cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Reduced Cropping Temperature and Addition of Chalk to the Casing Layer on Yield, Quality and Shelf Life of Fresh Mushrooms

Abstract Okereke, A., Beelman, R. B., Quinn, J. J. and Schisler, L. C. 1986. Influence of reduced cropping temperature and addition of chalk to the casing layer on yield, quality and shelf life of fresh mushrooms. The effects of reduced cropping temperature and addition of 5 percent chalk to the casing layer on yield, firmness and shelf life of harvested mushrooms were studied. Lower cropping temperature resulted in significant yield reduction. However, a significant increase in firmness and calcium level was observed compared to mushrooms grown at the normal temperature (17-19°C). Mushrooms grown at the reduced temperature (11-13°C) developed faster as evidenced by cap opening during postharvest storage, but respired more slowly. Addition of chalk of the casing layer had no significant effect on yield, size, and texture of mushrooms grown at either temperature. Also, shelf life was not improved by addition of chalk to the casing layer.
Cognition in Practice: Inside the supermarket (outdoors) and from the veranda

This chapter returns once more to the analysis of arithmetic practice, and will draw on the empirical project in more positive terms, looking for ways to theorize about the unfamiliar forms of everyday activity. We could begin with the most common questions people have asked about the Adult Math Project: How much math is there in everyday activity? What does or does not transfer from school? One can respond to these queries, but in spite of the intrinsic interest of the distribution of frequencies of problems or problem-solving procedures in the lived-in world, these are not the most useful questions for an inquiry into relations among math activities across settings. We shall ask instead how activities come together and shape each other on different occasions, and what are the processes which generate qualitative differences among arithmetic activities. And we shall ask what structuring resources are brought to bear in a given situation to give quantitative relations their form and meaning. To begin, a distinction must be made between math-in-practice and math conceived as a system of propositions and relations (a “knowledge domain”). The term “knowledge domain” connotes a body of knowledge structured as such , a bounded “conceptual space.” In practice, this abstraction has enabled and legitimized the analysis of processes of problem solving as if they were poorly realized or simplified versions of a putative knowledge structure.
Building a Positive School Climate

In this chapter, we define positive school climate as a systemic condition that encompasses the quality of individual and collective perceptions of the school. We then present a model of school climate that has four dimensions (Safety, Teaching and learning, Relationships, and Environment–Structure), around which much of the chapter is organized. We conclude with a discussion of the impact of, and ways to create, a positive school climate.
The Long and Short of Corporate Governance

A movement is growing among commentators in the academy, the bench, and the bar that sees short-term shareholders — especially activist institutional shareholders — as a threat to the long-term best interests of publicly traded corporations. These “long-and-short” commentators argue that institutions with short investment horizons tend to favor short-term corporate governance gimmicks that temporarily “pump up” stock prices but depress corporate value in the long run. As a remedy, they propose that activist institutional shareholders need an accountability mechanism, such as fiduciary duties applicable to officers and directors in corporate law. The argument’s intuitive mantra — that short-term investment horizon leads to short-term governance — has received considerable purchase among the bench and bar. However, the simple seemingly intuitive connection between short investment horizon and governance horizon is not at all clear when one digs beneath the surface of the assertion. Finance theory would suggest that differences between short-term and long-term value would be quickly eliminated by arbitrage activity. To the extent that there are limits to arbitrage, these limits are unlikely to apply to the type of activism pushed by institutional investors, such as corporate governance reforms. In all, the short-termism perspective developed in law reviews lacks even a plausible basis in any mainstream work in finance, whether classical or behavioral.In addition, the long-and-short argument is fundamentally incompatible with bedrock principles of corporate law. Recognizing a distinction between the interests of short-term and long-term shareholders would make even ordinary board decisions involve a conflict of interest and therefore subject to entire fairness review rather than the business judgment rule. Such a change would mean paralysis in corporate affairs, as virtually every decision could be challenged in court. This Article predicts that the “investment horizon” debate portends a coming collision of interests that will have dramatic implications for the corporate landscape, including the possible demise of Delaware as corporate jurisdiction of choice.
Modulation of human corneal stromal cell differentiation by hepatocyte growth factor and substratum compliance.

Abstract Corneal wound healing is a complex process that consists of cellular integration of multiple soluble biochemical cues and cellular responses to biophysical attributes associated with the matrix of the wound space. Upon corneal stromal wounding, the transformation of corneal fibroblasts to myofibroblasts is promoted by transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). This process is critical for wound healing; however, excessive persistence of myofibroblasts in the wound space has been associated with corneal fibrosis resulting in severe vision loss. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which can modulate TGFβ signaling, on corneal myofibroblast transformation by analyzing the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) as a marker of myofibroblast phenotype particularly as it relates to biomechanical cues. Human corneal fibroblasts were cultured on tissue culture plastic (>1 GPa) or hydrogel substrates mimicking human normal or wounded corneal stiffness (25 and 75 kPa) in media containing TGFβ1 ± HGF. The expression of αSMA was analyzed by quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Cellular stiffness, which is correlated with cellular phenotype, was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In primary human corneal fibroblasts, the mRNA expression of αSMA showed a clear dose response to TGFβ1. The expression was significantly suppressed when cells were incubated with 20 ng/ml HGF in the presence of 2 ng/ml of TGFβ1. The protein expression of αSMA induced by 5 ng/ml TGFβ1 was also decreased by 20 ng/ml of HGF. Cells cultured on hydrogels mimicking human normal (25 kPa) and fibrotic (75 kPa) cornea also showed an inhibitory effect of HGF on αSMA expression in the presence or absence of TGFβ1. Cellular stiffness was decreased by HGF in the presence of TGFβ1 as measured by AFM. In this study, we have demonstrated that HGF can suppress the myofibroblast phenotype promoted by TGFβ1 in human corneal stromal cells. These data suggest that HGF holds the potential as a therapeutic agent to improve wound healing outcomes by minimizing corneal fibrosis.
US Physician and Nurse Proclivity to Refer Their Patients Into Clinical Trials.

Background:Clinical research awareness, familiarity, referral proclivity, and practice have been assessed to varying degrees among US-based physicians specializing in oncology but very few studies ...
Parents’ management of children’s peer relations: Facilitating and supervising children’s activities in the peer culture

The search for linkages between the family and peer systems has been complicated not only by the fact that many aspects o f parent-child rela­ tions may be related to children’s peer relations, but also by the fact that events within either system can be viewed as causal (i.e., cause-effect relations may be bidirectional). In light o f these complexities, it is essen­ tial for researchers to develop conceptual frameworks that can be used to identify and test propositions about the operation and outcomes o f key family-peer processes. Although past research has been driven largely by empirical speculation, Parke and colleagues (1988) have recently pro­ posed a framework that may help to identify key linkages between the family and peer systems.
The Mean Value Theorem: Now You C It, Now You Don't

This type of problem always bothered me because I knew that it would invariably lead to the question of why we want to know the value of c, and I could never think of a good answer. The fact is, as a search of most standard calculus textbooks soon reveals, that while the mean value the orem is essential for the proofs of such important results as the fundamental theo rem of the calculus and the mean value theorem for integrals, it is the existence of such a c rather than its actual value that is needed.
Pyrolytic carbonaceous reinforcements for enhanced electromagnetic and fracture response of cementitious composites

Abstract Rising amounts of cotton-crop residue and waste scrap tires are potential environmental challenges and poses serious health hazards on discarding as landfill materials or burning as fuel. This waste has been successively converted into nano-carbonaceous reinforcements with their explored potential in the fabrication of multipurpose concrete. Initially, bio-char was prepared via pyrolysis of cotton stalk and waste tire at 500 °C in nitrogen atmosphere followed by its milling into nano/micro phase. The synthesized nano particles were added in cementitious mortar specimens in 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.08, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0% by weight of cement to explore the effect of their added content on electromagnetic shielding and fracture toughness of cementitious composites. It was resolved experimentally that effortlessly uniform dispersion of nano/micro inerts in mixing water and host matrix were accomplished that effectively produced interfacial polarization which contributed in significant improvement of electromagnetic-interference shielding by 22.9 db and 24.2 db on 0.5% optimum addition of carbonized cotton stalk and carbonized waste tire respectively. Besides, packing effects of nano/micro inerts intrusion in cementitious composites reduced the porosity. Moreover, crack pinning and deflection are the phenomenon which resulted in more ductile rupture of specimens with 59.7% and 48.8% enhancement in fracture toughness on 1.0% addition of carbonized cotton stalk and carbonized waste tire respectively.
Genetic Factors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Myelodysplasia-Related Changes.

Objectives Acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) is a heterogeneous category with a broad range of underlying genetic abnormalities. We investigated the significance of genetic factors in a large series of AML-MRC cases. Methods The morphologic findings, genetic data, and patient outcomes were assessed in 186 AML-MRC cases. Results The median overall survival (OS) was dismal in AML-MRC patients (median, 7.6 months; 95% confidence interval, 5-10.6 months). Karyotypically normal cases and cytogenetically abnormal cases without myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-related cytogenetic abnormalities showed similar OS, significantly better than cases carrying MDS-related cytogenetic abnormalities. MDS-related cytogenetic abnormalities, monosomal or complex karyotype, and history of MDS or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm were all associated with dismal outcome. Conclusions AML-MRC predicts a poor prognosis. Our study supports the finding that the genetic profile plays a key role in determining prognosis in AML-MRC as defined according to the World Health Organization revised fourth edition (2017) diagnostic criteria.
Biophysical mechanisms for QRS- and QTc-interval prolongation in mice with cardiac expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, results from the expression of toxic gain-of-function transcripts containing expanded CUG-repeats. DM1 patients experience cardiac electrophysiological defects, including prolonged PR-, QRS-, and QT-intervals, that increase susceptibility to sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the specific biophysical and molecular mechanisms that underlie the electrocardiograph (ECG) abnormalities and SCD in DM1 are unclear. Here, we addressed this issue using a novel transgenic mouse model that exhibits robust cardiac expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA (LC15 mice). ECG measurements in conscious LC15 mice revealed significantly prolonged QRS- and corrected QT-intervals, but a normal PR-interval. Although spontaneous arrhythmias were not observed in conscious LC15 mice under nonchallenged conditions, acute administration of the sodium channel blocker flecainide prolonged the QRS-interval and unveiled an increased susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias. Current clamp measurements in ventricular myocytes from LC15 mice revealed significantly reduced action potential upstroke velocity at physiological pacing (9 Hz) and prolonged action potential duration at all stimulation rates (1-9 Hz). Voltage clamp experiments revealed significant rightward shifts in the voltage dependence of sodium channel activation and steady-state inactivation, as well as a marked reduction in outward potassium current density. Together, these findings indicate that expression of expanded CUG-repeat RNA in the murine heart results in reduced sodium and potassium channel activity that results in QRS- and QT-interval prolongation, respectively.
Pelvic Incidence Affects Age-adjusted Alignment Outcomes in a Population of Adult Spinal Deformity.

Study design A single-center retrospective cohort study. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the effects of patient height and pelvic incidence (PI) on age-adjusted alignment outcomes of surgical adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients. Summary of background data Patient height and PI have yet to be evaluated for their individual effects on achieving age-adjusted alignment targets. Methods Surgical ASD patients were grouped by percentile (low: 75th) for height and PI. Correction groups were generated at postoperative follow-up for actual alignment compared with age-adjusted ideal values for pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis mismatch (PI-LL), and sagittal vertical axis, and PI-adjusted ideal alignment values for sacral slope (SS), as derived from clinically relevant formulas. Means comparison tests assessed differences in rates of matching ideal alignment (±10 y threshold for age-adjusted targets; -7 to 5 degrees measured minus ideal for SS) across height and PI groups. Results Breakdown of all included 198 patients by PI group: low (25%, 38±11 degrees), normative (50%, 57±5 degrees), high (25%, 75±7 degrees). Breakdown of patient height groups: low (25%, 1.52±0.04 m), normative (50% 1.64±0.05 m), and high (25%, 1.79±0.06 m). Overall, 29% of patients met postoperative age-adjusted alignment targets for PT, 23% for PI-LL, and 25% for sagittal vertical axis. Overall, 26% of patients met PI-adjusted SS alignment. There were no differences across patient height groups in rates of achieving adjusted alignment target (all P>0.05). Patients with high PI reached age-adjusted ideal alignment for PT at a lower rate (16%) than patients with normative (33%) or low PI (33%, P=0.056). Of patients that matched at least 1 ideal alignment target, those with high PI showed inferior preoperative to postoperative changes in EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire as compared with normative and low PI patients (P=0.015). Conclusions Patients with high PI reached ideal postoperative age-adjusted PT alignment at a lower rate than patients with normative and low PI. Height had no impact on postoperative age-adjusted alignment outcomes. Current postoperative ideal alignment targets may warrant an adjustment to account for PI.
“Whales Tales” On the Run: Anonymizing Ethnographic Data in an Age of Openness:

This paper juxtaposes the ethnographic work of Alice Goffman, as presented in her book, On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City, with my own work involved in developing the article, “Whales T...
Query-Crafting DoS Threats Against Internet DNS

Domain name system (DNS) resolves the IP addresses of domain names and is critical for IP networking. Recent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks on Internet targeted the DNS system (e.g., Dyn), which has the cascading effect of denying the availability of the services and applications relying on the targeted DNS. In view of these attacks, we investigate the DoS on DNS system and introduce the query-crafting threats where the attacker controls the DNS query payload (the domain name) to maximize the threat impact per query (increasing the communications between the DNS servers and the threat time duration), which is orthogonal to other DoS approaches to increase the attack impact such as flooding and DNS amplification. We model the DNS system using a state diagram and comprehensively analyze the threat space, identifying the threat vectors which include not only the random/invalid domains but also those using the domain name structure to combine valid strings and random strings. Query-crafting DoS threats generate new domain-name payloads for each query and force increased complexity in the DNS query resolution. We test the query-crafting DoS threats by taking empirical measurements on the Internet and show that they amplify the DoS impact on the DNS system (recursive resolver) by involving more communications and taking greater time duration. To defend against such DoS or DDoS threats, we identify the relevant detection features specific to query-crafting threats and evaluate the defense using our prototype in CloudLab.
Diabetic neuropathy in children and youth: New and emerging risk factors

Pediatric neuropathy attributed to metabolic dysfunction is a well-known complication in children and youth with type 1 diabetes. Moreover, the rise of obesity and in particular of type 2 diabetes may cause an uptick in pediatric neuropathy incidence. However, despite the anticipated increase in neuropathy incidence, pathogenic insights and strategies to prevent or manage neuropathy in the setting of diabetes and obesity in children and youth remain unknown. Data from adult studies and available youth cohort studies are providing an initial understanding of potential diagnostic, management, and preventative measures in early life. This review discusses the current state of knowledge emanating from these efforts, with particular emphasis on the prevalence, clinical presentation, diagnostic approaches and considerations, and risk factors of neuropathy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and youth. Also highlighted are current management strategies and recommendations for neuropathy in children and youth with diabetes. This knowledge, along with continued and sustained emphasis on identifying and eliminating modifiable risk factors, completing randomized controlled trials to assess effectiveness of strategies like weight loss and exercise, and enhancing awareness to support early detection and prevention, are pertinent to addressing the rising incidence of neuropathy associated with diabetes and obesity in children and youth.
Identifying Biomarkers for Important Nodes in Networks of Sexual and Drug Activity

This paper uses network science techniques to evaluate the SATHCAP dataset concerning HIV and drug use. A referral network is generated via respondent-driven sampling, which is used to identify important bridge nodes that are responsible for maintaining the structure of large connected components of sexual and drug-using activity. These nodes are scrutinized to determine biomarkers and social factors that distinguish them from the underlying population. It is found that attributes such as homelessness and sexual abuse are more prevalent in these bridge nodes. These nodes are ill-served by public health efforts, because they are hard to reach and difficult to identify. Intervention campaigns targeted at groups displaying these attributes could meaningfully lower the spread of HIV.
Measurable reflection in simulation: A pilot study

Purpose Debriefing is considered a cornerstone in the success of simulated learning practices. For debriefing to be productive and meaningful, reflection of the learners is essential. Measuring reflection during debriefing has proven to be difficult. This study aimed to validate a reflection rubric based on Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning and integrate the assessment tool into simulation debriefing practice. Methods This research was a non-experimental mixed-methods, sequential explanatory design. Validation for the rubric was accomplished by expert content review and an observation process. Students participated in a standardized patient simulation (SPS) portraying a patient with bipolar disorder. The SPS debriefings were recorded and thematically coded to determine the quality and level of reflection of the students according to the following rubric criteria based on Kolb's theory: (1) Concrete Experience, (2) Reflective Observation, (3) Abstract Conceptualism, and (4) Active Experimentation. A descriptive statistical analysis of student responses was applied. Results The Debriefing Reflection Rubric was successful in determining the level of reflection in the dental hygiene students; further descriptive results were evaluated by a thematic analysis of student responses (N = 173). Student responses demonstrated reflective observations and concrete experiences (n = 112); however, dental hygiene students demonstrated limited responses (n = 61) to abstract conceptualism and connecting their experience to future goals and experimentation. Conclusion The Debriefing Reflection Rubric, based on Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning, was successful in measuring a learner's level and quality of reflection during a simulation debriefing.
E-Sharing: Data-driven Online Optimization of Parking Location Placement for Dockless Electric Bike Sharing

The rise of dockless electric bike sharing becomes a new urban lifestyle recently. More than just the first-and-last mile, it offers a new modality of green transportation. However, in addition to the traditional re-balance and overcrowding problems, it also brings new challenges to urban management and maintenance. Due to the safety risks of batteries, customers are regulated to park at designated locations, which potentially causes dissatisfaction and customer loss. Meanwhile, service providers should charge those scattering low-energy batteries in time. To address these issues, we propose E-sharing, a two-tier optimization framework that leverages data-driven online algorithms to plan parking locations and maintenance. First, we balance the user dissatisfaction and the number of parking locations by minimizing their sum. To account for real-time dynamics while not losing track of the historical optimality, we propose an online algorithm based on its near-optimal offline solution. Second, we develop an incentive mechanism to motivate users to aggregate low-battery bikes together, saving the cost of bike charging. Our experiment based on the public dataset demonstrates that the online algorithm can minimize the cost from the conflicting objectives and incentive mechanism further reduces the maintenance cost by 47%.
Three Stages of Modern Science

The common view of science is a misunderstanding of today'sscience that does not recognize how "modern" science has changed since its inception in the 16th to 17th centuries. Science is generally taken to be objectively reliable because it uses "the scientific method" and because scientists work disinterestedly, publish openly, and keep one another honest through peer review. That common view was not too unrealistic in the early days and the glory days of modern science, but it is quite wrong about contemporary science, which has ceased to be trustworthy because it is subject to commercial and bureaucratic influences that have spawned highly damaging conflicts of interest, institutional as well as personal.The birth of "modern" science is credited uncontroversially to "The" Scientific Revolution of the 17th century, but it has not been widely under-stood that there have been three distinctly different stages of scientific activity since then. In the first stage, amateurs were seeking to satisfy their curiosity about how the world works. There were essentially no controlling interests other than truth-seeking. Missteps taken resulted chiefly from the inherent difficulty of making discoveries and from such inherent human flaws as pride and avarice. The second stage, roughly the 19th century, saw science becoming a career, a plausible way to make a living, not unlike other careers in academe or professions like engineering: respectable and potentially satisfying but not any obvious path to great influence or wealth. Inevitably there were conflicts of interest between furthering a career and following objectively where evidence pointed, but competition and collegiality served well enough to keep the progress of science little affected by that conflicting career interest. The way to get ahead was by doing good science.In the third and present stage, which began at about the middle of the 20th century, science faces a necessary change in ethos as its centuries-long expansion at an exponential rate has changed to a zero-sum, steady-state situation that has fostered intensely cutthroat competition. At the same time, the record of science's remarkable previous successes has led industry and government to co-opt and exploit science and scientists. Those interactions offer the possibility for individuals to gain considerable public influence and wealth. That possibility tempts to corruption. Outright fraud in research has become noticeably more frequent, and public pronouncements about matters of science are made for self-interested bureaucratic and commercial motives.The public cannot now rely safely on the soundness of advice from the scientific community.Keywords: historical changes in science, science become untrustworthy
Thyroid lobectomy as a cost-effective approach in low-risk papillary thyroid cancer versus active surveillance

Abstract Background An ongoing debate exists over the optimal management of low-risk papillary thyroid cancer. The American Thyroid Association supports the concept of active surveillance to manage low-risk papillary thyroid cancer; however, the cost-effectiveness of active surveillance has not yet been established. We sought to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing active surveillance versus surgical intervention for patients in the United States. Methods A Markov decision tree model was developed to compare active surveillance and thyroid lobectomy. Our reference case is a 40-year-old female who was diagnosed with unifocal ( Results Lobectomy provided a final effectiveness of 21.7/quality-adjusted life years, compared with 17.3/quality-adjusted life years for active surveillance. Furthermore, incremental cost effectiveness ratio for lobectomy versus active surveillance was $19,560/quality-adjusted life year ( Conclusion Lobectomy is a cost-effective strategy in middle-aged patients with low-risk papillary thyroid cancer. In contrast, active surveillance is cost-effective beginning at the age of 69. Identification of such nuances can help physicians and patients determine the best, most individualized long-term management strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid cancer.
Evaluation of sentinel lymph node detection rates at increasing BMI

Objectives: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has become the preferred method for surgical staging of endometrial cancer; however, previous studies on SLN mapping have not reported detection rates specifically in terms of obesity class. Our objective was to evaluate the success of SLN detection in endometrial cancer as it relates to body mass index (BMI). Methods: Clinicopathologic data were abstracted for patients who completed surgical staging at a single institution between 2015 and 2020. All patients who completed sentinel lymph node mapping had cervical injection with ICG green and near infrared imaging via the robotic platform. Descriptive statistics were calculated, chi-square tests were used to assess the associations between categorical variables, and independent T tests were used for continuous variables. Results: A total of 337 patients completed surgical staging over the study period. Of these, 226 women completed cervical dye injection with attempted sentinel lymph node mapping. Two hundred and ten women (92.9%) women had at least a unilateral sentinel lymph node detected with 156 women (74.3%) mapping bilaterally. The majority of patients were obese, accounting for 65% of the study population with a mean BMI of 34.4 kg/m2 (range 18.5 - 66.1kg/m2). Mean BMI at the time of surgery was significantly lower for patients with sentinel lymph nodes identified compared to those who did not successfully map correlating with class I versus class II obesity (34.1kg/m2 vs 39.2kg/m2, p=.02). Only two normal weight or overweight patients (2.6%) did not successfully map, while 28.5% of women with super morbid obesity (BMI>50kg/m2) did not map successfully. Of the super morbidly obese patients that mapped, only 3/7 (57.1%) mapped bilaterally. Patients that did not map had significantly longer procedure time by 35 minutes (192 vs 157 minutes, p Download : Download high-res image (147KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Patients with failed sentinel lymph node identification had a higher mean BMI and longer procedure time, with the highest rates of failed mapping found in super morbidly obese patients. The current results may aide in the selection of surgical staging methods and the preoperative counseling for patients, particularly those with BMI >50kg/m2.
Factors Influencing the Use of Ubiquitous Learning in Higher Education in Sichuan, China in the Aftermath of Covid-19 Pandemic

This research aims to investigate factors for adoption of ubiquitous learning (u-learning) in higher education in China in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature and theoretical models for adoption of ubiquitous learning were examined to find the key factors that would influence ubiquitous learning adoption which include performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, intention to use and actual use. The research uses a quantitative, survey-based research design, employing online data collection. The study applied multistage sampling. First, a non-probability sampling method, judgmental sampling was used to draw a population of Chinese higher education students in Sichuan, China at three institutions: – Sichuan Normal University Fine Arts College, Sichuan University of Arts and Sciences Academy of Art and Design, and Dazhou Vocational and Technical College Art Department. Second, stratified random sampling was applied to calculate the number of students to represent each program. Lastly, a sample size of 420 was determined based on the ratio of the number of students in each institution to the total number of populations, were selected through convenience sampling. For analysis of data, Confirmation Factor Analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were utilized. The analysis showed that intention to use has the strongest effect on actual system use. Furthermore, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence except performance expectancy were found to positively affect the intention to use u-learning. Hence, policymakers, universities executives, and educators are recommended to consider these factors to ensure technology adoption success.
High-power broadband AlGaN/GaN HEMT MMICs on SiC substrates

Broadband, high power cascode AlGaN/GaN HEMT MMIC amplifiers with high gain and power-added efficiency (PAE) have been fabricated on high-thermal conductivity SiC substrates. A cascode gain cell exhibiting 5 W of power at 8 GHz with a small signal gain of 19 dB was realized. A broadband amplifier MMIC using these cascode cells in conjunction with a lossy-match input matching network was designed, fabricated, and evaluated, showing a useful operating range of DC-8 GHz with an output power of 5-7.5 W and a PAE of 20-33% respectively. A nonuniform distributed amplifier (NDA) based on this same process yielded an output power of 3-6 W over a DC-8 GHz bandwidth with an associated PAE of 13-31%.
Streamflow Transmission Losses in Western Kansas

Much of the storm runoff that occurs in western Kansas is lost from the streams and is absorbed into the alluvial material of the streambed and flood plain. Data from pairs of gaging stations for events that had flow at the upper station but little or no runoff in the drainage area between the upper and lower station show losses proportional to the flow volume at the upper station. The transmission loss in each mile is about 2% of the flow volume at the beginning of the mile. Transmission losses are inferred from available data to be uncommon or nonexistent in eastern Kansas. /ASCE/
Sodium modulation of resting force, contractile properties, and metabolism with particular emphasis on its role in the development of calcium overload states.

The crucial role of extracellular calcium in modulating cardiac muscle function has been recognized for over 100 years (1). The manner in which changes in extracellular calcium result in altered cellular calcium and therefore changes in resting and active force development, however, is still being explored. A study of factors influencing cellular calcium is relevant not only because cellular calcium controls cardiac force development but also because calcium overload is now recognized to be an accompaniment and perhaps contributor to the functional and metabolic derangements which occur during certain pathologic states (2).
Quality of life and self-esteem in working and nonworking persons with mental illness.

The purposes of this research were to examine first the relationship between work status and quality of life and self-esteem in persons with severe, persistent mental illness and secondly, the relationship between (a) demographic characteristics, attitudes toward psychotropic medications, and perceptions of the meaning of work and (b) quality of life and self-esteem in working and nonworking persons with severe mental illness. The sample included 92 persons (51 workers and 41 nonworkers). Instruments included the quality of Life (QOL) Interview (Lehman, 1983), Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Inventory, the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) (Hogan, 1983), and a Perception of Work instrument, developed by the researcher. Workers reported significantly higher self-esteem than did nonworkers (t = 2.17, df = 90, p = .033). A significant difference in overall QOL was not found, but workers scored higher on all but one QOL subscale. There were no significant differences in self-esteem, QOL, or valuing of work based on demographic factors. No significant differences in drug attitudes were found based on work status. Workers rated the importance of work higher than did nonworkers (t = 6.46, df = 90, p = .000). Analysis of qualitative data revealed that contrary to the nonworkers' fears, workers reported that work provided a distraction from symptoms and contributed to better mental health.
Aircraft Simulator Motion and the Order of Merit of Flight Attitude and Steering Guidance Displays

Abstract : Twenty-four nonpilot, volunteer subjects were tested on three flight tasks while flying four basic aircraft attitude presentations (moving horizon, moving airplane, frequency-separated, and kinalog) in a light twin-engine aircraft simulator providing three levels of motion cues (no motion, standard GAT-2 motion, and washout motion). The flight tasks involved conflicting visual and vestibular cues and included disturbed attitude tracking, command flight path tracking in both pursuit and compensatory modes, and a series of recovery trials from discrete unknown attitudes. To provide a basis for comparison, the present simulator study closely replicated the procedures used in the Roscoe and Williges (1973) flight experiment. (Modified author abstract)
How Should Business Informatics Integrate Service, Process, Work System, and Enterprise Orientations?

Current research related to the subject matter of business informatics reflects divergent orientations that are fundamentally about representing, analyzing, and designing services or processes or work systems or enterprises. After summarizing those four orientations and citing typical exemplars, this paper identifies a variety of paths toward greater integration between different orientations within business informatics. It identifies central topics for each orientation along with areas in which each orientation provides ideas that complement other orientations and reveal possible synergies. Both the approach for identifying potential synergies and the proposed synergies themselves could encourage greater integration within business informatics.
Cloning and characterization of complementary DNA encoding the eukaryotic initiation factor 2-associated 67-kDa protein (p67).

The eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2)-associated 67-kDa glycoprotein (p67) protects eIF-2 alpha-subunit from inhibitory phosphorylation by eIF-2 kinases, such as heme-regulated inhibitor and double-stranded RNA-activated inhibitor. This promotes protein synthesis in the presence of eIF-2 kinases present in animal cells (Ray, M. K., Datta, B., Chakraborty, A., Chattopadhyay, A., Meza-Keuthen, S., and Gupta, N. K. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 539-543). In this study, the primary structure of rat p67 is determined by cDNA cloning. Based on the partial amino acid sequences of overlapping tryptic and cyanogen bromide cleaved fragments, degenerate oligonucleotides were synthesized and used as primers for the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the corresponding p67 cDNA fragment from rat liver first strand cDNA. The amplified DNA was then used as a probe to screen a rat tumor hepatoma (KRC-7) cDNA library, and a positive clone covering the entire coding region was obtained. From the cDNA sequence, an open reading frame that encodes p67 as a 480-amino acid protein with a molecular mass of 53 kilodaltons was predicted for the unglycosylated protein. The cloned cDNA was further characterized by in vitro transcription-coupled translation in micrococcal nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysate. The translated product migrated similarly to p67 in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and was precipitated with antibodies against p67. Northern blot analysis of rat liver poly(A)+ RNA showed a single size class (approximately 2 kilobases) of mRNA. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein showed a highly charged N-terminal region composed of two basic polylysine blocks and an acidic aspartic acid block. The protein also exhibits significant sequence identity in the N-terminal region with human eIF-2 beta-subunit.
High Avidity CTLs for Two Self-Antigens Demonstrate Superior In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Efficacy

A majority of the human tumor-associated Ags characterized to date are derived from nonmutated "self"-proteins. Little is currently understood about the nature of the self-reactive lymphocytes that recognize these Ags. We recently characterized two nonmutated tumor-associated Ags for the B16 murine melanoma: tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) and the endogenous retroviral envelope protein, p15E. We previously reported that both TRP-2 and p15E reactive CTL could be detected in the spleens of naive animals after a single in vitro stimulation using 10(-5)-10(-6) M of the appropriate Kb-binding 9-amino acid epitope. In this report we show that the CTL found in naive animals are low avidity lymphocytes, that respond only to high concentrations of peptide in vitro. We demonstrate that titration of in vitro-stimulating peptide to limiting concentrations distinguishes qualitative differences in the lymphocyte reactivity to these two Ags between vaccinated and unvaccinated animals. We further demonstrate that in vitro expansion of CTL in either high or low concentrations of stimulating peptide generated CTL cultures with different avidities for the relevant epitopes. CTL expanded in low concentrations demonstrated higher avidity for peptide-pulsed targets and better tumor recognition, when compared to CTL generated in the presence of high concentrations of Ag. More importantly, high avidity CTL demonstrated superior in vivo antitumor activity. These results demonstrate that qualitative differences in the CTL that recognize these two self-Ags are critically important to their in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy.
Adsorption and orientation of aromatic compounds at smooth polycrystalline platinum electrodes: The effect of halide electrolytes

Etude de l'influence des halogenures, des electrolytes de base, sur l'adsorption et l'orientation de l'hydroquinone et de la naphtohydroquinone-1,4 sur des electrodes polycristallines de Pt
Interactive electronic advertising

Electronic content (information) distribution networks are moving from drawing boards into test beds, and may soon provide consumers access to rich media-based electronic content in both business and home settings. This paper predicts that electronic advertising will become an integral component of any such content distribution networks that will provide electronic content to consumers at rates affordable to consumers. A model for electronic advertising subsiding electronic content consumption is developed. This will help consumers to affordably consume a wide variety of electronic content, while also providing a new service for consumers without invading the consumer's personal space. >
Establishing derived relations for stimulus equivalence in children with severe cognitive and language delays

ABSTRACTWe implemented a series of time-lagged multiple probe designs using counterbalanced probes to determine the variables that control the emergence of stimulus equivalence (i.e., derived relations), among participants with autism and significant cognitive/language delays, who did not demonstrate derived relations during the preintervention measures. In Experiment 1, we trained a frame of symmetry using a computer-based cross-modal matching procedure, which required the participants to match auditory and visual stimuli. Three of the four participants demonstrated transitivity during the postintervention probe trials, using an unrelated set of stimuli to the training set. Participant 4, who did not acquire the derived relations indicative of stimulus equivalence, also lacked an echoic repertoire. In Experiment 2, we trained symmetry relations using multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) across visual stimuli. Following the MEI for visual symmetry relations, none of the participants demonstrated responses ...
Dynamical reference frames in the planetary and earth-moon systems

We summarize our previous estimates of the accuracies of the ephemerides. Such accuracies determine how well one can establish the dynamical reference frame of the ephemerides. Ranging observations are the dominant data for the inner four planets and the Moon: radar-ranging for Mercury and Venus; Mariner 9 and Viking spacecraft-ranging for the Earth and Mars; lunar laser-ranging for the Moon. Optical data are significant for only the five outermost planets. Inertial mean motions for the Earth and Mars are determined to the level of 0.″003/cty during the time of the Viking mission; for Mars, this will deteriorate to 0.″01/cty or more after a decade or so; similarly, the inclination of the martian orbit upon the ecliptic was determined by Viking to the level of 0.″001. Corresponding uncertainties for Mercury and Venus are nearly two orders of magnitude larger. For the lunar mean motion with respect to inertial space, the present uncertainty is about 0.″04/cty; at times away from the present, the uncertainty of 1″/cty2 in the acceleration of longitude dominates. The mutual orientations of the equator, ecliptic and lunar orbit are known to 0.″002. The inner four planets and the Moon can now be aligned with respect to the dynamical equinox at a level of about 0.″005.
Efficiency of a modified backwater wetland in trapping a pesticide mixture

The pesticide trapping efficiency of a modified backwater wetland amended with a mixture of three pesticides, atrazine, Smetolachlor, and fipronil, using a simulated runoff event, was examined. The 700-m long, 25-m wide wetland, located along the Coldwater River in Tunica County, Mississippi, USA, was modified for hydrologic control via weirs at both ends. A pesticide mixture was amended into the wetland at the upstream weir simulating a 1-h, 1Ð27-cm-rainfall event from a 16 ha agricultural field. Water samples (1 l) were collected hourly within the first 24 h and again on days 2, 5, 7, 15, 21, 28 and 56, post-injection at both ends of the wetland for pesticide analysis. Peak pesticide concentrations were observed upstream 1 h after injection. Rapid pesticide removal from upstream water occurred with 63, 51 and 61% decrease of atrazine, S-metolachlor and fipronil, respectively, by 24 h. By day 7, 79, 80 and 87% decreases from peak concentrations occurred. After day 28, all pesticide concentrations were <0Ð3 µ gl � 1 , and after day 56, no target pesticides were detected. Downstream, atrazine occurred in trace amounts (<0Ð4 µ gl � 1 ) within 24 h and after day 28 was not detectable. S-Metolachlor occurred once downstream on day 21 (0Ð249 µ gl � 1 ), and fipronil was detected on days 15–56 in trace amounts (<0Ð05 µ gl � 1 ). Results indicate that modified backwater wetlands can efficiently trap pesticides in runoff from agricultural fields during small to moderate rainfall events, mitigating impacts to receiving waters in the main river channel. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Timing of Ovulation Following Progesterone Withdrawal in the Rat

Ovulation in cycling rats was blocked by administration of progesterone, 10 mg daily for 7, 8 or 9 days, and the animals were autopsied on Days 1, 4 or 5 after the last injection. Regardless of treatment length, the majority of animals had not ovulated by Day 4, but had ovulated by the morning of Day 5 after withdrawal of progesterone. Observation of the actual time of occurrence of ovulation in some animals and results of administration of ovulation-blocking drugs to others suggest that the facilitation for LH release responsible for the first ovulation following progesterone withdrawal in the rat begins about 2 PM but lasts somewhat longer than in the 4-day proestrous cyclic animal. Pituitary LH content on Day 1 after cessation of progesterone treatment was higher than maximal cyclic proestrous values, but dropped to normal low estrous levels once ovulation had occurred. Ovarian and uterine weights, which were decreased following treatment, rose to normal values by the time of the first ovulation. (Endo...
Neutrino Pair Emission by a Magnetized Stellar Plasma

The decay of a plasmon into two neutrinos in the presence of an intense magnetic field has been studied by Canutoet al. (1970). They suggest that one of the principal longitudinal plasmon modes, which occurs only in magnetized plasmas, would cause certain magnetic stars to cool more rapidly than their unmagnetized counterparts. We show here that this mechanism is inoperative since the plasmon mode involved cannot be excited in the direction parallel to the magnetic field as considered by Canutoet al. Moreover, for ωc/ωp≫1, we show that the other principal longitudinal plasmon mode considered earlier by Adamset al. (1963) (which is largely independent of the magnetic field) dominates the plasmon-neutrino decay cooling of magnetic stars.
Integrated Area-Ratio Method for High-Percentage Spectrochemical Analysis

A method is described for extending spectrochemical analysis in high percentage ranges of a copper-base solution by an integrated area ratio method.