cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aquaporin gene delivery to kidney

Aquaporin gene delivery to kidney. Background Several aquaporin- (AQP) type water channels are expressed in kidney tubules and microvessels, including AQP1 in proximal tubule, thin descending limb of Henle and vasa recta, AQP2 in collecting duct apical membrane, and AQP3 and AQP4 in collecting duct basolateral membrane. Mice deficient in these aquaporins have distinct phenotypic abnormalities. AQP1 null mice are polyuria and unable to generate a concentrated urine after water deprivation. AQP2-T126M mutant mice and AQP3 null mice manifest nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) with severe polyuria, whereas AQP4 null mice have only a mild defect in maximal urinary concentrating ability. We reasoned that these mice could serve as useful models for gene replacement because of their predictable and unambiguous phenotypes. Methods In an initial feasibility study, an adenovirus directing the expression of AQP1 was introduced into AQP1 null mice by intravenous infusion. Results At 1 week after adenovirus infusion, AQP1 was seen in many proximal tubules and microvessels. Compared with untreated null mice, the treated mice were able to partially concentrate their urine and lost less weight after water deprivation. However, AQP1 transgene expression and functional correction were lost over 3–5 weeks. Conclusion Although there remain many technical problems to overcome, aquaporin gene replacement has potential applications in hereditary and acquired NDI, and in the transient modulation of renal fluid conservation.
Women’s Advancement in the Accounting Profession: Consideration of Person‐Centered and Organization‐Centered Explanations

Despite the entry of large numbers of women into the accounting profession over the last decade, few women have reached top management levels. Two alternative paradigms that attempt to explain this phenomenon are the person‐centered explanation and the organization‐centered explanation. This study explores the Type A ‐ Type B personality traits, job satisfaction and turnover intentions, while controlling for level of decision making authority andoccupational setting, for a sample of certified public accountants. The research was undertaken to determine if women differ from men in any of these orientations and attitudes, and to assess whether any observed differences lend support to the person‐centered explanation on women’s failure to advance in the accounting profession. The results confirmed previous research which has indicated that Type A prone personality is associated with advancement in the accounting profession, and that women accountants possess relatively higher Type A prone personalities than men. The results also indicate that both level of decision making authority and occupational setting are significant factors associated with personality. The only significant factor found to be related to job satisfaction and turnover intentions was level of decision making authority. It was concluded that women possessed the personality characteristics necessary for success in the accounting profession, but were not advancing. Consequently, the results failed to support the person‐centered explanation on women’s failure to advance in the accounting profession.
Management simulators: A tool for fostering experience-based learning of agribusiness management concepts

This article examines the role of a management simulator in teaching an agribusiness management course. The use of the simulator is described and the critical issue of the simulator's correspondence with management course content is discussed. A set of requirements for the realization of the maximum net benefits of using a simulator is presented for consideration. The conclusion is that the costs and benefits are neither global nor explicit and should be carefully and subjectively estimated before a decision is made on whether to incorporate a simulation game into an agribusiness management course.
African American Accounting Majors and the 150-hr Requirement

The study provides information on African American accounting majors’ views regarding 150-hr issues. The authors collected data from 152 students at two schools. Students at one school supported the requirement while those at the other school did not. However, students believed that the 150-hr requirement enhances the quality of certified public accountants (CPAs) and results in better prepared CPA candidates. On the other hand, many students were concerned with the opportunity cost associated with securing additional hours. Students were most interested in additional undergraduate courses in accounting and business, preferably offered via a double major or minor, to meet the requirement. Students rated the Master's in Accountancy as the preferred graduate degree.
Stability and Coordination in Duverger's Law: A Formal Model of Preelection Polls and Strategic Voting

This paper investigates the dynamics of the “wasted vote” phenomenon and Duverger's Law. I construct a theoretical model in order to consider how preelection polls serve to inform the electorate about the relative chances of the candidates and how that information acts over time to decrease the support of the trailing candidate. The results shed light on how public opinion polls can aggregate information in the electorate and coordinate voters on the viable candidates in the election. Specifically, I show that in a Bayesian game model of strategic voting there exist non-Duvergerian equilibria in which all three candidates receive votes (in the limit). These equilibria require extreme coordination, however, and any variation in beliefs leads voters away from them to one of the Duvergerian equilibria. Thus, non-Duvergerian equilibria are unstable, while two-party equilibria are not. In addition, I describe how preelection polls provide information to voters about the viability of candidates and can thus be used by voters to coordinate on a Duvergerian outcome.
Simple Methods for Determining the Virtual Origin of Turbulent Boundary Layers in Hypersonic Flow on Sharp-Edged Flat Plates

Two methods for determining the virtual origin of turbulent boundary layers in hypersonic flow are evaluated. The results of the analyses are restricted to wind-tunnel models having sharp-edged surfaces with zero or small pressure gradients. Virtual origin and skin friction estimates from these two methods are compared with values from a base method for which the virtual origin is calculated from the measured momentum thickness at a station downstream of boundary layer transition.
Origin and distribution of phrenic primary afferent nerve fibers in the spinal cord of the adult rat

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory have localized and morphologically characterized phrenic motor neurons in the rat spinal cord at light and electron microscopic levels. The present investigation used a modification of the TMB method for the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to describe at light microscope levels the origin and distribution of phrenic primary afferent axons in the adult rat spinal cord. Dry HRP crystals were applied to the central stump of the transected phrenic nerve in the neck to label spinal ganglion cell bodies and thus determine the levels of origin of afferent axons in the phrenic nerve. Camera lucida drawings were then made from serial sections through the appropriate spinal cord levels to determine the specific distribution of transganglionically labeled phrenic central axonal processes within the spinal cord. HRP-labeled phrenic primary neurons were observed in the C3 to C7 spinal ganglia. The camera lucida studies indicated that the transganglionically labeled central processes of phrenic primary afferent axons distributed into the dorsal horn at the C4 and C5 levels of the spinal cord. Furthermore, central processes distributing to C5 were more numerous than those that distributed to C4. Afferent axons were never seen in the dorsal horn at C3, C6, or C7. As spinal ganglion cells were labeled at C3 above and C6 and C7 below, it follows that central processes of phrenic afferent fibers descend and ascend in the dorsal columns of the spinal cord before distributing into the dorsal horn. Specifically, the labeled primary afferent axons and their collateral branches were found in the fasciculus cuneatus, and in laminae I, II, III, and IV of the dorsomedial aspect of the dorsal horn. The function of these central axonal processes is unknown, but based on a comparison of our morphologic data with previous physiological and anatomical studies, we suggest that phrenic afferent fibers may arise from (i) proprioceptors (muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs), (ii) nociceptors, or (iii) rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors (Pacinian corpuscles) within the diaphragm.
Attention to central and peripheral visual space in a movement detection task. III. Separate effects of auditory deprivation and acquisition of a visual language

We employed event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and measures of signal detectability to compare attention to peripheral and central visual stimuli in normal hearing subjects who were born to deaf parents (HD Ss) and whose first language was American Sign Language (ASL). The results were compared with those obtained from normal hearing Ss and congenitally deaf Ss in the same paradigm. Task performance and ERPs during attention to the foveal region were similar in the 3 groups. In contrast, with attention to the peripheral stimuli the deaf Ss displayed attention effects over the occipital regions of both hemispheres that were several times larger than those in the hearing and the HD Ss. However, both HD and deaf Ss displayed lateral asymmetries in behavior and ERPs that were opposite in direction to those of the hearing Ss. Whereas hearing Ss detected the direction of target motion better when it occurred in the left visual field, deaf and HD Ss performed better for right visual field targets. Consistent with these results, the amplitude of the attention-related increases in the ERPs were larger from temporal and parietal regions of the right than the left hemisphere in hearing Ss, but were larger from the left than the right hemisphere in both the HD and the deaf Ss. These results suggest that auditory deprivation and the acquisition of a visual language have marked and different effects on the development of cortical specializations in humans.
MODELING THE RAVEN SCS-700 CHEMICAL INJECTION SYSTEM WITH CARRIER CONTROL WITH SPRAYER SIMULATION

Mathematical models of the chemical and carrier control sub-systems of the Raven SCS-700 chemical injection system were developed. The step responses of both control sub-systems were predictable using the models. From this process of model development, it was observed that the voltage saturation effect limited the response speed of the carrier valve motor and the resulting speed at which changes could be made to the carrier flow rate. The rate at which flow rate measurements were available limited the extent to which valve motor speed could be increased without causing instability. The performance of three different types of sprayers was simulated using these models. Simulations were performed with and without carrier control. Sprayers using carrier control misapplied to smaller areas than those without carrier control. Differences between the response of the chemical and carrier sub-system controllers produced concentration variations that contributed to application error. These errors, however, were small relative to the errors caused by response times of both systems and the ground speed sampling rate.
Magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, molecular g values, and other molecular properties of cyclopropane as determined from rotational Zeeman studies of the cyclopropane-hydrochloric-35Cl acid and cyclopropane-hydrocyanic-15N acid complexes

Utilisation du spectre microonde de la transformee de Fourier, pulse pour etudier l'effet Zeeman de rotation sur les complexes cyclopropane-HCl et cyclopropane-HCN. Determination pour le complexe cyclopropane-HCl du moment quadripolaire moleculaire, des elements tensoriels de susceptibilite magnetique, des contributions diamagnetiques et paramagnetiques et du second moment de la distribution de charge electronique. Calcul de constantes de Zeeman
University of Hawaii adaptive optics system: III. Wavefront curvature sensor

The structure of a wavefront sensor suitable for adaptive optics is described. The sensor scans rapidly between extra focus images with a vibrating membrane mirror acting as a variable curvature active optical element. The membrane mirror and driver are described. The optical system is coupled to an array detector optimized to match the response of a bimorph mirror and directly produces wavefront error signals. Results are presented and compared with other techniques for curvature sensing. Tip-tilt corrections achieved using the wavefront sensor are discussed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Intensity modulated radiation therapy versus three- dimensional conformal radiation therapy for the treatment of high grade glioma: a dosimetric comparison

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study was undertaken to perform a dosimetric comparison of IMRT versus 3DCRT techniques in patients treated for high-grade glioma. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients underwent computed tomography (CT) treatment planning in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion. Prescription dose and normal tissue constraints were identical for both 3DCRT and IMRT plans. The prescribed dose was 59.4 Gy delivered at 1.8 Gy per fraction using 4-10 MV photons. Normal tissue dose constraints were 50-54 Gy for optic chiasm/nerves and 55-60 Gy for brainstem. Results: IMRT resulted in superior target coverage compared to 3DCRT. Specifically, minimum and mean planning target volume cone down (PTVcd) doses were 54.52 and 61.74 Gy for IMRT and 50.56 and 60.06 Gy for 3DCRT, respectively (p≤0.01). IMRT reduced the percent volume of brainstem receiving dose greater than 45 Gy by 31% (p=0.004), and the percent volumes of brain above 18, 24 and 45 Gy by 10% (p=0.059), 14% (p=0.015) and 40% (p≤0.0001), respectively. Percent volume of optic chiasm receiving above 45 Gy was also reduced with IMRT by 30.40% (p=0.047). Compared to 3DCRT, IMRT significantly increased TCP (p≤0.005) and lowered NTCP for brain and brainstem (p<0.033). Conclusions: IMRT improved target coverage while reducing radiation dose to the brain, brainstem and optic chiasm. With the availability of new cancer imaging tools and more effective systemic agents, IMRT may be used to intensify tumor doses while minimizing toxicity and, therefore, improve outcomes in patients with high grade glioma. Keywords: high-grade glioma; IMRT, 3DCRT
Electron photodetachment from aqueous anions. 1. Quantum yields for generation of hydrated electron by 193 and 248 nm laser photoexcitation of miscellaneous inorganic anions

Time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy has been used to determine quantum yields for electron photodetachment in 193 nm and (where possible) 248 nm laser excitation of miscellaneous aqueous anions, including hexacyanoferrate(II), sulfate, halide anions (Cl-, Br-, and I-), pseudohalide anions (OH-, HS-, and CNS-), and several common inorganic anions for which no quantum yields have been reported heretofore: SO32-, NO2-, NO3-, ClO3-, and ClO4-. Molar extinction coefficients for these anions and photoproducts of electron detachment from these anions at the excitation wavelengths were also determined. These results are discussed in the context of recent ultrafast kinetic studies and compared with the previous data obtained by product analyses. We suggest using electron photodetachment from the aqueous halide and pseudohalide anions as actinometric standards for time-resolved studies of aqueous photosystems in the UV.
MRI features of plexiform neurofibromas involving the liver and pancreas in children with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Aim To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of plexiform neurofibromas (PNF) involving the liver and pancreas in paediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Materials and methods A retrospective search of the hospital database was undertaken to find cases of PNF in the porta hepatis, hilar neurofibroma, and hepatic neurofibroma over a 12 year period. The images were analysed and a review of the charts was undertaken. Results Five paediatric patients were identified with extensive PNFs involving the liver. In all cases, the PNFs involved the liver along the intrahepatic portal distribution. Additionally, the gallbladder fossa was affected in 2/5 patients, the pancreatic head in 4/5 patients, the pancreatic neck in 2/5 patients, and the pancreatic tail in 1/5 patients. All tumours showed low signal intensity (SI) on T1-weighted images and high SI with a central target sign on water-sensitive sequences. No patient showed any signs or symptoms, nor required treatment or surgery related to hepatic or pancreatic involvement. Intrahepatic PNFs were stable over a median follow-up time of 3.6 years (range 3 months to 8.8 years). Conclusions Intrahepatic and pancreatic involvement, although rare, does occur in paediatric NF1 patients. The MRI findings of the tumour are similar to the PNFs that occur more commonly elsewhere in this population. The hallmark of liver involvement is the periportal distribution.
Convex programming with set-inclusive constraints and its applications to generalized linear and fractional programming

Duality results are established in convex programming with the set-inclusive constraints studied by Soyster. The recently developed duality theory for generalized linear programs by Thuente is further generalized and also brought into the framework of Soyster's theory. Convex programming with set-inclusive constraints is further extended to fractional programming.
Relationship of Emotional Intelligence and Adherence to Combination Antiretroviral Medications by Individuals Living With HIV Disease

Medications are an intentional and purposeful means to the successful management of many chronic diseases. In the treatment of disease caused by HIV, adherence to medication is of particular concern because any level of nonadherence, often a few missed doses, will lead eventually to the development of drug resistance. Many predictors of poor adherence to HIV medications have been identified as significant factors in adherence. Among these is the emotional aspect. The purpose of this study was to examine emotional intelligence (EI) and adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy in individuals who are infected with HIV. EI is defined as the ability to perceive and express emotions, facilitate emotions, understand and reason with emotion, and manage emotions. EI has been correlated with various aspects of success in life. In this study, EI was measured by the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test. Adherence to medications was measured by self-report and defined as less than 10% missed doses of medications. Eighty-two participants were recruited from an urban hospital-based HIV clinic. Pearson’s r was used to analyze the data for significance, and no correlation was reported. This data set was not large enough to prove significance, statistically, of the research question. However, an unexpected result of this study was that the overall EI scores for this particular population were markedly lower than the test norms. Further study would be warranted and recommended to explore EI measurement in people at risk for HIV disease or in those who have the disease to further understand the impact of emotions and EI in this specific population.
Direct observation of metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamines by ft NMR spectroscopy

Direct observation of the respective ortho and benzylic metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamines by 13C and 1H FT NMR spectroscopy has been achieved. NMR assignments and the effect of temperature on the 13C resonances are reported. Evidence for an essentially trigonal benzylic carbon in α-potassio-N,N-dimethylbenzylamine is presented.
Whither computational electromagnetics? A practitioner’s look at the crystal ball

The paper gives a brief review of the existing CEM solvers in the context of parallel processing, which is the way forward to the future. Next, it would go on to describe three parallel algorithms, based on MOM, FEM, and FDTD, respectively, that may play major roles in the development of parallel CEM solvers.
A Very Bad Idea

The grand ideas that led to the 1991 High-Performance Computing Act shaped the modern Internet only as they sifted through layers of the vertical division of labor.
Demographic analysis of open and arthroscopic distal clavicle excision in a private insurance database.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify the demographic characteristics of patients undergoing open and arthroscopic distal clavicle excision (DCE) in the United States while also describing changes in practice patterns over time. Methods Patients who underwent DCE from 2004 to 2009 were identified by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes in a national database of orthopaedic insurance records. The year of procedure, age, sex, geographic region, and concomitant rotator cuff repair or subacromial decompression (SAD) were recorded for each patient. Results were reported as the incidence of procedures identified per 10,000 patients searched in the database. Results Between 2004 and 2009, 73,231 DCEs were performed; 74% were arthroscopic and 26% were open. The incidence of arthroscopic DCE increased from 37.8 in 2004 to 58.5 in 2009 ( P P P P P P Conclusions This analysis of DCE using a private insurance database shows that arthroscopic DCEs progressively increased, whereas open DCEs concomitantly decreased between 2004 and 2009. The majority of DCEs were performed in men between the ages of 50 and 59 years. Both arthroscopic and open DCEs are frequently performed in conjunction with rotator cuff repair or SAD. Level of Evidence Level IV, cross-sectional study.
Molecular Genetics in IgA Nephropathy

Evidence from both genotypic and phenotypic perspectives is considered that patients may be genetically predisposed to IgA nephropathy (IgAN) or Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) or that a factor(s) might exclusively contribute to their progression to chronic renal failure. In contrast to most other renal diseases, both IgAN and HSP are uncommon in blacks; this is unexplained but is not due to their low frequency of the A2m(1) allotype. The association of these diseases or their progression with a variety of abnormalities of IgA immunobiology in patients and their families has not been linked to any genotype; similarly, no HLA antigen has been positively or negatively associated in any consistent way. Although complement factor 3 universally accompanies IgA glomerular deposition, complement pathway abnormalities are only sporadically reported with either IgA deposition or disease progression. Whether angiotensin-related polymorphism including the converting enzyme alleles have a specific predictable role, particularly in the progression of renal failure in IgAN, remains problematic. The promising possibility that a structural defect in IgA1 due to an as yet unidentified genetic defect accounts for the deposition of IgA is considered in some detail. Nevertheless, the genetic mechanism(s) of progressive renal failure, whether exclusive to IgAN or to glomerular diseases generally, is of paramount importance.
At the heart of women in management research: Theoretical and methodological approaches and their biases

This paper examines the dominant theoretical approaches in the field of women in management (WIM) that have been applied to explain women's limited ability to assume organizational positions of significant power. The propositions of traditional (gender-centered and organization structure perspectives) and a newer theoretical perspective (gender-organization-system approach) are discussed. It is proposed that the theories embraced by WIM researchers bias the factors they examine, the methodologies they employ, the statistical techniques they apply, the results they obtain and the conclusions they reach. This is shown to be a particular problem with the gender-centered and organization structure perspectives and not the gender-organization-system approach.
Reachability set subspace computation for nonlinear systems using sampling methods

Computational savings in reachability set subspace computation are realized by carefully applying transversality conditions to trajectory samplings of the full reachability set. Differential constraints on the initial state and initial constraint Lagrange multiplier are developed that enforce the necessary conditions of optimality as total trajectory duration increases. Results are validated against known linear analytical results and an example is given where a 1-dimensional subspace of a 6-dimensional nonlinear problem is computed.
The cost of pediatric stroke care and rehabilitation.

Background and Purpose— There is little data regarding the cost of pediatric stroke care or the elements that contribute to these costs. We examined costs for poststroke care during the first year after diagnosis and compared these costs with the volume of the cerebral infarct and the level of neurological and functional outcome. Methods— We identified 39 children who sustained nontraumatic ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes and confirmed the diagnoses by review of medical and radiology records. Medical costs were tabulated for the year after the diagnosis of stroke. Cerebral infarct volumes were measured from MRI or CT scans. Neurological outcome was assessed by telephone with a modification of the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM), and functional outcomes were assessed with a standardized quality-of-life measure. Results— The median cost for poststroke care during the year after diagnosis was $42 338 for the entire group. The cost for stroke care was higher for hemorrhagic stroke than for ischemic st...
An interpolation-corrected modified method of characteristics to solve advection-dispersion equations

Numerical dispersion, numerical oscillation, and peak clipping are common numerical difficulties in solving advection-dispersion equations. The development of numerical approaches that can handle these numerical difficulties with reasonable computational efforts is an ongoing challenge. In this paper, an interpolation-corrected modified method of characteristics (ICMMOC) is proposed for solving advection-dispersion equations. The ICMMOC is an improved version of the modified method of characteristics (MMOC). It uses a high-order (second-order or higher) interpolation scheme to reduce numerical dispersion and an interpolation-correction procedure to eliminate numerical oscillation. A simple peak capturing scheme to overcome the peak clipping problem is also developed in this study. Simulation results show that the ICMMOC is able to overcome the aforementioned numerical difficulties for a large range of grid Peclet numbers.
Reissert compound studies. VII. The synthesis of calycotomine

The alkaloid calycotomine has been synthesized in 44% overall yield by use of the Reissert compound of 6, 7-dimethoxyisoquinoline.
War Initiators and War Winners The Consequences of Linking Theories of Democratic War Success

Some scholars argue that once democracies enter wars, they fight more effectively than do their autocratic counterparts. Others suggest that democratic states may win wars because they choose their opponents carefully, predisposing themselves to victory. Both are plausible, and it is possible that they are both correct. This study examines the possibility that these explanations are complementary and that omitting one or the other from empirical analysis may have consequences for inference. To assess the possible consequences of considering these explanations individually, the authors perform Monte Carlo experiments. The empirical results strongly suggest two important consequences. First, if democracies do not choose their fights any differently from other states, then estimates of the effect of democratic war-fighting ability are likely to be unbiased. Second, if democracies do choose their fights differently, then the effects of democratic war-fighting ability may be substantially overestimated.
Nonventilatory treatments for acute lung injury and ARDS.

Over the past decade, advances in the ventilatory management of acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS have improved outcomes; however, until recently the search for other therapies has been less fruitful. Recently, the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial reported that a conservative fluid management strategy, compared with a fluid liberal strategy, increased the mean (± SE) number of ventilator-free days in patients with ALI (14.6 ± 0.5 vs 12.1 ± 0.5 days, respectively; p < 0.001). In addition to this beneficial effect on outcomes, the study found that the conservative fluid strategy did not increase the incidence of renal failure or the development of shock. Other studies have demonstrated that albumin and furosemide therapy may be beneficial in hypoproteinemic patients with lung injury, though data on outcomes is still lacking. Although several pharmacologic therapies, such as corticosteroids, surfactant, and nitric oxide, have been demonstrated to be ineffective in improving outcomes, several promising new treatments are being investigated in ongoing or upcoming clinical trials. This article reviews these developments and other recent research on the optimal nonventilatory management of patients with ALI.
P3G-1 The Evaluation of Nonpermanent Acoustic Bonding Materials Incorporating Micron Size Particles

Nonpermanent acoustic bonding agents are important for the transfer of acoustic energy between materials without permanently bonding them. Their use extends over a wide range of applications which encompass industrial, medical, and research applications. In the case of bonding solids, nonpermanent bonding agents have elastic properties well below those of the solids to which they often are bonded. By increasing the density of the nonpermanent bonding agents their elastic properties come closer to those of the solid materials. The work reported here characterizes the transfer efficiency of selectively loaded nonpermanent bonding agents in the frequency region from 200 MHz to 600 MHz using two fused quartz blocks with zinc oxide transducers formed at each end and the loaded bond material applied between the blocks opposite the transducers. The nonpermanent bonding materials which could be most conveniently loaded with fine particles were waxes and resins. Micron size particles of aluminum oxide, diamond and silicon carbide, were the main particles used. The transfer efficiency is compared to both a bond condition without particle loading and an optical bond condition.
Work in progress: STEM capacity building and STEM outreach in India: A report on a recent NSF sponsored GK-12 George Mason trip to India

This session reports on the experiences of seven NSF GK-12 fellows, A PI and Co-PI and external evaluator who participated in a one month trip to India in December, 2011-January, 2012. The seven fellows are a part of a GK-12 STEM capacity building program sponsored by the National Science Foundation that pairs graduate fellows with K-12 teachers to bring hands on, cutting edge, inquiry based science to the classrooms in the Northern Virginia area.
Re-expansion Pulmonary Edema: A Potential Role for Free Radicals in Its Pathogenesis

Re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) has been attributed to decreased lung interstitial pressures from a variety of mechanisms. Because some recent studies have implicated mechanisms that increase microvascular permeability in RPE, we tested whether the edema were due to free radical generation during re-expansion and reoxygenation of the collapsed lung. We used a rabbit model of RPE to test the effects of intracellular (dimethylthiourea) or extracellular (catalase) oxygen metabolite scavengers. Allopurinol was administered separately to determine whether xanthine oxidase was an important source of superoxide in this model. Edema was quantitated both gravimetrically and histologically, and lung xanthine oxidase activity was measured using a sensitive fluorometric assay with pterin as substrate. The results suggest indirectly that OH. or H2O2 (derived from ) contribute to the well-documented increase in lung permeability in RPE because dimethylthiourea, dimethylthiourea plus catalase, or catalase alone inhib...
The interaction between reasoning and decision making: an introduction.

Reasoning and decision making are high-level cognitive skills that have been under intensive investigation by psychologists and philosophers, among others, for the last thirty years. But, methods and theories have developed separately in the two fields so that distinct traditions have grown with little to say to one another. The aim of this special issue of Cognition is to encourage and help workers in these two traditions to understand one another’s research and to reflect and enhance some recent signs of “crosstalk” between them. It seemed to us high time to consider the growing interactions between reasoning and decision making for at least three reasons. First, the two abilities are often interwoven in real life, at least according to the common-sense view epitomized in the maxim at the head of this introduction. Second, their study has led to striking parallels in the conclusions that investigators have reached and to the recent signs of crosstalk. Third, the two fields have important lessons for each other. We will explore each of these reasons before we introduce the papers in this special issue. We begin with a sketch of the everyday assumptions that relate reasoning and decision making - a background that we will defend, though it is sometimes disparaged by philosophers as “folk psychology”.
Shared and independent colorectal cancer risk alleles in TGFβ-related genes in African and European Americans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) identified five regions near transforming growth factor β-related genes BMP4, GREM1, CDH1, SMAD7 and RPHN2. The true risk alleles remain to be identified in these regions, and their role in CRC risk in non-European populations has been understudied. Our previous work noted significant genetic heterogeneity between African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs) for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in GWAS. We hypothesized that associations may not have been replicated in AAs due to differential or independent genetic structures. In order to test this hypothesis, we genotyped 195 tagging SNPs across these five gene regions in 1194 CRC cases (795 AAs and 399 EAs) and 1352 controls (985 AAs and 367 EAs). Imputation was performed, and association testing of genotyped and imputed SNPs included ancestry, age and sex as covariates. In two of the five genes originally associated with CRC, we found evidence for association in AAs including rs1862748 in CDH1 (ORAdd = 0.82, P = 0.02) and in GREM1 the SNPs rs10318 (ORRec = 60.1, P = 0.01), rs11632715 (ORRec = 2.36; P = 0.004) and rs12902616 (ORRec = 1.28, P = 0.005), the latter which is in linkage disequilibrium with the previously identified SNP rs4779584. Testing more broadly for associations in these gene regions in AAs, we noted three statistically significant association peaks in GREM1 and RHPN2 that were not identified in EAs. We conclude that some CRC risk alleles are shared between EAs and AAs and others are population specific.
Feed and subreflector alignment in a Gregorian compact range (radar)

A dual-chamber Gregorian compact Experimental Test Range (ETR), which is currently in use with a 16-ft blended rolled-edge main reflector has been built. The Gregorian system adds complexity to compact ranges already sensitive to alignment criteria. The task of creating a procedure for aligning and focusing a subreflector system is addressed. The following sequence was realized: (1) alignment of the prober with the main reflector; (2) prime focus-fed adjustment for main reflector focal point location; (3) coarse feed-subreflector alignment; (4) backward and forward scattering measurements with a 1-in sphere at the subreflector focus to finely tune the feed location; (5) coarse subreflector-main-reflector alignment based on results from (2) and (4); (6) cross range alignment; (7) system focusing; and (8) an optimal main reflector illumination adjustment. >
Generation of trondhjemitic-tonalitic liquids and Archean bimodal trondhjemite-basalt suites

Trondhjemitic and tonalitic liquids may form either by igneous differentiation of less silicic, more mafic liquids or by partial melting of rocks of basaltic composition. Low-Al 2 O 3 trondhjemitic-tonalitic liquids (defined as containing less than 15 percent Al 2 O 3 ) have formed in modern plate-tectonic environments by crystal fractionation of low-potassium ande-sitic liquid and in Precambrian environments by the partial melting of amphibolite and hornblende-bearing gabbro, in which process plagioclase is a residual phase and garnet and (or) hornblende are not. High-Al 2 O 3 trondhjemitic-tonalitic liquids (containing 15 percent or more of Al 2 O 3 ) are generated in both old and modern convergent and tensional tectonic environments, either by hornblende-controlled fractionation of hydrous basaltic liquid or by partial melting of metabasaltic rocks, in which process garnet and (or) hornblende are residual. A model for the origin of the andesite-free bimodal trondhjemite-basalt suites that are found in lower Archean gray gneiss complexes is based on a 1968 model of Green and Ringwood; it proposes (1) mantle upwelling and basaltic vol-canism to form a thick pile, (2) metamorphism of the lower parts of this pile to amphibolite, (3) partial melting of the amphibolite to yield trondhjemitic-tonalitic liquids, (4) ascent and extrusion or intrusion of these liquids into the upper crust before the fraction of melting of the parental amphibolite exceeds about 40 percent, (5) transformation of the residue of partial melting to anhydrous, refractory assemblages, and (6) continuation of mantle upwelling and basaltic volcanism as trondhjemitic-tonalitic liquids are being extruded.
Psychoeducational Assessment of Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups: Professional Implications

The authors address the consumer's need for more information by describing a framework for integrating test data when it applies to minority children and their families. Test bias has a long history; the progression to nonbiased assessment includes legal decisions and guidelines, further training and education for professionals who test, and greater awareness of issues for all consumers of test data.
Family structure and park use among parents

Background Despite the increasingly diversified family structure in the U.S., little research examines differences in park use between nontraditional and traditional family structures. Purpose This study examines family-structure differences in parent park use. It was hypothesized that working single parents and dual-worker parents have lower levels of park use than parents in two-parent, single-worker families. Methods Data from a 2010 park-use survey in three urban neighborhoods in Minneapolis MN (N=261 parents) were analyzed in 2012. Multiple variables of park use were developed, including recalled measures over the past 3 days and over the past year. Family-structure differences in these variables were examined using multivariate regression analyses. Results After controlling for spatial clustering effects and confounding factors, working single parents reported 32.6% ( p p p Conclusions This research shows the importance of including family-structure variables and both recent and longer-term recalled measures of park use in park-use studies. Greater attention to the recreation needs of working single parents and dual-worker parents is needed in descriptive and intervention research aiming to promote park use among families with children.
Steady state and transient analysis of a three phase current-fed Z-source PWM rectifier

The voltage-source PWM rectifier (VSR) is a boost converter, thus its dc output voltage is much greater than the ac voltage, whereas the current-source PWM rectifier (CSR) is a buck converter and having a dc voltage smaller than its ac voltage. In addition, the CSR can only provide unidirectional power flow, thus unsuitable for regenerative operation. Recently, reverse blocking IGBT (RB-IGBT) has been developed for current-source and matrix converters. In this paper, a current-fed Z-source PWM rectifier is proposed to overcome the limitations of the traditional VSR and CSR. The current-fed Z-source PWM rectifier with only six active switches can buck and boost voltage and provide bidirectional power flow. This paper describes the operating principle of this current-fed Z-source PWM rectifier, presents a detailed steady state analysis and transient analysis. A RB-IGBT based current-fed Z-source PWM rectifier has been developed in laboratory. Both simulation and experimental results are shown to verify the operation and theoretical analysis.
Efficient parallel factorization and solution of structured and unstructured linear systems

This paper gives improved parallel methods for several exact factorizations of some classes of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices. Our factorizations also provide us similarly efficient algorithms for exact computation of the solution of the corresponding linear systems (which need not be SPD), and for finding rank and determinant magnitude. We assume the input matrices have entries that are rational numbers expressed as a ratio of integers with at most a polynomial number of bits @b. We assume a parallel random access machine (PRAM) model of parallel computation, with unit cost arithmetic operations, including division, over a finite field Z"p, where p is a prime number whose binary representation is linear in the size of the input matrix and is randomly chosen by the algorithm. We require only bit precision O(n(@b+logn)), which is the asymptotically optimal bit precision for @b>=logn. Our algorithms are randomized, giving the outputs with high likelihood >=1-1/n^@W^(^1^). We compute LU and QR factorizations for dense matrices, and LU factorizations of sparse matrices which are s(n)-separable, reducing the known parallel time bounds for these factorizations from @W(log^3n) to O(log^2n), without an increase in processors (matching the best known work bounds of known parallel algorithms with polylog time bounds). Using the same parallel algorithm specialized to structured matrices, we compute LU factorizations for Toeplitz matrices and matrices of bounded displacement rank in time O(log^2n) with nloglogn processors, reducing by a nearly linear factor the best previous processor bounds for polylog times (however, these prior works did not generally require unit cost division over a finite field). We use this result to solve in the same bounds: polynomial resultant; and Pade approximants of rational functions; and in a factor O(logn) more time: polynomial greatest common divisors (GCD) and extended GCD; again reducing the best processor bounds by a nearly linear factor.
Stabilization of Cascaded Systems via L1 Adaptive Controller with Application to a UAV Path Following Problem and Flight Test Results

This paper presents a theoretical framework for augmenting an existing autopilot by an adaptive element so that it tracks a given smooth reference command with desired specifications. The main contribution of the approach is that it allows for augmenting the autopilot without any modifications to it. The augmentative adaptive element is based on the L1 adaptive output feedback control architecture developed in [1]. The complete path following architecture of this paper enables a UAV with an off-the-shelf autopilot to follow a predetermined path that it was not otherwise designed to follow. The paper concludes with flight test results performed in Camp Roberts, CA, in February of 2007.
Boundary conditions for rapid granular flows: phase interfaces

We consider the region of agitated grains that is at rest in the neighbourhood of its interface with a dense granular flow. We suppose that this region can be modelled as an amorphous solid of nearly elastic spheres in which both momentum and energy are transferred and energy is dissipated in collisions. Making rather rough assumptions about the collision probability, we calculate the stress and energy flux in the solid and use their continuity at the interface to obtain boundary conditions on the flow. We employ them with existing kinetic theory for nearly elastic spheres to solve boundary-value problems for shearing between two such interfaces and between such an interface and a flat plate to which spheres have been rigidly attached. For the latter, we compare the predictions of the theory with the results of experiments.
Endolithic microbial life in hot and cold deserts

Endolithic microorganisms (those living inside rocks) occur in hot and cold deserts and exist under extreme environmental conditions. These conditions are discussed on a comparative basis. Quantitative estimates of biomass are comparable in hot and cold deserts. Despite the obvious differences between the hot and cold desert environment, survival strategies show some common features. These endolithic organisms are able to ‘switch’ rapidly their metabolic activities on and off in response to changes in the environment. Conditions in hot deserts impose a more severe environmental stress on the organisms than in the cold Antarctic desert. This is reflected in the composition of the microbial flora which in hot desert rocks consist entirely of prokaryotic microorganisms, while under cold desert conditions eukaryotes predominate.
Is grade or stage of primary importance in determining the outcome after radical prostatectomy for disease clinically confined to the prostate

Summary— A series of 145 patients with T1–2NOMO prostatic carcinoma underwent radical prostatectomy. Specimens were analysed by Gleason sum and categorised according to whether the disease was organ-confined, specimen-confined or margin-positive. The failure of treatment was indicated by elevation of acid phosphatase, by the appearance of biopsy proven local disease or distant nodal disease, or by parenchymal or nodal disease by any imaging modality. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the outcome of surgical intervention was related to the anatomical extent of disease. The Gleason sum was related to the extent of disease and predicted the probability of disease outside the organ of origin.
Supercoiled loops and the organization of replication and transcription in eukaryotes

The nuclear DNA of eukaryotes is organized into a series of loops each topologically anchored by elements of the nuclear matrix. Evidence is reviewed which indicates that the anchorage points of the loops are formed by transcriptionally active genes and that individual loops function as replicons. The data suggests a specific model for coupling of DNA replication and transcription in eukaryotes.
Theory proposal of electron spin rotation in a quantum dot

We propose an optical scheme to probabilistically initialize and rotate the electron spin in a quantum dot using charged exciton states. Our proposal makes use of the properties of the sech pulses for two-level systems.