cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding “Internet plagiarism”

Current concerns about plagiarism participate in a culture-wide anxiety that mirrors the cultural climate in previous textual revolutions. In today’s revolution, the Internet is described as the cause of a perceived increase in plagiarism, and plagiarism-detecting services (PDSs) are described as the best solution. The role of the Internet should be understood, however, not just in terms of access to text but also in terms of textual relationships. Synthesizing representations of iText with literary theories of intertextuality suggests that all writers work intertextually, all readers interpret texts intertextually, and new media not only increase the number of texts through which both writers and readers work but also offer interactive information technologies in which unacknowledged appropriation from sources does not necessarily invalidate the text. Plagiarism-detecting services, in contrast, describe textual appropriation solely in terms of individual ethics. The best response to concerns about plagiarism is revised institutional plagiarism policies combined with authentic pedagogy that derives from an understanding of IText, intertextuality, and new media.
Elektronen –fast so schwer wie Wasserstoff

Schwere Fermionen-Systeme, das sind exotische metallische Verbindungen, in denen die elektrischen Ladungstrager in der Nahe des Nullpunktes der Temperatur anscheinend eine einige hundert- bis tausendmal vergroserte Masse haben. Trotzdem zeigen einige dieser Materialien einen Ubergang in einen supraleitenden Zustand, der sich aber drastisch von der Supraleitung in einfachen Metallen unterscheidet. Die Entdeckung immer neuer Verbindungen mit unerwarteten Eigenschaften machen diese Systeme seit etwa funfzehn Jahren zu einem faszinierenden Gebiet der Festkorperphysik und der Materialforschung.
Prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with patent foramen ovale.

PFO is common in the general population and as a result it is frequently encountered in the search for cardioembolic sources of ischemic stroke. It is unclear if PFO-specific anatomic or physiologic features can identify high-risk PFOs. Recent clinical trials of device-based closure for patients with CS and PFO have not shown benefit, although they have been limited by low stroke recurrence rates. Subsequent meta-analyses have shown trends toward benefit for some, although these have generally not been statistically significant for the composite end points that emulate the primary trial analyses. Fortunately, investigators have recently developed a risk score to identify the likelihood an observed PFO is related to CS. However, more work is needed to determine whether device-based closure targeted toward a subgroup of patients might be beneficial. In the meantime optimal medical therapy for patients with CS and PFO is unknown and studies continue to better define and treat patients with likely paradoxic embolism to minimize the risk of stroke recurrence. Treatment decisions for patients with PFO and CS should be individualized because many observed PFOs are incidental and are unrelated to an index CS. Patients with CS and PFO represent a heterogeneous group where the likelihood an observed PFO is related to CS and also the risk of stroke recurrence are highly variable, although they can be estimated. Device-based PFO closure holds promise as an effective therapy if it can be directed toward patients with a likely paradoxic embolism and a reasonably high risk of recurrence. Further research is needed to establish a firmer evidentiary basis for the optimal medical approach, and the value of device-based PFO closure.
Impacts of Fisheries Bycatch on Loggerhead Turtles Worldwide Inferred from Reproductive Value Analyses

1. Fisheries bycatch has been implicated in declines of many long-lived marine vertebrate populations, but bycatch impacts on these populations vary according to spatio-temporal overlap in fisheries operations and critical ontogenetic habitat, as well as to characteristics of fishing gear. 2. To provide a framework for comparing the relative impacts of different fisheries on populations of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta, we compiled published data on sizes of individual loggerheads taken as bycatch in North Atlantic, North Pacific and Mediterranean fisheries, and used Leslie matrix models to calculate reproductive values (RVs) for bycatch samples of loggerheads within these basins. 3. Sizes and RVs of loggerheads varied significantly based on spatial overlap in fisheries and ontogenetic habitat as well as on fishing gear. Thus, fisheries operating in areas occupied by larger, older turtles (e.g. trawls in neritic areas) tended to interact with more reproductively 'valuable' turtles than fisheries that operated in areas occupied by smaller, younger turtles (e.g. oceanic and pelagic longlines). 4. We also found evidence of size-selectivity among different fishing gears (e.g. wider size variation among loggerheads taken in driftnets and trawls than in longlines) and gear configuration (e.g. smaller loggerheads in shallow longline sets using small hooks). 5. These results suggest that evaluation of fishery impacts on marine megafauna require characterization of fishery activities; understanding of species biology must be considered in order to determine population impacts of fisheries bycatch. Data access and quality can be improved and uncertainty reduced by increasing independent observer coverage on fishing vessels throughout the world's oceans. 6. Syntheses and applications. Our analyses demonstrate that application of reproductive values can allow fisheries managers and biologists alike to identify the most influential bycatch threats to geographically widespread populations of long-lived marine vertebrates, thereby facilitating prioritization of conservation actions and successful management of these animals. For example, our results suggest that effective management of loggerhead catch in trawl gear should be one of the top priorities for conservation of loggerhead populations worldwide.
Innovative Dynamic Minimally Invasive Training Environment (DynaMITE)

Existing laparoscopic box trainers consist only of static tasks and do not adequately prepare surgeons to navigate the dynamic surgical environment. This paper describes an innovative design using controlled motorized target movements to enhance the training of dynamic motor skills. The prototype was tested using 15 subjects with different surgical experience levels. The task required accurate contact, using a laparoscopic tool, with targets moving in 5 different movement trajectories: (1) static, (2) horizontal, (3) vertical, (4) slow hourglass-shaped, and (5) fast hourglass-shaped. Expert surgeons were significantly faster than novices in the static, horizontal, and slow hourglass target conditions. Intermediate experienced subjects (PGY2s) were faster than novices in the horizontal target condition only. In the fast hourglass condition, experts were not faster than less experienced and novice subjects, but they were more accurate. There is the potential to train hand-eye coordination of even expert sur...
An Instrument to Measure Healing in Pressure Ulcers Development and Validation of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH)

BACKGROUND Currently, there is no instrument that provides an accurate and simple method of monitoring pressure ulcer healing in clinical practice. This article reports the two studies that were conducted to assess the validity of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) as a tool to monitor healing of stage II-IV pressure ulcers. METHODS Subjects in both studies (N = 103 and N = 269) were elderly (mean Study 1, 75 years, mean Study 2, 80 years), and the majority were women (Study 1, 51%, Study 2, 70%). Study data were extracted from patients' permanent records. RESULTS Principal components analysis confirmed that the PUSH tool accounted for 58% to 74% of the wound healing variance over a 10-week period in Study 1 and 40% to 57% of the wound healing variance over a 12-week period in Study 2. In addition, multiple regression analysis, used to measure the sensitivity of the model to total healing, showed PUSH accounted for 39% of the variance in 6 weeks and 31% of the variance over 12 weeks (p <.001; Studies 1 and 2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Data from these two studies confirmed that the PUSH tool, with the components of length times width, exudate amount, and tissue type, is a valid and sensitive measure of pressure ulcer healing. It is a practical approach that provides clinically valid data regarding pressure ulcer healing. Further testing is needed to confirm these findings.
Time-Optimal Position Control of Electric Motors with Steady-State Temperature Constraints

The objective of this paper is to explore the time-optimal control problem arising in manufacturing applications involving point-to-point positioning. In such applications the motive forces are provided by electric motors, and the resulting current flow generates heat that leads to temperature rise. Manufacturing productivity is thus linked to a trade-off between the desire to reduce travel time and the need to avoid excessive temperature rise. This fundamental trade-off is explored for motion systems driven by two types of synchronous motors.
Effects of homosynaptic depression on spectral properties of H-reflex recordings.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of homosynaptic depression (HD) on spectral properties of the soleus (SOL) H-reflex. Paired stimulations, separated by 100 ms, were used to elicit an unconditioned and conditioned H-reflex in the SOL muscle of 20 participants during quiet standing. Wavelet and principal component analyses were used to analyze features of the time-varying spectral properties of the unconditioned and conditioned H-reflex. The effects of HD on spectral properties of the H-reflex signal were quantified by comparing extracted principal component scores. The analysis extracted two principal components: one associated with the intensity of the spectra and one associated with its frequency. The scores for both principal components were smaller for the conditioned H-reflex. HD decreases the spectral intensity and changes the spectral frequency of H-reflexes. These results suggest that HD changes the recruitment pattern of the motor units evoked during H-reflex stimulations, in...
Three-dimensional simulations of ground motions in the San Bernardino Valley, California, for hypothetical earthquakes on the San Andreas fault

Three-dimensional finite difference simulations of elastic waves in the San Bernardino Valley were performed for two hypothetical earthquakes on the San Andreas fault: a point source with moment magnitude M5 and an extended rupture with M6.5. A method is presented for incorporating a source with arbitrary focal mechanism in the grid. Synthetics from the 3-D simulations are compared with those derived from 2-D (vertical cross section) and 1-D (flat-layered) models. The synthetic seismograms from the 3-D and 2-D simulations exhibit large surface waves produced by conversion of incident S waves at the edge of the basin. Seismograms from the flat-layered model do not contain these converted surface waves and underestimate the duration of shaking. The seismograms from the 3-D simulations have larger amplitude coda than do the seismograms from the 2-D case because of the presence of off-azimuth surface wave arrivals in the 3-D simulations that are not included in the 2-D simulations. Snapshots of the wavefield of the 3-D simulation show that these off-azimuth arrivals represent surface waves reflected from the edges of the basin. The anelastic attenuation of the sediments is a key parameter controlling the overall duration of motion. Some of the coda energy at rock sites near the basin edges represents leakage of surface wave energy out of the basin. For the M6.5 earthquake simulation, the largest ground velocities occur where surface waves reflected from the edge of the basin interfere constructively with the trapped waves that follow the direct S -wave. Maps of maximum ground velocity are produced for two directions of rupture propagation. The largest velocities occur in localized portions of the basin. The location of the largest velocities changes with the rupture propagation direction. Contours of maximum shaking are also dependent on asperity positions and radiation pattern.
The Recent and Continuing Assembly of Field Elliptical Galaxies by Red Mergers

We present a study of tidal debris associated with 126 nearby red galaxies, selected from the 1.2 deg2 Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile and the 9.3 deg2 NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey. In the full sample, 67 galaxies (53%) show morphological signatures of tidal interactions consisting of broad fans of stars, tails, and other asymmetries at very faint surface brightness levels. When restricting the sample to the 86 bulge-dominated early-type galaxies, the fraction of tidally disturbed galaxies rises to 71%, which implies that for every normal undisturbed elliptical there are two that show clear signs of interactions. The tidal features are red and smooth and often extend over >50 kpc. Of the tidally distorted galaxies, about two-thirds are remnants, and one-third are interacting with a companion galaxy. The companions are usually bright red galaxies as well; the median R-band luminosity ratio of the tidal pairs is 0.31, and the median color difference after correcting for the slope of the color-magnitude relation is -0.02 in B - R. If the ongoing mergers are representative for the progenitors of the remnants, ~35% of bulge-dominated galaxies experienced a merger with mass ratio >1 : 4 in the recent past. With further assumptions it is estimated that the present-day mass accretion rate of galaxies on the red sequence ΔM/M = 0.09 ± 0.04 Gyr-1. For a constant or increasing mass accretion rate with redshift, we find that red mergers may lead to an evolution of a factor of 2 in the stellar mass density in luminous red galaxies over the redshift range 0 < z < 1, consistent with recent studies of the evolution of the luminosity density. We conclude that the majority of today's most luminous field elliptical galaxies were assembled at low redshift through mergers of gas-poor, bulge-dominated systems. These dry mergers are consistent with the high central densities of ellipticals, their old stellar populations, and the strong correlations of their properties. It will be interesting to determine whether this mode of merging only plays an important role at low redshift or is relevant for galaxies at any redshift if they exceed a critical mass scale.
Honey bee forager thoracic temperature inside the nest is tuned to broad-scale differences in recruitment motivation

SUMMARY Insects that regulate flight muscle temperatures serve as crucial pollinators in a broad range of ecosystems, in part because they forage over a wide span of temperatures. Honey bees are a classic example and maintain their thoracic muscles at temperatures ( T th ) tuned to the caloric benefits of floral resources. Using infrared thermography, we tested the hypothesis that forager motivation to recruit nestmates for a food source is positively correlated with T th . We trained bees to a sucrose feeder located 5–100 m from the nest. Recruiting foragers had a significantly higher average T th (2.7°C higher) when returning from 2.5 mol l –1 sucrose (65% w/w) than when returning from 1.0 mol l –1 sucrose (31% w/w). Foragers exhibited significantly larger thermal fluctuations the longer they spent inside the nest between foraging trips. The difference between maximum and minimum temperatures during a nest visit ( T range ) increased with total duration of the nest visit (0.7°C increase per additional min spent inside the nest). Bees that recruited nestmates (waggle or round danced) were significantly warmer, with a 1.4–1.5 times higher Δ T th (difference between T th and nest ambient air temperature) than bees who tremble danced or simply walked on the nest floor without recruiting between foraging bouts. However, recruiter T th was not correlated with finer-scale measures of motivation: the number of waggle dance circuits or waggle dance return phase duration. These results support the hypothesis that forager T th within the nest is correlated to broad-scale differences in foraging motivation.
A new method for predicting the lifetime of highly stable amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors from accelerated tests

We present a new method for predicting the lifetime of highly stable amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si TFTs) from accelerated tests at elevated temperatures. The rate of DC saturation current drop can be accelerated by a factor of ∼104 when the test temperature is raised to 160°C. This ability is particularly significant for predicting the stability and lifetime of a-Si TFTs as analog drivers in active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays.
Tls1 regulates splicing of shelterin components to control telomeric heterochromatin assembly and telomere length

Heterochromatin preferentially forms at repetitive DNA elements through RNAi-mediated targeting of histone-modifying enzymes. It was proposed that splicing factors interact with the RNAi machinery or regulate the splicing of repeat transcripts to directly participate in heterochromatin assembly. Here, by screening the fission yeast deletion library, we comprehensively identified factors required for telomeric heterochromatin assembly, including a novel gene tls1+. Purification of Tls1 and mass spectrometry analysis of its interacting proteins show that Tls1 associates with the spliceosome subunit Brr2. RNA sequencing analysis shows that the splicing of a subset of mRNAs are affected in tls1Δ cells, including mRNAs of shelterin components rap1+ and poz1+. Importantly, replacing rap1+ and poz1+ with their cDNAs significantly alleviated heterochromatin defects of tls1Δ cells, suggesting that the missplicing of shelterin components is the cause of such defects, and that splicing factors regulate telomeric heterochromatin through the proper splicing of heterochromatin factors. In addition to its role in telomeric heterochromatin assembly, Tls1-mediated splicing of shelterin mRNAs also regulates telomere length. Given that its human homologue C9ORF78 also associates with the spliceosome and is overexpressed in multiple cancer cell lines, our results suggest that C9ORF78 overexpression might alter the proper splicing of genes during cancer progression.
Prostate cancer: retrograde urethrography to improve treatment planning for radiation therapy.

Thirty men with clinical stage A or B prostate cancer underwent retrograde urethrography at the time of simulation. The inferior edge of the prostate apex was visualized as an abrupt narrowing of the column of contrast material at the urogenital diaphragm. The distance between the line connecting the lower poles of the ischial tuberosities and the site of abrupt narrowing of the column of contrast material (prostate apex) ranged from 0.2 cm to 2.9 cm (median, 1.5 cm). In eight of the 30 (27%) cases, this distance was less than 1.0 cm. In these patients, it would have been inappropriate to place the lower field edge at the bottom of the ischial tuberosities because this would have resulted in an insufficient margin (less than 1.0 cm) below the prostate apex. The authors quantify the percentage of patients who would not be adequately treated if the ischial tuberosities were used as the lower border of the treatment fields. The information obtained at retrograde urethrography can be used to place the inferio...
Learning a new leadership game plan at Paychex

The rules for success have changed at perennially successful Paychex. Greater operational and product/service complexity requires a new leadership style to produce the strong performance stakeholders have come to expect. Through a new set of leadership development programs, the Paychex operations organization is rapidly reshaping its leadership culture by setting expectations and building competencies for proactive problem solving, open dialogue, and greater accountability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Depression, Learning Disability, and School Behavior Problems

It is possible that recurrent depression (primary affective illness) is the most significant variable related to school problems of a behavioral nature in children manifesting developmental specific learning disabilities. The association of school problems and depression was investigated at a private school for children with developmental specific learning disabilities. These children were of normal intelligence and were free of primary conduct or thought disturbances. Prior to entering school, 95% of the students fulfilled criteria for developmental specific learning disabilities and 64% for depression with or without hyperactivity. Students manifesting no diagnosable behavioral condition prior to entrance continued to be relatively free of behavioral problems during their stay at school. Students with both depression and hyperactivity showed the most problematic behavior followed by students with depression without hyperactivity.
DNA Methyltransferase I (DNMT1) Inhibition Induces a p21 Dependent Cell Cycle Arrest.

The cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 plays an essential role in the establishment of the senescent state. It inactivates most of the Cdk-cyclin complexes producing an accumulation of hypophosphorylated Rb no longer able to repress E2f responsive genes. Cloned as a senescent gene, p21 expression increases during in vitro aging. Underscoring its role in senescence, disruption of the p21 gene enables normal human fibroblasts to bypass senescence (2).
“I'm Not Supporting His Kids”: Nonresident Fathers' Contributions Given Mothers' New Fertility

The authors examined whether nonresident fathers provide informal support to their children and whether support stops if their ex-partner goes on to have a child with a new man. A logistic regression analysis of longitudinal survey and administrative data for 434 women who received welfare in Wisconsin showed that fathers are less likely to provide informal support when their ex-partner has a child with a new partner. Alternative models that control for unobserved characteristics suggest somewhat different results, providing stronger evidence of declines in support that can be shared across family members than in support that can be directed to a particular child.
ICM Web: the interactive chromatin modeling web server

The interactive chromatin modeling web server (ICM Web) is an interactive tool that allows users to rapidly assess nucleosome stability and fold sequences of DNA into putative chromatin templates. ICM Web takes a sequence composed of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts as input and generates (i) a nucleosome energy level diagram, (ii) coarse-grained representations of free DNA and chromatin and (iii) plots of the helical parameters (Tilt, Roll, Twist, Shift, Slide and Rise) as a function of position. The user can select from several different energy models, nucleosome structures and methods for placing nucleosomes in the energy landscape. Alternatively, if nucleosome footprints are known from experiment, ICM Web can use these positions to create a nucleosome array. The default energy model achieves a correlation coefficient of 0.7 with 100 experimentally determined values of stability and properly predicts the location of six positioned nucleosomes in the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter. ICM Web is suitable for interactively investigating nucleosome stability and chromatin folding for sequences up to tens of kilobases in length. No login is required to use ICM Web.
Ca2+ binding alters the interdomain flexibility between the two cytoplasmic calcium-binding domains in the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.

The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is a membrane protein, which catalyzes the counter transport of Na+ and Ca2+ ions across the plasma membrane, playing a key role in the maintenance of the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in various cell types. NCX consists of a transmembrane part and a large intracellular loop. The activation of the NCX transport function requires the binding of Ca2+ to two tandem C2 domains, CBD1 and CBD2, which are an integral part of the exchanger's intracellular loop. Although high-resolution structures of individual CBD1 and CBD2 are available, their interdomain structure and dynamics and the atomic level mechanism of allosteric Ca2+-regulation remains unknown. Here, we use solution NMR spectroscopy to study the interdomain dynamics of CBD12, a 32 kDa construct that contains both the CBD1 and CBD2 domains connected by a short linker. Analysis of NMR residual dipolar couplings shows that CBD12 assumes on average an elongated shape both in the absence and in the presence of Ca2+. NMR 15N relaxation data of the Apo state indicate that the two domains sample a wide range of relative arrangements on the nanosecond time scale. These arrangements comprise significantly non-linear interdomain orientations. Binding of Ca2+ to CBD1 significantly restricts the interdomain flexibility, stabilizing a more rigid elongated conformation. These findings suggest a molecular mechanism for the role of CBD12 in the function of NCX.
A nonimmunogenic sarcoma transduced with the cDNA for interferon gamma elicits CD8+ T cells against the wild-type tumor: correlation with antigen presentation capability.

To be recognized by CD8+ T lymphocytes, target cells must process and present peptide antigens in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. The nonimmunogenic, low class I-expressing, methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced murine sarcoma cell line, MCA 101, is a poor presenter of endogenously generated viral antigens to specific CD8+ T lymphocytes and cannot be used to generate tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Since interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) has been shown to upregulate three sets of molecules important for antigen processing and presentation, we retrovirally transduced wild-type MCA 101 (101.WT) tumor with the mIFN-gamma cDNA to create the 101.NAT cell line. Unlike 101.WT, some clones of retrovirally transduced 101.NAT tumor expressed high levels of class I, and could be used to generate CD8+ TIL. More importantly, these TIL were therapeutic in vivo against established pulmonary metastases from the wild-type tumor. Although not uniformly cytotoxic amongst several separate cultures, these TIL did specifically release cytokines (IFN-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) in response to 101.WT targets. 101.WT's antigen presentation deficit was also reversed by gene modification with mIFN-gamma cDNA. 101.NAT had a greatly improved capacity to present viral antigens to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. These findings show that a nonimmunogenic tumor, incapable of generating a CD8+ T cell immune response, could be gene-modified to generate a therapeutically useful immune response against the wild-type tumor. This strategy may be useful in developing treatments for tumor histologies not thought to be susceptible to T cell-based immunotherapy.
Genetic structure, migration, and patterns of allelic richness among coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations of the Oregon coast

Genotypic data from eight microsatellite loci are used to infer population structure, effective population size, migration rates, and patterns of allelic richness among wild and hatchery population...
Heritage Language Reading in the University: A Survey of Students' Experiences, Strategies, and Preferences.

This paper examines the reading experiences, strategies, and curriculum preferences of university-level heritage language students. One hundred and twenty eight students enrolled in four different heritage language programs at UCLA—Korean, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese—completed a survey about their exposure to print, early and current reading experiences, strategy use, learning goals, and preferences. The survey revealed that the majority of the students were interested in achieving university-level academic reading proficiency, yet students reported spending little time reading in their HL despite the availability of print in many of their homes. This might be explained by the fact that students reported not transferring skills from English to the HL and that they perceived themselves to be slow readers. Moreover, most HL students expressed that their reason for learning the HL was to maintain their cultural identity and thus would like to read texts embedded with cultural and historical information in the HL classroom. The survey results underscore the importance of sustaining students’ motivation in HL literacy courses by selecting appropriate materials that are connected to students’ goals for learning the HL, and providing explicit instruction in reading skills and strategies in both English and the HL. Results of this study will be of particular use to HL curriculum planners and material developers.
Priority and Queuing Specification in ‘Distributed Processes’

In a recent paper Brinch Hansen has proposed a new language concept for process coordination in a distributed environment.' Central to this language is the concept of a distributed process, which is a program module that is executed asynchronously. A process consists of some shared data, common (external) procedures and an initial statement. A process can access its shared data as well as invoke external procedures denned in other processes. A process switches between various activities. An activity is the execution of a procedure (on behalf of another process) or the execution of the initial statement of the process. At any point in time a process is executing at most one activity. It switches activities only when it either reaches a false guarded region (i.e. a guarded region whose associated boolean expressions are all false), or it reaches the last statement in either a procedure or the initial statement. In this case it may start (or resume) processing the next activity. Although the Distributed Processes (DP) scheme is attractive, its principal weakness is the lack of an effective control mechanism for the scheduling of the various ready-to-run activities within a single process. It is our aim here to elaborate on this issue, by proposing simple extensions to the language to resolve this difficulty.
Enhancing student learning shrough self-assessment

First year engineering courses at Michigan Technological University have instruction and activities that address studentspsila various learning styles. Traditionally, these courses have focused on increasing active learning through in-class examples, team exercises and design projects. Despite these activities, there have been several course topics where the students continue to have difficulty applying the principles to an engineering problem. To address this issue, in the fall of 2007, self-assessments were introduced to enhance the resources available for students. The assessments were a series of non-graded questions designed for students to explore the course topics in greater detail on their own time. As this was not part of the overall course requirements, student participation was voluntary. The questions applied lecture material to real world applications. The self-assessments were administered through Blackboard CE. Students were able to log into Blackboard, complete the assessment and receive immediate feedback regarding their performance. To enhance their understanding of the material, they could repeat this process multiple times. This paper will discuss student responses to this learning approach as well as assessment data to determine the effectiveness of this method as a teaching tool.
A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SEEDLING SURVIVAL AND BIOMASS ACCUMULATION FOR FOURTEEN WETLAND PLANT SPECIES GROWN UNDER MINOR WATER-DEPTH DIFFERENCES

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the survival and biomass accumulation of wetland plant species under different water depths in controlled microcosms. In the greenhouse, two-weekold seedlings were randomly assigned to one of seven water-depth treatments (−6, −4, −2, 0, +2, +4, and +6 cm relative to the soil surface) and allowed to grow for six months. Species included five perennial sedges, four perennial and one annual grasses, and two perennial and two annual forbs. Twelve of the species had their lowest biomass and lowest survivorship at water depths greater than 0 cm. The root:shoot ratio, however, did not change across water-depth treatments. Biomass accumulation differed by plant form (sedges>forbs>grasses). Annuals had the greatest biomass values across the widest range of water depths compared to perennials. Of the fourteen plants tested, Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), one of the two invasive, non-native species tested, had the greatest biomass at water depths from −6 to +2, whereas Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass), the other invasive, had comparatively small mean biomass values. Ranking of biomass between species was highly concordant between non-flooded treatments but not significantly concordant between flooded treatments indicating that plant species have distinct responses to flooding. This research suggests that newly established plant seedlings in wetland restorations should not be submerged, or if submergence is unavoidable, annuals and sedges may be more tolerant of prolonged flooding.
Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus 1758)

Fasciola hepatica, the sheep liver fluke, is found throughout Latin America, the southeastern United States, Africa, Europe, China, and South America. The highest prevalence is believed to occur in the northwestern altiplano of Bolivia near Lake Titicaca.1 The sheep serves as the common definitive host for F. hepatica, but other mammals, including humans, may be infected. Its monoecious life style ensures that each infection results in the production of fertilized eggs.
Climate change and the future of natural disturbances in the central hardwood region

Spatial patterns and ecological processes of the USA central hardwood forests reflect past climatic conditions and natural disturbance regimes. Changes in climate can lead to disturbances that exceed their natural range of variation, and the impacts of these changes depend on the vulnerability or resiliency of these ecosystems. Global Circulation Models generally project annual increases in temperature across the Central Hardwood Region over the coming decades, but changes in precipitation are less consistent. More unclear is how climate change affects severity and frequency of natural disturbances, such as severe storms, fires, droughts, floods, and insect outbreaks. We use a time-series satellite data record to map the spatial pattern and severity of broad classes of natural disturbances the southeast region. Between 5 % and 25 % of forest land was affected by disturbance each year since 1985 across the four regions. The time series reveals periodic droughts that are widespread and low-severity but associated with more localized, high-severity disturbances such as fire and insect outbreaks. The map also reveals extensive anthropogenic disturbance across the region in the form of forest conversion related to resource extraction and urban and residential development. Changes in climate and disturbance regimes might affect these forests in the future via altering the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of these ecosystems. Changes in climate are highly likely to expose forests to more frequent and severe disturbances, but ultimately how vulnerable or resilient forests are to these changes depends on their sensitivity and capacity to adapt to novel conditions.
Acoustic Effects of Porous Inert Media on Lean Premixed Combustion at Elevated Pressures

Swirl-stabilized, lean-premixed (LPM) combustion is one method for producing relatively clean flames; however, these systems generate acoustic instabilities when operating at typical gas turbine flow, temperature, and pressure conditions. In this study, the concept of swirl-stabilization is combined with that of porous inert medium (PIM) stabilization such that the porous insert serves as a passive control device to suppress combustion instabilities and noise in the LPM combustor. The diffuser-shaped annular ring of PIM is placed at the combustor inlet where it directly influences the turbulent flow field and vortical and/or shear layer structures. Combustion experiments were conducted at several elevated pressures using SiC/HfC coated, high-strength, high-temperature resistant open-cell foam materials. Measurements of sound pressure level (SPL) were taken for different equivalence ratios and reactant flow rates. Experiments show that the porous insert can mitigate combustion instabilities and noise encountered at high pressures and reactant flow rates.
Developing a Laser-Based Ionization Approach for Detecting Explosives with Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Rotationally resolved resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectra of the NO photofragment from nitrobenzene have been observed for the A2Σ+- X2Π (1, 0) transition. These spectra were collected in an atmospheric-pressure nitrogen bath.
Analysis of effects of transformation of value-added tax on investment of fixed assets of enterprises

During the transformation of value-added tax,the different credit policy of input value-added tax when enterprises buy fixed assets will cause some financial indexes to change.This paper analyses the different effects of transformation of value-added tax on the investment of enterprise fixed assets from remuneration rate of investment,investment risk and investment capacity of fixed assets.The results indicate that the transformation of value-added tax exerts many positive effects on the investment of enterprise fixed assets.The transformation of value-added tax enhances the remuneration rate of investment,reduces investment risk,strengthens investment ability of enterprise fixed assets,is beneficial to the renewal and transformation of technique.
Effect of intra-amniotic administration of pulmonary surfactant on expression of SP-A in fetus lung injury in rabbit model with intrauterine infection

Objective To investigate effect of intra-amniotic administration of pulmonary surfactant on expression of SP-A in fetus lung injury in rabbit model with intrauterine infection.Methods Nineteen Japanese albino pregnant rabbits were divided into 3 groups: bacteria group,bacteria + PS group and control group.The rabbit models of fetus lung injury with intrauterine infection were established.In the bacteria group,the rabbits were injected with intrauterine intestinum crassum bacterium,and then were subdivided into 21 d,22 d,23 d,24 d,26 d fetation group respectively;in the bacteria + PS group,the rabbits were injected with intrauterine bacterium coli commune and amniotic intracavitary administration extrinsic source PS 200 mg/kg,and then were subdivided into 24 d and 26 d fetation group respectively.In the control group,the rabbits were injected with 0.9% sodium chloride,and then were subdivided with the same criteria as that in the bacteria group.All the rabbits were delivered by cesarean section and the fetus were taken.Lung tissues of fetus rabbits from each rabbit were excised respectively.Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect SP-A expressions in lung tissues.The expression of SP-A mRNA in lung tissues were detected by Reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction and SP-A protein by Western blot.Data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 software.Results Compared with the control group,the expression of SP-A in bacteria group was significantly decreased,with significant differences(F=237.865,P=0.000).The expression of SP-A mRNA and protein in bacteria group was significantly lower than those of the control group(F=1 101.741,P=0.000),which in PS group was higher than bacteria groups(P0.05).Conclusion The expression of SP-A decreased after infection,and intracavitary administration PS can lead to the increase of SP-A,which indicate that replacement therapy of PS can increase the expression of SP-A,and this is a useful method to prevention NRDS for postnatal.
Administrative, Legal, and Public Policy Constraints on Environmental Impact Assessment

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the judicial involvement in the environmental impact report or statement (EIR/S) process which leads to tremendous effort expended on documentation during the EIR/S process. It focuses on some of the constraints on environmental assessment generated by the administrative, legal, and public policy contexts of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These constraints are most apparent in contentious cases and almost all significant environmental assessment problems take place in contexts similar to those established by NEPA-type environmental assessment laws. Outer continental shelf (OCS) development suggests that public environmental assessment processes are limited by the participation of many diverse interests, each responding in slow fashion to the problem of scientific uncertainty. Bureaucracies, courts, scientists, public advocates, and politicians each have their own agendas leading to increased conflict and uncertainty. The chapter concludes that scientists and public policy actors need to concentrate more on the integration of their respective disciplines and goals, if environmental assessment is to serve its intended purpose.
A genome-wide association study of heat stress-associated SNPs in catfish.

Summary Heat tolerance is a complex and economically important trait for catfish genetic breeding programs. With global climate change, it is becoming an increasingly important trait. To better understand the molecular basis of heat stress, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out using the 250 K catfish SNP array with interspecific backcross progenies, which derived from crossing female channel catfish with male F1 hybrid catfish (female channel catfish × male blue catfish). Three significant associated SNPs were detected by performing an EMMAX approach for GWAS. The SNP located on linkage group 14 explained 12.1% of phenotypical variation. The other two SNPs, located on linkage group 16, explained 11.3 and 11.5% of phenotypical variation respectively. A total of 14 genes with heat stress related functions were detected within the significant associated regions. Among them, five genes—TRAF2, FBXW5, ANAPC2, UBR1 and KLHL29— have known functions in the protein degradation process through the ubiquitination pathway. Other genes related to heat stress include genes involved in protein biosynthesis (PRPF4 and SYNCRIP), protein folding (DNAJC25), molecule and iron transport (SLC25A46 and CLIC5), cytoskeletal reorganization (COL12A1) and energy metabolism (COX7A2, PLCB1 and PLCB4) processes. The results provide fundamental information about genes and pathways that is useful for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms of heat stress. The associated SNPs could be promising candidates for selecting heat-tolerant catfish lines after validating their effects on larger and various catfish populations.
A feminine and poststructural extension of cosmopolitan ethics in music education

The interconnected nature of 21st-century life demands that music educators and students consider those beyond their immediate communities in their ethical deliberations. While Appiah’s cosmopolita...
Adaptive GRIN lens based on piezoelectric metamaterial for acoustic beam focusing

Due to the attractive potential in elastic wave attenuation and wave guiding, acoustic metamaterials have received much attention. Different from the more conventional metamaterials that possess only mechanical displacement/deformation, the electro-mechanical metamaterials analyzed in this paper utilize the two-way electromechanical coupling of piezoelectric transducers and local resonance induced by LC (inductor-capacitor) shunt circuits, which features enlarged design space as well as adaptivity. We report an adaptive piezoelectric gradient index (GRIN) lens featuring focusing acoustic wave. The proposed GRIN lens is comprised of arrayed piezoelectric unit-cells with individually connected inductive shunt circuits. Taking advantage of wave velocity shifting in the vicinity of local resonant frequency of unit-cell and specifically arranged LC shunt circuits, we can focus the transverse wave adaptively by adjusting the inductive loads, i.e., tuning the inductances. Analytical investigations and finite element simulations are performed. This tunable GRIN lens can be used as acoustic metamaterial for various acoustic devices operating with broadband frequencies.
Using Data to Support Online Student Communities.

This chapter describes practical uses of data about online learners and provides suggestions for using data to support their success.
Understanding Dangerous Play: A Grounded Theory Analysis of High-Performance Drone Racing Crashes

In drone racing, pilots compete on 3D race courses with quadcopter drones. A first-person view camera feed displayed through an immersive head-mounted display, gives them the sense of directly piloting the remote vehicle. The Drone Racing League (DRL) operates standardized competitions from which it produces professional video. In the present research, we analyze DRL videos to examine the reasons that high-performance drone pilots crash. The video corpus, combined with the standardization of the event, enables us to study pilot performance without interfering factors (e.g., customized drones or interfaces). We present a deep understanding of the sport of drone racing, a framework for understanding crashes, and insights into the reasons that pilots crash, exploring how the HCI community can benefit drone racing through future user interface augmentations.
Impact of real-time notification of Clostridium difficile test results and early initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy.

Background Clostridium difficile is a prominent nosocomial pathogen and is the most common causative organism of health care–associated diarrhea. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the impact of real-time notification of culture results with rapid antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) intervention in the setting of C difficile infection (CDI). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of real-time notification of detection of toxigenic C difficile by DNA amplification results in patients with confirmed CDI. Methods This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study at a 433-bed tertiary medical center in central Kentucky. The study consisted of 2 arms: patients treated for CDI prior to implementation of real-time provider notification and patients postimplementation. The primary outcome was time to initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy. Results The median time to initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy decreased from 5.75 hours in the preimplementation cohort to 2.05 hours in the postimplementation cohort (P = .001). ASP intervention also resulted in a shorter time from detection of CDI to order entry of effective antimicrobial therapy in the patient's electronic medical record (3.0 vs 0.6 hours; P = .001). Conclusions The implementation of a real-time notification system to alert a pharmacist-led ASP of toxigenic CDI resulted in statistically significant shorter times to order entry and subsequent initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy and contact precautions.