cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development of Mathematical Argumentation in an Unmoderated, Asynchronous Multi-User Dynamic Geometry Environment

This paper explores student interactions from the Virtual Math TeamsWith-GeoGebra Project, a computer-supported collaborative learning environment that allows individuals to interact, collaborate, and discuss user-created dynamic mathematics objects. Previous studies of virtual math teams have focused on the coconstruction of a joint problem space and the ways collaborative meaning making can be accomplished in the online environment. Instead, this study explored the development of the students’ argumentation practices. The researchers used Toulman’s (1969) model to analyze and explain the structure of the online interactions and the argumentative practices that become normative among students. In particular, the researchers found that the students made increasingly detailed and mathematical descriptions of the data, developed more abstract warrants, and increasingly acted as if giving reasons was normative in the discussion.
Micromotor fabrication

Micromotor fabrication and related issues are discussed. The micromotors under study are of the variable-capacitance side-drive type with salient-pole and wobble (harmonic) designs. Polysilicon surface micromachining forms the basis of the micromotor fabrication process. In this process, LPCVD heavily phosphorus-doped polysilicon is used for the structural parts, LPCVD silicon nitride is used for electrical isolation, and CVD low-temperature oxide is used to as the sacrificial material. The fabrication process affects the performance characteristics of the micromotor through the reproduction accuracy of the design geometry and through the modification of the characteristics of contacting surfaces. Pattern definition and delineation are among the most critical steps of the micromotor fabrication process because of the increasing surface topography during fabrication and the large film thicknesses utilized. The release and testing process can affect the frictional characteristics of the micromotor significantly, determining success or failure of operation by dielectric excitation. >
The TR-808 Cymbal: a Physically-Informed, Circuit-Bendable, Digital Model

We present an analysis of the cymbal voice circuit from a classic analog drum machine, the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer. A digital model based on this analysis (implemented in Cycling 74’s Gen˜) retains the salient features of the original. Developing physical models of the device’s many sub-circuits allows for accurate emulation of circuit-bent modifications (including component substitution, changes to the device’s architecture, and voltage starve)—complicated behavior that is impossible to capture through black-box modeling or structured sampling. This analysis will support circuit-based musicological inquiry into the history of analog drum machines and the design of further mods.
The Normative Constitution of Professional Power

This article concerns the manner in which we think and talk about power in health care policy and regulation, and the political and social practices allied with that discourse. I assert that in health care policy and practice we speak of and live within the era of countervailing power. In this language and practice power is a force exercised by one actor to enforce its will against another actor against whom power is exerted. I contend that this language inculcates an individual and social passivity in which citizens rely upon various types of representatives to constitute health care for them in a manner in which they do not and cannot participate. However, this language of power and the political and social practice with which it is associated is merely a contingent, historical product. I claim that an alternative discourse of power is possible, in which power consists of the social interactions in which all of us mutually participate but no one of us can control. Power in this sense is participatory by nature, and because no one is in control, it makes no sense to relegate tasks to specialized, nonparticipatory domains. This alternative discourse of power, therefore, might call forth participatory practices in health care and a concomitant diminution of specialization and expansion of the public sphere. The result would be to blur the lines separating politics from everyday interaction, politics from economy, professionals from patients, and insurers from insureds. Participation would mean much more than casting a vote or writing a check but would also include the mutual sharing of time and energy in the tasks that need to be done: long-term and short-term care, practices of prevention, caring for the chronically ill, and monitoring bureaucratic and professional activities.
Fractional Integration in Short Samples: Parametric Versus Semiparametric Methods

The finite sample properties of various parametric and semiparametric estimators of fractional integration are determined using Monte Carlo simulations. Previous work investigating the performance of fractional estimators relied on large sample sizes typical of economic and finance data sets. Here, the simulations are run with sample sizes representative of data sets commonly found in political science - between 40 and 100. Simulations are run on three different data generating processes (0, d, 0), (1, d, 0), and (0,d,1), with the AR and MA parameters and the order of fractional integration, d, varying with the order of fractional integration. The results indicate that semiparametric methods and the parametric frequency domain Whittle estimator are consistent across all ranges of observations with a purely fractional, (0,d,0) process, while the parametric time domain estimator exhibits a negative bias in its estimates. In the presence of a higher-order process the time domain estimator suffers dramatically and the semiparamteric estimators also exhibit bias that is potentially alleviated with proper choice of bandwidth. Throughout, the frequency domain maximum likelihood estimator outperforms other estimators, even in the presence of significant higher frequencies. The results indicate that fractional integration can be reliably estimated with lag lengths of 80 observations, but caution is still urged, particularly with the time domain estimator.
Factors affecting the service life of filter bag

Investigation on factors that may affect the service life of bag filter in coal-fired power plant shows that,mechanical damage and chemical corrosion are two major reasons for lifetime shortening of the filter bag.The causes of mechanical damage of filter include the filter abrasion due to cage and the jetting gas flow,bag breaking on the dirty side of the filter,and the bag blocking.Strong oxidizing gas,acid condensation and high temperature damage account for the chemical corrosion.Thus,to lengthen the service life of the filter,such corresponding countermeasures as adjusting the blowing pressure and the pulse width,controlling the filtration velocity and the gas temperature are given.
Report of Ganzhou isolation and culture of influenza virus and its epidemic monitoring

Objective:To monitor types of influenza virus and its epidemic in Ganzhou city,for the city to provide the basis for the prevention and control measures of flu epidemic.Methods:Sample was cultivated by the MDCK cells,then carry out human "O" red blood cell agglutination test if the cells have specific changes in 7 days,if agglutination was happened then carrt on "O" type red blood cell agglutination inhibition test,to identification of influenza virus type and subseries.Results:In the 270 samples: 7 samples were H1-type,2 samples were H3-type,11 samples were B-type influenza virus Victoria,3 samples were B-type Yamagat,the positive rate of 8.5%(23/270).Conclusion:Influenza outbreaks and influenza cases of sentinel surveillance in Ganzhou city shows,B-type influenza viruses are probably the prevalence of strains in recent years of Ganzhou,A-type is second.
Alice C. Evans: breaking barriers.

Abstract Despite severe and persistent criticism of her research, Alice Evans persevered in her pioneering work on the bacterial contamination of milk, identifying the organism that caused undulant fever and demonstrating that drinking unpasteurized cow's milk could transmit the disease, undulant fever, to humans. The opprobrium that Alice Evans endured was unrelenting, even after her election as the first President of the Society of American Bacteriologists, (now the American Society for Microbiology), but she remained undeterred, a true heroine of American microbiology and a magnificent public health worker.
Free Labor vs Slave Labor: The British and Caribbean Cases (1999)

‘Free labor’ made its first significant appearance as a legal and cultural construct in the Anglo-American world of the eighteenth century. In one sense labor became free wherever employers lost the legal right to invoke criminal penalties for premature departure or non-performance. The defining characteristic of free laborers was the degree to which their violations of voluntary labor agreements were not punishable by imprisonment or physical coercion. ‘Free labor’, however, was also used in another sense. In certain contexts the term applied to all labor performed by ‘freemen’, i.e. anyone who was not legally and permanently bound to labor for others. In this second sense the fundamental distinction was between freemen on one hand, and villeins, serfs and slaves on the other. In Great Britain a freeman might well be penally liable for breaches of contract late into the nineteenth century.1
Another Word on Parents, Subsidiaries and Affiliates in Bankruptcy

To those of us who labor in the dark recesses of bankruptcy law, it is encouraging to see the obvious talents of Professor Richard Posner brought to bear on the recurrent problems of equitable subordination, veil piercing and consolidation. When the product is combined with a "general introduction to the economic analysis of problems in corporation law" and is presented in a tight twentyseven page bundle, it should be worthy of special attention.' Alas, though Professor Posner's mastery of economics is readily apparent, the economic analysis which fuels his discussion has-at least insofar as the bankruptcy issues are concerned-quickly powered it off the track.
Snare Removal of an Embolized Amplatzer Ventricular Septal Defect Occluder From the Left Atrium During Attempted Transcatheter Paravalvular Leak Closure.

A 75-year-old man with a history of bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement to treat mitral regurgitation caused by Coxiella brunetii endocarditis developed symptomatic, severe mitral paravalvular leak (PVL) 6 months after surgery ([Figure 1][1], [Online Video 1][2]). There was no evidence of
Laboratory demonstration of slow-rise to fast-acceleration of arched magnetic flux ropes

We demonstrate the slow rise to fast acceleration of an arched plasma-filled magnetic flux rope. The flux rope expansion is inhibited by an externally applied customizable strapping field. When the strapping field is not too strong and not too weak, expansion forces build up while the flux rope is in the strapping field region. When the flux rope moves to a critical height beyond the peak strapping field region, the plasma accelerates quickly corresponding to the observed slow rise to fast acceleration of solar eruptions. This behavior is in agreement with the predictions of the torus instability.
The Economic Consequences of Labor Market Reglations

What do we know about the economic consequences of labor market regulations? Few economic policy questions are as contentious as labor market regulations. The effects of minimum wages, collective bargaining provisions, and hiring/hiring restrictions generate heated debates in the U.S. and other advanced economies. And yet, establishing empirical lessons about the consequences of these regulations is surprisingly difficult. In this paper, I explain some of the reasons why this is the case, and I critically review the recent findings regarding the effects of minimum wages on employment. Contrary to often asserted statements, the preponderance of the evidence still points toward a negative impact of permanently high minimum wages.
Distributing the Control Effort in Decentralized Systems

Abstract This paper discusses the problem of spreading the control effort throughout a decentralized control system. A decentralized control design methodology is proposed which can be used to this end. This methodology is based on the internal decomposition of the composite system into a set of interconnected subsystems. This decomposition is then used to study the effect of local feedback on the configuration of closed loop poles. Consequently, the local control effort can be distributed throughout the system. A power system example is presented to illustrate the procedure.
Anesthesia Considerations for the Geriatric Patient

This review discusses the pathophysiology and medical challenges facing the provider when dealing with the geriatric patient population. We discuss not only physiologic issues but also cognitive and social problems that complicate the management of these patients. The phenotype of frailty adversely affects patient outcomes. Assuming the physical condition of the patient is not impaired; age alone is not a predictor of poor outcomes, even in complex surgical cases. There is little evidence that one approach of anesthesia is superior to another in regard to outcomes, though there may be some benefits in choosing regional anesthesia techniques. The geriatric patient population continues to grow and we will see more patients at the extremes of age (>80) presenting not only for urgent/emergent but also for elective, non-palliative procedures. Ongoing multicenter trials are underway to help understand the implications of anesthesia choice in these patients.
How large is Aroostook County? Exploring the historical mutability of US county area measurements

ABSTRACTArea measurements play a prominent role in many types of geographical and historical analyses. The accuracy and precision of such measurements, however, are dependent on a host of input factors, including the type of instrumentation used as well as the scale and projection of the source map and its level of cartographic generalization. As a consequence of variability in these inputs, published area measures change over time. This paper reviews the record of land area measurements for counties published by the US Census Bureau between 1880 and 2000, documents the major changes in measurement instrumentation and procedures employed, and analyzes patterns of the greatest variability in reported values. Two states are used as case studies (Iowa and Maine). The results suggest that the greatest variability occurs in those areas with irregular borders, thus reflecting the interaction of the source maps with human measurement error and the encoding capabilities of the area measurement instruments. The ob...
L2 Pronunciation Tools: The Unrealized Potential of Prominent Computer-assisted Language Learning Software

Hundreds of millions of language learners worldwide use and purchase language software that may not fully support their language development. This review of Rosetta Stone (Swad, 1992), Duolingo (Hacker, 2011), Babbel (Witte & Holl, 2016), and Mango Languages (Teshuba, 2016) examines the current state of second language (L2) pronunciation technology through the review of the pronunciation features of prominent computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software (Lotherington, 2016; McMeekin, 2014; Teixeira, 2014). The objective of the review is: 1) to consider which L2 pronunciation tools are evidence-based and effective for student development (Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwin, 2010); 2) to make recommendations for which of the tools analyzed in this review is the best for L2 learners and instructors today; and 3) to conceptualize features of the ideal L2 pronunciation software. This research is valuable to language learners, instructors, and institutions that are invested in effective contemporary software for L2 pronunciation development. This article considers the importance of L2 pronunciation, the evolution of the L2 pronunciation field in relation to the language classroom, contrasting viewpoints of theory and empirical evidence, the power of CALL software for language learners, and how targeted feedback of spoken production can support language learners. Findings indicate that the software reviewed provide insufficient feedback to learners about their speech and, thus, have unrealized potential. Specific recommendations are provided for design elements in future software, including targeted feedback, explicit instructions, sophisticated integration of automatic speech recognition, and better scaffolding of language content. DOI:10.2458/azu_itet_v5i1_bajorek
Visual Attention and Math Performance in Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Objective Attentional and academic difficulties, particularly in math, are common in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Of cognitive deficits experienced by survivors of childhood ALL, attention deficits may be particularly responsive to intervention. However, it is unknown whether deficits in particular aspects of attention are associated with deficits in math skills. The current study investigated relationships between math calculation skills, performance on an objective measure of sustained attention, and parent- and teacher-reported attention difficulties. Method Twenty-four survivors of childhood ALL (Mage = 13.5 years, SD = 2.8 years) completed a computerized measure of sustained attention and response control and a written measure of math calculation skills in the context of a comprehensive clinical neuropsychological evaluation. Parent and teacher ratings of inattention and impulsivity were obtained. Results Visual response control and visual attention accounted for 26.4% of the variance observed among math performance scores after controlling for IQ (p < .05). Teacher-rated, but not parent-rated, inattention was significantly negatively correlated with math calculation scores. Conclusions Consistency of responses to visual stimuli on a computerized measure of attention is a unique predictor of variance in math performance among survivors of childhood ALL. Objective testing of visual response control, rather than parent-rated attentional problems, may have clinical utility in identifying ALL survivors at risk for math difficulties.
The Economics of Film Financing: An Introduction

This chapter tries to analyse the main issues in film financing. It explains the structure of film project financing and the issues stemming from the uniqueness of each project, the ephemeral nature of the product and the unequal distribution of expenses on the timeline. It explores the role of risk in studio decisions and in financing arrangements, explaining why it is that sequels are the “holy grail” of movie studios and why they are not co-financed. It then discusses state subsidies to movies. It analyses the difference between expense-based subsidies as offered in the USA and quality-based subsidies model used in many other countries and argues that the latter may be inferior due to agency issues. It concludes with a brief discussion of future developments.
The Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy: VII. Diabetic Nonproliferative Retinal Lesions

The prevalences of hard exudates, soft exudates, intraretinal microvascular abnormalities (IRMAs), and venous beading and their relationships to demographic and other characteristics were examined in a population-based study in southern Wisconsin. For participants whose age at diagnosis was less than 30 years and who were taking insulin (N = 996), hard exudates were found in 24.2%, soft exudates in 15.3%, IRMAs in 16.5%, and venous beading in 7.0% of the population. For participants whose age at diagnosis was 30 years or older and who were taking insulin (N = 674), hard exudates were found in 28.3%, soft exudates in 15.5%, IRMAs in 8.8%, and venous beading in 3.2%. For older-onset persons not taking insulin (N = 696), hard exudates were found in 9.4%, soft exudates in 5.4%, IRMAs in 2.6%, and venous beading in 0.9% of the population. The severities of the lesions were found to be consistently associated with longer duration of diabetes in younger-onset persons and the presence of proteinuria in older-onset persons.
Muscarinic Receptor Blockade Reveals Changes in Cholinergic Function in Two Models of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Along with other laboratories, we have provided data suggesting that abnormal agonistreceptor interactions produce sublethal excitotoxic changes in neural function that contribute to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Several lines of evidence indicate that activation of muscarinic cholinergic and/or NMDA glutamate receptors induces pathological processes ultimately producing the enduring neurological changes characteristic of TBI. This receptor activation is likely due to a massive release of neurotransmitters caused by a TBI-induced membrane depolarization. Membrane depolarization may be a phenomenon common to all forms of mechanical trauma whether focal or generalized and may contribute to long term changes in brain information flow (Hayes et al., 1989).
Guilt, Shame, and Embarrassment

The topics of guilt, shame, and embarrassment evoke wide recognition and are everyday experiences. Theorists have suggested adaptive roles for guilt (e.g., Hoffman, 1976; Wright, 1971), shame (e.g., Lewis, 1986), and embarrassment (e.g., Edelmann, 1987). These emotions may encourage self-regulation and socially desirable behavior and also inhibit undesirable conduct. On the other hand, clinical observers have implicated high levels of guilt, shame, and embarrassment in a variety of psychological difficulties. These emotions have bearing on social anxiety in that they have aversive motivational properties and often inhibit social behavior. Moreover, one presumed source of guilt, shame, and embarrassment is interpersonal learning experiences in which violations of norms and standards were met with punishment, especially social rejection and disapproval. (Presumably, even if the potential for these emotions is innate, the particular eliciting stimuli within any culture or subculture are acquired in socialization about violations of specific norms and standards.) In addition, there are striking individual differences both in the specific events that occasion these emotions and also in their pervasiveness.
Suprathreshold hearing in middle age and relationship to cochlear synaptopathy

Animal models have demonstrated that the afferent synapses and nerve terminals innervating the cochlea are vulnerable to damage from acoustic overexposure and aging. This synaptopathy can occur without hair-cell loss, or more severely when accompanied by permanent audiometric shifts. In humans, postmortem temporal bone studies have shown that cochlear synaptopathy occurs throughout adulthood, decades before audiometric loss nominally occurs. However, effective non-invasive assays of synaptopathy have yet to be established in humans (or genetically heterogeneous animal cohorts). Moreover, whether synaptopathy contributes to age-related temporal perception deficits is debated. We are currently studying young and middle-aged humans with clinically “near-normal” audiograms using physiological and perceptual measures. Preliminary results suggest that although high-frequency audiometric shifts occur with age as previously known, middle age per se is associated with physiological effects consistent with cochlear synaptopathy. Further, we find that the effects of age and threshold elevation can oppose and obscure one another on certain perceptual measures. Finally, with speech-in-noise measures designed to degrade high-frequency envelope cues, perceptual deficits associated with middle age per se are apparent and consistent with synaptopathy. These results will be discussed in light of the ongoing debate about the prevalence and consequences of synaptopathy in humans.
Abstract #3872: NGAL mediates erlotinib resistance in NSCLC

To study erlotinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we developed several erlotinib resistant cell lines by growing the initially moderately sensitive cells in the presence of increasing concentrations of erlotinib. Gene expression profiling (Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 Array) analysis indicates neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL, also named lipocalin-2), is upregulated more than 200 fold in resistant cells. Western blot confirmed this result. To study the potential role of NGAL in erlotinib resistance, we established two stable NGAL overexpressing NSCLC cell lines, H441NGAL and H3255NGAL. Both cell lines were more resistant to erlotinib-induced apoptosis than control cell lines. The proapoptotic protein Bim was decreased and ERK1/2 phosphorylation was increased in both NGAL overexpressing cell lines. Knockdown of Bim expression by siRNA decreased apoptosis sensitivity, suggesting NGAL-mediated erlotinib resistance was Bim-dependent. Erlotinib treatment inhibited ERK1/2 phosphorylation and induced Bim expression, however, this induction was attenuated in both NGAL overexpressing cell lines. Studies using a proteosome inhibitor suggest that NGAL may promote Bim degradation via the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway via increasing ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In SCID mice, tumors derived from H3255NGAL cells are more resistant to erlotinib-induced growth inhibition compared to those derived from control cells. Compared to patients responding to therapy, serum NGAL levels in patients with late stage NSCLC receiving erlotinib treatment in progressive disease were higher. Our results suggest that NGAL could confer erlotinib resistance by decreasing Bim expression and increasing apoptosis resistance in NSCLC. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 3872.
Cutback management in Canadian cities

This study looks at the views of municipal managers in Canada about cutback management, using data from a national survey conducted in two waves: 2009 and 2015. The first period reflects the onset ...
Fast Inter-Base Station Ring (FIBR): A New Millimeter Wave Cellular Network Architecture

Fifth Generation (5G) Millimeter Wave (mmWave) cellular networks are expected to serve a large set of throughput-intensive, ultra-reliable, and ultra-low latency applications. To meet these stringent requirements, while minimizing the network cost, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project has proposed a new transport architecture, where certain functional blocks can be placed closer to the network edge. In this architecture, however, blockages and shadowing in 5G mmWave cellular networks may lead to frequent handovers (HOs) causing significant performance degradation. To meet the ultra-reliable and low-latency requirements of applications and services in an environment with frequent HOs, we propose the Fast Inter-Base Station Ring (FIBR) architecture, where Base Stations (BSs) that are in close proximity are grouped together, interconnected by a bi-directional counter-rotating buffer insertion ring network. FIBR enables high-speed control signaling and fast-switching among BSs during HOs, while allowing the user equipment to maintain a high degree of connectivity. We demonstrate that the FIBR architecture efficiently handles frequent HO events in mmWave cellular systems, and thus more effectively satisfies the QoS requirements of 5G applications.
Custom CMOS and Post-CMOS Crossbar Circuits for Resource-Constrained Hardware Security Primitives

Securing ubiquitous resource-constrained electronic systems in emerging applications faces severe hardware constraints on power and costs, as well as vulnerability to physical attacks. In this paper, we present a suite of latest hard-ware security primitives, exploiting custom crossbar circuits in CMOS and post-CMOS processes, to provide reliable and energy-efficient hardware root of trust for system security.
Adjusting confirmed COVID-19 case counts for testing volume

Abstract When assessing the relative prevalence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), observers often point to the number of COVID-19 cases that have been confirmed through viral testing. However, comparisons based on confirmed case counts alone can be misleading since a higher case count may reflect either a higher disease prevalence or a better rate of disease detection. Using weekly records of viral test results for each state in the US, I demonstrate how confirmed case counts can be adjusted based on the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive. A regression analysis indicates that case counts track better with future hospitalizations and deaths when employing this simple adjustment for testing coverage. Viral testing results can be used as a leading indicator of COVID-19 prevalence, but data reporting standards should be improved, and care should be taken to account for testing coverage when comparing confirmed case counts.
Adding measurement error to location data to protect subject confidentiality while allowing for consistent estimation of exposure effects

In public use data sets, it is desirable not to report a respondent's location precisely to protect subject confidentiality. However, the direct use of perturbed location data to construct explanatory exposure variables for regression models will generally make naive estimates of all parameters biased and inconsistent. We propose an approach where a perturbation vector, consisting of a random distance at a random angle, is added to a respondent's reported geographic co‐ordinates. We show that, as long as the distribution of the perturbation is public and there is an underlying prior population density map, external researchers can construct unbiased and consistent estimates of location‐dependent exposure effects by using numerical integration techniques over all possible actual locations, although coefficient confidence intervals are wider than if the true location data were known. We examine our method by using a Monte Carlo simulation exercise and apply it to a real world example using data on perceived and actual distance to a health facility in Tanzania.
Presentation On: Biden Vs. Trump, Voter’s Guide on Economics

The paper is based on the notes Professor Thompson utilized in making a presentation on his new book Biden vs. Trump, Voter’s Guide on Economics. The presentation is available on the Penn State Law YouTube channel. The book runs for over 500 pages and is written in a Q and A format for the average voter. The book is self-published and is available through Amazon both in paperback and on Kindle. The Amazon website for the book can be reached at the web page for the book on the Penn State Law website and is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KJD46DC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Biden+vs.+Trump%2C+voter%27s+guide+on+economics&qid=1601994417&s=books&sr=1-1.
A review of the literature on teachers’ beliefs about English language learners

Abstract Over recent decades, many studies have suggested that teachers’ beliefs and attitudes are important predictors of their behaviors, classroom instructions, and practices, affecting the quality of education. This literature review addresses teachers’ attitudes toward English language learners (ELLs) and their academic abilities specifically. It addresses the research question, “what does the educational research say about teachers’ beliefs and attitudes toward ELLs?” Findings are based on 25 studies published between 1985 and 2015. They indicate teachers hold negative beliefs and attitudes, but intervention can change them. This review provides important information to teachers, teacher educators, curriculum planners, education policy makers, and school administrators about how to enhance teachers’ beliefs and attitudes to increase the quality of education and learning opportunities for ELLs.
Utilizing Alternative Testing Technology for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the COVID era.

With the onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in-person human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing is no longer easily accessible. Therefore, alternative testing technologies must be considered and implemented on a large scale to continue prevention efforts. This review seeks to describe the benefits of utilizing at-home HIV testing technologies, traditionally deemed an alternative form of testing. Utilizing at-home testing technology during the COVID-19 pandemic overcomes novel and previously identified barriers to HIV testing. Ensuring access to HIV testing is imperative to long-term prevention goals. With the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative in the USA targeting achievement by 2030, obstacles to HIV testing must be addressed to ensure its success. Implementing alternative testing technology more broadly allows for continued prevention efforts for HIV in light of COVID era restrictions.
Analysis of Emerging Variants in Structured Regions of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has motivated a widespread effort to understand its epidemiology and pathogenic mechanisms. Modern high-throughput sequenci...
Fire Ecology and Management in Pacific Northwest Forests

Fire has been an important catalyst of change in Pacific Northwest forests throughout the Holocene. The role of fire varied across this biophysically diverse region prior to European colonization, but fire exclusion and logging drastically altered forest conditions during the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite recent increases in area burned and several large wildfires with devastating social and economic consequences, area burned in recent decades remains far less than under historical regimes across most of the region. Some dry forest landscapes have experienced profound change through uncharacteristically severe fires. In moist and cold forest landscapes, wildfires have enhanced biodiversity through the creation of structurally complex early-seral habitats. Area burned is expected to double or triple in the future under a warming climate. Strategies to adapt to future wildfires vary among historical regimes and biophysical settings and will require collaborative engagement and adaptive management to facilitate ecological change at meaningful scales.
An approximate k/spl middot/p theory for optical gain of strained InGaAsP quantum-well lasers

We describe an approximate k/spl middot/p theory for strained quantum wells that includes the bulk valence-band mixing effect and simplifies the envelope function approximation for the subband calculation. We show that such an approach provides analytical results for calculating the quasi-Fermi level and optical gain. We present useful material parameters over the whole parameter space of the InGaAsP system based on the approximate k/spl middot/p theory. Our approximate k/spl middot/p subband structure is compared with the results from the exact k/spl middot/p theory. Using a minimal set of fitting parameters, we show that the calculated gain spectrum agrees reasonably well with experimental data for the gain spectrum and its temperature dependence. >
A Reflective Environment for Configurable Business Rules and Tools

This paper describes some experiences in implementing business rules within the context of an object-oriented framework. We use the framework to build applications in administrative environments. These applications often share a common business model, and typically require a mix of database, document management and workflow functionality.
The Supreme Court Disposes of a Nuisance Suite: American Electric Power V. Connecticut

In American Electric Power v. Connecticut the Supreme Court confronted climate change litigation for the second time. Whereas Massachusetts v. EPA was a closely divided court decision with dramatic and far-reaching legal and policy implications, AEP was a narrow, unanimous opinion that hewed closely to well-settled precedent. In AEP the Court side-stepped difficult jurisdictional questions and rejected an ambitious effort to turn the federal common law of nuisance into a judicially administered environmental regulatory regime. While not erecting any new barriers to future climate suits, the Court’s opinion raised cautions about trying to make climate change policy through the judiciary. That climate change is a serious concern does not mean it is a matter for the courts.
Structure and Kinetics of Electron Beam Damage in a Chemisorbed Monolayer: PF 3 on Ru(0001)

We have used a combination of methods to probe the structure and kinetics of electron beam induced damage in a monolayer of PF3 on Ru(0001). This is a particularly rich system, in which molecularly adsorbed PF3 is reduced to PF2, PF and P by electron bombardment. The concentrations and kinetics of damage by 550 eV electrons are measured as a function of surface temperature (100 to 300K) and PF3 coverage using soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (SXPS) excited by synchrotron radiation. Structures of fragments and ion desorption kinetics are measured using electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (ESDIAD). Evidence is seen for quenching of DIET processes via intermolecular interactions at high coverages. Damage rates and product distributions vary with temperature, due to a competition between DIET and thermal kinetic processes.
Sensitization of Nd 3+ emission by Sm 2+ in CaF 2 and other fluorite-structure hosts

Trivalent chromium is an efficient sensitizer of Nd3+ in several oxide crystal hosts. Since Cr3+ cannot be incorporated into many other hosts with the proper crystal field magnitude for Nd3+ sensitization, alternative sensitizers would be highly desirable, particularly for fluoride crystals, which have low nonlinear refractive indices. Divalent samarium, which can be incorporated in a number of fluoride hosts, has strong broad absorption bands in the visible and UV, and its red luminescence often overlaps strong Nd absorption lines.
Photoacoustic Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Aluminum / Silicon Nitride Double‐Layer Thin Films

In this paper, we compare two photoacoustic techniques to characterize the mechanical parameters of edge‐supported aluminum and silicon nitride double‐layer thin films. In a first set of experiments, a femtosecond transient pump‐probe technique is used to investigate the Young’s moduli of the aluminum and silicon nitride layers by launching ultra‐high frequency bulk acoustic waves in the films. In a second set of experiments, dispersion curves of the A0 mode of the Lamb waves that propagate along the unsupported films are measured using a broadband photoacoustic guided‐wave method. The residual stresses and flexural rigidities for the same set of double‐layer membranes are determined from these dispersion curves. Comparisons of the results obtained by the two photoacoustic techniques are made.
α-Amanitin-Resistant Viral RNA Synthesis in Nuclei Isolated from Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus-Infected Heliothis zea Larvae and Spodoptera frugiperda Cells

[(3)H]RNA was synthesized in nuclei isolated at various times postinfection from the fat bodies of Heliothis zea larvae infected with H. zea nuclear polyhedrosis virus and from cultured Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. To detect virus-specific RNA synthesis, the [(3)H]RNA was hybridized to denatured viral DNA immobilized on nitrocellulose filters. Nuclear polyhedrosis virus-specific RNA synthesis in the infected nuclei isolated from H. zea larval fat bodies and S. frugiperda cells was only inhibited 20 to 25% by concentrations of alpha-amanitin sufficient to inhibit the host RNA polymerase II. In addition, a productive nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection was obtained in S. frugiperda cells grown in the presence of an alpha-amanitin concentration that inhibited 90% of the cellular RNA polymerase II activity. The cellular RNA polymerase II enzyme remained sensitive to alpha-amanitin during infection, and there was no evidence that a virus-coded, alpha-amanitin-resistant enzyme was synthesized after the onset of infection. The data suggest that the bulk of nuclear polyhedrosis virus-specific RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei is transcribed by an enzyme other than the host RNA polymerase II.
Use of an Articulated External Fixator for Fractures of the Tibial Plafond

We performed a prospective study of forty-nine displaced fractures of the tibial plafond in forty-eight patients managed, at three centers, with an articulated external fixator placed medially across the ankle joint. Forty ankles had interfragmental screw fixation of a reduced articular fracture, and fourteen ankles had bone-grafting. The average duration of external fixation was twelve weeks. All of the fractures healed (one after delayed bone-grafting). There were no infections in any of the operative or traumatic wounds over the tibia. Two wound infections over the fibula resolved with treatment. Eight patients were managed with antibiotics for a pin-site infection, and two patients had curettage and debridement of a pin site in the hindfoot after removal of the fixator. Thirty patients (thirty-one ankles) completed two-year data sheets at an average of thirty months after the injury. The average ankle score was 67 points. Twenty-one patients had grade-0 or 1 osteoarthrosis and nine had grade-2 or 3. One ankle had been treated with an arthrodesis. These data suggest that the prevalence of early complications associated with severe fractures of the tibial plafond and their treatment can be decreased with use of an articulated external fixator combined with limited internal fixation. We concluded that this technique of external fixation is a satisfactory technique for the treatment of these fractures.
Obesity and the Risk and Detection of Fetal Malformations

The incidence of obesity in pregnancy has increased over the past 2 decades, with nearly 50% of U.S. women aged 15-49 years classified as overweight or obese. Obesity (independent of diabetes) among gravidae poses unique risks that extend toward the fetus, with several large population-based analyses demonstrating independent increased risks for fetal malformations including neural tube defects, cardiac anomalies, and orofacial clefts, as well as stillbirth and macrosomia. Unfortunately, several lines of evidence also suggest that the quality of the prenatal fetal anatomic survey and certain aspects of prenatal diagnostic screening programs are significantly limited. The net effect is that among obese gravidae, the increased risk of fetal anomalies is further offset by a concomitant diminished ability to sonographically detect such malformations in the prenatal interval. The purpose of this summary review is to systematically examine the evidence suggesting an increased risk of fetal malformations in obese gravidae, the contributing role of diabetes, and the limitations of prenatal diagnostic and sonographic screening among this at-risk population.
The Morphometry of Solenopsis Fire Ants

Size-related changes of body shape were explored in 15 polymorphic species of Solenopsis fire ants by analyzing body weight along with linear measurements of 24 body parts. Log regression slopes were used to detect changes of shape with increasing size. Within species, the largest workers weighed from about 5 to 30-fold as much as the smallest. The range of within-species body lengths varied from 1.6 mm to 4 mm. As worker size increased, the gaster tended to make up a larger proportion of body length, usually at the cost of the petiole, and rarely at the cost of head length or mesosoma length. In most, the relative volume of the gaster increased and that of the head and mesosoma decreased. Most also showed an increasingly “humped” mesosoma. For all species, head shape changed from barrel-shaped to heart-shaped as worker size increased. Antennae became relatively shorter as the relative size of the club decreased. Shape changes of the legs were more variable. S. geminata was exceptional in the extreme nature of its head shape change, and was the only species in which relative head volume increased and gaster volume decreased with increasing body size. With the exception of S. geminata, the allometric rules governing shape are remarkably similar across species, suggesting a genus-level developmental scheme that is not easily modified by evolution. It also suggests that the evolution of shape is highly constrained by these conserved growth rules, and that it acts primarily (perhaps only) through allometric growth. The results are discussed in light of the growth of imaginal discs in a resource-limited body (the pupa). The substantial variation of allometries within species and across localities is also discussed in relation to using allometric patterns to identify species or to construct phylogenies.
Chronic pain, overweight, and obesity: findings from a community-based twin registry.

Abstract Chronic pain and obesity, and their associated impairments, are major health concerns. We estimated the association of overweight and obesity with 5 distinct pain conditions and 3 pain symptoms, and examined whether familial influences explained these relationships. We used data collected from 3,471 twins in the community-based University of Washington Twin Registry. Twins reported sociodemographic data, current height and weight, chronic pain diagnoses and symptoms, and lifetime depression. Overweight and obese were defined as body mass index of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m 2 and ≥ 30.0 kg/m 2 , respectively. Generalized estimating equation regression models, adjusted for age, gender, depression, and familial/genetic factors, were used to examine the relationship between chronic pain, and overweight and obesity. Overall, overweight and obese twins were more likely to report low back pain, tension-type or migraine headache, fibromyalgia, abdominal pain, and chronic widespread pain than normal-weight twins after adjustment for age, gender, and depression. After further adjusting for familial influences, these associations were diminished. The mechanisms underlying these relationships are likely diverse and multifactorial, yet this study demonstrates that the associations can be partially explained by familial and sociodemographic factors, and depression. Future longitudinal research can help to determine causality and underlying mechanisms. Perspective This article reports on the familial contribution and the role of psychological factors in the relationship between chronic pain, and overweight and obesity. These findings can increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these 2 commonly comorbid sets of conditions.
Rod outer segment disc shedding in relation to cyclic lighting.

Abstract Rod outer segment disc shedding and phagocytosis by the pigment epithelium has been studied by light microscopy in sections from plastic-embedded eyes taken from albino rats at different times of the day and night. Rats were reared in cyclic light (12 hr light-12 hr dark). Soon after the onset of light (0·5 hr) the number of large phagosomes in the pigment epithelium rose from a low level to a high level where it remained for about 2 hr. Thereafter, the number of large phagosomes dropped rapidly so that the number was low by 3–4 hr after the onset of light, and it remained low throughout the rest of the day and throughout the night. During the burst of disc shedding in the early morning, the number of large phagosomes was 2–5 times that found at other times of the day or night.