolic states, fat interacts with various organs or receptors to generate signals for the regulation of energy balance. Many of these interactions are impaired by high-fat diets or in obesity, contributing to the development or maintenance of obesity. These impairments may arise largely from fundamental alterations in the hypothalamus where all peripheral signals are integrated to regulate energy balance. This review focuses on various mechanisms by which fat is sensed at different stages of ingestion, circulation, storage, and utilization to regulate food intake, and how these individual mechanisms are altered by high-fat diets or in obesity.
Challenges in Microscale Conductive and Radiative Heat Transfer

This work addresses challenges in the emerging field of microlength scale radiative and conductive heat transfer in solids and recommends specific directions of future research. Microlength scale heat transfer involves thermal energy transport processes in which heat carrier characteristic lengths become comparable to each other or the characteristic device dimension. Identification of these characteristic lengths leads to the definition of different microscale heat transfer regimes. A review of the theoretical bases describing heat transfer in each regime is followed by a discussion of the obstacles confronted in current research. Engineering challenges are illustrated with the applications of microscale heat transfer in cryogenic systems, material processing, and electronic, optical, and optoelectronic devices. The experimental difficulties discussed have hampered the development of microscale heat transfer research and deserve great efforts to overcome them. 84 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.
Cricothyroid Muscle Botulinum Toxin Injection to Improve Airway for Bilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis, A Case Series

Bilateral vocal fold paralysis most commonly results from iatrogenic trauma to the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgical procedures in the anterior neck. Patients may require tracheostomy because of acute or gradual onset of dyspnea and airway compromise. The intralaryngeal injection of Botox has been considered as a possible therapy for these airway symptoms of bilateral vocal fold paralysis. Chronic unopposed activity of intact cricothyroid muscles could potentially result in gradual medialization of the vocal folds in patients with bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. This case series describes three patients who successfully underwent injections of botulinum toxin into the bilateral cricothyroid muscles to offer sustained relief of dyspnea resulting from bilateral vocal fold paralysis.
Diffusion of Technology Into the Teaching Process: Strategies to Encourage Faculty Members to Embrace the Laptop Environment

Abstract In this article, the authors present strategies to encourage business faculty members to adopt laptop technology and integrate it into their teaching processes. They also discuss what they learned from having integrated laptops into the classroom in the College of Business at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The integration strategies suggest that the adoption of laptop technology by business faculty follows a similar process to that of product adoption by consumers.
A Formal Method for Evaluation of a Modeled System Architecture

Abstract Modeling is a powerful way to represent the desired organization and performance of a particular system and how it will meet the desired system objectives. There is a multitude of modeling methods, but determining whether the completed model effectively represents the desired system organization can be a challenge. System engineers can inspect the modeled system architecture to determine whether it is acceptable, but few formal methods exist to aid in the performance of this task. In practice, engineers apply heuristics and their experience to identify the characteristics of a “good” architecture. By formalizing these characteristics using logical notation, the quality attributes that constitute a “good” system architecture can be quantified and applied to determine the quality of an architectural model. Because these attributes are defined using a general notation, they can be instantiated using many system architecture tools and can be adapted to meet the needs of a specific architectural framework or particular project.
Imaging ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) had been traditionally considered as a highly disorganized process of random electrical activity emanating from multiple, short-lived, reentrant electrical waves. It is the incessant breakup of wave fronts and the creation of new daughter waves (wavebreaks) that perpetuate VF. Other studies described VF as a process with a substantial degree of structure embedded in seemingly random events where VF is spatially organized as a small number of relatively large domains, each with a single dominant frequency. VF is then driven by the domain with the highest activation frequency representing a ‘mother rotor’ which drives the surrounding myocardium except at boundaries with more refractory tissues. Voltage-sensitive dyes and optical mapping provide a powerful technique that has been extensively applied to study the structure and organization of VF and has revealed how cellular properties, fiber orientation and metabolism influence VF. This brief review will discuss signal processing methods used to investigate mechanisms underlying VF, namely: a) Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), b) Time-Frequency Domain analysis (TFD), c) Time-lag correlation, d) Mutual Information (MI) analysis and e) Phase Reconstruction techniques to identify phase singularities and wavebreak locations. In addition, several cellular properties that have been shown to influence the structure of VF such as a) the dispersion of repolarization, b) low tonicity/osmolarity, and c) the amplitude of K+ currents will be discussed as determinants of VF. Finally, recent image analysis routines were used to identify wavebreak sites and revealed that wavebreaks are caused by abrupt spatial dispersion of voltage (Vm) oscillations.
Airport metal detector activation is rare after posterior spinal fusion in children with scoliosis

Purpose Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, travel security has become an ever-increasing priority in the United States. Frequent parent and patient inquiry and recent literature reports have generated interest in the impact of heightened security measures on patients with orthopaedic implants, and have indicated increasing rates of metal detector triggering. There are no reports to date, however, evaluating children and adolescents who have undergone posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis, so responses to patient and parent inquiries are not data-driven. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of airport metal detector triggering by patients who have had posterior-only spinal fusion and to characterise any potential predictors of metal detector activation.
An evaluation of several fusion algorithms for anti-tank landmine detection and discrimination

Many algorithms have been proposed for detecting anti-tank landmines and discriminating between mines and clutter objects using data generated by a ground penetrating radar (GPR) sensor. Our extensive testing of some of these algorithms has indicated that their performances are strongly dependent upon a variety of factors that are correlated with geographical and environmental conditions. It is typically the case that one algorithm may perform well in one setting and not so well in another. Thus, fusion methods that take advantage of the stronger algorithms for a given setting without suffering from the effects of weaker algorithms in the same setting are needed to improve the robustness of the detection system. In this paper, we discuss, test, and compare seven different fusion methods: Bayesian, distance-based, Dempster-Shafer, Borda count, decision template, Choquet integral, and context-dependent fusion. We present the results of a cross validation experiment that uses a diverse data set together with results of eight detection and discrimination algorithms. These algorithms are the top ranked algorithms after extensive testing. The data set was acquired from multiple collections from four outdoor sites at different locations using the NIITEK GPR system. This collection covers over 41,807m^2 of ground and includes 1593 anti-tank mine encounters.
Lithium prophylaxis: A critical review

Abstract The prophylactic use of lithium had its origin in 1963 when Hartigan reported that maintenance doses of lithium carbonate were effective in preventing recurrence of manic and depressive episodes in patients with a history of frequent attacks.1 This was followed by similar reports by Baastrup2 and Baastrup and Schou.3 The latter investigators reported that “lithium is the first drug demonstrated as a clear-cut prophylactic agent against one of the major psychoses.”3 Prophylaxis in psychiatry is a unique concept, and it is not surprising that this claim aroused considerable interest and skepticism. Each of the aforementioned studies were longitudinal trials that compared frequency and severity of episodes during lithium therapy with frequency and severity during an equivalent period before lithium therapy. These studies were severely criticized on methodological grounds,4–6 and lithium prophylaxis became a subject of international controversy. The critics contended that the issue of lithium prophylaxis could not be resolved by longitudinal trials and stressed the need for comparisons with placebo and control medication. Subsequently, there had been several comparisons of lithium with placebo and a few with imipramine. Because these studies are of key importance in the evaluation of lithium prophylaxis, they will be discussed individually.
An ab Initio Study on the Effect of Carbon Surface Curvature and Ring Structure on N2(O2)−Carbon Intermolecular Potentials

The effect of carbon surface curvature and ring structure on the gas−carbon interaction potential is not well understood. Potentials derived from gas−graphite adsorption measurements are commonly used in molecular simulations with curved carbon surfaces, e.g., nanotubes, fullerenes, and other nanoporous carbons. Presented here are quantum mechanical (QM) calculations of the interactions of nitrogen and oxygen with three carbon surfaces of different curvatures (graphite, C60 fullerene, and C168 schwarzite). Generally, QM calculations at the CCSD(T) level are required to obtain accurate interaction energies for these systems; here a recently developed, computationally efficient Hybrid Method for Interaction Energies (HM-IE) of comparable accuracy was used. Atom-site intermolecular potentials fit to the quantum mechanical results produce accurate predictions of the experimentally measured second virial coefficient of adsorption for nitrogen on graphite. The QM-based gas−carbon potentials for C60 and C168 wer...
COMPARISON OF CALCULATIONS OF FLOW PAST A CURVED HILL USING RECTANGULAR AND BOUNDARY-FITTED GRIDS

Flows past curved hills have been computed by the numerical method based on the boundary-fitted coordinate and the Cartesian coordinates to investigate the difference and demerits of two different approaches. Calculation results at high Reynolds number laminar flow using central difference scheme for convective terms lead to pressure oscillation when the geometry is approximated by rectangular coordinate and results in stable calculation when the geometry is approximated by boundary-fitted grid or by using upwind scheme. LES calculation results with upwind scheme at higher Re predicts similar trend in both grid systems. For calculations of flow past complex boundary, where generating boundaryfitted grid is almost impossible or difficult, rectangular coordinate approximation can be good alternative.
The cytolytic isolation of the cortex of the sea urchin egg

Abstract When the vitelline layer of sea urchin eggs ( Lytechinus pictus ) is disrupted by trypsin or dithiothreitol and the eggs are placed in an isosmotic medium devoid of Ca 2+ , cytolysis of the eggs occurs. During lysis the entire egg cortex peels off in one piece. Lysis is temperature and pH dependent and is inhibited by cytochalasin B. Cortices from unfertilized eggs contain seven major macromolecular components. A 42K-dalton component is believed to be actin, representing between 12 and 27% of the total protein. Cortices from fertilized eggs may contain between 50 and 65% actin. The actin appears to increase the strength of its attachment to the cortex after fertilization. This method of isolating the entire cortex may be useful for studying structural and enzymatic changes which may occur in the cortex during the cell cycle.
A strategic diversity manifesto for public libraries in the 21st century

Purpose – The purpose of this research-based philosophical piece is to present a progressive manifesto for public libraries in the 21st century to address gaps in embracing diversity in its holistic dimensions and representing such information in their strategic planning and web documentations. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis of public library websites in the USA informed the development of a Strategic Diversity Manifesto that includes the “who”, the “what” and the “how” components to describe and discuss diversity-related matters in their strategic planning and web representations. Findings – The Strategic Diversity Manifesto provides a mechanism for individual public library agencies, in their localized context and environment, to strategically inquire, describe, discuss, reflect, analyze and translate into concretized actions their picture of diversity as grounded in the reality of their representative communities. Originality/value – The Strategic Diversity Manifesto presents a more a c...
Enhancement of Drought Tolerance hy Applied Thiols

Red cabbage sections treated with 0.5 M sucrose showed a slight increase in tolerance on exposure to drought. This was so small that it may simply represent a removal of injury due to excess turgor in distilled water. Drought tolerance was markedly increased by mercaptoethanol (ME), but not by glutathione. Sulfhydryl reagents (PCMB and NEM) were unable to enhance drought tolerance unless replaced by ME during rehydration.
A retrospective analysis of venous ulcer healing in current and former users of injected drugs

Abstract Purpose: This study examined persons with a history of heroin injection who sought wound care for lower extremity venous ulcers and explored factors that affected their wound healing. Methods: Descriptive, retrospective data were obtained by review of the medical records of an outpatient, urban clinic. An instrument was developed to record demographic, health, and illicit substance use information from the record. Subjects: One hundred forty men and 32 women, 160 of whom were black, 12 of whom were white, seen in a wound care clinic in an urban medical center were included in the study. Primary outcome variables: Healing of venous ulcers present at the time care was sought, coexisting alcohol and tobacco use, and coexisting medical and mental health diagnoses. Results: Persons who sought care tended to be middle-aged men with multiple health problems and a long history of illicit drug use. Persons whose leg ulcers healed had significantly smaller leg ulcers than did persons currently in treatment or not available for follow-up. Conclusions: Health care providers must be aware of the risk of venous insufficiency in current and former users of injected drugs and assess for venous insufficiency and venous ulcers. Users of injected drugs should be encouraged to seek professional wound care when ulcers are small, rather than attempting self-treatment.
Pathways to Quality Inpatient Management of Hyperglycemia and Diabetes: A Call to Action

Currently patients with diabetes comprise up to 25–30% of the census of adult wards and critical care units in our hospitals. Although evidence suggests that avoidance of hyperglycemia (>180 mg/dL) and hypoglycemia (
The use of community-based non-profit organizations in information systems capstone projects

Complaints often expressed about undergraduate computer science or information systems programs,,, is that students graduate with adequate technical skills but often lack an understanding of organizational processes, team project experience, and the ability to integrate information technology in an organizational setting. To address this, educators have historically created service-learning group projects, which leverage local organizations. These types of projects can be very rewarding for students and offer excellent educational opportunities for the students within the group. Educators who have taught service-learning group projects know there are significant problems with using this type of project. These problems include: motivation of students to do their best work, fair individual and overall group assessment, appropriate workload for a semester, and minimizing disruptive outside influences. In addition, the creation of new projects on a continuous semester basis would be very useful for the instructor of a project course. To solve these issues and problems, the following capstone course design was used with success at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). A socially-relevant, community-based assignment with local non-profit organizations provided the basis for the capstone information systems project course described in this paper. This project course produced working applications for actual clients that gave students a unique capstone experience.
The prevalence of potentially traumatic events in childhood and adolescence.

This paper examines exposure to potentially traumatic events from middle childhood through adolescence, and vulnerability to such exposure. Analyses are based on the first 4 annual waves of data from a longitudinal general population study of youth in western North Carolina, involving 4,965 interviews with 1,420 children and adolescents and their parents or guardians. Participants reported on DSM extreme stressors (“high magnitude events”), other potentially traumatic events (“low magnitude events”), and background vulnerability factors. In this general population sample, one-quarter experienced at least one high magnitude event by age 16, 6% within the past 3 months. One third experienced a low magnitude event in the past 3 months. The likelihood of such exposure increased with the number of vulnerability factors.
On the proof theory of the modal logic for arithmetic provability

The modal logic GL has been found by Solovay [13] to formalize the provable propositional properties of the provability-predicate for Peano's Arithmetic PA (cf. ? 1 below). We give several sequential calculi for GL, compare their merits, and use one calculus to syntactically derive several metamathematical results about GL. Some of our results have been proved model theoretically, and similar proofs are fairly straightforward for several of the remaining ones (G. Boolos and the referee have provided such proofs for 4.1, 4.3 and 5.1 below). However, our syntactic techniques often yield more concise and obviously constructive proofs, they offer additional insight into the nature of the systems considered, and are easily adaptable to systems for which semantical analysis is problematic. I am indebted to G. Boolos and to the referee for their valuable advice. The referee has suggested the rule GL of ?3 below as an axiomatization of GL; the resulting sequential calculus has allowed a definite improvement of our original presentation.
Approximate diffraction coefficients by the method of matched asymptotic expansions

Abstract We treat the problem of scattering by an impedance surface as a singular perturbation from scattering by a hard surface. We suggest that this method of approach can yield useful approximations to diffraction coefficients where exact solutions are unavailable or complicated. We substantiate this claim by considering a simple problem where an exact solution is available. We use matched asymptotic expansions to develop a description of the field radiated by a source near an impedance surface. From this calculation, we extract a one-term uniformly valid (in angle) approximation to the far-field directivity, and a one-term approximation to the surface wave excitation coefficient. The uniform directivity is within 10% of the exact solution for values of ϵ (the small parameter) up to unity. The approximate surface wave amplitude is within approximately 10% for values of 0 ⩽ ϵ ⩽ 1 2 .