cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Instruction, Student Engagement, and Reading Skill Growth in Reading First Classrooms

Abstract This study explored first-, second-, and third-grade reading instruction and students' (n = 1,586) reading skill growth in Florida Reading First (RF) classrooms (n = 95). The goal of RF is to improve students' literacy outcomes through the use of research-based instruction, assessment, teacher training, and program evaluation. Whereas survey data have shown that schools are generally implementing the major components of RF, we found no studies that related observed classroom instruction and student reading outcomes, which was the purpose of this study. Students attended schools that were historically high poverty with generally weak student achievement. Standardized assessments of vocabulary and reading comprehension, as well as progress-monitoring oral reading fluency tests, were administered. Classrooms were observed in the spring of the school year for 1 hour during reading instruction. In general, first graders demonstrated expected reading comprehension skills by the end of the school year; ...
Antenna Miniaturization Using Magnetic-Photonic and Degenerate Band-Edge Crystals

Engineered materials, such as new composites and electromagnetic bandgap and periodic structures have been of strong interest in recent years, due to their extraordinary and unique electromagnetic behaviors. This paper discusses how modified materials, inductive/capacitive lumped loads, and magnetic materials/crystals are impacting antenna miniaturization and performance improvements (e.g., bandwidth and gain reduction, multi-functionality, etc.). Dielectric design and texturing for impedance matching has led to significant size reduction and higher-bandwidth low-frequency antennas, for example. The recently introduced magnetic-photonic crystals (MPCs) and double band-edge (DBE) materials, displaying spectral nonreciprocity, are also discussed. Studies of these crystals demonstrated that magnetic-photonic crystals exhibit the interesting phenomena of (a) drastic slowing down of the incoming wave, coupled with (b) significant amplitude growth, while (c) maintaining minimal reflection at the interface with free space. The phenomena are associated with diverging frozen modes that occur around the stationary inflection points within the band diagram. Taking advantage of the frozen-mode phenomena, we demonstrate that individual antenna elements and linear or volumetric arrays embedded within the magnetic-photonic crystal and double band-edge structures allow for antenna sensitivity and gain enhancements
Characterization of Engineered Channelrhodopsin Variants with Improved Properties and Kinetics

Channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2), a light-activated nonselective cationic channel from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, has become a useful tool to excite neurons into which it is transfected. The other ChR from Chlamydomonas, ChR1, has attracted less attention because of its proton-selective permeability. By making chimeras of the transmembrane domains of ChR1 and ChR2, combined with site-directed mutagenesis, we developed a ChR variant, named ChEF, that exhibits significantly less inactivation during persistent light stimulation. ChEF undergoes only 33% inactivation, compared with 77% for ChR2. Point mutation of Ile170 of ChEF to Val (yielding “ChIEF”) accelerates the rate of channel closure while retaining reduced inactivation, leading to more consistent responses when stimulated above 25 Hz in both HEK293 cells and cultured hippocampal neurons. In addition, these variants have altered spectral responses, light sensitivity, and channel selectivity. ChEF and ChIEF allow more precise temporal control of depolarization, and can induce action potential trains that more closely resemble natural spiking patterns.
Development of inhibition by ephrin-A5 on outgrowth of embryonic spinal motor neurites.

The spinal motor pool maps systematically onto the surface of muscles. This map is detectable in rat embryonic muscles, and is partially restored after reinnervation. Recent evidence shows that either overexpression or deletion of the ephrin-A5 gene significantly disrupts the map, suggesting that ephrin-A5 plays a critical role in the formation of this topography. Several studies have demonstrated that ephrin-A5 is a repulsive molecule in the nervous system, including the neuromuscular system. To examine the development of sensitivity of ventral spinal axons to this inhibitory ligand, slices of E11 to E15 embryonic rat spinal cords were cocultured with membranes derived from ephrin-A5-expressing cell lines. We detected a progressive expression of inhibition by ephrin-A5 between E11 and E15. By E15, rostral and caudal spinal neurites showed clear differences in responsiveness to the ephrin-A5 ligand. Further, we found that at this age caudal neurites are more sensitive to changes of ephrin-A5 concentration along a gradient. In addition, growth cones of caudal, more than rostral, neurites tended to assume a collapsed shape in the presence of the ligand. These results demonstrate a progressive development of sensitivity to ephrin-A5, and suggest a divergence in this sensitivity between rostral and caudal spinal cord neurites. These results provide further insight into how subtle rostrocaudal differences in the development of sensitivity to ephrin-A5 may explain, in part, neuromuscular topography. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 47: 233–243, 2001
Improved composite-pattern structured-light profilometry by means of postprocessing

Structured-light illumination (SLI) means projecting a series of structured or striped patterns from a projector onto an object and then using a camera, placed at an angle from the projector, to record the target's 3-D shape. For multiplexing these structured patterns in time, traditional SLI systems require the target object to remain still during the scanning process. Thus, the technique of composite-pattern design was introduced as a means of combining multiple SLI patterns, using principles of frequency modulation, into a single pattern that can be continuously projected and from which 3-D surface can be reconstructed from a single image, thereby enabling the recording of 3-D video. But the associated process of modulation and demodulation is limited by the spatial bandwidth of the projector-camera pair, which introduces distortion near surface or albedo discontinuities. Therefore, this paper introduces a postprocessing step to refine the reconstructed depth surface. Simulated experiments show an 78% reduction in depth error.
Stress intensity solutions for cracked orthotropic plates

In this paper, fracture mechanics in orthotropic plates, stress and displacement distributions around the crack tip in an anisotropic material are considered. Classical displacement based finite elements, elements with penalized equilibrium and elements with drilling degrees of freedom are employed. The path independent integrals J and I* are applied to orthotropic fracture mechanics problems to determine the stress intensity factor at the crack tip. Again, convergence studies are done, and the path independence of J and I* are investigated for orthotropic problems. Numerical results for typical fracture specimens are presented and discussed. The effect of the degree of anisotropy and fiber orientation on the stress intensity factor is also demonstrated.
Atrial Fibrillation at Discharge in Older Cardiac Surgery Patients: AProspective Study of Prevalence and Associated Medication Utilization

Background:Although postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is prevalent after cardiac surgery, the corresponding medication burden associated with this postoperative arrhythmia is unknown. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 204 patients aged 60 or older (median age 73) undergoing cardiac surgery at two academic medical centers. We defined “AF at discharge” as AF that developed after surgery and was present on the day of discharge. We evaluated the prevalence of anticoagulant and antiarrhythmic use at discharge, and out to 1 year post-discharge. We investigated the association between age and prescription of both classes of medications at discharge. Results: Ninety-one (45%) patients developed new postoperative AF, which persisted at discharge in 28 (14%) patients. Thirty-four percent of patients with postoperative AF were discharged on warfarin, 62% were discharged on antiarrhythmic medication, and 25% were discharged on both. Eighty-two percent of those discharged on both were older than 72 years of age. Patients with AF present at discharge were more likely to be discharged on anticoagulant agents than patients whose AF resolved prior to discharge (54% versus 26%, p=0.01), and more likely to be discharged on antiarrhythmic agents than patients whose AF resolved prior to discharge, though not significantly so (73% versus 57%, p=0.2). At 12 months, the proportion of patients on antiarrhythmic and anticoagulant medications had still not returned to preoperative rates. Conclusions:AF persists at hospital discharge in nearly one-third of affected patients. Cardiac surgery results in the initiation of anticoagulant and antiarrhythmic medications in many older patients annually, often concurrently. Our findings underscore the need for additional studies on the natural history of this arrhythmia and clinical trials investigating different management strategies after discharge. Such research will help to inform development of guidelines addressing duration of use for these medications, to aid physicians in these complicated post-discharge management decisions
Randomized Trials in Moderate Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Many Questions, Limited Answers

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) occurs as a consequence of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction and is a reproducible marker of reduced event-free survival over the intermediate to long term.1–4 Mortality risk increases as a function of MR severity and is higher among patients with moderate or severe ischemic MR compared with patients with trivial or mild MR. In this context, the mitral valve has been described as an anatomically normal innocent bystander, although structural changes in leaflet architecture consequent to abnormal stretching have been described.5 MR results from a combination of apical and lateral papillary muscle displacement, leaflet tethering, annular dilatation, and reduced closing forces. Ischemic MR and its natural history derive more from underlying LV dysfunction and less from primary (organic) valve failure, although both mechanisms may contribute in individual patients. The pathophysiological principles that underlie treatment recommendations for patients with organic MR from myxomatous degeneration (eg, fibroelastic deficiency or Barlow syndrome) are, therefore, not directly applicable to the management of patients with functional, ischemic MR. In addition, there are important differences in the Doppler echocardiographic thresholds used to define organic and functional MR severity. Although severe organic MR is usually characterized by an effective regurgitant orifice area ≥0.4 cm2 and regurgitant volume (RV) >60 mL/beat, these cut points are significantly lower for patients with functional MR (effective regurgitant orifice area ≥0.2 cm2 and RV >30 mL/beat, respectively).6,7 MR severity in any individual patient should not be defined solely on the basis of 1 or 2 quantitative parameters but rather on an integrative assessment that takes into account additional supportive findings, such as left atrial and LV chamber sizes, the density of the Doppler continuous wave regurgitant signal, mitral E wave height, and the pattern of pulmonary vein …
Understanding children's and adults' limitations in mental state reasoning

Young children exhibit several deficits in reasoning about their own and other people's mental states. We propose that these deficits, along with more subtle limitations in adults' social-cognitive reasoning, are all manifestations of the same cognitive bias. This is the 'curse of knowledge' - a tendency to be biased by one's own knowledge when attempting to appreciate a more naive or uninformed perspective. We suggest the developmental differences in mental state reasoning exist because the strength of this bias diminishes with age, not because of a conceptual change in how young children understand mental states. By pointing out the common denominator in children's and adults' limitations in mental state reasoning we hope to provide a unified framework for understanding the nature and development of social cognition.
Comments on David Mayhew's Congress: The Electoral Connection

I cannot imagine my work on the U.S. Congress without David Mayhew's little book. When I discovered it in Trevor's bookstore in the fall of 1974, I was a 27-year-old newly minted Ph. D. who had just spent two years “teaching Congress” at the University of Texas and was on Capitol Hill working as an APSA Congressional Fellow. It was a heady time, both in Congress and in congressional studies. Vietnam was focusing attention on how the action and inaction of Congress affected the lives of ordinary citizens, particularly the young. Nixon's resignation a few moths earlier had helped sweep into office a new generation of Democratic legislators who then activated a period of dramatic legislative reform. An extraordinary generation of congressional scholars—Cooper, Davidson, Dexter, Fenno, Froman, Huitt, Jones, Kingdon, Lowi, Manley, Oleszek, Patterson, Polsby, Price, Rieselbach, Ripley, Truman, Wildavsky, Wolfinger, Young, and others—was etching out the details of congressional politics in a richly compelling manner. In the broader discipline, the works of Dahl, Downs, Easton, and Riker were holding out the promise that rigorous theoretical analysis could enable political scientists to make parsimonious and even predictive sense out of politics. And a new generation of young scholars had been drawn to the study of Congress by the conditions of the time and the intellectual ferment of the field. Into this swirl came The Electoral Connection .
Risk Factors for Hepatitis C Infection Among Sexually Transmitted Disease-Infected, Inner City Obstetric Patients

Objective: To test the hypothesis that our inner city obstetric patients who have been infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will have a higher prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection than the general population and to identify specific risk factors and high-risk groups. Methods: All patients in our prenatal clinic (July 1997–April 1999) who tested positive for one or more STDs were asked to return for hepatitis C antibody testing. Medical charts of all patients who returned for hepatitis C testing were reviewed. Results: A total of 106 patients with STDs were tested for hepatitis C. Positive screening tests for anti-hepatitis C antibody were found in 6.6% (7/106) of the patients (95% CI = 2.7–13.1%). This frequency is significantly higher than the hepatitis C prevalence (1.8%) in the general United States population (p = 0.006). Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed only older age (p = 0.016) and positive HIV status (p = 0.023) to be significant predictors of hepatitis C infection. Conclusions: Inner city STD-infected obstetric patients are at high risk for hepatitis C infection compared with the general population. Increasing age and HIV-positive status are risk factors which are significantly associated with hepatitis C infection. Infection with the hepatitis C virus is the most common blood-borne infection in America. The prevalence in the general United States population is 1.8%. It is estimated that over 3.9 million Americans are currently infected and that 95% of these individuals are unaware of their infection 1 . About 75% of acute hepatitis C infections are asymptomatic; 80% of these patients will go on to have chronic infection 1 . Of patients with chronic infection, 25% will develop cirrhosis and 20% will progress to hepatocellular carcinoma in an average of 25 years 1 . Therefore, early identification of hepatitis C infection is important in
Using sound patterns to enhance directional sound for emergency route guidance

Broadband sound emitted by digital sounder devices has been shown be a useful means for guiding building occupants to the correct emergency, particularly under conditions of darkness and obscuration from smoke. Standard practice has been to place a single sounder by the emergency exit door to function as an "auditory exit sign." The current paper reports on studies conducted in full scale building environments that investigated ways in which multiple sounders could be used along a route in a building to provide emergency route guidance to building occupants. The relative effectiveness of various patterns of sounder activation patterns is described. One such pattern that uses sequential activation of sounders together with number of sound pulses to encode sounder position along the evacuation route is particularly promising.
Uterine Rupture During a Trial of Labor After Previous Cesarean Delivery

Uterine rupture, which involves complete separation of the uterine wall, occurs in about 1% of those attempting vaginal birth after cesarean. Because uterine rupture is one of the most significant complications of a trial of labor (TOL) after previous cesarean, identifying those at increased risk of uterine rupture is paramount to the safety of a TOL after previous cesarean birth. It seems that both antepartum demographic characteristics and intrapartum factors modify the risk of uterine rupture. The ability to reliably predict an individual's a priori risk for intrapartum uterine rupture remains a major area of investigation.
Calibration graphs in isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

Isotope-based quantitation is routinely employed in chemical measurements. Whereas most analysts seek for methods with linear theoretical response functions, a unique feature that distinguishes isotope dilution from many other analytical methods is the inherent possibility for a nonlinear theoretical response curve. Most implementations of isotope dilution calibration today either eliminate the nonlinearity by employing internal standards with markedly different molecular weight or they employ empirical polynomial fits. Here we show that the exact curvature of any isotope dilution curve can be obtained from three-parameter rational function, y = f(q) = (a0 + a1q)/(1 + a2q), known as the Pade[1,1] approximant. The use of this function allows eliminating an unnecessary source of error in isotope dilution analysis when faced with nonlinear calibration curves. In addition, fitting with Pade model can be done using linear least squares.
Impact of genetic and environmental factors on hsCRP concentrations and response to therapeutic agents

Background: Inflammation plays an instrumental role in all stages of atherosclerosis. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a systemic inflammatory marker, has been gaining recognition as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Both baseline hsCRP concentrations and drug-induced hsCRP changes are highly variable and potentially subject to genetic regulation. Content: This review summarizes the current studies examining the effect of genetic and environmental factors on baseline plasma hsCRP concentrations, with a main focus on C-reactive protein, pentraxin-related ( CRP ) genetic polymorphisms and various dietary components that affect hsCRP concentrations. We also address the association of CRP genetic variations with CVD risk, a relationship that may support or refute the causality of CRP in the atherosclerotic process. Moreover, we discuss the impact of CRP genetic polymorphisms on hsCRP changes in response to 3-week fenofibrate treatment in the genetic intervention of the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network study. Summary: Genetic variants on the CRP locus and other loci and dietary and lifestyle factors are responsible for the interindividual variability of plasma hsCRP concentrations. CRP genetic variants further influence differing plasma hsCRP response after 3-week fenofibrate treatment in patients with metabolic syndrome. Future studies focusing on the influence and interaction of genetic variation on the hsCRP response to dietary and other behavior modification as well as drug treatment could have important implications for the development of more personalized preventive and therapeutic approaches to reduce CVD.
Budding Yeast CTDK-I Is Required for DNA Damage-Induced Transcription

CTDK-I phosphorylates the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the large subunit of yeast RNA polymerase II in a reaction that stimulates transcription elongation. Mutations in CTDK-I subunits—Ctk1p, Ctk2p, and Ctk3p—confer conditional phenotypes. In this study, we examined the role of CTDK-I in the DNA damage response. We found that mutation of individual CTDK-I subunits rendered yeast sensitive to hydroxyurea (HU) and UV irradiation. Treatment with DNA-damaging agents increased phosphorylation of Ser2 within the CTD repeats in wild-type but not in ctk1Δ mutant cells. Using microarray hybridization, we identified genes whose transcription following DNA damage is Ctk1p dependent, including several DNA repair and stress response genes. Following HU treatment, the level of Ser2-phosphorylated RNA polymerase II increased both globally and on the CTDK-I-regulated genes. The pleiotropic phenotypes of ctk mutants suggest that CTDK-I activity is essential during large-scale transcriptional repatterning under stress and unfavorable growth conditions.
Spatial behavior in male and female crayfish (Orconectes rusticus): learning strategies and memory duration

Previous studies have demonstrated that animals use multiple strategies to solve spatial tasks. We used a T-maze to examine spatial behavior in crayfish, using visual and tactile stimuli as place cues and a food-scented escape tank as reinforcement to leave the maze. In trials on a single day and across multiple days, crayfish learned to exit the maze with significantly reduced latency and with fewer turns. In addition, we examined place memory in 40-min periods with the maze closed and found that crayfish spent longer in the vicinity of a previously open exit compared to a closed exit. Probe tests were conducted using a forced-choice procedure to determine whether crayfish remembered the route out of the maze using primarily place cues or response learning. We found that approximately equal numbers of animals used each strategy, and individuals were able to switch from one strategy to the other on different test days. Males and females did not differ significantly in their performance in the place memory test, maze exit task, or probe tests. Both sexes displayed place memory for the exit location and reduced latency to exit during trials 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 1 week after initial training trials, suggesting that spatial memories in crayfish are relatively enduring.
Heterogeneous memory in restitution of action potential duration in pig ventricles.

Abstract Background Restitution of action potential duration and memory importantly affect electrical stability in ventricles. Studies have reported heterogeneous restitution among different regions of the ventricles. However, existence of heterogeneity in memory is not as well investigated. Methods Transmembrane potentials were recorded in endocardial and epicardial tissues from both ventricles of farm pigs. Pacing protocols with sinusoidally changing diastolic intervals were used to reveal hysteresis in restitution, from which quantitative measures of memory were calculated. Results Larger measures of hysteresis were observed in the endocardium than the epicardium ( P Conclusion Heterogeneity in memory exists in pig ventricles. Because regions with the steepest restitution may also have the largest memory, our results suggest that heterogeneity in memory should also be factored in when predicting electrical stability.
Legal issues in transfusing a Jehovah's Witness patient following Cesarean section

Anesthesiologist Dr. F was sued for wrongful death after a patient died during a Cesarean section (C-section). Decedent BR was a 45-year-old, 5’4” tall, obese woman weighing greater than 200 lb, with three previous C-section births. Before admission to deliver her fourth child by C-section, Dr. C, her obstetrician specifically informed her that during a C-section, blood transfusions are sometimes necessary to save the woman’s life. BR competently and unequivocally told him that because she was a Jehovah’s Witness, blood transfusions were not to be administered to her under any circumstances. On admission, her religion and wishes regarding blood transfusion were noted. She had borderline anemia and pursuant to the hospital’s normal surgical protocol, her blood was typed and crossmatched. Two units of compatible blood were sent to the operating room in advance of surgery. The C-section was performed and a full term normal baby girl was delivered at 1 I:43 AM. However, during
‘Herrenvolk’ Democracy and Egalitarianism in South Africa and the U.S. South

Even a casual survey of recent history reveals that a society's devotion to democratic or egalitarian principles hardly rules out blatant racial oppression. Indeed, the two positions have often been deemed compatible. The democratic ideology professed by Europeans (or those of European descent settled elsewhere) has been drawn from the egalitarian thought of the Enlightenment. As Louis Hartz has indicated, Enlightenment thought on this matter can be interpreted either inclusively or exclusively—equality can be granted to all men, or only to certain categories of men. The seeming paradox of egalitarian rhetoric combined with obvious inequities is often resolved through defining members of some groups as outsiders—not a part of the ‘Herrenvolk’ or the ‘people’—or even as subhuman.
ROCC, a conserved region in cohesin's Mcd1 subunit, is essential for the proper regulation of the maintenance of cohesion and establishment of condensation.

Cohesin helps orchestrate higher-order chromosome structure, thereby promoting sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome condensation, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. To elucidate how cohesin facilitates these diverse processes, we mutagenized Mcd1p, the kleisin regulatory subunit of budding yeast cohesin. In the linker region of Mcd1p, we identified a novel evolutionarily conserved 10–amino acid cluster, termed the regulation of cohesion and condensation (ROCC) box. We show that ROCC promotes cohesion maintenance by protecting a second activity of cohesin that is distinct from its stable binding to chromosomes. The existence of this second activity is incompatible with the simple embrace mechanism of cohesion. In addition, we show that the ROCC box is required for the establishment of condensation. We provide evidence that ROCC controls cohesion maintenance and condensation establishment through differential functional interactions with Pds5p and Wpl1p.
Treatment of deep infections of the shoulder with pedicled myocutaneous flaps

Infection after reconstruction of the shoulder can lead to significant morbidity and possible destruction of the glenohumeral joint. Often, seemingly small wound problems mask underlying soft-tissue deficiency and instability. We have reviewed our experience with deep infections of the shoulder that have been treated with pedicled myocutaneous flaps. Patients in this series had been treated by a variety of local measures including debridement and attempts at reclosure, often unsuccessfully. The ability to import well-vascularized tissue that can treat dead space as well as reestablish a new cutaneous envelope around the shoulder is desirable and indicated for these difficult cases. Surprisingly, even with exposure of the humeral head in the wound, the shoulder joint can be salvaged by use of the techniques described in this article.
Realizing the benefits of virtual teams

Looks at how virtual group collaboration, properly managed and supported by the right technology, offers considerable payoffs.
Sangamonian(?) and Wisconsinan paleoenvironments in Yellowstone National Park

Pollen and plant macrofossil records from Yellowstone National Park, if combined with dated glacial events, provide a paleoenvironmental record of much of the last glacial-interglacial cycle. Bull Lake glaciation has been dated at ∼140,000 yr B.P. Section EP-6 records a late-glacial to full interglacial sequence which is correlated with the Sangamonian interglacial and estimated to be 127,000 yr old at the peak warm period. A prevailing Pseudotsuga - Pinus flexilis - Pinus ponderosa forest suggests that climate was considerably warmer than any in the Holocene. Section EP-5 is somewhat younger, probably late Sangamonian, and shows a forest dominated by Picea , Abies , Pseudotsuga , and a haploxylon Pinus . Slightly cooler conditions than those of the present are indicated. The warmest phase of the Grassy Lake Reservoir section is considered to be ∼82,000 yr old and records a warm interstadial cycle beginning with tundra. The warming sequence is indicated by change to a Picea - Abies - Pinus albicaulis forest and then to a Pinus contorta forest. The cycle ends with forest destruction and a return to open (tundra?) and, presumably, cold conditions. Extremely low values of arboreal pollen indicate that tundra vegetation and cold conditions continued from ∼70,000 to ∼50,000 yr B.P. One cool and, apparently, short interstadial interrupted this extended period of tundra shortly after 68,000 B.P. when a very open parkland of Picea - Abies - Pinus albicaulis appeared. No records of environment are available between ∼50,000 and 30,000 yr B.P. The Pinedale icecap apparently expanded ∼30,000 yr B.P. and lasted until ∼14,000 yr B.P. Late-glacial Picea - Abies - Pinus albicaulis parklands gave way to Pinus contorta forests that have prevailed with minor variation for ∼10,000 yr.
Global-to-Local Non-Rigid Shape Registration

Non-rigid shape registration is an important issue in computer vision. In this paper we propose a novel globalto- local procedure for aligning non-rigid shapes. The global similarity transformation is obtained based on the corresponding pairs found by matching shape context descriptors. The local deformation is performed within an optimization formulation, in which the bending energy of thin plate spline transformation is incorporated as a regularization term to keep the structure of the model shape preserved under the shape deformation. The optimization procedure drives the initial global registration towards the target shape that results in the one-to-one correspondence between the model and target shape. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
A multi-path routing service for immersive environments

The Metaverse project aims to develop technology for low-cost, high-resolution networked immersive display environments that can be used for distributed collaboration, exploration of 3D data models, scientific visualization, and other Grid-related applications. Such applications often deal with massive data sets and need a high-capacity, low-latency transport service to effectively connect distant locations across the wide-area (best-effort) Internet. This work presents the initial design of such an end-to-end transport service for Metaverse applications, along with results of a simulation study evaluating its effectiveness. The transport service features an application programming interface providing enhanced control over the way resources are allocated to data objects, and uses multiple overlay-based end-to-end paths to increase bandwidth delivered to the application.
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF RIBONUCLEASE ACTION ON URIDYLYL-(3′-5′)-ADENOSINE

The first step of the hydrolytic action of ribonuclease on the dinucleotide substrate UpA is investigated via molecular mechanics calculations. UpA coordinates were obtained by conformational minim...
Comprehension and Mental Retardation

Publisher Summary The chapter illustrates the application of a process-analytic approach to the study of intelligence-related differences in comprehension. In these studies, educable mentally retarded (EMR) adolescents are compared with equal mental age (MA), and sometimes, equal chronological age (CA) non retarded individuals in terms of their performance on various aspects of comprehension. Although one would expect retarded and equal MA nonretarded individuals to perform similarly on global measures of intelligence, the research is designed to determine whether different patterns of performance within the circumscribed cognitive domain of comprehension might be observed. While it is expected that the performance of retarded persons might resemble that of equal MA, or even equal CA nonretarded persons on some components of comprehension, and particularly interested in identifying components on which the performance of retarded persons is inferior to that of equal MA nonretarded persons. It is projected that further analysis of these latter components might eventually illuminate important sources of individual differences in intelligence.
Basic Principles of Bioconversions in Anaerobic Digestion and Methanogenesis

In methane fermentation, organic matter is anaerobically degraded to CO2 and CH4 with only a relatively small yield of microbial cells.(1,2) Thus, a large amount of organic matter is destroyed, but about 90% of the energy available in the substrate is retained in the easily purified gaseous product, CH4. Methane fermentation is very important in the recycling of carbon and other elements in nature and has long been used for the stabilization of sewage wastes. Its potential for converting biomass resources such as animal manures and other agricultural residues and municipal refuse into the energy-rich fuel, CH4, has only recently been fully appreciated.
Differential Mitochondrial Adaptation in Primary Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells from a Diabetic Rat Model

Diabetes affects more than 330 million people worldwide and causes elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Mitochondria are critical for vascular function, generate cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and are perturbed by diabetes, representing a novel target for therapeutics. We hypothesized that adaptive mitochondrial plasticity in response to nutrient stress would be impaired in diabetes cellular physiology via a nitric oxide synthase- (NOS-) mediated decrease in mitochondrial function. Primary smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from aorta of the nonobese, insulin resistant rat diabetes model Goto-Kakizaki (GK) and the Wistar control rat were exposed to high glucose (25 mM). At baseline, significantly greater nitric oxide evolution, ROS production, and respiratory control ratio (RCR) were observed in GK SMCs. Upon exposure to high glucose, expression of phosphorylated eNOS, uncoupled respiration, and expression of mitochondrial complexes I, II, III, and V were significantly decreased in GK SMCs (p < 0.05). Mitochondrial superoxide increased with high glucose in Wistar SMCs (p < 0.05) with no change in the GK beyond elevated baseline concentrations. Baseline comparisons show persistent metabolic perturbations in a diabetes phenotype. Overall, nutrient stress in GK SMCs caused a persistent decline in eNOS and mitochondrial function and disrupted mitochondrial plasticity, illustrating eNOS and mitochondria as potential therapeutic targets.
Mapping alteration in geothermal drill core using a field portable spectroradiometer

Abstract Hydrothermal alteration mineralogy in geothermal systems is commonly used to infer system temperature and past fluid flow patterns. Infrared spectroscopy is particularly good at identifying a wide variety of hydrothermal alteration minerals. The technique requires little sample preparation, and is especially helpful in discrimination among a wide range of phyllosilicate minerals that may be difficult to distinguish in hand sample or require lengthy preparation for XRD analysis. We have performed several pilot studies of geothermal drill core and chips to prototype rapid alteration characterization over large depths. These preliminary studies have established reliable methods for core/chip surveys that can quickly measure samples with high depth resolution and show the efficiency of the technique to sample frequently and provide alteration logs similar to geophysical logs. We have successfully identified a wide variety of phyllosilicates, zeolites, opal, calcite, iron oxides, and hydroxides, and note depth-associated changes in alteration minerals, patterns, or zones. Alteration mineralogy identified using these techniques shows good correlation with traditional petrographic microscope and XRD methods.
Safety and completion of a 4-month course of rifampicin for latent tuberculous infection in children.

SETTING Children's Tuberculosis Clinic, Houston, Texas. OBJECTIVE To describe adherence to and tolerability of 4 months of rifampicin (4RMP) compared to 9 months of isoniazid (9INH) in children with latent tuberculous infection (LTBI). DESIGN Retrospective descriptive case series of children treated for LTBI from 2010 to 2013 by self-administered therapy or directly observed preventive therapy (DOPT) administered by the local health department. RESULTS Four hundred and four children were treated, 324 (80%) with 9INH and 80 with 4RMP: the mean age was 7.3 years, and 47% were girls. Of these, 37% were identified during contact investigations. DOPT was used in 51% and self-administered therapy in 49%; 81% completed therapy. Completion of self-administered 4RMP therapy was not significantly different from completion rates for children receiving 9INH administered as DOPT (93% vs. 88%, OR 0.6, 95%CI 0.2-1.7), but was significantly higher than in the 9INH self-administration group (OR 7.9, 95%CI 2.7-23.2). Adverse events were rare: 20 (6%) in the 9INH group and 2 (3%) in the 4RMP group, and none was serious. CONCLUSION Completion rates for 4RMP surpassed those of 9INH for all methods of delivery, except for DOPT, where completion rates were similar. 4RMP was well tolerated. The increased cost of 4RMP over 9INH may be offset by increased effectiveness, as gauged by completion rates.
Algorithm Design and Application of Monitor AGC Based on Load Balance

Aiming at the problem that the traditional monitor AGC cannot distribute strip thickness deviation reasonable between stands,in order to keep the load balance of hot strip mill,a optimized monitor AGC system based on the theory of load balance and strip sample length tracking mode was put forward.The optimized monitor AGC system has been applied in a hot strip mill successfully.Application result shows that the new method can keep the load balance without influencing the response,and it has achieved good control precision and has a good application prospect.
Contracture and Scar Formation in the Burn Patient

The incidence of hypertrophic scar and scar contracture can be reduced employing the following techniques: the use of positioning and splints during the pregrafting phase to maintain the joints in optimal position; the wearing of splints as soon as the grafts are sufficiently stable; and continuous and controlled pressure with custom-formed splints and custom-fitted elastic support.
Modeling Soil Moisture

The conservation of energy and conservation of mass equations are combined in Richards equation, which is a model of water content and soil water flux in response to energy gradients. The WINDS model is used to demonstrate the use of the Richards equation and the effect of different van Genuchten soil parameters. Special algorithms are required with a water table. Determining the rate of water table movement in response to water gain or loss requires calculation of specific yield. The WINDS model utilizes integrated forms of the Brooks-Corey and van Genuchten equations to calculate water volume in the soil profile above a water table and to calculate the specific yield of the water table. This approach requires that some soil layers in the model are in hydraulic equilibrium with the water table while flow between upper layers is calculated based on energy differences and hydraulic conductivity. Lastly, this chapter discusses the upward movement of water from the water table to the root zone and compares Anat’s equation to a discretized solution.
Immunoglobulin Replacement Therapy: Past, Present, Future

The discovery that antibody activity resides in the gammaglobulin fraction of human plasma and the development of a large-scale technique of separating serum proteins into six fractions, with one (fraction II) containing gammaglobulin, paved the way for the generation of safe and effective immunoglobulin G (IgG) preparations that can be given intravenously or subcutaneously in an infusion center or at home by an experienced nurse or by self-infusion.
Development of the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument.

Objective The aim of this study was to develop the Teen Oral Health-Related Quality of Life instrument (TOQOL) and demonstrate its validity and reliability in a diverse sample of 13–18-year-old adolescents. Methods A total of 363 adolescents aged 13–18 years participated in this cross sectional study. Oral screening examinations were conducted to collect oral health status data. Adolescents completed the TOQOL and a generic measure of health-related quality of life, the PedsQL. The psychometric properties of the TOQOL were evaluated in terms of face, content, convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity in addition to internal reliability. Results The 16-item TOQOL covers five domains: Physical functioning, Role functioning, Social functioning, Oral problems, and Emotional functioning. The total scale and subscales showed satisfactory reliability with Cronbach alpha ranging from 0.75 to 0.92. TOQOL scores showed significant associations with perceived oral health status and the PedsQL (convergent validity) and discriminated well between adolescents with caries and adolescents who were caries free (discriminate validity). Conclusion The TOQOL is a valid and reliable oral health-related quality of life measurement that can be recommended for self-report in adolescents aged 13-18 years.
Converted-wave seismic imaging: Amplitude-balancing source-independent imaging conditions

ABSTRACTWe have developed crosscorrelational and deconvolutional forms of a source-independent converted-wave imaging condition (SICW-IC) and show the relationship between them using a concept of conversion ratio coefficient, a concept that we developed through reflection, transmission, and conversion coefficients. We applied the SICW-ICs to a two half-space model and the synthetic Marmousi I and II models and show the sensitivity of the SICW-ICs to incorrect wave speed models. We also compare the SICW-ICs and source-dependent elastic reverse time migration. The results of SICW-ICs highlight the improvements in spatial resolution and amplitude balancing with the deconvolutional forms. This is an attractive alternative to active and passive source elastic imaging.
A new method of fracture toughness determination in brittle ceramics by open-crack shape analysis

Improvement of the fracture toughness of high-quality ceramics remains one of the most important goals in materials development. An associated problem is the accurate measurement of fracture toughness in such brittle or semi-brittle ceramics, particularly in small samples encountered in material development. Previously used methods relying on measurement of the size of fracture mirrors, the indentation load and crack length in Vickers hardness-induced cracking, and a variant of similar techniques, have all been less than satisfactory in discriminating quantitative differences among materials. A hitherto unused technique of inferring the fracture toughness in samples from measurements of open-crack flank displacements, which we have developed, avoids most of the theoretical and experimental difficulties of other methods. While it is somewhat intensive in terms of evaluation and requires high resolution of open cracks, the technique is fundamentally the soundest of all techniques and is capable of furnishing discriminating results. We present results of its application to the measurement of some model materials such as soda–lime glass, single-crystal silicon, alumina, and a reaction-bonded silicon nitride whose porosity would ordinarily present difficulties with other methods.
Autoreactive T cells regulating B cell growth and differentiation in murine Peyer's patches.

The IgA isotype expression in an immune response is a unique feature of the gut mucosal immune system. Mechanisms governing regulation and expression of the IgA response are of key importance to an understanding of intestinal mucosal immunity (1,2).
Optimists or realists? How ants allocate resources in making reproductive investments.

Parents often face an investment trade-off between either producing many small or fewer large offspring. When environments vary predictably, the fittest parental solution matches available resources by varying only number of offspring and never optimal individual size. However when mismatches occur often between parental expectations and true resource levels, dynamic models like multifaceted parental investment (MFPI) and parental optimism (PO) both predict offspring size can vary significantly. MFPI is a "realist" strategy: parents assume future environments of average richness. When resources exceed expectations and it is too late to add more offspring, the best-case solution increases investment per individual. Brood size distributions therefore track the degree of mismatch from right-skewed around an optimal size (slight underestimation of resources) to left-skewed around a maximal size (gross underestimation). Conversely, PO is an "optimist" strategy: parents assume maximally good resource futures and match numbers to that situation. Normal or lean years do not affect "core" brood as costs primarily fall on excess "marginal" siblings who die or experience stunted growth (producing left-skewed distributions). Investment patterns supportive of both MFPI and PO models have been observed in nature, but studies that directly manipulate food resources to test predictions are lacking. Ant colonies produce many offspring per reproductive cycle and are amenable to experimental manipulation in ways that can differentiate between MFPI and PO investment strategies. Colonies in a natural population of a harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex salinus) were protein-supplemented over 2 years, and mature sexual offspring were collected annually prior to their nuptial flight. Several results support either MFPI or PO in terms of patterns in offspring size distributions and how protein differentially affected male and female production. Unpredicted by either model, however, is that supplementation affected distributions more strongly across years than within (e.g., small females are significantly rarer in the year after colonies receive protein). Parental investment strategies in P. salinus vary dynamically across years and conditions. Finding that past conditions can more strongly affect reproductive decisions than current ones, however, is not addressed by models of parental investment.
Generic Vopěnka cardinals and models of ZF with few $$\aleph _1$$ ℵ 1 -Suslin sets

We define a generic Vopěnka cardinal to be an inaccessible cardinal $$\kappa $$ such that for every first-order language $${\mathcal {L}}$$ of cardinality less than $$\kappa $$ and every set $${\mathscr {B}}$$ of $${\mathcal {L}}$$ -structures, if $$|{\mathscr {B}}| = \kappa $$ and every structure in $${\mathscr {B}}$$ has cardinality less than $$\kappa $$ , then an elementary embedding between two structures in $${\mathscr {B}}$$ exists in some generic extension of V. We investigate connections between generic Vopěnka cardinals in models of ZFC and the number and complexity of $$\aleph _1$$ -Suslin sets of reals in models of ZF. In particular, we show that ZFC + (there is a generic Vopěnka cardinal) is equiconsistent with ZF + $$(2^{\aleph _1} \not \le |S_{\aleph _1}|)$$ where $$S_{\aleph _1}$$ is the pointclass of all $$\aleph _1$$ -Suslin sets of reals, and also with ZF + $$(S_{\aleph _1} = {{\varvec{\Sigma }}}^1_2)$$ + $$(\varTheta = \aleph _2)$$ where $$\varTheta $$ is the least ordinal that is not a surjective image of the reals.