cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formative Self-Assessment College Classes Improves Self-Regulation and Retention in First/Second Year Community College Students

This research examined the influence formative self-assessment had on first/second year community college student self-regulatory practices. Previous research has shown that the ability to regulate one’s learning activities can improve performance in college classes, and it has long been known that the use of formative assessment improves learning. However, little has been done exploring the influence of formative self-assessment on variables associated with both student and institutional success. First/second year community college students enrolled in 10 self-assessment and six traditional assessment classes completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) at the conclusion of one semester as a measure of self-regulation specific to the individual class under examination. A modest effect of assessment type was found for self-reported self-regulation where students in self-assessment classes reported higher self-regulation than students in traditional assessment classes. Self-regulati...
Standing Cone Avoidance via Advancement Flap Modification

background. Tissue redundancy manifesting as a standing cutaneous cone is a common surgical problem. objective. We describe modifications to traditional advancement flap design that allows for standing cutaneous cone avoidance. methods. In addition to traditional incisions employed in advancement flaps, an additional curvilinear incision is made along one or more limbs of the flap. By removing tissue along the length of the flap incision, redundant tissue is redistributed along the length of the incision. A standing cutaneous cone is thereby avoided. results. Use of the technique provides standing cone avoidance without lengthening a surgical scar. There has been no increase in flap failure or other complications with the described technique. conclusion. The modified advancement flap allows for standing cone avoidance. Improved cosmesis can also be achieved when the modified flap limb is placed in a facial line or subunit junction.
Incremental algorithm-a new fast backprojection scheme for parallel beam geometries

A fast backprojection scheme for parallel beam geometries is proposed. Known as the incremental algorithm, it performs backprojection on a ray-by-ray (beam-by-beam) basis rather than the pixel-by-pixel backprojection in the conventional algorithm. By restructuring a conventional backprojection algorithm, the interdependency of pixel computations (position and value) is transformed to a set of incremental relations for a beam, where a beam is a set of pixels enclosed by two adjacent rays in 2-D computed tomography (CT), and a set of voxels enclosed by four adjacent rays in 3-D CT. To minimize the overhead of searching for the next pixels, a searching flow technique has been developed to implement the first-order and second-order incremental relations for 2-D and 3-D CTs, respectively. The values of all the pixels in each beam (except the first pixel) are computed with additions only, the key idea of the proposed backprojection scheme. The incremental algorithm has been implemented on two different machines and compared to B.F. Shepp and L.A. Logan's (1974) algorithm. The present implementation results show the superiority of this approach over the conventional algorithm. >
Experimental study of temperature distribution in laminar tube flow of a fluid with internal heat generation

Abstract An experimental investigation of laminar fluid flow in a circular tube with internal heat generation was conducted. Wall-temperature measurements were made for a uniform internal heat source in an insulated tube, and excellent agreement was demonstrated between the experimental results and a theoretical analysis by Siegel et al.
Accessing and extending the utility of United States forest inventory data

The Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the United States Forest Service has been operational since the 1930's. Data collected prior to 1977 is unavailable in electronic format. More recent data is available for downloading from the Internet. Reporting tools such as the forest inventory mapmaker Web-application have been developed to generate population estimates of forest area, numbers of trees, timber volume, growth, removals and mortality for a wide variety of stand and/or tree characteristics. The fuel treatment evaluator (FTE) Web-application links forest inventory data to both fire hazard and socio-economic geo-spatial data. Linking this information aids planners in identifying potential fire hazard hotspots and evaluating alternative fuel treatment options. The FTE program can also generate inputs to systems such as the spatial resource support system and growth and yield programs such as the Forest Vegetation Simulator.
Small for gestational age birth outcomes in pregnant women with perinatally acquired HIV.

With the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), morbidity and mortality have declined in individuals with perinatally acquired HIV (PAH), allowing many to reach reproductive ages [1-3] Women with PAH who have conceived represent a particularly challenging subset of patients. In comparison to women with behaviorally acquired HIV (BAH), they often harbor complex psychosocial and reproductive health needs [4-5], possess more advanced HIV disease [8], and exhibit distinct immunological alterations – a maturational delay in cell-mediated immunity [6-7] as well as persistent CD8+ cellular activation. [7-8] Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in women with PAH have not been well documented and of particular concern is poor intrauterine growth. [9-10] Small for gestational age (SGA) birth weight (BW) has been associated with a variety of poor health outcomes including increased neonatal morbidity and mortality [11-12], childhood neurocognitive deficits [13-14], and long term metabolic consequences such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease [15-17]. This paper evaluates the rates of SGA infants born to women with PAH vs. BAH at a single health facility in New York City.
Context is Key for Voluntary and Informed Consent

Rhodes (2005) touches on a number of important themes in her critique. I agree that society would benefit by the promotion of participation in research as an altruistic and socially responsible act...
Structures derived from cowpea chlorotic mottle and brome mosaic virus protein.

Abstract The behavior at different salt and acidic pH levels of protein isolated from three spherical plant viruses was investigated. Broad bean mottle virus protein did not aggregate into recognizable organized structures. Protein from brome mosaic virus formed capsids similar to those of the virus at a pH and salt-dependent efficiency with best yields at pH 5.0 in 0.2 M NaCl. Best yields for cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein capsids occurred at pH 5.0 in 0.1 M NaCl or from pH 3.5 to 5.0 in 0.2 M NaCl. Protein from the latter virus also formed double-shelled and rosettelike particles in 0.2 M NaCl from pH 5.3 to 5.7. Narrow tubes were made at pH levels of 6.0 and higher, and the tubes were accompanied by T = 1 and T = 3 particles if ribonu-clease-digested RNA was present. In the absence of NaCl in 0.01 M acetate buffer at pH 4.0 and 4.5, laminar and platelike aggregates were found with CCMV protein. The production and some of the properties of the various forms are described.
Depressive Symptoms and Attributional Style in Children

The applicability of the reformulated helplessness model of depression to children was assessed with outpatient samples from child psychiatric (N = 29) and pediatric (N = 26) clinics. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between attributional style and depressive symptoms. In contrast to theoretical prediction, the results indicated that a measure of the attribution of positive events to external, unstable, and specific factors was a more important predictor of depressive symptoms in children than was a measure of the attribution of negative events to internal, stable, and global factors. In the context of similarly inconsistent findings with adults, the results are discussed in terms of the applicability of the helplessness model of depression to children and the need for further revision and refinement of the reformulated helplessness hypothesis to take account of the growing number of studies reporting results inconsistent with its postulates.
Validity of the two-signal model for activation of CD28-deficient T lymphocytes: quantitative characterization of an alternative costimulatory function of dendritic cells.

The observation that primary T-dependent immune responses are generated in mice lacking CD28, the only receptor definitively shown to costimulate naive T cells, has led to ambiguity as to whether costimulation is absolutely required for initiation of T-cell responses. In this report, in vitro analysis of the relationship between cell density and proliferation demonstrates that activation of CD28-/- T cells to immobilized T-cell receptor (TCR)-α monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) depends on costimulatory signals provided by other cells in culture and occurs only at cell densities sufficient to permit these intercellular interactions. These signals are necessary even under TCR triggering conditions that obviate the CD28 requirement. Dendritic cells (DCs) provide the necessary costimulation in vitro and prime T cells in vivo in CD28-/- mice. Single-cell and limiting dilution analyses indicate that individual T cells from normal and CD28-/- mice produce equivalent interleukin (IL)-2 in response to DCs. However, half as many T cells produce IL-2 when only the CD28-independent pathway is used. Nonetheless, CD28-/- T cells produce sufficient IL-2 to support clonal expansion comparable to that of CD28+/+ T cells, which may account for the equally robust in vivo responses initiated by DCs in normal and CD28-deficient animals.
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: A Review of Current Diagnostic and Minimally Invasive Treatment Modalities:

Chronic pelvic pain is a debilitating medical condition with a host of potential causes. Although often overlooked, pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a well-established cause of chronic pelvic pain due to abnormal ovarian and pelvic varices. The diagnosis is established with modern non-invasive cross-sectional imaging, preferably contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Although medical and open surgical therapies exist, transcatheter percutaneous embolotherapy has been shown to be a safe, effective and durable therapy for the treatment of PCS. Further prospective randomized studies are needed to refine optimal technique and assess long-term patient outcomes.
Decays of hybrid mesons

The heavy quark expansion of quantum chromodynamics and the strong coupling flux tube picture of nonperturbative glue are employed to develop the phenomenology of hybrid meson decays. The decay mechanism explicitly couples gluonic degrees of freedom to the pair-produced quarks and hence does {ital not} obey the well-known, but model-dependent, selection rule which states that hybrids do not decay to pairs of identical L=0 mesons. However, the nonperturbative nature of gluonic excitations in the flux tube picture leads to a new selection rule: light hybrids do not decay to any pairs of identical mesons. New features of the model are highlighted and partial widths are presented for several low-lying hybrid states. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
The ATF Status and Control System

The Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF) Status and Control System (SCS) is a programmable controller-based state monitoring and supervisory control system. This paper describes the SCS implementation and its use of a host computer to run a commercially available software package that provides color graphic interactive displays, alarm logging, and archiving of state data.
Uric Acid Excretion

Excerpt To the editor: The recent short paper of Wortmann and Fox (1) provides valuable new data on uric acid excretion in man. It is most important, however, that these findings not be overinterpr...
Application of water–activated carbon isotherm models to water adsorption isotherms of single-walled carbon nanotubes

The objective of this study is to understand the interactions of water with novel nanocarbons by implementing semiempirical models that were developed to interpret adsorption isotherms of water in common carbonaceous adsorbents. Water adsorption isotherms were gravimetrically determined on several single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) and activated carbon samples. Each isotherm was fitted to the Dubinin-Serpinsky (DS) equation, the Dubinin-Astakov equation, the cooperative multimolecular sorption theory, and the Do and Do equations. The applicability of these models was evaluated by high correlation coefficients and the significance of fitting parameters, especially those that delineate the concentration of hydrophilic functional groups, micropore volume, and the size of water clusters. Samples were also characterized by spectroscopic and adsorption techniques, and properties complementary to those quantified by the fitting parameters were extracted from the data collected. The comparison of fitting parameters with sample characterization results was used as the methodology for selecting the most informative and the best-fitting model. We conclude that the Do equation, as modified by Marban et al., is the most suitable semiempirical equation for predicting from experimental isotherms alone the size of molecular clusters that facilitate adsorption in SWNTs, deconvoluting the experimental isotherms into two subisotherms: adsorption onto hydrophilic groups and filling of micropores, and quantifying the concentration of hydrophilic functional groups, as well as determining the micropore volume explored by water. With the exception of the DS equation, the application of other water isotherm models to SWNTs is not computationally tractable. The findings from this research should aid studies of water adsorption in SWNTs by molecular simulation, which remains the most popular tool for understanding the microscopic behavior of water in nanocarbons.
Diffusive gas losses from silica glass ampoules at elevated temperatures

Changes in the pressure of hydrogen, helium and neon due to diffusion through the wall of silica crystal growth ampoules at elevated temperatures were determined experimentally. We show that, while both He- and Ne-losses closely follow the conventional model of diffusive gas permeation through the wall, hydrogen losses, particularly at low fill pressures, can be much larger. This is interpreted in terms of the high solubility of hydrogen in silica glasses.
Short quartet puzzling: a new quartet-based phylogeny reconstruction algorithm.

Quartet-based phylogeny reconstruction methods, such as Quartet Puzzling, were introduced in the hope that they might be competitive with maximum likelihood methods, without being as computationally intensive. However, despite the numerous quartet-based methods that have been developed, their performance in simulation has been disappointing. In particular, Ranwez and Gascuel, the developers of one of the best quartet methods, conjecture that quartet-based methods have inherent limitations that make them unable to produce trees as accurate as neighbor joining or maximum parsimony. In this paper, we present Short Quartet Puzzling, a new quartet-based phylogeny reconstruction algorithm, and we demonstrate the improved topological accuracy of the new method over maximum parsimony and neighbor joining, disproving the conjecture of Ranwez and Gascuel. We also show a dramatic improvement over Quartet Puzzling. Thus, while our new method is not compared to any ML method (as it is not expected to be as accurate as...
A relationship between a family of waiting time distributions and the asymptotic residual waiting time distribution

For a class of renewal process waiting time distributions defined herein, one may describe the distribution of asymptotic residual waiting times. The relationship between the two distributions characterizes the class, which includes the gamma distribution. Possible consequences for hypothesis testing are discussed.
Kinematics of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger after surface replacement.

Abstract Nine fresh-frozen normal human cadaveric long fingers were used to compare the kinematics of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) before and after a resurfacing metal-polyethylene prosthetic replacement (Avanta prosthesis, San Diego, CA) using the magnetic Isotrak system (Polhemus Navigational Systems, Colchester, VT). The kinematics of the PIP joint after replacement were similar to that of the normal joint. The maximum angular displacement was 5° for lateral deviation and 9° for rotation during the passive flexion and extension motion. The center of rotation after implant insertion was nearly identical to the center of rotation of the normal joint. This anatomically designed PIP prosthesis has potential to restore normal motion to the finger PIP joint while resisting physiologic out-of-plane forces such as pinch and grasp. (J Hand Surg 2000;25A:305–312. Copyright © 2000 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
A relational theory of biological systems II

The general Theory of Categories is applied to the study of the (M, R)-systems previously defined. A set of axioms is provided which characterize “abstract (M, R)-systems”, defined in terms of the Theory of Categories. It is shown that the replication of the repair components of these systems may be accounted for in a natural way within this framework, thereby obviating the need for anad hoc postulation of a replication mechanism. A time-lag structure is introduced into these abstract (M, R)-systems. In order to apply this structure to a discussion of the “morphology” of these systems, it is necessary to make certain assumptions which relate the morphology to the time lags. By so doing, a system of abstract biology is in effect constructed. In particular, a formulation of a general Principle of Optimal Design is proposed for these systems. It is shown under what conditions the repair mechanism of the system will be localized into a spherical region, suggestive of the nuclear arrangements in cells. The possibility of placing an abstract (M, R)-system into optimal form in more than one way is then investigated, and a necessary and sufficient condition for this occurrence is obtained. Some further implications of the above assumptions are then discussed.
Teaching Note---The MotoTech Manufacturing Company: Process Control and Improvement

Case Teaching Note: Interested Instructors please see the Instructor Materials page for access to the restricted materials. To maintain the integrity and usefulness of cases published in ITE, unapproved distribution of the case teaching notes and other restricted materials to any other party is prohibited.
Characterization of Apolipoprotein J-Alzheimer's Aβ Interaction

The main component of Alzheimer's amyloid deposits, A beta, has been found also as a soluble (sA beta) normal constituent of biological fluids and cell culture supernatants. Whether or not sA beta is the immediate precursor of A beta, it is clear that peptides with the same amino acid sequence can have both fibrillar and non-fibrillar conformations. The interconversion mechanism from one form to another is presently under intensive investigation. We have previously described that (i) a synthetic peptide A beta 1-40 immobilized on affinity matrices was able to retrieve apolipoprotein J (apoJ) from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid; and (ii) the interaction of sA beta with apoJ occurs in vivo, as demonstrated by the ability of anti-apoJ to co-precipitate sA beta from normal cerebrospinal fluid. We have characterized the binding between A beta 1-40 and apoJ and found that the interaction is saturable, specific, and reversible. The dissociation constant of 2 x 10(-9) M is indicative of high affinity binding. The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1; apoJ has five times more affinity for fresh A beta 1-40 than for the aggregated peptide. Competitive inhibition studies carried out with apolipoprotein E (isoforms E2, E3, and E4), transthyretin, vitronectin, and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin indicate that the complex apoJ.A beta 1-40 cannot be dissociated by any of these competitors at physiologic concentrations. The data strongly suggest that apoJ plays an important role as a carrier protein for sA beta.
Bond dynamics in arbitrary lattices

Abstract We treat the quantum mechanics/dynamics of lattices in arbitrary dimensions, with arbitrary topology - whether crystalline or amorphous - whether elastic or inelastic. The method is a generalization of a transformation which has been successful for one- or two-dimensional structures, from site to bond coordinates. Our formulation clarifies the role of defects in melting phenomena.
Prostate Cancer Detection, Characterization, And Clinical Outcomes In Men Aged 70 Years And Older Referred For Transrectal Ultrasound And Prostate Biopsies

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the diagnostic findings and treatment options chosen in men aged 70 years and older referred for prostate biopsy. Methods. Age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), biopsy pathology, clinical stage, treatment pursued, and treatment outcome were analyzed in 210 men age 70 years and older referred for transrectal ultrasound and prostate biopsies. All patients were followed for a mean of 46.9 months (range 28 to 63). Results. Cancer was found in 120 (56.8%) of the patients. The cancer detection rate was significantly higher (81.0%) in patients aged 80 years and older than those younger than 80 years. Cancer patients aged 80 years and older had a higher rate of poorly differentiated cancer (64.7%) compared with the 70 to 74-year-olds (33.3%) and 75 to 79-year-olds (32.1%). The patients aged 80 years and older also had a larger proportion of high-stage cancer. The patients younger than 80 years had a significantly higher incidence of stable/falling PSA with treatment compared with the older patients. Of the 210 patients, 41 (19.4%) died within 5 years of the diagnostic procedure; 3 died of prostate cancer. The death rate was not significantly different among the three age groups evaluated. None of the patients aged 80 years and older died of prostate cancer. Conclusions. Patients aged 80 years and older who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are less likely to respond well to treatment and usually die of unrelated causes. Aggressive diagnosis, staging, and treatment in octogenarians should be guided by the patients’ symptoms, overall health, and personal preferences.
Artistic Crystal Creations.

In this inquiry-based, integrative art and science activity, Grade 5-8 students use multicolored Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) crystallizing solutions to reveal beautiful, cylindrical, 3-dimensional, needle-shaped structures. Through observations of the crystal art, students analyze factors that contribute to crystal size and formation, compare and contrast projects, and develop aesthetic appreciation for intricate forms in nature.
Convergence rates for empirical Bayes two-action problems: the uniform U(0,θ) distribution

The purpose of this paper is to study the convergence rates of a sequence of empirical Bayes decision rules for the two-action problems in which the observations are uniformly distributed over the interval ( 0 , θ ) , where θ is a value of a random variable having an unknown prior distribution. It is shown that the proposed empirical Bayes decision rules are asymptotically optimal and that the order of associated convergence rates is O ( n − α ) , for some constant α , 0 α 1 , where n is the number of accumulated past observations at hand.
The multispecific cell adhesion molecule CD44 is represented in reticulocyte cDNA.

Abstract Identified originally as erythrocyte p80, whose expression is down regulated by the Lutheran inhibitor gene (In[Lu]), the In(Lu) related-p80 glycoprotein represents the red cell isoform of the human cell adhesion/recognition molecule CD44. The presence of a CD44 transcript within a reticulocyte cDNA library was indicated by the PCR amplification of an appropriately sized product generated by a pair of deoxyoligonucleotide primers derived from CD44 cDNA sequence. The amplified product was subsequently utilized to screen and isolate a positively hybridizing fulllength reticulocyte cDNA clone (RETIC CD44) that contained an 1809 base pair insert that was DNA sequenced by the dideoxy chain termination method. This first isolate of a reticulocyte CD44 cDNA appears to be generated by a combination of RNA processing events that includes production of 3′ mRNA heterogeneity by utilization of multiple poly(A) sites. Remarkably, the 3′ untranslated (3′UT) region of this mRNA, encoding a prototypic hematopoietic CD44 isoform, has been previously reported present on only a transcript that encodes a CD44 epithelial isoform.
Behavior of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Piglet Tracheal Organ Culture

Piglet tracheal organ cultures were infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and observed for 21 days. Light and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated destruction of the ciliated epithelial cells and the presence of viral antigens in the epithelium. Virus was shed in high titer for 12--19 days. Ciliostasis could be quantitated, and it was shown that several strains of RSV grew and damaged tracheal organ cultures in a similar fashion. A temperature-sensitive mutant of RSV, ts-1, was examined at permissive (33 C) and restrictive (37 C) temperatures. This mutant, although somewhat attenuated at 37 C, was still found to cause damage to the ciliated epithelium and to replicate at both temperatures. THIS BEHAVIOR IS SIMILAR TO THAT AFTER INOCULATION OF TS-1 INTO VOLUNTEERS. This in vitro model may prove useful in the study of RSV disease and in the evaluation of candidate live virus vaccines.
The analysis of public policy

Abstract This paper attempts to examine several aspects of the analysis of public policy as it pertains to the community development professional. Specifically, it looks at some of the definitions of public policy; at who are the policy makers, why we should study public policy, what are the “policy styles” of local government, at what are the models used to understand public policies and at how we may assess the impact of public policy. The analysis of public policy has gone through some immense changes in the last two decades. Knowledge of some of these changes may have a beneficial impact on those of us working in the area of community development.
An expectation-maximization method for calibrating synchronous machine models

The accuracy of a power system dynamic model is essential to its secure and efficient operation. Lower confidence in model accuracy usually leads to conservative operation and lowers asset usage. To improve model accuracy, this paper proposes an expectation-maximization (EM) method to calibrate the synchronous machine model using phasor measurement unit (PMU) data. First, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied to estimate the dynamic states using measurement data. Then, the parameters are calculated based on the estimated states using the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method. The EM method iterates over the preceding two steps to improve estimation accuracy. The proposed EM method's performance is evaluated using a single-machine infinite bus system and compared with a method where both state and parameters are estimated using an EKF method. Sensitivity studies of the parameter calibration using the EM method also are presented to show the robustness of the proposed method for different levels of measurement noise and initial parameter uncertainty.
Aggressive terrain following for motion-constrained AUVs

A motivating mission for AUVs is to collect a time series of images of a benthic site to monitor it for change. This mission includes performing a visual survey of an area of the seafloor and then returning to selected sites within that survey area on subsequent visits. To enable this capability for remote sites far from the launch point, an AUV designed for long-distance travel is required. Such AUVs are typically motion-constrained - they cannot hover and must maintain forward flight for controllability. In addition to a navigational system capable of returning the vehicle to the site, a terrain-following system is required to allow the motion-constrained AUV to fly safely within a few meters of the seafloor to collect images.
NEW METAL COMPLEXES DERIVED FROM 1-ACETYL-TRIMETHYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE-4-PHENYL-3-THIOSEMICARBAZIDE WITH SOME DIPOSITIVE METAL IONS

Abstract The preparation and chatacterization of some dipositive metal ion complexes derived from 1-acetyltrimethylammonium chloride-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide [(ATPTS)] Cl is reported. The solid complexes with the composition [M(ATPTS)X2] Cl.nH2 O, (M=Mn(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II); X=Cl, Br, 1/2SO4, Ac or NO2 and n=O-3), [M(ATPTS)X2]Cl2, (M=Ni(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II); X=Cl(Br), [Co(ATPTS) Cl(H2O)]Cl2.H2O and [Cu(ATPTS)SO4 Py2]Cl, have been characterized on the basis of elemental analyses and spectra (IR, visible and NMR), as well as magnetic and conductivity measurements. IR spectral data indicate that the ligand coordinates via the carbonyl oxygen or thiocarbonyl sulphur atoms and the appropriate hydrazide nitrogen atom to give a 5-membered chelating ring.
Improved analysis of theobromine and caffeine in chocolate food products formulated with cocoa powder

Abstract The amount of methylxanthines (i.e. caffeine, theobromine) in food products continues to be of interest to the public. To provide such data, an improved analytical method for their determination in cocoa-based food products was developed. An aqueous extraction followed by analysis using the method of known additions was found to give a higher degree of accuracy and precision in comparison with the method accepted by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International. This improved analytical method will allow for the collection of reliable methylxanthine concentration data that can be used to update food composition databases as well as by consumers and health care professionals.
An elderly man who suddenly lost consciousness

While walking on the beach, a 76 year old man lost consciousness suddenly and woke up to find his family looking over him. He had no convulsions, tongue biting, or urinary or faecal incontinence. He did not recall the event, but his daughter reported that he fell over without warning. He had no history of losses of consciousness, but he did admit to occasional chest pain and breathlessness on exertion. He took no regular drugs. Electrocardiography showed sinus rhythm with no ST/T changes. His pulse rate was regular at 68 beats/min, and his blood pressure was 132/76 mm Hg. Pulses were equal in all four extremities, and pedal oedema was not present. His venous pressure was not raised. On auscultation, his lungs were clear. He had delayed and subdued carotid upstrokes with a loud, late peaking, systolic crescendo-decrescendo murmur over the sternal border near the second intercostal space. The second heart sound was faintly audible. ### Short answers
The evolutionary language game.

We explore how evolutionary game dynamics have to be modified to accomodate a mathematical framework for the evolution of language. In particular, we are interested in the evolution of vocabulary, that is associations between signals and objects. We assume that successful communication contributes to biological fitness: individuals who communicate well leave more offspring. Children inherit from their parents a strategy for language learning (a language acquisition device). We consider three mechanisms whereby language is passed from one generation to the next: (i) parental learning: children learn the language of their parents; (ii) role model learning: children learn the language of individuals with a high payoff; and (iii) random learning: children learn the language of randomly chosen individuals. We show that parental and role model learning outperform random learning. Then we introduce mistakes in language learning and study how this process changes language over time. Mistakes increase the overall efficacy of parental and role model learning: in a world with errors evolutionary adaptation is more efficient. Our model also provides a simple explanation why homonomy is common while synonymy is rare.
Implications of Public School Finance Reform with Local Control

Local control of public schools has always been an important part of the educational system in the United States. With the exception of meeting some minimum requirements, local school districts have a great deal of flexibility in establishing their financial commitment. Differences in educational programs among school districts can, therefore, be attributed primarily to differences in fiscal capacity and commitment of residents to the support of
TERAHERTZ SENSING OF MATERIALS

Biomolecules such as DNA and proteins exhibit a wealth of modes in the Terahertz (THz) range from the rotational, vibrational and stretching modes of biomolecules. Many materials such as drywall that are opaque to human eyes are transparent to THz. Therefore, it can be used as a powerful tool for biomolecular sensing, biomedical analysis and through-the-wall imaging. Experiments were carried out to study the absorption of various materials including DNA and see-through imaging of drywall using FTIR spectrometer and Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) system.
Reproductive biology of the Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, with notes on the ecology of the species in the caribbean

Abstract From 1955 through 1983, 246 hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata have been tagged as they came ashore to nest at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, a beach they share with a large colony of green turtles Chelonia mydas . Nesting hawksbills average 82 cm in straight carapace length and grow at a mean rate of 0·3 cm year −1 . Mean clutch size is 158 eggs; clutch size is poorly correlated with female body size. Average time from egg deposition to hatching emergence is 58·5 days. Mean emergence success ff hatchling is 58·3% in all clutches and 91·6% in clutches that produced hatchlings. The internesting interval averaged between 16 and 17 days. Site-fixity of females both within and between seasons was examined; a greater degree of site-fixity was exhibited between seasons than within. The distribution of hawksbill nesting activity at Tortuguero is spatially similar to, but temporally different from, that of the green turtle. There is increasing evidence from tag returns that the Tortuguero hawksbill may also share the feeding grounds of the Tortuguero green turtle in the Miskito Cays, Nicaragua. Notes on the movements and feeding habits of juveniles on their feeding grounds are included. Following a decline from 1956, there has been no consistent trend in the number of hawksbills nesting at Tortuguero since 1972. However, the mean carapace length of hawksbills has shown a steady decline, suggesting that the population is not demographically stable. The stability of an entire population cannot be determined from monitoring the number of nesting turtles each year.
Thermotolerance in human cells of normal and neoplastic origin

Thermotolerance was assayed under controlled conditions in normal and neoplastic human cells with the aim of identifying intrinsic differences in the acquisition of heat resistance. Carcinoma cells from colon (WIDR) and lung (A-549) were compared to fibroblasts (AG-1522) and primary explants of umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in terms of their response to a 20 min heat shock at 45°C. Single cell survival, heat shock protein (HSP) synthesis, and glutathione were studied as common endpoints. Production of HSPs was immediate in normal derived cells, and was evident in neoplastic cells 2h following heat shock. Maximum translation of 70 and 90 kDa HSPs was observed at 6 h in all cell types and ceased by 24 h. Maximum cell survival peaked 4-24 h after the second heat dose showing a close association with HSP synthesis. Thermotolerance developed rapidly and decayed slowly over the next 5 days in normal and transformed cells. There was no correlation between the development of thermotolerance and endogen...
Mechanism of mitochondrial DNA replication in mouse L-cells: Asynchronous replication of strands, segregation of circular daughter molecules, aspects of topology and turnover of an initiation sequence

Abstract Examination of in vivo long-labeled, pulse-labeled and pulse-chase-labeled mitochondrial DNA has corroborated and extended the basic elements of the displacement model of replication. Mitochondrial DNA molecules are shown to replicate an average of once per cell doubling in exponentially growing cultures. Analysis of the separate strands of partially replicated molecules indicates that replication is highly asynchronous with heavy-strand synthesis preceding light-strand synthesis. Native and denatured pulse-labeled replicating molecules exhibit sedimentation properties predicted by the displacement model of replication. Pulse-label incorporated into molecules isolated in the lower band region of ethidium bromide/cesium chloride gradients is found primarily in heavy daughter strands. Pulse-label incorporated into molecules isolated in the upper band region is found primarily in light daughter strands. The results of a series of pulse-chase experiments indicate that the complete process of replication requires approximately 120 minutes. Both daughter molecules are shown to segregate in an open circular form. They are then converted to closed circular molecules having a superhelix density near zero. After closure, the 7 S heavy-strand initation sequence is synthesized, and this process is accompanied by nicking, unwinding and closing of at least one of the parental strands resulting in the formation of the D-loop structure. The 7 S heavy-strand initiation sequence of the D-loop structure is not stable and turns over with a half-life of 7·9 hours. We suggest that all in vivo forms of parental closed circular mitochondrial DNA have superhelix densities of near zero, and that the previously observed superhelix density of closed circular mitochondrial DNA, σ~ −0·02, results from the loss of the 7 S heavy-strand initiation sequence from D-loop mitochondrial DNA molecules during isolation.
Treatment of landfill leachates

Abstract Landfill leachate, which resembles concentrated mixed industrial waste water, threatens national groundwater supplies. Several processes drawn from industrial water treatment have been considered for renovating landfill leachate: biodegradation, chemical and thermal degradation, adsorption, reverse osmosis, and coagulation/precipitation. Since transporting leachate off-site entails considerable risk and expense, these technologies must be evaluated for their applicability to on-site treatment. Biodegradation has the greatest potential for removing the varied organic compounds found in leachate streams due to its flexibility and relatively wide application in waste-water treatment. Use of combinations of biological processes, such as sequential aerobic and anaerobic treatment, or of biological and physical processes, such as biologically activated carbon, may improve performance. Alternative chemical or thermal destruction processes are more energy intensive and require finer control than biological processes. Coagulation/precipitation, adsorption, and membrane processes have been studied for treating leachates to remove organic compounds, heavy metals, entrained oil, and colloidal material. Because these processes partition the leachate and, thus, concentrate toxic substances, further treatment of their residues is necessary. They are particularly suited for pretreating influent to a biological process or for polishing a biological effluent. Much work remains in applying these treatment processes to actual landfill leachates. Design of leachate treatment processes must be tailored to the site and will depend on the quantity and characteristics of treatment residues allowed under the prevailing regulatory environment. The variability of landfill leachates both from site to site and temporally within a site makes leachate treatment a challenging problem.
Beach geomorphic factors for the persistence of subsurface oil from the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska

Oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill persists in some of the Prince William Sound (Alaska) beaches and continues to be a potential threat to the fauna. This paper reports a field investigation during the summer of 2008 of groundwater flow and solute transport in a tidal gravel beach in Smith Island, Prince William Sound. The beach contains oil on one side, the left side (facing landward). Field measurements of water table, salinity, and tracer (lithium) concentration were obtained for an approximate duration of 64 h for two transects, the oiled transect and a clean transect (the right transect). It was found that the hydraulic conductivity and the fresh groundwater recharge into the two transects were similar. It was also found that the beach slope of the mid to high tidal zone along the oiled (left) transect was ~7.4% which is considerably smaller than that of the clean (right) transect (~11.8%). This suggests a higher flushing/replenishing of the right transect with nutrients and/or oxygen, which would have enhanced biodegradation of oil on the right transect if that oil was not washed by waves. We also found that the degree of oiling at each location was inversely dependent on the armoring of the beach surface with clasts and boulders. The applied tracer concentration at the left transect was less than 2% of the source or close to the background level at all locations except a seaward well closest to the applied location, indicating that the tracer applied was diluted or washed out from the beach during the application. Thus, in situations where oil biodegradation is limited by the availability of nutrients and/or dissolved oxygen, applying the chemicals on the beach surface would most likely not enhance oil biodegradation as the applied chemicals would be greatly diluted prior to reaching the oil. Thus, deep injection of nutrients and/or dissolved oxygen is probably the only option for enhancing oil biodegradation.
Proton-associated alpha-irradiation in the early solar system - A possible K-41 anomaly

It is shown that alpha-particle fluences associated with proton fluences sufficiently high to produce the Al-correlated excess of Mg-26 found in the Allende meteorite produce equally significant amounts of Ca-41. The Ca-41 is produced by Ar-38(alpha,n)Ca-41 reactions occurring in the gas and condenses into the Ca-Al-rich grains forming at that time. After the decay of Ca-41, these grains will have a Ca-correlated excess of K-41. The question is considered whether the proposed scheme is capable of producing an observable excess of K-41. A calculation is conducted of the magnitude of the K-41 excess expected to be found in Ca-Al-rich grains for various ratios of Ca/K by developing an irradiation-condensation model. It is shown that on the basis of the currently available data it is not possible to come to firm conclusions regarding the validity of the irradiation model.
Employment of Radiologic Technology Graduates of the Lyceum University of the Philippines – Batangas

A ten-year tracer study of Radiologic Technology graduates of Lyceum of the Philippines University SY 1997-2007 using a survey-structured questionnaire was conducted to examine retrospective contribution of their education to their current work. The objectives of the study included the determination of graduates’ job-placement profile; how relevant are school-related factors like curriculum, instruction, faculty; student services; organization and administration, physical plant, facilities and laboratories to the job placement; the determination of what skills developed while at school are considered useful in meeting the demands of their present work and the formulation of a program that will enhance the relevance of the college curriculum and services. A total of 97/122 (80%) graduates responded where 78% (76/97) are certified licensed radiographers. All respondents were employed on a full-time basis aligned to the program. The following were found to be very relevant in meeting the demands of their jobs: curriculum, instruction, competencies of the faculty, student services, organization and administrative services.Furthermore, the intellectual, communication and interpersonal skills, competencies, and workrelated values they learned and developed while at school as well as the performance in written and oral assessment of the employers were considered the most important contributing factors in seeking employment after graduation. Keywords - Radiologic Technology, tracer study, employment
Cryptococcus pneumonia presenting in an immunocompetent host with pulmonary asbestosis: a case report

Introduction Cryptococcal infections pose a diagnostic challenge in an immunocompetent host. Asbestos exposure has been associated with pulmonary aspergillosis. This case highlights an interesting presentation of cryptococcal lung inflammation with underlying asbestosis.
What is the fate of the refluxing contralateral kidney in children with multicystic dysplastic kidney

ABSTRACT Purpose: We clarify the natural history of contralateral vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children with multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK), including its impact on long-term renal growth. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 75 patients with MCDK. The primary outcomes were resolution of contralateral VUR and long-term renal growth. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare time to spontaneous resolution based on VUR grade. Mixed regression models were used to compare longitudinal changes in sonographic renal length. Results: Contralateral VUR was present in 19 of the 75 cases (26.4%) and was low grade (I–II) in 9. After a median followup of 4.4 years spontaneous resolution was more common in patients with grades I and II (89%) versus grades III and IV VUR (50%) (p = 0.14). Median time to resolution did not differ by grade (20.1 vs 31.3 months, p = 0.3). One child underwent ureteral reimplantation and no patients had hypertension or renal insufficiency. Mixed regression analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the annual increase in renal length based on VUR status (p >0.20). Conclusions: In the largest series to date of patients with MCDK and contralateral VUR we found that spontaneous resolution in a relatively short period can be anticipated for most children. Furthermore, VUR is not a significant threat to the growth of the solitary renal unit in the first few years of life.