cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycosylation and proteolytic processing of 70 kDa C-terminal recombinant polypeptides of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 expressed in mammalian cells

The cDNAs that encode the 70 kDa C-terminal portion of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1), with or without an N-terminal signal peptide sequence and C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) signal sequence of MSP-1, were expressed in mammalian cell lines via recombinant vaccinia virus. The polypeptides were studied with respect to the nature of glycosylation, localization, and proteolytic processing. The polypeptides derived from the cDNAs that contained the N-terminal signal peptide were modified with N -linked high mannose type structures and low levels of O -linked oligosaccharides, whereas the polypeptides from the cDNAs that lacked the signal peptide were not glycosylated. The GPI anchor moiety is either absent or present at a very low level in the polypeptide expressed from the cDNA that contained both the signal peptide and GPI signal sequences. Together, these data establish that whereas the signal peptide of MSP-1 is functional, the GPI anchor signal is either nonfunctional or poorly functional in mammalian cells. The polypeptides expressed from the cDNAs that contained the signal peptide were proteolytically cleaved at their C-termini, whereas the polypeptides expressed from the cDNAs that lacked the signal peptide were uncleaved. While the polypeptide expressed from the cDNA containing both the signal peptide and GPI anchor signal was truncated by approximately 14 kDa at the C-terminus, the polypeptide derived from the cDNA with only the signal peptide was processed to remove approximately 6 kDa, also from the C-terminus. Furthermore, the polypeptides derived from cDNAs that lacked the signal peptide were exclusively localized intra-cellularly, the polypeptides from cDNAs that contained the signal peptide were predominantly intracellular, with low levels on the cell surface; none of the polypeptides was secreted into the culture medium to a detectable level. These results suggest that N -glycosylation alone is not sufficient for the efficient extracellular transport of the recombinant MSP-1 polypeptides through the secretory pathway in mammalian cells.
Effect of Austenite Stability on Pack Aluminizing of Austenitic Stainless Steels

Aluminide coatings were applied to the surfaces of several austenitic stainless steels—UNS S30300, S30400, S30900, S31000, and S31600 (Type 303, 304, 309, 310, and 316)—by the halide activated pack cementation process. The coating compositions, microstructures, and hardness were determined for the different steels coated at 850°C for 25 h. The stability of the austenite phase for each type of steel was calculated by determining the ratio of the nickel to the chromium equivalents based on their nominal compositions. The thickness of the inner diffusion zone in the coating was shown to be inversely related to the austenite stability of the steels. Microhardness measurements were obtained across the coating thickness and into the substrate. The hardness values followed the same trends as the aluminum composition profile into the substrate.
One-year respiratory outcomes of preterm infants enrolled in the Nitric Oxide (to prevent) Chronic Lung Disease trial.

Objective To identify whether inhaled nitric oxide treatment decreased indicators of long-term pulmonary morbidities after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Study design The Nitric Oxide (to Prevent) Chronic Lung Disease trial enrolled preterm infants ( Results A total of 456 infants (85%) were seen at 1 year. Compared with control infants, infants randomized to inhaled nitric oxide received significantly less bronchodilators (odds ratio [OR] 0.53 [95% confidence interval 0.36-0.78]), inhaled steroids (OR 0.50 [0.32-0.77]), systemic steroids (OR 0.56 [0.32-0.97]), diuretics (OR 0.54 [0.34-0.85]), and supplemental oxygen (OR 0.65 [0.44-0.95]) after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. There were no significant differences between parental report of rehospitalizations (OR 0.83 [0.57-1.21]) or wheezing or whistling in the chest (OR 0.70 [0.48-1.03]). Conclusions Infants treated with inhaled nitric oxide received fewer outpatient respiratory medications than the control group. However, any decision to institute routine use of this dosing regimen should also take into account the results of the 24-month neurodevelopmental assessment.
The effect of age on encounters between male crab spiders

In males that compete aggressively for females, size and age may determine which males obtain access to these females. In the present study, we use the crab spider, Misumena vatia, a species with males that do not grow after becoming sexually mature adults, to test the hypothesis that age affects the success of males competing for access to females. M. vatia is an excellent species to test this hypothesis because it is possible to disentangle age from size, characters that typically vary together in the species usually tested. We staged encounters between similar-sized older and younger adult male M. vatia in the presence of a female to determine the role of age in male access to females. Encounters between the males occurred during 63.3% of these pairings. Younger males won significantly more (70.2%) of the encounters than did older ones, but did not initiate significantly more encounters than did older ones (62.5%). Although older males won only 29.8% of these encounters, they initiated significantly more (76.5%) of them than predicted by chance. This design also allowed us to test Parker’s hypothesis that older individuals should exhibit a higher level of aggression than younger ones. However, attacks by younger males were most likely to include extensive bodily contact, whereas attacks by older males involved significantly less contact. These results counter the frequent assertion that older individuals usually prevail over younger ones in contests for access to females, and that older males are more likely to engage in highly overt aggression than are younger ones. Aging may decrease reproductive opportunities and success rates of male M. vatia, affecting as many as nearly one-fourth of their encounters. Key words: age, crab spider, male contest, Misumena, size. [Behav Ecol 15:883–888 (2004)]
Stochastic calibration and learning in nonstationary hydroeconomic models

Concern about water scarcity and adverse climate events over agricultural regions has motivated a number of efforts to develop operational integrated hydroeconomic models to guide adaptation and optimal use of water. Once calibrated, these models are used for water management and analysis assuming they remain valid under future conditions. In this paper, we present and demonstrate a methodology that permits the recursive calibration of economic models of agricultural production from noisy but frequently available data. We use a standard economic calibration approach, namely positive mathematical programming, integrated in a data assimilation algorithm based on the ensemble Kalman filter equations to identify the economic model parameters. A moving average kernel ensures that new and past information on agricultural activity are blended during the calibration process, avoiding loss of information and overcalibration for the conditions of a single year. A regularization constraint akin to the standard Tikhonov regularization is included in the filter to ensure its stability even in the presence of parameters with low sensitivity to observations. The results show that the implementation of the PMP methodology within a data assimilation framework based on the enKF equations is an effective method to calibrate models of agricultural production even with noisy information. The recursive nature of the method incorporates new information as an added value to the known previous observations of agricultural activity without the need to store historical information. The robustness of the method opens the door to the use of new remote sensing algorithms for operational water management.
A History of Results on Orderability and Suborderability

This is an early history of the theory of ordered sets and of results characterizing various classes of orderable and suborderable spaces until 1975. Many excellent results (such as most of D.J. Lutzer’s work and the influence of the Souslin conjecture) which only give properties of these spaces are not covered. However, at the end of this article historical references are given for the more general theory of ordered spaces including set-theoretical developments.
The effect of solvents on the heterogeneous synthesis of flavanone over MgO

Abstract The effect of several solvents on the heterogeneous synthesis of flavanone from benzaldehyde and 2-hydroxyacetophenone over a solid MgO catalyst was examined experimentally through kinetic and FTIR spectroscopic studies. High-boiling-point solvents considered were dimethyl sulfoxide, tetralin, mesitylene, benzonitrile, and nitrobenzene. Kinetic results indicate that the presence of different solvents in this reaction system affects the rate, kinetic dependencies, and selectivities toward flavanone and 2′-hydroxychalcone. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in particular, significantly promotes the rates of both steps used in this synthesis (i.e., the Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction of benzaldehyde with 2-hydroxyacetophenone and the subsequent isomerization of the 2′-hydroxychalcone intermediate to flavanone). The effect is more pronounced for the second reaction. Even the presence of small amounts of DMSO in other solvents, such as benzonitrile and nitrobenzene, results in strong promotion of the flavanone synthesis scheme. Results of FTIR spectroscopic studies indicate that the interaction of MgO with DMSO results in the formation of stable surface sulfate species. The presence of these species on the catalyst surface affects the adsorption behavior of benzaldehyde and 2-hydroxyacetophenone.
Time preferences and the management of coral reef fisheries.

Abstract To investigate a potential relationship between financial and marine resource use decisions, we conducted a time preference experiment with 153 fishers and 197 SCUBA divers on Curacao and Bonaire. The experiment was part of a socioeconomic survey wherein interviewees were asked about their fishing and diving practices, views on fish population and coral reef health, and preferred marine resource management approaches. We use a βδ -model to identify discounting and present bias. Divers had a mean individual discount factor (IDF) of 0.91, significantly higher than fishers' mean of 0.82. Fishers and divers had similar distributions of IDFs and present bias; overall 66% of interviewees were non-biased, 22% future-biased, and 12% present-biased. IDFs and present bias were able to predict management preferences after controlling for demographic factors. However, the effect of discount factors is unique to divers, and the effect of present bias is concentrated among fishers on Curacao. Differences in time preferences between fishers and divers should be considered when developing management strategies. Transfer payments from the dive industry could facilitate a transition to sustainable fishing practices. Establishing property rights alone may not be sufficient for ensuring sustainability if fishers are present-biased and greatly discount the future.
Therapeutic potential of statins in multiple sclerosis: immune modulation, neuroprotection and neurorepair

Statins as inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase are widely used as cholesterol-lowering drugs. Recent studies provide evidence that the anti-inflammatory activity of statins, which is independent of their cholesterol-lowering effects, may have potential therapeutic implications for neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease and brain tumors, as well as traumatic spinal cord and brain injuries. Studies with animal models of MS suggest that, in addition to immunomodulatory activities similar to the ones observed with approved MS medications, statin treatment also protects the BBB, protects against neurodegeneration and may also promote neurorepair. Although the initial human studies on statin treatment for MS are encouraging, prospective randomized clinical studies will be required to evaluate their efficacy in the larger patient population.
A synthetic receptor for hydrogen-bonding to fluorines of trifluoroborates

A tripodal receptor featuring three inwardly-directed hydrogen-bond donors binds covalently bound fluorine atoms of trifluoroborates through hydrogen-bonding.
Promotion of vesicular stomatitis virus fusion by the endosome‐specific phospholipid bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP)

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a prototypic virus commonly used in studies of endocytosis and membrane trafficking. One proposed mechanism for VSV entry involves initial fusion with internal vesicles of multivesicular endosomes followed by back-fusion of these vesicles into the cytoplasm. One feature of endosomal internal vesicles is that they contain the lipid bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP). Here, we show that the presence of BMP significantly increases the rate of VSV G-mediated membrane fusion. The increased fusion was selective for VSV and was not evident for another enveloped virus, influenza virus. Our data provide a biological rationale for a two-step infection reaction during VSV entry, and suggest that BMP preferentially affects the ability of VSV G to mediate lipid mixing during membrane fusion.
VR 2012 tutorial: Quantitative and qualitative methods for human-subject experiments in Virtual and Augmented Reality

This tutorial is for researchers and engineers, working in the field of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), who wish to conduct user-based experiments with a specific aim of promoting both traditional quantitative human-subject experiments and qualitative methods for assessing usability. This tutorial is for a full-day tutorial presenting both quantitative and qualitative approaches to conducting human-subject experiments. It covers (1) the basic principles of experimental design and analysis, with an emphasis on human-subject experiments in VR/AR; (2) qualitative studies (e.g., formative evaluation methods) for assessing and improving VR/AR user interfaces and user interaction along with lessons learned from conducting many user-based studies; and (3) a “journalistic approach” to measuring human performance that organizes the activity around questions such as “Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?”.
On the equivalence between global recurrence and the existence of a smooth Lyapunov function for hybrid systems

Abstract We study a weak stability property called recurrence for a class of hybrid systems. An open set is recurrent if there are no finite escape times and every complete trajectory eventually reaches the set. Under sufficient regularity properties for the hybrid system we establish that the existence of a smooth, radially unbounded Lyapunov function that decreases along solutions outside an open, bounded set is a necessary and sufficient condition for recurrence of that set. Recurrence of open, bounded sets is robust to sufficiently small state dependent perturbations and this robustness property is crucial for establishing the existence of a Lyapunov function that is smooth. We also highlight some connections between recurrence and other well studied properties like asymptotic stability and ultimate boundedness.
Characterization of the ryanodine receptor/channel of invertebrate muscle

Electron-microscopic analysis was used to show that invertebrate muscle has feetlike structures on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) displaying the typical four-subunit appearance of the calcium (Ca2...
Contrasting Thermal Evolution within the Ross Orogen, Antarctica: Evidence from Mineral $$^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$$ Ages

The Nimrod Group in the central Transantarctic Mountains and the Lanterman Metamorphic Complex in northern Victoria Land of Antarctica constitute internal metamorphic basement terrains of the Ross orogen that share many first-order similarities in lithology, structure, and metamorphism. However, new $$^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$$ cooling ages determined for hornblende and muscovite from tectonites in the Geologists (Nimrod Group) and Lanterman ranges (Lanterman complex) indicate that these terrains experienced different post-kinematic cooling histories. Nimrod ductile L-S tectonites derived from igneous and sedimentary protoliths yield $$^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$$ hornblende cooling ages of 524-495 Ma and muscovite cooling ages of 499-496 Ma. These ages are interpreted to date the cooling following syn-metamorphic ductile deformation. Combined $$^{40}Ar/^{39}Ar$$ and existing U-Pb age data yield an average post-kinematic cooling rate for the Nimrod tectonites of ~10°C/m.y. Metasedimentary L-S tectonites of the Lanterman comp...
Impact of Communication Errors in Radiology on Patient Care, Customer Satisfaction, and Work-Flow Efficiency.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of communication errors on patient care, customer satisfaction, and work-flow efficiency and to identify opportunities for quality improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We performed a search of our quality assurance database for communication errors submitted from August 1, 2004, through December 31, 2014. Cases were analyzed regarding the step in the imaging process at which the error occurred (i.e., ordering, scheduling, performance of examination, study interpretation, or result communication). The impact on patient care was graded on a 5-point scale from none (0) to catastrophic (4). The severity of impact between errors in result communication and those that occurred at all other steps was compared. Error evaluation was performed independently by two board-certified radiologists. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and kappa statistics. RESULTS. Three hundred eighty of 422 cases were included in the study. One hundre...
DETECTION OF CARDIAC METASTASIS BY F-18 FLUORO-2-DEOXYGLUCOSE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY

Whole-body F-18-Fluoro-2-Deoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis and staging of various malignancies. FDG uptake in the myocardium can be physiologic or pathologic. We report a few cases that illustrate appearances of cardiac metastases
High-Pressure-Induced Pseudo-oxidation of Copper Surfaces by Carbon Monoxide

Instantaneous electronic and structural modifications of Cu surfaces by high-pressure CO were explored. At pressures over a millibar range the coverage of CO on the Cu(1 1 1) surface reached approximately one monolayer, and we observed several shake-up peaks in the Cu 2p photoemission spectra for the first time by using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These shake-up peaks resembled those obtained for oxidized surface Cu atoms. We propose that these changes are related to the generation of a copper–carbonyl complex and subsequent Cu surface restructuring owing to lateral CO–CO repulsions. The generality of this finding was investigated in two model reactions, the water-gas shift and CO oxidation, on a Cu(1 1 1) surface, and we clearly identified the pseudo-oxidation of Cu. These reversible changes were found to be independent of the orientation of the Cu surface and are of general importance for Cu-based heterogeneous catalysis.
Ultrafiltration failure during recurrent eosinophilic peritonitis in a CAPD patient

CAPD腹膜炎のうち好酸球性腹膜炎は自然治癒し, 腹膜機能を低下させない予後良好な疾患と考えられている. 我々は, CAPD開始早期より好酸球性腹膜炎を反復発症し, 除水不全をきたした症例を経験した.本例は腹膜平衡試験 (PET) でD/P 0.973, D/D0 0.171と腹膜の透過性の著明な亢進を認めた. 腹膜の生検では中皮細胞の消失, 中皮下結合織の線維性肥厚と浮腫および好酸球浸潤を認めた. このためCAPDを中止し血液透析へ移行した.好酸球性腹膜炎においても反復持続する場合は, 腹膜の機能障害を伴う組織学的変化をきたす可能性があり早期の対策が必要である.
Gyrator-Capacitor Approach to Modeling a Continuously Variable Series Reactor

A continuously variable series reactor (CVSR) is a novel application for power-flow control in meshed electric power networks. CVSR provides continuous modulation of line reactance by controlling the magnetization in a ferromagnetic core, which occurs by altering the direct current in a winding to bias the magnetization in the core. The deployment of CVSR in commercial power systems requires careful planning to determine if the equipment will meet design objectives and how the equipment responds during power system faults. This paper presents a modeling method that enables simulation of the magnetic interactions within a prototype device simultaneously with the voltages and currents of an externally connected electric circuit. Simulations of the model are compared to finite-element analysis and available experimental results. The simulations are performed on a simple single-phase system under nominal and fault conditions. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method to represent CVSR transient behavior from the perspective of the ac power system.
Investigation and analysis on the situation of indoor air pollution at public places in Shenzhen city

Objective To investigate the situation of air pollution at public areas in Shenzhen city, find the factors that influence indoor air quality, and provide scientific evidences for evaluating, managing and improving the air quality at public areas in order to protect people's health. Methods We randomly selected 21 public areas such as restaurants, hotels, teahouses and bars that were more than 100 square meters and located in Shenzhen city, from 2009 to 2010. On-site instrument method and experimental chemical method were used to detect the air quality. Results The air quality of newly renovated public areas is not optimistic. The unqualified rates of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide were 100% and 97.96%, respectively, and the unqualified rates of ammonia was 37.25%. The public areas with different business have different major pollutants. The major pollutants of teahouse are formaldehyde, inhalable particles and volatile organic. The major pollutant of restaurants and hotel is ammonia. Just after renovation, the mean concentration of volatile organic compounds is the highest. Conclusion It is necessary to pay more attention to air pollution of volatile organic compounds, which are the major air pollutants in the newly renovated public areas in Shenzhen.
Caregivers’ Experiences Derived from Everyday Occupations

ABSTRACTAims: The stress of caring for others can put caregivers’ health at risk, yet existing occupational therapy interventions largely focus on providing direct care. Capturing caregivers’ daily lived experiences may yield insights enabling occupational therapists (OTs) to better meet a broader scope of their needs. This phenomenological study aimed to uncover the daily occupations and experiences of spousal caregivers (n = 6). Methods: Data were collected over 4 months using a time-use diary (the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity, and Restoration Profile), individual interviews, and a focus group. Results: Inductive content analysis resulted in three themes: caregivers felt conflicted by experiences of pleasure and restoration outside of caregiving, occupational experiences revealed changes in daily patterns of life, and past occupational experiences influenced perceptions of caregiving. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the need for OTs to expand their roles with caregivers, supporting t...
Dimensions of managerial work in hospital dietetic services.

The objective of this study was to identify underlying dimensions of the managerial work of hospital dietetic services professional staff. A survey instrument was developed on the basis of Mintzberg's role theoryof management. Respondents were asked to rate 80 activity statements on the relative importance and time demand of each.Principal component analysis was used to determine whether items could be conceptualized meaningfully by a smaller number of components capable of accounting for interrelationships. Reliabilities and correlations were computed for the resulting managerial factor scores. Six factors were identified from the importance ratings: Upper Management, Interaction with Subordinates, Outside Activities, Quality Assurance, Communication Activities, and Personnel Activities. Similar dimensions were identified from the time-demand ratings. Findings from this analysis suggest that managers in different functional specialties and at various organizational levels tend to vary in their allocation of time and to stress differentroles. As a person rises on the administrative ladder of responsibility, concentration on extramural affairs and involvement in planning are greater, and concern with specific operational problems decreases. The importance of conceptual skills was especially evident in upper administrative positions, as was the critical need for intergroup skills.
Novel peer review method for improving controlled substance prescribing in primary care

Objective: Determine if peer feedback through a chart review tool (CRT) can impact opioid prescribing for patients with chronic noncancer pain in an outpatient family medicine clinic at an urban, safety-net teaching hospital and to assess providing practices. Design: A quality improvement (QI) project, comparing preopioid and postopioid prescribing practices. Setting: Outpatient family medicine clinic at urban, safety-net teaching hospital . Patients, Participants: A convenience sample of 16 family medicine physicians . Interventions: A CRT was developed to allow physicians to give peer feedback to one another about their opioid prescribing practices as part of a 1-year QI project. We assessed the deidentified data gathered from the CRT. Main Outcome Measure(s): Primary study outcome measures were the amount of opioids prescribed at the end of the QI project compared to the time of initial chart review. We also describe overall prescribing practices. Results: Ninety-nine patient charts from 14 different physicians were reviewed over 1 year. Sixty percent of patients had at least one violation of the clinic's controlled substance prescribing policy in the prior 6 months, and half of the violations were due to missed appointments with specialists to help manage pain. The mean dose of opioids decreased 2.6 mg morphine equivalent dose (MED)/day from time of chart review until the end of project, compared to a 6.9 mg MED/day increase that occurred from 12 months prior to chart review to the time of chart review (p = 0.01). Fourteen patients (16 percent) of patients prescribed opioids were takenoff of opioids after the chart review. Conclusions: Use of a CRT in an urban primary care clinic provided helpful insight on prescribing practices and has promise to improve quality of opioid prescribing.
Real-Time Image and Video Processing: From Research to Reality

This book presents an overview of the guidelines and strategies for transitioning an image or video processing algorithm from a research environment into a real-time constrained environment. Such guidelines and strategies are scattered in the literature of various disciplines including image processing, computer engineering, and software engineering, and thus have not previously appeared in one place. By bringing these strategies into one place, the book is intended to serve the greater community of researchers, practicing engineers, industrial professionals, who are interested in taking an image or video processing algorithm from a research environment to an actual real-time implementation on a resource constrained hardware platform. These strategies consist of algorithm simplifications, hardware architectures, and software methods. Throughout the book, carefully selected representative examples from the literature are presented to illustrate the discussed concepts. After reading the book, the readers are exposed to a wide variety of techniques and tools, which they can then employ to design a real-time image or video processing system.
COLLABORATIVE REFERENCE CENTER: ROLE AND FUNCTIONS

Various activities of the Canadian Collaborative Reference Center have been described with the purpose of identifying the role and functions of a Collaborative Center within the area of its operation and in relationship to the WHO International Reference Center Network.
Effects of feeding wet distillers grains to cattle during different phases of production on lipid oxidation of cooked ground beef patties during storage

ABSTRACT As a coproduct of the fuel ethanol industry, distillers grains are commonly included in cattle diets and can alter fatty acid composition and increase lipid oxidation in beef. However, to our knowledge, current research has only evaluated raw beef products. This study investigated how supplementing dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) during backgrounding (0 or 0.6% of BW per steer daily) and including wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) in finishing diets (0 or 35% inclusion, DM basis) affected beef fatty acid profiles and lipid oxidation in cooked beef patties during refrigerated and frozen storage. Beef shoulder clods (n = 16) were independently ground and evaluated for fatty acid composition. From each clod, beef, salt, and sodium phosphate were mixed, and patties were formed, cooked, and placed in refrigerated and frozen storage. Backgrounding supplementation with DDGS caused a greater saturated:unsaturated fatty acid ratio ( P = 0.04). Inclusion of 35% WDGS during finishing resulted in greater C18:0, C20:2, C22:0, and PUFA content ( P ≤ 0.04). For cooked beef patties in refrigerated storage, backgrounding DDGS supplementation resulted in greater oxidation ( P P = 0.02). A backgrounding × finishing diet interaction ( P
Children with Special Needs by Briana S. Nelson Goff, Nicole Springer, and Gail E. Bentley

Parents often are not well educated about what having a child with special needs means. Although a special needs or disability diagnosis may occur at any age, this chapter addresses the initial experiences when a special needs diagnosis occurs prenatally or at birth, coinciding with the transition to parenting. Through several case examples, this chapter highlights the challenges and opportunities associated parenting children with special needs. The chapter concludes with a section describing the need of providing new parents with accurate information regarding their child’s diagnosis, connecting them with effective resources and sources of support, and encouraging the development of a positive perspective are important in navigating this transition. Parents need to be reassured that the grief and loss they feel is normal, but the new path they are on can have positive outcomes.
Route choice modeling with Support Vector Machine

Abstract This paper aims at exploring the possibility of utilizing Support Vector Machine (SVM) to establish route choice model. A widely used non-parametric modelling approach, Neural Network, was used to compare with SVM. A stated preferences survey was conducted among 18 participants. Information about three route attributes including travel time, travel time fluctuations and fuel cost were given to participants for making route choice decisions. The data collected from the survey was used to calibrate and test both NN and SVM. The results show that SVM has similar prediction accuracy with NN but has much more computing efficiency.
Motor Circuit Abnormalities During Cerebellar Development

The cerebellum controls ongoing motor function and motor learning. Therefore, damage to its circuits causes a number of movement disorders such as ataxia, dystonia, and tremor. Cerebellar connectivity in both normal and abnormal states has been intensely studied. As a result, its anatomy, circuitry, and neuronal firing properties are among the best understood in the brain. This knowledge has directly facilitated efforts to uncover the mechanisms that cause motor dysfunction. Here, we discuss several mouse models of cerebellar disease. We focus on how cerebellar development depends on genes and neural activity to assemble circuits for behavior.
Combinatorial properties of integer matrices and integer matrices mod k

We consider matrices over the (nonnegative) integers and the integers mod k, and representations of them as linear combinations of permutation matrices. In both instances we describe and compare se...
Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions: “Some Advisors Care. Some Don't.”

University-based academic advising at a large, Great Lakes state institution was designed to support first-year students' transition to college. We conducted individual interviews and facilitated story circles with 162 students to determine their perceived effectiveness of advising. Analyses revealed four overarching themes: student difficulty making the distinction between roles of high school guidance counselors and postsecondary academic advisors, advisor communication, student desire for a relationship, and advisor accessibility. On the basis of data gathered, we developed a model for understanding the formation and maintenance of student advising perceptions.
Lower Bounds for the Low Hierarchy (Extended Abstract)

The low hierarchy in NP [Sc-83] and the extended low hierarchy [BBS-86] have been useful in characterizing the complexity of certain interesting classes of sets. However, until now, there has been no way of judging whether or not a given lowness result is the best possible.
Fetal Hemoglobin: Optimum Conditions for its Estimation by Alkali Denaturation

Alkali denaturation is the most commonly used technic to estimate fetal hemoglobin in red blood cells. The Betke and colleagues method (Nature 184: 1959; 1877-78) using cyanmethemoglobin (HiCN) was recommended by an International Committee for Standardization in Hematology for fetal hemoglobin levels between 2 and 40%. We showed that precision with samples containing up to 5% fetal hemoglobin can be considerably improved by measuring the absorbance of HiCN at 420 nm rather than at 540 nm because the molar absorptivity is 10 times greater in the Soret band. To determine optimum conditions for the assay, we studied the kinetics and stoichiometry of conversion of hemoglobin to HiCN with various concentrations and mixtures of ferricyanide, kinetics of alkali denaturation, ammonium sulfate precipitation of denatured HiCN, filtration as opposed to centrifugation for separating denatured HiCN, stability of HiCn in water and KCN solutions, and linearity of absorbance in the Soret band. With our modified procedure, the CV with normal amounts (less than 1%) of fetal hemoglobin improved from 28% to 8.7%. The CVs with 6.8% and 55% fetal hemoglobin were 7.0-4.4% respectively, and linear estimates were obtained with cells containing up to 50% fetal hemoglobin. We conclude that our modified alkali denaturation procedure yields reliable and reproducible estimates of fetal hemoglobin over a wide range of concentrations.
Progressive T1 Shortening of the Dentate Nucleus in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: Result of Multiple Administrations of Linear Gadolinium Contrast Agents Versus Intrinsic Disease.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to study the effect of the administration of multiple IV doses of gadolinium-based contrast agent on the intrinsic T1 hyperintensity in the dentate nucleus...
Driven to succeed: improving adolescents’ driving behaviors through a personal narrative-based psychosocial intervention in Serbia

Globally, more adolescents die from road traffic fatalities than from any other cause, and males are significantly more vulnerable than females. Driver education interventions directed at males are less likely to succeed than those directed at females, and stronger optimistic bias and overconfidence bias have been implicated as likely reasons. We report results from a quasi-experiment conducted in Serbia, targeting male and female adolescents. Stratified by size, forty schools were randomly assigned to either a personal-narrative intervention or a no-intervention control arm. Data were collected before the intervention (N = 1449) and again six months later (N = 1072). Risk perceptions improved for both males and females, and injunctive norms improved for females. Improvements in overconfidence bias and descriptive norms were predictive of improvements in high-risk driving behaviors. A significant interaction between improvements in injunctive norms and the intervention revealed that males whose injunctive norms improved were significantly more likely to be affected by the intervention, compared to the other groups. Implications for interventions are discussed.
Reporter Genes for PET Imaging of CAR-T Cells Offers Insight into Adoptive Cell Transfer

See the associated article on page [1894][1]. Immunotherapy has drastically altered cancer treatment over the past decade. Several strategies have emerged to successfully harness the immune system as a therapeutic instrument. In lymphoma, an adoptive cell transfer approach using chimeric antigen
New Paths from Splay to Dynamic Optimality

Consider the task of performing a sequence of searches in a binary search tree. After each search, an algorithm is allowed to arbitrarily restructure the tree, at a cost proportional to the amount of restructuring performed. The cost of an execution is the sum of the time spent searching and the time spent optimizing those searches with restructuring operations. This notion was introduced by Sleator and Tarjan in (JACM, 1985), along with an algorithm and a conjecture. The algorithm, Splay, is an elegant procedure for performing adjustments while moving searched items to the top of the tree. The conjecture, called "dynamic optimality," is that the cost of splaying is always within a constant factor of the optimal algorithm for performing searches. The conjecture stands to this day. In this work, we attempt to lay the foundations for a proof of the dynamic optimality conjecture.
Robust Fault Diagnosis of Uncertain One-dimensional Wave Equations

Unlike its Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) counterpart, fault diagnosis of Partial Differential Equations (PDE) has received limited attention in existing literature. The main difficulty in PDE fault diagnosis arises from the spatio-temporal evolution of the faults, as opposed to temporal-only fault dynamics in ODE systems. In this work, we develop a fault diagnosis scheme for one-dimensional wave equations. A key aspect of this fault diagnosis scheme is to distinguish the effect of uncertainties from faults. The scheme consists of a PDE observer whose output error is treated as a fault indicating residual signal. Furthermore, a threshold on the residual signal is utilized to infer fault occurrence. The convergence properties of the PDE observer and residual signal are analyzed via Lyapunov stability theory. The threshold is designed based on the uncertain residual dynamics and the upper bound of the uncertainties. Simulation studies are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed fault diagnosis scheme.
On the synthesis and structure of resorcinol-formaldehyde polymeric networks – Precursors to 3D-carbon macroassemblies

Abstract With the new impetus towards the development of hierarchical graphene and CNT macro-assemblies for application in fields such as advanced energy storage, catalysis and electronics; there is much renewed interest in organic carbon-based sol–gel processes as a synthetically convenient and versatile means of forming three dimensional, covalently bonded organic/inorganic networks. Such matrices can act as highly effective precursors, scaffolds or molecular ‘glues’ for the assembly of a wide variety of functional carbon macro-assemblies. However, despite the utility and broad use of organic sol–gel processes – such as the ubiquitous resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) reaction, there are details of the reaction chemistries of these important sol–gel processes that remain poorly understood at present. It is therefore both timely and necessary to examine these reactions in more detail using modern analytical techniques in order to gain a more rigorous understanding of the mechanisms by which these organic networks form. The goal of such studies is to obtain improved and rational control over the organic network structure, in order to better direct and tailor the architecture of the final inorganic carbon matrix. In this study we have investigated in detail, the mechanism of the organic sol–gel network forming reaction of resorcinol and formaldehyde from a structural and kinetic standpoint, by using a combination of real-time high field solution state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), low field NMR relaxometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These investigations have allowed us to track the network formation processes in real-time, gain both detailed structural information on the mechanisms of the RF sol–gel process and a quantitative assessment of the kinetics of the global network formation process. It has been shown that the mechanism, by which the RF organic network forms, proceeds via an initial exothermic step correlated to the formation of a free aromatic aldehyde. The network growth reaction then proceeds in a statistical manner following a first order Arrhenius type kinetic relationship – characteristic of a typical thermoset network poly-condensation process. And despite the relative complexity and ill-defined nature of the formaldehyde staring material, the final network structure is to a large extent, governed by the substitution pattern of the resorcinol molecule.
Correlates of smoker identity among intermittent and light daily young adult smokers: Findings from Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

Abstract Identifying as a ‘smoker’ has been associated with many cigarette smoking-related behaviors, including less frequent and intense cigarette use. Additional smoking behaviors (e.g., use of cannabis or cigars) also may contribute to self-identification as a ‘smoker’. This study compared correlates of identifying as a ‘smoker’ and measurement strategies for non-daily cigarette consumption among young-adult intermittent and light daily smokers. Using data from Wave 1 of the PATH Study, different measurements of past 30-day non-daily cigarette use were evaluated. Weighted logistic regression models were used to compare associations with self-identification as a smoker among 18–24 year-old intermittent and light daily smokers (n = 1531). Use of other smoked products (combustible tobacco, cannabis) and other documented correlates of smoker identity were evaluated. As frequency of monthly smoking increased, self-identification as a smoker increased (1–5 days = 24%, 6–19 days = 48%, 20–29 days = 78%, light daily smokers = 93%, daily smokers using >5 cigarettes per day = 99%). Self-reported smoking status 12 months ago significantly contributed to current identification as a smoker. Smoking cigars daily or using cannabis in the past 30 days were each positively associated with smoker identity. Different measurement approaches to non-daily cigarette use offer different advantages in terms of interpretability and granularity of information. Compared to daily smokers, non-daily smokers exhibit significant variability in identifying as a smoker, and systematic correlates of smoker identification are apparent. These findings may serve to enhance understanding of non-daily smokers and potential targets for intervention among this growing subpopulation of tobacco users.
A Single-Item Measure for Assessing STEM Identity

Science identity based frameworks have proven fruitful in predicting persistence in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, much of the research in this area is qualitative or relies on measures of science identity that have not been validated. Here, we propose and provide initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the single-item STEM Professional Identity Overlap measure (STEM-PIO-1) that aims to assess the broader construct of STEM identity via students’ perceived overlap between the image they have of themselves and the image they have of STEM professionals. Across three studies, we provide evidence of convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity—the measure displays moderate positive associations with adapted measures of STEM identity, explains unique variance relative to related but distinct measures of STEM identity, and is positively associated with STEM attitudes, STEM self-efficacy, mastery goal orientation, and agentic behavior toward one’s graduation goals. The measure differentiates between STEM and non-STEM majors, and is associated with self-reported persistence in one’s STEM major. The single-item measure displays moderate test-retest reliability and an expanded four-item version yields good internal consistency. Although continued validation is needed, the simplicity of the STEM-PIO-1 may prove valuable in its ability to promote consistency in measurement of the STEM identity construct across time, age groups, and disciplines.
Pleasant extensions retaining algebraic structure, I

In this paper, we combine the general tools developed in [5] with several ideas taken from earlier work on one-dimensional nonconventional ergodic averages by Furstenberg and Weiss [17], Host and Kra [21] and Ziegler [44] to study the averages $$\frac{1}{N}\sum\limits_{n = 1}^N {({f_1} \circ {T^{n{p_1}}}} )({f_2} \circ {T^{n{p_2}}})({f_3} \circ {T^{n{p_3}}}){\text{ }}{f_1},{f_2},{f_3} \in {L^\infty }(\mu )$$ associated to a triple of directions p1, p2, p3 ∈ ℤ2 that lie in general position along with 0 ∈ ℤ2. We show how to construct a “pleasant” extension of an initiallygiven ℤ2-system for which these averages admit characteristic factors with a very concrete description, involving the same structure as for those in [2] together with two-step pro-nilsystems (reminiscent of [21] and its predecessors).
Strategic Entrepreneurship: Imitation Versus Substitution

While entrepreneurship is linked with innovation, entrepreneurial firms often imitate competitors rather than offering new substitute products or services. This research examines the conditions under which entrepreneurs utilize an imitation versus a substitution strategy by integrating entrepreneurial orientation with resource-based view of the firm in considering entrepreneurs' resource accumulation decisions. We apply this integration to the managerial decision of whether to imitate competitors or create substitute products or services.
Trust and Deception in Hypergame Theory

Hypergame theory has been used to model advantages in decision making. This research provides a formal representation of deception to further extend the hypergame model. In order to extend the model, we propose a hypergame theoretic framework based on temporal logic to model decision making under the potential for trust and deception. Using the temporal hypergame model, the concept of trust is defined within the constraints of the model. With a formal definition of trust in hypergame theory, the concepts of distrust, mistrust, misperception, and deception are then constructed. These formal definitions are then applied to an Attacker-Defender hypergame to show how the deception within the game can be formally modeled; the model is presented. This demonstrates how hypergame theory can be used to model trust, mistrust, misperception, and deception using a formal model.