cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Classification System for Engineering Student Characteristics Affecting College Enrollment and Retention

Background In engineering education, a considerable amount of research effort has been dedicated to study the impacts of student characteristics on their college enrollment, major selection, and college retention. However, there is no standardized categorical classification system of engineering student characteristics in the current literature. Different researchers tend to focus on specific characteristics within the scope of their research interests. This study provides a comprehensive review and analysis of the existing research on the measurement of the characteristics of engineering students. Purpose The study addressed the three questions: (1) what engineering student characteristics have been measured; (2) how do engineering student characteristics impact their educational outcomes; and (3) what measurement and analysis methods have been applied in current studies? A standardized classification system for engineering student characteristics involving external, cognitive, affective, and demographic categories is also proposed. Scope/Method The study focused on engineering education. Representative research regarding common characteristics of students from majors of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics were also included. The review covers major academic journals, research books, conference proceedings, and government reports in the areas of science and engineering education for the past two decades. Conclusions The review analysis indicated that students with certain characteristics are more likely to choose engineering as a profession and that those characteristics are either correlated or causally related with one another. However, many research conclusions based on basic statistical analyses fail to model the interaction effects. More advanced measurement techniques are needed that can model the characteristics interactively and concurrently in a complete framework.
Binding of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag to Membrane: Role of the Matrix Amino Terminus

Binding of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein precursor, Pr55(Gag), to membrane is an indispensable step in virus assembly. Previously, we reported that a matrix (MA) residue 6 substitution (6VR) imposed a virus assembly defect similar to that observed with myristylation-defective mutants, suggesting that the 6VR change impaired membrane binding. Intriguingly, the 6VR mutation had no effect on Gag myristylation. The defective phenotype imposed by 6VR was reversed by changes at other positions in MA, including residue 97. In this study, we use several biochemical methods to demonstrate that the residue 6 mutation, as well as additional substitutions in MA amino acids 7 and 8, reduce membrane binding without affecting N-terminal myristylation. This effect is observed in the context of Pr55(Gag), a truncated Gag containing only MA and CA, and in MA itself. The membrane binding defect imposed by the 6VR mutation is reversed by second-site changes in MA residues 20 and 97, both of which, when present alone, increase membrane binding to levels greater than those for the wild type. Both reduced and enhanced membrane binding imposed by the MA substitutions depend upon the presence of the N-terminal myristate. The results support the myristyl switch model recently proposed for the regulation of Gag membrane binding, according to which membrane binding is determined by the degree of exposure or sequestration of the N-terminal myristate moiety. Alternatively, insertion of the myristate into the lipid bilayer might be a prerequisite event for the function of other distinct MA-encoded membrane binding domains.
La ciencia de la cultura: implicaciones para las investigaciones de las Ciencias Sociales en el fenómeno africano contemporáneo

Este articulo discute la cultura como una unidad de analisis dentro de la investigacion en las ciencias sociales y su tratamiento mas sistematico como un modelo dinamico e idiosincratico para el desarrollo humano, modelo cuya disposicion logica de axiomas interpretativos de “estructuras profundas” cosmologicas y ontologicas (axiomas de existencia para la organizacion colectiva y su funcionamiento) configura el objetivo y la naturaleza de conductas y praxis sociales abiertas (incluyendo simbolos, lengua, costumbres) e informa un plan general de vida que guia el comportamiento individual y las practicas colectivas. Este enfoque conductista permite una rica elaboracion de la cultura aclarando sus fundamentos cosmologicos, ontologicos y psicologicos, y las influencias en su naturaleza y papel en la formacion, organizacion y funcionamiento de conglomerados humanos. Ademas, ofrece un examen de las implicaciones teoricas para la estabilidad social en axiomas antiteticos de estructura profunda, los cuales fragmentan una previa existencia social teleologica dentro de un arreglo de simbolos y rituales sociales fragmentarios lista parala cosificacion. Y, a traves de ello, se propone como el fenomeno contemporaneo de la globalizacion –y el paradigma economico neoclasico que lo sustenta—engendra un modelo de la realidad y del vivir idiosincratico basado en lo economico, modelo que no es ni una conceptualizacion humana comunmente compartida, ni un objetivo universal deseado.
Historically Black College MBA Programs: Prestige, Rankings, and the Meaning of Success.

Abstract Given that Black colleges do not fare as well in the rankings as predominantly White ones, the authors of this article sought to learn more about the MBA (master's of business administration) and post-MBA experiences of graduates of Black college MBA programs. The authors examined the factors defining success as perceived by MBA program administrators at predominantly White and traditional Black institutions. Their examination shows students, alumni, and employers the alternative perceptions of success at both types of schools.
Supervising graduate assistants

This chapter describes the nuances, challenges, and rewards of supervising graduate assistants in student affairs master's programs.
Use of Fluorochrome-Labeled Inhibitors of Caspases to Detect Neuronal Apoptosis in the Whole-Mounted Lamprey Brain after Spinal Cord Injury

Apoptosis is a major feature in neural development and important in traumatic diseases. The presence of active caspases is a widely accepted marker of apoptosis. We report here the development of a method to study neuronal apoptotic death in whole-mounted brain preparations using fluorochrome-labeled inhibitors of caspases (FLICA). As a model we used axotomy-induced retrograde neuronal death in the CNS of larval sea lampreys. Once inside the cell, the FLICA reagents bind covalently to active caspases causing apoptotic cells to fluoresce, whereas nonapoptotic cells remain unstained. The fluorescent probe, the poly caspase inhibitor FAM-VAD-FMK, was applied to whole-mounted brain preparations of larval sea lampreys 2 weeks after a complete spinal cord (SC) transection. Specific labeling occurred only in identifiable spinal-projecting neurons of the brainstem previously shown to undergo apoptotic neuronal death at later times after SC transection. These neurons also exhibited intense labeling 2 weeks after a complete SC transection when a specific caspase-8 inhibitor (FAM-LETD-FMK) served as the probe. In this study we show that FLICA reagents can be used to detect specific activated caspases in identified neurons of the whole-mounted lamprey brain. Our results suggest that axotomy may cause neuronal apoptosis by activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway.
FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF A PANETH CELL PROGENITOR IN MOUSE INTESTINE

Photomicrographic evidence, mitotic figures and 3H-thymidine labeling among Paneth cells, is presented in support of the hypothesis that Paneth cells are replaced by cells proliferating in the bottom of the intestinal crypt rather than by migration of cells from the mid-crypt region.
High levels of reactive gaseous mercury observed at a high elevation research laboratory in the Rocky Mountains

Abstract. The chemical cycling and spatiotemporal distribution of mercury in the troposphere is poorly understood. We measured gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and particulate mercury (HgP) along with carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), aerosols, and meteorological variables at Storm Peak Laboratory at an elevation of 3200 m a.s.l., in Colorado, from 28 April to 1 July 2008. The mean mercury concentrations were 1.6 ng m−3 (GEM), 20 pg m−3 (RGM) and 9 pg m−3 (HgP). We observed eight events of strongly enhanced atmospheric RGM levels with maximum concentrations up to 137 pg m−3. RGM enhancement events lasted for long time periods of 2 to 6 days showing both enriched level during daytime and nighttime when other tracers (e.g., aerosols) showed different representations of boundary layer air and free tropospheric air. During seven of these events, RGM was inversely correlated to GEM (RGM/GEM regression slope ~−0.1), but did not exhibit correlations with ozone, carbon monoxide, or aerosol concentrations. Relative humidity was the dominant factor affecting RGM levels with high RGM levels always present whenever relative humidity was below 40 to 50%. We conclude that RGM enhancements observed at Storm Peak Laboratory were not induced by pollution events and were related to oxidation of tropospheric GEM. High RGM levels were not limited to upper tropospheric or stratospherically influenced air masses, indicating that entrainment processes and deep vertical mixing of free tropospheric air enriched in RGM may lead to high RGM levels throughout the troposphere and into the boundary layer over the Western United States. Based on backtrajectory analysis and a lack of mass balance between RGM and GEM, atmospheric production of RGM may also have occurred in some distance allowing for scavenging and/or deposition of RGM prior to reaching the laboratory. Our observations provide evidence that the tropospheric pool of mercury is frequently enriched in divalent mercury, that high RGM levels are not limited to upper tropospheric air masses, but that the build-up of high RGM in the troposphere is limited to the presence of dry air.
Rethinking Amharic prepositions as case markers inserted at PF

In this paper we consider the morphosyntax of so-called prepositions (PrePs) in Amharic. It is typologically anomalous that Amharic should have prepositions, since it is otherwise a fairly canonical head-final language. Instead, we argue that the PrePs are really morphological prefixes that express the oblique case assigned to NP by a postposition (null or overt). What is somewhat unusual about Amharic, then, is where this prefix shows up in complex nominals. We argue that the case feature is not manifested on the first word of the NP, or the last word, or the noun head, but rather on the structurally highest element of the nominal, defined recursively. This explains the position of the PreP in nominals that have one or more adjectival modifiers, demonstratives, possessor expressions, and relative clauses, as well as its special location in verbal noun constructions. We briefly contrast our analysis with one that makes use only of leftward movement in the syntax, and we compare the distribution of the oblique case prefixes with that of the definiteness suffix –u and the accusative case suffix -n.
Performance Analysis of Heterogeneous Optical CDMA Networks With Bursty Traffic and Variable Power Control

Network performance with statistical multiplexing of heterogeneous, packetized, and bursty traffic in optical code-division multiple access (CDMA) networks needs to be characterized in order to understand the scalability of such networks. The analysis uses the Engset multi-rate loss model for a network that implements variable weight multi-length carrier-hopping prime codes. Such codes support packetized, bursty, and asynchronous transmission. Unlike traditional calculations that use total number of active interferers or total occupied bandwidth to determine the blocking probability, here, network error probability is used as a thresholding condition. To optimize the performance, the network allows subscribers from different classes to transmit at different power levels. Examples show differentiated qualities of service for two classes in terms of data rate, error probability, and blocking probability. By such analysis, the scalability of the heterogeneous optical CDMA network with bursty traffic is shown.
Heterogeneous Data Translations Based on Environment Grammars

The interactive exchange and translation of data between heterogeneuus computer systems depend not only on hardware and op ersting-system characteristics, But also on the proprietary format im- posed by the software systems maintaining it. For functionally com- parable software systems, we present a syntax-driven translation methodology based on environment grammars. Environment gram- mars are related to two-level grammars and attribute grammars, and they lend themselves to the spedflcatbn of parameterized language classes such as those formed by data in different proprietary formats. Under certain constraints they can also be parsed efiiently. We dis- cuss these constraints, demonstrate the use of the methodology for re- lational data, and present the design of a data translator for hetero- geneous relational database management systems. A prototype of this translator has been implemented and used to exchange relations be- tween remote INGRES, Framis, and Sibyl systems.
Evolving approaches to the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In studies of HFpEF, the reported prevalence of CAD varies widely, which may be the result of inconsistent definitions of CAD, geographic and ethnic differences in CAD burden, varying definitions of HFpEF (including different cutoffs for “preserved ejection fraction”), and differences in study design. Despite these limitations, pooled analysis of prospective HFpEF studies demonstrates that CAD is common in HFpEF, with an estimated prevalence of approximately 50%. Based on available data, patients with signs and symptoms of heart failure who have preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and evidence of CAD (HFpEF-CAD) most likely comprise a distinct etiologic and pathophysiologic subset of HFpEF. Therefore, future clinical trials in HFpEF should a priori stratify by CAD or specifically target patients with CAD, strategies that may improve the disappointing track record of therapies tested in HFpEF. The combination of systematic evaluation and management of CAD in HFpEF, along with promising future therapies for HFpEF-CAD, may lead to improved outcomes for this challenging clinical syndrome.
Influence of Environmental and Physical Factors on Capture of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in a Flour Mill

Variation in environmental and physical factors within food processing facilities can influence both the distribution of stored-product pests and trapping efficiency. Data from a long-term Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) monitoring program was used to evaluate spatial variation in captures among trap locations and to determine relationships with environmental and physical variables. From the complete monitoring data set, different subsets were created for the cool and warm seasons, and period of time when environmental and physical factors were measured (2009–2010), with all data sets showing significant differences among trap locations in terms of beetle captures and proportion of time that traps exceeded 2.5 beetles per trap per monitoring period. There was also considerable temporal variation in distribution among the different levels of the mill. Among the environmental and physical variables measured, mean temperature and flour dust accumulation showed the most significant positive relationships with variation of beetle captures at trap locations. More beetles were captured in traps located in close proximity to milling equipment. Presence of equipment near traps was also associated with an increase in flour dust accumulation and temperature. Overall the environmental and physical factors seemed to have a limited influence on variation in captures among trap locations, with temporal variation in distribution perhaps overwhelming potential influences of local trap conditions.
The Family in an Aging Society A Matrix of Latent Relationships

Because of unprecedented increases in longevity, the kinship structure has been transformed. Linkages among family members have been prolonged, and the surviving generations in a family have increased in number and complexity. Today's kinship structure (which has no parallel in history) can be viewed in a new way: as a latent web of continually shifting linkages that provide the potential for activating and intensifying close family relationships. These relationships are no longer prescribed as strict obligations, but must be earned—created and recreated by family members over their lives. Such changes in the structure and dynamics of family relationships raise many questions and issues for students of the family including the development of special research approaches needed to understand the complexity of these relationships and the nature of older people's family relationships in the future.
Behavioral synthesis for easy testability in data path scheduling

This paper presents a data path scheduling algorithm to improve testability without a priori assuming any particular test strategy. We introduce a scheduling heuristic for easy testability, based on our previous work [I51 on data path allocation for testability. We then develop a mobility path scheduling algorithm to implement this heuristic while also minimizing area. Experimental results on benchmark and ezample circuits show high fault coverage, short test generation time, and little or no area overhead.
Advances in the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Cardiac Failure

H eart disease is this nation’s number one health problem. Forty million Americans have diseases of the heart or blood vessels. Four million of these citizens are thought to have heart failure.’ Irrespective of etiology, failure of the heart’s pumping function not only leads to the signs and symptoms of the heart failure syndrome, but also seriously shortens patient survival. For example, three-year survival for patients with coronary artery disease, and advanced cardiac failure (NYHA functional class 4) is less than 30 percent.2 Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have an equally poor prognosis.3 Heart failure now represents the leading ciuse of in-hospital mortality in patients with cardiac disease.4 Clearly, more aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approaches must be developed ifwe are to be successful at improving patient survival. Salt restriction and standard medical therapy with digitalis and diuretics has not proved adequate for the treatment of this condition. Fresh insights into the prevention, pathophysiologic mechanisms, and management of heart failure are needed. A number of new pharmacologic approaches have been developed for the long-term management of the
Assessment of reward responsiveness in the response bias probabilistic reward task in rats: implications for cross-species translational research

Mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder, are characterized by abnormal reward responsiveness. The Response Bias Probabilistic Reward Task (hereafter referred to as probabilistic reward task (PRT)) quantifies reward responsiveness in human subjects, and an equivalent animal assessment is needed to facilitate preclinical translational research. Thus, the goals of the present studies were to develop, validate and characterize a rat analog of the PRT. Adult male Wistar and Long–Evans rats were trained in operant testing chambers to discriminate between two tone stimuli that varied in duration (0.5 and 2 s). During a subsequent test session consisting of 100 trials, the two tones were made ambiguous (0.9 and 1.6 s) and correct identification of one tone was reinforced with a food pellet three times more frequently than the other tone. In subsequent experiments, Wistar rats were administered either a low dose of the dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist pramipexole (0.1 mg kg � 1 , subcutaneous) or the psychostimulant amphetamine (0.5 mg kg � 1 , intraperitoneal) before the test session. Similar to human subjects, both rat strains developed a response bias toward the more frequently reinforced stimulus, reflecting robust reward responsiveness. Mirroring prior findings in humans, a low dose of pramipexole blunted response bias. Moreover, in rats, amphetamine potentiated response bias. These results indicate that in rats, reward responsiveness can be quantified and bidirectionally modulated by pharmacological manipulations that alter striatal dopamine transmission. Thus, this new procedure in rats, which is conceptually and procedurally analogous to the one used in humans, provides a reverse translational platform to investigate abnormal reward responsiveness across species.
Designing computer systems with MEMS-based storage

For decades the RAM-to-disk memory hierarchy gap has plagued computer architects. An exciting new storage technology based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is poised to fill a large portion of this performance gap, significantly reduce system power consumption, and enable many new applications. This paper explores the system-level implications of integrating MEMS-based storage into the memory hierarchy. Results show that standalone MEMS-based storage reduces I/O stall times by 4-74X over disks and improves overall application runtimes by 1.9-4.4X. When used as on-board caches for disks, MEMS-based storage improves I/O response time by up to 3.5X. Further, the energy consumption of MEMS-based storage is 10-54X less than that of state-of-the-art low-power disk drives. The combination of the high-level physical characteristics of MEMS-based storage (small footprints, high shock tolerance) and the ability to directly integrate MEMS-based storage with processing leads to such new applications as portable gigabit storage systems and ubiquitous active storage nodes.
The Role of Risk Models in Upholding Standards for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

For those who perform coronary revascularization every day, the decision for angioplasty seems as natural and well considered as a decision to don an umbrella in the rain. From the perspective of patients and their families initially faced with the prospect of coronary artery disease and the need
Ede: Race, the Law, and I

In the context of the United States, interpellation is perhaps most visible, even tangible, in the arena of race and racism. Orna Guralnik tells us of Ede, a Nigerian immigrant suffering from depersonalization and struggling to be interpellated out of her postcolonial Blackness. This struggle manifests in the treatment relationship as Guralnik, experiencing her Whiteness, tracks their mutual run-in with racial interpellation at the nexus of class, ethnicity, money, and public power. In showing, also, how interpellation partners with dissociation, this vignette illuminates a dilemma found in many other domains of existence, including—perhaps especially—those central to this journal's focus, gender and sexuality.
Fast ion Dα imaging in the DIII-D tokamak

Doppler shifted fast ion Dα light (FIDA) emitted by neutralized energetic ions is imaged in the DIII-D tokamak using a fast framing camera in conjunction with a narrowband interference filter. Both the 2D spatial structure and temporal evolution of the FIDA emission are in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations assuming classical energetic ion slowing down. This technique can be used to obtain 2D energetic ion profile information in fusion plasmas.
Head tracking using video analytics

A robust, efficient video analytic tool is presented for detection and estimation of driver's head position and orientation in the SHRP 2 NDS dataset. It is shown that by exploiting the temporal correlations between successive frames in a video, challenging conditions such as lighting variations, and lower resolutions, may be mitigated effectively. The Viola-Jones frontal face detector provides initial results. Then, statistical inference methods for spurious faces elimination and missing driver's head detection are developed. Preliminary results show marked performance enhancement due to the proposed method.
Reoffending among serious juvenile offenders: A developmental perspective

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of individual differences on time to reoffend in a sample of serious adolescent offenders. Specifically, the developmental factors that can influence reoffending time were analyzed using self-reported offenses through different types of survival models. Also, proportional hazards condition assumption was explored through the use of discrete-time intervals and various survival frameworks. In order to obtain a broader perspective, repeated-failure models were provided due to their potential to reflect overall criminality that extends over time. Results show that future orientation and temperance were the key developmental factors in reoffending time, while the proportional hazard assumption was more realistic in repeated-failure models constructed through a discrete-time scale.
Design of Flat Panel Displays Based on Organic Light Emitting Devices

We provide a systematic and quantitative analysis of the design of flat panel displays (FPDs) based on organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Key performance parameters are estimated for OLED-based displays; system issues, including addressing schemes and strategies required to achieve full color displays, are treated quantitatively. Furthermore, addressing schemes for recently demonstrated, full color, high resolution stacked OLEDs are discussed. Our analysis shows that OLED technology is suitable for many FPD applications, and can provide performance superior to that achieved using alternative display technologies.
Reaching "All" Families: Family, School, and Community Partnerships amid Homelessness and High Mobility in an Urban District.

Schools often struggle to build partnerships with homeless and highly mobile (HHM) families. These families are not homogeneous; they live in and engage with schools from diverse residential contex...
Human neutrophils contain a protein kinase C-like enzyme that utilizes guanosine triphosphate as a phosphate donor. Cofactor requirements, kinetics, and endogenous acceptor proteins

Investigations of protein kinase C (PKC) activity have focussed on protein phosphorylation using adenosine triphosphate (ATP), not guanosine triphosphate (GTP), as the phosphate donor. In a continuing study of the enzymology of the PKC of human neutrophils, we wanted to determine if there might be protein kinases that do use GTP as a phosphate donor. Soluble extracts or detergent-extracted fractions of human neutrophils were used as enzyme sources. Phosphorylation of histone using [gamma-32P]-GTP was 31% as effective as [gamma-32P]-ATP. Phosphorylation with GTP depended on Ca2+, Mg2+, and phospholipid, just as the ATP, and the Ca2+ requirements were similar. In all cases, H-7, an inhibitor of ATP-supported PKC activity, blocked GTP-utilizing activity. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that similar endogenous proteins were phosphorylated with ATP or GTP. The apparent Km and Vmax for the enzyme(s) for both phosphate donors were identical, although these were modified by treatment with Triton X-100. GTP competitively inhibited use of ATP by PKC; however, low concentrations of ATP enhanced GTP- utilizing kinase activity in some cases. Non-hydrolyzable forms of ATP and other nucleotide triphosphates were inhibitory. Detergent treatment also markedly altered the number of proteins phosphorylated by either nucleotide. The major protein phosphorylated in the soluble or detergent extract was a single polypeptide band in the 34 Kd range. These studies are the first to explicitly examine the possible phosphorylation by neutrophil PKC using GTP and point to a potential alternative mode of enzyme activity. Since high concentrations of GTP are available within neutrophils, the ability of PKC or a PKC-like enzyme to use this nucleotide may have important ramifications in signal transduction.
Visual Diagnosis: A Pimple-like Lesion on the Cheek of a 5-year-old Girl

1. Rayna M. Dyck* 2. Dawn M. Davis, MD† 1. *Student, Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minn. 2. †Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. A healthy-appearing 5-year-old girl comes to the dermatology clinic for evaluation of a lesion on her face that has been present for at least 3 years. The lesion started as a pimple-like growth on her left superior cheek near the lower eyelid, subsequently grew in size, but has been stable in size for the past 1 to 2 years. The lesion is only occasionally tender when bumped, but the patient and parents report no precipitating trauma to the area. The lesion previously was believed to be a wart and was treated with imiquimod (a topical immune response modifier used to treat superficial basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, and external genital and perianal warts), but no significant change was seen after approximately 2 weeks of use. Later, a primary care physician applied liquid nitrogen cryotherapy to the lesion, resulting in only some superficial sloughing. The patient was seen by another dermatologist, who again prescribed imiquimod for the presumed wart, but the parents chose to get another opinion. The patient's past medical and surgical history includes prior eustachian tube dysfunction requiring pressure-equalization tubes and a severe reaction to chickenpox requiring hospitalization. Her perinatal history is unremarkable. She is taking no medications. On physical examination, the lesion is a 6-mm, raised, erythematous papule that is semifirm to palpation (Figs. 1 and 2). No underlying dermal component is appreciated; under epiluminescence microscopy (also known as dermoscopy), the lesion appears to have prominent vascularity. No other lesions are noted on the face, neck, and scalp. Figure 1. Clinical presentation of 6-mm …
Moving forward: Revisiting the Spanish for High Beginners course 1

EN This paper presents a case study on the redesign of a Spanish for High Beginners (SHB) course at a large metropolitan university in Texas, USA. The first section presents a discussion on the diverse nature of students who can benefit from an intensive first-year Spanish course and the challenges that these learners' mixed abilities pose for instruction. The second section describes the redesign process of the SHB course, including placement procedures, the Spanish Language Program sequence, and changes in the syllabus to integrate communicative and transcultural competences by implementing a combination of focused instruction, collaborative learning and task-based approaches. The last section introduces a short presentation of four activities implemented in the redesigned course, which provide paths for future development of advanced beginners' integrative tasks. The final section focuses on the results of an exit survey measuring students' perceptions of the course. The successful implementation of changes and its outcomes demonstrate that this course could be a relevant solution for Spanish programs at tertiary institutions with diverse populations, helping to solve challenges of placement, articulation, and time-to-graduation effectiveness.
Pricing and the Legal Issues

Businesses worldwide operate within systems of laws in setting prices for products and services. These legal frameworks, made up of laws, court decisions, and administrative regulations, are focused on preserving competition and preventing restraints of trade, as well as regulating competitive actions that may result in unfairness and deception on the part of the seller. In England, for example, the common-law rule is that all interference with individual liberty in trading and all restraints in and of themselves are contrary to public opinion and therefore void unless justified by special circumstances. From the passage of the original statutes such as the Sherman Antitrust Act in the USA a century ago the scope and interpretation of these legal frameworks have been expanded and redefined to include much of what businesses view today as the essence of competition. It should come as no surprise that much of the legal attention has been and continues to be on pricing, the setting of prices, and the uses of prices in competitive actions. For example, the practice of price fixing is prohibited outright by Sweden’s Competition Act 1982. In the United Kingdom, the Restrictive Trade Practices Acts 1976 and 1977 make compulsory the registration of agreements between two or more manufacturers or suppliers doing business that impose any restriction on two or more parties to the agreement as to prices.
Anti-Militarism and the Critique of Professional Neutrality in the Origins of Science for the People

“Ever since the atomic bomb fell I have been recovering from an acute attack of conscience”, wrote Norbert Wiener shortly after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Wiener—the child prodigy, Mass...
UNICEF–CDC global assessment of home fortification interventions 2011: Current status, new directions, and implications for policy and programmatic guidance

BackgroundMicronutrient powders (MNP) reduce anemia and improve iron status in children aged 6 to 23 months. Little is known about home fortification interventions in low-income and middle-income countries.ObjectiveTo describe highlights of the Global Assessment of Home Fortification Interventions 2011, new directions, and needed policy and programmatic guidance.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of home fortification interventions was conducted. Staff at UNICEF and regional focal points at Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group partner agencies sent questionnaires to representatives in 152 low-income and middle-income countries. Included interventions met the following criteria: they were for prevention and used MNP, lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), or complementary food supplements (CFS); one recommended mode of use was mixing into food; they were implemented or planning to start within 12 months; and research interventions were directly linked to programs.ResultsThis study identified 63 implem...
Electrical Capacitance as a Predictor of Root Dry Weight in Shrub Willow (Salix; Salicaceae) Parents and Progeny

Premise of the study: Root biomass is an important trait often disregarded in woody perennial selection due to the challenge and expense of accurately and efficiently measuring large populations. In this study, we aim to develop a simple method that can predict root dry weight within a diverse shrub willow (Salix) breeding population representing species hybrids and their parents using root electrical capacitance (REC). Methods: The REC method was tested on plants started from cuttings and grown in pots with potting mix in the greenhouse for 11 wk to assess the relationship of REC with 24 biomass traits and its usefulness in allometric models for root and stem dry biomass. Results: Strong linear and positive correlations were found between REC and root dry biomass (r = 0.88). The total proportion of variance of root and stem dry biomass explained by predictors in multiple regression was 85% and 69%, respectively. The relative importance of predictor variables in allometric models was dominated by the cont...
Inhibition of the Corrosion of Aluminum Alloy by a Composition of Ion-Exchange Pigments

It is shown that natural zeolites of the clinoptilolite-type modified with zinc cations serve as efficient corrosion inhibitor for aluminum alloys in the media of weakly acid atmospheric precipitations. The combination of Zn-zeolite with polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin modified with phosphate anions improves its protective properties due to the formation of corrosion-resistant films on the surfaces of alloys. Zinc-modified zeolite and its composition with phosphate-containing anion-exchange resins represent promising inhibiting pigments for paint-and-lacquer coatings on aluminum alloys.
Fludarabine Treatment Is Associated with Depletion of Host CD4+CD25high, FOXP3+, CTLA-4+ Cells and Increased Incidences of Full Donor Chimerism and GVHD in Non-Myeloablative Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients.

Purpose: To evaluate T cell recovery and donor chimerism following haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with a non-myeloablative conditioning approach that includes T cell depletion of host and donor and delayed DLI. Methods: Eighteen patients, 3 cohorts of 4 patients each and 1 cohort of 6 evaluable patients/10 transplanted, with chemorefractory hematologic malignancies, received related HLA 1–3 of 6, A, B, or DR antigen mismatched donor HCT after non-myeloablative conditioning with Medi-507 (anti-CD2 humanized mAb; Biotransplant, Inc.), cyclophosphamide, thymic irradiation and peritransplant cyclosporine. The patients in Protocols A received a MEDI-507 test dose of 0.1 mg/kg on Day -2 followed by 0.6 mg/kg on Days −1, 0 and +1 and transplantation of unmanipulated bone marrow. In Protocol B, the timing and dose of Medi-507 was modified. The patients in Protocol C and D received the latter Medi-507 protocol, but were given Isolex ® -selected CD34 + cells from G-CSF mobilized PBSC. Protocol D differs from Protocol C with the addition of fludarabine to more reliably achieve sustained chimerism. Donor leukocyte infusions were administered in an effort to convert mixed to full donor chimerism and to achieve a graft-versus-tumor effect. Chimerism was measured by peripheral blood microsatellite markers or by flow cytometry using HLA-specific mAbs. T cell recovery and phenotype were followed by flow cytometry. Because a high percentage of CD4 T cells post- transplant were CD25 high , we performed quantitative RTPCR for Foxp3 and CTLA-4 on sorted PBMC populations. Results: T cell depletion early post-HCT was detected in all patients. There was a marked difference in the percentage of graft acceptance/loss, GVHD prevalence, and T cell phenotype related to each protocol modification. The majority (>90%) of CD4 T cells appearing in the first 100 days post-SCT were CD45RO + /CD45RA - “memory” cells and CD8 T cells were CD45RO+CD45RA-/CD62L-. In addition, a remarkably high percentage (19.5–75%, mean 38.1%) of CD4 T cells expressed high levels of CD25 in recipients of Protocols A, B, and C early post-HCT. CD25 expression decreased as T cell counts increased. By quantitative RTPCR, we found that sorted CD25 high CD4 T cells expressed Foxp3 and CTLA-4, consistent with a regulatory phenotype. The addition of fludarabine in Protocol D resulted in an overall reduction in the percentage of peripheral CD4CD25 high T cells compared to Protocol C at 4 weeks post-HCT (C 23.43% +/−4.7% versus D 2.1% +/− 0.9%, p Conclusions: These data suggest that the addition of fludarabine may increase the incidence of sustained and full donor chimerism. Fludarabine efficiently depleted host CD4+CD25 high Foxp3+ cells, which may have a regulatory role, preventing spontaneous chimerism conversion and associated GVHD.
Abstract P137: Recognition of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Implementation of Primary Prevention Interventions with Utilization of an On-Line Form

Purpose: Awareness, documentation and management of Cardiovascular Risk Factors (CVRF) are measures of quality of care in primary and secondary prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). We measured the recognition, documentation and management of CVRF in patients at a preventive cardiology clinic with the use of a standardized on-line form. Background and Methods: An on-line “Risk Profile Form” was created by the Cardiovascular Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic. The form automatically populates height, weight, laboratory values including lipids, fasting blood glucose, novel risk factors, and results of cardiac stress testing. Clinicians enter information on hypertension, diabetes, smoking, family history, depression, self-reported stress level, quality of life, diet and physical activity. The form uses computerized algorithms to calculate BMI, identify metabolic syndrome, calculate Framingham Risk Score, and generate recommendations for exercise, diet, and other aspects of CV prevention. The form is reviewed with the patient and added to the medical record in addition to the consultation note. We assessed a random sample of 210 preventive cardiology consultations for 2007, 2008 and 2009 and compared the recognition, documentation and management of CVRF in patients in whom the form was and was not used. Results: The “Risk Profile Form” was used for 92 of the 210 patient encounters reviewed. Detailed results are reported in [Table 1][1]. Conclusions: Use of a simple, standardized on-line form with incorporated computerized algorithms improves identification, documentation and management of CVRF and total CVD risk. | Risk Factor | Form Used | Form Not Used | P-Value | |:--------------------------------------------------------:| --------------- | ---------------- | ------- | | Smoking history assessed | 79 of 92 (86%) | 80 of 118 (68%) | 0.002 | | BMI documented | 92 of 92 (100%) | 104 of 118 (88%) | 0.001 | | Intake of fruits, vegetables and saturated fat evaluated | 91of 92 (99%) | 64 of 118 (54%) | 0.001 | | Assessment of vigorous, moderate and mild exercise | 92 of 92 (100%) | 107 of 118 (90%) | 0.002 | | Metabolic syndrome assessed | 82 of 92 (89%) | 12 of 118 (10%) | 0.001 | | Framingham risk score documented | 86 of 92 (93%) | 7 of 118 (6%) | 0.001 | | Weight management recommendations made | 88 of 92 (96%) | 72 of 118 (61%) | 0.001 | | Hypertension management discussed | 17 of 18 (94%) | 25 of 35 (71%) | 0.06 | | Dyslipidemia management discussed | 62 of 63 (98%) | 60 of 63 (95%) | 0.40 | Table 1: Comparison of Risk Factor Management With and Without Use of Risk Profile Form [1]: #T1
When Device Failure Translates to Therapeutic Efficacy: Intentional Fracture of Bioprosthetic Valve Rings as an Adjunctive Technique in Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve Replacement.

Implantable devices, including valves, stents, occlusion devices, pacemakers, and debrillator systems, have become widespread and indispensable tools for cardiovascular therapy. Subjected as they are to the incessantly dynamic mechanical environment of a beating heart, a fundamental component of demonstrating safety, and one of the basic regulatory challenges, is testing to ensure their physical resilience and resistance to fatigue failure. Fracture of such devices in situ has traditionally been considered a mark of failure, not simply in the material sense, and although such failures are not always catastrophic, they are still cause for concern. With the introduction of ultra-noncompliant angioplasty balloons, it is now conceivable and feasible to impose intentional overload fracture of some vascular and valvar prostheses for therapeutic rather than for detrimental effect. The report by Chhatriwalla et al1 in the current issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions adds to a growing literature on such innovations, which include deliberate fracture of intravascular stents in patients with congenital heart disease2,3 and of the support framework of surgical valves in patients undergoing transcatheter valve-in-valve replacement.4–6 See Article by Chhatriwalla et al Stented surgical bioprosthetic valves (BPV) are constructed from a single- or multicomponent rigid or semirigid framework that typically forms a ring at the base of the leaflets and supports for the commissural posts.7 These frames may be composed from various alloys and polymers and are typically covered with a woven polymer fabric and a felt or silicon sewing ring. The commissural posts have some degree of play and can splay outward quite a bit, so these structural elements of the BPV do not usually limit the diameter that can be achieved with valve-in-valve therapy. The ring at the base of the device, however, is of fixed circumference and, insofar as it remains intact, …
Angle of Progression on Ultrasound in the Second Stage of Labor and Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the association between the angle of progression (AoP) measured by transperineal ultrasound and mode of delivery and duration of the second stage. Study Design This is a prospective observational study of nulliparous women with a singleton gestation at term in which serial transperineal ultrasound examinations were obtained during the second stage of labor. Multivariable logistic regression and adjusted survival models were used for the analysis. Results A total of 137 patients were included in the analysis and median AoP for the study group was 153 degrees. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of requiring an operative delivery was 2.6 times higher for those patients who had an AoP Conclusion The AoP has the potential to predict spontaneous vaginal delivery and the duration of the second stage of labor which may be useful in counseling patients and managing their labor.
Structural Effects on the pH-Dependent Redox Properties of Organic Nitroxyls: Pourbaix Diagrams for TEMPO, ABNO, and Three TEMPO Analogs

Electrochemical studies of the reduction and oxidation reactions of five different organic nitroxyls have been performed across a wide pH range (0-13). The resulting Pourbaix diagrams illustrate structural effects on their various redox potentials and on the p Ka values of the corresponding hydroxylamine and hydroxylammonium ions. Evidence is also given for the reversible formation of a hydroxylamine N-oxide when nitroxyls are oxidized in alkaline media. Structural effects on the thermodynamics of this reaction are assessed.
Sexualities: Identities, Behaviors, and Society

This collection of articles is intended, according to the editors, to be an "ideal human sexualities text" for sociology and women's studies courses. As such, it needs to be evaluated in terms of its academic rigor and suitability for college students. Unfortunately, the book is somewhat remiss in its attention to important details and thus does not set a standard for students. Partly this seems to be a problem in copy editing. The table of contents, for instance, lists Part One and Part Four but omits Parts Two and Three, and the reader obtains a notion of the book's organizing themes only by turning the pages and finding Parts Two and Three and their titles.Editor's note: On the Oxford University Press website advertising the book, the complete table of contents is shown. A more serious problem is the lack of a bibliography. The publication sources of the articles included (47 in all, 45 of which were previously published and two that were written for the present collection) are refe... Language: en
Integrating History and Archaeology in the Study of Contact Period Philippine Chiefdoms

Malay texts, Philippine oral traditions, Chinese tributary records and geographies, early Spanish writings, and archaeological evidence from Philippine sites present divergent views of political structures and political economies in Philippine chiefdoms of the late first millennium to midsecond millennium A.D. While some sources claim a political landscape dominated by a few large-scale, highly centralized polities almost wholly supported through foreign trade, others suggest the presence of more heterogeneous and politically segmented configurations of varying scale and complexity and with eclectic economic bases. These disparate narratives are evaluated in terms of methodological biases, their cultural context, and the historical circumstances of their production.
Optimale Zuordnung und andere Zuteilungsprobleme

Das im letzten Kapitel beschriebene Transportproblem seheint eine ziemlich eingeschrankte Situation zu behandeln.